Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum attends ground breaking ceremony at Dubai Outsource Zone

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group and Abdullatif Almulla, CEO, TECOM Investments, today attended the official ground breaking ceremony at Dubai Outsource Zone.

Emirates' new 100,000 square foot facility, scheduled for completion in 2008, will accommodate over 500 employees and feature the latest technology in call, contact and data management. This new facility will add to the airline's existing call centres in Dubai, Australia, the UK, USA, India and Pakistan.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum said: "Emirates has always been focused on providing excellent customer support. We find that a large proportion of our customers still prefer to access Emirates information and services via our call centres. This volume is increasing as Emirates expands its business internationally and broadens the range of products on offer. That is why we are building a new and technologically-advanced facility at the Dubai Outsource Zone. The added capacity and capabilities will enable us to meet expanding customer demand, and support our future business growth while continuing to provide our customers with the best possible service."

Abdullatif Almulla, CEO of TECOM Investments, said: "Outsourcing is transcending its traditional IT and data processing boundaries. The growth rate of business process outsourcing is outstripping that in the IT arena. We see significant growth in such areas as logistics, human resources, building facilities management and back office accounting services."

Similar to Emirates' existing call centres around the world, the airline's new call, contact and data centre will assist clients in flight bookings and reservations, booking changes, seat and meal requests, and supplementary services such as Chauffeur Drive; provide information on special offers, seat availability, commercial visas, routes, flight schedules and connections; and co-ordinate complimentary ticket delivery within the UAE and almost anywhere else in the world.

Ismail Al Naqi, Director of DOZ said: "It is a great honour to be hosting such an esteemed establishment; one that boasts one of the most efficient operations worldwide. This is a great testament to both the importance of the outsourcing industry as a whole as well as the capabilities of Dubai Outsource Zone in providing an ideal infrastructure to support Emirates Airline."

Located off Emirates Road and close to Dragon Mart, Dubai Outsource Zone is the world's first freezone dedicated to the outsourcing industry. It provides a comprehensive infrastructure and environment for outsourcing and offshoring companies to set up global or regional hubs servicing the worldwide market.