Dubai World's role in nation building emphasized at Rotterdam conference

This image of Dubai was laid out by Farid Mohammed Ahmed, Secretary-General, Dubai World, in a keynote speech he delivered at the EFR-Business Week 2007 conference on Monday (April 23) at the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

The Economic Faculty Association Rotterdam (EFR), which is behind the six-day-long business students' conference, had specially invited Dubai World to participate in the 23rd edition of the prestigious event, citing the developments taking place in Dubai across a wide spectrum of strategic industries and sectors as being very relevant to the event's theme 'Identity'.

The conference was attended by Fredrik Reinfeldt, Prime Minister of Sweden, Sander van 't Noordende, Member, Global Executive leadership Team and Head of Global Resources Accenture, Kees van der Graaf, President, Unilever Europe, and Jac van Oord, CEO Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors, among others.

In his speech, Mr Ahmed said: 'A strong brand identity is a prerequisite for success in today's highly competitive world, whether one is a nation or a corporate entity. Dubai, which is often only half jokingly referred to as Dubai Inc., has worked hard to build a global image that identifies it as one of the most promising places to be in this Century. A visionary leadership that inspires and dares to excel has set the pace to build a land of immense opportunities and exceptional lifestyle.

'Dubai World is a vibrant offspring of this vision. Our iconic waterfront developments like the Palm Islands and The World are literally etching new worlds on the planet. Our flagship ports operator, DP world, is on a trans-continental surge with 42 terminals in 22 countries, while Jebel Ali Free Zone's trend-setting model is giving new hope to emerging economies. Jafza's brand equity is further strengthened by the fact that it is also home to some 140 Fortune-500 companies.

'Dubai's quest for excellence is reflected in the projects it has launched, such as the Dubai International Financial Exchange, the Dubai Multi Commodities Center, the various waterfront properties of Nakheel and others. Corporate best practices are rigorously implemented at all these projects. DP World, for instance, is rolling out independently audited standard through its global network of terminals, using the services of Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance.

'Individually and together, all these developments are giving Dubai - and the UAE as a whole - a brand identity that is gaining international attention and respect. As a major corporate house, Dubai World is fully aware that it is judged by its socially responsible actions and protocols, which in turn reflects on Dubai's image. For us, brand identity is akin to national identity.'

The Economic Faculty Association Rotterdam (EFR), with around 3.500 members, is one of the most active and professional faculty associations of the Netherlands. It is allied with the Erasmus University of Rotterdam and its aim is to bridge the gap between theory and practice by organising events like EFR-Business Week 2007.

It is the largest student recruitment event of the Netherlands, as over 100 companies and 1,500 students participate.