Inaugural Asian Business Awards Middle East receives overwhelming public support

The Grand Jury also announced the unanimous choice for the Jury Awards and has bestowed N R Narayana Murthy and Lakshmi N Mittal with the two most prestigious awards of the ABA ME.

For the first time, Asian entrepreneurs will be recognized for excellence in business, and for their contributions to the growth of trade relations between the Middle East and the Sub-Continent.

The awards have been prompted by the growing number and increasing significance of Asian business personalities who have effectively utilized the opportunity provided by liberal business policies that exist in the regions' free-market environment and have done exceptionally well in the course of growing their respective business ventures.

N R Narayana Murthy, Chairman of the Board and Chief Mentor, Infosys Technologies Limited, and, Lakshmi N Mittal, President and CEO Arcelor Mittal, have been bestowed with awards for two of the most prestigious categories of the ABA ME. The Lifetime Achievement Award has been conferred on N R Narayana Murthy and Lakshmi N Mittal, has been chosen for The Global Asian of the Year. These categories highlight Asians whose achievements are unfettered by national or global boundaries and whose life and work have set new benchmarks in world business environments.

Unveiling the trophy that will be received by eight outstanding Asian business men and women on the night of the Awards ceremony, Zaal Mohammed Zaal, Chairman, Al Barari, said: 'We're delighted at how the public has responded, we believe the overwhelming public support shown for the awards is a strong affirmation of the importance of the event and an assertion that the public is aware that economic collaboration between the two regions is imperative and can only yield increased opportunities, as well as economic and social benefits for more people.'

PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the world's leading business advisory services set the criteria and parameters for each nomination category and are also the independent analysts for the ABA ME.

18 prominent business leaders from the region were short listed by a highly qualified Grand Jury, along with, PricewaterhouseCoopers and event architects and owners Indian Expressions and Real Media earlier this month. These include; The ABA ME Outstanding Business Woman Of The Year, The ABA ME Outstanding Asian Business Man Of The Year, The ABA ME Asian Rising Star Of The Year, The ABA ME Outstanding Asian Contribution To The ME Development and The ABA ME Asian Business Leader Of The Year.

Criteria for six categories of the ABA ME that has public participation in the nomination and choice for winners moved away from the commercial success formula alone, and lay emphasis on performance indicators that showed commitment to quality, human resource management, leadership, innovation and social responsibility. Top of the criteria pyramid lays the nominees' intangible achievement differentiators that highlight contribution to positive change and global presence.

As an confirmation of the Middle East's support for the Asian Business community the awards ceremony to be held on the 8th of December at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi will be Attended by some the regions most prominent business personalities, Government officials, dignitaries and Sheikhs.

To be hosted by the renowned news presenter Riz Khan, and featuring famous Arab musicians and leading Indian dancers and musicians, the ABA ME 2007 Awards ceremony and royal banquet will be covered by regional and global networks, with the telecast reaching more than three million viewers across the GCC and Middle East.