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Hawkamah and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry to promote best practice corporate governance in the UAE

  • United Arab Emirates: Tuesday, September 05 - 2006 at 11:27
  • PRESS RELEASE

Hawkamah Institute for Corporate Governance (Hawkamah), a subsidiary of the Dubai International Financial Centre Authority, has today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), an agreement that will see both parties work towards developing and advocating a sound corporate governance framework across the UAE and the greater MENA region.

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The DCCI has been established for over 40 years and plays a significant role in supporting business activities, proposing legislation that organises and regulates the economic sectors and providing input in developing the institutional role of the government departments and linking with international organizations. The DCCI actively co-operates with government establishments and professional organisations within the UAE so that it remains at the heart of best practice in business and can offer its members the most valuable resources. With the DCCI's strength and influence within the business community, the latest collaboration with Hawkamah represents a significant step in actively promoting and improving good corporate governance practices in the UAE, GCC and the MENA region.

The common objectives of Hawkamah and the DCCI are primarily to improve the corporate governance practices of private and public sector entities; develop national legal and regulatory frameworks with respect to corporate governance; cooperate on developing corporate governance within institutions through training; and finally, establish an Institute of Directors and promote the creation of Centralised Credit Registries and a Companies House. The goal is to improve integrity, transparency and efficiency thereby encouraging greater investment in private and public institutions.

Following the implementation of this Memorandum, future areas of focus and cooperation between Hawkamah and the DCCI will include:

• Conducting corporate governance assessments, surveys and improvement plans by promoting the development of a good legal, regulatory and institutional corporate governance structure in the UAE.

• Building capacity for, and raising awareness of, good corporate governance in UAE, by encouraging the public and private sectors to establish national corporate governance task forces who will raise awareness of corporate governance.

• Undertaking board director outreach and development programmes

Furthermore, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry has developed its own project, which is closely in line with Hawkamah's objectives, called the Dubai Ethics and Resource Center (DERC). This Center has been established by the DCCI to foster corporate integrity and to promote Dubai as the regional gateway to international business by providing a suitable environment with high levels of transparency, disclosure and accountability. DERC collaborates with public sector and semi-governmental organizations to promote good public governance through a variety of customer-driven programs focusing on ethics and integrity. With its fundamental values revolving around dedication, innovation and solidarity, DERC looks to raise the region's ethical standards and awareness of corporate responsibility and governance, thus highlighting the synergies with Hawkamah's initiatives.

Dr. Nasser Saidi, Executive Director of Hawkamah, said:

"The DCCI has had significant input in the development and framework of the private and public sector policy we see in the UAE today. Our partnership with the DCCI and the Dubai Ethics Resource Centre is a very important and significant step for the UAE business community, and firmly puts corporate governance on the agenda. It is a clear commitment of Dubai's and the UAE's business community to best international practice in corporate governance and ensuring market integrity and transparency".


Abdulrahman Al Mutawee, Director General, DCCI, commented:

"Our collaboration with Hawkamah was an obvious and natural step for us. The priority of the DCCI is to support initiatives and reform that benefit the private and public sector in the UAE. Developing the framework for corporate governance and advocating its importance among members makes perfect sense. If business in the UAE is to reach its full potential, corporate governance must be taken seriously."

Hawkamah is an autonomous, regional entity whose mission is to assist countries and companies of the wider MENA region in developing sound and globally well-integrated corporate governance frameworks and practices.
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Notes and media contacts

Media enquiries:
Amira Abdulla
Dubai International Financial Centre
Tel: +971.4.362.2433

Shaima Al Zarouni
Dubai International Financial Centre
Tel: +971.4.362.2432

Hawkamah
The first Institute for Corporate Governance in the region, Hawkamah comprises a group of international institutions, including the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), UAE Ministry of Finance and Industry, Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Union of Arab Banks (UAB), Dubai School of Government (DSG), Young Arab Leaders (YAL), and the Institute of Management Development (IMD). (www.hawkamah.org)

About the DIFC: The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is an onshore hub for global finance. It bridges the time gap between the financial centres of Hong Kong and London and services a region with the largest untapped emerging market for financial services.

In just over one year, more than a hundred top international institutions have joined the DIFC as members. They operate in an open environment complemented with world-class regulations and standards. The DIFC offers its member institutions incentives such as 100 per cent foreign ownership, zero tax on income and profits and no restrictions on foreign exchange. In addition their business benefits from modern infrastructure, operational support and business continuity facilities of uncompromisingly high standards.

The DIFC is made up of the following core bodies:
1. The DIFC Authority (DIFCA) - Responsible for the Companies and Security Registries and attracting financial as well as non-financial institutions to set up in the DIFC. The DIFC Authority is also responsible for developing the financial services industry. (www.difc.ae)
2. The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) - An independent, unitary regulatory authority, responsible for the regulation of all DIFC operations. Its principle-based primary legislation is modelled on that used in London and New York and its regulatory regime operates to standards that meet or exceed those in major financial centres. (www.dfsa.ae)
3. The DIFC Courts - An independent court system set up to uphold the provisions of DIFC laws and regulations, the courts provide comprehensive legal redress in civil and commercial matters within the DIFC. The DIFC Courts system is especially designed to deal with all of sophisticated transactions that will be conducted within DIFC. The DIFC Court laws, based on the common law, not only sets out the jurisdiction of the court but also provides for a dispute resolution services, including arbitration and mediation, thus allowing for the independent administration of justice in the DIFC. ( www.difccourts.ae )
4. DIFC Investments- The creation of DIFC Investments will result in the allocation to it of all non public administration activities previously carried out by DIFC Authority. This will include amongst other things all commercial and other activities such as the operation and management of any current and future subsidiaries, the development of the centre's investment strategy and relevant policies and any other strategic investments or alliances which will further the goals and objectives of the Dubai International Financial Centre and contribute to the fulfillment of the Centre's vision. Some of the companies and organizations that DIFC Investments owns include:

1. The Dubai International Financial Exchange (DIFX) The DIFX is the region's first international financial exchange for equities, bonds, Islamic products, funds, index products and (subject to regulatory approval) derivatives. The target areas of the DIFX for seeking issuers include the Middle East and North Africa, as well as South Africa, Turkey and the Indian sub-continent. The regulator of the DIFX is the Dubai Financial Services Authority. The DIFX is located in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and its owner is the DIFC Authority. (www.difx.ae)
2. Hawkamah- the first Institute for Corporate Governance in the region is being set up by a group of international institutions, including the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), UAE Ministry of Finance and Industry, Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Union of Arab Banks (UAB), Dubai School of Government (DSG), Young Arab Leaders (YAL), and the Institute of Management Development (IMD). (www.hawkamah.org)

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