Top performers from twelve categories rewarding outstanding institutions and individual achievements that have contributed to the growth and development of the Middle East healthcare industry will be announced on 24th January 2012, during the 37th Arab Health Exhibition & Congress which is organised by Informa Exhibitions and will take place at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre.

“This year the number of submissions for the Arab Health Awards has grown exponentially, from the wider GCC and Middle East, particularly from the UAE and Saudi Arabia,” says Mr El Husseini, business development director, GE Healthcare Middle East and member of the Arab Health Awards judging panel. “What is interesting to see is more participation from the wider healthcare communities in the region such as outpatient care as well as from the private sector. This is very encouraging and shows how important the Arab Health Awards are in terms of offering recognition within the regional healthcare community. In countries such as the UAE, where the government is investing heavily in their healthcare infrastructure, the Arab Health Awards offer a fantastic platform to highlight recent health achievements in the UAE.”

The panel examined more than 150 nominations submitted by healthcare facilities and professionals from around the Middle East region to build the shortlist for ten award categories:

Arab Health Awards 2012 Short List:

Young Surgeon of the Year Award
 Ahmed Abo-Hashem, Zagazig University, Egypt
 Ritu Khare,Dubai Mall Medical Centre, UAE
 Vinod Gauba, Imperial Heathcare Institute, UAE

Cleveland Clinic Young Clinician Award
 Dr. Khalid Al-Ansari, Pediatric Emergency Center HMC
 Dr. Vinod Gauba, Imperial Heathcare Institute
 Dr. Nesrin El-Khatib, Royal Hayate Hospital

Excellence in Imaging and Diagnostics Award
 Al Ain Hospital, UAE
 SEHA, UAE
 Tawam Hospital, UAE

Excellence in Surgery Services Award
 Hamad General Hospital, Qatar
 Qatar Robotic Surgery Center and HMC, Qatar
 Saudi German Hospitals Group, KSA

Roche Excellence in Laboratory Services Award
 Al Khor Hospital, Qatar
 International Medical Center , KSA
 Mafraq Hospital, UAE
 HMG – Olaya Laboratory, KSA

Excellence in Patient Centred Care Award
 Egyptian Ambulance Organization, Egypt
 Interhealth Canada and Rashid Hospital, UAE
 King Fahad Medical City Children’s Hospital, KSA
 King Saud University College of Medicine, KSA

Excellence in Hospital Emergency Department Award
 Medcare Hospital Llc, UAE
 Pediatric Emergency Center HMC, Qatar
 Rashid Hospital, UAE

Human Resource Development Award
 Corniche Hospital, UAE
 Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group (HMG), KSA
 SEHA, UAE

Excellence in Electronic Health Records Award
 Ambulatory Healthcare Services, UAE
 King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, KSA
 King Hamad University Hospital, Bahrain

Excellence in Patient Safety Award
 Al Ain Hospital, UAE
 American Hospital Dubai, UAE
 Bone Joint and Spine Hospital, KSA
 Canadian Specialist Hospital, UAE

“SEHA is very proud for being shortlisted in the Human Resource Development Award category for the 2012 Arab Health Awards. We worked hard for the last two years to conduct and implement a huge Human Resources Transformational project that affects all our Human Resources Practices and our 16,000 employees, and we did it very successfully. We are aiming to win the Award this year,” said Mohammad Al Hameli, Chief Supports Services Officer, SEHA.

The Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation Care will once again be awarded this year for outstanding contributions by an organisation or an individual in the field of rehabilitation care. This award will be shortlisted separately in January 2012.

“Over the last few years we have seen great progress made by governments, organisations and individuals in region to include rehabilitation services in a continuum of care,” Dr. Abdulaziz Al Shamekh, CEO, Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City. “We shall never stop innovating, creating new technologies and formulating new clinical pathways to ensure that the disabled receive the best possible care and all the opportunities that exist.”

For more information about the Arab Health Awards or to book at place at the Gala Dinner, please visit www.arabhealthonline.com or call +971 4 4072738.

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Note to Editors

About Informa Exhibitions:
For more information about Informa Exhibitions, please visit www.informaexhibitions.com.

For media enquiries please contact:
Inga Stevens
PR and Social Media Manager
Life Science Division
Informa Exhibitions
T: +971 4 407 2743
F: +971 4 336 4021
inga.stevens@informa.com

This event will also include nine other award categories including Excellence in Imaging and Diagnostics, Excellence in Surgery Services, Excellence in Laboratory, Excellence in Patient Centred Care, Excellence in Hospital Emergency Department, Human Resources Development Award, Excellence in Electronic Health Records, Excellence in Patient Safety and Outstanding Contribution of an Individual to the Middle East Healthcare Industry.

To enter the awards, professionals involved in the healthcare industry in the Middle East should nominate individuals or organisations that deserve recognition in line with these categories. Nominations can be submitted via the website (www.arabhealthonline.com) and will close on 1 November 2011. The 2012 Arab Health Awards winners will be announced on the 24 January, 2012 at a gala awards dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City, Dubai.

The new Young Surgeon of the Year Award aims to recognise the accomplishments of young surgeons where all surgical residents, fellows, and surgeons up to the age of 40 are eligible to apply for the award. All applicants will be evaluated according to their academic achievements, social commitments, and educational activities. Shortlisted candidates will be required to participate in either an oral presentation or a surgical jeopardy during the Arab Health General Surgery Conference 2012 in Dubai.

“Self esteem has always been a drive to greatness and success and, by believing in your abilities, anything is possible,” says Dr. Ali Ghellai, Chairman, Dept. of Surgery at Tawam Hospital, and member of the judging panel for the Young Surgeon Award Category. “The new Young Surgeon Award aims to recognise the accomplishments of young surgeons and to increase their involvement in all specialties. This award encourages their ‘esprit de corps’, decreasing institutional and geographical barriers and opening up new horizons for our future generation of exceptional surgeons.”

The Cleveland Clinic Young Clinician of the Year Award will be presented to a physician (under the age of 40 years) who has made the greatest contribution to making a difference in the lives of their patients in the Middle East.

“Cleveland Clinic is proud to have the opportunity to support the Arab Health Awards, and the first ever Cleveland Clinic Young Clinician of the Year Award,” said Dr Bill Ruschhaupt, Chairman of Cleveland Clinic Global Health Center and chair of the Young Clinician Award judging panel.”The early decisions that a physician makes will greatly impact how they deliver patient care, and this award applauds them for their commitment to continued growth.”

The Arab Health Innovation & Achievement Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of individuals, departments, teams or an organisation that have contributed to the growth and development of the Middle East Healthcare Industry. The Awards appreciate, celebrate and reward outstanding institutional and individual achievement in the Arab World.

Established 36 years ago, the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress provides a platform for the world’s leading manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors to meet the medical and scientific community in the Middle East and beyond. Arab Health takes place from 23 – 26 January, 2012, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibitions Centre.

For more information about 2012 Arab Health Awards, visit www.arabhealthonline.com/awards or call +971 4407 2738.

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Note to Editors
About Informa Exhibitions:
For more information about Informa Exhibitions, please visit www.informaexhibitions.com.

For media enquiries please contact:
Inga Stevens
PR and Social Media Manager
Life Science Division
Informa Exhibitions
T: +971 4 407 2743
F: +971 4 336 4021
inga.stevens@informa.com

Having been provided the honour of conducting a workshop in London on the evolution of the call center industry in the GCC, Managing Director Eng. Safwan Al-Khatib of Smart Link focused on the major operational challenges and cultural obstacles that need to be addressed and set operational standards that fit the cultural nature of the region. He demonstrated the Smart Link approach within KSA’s unique cultural and social environment that is governed by Islamic religious restrictions and labour regulations that calls for the separation of male and female workers. He also showed how his company lays importance on human capital investment that forms the main component of the business.

Mr. Al-Khatib explained, “The GCC has seen a surge in the Contact Center industry in the last decade with estimated figures of USD 235,000,000. It is important that the two crucial aspects of cultural sensitivities and higher levels of customer care need to be understood by companies and business leaders to ensure further industry growth.”

“Technical advancements and product availability have enhanced monitoring service quality and performance reporting that helps to work towards matching our counterparts in North America and Europe. Proactive efforts should be put into process to build a unified ethical and professional conduct code to ensure that contact centers should not be a place for temporary employment but nurtured into a reliable career path.” he added.

Smart Link has placed the spotlight on focusing on the human factor both within the organization and the customers they service. By laying the emphasis on customer satisfaction and providing long-term service that is backed by the latest technologies and applications, the company has grown not only in size but now is expanded into other Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan and Egypt. Within a short span, Smart Link have built a client base that include prominent government agencies and organizations across diverse sectors such as banking, energy, water services, tourism, telecommunications, insurance, aviation, public services, E-learning and fast food.

Al-Khatib, who is the winner of the KSA – Market Pioneer 2011 Award, and leads one of the largest business consulting groups in the Kingdom, has been instrumental in introducing the new concept of running and managing a contact center facility under a unique working environment in KSA. He motivates industry peers to compete in a manner that ensures constant development and progress into international markets.

Since its inception in 2006, Smart Link has won several national awards which include:
• Best in-house developed CRM Application 2009, For Saudi commission of Tourism & Antiquities.
• Best medium size call center 2010 (30 – 70 seat), For NAS Air Unified Reservation Outsourced Call Center.
• Best Large Outsourced Service Provider (≥ 300 seat) 2011
• Best Recruitment Program – 2011
• KSA Market Pioneer ( Eng, Safwan Al-Khatib ) 2011
• Best New Call Center 2011, for Ministry of Higher Education SANEED center – Operated by Smart Link.
• Call Center Manager Of the Year 2011 – NAS Air fully outsourced call center to Smart Link.

About Smart Link
Smart Link is a subsidiary of Al-Khaleej Training & Education, the largest network of training centers in Saudi Arabia. Smart Link is one of the biggest outsourcing call centers and BPO Service providers in the region with state-of-the-art technology and capacity to accommodate high volume of agents.
The pioneering, award-winning Riyadh-based company provides outbound and inbound teleservices for various business activities including lead generation, inbound customer service, help-desk, appointment scheduling, market research, surveys and client retention. Using the most advanced contact center technology in the industry and qualified customer service representatives, Smart Link is dedicated to helping organizations increase their business performance and strengthen their customer service. Smart Link’s client list includes prominent organizations and government agencies in various fields of mission critical pivotal service inclusive of banking, energy, water services, tourism, telecomm, insurance, aviation, public services, E-learning and fast food.
Please visit us at www.smartlink.com.sa.

Media Contact:
Naseem A. Aswad – Presales Consultant.
Tel: +966 509227475
Email: naswad@smartlink.com.sa

“As long as you work hard and follow your dreams, there is no limit to what you can achieve as girls, and later on, as women like me. Our country, the UAE, will always support you and other women in all aspects and levels of life. I was also little girl with ambitions and aspirations. Our government provided me with the opportunity to avail of world-class education, which you now enjoy through your school. This allowed me to develop my leadership skills and go on to become the UAE’s first female Minister. You must also make the most of your studies and always think of how you can help improve your country and the whole world,” said H.E. Sheikha Lubna.

“Always believe in your ability to make the world a better place, through your actions and through your words,” she added.
The Latifa School for Girls was established in 1982 by H.H. Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The day school accepts girls aged 3 to 18, who are taught by mostly UK-educated staff following a British curriculum leading to a regular or Advanced Level General Certificate of Education. Arabic and Islamic Studies are delivered by Arab educators.

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The Palace – The Old Town, an elegant 5-star premium hotel destination in Dubai, and The Address Montgomerie Dubai won the awards in the over and under 50 rooms categories respectively. The award recognises the highest hospitality standards followed by the two hotels. In addition to this, interior designers WA International came away with ‘The Interior Design Award for Arabia’ for their designs incorporated in The Address Downtown Burj Dubai.

Mr Marc Dardenne, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Hospitality Group, said: “Winning the ‘Best Hotel Dubai’ award for the two categories recognises our efforts to uphold the highest standards of service and hospitality. The Palace – The Old Town, in addition to its spectacular location in Downtown Burj Dubai overlooking The Dubai Fountain and Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest building, has highly aesthetic architecture features and décor with an attention for details. This is complemented by superior services and hospitality standards that have been recognised with this award.”

He added: “The Address Montgomerie Dubai is the first retreat property under The Address portfolio. At this boutique style clubhouse we offer the ultimate in personalised service assuring our guests a completely enjoyable and rewarding experience in line with The Address philosophy of offering tangible guest benefits.”

The Arabian Property Awards honours the finest real estate professionals across the globe. This year a completely new programme has been launched – the Commercial Property Awards focusing on hotels, offices, retail, golf courses and other commercial buildings and structures. Later this year, the top winners from the Arabian Property Awards will compete against winning companies from Asia Pacific, Europe and Africa, the UK and Americas.

The Arabian Property Awards are run in conjunction with the International Property Awards, the world’s most prestigious competition dedicated to finding the best real estate professionals across the globe. The Palace – The Old Town and The Address Montgomerie Dubai have been nominated for these awards too.

The Palace – The Old Town features 242 beautifully-appointed deluxe rooms including 81 suites, all with balconies overlooking the lake or The Old Town Island, offering prime views of The Dubai Fountain, the world’s tallest performing fountain. The Address Montgomerie Dubai is an idyllic golf retreat offering one of the most luxurious golf resort experiences in the Middle East.
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In addition to the prestigious award for its Group CEO, ADNEC also received the awards for “Best Venue” for ADNEC – the largest exhibition centre in the Gulf region and the most modern in the world and “Best Trade Show” for IDEX 2009 – the largest ever exhibition staged in the Middle East and widely acknowledged to be the most successful IDEX ever. Summer In Abu Dhabi (SIAD) organised by ADNEC and the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) also won “Best Theme” which was accepted by event designers, HQ Creative. SIAD attracted a record breaking 135,000 visitors to ADNEC last summer to this family extravaganza.

Commenting on ADNEC’s award winning performance, Simon Horgan said: “These awards are a result of four years of hard work by everybody involved with ADNEC, from the unwavering support of the leadership of Abu Dhabi, to the commitment of our partners in staging memorable events, to the endless energy and enthusiasm of ADNEC’s employees.  Together, we have reinvigorated the events industry in Abu Dhabi, in recent years the effects of this transformation have been felt far beyond the borders of the emirate.  I am honoured to say that the international events industry is now looking to the Middle East, and particularly to Abu Dhabi, for innovation and inspiration – this is the greatest tribute possible.”

Jessica Sutherland, General Manager of event organisers IIR added, “I am delighted that we have been able to officially recognise the incredible achievements of ADNEC in recent years, both in terms of the state-of-the-art facilities that they have brought to the regional industry, but also for the innovation that they have brought to live events.  I am also personally thrilled that Simon Horgan has been commended for his outstanding contribution to the industry, firstly in Dubai in the early 1990’s, but most notable for his recent role in the transformation of Abu Dhabi as a live event destination – it is well deserved.”

These accolades follow other recent ADNEC wins including, “Best International Venue” (Confex 2009), “Best Commercial and Retail Project” (Cityscape 2009) and “Project of the Year” (Construction Week 2008). At the Middle East Event Awards 2008, the inaugural World Future Energy Summit was recognised at the “Best Congress in the Middle East.” Our overseas venue, ExCeL London, also scooped a number of awards this April, winning “Best Venue Support” and the “Green Award” at the Exhibition News Awards, and silver in the “Best Business Venue” category at the prestigious Enjoy Excellence in England Awards.