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informationvine · 2 years ago

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Best School Operator Companies in UAE

A School operator company in UAE provide students with safe and efficient transfers to and from school. A reliable and dependable school transport company is essential for parents and students.

The UAE's Education 2020 strategy seeks to significantly improve the country's K-12 education system by implementing smart learning programs, teachers' codes and licensing and evaluation systems. It also aims to transform the curriculum, including teaching math and science in English.

D3 Consultants

Founded in 2013, D3 Consultants is an educational consultancy and a school operator company in UAE that provides management and operator services to all education sectors, including K-12 schools, kindergartens, special education, private and public schools, vocational training centers, and higher education institutions. The company's headquarters is located in Sanabis, Bahrain.

The D3 team is on a mission to provide the best-in-class turnkey solutions to help educate businesses in MENA and GCC to achieve their goals. The team is led by Ms Rima Kaissi, Managing Partner of the award-winning D3 consultants who has accumulated more than two decades of school and curriculum development experience in the GCC and MENA region. She is a recognized expert in the field and has spearheaded many of the innovative technologies and educational innovations that have shaped the education landscape.

ADEC

The Abu Dhabi Education Council is the public-private partnership body that manages public and private schools in the UAE. ADEC is a non-profit organisation that has a vision to make the UAE's education system world class.

They have around 176 public (government) schools and 185 private schools, with 18 Higher Education institutions. The council's main goal is to develop the education system, support learners in reaching their full potential and enhance competitiveness.

ADEC has a school development program called Tamkeen that helps train principals and teachers in 256 public schools across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Gharbia. The program focuses on teaching and learning, instructional leadership, performance management, and building middle leaders and professional learning communities.

Dubai Private Schools Group

Dubai Private Schools Group is the biggest school operator company in UAE that operates and manages a network of schools. Its mission is to grow and develop high-quality private education across the Middle East and North Africa region.

They are also required to adhere to the Dubai School Inspection Bureau. KHDA also issues Parent-School contracts for students and parents.

The Dubai government plans to engage the private sector in running 28 public schools for three years, focusing on science and technology. Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid said these would be run under a 'national curriculum' with an emphasis on Arabic language and Islamic studies.

GEMS Education

GEMS Education is an Emirati-based School Operator company in KSA. The company operates a network of private schools in the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. The firm's principal focus is on making improvements in government schools and providing access to education for underprivileged children. It also works internationally with public and private sector clients on school improvement initiatives.

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bigyack-com · 5 years ago

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Air India No Longer Available on Sabre GDS

Sabre has confirmed that flight and fare content from the troubled airline, Air India, is no longer available through its GDS system. The two companies have been partners for over 20 years.

Kristin Hays, vice president – global communications for Sabre, said, “We are very disappointed that Air India decided to withdraw from Sabre. We believe that access to Sabre’s global network of travel agencies provides great value to Air India. We have worked with Air India for the better part of a year to reach a new agreement, in anticipation of the existing contract expiring and after receiving a termination notice from the carrier. Unfortunately, after extensive negotiations, we have been unable to come to a new agreement. Our teams will continue to work with Air India to finalize an agreement that meets the needs of Sabre, Air India and travel buyers.” The Indian airline has been looking for a new investor since 2018 and speculation is rife over whether the airline will be able to remain in business. “Sabre remains committed to GDS agreements that meet our airline customers’ unique needs while also balancing the needs of the travel buyers who rely on Sabre for robust travel content,” added Ms. Hays. See latest Travel News, Interviews, Podcasts and other news regarding: Air India, Sabre. Headlines: Vietjet Takes Delivery of Two More Airbus Aircraft Two Executive Appointments at Bombardier Aviation Air India No Longer Available on Sabre GDS Thailand Targets Tourism Revenue of 3.18 Trillion Baht in 2020 Pictures from Ascot United vs Banstead Athletic on 4 Jan 2020 Gen Z - Airbnb's Fastest Growing Market for Experiences in Asia Pacific Air Canada Takes Delivery of First Airbus A220-300 AirAsia Launches Flights Between Kuala Lumpur and Dalat, Vietnam Cebu Pacific Orders 15 Airbus Aircraft, Including Up To 10 A321XLRs American Airlines and Royal Air Maroc to Codeshare New Immigration Requirements to Help Solomon Islands Fight Measles Vietjet Launches Danang - Singapore Flights American Express GBT Forecasts Stable Air Prices in 2020 Etihad and Kuwait Airways to Codeshare PAG and Inmark Purchase Grand Hyatt Seoul British Airways and Iberia Achieve IATA NDC @Scale Certification Air Caraïbes Takes Delivery of First A350-1000 Aman Signs Fourth Resort in Japan Hamilton to Host 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jobs-in-dubai-uae · 8 years ago

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Abu Dhabi, UAE: As well as making sure they keep up their grades and get to class on time, students at a school in the capital will soon have the added responsibility of feeding the fish and watering the plants in their new tropical biodome. The biodome, which won the Philippines Global School a Dh25,000 prize in the Sustainable Schools Initiative last year, is used to teach youngsters how plants and animals survive in a given temperature. Originally, the idea behind the biodome was to create mangroves in order to study flora and fauna native to the country, but it was quickly decided to add fruits, vegetables, fishes and even birds. "We wanted to make a mini environment inside the biodome, unlike the one we see around us," Lizabeth Manalo-Comia, the school’s principal said. "We are studying how plants and animals survive in an environment inside the biodome. Through it students will be exposed to a wider scope of knowledge and information on how to take care of plants and animals." Students of all ages will have access to the biodome through scheduled trips with their teachers as a part of research, study and class discussions. "Books are only a support to learning, but if children see what the environment is here and compare it to what they learn inside the biodome then we are developing them to protect the Earth, regardless of their age," Ms Manalo-Comia added. Although the school received Dh25,000 for the project, the actual biodome cost around Dh60,000. It was commissioned by local company Indkarta with support from the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi. Complete with a temperature-controlled air conditioner and a permanent water source, the biodome is self-sufficient. It currently has three mangrove trees, fruits and vegetables such as lettuce, tomatoes, oranges, eggplants, honey plants, 30 kinds of fish including koi, oscar, knife and janitor fish along with a few love birds. "Right now I feed the fish and birds but soon we will teach the students how to take responsibility of the biodome and they will then have a schedule to feed the animals and plants, because we want them to be as involved as possible in it," said George Aglos, science teacher and Environment Coordinator at the school. "Most of the plants inside the biodome have been brought in by the students so they are very excited to take care of them," he added. The temperature in the biodome is always set to be below 37C for the plants and animals to survive. "In our scheduled visits, we take children inside, tell them what temperature is required for the different species. What excites them the most is studying about the mangroves, because they know it is the natural flora in the country they live in," Mr Aglos said. "We explain how the plants inside remain fresh as compared to plants outside and that is one of the core reason for building this biodome, to teach sustainability in flora and fauna." This alternative method of learning is already benefiting the children, as they interactive and are inquisitive when they visit the biodome as compared to the classroom, Mr Aglos said. "They students definitely pick up faster on what we teach them in the biodome visits, these things stay with them longer as opposed to reading it from a book. "The children have been more engaging during the trips which shows their enthusiasm about learning in a different environment," Mr Aglos added. © The National via Edarabia.com

#Jobs #Careers #Vacancies #Dubai #UAE #Abu Dhabi #Middle East

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edarabia · 8 years ago

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UAE: Sex education should be taught at schools across the country, removing the taboo surrounding the subject and giving children access to reliable information appropriate to their age group. A Ministry of Education official, doctors, school principals and social specialists agree that having no sex education, which is the case at some UAE schools at the moment, leaves children entering puberty unaware of personal boundaries and may leave them potentially vulnerable to sexual predators. A culture of not talking about sex among many adults in the Arab world and parents not speaking to their children about it means that schools need to address the topic. “There must be many awareness programmes targeting not only children but also parents to prepare parents to have proper answers that are suitable for the ages of their children,” said Hiba Mohammed, educational control specialist at the Ministry of Education. Officials believe that age-appropriate sex education should begin in primary school and continue into high school. “We have specialists who draft and determine curriculum, therefore sex education to raise students’ awareness must also be done by specialists,” said Ms Hiba. Dr Thaer Al Ani, a paediatrician at Ajman Speciality Hospital, highlighted a case where a mother visited him recently in shock after her nine-year-old son was sexually abused by his siblings. The case highlighed a broader concern about how few boundaries were established. “They are about two years older than he is, how did they get whatever information they have about this topic if not from the internet?” he said. The mother said she found out when she noticed her son was isolated and withdrawn. Dr Al Ani said that the case showed why it is important to give children information about sex, appropriate to their age. “And this is not a responsibility of parents alone - it’s everybody’s responsibility - educational institution, media and doctors,” he said. In some schools, parents are sent letters informing them that the subject will be touched upon, but they can opt out of such classes and there is no mandatory programme. Dr Yusra Abu Hamed, a public health specialist, urged schools to introduce the short cartoon films made by the Ministry of Education that teach children between the ages of three and five about their bodies, how to identify when an adult is doing something wrong and what to do about it. Speaking about the need for the issue to be addressed at school, she said: “It’s a much-needed move and will help not only protect children from sexual assaults.” School principals said that a specific sex education programme for pupils is a good idea, as “mystery” surrounds the issue for many. Mustafa Al Moussa, of International Private School of Knowledge in Sharjah, said that schools broadly have “official” programmes in place to teach children about sex. At his school there are occasional talks if a situation requires one but, despite no such incidents at his school, he strongly supports mandatory sex education. Dr Ameena Al Majed, principal of Al Qadisiya School in Abu Dhabi, said it is vital that children learn more than they do now. “For children, there is mystery surrounding this topic since, in our culture, it’s not allowed to talk about it – we even change the names of their organs and don’t allow our kids to ask about them or touch them as they bathe,” she said. “Our daughters may know nothing until they get married; that’s why we have to educate them from kindergarten to high school but through an approach that does not jeopardise our traditions and culture, an approach that provides each age group with the information needed at that age.” Some parents are aware of the importance of speaking to their children on such topics and have done, Ms Al Majed said, but “they have their jobs and life responsibilities, therefore I support introducing a mandatory sex education programme in schools”. School pupils said that, in the absence of any official information about sex, they turn to the internet. “Where does anyone think we will get our information from? Of course, from the internet,” said Grade 9 pupil Adam Abdulhameed, who attends a private school. “Google is where we go, me and all my friends, to find out answers for what we can’t ask about since it’s taboo to talk about sexual topics. “Me and my friends would feel much safer taking the information from the people we trust the most - parents and teachers.” © The National

#Education #Events #UAE #Dubai #Abu Dhabi #Edarabia

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healthcarebiz · 8 years ago

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Healthpoint Wins '2017 UAE Emerging Orthopedics Service Provider of the Year Award' at the 2017 Frost & Sullivan Middle East Best Practices Awards

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, June 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthpoint was named '2017 UAE Emerging Orthopedics Service Provider of the Year' at the 2017 Frost & Sullivan Middle East Best Practices Awards Banquet - held on 24th May at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai.

Healthpoint, part of Mubadala's network of healthcare providers, offers a comprehensive and exhaustive array of orthopedic services as part of its larger role as a prominent healthcare services provider and multi-speciality hospital in the UAE. Its broad ranging services address issues as diverse as total or uni-compartmental knee replacement, total replacement or partial reconstruction for hip and shoulder joints, foot and ankle surgery, meniscal transplantation, rotator cuff surgery and several other orthopedic procedures.

"We are delighted to have won this excellence award by Frost & Sullivan, who are known to recognize companies that provide exceptional service in their respective fields. At Healthpoint, we offer a range of orthopedic services and treatments that are grounded in the latest, internationally-recognized medicine approaches. Our facility uses innovative orthopedic technologies and equipment with minimally invasive surgical techniques that have proven their efficiency by reducing patient recovery time," said Dr. Nader Darwich, Medical Director, Healthpoint, Head of the Department of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Healthpoint and Founder of the Abu Dhabi Knee and Sports Medicine Centre.

Congratulating Healthpoint on the award, Ms. Saranya Balijepalli, Program Manager, Transformational Health Practice, Frost & Sullivan said, "2016 has been a very successful year for Healthpoint as an orthopedic service provider. The Abu Dhabi Knee & Sports Medicine Centre has further enhanced its sterling reputation through the emphasis it places on the integrity and quality of its services. Healthpoint has continued to expand the procedures it offers to include the latest in orthopedic intervention, such as the option of musculoskeletal allograft tissue to patients with complex knee problems, which is unique in the Middle East and North Africa. With an eye on further expansion, commitment to the highest standards and a desire to address the needs of patients who previously had to travel abroad for certain procedures – indeed, to reverse the trend and emerge as a preferred destination for medical tourism – Healthpoint and The Abu Dhabi Knee & Sports Medicine Centre look set to emerge as a pre-eminent provider of orthopedic services in the UAE."

Frost & Sullivan Awards recognises companies across regional and global markets for outstanding achievement and performance in a range of regional and global markets for superior leadership, technological innovation, customer service, strategic product development, etc.

Frost & Sullivan's robust research methodology represents the analytical rigour of our research process. It offers a 360-degree-view of industry challenges, trends, and issues by integrating all 7 Frost & Sullivan's research methodologies. Too often, companies make important growth decisions based on a narrow understanding of their environment, leading to errors of both omission and commission. Successful growth strategies are founded on a thorough understanding of market, technical, economic, financial, customer, best practices, and demographic analyses. The integration of these research disciplines into the 360-degree research methodology provides an evaluation platform for benchmarking industry players and for identifying those performing at best-in-class levels.

About Healthpoint

Healthpoint, part of Mubadala's network of world-class healthcare providers, is a multi-specialty integrated practice hospital located in Zayed Sports City, Abu Dhabi. Healthpoint is home to four centers of clinical excellence: Abu Dhabi Knee & Sports Medicine Centre, Wooridul Spine Centre, the Bariatric & Metabolic Surgery Centre, and the Plastic & Cosmetics Surgery Centre, as part of 21 clinical services covering a wide range of patient and community care, including pediatrics, dentistry and gynecology.

Serving the community since 2013, Healthpoint's highly specialized medical experts and state-of-the-art facilities provide patients with full-cycle care -- inpatient, out-patient and rehabilitative – that addresses the patients' physical condition, as well as respecting their lifestyle, culture and overall wellbeing, to ensure that every patient is offered personalized care in a boutique, technologically-advanced environment. Healthpoint is a public healthcare facility with a compassionate and dedicated team that offers accessible healthcare to everyone. Healthpoint is committed to providing quality care and education to empower patients and communities and give them the tools they need to lead healthier and happier lives.

To learn more about Healthpoint, visit www.healthpoint.ae.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?

For Frost & Sullivan

Anita Chandhoke Corporate Communications C: +91 99161 33311 P: +91.80.6702 8020 E: [email protected] http://www.frost.com

Twitter: @Frost_Sullivan Facebook: http://ift.tt/1sQxvoq LinkedIn: http://ift.tt/2p8AkDy

For Healthpoint

Amanda Banham Menzies Head of Marketing & Communications P: +971 2 492 9533 E: [email protected]

Read this news on PR Newswire Asia website: Healthpoint Wins '2017 UAE Emerging Orthopedics Service Provider of the Year Award' at the 2017 Frost & Sullivan Middle East Best Practices Awards

#Healthcare

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martinfzimmerman · 8 years ago

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The rise of the angel investor in the UAE

Tarek Ahmad is an optimist, which is just as well.

As an angel investor who lost US$80,000 on his first two investments, he is undeterred.

"You live with it," says the 30-year-old Egyptian entrepreneur and investor, who was born and raised in the UAE.

Angels such as Mr Ahmad invest in very early stage start-ups, playing a critical role in the region's entrepreneurial ecosystem.

"One way to look at them is that they offer significant assistance in helping the start-ups cross the valley of debt," says Ramesh Jagannathan, the managing director of the innovation and entrepreneurship platform StartAD. "That's a gap that they fill."

Mr Jagannathan was among a number of experts who attended a recent event at New York University Abu Dhabi called Angel Rising. Organised by StartAD and the early stage funding platform VentureSouq, the annual event aims to educate prospective angel investors.

According to a report released earlier this month by Arabnet which surveyed 150 investors, approximately half of the investor community across the Middle East and North Africa are early stage investors.

But unfortunately for the UAE and wider region, there are still not enough angels. "If you look at the US there are 400 of these angel groups and there are 300,000 angel investors. Over here there is of course VentureSouq, Wain, Womena - there are a few groups doing a really good job, but we need more of them," says Najla Al Midfa, the general manager of Sheraa, the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre.

So why are more investors here not getting involved at the angel stage?

"In general, perhaps we don't have enough investor education, so not many high net worth individuals are very familiar with this asset class," says Ms Al Midfa.

Others think people are put off by the risk involved.

"You could lose 100 per cent of your capital. So if you are not prepared to take that, don't do it," says Saud Al Nowais, an angel investor who is the commercial counsellor for the UAE to the United States.

In fact, according to Jeff Lynn, the cofounder and chief executive of Seedrs, an equity crowdfunding platform based in the United Kingdom, this is a space where most businesses you invest in will probably fail, no matter how good you are.

Typically, the first funding a start-up receives is from their friends and family, say experts. Angels come in after that, providing anything from $25,000 up to $250,000, in return for a stake in a business. The next investment stage is seed funding, which takes into account certain criteria, such as traction in revenue or user growth. It is typically this stage where a company aims to scale.

Therefore, without angels filling the gap between friends and family and seed investment, there would be no ecosystem, the experts agree.

But despite the risks, many investors still want to get involved because the returns they receive if the business they back does succeed can be tremendous. Many angels hope to hit the next unicorn, which is a start-up with a valuation of more than $1 billion.

"The winners can win so big," says Mr Lynn. The prospect of making money is partly what keeps Mr Ahmad, an engineer-turned-entrepreneur, interested in the space.

"I usually invest around $30,000 to $100,000. I love to give very small tickets," says Mr Ahmad, who plans to launch his company Wakil, which offers people the chance to complete government services without visiting typing centres, in July.

"I have realised through time that the more money a company has at the beginning, the more foolish they will become. It doesn't really drive you to become leaner. You start thinking about all the luxury you might not necessarily need. I have made that mistake before."

The first two angel investments he made, which were for $50,000 and $30,000 respectively, did not fare well. He lost it all when the businesses folded.

"You enter it with [the prospect] of losing the money in mind. You know you have a good team and a great idea and you look at the macroeconomics of things; will they have leeway and can they operate in the country?" he says.

"But then sometimes either the competition is too fierce or they couldn't get funding at the right moment. It's a combination of a lot of issues. If you lose the money, at least you are ready for that."

However, Mr Ahmad could be in line to score his first big win. He has invested another $30,000 in a company that is preparing for a seed round and expects a good return when he receives the possibility to exit in about three years' time.

Although money is a key motivation, it is not the only one for Mr Ahmad. Being lucky enough to receive investment from his parents at the earliest stage, he knows many are not so fortunate.

"From a UAE perspective, there aren't yet a lot of angels in the market," he says. "That's why a lot of early stage start-ups don't find it easy to access funds. And not everyone has family or friends we can rely on.

"For me there are a lot of ideas and founders you can trust. And they just need an opportunity. They just need their own opportunity to shine."

Others are in it for the thrill. Some angels, many of whom are, or have been entrepreneurs themselves, act as mentors to the start-ups and get a kick out of seeing them succeed. This is the case for Vikas Shah.

"I find it intellectually stimulating and it really makes me want to get out of bed in the morning. That's why I do it," says the visiting professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT's Sloan School of Management.

Sonia Weymuller, 33, from France, became interested in angel investing at the same time as her friends, Tammer Qaddumi, Sonia Gokhale and Suneel Gokhale, back in 2013. Like them, she had some money to invest and was looking to do something interesting with it, but it quickly developed into something far more significant.

"Basically, our friends started feeling a bit envious, saying 'that's cool, you should have told me'," she says.

"We started holding these informal pitch events, which would feature a company we found interesting and had them pitch to a group of us, 10 or 15 of us. And then our friends started inviting their friends, and their friends started inviting their friends. And literally it just grew very organically."

Today it is a business, called VentureSouq, which has five partners, the original four plus another based in Saudi Arabia. It promises to make an angel out of anyone - provided that they can afford the investment. Ms Weymuller describes it as an early stage equity funding platform with an investment and edu- cation pillar.

It has done 20 funding rounds into 14 companies, including Knot Standard, an online custom-made suits company, and financial comparison website Souqalmal, since 2013.

It has a reach of 750 investors across the UAE, although they do not necessarily all invest. On average about 100 investors attend the investor round-ups, which are held on a quarterly basis.

Teasers are sent out on the three companies that will feature to ensure people are not wasting their time. And the number of people who do part with their cash is rising.

"It is a conversion process. So we have increasingly seen our investors feeling comfortable. Now that we have been around for four years, that conversion rate is increasing because people have been following us. They are starting to trust us. It is now that we are starting to realise the benefits," says Ms Weymuller.

She credits the company's education programme, which tells people what angel investing is and how they can get involved, for that success.

"I joke around with people and say with our education pillar we are kind of becoming an investor accelerator because that is what we are trying to do, to encourage that," she says.

The minimum investment depends on the deal but is typically about $15,000.

"Everyone thinks of this region and thinks of family offices with deep pockets of money, but there is a whole untapped pool of capital lying with 'normal people', like you and I. Young professionals in their 30s and 40s. We don't have $500,000 to put in a company. We might have $15,000 or $20,000," she says.

Investors get involved for many reasons, says Ms Weymuller. Some of them invest for the reasons already mentioned. Others want to be part of something which could become big without risking it all themselves, she says. "Even if you yourself haven't quit your day job to do this, you are still part of the story nonetheless."

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