Emaar in shares for land deal with Dubai Holdin

Dubai: Emaar Properties, the Arab world’s largest real estate developer by market share, has agreed to a shares for land deal with Dubai Holding, the government’s investment arm. Under the agreement announced on Sunday, Emaar will issue 2.364 billion new shares in return for an unspecified area of land. Emaar has 6.096 billion shares outstanding, a number that would rise to 8.46 billion with the new shares, giving Dubai Holding a stake of about 27.9 per cent. The government already owns approximately 32 per cent of the company, giving it a combined 51 per cent stake with the new shares. “It effectively gives the government of Dubai, in its different entities, control of the company,” said Tamer Bazzari, director of Dubai-based Rasmala Investments. Emaar and Dubai Holding did not give a value for the transaction, nor the area of land exchanging hands or how it will be developed. Based on yesterday’s closing share price, the new stocks would be worth Dh27.9 billion. In a statement, Emaar said it will call for an extraordinary general meeting to secure shareholders’ approval of the increase in the company’s capital. “Today, as an international player with a substantial presence outside of Dubai, Emaar has amassed a valuable land bank, embarking on landmark initiatives to provide the crucial catalyst for this region’s economic growth,” Mohammad Al Gergawi said in a joint company statement. “Through equity partnership, Dubai Holding and Emaar can jointly tap these remarkable prospects and be an integral part of the region’s incredible growth story.”

IT management: A necessity or luxury

IT service management is crucial to guaranteeing a positive customer experience and dynamic growth. As the use of IT gains momentum and reliance on systems becomes a necessity, the focus of IT management is shifting from component to service management. Historically, keeping systems healthy and running was the key goal indicator (KGI) of an IT service provider. However, aggressive business needs are driving a mindset change in this regard. As organisations focus on aligning their IT infrastructures to support service, IT service management is taking on greater significance. Managing the IT infrastructure as a loosely interconnected group of components is no longer sufficient. Rather, the infrastructure must be managed from the viewpoint of the lines of business it supports. Specifically, IT managers must have the processes and tools to ensure that the infrastructure keeps pace with business needs and provides guaranteed levels of service at predetermined costs. Formalised institutionalisation of service management processes is crucial to enterprises that are aiming to dynamically align businesses and IT services. This will achieve greater control over IT infrastructure and help improve customer experience. With the advent of quality management framework such as BS15000 in mid-2003, this problem was addressed. BS15000 provided the much-needed umbrella of quality management principles under which ITIL best practices can be applied and used. There is a thin line between getting it right and doing it wrong. Caution needs to be applied in understanding the people-process-technology triangle. More importantly, emphasis should be on the fact that process comes before technology. People element also includes the organisational setup. People scattered over a data centre facility or loading up call agents in a service desk may be adding fuel to the fire. Required level of middle management has to be incorporated in the organisational system. Domains such as capacity management, business continuity management, information security management and operations management need to be defined across services rather than on individual systems. Most technology investments in service management tools go wasted not because of the lack of functionality or limiting nature of possibilities, but due to the inability of the company to recognise the exact processes it wishes to configure the system against. There are also cases where the choice is made for the system to be configured on default configuration or on the industry best practice. This obviously translates into a change in the way the company functions. Hence it becomes more of a process change than the introduction of automation. Quality improvement The most common practice is to ensure that there is a definitive management intent and resolute ambition towards quality improvement in the service management domain. This can be embodied through a clear quality policy that describes the discipline and vocalises the direction. Management buy-in is as important as organisational changes may well be required. Firstly, it is necessary that there is a structure that is responsible for the definition, implementation and continuous improvement of processes within the organisation. Apply this specialised team to study and then define the processes for service management practices that either exist or need to be followed. A good guide can be the BS15000 or IS20000 frameworks that help in defining the scope of the service management domain and the basic requirements expected from it. At this point it is important to note that writing the processes is by far easier than the implementation, where at times serious flaws are unveiled. To keep the surprises at a minimum, it is imperative that service management staff is involved to conceive and articulate the processes. This way, process champions are created within the service management domain who can assist at the implementation phase. Implementation of processes depends heavily on how the 'ability to perform' is dispersed. This can be effectively performed by persistent training sessions and practical process mocks. Once the processes are set in motion, it is important that independent assurance and verification is done to judge the compliance to the formalised and base-lined processes. Such assurances need to be performed by individuals having a good command over both the process and framework knowledge. On average a company can expect noticeable results over a period of 12 to 15 months. People's view to the tool at this stage is highly positive and they see this as an opportunity to do more in less time, thereby increasing their own productivity. This is a good time to consider investing in an enterprise-wide technology solution. Anytime before this may turn out to be wishful thinking. Raising quality in IT service management is a bare necessity of business today. Maturity cannot be acquired and only comes with time.

Expenses 'are rising faster than wages'

By Wafa Issa, Mohammad Shamseddine and Fuad AliStaff Reporters

Dubai/Abu Dhabi/ Fujairah: The increase in the price of basic commodities has added to the difficulty of making ends meet for many residents. Hossam Hassan, an Ajman resident, said the burden was getting heavier every day . "I have five children and I only earn around Dh5,000. Food was the only thing you were not worried about but now the situation is different." Rachel Mousell, a Dubai resident, said there was around a 20 per cent increase in the commodities she usually buys. "What can you do? You still need to buy food, but I think the authorities should intervene to stabilise the prices of basic commodities." Rashid Khodor, an Abu Dhabi resident, said everything is getting more expensive. "I noticed there's no regulation of the prices. Therefore supermarkets tend to increase their prices regularly," he said. Ahmad Al Bitar, an Abu Dhabi resident, said he had noticed an increase in the price of certain types of food. "However, the slight increase ...is not affecting me and my small family. I guess it affects bigger families," he added. Osama Salim, from Syria, said he has not felt any increase in prices recently. "I felt the increase only a few months back. Now the prices still haven't changed. What I noticed is that local products, especially dairy, have increased by around 30 per cent. I used to buy one kilo of yogurt for Dh5, now I pay Dh7," he said. Monica Manai, a flight attendant from Romania, said everything is expensive. "I've been here for a year and I haven't seen any increase in price. The problem is that everything is already expensive," she said. Abdul Hamid Khalil, a Fujairah resident, feels prices this year have gone up considerably compared to last year. He says the way he is dealing with the increases is to have a tighter budget and make more economical purchases. He like many other consumers, feels meat products are increasingly becoming out of reach. "Beef and mutton which we used to buy for Dh10 and Dh12 a kilo has now gone up to Dh25," he said. Mohammad Husain Mohammad, a customer at Fujairah's fruits and vegetable market, is unimpressed by the fluctuating prices. "A few days ago the price of a box of oranges was Dh17 to Dh18, now I ask and it's gone up to Dh22....these traders just do what they want," he said. Ali Abdul Hussain, 42, a Iraqi real estate agent in Fujairah said rising living expenses were becoming a real problem for many expatriates. "We're caught between a rock and hard place, from one side the wages are very low, and are not increasing, and on the other side everything is getting more expensive. "Almost everything is rising in cost now, fresh food items and especially meat products." Egyptian Ahmad Marzooq, 33, a foreman, said: "Even though we live in Fujairah, which is supposed to be less expensive, we are seeing costs go up in rents and food, everything now seems expensive. The main problem is that expenses are rising faster than wages. If we see an improvement in wages then maybe we can tolerate the rising living expenses." Have your say Are you hit by price rise? How much has it impacted your lifestyle? Tell us at letter2editor@gulfnews.com or fill in the form below to send your comments. Close look Family basics have seen an overall increase of around eight per cent over the last 10 months. Cooperatives (prices) Supermarkets (prices) Product April 17 06-February 26 -07 April 17 06-February 26-07 Tea 1 kg 21.5 ^ 25 24 ^ 27.8 Instant Coffee 200gr 22.75 V 19.75 23.1 V 22.8 Eggs, 30 egg tray 12.5 -- 12.5 12.15 ^ 12.3 Fruit Juice, 8 boxes 6.65 ^ 7.5 7.5 -- 7.5 Milk 2L 9 -- 9 9 -- 9 Basmati rice, 5kg (Pakistani) 14.45 ^ 17.75 14.2 ^ 15 Lamb, 1kg (Australian) 22 ^ 27 20.9 ^ 34.9 Whole Chicken 11.5 V 10.5 6.1 ^ 10.35 Potatoes, 1kg 1.95 ^ 2.6 1.75 ^ 1.9 Tomatoes, 1kg 1.95 ^ 2.25 2.25 ^ 2.4 Cucumber, 1kg 2.25 V 1.4 2.95 V 1.15 Lettuce, 1kg 3.95 ^ 4.75 5.95 V 3.85 Onions, 1kg 1.15 ^ 1.2 1.2 ^ 1.9 Cauliflower, 1kg 3.95 ^ 5.25 4.1 ^ 6.95 Apples, 1kg 4.45 ^ 6.9 5.25 ^ 5.95 Oranges, 1kg 2.35 ^ 3.5 3.95 -- 3.95 Bananas, 1kg 2.95 ^ 3.2 2.45 V 1.95 Toilet Paper, 10 rolls 10.5 ^ 11.95 3.35 ^ 12.5 Toilet Cleaner, 750 ml 7.25 ^ 9.25 6.9 ^ 9.25 Washing Powder, 2.5kg 12.85 ? 11.75 12.85 ^ 13.5 Dishwashing Liquid, 750ml 7.6 ^ 7.8 7.5 V 6.65 Sugar, 2kg 3.5 -- 3.5 1.98 ^ 3.7 Vegetable Oil, 2L 14.2 V 12.35 14.2 V 10.85 Pads, 30pc 11 -- 11 10.55 ^ 11 0Gulf News Your comments

today pakistan playing against ireland @8pm ist

yria deploys thousands of rockets near Israel

3/11/2007 8:00:00 PM GMT

(AFP Photo) Syrian soldiers patrol the border between Syria and Iraq in Al Baghouth The Israeli Occupation forces say Syria has began the deployment of thousands of rockets near the Jewish State. According to officials, about 1,000 missiles and medium- and long-range rockets have been deployed by Syria near the southern border. The deployment of missiles and rockets, which officials claimed could strike northern and central Israel, began in September last year. "The Syrians have been very cautious and acted very quietly, but there is a new situation along their southern border," an official had been quoted by Middle East Newsline as saying. "We have been asking UNIFIL [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon] to become involved." Meanwhile, Dr. Ibrahim Suleiman, who held secret meetings with former Foreign Ministry director-general Alon Liel, under the auspices of a European country that he refuses to name, plans to appear before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. The official told Israel’s Haaretz that his visit to Israel will witness a historic dialogue with the public during which he plans to clarify Syria’s position, which he asserted was to develop a peaceful solution for the region crisis. The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman and Knesset speaker Dalia Itzik have both agreed to officially invite a foreign national who has represented the positions of an Arab state “that is still in a state of war with Israel,” the report further stated. "President Bashar Assad means every word when he calls on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to begin peace talks without preconditions," the Syrian official said.

Best in business

Photos by Atiq-ur Rehman

It was a happy night at the Grand Hyatt for the 13 Dubai organisations who received awards for quality service and high performance. The 2006 Dubai Quality Awards were presented by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Mohammad Yousuf

Pakistan

Player profile

Full name Mohammad Yousuf
Born August 27, 1974, Lahore, Punjab
Current age 32 years 201 days
Major teams Pakistan, ACC Asian XI, Bahawalpur, Lahore, Pakistan International Airlines, Water and Power Development Authority
Also known as Yousuf Youhana
Batting style Right-hand bat

Statsguru Test player, ODI player

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
Tests	75	126	9	6553	223	56.00	12405	52.82	23	27	841	47	59	0
ODIs	234	221	32	7890	141*	41.74	10616	74.32	12	52	636	80	50	0
Twenty20 Int.	1	1	0	20	20	20.00	19	105.26	0	0	2	1	0	0
First-class	115	190	16	8833	223	50.76			27	42			76	0
List A	258	244	36	8413	141*	40.44			12	55			58	0
Twenty20	8	7	0	135	30	19.28	113	119.46	0	0			1	0

Bowling averages

	Mat	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4	5	10
Tests	75	6	3	0	-	-	-	3.00	-	0	0	0
ODIs	234	1	1	0	-	-	-	6.00	-	0	0	0
Twenty20 Int.	1	0	0	0	-	-	-	-	-	0	0	0
First-class	115	18	24	0	-	-	-	8.00	-	0	0	0
List A	258	7	13	0	-	-	-	11.14	-	0	0	0
Twenty20	8	1	1	0	-	-	-	6.00	-	0	0	0

Career statistics
Statsguru Tests filter | Statsguru One-Day Internationals filter
Test debut	South Africa v Pakistan at Durban - Feb 26-Mar 2, 1998 scorecard
Last Test	South Africa v Pakistan at Cape Town - Jan 26-28, 2007 scorecard
ODI debut	Zimbabwe v Pakistan at Harare - Mar 28, 1998 scorecard
Last ODI	West Indies v Pakistan at Kingston - Mar 13, 2007 scorecard
Only Twenty20 Int.	England v Pakistan at Bristol - Aug 28, 2006 scorecard
First-class span	1996/97 - 2006/07
List A span	1996/97 - 2006/07
Twenty20 span	2004/05 - 2006/07

Profile

Until his conversion to Islam in 2005, Mohammad Yousuf (formely known as Yousuf Youhana) was one of a handful of Christians to play for Pakistan. After a difficult debut against South Africa in 1997-98, he quickly established himself as a stylish world-class batsman, and a pillar of Pakistan's middle order, alongside Inzamam-ul-Haq. He is no sluggard, but gathers his runs through orthodox, composed strokeplay, unlike some of his colleagues who seldom hint at permanence. He is particularly strong driving through the covers and flicking wristily off his legs and brings with him as decadent and delicious a backlift as any in the game. A tendency to overbalance when playing across his front leg can get him into trouble. He excels at both versions of the game, and in one-day cricket can score 20 or 30 runs before anyone notices. He is quick between the wickets although not necessarily the best judge of a single. There had been questions about his temperament as batsman when the pressure is on, but between 2004 and 2005, he began to silence critics. First came a spellbindingly languid century against the Australians in Melbourne, as captain to boot, where he ripped into Shane Warne like few Pakistani batsmen have before or since. A century in the cauldron of Kolkatta followed but he ended the year with possibly his most important knock: a double century against England at Lahore so easy on the eye, you almost didn't notice it. Yousuf displaying an unusual responsibility, eschewing the waftiness that has previously blighted him. In 2006, Yousuf truly came of age in a record-breaking year. He began by plundering India and continued in England, not just scoring under pressure, but scoring big. A double ton at Lord's was followed by another big hundred at Headingly and the Oval. He rounded off a fantastic year with four hundreds in three Tests against the West Indies, a feat that took him past Viv Richards's long-standing record of most Test runs in a calendar year and also saw him establish the record for most Test hundreds (9) in a year. With Inzamam nearing a natural end as the 2007 World Cup approaches, the credentials of Yousuf as Pakistan's premier batsman are impressive.
Osman Samiuddin February 2007