The hotel inventory in the UAE is expected to triple to 180,000 rooms by 2015 from 60,000 currently, according to available statistics, while room shortage is pushing rates up making Dubai, the country’s commercial capital, one of the most expensive in the world.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Advertising spend in the UAE increased from $869m in 2005 to $1.3bn in 2007, the highest in the Middle East, according to Spencer Felix, exhibition manager for Signage, Imaging and Media (SIM 2008). The bulk of the money - about 64% - went to Arabic and English newspapers. Television accounted for 16% while magazines got 13% and predicts that advertising spend in the UAE will exceed $2bn by 2010.

Ref: Arabian Business 

Popularity: 21% [?]

The value of the Middle East toy market is estimated at Dhs5.5bn ($1.5bn) with 11.8% annual growth, according to an executive who spoke at the Middle East Toy Fair. Meanwhile, the average yearly toy expenditure has jumped to $327 per child in the Middle East, second only to North America, according to Epoc Messe Frankfurt, organizer of the conference.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Airport development in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia has reached a new high, with projects and expansions across the region now valued at over $68 billion.

The Gulf countries account for $43 billion of this growth with $21 billion worth of development now underway in the United Arab Emirates. Other important airport developments in the region include Bahrain International Airport at $815 million, Kuwait International Airport $2.1 billion and Queen Alia International Airport, Jordan at $600 million.

Reference: MENAFN

Popularity: 2% [?]

The Saudi Arabian insurance industry, which is currently worth around $1.8 billion annually, is expected to swell to $8 billion within 10 years, according to industry experts.

The Saudi Arabia Monetary Agency (SAMA) data show that the insurance market grew 35 per cent in 2006 alone. However it was health insurance that attracted the most attention, representing 32 per cent of the insurance market and increasing by 57 per cent to $589m in 2006, compared to $375m in 2005.

Reference: Zawya

Popularity: 2% [?]

If you watched the Oscars last night; then you wouldn’t have missed out on Heidi Klum’s beautiful red gown, by John Galliano. The red silk taffeta stunner will be auctioned off online to beneft Red Heart Truth charity.

Heidi joined forces with the Diet Coke Red Dress Program, a collaboration between the soda brand and The Heart Truth, a national awareness campaign devoted to women and heart disease, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, of the National Institute of Health (NIH).

Heidi’s red dress symbolizes her participation in raising awareness for women’s growing risk of developing heart disease.

If you are Heidi’s fan, you love red, and care about giving back .. don’t miss out on this one !

Popularity: 72% [?]

The Middle East food service market is estimated to be worth more than $31 billion a year. In 2007, 44.2 per cent of all industrial investment was spent in the food, beverage and tobacco sector in the UAE with Dh32,153 million being invested, according to the Ministry of Finance and Industry.

Factsheet

·         Middle East foodservice Market worth $31 billion annually

·         GCC states account for $9.5 billion (meat, poultry and fish account for 30 per cent)

·         The UAE accounts for $3-4 billion

·         Ninety per cent of region’s food needs are imported. Region’s imports increased by 14 per cent to $373 billion in 2006.

·         Dubai is world’s third largest re-export hub. Re-exports 72 per cent of imports to 160 countries.

·         The UAE ranks third globally in annual two-way trade with India.

·         Middle East is a growing franchise destination with annual growth of 27 per cent valued at $14 billion. Fast food accounts for 40 per cent of this.

Reference: Gulf News

Popularity: 2% [?]

The market for high-end ophthalmic products and branded optical aids is estimated at more than $2.1 billion.

“Eyecare exports from Germany to the Middle East increased by seven per cent in 2007 and the proportion is increasing,” said Peter Frankenstein, manager of consumer optics and spokesperson for Spectaris.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Internet users in Saudi Arabia spent over $3.2 billion last year, according to a study by the Arab Advisors Group.

Almost half of all Internet users questioned stated they had used Net-based e-commerce in 2007. The major survey reveals substantial adoption of e-commerce in the kingdom’s booming economy.

Nearly 48.36 per cent of Internet users in Saudi Arabia reported purchasing products and services online and through their mobile handsets over the past 12 months. Based on the survey findings, the Arab Advisors Group estimates e-commerce users in Saudi Arabia to exceed 3.5 million consumers representing 14.26 per cent of the population.

Popularity: 2% [?]

This battle has been taking place since the late 70’s and has been heating up for quite sometime.

Of course there are the “professionals” and their studies that point to the advantages of both sides. But let’s be real…cite one study and I’ll show you one that contradicts it. So who’s right and who’s wrong?

I’ll let you in on a little secret, look in the mirror! The person looking back is the one who’s right. Don’t ever forget that.
Simply look at this social issue logically. You’re the mother, the parent, and if you are part of a relationship, a wife or partner. From the moment your child was born, even though that precious little baby didn’t come with an instruction booklet, he or she did come with a gift. The gift comes in the form of the innate sense that you have which tells YOU above anyone else, that you know what is best for your child. Parents, not psychologists, not CEO’s, not educators or Phd’s with the latest statistics know what your child needs.

Sure, when making a decision you should always perform due diligence. Parents should always weigh in both sides and gather information when contemplating the tough issues that affect their kids. But the good news is, with the advent of the internet and the vast amount of opportunities available to women and men to work from home, this choice may be more black and white than what all of the rhetoric has made out to be.

Remember when we talked about that “innate sense” that you have within you regarding your child? Guess what, no one has it for your baby like you. And your baby has a built in trust that you know just what she needs. Your Nanny or Day Care provider can perform a service and do their job, but your child NEEDs you. No amount of money can buy that built in voice that tells you what your son wants when he cries or what motivates your daughter to learn her alphabet. Mom knows, and she knows best! So stop undermining yourself and your ability to do right by your child.

The good news is, you can have both! You don’t have to stop working to stay at home. Now, if you have an infant, then no one would expect you to just charge out there and start a business in between trying to remember your name from the lack of Z’s that you’ve had lately. But when your baby develops a good sleep pattern and you can actually get on some type of schedule, staying home and working from home is a viable solution to this debate between stay at home moms vs. working mom’s. And in the long run, the whole family will benefit.

Maybe you have a special skill or hobby that you can draw from to start a business. Perhaps you want to work online, or maybe work out of your home. Many moms are scared because they are afraid that if they give up their career, they will loose out on things like social security or re-entry into the work force when the kids are grown.

Look at the tax advantages of having a home based business, they are pretty appealing. You can also open an individual IRA, check with your financial institution about these types of options. Taking care of yourself means you are also taking care of your family.
Personally, the decision to walk away from an executive level job for my children to become a stay at home mom has not been without it’s challenges. But now that they are 13, 11 and 9 I have begun to see the many rewards that came from that choice. Frankly, I can not begin to imagine missing out on their childhood and each and every moment that I could never get back if I would have went “away” to the office every day.

Popularity: 33% [?]

GCC and other Arab countries spending on advertisements and promotions reached $7.9 billion in 2007, an increase of about 19 percent from the year before. The UAE came at the top of the list of countries with about $1.3 billion spending followed by Saudi Arabia with about $998 million

Reference: Public Administration for Research and Consultation Center (PARC)

How much in advertisements and marketing did you spend last year?

Popularity: 31% [?]

The sector was worth some AED73 billion (US $ 19.9 billion) by the end of last year - a 66.4% increase on its AED44 (US $ 12 billion) value in 2003 when the Government began prioritizing industry in its long-term economic diversification plans. The number of manufacturing units in the country stood at 3,852 at the end of last year - a 37.8% increase on the 2003 total of 2,795.

Ref: Dubai Export Development Corporation (DEDC)

Popularity: 31% [?]

There will be 2.3 billion overweight adults in the world by 2015 and of that more than 700 million of them will be obese. Figures for 2005 show 1.6 billion adults were overweight and 400 million were obese.

Reference: World Health Organization (WHO)

Popularity: 37% [?]

Spending on leisure and tourism projects in the Middle East will reach $3 trillion over the next 20 years, and visitor spending at parks and attractions will quadruple to over $200m in 2011.

ref: TDIM

Popularity: 33% [?]

The total gold trade through Dubai reached $19.03bn in 2007, an increase of 29% from 2006. In 2006, Dubai’s gold trade was estimated at $14.75bn, up from $10.73bn in 2005. A total of 559 tonnes of gold was imported into Dubai in 2007, up by 14% from 489 tonnes in 2006.

ref: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre

Popularity: 33% [?]

As a small business owner, you have a meaningful understanding of the color of money but how about the color of your business? Learn whether the colors of your business put your customers in a buying mood or creates the wrong perception of your company.

The Science of Colors
It seems hard to believe that colors can have an impact on our body and mind. However, scientists know colors can influence our body’s physiology and mental states. In a study by Wohlfarth and Sam, the color environment of 14 handicapped children was altered resulting in a measurable change in blood pressure and a decrease in aggressive behavior. The science of colors has been used by market researchers to determine how best to apply this knowledge to influence customer’s perceptions of businesses.

The power of colors stimulates our nervous system and evokes emotional states. The colors of our environment travel through our eyes to our brain causing various hormonal releases. But forget the science, what does the meaning of colors do for your business?

The Meaning of Colors and Your Business
The meaning of colors varies depending on one’s culture, race, gender, and even age. So, it isn’t just the selection of colors in general but also which colors to use with your target customers. For instance, white is often associated with weddings in North America and evokes the feeling of innocence. In Eastern cultures, white signifies death. An exporter of white wedding gowns to China would go broke in no time.
Colors can be combined to signify meaning to a culture. In the western world, green and red are associated with Christmas, while black and orange represent Halloween.

Several large brand name companies are associated with their corporate colors. IBM- Big Blue signifies stability and conservatism. UPS- Brown symbolizes longevity and reliability. A color can be connected to a product like Tide; in the bold orange box, evoking the feeling of vibrancy.

Consider the meaning of the following colors on your business marketing (in North American culture):
• White: Pure. Clean. Youthful. It’s a neutral color that can imply purity in fashion and sterilization in the medical profession.
• Black: Power. Elegant. Secretive. The color black can target your high-end market or be used in youth marketing to add mystery to your image.
• Red: Passion. Excitement. Danger. Red is the color of attention, causing the blood pressure and heart rate to rise. Use red to inject excitement into your brand.
• Orange: Vibrant. Energy. Play. Add some fun to your company if you want to create a playful environment for your customers.
• Yellow: Happy. Warm. Alert. Yellow can be an attractor for your business with a relaxed feeling.
• Green: Natural. Healthy. Plentiful. To create a calming effect or growth image choose green. Go green go.
• Purple: Royalty. Wise. Celebration. Maybe add some purple tones to your look for your premium service business.
• Blue: Loyal. Peaceful. Trustworthy. Blue is the most popular and neutral color on a global scale. A safe choice for a business building customer loyalty.

Consider how these colors are used in your company marketing materials from logos and brochures to business cards and uniforms. Are your colors projecting the personality and image you want? If not, it could be time for a color makeover.
In the end, remember colors have meaning. A white flag means surrender, however, if you have never seen a war the color is insignificant. It all depends on the experiences of the observer. Consider your colors and customers to best choose your winning color for your small business.

Popularity: 29% [?]

Parent-child communication today is a good news, bad news situation. The good news is that we are very well aware of the challenges our children and teens face. The bad news is that we don’t necessarily know how to talk about these challenges. We often avoid or fall short of having useful discussions with our children about sensitive subjects and risk behavior such as drugs, alcohol, and sex.

If you grew up with parents who approached tough topics from the “top down” with rules and consequences, rather than allowing for dialogue and exploration, there is a good chance that you tuned your parents out, kept secrets, or lied. It is important that you not set up a similar dynamic with your own children; the potential cost of poor parent-child communication is too high.

When parent-child communication is unproductive or harmful, a child’s emotional and physical health is at risk. Unresolved problems erupting at school, home, and in the community escalate to risk behavior such as drug and alcohol use—in the teen years and beyond.

The good news is that improved parent–child communication may:

reduce individual risk factors, such as poor academic achievement or self-esteem
improve how we monitor and supervise our children
create useful discussion about factors that lead to involvement in health-risk behaviors
Becoming be an informed, effective communicator with your kids takes some awareness and effort, but is well worth it. Start by thinking and acting as what I call “an inviting presence”. This means that your words and actions send the message, “You are not alone. I am here for you. I can help. I’m listening.” Nothing is more reassuring and inviting for a child than having your unwavering presence in his or her life.

Another key to good parent-child communication is to create open and safe space for your kids to share their troubles with you. This means that when they take the risk of expressing vulnerable feelings or telling you about confusing experiences, you don’t grill them with questions or lecture or judge. It also means listening actively, not passively or half-heartedly. In my experience, every parent who can do these things is also observant and encouraging.

You can create an atmosphere of safe and open communication by:

- listening more than talking
- welcoming and listening to your children’s concerns and feelings
- talking openly and freely rather than lecturing or threatening
- developing and/or using feelings vocabulary that help you child understand his/her experience
- accepting that children make mistakes as they learn and try new skills
- expressing your values and opinions in a way that invites discussion, rather than shuts it down

Once you set the tone for good communication with your kids, be ready to hear what they have to say. This means dealing with subjects that make you uncomfortable or perhaps stir up painful childhood memories. There’s no getting around the fact that some conversations will push your buttons or make you feel unsure of your parenting abilities. When that happens, it is important to discuss the matter with a supportive adult in your life or get some coaching or counseling on how to handle a particularly difficult situation.

All of your efforts will be more successful if, in addition to becoming an effective communicator with your child, you make the effort to become an informed one. You need accurate and up-to-date information on a number of issues that affect your child’s emotional and physical well being, so that you can be a helpful resource.

Tell us what you think ..

Popularity: 29% [?]

The following paragraph is from a book named ‘The New Couple’ by Maurice Taylor and Seana McGee.

The authors propose a new model for love, claiming that the following ten reasons are always behind conflicts that arise between couples.

1. Lack of passionate initial connection
2. Unwillingness or inability to prioritize the health of the relationship
3. Inability to deal with emotions
4. Inability to listen from the heart
5. Entrenched unfairness
6. Inability to make peace and restore broken trust
7. Seemingly irreconcilable points of conflict
8. Undiscovered or unmanifested life purpose for one or both partners
9. Emotional or financial dependencies
10. Unwillingness to embrace healing and education for the relationship

Let us know if you agree with these points ..

Popularity: 30% [?]

All of us women have received mixed messages about trusting our feelings. Not knowing what to do about them, we sometimes push them aside and move on with our day. What we may not realize is that we are missing a vital piece of information.

Are your feelings to be trusted? Absolutely! However, you need to look at those feelings from the perspective of what they are telling you about yourself or your situation. What you do with this knowledge is an important key to your personal success.

Interpreting Your Feelings

There is a simple way of assessing your feelings that can either propel you forward, or send you spiraling down a slippery slope.

Take a moment and examine how you are feeling right now. Then ask yourself, “Are these feelings empowering me? Do I feel strong and confident about myself?” or “Am I feeling low? Are these feelings telling me I am lacking in some way?”

If your feelings are positive and energizing in nature, you know you are on the right track. However, if your feelings are negative and draining, you know you need to make some changes.

This is where you need to be careful to interpret your feelings properly. If you are feeling bad about yourself, it doesn’t mean your thoughts about yourself are true. You CAN trust your feelings to let you know how things are going in your life, but you CANNOT assume what you are thinking about yourself is true. You must line your thoughts up with truth.

Changing Your Thoughts

This may come as a surprise, but sometimes what needs to be changed is the way you look at a situation. Your thoughts determine your feelings; meaning your feelings are a powerful gauge of your thought life. This is important because whatever you think about most, you create in your life. You want more success in your life, not negative situations!

If you choose to think about things from a negative perspective, you will only see negative things. So imagine how this affects your feelings. You will feel bad about the situation! However, if you choose to think about things in a positive light, you will notice the positive things and feel better about the situation.

You are in Control

In order to get the most value out of our feelings, we need to recognize we are the ones who are in control of our lives. If you want to leave the power in someone else’s hands, you won’t get much value out of your feelings. However, when you choose to accept you are a “being of choice”, you begin to realize you actually do have power over your circumstances and how they affect you.

Changing Position

Keep in mind you are not a victim of your circumstances any longer. When you are feeling unhappy about a situation, your feelings are a sign telling you it’s time for you to make changes. Look at what YOU need to change in order to feel happier about your situation.

Sometimes, it means changing more than your thoughts. This is especially true in cases where you have placed yourself in a position of having given your power to another. Somehow, you have given others permission to make you feel bad. Your feelings should be a huge yellow flag that you need to do something about it!

Trusting Your Feelings

Once again, you can trust your feelings, but you can’t always trust your thoughts. The next time you are feeling really good, notice your thoughts and your situation. The information will be helpful for those times when your feelings get challenged. When you’re not feeling so good, ask yourself what you need to do to feel good.

You may be surprised to discover how effective it is trust your feelings as a guide towards your personal success and happiness.

Popularity: 27% [?]

This is the month of breast cancer awareness.
It is the commonest cancer in Britain, affecting 41,000 women a year – but not all breast cancers are the same.
The news this year, as published in The Independent 3 days ago, said that researchers have identified six types of the disease, with widely differing survival rates.
Read more about breast cancer this month and let us know how you think we can make women more aware about the symptoms.

Popularity: 33% [?]