BUSINESS & JOBS

Pakistan Appeal, a star-studded gala dinner organised in Dubai to help the flood victims of Pakistan, raised more than $1 million at Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa, in Dubai. Former cricketer Imran Khan’s gold-plated and autographed bat, was auctioned for Dh70,000.

A problem with being paid for work on the world tallest building is weighing on Depa's bottom line. Net profits will be "significantly impacted" due to the unresolved claim for the Burj Khalifa work, the Dubai interior contracting company announced yesterday.

Many members of the Pakistani community also attended the event at Burj Khalifa's Armani Hotel on Friday. Sheikh Nahyan, who described the relationship between Pakistan and the UAE as one of "common heritage and culture", donated Dh1 million to the cause.

Dubai's stock market hit a new low as concerns grew over social unrest and its impact on stronger oil-rich economies in the region. The Dubai Financial Market (DFM) slipped 3.5 per cent to 1,374.43 points and heavyweight stocks fell to new lows. Emaar Properties, the Dubai developer of the world's tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa, ended 6 per cent to Dh2.50, after its shares fell to 1-year low during intraday trading.

The event, organised by Quintessentially, takes place Friday, March 4, at the Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa. And it brings together several influential and high-profile participants. The opening address will be made by H H Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Imran Khan, former cricketer and international humanitarian, will also speak about his personal relief efforts, the acute need for funding and his own account of the tragedy on the ground.

Construction companies that aggressively moved to diversify into other countries during the downturn in Dubai property have seen their shares sold heavily due to the political turmoil in the Mena region. Egypt has become a key market for several UAE builders. Emaar, best known for constructing the Burj Khalifa - the world's tallest building - in Dubai, now has projects valued at Dh4.2 billion (US$1.14bn) in Egypt, about 15 per cent of its book value.

The first keynote presentation was given by Mr. Ahmad Abderazaq, the Executive Vice President and Head of High-rise and Complex Building Division at Samsung C&T Corporation, who was involved since the early stages of the design of the Burj Khalifa during his tenure at Skidmore Owings & Merrill, a civil engineering consulting firm in Chicago, as well as during the construction of the Burj. Mr. Abderazaq shared his experience with regard to the construction and operation of the skyscraper.

One of region’s major healthcare service providers the DM Healthcare opened its new corporate headquarters in a strategic location in the heart of new Dubai. Indian ambassador to India M. K. Lokesh on Thursday inaugurated the integrated corporate headquarters at Executive Towers on Business Bay near Burj Khalifa in the presence of Sanjay Verma, Consul General of India in Dubai.

"Study hard and follow your dreams." This is the advice Smith, internationally successful architect, gave to students pursuing architecture when he made a visit to the A&M campus last week. Smith spoke to students at the Rowlett 2011 conference this past Friday in Rudder Theatre about achieving their goals. He has designed some of the world's most recognizable structures, including the Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates, the world's tallest structure.

PwC, the leading international professional services organisation, has relocated its Dubai staff to bigger, more spacious offices in Emaar Square, Downtown Dubai. The customised space of over 50,000 square feet was chosen to accommodate PwC's growing multinational staff in support of its ambitious growth plans, particularly on the UAE, to meet the needs of the market. PwC currently has nearly 600 people based in Dubai, representing 45 nationalities, plus almost 200 people based in Abu Dhabi and 15 in Sharjah.