Khaleej Times Online

1 January 2010 - Khaleej Times Online

James Hogan, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways:

It has been a difficult year for the aviation industry, however in contrast to other regions, the Middle East market has continued to grow.

Competition for customers remains intense but Etihad is in a relatively good position to take advantage of improving economic conditions, thanks to the significant investment we have made in product and service over the past 18 months.

This investment has not gone unnoticed — our position as the market leader was confirmed in November when Etihad was awarded the title of the “World’s Leading Airline” at the World Travel Awards.

Etihad Airways has seen measured and controlled growth in 2009 with our fleet growing to more than 50 aircraft and our network to 58 destinations.

This measured growth will continue to be our focus for 2010 as we add flights to new destinations in Sri Lanka and Japan, continue to introduce innovative product enhancements and establish new code share agreements to broaden the range of destinations and travel options we offer our customers.

We are seeing definite signs of an upturn in passenger travel as well as in the cargo sector. As this continues, we expect to see a corresponding industry focus in 2010 on responsible pricing, allowing yields to return to levels that will enable airlines to move back to profitability.

Sunny Varkey, Founder and Chairman, Global Education Management Systems:

We are very optimistic about a turnaround for most businesses in the UAE in 2010. We can already see green-shoots of recovery, and given the strong economic fundamentals of the UAE and its excellent infrastructure facilities and farsighted leadership, 2010 will see a bounce back by most sectors of the economy.

For our group, which has interests in education and healthcare, 2009 has been a period of consolidation despite the impact of the global recession. Like most other sectors, we also had our share of challenges and opportunities in 2009. Looking forward, we are on track with our growth and expansion plans as we believe, the UAE, thanks to its visionary and pragmatic leadership, will continue to be an inspiring role model of prosperity and business dynamism in the Middle East.

Dr. B.R. Shetty, Managing Director of NMC Group:

Most businesses will do much better in the year 2010, as business confidence is returning. Industry, finance, services sector, tourism, healthcare and education will be on the forefront of growth showing sectors. In 2009, business growth was bit down due to fears in the wake of the global financial crisis.

The fears generated by economic slowdown are waning, said the managing director. The second half of the year 2009 was far better than the January-June period, as economy did well, he said.

Dr. Azad Moopen, Chairman, DM Healthcare Group:

Though there were lots of apprehensions regarding the impact of the worldwide recession on businesses in 2009, it proved to be wrong in the case of healthcare. We experienced positive growth in GCC countries and India and met our budgetary projections. Even in Dubai, which went through a much-needed correction in real estate sector, we have experienced positive trends in business. In fact, quite paradoxically, the downturn in real estate prices helped us acquire new premises at reasonable cost for setting up new facilities. It also helped us by bringing down the staff accommodation expenses that were becoming unaffordable.

We may be one among the very few establishments in the GCC that gave incentives and increments to our staff in a recession year. Our confidence in the business was reflected in our decision to add a large number of medical and para medical staff across the GCC in 2009. The outlook for 2010 in healthcare sector is bright with the clouds of recession receding. The expansion of insurance coverage in many countries we operate gives access to more people to get quality healthcare. We are embarking on a plan called Vision 2015 to make the company the largest healthcare provider in Middle East and India

Shukri Dabaghi, General Manager, SAS — Middle East:

The economic crisis has presented both opportunities and challenges. Organisations have learnt that, to thrive in this market, they must lower costs, use resources more effectively, and make faster and smarter business decisions. In the Middle East, we believe that IT spend will be selective as organisations are preparing to seize the moment, and mitigate risk faster than competitors. On the other hand, there is an increasing demand, now more than ever, in the banking, telecom and insurance sectors, for business analytics, advanced analytics, customer intelligence, risk management and performance management solutions, and we expect this trend to continue through 2010,” said Shukri Dabaghi, General Manager, SAS — Middle East.

Art Los Banos, Dubai-based public relations consultant:

I am praying that 2010 will be a recovery period for myself. This year was really difficult since the companies which had expressed interest in contracting my services during the first half did not pursue their PR and publicity plans in the second half. Their reasons: slow sales, reduction of marketing budget, and delays in product rollout. I even had to sell my car just to pay my monthly obligations. It’s really tough now, but with determination and faith — just like Dubai — I am looking to a better year ahead.

Source: Khaleej Times Online

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