1,000 DH Employees To Participate in Dubai Marathon 2008
Dubai: 16 January, 2008: Dubai Holding, the Middle East's leading conglomerate, today announced the official launch of the region's first ever Corporate Wellness Programme across all its entities, seeking to help employees maintain healthier lifestyles and enhance individual productivity and well-being.
The unique voluntary initiative will be officially kicked off at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon 2008 on 18 January. Over 1,000 Dubai Holding employees from across the entities are expected to participate.
In the pilot stage, the Corporate Wellness Programme was run in-house within Dubai Holding for a year. Following its phenomenal success in significantly improving employees' health habits, levels of physical activity and performance, as well as raising the overall awareness on health related issues, the initiative has been extended to include all Dubai Holding entities.
The Dubai Holding wellness programme is designed to help employees attain optimal health and well-being through stress management, physical activity and dietary improvement. The multidisciplinary programme relies on education and targeted interventions to enhance health awareness, motivate actions to change lives, create an environment that supports good health practices, as well as prevent illness, injury and disability.
Fadel Al Ali, Executive Chairman - Operations, Dubai Holding, said: "Health issues can have direct consequences and impact business continuity and performance. The Wellness Programme will improve employees overall performance, reduce indirect costs such as absenteeism and raise productivity levels.
"This is truly a ground breaking initiative that firmly establishes Dubai Holding as a pioneer of employees' well-being in the Middle East. Once again, Dubai Holding is leading by example and encourages other companies in the region to implement similar programmes."
Cedric Betis, a wellness specialist with over 10 years of experience, has been appointed as the Dubai Holding Wellness Manager to oversee the programme.
Betis said: "More and more companies recognise that healthy employees lead to higher productivity. Businesses also stand to gain significant competitive advantage through cost benefits accruing from reduced absenteeism and heightened productivity.
"This is the first time a programme of this magnitude has been implemented in the Middle East. Dubai Holding deserves to be congratulated for pioneering this initiative. This programme will phenomenally change the lives of our employees for the better."
Dubai Holding upholds its people as its greatest asset. In addition to the Wellness Programme, it has introduced a number of other initiatives to develop a competent resource pool of future leaders, while recognising and rewarding outstanding contributions to the company's growth and business success.
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About Dubai Holding
Dubai Holding was launched in October 2004 to consolidate the various large-scale infrastructure and investment projects in Dubai, as well as to identify opportunities to develop future major projects that will benefit the UAE and the region.
The company has been created with the goal of providing a better future for all through the range of life-improving industries it is involved in. Each Dubai Holding operating company focuses on key areas which dynamically support the development of Dubai as a world-leading hub for commerce, leisure and finance.
Dubai Holding has created a strong foothold in various industries by developing pioneering initiatives spanning numerous sectors including healthcare, technology, finance, real estate, education, telecommunication, entertainment & leisure, energy, communication, industrial manufacturing, biotechnology, hospitality and aerospace.
Dubai Holding entities include: Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubailand, Dubai International Capital, Dubai Industrial City, Dubai Properties, Sama Dubai, Dubai Group, Dubai Energy, Dubai Knowledge Village, Dubai Outsource Zone, International Media Production Zone, e-Hosting Datafort, EMPOWER, Jumeirah Group, Dubiotech and Dubai Studio City.
For further information please visit: www.dubaiholding.com, or contact:
Sabah Ahmad
Dubai Holding
Tel: +971 4 362 2000
Fax: +971 4 362 2091
Email: Sabah.ahmad@dubaiholding.com
Malcolm Ward
JiWin
The Public Relations arm of the Media Services Group
Dubai Media City
Tel: +971 4 3613576
Fax: + 971 4 3888001
Email: malcolm.ward@jiwin.ae
© Press Release 2008
