DUBAI: Saturday, 23 January, 2010 - HH Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and President of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) today attended the recognition ceremony for the second graduating class of London Business School's Dubai-London Executive MBA Programme.

In the presence of HH Sheikh Maktoum, 78 students graduating from the programme were awarded the Dubai-London Executive MBA degrees. The recognition ceremony was also attended by His Highness Sheikh Saeed Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, HE Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer, Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Professor Sir Andrew Likierman, Dean of London Business School, Professor Naufel Vilcassim who has been awarded Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Professorship of Innovation, and Faculty Director in Dubai, and other faculty members.

London Business School's Dubai-London Executive MBA Programme is delivered out of the DIFC Centre of Excellence, a subsidiary of DIFC.

HE Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer, Governor of DIFC said: ". The creation of a large pool of world-class professional education and training opportunities is one of the corner stones of our strategy to develop DIFC as a global financial centre. The London Business School Dubai-London Executive MBA Programme is one of the prestigious programmes offered from the DIFC Centre of Excellence that provide students in the region easy access to one of the world's best institutions for business education. Through strong partnerships with global educational institutions, DIFC seeks to help build the critical mass of talent necessary for the rapid growth and development of the region's financial industry."

Professor Sir Andrew Likierman, Dean of London Business School, said,                                        "I'm pleased to say that London Business School has very strong links with Dubai. We were delighted to host Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and many of Dubai's leading figures in London in November at our London campus. Our Dubai Centre is a great complement to the diversity of our London campus and has become a global hub.  Students come in to study from as far as Beijing, Jakarta, Baghdad, Athens, Moscow, Cairo and Toronto."

Professor Naufel Vilcassim who has been awarded Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Professorship of Innovation, and Faculty Director in Dubai, said, "The entire London Business School community is very proud to recognise today the significant achievement of the second graduating class of our Dubai-London Executive MBA programme. The students of this class have demonstrated outstanding qualities of determination, courage, vision, teamwork and plain hard work. They represent more than 25 different nationalities and a huge diversity of professional backgrounds and industry sectors. With their enhanced knowledge, skills, confidence, credibility and networks, these students are well-equipped to be outstanding leaders in their fields."

The recognition ceremony for the Dubai-London Executive MBA Programme follows an intensive 18-month programme of study, based on a series of four-day modules taught at the DIFC Centre of Excellence by the School's world-class faculty visiting from London.  An elective phase of study is delivered principally in London. The ceremony marks the second graduation of students since the School first launched its programme in Dubai three years ago.

London Business School offers world-class business and management education to professionals in Dubai and the Middle East.  The School opened doors to its campus at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in December 2006.  The Dubai-London Executive MBA programme, created in response to the growing demand for business education in the region, reflects the School's strong commitment to the Middle East.  The programme is designed for managers and executives who already have substantial professional experience behind them. The intake represents a range of exceptional, experienced people who can both contribute to and benefit from the programme.

This year, the programme continued to exhibit strong demand, with an impressive number of enquiries and applications. 

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London Business School
London Business School's purpose is to deliver insights and leaders that have impact. The School is ranked number one in the world for both full-time and executive MBA programmes*. In research, the School is ranked within the global top ten* and holds the highest average research score of any UK academic institution**.

The School's faculty, from over 30 countries, is grouped into seven subject areas - Accounting; Economics; Finance; Management Science and Operations; Marketing; Organisational Behaviour; and Strategic and International Management.

Studying at the School provides access to an unmatched diversity of thought. With a presence in four international cities - London, New York, Hong Kong and Dubai - the School is well positioned to equip students from more than 130 countries with the capabilities needed to operate in today's business environment. Students further benefit from our 28,000 alumni who provide a wealth of knowledge, business experience and worldwide networking opportunities.

The School awards 1,000 degrees every year, across MBA, Executive MBA, Masters in Finance, Sloan Fellow and PhD programmes and has most recently added Masters in Management to its portfolio. The Executive Education team offers a portfolio of over 30 open programmes as well as custom-designed programmes developed to meet the specific needs of individuals and their organisation. Annually, over 8000 participants attend executive programmes which are led by many of the world's leading business thinkers. www.london.edu

About DIFC
The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is an onshore hub for global finance. It bridges the time gap between the financial centres of Hong Kong and London and services a region with the largest untapped emerging market for financial services. In just five years, over 850 firms have registered at DIFC. They operate in an open environment complemented with world-class regulations and standards. DIFC offers its member institutions incentives such as 100 per cent foreign ownership, zero tax on income and profits and no restrictions on foreign exchange. In addition their business benefits from modern infrastructure, operational support and business continuity facilities of uncompromisingly high standards.

For PR inquiries on the DIFC, please contact:
Amira Abdulla
Director - Regional Public Relations
Dubai International Financial Centre
Tel: +971 4 362 2433
Email: amira.abdulla@difc.ae

Shaima Al Zarouni
Assistant PR Manager
Dubai International Financial Centre
Tel: +971 4 362 2432
E-mail: shaima.alzarouni@difc.ae

Iman Ahmad
Regional Media Relations Manager
Dubai International Financial Centre
Tel: +971 4 362 2685
E-mail: iman.ahmad@difc.ae

London Business School Media Contacts:
Zina Al-Abbasi
Communications and Media Manager
Tel: + 44 (0) 207 000 7254
Email: zalabbasi@london.edu  

© Press Release 2010