Abu Dhabi goes global

His Excellency Eng Salah Al Shamsi used the platform provided by this year's Arabian Business Media & Marketing Conference to emphasise the importance of a strong relationship between gulf companies and the media. He used the immense success of his company, Al Qudra Holdings, as an example of how the relationship works.

"We would not have been able to achieve all this without a partnership between Al Qudra and the media," he insisted.

"There must be a strong relationship between a company's management and the media, because otherwise it is impossible to build a brand.

"I have focused on how I can build up brand awareness over just two years," Eng Al Shamsi continued. "Our logo carries the colours white and red - the colours of the Abu Dhabi flag. We have deliberately associated ourselves with the growth of Abu Dhabi, with the progress of Abu Dhabi, and the opportunities that Abu Dhabi offers."

A UAE national who has risen to become one of the most prominent and respected businessmen in the region, Eng Al Shamsi is currently engaged in directing a wide range of companies as well as representing governmental entities and supporting social and sports clubs. His extensive experience stems from managing companies in various industry sectors, and he has more than 14 years of accumulated experience in the oil and gas fields. This knowledge makes him uniquely qualified to comment on the best way to market and sustain a brand.

"We have built a strong relationship between Al Qudra and the media, and we have done this by being transparent and respecting the media," he revealed. "It is a case of mutual respect, and we should be seen by the media as outgoing, honest, and trying to do a good job. The media can judge you, and it can also give your company a lot of room to get the right attention from the public."

Al Qudra Holdings was established by a group of Emirati nationals in Abu Dhabi in 2005. It is a joint stock company and in the two years that it been in operation has achieved record breaking profits. It now enjoys a market cap of US$163.3m. This private holding investment company is unique in the fact that it is the first company in the region to dedicate more than 50% of its shares to Emirati women.

Being a holding company, the organisation has developed interests across many areas, including property, finance, oil and gas, agriculture, infrastructure, utilities, medical services and education. Developing across these sectors, the company continues to make significant contributions to the regional markets - and this is the message that Eng Al Shamsi is determined to transmit to shareholders and the general public alike.

"We do not use advertising, we use PR - we are trying to achieve results, and are proud to announce them when they happen," he said. "We do not hide our results: we celebrate them, highlight them, and share them with the public through the media. I need to reach the people. I need to tell them my objective, my vision, my mission, and my corporate value. This way, they can share this vision with me."

And what a vision. Future plans include capitalising on the industrial boom in Abu Dhabi by generating a large group of specialised subsidiaries in various sectors under the Al Qudra Holding umbrella.