Abu Dhabi has been selected to host the first Asian Business Awards ever to be held in the Arab world.

Asian Business Awards Middle East 2007 will be presented at a gala ceremony to be held in December at the Emirates Palace Hotel, honouring the remarkable and far-reaching contributions the Asian business community has made to the region.

The aim is to make the Asian Business Awards an annual institution in the Middle East.

The announcement was made by Nadia Zaal, the CEO of Al Barari, one of the UAE’s leading luxury real estate developers, which is the prime sponsor of the Asian Business Awards Middle East 2007.

“The Asian community has played such an important role in the development of the UAE and the region as a whole,” Nadia Zaal said.

“An acknowledgement of their achievements in business and development is really long overdue and we were keen to support this landmark celebration”, she added.

The Asian Business Awards Middle East 2007 will recognize achievements of Asian business leaders and entrepreneurs who have made a mark on the Middle East and built enterprises that have strengthened the traditional and historic ties between Asia and the Middle East and helped to build their communities at home and abroad. 

The awards will be divided into eight categories:
 
1 Outstanding Asian Business Man of the Year

2 Outstanding Asian Business Woman of the Year

3 Asian Rising Star of the Year

4 Young Asian Achiever of the Year

5 Outstanding contribution to Middle East Development Award

6 Asian Business Leader of the Year

7 Global Asian of the Year

8 Lifetime Achievement Award

The Criteria & Parameters for each category have been set by one of the world’s leading Business Advisory Services, PricewaterhouseCoopers who are the Analysts of this prestigious new Award Property that is poised to become an important & significant annual Event in Corporate Middle East.

The Nominations for these categories will be open to the public from October 1st and can be registered on the Asian Business Awards, Middle East 2007 website abameonline.com, which will contain details on nomination criteria and voting procedures.

Three final nominations for 6 of the ABA ME Award 2007 categories will be announced on November 9.

Selections for these 6 categories will be made based on public online voting and the opinions of a jury comprised of business leaders, government officials, professionals and commentators.

 The 18 ABA ME Finalists will be announced on November 9, 2007.

The ABA ME 2007 Global Asian & Lifetime Achievement Awards are to be exclusive Jury Choice.

Thereafter, the most exciting part of the ABA ME 2007 kicks in, whereby the public will be invited to participate in the polls through the ABA ME 2007 online facility or by SMS. The build-up and mechanics of Nominations & Polling culminates in a grand Award Event called the ‘The Big Night”, a glamorous and high profile black-tie event at the magnificent Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, with the expected attendance of some of the most illustrious business personalities, dignitaries, opinion leaders and influencers in Asia and the Arab world.

“The current economic boom in the Middle East and Asia, has accentuated the synergies between the two regions and has underscored the long historical ties we have had over the centuries,” said Zaal.

“The combined estimated value of current infrastructure development in both regions exceeds $2 trillion and it is further estimated that Middle East investors will acquire from $20-30 billion in Asian assets during 2007 alone.

“The explosion of Asian entrepreneurship coupled with huge Arab investment in business real estate and finance that has been fuelled by sustained high prices,<