Chairman, Emaar Properties, director general, Dubai Department of Economic Development and member of Dubai Executive Council Mohamed Ali Alabbar has been conferred the first-ever 'Lifetime Achievement Award' by leading Pan-Arab business magazine, Arabian Business.

Alabbar received the award at the Arabian Business Media & Marketing Conference held in Dubai.

The Lifetime Achievement Award recognises the foresight and bold initiatives of Alabbar, which form the driving force of Emaar Properties, today a global company with an active presence in 36 markets and first and only real estate company in the region to be ranked in the Financial Times Global 500 list of the world's top-notch organisations.

Highlighting the significance of the award, chairman, ITP, the Middle East's largest publisher of consumer and business magazines, including Arabian Business, Andrew Neil said Alabbar is a role model for the entrepreneur community across the Arab world. He sets an example of how far-sighted approach, innovative thinking and flawless execution can help achieve one's goals and consistently better the success achieved.

"The Dubai that we see today is the result of ambitious dreams and a will to transform them to reality. The fuel for this growth is the support and direction provided by UAE vice-president and prime minister and Ruler of Dubai Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum," said Alabbar.

"He understood that the time was right for Dubai - and this may be his most valuable example for those of us with large-scale ambitions. He gave us the daring to dream and dream big. Today, with such towering examples in human achievement as the Burj Dubai, we proclaim to the world that nothing is impossible when human minds come together with clearly focused objectives," he added.

As the driving force of the Dubai Department of Economic Development, Alabbar has been instrumental in rolling out several initiatives that positioned Dubai as a global destination for business, trading and tourism. He is also chairman of the Bahrain-based Al Salam Bank and serves on the board of directors of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), the investment arm of the Government of Dubai.

Alabbar has won several global laurels for his entrepreneurial excellence. FDi magazine, published by the Financial Times Group, recently named Alabbar "Middle East Personality of the Year." Arabian Business ranked him second in its March 2007 list of the 100 Most Influential Arabs in the World. - TradeArabia News Service