Under the patronage and the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhab,i “Emerging Abu Dhabi 2006”, the new investment publication on Abu Dhabi, was launched at the Emirates Palace in an evening hosted jointly by Mubadala Development and the Oxford Business Group.

The 200-page publication, the first of an annual series on Abu Dhabi, is a highly targeted research tool providing in-depth business, economic, and political analysis on Abu Dhabi for the international business community. This publication is a pivotal platform for expanding global understanding of Abu Dhabi, as well as for attracting new foreign investment into the country.

The launch of “Emerging Abu Dhabi 2006” brought together over 300 key government officials, members of the local and international business community, foreign investors, and members of the diplomatic community in Abu Dhabi to celebrate the largest and most comprehensive English economic publication on the Abu Dhabi economy ever published internationally. Oxford Business Group, a leading UK economic and business publishing company, publishes its flagship Emerging Markets Series of investment guides in emerging markets around the globe. Emerging Abu Dhabi 2006 is their 12th Middle Eastern publication and the 5th in the Gulf.

The speakers included: HH Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman, Department of Economy and Planning, HE Mohammed Ahmed Al Bowardi, Secretary General, Executive Council, Undersecretary, Crown Prince Court H.E Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chief Executive Officer, Mubadala Development Company, Michael Benson-Colpi, Chairman, Oxford Business Group, Michael Tomalin, Chief Executive Officer, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, and Andrew Jeffreys, Editor-in-Chief, Oxford Business Group HE Khaldoon Al Mubarak, CEO of Mubadala Development, welcomed the crowd and highlighted the importance of such publications, noting “Abu Dhabi’s ongoing need to increase global awareness of Abu Dhabi and the investment opportunities available to foreign investors.”

To produce this annual book, a team of six Oxford Business Group international analysts based with Mubadala Development spent seven months in Abu Dhabi researching and writing on all aspects of the economy. The analysts conducted some 250 interviews with leading political and economic figures in Abu Dhabi as part of their extensive “in-country” research and analysis. Throughout the period, the team has worked closely with Mubadala Development, which has played an instrumental role assisting the team in data collection, economic research as well as fact checking. Michael Benson-Colpi, Chairman of Oxford Business Group, addressed the audience commenting, “Emerging Abu Dhabi 2006” is the perfect mixture of international expertise and local knowledge. Our research was invaluably aided by our primary research partners Mubadala, as well as from the sectoral expertise from NBAD in capital markets, PricewaterhouseCoopers on accountancy, and Simmons and Simmons on legal issues.”