Dubai, March 22nd, 2005: THE Gulf's top decision-makers in education and training have thrown their weight behind the first MELT (Middle East Learning Technologies) conference and exhibition being held in Dubai during April.

MELT will take place at Madinat Jumeirah Convention Centre on April 5-6, bringing together in the Middle East for the first time specialists, vendors and users of e-learning and knowledge management. 

One of the largest delegations will from Saudi Arabia, comprising senior decision-makers from universities, colleges, and schools - led by Minister of Educational Affairs.

Similar delegations are being organised by other education ministries in the Gulf region, as well heads of learning from leading regional and multi-national businesses, including Emirates Airline, Xerox, Dubai Duty Free, ABN Amro, Saudi Royal Commission, Higher College of Technology, Ashridge Management School and Sullivan University Eurasia;

HE Abdul Rahman G. Al Mutaiwee, Director General of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce will open the conference. Leading international keynote speakers include Dr Abdullah Al Karam, CEO of Dubai Knowledge Village; Professor Sa'ad Medhat, Chairman and CEO of Productivity4you; Dr Milad sebaaly, CEO of Universal Knowledge Solutions, Irfan Hafeez, Head of eLearning at ABN Amro, Linda Al Ansari, Head of eLearning at Emirates Airlines, Fahad Al-Othman, Chairman and CEO of HumanSoft, Andrew Ettinger of the Ashridge management school; Bobby Yasdani, CEO and founder of Saba.

Delegates will hear new strategic case studies on how e-learning has worked successfully for commercial and government organisations, including previously unpublished research.  Special moderated expert  tracks are dedicated to Learning technology deployment in education, eLearning in the enterprise, Languages Learning and strategies for implementation of eLearning.

All the major eLearning players in the Middle East will be present with their partners, as well as leading global IT and e-learning companies.

MELT is directed by Sally-Ann Moore, one of the worlds' leading experts in e-learning, and will feature 1,000 sq m of exhibition stands as well the twin-track conference with expert tracks and workshops offering delegates full interaction and high level of participation.  

Moore says that on-line learning technologies and services grew to become a $23 billion global industry last year and Dubai is at the forefront of an annual 20 percent growth rate.

There are now about 130 million on-line learners across the world and Dubai and MELT will be the springboard for the next phase of development.

"The Europe and Middle East market is alone estimated at more than $6 billion for 2005, underlining the industry's soaring growth," Moore said.

"The MELT conference is much more than a seminar -- it's the best place to update skills and competencies for world-class e-learning. Everyone of consequence in this field is represented."

-Ends-

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© Press Release 2005