More sex in the city

Women make up less than one per cent of executive boardroom membership of Dubai Financial Market-listed companies. Of the 371 boardroom members, just three are women. And none are based in the UAE.

There are many ways to read this Emirates Business survey, but 'less than one per cent' is 'less than one per cent' whichever way you slice it. In Norway, 36 per cent of boardroom members are women – and there is a government target of 40 per cent.

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DRC and issue of valuing land grant

I was counting the beans of Dubai Refreshments Co. (DRC), the Pepsi and Aquafina bottler that is listed on Dubai Financial Markets (DFM). The company’s financial statement for 2005 was published on DFM’s web site in January 2007. Auditors’ opinion was from PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Dubai. However, item 5 of the Notes on Accounts is worth a review.

Under the schedule of Property, Plant and Equipment, the Notes disclose "Factory buildings have been erected on land provided free of charge by H.H. The Ruler of Dubai."

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