July 11, 2018
Ben Ganley, Chief Executive Officer – Souq Extra
DSO1 Opening & DSO2 Ground Breaking, 4th July 2018
Welcome and thank you for taking time out of your morning to celebrate the Opening of Souq Extra DSO Phase 1 and the Breaking Ground of Phase 2.
We are delighted to share this occasion with you and make special mention of our esteemed partners as without their leadership today’s achievement would not be possible – if I can ask that we hold our applause until the end of this esteemed list:
• Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Vice Chairman and CEO, Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority.
• Ms. Shahla Abdul Razak Bastaki, Deputy CEO, Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority.
• Mr. Saleh Saeed Lootah, Chairman Souq Extra.
• Mr. Tariq bin Hendi, Chairman, ENBD REIT.
• Mr. Michael Lunjevich, Partner, Head of Commercial and Property, Hadef and Partners.
• Mr. Naveed Ali, Executive Vice President, Dubai Islamic Bank.
• Mr. Raymond Park, CEO, RMJM Architecture.
• Mr. Jorge Areosa, CEO, Al Tayer Stocks.
• Mr. Andrew Love, Partner, Head of Investment and Commercial Agency, Cavendish Maxwell
• Mr. Joseph Morris, Partner, Head of Capital Markets, Knight Frank.
My wife who’s from Maryland in the US, suggested we serve hotdogs and crabs to commemorate the 4th of July in the US. While for our American family and friends today marks their Declaration of Independence, for us gathered here, we come together to unite rather than separate. We see value in partnership rather than exclusivity and we vest in a collective learning and common aspiration.
Today, we write another chapter in our Souq Extra story, sharing the stage with ENBD REIT, as Tariq and his team continue to build their significant UAE legacy.
During 2018, Souq Extra has continued to deliver an integrated business model whereby development and investor services are working together on our projects. This means leveraging more than one of our core competencies of Development, Investment and Asset Management in markets we believe are the most resilient and best performing.
Since 2014 we have built a corporate strategy around a ‘culture of winning behaviours’ through developing pillars of Sustainability, Innovation, Customer Service and Human Capital.
Environmental, social and economic considerations are integral to creating and sustaining value and managing risk. Around the region, governments and communities are seeking trusted partners who can enhance urban areas with efficient, healthy and resilient outcomes. At Souq Extra, we aspire to lead in this space.
Innovation is key to our stakeholders and forms part of our core values, creating value for both our customers and Souq Extra.
Without customers, we have no business. Understanding their needs and providing qualitative engagement drives financial performance. Our ambition is to ensure we put customers at the center of our decision making by critically asking ourselves three fundamental questions: What are the needs of our customers? Where are they currently being under-served? How can we serve our customer better?
People are our greatest asset at Souq Extra. We aim to attract and retain the best people by building a culture of collaboration, continuous learning and recognizing and rewarding success.
My sincere thanks go to the Souq Extra team and our committed partners for your dedicated efforts, ensuring today is the right foundation for tomorrow. I thank our colleagues, peers and leaders for your continued support as we work together to build Community’s across the UAE.
Thank you.
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