1,200 Dubai Holding staff participate in Dubai Marathon

DUBAI, 22 January 2009: Underlining the success of the Dubai Holding Corporate Wellness Programme, 1,200 Dubai Holding employees participated in the 2009 Dubai Marathon, making it the largest corporate team in the event.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the event saw around 10,000 runners taking to the streets of Dubai for the marathon and the 10km run.

Among those taking part in the marathon were CEOs and senior executives of Dubai Holding, making it the perfect healthy start for the 2009 Corporate Wellness Programme.

The Dubai Holding Corporate Wellness Programme, one of the first corporate wellness initiatives in the region, is designed to help employees attain optimal health and well-being through stress management, physical activity and dietary improvement.

The multidisciplinary programme relies on education and targeted interventions to enhance health awareness, motivate actions to change lives, create an environment that supports good health practices, as well as prevent illness, injury and disability.

Cedric Betis, Corporate Wellness Manager at Dubai Holding, said: "A major performance indicator of our Corporate Wellness Programme is that our employees now take physical fitness seriously. The dedication with which people trained for the marathon is testament to how the programme has changed people's lives for the better."

Dubai Holding considers its people as its greatest asset. In addition to the Corporate Wellness Programme, it has introduced a number of other initiatives to develop a competent resource pool of future leaders, while recognising and rewarding outstanding contributions to the company's growth and business success.