BlackBerry maker has big plans for UAE

Barbara Stymiest, 55, was in town on Thursday to receive a honorary doctorate in letters from the Canadian University of Dubai (CUD).

“This is a very important region, it’s a region that is growing, so having a strong position in a country that’s driven is very important to BlackBerry,” Stymiest said soon after giving a speech to the graduating class of the university, at the World Trade Center. Her remarks come as RIM’s market share and stock price plummeted and the company announced more job cuts over the course of the year.

Stymiest, who has been named Fortune’s 50 most powerful women in business three times, said the region has caught on to the BlackBerry smartphone, even as the company faces a tumultuous time.

“We’ve maintained such a strong market position in this region (due to) the inherent nature of the BlackBerry and how it works to support busy professionals of the region who are trying to do multiple tasks at a time.

“I think it really serves them well,” she said.

Alongside Stymiest was the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, who handed out degrees to students during the graduation ceremony.

More than 400 students graduated from the CUD on Thursday, including a mother and daughter.

alizafar@khaleejtimes.com