Christine Draeger

Known as "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its plethora of Islamic architecture and "The Triumphant City" (in reference to its history of conquering invaders), Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life. With a population of 6.8 million, with an additional ten million inhabitants just outside the city, Cairo is the largest city in the Arab world.

The downturn in the economy is truly global and no country or industry is immune, including the relocation industry. Crown reached out to global staff members living and working in some of Crown’s 200 locations around the world, and compiled their personal insights into how the global economic crisis is affecting the relocation industry in their corner of the world

Tanzania is blessed with natural beauty and extraordinary wildlife. It is the largest country in East Africa–-nearly a million square kilometers (386,109 square miles). Agriculture dominates the economy with the vast majority of its crop exports consisting of coffee, tea, cotton, cashews, sisal, cloves and pyrethrum. While somewhat unreliable cash flows frustrate farmers, government intervention is having a significant and positive impact on the country’s economy.

Since 1983, Crown Records Management has been serving the needs of Records Management professionals around the world. Over the years, the records management industry has experienced the effects of external influences. From new technologies, an abundance of regulations, the emergence of data privacy issues, a shrinking world and most recently, environmental causes, the industry has continued to adapt and adjust.

Ho Chi Minh City was named after Ho Chi Minh, a Vietnamese statesman, who served as prime minister and president of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam). Ho Chi Minh led the North Vietnamese in the Vietnam American War until it ended in 1975. Ho Chi Minh passed away on the 2nd September 1969. Vietnamese unification followed and the former capital of South Vietnam, Saigon, was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in his honor.

Dubai is a modern city surrounded by beautiful beaches, desert landscape and rugged mountains. Frequently referred to as the "City of Gold," Dubai is where Middle Eastern traditionalism meets Western glitz. It is noted for being a very safe, tolerant and friendly city and renowned for its beautiful beaches, modern architecture and cosmopolitan community.

If you are managing a global team, then you have experienced the process of recruiting staff from different countries and cultures. Although the process is quite similar to recruiting a candidate locally, here are some tips that may help streamline the process and help you find the most suitable candidate.

Shanghai has been called the "Paris of the East" and the "Queen of the Orient." Rich with history, Shanghai first opened its door to foreigners for trade in the 1840's. The resulting international community contributed to Shanghai's unique character, architecture, fashion and food. The Japanese invasion of 1937 forced most of the foreigners to flee the city and it would be 50 years before international influences would return to this alluring metropolis.

In a recent study conducted by Crown Relocations, a number of Relocation Professionals were asked about their company's working relationship with staff members on foreign assignment. With over 200 responses, when asked "What aspects of working in China and India were most difficult for their foreign staff," 31% of the respondants cited "a disconnection from their head office communication and culture."

The traditional checklist, a long, handwritten list of tasks, has evolved along with new technologies. In the past, we would relish in the act of crossing off each task as it's completed. But in today's technology-driven world, the checklist takes on a new form. Today's checklist is probably typed into a computer or a Day Planner, and the emotional "cross off" has been transformed to the harsh tapping of the delete key. Despite technology, regardless of where you are moving, a checklist will be needed to help you get there.