In a record time, 3Points advertising claims to have secured the trust of Saudi Arabia’s premier brands. Their client list includes Saudi Telecom Company, National Commercial Bank, Aujan Group, Baeshen (Rabea Tea), Al-Sawani Group and United Sugar Company. The company, with its “largest and highly qualified” Saudi staff, encompasses advertising and promotional activities. Its motto “Local wits for advertising wins” has earned it seven Sword Awards in a few years. This wave of success is now carrying the company onward to Riyadh. As part of its plan to revolutionize the Kingdom’s advertising industry, it is opening a full service office.

Gazzaz/Rubylips

Gazzaz launched Rubylips, Les Parfums Salvador Dali’s new fragrance, at a dealers’ convention at Jeddah Intercontinental earlier this week. The perfume combines the eccentric genius of Dali’s forms with the modernity of pure, minimalist lines. This highly feminine interpretation of an imaginary world is rooted in modernity. A visionary fragrance with multiple facets, its originality lies in its indifference to passing fads. Rubylips is the result of perfectly controlled eccentricity and luxury. It is a streamlined, avant-garde orchestration of the codes and values of fine perfumery. It is a vibrant fragrance. It is fruity, woody floral and is full of sensuality. The middle notes reveal a delicate floral character. Water lily gives off a fresh, light, humid vegetal scent. The radiance of the mythical wild orchid, with its light vanilla accents and the vibrant red topsi rose, with a honey-scented trail, bring to mind the sweetest of nectars. The intense base notes provide a sweet, musky, woody envelope for this gentle caress. This tender sensual cocoon for the skin contains a hint of patchouli and sandalwood. Musky lemon-tree honey adds roundness, binding the intense aura and its woody accents to the skin. Dali, a master of all the arts was a painter, sculptor, designer, film director, costume and scenery designer publicist, writer and more. A tireless, inspired creator, he also designed furniture and fine jewelry, repeating a detail of one of his artworks in each piece. Dali made a brooch inspired by the famous lips of Aphrodite, set with rubies and pearls and 24 carat yellow gold. Parfums Salvador Dali has now reinterpreted in Rubylips.

Visit Sharjah Roadshow

A “Visit Sharjah” roadshow staged in Jeddah yesterday focused on further building tourism links between Saudi Arabia and the emirate. “This is the team’s third visit to Jeddah, “ Mohamed Ali Al-Noman, director of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), told a press conference at Radisson SAS. The roadshow, held a day before in Riyadh, is targeted to further increase the emirate’s inbound traffic in the face of an increasingly competitive market, both regional and international, he said. The roadshow, organized under the patronage of Sheikh Tariq ibn Faisal Al-Qassimi, chairman of the board of directors, SCTD, aimed to promote GCC and Arab tourism packages for the coming vacation season. “Sharjah’s tourist income has increased 83 percent from 685 million dinars in 2001 to 825 million dinars in 2003. With more than 50 hotels and furnished apartments and 60 hotel agencies, the emirate’s tourist sector is expected to be more effective in attracting many more visitors,” he said. “Last year, we set the target of achieving a five percent growth in tourism from the previous year. The emirate had more than 857,000 hotel guests in 2003, 25 percent more than in 2002. In cooperation with Air Arabia, Sharjah hotels and Sharjah Airport Travel Agency, we’re presenting competitive holiday packages,” he said. Packages include Air Arabia ticket, hotel accommodation extendable by two to four days in the best 19 hotels of Sharjah, visa regulation and airport transportation and city tours. “Sharjah is also considering offering online visas within a couple of months,” a team member said on behalf of the Sharjah government.

UGB

United Gulf Bank (UGB) of Bahrain, the investment banking subsidiary of Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO), marked the beginning of its silver jubilee year with a reception attended by over 250 government, banking and business dignitaries. Guests of honor at the reception were Bahrain Monetary Agency Governor Ahmed ibn Mohammed Al-Khalifa and Deputy Governor Khalid Abdullah Al-Bassam. They were welcomed by UGB Chairman and KIPCO Managing Director and CEO Faisal Al-Ayyar, Burgan Bank Chairman Mohammed Abdul Aziz Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah, Jordan Kuwait Bank Chairman and CEO Abdel Karim Kabariti, UGB Managing Director and KAMCO Chairman Masaud Hayat and UGB CEO William Khouri. “We felt it appropriate to mark our 25th year in business with an event recognizing our success during these years as an investment bank that supports development of regional business,” Khouri said. “At the same time, UGB enters its silver jubilee year after recording its best-ever financial results in 2003.” In 2003, UGB recorded a net profit of $36.2 million or 4.7 centers per share. Total revenue of $112.1 million almost doubled over the $58.1 million recorded in 2002. Total assets were $1.2 billion compared to $0.94 billion, a rise of 26 percent. Equity grew by 23 percent to $260.3 million from $210.8 million in 2002. First quarter results of 2004 have continued the trend, with $11.4 million in profit, an almost doubling of net income with an 89 percent rise over the $6 million earned in the same period last year.

BUPA

The BUPA Foundation is awarding grants up to a total value of 750,000 pounds (SR5 million) for medical research projects that advance the exploitation of clinically relevant data-sets. Submissions are open to researchers based in the UK, Eire, Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand and for the first time Saudi Arabia. The closing date for applications is June 30, 2004. Loay Nazir, CEO of Nazer Group said: “Considering that BUPA Middle East has established itself as a leading health care provider in the Kingdom, we’re delighted that Saudi Arabia is included in the select list of countries that qualify for participation in the competition. Over the years, Saudi scientists have made significantly important contributions to medical research so we expect to see a substantial number of entries from the Kingdom’s medical society.” BUPA Middle East Managing Director David Maltby said: “The foundation is seeking imaginative, rigorous analysis which could yield valuable information on disease phenotype and natural history and have the potential to be highly beneficial to the improvement and development of services.” The Foundation proposes to support associations to carry out projects in which clearly specified data sources are mined and analyzed creatively.

Gulf Air

Golf club captains throughout the UK and Ireland have the chance of winning a taste of Eastern promise to one of the game’s new international hot spots, by taking up the challenge with their PGA club professional. The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) has joined forces with Gulf Air and the Riffa Golf Club in Bahrain, to launch the Gulf Air International Pro Captain Challenge over the next three years. The PGA will shortly be inviting captains and their club professionals to take part in a qualifying round — to be held in each of their seven regions during July — for a place in the 36-hole Grand Final at Riffa later this year. The finalists from the UK will also be joined by a qualifying team from the Gulf region. The winning finalists will be treated to an exciting action-packed program during their five-night stay in the Gulf, which includes return flights, accommodation and a practice round, entry into the commemorative Pro-Am and an invitation to a special Gala Dinner. Mike Braidwood, General Manager of Golf at Riffa Golf Club said: “We’re delighted to be hosting the Final as this cements our relationship with the PGA and follows the recent award of the club’s management contract to PGA Golf Management on behalf of the Bahrain International Golf Course Company.” Sandy Jones, Chief Executive of the PGA said: “This is the first event of its kind for the golf club community, and is aimed at marking the special relationship that develops each year between the club pro and captain during their traditional matches against the members. Thanks to Gulf Air we are able to stage the event on a truly grand scale and we are currently in discussion with other potential sponsors to boost the prize fund and amateur prizes.”