The Ghassan Ahmed Al-Sulaiman Co. Ltd. has announced the launch of IKEA’s new mega stores in Riyadh, at a location between Omar Bin Al-Khattab and Prince Sultan Street, and in Jeddah, on Tahlia Road. The total area of each store is around 28,500 sq. m., more than a 200 percent increase compared to its existing stores. The new stores are ready to hold more than 6,500 articles, a 45 percent increase. “Three years ago, we put aims and plans to expand and introduce superior standards of service. Today, we announce the grand opening of our mega stores in Riyadh and Jeddah set for Sept. 1,” IKEA Chairman Ghassan Al-Sulaiman told a press conference in Jeddah last week. “We’ve invested SR240 million in these projects. Our investment shows the importance we attach to the projects and makes us proud because Saudi Arabia is one of the first countries in the world to open two IKEA stores on the same day. “The rate of Saudization in our existing stores is about 34 percent and with the new stores it will increase to 60 percent. We’ve recruited a large number of young Saudis and organized training courses for them on sales and customer service,” Al-Sulaiman said. IKEA’s various departments include a mega showroom that contains a wide range of home furniture and accessories. In addition, there is a self-service area where the customer chooses and collects items, takes them home and assembles them himself. IKEA has come up with a new concept of “Swedish Magical Forest,” which is a play area for up to 80 children. Its restaurant, also a completely new concept with 500 seats, will offer Swedish recipes.
Pathways World School
Pathways World School, India’s residential international baccalaureate (IB) school that promotes internationalism alongside traditional values in its culture has announced the availability of the last few seats. Students can contact the school at its dedicated line for admission queries or download the forms from its website. Pathways offers the IB Diploma from International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), Geneva, and International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), Cambridge, accepted by over 115 universities across the globe. It provides an international gateways for Indian and other students to enter first-class universities the world over, including India, the United States and the UK. “Pathways is a true international school in every sense with authentic IB and IGCSE teaching methods, faculty and environs but at much less cost,” said school Director Prabhat Jain. And to ensure that the admission procedures are equally accessible in the Gulf, we’re inviting applications from candidates. Our existing students from this part of the world have been very encouraging and it’s rewarding to witness their progress on a day-to-day basis.” Among the various innovations at the school is the “fist and only” design and technology subject for grades 4-12 and a fully equipped design studio, with the most comprehensive equipment and software for design applications. It is also the first educational institute in India to deploy “enhanced wireless mobility,” which provides “anytime, anywhere learning” to the students from the 6th grade onward, said school Principal Lalage Prabhu.
A.S. Al-Amoudi Est.
Jeddah-based A.S. Al-Amoudi Est., distributor and supplier of bakery and pastry raw materials, and Sharjah-based IFFCO Ingredients, principle manufacturer and supplier of quality ingredients, launched their range of nutritious and quality bread mixes, cake mixes and improvers, at a live demonstration on “Successful baking (breads and pastries) with IFFCO ingredients” at Jeddah InterContinental Hotel on Monday. Introduced were IFFCO bakery products like bread and cake mixes, and bread improvers, and frozen products for croissants, muffins and cakes, pastries and fruit tarts. Some 300 invitees from the baking industry participated in the event. Simon Fernandes and Michael Fell, technical experts from the Sharjah company, conducted the demonstration. Offering their support at the event were A.S. Al-Amoudi Est.’s (Baker’s Choice) Operation Manager Mohammed Fasiuddin, Sales & Marketing Manager Syed Afsar and Coordinator Abubaker M. Bajaber, and S.M. Daud, Jeddah-based technical sales representative of Pure Foods Co. LLC, representative of Emirates Refining Co. Ltd.-IFFC Ingredients. Shauqi Jaffer of Jumana Sweets, Jizan, said although he was familiar with some of the baking items, the demonstration offered him an opportunity to know the latest ingredients in the food industry. “I hope to benefit from today’s experience,” he said. There were also participants from Makkah, Madinah, Taif, Baha and other places.
Plantronics
Plantronics, an American company specializing in communications headsets, has launched the CS60, a cordless office hands-free headset in Saudi Arabia. With the new headset, the user is free to walk around the office, while still taking and making phone calls using his office phone system, according to a spokesman for the Riyadh-based Timna Electronics, the Kingdom’s distributor for Plantronics. Using DECT technology, one can even make and receive calls up to 100 meters away from desk, or even on a different floor of the building. The CS60 is supplied with a convertible headset and can be worn in three ways — over-the-head, over-the-ear or in Plantronics’ behind-the-head style. “The CS60 connects quickly and easily to the office phone, and comes complete with its own charger, which also acts as a storage unit for the headset when it’s not in use. The headset also features Plantronics’ Intellistand technology, which lets the user answer and end a call simply by picking up and returning the headset to the base like a telephone handset.” The company’s website gives complete details of its range of products. Plantronics first introduced the first lightweight communications headset in 1962. It ranks top as the supplier of communications headsets to call centers worldwide. “It will soon become an essential office accessory. Connecting to your existing office phone systems, the CS60 offers all the benefits of a mobile phone enabling office workers to walk to the photocopier, retrieve important files or even make a coffee while still speakingon the phone,” the spokesman said.
Turkish Fair
MachiTech, Turkey’s first machine and machinery equipments exhibition, which ended in Jeddah last week, was noted for a large turnout of company owners, CEOs, decision-makers and professionals. “A number of deals exceeding SR2.5 million were reached during the four-day show,” Harout Hajian, commercial manager at M.A. Altuwaijri for industrial equipments and tools, representing Birlik Makina and Durmazlar Makine, Turkey, said. Some more deals were in the pipeline, he added. The exhibition was officially inaugurated by Abdullah ibn Abdulrahman Al-Hamoudi, deputy minister, Ministry of Commerce’s department of foreign trade, and Tuncer Kayalar, deputy minister of foreign trade in Turkey. Exhibitors said they found the Kingdom, with a high purchasing power of its vast consumer base, potentially rich for their products and services. “There is a big potential to develop the Kingdom’s industrial and manufacturing base,” one of them said. They all confirmed that there was an encouraging and enthusiastic response form Saudi traders. More than 80 Turkish companies exhibited at the show, organized by Al-Harithy Company for Exhibitions and Turkel of Turkey. The organizers said the show was a “big success,” as it was well marketed in both countries.
Casio Computer Co.
Casio Computer Co. Ltd. has introduced BP-1, a blood pressure (BP) monitor system that includes an upper arm base unit for home use and a watch unit one can take along anywhere to monitor one’s BP while on the go. Optimum BP management is achieved using an upper arm BP monitor to take readings at regular times and under regular conditions. During normal everyday life, however, BP fluctuates widely throughout the day, being affected by factors such as exercise, stress and even the time of day. “Only by having information on both your resting BP and how various activities affect your BP can you adequately grasp your current physical condition,” the company said. Casio produced its first BP monitor watch in 1992, which allowed quick and easy BP readings on the go. This made it a big hit among middle-aged men. The new BP-1 series now makes personal BP monitoring even easier by using infrared data communication to automate the input of personal data required by the Watch Unit. “Casio is firmly committed to the development of other wristwatch type health management tools under a concept known as wrist wellness,” a company spokesman said. The base knit is an automatic oscillometric digital BP monitor. It has a standard BP monitor with a cuff that one can wrap around one’s upper arm for BP readings at home. The base unit includes an infrared data communication function for quick and easy transfer of personal data (systolic and diastolic BP, pulse rate) to the watch unit.
FCB Worldwide
FCB Worldwide has nominated Rafic Saadeh to its board. Saadeh is the chairman and CEO of Horizon.FCB Holdings. “This is in line with our drive to nominate to our global board the best of our talents from around the world,” said FCB Worldwide Chairman Brendan Ryan. Saadeh has been a great partner to FCB with proven leadership and abilities and has built a “really wonderful and professional” organization. “He will be a great addition to the board,” Ryan said. “I’m privileged. This honor is by all means a positive consent and recognition for our company Horizon.FCB, for the people of Horizon.FCB and for our Middle East region.” “We’re proud of the nomination of our Chairman Rafic Saadeh to the FCB board. In our industry this may be a milestone. I hope the trend will continue and open the doors for other multinational companies to recognize and give due credit to their partners and senior members in our Middle East region,” Horizon.FCB Vice Chairman Saad Hijjawi said.