SNAS/DHL one of the Middle East’s express and logistics provider, is a sponsor of an expedition to the North Pole organized by Connecting Cultures, an initiative that aims to bring together young people from Saudi Arabia and Great Britain on challenging wilderness ventures. In July 2005, six Saudi boys from the Kingdom and King Faisal Schools in Riyadh and four English boys from Windlesham House School in the United Kingdom, will spend two weeks on the remote Arctic island of Svalbard, some 500 miles off the north coast of Norway, which, at 80 degrees north, is just 500 miles from the North Pole. In a ceremony held at DHL’s Operations Center in Riyadh, The six Saudi boys - Abdullah Shalhoub, Mohammed Saud Al-Saleh, Mohammed M. Yahya Al-Rajhi, Sultan Al-Qahtani, Saud Hamad Ali Al-Sagri and Bender Al-Shamekh - participating in this expedition met with DHL officials, who presented them with warm jackets and hats to wear during their adventure. “All 10 of the young people participating in this expedition will come away from this experience with not only some truly amazing memories, but with the inner strength gained from having learned key life skills such as teamwork, communication and trust, which will most certainly strengthen them to become the great leaders of tomorrow,” DHL Marketing Manager Paul Chader said. “As a business that is integral to the functioning of the Saudi business society, DHL is always on the look out to help out in such educational programs, along with our on-going training and Saudization programs.” Connecting Cultures has proven to be a key building block toward creating understanding between cultures, especially during a time when respect, consideration and tolerance are most needed, Connecting Cultures’ Founder Mark Evans said.
Al Aswak
Al Aswak opened its first newly conceptualized showroom for mobile phones and accessories at the main mobile market at Palestine Road in Jeddah recently. Al Aswak, a subsidiary of Ahmed Abdulwahed Group, is the exclusive distributor for Nokia, Siemens, Thomson, Akai, Samsung, JBL/Infinity, Jabra and Kenwwod. It has 42 years of experience as a distributor of electronic goods of many brands. Based in Jeddah, the company has eight zonal offices, 32 showrooms, 11 service centers, seven warehouses, 120 employees and 24 sales staff. Its sales divisions include a car audio division for Kenwood, Akai, Clarion and JBL/Infinity; a telecom division for Nokia, Jabra, Sandisk, Samsung MP3 players and Siemens DECT phones; and an electronics division for Akai, Thomson and Samsung (security systems). “Six more outlets are being planned this year,” Yaser A. Abdulwahed, sales and marketing director of Ahmed Abdulwahed Trading Co., said, adding that they are exclusively for mobile solutions located at strategic places including major shopping malls.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola’s local bottlers from the Middle East recently celebrated their award of the Woodruff Cup, in recognition of the excellent performance that they achieved for their division. The cup was awarded to the Eurasia/Middle East division at a reception held in Dubai. Senior Coca-Cola managers from around the world gathered to recognize their local bottlers’ achievement of double digit growth rates, an achievement that placed them at the top of the 25 divisions worldwide that complete every year for the prestigious award. Highlights from the division’s performance included a 17 percent increase in gross profits. Coca-Cola Middle East Region Manager Rafik Al-Toukhi credited the award to the efforts of the local people behind the global brand. All bottlers, distributors, suppliers, and customers contributed to deliver levels of performance that outshone those of other markets, proving the region’s capabilities and ability to deliver standards of excellence that deserve worldwide recognition,” he said. “Our division’s performance is a tribute to the teamwork that exemplifies what can be achieved between local bottlers, regional suppliers, and global support in the delivery of quality refreshment to the communities we service,” Toukhi added.