BUPA
Health insurance provider BUPA Middle East’s financial results for 2005 show a 30 percent growth in premiums over the previous year and indicate that to date BUPA Middle East has collected over SR1 billion in premiums since it started operating in the Kingdom. The results also show a significant growth in its customer base, high levels of customer satisfaction and the development of innovative new web-based services. “2005 was phenomenally successful for BUPA, with results that can be credited to our commitment to continuously enhance our services and meet market demand by investing in our infrastructure and people. BUPA Middle East continues to raise the bar for performance levels and set new health insurance standards of excellence,” BUPA Middle East CEO Wayne Close said.
PWC LOGISTICS
PWC Logistics (Saudi Arabia) LLC, a global provider of integrated supply chain solutions, has been awarded a major contract by the Saudi-based Al-Nahdi Medical Company (NMC) “By outsourcing its logistics, NMC will lower its supply chain costs and be able to focus more on its merchandising and servicing aspects,” PWC Logistics’ Country Manager Rod Lancaster said. “This partnership with a leading logistics firm is part of our long-term strategy,” NMC VP Talal Bin Ali said. “This type of outsourced logistics operation shows recognition by far-sighted Saudi companies of the inventory and efficiency savings that can be delivered by adopting world class supply chain management systems and expertise,” PWC’s Western Region Area Manager Hani Ashqar said.
MYNM/BMW
Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors, the Kingdom’s exclusive importer of BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce cars, has planned to construct the “Largest and most advanced” service center in Jeddah. The SR 40 million center will include a warehouse, a workshop, a bodywork and paint shop, and a dedicated reception. It will provide the “highest quality” after-sales support for all three of BMW Group’s premium brands - BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce. The announcement of the new ultra-modern, high-tech service center was made during the visit to Jeddah by BMW Group Middle East’s MD Guenther Seemann and his meeting with Naghi Motors CEO Mohammed Yousef Naghi. Both discussed BMW Group’s success in the Kingdom, which has seen record sales of BMW and MINI in the past.
BAYT.COM
Bayt.Com, the Middle East’s recruitment and career planning company, celebrated its 5th anniversary at Le Jeddah Meridien Hotel on Monday. The number of registered professional jobseekers at its website now exceeds one million and new users of the site are increasing by more than 1,000 a day, Bayt-com’s CEO Rabea Ataya said. Jobseekers in the Kingdom make up the largest portion of the database, he added. “With its young population and the importance of the kingdom’s drive toward Saudization, the Kingdom has a special need for quality career planning consultancy,” he said, adding that the company represents many of the Kingdom’s biggest companies and is committed to further investment. The company has offices in Riyadh, Jeddah and Alkhobar.
SUBARU
Al-Yemni Motors, which has become Subaru dealer in Saudi Arabia, has opened its first showroom in Jeddah. The new showroom, located at Palestine Street, is equipped with maintenance and after-sales facilities in addition to spare parts warehouse and display area. “Al-Yemni Motors is involved in car trading since 1982,” Al-Yemni Motors Chairman Saeed Al-Yemni said. “After the development of our business and getting Isuzu’s dealership in Riyadh, we received several recognition awards reflecting our success in marketing vehicles,” he added. The company plans to open showrooms in Riyadh, Tabuk, Jouf and Hafer Al Batin. “We’ll support Al-Yemeni’s marketing plans,” said Subaru Delegate Tada Hiko Hama. Impreza, Legacy, Outback and Forester are among Subaru models.
SONY ERICSSON
Sony Ericsson’s mobile phone, the K600i, is in line with the latest 3G trend. This business phone includes a full range of capabilities including messaging options like SMS, EMS, MMS and email, organizer features, picture phonebook, speakerphone and voice commands. It brings true music mobility and functionality for people on the go with its media player, which plays both MP3 and video. One can also download one’s favorite music and store it in the phone’s 37MB internal memory. It even offers FM radio. It has video and sound recorder functions. It features a high-quality video recorder that comes with VideoDJ application. It offers a talk time of eight hours at 2G setting and two hours at 3G setting. Many functions are packed into this small 3G mobile phone.
DTC
The Diamond Trading Company (DTC) is the diamond-marketing arm of the De Beers Group of companies and, as such, supplies about 60 percent of rough gem diamonds. The DTC is better known to the public for its famous slogan “A diamond is for ever.” The Diamond Information Center (DIC), with offices worldwide, handles consumer PR for all levels of the diamond industry-from mining to finished jewelry. At last week’s Oscars, diamonds stole the limelight. The event proved that it just wouldn’t be Oscar night without diamonds, and the stars didn’t disappoint at the 78th Annual Academy Awards. Hollywood big names including Jennifer Aniston, Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron and Jennifer Lopez chose big, bold diamond pieces that perfectly reflected each woman’s individual style.
ADCB
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) yesterday announced that they have deployed more than 100 Camera Distributed Video Recording (DVR) Systems for their ATMs all over the UAE. Emirates Computers, the leading technology integrator in the UAE, installed Verint’s Lanex microDVRs for over 100 ATMs on behalf of ADCB in less than 30 days. Statistics reveal that banks have been successful in preventing fraud. However, advances in technology are equipping criminals with clever ways to outwit the system. Criminals are relying on gadgets such as micro cameras and palm pilots to capture data. These threats have forced UAE banks to install ATM monitoring cameras and recorders on all their ATM machines. After a thorough study and investigation, ADCB decided to install the distributed Lanex microDVRs from Verint which are ideally suited for ATMs and smaller branch applications.