JEDDAH, 29 May 2006 — The inaugural flight of the new Abu Dhabi to Jeddah route touched down at King Abdul Aziz Airport here yesterday at 2.35 p.m., ten minutes ahead of schedule. On board were Acting CEO of Etihad Airways, Geert W. Boven and Vice President of corporate affairs Khaled Mehairei and senior executives from the national airline of the Emirates. The inaugural flight was also the first scheduled flight and carried a full complement of passengers. Fittingly, the first passenger to set foot on Saudi soil had taken the opportunity of the new route to perform Umrah. Each passenger, many wearing Irham, was greeted by members of Etihad’s Jeddah ground staff and presented with a red roes as a gesture of welcome. Between May 28 and June 17, 2006, Etihad will operate three flights a week between Abu Dhabi and Jeddah, with one flight every Tuesday, and two flights on Sunday. Thereafter, the service will operate every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. “We anticipate a great deal of demand on the Abu Dhabi-Jeddah service,” said Hamza Sharif, Etihad’s KSA general manager.

Retail City Awards to Be Given June 4

DUBAI, 29 May 2006 — Retail City, a ground-breaking international retail real estate exhibition and conference, has announced they will be holding the first Retail City Awards. The awards, to be presented on June 4, will recognize outstanding achievements in the retail industry throughout the Middle East. “The awards will be split into four categories covering the entire retail spectrum and include ‘Mall of the Year’, an award aimed at recognizing excellence in mall management. The key criteria will be concept, location, supporting services, customer relations, transport links, as well as marketing and sales” said Franck Dailles Retail City international exhibition director.(K.T. Abdurabb)

Jebel Ali Opens New Information Center

DUBAI, 29 May 2006 — The Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) opened its new information center yesterday at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) head office in Deira, Dubai, in a strategic move aimed at raising investor awareness about the free zone by providing easy access to potential investors. Salma Hareb, CEO of Jafza, said, “Opening an information center within the premises of DCCI will allow Jafza to draw significant investor attention and explore business possibilities.”