Samsung unveiled its latest SGH-E900, described as the first mobile phone with an external touch screen in the Middle East, at a press conference in Jeddah yesterday. Featuring an innovative touch key for quick and easy control, the handset’s sleek touch-sensitive control pad seamlessly compliments the its intuitive dual interface, which automatically distinguishes music mode from talking mode. With the navigation key button in the center surrounded by touch keys, the layout gives an elegant look and illuminates only the necessary buttons for simple navigation. At a mere 16.5 mm in thickness and weighing only 93g the phone provides its users a slim and compact form that perfectly fits in the palm and is easy to slide up, according to Samsung’s Jeddah-based Manager J.B. Lee and Marketing manager Inam Ullah Butt.

YANSAB

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) affiliate, Yanbu National Petrochemical Company (YANSAB), signed a package of loan contracts and facilities agreements valued at SR13.125 billion with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and a group of local, regional and global banks to fund the construction of its petrochemical complex in Yanbu Industrial City on Sunday. Mutlaq Al-Morished, chairman of the board of directors of YANSAB and SABIC vice president for corporate finance, signed the contracts on behalf of YANSAB. Agents of the lending banks signed the contracts on behalf of the lending institutions. “The participation of such a large number of banks and financial institutions reflects the confidence that the world financial institutions attach to the Kingdom’s sound and economy,” SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO Mohamed Al-Mady said.

LINKSYS

Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems, has announced the Wireless-N Gateway (WAG300N), Wireless-N Broadband Router (WRT300N) and Wireless-N Notebook Adapter (WPC300N), the first in a line of Wireless-N products available from Linksys. “The emergence of high-definition video, along with the growing use of Voice over IP, online gaming, and other applications by consumers requires network bandwidth that greatly exceeds what is available from 802.11g,” said Mike Wolf, principal analyst, ABI Research.

HYUNDAI

The Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group ranks the sixth largest automotive manufacturer in the world, according to the Detroit-based weekly Automotive News. Its most recent survey shows Hyundai Motor Co. and its subsidiary Kia Motors Corp. registered an 11.6 percent jump in global sales in 2005 to 3,715,096 units. It was the largest percentage gain of any carmaker in the million-plus sales category. With it, Hyundai and Kia climbed one spot in the global rankings. In another study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates, Hyundai emerged as the highest ranked non-premium nameplate in the 2006 Initial Quality StudySM (IQS) and ranked third among all nameplates. Hyundai owners had fewer problems with their vehicles than any other non-premium car or truck brand.

MAWASIM PLASTIC ARTS

A new Mawasim Plastic Arts Exhibition was organized by Ro’iya Art Consultancy and KPR Agency for Public Relations at Al Basatin Trading Center on Tahlia Street in Jeddah recently. The exhibition showcased the work of 25 plastic artists in the presence of Jamal Hafiz, GM, Al Basatin Trading Company. “The display brought out the creative talent among plastic artists,” Center Manager Dina Al Azmah said. Exhibitors included Abdullah Hamas, Rabi’a Al Akhras, Ebrahim Bogs, Abdulaziz Ashor, Mohammed Siam, Abdullah Edriss, Hussein Al Mohsen, Fahad Al Hijilan, Fahad Al Aish, Mahmoud Garbawi, Mona Al Qusabi, Ra’aida Ashor, Reem Nazer, Samiah Khashaqji, Lamis Al Hamwi, Ibtisam Al Refaei, Najwa Yaqoub, Riyadh Hamdon, Awad Abu Salah, Mohammed Ribat, Hanan Al Faisal, Abdulaziz Asher, Wahib Zaqzooq, Mohammed Zaki and Edriss Abdulrahman.

MASTERINDEX

Results of the MasterIndex of consumer confidence survey for the first half of 2006 have revealed that consumers in the Kingdom continue to be highly confident about their immediate future. The Kingdom’s current MasterIndex score of 88.5 points out of a possible 100 puts it in second place in terms of overall consumer confidence in the Middle East and Levant region. While this score is down on the 98.5 rating received six months ago, it nevertheless indicates that Saudi consumers have a high level of optimism. Commissioned by MasterCard International and conducted biennially in selected markets in South Asia, Middle East and Africa, the survey analyses consumers’ perceptions of economic conditions over the six months ahead, said Dr. Bob Edwards of Edwards Economic Research.

SIEMENS

Siemens organized its building technology road shows in Jeddah, Riyadh and Alkhobar. The event was held at the right time, at a time when the Kingdom had positioned itself as a leading economy with major developments in the construction sector, Siemens Ltd.’s Vice President Frank Woelfer said. “With its ongoing huge real estate and commercial projects, massive development of the industrial sector, increased investments in education, health care and other sectors have been attracting many companies to participate in this ongoing boom,” he added.

MTC

MTC’s operation in Kuwait has succeeded in recovering $15 million after using an off-the-shelf RA (revenue assurance) program. MTC not only deployed an RA solution, but hired an RA manager, who was assigned the task of examining inefficiencies in MTC Kuwait’s back office. Under his recommendation the chief financial officer explored an RA solution and suggested a program that could help MTC recover $8 million in lost and under-reported revenue over the life of the system of about four to five years. In fact, the program was so successful that nearly double the original estimate was recovered and the RA solution has repaid several times over its cost of $2 million. “In MTC Kuwait’s case, however, the project recovered more than initially expected,” Sam Deeb, CFO at MTC Group, said.

MASHREQBANK

Mashreqbank, DATEL and MasterCard International, have announced the launch of the Mashreqbank UAE Gate Prepaid MasterCard, the first combined MasterCard payment card and electronic immigration identifier in the Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa region. The new ‘two-in-one’ MasterCard prepaid payment and e-passport card is designed for security-checked cardholders who want to avoid queues and quickly pass through passport control at airports. Cardholders simply tap their Mashreqbank UAE Gate Prepaid MasterCard at the electronic eGate terminal instead of presenting their passports to an immigration officer. The eGate system is completely automated. Cardholders also have the convenience of using their prepaid card.

FORD GRANTS

Ford Motor Company’s Conservation & Environmental Grants has awarded more than half a million dollars to date to important conservation and environmental causes in the GCC and Levant countries since 2000. Ford is celebrating seven years of recognizing grassroots level environmental initiatives this year, and once again $90,000 will be shared among deserving voluntary projects in the region. “The Ford Grants represent the largest private sector conservation initiative in the Middle East, and we’re delighted to see the program begin its seventh year of success in 2006. A total of $510,000 has been donated to more than 60 ongoing voluntary projects to date. This is a tremendous investment in conservation and the environment,” Ford Middle East’s Sales & Marketing Director Hussein Murad said.