Saad Hariri, member of Parliament, head of the Future Bloc in the Lebanese Parliament and chairman of Saraya Holdings Ltd., accompanied by Ayman Hariri, visited on Wednesday Saraya company headquarters, located in the Jordanian capital, Amman. Hariri was received by Ali Kolaghassi, CEO and vice chairman of Saraya Holdings, in addition to Saraya management and employees. Kolaghassi briefed MP Hariri during the visit on the latest developments and the progress on ground of Saraya’s flagship project, Saraya Aqaba, located at the heart of Aqaba city, as well as other Saraya projects. Hariri greeted all employees and thanked them for their continuous efforts and dedication toward making Saraya the regional pioneer in the real estate, travel and tourism sectors. Saraya Holdings Ltd., established in 2005, is a real estate development company investing in the MENA region.

BWTC

The Bahrain World Trade Center (BWTC) on Sunday played host to a World Bank delegation that is visiting Bahrain as part of a study being conducted into the development of alternative energy sources. The delegation chose to visit the BWTC due to the environmentally sound energy provision being made with the largest ever integration of wind turbines into a building. Following the study, an energy strategy will be prepared to consider all sources of fuel including renewable energy, in order to ensure financial sustainability and conservation. The visiting delegation will examine economic and business opportunities for Bahrain to supply alternative energy technologies and services for use within the country or in the wider region. On their site visit to the BWTC, members of the fact finding mission learned how the turbines will provide a viable source of alternative energy, supplying up to 11-15 percent of the energy needs of Bahrain’s leading mixed-use commercial development.

AIRBUS/FEDEX

The last A300 to leave the Airbus Final Assembly Line, an A300 Freighter, was delivered to FedEx on Thursday. Over the life of the program, a total of 821 A300/A310 have been ordered and to date there are more than 630 A300s and A310s in service with about 80 operators. Airbus’ long-term fleet support program will continue to enable their operation until the very last aircraft is retired from service, with half of the current fleet expected still to be in service beyond 2025. With more than 120 A300s and A310s aircraft currently in service, FedEx is a long-standing operator and the largest customer for these aircraft types. The Airbus A300, launched in May 1969 and entering service with Air France in May 1974, was the very first wide-body, twin-engine aircraft ever brought to the market. It set totally new standards in the industry. “Time has proven to us that the A300s and A310s were excellent choices for our fleet,” said Jim Parker, senior vice president of air operations at FedEx Express.

TAIB

TAIB Bank has announced the promotion of three individuals at its Bahrain-based brokerage subsidiary, TAIB Securities. Effective immediately, Ali Al-Bastaki, GM at TAIB Securities since 2005, has been promoted to director TAIB Global Brokerage. Syed Zahiruddin becomes GM and Jamal Alshaikh becomes assistant GM. “I’m delighted to take on the challenges and opportunities that this new role brings,” said Al-Bastaki. “All of us at TAIB Securities have been keenly focused on enhancing our services and improving customer experience levels. We’ve had much success, particularly with the expansion of our Global Reach trading capabilities to over 30 capital markets, and we expect the momentum to continue.” Al-Bastaki was instrumental in building the brokerage division at National Bank of Kuwait, where he served as an executive manager and head of international brokerage for five years

BAE SYSTEMS

BAE Systems has appointed two senior executives in Abu Dhabi to support the maintenance of the current fleet of UAE Armed Forces Hawk Trainer Jets. This is in addition to a dedicated field service representative from BAE Systems who is embedded at the airforce base in Abu Dhabi, and coincides with a move to larger office space for the entire Abu Dhabi-based team. Supporting Dave Potter, director of Hawk UAE, BAE Systems, are Duncan Scott, Hawk support manager and Chris Hart, Hawk logistics manager. “BAE Systems has had a permanent presence in the Middle East for the past 30 years, and the UAE is becoming an increasingly important market for us in this region,” said Ben Bridge, regional vice president Middle East, BAE Systems.

FLB

First Leasing Bank (FLB) has announced the appointment of Jassim Awadh as business development director, responsible for pursuing the bank’s aggressive expansion strategy. First Leasing Bank is pioneering the Gulf’s rapidly growing market for equipment leasing and contributing significantly to regional economic development. “Coming to the bank with both an engineering and a banking background, Jassim is ideally suited to our line of business, which requires a strong understanding of finance and the technical know-how necessary to deal with the needs of a wide range of industries and capital assets. He will play a pivotal role in guiding our sales and marketing team and expanding into new markets and equipment classes,” said FLB Chief Executive Officer James A. Cracco.