OIL BARONS BALL

Dubai’s premier corporate social event, the Oil Barons Ball, will make its inaugural international debut with an event in Aberdeen, Scotland, on Aug.18. This event will witness the crowning of the first ever European Oil Baron and marks the introduction of the Oil Barons Ball to the global stage. Future international events are planned for Calgary (Canada), Houston (USA) and Perth (Australia) in 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively. “As the event organizers, we thought it was high time the Middle East’s beloved Oil Barons Ball stretched its wings and reflected the global nature of the industry,” said Eileen Michael, publisher, Reflex Publishing Middle East — Pipeline Magazine. “Holding the first international Oil Barons Ball in Aberdeen, right in the heart of the energy capital of Europe, was deemed more than fitting for our first foray outside of the Middle East. We’re aiming to bring the glamor of Dubai to Aberdeen, attracting the creme de la creme of the global energy sector.”

PWC

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), a world leader in providing industry focused assurance, tax and advisory services, announced yesterday that it has signed a three-year corporate sponsorship agreement with the Hawkamah Institute for Corporate Governance (Hawkamah) to support the promotion of better corporate governance standards and practice across the Middle East. This alliance allows Hawkamah to access and utilize PwC’s vast global resources, in terms of experts and research, and represents another significant step towards achieving Hawkamah’s strategic objectives of raising awareness and further advancing corporate governance in the region. Dr. Nasser Saidi, executive director of Hawkamah said: “The decision by PricewaterhouseCoopers to become a founding member and corporate sponsor of Hawkamah demonstrates their confidence in our initiative and highlights the importance of international corporate support.”

VOLKSWAGEN

Volkswagen will present its widest product range of all time at the International Automobile Exhibition scheduled in Frankfurt from Sept. 13 to 23. It will have over 50 models on view, eight of them world premieres. One of the highlights will be the Tiguan, an entirely new generation of SUV developed to complement the Touareg. Volkswagen will respond to the official motto of this year’s IAA — “See what’s driving tomorrow” — with a prototype. The heart of this “Sensationally Flexible City Expert” will beat where the flat-four “Boxer” engine once did in the Beetle. When the gates open at the IAA, six new BlueMotion models will also make their debut. From 2008 onward, Volkswagen will offer nine vehicles under the BlueMotion label. Volkswagen will welcome visitors to the IAA in a 9,000-square meter exposition area. The centerpiece of that will be the Tiguan, “the world’s first production model” exclusively equipped with supercharged engines.

UNILEVER ARABIA

Unilever Arabia launched Clear, a men’s anti-dandruff shampoo range, in Jeddah as part of its Middle East campaign recently. The product is now available across most key retailers and supermarkets across the region. Global research from the Clear Technology Center in France has proven many physiological differences between men and women. For example, men perspire twice as much as women and this leads to oilier scalps. Men are also more likely to suffer dandruff and hair loss than women. In Saudi Arabia, independent research also shows that 50 percent of men suffer from dandruff, and in spite of the availability of many anti-dandruff shampoos in the market, most remove dandruff temporarily while leaving hair dry and lifeless. The new men’s range is available in three variants. Iain Potter, VP marketing Home and Personal Care in Unilever North Africa and Middle East, said “our aim is to invite men to try the product for themselves.”

KODAK

Kodak, a world leader in digital photography, has launched its digital frame in the region. The device is a flat-panel frame that displays photographs as slide shows, movie clips, and other information you download off your digital camera, as if it were a mini TV. Unlike other digital frames on the market at this point, the digital frame offers picture clarity with its patent color science chip and its highly innovative ‘Light Management’ technology brings consumers the widest viewing angles from all parts of the room. Arif Khan, area manager Kodak (Near East) Inc, said: “The Kodak digital frame was built with the consumer in mind. Every person has a story to tell — it is about a summer vacation, daughter’s birthday bash or even a graduation. By offering our consumers 128MB of streaming combined with our patented light management technology and color science chip, topped off with sleek design finish, we offer consumers a brilliant start to their story.”

RASASI

Echoing the trend for Western fragrances with an oriental heart master perfumers, Rasasi, has recently launched two new fragrances Tasmeem and Darin. The fragrances have been tailored specifically to cater to the growing demand by women who seek unique fragrances, a blend of the western with the oriental. Tasmeem comes with delightful floral top notes including jasmine, and rose, with a mossy woody drydown — perfect for all day wear for the confident woman. In another delightful twist, Rasasi offers up Darin, with its notes of lavender and citrus, and base notes of amber to create that rare oriental mystique.