RIYADH - Two Saudi citizens, Mohamad Najjar, 26, and Ibrahim Al-Fadhly, 31, have won the grand prize of the Blue Card campaign launched by American Express (Saudi Arabia) Ltd., which entitles the winners to a once-in-a-lifetime experience at near space travel.

The winners will be going on a breathtaking flight to the edge of the stratosphere layer at a height of 55,000 feet from a Johannesburg base.

The announcement was made at a ceremony organized by American Express here yesterday. The names of three more winners, Humoud Al-Osseimi, 28, Bassem Khoja, 34, and Mohamad Al-Shaalan, 51, were also announced. They will be receiving a week-long safari trip to South Africa. "American Express will pay all expenses for the space trip and for Safari tour," said Priyan Attygalle, chief executive officer of American Express, at a press conference, organized during the ceremony.

"The Blue Campaign, which ran from May 2007 until end of Oct. 2007, enrolled all American Express card members in Saudi Arabia in the contest by providing automatic entry upon making purchases with their Cards and whereby card members improved their chances of winning with every transaction made on their card," explained Attygalle, adding that "the 2007 was a very busy year for Amex (Saudi Arabia).

"The results of our efforts are visible to our card members in the area of service," he added. He said: "We would like the American Express card to be your wallet rather than on top of your wallet. For this, we need to be a company that is proactive to your needs and requirements." He explained that joining the SADAD network comes at the top of the list of American Express' achievements in 2007.

The network now allows card members to settle balances through any ATM machine in the Kingdom. Attygale pointed out that the development of the new American Express website is part of the strategic plan to develop the distinctive services provided to American Express card members. The service enables card members to access their account and services at any time or place, through the Internet.

Speaking on this occasion, Sami El-Natour, Amex head of PR and marketing, explained that the winners will take off to the edge of the stratosphere from South Africa's thunder city, the most prominent private fighter jet school in the world.

"The trip offered by American Express will be a once-in-a-lifetime, unforgettable experience for the winners to witness the breathtaking view of the planet from the point where the earth's atmosphere meets the edge of outer space" said El-Natour.

He said that the campaign had attracted a remarkable response from American Express card members all across the Kingdom, and that was due to the uniqueness of the opportunity offered by American Express as another privilege.

Amex currently offers a wider range of personal and corporate payment solutions, including charge cards, credit cards and corporate cards. The most recent addition to its product portfolio is the new Blue Card, a chip-based transparent card with built-in ID keeper technology for secure payments.