IKEA
The new 2009 IKEA Catalog was launched at a media conference in Jeddah on Sunday. It is printed in 27 languages and 198 million copies have been made available. Around 400 million people in 38 countries read it. Ever since it was first introduced in 1951, the IKEA Catalog has been an indispensable way of communicating its business idea of “creating a better everyday life for the many people” to IKEA customers. “And it truly is for the many — it is the most widely distributed commercial publication in the world,” a spokesman for IKEA-Ghassan Ahmed Al-Sulaiman Co. Ltd., said. Every year during August and September, IKEA Catalogs drop into millions of post boxes everywhere from New York to London to Tokyo. In Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran over 1, 5 million IKEA catalogs are being distributed door to door. The new 2009 Catalog has 100 more pages loaded with inspiration and solutions for every need and every wallet. “It is an yearly reference book of contemporary home furnishing as well as a handbook of how to create a more functional, beautiful, and easy everyday life at home,” he said, adding that all prices mentioned in the catalog are valid till Aug. 31.
MOTOROLA
North American Information Technology (IT) decision makers within the transportation, manufacturing and trucking/warehousing industries stated that global positioning system (GPS) technologies are an essential tool for their mobile work force, according to a recent survey commissioned by Motorola Inc. GPS-enabled technologies are helping to increase mobile work force productivity and enabling enterprises to become more efficient via a reduction in annual labor and fuel operating costs. According to the research study, the main cited benefit in the nearly 50 percent of enterprises currently using GPS-enabled technologies was a significant reduction in fuel consumption, which was reflected in a reduction in travel distance by an average of 231.2 miles per week and recording $51,582 in annual fuel savings. With more than a million trucking carriers in the United States, the potential industry-wide annual fuel savings could reach $53 billion. “Field mobility workers in the transportation and trucking industry are experiencing difficulties such as locating stops, reducing fuel expense and improving on time performance resulting in a drain on financial and manpower resources of their organization,” said Jim Hilton, director of field mobility, Motorola Enterprise mobility business. “With nearly 200,000 mobile computers with integrated GPS shipped in recent years, Motorola continues to address the industry pain points which were identified in our research through field mobility solutions that enable our customers to do their jobs more efficiently and drive measurable business results.”
ENERGY AWARDS
Recent reports concerning energy consumption in the UAE have stated that 25 percent of Gulf water has been consumed, with one-fifth of it being used for electrical energy. The reports also stated that the UAE would need $10 million to satisfy energy demand for the next ten years, due the increasing developments and projects on land that rise 12 percent each year. As the world relies on 90 percent of electrical power from traditional energy sources, whether chemically from batteries, converting dynamic energy to electrical energy as seen in electricity generators, from thermal energy as seen in thermal generators, or from natural sources such as thunderbolts or friction, though highly expensive and not always available, scientists now look for new energy sources, after current sources have been depleted. “There is a consistent interest in using ebb and flow movements and river outlets to generate power, where large amounts of water flow in thin canals, which increases water flow greatly, but these sources contribute to environmental problems. As a result, scientists thought about using coastal tides. Fence extensions were extended in the canals, between small islands, and this was an effective measure, as opposed to putting these fences along riverbanks. This method proved possible in some areas in the country, but it is seasonal and relies heavily on rain and rising water levels, which does not make it very useful,” Abdulla Al-Amiri, chairman of the Emirates Energy Awards, a subsidiary of Dubai Quality Group, said.
RASHID MEGA MALL
Rashid Mega Mall in Madinah is being readied for this year’s Ramadan. All bazaar incomes will go to charities, social services and the contribution of artisans who will be drawn from Qassim for the manufacture of footwear, copper, wood, and mats. Some competitions associated with the holy month will be presented with the distribution of prizes to award-winning children. Industry professionals will impart training in lantern making for children and henna drawing for women in addition to a contest for singers of religious songs every Wednesday. Professional cooks will offer special Ramadan dishes every Friday. Also, there will be a pirate show on the “ship” inside the mall. It will also be staged daily in the lobby in front of the ship, and the food court will provide a variety of Ramadan drinks and Arabic coffee, as well as traditional Arabic dishes. The mall will distribute free Eid Al-Fitr gifts to children on the last day of the month. The mall is one of the most prominent landmarks in Madinah, which was inaugurated recently. It is designed as an integrated complex that combines entertainment and shopping at 400 stores on the mall’s four floors. Also, it has a huge children’s games and entertainment lounge. In addition, it has an ice-skating area and a large hypermarket on the first floor. Its parking area can accommodate 1,000 vehicles.
NEW LOOK
New Look, one of the UK’s fashion chains, continues its rapid growth across Saudi Arabia as it opens its fourth store in Riyadh. The New gorgeous store in Olaya is sprawled across 15,139 square feet, offering a selection of New Look’s ranges including ladies wear, footwear, accessories, Generation 915 for teen girls, menswear and kid swear. New Look brings the latest fashion trends and designs “quickly and affordably,” with new collections arriving in store every four weeks. Since its launch in the UK in 1969, New Look has developed a range of affordable fashion that has made it the UK’s third largest womens wear retailer and the largest footwear retailer, with 550 stores across the UK, 16 in Ireland and 7 in France.
SUMMER IN ABU DHABI
Summer in Abu Dhabi closed its doors yesterday, after a triumphant eight-week run which saw the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC) welcome many thousands of visitors from all over the UAE and beyond. The festival offered an exceptional mix of educational and entertaining activities, which kept the crowds coming. Summer in Abu Dhabi offered it all, from award-winning animatronic and spying exhibitions to extreme sports and spectacular circus shows. The pioneering event has helped to build on Abu Dhabi’s growing reputation as an excellent summer and family destination and further enhanced the capital city’s image as a preferred tourist destination. “The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) and ADNEC have created an event of which the whole emirate of Abu Dhabi can be very proud,” said Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al-Nahyan, chairman, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and ADNEC. “Visitor feedback has been exceptional, visitor attendance has been outstanding and the 8 weeks of the event have run very smoothly. Everybody involved in this event, from the sponsors such as Etisalat, Abu Dhabi Police, ADACH and Capital Center, to the performers, to the operational staff deserves to be congratulated for creating one of the most successful events every staged in Abu Dhabi.”
NCB
The National Commercial Bank (NCB) was chosen for membership of the Science Committee for Corporate Social Responsibility Forum held under the sponsorship of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah recently. The Ministry of Social Affairs organized the forum entitled “Forum on social responsibility between public and private sectors.” NCB’s CEO Abdulkareem Abu Al-Nasr expressed pride that the ministry chose the bank as a member of the committee for the first conference organized by it in the field of social responsibility and partnership between public and private sectors. “This trust gives the bank an incentive to provide more,” he said. “This confidence places more responsibility on the bank to maintain its leading role in this area.” Abu Al-Nasr added that the social responsibility program at NCB strives to achieve goals focused on developing Saudi society through programs that serve the community through education, health, employment and social work. He added that the bank was keen on boosting its contributions to community service through certain mechanisms based on an accurate and clear reading of social reality. Awad Radadi, deputy of Ministry of Social Welfare and Social Development and chairman of the organizing committee, explained that the bank’s nomination to be a member of the scientific committee of the conference was due to the pioneering role played by it in this area, as well as practical experience in social responsibility program.
RENAULT
Fans of Renault cars in the Kingdom are to be treated to a bespoke model tailored specifically for their market. Boasting a V6 engine and a host of comforts and refinements, the new offering promises to be every owners ‘stress-free space’. The new sedan will be available at all Zahid Renault Showrooms from end of August 2008. Though the model’s name is not disclosed, some details of its specification have been released together with a list of luxuries aimed at promoting ‘stress-free space’ and relaxation for driver and passengers. Under the hood of this new Renault sedan is the acclaimed VQ engine — a 2.3-liter V6 that delivers a smooth 170HP at 6,000 rpm. The configuration is a development of the alliance between Renault and Nissan and offers a compact, yet powerful, cylinder arrangement. Zahid and Renault will unveil the model before Ramadan this year. Yousuf Khaja, Renault franchise manager at Zahid Tractor said: “Driving can be stressful at the best of times without having to mention the unique travel problems and extreme summer heat particular to the Kingdom. This soon to be launched new sedan has been designed specifically to offer a relaxing and stress-free driving experience adapted to suit the needs of our customers.”