UNICEF/PAMPERS
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that every three minutes, a newborn dies of tetanus. Pampers, with its commitment to the health of babies and mothers, has joined hands with UNICEF in its fight to eliminate maternal and newborn tetanus. The global campaign, 1 Pack = 1 Vaccine, has already provided funding for 50 million vaccines since its inception in 2006. Continuing their commitment toward helping eliminate maternal and newborn tetanus, Pampers and UNICEF will launch the 1 Large Pack = 1 Tetanus Vaccine campaign in the Gulf during the months of Shaban and Ramadan (August and September). The aim of this campaign is to raise four million vaccines in the GCC. “We are honored to be partnering with UNICEF to help eliminate maternal and newborn tetanus through this incredible program, which will impact the lives of millions,” Karim Kamel, associate marketing director, Procter and Gamble, Babycare, Arabian Peninsula, said.
DAMAC
DAMAC Properties, described as the luxury lifestyle provider and the Middle East’s largest private sector master developer, has announced its participation in Cityscape USA 2008, which is taking place from Sept. 10-11 and will be an opportunity to network with some of the largest real estate investors and developers across the globe and to showcase the real estate market and projects. “Luxurious developments from DAMAC Properties include projects from various countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE spread across 670 million square feet worth in excess of $45 billion,” Ziad El Chaar, international general manager, DAMAC Properties, said. “We are excited to promote the Kingdom in particular and the region in general in New York during Cityscape 2008. It is a wonderful opportunity to meet real estate professionals to showcase the booming property market of the region. We hope to increase awareness of the region and DAMAC Properties within the American property market and among other professionals from emerging real estate markets. Cityscape aims to attract investors from across the globe and is a perfect platform to gain popularity especially in the West,” he added.
BIC
Dr. David P. Norton, the co-creator of the world-renowned Balanced Scorecard concept, will present The Balanced Scorecard: Executing Strategy for Competitive Advantage, at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) on Nov. 26. The event is organized by Global Leaders. Fahmi Al-Jowder, minister of works and minister in charge of electricity and water, has lent his patronage to the event, and these ministries have already implemented Balanced Scorecard strategies under his leadership, alongside a number of other leading Bahraini organizations. The Balanced Scorecard concept was selected by the editors of the Harvard Business Review as one of the most influential management ideas of the past 75 years. Dr Norton was voted on as one of the world’s 12 most influential management thinkers by Sun Top Media’s “Thinkers 50” for 2007. “For Bahrain’s business leaders and organizations, one of the biggest challenges is not the management of the company, but the creation of value in the organization and the execution of its strategies, Dr. Norton said. This is the latest in a series of thought leader events in Bahrain from Global Leaders, following on from Edward de Bono, Deepak Chopra and Ken Blanchard.
RUBBER WORLD
Rubber World Industries (RWI), a major manufacturer of closed-cell rubber insulation ‘Gulf-O-Flex’ in the Gulf and South-East Asia, and part of the international business conglomerate, the Memon Group of Companies, has signed a contract worth $4 million for the supply of Nitrile Rubber (NBR) and specialty chemicals from German-based Lanxess AG, claimed to be the largest manufacturer of NBR in the world and one of the leaders in specialty chemicals. The order was placed to ensure that only top quality NBR will be used for the manufacturer’s industry-leading ‘Gulf-O-Flex’ products. Dr. Andreas Roos, manager for technical services, EMEA — Lanxess AG, signed the contract during a recent visit to the manufacturing plant of Rubber World Industries in Ajman. While touring the plant, Dr. Roos emphasized the procedures Lanxess AG maintained to produce a high quality product to meet the unique requirements of the Middle East market.
TANMIYAT
Tanmiyat Group, one of the Middle East’s major investors and property developers, has become one of the newest members of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Community of Global Growth Companies (GGC), a group of rapidly growing companies that are redefining the global economy. Established at the 2007 inaugural annual meeting of the “New champions,” also known as the ‘Summer Davos’, held in Dalian, China, last year, the GGCs are a new breed of high-growth enterprises that are global in outlook, focusing more on the international market than on their domestic markets. These new champions are expected to spearhead the coming wave of economic growth, and are looking to engage with the most dynamic cities and regions associated with the innovations and technologies that will reshape the future business landscape. Tanmiyat is keen on attending this year’s Summer Davos, which will be held in Tianjin, China, from Sept. 27-28 at the new Binhai International Convention & Exhibition Center (BICEC) in the Tianjin Binhai New Area.
SEAFOOD EXPO
Canadian fish and seafood exports across MENA climbed to over CAD 7.6 million in 2007, recording a 43 percent increase when compared to the previous year, according to data released by the Consulate of Canada in Dubai. With the aim of taking a larger share of the regional seafood market, 15 Canada-based companies are set to take part in ‘Sea Food Expo 2008,’ the region’s dedicated seafood exhibition, which is slated to run from Oct. 27-29 at Madinat Jumeriah Hotel, Dubai. The participating companies, as well as specialized organizations concerned with the development of the Canadian fish and seafood industries will join the country pavilion to be hosted by the Canadian Consulate in Dubai. Canada is the world’s fourth largest exporter of fish and seafood products, exporting to approximately 130 countries. Over 30 percent of Canada’s fish and seafood exports to the MENA region find their way to the UAE marketplace. “The growth of the hospitality sector and the rising number of ever-more affluent and demanding tourists are driving growth for innovative food service menus featuring high quality and variety when it comes to fish and seafood products. This is recognized as an important market opportunity by an increasing number of Canadian seafood companies,” said Rick Seguin, consul and trade commissioner, Canadian Consulate Dubai.
DUPONT/SHERATON
The Sheraton Riyadh Hotel & Towers has converted its systems for chilling cold and freezer rooms used for food storage to accommodate DuPont ISCEON 9 Series refrigerants. The move was in anticipation of the impending ban of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerants in Saudi Arabia and the consequent shortage of recycled CFCs after a government-imposed Jan. 1, 2010 deadline. Sheraton Riyadh Chief Engineer Sen Renganadhan and DuPont Refrigerants EMEA Technical Program Manager Dr. Frank Rinne coordinated to change refrigeration units used for the hotel’s cold and freezer rooms from R-12 to ISCEON MO49 Plus, and R-502 to ISCEON MO79, respectively. The transition to the environmentally friendly refrigerants was achieved with minimum disruption to daily business and with only minor mechanical modifications to the existing system. “Virgin CFC refrigerants such as R-12 and R-502 will soon be banned in Saudi Arabia under the Montreal Protocol and no imports will be allowed,” Dr. Rinne said. “This leaves owners of equipment still operating with CFC refrigerants with the task of finding an alternative while trying to minimize disruption to normal operation of their business. They have three options: to replace existing equipment at a high cost; to rely on the availability of recycled CFC, where demand is likely to outstrip supply; or to convert their existing system to ISCEON 9 Series products, which in the majority of direct expansion systems do not require a change of oil type and thus avoid the time-consuming and costly oil flushing procedure,” he added.
CANON
Canon has been presented with three highly respected awards by EISA (European Imaging and Sound Association) — Europe’s premier consumer technology awards association. The Canon EOS 1000D was named European Consumer Camera 2008-2009; the Canon SELPHY ES2 took the plaudits for European Mini Photo Printer 2008-2009, while the Canon HV30 was voted European HD Camcorder 2008-2009. The awards underline Canon’s success in pushing imaging technology forward. “Canon is delighted to be honored by the EISA judges once again,” said Hendrik Verbrugghe, marketing manager, Canon Middle East. “It’s particularly satisfying to have gained this recognition over such a broad range of product groups — reflecting Canon’s continuing commitment to driving imaging excellence across the board,” he added.