SAMSUNG
Samsung Camera has announced that it will seek to attain its market leadership by providing imaging solutions aimed at satisfying diversified consumer needs throughout the total digital imaging lifecycle from taking great photos to sharing images with their friends and families. This movement signals a bold step for the company away from the conventional way of business in the camera industry, which has primarily focused on technological advancement. Samsung is going to introduce innovations through combining existing solutions and technologies to answer to consumer needs and desires from 09 lineup. To showcase this new direction, Samsung is introducing sharing photos through Home Network, uploading and sharing photos through WiFi, and innovative UI at 2008 Photokina. Meanwhile, recognizing consumers’ needs to capture a picture overcoming a physical distance and to carry easily, Samsung is introducing the world first 10x zoom and Ultra Wide 24mm compact, the “HZ1”, at Photokina this year. The HZ1 enables consumers to get sharper and wider images from a distance by simultaneously combining high technology, optical 10X Zoom and ultra wide 24mm. With the launch of the HZ1, Samsung Camera will enter the Compact High-Zoom market, strengthening its full lineup and showcasing its technological innovation.
PAMPERS/UNICEF
Pampers and UNICEF’s joint campaign “1 large pack = 1 tetanus vaccine” has embarked on a region-wide tour during Ramadan to educate consumers and spread awareness on the dangers of maternal and newborn tetanus. Following the success of the tours in select malls in Saudi Arabia, the Pampers-UNICEF mall tour is now taking place at Red Sea Mall, Jeddah, encouraging consumers to think of those less fortunate in the world and to contribute to saving lives. Mothers visiting the stand will also be able to donate directly toward the campaign by contributing a photo of their child. For every photograph donated, P&G has pledged to contribute one vaccine to UNICEF. “The Pampers-UNICEF mall tours in Kingdom Mall & Rashid Mall in Saudi Arabia have witnessed a donation of over 500 photographs and we are confident that the campaign will continue its success in Jeddah,” said Karim Kamel, associate marketing director, Babycare and Femcare, P&G Arabian Peninsula and Pakistan. “In the spirit of Ramadan, a time of reflection and charity, we are encouraging consumers to help the less fortunate in the world and to make a difference. According to UNICEF and WHO estimate, tetanus claims the life of a newborn baby every three minutes,” he added. Pampers has collaborated with UNICEF to provide tetanus vaccinations to mothers and babies in the least developed countries of the world by devoting a bulk of its sales. The campaign has also grown with Al-Othaim retail stores in Saudi Arabia and Lulu stores in the UAE offering their support and doubling P&G’s contributions by donating an additional vaccine for every consumer purchase.
ITCA 2008
ITCA Dubai 2008, described as the only dedicated travel catering services exhibition for the Middle East, Africa and Indian Subcontinent region, is set to receive a record number of visitors this year due to the rapid expansion seen within the transport industry and as a result, an increased demand for catering services. Airlines in the Middle East alone recorded an 18.1 percent increase in passenger demand in 2007. This was the highest among all regions, resulting from strong regional economies, the impact of oil wealth, expanded capacity and new routes. In its third edition, ITCA Dubai, organized by Dubai World Trade Centre in partnership with the International Travel Conference Association (ITCA), will take place from Nov. 3-5 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) and will run alongside the ITCA Dubai 2008 Conference. The event will be the “ideal platform” for suppliers in the airline, cruise, ferry and railway catering and services industries to meet with leading airline, cruise, rail operators and ship chandlers. “ITCA Dubai will bring together trade professionals within the travel catering services, providing them the opportunity to meet with international and local suppliers,” Joanne Cook, group industry manager, food cluster, DWTC, said. “With huge growth seen in the transport sector across the Middle East and its neighboring countries, the event’s purpose is to provide this important sector with travel catering companies that offer the latest, most advanced catering trends and options.” Sponsored by Emirates Airlines, ITCA 2008 is set to attract visitors ranging from airline representatives, charter service operators, and in-flight service professionals to cruise caterers, Government officials and logistics providers. Running alongside ITCA Dubai and organized by the International Travel Catering Association (ITCA) is the two-day ITCA Dubai Conference, the only dedicated conference for the travel catering industry in the Middle East. The conference will attract key decision makers from the travel catering industry across the region.
IIPA
The Ministry of Culture and Information has started the implementation of a number of major anti-piracy measures in a move intended to establish the Kingdom as a regional leader in anti-piracy efforts. The ministry has launched a public website on which critical information on copyright anti-piracy cases will be posted. The Kingdom is the first country that has implemented such an enforcement transparency initiative in the region. Eric Smith, president, International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA), who met with the Minister of Culture and Information, Iyad Madani, last March, praised the minister’s actions. “We commend the Kingdom and the ministry for taking this historic step forward in the fight against piracy. The establishment of a public website, bolstered by a reformed and more effective violations review committee within the ministry demonstrates the creativity and commitment of the Saudi government, and the ministry in particular, in finding new and effective ways to fight this growing social and economic threat. We are all hopeful that this new transparency will lead to deterrent fines and penalties for shops and street vendors dealing in pirated products, and imprisonment in serious piracy cases, in order to bring much needed deterrence into the Kingdom’s enforcement system,” he said. In 2006, the Kingdom committed to a tougher stance against intellectual property rights (IPR) violations in meetings with the US government and with IIPA. Unfortunately, several criminal elements continued to take advantage of the Kingdom’s strong commercial growth, which has led to the proliferation of sales of pirated materials causing severe damage to legitimate Saudi industries. For 2008, the Kingdom, working with the IIPA will focus on completing the transparency process, on deterrent enforcement, the legal use of copyrighted software in the government and Saudi enterprises, and copyright law reform. Scot Butler, CEO, Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance (AAA), said: “Piracy compromises economic growth and innovation; it also violates the law, causes substantial business losses, and victimizes consumers.”
HOMES & PROPERTIES
Office space area in Qatar is projected to increase by 150 percent by 2009, according to recent studies. The growth will be more than double the total available office space area, which was recorded at 911,842 sq. m. in 2006. Furthermore, the minimal land cost for master developers and the current rent to construction yields, which is playing at an average of 50 percent, are some of the key factors that are expected to further drive the growth of the office space rental market. In line with this, LifeStyle Homes & Properties, the renowned and reputed real estate sales and marketing consultancy in Qatar, has announced its plans to fully leverage the outstanding growth of the office space rental market within the rapidly growing GCC economy. According to a recent report from DTZ, Merrill Lynch, the office vacancy rate in Qatar is estimated at 1 percent, making it one of the least in the world and significantly lower compared to London (9 percent) and New York (7 percent). In line with this, government officials have revealed that Qatar will see the rise of about 800 towers by 2016, with a majority of the key projects to be located within West Bay Central Business District, Grand Hamad Avenue and Energy City. The booming demand is resulting in higher rental rates, which has seen a 70 percent rise in 2007. “With the materialization of many construction projects in Qatar, which address the massive demand for office spaces, we are looking forward to addressing the market’s need for a highly capable real estate services company that provides valuable and highly effective solutions,” said Arron Browne, general manager, LifeStyle Homes & Properties. “As the pioneer in real estate services in Qatar, we are ready to aid end-users identify the ideal office space through our highly experienced team of real estate consultants, while offering high-value portfolio management services to investors.”
RUWAD
Ruwad Establishment has issued a directory entitled, “How to Get Ruwad Involved in Supporting Your Enterprise,” which focuses on the support services offered to young entrepreneurs to run their own small to medium enterprises (SME). Including the detailed guidelines to be followed by entrepreneurs in order to ensure the success of their SMEs, the directory comprises tips on how to submit new project proposals and details the data submissions required for new projects, as well as the steps for conducting feasibility studies on these projects. The directory classifies projects according to the type of support needed, whether financial or technical, for both current and forthcoming projects.
“The objective of issuing this directory is to familiarize young entrepreneurs with the procedures necessary for obtaining Ruwad’s approval of and support for their projects,” Ahmed Mohammed Al-Midfa, deputy chairman of Ruwad Establishment, said. We also aim to raise awareness among young graduates of the self-employment culture and to encourage them to set up SMEs that fit their educational qualifications, skills and abilities. “The establishment is currently planning to prepare a study to develop an innovative finance structure and provide the tools necessary for coping with the requirements of the UAE’s dynamic and highly competitive SME sector,” he added.