Honda Motor Co.’s Middle East office has announced the launch of its sporty and advanced all-new CITY. The design of the new car is based on the total pursuit of a compact, yet dynamic form with road presence. In addition, class-leading interior space was achieved to create a cabin that surrounds the occupants with an open and secure feeling. The car is equipped with a 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine, which is further advanced in every way, including greater output and fuel consumption. “Furthermore, with Honda’s unique commitment to provide both advanced safety and environmental performance, the new CITY achieves the highest levels in every area in the effort to become the new benchmark for subcompact sedans,” the company stated. “Today, CITY is enjoyed by customers in 39 countries and is becoming one of Honda’s core models, along with Civic, Accord, CR-V and Jazz, with cumulative sales passing the one million unit mark in late May 2008,”the statement added.
SHUAA
SHUAA Capital, a major financial services institution in the GCC, has published its Saudi Vision 2009. The report provides an in-depth market outlook for 2009 with a special focus on the banking, petrochemicals and telecom sectors as well as stock briefs for 35 Saudi Arabian companies. In addition, the 100-page report also analyses Saudi markets throughout 2008. Omar Al-Jaroudi, CEO of SHUAA Capital Saudi Arabia, said: “Our Saudi business has had a strong start since its launch last year and our in-depth research capability gives our clients a significant advantage in navigating this dynamic market. Our research includes macro, sector and company specific analysis offering both domestic and international investors coverage of 80 percent of the Tadawul’s market capitalization.” Dr. Mahdi Mattar, head of research and chief economist of SHUAA Capital, said: “We believe the Kingdom’s current financial and economic challenges are cyclical and not structural in nature. We predict flat growth for the Kingdom in 2009, with real GDP growing at around 0.33 percent. Although we believe the Saudi Arabian market in 2009 will witness less activity in terms of IPOs as compared to 2008, we believe it will continue to rank top for IPO issuance in the Middle East region. However, we don’t expect to see any further offerings from the downstream oil industry for the time being, as the harsh drop suffered by oil and other commodity prices makes such ventures less attractive.”
Infiniti
Infiniti, a luxury car brand from Japan, has announced its collaboration with Louis Vuitton, a French luxury brand, for the creation of a bespoke set of luggage for a concept car to be revealed at the 2009 International Geneva Motor Show on March 3. The dramatic concept will be a celebration of Infiniti and its 20-year history as a creator of performance cars. But equally it will be an inspiring exploration into the brand’s future. For Louis Vuitton, this collaboration is the latest in a long heritage of designing custom luggage for special automobiles. Infiniti’s line-up of performance sedans, coupes and crossovers has been on sale in the Middle East region since November 2004 and the brand is currently being launched across Europe through a dedicated network of Infiniti Centers. Louis Vuitton has been synonymous with the art of stylish travel since 1854. Since 1987, it has been part of LVMH Moët Hennessy.