MOBILY
Dale Carnegie Training, one of the world’s leading human resources and management consulting organizations, presented its “Leadership Award” Sunday to Mobily, a leading Saudi telecommunications operator. Mobily and its MD and CEO Khalid Al-Kaf became the first entity in the Arab world to be granted the prestigious Dale Carnegie Leadership Award. Chairman & CEO Peter Handal of Dale Carnegie presented Al-Kaf with the award at a ceremony held in Riyadh. “We are delighted to recognize Mobily for its ongoing commitment to the development of a corporate culture based on their six values, “Open, Respect, Energy, Progressive, Contemporary and Success” that foster trust-based empowerment at all levels of the organization,” Handal said. Al-Kaf said: “There is no doubt that Dale Carnegie Training has contributed to the success of our people and business. As we work to promote the attitudes and behaviors aligned with our new six values, Dale Carnegie Training has been an integral part of our emphasis upon human resources training and its importance to our business is quite clear.”
AUJAN
Aujan Industries Co., claimed to be the largest privately owned beverage company in the GCC, has received the Emirates Quality Mark Certification Award for the juice products under its flagship Rani brand. Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology (ESMA) Director General Waleed bin Falah Al-Mansouri presented the award to Aujan Industries in Dubai recently. ESMA has created this award in order to recognize the quality of products that achieve the extremely rigorous CODEX and ISO standards. It was established in 2001 as the sole body for standardization and metrology related activities in the UAE. Hussain Aba Hussain, VP manufacturing, Aujan Industries, said: “It is a profound honor to announce Aujan as the first FMCG company to be granted this crystal trophy.”
CANON
Canon Middle East, a world-leader in imaging and business solutions, has joined forces with Dubai Internet City (DIC), the largest managed ICT cluster in the Middle East, to roll out an energy conservation program and help raise awareness on how energy consumption affects climate change. The program aims to educate on the best practices to help save energy and create a sustainable environment for the future. The initiative reflects Canon’s commitment to supporting environmental practices in the Middle East and builds upon its environmentally responsible technology and corporate mission to reduce carbon emissions. “In partnering with DIC, we aim to educate companies about the importance of achieving a measurable reduction in water and energy consumption for a sustainable future,” said Bertil Widmark, MD, Canon Middle East. Canon and DIC teamed up to conduct an online survey recently.
DANUBE
Danube Building Materials, the leader in construction, building materials and shop fitting industries, has outlined an AED150 million expansion plan to construct “BUILDMART” retail complexes across the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), with the first phase of the initiative set to materialize in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The move follows the recent inauguration of the first “BUILDMART” in Ras Al-Khaimah, which caters to interior designers, consultants and homeowners by giving them access to more than 15,000 high quality products. This AED75 million retail complex in RAK features products that are installed in an actual home set-up, thereby allowing for greater convenience and a customer-friendly shopping experience. “The rationale behind opening our “BUILDMART” retail complex was to allow a more convenient way for customers to obtain building materials, fixtures and other household items, and we are delighted to see that our effort to launch this innovative approach to delivering our products is garnering excellent feedback from our valued customers,” said Rizwan Sajan, chairman, Danube Building Materials.
LEXUS RX350
The new 2009 Lexus RX350 launched in Jeddah recently boasts high-grade cabin furnishings, luxury sedan ride, user-friendly high-tech features and rock-solid reliability history. “It is easy to drive and easier than most SUVs with light steering and responsive brakes,” a top company executive said at the launch in Jeddah. Its handling is secure, partly due to standard stability control. The well-rounded RX balances a refined powertrain and comfortable ride with a very quiet and nicely trimmed interior. This so-called crossover is impressively smooth, comfortably responsive in all driving situations and flexible when it comes to hauling co-passengers. An advantage with this next generation RX is that it has been comprehensively reengineered from the ground up to refining every aspect of the vehicle’s fundamental performance capabilities. While designing the new car, the engineers have apparently got out into the field and taken a hands-on approach. Understanding local driving environments and how the vehicle will actually be used was therefore a priority during its development.
SABB
As a part of SABB in the Community Programs, SABB staff in the Western Province, headed by Ghassan Al-Amoudi, deputy area manager, visited the Resalat Amal Center, to bring joy to the handicapped children. The visitors offered gifts to and participated in different activities with the children who are suffering from Down’s syndrome, autism and other handicaps, to make them feel the magnitude of the community love and care for them. Ibrahim Abo-Mouti, head of corporate communications at SABB, said: “SABB gives a special attention to these kids and sponsors a number of children at this centre. This visit comes under the umbrella of “SABB in the Community programs” and aims to enhance the relations with the humanitarian centers in the Kingdom, by supporting the projects undertaken by charitable societies which provide care to those with special needs.”
AL AAN/LCI
Al Aan, a Pan Arab free-to-air TV channel based in Dubai Media City, and LCI Entertainment have reaffirmed their commitment to support true talents that arise out of the music scene in the Middle East by announcing their joint sponsorship of Iraqi music group UTN1 last weekend. A star-studded signing ceremony was held in Lebanon on the same day to celebrate the occasion. Among those present were five members of UTN1 group — Hassan, Nadeem, Art, Akhlad and Shant. Through the new joint sponsorship, Al Aan TV and LCI Entertainment intend to produce UTN1’s upcoming music album and music video, and to promote them in the region through extensive marketing and advertising campaigns, and a special documentary that depicts their musical journey and reflects their and achievements and ambitions.