NCB
The National Commercial Bank (NCB) has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding with Microsoft to launch the “Spark your Imagination” contest for 2009, which is aimed at promoting creative thinking of 2,000 students around the Kingdom in order to materialize their imaginations and scientific perceptions into tangible technological achievements. This initiative comes as part of the National Commercial Bank’s leading role in the area of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and contributions to the activities and events designed to support the development in Saudi Arabia. Khalid Al-Thaheri, GM, Microsoft Saudi Arabia, and Mahmoud Al-Turkistani, VP and head of CSR unit, signed the deal at NCB’s Jeddah head office. The bank recently opened two new branches in the Eastern Region, one in Al-Qateef and the other in Al-Corniche in Dammam. Ayman Al-Tayyar, VP and head of Islamic branch network division, said the new branches reflected the new architectural design adopted by the bank for its branches following the launch of its new corporate identity.
STC
Saudi Telecom Co. (STC) distributed the big prizes won by customers in the final two weeks of the highly successful two-month long “Recharge Your Mobile with Gold” prize draw campaign recently. Held at the Red Sea Mall in Jeddah, the event was attended by Salim Al-Ghamdi, director of individual sector marketing at STC, and Abdulaziz A. Al Shamsan, director of marketing communications and PR at Al Jawal. The highlight of the celebrations was the draw for the grand prize of one kilo of gold, which was won by Sulaiman Ibrahim from Syria who said: “I can scarcely believe that I have won this magnificent prize and I double my thanks to STC since I feel that I have been rewarded twice, first because of the company’s high quality services and second with the one kilo of gold.” “Although I have two other STC postpaid lines, one for business and the other for my family’s use, I used STC’s SAWA Express Recharge service because I was ambitious to be one of the winners in this campaign, but I never even dreamed about being the grand prize winner.”
STTIM
Riyadh’s Al-Faisaliah Hotel, A Rosewood Hotel, has reinforced its reputation as Saudi Arabia’s leading hotel and conference venue by hosting the Saudi Travel and Tourism Investment Market (STTIM) 2009 for the second year. The event, held with the support of Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman and organized by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, the five-day STTIM 2009 is the annual flagship event for the tourism industry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which ended yesterday. Al-Faisaliah’s famed Prince Sultan Grand Hall, the largest column-free space in the Kingdom with a capacity for 4,000 delegates in conference style seating and banquets for 2,800 diners, hosted the four-day event, which staged a travel mart, conferences and workshops led by prominent figures focusing on investment, accommodations, product development, and other related issues in Saudi Arabia’s growing tourism industry. “It is a great honor to host the STTIM,” said Wolfgang Pachler, MD, Al-Faisaliah Hotel, A Rosewood Hotel.
SIA
Singapore Airlines (SIA) recently operated its inaugural A330-300 commercial flight to Brisbane. Its arrival at Brisbane International Airport conceded with the 25th anniversary of the airline’s operation of services into the city and SIA’s CEO Chew Choon Seng and the new Queensland Minister for Tourism Peter Lawlor met the first flight. The aircraft is configured in a two-class layout, with 30 new Business Class seats and 255 Economy Class seats. Progressively, the planes will enter service between Singapore and other cities in Australia (Adelaide and Perth) and then Japan (Nagoya and Osaka).
WOOD SHOW
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is among the top four importers of softwood lumber in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), which, along with Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE have collectively imported a total of 2.8 million cubic meters of the product — equivalent to $576.6 million — in 2007, according to recent reports. In line with aims to leverage the need for wood working technologies as a result of the high demand for wood products in the region, Strategic Marketing & Exhibitions, organizer of the Dubai International Wood & Wood Machinery Show 2009, has announced the participation of Saudi-based Abdul-Aziz Ahmed Bin Abdul-Rahman Est. The show is slated to run from April 21 to 23 at the Central & East Hall of the Dubai Airport Expo.
SAXO BANK
The online trading and investment specialist, Saxo Bank, has announced an increase in operating income of 61 percent, and a net profit increase of 23 percent for 2008, which was another record year in terms of income and profit for the Copenhagen-based online specialist. Operating income ended at 338 million euros, an increase of 61 percent year-on-year. Reaching 85 million euros in 2008, EBITDA grew 43 percent over 2007 while net profit increased 23 percent to 45.5 million euros. “We are proud to be able to present these results in a year characterized by a very challenging environment. Saxo Bank’s business model has proven its viability and we are confident that the bank will continue its growth in the coming years,” Saxo Bank’s co-CEOs and co-founders Kim Fournais and Lars Seier Christensen said in a joint statement.
CEO MAGAZINE
Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Group President Nasser Al-Huqbani recently received the prize of the best CEO for 2009 in the Saudi health care sector from CEO Magazine. The prize was given to him at a ceremony conducted by the ITP Publishing Group for his outstanding role and exemplary efforts in developing the health care sector in the Kingdom as per the international standards for evaluation CEO’s.