Zayed Prize

The Zayed Future Energy Prize has announced that it is now open for nominations. Nominations are being accepted online at www.zayedfutureenergyprize.com. Earlier this year, the inaugural winner recognized was Dipal Barua, MD, Grameen Shakti, for his innovative approach to scaling renewable energy for two million residents of rural Bangladesh. The winner of the 2009 award will be announced at an event on Jan. 19, 2010, at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi. The Zayed Future Energy Prize was launched in January 2008 at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi to honor the legacy of the UAE’s late President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan. It recognizes individuals, companies or organizations that have demonstrated innovation and leadership in their contributions to the global need for future energy solutions. Each year, a winner is selected for deploying real world solutions that are scalable and meaningful. “The Zayed Future Energy Prize is a distinctive honor that can bring many emerging solutions to light and help expand their adoption; the next generation of leaders must take an active role in solving our global energy challenges,” said Dr. Sultan Al-Jaber, director-general of the Zayed Future Energy Prize.

EL AJOU/CANON

At the 2009 Alwan event held in Jeddah on Monday, Maher El-Ajou, CEO, El-Ajou Group Trading Company, unveiled the transformation happening in the copying and printing industry, the reshaping of customer needs and readiness to meet the growing expectations. The event, labeled “the next level of color printing,” reflected the impact of color in business communications. Alwan is a series of event planned by Canon in collaboration with its regional distributors, with “Experience the Power of Color” as the main slogan. “El-Ajou’s strength in the business will add further value to standard propositions from Canon,” he said. The event was classified into four zones, each representing a different level of document efficiency that can be fully integrated and customized by customer level. They include the digital and large format printing zone showed production excellence integrated with output management and full pre- and post-job accounting systems. The office zone reflected an ideal office environment converting conventional document distribution in a clearly defined and controlled document system. “We at El-Ajou have prepared well for the years to come. A professional printing with integrated document workflow expertise has been established ready to meet and exceed customer needs. We’ll have our contribution to the Colored World,” Nissim Dissi, GM, El Ajou-Canon, said.

SAMBA

Samba Financial Group (SFG) on Sunday signed a financing agreement with Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), a first of its kind in Saudi Arabia, to facilitate extension of housing finance amounting to SR2 billion to SEC employees, in an initiative through which Samba aspires to participate in providing funding for a wide segment of citizens to own their private houses under facilitated financing schemes. Eisa Al-Eisa, MD and CEO of Samba Financial Group, who signed the Agreement with Ali S. Al-Barrak, CEO, SEC, at the head office of SFG in Riyadh, said: “This agreement adds a new episode to our long standing and viable partnership with SEC through long term financial and banking relations. This unprecedented initiative in the banking and real estate sectors effectively boosts housing ownership rates among Saudi nationals by providing them with financing to enable them to crystallize their aspirations under facilitated financing schemes. It aligns with our strategic goals and with the directions of the Kingdom’s wise leadership.”

CHILI’S

Saudi Arabia was treated to sumptuous Southwest flavors recently courtesy of Chili’s Global Culinary Director and Chef Stuart Rackham. The chef displayed his skills in front of a gathering of food lovers at Chili’s Roshan Mall in Jeddah who also had the pleasure of tasting his offerings fresh off the grill. Rackham, who was doing a whistle stop tour as part of the Worldwide Chili’s Culinary Roadshow, kicked off activity to showcase some of Chili’s Southwest Cuisine. Rackham said; “I am really excited to be back in Saudi Arabia. This is an amazing place and with so many Chili’s outlets in the Middle East it was the logical place to bring the Chili’s Culinary Roadshow. Southwest American cuisine is one of the tastiest in the world and this is a brand equity Chili’s is known for around the world.” He showcased a select number of new Southwest recipes including the honey chipotle chicken crispers and complimenting beverages. Chili’s Southwestern cuisine is inspired by the American Southwest, which is made up by the states of New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. Southwestern cuisine is considered one of the oldest in the US, representing an eclectic mix of the Spanish, Latin and Native American heritage. Foods such as corn, chili, beans, avocado and tomato, are combined with European ingredients, such as rice. Other ingredients include vegetables, legumes, meat and grains, chilies, spices and cheeses, all original from that region, resulting in a tasty and versatile cuisine.

SONATRACH

In the presence of Chakib Khelil, Algeria’s minister of energy and mines, Shoaibi Group, a major oil, gas technology and service provider for the Middle East and North Africa, signed four major contracts with Algerian state owned energy group, Sonatrach. Sonatrach is partnering with the Shoaibi represented firms, to benefit from their expertise in the application of new technologies in oil and mining exploration. The first contract was signed with ARKEX, for geophysical surveying using their proven BlueQube technology. BlueQube is a state-of-the-art technology that provides geophysicists, geologists and exploration managers with an accurate picture of the sub surface geology. This included a three-year agreement with the first survey in the Ain Regada, Souk Ahras province. The Second contract was signed with FLOTECH for installation of intelligent completions, while the third contract was signed by Artificial Lift Company (ALC) to cover the installation of rigless Electrical Submersible Pumps (ESPs) on several wells. The fourth contract was signed with INGRAIN for providing technology that computes the physical properties and fluid flow characteristics of oil and gas reservoir rocks

WOODSHOW 2009

The “Dubai International Wood and Wood Machinery Show 2009,” the only exhibition of its kind in the Middle East, concluded recently with over $79 million in closed deals among the global companies who participated at the event, according to Strategic Marketing & Exhibitions (SME), organizers of the event. Company officials further revealed that the fourth edition of the show has witnessed 30 percent growth in terms of exhibitor turnout and ended with an overall positive feedback from global, regional and local participants alike. The event served as a launch pad for several new products, which included US-made ‘Chemetal’ metal laminates, European-made wallpapers, ‘KINGSA’ fiber cement boards, and German-technology manufactured ‘BRUSERSTANG’ parquet floorings from Danube Building Materials. Furthermore, UAE-based Jamco Group emerged as one of the companies that scored the biggest deals within the event, having secured over $54 million in construction materials sales. Among other participants that have witnessed exceptional results in their participation are Stallinger ME FZCO from Austria, Alomi and UAE Enterprises. The global delegations at the event also reported significant success. Dawood Al-Shezawi, MD, SME, said, “The increase in the number of exhibitors and the staggering value of contracts closed within our three-day run underlines the importance of the show among global industry players and customers.”