WALL STREET
The Alkhobar branch of Ansam for Language Teaching & Training Co. Ltd., master-franchise holder of the Wall Street Institute — School of English in Saudi Arabia, opened at its new location north of Al-Rashid Mall recently. Sahal S. Hefzi, president and CEO of the company, gave a presentation on the Wall Street Institute — School of English system and explained the advantages of the technique that this company has adopted and improved over the years in helping hundreds of thousands of learners overcome their challenges in non-English language speaking environments. Wall Street Institute — School of English is a vast network of more than 400 pioneer English-language teaching centers in 27 countries around the globe. With its unique Blended Sequence communicative approach, the company has constantly developed unique solutions for adult learners and corporations in reaching their language objectives effectively using the combination of technology and the human experience in their delivery in a fine ambience of small classroom setups not exceeding four learners with a native English language teaching expert. A recent study on the courses and curricula of the Wall Street Institute System by the University of Cambridge — ESOL Department has proven the great alignment between the curricula of Wall Street Institute didactic materials with the Common European Framework Reference (CEFR); the most accredited English language teaching curricula development body in Europe and the World. “With an existing 9 centers for male and female in Saudi Arabia (among which 3 are sub-franchised), the goal of Ansam Co. is to reach 22 centers (for both genders) in Makkah, Qassim, Hail, Baha, Jubail, Tabuk, and Yanbu,” added Hefzi.
KIA
Kia Motor’s all-new Cerato has been recreated from the ground up to challenge its competitors. Kia designers and engineers concentrated on eight key areas while developing New Cerato: Dynamic styling, class-leading performance, increased fuel economy, improved ride/handling balance, greater cabin comfort, enhanced overall safety, the introduction of new technologies and maintained functionality. The new four-door sedan will be joined by a two-door coupe model, which will be introduced in late 2009. The five-door hatchback bodystyled available for the current model will be introduced in 2010. “Breaking away from traditional forms, New Cerato is a design that notches up the visual standards of C-segment cars. Without any extraneous features, its crisp, clean exterior styling conveys a powerful and dynamic image that exudes speed,” observes Kia’s Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer. The car is available globally with a choice of 2-liter and 1.6-liter gasoline engines, with manual or automatic transmissions, in a selection of 11 exterior colors and three interior colors, with a broad choice of equipment/trim levels and vast range of factory-fitted optional extras.
CITYSCAPE
The Saudi potential for new homes comes under the spotlight at Cityscape Saudi Arabia, a networking exhibition and conference focusing on all aspects of the development cycle, from June 14-16 at the Jeddah Center for Forums and Events. A two-day conference will also feature a series of panel discussions on the impact of the global financial crisis on real estate investment and development in the Kingdom, with updates on the regulatory system, legislation and mortgage law, as well as Shariah and conventional opportunities in real estate investment, and the residential needs of the Kingdom. Cityscape Saudi Arabia is aimed at regional and international investors, real estate developers, government and development authorities, architects, designers, consultants and senior professionals involved in the real estate industry, said Deep Marwaha, event director of Cityscape Saudi Arabia. It will also be an arena to showcase projects and network with investors and developers from around the world. The Cityscape Real Estate Awards will take place on June 14 and are aimed at recognizing exemplary contributions to architecture and real estate development in the Kingdom. More than 100 companies are expected to exhibit at the show.
ITWORX/JM
A recent movement toward revitalizing the public sector has surfaced in numerous countries. Recognizing the importance of e-government for sustainable development, governments such as the Kingdom are actively reforming their public administration. Saudi government entities such as Jeddah Municipality (JM), the local authority responsible for handling and managing public services provided to all Jeddah constituents, have now reached a new level of sophistication in regards to the use of technology. They have reformed their public administration in order to make it more practical, organized, transparent, and are leading the charge to sustainable development. JM is currently revolutionizing its operations. With the support and expertise of ITWorx, the municipality is automating its services workflow, and developing a web portal to facilitate access to different services through a centralized location. By streamlining internal operations and boosting productivity, ITWorx Correspondence Tracking System has helped Jeddah Municipality efficiently fulfill a significantly higher number of incoming requests, all while raising citizen satisfaction with greater transparency,” said Bassam Al-Warith, chief information and investments officer at JM. ITWorx, the largest software services firm in Egypt, has supported the municipality’s initiative by developing a web-based process monitoring application for tracking governmental transactions.
AGP
New technology in the UAE paint industry is helping to drastically reduce the environmental impact of volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the coatings. VOCs can release low-level toxin emissions into the environment for years following the application, but scientific research supported by the research and development laboratories at Al Gurg Paints (AGP) is helping to drastically reduce the impact. Working closely with UK-based ICI Dulux, AGP has developed advanced practices, which limit the amount of VOC in paints and coatings currently being used on many projects throughout the UAE. “Reducing the impact we have on the environment is our number one goal,” said Sunil Gudur, chief manager, Al-Gurg Paints. “This latest technology helps us to manufacture products low in VOC while still being able to offer total protection solutions for construction projects throughout the UAE. These developments will see the biggest change to the paint industry in years,” Gudur added. AGP is the first paint company in the UAE to become member of the US Green Building Council, and all ICI Dulux products supplied exclusively in the UAE through AGP employ LEED standards in all of its paints.