JAMEEL SQUARE

Part of its marketing and leasing campaign, the management of Jameel Square has signed number of leasing contracts with some elite international companies to be tenants in one of the most sophisticated buildings in Jeddah. The new list of tenants in the retail sector has included many luxury-retailing companies. Alaa Hatahet, director of marketing and leasing, said: "At Jameel Square, we have selected our clients and partners in success according to certain criteria and conditions, just to ensure that we have only the elite of companies and international brands in one building." He added: "We are going to continue with selecting only the elite locally, regionally and internationally, to ensure that we achieve the final image we are aiming for, of having a complete integrated circle of elite tenants and guests." Jameel Square is one of Hadia Abdul Latif Jameel Co. Ltd. projects. Its implementation phase began in 2006 and leasing operations started in 2009, and now it is considered one of the most modern office buildings.
 
SONY

Sony Gulf, the regional arm of consumer electronics giant Sony, has introduced a blend of quality, reliability and performance to the memory card market with the launch of a range of Sony's SD/SDHC and microSD/microSDHC cards. The outcome of a meticulous testing program implemented throughout the product development stage, both models exhibit impressive durability and long-life memory, and offer the performance required to get the very best from Sony's sophisticated hardware. The cards comprise Class 4 data transfer speed, enabling stable High Definition video recording and providing sufficient speed to cope with the advanced functions of compact digital cameras and high-end camera phones. The handy SD/SDHC and microSD/SDHC cards are a great asset to users as they can install a powerful File Rescue software, available as a free download, allowing users to quickly retrieve photos, videos, or music files that are accidentally damaged or deleted.
 
BUID

The British University in Dubai (BUiD) and Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC) have launched a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) training course to support the demand for certified professionals in sustainable design. The LEED green building certification program, a US Green Building Council accreditation registration, encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through a suite of rating systems that recognize projects that implement strategies for better environmental and health performance. The LEED Associate Exam Preparation Course taking place at BUiD is designed for architects, real estate professionals, facility managers, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects, construction managers, lenders and government officials looking to learn about green building concepts and the LEED rating systems.
 
BITS

As part of their 10th anniversary celebrations, BITS, Pilani-Dubai (BPD) recently hosted a networking event for leading business enterprises associated with BPD. The event, christened Interface 2010 - Celebrating Industrial Partnerships, Honoring Practice School (PS) Partners - was held at the institute's campus in Dubai International Academic City. Interface 2010 was organized to celebrate their long-standing partnerships with over 360 blue-chip firms, which offer internships to the Institute's graduates and recruit them. The illustrious list of partnering companies has increased steadily over the years - from just seven in 2001 to a whopping 361 in 2010. CEOs and managing directors of organizations of such repute as Siemens, FedEx, L&T, Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Cluttons, Steinweg Sharaf, ETA Ascon, Microsol, Procal, Det Norske Veritas and Al Futtaim Engineering attended the event. These industry captains were appreciative of the caliber of BPD graduates and their potential talent, which could contribute to their work force.
 
EXTRA

As part of its extensive expansion strategy to open 22 stores by 2011 and following its second store opening in Jeddah, United Electronics Company (UEC) opened its fifth eXtra branch in Riyadh recently, bringing the total number of eXtra stores to five in Riyadh and 14 Kingdomwide. This development has come at a time when customer demand for electronics products in the Kingdom in general and Riyadh in particular is increasing, with the size of the electronics market exceeding SR5 billion. UEC Chairman Abdullah Abdulatif Al-Fozan said expanding the eXtra brand in the Kingdom would create bigger responsibilities for the company such as development of resources, skills and talent, creativity and innovation. A clear example of this commitment is Tajze'a (Retail Program) a collaborative effort between eXtra and TVTC to train Saudi nationals and provide them with the necessary certification in the field of retail. Candidates also receive on-job training opportunities at eXtra after graduation. More than 300 candidates have benefited from the program since its inception in 1997.
 
 
KAUST

Dow Chemical Company, a world leader in science and technology, unveiled the vision for its proposed Middle East and Africa Research and Development (R&D) Center at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) at the first Dow Innovation Summit held on campus recently. The summit was the culmination of the first phase of steps taken to further develop the multi-year, multi-million dollar R&D collaboration announced in September 2009. The summit was attended by students, faculty and staff from the KAUST community. Its highlights included a keynote speech by KAUST President Professor Choon Fong Shih, followed by a number of presentations from senior Dow executives, all serving to reinforce the spirit of collaboration and commitment at the heart of the Dow-KAUST partnership.
 
SAMBA

Global Finance, an international magazine for the banking and financial industry, has awarded Samba Financial Group the title of "Best Bank in Saudi Arabia in 2010". This is the fifth consecutive year that Samba has won the award. The selection committee for the award is composed of editors, top industry analysts and specialists in the banking sector. The selection process targeted the highest performing banks in the emerging markets in 13 countries in the Middle East and comprises a series of standards, such as growth of assets, profitability, strategic relationships, innovative products and competitive rates, through which Samba showed leadership among its peers and high performance in all activities. Eissa M. Al-Eissa, chairman of Samba, said: "This international recognition by an eminent specialist magazine confirms the leading position of Samba, given the success of its strategy in managing its banking and financial activities."
 
SAUDIA/AMADEUS

Amadeus, a leading travel technology partner and transaction processor for the global travel and tourism industry, will provide Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) with the next generation Amadeus Altea customer management solution and Amadeus e-commerce solutions as part of a long-term IT partnership. The objective of the partnership is to improve the traveler experience through enhanced recognition, speed up passenger processing with greater automation and drive more sales and operational efficiencies. Saudi Arabian Airlines will adopt all three modules of the world leading Altea Customer Management Solution including Reservation, Inventory and Departure Control (DC) to manage its sales and reservations, inventory and flight departure management needs. The airline will also adopt Amadeus' portfolio of e-commerce solutions, used by more than 100 airlines, to manage its global online presence.
 
HONDA CIVIC

Abdullah Hashim Company Ltd., sole distributor of Honda products in Saudi Arabia, has announced the arrival of its iconic Civic Type R. This "Premium Pure Sports car with a distinctive, stylish form and performance truly represents the DNA of Honda," a company spokesman said. The sporty Type R is specially tuned to highlight the driving performance and pursue the joy of driving with a racing-like feel. With its stunning and futuristic looks, exiting driving performance and a refined ride, the Civic Type R is "sure to stir up driving enthusiasts," he added. "With yet another class leading model like Civic Type R, Honda continues to deliver the joy of driving and the satisfaction of superior performance for its customers in Saudi Arabia."
 
SAMSUNG

Samsung Electronics, a major name in the world of consumer electronics and IT, has announced the launch of new monochrome laser printers. The ML-1660 (Bluebird) offer users an intuitive printing experience by incorporating a number of easy to use one-touch features into the products' design. The compact printers also include environmentally friendly features, making them ideal for personal, home office and small office users. As technology evolves to become increasingly complex and deliver more and more features, consumers are looking for an intuitive experience. In recognition of this Samsung has introduced a number of easy to use "one-touch" features to the new ML-1660 printers.
 
LG

LG Electronics, a worldwide technology and design leader in mobile communications, has launched the new smartphone model Times GW550 in Saudi Arabia. Its slim design and convenient productivity tools help users manage their time well, be connected around the clock and work more efficiently. It is a 3G compatible mobile phone with many smartphone focused lineaments that will keep its users amused for hours. The device is incorporated with a full QWERTY keyboard and if you want to use the Internet then LG GW550 makes it possible with WAP 2.0 web browser that supports HTML and XHTML technologies. This handset also has EDGE and GPRS technologies for the hi-speed connectivity. Wireless Bluetooth, cabled USB, 3G HSDPA and HSUPA are also available. Users can customize the LG GW550 by changing the wallpapers and screensavers alternatively and download from the Internet.