Private Aviation

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) opened a new Private Aviation building at King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) this week, which will enable private aviation companies to provide more quality high-end services for VIP travelers and businessmen alike. The acting KAIA Director, Mohammed Abid, said the Private Aviation building contains departure and arrivals terminals, fully equipped with elegant waiting halls and a center for businessmen, equipped with the latest means of mass communication. He also added that the building also provides office space for government agencies and other operating companies, and the latest safety system and surveillance cameras. In addition, there is an aircraft bay that can accommodate up to 50 aircraft from small to medium size. A parking lot is also available that can accommodate up to 250 vehicles. “The airport directorate is always striving for the betterment of services in all of its facilities in line with international safety standards,” he added.
 
British Airways

Despite 2010 being a particularly challenging year for the aviation industry, the UK’s flagship carrier, British Airways (BA) has seen regional growth in premium traffic in 2011. This growth has prompted the launch of a Club World (business class) sale on fares from the Middle East to Europe and North America. Traffic statistics issued by International Airline Group, the holding company for BA and Iberia showed premium traffic rose 7.4 percent in January against last year. “After witnessing increased growth both regionally and internationally in January we were keen to sustain demand for business class travel, whether for work or pleasure, by reducing fares from the UAE to Europe and the United States, said Paolo De Renzis, BA’s regional commercial manager, Middle East. Meanwhile, BA has listed its top 10 highlights for 2010. They include the inauguration of International Airlines Group (IAG), the company formed by the merger of BA and Iberia, with Willie Walsh officially taking his place as the CEO of the new organization; BA and Iberia forming Joint Business Agreement with American Airlines; BA’s launch of new First class and new state-of-the-art product across all classes in the Boeing 777-300ER; BA going private and leading the way in carbon emissions reduction; launch of new Phone App with Mobile Boarding Pass; codeshare with Kingfisher; flagship airport Heathrow Terminal 5 welcoming BA’s 50 millionth customer and growth of London City Airport operations.
 
Atlantis, The palm

Atlantis, The Palm, an entertainment resort destination in the Middle East, has announced special rates and activities to cater for Saudi visitors during the mid-term holidays till Feb. 18, including exclusive women-only sessions at Dolphin Bay and Splashers play area at Aquaventure, in addition to other activities in key attractions at the resort. Saudi visitors make up 46.6 percent of total GCC visitors to Dubai, making them the largest number of Arab visitors to the Emirate. In the first three quarters of 2010, about 384,730 Saudi visitors visited Dubai, according to the Dubai Tourism & Commerce Marketing. “Atlantis, The Palm respects the culture of Arab visitors, and this has led us to create bespoke programs that will enable Arab families to enjoy a memorable experience at Atlantis, The Palm,” said Serge Zaalof, COO, Atlantis, The Palm. Each of the 1,539 guestrooms and suites at the Royal Towers provide private balconies and views over The Palm or Arabian Gulf. Guests may choose from a variety of accommodation including the Imperial Club, a ‘resort within a resort’ with over 150 rooms and suites, exclusive services and private club lounge, Bridge Suite, spanning the Royal Towers, a private lift takes guests 22 stories above Atlantis for heart-stopping views of The Palm, Dubai and the Arabian Gulf and Lost Chambers Suites. The two suites located within The Lost Chambers create an illusion of being beneath the sea while looking directly into the heart of Atlantis.
 
Etihad Airways

A number of travel industry leaders, including Etihad Airways CEO James Hogan took part in the Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) conference on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi this week. A key element of the conference, themed New Heights, was an Industry focus session, moderated by Al Jazeera news presenter Darren Jordon, who invited a number of industry leaders to take part in a series of Q&A sessions and provide their insights on the issues that affect the business travel industry. Hogan focused on a range of topics including Etihad’s strategy on surviving and outperforming the global recession, the changes that have taken place in consumer behavior, and the importance of listening to customers and providing them with the services they want. Hogan said: “For companies to survive they need to focus less on how unfair they perceive the world to be, and more on how to adapt to take advantage of emerging opportunities and changing operating conditions.” Hakan Ericsson, president EMEA and Latin America, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, said: “The insight provided by the speakers is invaluable and will help us immensely in developing our global strategy.” Meanwhile, Etihad Airways continues to build its presence in Australasia with the signing of an extensive codeshare agreement with Air New Zealand. The new deal offers Etihad passengers a wealth of new flight options to cities in New Zealand’s north and south islands and includes Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
 
Qatar Airways

Venice is set to join Qatar Airways’ growing network effective June 15. Venice, the city world famous for being built on water and its beautiful canals, will become the carrier’s third gateway in Italy after Milan and Rome. The addition of daily services to Venice raises the airline’s Italian presence to 21 flights a week. It becomes the Doha-based airline’s 26th European destination in a period of growth, which has seen seven new routes introduced on the Continent over the past 12 months. The airline has launched flights to Ankara, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Nice, Bucharest, Budapest, Brussels - the latter three in January alone - taking its European portfolio to 24 cities. From March 6, scheduled services begin to the German automobile manufacturing city of Stuttgart. For travelers heading to Venice to see the stunning Piazza San Marco, the beautiful Rialto bridge or experience romantic gondola rides, Qatar Airways’ newly-announced route comes just in time for the busy European summer holiday season. A year-round tourism destination, Venice stretches across 117 small islands along the Adriatic coastline in northeast Italy, hence being dubbed ‘Queen of the Adriatic’, ‘City of Canals’ and Italy’s ‘Floating City.’ The new route, non-stop from Qatar Airways’ Doha hub, will be operated with the airline’s newest Airbus A320 aircraft, featuring seat-back TV screens offering a choice of over 700 interactive audio and video entertainment programming.
 
Sony

Sony Corporation says it will share the basic specifications of its ‘E-mount’ interchangeable single lens cameras with manufacturers of lenses and mount adaptors for no additional fee, starting April 1. The decision will enable both categories to effectively develop products conforming to E-mount specifications. Prior to seeking the specifications, the manufacturers will have to complete a mandatory approval process and sign a license agreement with Sony. Users of the Sony’s Alpha ‘NEX-3’, Alpha ‘NEX-5’, and Handycam ‘NEX-VG10’, as well as other future E-mount compatible digital imaging products can now use interchangeable lenses from both Sony and other manufacturers. More importantly, they will also be able to attach non-Sony lenses to their Sony digital imaging products via a mount adapter. Sony believes the growth of digital imaging products employing the “E-mount” will further increase the enjoyment of photography and video shooting among an even wider range of users. The decision to disclose basic specifications of the E-mount has been endorsed by Carl Zeiss AG; Cosina Co. Ltd., which says it has high expectations for the E-mount with its aims to create a new photography culture; Sigma Corporation, which fully supports Sony’s decision to disclose basic E-mount specifications; and Tamron Co., Ltd. “We aim to offer our customers new solutions and unprecedented photo-shooting enjoyment through the manufacture and sale of E-mount lenses,” Sony stated.
 
SHB/SNT

Saudi Hollandi Bank (SHB) has signed a “Mubasher E-Tadawul Total Brokerage Solution Agreement” with Saudi National Technology (SNT) Group. The new e-Tadawul service is part of the bank’s initiative under its Al Heen Program to infuse technological advances through multiple channels including mobile phones and e-banking. Through execution of this strategy, the bank aims to transcend and revolutionize the user experience in the Saudi finance sector. Mubasher has leapt past the contemporary e-Tadawul platform market by bringing innovative technology as an end-to-end solution offering unique user experiences for online trading.  Mubasher E-Tadawul solution is a superior multi-channel offering that combines the latest front-end technology with a powerful Multi-Market Order Management System to deliver a revolutionary user experience. “Through the Multi-Channel Platform program, we aim to update and innovate all our channels through 2012,” said Bernd van Linder, managing director of the bank and chairman of Saudi Hollandi Capital (SHC), the bank’s wholly-owned investment banking subsidiary. Mubasher will deploy its next-generation, multi-channel desktop, Internet and mobile applications to deliver superior end-to-end e-Tadawul solutions for SHC’s investors. “The extensive reach of our trading platform and market leading e-channels, will enable SHC to strengthen its local, regional and international stock market appeal,” said Mohammad Al Ballaa, chairman, National Technology Group/Mubasher.
 
LG

At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2011 in Barcelona, LG Electronics (LG) revealed that it was targeting sales of 150 million mobile phones this year, a 30 percent increase year-on-year with smartphones accounting for 20 percent of total sales. The company is targeting a four-fold rise in smartphone sales to more than 30 million units, 50 percent of its total revenues. LG plans to achieve this with the launch of 20 smartphone models globally in 2011. The company will invest heavily to strengthen its overall capability in R&D and quality management, and will expand its R&D workforce to more than 6,000 employees, a 15 percent increase over 2010. To offer customers a clear and superior choice, LG is drawing on technological superiority by introducing phones with dual-core processors, 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) and 3D technology for its high-end smartphones. The company will also be improving its content and services through partnerships with key content providers, with a series of 3D games and movies available through LG Apps, said Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. Following its success at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year, LG rolled out additional new models at the Barcelona event, including the LG Optimus 3D, the “world’s first smartphone with a 3D platform” to record, view and share 3D content, and the LG Optimus Pad with its 8.9-inch screen, dual-core processor.