CPC

Construction Products Holding Company (CPC), the industrial arm of Saudi Binladin Group, official sponsor of the Jeddah Economic Forum 2011 (JEF), took the spotlight at the forum for its regional role in the development of industrial projects and effective contribution to the infrastructure development of the Middle East, through its subsidiaries in Arab states including Syria, Algeria, Egypt, Qatar and the UAE. Faysal Alaquil, CPC’s director of business development, said: “JEF has a pivotal role to play in shaping the development of emerging markets’ economies.” He highlighted the significance of the recent royal decrees that delighted Saudi citizens and contributed to a boom in the construction sector and said: “CPC plans to play a major role in building projects and housing units, to expand the housing sector of the Kingdom.” He added: “There is no doubt that the increased spending of the state has had a positive impact on the economy. Furthermore, the decrees address issues that require a great deal of attention in our society - from housing loans to the development of an integrated organization for social welfare.” Alaquil also said CPC would pay all Saudi staff two months’ salary in support of the Royal Decrees. “We must stimulate social responsibility and support education, particularly by training young men and women to acquire the professionalism and skills needed to work in different areas of the construction sector,” he added.
 
SIEMENS

Siemens Energy has received a follow-up order from Abu Dhabi for the construction of a turnkey combined cycle power plant. The company will build the Shuweihat S3 plant together with its Korean partner Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co. about 260 kilometers west of Abu Dhabi. The purchaser is a consortium comprising the Japanese Sumitomo Corporation, the Korea Electric Power Corporation and the local utility Abu Dhabi Electricity & Water Authority (ADWEA). After the scheduled start of commercial operation in 2014 the new plant will have an installed electrical capacity of 1,600 megawatts. Apart from supporting Abu Dhabi to cope with growing demand, it will also deliver power to the nearby Ruwais refinery. Shuweihat S3 will be the sixth power plant erected by Siemens in Abu Dhabi. The company had also completed the Shuweihat S1 power plant as turnkey projects in 2004 and is targeting completion of the Shuweihat S2 power plant in September 2011. “ADWEA is one of our biggest customers. We’re very pleased that we’ve also secured this follow-up order for Shuweihat S3,” said Michael Suess, CEO of the Fossil Power Generation Division of Siemens Energy. For the Shuweihat S3 combined cycle power plant, Siemens will supply the main components comprising four SGT5-4000F gas turbines, two SST5-4000 I-L steam turbines, six generators (SGen5-1000A and SGen5-2000H), an SPPA-T3000 electrical and I&C system. Daewoo Engineering & Construction will be responsible for the ancillary and auxiliary systems (balance of plant) and the civil works.
 
SAMACO/VOLKSWAGEN

SAMACO, sole agents in Saudi Arabia for Volkswagen, the German-based and second largest carmaker in the world, has begun rolling out its new ‘Service Excellence’ initiative, which aims to deliver customers maximum value for money when buying a new Volkswagen and offering an inclusive 5-year Volkswagen warranty, a 45,000 km or 3 year free service contract and 3 year 24/7 roadside assistance, along with other benefits.

“We are committed to delivering automotive excellence to our customers,” said Philip Burrluck, brand Manager of Volkswagen, SAMACO. “Our 2011 strategy reflects that commitment. The service excellence is a comprehensive service concept that will deliver the best customer experience and put the customers at the core of what we offer.” The package has already been rolled out in the Kingdom. “We had the customers in mind when we decided to launch this initiative,” said Peet van Vuren, National Service Manager. “We recognize that owning a car is a long term commitment and investment, so we are offering our customers the peace of mind that comes with knowing their asset will be taken care of long after the purchase. Listening to our customers tells us they require both minimum cost of ownership and a high re-sale value, we are convinced that this package delivers just that. It’s all about the driving experience. We want our customers to enjoy an uninterrupted driving pleasure with Volkswagen and focus on what truly matters, the drive,” Vuren added.
 
SAUDIA CARGO

Saudi Airlines Cargo has signed a contract to become the ‘Launch Customer’ of OAG Cargo’s new Route Mapper tool. “The new application will help the airline’s cargo customers perform a series of essential daily business tasks, such as searching online for Saudia Cargo flights and flight-related information,” said Shihab Al-Amoudi, Saudi Airlines Cargo head of global communications and advertising department. “Customers can easily identify non-stop and connecting flights using a visual global map of cities served by Saudi Airlines Cargo, as well as view timetables of all available flights from a chosen city for all routes served by Saudi Airlines Cargo,” said Al-Amoudi who is also spokesperson of Saudi Airlines Cargo. Phase 1 of the rollout will see the generic Route Mapper product implemented from April 1. This will incorporate use of Arabic language, customized branding, future schedules and full integration into the saudicargo.com website. Al-Amoudi said discussions were already under way for future phases of development with OAG, which is expected to develop more cargo features and benefits to enhance the Route Mapper product. Bart-Jan Haasbeek, VP Sales of OAG Cargo, signed the contract during the Air Cargo Africa event in Nairobi with Peter Scholten, Vice President Commercial of Saudi Airlines Cargo. “We are proud to have such a prestigious launch customer such as Saudi Airlines Cargo for ‘Route Mapper’,” Haasbeek said.
 
KAEC

Emaar, The Economic City (EEC), the Tadawul-listed company developing King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), announced recently the start of construction of a new manufacturing facility for polypropylene woven fabric at the Industrial Valley in KAEC by Greif Inc, one of the largest manufacturers of industrial packaging products in the world. The announcement came at an inauguration ceremony attended by Michael Gasser, chairman and CEO of Greif; Fahd Al-Rasheed, MD and CEO of Emaar The Economic City; and Muhanud Helal, secretary general of the Economic Cities Authority (ECA) and other executives from Greif, EEC, and ECA. During the ceremony, Greif’s President and COO David Fischer received the construction permit from the ECA and announced that the new facility, extending over 188,000 sqm, is scheduled to be operational in 2012. Polypropylene fabrics are a main component used in the production of Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBC). Greif is a world leader in industrial packaging products and services. The company is strategically positioned in more than 50 countries and serves global as well as regional customers in the Middle East. Gasser - Greif Inc Chairman of the Board and CEO said: “We are excited to have our new manufacturing hub located in King Abdullah Economic City Industrial Valley.” Fahd Al Rasheed, MD & CEO of EEC, said: “The new manufacturing facility that Greif will build will create new jobs and will be a major export hub from KAEC to many markets around the world.”
 
STC

STC Group CEO Saud bin Majed Al-Daweesh and Director Dealer Network at Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors (MYNM) Mark Notkin this week launched the first car in the region equipped with “Quick Net” service installed on a BMW 7 Series vehicle as a result of an agreement of cooperation between STC and MYNM, the exclusive BMW dealer in Saudi Arabia. BMW ConnectedDrive, which is the car’s Internet is a new concept offered by BMW in its mission to develop tomorrow’s technology for today’s cars. The first phase of the project will provide Internet connectivity for smart devices using Bluetooth, where customers can enjoy Internet services by opening three pages at the same time to browse various Internet site using the front and middle screen, and the two screens on the back of the front seat headrests for the passengers in the back.

Customers can read e-mails, address books, phone numbers. The second phase will have a mobile chip from STC which will be attached to a Snap In modem keeping other devices connected using a Wi-Fi signal enabling usage of Internet services on other portable devices such as smart phones, ipads, and laptops. The third phase will require building a platform enabling BMW customers to make use of other services including emergency services, roadside assist, news, weather reports, and information on surrounding areas using Google Maps. Jameel bin Abdullah Al-Molhem, VP personal services at STC, explained that this new technology is launched for the first time in the region in cooperation with MYNM over three phases in which this marks the first phase to provide customers with this technology in the near future.