GE

With less than a month to go to the opening of the GE Energy Manufacturing Technology Center (GEMTEC), employees of GE in the Kingdom are looking forward to the educational and hands-on training prospects that the facility will offer. The center further expands GE’s local job creation and training commitment to Saudi Arabia and is the largest GE turbine repair center of its kind in the world, which will enhance local Saudi repair and service capabilities. The facility is also designed to support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2020 of expanding its manufacturing and export sectors. Additionally, a $20 million training center hosted within the facility will offer the latest technology and managerial courses for talented Saudi nationals. GE Energy’s Country Executive for Saudi Arabia Hisham Bahkali said: “The GEMTEC represents a further GE commitment to the Kingdom to support its economic growth. Our goal is to employ at least 500 Saudi nationals by 2015, who will become part of a 1,000-strong workforce at the GEMTEC.” Zaki Almuhaisen, rotor and mechanical cell manager, GE Energy, said: “The GEMTEC offers on-the-job training opportunities to work on the most advanced technologies. It will bring, for the first time to Saudi Arabia and the region, advanced F-technology service and repair. Gas turbine technology is evolving and there are various aspects to its maintenance, which we need to fully understand so we can provide timely support to our customers. I look forward to the value added learning experiences that the center will offer, especially in rotors and related parts.”


MasterCard Worldwide crowned the winning team of the MasterCard Football Penalty Challenge, which took place at the Red Sea Mall in Jeddah recenty. In addition to the grand prize of SR100,000, the runners-up were awarded SR 20,000. Participants for the Jeddah final were selected from thousands of entries received for the MasterCard Football Penalty Challenge (MFPC), which is taking place in two phases in Jeddah and Riyadh. A total of 160 football enthusiasts took part in the Jeddah final. They were divided into teams consisting of five players each. Participants were randomly selected by a computer from those who signed up for the challenge. The winning team’s five members included Bahjat H. Dabbour, Abdulaziz Rosy, Abdullah Saleh, Yassin Adam Akeel and Bahaa Fadel Mahmoud who showcased their football skills and shot strong shots that brought enthusiasm to spectators with their exciting football skills. “In line with MasterCard’s sponsorship of the Zain Saudi League, we are pleased that the MasterCard Football Penalty Challenge shootout was met with overwhelming success in Jeddah,” said Kashif Sohail, MasterCard Worldwide’s marketing manager for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Dabbour said: “It’s absolutely fantastic to have participated in the MasterCard Football Penalty Challenge. In the beginning, we participated in the challenge just for fun, but found it to be great and rewarding.” The Riyadh final of the MasterCard Football Penalty Challenge will take place today (Thursday) at the Granada Mall.

Within their general corporate community responsibly framework and to enhance their relationship with all concerned parties in Saudi Arabia, members of Saudi Corvette Club (SVC) visited Saqr Aljazeera Aviation Museum, which is located at King Abdulaziz Road in Riyadh. The visit aimed at familiarizing with this huge historical center, which was established and inaugurated by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah when he was the crown prince in 1999, in order to document and preserve the heritage of aviation in the Kingdom. The SVC delegation, headed by Khalid Alsodairy, was received by senior officials of the museum, who escorted the delegation in a tour inside the museum, and presented detailed illustration about the museum as well as its goals and contents, which reflect the glorious and long history of aviation sector in the Kingdom since founded by the late King Abdulaziz, founder of Saudi Arabia. The delegation had the opportunity to board the first plane owned by Saudi Arabia and were briefed about the aviation technologies at its early stages, they also had the opportunity to get a close look at a number of planes of the old Saudi Arabian Airlines fleet as well as a number of old fighters of Royal Saudi Air Force, which was founded by the late King Abdulaziz. The SVC was launched by Alissa Automotive Company recently in Riyadh, and aims to enhance the relationships between owners of Corvette cars and Alissa Automotive Company through offering them many exclusive services and other facilities.

Emaar Middle East, the subsidiary of global property developer Emaar Properties PJSC, won the ‘Leader in Real Estate’ award at the recent Arab Investment Summit 2011 held in Abu Dhabi. Ahmad Al-Kulli, GM, Emaar Middle East, received the award. The award recognizes the excellence of the company in driving its operations within the property sector of Saudi Arabia, and is a testament to the best practices followed by Emaar Middle East in developing path-breaking integrated communities that meet the growing demand for world-class homes in the Kingdom. Al-Kulli said: “The Arab Investment Summit ‘Leader in Real Estate’ award underscores our commitment to upholding the highest standards in project management across all our developments in Saudi Arabia. With the Kingdom currently focusing on enhancing its housing infrastructure, the award positions us a leader in creating integrated neighborhoods that bring a new lifestyle choice to Saudi residents.” Emaar Middle East is developing three projects in Saudi Arabia - Jeddah Gate, Al Khobar Lakes and the Emaar Residences at the Fairmont Makkah. Homes in Jeddah Gate and Al Khobar Lakes will be handed over this year marking the evolution of full-fledged lifestyle communities. Jeddah Gate is a mixed-use project featuring residential and commercial units, and 75,000 sq m of gross leasable area for retailers. Emaar Residences at the Fairmont Makkah, located directly on the Haram Plaza, are offered on a leasehold basis and range in size from 40 sq m for a thoughtfully designed studio to 160 sq m for a comfortable three-bedroom residence.