Haji Husein Alireza and Co. Ltd. (HHA) has launched China’s Geely & Geely Emgrand cars in Saudi Arabia. The initial dealership agreement was signed by the HHA on the sidelines of the recent Shanghai International Auto Show in China, in the presence of Zhang Lin, VP, Geely Holding Group and GM of Geely International Co. The final agreement was inked at the HHA headquarters in Jeddah. The HHA thus became the exclusive dealer for the Geely & Geely Emgrand cars in the Kingdom. “We have put our capabilities and vast experience in our quest to get the dealership of Geely & Emgrand cars for Saudi Arabia after we conducted an in-depth study to show the demand for and future of this brand in our local market,” Ali Alireza MD, HHA, said at the recent launch event, which was attended by senior executives of the two companies in Jeddah. “We have succeeded in our quest and become the exclusive dealer for this important brand in Saudi Arabia,” he said. “We’ll spare no efforts, in our endeavor to ensure the success of this new brand in our market, including our wide network of integrated centers and after-sales service, as well as our more than 90 years experience in the automotive market,” Alireza added. Geely Automotive Company is dedicating its Geely & Geely Emgrand brand to the Saudi market, including four mid-sized sedan 2012 models — offered at very competitive prices, Lin said, adding that the demand for the cars is continuously growing worldwide.
 

Nasair celebrated the Saudi National Day by offering customers free travel on all scheduled domestic flights for the duration of the momentous holiday. More than 2,000 customers flew for free on nasair’s various routes linking Madinah, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Abha and Jazan on Friday. The citizens and expatriates on these flights were greeted with traditional treats such as Arabic coffee and dates upon checking-in for their free nasair flights, joining with nasair staff to commemorate the culture and pride of the Kingdom on the National Day along with their children who received Saudi flags and green balloons painted with the national emblem. On board the 21 domestic flights that took off on that day, all customers traveling to celebrate with family, friends or co-workers, were offered free beverages and chocolates to make their in-flight experience joyful. Suliman Al-Hamdan, CEO of NAS Holding, said: “Before business and profit, come respect and pride. Nasair is proud to be Saudi Arabia’s national carrier and respects the nation from which it has grown. This domestic offer represented an opportunity our airline took to really give back to Saudi Arabia and its people an opportunity to show appreciation.” Turki Al-Jawini, deputy chief commercial officer of nasair, said: “We are a Saudi national carrier and we will live up to that title and that status by investing back in the country and in the people every time we are given an opportunity to do so.”
 

The La Brasserie restaurant at Al-Faisaliah Hotel, A Rosewood hotel in Riyadh is the venue for the 10-day Thai food festival, which ends on Sept. 29. Amid Thai ambiance, guests will be captivated by the Thai gastronomy, considered unique among all other cuisines in southeastern Asia. The Thai cuisine has been heavily influenced by India and China, but it developed in a very different direction over the time. Being the meeting point of East and West, Thailand has been embracing many influences coming from the Arab world, which were combined with Chinese cooking techniques resulting in delicious food that is unmistakably Thai. Beyond the culinary masterpieces, created by the Thai chefs during the festival, the menu also includes a feast of Thai entertainment, including traditional Thai instrumental music. The guests are also able to enjoy the highly significant set-up with Orchid blossom, symbol of protection and luck in the Thai history and to understand the medicinal values of the used herbs Thai cuisine. Dignitaries from a number of countries around the world joined Charn Jullamon, Thai charge d’ affaires and head of mission, and other members of the Thai Embassy for the official opening of the festival on Monday. Peter Finamore, MD, Al-Faisaliah Hotel, A Rosewood Hotel which is owned by the Al-Khozama Management Company, said: “With a rich cultural history and wide global appeal for its cuisine, Thailand has much to offer, and we offer an authentic Thai flavor during the festival.”
 

Qatar Airways’ corporate jet division Qatar Executive participated for the first time in Russia’s major business aviation show held in Moscow. The three-day Jet Expo show took place recently at Vnukovo-3 International Airport — a leading European business jet complex serving 95 percent of all corporate flights in and out of Russia. Qatar Executive, the Doha-based corporate jet business, has received an exceptional response in the market since being formed two years ago, and is taking measures to meet spurring demand for business jet services in the Middle East and globally. The Russian market is of prime importance to Qatar Executive, which is able to readily make available an aircraft for customers in the country wanting to fly anywhere they choose. Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al-Baker said the airline was delighted to take part in the key aerospace industry event in Russia, a country that has seen spectacular growth in the corporate jet sector over the years. “We have been responding to strong regional demand for private flying, with Russia a key market where economic activity is strong and growing, fueling demand for corporate jet services,” he said. “Tapping into this highly lucrative premium market segment and achieving growth is part of our long-term expansion strategy. Russia offers solid potential that will enable Qatar Executive to meet its ambitious targets. Our participation in Jet Expo 2011 gave us a chance to interact with our most loyal clients and, of course new clientele,” he added.
 

Emirates sent its first scheduled A380 into Hamburg Airport as part of the airport’s 100th anniversary celebrations. The 489-seat flagship of the Emirates’ fleet touched down in Hamburg on Saturday, replacing EK flight 59 and under the command of Captain Fritz Wildt from the German city of Munich and Hauke Smid from Hamburg. Thousands of spectators joined the weekend of celebrations in Hamburg, lining viewing platforms to catch a glimpse of the world’s largest passenger jet — this time displaying a special centenary sticker. “This is the first time Emirates and indeed any airline has conducted a scheduled A380 service into Hamburg,” said Tim Clark, president, Emirates Airline. “This is very much a case of our double-decker returning to the home of its final stages of production,” he said. “Sept. 24 was a very special day for Hamburg Airport. We not only celebrated our 100th birthday together with the whole of northern Germany, we also welcomed the first scheduled A380 service to Hamburg,” said Michael Eggenschwiler, CEO of Hamburg Airport. “My thanks go out to Emirates, who made this possible. Our guests had an unforgettable day with the Emirates’ superjumbo as a highlight.” The twin-deck aircraft, offering 399 seats in Economy Class, 76 mini-pods in Business Class and 14 First Class Private Suites, has become renowned around the world for its on board facilities, comfort and quietness. Joining Tim Clark on the Hamburg flight was Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ SVP, commercial operations, Europe & Russian Federation and VIP guests.
 

Travelers flying from any of British Airways (BA) destinations in the Middle East to the UK, Europe or North America, can take advantage of more discounted fares until Oct. 5 for travel until March 31. With its wide-ranging network of destinations, Middle East travelers arriving, departing, or transferring through Terminal 5 — the airlines’ dedicated terminal at London Heathrow — will have the best choice of convenient connections to more than 75 destinations in Europe and North America. The special rates during this period are from SR10,957 for return flights in Club World (business class), while World Traveler Plus (premium economy) would be from SR5,035 and World Traveler (economy class) are from SR2,747. Paolo DeRenzis, regional commercial manager, said: “Following the successful summer and Ramadan offer we’ve had in this market, British Airways wishes to continue offering valued customers our promise of providing nothing less than world-class quality products and services — all at great value for money.” A full timetable of British Airways’ GCC — London services is available online at ba.com — where the lowest fares are guaranteed — and customers can book, pay and check-in online for their flights.
 

Bahrain Air, Bahrain’s second national carrier, is resuming daily flights to Riyadh from Thursday (Sept. 28) linking Bahrain, the financial center of the Middle East, to major cities in the GCC, Levant, Africa, Indian Subcontinent and Istanbul as a new European destination in Bahrain Air’s network, with fast and economical point-to-point services for both, the business community and the traveling public. According to Richard Nuttall, the carrier’s director commercial operations, Riyadh is an important destination in Bahrain Air’s network. “These flights will strengthen our hub in Bahrain and will increase feeder traffic to the Indian Subcontinent and rest of the GCC,” he said. Bahrain Air Flights are scheduled to arrive in Riyadh early afternoon from Bahrain and return to Bahrain in the evening connecting passengers to Dubai, South Asia and other destinations in the Bahrain Air network. Bahrain Air provides two classes of service — Business Premium Class and Economy Class. Bahrain Air will be launching an awareness program in the central province of Saudi Arabia in coming weeks along with its partners in Riyadh.
 

Tranzone Logistics fzco, the subsidiary of Banaja Holdings, is the “first and only” specialized company in the UAE’s Jebel Ali Free Zone to provide storage and handling services of medicines and all pharmaceutical and medical equipment and supplies. Storage and handling services are provided in a high security environment for all storage areas inside the warehouses. A strict management of all products subject to continuous cooling maintains the quality of products from the date received till shipping the same to clients. All these are performed in accordance with the quality standards good distribution practices (GDP) and good storage practices (GSP). The main objective of these Tranzone warehouses is to attract international pharmaceutical companies to establish regional distribution centers in Jebel Ali, enabling them to supply their clients in the Gulf States and Africa. These Tranzone facilities are an extension of the strong ties Banaja Holdings/Tranzone has in Saudi Arabia that go back more than 60 years of working in the field of medicine storage and distribution for international manufacturers such as GSK, Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis and Roche. Jurgen Hirsch, GM, Tranzone, says: “We at Tranzone realize that a combination of high quality process standards and flexibility are imperative in the health care industry, and our ability to provide the best in addition to our knowledge and extensive know-how and experience in the region gives our clients absolute confidence in our services.”