EMIRATES

Emirates has unveiled major expansion plans for Pakistan with the launch of additional flights to Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar. Allama Iqbal International Airport Lahore and Benazir Bhutto International Airport Islamabad will both be served by nonstop flights seven times a week from Oct. 31 and Nov. 2 respectively, while Peshawar International Airport will be served by three weekly flights from Nov. 5. "The additional flights to Pakistan emphasize Emirates' long-term commitment to the country. Since the launch of the airline with our inaugural flight to Karachi, Pakistan has held special significance for Emirates," said Majid Al-Mualla, Emirates SVP, commercial operations for West Asia & Indian Ocean. "Services from the four gateways will offer Pakistani travelers and businesses/exporters increased connectivity with the UAE and onward with the rest of the world through our global network. The evolving market structure, improved accessibility, rise in remittances and rising consumer spending due to the expanding population are reshaping the aviation sector in Pakistan and Emirates is keen to continue to strengthen its presence in the country." Boeing 777 and Airbus A330-200 aircraft will operate the services offering the highest standards of passenger comfort, with luxurious lie-flat beds in Business Class and generously sized Economy Class seats. The launch of new services will allow Emirates to fly 45 times a week to Pakistani cities including Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar.
 
SPLASH

While the international catwalks took its cues from a juxtaposition of heritage to minimalism and from retro-inspired to luxe grunge, Splash weaved them together in a world of fashion inspired by music. In the ninth edition of the Splash fashion show, the brand channeled the diversity of styles that Rock "n" Roll influence has brought to high-street fashion. The UAE's finest attended Splash fashion's big night out where 45 international models presented a perfect mix of the season's trends interwoven with the element of rock "N" roll to over 3,000 fashion lovers. Set in the elegant Madinat Arena, Madinat Jumeirah, the Splash Rock 'N' fashion show reflected a belief that the roots of rock music are always in evidence to cutting edge fashion. Inspired by the season's trends and the recently concluded catwalk extravaganza, Raza Beig, CEO, Splash, said: "Music and fashion have been inextricably linked since both are acknowledged as art forms across the globe. With our Rock'n fashion show we chose to marry one of the most scintillating forms of music Rock N Roll with high street fashion and presented the ruling catwalk trends in true high-street style to the region's fashion enthusiasts." Beig, along with Aarti, Nisha and Rahul Jagtiani walked the ramp for the finale of Splash Rock "N" fashion show. The 20-minute power-packed show saw three prominent themes on the catwalk, which summed up the season's key looks and trends, namely "School of Rock," "Rock n Soul" and "Rock Royalty."
 
ETIHAD

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, will soon commence its flights to Tripoli. The Libyan capital will become the fifth North African destination for the carrier. The airline's CEO James Hogan said the airline was planning three flights a week to Tripoli. "As soon as the NATO no-fly zone is lifted, the airport declared safe and all appropriate infrastructure in place, we will be able to begin services," he said. The return flights, to be operated by an Airbus A330-200 with 22 Peal Business Class and 240 Coral Economy seats, should be on sale within weeks. Hogan said the proposed schedule would allow maximum connectivity over Abu Dhabi for flights from North and South Asia and the Indian Subcontinent as well as serving strong point-to-point traffic. The new services will further strengthen links with Tripoli as the UAE was among the first to recognize the new government of Libya and to provide political, military and humanitarian support for the country.
 
NASAIR

Mohammed Basoudan, nasair sales manager in the Western Region, has stressed the importance of continuous and effective communication between travel agencies and the carrier's sales department for the purpose of providing better services to travelers. His remarks were made at a workshop the airline organized for 300 representatives from tour operators and travel agencies in Jeddah. Basoudan underlined the role of the travel and tourism sector as one of the major sales outlets that nasair is keen to develop, with the number of its approved agencies growing considerably compared to 2010. He added that the volume of ticket sales made through travel and tourism agencies had grown by around 33 percent. This reflects the success achieved by nasair in cooperation with travel and tourism agencies, a goal planned by nasair targeting overall growth in sales. Nasair's sales figures have grown from SR97 million in 2007 to exceeding the SR1 billion mark annually, with the current sales plan for 2011 targeting an approximate revenue of SR1.4 billion. The workshop included dialogue between nasair and travel and tourism agencies' representatives. Participants were also offered presentations on nasair's most outstanding achievements. These included discussions about nasair's modern fleet, which consists of aircraft with an average age that does not exceed 18 months, and equipped with leather seats in a comfortable and spacious cabin compared with fleets from other low fare airlines.
 
SAVOLA

The Savola Group organized a corporate communications workshop drawing senior executives across its operating companies locally and internationally. The workshop, themed "Time to Grow" reviewed the group's internal and external communications programs media bringing together the its MD and senior executives along with CEOs of the operating companies and specialists to review existing corporate communications programs and generate new ideas for the future. "GROW," the new corporate communication strategy, was unveiled during the workshop. This new strategy focuses on 4 key components, which are media presence, internal communications, CSR, and stakeholder and reputation management. In addition to the new strategy, the executives brainstormed and discussed Savola's communications platforms and the best way to communicate them across its diverse stakeholder mix. During his opening remarks, Abdulraouf Mannaa, MD, the Savola Group, said: "These are exciting times for Savola as we are near breaking the SR1 billion in profits this year. Although a great milestone for us, this places a huge responsibility on us in terms of communicating with our key stakeholders, whether internal or external." Mannaa added: "Communication is the central nervous system of any organization and communicating to various stakeholders is as equally important as putting products on the shelf. We at Savola believe in the importance of communications as a strategic tool."
 
SIA

Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) are making the transit experience through Changi Airport even better, with a special promotion providing selected SIA and SilkAir customers 20 Singapore dollars worth of Changi dollar vouchers (CDVs) each. The CDVs are valid for one-time use at all retail, food and service outlets located at the transit and public areas of Terminals 1, 2 and 3, excluding outlets in the arrival baggage claim halls. They can also be redeemed for one-time access to the Ambassador Transit Lounge for up to three hours. Lounge usage includes showers with basic toiletries, light refreshments, free-flow of non-alcoholic beverages, local and international reading materials, as well as complimentary WiFi and local calls. To be eligible for this promotion, air tickets should be issued from Oct. 1 to March 15, and customers must be traveling out of Saudi Arabia, China, Egypt, India, Japan, Korea, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey and the US. Both inbound and outbound flights must be on either SIA or SilkAir flights. Eligible customers should present both their electronic tickets and arrival boarding passes before collecting their CDVs. This can be done at all information counters in the transit areas of Terminals 2 and 3. Tan Chik Quee, SIA's SVP marketing, said: "This program will help enhance the transit experience for our customers." Lim Ching Kiat, Changi Airport Group's SVP market development, said: "The promotion should encourage travelers to explore the airport."
 
PORSCHE

Samaco, the exclusive dealer for Porsche cars in Saudi Arabia, achieved record sales this year compared to last year, with sales of Porsche luxury cars rising by 56 percent during the third quarter of this year compared to the same period last year. Results show that sales of Porsche Panamera rose by 125 percent, posting double sales compared to the same period last year, while sales of Cayenne rose by 36 percent over the same period last year. The figures enhance the wide reputation of Porsche cars in Saudi Arabia, and also reflect the consistent growth in demand for these cars in one of the best and most growing markets in the MENA region. Sherin Nassif, GM of Porsche in Saudi Arabia, said: "The results show a positive market response to the efforts of Samaco Group, where Samaco has invested about SR150 million to improve its services provided to Porsche cars in the Kingdom. Samaco recently opened two giant Porsche centers for this brand in Jeddah and Alkhobar. This move represents a great leap toward improving our services, as well as improving communication with our clients by offering service programs including pre-sale and after-sale services under one roof for the first time in the history of Porsche. In fact, the stylish and high performance of Porsche cars played a major role in increasing demand on Porsche cars, especially the Panamera, which sets a new standard for the luxury sedan car segment, as well as Cayenne, which has recorded highest demand worldwide."
 
QATAR AIRWAYS

Qatar Airways will once again be the official airline of Qatar's premier film event, the third annual Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF). The highly anticipated five-day festival, organized by the Doha Film Institute (DFI), starts on Oct. 25, and promises to provide yet another enriching and entertaining experience for film fans from the Middle East and around the world. A myriad of events will be showcased at Qatar's new cultural hub, Katara, as well as various venues around Doha. The official airline of the Doha Tribeca Film Festival sponsorship provides the carrier with the opportunity to present its five-star hospitality with events promising to be the most talked-about on Qatar's social calendar this year. The airline's expansive network of 107 destinations worldwide provides a convenient link for film celebrities, production teams, members of the media, honorary guests and film buffs to travel to Doha for the festival. Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al-Baker said: "As the State of Qatar's national carrier, we are strong supporters of initiatives and partnerships which enrich the cultural and educational experience of residents and visitors to Qatar. Qatar Airways is proud to once again be involved in Qatar's thriving film scene, and specifically its hallmark annual event - the Doha Tribeca Film Festival." DFI's Executive Director Amanda Palmer said: "The success of DTFF owes a great deal to the seamless support extended by Qatar Airways.
 
NEW LOOK

New Look is celebrating five successful years in the MENA region this autumn, with 39 stores occupying a total of 370,450 square feet of retail space across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Egypt. Introduced by Landmark International (LMI) in 2006, New Look has firmly established its popularity throughout the region as the affordable fashion brand of choice. Its GM Miles Young said: "New Look first opened its doors in the region in September 2006 in Deira City Centre, and the following five years have seen a steady growth with stores launched across the MENA region. The Kingdom has been a key area for expansion, with 23 stores now operating across Riyadh, Damman and Jeddah. The inaugural Abu Dhabi store opened at Mushrif Mall on July 31 and with two more stores planned in the UAE capital and three in the Northern Emirates, this will take the UAE presence to 15 stores in the next 6 months. New Look also has presence in five Iconic stores across the UAE and the Kingdom with more planned over the next 12 months. Young said: "We are delighted to be celebrating five years of New Look in the MENA region. Under the LMI leadership, the brand has continued to grow despite the economic downturn. We are celebrating 39 successful store openings across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Egypt, with many more planned for the coming years. We are looking forward to breaking ground in Qatar with our first New Look store opening before the end of 2012."
 
GIB

Gulf International Bank (GIB) has won three awards in the investment banking category of the Global Banking & Finance Review Awards for 2011. After conducting a survey of the best investment banks at the country and regional levels, the awards' judging panel selected GIB as the "Best Investment Bank in the GCC," the "Best Investment Bank in Bahrain" and GIB Capital as the "Best Investment Bank in Saudi Arabia." S. Varun, director of Global Banking & Finance Review, said: "With input from industry experts, the judging panel used a number of criteria to arrive at its selection. These included the number and size of IPOs and advisory assignments completed by the investment banks over the past 12 months. The panel also looked at key capabilities and services including deal structuring capabilities, the distribution network and the number of staff dedicated to investment banking, innovation in financing, competitive pricing and after-market performance of underwritten securities," he added. GIB's CEO Yahya Alyahya said: "We are very pleased to have received three awards from Global Banking & Finance Review, which reflect our leadership and achievements in the region's investment banking field. We are committed to further strengthen GIB's status as a leading provider of investment banking services including financial advisory for IPOs, underwritings, mergers & acquisitions advisory, private equity placements, structuring and distribution of Sukuk and bonds as well as debt advisory services."