JEDDAH, 5 July 2003 — Crowne Plaza Jeddah hosted a Chinese food festival, with Chinese Consul general Du Hongbin cutting the ribbon to mark the opening last week. The festival featured the most authentic Chinese cuisine from various parts of China, cooked and prepared by Chinese chefs at the hotel’s Orchid Chinese restaurant. The event also highlighted the restaurant’s introductory offer of a newly introduced menu at the restaurant that includes a number of appetizers, soups, desserts and beverages with a selection of main courses. The courses include prawn with black bean and garlic, fish in brown sauce, sweet and sour chicken, chicken in hot pepper, beef in black pepper, mixed chili sauce prawns, sweet and sour fish fillet, crispy chicken, beef in oyster sauce, chicken with dry garlic and chili, crispy shredded potatoes, mixed fried vegetables, Yangzhou fried rice and fried mixed noodle or a choice of special menu for an occasion, gathering or outside catering. Hotel general manager Thomas Schmelter and restaurant manager Abdullah Manalastas hosted the event.
Jeddah’s Haret Can Yama Can Unravels
JEDDAH, 5 July 2003 — Is it a restaurant, museum or a handicraft center? “In fact, it’s a restaurant with a new concept,” says Lubna Khairy Kannan, a businesswoman who manages Haret Can Yama Can restaurant in Al-Hamra district. “Although it’s a café and restaurant, it’s much more than that to lure people and take a tour around its handicrafts center where workers are engaged in pottery and woodwork, and an exhibition that displays some of the best antiques in town,” she said. Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry chairman Adel Faqeeh and some of the leading businessmen and restaurateurs were among the guests who were given a reception at the venue last week, to celebrate its official opening. “While you take your breakfast, lunch or dinner with your family, you may make your own selection of handicraft or pots and even get your names etched onto them,” she said. The restaurant serves dishes of Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan by authentic chefs from those countries amid traditional decor and Arabic ambiance. “My interest in art and decoration prompted me into this field,” said Lubna.
Gulf Air, Olympic Airways Sign Code Share Pact
JEDDAH, 5 July 2003 — Gulf Air and Olympic Airways are to cooperate on daily code shared services to Sydney starting Nov. 23. A memorandum of understanding and a code share agreement ratifying the venture were signed at Olympic Airways headquarters in Athens during a two-day visit by a senior Gulf Air delegation last week, Gulf Air’s Jeddah office said. “’We stopped operating to Australia as it did not prove to be cost-effective for Olympic Airways at the time. However, we continued our research to find commercially viable ways to reinstate services to Australia and serve the needs of the Greek community there,” said Dionissios Kalophonos, chairman and CEO, in signing the agreement on behalf of Olympic Airways. “We’ve the pleasure in announcing the inauguration of the new code share agreement to Australia. Our agreement with Gulf Air will enhance the reach of our network and meet the requirements of our customers,” he said. The schedule has been structured to offer passengers from Gulf and Mediterranean countries the shortest, most convenient flights to and from Australia with excellent connections, explained James Hogan, Gulf Air’s president and chief executive, and signatory to the agreement. In terms of the code share agreement, Gulf Air will operate non-stop daily services between Athens and Bahrain to give passengers from Greece a brief connection of just over an hour to the Sydney service, which is routed via Singapore.
Attar Travel Commits to Professionalism
JEDDAH, 5 July 2003 — Attar Group chairman Sami Mehmood Attar presided a meeting of staff in the Jeddah region, which dealt with the restructuring of the organization and amending policies and procedures to give equality to all staff based on their performance and achievements. “This is a move toward motivating staff and those who were deprived of their rights in the past,” Attar said and stressed that loyalty was the best policy and every staff member proven to be loyal to the company would be rewarded. “The company, the pioneer of travel trade for over 50 years, will strive toward achieving complete professionalism in the travel industry,” he said and announced modifications in the company’s health insurance policy that will benefit all staff members. Attar Travel’s Western Province manager Aruveettil Alawi highlighted issues and problems that needed urgent attention. Travel Division general manager Eijaz Khan said although the travel industry was going through a tough time, teamwork and mutual understanding could lead to success.
