SBM, the general marketing and services representative of IBM in Saudi Arabia, held road shows in Riyadh and Jeddah, highlighting advancements in the IBM eServer iSeries range. The event focused on updating customers, business partners and ISVs on using the eServer i5 to simplify IT infrastructure by reducing complexity and costs, allowing easier IT resource management; all this within a single server environment enables customers to focus more on the business aspects rather than technology requirements. The iSeries coupled with the latest POWER5 processor technology gives rise to the IBM eServer i5, part of IBM’s vision of ‘On Demand Computing.’ “The On Demand business model will help our customers address these market challenges and place their organizations at the forefront of their competitive markets,” Doug Fulmer, IBM’s worldwide sales executive — e-business infrastructure iSeries, said.
MEMAC OGILVY
Memac Ogilvy recently celebrated a major milestone for its operation in the Kingdom when it opened its new offices at Jeddah’s Suheili Plaza for business. The move follows over 19 years of operation in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam, and reflects the company’s renewed dedication to the region. Memac Ogilvy Chairman and CEO Edmond Moutran attended the ceremony accompanied by executive committee members who flew in to show their support. Over 200 partners, clients and guests were invited to commemorate the event, which was branded entirely in red as per the company’s corporate color. “Indeed we’ve created an attractive and inspirational environment that will most definitely bring forth a more dynamic and energized team.” Moutran said. Memac Ogilvy Country Manager George Laham, who has been the head of the Saudi Arabia operation, reflected on the history of the company and its outstanding growth Memac Ogilvy established its Jeddah operation in 1986 and slowly grew into one of the top communications agencies in the market now led by Rabih Khoury.
UMA/GM
The Universal Motors Agencies (UMA), one of the largest General Motors’ (GM) dealers & distributors in the Middle East, has an ongoing Ramadan campaign offering major discounts on a wide range of GM vehicles. The campaign aims to offer value deals to prospective customers. “The Ramadan offer is exceptionally attractive, since car purchase transactions can be completed without any conditional down payment. Potential buyers enjoy flexible and easy financing terms up to a period of 60 months. Furthermore, the company also offers to trade-in facility to replace pre-owned cars with brand new GM vehicles at competitive prices, UMA’s Sales & Marketing Director Saleh Naqeeb said. “The offer will last throughout Ramadan, subject to availability of stock,” he said, adding that during the period free give-away coupons valued up to SR2 million will be issued for free shopping at City Plaza and Home Plaza plus participation in lucky draws for first three prizes SR500,000, SR300,000 and SR200,000.
VCBANK
Venture Capital Bank (VCBank), described as the first dedicated Islamic venture capital investment bank, has named Abdul-Latif Janahi as CEO. Janahi, who is also a founding member of the bank, a member of its board and the executive director of its incorporating committee, brings to VCBank 24 years of experience building successful businesses including those involved in the financial services industry, real estate investment and the Islamic banking sector. He is the chairman of Oasis Middle East Holding Company, a former executive and founding member of the Islamic, Bahrain-based international investment bank. Prior to that he was senior manager of assurance and business advisory for Arthur Andersen in Bahrain, where he focused on assisting in the strategic development of numerous Islamic financial institutions during a key growth period in the industry. “With a strong track record in establishing and managing innovative businesses both within and outside the Islamic banking industry, Janahi is the ideal candidate to lead the VCBank,” Dr. Ghassan Al-Sulaiman, chairman of VCBank’s board of directors, said.
PVAXX LTD
PVAXX Ltd., a Bermuda based industrial materials corporation has closed a $25 million financing facility with Merrill Lynch, PCG (New York) that will primarily be used for the completion of the Company’s newly acquired 36 million dirhams, 100,000 sq foot “flagship” corporate headquarters, training and pilot manufacturing facility located in Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZ), UAE, which will commence operations during the first quarter of 2006. PVAXX also announced that it will continue its planning and roll-out of additional pallet manufacturing facilities scheduled to come online in Jebel Ali in the UAE, Sohar in Oman, Hidd in Bahrain, and Corpus Christi, Texas, USA toward the latter stages of 2006 and beginning of 2007. Meanwhile, the Company will continue to benefit from its Joint Venture with GAC Group, Dubai, UAE in the areas of developing, implementing and managing supply chain solutions in respect of the logistics requirements for the various PVAXX manufacturing facilities, according to company Chairman John O’Doherty.
HONEYWELL
With its 350 specialists across the Middle East, Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS), a division of Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions, has become the region’s leading supplier of advanced control technology for the oil and gas, hydrocarbon processing, power generation, refining, chemical and petrochemical industries. It has been operating in the Middle East for 30 years and has its Middle East headquarters in Abu Dhabi comprising more than 90 industry experts with regional offices in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Qatar, and Bahrain. The regional headquarters houses the sales, after-sales services and project execution departments. To help manage its growth, Honeywell has built a new integration center to verify and test clients’ systems. This technical exercise was previously performed only in the United States and Europe. Located at regional headquarters, the new center spans 1,000 sq m, in addition to the existing 230 sq m facility. The Honeywell Middle East Automation College is described as further proof of Honeywell’s increasing presence in the region.
AMADEUS
Amadeus has launched a new communication campaign using the “&” symbol to express ideas of adding value, offering more, partnership and continuity — all consistent with the growing range of technology solutions offered by the company. The travel industry knows Amadeus as the global market leader in electronic travel distribution, after nearly two decades of growth & investment. But as a true technology partner, Amadeus is working with its customers in new & unexpected ways, providing the technology solutions to enable the success of businesses right across the travel & tourism industry. “For a long time now, we at Amadeus have thought of ourselves as much more than the leading global distribution system. Now we want to tell the world about all the great and sometimes surprising things we are doing with our technology for the world’s largest industry — travel and tourism,” says Amadeus Vice President Ian Wheeler.
EXXONMOBIL
ExxonMobil Middle East Marketing Corporation (EMMEM), a marketer of premium lubricants and specialty products, held a two-day distributor professional sales process seminar (DPSPS) for its GCC distributors in Dubai recently. The seminar was aimed at aligning sales language and methodology for EMMEM’s distributor network in the Middle East. Sales managers and representatives from EMMEM’s distributor markets were among those present. “ExxonMobil continues to place great importance on the training of its work force and our distributors are an extension of our sales team. This has been a key factor in maintaining our premier position in the lubricant market,” EMMEM Chairman and CEO Michel Gouzerh said.
NCB
The National Commercial Bank (NCB) will participate as golden sponsor of the Jeddah Water and Energy Forum being held from Nov. 12-14 with the support of Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed. The forum will include the most important international companies and corporations specializing in the water and energy industry. NCB GM Abdulkareem Abu AlNasr said the bank’s sponsorship of the forum is in the context of the importance of electricity and water in the building process and the economic challenges facing the Kingdom in particular and the region in general. “The NCB encourages and supports important economic functions such as this forum, which focus on research for the sake of development of various economic sectors,” AlNasr added. In addition to the golden sponsorship, the bank is also involved in the events of the convention by participating with two research papers in the third phase titled “New Ways of Finance” by former NCB GM Abdulhadi Shayif. The papers deal with the financial challenges of large projects and how they can be dealt with. They will also discuss the traditional and Islamic ways and methods of finance for those projects from a technical perspective and how to reduce the risks involved. NCB’s Structured Finance Head Oscar Silva will also contribute a work sheet for the forum in the phase “New Ways of Finance”.
GOLINHARRIS
GolinHarris has appointed Jeremy Kirk as senior director to work on a number of accounts across the practice. With 15 years in communications, government advisory and senior consultancy positions, he brings to the table a wealth of experience and excellent credentials. “We’re very pleased to welcome Jeremy onboard. His broad corporate PR and financial sector experience adds greatly to our portfolio of expertise and we will be looking to take full advantage of this as we extend our client base,” GolinHarris Managing Director Ziad Hasbani. Jeremy came to Dubai from Thailand where he worked as a team leader and senior consultant on large telecommunication and financial sector accounts for the New Zealand-based Baldwin Boyle Group. Prior to this he was MD of the Baldwin Boyle Group’s Singapore office.
