Ibrahim Yassin, a teacher based in Tabuk, is the first winner of MBC1’s Ramadan quiz show “Horouf Wa Olouf.” Ibrahim received his 2006 Ford Focus from Al Jazirah Vehicles Agencies Co. (AJVA), the Kingdom’s Ford and Lincoln importer-dealer. All viewers of this game show who answered three general knowledge questions correctly in the SMS home viewers game, go into a weekly draw to win the all-new European Ford Focus. After seven years and four million sales worldwide, the 2006 1.6-liter (119hp) Ford Focus exceeds expectations for a C-segment vehicle. It has the lowest levels of noise, vibration and harshness in its class, the widest body in its class, and for the first time in a Ford Focus, the 4-speed automatic has Durashift transmission. The Focus has won more than 60 awards since its international debut in 1998. It is the first car in the industry to receive both European car-of-the-year and North American car-of- the-year awards. It has secured a top standing in car and driver’s “10 best” list for five consecutive years, and more recently was selected as car-of-the-year and best compact family car by UK’s Auto Express. In Saudi Arabia, the Focus family includes the 4-door sedan, 5-door hatchback and station wagon models, and features four trim levels: Ambiente, Trend, Sport, and Ghia available with 5-speed manual or 4-speed Durashift transmissions.
SAUDI ARAMCO-ACTIVCARD
ActivCard(r) Corp., a global provider of identity assurance solutions for enterprises, governments, healthcare and financial services, has announced it signed new customer Saudi Aramco, a fully integrated international petroleum company with the world’s largest oil reserves, in conjunction with ActivCard partner Al Jol IT, a leading Middle East technology services firm. Saudi Aramco will deploy the ActivCard Enterprise Access Card solution, in the form of a USB key, to over 45,000 employees worldwide. “We were looking for a complete security solution: One that would improve our employee’s experience and save time by managing multiple applications online, and one that would smoothly integrate with our physical access control environment,” said Dr. Ibrahim Mishari, chief information officer at Saudi Aramco. “With ActivCard, we found not only just that, but a solution that lowers our total cost of ownership, fits with our IT environment, and provides us with a future-proof infrastructure enterprise-wide.””For ActivCard, this marks a strategic milestone since our acquisition of Protocom Development Systems in August 2005,” said Marc Hudavert, vice president and general manager of ActivCard Europe. “Our customers keep telling us that they would like to see the functionalities of our Enterprise Access Card with single sign-on technology to create a highly secure solution that would dramatically improve the productivity and user experience of their workforce.”
JOTUN PAINTS
Jotun Paints has launched an online professional’s network. The network, described as the Middle East’s first, aims to bring together architects, interior designers and consultants, and provide them a platform for sharing professional ideas and insights. “The site will promote a closer understanding of industry professionals, their requirements in particular,” Deepak Pai, marketing manager, Jotun Saudia Co. Ltd., said. “The objective is to create a secure platform for discussion. Useful information, industry happenings and product news will ensure the site is treated as a resource by professionals,” he added. Registration is free and can be managed online once registered. Members can access a wide range of information and communicate freely with their peers. Showcasing projects, sharing references, and revealing the latest trends will be among the highlights.
GM
General Motors (GM) Middle East continued its exceptional sales growth through the third quarter (Q3) of 2005, with sales of 30,702 units for the three-month period, an increase of 33 percent over figures recorded in the same period in 2004. September was GM’s 23rd consecutive record month of sales in the region and brings total Middle East sales till the end of Q3 to 83,073, a 35 percent growth over the equivalent nine months in 2004. GM’s robust performance in the third quarter of 2005 was led by strong growth across almost all markets. Volume markets Saudi Arabia and Kuwait continued their domination of regional sales figures, seeing increases of 79 percent and 68 percent respectively over the same period in 2004. Oman and Qatar recorded an outstanding 137 percent increase in sales over 2004 figures, while the UAE tracked an 86 percent sales increase and the Levant 84 percent. “Our continued success is driven not only by the expansion of our largest markets, but the growing recognition and acceptance of our brands - particularly Chevrolet and Cadillac. The growth witnessed this year is proof that we’re tracking well to realizing our goal of becoming the region’s market leader,” GM Middle East MD Terry Johnsson said.
AXA
AXA Insurance has announced the launch of Shareplan 2005, which offers its eligible employees the opportunity to invest in shares of the global AXA group at a 20 percent discount to the trading price. The subscription price was determined on Oct. 21 at 22.58 euros. Employees will be offered the share at 18.07 euros. “Attesting to its longstanding commitment to employee stock ownership, AXA has offered the group’s employees the opportunity to become shareholders for over a decade,” said Didier Boussemart, CEO, AXA Insurance in the GCC. “Over and above the program’s financial aspects, including its attractive terms of investment, Shareplan unites the organization’s stakeholders around a set of shared objectives, giving individuals a heightened sense of belonging to a community of shared interests. The 2005 offering, which is open until Nov. 15, is taking place in 28 countries, including AXA’s local operations in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and the UAE and will involve more than 90,000 employees worldwide.
