The National Commercial Bank recently held the graduation of 30 young Saudi women who attended a training program. The graduates attained the basic qualification for cosmetology and hair styling through a course on “art of beauty,” one of the courses of the Al-Ahli Productive Family Program. The program aims to help women who come from underprivileged families to acquire various skills so that they can become self-dependent and gain financial security. The charitable Foundation of Al-Nahda in Riyadh held the course. It is an extension of the efforts to support the underprivileged families and work toward imparting skills among women, NCB’s Community Service Unit head Mahmoud Turkistani said. Following the two-month course, the graduates will receive on job training at various hair salons run by women. The bank will also present every graduate with a complete beauty kit to help her start her career as a beauty specialist.
NESCAFE
The consumption of Nescafe in the Middle East increased to 1.3 billion cups in 2005 - an annual growth of 15 percent, according to Nestle, a global food and beverage company. Beverage consumption studies commissioned by Nestlé Middle East in the GCC and the Levant show that instant soluble coffee’s share of “throat” has grown five times from what it was in 2000. Nescafe leads the category with 88 percent market share in the GCC. Nestlé has been promoting the consumption of coffee in the Middle East since the 1950s. “When we formally introduced Nescafe to the region, the consumption of tea and the ubiquitous cardamom-infused ‘qahwah’ was prevalent. Today, Nescafe soluble coffee is indeed becoming a hot beverage of choice for the young Middle Eastern generations”, said Assaad Bou-Jawdeh, senior brand & OOH operations manager, Nescafe, Nestlé Middle East. Currently around 4,000 cups of Nescafe are consumed every second around the globe.
ALHAMRANI/TATA
In its zest to enhance Saudization, Mohamed A. Alhamrani & Inter-trade Co. Ltd., the sole distributor of Tata vehicles in the Kingdom, has initiated a special technical training program for young Saudis. The first batch of students recently underwent intensive training in various automobile mechanics including diesel engine, electrical, air-conditioning as well as general repair. In a bid to make available specialized Saudi manpower, Alhamrani Co. is also sending its trainees to Tata Motors Training Center in western Indian city of Pune where the manufacturing of most Tata vehicles is done. The first batch comprising 10 Saudi students is already in India undergoing specialized training. With the successful completion of training, Alhamrani will absorb the students at various service centers across the Kingdom. Alhamrani Inter-trade Co. CEO Ahmed Dakhil said the program would make available trained Saudi youth to service Tata vehicles and reduce dependency on foreign manpower. Tata is also set to launch its passenger cars - Indica hatchback, Indigo sedan and Marina station wagon soon in the Saudi market.
DTC
Diamond Trading Company, a supplier of natural diamonds worldwide has announced Rayana as a brand new concept in opulent diamond jewelry design created specifically for the Middle East woman. “Rayana is a new inspiration for the region’s jewelry designers. The design concept from DTC reflects the growing trend among Arab women who want to be the center of attention with their individuality,” says DTC Gulf Market’s Marketing Director Jonathan Chippindale, Marketing Director. The concept of Rayana is based on extensive consumer and design trend research that says Arab women want to emphasize the abundance of diamonds in their jewelry pieces. Its sets contain more diamonds and less gold. Its diamond sets comprise a ring, a necklace, a bracelet and a pair of earrings as well as a pair of cufflinks for men.
EXTRA
Extra (United Electronics Company) opened a new branch in Taif recently. The newest branch has beefed up Extra’s presence in the Kingdom, along with its three branches in Riyadh, and one each in Jeddah, Dammam and Abha. The company intends to open its 8th outlet in Makkah soon and plans to open a new branch every two months, said Abdullah Bin Abdul Latif Al-Fozan, MD, Mohamed Abdul Latif Al-Fozan Company — owner of the United Electronics Company. “The new branch comes in the general framework of the company’s eagerness to be present in various cities of the Kingdom and provide best services through Extra facilities,” he added. Osama Boukhary, Extra’s marketing general manager, said: “The branches provide integrated solutions to clients, from after-sales service to educating them on the importance of various products and even show them how to use such products. What’s more, Extra offers significant competitive prices as well, he added.
