UPC
United Properties Company (UPC) is taking part in Riyadh Real Estate Exhibition, which opened at the Riyadh International Exhibition Center on Sunday and will run until Friday. “We are thrilled to be part of this exhibition. Our team presents our completed projects that demonstrate our company’s capabilities, which include design, market research, mall marketing, leasing and tenant mix as well as development, shopping mall, property and facilities management, in addition to accounting and financial services,” UPC’s Retail Department Vice President Mohammed Alawi said. UPC is showcasing a number of its major projects that will shake cities throughout the Kingdom, including Aliat Al-Madina Mall in Madinah and Dana Mall in Yanbu, UPC CEO Mark Ruffley said.
CASTROL
Castrol has announced the relaunch of the “Castrol brand” in Saudi Arabia, with an array of new products based on its new ‘Liquid engineering’ theme. The new positioning, articulated as Castrol is more than just oil,” the spokesman for the company told a press conference in Jeddah on Saturday. “It will contemporize the brand to connect more powerfully with its target audience and make it even more relevant for today’s consumers and customers,” he said. While Castrol has been in the Kingdom for over 15 years, the boom in automotive sector has added tremendous growth in just the last three years. Castrol expects doubling up the numbers of its consumers in the next five years, he said. As a new breed of consumers evolves, Castrol needs to be proactive and change to meet their new demands.
SIT
Saudi Information Technology, one of the leading IT solutions and service providers in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has received the Saudi Customer Satisfaction award for the second consecutive year from Cisco Systems. This award recognizes SIT’s consistent and dedicated approach to offering the best customer service possible. By relentlessly driving a truly customer centric strategy, SIT has distinguished itself amongst the top performing companies for customer satisfaction and leads the field in transforming customer requirements into high quality business solutions. “We are delighted with this award,” said Emad Aoudah Al-Aoudah, general manager, SIT, “Our aim is to achieve a reputation for legendary service and satisfaction, creating a win-win relationship with our customers and this award is testament to our commitment.”
TANMIYAT/GENSLER
International consultants Gensler & Associates has won a design contract for the Residential Legends owned by Tanmiyat Investment Group that is located in Dubai Land with a cost in excess of AED7 billion. The development consists of five commercial towers, five luxury hotel apartments and 12 residential towers, as well as 500 villas including 50 uniquely lavish villas consisting of five bedrooms, 150 luxury villas that also consist of five bedrooms and 200 four-bedroom villas. The tower flats will be categorized into 2, 3 and 4 bedroom-studios and penthouses. The development also includes a golf court and a number of services and amenities to stand as a distinctive architectural landmark in Dubai Land, according to Tanmiyat’s deputy DG Abdullah ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Majid
BEMCO
Arabian Bemco Contracting Company, a company specialized in construction of industrial and power projects, signed a bank facilities agreement for $643 million in a club deal structure with five banks to finance the Power Plant PP9 — Block C&D in Riyadh. The Saudi Electricity Company also singed a $688.9 million contract for engineering procurement and construction (EPC) with Jeddah-based Arabian Bemco to expand and upgrade the capacity at its ninth electricity station complex in Riyadh. This is the second expansion that was awarded to Arabian Bemco for PP9 project. Bemco CEO Henry Sarkissian, Samba Financial Group Regional Manager Anees Moumina, Banque Saudi Fransi Regional Manager Mazen Tamimi, Taher Al-Dabbagh, GM, Western Area, Saudi Hollandi Bank, Gulf International Bank’s country head Ala’a Al-Jabri and National Commercial Bank’s regional head Yahya Al-Sarraj signed the accord in Beirut.
NIVEA BEAUTE
Shahida Shuttari, a student of Preston University in Ajman, is the winner of the recent Design School Competition organized by Nivea Beaute across the region. Students competed against each other to design a uniform for Nivea Beaute beauty consultants. Shahida was awarded $1,000 by Nivea Beaute in recognition of her creative skills and artistic talent. The decision of the winning entry was based on various parameters that were laid down by the judging panel prior to the competition. The student’s university was also awarded a trophy for educational excellence. “It’s a moment of great pride for us to know that a student from our institute has been selected to win this award,” said Preston University Director General R. H. Hussain. “I’m extremely pleased to receive the award,” said Shahida.
PHILIPS
Philips will focus its attention on healthcare, lifestyle and consumer products as part of its strategy to position itself strongly in the Saudi market. “ Our company has achieved a rate of growth averaging 10 to 15 percent annually, while overall the annual revenue stands at 30 billion euros,” Fridus Vest, chief executive officer of Philips for Turkey, Middle East and Caucacus, and Louis Hakim, chief executive officer of Philips Electronics Middle East and Africa, told Arab News recently in a joint interview. Both the executives said they saw a good potential for growth in view of the construction boom triggered by its surging population and the planned development of King Abdullah Economic City. “The Kingdom’s young population will always be in need of consumer electronic products, while the senior citizens will require healthcare products that enhance the “feel good” factor. The construction industry, on the other hand, will provide a big market for our lighting products. Each of these segments are handled by our respective distributors who are well-connected at various levels,” Vest said.
OMNIYAT PROPERTIES
Omniyat Properties, the real estate development arm of the two-billion-dirham Almasa Holdings, has initiated work on its first project in Dubai, a AED507 million freehold commercial tower in the Business Bay master development on Sheikh Zayed Road. Announcing this in Dubai yesterday, Omniyat Properties said it had appointed Dutco Balfour Beatty, a joint venture between the renowned British contracting company Balfour Beatty and the Dubai Transport Company (Dutco) as the contractor for the first package of construction of its debut project, which will be known as One Business Bay. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on the site of One Business Bay between Interchanges 1 and 2 on Sheikh Zayed Road. A giant replica of the building was erected on the site.
