RIYADH, 7 April 2007 — Peninsula Seafood Restaurant organized a Taiwan seafood festival last week. More than 20 courses of traditional Taiwanese food were served at the event, which also featured Taiwanese tea, Oolung tea from Dongding area, and high mountain tea from Pear and Ali mountains, respectively. Sheng-tsung Yang of Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, described Oolung and high mountain teas as a good drink, especially after a meal, for relaxation, better digestion and long life. According to him, Taiwan teas are the best beverage for overcoming thirst, fatigue and exhaustion. The organizers distributed books and brochures in Arabic and English on Taiwan including its Islamic activities. Taiwan, which had more than 3.5 million visitors in 2006, ranked fourth in Asia and 30th in the world in tourism competitiveness, he said quoting a World Economic Forum report. (Abdul Hannan Faisal Tago)
International Seafood Festival Opens
JEDDAH, 7 April 2007 — An international seafood festival opened at Green Island restaurant here on Wednesday. “We have chefs specialized in seafood from different parts of the world who will offer some of the most authentic Chinese, Lebanese, Egyptian, Continental and Indian dishes,” Yasser Sharaf, general manager at the Green Island, told reporters on Monday. The restaurant, located on the Corniche with its fully air-conditioned guest cabins in the seawater, can host more than 400 guests at a time. The nine-day festival ends on April 12. “What makes the festival unique is it has six different international corners for seafood. Fresh fish from the Red Sea will be an attraction,” he said. The festival is free for children up to five years of age. Those between six and 11 years of age will pay half price. There will be a daily draw for prizes that include return air tickets to Indonesia, gold and perfumes, said restaurant Sales Manager Abd-El Hamid Ahmed.
New Gulf Air Chief Starts Rebuilding
BAHRAIN, 7 April 2007 — Andre Dose, a 50-year-old Swiss National and Gulf Air’s new president and chief executive, has taken up his position. An airline industry veteran with more than 30 years experience, Dose says he is relishing the challenge of reinstating Gulf Air to its rightful position as one of the world’s leading airlines. In his first week as Gulf Air’s new president and chief executive, Dose has begun the task of rebuilding the airline. “Gulf Air accounts for 70 percent of Bahrain International Airport’s traffic and we contribute $770 million to the country’s gross domestic product every year. We have ambitious plans for Gulf Air. This is a large and complex business. As a result, Vice Presidents Ahmed Al Hammadi (finance), Tariq Sultan (services) and Ali Murtada (business units), will be leaving the company shortly,” Dose added.
IHG Takes New Initiatives
JEDDAH, 7 April 2007 — InterContinental Hotels Group, described as the world’s most global hotel company, has announced a flourish of new, global HR initiatives. Chris Watson, vice president human resources, InterContinental Hotels Group, Middle East & Africa, said, “We want to stand out as a company that shows we value the individual spirit of each and every one of our employees by creating an inspiring work environment.” Three properties which are hoping to reap the benefits of the globally aligned HR practices are the group of hotels at Dubai Festival City set to open after summer 2007. With over 1,000 rooms, more than 1,200 employees from 45 countries, challenges are immense. Tom Meyer, area general manager, IHG, Dubai Festival City, believes the global approach will be a great help in recruiting the right mix of experienced people.
