kika
Offering the “Highest quality at the best price,” is the principal motto of kika, which has opened its showrooms in Riyadh and Dhahran, kika General Manager Jean Marc said in Riyadh recently. “Kika offers a large collection of furniture and home accessories and end-to-end solutions ranging from décor planning to delivery and installation, all under one roof,” Marc said, adding that after the successful opening of kika in Riyadh at the Gallery Mall in November last year, a new showroom opened three weeks ago in Dhahran which signals the companies ambitious program to open more showrooms elsewhere in the Kingdom and also in Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt. Located at the Mall of Dhahran, the new kika showroom provides convenient access from Dammam, Alkhobar, Dhahran and Bahrain with a huge parking area. The showroom also provides a restaurant with 250 seats along with a fun park for kids, and a furniture area reflecting new trends and another for home accessories. Both the facilities have warehouse facilities. Dhahran kika showroom displays more than 18,000 items, 40 leading European Brands and unique products. Also on offer at kika are interior design consulting, home delivery, assembling, and kitchen planning, plumbing and electrical installations. The first kika store opened in 1973 in Austria with a revolutionary idea: The time has arrived for the customers to pick up and assemble their furniture themselves. The kika has 63 outlets in Europe, said Lars Lund, country sales manager.
Tameer Towers
The iconic Tameer Towers project in Abu Dhabi has received six prestigious accolades from the CNBC Arabian Property Awards 2008, befitting the project’s status as a landmark development at Shams Abu Dhabi on Al-Reem Island. The iconic mixed-use development is Tameer’s flagship project in the capital city. Its unique and innovative design, premium location, and extensive amenities, have earned it honors in all its six entries in this year’s regional property awards, these being Best Development — Abu Dhabi, Best Property — Abu Dhabi, Best Architecture (Multiple Units) — Abu Dhabi, Best High-rise Architecture- Abu Dhabi, Best High-rise Developments — Abu Dhabi and Best Developer Website — Abu Dhabi. Tameer Towers won honors in each of the categories into which it was entered, having competed against a multitude of other outstanding developments. Entries were judged by a panel of experts. Managing Director of Tameer Abu Dhabi, Dr. Abdallah Shaaban, said: “Tameer Towers was developed to exceed the expectations of the most discerning of individuals and the multi-award win, as deliberated by a panel of the most seasoned of realty experts, is proof that it has surely raised the bar as a truly exceptional iconic masterpiece. We are confident that the next two honors to be bestowed on Tameer Towers will relate to customer satisfaction and to the delivery of the highest quality product on time.” CEO of Tameer, Abdallah Hageali, said the multi-award bestowal is tribute to the status of the iconic development as a landmark, renowned globally for its stature and standing as modern masterpiece.
Giordano
Giordano Junior has launched its new summer collection for kids in the 2-14 age group. The latest line is designed around a sports theme, using bold and vibrant colors to energize kids during the summer months. Ishwar Chugani, executive director of Giordano, said: “Kids of this generation are fashion-conscious and selective; this fresh summer collection matches their style preference. It is a colorful and refreshing line that compliments kids’ energetic and free spirits.” Kids can play, race and get active with Giordano Junior summer collection. Looking cool and appealing is guaranteed with the new range inspired by sports. It includes big bold striped polos, sporty printed tees that can be easily matched with cool skaters and denims. For energetic boys, the new collection offers different styles in sports wear influenced by soccer, cycling and retro themes. T-shirts, tanks and trainer style jackets can also be found with stripes or subtle static prints, which can be stylishly coordinated with colored and printed pants. To add punch to the athletic look, the new Giordano Junior line includes striped jerseys and vests that can create a cool look for the summer months. The color theme consists of beautiful red, orange, yellow, pink and green; rainbow colors which can be found in several styles and forms balancing with the kids’ joyful and full of life characters. Girls can also enjoy the sporty look of the Giordano Junior collection with striped polos and tanks. Colorful belts, caps and stripped socks among its new summer accessories.
Realty Capital
Realty Capital Middle East FZ LLZ has announced that sales of i-Rise, the 37-story curvilinear commercial tower under construction in Tecom Site-C, have exceeded 60 percent, following the introduction of an attractive payment plan in May 2008. “The new payment schedule certainly triggered our sales revenue; boosted by the fact that investors feel comfortable investing with us due to our strong shareholder network. Furthermore, i-Rise’s strategic location in Dubai’s future business hub, coupled with its advanced engineering and architectural elements harmonize the needs of investors and end users,” said Marwan Mansour, CEO of Realty Capital. “The early sales success of i-Rise demonstrates its appeal to sophisticated and demanding investors and end users alike from both the local and international markets,” he added. Construction on i-Rise continues rapidly, as the preparation for casting of the first basement slab begins. On completion, it will feature executive and corporate offices, 19 high-speed elevators, restaurants, coffee shops, retail space, a fitness center, a helipad, and a multi-story car park in a uniquely treated podium facade. With a total area of 1.8 million square feet, i-Rise will be one of the region’s largest business towers. Realty Capital Middle East FZ LLC is a strategic partnership between Rasmala Investments, a regional investment bank headquartered in Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) with subsidiaries in Riyadh, Cairo, Muscat and London; and Khayyat Investments, a prominent UAE group with a wide range of activities in the UAE and the region.
Emirates Sunland
Emirates Sunland Group, project managers for White Bay, a luxurious seaside community on the pristine Umm Al -Quwain coastline, has announced that a contract for the development of villas is due to be awarded within the next month. Once the contract has been awarded, construction will commence immediately. Construction works at White Bay are already well underway with the site now completely surveyed and foundation works for the first villas commenced. The first island and retainment wall are also under way. White Bay, a $3 billon project under development by Al Murjan Real Estate, is a master-planned residential community built around two islands. Thus far, all released stages of the development have been completely sold out. Costas Alexandrou, project manager for White Bay, said, “Umm Al-Quwain is naturally beautiful, with White Bay offering its residents luxury resort-style living with a community feel at an attractive price. The fact that White Bay is only a 45 minute drive from central Dubai makes the development incredibly appealing — residents will have access to one of the most natural environments on the Arabian Gulf, while still being within range of the UAE’s business hub. A number of purchasers have already decided they will live in White Bay and commute to Dubai, while others have bought their property to use as a ‘weekend retreat’.” White Bay offers something for everyone, Alexandrou added. “The clear, tranquil waters surrounding the development make it a perfect destination for water sports such as diving, fishing and sailing, and the array of outdoor cafes, restaurants, shopping boutiques and entertainment ensure that there will be something to suit all ages and tastes.”
Isuzu
Abdullatif Alissa Automotive Co., the authorized dealer for Isuzu Motors in the Kingdom, last week launched its first exclusive Isuzu vehicles showroom in the Kingdom, in Riyadh. The new showroom covers an area of 1050 square meters on Makkah Road. Abdulmohsen ibn Abdullatif Alissa, chairman of Abdullatif Alissa Holding Group, inaugurated the new showroom. He said: “The opening of the new Isuzu showroom represents an essential stage of our strategic expansion plan.” At the beginning of 2008, Isuzu Motors introduced the new E Class and C Class heavy-duty trucks in the Kingdom with a net loading capacity of 20 tons and 40 tons respectively. The new trucks were met with huge demand from the heavy-duty trucks users. All trucks from this segment in stock have been sold out, and have attracted sold-out future orders over the next six months. Shintaro Mochizuki, president of Isuzu Operations (Thailand) Co., said, “We surpassed our competitors in the Kingdom in 2007 and became number two in the share of the total pick-up market in this country. D-Max especially has increased its share in the diesel pick-up segment very rapidly and reached 73 percent last year. Masanori Inue, GM, Isuzu Motors-Middle East, said that Isuzu’s market share of light duty trucks reached 80 percent in 2008, and hope to increase it to 90 percent, as our vehicles are the best in reliability, quality, durability, fuel efficiency, and their technology.”
