Pizza Inn, which has 50 outlets across the Kingdom and Qatar, has announced a unique value offer. The “Three Medium Pizza+Pepsi” for SR69, claimed to be the first of its kind offer in the Middle East, is there for a limited period, said Khusru Mistry, general manager of United Food Company (a member of Abdulla Abunayyan group), in Riyadh yesterday. “Today marks a very special day for Pizza Inn,” said Mistry, while launching this new promotion in Saudi Arabia. It marks the beginning of a new chapter in the story of Pizza Inn, said the Pizza Inn chief, adding that the Pizza Inn brand has endured many years of challenges, which led to its massive expansion in the Kingdom. “We have managed to find our way back in the spotlight as we have also been named as ‘Pizza Chain of the Year 2008’ by Pizza Marketplace,” he said. “With a growing population of 25 million people, and strong budget projections for next year, we are excited to continue growing with our brands in Saudi Arabia,” said Raj Shah, Pizza Inn’s regional head for marketing. He said that the launch also coincides with Pizza Inn’s celebration of its 50th anniversary. Pizza Inn, headquartered in Dallas, US, opened its first outlet in 1958. In Saudi Arabia the Pizza Inn legacy started in 1991 under the aegis of United Food Company. Referring to the expansion plan of Pizza Inn, Shah said: “We are also working round-the-clock to assist franchisees in opening more locations in the MENA region and Asia.”
Rubaiyat Home
Rubaiyat RTW & Accessory, a major company in fashion and home furnishings in Saudi Arabia, has relaunched its chain of luxury home furniture stores in Saudi Arabia, which includes international brands under the name of Rubaiyat Home. Rubaiyat Fashion Designer Lifestyle & Home is an extension of the series of successes of Rubaiyat retail businesses. “Rubaiyat Home tends to be the only establishment that offers a complete solution for home furnishing as it tenders all the basic interior elements as furniture, linen, tableware and home accessories,” a company executive said. Rubaiyat RTW & Accessory was founded in 1986 by Binzagr family, one of Saudi Arabia’s major commercial dynasties, and remains in family ownership to this day. Rubaiyat RTW & Accessory employs more than 400 employees of various nationalities who were subject to many training courses at B&B Italia, a major Italian company in the world of contemporary furnishings since its founding in 1966. Through its trend to represent various famous brands, Rubaiyat Home got the dealership of B&B Italia, which is specialized in the production of stylish modern high quality furnishings that reflect the contemporary culture and modern trends in the world of home furnishings. B&B Italia’s success is based on a matchless alchemy of restiveness, innovation and industrial skills, aimed at producing “timeless products lasting through time,” he added. Rubaiyat Home claims to be the exclusive dealer of Maxalto Collection.
Emerson
Emerson celebrated the opening of its new regional headquarters in Dubai on Monday. Emerson’s chairman, chief executive officer, and president, was in the Middle East this week in connection with the facility opening and to meet with senior executives of the oil and gas companies in Qatar and Kuwait, and with government officials in Qatar to review Emerson’s ongoing investment plans in those areas. Emerson also has resident personnel in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi serving major customers and projects in those areas. In its fiscal 2008, Emerson posted sales of $868 million in the Middle East region. The company hopes to surpass $1billion in the region in the near future. “The Middle East continues to be a strong market for Emerson technologies and services, and we see increasing opportunities to expand our presence in the months and years ahead,” Farr said. “We are making investments in the region now, in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and in Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
SOCPA
The Saudi Organization for Certified Public Accountants (SOCPA) will organize the 2nd Saudi International Accounting Conference at Riyadh InterContinental Hotel in the capital from March 29-31. “The conference aims to elucidate the important role played by accounting and auditing profession in the promotion of economic elements and its institutions, and the enhancement of the role of the profession to control the work of different types of enterprises,” Dr. Ahmed ibn Abdullah Al-Moghames, secretary general of the SOCPA, said. The event will also provide adequate information to decision makers at various institutions, and protect the interests of shareholders and the rights of their clients. The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) has chosen the Saudi Organization for Certified Public Accountants among top 16 global accounting organizations that world can benefit from their experiences in the development of accounting and auditing profession.
LG
LG Electronics (LG) has once again proven to be a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics at this year’s CES show held in Las Vegas, Nevada, earlier this month. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) recognized LG’s excellence in design and technology with 14 prestigious CES 2009 Innovations Awards, including the CES 2009 Best of Innovations honors in the wireless handset and home appliances categories. In all, LG was honored in seven highly competitive categories — video displays, video components, home theater speakers, wireless communications, home appliances, computer accessories and audio components. “With more than 80 CES Innovations Awards over the past six years, LG is proud of the recognition for its innovation and design excellence,” said K.W. Kim, CEO of LG Electronics Middle East and Africa Regional Company. “These honors underscore how LG is enhancing consumers’ lives with products that combine intelligent features,” he added.
STC
Saudi Telecom Company (STC) participated in the Jeddah Real Estate, Finance and Residential Exhibition, which was held from Jan. 5-9. Ibrahim Ketjana, Jeddah vice governor for construction and projects affairs, opened the show. Ketjana visited STC’s display stand and expressed his appreciation of the role that the company plays in serving Saudi society by developing and utilizing the latest technologies to provide the most advanced services. The STC team introduced Ketjana to the model districts program for executing telecommunication infrastructure network, which is being carried out by the company’s network sector. The program is being currently implemented to provide new property development sites with integrated telecommunication services and includes provision for future network expansion. To date, STC has signed a total of 170 agreements to establish telecommunications networks for property development projects in cities across the Kingdom.
GM
General Motors (GM) opened the North American International Auto Show with a road rally of 16 new and upcoming cars and crossovers, including four global premieres, that underscores GM’s ongoing commitment to emotionally compelling design, leading fuel efficiency and advanced technology. In addition to the four world premieres — the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox, 2010 Cadillac SRX, 2010 Buick LaCrosse and Cadillac Converj concept — Chevrolet said it would produce and bring to the United States the highly fuel-efficient Spark four-door mini car and seven-seat Orlando multipurpose vehicle. The production version of the Spark will be unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show in March. Sales of Spark will begin in early 2010 in Europe, followed by other global regions. Originally seen as the Chevrolet Beat concept, the car drew nearly two million consumer votes asking GM to build it. Spark, together with a production version of the Orlando show car, will hit US showrooms in 2011, said GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner.
GMR
Just six months ago, Dubai’s property sector was making the headlines around the world. The emirate’s seemingly endless swath of luxurious developments, groundbreaking “iconic” buildings and record sell-outs at landmark prices had made Dubai the epicenter of real estate. But now, the bloodletting, at the moment mainly limited to real estate and a few other sectors, is likely to spread across industries in the region. And everyone is preparing for leaner and much meaner times, according to an online survey conducted recently using Gulf Marketing Review’s (GMR) database and a further 121 respondents from the GCC’s marketing sector. For a better understanding of how this will affect the region’s marketers, GMR teamed up with Raee PR, Partnership Advertising and TNS to ask the region’s marketers how they felt the crisis was likely to impact their businesses in 2009. The respondents were contacted between Nov. 15 and Dec. 10. Unsurprisingly, 86.8 percent of respondents felt that demand for goods and services is likely to fall in 2009.
