Catalog show
Catalog show is the most effective way of promoting foreign products and services in the Kingdom, Mustaffa Kamal Sabry, secretary-general of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) said yesterday while inaugurating a two-day catalogue show on Sri Lankan products and services at the JCCI headquarters. The show which will be on display till today from 10 a.m. till 2.00 p.m. is being organized by JCCI in cooperation with the Sri Lankan Consulate in Jeddah. “The idea of such a show generated from a meeting of heads of Sri Lankan heads of missions held recently under the chairmanship of the island’s Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama in Dubai,” he said.
SAMSUNG
Samsung has launched free service campaign in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam. Trained Korean engineers visited around 450 houses after a surprise phone call offering free maintenance of air conditioners. This service reinforces Samsung’s commitment to providing exceptional maintenance and support before the summer season begins. Inamullah Butt, marketing & PR manager at Samsung Electronics in Saudi Arabia, commented: “This campaign was supervised by specialized Korean engineers and is part of our corporate social responsibility program for our society.” He also added that the lack of maintenance of air-conditioners in general, and filters cleaning in particularly can negatively affect the performance of air-conditioners, which gives much room for the growth of bacteria and this could be very harmful to one’s health.” Samsung’s Customers Service Plaza features extensive after-sales support through its state-of-the-art call center to cater for all customers needs and inquiries. Accessible on 9200 13 232, the center operates Saturday through Thursday, and closes on Fridays and Public holidays.
AL-JAZEERA
Al-Jazeera Children’s Channel was announced winner of the award for best short film production to promote the Palestinian cause for its film “Music Says...”, at the closing ceremony of the 5th Al Jazeera International Documentary Film Festival on April 16. Directed by Tunisian Elias Bakkar, the short film of 29 minutes illustrates the story of Rana and Mohammad among the children who want to express themselves in Dheisheh camp, Betlehem Palestine, and gives a glimpse into a troubled childhood under siege. “This prestigious award only pushes further our drive to promote children media to the Arab world, which comes from the core of our mission and objectives at JCC. We are glad to have taken an active part and marked major presence with three different films this year, and the award feels greatly rewarding,” said Faical Hassairi, head of Documentary Film Production Unit at Al-Jazeera Children’s Channel. “Our hopes keep growing high for the days to come.”
FIRST ENERGY
Bahrain-based First Energy Bank (FEB), the world’s first Islamic investment bank focused exclusively on the energy sector, today announced the appointment of Vahan Zanoyan as the chief executive officer of the Bank during its first year of operation. Prior to joining FEB he was chairman and CEO of PFC Energy International for four years, and president and CEO of PFC Energy for the preceding ten years. Esam Y. Janahi, chairman of the bank said: “Vahan Zanoyan’s appointment as the CEO of the bank is an important addition to the management team as the bank is in the first year of operation. His widespread knowledge coupled with more than two decades of experience in the energy sector will enable the bank to realize its long term and short term objectives. Zanoyan on his appointment said: “I am very pleased to be part of such a dynamic team and look forward to facing the challenges of the market by devising attractive investment opportunities.”
FESTIVAL CAR ART
The ongoing Festival Car Art in Dubai is a big hit. The 10-day festival, which is being held at the Festival Center of Dubai Festival City, was inaugurated on April 20. A total of 10 automobiles from main sponsor Al-Futtaim Automall have been placed in the area outside Marks & Spencer for teams to use a myriad of objects of their choice to ‘art’ up the car. Teams from Deira International School, GEMS Wellington International School, The Westminster School and Emirates International School have shown tremendous excitement at the opportunity to participate in this ‘cartistic’ gathering. Companies such as Rage, Virgin Megastore, jamjar, Crowne Plaza Hotel and Four Seasons Golf Club are also participating.
MOBILY
Bayanat Al-Oula, a subsidiary of Mobily, has launched a new WiFi-enabled WiMAX router for its Broadband@Home, according to a statement issued by the company. The new device can easily be installed and configured by anyone with basic technical ability, says the company. Furthermore, the router allows users to easily set it up when they move homes , as users can simply pick it up and take it with them wherever they go, thanks to its plug-and-play feature, which does away with wiring and the need to install and run configuration software. Groups of users can connect through the router at the same time using WiFi on their laptops and PCs. The router itself supports speeds of up to two megabits per second (Mbps).
HANCO
Hanco, a premier company of fleet leasing and car rental services, has been ranked 45th in the 2009 Saudi Fast Growth 100 List. In the transportation industry, the company has been ranked No. 1 as the fastest growing company in the Kingdom, according to Shahzad Hameed Anwar Ali, CEO of Hanco-Al-Tala’a International Transportation Company Limited. “The management is also proud to announce that its five-year growth plan launched in 2004 has been successful and now the 2nd five-year plan is being launched for 2009-2013 with even higher aspirations,” said Ali. Based on Hanco’s strong brand presence, Bin Sulaiman Holding Company acquired Hanco’s operations in 2004 and launched it under the umbrella of Al Tala’a International Transportation Company.
Planet Group
The insight and resourcefulness of the visionary and owner Georges Moussa has built a niche for Planet Group. As one of the top destination management companies in the UAE, the group is well-positioned not only in the UAE but has travel offices in Levant, Lebanon, Europe, CIS and the Far East. Its roots go back to 1989. With its first steps in travel and tourism, Planet Travel & Tours established many milestones, including its firsts in many areas of travel — inbound, tours & safaris, hotels as well as general sales agent to several airlines, all of which will be represented at the Arabian Travel Market 2009. Planet Travel & Tours is known for its travel wing having many entities which complement each other. Keeping in line with the growing demand for leisure tourism, Planet Travel & Tours has a brand new camp. Says Georges Moussa, “The camp has been built on 100,000 sq. ft. land which can accommodate 700-800 people easily. All the 13 Arabic style tents are made from the best materials in different shapes preserving the Arabic culture. A special two floors tent has been prepared for couples. It can accommodate 10 people on the second floor while guests enjoy a special view of the camp from all sides. Another camp can accommodate approximately 80-100 people with a private buffet table. The icon of the camp will be two heritage towers with walls at the entrance and a big water fall and many palm trees.” To complement the needs of the inbound tourism industry in the UAE, Planet Group’s hotel property Arabian Courtyard Hotel and Spa is significantly located in the historic Bastakiya area of Old Dubai. The four-star leisure property has won several awards for “Best 4-Star Leisure” and “Fine Dining Experience.” Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa has once again been nominated for MENA Awards 2009. The group will soon launch its first flagship property, Planet Hotel in Danat Abu Dhabi.
