DALLAH/TRANE
The Saudi Chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) met last week at the Sheraton Dammam for a seminar organized jointly by TRANE and Dallah Trading Company. The seminar focused on the impact and concerns of the current refrigerants being used by HVAC industry on the environment and how it would have a global effect in the future. Mohammed Fouda, business development leader, TRANE , Dubai, was the key speaker at the seminar and presented in detail the main environmental concerns of the HVAC industry. According to him, a balanced approach to refrigerant selection is the best way to protect the environment — taking into consideration five main elements that are ozone depletion, global warming, energy efficiency, short atmospheric life and low pressure, which would in turn lead to low tendency for leakage. He added that for both environmental and economic benefits, when selecting the right refrigerant for the right application, main focus should be to choose the one with the highest possible energy efficiency and the lowest refrigerant emissions.
FPMI-AGC
The Project Management Institute — Arabian Gulf Chapter (PMI-AGC) recently held a technical presentation for its members at the InterContinental Alkhobar. The event was attended by a number of PMI-AGC members. Titled “Critical Chain Project Management — a Proven Method for Dramatically Improving Project Performance,” it was conducted by Henry Kunkel of Boeing who is credited for the successful implementation of critical chain project management (CCPM) in many of Boeing projects, including some of the space shuttle projects funded by NASA. CCPM is a scientific method in managing projects and was introduced in the late 1990s. Numerous studies prove that CCPM methods help finishing projects within a planned budget and timetable, while projects managed in traditional methods usually exceed both budget and timetable, and in some cases they are cancelled before completion. Ibrahim L. Khader, president, PMI-Saudi Arabia branch, welcomed the guests while Mohammad Al-Hammad, president, PMI-AGC, outlined the importance of the presentation.
AXIOM
Dubai-based Axiom Telecom CEO Faisal Al-Bannai has said that his company has developed 60 percent of the setup and proposition required to launch an MVNO operation. “The balance can be finalized based on the type of deal signed with the operator,” he added. MVNOs are a novel retail concept in which sizeable global retail brands sell GSM cards in partnership with existing GSM operators. Industry experts say that brand awareness, distribution points, handset capability and content are the key pillars enabling a retailer to become a MVNO. “GCC mobile consumers mainly want a few things from their mobile experience: Convenience, simplicity, and style,” Al-Bannai said, adding that MVNOs bring enormous convenience and simplicity at no additional cost to customers. At present, Axiom Telecom is exploring opportunities with GSM operators in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait, while India offers huge potential. “We are currently exploring business models with different regional operators, and they are quite serious about the concept. Axiom Telecom is fully prepared to move quickly in any of the key markets which have been identified,” added Al-Bannai.
LG
LG Electronics and its sole Saudi distributor H.G. Ibrahim Shaker Co. announced the launch of their new line of chillers in the regional market targeting central air-conditioning facilities of large spaces, in Jeddah on Saturday. The all-new energy efficient “Air-Cooled Screw Chillers” from LG with applications in industrial processes as well as ice/thermal storage facilities are designed to operate under high ambient conditions and also have anticorrosive features keeping in mind their usage in conditions where chances of corrosion are high, executives of the two companies told a press conference. The LG RCAW series, coming in two models — the High Efficiency 50 to 400 tons and the Compact 40 to 540 tons, offers high performance and reliability for industrial and commercial markets. The new range of chillers further builds on the LG’s world-famous air-conditioning manufacturing expertise. “The launch of the energy efficient air-cooled screw chillers is a major step in this direction. We remain committed to maximize energy savings for our customers,” said S.H. Lee, LG’s applied product sales and marketing manager. “The new chillers will be used in central air-conditioning systems across commercial, industrial and institutional users and revolutionize the regional industrial cooling sector,” said Hassan Mouthaseb, national applied sales manger at H.G Ibrahim Shaker Co. LG’s GM Simon Lee said: “Dominating customer service indices, raising brand awareness to new heights and bringing the right products to market at the right price and at the right time remain our core objective at LG Electronics Saudi Arabia.”
