AKMC
After achieving contracts for hotel management in Makkah, Madinah and projects in Jeddah and Riyadh, AKMC Chairman Prince Bandar bin Saud bin Khalid, said in Riyadh that negotiations were in progress with investors relating to the company’s investment and development of projects in Jeddah. The company will launch Al-Khuzamah Hotel project in Madinah. An MoU has been signed for the hotel operation, which is expected to open by this year’s Haj. The hotel comprises 120 rooms, 20 three-bedroom suites, restaurants, and around the clock butler service in Madinah, a first of its kind. Prince Bandar said AKMC had realized high profits last year, which approximately exceeds SR207 million.
BONYAN
The UAE property market remains attractive for long-term investors amid the economic slowdown, as real estate developers now shift their focus toward the completion of their projects and thereby strengthening the confidence of buyers across the globe, says Bonyan International Investment Group (Holding) LLC, one of the leading real estate companies in Dubai. Among the top UAE real estate investors are Saudi nationals, who have pumped over 251 million dirhams into the UAE property market in the first quarter of 2009, according to recently published reports by REIDIN.com. In line with this, the group has announced that it is currently looking to recruit new sales agencies to maximize the opportunity presented by this latest market development.
TNT
The World Environment Day celebrated last week had the enthusiastic participation of citizens and expatriates as part of the ongoing campaign to protect the environment. Schoolchildren and college and university students planted a number of saplings to make the environment green. Many corporate houses also followed suit by celebrating the day by planting trees. Among them was TNT SAB Express, which celebrated the day under the theme “Your Planet Needs You-UNite to Combat Climate Change.” Its staff from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dhahran offices and depots planted more than 500 trees at various location including parks, schools and streets.
SONY
Sony Gulf’s PlayStation division has introduced inFamous for PlayStation3, which has super-abilities and the power to decide the fate of the people around as one explores a city in chaos. “With your Empire City hometown in anarchy after a huge explosion, you must get to grips with your ever-growing powers and use them to fight your way through gang-infested neighborhoods, scaling walls and unleashing bolts of electricity left and right as you go. However, there’s a whole city of people caught in the crossfire and you must decide how you want to play things — will you look after them or will they become collateral damage?” the company stated. “It’s not an idle question: inFamous works on a ‘karma’ system where the morality of your behavior changes every scenario for better or worse.
CANON
Canon Middle East has introduced the CanonScan LiDE 700F, its first scanner to offer 9600x9600dpi optical resolution for film. With a space-saving 3-way design, the CanonScan LiDE 700F — which replaces the CanoScan 4400F — delivers rapid, high quality scanning of documents, photos and 35mm film. A user-friendly interface and attractive price point makes the CanonScan LiDE 700F equally suited to consumer and business users. The CanonScan LiDE 700F uses Canon’s unique LiDE technology to deliver scanning at resolutions of up to 9600dpi. At maximum photo resolution of 4800dpi, images can be captured in intricate detail.
LG/AXIOM
LG and Axiom Telecom have announced their “strategic” retail partnership. “With this agreement, LG becomes Axiom’s first partner in Saudi Arabia to sell its flagship Arena phone, which offers the latest in mobile technology,” Axiom Telecom’s Operations Manager Jamal Al-Bugami told a press conference in Jeddah yesterday. Asked whether the partnership deal was for a specific period of time, Al-Bugami said: “It will be an ongoing arrangement that will benefit both companies. The retail partnership with LG to sell the Arena KM900 phone will provide Axiom customers with access to one of the fastest growing mobile phone brands.” Al-Bugami added that Axiom, with its specialization in wireless communication products, had 500 retail outlets across the Gulf, 120 of them in Saudi Arabia alone. “We plan to add 20 more retail outlets across the Kingdom by the end of 2009.”
