Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Group has announced the signing of an agreement in Dubai with Al-Faisaliah Medical Systems Co. in the presence of Prince Mohamed bin Khalid Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal, president and CEO of Al-Faisaliah Holding Group, to equip the “largest cardiac center” in the Kingdom’s private sector.
The group reported completing the initial phase of the 150-bed Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Hospital building at a cost exceeding $150 million.
The group chose Al-Faisaliah Medical Systems Co. which is a subsidiary of Al-Faisaliah Holding Group, in a bid to contribute to the implementation of the project through CardioSpace program, which aims to set plans for developing and enhancing cardiac centers in consistency and conformity with the scientific progress, to raise the performance in order to serve the community and its members, and achieve an advanced health care policy in the field of medicine and cardiology, in consistence with the international standards and in conformation with the local environment, group chairman Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib said.
The Economic City (Emaar E.C.), the Tadawul-listed company developing King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) in Rabigh, north of Jeddah, recently hosted a delegation from the Japanese economic, Trade and Industry Ministry to discuss and explore the city’s investment opportunities. Fahd Al-Rasheed, board member and CEO of Emaar, the Economic City, reviewed the progress of KAEC’s developmental and construction stages from 2007 to 2009.
Emaar E.C. has shifted its office and most of its staff to KAEC, and it has handed over a range of real estate to investors including residential units at Bay La Sun, land plots in the Industrial Valley and offices at the Business Park. Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority’s one-stop-shop services now serve investors and business tenants through their newly opened offices at KAEC.
The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) is supporting an initiative for the usage of concentrated detergents, “as this will herald a new era in laundry care and environmental preservation,” JCCI Deputy Chairman Mazen Batterjee said in a recent meeting at the chamber.
“Concentrated detergents are a new generation of products resulting from the development of the world’s latest technologies in detergent manufacturing. These technological advancements allow the concentration of key active ingredients in detergents.
This form of detergents will produce the same cleaning quality for the same amount of laundry with a lesser quantity. For example, if a 4 kg standard detergent pack is enough to wash 16 loads today, a pack of concentrated detergents of no more than 3 kg will be enough to wash the same 16 loads with the same efficiency,” he added.
Concentrated detergents have become by and large the norm in recent years in most parts of Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan, and are currently being adopted in more countries in South America, the Arab region as well as China, India and the Philippines. Haitham Saleh, chairman of a group of detergent manufacturers, said: “We have called upon manufacturers to adopt this important initiative, and most of them have positively responded to our call.”
UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi discussed methods for enhancing bilateral relations between the UAE and India during a meeting with V.S. Achuthanandan, chief minister of the South Indian state of Kerala.
The session focused on trade, investment and economics and is part of the minister’s visit to India. The two parties reviewed ways to encourage the business communities of the UAE and Kerala to further develop commercial and investment ties, specifically by leveraging economic and investment potentials to create joint business interests.
They commended the exemplary level of bilateral relations between the two countries, particularly in commerce. She underlined the UAE’s commitment to further developing commercial exchange and joint cooperation with India. She noted that India’s foreign trade with the Emirates reached $32.1 billion to represent 15 percent of the UAE’s total foreign trade in 2008 and making it the Emirates’ top foreign trade partner.
The figure, she pointed out, is an impressive 56 percent increase from the 2007 trade volume. She identified investment opportunities in various fields and called on Indian companies to take advantage of the Emirates’ business-friendly environment, strategic geographic location, world-class facilities such as ports with high-level operational capabilities, and competitive services. These, she said, promote smooth trade between the UAE and India, and with the world.
Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a global leader in display technology and digital media, claims to have become the first company to commence mass production of panels for 3D LED TVs and 3D LCD TVs. “Recently, 3D displays have captured the industry spotlight,” said Wonkie Chang, president of the LCD business at Samsung Electronics.
“Samsung Electronics aims to lead the global 3D TV panel market in pioneering panel mass production for 3D LED and LCD TVs,” he said. The company began producing LED and LCD compatible panels for 40-inch, 46-inch and 55-inch full-HD 3D TVs using ‘3D Active Glasses’ recently, employing Samsung’s exclusive true 240Hz technology. Samsung’s true 240Hz technology delivers full-HD viewing in 2D, and also smooth, natural, full-HD 3D images that can vividly capture rapid movements.
By incorporating true 240Hz technology, operating at 240 frames per second, Samsung’s panels deliver a more lifelike picture with alternating left and right eye images through the use of ‘3D Active Glasses’ technology. Samsung has reduced the response time of its LCD and LED panels by 20 percent to less than four milliseconds, eliminating any interference between left and right eye images.
With this improved response time, Samsung is able to achieve natural 3D images and also deliver 2D pictures capturing rapid movement with exceptional clarity. According to a market research firm, DisplaySearch, the 3D display market is expected to grow from $902 million in 2008 to $22 billion in 2018. Specifically, the 3D TV market is expected to expand to a $17-billion market, with sales increasing from 200,000 units in 2009 to 64 million units by 2018.
The EPFL is creating an active presence in the Middle East by developing a new campus in Ras Al-Khaimah (RAK). Through this partnership, the School will be able to expand its areas of research and place them in a new context. This long-term agreement will begin a new era for the institutes of technology in a region of the world undergoing rapid economic and scientific development.
The project, financed by the RAK Investment Authority (RAKIA), will create a university campus that will be a new branch of the EPFL to provide many educational opportunities at the second- and third-cycle university level. In addition, it will develop advanced research programs, especially for research related to the environment and energy supply.
Plans also call for creating a financial structure to be equally owned by the EPFL and the RAKIA. The RAKIA will finance research (5 chairs) and educational programs in RAK, the acquisition of scientific and technical equipment, and infrastructure operations. The infrastructure equipment itself will be made available to the EPFL courtesy of RAK. The program also includes a scientific section dedicated to cooperation with the campus in Lausanne, which will lead to the creation of five “mirror” chairs in Switzerland and the development of joint projects.
Aldar Alkhasa, the main developer of the Headquarters Business Park on the Jeddah Corniche, says the city is on the threshold of a new era in architectural achievement as construction work is being accelerated on its first office tower that meets international standards and specifications.
The company has contracted with Freyssinet Saudi Arabia to handle the construction work of the project, relying on the company’s long experience and expertise in handling mega projects.
The project consists of three main parts: The West Tower that is 240 meters above sea level and consists of 52 levels, the East Tower that is 70 meters high and consists of 13 levels, and the Central Service Building, which covers 71,000 square meters of land located between the West and East Towers and consists of 11 levels. Freyssinet has completed work on the towers’ 625 construction piles in September, out of which 350 piles are 44 meters deep with a diameter of 1.2 meters, and the other is 26 meters deep with a diameter of 0.9 meters. Freyssinet expects to complete the raft foundation, an important milestone, by the end of February.
Essam Fakeeh, executive partner of Aldar Alkhasa, said: “The project represents a quantum leap in the future of construction. The sleek design and unprecedented service features surpass the highest expectations of the elite, making the Headquarters Business Park the first destination for discerning entrepreneurs.”
