NCB
The National Commercial Bank Chief Executive Officer Abdulkareem Abu Alnasr has been named Islamic Banker of the Year 2010 at the world's largest gathering of Islamic finance leaders in Bahrain. The World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC) is one of the oldest and most prestigious events in The Middle East calendar and this year held in Bahrain. Alnasr received the award from the governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain in recognition of NCB's strong leadership and commitment to Islamic Banking. A leader in the provision of Islamic investment products, NCB launched the world's first Shariah-compliant Real Estate Fund and was the first Saudi bank to provide its clients with a wide range of Shariah-compliant funds. Alnasr said: "The robust growth in our retail business is directly connected to our Islamic banking offering and we remain one of the leading providers of Shariah-compliant products to customers. I am very honored to have been voted Islamic Banker of the Year 2010. This is an award for all my colleagues at NCB and recognizes the collective progress we are making as the biggest bank in Saudi Arabia and a leading financial institution in the region."
ALJ
Abdul Latif Jameel Company Ltd. the exclusive distributor for Toyota cars in the Kingdom are willing to participate in the upcoming Riyadh International Motor Show 2010 to be held on Dec. 5. Toyota will showcase its models with many programs and competitive activities prepared for youth, the largest segment of visitors. The company aims to ensure its leadership and its strong presence in the automotive market through its participation. The Yaris Club, which includes many of competitive events for young people and Yaris lovers through PlayStation championship, as well as Toyota café will emphasize the slogan "Toyota fun every day." Faisal Abdullah, ALJ automotive sector deputy president, said: "We are very pleased to be in Riyadh International Motor show 2010 taking the opportunity to meet Toyota customers and visitors and to communicate with them directly."
FERRARI WORLD
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is living up to its promise to create a unique leisure experience in the region, with thousands of families and fans visiting in the opening month. The soft opening period will culminate in the much anticipated grand opening ceremony, to take place on Tuesday, Nov. 30. "We've had an overwhelmingly positive response from guests who have visited Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. We always knew that Ferrari World Abu Dhabi would be a hit with the public but attendance in the soft opening period has surpassed all expectations," said Claus Frimand, general manager Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. During its soft opening period, the park also saw a number of high profile celebrity visitors pass beneath its iconic red roof. Kanye West, Prince Albert of Monaco, Jeremy Renner, the Jonas Brothers, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa were just a few of the first people to come and pay homage to the world's first Ferrari theme park.
IKEA
The organizers of Eurobest Festival, honoring advertising creative excellence across Europe, said IKEA, Swedish home furnishing retail company, are this year's recipient of the prestigious Advertiser of the Year award. The Eurobest Advertiser of the Year award is presented to advertisers, born out of Europe, who have distinguished themselves for inspiring innovative marketing of their products and who embrace and encourage the creative work produced by their agencies. "IKEA wholeheartedly supports the creative output of their agencies, the outcome of which has been some outstanding and varying pieces of communication, while always remaining true to its brand values. We are proud to present them with the Advertiser of the Year accolade at Eurobest this year, an honor well deserved," said Philip Thomas, Festival CEO. The award will be presented to Claudia Willvonseder, IKEA's global marketing manager, at the Eurobest Awards Ceremony on Dec. 8 at the Curio-Haus in Hamburg. Commenting on the award, Claudia said, "Being engaging and connecting with our customers is what we aim for with our marketing communication since we believe that a strong brand is shaped in the hearts and minds of the many people. If this principle shows also to be a winning formula for Eurobest, we feel encouraged for our humbleness towards our customers."
