KAU
Like in the past five years, the King Abdulaziz University (KAU) faculty organized the Sixth Engineering Day recently, with KAU President Professor Osama S. Tayyeb launching the event. “We look forward to improving next year’s event by attracting more students from other universities, such as Umm Al-Qura, Taif, Tabuk and Jazan universities,” said Professor Abdulmalik Al-Jineidi, KAU’s dean of the faculty of engineering. This year’s Alumnus Award was conferred on Taha H. Al-Ghamidi, CEO of ALJ-Toyota Lexus. Al-Ghamidi said the faculty of engineering was producing highly qualified engineers. He urged the students to make commitment and dedication their watchwords and to be hardworking, punctual and regular in attending classes. During the event, the Business & Knowledge Alliance held meetings with the faculty’s students and graduates to discuss ways of turning their small business ideas into reality. Jineidi and Saudi Aramco organized the event, with activities like an exhibition showing some of the projects of undergraduates and Masters students, in addition to the participation of some government agencies, corporations and national institutions. A practical program including scientific sessions on engineering by faculty members and some specialized companies, and a job fair were also held. A number of interesting projects developed by the engineering students were on display. A solar-powered mobile which acts as a car security system was a major attraction.
JUFFALI
Saudi youths will now get the chance to train professionally with Juffali, the exclusive Mercedes Benz dealer in the country, and get employed at the company’s plants and workshops. This follows an agreement, the fifth between Juffali Automotive Company and Human Resources Development Fund (HDF), signed by Khaled Juffali and Hisham Linjawi, manager of HDF, Makkah, recently. Juffali, said: “This agreement comes as an extension of previous agreements signed with HDF under which many Saudi youths were trained and employed at our plants and workshops. We are very pleased to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the government, which aims to increase the number of Saudis working in technical professions.” He said that in 2012 Mercedes Benz would establish a Saudi-German automotive institute to train and qualify Saudis to work for German car dealers in Saudi Arabia. Juffali will not only train young Saudis to get technical expertise at its plants but also improve their ability to communicate in English. As an added incentive, scholarships will be awarded to distinguished students, he added. Linjawi referred to Juffali’s support to HDF in creating more job opportunities for young Saudis aspiring to enter new, promising areas of work for a better future and said: “HDF previously signed four similar agreements with Juffali, which has a high-level vocational training center for training youths to work in various technical disciplines that, until recently, were never in their minds.”
SEHAI
SEHAI-Japan Working Group (JWG), headed by Yoshitaka Nakamura, MD, Japan Cooperation Center for the Middle East (JCCME), had a meeting with Saudi Working Group (SWG) at the SEHAI Diraiya campus in Riyadh recently. The purpose of his visit was mainly to discuss each group’s action plan in fiscal year 2011 and achievements in the previous year. Established in September, 2009, SEHAI has elaborately succeeded to achieve academic experiences and programs, including instructors’ training in Japan at Nippon Engineering College Tokyo, Panasonic, Sharp, Daikin and Konica Minolta, etc., and in Germany at Toshiba Europe; technical training by Japanese engineers at SEHAI workshops; and the 1st OJT (on the job training) at SWG’s workshops in the Kingdom. Both parties agreed that those programs would continue to maintain the quality of technical education in a coming year. In the SWG-JWG meeting, Salim Al-Asmarei, head of SWG, appreciated Japan’s positive cooperation and its steady development of technical curriculum in SEHAI, while Fahad Al-Harbi, director of SEHAI, made a presentation on the current situation of SEHAI management and activities. Other SWG members including managing directors of Al-Essa (Hitachi) and Modern Electronics (SONY), and representatives of ALJ (Toshiba and Sharp), Zagzoog (Fujitsu General), Ahmed Zainy Electric and Air Conditioning (Daikin), Olayan(Toshiba-PC), United Matbouli (Samsung) were present. SEHAI is planning to receive the 3rd batch of students for 2011-2012.
KIA
Al-Jabr Automotive, the sole distributor of Kia Motors in Saudi Arabia, has launched the all-new Picanto 2012. The new Picanto, which made its global premiere at the recent Geneva Motor Show, has been redesigned and reengineered with standout styling that conveys the sense of solidity and maturity. Longer than the previous model and with an extended wheelbase, the new car promises more passenger comfort and increased cargo space. The five-door Picanto hatchback is the newest member to join the “exciting and stylish Kia family.” The character of the car has been transformed from ‘cute’ and ‘friendly’ into mature and handsome, designed to turn heads on the high street, thanks to its good-looking proportions and dynamic design language. Picanto in its newest form exudes a bold self-confidence and maturity, which is unique in the A-segment. The eyes of the tiger, formed by Picanto’s LED positioning lamps suggest high levels of design and high-tech sophistication. Combined with a dramatic lower grille opening, the lights create a sporty and distinctive down road graphic. New Picanto makes a strong, well-balanced and cohesive design statement, which avoids unnecessary decoration and combines a contemporary fashionable feel with rational functionality. Mir Ajmal, marketing manager at Al-Jabr Automotive, said: “Picanto is a fantastic car for daily use.” Abulhassan Hamied, GM marketing strategy at Al-Jabr Automotive, said: “Kia Motors has launched several latest models across the Kingdom.”
MISSONI HOME
Missoni Home, the home furnishings and accessories line from Italian fashion house Missoni, has launched its first Middle East store in Jeddah. The Italian fashion house was established in 1953 in Varese, Italy, by Ottavio and Rosita Missoni and are known internationally for their signature patterns, creative use of color, and high-quality knits and weaves. Missoni Home was established in 1981 as a provider of high-end furnishing fabrics and quickly gained a reputation for the distinctive patterns and colors that Missoni is so well known for. Within years of establishing the Home collection, the brand became a fixture at Paris and Milan interior decoration fairs to great success. Missoni brings a playful mix and match flair to its Home collection by bringing color and vibrancy back into home decor. A style marked by diverse combinations of shades, textures and patterns and embodied by the zigzag and stripe patterns and geometric and floral jacquards. Missoni Home offers luxurious bedding, throws and throw pillows, dining sets in the signature Missoni style, often inspired by nature, art, and architecture from all over the world. The Missoni Home line also offers smaller home accessories. The style of Missoni finds common ground with the Arab love of infusing the home with color, geometric and abstract shapes, and patterns and textures. The Jeddah showroom, launched with the support of Princess Jawaher bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, was dedicated to a special preview of the collection for architects and interior designers.
