LG Electronics organized Ramadan iftar in Jeddah recently inviting visitors from Al-Bir charity organization along with LG media club members. The event took place at Shallal theme park as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. The event included a speech accompanied by traditional Ramadan food and lots of activities and prizes for the invited guests. John Lee, managing director of LG Electronics Saudi Arabia, said in his welcome speech: "It gives us great pleasure to have the presence of visitors from Al Bir charity organization for the iftar with us. This is our way of activating CSR plan informally, and we hope to see more opportunities for interactions in Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah with the Kingdom's key charity organizations in the near future." Lee added: "We are also thankful to our media club friends for their support and appreciate all the efforts they undergo to make our services and products known to the Kingdom's consumers." A similar Ramadan iftar was held for media club members in Riyadh earlier in the month at Riyadh Marriott hotel, where the members and their families spent a memorable evening. Qatar Airways is switching the launch date of its new flights to Azerbaijan and Georgia to the New Year due to operational reasons. Originally slated to start operations on Nov. 30, the new services to the capital cities of Baku and Tbilisi respectively, will now begin on Feb. 1. "With capacity increases planned on many routes, we face constraints on aircraft availability, therefore decided to revise these two route launch dates and move them to February. We regret the inconvenience caused, but all steps are being taken to look after passengers already holding bookings," said Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al-Baker. Passengers with tickets and confirmed bookings to and from both cities will be rebooked on alternative flights to their final destination.Alinma Bank continues to find success with its current financing campaign, which offers special promotional gifts to partners (clients) who sign personal financing deals of two years or more with the bank across Saudi Arabia. All such partners are guaranteed to receive promotional items without being required to transfer their salaries or enter any type of special drawing or raffle. Gift items, 1,900 of which were distributed during the campaign's first week, include BMW cars, consumer electronic packages, Mobily Connect service packages and other valuable offers. The campaign launched at the beginning of Ramadan will extend through Sept. 29. During the holy month of Ramadan, Alinma Bank opened the doors of 20 of its branch locations throughout the Kingdom during the specially extended evening hours in order to adequately service its partners. Additionally, branches in Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Region are open on Thursday mornings. Alinma Bank provides services to its partners through 61 branches for men and women.Cadillac recently unveiled the Ciel concept, an elegant, open-air grand-touring car inspired by the natural beauty of the California coast. The Ciel, the French translation for sky, is a four-seat convertible that opens a new chapter in Cadillac's design and product ascent, pushing the brand's art and science philosophy into a new stratum. Ciel is a new expression of Cadillac's historical grandeur, as well as a celebration of open-air motoring. "Large, expressive luxury is innate to Cadillac and the Ciel recalls that heritage, while suggesting where the brand can go in the future," said Clay Dean, global design director for Cadillac. "Authentic luxury is driven by experiences, not just products, and Ciel is about the experience of the journey." The spacious and elegant Ciel is a grand gesture that explores themes driving Cadillac's explorations into range-topping flagship luxury. It is powered by a twin-turbocharged version of the 3.6-liter Direct Injection V-6 engine, paired with a hybrid system using lithium-ion battery technology. Driving California's Highway 1 in an open car while the sunsets, from Big Sur north to Monterey, is the type of journey the Ciel team envisioned during its design. "The Ciel is about the romance of the drive," said Dean. "It emulates the great touring cars seen on the greens at Pebble Beach, but with a modern flair that projects Cadillac's vision for the future." The four-door Ciel embraces the social aspects of a recreational journey, with generous room for two couples.The monitoring committee of SmartCity Kochi project has decided to induct Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy as an honorable special invitee to its board of directors. The committee that met in Dubai under the chairmanship of Ahmed Humaid Al-Tayer, member of Supreme Fiscal Committee of Dubai Government, also decided to induct Kerala Ports & Excise Minister K. Babu and M. A. Yusuffali as special invitees. The meeting reviewed the progress of the project and set timeline for the first year's activities and allotted the required funds. "As per our project plan, the work on the headquarters building will commence of Nov. 19," Abdul Latheef Al-Mulla said after the meeting. "The decisions taken are very important and will further boost the effective implementation of the project in a mutually beneficial manner," added Baju George, managing director, SmartCity. "The project is on the right track with fixing of timeline for various activities," said Yusuffali, vice chairman of Norka Roots. Adnan Chilwan, deputy CEO, Dubai Islamic Bank, and Suresh Kumar, CEO, Emirates NBD, also attended the meeting.Sony Ericsson has announced the launch of Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman, an Android smartphone that is claimed to deliver a unique social music experience. A dedicated Walkman hardware button provides instant access to the music player and users can also like, share and discover content through a deep Facebook integration. The infinite button lets consumers explore even more. With attractive curved design, a glossy finish and a mineral glass display, the phone has a 3.2-inch screen and a powerful 1Ghz processor. A front facing camera enables Skype video calling, while a 5MP AF camera can capture 720p HD video recording. Sony's xLOUD enhances audio output, while the latest Android platform for smartphones (Gingerbread 2.3) provides access to over 250,000 applications on the Android Market. Nikolaus Scheurer, head of product marketing, Sony Ericsson, said: "Consumers want smartphones to deliver a rich and social entertainment experience. Rather than a one dimensional music experience, they want instant and seamless access to new content, combined with the ability to share and connect with their friends. The Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman provides exactly this, in a powerful package with great style." Described as a perfect combination of social networking and music entertainment, the new Walkman will be available globally in selected markets from Q4, 2011.Saudi Telecom Co. (STC) has signed a strategic partnership agreement according to which the number 5050 will be allocated as a text messaging number to benefit the Disabled Children's Association (DCA). The agreement was signed recently in the presence of Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the DCA's board of directors, and Saud bin Majid Al-Daweesh, CEO of STC Group, at the headquarters of Prince Salman Center for Disability Research. The agreement envisages that the DCA and STC will work together to launch a nationwide campaign to establish a large charitable trust in Makkah through the participation of STC customers. The entire revenues of the trust will be allocated to support free services offered by the DCA to more than 3,000 children annually across the Kingdom. The name of the trust will be "STC Customers' Trust in Makkah." Following the signing ceremony, Prince Sultan received a check for the DCA's share of the revenues derived from the first phase of the 'Special Numbers' charity auction, which was recently conducted by STC Group. The amount raised was SR1,700,000, which was allocated to Disabled Children's Association, Prince Fahd Bin Salman Charity Association for Renal Failure Patients Care (Kellana) and the Charity Committee for Orphans Care (Ensan). Prince Sultan said: "We at the DCA, are proud of our partnership with national organizations such as STC Group." He described the auction's initiative as an impressive example of contributing the needs of society. STC also announced the dedication of number 5565 for donations to Somalia. Customers can donate by sending an empty message donating SR10 in favor of the Somali people as a monetary donation to be added to the national campaign.Ayman Saber El Ghayesh, head butler at Riyadh's Al-Faisaliah Hotel, A Rosewood Hotel, has been appointed as the first qualified trainer in the Middle East for The Guild of Professional English Butlers. Following an intensive training program conducted by Robert Watson, president of the Guild Professional English Butlers, El Ghayesh has become the first Arabic butler trainer in the Middle East. An Egyptian national, El Ghayesh has enjoyed a long and successful career at Hotel Al-Faisaliah Hotel, having started as a butler 11 years ago and working his way to his current senior management position. "Ayman is a distinctive and highly dedicated member of the team. We are proud to have Ayman in our team. His valuable contribution to Al-Faisaliah's signature 24-hour butler service has ensured that our service is of the world's best," said Peter Finamore, MD, Al-Faisaliah Hotel. In his current position, El Ghayesh is qualified to conduct initial training for butlers under the auspices of the Guild Professional English Butlers.
