QATAR AIRWAYSQatar Airways launched a special three-day sale on Monday running until Wednesday, offering savings of up to 25 percent on fares from cities across the Middle East to destinations around the world. Flying in Economy Class, passengers can save up to 25 percent, while Business Class passengers can save up to 15 percent off their ticket prices if flying from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, the UAE, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Iran and Yemen. Terms and conditions, however, apply. The promotion offers a long travel validity period, enabling customers to book their travel as far out as March 31, 2012. The savings are based on return fares and include taxes. The Doha-based airline offers a wide choice of flights to an array of destinations such as Copenhagen, Brussels, Milan, Nairobi, Goa, Kolkata, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Singapore, New York, Montreal and Melbourne via the airline’s Doha hub. Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al-Baker said: “These are incredible fares we are offering to our loyal customers and customers traveling with Qatar Airways for the first time. “We want to thank our customers for their positive response, loyalty and appreciation of our award-winning Five Star in-flight product and onboard service. Our customers can have a world of choice from our ever-growing network which now includes more than 100 destinations across the globe, with convenient flights from Doha and beyond.” HYUNDAI ELANTRAMohammed Yusuf Naghi Motors (MYNM), dealer of Hyundai cars in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia, has launched the all-new Hyundai Elantra. Elantra has reached cumulative sales of six million units worldwide and received high marks from a number of world-renowned car-rating agencies since the first-generation model was launched in 1990. Hyundai began developing the new Elantra in 2008 under the codename MD. The project took 33 months and cost $277 million to go from concept to customer. Having its roots in Hyundai’s "Fluidic Sculpture" design philosophy that aims to reflect sophistication and dynamic lines into the shape of vehicles, Hyundai applied a specific design concept called “Wind Craft” to the new Elantra, evoking a piece of sculpture literally crafted from by wind. By lowering the roofline, creating muscular wheel arches and adding sharply creased character lines that flow from the A-pillar along the hood and into the front bumper, the new Elantra design team gave the compact sedan a powerful and assertive stance. The refined look continues inside. In particular, the silver garnish that starts from the crash pad and leads to the console features a windblown shape that exudes an overall refined and dynamic image. High-gloss black and metallic colors used in the Cabinet add a futuristic, high-tech look to the interior of the all-new Elantra. The Elantra rides on a 2,700mm wheelbase, which is 50mm longer than the previous iteration. VIVAVIVA, a subsidiary of Saudi Telecom Co. (STC) and Bahrain’s third mobile operator, has become the first to launch all-new BlackBerry Bold 9900 on Sunday. VIVA also announced the launch of a range of exclusive new plans and services coinciding with the launch of BlackBerry’s new device. The new plans will offer the best rates available on the local market and will cater to more BlackBerry users than ever before. The rate for unlimited BlackBerry service has now been reduced for new and existing postpaid customers to BD8 per month, down from BD10. To benefit from the new rates, customers can dial *105*8#. “This is a great way for us to keep bringing to the market the value and innovation that customers have come to expect of us,” Ulaiyan Al-Wetaid, VIVA Acting CEO, said. “The new packages and services are aimed at the growing needs of today’s youth. The new BlackBerry Bold 9900 is faster, more powerful and more elegant than ever, so we have upgraded our services to match,” he added. “To further cater to users’ needs, prepaid customers can now benefit from an all-new weekly unlimited BlackBerry service package for BD2.5 a month, in addition to the usual monthly BD10 plan. To subscribe to this plan, dial *105*25#. For the first time in Bahrain, a social bundle for BlackBerry is now available from VIVA, aimed at customers whose smart-phone usage is predominantly social networking. It is now available for only BD3 per month for postpaid and BD1 per week for prepaid.RIMResearch In Motion (RIM) has announced the launch of the new BlackBerry Torch 9860 smartphone, which features the new BlackBerry 7 operating system and a stylish new all-touch handset design. With a spectacular 3.7” display, described as the largest ever on a BlackBerry smartphone, the new all-touch BlackBerry Torch 9860 smartphone is optimized for displaying web pages, photos and videos, as well as delivering powerful gaming experiences. It also delivers the highly refined, real-time communications and collaboration experience loved by millions of BlackBerry smartphone users around the world. The new smartphone runs the new BlackBerry 7 operating system (OS). BlackBerry 7 provides users with a fast, fluid and intuitive experience, featuring a next generation BlackBerry Browser, voice-activated searches, the ability to manage personal content separately from corporate content, as well as additional personal and productivity apps out of the box. The next generation BlackBerry Browser combines the dramatically improved performance of the advanced WebKit browser engine together with the powerful hardware enhancements found in the new BlackBerry Torch 9860 to deliver browsing results that are up to 40 percent faster than BlackBerry 6 based smartphones and up to twice as fast as models running BlackBerry 5. Additional enhancements to the browser have also optimized HTML5 performance for incredible gaming and video experiences. The new smartphone also features Liquid Graphics technology.MYNM/MINIMINI, “the small car with a big attitude,” has been up to its old antics again following its unconventional appearances across the region, like scaling the walls of the Dubai Convention Center and swimming along Abu Dhabi’s Corniche in the UAE. The “cheeky” vehicle has now gone vertical here in the Kingdom, firing on all cylinders across a billboard on Tahlia Street in Jeddah. Never one to fear heights, MINI made onlookers stop and stare as it looked down from the top of its perch overlooking Jeddah Mall in Tahlia. At night, the little powerhouse even switched on its headlights grabbing the attention of car passengers below. The stunt was set up by Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors (MYNM), the exclusive MINI importer in Saudi Arabia, as it rolls out a host of activities on MINI, including the new MINI Countryman (the first four-door, four-wheel drive MINI), introduction of MINI Service Inclusive for three years or 60,000 km, whichever comes first. The billboard highlights the increased space of the MINI Countryman, which can accommodate up to five passengers for the first time in a MINI. The message is creatively demonstrated with a visual of four passengers standing beside the MINI and a fifth one climbing up the billboard, with the headline “Enjoy the MINI with all your friends.” The MINI brand, despite turning fifty in 2009, is as youthful as ever, consistently raising the bar for creative and unconventional marketing techniques across the world that support urban projects and events that champion creativity such as music, film and art. SANDISKSanDisk, a global leader in flash memory cards, has reported double- and triple-digit market growth in Saudi Arabia so far this year, driven by the Kingdom’s growing mobile phone penetration rate and a growing appetite for flash-based storage devices. Penetration of smartphones in Saudi Arabia is currently 11 percent and expected to rise. As demand for additional memory for tablets and smartphones continues to grow, the Gulf region shows the most impressive growth in SanDisk unit sales, with Saudi Arabia leading the pack. This growth is powered by strategic partnerships with Jarir Bookstore, claimed to be Saudi Arabia’s largest books and electronics retailer, and Ahmed Abdulwahed, a leading electronics distributor. SanDisk unit sales through Jarir Bookstore have shown a triple-digit growth every year for the past two years. “Demand for consumer electronics goods in the Kingdom is growing significantly and SanDisk’s innovative product range fits well to meet that demand,” said Yaser Ahmed Abdulwahed Anam, director of sales and marketing at Ahmed Abdulwahed. “As the largest market in the GCC, we have intensified our presence and market development efforts in Saudi Arabia over the past few years, and are now starting to reap the benefits of growth in the market,” said Tareq Husseini, SanDisk’s MEA sales director. “Our partnership with Ahmed Abdulwahed Trading and their extensive retail and dealer network has increased our product footprint across the country.”ETIHADEtihad Airways and the Formula One Group signed an agreement extending the airline’s title sponsorship of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for four years, effective through to the 2015 event. Etihad has been title sponsor for the event since the inaugural event in 2009. Etihad Airways CEO James Hogan and Formula One Group CEO Bernie Ecclestone were on hand to pen the multimillion-dollar deal. Hogan said: “This sponsorship extension goes against the current commercial trend of shorter sponsorship terms and demonstrates our long-term commitment to Formula One. We have seen that F1 is a highly effective vehicle for promoting the values of the Etihad brand and showcasing our home city of Abu Dhabi to a massive global audience. The additional four-year-term also allows us to strengthen our footprint with F1 and leverage our investment in their global platform more strategically. I am thrilled to build on the already excellent relationship with Formula One.” Ecclestone said: “The Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has been an immense success for Etihad, Abu Dhabi and for Formula One, bringing the airline and destination to an estimate worldwide audience of more than 500 million F1 fans. The influx of visitors traveling to Abu Dhabi also brings a direct economic benefit, with over 20,000 people pouring into the UAE for the event, representing tens of millions of dollars for the local tourism industry.”AMERICAN EAGLEAmerican Eagle Outfitters, a leading lifestyle brand for young men and women ages 15 to 25, has opened its first store in Riyadh. This is the sixth location in the Middle East, with five stores in Kuwait and the UAE. The 1,042 SQM store located on Olaya high street is designed to provide a comfortable, cozy ambiance to customers. To further enhance and complement a service-oriented shopping experience that American Eagle Outfitters is known for around the world, the new store in Riyadh features design elements like wood paneling that creates a warm atmosphere in a casual setting. Ciaran McCloskey, American Eagle Outfitters Middle East’s business director, said: “American Eagle Outfitters is very excited to bring great fashion at affordable prices to youth in the Kingdom. In addition to fashionable clothes for a casual lifestyle in Saudi, we look forward to delivering an unparalleled overall shopping experience in convenient locations.” American Eagle Outfitters offers high quality, on-trend clothing and accessories at affordable prices, and currently features the "Back to School" collection in-store. In keeping with the AE brand’s foundation in denim, this collection includes a variety of new fits and washes, such as the Hipster and Vintage Flare for her, and the Original Straight for him. There are also fashion tops and accessories that reflect the key trends of the season. Also available is a selection from the Aerie collection, the comfortable loungewear and intimates brand for women by American Eagle Outfitters. BMIBritish Midland International, bmi, has launched its international seat sale offering huge savings on flights to London Heathrow from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Fares start from SR2,685 return including taxes and flights are available to book until Sept. 21 for travel from Oct. 1 to March 31, 2012. As well as a huge discount on fares, customers booking flights online during the international seat sale will receive a VIP voucher for the Westfield Shopping Center in Shepherd’s Bush, London, the largest urban shopping mall in Europe. The voucher will give a discount in a variety of shops and eateries. Customers booking during the sale period will also receive extra luggage allowance — up to 30 kg per person — to carry all their shopping home. As part of Lufthansa Group, Stefan Loecherbach, Lufthansa’s director for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, said: “The international seat sale of bmi offers our customers the chance to fly to London for a great price. London is the perfect destination for a shopping break, from the buzz of Oxford Street to the elegance of Bond Street and Harrods; there are shops for all tastes and budgets. With the amazing low fares on offer, what our customers save on flights, they can spend in the fabulous array of shops London has to offer.”
