Rotana announces aggressive expansion plans to drive growth in Saudi Arabia’s tourism and hospitality sector Robust hotel pipeline will contribute to the Kingdom’s Saudi Vision 2030 and economic diversification efforts

Posted on February 6, 2018 by مشرف

Reinforcing its commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s economic growth, and its tourism and hospitality sector in particular, Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region with hotels across the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, has laid out plans for aggressive expansion of its portfolio in the Kingdom. With the aim of contributing to the country’s efforts to achieve its goals outlined in the Saudi Vision 2030, and its initiatives aimed at promoting the domestic tourism sector, including the Red Sea coastline project, Rotana has planned an impressive development pipeline of five hotels in major cities across the country to add more than 1,150 keys to its already strong portfolio, the company’s Chief Operating Officer Guy Hutchinson said on the sidelines of the Rotana Hotels 2018 GCC Roadshow.

With its rapidly growing economy, the Kingdom is one of the fastest growing markets for Rotana, which currently operates four hotels and 1,258 rooms in Riyadh, Jeddah and Makkah. Since their inception, the hotels have witnessed strong growth in terms of occupancy rate.

The Kingdom has seen tremendous growth in the number of visitor arrivals in recent years driven by major social and economic reforms and increased infrastructure development. As a result, the hospitality sector in the country has been witnessing a major transformation in terms of demand and product mix. Along with high-end properties, the demand for mid-market offering has increased considerably, and in order to address this supply gap, Rotana has planned to open four new hotels under “Centro by Rotana” brand in Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar and Medina. Another hotel under the development, Dana Rayhaan by Rotana, will open in the city of Dammam. The company already has more than 500 keys at two operating hotels for budget-conscious travelers in Riyadh and Jeddah.

“Travel and tourism continued to be one of the world’s fastest-growing sectors in 2017, and the outlook for the industry in 2018 remains robust, given the anticipated increase in the number of travelers from developing and emerging countries and rising disposable income of people coupled with their yearning for unique experiences. Increasing airline competition that has brought down the cost of travel and strong demand for business travel will further drive growth in the sector. Driven by recent reforms and the country’s endeavors to diversify its economy, the hospitality sector in the Kingdom is headed for a growth it has never seen. The initiatives such as $500 billion Red Sea coastline project and plans to issue tourism visa will accelerate the country’s economic diversification to achieve less reliance on oil and transform it into a global tourism destination” said Guy Hutchinson, Chief Operating Officer of Rotana.

“With the government’s continuing efforts to improve ease of doing business and massive investments in infrastructure, the demand for corporate travel and accommodation has been increasing exponentially. We have diversified our portfolio to match needs of travelers of all kinds, and with our strong market presence and unique offering, Rotana is well-positioned to capitalize on the booming growth of the sector in the Kingdom,” Hutchinson concluded.

In 2017, Saudi Arabia witnessed a phenomenal increase of 13% in hotel room supply to clock a total of 44,200 hotel rooms, rising from 39,000 keys in 2016, and It is forecasted that the country will add 11,600 rooms in 2018.

Posted in Economic News | Leave a comment

New Predictive Analytics, Assurance Capabilities Advance Cisco’s Strategy to Reinvent the Network for Digital Business

Posted on February 3, 2018 by مشرف

 

 

  • Mathematical modeling and contextual insights represent the next major advancement in intent-based networking revolution
  • Waves of software innovation fuel evolution of networking portfolio toward subscription-led model
  • Cisco delivers an industry leading end-to-end intent-based networking portfolio, which spans the data center, campus, branch and edge

Saudi Arabia, Riyadh —January 31, 2018—Cisco today announced powerful assurance innovations across its intent-based networking portfolio that will help IT teams shift from reactive to proactive. It will address the 43 percent of time IT spends troubleshooting, while making IT operations more proactive, agile and automated. The software innovations represent significant advancements in mathematical modeling and contextual insights, accelerating Cisco’s strategy to reinvent the network for the digital era.

Over the past few years, the explosion of devices, adoption of cloud, and exponential growth of security threats have challenged current approaches for building and managing networks. Cisco’s vision is to create a network that anticipates operational issues, stops security threats in their tracks, and continues to learn, adapt and protect. To realize this, Cisco is driving the intent-based networking revolution by transforming the entire network, from the data center and campus, to the branch and edge.

Today, Cisco is introducing its second wave of intent-based networking innovation, with powerful assurance products spanning the networking portfolio.

  • In the data center, the Cisco Network Assurance Engine uses continuous verification of the entire network to help keep business running as intended, even as the network changes dynamically.
  • In campus and branch networks, Cisco DNA Center Assurance is delivering a new level of insight and visibility to dramatically reduce the time and money IT spends troubleshooting across wired and wireless environments.
  • And, for customers with distributed IT operations, the new Cisco Meraki Wireless Health reduces mean time to remediate wireless issues with rich analytics and insights.

“The network has never been more critical to business success,” said David Goeckeler, executive vice president, Networking and Security Business at Cisco. “We’re reinventing the network ground up to deliver a secure and intelligent platform for digital business. Today, we are taking another major step toward that ambitious goal with intent-based networking innovations designed to deliver contextual insights and assurance that will help transform IT from reactive to proactive.”

Cisco’s intent-based networking portfolio represents a fundamental shift away from the manual and time-intensive methods by which networks are traditionally managed. These intent-based networks capture and translate business intent into network policies, and activate them across the infrastructure. With the introduction of assurance capabilities, they can now continuously verify the network is operating as intended.

Customers globally are embracing intent-based networking. Nearly 200 customers are in early field trails with the new assurance technologies, including Robert Bosch GmbH, REWE Group, Houston Methodist Hospital and Scotiabank. More than 1,100 customers are deploying the recently announced Catalyst 9000 Series switches, with 150 running DNA Center pilots. In the data center, Cisco has more than 14,500 Nexus 9000 customers, with a 45 percent ACI attach rate.

Innovation Spanning Data Center and Enterprise Networking

Today, Cisco is introducing three powerful new assurance products that further demonstrate how intent-based networking systems move at the speed of digital business.

In the data center network, Cisco is enabling always-on assurance through the Cisco Network Assurance Engine. By combining mathematically accurate models of the network with more than 30 years of codified domain knowledge, Cisco provides IT teams the ability to instantly pinpoint why and when the network is not acting as intended, then offer suggestions on how to address the issue. This comprehensive view into their network helps enable IT teams to:

  • Predict the Impact of Changes: Make changes to the network faster and with more confidence, catching human configuration errors before they cause problems.
  • Continuously Verify Network Behavior: Proactively eliminate network outages and vulnerabilities by continuously analyzing the state of the entire network.
  • Assure Security Policy and Compliance: Reduce risk by assuring that security policies are being applied consistently across the network, and ensure policies are compliant with business requirements—every minute of every day.

With ACI and Tetration, Cisco provides the ability to translate application intent and activate those policies across the network. Now, with the Network Assurance Engine, Cisco is delivering the final element of intent-based networking – the assurance of intent.

In the campus and branch, Cisco is enabling ‘everything as a sensor’ and aggregating intelligence from the network, application, client and things to help provide IT with full context. These capabilities will dramatically reduce the 43 percent of time that IT spends troubleshooting and improve the experience for employees and customers.

Cisco DNA Center Assurance provides a 360-degree contextual view that connects all the relationships of who, what, where, when, how. Spanning wired and wireless environments, it delivers a complete picture of what is happening between users and applications with real-time, historical and predictive capabilities. DNA Center Assurance helps IT teams address three major issues:

With Cisco Meraki Wireless Health, IT also gains visibility and rich analytics to troubleshoot wireless issues faster and deliver a better user experience. Cisco Meraki uses a cloud-managed IT model to automate operations, simplifying the complexity of IT. Now, Meraki Wireless Health allows IT teams to quickly identify wireless anomalies, find poorly performing access point and clients, and provide actionable insights to improve the wireless experience.

Powered by network analytics and rich contextual data, Cisco Services offers new services to help customers streamline the deployment of the new assurance solutions. From advisory and implementation, through optimization and managed services, Cisco and its partners are helping customers accelerate their journey to truly intent-based networks.

“Regional businesses are having to cope with increased technological complexity, lower budgets and the onslaught of increased security threats and at the same time continuously transforming their IT infrastructure into an agile and scalable one,” explained David Meads, Vice President – Middle East & Africa, Cisco. “With corporate margins under pressure, network management together with proactive and timely attention to network bottlenecks is non-negotiable for organizations that are digitally transforming. Cisco’s latest suite of Assurance products will help our customers achieve a higher level of automation with increased certainty, allowing them to confidently move at a faster pace without compromising security policies.

Availability

  • The Cisco Network Assurance Engine is available now, initially for Cisco ACI customers, with a free, 30-day, no-commitment trial. Customers can purchase it via software subscription.
  • Cisco DNA Center Assurance is available now. Customers can purchase it via the Cisco ONE subscription offer for networking.
  • Cisco Meraki Wireless Health is expected to be available in early 2018. It will be included with the standard subscription for Meraki Wireless Access Points.

 

Posted in Technology News | Leave a comment

Saudi Customs appoints Huawei as Authorized Economic Operator Huawei is the first ICT company to receive AEO accreditation from Saudi Customs

Posted on February 2, 2018 by مشرف

Saudi Customs recognized Huawei Tech Investment Saudi Arabia as a member of its Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Program. Huawei, the leading global ICT solutions provider, is the first technology company to receive the accreditation, demonstrating Saudi Customs’ commitment to facilitating global trade with leading private sector companies.

Saudi Customs presented Huawei with an Accreditation Certificate in the presence of HE Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al Haqbani, Director General of Saudi Customs, and Mr. Dennis Zhang, CEO of Huawei Tech Investment Saudi Arabia. The AEO trade facilitation program promotes partnerships between Saudi Customs and the private sector in order to enable smoother border and customs processes, encourage investment and support the growth of the national economy.

HE Ahmed Al-Haqbani, Director General of Saudi Customs, said: “We are witnessing today a concrete example of our partnership with the private sector, with the accreditation of a number of our partners in the customs community as Authorised Economic Operators. The AEO Program aims to strengthen and consolidate the partnership between Saudi Customs and all its partners in the public and private sectors, and enhance effective co-operation between them, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program 2020. This step will speed up the customs clearance process and facilitate trade between the Kingdom and the world, which will contribute to promoting the growth of the national economy.”

Al-Haqbani added: “We are working to enhance the quality of Saudi Customs’ services by finding scientific solutions – based on sustainability and innovation – that fulfill the requirements of this critical sector for the Kingdom’s booming economy. Consequently, Saudi Customs presents you with the AEO Program, which was developed in accordance with the WCO SAFE Framework of Standards for securing and facilitating trade, and in line with the Saudi Customs Strategic Plan and the GCC Common Customs Law and its regulations. The program will provide trade facilitation advantages to businesses that have secure supply chains and comply with the required standards.”

Mr. Dennis Zhang, CEO of Huawei Tech Investment Saudi Arabia, said: “The Authorized Economic Operator Program is widely acknowledged as a key driver for a solid Customs-business partnership and transparent and predictable trading environment which promotes economic prosperity worldwide. As a global company operating across 170 countries and regions, trade and customs compliance is a top priority for Huawei. For this reason we are proud to be the first company in the ICT sector to receive this certificate in Saudi Arabia.”

Accredited AEOs enjoy a package of trade facilitation benefits. One of the significant benefits is the priority of inspection and use of non-intrusive inspection equipment whenever physical examination is required. Zhang commended the Customs department for implementing best practices, removing trade barriers and increasing the participation of the private sector in the customs process.

“Huawei is committed to acting as a friend and ally to the Saudi government as it embarks on a journey of economic transformation outlined in its Vision 2030,” Zhang added. “We believe that the AEO will facilitate local organizations’ access to world-class ICT products and solutions, which will in turn accelerate digital transformation in the Kingdom and contribute to the achievement of national plans and projects through sharing expertise and knowledge and developing the latest solutions and technological innovations.”

Huawei has been awarded AEO certificates in 18 countries and regions including China, the United States,Canada, Hungary ,Malaysia, Turkey and other countries. This is in line with the company’s constant efforts to achieve excellence and leadership through the application of best international practices.

Huawei became a member of the World Customs Organization’s Private Sector Consultative Group (PSCG) in June 2016, contributing its expertise to establishing best practices for facilitating international trade.

Posted in Technology News | Leave a comment

Arab Bank Group reports net profits of $533 million for 2017 30% cash dividends

Posted on February 2, 2018 by مشرف

 

Arab Bank Group closed 2017 with solid results, reporting a growth in net operating income of 8% as compared to prior year. Excluding the effect of foreign currency devaluations, net operating income achieved double digit growth of 12%. Net income after tax is at $533 million as compared to $532.7 million in 2016, whilst loans and advances grew by 6% to reach USD 25.1 billion.

In view of the results, the Board of Directors has recommended to the shareholders the distribution of 30% cash dividends for the financial year 2017.

Mr. Sabih Masri, Chairman of the Board of Directors stated that the strong performance of Arab Bank Group confirms the success of the Group in dealing with the challenging and changing operating environment and reflects the Group’s prudent operating policies.

Mr. Nemeh Sabbagh, Chief Executive Officer, stated that the solid results of Arab Bank Group for 2017 were driven by sustainable growth in the underlying business, spread improvements and well controlled expenses. Mr. Sabbagh remarked that Arab Bank Group enjoys strong liquidity and robust capitalization. As of 31 December 2017, the Group’s loan-to-deposit ratio stood at 74%, whilst the capital adequacy ratio calculated in accordance with Basel III regulations is at 15.3%. He added that the asset quality of the Group remains to be high, with NPL ratio at 5.2%, and credit provisions held against non-performing loans at 100%, excluding the value of collaterals.

Mr. Masri concluded by remarking that the encouraging results will continue to support the continuous improvement in the financial performance of the Group and its position in its markets.

Arab Bank was named “Bank of the Year in the Middle East for 2017” by The Banker – Financial Times, London  and “Best Bank in the Middle East for 2017” by Global Finance, New York.

The 2017 financial statements are subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Jordan.

 

Posted in Economic News | Leave a comment

New VMware Research: The Digital Workspace Revolution is Employee-Driven Empowered employees in Saudi Arabia are almost 5 times more likely to report gains in personal productivity Majority of CIOs across EMEA (87 percent) believe that revenue can increase by more than five percent over three years when employees are empowered

Posted on January 25, 2018 by مشرف

VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), a global leader in cloud infrastructure and business mobility, today unveiled its annual report into the state of digital workspace technologies and their impact on businesses, which reveals that in Saudi Arabia, empowered employees,  those who are granted greater access to the applications they prefer and need to do their job, are almost 5 times more likely to report gains in their productivity and spending 19 percent less time on manual processes.

The research, conducted in association with Forbes Insights in September 2017 amongst 2,158 CIOs and end-users of businesses across 16 countries around the world (including 1,107 in 10 countries in EMEA), highlights how CIOs are recognising the performance power of digital technologies and applications in the hands of their employees. These empowered employees in Saudi Arabia specifically, say they twice as likely to say applications are very important in accelerating decision making compared to traditional* employees (100 percent to 50 percent).

This empowerment, according to the findings, has a direct influence on the performance of the business; with the majority of all CIOs in EMEA (89 percent) believing that revenue can increase by five percent over three years when employees are empowered.

It is also enabling employees in Saudi Arabia to increase collaboration across the workforce (an increase by 14 percent against traditional employees) and, in a clear sign that they are at the heart of this app-centric digital revolution, are procuring their own applications to use at work – in EMEA, one in five business apps being brought to the company by the employee themselves.

“Across the EMEA region, and especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, one of the most profound business shifts has been employees using enterprise applications to perform their roles smartly,” comments Henri van der Vaeren, Vice President, Southern Europe, Middle East, and Africa, VMware. “Saudi organizations that empower employees are outpacing the average EMEA organization in terms of accelerated decision-making, increased productivity, and reduced time spent on manual processes.”

Cabin staff of Lufthansa Cargo, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and international air cargo company, use an electronic flight bag (EFB) system when on board planes, giving them fast and easy access to aeronautical charts, airport information, route information, weather reports, and much more. “The mobile devices enable us to quickly provide employees with updates, new apps and new approaches, saving the company money,” said Sven Gartz, Captain and Head of Flight Ops IT. at Lufthansa Cargo.

Cultural change required Giving employees access to highly accessible employee-centric applications, used for knowledge sharing, collaborating with colleagues, or project management is essential to effective and successful digital transformation. Only with this powerful combination of employee initiative and management trust, will organisations be able to create a culture where digital transformation starts to have a real impact on the business.

In Saudi Arabia, empowered employees are just as likely to rate their employers as leaders in digital transformation compared to other employees (29 percent vs. 30 percent), and are almost five times more likely to report that their company has been made a more desirable place to work (71 percent to 15 percent).

“Employees across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are well-connected, but often organizations are not providing them with the right applications at the right time to perform their job more effectively,” said Ahmed Auda, Managing Director – Middle East and North Africa, VMware. “As Saudi organizations look to digitally transform, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, CIOs need to enable employees with business applications that can make them more effective, collaborative, and happier. These applications need to be secure, adaptable to changing business needs, and scalable.”

Additional Resources

Posted in Technology News | Leave a comment

LG launches the latest line-up of Nano Cell Display TV, OLED TVs and LG Signature OLED TVs Enhancing home entertainment and viewer experience through sharper and more accurate colours with viewing from wider angles

Posted on January 20, 2018 by مشرف

LG Electronics announced the launch of a new line-up of home entertainment products in the Saudi market of which the Nano Cell Display, the OLED TVs and from the premium LG Signature line-up OLED TV.  In addition to the uncompromising focus on the growth of OLED TVs in 2017, LG is working towards setting higher standards in the HDTV sector and focusing on pushing its sales by more than 70%. In order to achieve this, LG has invested in innovations such as advanced Nano Cell ™ screen and the OLED technology that deliver the most realistic imagery and incredible viewing experience.

LG’s OLED TVs have been recognized for their superior performance and are used by Technicolor as consumer reference displays in the production of home delivery versions of major Hollywood movies and television content such as Logan and Sense 8. This recognition from Technicolor verifies LG’s longstanding claim that its OLED TVs enable users to enjoy premium viewing experience.

The new high-quality Nano Cell™ LED technology unveils billions of rich accurate colors with superior colour accuracy. Thanks to the innovative nano cells that display fascinating, life-like colors for a perfect viewing experience from any angle. This technology achieves impressive results by absorbing excess light waves and enhancing the purity of colours displayed on the screen.

“The technology of nanoparticles is ideal for large, high-definition TVs,” said Eddie Jun, President of LG Electronics Saudi Arabia. He further said, “Nano Cell technology enables a consistent colour with wide viewing angles, whether seen directly in front of the screen or from an angle of 60 degrees.”

Belal Al Shanqiti, Marketing Manager of LG Electronics Saudi Arabia said: “The nano cell screens provide superior technical advantage due to its uniform particles measuring about one nanometer in diameter, displaying sharper and accurate colours even in wider angles as compared to other TVs like Quantum-dot based screens that have 10-50 atoms per diameter.”

As for the OLED TV from the LG Signature line-up, it marries the leading picture quality of LG OLED TV’s perfect blacks and expanded colour gamut with unique “Picture-On-Glass” technology for a stunningly slim design, measuring a never-before-achieved 2.57 milli-meters thin. The LG SIGNATURE OLED TV W flaunts a previously impossible form factor, featuring an amazingly thin, semi-flexible screen that attaches to the wall with magnets. It is an expression of cinema-quality experience for the ultimate home entertainment journey at its best.

All 2017 LG OLED and SUPER UHD TVs feature Active HDR which delivers brighter highlights and greater shadow details when displaying HDR content. Active HDR allows LG TVs to process the picture scene by scene, generating dynamic data from each scene in the video, which is then used to optimize the rendered picture on a scene by scene basis. In addition, 2017 LG OLED TVs and SUPER UHD TVs support multiple HDR formats including Dolby VisionTM, HDR10 and HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) broadcast technology, with all 2017 LG UHD TV models supporting the HLG format. LG’s TV lineup’s versatility is further enhanced by HDR Effect which upscales standard dynamic range content to improve brightness and contrast ratios.

LG OLED TV’s also incorporates Dolby Atmos which helps create a surround sound experience by reflecting sound from surfaces within viewing space. It will help customers dive into an experience with clear audio and wide surrounding immersion. Dolby Atmos frees sound from channels. It’s the first cinematic audio format in which sounds exist as individual entities, called audio objects. In Dolby Atmos, any sound—the helicopter, a car screeching around a corner, a melodic bird call—can exist as an independent audio object, free of channel restrictions. They can be precisely placed and moved anywhere in a room, including overhead, to flow above and around in three-dimensional space. Through the use of audio objects, overhead sound, and all the richness, clarity, and power of Dolby sound, Dolby Atmos turns a room into an amazing place for entertainment. You’ll feel like you’re inside the action, in ways you’ve never before experienced.

Commenting on LG’s performance in innovation, Eddie Jun, President of LG Electronics Saudi Arabia said, “LG’s accolades are especially meaningful for the company as competition in the premium TV market and the home entertainment industry has become fiercer than ever before, due in part to the growing number of competitors and the speed of innovation in technology. We are extremely glad that consumers globally have recognized LG’s pioneering leadership in innovation and technology and can understand the potential of this growth.”

 

Posted in Economic News | Leave a comment

Indulge in an extended get away that gets better the longer you stay!

Posted on January 15, 2018 by مشرف

Rising above the slopes of The Bosphorus, Fairmont Quasar Istanbul serves as a genuine hub for the well-travelled, uniting the sophistication of modern Istanbul with the unique lineage of its location, steeped in centuries of sacred history.

The new icon for the vibrant Mecidiyeköy district, Fairmont Quasar Istanbul now welcomes its guests with its special holidays offers of “Fairmont Moments” blending a sense of urban culture and the city’s storied traditions and a strong sense of place with small colorful  side streets, shopping centers, residential and business areas.

The Fairmont Moments offer brings guests extra time… Indulge in an extended getaway in one of our large and spacious family or connecting rooms this holiday overlooking the Bosphorus or urban city view, and we will make your stay all the sweeter with savings that get better the longer you stay. Your next unforgettable family holiday awaits in Istanbul where continents meets!

For stays until end of April 2018:

  • 10% off accommodations when you stay 1-2 nights*
  • 25% off accommodations when you stay 3-4 nights*
  • 30% off accommodations when you stay 5 nights or more*

For details:

http://www.fairmont.com/istanbul/special-offers/hotel-offers/promotions/a-fairmont-moments-offer/

Fairmont Quasar Istanbul, Büyükdere Cad. 76B, Mecidiyeköy, Istanbul, Turkey 34394

Posted in Economic News | Leave a comment

Air Liquide enters Saudi Arabia’s Home Healthcare market

Posted on January 11, 2018 by مشرف

With the acquisition of the respiratory division of Thimar Al Jazirah Company (TAC) in Saudi Arabia, Air Liquide enters the Home Healthcare market in the Kingdom, and expands its Healthcare activity in the Middle-East.

TAC is a leading actor in the pharmaceutical, medical and dental industries within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Acquired through a majority equity stake (60%), the TAC Home Healthcare division specializes in the distribution of respiratory equipments and sleep disorder diagnosis services for patients suffering from respiratory conditions (sleep apnea, ventilation, chronic respiratory failure). TAC is the main player in the country in this field, serving over 1,400 patients at home throughout the country. The Home Healthcare division of TAC generated a revenue of over €5.5 million in 2016.

This acquisition reinforces the healthcare position of Air Liquide in the country, where it is already a supplier of medical gases to hospitals. It represents also the entry into a territory with high potential for Air Liquide’s Home Healthcare activity. The acquired entity has joined VitalAire, Air Liquide’s global brand for Home Healthcare.

With a population of over 32 million, rising healthcare needs and a commitment from public authorities to improve the quality of healthcare services in the kingdom, the healthcare sector in KSA presents a strong potential with notably an increasing opening to foreign investors driven by the Saudi government’s 2030 Vision.

Francois Jackow, member of the Air Liquide Group’s Executive Committee, supervising Healthcare activities, said: “With this acquisition, Air Liquide pursues the development of its activity in Saudi Arabia and expands its Healthcare business in the Middle-East. We are welcoming new TAC employees to Air Liquide’s operations and are looking forward to bringing high quality of service and first class innovations to patients in Saudi Arabia, as we do for more than 1.4 million patients around the world every day.”

 

Posted in Medical News | Leave a comment

Shop Bahrain’ GCC Roadshow Kicks-off from Riyadh

Posted on January 6, 2018 by مشرف

  • The fourth edition will be held between January 11th and February 10th 2018
  • Shop Bahrain will host an array of family-filled activities and events
  • Return of ‘The Taste Tour’, Festival City, live acts and raffle draws for 20 new cars and more than 40,000 instant prizes

 The fourth-edition of the Bahrain Shopping Festival ‘Shop Bahrain’, the largest event in the Kingdom of Bahrain, will be held from January 11 until February 10, 2018, it was announced yesterday during a press conference held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The press conference is a part of a GCC roadshow held by the Festival’s organizers to announce the calendar of events and showcase Bahrain as a touristic family destination to Gulf nationals and residents.

‘Shop Bahrain’ will include an impressive line-up of events and activities for the entire family to enjoy including a unique shopping experience that will offer visitors the opportunity to win valuable prizes in the raffle draws held during the 30-day event.

The Festival is organized by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) in cooperation with partners from the public and private sectors such as Tamkeen, YK Al Moayyed, VIVA Bahrain, and Gulf Air.

On this occasion, the Director of Tourism and Marketing Promotion at Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, Mr. Yousef Mohammed Al Khan said: “Shop Bahrain is one of the largest events in the Kingdom and has achieved tremendous success since its inception. The Festival is an ideal platform to promote the Kingdom’s main attractions within the tourism and retail sectors. Furthermore, we are delighted to witness the growth of ‘Shop Bahrain’ year after year with an increase of participation from the hotels, shopping malls and restaurants.”

“We were also keen to host the Festival during the official holidays in Bahrain, KSA, and other GCC nations in order to attract a large number of tourists to flock the country,” he added.

Among the highlights of the event is a unique shopping experience witnessed across the participating malls along with a number of entertainment activities for the entire family. The calendar of events also includes a ‘Festival City’ located at Bahrain Bay which will host a variety of activities and carnival games for all age groups in addition to an outdoor market, live performances and acts in both Arabic and English.

Other highlights include the return of the ‘Taste Tour’ which aims to showcase over 40 mouth-watering restaurants located all around the Kingdom of Bahrain. Also the excitement doesn’t end here, shoppers registered in the Festival’s loyalty system found at participating hotels and shopping malls will be able to enroll in raffle draws for a chance to win valuable prizes.

Shop Bahrain will also be visited by a number of local and regional social media influencers with an aim of promoting the Festival to a larger audience. The Festival is expected to reflect positively on multiple sectors including tourism, hospitality, transportation. Moreover, working with various companies to guarantee Bahrain as a favorite touristic destination to neighboring GCC countries through the attractions held during the Festival.

Shop Bahrain will mirror the Kingdom’s position as an accessible family destination, renowned

for its close proximity to the Gulf countries with easy access through the King Fahad Causeway and the Bahrain International Airport. The Festival will offer an incredibly diverse range of retail experiences. Shoppers will be enrolled in the Festival’s loyalty system when purchasing directly from any participating outlet and partner allowing them to win a wide range of prizes.

Shoppers and visitors can learn more about “Shop Bahrain” through the website: www.shopbahrain.com or through the account @shopbahrain on the social networking channels Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

 

Posted in Economic News | Leave a comment

THE ENERGY SAVING TECHNOLOGIES IN OUR LIVES Individuals and Innovation Combine to Encourage Environmentally Sustainable Lifestyles

Posted on December 23, 2017 by مشرف

In explaining the unfolding environmental problems on our planet, a lot of fingers have been pointed at energy consumption. And rightly so. Despite some misguided attempts to prove otherwise, it is now accepted that our excessive energy consumption is accelerating climate change and exacerbating environmental degradation.

Admirably, a lot of effort has been devoted to reducing the amount of energy we, as a species, are using on a daily basis. This effort collectively came from disparate backgrounds, including politicians, NGOs, the scientific community and a growing number of highly motivated, well-intentioned individuals. At the same time, a general consensus has also begun to surface regarding the solution to our problems. In a nutshell, if technology got us into this mess, perhaps technology can get us out of this mess.

Technology then has become a centrepiece of humanity’s drive to live in greater harmony with planet Earth, thus far the only planet we can call home. This is both idealistic and realistic at the same time; idealistic because we are setting very ambitious technological goals, and realistic because the only alternative to technological solutions is to give up most of the pollution-causing comforts of life we now take for granted.

Fortunately, recent innovations have come to the fore that are demonstrating very impressive cuts in energy consumption while simultaneously keeping us in the lifestyles that we’ve become accustomed to.

Why Corporations Matter: Using HVAC innovations to cut energy consumption

An estimated 25 percent of the world’s energy consumption comes from the combination of lighting plus heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) for residential and commercial buildings. Once again, individuals collectively matter. However, not many individuals are willing to live and work in the dark without heating or air conditioning. This is where technology comes into play.

Recognizing the potential for huge energy savings on a global scale, air conditioning manufacturers have taken the initiative to develop new technologies that are a lot stingier with electricity. Recent innovations in inverter technology are a great example. Inverter technology controls the cooling and heating of buildings much more intelligently than previous technologies by adapting to ambient temperatures. Energy consumption is reduced while overall performance remains stellar.

LG’s Deluxe Inverter V is an industry leader in this regard. The product shows how very clever technology can make a significant difference to the environment. This year’s Deluxe Inverter V has achieved a stunning Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) rating of 10, Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) rating of 13. In layman’s terms, this means that LG’s air conditioner is using up to 60 percent less energy than conventional air conditioners and previous models.

raditional air conditioners consume a lot of energy while they operate. One of the ways in which the Deluxe Inverter V reduces energy consumption is by delivering a superior performance in less time. Air is cooled down and heated up faster so that the required temperature is reached more quickly. Testing showed that the Deluxe Inverter V could reliably decrease a room’s temperature by five degrees Celsius in just 3 minutes, a full 20 percent faster than non-inverter models. (Leaving aside the benefits of using less energy, this faster performance is also extremely convenient for customers!

Customers get to feel better about doing their part to achieve more eco-friendly lifestyles, but they also get the enjoyment of seeing lower electricity bills each month.

The Technology in Our Lives

Whether by recycling our soda cans or by choosing a more efficient air conditioner for the office or by carpooling in our friend’s HEV, we can all find ways to make our lifestyles a little bit more eco-friendly. While the environmental problems the world faces are truly staggering, the ability of each individual to make a difference is very real.

For their part, corporations have long since recognized that in markets around the world, particularly the developed ones, consumers are becoming much more conscious of how their day-to-day lifestyle choices can hurt or help the environment. There is a growing demand among consumers for technologies that give individuals greater control over living environmentally sustainable lives, and many corporations have seized the opportunity to meet this demand.

In the end, this benefits everyone. Companies profit, individuals achieve the lifestyles they want and the planet breathes a little easier.

Posted in General | Leave a comment