RAFAL Launches its Sales Office at Burj RAFAL Community

Posted on December 2, 2015 by مشرف

رافال

As part of its strategic customer service plans, RAFAL real estate company inaugurated the Company’s first sales office in the Kingdom.

RAFAL Sales office will serve RAFAL’s unique products portfolio, existing and future communities; it will also give the customers the opportunity to explore these products.

“This sales office aims at providing unique services to meet the increasing demand on innovational real estate products witnessed in the Kingdom. Through this office, customers will have the opportunity to review the existing and the projects under development which include, RAFAL Residence Community, Marvela Community, and RAFAL Living community” said Mr. Essam Al Ghamdi, Marketing and Strategy Manager, RAFAL Real Estate Development Company.

“This new sales office will put our clients in direct connection with our team where they can have a comprehensive idea on the standards that we abide by and apply within our projects; also they can benefit from the real estate consultancy service offered by our experienced team.” Concluded Mr. Essam Al Ghamdi.

RAFAL Sales Office offers dedicated customer support services, in addition to showcases 4 model apartments, fully furnished, of the future communities, so that clients can have a real preview of what is being offered.

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Impact of IFRS transition on Saudi Arabian businesses explored at high level ACCA event

Posted on November 26, 2015 by مشرف

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The impact that the move to International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) will have on businesses in Saudi Arabia was tackled at a high level panel discussion organised by ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) in Riyadh on Wednesday.

With just over a year to go before all listed companies are required to report their business performance under IFRS in 2017, and with all non-listed businesses expected to follow suit a year later, ACCA bought together business leaders at a critical time to look at where businesses should be in their preparations and of which issues they should be aware.

 Anis Motorwala, ACCA’sHead of Business Development, Middle East & North Africa, said : “The clock is ticking for all businesses in Saudi Arabia who may need to make significant changes to the way in which they report their business activities. Many businesses have already begun work on tackling the conversion to the new standards, but others may still have plenty of work to do. We wanted to not only show business leaders where they should be in the convergence journey but also to offer advice.”

“ACCA was the first body to incorporate IFRS into its qualification 20 years ago, which means that our qualified professionals are well versed in the standards. We also believe that the adoption of global standards will further enhance business opportunities for businesses in the kingdom as it enables potential business partners and clients around the world who already use IFRS to more easily understand the figures they see,” he added.

“To further support the transition to IFRS ACCA has developed a Diploma in International Financial Reporting a globally recognised study program which is available to all professional accountants and auditors which gives them a greater understanding of the standards,” said Anis Motorwala

Delegates at the event at the Courtyard Marriot Hotel, Riyadh, heard from  Zubair Baloch – Financial Controller of Al Marai and Sami Abu Suraih – IFRS Conversion Project Manager of Saudi Electricity Company about how their companies were preparing for IFRS, along with Muhammad Asif Iqbal – Director Accounting Standards, SOCPA, Kashif Zafar – Senior Director Audit, KPMG and Manoj Shah –  Partner PwC Advisory  about the work being undertaken by SOCPA and the big accountancy firms. The discussion was moderated by ACCA member Taha Ali, a Senior Manager in PwC’s Capital Markets and Accounting Advisory team.

Asif Iqbal  said: “ Alhamdulillah SOCPA is very much on track towards achieving the project timelines of the landmark project for transition to international accounting and auditing standards which was initiated in 2012. SOCPA under the dynamic leadership of Minister of Commerce and Industry and Chairman SOCPA Board, H.E. Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al Rabiah, is working very closely with all stakeholders like other regulators, accountancy firms, corporate world and the international standard setters towards achieving this challenging task.”

In summing up the event Taha Ali told delegates that it was critical that they choose sustainable accounting solutions, that they manage and educate stakeholders early  and that they do not delay the conversion process. “The key message is act now,” he said.

Dur Hospitality Company CFO Yaser AlQuhidan said: “We are very pleased to host this significant event as it discusses a very critical subject that will have huge influence on the company’s operating in Saudi Arabia and will leverage the existing standards to international standards to ensure growth, transparency and sustainability. All companies are preparing for the transition to the IFRS standards and this workshop gathered business leaders from all sectors to benefit from ACCA Experience”

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RAFAL Silver Sponsor of Sara Expo

Posted on November 23, 2015 by مشرف

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RAFAL Real Estate Development company, participates in Sara Expo, as a Silver sponsor, from the period between 14 – 16 November.

The event, which was inaugurated by HRH Princess Moudhi Bint Abdulaziz Bin Masaed, is considered one of the leading female events in the Kingdom.

Mr. Essam Al Ghamdi, Marketing and Strategy Manager, RAFAL Real Estate Development Co., said” RAFAL’s mission is simply to develop innovative real estate products that will make a difference, and that is why we were interested to participate in Sara Expo as it aims at organizing unconventional events that will add value to the community.”

Mr. Essam Al Ghamdi Added, “The main objective behind our participation in this event is to showcase RAFAL Residence community, RAFAL’s latest innovation which has recently got the license to initiate map selling. RAFAL Residence offers a new concept of residential apartments in an integrated fully serviced community, which meet the modern requirements of the Saudi community.”

Mr. Essam Al Ghamdi concluded, “Sara Expo is the ideal platform that gathers Saudi ladies, and who are concerned personally in identifying the residential unit that meets her requirements and needs, her soon to be called Home.”

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VFS Global launches Visa Application Centre for the Czech Republic in Riyadh

Posted on November 16, 2015 by مشرف

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VFS Global is pleased to announce the launch of the Visa Application Centre for the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Riyadh. Applicants for visas to the Czech Republic from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can now visit the centrally-located centre to submit visa applications and enrol for biometrics in a spacious and comfortable environment.

 The centre is located at the Schengen Visa Application Centre, Office @ 1st floor, Dove Plaza (Hyper Panda), Omm Al Hamam street, Omm Al Hamam, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Services at this location commenced on 04 November 2015.

 Another Czech Republic visa application centre is scheduled to be launched on 18 November in Jeddah for greater convenience for applicants in Saudi Arabia. This centre will be located at TasHeel Commercial Plaza, Ground Floor – Suwaid Bin Sakher Street, Off Jundub Bin Kaab Street (off Prince Sultan Street), Al Mohammadiyah District 1, Jeddah, KSA.

 Speaking about the launch, HE Mr Jiri Slavik, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said,“Opening of Czech Visa Centers in Riyadh and Jeddah reflects the growing bilateral relations between the Czech Republic and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and comes in the year when the two countries celebrate 20 years of diplomatic ties. By visa outsourcing the Czech Republic aims at becoming more accessible to all applicants, including those travelling to visit our spas, be it for medical treatment or wellness stays only, to experience the atmosphere of our beautiful cities, castles and palaces, to play golf or to learn filming in a summer school. And of course, we believe that better accessibility of visa centres will also please future businessmen and investors interested in the numerous opportunities the strategically located Czech Republic has to offer. We are convinced that VFS Global, one of the most experienced and professional companies in the visa field, will prove itself our reliable partner”.

MrAjit Alexander, COO – Middle East and North Africa, VFS Global, added, “We are committed to streamlining the visa application process for travellers and providing best-in-class services for visitors to our centres. We are privileged to partner with the Embassy of the Czech Republic in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and are confident our services will enhance the overall experience for applicants.”

The key features of the centre include:

  • Convenient and centrally-accessed location
  • Professional staff with local language capability to handle queries and applications
  • Spacious, well-appointed centre for enhanced comfort of applicants
  • Automated queue governance for smooth flow of applicants
  • Dedicated website for easy access to information including visa categories, requirements, check-list and applicable fees
  • 100% secure handling of passports, documents and personal information
  • Door-step delivery of passports
  • Premium Lounge for personalised and comfortable service

 Since 2009, VFS Global jointly with its local partner M/s Al Etimad Modern Business Solutions Co. (ETIMAD) has been successfully operating visa application services and VACs for diplomatic missions of 11 sovereign governments in the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Czech Republic Visa Application Centre

Address: Schengen Visa Application Centre,Office @ 1st floor, Dove Plaza (Hyper Panda), Omm Al Hamam street, Omm Al Hamam, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Helpline: +966 11 4816467 Email: info.czechksa@vfshelpline.com

Website: http://www.vfsglobal.com/czechrepublic/saudiarabia/

 Business hours: 0900 hrs to 1700 hrs (Sunday to Thursday)

 Submission Timings: 0900hrs– 1500hrs| Sunday – Thursday (except holidays as declared by the Embassy)

Document Collection: 0900hrs – 1700hrs | Sunday – Thursday (except holidays as declared by the Embassy)

*VFS Global will be responsible only for accepting applications for the Embassy of the Czech Republic. All applications submitted will continue to be assessed and processed by the Embassy of the Czech Republic. Timelines for turnaround of visas are as per the discretion of the authorities.

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Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski Promotional Offers from the tallest residential tower to date in Riyadh

Posted on November 16, 2015 by مشرف

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Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski is proud to extend a selection of services to its guests, including special Levant barbecue evenings on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at the Skylight Pool Lounge & Restaurant located on Floor 6 of the 23-floor hotel. Also, the hotel is offering a special 10 to 15% discount on reservations (valid until 31 December 2015) exclusively through booking online and using the promotional code KEMP15.

“Kempinski is Europe’s oldest hotel group with a history of more than 110 years. It is definitely a pleasure bringing our European expertise and opening a landmark property in the city of heritage, Riyadh. Together with our remarkable European flair and warm Arabian hospitality, we create memorable experiences every day,” stated Mr George Ganchev, General Manager at Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski.

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Covering an Area of almost 1 millionsquare meters SAEI announces The Launch of SR 2.87 billion MRO Facility

Posted on November 11, 2015 by مشرف

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Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI) announced the launchof the largest state-of-the-art facilities in the Middle East for civil and military technical aviation serviceslocated at the northeast of King Abdul-Aziz Airport in Jeddah.

 The launching of the New MRO facility was announced in a press conference held on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow, one of the largest and most successful airshows in the world.

 The new facility incorporates a new maintenance, repair and overhaul facility (MRO) in Saudi Arabia covering an average area of 1 million sq. meters and introduces the latest technology combined with enviable track record of aviation engineering backed up by an experience of more than 55 years and the highly qualified Saudi workforce.

 Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Director General, Saudia, chairman of SAEI’s Board of Directors, said”Saudi Arabia is well-equipped to capture the increasing demand for aviation-related services from this market, and this state-of-the-art facility will definitely put the Kingdom on the global aerospace and aviation industries Map, and support itin achieving the diversification goals by driving the growth of the civil and military aerospace industry through ensuring the transfer of state-of-the-art technology and know-how in addition tocreating thousands of jobs for Saudis.”

 The SR2.87 billion MRO Facility was developed by a joint venture lead byTurkey’s TAV and including AlHabtoor Leighton Group (HLG), and Al Rajhi, and planned for completion by the end of 2016 placing SAEI in the top ranks of MROs worldwide and making it the largest in the region with a wide range of capabilities for aircraft, engines and component maintenance.

 “We are very excited for this new facility as it is the result of almost 56 years of operating experience across 28 stations in Saudi Arabiaand 25 international stations manned by SAEI personnel, and it entitles us to be the leading provider of high quality maintenance, repair, overhaul, and engineering services for aircraft, engines and components in the MiddleEast.” Commented Eng. Nader Khalawi, CEO, SAEI

 With 11 aircraft hangars, 28 aircraft component shops, modern warehouses, ground support equipment maintenance center and a design and manufacturing center, the new facility will provide highest quality maintenance, repair, overhaul, engineering and reliability services for civil and military aircraft, and components and offering added value services, to be a one stop shop for all SAEI customers in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region.

 Eng. Khalawi concluded, “With over than 1100 exhibitors, gathering aerospace professionals across all areas of the industry, the Dubai Airshow is the ideal platform to launch this state-of-the-art facility.”

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Makarem Participates in the World Travel Market London Shares the vision of the Kingdom’s hospitality industry with a Global Audience

Posted on November 9, 2015 by مشرف

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Makarem, the Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah’ leading hotel brand has announced its participation in the World Travel Market, the leading global event for the travel industry, that is held in the period between the 2nd and the 5th of November 2015 in London.

Makarem, the spiritual hotel brand of Dur Hospitality, Showcases its expertise in delivering specialized hospitality services dedicated to the Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah, where they proved throughout the years that no one can compete with their local expertise.

Dr. Denis Sorin, President of Hotels Operations, said “Makarem has recently launched the new identity which aims at being the trusted spiritual companion, and our participation in this Global event reinforces our objective and helps to share our vision of the Kingdom’s hospitality industry of tomorrow to the WTM Global audience.”

Dr. Dennis added: “We operate in a very challenging yet promising market and we are aware that Addressing and meeting our guests’ expectations is a must, especially that the cities of Makkah and Madinah are the ultimate destination of Muslims from all over the world”

Dr. Dennis concluded “The Kingdom’s travellers are much more demanding and we at Makarem have re-engineered our offerings by the introduction of “My Journey” concept which presents an exciting new guest loyalty program, and the exclusive concierge service, in addition to the rich spiritual library to make the pilgrimage experience more rewarding and fulfilling thus offering the perfect combination of spirituality, practicality and hospitality that delivers beyond guests’ expectations’.”

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Dur Hospitality announced 40.7 million Riyals net profit for the third quarter of 2015

Posted on October 22, 2015 by مشرف

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Dur Hospitality Company announced its preliminary financial results for the third quarter of 2015. Dur’s net profit reached 40.7 million riyals, recording 11% growth compared to the same quarter last year.

It is worth mentioning that Dur hospitality completed the renovation work in Makarem Annakheel Jeddah Hotel and Holiday inn Tabuk, and delivered a number of villas in Daraq project in the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh, which was a major contributor to the growth of revenues generated from these projects, in addition to the overall improvements in the operation and services of the company’s facilities that come in line with its strategic direction.

Dur Also announced that the Hajj season this year was a success, where Makarem hotels, Dur’s own hotel brand specialized in the two holy cities, hosted valued pilgrims and provided them with high quality services in Makkah Al Mukarramah,branches, with a 100% occupancy rate, which also had a positive impact on the third quarter results.

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Saudi Arabia’s Businesses Set to Benefit from Hybrid Cloud Potential

Posted on September 16, 2015 by مشرف

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Hybrid cloud deployments are set to have a big impact on Saudi Arabian organizations in the coming years, according to F5 Networks(NASDAQ: FFIV).

The Global Application Delivery Networking leader today highlighted Saudi businesses’ increasing appetite for the potential of the technology, and revealed details of its new enhanced security and cloud offerings.

Highlights include new F5® software that enables hybrid technologies through dynamic on-premises and off-premises deployments, and the extension of its hybrid cloud Silverline services platform to incorporate web-application firewall capabilities.

“The ongoing migration of applications to the cloud, increased user and resource mobility, and the emergence of ever more sophisticated threats have led to the dissolution of the traditional enterprise perimeter,” said Mamduh Allam, Saudi Arabia General Manager, F5 Networks.

“This is pushing organizations to pursue a unified services platform that spans integrated data center and cloud deployments.”

According to IDC, the Saudi cloud market is set to grow 53.8% this year compared to 2014, hitting $77.5 million. The upward trend is echoed by a recent survey by market research company Dun & Bradstreet, which found that 44% of Saudi companies have already or are planning to deploy a cloud computing model in their offices. 28% are planning to implement an advanced hybrid cloud model.

Globally, the hybrid cloud market is estimated to grow from $25.28 billion in 2014 to $86.67 billion in 2019, at a CAGR of 27.3%1, according to MarketsandMarkets. The Middle East and Africa (MEA) is set to play a big role in that growth, with the Cisco Global Cloud Index (2013-2018) noting that the region is set to post the world’s highest cloud traffic growth rate, increasing more than eight-fold from 31 exabytes in 2013 to 262 exabytes in 20182.

However, the transition to the cloud is not without its challenges. A recent survey commissioned by F5 Networks in Saudi Arabia found that 48% of Saudi IT decision-makers claimed that the top cybersecurity challenges was managing the shift from datacentre-focused infrastructure to the cloud.

“Corporate borders are expanding and they must include all cloud environments. These cannot continue to be disconnected operational islands,” said Allam.

“If the future is hybrid – and we very much believe it is – we need to be able to manage such environments much more seamlessly, so that it benefits performance and the bottom line in an obvious and compelling way.”

Extended Hybrid Application Services for Optimized Performance in All IT Environments

BIG-IP® version 12.0 is a major software release that expands F5’s hybrid platform of services, and greatly improves the agility, security, and performance of cloud application deployments

It takes advantage of F5’s application delivery services fabric, extending the F5 Synthesis™ model by combining physical and virtual resources to better support cloud and hybrid scenarios. This approach allows customers to more easily transition workloads to cloud environments as needed and incorporate technologies like HTTP/2, while maintaining the same visibility, security, and control of traditional infrastructures.

F5 accelerates cloud migrations, enabling customers to integrate security, management, and orchestration capabilities for their evolving on-premises and off-premises deployments. Moreover, F5’s programmable, extensible architecture and growing ecosystem of technology partners make its application services an ideal fit for emerging IT trends such as SDN, NFV, and converged systems offerings.

F5 supports customers deploying cloud and hybrid IT architectures, with BIG-IP virtual edition solutions becoming available in the Azure Marketplace.

“Organizations are seeking the same confidence level with applications and services in cloud/hybrid deployments that they’ve seen in the data center,” said Allam.

“Our BIG-IP software is instrumental in helping customers take advantage of the benefits of the cloud without sacrificing security, flexibility, or savings.”

Silverline™ Web Application Firewall

The Silverline™ Web Application Firewall service offering, meanwhile, provides quick web application firewall (WAF) implementation and unified, scalable policy enforcement capabilities. The service also includes 24×7 support from highly specialized F5 security experts with the company’s Security Operations Center (SOC) resources.

As the latest addition to F5’s Silverline cloud-based application services platform, the new WAF offering is built on the award-winning capabilities of the company’s BIG-IP® Application Security Manager™ product. F5 seamlessly provides leading WAF services in both on-premises and subscription-based cloud offerings. The company’s versatile, easy to deploy WAF solutions lets organizations confidently incorporate cloud resources while protecting apps and data from increasingly sophisticated security attacks, risks, and vulnerabilities.

“With security needs outpacing the number of qualified WAF experts in the industry, many organizations find themselves under-protected. Silverline solutions expand F5’s fabric-based Synthesis framework to include cloud-delivered services—giving customers the benefit of F5 experts proactively looking after WAF functionality,” explained Allam.

 

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TURKISH AIRLINES MADE A SAUDI TOURIST PLEASED

Posted on September 14, 2015 by مشرف

خطوط تركيا

A tourist travelled from the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, to Istanbul a few months ago. During his tour in Istanbul, in one of the public transports he lost his wallet which included an amount of money, identity cards and bank cards.

Even though  the Saudi citizen did not fly with Turkish Airlines, his wallet was found and delivered to the Turkish Airlines Riyadh Office thanks to the collaboration between the head of  Middle East Turkish Airlines and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The staff in Turkish Airlines Riyadh Office got in contact with the owner of the wallet and submitted it.  

The Saudi citizen expressed his gratitute and appreciation to Turkish Airlines and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality for their help  even though he did not fly with Turkish Airlines. He stated that “If my wallet had not been found, it would have been very difficult for me to spend so much time to get new cards and follow all official procedures to have them again and also not having the identity cards would have affected my daily life in a negative way.” This event took a great deal of praise in Riyadh newspapers.

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