ALKHOZAMA BANQUETING AND CONFERENCE CENTER IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SUPREME COMMISSION OF TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES ANNOUNCE THE LAUNCH OF THE UPCOMING RAMADAN 2014 ALKHOZAMA FASHION ART & DESIGN EXHIBITION • First of its kind fashion, art and design event presenting budding you talents under one roof organized by the AlKhozama Banqueting and Conference Center in partnership with Supreme Commission of Tourism and Antiquities. • Contestants to compete in the triennial Bandar AlJibreen Achievement Award

Posted on May 19, 2014 by مشرف

Over 100 young talents will feature their fashion, art and design creations and products during the first of its kind exhibition to be hosted in Riyadh during the first week of Ramadan corresponding to June 30 until July 2, 2014 in the AlKhozama Banqueting and Conference Center.

In partnership with the Supreme Commission of Tourism and Antiquities, the AlKhozama Center and Bandar AlJibreen Achievement Award announced the launch of program, which aims to bring together young talents in the fashion, art and design spectrum under one roof to display their creations as part of the art and cultural scene evolvement in Riyadh and across the Kingdom.

The goal of the exhibition is to shed light on the pool of talented art and fashion personalities across the Kingdom and regionally highlighting the growth this sector has witnessed and the leadership position taken with Riyadh being the ultimate fashion, art and design destination across the region.  AlKhozama Banquet and Conference Center management in cooperation with Amal AlJibreen Associates set the strategy for the event in an effort to bring together the unique enterprises from an entrepreneurial and enterprise perspective building bridges of understanding and cooperation with target entities and stakeholders.

“We look forward to this event which brings together a distinct industry that has witnessed growth during the past decade featuring cultural development from a fashion, art and design perspective,” stated Dr. Zaid AlZaid, CEO of Midad AlArdh Investment Company, owners and operators of AlKhozama Banqueting and Conference Center.  “Art and design are a key element in everything we do at AlKhozama, from the overall structure to the service, the design and operation of the venue is set within a specific design that is functional, efficient, stylish, dynamic, modern and sleek.  Based on our work vision and values we want to open avenues of development and growth for the youth and young talents in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and bring about the essence of design in all its aspects,” he ended.

Registration for the AlKhozama Fashion, Art and Design Exhibition 2014 began and interested parties can take part in the exhibition by booking their booths on site.  Each booth is 3×3 with the floor plan layout divided into set categories from fashion, art and design in all aspects.  Each exhibitor will automatically be eligible for the Bandar AlJibreen Achievement Award recognizing talents and ambition within the creative sphere.  This year’s theme is “White Piece” every participant must submit a white piece that reflects their work a judging panel comprising of artists, business personalities, educators and the event organizers will be visiting each of the booths and rating the entries based on the set criteria.  The winners will be announced on the last day of the event and the prizes will be awarded immediately.  The Bandar AlJibreen Achievement Award category breakdown are first place SAR 75,000 second place SAR 50,000 ad 3rd place SAR 25,000.  Each of the winners will also be presented with the award plaque and will be able to receive consultancy and marketing support ideas from the award organizers.  This is the third cycle of the Bandar AlJibreen Achievement Award launched acknowledgement of the late Sheikh Bandar bin Abdulmohsen AlJibreen achievement and support of young talents especially in the field of arts and creative design.  The award builds on the late Sheikh Bandar AlJibreen’s message and guidance recognizing the need for working hard, ethically and with pride and excellence in delivery, “The achiever is the one who turns his source of income into his source of pride.”

“The Bandar AlJibreen Achievement Award is a continuation of the legacy my father; the late Bandar AlJibreen – May Allah rest his soul in peace; set pushing for excellence in everything we do and setting a bar of pride and ethics in all work aspects,” stated Amal AlJibreen, Founder and CEO of Amal AlJibreen and Associates (AJA) and head of the Bandar AlJibreen Achievement Award.

“We are also honored to see the award growing during each cycle and to insure its continuation and set standards we have identified key events where it’s launched and hosted giving opportunity for all participants in select functions to take part.  The achiever is the one who turns his source of income into his source of pride is a quote dear to our hearts and we strive to see it become a norm for many.  It’s the manner in which my father conducted his work and dealings and its builds on self-fulfillment and gratification and delight turning work into passion,” she continued.  Further information about the award can be found on www.bandar-award.com

The AlKhozama Fashion, Art and Design Exhibition 2014 is launched in cooperation, partnership and sponsorship of key organizations including:  the Supreme Commission of Tourism and Antiquities, Bandar AlJibreen Achievement Award, Rotana Magazine, Rotana Khaleejia, AlHayat Newspaper, Laha Magazine, Destination Riyadh and Arabiyat online magazine.  Organizers include Midad AlArdh Investment Company, Amal AlJibreen Associates (AJA), Heights Agency and Hawas.

The Annual AlKhozama Fashion Event 2014 will witness a number of key activities and participations including special training session for young women on communication and presentation skills and it is within the realm of objectives set by the organizers to build on the needs and abilities of upcoming generation.

AlKhozama Banqueting and Conference Center owner and organizer of the event is part of the AlMidad AlArdh Group a leading Real Estate and Development Company.  Al Khozama Banqueting and Conference Center was launched in February of 2012 and managed to set the trend for events and banqueting functions achieving great success in the field through its specialized team who bring together a wide range of experience and knowledge in the event management, food and beverage industry.  With event and conference halls, that seat from 50 to 2,500 people AlKhozaama Banqueting and Conference Center offers a unique offering in event excellence and delivery.

To take part in the exhibition please contact:

www.alkhozamahall.com

+ 966 55 555 3033

+ 966 55 638 8444

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EMC Redefines Data Protection for a Software-Defined World Major Innovations Across EMC Data Protection Portfolio Enable Customers to Address Continuum of Requirements and Deliver Data Protection-as-a-Service

Posted on May 19, 2014 by مشرف

News Summary

  • EMC helps customers establish effective data protectionfor software-defined data centers.
    • New data protection-as-a-service solutions span the full continuum of data protection requirements, enabling EMC customers to confidently transition to software-defined data centers and fully exploit the cost and operational advantages they deliver.
    • EMC Data Protection Suite enhancements, a new EMC Data Domain Operating System and new releases of EMC VPLEX and EMC RecoverPoint deliver powerful new capabilities today, while laying the foundation for the future.

 

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Full Story:

EMC has recently announced new products and technologies that address the full continuum of data protection requirements facing users, both today and as they address the challenge of transitioning to software-defined data centers.

In software-defined data centers, infrastructure is virtualized and delivered as a service.  To maintain effective protection during the transition to next generation environments, data protection strategies and technologies must also evolve to a service-based delivery model.

EMC’s data protection solutions span the full range of customers’ data protection needs, from archive to continuous availability for physical, virtual and cloud environments. With today’s announcement, EMC adds new integrations with primary and protection storage platforms, and with hypervisors and enterprise applications, while extending support for cloud environments and delivering new technologies that enable data protection-as-a-service delivery.  These innovations drive new efficiencies into customer environments today, while laying a foundation that helps EMC customers move confidently to software-defined data centers.

New Product and Technology Highlights

Evolution of the EMC Data Protection Suite

The EMC® Data Protection SuiteTM redefines the usage model for data protection software by enabling flexible application of integrated products to optimize both on-premise and cloud-based backup and archive environments as they evolve.  The Data Protection Suite consists of EMC’s Avamar®, NetWorker®, Data Protection AdvisorTM, Mozy® and SourceOneTM software offerings.  With this significant release of the Data Protection Suite, new capabilities include:

  • Snapshot Management for EMC Isilon®, EMC VNX® and NetApp arrays to improve protection for NAS-based data.
  • Deep support for VMware and Microsoft cloud infrastructures via unique integration with VMware vCloud Suite and Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager.
  • Full integration between Avamar and Data Domain® provides the best that both platforms can offer.
  • Enhanced security features and new Linux support for Mozy public clouds enable greater adoption by enterprise customers.

New Protection Storage Capabilities

With the introduction of a new EMC Data Domain Operating SystemTM, EMC continues to evolve Data Domain’s position as the industry’s de-facto open protection storage platform, with capabilities that extend its support far beyond just backup to establish it as a cornerstone for enabling delivery of data protection as-a-service.  New capabilities include:

  • The introduction of Data Domain DD BoostTM for Enterprise Applications, which empowers application admins to protect their own environments and includes support for Oracle, SAP® solutions, the SAP HANA® platform,  IBM DB2 and Microsoft SQL Server.
  • New secure multi-tenancy feature for cloud deployments enables Data Domain systems to deliver secure isolation for large enterprises and service providers and effectively function as a protection storage platform in data protection as-a-service deployments.
  • Archive storage enhancements include support for 1 billion files, further broadening Data Domain systems’ supported use cases.

New VPLEX and RecoverPoint Software Releases

Through new software releases from the EMC VPLEX® and EMC RecoverPoint® product lines, EMC accentuates its unique ability to address the full continuum of data protection needs, offering continuous availability, mobility and disaster recovery for more environments and multi-site configurations:

  • VPLEX and RecoverPoint now combine to deliver MetroPoint™ topology, an industry-unique 3 site business continuity capability for mission critical applications.  MetroPoint topology combines VPLEX Metro™ continuous availability with RecoverPoint remote replication and continuous data protection (CDP) to efficiently deliver comprehensive operational and disaster recovery over any distance.

  • EMC also introduces a new product, VPLEX Virtual Edition – the industry’s first virtualized solution to market that offers both continuous availability and data mobility in a low-cost, 100% software deployment.  With VPLEX Virtual Edition, EMC extends the market for continuous availability and mobility as customers of all sizes can now take advantage of proven VPLEX technology.  VPLEX Virtual Edition will also be made available as part of VSPEX Proven Infrastructure solutions.

 

EMC Global Services

Complementing these new data protection products and capabilities is the EMC Blueprint for Backup ArchitectureTM service.  Through this service, EMC establishes comprehensive baseline information for an organization’s current data protection capabilities, providing specific strategic and design insights into their environment and practices, along with recommendations for improvement.  As a result, customers are provided with a roadmap for advancing their current data protection operations towards a data protection-as-a-service model with lower cost, less risk, and better performance; freeing them to drive innovation and increase revenue for their enterprise.

VMware Quote

Sanjay Katyal, Vice President, Global Strategic Alliances, VMware

“With innovations such as advanced support for VMware vCloud Suite and a new virtual edition of VPLEX, EMC’s data protection solutions are advancing the protection of cloud infrastructures and aligning closely to VMware’s cloud management vision and pathway to the software-defined enterprise.”

EMC Executive Quote

Fady Richmany, Senior Regional Director, EMC Data Protection and Availability Division, Turkey, Eastern Europe, Africa, and Middle East

 

“As businesses transition into the 3rd platform over the next few years there will be a strong uptake in Software-Defined data centers, including network and storage and as the size of data within these organizations continues to grow companies will need efficient and agile ways to protect their most valuable asset, their data. Our announcement of new products and new integrations complements our previous integrations announcements and delivers a complete spectrum of data protection and availability capabilities as a holistic, consumable service.   Data protection-as-a-service is a key tenant for establishing effective protection for software-defined data centers—a ‘bedrock’ that needs to be in place for organizations to confidently transition to 3rd platform software infrastructures.

New Product Availability

All new EMC data protection products will be generally available in second quarter of 2014.  The Blueprint for Backup Architecture service is available immediately.

Additional Resources:

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World’s No.1 skincare oil Bio Oil Sponsors Gulf Bride Exhibition 2014

Posted on May 18, 2014 by مشرف

Bio Oil, world’s number one skincare oil announces the sponsorship of Gulf Bride Exhibition 2014 which held recently in Holiday Inn Khobar, the exhibition which considered the most prestigious event for woman’s fashion & beauty in the region and attract the leading local and international companies for woman’s products & accessories.

Bio Oil was first launched globally in the year 2002 and since then it has been the most trusted skincare product. “Bio Oil has received immense popularity all around the world which has led it to become world’s number one skincare product. “said Dr. Mohammed Oteifi, the marketing manager of Sara Excel Company. Apart from attaining popularity, Bio Oil has won more than 85 skincare awards.

Dr. Oteifi added that Bio‑Oil formulation is a combination of plant extracts and vitamins suspended in an oil base. It contains an active ingredient called PurCellin Oil™, which changes the overall consistency of the oil, making it light and non-greasy. This ensures that the goodness contained in the vitamins and plant extracts is easily absorbed by all skin types.

Bio Oil has undergone various safety assessments in accordance with the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council of Cosmetic Products. It is now available at all the medical stores, hypermarkets, supermarkets and cosmetic stores to serve its customers in KSA.

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Saudi Arabia continues to be high growth market in GCC says Emirates NBD Wealth Management Real Estate, construction and manufacturing strong growth avenues backed by emphasis on diversification and government spending

Posted on May 18, 2014 by مشرف

Long-term growth is expected to continue in the non-oil sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the massive government spending on infrastructure projects acting as a catalyst for the transport, hospitality and real estate sectors, said Arjuna Mahendran, Chief Investment Officer, Emirates NBD Wealth Management.

Addressing Saudi-based investors at the Emirates NBD CIO Roadshow in Riyadh, Mahendran emphasised that the strong performance of Tadawul, the Saudi Stock Exchange, during 2013, had given a significant boost to business confidence and long term economic prospects of the Kingdom, particularly in the non-oil sectors.

“While more than 70 per cent of the listed equities in Tadawul are currently oil-related entities, there has been a growing emphasis on diversification in capital markets during the last year. We believe this will result in several IPOs from high growth companies in the non-oil sector during this year,” said Mahendran, emphasising that Saudi Arabia continues to be a high growth market in the GCC.

Mahendran pointed out that the growth witnessed in the Kingdom was reflective of the robust growth across the GCC region. He said that despite the growing risk in some of the global financial markets there has been broad economic recovery in the US, Japan and the GCC region, which has led to these regions underpinning the strategic asset allocation and broader investment strategy of Emirates NBD Wealth Management.

He particularly underlined the cement companies in the GCC region, which are beneficiaries of the boom in infrastructure construction by regional governments and the continued strong earnings of GCC telecommunications companies, which offer high dividends to investors. Mahendran also underlined that such dividends are sustainable, given high barriers to entry for foreign telcos into the region.

Mahendran also expressed great confidence in the manufacturing sector in Saudi Arabia, which he said “continues to thrive and will be a strong growth avenue.” However, sounding a cautionary note, he said that the growing emphasis on the Nitaqat Saudisation programme could put some pressure on labour costs.

Placing the Saudi growth story in the context of GCC growth, Mahendran said that there were several reasons to remain invested in GCC equities. These included improving economic and business indicators across the region, sustainable earnings growth and positive repercussions across the region from the MSCI inclusion of Qatar and the UAE. He added that the improving volumes, liquidity and foreign ownership limits, were expected to generate a spate of IPOs to provide greater depth and breadth to the GCC markets.

Calling the GCC “an oasis in the Emerging Markets storm,” Mahendran said that the wider GCC countries had recently set off a virtuous cycle of a stabilisation in bank loan provisioning, and enhanced provision write-­backs on bank balance sheets, which had in turn strengthened the flow of bank credit throughout the region. Additionally, the inclusion of the UAE and Qatar stock markets in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index is expected to bring investments into the region from managers of large passive institutional funds globally.

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Al Faisaliah Hotel Celebrates Huge Success with Six Awards at the Arabian Travel Market 2014

Posted on May 18, 2014 by مشرف

Al Faisaliah Hotel, A Rosewood Hotel, Riyadh’s leading luxury hotel celebrated a record number of wins this week during the Arabian Travel Market. Earlier this week, the hotel walked away with an outstanding five awards at the World Travel Awards Middle East and one award at the MENA Travel Awards 2014.

 Awards the hotel is most proud of include Saudi Arabia’s Leading Hotel and Saudi Arabia’s Leading Hotel Suite for the Oasis Suite at Al Faisaliah Suites, A Rosewood Hotel. In addition, the recently launched ladies spa, Al Faisaliah Spa by ESPA received two awards for Middle East’s Leading Female Spa and Middle East’s Leading Spa Design which was designed by Her Highness Princess Al Anoud Bint Khaled Bin Abdullah Al Saud.

In the same week the luxury hotel was awarded the Best 5 -Star Business/Corporate Hotel (Silver Award) at the MENA Travel Awards. The ceremony which, was attended by H.H. Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Ajman Tourism Development Department took place last week In Dubai.

Ayman Sallam, Director of Sales & Marketing, Al Faisaliah Hotel said, “We have had an incredibly successful week and the Arabian Travel Market has proven to be a great opportunity to inform our key stakeholders and guests of our success rates to date. We were humbled to have received six awards this week and I would like to thank the Rosewood and Al Khozama teams for their hard work and dedication. Without their ongoing support we would not have succeeded our goal of becoming Saudi Arabia’s leading hotel.”

The hotel, recently launched Al Faisaliah Spa by ESPA which is the nation’s leading luxury, female Spa. The Spa offers a tranquil oasis away from the bright lights of the city and allows guests to relax, unwind and indulge in an array of world-class luxurious treatments.  The Arabian Pearl, a top-to-toe ESPA experience that includes a hot stone body massage is one of Al Faisaliah Spa by ESPA’s signature treatments.

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RIYADH MARRIOTT HOTEL WINS BEST CONFERENCE/CONVENTION CENTER AWARD Riyadh Marriott Hotel receives its seventh plaque of the MENA Travel Awards’ Best Conference/Convention Center.

Posted on May 18, 2014 by مشرف

Riyadh Marriott Hotel proves to have the best banquet space and convention center not only in Riyadh but in the Middle East and North Africa region when the hotel for its seventh time receives the coveted “Best Conference/Convention Center” – Silver Category award in the recently concluded 2014 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Travel Awards.

Muin Serhan receives the plaque for MENA Travel Awards 2014 Best Conference/Convention Center – Silver Category.

Riyadh Marriott Hotel first got this feat on 2005 when it won the Platinum Category of the same award. Since the inauguration of the two-level Makarim Convention Center as the extension of the hotel, it’s consistently being awarded by the Consultants of Hospitality Administrators (CHA) International, the organizing group behind MENA Travel Awards.

Riyadh Marriott Hotel’s commitment to provide top quality service in the area of meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions (MICE) coincides the award giving body’s theme this year “Powered by Service Quality”.

Muin Serhan, Riyadh Marriott Hotel General Manager, accepted the award during the gala dinner held at the Conrad Dubai Hotel last May 7, 2014.

Riyadh Marriott Hotel is located in the heart of Saudi capital’s corporate and financial district. The hotel’s banquet space can seat up to 900 people and it offers a total of 22 meeting rooms of various shapes and configurations. Within the same complex as the hotel is the two-level Makarim Convention Center, with each floor occupying 1,074 square meters. The Makarim Level A can accommodate up to 1,350 people, theatre style, while Level B can host a maximum of 1,200 guests.

Makarim Convention Center is one of the preeminent conference facilities in Riyadh. The convention center is equipped with state-of-the-art gadgets and technology for meetings. Another magnificent space is Najd Ballroom with four newly-renovated halls to allow guests to socialize in a pleasant atmosphere for both formal and casual events.

This latest achievement of the property reflects its recent transformation which goal is to reimagine the future of travel for the next generation of travelers, who blend work and play, demand style and substance, and require technology to stay connected, all of which are offered by the Riyadh Marriott Hotel and Makarim Convention Center.

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ASUS wins prestigious 2014 Red Dot Awards for product design ASUS ZenFone and ROG Maximus VI Formulam otherboard epitomize design excellence by embodying humanity, beauty, and functionality

Posted on May 15, 2014 by مشرف

ASUS recently announced that ASUS ZenFone and ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) Maximus VI Formula motherboard have each been honored with a Red Dot Design Award 2014, reflecting outstanding designs from ASUS that deliver incredible experiences to users.

The Red Dot Design Award is an internationally-recognized seal of quality for products that represent the pinnacle of design in their respective categories. It is given by the Design ZentrumNordrheinWestfalen in Essen, Germany, and is one of the top four international design awards along with the IDEA Award, iF Product Design Award and Good Design Award. Products considered for the Red Dot Design Award are judged by a panel of international design experts and are assessed on the following criteria: degree of innovation, functionality, formal quality, ergonomics, durability, symbolic and emotional content, product periphery, self-explanatory quality and ecological compatibility.

ASUS ZenFone won the award in the Mobile Phone category and ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula motherboard won in the Computer Component category. The winning ASUS products were chosen from a large field of 4,815 entries from companies in 53 countries. Products considered for the award were assessed on a wide range of criteria including degree of innovation, functionality and ergonomics.

The Red Dot jury for 2014 comprised 40 design experts from around the world and is the largest in the history of the awards.

Talking about the award winning products, Mr. MT Ma , ASUS spokesperson for Saudi Arabia, remarked, “The ASUS ZenFone Series comes with screens ranging from 4 to 6 inches and has unprecedented levels of damage and scratch resistance. It is a lightweight device that is available in a number of classy colors.”

“ZenFone features ASUS ZenUI, the all-new, exclusive mobile user interface developed around the concepts of freedom, expression and connection. Featuring a new visual design made to be efficient and inviting, it contains modern ‘flat’ icons, vivid device-matching color themes, animations, new ringtones and notification sounds, and a clean layout to present information clearly,” he added.

ASUS ZenUI includes exclusive apps like What’s Next and Do It Later that help users manage information and enable them to be more productive. Additionally, enhanced Android apps make life easier by including useful features such as threaded email for keeping track of conversations and Smart Reader Mode in the web browser for reducing eye-strain. ASUS ZenUI even includes free open messaging, powered by Omlet Chat on the Omlet Open Messaging Platform,that lets users share almost any kind of content easily with anyone, on any phone.

Informing about the characteristics of ROG Maximus VI Formula, Mr. Ma mentioned that it is a high-performance Z87 gaming motherboard whose design packs multiple performance-enhancing features along with undeniable style. Its unique CrossChill hybrid thermal design allows the user to choose between an air- or water-cooled thermal solution. Unlike other hybrid designs, CrossChill does not require a fan, so there is no noise or dust build-up. Water cooling provides up to 23°C lower MOSFET temperatures for more stable over clocking.

ROG Maximus VI Formula also features ROG Armor, another unique design feature that provides numerous performance benefits and adds a stylish futuristic flourish to the motherboard. Composed of two parts, a strong ABS top cover that blocks heat from graphics cards, and an SECC steel support behind the PCB, ROG Armor reduces overall system temperature and prevents PCB bending.

In addition to the design styling of ROG Armor, the motherboard features the striking red and black ROG color theme. This color theme is uniform throughout the ROG experience and appears not only on the hardware, but also in the UEFI BIOS and all software user interfaces.

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SABIC announces planned development of world’s first Oil-to-Chemicals complex at Innovation Day event

Posted on May 15, 2014 by مشرف

Prince Saud bin Abdullah bin Thenayan Al-Saud, Chairman of SABIC and the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, announced in Riyadh today that SABIC is in the last stages of  preliminary studies for the construction of the world’s first Oil-to-Chemicals (OTC) complex in Saudi Arabia.

Prince Saud made this announcement as he inaugurated the SABIC Innovation Day. He said that the Innovation Day is a showcase of SABIC’s technological achievements around the world. “Saudi Arabia is on a journey to grow, diversify itself, reduce its energy intensity and move towards a knowledge economy. To this end, it requires the commitment and effective execution of all its engines.  Today we will demonstrate how SABIC is well on the way to transforming itself into a solutions provider to its destination markets and delivering value to its customers via technology. All of this means innovation, which is commercialized invention.”

Mohamed Al-Mady, SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO, welcomed key external stakeholders, including government officials, key SABIC customers, businessmen, academicians, research partners, and media representatives. Notable speakers included: Professor Vijay Govindarajan, Coxe Distinguished Professor at Tuck at Dartmouth; Professor Jean-Lou Chameau, President of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST); and Dr. Mohammad Al-Suwaiyel, President, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST).

In his keynote address, Al-Mady said, “SABIC is today seeing the rewards of innovation leadership and driving the technology agenda in key areas of our business. The OTC complex will set a new competitive standard and establish Saudi Arabia as a technology leader in the petrochemical industry. OTC technology allows for the conversion of crude oil to petrochemical products at the highest ever achieved conversion rate in a competitive and sustainable way.”

The OTC complex will comprise an innovative configuration of unit operations that, in combination, will generate the world’s highest yield conversion of oil to chemicals. SABIC expects to utilize around 10 million metric tons of crude oil at the complex to produce petrochemicals, and eventually advanced specialty chemicals in line with SABIC’s 2025 strategy.

The complex is expected to start up by the end of the current decade and will provide an aggregated total of around 100,000 new jobs, according to current company projections. The project comes at a time when the company is focussing strongly on research and innovation to produce new materials to face global market challenges.

To help spur innovation globally, Al-Mady announced an annual Innovation Award to entrepreneurs. SABIC is offering cash awards of up to SR 10 million along with research and commercial support for innovative ideas or existing inventions in the field of smart polymers. Applications will be accepted electronically through the SABIC website from June 1, 2014.

“Every year SABIC screens more than 250 start-ups for possible partnership,” said Al-Mady. “We hope the SABIC Innovation Award will encourage many more worthy projects.”

“SABIC’s innovation engine is firing on all cylinders,” he told the attendees. “Innovation is key to the future not only of SABIC but more broadly for our country. Innovation can make Saudi Arabia a knowledge economy and a more energy efficient environment. But it takes the continued efforts of government, academia and business to generate an ecosystem for growth. We are and will continue to be part of those efforts.”

Also speaking on the occasion, Ernesto Occhiello, SABIC Executive Vice President, Technology and Innovation, said that SABIC recently filed for its 10,000th patent, a landmark number that establishes the company as the largest patent developer in the Middle East. On average, SABIC files a new patent every 18 hours, each based on the work of approximately four researchers. This represents greater efficiency than any other top ten companies in the chemical industry, he said.

“Intellectual property is an important tool to help SABIC achieve its 2025 strategy,” he said. “Our patent estate is one of several indicators we use to measure our return on investment in research and development. Our 10,400 global patent dockets are a reflection of our emphasis on innovation to support our growth.”

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Middle East football fans now have the chance to enter the business of football

Posted on May 13, 2014 by مشرف

This May, football enthusiasts across the Middle East will have the unique opportunity to participate in the business of football by investing in the region’s only online retail shop dedicated to football products.

KooraBazar.com, dubbed as the Middle East’s largest football eShop, started its operation almost a year ago, after its first fundraising round last April. Based in Dubai they are selling apparel, footwear and football training gear across the Gulf countries. They have signed supplier agreements with the football industries top brands, as well many of the local UAE football clubs.

The opportunity is specifically created for football loving investors looking to benefit from the fast-growing online retail market in the Middle East. The minimum investment ticket is USD 10,000.

Ghazi Ben Amor, Managing Director and co-founder says: “For this funding round we have followed the traditional route of VCs and angel investors, but part of the round has also been reserved exclusively for football fans, those with a true passion for football”

The investment process will happen on one-to-one basis. “We prefer to know our investors on a personal level and we want to make sure they have a love for the game like we do” said Yorgos Kleivokiotis, the other co-founder “Our dream is for KooraBazar to be more of a community of football lovers, than just another eShop”.

As the sports retail market in the region continues to grow and the total B2C e-commerce sales in the region are estimated to exceed $3.3 billion. The KooraBazar team believes the opportunity is one that savvy business football enthusiasts in the region will be eager to explore.

The opportunity to invest in KooraBazar.com opened today and will be open until the end of the World Cup.  Football devotees who are interested in learning more about the investment opportunity are encouraged to contact the KooraBazar.com team by sending an email to funding@koorabazar.com.

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Technology Set to Transform GCC’s Banking Sector Special Session at Euromoney Saudi Arabia Conference set to Examine Role of Technology in Banking and Finance

Posted on May 6, 2014 by مشرف

Technology could transform the GCC’s banking sector into a global force in the coming years, according to experts set to speak at a special session of The Euromoney Saudi Arabia Conference, which takes place this week.

During the 7 May discussion “Using Technology for Greater Effectiveness”, panellists will analyse how technology is providing new employment opportunities and productivity boosts for financial institutions in the Kingdom and the wider region.

In particularly, the rising importance of new fields – such as data-based risk management and “big data” – along with the need to incorporate more efficient processes are driving investment in technology across the industry.

Panellists at the session include senior executives from leading banks and technology providers,including Ibrahim Al-Rashid, Chief Information Officer of Al Rajhi Bank, and Peter Yarrington, Chief Operating Officer, NCB; Dr. Tariq Enaya, Managing Director, Cisco Systems Saudi Arabia, and Alberto Zucchinali, EMEA DC Solutions and Services Manager, Siemon.

The session has been organised at the request of conference attendees, as more and more CEOs engage with the importance of technology in finance. It will be the first time that The Euromoney Saudi Arabia Conference has hosted a dedicated discussion on banking and finance technology.

The financial services sector is set to be one of top four investors in technology in the Middle East in 2014, according to research group IDC, along with consumers, the public sector, and the communications industry. Collectively, these sectors will be responsible for nearly 74% of the Middle East’s total IT expenditure during the year.

“Using Technology for Greater Effectiveness” will take place panel will take on Wednesday 7 May during The Euromoney Saudi Arabia Conference.

Co-hosted with the Saudi Ministry of Finance, the ninth Euromoney Saudi Arabia Conference will be held from 6-7 May 2014 under the theme of “Innovation, Competition, and the Changing Dynamics of Globalisation”.

The Euromoney Saudi Arabia Conference is the longest-running, largest and most influential financial conference in the Kingdom. For more information on the Conference, visit www.euromoneyconference.com/saudi.html

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