Doha - Qatar: Qatargas Chief Executive Officer, Khalid Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, today stated Qatargas would continue to seek, for now and well into the future, increased energy efficiencies across its facilities to ensure stability and  a better tomorrow for future generations.

Presenting a paper on “Supporting the objective of creation of a stable source of income for the State of Qatar,” in the Qatar Ministerial session of the 20th World Petroleum Congress, the Qatargas CEO Khalid Bin Khalifa Al-Thani stated:

“For Qatargas through the vision of His Highness The Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani and under the guidance of His Excellency Dr Mohammed Bin Saleh Al Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry for the state of Qatar, our track record as a secure and reliable supplier, coupled with our unique geographical positioning and world class facilities in Qatar, allows us to serve both the Pacific basin as well as the Atlantic basin LNG markets. Qatargas now supplies 19 of the 24 LNG importing countries worldwide.  We have delivered over 2300 cargoes to date. We can be certain that the geographical spread of our markets will continue to develop and, through this, we can realise our goal of supporting a stable source of income for the state of Qatar. We’ve established and maintained a proven record and will continue to supply our customers on a safe and reliable basis.”

The Qatargas CEO noted that Qatargas has been transformed in the space of just a few years; from what was a two country-supplier, ranked some way below the industry leaders, to the largest LNG producing company in the world, with a production capacity of LNG at 42 million tonnes per annum (MTA). The company has extended its customer reach to one of truly global proportions, both through its long term customer base and through relationships and contracts established to facilitate short term trades.

“Today we have grown into a best practice operating company model. The concern for safety and the environment are core values, and today we are at the leading edge using technologies which, whenever possible, minimise the impact on the environment.”

Qatargas manages its offshore operations which include a total of 85 wells that send an average of 7.3 billion cubic feet of natural gas every day for onshore processing. The company also manages four joint ventures, Qatargas1, the world’s first fully integrated value chain Qatargas2, Qatargas3, Qatargas4, G2), four world class mega liquefaction Trains each with a production capacity of 7.8 MTA of LNG, and Qatar’s first condensate refinery, the Laffan Refinery, which is designed to be one of the largest condensate refineries in the world.

In addition, Qatargas is currently undertaking the “Jetty Boil-off Gas (JBOG) Recovery Project” which aims to recover gas currently being flared during LNG ship loading at the Port of Ras Laffan, and the Plateau Maintenance Project (PMP) that will ensure the production capacity of Qatargas 1 is maintained at 10 MTA of LNG. Besides, the company is also a stakeholder in the Qatar Helium 2 Project, which is a joint venture owned by Qatargas 2, Qatargas 3, Qatargas 4 and Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (3).

Khalid Bin Khalifa Al-Thani  went on to state: “We are fortunate to have built over the past 27 years a trust and understanding, which has developed into strong relations, with our globally recognised shareholders – all leaders in the global energy industry –  namely  Qatar Petroleum, ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, ConocoPhillips, Total, Marubeni, Mitsui, Cosmo, and Idemitsu. All have contributed remarkably to the realisation of the state of Qatar’s vision to be the largest LNG producer in the world.”

Doha, Qatar:: Qatargas achieved another milestone today as it announces the signing of a Tripartite Sales and Purchase Agreement to supply Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to Chubu Electric Power Company and Shizuoka Gas Company at a signing ceremony during the 2011 World Petroleum Conference in Doha.

Under the binding terms of the Tripartite SPA, Qatargas will transport and deliver ex-ship a minimum of 0.2 million tonnes per annum (MTA) of LNG to a cluster of LNG receiving terminals located in Japan including Chita, Kawagoe, Yokkaichi, Joetsu and Sodeshi, all in Japan. Qatargas will supply the agreed volumes to Chubu Electric Power Company and Shizuoka Gas Company from the Qatargas 1 joint venture starting from 2016.

Khalid Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Chief Executive Officer of Qatargas said: “This agreement is remarkable in many aspects. It further nurtures our long lasting relationship with Chubu Electric Power Company while it welcomes Shizuoka Gas Company as the first new long-term Japanese buyer of LNG, in addition to those 8 buyers which formed the currently existing consortium purchasing LNG from Qatargas 1 joint venture for contracts signed in 1992 and 1994. It is also an example of how Qatargas can grow its share of the Japanese gas market in partnership with Chubu Electric Power Company.”

He further stated that: “Under the guidance of His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Saleh Al Sada, Minister of Energy & Industry of the State of Qatar and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Qatargas, Qatar has again demonstrated its continuous support to Japan as a nation and one of the world’s most important economies. This agreement is further testimony of our long-term reliable commitment to Japan and the innovative ways in which Qatargas is able support new customers. Whether for a very large sale of LNG or for a smaller volume like under this Tripartite SPA, Qatargas values all of its customers and seeks to assist them all in their aspirations to grow in the future.”

The agreement was signed by His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Bin Saleh Al Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry, Mr. Yuji Kakimi, Managing Executive Officer and General Manager of Fuels Department of Chubu Electric Power Company and Mr. Seigo Iwasaki, Chairman and  Chief Executive Officer of Shizuoka Gas Company.

The companies launch McDelivery call center in Saudi Arabia and honour top performing customer support representatives

KSA, Riyadh, December 12th 2011: Smart Link Contact Centers, a member of Al Khaleej Training and Education Group, today announced the launch of McDonalds Arabia’s new McDelivery Service call center and honoured top performing McDelivery call center customer service representatives. H.H Prince Mishal Bin Khaled Al Saud, President of Riyadh International Catering Corporation (RICC), McDonald’s franchise rights owner and operator in central, eastern, and northern provinces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia inaugurated the new McDelivery call center along with Eng. Safwan Al Khatib, the Managing Director of Smart Link.

According to the partnership, Smart Link will exclusively operate and manage all of RICC’s McDelivery call center services, covering all RICC McDonald’s branches in respective provinces in KSA. This decision was taken following a highly successful operational phase, which covered RICC McDonald’s branches in KSA eastern province. During the event, the senior management of RICC and Smart Link held discussions on operational achievements and future goals of the McDelivery call center.

Built, operated and fully managed by Smart Link, the new facility, which was inaugurated by H.H Prince Mishal bin Khaled Al Saud, includes multi-channel contact center system supported by powerful automatic call distribution, smart queuing, monitoring, performance reporting and CRM applications. These tools, in addition to Smart Link’s extensive hands on experience and performance standards, will enable the company to operate such projects effectively providing unprecedented levels of service quality. This will be further empowered by the company’s distinctive professionally trained and highly skilled manpower.

His Highness also honoured top performing McDelivery customer service representatives and expressed his great pride of exceptional performance and service level presented to McDonald’s customers Kingdom-wide. H.H Prince Mishal bin Khaled Al Saud encouraged staff members to constantly develop and improve performance through dedication and commitment to self-empowerment of each member of the call center team, career wise and on a personal level.

The fruitful collaboration efforts and strategic partnership between RICC and Smart Link, were also commended by H.H Prince Mishal bin Khaled Al Saud. He also referred to the outstanding results of the first operation phase, besides the company’s in-depth experience and rigorous quest to excellence, factors on which, RICC decided to partner with Smart Link exclusively.

Eng. Safwan Al Khatib expressed his pleasure on this partnership and was proud of the RICC’s confidence in Smart Link’s capabilities and operational advancement. He confirmed Smart Link’s commitment to constantly improve performance by adhering to world class quality standards and best practice in order to maintain exceptional relationship between McDonald’s Arabia and its customers, which will reflect positively and directly on the RICC and Smart Link partnership.

New Delhi : December 13 , 2011

Dedicated to fulfilling the diverse needs of different types of customers, Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend®), a worldwide leader in storage and multimedia products, today announced the launch of its new SDHC Class 10 UHS-I memory card. Combining the already impressive Class 10 specification with the performance boost of UHS-I, Transcend’s SDHC Class 10 Ultra High Speed memory cards unleash the full potential of today’s high-end digital cameras and camcorders.

Developed by the Secure Digital (SD) Card Association as part of its SD version 3.01 specifications, Ultra-High Speed Class 1 (UHS-I) is the fastest category card available today. The new Class 10 SDHC UHS-I cards boast a staggering four times faster transfer rate compared to Class 10 alone, realizing transfer speeds of up to 85MB/s when paired with advanced UHS-I compatible devices. As a result, these cards are highly recommended for professional digital camera or camcorder enthusiasts aiming to capture high-speed consecutive shots and smooth full HD video.

Modern professional grade camcorders and DSLRs can fill memory cards quickly, capturing digital video and photographs at extremely high resolutions without compromising image quality. To meet these demands, Transcend SDHC Class 10 UHS-I cards are available in high-capacity sizes 8GB or 16GB, enough to store 2 hours and 40 minutes of video content when recording in high quality 1920×1080 AVCHD format at 13Mbps compression rate. Moreover, with a slight reduction in quality settings, the same 16GB card can record up to six full hours of high definition video.

Transcend’s SDHC Class 10 UHS-I memory cards are an excellent value compared to other memory cards in the same class without compromising speed, capacity, and reliability. Each card features built-in ECC (Error Correction Code) that automatically detects and corrects any errors that might occur during data transfer. Additionally, the SDHC10 UHS-I card includes Transcend’s own RecoveRx™ software – an extraordinarily effective tool for bringing back accidentally deleted or lost files. The new UHS-I memory cards are recommended to be used with Transcend’s RDF8 USB 3.0 card reader or RDF1 ExpressCard Reader.

Transcend’s new SDHC Class 10 UHS-I memory card is currently available in two capacities: 8GB (US$32 MSRP); 16GB (US$54 MSRP), and backed by Transcend’s limited lifetime warranty.

Funded by the European Union (EU) in cooperation with Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO)

13 December 2011-Amman, The Institute of Management Consultants and Trainers IMC–Jordan praised the positive results of the Trade Mission, after an official visit to UAE and Oman.

Preceded by a “Business Integration” workshop, the trade mission aimed at stimulating and promoting the Jordanian consulting sector within the GCC, introducing to both public and private sectors the benefits and services provided by its members that could enhance companies’ capabilities and competitiveness.

“Our trade mission succeeded in raising awareness regarding the importance of the consulting sector, its role in developing productivity, and its ability to assist in running projects seamlessly by minimizing technical and management crisis they might face,” said Tamara Abdel Jaber, Chairperson of the Board of Directors IMC–Jordan.

Tamara illustrated that the trade mission embodied the strategic project goals, funded by the European Union (EU) in cooperation with Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO), which aims at developing the consulting sector in Jordan, mainly the much-needed ability to export its services to neighboring countries.

Abdel Jaber praised the efforts and support of both the EU and JEDCO, estimated at 117 thousand Euros, the project is considered vital for IMC-Jordan in the development of its services in order to provide exposure and visibility for its members and enhance their capabilities in providing the regional markets with the necessary Jordanian expertise.

In addition to presentations and sessions, IMC–Jordan exhibited the governing criteria and standards for the sector’s stakeholders, over viewing the “Best Practices,” and “Benefits of Management Consulting” documents drafted by IMC–Jordan to provide the basis for comprehensive occupational standards for the management consulting and training sector.

Additionally, IMC–Jordan presented the “Classification System”, which provides an online data bank enterprises can utilize to determine the consultants they could employ categorized according to experience and specialty.

“This mission embodied the role, status, and objectives of the Institute that aims at organizing the sector according to international standards to ensure a consistent level of services, as a flight from randomness and haphazard practices,” said IMC–Jordan Executive Director, Reema Nasser.

“We had a real chance to introduce the vision and mission of IMC–Jordan to the participants, in addition to gapping the communication bridges between the members and their colleagues in various Arab countries. We motivated and encouraged them to establish similar institutes capable of serving and supporting various sectors, since consulting and training are cornerstones of modern economy,” she added.

It is worth mentioning that the annual income of the Jordanian financial and management consulting, training, and business solutions sector is estimated at USD 220 million, with the Gulf having the largest slice of the Arab cake, albeit a modest one considering the annual income of the global market of the consulting sector is estimated at USD 250 billion.

Saudi Arabia plans to expand its capital’s airport three-fold in size within the next five years, a senior civil aviation official said on Monday, as passenger traffic rises rapidly.

The Riyadh airport is one of 27 in the kingdom where traffic has reached 30 million passengers annually and is expected to double to 60 million over the next 10 years.

The Saudi government is planning multi-billion dollar projects to expand its airports to meet this growth.

“Terminals will be rebuilt and expanded to … three times its current size,” Ali al-Zahrani, director general for corporate planning at the General Authority for Civil Aviation, said about the Riyadh airport expansion.

“We developed a comprehensive master plan with a conceptual design for the four terminals that will raise the capacity at Riyadh airport from 12 million to 24 million,” Zahrani told Reuters on the sidelines of an event in Jeddah.

Zahrani said he could not give an estimate for the project costs but said that it would either be government financed or that it would issue sukuk, or Islamic bonds, to finance the expansion.

“We expect the project to be done within the next five years,” he said.

Saudi Arabia is also planning a 27-billion riyal ($7.2 billion) airport in Jeddah, its second largest city, and plans to launch sukuk within one or two months to help finance the project, the head of the civil aviation body said in remarks aired on Sunday.

Creditors of Kuwait’s Global Investment House have agreed to delay repayment of the principal of their debt to the middle of next year, the company said on Monday, so it can undertake a second restructuring.

Global, which is battling tough market conditions, also said in a statement that all creditors had agreed to delay an increase in interest payments to the same date, June 10 2012.

The investment bank said in September it was asking lenders for a delay to principal repayments on debt due in December to allow for a renegotiation of a $1.7bn debt restructuring plan it agreed in 2009.

“The creditors’ agreement to these amendments will provide the appropriate work environment for constructive negotiations to reach a new agreement to restructure the company’s debts,” Global said.

Global has also agreed with bondholders to delay the repayment on a 45 million dinar ($162.45 million) bond to June 2012 from April 2012 to help finalize the wider restructuring, it announced earlier this month.

The company reported a net loss of KD54m for the nine months to September 30.

Kuwait’s Aviation Lease & Finance Co (Alafco) posted a near quintupling in net profit to KD47m ($169.68m) for the full year ended Sept 30, the company said in a statement on Monday.

Alafco said that its board has approved a cash dividend of 10 fils per share for the fiscal year.

The Kuwait-based firm posted a full-year net profit of KD10.8m in 2010.

Alafco has a customer base of 16 airlines globally. Its lease portfolio increased to 48 aircraft during the year as it took delivery of eight new aircraft last year, the company said.

The company placed a $4.6bn expanded order for 50 Airbus A320neo passenger jets at the Dubai Air Show last month.

It obtained financing facilities worth $313.3m during the year from local and international banks, Alafco said, without naming the lenders.

The firm also announced that it has leased three of its Airbus A320 aircraft to Vietnam’s low-cost carrier VietJet Air.

Alafco will lease the planes to the Vietnamese private airline for 8 years, it said in a statement on the Kuwait Stock Exchange, and the operation will start within three months from the date of delivery.

The planes were released from the services of Kuwait Airways, and the market value of each aircraft is above $40m, it said.

Bahrain’s central bank has urged five Islamic banks to merge early next year as it seeks to strengthen the banks’ capital bases, a senior official said on Sunday.

Under the plan, Al Salam Bank would merge with Bahrain Islamic Bank, while CAPIVEST, Elaf Bank and Capital Management House would merge with each other.

Bahrain Islamic Bank and Al Salam announced in August that they were in merger talks to form Bahrain’s largest Islamic lender with assets of BD1.7bn ($4.5bn).

“We pushed for that because it is positive, it will strengthen their capital and balance sheets,” Ahmed Abdul Aziz al-Bassam, director of licensing and policy at the central bank, told Reuters, referring to both mergers.

The mergers are awaiting approvals by shareholders, he said, adding: “We expect it to take place in the first quarter 2012.”

Bassam was speaking on the sidelines of an Arab Monetary Fund meeting on banking supervision in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Standard & Poor’s is reviewing credit ratings on 50 banks in the Middle East and North Africa under a new set of criteria, a senior S&P executive told Reuters. Last month, the agency classified Bahrain’s banks as the riskiest in the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Bassam also said Bahrain’s central bank had granted in-principle approvals for two Geneva-based investment houses as well as a Hanover-based reinsurance company to set up offices in the country, which was hit by political unrest earlier this year. He declined to name the companies before a formal announcement.

“This indicates European financial institutions are willing to be in the Middle East looking for business,” he said.

“Those financial institutions think long-term. What happened in Bahrain was only for a couple of months, what they call the Arab Spring.”

Bahrain will soon set up an internal committee to study the readiness of banks to implement the Basel III global banking standards, Bassam said, adding that banks were unlikely to face problems as they were adequately capitalised.

Asked about the main risks that Bahrain’s banking system was facing, he said: “The liquidity risk and also the capital. For us, what is happening in Europe is not that much of a problem.”

•Incomparable luxury in the heart of Jeddah within integrated neighbourhood
•Diverse array of amenities that offer all conveniences for residents
•3 towers with 17 to 21 floors; total of 326 residential units ranging in size from 98 to 449 sq m
•Each tower also has two types of villas – the Kingdom’s first of its kind lower villas and penthouses
•First phase of homes in Abraj Al Hilal 1 to be handed over shortly

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; December 11, 2011: Emaar Middle East has announced the launch of the second phase of its prestigious Jeddah Gate master-planned community. With the first homes in its three Abraj Al Hilal towers to be handed over shortly, the company has unveiled the Abraj Al Hilal 2 Towers, a cluster of 3 residential towers of 17 to 21 floors, with only 326 apartments ranging in size from 98 to 449 sq metres.

A sterling addition to the luxury residential portfolio in Jeddah Gate, the Abraj Al Hilal 2 Towers form a distinct and well-knitted integrated lifestyle community with all amenities and conveniences that will add value to the residents. Apart from a dedicated retail area, the array of facilities in Abraj Al Hilal 2 includes health & fitness centres, ladies spa, day care centre, clubhouse, play areas, outdoor swimming pools, and 525 dedicated car parking spaces, among others.

Customers can choose from one to four bedroom apartments, all offering maximum comfort and privacy with double-glazed windows and the finest interiors and fixtures. Each tower also has two types of villas: the Kingdom’s first of its kind lower villas and penthouses. The lower villas have private yards, upscale design and luxurious interior finishes. They also have private elevators, entrances and parking. The penthouses have three levels with unique architectural designs overlooking the central squares from high-rise balconies, and have terraces, multipurpose room and optional private elevator.

Eng. Ahmad Al Kulli, General Manager of Emaar Middle East, said: “The launch of Abraj Al Hilal 2 Towers, as part of the second phase of Jeddah Gate, is a testament to the dynamism of the Saudi Arabian real estate sector today. Ranked fourth among 50 global markets in terms of real estate opportunity, Saudi Arabia offers one of the best investment options.

“With Abraj Al Hilal 2 Towers, we are providing potential investors and customers the opportunity to be part of a prestigious lifestyle destination at competitive prices, that is set to become the referral point in integrated community development in the Kingdom. The response to the first Abraj Al Hilal Towers has been strong, and the first residents will move in shortly. We remain committed to developing modern homes and offering luxury residential choices for our customers in the Kingdom.”

“The residences have been designed with the demands of the Saudi families and have facilities such as housekeeper’s room with bathroom, additional parking bays and 24-hour valet parking and concierge,” added Eng. Kulli. “To offer privacy to the residents, all the units have been designed in extended sizes and multiple divisions.”

Spread over a plot area of 12,300 sq m, Abraj Al Hilal 2 Towers is located centrally in Jeddah Gate and connected to the central Civic Plaza and Crescent Plaza through pedestrian walkways. The towers overlook the King Abdullah Road, and are surrounded by exclusive stores, restaurants and other lifestyle choices. Set amongst immaculately landscaped gardens and walkways, each Abraj Al Hilal 2 Tower has its own special lobby designed to the highest standards to warmly welcome residents and guests.

With resplendent exteriors that invite residents to become part of the luxury but affordable residential environment, Abraj Al Hilal 2 Towers have fine interiors with features such as advanced telecom and entertainment connectivity, card access control system for full-proof security, split air-conditioners, and modern finishes. Smart home systems, backup power generator, central gas system, car park ventilation and 24-hour security add to the convenience of the residents.

For more details and to register interest, potential customers can visit Jeddah Gate Sales Centre on December 14, 2011 from 4pm to 10pm and December 15, from 10am to 10pm or call 8001236227 – 026145800  or email: customer.eme@emaar.com

Jeddah Gate is spread over approximately half a million sq m of land in Jeddah’s new downtown. The project will serve as a centrepoint for the city’s new downtown, and is in close proximity to the main railroad linking the two Holy Cities of Makkah and Madina to Jeddah. Jeddah Gate, when completed, will have over - 230,000 sq m of modern office spaces and over 75,000 sq m of gross leasable retail space, thus strengthening the local economy.

Emaar Middle East has delivered residential units in Al Khobar Lakes development with Al Nada residential village nearing completion. The finishing touches to the homes and final landscaping works are currently being undertaken.

Al Khobar Lakes is a luxury lakefront development set on approximately 2.6 million sq m featuring serene water bodies. It features more than 2,000 private villas with retail and leisure amenities that are perfect for family living. In close proximity to Al Khobar City, Dhahran and Dammam, Al Khobar Lakes is one of the premier lakefront developments and the largest integrated community in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Having successfully launched the Al Nada and Al Ghadeer Villages, Al Khobar Lakes will eventually feature a large retail centre with a gross leasable area of 95,000 sq m; 104,000 sq m of landscaping, greenery and parks; 11 mosques including a Grand Mosque for Friday Prayers; two educational facilities for both boys and girls; a shopping centre, two community centres, healthcare facilities and other amenities.

Emaar Middle East is also developing the Emaar Residences at the Fairmont Makkah, located on the Haram Plaza offering views of the Holy Kaaba and Haram. The 648 elegantly furnished and superbly serviced apartments are situated at the most upper floors of Makkah Clock Tower starting from the 30th floor and ending at the 53, and operated by Fairmont Hotels.