Dubai, UAE, 24 January 2012: In response to the call of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to donate blood for Thalassaemia patients, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has organized a campaign for blood donation for Thalassaemia patients, under the slogan Donation, in cooperation with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), which dispatched a mobile blood unit to DEWA’s Head Office. A large number of employees from DEWA have also participated in the Donation campaign.

“DEWA has organized this campaign in response to the call of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to donate blood for Thalassaemia patients,” said His Excellency  Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

“DEWA’s social responsibility strategy has developed strategic partnerships with the community through various activities, events and occasions. This has established a close relationship between DEWA and various branches of society, other government organisations, as well as private groups and public-interest organizations,” HE  Al Tayer added.

“This campaign is organized out of DEWA’s committement to both our role in society and our efforts to help by donating blood for patients, urgent cases, surgical operations and especially children with Thalassaemia who need blood transfusions. This puts the spotlight on our culture of voluntary work and the virtue of altruism. It also demonstrates the solidarity of DEWA’s employees with our community, as we are also a part of this community,” said Dr. Yousef Al Akraf, EVP–Business Support.

Dubai, January 24, 2012: Emirates Post Group recently organised a two-day Blood Donation campaign in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as part of its corporate social responsibility activities.

The Abu Dhabi campaign was held at Abu Dhabi Central Post Office  in association with Abu Dhabi Blood Bank, while the Dubai campaign was held at Central Post Office in association with Latifa Hospital.

A large number of employees from different departments as well as customers took part in the campaign by donating blood.

Fahad Al Hosani, Acting President of Emirates Post Group, commented: “We are pleased to contribute to the humanitarian mission of Abu Dhabi Blood Bank and Latifa Hospital. Our employees support this noble cause, so that we can render assistance to sick patients and other people in need of blood. We remind our employees that it is healthy to donate blood and brings many benefits to the donors.”

Emirates Post Group’s Mass Communications Department works with blood banks and hospitals across the UAE to organise such campaigns, with the aim of encouraging people and employees to donate blood and help patients who are in need of blood.

Dubai, UAE – Philadelphia by Kraft Foods announced today that nominations have opened for the third edition of its Spread Some Inspiration campaign, which celebrates the contributions of women in philanthropy, community development and charitable causes across the GCC. At a press conference held today at The Pavilion Downtown Dubai, Philadelphia also announced its partnership with UN Women, the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women globally. The partnership marks a significant milestone for Philadelphia who has pledged to donate 8% from its sales proceeds in KSA, UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait to support UN Women projects that are geared towards women’s economic empowerment in the GCC.

Present at the event were dignitaries from UN Women, led by Maha Al Nuaimy Deputy Regional Director and Officer in Charge, representatives from Kraft Foods, as well as this year’s panel of judges headlined by Dr. Aisha Abbas Natto, Entrepreneur and Boardmember of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), Iqbal Al Ahmed, one of Kuwait’s key media personalities, writer and journalist, and Azza Al Qubaisi UAE’s leading artist in jewellery and sculptures and environmental advocate. Also in attendance were some of the campaign’s previous nominees and judges, all of whom have contributed significantly to their respective communities and countries in the GCC.

“We are honored to announce our partnership with UN Women, whose association with the 2012 edition of Philadelphia Spread Some Inspiration campaign will enable us to reach out to even more inspiring women across the GCC. Starting January to February 2012, and again from July to August during the month of Ramadan, Philadelphia will be donating 8% of its sales towards UN Women projects in the region. These funds will be channeled towards developing women’s capacities and opportunities for leadership and socio economic empowerment”, said Vishal Tikku, Managing Director, GCC and Middle East Shared Services, Kraft Foods MEA.

“As such, our partnership with UN Women on the Philadelphia Spread Some Inspiration campaign is an ideal fit. Now in its third year, this campaign brings together many exemplary women who positively impact their communities each and every day of their lives through social work, charity and other philanthropic activities. This campaign enables us to document and follow the inspiring contributions of these women, bringing much needed awareness to their causes and celebrating their achievements”, added Tikku.

On her part Maha Al Nuaimy Deputy Regional Director and Officer in Charge at UN Women Arab States Regional Office (ASRO) commented: “UN Women(ASRO is delighted to be partnering with Philadelphia a global brand of Kraft Foods, and the world’s 2nd largest food manufacturing company in the Spread Some Inspiration campaign. This is an initiative that will support UN Women ASRO’s efforts to promote economic empowerment by highlighting the achievements of inspiring women in different fields. While enhancing women’s capacity and access to economic opportunities, this partnership is also setting the perfect model of cooperation between a UN organization and the private sector to bring about the aspired change in women’s lives in the region.” she concluded.

In his address at the beginning of the Press Conference, Azzam Alameddin, Corporate Affairs Director Kraft Foods, Middle East and Africa, stated that the campaign has to date brought to light the inspiring stories of some 230 women from the GCC, bringing much needed awareness and recognition for their respective causes. He added: “The campaign has flourished into one of the region’s most significant forums for women in the region to be recognized and rewarded for their inspiring contributions to community”.

Commencing today, women from GCC who have made extraordinary contributions to others around them can share their inspiring story on www.phillyarabia.com.Spread Some Inspiration with Philadelphia is an open forum for women to either submit their own stories or nominate stories of other women who spread feelings of joy, love and hope through their efforts in community relations and philanthropic initiatives. The panel of judges will shortlist the three most compelling stories, and the public will be then invited to vote online for the one story that has inspired them the most.

The winner chosen by the public through online voting will be announced at an awards ceremony, which will be held in Dubai on 8th March in conjunction with International Women’s Day. Philadelphia will honor the winner with USD10,000 in support of her cause, while the two runners up will also receive a fund worth USD5,000 each.

Follow the inspiring and heart-warming stories of women across the GCC on www.phillyarabia.com. And if you know of a woman whose story of helping the community should be told and celebrated this International Women’s Day, or if you yourself have a great story to share, visit the website and submit your nominations by 4 February 2012

United Arab Emirates, Dubai, 4 January, 2011: The Psychiatry department of the Rashid Hospital recently held a felicitation ceremony to award certificates to candidates from various organisations who helped support the mental health awareness campaign and year-long initiatives in 2011.

The felicitation ceremony was recently held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel and 88 certificates were disturbed to representatives from the Arabian Centre Mall, Dubai Police, Volunteer Groups etc for supporting the mental health awareness campaign which is aimed to educate the public about mental health issues in the UAE.

The department extended their special appreciation to Dr Younis Kazim, Medical Director of Rashid Hospital for supporting the campaign over the last three years through various initiatives at the hospital and across public and private institutions.

Dr Alya Al Marri, Head of Psychiatry Department at Rashid Hospital said, “We are well equipped in terms of mental health facilities at Rashid Hospital, yet, we still feel there is an urgent need for the community to accept mental health as a form of illness and seek timely treatment.  

“The problem of stigma related to mental health is not restricted to the UAE, it is a global problem, however, both the society and healthcare professionals have to work together to combat this problem.”

Dr Samia Abul, Senior Specialist Registrar, Psychiatry Department at Rashid Hospital and chairperson of the mental health campaign said during her speech that the problem mental health issues have always been in existence and that there is a need for society to accept this as a form of illness. “While there is no rise in the number of mental health cases, the problem is the patients are bought in when their condition has deteriorated and therefore there is a need for education so that such patients can receive timely help.”

In terms of statistics, Abul said that the total number of inpatients in the psychiatry section of the hospital were 735 in 2009 and 669 in 2010. In terms of outpatients she said, the department received 7809 cases in 2009 of which 190 were children and in 2010, the number of outpatient visits were 7970 including 182 children.                                                      

Informatica Qatar (iQ), an IT Consulting Firm and Technology Solutions Provider offering innovative and high-quality systems integration solutions, has added Family Food Centre’s (FFC) MicroWorld store and Dubai Technology to its growing list of exclusive local distributors of Huawei mobile devices.

FFC is a trusted household name in Qatar for quality food and non-food products. Its MicroWorld store deals with all kinds of telecom and IT products including accessories and software. Known for its excellent quality of customer service, MicroWorld has three outlets in Doha, located at the Al Nasr FFC branch, Airport FFC branch and the standalone MicroWorld store in Al Mirqab street. Dubai Technology, on the other hand, is a well known mobile retail shop that conducts its business through several outlets in Qatar. Under the terms of their partnership with iQ, both establishments will distribute mobile phones manufactured by Huawei, the second-largest supplier of mobile telecommunications infrastructure equipment in the world.

Huawei recently chose iQ to distribute and provide after-sales service for the Huawei IDEOS, IDEOS X5 and its future Qatari launches. The competitively-priced Android OS 2.2 (Froyo)-powered IDEOS is ideal for heavy users of multimedia, social networking sites, instant messaging and email, while the higher-end HUAWEI X5 runs on Android OS 2.2 (Froyo) with 3D user interface capability and is intended for professionals and tech enthusiasts.

“MicroWorld and Dubai Technology are important to bringing Huawei’s world-class products to Qatar’s mass market. So far we have been building up a distinguished network of local partners who have the capability, reputation and market reach to distribute Huawei products, and these two establishments reflect the success of our efforts so far. We are eyeing more strategic alliances to capitalize on Qatar’s thriving mobile market and position Huawei as one of its most trusted brands,” said Wisam Costandi, General Manager, Informatica Qatar.

Informatica Qatar – a major partner of Huawei – offers end-to-end ICT, Extra-Low Voltage and telecom solutions, and after-sales support via its iQ Solutions and iQ Devices business units. The company had recently recruited hypermarkets operator Safari and mobile phone retailer Sky Net to ramp up its Huawei distributorship. With mobile handset sales expected to reach QR 295 million by 2014, iQ expects its vast and reliable distributor channels to provide upcoming Huawei products with a solid market edge.

Dubai: Volunteers from Emirates Gas, a subsidiary of Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), took part in the annual ‘Clean up UAE’ campaign organised by Emirates Environmental Group.

The campaign is aimed at creating awareness amongst the community about local environmental issues with special emphasis on waste management, waste reduction and recycling. It involves various sectors of society including government, corporate, academic and domestic institutions, in an integrated national environmental initiative.

EMGAS also sponsored the participation of students in the Clean-up Campaign from two schools, Al Ghorfa Kindergarten in Fujairah and Sumaya Bint Khayat School in Ajman.

Hesham Ali Mustafa, Senior Director, ENOC Gas Marketing & General Manager – Emirates Gas LLC, said: “This is EMGAS’ third year of participation in the “Clean up UAE” campaign and we are proud of our partnership with Emirates Environmental Group,”

”Taking part in such activities is in line with EMGAS’ objectives of implementing best practices to enhance the quality of life of residents in Dubai and the UAE.” he added.

Last year, more than 20,000 participants joined hands for the ‘Clean up UAE’ campaign across 106 locations in the massive cleanup operation collecting more than 100 tons of waste.

Launched in 2002, ‘Clean Up UAE’ strives to address the most pressing environment challenges of the country, including its high per capita waste generation, water consumption and wastage, and a huge ecological footprint.

For over 37 years, EMGAS has been the leading supplier of LP Gas products and services. EMGAS has undertaken several concerted initiatives to promote a culture of ‘green energy,’ and introduced a range of products that help reduce energy consumption and carbon emission.

Key green products that were launched by EMGAS include “Pro-Power”, a customized gas cylinder, for forklifts, further promoting clean transportation. Another key product is Cutting Edge Gas (CEG), which was introduced following research that industries such as metal cutting and ship building had strong requirements for safe and economical cutting fuel.

Dubai, UAE: ENOC employees from various subsidiaries and departments took part in the ‘Clean up the UAE’ campaign, organised by Emirates Environmental Group. Their participation was part of the company’s ‘TarabuT’ programme, which aims at engaging and encouraging the employees to volunteer in community initiatives.

Saeed Abdullah Khoory, ENOC’s Chief Executive Officer, said:  “ENOC is committed to participating in initiatives that are key to conserving our environment. We are honoured to give back to the society and take part in this campaign, which is in line with our continuous efforts to create a better environment that benefits our future generation too.”

Initially conceived in December 2002 as a collective grassroots initiative to sweep the nation clean, the Clean up UAE campaign has successfully evolved into a nationwide event that battles environmental degradation through volunteer participation. The campaign aims to enhance and protect the landscape through community efforts and also serve as a platform to raise awareness and strengthen the UAE’s commitment towards environmental protection and sustainable living.

ENOC has always been at the forefront of supporting and promoting awareness campaigns on health, safety and the environment. With more than 6000 employees across all subsidiaries, the group aims to involve more than 15 percent of the workforce in volunteer activities.

Emirates General Petroleum Corporation “Emarat” has launched a unique promotional campaign that offers its customers Etisalat Wasel Sim Card and up to 160-minute free talk time from Etisalat, when they purchase a Salik re-charge card worth AED 200 from any Emarat service station.

Dr. Rahma bin Mohamed Al Shamsi, Retail Sales Manager at Emarat, said that such promotional offers reflect the Corporation’s commitment towards its customers, and its efforts to develop and enhance strong relationships with them through quality service and innovative offers.

“In these tough economic times, we will continue to promote offers from our service stations which motivate customers to make Emarat their first choice

Babyshop, the region’s leading children’s retail concept and a one-stop shop for children’s products, today announced a 25 per cent discount on its entire range of car seats to encourage the use of the safety devices among families in the UAE.

The initiative comes as part of Babyshop’s on-going ‘Child Safety First’ campaign.

The discount extends to all brands of car seats at Babyshop including Graco, MaxiCosi and Ferrari. The attractive offer can be availed at Babyshop stores throughout the UAE until 4 January, 2012.

Rahul Saxena, Head - Marketing, Babyshop, said: “Car seats for children are estimated to reduce fatalities by 71 per cent and injuries by 67 per cent. Car seats prevent children from being tossed around and work like seatbelts.

“Our initiative to launch the discount offer comes as part of our efforts to drive greater awareness on the urgency and facilitate parents’ use of car seats. Through our concerted efforts in the campaign, we hope to change the status of car seats from a luxury item into an essential and everyday necessity.”

Babyshop has the largest collection of car seat brands under one roof with dedicated staff on hand to advise customers on the selection of an appropriate product in line with the child’s weight and age.

The Child Safety First campaign by Babyshop was developed in 2005 based on the findings of Dubai Health Authority (DHA), which stated that traffic accidents were the leading cause of infant mortality in the UAE. These accidents account for 63 per cent of all child deaths, which is higher than the global average of 22.3 per cent.

To reverse the trend, the Ministry of Interiors has made it mandatory for children less than six years of age to use child seats in cars.

Babyshop is a leader in the niche segment of 0-16 year olds and offers a selection of products to suit their varied needs. The company complies with the highest quality standards to ensure all its products are child-safe. To know more about the brand’s car seats and other safety products for kids, Babyshop’s range of ‘Child Safety First Booklet’ is available in stores or online at www.babyshopstores.com

Dubai, UAE 27th November 2011: In line with its pledge to combat people’s inability to save and assist its customers in clearing their debts, National Bonds Corporation PJSC, the leading Sharia compliant saving scheme, has announced the launch of the second part of its highly successful “Live a Debt Free Life” campaign.

The campaign was first launched by National Bonds in September 2010 following the results of the first ever National Bonds UAE Savings Index, which showed that 71% of UAE residents do not save money regularly. During the three-months of the campaign, National Bonds saw a 48% rise in its sales which was higher than average as customers flocked to increase their savings for chances to win weekly prizes.

The second ‘Live a Debt-Free Life’ campaign will run for 10 weeks, beginning 20th November until 31st January 2012 and aims to help bondholders clear their debts. This year, the campaign’s weekly rewards are tailored to provide customers with flexibility and choice to further enhance their savings experience as weekly National Bonds winners will be rewarded with an AED 120,000 yearly saving plan structured as monthly payments of AED 10,000 that will be credited to their accounts, to automatically reduce or clear their debts.

During the promotion period, existing bondholders or new customers depositing savings of a minimum of AED 5,000 or more in National Bonds will automatically enter a special weekly draw with the chance of winning the grand prize of 1 Kilo of Gold at the final draw that will be held on January 31st, 2012.

Commenting on the campaign, Mr. Mohammed Qasim Al Ali, Chief Executive Officer, National Bonds Corporation PJSC said:”Our scheme’s mission is to help people improve their future and that of their families, and one of the things that place itself as a barrier to them achieving that is the whirlwind of loans and debts that they find themselves drowning in.”

“Based on the results of our 2011 UAE Savings Index, 73% of the customers blame high expenses and multiple loans as a hindrance between them and savings. The Live a Debt-Free Life campaign is one way we reach out to our customers to empower them to lead a healthier financial lifestyle. It’s a win-win situation for them – if they win the prizes then that helps them clear their debts, and if not, then they have still been incentivized to increase their savings over the three months of the campaign.”

National Bonds certificates are available for purchase in over 580 outlets nationwide including, National Bonds website, Emirates Post offices, exchange houses and banks. For more information, visit www.nationalbonds.ae  or call 600 522 279.