In preparation for the hotel’s upcoming opening, The St. Regis Doha has welcomed over 200 hospitality professionals to its growing family in the past two months.

As workers complete the building and fit-out works on the 336-room hotel, employees are training on-site. Training is a key part of The St. Regis Doha experience, to enable staff to anticipate guests’ needs and build the reputation of the hotel as the “finest address in Doha”.

“We have brought a significant number of staff to the hotel early, in order to provide a comprehensive training programme before we open our doors to guests,” said Tareq Derbas, General Manager of The St. Regis Doha. “Our plan is to make our opening season one of the highlights of the social calendar in Doha, and we are confident that we have assembled the right team to deliver this unique experience for people in Qatar and for luxury enthusiasts from around the world.”

In the last week of 2011, members of The St. Regis Doha family assembled for a special event at the hotel entitled “Let the Legacy Begin”.

The team is planning a full calendar of events and culinary experiences to mark the opening of the hotel, set to take place in the first half of the year.

Steeped in Middle Eastern mystique, The St. Regis Doha presents interiors styled in modern opulence overlooking the Arabian Gulf’s tranquil blue sea. All around are the towering sand dunes and ancient architecture that make up the picturesque landscape of the region. Continuing a century-old tradition, all guests who stay at the hotel will be provided with their own Butler for the duration of their stay, ensuring the highest levels of bespoke service.

The St. Regis Doha features 336 rooms, including 70 suites - ranging from junior suites to presidential suites offering 600 square meters of space to relax after a day of business meetings. All guest rooms and suites boast sea views and second-floor rooms are distinguished by open terraces. The hotel features 10 restaurants and bars - from international fine dining venues to Jazz at Lincoln Centre Doha, the first jazz club in Doha to offer daily live jazz music.

The hotel also offers 4,000-square-meters of meeting space, with the largest ballroom in Doha to offer natural daylight. Recreational facilities include Remède Spa, an Olympic swimming pool and oceanfront cabanas with private Jacuzzis.
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Over 200 staff are receiving final training in preparation for grand launch this year.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of The Supreme Council of Energy for Dubai (SCE), led a delegation to participate in the 20th World Petroleum Congress, which took place in Qatar National Convention Centre at Doha from 4th to 8th December under the theme Energy Solutions For All. The SCE delegation included Nejib Zaafrani, Secretary General of the SCE, Jassim Rajab and Dawood Al Shezawi as members of the organizing committee of The 14th Water, Energy & Environment Exhibition 2012 (WETEX). Among the attendees of the Congress were 35 ministers from major countries in the sector of oil and gas and their respective industries, as well as more than five thousand participants from all over the world.

DOHA, QATAR, 30 November 2011 ¾ CommScope, Inc., a global leader in infrastructure solutions for communications networks, will participate as a Bronze Sponsor at the DatacenterDynamics Doha conference, which will take place yesterday at the Intercontinental Hotel, Doha. The conference brings together IT professionals from across the region to address the latest developments in mission-critical IT infrastructure. The conference will be structured across three topic streams – Design, Build and Operate; Outsourcing Decisions; and IT Optimisation.

As a provider known worldwide for its high-performing networking solutions, CommScope at this event will highlight the latest innovations from its portfolio, including migration solutions for 1, 10, 40 and 100 GB data center networks.

CommScope has been working on a number of projects in Qatar and became over the years a trusted partner and advisor for many Qatari customers, including a project at a new international airport, where CommScope’s solutions are being deployed to support the airport’s critical communications network.

Ciaran Forde, CommScope vice president of Enterprise Sales, Middle East and Africa Region, stated, “Qatar has consistently been one of the largest developing markets in the GCC and as such is a priority market for CommScope.  Being a market and technology leader in advanced infrastructure solutions, with a key focus on data centers, we are committed to helping our customers and partners design and build networks that are ready for the future, and this way help them achieving the ROI they are looking for.”

CommScope offers a comprehensive line of SYSTIMAX® intelligent infrastructure solutions which power high-performance and reliable network communications that support cloud computing as well as users with high-bandwidth, mission-critical application requirements. Additionally, CommScope provides data center managers with easily deployable fiber and copper structured cabling solutions designed to help maximize storage area network (SAN) efficiency and profitability, regardless of the network’s unique needs – from ultra-high density fiber shelves to pre-terminated patching solutions.

“Hosted by an industry research organization on the forefront of technology, DatacenterDynamics Conference is the perfect place to showcase CommScope’s innovative, high-performance network infrastructure solutions that are helping IT professionals tackle these issues and, together, taking data centers to the next level,” Forde said.

CommScope will also be highlighting the importance of having intelligent infrastructure solutions for the data center and raise awareness to how critical the transmission infrastructure is within this environment.

Doha, Qatar

The St. Regis Doha today confirmed that it will be the first St. Regis hotel in the world – and the first venue outside of America – to host a Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) jazz club, as part of the unprecedented global partnership between St. Regis Hotels & Resorts and JALC.

Throughout the Jazz Age, The St. Regis Rooftop Ballroom in the landmark hotel in New York City played host to some of the finest jazz musicians in history. The rich musical legacy is now coming to Qatar thanks to the new agreement, which will bring a range of cultural and educational opportunities to the people of Qatar.

The historic achievement of bringing the world-renowned JALC name to Qatar was made possible with the support of Resorts Development Company, the parent company of The St. Regis Doha and Al Gassar Resort.

Mr. Omar Alfardan, President of Resorts Development Company, said: “Qatar continues to emerge as a leading cultural hub, not just in the region but globally. Jazz as a leading art-form will help to enhance and build a thriving music, art and cultural scene here. With Doha increasingly becoming an international cosmopolitan city with a range of nationalities from all over the world, a unique and genuine jazz venue will contribute to enhancing the city’s popularity.”

“It is important to note that more and more Qatari nationals are travelling the world and becoming interested in jazz, and that will help ensure a strong response to this new centre in Doha,” he added.

Jazz at Lincoln Center is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to inspiring and growing audiences for jazz. Through this partnership, jazz programming will be developed at The St. Regis Doha, led by Wynton Marsalis, Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, providing both the novice and aficionado the opportunity to experience world-class jazz.

“Throughout the history of jazz, musicians from Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie and Dave Brubeck have brought people from all cultures together through this music. It is an honour for Jazz at Lincoln Center to continue that tradition with St. Regis,” said Marsalis, who will attend a special naming ceremony for the club in December.

Tareq Derbas, General Manager, The St. Regis Doha, said: “We are delighted to welcome Jazz at Lincoln Center to its new home at The St. Regis Doha. We have promised our customers unmatched luxury and a rich range of entertainment options, and we believe that our signature venue, Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha, will delight and inspire our guests. I would like to thank our owner and the team responsible for beginning this exciting new era for jazz in the Middle East.”

The opening of Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha and The St. Regis Doha further solidifies Qatar as an emerging centre of culture, commerce and leisure in the Middle East. The hotel, scheduled to open early next year, promises to bring the legendary St. Regis luxury to this thriving commercial and business region.

“We are thrilled with the opportunity to work with St. Regis to reach new audiences and to support our mission of growing and inspiring audiences for jazz around the globe,” said Lisa Schiff, Chairman of JALC.

The agreement is part of a wider global partnership, which will see the two New York icons together to jointly-conceptualise and create a series of jazz clubs around the world in multiple new St. Regis hotels.

“Jazz is an innate part of the St. Regis legacy, and it is exciting to see a new generation of affluent travellers passionate about this social and cultural tradition,” said Paul James, Global Brand Leader for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts. “As St. Regis continues to grow globally, we look forward to working with Jazz at Lincoln Center, which is uniquely positioned to bring the authentic jazz experience to life for our guests and for music enthusiasts around the world.”

Domosystem delivers up to 30 per cent energy savings and 15 per cent reduction in building costs

March 1, 2011

Fouad Hamdan

Domopan Construction Company, a leading provider of innovative, eco-friendly building solutions in Qatar, has announced that it will be showcasing its pioneering building techniques and solutions during its participation at the Green Building Solutions Conference and Exhibition that will be held in Doha from March 2 to 4, 2011. Domopan further revealed that it has prepared a special presentation about its proprietary Domosystem method, providing practical examples of how it can deliver up to 30 per cent savings in energy consumption and 15 per cent savings in total building costs.

The event will likewise serve as the ideal platform for Domopan to announce its long-term strategic plans, particularly in line with Doha’s success bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. With multi-billion dollar projects being launched as part of preparations for the World Cup, developers are expected to use more eco-friendly and sustainable building materials and solutions to comply with green building regulations that have now been put in place by the government.

Fouad Hamdan, Managing Director of Domopan Qatar, said: “Domopan is fully committed to delivering premium-quality, self-sustaining and eco-friendly building materials and solutions to our customers in Qatar. Demand for green building solutions has particular increased recently in light of new regulations and the government’s vision to ensure a more sustainable development of the country.”

“The triumphant bid to host the World Cup has only further strengthened the need for high-standard, sustainable building solutions, creating long-term prospects for our business. Moreover, taking into account the exciting possibilities that have emerged in light of the World Cup in 2022, Domopan’s participation at this year’s Green Building Solutions Conference and Exhibition is certainly a crucial component in our growth plans for 2011 and the rest of the decade,” added Hamdan.

Domopan’s proprietary Domosystem method offers contractors and developers new building techniques and solutions that help save between 25 to 30 per cent in energy consumption compared with traditional systems. Domosystem helps reduce production time by up to 50 per cent and save 15 per cent in building costs, as it is based on lightweight yet strong prefabricated materials that can be easily assembled on site and are manufactured according to quality standards adopted in the USA, UK, France, Italy, Germany and the UAE. Moreover, Domopan uses expandable polystyrene as a major raw material, which is completely non-toxic and does not contain any gases that contribute to the green house effect.

Domopan is an international company with a vision to create and develop innovative methods with high flexibility for architectural design of residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Moreover, Domopan focuses on developing construction materials that offer concrete sustainability, energy, ecological and environmental benefits.

CDs and PCs with suspected counterfeit Microsoft software confiscated
 
December 26, 2010

Anti-piracy authorities in Doha, Qatar recently collaborated with the Qatar Ministry of Justice and Microsoft Gulf, a member of the Business Software Alliance (BSA), the world’s foremost advocate for the software industry, to conduct raids on three Doha-based IT resellers. The raids resulted in the confiscation of CDs and PCs loaded with suspected counterfeit Microsoft software, including Windows and Office.

“The Ministry of Justice is keen on ensuring that the steady economic growth being witnessed in Qatar at present is not compromised by acts of piracy that adversely affect the country’s IT sector. The anti-piracy raids being conducted in Qatar send a strong message that intellectual property rights violation of any kind will not be tolerated in the country. The Ministry of Justice will continue to extend all possible support to the concerned authorities to curb software piracy in Qatar,” said Abdullah Ahmad Qayed, Director of Intellectual Property Center, Qatar’s Ministry of Justice.

“Over the years, we have been receiving strong support from the Qatar Ministry of Justice and concerned anti-piracy authorities, which has been instrumental in the sustained success of our anti-piracy initiatives in Qatar. The latest raid on three resellers in Doha will go a long way in sending a clear message to counterfeiters and IT resellers that any form of piracy will be firmly dealt with,” said Jawad Al Redha, BSA Chair in the Gulf region.

The Ministry of Economy participated in the 12th Industrial Conference, the 41st committee’s meeting for trade cooperation and the 30th meeting of industrial cooperation in the GCC countries Read the full story

Doha facilities and organisation ‘second to none’

Volleyball’s world governing body FIVB has described Qatar’s sporting facilities as among the best in the world. Doha is hosting the 2009 FIVB Men’s Club World Volleyball Championship from 3 – 8 November at the Aspire Zone.

Eight teams from Italy, Russia, Puerto Rica, Qatar, Poland, Iran, Brazil and Egypt will be battling out for the team world title, which has been brought back onto the volleyball calendar after a break of 17 years. Read the full story

Khaleel Al Jabir, Director General, Doha Gymnasiade 2009 Organising Committee

Almost two thousand of the world’s most talented young athletes will be coming to Doha this December to take part in the Doha Gymnasiade 2009, an essential competition for young sporting champions on the road to international success.

Students between the ages of 13-17 from more than 40 nations across the world will be competing in athletics, swimming and gymnastics at the Aspire Zone sport venues.   Read the full story

• 50 per cent of bank clients actively logging on to ibqonline

• Enormous uptake of secure, state-of-art, 24/7 service testament to simplicity and range of options available at ibqonline

James Neslon-Parker, Chief Operating Officer of IBQ

Half of all IBQ customers are now accessing the bank’s services online, the Doha-headquartered bank announced today. This tremendous response from customers is especially significant, the bank pointed out, Read the full story