July 21, 2010

(Right to left) Ahmad Qasem, Epson Channel Sales Manager, appointing Gulf Shadows as an Epson Channel Partner

Epson has announced that it has recently appointed 29 new resellers – in the first stage - in the Middle East, as part of the company’s plans to consolidate its market presence in the region. The newly appointed resellers are joining Epson’s recently announced ‘Channel Partner Program’ that aims to raise the incentives for partners reselling the company’s products. As per the new Program, Epson dealers will be rewarded based on the volumes they achieve.

AKILLIS TO APPOINT DISTRIBUTORS ACROSS THE GCC & LEVANT AS PART OF REGIONAL FORAY

Luxury French jewellery manufacturer Akillis announced plans to expand its distribution network throughout the Middle East region through opening of boutiques, appointment of franchise partners, shop in shops and retail corners in the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon as part of its first phase of expansion.

“The Middle East region has been identified as an increasingly important market for Akillis as it is an extremely receptive market for luxury products,” said CEO Caroline Gaspard. “In France, we sell a lot of jewellery to customers from the Middle East and India and a brand cannot be classified as truly global if it is not represented in the Middle East or India. The region is obviously a high-growth and high-income region and is a major player in the world of luxury.”

Akillis jewellery stands out from the ordinary and does not follow characteristic jewellery designs followed by leading jewellers around the world and none of the old school models of using hearts, small animals and floral patterns that are so common in jewellery designs form part of the Akillis repertoire.

Against the backdrop of the global economic recession, Akillis boasted a turnover of AED 51 million ($14 million) last year. “While the global economic downturn that began in late 2008 brought recession to the United States and Europe and the rest of the world, the global downturn has not dented the demand for luxury goods and the crisis had little impact on spending habits among the rich and super rich,” said Ms Gaspard.

She noted that despite a tougher economic climate, self-reward and pampering remained strong factors for buying luxury items. “Akillis has not really been affected by the worldwide recession. The people who buy our fine line of jewellery pieces are not affected by the recession and as a matter of fact, we actually grew our business 300 per cent during the worldwide credit crunch,” Ms Gaspard observed.

World’s 3rd largest fruit producer to feature exotic products at Brasil Trade Middle East 2010

April 19, 2010

Brazil exported fresh fruits worth USD 9.31 million to the Arab region in 2009, representing an 8.4 increase over 2008 trade. Brazilian producers will highlight popular exotic fruits this year during the Brasil Trade Middle East 2010 multi-industry trade show taking place from May 9 to 11, 2010 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai Festival City. 

Brazil, the third largest producer of fruit in the world, harvests around 43 million tons of the commodity yearly. Its main Arab importers include Lebanon, the UAE, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Algeria. Grapes, melons, apples and mangoes accounted for most of Brazil’s fruit shipments to the Middle East in 2009. Participants at Brasil Trade Middle East 2010 will discuss the growing demand for the South American country’s exotic fruits, which are produced under strict environmental and preservation standards. They will also address key issues such as the need for more direct export routes to the Arab markets.

“Fruits imported from Brazil are very popular in the Middle East due to their freshness and variety. Countries such as the UAE are placing greater emphasis on health and nutrition and so we can expect exotic Brazilian fruits such as the açaí berry, which has high levels of antioxidants, to gain strong consumer patronage. Throughout the Brasil Trade Middle East guests and potential buyers will have a clearer picture of just how diverse and healthy Brazilian fruits are,” said Alessandro Teixeira, President, Apex-Brasil.

Participating Brazilian fruit companies will particularly promote fruit juices, Amazonian fruits and fruit pulps, dehydrated fruit juice, and even chocolate candies with Amazonian fruit fillings during Brasil Trade Middle East.

Over 30 exporters representing more than 100 leading Brazilian producers and manufacturers will showcase products and services in construction and construction materials, furniture and decoration, and auto parts during the three-day trade expo, which is being organized by the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil).

Epson has announced the launch of a reseller programme for its partners in UAE and Egypt that aims to raise the incentives for partners reselling the company’s products. Epson also revealed that the new Authorised Reseller Programme will be launched in Saudi Arabia during the company’s participation in GITEX KSA exhibition, which will be held at the Riyadh Exhibition Center from April 25-29, 2010.    

As per the new Epson Authorised Reseller Programme, dealers will be rewarded based on the volumes they accomplish. Quarterly targets for the UAE and KSA markets range from USD 10,000 for Bronze partners to USD 300,000 for Platinum partners,. The programme classifies partners into four categories and includes five product categories: Consumer, Business, Supplies, Large Format Printers and Projectors.

Khalil El-Dalu, General Manager, Epson Middle East, said, “We believe that a major contributory factor for our continued success and market leadership in key product categories in the Middle East has been the excellent performance of our channel partners. The introduction of the new Authorised Reseller Programme aims to better reward our partners for their efforts in boosting sales of Epson products, while it also enables us to strengthen our support to them.”    

El-Dalu also noted that the percentage and structure of the incentives varies according to partnership category, ranging from 1 per cent up to 8 per cent. The new programme will also give partners access to a range of marketing resources, portals, technical support and sales tools. Moreover, partners can also avail discounts of between 10 per cent and 40 per cent on demo units.  

Corporate strategist and book author Philippe De Backer tapped to build up Bain & Company’s portfolio of financial services in region

March 24, 2010

Bain & Company, the leading global business consultancy firm, has announced that it has recently appointed Philippe De Backer as Partner & Director, Global Financial Services located in the Middle East. Prior to the move, De Backer was a partner with Bain & Company based in Brussels and Paris, where he was head of Bain & Company’s Benelux and France Financial Services Practice.

A highly experienced corporate strategist and author of four books on management, De Backer joined the firm in 1992 in Boston, and shortly thereafter moved to Belgium to open the Brussels office. He successfully launched the first Financial Services practice in Europe and later led the development of the French Financial services practice that fuels the rapid growth of the French office.

Philippe De Backer brings to the Middle East his established track record of leading successful transformation of major financial institutions in Europe, Asia, Australia and the USA. He relies on extensive experience and expertise in corporate strategy, business unit strategy, growth strategy, operations improvement and organisational structure both banks, financial institutions and insurance groups.

Jean Marie Pean, Chairman of Bain & Company ME, said: “Having Mr. De Backer onboard delivers a significant boost to Bain & Company’s Middle East team. We intend to build on his extensive experience in the financial services to further strengthen our portfolio of financial services in the region. The appointment of a new Director of Global Financial Services in the Middle East certainly reflects our strong commitment to support the development of financial markets in the region, especially at this time of recovery from one of the most challenging periods in the global financial sector. We will continue looking out for people who can add value and enhance our performance in the region”

Philippe De Backer says: “The Middle East is a priority area for Bain & Company, which is why I have decided to join this fast growing region. I am very happy about this new challenge and look forward to continuing to work with Julien Faye, who successfully heads and founded the financial services sector in the Middle East 3 years ago.”

Bain & Company serves clients through an integrated network of 41 offices in 27 countries around the globe. As one of the world’s top strategy firms, Bain & Company offers deep senior expertise across all major industry verticals and capability areas, and is driven by an entrepreneurial spirit of innovation, which has inspired remarkable ideas that have boosted the bottom-line value of countless clien

Canon Middle East, a world-leading innovator and provider of imaging solutions for businesses and consumers, has announced that it will support WWF’s Earth Hour which takes place from 20:30-21:30 on Saturday 27 March. This is a global event uniting people, places and countries across the world to fight climate change.

In line with its continuing thrust to be a socially responsible and environmentally conscious company, Canon Middle East will support the initiative locally by turning out non-essential lights at Canon office including the Canon sign on the office building.

Canon Middle East also encourages all employees to show support by switching off their lights and electrical appliances at home for this hour.

Canon employees will also join a walk for a cause organised by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) starting at 7:30 pm on Jumeirah Road.

Mai Youssef, Corporate Communications Manager at Canon Middle East said: “Canon fully supports WWF’s Earth Hour initiative in this very important endeavour. We believe that it is crucial to create greater awareness and involve all members of the society in efforts to address emerging environmental problems. Our support in such initiatives that benefit the greater society reaffirms Canon’s commitment to becoming a Top Global Company. As a distinguished global leader in imaging solutions, Canon is not only focused on empowering creativity and innovation at home or at work; we are likewise firmly committed to promote a more sustainable and practical approach towards development.”

Prince Abdulaziz within reach of glory in Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East

Dubai.The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East reaches its climax at Reem International Circuit, outside Riyadh, over the next nine days, with Saudi Arabia’s Prince Abdulaziz Al Faisal on the verge of creating history as the first winner of the drivers’ title.

Prince Abdulaziz has won six out of eight rounds since the new one-make Porsche series was launched in Bahrain back in December, finishing second in each of the other two races.

He holds a massive 45-point lead over his nearest rival, team-mate and cousin Prince Khalid Al Faisal, and while there are four rounds remaining he can clinch the title with another couple of second place finishes in Rounds 9 & 10 at Reem over the next two days (March 24-25).

Should he need more time, the final two rounds follow at Reem on Wednesday and Thursday next week (March 31 – April 1).

There were jubilant scenes when the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East made its first appearance at Reem in January, with Prince Abdulaziz marking Saudi’s first ever international circuit race meeting with back-to-back victories.

He repeated that feat when the Michelin and Mobil 1-sponsored series moved on to Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit last month and a fortnight later scored another win and a second place in the UAE capital.The only other two drivers to score victory in the series to date are Prince Khalid and fourth-placed Bahraini star Sheikh Salman bin Rashid Al Khalifa, both of whom will be eager to grab their second wins during the last four rounds in Saudi.

Designed to identify top Arab and local-based talent in the Middle East and become a platform for entry into the world of international GT and sports car racing, the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East is a new regional version of the GT3 Cup one-make series already running with huge success in Brazil, New Zealand and the US.

The series is organised and managed by Austrian-based Lechner Racing on behalf of Porsche Middle East & Africa. All the drivers compete in identical 2010 model Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. “We are extremely excited to have launched the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East at a time when motorsport in the region is enjoying enormous popularity,” said Deesch Papke, Managing Director, Porsche Middle East & Africa. “It has been an excellent first season so far, and we’re confident that the series will go from strength to strength in the years ahead.”

Headed by Walter Lechner, who had great success as a sports car driver with Porsche in the 1980s, Lechner Racing have established a permanent base for the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East at the Bahrain International Circuit.

“Like its counterparts in Brazil, New Zealand and America, the new GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East series is run at the same very high technical level as the Porsche Carrera Cup series which has been staged so successfully worldwide over the last 16 years,” said Lechner, who has managed many Porsche racing teams.

Competitors in a one-make series all drive identical, equally well-prepared racing versions of production cars. The main benefits are that costs are minimised, making the sport more accessible, while the emphasis is on driver skill, with no driver having the advantage of a faster, superior vehicle.

The 11-strong line-up for Rounds 9 and 10 includes Saudi’s Bandar Alesayi, who returns to action on home territory lying third in the championship. After Sheikh Salman in fourth, the next three positions are currently filled by Bison Reem Racing team-mates Bandar Alireza, Raed Abuzenadah, and Faisal Binladen who has a 100 per cent winning record in the Mobil 1 Trophy for rookies and true amateur drivers.

He again faces competition from Bahrain-based Dutchman, Jaap Vandrager and from Saudi businessman Fawaz Al Gosaibi.

Completing the line-up are Al Gosaibi’s teenage son, Fahad, who made history at the start of the series by becoming the the youngest driver to compete in a Porsche worldwide, and Abu Dhabi’s Khaled Al Qubaisi.

Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East positions after Round 8
1. Abdulaziz Al Faisal (KSA), Al Faisal Racing Team  156pts  
2. Khalid Al Faisal (KSA), Al Faisal Racing Team   111pts  
3. Bandar Alesayi (KSA),      109pts  
4. Salman Bin Rashid Al Khalifa (BAH)    106pts  
5. Bandar Alireza (KSA), Bison Reem Racing Team   91pts  
6. Raed Abuzenadah (KSA), Bison Reem Racing Team  76pts  
    Faisal Binladen (KSA), Bison Reem Racing Team  76pts  
8. Fahad Algosaibi (KSA), ClassicArabia Racing   66pts  
9. Jaap Vaandrager (NL)      57pts  
10. Khaled Al Qubaisi (UAE), Tolimit Racing    48pts  
11. Fawaz Al Gosaibi (KSA) ClassicArabia Racing   47pts  
12. Nabil Karam (RL) Karam Rally Team    13pts

Mobil 1 Trophy positions

1. Faisal Binladen (KSA), Reem Racing Team   160pts
2. Jaap Vaandrager (NL)      134pts
3. Fawaz Al Gosaibi (KSA)     104pts
4. Nabil Karam (RL) Karam Rally Team    34pts

Captions:

1. The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East reaches its climax at Reem International Circuit outside Riyadh over the next nine days.
2. Prince Abdulaziz Al Faisal – set to create history as the first title winner

• Event to be held under the patronage of HH Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
• Organised by Hamdan Bin Mohammed  e-university
• QC4 theme to focus on innovation and quality management

Dubai, March 21, 2010: In line with its continuing commitment to quality and excellence, Emirates NBD, the largest banking group in the Middle East in terms of assets, announced today, its sponsorship of the 4th Science Quality Congress Middle East (QC4). The fourth edition of the annual congress is being held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of Dubai Executive Council and the President of Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-university (HBM e-University).

The congress is being organised by the e-School of Business and Quality Management at HBM e-University, Middle East Quality Association (MEQA), University of California (UC) Berkeley, and under the technical lead of the Scientific Research Deanship in the HBM e-University. More than 800 delegates from over 35 countries worldwide are expected to participate in the congress, which will be held at The Address, Dubai Mall, from March 22 – 24, 2010. Focusing on the theme: “Innovation and Quality Management: Constraint to Creativity or Framework for Progress?” this year’s event will discuss the quality framework within the specific context of an organisation and the impact of Total Quality Management (TQM) on innovation.

“Quality management programmes need to be an essential aspect of every organisation today, as they often prove to be the differentiating factor in determining the growth of a company,” said  Saif Al Mansoori, Head – Group Business Marketing at Emirates NBD.

“As a market leader in the banking arena, there is a significant focus on quality and excellence at Emirates NBD. We also believe in supporting quality related conferences and events like the 4th Science Quality Congress, which will add considerable value to the entire community,” he continued.

More than 100 experts are expected to address the QC4, which includes special event sessions on issues of quality management, meet-the-author events, groundbreaking presentations, interactive workshops, and roundtable discussions, in addition to the opening plenary presentations.

• DuPont introduce clean water technologies and treatment capabilities

• Middle East’s water supply expected to halve within the next 40 years

• Middle East governments spend a total of over USD 130 billion each year on water and waste-water management technologies

Hartmut Reinke

Middle East – March 21st, 2010 — DuPont, one of the world’s leading market-driven science companies, will celebrate the UN’s World Water Day on March 22, 2010 by reaffirming its commitment to prioritization of clean water and waste-water treatment technologies in the Middle East. The company is capitalizing on global growth opportunities by sharply focusing its innovation pipelines on four megatrends: to meet the increasing demand for food productivity; protect people and the environment; decrease dependence on fossil fuels; and capitalize on the growth of emerging markets, including Middle East.

DuPont Clean Water Technologies brings more than 25 years of experience, backed by a strong record in the industry and thorough regulatory knowledge including wastewater management IS1400 certified and highly efficient. With hundreds of chemical processing plants worldwide, DuPont understands the manufacturing community. This helps DuPont provide better and more proactive solutions for waste disposal problems. It also offers a cost-effective, environmentally approved treatment alternative—steam stripping.

“Optimal water management is a high priority objective within the Middle East territories, which is why we are committed to address this concern and drive our innovative science creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. We are customizing solutions that fit local needs for the region; especially water treatments which impacts both-the industrial and the residential fronts. We continuously work toward the creation of products and processes that meet the highest standards for the use of renewable resources, energy, water and materials, thereby simultaneously adding value to both business and the environment,” said Hartmut Reinke, DuPont Director Turkey, Middle East and Africa.

DuPont has been introducing  chlorine dioxide (CIO2) products and related technology -for disinfecting, sanitizing, and odor control applications to help local customers maximize its limited renewable water resources, which the UN Food and Agriculture Organization reports as being at the lowest level in the world. DuPont’s Water & Sewage Treatment and Clean Water Technologies units rely on almost three decades of expertise to develop water-related solutions that are highly efficient, environmentally safe, and in compliance with the highest regulatory standards.

DuPont Secure Environmental Treatment (SET) in New Jersey is the world’s largest commercial and industrial wastewater treatment facility. It can handle up to 40 million gallons of wastewater every day – quickly, safely, and cost-effectively.
 
The Middle East’s water supply alone is expected to dwindle by half within the next 40 years. Its governments currently spend a total of over USD 130 billion each year on water and waste-water management technologies. DuPont’s eco-friendly CIO2 systems and clean water technologies, which kill bacteria, spores, viruses, fungi and algae within a minute, show particularly strong promise for Middle East.

Gulf Turbine Services L.L.C Joint Venture in Abu Dhabi Adds Advanced Technology Bucket Repairs

Abu Dhabi, UAE; March 14, 2010: GE (NYSE: GE) and Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT) today announced a state-of-the-art expansion of the Gulf Turbine Services L.L.C (GTS) gas turbine repair facility in Abu Dhabi, which will offer enhanced levels of service and support for gas turbine operators throughout the region. The investment underscores GE and ADAT’s commitment to help customers in the United Arab Emirates and the region meet the growing demand for a sustainable supply of electricity.

GTS, the joint venture between GE and ADAT, has offered a wide range of world-class gas turbine repair capabilities since 2001. The latest expansion adds advanced technology repair equipment for B and E-class gas turbine blades, which are key components impacting the efficiency of the machines, marking the first time this service has been available in the region. As part of the expansion, the size of the workforce at the repair service center has doubled to nearly 100 people.

“The expansion of the GTS facility supports our strategy to provide world-class turnaround times for our regional municipal, utility and industrial customers, including faster turnaround times on repair projects and faster delivery of repaired components,” said Ahmed Al Moosa, ADAT’s Executive Vice President for Industrial Business and Chairman of GTS. “It reflects our vision for continued leadership and success in the rapidly growing Middle Eastern and global maintenance, repair and overhaul sectors.”

Key customers served by GTS include Dubai Aluminium Co. (DUBAL), Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA), Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Ltd. (GASCO) and Abu Dhabi Gas Liquefaction (ADGAS) in the UAE, with other major customers located in Qatar, Oman and Egypt. While focusing on the Middle East region, GTS also serves customers in the United States, Europe, Africa and Asia.

“This latest investment in the GTS facility with our partner ADAT further expands our capabilities to provide quality repair services to meet the growing needs of our customers throughout the region,” said Joseph Anis, GE Energy’s President for the Middle East. “It is a business strategy that reflects GE’s long-term commitment to invest in the region to support the Middle East’s growing energy demand with cleaner, smarter, more efficient solutions. By localizing our repair capabilities and ensuring they are located closer to our customers, we can more rapidly respond to their needs in any part of the UAE and throughout the region,” Anis added. 

In addition to bucket repairs, the 4,200 square meter GTS facility, located in the Mussafah Industrial Area in Abu Dhabi, offers repairs for other gas turbine components including power nozzles, fuel nozzles, combustion liners, transition pieces and rotors. The range of machines serviced by GTS includes GE Frame 9, 7, 6 and 5 heavy-duty gas turbines.

The GTS facility builds on GE’s established presence in the UAE.  Since the 1970s, GE has played a key role in the development of the UAE’s infrastructure, investing in and supplying technology and services to the power, water, oil & gas as well as the aviation, healthcare and media industries, to address such needs as power generation and water management. GE has been active in the Middle East since the 1930s and has management and project management offices as well as local repair and service facilities to serve customers throughout the region.