Asianet Radio 657 expands Programme Timing to 15 hours.

DUBAI - Asianet Radio 657 AM expanded the daily coverage time to 15 hours with effect from June 20, 2004. The radio station which started with just six hours a day in March 2000 has gradually expanded its coverage with more interactive news and entertainment programmes in tune with the growing number of listeners. As per the new programme schedule, the daily programmes start at 6.45 AM and last till 10.PM. Earlier the radio timing was only 12 hours stretching from 7 AM to 7 PM. The time expansion is part of the Asianet radio station's plan to add more informative programmes targeted at the Keralite community in the six Gulf countries. The radio, beamed from Abu Dhabi, can be heard on Emirates Radio Networks MW band on 657 KHz.

Vartha Tharangam, Hallo Friends, Nithya Haritham, Sapthaswarangal, Gramageetham, Mappilapattukal and Navasinte Paradi are the seven new programmes added to the earlier 12 hours programme. In addition, more time is being devoted to special Gulf and Kerala Regional News bulletins, while retaining the existing news programmes . "It is the encouraging response from listeners that prompted us to increase the broadcast time now. With the active support of Asianet Television Channel, Asianet Radio 657 will be able to provide special programmes required by the Gulf Malayali community in the region. We will continue to receive listener feedback and strive to improve the programme content from time to time," said K.Madhavan, Managing Director, Asianet. He added that the new timing will benefit both listeners and advertisers. Max Media FZ LLC, Dubai Media based advertising agency will represent Asianet Radio and Television in the Gulf region for time sales and advertisement.

"We have been receiving requests from listeners to increase the radio timing from dawn to late night. Our principle is to be with the Gulf Malayali listener from early morning to mid night - the normal time when majority of the listeners are awake," said K Chandrasenan, Programme Director, Asianet Radio. He added that along with the time change, the focus of Asianet Radio will be gradually shifted from a news and entertainment radio to a family radio. "Asianet Radio has appointed reporters in each district headquarters for improved live coverage of events in Kerala.

An efficient news bureau in Dubai Media Media City headquarters provides all the latest international and regional news updates," Chandrasenan added. Prominent artists from Kerala and the Gulf are behind many popular programmes aired by Asianet radio. Asianet Radio 657 AM under the chairmanship of Dr.Reji Menon, prominent media personality and chairman, Asianet Communications Ltd, started operations a decade ago has grown to become the most popular radio station, catering to the Malayalam speaking expatriate community in the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar Kuwait and Bahrain.

@keralamonitor. Designed by V.M.Sathish

SHUAA Capital to lead manage Arab Technical Construction Company IPO

Dubai Bank, Emirates Bank, Mashreqbank and National Bank of Fujairah appointed as receiving banks
Dubai, August 9, 2004: SHUAA Capital, lead manager and book runner for the initial public offering (IPO) by Arab Technical Construction Company PJSC (under formation), announced today that the Ministry of Economy and Commerce approved the announcement of the initial public offering of 220 million shares of common stock of the new public shareholding company. The offered shares represent 55% of the new public shareholding company's initial share capital of AED 400 million.

The subscription period will extend from 14 August 2004 until 23 August 2004 and the appointed receiving banks are Dubai Bank, Emirates Bank, Mashreqbank and National Bank of Fujairah.The offering of the 220,000,000 shares is at a price of AED 1.00 per share, with an offering expense of AED 0.01 per share. The minimum subscription amount is 100,000 shares per subscriber. Additional shares can be subscribed for in multiples of 1,000 with the maximum subscription amount being 220,000,000 shares per subscriber. The offering will be open to UAE and non-UAE individual and institutional investors.

Khaled Sifri, Managing Director of Investment Banking at SHUAA Capital said: "We are very proud to be working closely with the founders of Arab Technical Construction Company PJSC and the four receiving banks on this deal. We believe this transaction will be extremely successful and will be considered as another important step in the continued development of the Capital Markets in the UAE."

The founding shareholders of the Company who have subscribed to 180,000,000 shares, representing 45% of the Company's capital stock, are: Sheikh Butti bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, Mr. Riad Burhan Kamal, Abraaj SPV 6 Limited, Mr. Hussein Jassim Al-Nowais, Mr. Thomas Patrick Barry, Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr Al Qassimi, Mr. Ahmed Khalfan Al-Dhaheri, Al Mazroui Holding Company LLC, Sheikh Nawaf bin Nasser Al Thani, Mr. Raja Hani Ghanma and Mr. Grigoris C. Christofides.

Subscription forms and prospectuses will be available at the Dubai Financial Market and the IPO designated branches of the receiving banks, from August 14th onwards. Those branches will accept subscriptions forms from 8am - 1pm (Saturday - Wednesday) and 8am - 12pm (Thursday). The receiving banks will accept payment for the total subscription amount plus the subscription expense in the form of either a manager's cheque or bank remittance.

The objects of the new public shareholding company will be to invest in the contracting sector through the acquisition of existing contracting businesses, whereby it is hoped to benefit from the ongoing construction boom in the UAE. Upon successful conclusion of the IPO, the company expects to use its capital for one or more specific investments in the contracting sector.

Makram Kubeisy, Head of Corporate Finance Advisory at SHUAA Capital, says "The construction sector in the U.A.E. presents a lucrative investment opportunity for investors. The growth in the construction sector continues to be strong and has been fueled by the Government's economic liberalization policies, along with the easing of foreign ownership restrictions in the real estate sector. A survey conducted by our department estimates that the value of announced mega-construction projects to be completed over the next five years in Dubai and Abu Dhabi is around AED225 billion."

Philips Electronics named "Official Consumer Electronics Technology Supplier" to new film, "Ocean's Twelve"
Amsterdam, August 5th 2004- Royal Philips Electronics today announced that it will be the "official consumer electronics technology supplier" to the film Ocean's Twelve, currently in production in cities throughout Europe starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac and Julia Roberts. The Warner Bros. Pictures presentation, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, is a sequel to the 2001 blockbuster Ocean's Eleven and is produced by Jerry Weintraub and directed by Steven Soderbergh. It will be released in the United States on December 10 and in Europe on December 15.

Philips is supplying a wide variety of products and services to the production ranging from security technologies and state-of-the-art multi-media monitors to home theater systems and the revolutionary FlatTV with Ambilight™.Producer Jerry Weintraub commented, "I am very pleased to be associated with Philips Electronics, whose products, design and technology are second to none."

"We are excited to align with Ocean's Twelve in a way that enhances the technological aspects of the movie, and highlights Philips' heritage in innovation and design," said Royal Philips Electronics CEO, Gerard Kleisterlee. "Philips is a leader in developing intuitive products that enhance the movie viewing experience; therefore, we see this alliance as a natural extension of Philips' commitment to bringing entertainment to life through smart technology."

Amsterdam - An afternoon break on the set of "Ocean's Twelve" turned into a "tech break" as Royal Philips Electronics President and CEO Gerard Kleisterlee (left) and Chief Marketing Officer Andrea Ragnetti (right) presented producer Jerry Weintraub (center) with the first Philips Wearable Digital Camcorder, which is launching globally next month. The group celebrated the announcement of Philips as the film's "official consumer electronics technology supplier." Philips is providing a wide variety of products and services to the production ranging from security technologies and state-of-the-art multi-media monitors to home theater systems and the revolutionary FlatTV with Ambilight™.

Strengthened Nokia Presence in the MENA Region Accompanied by Revamped Web Portal

New organizational structure and web presence for Nokia Middle East supports Nokia vision of 2 billion mobile phone owners globally by 2006

Nokia Corporation, the Middle East's largest mobile phone manufacturer and the regional and global leader in mobile communications, recently consolidated its Middle East and North Africa operations under one management hub based in Dubai. As well, the regional Nokia web portal has been revamped and expanded to mirror the new regional structure.

Nokia MENA now is responsible for sales and marketing in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Yemen, as well as its traditional territories - the GCC, the Levant, Iran, and Pakistan. Nokia's business partners in the Maghreb and Egypt, including Raya, Sicotel, Mobi One, and Ring, will now be serviced by Nokia's local representatives with support from the UAE office.

"This management consolidation positions Nokia to further serve the high-population countries of the Maghreb and Egypt, whose growing user base will help drive the number of mobile phone owners towards the 2 billion mark globally," said Eddie Maalouf, General Manager, Nokia MENA.

"These countries are among the top five emerging mobile markets in the Middle East and North Africa and show good potential for further growth. This restructuring will help us better focus on our regional distribution partners and help them to reach their full potentials in these markets," Maalouf said.

The expanded management scope is reflected in Nokia's revamped regional website, www.nokiamena.com, which will serve as a one-stop shop with news, reviews, and information for customers, partners, and the media in the Middle East. Offering its content in Arabic, English, and French, the new site will be a powerful communications tool that will deliver the latest information on mobile trends to the region's technology trendsetters.

"Nokia continually strives to meet the developing mobile communications needs of consumers in growth markets," said Zsolt Menesi, Marketing Manager, Nokia MENA. "We are confident that our redesigned website and latest offerings will appeal to new users across the Middle East and North Africa. With the website's added functionality, we hope to assist our customers select the best phones for their needs."

Consumers will find that Nokia's expanded regional website will offer many new interactive options for obtaining information and details at the click of a button. The names, addresses, and contact numbers for local dealers and all their branches now can be located for any of the 16 countries covered by the regional site.

Other new elements include a feature that lets customers compare their current mobile phones and enhancements with more recent Nokia phones and enhancements. Furthermore, users can compare the features of desired phones according to connectivity, data transfer rates, personalization, functionality, and fun features.Nokia is expanding the mobile market by introducing affordable, feature-rich phones and innovative solutions. The recently announced Nokia 2650 and 2600 mobile phones target consumers in emerging markets by offering affordable connectivity.

Dar Al A Wadi Project to Bring High-Tech Office Facilities for Kuwaiti

Kuwait City, Kuwait-August 3, 2004- In a move that will set new standards in office facilities and related management services provided in the country, the Real Estate Investment Company has announced it will be installing a high-speed SYSTIMAX Solutions cabling infrastructure for its Dar Al A Wadi project, a 35-floor commercial complex with shopping mall in the Al Sharq Area of Kuwait City. The implementation, running in parallel to the construction of the building, will provide tenants with advanced services such as high-speed Internet connectivity, wireless access and IP Telephony. "The installation of this solid network infrastructure will enable us to provide tenants with the most sophisticated communication services that will help them operate more efficiently and save considerably on IT management costs," said Jamal Al Sayyed of Real Estate Investment Company. "Once the project is complete, the Dar Al A Wadi complex will be one of the most advanced office and commercial buildings throughout the country."

Managed by SYSTIMAX Solutions' Kuwaiti business partner, Gulf Systems, the project is currently in its planning stage, with the implementation of all the copper and fibre cabling planned to end by April 2005. The SYSTIMAX infrastructure is spread across 5,000 points and is based on the GigaSPEED® XL copper solution, which reduces downtime on desktop systems and supports bandwidth-intensive applications, the LazrSPEED® fibre solution which provides a low-cost route to reliable LAN communications supporting 10 Gb/s transmissions at distances up to 300 meters and the TeraSPEED™ solution, designed to cost-effectively future-proof enterprise backbones for next generation equipment. Once completed, the technology backbone will support traditional services such as telephone lines, as well as advanced services such as IP Telephony and IP convergence including data and video, security, CCTV security and access controls that will be placed throughout the building.

"This office complex will provide a complete new set of offerings for the country's business sector. For example, most office facilities in Kuwait require the tenants to install their own cabling systems, whereas Dar Al A Wadi's pre-installed copper cabling system will allow tenants the luxury of connecting to the network over a one Gb/s Ethernet connection by simply plugging in their equipment to the existing infrastructure," said Mohammed Azeem, managing director, Gulf Systems. Businesses renting office space at the Dar Al A Wadi complex will benefit from ISDN class services such as caller-id, DID (Direct Inward Dialling) and other telephony features offered by ISDN. The building is linked to the Internet via a fibre optic cable providing a high-speed access to the wealth of information and services on the Internet for all the tenants.

The decision to use SYSTIMAX Solutions' technology was a result of a comprehensive study done by Al Bayan Tech, an independent consultant hired by the Real Estate Investment Company, on finding the partner that could provide a high-performance solution that would best meet the project's existing and future IT requirements. Another key success factor for SYSTIMAX was its renowned 20-year extended product warranty and applications assurance on its Structured Connectivity Solutions (SCS).

A fibre link between the building and Kuwait's ministry of communications will connect the building to the information superhighway and allow tenants to connect to other locations using this same fibre optic cable. If a bank decided to open up a branch at the Dar Al A Wadi office complex, for example, it will be able to connect to its headquarter offices through the fibre cable.

"The framework that will be put in place will be ideal as it will give tenants the option to choose on a connection between their offices and Kuwait's City of Exchange Tower or a direct connection with the building's existing infrastructure," said Martin Hennessey, Sales Director SYSTIMAX Solutions Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and Greece. "This is a very advanced cabling infrastructure that will bring Kuwaiti businesses the opportunity to experience a first-class communications network that is ready and easy to use. "

Gulf Systems will be installing a wireless network across the building, which will enable people to connect their laptops to the Internet anywhere in the shopping mall area, the food court and the public reception areas. Tenants can also take advantage of the sophisticated conference facilities provided by the Dar Al A Wadi business centre, including high-speed Internet connection and video conferencing.
The Real Estate Investment Company has set plans to expand its services to other areas in the future, such as offering e-mail services and web hosting for its tenants. The infrastructure will also allow it to provide a payment gateway where tenants will be able to set up their own e-business portals that will be hosted and managed by the building.

DHL UAE LAUNCHES WEEKLY TRUCKING SERVICES TO YEMEN AND ISTANBUL

ROAD EXPRESS OUT OF JEBEL ALI SLATED FOR 25% INCREASE BY YEAR END

8th August 2004

DHL UAE, the Emirates’ leading air express and logistics supplier, has launched weekly road express services from Jebel Ali to Yemen and Istanbul.

The two new road express routes have been launched following successful trials which have seen demand for Yemen emanating from the oil and gas sector while that for Istanbul has come from cross-sector companies.

“These two new routes, which are additional direct trucking solutions under our Gulfwide Distribution Service, provide a fully integrated network, customs clearance, check-point management, track-and-trace facilities and committed transit times,” explained Stephen Stanton, Middle East Road Network Manager, DHL. “It is a highly cost-effective alternative to air freight, particularly for the emerging heavy-weight consignments sector with less urgent transit time requirements.”

The weekly Jebel Ali-Yemen route goes via Bahrain every Sunday with the Istanbul route, via Amman in Jordan, leaving each Monday. The 3,500 kilometre journey to Yemen has an optimum transit time of six days while the 5,000 kilometre route to Istanbul comes in at eight days.

The introduction of the new routes boosts DHL’s already expanding road express service out of Jebel Ali which has risen in the past year from an average of three daily trucking services to Bahrain to a currently daily tally of 10 departures to Bahrain and Kuwait.

“The new services are also a reflection of increasing demand for regionwide logistics services out of Jebel Ali which has consistently recorded 20% year-on-year growth since our facility in the free zone was launched four years ago,” explained Stanton.DHL’s outbound heavyweight business from Jebel Ali Free Zone rose 235% last year compared to 2002.

“Given increasing demand, particularly for heavyweight deliveries, and new route offerings, we are confident that our road express trucking service will record an additional 25% growth by the end of this year,” added Stanton.

To meet increasing road express demand, DHL UAE has grown its road transport fleet by 30% over the last two years and in April this year took delivery of its 100th vehicle.

“Investment in our road express Gulf Wide Distribution service is also a clear positioning statement that DHL is no longer simply an air express supplier but a provider of fully integrated and seamless logistics solutions,” said David Wild, General Manager, DHL UAE.