June-July 2009 US Congress Discusses UAE-USA Nuclear Agreement, Members Questions Torture Video
US Treasury Secretary to Visit Gulf countries to Canvass Support for Dwindling Dollar
The US Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, will travel to the GCC (Saudi Arabia and the UAE) in a few days to commune with some of the more significant creditors of the U.S. and possibly urge these savings-rich countries to contribute to the IMFGCC Soverign Wealth Funds. As dollar is being dumped by many countries, due to the weakening US economy and the surging foreign debt of America, the Treasury Secretary is visiting the Gulf countries, to ensure that these countries continue to invest in dollar denominated US bonds and other assets. A detailed report by Raechel Ziemba of REG Monitor says the soverign wealth funds assets have fallen from $1.4 trillion in June 2008 to $1.1 trillion now. The author writes : The GCC possesses the largest trove of US stocks among foreign governments. With most of its assets managed by the central bank, Saudi Arabia likely holds the most US treasury bonds. The other GCC countries, most of whom entrusted their oil windfall (and gas in Qatar’s case) to an array of investment funds, tend to have a more diversified portfolio. However, the U.S. dollar still dominates the Gulf’s foreign asset position." It says that Saudi Arabia accounts for over $400 billion of the assetsand the UAE, accounts for the next largest amount, around $350 billion, not including Mubadala and some Dubai funds. Kuwait’s fund managed just under $240 billion and Qatar, over $60 billion. Read the full report from RGE Monitor
Abu Dhabi Media Company Gets High Definition Broadcast Equipment from UK Company
Electronic Cigerettes Spread as Smoking Alternative
When the world is going crazy the electronic way, e-cigerettes are getting popular too. Electronic cigerettes may enter the UAE/GCC market to help smokers circumvent the smoking ban in public places.
Just to get rid of the smoking bans, electronic cigerettes are gaining popularity and it may soon be available in the UAE. The electronic cigarettes use replaceable cartridges with shots of nicotine, but have become popular in Europe and USA because they are not covered by the smoking ban. As public smoking is banned in the UAE, the e-cigerette manufacturers are keenly looking at the UAE/GCC market.
NJOY is quickly becoming one of the most recognized and leading brand of electronic cigarettes, not only in the U.S., but globally, as it now has distribution agreements in place for its smoking alternative in more than 50 countries. "The U.S. represents just four percent of the 1.1 billion tobacco smokers in the world," said Jack Leadbeater, CEO of Sottera, Inc., which owns and operates the NJOY brand. "We've learned that whether you are in the U.S. or on the other side of the planet, most people who smoke tobacco know the risks of doing so, and they are naturally interested in a better alternative."
Recently NJOY was launched in South Africa, through its distributor NJOY South Africa during an after-hours party at Tokyo Sky featuring new NJOY spokesperson and South Africa's sexiest woman Tracy McGregor. McGregor has been involved in a series of photo shoots and tapings preparing for the launch. "Sales of NJOY since the launch are approximately 700% greater than we anticipated, and that more than reaffirms what we thought about this incredible product and leading brand when we were first introduced to it a few months ago," said Mark Taitz, Managing Director of NJOY South Africa, who adds that 26 percent of South Africans smoke tobacco. "Smokers in South Africa ask the same questions about NJOY as they do elsewhere, and they are equally thrilled to learn how the product is better."The number of global tobacco smokers is expected to increase to 1.6 billion by 2025, according to the World Health Organization, while per capita consumption of tobacco cigarettes and the absolute number of tobacco smokers are also rising despite a long list of global educational and legislative actions aimed at reversing the trend. Two thirds of the consumption of tobacco cigarettes comes from ten countries: China, U.S., Japan, Russia, Indonesia, India, Brazil, Bangladesh, Germany and Turkey.
"The alternatives of using tobacco cigarettes at certain peril and at incredible societal cost, along with the option of abstinence, are not enough. The global trends point that out with absolute clarity," adds Leadbeater. "The time has come to embrace the electronic cigarette alternative, which many experts believe to be a progressive step forward almost no matter how you want to measure it."
The NJOY electronic cigarette is a nonflammable, microelectronic device that mimics with remarkable accuracy the process and sensations smokers seek and enjoy, but without producing secondhand smoke and acrid odor, without containing tobacco, tar and carcinogens, and without posing a fire hazard.Since the introduction of NJOY products, consumer acceptance has been excellent, with more than 200,000 committed smokers in 50 countries using it. NJOY offers committed smokers of a legal age the chance to smoke with the pleasure and satisfaction of traditional smoking, without many of the problems associated with tobacco cigarettes.
