KM News Bureau Dubai - March 16, 2004.

EPSON® brings quality, speed and cost-efficiency to the all-in-one device market in the Middle East The new Stylus CX5400 all-in-one device is aimed at the home-office and small business userMarch 15, 2004

The EPSON Stylus CX5400 combines the very latest in EPSON print, scan and copy technologies to bring exceptional quality output and speed to the home and small office. Replacing the popular Stylus CX5200, this latest addition to EPSON's all-in-one range incorporates a high-speed print engine,a high-resolution scanner and standalone copier function. Users also benefit from EPSON's latest DURABrite™ ink technology that delivers high quality output on a wide variety of media, including more cost efficient plain and recycled paper.Khalil El-Dalu, General Manager, EPSON Middle East, said, "As a growing number of consumers in the region seek a more flexible work environment, there is more demand for powerful devices that can perform multiple functions. The Stylus CX5400 combines the very latest in EPSON printing, scanning and copying technology and durability to bring exceptionally high quality output and speed to the home user."

The Stylus CX5400's improved print engine prints up to 22ppm black economy and 11ppm colour. The print quality is also impressive. Colour images can be printed at an unrivalled 5760 optimised dpi, while individual EPSON DURABrite ink cartridges guarantee that output is sharp, water and smudge proof and fade resistant for up to 70 years. The Stylus CX5400 also offers good print flexibility. Border-free printing on A4 media, enabling the Stylus CX5400 user to print everything from high detail photographs to reports and presentations.The device also boasts a high-end flatbed scanner for capturing documents, images and photographs to file. An advanced CCD optical sensor enables a maximum print resolution of 1200 x 2400dpi ensuring output is of the highest quality no matter how fine the detail.

For maximum flexibility, the Stylus CX5400 features a standalone copier function that allows users to photocopy documents without turning on their computer. By coupling the high performance print engine with the device's scanner, copies are guaranteed to be fast and accurate.Recognising that users will deploy the device to print a wide variety of output from web pages to reports and presentations, EPSON has also incorporated Smart Panel software, which enables individuals to quickly and easily create the results they need by automatically choosing the correct print parameters. The Stylus CX5400 provides a high-quality, cost-efficient complete print, copy and scan solution.

MIDDLE EAST IS LEADING AIRLINE INDUSTRY GLOBAL RECOVERY

Etihad Airways launch is a response to economic upturn and increased consumer demand for value, says chairman

March 2004) : Airlines in the Middle East are set to make major advances in the global airline market, according to Dr Ahmed bin Saif Al Nahyan, chairman of Etihad Airways, the new national carrier of the UAE. Dr Ahmed, a former captain on Airbus and Boeing aircraft, says the current economic upswing in Arabian economies has fuelled the development of the region's airline sector. He said: "While the global airline sector has levelled out following the effects of September 11, SARS and the invasion of Iraq, we are seeing significant bouyancy in the Middle East economy. “This is reflected in growth as high as 22 per cent in the regional airline sector over recent months. “

He points to the creation of Etihad Airways as a direct response to demands for increased capacity to serve the growing regional and international market. "These are prosperous economic times in Arabian economies. We seized the opportunity to position Etihad to take advantage of the increased international investment that companies are making in the Middle East,” explains Dr Ahmed. "The government initiatives to drive inbound tourism in the UAE will also have a positive effect on the success of Etihad, as well as airlines that have been created to serve the budget air travel market." In contrast to the low-cost airlines, Etihad is focusing on offering a product that appeals to travellers that want a premium service, at a competitive international price. Dr Ahmed continued: "Etihad is in this business to be a viable commercial enterprise. The differentiating factor that sets us apart from our competitors will centre around service.

“We are breaking with standard airline practice to give our guests what they tell us they want – to be treated as special. Our goal is to provide a more comfortable and generally more pleasing airline experience than is currently on offer in the region." Key to the Etihad promise is the move away from the traditional classes, as it becomes the first regional airline to take the concept of premium economy and rework it for the regional marketplace. Etihad refers to passengers as guests and has guest zones rather than fare classes. The three zones - Diamond, Pearl, and Coral – do not correspond directly to first, business, and economy classes.At check-in, guests will be dealt with by a personal attendant and escorted to the departure lounge until the flight is ready to board. Enhanced ground services at Abu Dhabi International Airport will be available later this year.“Each will provide a premium service compared to competitors, with quality and personal attention being the common factor. For the Diamond and Pearl Zones, we will provide seamless and stress-free travel – in fact, for business travellers, we provide an office in the sky,” explained Dr Ahmed.

ENOC CROSSES BORDERS TO BUILD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REACH TIES UP WITH OMAN’S AL MAHA

[ Dubai, March 15, 2004] – Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) LLC, and its subsidiary Emirates Petroleum Products Company (EPPCO) LLC, have crossed an important milestone by joining hands with Oman’s Al Maha service stations.In a landmark signing ceremony, ENOC and EPPCO have entered into a ‘cross-acceptance’ strategic tie-up with Al Maha which allows the Omani organisation’s customers to use their Smart Fuel Cards and e-Rial cards at any ENOC/EPPCO service station in the UAE. In return, ENOC/EPPCO card holders will be entitled to use their fuel cards – Cash Plus and Select Plus – at Oman’s Al Maha service station network.The agreement was signed by Hussain Sultan, Group Chief Executive and Board Member, ENOC and Managing Director of EPPCO, and Al Maha’s General Manager, Said Salim Marei Al-Shanfari. “This agreement heralds an exciting new era of cross border convenience. ENOC looks forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Al Maha and its customers,” said Sultan.The cross border agreement also enables Al Maha customers to enter a raffle draw and win AED500 every time they use their Al Maha fuel cards at any ENOC-EPPCO service station in the UAE.

“Al Maha constantly endeavours to bring its customers the best in terms of products and services. With this tie-up, Al Maha customers are now empowered with the freedom to use their Al Maha card all over the UAE as well,” explained Shanfari.“This is a milestone achievement in the ongoing drive to create new benchmarks for customer convenience and service in both Oman and the UAE. With this new joint venture, Al Maha, ENOC and EPPCO are, indeed, bringing convenience across borders.” ENOC and EPPCO operate a world-class retail network, covering 162 service stations across Dubai and the Northern Emirates. The Group aims to become the leading regional convenience retailer and marketer of petroleum and related products and services.

For more than a decade, ENOC nurtured the EPPCO fuel retailing brand, and now, building on this solid foundation, it is taking petroleum retailing to a higher level with the establishment of the ENOC retail network. These ‘next generation’ service stations complement the EPPCO retail network and are adding significant benefits to the entire group. First to introduce unleaded fuel in the Sultanate, Al Maha has built a network of more than 105 retail filling stations in just ten years. Its ‘Souks’ convenience stores provide essential necessities to those on the move. Other customer initiatives include the introduction of smart card technology to the region, convenience stores, unleaded fuel and more. A prominent supplier of fuel to all military aircraft at Seeb, Salalah and Khasab airfields and local and international commercial air carriers, the company also focuses strongly on a cleaner environment. Al Maha has a commendable 85% Omanisation record.

Fujitsu Siemens Computers demonstrates high priority to quality management by sponsoring e-TQM College's Media Quality Award UAE 2004

The AMILO notebooks, to be given as prizes to the winners, offer high end multimedia features

Dubai, March 14, 2004. Fujitsu Siemens Computers (FSC), the leading international IT company, is sponsoring the Media Quality Award UAE 2004, organised by e-TQM College Dubai, by donating AMILO notebooks as prizes, thus demonstrating its support and commitment to quality management.FSC, which has emerged within less than a year, as one of the top five IT vendors in the Middle East, will be offering its top-of-the-range AMILO notebooks to the winners of the Media Quality Award which is open to UAE-based journalists. The prizes will be presented at the annual e-TQM College Gala Dinner in Dubai on March 23, 2004."Fujitsu Siemens Computers regards Total Quality Management (TQM) as the main building block of businesses today. TQM is a tool that can assist businesses in improving overall performance and, used to its full potential, can ensure long term success. The importance given to methodologies and certifications like Six Sigma and ISO 9000 has brought about a qualitative improvement in productivity and efficiency," said Sheila Bibi, MENA Marketing Operations Manager, Fujitsu Siemens Computers.The AMILO notebooks offered by FSC to the winners bring wireless surfing and professional mobility to the home-user. They include high-end multimedia features complemented by an extra wide screen, to allow peak performance in playing video films and computer games. Powered by the Intel Centrino mobile technology, the notebooks incorporate leading edge audio and video features needed to convert a laptop into a full-fledged multimedia machine.

The Media Quality Award UAE 2004, the first of its kind in the region, will recognise journalists writing on any one of the following topics: business excellence practices, Business Process Re-engineering (BPR), Total Quality Management (TQM), Six Sigma and ISO 9000. Two awards will be given, one to the Best Article in Arabic and one to the Best Article in English. The deadline for entries has been extended to March 16, 2004.The winners will be selected by a jury comprising international TQM gurus and professors with extensive knowledge of TQM-related subjects.

IFA HOTELS & RESORTS LAUNCHES YACHT OWNERSHIP CLUB

14th March 2004

IFA Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of Kuwait-based International Financial Advisors (IFA), will launch its IFA Yacht Ownership Club – a luxury yacht timeshare scheme - at the Dubai International Boat Show (DIBS) on the 17th March 2004.The company will unveil a Yacht Timeshare scheme for its first 22-metre luxury Maiora yacht, the IFA Dubai, to be based in the Arabian Gulf, a second yacht IFA Cannes, for the French Riviera and a third IFA Beirut, to be added in May and September 2004 respectively. Each Maiora yacht is built to order, its unmistakable style and quality fuses the best of marine tradition with the latest technological innovations, ensuring each yacht is absolutely unique.

“Sold on a weekly basis per year for a five year period, timeshare ownership provides a carefree yachting experience. This is a flexible programme that means if owners don’t wish to use their week, they can enter into an exchange programme with IFA Yacht Ownership Club or have the yacht chartered out on their behalf. IFA is marketing the timeshare weeks and will provide comprehensive asset and fleet management for the IFA Yacht Ownership Club” said James Wilson President and COO, IFA Hotels & Resorts.

“Timeshare is now a part of the global tourist industry. In recent years it has demonstrated strategic resilience, overcoming volatility in the leisure and hospitality marketplace whilst delivering quality holiday and leisure experiences,” said Wilson. IFA Dubai has four rooms which sleep up to nine guests and has been specifically designed for IFA Hotels & Resorts’ timeshare ownership programme. Hand-crafted in Italy to the highest international standards the IFA Dubai comes fully equipped with captain and crew.

The club’s luxury timeshare weeks can be exchanged between IFA Dubai, IFA Cannes which will be delivered in May 2004 and IFA Beirut, ready in September 2004. Alternatively they can be exchanged for stays at resorts such as Pine Cliffs resort – Portugal, and future resorts on Palm Island Jumeirah – Dubai, Zimbali – South Africa, Zanzibar and Lebanon.

The IFA Yacht Ownership Club will be associated with the exclusive five-star Palm Beach Club on Palm Island Jumeirah. For a nominal fee members can enjoy superb leisure facilities, including, a full international spa, beach club members’ house, restaurants, private beach, fully equipped gyms and personal trainers. The club will also have all the concierge and support facilities synonymous with an exclusive international leisure retreat. In addition to an expanding luxury yacht fleet, a complete range of water sport equipment will be available, for members’ exclusive use.IFA Hotels & Resorts have an exhibition stand at the DIBS, which will be held at the Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) on March 17 – 20, to present its other project the Sheraton Algarve ( Portugal) and the future projects in Palm Island, Jumeirah – Dubai, Zimbali – South Africa, Zanzibar and Lebanon

 

Dubai's tourism and retail sectors contribute three times more than the oil sector to GDP

Hospitality and tourism emerge as leading career choices in higher education amongst Middle East students

March 13, 2004 According to figures provided by the UAE government, tourism and the hotel industry have emerged as leading revenue earners in the country. In Dubai alone, the tourism industry has accounted for a steadily increasing

percentage of the emirate's GDP, with the combined tourism and retail sectors contributing more than 20 per cent of Dubai's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), far surpassing the oil sector that contributes just a little over 6 per cent of the GDP. It is not surprising then, that for a large number of Middle East students hospitality and tourism are emerging as leading career choices. This fact will be in focus at the 16th Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (GETX) to be held from April 20 to 23, 2004 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre."Due to its location, the UAE has been able to act as a connecting link between Europe and the Indian subcontinent, the Far East and Africa. Traditional Arab hospitality and a delightful winter climate complemented by a highly sophisticated tourism infrastructure, have also contributed in recent years to creating an ideal atmosphere for the development of tourism. The country is also a much sought after venue for conferences, regional and international exhibitions and major sports events," said Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, IC&E, organisers of the show. "The potential of the tourism sector is set to grow exponentially with the major investments being made by the country's government. All these factors will contribute to further creation of jobs for applicants with the right qualifications."

 

"Besides the UAE, other countries in the Middle East such as Lebanon are witnessing a tourism revival, encouraging students to aim for qualifications and jobs in the tourism and hospitality industry," added Godinho. "As an international forum for information on quality education, the 16th GETX seeks to explore the potential of this sector. The show will feature leading international institutes related to the tourism and hospitality industries, allowing potential students to explore their options and make informed career choices."Amongst the leading international institutes from Switzerland showcasing course options at the 16th GETX will be the Lausanne Hotel Management School, the HTMI Hotel Management School and the combined presence of the International Hotel Management Institute Switzerland and the International Tourism Institute Switzerland (IMI-ITIS). Besides the Swiss institutes, GETX will also see the participation of a Greek institute, the Alpine Centre for Hotel and Tourism Management Studies, as well as the Dubai based Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management. The IMI-ITIS and the Alpine Centre distinguish themselves from the rest by offering courses in Tourism Management besides the regular Hotel Management courses.

The IMI-ITIS offer courses in Associate of Science Degree in European Culinary Management <http://www.imi-luzern.com/pdf/culinary.pdf>, a Postgraduate Diploma in International Hospitality and Tourism Management, a MBA in International Hospitality and Tourism Management and a B.A. Degree with Honours in International Tourism Management." Switzerland has a highly sophisticated tourism industry and has built the reputation of being the world leader in providing education and training targeted at the Tourism and Hospitality industry. In fact, year after year the large majority of students at the IMI-ITIS have been from outside Switzerland, with China, Japan, Gulf countries, rest of Asia and Russia leading in numbers," said Jamal Aref Kleibo, Regional Marketing Manager, IMI-IT IS, representative Lucerne Tourism in the Middle East and member Swiss Business Council, Abu Dhabi.

"At the moment, the ratio of students applying for hospitality courses as against those applying for tourism courses stands at 5:1. There is obviously a potential for growth in the tourism sector, especially keeping in mind the booming tourism industry in the UAE. This will be one of our main areas of focus at GETX," added Kleibo.As part of IMI-ITIS' commitment to providing quality professionals to the Tourism and Hospitality industry, career guidance and information is an essential element of the IMI student support services. Students are taught efficient techniques for job applications, personal profiles, and interviews. As well, IMI-ITIS' excellent contacts with the hotel industry, and its worldwide representatives, are of assistance to graduates looking for jobs in the industry. Among the international hotel corporations sourcing professionals from IMI-ITIS are the Hilton, the Accor, the Marriott, the Crowne Plaza and the Holiday Inn chain of hotels, as well as corporations such as Disney World.

"This will be Alpine Center's first participation in the GETX. Operating in Greece as an associate institute of IHTTI Switzerland for the last 17 years, Alpine Center is expanding its market to include students from the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Eastern and Central Europe," said Sybil Hofmann, President, Alpine Center for Hotel & Tourism Management Studies. Until last year, the Greek government did not issue student visas to students wishing to study at private institutions in Greece but now that they do, we are encouraged to attract students from all over the world. Students taking an Alpine Centre course in Greece will benefit from the dual advantage of studying in a Swiss Institute and experiencing one of the most well-established tourist industries in the world."

The Alpine Centre offers courses in MA in International Hospitality & Tourism Leadership; BA (Hons) in International Hospitality & Tourism Management, a three year programme that includes the Swiss Diploma in Hotel Management; BA (Hons) in Culinary Arts Management, and distance learning programmes in Hotel & Food and Beverage Management. For further information on the conference and exhibition, please visit the show's website: www.gulfeducation.com Naizak to highlight storage solutions and computing platforms at COMDEX Saudi 2004 The company's high-profile participation will focus on products of Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Hitachi Data Systems and ShipNetMarch 15, 2004

Naizak, a leading supplier of modular storage solutions, UNIX servers, e-learning and vertical solutions from leading global vendors, has announced strong participation in COMDEX Saudi Arabia 2004 Exhibition & Conference, which is currently being held at the Jeddah International Exhibition and Convention Centre till March 17, 2004.Naizak will use COMDEX as a platform to highlight its business alliances with three leading IT vendors: Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Hitachi Data Systems and ShipNet, a Norwegian company that specializes in ERP solutions for the shipping industry.

"Naizak is catering to the 365x24x7 enterprise market, backed by the commitment of some of the world's most respected manufacturers," said Karim Saba, Vice-President, Sales, Naizak. "We are geared to provide computing platforms for reliable and robust round-the-clock operations, with a strategic focus on oil & gas, utility and petrochemical industries. The state-of-the-art solutions from our partners are optimized to deliver exceptional performance, and our strong presence at COMDEX will enable us to highlight our solutions before trade visitors." Naizak will exhibit products that demonstrate its unrivalled expertise

in developing and implementing server-based IT solutions that are suited for a wide range of applications, including MySAP and Oracle on Solaris "The partnership between Naizak and Fujitsu Siemens Computers announced last year appointing Naizak as a strategic partner for enterprise products will be highlighted at the COMDEX stand. The focus will be our high-end PRIMEPOWER servers, the highly scalable servers that have a solution for every requirement, from small and medium workgroup servers and computer nodes to enterprise models for business critical applications. Our enterprise products are known for their mainframe-class reliability, supercomputer-like performance and flexible adaptation to business needs," said Ashraf Al-Arabaty, Product Manager, Large Enterprises, Fujitsu Siemens Computers.

Hitachi Data Systems will focus on networked storage solutions that help manage existing data and lay a flexible foundation for future expansion. These systems help maintain high levels of information availability and optimize application performance while improving IT productivity through automation of management and maintenance tasks."COMDEX Saudi is a good opportunity to further consolidate our partnership with Naizak, and to demonstrate our key storage solutions," said Brian Moroney, General Manager, Hitachi Data Systems MEMA. "Organisations need flexible storage systems that can scale up to support new growth, so our modular Thunder 9500™ V Series storage system will create a lot of interest. In addition, the day-to-day management of data storage is a central issue for businesses. Our HiCommand software suite, based on open standards so that it can operate in conjunction with other applications, is designed to give storage administrators centralised control of the storage infrastructure, ensuring Quality-of-Service (QoS) for application availability, performance, and business continuity."

Leveraging the advantageous proximity of Jeddah Port, the largest port in the kingdom, Naizak will be introducing the ultimate computing concept for the shipping industry from ShipNet, the world's most successful Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) provider for the shipping industry. ShipNet has made its entry in the Middle East by bagging one of the biggest ERP contracts ever signed in the Kingdom."The Middle East in general and Saudi Arabia in particular have shown a tremendous growth in IT, and Naizak has found a niche area to deliver top quality service to our clients," said Saba. "With businesses becoming global, enterprises have to adopt world-class systems to meet heightened customer expectations. Naizak is well-positioned to meet the requirements of these customers."

The Naizak stand is located at Booth No. 709 at COMDEX Saudi 2004.

Established in 1998, and based in Dubai in the UAE and Khobar in Saudi Arabia, Naizak is the Information Technology subsidiary of the Al Abdulkarim Group, the Gulf's largest supplier/stockist of electrical, electromechanical, telecommunication, instrumentation, and oilfield components and equipment. Naizak caters to the specific IT needs of energy and industry clients in the Middle East. With over 30 years of experience in the region, the group's goal is to set standards of performance and experience for the industrial and information technology markets throughout the Middle East. Naizak is a company passionate about delivering the best customer experience to its industry clients.

 

The Al Abdulkarim Group maintains a vast network of offices in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. For more information on Naizak, please visit our website at http://www.naizak.com

More than 70 exhibitors from 17 countries confirm participation to the first ever fashion jewellery, accessories, watches and clocks fairs in Dubai Fairs set to make impressive debut, with strong trade visitor pre-registration from across the globe March 14, 2004 With more than 70 exhibitors from 17 countries confirming participation at the International Fashion Jewellery and Accessories Fair (IFJA) and the International Watch & Clock Fair (IWCF), the two fairs are set to provide the UAE with a new business forum for the fashion, jewellery, watches and clock sectors of the market. The IFJA and IWCF are to be held simultaneously at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre from March 22-24, 2004."While trade in gold jewellery and precious stones has enjoyed high visibility in the UAE trade events, as well as the media, the fashion jewellery, fashion accessories, watches and clocks segments have quietly emerged as a strong earners in the regional markets," said Emad Al Hawai, Managing Director,International Expositions, organisers of IFJA and IWCF. "This market trend is a natural result of a vibrant international population that invests in fashion trends in the UAE, whether as residents or as visitors. The diverse demographic profile of the country combines with excellent exposure to global fashion trends and increasing affluence, to develop the potential of this sector. The IFJA and the IWCF have been designed to provide a dedicated trade platform to these segments of the fashion industry in the Middle East."

"The fact that IFJA & IWCF are the only trade fairs dedicated to fashion jewellery, fashion accessories, watches and clocks sets them apart from the multitude of other trade fairs held in the Middle East. The keen participation of exhibitors from the major countries and regions in the fashion jewellery, fashion accessories and watches & clocks industry strengthen the IFJA & IWCF as an effective marketing vehicle for manufacturers and suppliers seeking to expand distribution and exposure in the region," added Al Hawai.The international exhibitor line-up at IFJA and IWCF includes Italy, France Germany, Switzerland, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Lithuania, Mexico, Brazil, Hong Kong, India, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea and the United

Arab Emirates. Meanwhile, with almost three weeks still to go to the debut of the fairs, International Expositions have also registered strong trade visitor interest. More than 800 companies from 61 countries have already pre-registered as trade visitors to the shows. Strong trade visitor contingents have been registered from India, UK, Nigeria, Pakistan, United States, Hong Kong, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Italy, Canada and Australia.IFJA and IWCF will be held in Hall 4 of the Dubai International Exhibition Centre and will be open to trade visitors from 9.30 AM to 1.00 PM and from 4.30 PM to 9.00 PM.