Shilpa Narayanan, Dhinu Rajan, Athira Sharath, First Prize Winers of Quiz Competition..
Customers Furious About Unholy Nexus Between Car Dealer and Car Finance Company
MUSCAT - Every Ramadhan time, car companies in Oman make a killing through special schemes, attractive interest rates and other incentives. However, the automobile sector in the Sultanate dominated by a few, read just one company, has devised clever trategy to lure customers offering low interest rates, but once in the showroom they will end up paying for many hidden costs. Newspapers often carry hand outs and bombastic statements drafted by the car companies without changing even a comma or full stop. While car companies advertise a cheap model with attractive prices, the models show in such advertisements will cost you almost double the offer price. Here is the latest trick used jointly by a leading finance company in secret association with the leading automobile dealer in the Sultanate. Hear from the customers directly:
"I myself bought a Toyota car recently. Since I did not have full money I wanted to take auto loan from a finance company. I saw an advertisement of the United Finance Company (UFC) that advertised the interest rate as 5.5% flat per aannum," says one of the customers. This is the experience of many national and expatriate customers. While some expatriate customers may question such unethical practices, the national citizens, especially the not so educated people from the villages become easy prey to such gimmicks. Many fixed income earning nationals are reeling under the pressure of mounting loan liabilities as they are in a debt trap. Banks offer personal loans to buy cars, house, getting married and other purposes. Personal loan default is a major problem haunting the banking and financial sector of the UAE as bounced cheques and police cases are normal in the industry.
According to KM sources, finance companies are having bundles of bounced cheques as many customers take loans beyond their means to repay. Compared to the interest rate given to depositors, banks take customers for a ride by charging exorbitant rates for personal loans. Here United Finance Company, a professionally managed public shareholding company, is allegedly duping customers by overcharging interest rates. "When I contacted United Finance Company for the loan to buy a car, they said if it was for a Toyota I would need to pay 7% instead of 5.5%. I queried why and they said that was the way it was," says the customer. The curious customer made his own investigation and came out with the secret behind this difference in the interest rate for Toyota Cars and other brands. "I made some insider enquiries and was told that Saud Bahwan Automotive LLC gets a kickback from the 7% the customer gives to UFC and the actual amount UFC may be getting would be only 4%. UFC is a public limited company and being a public limited company, I guess they are accountable to the public. Is it ethical on their part to make money of the customer like this? Is this not a fraud perpetuated by UFC and SBA on the unsuspecting public?," asked the furious customer. "The car dealer wanted me to go through UFC only and since I had already paid the cash down, I had no choice," he said. "In the neighbouring Dubai the rate of interest is only 3.7% - 4% for auto loan. They don't take the customers for a ride like companies in Oman. My friends also had similar experience," said the customer.
However, when contacted by KM, Raghavan K. Murti Chief Executive Officer, United Finance Company advised customers to "read our advertisement carefully." "We have advertised 5.5 % for high value cars being Jaguar, Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagon, Audi, etc. Generally for any car with RO 10,000/- and above value, we would allow 5.5%," he says. "Our current rate for small cars is 7 % and that is what we charge to all - be it Mazda, Toyota, Suzuki, Nissan, Hyundai etc," he added. "Pricing is a matter of risk reward perception of the management, our book-keeping meets international accounting standards and our accounting policies are detailed in our Annual Report," he added. "We believe it is common in market place to spread cannards about successful companies and UFC and SBG are two of those successful companies in Oman. Therefore such baseless stories. We thank you for your reference and we are open to more specific questions and responses at any time, maintaining our commitment to grow with transparent policies," he added. Does that transparency be extended to the colourful advertisements placed in the local newspapers? While advertising 5.5 per cent in bold letters, they should also specify the details with equal importance. Who is there to control such unethical market practices in Oman when the media is controlled by car dealers and their advertising managers! Other unethical practices prevailing in the car market is to add many hidden costs to the car price.
United Finance Company SAOG is an Omani joint stock company, licensed by the Central Bank of Oman and registered under the Commercial Companies Law of the Sultanate of Oman. The company is involved in the activity of providing composite loans, bridge loans, hire purchase, debt factoring and financing of receivables, leasing, vehicle and equipment financing in Oman. The company has its Head Office at Muscat with branches at Ibra, Firq, Falaj Al Qabail and Salalah, all in the Sultanate of Oman. Does the banking rule in Oman allow a public limited company to pass on certain percentage of interest income to a private automobile dealer? How will the shareholders of the company know about this transaction and what is the auditing company doing about it? All the auditing companies in Oman were in poor lime light following the National Bank of Oman debacle that caused millions of Rial loss in bad loans.
DUCATI MARLBORO MEN SCORE SECOND PODIUM IN A ROW
Troy Bayliss gave the Ducati Marlboro Team the best possible leaving present this afternoon, scoring a storming podium finish in the season-ending Marlboro Valencia Grand Prix. Watched by 122,000 noisy fans the hard-riding Australian enjoyed his best race of the season, charging through the pack to challenge Max Biaggi for second place. He eventually finished third, just 3.133 seconds down on winner Valentino Rossi. Team-mate Loris Capirossi, who took third place in Australia two weeks ago, had a more difficult day, finishing ninth.
"It's really great to finish the season with podium performances at the last two races," said Ducati Marlboro Team director Livio Suppo. "And I'm really happy for Troy, it's a nice way for him to finish his time with us. We offer him our best wishes for the future, I'm sure he'll be a tough competitor next year! Tomorrow we begin our winter development programme, working towards producing a great motorcycle for 2005 with Loris and our new signing Carlos (Checa). They will evaluate the new frame that we tried for the first time during our Phillip Island tests, running back-to-back tests with the existing unit. This has been a tough season for us but we've finished on a positive note. Finally, my thanks to everyone in the team and at the factory, plus our sponsors and our technical partners Michelin and Shell Advance."
LAST HURRAH FOR BAYLISS
Troy Bayliss rode his best race of the year today. The Ducati Marlboro Team man started from the second row, ended lap one in fourth, slipped to sixth, then began a long and determined fight back. The Aussie came on strong around half distance, lapping faster than anyone else on track as he hunted down Makoto Tamada and Nick Hayden. With nine laps to go he was up to third and chasing Biaggi, finally easing his pace to make sure of his first top-three finish of 2004.
"You probably haven't seen me smile like this for a while," beamed Bayliss after the race. "It's been a tough year for me and everyone at Ducati but the bike has come good in the second half of the season. And after we tested some new stuff at Phillip Island it's felt like a new bike for me. I was a little cautious at the start, because it's not been my year, so I was a little cautious while Sete (Gibernau) and Tamada were up the inside like crazy. After that it was a really good race. I really wanted to have a go at Max but in the end I thought third was better than putting it in the dirt. I've had some great years with Ducati, with some great times together, so it's nice to leave on a happy note. I wish them all the best for the future, I know they're going to have a strong bike in 2005."CAPIROSSI BATTLES TO NINTH
Third in Australia a fortnight back, Loris Capirossi had a tough weekend at Valencia, finishing in ninth place. The Ducati Marlboro Team rider started from the fifth row of the grid after a troubled two days of qualifying and rode a dogged race, passing rivals where he could around this most tortuous of circuits."It's been a difficult weekend because we started with a front-end set-up problem," explained the Italian. "Finally we fixed that this morning but the rear-end traction problems we'd had in practice were still there. I could feel that from the second lap, so all I could do was try to finish the race and get some points. Troy's podium result demonstrates that our bike has improved and that we have the potential to run up front. It's very important that we stay here to test and work towards 2005."
Cellucom launches its first showroom in Kuwait
Expansion into Kuwait boosts Cellucom's operational integrity and network in the GCC region
November 11, 2004 Cellucom, one of the premier distributors of mobile communication devices and accessories in the Middle East opened its first showroom in Kuwait on November 11, 2004. The new showroom is located at Saha Complex at Salem Al Mubarak Street, Salmiya. The launch is part of Cellucom's plans to expand its operations further into the GCC region. The company already has a network of high-end communication stores in UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Arun Nagar, Managing Director, Cellucom, said "We are extremely proud to launch our operations in Kuwait. The country has one of the Arab World's most advanced telecommunications markets and the mobile phone market in Kuwait has been witnessing significant growth in recent years. Revenues from cellular connections were more than double the revenues from Public Switched Telephone Network in 2003. This provides Cellucom an excellent footing into a lucrative market and strengthens our operation in the region."
"Cellucom now has a wide network of operations in eight countries in the Middle East and Africa. Operational integrity and value-added products and services are our driving forces. Our increasing market presence in the region will enable us to cater to our customers' needs irrespective of their geographical location. Furthermore our range of Value Added Services and features will significantly increase the value of our customers not just in Kuwait, but the entire region," added Nagar.
The telecommunication penetration rate in Kuwait in 2004 has risen to more than 80 per cent. According to projections Kuwait's cellular subscriber is expected to witness five per cent growth between 2003 and 2008 to reach around 2.17 million subscribers by end of 2008. Mobile phone revenues are projected to touch the US$ 1 billion mark in 2008. Celuucom's entry into Kuwait and its focus on providing Value Added Services and attractive content will further enhance the growth of Kuwait's telecommunications market.Guninder Singh, Marketing Manager, Cellucom added, "The growing presence for Cellucom in the Middle East and Africa will provide a unique advantage to its customers, especially businessmen and tourists who frequently travel across the region and give them easy access to our value added services. Cellucom recently announced a special Lifetime Warranty, the first of its kind in the mobile phone industry on all models of Nokia mobile phones purchased from Cellucom showrooms, Val-U-Shop outlets and its authorised dealers. Together with the 30-minute repair service for Nokia phone, the warranty holds special significance making it one of the strongest value propositions in the region's mobile phone industry. We hope that our customers in Kuwait will fully utilize the benefits from the entire value added package."
SriLankan Airlines' profits fuel further expansion IT, airport, cargo and catering divisions all set for growth
(Dubai, November 2004): Following the announcement of a near doubling of profits for the year 2003/2004, SriLankan Airlines is continuing its staged growth in all areas. Airline management has revealed plans to expand IT capabilities, airport facilities and catering and cargo divisions, as well as bringing in additional capacity in its fleet and adding new destinations.
A net profit after tax of Rs. 4,555.14 million (US$44 million) was reported by the airline and its SriLankan Catering Services subsidiary, an increase of 94.97 per cent over the previous financial year. This increase was attributed in part to SriLankan's dynamic expansion on Indian routes.Total operating revenue rose 24.6 per cent, while passenger numbers increased by 14.3 per cent to 2.06 million. Meanwhile, the airline fleet expanded to 17 with the acquisition of two A340s, two A320s, another Antonov AN12F freighter and a Cessna Caravan floatplane.According to CEO Peter Hill, while the airline had achieved many of its goals during the past year, there was more to come in 2004/5 to meet a projected 28 per cent revenue growth.He said: "The addition of China to our network will be a landmark, while we will continue expansion in to India with the launch of our eleventh destination, Ahmedabad. "The successful launch of our domestic air taxi service will be followed up with more destinations and the acquisition of two more amphibious aircraft, while we will also add to our Airbus fleet in the coming year."
On the ground, Hill said the final touches were being made to a new business class lounge at Colombo airport, scheduled to open by year end, while a new US$25 million flight kitchen will be launched in September 2005, quadrupling current capacity.The cargo centre will also double capacity in the coming year - while a new all-freight service to China will begin this winter. "Equally exciting are the developments by our IT division, which is fine-tuning every aspect of a project to introduce e-ticketing with a fully automated Internet booking engine for SriLankan Airlines," he said."Our website at www.srilankan.aero is constantly being updated, and customers can already pre-order duty-free items or meals in business class, while additional features in the coming year will include a new generation cargo system."
Meanwhile, in the Middle East, Hill said the airline was committed to widening its network to offer convenient links between the region and south Asia, as well as farther afield."We are now offering daily connections to 10 destinations in India via Colombo, as well as providing a gateway in to the Maldives for leisure travellers - while the promotion of Sri Lanka itself as a holiday destination is reaping rewards with both expatriates and Arabs discovering the wide range of attractions on the island."
Increasing international support for Dubai Property Investment Show
Global exhibitor profile spans established and new property markets from Australia to Europe
November 11, 2004 Dubai Property Investment Show 2005, the region's comprehensive annual trade exhibition for the international and Middle East property market has gathered strong support from the UAE and surrounding GCC areas, besides increasing international support. The exhibition has received positive interest from established and upcoming global property markets such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Malaysia, France, the U.K, Singapore, Germany and Spain. Over 70 international firms have expressed firm interest in attending the show so far, which is being held from 1 to 3 February, 2005, at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre.
Commenting on the enthusiastic response from international exhibitors, Guy Guillemard, Marketing Director of THE DOMUS GROUP, organisers of the show stated, "Dubai Property Investment Show (www.dubaipropertyshow.com) aims to offer trade visitors and regional investors a comprehensive view of some of the most exciting global property markets. While the Middle East, with its billion dollar projects is one of the highlights of the show, we are delighted to see international developers and agents using the show as a platform to attract Arab funds and investment."
"A major factor towards encouraging international participation is our holistic approach to the exhibition. The show will be complemented by several industry-related activities such as conferences, seminars and site visits during the same week, to offer visitors a comprehensive and indepth view of the property offered. All these activities will go into the making of the International Property Week. This translates into better exposure for exhibitors," added Dawood Al-Shezawi, Chairman, Strategic Marketing, co-organisers of the show.Dubai Property Investment Show will feature commercial property including office and mixed-use developments, shopping, leisure and entertainment centre, high and low-density residential apartments and villa developments, resorts and hotels, trade zones, special-purpose developments and land development. "Meanwhile, we have also seen interest from exhibitors in Bahrain and Qatar from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and surrounding Middle East countries such as Lebanon. This has strengthened our offering to investors looking for an international portfolio of real estate developments," concluded Guillemard.
Dubai to welcome 15 cruise ships in 2005
State of the art cruise terminal contributing to impressive growth in cruise calls and the tourism sector in Dubai
November 9, 2004 Cruise tourists from different parts of the world have started flocking to Dubai to enjoy its world-class attractions with the Emirate expecting to get a big boost with the projected arrival of over 13,000 visitors through 15 cruise calls in the year 2005. Two cruise ships, AIDAblu and Silver Shadow, recently anchored Dubai with over 3,700 passengers from 21 nationalities on board. Cruise tourism has witnessed a phenomenal growth in the Emirate over the recent years with Dubai's state-of-the-art cruise terminal playing host to an increasing number of visitors with each passing year.
Khalid Ahmed bin Sulayem, Director General of Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), said: "Cruise tourism plays a crucial role in the overall growth and development of the tourism industry in Dubai. Realising its importance, Dubai has created the required infrastructure and attuned our services to tap its market potential."
"There has been an impressive growth in the number of cruise tourists arriving in Dubai since the launch of the Dubai Cruise Terminal. We will continue to devote our efforts to further promote this economically-vital sector of the tourism industry," added bin Sulayem. Dubai took its place in the world cruise map in 1993 when the Emirate welcomed a cruise ship with 703 passengers on board. Cruise ships with over 10,000 guests are scheduled to visit Dubai before the end of 2004. The bulk of the tourists arriving in the cruises originate from the United Kingdom and the United States.
Dubai is home to one of the best cruise terminals which has received global recognition including, the best cruise terminal award and earned the distinction as the first cruise terminal in the world to be ISO-9002 certified. The cruise terminal is located on a 335-metre quay near Port Rashid, offering the capacity to berth two ships simultaneously, with a terminal space of around 3,300 square meters.
Currently in its third year of operation, Dubai Cruise terminal leads other terminals in the Middle East region in terms of cruise ship passenger exchange during their itineraries. Operated by the DTCM, the Dubai Cruise Terminal was inaugurated by His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, UAE Defence Minister and Chairman of DTCM, on 26th March 2001 and is the only cruise facility in the world, run by a government tourism body.
A recent survey conducted on cruise passengers using Dubai Cruise Terminal indicated that 80 percent of the respondents would extend their stay in Dubai during their next visit and 95 percent said that they would recommend others to visit Dubai as it hosts world class facilities, pristine beaches and has unparalleled shopping options.As part of the aggressive promotion strategy to increase cruise tourism in the Emirate, DTCM is participating in the Seatrade Middle East Maritime exhibition to be held in Dubai from December 6 -8, 2004.
Tang Refreshes Dubai Autism Centre with Ramadan Gift
Donation of five high-speed multimedia computers helps Tang celebrate the Ramadan spirit of giving and caring by touching the lives of children at the centre
Dubai, UAE, November 8, 2004 - Tang has welcomed the holy month of Ramadan and the celebration of the spirit of compassion and sharing by equipping the Dubai Autism Centre with five new high-speed multimedia computers."This generous donation opens up tremendous educational and training opportunities for our special needs children, and so on their behalf, we at the centre would like to offer our warmest thanks to Tang for its strong sense of community spirit and corporate responsibility in helping those in need," said Mariam Al Hashimi, Director, Dubai Autism Centre. The new computers, which will be set up in classrooms throughout the centre, will help facilitate learning, optimize use of the centre's instructional resources and aid teachers in occupational and speech therapy. The computers feature 2.6GHz processors, 512 RAM, 40GB hard drives, 16MB video cards, networking capabilities and 17-inch CRT monitors.
"Tang has been a part of Ramadan Iftars in the region for more than 60 years, and we consider this contribution to the operations of the Autism Centre as one of several ways we can show our dedication to the qualities of peace, tolerance and concern for others that is at the heart of this month," said Tamer Shabana, Corporate Affairs Manager, Tang, GCC. The Dubai Autism Centre features an education department and school for children with the disability, training and support to professionals and parents of autistic children, and programs for raising public awareness about autism. As the number of students increase at the centre, so does the need to upgrade and expand their educational programs.
Alongside the charitable gift, Tang also has developed a special Ramadan television commercial that celebrates the heritage and traditions that have been observed across the region for generations during this holy month. The advertisement is filled with the sights, lights, foods and sounds of the month, including the pre-dawn call of the "Messaharati" waking people for suhoor before the start of the daily fast.For more than 60 years, Tang has been the leading refreshment and thirst-quenching fruity drink across the GCC. The great fruit taste of Tang began with the orange flavour. Now Tang is available across the Gulf in eight different fruit flavours. Millions of consumers spanning generations in the region have grown up with Tang, an enjoyable drink for all members of the family on any occasion.
Dubai Autism Centre is a non-profit organization that provides information, support, advice and training to professionals and parents of autistic children and relies on the generous donations of individuals and organizations to fund its operations. Originally launched on November, 18, 2001, the centre in January 2002 welcomed students aged 4-16 years to its rehabilitation and training centre supervised by pediatric psychiatric consultants, educational supervisors and speech therapists. By August 2003, the centre was serving 24 students. The centre also offers training programs for newly graduated social workers from Zayed University and the Higher Colleges of Technology. Dubai Autism Centre offers diagnostic services to outside cases that are supported by clinical psychiatric specialists, speech therapists and occupational therapists.The centre is furnished with a library that has the latest educational books and videos to help parents of autistic children. The centre also has a community education program that includes seminars, lectures and other activities.
Leo Burnett Dubai Cuts No Corners to Win Braun Male Shaving Creative Account
- Dynamism, insight and integrated communication solutions from Leo Burnett will help Braun reach its target customers -Dubai, UAE, November 8, 2004 - Leo Burnett Dubai recently announced that it has won a major piece of business that marks its entry into the dynamic and fast-growing male personal care sector by being awarded the creative account for Braun Middle East's male shaving business. The move also marks the brand-building agency's entry into the small electric appliance segment.
"We were impressed from the start with Leo Burnett's deep understanding of our industry and our vision for the dry shaving market, as reflected in their professional and confident presentation to us," said Stephen Carson, Regional Business Director, Braun. "The team displayed an unrivalled dynamism, strong insight into our target markets and commitment to the integrated solutions that can solidify the relationship between Braun and its customers. We look forward to a long and productive partnership, full of success and, most importantly, dynamic and exciting creative solutions."
Leo Burnett's creative work will include multiple media, with a focus on point of sale, and a geographic footprint that covers markets across the GCC, Levant and North Africa. "The innovative features, ergonomic handling and aesthetic designs that characterize Braun's male shaving products are clear differentiators for this brand. Our challenge was to raise the tempo, up the ante and deliver more to show Braun that we speak their customers' language and know how to communicate in an integrated and impactful way with them across a variety of media," said Kamal Dimachkie, Managing Director, Leo Burnett Dubai and Kuwait.
Because Braun is a Gillette company, this agreement also inaugurates the relationship between Leo Burnett Dubai and this leading global marketer.Since its inception in 1981 as the first multinational agency in the region, the Leo Burnett Group of Companies, Middle East and North Africa, has always been progressive in its thinking and approach. From a single brand agency, Leo Burnett as a group has grown to encompass a comprehensive range of communications solutions, including advertising, media, public relations, digital and CRM. The group offers both specialization and holistic integration to answer the ever-changing needs of both clients and the marketplace.Today, the group has offices in Dubai, Jeddah, Riyadh, Kuwait, Cairo, Beirut, Casablanca and Amman. A network team of more than 370 talented employees is committed to enhancing their clients' competitive advantage through an integrated, multidisciplinary communications approach.
FINE launches 'Living' designer packs with SteriPro
November 1, 2004 FINE Hygienic Paper FZE, the leading manufacturer of hygienic paper tissue, personal and health care products in the region, has launched FINE Living, a range of high-grade sterilized facial tissues in exclusive designer packs, in an effort to attract its customers' sensibilities. The FINE Living series with SteriPro is available in packs of five individually designed boxes that depict artistic visuals. The attractive packs are designed to appeal to FINE's discerning customers and complement their lifestyle.
"The FINE Living series is part of our strategy to create a new lifestyle oriented product. FINE sets the standard inthe region when it comes to differentiation, be it in terms of the product or packaging. With its eye catching trendy packaging, and sterilized tissues the FINE Living series has been created with a home / kitchen theme in mind and the product comes at a time when discerning consumers are seeking out unique products that carry exclusive designs to express their individuality," said Peter Janho, General Manager of FINE Hygienic Paper FZE.
FINE continues to place great emphasis on hygiene while manufacturing its products. The tissue used for the FINE Living range is of the highest-grade quality. Additionally, these have passed through the 'SteriPro' sterilization process, which certifies that the tissues inside every box have been sterilized before packing. "FINE is the only company in Middle East to offer consumers sterilized facial tissues, introduced earlier this year. It follows years of Research & Development and underlines FINE's commitment to offer only the most hygienic products to our customers," added Janho.Sterilized FINE facial tissues are available in boxes of 50, 75, 100, 150, 200 and 300 pulls. The company also has a distinct range of seasonal designs for Ramadan / Eid, Christmas, Back to School etc. in addition to Cubed, Oud-scented and Football-shaped boxes, providing its customers varied options to choose from. FINE also undertakes customized jobs for tissue boxes, table napkins, coasters and other personal care items.
Go High-Tech with Philips Entertainment Products This Festive Season
- With its broad range of home entertainment products, Philips has just the right Eid or holiday gift for every member of the family -
Dubai, UAE, November 11, 2004 - This festive season, Philips proposes the unconventional by suggesting consumers go totally high-tech for their holiday gift giving. Philips has a number of exciting products that will enhance the home entertainment experience for years to come not only for the loved one receiving the gift, but for the whole family as well. Gift-givers can choose from a wide range of sleek, simple, yet sophisticated home entertainment products that will help those at the receiving end of these presents get inside the action long after the thrill of the holidays is over. Their choices range from watching favourite moments in perfect clarity on a TV or recording shows in high quality DVD format for playback later to being immersed in full surround sound on a state-of-the-art home theatre system.
"Philips products are designed and manufactured to help consumers Experience Every Thing in a richer, deeper way and so giving them as gifts is a wonderful opportunity to show loved ones that you care," said Khalid Tuer, Philips Regional General Manager, Middle East and Africa, Philips. "Our products deliver a full home entertainment experience year after year"
"Since Philips has such a broad range of products, there is just the right Eid or holiday gift to excite the imagination of every member of the family," Tuer added. Shower loved one this festive season with a Philips Home Entertainment System. These are ideal for pampering that special someone, be ensuring that his or her home entertainment experience will never be the same again. These systems not only deliver on quality of image and sound but also on appearance, with their stylish, ultra-slim designs.
The Philips LX8500SA Home Entertainment System is a classic combination of beauty and brawn. Providing the ultimate in sound and multimedia technology, the LX8500SA comes bundled with a SACD player that sports wireless rear speaker units and unsurpassed video quality through progressive scan technology. Taking the whole experience to the next level of customization are the Ski-line twin bass speakers with omni-directional Ribbon Tweeters and Seating Control™.
Flat TVs are all the rage right now and if your loved one is currently subsisting on a clunky, "uncool" TV, you might consider one of the Philips FlatTVTM range as the perfect gift this holiday. He or she will be thrilled not just by the clarity of the images or how the backlighting alters, dynamically, to match the picture on the screen but also by their sleekness and elegance.
These Plasma and LCD TVs don't just look good, they're packed with the absolute latest technology. Whether it's Pixel Plus 2 - an advanced digital picture processing technology that enhances images from a standard source that not only adds pixels but also makes those pixels better - or AmbilightTM - a unique technology that analyses incoming signals and produces background lighting that complements and improves the existing image - the FlatTV range will add breathtaking clarity to the viewing experience.
The Philips DVD Recorders with integrated hard disk drive are the ultimate personal video recorders. The onboard hard drive records up to 130 hours of television (that's 50-60 movies and maybe even an entire football season). The Time Shift Buffer feature allows you to watch one show while recording another or watch the beginning of a show that's been recorded even while it's still recording the end. If your loved one needs to step away from the screen, he or she can even pause live television and continue from where he or she left off or instantly replay something that has just been watched.
Favourite episodes or important sports matches can be archived easily, with the one-touch high-speed transfer to DVD+R or DVD+RW, while the recorder also doubles as a standard DVD player.These great Philips gifts are available from all authorised Philips dealers and distributors across the region, and all Philips products come with a worldwide warranty.
ASPIRE Announces Participation in Soccerex 2004
Dubai, UAE, November 1, 2004 - ASPIRE, the Academy of Sports Excellence based in Doha, Qatar, announced today that it will participate in Soccerex 2004, the world's largest gathering of professional football industry representatives on the planet.As a leading sports and educational institution dedicated to training the sports stars of the future, ASPIRE sees Soccerex as a natural opportunity to share its vision of world class elite sport champions to the cream of the football industry world.
"ASPIRE is a unique institution that delivers world-class athletic and academic training to promising young talents to turn them into medal-winning champions of the future. As such, we see Soccerex as a natural opportunity for us to share best practice and forge strong relationships with partners both on and off the field of football," said Dr. Thomas Flock, ASPIRE's director.
"The high caliber of delegates at Soccerex allows us to work face-to-face with decision makers and experts representing football clubs, football federations, players, organizing bodies and related businesses in fields of co-operation and common interest concerning the future of football." he said.Some of the participants set to attend Soccerex 2004 include, Adidas, Asian Champions Al Ain Sports Club from the UAE, Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, Inter Milan, Manchester United, Nike, Octagon, FC Porto, Sportfive, as well as the Asian Broadcasting Union, Eurosport, ESPN International, FIFA, UAE FA and the Qatar FA.
"As we at ASPIRE head toward the conclusion of our first semester of classes, Soccerex provides a superb environment to celebrate our successes as well as the opportunity to raise the profile of the Academy on both a global and regional scale with key opinion formers, decision makers and journalists in the field of sport," Dr. Flock added.
ASPIRE is one of the diamonds in Qatar's sports crown and was built and operates to the highest international standards in terms of facilities, sport sciences, academics, coaches and our talented students themselves.
ASPIRE boasts exceptional facilities, including the world's largest covered sports dome, designed by international architect Roger Taillibert, whose work also includes the Parc des Prince Stadium in Paris and the Montreal Olympic Stadium in Canada.
The main structure features lecture halls, science labs, a library, an amphitheatre, dormitories, health facilities and numerous recreational facilities. There are seven outdoor football training fields and an outdoor running track. The sports dome covers a full-scale football pitch, a small football field, a sports arena, an Olympic-sized swimming and diving pool, a gymnastics hall, a sports games hall, a table tennis arena, a contact sports arena, a fencing arena, squash courts, state-of-the-art weight rooms, as well as a physiotherapy / medical centre and sports science laboratory.
Offering exhibition space, conferences, workshops and a gala awards dinner under one banner, Soccerex draws more than 1,000 participants to the only dedicated business-to-business professional football convention of its kind in the world.Having started out in 1996 as a small conference dedicated to football, Soccerex is now in its eighth year. Held at the new and spectacular Madinat Jumeirah resort, Soccerex is run under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defense Minister.
Brand Building and Integration Top Leo Burnett Group MENA Planning Meeting
- Directors from nine regional offices and four specialized competencies also discussed expansion plans, 2004 growth, challenges in 2005 and staff training -
Dubai, UAE, November 10, 2004 - Directors from the regional offices and competencies comprising the Leo Burnett Group of Companies, Middle East and North Africa, recently gathered at the company's new headquarters in Dubai Media City to review 2004 and assess the challenges and plans for 2005 and beyond.More than 22 representatives from the group's nine regional offices and four specialized companies, including brand agencies Leo Burnett and Black Pencil, Arc digital and CRM and MS&L public relations, took part in the four-day annual strategy meeting.
During the four-day meeting, Farid Chehab, chairman and chief creative officer, Leo Burnett MENA, focused attention on the importance of pushing Leo Burnett's creative excellence to new heights, with the group's goal nothing less than wins in 2005 at Cannes and the Effies. "This will reinforce the positive impact that our superior creative work has on building iconic brands and, first and foremost, supporting our clients' businesses. A review of the most recent creative work from the network confirms that we are on the right track. As we strive even harder, the focus of our creativity should be on 'ideas', rather than just creative executions. By 'ideas' I mean those enduring one-word concepts around which you can build a campaign, promote creative integration and inspire award-winning ads."
Raja Trad, chief executive officer, Leo Burnett Group of Companies MENA, said, "We also discussed further mechanisms for combining the power of our integrated communications competencies with our passionate focus on building belief in our clients' brands. The result is we can better help our clients reach their business objectives. However, true integration is not about launching new companies with different competencies, it is about bringing all of our different competencies to bear in a harmonious, integrated, mutually reinforcing way in the service of the brand," Trad added.
The attendees discussed a range of topics, including geographic expansion; the setting in place of structures to manage the tremendous growth coming from new business across all offices in 2004; the challenges of 2005 and beyond; the continued commitment to rethinking things, rejecting "business as usual" and challenging the way things are done, and the strategic importance of employee training, to nurture creative, intelligent, striving and innovative staff, the group's only real asset.
Info2cell.com offers free Islamic content during Ramadan with a chance to win daily and grand prizes
Subscribers to Islamic Trivia service in Jordan and Oman can receive prayers timings, hadeeth and trivia questions
November 8, 2004 Info2cell.com, the leading wireless application service provider in the Middle East, is offering a unique "Islamic Trivia" service that allows mobile phone subscribers to receive Islamic content on their mobile phones during the holy month of Ramadan, with a chance to win daily and grand prizes. The free service has been launched following a tie-up between Info2cell.com and Fastlink in Jordan and Oman Mobiletel and Mustafa Sultan in Oman, allowing subscribers to receive the content via SMS or MMS. The service has attracted over 875,000 subscribers in Jordan and Oman so far.
"Ramadan is the right time to give something back to society, and this new offering from Info2cell.com reflects this true spirit of Ramadan," said Bashar Dahabra, Founder and General Manager of Info2cell.com. "Since the introduction of the service, we have been overwhelmed by the response and would like to develop the service further in the years to come."
Subscribers to the service can get detailed prayer and iftar timings via SMS or MMS. They can also receive hadeeth or sayings of Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him). The highlight of the service is the Islamic Trivia questions which are sent to the subscribers. Participants in the trivia questions are entitled to daily and grand prizes. The winners are picked by computer on a daily basis.
"Info2cell.com has pioneered several innovative mobile services in the Middle East and several more are on the way," said Dahabra. "We are pleased to offer this unique service free to our customers because we would like to convey the message that wireless technology can be effectively used to carry religious messages. It gives us immense satisfaction that we have been able to use highly advanced technology for a noble objective." The trivia questions sent to subscribers by Info2cell.com are simple and easy to answer. Subscribers can send as many answers as they wish. Winners are intimated individually by Info2cell.com.
SHUAA CAPITAL ARAB COMPOSITE INDEX AT ALL TIME HIGH
Strong returns in Saudi - but UAE slips 2.18%
DUBAI, 3rd November 2004: The SHUAA Capital Arab Composite Index (SCACI) witnessed a 7.07% growth, to end the month at an all time high level of 2315.17. This brings the index's year to date gains to 43.14%. Strong returns in the SHUAA Capital Saudi Blue Chip Index translated into a 13.07% in the SHUAA Capital Saudi Index. The Saudi Banking sector's strong footing also attributed to the considerable gains this month.The UAE featured a reverse in direction whereby the SHUAA Capital UAE index slipped 2.18% on the back of corrections across the board. Leading the month's trend was EMAAR which reversed its 34.5% gain in September by witnessing some profit-taking causing a 6.15% drop in the stock's value. Overall market liquidity in the UAE was tied to the ADDAR IPO which also triggered a negative performance in October.
Bahrain delivered an above average performance this month growing almost 5%, counterbalancing losses in the UAE, Qatar, and Oman, and buoying the gain of the SHUAA Capital GCC Index. Outside the GCC, growth in each of the Jordanian, Tunisian, and Egyptian equities markets, respectively, attributed to the highest monthly gain, this year, of the SHUAA Capital Composite Index. Strong earnings announcements in Jordan pushed the market upwards, with stocks such as Arab Potash growing 30% and the banking sector performing well this month. October gains, up 7.32%, places Egypt as the best-performing market this year with total returns of nearly 80% year-to-date.
Walid Shihabi, Head of Research at SHUAA Capital, said, ""Since the appointment of the new government in July the stock market has witnessed a rally, unabated, and unaffected by the Sinai bombings. Perhaps the government's decision to push forward with its privatization plans and liquidate its stakes in public banks provided the necessary impetus to foster growth in the market."The SHUAA Capital Arab Bond Index increased 1.23%, as US treasuries went up and spreads tightened this month, bringing its year to date gains to 5.21%.
