Kempinski Hotels has announced a new luxury project in Makkah. The signing ceremony with the partnering company, Umm Al-Qura for Development and Construction Company (UAQ), took place last week at the Emerald Palace Kempinski Dubai. The property will entail a luxury hotel and will be the flagship edifice within the new boulevard on the King Abdul Aziz Road (KAAR) megaproject. 

The Kempinski Hotel Makkah will include 380 rooms and suites, each of them offering at least 42 net square meters. The hotel will be equipped with plenty of top-notch amenities catering for a luxury pilgrim experience. An all-day dining restaurant, a restaurant specializing in Levantine cuisine and a coffee lounge will offer guests a variety of culinary experiences. A ballroom and conference rooms will address the needs of the most discerning clients.

The KAAR project is directly linked with the Haramain High-Speed Railway station that links Makkah to Jeddah and Madinah.

“With our newly signed hotel project in Makkah, we will be present in the most important destination within Saudi Arabia and the world’s holiest city of Islam. We are proud that together with UAQ, a locally very well-established and highly respected real estate company, we will play a major role in shaping the all-new KAAR boulevard, which links our new project in Makkah with our previously signed property in Madinah. A presence in the two cities will allow us to boost exponentially the performance of both hotels while merging very well with the country’s Vision 2030,” said Martin R. Smura, chief executive, Kempinski Hotels and chairman of the Kempinski Management Board.

Yasser AbuAteek, managing director and chief executive of Umm Al-Qura, said: “We are proud to announce that we will build up the Kempinski Hotel Makkah as one of the major milestones we are taking toward our vision to serving the people of Makkah and its visitors ... it will be an icon within our envisioned 1.25-million-square-meters New Makkah District. What counted most for us was the expertise of managing hotels and residences from a European perspective integrated with local and cultural refinements and considerations. Kempinski has not only proven on a global scale, but specifically in the Middle East, where the company’s reputation is impeccable.” 

Both Kempinski and UAQ leadership agreed on exploring the possibilities of integrating sustainable and green building requirements to ensure that the hotel is in line with global standards of sustainability and is environmentally friendly. 

Currently Kempinski manages six properties in the Gulf, the most recent of which is Emerald Palace Kempinski Dubai.

The Kempinski Hotel Makkah is scheduled to open in 2023.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Vice President for Research and Distinguished Professor of Materials Physics and Device Engineering, Donal Bradley was honored recently by the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS) for achievements in advanced materials science. Bradley received the 2019 Jan Czochralski Award in a ceremony in Warsaw, Poland, also delivering a plenary lecture titled “Tuning Conjugated Polymer Electronic and Optical Properties via Physical Structure and Environment” as Czochralski laureate.

The Czochralski Award is given in honor of world-renowned chemist Jan Czochralski, whose research led to the growth of large-volume single-crystal silicon boules — a foundational technology for the modern-day semiconductor industry, yielding the vast majority of the computer processors we use today.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized by this award,” Bradley said. “Jan Czochralski is Poland’s most highly cited academic, and the inventor of a process that has had a profound impact, not only on science, but on computing in general and also the way we communicate as human beings. To be honored in his name is a wonderful privilege.”

“This award adds to the list of impressive acknowledgements for Dr. Bradley on the global stage, and we are proud that he accepted this award as a member of the KAUST leadership team,” KAUST President Tony Chan said.

The Gulf Downstream Association (GDA), in cooperation with Honeywell UOP, held a three-day training course on “Merox Process Extraction and Sweetening” at the Wyndham Grand Manama hotel in Bahrain. This was GDA’s seventh course to date.

Among GDA’s top goals is to provide world-class training for members covering a range of important, technical subjects. Attended by delegates from Saudi Aramco and Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), the course was delivered by treating process specialist Sanjay Singh, and covered key themes including: Process flow overview, pre- and post-treatment, Merox treatment, operational control and troubleshooting as well as startup, shut down and other special procedures. 

To mark their successful completion, course participants were awarded certificates by GDA Secretary-General Audah Al-Ahmadi, in the presence of GDA Technical Manager Raj Jhajjharia, and GDA Marketing and Communications Manager Claudia Hardt.

Saudi Arabia is showcasing its innovative import-export system at the GITEX Technology Week 2019.

Fasah is the unified national system for all import and export activities in the Kingdom. It is the first of many initiatives of the Saudi Company for Exchanging Digital Information (Tabadul), which is a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF). 

Abdul Aziz Al-Shamsi, CEO of Tabadul, said: “Fasah is our first product with which we aim to reduce the time and cost of preparing, delivering, processing commercial and shipping documents, and expedite customs clearance. As a unified portal, it connects all entities involved in import and export, whether government entities or from the private sector, to enable customers to submit the necessary data for import and export procedures as well as obtain statements and approvals electronically at any time and from any place.”

Visitors to the Fasah pavilion are introduced to the electronic payment window, Fasah Pay, which aims to end all paper-based import and export financial transactions, making them available electronically. Customers also witnessed the journey of the import and export process in the past and how the procedures have been re-engineered to become smoother through systems included in the platform, such as the “Truck Management System,” which was launched earlier this month.

Arcapita, a global Shariah-compliant investment firm, has announced its financial results for the 12 months ended June 30, 2019 (FY 2019).

Arcapita delivered strong results in FY 2019 with revenues of $54.6 million and a net income of $21.9 million, representing 44 percent and 76 percent growth over the previous fiscal year, respectively. This positive performance was driven by the placement of transactions completed during the year and gains on the firm’s investment portfolio.

Arcapita’s total equity as of June 30 grew to $237.9 million, representing an 8 percent increase year-on-year, and the firm’s balance sheet investments grew by 16 percent to reach $245.5 million.

The firm was primarily focused on sourcing transactions in the US during FY 2019 given its strategy of growing its assets under management (AUM) globally, and increased investor appetite for US investments. Overall, Arcapita completed four US transactions and one transaction in the GCC, for a total transaction value of over $250 million. These included two industrial real estate portfolios in the US, an industrial real estate portfolio in the UAE, and two bolt-on private equity investments in the US.

Abdul Aziz Hamad Aljomaih, chairman of the Arcapita Group, said: “We are very pleased to report our positive results for FY 2019. The GCC’s investment landscape was impacted by a challenging macroeconomic environment that carried through from last year. Despite this, we have continued to source transactions in sectors where we have built considerable expertise over the past two decades, including the industrial, logistics, and business services sectors.”

Atif A. Abdulmalik, founding partner and CEO, said: “Over the past year, we expanded our US and GCC investment teams and strengthened other divisions in order to facilitate our growth. This will enable us to continue to solidify our global presence amidst an evolving global economic landscape. We have set ambitious targets for the upcoming fiscal year and are well-positioned to continue providing innovative investment opportunities and delivering strong returns to our stakeholders.”

The Helicopter Company (THC), which is fully owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), announced it has started to employ the AgustaWestland AW-139 in its operations. Upon receiving the new aircraft, THC said it will continue the process of building its fleet, which started in March this year.

One of the most reliable and efficient helicopters on a global scale, the AW-139 is a multi-purpose rotorcraft that can accommodate up to 15 passengers.

Its wide cabin, with a distinctive interior design, offers passengers comfort and luxury, allowing them to enter and exit the helicopter easily and providing ample space for storing luggage.

Yahya Al-Ghuraibi, CEO of THC, said: “Today, we have received our first AgustaWestland AW-139 aircraft, which is one step in the ambitious operational plan that THC has been implementing since we obtained a commercial operator license from the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) last July. We are committed to providing exceptional air transport services that meet the aspirations and needs of our clients, including senior executives and businessmen. We always strive to translate our vision and our commitment to deliver high quality services by ensuring that our company has the best fleet of modern aircraft of the latest technology and the highest international standards.”

THC is a platinum sponsor at Dubai Airshow 2019, which will be held between Nov. 17 and 21st. The exhibition is expected to serve as a platform for THC to achieve better brand exposure, showcase its latest services, and announce its growth strategy, particularly its plans to expand the geographic scope of its services, which currently includes Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah and Tabuk, to cover all regions of the Kingdom.

PIF established The Helicopter Company as part of its strategy to activate new sectors in the Kingdom in line with Saudi Vision 2030. As the Kingdom’s first local commercial helicopter operator, THC offers private air transport services within the main cities in addition to tours to many different attractions all over the Kingdom.

The new Alpine Eagle sports timepiece collection is a reinterpretation of the St. Moritz, the first watch created in 1980 by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, now co-president of Chopard.

Alpine Eagle is dedicated to contemporary eagles, the aspiring men who outperform in their daily lives and whose vision inspires and elevates. With foresight and determination, they act on the challenges of tomorrow and are innately aware of the importance of environmental issues.

Belonging to the select circle of watches with an integrated case and bracelet, this timepiece presents a design that is both refined and contemporary, featuring a wealth of references to the Alpine Eagle and its biotope. 

Its rock-like textured dial evoke an eagle’s iris, its hands call to mind the raptor’s feathers and the cold glinting steel is reminiscent of glaciers.

The gently tapered Alpine Eagle bracelet comprises a single ingot-shaped link, topped by a raised central cap. The case is distinguished by a protrusion protecting the crown engraved with a compass rose, an instrument that has helped adventurers find their way since ancient times. Today, it becomes the emblem of contemporary eagles capable of choosing the right direction in the pursuit of their destiny.

Alpine Eagle’s round bezel is punctuated by eight screws, grouped in pairs at the four cardinal points. Their slots are set at a tangent to the circle of the bezel, a sign of high-quality finishing and sophisticated aesthetic purpose. These screws also serve a technical function by guaranteeing the water resistance of the watch to 100 meters.

All Alpine Eagle’s flat surfaces are satin-brushed, a finish carefully crafted to create light effects further enhanced by polished chamfers. The hours and minutes hands, like the hour-markers, are coated with Super-LumiNova Grade X1 to enhance nocturnal legibility.

Like the snow, torrents and rock of the Alps that inspired Karl-Friedrich Scheufele and change their appearance according to the light conditions, Alpine Eagle constantly alternates between polished and matt finishes.

Issued from the time of its launch in 10 references in steel, gold, bi-material or diamond-set gold, Alpine Eagle is a particularly rich collection, available in unizex models in two different 41 mm and 36 mm diameters.

To bring the Alpine Eagle purpose to life, Chopard has created a new material that is as rich, precious and complex as gold, transforming the dream of Renaissance alchemists into glowing reality. Lucent Steel A223 is a steel resulting from a re-smelting process featuring three unique characteristics.

Thanks to its vertically integrated production process, Chopard has produced and assembled all Alpine Eagle components in-house, from all the components of its movements to the making of its case and bracelet, whether in steel and/or gold.

Johnson & Johnson the multinational healthcare company launched its first series of monthly employee wellness initiatives in Saudi Arabia.

The initiative is rolled-out in association with MySaudiWellness, an integrated digital health and wellness provider offering a range of services and digital health platform that provide a multidimensional view of the health data of employees and their families.

The aim of the initiative is to build a culture of a healthy and active workforce focused on adopting healthy habits, with a balanced lifestyle promoting physical activity and
mental wellness.

Workplace wellness is instrumental for a balanced and productive work place. As a healthcare company Johnson & Johnson are committed to having the healthiest employees and motivate them to be at their personal best when it comes to their health and well-being.

For 2019, the key themes of the wellness initiatives will focus on healthy eating, sleep habits, stress management as well as ergonomics and improving posture.

The series was debuted by the CEO of My Saudi Wellness Samer Al-Hashim with an interactive session by Scott Ellis an experienced lifestyle coach and health expert addressing modern-day dieting myths and healthy behaviors around food.”

Save the Children Jordan and the MIT Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab (MIT J-WEL), in collaboration with the Jordanian Ministry of Education, Community Jameel and Dubai Cares, a UAE-based global philanthropic organization, launched the Transforming Refugee Education Towards Excellence (TREE) program aimed at tackling the challenges encountered in primary and secondary education in Jordan. 

The program is one of Save the Children’s many educational programs, using innovative methodologies and tools benefiting teachers on a personal and professional level. After completing the training, teachers can apply these tools in the classroom so that students improve their academic achievement.

This pilot program is intended to benefit 745,000 students in public schools across the country. 

Executive Director of Save the Children Jordan Diala Al-Khamra said: “This cooperation aims to protect children and their education by building the capacity of teachers and improving the educational process in public schools (TREE) and by focusing on the social and emotional aspects of teachers that will transform the school environment to a friendly learning environment. “

Dr. M.S. Vijay Kumar, executive director of J-WEL, said: “We hope that this collaborative initiative will equip educators with tools and techniques to strengthen their well-being and capabilities leading to positive learning opportunities for children. We look forward to this work being a model for the region and elsewhere.”

Nasser bin Sulaiman Al-Nasser, STC Group CEO, said STC has increased the number of sites equipped with 5G in various regions across Saudi Arabia. He said the fifth-generation (5G) corporate services will be launched in early 2020 and that today the Kingdom is considered among the countries best prepared for the launch of these services.

During the STC Media Club meeting held on the sidelines of GITEX 2019 in Dubai, Al-Nasser said the Kingdom’s support to the telecommunications sector has contributed to the development and growth of this sector, as well as improvement of its infrastructure in record time, in order to achieve the digital transformation goals outlined in Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program 2020.

In this context, he pointed out that InspireU, the Kingdom’s first corporate incubator/accelerator for startups addressing ICT/digital innovation, features 28 projects, with a total investment value of SR60 million ($16 million). 

Al-Nasser said: “The market value of these investments is SR300 million. InspireU includes 16 million employees, and has contributed to the creation of 160,000 employment opportunities, including part-time jobs.” 

Abdullah Al-Kanhal, senior VP of corporate affairs at STC, said InspireU, along with STC, supports innovative youth projects with funds and expertise.

New media specialist Dr. Ammar Bakkar showcased a presentation entitled “The Impact of 5G Networks on the Future of Telecommunications and Media.” Furthermore, three projects supported by the Saudi telecom giant were also highlighted. These include: Micro-lending application Sulfah; Carwah, which provides integrated data to facilitate car rental services; and Ayen, which aims at helping in the assessment of the effectiveness of prefabricated houses.

Saudi Airlines Cargo Company (Saudia Cargo) has launched a new service for temperature-controlled products such as perishable items and pharmaceuticals, which have specific temperature requirements while being transported and stored. This Dry Ice Replenishment service can be availed upon request 48 hours in advance prior to delivery. 

Saudia Cargo Chief Commercial Officer Abdulrahman Al-Mubarak said: “The Dry Ice Replenishment service is now available in Jeddah and Riyadh stations for import and transit cargo in the first stage and soon it will be provided to the rest of the stations as well. Moreover, the ground handling unit always dedicates its effort to provide the best industry solutions ensuring the safe and secure handling of all loads and cargoes.”

Al-Mubarak said Saudia Cargo aims to diversify its products and services in order to meet the growing demand for air cargo and logistics, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to empower the logistics industry and make the Kingdom a unique global logistical hub. 

Saudia Cargo’s network covers more than 900 global destinations in more than 175 countries.

Pakistan International School Jeddah-English Section (PISJ-ES) recently observed a week of students’ academic achievements.

Fauzia Fayyaz Ahmed, consular at the Pakistan Consulate, and dignitaries from the armed forces of Pakistan attended the function.

Commemorations were held at the program to express solidarity with Kashmir and to mark Pakistan’s Defense Day.

Senior students marched past to set the ball rolling. The disciplined squad refreshed the sense of patriotism and loyalty toward the homeland.

The program commenced with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an. Following that, the national anthems of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia were sung.

Addressing the audience, school principal Adnan Nasir said the purpose behind having the awards ceremony together with the commemoration of the Defense Day and Kashmir Solidarity Day is “to inculcate in our youth the passion to do their best in their academic endeavors,” while fulfilling their responsibilities toward their country and the world at large.

He advised the students to focus their attention on acquiring education to develop discipline and a strong character.

The anecdotes of devotion and sacrifice by the officers of Pakistan’s army, navy and air force gave the program momentum.

The students’ meaningful talk highlighting the Kashmir issue received a standing ovation.

A group photo of the students with guests and the principal marked the conclusion of the program.

Top achievers from the IGCSE batch are Hafsah Khan, Minahil Nauman, Farheena Azfar, Zainab Suad, Musfirah Imran, Marium Akmal, Ali Zahid, Muhammad Abdul Rehman, Ayesha Khan, M. Huzaifa Farrukh, Hadiya Nadeem, Syed Moosa Ali, Wania Naeem, Zain ul Abidin, Ruqayya Rehman, Yahya Mubasshir, M. Zain ul Abidin, Asad Irfan, Roaa Saeed, Atika Rauf, Muhammad, Taiba Shakeel, Abdul Rehman Aftab, Sarah Mehboob, Omar Kashif Majeed, M. Zakariya and Mishaal Imran and Shaffan bin Amir.

M. Zaid and Munhib Qayyum were declared students of the year in the commerce and science disciplines respectively, whereas, Shaffan bin Amir and Muhammad Zaid recieved the same honor in the science and commerce streams respectively.

UnitX, an artificial intelligence (AI) and supercomputing startup spin-out company from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and a barrier-breaking cloud-based supercomputing provider that helps enterprises deploy AI at scale, has secured $2 million of co-investment from the KAUST Innovation Fund and Saudi Aramco’s Wa’ed Ventures fund.

This injection of joint funding will support UnitX in its quest to democratize supercomputing and help enterprises of all sizes leverage technologies such as high-performance data analytics to make data-driven decisions, reduce IT spending, innovate and become globally competitive. 

Successful AI adoption requires scale: The infrastructure to perform both big compute (trillions of calculations per second), and big data (analysis of data in excess of 2 terabytes) tasks. Modern supercomputers are specialized machines that process both tasks efficiently, at much higher speeds compared to public clouds. However, they can cost tens of millions of dollars to own and operate. UnitX democratizes supercomputing via partnerships with institutions that have spare supercomputing capacity and by making it available in an easy-to-use cloud model to its clients in traditionally underserved industry verticals, in Saudi Arabia and beyond. 

Tamer Osman, head of the KAUST Innovation Fund, said: “UnitX is bridging a new frontier in advancing big compute power and making it more accessible to sectors that have previously been unable to access the benefits of supercomputing. At KAUST, we are actively investing in startups and technology that are shaping industry 4.0, and UnitX is a deep tech startup at the forefront of this revolution.”

Salman T. Jaffrey, chief investment officer at Wa’ed Ventures and incoming board member on UnitX, praised the efforts and ambition of UnitX’s cofounders — Kiran Narayanan, Ravi Samtaney, Ankita Shree, and Salman Kattan.

“We are thrilled to have led this investment with KAUST, which is testament to our fund’s inimitable approach on fueling the growth of Kingdom-based startups and shared vision of advancing the Saudi venture ecosystem,” Jaffrey said.

According to figures from IDC, the market for supercomputing demand is currently valued at $224 billion with a projected 25 percent year-on-year growth.

UnitX co-founder and CEO Narayanan said: “UnitX is excited to have Aramco’s Wa’ed Ventures and the KAUST Innovation Fund onboard as investors.” 

She added: “UnitX is an agile company. We are breaking the barriers of skill and access to supercomputers — which are traditionally expensive beyond the reach of most companies — and partnering with institutions that have unused supercomputing power. We then make this spare capacity available to the companies on our platform in a manner that is easy to use.”

RIYADH: LuLu is launching a charity initiative entitled “Buy Green, Support Pink” that promotes buying reusable bags in support of Zahra Breast Cancer Association (Zahra). Having kicked off on 9th October at LuLu Hypermarket Atyaf Mall, Yarmouk, the dynamic campaign highlights two advocacies for both caring for the environment and giving back to the society. For every purchase of LuLu reusable bag, one (1) SAR will be donated to Zahra.

Mrs.Awatyf Al-Hawshan – Board Member, Zahra Breast Cancer Association launched the campaign with the presence of LuLu Hypermarket Director for KSA, Mr. Shehim Mohammed. together with other officials of LuLu Saudi Hypermarkets.

The National Program to Support the Management of Projects in Public Entities (Mashroat) held a workshop to raise awareness on the importance of facilities management. It was held as part of Saudi Build 2019, which took place at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center from Oct. 7 to 10th. 

The workshop was attended by officials from different areas of facility management, including contracting, operations, property management, and maintenance. The aim was to introduce Mashroat as the body leading the transformation of Saudi Arabia’s facilities management sector.

The workshop is part of ongoing efforts by Mashroat to raise awareness on the importance of adopting best international practices and the highest standards. 

Mashroat is the government arm enabling infrastructure projects. It provides consultancy and technical support to government agencies in project management, operation, and maintenance in order to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of the national infrastructure, as well as ensuring the projects are in line with global best practices and meet the aspirations of Vision 2030.

The workshop was presented by Mashroat’s director of standards and procedures and director of support and enablement in the Public Facilities Department.

Asus has announced the arrival of its new laptop ZenBook Pro Duo to the Saudi market.

Featuring a powerful dual screen, the ZenBook Pro Duo is designed to deliver the best multitasking performance. It is equipped with an eight-core Intel Core i9 processor. 

The secondary screen, ScreenPad Plus is not a replacement for the OLED main screen. It has been designed to accomplish a number of tasks — it works as a toolbar displaying app icons and helps to multitask between various apps.

The ZenBook Pro Duo laptop has many familiar features, such as a keyboard next to the ScreenPad Plus, as well as a standard touchpad to the right, which can turn into a number pad with a couple of clicks.

A webcam supporting face recognition through Windows Hello enables users to unlock the computer by face recognition, instead of by entering a password.

Users can turn the ScreenPad Plus screen into a secondary screen for multiple tasks, such as for running three different application windows at once. For example, they can continue chatting with friends while playing a full-screen video game on the home screen.

It can also act as a computer control panel, allowing users to close any open windows and applications.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and King Abdul Aziz University (KAU) signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate and fund scientific research in areas that are strategically instrumental to achieving the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

The areas of collaboration include cancer research, energy harvesting and storage, solar technology, CO2 valorization, renewable energy and desert agriculture.

Donal Bradley, KAUST vice president for research, and Yusuf Al-Turki, KAU vice president for graduate studies and scientific research, signed the MoU during a ceremony at KAU on Sunday, attended by KAUST President Tony Chan and KAU President Abdulrahman AI-Youbi.

“KAUST and KAU are long-standing partners whose missions complement each other,” said Chan. “Today’s MoU cements an ongoing collaboration between the two universities, which has been designed to support the Kingdom, particularly in these transformative times. The collaborative research efforts shared by KAUST and KAU will help drive innovation for a better future,” he added.

Bradley explained that this agreement provides the best opportunity to develop effective and impactful research projects.

“Today’s MoU reflects ongoing collaboration with one of Saudi Arabia’s leading universities,” he said. “It offers both institutions the opportunity to develop impactful projects that are both broader and deeper in scope. We look forward to seeing the fruits of this interaction grow over time.” 

AI-Youbi said the agreement is a continuation of KAU’s strategy to expand its partnerships and exchange expertise and that it will provide an opportunity to benefit from the vast research experience of faculty members at KAU and KAUST.

The Saudi Telecom Company (STC) inked a strategic collaboration agreement with global technology leader Honeywell, as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to build a digital economy and provide modern specialized business services, a key enabler for the achievement of Saudi Vision 2030. 

The agreement was signed at GITEX Technology Week 2019 in Dubai, by Riyad Muawwad, chairman of the board of directors of STC Solutions and senior vice president of STC Enterprise, and John Waldron, president and CEO of Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions (SPS). Under the terms of the agreement, STC will work with Honeywell to deploy advanced productivity solutions to help digitalize day-to-day operations for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that employ mobile workforces across various industries. 

STC will create industry-specific productivity-as-a-service (PaaS) bundles that combine handheld industrial mobile computers and mobile printers with advanced data-connectivity and voice plans to help fieldworkers and vehicles stay connected with their company offices and warehouses. 

The bundles, which will be offered on a monthly subscription basis, will help drive competitive advantages for Saudi private and public sector entities, including ministries, with a focus on supporting advanced field service, maintenance, inspection and logistics capabilities. 

STC’s Muawwad said: “STC is working to define the future of digital transformation in Saudi Arabia. We are leveraging our advanced cloud and data infrastructure capabilities to develop innovative solutions that will help boost the productivity of the Kingdom’s workforce across the public and private sectors. We are positioning ourselves to support the advancement of the Saudi digital economy by delivering the latest technologies as part of our overarching strategy to become a world-class digital services provider.” 

Honeywell’s Waldron added: “Honeywell has been delivering cutting-edge technologies to Saudi Arabia for over 60 years and we are committed to advancing digital transformation initiatives in the Kingdom across key industries in line with Saudi Vision 2030. We are very proud to be collaborating with STC and look forward to leveraging our advanced solutions to empower the Kingdom’s SME organizations.”

Abdul Latif Jameel Motors, the authorized distributor of Toyota vehicles in Saudi Arabia, has unveiled the new Toyota Granvia in the Saudi market.

Designed to provide an exceptional transportation space that addresses the growing demand for high-end shuttles, the new vehicle’s design, interior, engine, and safety features enable the riders to travel with total peace of mind.

“We are very excited to unveil the new Granvia, a true premium transport solution that meets the evolving needs of those desiring a spacious cabin, unrivaled comfort, and superior refinement. By providing ample personal space, we have ensured that each passenger will enjoy a smooth, comfortable ride and arrive at their destination feeling relaxed and refreshed,” said Mazin Jameel, executive director, marketing, Abdul Latif Jameel Motors.

“At Abdul Latif Jameel Motors, we believe that travel should always be an enjoyable experience, and it was our goal to launch an exceptional Toyota vehicle that enhances people’s journeys by creating memorable moments to cherish. I would like to extend my gratitude to all of our guests for their continuous support, which is an endless source of inspiration in our drive to introduce ‘ever-better’ cars,” Jameel added.

The new Granvia takes the concept of a luxury shuttle to the next level with premium seating for up to six people, including a standard feature of four leather ottomans with footrests — a class first. Its expansive cabin delivers a level of comfort and refinement passengers would normally associate with a high-end limousine, complete with independent rear climate control, adjustable interior illumination, and luxurious woodgrain and metallic finishing, among many other features.

The relationship between Toyota and Abdul Latif Jameel Motors was established more than half-century ago, and has grown to become one of the most remarkable automotive forces in the Kingdom.

Abdul Latif Jameel Motors is also one of the largest independent certified Toyota distributors in the world. Under its principle of putting the guest first and its commitment to achieving excellence in all it has to offer, Abdul Latif Jameel Motors supports the widespread use of Toyota vehicles in the Saudi market through an extensive network of sales and maintenance centers strategically located around the Kingdom, providing peace of mind for their guests, wherever they may be.

RIYADH: LuLu Hypermarkets, one of the largest retailers in the region, is upbeat about the investment climate of KSA and is planning to expand in the coming years.

Talking to media during the group’s 10th anniversary celebrations held at Atayaf Mall in Riyadh, chairman M. A. Yusuff Ali unveiled LuLu Group’s plans.

Saad Al-Gamdi, Head of Saudization Programme (Tawteen) at the Ministry of Labour, along with Yusuf Ali, Chairman of LuLu Group, officially inaugurated the anniversary celebrations in the presence of senior officials and a large number of shoppers. 

Elaborating on LuLu Group’s journey so far, Yusuf Ali said: “With a modest beginning in the 2009, today we have 17 hypermarkets, 12 Aramco commissaries and National Guard supermarkets which is a testimony to our acceptance in the country, thanks to our fair pricing and highest quality product range.

“We see tremendous growth opportunity in the Kingdom. We have already announced that by year 2020, we will open 15 new hypermarkets in Saudi Arabia. Under this plan, 3 hypermarkets have already been opened and another 11 hypermarkets will be completed before end of 2020 at an investment of SAR1 billion ($266.6 million).

“This includes 4 in Dammam, 6 in Jeddah and 1 in Riyadh. This is apart from the SR1.7 billion that we have already invested in the Kingdom until now.”

During the occasion, LuLu also honored 10 long serving Saudi nationals with gold medals and certificates who were all part of LuLu’s growth story in the Kingdom.

Congratulating the Saudi staff, Yusuf Ali said: “We consider it our duty to nurture them as we have a very hardworking, dedicated and productive manpower among Saudi nationals.

“LuLu Group currently employs 2,700 Saudi nationals including 700 women in their various hypermarkets across the Kingdom. Out of the total Saudi work force employed in our group, half of them are from small town like Hail, Tabuk, Hassa and Jubail.

“Our goal is to give employment to more than 4,000 nationals by the end of 2020 out of which 1,700 will be women,

He added that his group gives priority in generating jobs for young Saudis, especially women. “I think it is the duty of all businessmen and investors to create more jobs for local youth.

“We also take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and the government who have always given tremendous support to investments and economic development which ultimately generate more employment opportunities for Saudi citizens.”

To mark the occasion of 10th anniversary, LuLu announced the launch of LuLu-Win One Million Riyal promotion which will run for 10 weeks and 10 lucky winners will each get SAR100,000 cash prize.