Eros Group Awarded Superbrands 2011

Eros Group, the sole distributor of world-renowned brands Samsung, Hitachi, Linksys, Candy & TCL and one of the leading players in consumer electronics, telecom, and allied multi-products in the Middle East, has been awarded the prestigious SuperBrands 2011 Award. The UAE SuperBrands Council, a ten-member group made up of eminent figures from the business world, awarded Eros Group the highly sought-after ’SuperBrand’ status after comprehensive evaluation.

Eros Group was chosen as one of the SuperBrands along 60 other brands in the UAE from over 700 brands that were reviewed. Mr. Niranjan Gidwani, Deputy CEO of Eros Group said, “We are extremely honored to be a SuperBrand and would like to take this opportunity to thank all our stakeholders and customers in the UAE for their continued support and trust espoused in Eros Group. All the brands under the wings of Eros Group have helped us achieve a reputation of consistency and excellence. Growing market share, with increased seasonal retailing during DSF & DSS are prime attributes to our success.”

The SuperBrands organization is acclaimed worldwide as being an independent authority and arbiter of branding excellence and is committed to paying tribute to exceptional brands and promoting the discipline of branding. The SuperBrands Council in each country is comprised of individuals who have shown exceptional aptitude in business and who have a thorough knowledge of that particular country’s markets and methods of business.

Eros Group is a 44-year old company and is part of Badri Group of Companies, which comprises over 10 business enterprises, each known for its consistency and reliability, market products and services of highest quality, thus placing the Group as one of the leading groups in the UAE’s business community and beyond. Eros is fast achieving its objective of becoming the leading supplier of electronic and digital products in the Middle East region. Eros Group has been built on a four-decade old tried and tested philosophy which is to maturely respond to the needs and demands of the industry while constantly identifying new avenues to raise the bar in order to be a contemporary organization.

Eros Group made a humble beginning in 1967 with the Hitachi range of products, and over the years the company diversified and today, in addition to marketing Hitachi’s range of electronic and home appliances, it markets Samsung mobile phones and digital products, Lennox air conditioning products, Candy home appliances, TCL LCD & LED TVs, BenQ LCD TVs and has recently added FLIP and SONOS products to its product portfolio. In 2009, Eros Group commenced operations of its IT Division with launch of Samsung IT products followed by Linksys by Cisco, Targus, A-Data, Speedlink gaming accessories and Sentronix Auto Wallmounts.

Customers can also follow Eros Group on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EROSgroup to keep attuned on their other achievements, ongoing promotions and discounts.
 

AlMansoori Awarded Oilfield Service Provider of the Year

AlMansoori Specialized Engineering (MSE), the leading regional provider of oilfield services in the Middle East, is celebrating after winning the prestigious Middle East Oilfield Service Provider of the Year award at the Oil and Gas Middle East awards.

The award was open to integrated upstream service providers, which had produced an outstanding performance in the GCC this year. AlMansoori had to demonstrate a solid business performance and the delivery of an exceptional year of business.

The awards ceremony, taking place for the first time, was held at The Westin Dubai hotel on Tuesday, December 14.

Accepting the award from AlMansoori, director of business development and marketing, Foroohar Farzadnia said: “I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of everyone at AlMansoori who has helped to make 2010 such a very successful year for us. We have a very special family culture at AlMansoori – everyone feels they are a part of the business and this award is for them. We look forward to continuing the momentum of this year into 2011.”
 

One Million Air Miles Awarded To HSBC Gold Air Miles Cardholder

A million possibilities to enjoy endless rewards await one lucky Cardholder of the recently launched exclusive Gold Air Miles Card, for being the first winner of the One Million Air Miles monthly prize draw.

Air Miles Middle East, the region’s leading coalition loyalty programme, together with HSBC, are offering endless ways to reward the July Air Miles millionaire. The reward possibilities for a million Air Miles are endless! From a first class, luxurious getaway to Mauritius, living like a king in New York, or taking in the amazing views of Sydney Opera House from your penthouse suite!

When speaking to the lucky winner, he said “This is Fantastic news. Air Miles really is an amazing and excellent loyalty programme and I’m very happy that I have won a million Air Miles. I am most definitely looking forward to redeeming the miles and enjoying the benefits”.

The draw is free to enter for any Cardholder who simply uses both their HSBC Premier Credit Card and new Gold Air Miles Card at any of over 2,000 participating outlets in the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. Air Miles and HSBC are giving away a million Air Miles every month until December, so there are more chances for members to win coming soon!

“Through our partnership with HSBC, the recent launch of the exclusive Gold Air Miles Card signifies our aim to provide Premier Cardholders with excellent rewards and an unparalleled shopping experience by enabling them to earn twice as many Miles every time they use their Gold Card with their HSBC Premier Credit Cards,” said Fiona Jackson, Marketing Director, Air Miles Middle East said.

“Through the Gold Air Miles Card, Premier members not only get to enjoy 10% discount on rewards, and win a million Air Miles every month, but they also have access to the UAE’s best travel rewards! They can fly any airline, anytime for free thanks to HSBC”she added.

All Premier Credit Cardholders increase their chances of becoming the next Air Miles millionaire every time they swipe their HSBC Premier Card along with their Gold Air Miles Card, giving them twice the Miles. Furthermore, a monthly spend of over AED4,000 entitles customers to earn 50% bonus miles or AED1.5 Miles for every AED1 spent using both the HSBC and Gold Air Miles cards.

For more details, visit: www.airmilesme.com/premier.
 

Ducab Awarded UAE “Superbrand” For Second Consecutive Year

Following a year marked by business expansions, Ducab—one of the leading manufacturers of power cables in the Middle East—has been honoured for the second consecutive year by the Superbrands organisation for its marketing and branding excellence. The honour is a powerful endorsement that recognizes Ducab’s exceptional work in positioning the brand while strengthening business relationships from its UAE headquarters. Ducab has been chosen for second time as a UAE “Superbrand” against stiff competition and as one of the very few recognised industrial brands.

Andrew Shaw, Managing Director of Ducab, says that as one of the leading companies in the UAE’s manufacturing sector, Ducab is very proud to have been recognised & honoured by the local business community and its industry peers. “Focusing on client relationships coupled with the development of reliable & high quality products has taken us far in the past thirty years,” comments Shaw. “As a joint venture between the governments of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, our success is a testament to the remarkable achievements that can be realised by mutual cooperation and the visionary leadership of UAE as a whole.”

Ashish Chaturvedy, Marketing Manager at Ducab, says, “Our products are supplied to partners around the world including Middle East, Asia & Africa from a series of UAE factories and business offices. The company has consistently gained ground over the years, capturing a market share of over 50 per cent in the UAE and with strong ambition to expand within the GCC region over the next few years.”

With two factories in Jebel Ali—one of which is a cable factory and the other a PVC compounding plant—the company also operates two cable manufacturing facilities in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi, and the UAE’s first copper rod casting plant also located in Abu Dhabi. Looking to the future, Ducab is also preparing to launch a high-voltage cables factory jointly owned by ADWEA & DEWA (known as Ducab HV) which is currently under construction in Dubai and due for completion during 2011.

This last year, Ducab’s advanced cable solutions have laid the foundation for world-renowned projects including the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Metro and the Yas Marina Circuit, amongst many other landmark projects within the region and overseas.
 

Etisalat Awarded UAE’s ’Superbrand’

Etisalat was awarded ‘Superbrand’ status in the UAE, at the Superbrands’ tribute event that was held today at the Intercontinental Dubai Festival City to honour the UAE’s strongest brands. The award demonstrates Etisalat’s distinct set of brand values characterized by a strong focus on innovation, reliability, value, customer-centricity and the firm commitment to breaking new ground in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond.

Commenting on the award, Haitham Al Kharusi, Vice President of Marketing Communications said, “Superbrands awards the UAE’s top brands and we are glad to receive this honour in recognition of Etisalat’s core brand values and achievements in the UAE for over three decades, as a reliable and trusted partner to consumers and business, offering benefits of convenience, coverage and value till date.”

Al Kharusi added, “Etisalat has been a fabric of society since the 1970’s. It is a brand that listens to and communicates with its customers in a clear, direct way with utmost importance to honesty, fairness and transparency, while also welcoming their valuable feedback and suggestions every step of the way.”

As a brand to reckon with, the company has made the UAE one of the most connected nations, with 7.8 million mobile customers on its network, 1.28 million subscribers to the fixed line network and 1.39 million Internet users. The penetration of mobile phones service in the UAE has now exceeded the 200 percent mark, the highest in the region, and comparable to the highest in the world.

Etisalat has invested over AED 5 billion to build the first revolutionary fiber-optic network in the UAE, enabling a whole new entertainment and communication experience for its consumers through its eLife services and offers.

The company’s mobile users enjoy the region’s fastest broadband speeds over its extensive 3G network and a range of services and applications such as GPRS, HSPA+, Blackberry and others. It is also the first UAE operator to launch both, the revolutionary iPhone 3G and 3GS in 2009, as it did for BlackBerry services in 2006. The Internet and broadband reach in the UAE is yet another significant achievement compared to the regional and international averages.

Etisalat has also created strong global associations through a prudent investment strategy and acquisitions in emerging markets such as Sri lanka, India, Nigeria and Afghanistan.

Ranked among the Fortune Global 500, Etisalat operates in 18 countries across Asia, the Middle East and Africa, servicing over 107 million customers out of a total population of approximately 2 billion people.
 

Al Ansari Exchange Awarded ’Superbrand’ Status By UAE Superbrands Council For The 5th Consecutive Year

Al Ansari Exchange, a leading provider of worldwide remittance and foreign exchange services, has been awarded the ‘Superbrand’ status by the UAE Superbrands Council for the fifth consecutive year. Joining the ranks of other top brand awardees from other local industries, the company has been recognised for its achievements as the largest exchange house in the country. Bassel El Bakkar, Assistant Marketing Manager, Al Ansari Exchange, received the award on behalf of Managing Director Mohammed Al Ansari, from Mike English, CEO of Superbrands Council, during the event.
 

Noor Takaful Awarded The “Best New Takaful Company” And “Best Takaful Marketing Campaign” At The 4th International Takaful Awards 2010

Noor Takaful, the Islamic insurance arm of Noor Investment Group, was last night honoured at the high profile International Takaful Summit, in London, for as “Best New Takaful Company” and “Best Takaful Marketing Campaign”. The Takaful 2010 awards are given to those companies and practitioners who have contributed to the success of the fast growing Takaful market.

Launched in January 2009, the Noor Takaful brand has quickly become a recognized name in the eyes of UAE consumers, supported by a carefully planned marketing and brand building strategy. Announcing the awards, the judging panel acknowledged in particular Noor Takaful’s thoughtful marketing and execution capabilities.

In its first year of operations, Noor Takaful outperformed its peer group in terms of gross written premiums, reflecting the success of its unique distribution set up and focused target segmentation strategy. At the same time, Noor Takaful has achieved recognition as an innovator, introducing, for example, the GCC’s first online Islamic Insurance service offering instant quotes, online payments and doorstep delivery.

In 2010 Noor Takaful has continued to deliver on its strategic growth objectives launching a suite of Individual Family products and securing strategic partnerships with Al Futtaim Motors, Belhasa Group and Sharjah Islamic Bank.

Dr Ahmed Al Janahi, Managing Director, Noor Takaful said: “These awards recognise the strong progress we have made in a very short period of time. Building a new brand takes time, but as a result of the hard work and dedication of our team coupled with the continuous support of our shareholders, Noor Takaful is very much on the map and gaining a reputation for innovation and service excellence.”

Parvaiz Siddiq, CEO, Noor Takaful said: “We are operating in an increasingly competitive field and to be recognised for our achievements at such an early stage in our evolution is great news for everyone associated with the company – starting with our own employees but extending of course to our customers who drive everything we do. These awards tell us we are doing the right things.”

Headquartered in Dubai, Noor Takaful Family PJSC and Noor Takaful General PJSC have a combined paid up capital of AED150 million. They operate from four locations across the Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, offering a comprehensive suite of general and family takaful coverage for individuals, businesses and corporate clients.
 

Ducab Awarded AED 126mn In Contracts For Work On Abu Dhabi Gas Facility

Following a series of recent negotiations in Yokohama, Japan, Ducab—one of the leading manufacturers of power & special cables in the Middle East—has announced winning its second contract to work on Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Gas Development (IGD) Project, raising the company’s total order for GASCO’s Habshan 5 project to just over AED 126mn (USD 35mn).

Ducab’s most recent agreement with Japan’s JGC Corporation is valued at AED 51mn (USD 13.8mn) for the supply of custom power cables to the new Habshan 5 Gas Processing Plant. This follows the signing of a contract recently with Hyundai Engineering & Construction for supporting the utilities and offsite part of the development, a AED 75mn (USD 20.5mn) agreement which could see Ducab supplying up to 70% of the associated facility’s total power cables requirements.

Both of the developments are part of Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Gas Development (IGD) Project, a AED 33.8bn (USD 9.2bn) plan which aims to increase offshore gas production and provide a permanent link between ADNOC’s offshore Umm Shaif field and new onshore processing facilities at Habshan and Ruwais via Das island.

The Habshan 5 Gas Processing Plant will require thousands of kilometres of high-quality cables with special materials that can withstand Habshan’s harsh environment and comply with stringent safety and project requirements. With approved products by international bodies such as BSI, KEMA, Lloyds and Warrington Fire Research, Ducab has a history of supplying major projects in the OGP sector with niche products. Previous partnerships with GASCO alone include the OGD III project through US Bechtel and the Ruwais 3rd NGL through Italy’s Snamprogetti, among others.

Laith Madi, Manager of Oil, Gas and Petrochemical (OGP) Sector at Ducab, says that the two recent awards fall into the strategic objective for Ducab to become a dominant cable supplier for OGP projects in the region. Through some of the top EPC contractors in the world, he added that Ducab is committed to being part of global OGP developments and is actively involved in monitoring major OGP ventures from its UAE headquarters.

“The IGD Project is an extraordinary venture within the Abu Dhabi gas sector that is bringing together many specialized groups on the cutting edge of their trade,” comments Mr. Madi. “These kinds of projects and the growth of the oil and gas sector in UAE—and the GCC in general—were the motivation for us to launch the Special Cables Unit (SCU) at the end of 2009. Focusing on a distinct series of products fitted to the demands of the OGP sector, we work with our clients in designing tailor-made cabling solutions while offering a high level of service and attention through a specialized team within Ducab’s OGP division.”

Mr. Madi notes that providing quick and reliable access to cabling products was also one of the client’s chief concerns in selecting a supplier for Habshan 5. “With two factories in Abu Dhabi and one in Jebel Ali, we have the capacity to fulfil very large and very specific orders within close proximity to UAE sites,” he adds. “Especially on a project of this magnitude, having immediate access to a resource supply backed up by comprehensive technical services as part of the overall cable solutions package, can make a huge difference in keeping the entire development on schedule.”

The Habshan 5 project follows a series of recent successes in Ducab’s OGP unit including partnerships with Korea’s SK and GS Engineering for the ADCO Bab Gas and Takreer Green Diesel project, Spain’s Tecnicas and UK’s Petrofac for the ADCO SAS oil field development, and the Mega ADCOP Habshan Fujairah pipeline with CPECC.
 

RAK Ceramics Awarded Dubai International Airport Contract

RAK Ceramics, the world’s largest ceramics manufacturer, has announced that it has been awarded the contract for the Dubai International Airport Phase II Expansion Project that involves a terminal for the Airbus A380 fleet. The contract includes the supply of more than 100,000 square meters of tiles of various dimensions, which will be used in the tunnels, on the bathroom walls and floor, and also as floor tiles in different areas of the terminal.

Dubai International Airport Phase II Expansion Project involves the provision of additional facilities to accommodate the growing airport traffic, which is expected to cater for over 70 million passengers and 3.5 million tonnes of cargo per year. The Phase II Expansion project includes new facilities to accommodate this rapid growth of both passengers and cargo, and includes – in addition to the terminal for Airbus A380 – new buildings, airfield and ancillary facilities. It also involves the relocation and expansion of certain existing facilities and the construction of new support facilities.

“RAK Ceramics had earlier supplied tiles to the Dubai Airport Free Zone and during the Dubai Airshow and the quality of our products was highly appreciated by the authorities at Dubai Airport, which was a key factor that helped us win this important contract. Moreover, RAK Ceramics has a long history of supplying its range of award-winning tiles to major landmarks across the UAE and beyond,” said Dr. Khater Massaad, CEO, RAK Ceramics.

“Moreover, Dubai International Airport, which is one of busiest airports in the region, adopts stringent safety and quality standards, and the fact that RAK Ceramics was awarded the contract for the airport’s latest expansion project is a testament to our relentless commitment to excellence and quality,” he added.

Specialising in high-quality ceramic wall and floor tiles, Gres Porcellanato, and sanitary ware, RAK Ceramics uses more than 6,000 production models, with new designs added almost every week to its product portfolio. The company’s latest creations include "Elegance Ceramics" and "RAKSLIM." Elegance Ceramics is a high-fashion brand that caters to the needs and modern demands of a high-value niche market. RAKSLIM, on the other hand, is a new brand of 4.5-millimetre thick tile that sets a new industry benchmark in thickness, strength, cost and ease of use.

RAK Ceramics is a USD 1 billion global conglomerate in the ceramic industry that exports its products to over 150 countries, targeting architects, project developers and retail customers.
 

du Awarded Prestigious ISO 27001:2005 For Its Information Security Management System

In a testament to the company’s advanced security model and policies, du today announced that its Information Security Management System has been awarded the prestigious ISO 27001:2005 Certification. The Certificate was handed over to du’s CEO Osman Sultan in the presence of Walid Kamal, Senior Vice President, Technology and Security Risk Management, du, by RS Mani, Area Technical Manager, Middle East and Africa, Lloyds Register Quality Assurance Ltd.

Congratulating his assembled colleagues at the event, Sultan said: “Our lives today rely on various communication services such as mobile banking and internet banking, and offering technologically secure services is at the heart of what we strive to offer to our customers. Today is a culmination of all the hard work contributed by our Technology òSecurity and Risk Management Team over the past years, especially talented Emirati nationals who led this achievement.”

With this certification, we are now set to start a new chapter by offering customised technology security services to businesses, and we will share further details in due course, he added.

Some of the prominent Emirati du personnel from the Technology and Security Risk Management department at du, who contributed to the completion of this landmark project, included Hiba Abdelghani, Technology Audit Specialist – Graduate Trainee at du’s Masar Programme, Saeed Salahdin – Technology Security & Risk Management Coordinator and Ibrahim Al Mallouhi – Director Risk Management and Quality Assurance.

Commenting on this milestone achievement, Walid Kamal, Senior Vice President, Technology and Security Risk Management, du, said: “Today is a proud moment for all of us at du, and this certificate is a genuine validation of comprehensive security strategy and program initiated in 2006 setting up converged security organisation, management system and process.”

Basem Obaid, Area manager, Middle East and Africa, Lloyds Register Quality Assurance Ltd, said: “The win is well-deserved for du. The team at du demonstrated exceptional commitment in the run-up to the certification, which brings to light the depth and maturity of its management team, and how they value information security as one of the key business pillars. We wish them all the best in their future endeavours.”

ISO 27001:2005 is an international standard prepared to provide a model for establishing, implementing, operating, monitoring, reviewing, maintaining and improving an Information Security Management System (ISMS).
The governing principle behind ISMS is that an organisation should design, implement and maintain a coherent set of processes and systems to manage risks to its information assets, thus ensuring acceptable levels of information security (usually summarised as confidentiality, integrity and availability).

The ISMS enables organisations to deploy safe working practices that are well established, these practices reduce risks to information and its protection through standard processes and policy frameworks.