KAEC
Emaar, The Economic City (EEC), the Tadawul-listed company developing King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), recently signed a development and license agreement with Al-Ahlam Marine Tourism Group (AAMTG) to develop a marina and yacht club facility inside KAEC. The signing took place at KAEC between Prince Abdullah Bin Saud Al-Saud, president of AAMTG, and Fahd Al-Rasheed, MD & CEO of EEC. The new marina is meant to be a premium world-class development that will be located in the Bay La Sun waterfront area of the city. Bay La Sun is a fully integrated residential community directly overlooking the Red Sea. The elegantly designed luxury apartments come in different sizes and are set amid placid water canals EEC recently completed. Bay La Sun will offer a fully integrated live work and recreate environment and lifestyle. "Vision of KAEC and EEC's long-term commitment to contribute to the Kingdom's economic prosperity, lifestyle and growth of tourism industry, all fall perfectly in line with our plan for the new facility and realize the full potential of it," said Prince Abdullah Al-Saud. "Such development, from a seasoned and significant investor, Prince Abdullah Al-Saud, will help to create rewarding opportunities for KAEC as a tourism destination. The investment from AAMTG shows increasing commitment by developers to KAEC," Al-Rasheed stated. The new facility will offer vessel-berthing capacity for up to 124 vessels.
 
BPRF
Building on the success of its inaugural edition held last year, the second Beirut Public Relations Forum (BPRF) will be held at the Gefinor Rotana Hotel on July 7-8, with the support of Lebanon's Minister of Information Tarek Mitri. Organized by TRACCS in collaboration with the Institute for Media Training & Research at the Lebanese American University, the forum will explore strategic issues in the region's PR industry through a series of presentations, panel discussions and workshops under the “Brilliance” theme. Keynote speaker, Paul Holmes, president and CEO of The Holmes Group which provides knowledge and insight for PR professionals, and editor of The Holmes Report, a weekly e-mail newsletter of opinion and analysis for the public relations industry, will highlight the role and value of PR globally underscoring its growing importance. Holmes' presence at BPRF will mark his first visit to the Middle East region. "It is encouraging to see the development of an authoritative platform that is focused on discussing and debating issues that are of growing interest within Lebanon's PR industry. Moreover, the communications fraternity in the Middle East is moving toward greater regional maturity and integration, and the BPRF provides a great opportunity to engage in candid dialogue, which helps the development of not just the Lebanese PR industry, but that of the region as a whole," Mitri said.
 
BAKHASHAB/ISUZU
Bakhashab Brothers Holding Co. and Isuzu launched the latest models of the multi-function 2011 D-Max pickup in Jeddah recently. "The launch of the new D-max is to meet the big demand in the Saudi market for this pickup model," Tadao Matsumoto, GM, Isuzu Dubai, said. "This ultimate pickup is packed with engineering innovations and a stylish design. It meets all expectations in terms of durability, fuel efficiency, power, design and attention to detail," he added. The new pickup is a perfect balance of aerodynamic exterior styling and useful practicality integrally compatible with active dynamic lifestyle. It sets new standards with a surprisingly spacious cabin and interior comfort for all occupants to relax and enjoy the drive. He added that Isuzu is one of the most experienced manufacturers of diesel engine technology, having a complete lineup of high-performance engines and global production operations. The pickup has a newly designed front and alloy wheels, and also a sporty two-tone interior, a combination of black and red, which should be the first to be introduced for a pickup model in this region. Isuzu Operations Thailand has been exporting Isuzu D-MAX pickups since 2003 and selling around 60,000 units per year, Hisham Bakhashab, Bakhashab Brothers Holding Co.'s president for Isuzu, said. "Isuzu has sold more than 25,000 units per year. The concept of this model change is to focus on individuals having a sporty, tough and luxurious taste," he added.
 
HEADQUARTERS BUSINESS PARK
Recent studies suggest that the real estate market in Saudi Arabia is on the verge of a huge recovery since its economy is supported by government stimulus and also bank loans are back to flow, while there is an appropriate environment for the building of large real estate projects to keep pace with market demand, which includes quality real estate projects for luxury residential and office units. Amid this optimistic outlook, there is an emergence of major projects that add value to the real estate sector in the Kingdom and opens promising new horizons for investors in the real estate sector, especially in the luxury office segment. One of the most notable projects that will determine the future of the sector is The Headquarters Business Park, which is being developed by Aldar Alkhasa. Essam Fakeeh, executive partner of Aldar Alkhasa, said: "The Headquarters Business Park is a concept that will take office owners and visitors into the business environment of the future - the new world of smart buildings designed to maximize the efficiency of the working environment in this important economic cycle. Our project brings to Jeddah the most technologically advanced, ultra luxurious office accommodation and 45 percent of the suites have already been sold to the elite of the Saudi business community. This is one of the few major projects that continued unimpeded during the global financial crisis and we are intensifying our efforts to complete construction work by mid 2012."
 
SKYPE
Skype's representative office for the MEA region will be in Manama. This was announced on Monday at a joint press conference with the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB). Skype explained Bahrain's liberal and advanced ICT infrastructure and policies, skilled local work force, and its geographic position providing unparalleled access to the Gulf's trillion dollar market were key reasons for establishing a regional representative office in Bahrain. "Bahrain provides one of the most energetic environments to support and encourage innovation - with a talented local workforce, and forward thinking economic development strategies that help support business and broaden regional presence," said Skype's CEO Josh Silverman. The MEA region has a young, tech savvy population and we believe that Bahrain will play a central role in making Skype even more popular in the region," he added. The World Economic Forum Global Information Technology Report 2009-2010 ranked Bahrain in the top 30 economies, a climb of eight places putting it 29 out of 133 economies worldwide. Bahrain was also ranked first in the Middle East and 13th out of 192 countries worldwide in the 2010 UN Global e-Government Readiness Survey. "In Bahrain we have long recognized the importance of ICT not just as an important sector in its own right but as an important enabler of continued economic growth, modernization and competitiveness," said Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al-Khalifa, chief executive of the EDB.
 
DACC
Heralding the opening of Al-Maktoum International for cargo operations, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman, Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC), said that Phase 1 completion of the airport demonstrates the significant, ongoing development of the first aerotropolis in the Middle East. Emphasizing that Dubai World Central will support the emirate's aviation, tourism, commercial and logistics requirements through 2050 and beyond, he added: "The government of Dubai remains fully committed to the timely realization of the airport and Dubai World Central as whole. There is no doubt that this multi-modal logistics hub will provide significant benefits to the economy of Dubai and the wider region, particularly at a time when the transportation and logistics sector is playing an increasingly important role in the city's rapidly diversifying economy." The opening of Al-Maktoum International represents another milestone in the ongoing development of the Dubai World Central master project, said Khalifa Al-Zaffin, executive chairman, Dubai Aviation City Corporation. "Located at the crossroads of global trade flows, Dubai World Central is the region's first aerotropolis, providing multi-modal transportations solutions, international connectivity and the kind of operational predictability that is vital to today's fast-cycle business environment. "The opening of our new airport will complement additional components of the larger Dubai World Central project, including free-zone commercial, residential and educational facilities," added Al-Zaffin.