Brazilian food exports to Arab world exceed USD 6.6 billion from January to August 2012

Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce report shows KSA, Egypt, UAE are biggest markets of Brazilian food products in MENA region

October 21, 2012

Brazilian food exports to the Arab world has reached over USD 6.6 billion from January to August 2012 with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE emerging as the top markets in the region, according to a new report released by the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. Brazilian exports to KSA reached over USD 1.5 billion during the period, while exports to the UAE were valued at over USD 930 million. The Egyptian market recorded the biggest jump with exports totaling over USD 1.2 billion, representing a 28.8 per cent increase over the same period in 2011.


According to the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Brazilian exports of meat of bovine animals (frozen) accounted for the biggest increase with an export value of over USD 554 million, up by nearly 45 per cent from the same period in 2011. Cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose (solid form) are Brazil’s top export products to Arab countries with a combined value of nearly USD 2.5 billion, followed by meat and edible offal of poultry (fresh, chilled or frozen) with a combined value of nearly USD 1.8 billion. Corn (maize) is another important export product as export value increased by more than 73 per cent, reaching over USD 554 million from just USD 294.9 million in 2011.


Michel Alaby, Director-General of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, said: “The Arab world continues to be an important destination for Brazilian food exports as the region’s consistently strong demand creates lucrative growth opportunities for Brazilian food companies. The increasing volume of Brazilian food exports in the region reaffirms the healthy trade relations between the two parties. Moreover, with Brazilian food companies strongly adhering to halal standards and other quality regulations being adopted in key markets across the region, we expect export volumes to continue to rise and serve as a rallying point for long-term trade and economic cooperation. The initiatives undertaken by the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce have been key factors in further expanding trade activities between Brazil and the Arab world. We will therefore continue to explore more innovative ways to cultivate a stronger alliance among Brazilian exporters and their counterparts in the MENA region.”

Al Ansari Exchange extends support to Philippines flood victims through AED 100,000 donation

21 October, 2012

In line with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agenda, Al Ansari Exchange a leading Foreign Exchange and worldwide remittance company in the UAE, has donated AED 100,000 to a relief agency following the recent devastating floods in the Philippines that forced more than 780,000 people across the country to leave their homes.


H.E. Grace Relucio-Princesa, Philippine Ambassador to the UAE, said: “The Philippine Embassy, on behalf of the Philippine Government appreciates the donation made by Al Ansari Exchange which will contribute greatly to the Philippines’ rehabilitation and disaster preparation efforts. This generous gesture is an expression of its care for its Filipino employees, their families, and Filipinos in general.”


Rashed Ali Al Ansari, General Manager, Al Ansari Exchange, said, “The recent floods in the Philippines have completely disrupted normal life in most parts of the country, with thousands of people left homeless. As a socially responsible corporate entity, Al Ansari Exchange is keen on extending our help and support to the people of the Philippines in this time of need. We will continue to coordinate with relief agencies to assess the situation and offer more assistance if required.”

Epicor Completes Acquisition of Solarsoft Business Systems; Reports Preliminary Fiscal 2012 Financial Results

Combined Annual Revenue Approaching $1 Billion with Solarsoft; Strong Revenue and Synergy Execution Drive approximately 14% Year-Over-Year Adjusted EBITDA Growth



Dubai, United Arab Emirates, October 21, 2012 -- Epicor Software Corporation, a global leader in business software solutions for manufacturing, distribution, retail and services organizations, recently announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Solarsoft Business Systems. Epicor also announced preliminary financial results for its fiscal 2012 full year ended on September 30.

Epicor completed its acquisition of Solarsoft Business Systems for $155 million which was funded with cash on hand and a draw on an existing revolving credit facility of $69 million. As previously stated in the news release “Epicor to Acquire Solarsoft Business Systems,” issued recently, the acquisition of Solarsoft extends Epicor’s position as a leading provider of complete end-to-end enterprise business solutions for discrete manufacturing and distribution and wholesale management solutions in key vertical industries including lumber and building materials, automotive, and print and packaging. Jefferies & Company, Inc. acted as sole financial advisor to Epicor Software Corporation.

“This acquisition strengthens our leadership in the manufacturing and distribution segments worldwide,” said Pervez Qureshi, CEO and president of Epicor. “The addition of Solarsoft extends our innovative software offerings to a broader range of customers and industries—from automotive parts to packaging to life sciences, from food and beverage to electrical components to lumber and building materials. These solutions, which enable customers to monitor business and boost operating efficiency, are well aligned to Epicor offerings. We are pleased to have completed this acquisition slightly ahead of schedule and excited to begin the process of integrating Solarsoft with Epicor.”

Epicor also announced that based on its preliminary financial data, the Company expects total revenue for fiscal 2012 to be in the range of $866 to $870 million, compared to fiscal 2011 pro forma total revenue of $847 million, an increase of 2-3% from fiscal 2011. The Company expects Adjusted EBITDA to be in the range of $220 to $222 million for fiscal 2012 representing a 14% increase over the prior year Pro Forma Adjusted EBITDA of $194 million which was driven by increased revenue, as well as synergies achieved from the 2011 merger of Activant and Epicor. The Company expects the net loss for fiscal year 2012 to range from $36 million to $42 million as compared to a net loss of $56 million from Inception to September 30, 2011. In addition, the Company expects net debt to be approximately $1.2B as of September 30, 2012, yielding a net leverage ratio of approximately 5.4x.

Americas revenues grew approximately 4% in fiscal 2012 as compared to the prior year, with solid performance in both high-end Retail and ERP while low-end Retail continues to be challenged from weakness in the construction and housing markets. International revenues declined approximately 2%, however, Asia Pacific grew significantly year over year offset by a decline in EMEA due to the ongoing challenging economy. Next-generation Epicor ERP (formerly Epicor 9) revenue growth was in line with the overall business, and is expected to accelerate in fiscal 2013. Lastly, maintenance revenues grew steadily with renewal rates stable in the mid-90%.

Based on Solarsoft’s financial results, Epicor expects to achieve additional annual revenues of $85 million and EBITDA of $25 million from Solarsoft, which includes $3 million of expected synergies from the acquisition. On a pro forma combined company basis, fiscal 2012 revenues including Solarsoft would have been $953 million, Adjusted EBITDA would have been $246 million and net leverage would have been 5.5x.2

“Despite the challenging economic environment, particularly in Europe, we believe our strong performance in fiscal 2012 demonstrates that our product offerings continue to gain market share,” said Qureshi. “We continue to expand the reach of our enterprise business solutions for manufacturers, distributors, retailers and service organizations globally, selling into more markets than ever before, and as a result sales pipelines are strong. Epicor’s growth is driven by our deep understanding of the industries we serve and clear focus on customer satisfaction that drives business inspiration and innovation. Our recently launched ‘Business Inspired’ brand and messaging fully supports our customer-centric focus and core values—to deliver solutions and services that increase customer productivity and efficiency, freeing them to focus on growth and differentiation and inspiring new possibilities for their businesses.”

All results should be considered preliminary pending Epicor’s filing of its annual report on Form 10-K. Epicor is also scheduled to host a conference call in mid-December to discuss its fiscal 2012 fourth quarter and full year financial results. A news release will be distributed at a later date with further information and call details.

The 2011 Epicor financial data included in this news release is presented as if the Epicor and Activant combination had occurred on October 1, 2010 without the effect of purchase accounting adjustments. Please see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for further information.


2 Expected pro forma figures using middle of the fiscal 2012 Adjusted EBITDA range.

Globe Express Services (Overseas Group) expands Saudi Arabia operations with opening of Terminal Yard in Dammam

New facility provides direct access to Arabian Gulf, complementing existing logistics facilities in Jeddah and Riyadh

October 20, 2012

Globe Express Services (Overseas Group), one of the world’s top 100 global logistics providers, has announced the opening of its Dammam Terminal Yard, a 23,000 sqm facility that includes an open storage area, warehouses, and office buildings that will house the Dammam Branch management and the Transportation Division. While GES (Overseas Group) has had an office in Dammam since 1995, the new terminal yard, which is strategically located at the Dammam Sea Port Zone on the Arabian Gulf, complements the company’s existing facilities in Jeddah on the Red Sea and in Riyadh serving KSA’s Central Region, enabling the company to offer smooth handling for all import and export of sea freight shipments in KSA.


GES (Overseas Group) invested over USD 2 million for the construction of the Dammam Terminal Yard, while nearly USD 3 million was spent to increase the company’s fleet of trucks and trailers and to acquire new handling equipment. Over the past four years GES (Overseas Group) has also expanded its staff strength from 75 to 205 to support the company’s ongoing expansion drive in the Kingdom.


Key development projects such as the King Abdullah Economic City are driving the long-term expansion plans of GES (Overseas Group) in KSA. King Abdullah Economic City will serve as the future hub for at least 2,700 manufacturing companies, while it will also include a 13.8 square kilometer port that will emerge as one of the world’s top five largest industrial ports.


Ziad Korban, CEO of Globe Express (Overseas Group), said: “Aggressive investments in large-scale projects are being undertaken by the KSA Government to diversify its economy, a trend that has helped establish the Saudi market as a very important area for exports and imports. Moreover, the government has been actively cultivating the growth of the logistics sector by introducing new polices, incentives, regulations and infrastructure, creating excellent opportunities for Globe Express Services (Overseas Group) to grow and expand in the country. The completion of the Dammam Terminal Yard reinforces our commitment to support the growth initiatives of the KSA Government, particularly in strengthening the Kingdom’s reputation as a strategically important logistics hub in the region. With our facilities in Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh, we are capitalizing on our strategic locations on the eastern and western fronts and the central region of KSA to provide comprehensive logistics support to our regional and international clientele.”


Globe Express Services (Overseas Group) has also recently completed an AED 35 million development project consisting of an industrial warehouse and accompanying office in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone. The Jebel Ali warehouse offers warehousing and packing services as well as specialty handling and lifecycle management services.


Globe Express Services (Overseas Group) specializes in out-of-gauge services, which is a core offering of the company’s Project Logistics and Management portfolio. In Logistics and Compliance Consulting, Globe Express Logistics offers its expertise in creative warehouse design, distribution, supply chain execution and material handling solutions for leading retail, wholesale, and consumer product manufacturing companies. Globe Express’ consultancy services also cover selection and implementation of supply chain execution software, including warehouse management systems, asset management systems, transportation management systems, yard management systems and labor management systems.

Dubai Business Women Council and Lombard Odier to host forum on consumption in emerging markets

October 16, 2012
Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC) has announced that it has teamed up with Lombard Odier Investment Managers (LOIM), part of the Swiss private banking group Lombard Odier, to jointly organise a forum titled ‘Emerging Consumers – Rising consumption in emerging markets and agriculture’ on October 17, 2012, at the Park Hyatt Hotel, Dubai.


The forum, which will be attended by several DBWC members and senior representatives from Lombard Odier Investment Managers, will feature a presentation by Didier Rabattu, Senior Portfolio Manager, LOIM. Rabattu will shed light on the changing global consumption patterns and how emerging markets are seeing a steady increase in consumption.


Raja Al Gurg, President, Dubai Business Women Council, said, “The strong economic growth in emerging markets in recent years has significantly boosted annual consumption in these countries, which creates both, new challenges and opportunities. Investing in sustainable agribusiness will be a priority in the years ahead, which will be highlighted during the upcoming forum that we are pleased to jointly organise with Lombard Odier Investment Managers.”


Didier Rabattu is a banking industry veteran having previously worked as a partner with Amber Capital and the portfolio manager of its ARC fund, a hedge fund focused on agriculture, retail and consumers. He has also held top management positions with Talaris Capital and Deutsche Bank.



Founded in 2002, DBWC motivates women to be productive members of the society, while encouraging role models to rise up from the ranks and inspire other women around the world, especially in the Arab region, to discover their true potential. DBWC organises the high-profile monthly event ‘Network Majlis’ to provide information about the latest knowledge, skills and best practices for women entrepreneurs and leaders.

SecureMisr and Federation of Egyptian Banks hosts ‘Information Security in Banking Sector’ conference

Strategic event tackles significant role of IT security across Egypt’s banking and finance segment

October 15, 2012

SecureMisr, a leading specialized information security company for the Middle East, today (October 15, 2012) hosted the ‘Information Security Conference in Banking Sector,’ an annual event that highlights the importance of online security in the banking and finance segment, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Cairo, Egypt. The event, which is being held in cooperation with the Federation of Egyptian Banks (FEB), a non-profit independent entity that is composed of all Egyptian banks as well as branches of foreign banks operating in the country, aimed at targeting the participation of the Egyptian banking segment with its feature and showcase of topics and issues concerning challenges of the Information Security industry.


‘Information Security in Banking Sector’ featured Dr. Taher Elgamal, known the world over as the Father of SSL, as this year's keynote speaker. Dr. Elgamal talked about the threats and landscape of Egypt’s banking and finance segment. Abdel Hamid Soliman, President of the Technology Committee of the FEB, delivered the welcome address during the event’s opening ceremonies. Other speakers featured in the exciting one-day event included;

Dr. Sheriff El Kassas, ‘Cloud security and managed security services: Challenges and opportunities’

Carol Wodbury, ‘Five tips for attaining and maintaining compliance with your security policy’

Rania El Rouby, ‘Aligning information security and business objectives’

Sheriff Shaltout, ‘Compliance’


“Egypt’s banking and finance segment has demonstrated key growth over the last few years. However, the need to implement key solutions in information security is a vital step that the sector has to take in order to address challenges like attacks and security breaches,’ said Dr. Elgamal, Ph.D., CEO, First Information Security (FIS). “This year’s edition of the annual ‘Information Security in Banking Sector’ serves as a strategic platform to discuss the security challenges across Egypt’s banking and finance sector. Participants were able to learn more about the significant role that online security services and products play in the move to protect banks and financial institutions.”


Recent industry reports have revealed that IT spending across the finance vertical in the Middle East and African (MEA) region reached USD 7.5 billion in 2011, reflecting a Year-on-Year (YoY) increase of 5.8 per cent. Industry experts say that IT spending will continue to grow in the next four years at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7 per cent--reaching an expected USD 10.86 billion in 2015. A large majority of IT spending in the vertical came from the hardware and services sectors, which accounted for 41.6 per cent and 41.4 per cent respectively. The report also names Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Qatar as the fastest growing markets in the region in the next few years. Branch network expansion, along with the increased adoption of mobile and Internet banking have been pegged as major drivers of IT spending in the finance vertical along with regulatory changes and increasing security threats. Banks are also overhauling their IT systems to enable better customer servicing through business intelligence and single customer view.


“The emergence of cloud computing security and managed security services represents many challenges and opportunities for various industries, particularly the banking and finance segment. This event proved to be a perfect venue to meet with representatives from the finance industry and discuss the latest trends and issues and help them come up with viable solutions to protect and secure their data and operations.” concluded Dr. El Kassas, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for the joint venture, SecureMisr.


Sponsors for the ‘Information Security in Banking Sector’ conference included Skyview Partners Inc. (Gold Sponsor), a US-based company specializing in IBMi and AIX security compliance automation solutions and the SANS Institute (Lunch Sponsor), The world’s most trusted source for Information Security Training, Certification and Research.

Islamic bonds benefit from non-oil infrastructure spending 

Islamic bonds appear to be all over the news these days as Middle East corporate banking entities, businesses, governments and investors all vie with each other to grab a piece of the action. The rise in popularity of the bonds – or sukuk – comes at a time when some of the largest oil producing countries in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region are looking to diversify away from their reliance on crude oil revenues.



Saudi Arabia is the largest oil producer in the world and is in the middle of a mind-boggling $514 billion infrastructure expansion program which is expected to help its non-oil industries expand 6.5 per cent in 2012, according to IMF figures. The pace of the expansion is the second-fastest in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council after Qatar. Issuers Almarai Co., the Kingdom’s biggest publicly traded food producer, and Saudi Hollandi Bank have both announced plans to sell Islamic bonds. This year alone has seen a total of $8 billion of Islamic bonds sold in Saudi Arabia, a record and more than in any other Arab country.



Across the region as a whole, bond sales this year have amounted to some $30 billion. According to ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P), the $1 trillion global Islamic finance industry is expected to grow 20% by 2015, doubling in size over the period. Stuart Anderson, Managing Director & Regional Head, Middle East at Standard & Poor's believes the global crisis faced by conventional finance has led to Islamic Finance increasingly being viewed as a credible alternative. He said, “Issuers and investors have realised that the risk-reward balance in both conventional and Islamic Finance are not fundamentally different.” Islamic Finance growth is currently led by countries in the GCC and Asia, says " S&P", which represent half of the global industry. Young, fast-growing Muslim populations; robust macroeconomic environments; and large infrastructure projects that require financing are the main drivers of this increasing growth. Malaysia leads the global industry while Saudi Arabia leads in the GCC.



Over the last few years, the industry has taken major strides to achieve a broader consensus on Islamic banking structures. Mr Anderson added, “We have also seen stronger and more active support from domestic authorities, particularly through the creation of regulatory and tax frameworks, ensuring a level playing field between conventional and Islamic instruments.” A key development expected to drive globalisation and expansion of Islamic banking outside Asia and the GCC is the increasing attractiveness of sukuk among global investors. At a time when conventional banks appetite for term loans is declining, S&P believes that sukuk could become a key funding source. Sukuk issuance looks set to cross the $100 billion threshold in September 2012, and is projected by S&P to grow 25% over 2012-2015 to reach about $200 billion a year in 2015. Malaysia, Indonesia, and the GCC are expected to account for a combined 85%-90% of issuance mainly to finance infrastructure-related projects. Sukuk (the singular is sakk, a legal instrument or deed) is an Arabic word commonly used to refer to the Islamic equivalent of bonds. Such bonds are structured to comply with Islamic law, which prohibits the charging or paying of interest.

Al Ramz awarded for key participation in Dubai Financial Market’s Summer Training Program

Leading brokerage house mentors students on trade principles & operations

October 14, 2012

Al Ramz Securities, one of the UAE’s leading brokerage houses, has been honored by Dubai Financial Market (DFM) as an outstanding contributor to the Dubai-based stock exchange’s Summer Training Program held in July 2012.

Al Ramz was honored in an awards ceremony held by DFM which handed out plaques of appreciation to brokerage firms that mentored student candidates under the successful training program. For five straight business days, Al Ramz educated students assigned by DFM on principles of brokerage operations and services, including the opening of new accounts, archiving, client relations, electronic trading, payment and settlement, and market technical analysis.

“It is important to enlighten young minds on the importance of our profession and how they can participate in the dynamic field of stock trading. DFM’s Summer Training Program is an important initiative for bringing the public, especially young students, closer to our industry. It is also a good platform for enhancing the role of students in society and exposing them to practical environments that help hone their skills. We thank DFM for their recognition and look forward to collaborating with them on more of such worthwhile projects,” said Mohammad Al Mortada Al Dandashi, Partner and Managing Director, Al Ramz Securities.

Al Ramz is a member of the DFM where it has consistently ranked among the exchange’s top brokerages. In 2012 YTD Al Ramz was ranked first at the DFM in terms of market share.

The Abu Dhabi –based brokerage house provides retail and institutional services via branches in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Al Ain. It also participates in the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and Nasdaq Dubai. Over the past few years it has been expanding its workforce, operations, credentials and customer base despite regional and global challenges.

Al Ramz is the first UAE-based brokerage company licensed by the Emirates Securities and Commodities Authority to provide advisory services for customers. The Authority has authorized Al Ramz to provide trading and brokerage services outside the UAE as well.

Intersec 2013 set to cross 1000-exhibitor mark

With over 70% of space already taken up with four months left for the event, organisers of Intersec 2013 have their sights set on reaching the 1,000 exhibitor milestone. The region’s largest and most representative trade platform for safety, security and policing is expected to be 10% larger than the previous edition.


According to Epoc Messe Frankfurt, organisers of Intersec 2013, the continuing growth of the event can be put down to the burgeoning safety and security industry worldwide and the ongoing support of local authorities such as Dubai Police, Dubai Police Academy and UAE Civil Defence. These factors have made Intersec the region’s leading trade exhibition in the security, safety and protection industries.


Mr. Ahmed Pauwels, Chief Executive Officer, Epoc Messe Frankfurt, organiser of Intersec, stated: “We have strategically aligned the exhibition and conference with the perceived needs of the region’s security, safety and protection industries. The growth of the Dubai edition reflects the regional marketplace and we will continue to explore avenues which will help to further cement Intersec’s position as the leading trade fair of its kind for this industry.”


Intersec is divided into four vertical sections, namely Fire & Rescue, Safety & Health, Homeland Security & Policing and Commercial & Information Security. The Fire & Rescue section covers products and services within fire prevention & protection, firefighting equipment, emergency alarm & warning systems and rescue equipment. Already confirmed for the next edition include: Tyco Fire, SFFECO, Naffco, Bristol Fire, Underwriter Laboratories, Siemens and Honeywell Fire, to name a few.


The Commercial Security and Information Security section covers control & surveillance equipment, access control, monitoring & recording systems, and information security. Confirmed exhibitors for 2013 in this section include: Axis, Flir, Hikvision, Honeywell Security, Infinova, Lenel, Norbain, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, Tyco Security.


The Safety & Health section covers Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), environmental protection at work, safety at work equipment and health at work. Confirmed exhibitors within this section include: Allsafe, Ansell, Draeger Safety, Honeywell Life Safety, MSA and Scott to name a few.


Finally, within the Homeland Security & Policing section, which more than doubled for the 2012 edition Dubai Police and Dubai Police Academy have already confirmed their participation. The sector focuses on electronics, laboratory equipment and forensic science, logistics support equipment, mine clearance/bomb disposal, optics, physical security & detection.


The Homeland Security section has been further enhanced to include perimeter security and surveillance products as well as an increased focus on aviation security. Avon, Eastimage, Kaba, Streit Armored Cars, Proytecsa, Mezcal Security, Ulgen, Elektral, Turnstar, Prometal and Proximex, are amongst some of the exhibitors already confirmed for Intersec 2013 within the Homeland Security section.



Also running alongside Intersec is a growing number of fringe events and features. The 2013 edition will feature the 4th edition of the UAE Firefighters Challenge (formerly UAE FireFit Championships) which will see countries from the GCC and Europe compete in a range of tasks simulating real to life fire rescue experiences.


The 2013 conference series will feature: a Fire Safety Forum; the 2nd Global Network Conference on Emergency Medicine, supported by the European Society for Emergency Medicine (EuSEM) specifically targeted towards emergency physicians, nurses and technicians; and a Forum for Fire Safety in the Petrochemical sector.


Intersec is part of Messe Frankfurt’s global network of security trade fairs which also include Secutech India, Secutech in Taiwan, Secutech Thailand, Intersec Buenos Aires, Secutech Vietnam and Seguriexpo Buenos Aires.

GBI CEO Ahmed Mekky Makes Global Telecoms Business Power 100 List

Appointment reflects impact of GBI’s carrier-neutral business model and high capacity offering

AL Doha- Cairo, October 9th, 2012: Ahmed Mekky, Co-Founder, Board Member and CEO of Gulf Bridge International (GBI), has been listed amongst Global Telecoms Business Power 100 list of industry leaders and influencers. The GBI cable network went live earlier this year as the highest capacity and most geographically comprehensive in the MENA region, and the first within the region operated on a carrier-neutral business model.

“From a sketch on a napkin, to a network underpinning development of a burgeoning knowledge economy, GBI’s journey over the past three years has been truly remarkable,” said Mr. Mekky. “In a region run by consortiums, and without a more sophisticated – yet secure - ringed system, many said our vision could not be accomplished. Making it to this list reflects the success of our vision and underlines our continuing mission to bring industry-leading, carrier-neutral capacity to the Middle East.”

Activated in February, GBI is offering additional much needed capacity on the first Gulf network ever built in a ring configuration, with routing onwards to Europe, Africa and Asia. Most importantly, as the region’s first carrier-neutral operator, it is offering this secure capacity to any operator or ISP.. This means new operators can more easily break into the market, and existing operators can diversify their routing.

Outside of GBI, Mr. Mekky plays an active role in the global telecoms industry. He is the co-chair of the SAMENA Subsea Working Group, and a member of the Board of Governors of the Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC)

In Egypt, Mr. Mekky was recently appointed to the board of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency, ITIDA, which is the executive IT arm of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, MCIT. He is also on the Board of the Italian Egyptian Business Council which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization formed to facilitate and develop economic relations between Italy and Egypt

الرئيس التنفيذي لشركة جلف بريدج إنترناشونال أحمد مكي على قائمة 

"أقوى 100 شخصية في قطاع الإتصالات العالمية"

الإنجاز يعكس مدى تأثير نموذج أعمال جلف بريدج إنترناشونال وعروضها المميزة 

الدوحة- القاهرة، 10 أكتوبر 2012: أعلنت شركة جلف بريدج إنترناشونال عن خبر إدراج اسم أحمد مكي، المؤسس المشارك وعضو مجلس الإدارة والرئيس التنفيذي لشركة جلف بريدج إنترناشونال، ضمن قائمة أقوى 100 شخصية في قطاع الاتصالات العالمية التي تتضمن نخبة من قيادات القطاع والشخصيات المؤثرة. 

وكانت شركة جلف بريدج إنترناشونال قد قامت في وقت سابق هذا العام بتدشين شبكة كابلات الألياف الضوئية الخاصة بها، باعتبارها أفضل شبكة من حيث القدرات والأكثر حضوراً على الصعيد الجغرافي في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا، والأولى في المنطقة التي تعمل وفق نموذج عمل محايد تجاه شركات الاتصالات.

وقال السيد مكي: "من مخطط على ورق إلى شبكة تدعم التنمية الاقتصادية المبنية على المعرفة، كانت رحلة جلف بريدج إنترناشونال على مدى السنوات الثلاث الماضية متميزة بالفعل. وفي هذه المنطقة التي تدار أغلب شبكاتها من خلال تحالفات المشغلين ، وبنظام أكثر تطوراً وأماناً، اعتقد الكثيرون في البداية بعدم إمكانية تحقيق رؤيتنا. غير أن التصنيف ضمن هذه القائمة يعكس نجاح رؤيتنا ويؤكد مهمتنا المتواصلة من أجل تحقيق قدرات رائدة في القطاع، وتكريس منهج محايد تجاه شركات الاتصالات في الشرق الأوسط."

وقد تم تفعيل شبكة جلف بريدج إنترناشونال في فبراير الماضي، وتقدم الشركة سعات الإتصال على أول شبكة في الخليج تأخذ شكل حلقة تتصل بشكل كامل مع أوروبا وإفريقيا وآسيا. والأهم من ذلك، وبوصفها المشغل الأول في المنطقة المحايد تجاه جميع مشغلي الاتصالات، تقدم الشركة هذه الخدمات والسعات الآمنة لأية مؤسسة في المنطقة، ويعني ذلك أن المشغلين الجدد يمكنهم دخول السوق بسهولة أكبر، كما يمكن للمشغلين الحاليين من تنويع مسارات الربط الخاصة بهم.

وخارج نطاق جلف بريدج إنترناشونال، يقوم السيد مكي بدور فاعل في قطاع الاتصالات العالمي، حيث يشغل منصب الرئيس المشارك لمجموعة سامينا للأعمال، وعضو مجلس أمناء لمجلس الاتصالات الباسيفيكي (PTC).

وفي مصر، تم تعيين السيد مكي مؤخراً في مجلس أمناء وكالة تنمية قطاع تكنولوجيا المعلومات، ITIDA، والذي يعد الذراع التنفيذي لتكنولوجيا الاتصالات في وزارة الاتصالات وتكنولوجيا المعلومات. وهو أيضا عضو في مجلس إدارة مجلس الأعمال المصري الإيطالي، وهي منظمة غير حكومية وغير ربحية شكلت لتسهيل وتطوير العلاقات الاقتصادية بين مصر وإيطاليا.