Standard Chartered enhances branch customer service

Bank commits to serve teller customers within 8 minutes

UAE – November 19, 2012 – As part of Standard Chartered’s commitment to continuously improve its customer’s banking experience, the bank recently introduced an ‘8-minute teller service guarantee’ in the UAE. Teller service customers are now guaranteed to be served within an eight minute time frame across six of its branches across the UAE. The pledge will be rolled out to all of its 11 branches by the beginning of 2013.

To monitor and track the service pledge, the bank has introduced a new queuing system to its branches. If the pledge is not met, the Bank will donate AED 10 to ‘Seeing is Believing’, Standard Chartered’s global initiative to eliminate avoidable blindness by 2020.

Mohammed Al Mazemi, General Manager, Distribution - Middle East for Standard Chartered, said:

“Standard Chartered adopts a ‘customer focused’ approach when providing financial services to individuals. We review our service levels and customer satisfaction constantly and always look at ways to enhance their experience. The ‘8-minute teller service guarantee’ is a result of our continuous investment in improving our infrastructure and capabilities in the UAE.”       

The ‘8-minute teller service guarantee’ is currently available in six Standard Chartered branches in the UAE – Bur Dubai, Deira, Emaar Business Park, Dubai Mall, Al Najda and Al Ain.

Standard Chartered has been operating in the UAE since 1958 and has the largest distribution network among international banks with 11 branches, four Electronic Banking Units and more than 130 ATMs and CDMs.

Drake & Scull International Seals Strategic Warrants Transaction with Goldman Sachs International

[Dubai, 19 November, 2012] Drake & Scull International PJSC (DSI), a regional market leader in integrated design, engineering and construction disciplines of Civil Contracting, Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP), Water and Power, Oil and Gas and Rail announced today that it has entered into a strategic transaction with Goldman Sachs International “GSI”, whereby GSI has purchased warrants in the Company.


These warrants have a notional value equal to AED 147 million which represents approximately 8.5% of the company’s market capitalization. The maturity of the warrants is 5 years and can be exercised by GSI any time after 2 years. Upon exercise of the warrants, GSI’’s economic exposure will be cash settled (subject to a pre-agreed maximum cash settlement amount).

Commenting on the transaction, Osama Hamdan, CFO of DSI said, “We are excited to have completed this transaction with Goldman Sachs International and we look forward to working together in the future”.

DED, Dubai World Central sign MOU to promote ‘aerotropolis’

Agreement covers licensing and registration, export development, foreign investment, events and promotions, and SME support development

18 November, 2012

The Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai and the Dubai Aviation City Corporation (DACC), the entity responsible for the development of Dubai World Central (DWC), the world’s first purpose-built aerotropolis, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a framework for mutually beneficial cooperation to promote the customer base, world-class infrastructure and facilities of DWC.

The MoU was signed by His Excellency Sami Al Qamzi, Director General, Department of Economic Development, and Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman, Dubai Aviation City Corporation.

DWC will take advantage of the resources and expertise of the DED and its agencies to jointly undertake various initiatives that meet their respective commercial and strategic objectives to drive the economic growth and prosperity of Dubai. The key areas covered by the MoU are licensing and registration, export development, foreign investment, events and promotions, and SME support development.

Sami Al Qamzi said: “As the chief government authority responsible for implementing and co-ordinating initiatives that enhance Dubai’s business leadership, we consider Dubai World Central as an integral component of the long-term economic agenda of Dubai Government and central to its efforts to establish the emirate as the region’s premier aviation and logistics hub. We are therefore looking forward to collaborating with DWC as part of our mandate to achieve sustainable economic development in Dubai.”

Khalifa Al Zaffin, Executive Chairman, Dubai Aviation City Corporation, said: “Our partnership with the DED underlines the importance of the strategic support of Dubai Government to realising the vision of Dubai World Central to be a world-class aviation and logistics hub. Moreover, DWC and DED will work together to reinforce the economic drivers of Dubai and contribute to achieving the goals of the Dubai Strategic Plan. We will continue to establish strategic alliances with key government and private sector entities in line with DWC’s mission to serve as a catalyst for growth and long-term economic and social development in Dubai and across the region.”

Rashed Bu Qara'a, Chief Operating Officer, Dubai Aviation City Corporation, said: “The agreement with the Department of Economic Development will give Dubai World Central better access to government resources and expertise to develop policies, regulations and best practices that are strongly aligned with the economic initiatives and goals of Dubai Government. This is an important initiative that complements our efforts to promote DWC’s state-of-the-art aviation and logistics facilities and groundbreaking multi-modal infrastructure.”

Under the agreement, DWC and DED will share expertise on the policies, procedures and regulations for the registration and licensing of individual entrepreneurs, commercial enterprises and professional organisations. They will also explore initiatives for promoting flexible commercial operations at DWC. Moreover, through Dubai Exports, the export development agency of DED, both parties will cooperate in promoting the world-class facilities and efficient export processes at DWC as well as the products and services at the purpose-built aerotropolis.

The agreement also means DWC, in co-association with Dubai FDI, the foreign direct investment (FDI) promotion office in DED, will review and investigate areas for improving economic policies and regulations to attract new FDI to DWC as well as define, establish and promote new initiatives to establish country-specific business hubs at DWC.

The MoU covers all future events to be held at DWC such as the Dubai Airshow and the Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA). Through the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE), both parties will ensure that such events are well publicised through the Dubai Calendar and other initiatives of DEPE.

DWC and Dubai SME, the DED agency mandated to develop the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector will also work together to define, establish and promote new initiatives to support entrepreneurs and establish DWC as a platform to foster SME growth.

Following the signing of the agreement, the DED officials were taken on a tour of Dubai World Central, to provide them a detailed overview of the infrastructure facilities and the various elements of DWC. DED officials also visited the facilities of Integrated National Logistics (INL), a total logistics solutions leader having a new Central Distribution and Logistics Centre, the largest single-site warehousing complex in the UAE.

GBC Leveraged To Compete With Global Players

Supply chain and logistics sector contributes to 14% of GDP

UAE, Dubai, November 2012: One of the region’s leading specialist B2B consultants, Gray Business Consulting (GBC), has further raised the bar with the appointment of Jonathan Guyer to head their Logistics and Supply Chain practice.

Guyer is considered by industry insiders as a leading expert, underscored by more than three decades of multi-sector experience, giving him global, regional and local expertise.

His most recent remit was with the international food giant – the nutrition, health and wellness company, Nestlé. His scope at Nestlé included leading Supply Chain Integration in Saudi Arabia, as well as heading the groups’ regional operational performance improvement activities from Dubai.

“Jonathan’s unique understanding and depth of the logistics sector of the region, together with his well-rounded management and leadership skills make him a key element of our expansion plans,” said GBC’s senior partner, Barry Gray.

Citing a recent study by the Supply Chain and Logistics Group (SCLG), which suggests that 14 per cent of UAE’s GDP can be attributed to the supply chain and logistics sector, Gray noted that this appointment is timely and integral to the business portfolio of GBC.

“Indeed, I believe that this winning combination of sector expertise and leadership skills – a mixture that is often a challenge to find in niche consultants – stands him ahead of the crowd. I know that Jonathan demonstrates strong coaching and leadership abilities, and truly leads by example. Additionally, he is an experienced practitioner of goal alignment and structured performance improvement initiatives. ”

Gray believes Guyer’s appointment gives GBC the leverage to compete with global consulting organisations and play in a wider field of opportunities.

“Jonathan won an Award from the National Council of Logistics in South Africa in recognition of initiatives he introduced for improvement of the country’s logistics sector. He is seen as a truly world class consultant with commendable insight in to the MENA region,” he concluded.

Gulf Business Consultancy operates across the Arabian Gulf and offers business development and performance improvement consultancy to local and regional businesses.

SAS hosts Visual Analytics Roadshow to help Kuwaiti companies strategically manage and visually explore big data

Event to empower participants on how to develop business critical analysis, reports and responses based on available data

November 18, 2012


SAS®, the leading provider of business analytics software and services, is looking to empower companies and organizations in Kuwait on how to manage and visually explore big data through a specifically hosted Visual Analytics roadshow to be held on November 19, 2012 at the Al Dana Ballroom of the Sheraton Kuwait. The event is expected to throw the spotlight on SAS Visual Analytics, a high performance solution that allows users to explore big data using high-performance, in-memory capabilities to collect precise insights faster and publish results to the web and on mobile devices. During the roadshow, Carel Badenhorst, Head of Technology Practice, SAS Middle East Africa, Turkey & Pakistan, will talk about how easy and intuitive it is to work with the new SAS solution and how users can explore large data sets.


According to SAS senior executives, the event is expected to attract the participation of company decision makers, analysts, statisticians and data scientists, who will widely benefit from using SAS Visual Analytics in developing business critical analysis, reports and responses that are based on all available data. SAS Visual Analytics combines an easy-to-use dynamic interface with powerful in-memory technology to enable all types of users in visually exploring big data; execute analytic correlations on billions of rows of data in minutes or seconds; gain insights into what the data means and deliver the results quickly wherever needed, be it online or through mobile devices. The new solution is part of the SAS High-Performance Analytics family. Using SAS Visual Analytics will allow today’s companies and organizations to apply the power of SAS Analytics across massive amounts of data—virtually exploring at the speed of sight.


"The Middle East has demonstrated an increased demand for a strategic solution that can help manage and process massive amounts of complex data. The challenge lies in how to manage unstructured data coming from many sources like PCs, laptops, tablets, databases, social media channels and other data sources. This roadshow is aimed at showcasing the immense advantage and benefits to be gained from using SAS Visual Analytics. Our goal is to teach participants how to explore large data sets and even how to deliver results on the web or on mobile devices like the iPad," concluded Badenhorst.


To register please visit:http://www.sas.com/reg/offer/ae/visualanalytics_seminar_kuwait_2012

More than 90% of Businesses in the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey Have Less than 500 Employees, According to Midmarket Communications Solutions Leader Avaya

-       Regional SMBs want similar features and functionality as larger business, but at a lower cost of ownership

-       Avaya introduces its latest end to end solutions for small and mid-sized enterprise with Avaya IP Office 8.1

-       IDC estimates that IT spending in the midmarket will reach more than $24 billion across the Middle East and Africa by 2015

Dubai, UAE, November 14, 2012 -- Recognizing that more than 90 percent of businesses in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey have fewer than 500 employees, Avaya has introduced a game-changing suite of midsized business solutions for unified communications and networking at GITEX 2012 . Research conducted by T3i Group as well as Avaya’s own insight into the midmarket indicates that companies with between 100-500 employees want similar features and functionality as larger businesses, but at a lower cost of ownership because IT budgets and resources are more limited and managed in-house.

New solutions are being introduced by Avaya, aimed at the mid-market, to help this segment realize the benefits of improved communications. The wide range of options now available in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey for communications and collaboration via voice, messaging, video conferencing, web-based applications, and more, will increase employee accessibility and collaboration, whether they are in the office, working at home, or on the road so companies and staff can deploy the most effective communication style for whatever their situation demands.

Additionally, Avaya IP Office 8.1—which can serve SMEs as small as 5 employees—now scales up to 500 users in a single location. This gives mid-sized companies a more cost-effective, simplified way to manage more people on a network across one or multiple sites. It also provides Avaya business partners with new opportunities to provide their growing base of mid-market customers with an affordable, yet high-capability collaboration solution. IP Office 8.1 can also be paired with Avaya’s recently introduced ERS 3500 switches to automate network set-up. One simple command automatically configures the switches and enables IP phones on Avaya IP Office.

Analyst group IDC estimates that IT spending in the midmarket will reach more than $24 billion across the Middle East and Africa by 2015, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE contributing significantly to this investment.  The challenges faced by the region’s smaller and medium businesses include competing against larger, better-resourced organizations, engaging new customer to grow their operations, and improving profitability while lowering costs.  Avaya’s midmarket communications solutions, which are more comprehensive and multi-featured than any other alternatives in the regional market, address these specific issues for SMBs in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey.

QUOTES:

“Seeing that 90 percent of the market in the UAE and Middle East are SME’s making them a huge factor in a successful economy, it is detrimental that they are equipped with the best solutions at a reasonable cost. The products and technologies mid-size companies invest in these days must provide solid and significant value in helping them fulfil their business objectives while addressing specific challenges. With this in mind Avaya just completed our midmarket road show throughout the Middle East, Africa and Turkey to properly equip our channel partners with the resources and solutions needed to address the Midmarket community.”

-       Nidal Abou-Ltaif, VP Middle East, Africa and Turkey

وفقاً لشركة «أفايا» الرائدة في تطوير حلول الاتصالات الخاصة بالسوق المتوسطة

أكثر من 90% من الشركات في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وأفريقيا وتركيا تمتلك كادر من أقل من 500 موظف

·      الشركات الصغيرة والمتوسطة في دبي، الإمارات العربية المتحدة، 14 نوفمبر 2012: باعتبار أن أكثر من 90% من الشركات في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وأفريقيا وتركيا تمتلك كادر يتألف من أقل من 500 موظف، أعلنت شركة «أفايا» عن طرح حزمة مبتكرة من حلول الاتصالات والشبكات الموحدة الخاصة بالشركات المتوسطة وذلك على هامش مشاركتها ضمن فعاليات أسبوع جيتكس للتقنية 2012. وقد أشارت الأبحاث التي أجرتها مجموعة T3i للدراسات مقرونة برؤية شركة أفايا الخاصة بالسوق المتوسطة إلى رغبة الشركات التي تتألف من 100 إلى 500 موظف بالحصول على خدمات ووظائف مشابهة لتلك التي تعتمدها الشركات الأكبر ولكن بتكلفة أقل، نظراً لمحدودية ميزانياتها ومواردها الخاصة بتقنية المعلومات والإدارة الداخلية لهذه الموارد.

وتستهد حزمة الحلول الجديدة التي طرحتها شركة أفايا بشكل خاص السوق المتوسطة، وذلك بهدف مساعدة هذا القطاع على تحقيق الفوائد المرجوة من الاتصالات المتطورة. وتتاح حالياً هذه المجموعة الواسعة من الخيارات في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وأفريقيا وتركيا، وتتضمن خدمات الاتصالات والحلول التشاركية عبر الصوت، وتطبيقات التراسل، والمؤتمرات المرئية، والتطبيقات المبينة على شبكة الإنترنت والعديد غيرها من الخدمات، التي ستعمل على زيادة سهولة تواصل وتشارك الموظفين، سواءً كانوا في المكتب أو في المنزل أو في طريقهم إلى العمل، مما يمكن كلاً من الشركات والموظفين على حد سواء من اعتماد أكثر وسائل الاتصالات فعالية والتي تلبي جميع مطالبهم وحالاتهم.

كما ارتفعت مرونة العمل بنظام الاتصال الهاتفي Avaya IP Office 8.1، والذي يتيح إمكانية تخديم الشركات الصغيرة والمتوسطة حتى تلك التي لديها كادر مكون من 5 موظفين، لتبلغ 500 مستخدم في موقع واحد، مما يقدم للشركات المتوسطة أسلوب مبسط ومجدي اقتصادياً لإدارة عدد أكبر من الأشخاص العاملين على شبكة واحدة في موقع واحد أو أكثر. كما أنه يتيح لشركاء أفايا التجاريين فرصاً جديدةً لتزويد قاعدة عملائهم المتنامية في السوق المتوسطة بحلول سهلة وذات قدرة تشاركية عالية. كما يمكن مزامنة نظام IP Office 8.1 مع محولات الإثرنت الجديدة من أفايا ERS 3500 بحيث تعمل على أتمتة عملية إعداد وتهيئة الشبكة. وبأمر واحد بسيط يتم بشكل تلقائي تهيئة المحولات وتفعيل هواتف الإنترنت IP Phones على نظام الاتصالات Avaya IP Office.

ووفق تقديرات مؤسسة «أي دي سي» المتخصصة في أبحاث السوق فإن حجم الإنفاق على قطاع تقنية المعلومات في السوق المتوسطة سيتجاوز عتبة 24 مليار دولار أمريكي في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وأفريقيا بحلول العام 2015، وذلك بمساهمة كل من المملكة العربية السعودية والإمارات العربية المتحدة بشكل كبير في هذا الاستثمار. وتتمثل التحديات التي تواجه الشركات الصغيرة والمتوسطة في المنطقة في منافسة المؤسسات الأكبر والتي تتمتع بموارد أفضل، واستقطاب عملاء جدد لتسريع وتيرة نمو عملياتها، وتحسين الربحية مقابل تخفيض التكاليف. وتعالج حلول الاتصالات الخاصة بالسوق المتوسطة من شركة "أفايا"، والتي تعتبر أكثر شمولية ومتعددة المزايا من أي بدائل أخرى في السوق الإقليمية، هذه القضايا المرتبطة بالشركات الصغيرة والمتوسطة في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وأفريقيا وتركيا.

وفي هذا الصدد، قال نضال أبو لطيف، نائب رئيس منطقة الشرق الأوسط وأفريقيا وتركيا لدى أفايا: "باعتبار أن 90% من الأسواق في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة والشرق الأوسط تتألف من الشركات الصغيرة والمتوسطة، فهي تشكل أحد أهم عوامل نجاح ونمو الاقتصاد، ومن الواجب أن يتم إعداد وتجهيز هذه الشركات بأفضل الحلول وبتكاليف معقولة، إذ يجب أن تقدم المنتجات والتقنيات التي تستعين بها الشركات المتوسطة هذه الأيام قيمة كبيرة وثابتة لمساعدتهم على تحقيق أهداف أعمالهم ومواجهة التحديات التي يمكن أن يواجهونها. وبأخذ هذا الأمر بعين الاعتبار، فقد أكملت شركة أفايا مؤخراً العرض الخاص بالسوق المتوسطة في جميع أنحاء الشرق الأوسط وأفريقيا وتركيا، وذلك من أجل تزويد الشركاء وقنوات التوزيع بالموارد والحلول اللازمة لمعالجة تحديات السوق المتوسطة".