BenQ’s innovative monitors take the gaming world by storm

United Arab Emirates- May 12, 2016-(ME NewsWire)- If you are a gaming enthusiast, the one thing you would not want to compromise on is your monitor. In fact, to get the most out of the latest first-person shooter (FPS) games, sports, racing, and other fast-action games, not only will you need a gaming PC with a powerful graphics solution, a monitor that can display the action without subjecting you to blurred images, flicker, tearing, and other motion artifacts is an absolute must.

This is where BenQ, a professional gaming monitor pioneer and one of the world’s leading human technology and solutions provider, steps in. BenQ has taken gaming to the next level with its innovative and revolutionary monitors, tailor-made for gaming enthusiasts interested in hardcore gaming genres. Its gaming monitors offer a well-balanced choice between image quality, image response time, power consumption and screen size, thus delivering a smooth and immersive gaming experience.

BenQ entered the competitive gaming monitor market in 2006, with a commitment to take eSports to the next level. In 2010, working alongside eSports legends, BenQ innovated the first gaming monitor, XL2410T, which was designed for eSports professionals with 120Hz refresh rate and cutting-edge gaming features. With the constant dedication to eSports, BenQ has been supporting worldwide gamers by sponsoring global tournaments, including the Official Gaming Monitor sponsor with IEM since 2011 with BenQ XL monitors.

Ever since, the company has been offering more and more innovative products and constantly upgrading the whole concept of gaming. In order to deliver a better viewing experience, BenQ moved from 120 Hz monitors to 144 Hz monitors, which provide a new image every seventh millisecond. The refresh rate being better, the gaming experience automatically transcends to the next level.

The company’s gaming monitors range from the XL Series to the RL Series, and the XR Series. Each offers distinctive advantages, catering to different requirements. The XL Series is geared towards speed and accuracy for FPS games, enabling professional gamers to take advantage of the super-fast 144Hz response rate and razor-sharp clarity.

The RL Series focuses on image clarity and ease of use for RTS, MOBA and fighting games. It provides seamless navigation, unprecedented control and ultimate comfort for handling the intensity of the competition in every way.

The XR Series boasts of the world’s first 35-inch curved gaming monitor, with 2000R ultra high curvature (highest in the market), and the fastest refresh rate.

The flagship product of the XL Series, the XL2730Z, goes the extra mile, offering the finest, smoothest and fastest gaming performance with QHD resolution for the most detailed images, 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms GTG response time, and Motion Blur Reduction to support fast-action gaming. Besides, it comes with the VESA DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync for minimized tearing and stuttering. The XL2730Z also boasts of BenQ’s proprietary gaming features designed by legendary gamers to bring out the very best in professional gamers and gaming enthusiasts.

As for the XR3501, its massive 35-inch curved display, featuring the best color graphics, 2000R ultra curve all-covered field of vision, 2560x1080 resolution, Black eQualizer for total visibility, and the highest refresh rate available today, makes it the ultimate gaming machine. The action on the screen fills the gamer’s periphery, eliminates any distractions and creates a true real-world gaming experience. The XR3501 delivers a stunning picture (with a 21:9 aspect ratio), so the gamer can see what is coming on the track. With such a wide range of gaming monitors, majority of the gaming cafes in the region are equipped with BenQ Monitors. BenQ caters to various other segments, such as gaming resellers, LFRs (Large Format Retailers), and E-Commerce websites. And to add value to the gamer’s money, the company offers a three-year warranty in all regions with Free Pickup-Repair-Delivery services in selected countries.

Says Manish Bakshi, Managing Director, BenQ Middle East & Turkey, “BenQ’s Gaming monitor series holds approximately 60% of the gaming café market in the region. We are working closely with one of the topmost Repute partner-Royal Focus to make this happen. Our partnership with the biggest retail brands in the region allows us to bring our Gaming monitors to the audience at Sharaf DG, Emax, Plug Ins, Jumbo and soon to be available at Jacky’s.

Gamers prefer our monitors for their unique features. Fighting Mode and HDMI Output for console games, as well as all the latest features from 1ms GTG to Flicker-free Technology, Black eQualizer, Low Blue Light Technology and Height Adjustment Stand with Precision Scale System, are some of the features you will find in our monitors. Added to the latest features and innovation of our product line, is the three years warranty offered with every product.”

With the gaming industry in the Middle East expected to grow to $4.4bn in 2022, BenQ is ready to unleash innovative offerings for serious gamers looking for the ultimate immersive gaming experience

• About BenQ Corporation

Founded on the corporate vision of "Bringing Enjoyment 'N' Quality to Life", BenQ Corporation is a world-leading human technology and solutions provider, aiming to elevate and enrich every aspect of consumers' lives. To realize this vision, the company focuses on the aspects that matter most to people today - lifestyle, business, healthcare and education - with the hope of providing people with the means to live better, increase efficiency, feel healthier and enhance learning. Such means include a delightfully broad portfolio of people-driven products and embedded technologies spanning digital projectors, monitors, interactive large-format displays, digital cameras and camcorders, mobile computing devices, and lighting solutions. Because it matters.

• About BenQ Group

The BenQ Group is a $22+ billion powerhouse comprising 15+ independent companies, operating in over 30 countries, with a combined workforce of over 100,000 employees. Each Group member is a recognized leader in its own field, contributing to BenQ Group's distinct strategic strengths. By leveraging each company's vertical specialization to create true scale across horizontal markets, the BenQ Group controls a highly efficient value chain with the unrivaled ability to deliver critical components and world-class solutions in the following industries: TFT-LCD, green energy, fine chemicals and advanced materials, lighting, IC design, precision components, system integration, branded business, and service. The Group is committed to profitable and sustainable businesses that share its long-standing vision of Bringing Enjoyment 'N' Quality to Life.

*source: ME NewsWire

The release can be read online:

http://me-newswire.net/news/17864/en

شاشات بينكيو المبتكرة تعصف بعالم الألعاب الإلكترونية

الإمارات العربية المتحدة- 12 مايو 2016 – ("إم إي" نيوز واير)- في حالة ما إذا كنت أحد المتحمسين للألعاب الإلكترونية، فإن الشيء الوحيد الذي قد لا تريد المساومة عليه هو شاشة العرض الخاصة بك حيث أنه في واقع الأمر، لكي تتمتع بأهم وأميز وأحدث ألعاب الرماية والألعاب الرياضية والسباق وغير ذلك من ألعاب الأكشن السريعة، فإنك لست بحاجة إلى كمبيوتر ألعاب يتمتع بخصائص جرافيك مميزة فحسب، بل يمكن أيضاً لشاشة العرض أن تجنبك التعرض إلى الصور الضبابية  واهتزاز وتقطع مشاهد العرض وغير ذلك من خصائص العرض الأخرى.

وهذا هو الأمر الذي يجعل من بينكيو أحد رواد شاشات الألعاب الإلكترونية المهنية وواحدة من أهم وأحدث مزودي الوسائل والحلول التقنية في مجالها حيث تمكنت بينكيو من الانتقال إلى المستوى التالي من الألعاب من خلال الشاشات المبتكرة والحديثة التي تمكنت من توفيرها والتي صممت خصيصًا للولعين بالألعاب الإلكترونية الذين يرغبون في التعامل مع أصناف الألعاب الإلكترونية الصعبة. كما تعرض شاشات الألعاب الإلكترونية التي تمكنت من التوصل إليها اختيارات متوازنة بين نوعية الصور ووقت الاستجابة للصور واستهلاك الطاقة وحجم الشاشة وبالتالي، تقديم خدمات ممارسة الألعاب المميزة والسلسلة.

ودخلت شركة بينكيو في سوق شاشات الألعاب الإلكترونية التنافسي عام 2006 ومن خلال الالتزام بنقل الألعاب الرياضية الإلكترونية إلى المستوى التالي وفي عام 2010 ومن خلال العمل إلى جانب أساطير الألعاب الرياضية الإلكترونية، تمكنت بينكيو من ابتكار أول شاشة للألعاب الإلكترونية ألا وهي اكس ال 2410 تي والتي صممت خصيصًا لمحترفي الألعاب الرياضية الإلكترونية حيث تعمل بمعدل متجدد يصل إلى 120 هيرتز كما تتمتع بخصائص تدعم الألعاب الإلكترونية المميزة. ومن خلال تكريس العمل بشكل مستمر في مجال الألعاب الرياضية الإلكترونية، تمكنت بينكيو من أن تكون أحد المتخصصين في مجال دعم الألعاب الرياضية في العالم من خلال رعاية الأحداث العالمية بما في ذلك راعية شاشة الألعاب الإلكترونية الرسمية من خلال شركة أي اي ام منذ عام 2011 باستخدام الشاشات اكس ال الخاصة بالشركة.

ومنذ ذلك الحين، قامت الشركة بعرض المزيد والمزيد من المنتجات المبتكرة وقامت بشكل مستمر بتطوير مفهوم الألعاب الإلكترونية بشكل كامل ولكي تتمكن من تقديم خبرات أفضل في هذا المجال، قامت بينكيو بالانتقال من الشاشات التي تعمل بقوة 120 هيرتز إلى الشاشات التي تعمل بقوة 144 هيرتز والتي تقدم صورة جديدة كل سبع ثواني ومن خلال تحسين معدل التجديد، تنتقل خبرات الألعاب الإلكترونية بشكل تلقائي إلى المستوى التالي.

كما تتراوح شاشات الألعاب الإلكترونية الخاصة بالشركة من سلاسل اكس ال إلى سلاسل ار ال وسلاسل اكس ار حيث تقدم كل سلسلة مزايا فريدة وتفي بمختلف المتطلبات الواردة، حيث تعمل سلاسل اكس ال على تزويد سرعة ودقة الألعاب الرياضية الإلكترونية وتمكن ممارسي الألعاب الإلكترونية المحترفين من الاستفادة من معدل الاستجابة الذي يكون في غاية السرعة بمعدل 144 هيرتز ووضوح الرؤية بشكل في غاية القوة.

في حين أنه تركيز سلسلة ار ال على وضوح الصورة وسهولة استخدام ألعاب ار تي اس وموبا وألعاب القتال حيث تقدم مزايا تصفح وقدرة غير مسبوقة على التحكم وسهولة التعامل مع شدة المنافسة في كافة الأحوال.

وتعزز سلسلة اكس ار من شاشات الألعاب الإلكترونية الرائدة في العالم المنحرفة بمقدار 35 بوصة من خلال أعلى معدل للميل والانحراف يصل إلى 2000 (الأعلى في السوق) وأسرع معدل للتجديد.

ويتخطى المنتج الرائد في مجال القيادة سلسلة اكس ال و اكس ال 2730 زيد المزيد والمزيد من الأميال مقدمًا أسهل وأسرع أداء في مجال الألعاب من خلال دقة صورة شاشة اتش كي ودي لمعظم الصور الواردة بشكل أكثر تفصيلاً ومعدل التجديد الذي يصل إلى 144 هيرتز ووقت الاستجابة والحد من ضبابية الصورة لدعم الألعاب ذات الأحداث السريعة. وإلى جانب ذلك، يتم تزويدها بمنفذ الشاشة فيزا المكيف الذي يعمل على الحد إلى أقصى درجة ممكنة من تقطع الصورة وتعطلها كما تعزز سلسلة اكس ال 2730 زيد من خصائص الألعاب التي تخضع لملكية بينكيو والتي يتم تصميمها من خلال أساطير ممارسي الألعاب الإلكترونية.

وفيما يتعلق بسلسلة اكس ار 3501، فإنها تعتبر أفضل شاشات الألعاب المميزة على الإطلاق وذلك من خلال ما تتمتع به من شاشة ضخمة مائلة بمقدار 35 بوصة ومن خلال الصور الواردة بأفضل ألوان ممكنة ومجال الرؤية المشمول بشكل كامل فوق المنحنيات بمعدل 2000 ار ودقة الشاشة التي تتراوح ما بين 2560 × 1080 والمعادل الأسود لإجمالي الرؤية وأعلى معدل تجديد متاح في الوقت الحالي ويظهر الحدث بكامل الشاشة أمام ممارس الألعاب مما يمنع أي ارتباك ويجعله يعتقد كما لو كان يمارس اللعبة في الواقع. كما تعمل سلسل اكس ار 3501 على تقديم صورة لامعة وواضحة (من خلال نسبة التعرض التي تصل إلى 21: 9)، لذا، يمكن لممارس الألعاب الإلكترونية رؤية ما هو قادم في الطريق. ومن خلال هذا النطاق الواسع من نظم رصد الألعاب، تقوم بينكيو بتزويد العديد من القطاعات الأخرى والتي يأتي من بينها محلات بيع الألعاب بالتجزئة ومحلات البيع بالتجزئة الكبرى والمواقع الإلكترونية التجارية الأخرى. ولزيادة قيمة ممارس الألعاب الإلكترونية، تقوم الشركة بتقديم ضمان لمدة ثلاث سنوات في كافة المناطق من خلال خدمات الالتقاط المجاني – التصليح – التسليم في البلدان المحددة.

وصرح السيد/مانيش باكتشي، العضو المنتدب لشركة بينكيو في الشرق الأوسط وتركيا قائلاً: "تمتلك شاشات الألعاب الإلكترونية الخاصة بشركة بينكيو ما يقرب من 60 % من سوق الألعاب في المنطقة كما أننا نعمل عن كثب مع واحد من أهم الشركاء في العالم ألا وهو رويال فوكس لتحقيق ذلك حيث تسمح لنا الشراكة مع أكبر شركات البيع بالتجزئة في المنطقة بتوفير الشاشات الخاصة بالألعاب الإلكترونية إلى الجمهور في كل من شرف دي جي وإيماكس وبلجنز وجامبو وقريبًا سوف يتم إتاحتها في جاكي".

كما أضاف أنه "يفضل ممارسوا الألعاب الإلكترونية الشاشات الخاصة بنا لما تتمتع به من مزايا فريدة كما يمكنك الحصول على بعض المزايا التي يأتي من بينها حالة القتال ومخرج اتش دي ام اي لألعاب التحكم وكذلك أحدث المزايا بداية من 1 ام ا سجي تي جي وحتى الوسائل التقنية غير المهزوزة والمعادل الأسود ووسيلة الإنارة الزرقاء المنخفضة وأعلى منصة تعديل إلى جانب أجهزة القياس الدقيقة من خلال الشاشات التي نقوم بتوفيرها. وبالإضافة إلى أحدث المزايا وابتكار خط المنتجات الخاص بنا، يتم تقديم ضمان لمدة ثلاث أعوام مع كل منتج".

ومن خلال صناعة الألعاب في الشرق الأوسط التي من المتوقع أن تنمو بمعدل 4,4 مليار دولار عام 2022، تعتبر بينكيو على استعداد لإسدال الستار عن العروض المبتكرة لأهم ممارسي تلك الألعاب الذين يتطلعون إلى الوصول إلى أفضل ألعاب ممكنة.

نبذة عن مؤسسة بينكيو:

بعد أن تم تأسيسها تحت الشعار التجاري "الاستمتاع بنوعية الحياة"، تعتبر مؤسسة بينكيو أحد أهم مزودي الوسائل والحلول التقنية الرائدة في العالم والتي تهدف إلى الرفع من مستوى التقنيات ودعم كافة أوجه حياة المستهلك ولتحقيق تلك الرؤية، تركز الشركة على الأوجه التي يهتم بها الناس في الأوقات الحالية والتي يأتي من بينها نمط الحياة والأعمال التجارية والرعاية الصحية والتعليم آملين في تزويد الناس بكافة الوسائل التي تمكنهم من العيش بشكل أفضل وزيادة الفعالية والنشاط والشعور بحالة صحية أفضل وتعزيز التعليم. وتتضمن تلك الوسائل محفظة المنتجات المستخدمة من جانب الأشخاص والتي تضفي مزيد من البهجة والسرور عليهم والوسائل التقنية التي يأتي من بينها أجهزة العرض الرقمية والشاشات وشاشات العرض الكبيرة التفاعلية والكاميرات الرقمية وكاميرات الفيديو وأجهزة الهواتف المتحركة وحلول الإنارة.

  نبذة عن مجموعة بينكيو

تبلغ قيمة رأس مال مجموعة بينكيو 22 مليار دولار أمريكي حيث تضمن 15 شركة مستقلة وتعمل في ما يزيد عن 30 دولة وما يزيد عن 100,000 موظف وتعتبر كل شركة في المجموعة رائدة في مجالها حيث تساهم في تعزيز القوة الإستراتيجية المميزة لمجموعة بينكيو. ومن خلال رفع مستوى تخصص كل شركة لإنشاء نطاق صادق في الأسواق الأفقية، تقوم مجموعة بينكيو بمراقبة أعلى سلسلة من القيم الفعالة من خلال القدرة غير المسبوقة على تسليم المكونات الهامة والحلول العالمية في المجالات الصناعية التالية: الوسائل التقنية وشاشات العرض والطاقة النظيفة والمواد الكيميائية والمواد المتقدمة والإنارة وتصميم الدوائر المتكاملة والمكونات الدقيقة ودمج الأجهزة والأعمال التجارية المميزة والخدمات. وتلتزم المجموعة أمام رجال الأعمال الذين يتمكنوا من تحقيق الأرباح والاستدامة المطلوبة من خلال تبادل الرؤية طويل الأمد في جلب الاستمتاع بنوعية الحياة.

المصدر: "إم إي" نيوز واير

Skilling for Change initiative empowers 16,000 women through financial literacy training, creating over 2,300 new businesses and 1,500 new jobs

Cherie Blair highlights project achievements during her participation in World Economic Forum Africa meeting in Kigali

LONDON, United Kingdom, May 12, 2016/ -- Over 2,300 new businesses and 1,500 new jobs have been created in two years by Rwandan women entrepreneurs involved in Skilling for Change, a unique collaboration between the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women (http://www.CherieBlairFoundation.org), Accenture and CARE International. The project launched in 2014 with the aim of supporting 15,000 rural Rwandan women to secure long-term economic independence by providing them with the skills, knowledge and tools they need to turn their micro enterprises into profitable and sustainable businesses. To date, it has provided financial literacy and investment readiness training to 16,146 women engaged in CARE International’s Village Savings and Loan Associations in the districts of Rulindo and Gicumbi. Through the project, 2,353 women have started new businesses, with over 1,535 new jobs being created Rwanda has one of the fastest growing economies in Sub-Saharan Africa, and boasts one of the highest levels of financial inclusion in east Africa. But there are still significant gender gaps in economic activity. Research shows that in 2014, 28% of women had access to a bank account, compared to 38% of men – a gap of 10 percentage points. In 2015, this gap had increased to 15 percentage points, with 31% of women having access to a bank account, compared to 46% of men(1). As the country’s economic development progresses, it is crucial that women are able to access the opportunities afforded by such growth. Skilling for Change aims to address the gender gap in economic activity and puts a special focus on empowering women to access financial services. To date, Skilling for Change has linked 3,530 women to formal financial services, over 1,145 of whom have accessed a loan. The project has also collaborated with the Kenya Commercial Bank in Rwanda to roll out a range of products to enable women to access savings and loans via mobile phones. A number of women have also been trained to become mobile banking agents, so that they can process financial transactions for others in their local communities. Cherie Blair, Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and wife of former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, is participating in the World Economic Forum meeting in Kigali. She said, “Women entrepreneurs have the potential to shape Africa’s economic future. The success of my Foundation’s Skilling for Change project in Rwanda has shown that when women are given the skills and tools they need to flourish, entire communities and economies benefit. Unlocking the full potential of women entrepreneurs is crucial to driving growth across Africa, and, indeed, the world.”   Skilling for Change is supported by Accenture’s corporate citizenship initiative (http://www.apo.af/uFi1yo), Skills to Succeed, which is equipping more than three million people around the world with the skills to get a job or build a business. Laurie Lee, CEO of CARE International, said, “Putting women at the centre of development efforts is a catalyst for fighting poverty. When women are empowered to make and control their own money, the impact on their own lives and the lives of their families can be nothing short of life-changing.” (1) The World Economic Forum, Global Gender Gap Report: 2015: http://reports.weforum.org/global-gender-gap-report-2015/ 2014: http://reports.weforum.org/global-gender-gap-report-2014/  Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.

FOR THE SEVENTH YEAR: AUC STUDENTS EARN OUTSTANDING DELEGATION AWARD IN NY NMUN

May 12, 2016, Cairo – For the seventh year in a row, AUC students competing in the New York National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference earned the Outstanding Delegation Award. In addition, AUC students competing in the Model Arab League conference received four awards: two distinguished delegations and two outstanding delegations.

AUC's Cairo International Model United Nations (CIMUN) sent two teams, made up of 39 delegates, to the conference: one representing the Republic of the Congo and the other representing Tuvalu, a small island in the pacific. Delegations were sent from 500 universities from the United States and several international universities totally more than 5,000 student participants.

Every year, the top delegations are honored with awards in three categories; honorable mention, distinguished delegation and outstanding delegation — the most prestigious award. Not only did the AUC delegation representing the Republic of Congo receive the outstanding delegation award this year, the smaller team acting as Tuvalu was given the distinguished delegation award.  In addition, AUC was honored with a committee-specific outstanding delegation award for the Commission on the Status of Women. “This makes AUC among the top five or six universities out of 500,” said Walid Kazziha, political science professor and adviser to the team.  “It is great because we are comparing ourselves not only to regional organization but also to academic institutions worldwide.”

Mariam Ibrahim an LLM graduate student, CIMUN's graduate advisor and one of the head delegates, echoed the same sentiment. “The one thing that surprised us in New York was that every delegate we selected surpassed any and all expectations,” she said. “They worked with hundreds of other delegates in a variety of councils on a wide array of topics with the utmost professionalism and, in many cases, our students led blocs composed of more than 70 delegates.”

Delegates are placed in different committees covering topics like security, public health, sustainable development and the economy.  The goal of each delegate is to negotiate issues while staying true to the stance of the member country they represent. The delegates discuss, debate and negotiate and must work together to write resolutions, which are voted for ratification.

Students who participated in the conference were assigned committees and the topics for discussion before they went to New York, so extensive research and preparation were key. “They did a very good job preparing themselves,” said Kazziha. “These students are mature and they work very hard.  I work closely with the students and deal with them as equals.”

Ibrahim and Ramy Mubasher, the head delegates and members of CIMUN's high board, vetted and hand-picked the AUC students who represented the CIMUN. “Those 39 students we selected exhibit excessive passion, perseverance and an unparalleled academic edge,” said Ibrahim. “They are all excellent public speakers, have brilliant leadership skills and their trainings at CIMUN prepared them to write substantive resolutions at the NMUN conference."

Ibrahim also pointed out that the benefits of CIMUN go far beyond the academic sphere.  “We leave CIMUN as well-rounded individuals who are more than capable of discussing any political, social, economic or developmental issues in a diplomatic and objective manner,” explained Ibrahim.  “We learn how to be open to a wide array of opinions and accept them regardless of how much they may vary from our own. We also learn how to articulate our opinions in a respectful and diplomatic manner.”

The students in CIMUN have already begun honing the next generation of collegiate diplomats, organizing Junior CIMUN and Cairo International Model Arab League (CIMAL) programs and holding competitions for high schools students.  “AUC acts as a host for high school students from around Egypt,” said Kazziha.

At this year's Model Arab League conference in Washington, D.C. 20 AUC students participated in a delegation that represented Saudi Arabia.

“There were eight councils in the conference, and we had representatives in all of them,” said Kazziha. “It is an unprecedented achievement for AUC. Our University scored the highest number of awards among those who participated.”

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Marka Announces Q1 2016 Financial Results

• Grows revenue to AED 75,730,000
• Currently operates 50 stores and outlets
• Expansion plans on track to build hospitality and fashion/beauty portfolio

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 12 May 2016: Marka PJSC (DFM: MARKA), the first retail-focused listed company in the UAE, today released its interim financial results for the first quarter of 2016. For the three months ending 31st  March 2016, the company reported total revenue of AED 75,730 million. Total losses reported for the period were AED 18,138 million, however the net operating loss for Q1 2016 was AED 4,979 million.

Khaled Almheiri Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Marka, said, “Despite the challenging economy as a backdrop to its operations, Marka continues to make progress on its business plan to build a portfolio of exciting and profitable hospitality and fashion/beauty brands. With the competent leadership of our Board of Directors and our experienced team of hospitality and retail experts, I am confident about our ability to deliver long-term value for our shareholders and improved results for the remainder of 2016.”

For 2016, Marka is planning to open four new Reem Al Bawadi restaurants, three new Cheeky Monkeys Playland & Sweet Surprises outlets, and one Modell’s Outlet in Al Ain. These openings planned for the year follow the company’s recent announcement of its first move outside of the UAE that will see it launch Morelli’s Gelato ice cream, fashion brands City Chic and Weill, and jewelry house dinh van in Qatar during Q3 2016, as well as an announcement of an agreement to launch ten franchised outlets of Cheeky Monkeys in Saudi Arabia over the next five years.

Operational Highlights, Q1 2016:

• Reem Al Bawadi opened in Ras Al Khaimah
• Cheeky Monkeys Playland & Sweet Surprises opened in Ras Al Khaimah
• Nike Store opened in Al Ain
• City Chic stores opened in Ras Al Khaimah, Dubai and Sharjah
• dinh van, Carven and Essentiel opened in Dubai’s CITY WALK Phase 2
• ICONS first two store-in-store Dubai outlets opened in Modell’s Mall of the Emirates and City Center Mirdiff

Marka currently operates 50 outlets across its portfolio of hospitality and fashion/beauty brands. Over the next two years, the company is planning to double this number.

GE and Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship Partner with Social Entrepreneurs to Improve Maternal and Child Health Outcomes in Africa

Selected social entrepreneurs from Nigeria Ghana, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, South Africa and Angola will be taken through a detailed training programme

LAGOS, Nigeria, May 11, 2016/ -- GE (NYSE: GE) (www.GE.com) and Santa Clara University’s Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship have announced a partnership that focuses on training and mentoring social entrepreneurs working on maternal and child health innovations in sub-Saharan Africa. The program enables more women to experience better health by improving the quality, accessibility, and affordability of care. The healthymagination Mother & Child program aims to help social enterprises addressing maternal and/or child health strengthen their business models, refine business plans, reinforce organizational development, manage talent, and learn how to scale sustainably. Enterprises that provide infrastructure services or facilities associated with needs from pregnancy to pediatric care are also eligible to apply. The program is being offered to 15-to-20 selected participants. Selected social entrepreneurs from Nigeria Ghana, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, South Africa and Angola will be taken through a detailed training programme. Other countries where the social entrepreneurs who apply will be screened include Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Senegal. Participants will learn business fundamentals and how to improve strategic thinking. If selected they are expected to articulate a business plan that demonstrates impact, growth, and long-term financial sustainability. The programme includes 6-month’s of online training during which participants will be matched with a Silicon Valley leader who will guide them on how to develop a scalable enterprise. The programme begins in July with an in-person event in Nairobi; and ends with an investor showcase in February 2017, also in Nairobi. To be considered for the program, qualified leaders of social enterprises need to apply by May 18, 2016. Selected finalists will be announced after a formal review and interview process by a panel of judges from GE and Miller Center. “This program supports GE’s long track record in developing innovations for emerging markets while increasing positive health outcomes,” said Sue Siegel, CEO, GE Ventures and healthymagination. “We are excited to join Miller Center to accelerate the growth of social enterprises and commercialize innovative ideas while serving as a resource for entrepreneurs working to improve access, affordability and quality of maternal and child health in sub-Saharan Africa.” “We share GE’s healthymagination vision for innovating new ways to address global health challenges,” said Dr Thane Kreiner, Executive Director, Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship. “The partnership between GE and Miller Center highlights the potential for social entrepreneurship to improve maternal and child health in a region of the world that has limited access to skilled health care providers.” For more information on the program and application, visit http://www.scu.edu/mother-and-child   Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of GE.