Mastercard helps expand financial inclusion in Pakistan by optimizing National ID cards with e-payment functionality

Citizens can use their identity cards to conduct financial transactions and receive government disbursements as well as remittances

Cairo, Egypt – January 18, 2017: Mastercard, a leading technology company in the global payments industry, announced a strategic collaboration with Pakistan’s NADRA Technologies to optimize National ID cards with electronic payments functionality. The move will allow Pakistani citizens to carry out financial transactions and receive government disbursements by utilizing the unique 13-digit identification number of their identity card. Citizens will also be able to use their National ID to send and receive domestic and international remittances, eliminating the requirement to physically visit a bank branch or currency exchange house to meet their money transfer needs.

Under the terms of the agreement, Mastercard will also use its next-generation payment processing technologies to process all online payments made by Pakistani citizens for the issuance of National ID cards, passports or any other document provisioned by NADRA Technologies.

The announcement was made during Mastercard’s participation in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2017, taking place from 17-20 January in Davos, Switzerland.

“This is a huge step forward in our efforts to expand financial inclusion in Pakistan,” said Khalid Elgibali, Division President, MENA, Mastercard: “As the nature of personal and business transactions becomes more sophisticated, Mastercard is dedicated to pioneering solutions that enable payments in a swift, convenient and reliable manner. We are excited to partner with NADRA Technologies to turn the National ID card into a singular touch point for payments and remittances, and thus open up avenues that minimize handling of cash in favor of a more secure electronic payment method.”

"مولانا" يتخطى الـ 7 ملايين جنيه بعد أسبوعين من طرحه في دور العرض

القاهرة - 18 يناير 2017 -منذ طرحه في أكثر من 60 دار عرض في مختلف أنحاء الجمهورية نجح فيلم "مولانا" في تخطي حاجز  الـ 7 ملايين جنيه بعد أسبوعين فقط من عرضه.

جدير بالذكر أن فيلم "مولانا" نال العديد من إشادات النقاد وخبراء صناعة السينما الذين توقعوا أن ينال الفيلم نجاحاً جماهيرياً نظراً لما يجمعه من عوامل النجاح المختلفة، حيث تشهد دور العرض إقبالا جماهيرياً كبيرا.

فيلم مولانا هو مأخوذ عن رواية الكاتب الصحفى ابراهيم عيسى وهو من اخراج مجدى أحمد على والذى قام بكتابة السيناريو. كما يعد الفيلم هو عودة للنجم عمرو سعد إلى الشاشة الفضية حيث يقوم بدور الشيخ حاتم الشناوى والذى يرصد الفيلم رحلة صعوده من امامة الصلاة فى مسجد حكومى إلى أن يصبح داعية تلفزيوني شهير يملك حق "الفتوى" التي يتلقاها الملايين بالإعجاب لجرأته ومحاولاته للخروج قليلاً عن مألوف الحديث السائد في مجتمع متأثر بدعاوى التشدد السلفي. ويشارك فى هذا العمل الضخم مجموعة كبيرة من النجوم ومنهم درة وأحمد مجدى وبيومى فؤاد ورمزى العدل و ريهام حجاج وصبرى فواز ولطفى لبيب وأحمد راتب وفتحى عبد الوهاب وغيرهم وهو من إنتاج شركة IProductions.

Egyptian Adventurer Omar Samra achieves Three First Ascents in Antarctica

Samra Climbs Six New Routes and Names One ‘The Egyptian Direct’

Art Exhibition to Showcase Illustrations, Photos and Videos of the Trip

Cairo 15 January 2017 – In a 10-day trip on the Antarctic ice, Egyptian adventurer Omar Samra recently made a ground breaking achievement as he succeeded in becoming the first person in history to climb three mountains in Antarctica, called a ‘first ascent’ in climbing terminology. Samra, who named the mountains after his family, climbed seven mountains in total, of which six were via new routes, which he also got to name and one of which he named ‘The Egyptian Direct’.

“Making a first ascent has always been a dream of mine. However, exploration is not just about going to someplace first; it’s about trying to become the best version of ourselves every day of your life. And to do so we need to constantly work hard to explore where our boundaries lie and then push them even further still. It is in these precious moments that we can truly discover what we were born to do", said Omar Samra.

An art exhibition is planned on the 18th of February in Zamalek, where Omar will give a talk about the trip, joined also by the artist Tarek Abdelkawi and gallery curator Alya Sabry. The gallery will showcase the trip’s artistic illustrations, photography and videos. Visitors will also be given the opportunity to interact and engage with the art work through an audio and visual experience as well as have the opportunity to sample some of Samra’s mountaineering gear that kept him safe and warm in the world’s highest, coldest and driest continent on earth.

This is Samra’s third trip to this remote and isolated part of the planet in the South Pole. His first visit was in January 2012, where he successfully reached the summit of Vinson Massif (16,050 feet), the highest mountain on the Antarctic continent, part of the 7 Summits challenge. His second trip was in December 2014, where he succeeded in becoming the first Egyptian to ski to the South Pole as part of achieving the Explorer’s Grand Slam title, a challenge that has only been achieved by less than 40 people in history. 

Blue Ocean Public Relations

HID Global Demonstrates Access Control and Identity Management Innovations in a Connected Environment at Intersec 2017

News Highlights:

• In an increasingly connected world, HID Global will highlight extending functionalites of the access control device beyond the door to create convenience for users and operational efficiencies across an organisation.
• As part of the company’s mobility initiative, HID Global will demonstrate new capabilities for its award winning HID Mobile Access® solution including its new App and Portal Software Developer Kits (SDKs).
• HID Global’s mobility solutions at Intersec 2017 will showcase how organisations can achieve an enhanced user experience, greater convenience and a wide choice of applications and mobile devices for your employees and visitors

DUBAI, UAE, January 16, 2017,  

(Hall S1 Stand B-11) – HID Global®, a worldwide leader in trusted identity solutions will highlight its customer-centric mobility solutions during Intersec 2017, which are witnessing a rise in end-user demand in the Middle East. Demonstrations will range from how applications such as office access, time and attendance and secure printing using HID Mobile Access® can be connected in a secure and convenient manner in our networked world of today right to how to establish proof of presence using HID Global’s unique trusted tag services.

“Mobility is on the rise in the Middle East and end-users are increasingly investing in mobile access control solutions providing them the flexibility to incorporate new and better capabilities to deliver a more satisfying experience,” said Wisam Yaghmour, Regional Sales Director MEA with HID Global. “We provide organisations with a connected environment, which blends identity management and physical access control solutions to deliver a highly secure and convenient experience for end-users giving them the choice to use a smartphone, tablet, or wearable to enter controlled areas or networks.”

From January 22-24 January at Sheikh Saeed Hall 1, Stand B 11 at Dubai World Trade Centre, HID Global will demonstrate its extensive portfolio which will give visitors a hands-on understanding of how to address real-world secure identity challenges. Top demonstrations include:

• HID Mobile Access®: The company will be showcasing new HID Mobile Access capabilities, including support for wearables such as the Apple Watch and Android Wear. The company’s new HID Mobile Access Portal and App software developer kits (SDKs) enable partners and end-users to create innovative, customised mobile access solutions that can be fully integrated into their back-end systems. The solution supports Bluetooth and NFC. It is powered by Seos technology and from a distance via Bluetooth Smart and HID Global’s patented “Twist and Go” gesture technology.

• Access control and identity management solutions in a connected environment: HID Global will display access control applications beyond access to a door. The company will highlight how to connect an identity within the organisation in multiple ways including office access, time and attendance, secure printing, parking and vending.

• Card Personalisation Solutions: The latest Direct-to-Card (DTC®) FARGO® DTC5500LMX ID Card Printer/Encoder designed to meet high-volume, card issuance demands of large government agencies, universities, healthcare facilities and other large enterprises.
• Quantum Secure (part of HID Global): The company will highlight its SAFE solution, a web-based solution that focusses on automating and simplifying physical identity and access management to identify potential risks and obtain actionable intelligence.
• HID Trusted Tag® Services: HID Global will showcase its services that combine HID Global’s patented Near Field Communication trusted tag technology (NFC Tags) and cloud-based authentication platform to add unique and trusted identities to everyday objects that can be read by NFC-enabled mobile devices.

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Nestlé S.A. Signs Agreement to Acquire Egyptian Instant Coffee Company “Caravan”

Reaffirming its Commitment to the Egyptian Market:

 

– Nestlé SA announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire Caravan Marketing Company SAE (“CMC”), a leading Egyptian instant coffee company owner of the Bonjorno brand.

The acquisition reflects Nestlé’s ambition to invest in Egypt and foster the development of the rapidly growing soluble coffee segment which has been gaining popularity among Egyptians.
Mr. Yasser Abdulmalak, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé Egypt: “We are pleased to conclude the signature of this agreement. Our investments and expansion plans in Egypt reflect the importance of this market to us. In the last 5 years Nestlé has made investments close to 1 Billion EGP in manufacturing and distribution facilties as well as skill development. We will continue to invest in the Egyptian market and this acquisition comes as a reaffirmation of that.”
Mr.Abdulmalak added: “The acquisition will capitalize on the complementary strengths of the two brands Nescafé and Bonjorno, accelerating the development of the soluble coffee market in Egypt.  We are proud that Bonjorno a local brand loved by many Egyptians, will become part of our wide portfolio of international brands. We are keen on ensuring a smooth integration process in the best interest of the business and all employees.This is an exciting growth opportunity in a dynamic category. The acquisition will combine Nestlé’s strong marketing & innovation capabilities with Caravan’s distribution model and significant presence in retail. The blend of people from the two organizations will create a leading team, ideally suited to drive future growth.”
Caravan Marketing was established in 2003 as a marketing and distribution company. The company serves the Egyptian market with a range of soluble coffee products, using its own factory.

تأكيداً على إلتزامها بزيادة استثماراتها بالسوق المصرية:
نستله توقع إتفاقية شراء للشركة المصرية "كارافان للتسويق"للقهوة سريعة التحضير
 

القاهرة 17 يناير 2017.

وقعت اليوم شركة نستله، إتفاقية لشراء شركة كارافان للتسويق - شركة مساهمة مصرية ("CMC") – وأحدى الشركات الرائدة في تصنيع القهوة سريعة التحضيرتحت العلامة التجارية (بونجورنو).
و تعكس عملية الشراء طموح شركة نستله في الاستثمار فى السوق المصرى وتؤكد إهتمامها بالإسراع فى تطوير قطاع القهوة سريعة التحضير، والذي أخذ في إكتساب شعبية كبيرة بين المستهلكين المصريين فى الاونة الاخيرة.
وقد صرح السيد/ ياسر عبد الملك رئيس مجلس الإدارة والرئيس التنفيذى لشركة نستله مصر بالاتى: "نحن سعداء بعقد هذا الإتفاق الذى يعكس قوة إستثماراتنا و خطتنا المستقبلية لهذا السوق الواعد. ففي الخمس سنوات الماضية بلغت إستثمارات نستله فى مصر قرابة المليار جنيه فى مجالات التصنيع و التوزيع  بالاضافة الى تنمية المهارات. وسوف نستمر في الإستثمار بالسوق المصرية فى الأعوام المقبلة و يأتي هذا الإتفاق ليكون بمثابة تأكيد على ذلك".

وأضاف السيد/ عبد الملك: " نحن حريصون على الاستفادة من نقاط القوة لدى كل من العلامتين التجاريتين (نسكافيه) و (بونجورنو)، والإسراع في تطوير سوق القهوة سريعة التحضير في مصر. كما أننا فخورون بأن (بونجورنو)، وهى العلامة التجارية المحلية و المحبوبة من قبل الكثير من المستهلكين المصريين، سوف تنضم الى عائلة نستله.

و يعد هذا الاتفاق فرصة واعدة لنمو هذا القطاع الحيوى, و سيتم الاستفادة من قوة (نستله) فى تطوير و تسويق المنتجات و العلامات التجارية العالمية مع قوة (كارافان) فى التوزيع و الانتشار. كما ان هذا المزيج من المهارات و الطاقات البشرية بالشركتين سوف يخلق فريق عمل متميز قادر على تحقيق النمو و النجاح. و فى النهاية نؤكد حرصنا على ان تتم عملية الدمج بشكل سلس و ايجابى يصب في مصلحة كل من العاملين والشركة."
من جانبه صرح السيد / عمرو بركات رئيس مجلس ادارة شركة (كارافان) المنتجة ل(بونجورنو): "نحن سعداء بهذه الخطوة التى تأتى استكمالا للنجاح الذى حققته العلامة التجارية (بونجورنو) على مدى السنوات الماضية. و نحن على ثقة بأن شركة (نستله), و هى الشركة الرائدة عالميا فى مجال الأغذية و المشروبات , سوف تحرص على توفير فرص استثمارية أكبر و انتشار أوسع و فتح مجالات للتصدير ل (بونجورنو) بالأضافة الى اتاحة فرص مستقبلية متعددة للعاملين بالشركة".

تأسست شركة كارافان للتسويق في عام 2003 لتسويق وتوزيع القهوة سريعة التحضير، وذلك لخدمة السوق المصرية المحلية .