Winning entry announced for The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award 2017

Sculptural installation inspired by desert environment wins prestigious annual award

Abu Dhabi, January 29, 2017: Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan Al Nahyan, NYU Abu Dhabi, in partnership with Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), has announced NYU Abu Dhabi alumna and current graduate student at La Sorbonne, Anna Kurkova, as the winner of the fifth edition of The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award.

The winning submission, titled DUNESCAPE, will be unveiled on Wednesday, April 26 and will be on display until Thursday, May 11 at the NYU Abu Dhabi Campus. DUNESCAPE is a sculptural installation that merges modernist architecture with the natural beauty of the desert, exploring the relationship between urban development and the natural world. The project inspires viewers to reflect upon the past while contemplating the future in the context of their immediate surroundings.  

Professor Eric Fouache, vice chancellor at Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi said: “We are very proud of our students who demonstrate talent and limitless capacities on many different levels. Thus, The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award is a great innovative platform that provides students with an opportunity to further explore their creativity potential. It is such a pleasure for us to be represented in this award by one of our own, the very talented master’s student Anna Kurkova who is enrolled in the History of Art & Museum studies program.”

H.E. Hoda Al Khamis-Kanoo, founder of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) says: “Since its launch in 2013, The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award has firmly established itself as a remarkable platform for nurturing the artistic practice of promising young UAE-based practitioners. Year after year, it has challenged emerging artists to push the boundaries of artistic expression and intellectual exploration in the most fascinating directions. The applications received for the Award’s fifth edition this year were extremely impressive in terms of both concept and vision. I congratulate all those who were shortlisted and look forward to following the development of Anna Kurkova’s sculptural installation, DUNESCAPE.”

His Highness Sheikh Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, renowned writer and a guest member of the selection committee this year, said: "The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award is an opportunity to acknowledge some of the best young artistic talents as well as their mentors and the institutions that have provided them with support. Since its inception five years ago, The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award has become one of the most important art competitions in the region."

Members of the permanent selection committee for the award are, His Excellency Zaki Nusseibeh, NYUAD Provost Fabio Piano, ADMAF Founder Her Excellency Hoda Al Khamis-Kanoo, and artist Azza Al Qubaisi.

Award Director Emily Doherty, said: “In this our fifth year of The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award, the quality of the applications we are now seeing is extraordinary. We are delighted for Anna and are looking forward to working with her to now realise the proposed artwork, to be unveiled in Christo's presence at NYUAD in April. We hope, as always, that the commission to exhibition process will be a great experience for Anna and provide a platform from which to launch her professional career.”

Shortlisted entries included projects from American University of Sharjah titled Tempus, Tannoura, Celestial Cupola and Wihda – Unity. The five finalist entries were selected for their inspirational creativity, reflecting the aim of the annual award to encourage young artists to hone their visionary passion into a tangible project from which they may launch a career in the arts. The Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award 2017 was open to UAE residents and full-time students who are currently in higher education institutions or have graduated in the past five years.

Below is a full list of the 2017 award winning entries, student names and mentors:

Winning entry:
NYU Abu Dhabi / La Sorbonne
DUNESCAPE – Anna Kurkova
Mentor – David Darts

Runners up:
American University of Sharjah
TEMPUS - Indrajith Aravinda Gamage, Abdurrahman Baru
Mentor – Patrick Rhodes

American University of Sharjah
TANNOURA - Nishita Vinodrai, Nouran Sharaf El Deen, Sima Mounia
Mentor – Gregory Spaw

American University of Sharjah
CELESTIAL CUPOLA - Amer Madhoun, Sara Halawi

Mentor – Ammar Kalo

American University of Sharjah
WIHDA - UNITY - Mohammad Abualhuda, Raghad Alali, Mohammad Rowaizak
Mentor – Camilo Cerro

Reserve your romantic table this Valentine’s Day at West 14th

Celebrate the most romantic day of the year by treating your loved one to a gourmet meal at West 14th on Palm Jumeirah.

Specially for Valentine’s Day on Tuesday 14th February, the culinary team at West 14th has crafted a mouth-watering set menu to be served on the restaurant’s stunning outdoor terrace, or at a romantically appointed table on the beach. Both locations boast stunning views of the Dubai Marina skyline and tables will be dressed with flowers and covered in candlelight. For complete privacy, there is also the option to hire one of the six exclusive cabanas on the beach.

With menu choices including the signature sirloin steak from the butchery and roasted cod with slow-cooked octopus, there is something to suit even the most discerning palate. End the meal on a sweet note with the ‘Two Hearts as One’ duo of white chocolate and cherry mousse, dark chocolate and raspberry ganache dessert.

The Valentine’s Day menu at West 14th costs AED 175 per person. Guests can indulge in a bottle of bubbles for just AED 100 extra.

Book now to avoid disappointment, as outdoor tables will be allocated on a ‘first come first served’ basis.

To reserve your romantic table or to find out more, please call 04 447 7601 or email reservation@west14th.ae.

SUMMARY

What: Valentine’s Day meal at West 14th.

Where: On the terrace and the beach at West 14th on Palm Jumeirah.

When: Tuesday 14th February from 7pm

How much: AED 175 per person, plus an optional AED 100 extra for a bottle of bubbles.

How to book: Call 04 447 7601 or email reservation@west14th.ae.

All activities are subject to change and guests are advised to visit the West 14th social media pages for updates in advance of their visit. Log on to Facebook.com/West14thUAE and Instagram @west14thsteakhouse.

Making A Service Level Agreement With Your Hosting Services Provider

By Sachin Bhardwaj, eHosting DataFort, Director, Marketing & Business Development

With the increasing adoption of Managed and Cloud services, where either an entire or a part of IT function is outsourced to a third-party services provider, the need for unambiguous, easy to apply and easy to follow service agreements are becoming more important. The level of effort that goes into preparation of a Service Level Agreement (SLA) between a services provider and the end-customer, is usually proportionate to the duration of the engagement. Typically, a longer term contractual engagement will have more detailed and rigorous descriptions.

A Service Level Agreement is defined as an official undertaking between a Hosting Services Provider and an end-customer. This agreement describes various aspects of the service including quality, availability, and responsibilities. The SLA converts the Hosting Provider’s services into a known function. This is particularly important where continuity and consistency of services from the Hosting Provider is important for the end-customer.

In fact, SLAs are now widely used in a range of IT related services. These include IT administration services, managed application services, Cloud Computing, amongst others. Another spin off is the use of SLAs by IT teams within an organisation to manage the expectations of in-house stakeholders and customers. This helps the IT team of the organisation to have its services justified, measured and benchmarked with other external IT service providers.

Hosting Service Providers need such agreements in order to manage customer expectations. They also need to define the situations under which they are liable and not liable for deviations from the expected performance. For the end-customer having a prepared SLA allows the services of one provider to be objectively compared with another.

A well written and legally comprehensive SLA may include as many as two dozen different heads. This covers Definitions and Interpretation, Term of Agreement, Service Provider’s Obligations, Client’s Obligations, Fees and Payment, Provision of the Hosting Services, Service Levels, Scheduled Downtime, Service and Performance Monitoring, Confidentiality, Intellectual Property Rights, Termination, Post-Termination, Liability and Indemnity, Nature of the Agreement, Severance, Relationship of the Parties, Notices, Law and Jurisdiction, etc.

Notwithstanding the above, a few of the more important clauses used in a Hosting Services Provider agreement appear below:

• Services - This is a detailed description of the services that will be provided and the end-customer groups that will receive specific services.

• Availability - This is a description of the uptime limits of a service. The service may also be described in terms of performance, business expectations and outcomes. The higher the availability requirement, the more expensive the service.

• Downtime- This is a description of the situation when the service is not available, exclusions for responsibility and force majeure, and the process of rebate linked to established failure.

• Response time- This is a description of the time to respond and rectify based on the nature of the failure or complaint.

• Escalation - For an externally hosted service, especially when there are time zone differences, this description is the most important for rectification of a fault. Going through a help desk or call centre repeatedly may not ensure timely rectification of the fault.

• Schedules for notification- This describes the lead time required to be provided when there are any planned shutdowns or disruptions in the service. Planned maintenance cycles are usually known well in advance and can be built into business outcomes.

• Benchmarks - This is a description of the parameters used to gauge the upkeep of the SLA and the point of responsibility for producing, monitoring and escalating these benchmarks.

• Help desk - This is a description of how the help desk will respond based on the nature of the complaint or fault and the end-customer flagging the complaint.

In conclusion, just because a Service Level Agreement exists, it does not mean that the service provider and the end-customer will meet each other's expectations. Leveraging the terms in the Service Level Agreement must be the means of last resort. There is much that can also be accomplished without resorting to it.

Wilo Middle East Showcases latest German technologies at HVACR Expo Saudi, Jeddah

The Middle Eastern regional platform of the German company Wilo SE, gave customers an overview of its energy savings circulation pumps

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, January 29, 2017-(ME NewsWire) Wilo Middle East FZE, the leading pump manufacturer Headquartered in Germany, took part in the second edition of the HVACR Expo Saudi, the country’s largest dedicated air-handling and refrigeration event in the region. The expo, which was held at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events from 15-17 January 2017, presented a valuable networking opportunity for customers and the chance to view Wilo’s latest range of German technologies in HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning) products.

The wide range of energy savings products showcased at the expo included include Yonos Pico, Stratos Pico, Stratos, Yonos Maxo; the energy-efficient hot-water heating systems, air-conditioning systems and closed cooling circuits. The newly enhanced pumps can now deliver to systems based on actual need thanks to the efficient "Q-Limit" operating mode, and boast a new and improved energy efficiency index of 0.20 or less.

Also on display at HVACR Expo Saudi is the Wilo-Split case pump, the Axially spilt case pump mounted on a baseplate, which pumps heating water in accordance with VDI  2035 water/glycol mixtures, cooling/cold water and domestic hot water applications in municipal water supply, irrigation, building services, general industry, power stations, etc.

Commenting on Wilo’s participation in the expo, Bishara Khalil – Managing Director, Wilo Middle East FZE said: “With 51 per cent market share across the GCC, Saudi Arabia is the world’s third largest market for Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration. With multi-billion dollar developments and mega projects in the pipeline; the demand for energy-efficient HVACR products, services, and technologies is set to double.”

For his part, Khaled Al Salama, Country Manager KSA, Wilo Middle East stated: “The HVACR Expo Saudi has been a significant opportunity for our existing clients and new potential customers with huge potential in the HVAC business to discover our latest ground-breaking products. Wilo, the leading and strongest industrial German brand in pumping systems, has long been known for its strong product portfolio. Building on our 144 years of experience, we will further endeavor to help decision makers in the HVAC sector in Saudi Arabia make the best use of our wide range of products to keep their business running smoothly with our highly efficient pumps.”

About Wilo Middle East

Wilo Middle East has had a presence in the Middle East for over 20 years through its local distributors. With growing markets in the building technologies sector and the introduction of high-efficiency pumps, customer requirements for technical support and services have become more urgent. This prompted Wilo SE to establish a direct presence in the region in 2006 by opening its first Middle East office at Techno Park, in Dubai. 

In 2008, Wilo Middle East moved to Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone, where it became the WILO SE Group's Headquarters for the entire Gulf region as well as Yemen. In November 2010, a new facility in south (JAFZA), Dubai was inaugurated to accommodate the company’s regional business expansion.   

ويلو الشرق الأوسط تعرض أحدث التقنيات الألمانية في المعرض الدولي السعودي لأنظمة التدفئة والتهوية والتكييف والتبريد (HVACR Expo Saudi)

منصة الشرق الأوسط التابعة لشركة "ويلو إس إي" الألمانية تقدم للعملاء كافة أنواع المضخات الموّفرة للطاقة

دبي، الإمارات العربية المتحدة – 29  يناير 2017-( "إم إي نيوز واير")- شاركت "ويلو الشرق الأوسط"، وهي الشركة الرائدة في صناعة المضخات والتي يقع مقرها الرئيسي في ألمانيا، في فعاليات المعرض الدولي السعودي لأنظمة التدفئة والتهوية والتكييف والتبريد (HVACR Expo Saudi) بدورته الثانية، الذي يعدّ الحدث المتخصّص الأبرز في هذا القطاع في المنطقة. وشكّل المعرض، الذي استضافه مركز جدة للمنتديات والفعاليات في جدة بالمملكة العربية السعودية ما بين 15 و 17 يناير الحالي، فرصة قيّمة للتواصل بين العملاء ولإستعراض أحدث التقنيات في مجال منتجات التدفئة والتهوية والتكييف والتبريد التي توصّلت إليها "ويلو الشرق الأوسط"، التي تعتبر منصة الشرق الأوسط التابعة لشركة "ويلو إس إي".

وتشمل المجموعة الواسعة من المنتجات التي عرضت في المعرض كلاّ من Yonos Pico، وStratos Pico، و Stratos، وYonos Maxo، الأنظمة المتكاملة للتدفئة والماء الساخن الموفّرة للطاقة، وأنظمة تكييف الهواء ودوائر التبريد المغلقة المقدّمة من "ويلو". وتسمح المضخات الجديدة والمحسّنة بإيصال المياه إلى الأنظمة بحسب الحاجة الفعلية، بفضل نظام التشغيل "كيو ليميت" (Q-Limit) الفعال، كما تتميز بمؤشر كفاءة استخدام الطاقة جديد ومحسّن بالكامل من 0.20 أو أقل.

كما تمكّن زوار المعرض الدولي السعودي لأنظمة التدفئة والتهوية والتكييف والتبريد (HVACR Expo Saudi)  والعملاء من التعرف الى مضخة Split case pump من "ويلو"، مضخة الطرد المركزي المقسومة محورياً والمثبّتة على قاعدة معدنية، التي تضخ مياه التسخين بموجب معيار "في دي آي 2035" لمنع أضرار التآكل، والمضخات التي تعمل بمزيج الماء وسائل التبريد (إيثيلين جليكول)، ومضخات المياه الباردة في أنظمة التدفئة والتبريد والمياه الباردة؛ بالإضافة الى مضخات المياه الساخنة المنزلية وأنظمة الري وإمداد المياه وخدمات البناء والصناعات العامة ومحطات توليد الطاقة، الخ.

وقال بشارة خليل، المدير العام لشركة "ويلو الشرق الأوسط" في سياق تعليقه: "تحتل المملكة العربية السعودية الصدارة في المنطقة بنسبة 51 في المائة من حصة السوق عبر دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي، وهي ثالث أضخم سوق للتدفئة والتهوية وتكييف الهواء والتبريد على مستوى العالم. وفيما تشهد المملكة تنفيذ مشاريع تطوير عملاقة بقيمة مليارات الدولارات الأمريكية، من المتوقع أن يزداد الطلب على منتجات وخدمات وتقنيات التدفئة والتهوية والتكييف والتبريد الموفّرة للطاقة."

من جانبه، قال خالد السلامة، مدير مبيعات المملكة العربية السعودية لدى "ويلو الشرق الأوسط": "لقد شكّل المعرض الدولي السعودي لأنظمة التدفئة والتهوية والتكييف والتبريد فرصة كبيرة للإلتقاء بعملائنا الحاليين واستقطاب عملاء جدد لإكتشاف أحدث منتجاتنا وتقنياتنا الرائدة، في قطاع التدفئة والتكييف والتبريد وإمداد المياه والتصريف والصرف الصحي والعمليات الصناعية ذات الإمكانات الهائلة. تعدّ شركة "ويلو" من أبرز وأقوى العلامات التجارية الألمانية الصناعية في مجال المضخات وأنظمة المضخات، وقد اشتهرت حول العالم بفضل محفظة منتجاتها القوية. ومن خلال اعتمادنا على خبرتنا المميزة التي تمتد على مدى  144 عاماً، سنواصل السعي لمساعدة صناع القرار في قطاع التدفئة والتهوية والتكييف والتبريد في المملكة العربية السعودية على تحقيق الإستخدام الأمثل من مجموعتنا الواسعة من المنتجات لكي يحافظوا على حسن سير أعمالهم بفضل مضخاتنا عالية الكفاءة."

Al Tayyar extends strategic partnership with Amadeus

• Enhanced cooperation to expand reach of innovative services and build competitiveness of region’s corporate travel sector

Riyadh, 29 January 2017: Al Tayyar Travel Group, one of the largest travel and tourism companies in the region, as part of its sustained efforts to contribute to the development of the corporate travel sector, has signed a new partnership agreement with Amadeus, one of the leading providers of advanced technology solutions for the global travel industry.

The agreement extension till the year 2020 will transform the existing relationship between Amadeus and Al Tayyar to a strategic partnership, and expand their cooperation from the local level to the Middle East and North Africa. The signing of the agreement marks a step forward in ensuring the delivery of quality services to a wider customer base across the region.

Al Tayyar Group’s decision to upgrade the partnership with Amadeus to the regional level is in line with its intensive projects and investments in the e-commerce, travel and tourism industries, as well as its global expansions.

Mr. Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Dawood, Managing Director & CEO of Al Tayyar Travel Group, said: “As a major company in the regional travel sector, Al Tayyar has been building on the solid foundation of our existing relationship with global travel solutions providers like Amadeus. Our vision is to find innovative ways to meet the needs of the market and create new avenues for growth. The expansion of our strategic partnership with Amadeus to the regional level will further strengthen our relationship and infuse fresh energy to the corporate travel sector in the region.”

Amadeus is one of main leading innovators in the travel sector; it has been empowering the regional travel industry with next-generation products and services to help it overcome rising costs, unpredictable market conditions and changing business models. Its integrated and comprehensive suite of solutions allows travel agencies to streamline and enhance the corporate travel process, enabling them to leverage the opportunities offered by automation and digitization to gain competitive advantages in the market.

Mr. Antoine Medawar, Vice President of Amadeus MENA, said: “The MENA region represents a key hub of corporate travel and offers vast opportunities for the travel industry. As Amadeus takes its strategic partnership with Al Tayyar to the regional level, the corporate travel sector in the MENA region will stand to gain significantly from the expertise of two leading players in the travel industry. Amadeus is committed to excellence as we work together with Al Tayyar to find new ways to satisfy customer needs and identify exciting new opportunities in the region.” 

In the past few years, Amadeus and Al Tayyar Travel Group have worked together to drive operational efficiencies in the Saudi travel industry, offering specially designed services inspired by the unrivalled innovative Amadeus distribution technology. During the course of the existing relationship, Amadeus developed specific solutions that met the needs of Al Tayyar’s customers, and helped it effectively use technology as a true competitive differentiator to succeed in a rapidly changing market.

Known for its professional services and distinguished client care, Al Tayyar Travel Group is the trusted agency of more than 1,600 governmental and private corporations. It has invested in approximately 400 branches across Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, Malaysia, the U.K., Canada and other popular tourist locations.

About Al Tayyar Travel GroupAl Tayyar Travel Group Holding Company is a Saudi joint-stock company. The Group has invested in operations across its clients’ favorite tourist destinations in KSA, the GCC, Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Canada and other popular tourist locations. Since the end of 2014, the Group has started implementing its online strategy, investing in various successful online ventures in the MENA region and aims to become the dominating online group in its line of business.

اتفاقية تعاون بين الطيار وأماديوس لتوفير خدمات مبتكرة محلياً وإقليمياً

الرياض،29  يناير 2017:

وقعت شركة "مجموعة الطيار للسفر القابضة"، إحدى أكبر شركات السفر والسياحة في المملكة العربية السعودية ومنطقة الشرق الأوسط، اتفاقية تعاون مع الشركة العالمية "أماديوس" الرائدة في مجال توفير حلول التكنولوجيا المتقدمة لصناعة السفر، وذلك لتعزيز الكفاءة التشغيلية في مجال الحجوزات المقدمة للمسافرين من داخل وخارج المملكة. ويمتد الاتفاق حتى العام 2020، ويشمل تعزيز التعاون بينهما من المستوى المحلي إلى الإقليمي( منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا).

 وصرح عبد الله بن ناصر الداود، العضو المنتدب والرئيس التنفيذي لمجموعة الطيار للسفر، قائلاً: "تهدف الاتفاقية  إلى تقديم خدمات عالية الجودة لقاعدة أكبر من العملاء في جميع أنحاء المنطقة. وذلك وفقاً للخطة الاستراتيجية للمجموعة لتعزيز تواجدها في مجال التجارة الإلكترونية، عبر منصات السفر والسياحة التي حرصت الطيار على توفيرها وفقاً لأفضل أساليب التقنية والمعايير العالمية في هذا القطاع؛ لافتاً إلى أن أماديوس تعد من الشركاء الاستراتيجيين للطيار من أجل تحقيق تلك الأهداف في الفترة المقبلة نظراً لما تتمتع به من خبرات كبيرة وسمعة متميزة في هذا القطاع الحيوي. وبين الداود أن الطيار للسفر منذ نشأتها تعمل على  مواكبة تكنولوجيا العصر  وإيجاد طرق مبتكرة لتلبية احتياجات السوق، وتوفير أفضل سبل الراحة والرفاهية للعملاء في كل مكان.

من جهته قال السيد/ أنطوان مدور، نائب الرئيس، لشركة أماديوس في المنطقة:"تمثل منطقة الشرق الأوسط مركزاً رئيسياً لشركات السفر وتوفر فرصاً واسعة للشركات العاملة في هذا القطاع. لافتاً إلى أن تعاون أماديوس وشراكتها الاستراتيجية مع مجموعة الطيار للسفر تمثل ركيزة أساسية فى تعزيز مواكبة هذه الصناعة لمتطلبات العصر المستوى المحلي والإقليمي، وأكد أن الشركات العاملة في هذا القطاع بمنطقة الشرق الأوسط بمقدورها جني مكاسب كبيرة  خلال الفترة المقبلة نظرا لما يتوقع لهذا القطاع من ازدهار ونمو في الفترة المقبلة.

يذكر أن أماديوس ومجموعة الطيار للسفر تعاونا معاً من أجل دعم الكفاءة التشغيلية في قطاع السفر السعودي، وتقديم خدمات مصممة خصيصاً مستوحاة من تقنية توزيع أماديوس المبتكرة التي لا تضاهى. أثناء العلاقة الحالية، وضعت أماديوس حلول محددة تلبي احتياجات عملاء الطيار، وساعدت بشكل فعال باستخدام التكنولوجيا كميزة تنافسية حقيقية للنجاح في السوق المتغيرة بسرعة.