23 January, 2018

Financial Results For the Year Ended 31 December 2017












Doha, 16 January 2018:
QNB Group, the largest financial institution in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, announced its results for the year ended 31 December 2017.
For the year ended 2017, Net Profit reached QAR13.1 billion (USD3.6 billion), up by 6% compared to last year. Total assets increased by 13% from December 2016 to reach QAR811 billion (USD223 billion), the highest ever achieved by the Group.
The Board of Directors have recommended to the General Assembly for the distribution of a cash dividend of 60% of the nominal share value (QAR 6.0 per share). The financial results for 2017 along with the profit distribution are subject to Qatar Central Bank (QCB) approval.
Key driver of total assets growth was from loans and advances which grew by 12% to reach QAR584 billion (USD161 billion). Also QNB Group increased customer deposits by 16% to reach QAR586 billion (USD161 billion) from December 2016. This led to QNB Group’s loans to deposits ratio to decrease from 102.7% in December 2016, to reach 99.8% as at 31 December 2017.
The Group’s drive for operational efficiency is yielding cost-savings in addition to sustainable revenue generating sources. This helped QNB Group to improve the efficiency ratio (cost to income ratio) to 29.1%, from 30.4% last year which is considered one of the best ratios among large financial institutions in the region.
The Group’s conservative loan loss provisioning policy and strong recovery efforts helped reduce net impairment charge on QNB’s loan book during the year demonstrating strong credit quality of the bank’s core asset base. Also the stock of non-performing loans ratio of 1.8% as at 31 December 2017 has been witnessed on a consistent basis, year on year, reflecting the high quality of the Group’s loan book and the effective management of credit risk. The Group’s conservative policy in regard to provisioning improved the coverage ratio to reach 112% as at 31 December 2017.
Total Equity increased by 11% from December 2016 to reach QAR79 billion (USD22 billion) as at 31 December 2017. Earnings per Share reached QAR13.7 (USD3.8), compared to QAR13.1 (USD3.6) in December 2016.
Group Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) as at 31 December 2017 amounted to 16.49%, higher than the regulatory minimum requirements of the Qatar Central Bank and Basel Committee.
QNB Group was successful in tapping new markets for its long term stable funding requirements by the issuance of Formosa bonds in September 2017 under its Euro Medium Term Note (EMTN) programme and was listed on the Taipei Stock Exchange. Under this programme, a US$ 630 million tranche was issued with a maturity of 30 years callable every 5 years. Formosa bond issuance is part of QNB Group’s on-going strategy to ensure diversification of funding and also reflects investor confidence in QNB Group’s robust financial performance.

QNB Group serves a customer base of more than 22 million customers with more than 28,200 staff resources operating from 1,230 locations and 4,300 ATMs.
           البيانات المالية الموحدة للسنة المنتهية في
                          31 ديسمبر 2017



الدوحة في 16 يناير 2018 :أعلنت مجموعة QNB، أكبر مؤسسة مصرفية في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وافريقيا، نتائجها المالية للسنة المنتهية في 31 ديسمبر2017.
بلغ صافي أرباح مجموعة QNB 13,1 مليار ريال (3,6 مليار دولار أمريكي) للسنة المنتهية 2017، بارتفاع نسبته 6% مقارنة مع نفس الفترة من العام الماضي. حيث ارتفع إجمالي موجودات المجموعة بنسبة 13% منذ31  ديسمبر2016 ليصل إلى 811 مليار ريال (223 مليار دولار أمريكي) وهو أعلى مستوى للموجودات في تاريخ المجموعة.
وبناءً على النتائج المالية القوية التي تم تحقيقها، يوصي مجلس الإدارة الجمعية العامة بتوزيع أرباح نقدية بمعدل60 % من القيمة الاسمية للسهم (6,0  ريال للسهم الواحد)، علماً بأن البيانات المالية لعام 2017 ومقترح توزيع الأرباح تخضع لموافقة مصرف قطر المركزي.
وقد تمكن البنك من تحقيق نمو قوي في إجمالي الموجودات من خلال زيادة محفظة القروض والسلف بنسبة12 % لتصل إلى 584 مليار ريال (161 مليار دولار أمريكي). وبموازاة ذلك ارتفعت ودائع العملاء بنسبة 16% لتصل إلى 586 مليار ريال (161 مليار دولار أمريكي)، مما ساهم في وصول نسبة القروض إلى الودائع إلى مستوى99,8 % مقارنة مع 102,7% في ديسمبر 2016.
وقد أدت سياسة المجموعة في إدارة التكاليف وقدرتها على تحقيق نمو قوي في الإيرادات الى تحسين نسبة الكفاءة (المصاريف إلى الإيرادات) الى29,1 % مقارنة مع30,4  % للعام السابق مما يعكس نجاح البنك في زيادة كفاءة عملياته. وتعتبر هذه النسبة من بين أفضل النسب على مستوى المؤسسات المالية الرئيسية في المنطقة.
كما ساهمت سياسة المجموعة المتحفظة في بناء مخصصات خسائر القروض ونجاح البنك في تسوية عدد من هذه المخصصات في خفض صافي مخصصات انخفاض قيمة محفظة القروض خلال العام مما يدل على جودة محفظة الائتمان ونجاح السياسة الائتمانية المتحفظة للبنك.
كما حافظ البنك على معدل القروض غير العاملة كنسبة من إجمالي محفظة القروض عند مستوى 1,8%، وهو من بين أدنى المعدلات على نطاق البنوك الرئيسية في منطقة الشرق الأوسط وإفريقيا، الأمر الذي يعكس الجودة العالية لمحفظة القروض وفعالية سياسة إدارة المخاطر الائتمانية. كما واصلت المجموعة سياستها المتحفظة في بناء المخصصات حيث بلغت نسبة تغطية القروض غير العاملة 112% بنهاية عام 2017.
وارتفع إجمالي حقوق المساهمين بنسبة 11% ليصل إلى 79 مليار ريال ( 22مليار دولار أمريكي). كما بلغ العائد على السهم 13,7 ريال (3,8 دولار أمريكي) مقارنة مع  13,1ريال (3,6 دولار أمريكي) للعام السابق.
وقد بلغت نسبة كفاية رأس المال المحتسبة بموجب متطلبات مصرف قطر المركزي ولجنة بازل III ما نسبته16,49 % في 31 ديسمبر 2017، وهو معدل يتجاوز متطلبات مصرف قطر المركزي ولجنة بازل.
في سبتمبر2017، أنهت مجموعةQNB  بنجاح إصدار سندات فورموزا غير مضمونة ضمن برامجها لأوراق الدين متوسطة المدى (EMTN) بقيمة 630 مليون دولار أمريكي ولأجل استحقاق يبلغ 30 عاماً مع حق الاستدعاء مرة كل 5 سنوات. ويتم تداول هذه السندات في سوق تايبيه للأوراق المالية.
وقد حظي هذا الإصدار من سندات Reg S باهتمام كبير من المستثمرين التايوانيين. ويؤكد هذا النجاح مدى الثقة التي يضعها المستثمرين الدوليين في استراتيجية مجموعة QNB وقوة وضعها المالي. ويعد الإصدار جزء من جهود المجموعة من أجل تنويع مصادر التمويل من خلال إصدار سندات في مناطق جغرافية وأسواق جديدة وبفترات استحقاق متعددة.
ويعمل لدى المجموعة ما يزيد عن 28,200 موظف يخدمون اكثر من 22 مليون عميل، حيث تقدم أحدث الخدمات المصرفية لعملائها عبر 1,230 فرعاً ومكتباً تمثيلياً و 4,300 جهاز صراف آلي.

Najm Al-Arab Festival Best Public Relations Manager 2017




CAIRO, EGYPT, September 19, 2016, Magda Abu Al-Saud, Marketing and Communications Manager at Hilton Cairo Zamalek Residences was honored as “Best Public Relations Manager” in Tourism and Hotels at Najm Al-Arab Festival in the annual referendum of 2017.

“This award is a great achievement that I’m very proud of, I look forward to more success with Hilton Zamalek” Said Magda Abu Al Soud Marketing and Communications Manager Image may contain: 2 people, people smiling, people standing and text


About Hilton Hotels & Resorts
For nearly a century, Hilton Hotels & Resorts has been proudly welcoming the world's travelers. With more than 570 hotels across six continents, Hilton Hotels & Resorts provides the foundation for memorable travel experiences and values every guest who walks through its doors. As the flagship brand of Hilton, Hilton Hotels & Resorts continues to set the standard for hospitality, providing new product innovations and services to meet guests' evolving needs. Hilton Hotels & Resorts is a part of the award-winning Hilton HHonors program. Hilton HHonors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels receive instant benefits, including an exclusive member discount that can’t be found anywhere else, free standard Wi-Fi and digital amenities like digital check-in with room selection and Digital Key available exclusively through the industry-leading Hilton HHonors app.  Begin your journey at www.hilton.com and learn more about the brand by visiting news.hilton.com or following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

مهرجان نجم العرب

جائزة أفضل مدير العلاقات العامة 2017
= = = =


القاهرة، مصر- 16 يناير ، 2018 : حصلت  ماجدة ابو السعود مديرة التسويق و العلاقات العامة بفندق هيلتون القاهرة زمالك ريزيدنسز  كأفضل مديرة علاقات عامة في السياحه و الفندقه في الاستفتاء السنوي لمهرجان " نجم العرب"

و أعربت ماجدة أبو السعود مديرة التسويق والعلاقات العامة بأن هذه الجائزة هي إنجاز عظيم وأنا فخور جدا، و أتطلع إلى مزيد من النجاح مع هيلتون الزمالك.






Aspect Closes 2017 on a High Note With 35% YoY Growth in India & Middle East



MUMBAI, India, January 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/Asianet-Pakistan -- Aspect Software, leading provider of customer engagement, workforce management, and self-service solutions, today announced their strong growth in India and Middle East region, with the YoY growth standing at over 35% at 2017 end, exceeding the growth in Contact Center Software industry by a huge margin, which is expected to be growing at CAGR of approx. 13% till 2022.
"2017 has been an outstanding year for India operations. When I took over the role in early 2017, I had a clear understanding on some of the challenges we need to address and the strategy we need to execute to deliver success for our customers as in their success lies success and growth for Aspect," stated Manish Bajaj who has now been elevated as RVP & Managing Director for India & Middle East, Aspect Software. Manish further added, "Deepening bond with the 3 critical cohorts - employees, customers and partners was my primary focus and I am glad that all the stakeholders put their complete trust & faith in the strategy." Speaking on 2018 strategy Manish responded, "Our focus is to strengthen our partner eco system & work closely with customers to build a CX engagement solution roadmap aligned to Business improvement opportunities specific for their business."
"Our existing partner fraternity has contributed immensely to our success in 2017; we shall continue to make investments in nurturing our existing channels and also identify new partner tie-ups. Focus will be on partners who are not just restricted to Aspect's offerings & GTM strategy, but also the ones who can evangelize and offer complimentary solutions in CX transformation space," quoted Gaurav Arora, Director Business Development & Channels Alliances, India & Middle East. He further added, "We are in an exciting phase as our customers & prospects are looking beyond traditional voice solutions and looking to innovate as their customer service strategies evolve, for example, self-service chatbots and text messaging applications leveraging AI & NLU capabilities, hence my personal mandate is to go beyond routine partner profile and onboard VARs, telco/BPO service providers, consultants and SIs in our network."
"Our Business Strategy moved from a 'reach-to-all' to a more targeted account & vertical based. This helped us focus better, plan better & execute better in 2017," stated Shailendra Tanwar, Head Marketing - India & Middle East. "The mantra of Account Based Marketing helped us win some big deals in the year significantly improving our Brand Awareness and Business Outcomes," Shailendra added.
Besides witnessing revenue growth, Aspect has won global recognitions across company, solution and services levels. From winning the Frost & Sullivan Market Share Leadership Award, APAC for the 6th time in a row, Aspect also won awards like "Best of the Best" Professional Service Organization by SPI ResearchTMC named Aspect Software's Aspect Via™ Enterprise a 2017 Communications Solutions Product of the Year Award Winner & more.
About Aspect
Aspect helps enterprises break down the walls between people, processes, systems and data sources, allowing organizations to unite around the customer journey. By developing fully native interaction management, workforce optimization and self-service capabilities within a single customer engagement center, we enable dynamic, conversational interactions and create a truly frictionless omni-channel customer experience. Leveraging the agility of our worldwide cloud infrastructure and over 40 years of industry ingenuity, Aspect conveniently and easily connects questions to answers helping enterprises keep service levels high and operational costs contained. For more information, 

JNA Awards 2018 introduces new retail category, brings back one manufacturer of the year category



HONG KONG, Jan. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/Asianeet-Pakistan -- JNA Awards, one of the most respected and prestigious awards programmes in the international jewellery industry, announces its awards categories and judging criteria for the seventh edition.
Organised by UBM Asia, the JNA Awards serves as the industry benchmark of excellence. It champions best business practices in the jewellery and gemstone trade by honouring companies and individuals that demonstrate outstanding leadership, innovative thinking, and sustainable and socially responsible strategies, with a focus on their contributions in Asia.
Reflecting the evolving nature of the jewellery industry and the pressing demand for creativity and agility to stay ahead in a rapidly changing marketplace, the JNA Awards will have two Retailer of the Year awards and will reintroduce the Manufacturer of the Year – Cutting & Polishing category this year.

The awards categories for 2018 are as follows:
  1. Lifetime Achievement Award (nominated by the organiser)
  2. Brand of the Year – Retail
  3. Industry Innovation of the Year (business model, management process, marketing or branding initiatives, manufacturing process, product development, technology, gemmological research, etc.)
  4. Manufacturer of the Year – Jewellery
  5. Manufacturer of the Year – Cutting & Polishing
  6. Outstanding Enterprise of the Year – ASEAN, Japan & Korea
  7. Outstanding Enterprise of the Year – Greater China
  8. Outstanding Enterprise of the Year – India
  9. Retailer of the Year (500 outlets and below)
  10. Retailer of the Year (501 outlets and above)
  11. eSupplier of the Year
  12. Sustainability Initiative of the Year
  13. Young Entrepreneur of the Year (age 40 and below)
Commenting on the JNA Awards' seventh edition, Wolfram Diener, Senior Vice President of UBM Asia, said, "Celebrating the successes of innovative enterprises and individuals has been central to the JNA Awards since its inception, and this has never been more important than in today's constantly evolving and highly competitive industry landscape. We are honoured to recognise those who have the audacity to break rules, challenge the status quo and do things differently to stay on top of trends, drive business growth and embrace sustainability practices."

Letitia Chow, Chairperson of the JNA Awards, Founder of JNA and Director of Business Development – Jewellery Group at UBM Asia, added, "We always strive to involve enterprises of different scales and nature that have positively impacted the industry with the awards programme. Retailers are at the forefront of the industry; they act as a conduit between the end-customer and the manufacturer, and can help propel the whole industry even further. By splitting the Retailer of the Year Award into two categories, we are able to celebrate outstanding retailers of all scales.
 
"And by reintroducing the Manufacturer of the Year – Cutting & Polishing category, we are honouring diamond and gemstone manufacturers who are open to game-changing ideas and technologies that can enhance customer service, improve productivity and boost overall efficiency. This has significant implications for the jewellery industry, particularly in light of changing customer demands and needs in terms of product design, quality and craftsmanship."

Visit the newly revamped awards website here to register and review the full list of categories, awards criteria and rules of entry. The online entry submission process will commence in early March and conclude in late April.
The JNA Awards 2018 is supported by Headline Partners Chow Tai Fook (CTF) and Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE) together with the KGK Group, Guangdong Gems & Jade Exchange, and Guangdong Land Holdings Limited (GDLAND) serving as Honoured Partners.

Menacorp ranks number one for brokers in equity derivatives trading on Nasdaq Dubai in 2017




UAE’s leading financial services firm, came out first out of thirty-six competitors on the UAE’s fastest growing market

January 23, 2018 - Menacorp, one of the UAE’s leading financial services firms, has been ranked the number one brokerage house in equity derivatives trading on Nasdaq Dubai’s Futures Market. The company came first, out of the 36 brokerage firms, with a 62.68% market share for 2017 according to official data communicated by Nasdaq Dubai.
It is worth noting that Nasdaq Dubai’s Futures Market grew from nine offerings to sixteen in 2017 with the inclusion of companies such as Dubai Investments, Dubai Financial Market, Emaar Malls and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Fathi Ben Grira, CEO, Menacorp, said “for 5 past years combined, our firm has been the number one player on the Dubai financial Market among 49 competitors. Today we are proud to add to this success another leading position by being ranked first as well on Nasdaq Dubai equity derivatives market for the second consecutive year. With a total of 36 brokerage firms licensed to operate on this newly established market, the vast majority of investors chose our firm for their trading needs on UAE equity futures, confirming their trust in our expertise and execution capabilities”.
Menacorp has earned its leading position after securing the highest five year combined market share and trading value on the Dubai Financial Market. The value of the shares it traded over the period amounts to AED 179 billion, which represents a 9.74% market share.
Menacorp has done so thanks to its broad trading range, and is actually the only UAE-based financial services firm to offer access to all UAE markets: Dubai Financial Market (DFM), Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), Nasdaq Dubai, and Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange.
-Ends-
About Menacorp:
Menacorp is an award-winning financial services firm authorized and regulated by the UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority and the Dubai Financial Services Authority. Its extensive expertise covers financial advisory, brokerage, asset management and financial research provided across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Menacorp is backed by one of the largest and most diversified Emirati conglomerates, the Bin Hamoodah Group – the company’s main shareholder.
Website: www.menacorpfinance.com
"ميناكورب" تتصدر شركات الوساطة في مجال تداول مشتقات الأسهم في بورصة ناسداك دبي للعام 2017

شركة الخدمات المالية الرائدة تحتل المركز الأول بين 36 شركة منافسة في السوق الأسرع نمواً في دولة الإمارات

23 يناير 2018
احتلت "ميناكورب" (Menacorp)، الشركة الرائدة في مجال الخدمات المالية في دولة الإمارات، مركز الصدارة بين شركات الوساطة في مجال تداول مشتقات الأسهم في سوق العقود الآجلة في بورصة ناسداك دبي. وجاءت الشركة في المرتبة الأولى متفوقة على 36 شركة وساطة مالية مستحوذة على 62.68% من السوق خلال العام الماضي وفقاً للبيانات الرسمية الصادرة عن بورصة ناسداك دبي.
والجدير ذكره أن سوق الأسهم الآجلة في بورصة ناسداك دبي شهد نمواً من 9 عروض اكتتاب إلى 16 عرضاً في العام الماضي مع إدراج شركات مثل دبي للاستثمار وسوق دبي المالي و"إعمار مولز" وبنك أبوظبي الأول.
وقال فتحي بن قريرة، الرئيس التنفيذي لشركة "ميناكورب": "كنا على مدى السنوات الخمس الأخيرة الشركة رقم واحد في سوق دبي المالي من بين 49 شركة منافسة أخرى. واليوم، نفخر بتحقيقنا نجاح جديد واحتلالنا المرتبة الأولى أيضاً في سوق مشتقات الأسهم في بورصة ناسداك دبي وللسنة الثانية على التوالي. ومع وجود 36 شركة وساطة مرخص لها بالعمل في هذه السوق حديثة التأسيس، وقع اختيار غالبية المستثمرين على شركتنا لتلبية تعاملاتهم المتعلقة بالتداول في عقود الأسهم الآجلة في دولة الإمارات، ما يؤكد على ثقتهم بخبراتنا وعملياتنا في هذا المجال."
واستطاعت "ميناكورب" الحصول على هذا التصنيف بعد ضمانها تحقيق أعلى حصة في السوق على مدى خمس سنوات مجتمعة وأعلى قيمة تداول في سوق دبي المالي. وبلغت قيمة الأسهم المتداولة خلال هذه الفترة 179 مليار درهم، أي ما يمثل حصة سوقية بنسبة 9.74%.

وتمكنت "ميناكورب" من تحقيق هذا الإنجاز بفضل مجموعتها الواسعة من حلول التداول، حيث تعتبر شركة الوساطة الوحيدة المرخص لها بالعمل في كافة الأسواق المالية في دولة الإمارات، بما فيها سوق أبوظبي للأوراق المالية وسوق دبي المالي وناسداك دبي وبورصة دبي للذهب والسلع.

=