Abu Dhabi-UAE: 18 2018:   Abu Dhabi Ship Building Company (ADSB), a leading provider of construction, repair and refit services for naval, military and commercial vessels, has launched two 64-meter landing ships for the Kuwait Naval Force as part of a contract to build eight naval ships to support Kuwait’s military capabilities.  The ships were launched during a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Kuwaiti Naval Force in the presence of Lieutenant General Mohammad Al-Khodr, Chief of the General Staff at Kuwait Armed Forces; Lieutenant General Sheikh Abdullah Al-Nawaf Al-Sabah, Deputy Chief of Staff; Major-General Khaled Al-Kandari, Commander of the Kuwait Navy; Brigadier Fayez Al Muhairi, Commander of Floating Units at the UAE Armed Forces, and Dr. Khaled Al Mazrouei, Chief Executive Officer of ......read more

Dubai, UAE, April 11, 2018:  Many people know that their mental and emotional wellbeing is as important as – and can actually affect – good physical health. In our busy, modern lives we can often feel removed from nature and even ourselves. So HJÄRTELIG collection invites us to press the “pause” button, if only for a little while, on a daily life that’s often hectic, complicated and online. Whether to practice some yoga, to tend to a plant or simply to relax amongst beautiful, natural materials, HJÄRTELIG collection is about the moments to re-focus and to revitalise ourselves. Designed with a delicate touch, these home furnishing products have a light and peaceful feeling, yet are useful and durable for everyday life at home.  THE DESIGNERS  “With the ......read more

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 11th April 2018:   The sixth edition of The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia and second annual Stone & Surface Saudi Arabia were opened Tuesday (10th April 2018) by His Excellency Faisal Alfadl, Secretary General of the King Saud Foundation and Founder of the Saudi Green Building Forum. AlFadl also hosted a full-day ‘Green Building Workshop’ during the first day of the events at the conference at Stone & Surface Saudi Arabia, detailing Saudi’s position as a world leader in sustainable construction, with an “intelligent cities” green built environment on its horizon. Thousands of hospitality and construction industry professionals are anticipated to descend on Jeddah for the major trade events running together at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events for three days, ......read more

Robinsons’ John Lewis celebrates its first anniversary in Dubai with spectacular events Dubai, UAE, April 7, 2018:  The high-end brand “John Lewis” got into the festive mood on March 29th celebrating its first anniversary in Dubai. The iconic store celebrated a morning of entertaining activities, which were initiated with an introduction speech by the General Manager Mr. Adosh Sharma from 11:00 to 11:30 am. The real party mood started at 11:30 with revealing the birthday cake along with a delightful English brunch. The diverse activities comprised of three workshops that ranged from an etiquette session to a baking class. The guests engaged in learning all the secrets of baking delicious cupcakes with our "Master of Cupcake" baking class. Those who were curious to find out more about table manners ......read more

With a total of four mobile showrooms, GROHE has been on the road in Europe and the Middle East since March 2017 So far, the XXL trucks have covered approximately 150.000 kilometres in 33 countries Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 4 April 2018:  GROHE, the world's leading manufacturer of sanitary fittings, welcomed the 100,000th visitor to its innovation tour through Europe and the Middle East. GROHE employees congratulated Muneem Al Fashtaki in front of the GROHE XXL truck in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The sales manager of Al Falaj Trading Est., a medium-sized distributor of the region, visited the mobile showroom in order to find out about the latest GROHE innovations.   Representing all visitors to the GROHE trucks, he received a small gift of a GROHE Power & Soul shower set that allows switching between ......read more

Saudi Arabia, March 27, 2018:  The Middle East Facility Management Association (MEFMA), a non-profit professional organization, successfully threw the spotlight on the significant role that Facilities Management (FM) plays in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's (KSA) rapidly thriving freehold property segment, in a specially hosted workshop and networking event that was held last March 26, 2018 at the Sofitel Hotel in Jeddah Corniche. The exciting one-day event was sponsored by MEFMA Corporate Members Al Mahmal Facilities Services Company.  The event featured a panel discussion covering the topic, 'The strategic role of FM in the KSA Freehold Property Sector,' which featured the participation of industry experts Mohammad Al Duraibi, Member of the Board of Directors, MEFMA; Hazim Al-Dabbagh, Managing Partner, SureFix ......read more

The Third Edition of the Sale to run from March 28th to March 31st with up to 70% off 27 March 2018, Dubai, U.A.E:   SOUQ.com has announced the third edition of ‘Everything For You Sale’ giving customers a chance to shop for what they want at great prices, with up to 70% off from Wednesday, March 28 to Saturday, March 31. The third edition of SOUQ’s biggest sale of the season will give customers the opportunity to search for what they want, with great savings on thousands of products. For customers, looking for a personal makeover, revamping their home, stocking up on kitchen supplies or craving to get their hands on the latest gadgets, you can find a vast selection on SOUQ’s ‘Everything For You Sale’:  This year, customers can shop an even greater selection, as ‘Everything ......read more

Dubai, UAE 21st March 2018:  With almost 5,000 projects in the pipeline, Saudi Arabia is fast becoming one of the world’s busiest markets for construction – led by urban development and a growing transport network.  A new ‘Saudi Arabia Construction Overview’ report by market analysts BNC Network – prepared ahead of Stone & Surface Saudi 2018 taking place in Jeddah next month (10-12th April 2018) – has priced the 4,778 projects in various stages of development across the Kingdom at US $839.1 billion. In line with Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom is taking significant measures to improve its infrastructure to further its position as a destination for business and leisure tourism, enhance its religious tourism sector, and cater to the needs of its growing population.  “A ......read more

MEPCO is recognized for its employment environment in the manufacturing sector Industry-leading Saudization with KSA nationals comprising almost half of MEPCO’s employees Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 14 March 2018:  The leading regional vertically integrated paper manufacturer, the Middle East Paper Co. (‘MEPCO’), has been recognised by Great Place to Work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The organisation’s research and management consulting firm assess award applicants from over 100 companies on a variety of parameters before choosing the company most deserving of the title in each market. The award scores are determined through an employee survey that measures company performance across key indicators including: credibility of management, respect, fairness, pride, and ......read more

Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, March 08, 2018:  Panasonic Homes & Living, in collaboration with its KSA channel partner Al Manara Electric Trading, is showcasing its latest innovations for the Electrical Construction Material space at The Big 5 Saudi happening until today at the Jeddah Centre for Forums & Events.  The event is being held at a crucial time when the Saudi Arabia construction market is showing signs of renewed optimism after a slowdown due to low oil prices and fiscal spending cuts.  According to the latest BNC Project Intelligence report, Saudi Arabia has over 4,700 active construction projects with a combined estimated value of US$ 852.3 billion. The urban construction sector has over 3,300 projects representing approximately 70% of all construction activities in the Kingdom, driven by the ......read more

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 27 February, 2018:  Dur Hospitality, the Saudi grown hospitality company, and IHG®  (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, have recently announced the signing of a franchise agreement for Crowne Plaza®  Riyadh Palace, under the master franchise agreement signed in 2014 for 4 hotels. Currently operating as Riyadh Palace Hotel, the property is expected to be rebranded to Crowne Plaza by June 2018.  Remarking on this, Mr Ahdab, President of Hotel Operations Dur Hospitality said, “We are delighted to partner with IHG® yet again, for their world class brand – Crowne Plaza®, making this our second hotel with them, following the opening of Holiday Inn, Tabuk. Riyadh is home to more than 6 million people and has solidified itself ......read more

Saudi, – February 20, 2018:   JLL, the world’s leading real estate investment and advisory firm, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jeddah International College to support growing efforts to ensure a transparent real estate market in Saudi Arabia.  As part of the MoU, JLL will collaborate with key stakeholders in Jeddah International College to collect, consolidate and share accurate data. Furthermore, the partnership will introduce innovative initiatives through informative seminars, lectures, forums, conferences and launch internship programs at JLL for college students and graduates to learn data transparency from experts in the field.   The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has made a number of developments in recent years towards a more transparent real estate market with a focus on ......read more

The UAE’s largest department store bursts onto the top ten list of the World Retail Awards   Dubai — February 14, 2018 —   Robinsons, the largest department store in the UAE, has been on the finalists list for the World Retail Awards and was recognized for the 2018’s Outstanding Store Design for stores larger than 1200sqm. For the last ten years, the World Retail Awards have recognized the highest standards of excellence in store design, as well as the very best retailers and retail initiatives across a range of categories.   The Robinsons story began on 25 February 1858, when John Spicer and Philip Robinson founded Spicer and Robinson in Singapore. Since then, Robinsons’ pioneering spirit has kept them at the forefront of Asian retail. In 2008, the Al-Futtaim Retail Group ......read more

Dubai, UAE 13th February 2018:   Almost 60% of Saudi Arabia’s current construction pipeline of 143 hotels is forecast to open in 2018, according to a new report. The ‘Saudi Arabia Hotel Construction Overview’ report by TOPHOTELPROJECTS – compiled ahead of The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia (10-12th April 2018) – has revealed that 84 hotels comprising 27,281 rooms will open throughout the Kingdom this year. Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Al Khobar remain the busiest areas for hotel construction across the country. Each of these cities rank highly in the Middle East’s top ten most active cities for hospitality development, sitting third, fourth, sixth and tenth respectively.  Notable hotel openings set for the Kingdom in 2018 include: Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residences; Copthorne Hotel ......read more

Find gifts for him, her, kids and even your beloved pets effortlessly on SOUQ   8th February, 2018, Dubai, United Arab Emirates:  On what’s considered as the most romantic time of the year, the love smitten couples can think of only one thing “where can I get the perfect present for the love of my life?” If you are running out of ideas and time with your busy schedules, your best solution is here at SOUQ.com, where lovers can avoid the hassle of gift hunting and buy your beloved a gift to cherish. Whether your loved one is your better half, your pet or even your kids, SOUQ has unveiled a huge assortment of gifts for all of them! From gorgeous flowers, scrumptious chocolates, cuddly soft toys and jewelry for your lady love to fashionable clothes, grooming sets and gadgets for your handsome gent to ......read more

Expansion and redevelopment of existing structures and areas set a trend amongst the top construction projects in Saudi Arabia, as reported by the BNC Network.  The Big 5 Saudi (5-8 March 2018, Jeddah Centre for forums & Events) is expected to attract 15,000 visitors and will offer 50+ CPD certified workshops. Dubai, UAE, January 31, 2018:  A significant number of expansion and redevelopment projects populate the 10 highest value construction projects in Saudi Arabia, according to the latest ‘Top Projects in Saudi Arabia’ report prepared by the BNC Network for The Big 5 Saudi. The multi-development expansion of Mecca’s Holy Haram Mosque and the redevelopment of Jeddah’s downtown are among the list, which also includes details on Riyadh’s Mall of Saudi and the country-wide King ......read more

Dubai, UAE, January 22, 2018:  Al -Jazeera Paints, giant of high quality paints manufacturing in the Kingdom, Middle East and North Africa, has launched modern water insulation techniques, such as Al- Jazeera Cool Roof and Al- Jazeera Flexi Guard. This comes at time of increasing calls for taking all actions that contribute and help to enhance sustainability in buildings and facilities to reduce the costs of periodic maintenance of water leaks and its damages, and reduce the squandering resulting from heat leakage as well. Al-Jazeera Cool Roof performs water insulation for roofs of buildings and factories, as it is water borne, flexible, environmentally responsible coating with high properties of water insulation. It contributes to reduce the absorption of heat surfaces by sun reflection technology, leading to reduce internal ......read more

SOUQ doubles number of items sold during White Friday 2017 compared to last year’s event With one million deals on offer, total number of items sold more than doubled compared to last year’s event 18 items sold per second during highest traffic time Products from over 16,000 fashion, beauty, electronics, grocery and other brands were on sale Over 70% of customers shopped through mobile devices across the region Almost half of customers paid using electronic payment methods 29th November, 2017, Dubai, United Arab Emirates:  SOUQ.com today announced that the number of items sold during White Friday 2017 more than doubled compared to last year - making it the biggest shopping event in SOUQ history. An unprecedented one million deals were on offer during the event, and 18 items were sold per second during ......read more

Shoppers can snap up deals on a whopping five million products that will match the lowest prices in the region SOUQ further boosts operational excellence ahead of White Friday sale to create a superior customer shopping experience Targeted investment into expansion of Fulfillment Centers to gear up for increased demand Growth in number of staff and additional pickup points to meet high volume of orders Roll out of credit card payment on delivery in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 20th November, 2017, Dubai, U.A.E:  SOUQ.com, the online retail and marketplace in the Middle East, has integrated some of parent company Amazon's (AMZN) processes and systems to further strengthen its robust delivery operations ahead of White Friday, its biggest online shopping event in the region. SOUQ's annual White Friday sale is ......read more

SOUQ’s biggest online sale to run an unprecedented 500,000 deals on 16,000 brands for shoppers in the GCC and Egypt from 22 to 25 November 50 times more deals on offer than last year across all categories, from electronics to furniture, fashion, toys and much more SOUQ adds massive new line up of leading labels on offer for White Friday Sale  14 November 2017, Dubai, United Arab Emirates:  SOUQ.com has announced the return of its biggest online shopping event, the annual “White Friday Sale”, with 500,000 deals across the region on more than 16,000 brands, from Wednesday 22nd to Saturday 25th November 2017. In its fourth year running, shoppers across the GCC and Egypt can snap up deals of up to 70 percent off on all product categories on SOUQ's website and mobile app, including mobiles, TVs, ......read more

All real estate sectors continue to soften over Q3 2017, highlights JLL’s Q3 market overview report  Retail sector sees growth in sales and increased participation by women in the workforce  Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia –30 October 2017:  With retail sales continuing to increase, this could be the first sector to recover in Riyadh real estate market, highlights JLL’s Q3 market overview report. As the government launched the USD 2.6 billion entertainment company in September, Shoppertainment remains a key concept in the retail industry among entertainment, leisure and F&B tenants.  The growing participation by women in the workforce in Riyadh increased 1% quarter-on-quarter, to reach a total number of 397,000 women currently employed. Furthermore, recent laws introduced to allow women ......read more

ARTAR COO says the emirate’s property market has a proven reputation for delivering long-term benefits  Dubai, UAE, 13 September 2017:  Saudi Arabian investors will continue to put their faith in Dubai real estate because the emirate’s property market has a proven reputation for delivering long-term benefits, a developer said at Cityscape Global today. Okbah Abdulkarim, Chief Operating Officer of ARTAR Real Estate Development, says Dubai’s status as a safe haven for real investors remains intact and major developments driving the economy are building investor interest, particularly from Saudi. Official Dubai Land Department figures show that, in the 18 months from January 2016 to the end of June this year, the biggest GCC investors in Dubai real estate other than Emiratis were Saudis who made a total ......read more

September 4, 2017:  When heritage meets craftsmanship, it results in Swarovski’s unsurpassed ability to renew itself in the utmost respect of its brand DNA. Crystal cutting expert, master of light and sparkle, glamour booster, Swarovski adds its fashion signature to make every day extraordinary and permit women to express their personality through inspired accessories, from day to night. To best encounter its collections, Swarovski invites women to live a real experience in its 2500 stores worldwide. An experience which is now possible in Jeddah at the Red Sea Mall, in a sophisticated and elegant atmosphere reflecting the brand’s iconic facets and plays with light, women can enjoy the whole Swarovski universe comprising fashion accessories, home objects, watches and men’s pieces as well.  An Exclusive ......read more

20th August 2017, Dubai, U.A.E.:  With soaring temperatures and busy lifestyles, SOUQ.com is enabling parents to conveniently shop all ‘Back to School’ essentials at click of a button and have the products delivered to their doorstep.  Offering exciting discounts up to 60% off on ‘Back-to-School’ collection, SOUQ.com promises to be your one-stop shop for all school requisites. From school bags, stationary, uniforms, daily kitchen essentials, hygiene products, lunch items to study room furniture, printers and scanners, SOUQ.com is offering all this and much more at incredibly affordable prices.  Catering to multifaceted needs of parents and kids, SOUQ.com’s ‘Back to School’ collection features the latest assortment of products and trendy characters including Disney Cars 3, ......read more

JLL releases its Makkah H1 marketplace report showing signs of positivity as quotas are lifted on Hajj pilgrims Expected increase in visitors will benefit the retail sector  Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – July 27, 2017:   JLL, the world’s leading real estate investment and advisory firm, today released its H1 2017 Makkah Real Estate Market Overview report which assesses the latest trends in the office, residential, retail and hotels sectors.  The overall sentiment in the Makkah market was boosted during H1 2017 as the government lifted the quota on Hajj pilgrims despite ongoing major infrastructural work on the Holy Mosque. This shift in policy should further benefit retailers in Makkah who typically enjoy above average sales during the Hajj season. Retail rents declined by 7.5% in the central area ......read more