VOX Cinemas, in collaboration with Majid Al Futtaim, has announced the grand reopening of the VOX Cineco multiplex with 20 dazzling screens, situated within the iconic City Centre Bahrain, a premier retail and leisure destination in the region.Film enthusiasts in Bahrain are in for an unparalleled cinematic adventure as the Kingdom welcomes the enhanced and modernized VOX Cineco City Centre. This state-of-the-art cinematic hub has been meticulously designed to elevate the movie-watching experience, offering a seamlessly optimized journey for every visitor.Boasting an impressive array of features, VOX Cineco presents 20 state-of-the-art screens, including premium auditoriums fitted with luxurious leather seats, ensuring utmost comfort. The crown jewel of the cinema experience lies in its colossal 18-meter wide and 10-meter high screen, coupled with dual projectors for truly mesmerizing visuals. The auditory realm is equally enthralling, thanks to a world-class sound system that promises heart-pounding audio.VOX Cinemas has revolutionized the concept of entertainment, catering to both film aficionados and food connoisseurs. The fusion of cinematic magic with gastronomic delight awaits patrons, who can indulge in fine dining within the exclusive lounge or savor delectable dishes delivered right to their seats via the innovative in-theatre waiter service.A tantalizing addition to the experience is the newly inaugurated Candy Bar, nestled within the revamped cinema foyer. This delightful haven offers an array of culinary pleasures, including popcorn, burgers, hotdogs, pizzas, and nachos, all designed to enhance the movie experience.Anmar AlQurashi, Managing Director - Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment, said: "The reopening of VOX Cinemas City Centre Bahrain reaffirms our commitment to elevating the movie-going experience." Join us on this remarkable journey of cinematic excellence, as VOX Cinemas redefines entertainment in Bahrain.

Horizon Holdings has appointed Stephen Worsley as Regional Managing Director of Golin MENA. With over 26 years of experience, Stephen is a senior communication professional and has worked in a variety of roles in the region. He is an expert in delivering strong communication strategies and campaigns representing multinational companies, government agencies and regional business groups. Earlier as a vice president at ASDA’A BCW, he was responsible for growth and innovation, in which he built a wide portfolio of regional and international clients. He also initiated a new advisory for integrating ESG and communications best practices. He has also worked with Masdar as senior manager and also as a communications adviser at TotalEnergies. He has reached this position on account of his hard work and by excellent communication strategies.  Mazen Jawad, CEO of Horizon Holdings, shared that he found Stephen to be the perfect fit for their growing PR team with the right experience and motivation to lead GolinMENA towards new horizons. Stephen Worsley also shared his excitement to join Horizon Holdings and support GolinMENA in its next phase of growth.

The LEGO Group appointed Kristian Imhof as the new General Manager for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. Imhof brings a wealth of experience in corporate leadership, with a proven track record in both established and emerging markets.Imhof takes over the role from Jeroen Bejier who established the LEGO Group’s presence in the Middle East and spearheaded operations in MEA over the past 4 years. Since joining The LEGO Group in 2012, Imhof has played a pivotal role in driving the company's growth. Starting in the Munich office in Germany, he has led innovative initiatives in Austria, Switzerland, and beyond.In 2017, he moved to Johannesburg to become the General manager of South Africa and Sub Saharan region. Imhof's approach led to the transformation of the route-to-market strategy and established the first LEGO certified stores in Africa, along with a robust eCommerce platform. Imhof's visionary leadership expanded wholesale channels in Southern Africa and fostered distributor relationships in both West and East Africa. After an impressive track record, Imhof returned to Europe Central in 2021 and later assumed the role of Acting General Manager. Now, he takes on the exciting challenge of leading the dynamic MEA region."I believe in the transformative power of learning through play, and I am determined to make the LEGO brand and experience accessible to more children as well as adults throughout the MEA region. The collective efforts of the LEGO Group in nurturing creativity, critical thinking, and skill development among young minds in this region is evident. I am committed to continue building on the impressive foundation laid by the team here. " said Imhof.The LEGO Group has been actively engaging consumers in the region, becoming an integral part of the play culture. Imhof plans to build upon this and expand the brand's footprint through various distribution and communication channels. His expertise in diverse markets will enable him to create tailored strategies that resonate with the unique cultures and preferences of the MEA region. Additionally, he envisions geographical expansion to ensure the LEGO experience reaches more corners of the region.Imhof holds a Master's degree in Business Administration, specializing in Marketing & Logistics from the University of Applied Sciences in Dresden.

Gokaldas Exports Ltd (GEL), a leading readymade garment manufacturer and exporter, has entered into an agreement through its wholly owned subsidiaries to acquire Atraco Group for $55 million. Altraco, headquartered in Dubai, is an apparel manufacturer which operates with a network of four manufacturing units in Kenya and one in Ethiopia producing about 40 million garments annually. The equity value of the transaction is $55 million (around Rs 455 crore), which involves acquisition of shares and assets, subject to regulatory approvals. The deal s expected to be completed by Q3 FY24 (October–December 2023).Atraco Group’s revenue is approximately $107 million, with a profit after tax of $7.2 million for the calendar year 2022. It has more than 13,000 workers spread across multiple locations in Kenya, Ethiopia, and the UAE.GEL vice chairman and MD Sivaramakrishnan Ganapathi said: “The acquisition of Atraco is an important step in the direction as it is strategically relevant, possesses a good complementary customer base, is operationally strong, and above all, a leader in its own sphere. With this acquisition, we will gain access to low-cost duty-free locations for manufacturing. Together, we can deliver a wider choice and value proposition to our global customers. We look forward to welcoming over 13,000 new members (employees of Atraco) into the GEL family.”Currently, GEL exports to more than 50 countries where its customers include prominent international brands in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania and Asian countries. The company has over 20 manufacturing facilities, complemented by five integrated ancillary units.

 In a milestone step towards international cooperation and advancement of the media industry, Sharjah Media City (Shams) has signed an MOU with Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), the largest television and radio broadcasting company in the Republic of South Korea.His Excellency Rashid Abdullah Al Obed, Managing Director of Sharjah Media City, and Mr. Hyoung-Mun Choi, Director of Business Centre and Head of projects at Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), signed the terms of the agreement, in a ceremony held in Shams Business Centre on August 30, 2023. The agreement was signed in the presence of His Excellency Dr. Khalid Omar Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Media City “Shams”, and Ahmed Khalfan Al Fandi, Founder and CEO of Alpha Narmo Holding.This pioneering partnership aims to strengthen ties of cooperation between Shams and MBC Korea, through enhanced media content business development, benefiting from the expertise and exchange of knowledge between both parties. The partnership serves to accomplish common goals and advance media content in both countries, in accordance with regulations and legislation.His Excellency Rashid Abdullah Al Obed expressed his happiness with the bilateral cooperation, stressing Shams’ eagerness to continue building a network of cooperation and partnership with various international media companies for the future of the media sector and to establish a sustainable model of professional international cooperation. His Excellency stressed that the strategic partnership with MBC Korea is in line with the company’s vision of improving media output quality and nurturing and promoting creative talents, adding value to Shams’ efforts to expand media services throughout the Emirate of Sharjah and enhance its presence at the local and international level.Mr. Hyoung-Mun Choi, Director of Business Centre and Head of all MBC projects at Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation, expressed that the signing of the MOU with Shams was an influential step forward, owing to Shams’ long history and good standing in the media industry. MBC Korea strives to strengthen the frameworks of joint media cooperation to bilaterally enrich media and achieve globalization.Mr. Choi expressed that the agreement between MBC Korea and Shams will contribute to consolidating an impactful friendship between the two countries, advance innovation, and creativity, and create a lasting impact on the global media scene. Mr. Choi continued by praising the comprehensive renaissance witnessed by the UAE in all fields, particularly the media sector.

 MDLBEAST, the leading Saudi music and entertainment company, has established its headquarters in JAX District of Diriyah, Riyadh. The inauguration event announced the results of a comprehensive research study, highlighting the company’s socio-economic impact in Saudi Arabia over the course of 2022Operating from its new base, MDLBEAST supports the music industry as an enabler to the Saudi creative economy. It will foster local talent, aid local businesses, enhance the quality of life, and elevate the global ranking of the Saudi cities. Ramadan Alharatani, CEO of MDLBEAST, commented, "Our headquarters’ location at the heart of the Saudi cultural heritage and creativity positions us at the epicenter of the cultural, social, and economic developments happening in Riyadh. As a Saudi company, our contribution to creativity and music makes the Saudi people feel proud. It also cements our leadership in the music sector and our capacity to interact with the local and global talents, introducing the Saudi music to the world. Moreover, this new locale will bolster MDLBEAST's presence at the crucial regional events."MDLBEAST shared with attendees a detailed study of its social and economic impacts. The study underscored MDLBEAST's increasing economic impact, with 63% of its spending dedicated to support the Saudi businesses, artists, and employees. MDLBEAST provided direct and indirect 18,000 job opportunities in 2022. The study also confirmed that MDLBEAST supplies 100% of its partners with promising business prospects.The study also provided insights into MDLBEAST's societal impact in the Kingdom, revealing that 83% of participants now see a career in music and entertainment as a viable choice. Moreover, 85% of respondents identified these activities as a source of diverse job positions, making the Kingdom an attractive job market. Remarkably, 82% of participants noted the role of these activities in prompting broader women's participation in the workforce.Alharatani added, "This study emphasizes MDLBEAST's broad, positive impact extending beyond the music industry economically and socially, presenting sustainable development and growth opportunities. Our ability to generate such a positive impact within and beyond the Kingdom reaffirms our fundamental aim to address a pressing demand within the Saudi audience, successfully establishing a steadily increasing customer and partner base."According to the study, MDLBEAST's impact extends globally. In addition to a wide base of visitors from neighboring countries, MDLBEAST events attracted 10,000 tourists, with around 35% from Europe and 30% from the Americas. Strikingly, 77% of these attendees consider MDLBEAST festivals instrumental in reinforcing Saudi Arabia as a tourist destination.MDLBEAST collaborates actively with the relevant Saudi entities to support the Kingdom's music sector through education, production, performance, distribution, support, licensing, and intellectual property rights protections. Interestingly, MDLBEAST has experienced remarkable success in its short lifespan, hosting musical events in tandem with major Saudi occasions, such as Formula 1 and Formula E. Specific events, like the Soundstorm Festival, saw massive attendance exceeding 750,000, featuring over 200 local and international music stars.

The MediaVantage, a regional media representation company, has entered into a strategic alliance with Reuters. This partnership enables The MediaVantage to serve as the exclusive Middle East representative for Reuters, empowering Middle Eastern brands with tailor-made advertising and marketing solutions.By forging this collaboration, The MediaVantage empowers local brands with direct access to Reuters' extensive array of advertising and marketing solutions. This avenue enables brands to enhance their visibility and expand their global influence effectively.Dan Qayyum, General Manager Media & Sales, The MediaVantage, said that brands and advertisers across the Middle East can now leverage Reuter's legacy of excellence and unparalleled reach.“We are excited to facilitate a seamless connection between our clients and Reuters advertising and marketing solutions, its content studios, and its engaged global audience of more than 52 million on Reuters.com and 54 million on social media," he said Preya Shah, Head of Digital Sales EMEA & APAC, Reuters, said: “The Middle East is an important market for Reuters, and we’re excited to work with MediaVantage to offer innovative ways to reach an influential audience that delivers real impact. Our award-winning journalism provides the ideal environment for marketers in the region to share their message, connecting them with senior professionals all over the world.”The MediaVantage is an international media representative in the Middle East. Prior to this, the agency had signed a partnership with TIME.

XHiring, the groundbreaking addition by X, a social media firm owned by Elon Musk, has been unveiled. Formerly known as Twitter, the platform now allows Verified Organizations to directly post job openings through their dedicated handles, marking a significant advancement.In a strategic move to compete with professional platforms like LinkedIn, X has entered the realm of professional networking by launching a beta version of this recruitment feature.In response to a tweet by a user named Ian Zelbo, who expressed dissatisfaction with LinkedIn, Elon Musk responded on X, stating, "At times, people send me LinkedIn links, but the level of awkwardness is so high that I can't bring myself to use it. I prefer requesting resumes or bios via email. We're dedicated to ensuring that X's LinkedIn competitor radiates a cool atmosphere."Meanwhile, back in May, Elon Musk subtly hinted at the upcoming launch of the job-hiring feature. Responding to a user's suggestion that Twitter should offer dating services, Musk pondered, "Interesting idea, maybe jobs as well." This aligns with Musk's vision of transforming the platform into an all-encompassing app, as he previously expressed.

Jaganathan Chelliah, Senior Director, Marketing, India, Middle East, and TIA, Western Digital, delves into the company’s vision and highlights the innovative marketing strategy adopted to reach varied audience groups. In this interview with Adgully, he highlights how an ingredient brand like Western Digital has successfully landed campaigns that highlight the significance of data storage in today's technological era. Excerpts:Is the Middle East similar to the Indian market or is it way advanced? How do you see that market panning out there?The Middle East market possesses distinctive characteristics that set it apart. Firstly, it boasts a significant retail orientation, featuring a substantial retail presence. This stands in contrast to India, where there's a prevalence of small, family-owned stores alongside organized retail.Secondly, the consumer experience is closely intertwined with hands-on engagement at retail counters. This tactile aspect strongly influences the buying process.Thirdly, infrastructure investments primarily hinge on governmental initiatives. Notably, countries like Saudi Arabia are presently undergoing substantial government-driven infrastructure developments, presenting a noteworthy opportunity.These trends play a pivotal role in shaping our strategic approach to these markets. Additionally, within specific industry sectors, the level of technology adoption is notably higher than in other markets. For instance, the Portable SSD market demonstrates greater capacity preferences, with consumers being more inclined to purchase two and four-terabyte options compared to the typical one and two-terabyte choices in other regions.Furthermore, a significant divergence from other markets lies in the sizable online presence. This aspect is experiencing rapid growth, paralleling trends seen elsewhere.Our approach to the Middle East market closely mirrors our strategies in other markets. We meticulously analyze distinct customer segments and tailor solutions that align with the specific needs of these markets.How has the need for data storage evolution evolved for businesses in India and Middle East markets?The Middle East market boasts a robust consumer-oriented landscape, particularly in terms of premium storage solutions. These solutions cater to a diverse consumer segment, including gamers, content creators, and individuals seeking heightened productivity and personal use. This region's market is notably characterized by a strong emphasis on premium offerings.Furthermore, a significant growth driver for this market is the prevalence of infrastructure projects, particularly prominent in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. These projects generate substantial demand for our enterprise storage solutions and surveillance storage solutions. Remarkably, it's rare to come across locations in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia that lack CCTV solutions. This underscores the high level of adoption for these solutions, which in turn fuels the demand for storage options in these markets.What is the roadmap for future growth for Western Digital in India and the Middle East?The Middle East region holds immense significance as a market for us. We recognize a substantial opportunity to empower both consumers in the retail sector and enterprises. At Western Digital, we are actively exploring every avenue to identify emerging needs and develop precise storage solutions to cater to the Middle East market's demands.

General Motors Africa and Middle East (GM AMEO) continues its commitment to accelerated transformation towards heightened electrified mobility and connectivity, with the announcement of executive appointment moves. Driving forward the company's ambidextrous regional business strategy, Rohan Fernandes, Sajed Sbeih, Omar Elkhishin, and Chad Wellman will be taking on new roles within the company.Showcasing GM’s dedication to fostering, recognizing, and nurturing homegrown talent, Rohan, Sajed, and Omar will build on the foundation set forward by their predecessors, effective 1 September 2023. The newly appointed executives bring a wealth of experience and a profound understanding of local culture and ethos to the company’s regional activity. With their GM Middle Eastern backgrounds and expertise, they are uniquely positioned to drive the company’s growth and innovation in alignment with the region’s needs and aspirations.Rohan Fernandes, currently Director of Customer Care and Aftersales for GM AMEO, has been appointed Managing Director Commercial Operations for GM AMEO.Sajed Sbeih, currently Vice President – Strategy, Product & Operations for GM Europe, is set to repatriate to the Middle East as Director of Customer Care and Aftersales for GM AMEO.Omar Elkhishin, previously Director of Sales for Middle East, is named the Managing Director of Cadillac Middle East and International.From the global stage, Chad Wellman steps into the region bringing an international perspective and a wealth of transformative experience to GM AMEO, starting 1 September 2023. His presence amplifies the company’s reach, creating synergies between wider markets and regional operations.Chad Wellman, currently Chief Financial Officer Digital, has been appointed Chief Financial Officer for General Motors Africa and Middle East.Expressing his enthusiasm about the executive reshuffles, Jack Uppal, President and Managing Director, GM Africa and Middle East said: “We are excited to welcome Rohan, Sajed, Omar, and Chad, to their new roles. Through a carefully orchestrated alignment of leadership talent, which includes deeply rooted regional understanding alongside seasoned global expertise, we are ushering our regional operations into new realms of opportunity. Their rich history within General Motors has been nothing short of impressive, and we look forward to witnessing their continued growth as they take on these key leadership roles.”“Moreover, I take this opportunity to genuinely thank the team who laid the foundation through their valuable contributions to the Africa and Middle East teams and thank Albert Nazarian, Kristian Aquilina and Ajai Shankar for their outstanding work and wishing them all the best in their next assignments,” said Jack Uppal in his closing remarks.The GM Africa and Middle East team will also be welcoming Marc Ebolo as Director of Sales Middle East operations and Sanjay Keswani as Chief Information Officer for the African and Middle Eastern operations.Underpinned by a new era of mobility, the executive and leadership teams will spearhead GM AMEO’s electrified future, guided by the company’s global vision of a world with Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion.

Mensa Brands, the pioneering digital House of Brands from India, continues its journey of innovation and expansion with a remarkable foray into the vibrant UAE e-commerce landscape. With the introduction of its iconic brands—Villain, Pebble, and Folkulture—on Amazon and Noon, and the launch of MyFitness peanut butter, which falls under Mensa’s FMCG portfolio, on Talabat and Noon Minutes, Mensa Brands is poised to redefine the digital shopping experience in the UAE.Villain, celebrated for its exceptional range of men's lifestyle essentials, has officially marked its presence on Amazon. This strategic move brings a diverse collection of perfumes, personal care products, and lifestyle accessories to the fingertips of the UAE audience. With its blend of style, sophistication, and utility, Villain caters to the modern man's desire for elegance and individuality. Pebble, renowned for its avant-garde electronics and cutting-edge technology, and Folkulture, a celebration of cultural heritage and craftsmanship, find their niche in the UAE market.MyFitness peanut butter, recently launched on Talabat, provides health-conscious consumers with a seamless way to enjoy its nutritious offerings. Scheduled for an exciting debut on Noon Minutes this week, it promises to deliver an enhanced shopping experience.Ananth Narayanan, Founder and CEO, Mensa Brands, shared his excitement for these strategic moves, stating, "Expanding our footprint to the UAE is more than just a geographical move; it's about sharing the essence of our brands with the world. Villain, Pebble, Folkulture, and MyFitness are pioneers in their respective domains, and we're excited to see them flourish in this new digital landscape. Looking ahead, we're setting our sights on introducing our fashion brands to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia across all platforms, embracing new horizons and extending our connection with audiences in diverse markets."Mensa Brands' entry into the UAE market underscores its dedication to shaping the digital commerce landscape, engaging diverse markets, and offering consumers unparalleled experiences. With a focus on excellence and customer satisfaction, Mensa Brands is set to leave an indelible mark on the UAE's e-commerce ecosystem.

Riyadh: Qarar, a wholly owned subsidiary of SIMAH and the Middle East’s prominent data analytics and credit decisioning company, and Biz2X, a global fintech technology and financing provider with an established presence in the USA, India and Australia and over $10 billion USD funded through its Biz2X digital lending platform, today announced a strategic joint venture that aims to revolutionize the landscape of SME lending in Saudi Arabia.The primary objective of the partnership agreement is to bridge the financing gap faced by SMEs. Qarar and Biz2X are creating the largest SME lending platform in Saudi Arabia with a streamlined digital experience that empowers SME borrowers and lenders to transact seamlessly. Lenders will also have the ability through the platform to create their own lending marketplaces, further enhancing their financial offerings to the SME sector. The companies invite lenders to contact them for early access to the platform.The joint venture will be a major contributor to the Saudi Vision 2030 and is aligned to the Kingdom’s goal to significantly expand the SME sector to 22% of GDP, a substantial increase from its current contribution of 9% of GDP. Historically, up to 57% of SME financing requests were declined annually by commercial banks, which have been reluctant to issue loans to SMEs at scale.Leveraging the award-winning Biz2X technology, the new platform will transform the SME lending process to fix this financing gap. Biz2X equips lenders with the necessary tools and resources to offer tailored and competitive SME loan solutions, resulting in faster and easier access to finance. The Qarar-Biz2X partnership enhances the overall efficiency of the SME lending market, benefiting both borrowers and lenders alike.Zaid Kamhawi, CEO of Qarar, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, "We are excited to partner with Biz2X to support the development of the SME sector in Saudi Arabia. This partnership knits together our combined technical expertise, established international success, and on-the-ground market presence. Together, we are offering a powerful and proven platform that will help transform the SME lending market in Saudi Arabia. We applaud the Saudi Vision 2030 and are delighted to be contributing to the ambitious fintech initiatives throughout the Kingdom."Rohit Arora, CEO of Biz2X, added, "Our partnership with Qarar reflects the financing expertise and advanced technology that the Biz2X® platform delivers. By bringing our technology and expertise to lenders in Saudi Arabia we are fulfilling our mission to make SME lending more accessible and efficient for businesses everywhere, fostering economic growth and prosperity."The companies will showcase the Biz2X platform exclusively at Seamless Saudi Arabia in Riyadh from 4 – 5 September 2023. We invite lenders to visit the SIMAH stand S30 to experience the technology firsthand.

Nielsen, a global leader in audience measurement, data, and analytics, today released its 2023 State of Play report outlining new findings on the fast-evolving streaming video landscape highlighting data and insights from Gracenote, Nielsen’s content solutions business unit. The new report illuminates the surging number of program titles and streaming video services, as well as the resulting challenges for viewers who now spend 10.5 minutes per session deciding what to watch. Content creators, distributors, streaming services and aggregators will benefit from a clear picture of the current streaming landscape presented in the report and actionable recommendations on how to differentiate their offerings under the existing market conditions. According to Gracenote data analysis, there were 1.9 million video titles available to viewers in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Mexico and Germany in July 2021. This number had swelled to 2.7 million titles by June 2023. Of the total count, a whopping 86.7% were available on streaming services. Compounding complexity, many popular shows appear in multiple streaming catalogs, highlighting an industry pivot away from content exclusivity to broader distribution in search of better monetization. The Gracenote analysis also found that audiences now have nearly 40,000 individual FAST channels, streaming providers and aggregators to choose from. Adding more context, new Nielsen data from The Gauge revealed that streaming accounted for 38.7% of total TV usage in July, a new record high. Concurrently, traditional TV viewing across broadcast and cable dropped below 50% for the first time.But the wealth of available content and the proliferation of streaming choices has led to difficulties for viewers. When consumers could not find something compelling to watch, the report notes that one in five abandoned the viewing session and turned to another activity.  As all industry players seek to position themselves for success in the evolving streaming marketplace, the keys to audience engagement are increased personalization and better user experience. Those that leverage content metadata and connected IDs to present the most compelling programming and relevant advertising to the right viewers through merchandising, curation and data science can gain a competitive edge.“As it was during the age of broadcast television, content is the lifeblood of the digital, streaming-first media ecosystem,” said Filiz Bahmanpour, VP of Product at Gracenote. “So a clear understanding of content – where it’s available, what it’s about and whom it’s attracting – is more critical than ever.”Gracenote is the content solutions business unit of Nielsen providing entertainment metadata, content IDs and related offerings to the world’s leading creators, distributors and platforms. Gracenote technology enables advanced content navigation and discovery capabilities helping individuals to easily connect to the TV shows, movies, music and sports they love while delivering powerful content analytics making complex business decisions simpler.

Abu Dhabi: Al Yah Satellite Communications Company, the UAE’s flagship satellite solutions provider, has celebrated the achievements of its Emirati women workforce in a company townhall, under the 2023 Emirati Women’s Day theme of ‘We Collaborate for Tomorrow.’Emirati women are crucial to the UAE national workforce across the Group, with Yahsat dedicated to further increasing their participation given their notable contributions in both technical and non-technical roles. Talented UAE women have repeatedly proven that they are vital to both ensuring the success of the company. Yahsat has paved the way for Emirati women to not only excel in technology sectors traditionally dominated by men, but also assume key leadership positions. Senior management roles at Yahsat occupied by women have steadily increased, with active plans to find more Emirati women to take up senior positions.Ali Al Hashemi, Yahsat Group CEO, said: “The UAE’s achievements in the satellite and space segments over the past 50 years has been nothing short of extraordinary and Emirati women have been at the backbone of this country’s development and success in line with the leadership’s vision to empower women and achieve gender balance. This is especially true for Yahsat: I am proud of our Emirati women workforce who have proven that their skills, bold decision-making, and leadership qualities have made a positive impact in the satellite communications and space industry.”Yahsat’s townhall recognized its Emirati Women’s remarkable accomplishments including that of Athari Almansoori, a Senior Engineer of Programme Engineering at Yahsat’s government arm, Yahsat Government Solutions, who has been tasked with leading the demanding and critical operations role of overseeing the Group’s multiple international projects. Other notable Yahsat women achievers include Aida Al Yaaqoubi, a Senior Engineer of Spacecraft Analysis and President of Yahsat’s Youth Council, Nada Obaid, a Senior Systems Engineer and a key member of Yahsat’s ongoing Thuraya 4-NGS satellite programme and Maryam Saeed Alsereidi, Vice President of Information Technology, who is leading the digital transformation of the Group.

Abu Dhabi: etisalat by e& today announced a monumental breakthrough in its pursuit of cutting-edge technologies to elevate customer experiences with the successful completion of the “5G-Advanced” trial project under the leadership of Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA).etisalat by e& has achieved 10Gbps throughput on the 6GHz band, a significant milestone that positions the UAE at the forefront of 5G-Advanced network capabilities. The achievement marks a remarkable advancement in data transfer speeds, solidifying the company’s commitment to revolutionising the telecommunications landscape. The trial focused on unlocking the full potential of the 6GHz frequency range and utilising the 400 MHz bandwidth to achieve the unparalleled 10Gbps speed while enhancing the user experience.The collaboration between etisalat by e& and TDRA resulted in the ground-breaking achievement of 10Gbps on the 6GHz band, which stands as the highest ever achieved on this frequency worldwide. The accomplishment has profound implications for ushering in the digital transformation era, not only within the UAE but also across the globe.Khalid Murshed, Chief Technology and Information Officer (CTIO), Etisalat UAE, said: “etisalat by e& is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of technological innovation to provide transformative solutions to our customers. Our recent achievement of 5G-Advanced speeds reaffirms our commitment to delivering high-quality and fast connectivity. The collaboration with TDRA emphasises our joint commitment to enhance the UAE's technological leadership and global recognition.“This advancement paves the way for a seamless and integrated digital world, enabling the growth of IoT applications and metaverse technologies. The increased speeds support complex applications such as remote healthcare diagnostics, autonomous vehicle projects, and advanced industrial installations, contributing to a more innovative, interconnected society.”The implementation of the "5G-Advanced" trial initiative reflects etisalat by e&'s commitment to fortifying these efforts in line with the UAE government's "Year of Sustainability" initiatives in 2023. It also aligns with the company's mission to enhance sector efficiency and solidify the UAE's leadership in technological innovation, thus establishing the nation as a hub for innovation, connectivity, and digital progress.

Dubai: GoDaddy Inc., has announced its collaboration with du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC). This new partnership and collaboration aims to empower entrepreneurs, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) by providing them with essential connectivity solutions and enabling their online presence.In today's digital age, connectivity and a strong online presence are crucial for businesses to thrive. Recognizing this need, GoDaddy and du have joined forces to offer a suite of services specifically tailored to meet the requirements of, startups, entrepreneurs, SMEs and solopreneurs. With this partnership, businesses in the UAE can now access a range of connectivity and digital tools to kickstart their online journey.The heart of this partnership lies in the powerful Ecommerce Starter Kit provided by GoDaddy. All SMEs subscribing to du's broadband plans will receive Godaddy’s starter kit, free of charge for one year, unlocking a world of potential opportunities. For businesses looking to take their digital presence to the next level, du offers premium 5G and fiber internet plans that provides the small businesses with their connectivity needs By leveraging the power of the GoDaddy Digital Starter Kit and du’s broadband plans, businesses can unlock their full potential and tap into the countless opportunities offered by the digital landscape.The E-commerce Starter Kit includes essential components such as: .com domain registration*a professional Microsoft email accountan E-store builder tool that includes hosting services with unlimited pages, and seamless social media integration.The impact of an online presence cannot be underestimated. According to GoDaddy’s MENA Small Business Survey, nearly 50% of businesses in the UAE that utilize online channels earn up to 20% of their annual revenue through these platforms. Furthermore, in the UAE businesses acquired more than 70% of their customers through online channels compared to other markets.Karim Benkirane, Chief Commercial Officer at du said :"In today's fast-paced digital landscape, where connectivity and a strong online presence are paramount, the partnership between GoDaddy and du is a game-changer for SMEs in the UAE. The collaboration not only addresses the connectivity needs of SMEs but also ensures they have the essential digital tools to thrive in a competitive market, harness the countless opportunities offered by the ever-evolving digital landscape and position themselves for long-term success. Our partnership goes beyond empowering SMEs to succeed, it showcases our commitment to the future of entrepreneurship in the UAE.”Selina Bieber, Vice President for International Markets at GoDaddy, expressed her enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, "We are excited to team up with du to further GoDaddy’s support for the digitalization of SMEs in the UAE. With our combined expertise, we hope to empower businesses with the tools they need to succeed online and help SMEs grow their online business. GoDaddy and du's partnership aims to bridge the digital divide for SMEs in the UAE, providing them with the necessary tools and connectivity to establish a strong online presence.”

Visa, the world’s leader in digital payment, partnered with Lahunna Oman to shape young women leaders and strengthen financial literacy through a local initiative with Sidrah, a Youth Leadership Program for Omani women.The Sidrah Leadership Program supports young women through mentorship and leadership training for personal and professional development. It is a holistic learning experience that focuses on nurturing leadership qualities, personal and professional development and encourages young women to envision themselves as future leaders and change makers. From workshops to outward-bound experiential learning and networking opportunities, the program equips young women with the skills and knowledge needed to face their future with confidence.Taking the initiative to a broader audience, another initiative was introduced called Rialy; which included workshops and a gamified online competition for more than 1,000 students across various educational institutions across the Sultanate of Oman. Students were exposed to essential financial concepts while enjoying a fun and engaging learning experience which fostered motivation among learners as top performers were also rewarded with prizes."The positive impact of the Sidrah program is evident in the growth and achievements of our participants. Visa’s support has made it possible to reach a wide audience, ensuring that Sidrah has a far-reaching impact. By partnering with Lahunna Oman, Visa continues to focus on upskilling women and nurturing growth in the workforce," said Carl Manlan, Visa’s Head of Inclusive Impact & Sustainability for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa region. "We are confident that the skills acquired will inspire them to embrace opportunities, break barriers, and make a significant difference in their lives and their communities."As a testament to the success of the Sidrah Leadership Program, the young women cited several opportunities that resulted from taking part in the program, including internships, job opportunities, scholarships, public speaking opportunities and presenting projects to Oman Vision 2040.Shatha Al Maskiry, Founder of Lahunna Oman said, “Visa is a strong ally and by leveraging their extensive knowledge base, we were able to conduct an array of workshops and interactive sessions to equip youth with fundamental financial literacy acumen to allow them to confidently navigate their financial future.”Amal Al Mazroei, an engineering graduate that participated in the Sidrah program said,” I am proud to participate in one of the greatest programs, SIDRAH 2.0, which guarantees positive change and growth for Omani Women! I am more confident than ever that I have so much to give back to myself, my community and my beloved Oman.”By inspiring young women to pursue leadership roles, Visa continues to drive positive change by supporting women leaders for the next generation.

Faris Sibai, who became the Chief Growth Officer at Mindshare MENA in January of this year, has decided to depart from the MENA region. He shared in a LinkedIn post on August 28 that the time has come for him to bid adieu to the wonderful UAE market.Faris Sibai in his post writes: “As I near my final month in Dubai, I cannot help but reflect on how lucky I have been to call this great nation my home for the past 17 years. I found my soulmate, started our family, bought our first home, all while watching the amazing transformation that Dubai & The UAE has undergone over the past 17 years. Today this city stands firm as one of the most competitive and progressive economies in the world, and a massive kudos goes to it visionary leadership.”On leaving MENA, he writes: “I am leaving Mindshare MENA, a place that I have called home for the past 7 years. Mindshare really is the place where you do the greatest work of your career, and I’m eternally grateful to all the Purple People, both past and present, that have been part of my journey. “Though Sibai is planning to depart from the Mindshare MENA and the region, he will still be part of GroupM and is preparing to assume a fresh position in APAC, specifically in Shanghai. "Even as I move on from this region, I will continue to be a part of the GroupM family, embarking on a new journey in APAC, stationed in Shanghai," he says.

Jummar Public Relations and Communications, a Saudi PR company, has appointed Tarek Lasheen as Senior Client Service Director.The agency has also promoted Rakan Al-Owais as Operations Director, expanding his responsibilities to include directing media relations, client relations, and executing PR campaigns. Based in Riyadh, the company is known for providing communication consultancy for organizations, entities, and companies. It is driven by a deep understanding of the local culture and clear insights into social and economic contexts in Saudi Arabia.Tarek Lasheen in his new role will work with Jummar team to expand the client portfolio as well as to develop and implement communications and PR strategies. Before joining Jummar, Lasheen was the Head of PR at Memac Ogilvy, overseeing the media campaigns. He also led the PR campaign of launching the New Suez Canal in Egypt. He also served as the Head of Communications at Pegasus for Operational Excellence. Lasheen has graduated from the American University in Cairo (AUC), where he held a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor degree in Economics.Al-Owais holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Media from Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) and possesses more than nine years of experience. He started his professional journey as a student with Alshaya Group. Al-Owais joined Jummar after graduating from the College of Media and Communication at IMSIU.

Dubai: Emirates, the national airline of Dubai, is all set to serve world-class tennis action to sports fans in its 12th consecutive year as the official airline of the US Open Tennis Championships.Emirates has been sponsoring various sports events, but it is mainly known for its sponsorship of football. The US Tennis tournament will be running from August 28 to September 10 this year with Emirates bringing another exciting tennis season for its global audiences. Emirates fans and lovers of the game will be seeing a host of activities lined up to thrill tennis enthusiasts of all ages, whether courtside, off the court, or in the air.This year the airline returns with its dynamic presence for showcasing its superior hospitality to tennis enthusiasts in addition to providing a full line-up of engaging activities to keep audiences entertained. Main highlights of this year’s event include tennis clinics with the sport’s legendary players.Emirates’ ongoing partnership with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the high-profile annual sporting event goes back to 2012.The airline’s portfolio of tennis sponsorships also includes three of the four Grand Slam tournaments in addition to 60 other tournaments throughout the year in partnership with the ATP, including the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, Miami Open and BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in the US.

Dubai: Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, one of the three chambers operating under the umbrella of Dubai Chambers, has launched the Emirati Training Academy, a new training programme designed to empower homegrown digital talent as part of the ‘Create Apps in Dubai’ initiative.The Emirati Training Academy is a key pillar of ‘Create Apps in Dubai’ aimed at equipping participants with the knowledge and skills required to build a successful career in mobile application development. Available exclusively to UAE nationals of all ages and from any of the seven emirates, the programme will educate and upskill Emiratis with the goal of enabling participants to start their own business ventures.Led by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, ‘Create Apps in Dubai’ was launched to train over 1,000 Emiratis on the fundamentals of coding, building mobile applications, and business creation models. The initiative aims to triple the number of app developers in Dubai by 2025 and will support 100 new national projects for the development of cutting-edge applications, which will be made available in digital app stores over the next two years.Commenting on the launch of the academy, Saeed AlGergawi, Vice President of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, said: “Dubai’s remarkable success story was built on unleashing the potential of talents and creating an environment that allows new ideas to take root and flourish. Our achievements have been made possible thanks to the efforts of talented and driven individuals, together with the forward-thinking vision of the wise leadership, who recognise the importance of embracing future opportunities. The launch of the Emirati Training Academy represents another significant milestone in our journey to position the emirate as one of the world’s most agile and diversified technology-enabled digital hubs.”The foundational phase of the programme consists of a series of nine online training courses that offer participants the flexibility to progress at their own pace. Delivered over a six-week period, the courses cover a variety of business, technical, and design skills and include App Marketing, Mobile Design and Usability for Android, Introduction to HTML and CSS, Rapid Prototyping, App Monetization, How to Build a Startup, Mobile Design and Usability for iOS, Version Control with Git, and UX Design for Mobile Developers. A series of more advanced courses is scheduled to commence in October.Launched earlier this year by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, ‘Create Apps in Dubai’ is designed to empower and enable Emirati talents to play key roles in realising the country’s digital vision.The launch of the Emirati Training Academy builds on a series of successful events and activations held since the initiative was announced. These include the ‘Design Thinking Hackathon,’ which invited over 100 young Emiratis to explore the challenges and opportunities surrounding app development and discuss effective strategies for bringing their business ideas to life. A number of interactive workshops aimed at inspiring tomorrow’s digital talent have also been hosted in cooperation with key partners.In addition, a new infographic guide outlining the benefits of innovative no-code platforms was published by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy in collaboration with the UAE’s Artificial Intelligence Office. This valuable resource was created to reduce barriers to entry for a career in app development and provides a detailed overview of no-code platforms, which enable people with no experience in programming to develop their own apps.

Dubai: MIT Sloan Management Review, which recently launched its Middle East edition, has announced a summit focused on emerging technologies.In an increasingly interconnected world, the impact of generative artificial intelligence, virtual worlds, and digital payments spans across all sectors. The NextTech Summit will delve into these emerging technologies at the forefront of the next digital revolution.MIT Professors, thought leaders and industry heavyweights will gather in Dubai for the inaugural edition of the NextTech Summit.Panel discussions will include leveraging generative AI to shape the future of your organization, unlocking the business potential of the metaverse, as well as the rise of digital currencies, and the future of payments landscape, among others.Calum Chace, the best-selling author of Surviving AI and other books on artificial intelligence, will join as a key speaker at the summit.“The launch of GPT-4 this March was a powerful and dramatic demonstration of the power of advanced AI. This technology will change everything about the way we live and work. And we are still only at the beginning of this exciting journey,” Chace said. “We will have to make far-reaching decisions as this technology evolves, so it is important that we all understand as much as possible what it is, what it can do for us, and what it cannot do.”Emphasizing the need to navigate the transformative potential of new technologies, key speaker Dr. Clara Guerra, Deputy Director, Office for Financial Market Innovation and Digitalization, Liechtenstein, said, “As regulators, our role is to guide innovation to contribute to a sustainable, inclusive future. And that can only be achieved through informed dialogue and collaboration, the very essence of an event like the NextTech Summit.” She added, “The NextTech Summit is vital for fostering dialogue and collaboration, empowering us to shape technology as a tool of humanity.”Ahmed Abdelaal, Group CEO of Mashreq, noted how the summit serves as the ideal platform to explore advanced technologies that are reshaping various industries. “As leaders, we are responsible for staying at the forefront of these advancements, fostering innovation and embracing disruptive ideas. This summit provides a unique platform to engage with thought leaders and industry pioneers, facilitating critical discussions and forging collaborations that will shape the future of our businesses and economies.” He noted, “Together, we can harness the transformative power of technology to drive sustainable growth and deliver exceptional value and experience to our customers in this rapidly evolving digital landscape.”Other notable speakers across industries include Dr. Christina Yan Zhang, CEO and Founder, The Metaverse Institute - United Kingdom, Lake Dai, Adjunct Professor of Applied AI at Carnegie Mellon University, Sebastien Borget, Co-Founder, Sandbox, France, and Rola Abu Manneh, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank – UAE.Technology Innovation Institute is the presenting partner of the summit, supporting the vision of exploring the future of business and technology.Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has joined as the gold partner of the summit.Speaking about the summit, Ravi Raman, Publisher of MIT Sloan Management Review Middle East, said, “Gen AI’s integration is driving organizations to adopt other AI technologies. The virtual world and digital currencies are inspiring businesses to explore new markets and untapped customer segments. Understanding these emerging technologies is vital for businesses to remain competitive and relevant in the evolving digital landscape. NextTech Summit is bringing domain experts and business leaders to discuss this in detail.”The summit will take place on 20 September 2023 at the Ritz-Carlton, Dubai, UAE. It will be attended by over 400 global industry leaders and key decision-makers from the world of technology, offering thought-provoking conversations and valuable insights on transformative technologies.

SHARJAH: Expo Centre Sharjah has announced its bustling event calendar for the final quarter of 2023, revealing an impressive line-up of local, regional, and international events. These events are scheduled to take place at the Expo Centre Sharjah as well as its affiliated centres located in Khorfakkan and Al Dhaid.With a total of 18 economic, trade, and cultural exhibitions on the horizon, there's a significant 63 percent jump in events compared to the same period in the previous year, which hosted 11 exhibitions and events.Major companies from around the globe are expected to participate, and the Centre is gearing up to welcome a surge in both exhibitors and visitors. The expansive event lineup solidifies Sharjah's position as a premier regional and international hub for exhibitions and conferences.Kicking off on 27th September and running until 1st January, 2024, the season's highlights feature the 52nd Watch and Jewellery Middle East Show, the Gulf Coatings Show, the National Career Exhibition, and the International Education Show. Also on the agenda is the much awaited Sharjah International Book Fair, an annual celebration of the literary arts.The enriched event calendar underscores Sharjah's continued commitment to fostering business, culture, and education on an international scale.Additionally, Expo Centre has an action-packed schedule for the upcoming period, featuring five premier events and exhibitions making their debut in the emirate of Sharjah. The standout events include the "Emirates Perfumes and Oud" exhibition, scheduled from 6th to 14th October 2023. The agenda also features the trade fair, which will be held from 21st to 22nd November, 2023.The Centre’s schedule for Q4 2023 boasts a series of notable, specialised exhibitions catering to the construction and retail sectors. Highlighted events include the debut of the International Exhibition of Building, Architecture, and Design from 9–11 October. Concurrently, the Gulf Coatings Show will be taking place. Other significant commercial events slated for this period encompass the Big Shopper Sale, Furniture 360, and the Winter Clearance Sale, which is scheduled from 22–31 December.The upcoming schedule for Expo Al Dhaid features a variety of events and activities. These include Al Asayl Exhibition, which showcases services and equipment for horses, camels, and falcons; the Al Dhaid Agricultural Exhibition; the Adventure and Camping Exhibition; and the Jewels of Emirates Show. Meanwhile, Expo Khor Fakkan is set to host several exhibitions in the last quarter of 2023, including Alkhaleej exhibition for perfumes and beauty," "Khorfakkan Real Estate," and the “Eastern Bride.”Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Expo Centre Sharjah, stressed that the continuous growth observed in Sharjah's exhibition sector mirrors the relentless efforts being made by the SCCI not only to bolster the emirate's exhibition and conference industry and ensure its significant impact on various economic sectors but also to invigorate tourism, diversify revenue streams, and showcase Sharjah's advancements across various developmental arenas and facets of life.For his part, Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah, highlighted that 2023 marked a significant surge for the exhibitions and conferences sector in Sharjah. As the year witnessed unparalleled growth, the Centre is committed to sustaining this trajectory, aiming for diversity and inclusivity in its event lineup for the upcoming quarter. This approach is targeted to promote the exhibition industry's impact on Sharjah's economic, social, and cultural facets.Emphasising readiness to welcome global visitors and exhibitors, Al Midfa said that the Centre will continue to adopt top international standards for organising exhibitions. Such adherence not only promises event success but also aligns with the expectations of both exhibitors and attendees.

 Rewaa, the leading full-stack inventory management platform for the retail industry, has raised $27 million (SAR 100 million) in a Series A funding round. The round was led by Wa’ed Ventures, the Kingdom-based VC fund wholly owned by Aramco.STC’s Corporate Innovation Fund (CIF), launched earlier in February to invest in early-stage tech companies across various digital sectors, participated in the round. Rewaa marks CIF’s first venture investment in Saudi Arabia since its launch.Other participating investors included Silicon Valley’s Graphene Ventures, Sadu Capital, Vision Ventures, Khwarizmi Ventures, RZM Investment, Derayah VC, and Abdulrahman Sulaiman Al Rajhi & Sons Investment Company.According to the founders, the company has processed over SAR 7 billion in transaction value to date, positioning it as one of Saudi’s fastest-growing SaaS companies in the MENA region. The company specializes in omnichannel inventory management software.“This investment propels us toward our vision of becoming the optimal technological partner for small and medium-sized businesses in the retail sector. By contributing to the industry's digital transformation through the creation of a globally competitive product, we aim to make a significant impact on retail merchants, empowering them to deliver unparalleled service with heightened efficiency,” said Mohammed Alqasir, Co-Founder and CEO at Rewaa.Founded in 2018 by Mohammed Alqasir and Abdullah Aljadhai, Rewaa provides retailers with a cloud-based integrated solution that synchronizes online and physical store inventory seamlessly, in addition to offering Point-of-Sale (POS) and accounting modules for a fully integrated platform. The company aims to become the technical partner for retailers by providing advanced technical solutions to manage inventory, sales, and payments which facilitate various business functions all from one portal.Since its inception, Rewaa has served more than 7,000 retailers in the Kingdom and abroad, creating over 250 local jobs. The company’s innovation and success led to its recognition as one of the 35 tech companies in the Saudi Unicorns Program. The program itself was announced during LEAP, the region’s largest technology conference, as a joint initiative by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT), the National Technology Development Program (NTDP), and the Misk Foundation.“Rewaa’s revolutionary approach to digitizing and optimizing operational processes based on efficiency and scale-up goals for SMEs perfectly addresses the needs of the typically-scattered retail industry,” said Fahad Alidi, Managing Director at Wa’ed Ventures.“We had the privilege of knowing Mohammed and Abdullah since their early days as founders. We are proud to back their growth today as they transform Rewaa from a simple digital tool to the go-to cloud-based POS and inventory management platform for local and regional retailers,” he adds.“We are pleased to invest in Rewaa, which has proven itself through tremendous in recent months, thanks to a and thanks to a great team behind these achievements. Through our investment, we seek to participate in developing technologies that support the retail market, including Rewaa'a company,” commented Majed Aljarboua, General Manager at stc Corporate Funds & Entrepreneurship. 

In this captivating interview, Bumblebee founder Qadreya Al Awadhi shares the heartwarming and inspiring tale of the company’s origins. From the discovery that sparked her mission to the challenges faced along the way, Qadreya Al Awadhi's insights offer a glimpse into the world of nutritious baby meal plans. As Bumblebee continues to empower parents with healthier choices and cultivate a positive food culture, her vision stands as a beacon of hope for the well-being of our youngest generation. Can you share the story behind the creation of Bumblebee? What inspired you to start a business focused on nutritious meal plans for babies and toddlers?I was babysitting my friend's son, and was feeding him the supermarket brand pack. I noticed that it lacked taste and colour. So I turned packet around and found that it was manufactured before the baby was even born! This is why I started Bumblebee, to offer parents healthy, delicious and nutritious ways to feed their children.How did your experience babysitting your friend's son lead you to recognize the need for healthier and more nutritious meal options for children in the region?I was looking for alternatives to feed him but couldn't find any, so I had no choice but to cook for him. I started experimenting with my family and friends and did my own market search. I took all their feedback and developed the products with the help of a child nutritionist.In a market where baby food options already exist, what unique aspects does Bumblebee bring to the table? How do your products stand out from the competition?Ours is the only frozen baby food in the country. The packaging is reusable and resealable, specifically made for easy travel to help working moms and moms on the go. Of course, contrary to supermarket brands, our method of cooking actually preserves the nutrients of the meals.How do you ensure that each product is both nutritious and flavorful?Bumblebee emphasizes the use of locally sourced ingredients and hormone-free, grass-fed proteins. How do these sourcing choices contribute to the quality and healthiness of your products?In today's world of consumption and globalization, especially with the rise in global population, the need to feed all those people is being advantage of by greedy corporations. For example, many companies pup their chickens full of antibiotics and hormones to grow bigger in a matter of weeks. Many vegetables are sprayed with chemicals to make them grow bigger and retain their colour. Studies have shown that none of those are actually healthy for the human body; hence we make it a mission to protect the little ones from harmful chemicals. Our local farmers do not use any chemicals. In fact, we are growing our own farm to self-supply as the business grows.With concerns about childhood obesity on the rise, how does Bumblebee's approach to meal plans contribute to addressing this issue?At Bumblebee, we do not use any processed foods, any salt, sugar or preservatives. We believe in keeping our food clean, as data shows that introducing ingredients like salt, sugar, and butter actually contributes to childhood obesity. Our 'fats' are actually pure ingredients like avocados, olives, or nuts. We believe in making our foods from scratch; this also includes our own sauces and pastas so we can control the ingredients put inside.What challenges did you face when starting and growing Bumblebee? How did you overcome these challenges?The biggest challenge was arranging logistics. My food is temperature-sensitive; and finding a partner to deliver the packages on time in a temperature-controlled van was the biggest challenge. In fact, I went through 13 suppliers before finding the right partner.Bumblebee's mission includes fostering a healthy relationship with food for children. Can you elaborate on how your products and approach achieve this goal?I noticed that there is a lack of vegetables in children's diets as popular cuisines mostly focus on carbs and protein. The lack of vegetables, especially green veggies, often leads kids to grow and become picky eaters. At Bumblebee we have a team of certified chefs that understands the complexity of flavour and cleverly cook the less popular vegetables in a method that appeals to children. By introducing children to new ingredients, we help them grow out of their picky eating phase and form a healthy relationship with food.The Immunity-Boost and Iron Man Pack are recent additions to your product range. Could you share some insights into the nutritional benefits these packs offer for babies?We often have moms reach out to us whose babies have low iron, or are underweight. We carefully created and tested many products to help babies grow healthier in a natural way. For instance, our Iron Man pack has iron-rich ingredients and vitamin C to help aid adsorption. We use natural and clean ingredients like beetroot, broccoli and grass-fed beef.Bumblebee supports the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031. How does your company align with this strategy, and what steps are you taking to contribute to the well-being of children in the UAE?One of the main pillars of the strategy is to build a healthy society; we aim to do so by providing our children with healthy meals that will them grow into becoming healthy adults. We aim to educate caregivers and schools about the importance of early childhood nutrition and the impact it has on adulthood.As a female founder and CEO in the business world, what advice do you have for other aspiring women entrepreneurs who want to make a positive impact through their own ventures?I would say study your market, and do your own R&D before you launch to understand the market dynamics. This country has many mechanisms in place to support small businesses and this country also supports women pursuing their passions. I say make use of it and take that leap of faith and invest in yourself.Can you share some success stories or feedback from parents who have used Bumblebee products for their children?We have many happy moms; in fact, most our customers are returning moms. I personally contact parents to get their feedback and much of it has helped me grow. For instance, we launched the Iron Man pack and the Immunity Pack because of their feedback. We also introduced allergen-friendly foods for kids who are sensitive to dairy, gluten, eggs and nuts.In terms of the future, what are your aspirations for Bumblebee? Are there any exciting developments or plans that you can share with us?We hope to grow to become the first choice of meals for moms in the UAE. We are in talks with some retailers to stock our meals at supermarkets, but it is still too early. 

Dubai: Weber Shandwick MENAT has announced the promotion of Ghaleb Zeidan to Regional Managing Director for UAE, Culture, Learning & Development, and Partnership. For the past five years Zeidan has ably helmed the agency’s UAE operations, overseeing both offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and recording outstanding growth on multiple levels over the past two years.“Ghaleb has demonstrated impressive ability and passion in the decade or more I’ve known him. This is a well-deserved next step in which I know he will thrive by collaborating closely with the regional office leads and teams to grow the strength of our culture, the effectiveness of our learning, and the value of our partnerships,” said Ziad Hasbani, Regional CEO of Weber Shandwick MENAT.In addition to his existing remit in the UAE, Ghaleb will take on wider regional responsibilities focused on three key areas for all Weber Shandwick offices in the Middle East. This includes the continued development of agency culture, successfully harnessing the skills and knowledge within and beyond the network to amplify this through effective training, and to explore strategic collaborations that can drive two-way value. “As Regional MD, I am excited to take Weber Shandwick MENAT’s progress to the next level. I am grateful for the exceptional support of incredible teams that were instrumental in our agency reaching many new milestones. Together, we've built something exceptional, and I'm excited about the path ahead,” said Ghaleb Zeidan.In the past year, Weber Shandwick UAE was officially certified as a Great Place to Work® UAE after a thorough and independent analysis conducted by Great Place to Work® Middle East. Beyond the UAE, Weber Shandwick MENAT has large operations in Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye, as well as a presence in Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco. 

Dubai:  Tabby, the MENA’s leading shopping and financial services app, has announced the arrival of Tabby Shop, its new all-encompassing shopping tool, marking the most significant change on the Tabby app since its launch.The new app is a one-stop-shop showcasing over 500,000 products from thousands of brands in the fashion, beauty, home and electronics categories. Tabby Shop features several shopping tools with smarter search, wishlisting, deal alerts and more. The better way to shopWith the growth of ecommerce in the Middle East, a new shopping site or app is emerging almost every day, making it challenging to compare products, combine looks and find timely deals. Tabby Shop is the ultimate shopping assistant that lets shoppers discover, organise, and track the best products, brands and deals without having to switch between shopping apps and sites.This new shopping tool makes navigating hundreds of thousands of products easy, enabling shoppers to sort and filter by color, brand, price, materials and more. Tabby Shop’s search capabilities are also supported with autosuggestions that learn the user’s taste over time to personalise their shopping experience.To support people with their finances, shoppers can find the best deals across thousands of brands with coupon codes and store-wide sales, including Tabby exclusives. They will also receive price drops and deal alerts on products they mark as favourites and be first in line to reap the benefits.Users will also be able to save their favourite products into collections to be shared with friends and family and will get access to 24/7 chat support for orders, payments and returns from Tabby’s team.Hosam Arab, CEO and Co-Founder of Tabby, said: “We’re beyond excited to take the Tabby app to new heights and define a whole new era of shopping for the MENA region. For shoppers, discovering their favourite brands and products is easier than ever, while giving our retailers the opportunity to tell their story to the region’s most powerful shopping community”.With over 5 million active customers choosing Tabby as their preferred way to shop, Tabby Shop will be a powerful new channel for retailers to showcase their brands and products to a high-intent shopper base.Tabby Shop is now available on the Tabby app in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), a leading onshore financial and business centre in the region, has announced the appointment of Aisha Abdulaziz Al-Fuhaid as the new Marketing Manager. Aisha's extensive experience in marketing and branding was instrumental in her appointment to the new leadership role.Aisha's journey at the QFC began in August 2014 as a Marketing Intern. She officially joined the QFC in March 2016 as a Developee and swiftly transitioned into the role of Branding Executive. In 2020, Aisha was appointed Head of Branding & Advertising. In this role, Aisha demonstrated dedication and acumen in effectively coordinating the development and execution of marketing strategies, ensuring that the QFC's brand identity resonated across diverse platforms.As the Marketing Manager, Aisha will spearhead the implementation and execution of strategic marketing plans and oversee website optimisation, advertising campaigns and branding initiatives in alignment with the QFC's brand identity and overarching strategy.Yousuf Mohamed Al-Jaida, Chief Executive Officer, QFC Authority, said: “We are delighted to see an esteemed member of the QFC family ascend to a higher leadership role. Aisha has been a driving force within the Marketing and Corporate Communications team, infusing her exceptional talent and leadership to ensure that the QFC's voice and values are articulated across all marketing initiatives and relayed strongly to our valued stakeholders.Al-Jaida added: "The appointment of Aisha is a testament to the QFC's drive to nurture competent and accomplished leaders through an effective corporate succession plan and underscores our commitment to fulfilling Qatarisation objectives. I am confident that Aisha will lead the marketing team with the same unwavering dedication she has demonstrated through all the positions she held at the QFC.”Aisha holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the American University of Kuwait. She is an active member of the local business scene and has been honoured to serve as a member of the permanent committee of the Qatar Economic Forum (QEF) powered by Bloomberg.Currently, Aisha is actively pursuing her professional development through the Rising Leaders Program by the Qatar Leadership Center. This program offers courses through renowned universities such as Harvard, Oxford, Duke and others, providing Aisha with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel as a leader in a rapidly changing world.

Dubai: To celebrate Emirati Women's Day, Mumzworld, the leading e-commerce shopping destination for mothers in the Middle East and North Africa region, has launched an initiative to empower and support innovative Emirati female entrepreneurs and small business owners. This initiative contributes to the company's goal of enhancing the role of women and creating new opportunities for Mumz to succeed.Mumzworld aims to partake in the "We Collaborate for Tomorrow" initiative to invite all Emirati Mumz who own private businesses and small projects to participate, whether they offer clothing, food, soap, or any handmade crafts made with passion and love. The initiative provides an opportunity to collaborate with 5 female entrepreneurs to showcase and sell their products on the first and largest online shopping website & app in the United Arab Emirates for mothers, babies, and children.Mumzworld extends an invitation to participate in this opportunity by sharing the project details, including photos of the product, a summary, and the project's Instagram account, to the initiative’s email: welcome@mumzworld.com from August 28, 2023, until the end of September 2023, when it will announce the selection of 5 Entrepreneurs to display and sell their products on the Mumzworld website and application via its Instagram platform.

Leading sound strategy firm, WithFeeling, has joined forces with industry veteran Michelle Meyrick. With her impressive 18-year track record, Michelle will work exclusively through WithFeeling.Michelle’s distinctive Neutral RP accent has been heard across a wide range of platforms, from commercials to e-learning, with notable roles such as the region’s voice for IKEA, Nivea Middle East, Dubai Mall, and many others, highlighting her talent and versatility.Michelle spoke of her recent decision to have WithFeeling take care of her voiceover work, “I’m thrilled to be represented by WithFeeling. They handle all the details, from bookings to payments and even promotions – things I just don’t have time for. With them by my side, I can focus on what I do best: bringing scripts to life. Together, we’re going to reach audiences everywhere.”<div class="video-container"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/77X0xdWlH0o?si=YXKwCClmjPBXVRlX" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Chris Atkins, Managing Director, WithFeeling, shared his enthusiasm, “Having collaborated with Michelle over many years, I’ve consistently been impressed by her vocal adaptability and general positive attitude. As we forge ahead with our UK and US expansion plans, her addition opens up a wealth of opportunities, and it’s a privilege to represent her.”Chona, Head of Brand Voices,WithFeeling added, “Following successful partnerships with talents like Safia Al Shehi, we’re delighted to expand our offering with more Dubai-based voice over talent. We pride ourselves on streamlining the experience for our talents; from handling bookings to ensuring prompt payments, we want them to concentrate on their craft, free from administrative burdens.”

Shakeel Group, one of the largest stationery suppliers in the UAE, announces a series of discounts to students and buyers as the seasonal back-to-school sales jump that will accelerate the sale of stationery and office supplies market to US$6.49 billion (Dh23.82 billion) this year, up from US$6.26 billion (Dh22.97 billion) estimated sale in 2022.The UAE has 639 public schools and 580 private schools with a total enrolment of 287,725 students in public schools and 793,295 students in private schools. The total number of students in the GCC is projected to reach 14.2 million by 2027, an addition of 1.1 million from the current level, the latest industry report said. K-12 enrolments in the region are expected to grow at a CAGR of 1.5 percent to reach 11.7 million by 2027, the report by Alpen Capital said.The UAE and Saudi Arabia represent 46.9 percent of the US$6.49 billion stationery and office supplies market in the Middle East. The stationery and office supplies market in the UAE is 27.2 percent of the total Middle East market, or US$1.77 billion (Dh6.48 billion).With more than 3 million people landing at the Dubai International Airport this fortnight, the UAE is getting ready for another hectic business season starting next week. The growing school-age population, high per capita income, sizeable budgetary allocations and favourable government initiatives are expected to drive future growth of the sector.Shakeel Group, which stocks more than 6,000 types of stationery and office products under one roof including 5,000 products under its own Sadaf brand, has also beefed up its stocks for the upcoming busy business season that starts from September 4, 2023 when hundreds of thousands of business visitors will come to the UAE for a number of large-scale exhibitions and conferences including GITEX, World Investment Forum, ADIPEC, Dubai Airshow, COP28 and WETEX, among many others – that will require a large quantity of supplies.“As we welcome hundreds of thousands of students back to school, college and universities, we are announcing a series of discounts on our products from thousands of categories that meets the demand for all the stationery needs of not only students, but for businesses and government offices,” Abu Talha Alam, Managing Director of Shakeel Group, says.“Students and parents can visit our showroom in Al Wahda Street in Sharjah, or order products online for pick up or delivery. Of late we have expanded our inventory to offer a wider choice to our valued customers who wants nothing but the best.”Most supermarkets and hypermarkets in the UAE are currently running a series of Back-to-School promotions rolling out bundle offers, that also includes products supplied by Shakeel Group that has outlets in Bahrain as well as other parts of the GCC region. The company has a large export office in Dubai to re-export products to all over the world.“Domestic market forms one part of our business. Our products are exported and re-exported to a number of countries around the world,” Abu Talha Alam says.Shakeel Group, a leading stationery brand in the UAE, represents one of the largest numbers of stationery brands in the region. The humble journey of Shakeel Trading Co WLL (STC) started in Bahrain in 1986. The early founding years were testing, but the unyielding resolve in serving customers helped the company emerge successfully.The UAE chapter of Shakeel Group started in 2014 with the opening of stationery store at Al Wahda Sharjah. Through this store, the company meets both wholesale and retail requirements of the citizens and foreigners residing in the UAE. The store, its well-managed sales and logistical capacity of serving customers across UAE, helped the group to grow into one of the most prominent suppliers not only in the country but around the region.In addition to the stationery and office supplies, Shakeel Group also has a large collection of household items under its product portfolio.

JW Marriott Hotel Riyadh is delighted to announce the appointment of Chef Hamzeh Abu Elfoul as its new Culinary Director. With a distinguished career spanning over 27 years, Chef Hamzeh brings a wealth of international culinary expertise and a remarkable portfolio of luxury hospitality brands to his role.Chef Hamzeh's journey began in 1996 in his hometown of Amman, Jordan, where he kicked off at Sheraton & Hyatt Amman. Over the years, he worked across esteemed destinations including the UAE, Oman, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, and beyond. He joined renowned organizations such as Sheraton, Le Meridien, Hayat, Crown Plaza, Hilton, Conrad, Kempinski, Raffles, and Fairmont, leaving an permanent mark of excellence everywhere he worked.In 2004, he set sail internationally as Sous Chef at Muscat Crown Plaza, followed by a similar role at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi in Dubai. By 2007, he had ascended to the prestigious position of Chef De Cuisine at Raffles Dubai, and he continued to enhance his reputation as Executive Chef at Six Senses Hotel in Ma’in, Jordan.Chef Hamzeh returned to his roots at Sheraton Amman in 2010 as Executive Chef. He subsequently joined Hyatt Hotel in Taba-Egypt, Kempinski Aqaba Hotel-Jordan, and Hilton Mecca in 2015. His position at Hilton Mecca paved the way for another remarkable venture, the opening of Conrad Mecca, solidifying his status as a master of culinary innovation. His extensive experience in Saudi Arabia further bolsters his profound understanding of the region's culinary landscape.Chef Hamzeh Abu Elfoul will introduce captivating new menus for JW Glass Garden, JW Steakhouse, and Kitchen on 3. His keen understanding of local tastes and global flavors will shape each dish to perfection, catering to the discerning palates of both locals and esteemed guests.In JW Glass Garden, Chef Hamzeh's expertise will bring to life a zero-carbon footprint, fork-to-table concept. This innovative philosophy embraces wholesome, organic ingredients, elevating each dish to a symphony of flavors that nourish not only the body but also the environment. With a focus on locally sourced produce, including herbs cultivated in the JW Garden, the menu promises an array of seasonally inspired creations that seamlessly combine culinary innovation with sustainability. From vibrant vegetarian options to tantalizing vegan delights, each dish will showcase Chef Hamzeh's commitment to preserving nutrients while enhancing the purest tastes.As for JW Steakhouse, Chef Hamzeh will infuse the restaurant's definitive American essence with a local twist. The JW Steakhouse experience, will be elevated under Chef Hamzeh's guidance which will overall elevate the culinary scene in Riyadh.Khaled Al Jamal, General Manager of JW Marriott Hotel Riyadh, commented on Chef Hamzeh's appointment, stating, "In Chef Hamzeh, we have found a culinary professional whose global expertise is matched only by his unwavering passion for exquisite dining. His journey, spanning the finest establishments around the world, is a testament to his dedication to the art of cuisine. With Chef Hamzeh at the helm of our culinary team, we eagerly anticipate an era of unparalleled dining experiences, where innovation knows no bounds and every dish tells a story of perfection."

Sharjah Asset Management, the investment arm of the Government of Sharjah, has announced the appointment of His Excellency Salim Saeed Al Midfa to the role of CEO of the Corporate Communications department and Customer Service sector.Al Midfa takes on the role following years of dedicated service as the CEO of Rafid Automotive Solutions. His tenure was marked by notable achievements, where he contributed significantly to the company's strategic plans, overseeing the development of strategies, projects, and brands under the Rafid umbrella.His Excellency Waleed Al Sayegh, CEO of Sharjah Asset Management, praised the remarkable achievements of Rafid Automotive Solutions under Al Midfa’s leadership. “His Excellency Salim Saeed Al Midfa has played a pivotal role in the success of Rafid Automotive Solutions in a way that enhances the competitiveness of the local economy, by attracting inward investment, contributing to the growth of Sharjah. Under his strategic leadership, Rafid has been at the forefront of introducing innovative solutions within the automotive sector, aligning seamlessly with the vision of Sharjah Asset Management, which aims to foster a conducive environment for diverse investments and sectors, thereby facilitating growth”, he said.Al Sayegh highlighted the many milestones that Rafid has achieved over the years, notably the comprehensive repair services for dnata's ground handling equipment at Dubai Airport. Additionally, Rafid has established numerous cooperative partnerships locally and regionally, through strategic facilities boasting advanced infrastructure and modern equipment, all adhering to international standards and quality standards.Expressing his gratitude, Al Midfa extended his thanks to the leadership of Sharjah Asset Management for their confidence in his expertise and journey, now culminating in this service-oriented role. He praised the unwavering support Sharjah Asset Management has shown to all its subsidiary companies and national employees to further enhance business growth, development, and performance excellence. This commitment aligns with the overarching vision of the company, which strives to drive economic and social progress.Al Midfa joined Sharjah Asset Management in 2016 as the General Manager of Rafid. His extensive experience spanning over 15 years across various domains, including his roles at United Arab Bank as the head of the credit cards department and overseeing marketing, customer service, and government relations, led to his eventual promotion as the CEO of Rafid.

The Artificial Intelligence Journalism Research and Forecasting (AIJRF) a leading global organization in research, forecasting and shaping the future of AI and the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolutions and Media of Metaverse, has announced the final results of the Global Artificial Intelligence Journalism Index (GAIJI), the world's first index designed to measure, track and visualize the performance of media outlets using AI journalism technologies in producing, publishing and promoting content.“The Global Artificial Intelligence Journalism Index (GAIJI) has been started on over two years, with a study of more than 60 international and Arab media outlets ", Said Dr. Mohamed Abdulzaher, the president of the GAIJI. Adding that: “GAIJI team has been conducted with the study sample of media outlets through a questionnaire, and some personal and telephone interviews, to ensure the validity of the information, and the most prominent applications that are being worked on within the media outlets.”"Through the GAIJI Global Index we have reached to 60 media outlets around the world, including media and entertainment companies and manufacturers are using the AI tools and apps in creating media content " said Abdulzaher. He added: "The current results depend on the number of samples that have already participated in the questionnaires and interviews. "Abdulzaher confirmed that: "A number of media outlets may have significant experience with artificial intelligence tools and applications, however, they have not been included in the GAIJI program, which prevented us from publishing any relevant data or information, as well as some journalists affiliated with certain departments or other departments which may have new experiences but did not participate."Data Collection? “The Global Artificial Intelligence Journalism Index (GAIJI) is designed to measure and track the performance of media companies that use artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to produce, publish and promote content. The index will ensure that all media companies know the best AI tools to use, depending on the outcomes they want.  As it stands, some media outlets use more AI tools than others, whether it be to collate content or to proofread copy. This index should mean the use of AI tools by journalists will become more common”, said Lucia Dore, the Public Editor of the GAIJI Index, a New Zealand based financial and technology journalist.“This index has taken many hours and a lot of hard work to produce. More than 100 media companies from all over the world have been contacted and there are responses from around 75. This information will be useful for all media companies, whether they are seeking to use AI in their newsrooms or whether journalists choose to use AI tools independently.” Dore added.The GAIJI Index relied on several methods and tools to collect data, including:Monitor and analyze data and information.Open opinion polls.Personal interviews with experts.Personal interviews with journalists in the targeted media.GAIJI Main ResultsThe GAIJI Main Results refer to the most prominent AI applications that were used by media outlets in the Middle East and North Africa, which helped to improve the quality of communication with the target audience, and contributed to an increase by 70% compared to traditional ways. In addition to that this information helps to identify the content and improve its quality, and provide all of what interests the target audience, and achieves the maximum possible benefit for them.Overall, the main results revealed that the most AI applications used in automated news and content are developed in two regions: the Americas (43.01%) and Europe (39.78%). Our findings are similar to those of previous studies on other technological developments in the news media ecosystem.For example, big data analysis was first developed in the United States and European countries such as the United Kingdom and the Nordic countries. The GAIJI index presented many international experiences in the use of artificial intelligence apps for automated content creation and the classification of media outlets.AI & Arab Media OutletsAccording to GAIJI results, the Arab media, Al-Arabiya channel came as the first Arab experiment that used different AI tools and applications in automated content creation, followed by the Qatari Al-Jazeera Network, Bloomberg Asharq, Sky News Arabia, Blinx, Abu Dhabi Media Corporation, Dubai Media Corporation, and Artificial Intelligence Journalism for Research and Forecasting (AIJRF) as the main developer of Arab content and news on the Metaverse, and as a leader in Media of Metaverse for 2 years.AIJRF has a robot for automatic writing, for some weekly articles, and another for automatic response to the public. AIJRF has more than 25 trainers and developers working on more than 350 applications of artificial intelligence in all kinds of content creation. It is the first media and research institution that has contributed to building many media and news spaces on the Metaverse (more than 15 different spaces) since September 2022. It has 3 news studios, media training spaces, and spaces for the Artificial Intelligence Journalism World Forum (AIJWF).In addition to more than 4 avatars working in providing news, bulletins, lectures, and various training and media courses. AIJRF  has contributed to building more than 10 spaces for media outlets and Arab news agencies in the Metaverse.  Most Used AI AppsThe GAIJI Index identified the most AI apps used in Arab media outlets, as follows:AI apps used in big data analysis have been ranked on the top “” with a rate of 90.7%, then “Social Media Algorithms apps" with a rate of 89%, the " search engines for content analysis “with a rate of 88.3%, and news writing and spelling correction apps and tools with a rate of 88.3%. 86%, augmented reality tools at 85%, digital marketing bots at 84.7%, “news bots” at 72.3%, and finally news and media spaces on the metaverse (Media of Metaverse) at 12%.

 Augmented Reality (AR) advertising may be growing rapidly, but the majority of experiences ignores the diverse audiences and can be damaging to users’ self esteem as well, reveals a research survey done by Omnicom Media Group (OMG) and Snapchat. The survey aimed at understanding the long-term effects of AR on brand building. Moreover, according to GlobalData’s Emerging Technology Sentiment Analysis Q2 2021, it was found that AR is the most disruptive emerging technology. In the poll, 70 percent of respondents stated that AR would deliver either slight or significant disruption to the industry.  AR is a technology that will powerfully shape our world in the coming decades. AR has really picked up pace in the last few years, especially due to the Gen Z preferring the use of social apps such as Instagram, Snapchat etc, over their real friends and reality.The AR market size, which was USD 42.20 billion in 2022, is expected to reach USD 1109.71 billion by 2030. Therefore, the AR market will exhibit a CAGR of 50.7 percent during 2023-2030. Moreover it is estimated that 2.9 billion users worldwide will be frequent AR users by end of 2023, a number that is expected to grow to 4.3 billion by 2025. This is according to a 2021 Deloitte study commissioned by Snap Inc.The survey by OMG and Snapchat involved interviews with AR practitioners and creators, quantitative surveys with 5,000 internet users across Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, the UK and the US, and a four-week measure of how brand associations changed over time with US respondents.OMG and Snapchat’s survey revealed that AR experiences may enhance a variety of brand perceptions and lead to increased recall and purchase intent when compared to vertical video ads. It also found that AR complements video ad buys by driving incremental gains, rather than acting as a replacement.On the other hand, it is also true that most brands do not really test whether their AR experiences are used by the majority of users, as the filters and lenses in AR often ignore diverse users or misidentify them also. Moreover, the impact of social media filters and lenses on users ‘body image and mental health’ is also an issue that is being scrutinised by governments around the world.Wise and conscious use of augmented reality should bring measurable benefits, which will be seen in increased effectiveness at work, in education, and in well-being, and in tangible increases in income. Inappropriate “social” use of AR technology, on the other hand, may raise moral and ethical concerns and, in extreme cases, may even exceed the established legal standards and rules of social co-existence.It is also worth noting that the overuse of AR technology can have a negative impact on human health, both mental and physical, with side effects including eye issues, ear problems, and states of mental dependence.

W7Worldwide and the Social Responsibility Association has recently signed a strategic partnership agreement to deliver sustainability solutions and media services, and the agreement was signed at the Association's headquarters in Riyadh on 22nd August.The agreement was signed by Abdullah Sulaiman Al-Muhanna, CEO of the Social Responsibility Association, and Abdulrahman Inayat, Strategic Planning Director of W7Worldwide, in the presence of a number of officials in the Association.Al-Muhanna expressed his pleasure at the signing the agreement. He stressed that it embodies the true partnership between the non-profit third sector and the private sector; especially as it covers a number of aspects of cooperation in the areas of spreading awareness, and the media aspects of spreading awareness, and media aspects to raise the level of community awareness of social responsibility and to keep pace with the efforts of the Association in this regard in order to achieve one of the most important strategic objectives of the Association, which is to spread the culture of social responsibility.Al-Muhanna revealed that the agreement will allow the two sides to exchange experiences, consultations, and services in the fields of media, social Media, and sustainability.Al-Muhanna went on to say, "The signing with W7Worldwide came due to the company's tangible successes and experiences in the field of strategic solutions and media consulting, especially since its services reach 82 offices in 28 countries around the world. Therefore, the Association looks forward to this important strategic partnership achieving the desired goals." Which is fully consistent with the Association's future vision and in line with Saudi Vision 2030, in the field of supporting strategic partnerships between the private and non-profit sectors. Al-Muhanna noted the great support; Which the Association enjoys from the wise leadership, headed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and his trustworthy Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, and the vigorous follow-up of Her Royal Highness Princess Hessa Salman bin Abdulaziz, the honorary president of the Association.He also praised the great support that the Association enjoys from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, especially since the Association is one of the first charities concerned with social responsibility at the regional level.For his part, Abdulrahman Inayat, Strategic Planning Director of W7Worldwide, congratulated the Association and all employees of the company on signing the agreement, describing it as the most important agreement during the second half of this year, to be added to the company’s continuous successes in the field of strategic partnerships, especially that it is with the Saudi Society for Social Responsibility, the first Association A Saudi woman specialized in social responsibility in the Kingdom and the Arabian Gulf.Inayat added that the agreement signed today will allow the company to contribute strategically and effectively in the field of sustainability solutions, media and strategy consulting.Inayat went on to say, "The agreement is a culmination of the company's interest in sustainability solutions, and as a confirmation of that, it established the first department for initiatives, sustainability and media production in the Kingdom, based on a media team specialized in the field of sustainability, to be the first specialized media company to provide these services, as an affirmation of the company's leadership in the field of strategic solutions and sustainability."It is noteworthy that the Association was established in May of 2019, and it is the first Saudi Association specialized in social responsibility licensed by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

TBO.COM, the leading global travel distribution platform, has announced a strategic partnership with WebEngage, a leading marketing automation company, for a comprehensive digital transformation. TBO will harness WebEngage’s cutting-edge automation and AI-ML tools, journey designers, and personalization engines to empower travel agents to serve their customers effectively. TBO is known for its pathbreaking “B2A” strategy in the tourism industry. Acronym for “Business to Agents”, the first-of-its-kind strategy in the region is aimed at empowering agents to maximize earnings by meaningfully catering to travellers seeking customized, hassle-free, and convenience-oriented tourism services. Such innovative B2B strategies, coupled with round-the-clock agent support and acceptance of over 55 currencies, have enabled TBO to expand its purview to over a million hotels and 120 countries globally. “Travel distribution platforms such as ours are ripe for technological adoption aimed at higher conversions and insights-led engagement. A marketing-automation innovator of WebEngage’s calibre as a solutions provider complements the scale of our operations and aspirations. The partnership will enable us to deliver personalized services to our agents and partners and, through them, a multitude of travellers across the globe,” expressed Gaurav Bhatnagar, Co-Founder & Managing Director, TBO.COMReiterating the need for marketing automation in tourism distribution, Avlesh Singh, Co-Founder & CEO, WebEngage, said that business-facing companies must engage like they are directly dealing with customers. “The next phase of B2B growth will hinge on superior customer experiences. Therefore, in tourism distribution, a unified view of agents, dynamic segmentation, and the ability to automate and orchestrate cross-channel communications at scale will constitute a competitive edge. Our partnership with TBO is built on that objective.”WebEngage’s full-stack Retention Operating System has delivered measurable results for companies across sectors. As a testament to its success, WebEngage has built a portfolio of over 800 client companies globally. Since its official entry into MENA, the SaaS provider has added over 60 new clients each quarter. The meteoric growth phase recently culminated in the $20-million Series B funding round led by Singularity Growth Opportunities Fund and SWC Global, with participation from existing investors India Quotient, Blume Ventures, and IAN Fund, among other VCs.

Roberto Mancini was on Sunday named as the new coach of the Saudi Arabia national team after he controversially quit the Italy job earlier this month.The Saudis, who beat eventual champions Argentina at last year's World Cup in Qatar, have been without a coach since Herve Renard left to take charge of France's women's team.Mancini, 58, led Italy to the Euro 2020 title but failed to qualify for last year's World Cup."I am immensely honoured to be offered the position as Saudi Arabia national team manager," said Mancini who has signed a four-year contract."I believe this is a great opportunity for me, to experience football in a new country, especially with the growing popularity of football in Asia."He added: "The presence of top players in the Saudi Pro League indicates the potential for growth in the national football scene."Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest crude oil exporter, has made waves this summer by buying a host of players from European clubs for teams in the Saudi Pro League.Brazil star Neymar was the latest in a growing list of big names to be attracted by the huge sums offered by the Saudis after Cristiano Ronaldo kicked off the trend by moving to Al-Nassr in January.Newspaper La Gazzetta Dello Sport reported on Sunday that Mancini's contract would come with an annual salary of 25 million euros ($27 million).The federation's statement did not disclose his salary."The appointment confirms the new era of growth for the Saudi Arabian national team and marks a new milestone in Mancini's distinguished career," the Saudi federation said in a statement confirming Mancini's appointment.Mancini was due to arrive in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Monday to be presented to the media.His first match with the team is set for September 8, an international friendly against Costa Rica at St James' Park, home of Newcastle which is owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund.Another friendly against South Korea is scheduled to be held in the English city on September 12.A video posted to the Green Falcons' account Sunday on X, formerly Twitter, featured Mancini in a white shirt and green tie, declaring, "I made history in Europe, now it's time to make history with Saudi."

Le Royal Méridien Doha, Agora, Doha, Autograph Collection, and Qabila Westbay Hotel the epitome of luxury and world-class hospitality, proudly welcome two accomplished professionals to its esteemed leadership team. Samer Gerges joins as the new Multi-Property Director of Sales & Marketing, while Hiba Qalyoubi takes on the role of Multi-Property Director of Marketing Communications.With an illustrious 21-year career in the hospitality industry, Gerges brings a wealth of expertise and a proven track record to the cluster properties. His journey began in Lebanon, mastering hotel operations in Front Office and Reservations at the Grand Hotel Kadri - Zahle. Transitioning to the Hotel Sales Industry, he swiftly rose from Sales Manager to Cluster Director of Sales and Marketing with Marriott International, overseeing prominent properties like JW Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn by Marriott, and Arraya Ballroom.Gerges' dedication to Marriott International extended to directing Sales and Marketing for premiere properties across the Gulf Region, including The Sheraton in Downtown Manama, Bahrain, and the renowned JW Marriott Muscat, Oman. His hands-on approach led to remarkable success in revenue generation and establishing robust connections with international and local markets.In November 2021, Gerges joined the prestigious JW Marriott Marquis Doha property, achieving remarkable milestones under his leadership. Driven by his passion for the dynamic nature of the hotel industry and the opportunity to explore the world through travel and diverse interactions, Gerges inspires and empowers his team as the Multi-Property Director of Sales and Marketing, unlocking their full potential and finest abilities.Joining Gerges is Qalyoubi, a seasoned marketing maven with a flair for creative storytelling and brand elevation. Having worked with esteemed hospitality brands for 20 years in marketing within the hospitality sector, Qalyoubi has led marketing teams for esteemed properties across the Gulf region.Her portfolio includes significant marketing projects for renowned hospitality groups like Anantara, Intercontinental Hotels Group, and, notably, Marriott International. During her tenure with Marriott, she spearheaded successful marketing strategies, with a strong emphasis on brand positioning across the Gulf and international markets. Having been part of the pre-opening teams for prominent properties like Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara, Marriott Hotel Al Forsan and others, Hiba played a pivotal role in establishing successful launches, campaigns, and out-of-the-box strategies that set these properties apart upon their inauguration. Furthermore, Hiba's achievements extended to her role as the Area Director of Marketing for Marriott International Middle East & Africa, where she crafted market-based strategic plans and executed various initiatives that positively impacted marketing programs and best practices for Marriott properties across the region"We are thrilled to have Samer Gerges and Hiba Qalyoubi join our team, "Their leadership and industry knowledge align perfectly with our vision of delivering exceptional guest experiences and fostering innovation. We are confident that their contributions will lead us to even greater success “said Gerrit Graef, Multi-Property General Manager of Le Royal Méridien Doha and Agora, Doha, Autograph Collection.The three iconic properties are symbols of elegance and sophistication, poised to reach new heights in delivering memorable experiences and captivating its guests with the addition of Gerges and Qalyoubi to its leadership team.

In this exclusive interview with Adgully ME, Shabir Momin, the Founder and Managing Director of One Digital Entertainment, provides a deep dive into the organization's trailblazing journey in the dynamic world of digital media. From its successful expansion into the MENASA region to its visionary approach to the creator economy, Momin reveals how One Digital Entertainment's data-driven strategies, AI-powered platforms, and global network are reshaping content creation, distribution, and consumption. Discover how the company remains at the forefront of technological advancements, while empowering creators and brands to thrive in an ever-evolving landscape. Excerpts:Congratulations on the successful expansion of One Digital Entertainment into the MENASA region! Can you share more details about the decision-making process behind opening an office in Dubai and the goals you hope to achieve with this new expansion?   While the creator economy has grown significantly globally over the past few years, and One Digital Entertainment has been a key player in shaping this industry, Middle East is specifically growing very fast and we believe we can add a lot of value to the creators ecosystem in this region. We not only bring our experience, but also proprietary processes, systems, technology and tools to accelerate the growth and give the creators the right environment.   How do you see the future of the creator economy, and what opportunities and challenges lie ahead for content creators and brands in this space?   One Digital Entertainment's data-driven approach and advanced AI/ML-based platforms have been instrumental in content engagement and understanding user behaviour. We help creators with tech and also with strategy to bring the best out of them and yet reduce their efforts significantly.   Could you elaborate on how these technologies have helped creators and brands in enhancing their content strategies and reaching wider audiences?   With operations in over 10 countries, our goal is to manage the global market and connect with a network of over 1.5 billion people. A significant portion of our tasks are streamlined through an automated system. This includes various processes such as brand and creator collaborations, scheduling content creation, planning and executing shoots, validating concepts, managing cashflow, distributing content to global platforms, and leveraging insightful trends. The core production aspects are also integrated into this system. As a result, this comprehensive approach greatly supports the entire ecosystem of creators and brands, enabling them to achieve significantly higher value and returns within a shorter timeframe. How does One Digital Entertainment maintain a cohesive and effective infrastructure to support creators and brands across different regions and cultures?   One Digital Entertainment's holding company, New Media, comprises over 27 distinguished brands and companies. Many of them are industry leaders. The environment of studies, production, distribution, strategy, partnership and investment done by OneDigital towards the creators ecosystem is unparalleled and many have benefited out this and cuts across language, region and can be utilised by both upcoming Creators to established creators.   How does this network of diverse entities contribute to the overall success and growth of the organization?   We consider ourselves always at the edge of technology adaptation and make it our duty to bring the best of the technology,  solutions and services with one goal of growth for our creators, from using high tech VR/ AR to robotics to blockchain we use it all to add value in any ways possible.   The concept of the metaverse and Web 3.0 has been gaining traction in the digital media industry. How do you envision these technologies impacting the creator economy and content consumption in the coming years?   We think that world of Creators are going to change fast and change for good, use of technology, AI, ML based solutions and capabilities that generative AI is giving even at this early stage is going to create and explosion. Creators with great talent but lacking capabilities of technology or services providers for edit, shoot, production, graphics and many other things are all getting resolved almost at the same time. We are leading a lot of these functions with our tech and we look forward to adding significant value to many Creators globally.   As the leading digital media organizations in Asia, what steps has One Digital Entertainment taken to stay at the forefront of technological advancements and industry trends? How do you ensure that your offerings remain relevant and ahead of the competition?   We have always invested very heavily on technologies, solutions and processes. Staying true to creativity which we want to enrich by adding loads of support to be able to make better use of time and be able to do remarkable things. Our impact on what Creators benefit from us is significant.   Can you share the story behind the founding of One Digital Entertainment and how the company has transformed over the years to adapt to the changing digital landscape?   We are Singapore based and started off as a media tech company and now has become a full lifecycle media company. We do everything from talent / creators identification, grooming, training to making superstars at global level. We also create, produce, distribute, manage content at scale from our own IPs to co creating with others and our creators. We have evolved a lot and our years of experience and urge to keep finding solutions to every problem in this evolving industry has given us the benefits of creating an impact.   The creator economy is now a billion-dollar market with a vast number of creators and players. How does One Digital Entertainment empower creators with its suite of services, and what sets your approach apart from other players in the industry?   Creators have and will become the currency of marketing, engagement and voice of people also. This is true democratization of the market, we consider each of them as a micro entrepreneur when they start off and support them in the journey to becoming giant brands. We also do lots of diversification planning for them as they evolve from merchandising to smart products to global engagement across digital and traditional industries. While currently we are heavy lifting a lot of the weight, we are always collaborative to other who are joining in the industry as more the players the better the ecosystem and better the solutions. We even go to the extent of helping them and investing in them to amplify the offerings as long as it is helping the industry grow.   In terms of market size and trends, how do you see the digital media landscape evolving in the next few years, and what strategies does One Digital Entertainment have in place to capitalize on these opportunities?    It is a no brainer that this industry will grow leaps and bounds, we will do whatever best we can to support but this industry is also in need of a lot of others players doing specific functions. Going deeper in to less populated regions and support the creators in those environments. We have many programs which supports these functions in many ways. We are also going to be launching many new tech and platforms in near future which will help the whole ecosystem more.   Could you shed some light on the role of public relations, marketing, and comprehensive artist management in the success of One Digital Entertainment and its associated creatorsney, their approach to the creator economy   Creators are of all kind and are expressive and creative and have many out of box ways of communication, the whole marketing and sales industry will change as it's getting layered with entertainment and infotainment and edutainment at the same time. These converged new streams will break the traditional systems and are far more efficient than ever imagined. But we are just at the beginning of a new evolution or an era, the rate of change is also extremely accelerated and world will keep looking very different every 3 years for the next 10-15 years. We should all brace for impact - but a good impact a positive impact.   

Momentus Digital has announced their expansion in the Middle East market with the opening of a new office in Dubai. This move is part of the company’s global growth strategy, and positions Momentus Digital to provide innovative and effective digital advertising solutions to businesses in Middle East.Middel East is a rapidly growing market with a booming digital marketing landscape. According to recent reports, the digital advertising industry in the MENA region is expected to grow to over $9 billion by 2025. This represents a huge opportunity for businesses looking to expand their reach and achieve success in the region.Arooshi Dharamdasani, CEO, Momentus Digital, said, “Middle East is a dynamic and rapidly growing market and we believe that our experience and approach will help businesses achieve their goals in the exciting environment. We are excited to bring our expertise and innovative digital advertising solutions to the Middle East market.”Momentus Digital has provided top-notch services and solutions for digital advertising to companies across sectors in India.Momentus Digital aims to bring their unique approach to digital advertising to Middle East, providing businesses with customized and innovative solutions that drives growth and engagement. It is a Unified Media Advertising Partner, which is designed to provide the full extent of audiences through Native, Programmatic, Search, Display and Gaming audience. Its brand engagement also works on the lines of giving the right audience through the right channel at the right time.Momentus Digital is one of the few homegrown digital advertising companies with an expanding international clientele. We are actively seeking to increase our worldwide footprint through India and Middle East.Ashwani Mehta, Co-Founder, Momentus Digital, said, “Momentus Digital has a proven track record of success in the Indian market and we believe that our approach will resonate with businesses in Middle East.” “We look forward to building strong relationships with our clients and helping them achieve success in this dynamic and exciting market.” says Chavi Tandon, Sales Director-International, Momentus Digital.

Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai Media Office, is marking Emirati Women’s Day 2023 with the launch of an interactive guide featuring various innovative homegrown businesses that are extending exclusive discounts and offers for all women on the occasion.Curated to ensure that Emirati Women's Day 2023 becomes an unforgettable celebration for all women, the guide, titled ‘From Dubai to Emirati Women’, provides a list of establishments ranging from delightful F&B venues, elegant beauty salons, charming flower shops, to chic fashion outlets that women can visit to enjoy special discounts.Marked annually on 28 August, Emirati Women’s Day was launched by Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, to appreciate Emirati women for their dedication, strength and achievements that have helped shape the nation. This year, the occasion is being held under the theme ‘We Collaborate for Tomorrow’.Shaima Al Suwaidi, Director of Brand Dubai, said, “The ‘From Dubai to Emirati Women’ guide, released on the occasion of Emirati Women’s Day, reflects our commitment to empowering and honouring the women who play a pivotal role in shaping our society. We hope it adds an extra layer of joy to this special day and serves as a token of our appreciation for their remarkable endeavours. The guide’s launch is also a reflection of the importance that Brand Dubai places on supporting start-ups in their entrepreneurial journey.”Many outlets listed in the guide are drawn from Brand Dubai’s ‘Proudly from Dubai’ network, which seeks to raise the visibility of promising homegrown businesses. The ‘Proudly from Dubai’ initiative aims to tell the success stories of exciting and innovative businesses that were born and initiated in Dubai. As part of the initiative, Brand Dubai offers businesses in the network both local and international media exposure, space provision and networking opportunities.

DoubleVerify, a leading software platform for digital media measurement, data and analytics, has deployed its Authentic Brand Suitability (ABS) solution for L’Oreal Middle East. L’Oreal has been working with UM MENAT, the region’s leading media agency and has used ABS to optimise its campaign performance and successfully manage placements in brand-suitable environments.ABS is DV’s most advanced pre-bid solution, enabling advertisers to create a centralised set of brand safety, suitability and fraud controls. Aligning pre-bid filtering and post-bid measurement functionalities allows advertisers to significantly lower block rates, drive performance and, ensure the ad placement is suitable for the brand. Raja Yazigi, Media Director at L’Oréal, said: “The superior performance of DV Authentic Brand Suitability on cost efficiency and brand protection proved that this test is scalable towards a wider and safer advertising environment for our brands, coupled with cost savings we can re-invest.”L’Oréal deployed the campaign across the open internet in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. From the day it was activated, ABS decreased the block rate of ads for L’Oréal by 82 percent over the duration of the campaign. Media waste costs also decreased by 77 percent.Johara Abdelmoumen, Business Director, DoubleVerify said, “Ensuring consumers see your ads is critical to the success of any campaign, but a lack of knowledge over how much the creative has been viewed can lead to wasted spend. Thanks to DV Authentic Brand Suitability, advertisers like L’Oréal can gain clear insight into the campaign’s performance and optimise their media spend whilst ensuring the ads run in brand suitable environments.”Rohan Sawant, Digital Lead, UM MENAT commented, “Venturing into programmatic with the right measurement partner goes a long way in covering a brand from all aspects. DoubleVerify helps to provide deep insights and has proven that reach is not the key metric, the quality of reach is what drives impact.”

Dubai: Nexans Telecom Systems, a solutions provider of end-to-end telecom and data network infrastructure solutions, and has been supporting customers with advanced solutions for data networks, data centres, and telecom networks for more than 30 years, has changed its brand name to Aginode.Under a new name, Aginode, will continue to service the telecom & data markets with the design, manufacture and sales of connectivity solutions for digital networks in FTTx, mobile, LAN and data centre markets. Aginode’s goal is to enable infrastructure, which delivers applications to make lives more connected, productive, and enjoyable, today and in future.“Under the influence of digital transformation, infrastructure and networking platforms are also being digitised, realigned and repositioned to provide agile solutions for enterprises. Aginode will now face global, regional and local connectivity market opportunities under its new stand-alone brand name, with the same product and solution integrity that it has delivered for the last 30 years,” said Arafat Yousef, MEA Managing Director, Aginoide.Aginode has a proven track record of developing, implementing, and servicing advanced infrastructure solutions, with diverse product range. The company will continue to sell and manage its LAN and Data Centre solutions such as LANmark , LANsense, and LANactive; and its FTTx and Mobile solutions such as XPLORER, BRIGHTBOX, INFRABIRD, and UPSKY.Aginode has a state–of-the-art industrial footprint and recognised technological know-how in Europe, Middle East, North-West Africa, and Asia. Leveraging on its global sales teams and well trained regional and local channel partners, Aginode will continue to be a key provider of digitalisation and connectivity.

Dubai: 3sri.net, the prominent website and comprehensive source of Arabic news headquartered in the UAE, recognised Dubai-based Global Citizen Consultants as the winner of the Arabic Content Award. The award is a token of appreciation for the company's remarkable dedication to using high-standard Arabic content on its website and marketing collaterals while adhering to the principles of the language's structure.In a statement released earlier over the business platform LinkedIn, 3sri.net unveiled the inauguration of its annual award, recognising exceptional Arabic content produced by second citizenship service providers within the MENA region. Spearheaded by an esteemed committee comprising top-tier experts in the field, the assessment process considers several critical factors. Among these, a paramount emphasis is placed on meticulous observance of composition, grammar, and morphology rules.Equally important is the seamless integration of narrative techniques tailored to each subject's essence, avoiding mundane literal translations. Additionally, a keen focus is maintained on upholding the historical chronology of events while ensuring the text remains devoid of colloquialisms or non-conforming expressions, thereby keeping the highest linguistic standards.Hassan Soukar, Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of 3sri.net commented, "At 3sri.net, we pay special attention to the quality of Arabic content, leaving no stone unturned in elevating the applicable benchmarks. This commitment has led us to establish a range of awards centred around this pivotal facet to recognise the tireless dedication invested within this sphere. Today, we proudly recognise Dubai-based Global Citizen Consultants company, led by its Founder and CEO Omar Takidin, as the Best Arabic Content Award winner. Their relentless and unwavering pursuit of refining Arabic content, making it impeccable while following the correct guidelines, is the basis for this recognition. We are honoured to present this award as a tribute to their exceptional and unrivalled contributions in this domain. Furthermore, this acknowledgement underscores our unwavering support for all endeavours to salvage Arabic content from past setbacks and restore its esteemed standing."Omar Takidin, CEO and Founder of Global Citizen Consultants, remarked, "On behalf of all staff members of Global Citizen Consultants, I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to 3sri.net and their accomplished team for honouring us with the prestigious Best Arabic Content Award for the year 2023. As a platform renowned for its comprehensive coverage of crucial news across diverse sectors, 3sri.net is committed to working with organisations that maintain the highest standards of Arabic language content.Mr Takidin added: “We at Global Citizen Consultants are proud to top the list of companies that deal with second citizenship and alternative residence programs that focus on the Caribbean and armed with our personal experience from A to Z in this field, our international relations, multilingual customer service, and offices all over the world, which makes us offer innovative solutions and competitive prices. Our assistance to you continues beyond obtaining citizenship and extends for life.”Mr Takidin concluded: “At Global Citizen Consultants, we aim to satisfy our clients through excellent service and keen expertise. The foundation of our practice is integrity because our morals and honesty help to build a vital trust factor among our clientele. Our clients know that by working with Global Citizen Consultants, their investment is being looked after by honest, hard-working advisors dedicated to providing the best experience. Whatever problem or concern our clients have, they can feel confident that we are prepared to supply solutions."Notably, 3sri.net and autoscommunity.com are integral components of the Dubai Route Group, an esteemed news source within the Gulf region known for its unparalleled reliability and trustworthiness.

Dubai:- NetApp, a global, cloud-led, data-centric software company, today announced an extension of its partnership with Google Cloud to deliver new levels of storage performance combined with the simplicity and the flexibility of the cloud. With the introduction of Google Cloud NetApp Volumes - now available as a fully-managed, first-party service on Google Cloud -   customers can seamlessly bring business-critical workloads across both Windows and Linux environments to Google Cloud, even for the most demanding use cases like VMware and SAP migrations—all without refactoring code or redesigning processes."NetApp's innovative offering with Google Cloud sets the standard for enterprise-class features in public cloud file storage, establishing a benchmark for the industry,” said Dave McCarthy, Research Vice President, Cloud and Edge Infrastructure Services at IDC. “The recognition of NetApp's name alongside the cloud provider in this first party service underscores its commitment to driving cutting-edge cloud storage solutions that address customer and market challenges."Google Cloud NetApp Volumes is based on NetApp ONTAP™ data management software and cloud services. Available today, the partnership enables customers to seamlessly extend their workloads into Google Cloud through an automated storage service that’s fully integrated into its service ecosystem, providing enterprise-grade storage, data protection, and business continuity across workloads. “By extending our collaboration with Google Cloud, NetApp is putting ONTAP storage and data management capabilities into the hands of Google Cloud customers as a first-party service, making it simple to use enterprise-grade storage in their critical workloads, optimize file storage and support   Windows, Linux, SAP and VMware workloads,” said Ronen Schwartz, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cloud Storage at NetApp. “We see our mission as creating cloud storage and data services that are as forward-thinking and easy to use as possible, and this partnership allows us to continue making this vision a reality.” “Today’s announcement extends our ability to deliver first-party storage and enterprise data management services so organizations can rapidly deploy, run, protect, and scale enterprise workloads with the familiar tools and interface of Google Cloud,” said Sameet Agarwal, Vice President and General Manager, Google Cloud Storage. “We’re thrilled to enhance our File Solutions  portfolio by continuing our partnership with NetApp, bringing the flexibility of the cloud to our customers alongside data protection and efficiency.”   Key capabilities of Google Cloud NetApp Volumes include:Enterprise-grade, multiprotocol file shares with rich SMB and NFS protocol support for the most demanding Windows or Linux workloads, including Google Cloud’s only storage service to support protocols such as SMB and NFSv4.1(and v3)Support for instant capacity additions or changes between performance tiers – without downtime – resulting in the ability to balance investment/performance in real-time.Built-in data protection that creates efficient, block-level incremental backups that don’t impact uptime or performance while meeting RTO/RPO parameters to ensure optimum application availability.“As an existing NetApp customer leveraging Cloud Volumes ONTAP and Cloud Volumes Service on Google Cloud, we are thrilled to embrace the new Google Cloud NetApp Volumes,” said Anthony Lloyd, Vice President, Technology Services at OpenText. “This fully managed file storage service will provide seamless migration of enterprise applications, like Kubernetes, to Google Cloud without refactoring code or redesigning processes. Ultimately, it will simplify operations across all our IT environments.”

Leading Indian PR and digital media agency Kaizzen has opened an office in Dubai as part of its global expansion strategy. The agency will offer PR and digital marketing solutions to businesses in the Middle East and North Africa region.Dipankar Zalpuri has been appointed as the President of the MENA region for Kaizzen. Being a seasoned professional, Zalpuri brings over 18 years of experience in communications. His expertise spans across digital marketing, content marketing, public relations, and events consulting and execution.  In his new position, Zalpuri will provide international brands and emerging startups with tailored PR and digital marketing strategies. Kaizzen Founder-CEO Vineet Handa stated: "With our expertise in creating compelling narratives and delivering tangible outcomes, we look forward to assisting businesses in the MENA region in establishing meaningful connections with their audiences."Nikhil Pavithran, Group President, Kaizzen, said: “Our agency's aspiration is not only to provide top-tier communication strategies but also become an integral part of the MENA business landscape.” Dipankar Zalpuri said: "I believe that MENA is a region that values innovation, building relationships, and entrepreneurship. I am determined to make a substantial positive impact in this region with this prestigious mandate. This confidence comes from the backing of passionate hard-work and exceptional dedication to deliver successful client campaigns that is encoded in the DNA of this remarkable organisation, right from the top. With the support of a diverse talented team, we will take forward the Kaizzen narrative of boosting businesses by creating appealing brand stories through comprehensive 360-degree communication strategies. Well, the way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”The UAE foray marks a significant milestone, as it signifies the agency’s dedication to providing top-notch services to its clients, both locally and globally.