As the UN celebrated World Press Freedom Day  on 3rd May, the UAE claims it is one of the leading countries in the region in press freedom and in pushing for human rights.

The UAE has passed a decree that journalists should not be jailed for their work. While ownership and government's licencing approval for publications still hang as one issue posed against level of freedom, journalists in the UAE claim press freedom is being exercised in the country.

The study noted that the growing sophistication of regional marketing campaigns and the increasingly proactive government support are collectively boosting the success of Gulf investments abroad.  According to the GRES, developers are using more than large billboards and newspaper wraparounds to promote their offerings, as multimedia campaigns linking television, radio, print and online advertising are creating more cohesive marketing programs.

“While the Gulf may be one of the most prolific real estate markets in the world, many domestic developers are expanding their capital and influence overseas," the GRES report noted, citing the USD 10 billion worth of projects launched by Emaar in the United States.

"If you look around, real estate developers are increasingly making use of multimedia campaigns to promote their projects as they aggressively take their products closer to the customers. These intensified marketing campaigns also include the creation of more diversified financing options, establishing platforms for clients to inspect finished products, and greater transparency in providing pricing information," said Rina Plapler, Executive Director, Future Brand, a premier global brand consultancy firm and publishers of the GRES 2007.

"These trends point to the growing maturity of the industry in marketing their products. Moreover, intensified government support through appropriate property laws will further strengthen confidence in the GCC market. Overall, growth has been exceptional across the region, which has given GCC developers the momentum to diversify their investments activities in other sectors and in other countries worldwide," added Plapler.

Moreover, newly established real estate policies enacted by governments have also improved the region's image as an important real estate investment destination, particularly regarding freehold property, rent control measures, and establishment of a trust account law; creating a higher level of confidence in the marketplace.

The GRES report also revealed that real estate activities will continue to evolve and cover a wider range of interests: "As the development market matures, interests are expanding into different areas of real estate. In 2004, investors were generally seeking vacant residential land. In 2005, people were looking for residential buildings to purchase and in 2006 investors were favouring built commercial buildings, as their return on investment was fastest."

The GRES 2007 report is published for the third consecutive year by Future Brand, and involves substantial qualitative and quantitative research.  In compiling the study, experienced global teams explored new trends, themes and insights in the region’s rapidly growing real estate sector.

The Jordan Commercial Bank (JCBank) announced its sponsorship of the Faris Bustami Rally Team in the World Rally Championship 2008 (WRC), the first WRC event to be held in Jordan and the Middle East. The rally is scheduled to take place from April 24 to April 27, 2008. The Team consists of Two drivers, Mr. Faris Bustami and Mr. Ahmad Mihiar.

Faris Bustami started rallying in 1993 while still a university student. In the early years, he was able to finish most rallies in the top five places driving either a Datsun, Daihatsu, Ford or a Toyota Celica GT4. Now he drives the Subaru Imprezza Sti - N10

Over the years, Faris made several notable achievements in this field. He won the Jordan National Championship four times in the years 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2005 and was Runner Up in Dubai’s International Rally in 2005. This remarkable achievement is the best achieved by a Jordanian champion in an international rally so far.

Ahmad has an awesome reputation, and every shred of it is deserved. Ahmad is intense, yet scrupulously polite, a stickler for accuracy and one of the most cerebrally professional driver in the Jordanian rallies scene. His memory is frighteningly accurate, but anybody thinking his personality is austere will be surprised by some sudden moments of pure warmth that can make your day.
Consistency has been Ahmad's hallmark, He is always there competing for advanced position in Jordanian rallies and has been described by his competition as "Mistake-free" Accordingly, his efficiency and skills in driving have always been the envy of others and, much like the man himself, his driving reflects maturity and intelligence that has been honed by years of high level experience
He'll undoubtedly be there or thereabouts – that's his style. he has long been an Gravel star. As ever, a realistic title hopeful.

2008 will represent a celebrated year in Motor Sport history, as Jordan becomes the first Arab country to take its place among the elite of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). It is an occasion that has been 54 years in the making since the Late King Hussein first introduced Motorsport to Jordan.

Commenting on this sponsorship, the Marketing and product development Manager of JCBank Mr. Fadi Rabie said, “We at JCBank are proud of this sponsorship, as this contribution stems from our belief of the great potential what the team has to achieve in this rally. This sponsorship also came in response to HRH Prince Faisal Bin Al Hussein’s call for the support of the Jordanian teams.”

From his end, Mr. Faris Bustami, Rally Driver from the Faris Bustami Rally Team, said, “I am proud to be representing Jordan in the WRC as well as JCBank, our official sponsors. This sponsorship is a huge responsibility carried by everyone involved, and we will exert every effort to win the race to honor our sponsors and more importantly to honor our country.”

It is important to note that JCBank has a long record in community service.

Omneon, Inc., announced that the Abu Dhabi Media Company (ADMC) has selected the company's Spectrum server system for media ingest, storage, and fully mirrored playout at its new broadcast facility in the city of Abu Dhabi.

Leading Middle East visual communication and multimedia solutions company, Emirates Neon Group, has been re-branded ENG.

The move has been taken to reflect the company's international expansion and group status.

Established in Dubai in 1976, ENG has flourished alongside the Emirate itself and the past 32 years have seen it evolve from a small family business into a multi-division company on a global scale.

The new brand portfolio will encompass separate divisions all under the ENG umbrella - ENG Outdoor (previously Emirates Outdoor), ENG Digital (previously ABC Digital), ENG Consultancy, ENG Industries (previously ABC Industries), ENG Media, ENG Print (previously ABC Digital Print), ENG Signage.

The change also comes ahead of the official launch of ENG into Egypt and Kenya planned for April 2008 - another stage in the company's aggressive plans for international growth. Having long established itself across the Emirates and subsequently Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait, ENG also boasts offices in China, Pakistan and the UK.

Other recent acquisitions by ENG promise to take the company in new commercial directions during 2008. Under the helm of Group CEO Rehan Merchant the company has interests in television through Max Media (Star TV Network, Fox Sports and Neo Sports), broadcast (Coast 103.2fm) and most recently, 100 Publishing.

Mr Merchant says; 'By consolidating all our previous offerings under one brand we are in an even stronger position to provide exceptional value and premium service to all our clients across the portfolio. Service always has been, and will remain, paramount to ENG.'

'Our short history has already seen us evolve into an international success story and one of the fastest growing visual communications companies in the world; now 2008 will see ENG develop even further beyond people's expectations.'

Clients include Etisalat, Samsung, Etihad, Kempinski Hotels and Jumeirah Group.

Investcorp, a leading global provider and manager of alternative investment products, today announced that it has acquired Randall-Reilly Publishing Company, LLC, the premier media and information company focused on the trucking and construction markets in the United States.

Investcorp acquired Randall-Reilly, which is based in Alabama, USA, from Wachovia Capital Partners and members of management.

Khalid Al Rumaihi, an Investcorp Managing Director and Head of Institutional Investments, said: 'Randall-Reilly's management team has generated impressive growth in the business both organically and through acquisitions. We believe the company has a terrific franchise with significant opportunities to grow, and we look forward to supporting Chief Executive Officer Mike Reilly and his team in achieving their strategic goals. The successful signing of this deal, at this particular time of market turmoil, is an endorsement of the sound investment strategy that Investcorp has been pursuing'.

Mike Reilly, President and CEO of Randall-Reilly Publishing, said: 'We have been most impressed with the Investcorp professionals and their insight into our key markets. Investcorp has a distinguished 25-year track record of success and through a number of existing and past investments, possesses exceptional knowledge of the media industry, as well as of Randall-Reilly's individual end markets.'

About Randall-Reilly Publishing
Founded in 1934, Randall-Reilly Publishing is the premier US media and information company focused on the trucking, construction and industrial markets.

The company's trucking division serves the fleet, owner-operator, recruitment, truck stop, pre-owned truck and trailer, dealer and heavy-duty aftermarket segments.

Randall-Reilly's construction division covers the highway and heavy construction, landscaping and used equipment markets. The company also publishes a magazine focused on the woodworking industry.

Randall-Reilly's Equipment Data Associates business is an industry-leading collector and aggregator of equipment purchase and financing data, which it offers to its customers in industrial equipment end markets for sales lead generation and market intelligence.

Randall-Reilly has offices in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Charlotte, North Carolina; and New Berlin, Wisconsin.

OFFTEC has unveiled a new brand identity, representing a significant milestone in the company's near century-long history and its growth into a multi-million JD Public Shareholding Company, and becoming a member of OFFTEC Investment Group.

The new corporate identity is being introduced in parallel with internal changes, and the launch of new strategic management methodologies.

Basim Said, Managing Director, said 'OFFTEC has been around for almost 100 years and it has evolved into a leader in providing quality Business Technology Solutions in Jordan, Palestine and six countries across the Middle East. In recognition of many years of success, we felt it was the ideal time to introduce a new look, reflecting the growing portfolio of OFFTEC, which includes Software Applications, IT infrastructure Solutions, Security Solutions, Office Solutions, Office Furniture, Banking Technologies and Leasing Services.'

Mr. Said went on to explain the rationale behind the new corporate identity saying, 'Our new logo is comprised of a sphere of two halves put together to make a wholesome partnership, which reflects the way OFFTEC works with its clients.

These two halves are not stand alone pieces because OFFTEC offers much more than just a product or service, OFFTEC offers comprehensive solutions that fit with our clients' needs and correspond to their requirements, integrating hardware and software to achieve optimal results, encompassed in superior service.'

OFFTEC excels in providing innovative solutions to local and regional clients and is committed to maintaining superior service and optimal quality solutions by hiring talented, qualified and dedicated employees and partnering with best-in-class international vendors.

OFFTEC is a member of OFFTEC Investment Group (OIG), a JD 42 million public shareholding company, trading on the Amman Stock Exchange under the symbol (BDIN), which owns along with OFFTEC, e-Points.

The chair of the Middle East Advisory Board of global media audit organisation, BPA Worldwide, has called on advertisers to move their advertising dollars from unaudited titles to audited titles, including Akhbar Al Arab, which has become the first daily Arabic newspaper in the UAE to publish independently-audited circulation data.

The audit showed that the mainly free Akhbar Al Arab had a 'public place' circulation of 50,325 in Abu Dhabi for the weekday edition and 40,166 for the weekend edition. The majority of these copies were circulated through public place distribution at retail, public and private locations, though 3,040 copies had an audited distribution through street boxes in Abu Dhabi.

Margie Gilbride, who is also marketing communications manager for Beiersdorf Middle East , a leading manufacturer of branded consumer products for skin and beauty care, commented:

"Akhbar Al Arab is the first Arabic newspaper in the UAE to publish BPA-audited circulation data and I would encourage advertisers to take full advantage of this publisher's  commitment to transparency in its circulation. I hope this sets a positive example and is an encouragement to other Arabic newspapers to also be pioneers in circulation transparency in the region."

"The BPA audit is our way of differentiating Akhbar Al Arab in the market and assuring advertisers, whether they be regional or international, that we are working to a globally-recognised audit standard," explains Akhbar Al Arab's General Manager, Abdulrahman Shemiry.

Akhbar Al Arab is not the only Arabic newspaper in BPA membership. The audit organisation is also working closely with the Oman-based weekly Al Isbou'a.

Scorpions Productions Managing Director, Vishal Kewalramani has confirmed plans to invest Dhs25m in setting up offices in London and New York in 2008.

Mr. Kewalramani stated that the production offices in London and New York will include tie-ups with world class entertainment and production organizations to promote exchange of international entertainment and talent across the countries to meet production requirements of clients locally and worldwide.

Just recently Scorpions Productions one of the premier names in the entertainment, talent hunt and production industry flew in an international roster of premier artists for the New Year 2008 celebrations to deliver high-class entertainment from across the globe that added glamour and glitter to the Dubai social scene.

'At Scorpions Productions, we celebrate the individuality of our talent, our clients, and our employees recognizing each individual with whom we interact that contributes to our success and growth as an organization' said Mr. Vishal Kewalramani, Managing Director, Scorpions Productions.

'We are fully committed to this project of setting up offices worth Dhs25m in London and New York and believe it will enhance the value we offer our clients in the UAE, London and New York. The exchange of international talent and entertainers will provide cutting edge and futuristic shows and help us bring together the best talent from across the globe,' added Kewalramani.

With a philosophy of putting the needs of the client's first and providing service of the highest standards, Scorpions plans in the near future to consolidate their position as the premier entertainment and production agency in the Middle East bringing worldwide talent, technique and technology to the landscape of Dubai.

Jinny Software has today announced the successful trial of a powerful advertising solution that will underpin new revenue streams for Zain in Jordan in 2008, and beyond.

Installed and tested in a matter of weeks, the solution quickly provided the capability to deliver advertisements over SMS messaging from any advertiser or agency.

This solution gives Zain in Jordan the ability to take an early and strong position in an industry that is expected to earn US$18 billion by 201.

Built on Jinny's proven technologies in messaging and filtering, the Advertising Engine has the power to deliver tailored advertising in a variety of ways.

Whether an advertisement should be inserted into peer-to-peer messaging traffic or as a pre-page video clip, the Advertising Engine - thanks to sophisticated keyword and profile matching - can ensure the advert is relevant and useful to its audience, the consumer.

Built to deliver tailored, targeted advertising that consumers want, as opposed to spam, the Advertising Engine is poised to meet the growth and ARPU-increase needs of operators this year and into the future.

Speaking about the successful trial, Zain in Jordan's Mobile Data Services Senior Manager Ziad Al Masri, said, 'We have been delighted with the results that Jinny's Advertising Engine has delivered during these trials. They have highlighted the potential gains Zain in Jordan will benefit from as a result of implementing this solution on our network, as well as the benefits that our subscribers will derive from this sophisticated new service.'

Commenting on the ground-breaking trial, Max Wilkie, CEO of Jinny Software, said, 'We are once again delighted to be able to deliver a world-class solution to the Zain Group. With the Advertising Engine from Jinny, Zain in Jordan is now able to exploit the expanding business of mobile advertising and take advantage of new and sustainable revenue streams. There is no doubt that both Zain in Jordan and Jinny can build on this success to explore other media and messaging solutions to offer an increasingly powerful channel to advertisers.'

Teshkeel Media Group KSC announced that it has named Paris Arabesques as its new licensing representative in France and French speaking Belgium and Switzerland.

In addition, Paris Arabesques will handle non-exclusive merchandising representation in Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria. Paris Arabesques will oversee all sales, retail, merchandising and marketing of THE 99 in French Europe and Northern Africa, important territories that represent tremendous growth potential for THE 99 brand.

The appointment of Paris Arabesques is the first step in Teshkeel's aggressive international expansion plans for THE 99 property in 2008. The announcement comes in the wake of FORBES.COM naming THE 99 one of the 'Top 20 Trends Sweeping the Globe' and Teshkeel begins a new round of development of the property in publishing, online, animation and other categories.

Paris Arabesques will look to build relationships with French licensees and cultivate new categories and products across various territories. Paris Arabesques will work closely with licensees on product development, positioning, and rollout strategies for various different merchandise categories. Paris Arabesques will also work with local retailers to ensure successful promotion of THE 99 franchise.

'Najoua Mounib and her team at Paris Arabesques have an extensive knowledge of the French speaking territories in Europe and Northern Africa. We will use that experience to bring greater focus to our marketing and licensing efforts for THE 99 in these territories. Working together, I'm sure we will significantly increase consumer awareness and the size of our business in the region,' said Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, CEO of Teshkeel Media Group, KSC.

'Paris Arabesques is thrilled to be working with Teshkeel and the unique property that is THE 99,' said Najoua Mounib, President Paris Arabesques. 'THE 99 characters are hugely exciting and appealing to kids across the world. We believe that we will achieve tremendous success by continuing to build on the strength of this amazing property with innovative, brand-building licenses and merchandising programs.'

Accelerator Technology Holdings (ATH) announced that it has become a strategic financial investor in Conservus, a Dubai based company that develops customized content platforms, or “adaptive portals”, for the hospitality and property development niche markets. Conservus’ platform, deemed the most powerful targeted online advertising medium, is built with a powerful and sophisticated back office system that provides users with a single point of entry for lifestyle and e-concierge services.

ATH’s investment will assist Conservus in further supporting its existing contracts with key customers, as well as position them as a major player in the global e-concierge marketplace. Also supported, with this investment are resources for product development to further enhance the range of services featured on the Conservus adaptive portals, while simultaneously introducing it to new geographic (USA, Europe, Asia) and vertical (communities, shopping malls, airports) markets.

This new investment will accelerate the growth of Conservus by providing strategic and financial support to the company in its efforts to offer its “adaptive portals” to visionary hospitality and property development companies.

“As the hospitality industry witnesses a major boom across the Arab World, an opportunity exists for regional technology companies to innovate in the delivery of touch-points of convenience for today’s traveler. While historically not a large spender on technology, the Arab hospitality industry is now placing greater investment in technology as a winning formula in catering to the requirements of its customers. We expect Conservus, with its innovative adaptive portals solutions and first mover advantage, to continue to lead in the delivery of relevant, credible, and differentiated solutions for the regional hospitality industry”, said Fawaz H. Zu’bi, Founder and CEO of ATH.

“I consider this investment to be a major milestone for our successes, giving further credit to our achievements in developing public space and in-room technology solutions that provide new value added services to guests and an important profit center to hotels. We can now move on in realizing our plans and maintaining our pre-emptive position to expand into regional and global markets through the valuable strategic alliances we have made with our partner international luxury hotel chains” added Kamal Nasser, Founder and CEO of Conservus.

Brainchild of Kamal Nasser, Conservus’ hospitality portals premiered in Dubai in February 2008. These location specific and user centric portals will replace the Internet sign-in page of each hotel with an e-concierge service that provides hotel amenities ranging from room service to spa bookings; up to the minute city information; and general interest articles – coupled with a vast array of online shopping options.

The NewsMarket (www.thenewsmarket.com), the leading online platform for news video, today announced a strategic partnership with JiWin, one of the Middle East's leading communications agencies and a division of the Media Services Group.

Under the agreement, The NewsMarket and JiWin will advise companies and organizations across the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf Cooperation Council States (GCC) on how to promote their brand and product messages globally using video.

As regional governments and companies in the UAE and the Middle East expand their overseas investments and activities, they are increasingly in need of strategic communications tools to expand and manage their coverage in the global media. Video, both television and online, is a popular medium and in recent years Dubai in particular has emerged as an international hub for television and media services with the creation of Dubai Media City and Dubai Internet City.

'Our partnership with The NewsMarket will enable us to offer our clients cutting-edge video communications services and thereby extend their reach to more than 13,000 newsrooms in 193 countries,' said Mona Al Marri, CEO of JiWin. 'As the public relations industry in the region continues to flourish, our relationship with The NewsMarket will be a competitive advantage for JiWin.'

Since its launch in early 2006, JiWin has become a reference for the public relations industry in the region attracting clients including Dubai Holding, Coca Cola and 'du', the new telecom operator in the UAE. The company has a staff of 60 representing 12 different nationalities.

'We are thrilled that JiWin is joining our PR agency partner program,' said Shoba Purushothaman, CEO and Co-Founder of The NewsMarket. 'The Middle East, together with India and China, is an increasingly important market for our business and we look forward to working with JiWin to bring innovative video solutions to government and corporations across the region.'

The NewsMarket partnership provides JiWin employees and clients unprecedented access to the largest community of registered and profiled journalists in the world seeking multimedia content.

'The media landscape in the Middle East has changed and this new environment demands a new approach. This agreement will enable JiWin to take our clients aggressively into this new and exciting on-demand digital world,' said Ma'moon Sbeih, Managing Director, JiWin.

The NewsMarket plans to open its first office in Dubai in March 2008 to service its local customers and media users. The company has also announced the launch of its Dubai Channel which will compile and market video about UAE and Gulf State-based organizations and make it available to journalists and online audiences globally. The Dubai Channel follows the successful launch of the India Channel (www.thenewsmarket.com/india) around the India@60 campaign in 2007.

'We see a tremendous business opportunity in the UAE, GCC and the wider Middle East as more companies start communicating globally,' said Jason Ryder, Vice President, Middle East and North Africa for The NewsMarket. 'Our Dubai office will allow us to work closely with JiWin to support customers in the region as well as service the local media outlets who use The NewsMarket to access free news video.'

The Jordan Investment Board (JIB), a world class agency entrusted with promoting Jordan as a unique destination for foreign direct investment and sustaining domestic investment to achieve economic prosperity in Jordan, presented an innovative way to pursue its strategy and vision to trigger investments in Jordan.

On March 2nd 2008, JIB premiered its striking TV commercial at the Jordan Economic Forum, in the presence of leading local, regional, and international investors and leaders.

The JIB commercial aims at raising awareness of the JIB core mission, while building confidence in the Jordanian economy, motivating domestic and foreign investors, and positioning Jordan as a vibrant regional business center.

Dr. Maen Nsour, Chief Executive Officer of JIB, avowed: 'At JIB we are committed to promoting Jordan for its unique and flexible business environment along with its diverse investment opportunities' Nsour also commented on the innovative creative approach used in the commercial as a reflection of JIB's mission, 'Through offering world class facilities for investors willing to tap into our market. Therefore, we adopted and utilized a unique approach in the making of the JIB TV commercial'.

Kamil Kuran, Managing Director of Leo Burnett - Levant, said: 'The production methodology and technical expertise we used in the making of this TVC are unmatched in this region and offer viewers inspiring and attractive insights on Jordan. We raised the level of production and quality to new platforms by introducing new concepts which will grasp the attention of the regional and international investors, enabling them to see Jordan as a pristine hub for their investments and a place that offers perfect potential'.

The TVC - which will start airing starting the second week of March on Al Jazeera, Arabia, CNBC Arabia, and JTV - talks the investors' language, and is perfectly aligned with the investors 'mind'.

The TVC chose world leading currencies to represent the different markets and the financial institutions, amongst which the Jordanian currency stands out to depict the sought after investment opportunities in the Kingdom.

The commercial focuses on highlighting and exposing economic facts and numbers, associated with the Jordanian economy, raising credibility and trust in Jordan amongst the business community, to portray Jordan as an unblemished vista for financial investments.

The commercial opens with statistics focusing on the economy and demographics of the kingdom, such as 'an average annual increase of 50% in the flow of foreign investments… more than 25 accredited universities with 30.000 graduates annually… decades of political stability and security…' and finally culminates with the expertise of JIB: 'Jordan we know what it takes… Jordan Investment Board… Take Advantage' leaving the viewer inspired and stimulated to seize the unbound potential that Jordan offers.

Pioneering cross cultures radio station revamps its activities, Beat FM's 102.5 re-branding sends listeners a message of invigorated broadcasts and lively encounters on air.

As Jordanians continue to tune in to the trendiest, most popular, and latest English songs and music aired by their favourite and first radio station - Beat FM 102.5, the station takes its operation a step forward, and re-brands to a new most appealing image that translates further its commitment to its listeners.

The new 'bigger, better, bolder' slogan blends to incorporate Beat's articulated image to hit the right note with its listeners. A wider coverage area that reaches every nook and corner in Jordan, coupled with a deep sense of social responsibility commitment towards its listeners and the community at large, and simultaneously a promise of bolder steps and decisions by Beat FM 102.5 come to streamline the young station's interaction with the youth, in all their walks of life.

'Our re-branding is simply a revamping of our operations. We are invigorating our activities to offer our listeners a more vigorous, youthful, and trendy airtime, which would appeal to the majority of tastes. Our new message reflects our wish to reach out to all our listeners, as we assure them of the best and newest available in the world of music and song,' said Nedal Khader, GM of Beat FM 102.5. 'Our new image will colour our performance on air. Our respect to our listeners inspires our drive to stay abreast in our field.'

Inspired by its 'Smiles for Life' campaign of compassion towards sick children last Eid Al Adha & Christmas, Beat FM 102.5 continues to get involved in quality social responsibility events that promote well being amongst needy segments of the society.

And on another front, Beat FM 102.5 invites its listeners to watch out for a series of competition it intends to launch, promising to send winners to attend concerts by internationally popular singers and musicians, such as sending them to Shakira and Justin Timberlake concerts last year, amongst others, with intention to send more listeners on similar concerts.

Established in Amman in January 2005, Beat FM 102.5 is Amman's leading radio station that caters for the youth's taste of latest English music and songs. Owned by Seagulls Broadcast Beat FM 102.5 airs its programmes, 24 hours 7 days a week, with a play list that includes Pop, R&B, Dance, Rock, Hip Hop, and House.

Trust Group, an innovative leader in global insurance and reinsurance, announced the launch of its brand new corporate identity during a press conference on the sidelines of the MENA region's largest and most important insurance event - the 27th General Arab Insurance Federation (GAIF) Conference, taking place in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Speaking at the event were Mr. Ghazi Kamel Abu Nahl, Group Chairman, Mr. Kamel Abu Nahl, Trust Bahrain Chairman and Trust Cyprus Director & CEO, Mr. Fadi Abu Nahl, Trust Cyprus Chairman and Trust Bahrain Director & CEO and Mr. Nabil Cotran, Trust Bahrain Director and COO.

With a paid-up capital of $100,000,000 in 2007; Trust Re (Trust International Insurance & Reinsurance Company BSC) with a recent upgrade to an A- rating (A. M. Best) is one of the major achievement of the Group and a source of great pride to the Arab Reinsurance Industry.

Trust Re was founded in 1989 and since then Trust Group expanded by opening companies in Cyprus, Lebanon, Palestine, Algeria, Yemen, Libya, Syria, Malaysia, USA and the UK, are the actual insurance and reinsurance operations of the group, with a group servicing operation in Jordan. The Trust Group is heavily rooted with a philosophy which embodies the core essence of the word 'Trust', offering its clients total confidence on its strengths, performance and reliability.

'The new brand identity reflects the integration of traditional values, ethics, and principles with more contemporary and forward-thinking approach in coping with modern industry demands and the effects of globalization,' explained Mr. Fadi Abu Nahl, Trust Re's CEO and Trust Cyprus Chairman.

'Based on the fundamental principle of insurance being utmost good faith, Trust offers you the necessary confidence that they are placing your faith in an entity of your trust that will at least meet if not exceed your expectations.'

'Mr. Ghazi Kamel Abu Nahl founded and continues to steer the Trust Group on the key values by which he adapted and instilled in us: honesty and loyalty; no matter what skills and capabilities a corporation has, without ethics one can not create a long-lasting solid business relationship. Trust has both the depth of knowledge and expertise to achieve optimal performance, as well as sound values and principles,' Mr. Kamel Abu Nahl concluded.

Trust was created with the intent of filling a niche within the insurance and reinsurance industry providing a reliable vehicle capable of catering to insurers requiring prompt technical support and immediate utilization of a sizable reinsurance capacity.

A family business, beginning with a staff of just 12 employees, the group activities have expanded to encompass over 500, some of which have been with the group from the date of establishment .

Within a short period of time Trust has established a solid name within the insurance arena by providing needed services to clients as well as prompt technical support and a sizable reinsurance capacity. Starting mainly as energy and petrochemical facultative reinsurance underwriters, Trust gradually developed a diversified portfolio comprising all classes of business in both treaty and facultative areas.

Adding a little bit of spice to the Dubai events scene, newcomer Salt & Pepper introduced its presence in the Dubai events industry, running with high-end events for clients such as Heineken and Al Aqili Furnishings.

Intent on shaking things up, Salt & Pepper have a highly qualified team of events experts with over 20 years of combined events and marketing experience gained from Australia, USA, Europe and the UAE.

'We're convinced this market is now ready for extraordinary events and promotions with an element of surprise,' said Philip Westphal, Salt & Pepper's Managing Director.

'It's our aim to give UAE consumers an increasingly hands-on brand experience, through the creation of unique events that not only bring brands to life, but which are importantly relevant to the consumer market they're targeting.'

'We've sourced outstanding regional suppliers to provide our clients with the most impactful and cost-effective campaigns possible. Combined with our global experience and our team of events experts, Salt & Pepper is set to spice up the life of brands, add a little zing to the consumer experience and provide new levels of execution which will set new regional standards.'

Salt & Pepper recently created a brand environment concept for Heineken, to launch Heineken 'Extra Cold' as part of the 'Big Chill' campaign at the Dubai International Rugby Sevens. The concept created a real sensation of 'coldness' for consumers in a purpose built Igloo in the Rugby Village - delivering temperature controlled beer served 'Extra Cold' in chilled glasses to ensure the perfect pint, served perfectly cold.

In a city renowned for its dynamic pace and vibrant social scene, Salt & Pepper is guaranteed to grind out its own niche.

On Monday evening, Hewlett Packard (HP) Imaging and Printing Group announced the Middle East chapter of its largest marketing campaign, 'What do you have to say?', to engage customers further in the company's Print 2.0 revolution.

'What do you have to say?' puts HP's latest Print 2.0 strategy in action by inspiring customers with new ideas to express themselves and providing easy online tools to mash, create and publish digital content in new, exciting ways.

Launched with a special 'Dinner in the sky' concept at Jumeriah Emirates Tower - another 'first' by HP in the Middle East region. 'Dinner in the sky' features a table, with 22 seated guests, that is hoisted 50 metres in the air from a crane. HP hosted three sittings, one for media, HP partners and HP staff.

Commenting on the launch, Sherifa Hady, Consumer Business Manager, Imaging and Printing Group, HP Middle East said: 'This is the largest global interactive marketing campaign that HP has unveiled to date so we wanted to launch it in an extraordinary way to leave a lasting impression. Today experiences no longer revolve just around a PC with a printer attached to it, increasingly we are using digital devices to create and share content over the web. As content continues to move from the desktop to the web, HP is working to make printing relevant and meaningful and this campaign is a big step towards it.'

She added: 'What do you have to say? offers consumers robust web-to-print experiences, with a mix of traditional, out-of-home, online and viral marketing elements driving people to the sites.'

Web achiever experiences
The campaign opens with robust web-to-print experiences that serve as the hub of 'What do you have to say?' Each experience offers customers an opportunity to mash up their personal content with exclusive designs inspired by campaign's featured personality - singer Gwen Stefani- and easily print this content anyway they want - at home or work, online or eventually via a network of print service providers.

'The campaign is designed to inspire our customers and empower them with new ideas and online tools to help them think about what they have to say and HP can help them create, mash, share, express and publish their content the way they want to, to better communicate, connect and be understood,' said Hady. 'To make it more relevant to the Middle East we will be identifying local achievers to share their success stories and we are Arabising the campaign name so it will be known as ÚÈÑ Úä äÝÓß.

The total campaign spend worldwide is $300m and will include traditional, out-of-home, web and viral marketing elements. The campaign also included sponsorship of the Santana concert where concert goers were able to visit the 'What do you have to say?' tour buses and enjoy demonstrations of the latest HP products. Following on from that the tour buses will be visiting schools across the United Arab Emirates for a period of six weeks, empowering children to have their say by creating their own t-shirt and calendar designers. In Saudi Arabia the campaign will launch at Gitex KSA and at Cairo ICT 2008 in Egypt.

Print 2.0 - Next Printing Revolution
Print 2.0 is HP's strategy for making printing relevant and empowering both personal and professional content increasingly moves from the desktop to the web. The strategy focuses on three areas: delivering a next-generation digital printing platform that increases print speeds and lowers the cost of printing for high-volume commercial markets; making it easier to print from the web; and extending HP's digital content creation and publishing platforms across all customer segments.

'Today we're igniting growth across every single part of our business and introducing market-leading imaging and printing solutions and products' said Amr Hassan, General Manager, Imaging and Printing Group, HP Middle East. 'With 'Print 2.0' and 'What do you have to say' we're leveraging the power of the web as a gateway for our customers to communicate, collaborate and publish their content in ways they could not before.'

d'Events, the integrated PR and events agency launched in 2004, has re-branded into two separate divisions due to exceptional company and regional industry growth.

d'pr will now serve as the new name for the dedicated corporate and consumer communications arm, with d'Events locating itself in a separate office as the events solutions provider. The start of the year was a double win for the company as d'pr secured one of its biggest accounts to date with the win of an internationally recognised group as well as some major local organisations.

'The Gulf is making waves in all industry sectors and d'Events has positioned itself as a leading events and PR provider for major local and international companies through exceptional industry knowledge and understanding of the evolving Gulf market,' said Camilla d'Abo, Managing Director of d'pr.

'Both divisions have a proven track record of success with clients such as Visa International, National Bank of Dubai and Cartier making up the events and PR portfolio. Now that both the events and PR teams have expanded in terms of clients and staff, we felt each should be acknowledged in their own right.'

d'pr has dedicated teams in corporate and consumer that handle over 20 retainer clients. The structure serves a cross section of brands specialising in banking and finance, real estate, hospitality and retail by utilising the employees specialist sector knowledge to provide a full communications campaigns.

2007 was a very successful year for both divisions. The events sector achieved over 50 launches and industry conferences for brands including Nokia, Tag Hueur, Macquarie Bank and Dubai Group. Most notable highlights during the year included the action-packed launch of MBC Action for 500 advertising industry heads with set reproductions of TV favourites 'Lost' and 'Prison Break'.

In PR, key clients such as Visa International awarded d'pr an increased remit with the regional scope of corporate communications. Also, major hospitality and restaurant management company Rmal Hospitality partnered with the company to handle its entire portfolio of restaurants such as Wagamamas, Trader Vic's and Champion Jockey Frankie Dettori's eatery 'Frankie's,' as well as its latest five-star resort in Abu Dhabi.

The consumer PR team also secured Nakheel's landmark retail destination Ibn Battuta Mall as well as Apparel Group's brand portfolio including Tommy Hilfiger, Kenneth Cole, Bally and Cold Stone Creamery.

'd'pr is committed to providing and implementing customised communications solutions for its clients. As part of our business expansion we will be constantly monitoring the local and international PR climate to make sure that we are at the forefront of all new developments, in order to constantly improve our client service,' added d'Abo.

The events division has continued its momentum of success from 2007 into the New Year with several major events for clients such as Intercontinental Hotel Dubai Festival City, Macquarie Bank and The Arabian World Construction Summit in Abu Dhabi.

'The New Year is the ideal time for clients to kick start new campaigns and to solidify their presence in the market. A generic gala dinner at a five star hotel will not achieve this so more creative and sophisticated events solutions are necessary to differentiate clients from competitors.

'Being imaginative, efficient and professional is the d'Events company ethos and this is reflected in the hugely successful events that we have completed. We work closely with our clients to formulate the ideal event and then manage all planning, conceptualisation, venue booking and budget management to take all pressure off the client,' said Lucy d'Abo, Managing Director of d'Events.

Rasha Al-Azem takes the reins as new General Manager

Leo Burnett announced today their decision to appoint a new General Manager to lead the agency's operations in Kuwait.

Rasha Al-Azem, who took over the agency's management in January, brings with her eight years of industry experience, of which the last six have been in the Leo Burnett Group.

Al-Azem will be working in partnership with Managing Director of Leo Burnett Dubai and Kuwait, Kamal Dimachkie. The appointment is the latest development for Leo Burnett Kuwait, which successfully increased its client portfolio in 2007, winning a number of high profile pitches.

Dimachkie commented; 'Rasha was the natural choice for this position - she is a competent communication professional, well respected and admired by her clients and her colleagues, and comes with considerable experience.

'We look forward to great things from Rasha - especially at a time when the agency is poised for significant growth with an even bigger investment in creativity, and a focussed drive on training and nurturing our people for even greater innovation in strategic development,' added Dimachkie.

On the appointment, Al-Azem commented; 'I am very excited about this opportunity to manage Leo Burnett in Kuwait where there is huge potential for furthering our world-class operation and offering clients Leo Burnett's high standard of advertising and brand servicing, as we do elsewhere around the globe.'

Leo Burnett Kuwait received a number of significant wins over the course of 2007 including Nando's and launched The Avenues Mall - Kuwait's largest shopping mall, which is managed by client Mabanee. Other clients include Philip Morris, Kuwait-based Global Investment House and Al-Shaya brands Vavavoom and Milano.

In a move that promises to further reinforce its ties with the community, Maktoob Business has teamed up with world-renowned Dale Carnegie Training to offer visitors a unique opportunity to take their careers to the next level.

Maktoob Business has created a dedicated section on its homepage that will allow visitors to submit their queries on issues related to management, leadership, sales, human relations, communication skills, public speaking, team building and customer service, and avail of free professional advice from expert trainers who are accredited by Dale Carnegie Training.

All queries and responses will be anonymously displayed on the website so as to allow other visitors who have similar queries to benefit from the advice posted without revealing the identity of the person who originally put the query forward.

'Our partnership with Dale Carnegie Training further strengthens our resolve to offer a more diverse portfolio of business-related services to our visitors from all across the world,' said Mohammad Zeidan, Business Development Manager, Maktoob Business Channels.

'We are confident that this partnership will allow numerous people to discover inherent leadership skills, and in some cases will open their eyes to new challenging and fulfilling career opportunities as they get acknowledged as outstanding leaders.'

With more than 2700 instructors present in over 80 countries, Dale Carnegie Training is a global provider of locally delivered training in leadership, management, sales, human relations & communication skills, public speaking, team building and customer service, essential to improving the performance of individuals and teams, and adding value to organizations. It focuses on giving people in business the opportunity to sharpen their skills and improve their performance to build positive, steady, profitable results.

'We at Dale Carnegie Training believe that every organization is a collection of individuals who have come together to pursue a common objective and that the success of any organization depends on the success of the individuals in it,' said Noha El Daly, Managing Director, Dale Carnegie Training Gulf. 'We're excited to team up with Maktoob Business and look forward to sharing our expertise with people, assisting them as they aspire to make a positive difference in their professional lives.'

Functioning under the umbrella of Maktoob.com, Maktoob Business is a one-stop online destination featuring a mix of relevant services, including profiles and interviews on industry leaders, special reports, news and information resources, features, surveys, a directory of services offered by agencies, a list of upcoming exhibitions and employment opportunities for job-seekers.

'Maktoob Business has long been at the forefront in highlighting core issues and trends related to the region's business, media and advertising sectors and will continuously explore opportunities to enrich the online experience of its users,' concluded Mohammed Zeidan.

Gulf Insurance Institute (GII) recently unveiled its new corporate branding under the concept 'Learn, Develop, Achieve', reflecting its core strengths as a leading centre of excellence for the training, development and promotion of the profession of conventional and Islamic insurance practice as well as ancillary financial services, in the Gulf region and beyond.

Wendy Maddison, Director General of GII explained the thinking behind the logo, 'We wanted an identity that would both reflect the traditional values associated with learning and our contemporary educational offering. We believe that this modern take on the 'tree of knowledge' coupled with the choice of a fresh and distinctive colour palette and a clean design reflects our essences' she said, adding that,

'We wanted to highlight knowledge dissemination and to encourage continuous professional development at all levels. We have appointed Four Communications as our branding consultancy and have worked in partnership with them to create this identity for GII and we will continue to work to build our brand identity in the Gulf region and internationally.'

Jill Boggiss, managing director Four Communications said, 'We are delighted to be working with GII on this exciting project and look forward to seeing the growth of their new campus and their student base through the success of their excellent curriculum'

GII has an international offering through the expertise of their staff and their capability to access the latest world class skills and international professional standards for individuals and organizations engaged or employed in conventional and Islamic insurance (Takaful) activities, risk management, actuarial, investment, and associated financial services relating to the insurance sector.

Khaberni, a Jordanian web-based newspaper and a subsidiary of Khaberni Group of Electronic Media, has announced the launching of its website, which brings a range of local, regional and international news and provides unbiased in-depth analysis of contemporary issues.

Khaberni is considered a changing force to the way on-line news is presented to the reader, as the website aggregates young professional Jordanian columnists who have no hidden political agenda. Moreover, the website comes in response to the directions of his Majesty King Abdullah II with regard to promoting freedom of press.

'Khaberni provides readers the most complete, non-partisan coverage of politics in the area, readers can find national content on many websites but our site is unique in that it provides local, regional and national information from one trusted source' Mr. Thamer Al Odwan, Khaberni Chairman said.

The website will be a breathing space for all truth seekers and aims to bring a range of political news, breaking general news, and features that the Khaberni Media Group's diverse network reporters file from across the globe.

'We aim to achieve 1 million hits in the first six months of launching the website; it is designed to be a hub for local news and primary resource for an in-depth coverage of international news.' Mr. Al Odwan added.

Khaberni is an interactive website where readers can have their say on different topics and have it published.

PRDnationwide, Australia's premier project marketing real estate company, is celebrating four years of successful operations in Oman.

Strategically based in Muscat, PRDnationwide has residential project marketing and research skills and extensive commercial property marketing expertise. PRDnationwide MENA is the only specialized and fully-integrated project marketing company in the Sultanate.

'The real estate market in Oman is rapidly changing and is expected to gain more impetus in the years to come,' expressed James Fox, Managing Director of PRDnationwide MENA. 'By utilizing a fully-integrated project marketing services philosophy, we are able to provide a holistic understanding to the real estate and integrated tourism development industry with a one stop shop approach, thereby adding value throughout the development process combined with unparallel quality of service by our qualified and experienced workforce.'

James highlighted that the Omani real estate market is underpinned by strong macroeconomic conditions, high liquidity, favorable demographics, and a proactive Government which encourages private and foreign participation in the sector.

'There has been significant growth in all real estate sectors including residential, commercial, industrial and tourism,' he said. 'The residential segment has witnessed major price appreciation, especially prices of lands adjacent to mega projects. We believe that the trend of escalating prices is likely to continue led by GCC investors' land purchases.'

James added that the foreign ownership law will continue to be a significant driver of the demand for real estate in the future, which expands foreign ownership rights formerly restricted to GCC nationals, to include non-GCC nationals as well. With the Government's ambitious diversification plan in the industrial and tourism segment, James is confident that the industry will continue to flourish.

PRD's first project in Oman was the planning, marketing and sales of the Barr Al Jissah Residences adjoining the Shangri-La's Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa for the Zubair Corporation. The project has received international acclaim for the first phase of Residences and now marina waterfront apartments are planned for release in mid 2008, with retail and restaurants on ground level.

'This is an exciting time for PRDnationwide MENA,' said James. 'There is tremendous potential in the Sultanate's burgeoning real estate market and we are inspired by the opportunities that lie ahead.'

With an ambitious development plan, PRDnationwide will be launching offices in other GCC states beginning with a planned opening in Dubai in 2008.

Proximity Communications launches to cater for Abu Dhabi's marketing communications needs.

A new marketing agency officially launched in Abu Dhabi to cater directly to the needs of local businesses and multinationals locating in the UAE capital.

Established as a dedicated local marketing communications agency Proximity Communications offers an alternative to satellite offices and 'arms length' management from Dubai.

Staffed by Abu Dhabi residents Proximity Communications will give a distinct focus to local businesses.

Proximity opens its doors this week with a staff of marketing specialists who all live in Abu Dhabi and are bound to its success, believe in its potential and understand its nature.

Led by Nick Maynard who has lived in the UAE for five years and worked with leading agencies including OgilvyOne, the staff have over 15 years of experience and have represented major brands including Emirates Airline, American Express, Gulf Air, Jumierah, Land Rover and British Airways.

The agency offers a full service including media planning, advertising, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), event management, Below the Line (BTL) campaigns and retail solutions. It also offers strategic planning and consultancy. Using the best of traditional marketing techniques combined with cutting edge new media channels Proximity will develop effective marketing solutions to achieve and exceed their clients' objectives.

'As Abu Dhabi readies itself for a major period of growth we've seen an increasing desire for a dedicated local marketing resource,' commented Nick Maynard, Proximity Communications' managing director. 'We've established our agency to meet this need and deliver world class marketing solutions in a local context.'

Proximity's current client roster includes Millennium Hotels and Resorts, DTZ and the Presidential Palace and it will be seeking to build relationships with local businesses over the coming months.

Horizon.FCB Dubai, the expert agency in integrated marketing communication services, is proud to announce that the fruits of its partnership with Noor Islamic Bank that was inaugurated last month, have successfully materialized into an extraordinary branding and advertising campaign.

Anyone who drives the roads of Dubai can notice that.

When one creative business pitch took place about a year ago, no one knew that something so great and so essential would follow, and that is a powerful partnership, a business partnership between Horizon.FCB Dubai and Noor Islamic Bank.

'It is our utmost pleasure to have had the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with the Noor Islamic Bank marketing team and accomplish such a successful launch together,' said Managing Director of Horizon.FCB Dubai Mr. Eddy Azzam. 'I would like to congratulate Noor Islamic Bank on the remarkable vision it has set, and I look forward to a wonderful working relationship that will hopefully bring out the best of both teams' inspirations,' he added.

The vision behind the partnership was to help launch an entire Islamic financial institution with a feel and core-value system unlike any other, whereby Islamic Sharia'a was to be one of the core institution's principles, in addition to other vital components which include technological advancement, modernity, an essence of partnership, and customer-centricity.

'The Noor Islamic Bank vision was to transcend the category and recreate what Islamic banking stands for,' said Horizon.FCB Dubai Director of Planning Ms. Rona Saadeh. 'Working on Noor Islamic Bank has required discipline, insight and diligence, and it's certainly a feeling of accomplishment to see an idea transformed into a beautiful reality,' she added.

Horizon.FCB Dubai used creative business and marketing strategies for Noor Islamic bank. Along with the efforts of the Noor Islamic Bank marketing team, the Agency helped develop the bank's logo and the Infinity Symbol, which portrays the bank as continuously searching for better financial, technical, and product solutions for its customers.

Innovative print and broadcast advertisements were also developed to portray the bank's interest in always placing their customer's interest first. Another expression of the brand was the creation of the 'Be Unlimited' tagline, which meant that Noor Islamic Bank is ready to provide the consumer with anything possible to live his or her dream, whatever the dream may be.

'I congratulate the team at Horizon.FCB for an excellent job in launching the bank, and I look forward to seeing the realization of our objectives,' said Noor Islamic Bank Deputy Group CEO Mr. Walid Koubaa.

'Working on the launch of Noor Islamic bank was a once in a lifetime experience that required our very best both to meet the standards of such a large financial enterprise and also coincide with the bank's vision of putting customer needs first,' said Horizon.FCB Dubai Creative Director Mr. Alan Firmin. 'The entire agency is extremely proud to have been an integral part of shaping this financial world icon,' he added.

Acision, the messaging and charging company of choice for over 300 network operators and service providers worldwide, and OgilvyOne Worldwide, a WPP company and the global leader in interactive marketing, today announce that they have forged an alliance for mobile marketing.

The alliance combines OgilvyOne's marketing expertise and Acision's mobile delivery capability, essential requirements for realising the full potential of mobile marketing and advertising.

Integrating the two companies' capabilities, the partnership will deliver the technologies and the necessary expertise for an end-to-end Customer Value Management solution, enabling carriers to unlock the revenue generating potential that resides within their data.

More than half of all global text and multimedia messaging traffic is generated through Acision's platforms which enable real time extraction of information about individual mobile subscriber behaviour. Its loyalty and campaign management tools provide many of the essential prerequisites for effective mobile advertising. OgilvyOne is the global leader in Customer Ownership and interactive marketing, giving brands crucial insights into their customers, company, and market. OgilvyOne designs impactful communication programmes that build lasting relationships between the customer and the brand.

Together, Acision and OgilvyOne will enable the end-to-end mobile marketing value chain, providing advertisers with complete brand engagement over multiple channels, while assuring control, brand protection and mass market level revenues for carriers.

Brian Fetherstonhaugh, Chairman and CEO, OgilvyOne said: 'From the CMO Forum here at the Mobile World Congress, it is crystal clear that the big opportunity for telco operators is to leverage their data assets. This needs to be done with insightful targeting, intelligent messaging, and an extremely sensitive view of the customer experience. This is why the Acision / OgilvyOne partnership is so powerful and timely.'

Rory Buckley, CEO, Acision said: 'Mobile operators have been incredibly vocal about their hopes for mobile advertising, but the discussion should really be about mobile marketing. While ideas for advertising are often focused on the simple process of sending unwelcome brand messages to a consumer, the real potential lies in the targeting and delivery of marketing communications both for the operator themselves and for third party brands - addressing churn and opening the opportunity for new revenue models. What has been missing until now is a bridge between the marketing and telecoms worlds. Working with OgilvyOne, we are now in a position to offer support for the complete mobile marketing value chain; from an understanding of today's mobile subscriber, through the technology, right into the brand strategy.'

Nabil Khalil, Managing Director for Acision in the Middle East and North Africa, said, 'With the strong subscriber and revenue growth in the regional telecom market, the future looks bright for the success of this alliance with OgilvyOne. The alliance will leverage the complementary strengths of both Acision and OgilvyOne to offer expertise for generating revenue for service providers through mobile marketing given the significant opportunities for precise targeting across all mobile data channels, along with the ability to provide users with highly personalised services.'

The awaited launch of the Reef Island marketing tent is set for March 2008 and will be marked by a press conference.