Britain Stages Rescue Missions for Britons Stuck in Libya

British nationals who found themselves stranded in Libya as a result of the escalating crisis there were rescued last night in the second daring mission conducted last night by members of Britain’s Special Air Service and Special Boat Service. 150 people were taken to Malta aboard three RAF Hercules airplanes after meeting at remote locations in the Libyan desert.

There is a bit of confusion about how many of those rescued are actual Britons, but after a night in a Malta hotel those with British passports will be flown back to their homes in England.

This latest action brinks to five the number of rescue flights which the British government has ordered this past weekend. The British Defense Secretary Liam Fox said,

“Three RAF C-130 Hercules aircraft have successfully evacuated around a further 150 civilians from multiple locations in the eastern Libyan desert. The first and second aircraft have landed in Malta and the third is due to arrive shortly. The aircraft have picked up civilians from a number of nations including Britain.”

Intelligence Management System ORA Debuts at IDEX 2011

Governments, defense agencies and other users can look forward to a new and affordable solution to their intelligence gathering and information management needs as ORA has mobilized the world’s leading technology from Microsoft’s Intelligence Framework Search to bring them an integrated and affordable platform to meet their needs.

ORA has also brought together the most powerful hardware solutions from Dell which can deliver the best possible, multiple-level security answers for a huge host of IT applications.

Together with Olton, Microsoft and Dell are bringing forth a new and unique intelligence capability which they are calling ORA, which is being introduced at IDEX 2011, the Intelligence and Defense Exhibit.

Paul Manister the Olton founder remarked,

“We are thrilled to be launching our ORA Technology here at IDEX, the world's leading and most prestigious Defense Exhibition.”

Tom Bloechl, the managing director at Microsoft for worldwide public safety added that,

“Microsoft works closely with partners such as Olton, who have a proven record of delivering Microsoft-based solutions, to meet the needs of government and commercial customers around the world. In a world literally overflowing with information, Olton's support of the Microsoft Citizen Safety Architecture and the Microsoft Intelligence Framework enables a heightened ability to deliver precise intelligence assessments and respond in real time to security threats."

Sharakah Exhibit Extolls SMEs to Dignitaries

Omani dignitaries were on hand for a briefing from The Fund for Development of Youth Projects, also known as Sharakah. Included among the leaders who were learning about ways to financially support this exceptional fund which encourages the establishment and growth of small and medium sized enterprises were the minister of sports affairs Ali bin Masoud Sunaidy and the minister of commerce and industry, Maqbool bin Ali Sultan.

The briefing took place at the Oman International Exhibition Center where Sharakah has a pavilion as part of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Exhibition. The assistant general manager of Sharakah, Dinkar Kishor commented that, “Unlike last two years, this year we are showcasing projects that have benefited from our financial support. This way we would like to reach out to budding entrepreneurs.”

MacDonald’s Entering Middle Eastern Market with Cool Ad Campaign

Leo Burnett Dubai has launched the second in a two phase advertising campaign designed for people to form a relationship with the MacDonald’s brand. The Managing Director of Leo Burnett UAE, Said Kamal Dimachkie, explained the philosophy behind the TVC ads:

"The whole concept behind this campaign is an emotive one, it compels people to develop a relationship with their burger and ultimately the brand. It sounds bizarre but it works! It goes one step further and engages consumers, encouraging them to share their 'Big Mac' moments or deliver their 'Chant' online and subsequently build their own content. This is the real story, people building brands through innovative communications channels."

The ad campaign is an integrative one utilizing outdoor and online banners as well as interactive online content. The first part of the campaign, which was launched on January 17, and ran for three weeks, had people telling their “Big Mac Story.” Viewers were invited to upload their own personal “Big Mac Story” and also to vote on the story they liked the best. The story teller with the most votes won a MacBook Air.

The second phase of the campaign also invites viewers to add their own version of the MacDonald’s “Chant” which has been translated into Arabic. In English the Chant is well-known, containing the following words which are ‘rapped’: “two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.” The various versions of the Chant are then voted on, and the most popular one will win and iPod Touch.

Yousif Abdulghani, McDonald's Middle East & Africa Managing Director, said, "The new partnership with Leo Burnett for our Gulf markets has started in a strong way, featuring the McDonald's iconic Big Mac. Leo's first campaign is strategically driven and consumer focused both principles which we believe in as a business. We believe with Leo Burnett's local knowledge and connection to the wider international network we will be able to take McDonald's brand to the next level in our region."

Renault Safrane 2011 Debuts in Saudi Arabia

The official Renault dealership in Saudi Arabia, Gulf Advantage Automobiles, (GAA) announced this week that their showrooms in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam will soon add the latest Renault model, the Safrane 2011 to its line-up of cars for sale.

According to the managing director of GAA,

“The Renault Safrane is a flagship model for the brand, and the new model has improved upon the successes and strengths of previous models, bringing a fantastic high-end, luxury saloon to the Gulf Cooperation Council market.”

The Safrane was developed by Renault to function best in the signature climate of the Middle East. The Renault philosophy of “Drive the Change” is written all over this luxury car, which includes the latest cutting-edge technology designed to bring an incredible driving experience to passengers and drivers alike.

Tecom and WSI Joining to Sponsor Digital Marketing Summit in Dubai

Internet use has been growing exponentially in the UAE with almost 3,800,000 internet users as of last June. That figure represents a huge percentage of internet penetration; about 76% in the UAE. With those kinds of figures beckoning it is the next logical step for businesses in the UAE to embrace digital marketing.

Senior digital marketing consultant Husam Jandal of WSI offered his comments on this subject during a media roundtable which was held in order to announce and stimulate interest in the upcoming “DigitalOne” WSI Digital Marketing Summit. The summit is being organized together with Tecom Investments Media Cluster and will be held on February 10 at the Address Dubai Marina.

Zamil Joins With Severfield-Rowen to Build in Saudi Arabia and Middle East

The biggest manufacturer of structural steel in the United Kingdom, Severfield-Rowen, has teamed up with Zamil Steel Industries with the intention of providing improved design, fabrication and construction capability of structural steelwork. The focus of the partnership will be to make available to clients in Saudi Arabia and the more expansive Middle East, specialized steel structures.

Zamil Steel Industries is a sector business of the Zamil Industrial Investment Company which announced the strategic partnership last week. Together they hope to develop and build projects requiring intensive engineering content, such as airports, stadiums, train stations, museums, power plants, high-rise buildings and the like.

"This agreement is the result of ongoing collaboration between Zamil Steel and leading international companies to execute steel structures and buildings projects in the region. It is also a distinctive addition to Zamil Steel's capabilities in the design, manufacture and installation of mega-projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, GCC States and the Middle East," said Adnan Al-Mansour, President of Zamil Steel.

Oman and Great Britain Building Deeper Ties

Oman and U.K. Foster Ties Oman (Muscat) – Darwish bin Ismail bin Ali al Balushi , Secretary General of the Finance Ministry received at the Finance Ministry ‘s HQs’ Lord Alderman Nicolas , Mayor of London who is currently visiting the Sultanate on top of a delegation comprising executives and representatives of a number of U.K banking and investment companies.

There was discussion in the meeting on the various ways of developing and enhancing the bilateral cooperation and the current relations between Oman and Great Britain, especially in the financial sector and joint investment fields.

Lord Nicolas Alderman highlighted to the guest the efforts and achievements made by the Sultanate’s government in the field of diversifying sources of national income and enhancing the role of national economy . He also highlighted the financial policies adopted by the Sultanate’s government to improve the financial performance and ensure that the financial sector has all the potentials that contribute to the development process in the Sultanate.

He also covered the development plans of the government and the ongoing efforts to prepare the state budget for 2011 and the 8th five year plan scheduled to kick off at the beginning of next year. He also covered the development programs adopted by the government to increase the contribution of the non-oil sector in the GDP and its endeavors to develop and construct a number of new ports and airports. He also covered the efforts underway to develop the oil & gas based industries.

Al Balushi pointed out that the inflow of foreign investments and investors to the Sultanate is good; thanks to the financial and economic stability of the Sultanate. He also reviewed the underway projects in Al Duqum area, as well as, the development plans to convert the area into an economic zone that will contribute to the growth of the national economy.

On the other hand, Yahya bin Said al Jabri, Executive President of the Capital Market Authority (CMA) received in his office Lord Nicholas Alderman.

The meeting reviewed aspects of existing cooperation between the two countries, in addition to, touching on investment opportunities in Oman’s capital sector by acquainting them with the legislative and auditing infrastructure for the sector, as well as, reviewing the latest developments witnessed by the CMA at the local and international levels.

The visit’s program included lecture directed towards familiarizing the British delegation on the capital market sector. This lecture touched on legislative and auditing systems of the capital market sector, their stages of development and available investment opportunities. This is in addition to familiarizing them with facilities offered by Muscat Securities Market (MSM) for local and foreign investors.

The meeting was attended by Ahmed bin Saleh al Marhoon, MSM Director General, Abdullah bin Ahmed al Nabhani, General Manager of Muscat Clearance and Depositary Company, senior officials at CMA, MSM and Muscat Clearance and Depositary Company.

Oman and India Sign Investment Deal

Investment Options Asia is reporting that Ahmed bin Abdul Nabi Makki is visiting India tomorrow to sign a final agreement with India on investing in India through the Oman Investment Fund:

Minister of National Economy and Deputy Chairman of the Financial Affairs and Energy Resources Ahmed bin Abdul Nabi Makki tomorrow ‘s visit to India to sign the final agreement with the Indian Oman Investment Fund – worth 5.1 billion dollars.

An official source in Oman to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) , who preferred anonymity said that the Fund will provide support for bilateral trade and joint investment between the two countries , pointing out that the agreement would help both countries to ensure the financing of a number of projects.

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ARC China: Middle East Meets China

In my previous post I detailed the linkage between China’s rise in economic stature and its positive implications for our region. Well ARC China, a respected investment firm based in China concurs:

Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) are poised to become the largest investors in the Hong Kong portion of the Agriculture Bank of China IPO next month after signing agreements to invest $2.8 billion and $800 million respectively. This is an important development as China’s largest lender by number of customers, the Agricultural Bank is seeking to raise as much as $15 billion for the Hong Kong portion of what may become the world’s largest IPO to date.

Its clear that this natural partnership will only grow and benefit regions.