Abdullah Mohammad Al-Zamil receiving the appreciation award. (AN photo)

DAMMAM, 3 June 2005 — Learning knows no barriers, be it age, qualification or profession. It is relatively easy to count the number of seeds inside an apple, but it is almost impossible to count the number of apples that have grown because of one seed. This was the very basic premise on which the new Zamil Toastmasters club was born here in Dammam last week.

A select gathering of current Toastmasters, aspiring Toastmasters and guests were present at the launching of the latest Toastmasters club.

“Although I have made over 70 presentations worldwide and have seen the reactions of the audience, I still believe that speaking is both an art as well as a science. One must always strive for better results so that the science can be made into a better art and the art more scientific,” commented Abdullah Mohammad Al-Zamil, president of ZIIC, the moving force behind the new club.

This incidentally, is the third corporate Toastmasters club in the Eastern Province. And if this is any indicator of things to come, more corporate Toastmaster clubs are expected to crop up in the near future.

It is really never too late to learn the art of public speaking, albeit it may be a trifle more difficult as age catches on. But the spirit behind such clubs is one which makes one more daring, more confident and a lot more relaxed and at ease with oneself.

The Table Topics of the day are a real challenge for the speakers as the reaction time is rather limited.

As a matter of fact, one’s mind needs to be ticking rapidly and words need to flow in a sustained and regular flow.

Sami Abdullah Abu Suraih was one of the Table Topics speakers. “Sure I was a little nervous as there was a big crowd watching me...as if they were waiting to jump on me as soon as I made a mistake,” joked Abdullah. “But I am glad that I am a part of such a club as I need to overcome my shyness and increase my confidence,” said Abdullah.

“The idea is very simple. We wish to make the individual more alert and responsive to his environment,” commented Anil Madan, a veteran Toastmaster who was also the grammarian for the evening.

“Every individual has his own level of ego and each seeks one’s own way of fulfilling it. However, the fear of the response precludes one from really letting his emotions flow. There is a tendency to withhold.

The audience has evolved in its ways of responding to the speaker. However, the situation which is really nerve wracking is when one glances at the clock and then tries to make sure that the clock has not stopped,” commented Syed Younis, the general evaluator.

“In Toastmasters, the two hours of continuous exercise aims at doing away with the apprehensions, the fears of speaking to a group of people. Apart from the extemporaneous approach, there is also the opportunity for speakers to deliver their prepared speeches. During the whole session, there is complete evaluation from the point of view of grammar, time taken, self-confidence, thoughts and finally, the style of presentation,” commented Saif Ali Sheikh, the governor of Division F-79.

Satish Kinny anchored the proceedings.

Lively debates saw delegates to the Saudi Mega Projects 2005 glued to their seats on the second day of the conference. (AN photo by Imran Haider)

DAMMAM, 9 May 2005 — A senior government official has called upon Saudi and foreign companies to forge economic alliances in order to carry out new oil projects worth SR487.5 billion ($130 billion).

Abdul Rahman Abdul Kareem, deputy minister of petroleum and mineral affairs for company affairs, made the call while addressing the oil and gas session of the Saudi Mega Projects 2005 here. (See Page 14)

Salim Al-Aydh, senior vice president for engineering and operations services at Saudi Aramco, backed the minister and said the new oil projects demanded powerful companies. He pointed out that 81 percent of Aramco contractors are small companies each with a capital of less than $5 million. He emphasized the need to establish giant Saudi companies that can take up mega projects at regional and international levels.

The second day of the conference saw lively debates by experts as the delegates were glued to their seats. Not a seat was seen vacant. CEOs Patrick Allman-Ward of South Rub Al-Khali Company(SRAK) and Alexander Nikolaev of Luksar Energy detailed of SRAK and Luksar joint ventures.

Ameen Ahmed, a delegate from GAS Arabian Services, was visibly impressed with the session on oil and gas, but he reserved his praise for Al-Aydh. “He was very vocal and professional and I was very impressed with the way he addressed the situation on the forthcoming business opportunities. He touched upon the opportunities that could be best utilized by local contractors,” said Ahmed, one of the many local delegates who came for the session in order to identify the potential business opportunities.

The following session on mining opportunities and transportation also attracted substantial attention. Great details were laid out on the railway expansion projects. A very bright and attractive possible scenario for the coming five years was painted by Khaled Alyahya, president of Saudi Railways Organization.

“Railways is a major thrust area and shall go a long way in playing a major role in the infrastructure development of the country,” said Dr. Zaya Malik, the business development director of Arabian Food Supplies.

Mining is another industry where local contractors are eyeing good potential. Dr. Abdullah Dabbagh, president of Maaden, was applauded for a wonderful presentation. He highlighted the great potential in all the Maaden projects.

“It was a day well spent,” commented Malik. Having come from Jeddah, he is looking for opportunities in operations and maintenance.

The third session concentrated on the power and desalination. Presentations were made by Feheid Fahad Al-Shareef, governor of Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC); Abdullah Al-Marei, president and CEO of Marafiq; Tariq Al-Betairi, executive vice president of Saudi Electric Company; Adnan Al-Mohaisen, general manager, GCC Interconnection Authority; Dr. Ranald Spiers, the CEO of Middle East and Africa International; and Fareed Al-Yagout, president of National Power Company.

“The last session of the day was really a very significant and important session,” said Zia Akbar, the group commercial manager of Al-Jabr Trading Co.

The presenter who drew the greatest applause from the audience was Sami Abdulghani, executive president of Saud Consult. He showed the possible equation between the current availability of local engineers and the great demand in the coming days. The question-and-answer session saw contractors throwing light on their problems regarding visas, Saudization, building up of expertise and so on. The end of Day One saw a look at the strength of the Saudi economy and how the second boom is under way.

“As compared to the boom of the ’70s, we are now better prepared and better equipped to maximize the results of the second boom,” commented Akbar, a veteran of more than 35 years in the Kingdom.

The final day of the Saudi Mega Projects 2005 conference saw the speakers talk about growing investment opportunities in the oil and petrochemical sectors. (AN photo by Imran Haider)

DAMMAM, 10 May 2005 — The three-day Saudi Mega Projects 2005 conference ended here yesterday urging Saudi and foreign businessmen to make use of the huge investment opportunities in the Kingdom, especially in oil, gas, petrochemicals, electricity and railroad.

“Saudi Arabia, which sits on a quarter of the world’s proven oil reserves and has the fourth largest gas reserves, offers promising investment opportunities in the energy sector and support services,” said Abdul Rahman Abdul Kareem, deputy minister of petroleum and mineral resources for company affairs.

The final day of the conference saw Mansour Al-Kharboush, vice president of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, and Isam Al-Bayat, vice president of Saudi Aramco, talking about growing investment opportunities in the oil and petrochemical sectors.

Bayat explained how to attract local and international investors to create a platform for downstream industries and provide employment for Saudi nationals. He called upon international investors to participate in joint ventures with Saudi Aramco.

“Saudi Aramco’s projected expenditure on materials would exceed $20 billion through 2010 whereas the projected expenditure on services would cross $23 billion in the same period,” Bayat told the conference attended by nearly 900 Saudi and foreign delegates.

Bayat anticipated tremendous growth in the oil and gas sector over the next decade. He indicated that there would be vast opportunities in refining, petrochemicals and power generation. “Saudi Aramco is a stable partner and a reliable supplier of fuel and feed stocks. It strongly encourages local and international investors to participate in the Kingdom’s development,” he concluded.

Abdullah Al-Abdulgader, manager of projects at SABIC, said there were new projects worth $8 billion under study. “We have achieved 42 million man-hours without a lost time incident in 2004,” he said while talking about performance of SABIC companies.

Ahmed Al-Ohali emphasized the need to promote non-oil industry. “About 80 percent of our exports are crude oil and petrochemicals. Today we are witnessing a transition from dominant oil sector to non-oil diversified economy. The petrochemicals are a major driving force in the Saudi economy with an approximate 9 percent contribution to the GDP. This sector employs more than 20,000 people, 75 percent of them Saudi, and many more in related industries,” he said.

Dr. Moayyed Al-Qurtas, vice chairman of Tasnee, threw light on the projected private sector investment in petrochemicals and the case for joint venture projects. He also touched upon the pros and cons of joint ventures and advocated a cautious approach.

Majed Al-Ahmadi, president and CEO of Project Management and Development Co., gave startling figures on the petrochemicals industry. “The ratio of oil and gas reserves verses chemical sales for Saudi Arabia was perhaps one of the lowest in the world,” he said. He put the sales target for the year 2020 at $100 billion.

Dr. Aldo Belloni, the CEO of Linde Ag, was very positive when he noted that there is a great change in the quality and quantity of technical participation from the Saudis.

Mohammad Al-Juwaiser, director general of Investment and Development for Jubail and Yanbu, was eloquent when he described the development of Yanbu and plans for its future. He disclosed that as of February 2005, the total investment exceeded SR19.12 billion and indicated that the forecasted investment till around 2020 will be over SR130 billion. He also talked in details about the Yanbu II Phase I, predicting an almost 200 percent growth possibility in the production capacity in the next 15 years.

Mohammad S. Al-Jurais, deputy director for investment and development for Jubail, said it is now 30 years since Jubail I was initiated. He gave a vivid description of the growth pattern witnessed in the area. “In 1975 there were only nine primary industries as against the current 19. Jubail II will see this figure jump to 33 and the support industries will leap from the current 133 to 272,” he said.

The sessions on the challenges and opportunities in financing downstream energy projects was fascinating as Oscar Silva held the audience spellbound. “Islamic banking is a very suitable option in providing financing,” said Oscar. He envisages a staggering $30 billion investment in the coming few years. “The economy is very sound and resilient and offers a very bright future,” he added

JEDDAH/DAMMAM, 17 May 2005 — International investors are among local expatriates who have shown keen interest in investing in real estate properties across India.

This was stated by representatives of Indian builders who are currently conducting a road show, organized by Arabian Trade Show in association with the Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (HDFC) and the Alireza Group’s Rezayat Trading Co. Ltd., in different parts of the Kingdom. The two-day India property show that offers multiple options, ended at Jeddah Trident yesterday.

Inquiries from local expatriates have been more for properties in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Madras, M.P. Vijay, marketing executive at HDFC, told Arab News.

The show, which was earlier held in Alkhobar, moves to Riyadh (Al Mutlaq Hotel) for three days from May 18. It has been offering properties at various locations in cities like Calicut, Cochin, Bombay, Lucknow, Madras and Bangalore. There was also a stand dedicated to discuss loan formalities involved in owning a property.

On offer are a wide range of apartments, villas, developed plots, twin houses and office space. “We’ve also been offering free NRI services during the show,” Vijay said, adding that HDFC offers “easy and quick home loans at competitive rates.”

The Indian real estate market is currently on the upswing since the federal government has been allowing 100 percent foreign direct investment for development of townships, housing, infrastructure, commercial premises, hotels, resorts, hospitals and educational institutions, recreational facilities, etc. A number of multinational companies have started joint ventures across some Indian cities. Two Indian business delegations, represented by New Delhi-based India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) and Bombay-based Indo-Arab Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IACCI), have put up 36 stands for their member-companies at the ongoing 23rd multisectoral trade fair.

The ITPO, which is participating in the fair for the first time, is led by its Executive Dirctor I.D. Agrawal. Its delegation comprises 14 firms, including Spices Board of India, Cochin, Tea Board of India, Dubai, and firms dealing with engineering goods and household items.

The IACCI delegation is led by Sunanda Rajendran, its executive director.

The Consulate General of India held a buyer-seller meet at Jeddah Trident yesterday, which was largely attended by local businessmen.

ALKHOBAR, 1 January 2006 — Saudi Arabia’s International Chemical Sciences (SAICS) — a chapter of the American Chemical Society - met for its Annual meeting in Alkhobar recently.

Addressing a gathering of around 100 delegates, mostly experts in chemistry from Aramco, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and the local industry, Abdullah Al-Dhuwaihi, the chairman of the outgoing team, highlighted the major achievements of the society during the year.

Talking to Arab News, Al-Dhuwaihi said, “Apart from the many technical seminars presented during the year, the high point came when the society was able to reach out to Saudi students. We felt that it was important that if we want to do anything for them, it is best to “catch ‘em young”, at a stage when decisions regarding careers are still being made. It was indeed very satisfying when we saw the reaction of the students. We not only educated them on the various aspects of chemistry, but also showed them the application of the subject. We took them to the Aramco laboratory for an on-the-job feel. Chemistry is a fast growing field that has great applications, more so for us in the Eastern Province due to the refineries.” It may be noted that perhaps this is one of the very few chapters that tries to reach out to such a wide spectrum - the students on one side and members of profession on the other. Nahid Siddiqui of KFUPM will be the new chairman for the year 2006. “We will not only carry forward the good work done by Abdullah and his team, but we will also try to expand our horizon a bit. We hope to make substantial contribution to the industry by soliciting presentations which have a direct impact on an industry, for example, the construction industry”, said Siddiqui.

The society currently has over 200 registered members and they offer a technical presentation at least once a month.

Dr. Faleh A. Al-Sulaiman

The Kingdom is embarking on a new development phase by setting up its first science park. The prestigious King Abdullah Science Park (KASP) is being set up in Dhahran, the first such park in the Arab world.

A science park is defined as a development of an industrial nature suited to accommodate high technology, with supporting amenities, which is associated on site with or is close to a higher educational research establishment to provide cross-fertilization of ideas between entrepreneurs and researchers for the purpose of enabling academic knowledge to be applied to effective commercial use.

“Through the park we hope to create an ambience of knowledge and bring together forces which produce great synergy that are vital tools in the process of regional development,” said Dr. Faleh A. Al-Sulaiman, the supervisor of the Dhahran Technology Valley in King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran, which houses the science park.

Although highly popular and sought after in the US, China and Japan, it is still a new idea in the Middle East. A “science park” or a “technology park” or a “technopole”, is a concept still alien to people in this part of the world.

Science park is the place where the team provides value added service, organizing the transfer of knowledge and technology from its resources to companies and to the market place through incubation and other spin off processes.

Dr. Sulaiman said: “They are now a reality everywhere and are fast emerging as key to economic and national competitiveness, with countries allocating higher percentage of their GDP on Research & Development. For example, Japan spends around 3.5 percent, the US about 2.9 percent and Korea allocates almost 2.7 percent in developing these parks.”

“It may come as a surprise to many that over 70 percent of the science parks are associated with universities. As a matter of fact, the first science park, the Silicon Valley, was originally the “Stanford University Science Park,” added Dr. Sulaiman.

The Dhahran Technology Valley (DTV) is a major undertaking initiated by KFUPM. With the help and support of major national companies, it is envisioned to be Middle East’s most prestigious research and development (R&D) and technology nucleus. The DTV is being set up to provide infrastructure for R&D to flourish in the Kingdom.

It mainly consists of three entities, namely: King Abdullah Science Park (KASP); Technical and Business Incubator and Innovation Office.

Its design is similar to the leading international facilities at Singapore, Hong Kong, Cambridge, Oxford, Aston, Warwick, Sheffield, Aberdeen, New York, North Carolina and Silicon Valley. Major corporations such as Schlumberger, Intel Corp., CIBA and JCCP presently share such mutually beneficial relationships with DTV. Academia support from KFUPM will serve as a catalyst in this R&D beehive. Other leading technological and scientific institutions in the area can also be fully utilized.

KASP is going to house an impressive collection of national and international research centers in one location. Schlumberger Oil & Gas Research Center has already been built in KASP and the center was inaugurated recently by Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Al-Naimi. The location of Schlumberger Center in KASP and closeness to Saudi Aramco and its oilfields will have a significant contribution to the deployment of the developed or to be developed state-of-the-art technologies.

“The DTV will house firms involved in the petrochemical industries, water resources and IT sector. The primary goals of the DTV are to forge a strong collaboration between the university and industry in the areas of research and development, to promote small technology-specific businesses and start-up enterprises through an incubator program and to direct significant technology-driven foreign investment and presence in the Eastern Province,” said Dr. Sulaiman.

Dr. Sulaiman said there are multiple reasons for commercial companies to come to the park, the main being availability of additional R&D laboratory and office space for expansion of R&D activities not covered in existing company facilities. They can direct the research activities to what is critical and important to the national interests. This can be done through (a) selecting the tenants of the valley who are more relevant to the nation, (b) streamlining faculty and graduate students research activities and interest to strategic areas, and (c) sponsoring new research areas and establish such capabilities in the university and/or motivate faculty to work in such areas.

They can also utilize the available DTV avenues (innovation center and incubator) to realize potentially useful ideas to actual practice, in addition to having the opportunity to have staff members of various companies at DTV to interact with the other related or non-related industry personnel.

They will also have the opportunity to come into direct contact with, and to evaluate, students who are potential new company employees after graduating from KFUPM, who can be interns and part-time employees at the DTV prior to graduation.

“We in the Kingdom need to further move from consumer-oriented society to the society that cares more toward quality education and R&D culture to tackle issues related to water, energy and environment. We need to encourage local small-scale industry to be more competitive in an international competitive environment especially after becoming a member in the WTO. We need to create a sense of responsibility in our future generation. They need to develop professionally to meet the emerging challenges of our society,” said Dr. Sulaiman.

The ambitious and creative project and is envisaged as a One Stop Shop which can provide all facilities under one roof. It is expected to breed a culture of effective research and development for the region by optimizing the use of all resources like specialized laboratories and specially trained manpower.

DAMMAM, 13 November 2006 — The tiny tots of the KG section stole all hearts as they danced enthusiastically to lilting Arab music in the 24th Foundation Day celebrations of the International Indian School, Dammam on Saturday night. Color and gaiety were splashed all around as 2,000 parents and invited guests were held spellbound. “It brought a new vigor in our life. The energy of the performers has rubbed on us too. It was a great show,” said Parvez, an excited parent.

“I am simply spellbound and have no words to describe the talents of our students. They showed great confidence and conquered our hearts,” said Anil Madan, a very senior Indian in the province.

M.O.H. Farooq, the ambassador of India, announced that after sustained efforts, he was able to convince the authorities in India to announce Saudi Arabia as a center for competitive exams. “As of now our children appearing in architectural and engineering exams, the AIEE, can give them from Riyadh,” he said.

Dr. Mumtaz Ali, the managing committee chairman, said the school has made great strides in the recent past. “We have a short-term plan and a long-term vision for the school and we are working on the motivation of our best assets — the teachers,” he said.

Principal E.K. Mohammad Shafe recalled the humble beginnings of the school and how today the school enrollment stands at a staggering 12,500 mark. He highlighted the outstanding CBSE results.

In his vote of thanks, Dr. Anwer Batcha, the vice principal, said it was the hard work and dedication of all concerned that resulted in the successful foundation day program.

DAMMAM, 21 November 2006 — Ali Ashraf Fatmi, India’s minister of Human Resource Development, emphasized in a speech yesterday the role of education and how every Muslim has a role to play in alleviating the current situation of Muslims in India.

Around 300 Aligarh Muslim University alumni listened to the speech where Fatmi highlighted how his ministry was involved in modernizing the madrasas by including English, mathematics and computer science in the curriculum and providing economic help to minorities.

Fatmi spoke about the efforts to get Kendriya Vidyalayas to Saudi Arabia so that the heavy load on the CBSE-affiliated schools could be reduced.

The Sir Syed Day Program started with a speech competition titled, “Current Education System: Need for Change” where women students not only outnumbered the men but also bagged all prizes. Sanaa Iqbal and Daphne Clidus were the best speakers in the senior and the junior sections respectively.

DAMMAM, 2 December 2006 — “A Muslim laborer’s son will also be a laborer all his life,” lamented Dr. Merajuddin Ahmed, former irrigation minister of UP while addressing the audience at the Sir Syed Day celebrations in Jubail.

“The irony is that Muslims in India lost track of the movement launched by the great reformer Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. And now today we have a situation where illiteracy and poverty are very high among Muslims.

This became the reason why there are hardly any Muslims in the civil services or even the private sector. Muslim uplift is possible only if education is given a higher priority,” said Dr. Meraj.

In his opinion, Muslims never put any demand before the political parties, and hence were almost always the losers. He referred to the Gujarat riots where Muslims were massacred brutally.

Dr. Abul Hasan Siddiqui, former PVC, AMU and Mukarram Ali Khan also spoke.

Anis Bux introduced the guests while Asif Siddiqui gave a vote of thanks. Syed Baqar Ali conducted the show.

DAMMAM, 10 December 2006 — What should be served on the flight from Dammam to Hyderabad? Surely the Hyderabadi Biryani! This may sound simple but to reach this conclusion Air-India has to undertake a very rigorous research program to develop the fliers food profile.

Destination pays a big role in deciding the menu. Also, to avoid a mundane menu, there is one for the summer and another for the winter.

By making the menu season based, the airline is also able to incorporate the season’s vegetables which adds to the taste of the food served.

Air-India recently made a presentation of the winter inflight menu to a select group of frequent fliers, members of the travel trade and prominent community members.  

“Quailty control and quality assurance are  major issues with Air-India,” said Deepak Anand, Air-India’s manager for Eastern Region.

“Great care and precision is needed to ensure that the food served is good in taste as well as hygienic. Hence Air-India selects the best of the caterers. Our efforts do not stop here.

“We have a continuous inflight monitoring system which ensures that the meals served conform to the specifications. We are committed to serve clean, healthy and wholesome food to our passengers”, said Anand.

All Air-India outbound flights have food prepared by Saudi Arabian Airlines Catering, the winner of many an award in the catering industry.

“Saudi Arabian Airlines Catering uses state-of-the-art technology in preparing the meals and exercises strict vigil in preparing over 5,000 meals served daily on almost all the flights out of King Fahd International Airport”, said Sugandh Kulkarni, Air-India’s marketing manager.