Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts unveils major renovation plan for Karachi hotel

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts today announced and unveiled a major renovation and refurbishment plan for the Karachi property which was reflagged as Mövenpick Hotel Karachi on January 1, 2014. The announcement was made at a press conference addressed by Mr. Andreas Matmüller, Chief Operating Officer, Middle East and Asia, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts along with Mr. Sikander Mahmood, Chief Executive Officer, Arabian Sea Enterprises Limited, the owning company, and Mr. Mirza Mansoor Ahmad, General Manager of the hotel. “We are delighted to have entered Pakistan with the Mövenpick Hotel Karachi and understand the legacy of this hotel which goes back to 32 years. The renovation plan will usher a new and exciting phase of the hotel and will add value to the service and product quality while preserving the soul of the property,” said Mr. Matmüller.
“These are exciting times for Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts and we look forward to building on our reputation of quality, reliability and care with a personal touch in Pakistan,” he added.

Microsoft Lync: Transforming Business Communication in Pakistan

Microsoft Pakistan held an exclusive event for Pakistani corporate customers in the presence of Worldwide CTO for Lync, Aamer Kaleem at the Pearl Continental Hotel, Karachi. 

Aamer Kaleem travelled all the way from Seattle to engage with Pakistani customers- a growing market which Microsoft is keenly interested in.  The discussion provided a detailed insight on “Microsoft Lync”, a software which provides organizations integrated communication solutions designed to cut costs and improve productivity.  At this occasion Microsoft Country Manager Pakistan, Amir Rao, shared worldwide enterprise communication trends and discussed how customers in Pakistan could benefit from Microsoft Lync. “The way we connect and interact with people, information and organizations is evolving, and those changes have tremendous impact in the workplace,” said Amir Rao, “With Lync, Pakistanis can now reduce communication costs and increase productivity levels within their organizations for a better customer satisfaction experience.” He added.

At the Samsung Forum 2014 for Middle East and North Africa, Samsung Puts the Curve into UHD, the Customized into Your Kitchen and the Best Viewing and Productivity into Your Tablets

Two Curved UHD TVs round off a strong range of UHD TV sets, giving Middle Eastern and North African consumers a cinematic experience. The WW9000 washer blends intuitive user experience and smart laundry capabilities with elegant design. A powerful line-up of mono laser printers, color laser printers and multi-function printers combines NFC and Wi-Fi Direct technologies for effortless printing. The Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO tablets feature a world-class display with enhanced user productivity to set a new rule for the tablet category. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., today demonstrated its leadership in the Middle East and North African (MENA) market by showcasing a range of category-defining products in TVs, home appliances, printing and mobile devices at its MENA Forum in Malaga, Spain.

“Samsung has achieved groundbreaking success in this region,” said Choong Ro Lee, President of Samsung Middle East and North Africa. “Thanks to our deep local consumer insight, engineering excellence, software innovation, and clever design, we have achieved sales growth of 38 percent this past year and maintained our position as the brand of choice in the MENA region.” 

Mobilink becomes the first Telco to Receive WWF’s Green Office Award

Mobilink has become the first Telecom organization to receive the WWF ‘Green Office Award’ in recognition for its environmentally sustainable practices. Mobilink received the Green Office Certification for its Regional Office Lahore premises for a 35% reduction in carbon footprint and 50% in solid waste among other measures taken. 
Omar Manzur, Head of Corporate Communication Mobilink said, “Mobilink’s Corporate Responsibility function ensures that our employees are aware of environment-friendly practices and make efficient use of resources. The Green Office Award recognizes the continuous efforts that the Mobilink Torchbearers, Mobilink Foundation and the Health, Safety, Security & Environment (HSSE) departments have put in to establish our first Green Office in Lahore with support from our employees.’’ 

Kiran Fine Jewellery opens a boutique flagship store in Karachi

Coveted jewellery designer and entrepreneur Kiran Aman launched a standalone flagship boutique for her eponymous jewellery brand Kiran Fine Jewellery at Ocean Mall, Clifton, Karachi on 03^rd February 2014. Alongside the brand’s signature textured gold collections and pieces, the new KFJ boutique further showcases the ‘So KFJ’ line, known for its classic signature style with textured and beaten gold in 22-23K gold and the ‘Kino’ line. The name Kino translates into the word cinema in most languages. Indeed the concept of cinema, in its original form, means motion and movement - a character trait reflected in the brand Kino. Taking from growth and metamorphosis Kino will serve as a platform to launch aspiring jewellery designers and artists’ work which will be completely different from a goldsmith’s design.

Etihad Airways Wins Best Emerging Airline Award in Pakistan

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has been named the best emerging airline in 2013 at the fourth Global CEOs Excellence Awards ceremony held in Karachi, Pakistan. The award was presented to Amer Khan, Etihad Airways' Area General Manager for Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, at the awards ceremony held as part of the Global Business Leadership Summit.
The win acknowledges Etihad Airways’ commitment to delivering exceptional quality service and catering to travellers to and from Pakistan.
Amer Khan said: “This award is a testament of our strong position in the Pakistani market as the airline of choice for guests travelling to and from Pakistan and further a field to destinations across our global network.
“With Etihad Airways our guests enjoy an unmatched traveling experience offering them five-star hospitality, competitive travel rates, and connections to more parts of the world through our home and hub, Abu Dhabi.“

Buksh Energy to venture into LED lighting solutions

Buksh Energy Pvt. Limited has taken its first step to obtain the LED lights distributorship the new outlook as a solution of energy crisis. Buksh Energy is the first energy servicing private entity to do so. After having converted a vast range of bank branches and ATM networks to Solar energy solutions, Buksh Energy now aims to provide low cost LED lighting and help conserve energy sources in Pakistan. As the Energy crisis builds, Buksh Energy’s objectives for 2014 remain not to increase energy solutions but rather the need for optimum energy solutions. The Chairman of Buksh Group (the parent company of Buksh Energy Pvt. Ltd.) Mr. Asim Buksh said; “If renewable energy generation options are not adopted, the power shortage will become more acute – to 19000 MW by 2020, solar power generation is the cheapest source of energy,” he said. The company believes that efficiency is the key for which reason the company conducts thorough energy audits to ensure the elimination of any non-compliance of any form. Throughout the energy scenario in Pakistan, other companies are also following suit in terms of energy audits conducted industry wide. Prior to LED lights Buksh Energy Pvt. Ltd. has been offering Smart Grid solutions to its various publics.

WATEEN TELECOM PROVIDING MANAGED VSAT HUB-SPOKE services to state bank of paksitan

Wateen, leading ICT service provider in networking technology, solutions and services, proudly announces that it has been awarded a three year Managed Services contract by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to provide VSAT Hub & Spoke operations, field maintenance and technical support to connect its Head office and 14 regional and branch offices. 

Being the central bank of Pakistan with countrywide operations, State Bank of Pakistan felt the need to centralize its applications to reach all its branches. Wateen’s VSAT Bandwidth on PAKSAT Satellite will connect 15 State Bank sites. This will reduce the costs on distributed backend operations of State Bank of Pakistan by bringing them to the front end with the centralization of core backend applications.

During this three year project, starting this month, Wateen Telecom will maintain PAKSAT satellite Bandwidth and will provide 24-hour (SLA) services to State Bank of Pakistan.

"Treasures of Islamic Art" Gallery attracts art-lovers in Karachi

"Treasures of Islamic Art" Gallery attracts art-lovers in Karachi. “Treasures of Islamic Art Gallery” was recently launched by Ruheena Malik in (Please add the name of the place here, instead of saying Clifton), Karachi. A colorful inauguration ceremony was held on Friday, 17th January 2014, where Formal Federal Minister and Ex-Ambassador to USA – Ms. Sherry Rahman was the chief guest. 
Ruheena Malik is a seasoned artist, blessed by Allah with an abundant talent of Calligraphy. She is an impassioned soul, to whom art comes from within. Her self-acquired calligraphic skills came about as a result of divine intervention.
Ms. Malik has been honored with a “Pride of Performance Award”, presented by the President of Pakistan on “Pakistan Day”- 23rd of March 2009, in appreciation of her outstanding services in the field of Art and calligraphy.

Jamal Rahman of True Brew Records promotes Independent Pakistani music through collaborative effort ‘Storm in a Teacup’

Jamal Rahman, acclaimed music producerand CEO of True Brew Records, collaborated with LussunTV, Rafi Peer and Cityfm89 at Peeru’s Café on Sunday 26^th January 2014 on the first of itskind all day live music festival ‘Storm in a Teacup'. The all-day live music festival brought together the best of Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore's independent bands including Poor Rich Boy (and the Toothless Winos), Natasha Humera Ejaz, Sikandar Ka Mandar, //orangenoise, Shajie, Ali Suhail, Red Blood Cat and Lower Sindh! and the Swing Orchestra in a seven hour music extravaganza.

Speaking about ‘Storm in a Teacup’music producer Jamal Rahman said,

“The True Brew Records show, Storm in a Teacup, was a bigger step forward in my pursuit of really pushing the live music scene in Pakistan, that I first started with my ‘Live at True Brew’ shows. For Storm in a Teacup, our focus was on the young, independent music scene, where we promoted indie artists who came from Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, just for this festival.

Mobilink wins the Highest Tax Payer Award on “International Customs Day”

Mobilink has received the Highest Tax Payer Award by the Pakistan Customs, Islamabad Directorate. Mobilink received the award in recognition making the highest contribution to the national exchequer through the Islamabad Directorate and fulfilling the Customs Laws and Regulations. The award was given in a ceremony on the occasion of “International Customs Day” held at Islamabad Dry Port. 
The ceremony was attended by Dr. Manzur Ahmad, Ex-Member Customs as the chief guest. Muhammad Usman Qureshi, Head of Logistics, Mobilink upon receiving the award from Dr. Ahmad said, “Mobilink believes in carrying out business practices with maximum integrity and transparency which is why more than 37 million Pakistanis trust Mobilink with their communication needs. The award is reflective of our commitment to Pakistan and an endorsement of our ethical business practices.’’ 

Lala Textiles signs on Iman Ali as their Brand Ambassador for 2014

Leading textile brand Lala are delighted to announce talented actor andmodel Iman Ali astheir Brand Ambassador this New Year. Iman, who is one of Pakistan’s most recognized stars will be seen across Lala’s Spring/Summer, Mid-Summer and Winter Collection shoots within 2014. Her Lala ambassadorship coincides with her latest film Operation 021, in which she is reunited withformer co-star Shaan Shahid.

Announcing Iman Ali’s association with the House of Lala Textiles, CEO Pervez Lala - has  said “We have worked hard to constantly innovate with new collections, brands, lines and to expand our reach within Pakistan and now internationally in India, The Middle East and the UK. Indeed bringing Iman Ali to Lala complements our consistent endeavours to build on our brand and its stature and we look forward to having her exclusively represent the House of Lala throughout 2014”.

Free Nutrition Camp held by the School of Nutrition in collaboration with Fatima Memorial Hospital and Jahanara Memorial Trust.

Nutrition Camp held by the School of Nutrition in collaboration with Fatima Memorial Hospital and Jahanara Memorial Trust. The free camp was held at Fatima Memorial Hospital to create awareness of healthy eating practices that promote health and wellness and also provide guidance for the right kind of diet required for patients facing various ailments.

The free camp gave advice to the 150 people that attended both from the general public and patients suffering from ailments such as blood pressure, diabetes, heart issues, cholesterol, constipation, depression. Obesity, Tuberculosis, food allergies, depression, cancer, liver & renal diseases, arthritis, stomach ailments, gynecological issues, gout, migraines, immunity and muscle density issues. 

In today’s day and age, nutrition plays a vital role in recovery of patients as the right kind of diet makes a significant change in the progress towards health. Through this camp and many more planned in Lahore the School of Nutrition hopes to spread awareness throughout the city so the public makes informed choices on nutrition to lead a health & balanced lifestyle.

Mobilink becomes the World’s fastest growing brand on Facebook

Mobilink has been certified as the World’s Fastest Growing Brand on Social Media in recognition of its exceptional engagement practices. The accolade has been given by Social Bakers which is the global provider of network statistics and analysis for the most commonly used social networks. This is the first time a Pakistani Brand has led the global charts of any social media ranking. Social Bakers has also marked Mobilink as the most socially devoted Pakistani for a second consecutive month on all social fronts.

The achievement followed Mobilink’s fan base crossing the milestone of over 2.1 million Facebook fans and twitter followers growing to more than 89,000. This marks Mobilink as the leading telecom brand on social media with maximum likes on Facebook (www.facebook.com/mobilink) and the most followers on its twitter account (www.twitter.com/mobilink).

Mobilink Introduces SMS Alerts for International Roaming Data usage

Mobilink has introduced SMS alerts for its international roaming (IR) customers as a means to enhance Mobilink customers’ experience worldwide. The service will provide Mobilink IR customers with their Data usage details every four hours keeping them aware of their usage and managing their budget accordingly.

Farid Ahmad, Vice President Marketing Mobilink said, “Mobilink is the operator of choice for the premium customers of Pakistan for the last two decades due to products and services that add value to their daily business and personal communication needs. Our SMS Alert is aimed at creating a better customer experience for our customers that frequently to other countries.”

 The SMS Alert service empowers frequent users of international roaming data services by giving them the option to monitor their IR Data usage via text alerts. Users can choose to temporarily unsubscribe Data services from their handset to avoid bills beyond their budget.

Wateen Telecom hosted lunch for journalists

Technology and real estate conference held by Zameen.com

Zameen.com, Pakistan’s leading property portal, hosted a real estate conference entitled “Technology & Real Estate” in Karachi on the 17^th of January, 2014. The event was held in collaboration with Defence & Clifton Association of Real Estate Agents (DEFCLAREA), the largest realtor association in Pakistan. The conference was attended by 250 agents representing over 150 leading estate agencies, and many prominent property developers.

The event presented an unmatchable opportunity for estate agents to bring themselves up to speed with the prevailing trends in the online market, as well as to take their business to the next level by adopting technology. Zeeshan and Imran Ali Khan, Co-Founders of Zameen.com, also briefed the audience about the changing tides and global trends in the real estate sector.

Huawei appoints Muller & Phipps as its new official distributor

Huawei has recently appointed Muller & Phipps Pakistan Ltd. (M&P) as its new official distributor in Pakistan.Huawei Pakistan’s deputy Chief Executive officer Mr. Ahmed Bilal Masud said that we have collaborated with Muller & Phipps to deliver superior services in the Pakistani market. Huawei has a firm resolve to provide its customers with revolutionary products and immaculate services, to extend the most fulfilling mobile experience to its customers around the world. We place great importance on Pakistan as a high potential market therefore; Huawei has introduced its latest range of popular Smart-phones and Touch-phones along with the high quality conventional phones for the Pakistani customers”.

He further added that, “The appointment of Muller & Phipps as Huawei distributor is an addition in current distribution network in Pakistan and will ensure further enhancements in the sophisticated and swift network of Sales and Service in Pakistan, enabling us to fulfill the needs of our customers, more proactively.

Mobilink extends strategic partnership with Opera

Mobilink, as part of VimpelCom and Opera Software have signed an agreement to extend their partnership as a means to enhance the Mobilink customers’ experience of using the country’s fastest mobile internet. The agreement aims to extend the Opera Software services in VimpelCom operations across the globe.

Mobilink customers through this exclusive partnership will enjoy the fastest mobile internet browsing experience as Opera compresses the data by up to 80%. The extended strategic partnership will offer Mobilink mobile internet customers with a complete internet engagement by offering them with free Facebook Zero, Twitter, Wikipedia, Mobimusic & espncricinfo browsing. 

Farid Ahmad, Vice President Marketing Mobilink commenting on the partnership said, “Mobilink’s mobile internet offers value to the internet experience of over 37 million Pakistanis each day. Our partnership with Opera Software further strengthens our promise of providing ‘A better everyday’ through quality services and empowers our mobile internet users by introducing unlimited opportunities with Opera.” 

MINISTRY OF PLANTATION INDUSTRIES AND COMMODITIES MALAYSIA-PAKISTAN PALM OIL TRADE FAIR & SEMINAR 2014

The Honourable Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Malaysian Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister officiated the Third Malaysia-Pakistan Palm Oil Trade Fair and Seminar (POTS) at the Marriott Hotel, Karachi, today.   POTS Pakistan with the theme, Meeting Pakistan’s Emerging Oils and Fats Diversity through Malaysian Palm Oil, aims at bringing together various stakeholders in the oils and fats industries in Pakistan and Malaysia. In addition, this event is aimed at disseminating information on the the latest developments in the palm oil industry.
This event also allows the private sectors from both countries to identify issues and measures that will contribute towards enhancing trade in palm oil. In addition, the deliberations and recommendations at this Seminar will also allow both the Governments of Pakistan and Malaysia to consider mutually beneficial measures, including the review of import and export rates to facilitate trade in palm oil products, towards according advantage to the private sectors of both countries.