2007
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Al Qahtani rejects Man City
Saudi Arabian footballer Yasser Al Qahtani, the Asian Player of the Year, has allegedly rejected a move to Manchester City in the English Premier League to stay with his local club Al Hilal, reported the AFP. The 25 year old striker said an agreement had been reached but 'there were some issues in the contract that were not resolved'. Al Qahtani remains keen to play in Europe in the near future.
30 more Second Cups
Canadian coffee retailer Second Cup and franchisee Bin Hendi Enterprises are planning to roll out an additional 30 outlets across the Middle East as part of an ongoing regional expansion. Second Cup will open new coffee shops in Riyadh and the Eastern Province in Saudi Arabia as well as in Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan and Syria, bringing the total number of outlets in the region to 51 by 2008.
Waitrose to open in UAE
The UK's sixth largest retail chain Waitrose, part of the John Lewis Partnership, is to open 20 retail outlets in the UAE by 2010, reported the Financial Times. The firm has signed a licensing agreement with the Dubai based retailer Spinneys which already sells a number of Waitrose products in its stores. The outlets will mark Waitrose's first outside of the UK.
DDF targets $850m sales
Dubai Duty Free (DDF) is hoping to register a 19.4% lift in revenue, with its 2007 sales expected to hit $850m and set against 2006's $712m, reported Gulf News. Colm McLaughlin, the MD of DDF, said the retailer should break through the $1bn mark this coming year as the new concourse at Dubai International Airport opens in late H1 and will provide it with larger premises.
3.5m expected at DSF
The 13th edition of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) is expected to attract around 3.5m visitors once it gets underway on January 24, reported Gulf News. Shoppers are expected to spend more than $3bn during the event which runs until February 24. The number of participating retailers has also jumped from 2,800 in 2007 to 3,500 in 2008.
Stamps for Al Rostamani
The UAE's Emirates Post has issued a set of commemorative stamps to mark the 50th anniversary of the Al Rostamani Group. The stamps are available at all post offices in the country, while first day covers can be obtained at the main outlets in Karama, Deira and Abu Dhabi. The Al Rostamani Group employs 3,000 people across 13 business sectors including vehicle sales and IT.
Dubai is toy import hub
Dubai imported around $141m worth of toys in 2006 according to Monica Schulz Blank, the organiser of the Middle East Toy Fair which takes place in Dubai from March 31-April 2 next year. The city has become a re-export hub and many of the toys imported to Dubai are then redistributed to neighbouring markets. The entire Middle East's toy sector is worth an estimated $1.5bn.
RAK supermarket water con
An un-named supermarket in Ras Al Khaimah has been hit with a heavy fine by the local municipality for filling five gallon bottles with tap water and then selling them to the general public after attaching the stickers of a leading local drinking water company to them, reported Gulf News. Tests on the water revealed that it wasn't clean and the supermarket was found guilty of violating health and safety requirements.
Stamps issued for UP
Emirates Post has issued commemorative stamps to mark the 20th anniversary of Union Properties (UP). The stamps are available in the denominations of Dhs1, Dhs1.5, Dhs2 and Dhs3 and they feature some of UP's various developments including the F1 Theme Park in Dubai, the Green Community and the Uptown brand. The stamps went on sale on December 27.
Beach volleyball gets support in Qatar
The Hummer division of Mannai Automotive sponsored Doha's first beach volleyball tournament at the InterContinental's Halcyon Bay Club Resort, reported Guld Times. The one-day event, sponsored also by InterContinental, attracted teams from around the region competing for gifts and cash prizes totaling QR1,000. "Qatar is committed to promoting sports in a big way, as is evident from the Doha Asian Games 2006, and now the bid for the 2016 Olympics, and Mannai Automotives is in full support of the government's effort," said Hummer sales manager Fawzi al-Abtah of Mannai Automotive.
Guy Degrenne into Gulf
Guy Degrenne, a French maker of home and kitchen ware, has signed a franchise agreement with Al Khayyat Investments. Al Khayyat will operate Degrenne stores in the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain as well as a flagship cookery school in Dubai. It is hoped 15 retail outlets will be opened in major shopping malls across the Gulf in the next two years.
Cooking oil prices sizzle in Qatar
The price of various cooking oils in Qatar has spiked in recent weeks with a rise in transportation costs cited as a key factor, reported the Gulf Times. An 18 litre tin of vegetable oil, which cost around QR52-56 in October, is now retailing at QR78, while a 12 litre container of sunflower oil, which was available for QR60 two weeks ago, is now priced at QR80, a jump of 33%.
Caesars opens in Sharjah
The Caesars Group has opened a restaurant at the Al Batha Tower on the Al Buhaira Corniche in Sharjah, reported the Khaleej Times. The group, which has been operating in the UAE for the past 18 years, now has 42 outlets across the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait. The restaurant offers private family sections, valet parking and an international menu.
DSF registration dates set
The Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) Office has announced the dates for registration for retailers wishing to participate in DSF 2008. Registration will commence on December 24 and end on January 31. The DSF registration desk is located on the ground floor of the Department of Economic Department and will be open from 4-8pm, Sunday to Thursdays, and 10am-2pm on Saturdays; DSF itself runs from January 24 to February 24.
Landmark into Debenhams
The Dubai based Landmark Group has accumulated a 7.3% stake in the UK department store chain Debenhams, reported Emirates Business 24/7. Landmark's CEO Micky Jagtiani described the investment as a 'short-term strategic deal'; the firm's investment arm, the Milestone Resources Group, handled the transaction. Debenhams has four outlets in the UAE at present, with three in Dubai and one in Sharjah.
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