Commenting on the campaign, Abdul Baset Al Janahi, Board member and CEO of Aswaaq, said:

“Aswaaq is renowned for providing everything a customer could want within easy reach of his/her home. Whilst we have very competitive prices all year round we are pleased to announce that this Ramadan we will have further reductions on more than 150 products. As Ramadan is a time for giving and sharing we look forward to serving existing customers as well as welcoming new customers, all of whom can benefit from our wide range of discounts.”

In addition to a wide range of promotions, Aswaaq will also be offering a 20% discount on selected items for WAFA card holders, providing free delivery service for local neighborhoods residents until 26th August, including a range of new dishes at its stores. The ideas for the Ramadan promotions and activities stemmed in part due to the evaluation of customer recommendations and feedback forms.

“We have some great discounts and offers for all the family. For a more authentic and traditional shopping experience, our customers will also be able to buy a selection of homemade traditional dishes, all of which will be made by Emirati women. This will include foods such as Lgimat and Rgag bread,” said Mr. Affan Al Khoori, Director of Merchandise.

Most recently aswaaq has organizing a Ramadan Awareness program for non-Muslim employees to enlighten them more about the importance and holiness of the Holy month to all Muslims.

“Our new range of dishes at the bakery will be available solely during Ramadan. These products, like every other product at aswaaq, are of the highest quality. Not only do they comply with our stringent food and safety procedures but they are also competitively priced, making them affordable snacks for all the family,” said Ebtesam Al Khajah, Food Hygiene Manager.

Other Ramadan promotions and activities include; sending food parcels, including dates, fruites and juices to neighboring villas every day in each Aswaaq community in the holy month, distributing dates, laban and water at the time of Iftar in Aswaaq branches and delivering fruits and sweets to nearby mosques.

Aswaaq community centers are also organizing a variety of activities throughout Ramadan; stories for young children, poetry nights, a coloring event for kids at the aswaaq kids corner, iftar for senior citizens, one iftar for all aswaaq employees per branch and iftar meals sent to staff accommodation once a week. There will also be great offers with 20% on the following days; butchery items on August 19th, fish items and homemade bakery Items (excluding Sufouh) on August 20th and fruit and vegetables on August 21st.

Opening hours for Aswaaq during Ramadan are from 7.30 a.m. till 1 a.m. during the week and 7.30 a.m. to 2 a.m. at the week-end.

The 22-carat gold bean prizes designed by notable jeweler DAMAS almost totaled a worth of USD 138,000 and are NESCAFÉ GOLD’s way of thanking coffee lovers everywhere for choosing NESCAFÉ GOLD , the premium choice from NESCAFÉ.

According to a recent study by TNS Media Intelligence, the total Middle East confectionery market is valued at US$ 113 billion, and the market has grown by 15 percent over the last three years, with Saudi Arabia and Qatar experiencing the largest growth at around 24 percent.

Such growth is attributed to greater disposable income per capita, the influence of the region’s enormous population of young consumers, and the traditional role of sweets in Arab culture. Despite fluctuations in the region’s economy, over the next decade confectionery sales are forecast to increase by 15-20 percent.

To capitalise on these favourable market trends, the co-located exhibitions, Sweets Middle East and the inaugural Sweet & SnackTec Middle East, will take place from 2 – 4 November 2009 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC).

Bringing business partners together, the events will create new trading opportunities and promote growth and development in the region, as well as serve producers, suppliers, importers and exporters of the sweets, confectionery and snack industry from across the MENA region.

Both exhibitions are co-organised by Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the region’s leading exhibitions organiser which portfolio includes Gulfood, and Koelnmesse, organiser of the leading international sweets and confectionery show ISM in Cologne.

Trixee Loh, Senior Vice President at DWTC said: “The sweets and confectionery market in the region will continue to see positive growth. As a result we are seeing many brands investing to gain market share with many product innovations, new flavours, and packaging ideas being launched at these shows.”

Exhibitors taking part in the event include Hunter Foods Limited FZCO from Dubai, who will be launching their new product ‘Corn Poppatillas’, a range of premium snacks with exciting fusion flavours, and marketed as Indian Poppadums meet Mexican Tortillas!

With consumer demand for natural products also showing positive growth, the HORS Company, operating from the Czech Republic, will be exhibiting its range of sugar free confectionery such as flat lollipops, which are also suitable for diabetics.

Besides finished products, manufacturers will also find many exhibits of interest. Sweet & SnackTec Middle East exhibitors include Hans Brunner GmbH from Germany, one of the world’s leading suppliers of chocolate moulds. The company’s success lies in its creativity and constantly extending range, mostly created for clients according to their specific requirements.

Also participating in the exhibition is Dubai-based Integrated Plastics, who is one of the leading Flexible Packaging Material Printer/Converter with state of the art technology. Ziya Ul Islam, Deputy General Manager at Integrated Plastics, will offer a 10 percent discount on all business deals done during the exhibition.

Specialised packaging design combined with a wide range of confectionery tins will also be showcased by GM Metal Packaging Ltd from Hong Kong which manufactures various shapes and sizes of tins for the candy industry.

Sweets Middle East and Sweet & SnackTec Middle East takes place from 2 – 4 November at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The exhibition is for Trade and Business Professionals only and will be open from 10am – 6pm daily. General public and persons under the age of 18 will not be permitted entry. Registration is available onsite or alternatively visitors can pre-register in advance at www.sweetsmiddleeast.com & www.sweetsnacktecmiddleeast.com

Actress Evangeline Lilly (Lost) and actor David Duchovny (X-Files) are associating with the fourth edition of the Baume & Mercier & Me campaign, representing the Geneva-based brand in order to join it in supporting charity projects. All royalties for the two celebrities, as well as those of photographers Michael O’Neill and Markus Klinko & Indrani  who shot their portraits, are donated to charities selected in cooperation with Evangeline Lilly and David Duchovny. The causes supported by this campaign include cancer research, child education, helping underprivileged women and the struggle against poverty.

This campaign enables Baume & Mercier to convey, in an authentically committed manner, the three values forming the essence of its brand identity: proximity, authenticity and creativity.

Proximity through the association with famous personalities well-known to the general public, who nonetheless remain accessible and are prepared to engage in helping others. In the same way, within the world of luxury watchmaking, Baume & Mercier has managed to remain an accessible brand producing watches that become intimate possessions for their owners. Therein lies the true meaning of the slogan Baume & Mercier & Me. These close ties are visually illustrated by the close-up shots of Evangeline Lilly and David Duchovny, who reveal themselves without artifice, as they are in daily life, in order to serve good causes that touch them profoundly.

Authenticity through an approach based on heart-felt values: the personalities who take part in the Baume & Mercier & Me campaign do so pro bono, in order to serve noble causes they share with the brand. This authenticity echoes that which undergirds Baume & Mercier’s entire approach to watchmaking, building on 179 years of uninterrupted history and expertise to craft genuine Swiss watches.  Creativity through a new and unprecedented relationship between a watch brand and its ambassadors. Exactly like the technical and aesthetic creativity for which Baume & Mercier watches have been famous over the decades, while remaining deeply rooted in the timeless values of Swiss watchmaking.    The previous Baume & Mercier & Me campaigns were created in cooperation with Meg Ryan and Kiefer Sutherland (2006), Kim Basinger and Gary Sinise (2007), Teri Hatcher and Ashton Kutcher (2008).

Thanks to this fourth edition of the Baume & Mercier & Me campaign, to be launched worldwide in April 2009, Baume & Mercier is pursuing with a new pair of celebrities its action aimed at promoting voluntary use of the time and image of Hollywood stars.

In a ceremony held at The Monarch Dubai, Paris Gallery overcame prestigious competition to be crowned the Middle East’s Premium Luxury Retailer.

For over 25 years, Paris Gallery has been setting the standard for luxury retail shopping in the region and the network now boasts over 40 luxurious specialty stores located in prime retail addresses across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain. Paris Gallery offers a premium assortment of over 450 international brands in fragrances, cosmetics, watches, jewellery, fashion apparel, eyewear and accessories.

After the ceremony, Mr Ismail Al Fahim, said that being named the Premium Luxury Retailer in the Middle East underscores Paris Gallery’s place in the regional market.

“We are delighted to receive this award; it acknowledges the great work of our team and the effort that has gone into establishing our brand in the region over the last 25 years,” he said. “By putting customers at the forefront of everything we do, Paris Gallery has established itself as the leading luxury retailer and one of the most recognisable home-grown brands in the Middle East. We are honoured to have been recognised with this award.”

The Retail ME Awards comprise 17 categories, each highlighting the outstanding performances of regional and international retailers and brands, ranging from achievements in marketing, customer service and loyalty programmes, store design, innovative concepts, to exceptional retailers in various retail segments.

A panel of judges comprising of industry personalities assess and decide each category’s winners based on clearly defined submission rules.
About Paris Gallery
Paris Gallery – the flagship brand of Al Fahim Holdings’ retail division – is the leading luxury specialty store in the UAE. With over 40 stores across the Middle East offering an extensive selection of international brands in fragrances, cosmetics, watches eyewear, and fashion apparel, Paris Gallery is the destination of choice for the discerning customer.

For over 25 years, Paris Gallery has set the standard for luxury retail and style in the Middle East by enhancing the shopping experience with rich shopping environments, innovative retail concepts, and impeccable service standards characterized by its signature traditional Arabic hospitality.
www.parisgallery.com