Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait At Burj Alshaya Celebrates Grand Opening
His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah was guest of honour on November 6, 2017 at the grand official opening ceremony of Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya, the leading luxury hospitality company’s first address in Kuwait. Representing Four Seasons and welcoming His Highness to the hotel were Four Seasons executives Isadore Sharp, Founder and Chairman, and J. Allen Smith, President and CEO. Offering his welcome, as representative of the Alshaya family, was Mohammed Alshaya, Executive Chairman of the Alshaya Group of companies, who own the property. “We are honoured to welcome His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah to the grand opening celebrations of Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya, and extend our deepest gratitude for his gracious presence,” said J. Allen Smith, President and CEO, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. “The significance of the opening of Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya goes beyond our commitment to expanding our presence in the Middle East region. This magnificent property is a special celebration of the close relationship we share with our guests in the region who have come to deeply appreciate the Four Seasons experience for its personalised service, attention to detail and warm and welcoming care. We are humbled by the initial response to this property, which holds an important place in our growth story in the region,” added Smith. Speaking on behalf of the Alshaya family, Mohammed Alshaya thanked His Highness, the Prime Minister and the government of Kuwait for its support throughout the planning, building and pre-opening of the hotel and expressed his gratitude for the presence of His Highness and senior government representatives at the opening. Reflecting on the contribution of Four Seasons Kuwait at Burj Alshaya to Kuwait’s economy, Mr Alshaya commented: “World-class infrastructure and hospitality is the mark of a progressive city and we are delighted to support Kuwait’s 2035 Vision through our investment in this iconic development which reflects Alshaya’s commitment to Kuwait and to the growth of a vibrant private sector. This iconic hotel is a wonderful new addition to Kuwait’s hospitality offer and has redefined modern luxury.” As the capital’s stylish new centrepiece, Four Seasons Hotel Kuwait at Burj Alshaya is a desirable destination for dining, entertainment and relaxation for both business and leisure travellers as well as local guests. Visitors to the Hotel will experience legendary Four Seasons service across the Hotel’s collection of 217 wellappointed guest rooms, 67 lavish suites as well as five exquisite restaurants that combine culinary influences from international trends with local tastes and traditions.
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A Successful Wrap up for ArabNet’s Second Conference in Kuwait
Held under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Khaled Nasser Abdullah Al-Roudan, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of State for Youth Affairs and with the Platinum Sponsorship of the The National Fund for Small and Medium Enterprise Development, the 2nd edition of ArabNet Kuwait was a great success and gathered over 800 attendees and 70 speakers from across the UAE, the region and the world. The second day of ArabNet Kuwait 2017 featured eight panels spread among two Forums: Digital Commerce and Adtech. The conference also featured a 1-on-1 interview with one of the most successful entrepreneurs and active investors in the MENA region, Fadi Ghandour, who spoke about the trends in tech investing. The highlights included keynotes from Twitter, Instagram and KNET, as well as the CEO series which hosted Salah AlFulaij – CEO of NBK and Neil Hardwick – CEO of MEC MENA. ArabNet conference hosted a roundtable, “Aligning Efforts to Support Entrepreneurship & Innovation”, focused on analyzing the state of Kuwait’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and evaluating gaps and opportunities that would help maximize market growth in the next few years. It brought together investors, entrepreneurship enablers and regulators who presented and discussed the best methods for stimulating the growth of entrepreneurship in Kuwait. At the closing ceremony, and for the second time in Kuwait, the three winners of the Startup Battle were announced. Under the sponsorship of Kuwaitnet and with Sirdab Lab as a training partner, orddr, a platform that connects food suppliers to restaurants, by Naser Al-Qatami came in 1st place; Festivity, an online destination delivering event, by Nasser Altowaijri came in 2nd and PantryBee, delivering fresh preportioned ingredients and visual step-by-step recipe cards, by Yousef Almunayes was chosen in 3rd place. The three winning startups will get the chance to participate in ArabNet Startup Championship taking place in Dubai at the ArabNet Digital Summit 2018 (April 30 - May 1). Furthermore, and with Sirdab Lab again as a training partner, TABB, a smart restaurant solution for wait-free dining, by Yong Joon (John) Rhee was announced as the Ideathon winner and received $5,000 as a seed grant to help them kick start their idea. ArabNet Kuwait is sponsored by The Kuwait National Fund (KNF), Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), Gulf Bank, KuwaitNet, Nabad, Bayt.com, JustClean, KNet, Social Entrepreneurship Enterprise Development (SEED), DBS Digital, Wataniya Airways, VIVA Telecom, Careem, MEC Global, DarisniME, and Boubyan Bank. ArabNet Kuwait was able to highlight the state of digital economy in Kuwait, as well as delve into the latest trends in digital media and marketing. High profile industry leaders and entrepreneurs tackled key topics via 3 forums, and it served as a platform for thriving entrepreneurs who want to turn their ideas into reality. ArabNet will be hosting its next event in Riyadh on December 11-13, 2017; in Beirut on February 20-22, 2018; and Dubai April 30 - May 1, 2018.
Countdown To ‘Gulf Bank 642 Marathon’ Is On
Register today to walk/run on 7am, Sat, 18 November In Support UNHCR’s #Voices4Refugees
With just days to go until the ‘Gulf Bank 642 Marathon’, Gulf Bank along with Pro-Vision Sport Management held a press conference to announce the launch of Kuwait’s most exciting sporting event. The ‘Gulf Bank 642 Marathon’ will take place at 7am, Saturday, 18 November at Souq Sharq. Participants of all ages and fitness levels can participate, by either walking or running one of the four distance categories: the Family Fun Walk/Run (5KM); Souq Run for regular runners (10KM); Half Marathon for more advanced runners (21KM); and Kuwait’s only Full Marathon (42KM). The Marathon starts and ends at Souq Sharq and the route takes participants past some of Kuwait’s most recognisable landmarks including Souk Al Mubarakiya, the Gulf Bank head office, the Grand Mosque, Al Seif Palace, the National Assembly, the Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Center, and Kuwait Towers. Each year the Marathon partners with a leading group to raise awareness of an important issue. For the second consecutive year, the ‘Gulf Bank 642 Marathon’ is partnering with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to support its #Voices4Refugees campaign. This awareness campaign aims to make stories of refugees heard around the world and encourages people to add their voices to the campaign. Mrs. Salma Al-Hajjaj, General Manager of Human Resources at Gulf Bank said: “We are just days away from the ‘Gulf Bank 642 Marathon’, and excitement is really building. The event has seen tremendous success over the years and we look forward to another fantastic edition. The ‘Gulf Bank 642 Marathon’ is a very special initiative for us as it reflects our commitment to social responsibility for our beloved country, Kuwait. We are further proud to have the support of numerous Kuwaiti government ministries and agencies this year, which demonstrates the importance of this event for Kuwait. We are also glad to be once again partnering with the UNHCR and their #Voices4Refugees campaign that advocates for all refugees to live in safety.” With regard to social responsibility, Mrs. AlHajjaj added: “The ‘Gulf Bank 642 Marathon’ encourages an active and healthy lifestyle, which is an important component of our corporate social responsibility program, as is our support for youth and entrepreneurs. We are very proud of the Pro-Vision Sport Management team who we partner with to hold this event. When the team came to us with their idea, we saw two young Kuwaiti entrepreneurs with a vision and the determination to succeed. As Gulf Bank is heavily invested in supporting Kuwait youth and entrepreneurs, we joined together to create an event that puts Kuwait on the international sporting map.”
Home Centre’s Latest Catalogue puts the Joy into Homemaking
Home Centre, the largest home retailer in the Middle East, has launched its much-awaited catalogue. Featuring a broad range of new trends and ideas, this 104-page catalogue fulfils Home Centre’s promise of inspiring beautiful homes, enabling customers to find the joy of homemaking. Designed to appeal to Home Centre’s diverse client base and offer a melange of vibrant furniture and home accessory solutions to live, dine, relax and play, the catalogue caters to every style and budget, helping customers create spaces they can call their own. Introducing over 1,100 new products, the catalogue depicts 3 key themes - Inspired by Nature, Indian Sojourn and Geomatrix, to weave harmony into homes. Inspired by Nature, comprising the Springfield and Lexington collections is about bringing the outdoors in and making nature a key feature in interior decoration. Indian Sojourn’s Taj and Indiana collections take their inspiration from Indian design trends, featuring vibrant colour palettes with modernised prints and patterns while Geomatrix’s Mystique collection boasts of impactful graphics and futuristic designs played against the palette of monochromes. Home Centre’s expanded offering includes 6 modular solutions this year such as Stellar day bed, Spazio storage units, Infinity wardrobe, Bradley bedroom and the in-house designed Eterno sofas & cabinetry and Kidit to perfectly suit customers’ space and personalities. In addition to exquisite classic accents for those seeking a glamourous feel, the catalogue presents a wide variety of value options for those looking for affordable home solutions and maximum functionality. The newly introduced Ready Rooms concept allows shoppers to purchase the complete set of furniture and home accessories from the catalogue at a packaged price. Reiterating its commitment to ensuring value and savings, Home Centre is offering customers up to five-year warranty upon purchasing furniture and up to two-year warranty on home accessories. The new catalogue also reinforces the brand’s focus on durability, internationally sourced materials and special features that ensure best-in-class product quality. This year, Home Centre has also amplified engagement with customers on its digital platforms. A fully digitised version of the catalogue is available online, featuring interactive elements, a mobile responsive design and informative embedded videos. The catalogue will be available across all Home Centre stores, located at Al Rai, Shuwaikh, The Avenues, Kuwait City, Fahaheel and Sama Mall (Fintas) as well as on the mobile application and online on www.homecentre.com.