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2009 | 2010 | 2011 March 2010 Sahara Petrochemicals Partners with HP March 8, 2010 - Sahara Petrochemicals Company (Sahara), a subsidiary of Zamil Group Holding, recently selected HP’s BladeSystem and ProLiant servers to manage their datacenter. (more) Dow and E.A. Juffali Form Alliance in Polyurethane Systems March 3, 2010 – Dow Formulated Systems, a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Corporation, and E.A. Juffali & Brothers recently announced a business alliance between the two companies to develop a polyurethane systems business in Saudi Arabia. (more) Saudi Aramco Signs Contract with Jacobs Engineering March 2, 2010 – Saudi Aramco recently signed a contract with American company Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. to develop a basic engineering package for four sulfur recovery units that will each have a projected production capacity of 1,200 tons per day. (more) February 2010 Zamil and Huntsman Complete Ethyleneamines Plant February 27, 2010 – Zamil Group Holding (Zamil) and American company Huntsman Corporation (Huntsman) recently completed the construction of an ethyleneamines joint venture plant in Jubail. (more) ABB Awarded National Employer of Choice February 22, 2010 – ABB Saudi Arabia, one of the nation’s largest providers of power, has been named best company to work for in Saudi Arabia, according to a comprehensive study by consultants TeamOne Middle East and Al Eqtisadiyah newspaper. (more) January Inflation Rate is 4.1 Percent February 20, 2010 - According to the Central Department of Statistics, Saudi Arabia’s rate of inflation was 4.1 percent in January, decreasing slightly from 4.2 percent in December. (more) Moody’s Upgrades Saudi Rankings February 15, 2010 - Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded Saudi Arabia’s foreign and local currency government rankings from “A1” to “Aa3” and has raised the country ceiling for foreign currency bank deposits from “A1” to “Aa3.” (more) Zain and STC Sign Contracts for 4G/LTE Network February 14, 2010 – Zain Saudi Arabia (Zain) recently signed agreements with American company Motorola, Inc., Sweedish company Ericsson, Inc., and Chinese company Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. to implement 4G/Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology. (more) ABB Opens First Turbocharging Service Station in Jubail February 9, 2010 – ABB has opened its first turbocharging service station in the industrial city of Jubail. (more) Saudi Aramco Develops Laser Identification System February 9, 2010 – Saudi Aramco has developed a laser identification system, which uses oil’s specific characteristics to identify its grade. (more) NCB Capital Introduces Shariah-Compliant Fund February 8, 2010 – NCB Capital, the investment banking division of the National Commercial Bank (NCB), announced the launch of a new U.S. dollar-denominated, open-ended, mid-term fund that is Shariah compliant. (more) Saudi Banks’ Overseas Investments Increase by 75 Percent February 7, 2010 – The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency recently reported that the foreign investments of the Kingdom’s 12 commercial banks increased nearly 75 percent throughout 2009, standing at $29.95 billion (SR112.3 billion), which is the highest level in more than 10 years. (more) GE and Tamimi Form Joint Venture for Heat Exchangers February 7, 2010 – GE Oil & Gas, a subsidiary of General Electric Company, and local Ali Abdullah Al Tamimi Trading Company (Al Tamimi) have recently formed a joint venture to manufacture and test air-cooled heat exchangers to be used in applications for Saudi Arabia’s oil and gas industry. (more) SASREF Begins Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Project February 7, 2010 - Saudi Aramco Shell Refinery Company (SASREF), a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Shell Overseas Services Co. Ltd., has begun the commissioning activities of its ultra-low sulfur diesel project to produce approximately 100,000 barrels per day of diesel with less than 10 parts per million of sulfur. (more) SEC Grants $26.7 Million Contract to Saudi Cable Company February 2, 2010 – Saudi Electricity Company has granted a $26.7 million (SR100 million) contract to Saudi Cable Company (SCC) for the supply and laying of extra high voltage cables (380kV) for a project in Jeddah. (more) January 2010 Cisco to Provide ICT Master Plan Support for JEC January 31, 2010 – Cisco Systems has been appointed to support the creation of the critical information and communications technology (ICT) master plan for the Jizan Economic City (JEC). (more) 2009 Annual Inflation Falls to 5 Percent in the Kingdom January 31, 2010 – Inflation in Saudi Arabia fell to 5.06 percent in 2009 from 9.9 percent in 2008, according to the Central Department of Statistics. (more) Saudi Aramco Debuts Giga-Cell Reservoir Simulation Technology January 30, 2010 – The Advanced Research Center of Saudi Aramco Exploration and Petroleum Engineering Center (EXPEC) recently debuted its giga-cell reservoir simulation technology, GigaPOWERS. (more) SABB Opens Investment Research Center at Al Yamamah University January 30, 2010 – SABB, in collaboration with Al Yamamah University, has established the SABB Investment Research Center. (more) Zamil Signs Murahba Contract with NCB January 27, 2010 – Eastern District Cooling Co. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zamil Group Holding (Zamil), has signed a 13.5-year Murabaha finance agreement worth $54.9 million (SR206 million) with the National Commercial Bank (NCB) for a district cooling project. (more) Saudi Aramco Awards $141 Million Wasea Plant Contract January 26, 2010 - Saudi Aramco has granted a $141 million (SR528.8 million) engineering, procurement, and construction contract to China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) to build a new bulk oil distribution plant at Wasea in Riyadh. (more) SATORP Awards Jubail Export Refinery Contract January 24, 2010 – A contract for the provision of all 17 compressor trains at the Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical Company (SATORP) export refinery in Jubail has been granted to Elliott Company, a subsidiary of Japan-based Ebara Corporation. (more) SupplyCore Middle East Earns ISO 9001:2008 Certification January 21, 2010 - SupplyCore Middle East, a Riyadh-based integrator of supply chain management, water bottling and water and wastewater treatment, recently announced that it has received the ISO 9001:2008 quality management certification from Moody’s International Certification. (more) NCB Introduces Online Payment for Government Fees January 20, 2010 – The National Commercial Bank (NCB) has introduced an online service called e-corp to allow the payment of government fees. (more) Northrop Grumman Wins Saudi National Guard Contract January 20, 2010 - A subsidiary of Northrop Grumman Corporation, Vinnell Arabia LLC, has been granted a contract to continue the modernization and training of the Saudi Arabia National Guard (SANG). (more) Saudi Binladin Group Awards $349 Million University Contract January 19, 2010 – Saudi Binladin Group recently granted a $349 million (SR1.3 billion) contract to Vision Electro Mechanical Company (Vision), a subsidiary of Construction Products Holding Company, for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) work at Princess Noura Bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh. (more) United Food Company Launches FreshBerry January 17, 2010 – United Food Company, a subsidiary of A. Abunayyan Group of Companies, recently announced the launch of FreshBerry Frozen Yogurt Café (FreshBerry), with three stores in Riyadh and one in Dhahran. (more) Etihad Atheeb GO Begins 4G Services in Eastern Region January 16, 2010 – Etihad Atheeb Telecommunication Company GO, the 4G operator in Saudi Arabia, has announced the official launch of its services in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom. (more) SEC Grants $288 Million Contract to Bemco January 13, 2010 – Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) has recently awarded a $288 million (SR1.08 billion) contract to Arabian Bemco Contracting Company (Arabian Bemco) for the expansion of one of its power plants in order to meet growing demand in Al-Qassim. (more) ACE Granted Insurance License by SAMA January 12, 2010 - ACE Arabia Insurance Company (ACE) has been granted a license by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency to conduct insurance business in the Kingdom. (more) SABIC Named Largest Petrochemical Producer by 2015 January 11, 2010 – According to a recent report by KPMG, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) is forecast to be the largest petrochemical producer by 2015. (more) Sipchem Exports First VAM Shipment January 10, 2010 – The Saudi International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem) has announced that it recently exported its first shipment of vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) to European markets. (more) General Dynamics Awarded Saudi Military Contract January 7, 2010 - General Dynamics Land Systems, a subsidiary of General Dynamics Corporation (General Dynamics), was recently granted a $10 million (SR37.5 million) contract for the procurement of long-lead equipment, program management services, and travel for the facilitation of a production plant in Saudi Arabia. (more) Zamil’s Water Chillers Receive International Certification January 7, 2010 – Zamil Air Conditioners, a subsidiary of Zamil Group Holding and a global manufacturer of air conditioning systems, has announced that its line of air conditioners, the Air Cooled Screw Water Chillers, has been certified for meeting international safety standards. (more) ABB Wins Contract for Jubail Production Plant January 6, 2010 - ABB recently won a contract to provide electrical and automation equipment and related services for a new seamless-tube mill and pipe production plant in Jubail. (more) Samir Group Launches New Division January 6, 2010 - Samir Group announced the launch of a new division, Samir Food Co. Ltd., with Pizza Fusion as its first brand. (more) Microsoft Selected by Saudi Post to Increase Productivity January 4, 2010 – Microsoft Corporation announced that Saudi Postal Corporation will be using the Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) to improve efficiency and reduce overall operating costs. (more) NCB’s CEO Named Saudi Arabia’s Banker of the Year January 1, 2010 – Mr. Abdul Kareem Abu Al-Nasr, Chief Executive Officer of the National Commercial Bank (NCB), was recently named Saudi Arabia’s “Banker of the Year 2009” as part of the World Finance Awards, hosted by the World Finance magazine in London. (more)

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