Asia Africa Intelligence Wire articles from July 2005

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire archives from July 2005

NIRMA'S SCL BUYOUT VALUED AT Rs350 CRORE (the deal will make Nirma the largest soda ash manufacturer in India).
July 1, 2005... (From India Business Insight) Nirma Chemical Works (NCW) plans to buy out Saurashtra Chemicals Ltd (SCL) of SK Birla group for about Rs350 crore. The deal is based on the enterprise value of SCL including value of liabilities. The...

Minister, Managers Disagree Over Laying Off Workers.
July 1, 2005... (From The Post (Cameroon) - AAGM) Byline: Joe Dinga Pefok The Minister of Labour and Social Security, Prof. Robert Nkili, and general managers of big companies in the country, have disagreed over the laying off workers by companies in...

UB Students Detained for Exam Fraud.
July 1, 2005... (From The Post (Cameroon) - AAGM) Byline: Effa Tambenkongho Two students of the University of Buea, UB, have been detained at the Buea public security police station on impersonation allegation. A male student, Alexis Atemkeng, a...

We Should Start Appreciating Ourselves As Africans - Femi Kuti.
July 1, 2005... (From The Post (Cameroon) - AAGM) Byline: Simon Inou He seems to follow in the footsteps of his father, the late Fela Kuti. "Of course, my father is a big inspiration for me. Whether I like it or not, he is my father," Femi Kuti tells...

Market decline leads to BASF dropping DEHP production.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Plastics and Rubber Weekly) Since 2000, demand for DEHP plasticizer has fallen by 50% and this has led to a decision by BASF to stop production of the material in 3Q 2005. The production of 2-ethylhexanol...

Co-op opts for degradable polyethylene for fresh produce bags.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Plastics and Rubber Weekly) From Jul 2005, degradable polyethylene will be used for all fresh produce bags at the 3200 outlets of the Co-op. The company already uses oxy-degradable polyethylene film for...

Flamstead buys Ravenscroft.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Plastics and Rubber Weekly) Flamstead Holdings has acquired Ravenscroft Plastics, a plastics extruder in Gloucestershire, UK, which was in receivership. The business will continue to operate from the site...

Hambleside looking skyward for growth in insulated roofs.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Plastics and Rubber Weekly) In 2006, UK Building Regulations are to be revised to cut the loss of energy from buildings. In anticipation of increased demand, two new injection moulding machines have been...

Second time around: packaging firm managing director buys Marpak not just once, but twice.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Plastics and Rubber Weekly) In 2000, Richard Gibson sold Marpak Polyethylene Supplies, a film extrusion company. He left the company in 2002 when the plastics film operations were sold to Tyco. He has now...

Singapore plant to go ahead: Lucite International.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Plastics and Rubber Weekly) A 120,000 tonne/y methyl methacrylate facility is to be built in Singapore by Lucite International at a cost of $150 M. Production is due to begin in 2007. Manufacturing costs...

Power plastic lights the way: Konarka Technologies.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Plastics and Rubber Weekly) Advanced plastic sheeting that converts light into energy has been developed by Konarka Technologies, US, using photovoltaic nanotechnology. Photoactive materials are either...

Extrusion is foundation of sector: polyethylene.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Plastics and Rubber Weekly) According to Pifa, in 2004, global polyethylene consumption amounted to 61 M tonne with 50% of that being used for production of film and sheet. Film production in the UK used...

Plastics growth predicted in caps market.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Plastics and Rubber Weekly) A 5.6%/y increase in production of plastic caps and closures is forecast by AMI Consulting over the next five years. Production of metal caps is expected to decline by 3%/y. In...

Reinforced plastics in demand: US.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Plastics and Rubber Weekly) A report from the Freedonia Group forecasts a 2.8%/y increase in US demand for glass fibre for reinforced plastics over the next five years. In 2004, demand was 1.26 bn lb and...

Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology and MerLion Pharmaceuticals collaborate on drug discovery and development.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) MerLion Pharmaceuticals Pte Ltd (MerLion) and the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) announced a three-year drug discovery and development collaboration. Under the collaboration,...

Petronas posts 50% jump in net profit for 2004-2005.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - The Star (Malaysia)) Petronas posted a 50% rise in net profit to Ringgit 35.6 bn for year ended Mar 2005 (profit of Ringgit 23.7 bn in year ended Mar 2004). The rise in oil prices from $30.9/bbl to $45/bbl...

Ringgit 13 M proceeds for Daya from Mesdaq listing.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - The Star (Malaysia)) Daya Materials Bhd (Daya) expects to raise Ringgit 13.09 M from its listing on the Mesdaq market in Aug 2005. The proceeds would be used for research and development (R&D), expansion...

Examining IAQ in hospitals.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) PROFESSOR DR ESSAM E KHALIL* puts the spotlight on indoor air quality (IAQ) in health facilities and discusses how to achieve a balance between thermal comfort and air quality through air-conditioning design ...

Bahrain airport to grow eastwards.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Consultancy bids are currently being evaluated for the first phase of a BD70 million ($186 million) Bahrain International Airport expansion programme and a contract award is expected shortly A total of six...

Dubai gears for massive influx.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) A new airport city at Jebel Ali and the expansion of Dubai's showpiece airport will give the emirate the capacity to handle an amazing 190 million passengers by 2010. A look at the status of these projects ...

Jotun Paints flies high in boom mart.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Jotun Paints, one of the UAE's largest manufacturers of paint and coatings, believes the massive investment in the airport construction sector has opened up many new avenues of business. Jotun, which recently took...

Moving innovations from elevator ace.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Having recently clinched a $150 million contract to supply a host of passenger moving equipment for the Dubai International Airport expansion, ThyssenKrupp Elevator is eyeing the upcoming mega projects to secure a...

NSS provides access where it counts.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Having supplied access solutions for some of the leading airports in the world including the Heathrow (London) and Chek Lap Kok (Hong Kong) airports, Northern Site Services (NSS) is looking to offer its expertise...

New Egyptian airport under expansion.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Marsa Alam Airport - constructed as a part of a $1.2 billion project to create a mega Red Sea resort area at Port Ghalib, Egypt - is currently being expanded to boost its handling capacity from 600 to 1,200...

Hitachi relied upon for an uplifting role.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) THE Elevator Division of Ahmadiah Trading and Contracting has supplied and installed 10 elevators and eight escalators from Hitachi for the prestigious Dar Al Awadi Complex The elevators serve three areas of...

Ahmadiah rises to yet another challenge.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Renowned local contracting firm Ahmadiah Contracting and Trading Company has added yet another commercial complex to its extensive portfolio of successfully completed projects as it is handed over the Dar Al Awadi...

Glass and steel give tower a distinct class.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) The Dar Al Awadi is not just another 34-storey tower with a mall covered with curtain walls - it has a class, quality and style of its own, which made it a highly challenging project, says a spokesman for Alico,...

Iconic Tower.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Kuwait's upmarket Al Sharq area now boasts a new architectural marvel which claims the distinction of being the capital city's tallest building. Gulf Construction takes a closer look at the striking landmark ...

Bahrain set to host two major expos.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Manama Nurnberg Global Fairs and the Bahrain Convention and Exhibition Bureau will organise two major events - the third Water Middle East 2005 and the Intelligent Building Middle East 2005 - at the Bahrain...

Atlas power helps Palm contractor.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Atlas Copco power is in use on a number of projects in the region including Dubai's prestigious Palm Jumeirah project Turkish contractor Bin Beleila Baytur making its debut in Dubai with the construction of 10...

Green systems cope with rugged locations.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Ingersoll-Rand (IR) has recently launched its new Environmental Generator range, which are said to offer superior long run and containment capability for demanding applications in the equipment rental and...

Levelling device high on accuracy.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Hilti has recently launched a rotating laser tool which enables a single person to perform a variety of levelling and aligning tasks with great precision A Robust rotating laser that levels itself automatically...

Alarabi in new Abu Dhabi venture.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Alarabi Decoration and Construction Company of Saudi Arabia is poised to spread its wings further with the launch of a joint venture interior decor company in Abu Dhabi shortly Besides specialising in gypsum...

Bagno splashes in bathroom design.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Bagno Design - a Gulf-wide chain of high-end showrooms displaying sanitary ware, tiles, plumbing accessories, sinks and bath-tubs - has come up with unique themes to seamlessly merge bathrooms with the rest of the...

GKD aims to spread its woven magic.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Leading technical weaving mill GKD (Gebr Kufferath, Duren) of Germany is looking to increase its regional market penetration and the awareness of the decorative and functional attributes of metallic fabrics in...

HBA in pursuit of unique ambiances.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) HBA is creating a variety of congenial themes that breathe life into our living spaces. Gulf Construction provides an insight into some of the practice's masterpieces Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), an interior...

Romeo triumphs in diverse projects.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Having successfully completed Dubai's majestic Al Qasr hotel at Madinat Jumeirah with classic Bedouin and authentic Arabic-style interiors, Romeo Design has secured a string of other striking projects, which are...

Quality products floor the market.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Hassan Abul Company completed the installation of a total of 32 kitchens - fitted with electrical appliances - kitchen units that were manufactured at its own woodworks factory at the prestigious Dar Al Awadi...

Roadex 2006 to grow in size.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Dubai: More than 200 companies from around the world will take part in the Abu Dhabi International Road Exhibition and Conference (Roadex) scheduled to take place in March 2006 Roadex 2006 - organised by the...

UPDATE.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Rebuilding Iraq meet this month Washington DC: US-based New Fields Exhibitions will hold the Fourth Rebuilding Iraq Conference in Washington DC this month (July 20 to 21) The conference is the latest...

Saudi Ceramic unveils new sanitary ware.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Saudi Ceramic Company (SCC), one of the largest ceramic manufacturers in the Middle East, launched its 2005 sanitary ware collection at the recently-concluded ISH exhibition, held in Frankfurt, Germany The...

Shutting out the pest menace.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) The interiors of buildings that make extensive use of timber can suffer great damage if the structure is not termite-proofed. VALENTIN B DIEGO, operations manager for Riyadh-based Masa Establishment provides an...

Elevator major aims high.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) In pursuit of its global expansion plan to become the technology leader across the continents, ThyssenKrupp Elevator is aggressively targeting the Middle East market, to capitalise on the opportunities available...

Al Areen finalises interior design plans.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Manama Al Areen Holding Company and Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts have finalised the interior design concepts of their mixed-use $750 million tourism complex during top-level talks held in Bahrain, senior...

Otis scales heights with tall order.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) With one of the most coveted contracts worldwide in its hands, Otis is poised for further success as it continues to innovate and expand around the globe he Otis Elevator Company's local affiliate Otis (UAE)...

LG launches AC academy in Jeddah.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Jeddah Global and regional digital leader LG Electronics in partnership with HG Ibrahim Shaker Company - the exclusive LG air-conditioner distributor in Saudi Arabia - has inaugurated an air-conditioning academy in...

Al Shobily Group aims to transform coastal strip.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Dammam A real estate project on Saudi Arabia's Gulf coast should attract around SR60 billion ($16 billion) in investments over the next 10 years, according to its developer the Khalid S Shobily Group, which has...

Oman launches $15bn Blue City.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Muscat The Omani government in partnership with private investors unveiled the $15 billion Madina Al Zarqa (Blue City) - its most ambitious project yet - early last month Sprawling over 35 sq km, this project,...

Shuaiba plant deal under negotiations.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Jeddah Saudi Arabia's Water and Electricity Company (WEC) has started detailed talks with a Saudi-Malaysian group to set up a power and water plant in Shuaiba, southwest of the kingdom The WEC said it hoped to...

Business booms for Attieh Steel.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Jeddah-based steel fabricator and stockist Attieh Steel anticipates that high demand will offset any decline in prices Saudi steel major Attieh Group, which has close to five decades of experience behind it,...

TCM offers marine forklift models.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Riyadh Leading construction equipment manufacturer TCM claims that its range of forklift trucks - which includes models designed specifically for the marine construction industry - have got proven capabilities that...

New coil centre to open in Dubai.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Construction work is set to begin this month on a new steel coil centre being set up by Sumitomo Corporation in Dubai, UAE. The facility is scheduled to start operating by the end of 2005. Demand for steel is on...

New engineering solutions ace set up.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) A new engineering solutions and steel fabrication specialist company was set up early this year to fill a gap in the UAE market for a total engineering solutions facility. Dubai-based Senan Engineering - part of...

Pan-Gulf Group rides high on success.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Riding on its success as a construction steel trader in the late seventies, Pan-Gulf Group has emerged to be one of the successful trading groups in Saudi Arabia. Today, the group continues to reap the rewards of...

Zamil Steel clinches Qatargas order.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Zamil Steel's Structural Steel Business Unit (SSBU) has been awarded a contract worth $10 million for Qatargas II development project Zamil Steel Industries (ZSI) will fabricate and supply pipe-racks, shelters...

$5.5bn investment planned on Abu Dhabi island.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Abu Dhabi Reem Investments has announced plans to develop 25 per cent or 1.8 million sq m of Abu Dhabi's Reem Island involving an investment of around Dh20 billion ( $5.5 billion). This island will encompass low...

Qatar inks refinery deal.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Doha Qatar Petroleum has signed a $668.7 million deal with a South Korean consortium to build a condensate refinery in the state GS Engineering and Construction Corporation and Daewoo Engineering and...

Champion 3C spells success for Hilti.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) A recent tour across the globe took Michael Hilti to two booming markets: China and the UAE. In an exclusive interview, this corporate kingpin, who is chairman of the global tools maker Hilti, speaks about the...

CSHK to build Armada Towers.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Dubai CSHK Dubai Contracting has signed a Dh315 million ($85.88 million) agreement with the UAE's Armada Group for the construction of Armada Towers, located at the Jumeirah Lake Towers in Dubai CSHK Dubai...

Bids under evaluation for Abu Dhabi airport job.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Abu Dhabi The Supervision Committee for the Expansion of Abu Dhabi International Airport (Scadia) is currently prequalifying contractors for the construction of a new runway at Abu Dhabi International Airport, as...

Emaar launches major residential towers.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Dubai Following the successful launch of the first two towers at Dubai Marina's Park Island development last month, Emaar Properties has unveiled the third tower - the 24-storey Sanibel Tower The...

RAK Ceramics opens its ninth factory.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Ras Al Khaimah RAK Ceramics has opened of its ninth factory in the emirate at a cost of Dh180 million ($49 million) to join its operational system The new factory, comprising three gres porcellanato (porcelain)...

Retail resort takes shape at DFC.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Dubai Dubai Festival City, the Middle East's largest privately-funded, mixed-use development taking shape on the banks of Dubai Creek, is set to open five major components over the next year, starting with the...

UPDATE.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Dubai to get world's largest wheel Dubai: Dubailand and the Great Wheel Corporation have signed an agreement under which land has been allocated for the construction of the world's largest observation wheel at...

UPDATE.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) CCC wins twin HQ complex deal Abu Dhabi: Aldar Properties has awarded the construction of a new office building in Al Muroor, Abu Dhabi, to Consolidated Contractors International Company (CCC) The new building...

Bahrain eyes region's first green city.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Manama The first 'green city' in the Middle East is to be built in Bahrain, at a cost of more than BD80 million ($211.3 million), it was revealed. Several international consultants are bidding for the project,...

UPDATE.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Jack Rouse to shape Restless Planet Dubai: Jack Rouse Associates of Cincinnati, US, has been appointed to manage the design-and-build contract for Restless Planet dinosaur theme park at City of Arabia in Dubai,...

UPDAE.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Aconex to manage Raffles Hotel Dubai: Aconex, a leading global provider of information management solutions to the construction industry, has been selected by Wafi Group to manage all project information for the...

Foundation stone laid for Jordan Gate.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Amman The UAE-headquartered Al Hamad will undertake the construction of Jordan Gate, one of the key components of Gulf Finance House's (GFH) $1 billion Royal Metropolis project in Jordan. Hilton International will...

TENDERS.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Bahrain Tender No SP-2005-10. Construction of sports halls for the General Organisation for Youth and Sport at Umm Al Hassam. Bid bond is BD5,000. Open to contractors registered with the Cost Engineering...

DIARY OF EVENTS.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) JULY 21-24: International Tile and Stone Show (ITSS), New York, US SEPTEMBER 6-10: Project Lebanon 2005, The 11th international trade exhibition for construction technology, building materials, equipment and...

Work to start on Dubai metro deal.
July 1, 2005... (From Gulf Construction) Dubai The foundation stone for the Dubai metro project is to be laid this month, following the recent award of the Dh12.45 billion ($3.39 billion) contract by Dubai Municipality to Dubai Rapid Link (DURL) - a...

Nylon.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Materials World) The worldwide demand for manufactured fibres such as nylon will rise by 5.4% in 2005, according to Freedonia Group's Market Research Report in 2002. The Pacific Asia region is the biggest...

Vinyl resins from Brazil launched in the UK.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Materials World) Chance and Hunt has unveiled the Vinisol line of vinyl solution resins from Brazilian supplier World Wide Partnership to its UK range. Among the products in the line is Vinisol Cooh, a...

Leschly makes market comeback.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - The Independent) Jan Leschly, the former chief executive of SmithKline Beecham, is making his return to the City with the flotation of an Israeli biotech company. Mr Leschly is the chairman of D-Pharm,...

Oil giants back green power station.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - The Independent) Plans for a revolutionary new type of power station which produces enough electricity to power a quarter of a million homes but emits only a tenth of the carbon of conventional...

GSK aims for #2 bn sales of new blockbuster vaccines.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - The Independent) GlaxoSmithKline is targeting more than #2 bn in annual sales from five blockbuster vaccines it promised yesterday will be ready for launch by the end of the decade. The company had...

FLORICULTURE EXPORTS CROSS RS250 CRORE-60 AGRI EXPORT ZONES INCLUDING FLORICULTURE APPROVED (India has only a 0.5 percent share of the $80 billion world floriculture market).
July 1, 2005... (From India Business Insight) Floriculture exports from India have exceeded Rs250 crore in 2004- 2005; the exports were less than Rs20 crore a decade earlier. However, India has only a 0.5 percent share of the $80 billion world floriculture...

NALCO EXPECTS "EXCELLENT" MOU RATING FOR 2004-05 (MoU is meant to measure the performance of management of public sector units at the end of the year).
July 1, 2005... (From India Business Insight) National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO), a leading producer and exporter of alumina and aluminium, hopes to achieve an excellent MoU score in 2004-2005. The MoU rating is meant to measure the performance of...

TRADE/HOTELS/TRANSPORT/COMMUNICATION SUSTAINED DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH IN ALL 4QS OF 2004-05 (overall growth over 7% during Jan-Mar 2005).
July 1, 2005... (From India Business Insight) India achieved a growth rate of 7 percent during Jan-Mar 2005, owing to a significant rise in manufacturing, trade, transport, communication, finance and social services. Trade, hotel, transport and...

ANIMAX TO LAUNCH TWO NEW SHOWS, CELEBRATES ITS FIRST ANNIVERSARY (in Jul 2005).
July 1, 2005... (From India Business Insight) Animax plans to launch two new shows in Jul 2005, the first anniversary of its launch. The two new half-hourly shows Godzilla and Jackie Chan will be launched on 11 Jul 2005. They will subsequently air on...

BBC WORLD TO START SERIES ON BOLLYWOOD INDUSTRY FROM JULY 3 (called India Business Report: Bollywood Inc, it will focus on various facets of the Hindi movie industry).
July 1, 2005... (From India Business Insight) BBC World will telecast an eight part series called India Business Report: Bollywood Inc beginning 3 Jul 2005 on the 11 am slot. The series, produced by UTV, will focus on the various facets of the Hindi film...

Wacker commercialises trichlorosilane deposition process.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - The Chemical Engineer) Wacker Chemie has made available a new trichlorosilane deposition method that considerably lessens the cost of producing granular polysilicon for solar cells. The method has been...

M&G invests in Brazilian PTA.
July 1, 2005... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - The Chemical Engineer) The M&G Group is considering establishing a new world-scale PTA facility in Pernambuco, Brazil that will join the 450,000 tonne/y PET facility it announced at the end of 2004....