SOUTH EAST ASIA: Effective Measure, the leading provider of digital media planning solutions in emerging markets, today released data reporting on the significance of the large market share of South East Asia’s (SEA) Internet audience who are in romantic relationships to Valentine’s Day. The data showed 49.2 percent of the overall SEA Internet audience are either married (41.4 percent) or in live-in relationships (7.7 percent) in the month of January and presented an opportunity for targeted online engagement over this celebrated season of love.

· Market Share of Couples per Country

73.1 million Internet users, attributing to 49.2 percent of the SEA online population, are either married or in a live-in relationship in the month ending January 2012. Malaysia had the greatest market share with 53.0 percent share, followed closely by Indonesia at 52.4 percent share,while Vietnam concluded at 30.7 percent share. Philippines had the lowest share of divorced or separated audience at 1.0 percent, while Thailand was largest with 4.2 percent market share.

With an encouraging 0.80 percent increase in unique browsers in the first week of February across SEA, advertisers and content producers looking to promote Valentine’s Day in the region may want to consider a stronger push online to optimize their campaign’s performance.

Notes

Information generated for this document is based on Effective Measure’s data on SEA’s online population in time specified. Advertisers used this targeted demographic data to increase reach and brand engagement.

The SEA countries measured included Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

DUBAI: Goodyear has announced the appointment of Mitchell Peeters as the new General Manager for the company’s Middle East & Africa operations. The Belgian national will assume his role as of 1 February 2012 from Octavian Grigore Velcan.

In his new role, Peeters will oversee overall operations across the region. During his six years experience with Goodyear, he fulfilled a number of key management roles in planning, strategy, operations and sales across Goodyear Dunlop Europe (notably Switzerland and Austria) and Dunlop Europe, Middle East & Africa.

Prior to joining Goodyear in 2005, Peeters worked in several senior management positions with international tire manufacturers bringing with him diverse market experience from the United Kingdom, Belgium, Poland and Scandinavia. Peeters studied Management at a number of international universities and is a fluent English, Dutch, French and German speaker.

Commenting on his new appointment, Peeters said, “Since 2001, Goodyear has been carving its mark in the Middle East region catering to market-specific needs and growing its market share in both consumer and commercial lines of business. The new role presents an exciting opportunity at a time where the company is launching a number of new products and initiatives that are planned for roll out in the next year. I look forward to working with the team and business partners across the region to further build on Goodyear’s established success and continue our strategic expansion plans to increase our regional presence.”

As one of the world’s most prestigious and oldest tire manufacturing companies, Goodyear is widely recognized for its long standing commitment to safety and performance through leadership, innovation and technology focused products. Goodyear witnessed a hugely successful year in 2011 achieving great sales results with the launch of new products, particularly the global launch of Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 tire. In line with Goodyear’s mission of manufacturing sustainable and environmentally conscious products, the tire has proven to perform exceptionally, delivering shorter braking distances on both wet and dry roads against competitors and delivering top-class rolling resistance.

ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopian Airlines strongly refutes the final investigation report released today by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Works and Transport on the accident of ET 409 on 25 January 25, 2010.

The Airline maintained that the Lebanese Government had been speculating the cause of the accident as pilot error right from the day of the accident contrary to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13.

Tewolde Gebremariam, Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines stated: “We are not surprised that the investigation process in the last couple of years was used only to justify the speculation made publicly before the beginning of the investigation process.  To this effect, the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority has appended its comments to the report and expressed its regrets and disagreement both in the investigation process and the final report. ”

Tewolde added that the final report was biased, lacking evidence, incomplete and did not present the full account of the accident. He noted that the report contained numerous factual inaccuracies, internal contradictions and hypothetical statements that are not supported by evidence.  He also added that the investigative authority denied the recovery of the wreckage and ignored crucial information such as security footage, autopsy and taxo-logical records, baggage screening X-ray records, terminal CCTV records, full CVR recovery and read out, victims’ bodies were buried without medical examination and also declined to provide a detailed profile of passengers.

Capt. Desta Zeru, VP Flight Operations of Ethiopian Airlines said: “ATC officers and other airlines’ pilots have witnessed a ball of fire on the aircraft in the air.  All recordings of the Digital Flight Data Recorder and the Cockpit Voice Recorder stopped at 1300 ft. and the aircraft disappeared from radar screen at the same time.  The last cockpit voice recording was also a loud noise which sounds like an explosion. All these facts clearly indicate that the aircraft disintegrated in the air due to explosion, which could have been caused by a shoot-down, sabotage, or lightening strike.”

“Although the final report wrongly alleges that the captain’s actions, statements and degraded performance during that period were as a result of spatial disorientation and loss of situational awareness; the fact of the matter is the CVR and DFDR clearly show that the pilot was making appropriate inputs in an effort to control the aircraft.  This contradicts the investigation assertion that the captain was under subtle incapacitation while he was making every effort to control the aircraft even under heavy gravity force.  Moreover, both pilots were properly trained and qualified.  The captain had over 20 years of experience with a total time of 10,233 hours and the crew pairing was in accordance with approved policy.  The crew duty and rest time was in accordance with the regulation.  Any characterization of our pilots contrary to the foregoing is pure fabrication that cannot stand any scrutiny,’ said Tewolde.

KARACHI: Mera Passion Pakistan (My Passion Pakistan) a unique platform geared towards the promotion of Pakistan youth held its second session in Karachi at Royal Rodale on Saturday.

An independent platform which is completely unaffiliated with any political, religious or regional parties having an aim to report good news and encourage a positive attitude towards Pakistan is all set to eliminate those problems which are portraying Pakistanis as their own enemies.

The platform wants to prove to Pakistanis everywhere that Pakistan’s glass is not half empty, it is in fact half full. Times may be tough, but one should not lose hope. People who maintain a positive attitude are always able to accomplish great things in life.

The stories of many enterprising and unsung heroes were told by the speakers at the event, proving that with the right attitude and passion, nothing is impossible to achieve.

A great step by Mera Passion Pakistan to infect all the Pakistanis with much needed patriotic and motivated spirits, with promises to continue their efforts until the face of Pakistan is changed.

DOHA: Qatar Airways is the official airline of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open 2012 tennis tournament taking place in Doha from 2 - 7 January 2012.

Widely acclaimed as Qatar’s most prestigious Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) event, former World No.1 players Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will take centre stage and battle it out on the courts of the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex in Doha.

The strong line up of players also include other top notch players from around the world like the former defending champion, Nikolay Davydenko of Russia. Last year, it was Roger Federer who clinched the title after defeating Davydenko in straight sets.

With the line-up of top-seeded players in this year’s tournament, tennis lovers are in for yet another season of superlative tennis.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said that the airline is delighted to bring the world’s best players to Doha for what is one of the most prestigious sporting events in the country.

“Qatar Airways is proud to be a long term sponsor of this world-class event which has been so well-received among tennis enthusiasts and fans around the world.

“We are pleased that Qatar Airways’ association with this tournament helps to spread the spirit of tennis among many youngsters thereby paving the way for nurturing future champions from Qatar.”

Nasser Al Khelaifi, Qatar Tennis Federation President said: "the Qatar Tennis Federation is proud of the long-standing association we have had with Qatar Airways. It is through partnerships like this that we can bring world-class tennis to the country as well as develop and foster the growth of players from Qatar."

Qatar Airways has a close association with two major tennis tournaments in Qatar – Qatar ExxonMobil Open and the Qatar Ladies Open.

KARACHI: Al Meezan Investment Management Limited (Al Meezan) is pleased to announce another interim dividend payout for Meezan Sovereign Fund (MSF) @ Rs. 1.30 per unit and Meezan Cash Fund (MCF) @ Rs. 0.40 per unit. The details of the dividend are as following:

Microsoft is empowering local firms with a host of business productivity solutions through its recently launched Customer Immersion Experience (CIE) program.

In a press conference announcing the first of its kind launch of CIE in Pakistan, Kamal Ahmed, Country General Manager, Microsoft Pakistan, explained the importance of the CIE to its audience, “Microsoft believes that businesses - whether big or small - need the right platform and tools to optimize productivity and attain maximum output from their workforce. The program offers the opportunity for users to experience first-hand of how Microsoft technologies can help them communicate, collaborate, create and manage information more efficiently within their organizations.”

“A very effective method of demonstrating the key features and benefits of Microsoft technologies in Pakistan is through the CIE, which is better than the usual classroom-type of discussion. It provides the participants with a hands-on experience of the various tools allowing them to better understand the features that are made available,” said Sultan Hamdani, COO, Maison Consulting & Solutions.

CIE lets business decision-makers enter a hands-on environment that encourages discussion on how Microsoft technologies can be used in organizations.

Participants were walked through a set of Microsoft solutions on various productivity capabilities that allow people to merge their emails and calendar better; work simultaneously on a single document; make better and faster decisions through self-service business intelligence; and be productive from anywhere using different devices.

Also present at the launch Syed Hashish, General Manager, Microsoft North Africa, East Mediterranean and Pakistan.

He said, “The Customer Immersion Experience will enable the business leaders to understand and adopt the key technologies that improve business productivity, what it can do for the organization, as well as identify the right set of services which can cater to specific business needs. Pakistani companies can now minimize expenses, innovate and grow, with the help of all these products working together.”

The CIE is an innovative way for customers to learn about Microsoft’s business platform and productivity tools such as Office 365, Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Lync, Project, Visio, Windows, Windows Phone, Dynamics CRM and System Center.

MUTTENZ: Sud-Chemie AG, a Clariant Group Company, and LG Chem, Ltd., Seoul/Korea, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a joint venture for high volume production of superior quality Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP).

LFP is a cost effective, safe and eco-friendly cathode material for use in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Sud-Chemie, a member of the LFP licensing alliance with several years of experience in manufacturing and marketing LFP, expects to have synergy effects by creating a joint venture with LG, a world leading lithium-ion battery producer.

The joint venture will lay the foundation for reliable sources of LFP with regard to the rapidly growing use of lithium-ion batteries for on-site energy storage, for instance solar energy and popular smart grid applications, and for electric and hybrid automobile drives. The joint venture will predominantly provide stable supplies of LFP to LG Chem, and also provide global leading battery company as a customer to Süd-Chemie.

It is the mutual objective to improve LFP by combining process technology of LG Chem and manufacturing technology of Sud-Chemie, which fosters the growth of the market for lithium-ion batteries and the use of LFP especially for applications demanding very long life. At later stage, the joint development of other advanced olivine structure materials such as Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate (LFMP) is also in plan. LFMP cathode materials allow for batteries with higher energy density while maintaining the advantages of LFP.

Peter Bahnsuk Kim, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LG Chem, Ltd. commented on the joint venture: “This joint venture with Sud-Chemie is very meaningful to LG Chem in the way that it enables us to have strong competitiveness in the field of rapidly growing high capacity lithium-ion battery for Energy Storage System (ESS) and in vehicle applications. It is possible to manufacture high performance as well as cost effective product by combining unique technologies and manufacturing know-how of both companies.”

Dr. Gunter von Au, Chairman of the Managing Board (CEO) of Sud-Chemie AG, said: “This partnership is of central strategic importance to Süd-Chemie. With LG as a partner, LFP will establish itself as a storage material for large high-performance batteries. The joint venture puts us in an excellent position in the fast-growing market for battery materials.”

MUTENZ: With demand for safer, more environmentally-compatible materials in smart phones, tablets and laptops showing a steady increase, Clariant steps up its support for the electrical and electronics (E&E) industry with capacity expansion and a pioneering manufacturing-efficiency advance for non-halogenated flame retardants.

The specialty chemicals expert is adding a third production unit for its Exolit® OP non-halogenated flame retardants at its site in Hürth-Knapsack, near Cologne, Germany. It is the latest phase in Clariant’s on-going capacity expansion for its phosphinate-based flame retardant product line, which has become a well-established halogen-free alternative to brominated flame retardants for engineering thermoplastics and other polymers in electric and electronic equipment.

The start-up of the third production facility, scheduled for 2013, will achieve a tripling of the baseline capacity of Clariant’s original Hürth-Knapsack plant, which has been producing Exolit OP since 2004.

Since expansion plans for Exolit OP were first communicated in Q4 2010, a Phase One debottlenecking at Clariant’s existing full-scale commercial plant at Hürth-Knapsack successfully created extra capacity in mid-2011. The completion of a second industrial-scale unit at the site (Phase Two) by mid-2012 will double effective capacity, prior to the third unit coming on-stream in 2013.

In Asia, the manufacturing hub of electronics, Clariant gave key players from the E&E sector a first glimpse of its pioneering efficiency-boosting non-halogenated flame retardants for epoxy resins. Intended for printed circuit boards, Exolit EP 150 and EP 200 enable manufacturers to use only a low dosage of flame retardant to reach the desired fire protection effect, cutting flame retardant use by up to 50% compared to conventional flame retardants.

“Innovation and expansion in core businesses are two important elements in Clariant’s four pillar strategy to grow our profits and, in this case, to support the steadily increasing global demand for more environmentally compatible products,” comments Christian Kohlpaintner, member of Clariant’s Executive Committee. “The capacity expansion and the introduction of enhanced solutions address the unprecedented demand for our Exolit portfolio and strengthen our presence in the highly attractive electrical and electronics markets in Asia.”

KARACHI: Pakistan Youth Forum (PYF), a nonprofit youth organization, celebrated the International Day of People with Disability at Dar-ul-Sukun, Karachi. The International Day of People with Disability is an international observance promoted by the United Nations (UN) since 1992. It has been celebrated with varying degrees of success around the planet. The day was aimed to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in Pakistan. Volunteers of PYF spent the day with people of Dar-ul Sukun by cheering them up with different activities, games and music followed by refreshments. Delightful gifts were also provided to all the children. Around 150 participants joyfully enjoyed the day’s proceedings. Speaking on the occasion PYF representatives Syed Arsalan Ashraf , Shahzaib Iqbal , Sanam Ashraf and Tooba Hatif conveyed the message that they want to bring in a positive change in society and cultivate the sense of social responsibility and human rights among the new generation through such social service programs. PYF President Syed Fahad Ali welcomed the gathering and specially thanked the Dar-ul-Sukun staff for their contributions in ensuring a high quality event.

MUTTENZ­­: Süd-Chemie Aktiengesellschaft today informed Clariant LTD that the resolution agreed by the Shareholders General Meeting of Süd-Chemie Aktiengesellschaft (22 November 2011) with regard to squeezing out the Minority Shareholders (§ 327a AktG), yesterday became effective by registration with the Commercial Register.

By registration of the carry-over decision with the Commercial Register, minority shareholders of Süd-Chemie Aktiengesellschaft are ruled out of Süd-Chemie Aktiengesellschaft.

Their shares have been passed by law to the majority shareholder, Clariant LTD, based in Muttenz, Switzerland.

KARACHI: The third quarter of 2011 recorded 42 per cent growth in Software Revenue, to €165 million, according to Steve Watts, President, SAP Asia Pacific Japan. Pakistan has been one of the key countries contributing to the improved performance of SAP APJ revenues.

“SAP APJ recorded its best ever 3^rd quarter performance, underpinned by strong business momentum across the region. Our key markets of China, India and Japan are growing at strong double-digit growth and every market in the region is performing well.”

In Q3 2011, SAP APJ’s Software and Software Related Services Revenue grew 24 per cent to €439 million, while Total Revenue saw a corresponding 22 per cent growth to €525 million. For the nine months ended September 30, 2011, SAP APJ grew Software Revenue by 37 per cent, Software and Software Related Services Revenue by 22 per cent, and Total Revenue by 20 per cent.  All growth figures shown above are expressed in Non-IFRS constant currency terms and are measured against the previous comparable period.

Commenting on SAP APJ’s performance and Pakistan’s growing market, Hassan Jamal, Country Liaison Manager, SAP Pakistan said, “Pakistan has made a solid contribution to SAP APJ region’s bottom-line growth. We are optimistic about the outlook for the rest of the year, and are continuing to invest in our future success by continuing to provide top quality solutions and resources through our eco-system. Our core solutions, together with our industry leading innovations in Mobility, In-memory and Cloud, are unmatched in the value they bring to our customers across all industries in Pakistan. Our customers continue to tell us that they see value in what SAP does for them – they gain better business insights and speed their decision making to drive growth and operational efficiency.”

DUBAI AIR SHOW: Qatar Airways has announced a deal with European aircraft manufacturer Airbus to acquire 88 narrow-and wide-body aircraft. The agreement is for 50 of Airbus’ new generation A320neo (new engine option) airplanes with a further 30 on option, together with five additional A380s super jumbos and three on option.

The A320neo aircraft are designed to operate quieter with lower operating costs, fly further and carry heavier payloads with less emissions than current single aisle aircraft. The five new A380s will double the number of the airline’s super jumbos already in the delivery pipeline, taking firm orders up to 10 aircraft. Deliveries are due to begin in 2013.

The announcement was made at a press conference during the Dubai Air Show by Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker.

“The A320neo promises to be a great aircraft which is why we have chosen it to form the backbone of our future single aisle expansion,” he said, addressing a packed media briefing.

“Together with our previous orders for the A350 extra wide body aircraft and new orders for additional A380s, we are continuing to invest in an integrated family of the world’s most modern and fuel efficient aircraft.”

The A320neo single aisle jet will be fitted with engines, which Airbus estimates will offer 15 per cent fuel savings, and emit 3,600 tonnes less carbon dioxide per aircraft every year.

The A320neo will belong to the A320 family of aircraft, of which Qatar Airways currently operates 38 in its fleet with a further nine pending delivery. Of the 50 firm A320neo aircraft on order, 30 are A320s, 14 are A321s and six are A319s.

“Qatar Airways supported the development of the Airbus A320neo very early on. It is with great pride that we are announcing this large order today, including additional Airbus A380s. We have built up a strong relationship with our friends at Qatar Airways over the years, and today this partnership is stronger than ever,” said Airbus Chief Operating Officer (Customers) John Leahy.

Recently named Airline of the Year 2011 by global industry audit Skytrax, Qatar Airways is one of the fastest growing airlines in the world, operating a modern fleet of 102 Airbus and Boeing aircraft to 109 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

The airline’s Airbus fleet is made up of 74 aircraft comprising A340s, A330s, A300 freighters and A320 Family aircraft. Aside from the A380s and A320 family aircraft pending delivery, Qatar Airways is the world’s largest customer of 80 of the new generation A350s.

Qatar Airways’ aggressive 2011 expansion programme has so far seen the launch of flights to 14 destinations – Bucharest (Romania), Budapest (Hungary), Brussels (Belgium), Stuttgart (Germany), Aleppo (Syria), Shiraz (Iran), Venice (Italy), Montreal (Canada), Medina (Saudi Arabia), Kolkata (India), Sofia (Bulgaria), Oslo (Norway), Benghazi (Libya) and Entebbe (Uganda).

The south western Chinese city of Chongqing becomes Qatar Airways’ final new route of 2011 – its fifth gateway in China from November 28. On February 1, 2012, Qatar Airways begins scheduled flights to Baku and Tbilisi, the capital cities of Azerbaijan and Georgia, respectively.

By 2013, Qatar Airways plans to serve over 120 destinations worldwide with a fleet of more than 120 aircraft.

DOHA: Qatar Airways will launch a three-day global sale on November 15 offering incredible savings on return fares to and from over 100 destinations worldwide.

Passengers anywhere in the world, where Qatar Airways operates to, can avail the special fares. Economy Class prices are up to 25 per cent off the normal tariffs, while Business Class passengers are able to take advantage of up to 20 per cent off their ticket prices.

With a generous six-month travel window between 21 November 2011 and 31 May 2012 next year, customers can plan and book their next holiday or business trip well in advance.

The three-day sale booking window opens at midnight 0001 hrs (local time in each market) on November 15 and ends on November 17 at 2359 hrs (local time in each market).

The savings are based on return fares, including taxes with certain conditions attached. Tickets are bookable online at www.qatarairways.com, through Qatar Airways’ reservation offices and via travel agents.

Passengers can choose from a diverse range of more than 100 business and leisure destinations, including Hong Kong, Seychelles, Kathmandu, Madrid, New York, Sao Paulo, Beirut, Athens, Beijing, Muscat, Delhi, Goa, Melbourne and recently-launched routes to Budapest, Brussels, Montreal and Venice via the airline’s Doha hub.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said: “Through this incredible worldwide offer, we are saying a big ‘thank you’ to our customers reflecting their loyalty towards flying with Qatar Airways.

“And for those customers who have never flown with us before, we say welcome onboard and we look forward to them to experience our-award winning service. It’s been a big year for Qatar Airways and we have much to celebrate – welcoming our 100^th aircraft, being named Airline of the Year 2011 and spreading our wings to more than 100 destinations worldwide.”

Added Al Baker: “We continue to strive for excellence in all we do, to ensure our customers receive the best service both in the air and on the ground and we look forward to seeing them take advantage of this incredible sale over the next few days.”

The airline’s aggressive 2011 expansion programme has so far seen the launch of flights to 14 destinations – Bucharest (Romania), Budapest (Hungary), Brussels (Belgium), Stuttgart (Germany), Aleppo (Syria), Shiraz (Iran), Venice (Italy), Montreal (Canada), Medina (Saudi Arabia), Kolkata (India), Sofia (Bulgaria), Oslo (Norway), Benghazi (Libya) and Entebbe in Uganda.

The Chinese city of Chongqing becomes Qatar Airways’ last new route of the year, launching on November 28.

The three-day promotion is valid for bookings made at www.qatarairways.com. The offer applies to return airfares only. Prices include all taxes and fees; fares may not be available on all flights and days; other terms & conditions apply.

Qatar Airways operates a modern fleet of over 100 aircraft to more than 100 diverse business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

The airlines boasts one of the youngest fleet of aircraft in the skies today. It has orders worth over US$40 billion for more than 200 aircraft, including Boeing 787s, 777s, Airbus A350s, A380s, A320 family of aircraft and Bombardier corporate jets. The rapid expansion of Qatar Airways prompted the State of Qatar to embark on one of its biggest projects – the construction of a brand new international airport in Doha, which is scheduled to open in 2012.

MUTTENZ: Specialty chemicals expert Clariant is offering tanners the first viable scientific and commercial option to traditional tanning methods in some 125 years with the global launch of EasyWhite Tan. The first major advance since the advent of chrome-based tanning revolutionized the industry back in the late 1800s, the new EasyWhite Tan process delivers a ground-breaking alternative to conventional methods based on metals (such as chrome, which accounts for 85% of global leather production), phenols or aldehydes, or on vegetable extracts.

Its global introduction follows trials by major tanners around the world over the last two years.

EasyWhite Tan is suited for all major end-uses, including the shoe upper leather sector and for the production of automotive upholstery, the latter at present largely dependent on chrome-free aldehyde tanning.

Based on Clariant’s liquid, non-hazardous Granofin® Easy F-90, a synthesized organic self-reactive compound, EasyWhite Tan has major advantages for the global industry:

• Leaner: eliminates both pickle and basification process stages, uses less chemicals
• Cleaner: without pickle – no salt, cleaner and easier to treat effluent
• Safer: simplified processing, fewer possibilities for error, reliable process

For the processing of 1,000 wet salted hides, water consumption falls from 12,000 litres to 6,000; chemicals required are reduced from six to one; 1,000kg of sodium chloride is eliminated; and process controls go from eight to two; and process time is reduced from around 14 hours to eight.

Major tanners and manufacturers of finished leather products have welcomed the new development. The Italian Dani Group, recently recognized by the Italian government for its innovation, produces automotive and furniture leather under the most stringent testing conditions.

“It was difficult to imagine that a fundamental advance in tanning had been achieved but Clariant has done just that. We have been delighted by the results and are also pleased that we can offer our customers an even better product than they demand,” states Giancarlo Dani, CEO of the group. This is a view shared by Ecco Leather, a major leather producer and worldwide footwear brand. “Ecco Leather was very happy to see, finally, an innovation in tanning. Our worry in past years has been that the industry has been stuck in a traditional way of working and did not seek any innovation. Clariant proves that tanning can be different too,” says Panos Mytaros, Ecco Leather’s Managing Director.

TIANJIN: As a key speaker at the recent China Mining Congress & Expo in Tianjin, Intierra Resource Intelligence, the world’s leading supplier of business intelligence to the mineral resources sector, revealed that foreign mining revenue for Chinese companies reached approximately $39 billion in 2010.

During a detailed presentation covering Chinese interests in foreign resources, global capital market conditions plus recent mergers and acquisition activity, Channel Director Stuart Ferguson, showcased figures from the IntierraLive database that indicated China’s direct interest in foreign resources was now $4168 billion.

Ferguson stated, “The Chinese direct interest figure highlights China’s growing presence in the global marketplace. Chinese companies are well entrenched across all the different mining geographies and deriving significant revenues from their investments to date.”

China Mining Congress & Expo, one of the world's premier mining congress and exhibitions and one of the world's top four mining events, has become Asia's largest mineral exploration and mining trading platform. It plays a crucial function in creating communication channels and new opportunities for Chinese domestic and international mining interests.

KARACHI: Lotte Pakistan PTA (Lotte PPTA), a subsidiary of LOTTE, one of South Korea’s largest conglomerates operating in Pakistan, was presented the 1st Fire & Safety Award 2011 at the Fire & Safety Awards 2011 held at local Hotel in Karachi.

The Fire and Safety Awards 2011 were a part of the 2nd Int’l Convention on Fire & Safety Pakistan 2011 jointly organized by the National Forum for Environment & Health (NFEH) and Fire Protection Association of Pakistan (FPAP). The Fire & Safety Award was presented upon meeting a specified criterion set by FPAP professionals.

Qamar Haris Manzoor, G. M. Manufacturing received the award on behalf of Lotte PPTA from the chief guest, Sardar Muhammad Yasin Malik, Vice Chairman, Hilal-e-Ahmer and Chairman Hilton Group. Jung Neon Kim and Oh Hum Lim, Korean Directors Lotte PPTA, were also present on the occasion. Lotte PPTA received this prestigious award for its unrelenting commitment and corporate vision of protecting human lives by incorporating accident and disaster free practices in its operations.

Lotte PPTA is strongly devoted towards upholding the highest standards in health, safety, environment and security (HSE&S) and therefore benchmarks its practices to those followed internationally. Asif Saad, CEO Lotte PPTA expressed profound delight on the occasion. He said, “We are honored on receiving the Fire & Safety Award and believe it is in recognition for our efforts towards caring for our people and investing in providing a safe work place and world class processes.”

As a petrochemical plant, Lotte PPTA was also recognized for achieving 35 million hours without any injury (lost time case) for employees and contractors. This achievement is ranked as one of the best in petrochemical plant operations globally, hence, a tremendous accomplishment for the company.

KARACHI: British Council’s Education UK (EUK) and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) have joined hands to launch a corporate initiative that will work to bring Pakistani students in UK universities closer to potential employers in Pakistan. The initiative will also provide a platform for British and Pakistani businesses to network and contribute to the target of increasing bilateral trade between Pakistan and the United Kingdom to £2.5 billion by 2015.

The EUK-UKTI corporate initiative was officially launched on Friday, November 11, 2011 during a reception hosted by Francis Campbell – British Deputy High Commissioner Karachi and Director Trade & Investment, Pakistan, at the British Deputy High Commission. Nadia Kamran – Head of Education UK, Mashhood Rizvi – British Council Director (Sindh-Balochistan) along with Country Heads and HR Managers of leading international and local organizations in Pakistan also attended the event.

At the occasion Francis Campbell said: “UKTI’s main objective in Pakistan is to support British companies succeed in the local market. This corporate initiative is a great opportunity to provide these organizations a chance to recruit international standards of UK qualified task force.”

The partnership has plans to work in the following areas in an endeavor to strengthen education and trade ties between UK and Pakistan:

• Connect the HR departments of international and local companies operating in Pakistan to UK universities for better understanding of the job market and recruitment procedures in Pakistan that will further lead to potential partnerships with UK businesses and higher education institutions in the future.
• Organize Career Fairs in London, Manchester and Scotland beginning of 2012, where partner organizations will visit UK universities to interact with students and advise them on job opportunities in Pakistan. The participating businesses will also be able to offer jobs and internships to students.
• Create an online directory of employers interested in recruiting UK graduates.
• Initiate research into future prospects in Pakistan’s job market.

Nadia Kamran, Head of Education UK in Pakistan said, “Through this joint initiative with the UKTI, we want to bridge the gap between UK universities, Pakistani students and potential employers in Pakistan. This opens up new doors for graduates and employers alike. Graduates can find job opportunities that match their skill set and companies stand to benefit from the high standards and competence of UK qualified graduates.”

In addition to providing a platform to the students and potential employers in Pakistan, this initiative will also open avenues for the universities and the industry to exchange knowledge in key areas for the mutual benefit of both countries.

BENGHAZI: Qatar Airways has launched scheduled flights to the Libyan port city of Benghazi in North Africa. Operating four-times-a-week from Doha, Libya’s second largest city is a leading economic centre, ideally located on the Mediterranean for trade and export.

Benghazi, together with the Ugandan city of Entebbe, are the airline’s latest African destinations launched within the space of two days taking the number of new routes started by the Doha-based carrier this year to 14.

Benghazi is home to numerous industries, including oil refining, food processing, cement production and fishing, which would benefit from the new flights to and from Doha and Qatar Airways’ connecting points across the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific.

Qatar Airways is operating an Airbus A320 aircraft, configured with 12 seats in Business Class and 132 in Economy on the route.

Qatar Airways is already well established in Libya, despite having to temporarily suspend flights to Tripoli due to the recent political situation, but hopes to resume services in due course.

Qatar Airways will launch its last new route of 2011 on November 28 with services from Doha to the Chinese city of Chongqing.

Qatar Airways operates a modern fleet of over 100 aircraft to more than 100 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America. The airline has orders worth over US$ 40 billion for more than 200 aircraft, including Boeing 787s, 777s, Airbus A350s, A380s, A320 Family of aircraft and Bombardier corporate jets. The rapid expansion of Qatar Airways prompted the State of Qatar to embark on one of its biggest projects – the construction of a brand new international airport in Doha, which is scheduled to open in 2012.

MONTREAL: The Women International Trade Fair – SIFEM 2012 is an initiative for and from business women and men around the world, in partnership with SHRVEL Communications Inc. based in Toronto, Canada. The fair will be held for 7 days in one of the largest exhibition centers in North America, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) from June 17-23, 2012 in Toronto.

This new and improved edition will bring together women and men from five continents over an area of 300,000 ft2 (30,000 m2). The SIFEM will host 150 countries, 1,300 exhibitors divided into seven sections with mini-exhibitions and more than 500,000 visitors and buyers from all five continents.

This unique event aims to be global, a vehicle for women in all socio-economic, political and cultural areas. SIFEM pays tribute to women in five continents, regardless of origin, culture or religion.

The seven mini-exhibitions at the Women International Trade Fair – SIFEM 2012consist of Arts and culture, education, science and technology, Finance, Faith and family, Fashion and cosmetics, Health, fitness and nutrition, travel and tourism.

Key activities are Ecumenical Peace Meeting (Sunday, June 17, 2012) Cuisine of the five continents (On Tuesday, June 19, 2012), Folk Art from five continents (On Wednesday, June 20, 2012), Mega Concert (Thursday, June 21, 2012) , Fashion shows showcasing five continents (On Friday, June 22, 2012)

The SIFEM exhibition dedicated to the woman offers a unique opportunity to all traders, men and women, regardless of their industry to build relationships, to be known, to exhibit, sell, distribute, forge new partnerships and to position itself on a national and international scene.

In addition to promoting trade , cooperation and solidarity of women as a whole, the overarching goal is to target the economic challenges of the twenty-first century and to encourage discussion of current issues which are among the concerns for socio-global political and economic.

The fair is also an opportunity to gather business women and entrepreneurs from five continents to promote exchanges, partnerships and business achievements;, promote products and services of businesses owned by women or who have a high number of women represented in institutions, by holding seven mini-fairs and support women in decision-making on the international scene, seven conferences will echo the hot topics in the news.

KARACHI: SAP unveils solutions that will drive business competitiveness which was presented at the 2011 World Tour held at a local hotel in Pakistan. The business event gathered many of the country’s key large enterprises to come together and share best practices in harnessing the power of business intelligence to help keep up with the changing business landscape.

Commenting on the occasion, Nitin Gangla Head of Indirect Business for South East Asia & Emerging Markets said; “We must embrace change. The key is to evolve and transform with the times.  Mobility, analytics and cloud are more than just buzzwords now; these are starting a real revolution in information technology".

SAP World Tour takes place in more than 50 cities in over 40 countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America. The global road show has reached more than 240,000 customers, partners and influencers over the last seven years, and is designed to enable dialog with influencers, customers and prospects, along with members of the SAP ecosystem and parties interested in partnering with SAP.  SAP World Tour stops in Pakistan, after equally successful World Tours in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, etc in South East Asia.

Meanwhile, Hassan Jamal, Country Liaison Manager, SAP Pakistan said “Key challenge among companies today is how to best tap and analyze the soaring quantity of data, and harness that information to improve the business while maintaining cost efficiency at the same time. Companies will need to be more agile and responsive to the changing business dynamics by enabling access to all the information needed to meet these challenges.  SAP World Tour aims at helping firms understand the solutions on offer, and implement the most appropriate and beneficial solution in accordance with a firm's size and industry”.

The SAP World Tour offers customers and partners throughout the world a local event to help firms run better. SAP understands pertinent domestic market challenges and is well-poised to offer the right solutions to firms and industries of all types and sizes.

SAP World Tour takes place in more than 50 cities in over 40 countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America.

KAMPALA: The entry of Qatar Airways into two African cities this week marks the first of potentially more route launches on the Continent as the airline’s CEO spelled out a commitment to grow its regional operations.

The Libyan port city of Benghazi and Ugandan city of Entebbe have joined Doha-based Qatar Airways’ global network taking the carrier’s African portfolio to 16 destinations. In addition to the passenger flights launched to Uganda yesterday, Qatar Airways also began the first of twice-weekly dedicated freighter services to Entebbe.

With the airline now serving more than 100 destinations globally, the African component represents a sizeable figure and is set to grow even further, said Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker.

Speaking to media at a press conference in the Ugandan capital Kampala today, Al Baker said: “Two route launches within two days on this diverse Continent is significant as the last time we made a foray into Africa was four years ago when we began services to Tanzania’s capital city of Dar es Salaam. So far this year we have ventured into 14 new markets, launching flights to business and leisure destinations around the world at an average rate of more than one a month. Africa has been our focus this month with start-ups to both Benghazi and Entebbe and we look forward to even more over time. It’s premature to say where we plan to operate as we don’t want to give heads up to the competition, but there are plenty of opportunities across Africa, which remains largely underserved by international airlines.”

Al Baker stressed the importance of entering markets for the long-term, saying Qatar Airways was not in the business of moving into new territory and withdrawing, instead committing and offering convenient and efficient travel options for business and leisure passengers year-round.

“Here in Uganda, with our new daily non-stop flights to our Doha hub, we are committed to this market long term and look forward to offering the travelling public the high levels of service that they fully deserve. Since announcing our Uganda flights six months ago, we have received positive feedback from the travel trade and the business community.”

The daily Entebbe operation provides a non-stop link to the State of Qatar in the Arabian Gulf with excellent onward connections to a vast array of destinations across the Middle East, Europe and Asia Pacific.

With Qatar Airways now operating 35 passenger flights a week between Doha and East Africa – Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania – Qatar Airways has a formidable presence in the region.

In addition, Qatar Airways Cargo, the airline’s freighter arm, operates dedicated flights to Entebbe twice-weekly using an Airbus A300 aircraft, transporting a variety of goods, including produce and flowers to the Ugandan gateway.

“Qatar Airways has been growing its cargo operations gradually, and launching a dedicated freighter route to coincide with the start of the airline’s commercial passenger service signals what promises to be a fruitful air link between Qatar and Uganda,” said Al Baker.

In addition to the route launch, an interline partnership was recently announced between the airline and Tanzania’s largest carrier, Precision Air. The agreement gives passengers the option to purchase a single itinerary to combine flights on both carriers’ networks, offering the convenience of one-stop ticketing and baggage check-in.

Broadening the ties between the Doha-based carrier and East Africa, the new Precision Air partnership will provide Qatar Airways’ global passenger base with the option to connect seamlessly to a wide range of regional cities, including Moroni, Zanzibar, Mombasa, Arusha, Kigoma, Shinyanga, Musoma and Tabora.

Qatar Airways, recently named Airline of the Year 2011 by industry audit Skytrax, is the only Five Star-ranked carrier to operate scheduled flights to Entebbe. The airline’s competitive onboard product focuses on comfort, fine cuisine, the latest inflight audio and video entertainment, award-winning service and an aircraft fleet that is young, modern, averaging less than four years old.

By 2013, Qatar Airways plans to serve more than 120 key business and leisure destinations worldwide with a fleet of over 120 aircraft. Today, the airline’s fleet of over 100 aircraft flies to more than 100 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America.

KARACHI: DuPont Pakistan Operations (Pvt.) Ltd. under the DuPont Community Fund Program (DCF) will contribute to SOS Children's Village Community Clinic and fund medical and clinical expenses for the year. SOS Pakistan is a private social welfare organization providing orphans and abandoned children a home, good nurturing and a fair chance in life as well as a new and permanent home.

Under this program, almost 200 SOS Village children and over 35 resident mothers and domestic staff will have access to free medical check-ups, medicines, dental examination, free screening of new admissions including lab tests, ultrasound, x-rays and vaccinations. The contribution will also support emergency needs including hospitalization expenses. Last year, DuPont Pakistan provided health insurance plan coverage to SOS Village children, resident mothers and domestic staff.

“Our core values Safety and Health, Environmental Stewardship, Highest Ethical Behavior and Respect for People are the compass points that guide our company in all its decisions and form the foundation of everything we do. We are committed to make a sustainable difference to a brighter, safer, healthier Pakistan,” stated Tauqir Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer, DuPont Pakistan.  “These children are our future and it is our responsibility to help them stay safe. We hope our contribution will help SOS support this important task. Contributing to safer communities is just one more way that DuPont is working to be a good corporate citizen in Pakistan.”

“Our children are faced with some serious health issues. Their health has always been a key concern to us. A child can only perform if he/she is physically strong and healthy. Good health promotes productivity and fosters steady growth. Unfortunately, due to increasing pollution our children fall sick very often and hence need medical help regularly. It’s heartening to see organizations sensing communal responsibility. This initiative supported by DuPont is greatly recognized and appreciated. Through this program, we are investing in the future of Pakistan. Our children will do well at school and at play,” said Zahida Hashmi, SOS Village Director.

KARACHI: Steady growth trajectories, comprehensive product portfolios, increasing network points all this has aided this niche market to gain popularity. Al Baraka Bank (Pakistan) Limited (ABPL) has not only pioneered in Islamic banking in Pakistan dating back two decades, but has also shown tremendous progress in the current economic mayhem, which is evident from the results for the period ended’ September 2011. The first year has been highly flourishing for Al Baraka, as the bank has witnessed a sea change in terms of burgeoning growth. The assets have increased by 31% from Rs.52.5 Billion at the time of merger, to more than Rs.68 Billion as of September 2011. The deposit base of the bank also grew by more than 41% and crossed Rs.58 Billion. Financing and Investments of the Bank showed an encouraging increase of 41% to Rs.46.18 billion in September 2011. The total income from banking business has shown a commendable increase of 247% to Rs.5.4 billion in September 2011 & a pretax profit of Rs.505 million against a loss of Rs.1.37 billion as of merger date.

Al Baraka Bank Pakistan branch network has increased to 89 branches spread over 37 cities and plans to strengthen the same further.  Mr. Shafqaat Ahmed, Member of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive of Al Baraka Bank (Pakistan) Limited, accentuating the financial soundness of the entity said, “These results depict our determination to continue investing our substantial financial resources and expertise in maximizing the returns to our shareholders and the investors.”

Al Baraka Bank (Pakistan) Limited (ABPL) is a part of Al Baraka Banking Group (ABG), the leading international Islamic banking group in the gulf region, listed on Bahrain and NASDAQ Dubai Stock Exchanges. The group has a wide geographical presence in the form of subsidiary units and representative offices spanning from Europe to MENA and Asia, with a network exceeding 400 branches in 13 countries.

KARACHI: The Pakistani commodity trading market has visibly entered into the growth momentum and is on its way to become a central hub for commodity related activities which include investing in precious metals i.e gold and silver and energy i.e crude oil. The number of new investors trading on the exchange grew more than 245% in the current year. At present there are investors in cities from Urban Pakistan like Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Multan, Faisalabad and Peshawar to smaller cities like Jhelum, Attock, Jhang, Sargodha and Rahim yar khan who are actively investing on Pakistan Mercantile Exchange.

Pakistan Mercantile Exchange has more than 320 members. Every month more brokers are activating their memberships by getting registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. This registration gives them the ability to initiate trading in Commodities and signing up clients to invest and trade on the country’s only licensed futures trading platform, Pakistan Mercantile Exchange Limited. Last year from June 2010 – July 2011 the activated members grew about 106 %. The total number of brokers registered with PMEX in 2010 were 19 whereas this number increased to 63 in the current calendar year till date.

Pakistan Mercantile Exchange has been operational since 2007 there is are a sufficient number of case studies supporting the viability of the Business Model. The entry barriers are low and the investments required in Commodity Brokerage is also quite low hence this is has proved to be a sustainable business model if managed smartly with professional acumen. Since Pakistan Mercantile Exchange is a demutualized exchange, it has an open membership model which implies that membership is open to all concerned parties. “Each new commodity that gets listed on the Exchange brings with it the specialists of the respective field” said Samir Ahmed MD Pakistan Mercantile Exchange.

MUTTENZ/SINGAPORE: The Swiss-based specialty chemicals company Clariant announces the opening of its new Regional Headquarters for South East Asia & Pacific and its new Global Textile Chemicals headquarters, both located in Singapore. Today Clariant is also celebrating the inauguration of its newly built ethoxylation plant and application laboratory in Guangdong, China. “Expanding Clariant’s business in the fast-growing Asian region is an important pillar in our profitable growth strategy and a strong commitment to serving our customers and markets,” comments CEO Hariolf Kottmann.

New Regional Headquarters for South East Asia & Pacific Region

Clariant’s new regional hub is the first headquarters to be shared by Clariant and Süd-Chemie. The current 200 employees based at the Singapore location will support customers in the South East Asia and Pacific regions. In the last five years, Clariant’s sales in the Asia Pacific region have grown from 17% to around 22%. At the same time investment reached over CHF 200 million in China alone. Clariant’s acquisition of Süd-Chemie will add significantly to this growth. Süd-Chemie achieved 31.5% of its sales in Asia and the Middle East in 2010, standing at EUR 385 million. A third of its employees are located in this region.

New Global Textile Chemicals BU Headquarters

The South East Asia & Pacific Headquarters will also serve as the headquarters for Clariant’s Textile Chemicals Business Unit. In 2010 the textile business generated sales of CHF 821 million. With more than 60% of global textile production based in the Asia Pacific region, Clariant already generates 43% of its textile chemicals sales from Asia. With its relocation from Switzerland now complete, the new headquarters will accommodate the entire senior Textile Chemicals BU management team. The Business Unit has also set up its global textile application team at the new location, including a state of the art laboratory.

First Asia ethoxylation plant of Clariant in China

Clariant’s completion of its global ethoxylation footprint with a first site in Asia marks another significant investment in the country by its Industrial and Consumer Specialties (ICS) Business Unit.

The new 80,000 square meter Dayabay plant situated in the South East of Guangdong Province is the business unit’s largest plant in Asia Pacific. The plant has an initial capacity close to 50,000 tons per annum for the manufacture of surfactants. Additionally, it is equipped with an autoclave laboratory to allow fast product development and customization of products to local demands.

PALO ALTO: HP announced that it has completed its evaluation of strategic alternatives for its Personal Systems Group (PSG) and has decided the unit will remain part of the company.

“HP objectively evaluated the strategic, financial and operational impact of spinning off PSG. It’s clear after our analysis that keeping PSG within HP is right for customers and partners, right for shareholders, and right for employees,” said Meg Whitman, HP president and chief executive officer. “HP is committed to PSG, and together we are stronger.”

The strategic review involved subject matter experts from across the businesses and functions. The data-driven evaluation revealed the depth of the integration that has occurred across key operations such as supply chain, IT and procurement. It also detailed the significant extent to which

PSG contributes to HP’s solutions portfolio and overall brand value.

Finally, it also showed that the cost to recreate these in a standalone company outweighed any benefits of separation.

The outcome of this exercise reaffirms HP’s model and the value for its customers and shareholders. PSG is a key component of HP’s strategy to deliver higher value, lasting relationships with consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and enterprise customers. The HP board of directors is confident that PSG can drive profitable growth as part of the larger entity and accelerate solutions from other parts of HP’s business.

PSG has a history of innovation and technological leadership as well as an established record of industry-leading profitability. It is the No. 1 manufacturer of personal computers in the world with revenues totaling $40.7 billion for fiscal year 2010.

As part of HP, PSG will continue to give customers and partners the advantages of product innovation and global scale across the industry’s broadest portfolio of PCs, workstations and more,” said Todd Bradley, executive vice president, Personal Systems Group, HP. “We intend to make the leading PC business in the world even better.”

TIANJIN: Intierra Resource Intelligence is pleased to showcase the breadth and depth of its global mining insight in China next week.

Intierra’s CEO, Peter Rossdeutscher, will present China Mining Global Overview at the China Mining Congress & Expo, in Tianjin on November 8, 2011. Mr. Rossdeutscher’s presentation will cover a broad range of data and analysis including foreign mining revenue for Chinese companies, Chinese direct and indirect interest in foreign resources, global capital market conditions plus recent mergers and acquisition activity.

China Mining Congress & Expo, one of the world's premier mining congress and exhibitions and one of the world's top four mining events, has become Asia's largest mineral exploration and mining trading platform. It plays a crucial function in creating communication channels and new opportunities for Chinese domestic and international mining interests.

China Mining’s reputation and influence has grown exponentially since first opening in 1999.

The event covers the whole value chain; including geological survey, exploration development, mining rights trading, mining investment and financing, services, smelting and processing, plus techniques and equipment. In 2010, China Mining attracted more than 5,000 delegates from 60 countries and featured over 600 booths.

Intierra Resource Intelligence provides business intelligence for the international mineral resources sector by delivering context-rich information to mineral resource industry professionals. The solutions they offer are unique insights into company evaluations, M&A, risk management, due diligence, competitor intelligence and project pipeline evaluation.

LAHORE: Soneri Bank Limited posted a profit after tax of Rs.750.16 million for the third quarter period ended September 30, 2011. Total assets of the Bank closed at Rs.123,349.91 million, which are up 14.10% from the December 2010 levels. This growth was primarily driven by a 12.13% rise in deposits, which as on September 30, 2011 amounted to Rs.91,968.45 million (Dec 2010: Rs.82,016.81 million). The Loan and Investment portfolio also registered a similar trend and posted a combined increase of 15.8% over the December 2010 base. Consequently, the Net Interest Margins of the Bank improved by a remarkable 35.28% growth in comparison to last year’s period.

The strong profitability augmented by the non-markup income stream comfortably absorbed the pressures from NPL provisioning and increased expense base and resulted in recording an encouraging growth in the post-tax profits for the third quarter performance of the Bank.

The above results were announced along with a declaration of 12.5% bonus shares by the Board. Incorporating the above declaration with the discounted right issue completed earlier this year, the Bank will sufficiently comply with State Bank’s Minimum Capital Requirement for the year 2011.

Soneri Bank is amongst the fastest growing trade oriented bank operating with a branch network of 186 branches in all provinces of Pakistan. The Bank has planned to increase its total branch network to over 200 branches in year 2011 and is determined to provide innovative and value-added services to its expanding client base.

Every month the Top10 traders will be featured on the Traders Awards Page. This will serve as Tribute to Top Traders. The number one Trader will be awarded the HTA award as a showcase to the superb skills that lead to an excellent performance.

The Professional Trader is a unique breed. It is a professional who manages risk day in and day out.

It is a disciplined individual who follows a Trading Plan with no deviation, who learns from mistakes and never repeats them. The professional Trader is a star player combining a multitude of skills enabling consistent profitability. A TRADER is a special kind of person who is worth of praise and recognition.

Online Forex trading has developed into one of the most lucrative trading opportunities in the market. The accessibility, simplicity and convenience of these methods have made them a popular choice with small time and large traders. Forex trading requires constant monitoring and speedy transactions.

The use of high end technology and a vast collection of experience in the trading field help the management team of the company to enable traders with the perfect, efficient and fast paced trading platform to meet the rising demands of the market.

Trading remains a risky profession. It requires a professional bent of mind and the ability to adapt to changing market conditions quickly. The information on Forex trading and the awards are available on the company website at http://www.hotforex.com