Friday, August 30, 2013

Mr. Sores Dogan of Baldwin&Glesser are asking investors to brave on investing in Africa

Mr. Sores Dogan of Baldwin&Glesser are asking investors to brave on investing in Africa. Fundraising took place in multi markets has been wellcomed by many corporate investors and individual investors.

Mr. Sores Dogan who has been involved in many fund raising road shows priroly says; At the begining some investors had doubts about placing money on markets they dont really know but as they see the track record of our work priorly they are more keen to be involved.

As per todays values we have been able to secure 275M usd for our investments in Africa says Mr Sores Dogan. Fund FRONTIER-3 will be mainly investing energy and mining deals . Mr Sores Dogan also says they are willing to set up a second fund for agricultural projects which will also have a sub-fund regarding infrastructure investments .

In 5 years time our total portfolio in Africa will be 350 MWs says Mr Sores Dogan. Our principal investment of two hydro power plants which will be shovel ready in three months will be finalized in 50 months of the start date and will be connected to national grids where the projects are located.

As a conclusion Mr Sores Dogan states we believe Africa has more capacity than anywhere in the world and expecting to have double digit growth all around the continent in next 10 years. Mr Agabe Muwasbe and Mr Sores Dogan will have a press release conference in Nairobi in Februrary 20th at Crown Plaza Hotel

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

SHARJAH’S LARGEST PORT HANDLER SEES DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH IN 2013 - says Peter Richards

Sharjah-based Gulftainer, one of the world's largest privately owned port management and logistics companies, continues to increase its footprint both locally and internationally, and are poised to register a double digit growth again in 2013. 
The company operates three main UAE ports: two on behalf of the Sharjah Port Authority - Sharjah Container Terminal (SCT) and Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT); and one in Ruwais. 
Gulftainer's group managing director, Peter Richards disclosed that the company has surged ahead with further expansion plans within existing operations to allow for greater capacity and the increasing size of vessels now requiring access to the ports. 
"Our figures are indicative of the UAE's growing influence as an import and export hub, and even more so of the east coast's popularity for containership operators,” said Richards. 
He added that it is an exciting time for the company, as it anticipates a double-digit growth this year. 
In January this year, Khorfakkan Container became the first terminal operator in the Middle East to handle the world's largest containership, CMA CGM Marco Polo, owned by the CMA CGM Group. 
Khorfakkan is one of the few ports in the world able to accommodate Marco Polo's massive 16,020 TEU capacity. 
"Having grown up with the industry here in the region, Gulftainer has evolved significantly during the past four decades and the arrival of this vessel is indicative of our forward-thinking approach and understanding of what we can expect in the years to come,” Richards added. 
Having seen volumes increase at Khorfakkan in 2012, Gulftainer has ensured it stays ahead of the trend and the terminal is well prepared to handle mega-containerships beyond the 16,000 TEU handling capacity. 
"The size of containership vessels is only expected to increase,” says Group Managing Director of Gulftainer, Peter Richards, "as clients demand more cost effective movement of cargo, and operators demand greater fuel efficiency. Marco Polo is the first of a new breed of containership vessels, something that Gulftainer has pre-empted for many years, ensuring that its facilities are more than ready to accommodate these types of vessels.” 
Its arrival at KCT was marked with a presentation from Gulftainer to Captain Igor Sikic of the Marco Polo and CMA CGM representatives; Dubai Agency Deputy General Manager, Prinson George and Arnaud Coudray, Commercial Regional Director for the Middle East Gulf. The Marco Polo proceeded to its final port at Ningbo, China having covered a total distance of approximately 20,000 nautical miles since the commencement of its voyage on Nov.7 last year. It is the first of a series of three 16,000 TEU vessels from CMA CGM, that will all be named after great explorers. 

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Gulftainer Takes Control of Three Saudi Terminals Amid Expansion

Gulftainer acquired full management control of three terminals in Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, as the closely held port operator based in the United Arab Emirates seeks to expand in emerging markets.
Gulftainer bought 51 percent of Saudi Arabia’s Gulf Stevedoring Contracting Co., helping it take management control of three terminals in Jeddah and Jubail, the company said today, without disclosing the value of the transaction. The acquisition makes it the largest port operator in theMiddle East by number of terminals operated, Gulftainer said.
“Saudi Arabia is hugely important for the company’s ambition in the Middle East,” Badr Jafar, vice chairman of Gulftainer, said in an interview today. “Going forward we see the majority of the company’s growth in developing markets.”
Saudi Arabia is spending billions of dollars to develop energy and infrastructure projects in regions such as Jubail, home to several projects that are being developed with companies including Dow Chemical Co. (DOW) and Total SA. Gulftainer, with its stake in Gulf Stevedoring, is likely among companies that stand to gain from shipment of goods to help develop the projects.
Gulftainer has ports and logistics operations in the U.A.E., Iraq, Russia, Lebanon and Brazil, as well as ventures in Turkey and Pakistan. The company expects to handle more than 10 million containers in the next five years, compared with a forecast of 6 million containers this year, driven by international operations, said Jafar, who is also the chief executive of Crescent Enterprises.
Investments

The port operator is considering opportunities in Africa, America and the eastern Mediterranean region for investments, Jafar said. “The exact ports and locations are under review.”
Gulftainer also plans to invest $150 million over five years in its home base in Sharjah and the U.A.E., where it expects to raise capacity to 8 million twenty-foot equivalent units by 2015. The company plans to invest $500 million over two years as it expands in Russia and Saudi Arabia, Jafar told Bloomberg News last month.
“We have a decent amount of work cut out for ourselves this year,” Jafar said today. “It doesn’t necessarily mean we are not looking at closing transactions in the remainder of the year, but our focus will be on recent acquisitions and operations.”

Monday, August 12, 2013

Sores Dogan says Six places you must visit in… Turkey

Turkey has become a great holiday destination for both beach lovers and culture vultures. Travel-mail rounds up the six places you must visit when planning your next trip…

1. STARTER RESORT

Marmaris is a very good introduction to Turkey, a just-the-right-size resort on the south coast, set between mountains and a superb, sheltered bay hemmed in by islands.

On the waterfront, silken-tongued salesmen will sell you trips ranging from jeep safaris through the pine-clad mountains of the Loryma Peninsula to a lazy day on Cleo patra’s Island, where the sand is said to have been shipped from Egypt by Mark Antony.

My favourite trip is to Turtle Beach at Dalyan, a protected reserve for turtles on a three-mile-long sandy spit. Back in town, I recommend the hammam (Turkish bath) for the treatment reputedly devised to cure Cleopatra’s headaches.

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2. NICE TROY

Alone under a high 3,000-year-old wall, with only a wild tortoise for company, I stood in Troy, the setting for the greatest story ever told, outside the Bible. It was easy to conjure up those fabled warriors, Achilles, Ajax and Odysseus, the Greek soldiers tumbling out of that huge horse (see the replica at the entrance) and the wondrous beauty Helen, who triggered the siege.

Enough of Troy’s ancient masonry survives to suggest that, whatever actually happened here, this was once a tremendous place. Close by are the Dardanelles, the narrow, history-rich neck of water dividing Asia and Europe.

And on the other side, the dignified calm of the Gallipoli peninsula and its beaches, scene of the doomed Allied campaign in the First World War. Combine the two in a day trip.

3. SEEK CHIC

Bodrum is one of Turkey’s most select resorts, at the foot of the west coast. By day, handsome ranks of white stucco houses with blue window frames shimmer on a green hill, bursting with bougainvillea, overlooking a dazzling blue bay.

By night Bodrum basks in the glow of the lit-up St Peter’s Castle, built by the Knights of
Rhodes with pieces of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, which stood nearby. Today the castle houses the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, displaying riches recovered from wrecks – some 3,000 years old.

Bodrum has a marina fit for the South of France, swanky hotels and high-decibel nightlife, complete with prowling paparazzi. But there’s perfect peace in the 15-mile-long peninsula to the west, with ancient terraced fields dotted with beehives.

There are thrilling glimpses down to islands, capes, inlets and quiet villages with
welcoming waterside restaurants.

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4. BRIDGING CONTINENTS

Istanbul, where two continents meet across the Bosphorus, is the European Capital of Culture for 2010.

The ancient city is crammed with blockbusters from 2,500 years of history. There are Greek and Roman remains alongside the mystique, power and glitter of the Byzantine
and Ottoman empires. The short ferry trip from Kadikoy in Asia to Eminonu in Europe (the best way to the centre from Sabiha Gokcen airport, used by easyJet) gives a perfect view of the old city, dominated by the Ottoman Topkapi Palace, the vast dome of the Aya Sophia (once the greatest cathedral in Christendom) and the fabulous Blue Mosque.

The flip side of the city’s flat-out commotion is the nearby car-free Princes’ Islands, 45 minutes by ferry.

5. SUPER SOUTH

Antalya, in Turkey’s deep south on the Mediterranean’s Turquoise Coast, is a resort doubling as an open museum, refreshed with springs gushing down from the Taurus
Mountains. The old quarter is a tight swirl of red-roofed houses, threaded by narrow, cobbled streets.

It sits above the marina, site of an old Roman port. The triumphal arch, honouring a visit by Emperor Hadrian, still stands. Greek, Roman and Byzantine antiquities litter the coast and the mountains above.

There are easy day trips to ancient sites such as Perge, Side and Aspendos. My pick is the high and impregnable mountaintop city of Termessos, one of the few places to resist Alexander the Great. The Lycian Way, a 320-mile path between Antalya and Fethiye, is one of the world’s finest long walks.

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6. LAZY DAYS

Top of my list of Turkish holiday experiences is a lazy, bay-hopping jaunt by boat  round the coast. The south and south-west coasts are the very best locations, and day (or shorter) trips are available from most resorts. They follow roughly the same magical formula. Sail for a bit. Then drop anchor for a swim in some empty cove, followed by lunch aboard.

Asot Michael – Commitment

Asot Michael's Commitment : 


I am humbled by your appreciation of the record of service to this country by my parents and grand-parents. I am inspired by the high regard in which you hold my efforts to enhance and improve the quality of life of the people of Antigua and Barbuda, and particularly the residents of St. Peter’s. I cannot walk away from the genuine hand of friendship you have extended to me.

              I shall forever be inspired by the many prayers that were offered up for me during my darkest hour in public life, when unfortunately I was forced to resign as a Minister, not for any significant wrong-doing, but for doing right by you, and for speaking my mind on behalf of the wider population of this country. I shall never forget the night of June 19th 2003, when you came in your hundreds to my home to reaffirm your support and well wishes at the end of that most traumatic period. The outcome of any counting of ballots can never erase the impact of your expression of genuine love and concern for my physical and emotional well-being.


My desire to be of service to the people of Antigua and Barbuda is not for personal gain or aggrandizement. To the contrary, the temptation is great for me to conclude that the personal pain and vilification is not worth it. I have considered on many occasions walking away from it all and pursuing a career in business, or making a total shift to the law or some other profession. But when I visit your communities and your individual homes, when I speak to you in person at my office or on the telephone, I recognize your belief in, and commitment to, the cause for which I stand. I recognize that I can be no less committed. I will uphold your belief, I will pursue the cause of enhancing the standard of living and the quality of life of the residents of St. Peter’s. I reaffirm my support for the leadership of the Hon. Prime Minister, Lester Bryant Bird, and his vision for Antigua and Barbuda. I shall see this struggle through to the end. I therefore ask for your support on Election Day. My success, indeed your success, would provide both you and I with a voice in the elected House of Representatives of this country, as the duly elected member by and for the people of the constituency of St. Peter.

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Sahara Q Shop expands network; launches 100 exclusive stores in Delhi and NCR

901 ‘Sahara Q Shop’ Exclusive Neighbourhood Convenience Stores already operational in 12 states
Exclusive Sahara Q Shop’ Neighbourhood Convenience Stores run
on company and franchise operation model
 To provide sustainable self employment avenues at local levels



Delhi, August 05, 2013: ‘Sahara Q Shop’, the FMCG and Quality Consumer Merchandise Retail Company of Sahara India Pariwar, launches its operations in Delhi and NCR region with 100 exclusive Sahara Q Shop Neighbourhood Convenience Stores. Sahara Q Shop has plans to open 400 such stores by 31st March 2014 in the region. Currently, there are 901 Sahara Q Shop Stores operating in 12 States. By the end of the current financial year the company has plans to have 10,000 (ten thousand) such stores across India. Two thousand of these stores will be opened in Metro Cities.
Earlier, Sahara Shop has entered the coveted record books of GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS by opening a record number of retail outlets across the country, at one time. Sahara Q Shop, on 1st April, 2013 at 4:00 p.m, simultaneously opened 315 Sahara Q Shop stores in 10 States across India.
Sahara Q Shop set with the aim to provide unadulterated, standardized high quality products offers a entire range of items in the category of Food (staples and processed food), Non-food (personal care and home care), General Merchandise, Consumer Durables and Lifestyle.
The exclusive retail outlets are part of branded chain of Sahara Q Shop Neighbourhood Convenience Stores, operating on franchisee/ exclusive retailer model and offering an extensive range of Sahara Q Shop brand of 378 unit quality products and 763 Stock Keeping Units (SKUs). Each exclusive franchisee retail outlet is a unique model launched by Sahara Q Shop in 3 formats of 300 sq. ft., 400 sq. ft. and 500 sq ft. area. The outlets will cater to 2000+ households from its neighbourhood, providing one of the primary shopping options for daily necessities in its catchment area. Under the franchisee model, the company provides all the necessary training, collaterals, in-store branding, marketing support to successfully run the store. The model has been designed to provide sustainable self employment avenues at local levels.
Mr. Romie Dutt, Executive Director, Sahara Q Shop, said “We have received overwhelming response from markets where Sahara Q Shop has launched its operational model for franchisee/exclusive retailers. It has emerged as a sustainable income model at appropriate price providing unadulterated 100% pure quality consumer merchandise to our esteemed customers in their neighbourhood.” He futher said, “Delhi and NCR region is an important market for us, we have further plans to expand the retail network in the region so that Sahara Q Shop quality products can be easily made available to the people of the region.”
About Sahara Q Shop
Quality Consumer Merchandise Retail Venture - Sahara Q Shop=Q=QUALITY=PURITY=OUR MISSION.
Sahara India Pariwar, a major business conglomerate of India, forayed into the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and quality consumer merchandise retail sector with the launch of ‘Sahara Q Shop’ on 15th August 2012. Sahara Q Shop’ was set with the vision to provide 100% unadulterated, quality consumer merchandise products to the citizens of India at the right prices.  Today our product basket ranges in the categories like food (staples and processed food) non food (personal care and home care), General Merchandise, Consumer Durables and Lifestyle products spread across 378 unique products and 763 Stock Keeping Unit (SKU). 
In order to make Sahara Q Shop quality products available to people from all walks of life with convenience, 40,000 + Sahara Q Shop Exclusive retail stores are planned across length and breadth of the country. Each of the stores will cater to around 2000 households from vicinity.
With the mission to curb the menace of prevalent adulteration practices in the market, Sahara Q Shop is committed to the guarantee of good health for you and your family.
It is Sahara’s commitment to ensure that every single product will under stringent quality test before being rolled out in the market. All house hold items will be available at fair market price.
We offer our esteemed customers

  • Completely unadulterated best quality
  • 100% right weight/quantity
  • Fair price
  • 100% disclosure policy

Thursday, August 1, 2013

SHARJAH CONTAINER TERMINAL - GULFTAINER

The Sharjah Container Terminal, established in 1976 was the first purpose built and fully equipped modern Container Terminal in the Middle East. It is adjacent to Sharjah's industrial area which accommodates over 45 % of the non oil manufacturing capacity of the UAE.

The existing facility consists of 786 metres of quay, three berths with 11.5 metres draft and a terminal area of 150,000 sq. metres. SCT has storage facility for over 8500 TEU's and a 9300 sq. metre dedicated transit shed and storage area for LCL cargo.

SCT is equipped with two ship to shore Quay Cranes, three 104 tonne Liebherr and Gottwald Mobile Harbour Cranes, five Rubber Tyred Gantry Cranes and ample auxiliary container and cargo handling equipment.

SCT handles containers on behalf of over 40 shipping lines, including all of the world's top 20 companies. Major shipping lines calling at SCT include American President Lines (APL), Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), Maersk Line, MAG Containerlines, United Arab Shipping Company (UASC), Fruitex International Shipping, Yang Ming Line, Ethiopian Shipping Line and Star Feeders as well as other regular feeder operators.

Expansion work is nearing completion to increase draft to 12.5 metres, add a further berth of 200 metres and increase storage/stacking area by 30,000 square metres.