Joining millions of people and companies around the globe, Ali Bin Ali Holding observed Earth Hour 2021 on March 27 between 8.30pm and 9.30pm. All non-essential lights at Ali Bin Ali Tower were switched off to mark the Group’s endorsement of one of the world’s largest public events for the environment.
Most lights of the ABA Head Office, including the ground floor external lights, façade lights, main lobby/corridor area lights, office area lights (except at CCTV camera locations), parking area lights and external signage lights were switched off for an hour.
By taking part in this global lights-out event, ABA Holding reiterates its commitment to taking measures to protect the environment and benefit the planet in the future.
Started by WWF and partners as a symbolic lights-out event in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour is now held every year on the last Saturday of March. It is a global initiative to spread awareness about environment protection and climate change.
Various public and private entities in Qatar, including government offices, private institutions and companies, including ministries, malls, hotels, offices as well as individuals, observed the event by switching off the lights of buildings and houses.
iLife Digital, A developer for innovative technologies today announced that it has partnered with Qatar’s Prime Technologies to set up a 3000 Sq. meter production facility at Qatar Free Zone – Umm Al Houl; to meet a growing demand for its next-gen stylish and affordable products. Prime Technologies is a subsidiary of Ali Bin Ali Holding, one of the largest conglomerates in Qatar.
The new facility located in Doha, Qatar will feature a state-of-the-art production and R&D facility along with a logistics and customer solutions centre. Production will begin from August 2021; initially manufacturing its award-winning flagship products of Laptops, Desktops and Tablet PCs – with an expected output of approximately 350,000 units annually.
Anshuman Rath, Senior Vice President iLife said, “The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused large portion of the end users to work and study from home, continue to drive demand for personal computing devices across the region. Due to the ongoing shortage in supply of PC components a large portion of notebook demand remains unfulfilled till date. Consequently the inventory levels in channel remains low across many parts of the region. With the addition of the new manufacturing plant our output would increase by 30~35%.
This new factory demonstrates that we are at the leading edge of innovation. Demand for our products have grown year on year. We will continue to invest and develop quality products, which are both trendy and affordable. We are glad to be associated with Ali Bin Ali Holding’s Prime Technologies – this strategic partnership will help us deliver our commitment to our customers and increase our presence in the region”
Speaking about the partnership Mohammad Imran, General Manager of Prime Technologies said, “We are happy to partner with iLife – it reiterates our commitment towards our customers in offering exceptional products and services. Our association with iLife dates back to 2018 and since then the brand has seen a record growth in the Qatar market. iLife’s innovative and award-winning products, that is designed for budget-smart consumers, coupled with our market network has helped pave the way for the brand’s popularity in the region . The introduction of the manufacturing facility opens a new chapter in our already solid relationship.”
iLife aims to ship its products to the entire Middle East and Africa from the new facility by end of 2021
Global technology brand, OPPO, launched the all-new Reno5 Series in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) on Tuesday 16 March 2021. The company’s first ‘all-5G’ launch includes three variants – Reno5 Pro 5G, Reno5 5G and Reno5 Z 5G – that both boast the ultra-fast speed and power of 5G. Ali Bin Ali Holding’s Prime Distribution Trading Company (PDTC) is the official distributor of OPPO smartphones and accessories in Qatar.
True to its 2021 theme ‘Technology for mankind, kindness for the world’, OPPO believes that 5G will empower humanity to live fully connected lives and reap the full benefits of a technology-powered world. The grand launch of the Reno5 series in MEA, themed ‘Featuring You,’ was hosted virtually on the brand’s official social media platforms – Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
Following a successful global launch, the Reno5 series is set to take the Qatar market by storm with industry-leading Qualcomm 5G chipsets, best-in-class AI-powered all-scene photography, never-seen-before portrait photography and videography, and 65W SuperVOOC2.0 Flash Charge – the safest and one of the fastest charging technologies commercially available in the world, delivering a full charge of Reno5 battery in 35 minutes.
Ethan Xue, President of OPPO MEA said, “The Reno5 Series is our first ever ‘all-5G’ launch and we are very excited to bring you the latest and best in ultra-fast, ultra-powerful connectivity. Understanding customer needs is a top priority for us at OPPO, hence while designing the Reno5 series, we made sure to pack it with not just powerful hardware and ground-breaking imaging technology, but also the latest in connectivity. Launching a 5G-only series was inspired by our theme for this year, ‘Technology for Mankind, Kindness for the World’, which pushes us to do everything with heart and soul, for the benefit of people. We’re also excited to have our brand ambassador, Mohamed Salah, on board as he sets an example when it comes to achieving goals and dreams, which are also part of our brand’s many values.”
Speaking about the launch, Mohammad Imran – General Manager of PDTC said, “We are proud to be associated one of world’s leading smart device manufacturers and our association goes back a long time. OPPO’s innovation in combination with PDTC’s impressive market network in Qatar will surely give the latest Reno5 Series the perfect launch the all-5G smartphones deserve.”
The technology innovations in OPPO Reno5 series will appeal to creative minds and enable them to fully express themselves. OPPO partnered with Sony to jointly developed an IMX766 sensor for the Reno5 Pro 5G, which brings more possibilities for portrait and night video shooting, backlighting and sports. The Reno5 Pro 5G also comes with professional gaming-grade hardware and other gaming features for a cool gaming experience. The Reno5 5G variant is the ‘AI Portrait Expert’ that combines OPPO’s Ultra Night Video Algorithms and Live HDR Algorithm to deliver unprecedented quality in portrait photography and portrait videography that empowers users to create and capture life’s best moments.
Keeping with OPPO Reno Series’ focus on design, both phones are smooth, light and slim and come in attractive colours and finishes. The Reno5 series debuts an industry-first silver colour, in addition to the ever-popular black. OPPO’s Reno Glow 2.0 diamond cutting technique adds a glittery visual effect of millions of shimmering diamonds embedded into the back cover while at the same time providing a matte finish that is fingerprint resistant. AMOLED screens and 90hHz refresh rate make for easy and comfortable viewing.
The all-5G Reno5 Series launch will reiterate the OPPO’s commitment to commercialization of 5G in the Qatar. Adding three new 5G phones to its existing portfolio of 5G smartphones launched in 2020, OPPO will address the Qatar consumer demand for ultra-fast speed and real-time connectivity.
In an effort to increase awareness about the current COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination process, Ali Bin Ali (ABA) Holding organized a special live webinar on the topic for all its staff. The virtual event was held on March 10, 2021, from 4pm to 5pm. It was arranged in collaboration with Bangladesh Forum Qatar and doctors from Hamad Medical Corporation.
The session was headed by Dr. Akhnuwkh Jones, Sr. Consultant, Hamad General Hospital; and Dr. Mashuk Uddin, Sr. Consultant Physician and Associate Professor, Hamad Medical Corporation.
It was a valuable opportunity for the ABA staff members to get information and answers from the experts. Employees from different divisions of the conglomerate took a break from their busy work schedule to participate in this very important webinar session, which not only helped them gather information about the coronavirus but also allowed them to clear misunderstandings and misbeliefs about the same.
The agenda for the webinar was divided into three parts. The first part included an explanation about what exactly is COVID-19, how it spreads, what are the preventive measures and information about the variants of the virus.
The second part mainly dealt with insights about the vaccines for COVID-19. Apart from sharing information on how the vaccines were created, the science behind the vaccines and why they work, the doctors also clarified misconceptions around the vaccines.
The third and final part aimed at raising awareness about the spread of COVID-19 through next degrees (second- and third-degree contact) and community living. The webinar was wrapped up with a question-and-answer session.
Thanking the doctors and all attendees for the event, ABA Group General Manager – Human Resources Mr. Aldrine Fernandez said: “ABA Holding has been taking every possible step to raise awareness and protect our staff from the pandemic. However, we realized that apart from raising awareness, it is important to address the concerns and questions of our staff about the virus. The webinar has not only added to our knowledge about COVID-19 but also provided an insight about the current situation, future expectations and scope of the vaccines.”
The popular Apple Authorised Reseller iSpot’s store in City Center Doha has relocated from the third floor to the first floor of the mall, next to the Home Centre store. The new revamped store of iSpot opened its doors to the public on March 2, 2021. iSpot is part of Ali Bin Ali Holding’s Prime Distribution Trading Services division.
The store was inaugurated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Ali Bin Ali Holding’s Group Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Iftekhar Ahmad.
Also present at the launch were General Manager of Prime Distribution Trading Services Mr. Mohammad Imran and other senior officials of Ali Bin Ali Holding. The event was also attended by Apple Qatar Distributor- Redington Qatar’s Country Sales Head Mr. Rajesh Aiyar and Sales Manager Mr. Bassam Halabi.
With a simple design and easily navigable layout, the new store is planned for efficiency and customer convenience. The bright lighting and open display of Apple products create an inviting ambience, making it an attractive zone for all Apple product lovers.
Most importantly, the new iSpot store is optimized to provide the cleanest and safest shopping environment possible, as the health and safety of customers and employees is the company’s top priority.
Speaking about the relocation, Mr. Imran said: “The new location will allow iSpot to serve the community better with more space for customers’ favorite products. Our store in City Center has always been popular among Apple users. I am sure that the relocation of the store to the first floor, near the main entrance, will make it more convenient for our customers.
“With this opening we are pleased to inform that we would be soon launching many value added services such as extended financing, extended warranty, personal set-up, gift vouchers and many more will follow. We are also keen to roll out our trade-in program shortly.”