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Ali Bin Ali Holding employees gather to clean up Zubarah Beach

Adding to the Group’s efforts to give back to the community, Ali Bin Ali Holding organized a beach clean-up drive at Zubarah Beach on March 18, 2023 to celebrate Global Recycling Day. The campaign, held with the slogan ‘Let’s team up to clean up’, was joined by ABA employees from the Head Office support functions of the Group.

The clean-up drive, organized in partnership with Seashore Recycling and Sustainability, saw the enthusiastic participation of more than 50 employees from across the different departments. The participants started their journey from the ABA Head Office early and reached Zubarah Beach by 8am.

All cleaning equipment, including reusable waste bags, hand gloves and pickers, was provided to the participants who efficiently fanned out across the entire beach to remove plastics and trash. The drive did not only help in achieving a clean beach but also encouraged team-building and cooperation among ABA employees. Overall, it was a very productive Saturday.

Speaking about the ‘Let’s team up to clean up’ campaign, ABA Group Corporate Communications Manager Mr. Imad Hashim said: “On this Global Recycling Day, let us strive to raise awareness on the importance of protecting the environment and educating others on the significance of proper waste management. It starts with you and I by how we control waste in our everyday lives – at home, in our neighborhoods, and in our work places. This campaign is also part of ABA Holding’s effort to support Qatar’s National Vision 2030 of Environmental Development that values the preservation of the natural heritage of Qatar. I thank Seashore Recycling and Sustainability center team and all ABA employees who wholeheartedly joined the drive to make it successful.”

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ABA Holding Group Learning and Development launches new digital platform

Revolutionizing the way our team members gain access to training at Ali Bin Ali Holding, the Group Learning and Development Department has introduced a digital learning platform – The ABA Learning Hub.

The platform was ceremoniously launched on February 26, 2023, at a small gathering held at the ABA Head Office in the presence of Senior Managers, the Learning and Development team and the users. There was also a significant online participation by ABA staff members in Kuwait, K.S.A and also Qatar.

The ABA Learning Hub is a storehouse of a wide range of courses and study modules that ABA employees can avail of at their own pace and in their own time. The easily navigable portal is user friendly and allows the user to check the modules available, select courses that suits her/his business need and even form groups to discuss topics. The e-learning platform is accessible from different gadgets beyond a desktop and laptop and can be accessed via an app on tablets or the mobile phones, whether they are in the workplace or at home.

500 ABA staff members from different divisions and departments of the Holding have been selected by their Managers to pilot the new e-learning platform. All users are being added in the backend by the Learning and Development Team and can set up a profile with the ABA email address.

The ABA Learning Hub is a part of the Group Learning and Development Department’s vision strategy to achieve learning autonomy, learning agility and to repurpose talent. The platform encourages ABA staff to consistently be curious to gain new knowledge and skills. The new platform is a breakthrough for the whole organization as we step into the future with the digitally advanced Learning and Development Department, which allows our staff the flexibility to keep learning as per their availability.

Speaking at the launch, Guest speaker Mr. Sébastien Farhat, emphasized the importance of Learning and investing in one’s own growth, while Ms. Gizelle Lacson – ABA Learning and Development Lead said: “Digitization is the future and it’s a proud moment for all of us to be able to offer this platform to our teams. The core of all these is learning – as it facilitates the resilience of the workforce. It is essential that we keep learning to advance in our professional as well as our personal lives. Learning can happen anytime, anywhere and we want to make it flexible, convenient and fun. The ABA Learning Hub is all of that and I am sure it will be an asset for the employees and the Group.”

 

 

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QQP receives Best Performer award from Mondelēz International

Adding a new feather to Ali Bin Ali Holding’s cap, Qatar Quality Products’ QQP-Mondelez team was awarded the Best IMS Performer award for the year 2022 by their principle company, Mondelēz International.

The award was presented in view of the Qatar market growing the fastest, with 20% growth compared to last year, amongst all the GCC markets. The awards ceremony was held virtually from Dubai on February 15, 2023. All the distributors from Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman were present online.

Speaking on the same, QQP-Mondelez Market Manager Mr. Mohammad Zeeshan said: “The team is super excited and happy to have received this award. It was the honest effort of the entire team that bridged the way to this award and they truly deserve it. This year, we are more pumped and aiming to earn higher accolades. The team has begun to work towards the same.”

QQP has been responsible for distributing various brands of Mondelēz International, such as Oreo, Chips Ahoy, Toblerone, Cadbury, Tang, Philadelphia etc., and this is just another of the many awards it has been receiving on a yearly basis. The division has been successful in maintaining its status as market leaders in the respective categories, and maintained its share in all the top retail groups.

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Dohatna Innovative Distribution partners with Samsung to showcase an immersive space at 21 High st, Katara Cultural Village

Further strengthening their long-standing partnership, Ali Bin Ali Holding’s Dohatna Innovative Distribution and Samsung Gulf Electronics joined hands to inaugurate an immersive experiential store in Doha’s Katara Cultural Village. Dohatna is the official partner of Samsung Mobile in Qatar.

Located in 21 High st – the ultimate outdoor shopping destination in Qatar, the new store is strategically positioned right opposite the main entrance of Galeries Lafayette Doha. It offers an exclusive space for visitors who wish to see all that is new and innovative in Mobiles, TVs, Home Appliances and Monitors.

The opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Adel Ali Bin Ali, Chairman & President of Ali Bin Ali Holding, HE Lee Joon-Ho The ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Qatar, Mr. Doohee Lee, President of Samsung Gulf Electronics, Ali Bin Ali Holding’s Business Head for Consumer Electronics Retail and Distribution Mr. Ganesh Mithra Parthajee and other top officials from Ali Bin Ali Holding and Samsung Qatar team.

The showroom brings a unique design element to tell Samsung’s product story across a highly immersive customer journey, which intuitively, brings visitors closer to the product depending on individual taste and preferences. The approach was one of seamlessness so that visitors may be guided by their personal needs and even explore opportunities of personalization, from the design to the very software display.

Across the store, customers get to see the latest innovations of Samsung Galaxy Mobiles & Wearables portfolio. Its highly ambitious products offering will exhibit the latest Galaxy S Series, including the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23, marking a new era of Samsung Galaxy’s ultimate premium phone.

Softened by wooden slats, greenery and elegant accessories, The Frame and The Serif, both part of Samsung’s Lifestyle TV line-up, are showcased on a separate wall to help customers re-imagine their living rooms.

A must-see for visitors is the dedicated SmartThings space, featuring multiple day-to-day scenarios of connected device experiences, such as Gaming and Work from Home.  In addition, customers can see up-close and personal Samsung’s latest home appliances, including The Air Dresser, Bespoke Jet, and Bespoke Refrigerators.

 

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ABA Medical signs an exclusive distributor agreement with Zimmer Biomet

On February 05, 2023 Ali Bin Ali Medical signed an exclusive agreement with Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. (NYSE and SIX: ZBH), one of the three largest orthopedic device companies in the world, as its new distributor in the State of Qatar.

The signing ceremony took place during Arab Health in Dubai, in the presence of various officials from Zimmer Biomet including: Mr. Wilfred Van Zuilen, the President of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA); Mr. Erik Antos, the Vice President of EMEA Emerging Markets; Ms. Farah Hamdan, the General Manager of Middle East, North Africa and Turkey; and Mr. Ayman Harb, the Sales Associate Director of EMEA. Other executives from Ali Bin Ali Medical who graced the event were: Mr. Monzer Abdel Samad, the General Manager; Ms. Rawia Amineddine, the Operations Manager; and Mr. Majid Haddadi, the Business Unit Manager. This agreement is set to transform patient experience in Qatar through access to Zimmer Biomet’s innovative cutting-edge solutions, products, digital and robotic technologies.

During the announcement of the new agreement, Ms. Hamdan was thrilled on the constant progress Zimmer Biomet has made. “It’s a transformative period in healthcare and the continued growth of Zimmer Biomet’s presence in the Middle East means we can help alleviate pain and improve the quality of life for even more people – and that is our ultimate mission,” said Ms. Hamdan.

Mr. Abdel Samad expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership between the two companies and how it will elevate access to quality healthcare and products for the people of Qatar and the Middle East. “We are proud to reinforce our acumen in the Qatar market. This new partnership will strengthen our presence even further,” noted Abdel Samad.

The new agreement is part of ABA Medical’s holistic vision and milestone of growing its product portfolio, and being the lead and premier importer and distributor of world-class medical equipment. The Middle East and Africa region continues to be an important platform for both companies, in the field of healthcare.

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With a vision for a greener tomorrow, Monoprix Qatar introduces reusable shopping bags

After becoming the first supermarket in Qatar to start using paper bags, Ali Bin Ali Holding’s Monoprix Qatar introduced a more sustainable way of shopping with reusable bags. Making the right start to the New Year, on 1 January, 2023, Monoprix Qatar launched the permanent campaign, ‘Let’s be the change – reduce, reuse, recycle’. Leading the way in reducing the one-time use of shopping bags, Monoprix Qatar looks forward to saving trees and creating a greener environment.

Customers at any Monoprix store in Qatar can now purchase one re-usable bag for QR 1 and also get a voucher worth QR 1 in return, in effect getting the bag free of cost. This QR 1 voucher can be redeemed in any of the Monoprix stores on the next visit starting the next day.  The voucher is valid for 1 month.

The QR 1 cost of the reusable bag is just to make customers conscious about the number of bags they use and use them only when it’s necessary. Making the use of these bags even more sustainable, the supermarket will exchange any used or damaged Monoprix reusable bags for free, for life.

Monoprix as a brand has always committed itself to a sustainable development approach with organic products, local produce, recycling waste and using environment-friendly packaging options. With a proactive vision to save the environment and raise awareness about it, Monoprix takes innovative steps to preserve the nature for a greener future.

Speaking about this noble initiative, Regional General Manager of Monoprix Mr. Sébastien Farhat said: “Monoprix supermarket uses a large number of bags every year and this is not good news for the environment. We are always looking towards more sustainable, environment-friendly solutions and the reusable shopping bags seemed to be the perfect answer to this situation. Monoprix is much more than just a supermarket, we want to give back and do our humble bit for the community. I am sure this campaign will help raise awareness and the eco-friendly shopping option will be well-received and contribute substantially to a greener future for our planet.”

 

 

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Governance, Risk and Compliance practice set precedence for the future of Ali Bin Ali Holding

On January 17, 2022 Ali Bin Ali Legal Department announced the launch of its autonomous and reinvigorated Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) unit that will manage risks and ensure compliance of business requirements and government regulations. The evening event, held at W Hotel Doha, was attended by more than 100 ABA executives from across 18 business streams of the conglomerate.

In his maiden speech, ABA Vice President/General Counsel, Mr. Nabil Chamas, pointed to the fundamental significance of the GRC unit within ABA Holding as a support unit that would safeguard the company’s identity, its employees and consumers. Mr. Chamas noted that the world’s risk and compliance landscape is more complex than ever before, hence the need for the ABA Legal Department to introduce new policies and regulations, and modify existing ones so as to protect the company’s interest. “By implementing the GRC component, our company can make better decisions in a risk-aware environment. Our sustainable and yet effective approach towards GRC will help us and our stakeholders set guidelines and comply with requirements both at the national and international level,” Mr. Chamas stated.

It was noted in the meeting that the creation of the GRC unit came at an opportune moment when ABA Holding was rapidly expanding its functions and operations in the Middle East and across the globe. Key topics such as the importance of governance and cybersecurity; data protection; addressing risk and risk environments; and compliance practices were discussed by the notable staff and lawyers of the ABA Legal Department including: Mr. Benjamin Anafi, Ms. Janaina De Queiroz, Ms. Mahassen Al Taki, and Mr. Jean Michel.

The legal department, through Ms. Sarolta Kacso and Ms. Amina El Zein, proposed launching an App – App4Legal – that would help track and manage the entire life cycle of the company’s contracts, litigation, and corporate matters, thereby minimizing the company’s risk posture. The App is set to enhance efficiency in ABA’s workflow where every task can be organized, automated and streamlined.

To conclude the event, a plenary discussion was opened for participants to share their opinions, experiences and how to better implement the GRC program in their daily practices. As a follow-up to the conference, the GRC support unit will conduct trainings to enable employees better understand the GRC and App4Legal.

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ABA Beverages becomes the exclusive soft drink & water partner for Lusail Winter Wonderland

Ali Bin Ali Beverages, the sole manufacturer of Pepsi products in Qatar, has signed an agreement with Estithmar Holding to become the exclusive soft drink and water partner of Lusail Winter Wonderland. The newly realized partnership between the two entities will bridge the gap between supplier and buyer by providing direct access to Pepsi’s quality products, assuring reliability of supplied products, and ensuring a continuous supply of products.

Speaking during the signage, Mr. Marc Karam, the General Manager of Ali Bin Ali Beverages, shared ABA Beverages’ enthusiasm for the new arrangement between the two companies. “We are delighted to partner with Estithmar Holding for Lusail Winter Wonderland, the world-class creator of moments together and memories forever, who are bringing unique magical family experiences to Qatar. There is no better match for us than Lusail Winter Wonderland. We will, together, further contribute to the billion smiles a day PepsiCo puts on the faces of consumers worldwide with our wide range of snacks and beverages, as well as the amazing rides and activities found on Al Maha Island,” Mr. Karam stated.

Mr. Karam pointed that the new development was important in realizing Qatar’s Vision 2030 of promoting sustainability through environmentally responsible choices such as using recycled PET Aquafina water bottles, which ABA Beverages produces.

At the formalization of the contract, Mr. Henrik Christiansen, the Chief Executive Officer of Estithmar Holding, explained that the addition of Pepsi as one of the theme park sponsors further enhances the visitor experience in ensuring that a range of Pepsi products are available across the park for visitors to enjoy during their visit. “We are pleased to welcome Pepsi as our exclusive soft drink partner of Lusail Winter Wonderland. The unique attraction has become a must-visit spot and the place to be for families and communities in Qatar. Ultimately, our aim is to contribute to a lasting legacy in support of the national strategy for tourism in Qatar.”

Lusail Winter Wonderland is the latest entertainment hotspot located on Al Maha Island. The exceptional theme park by Estithmar Ventures, a subsidiary of Estithmar Holding, collaborates with international brands to bring unique experience to Qatar. The 100,000-square-metre state-of-the-art theme park features exciting branded amusement rides such as Ooredoo 5G Rollercoaster, a giant 53-meter Ferris Wheel named Ain QNB, the first outdoor Ice Rink in the region – Tazaloj Al Rayan, the Doha Bank View, the Qatar Airways Festive Forest in addition to the Snow Slope, Arctic Splash, Snow Rockets, Octo-Jet and more. Lusail Winter Wonderland offers an array of entertainment concepts and fun-filled activities that are age appropriate for various groups – children, teenagers, adults and families.

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Café Pouchkine expands its presence in Qatar with new outlet at Place Vendome

Café Pouchkine, renowned for being one of Qatar’s popular luxury dining locations with a unique Russian heritage, opened its second outlet at the glamorous Place Vendome Mall in Lusail City. Hosted by Ali Bin Ali Hospitality in Qatar, the café opened its doors to the public on the 5th of January, 2023.

Stationed right at the heart of Place Vendome, Cafe Pouchkine is located on the ground floor of the mall’s south side. The café sits right under the glass dome of the Parisian-inspired structure and blends seamlessly into the architecture, which radiates luxury and extravagance while conveying a touch of cultural and artistic feel. The interiors of the café are equally elegant with the all-white décor. The intimately carved woodwork creates a modern yet classic look that quintessentially describes Café Pouchkine.

Already known as one of the best tea-rooms in Qatar, Café Pouchkine offers a wide range of gastronomical delights. From a snack menu that includes surprising club sandwiches to the timeless café de Paris streak, via delicious Blini – or lunch “à la carte” with crispy dusk salad, or a beef Stroganoff, the cafe promises to take taste buds on an international voyage of discovery. Enjoy a dreamy afternoon with their signature tea and coffee accompanied with a crowd-pleasing section of desserts, including honey cake and macrons.

Commenting on the launch of the new café, General Manager of Ali Bin Ali Hospitality Mr. Bassel Salim Ammar said, “Ali Bin Ali Hospitality is always looking to elevate the hospitality experience for the people of Qatar, and the opening of the new Café Pouchkine outlet is part of that mission. Place Vendome, with its touch of cultural and artistic feel, made it the perfect pairing for us as a location to house Café Pouchkine. The entire team at Café Pouchkine is ready now to serve guests in a new and exciting location, while remaining true to the superior dining experience we have been known to deliver, time and time again.”

Since the brand opened its first café in 2019 at 21 High st as the country’s only restaurant, tea-room and patisserie with an authentic origin hailing from Moscow, Café Pouchkine has continued to rise in popularity among locals and residents in Qatar, who seek unique, high-end experiences.

 

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Ali Bin Ali Fashion opens ELIE SAAB boutique in 21 High st, Katara Cultural Village

The ELIE SAAB universe continues its expansion with a new boutique opening in Qatar in collaboration with Ali Bin Ali Fashion. The store is located in Doha’s Katara Cultural Village at 21 High st – Qatar’s fashion hub –– facing the main entrance of Galeries Lafayette Doha. This strategic move comes at a time when the region, and Qatar in particular, is becoming a major travel destination.

Elie Saab Jr, CEO of ELIE SAAB Group says: “Opening a Doha boutique cements our regional influence and our mission to personally cater to our diverse clientele. Qatar has quickly become a global terminus and an imperative fashion location, which is why we have strategically partnered with the country’s leading luxury fashion reference, Ali Bin Ali Fashion, with whom we have a very long-standing relationship, in order to optimize our reach as we continue to expand the ELIE SAAB universe.”

The sophisticated boutique is ready to welcome visitors and fashion aficionados to immerse in its modern and elegant atmosphere. Exquisitely designed, the store showcases the ELIE SAAB Maison line while also highlighting the brand’s signature aesthetic with soft femininity and enduring allure. Visitors are welcomed through proud Roman columns into an expansive 340sqm-interior elevated with warm wood and lavish marble. The new showroom features Ready-to-Wear collections, a dedicated kids’ area, a private bridal salon and VIP wing to cater to our varied clientele.

Regarding the new collaboration, Mr. Kevin Gerard Pender, General Manager of Ali Bin Ali Fashion, said: “We are proud that ELIE SAAB is now a part of Ali Bin Ali Fashion. This collaboration yet again allows us to support our vision of bringing the best of international fashion to Qatar. I am sure that together, ELIE SAAB and Ali Bin Ali Fashion will offer enticing designs to satisfy the refined taste of our clients.” 

 ELIE SAAB Boutique in Doha is designed to expand the brand’s presence in the region and provide a more personalized shopping experience that meets the needs of loyal clientele. With flagship stores in Paris, Beirut, New York, London and the UAE, ELIE SAAB continues to expand a vision for more meaningful connections by launching additional global boutiques in the near future.