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Ali Bin Ali Group Stands Together in Honoring October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The ABA Group cut across all boundaries and stood together as one family, to honor October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As a Group we organized a week-long awareness campaign from October 23 under the title ‘Let’s Do More than Wearing a Ribbon!’

As part of the week-long activities we organized a headlining event at the Head Office, in co-operation with Qatar Cancer Society (QCS). The session was attended by women employees from different departments located in the Head Office as well as ABA family members from Dohatna, ABA Medical, ABA & Partners and Logistics.

QCS gave a detailed and informative presentation about breast cancer and discussed the truth and the myths about the illness. The insightful session was followed by a testimonial by a breast cancer survivor. The inspirational 37-year-old, who was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, shared her emotional journey and victory over cancer. 

Ending the gathering on a positive note, Ali Bin Ali Medical shared a new technological device with all the attendees and explained how it enables people to do breast cancer screening at home – thereby making prevention easier.

In order to engage our entire Group and give everyone equal opportunity to participate, we – along with ABA Medical – took the breast cancer awareness campaign to different divisions, including Travel, Al Danah, International Agencies & Prime Consumer Products, Luxury, ABATS and all ABA offices in Katara Plaza (Monoprix, Hospitality, Fashion, Desert Eye & Sports Gate) through the rest of the week.

The attendees lauded the initiative and said it gave them valuable insight into the critical health issue and would help them take appropriate decisions in future. It is important to remember, this is an ongoing campaign. As the ABA family lets remind ourselves that NOW is time to take action. Let’s do regular self-examinations and contact our doctors if we notice anything unusual.

We would like to thank everyone for their wholehearted participation and extend our gratitude to ABA Medical, Casa Flora, Fauchon and ABA Beverages for lending their precious support and making the campaign so successful.

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Ali Bin Ali Group unveils permanent ‘Tamim Al Majd’ mural in the Head Office

In a show of solidarity with Qatar and its people, Ali Bin Ali Group has unveiled a signature canvas bearing the iconic ‘Tamim Al Majd’ (Tamim the Glorious) mural at its Head Office.

The initiative is a humble gesture by the Group to express its support for the country and its wise leadership in the light of the ongoing blockade imposed on Qatar.

The signing ceremony, which took place on July 25, was led by ABA Group’s Chairman and President, Mr. Adel Ali bin Ali, and Vice-Chairman & EVP, Mr. Nabeel Ali bin Ali. Also present on the occasion was contemporary Qatari artist Ahmed bin Majed al-Maadheed, who created the now-famous portrait of HH the Emir.

Apart from the top management and staff of Ali Bin Ali Group, who hail from diverse nationalities, members of the local media joined the event to sign on the board and pen messages expressing their support for the nation.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Adel Ali Bin Ali said: “The signature campaign marks a very proud moment for all members of the Ali Bin Ali Group as we celebrate our unity in the midst of this unprecedented blockade against Qatar. Ali Bin Ali Group has been in Qatar since 1945 and is proud of its Qatari heritage. The least we can do is support and show solidarity with our country and its government.”

Elaborating on the idea of the signature board, Mr. Nabeel Ali bin Ali said: “We thought of putting our special touch to the campaign and set up the banner, with the mural and signatures, for permanent display in our office. It is more than just a signature canvas. It is a souvenir for the future generations, a remembrance of the great unity that Qatar and its people have displayed in such hostile times.”

A unique aspect of the signature campaign was the use of ‘glow in the dark’ paints to make hand prints on the canvas. The ‘glow in the dark’ paints will make sure that the hand prints are visible all day and night, signifying support in every condition, at any time.

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140 days since Forward e-HR Partner ‘Go Live’

We have completed 140 days since the Forward e-HR Partner ‘Go Live’. On this occasion, we want to share with you some important information about the system and how it is affecting ABA’s daily HR and Admin operations.

 

Forward e-HR Partner is already achieving the objectives for which it has been implemented.

 

The Self Service HR facility is the most ‘visible’ component of the system, which is handling and processing requests from all ABA staff members. The usefulness, ease of use and reliability of the system are becoming more evident with time and through users’ interactions.

 

Thanks to the dedication, commitment and hard work of the e-HR Partner implementation team (Business Partners, HR Division coordinators, Help Desk staff), we are almost ready to completely replace the old HRMS with the Forward e-HR Partners.

 

System Statistics

Number of transactions performed by e-HR Partner ‘Go Live’: 12,545.

Company letters request    2,138

Documents of record          69

Education and qualification                37

Other professional qualification       72

Medical insurance request                57

Personal information          952

Ticket information request   1,323

Exit permit request   279

Change bank account request 123

Self-service generic

Approval process   4,312

Training request   179

 

Forward Help Desk

 

Integral to the Forward system’s full implementation at ABA is the establishment of a support mechanism for the system. Accordingly, part of the Forward system support is the Forward Help Desk, which was launched simultaneously with the e-HR Partner Go Live. The Forward Help Desk is run by the ABA IT Department and located within the department.

 

The Forward Help Desk has received 1,954 requests, closing 1,840 requests to date – which accounts for around 95% of all requests.

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ABA Pepsi Division celebrates Ramadan 2017 with annual Iftar party

Carrying on with its tradition, the Ali Bin Ali Group Beverages Division gathered for the annual Iftar party on June 6, 2017.

More than 500 employees of the ABA Beverages Division attended the party, which was held at Regency Halls in Doha.

Present at the Iftar gathering was the General Manager of ABA Beverages, Mr. Marc Karam, as well as CEOs and General Managers from other divisions.

Mr. Karam awarded excellence and appreciation certificates and gifts to 33 employees for their outstanding performance in the company through their stint with Pepsi Cola.

He also applauded the efforts of every staff member and said, “I would like to thank all of you for your contribution to the success of the Division. ABA Beverages is like one family and the annual Iftar gathering is the perfect occasion for all of us to bond. Let’s work together and keep the Ali Bin Ali Group flag flying high.”

A lucky draw for all the attendees was enjoyed by everyone, adding a fun element to the evening.

Held in the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan, the 2017 Iftar gathering was one of the best the Division has hosted in many years – giving employees an opportunity to come together and bond.

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ABA Group supports Italian National Day 2017 celebrations

Further cementing its longstanding friendship with the Italian Embassy in Qatar, Ali Bin Ali Group stepped forward as one of the main sponsors of the 2017 Italian National Day celebrations in the country.

Hosted by the Ambassador of Italy to Qatar, H.E. Pasquale Salzano, the event was held on May 22 at the Italian-inspired Al Hazm luxury galleria in the heart of Doha. A ceremonial cake was cut to mark the occasion, with Ambassador Salzano highlighting Qatar-Italy bilateral relations.

H.E. Jassim Seif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport and Communications; Ibrahim Fakhroo, Protocol Department director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and H.E. Ali Ibrahim Ahmed, Ambassador of Eritrea to Qatar and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, were among the dignitaries present at the event.

Ali Bin Ali Group has always supported and worked in co-operation with the international community in Qatar and was glad and honoured to be a part of the gathering for the official celebration of Italian National Day. 

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Ali Bin Ali Group’s iSpot opens its third store in Qatar

In another major accomplishment for Ali Bin Ali Group, iSpot – the Apple Premium Reseller (APR) – had the soft opening of its third store in Qatar at Doha Festival City (DFC) on Thursday, May 25.

iSpot is the country’s leading Apple Premium Reseller and earned its popular status by delivering on the promise of the Apple brand.

The iSpot store at DFC is the region’s first-ever APR concept store with a VIP and service area, a separate area where customers can have their products set up, and a unique lighting concept. The store also offers product and service tutorials.

The new store also marks the ninth anniversary of iSpot since it was launched by ABA Group in 2008. Apart from DFC, iSpot APR is currently located at City Center Doha and Ezdan Mall.

Mohamad A. Ebrik, Chief Operating Officer – ABA ICT, who was present at the opening of the new store, said: “iSpot is an optimum place to experience the latest Apple products. Technology, coupled with our customer-centric service, has positioned us at the top. With this new store, we aim to reach out to more people and make the best technology more accessible to the people of Qatar.”

In addition to being housed in some of the country’s best locations to test-drive any Apple product, iSpot delivers support services, installation advice and also offer training and specialist software expertise to give customers confidence in their purchases.

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Ali Bin Ali Group opens first ever Artisan du Chocolat in Qatar

Ali Bin Ali (ABA) Group has once again introduced an international brand to Qatar, this time bringing popular British chocolatier brand Artisan du Chocolat to the country.

The brand celebrated its opening on May 21, 2017 at Mall of Qatar. The outlet is the second of its kind in the Middle East, with the brand already having a popular presence in the Saudi Arabian market.

Present at the opening were Ms. Anne Weyns, co-owner of Artisan du Chocolat; Mr. Philippe Tardieu, General Manager of ABA Group’s Hospitality Division, Ms. Suha G. Shatila, General Manager of ABA Group Marketing; and other ABA and ADC staff members. The Artisan du Chocolat outlet is strategically located near the main gate of Mall of Qatar, giving visitors easy access to its delightful collections.

Speaking at the opening, Mr. Philippe Tardieu said: “We are delighted that we have brought an international favorite like Artisan du Chocolat into the local market and given it a home in Doha.  Qatar’s chocolate lovers will really be inspired by the selections at Artisan du Chocolat. We positioned our outlet at The Mall of Qatar because we wanted a perfect location to launch our entry into the market”.

Mr. Tardieu went on to say that he is confident that the Ali Bin Ali Group’s partnership with Artisan du Chocolate will only strengthen and grow in the future.

Artisan du Chocolat follows a time-honoured tradition of processing chocolate from ground beans, before conching and refining them to form the base of their mouth-watering selections. Among the favorites being served at the newly opened outlet are the pearl range and the signature product being Liquid salted caramels. Celebrated chef Gordon Ramsay had once described Artisan du Chocolat as the ‘Bentley of chocolates’, highlighting its exquisite quality.

 

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ABA Group’s QCare Medical announces signing of exclusive agreement with Endocare USA

Fulfilling its promise to introduce state-of-the-art services from international medical brands to the Qatari market, Ali Bin Ali (ABA) Group’s QCare Medical announced the signing of an exclusive agreement with Endocare Inc. USA for the distribution of its Endocare™ Cryoablation technology in Qatar.

A prime vision of ABA Group has been to create a comprehensive, world-class healthcare system in Qatar, whose services are accessible to the whole population.

Keeping this vision in mind and with the aim of complying with the Qatar National Health Strategy (NHS) 2017-2022, QCare in May 2017 proudly installed the first Endocare™ cryoablation machine – Cryocare Cs – in the Middle East at Hamad General Hospital.

Well known Urologist Dr. Franco Lugnani flew in to Doha to conduct a demonstration and training for the medical teams of Dr. Ahmed Omar, Head of Radiology department & Dr. Khalid Al Rumaihi, Head of Urology department at Hamad General Hospital. On May 25, the team performed 3 successful surgeries with the Cryocare Cs .

Speaking about this strategic agreement, Mr. Zuhdi Z Al-Jaouni, General Manager of Qcare Medical & ABA Medical, said: “This exclusive agreement is a particularly important one as a growing amount of evidence supports the use of cryotherapy for patients with localized prostate cancer following radiation therapy.”

Endocare Inc. is a medical device company focused on the development of minimally invasive technologies for tissue and tumor ablation.

Endocare™ cryoablation therapy focuses on the development of a specialized type of cryotherapy for the minimally invasive treatment of cancer with a faster and easier-to-operate cryoablation system for freezing cancerous tumors and tissue.

Endocare remains the market leader in this category, as this new system uses nitrogen as the freezing and tumor-destroying element. The nitrogen, called “critical nitrogen” because it works in a unique form at the critical point where gas nearly becomes liquid, is also more powerful and readily available in surgical suites than argon, the freezing element in Endocare’s current market-leading cryoablation systems.

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Ali Bin Ali Luxury opens first David Morris boutique in Qatar

Launching yet another luxury boutique in Qatar, Ali Bin Ali Luxury – along with renowned London jeweller David Morris – has opened the first David Morris standalone boutique in the country. Located at 6, La Croisette, Porto Arabia – The Pearl-Qatar, the store is sure to become a hotspot for all fashion and luxury lovers in Qatar.

The store was officially opened to the public on May 9 as Mr. Adel Ali Bin Ali, Chairman & President of ABA Group, Mr. Awn Zureikat, Chief Operating Officer – ABA Luxury along with Mr. Jeremy Morris, MD of David Morris, ceremoniously cut the ribbon in front of VIP guests and media. The latest novelties of David Morris, which were brought to Qatar specifically for the event, were revealed on the occasion of the boutique’s opening.

Nestled in the heart of Porto Arabia, home to The Pearl-Qatar’s main marina, the intimate yet luxurious boutique exudes sophistication with a contemporary design beautifully styled in a colour palette of cool silvers and greys juxtaposed with warming hues of gold and bronze. With bespoke furnishings of dark wood and metal accents, the setting perfectly reflects the glamour of the fine jewellery.

Speaking to the media, Mr. Adel Ali Bin Ali said: “We want to get the best from around the world to Qatar. By partnering with David Morris and opening a standalone boutique, we are inching closer to our vision. The people of Qatar appreciate fashion and luxury and I am sure they are going to love the David Morris collection.”  

Mr. Jeremy Morris said, “We are proud to continue the growth of our brand in such a key region with partners Ali Bin Ali. We hope that clients will embrace our new store and delight in having the London jeweller at their doorstep.”

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Ali Bin Ali & Partners signs exclusive distribution agreement with Baladna

Adding another feather to its cap, Ali Bin Ali & Partners has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Baladna, the largest sheep and goat dairy producer in the Middle East, to expand the retail presence of Baladna dairy products in Qatar.

The distribution agreement and the exclusive partnership commenced ceremoniously on May 3 at Baladna Farm in Al Khor, Doha. The event was attended by the local media, top officials of Ali Bin Ali Group and Baladna.

A tour of the Baladna farm and a video enabled the guests to witness the freshness of the product and where it is produced. After a speech by Mr. Nabil Mourad, Chief Operating Officer, FMCG – ABA Group and Mr. John Dore, Chief Executive Officer of Baladna Company, the house was open for a question & answer session for the attending media. The eventful day came to an end with a sumptuous lunch for all the guests.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Nabil Mourad said: “It is our pleasure to support the local industries in every way we can. Keeping Qatar National Vision 2030 in mind, we seek to work with Qatari producers, encourage them and make their presence prominent in the local market.”

“Baladna is a farm that places key emphasis on quality and we are confident that through our understanding of the Qatari market and commitment to develop best-in-class technologies, we will exceed customers’ expectations and maximise the reach of the products,” he added.

Mr. Wadih Antoine Kazan, General Manager – Ali Bin Ali & Partners said, “We are happy as well as proud to add Baladna to our product portfolio. Thanks to the deal with ABA & Partners, Baladna products will be available in about 50 outlets now and cover up to 100 stores in the country soon.”

Mr. John Dore added: “Through this agreement, we hope to deliver high-quality products to the market that can compete with imported products. Our partnership with Ali Bin Ali & Partners will allow us to provide our customers with the convenience of finding premium Baladna dairy products in their local grocery.”

The Baladna farm, built over 700,00sqm, includes 40,000 heads of Awassi sheep that are characterized by their ability to adapt and withstand high temperatures and produce a high milk yield. The farm is also a popular family destination in Qatar.