Auchi receives Goias Governor, promotes business

Rodrigues Filho calls on Arab, British businessmen to invest in Brazil’s Goias State.

LONDON  8 December 2006

Chairman of General Mediterranean Holding Group, Nadhmi Auchi, held a reception honouring Brazil’s Governor of Goias, Alcides Rodrigues Filho, and the official trade delegation accompanying him, at the Cavalry & Guards Club in London.

In his address during the event, Auchi said, “Our group is honoured to receive Mr Rodrigues Filho in London to take a closer look at our business activities, and to discuss potential investment of the Group in the State of Goias.”

Auchi added, “Brazil’s fast growing economy is a promising place for investment that we would not like to miss out on. We equally encourage Arab and British investors to pay attention to the proposed projects there, which are worthy of being studied ahead of investment.”

On his part, Governor Rodrigues Filho assured that Brazil's economy is on the rise, and investors are welcome to take part and profit from such ventures.

"During a time when some areas in the world are facing recession, our state, and Brazil in general, is witnessing an increase in production and export rates. And this increase is not limited to the traditional agricultural sector, but includes all other industrial and service sectors as well," said Rodrigues.

Present at the reception, which also included an exchange of gifts between the host and his wife, and the guest of honour and his wife, were a number of ministerial officials from the Goias State, Arab Ambassadors to London, and Arab & British businessmen.

Le Royal Hammamet Celebrates 10th Anniversary

H E Tijani Haddad (right) with Mr & Mrs Auchi

Tunisia's Tourism Minister acknowledges contribution of Nadhmi Auchi to success of Yasmine Hammamet tourist city.

 HAMMAMET, Tunisia   25 November 2006 

Celebrations that were originally planned to mark the tenth anniversary of the launch of Le Royal Hammamet Hotel in Tunisia became a symbolic ceremony marking the development of Yasmine Hammamet tourist city, one of the country's top tourist attractions and one of the Mediterranean's notable sites.

Tunisian Minster of Tourism, Tijani Haddad, said in a speech during the gala event, "Trust in Tunisia's stable future was behind launching Le Royal Hammamet Hotel."

Haddad praised the efforts of Nadhmi Auchi, Chairman of General Mediterranean Holding Group and founder of the Le Royal Hotels chain (five-star hotels in many Arab and European countries) acknowledging his role in making Yasmine Hammamet tourist city what it is today.

During his speech at the ceremony, Auchi said that the President of Tunisia, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, "had perceived early in the day the exceptional importance of Southern Hammamet and gave the go ahead to make the city a tourist site of the first degree."

"However," Auchi continued, "such an ambitious project, built on bare land, was in need of adventurous investors who have great trust in the people and stability of Tunisia, and I have taken that risk, along with General Mediterranean Holding Group, that I am honoured to lead."

Auchi added, "Le Royal Hammamet Hotel differs from other hotels in the area; it is not just a hotel, it is the 'founding stone' of Yasmine Hammamet tourist city. This calm city can claim to be the crown of Tunisia's tourism sites, and it's not an exaggeration to say that it a distinguishable jewel among other tourist sites in the whole of the Mediterranean region."

Declaring the start of a new project by the Le Royal Hammamet, Auchi said, "after ten years of hard work and success, we are now renewing the hotel with untraditional projects; we shall add a health compound which includes a beauty section and a centre for physiotherapy."

After investing millions of dollars, the new project, which aims to attract tourists from all over the world, bids to compete with leading international health compounds.

Present at the ceremony were over 25 Arab and foreign ambassadors to Tunisia, heads of tourism companies, journalists and guests from around the world - who enjoyed the gala of music and fashion shows.

The hotel's distinguished members of staff were awarded prizes and gifts by Auchi.

The Tourism Minister Mr Haddad gave Mr Auchi a present as a token of appreciation for his efforts. Le Royal staff followed by presenting Mr Auchi an emblem to thank him for his continuous support.

Young A1 Team Lebanon participates in 2006/07 season

The new season starts in Zandvoort, Netherlands

Beschir, Rahal, Shaaban will be on driver line-up for 2006/07 A1GP season joined by Khateeb.

BEIRUT, Lebanon  2 September 2006

A1 Team Lebanon will return to the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport for its second season of competition. Khalil Beschir, Graham Rahal and Basil Shaaban will continue to represent Lebanon in this international motor racing series, and they will be joined by Alex Khateeb for the coming season.

Khateeb, 22, will participate in the new A1GP rookie session at the start of each race weekend. Beschir, Rahal and Shaaban are excluded from participating in this session as the Series rules dictate that participants must not have competed in more than three A1GP races.

The A1 Team Lebanon driver for the first race in Zandvoort will be chosen following final testing this week which is being attended by Beschir, Khateeb and Shaaban. Rahal will start his A1GP season with Team Lebanon at Brno.

Tameem Auchi, Seatholder for A1 Team Lebanon, says of his driver line-up, “We’ve retained our drivers from the first year of A1GP which gives us continuity and the scope to keep developing the team over the course of the season. We welcome Alex to the team and to give him the chance to experience the power and performance of the A1GP car in the rookie session. We have four young, committed, talented drivers who will be proud to represent Lebanon in the A1GP Series and we’re looking forward to the first race in the Netherlands next week.”

A1 Team Lebanon is one of over 20 countries represented in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport. The Series, in its second year of competition, will travel the globe showcasing highly competitive, exciting racing which pits nation against nation in identical cars. The new season starts in Zandvoort, Netherlands from 29 September – 1 October this year.

For all the information on the team visit

www.A1TeamLebanon.com

Le Royal Hotels sponsors ‘OAG Airline of the Year 2006’

Auchi hands the award to General Manager Europe for Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific crowned ‘OAG Airline of the Year’ at dazzling ‘Oscars of the Airline Industry’ at Grosvenor House Hotel in London.
 

LONDON  18 May 2006

Cathay Pacific was crowned “OAG Airline of the Year 2006” at the annual OAG Airline of the Year Awards at Grosvenor House Hotel in London sponsored by Le Royal Hotels Group for the second year running.

At a dazzling ceremony considered the ‘Oscars of the Airline Industry’, Continental Airlines took the title of “Best Airline” based in North America for the third consecutive year as well as “Best Business/Executive Class” for the fourth year running.

JetBlue was named “Best Low Cost/No Frills Airline” for the first time beating heavyweights EasyJet, Southwest airlines and 2005 winner Virgin Blue.

Eddie Bell, Chairman of OAG, honoured renowned travel journalist and broadcaster Alan Whicker with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his remarkable career of almost 60 years.

OAG Airline of the Year Awards celebrates the very best in global air travel and publicly recognizes the highest standards within the industry. OAG provides the databases for the airlines industry that includes the timetables for 300+ airlines and covers over 3000 airports worldwide.

Nasir Abid, Chief Executive Officer of Le Royal Hotels, was among an array of distinguished figures present at the Le Royal- sponsored ceremony. Le Royal is the hotel and leisure division of GMH Group headed by Arab businessman Nadhmi Auchi.

“Le Royal Luxembourg, which opened 21 years ago is our flagship hotel and since then we have gradually expanded with other five star hotels. Le Royal also owns and operates Le Royal Hammamet, Tunisia; Le Royal El-Minzah, Tangiers, Morocco, Le Royal Beirut, Lebanon and Le Royal Amman, Jordan; both considered landmarks in the Lebanese and Jordanian capitals. The majority of them are members of the Leading Hotels of the World and two are soon to be affiliated with the Preferred Hotels Group. The group also owns hotels in Madrid, Egypt and South of France,” Abid said in his speech.

Abid noted that Le Royal Group has added close to 1500 extra rooms in Egypt and Lebanon, in the past year, to further expand and strengthen its position in the luxury hotel industry in the Middle East.

“GMH Group is currently refurbishing its hotels in the French Riviera and will soon launch Le Royal Boutique Hotel in Cannes,” he added.

He emphasized the need for cooperation between the airline and the hotel industries in order to allow a better integration between the two.

GMH is currently in the planning stage of building Le Royal London, a landmark complex that is set to dominate the London landscape.