Kanoo Shipping Honored at FPC 20th Anniversary

Sheikh Hamad Bin Saleh Al Sharqi (son of Fujairah ruler [right] presented the appreciation award to Capt. Pramod Arora (MISC, MNI, Master Mariner) Shipping Manager - East Coast, Kanoo Shipping [left]

Dubai, UAE: Kanoo Shipping received recognition during the 20^th Anniversary celebration of Fujairah Port Clinic held on 7th November 2013 at Al Diar Siji Hotel, Fujairah. 200 guests from local dignitaries and members of the Shipping Fraternity also gathered in the event. The function was held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamad Bin Saleh Al Sharqi, Vice Chairman of Fujairah National Group and Chairman of Al Sharq Healthcare.

Kanoo Shipping was awarded during the event as one of the big supporters for the Fujairah Port Clinic since its inception, for getting medical services for vessels calling under our agency.

Kanoo Shipping is an active and regular user of Fujairah Port Clinic for all the Seafarers requiring medical attention and also sending emergency Doctor Assistance to the vessel where emergency medical assistance is required.

Mr. Ahmed Alhafeiti, Deputy CEO, delivered his welcome address. Subsequently Dr. Antony Thomas gave an interesting presentation on “Healthy Living” which was very much appreciated by all guests and followed by a speech by Mr. Manuel Terreiro, HOD of Fujairah Port Clinic, speaking about the History of Fujairah and their achievement for the last 20 years and also their future plan for the maritime industry.

Historically, it was mentioned that Fujairah anchorage gained its prominence after the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) and the First Gulf War (1990-1991). The main attraction thereafter for Ship owners was to capitalize on the strategic advantages of Fujairah Anchorage before entering the Gulf where a number of Shipping Agents were available to provide a variety of husbandry services. Today Fujairah is recognised as one of the world’s biggest bunkering stations.

Fujairah Port Clinic, from a humble small beginning has grown to become the biggest healthcare services provider in the East Coast region (Covering Fujairah, Khorfakkan and Dibba) with various medical establishments under the brand name of Al Sharq Healthcare across UAE East Cost.  

Fujairah Port Clinic pledged to continue to provide 24-hour Quality Medical Services to all its seafaring patients and is currently in the process of upgrading its clinic with a new 3-storey building. There will also be upgrades on medical services in the form of more doctors, laboratories, pharmacies and a ‘day stay’ room for patients.

The celebration concluded with closing remarks from Mr. Wagdi Zayed, Deputy CEO of Al Sharq Healthcare and Social Interaction.

A grand buffet followed after that which was a networking opportunity for all guests which included management representatives of Kanoo Shipping.

About Kanoo Shipping

Kanoo Shipping is one of the founders of S5 Agency World. Being the first Arab shipping agency in the Region in 1890, Kanoo Shipping has grown to be the largest regional shipping service provider in the Middle East. It covers an extensive area including Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and Indian Sub-continent and handles 15,000 port calls every year, with offices in 20 countries.

About The Kanoo Group

‘The Kanoo Group’ is one of the largest, independent, family-owned groups of companies in the Gulf region established in 1890. It has diversified business industries in shipping, travel, machinery, engineering, logistics, property, oil & gas, power, industrial chemicals, training, joint ventures, retail and commercial activities, among others, and operates extensively throughout Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen and Qatar.

Our Vision
The Leading Family Business in the Region and Beyond

Our Mission 
Delivering Sustainable Excellence

Our Values 
Customer Focused, Ethical, Innovative, Agile, Competent & Intelligent, Collaborative, Accountable

P.O. Box 290, Dubai, UAE. Toll Free: 800 KANOO, Fax: 04-3933636, Websites: www.kanoo.com / www.kanoogroup.com 

To comment on the article, send an email to: 
Michelle Laylo Verzola
PR Executive
The Kanoo Group

Kanoo Shipping recognised by Department of Tourism

Dubai, UAE: Kanoo Shipping, a member of The Kanoo Group was awarded with a trophy by Dubai Cruise Tourism (DCT), an entity of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) as recognition for its crucial role in Dubai’s emergence as one of the world’s most attractive cruise destinations for 2013-2013 held on 28^th October 2013 at DTCM premises.

Picture from Left to Right: Mr. Shihabdin Gulabdin, Service Manager – UAE (Kanoo Shipping) receives appreciation award from Mr. Helal AlMarri (Director General - Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing), Mr. Hamad M Bin Mejren (Executive Director, Business Tourism) and Mr. Jamal Humaid Al Falasi (Director, Cruise Tourism)

The Appreciation Award was also presented to other partners and stakeholders like DP World, Dubai Immigration, Dubai Customs, Dubai Police, Dubai Maritime City Authority, Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation – Security Department (PCFC-SD), the Roads & Transport Authority, the Department of Environment Health and Safety, Dubai Culture and various cruise ship agencies such as Gulf Agency Co., Inchcape Shipping, Khimji Ramdass, Rais Hassan Saadi, Seamaster Maritime, and Wilhelmsen as well as  tour operators such as Arabian Adventures, Gulf Ventures, Orient Tours, Sharaf Tours, SNTTA, and Travco, who  all shared invaluable contributions to Dubai with the strongest cruise season ever.

Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), said: “The 2012-2013 cruise season reached new heights. We are proud to announce 93 confirmed ship calls this season, which include 63 home porting ship calls: 27 from Costa, 17 from Aida, and 19 from MSC ships. We’re also delighted to welcome seven maiden ship calls, a reflection of Dubai’s burgeoning appeal as a cruise hub.”

The burgeoning reputation of Dubai as an international hub for cruise tourism is set to be bolstered by an eventful 2013-2014 season, with more than 20 leading global cruise lines anticipated to bring in as many as 300,000 tourists to the Emirate, according to Dubai Cruise Tourism (DCT), an entity of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

From tours of the Arabian Gulf – taking in the region’s most majestic cities – to longer voyages to the Far East, India and the Mediterranean, cruises from Dubai will continue to offer a diverse selection of destinations for holidaymakers seeking adventure and relaxation alike over the coming season. By selecting the Emirate as a home port, tourists will be able to take advantage of its spectacular attractions – from world-renowned skyscrapers and shopping malls to beaches and leisure venues – at both the beginning and end of their expedition.

Among the upcoming cruises with Dubai as its home port are Cruise Ship Costa Fortuna and Cost Neo Riviera travelling to two of Oman’s major cities, Muscat and Khasab, as well as Abu Dhabi. Others include the Aida Diva – which visits Muscat, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain – and the MSC Lirica – stopping at Abu Dhabi, Khor Fakkan, Muscat and Khasab.

A planned expansion, which will endow Dubai Cruise Terminals with an additional facility spanning over 27,000 square meters to cater to cruise lines and visitors from 2014, is currently underway. Consequently, Dubai Cruise Terminals will be able to comfortably handle complete passenger turnaround of five cruise ships simultaneously.

Management representatives of the Department of Tourism and Commerce (DTC) and Government of Dubai pose during the award ceremony

Dubai is currently the home port for five of the world’s leading cruise lines - Costa, Aida, Royal Caribbean, TUI and MSC. Three of these lines – Costa and MSC Cruises from Italy and Aida cruises from Germany – will be operating Gulf Cruise itineraries out of Dubai this season, representing a total deployment of four ships. TUI Cruises from Germany will resume their operations from the 2014/2015 season and the Emirate is looking forward to welcoming USA based Royal Caribbean again in the 2015/2016 season.

Correspondingly, Kanoo Shipping will be having the first port call for the season, MV Seven Seas Voyager on 2nd December and MV Nautica on 7^th December 2013.

About Kanoo Shipping

Kanoo Shipping is one of the founders of S5 Agency World. Being the first Arab shipping agency in the Region in 1890, Kanoo Shipping has grown to be the largest regional shipping service provider in the Middle East. It covers an extensive area including Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and Indian Sub-continent and handles 15,000 port calls every year, with offices in 20 countries.

About The Kanoo Group

‘The Kanoo Group’ is one of the largest, independent, family-owned groups of companies in the Gulf region established in 1890. It has diversified business industries in shipping, travel, machinery, engineering, logistics, property, oil & gas, power, industrial chemicals, training, joint ventures, retail and commercial activities, among others, and operates extensively throughout Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen and Qatar.

Our Vision 
The Leading Family Business in the Region and Beyond

Our Mission 
Delivering Sustainable Excellence

Our Values 
Customer Focused, Ethical, Innovative, Agile, Competent & Intelligent, Collaborative, Accountable 

P.O. Box 290, Dubai, UAE. Toll Free: 800 KANOO, Fax: 04-3933636, Websites: www.kanoo.com / www.kanoogroup.com 

To comment on the article, send an email to: 
Michelle Laylo Verzola
PR Executive
The Kanoo Group

Kanoo Freight achieves ISO 9001:2008 Certification

Kanoo Freight LLC UAE, a member of The Kanoo Group, one of the largest family owned conglomerates in the Gulf qualified for ISO 9001:2008 certification awarded by Bureau Veritas (BV) after a two stage assessment in August 2013. 

The BV auditor, Ms. Jihan Farouk confirmed the compliance during the audit held at Kanoo Freight LLC premise in UAE.

The first stage of audit was conducted on the 5^th August in which the entire documented Quality Management System (QMS) of Kanoo Freight was reviewed and was found satisfactorily complying with the requirements of ISO 9001:2008. 

In the second stage audit on the 29^th of August, the BV auditor visited all sections of Kanoo Freight and verified the actual implementation of the QMS.  

Besides Kanoo Freight staff, the auditor quizzed Computer Services, HR & Administration departments’ managers and staff, who provided information and records to demonstrate compliance.

The achievement of ISO 9001:2008 certification is the result of the teamwork amongst all sections of Kanoo Freight under the leadership of Tiny Samat, Country Manager and the supporting departments.

Additionally, Mr. Tuan Indra Raseedeen, Assistant Manager for Sales and Marketing shouldered the responsibility as the Management Representative-Quality for Kanoo Freight and Mr. Naresh Pawar was also nominated as the Management Representative for HSE.

“This certification is another significant progress for Kanoo Freight which is bidding for project cargo business of major oil and gas companies together with other divisions of Kanoo. It will add to the credentials of Kanoo for providing integrated forwarding and shipping solutions for major industrial and infrastructure projects”, said Mr. Prashant Nasery, Projects & Quality Manager - UAE & Oman of The Kanoo Group.

The development and implementation of Kanoo Freight’s QMS was supported by Quality Department. During the exercise, Kanoo Freight management set Quality Objectives which included improvement in customer satisfaction, delivery of sea freight FCL consignments within 48 hours and delivery of air freight consignments within 24 hours. A system of regular measurement of these parameters was developed and implemented for continuous monitoring and improvement.

The QMS includes well defined procedures for handling customer complaints and non-conformities, control of documents and records, internal audits and management review – all essential requirements of ISO 9001:2008.

About The Kanoo Group

‘The Kanoo Group’ is one of the largest, independent, family-owned groups of companies in the Gulf region established in 1890. It has diversified business industries in shipping, travel, machinery, engineering, logistics, property, oil & gas, power, industrial chemicals, training, joint ventures, retail and commercial activities, among others, and operates extensively throughout Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen and Qatar.

Our Vision 
The Leading Family Business in the Region and Beyond

Our Mission 
Delivering Sustainable Excellence

Our Values 
Customer Focused, Ethical, Innovative, Agile, Competent & Intelligent, Collaborative, Accountable 

P.O. Box 290, Dubai, UAE. Toll Free: 800 KANOO, Fax: 04-3933636, Websites: www.kanoo.com / www.kanoogroup.com 

To comment on the article, send an email to: 
Michelle Laylo Verzola
PR Executive
The Kanoo Group

The Kanoo Group Sponsors GCC Forum on Avoidable Blindness

Dubai, UAE: As strong supporter of sight-saving initiatives, ‘The Kanoo Group’  along with prominent organisations sponsored the GCC Forum on Avoidable Blindness, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development and President of Sightsavers in the UAE, held at the Fairmont Hotel, Dubai on 30^th October 2013.

For the past decades, The Kanoo Group has always been actively involved in various charitable causes and continuously helps organisations to successfully carry out their valuable social missions and visions.

Honorable guests like HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Ahmad Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Chair, The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness – EMRO), Lady Wilson (Vice President, Sightsavers) and HE Dr Abdulaziz Al Rajhi (Executive Co-Chair, International Agency for Prevention of Blindness – Eastern Mediterranean Region) graced the noteworthy event.

Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan delivered his welcoming speech and an introductory video about avoidable blindness marked the opening ceremony. 

Thereafter, various speakers discussed diverse topics on avoidable blindness in the developing world, the importance of early prevention, and promoting the role of the GCC in making eye care reachable to all segments of the society. This is through specialist treatment and support to those who have lost their vision by providing education, counseling and training.

The forum was organised by Sightsavers Middle East and Prevention of Blindness Union (PBU).

Sightsavers is an international development charity founded in 1950 working to prevent and cure blindness and support people who are irreversibly blind. 

Over the years, it has performed over 289.9M treatments, over 7.4263M operations to restore sight, training for over 611,650 primary eye care workers and over 23,430 rehabilitation workers. It has also build a rehabilitation training for over 115,228 people. 

Sightsavers is active in 35 countries throughout Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Sightsavers Middle East is being chaired by HH Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan.

Prevention of Blindness Union (PBU) is a regional umbrella organisation that coordinates, collaborates, and advocates activities in the field of comprehensive eye care with all stakeholders such as governments, non-governmental development organisations (NGDOs), international multilateral organisations, professionals, and institutions from the Africa and Eastern Mediterranean Region. 

PBU is being chaired by HRH Prince Abdulaziz Ahmad Al Saud with its head office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

According to Sightsavers, currently there are 39 million blind people in the world. Most of them live without sight just because they are poor. The real tragedy is that 80% of all cases could be prevented or cured with straight-forward and low-cost treatments.

It added, "No one should be needlessly blind. As member of the community, how do you get involved and help prevent avoidable blindness, and rehabilitate the blind in the developing world?"

About The Kanoo Group

‘The Kanoo Group’ is one of the largest, independent, family-owned groups of companies in the Gulf region established in 1890. It has diversified business industries in shipping, travel, machinery, engineering, logistics, property, oil & gas, power, industrial chemicals, training, joint ventures, retail and commercial activities, among others, and operates extensively throughout Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen and Qatar.

Our Vision 
The Leading Family Business in the Region and Beyond

Our Mission 
Delivering Sustainable Excellence

Our Values 
Customer Focused, Ethical, Innovative, Agile, Competent & Intelligent, Collaborative, Accountable 

P.O. Box 290, Dubai, UAE. Toll Free: 800 KANOO, Fax: 04-3933636, Websites: www.kanoo.com / www.kanoogroup.com 

To comment on the article, send an email to: 
Michelle Laylo Verzola
PR Executive
The Kanoo Group

An Evening with John Cleese concludes a Successful Show

Dubai, UAE: John Cleese brought his hilarious performance back to Dubai for the second time after the success of last year’s show. 

The recent event, “An Evening with John Cleese” held at Madinat Theatre, Souk Madinat Jumeirah on 5^th to 9^th November 2013 was another impressive sold-out-ticket crowd. This brilliant entertainment with the comedy legend was again presented in partnership with The Kanoo Group.

The show was basically the same show as before except that it was more polished and more personal, plus a session on Question and Answer where he challenged his audience not to ask anything overly polite of rudimental. He became most engrossed when asked about how he felt about losing his role as Q in the Bond films.

John Cleese didn’t fail to stop the crowd from laughing so hard from every bit of his funny lines. As the event sponsor, Kanoo family and other management staff of The Kanoo Group also gathered in the show to witness the comedy legend.

Cleese did well both in sports and academics, but his real love was comedy. Several of these comedy reviews were met with great hit. Now aged 74, John Cleese with his usually poker face, clipped middle class accent extended his humour often involving ordinary people in ordinary situations, behaving absurdly for no obvious reason. He once explained that the origin of his fondness for black humour was the only thing that he inherited from his mother.

During the show, he shared his extraordinary life experiences like the time when he attended the funeral of a fellow Python Graham Chapman where his speech had funeral goers laughing uncontrollably, among others.

Beside his infamous character as a sharp-tongued, rude and clumsy yet somehow lovable proprietor of an English seaside hotel in the legendary TV series, “Fawlty Towers”. He rose to prominence with his BBC radio series as a writer and eventually collected to be a talent for his own program, “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” which displayed a strange and completely absorbing blend of low farce and high-concept absurdist humour, and remains influential to this day.

When asked about what he thinks of Dubai, his answer was, “Unique - a bit like Vegas. But with flashes of good taste”, he answered.

About The Kanoo Group

‘The Kanoo Group’ is one of the largest, independent, family-owned groups of companies in the Gulf region established in 1890. It has diversified business industries in shipping, travel, machinery, engineering, logistics, property, oil & gas, power, industrial chemicals, training, joint ventures, retail and commercial activities, among others, and operates extensively throughout Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen and Qatar.

Our Vision 
The Leading Family Business in the Region and Beyond

Our Mission 
Delivering Sustainable Excellence

Our Values 
Customer Focused, Ethical, Innovative, Agile, Competent & Intelligent, Collaborative, Accountable 

P.O. Box 290, Dubai, UAE. Toll Free: 800 KANOO, Fax: 04-3933636, Websites: www.kanoo.com / www.kanoogroup.com 

To comment on the article, send an email to: 
Michelle Laylo Verzola
PR Executive
The Kanoo Group