The Middle East Maritime industry is bouncing back and experience strong and steady growth, according to the participants of a discussion hosted by Seatrade Middle East Maritime (SMEM), the region’s leading event for the maritime and shipping industry, taking place in Dubai in October.

“Twenty Ten has been a year the industry did not expect to turn round for them but by mid year it has done just that. People are more confident to spend and invest and we understand our industry even better following the recession,” says Mr Mohammed Al Muellam, senior vice president and managing director or DP World, Mohammed Al Muellam of DP World, one of three industry experts to join Seatrade chairman, Chris Hayman, at a discussion regarding the expanding Middle East fleet last Wednesday in Dubai.

Martin Machin, director of Tufton Oceanic and Roy Donaldson, COO of Topaz Marine & general manager of BUE Caspian also agreed that the maritime industry is experiencing an impressive bounce back following a tough 18 months. Supported by recent research conducted on behalf of SMEM, the current Middle East fleet has a dead weight tonne (DWT) of 57.2 million with order books accounting for a massive 21 million DWT, which indicates that 37 percent of the current fleet is new investment.
With extensive experience in the offshore sector, Donaldson highlighted that one of major benefits from the recent recession has been the amount of new technology that has moved into the region and has noticed a “significant investment primarily in the subsea market.” The research shows that offshore vessels account for 16 percent of the Middle East’s total fleet with 331 at present and with 39 on order, the sector’s investment currently sits at 12 percent.

Machin, with a background in financial and asset management, said he is pleased to see that the industry has put clear frameworks in place for resolving issues that may arise due to a change in circumstances, something that may not have been put in place so swiftly had the recession not occurred. He now believes “the ship industry is well equipped to deal with peaks and troughs”.

Hayman concluded: “As one of the most unique events for the maritime and shipping industry, we wanted to provide a forum for a selection of experts to discuss the state of play of the industry. We very much thank our three participants for bringing forward their views and being part of such an informative and eye-opening debate.”

SMEM 2010 will take place at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from 26-28 October, bringing together the most influential players from the regional and international maritime and shipping industry. For further information, please visit www.seatrade-middleeast.com.

The Big 5 2010, the region’s leading event for the building and construction industry, will see more innovative product launches than ever before, with the UAE topping the bill. With a 20 percent increase in the number of local exhibitors for this year’s show it is expected that the show will see the launch of some of the most exciting and contemporary products and technologies at this year’s event. Professionals from over 50 countries are expected to attend to what has become the annual event for the international construction industry. It has been a turbulent 18 months for the region’s construction industry, with Dubai taking a well-needed rest from new project start-ups and other emirates such as Abu Dhabi and Ajman leading the UAE market. Despite this, recent research by Ventures on behalf of The Big 5, has shown a promising five years for the industry, with the UAE leading the way and Saudi Arabia a close second.

Some Middle Eastern companies who will be making a mark at this year’s event include:

• First time exhibitor, Supaloc/Prolong will be launching a new patented petro chemical product, called “Synionic technology by Prolong”. This innovative new engine lubricant acts as a substitute for oil giving three times the life compared to standard oil, saving oil filters, extending the life of engines as well as being far more environmentally friendly than anything else currently available on the market. • The Big 5’s environmental partner, EcoVentures, is launching an exciting new patented product which will eliminate the need for sandblasting when fighting rust and will actually use the rust. This certified green product which has previously only been used in the oil & gas industry will be launched to the construction industry this November. • Gulf Brands has the first regional launch of their international best selling product, Super Therm ceramic coating. This product, which has been used by oil and gas giants such as Exxon Mobil and Saudi Aramco, offers a revolutionary way of insulating buildings from the harsh desert heat.

• In-keeping with the 3D epidemic of late, Jehan Green will be exhibiting 3D panel systems specifically for low rise construction projects. This environmentally friendly, carbon saving product are used for external walls, and the newly launched product has already garnered lots of attention locally. Simon Mellor, vice president of construction for dmg :: event, organisers of The Big 5, said: “Recent research has shown that more money is being spent on construction currently, and over the next five years, in the UAE than any other country in the Middle East including Saudi Arabia. The country’s construction industry at a sensible speed and we hope to see this reflected in the attitudes of our visitors and exhibitors.

“Many clients are exhibiting at the show who have been many times before, as well as several new participants from the UAE with a plethora of innovative new products - some of which will revolutionise standard practices in the industry. The Big 5 is a time when the industry will come together, network and put a considerable amount of speculation to rest.” As the largest event of its kind in the Middle East, The Big 5 provides an unrivalled platform for architects, engineers, contractors and developers from the public and private sectors to network, source and specify the latest building and construction products and services. It will also feature an impressive line-up of added value elements including a Key Buyers Programme, Product Seminars, a Conference Programme and the acclaimed Gaia Awards. For further information and to register log on to www.thebig5exhibition.com.

ADIPEC (Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference) this November is set to be the year’s most anticipated energy event, with independent research ranking the major trade show as the place to do business in 2010. ADIPEC, from November 1-4, is one of the world’s leading and largest oil & gas events and brings together over 40,000 regional and international professionals, including 1,600 exhibitors from 59 countries taking part. As a single four-day event it is anticipated to generate more than AED4 billion in industry deals this year. In 2010, exhibitors have been quick to fight for prominent placement, with the event totally selling out eight months in advance.

For the UAE and Abu Dhabi this key event means big business, benefiting the city and the region with an impressive AED600m in flow-on revenue from exhibitors and attendees alone – from hotel bookings to exhibition stands, gift purchases to tours and so on. The exhibition itself is spread across a total 33,000sqm space of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) (plus an extensive new outdoor area for equipment and machinery) ADIPEC is the place where oil & gas heavyweights converge - with making business deals clearly at the top of the list for regional and international players.

The research involved more than 1,300 local and international respondents - a majority holding top C-level roles as key decision makers overseeing average mean budgets of more than US$2m. Hifazat Ahmad, event director of ADIPEC, said: “With the Middle East increasingly viewed as the world’s energy hub, there is tremendous demand to be a part of ADIPEC. Our latest research conclusively shows that ADIPEC is considered a ‘must attend’ event on the global oil and gas industry calendar. Survey respondents attest that it is an essential event to keep abreast of the future direction of the oil and gas industry and a place where pivotal deals are done and key strategies are developed from such an important trade gathering. Ninety-five per cent of respondents stated that they return for each ADIPEC event due to its high value to their companies.”

Heavyweight deals

According to the latest research, heavyweights from the oil & gas industry are “out to do serious business” at this year’s ADIPEC with multi-billion dollar budgets up for the taking. dmg :: events, organisers of ADIPEC 2010, undertook independent research to highlight attendance trends to show that a majority of key decision makers are particularly focussed this year on utilising ADIPEC to meet key business targets to maximize business and industry growth. Respondents highlighted direct interest in production (39%), valves and actuators (36%), drilling (34%) and pipes and fittings (34%). Considering attendance figures, this potentially means a business capture rate of more than 16,000 people directly interested in viewing and purchasing any one of these product groups and services. More specifically, of the high percentage of respondents set on making purchases at the show, ranking highest on their shopping lists is:
- electrical/electronic equipment (83%),
- instruments and controls (82%),
- pipes & fittings (82%),
- valves and actuators (82%) and;
- tools (82%).

On average, respondents were interested in six product/service areas. Overall 68% of the respondents who were likely to attend ADIPEC said they would be looking for suppliers. This includes 28% who said they would be looking for suppliers for a current project, 43% who will be looking for suppliers for a future project.

Networking focus

Both the organisers and attendees also agree that being a part of ADIPEC is the most efficient way to see existing suppliers and evaluate products, and that the event offers the widest selection of new innovations. Seventy five percent of those industry people surveyed said that they would attend to view exhibitor stands, with more than half of those attending hoping to walk the floor to establish meetings with potential clients, suppliers, and industry colleagues.

ADIPEC has built into the programme a number of meeting and network opportunities such as pre-show online networking programme MYADIPEC, which can be accessed through the event’s website (www.adipec.com) and allows exhibitors and visitors to research attendees, set up meetings before and during the event, as well as plan total event schedules.

ADIPEC will also host several evening events, including the DMS Insight! Extravaganza on the first night of the exhibition, the ADIPEC Awards Dinner on the 2 November and the exhibitor party on Wednesday 3 November. Almost all respondents, most of whom have had prosperous outcomes from previous ADIPEC shows, had a very fixed view of whom they wanted to meet at the event.

“The strong message from this level of research was that anyone who is anyone will be a part of ADIPEC and if you want to do deals, it is the most pivotal event to exhibit and attend. Importantly, a majority of the 1300 respondents stated that senior technical people want to meet technical counterparts and that sales staff wish to liaise directly with fellow sales people of the same senior level, so exhibitors who wish to maximise opportunities at the event need to involve their top-level teams to create strong business relations and optimum deals for prosperous business development,” Ahmad said.

Fifth Ring Integrated Corporate Communications is strengthening its offering by appointing Rachel Camm as client services director.

Rachel, who has been with the company for eight years, was previously head of public relations in Aberdeen, where she developed an in-depth knowledge of the business and established strong relationships with energy and professional services clients.

In her new role, she will concentrate on the integration of the firm’s public relations, design, digital media and advertising services to ensure consistency throughout Fifth Ring’s offering.

Rachel said: “There is increasing demand from businesses for higher levels of campaign coordination, for both their online and offline communications, and as a result we have revisited how best to service our clients. This is an exciting new challenge for me where I can work with our team to further enhance our integrated offering to clients.

Ian Ord, business development director at Fifth Ring, said: “We set out to improve how to best serve clients and meet the increasing complexity of their needs. I believe Rachel is the ideal individual for the position to ensure we achieve more consistency and integration in our service offering across the UK, United States and Middle East.”

This forms part of a wider move by the company, with the appointment of Annette Fernandes and Hasnaa Genaidy into the client services role in Dubai. Annette will provide full-time support to English-speaking clients in the Middle East, whilst Hasnaa will serve to deliver the same suite of services in the Arabic language.

Fifth Ring, which now employs 80 people across its offices in Aberdeen, Inverness, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Houston, offers a full range of corporate communications services. The company provides a global communications strategy combined with local delivery in the key energy capitals of the world, thereby supporting the ambition of its clients to grow internationally.

Pennebaker | Fifth Ring, as the company is known in the United States, received the award for the planning and execution of the 2009 HIMA Americas Integrated Marketing Plan. The company scored 90% for the work completed in an assessment by a panel of professional marketers and distinguished members of the PRSA Houston Chapter.

The HIMA Americas campaign used a mix of traditional and non-traditional public relations tactics, including whitepapers, telemarketing, press releases and case studies, to successfully drive sales leads and identify prospects in a business-to-business environment.

HIMA America’s is part of Germany-based HIMA Group and is the global leader in safety-related process automation.

The Integrated Marketing award recognises a project that employs the creative and effective integration and leadership of public relations strategies and tactics.

Fifth Ring’s business development director, Ian Ord, who is responsible for the Houston office said: “It’s wonderful to see our work recognised and receiving this prestigious gold award is true testament to the team’s hard work and dedication. To be award winners in less than two years since our launch in Houston is a huge achievement.

“To have our expertise recognised by the PRSA is fantastic and illustrates that our aim to increase the value of our clients business is paying dividends for our client and ourselves.”

Fifth Ring, which now employs 80 people across the United Kingdom, United States and Middle East, offers a full range of corporate communications services. The company provides a global communications strategy combined with local delivery in the key energy capitals of the world, thereby supporting the ambition of its clients to grow internationally.

Business development director Ian Ord and PR account manager Phil Allan, were joined by friend Chris Clark on the four-day cycling marathon that saw the trio join 13 other riders on the 433-mile charity bike ride throughout the length of Scotland.

The guys tackled the inaugural MOG-JOG (Mull of Galloway to John O’Groats) cycle challenge in aid of UCAN and the charity looks set to smash its £30,0000 target from the event.

Beginning at Mull of Galloway (MOG) at the most southerly tip of Scotland on Friday (June 4) and ending at John O’Groats (JOG) on June 8, the ride represented a daunting daily tally of over 100-miles in the saddle and took in some of the nation’s most spectacular – and hilly – countryside. In addition to the hours spent in the saddle the cyclists had to cope with the vagaries of the Scottish summer – single figure temperatures and rain and wind, for three of the four days.

UCAN is dedicated to raising awareness of urological cancers, and improving support and quality of life for people and families who are affected. The four main urological cancers include kidney, bladder, testicular and prostate cancers. Urological cancers account for 1-in-3 of all cancers in men and 1-in-5 of all cancers in men and women.

Ian has good reason to support the charity. In 1989, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Thanks to an early diagnosis and swift treatment, he made a full recovery. As a result, he is passionate about getting across the message to men in particular, that seeking medical advice at an early stage can literally make the difference between life and death.

“Thanks to the expert medical advice and care I received I have had 7,500 extra days of life. Taking part in the UCAN cycle challenge is a small price to pay to give something back to a charity which does so much to raise awareness of urological cancers.”

The MOG-JOG began with a 13-mile warm up from Mull of Galloway to Sandend on Friday evening. The next day, the guys and around 20 people who signed up for the challenge, tackled an average of 105 miles per day in four stages. The route stuck largely to minor roads, many included in the national cycle network.

Phil said: “It was an incredible trip, the miles ticked, the weather was foul but we have a real sense of achievement. To have raised so much money for UCAN is just fantastic. We have been astounded by people’s generosity and support. It was a tremendous effort from all those involved and represented a real physical challenge.”

Ian added: “We won’t tire of repeating of saying ‘thank you’, for the tremendous support. It kept us going during the tougher times of the trip.”

Friday saw the cyclists complete an easy 16 miles from Mull of Galloway to Sandhead after a team photo at the picturesque lighthouse on the southerly tip of Scotland.

Stage Two from Sandhead to Lanark was completed in bright, warm sunshine with a favourable wind. Before the team arrived in Lanark, tired but exhilarated and enjoyed a well-earned cold beer.

Sunday was Lanark to Pitlochry and 115 miles in the cold and mist. The journey through Livingston was grim, more stop-start cycling due to complicated routing and horrible rain. Chris had the inspired idea of stopping off at a petrol station and bought some gaffer tape to wrap round Ian’s broken finger to keep it safe. Everyone was glad to arrive in Pitlochry for a shower and dry clothes

Monday was Pitlochry to Evanton and another 100 plus miles. The bikes were taking a battering and needed some maintenance before setting off on the next stage. The Drumochter Pass heralded black clouds and the heavens opened and it was several hours in the rain before the guys regrouped for the final slog to Evanton near Dingwall.

Tuesday was Evanton to John O’Groats and the 106 miles began with a photocall for the P&J and with the rain letting up the pace was steady. As the day went on a headwind got up and it was back to slogging into the rain and fog. Ian’s knee had gone, but there was no way he was contemplating giving in as John O’Groats became more than just a name on a roadsign.



Ian: “It was a hard five days and we are delighted to have received such a large sum of money this worthy cause. I would like to credit everyone involved, as there has been a great spirit among the team, despite the horrible weather.”

For Chris Clark, of John Clark Motor Group in Aberdeen, the trip also has relevance as his grandmother has recently been diagnosed with a urological cancer.

Details of the MOG-JOG route:

June 5 - Stage one: Sandhead to Lanark, through the scenic and hilly Galloway countryside. This stage covers the South of Scotland in a day, travelling from Dumfries and Galloway into Lanarkshire (which has more hills than you might think). Travelling mostly on unclassified roads heading north east from the starting point.

June 6 - Stage two: Lanark to Pitlochry. Day two passes through West Lothian before crossing the Forth Road Bridge into Fife and on in to Perthshire and the final stop at Pitlochry in the heart of Scotland and the halfway point on the journey.

June 7 - Stage three: Pitlochry to Evanton north of Inverness. Most of the day follows the National Cycle Route 7, with long stretches alongside the busy A9, except on the old road which runs parallel and performs the role of extra wide bike path. The drop down to Inverness leads us over the Kessock Bridge to finish at the village of Evanton.

June 8 - Stage four: Evanton to John O’Groats: The home stretch leading through Alness and Tain heads north to Golspie and Brora. There’s a late sting in the tale at Helmsdale where the Berridale Braes provide the last and possibly the toughest test. The guys will be hoping for a tail wind for the final few miles run in to John O'Groats.

For more information on UCAN, which was set up in 2005 and offers support for patients and their families through the UCAN Care Centre at Ward 44 at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, visit

UAE

UAE based Lamprell has won a $129 million newbuild windmill installation vessel contract from UK wind installation specialists Seajacks. The contract is for design, construction and delivery of a Gusto MSC NG-5500 design self-elevating and self-propelled offshore wind turbine installation vessel, to be named Seajacks Zaratan and will be delivered in 2012.

KUWAIT

Kuwait National Oil Company has awarded Italy’s Saipem a contract for US$900m for an engineering, procurement and construction contract for its new booster station. The station is made up of three high and low pressure gas trains. Once built the trains will produce 234 million cubic feet per day of dry gas and 69,000 barrels per day of condensate.

SAUDI ARABIA

Luksa, a joint venture between Russia’s Lukoil and state oil giant Saudi Aramco, has relinquished 90 percent of a gas exploration block in Saudi Arabia. Luksar relinquished most of the 29,900 sq km area in Saudi’s Empty Quarter last October and has decided to go ahead with the second phase.

Saudi Arabia will store 3.8 million barrels of crude oil in Japan, helping the Pacific nation stock up its reserves while giving the top oil exported better access to Asian markets.

What would typically take six months was fast-tracked into an intense twelve-week timeframe. Work included stakeholder analysis and strategic workshops right through to logo design and key messaging. Their new strategic principle, “Enriching the community” represents the significant impact the department has on its community, tourism and media.

The award was presented at an event for UAE Government officials, dignitaries and VIPs, to launch the new brand identity, and publish the vision, mission and values of the Ajman Culture and Media Departmentat the Kempinksi Hotel in Ajman.

Annette Fernandes, Fifth Ring’s group operations director who oversaw the entire project, commented: “In a very short period of time we have been able to establish a strong commercial relationship with the department, created a strong and vibrant identity and launched it to their key stakeholders. This has only been achievable through genuine teamwork and mutual respect between our two organisations.

“What made this project standout is that every single element of the work carried out was done simultaneously in Arabic and English, from initial research, every interview and resulting messaging. We had teams thinking from left to right, and teams thinking from right to left. I know I speak for everyone at Fifth Ring when I say this has gone beyond simply delivering on the project to something that we will all hold special for years to come.”

The Culture and Media Department is the first department within the Government of Ajman to undertake such an in-depth analysis of their stakeholders and market positioning. As a result, the department is now empowered with the knowledge and vision to develop and strengthen their offering in terms of culture, tourism and mediain the emirate as well as reinforcing their image locally, regionally and internationally.

Faisal Al Nuaimi, Deputy General Manager of the Ajman Culture and Media Department said, “Although our corporate identity has never been absent, we felt the department needed to refocus and reposition itself within the community. We approached Fifth Ring, due to their reputation for delivering world-class branding, and after 3 months of in-depth research and analysis they helped us develop a new identity with a clear and compelling 2 year vision.

Fifth Ring have been working with brands and clients across governmental, energy and consumer sectors, in the UAE, Europe and the US since 1991.

Since the firm launched Pennebaker | Fifth Ring in August 2008, it has won significant business with US and international clients, including BP, GE Oil & Gas and Expro.

The US presence has had a positive impact on the company’s UK and Middle East offices allowing the company, which now employs 80 people across the regions, to offer a full range of corporate communications services through a global strategy with local delivery, creating a sound platform for growth.

Fifth Ring’s business development director, Ian Ord, said: “Many of our new business wins have been as a direct result of the international offering we can deliver to our clients and it is fantastic for growing the business further. In an era of unprecedented turmoil in the world economy it is greatly encouraging to have had a successful first year in Houston. This has been achieved thanks to a great deal of hard work from our teams in Houston and our other UK and Middle East offices.

“When Fifth Ring set out to establish our offices in the world’s main energy centres our focus was on expanding market share in the energy sector and increasingly businesses are channelling their corporate communications challenges to us because they recognise the benefits of an international strategy, but at the same time the need to deliver powerful - and localised - marketing communications message.”

Following the successful launch of Fifth Ring’s Insider’s Guide to Houston for OTC last year, the company is producing an updated online guide using its knowledge of the city.

The guide, which received around 1,400 website hits surrounding the week of OTC 2009, will provide the hundreds of north-east delegates with the inside track on dozens of the best venues to go for food, drinks and shopping in the United States oil capital, which welcomes thousands of visitors to the world’s leading oil and technology exhibition from 3-6 May.

Fifth Ring’s guide is specific to the areas that are easily accessible to delegates and lists attractions fitting in with their hectic schedules during OTC. The new guide has received further improvements based on the feedback from last year’s visitors, which has lead to new categories, including Cheap Eats, Golf Courses, Cultural Events & Shows and Greater Houston Attractions.

It has been written with support from Aberdeen’s Munro’s Travel Group, which organises the travel arrangements for almost 400 delegates attending the exhibition from the north-east of Scotland and from the Aberdeen Press and Journal newspaper.

Mr Ord said: “I am delighted with the positive response we received last year for both the OTC Houston and Offshore Europe Aberdeen Guides. The guide provides the full skinny, as they say in Texas, on the best restaurants, bars, entertainment, sights and shopping, all recommended by native Houstonians.

“This year’s interactive map is specifically created to give visitors to OTC a comprehensive guide, based on the recommendations from the people who know the city best. OTC is a truly international event and we have clients attending from the north-east of Scotland, but also Scandinavia, Europe and the Middle East, many of whom are attending the conference for the first time.”

The website can be found at www.otcinsidersguide.com

Seatrade Middle East Maritime (SMEM) 2010, the region’s leading event for the maritime and shipping industry, has teamed up with leading industry body European Marine Equipment Council (EMEC) to launch a brand new feature at this year’s exhibition, the Technology Forum: Europe in the Middle East.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President & Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, SMEM will celebrate its fifth event, having grown year on year since its inception in 2003.

To honour the strong relationship between Europe and the Middle East the Forum will be hosted by EMEC and its members specifically to discuss European technical expertise. Topics to be covered include ‘Power & Propulsion’, ‘Electronics’, ‘Safety’ and ‘Green Technology’ and will be presented by a range of high-level speakers from the maritime industry. Confirmed speakers to date include Jaakko Eskola, president of EMEC and group vice president of Wartsila Ship Power; Lars Munch Antonsen, general manager, group marketing & CRM of Aalborg Industries; Kjeld Aabo, director of promotion, marine low speed at MAN Diesel SE; Roger Harfouch, Sales Director, Vizada and Philip Padfield, CEO, Eniram.

Chris Hayman, managing director of Seatrade, said: “We wanted to provide a technical forum, aside from the broad commercial conference, for marine engineers to have the opportunity to discuss the latest technologies from the ship building, conversion and repair industry. EMEC is an important industry body and we will be working closely with them to ensure that participants have access to the most up to date engineering news and a close look at European technology and advancements and further strengthen the relationship between these two regions.”

Jaakko Eskola, president of EMEC, said: “This Forum comes at an ideal time as the industry is recovering from a turbulent year and finally has the opportunity to look forward. Collaboration between Europe and the Middle East has always been strong and the EMEC will be presenting a series of seminars by experts from across Europe, who will cover a range of important topics and share in-depth European technical expertise.”

The Technology Forum: Europe in the Middle East will run within the new Technical Seminar Theatre, with free attendance for exhibitors and visitors. The new addition will run alongside the three day paid for SMEM Conference, which will cover high-level industry topics, including ‘Middle East Voice in World Shipping’, ‘Middle East Money and Ships’, ‘Offshore’ and ‘Ports & Terminals’.

SMEM will take place from 26-28 October at Dubai World Trade Centre. SMEM is sponsored by: ABS, BP Marine, DNV, DP World, Drydocks World, Lloyds Register, SAIFEE, Topaz Energy & Marine and Tufton Oceanic. For further information or to register for the event, please visit www.seatrade-middleeast.com.

Fifth Ring Integrated Communications, one of the Middle East’s leading independent marketing companies, has made three significant appointments within its public relations division. The expansion comes as a result of winning a number of PR contracts at the end of 2009 and early 2010, totaling over AED 1.2 million in fees. Kate Doherty, joins Fifth Ring as PR account director. Australian born Kate has more than 10 years of experience in public relations and event & exhibition planning and management across Australasia, Europe and the Middle East. Regionally, Kate held the position of events manager at Emaar, before going on to consult for clients including TRESemme, Mark Wilkinson Furniture, and the European Institute of Geoscientists & Engineers. Mary Khamasmieh joins the team as senior PR account manager. Originally a business journalist in Syria, Mary has been operating at a senior level for five years, handling clients including RAK Petroleum, Deutsche Bank, Mubadala and ALDAR properties. Completing the recruitment within the PR division is Emily Houltram, who joins as an account executive. A PR degree graduate with a strong social and on-line media background in B2B and consumer, Emily moved to the UAE from the UK in 2008 and worked at ENG Worldwide prior to joining Fifth Ring. Nicola Gregson, head of public relations at Fifth Ring, said: “The whole marketing industry has, of course, taken a hit over the past 12 to 18 months and companies have had to be cautious. The last quarter of 2009 was a very busy period; we saw a huge increase in companies starting to move forwards with their marketing again, most of our new business opportunities came to us through referrals from existing clients, and following competitive pitches, we are delighted to have secured a number of very exciting accounts across both our consumer and B2B teams. “This is the first time we have actively recruited in over a year. Finding the right people takes time; there are more people available and looking for work, but they aren’t necessarily the most qualified or experienced within our sectors. A company, as any brand, does have a reputation that it builds up for its work, but we believe a service company is only as good as it’s employees, and we continue to build a very strong team”. Fifth Ring Integrated Communications is a full service marketing company, offering public relations, digital media, brand & strategy, advertising and design and production capabilities, with offices in the Middle East, the UK and North America.