News Update Times

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Mastercard has reaffirmed its commitment to the GCC and wider region through the appointment of Mastercard veteran J.K. Khalil to lead its operations across the MENA East Cluster in his new role as Cluster General Manager.

In his new role, Khalil is responsible for the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Pakistan, and Oman, which make up Mastercard’s MENA East Cluster. Khalil has over 17 years of experience in banking, strategy consulting and technology, having held several positions across multinational banks, top tier consulting firms and tech start-ups. J.K. joined Mastercard as Middle East Region Lead for Mastercard Advisors, before most recently leading the business as Country Manager of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Levant.

The appointment is part of a series of leadership changes following Mastercard’s earlier announcement that saw the expansion of Mastercard’s EEMEA (Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa) region to include 81 of the 210 markets where Mastercard operates globally.

“I am delighted to step into this role and help build on a journey more than 35 years in the making. Mastercard’s commitment to the region is unmatched, and I look forward to working with the extraordinary and expanded team to come together with our partners in the public and private sectors to build on this legacy and create an inclusive, digital and more connected future for the communities we serve,” Khalil shared.   

Khalil holds an MBA with distinction from the University of Chicago (Booth) and is the President of the GCC Alumni Club chapter. He also holds a Computer Systems & Networks Engineering degree from the Saint Joseph University in Beirut.

AAA Associates Investment opportunities drew Pakistani Expats at the Largest Property Investment Event in Doha, Qatar

Pakistan (Nut Desk) AAA Associates was one of the proud participants from Pakistan at the Largest Property Investment Event, the only property exhibition held this year in Doha, Qatar. The Expo showcased a vast array of diverse real estate opportunities aimed at local, regional and international investors. The event was held at Cityscape Doha Exhibition & Convention Center.

Managing Director AAA Associates Lt. Col. Shahzad Ali Kiani (r) led the AAA Associates’ delegation at the Expo. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the AAA Associates’ stall on the occasion, which was officiated by Qatar’s Minister of Justice His Highness Sheikh Masoud bin Mohammed Al Ameri.

Speaking on the occasion, Managing Director AAA Associates Lt. Col. Shahzad Ali Kiani (r) stated, “It was an honour to represent Pakistan and AAA Associates at the Largest Property Investment Event in Qatar. The event brought together the industry’s top professionals and provided a window to discuss new ideas and learn new insights from them. Bilateral trade and investment opportunities will not only foster a tangible bond between the two countries but will also broaden their markets, boosting economic growth.”

Pakistan and Qatar have warm and cordial relations, as well as strong brotherly ties. They have an exceptionally close liaison and intend to expand cooperation in the economic, defence, and political sectors to ensure mutual economic growth. Pakistan has vast resources and enormous investment potential. Pakistan’s investment in Qatar is mainly in real estate, construction machinery and the technical services industry.

AAA Associates takes pride in presenting their projects at such an auspicious event that will allow investors from all over the world specially the Pakistani expats residing in Qatar to explore Pakistan’s economic prospects in the Real Estate. AAA Associates is one of the most trusted and rapidly expanding conglomerates in Real Estate Sector of Pakistan. Recently, they have launched one of their mega projects at Karachi Bahria Town as well.

Training for a better tomorrow – GROHE Rolls out its GIVE Program for Training Young Students as Plumbers in Karachi

• Within the “GROHE Installer Vocational Training and Education” (GIVE) Program, the brand will provide plumbing training to young professionals across Pakistan.
• The GIVE Program is aimed at upgrading the level of technical expertise in Pakistan’s plumbing industry and equipping the young generation of plumbers with the requisite skills, knowledge and expertise.
• The collaboration between the Hunar Foundation and GROHE will be the 50^th GIVE Program School that we have opened across the EMENA regions.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) GROHE is a leading brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings, which has now initiated its “GROHE Installer Vocational-Training & Education” (GIVE) Program in Karachi, as the first “GIVE school” in Pakistan has been established in The Hunar Foundation Premises, Delhi Mercantile Society Technical Institute, at Tariq Road. Since there is a shortage of skilled installers in Pakistan’s sanitary industry, GROHE has recognized the need to offer attractive training programs, for building the foundation for a prosperous future. Pakistan GIVE Program will be GROHE’s 50^th GIVE school globally, and that is a result of the company’s vision and commitment to giving back to society.

To nurture such training facilities, GROHE has begun to set up a fully functioning training environment in Karachi, where students can benefit from the brand’s expertise in producing the highest quality of fittings. The GIVE program follows a uniform approach with modern equipment, training material and a written examination to set new standards. Within the GIVE Program, the brand is providing plumbing training with technical expertise to young professionals all over the world. It is equipping the young generation of plumbers with requisite skills and knowledge. With this hands-on training – GROHE is also inspiring a positive impact on sustainable social-transformation.

Mohammed Ataya- Leader Gulf, AMP, Pakistan, MENA, LIXIL EMENA stated: We have a strong commitment to making a positive impact on the global plumbing industry. The development of our GIVE initiative Program aims to share knowledge in sanitary and bathroom solutions while promoting initiatives like ‘LIXIL goes ZERO’ and ‘Less Plastic’, where we advocate resource conservation and sustainable consumption. The social dimension is an integral part of our sustainability strategy. As the program’s name implies, giving back to society is vital for us at GROHE.”

Helping young professionals to kick-start their careers

GROHE has formulated a cutting-edge training framework by installing modern training racks and providing learning material and experienced technical trainers. Students will complete a specific product training, for which they will receive a recognized international certificate.

Christopher Penney – Leader, GIVE Program, LIXIL EMENA stated that: “The GIVE Program’s curriculum will ensure that the students are capable of installing and maintaining our expanding product range before they embark on their future careers in the plumbing industry. It gives me great pleasure to see our GIVE Program being officially launched in Pakistan. It is a testament to our commitment to give back to society and offer young people an exciting opportunity to start to a rewarding career.”

Get to know our GIVE program on our digital experience hub GROHE X .

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have renewed their commitment to bolster economic ties in diverse fields including construction, agriculture, livestock and the social sector. This commitment to strengthen economic relations was reiterated in an exclusive meeting organized by the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade in honour of a high-profile Saudi Business Delegation visiting the Province of Punjab. The Saudi Business Delegation was led by H.E. Mr. Fahad Al Bash followed by the members of the Saudi Business Chamber, while Dr. Javed Ahmed Qazi, Secretary Industries Punjab, Mr. Imran Amin, CEO of Lahore Central Business District Development Authority (LCBDDA) & Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA), Mr. Ahmer Malik, CEO Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT), Mr. Amjad Ali Awan, CEO Punjab Public Private Partnership Authority (PPPPA) and other renowned industry leaders of Punjab were also present on the occasion. The Province of Punjab has always been a center of attraction for international investors, because of its geographical significance, fertile land, skilled workforce, and state-of-the-art infrastructure, which includes vast web of paved highways and bridges. The present government has always motivated and provided ease of business opportunities to domestic & international investors to participate in bulging the economic arch of Pakistan. While addressing the session Dr. Ahmed Javed Qazi, Secretary Industries Punjab stated, “The Government is dwelling to facilitate and create an atmosphere of ease for the business community. The social-economic indicators indicate that the canvas of the economic growth of Punjab is massive, and we would like to promote public-private partnerships, B2B and G2G linkages with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. All the current economic traits of healthy and easy business are feasible for any international investors”. CEO, LCBDDA & RUDA, Imran Amin briefed the delegation on the most anticipated first-ever business district of Pakistan, Central Business District Punjab (CBD Punjab) and the most unique project of modern urbanization, Ravi City. He highlighted the potential business opportunities for international and domestic investors and stated, “The infrastructural development is a gateway to success, and we are fortunate enough that the current government has a core focus on infrastructure development of the Province of Punjab. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always been a close ally of Pakistan in terms of business collaborations and the Saudi business community has always welcomed investment opportunities in Punjab. Our authorities are striving to establish a well-equipped business district and a state-of-the-art new & modern city, meeting all international standards to accelerate the pace of economic development of Punjab. These projects have emerged as a game-changer for the development of the province, and I will request the international and especially the Saudi business community to come forward and unlock avenues for new horizons of Pak-Saudi bilateral business relations’’. H.E. Mr. Fahad Al Bash, Chairman Saudi-Pak Business Council mentioned in his address that “Saudi and Pakistani business communities are not two separate entities, these are two brothers and this meet-up is a family reunion. Punjab is a land of opportunities with immense potential for growth. I am pleased to know that the people of Punjab are extraordinarily talented and skilled. There are two million Pakistanis working in various fields in Saudi Arabia and playing a pivotal role in Saudi economic development. It is clearly visible in the presentations that the province of Punjab is a room full of possibilities especially projects like the Central Business District and Ravi River Front can be materialized for government to people, government to government and people to people business collaborations for mutual growth of both countries”. Saudi delegation has shown their keen interest in CBD Punjab & Ravi City, which has already embarked its name in the real estate sector and is developing as a reliable name in the International & domestic business community. Investment in the in areas like commercial, residential, health, tourism and sports are the main catch for economic growth and development of Punjab. A presentation concerning the overall investment opportunities in Punjab regarding special economic zones, public-private partnership projects, Central Business District Punjab, Ravi Urban Development, Agriculture, IT and energy sectors were displayed to the valued delegation.

Pakistan (Nut Desk) P&G Pakistan is today celebrating the achievement of its 2022 goal of delivering over 50 million liters of clean drinking water, helping approximately 300,000 people, through its non-profit Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program in various districts of Sindh, Punjab, KPK and AJK.

The commitment to deliver a further 50 million liters was made in 2019 in collaboration with long-term NGO partner, HOPE and the Ministry of Climate Change, presided over by Dr. Arif Alvi, Hon’ble President of Pakistan, under which P&G made other sustainability declarations/commitments.

Expressing his views, Adil Farhat, CEO P&G Pakistan said, “The lack of access to clean water contributes to many challenges in a community. Children frequently miss school from waterborne illnesses and parents struggle to provide for their families. Women and girls are especially affected as they disproportionately bear the burden for managing household water needs. Many walk kilometers each day to collect contaminated water, and they are often responsible for taking care of sick family members. This prevents many girls from attending school and getting an education that would allow them to have a brighter future.” He further added, “In living up to our purpose of improving lives, our community programs to date have improved quality of life for millions of Pakistanis.”

Pakistan is among the top 10 countries in the world today with lowest access to clean water near homes. According to Water Aid, in Pakistan around 21 million people do not have access to clean water.  The P&G water purification technology “Purifier of Water”, available in the form of a simple sachet, is a state-of-the-art innovation that quickly turns 10 liters of dirty, potentially deadly water into clean and drinkable water in a simple, affordable and convenient way. P&G’s efforts in this area support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal # 6 – to ensure access to water and sanitation for all.

Speaking at the occasion, Dr. Mubina Agboatwalla, founder and visionary behind HOPE said: “Pakistan is a third world country facing a high infant and childhood mortality rate. One of the illnesses contributing towards this is gastroenteritis, typhoid and other orofecal infections. P&G continues to support us with technical expertise, financial investment, human resources, and supply of the P&G Purifier of Water packets. P&G is committed to fighting the clean water crisis in partnership with HOPE and we are delighted that we completed this goal within the deadline”.

 

Direct selling company leads the way in e-commerce and digital solutions.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) As e-commerce sees accelerated growth for retail industries (Shopify reported that global commerce sales are expected to reach US$5 trillion in 2022!), companies like Hong Kong-based direct selling company QNET, are ready to reap the rewards.

QNET, an e-commerce direct selling company, is no stranger to the online scene. Established over two decades ago, the multinational company was one of the first in the direct selling industry to embrace digitisation – adopting an e-commerce platform as part of its strategy – charting rapid growth across borders.

Today, QNET is an industry leader with customers in nearly 100 countries, bearing numerous awards for its digital excellence, online communications campaigns, and mobile app. And the company’s lightspeed success is no coincidence: QNET is a company that believes in giving its employees, distributors, and customers the best online experience imaginable – and that starts by establishing a world-class e-commerce platform.

Enhancing the E-Commerce Experience

In partnership with Microsoft, QNET switched to an end-to-end strategy built on Microsoft Security products and services, such as utilising cloud security through Microsoft Azure. QNET’s Chief Information Security Officer, Egal Egal, says, “With the amount of data accessed, utilised, and shared across our global offices, it makes perfect sense to team up with a reliable partner, such as Microsoft, to ensure our customers’ experience is seamless, intuitive, and secure. For example, we integrated a function in the QNET Virtual Office that makes changing credentials more effortless and secure than ever. The entire process even takes less than a minute.

“When traffic ramped up as the pandemic started, we knew we had to take proactive steps to ensure the digital experience is not affected by the high number of transactions,” Egal adds. The most recent World Federation of Direct Selling (WFDSA) report saw direct sales going strong throughout the past two years, charting a global growth of 2.3% in 2021. “As a business that operates using e-commerce, our number one concern is always the user experience – we implemented measures to increase efficacy on our systems and structures so that our distributors and customers can use our platforms knowing that vital information, such as their order number and delivery status, was always up-to-date and accurate.”

Ameer Deen, Chief Technology Officer of QNET, added that the company is always looking for innovative solutions that enhance the online experience. “Our team operates with one goal in mind: to offer the best e-commerce platform to our customers. In Africa, we implemented the Mobile Money payment system where you can manage your money in an account linked to your mobile phone, not dissimilar to a bank account, to purchase our products. We’ve launched this in eight countries to great success.”

AN amazing digital ecosystem for QNET’s customers

With an evolved IT infrastructure in the mix, QNET could focus on other aspects of the business, such as integrating innovative functionalities in QNET’s stellar mobile app. Deen says, “Our business is largely based on e-commerce. Any technical difficulties could result in downtime, which significantly impacts revenue – not just for ours but also for our distributors. By diversifying our digital offerings and building an ecosystem of online tools, we can mitigate the risk of downtime for our distributors and customers.”

An initiative that was essential when QNET started expanding into new and emerging markets, QNET’s online training programme, QNETPro, provides comprehensive coaching for new and existing distributors on how to successfully run their direct selling business across borders.

QNET’s extensive digital tools, such as its Virtual Office (VO), social media workshops, and live virtual training sessions, even bagged its European division a Digital Business award by one of the biggest network marketing newspapers in Europe.

Malou Caluza, CEO of QNET, says that creating a holistic end-to-end online environment is one of the most essential factors to QNET’s growth. “Developing economies, such as Africa and Asia, are adopting digital technologies exponentially, boosting productivity and employment opportunities as e-commerce opens up new prospects for business. QNET’s direct selling business model offers an attractive opportunity to those looking to start a business online. It does not require a lot of capital, and our distributors can run their enterprise hassle-free from anywhere, at any time, through our digital ecosystem.”

A global leader in the digital world

Studies show that despite the economy slowly recovering from the pandemic, the demand for goods and services through online commerce is still trending upwards – and QNET is well-prepared to handle that demand while still ensuring its global community of distributors and customers reap the benefits of its advanced online resources and tools.

Over the past 24 years, QNET has consistently delivered on its promise to provide high-quality products and services to its distributors and customers. In 2016, QNET won the Sitecore Experience Award in the Omnichannel Automation – Best E-Commerce Experience category. The award acknowledges QNET’s delivery of a seamless, integrated e-commerce experience that makes the online purchasing process a cinch for customers.

With the lockdown in 2020 forcing social distancing and long periods of isolation, QNET adapted quickly to the new normal with a shift to digital engagement tools, virtual events, and training programmes. QNET converted its bi-annual flagship convention into a virtual format, dubbed V-Convention Connect, which saw over half a million audience members last October. The convention was an immersive virtual experience with QNET’s distributors and customers coming together to learn more about the direct selling industry and attend talks by industry professionals and expert speakers. The convention’s social media campaign even bagged several international communications awards over the past two years.

Caluza adds that the growth and milestones achieved by the company would not be possible without innovation being at the root of QNET. “We started off as a small team that worked out of an office without any furniture, besides a few tables and chairs. The Founders believed that innovation, being open to change, and consistent hard work would lead us to success – and I’m proud to say that they’ve instilled that spirit within the company. Without their enterprising spirit, QNET would not be the global e-commerce powerhouse it is today.”

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Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Faysal Bank Limited, in partnership with Pakistan’s largest hospitality technology company – Ascendant, has launched a hotel booking platform for its customers that enables them to conveniently book hotels online through their website: www.faysalbank.com

The website offers 1600+ hotels and guest houses in 50 cities across Pakistan. This initiative by Faysal Islami, a leading Islamic Bank of Pakistan and winner of Best Islamic bank for Transformation and innovation at the Global Islamic Finance Awards (GIFA), marks an integral step towards the promotion of domestic tourism. In addition, the bank also plans to introduce international hotels to this service to facilitate customers who wish to travel abroad.

Speaking on the occasion of the launch ceremony, Mr. Aneeq Malik, Group Head Consumer Finance and Payment Services Faysal Bank said: “We always aim to bring the best banking services to our customers at their fingertips. Faysal Bank has always believed in innovation and digitalization of services for the ease of customers. With Ascendant by our side, our customers can now not only check the rates of any hotel rooms across Pakistan but also book the hotel and pay online using their bank accounts, debit or credit cards through our website.”

CEO of Ascendant, Mr. Andre Privateer said: As the only hospitality tech provider able to offer real time rates and availability at more than 80% of Pakistan’s hotels, we serve the tourism sector by making the online booking experience better for the consumer. Through this strategic alliance with Faysal Bank, individuals can now book and pay with ease through this platform on Faysal Bank’s website and soon to be launched on their mobile app as well.”

Head of Unsecured Business and Payment services Faysal Bank, Mr. Feroz Khan further added: “This business alliance is a testimony of our commitment to our customers. We at Faysal Bank, continue to strive to build loyalty by offering innovative products and benefits for our valued customers. This collaboration aims to make travel and tourism across all corners of Pakistan more accessible for our customers.”

Faysal Bank is one of the most progressive Islamic banks in Pakistan and has concentrated on growth through improving service quality, investment in technology, people and utilizing its extensive growing Islamic branch network.

Ascendant is a specialized hospitality technology company revolutionizing the tourism landscape in Pakistan by unlocking exceptional value for travel suppliers and customers.

Lahore (Nut Desk)  TECNO HiOS 8.6 was officially released worldwide, with an inclusive and customizable design, rich features, and strong performance.

HiOS 8.6 is the perfect continuation of TECNO’s ethereal, fluid and smart brand aesthetic. Every aspect embodies “Be Great with HiOS”.

What you get is a fully upgraded experience together with a refreshing UI and a great set of new features. Based on the Android 12, HiOS 8.6 brings a more well-rounded experience that fuels your creativity and lets you challenge the conventions of greatness whether in work or life. Come with me, let’s meet the new HiOS 8.6.

HiOS 8.6 is designed to provide you with a visual aesthetic that brings harmony to your screen. The innovative interface redesign brings the awe and grandeur of nature to life. Flow from one screen to the next with heightened enjoyment with enriching icons, graceful contours, and immersive themes.

These finely tuned gradients create a perfect sense of depth in the display, while the integrated Blue engulfs the user in a panoramic view much like an idyllic lake.

Alongside a more minimal approach with rounded icons and better fonts, HiOS 8.6 comes with refreshed animation effects that reflect a life-like response to touch with gravity and superb animation effects.

The latest animations added to the UI mimic the ripples of water and make the overall touch interaction smoother and more interactive. You will experience bounce effects across the UI while opening apps. Each tap is like touching a raindrop. HiOS 8.6 users will be even more comfortable and effortless for all the things that our users love to do on their TECNO devices.

From everyday uses like messaging and browsing the web, to playing immersive high-quality games, all distractions are stripped away, and it is much easier for you to focus on what really matters.

Next, let’s continue to see what powerful technological functions in TECNO HiOS 8.6.

1. Photo Video

Photo Video makes it easy for you to seamlessly combine your favorite photos into carefully curated videos to remind you of the good times in just a click. Just select from your gallery, pick a template and you can easily make mini blockbusters by turning your images into short videos as many times as you want. So, next time you are unsure what you want to post on social media, simply use Photo Video to create videos from your App Gallery.

2. Video to mp3
   While watching a very interesting movie, the soundtrack or the music is something to fall in love with. With this feature, you can turn that interesting part of the video to mp3 and use it as ringtone in just a second. Very fast and easy to use.

   3. Video Editor
   Contents, contents, and contents is what the world is currently consuming on daily basis- especially, video content. On HiOS 8.6 of CAMON 19, an inexperienced user can be a pro with the video editor. The upgraded feature gives users the ability to fine-tune, trim, merge, add a soundtrack, and export in high quality while creating more and more content on the go. The interesting part, you can choose a template and have the magic work for you. Apply different filters and it saves to draft automatically in case of any sudden interruption. This video editor has made production easy, fast, and professional.
   
   4. Camera Pro Mode
   Emphasis on a creators’ journey on the new CAMON 19 cannot expatiate enough without a one-on-one experience.
   HiOS has taken the further step by introducing the professional mode to the camera features.
   This gives the user a very wide control over the camera settings from ISO, White Balance, Exposure, and many more.
   Enjoy seamless and precise settings according to your need, a professional experience brought by a professional camera, and maximize your talents.

   5. RAM Extension
   Just wow! Imagine a room where instead of taking things out to have space, you’re adding more to create space.
   Say no more lagging in gaming experiences, app processing, and faster smartphone experience.This feature enables users to extend the RAM size on their device and maximize the full use of what a smartphone is all about.
   You can extend it to an 8gig RAM, an extra 3gig to make the experience even better.

   6. Smart 5G
   What is technology without speed and intelligence?
   On CAMON 19 comes the all-powerful 5G experience. There is a significant reduction in power consumption – Intelligently select 4G/5G network based on traffic bandwidth while reducing power consumption in the following scenarios:Standby mode
   – Video playback
   – Instant messaging
   – Mailing
   – Audio playback
   – Web browsing

    

   7. Optimization experience in weak network

   HiOS optimization experience in a weak network boosts your Download speed with wifi by 300% and your internet speeds by 45%. So you can keep your momentum going and your mental reserves fresh for the task at hand. And with a 40% video playback refresh rate, you don’t have to worry about video buffering or slow downloads.

    

   8. Master of Language

   HiOS 8.6 brings you the ability to read and speak any foreign language in one touch. Master of Language is your personal interpreter. A language expert you can take on your business or pleasure trips. So, whether you need help reading Asian characters on your business trip to Japan, or getting your wine refilled during your tourist visit to France, Master of Language will have you covered. 

    

   9. App Twin

   App Twin is the best assistant for your social circle. With it, you can run two social accounts simultaneously and switch between different social accounts fast and smoothly. This simply means you can have both your work social media account and your private account logged in on your phone. Keeping a balance between your work and life.

    

   10. Smart Scenes

   Smart Scenes will give you updates and reminders so you can keep up with what matters to you. So while you are enjoying mum’s birthday cake, you can just take a glance at your screen and Smart Scenes will give you all the match updates and statistics. Whether it is important dates, Business trips or meetings, Flight information, or Birthdays, you won’t have to manually set reminders to be reminded of what’s important. If you are traveling, Smart Scenes will be with you from the point of buying your air ticket to point of taking your flight. Reminding you of flight times, the weather, traffic situation, and so on. What’s more, Smart Scenes will intelligently learn your habits and will randomly push operation skills to help you get a more efficient user experience. Welcome to the smart life!

   We hope you join us to be great together and enjoy a more seamless mobile life. Let’s look forward together to even more greatness from HiOS in the future. There is a lot of fun to explore in the new HiOS 8.6 and we invite you to experience it for yourself.

    

    

   All you need to know about the new HiOS8.6 can be found in the link below https://www.tecno-mobile.com/hios/