The Winners [2009]

Technology Company of the Year

Applied Technologies CompanyZiad Mortaja, managing director of HP Saudi Arabia, presents Suhail Trabulsi, chairman, Applied Technology Co, with his award.ATC is one of the highest profile players in Riyadh's IT market and has come a long way since its inception back in 2001.
The company was established with the prime objective of building a network that spans the whole stretch of the Kingdom Tower and shopping mall to provide fast, reliable and cost effective internet and data connectivity for the centre's tenants, and to provide all supporting products and services.
By the end of that year ATC was fully operational within the Kingdom Center. By 2004 ATC had partnered with GlobTel telecom, a foreign leading company in the field of telecoms, to expand its services to the market outside the Kingdom Tower.

Special CSR Award

National Commercial Bank 'NCB'Nayef Al Bashar, senior vice president, National Commercial Bank.NCB was the first bank to be established in Saudi Arabia, back in 1953. Today it is the largest bank in terms of capital in the Arab world, with a paid up capital of $4bn and a net profit of $542m for the fiscal year 2008.
It has over 2.2 million clients, and the bank has energetically pursued Saudisation; at the end of last year almost 90 percent of the bank's 5,750-strong workforce was Saudi nationals.
NCB has also played a prime role in disseminating public awareness on the concept of sustainable development in the Kingdom and regionally, issuing the Middle East's first fully-fledged sustainability report.

Logistics Company of the Year

The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia 'NSCSA'Hummoud Al Ajlan, CEO, National Shipping Co of Saudi Arabia.Established in 1979, NSCSA is today one of the biggest shipping companies in the world. The group occupies a preeminent position among its industry peers at the national, regional and international levels, across all sectors of its business.
Over the years the firm has been delivering first class shipping services in the transportation of general cargo, crude oil, chemical and LPG, as well as specialised ship management. The firm already boasts a fleet of double-hull crude carriers and a large fleet of chemical carriers.
Looking forward, NSCSA last month agreed to a $280m Islamic loan with the Saudi Public Investment Fund, to expand its fleet.

Investment Bank of the Year

Falcom Financial ServicesAdeeb Al Suwailm, CEO, Falcom Financial Services.Falcom is one of the Kingdom's leading financial services providers, offering investment banking services including corporate finance and investment advisory on mergers and acquisitions, IPOs and underwriting, asset management services including fund, wealth and portfolio management, and brokerage services on the Saudi Stock Exchange, all in accordance with strict Islamic principles.
Established in October 2006, the firm in March signed an agreement with Saudi Industrial Property Authority to aid mergers and acquisitions of firms and factories existing inside and outside the Kingdom's industrial cities. The move may benefit more than 6,000 factories with investments exceeding more than $80bn.

Fastest Growing Company

Construction Products Holding Company 'CPC' Walid Samaha, COO, Construction Products Holding Co.Established as a holding company in 2005, CPC is a member of the Saudi Binladin Group of companies, and serves elite clients through its head office in Jeddah, and branches in Riyadh, Damascus, Abu Dhabi and Cairo.
It owns and operates seven limited liability companies, each specialising in vital construction materials including steel, aluminum, wood products, adhesives, precast concrete, marble/granite, and also includes a transport arm.
CPC's highly experienced management and staff has excelled in delivering quality products and price competitiveness on a timely fashion, with professional integrity.

Healthcare Company of the Year

International Medical Centre 'IMC'Ihab El Samannoudi, board member, International Medical Centre.The 300 bed, state-of-the-art IMC is a multidisciplinary hospital that has become known for delivering outstanding service in Saudi Arabia. First conceived in 1993, actual work did not begin on the project until five years later, but the eventual result has changed the face of medical treatment in the Kingdom.
The centre has adopted a holistic approach to healing. According to the IMC, its vision is to pioneer “a unique approach of healing the body, mind and soul... applying the best international healthcare standards and pursuing divine ethics”.
The firm's logo comprises five crescents in a niche that shapes a holy tree, which was mentioned in the Holy Quran.

Best Industrial Company

Saudi CeramicsAbdul Kareem Al Nafe, CEO, Saudi Ceramics Co.SCC is one of the oldest and most celebrated ceramic companies in the Middle East and specialises in the manufacture and marketing of ceramic wall and floor tiles, vitreous china sanitary wares, ceramic road markers and electric water heaters.
Incorporated in 1977 in Riyadh by a group of prominent businessmen with the backing of several Saudi financial institutions, SCC today has a production capacity of 30 million sq m porcelain & ceramic tiles, 1.8 million pieces of sanitary ware, 900,000 pieces of electric water heaters and 1.2 million pieces of ceramic road markers per annum. The firm boasted a sales turnover of $229m in 2008.

Best Residential Developer

EwaanMohammed Saleh Eid, CEO, Ewaan.Ewaan established itself in July 2006 as a closed joint stock company with a paid up capital of SR400m ($107m).
The firm is the result of a partnership between a group of established corporations, including the Islamic Corporation for Private Sector Development (ICD). Earlier this month, Ewaan and ICD established a joint venture to develop a $373m residential project in Jeddah city on the Red Sea.
ICD, an affiliate of the Islamic Development Bank, will finance the 1.1 million sq m project that will be completed in three years and will include about 2,500 residential units aimed at the middle-income market.

Best in Aviation

National Air Services 'NAS'Walid Al Shaikh, director marketing & corporate communications, National Aviation Services.NAS is the holding company for Nasair, which now operates more than 350 flights a week to 21 destinations: 13 local within Saudi Arabia, and eight regional to Beirut, Alexandria, Amman, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Damascus Latakia and Kuwait. The first budget airline in Saudi Arabia, Nasair also has the youngest fleet of aircraft in the region with 13 aircraft: 7 Airbus A320s and 6 Embraer 190/195s.
Under the same umbrella, NAS also operates Netjets, Operations Support Projects Management Services, Aircraft Management Services, Aircraft Charter Services and VIP Commuter Services. In May, Bahrain-based Arab Banking Corporation announced the successful close of a $60.5m seven-year loan facility for NAS.

Hospitality Company of the Year

Al Khozama Management Co(AKMC)Musaed Al Said, CEO, Al Khozama Management Co.Since its formation in 1995 AKMC has been at the forefront of commercial property development and management, and was the first firm to introduce major shopping malls, five star hotels and foodcourts to the Saudi market.
The company was originally the direct property investment and management arm of the King Faisal Foundation, which was responsible for conceptualising the construction and development of the Al Khairiah Complex. Al Khairiah is the largest single area, mixed use complex in the heart of Riyadh's central business district.
Today AKMC's portfolio is valued at more than $640m.

Telecom Company of the Year in customer service

Saudi Telecom Company 'STC'Sameer Madbooly, corporate communications director, Saudi Telecom Co.STC was incorporated in 1998, and is the leading national provider of telecommunication services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In the last few years, STC has gone beyond its local borders to the international markets, forming a network of businesses and investments in a number of GCC countries, Asia and Africa. The company now has a footprint in Kuwait, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey and South Africa.
Just last month the operator announced that it had reduced the cost of its international roaming calls by 50% in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The initiative marked the launch of STC's unified international roaming service.

Businessman of the Year

Ayedh Al Qahtani, chairman, Sumou Holding.Ayedh Al Qahtani is one of the most prominent businessmen and investors in real estate in Saudi Arabia.
Sumou Holding invests in existing companies in the MENA region.It also aims to establish new companies within a variety of sectors, including real estate, energy and financial services.
Last year the company launched the Kingdom's first Islamic Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) in association with Geneva based Encore Management. This has put Sumou in the sights of global Islamic finance firms, and the firm has shown itself eager to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the estimated $260bn worth of real estate projects in the Kingdom.