Sportswear giant Adidas eyes growth and expansion in China

The number one among Europe's sportswear firms, Adidas of Germany, said it was eying brisker business in 2014 not least because of the soccer world cup in Brazil.

'We intend to improve our business significantly next year,' CEO Herbert Hainer said on Monday in a statement. He added the company was well on track to achieve its turnover target of 17 billion euros ($23.3 billion) by 2015, while facing an uphill battle to meet a profit margin of 11 percent in the same period.

Adidas said this year's business had been impacted by the eurozone debt crisis, high procurement costs and a strong euro affecting exports.

China expansion drive

'Nevertheless, the current fiscal year will be the best in the firm's history,' Hainer insisted. 'We'll set up a new earnings record.'

The sportswear giant also announced it would aim to expand beyond major Chinese cities into smaller urban areas.

'We're currently active in 1,000 cities in China, and by the end of 2015 we will be in 1,400,' regional chief Colin Currie told the German business daily 'Handelsblatt', adding that two thirds of the firm's growth in China already came from smaller cities, most of which had fewer than one million inhabitants.

Qatar Tourism Authority celebrates upcoming “Qatar Winter Tour” with the launch of global TVC

Doha: December 25th, 2013: For the third year in a row, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) welcomes the players and staff of Paris Saint-Germain men’s football team from December 29th until January 3rd for their annual Winter Tour and training camp in Qatar. This year, the team will end their tour with a friendly game against Real Madrid FC on January 2nd 2014.

“The association with Paris Saint Germain establishes Qatar as the official destination of this prestigious club and its fans - thus promoting Qatar as a tourist destination of choice,” said Rashed Al Qurese, Director of Marketing and Promotions at QTA, speaking at the press conference held to announce QTA’s activities over the past two months in partnership with Paris Saint-Germain.

“QTA and Paris Saint-Germain have launched a series of programs, campaigns and fan competitions as part of the second phase of this partnership. These activities provide a unique experience for fans and business partners alike, while highlighting Qatar as tourist destination,” added Al Qurese.

Qatar Tourism Authority launched a global TV commercial today for the Qatar Winter Tour with the message “Paris comes to Doha”. The commercial aims to capture the fun and passion embodied by the fans of the club, as well as the city of Paris.

Along with the TV commercial, QTA has also launched a dedicated website - psg.qatartourism.gov.qa - for its partnership with Paris Saint-Germain, which will be the primary source of continuing tourist and fan promotions as well as exclusive content emanating from the unique partnership with Paris Saint-Germain.

“Paris Saint-Germain is a long term strategic partner for Qatar Tourism Authority, and by extension for Qatar as a whole. Our role as an entity is to promote Qatar to an ever-wider array of potential tourists; with Paris Saint-Germain as our partner, we aim to reach their millions of fans with exciting opportunities to learn about and visit Qatar,” noted Al Qurese.

In the lead up to the Qatar Winter Tour, QTA devised a versatile program of promotions and competitions aimed at engaging loyal Paris Saint-Germain fans around the world, casual supporters of football and international media. Utilizing a wide range of platforms – including social media, TV, large format and print advertising, on-ground activations, and tourist promotions – QTA marketed Qatar to millions of Paris Saint-Germain fans around the world and especially in France, a country where the Qatar Tourism Authority also opened a representative office in September 2013.

Over the past few months, Parisians have seen advertising about Qatar across their city – from large scale billboards located in high-traffic spots across the city to advertising at the Charles De Gaulle Airport. Featuring Paris Saint-Germain players along with iconic Qatar landmarks, this campaign positioned Qatar as the official destination of Paris Saint-Germain.

Die-hard fans of the legendary football club found tangible ways to engage with Qatar as a destination too. By designing two fan competitions aimed at igniting the passion of Paris Saint-Germain fans, QTA was able to excite a large group of fans about the possibility of accompanying their team for the Qatar Winter Tour. The Fan Reporter competition saw one lucky but talented fan get selected as the official fan reporter who will follow his favorite to Qatar and report live on social media about the team’s activities and tourist outings. The winner - Sébastien Prigent – won the competition from over 700 contestants. The second competition – an in-stadium contest to select five lucky fans and their guests to follow their team to Qatar was also hugely popular with over 800 participants taking part in the course of 1.5 hours.

Rashed Al Qurese concluded the press conference by announcing that QTA is “launching a GCC-wide social media competition to select a lucky fan to win an all-inclusive trip to Qatar for friendly game between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.” Details about the competition can be found on QTA’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

QTA’s association with Paris Saint-Germain promotes Qatar as a tourist destination to millions of the club’s fans – and not just football fans. When associating with Paris Saint-Germain, QTA chose not only to link to the men’s team – and worldwide stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani or Thiago Silva – but also the women’s team, runners-up of the French Division 1 in 2011 and 2013. Additionally, QTA also linked itself to the Paris Saint-Germain Handball team, French champions last season – in the hopes of promoting the Handball World Championship, which will be held in Qatar in 2015.

For Paris Saint-Germain, this pioneering partnership with QTA helps propel the club ever faster towards the zenith of European sport. It also opens up new markets to the club, and provides access an even bigger audience, in line with its global development strategy. Last, but not least, this association allows the club to access world-class training facilities in Qatar such as the ASPIRE Zone during their annual Winter Tour.

Johnny Rockets reopens in Jumeirah, Dubai

Long-time Johnny Rockets franchise partners Al Fares Restaurant Group, LLC, operated by Wael and Zaher Samman, has unveiled the newest Johnny Rockets restaurant in their impressive portfolio – the 1300 square-foot eatery with indoor and outdoor seating in the popular Jumeirah Centre shopping mall in the coastal residential area of Jumeirah in Dubai, UAE. The term Jumeirah, which literally means “beautiful” in Arabic, is primarily an upscale residential area frequented by locals, expatriates working in the emirate and tourists visiting Dubai. Al Fares Restaurant Group debuted their flagship UAE Johnny Rockets restaurant in 1996 in Jumeirah at Jumaa Al Majid complex on bustling Beach Road, which closed at the end of its lease in August 2013.                               

On this occasion, Wael and Zaher Samman, master franchisees of Johnny Rockets UAE commented: "We are delighted to open this restaurant in Jumeirah Center across from our very first location that we opened back in 1996. Jumeirah Beach Road is and will always remain at the heart of Dubai. We must admit that since 1996, many things have changed in Dubai, particularly in the food and beverage industry. It seems like every major franchise from all over the world has set up shop here. This is a clear indication as to the importance of this city, and the UAE in general. When we first opened here almost two decades ago, we never thought that down the line we would have 14 restaurants in the UAE. However, the almost incredible boom Dubai has witnessed this past decade alone, and the influx of international companies have created fantastic opportunities for both businesses and consumers. This has created the perfect example of healthy competition. People now have an unprecedented wide array of restaurants to choose from, and therefore, restaurant operators have to make the extra effort to bring in, and retain their customers. As pioneers in the industry, we at Johnny Rockets have maintained an edge over other concepts in the sense that we offer a true original diner experience that no other concept does. Our meat is fresh and never frozen. We use only the highest quality produce and ingredients, and in almost two decades of operation, we have never cut corners or compromised on the quality of our food and the service we offer. This is what has allowed us to grow and prosper in this extremely competitive market." 

Like the Ten that preceded it, the new location in Jumeirah brings the concept of Americana to the UAE with the same flavorful food, friendly service and fun, timeless ambiance that residents and area visitors have enjoyed for the past seventeen years. The all-American menu features made-to-order hamburgers, American fries served with the signature ketchup smiley face, hand-spun shakes and classic sandwiches. Dancing servers, twirled straws and upbeat tunes from the past eight decades round out the unique interactive guest experience.

“The thrill of re-opening Johnny Rockets in beautiful Jumeirah proves our commitment to the development of this area and our passion for the brand,” said franchise partners Wael and Zaher Samman. “We take pride in having delighted Johnny Rockets guests in the UAE, since 1996, and we look forward to delivering on our Guest Promise for many years to come.”

Longtime Johnny Rockets franchise partners, Wael and Zaher Samman received the company’s International Award for Outstanding Development in 2012 and now operate 11 restaurants in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ras Al Khaimah.  In June, they introduced Johnny Rockets to the Corniche waterfront area, which marked their second Abu Dhabi restaurant since opening Yas Marina Circuit in August 2012. Dubai locations include Dubai Marina, Mall of the Emirates, Sheikh Zayed Road, The Village in Dubai Mall (2), Mirdif City Centre, J3 Royal Mall and Jumeirah Centre, as well as Al Hamra Mall In the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah which opened last month. Three more restaurants in the UAE are scheduled to open within the next two months, and their first restaurant in Oman, in the capital city of Muscat, is slated for mid 2014.

The new Johnny Rockets is located on the prime Jumeirah Beach Road strip in Jumeirah Centre, the first mall to be built along Beach Road.  The two-story shopping and entertainment center services all corners of Dubai, including the surrounding communities of Jumeirah, Al Wasl and Umm Suqeim. Anchored by Tim Hortons, Costa Coffee, Benetton, Sun and Sand Sports, Harvest Home and The Body Shop, the mall boasts almost 50 retail outlets, many of which provide  one-of-a-kind retail concepts not found elsewhere in the city.

The new Johnny Rockets restaurant in Jumeirah seats approximately 55 people in its 1300 square-feet of indoor and outdoor retail space. Jumeirah Centre is located at Jumeirah Road, Jumeirah 1
Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Johnny Rockets is open seven days a week from noon to 2 a.m.

German blue-chip index DAX hits new record high

Germany\'s DAX-30 index climbed to yet another all-time high in early Monday trading, reaching 9439 points shortly after the Frankfurt Stock Exchange started operating.

Analysts agreed the new rally came on the back of positive market data from the US towards the end of last week, and the medium-term impact of the Fed's decision to start tapering its efforts to spur growth through purchasing debt. This was widely seen as a sign of confidence in the economy.

Also affecting the DAX on Monday was an announcement by the International Monetary Fund to raise its outlook for the US economy. IMF chief Christine Lagarde told reporters a better forecast was justified because of the budget deal reached by Congress and the recent drop in US unemployment.

New target in sight

While Christmas season trading may not bring any more surprises, the long-term outlook for Germany's blue-chip DAX remained positive, traders said Monday.

'There are still many reasons why the DAX may climb to new highs,' NordLB economist Tobias Basse told Reuters news agency. 'We expect the index to clear the 10,000-point hurdle within the next six months.'

Leading the index on Monday was German chemicals company Lanxess, which forecast rising profits for 2014 after struggling to meet targets in the current year.

Ancelotti: New contract or not, Alonso will play for Madrid

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti says Xabi Alonso will definitely continue to start for the club - whether he signs a new contract or not.

The former Liverpool midfielder sees his current deal at the Santiago Bernabeu run out in June 2014 and with no new deal guaranteed to be on the way, los Blancos could lose the Spain international in the summer.

Despite his refusal to commit to a new Madrid deal, the Italian coach has no intention of dropping Alonso, though he stressed his team do not in any way depend on him.

'We have no new information from the club on any renewal, but he is our player until the summer of 2014 and, if available, will play,' Ancelotti told reporters on Saturday.

'We do not have dependence on Xabi Alonso, as we have important players and we played half so far this season without him [when he was injured] and the results were good, but the quality of Xabi gives us all more confidence.'

Gareth Bale picked up an injury during training this week and after missing Saturday morning's training the Welsh winger has been ruled out of Sunday's clash with Valencia.

'Bale's injury is not as major, but he will not play tomorrow,' the former AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain boss said, confirming reports early on Saturday from Spain.

Ancelotti also stressed the importance of beating Valencia - who sacked coach Miroslav Djukic during the week - at Mestalla in what will be Madrid's final game of the year before the winter break.

'This is a very important game,' he continued. 'This is the last game of the year against a team who have had a coaching change, so they will be motivated and focused.

'We want to finish the year well with a good performance and getting three points.'

Getafe 2-5 Barcelona: Pedro scores hat-trick in stunning comeback

Pedro scored a hat-trick as Barcelona produced a stunning comeback to beat Getafe 5-2 in La Liga.

The winger shrugged off the absence of Lionel Messi and Neymar to take centre stage, scoring the club's fastest league hat-trick since Dani's in September 1999 to move to 10 league goals for the season. Getafe had taken a surprise lead after 10 minutes when Sergio Escudero beat Jose Pinto at close quarters following good work by Angel Lafita to create the chance.And things went from bad to worse for the defending champions when Lisandro Lopez headed home unmarked from a corner four minutes later.However, Barca showed their fighting qualities as Pedro struck three times in quick succession to hand his side what had at one stage appeared an unlikely lead at the break.Cesc Fabregas added a fourth eight minutes after the hour and converted a penalty 19 minutes from time to complete his brace and round off the scoring.Neymar was ruled out with suspension, while Gerardo Martino was also without Messi and Xavi due to injury.However, the visitors were boosted by the return of Dani Alves following a calf injury, with Pedro and Alexis Sanchez called on to supply Barca's firepower.Borja Fernandez came in for Getafe, replacing Mehdi Lacen, who dropped to the bench.Barca threatened from the off as Gerard Pique forced Miguel Moya into a smart save from close range after just two minutes.But, against the run of play, the hosts took the lead with a well-worked move as Escudero applied the finish to Lafita's neat backheel.Getafe, who were beaten 4-1 in the corresponding fixture last season, doubled their lead after 14 minutes thanks to Lopez's header, leaving Martino's men stunned.Pedro looked to have pulled a goal back before the half-hour mark but was denied by the offside flag.It mattered little, though, as the Spain international produced a stunning quick-fire treble to turn the match on its head.The first arrived after 34 minutes when, having been played in by Fabregas, the forward hoisted the ball over Moya.

Pedro completed his hat-trick before the interval, cutting in from the left and firing into the far corner for his second and finishing emphatically inside the area for the third.Getafe started the second half strongly and almost levelled 14 minutes in, with Diego Castro outsmarting Pique in the box and curling an effort wide of Pinto's right-hand post.However, despite the home side's endeavour, Barca's cutting edge proved too much for Getafe to cope with as Fabregas volleyed home Pedro's cross at the far post to move two goals clear.The midfielder added a second from the spot three minutes later after Pedro was felled in the box by Borja, with Barcelona able to comfortably see out the game and ensure they go into the winter break top on goal difference.

Shooting Indian movies in Egypt will promote tourism: ambassador

MENA
India's ambassador to Cairo, Navdeep Suri, has claimed shooting Bollywood movies in Egypt could play a role in promoting India as a tourist destination to Egyptians.

Suri said he will work to convince cinema producers to film movies in Egypt in the future.

In a speech during a Wednesday ceremony, Suri - flanked by Cairo Film Festival head Samir Farid - said that India boasts one of the biggest film production industries in the world. It produces 1,000 movies seen by three billion people in 90 countries, the ambassador claimed.

Suri also added that he has held talks with major filmmakers in Egypt, including Gibreal Khouri, Antwan Zend and Samir Farid, who are also working to return Indian cinema to Egypt.

Farid meanwhile claimed that the return of Bollywood to Egypt is a right for every Egyptian.