Business Club

Royal Jordanian (RJ) has won the Bronze Lions award under the direct category at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, which is considered the most prestigious festival that celebrates the advertising and communications industry.

The accolade was received in June in Cannes, France as part of the Festival’s awards ceremony, which also saw the shortlisting of Royal Jordanian’s Fear of Flying video.

The triumph of the airline at the Festival came as a direct result of Royal Jordanian’s latest communication strategy, which saw the launch of a satirical campaign, regarding the US Elections campaign promise banning certain nationals from entering the United States prior to Trump’s election.

Launched in November, the online campaign featured special fares to the US during the election period and resulted in an unprecedented viral spread of the campaign, which was picked up by global media, most notably CNN, NBC and MailOnline.

Royal Jordanian (RJ) marked the last days of the holy month of Ramadan by a series of charitable activities, which concluded the company’s annual charity campaign.

During this month, Royal Jordanian held iftars for 550 orphans and distributed food parcels to hundreds of families in different parts of Jordan.

The last campaign activities included the distribution of foodstuff to citizens in the southern parts of the Kingdom: villages in Maan and Karak governorates, as well as Ajloun, Jerash and Naour. 

Also during the last week of Ramadan, Royal Jordanian held two iftars for 150 orphans. Children from Jerash were invited to the first event, held in cooperation with the Haya Cultural Centre, while the second iftar hosted children from Mqabalain, in Amman.

The children enjoyed a variety of entertaining activities and received clothes to celebrate Eid Al Fitr.

Royal Jordanian President/CEO Stefan Pichler said: “It is part of our national carrier’s mission to give a hand to the less privileged people and extend love to the children on whose faces we put a smile through such activities.

Royal Jordanian will always perform its social role in the service of Jordanians, because we believe that the social work of companies contributes to the welfare of the community.”

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts will open a new 264-room hotel in Basel’s city centre in 2019, set to become the hotel group’s flagship hotel in Europe.

Located in the heart of the city, next to the SBB railway station, the hotel may easily be accessed from several European cities.

The 19-storey building is designed by renowned architects Miller & Maranta, while the “Timeless Modern” interiors incorporating several design classics, is created by Matteo Thun. Mövenpick Hotel Basel will have a total of 264 large and airy rooms and suites — including 50 Mövenpick Sleep rooms where guests can enjoy a good night’s sleep in individually adjustable beds.

Another highlight will be the spacious Executive Lounge with its floor-to-ceiling window front and a furnished terrace with park views. Additionally, the hotel will offer 1,800 square metres of meeting space, divided into 20 different rooms. Its 500 square metre ballroom with a seven-metre-high ceiling will be able to accommodate up to 600 people.

“With our Swiss roots and our distinctive service we’re delighted to be able to offer this very special hotel to customers in Basel. Our clear ambition is to become the best modern hotel in Basel,” said Ola Ivarsson, COO Mövenpick Europe.

AMMAN — Royal Jordanian (RJ) continues with lively marketing advertisements placed on social media, a trend the airline first adopted in October 2016, before the US elections, when it started using smart messages, with the aim of being in tune with the daily lives and concerns of the public.

The tone of the RJ messages is unique; it targets most recent events in a humorous way while also promoting a sense of patriotism among Jordanians through the adoption of the message “Be Jordanian, Be Smart, Fly Royal Jordanian”. The feedback, according to figures, has been very positive. RJ’s fan base on the main social media platforms increased by an average of 25 per cent since last October.

The airline also received tremendous exposure through global news articles, and was awarded 1 Grand Prix, 2 Gold and 2 Silver prizes at the Dubai LYNX awards 2017 for the US elections post, which essentially kicked off the new communication approach.

RJ President/CEO Stefan Pichler voiced pride in the cheerful spirit of the advertisements and their positive impact. “The objective of Royal Jordanian is for our communication messages to be full of fun, realistic and relevant. We are firm believers in the importance of the service delivery experience — the soft product — and we aim to put a smile on every passenger’s face,” Pichler said.

Royal Jordanian (RJ) has started its annual Ramadan campaign by delivering food parcels to a large number of less privileged citizens in the eastern desert, in Mafraq governorate.

The Ramadan campaign, conducted yearly by Royal Jordanian in cooperation with social development directorates, is a manifestation of the airline’s corporate social responsibility and its interaction with the local community.

The company, performing its duty toward the nation and feeling the responsibility to help the less fortunate, carries out such campaigns that conform to the religious values and morals of the Jordanian society.

Sustainable corporate social responsibility is an essential component of the airline’s ethics. Royal Jordanian also held an iftar for 170 orphans looked after by several charities and for a number of less fortunate families at Queen Rania Park of the Greater Amman Municipality.

RJ prepared an entertaining programme for the children, and the participating employees distributed Eid presents to the children. This year’s campaign will see RJ host more iftar banquets and distribute aid parcels to the less fortunate citizens in the kingdom.

During the 71st Endeavor International Selection Panel (ISP), held in London between May 15 and 17, Jordanian entrepreneur Hussam Hammo of Tamatem Games got selected as the latest addition to Endeavor Jordan’s portfolio, of now 24 high-impact entrepreneurs representing 17 companies from 7 different industries.

The ISP is the final phase of a multi-step rigorous selection process, where candidates, identified by Endeavor as high-impact entrepreneurs, pitch their companies to top international business leaders and investors from the Endeavor network, making those obtaining an unanimous vote officially Endeavor Entrepreneurs.

With the last wave of 28 selected entrepreneurs, Endeavor now supports 1,461 entrepreneurs leading 915 companies in 30 growth markets around the world.

Tamatem is the leading mobile games publisher in the MENA region focused on serving the Arabic iOS and Android users with games tailored for the region’s language and culture.

Publishing localised versions of games for the Arab gamers is achieved through partnerships with top international game developers and studios. 

The Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) and Al Marji’ Publications have recently signed a cooperation agreement, focusing on women’s legal empowerment.

“We believe that it is possible to further achieve a vision of renaissance in the Arab world where values of dignity, equality, solidarity and pluralism will prevail,” said Samar Muharab ARDD Chief Executive Officer.

She added that “Our partnership with Al Marji’ Publications will help address issues faced by the communities with whom we work and to make their voices heard.”This partnership, spanning over three years, encompasses coverage of human interest stories in both Family Flavoursand Nakahat ‘Ailiyeh parenting magazines-produced by Al Marji’ Publications.

Articles focus on women and youth overcoming their dire circumstances to become productive members of their communities. 

Near East Foundation (NEF), in partnership with Parachute 16, held an ideation workshop in Amman on Monday, in a bid to build the capacities and skills of 24 local trainers.

NEF Country Director Anis Tarabey said the programme provides business support to vulnerable Jordanians and refugees through Siraj business centres, established in Zarqa, Irbid and Amman with funding from the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration/US State Department and City and Guilds Group.

NEF Project Manager Shatha Badawi indicated that the programme will benefit 6000, Syrian, Iraqi and Jordanian beneficiaries, vulnerable and marginalised groups, particularly women.

The workshop is created to help the beneficiaries who are at the very start of their business or need inspiration for the kinds of businesses they want to start.

It was held in cooperation with local partner organisations, including the Jordanian National Forum for Women in East Amman, Sahab Society in South Amman, Al Farouq Society in Irbid and Youth Society for Self-Development in Zarqa.

The Expedia group announced on Saturday the opening of a software development office in Amman. Aman Bhutani, president of Brand Expedia Group made the announcement at The World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa at the Dead Sea.

Speaking as part of a plenary session with young entrepreneurs, Bhutani commented on Jordan’s strong tech workforce and Expedia’s plan to add to its Expedia Worldwide Engineering team with local Jordanian talent. “As a leading global technology company, we are continually exploring opportunities to employ and develop technology talent around the world.

Jordan is a great example of a country with a thriving tech community and the pool of talent is vast and diverse. We are confident that the addition of Jordanian tech talent to our organisation will add a new dimension to our product and engineering teams.”

In line with His Majesty King Abdullah’s vision to firmly position Jordan as a global technology services hub, Expedia has recruited and will continue to recruit for several software development engineering and other technology roles.