Gigamon Names Twenty Year Industry Veteran to lead Global Partner Sales

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SANTA CLARA, Calif.April 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Gigamon, Inc. (“Gigamon”), the company leading the convergence of networking and security operations to help organizations improve their security stance, today announced that Michelle Hodges has joined the company as Vice President of Worldwide Partner Sales.  In this role, Hodges will be responsible for evolving the Gigamon Partner Program by deepening relationships with existing value-added resellers and distributors, building the security capabilities of its channel and adding new partner segments to support the company’s next phase of growth.  In this role, Hodges will report directly to Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Burney Barker.
“We are thrilled to have Michelle join Gigamon to lead the next phase of our partner sales efforts.  Her background helping leading technology vendors design, build and manage Partner and Alliances sales teams and programs around the world makes her an ideal fit for Gigamon,” said Burney Barker, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Gigamon. “As we work to bring together the historically separate worlds of networking and security operations, having partners who can bridge that divide is imperative.  Under her leadership, we have an opportunity to grow our relationships with world-class partners to help customers increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their security stack, whether in cloud, virtual or on-premises environments.” Hodges joins Gigamon most recently from Riverbed Technologies where she led global channel strategy, programs, communications and enablement, leading to substantial bookings growth through focused partners.  Prior to Riverbed, she led global channels and alliances at Apptio, a provider of business management systems for hybrid IT, where her work had significant impact on net new ACV and renewals.  Throughout her career, Hodges has held senior channel positions at leading technology companies including time with Microsoft in EMEA and India; transforming the APJ partner ecosystem as VP Channels and Alliances with Business Objects and SAP, and leading SI teams at VMware. A change agent, driven by impact and growth, Hodges has been recognized by CRN as a Global Channel Chief.  She is a member of the Associated Strategic Alliances Professionals, Women in Channels and Cloud Girls organizations, as well as a Board Member of Baptie’s Women in Channel Leadership Forum. She holds a B.A. from Whittier College, an M.A. in International Policy Studies and an M.B.A. in International Management, both from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. About Gigamon Gigamon is the company leading the convergence of networking and security operations to help organizations reduce complexity and increase efficiency of their security stack.  The company’s GigaSECURE® Security Delivery Platform is a next generation network packet broker that helps customers makes threats more visible – across cloud, hybrid and on-premises environments, deploy resources faster and maximize the performance of their security tools.  Global 2000 companies and government agencies rely on Gigamon solutions to stop tool sprawl and save costs.  Learn how you can make your infrastructure more resilient, more agile and more secure at www.gigamon.com, on our blog and Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Henry Schein and Internet Brands Form Joint Venture To Deliver Integrated Technology To Enhance Dental Practice Management

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MELVILLE, N.Y.April 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC), the world’s largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health, and medical practitioners, and Internet Brands, a leading provider of web presence and online marketing software, announced today the creation of a joint venture designed to deliver integrated dental technology to help the profession improve practice management and marketing as well as patient communication.
Henry Schein Practice Solutions is the leading dental practice management software company and will bring to the venture its market-leading suite of practice management systems. Internet Brands is the market leader in web-based software applications used by dental offices to attract and retain patients and manage online reputation. The joint venture, to be named Henry Schein One, will include the Henry Schein Practice Solutions products and services, such as Dentrix, Dentrix Ascend, Easy Dental, and TechCentral, as well as Henry Schein’s international dental practice management systems, including Software of Excellence, Logiciel Julie, InfoMed, Exan, and LabNet, among others. Henry Schein One also will include the dental businesses of Internet Brands, including web-based solutions such as Demandforce, Sesame Communications, Officite, and DentalPlans.com. The teams dedicated to all these businesses will become part of the joint venture, which will initially employ approximately 1,500 team members and be headquartered in American Fork, Utah. Henry Schein will have majority ownership of the joint venture and Internet Brands will own a minority interest, with senior management from Henry Schein and Internet Brands serving on the board of Henry Schein One. The combined entity, which will serve markets globally, had pro-forma 2017 sales of approximately $400 million. Henry Schein expects the transaction to be neutral to the balance of its 2018 earnings per share, excluding the impact of one-time transfer taxes of approximately $4.5 million, or $0.03 per share, related to completing the transaction, and to be accretive thereafter. The joint venture expects to realize between $20 million and $30 million in annual synergies by the end of year three. The companies expect to complete the transaction in the second quarter of 2018, subject to certain pre-closing conditions. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. “We are very pleased to create this joint venture with Internet Brands because we share the goal of being the best partner to help our dental customers operate successful practices for the ultimate benefit of their patients,” said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Henry Schein, Inc. “With this agreement, we combine two dental technology leaders who together will create a powerful new engine to accelerate our customers’ growth. We believe our customers will have the most extensive suite of integrated programs and services, operating on leading practice management systems, to enable dental professionals to be more efficient and to increase their ability to deliver high-quality care to patients.” Henry Schein One will deliver advanced, cutting-edge technology to address the challenges created by the current lack of technology integration in dental practices. Dental teams today use disparate technology systems that often don’t connect with each another, thereby wasting time for the team and their patients. The mission of Henry Schein One is to raise the level of innovation and deliver a new platform of enhanced dental software and services that work together seamlessly to share data and streamline the digital workflow for each member of the dental team. Having end-to-end management and marketing systems will enable dental teams to be better business managers, clinicians to be more efficient, and patients more loyal to the practice. By helping each member of the dental team work smarter and faster to improve the practice and the entire patient experience, Henry Schein One will position dentists to focus more on delivering quality patient care. Integrating Henry Schein’s practice management software with Internet Brands’ web-based and mobile digital marketing and communications tools will give dental teams new tools connected to their practice management systems to better communicate with current and prospective patients, minimize appointment cancellations, improve adherence to treatment plans, and develop new sources of revenue. “By combining Henry Schein’s strength in practice management software with our leading digital marketing applications in this new joint venture, we intend to leverage the considerable resources of both companies to provide our customers and their patients with a better experience,” said Bob Brisco, CEO of Internet Brands. “We are only scratching the surface of what we can do together to improve how dental practices interact with patients in an age of digital communications. This joint venture will harness the power of the leading brands in this market for the benefit of everyone interested in delivering and experiencing better health care. We’re very excited to work with Henry Schein to create a powerful new offering that is unmatched in the industry.” The leadership of Henry Schein One brings deep knowledge and experience to the task of using modern marketing and communications technologies to enhance the customer experience. The company’s Chief Executive Officer will be James A. Harding, currently the Senior Vice President and CEO of Henry Schein’s Global Practice Solutions Group. Mr. Harding has also served as the Chief Technology Officer of Henry Schein, which he joined in 2000. The remainder of Henry Schein One’s management team will be announced at a later date. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information In accordance with the “Safe Harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, we provide the following cautionary remarks regarding important factors that, among others, could cause future results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements, expectations and assumptions expressed or implied herein.  These statements are identified by the use of such terms as “may,” “could,” “expect,” “intend,” “believe,” “plan,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “anticipate” or other comparable terms.  Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the joint venture transaction, including future financial and operating results, the joint venture’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions.  All statements that address operating performance, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future — including statements relating to anticipated synergies and the expected timetable for completing the proposed transaction — are forward-looking statements.  All forward-looking statements made by us are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance.  These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance and achievements or industry results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.  For example, these forward-looking statements could be affected by factors including, without limitation, risks associated with the ability to consummate the transaction and the timing of the closing of the transaction; the ability to obtain requisite approvals; the ability to successfully integrate operations and employees; the ability to realize anticipated benefits and synergies of the transaction; the potential impact of the announcement of the transaction or consummation of the transaction on relationships, including with employees, customers and competitors; the ability to retain key personnel; the ability to achieve performance targets; changes in financial markets, interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates; and those additional risks and factors discussed in reports filed with the SEC by Henry Scheinfrom time to time, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in its most recently filed report on Form 10-K.  We undertake no duty and have no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein. Also included within this press release is guidance regarding the neutral impact of the joint venture transaction on our adjusted earnings per share (“EPS”). This guidance is a non-GAAP financial measure because it excludes the impact of transfer taxes that will be paid in accordance with the joint venture. The reconciliation to the impact of the joint venture on our expected GAAP EPS is provided above. Management believes that this non-GAAP financial measure provides investors with useful supplemental information about the expected impact of the joint venture transaction because it excludes one-time payments that are not indicative of the expected impact of the joint venture on our EPS in future periods. This non-GAAP financial measures is presented solely for informational purposes and should not be regarded as a replacement for corresponding GAAP measures. About Henry Schein, Inc. Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) is a health solutions network powered by people and technology. With more than 22,000 Team Schein Members serving more than 1 million customers globally, the Company is the world’s largest provider of Business, Clinical, Technology, and Supply Chain solutions to enhance the efficiency of office-based dentalanimal health, and medical practitioners. The Company also serves dental laboratoriesgovernment and institutional health care clinics, and other alternate care sites. A Fortune 500® Company and a member of the S&P 500® and the Nasdaq 100® indexes, Henry Schein’s network of trusted advisors provides health care professionals with the valued solutions they need to improve operational success and clinical outcomes. The Company offers customers exclusive, innovative products and solutions, including practice management software, e-commerce solutions, specialty and surgical products, as well as a broad range of financial servicesHenry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 120,000 branded products and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 180,000 additional products available as special-order items. Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein has operations or affiliates in 34 countries. The company’s sales reached a record $12.5 billion in 2017, and have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 15 percent since Henry Scheinbecame a public company in 1995. For more information, visit Henry Schein at www.henryschein.comFacebook.com/HenrySchein,and @HenrySchein on Twitter. About Internet Brands Headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., Internet Brands® is a fully integrated online media and software services organization focused on four high-value vertical categories: Health, Automotive, Legal and Home/Travel. The company’s award-winning consumer websites lead their categories and serve more than 250 million monthly visitors, while a full range of web presence offerings has established deep, long-term relationships with SMB and enterprise clients. Internet Brands’ powerful, proprietary operating platform provides the flexibility and scalability to fuel the company’s continued growth. Internet Brands is a portfolio company of KKR and Temasek. For more information, please visit www.internetbrands.com.

“New York Auto Show Week” Returns to Live with Kelly and Ryan

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The New York International Auto Show is making its annual pit stop at top morning talk show “Live with Kelly and Ryan.”  This week, a wide variety of top-of-the-line vehicles from the 2018 exhibition are featured on “Live” as “New York Auto Show Week” returns to the program. Kicking off the week with sports cars, followed by crossovers and SUVs, and the hottest new green cars, “Live” will continue the week on Thursday, April 5 with a look at “rugged yet refined” vehicles, including the world debut of the Range Rover SV Coupe.  And the week will wrap up on Friday, April 6 with a spotlight on the most exciting new sedans, including the highly-anticipated 2019 Nissan Altima. About Live with Kelly and Ryan “Live with Kelly and Ryan” is distributed in national syndication by Disney | ABC Home Entertainment and TV Distribution. The show is produced by WABC-TV in New York and executive produced by Michael GelmanKelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. Visit “Live” on the web (KellyandRyan.com), Facebook and Instagram (@LiveKellyandRyan), and Twitter and SnapChat (@LiveKellyRyan). About the New York Auto Show The New York International Automobile Show is an awesome combination of new ideas, technological innovation, exceptional concept cars and nearly 1,000 of the latest new cars and trucks.  Over one million visitors are expected to visit the Show this year to see what is truly possible from the automotive industry.  The New York International Auto Show is owned and produced by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association and has an economic impact on New York City of some $300 million.

Saudi fiscal reforms likely to bring oil break-even price below $55 per barrel by 2021

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Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, is likely to lower its budget break-even oil price to below $55 per barrel by 2021 as the biggest Arab economy continues to implement economic and fiscal reforms, according to a new report. After slashing nominal government expenditures by a fifth, cutting subsidies, introducing new taxes and raising non-oil revenues, the kingdom has lowered its break-even oil price to $74.4 per barrel in 2018, down 29 per cent from $105.7 in 2014, Japanese lender MUFG Bank said in a report released on Wednesday. In 2019, break-even oil prices are likely to remain at $69.3 per barrel as the kingdom shifts its strategy of deficit reduction and austerity to focusing on economic stimulus, it noted. “All in all, a direct consequence of fiscal and economic reform is that Saudi Arabia will be in a stronger position over the medium term …. with greater independence from the oil price,” Ehsan Khoman, the head of research for the Middle East and North Africa said in The Mena Focus Report. “Our econometric models suggest a fiscal break-even oil price of $54.8 per barrel in 2021 to balance the budget, and assume total revenues at $267.9 billion (36.2 per cent of GDP), against a slightly larger total expenditure at $289.6bn.” Saudi Arabia, Opec’s top crude producer, is implementing a raft of fiscal and economic reforms under its Vision 2030 plan to cut its dependence on oil revenues and fuel growth. The kingdom plans to sell stakes in state-owned entities including Saudi Aramco, which could raise an estimated $100bn in non-oil revenues for Riyadh in what is billed to be the world’s biggest-ever share sale. Other measures include developing the country’s industries, bolstering the private sector and luring investments through projects such as $500bn Neom development. Development of non-oil based sectors, such as tourism and technology, and a significant ramp-up in large-scale infrastructure investments will be essential for Riyadh to meet its ambitions for the non-oil economy. As these sectors grow in importance, the size and magnitude of the non-oil revenue generated from these industries will rise, lowering the break-even price, MUFG noted. Higher non-oil revenues, predominantly, through privatisation and implementation of VAT, will also help the country to raise its non-oil revenues to $68.3bn, about 10 per cent of the GDP in 2017 to over $100bn by 2020. The Japanese lender estimated that revenue generation through VAT will range between $8bn to $17bn, approximately 3.2 per cent to 6.7 per cent of total government revenues each year. “From 2020, we view that non-oil revenues are likely to rise noticeably, which will reduce fiscal break-even oil prices markedly,” according to the report which projected break-even oil price to come down to $61.7 per barrel in 2020. Increasing the share of nuclear, solar and renewables in the energy mix relative to oil and investment in crude production capacity will also help in achieving the objective of bringing down the break-even price, it said. “The road ahead requires reforming the country to build a sustainable economy that can more comfortably deal with the cyclical nature of commodities by being less dependent on them,” Mr Khoman said.

Boeing, Jet Airways Announce New Order for 75 737 MAX Airplanes

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Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Jet Airways today announced a new order for 75 737 MAX airplanes as India’s premier international airline looks to the new and improved 737 jet to power its future growth. “Our new order for the additional 75 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will allow us to deliver a differentiated and  world class customer experience to our guests,” said “Vinay Dube, Chief Executive Officer, Jet Airway. “This additional order reemphasizes our trust and confidence in Boeing and also reaffirms our commitment to operate extremely modern, reliable and fuel efficient aircraft as part of our fleet. Jet Airways’ partnership with Boeing goes back 25 years ever since the airline was conceived and took to the skies. This order underscores Jet Airways’ commitment to the growth and sustainability of the Indian aviation market” Jet Airways announced its first order for 75 MAX airplanes in 2015 as part of a strategy to refresh its fleet with the most modern and environmentally progressive airplanes. The newest order adds 75 more MAXs to support the airline’s future expansion. Jet Airways is set to take direct delivery of its first MAX airplane later this year. “We are honored that Jet Airways has again placed its trust in Boeing with its order for 75 more 737 MAXs,” said Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president, Asia Pacific & India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “These additional 737 MAX airplanes will help Jet Airways continue to be an industry leader by combining a superior passenger experience with reliable and efficient operations.” The 737 MAX is a family of airplanes that offer about 130 to 230 seats with the ability to fly up to 3,850 nautical miles (7,130 kilometers). These jets incorporate the latest CFM International LEAP-1B engines, Advanced Technology winglets, the Boeing Sky Interior, large flight deck displays and other features to deliver the highest efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort in the single-aisle market. The 737 MAX is the fastest-selling airplane in Boeing history, accumulating more than 4,400 orders from 96 customers worldwide to date. For more information and feature content, visit www.boeing.com/commercial/737max. About Jet Airways Jet Airways is India’s premier international airline, which operates flights to 65 destinations within India and overseas. Jet Airways’ robust domestic India network spans the length and breadth of the country covering metro cities, state capitals and emerging destinations. Beyond India, Jet Airways operates flights to key international destinations in South East AsiaSouth AsiaMiddle EastEurope and North America. The Jet Airways group currently operates a fleet of 120 aircraft, comprising Boeing 777-300 ERs, Next Generation Boeing 737s, Airbus A330-200/300s and ATR 72-500/600s.

Bahrain Says Giant Discovery Holds 80 Billion Barrels Of Oil

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Bahrain announced on Wednesday the size of the oil reserves in the giant discovery that it had made, and figures dwarf the proved reserves that the island kingdom in the Persian Gulf had prior to the latest oil find. The huge discovery in west Bahrain, named Khalij Al-Bahrain Basin, is estimated to hold more than 80 billion barrels of oil, Oil Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa said at a press conference today. The volume of natural gas at the field is estimated to be between 10 trillion and 20 trillion cubic feet, AFP quoted the minister as saying on Wednesday. Bahrain announced a few days ago the biggest crude oil discovery in its history that will “dwarf” its current reserves, and details on the size of the reserves were expected to be released later this week. Before the latest oil discovery, Bahrain was estimated to have proved reserves of just 125 million barrels of crude. International oil companies are currently helping Bahrain to carry out appraisal studies at the new discovery, and to quantify how much of the oil and gas in place can be extracted, Al-Khalifa said. Oil extraction from the field is not expected to begin for at least five years, according to Yahya al-Ansari, manager of exploration at national oil firm Bahrain Petroleum Company.

Tradesy Acquires Fitz And Announces Tradesy Closet Concierge

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Tradesy, the world’s largest peer-to-peer marketplace for women’s designer fashion, has acquired Fitz, an in-home service that pairs customers with highly-trained stylists to organize their closets, edit their wardrobes and provide personalized styling services. With this acquisition, Tradesy is pleased to announce the launch of Tradesy Closet Concierge, a service that delivers luxury wardrobe management by professional stylists, including organizing, styling, and resale consignment services. The Tradesy Closet Concierge Stylists are a group of highly vetted professionals from design schools, fashion houses, and beyond. Items collected by stylists for resale will be sold on Tradesy. “The team at Fitz built an experience that absolutely thrills customers – women just fall in love with having a perfectly-organized closet, and form amazing relationships with their stylists,” said Tracy DiNunzio, Founder and CEO of Tradesy. “We’ve combined this top-tier experience with a new Tradesy consignment service that makes selling even easier. It’s everything busy, stylish women need to fully manage their modern wardrobe,” concludes DiNunzio. Tradesy Closet Concierge offers not only a high-touch, personalized service, it also offers women the opportunity to make the most out of the items they resell. The tiered commission structure is the lowest in the industry, enabling women to make up to twice as much as with other resellers. The launch of Tradesy Closet Concierge is another step towards Tradesy Inc.’s vision of creating a more sustainable model for fashion commerce. The service makes reselling effortless and fun, thus extending the life cycle of high quality goods, and leaving fewer items in landfills. Prior to the acquisition, Fitz operated in the New York City, where it rapidly became a must-have service for the city’s most stylish women. The company was the brainchild of serial entrepreneur Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, Co-Founder and CEO of Fitz, and known for her roles as co-founder of Gilt and GLAMSQUAD. “Tradesy is the ideal partner for Fitz. With Tradesy’s robust technology, infrastructure and large fashion-savvy user base, the service we built will now be positioned to scale dynamically across the country with Tradesy’s millions of customers.” said Alexandra Wilkis Wilson. Tradesy Closet Concierge is currently serving the New York City area, including ManhattanBrooklyn, and Queens, with plans to expand to the Tri-State area and Los Angeles by the end of the year, hitting all major cities in the United Statesin 2019. Its most popular service is the 3-Hour Closet Curation, in which two Closet Concierge Stylists completely re-organize the client’s closet, typically evaluating more than two hundred items. Stylists work directly with the client to decide what to sell, donate, or keep, and make shopping recommendations on the spot, as well as after the appointment via email or text. ABOUT TRADESY Tradesy is the world’s largest peer-to-peer marketplace for women’s luxury fashion. The website and app enable sellers to easily earn money for apparel and accessories that they’re no longer wearing, while buyers save up to 90% on designer brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Chanel. With $80m in funding from investors like Richard Branson and Kleiner Perkins, Tradesy has introduced collaborative commerce to women across America, making luxury fashion more sustainable and accessible to its 6 million members.

Saudi Arabia’s first cinema to open on April 18

Saudi Arabia’s first cinemas should be open by the fourth quarter of 2018, according to the Kuwaiti National Cinema Company (KNCC) and Dubai-based distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment. The two companies are already familiar with KSA cinema tastes, with so many Saudi nationals visiting Kuwait and Dubai to watch films in public cinemas. They have said a catalogue of Egyptian cinema will be among the films shown in the Kingdom. The pair already work in partnership producing, distributing and exhibiting films across the region, and have now secured three locations for 27 screens in Saudi’s biggest cities – Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam – through their Cinescape Cinemas subsidiary. ’12 multiplexes in the next 36-month period’ The pair said in a statement that they are currently in the final stages of negotiations to open this first phase of screens, while the General Commission for Audiovisual Media (GCAM) is mapping out the rules and regulations for reopening cinemas. The initial 27 screens will be followed by a major expansion across the Saudi market, assuming conditions under the new system allow it. Cinescape already operates numerous cineplexes throughout Kuwait, while KNCC’s holding company, Tamdeen Group, operates several of the malls the cinemas are located in. KNCC’s Hisham Al Ghanim commented: “There is a high influx of Saudi audiences that flock to Kuwait to experience the cinema here because of the films we are able to show and the high standards of the sites themselves, so we have a keen understanding and appreciation of their tastes and habits. We expect to open a total 12 multiplexes in the next 36-month period.” Egyptian films to be shown Front Row’s Gianluca Chakra added: “Along with these distribution lines, there is a potential to grow once the lay of the land has settled. Front Row’s exhibition and distribution model can only help enhance the Saudi expansion. Added to that the strong Egyptian catalogue and the burgeoning market of original content development we are closely working on together and you will find that there is substantial potential for growth in the KSA.” Cinescape is the first regionally based company to secure cinema locations in KSA. The announcement comes hot on the heels of UK-based Vue Cinemas’ recent announcement that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi mall and leisure specialist Abdulmohsin Al Hokair Holding Group, and hopes to build “up to 30” multiplexes over the next three years, though Vue did not reveal when it expected its first doors to actually open. Canada’s IMAX, the US’ AMC and Dubai-based Vox are also known to be seeking opportunities in the kingdom following the reopening cinemas.

Abu Dhabi International Airport named 2017th Best Airport in the Middle East for the second year

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The ASQ is the only worldwide program to survey passengers at the airport on their day of travel. The program measures passengers’ views of 34 key performance indicators. 74% of the world’s top 100 busiest airports are part of the ASQ network, which delivers 600,000 individual surveys per year in 42 languages in 84 countries. The program served 343 airports in 2017, where half of the globe’s 7.1 billion travelers passed through. Acting Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, Abdul Majeed Al Khoori, said: “We are honored to have received such a high accolade for the second consecutive year. We consider ASQ awards as a key indicator to our performance and success as they are a transparent reflection of what our passengers think of us and our services. I am personally extremely proud of our team, our stakeholders, and all the entities operating at the airport, as I know the challenges they are going through day and night, yet they never fail in exceeding expectations, and delivering a world-class gateway to the Capital of the UAE. I look forward to their continued commitment and drive to excel as we embark on our next phase in our transformation journey.” As per the ACI announcement, this year’s award saw the winning of 16 airports for the first time, which reflects the increasingly competitive airport industry environment. Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) won the first position in the region, and came in number 57 worldwide. The ASQ Awards ceremony will be held during ACI Customer Excellence Summit in Halifax, Canada between 10th and 13th September 2018.