Heineken introduces zero-alcohol option

Stack of six-packs at a Singapore.

Heineken 0.0, an alcohol-free malt beverage brewed with a unique recipe for a distinct, balanced taste and just 69 calories per bottle (70 calories per 330ml can), was launched in the US on January 9.

Announced as far back as May 2017, Heineken 0.0 is also available in Singapore. Heineken's Master Brewers created the new zero-alcohol option using only natural ingredients.

Said Jonnie Cahill, CMO, HEINEKEN USA: "Heineken 0.0 brings an incredible beer taste to the non-alcoholic space and opens a world of opportunity for people to come together and enjoy a brew that expands drinking occasions—not limits them."

Willem van Waesberghe, Global Craft and Brew Master at HEINEKEN said creating Heineken 0.0 was the most challenging brewing process of his career. "Removing alcohol from regular 5% Heineken would have been easy, but it wouldn't deliver the same premium beer taste that Heineken is known for. Heineken 0.0 is brewed from scratch and has a perfectly balanced taste with refreshing fruity notes and soft, malty finish," he said.

The brand which has seen strong growth in the zero-alcohol segment in various markets. Heineken 0.0 is available in more than 30 markets around the world.

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Dubai introduces high quality font for global use

• Hamdan bin Mohammed: Dubai Font (خط دبي) combines the authenticity of the past and the aspirations of the future

• The Dubai Font is the first Microsoft font created by a city and named after it

• The font can be accessed globally by more than 100 million users across the world through Microsoft Office 365

Source: Dubai Font. Government institutions are directed to use the
font in correspondence.

The Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has launched the Dubai Font– Microsoft’s first font to be created by a city and named after it – in line with the UAE’s vision to become a regional and global leader in innovation.

Dubai Font is a project spearheaded by HH and launched by the Executive Council in partnership with Microsoft. HH officially directed government institutions in the Emirate of Dubai to adopt the font in government correspondences, saying: “The launch of the Dubai Font to the world is a very important step for us as part of our continuous efforts to be ranked first in the digital world. We are confident that this new font and its unique specifications will prove popular among other fonts used online and in smart technologies across the world. Therefore, we urge all government entities to use the Dubai Font in their official correspondence, which is considered as a positive shift that will boost the emirate’s competitiveness in smart technology. This should be a commitment from the Dubai government to guarantee the dissemination and success of this initiative on a local and global level.

“I have personally overseen all the stages of the development of this font, from the first design sketches to the execution phase. I congratulate the project team and everyone who contributed to the success of this unique initiative.”

On the same note, Secretary General of the Executive Council of Dubai HE Abdulla Abdul Rahman Al Shaibani said: “Based on the directives of VP and PM of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who has always urged us to communicate and to open new channels with others to exchange ideas and experiences, in addition to the continuous support of Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and the valuable trust bestowed upon us, we are gathered here today to witness a new contribution from Dubai to serve the region and the world. The Dubai Font– the emirate’s new and innovative mark in the digital world – builds a knowledge bridge linking the East to the West.”

HE added: “The Dubai Font sets itself apart from other fonts because it was designed based on the main pillars that have turned Dubai into a remarkable symbol of success and tolerance. It was simultaneously designed in both Arabic and English, which was later extended to include 21 other languages. It reflects the commitment of the General Secretariat of the Executive Council of Dubai in executing the directives of our wise leadership, as well as achieving its strategy to encourage the use of technology in reaffirming Dubai’s global stature, and asserting its influential role in serving governments and the community across all levels.”

Assistant Secretary General for the Executive Council and General Secretariat Affairs Sector of Dubai, and Project Director of Dubai Font, Engineer Ahmad Al Mahri said: “The Dubai Font reflects the commitment of the General Secretariat of the Executive Council to employ the best technologies and tools in an innovative and effective way. It integrates the traditions of the UAE and its ancient and honourable past with its developed and innovative future, as per the directives of our wise leadership. Our team has executed the orders of HH the Crown Prince and has ensured that the Dubai Font adopts the latest international practices in the world of typefaces.

“This initiative will surely mark Dubai’s position in this fast-paced world of digital typography; therefore, it was necessary for us to embrace these technologies and present them to the people in a way that gives them pride and happiness, allowing them to express themselves with the people around them.

“We present the Dubai Font to the world today, to restate the essential role played by the UAE in promoting the values of giving and tolerance not only within the country but also around the world. The font also supports the technology sector in general by offering a high-quality digital font with unique specifications in different countries of the world without any costs. The font carries special characteristics that facilitate reading and supports printing and display on electronic screens. Dubai Font happens to be the most exemplary font to use in designing promotional ads to be used in larger sizes. It is important to note that the high technical quality of the font fills an important need for high-quality Arabic fonts as part of the Office 365 programme by Microsoft.”

The President of Microsoft in the Middle East and Africa Samer Abu Ltaif said: “Complementing the city’s efforts to adopt more designs and technology on a global level, we are happy to confirm that the Dubai Font will be available globally to over 100 million users around the world through Office 365. The debut of this font is a great example of successful collaborations between the public and private sectors to encourage reading and adopt more technical solutions to serve the communities. This reinforces the vision of Dubai, which aims to become one of the most inclusive cities, as well as Microsoft’s vision to provide better fonts to the world that are accessible to everyone.”

The font is the first font in Microsoft applications and solutions to be developed by a city and to carry its name. The Dubai Font was designed by Dr Nadine Chahine in collaboration with a team from a global agency Monotype. It was developed as a font with unique specifications that aims to encourage self-expression and reading, such as being optimised for use with screens. Created from scratch, the Dubai Font fills a design gap between Arabic and Latin texts and presents harmonious typefaces combining the two scripts seamlessly. The design of the font captures the unique nature of the Emirate of Dubai, mirroring the city’s qualities and promotes its global standing.

Source: Dubai Media Office. HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid
Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council
of Dubai. 

“The openness and harmony of the people in the UAE, the essence of Dubai and its vision to become the quintessential modern Arab city were our source of inspiration to design the Dubai Font,” explains Dr Chahine, Type Director and Legibility Expert at Monotype. “The challenge wasn’t to create a quality font but to create a new and a special medium of expression to unleash ambitions and transcend borders.”

Interested?

The font comes in four weights and includes 23 languages and is available within Office 365. It is also free for global use in design, communications, or embedding in applications, and is expected to reach more than 85 million users in 180 countries via Microsoft. Download the font

Hashtag: #ExpressYou

posted from Bloggeroid

Read Ars Orientalis back issues for free

The Smithsonian's Museums on Asian Art, the Freer and the Sackler, have made digitised versions of Ars Orientalis volumes 1 to 44 free of charge to viewers worldwide. This has been made possible with help from Smithsonian Libraries and the Internet Archive.

The volumes, which are published annually, can be viewed online, or downloaded for offline reading. Each volume features 10 to 12 articles, often around a central theme.

Volume 44 (2014) features Signs of the Hour: Eschatological Imagery in Islamic Book Arts by Christiane Gruber, while volume 43 (2013) is on imagery and has articles on Ottoman Photography, Painting, and Drawing at the Court of Sultan Abdülaziz by Mary Roberts; Royal Portrait Photography in Iran by Ali Behdad, and Photography and Afghan Diplomacy in the Early Twentieth Century by Holly Edwards.

Interested?

View the free back issues 

Buy print issues for US$60 each (individual international purchases), inclusive of digital access

posted from Bloggeroid

Qatar Duty Free and Dolce&Gabbana present new display featuring an exclusive fragrance for the Middle East

Source: Qatar Duty Free. A new Dolce&Gabbana display features a 4m snow globe at Hamad International Airport that will be on display until 14 January 2016.

Qatar Duty Free welcomes the festive season with the installation of a Dolce&Gabbana display featuring a larger-than-life snow globe at Hamad International Airport (HIA). The snow globe, at four m high, is the centrepiece of a display showcasing Dolce&Gabbana’s products, and celebrates the launch of their newest fragrance for men, The One Royal Night. It will be on display until 14 January 2016.

The joint collaboration between Dolce&Gabbana and Qatar Duty Free offers plenty of options for passengers looking to buy a gift. Qatar Duty Free Senior Vice President Keith Hunter said: “Qatar Duty Free prides itself on offering passengers exclusive fragrances and beauty products, and this is no exception. This partnership not only marks the launch of The One Royal Night at HIA, but is an opportunity for Qatar Duty Free to offer customers the Dolce&Gabbana makeup and Velvet collections. We hope that those travelling from, and through, HIA will enjoy visiting the beautiful display and exploring some thoughtful and personalised gift ideas.”

Source: Qatar Duty Free. The One Royal Night for men is featured together with Velvet niche fragrance collection and D&G makeup.

The One Royal Night for men is an exclusive fragrance within Dolce&Gabbana’s Classic House, The One. The newest fragrance, with an Arabian twist, is an exclusive product from the designers for the Middle East, inspired by the richness, culture and traditions of the region.

The One Royal Night for men is described by Dolce&Gabbana as a blend of opulence and sophistication boasting a woody composition with notes of cardamom, basil, wild pear wood, and spicy nutmeg, followed by a base of cedar, sandalwood, labdanum* and pure amber in its most refined form. Qatar Duty Free will also offer a select number items from the Dolce&Gabbana makeup and niche fragrance collection, Velvet, for the first time at the display.

The Velvet Collection offered will include both 50ml and 150ml bottles of some of Dolce&Gabbana’s most popular niche fragrances such as Velvet Love, Velvet Patchouli, Desert Oud and Tender Oud.

Interested?

For all Dolce&Gabbana products purchased at the display personalised engraving and gift-wrapping will be offered free of charge. 

*Labdanum, also called laudanum, is a resin from shrubs called Cistus ladanifer and Cistus creticus.

Ugly by Nature toothpaste is fluoride free

UGLY by nature, a newly launched chemical and fluoride-free toothpaste, is getting attention, is undergoing an Indiegogo campaign till November 1, 2015 to raise funds for production and distribution. The product ships worldwide, and contributions of US$5, US$10 or US$100 go towards the financial goal of US$26,000.

Source: Indiegogo page.

The toothpaste made with fair trade organic coconut oil, non-GMO xylitol, coconut-activated charcoal and aloe barbadensis leaf juice. "We decided on the name UGLY by nature because of the product's silvery-gray appearance – our signature colour," Dr Paul Herman, UGLY by nature's CEO says. 

Currently, UGLY by nature toothpaste is offered in seven flavours. All products are certified vegan, cruelty-free and non-GMO.

Jebel Ali Free Zone reaches out to Japanese businesses

HE Moez Al Fahim, Charge d’Affaires, UAE Embassy in Japan with Ibrahim Aljanahi, Deputy CEO of Jafza and his team at the UAE Embassy in Tokyo.

A five-day roadshow across Japan of the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), Dubai's flagship free zone entity and the trade and logistics hub for the wider Middle East region spanning West Asia, the CIS, Africa and the Indian subcontinent, has positioned the Jafza as the halal industry hub in the region.

Ibrahim Mohamed Aljanahi, Deputy CEO of Jafza and Chief Commercial Officer of Economic Zones World, the parent company of the Free Zone, said: "The overwhelming response that Jafza's halal-focused roadshow received reflects Japan's sharply growing interest in serving rapidly growing markets for halal products. Japan seeks to reach and serve over 2 billion consumers of halal food and other products in the world including the wider Middle East region which forms the sector's largest market. This is the market Jafza as a trade and logistics hub serves. Jafza provides everything that Japanese businesses require to become a significant force in the halal industry particularly in food, pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors."

In presentations to Japanese businesses, Jafza talked about two state-of-the-art Halal Zones being developed - one in Jafza and the other in TechnoPark, its sister company, to serve regional, international, as well as the local markets.

Adil Al Zarooni, SVP Sales, Jafza said: "These Halal Zones will be all-inclusive hubs, supported with world-class infrastructure, perfectly suited to attract leading enterprises in the entire gamut of halal industry. Halal Zones will integrate a one-stop-shop system to service each and every need of customers in the halal supply chain, offering ease of doing business.

"Jafza seeks to collaborate and attract organisations, associations, accreditation bodies, R&D, as well as advisory firms to support the entire halal value chain right from R&D, product development to sourcing, production, logistics, sales and marketing."

As a part of its ,ission the Free Zone will promote the halal standards globally. The standards are developed and evolved by Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology and Dubai Accreditation Department.

"Looking at the interest of Japanese businesses we are sure to attract a significant number of new Japanese companies in food, pharmaceutical, healthcare sectors besides other streams including energy, infrastructure, electronics and transportation," said Al Zarooni.

Jafza is currently home to 142 top Japanese companies including Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Nippon Steel, Marubeni Itochu Steel and JX Holdings. Most of these companies are serving markets in West Asia, the CIS, Africa and the Indian subcontinent from their respective regional headquarters in the Free Zone.

Look to Malaysia, Indonesia and UAE as growth markets for 2015: DinarStandard

The Islamic Growth Markets Investment Report 2015, published by DinarStandard, a new way of looking at investment opportunities across the 57 Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries. OIC member countries, representing a GDP in 2013 of US$6.7 trillion, are projected to grow 2015-19 at a higher rate (5.4%) than rest of the world (3.6%) or compared to BRIC nations (3.9%), DinarStandard has revealed. 

The Islamic Growth Markets Investment Report 2015 presents 10 fast-growing consumer driven sector clusters such as food, retail, tourism, and health as well as government-driven expenditure on infrastructure and construction as candidates for investment and discusses their potential in the context of the full geographic spectrum of the growth markets and their global value chain. 

The report lists Malaysia, Indonesia, and UAE as the leaders in the inaugural 2015 Islamic Growth Markets Investment Index which ranks investment potential within the OIC member country grouping. The Index is based on a set of nine metrics covering the categories of a country’s growth fundamentals, growth momentum, investment momentum and relative country risk.

Indonesia has the strongest growth fundamentals among the top three. It has the highest population (249 million, 2013) and GDP (US$870 billion, current US$, 2013), while Malaysia has the strongest growth and investment momentum (217% FDI inflows growth 2009-13). GCC economies led by the UAE are also on the top ten list which also includes Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Other markets on the top 10 include Kazakhstan and Turkey.

DinarStandard’s OIC Industry Clusters Model has prioritised 10 sector clusters within OIC countries that provide best opportunities for sector based investment strategy. The top OIC sector clusters are: energy, food & agriculture, electronics, travel & transportation, Metals, chemical & allied, plastics/rubber, textiles & related, Infrastructure & construction, and Health products & Services. Across each of the sector groupings, areas of competencies from different OIC markets across the value chain present unique investmen and growth opportunities.

Click here to download the report. 

Symbol for plastic to indicate that it is free of animal fat

The majority of plastics packaging products today are made with additives which could contain animal fat, says Premier Group International (PGI). Animal-derived additives, called stearates, are used with packaging for food, beverages, and medicines, the company said.

Plastics which carry PGI's officially registered ERC (ethically and religiously compliant) certification are guaranteed free of animal stearates or byproducts, says the company. There are standards to certify food ingredients, but not for the plastics used to package those foods, notes the company website. 

There are indications that additives to plastics can leach out into the surrounding environment*. Additives in plastic food packaging could thus get into the food it is in contact with. 

A 2010 study by Dr Dennis Jenke, currently a Baxter Distinguished Scientist in the Technology Resources Division of the Baxter Healthcare Corporation, studied the leaching behaviour of stearic acid, calcium stearate, and zinc stearate and four polymeric (plastic) materials containing these compounds by putting them in contact with liquids of different acidity and alkalinity.

Dr Jenke found that more acidic liquids were able to extract the chemicals for materials that only contained stearic acid, calcium stearate or zinc stearate. Neutral liquids did not cause much reaction, while alkaline liquids extracted stearates from the materials "to a very limited extent". It was not clear what would happen if the material contained stearates as well as other substances, as in the case of today's plastics, and the research did not cover plastic that had been in contact with oil or liquids of different temperatures.

PGI has also launched its own plastic bowls and storage containers with the ERC symbol. According to the PGI website, its subsidiary Premier Classic Products manufactures the only plastic containers that are certified kosher/halal compliant and are made exclusively with ingredients that are acceptable to these religions.

*A 2009 study on Harvard College students found that those who drank cold drinks out of polycarbonate bottles (the clear, hard plastic type sold for sports and used for baby bottles and which can be used for hot drinks) had higher concentrations of bisphenol-A (BPA) in their urine than students who did not. And in 2011, a researcher from the University of Gothenburg soaked newly-purchased plastic items in deionised water for one to three days, then introduced water fleas to the water. One-third of 83 randomly chosen plastic products and synthetic chemicals that were tested released substances that were acutely toxic to the water fleas. According to the report of the research, the toxicity was mainly caused by fat-soluble organic substances.

Free Islamic civilisation and Asian civilisation MOOC to be offered by Universiti Putra Malaysia

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) said its new online learning environment, available for free to the local community and globally as well, will include a course on Islamic civilisation.

The new method of learning, incorporating video lectures, interactive forums, chats, quizzes, and e-assessments, is in line with the current National Higher Education Strategic Plan which emphasises life-long learning, e-learning, internationalisation and knowledge transfer, the university said. 

UPM is currently converting the “Islamic Civilization and Asian Civilization” (Tamadun Islam, Tamadun Asia) course that is compulsory for all public universities as a MOOC course to benefit in-campus students as well as interested public communities. To be conducted in English, the course will focus on the role of civilisation in building Malaysian society based on principles such as mutual respect and social interaction within a multiracial society.  

Students can register online for the Putra Massive Open Online Course (PutraMOOC), and complete a course in roughly seven to eight weeks. 

*Images from UPM website