Day: April 5, 2022

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Visa and PopID Form Partnership to Launch Facial Verification Payments in the Middle East

  • P lans for roll-out in the MENA and CEE regions underway through joint venture with global investment conglomerate Dubai Holding

PASADENA, Calif. and DUBAI, UAE, April 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — PopID, a consumer authentication service, and Visa (NYSE: V), the world’s leader in digital payments, announced a partnership to collaborate on launching facial verification payment acceptance in the Middle East region.  The goal of the partnership is to provide cardholders with new safe, secure, and innovative ways to pay.

PopPay (Image courtesy of PopID)

The first operators to welcome PopPay (PopID’s facial biometric payment solution) in the market will be Costa Coffee, MMI, and grocery chain Géant, in addition to Cove Beach at Caesars Palace Dubai and Coca-Cola Arena Dubai, both of which belong to the portfolio of Dubai Holding, the diversified global investment company headquartered in Dubai, UAE.

In addition to select brick-and-mortar businesses of Dubai Holding adopting PopPay as a new way to accept payments, PopID has recently signed an agreement with Dubai Holding to soon establish a joint venture that will support the roll-out of PopPay in the CEE and MENA regions.

During the initial phase of the partnership, Dubai Holding will deploy PopPay at some of its assets across its leading destinations and attractions, which will be followed by the adoption of the payment technology across Dubai Holding’s wider ecosystem and through partners across CEE and MENA region.

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, 85% of executives believe biometrics will be used to authenticate the vast majority of payments in the next ten years. “Facial biometric payments are at the forefront of payments innovation, providing cardholders a fast, seamless and most importantly, secure way to authenticate and make a payment,” said Akshay Chopra, Head of Visa CEMEA Innovation & Design. “From across our partner network, we’ve seen heightened interest in co-creating new facial and biometric payments moments. Through this partnership with PopPay, we are keen to help clients roll out biometric payment capabilities faster and with more success.”

Under the alliance with Visa, issuing banks will be invited to join the platform and give their customers the ability to link their facial biometrics to their debit or credit cards to make payments; and acquiring banks will be offered the opportunity to distribute PopID’s proprietary face pay terminals to brick and mortar businesses.  “We expect face pay to become the global standard for payments, and we are determined to make PopPay the consumer brand that is used and trusted by people all over the world,” said John Miller, CEO of PopID.

Throughout 2022, the platform will look to further scale across the Middle East region by partnering with key merchants to provide this leading payments technology to consumers.  This second international deployment follows the launch of PopPay Japan through a joint venture with a subsidiary of SoftBank Corp.

About PopID

PopID provides a trusted and secure platform that enables businesses to give their customers and employees the option of authenticating their identity using advanced facial verification.

About Visa

Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network – enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device, and a driving force behind the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit About Visa and @VisaNews.

About Dubai Holding

Dubai Holding is a diversified global investment company with operations in over 13 countries and employing over 20,000 people. Established in 2004, Dubai Holding touches the lives of millions of Dubai residents and visitors through its extensive portfolio of over AED 130 billion worth of assets that support the diversification and sustainable growth of Dubai’s economy across 10 key sectors: Real Estate, Hospitality, Leisure & Entertainment, Media, ICT, Design, Education, Retail, Manufacturing & Logistics and Science.

www.dubaiholding.com
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www.youtube.com/user/dubaiholding
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dubai-holding

Press Contact
Diane Zuniga
Golin
dzuniga@golin.com / 909-510-0433

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1780422/PopID_Visa.jpg

 

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KEF Holdings launches Rs. 800 crore Clinical Wellness Resort in Kerala

The 30-acre Integrated Clinical Wellness Complex in Kozhikode will be built using modern, sustainable technology, ensuring a positive impact on the community.

KOZHIKODE, India, April 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — In a unique ceremony, Tourism Minister of Kerala, P.A. Mohamed Riyas launched the much-awaited comprehensive clinical wellness resort brand ‘Tulah’ in Calicut. He launched it by playing a bamboo gong along with KEF Holdings Chairman Faizal Kottikollon and KEF Holdings Vice-Chairperson Shabana Faizal. The foundation stone laying of the project’s second phase also took place. Zambia Consul General Duncan Moulima and Bollywood star Suniel Shetty attended the event.

“Institutions introducing Ayurveda introduce Kerala itself,” said Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas, adding that the government will support companies expanding wellness tourism throughout Kerala.

“I believe this will be a feather in the cap of God’s Own Country. Tulah means balance, which is something elusive, something you have to create. I’m sure this team will help us create that balance,” said Suniel Shetty.

The idea is to learn from nature, harmonize traditional and modern medicine practices towards better health, build healthy relationships with communities, and learn to apply these practices every day, towards a peaceful coexistence. The project combines clinical and wellness services with the expertise of traditional Ayurveda, yoga, Tibetan medical practices, sound healing, sports, rehabilitation, healthy nutrition, and holistic living academy with state-of-the-art medical expertise from Meitra, KEF Holdings’ flagship hospital, said Mr. Faizal.

The first phase of the project will begin by March 2023 and will be fully operational by March 2024. The project will strengthen state tourism by attracting people from the GCC, Europe and South Asia. It will directly employ over 400 people. It plans to launch similar clinical wellness resorts in the UAE and Southeast Asia.

The facility rests with a comprehensive healthcare program that includes clinical wellness, spa services, physical fitness activities, wellness education and healthy cuisine. The project envisions an eco-friendly ecosystem featuring a solar power park, tree plantations, high-tech organic farming, water technology, composting and radiant cooling instead of air-conditioning. A team of international architects and designers, including KEF designs, KKD, LAMI and SquareM, designed the space.

The resort, located at Chelembra, near Kozhikode Airport, will have 130 rooms, of which 50 rooms will commence operations by March 2023. The property will have a 44,000-square-foot swimming pool and a Michelin Star Restaurant with a farm-to-table concept.

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‫نتائج مؤشر هينلي لجوازات السفر تتبع الموجات الجيوسياسية الصادمة مع إسدال “الستار الحديدي” الجديد

لندن، 5 أبريل 2022 /PRNewswire/ — كان التأثير على حرية السفر والتنقل بعد ستة أسابيع من الغزو الروسي لأوكرانيا، أكثر مأساوية حتى مما توقعه المعلقون الأكثر تشاؤما في بداية الحرب. بينت أحدث نتائج مؤشر هينلي لجوازات السفر  — أن الترتيب الأصلي لجميع جوازات السفر في العالم وفقا لعدد الوجهات التي يمكن لحامليها التوجه إليها دون الحاجة لتأشيرة مسبقة — يوضح تأثير الحرب العميق وربما الذي لا رجعة فيه على حرية الحركة داخل المنطقة مع إسدال “ستار حديدي” جديد.

تسبب الغزو في أسوأ أزمة لاجئين في أوروبا منذ الحرب العالمية الثانية، حيث فر أكثر من 4 ملايين أوكراني إلى البلدان المجاورة. أغلق كل من الاتحاد الأوروبي والولايات المتحدة وكندا ودول غربية أخرى مجالها الجوي أمام روسيا، وفرضوا حظر سفر صارم على المواطنين الروس، كما أوقفوا في كثير من الحالات معالجة طلبات التأشيرة تماما، مما أدى فعليا إلى إدانة جواز السفر الروسي بوضعه في خانة غير المرغوب فيه في معظم أنحاء العالم المتطور.

في تناقض صارخ، وافق الاتحاد الأوروبي على خطة طوارئ تسمح للأوكرانيين بالعيش والعمل في أي من الدول الأعضاء البالغ عددها 27 دولة لمدة تصل إلى ثلاث سنوات، بينما عدلت الدول الغربية الأخرى سياسات التأشيرات لصالح حاملي جوازات السفر الأوكرانية أو تنازلت عن متطلبات التأشيرة تماما. وفقا لأحدث مؤشر هينلي لجوازات السفر، والتي تستند إلى بيانات اتحاد النقل الجوي الدولي الحصرية (IATA)، يمكن للأوكرانيين السفر إلى 143 دولة بتأشيرة/بتأشيرة عند الوصول، وهو رقم قياسي للبلاد التي تحتل الآن المرتبة 34 على المؤشر (بعد أن تقدمت بِـ 26 مركزًا عن سنة 2012) ، بينما ظلت روسيا متأخرة في المركز 49، مع إمكانية السفر إلى117 دولة – وهي فجوة من المرجح أن تتسع في الأشهر المقبلة.

 وفي مركز آخر على التصنيف، ما زالت اليابان وسنغافورة تتشاركان في المركز الأول، حيث يستطيع حاملو جوازاتهما للسفر التوجه إلى 192 وجهة حول العالم بدون الحصول على تأشيرة، بدون أخذ قيود كوفيد المؤقتة في الاعتبار. تتشارك ألمانيا وكوريا الجنوبية في المركز الثاني، مع إمكانية السفر إلى 190 دولة بتأشيرة/بتأشيرة عند الوصول، بينما تتشارك فنلندا وإيطاليا ولوكسمبورغ وإسبانيا في المركز الثالث، حيث يمكن لحاملي جوازات السفر الخاصة بهم الوصول إلى 189 وجهة حول العالم دون الحاجة إلى الحصول على تأشيرة مقدما. تحتل المملكة المتحدة، التي أسقطت مؤخرًا جميع القيود المتعلقة بكوفيد، المركز الخامس الآن، مع إمكانية السفر إلى 187وجهة، تتبعها الولايات المتحدة في المركز السادس، مع إمكانية السفر إلى 186 دولة. لا تزال أفغانستان في أسفل المؤشر حيث لا يستطيع مواطنوها الوصول إلا إلى 26 وجهة بدون تأشيرة.

يقول الدكتور كريستيان إتش كايلين ، رئيس شركة هانلي وشركائه Henley & Partners، أن التحديث الأخير يوفر لقطة فريدة لعالم متقلب وسريع التغير. “نظرا لانخفاض قيمة جواز السفر الروسي بسرعة وفتح العالم أبوابه للأوكرانيين، فقد أصبح من الواضح تماما أن جواز السفر الذي تحمله يحدد مصيرك ويؤثر بشكل كبير على الفرص المتاحة لك. في حين أنه من المستحيل التنبؤ بما سيبدو عليه العالم في ظل حرب باردة جديدة، حيث يشير أحدث مؤشر إلى أن الانقسام بين روسيا ومعظم العالم الغربي سيزداد”.

يقول الدكتور باراج خانا Parag Khanna، المؤلف الأكثر رواجا ومؤسس FutureMap، في تعليقه على تقرير Henley Global Mobility لسنة 2022، الذي صدر اليوم بالموازاة مع أحدث  مؤشر هينلي لجوازات السفر، سنكون في حاجة لحلول إبداعية لأن الهجرة الجماعية أصبحت شيء عادي “عندما نواجه الحرب أو الاضطرابات المناخية، تبدأ غريزتنا في المقاومة أو الهروب وتكون الاستجابة المعقولة هي التحرك بحثا عن ظروف أكثر ملاءمة.  لقد أصبحنا من النوع المهاجر مرة أخرى. تهدد الاضطرابات المناخية في العقود القادمة، بجعل بعض مناطق كوكبنا غير صالحة للسكن، وسيحتاج ملايين، إن لم نقل المليارات، من الناس إلى إيجاد منازل جديدة “.

وفقا لبحث حصري أجرته شركة هانلي وشركائه Henley & Partnersوشركة Deep Knowledge Analyticshttps://www.dka.global/حول العلاقة بين قوة جواز السفر، وقابلية التأثر بتغير المناخ والتأهب له، حيث أن الدول الغنية والمتقدمة التي تتمكن من ولوج عدة دول بدون تأشيرة تحصل أيضا على درجات عالية عندما يتعلق الأمر باستعدادها للتكيف مع أزمة المناخ. يقول تشارلز فيليبس Charles Phillips من مجموعة أكسفورد للأعمال Oxford Business Group: “يمكننا أن نرى ارتباطات وثيقة بين أداء التكيف مع المناخ وحرية السفر الدولية. هذا ما يجسد حقيقة أن جنسيتك وجواز سفرك مهمان حقا عندما يتعلق الأمر بالتخفيف من المخاطر المناخية”.

يقول سيباستيان ميكوسز Sebastian Mikosz ، نائب رئيس شؤون البيئة والاستدامة في اتحاد النقل الجوي الدولي (IATA)، إن التوقعات تشير إلى طلب 10 مليارات رحلة ركاب بحلول سنة 2050 (بزيادة قدرها 4 مليارات رحلة من قبل الوباء). “سيأتي جزء كبير من هذا النمو من الركاب الذين لم تتح لهم الفرصة مطلقا للسفر جوا من قبل: في آسيا وإفريقيا وأمريكا اللاتينية. نحن مدينون لهذا الجيل القادم من المسافرين جوا لإيجاد حلول مستدامة، حتى يتمكنوا من الاستمتاع بالسفر الجوي والاستفادة منه كما فعلنا حتى الآن “.

اقرأ البيان الصحفي كاملا

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Nikkiso’s Heavy Duty SLS Pump Provides Mission Operations for the Space Industry

TEMECULA, Calif., April 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cryogenic Industries’ Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group (Group), a part of Nikkiso Co., Ltd (Japan), is proud to supply one of the largest-known launch support system in the world. For over four decades, they have been providing uninterrupted operating systems (24/7) for the space and launch industry.

These units must supply a continuous operation to fulfill mission tasks. Reliability is critical for a heavy-duty rocket launch, and the pumps need to operate non-stop during the launch. The Group is consistently chosen for its launch support systems due to their 70 years’ experience, level of service and ability to provide local support.

Designed, engineered and manufactured by the Group’s Cryogenic Pumps Unit (Nikkiso ACD) the HD SLS is a robust, highly reliable addition to their reciprocating high pressure/ high flow line of pumps. These pumps and their corresponding systems are specifically designed for the rigorous requirements of this application, including wide turn-down ratios, minimum cool-down time and maximized mean time between overhaul (MTBO).

“We are very proud to play a part in the growing space industry, and to be able to provide the performance and reliability required in such important missions,” according to Daryl Lamy, President & CEO of Nikkiso ACD / Nikkiso Cryo.

Nikkiso ACD has over 70 years of experience with high pressure pumping applications, and thousands in operation during that time.

ABOUT CRYOGENIC INDUSTRIES
Cryogenic Industries, Inc. (now a member of Nikkiso Co., Ltd.) member companies manufacture engineered cryogenic gas processing equipment and small-scale process plants for the liquefied natural gas (LNG), well services and industrial gas industries. Founded over 50 years ago, Cryogenic Industries is the parent company of ACD, Cosmodyne and Cryoquip and a commonly controlled group of approximately 20 operating entities.

For more information, please visit www.nikkisoCEIG.com and www.nikkiso.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Anna Quigley
+1.951.383.3314
aquigley@cryoind.com

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Intelligent Manufacturing at Canton Fair 2022: Smart Chinese Lamps Light Up the World

GUANGZHOU, China, April 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — This April, merchants in Guzhen Town, Zhongshan City, will be hustling hard during the 131st Canton Fair. The town is famous for occupying a 70% market share of the domestic lighting industry and sells to more than 130 countries and regions, making it a vital participant of the Lighting Equipment section of the Canton Fair.

As a window of China’s foreign trade, the Canton Fair has witnessed firsthand the transformation of Guzhen Town, where farming was replaced by decorative lighting manufacturing, simple table lamps by high-end products sold at home and abroad. It also has attested to the transformation of China’s lighting industry from traditional manufacturing to a smart one. According to the China Association of Lighting Industry, the Chinese lighting industry showed strong resilience and potential in 2021 despite COVID-19. The export of lamps in 2021 amounted to US$65.47 billion, an increase of 24.5% year-on-year and of 44.09% over that in 2019, indicating a two-year average growth of 12.95%. The rising share of intelligent, integrated, networked lighting products boosted exports to hit a new high.

With overseas demand for diversified products, the innovation of China’s lighting industry is accelerating with improved service. New products showcased at the Canton Fair include the space station series, APP remote controlled solar lawn lights, alternative energy-saving lamps for high-powered products, smart lighting without main light, and solar spotlights. The Fair also brings plant lighting, UV lighting, immersive lighting, and cultural tourism lighting into people’s horizons. Considering various situations, the supplier offers user-friendly and all-in-one solutions through automated control and smart home connectivity.

The success of the winter games in Beijing refreshed the world’s memory, with hashtags such as #300millionWinterSportsParticipants and #Countdownfrom24SolarTerms trending on social media. Various market-sensitive manufacturers put traditional Chinese cultural elements into their designs, creating high-end ‘Chinese retro’ lighting that is of interest to overseas buyers.

Smart Manufacturing in China aims to illuminate every corner of the world with its intelligence. According to Alan Liu, Deputy Director General of Foreign Affairs Office of Canton Fair, well-known Chinese lighting brands have registered for the 131st Canton Fair and will release their new smart lighting products online. Exhibitors also said they expected to secure more overseas orders via the Canton Fair.

Visit https://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en-US/register/index#/foreign-email for more opportunities.

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Intelligent Manufacturing at Canton Fair 2022: Consumer Electronics Manufacturing Transforms from Follower to Leader in the Smart Era

GUANGZHOU, China, April 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Recently, news from its official website heralds the opening of 131st Canton Fair.

One can analyze the heatmap and see that Consumer Electronics and Information Products is perennially the most-visited area of the Fair. To mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on China’s foreign trade and the world economy, the Canton Fair has paused the on-site business and innovated an online trading platform, starting from the 127th session, which has led to an upsurge of consumer electronics exports.

China is the world’s leading manufacturer and exporter of electronics and information products, holding a foremost position in enterprise quantity, employment scale and business revenue. Yet, long has China been subdued to the assembly role, where foreign multinationals dominate the industrial and value chain and foreign trade. Worse still, consumer electronics always face fierce market competition due to rising homogeneity and industry concentration.

Since the reform and opening up in the late 1970s, Chinese brands have tapped into independent innovation to turn the situation around. According to a survey, the median R&D investment of Chinese consumer electronics and electrical companies was RMB102 million in 2021, indicating that half of them have invested over RMB100 million in R&D. China also has the most patent applications in the consumer electronics and electrical industry.

The Internet of Things (IoT) steals over the consumer market, making smart consumer electronics and IoT products the “new blood” of China’s consumer electronics and electrical industry. You can find cross-industry creation of intelligent living scenarios in living rooms, balconies, kitchens, and bathrooms, meaning a richer experience and increased interactivity for global users. According to Maggie Pu, Deputy Director General of Foreign Affairs Office of Canton Fair, the number of intelligent and personalized consumer electronics at the Canton Fair is increasing year by year. China’s consumer electronics brands now have to win the global competition through technological innovation instead of price efficiency, as has been the case during the past decades.

China is also a huge consumer market for consumer electronics and information products. China contributes more than 50% of the world’s production of complete appliances such as phones, computers, and LCD TVs, and key components such as LCDs and integrated circuits. Chinese entities, backed by a huge home market, are enhancing their presence in the international market through technological innovation and more energy-efficient and eco-friendly products.

Visit https://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en-US/register/index#/foreign-email for more opportunities.