August - September 2009
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A Renaissance Services SAOG Group Newsletter
vol.0 issue 5
Multi-million dollar contract awarded
The Port of Fujairah has awarded a Renaissance subsidiary, Nico International, a multi-million dollar contract to develop top side facilities at the port. The company’s role in the hightech project for the port’s Oil Terminal 2 includes design, supply, fabrication, installation, testing and pre-commissioning of four berths Topside Facilities. Nico International beat out the competition, which included several regional names, owing to its technical capabilities and long term involvement with the development of the Port of Fujairah since 1981. With the massive development of the oil bunkering business in and around the port this additional berthing capacity will boost the regional oil trading business due to its strategic location and growing demand. Oil Terminal 2 in Port of Fujairah is shaping to become the prime facility on the Emirates east coast. The deepwater port is suitable for berthing tankers up to 180,000 DWT, and partly loaded VLCC’s with a draft of
internal newsletter
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In brief
September – Oman Sail teams dominate races in Germany with first and second places overall for Masirah and Renaissance boats.
News of the win was largely covered in the regional press
less than 18 meters. Nico International, now a part of Topaz Engineering, has a history of long term investments and projects built for the Port of Fujairah.
October – Topaz sponsors and exhibits at Middle East Workboats exhibition and conference from 5-7 October 2009 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.
September – Khaleej October – Last quarter of Times publishes extensive feature on Topaz in weekend the year - Q4 begins! business pages. September – UMS hosts company Iftar dinner.
please visit www.renaissance-oman.com
Renaissance ties up with first Outward Bound School in the Middle East...Topaz Engineering builds a new facility... Topaz in race for Seatrade awards...NHI students get trained...all inside!
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Inside
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From the Chairman’s statement
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The Contract Services business is performing well, particularly in our home market of Oman. The company’s US$88 million investment project in new contractor workforce accommodation for Oman’s oilfields is progressing safely, on-time and in-cost; well on schedule for opening in early 2010. Similarly, a further US$165 million investment in new vessels under construction for the OSV fleet will ensure growth impacts in both 2010 and 2011. In spite of world economy pressures on all our businesses we remain focused on opportunities for growth; and our people in all our businesses have shown great ingenuity in driving efficiency and prudent control for the benefit of our customers and our own company performance.”
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Renaissance Values
Reward We commit to foster harmony throughout our organisation, provide satisfactory working conditions; properly reward our employees by adequate compensation, and to implement reward schemes. We commit to make Renaissance a place not only where people want to work, but where they will be happy in their work, and seek to do their best in the common interest of all stakeholders. We commit to generate shareholder reward and enduring shareholder value.
Samir J. Fancy, Chairman of Renaissance Services
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CEO message
Each year as we enter the Business Plan phase I have encouraged us to look beyond the pure financial plan to consider issues that are crucial to the way we go about our business. In this regard I have always encouraged development of the HSE agenda, the Quality agenda, the Corporate Governance agenda, the Local Communities agenda (especially the development of local workforces) and the Social Responsibility agenda. The good news is, that the magnificent way in which people throughout this great company of ours have responded to these essential themes has not only defined our culture as an organization, but has made Renaissance more effective and efficient. It has also made our service offerings more relevant and in tune with developments in a rapidly changing world. In last year’s annual report I wrote that we would increase our focus on environment and sustainability issues. I commend all those who have made progress on this. However, because the work that we do does not generate significant ‘headline’ environmental impact the ‘E’ in ‘HSE’ often gets subordinated to the jugular issues
of safety first and occupational health second. Without diluting any of the priority of those issues I really do want to encourage a major effort on a Green agenda this year. Greater focus on a Green agenda will lead to greater awareness amongst our stakeholders of our green credentials. This will not only be good for our planet and the environments in which we operate, it will be good for our business. Stephen R. Thomas CEO of Renaissance Services
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Topaz nominated
Social Responsibility
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Renaissance has signed on as a lead partner to support the first Outward Bound school in the Arab World, known in Oman as Tahaddi, which translates to Challenge. Over 200,000 people around the world take part on an Outward Bound course each year. Through the Renaissance sponsorship, 108 Omani young-adults across the Sultanate’s public schools will be selected to participate in the Tahaddi courses here. The Outward Bound program uses the competitive wilderness as a “no phone, no cooks, no doors classroom” to teach key life skills, and its courses are especially designed to build confidence in young adults aged between 16-18 years. The lessons taught on the
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Stephen Thomas with Mark Evans (second from left) and Outward Bound Tahaddi instructors and staff
Tahaddi course through a series of team building, problem solving and physical challenges will translate into strategic life and business skills for the Omani students.
Quality HSE
Contract Services Group (CSG) has installed hand sanitizer dispensers and H1N1 awareness posters for staff and visitors at its corporate office, and has promoted the same to all its client sites at hospitals, universities, kitchen sites and PACs. A word of caution: Please do not use a match or lighter after applying a coalbased hand sanitizer as the combination has caused severe burning to the hands and skin.
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Each year, the Seatrade Middle East & Indian Subcontinent Awards celebrates the region’s top achievers, honoring those who have made significant contributions to the shipping and maritime industry. We are very pleased to report that divisions from both Topaz Marine and Topaz Engineering have qualified under specific industry criteria and heavy regional competition. Topaz Marine MENA is among the nominees for The Workboats Award and The Marine & Offshore services award, and Topaz Marine Repair is nominated for the Ship repair/ Shipyard Award.
Engineering to open new facility
Last year a Topaz Marine unit, Nico Middle East, won The Workboats Award, seen here being received by Ron Clark, GM Topaz MENA (center). The 2009 awards gala night will once again be a 'must attend' event and a special occasion in the industry calendar where key leaders gather to recognize innovation and achievement amongst peers. For more details, please visit w w w . s e a t r a d e middleeast.com/awards
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Progress unveiling
The Topaz Engineering division is planning to inaugurate a new onshore 30,000 sqm facility soon in Al Hayl, Fujairah, leveraging the division to capture a major share of the Emirates’ east coast storage terminal market. Topaz Engineering is proving to be a frontrunner for major projects in and around Fujairah, due to its highly competitive commercial terms, ability to provide comprehensive solutions locally, and strict adherence to international standards of health, safety and environment.
The Al Hayl facility under construction earlier this year
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Feedback
HE Ahmed bin Abdulnabi Macki, Minister of National Economy and Deputy Chairman of Financial Affairs and Energy Resources Council (second to right) unveiled Progress, an annual publication from United Media Services (UMS) celebrating the 39th Renaissance Day. Speaking on the occasion H E Macki said, “The development model followed by the Sultanate has ensured all round development and a stable economy.” Hilal Al Esry,General Manager GLD (center) and Sandeep Sehgal, CEO of UMS (far right) stand with Alpana Roy, Executive VP at UPP (second to left) and Mayank Singh, Editor at UMS (at left).
Please send your ideas, comments, suggestions, stories, pictures and the like to Hala Srouji, Corporate Communication Manager, via email: hala@tawoos.com or phone: 24796636 (ext.303) Thank You!
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Soft Launch of Gulf School of Business
There has been an optimistic buzz amongst the business community in Oman ever since the announcement of the Gulf School of Business (GSB). A dinner reception attended by the CEO’s and senior officials of the corporate world was held on 14th
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September at the Grand Hyatt. His Highness Sayyid Tarik addressed the elite gathering and reemphasized the endeavor of making GSB a sought after destination for Omani managers to receive practitioner-oriented management education in Oman.
NHI students get intensive training for diploma
NHI and Park Inn management with eager future hoteliers
Hotel Management Diploma students
The International Hotel Management Diploma full-time programme has been running for 18 months at the National Hospitality Institute Oman (NHI), and its students have spent the long summer working towards a 6 month on-job cross training internship programme with the Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG),
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including Al Bustan Palace Hotel, Intercontinental Hotel Muscat and Crowne Plaza Muscat, as well as Park Inn Muscat. The hotel management diploma is proving to be a positive development to Oman in the training of people in the hospitality industry, and in line with the economic diversification vision of the country. The International Hotel Management Diploma is certified by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA) and is currently delivered in 30 countries. NHI provides a professional qualification in Hotel Management as well as individual certificates in specific subject areas relevant to aid in career advancement.
Employee Focus
The Mission To Searfarers aimed to raise 20,000 Dhs
Robert Desai, Assistant Corporate Planning & Communications Manager at Topaz, spent a few days hiking the highest peak in Africa last month while on a mission to give back to the marine industry. What inspired you to fly to Tanzania to accomplish this feat? It was really for the physical challenge more than anything else and also of course for the charity. The Mission to Seafarers – Flying Angel is a charity that’s very close to the heart of many of our staff both in Topaz Marine, which of course has many mariners, and Topaz Engineering, as some have been mariners for many years themselves. You’re probably not afraid of heights since you just got back from climbing the highest mountain in Africa. Which did you find more difficult, climbing up or down? The summit day was definitely the worst. We started at 07:00 with a steep 10 hour walk, then a solid dinner. We went to sleep around 19:30 for a powernap and were awakened at 23:00 with a cup of tea and two biscuits. We set out again at midnight towards the summit and at 08:30 in the morning we had made it. Then we had to walk downwards for another four hours to get to the lunch camp. After a quick lunch we walked for another four hours to get to the camp for the night and there we could finally rest and recuperate. So we
Mount Kilimanjaro
Robert Desai (right) waves the Topaz flag high
basically walked in very rough terrain for more than 24 hours without any real breaks, it was very, very tough. And by the way, I am kind of afraid of heights! Were you affected by Kilimanjaro’s glacial ice, which is said to be quickly melting due to global warming? Actually, because the glaciers are retracting so fast, if you’d done the trek 5-10 years ago, you would have been forced to walk on snow. But now we didn’t take one step on snow, only rock and scree. I doubt much of the glacier will even still be there in 10 years. Were you allowed to pack your phone as part of your survival kit? Yes, I brought my phone all the way to the top. Reception wasn’t great and I could only get a signal out a few times for some quick calls and messages. I had to let Fazel (CEO Topaz) know that the mission was complete and let my family know I was still alive. Has the experience turned you into a climbing enthusiast? I would definitely do something similar again. In fact, I’m already planning a trek to Everest Base Camp in Nepal next year. However, we will most likely be sleeping in cabins instead of tents so that we can have a shower, a hot meal and a good night’s sleep. Sleeping in tents on a mountain is quite horrendous actually.