Dubai: UAE-based Sumo Sushi & Bento plans to expand to 40 branches in the Gulf by 2021, and with half of those opening by this year-end. The homegrown restaurant concept, launched in Dubai in 2000, has partnered with the Apparel Group on adding the 20 new outlets.

Already present in four Gulf countries, the company’s chief executive says new openings in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are in the pipeline, scheduled for 2019 and 2020 respectively.

“While it sounds aggressive, I think it’s just really mindful of what the market has, the product we have to offer and the placement,” said Julianne Holt-Kailihiwa, chief executive of Sumo International, the restaurant’s parent company. “There’s a lot of thought that goes in to where we go and where we position ourselves.”

While Holt-Kailihiwa noted that Saudi Arabia was considered by most to be the Gulf’s most promising growth market, there was room for growth in the UAE too despite the high volume of restaurants. A 2017 study by KPMG suggested that sales across Dubai restaurants were decreasing as a result of the high number of restaurants in the city.

The report indicates that if overnight visitors are considered, Dubai has a greater number of outlets per million than New York.

Employers – Recruitment Process

Recruitment Process 

• Receive Manpower Orders from Leading Middle East Companies
• Detail study of Requirements and Job Description for all the positions.
• Receive interview document from the client like Demand Letter, Sample Contract, approval from the Local Overseas Ministries where required.
• Please provide online demand through emigrate https://emigrate.gov.in/ext/
• Use the existing database, industry network, associate office network, the internet and information technology, procure and advertise the manpower requirement. (We constantly work towards building a comprehensive database of resumes through our known source)
• Shortlist the most appropriate candidates as per the job specification 
• Every candidate undergoes interviews in two-steps.

In-house Interview

• For our initial evaluation, every candidate is interviewed & shortlisted by our In-house Management team. Candidates are evaluated based on the following:
• Employment history, Educational qualification, Behavioral Skills, Personality and presentation skills and finally Reference checks.
• Client receives detailed written candidate analysis, including strengths, weaknesses and experience relative to the position description. Our comprehensive shortlisting process ensures our clients meet only the most suitable candidates.
• At the second stage, each shortlisted Candidate is presented to a panel of experts from the Client Side for their final selection. Practical Trade Test will be conducted where required.
• Client advise us to coordinate with the Candidates for the offers made to the Candidates for their acceptance.

Post interview Procedures

• Signing of the Contract, Attestation of Educational Certificates (only when applicable) Medical Tests & Clear Passport Copies with previous visa cancellation page for visa processing will be forwarded to the Client through email / Courier.
• Receive the Visas from Client and informing the Candidates Personally.
• Immigration Clearance ECR procedure will be taken care for required candidates immediately upon the receipt of visas.
• Coordinating with Client for accommodation and other facilities for the selected candidates before receiving their Air Tickets.
• Informing the Client about the date of Travel of Candidates and requesting the Client to put “OK to Board” message where applicable.
• Receive email confirmation from client about post joining of Candidates.
• Throughout the first year and beyond we stay in touch with the Client and the successful candidate. In doing so, we ensure a smooth transition and the continued satisfaction of both parties.

Excerpt:The strong economic growth momentum seen in 2017 is likely to carry over to 2018. The IMF’s World Economic Outlook forecasts that Bahrain’s economy would continue to be the fastest growing economy in the GCC in 2018. The construction industry is expected to be resilient over the coming years. The residential, retail and hotel sectors in Bahrain are expected to be the key performing sectors, which are expected to pose significant opportunities for investors and contractors in H2 2018

GlassPoint Solar and Petroleum Development Oman have launched SolaRISE, a technology centre to develop and test next generation solar technologies in the oilfield environment.

SolaRISE (Solar Research, Innovation and Sustainability in Energy) centre will focus on continuous cost reduction, including new concepts and designs to reduce material costs, ease oilfield integration and automate operations. It will also pilot and evaluate solutions for using solar energy for other industrial processes in Oman and around the world, GlassPoint said in a statement.

“GlassPoint is continuously innovating and improving its technology in response to the needs of our customers. With PDO’s support, new technologies and materials developed in our labs will now be deployed at scale in the desert and perfected against oil and gas standards,” said Steven Moss, CEO of GlassPoint.

“GlassPoint designed the only solar steam generator made for oilfield deployment. As a pioneer in enhanced oil recovery and the growing energy convergence, PDO will provide valuable insights as we test, refine and scale future solutions for the oilfield and beyond,” he added.

GlassPoint’s partnership with PDO began over seven years ago. After a successful pilot program, the companies began building Miraah, which will be one of the world’s largest solar plants. The first 100MWt of Miraah began operating last year and is meeting all performance targets. An additional 200 MWt will come on stream next year. The new technology center is already under development a few kilometers away from Miraah in southern Oman. Plans are in place to test and evaluate a number of innovative concepts over the next several years. These developments could be integrated into the later stages of Miraah construction and future GlassPoint projects with PDO and other partners worldwide.

Raoul Restucci, Managing Director of PDO, said “PDO’s successful partnership with GlassPoint has put Oman on the global solar energy map. While oil and gas will continue to be fundamental to our energy mix, we are developing innovative renewable solutions to create new growth opportunities for the company as well as for the nation. As we move towards becoming a fully diversified energy company, the SolaRISE technology center will help us build Oman’s renewable energy future and create sustainable long-term value for the country.”

GlassPoint’s technology uses large mirrors to concentrate sunlight and boil water into steam, which is used to facilitate oil production. GlassPoint’s innovation was to bring the mirrors and other system components indoors, using a greenhouse structure to protect from wind and sand, improving performance. The greenhouse enables major cost advantages compared to exposed solar designs, from reducing overall material usage to automated washing operations.

PDO and GlassPoint are working together to create a world-class solar industry out of Oman’s oil industry roots. SolaRISE will create additional opportunities to expand the local supply chain, host training and educational workshops and engage Omani engineers in applied research projects to develop local solar energy expertise.