The inaugural City of Birmingham Business Awards, known as #COBBA17, is held to celebrate outstanding individual and corporate success throughout the region and will be hosted by Downtown in Business on the evening of Thursday 9th November at Edgbaston Stadium.
Colombia: Employers must comply with engineers' permit report request
The Colombian Professional Board of Engineers (COPNIA) — the public entity responsible for authorizing, inspecting and monitoring engineers in Colombia — has sent requests to certain employers to produce a report to verify that all local and foreign engineers are compliant with registration and license requirements. If requested, the report must be produced within 15 business days of COPNIA's notification.
Toronto Pan Am and Parapan Am games disruption
All Points reiterates concerns regarding assignment starts during the Pan Am Games.
On 15th May, All Points issued a relo-lert cautioning HRs about finding temporary accommodation and providing destination services in Toronto during the period of the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games, 10th to 25th July and 7th to 15th August.
Further to that relo-lert, please find informative documents from the Pan Am website with regards to downtown traffic advice and general business continuity planning.
Again, we do recommend that assignments, temporary accommodation periods and destination services for global assignees or transferees to Toronto be flexibly planned around the worst of the traffic and spectator influx of the games.
Courtesy of All Points.
Ramadan and Eid
The Muslim World is approaching a very important time, the Month of Ramadan.
Please note the below information and how Ramadan and Eid will affect life in the Middle East and North Africa, and relocation operations.
Ramadan (Muslim's Holy month): Thursday, 18th of June 2015 - Friday 17th of July, 2014 (to be confirmed-subject to moon sighting)
Ramadan is a very important month for Muslim believers. It is a month where all Muslims fast until sunset. Ramadan will last for 30 days, based on the Arabic calendar, and will be followed by Eid, which will last about 10 days, when everything will be closed for celebration in Muslim countries.
All companies and government offices work shorter hours (10 am – 2 pm), so please expect a delay in responses. Due to the very short working days, housing appointments will be delivered in the first half of the day. Ramadan falls during the summer again this year, with an expected temperature of 50-60 degrees Celsius, which will also make the program days shorter.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be affected most of all the Arab countries; from the start of Ramadan until the end of Eid Al Fitr is the Holy Visit time when about 3 million pilgrims arrive into Jeddah, making the city very congested. That is why, especially for Jeddah, we do not recommend starting programs during Ramadan.
Eid al Fitr Holiday (Ramadan end feast): Friday, 17th of July 2015 (to be confirmed - depends on the start date of Ramadan)
Eid may last anything from 2 to 10 days, depending on the region. The longest holidays take place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. All government and private offices close for this time through all the Middle East.
Hajj Season (Pilgrimage): Monday, 21st of September – Saturday, 26th of September 2015
This is the Muslim pilgrimage where over 5 million pilgrims enter the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to visit Mecca. Entering Jeddah will be extremely difficult.
No availability of permanent and temporary accommodation in Jeddah is a norm during this period.
All government establishments and some businesses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be closed for 10 to 14 days.
Eid El Adha: Wednesday, 23rd of September 2015
All government and private offices in the Middle East, Arab and Gulf countries, close for 10 days for official holidays.
During Eid, no work can be performed in any Muslim countries.
Courtesy of Global Relocation Consultants in the Middle East and North Africa.