'KLIM Women of Strength' program to recognise outstanding women in the Arab world has important number of entrants
Women from across the Middle East submitted inspirational stories via social media forums over the last few weeks
Panel of judges comprising esteemed regional personalities finally narrows down the nominations and selects 5 finalists
Public can now vote for three winners who will receive a cash prize of USD 20,000 each
Dubai, UAE - 9th April 2013: Nestlé Middle East today announced the 5 finalists in the 'KLIM Women of Strength' program, a region-wide initiative aimed at identifying and recognizing outstanding women in the Arab world. The selection was made by the panel of judges, after carefully considering of the entries submitted from across the Arab world.
Open to all Arab women over 18 years of age residing in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, and Lebanon, the 'KLIM Women of Strength' programme is the most ambitious initiative of its kind undertaken by Nestlé in the Middle East region - both in terms of scale and prize fund.
Nestlé panel of judges included Sarah Shuhail, Executive Director of Ewa'a Shelters for Women and Children; Nisreen Shocair, President of Virgin Megastore, MENA Region; Heba Al Shaar, Consultant for Strategy Marketing and Communication; Rasha Al Danhani, Chairman and Owner of PappaRoti Cafés; and Zeinab Maktabi, Corporate Nutritionist at Nestlé Middle East.
"'We have been delighted by the number of participants and the many touching and inspirational stories we came across," said Rainer Mueller, Communications Director at Nestlé Middle East. "The level of participation in the 'KLIM Women of Strength' program has demonstrated how many outstanding women there are in this region."
Rasha Al Danhani, Chairman and Owner of PappaRoti Cafés said, "Each and every one of these women has had a remarkable journey and has overcome considerable obstacles to reach where they are today, whether they be physical, social or personal. I truly believe that women in the region can achieve anything they set their mind to and these women have confirmed this. "
The jury has been reviewing the submissions and has shortlisted the top five most inspiring stories. These five entries are now open for voting on Facebook by members of the public to decide the winners. The three women with the highest number of votes will be declared the winners and crowned 'KLIM Women of Strength' at a gala ceremony in Dubai in May 2013. Each winner will receive a cash prize of USD 20,000 to help them take another step closer to their respective cause.
The finalists in 'KLIM Women of Strength' program are:
Sarah Shuhail, Executive Director of Ewa'a Shelters for Women and Children, said, "I encourage everyone to visit the Facebook page and read these incredible stories. These women are truly an inspiration to us all."
Voting begins on 7th April and continues until 28th April 2013. To vote and find out more about the five finalists, visit https://www.facebook.com/NestleKlimArabia.
For further information please contact Angelina Hedra or Sara Kilani at Weber Shandwick on 04 445 4222 or email ahedra@webershandwick.com or skilani@webershandwick.com
About KLIM
One of Nestlé's leading specialised nutrition solutions is Nestlé KLIM - a high-calcium low-fat milk powder that helps improve bone strength. Fortified with the innovative Calci-Lock formula - a unique combination of vitamins and minerals that help absorb and lock the calcium into the bones - Nestlé KLIM provides women with 100% of their daily calcium requirements in just two glasses every day.
About Nestlé:
For over 140 years, Nestlé has been applying its nutrition expertise in the development of products that contribute to the health and wellness of consumers, evolving into the world's foremost Nutrition, Health and Wellness company. Headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé currently employs over 286,000 people in 456 factories and operations in almost every country around the globe.
"Good Food, Good Life" is the foundational philosophy upon which Nestlé continues to build an ever-increasing portfolio of quality brands that not only deliver on great taste, but on nutritional value as well. To that end, the company invests around USD 1.5 billion in research and development alone, every year.
Nestlé's portfolio of products includes Infant Nutrition, Milks, Soups, Bottled Water, Confectionery, Coffee, Beverage Creamers, Culinary and Breakfast Cereals.
About Nestlé Middle East:
Following nearly 80 years of success and heritage since its first Middle East operation in Lebanon in the early 1930s, Nestlé Middle East was founded in 1997 in Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai, and now serves as a regional hub to fulfil the needs of the GCC, the Levant, Iran and Iraq markets.
To date, Nestlé has invested more than USD 400 million in the region, owning and operating 17 factories and 37 offices. These capital investments have contributed heavily to creating job opportunities, enhancing technological and manufacturing capabilities, and fostering national economies around the region.
Nestlé's popular brands in the Middle East include NIDO®, CERELAC®, NESCAFÉ®, MAGGI®, NESQUIK®, CHOCAPIC®, NESTLÉ (COUNTRY) CORNFLAKES®, NESTLÉ FITNESS®, CHEERIOS® , NESTLÉ PURE LIFE®, KIT KAT® and QUALITY STREET®.
For more Nestlé Middle East news, please visit www.nestle-family.com/media. You can also follow Nestlé Middle East on Twitter for continuous news updates: twitter.com/nestleme
© Press Release 2013
