Tracheostomy Nursing Case Study

Many nurses see that tracheostomy care is difficult and frightening but it only needs to be well understood to be managed. Caring for patients with chest tubes needs confident nurses who realize the proper use and conditions relevant to it. Chest tubes are usually used for helping patients who suffer disrupt in their pleural space. Small amounts of fluids can be absorbed by the body and this can occur to air as well over time. Lung expansion can be limited by larger amounts and this can cause respiratory distress. When the patient suffers a tension pneumothorax, it is important to insert a needle to reduce pressure and insert a chest tube. (RCH, 2015)The current assignment is a case study of a patient who entered to the critical care unit after having a heart surgery as the patient had a history of obstructive pulmonary and he needed to have a tracheostomy as a decision made by him and his physician. The assignment will critically discuss the nursing care the patient needs and a nursing diagnosis with its related goal and nursing intervention, the assignment also includes a personal reasoning for choosing me for dealing with this type of care with an evaluation for the relevant literature.

Mr. X ,  a 60 years old patient who suffered a chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, was admitted at the critical care unit for having a tracheostomy as he made an open heart surgery and after the operation, the patient was in need for prolonged mechanical ventilation as the first week after the operation was for recovery and the second week he tried to wean from the ventilator but he was suffering from the endotracheal tube (ET) so his physician decided to use a tracheostomy. The patient was in need for removing and checking the inner cannula as a first step of the nursing care. According to the MOH nursing clinical practice guidelines, (2010) the nursing care can include many care areas such as preventing any problems that may associate tracheostomy such as infection; this is really proved within the critical care unit experiences as I found this occurring many times and in some cases, infection can lead to the death of patients. Cleaning the tube is a very important matter as according to many researchers such as Timby, (2009) cleaning means cleaning the skin that surrounds the stoma, making sure the inner cannula is clean and cleaning the dressing; this view lacks some important procedures such as changing the dressing as according to (NHS, 2009)changing the dressing regularly ensures that the patient is away from infections by maintaining a clean and dry tracheal stoma. From my own experience, changing the dressing can also keep the patient's tissue from damage. Norton, (2009) added to the previous views that there are many types of nursing care that can be presented to a patient who has tracheostomy and this is observed through my experience in the critical care units as there are a variety of nursing interventions that are relevant to tracheostomy such as monitoring the airway to check the nutrition process and its safety, monitoring the way the patient is coughing, breathing and checking if the patient is suffering pains. Secretions should also be monitored to ensure the safety of suctioning process. Nursing care should include the cleanliness of the nurse such as using gloves that should be sterile when providing care of suctioning and  inner cannula. Norton, (2009) also focused on more important care aspects that other researchers neglected which are the emotional and communicational care as the patient should have a pen and a paper to write when possible or even charts that contain alphabets. What was previously mentioned is very useful when a nurse is delivering care for a patient with tracheostomy but there are cases that the patient needs more nursing care that can be urgent and well chosen, from my experience, the case of having tracheostomy is surprising and needs continuous monitoring. Friedman, (2009)discussed the complications that can associate tracheostomy or follow it and they need nursing care regularly to prevent them; examples are bleeding, stomal infection and accidental decannulation. 

Tracheostomy is a care procedure that is usually made in the intensive care unit for patients staying in hospital for treatment. It is a stoma that is done under the larynx in the trachea for reasons such as overcoming the obstruction of the upper airway, making the mechanical ventilation easy or for removing the secretions. (Brower and Cohn, 2012). This can be done for the patient as an emergency condition or permenantly and it is using a plastic tube which is hollow. Treatment and care for a patient with a tracheostomy should be planned and with the help of a multidisciplinary team that includes efficient nurses. There are different individual needs for each patient that should be considered when using tracheostomy by nurses and other caregivers in order to ensure the patient's safety and better outcomes and prevent any complications that can be resulting from tracheostomy. (Morris et al, 2013).  

Mr. X remained in the hospital for 15 days, his wife was with him, during this period, a multidisciplinary team was responsible for him, I was asked to provide him with interventions related to the diagnosis of his anxiety and communication level because my preceptor reported that the patient refuses to receive tracheostomy care and this can affect the patient physiologically and psychologically as this is able to delay the healing and may also lead to complications. (Tate et al, 2013). The patient was anxious since the first day of having the tracheostomy tube and he refused to communicate with me at first, then I tried to assess how far he understands the care required for the tracheostomy tube by monitoring the symptoms of fear and nervousness of the patient and I tried to ask his wife to get his consent on the intervention. His wife convinced him to receive the intervention and I tried to inform him simply about the importance of the care and how it can reduce any infections and complications. His blood pressure was measured and his heart rate and slightly higher rates were found so it was important to inform him how to keep relaxed. I informed the patient about the importance of the treachestomy care and the problems he may suffer if he refuses it, the patient was relaxed and expressed his fears using cards and paper and pens. I tried to reduce his anxiety by telling him all information he needed to know about his condition and how to care for himself after discharge. On the discharge day, I informed the patient and his wife about basics of changing the cannula and the way of cleansing the stoma, redressing it and how to flush water into the feeding tube as well as telling them about the means of Jackson-Prat drain emptying. I assured to them that there is a home nursing care as there are special nurses authorized by the hospital to visit the patient at home for the purposes of tube feeding. I taught the patient how to cough correctly and I taught the patient basics of self suctioning to avoid infections resulting from sputum that hinders the work of the tube.  In a study made by Breckenridge et al, (2014) tracheostomy placement impact on patients' anxiety was discussed and they reported that many of the study participants suffered before the trachesostomy as the mechanical ventilation was tiring to them but using tracheostomy didn't relieve them as they also suffered verbal communication, pain, fatigue, difficulty in coughing and being thirsty; the study reports that there aren't many patients reported feeling comfort after having the tracheostomy while other studies such as that conducted by Silveira, (2009) reported that most patients stated that they felt more comfort after having tracheostomy especially with the nursing interventions meant to relieve their fears and anxiety as well as the education they received during the nursing interventions as the information they had helped them feel more confident in the medical procedures they should receive during other care interventions for tube care. Anxiety is referred to as a condition that is characterized with an increased tension activity and prolonged apprehension case that makes the patient have fears and hypertensive attitude. Anxiety is said to accompany many illnesses and medical conditions such as tracheostomy and the relevant care procedures. (Myers and Gulanick, 2010).

Crosby, (2012) evaluated trachesostomy care anxiety relief and how it can occur via nurses who are well trained on informing the patient's family and carers about the right home care procedures for helping the patient get rid of his anxiety, he stated that it is not good to wait till the day of discharge in order to inform the family about the care procedures required for helping the patient as this raises the anxiety of the patient and makes him worry about the care he will receive at home but it is better to provide families with training and involve them into programs for relieving the anxiety of the patient using many ways; in my care experience for Mr. X, I didn't follow this step but I waited till the day of discharge and provided the wife with a paper that includes instructions for care which may not be very helpful for the patient as the study confirms that the families who were engaged in training courses for relieving anxiety reported that their patients were very comfortable and got rid of their fears and anxiety better than other families who received the education and training very late. Hughson et al, (2012) discussed how patients lose the ability to talk with the use of tracheostomy so it is important for the nurse to focus on means for communicating with the patient, the nurse should provide the patient with cards to use when they need something such as pictured cards with water, toilets, family members, noise or others. They also referred to anxiety and that there is a nursing intervention for managing it which is providing the patient with privacy and informing the patient about the side effects that suctioning may lead to such as coughing but during my nursing experience with my patient, I found this may increase the patient's anxiety and he may refuse the nursing interventions for tracheostomy as the culture of the patient plays a role, instead I decided to tell the wife of Mr. X about coughing effect and she in turn told her husband and relaxed him but Murr et al, (2014). Asserted on informing the patient with all side effects and not informing him that everything is ok or let family tell him as the information may be changed by the family members and it is the nurse responsibility to relieve the patient's anxiety and to choose the correct simple words that don't bear scientific terms to inform him.  

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is necessary to focus on the learning I gained from the nursing experience with the patient with tracheostomy as I learnt that it is important to provide the patient with the proper education needed for managing any problem resulting from the tube and I learned to provide the information for the patient with myself. Another learnt experience is to informing the patient's family with information about home care since the admittion day of the patient and it is wrong to wait till discharge day and give the information as instructions only because this may increase the patient's anxiety. Relieving the patient's anxiety can also be done by using music as a therapy that is able to reduce the patient's anxiety and help him get relaxed sleep and overcome his stress as it is recommended that music becomes a part of the care provided within the critical care unit and to equip it with musical instruments. (Ciftci and Oztunc, 2015). Music interventions are proved by many researchers to provide the patient with more opportunities for healing faster than traditional techniques and music therapy can be associated with relaxation exercises to fasten healing and improving patient's outcomes. (Miller, 2009). 

Business Administration Luxury Brands

Introduction

Luxury brands are attracting people from all over the world to possess them and boast owning them today. The industry of luxury branding is widely known nowadays as it is the emerging result of communication, mutual trade policies and a variety of business techniques that depend on globalization and information technology in order to reach the greatest number of consumers internationally. Purchasing luxury products began as a type of complements as these products used to be very fine mostly handmade pieces of art to be bought by only very rich socially distinguished people. It turned within ages of time to be a great industry purchased by many types of people. Luxury brands industry can be affected by many factors that can control it such as cultural factors, consumer behaviors and other factors. In this assignment, luxury brand will be discussed as an industry through reading, analyzing and discussing an article related to it, then the assignment will discuss the strengths of the article besides its weakness regarding its method in discussing luxury brand industry. The impact of the luxury branding on worldwide consumers will be discussed in addition to discussing the value in use in relation to the luxury brands.

Summary

In past years, only high class families tended to purchase the luxury goods as it was a sign of superiority in the society as the high quality goods were expensive and sold among limited numbers of people, this concept has been subject to many changes as time passed so many people were attracted to luxury goods and that was the start of brand building. There were certain companies that gave much interest to the luxury brands as their customers were attracted by the appreciation of society to them when they possess such goods. Stories and drama were the tools used by companies to add mystery effect to the products which lead to forming the brand identity. Today, the luxury brands are affected with macro environmental trends that are numerous as the internet, globalization and e-commerce. There are also social, cultural besides the external trends. Globalization is an example for the cultural trends because cultures are affected with it through the exchange of concepts and beliefs it leaves over worldwide peoples. People learned to love the brands as they represent a prestigious state all the world aspire to have. There is a difference in the way consumers purchase luxury goods and this is caused by market segments. Luxury products have characteristics that affect the way people buy them. The luxury brand then can be recognized by these characteristics as all luxury goods are having a high level of uniqueness, quality and pricing. There are sets of conditions distinguish the existence of luxury products and they form a consumer perceived value for certain features such as the product's quality, conspicuousness, hedonism, uniqueness and others. According to cultural differences between nations, consumers' perceptions for the luxury brands differ. Luxury brands value can be enhanced through many ways such as experiencing the luxury products and using them by the consumers who can realize the product in different ways. Brands are usually produced aligned with a story of love, success or creativity and this effect is what gives the products the brand meaning which is essential in realizing the relationship that connects a consumer with a certain brand. Consumers of the luxury brands are affected with the prestigious impact the brand leaves over their lives as the product's value in use affect them. The recent international marketplaces specify the characteristics of the luxury brands by the demands of firms and consumers. 

Evaluation

The article writers was good when he referred to the luxury branding start and how it began since the beginning of man civilization and its changing into brand building that focuses on a dramatic events to attract consumers as Ghodeswar, (2008) confirmed that brand building is a long life process and a life way which takes time to be made.  The people are affected with the luxury brands and they have relationships with them as the story related to the brand can leave its impact on their souls which make them purchase the product whatever expensive price it has. The article writers Oliver and Seo,(2015) discussed the brand identity and explained how it is formed with a cultural effect as the dreams of people in a place are not the same dreams of other people in different places. The country's heritage is the factor that decides the type of brands people are attracted to as in India people's preferences in brands differ from the preferences of Indian. Ghodeswar, (2008) referred to brand identity and related it to brand associations that bear promises of quality to their customers, he referred to what he called the core identity which is the service and product performance the brand is focusing on. Oliver and Seo,(2015) discussed that the brand identity can be formed according to the consumers it is addressing because globalization and travelling lead to a change in the way people consider brands as education for example affected the worldwide students to love the international brands even if the history of their countries doesn't support brands, they also discussed macro environmental trends' impact on the luxury branding industry and they defined luxury as the consequences of a relationship that occurs between cultures and it is based on a socio-psychological perspective. Ghodeswar, (2008) defined brand by being a symbol such as a trademark or a logo that is set for identifying a product or a service of a seller and can bring certain qualities to the customers. This definition was good and the article of Oliver and Seo,(2015) lacked such a definition which is a weakness in it. Ghodeswar, (2008)stated that brand identity is built on a deep understanding for the company manufacturer's competitors, customers and the general business environment and this was also missing from the article of Oliver and Seo,(2015) as it focused on people's dreams and requirements with relation to the needs of the company.   

Oliver and Seo, (2015)discussed market segments and how they play a big role in controlling the behaviors of consumers towards the luxury brands as they referred to changes in the customer behavior resulting from the area where the customer comes from, this is completely true and real as according to a view by Husic and Mehmedovic, (2015) the regional approach in segmenting the market of luxury branding depends on the consumers' demographics in order to segment consumers such as consumers sharing certain social or cultural characteristics; they also focused on the lifestyles of consumers as they can decide consumers' perceptions to luxury branding but the writers Oliver and Seo, (2015) neglected other things such as the perceptions of consumers regarding the luxury brands as segmentation of consumers can be based upon the perceptions they have for each brand as this was confirmed by Teimourpour et al, (2012) as they confirmed on the segmentation which is based on perceptions of consumers in addition to the product's country of origin; this means that the product comes from USA for example has a different consumer perception from a product comes from Italy. The article writers Oliver and Seo, (2015) only focused on segmenting customers according to their culture which is another weakness in their article.

For evaluating the article written by Oliver and Seo, (2015), it is found that they were very strong in presenting the characteristics of the consumers' values about the sold luxury goods as they discussed these characteristics such as uniqueness, pricing and quality. Teimourpour et al, (2012) discussed the consumers' values to luxury brands as they discussed some value dimensions that can tell how the consumers regard the brands, be attracted to them and their perceptions to them; they referred to the quality value which should be better than any product in the market as it is expected to be received by the consumer, they discussed the uniqueness that the consumer purchases the product for as owning such a luxury product is not repeated by many consumers but some categories.  Teimourpour et al, (2012) added that there are other dimensions for the consumers' values such as the usability value which can refer to the usage of the product and that customers need certain usage conditions they need. They also added that there is the financial value as the consumers realize and expect that the luxury product is of high value so it is not reasonable to purchase a brand product which is very cheap as this will make consumers devalue the product and perhaps not buying it.

Oliver and Seo (2015) discussed how the cultural factors leave their impact on the consumers of the luxury brands, they also stated that there are other circumstances affect the consumers behaviors such as the geographical conditions or the social conditions as consumers' perceptions to luxury branding are highly affected by such factors which is globally regarded. Ghodeswar, (2008) also discussed these factors as he referred to the factors that play a role in positioning the product into the consumers' minds and this affects their perceptions in return; he referred to the social cause of purchasing a luxury product and mentioned that companies follow the social causes and build their brands on them. Mehmedovic and Husic, (2015)defined "luxury" to be a group of goods that brings in a type of prestige to its purchasers due to high quality that is well perceived by customers. They discussed the brand awareness people have and that consumers of luxury branding goods have high levels of customer loyalty. They stated how consumers can be motivated to buy the luxury products by an inner feeling of being unique, they referred to a luxury branding model that has some dimensions such as history, product integrity, value driven emergence, endorsement and marketing, they mentioned five values relevant to five motivations and this results in five categories of consumers of luxury branding including the perfectionists and hedonists. They discussed how luxury brands consumers are sophisticated in all details such as packaging or finishing of the product. Oliver and Seo (2015) mentioned three kinds of consuming attitudes such as the democratic, the elitist and the distant but he forgot to mention the type that has no idea about brands but can be urged when he owns the money to buy them and the desire and knowledge. This is a weakness as the article's writers didn't discuss how companies today are not only targeting the elite of the society but they may also target any category that has the money to buy their products even if they are not from a very high social class but they aspire to look like high class society. This assures the view that confirms on the importance of social effects on consumers' perceptions as many consumers of luxury brands are not in fact belong to an elite category of society but they wish to be so that's why they search for the best luxury brands products and boast they possess them in society.    

Application of the article evaluation to the Omani market

In Oman, people like to buy luxury products as it is a rich Gulf country which is characterized with the Arabian life features such as buying good and fine products in order to show how wealthy you are as well as buying luxury products such as clothes and perfumes as a part of the Arabian culture. Consumers' behaviors are that of the Arabian Gulf behaviors, they are very attracted to Western life as a result of the trade exchange occurring between Oman and America so people of Oman are good consumers of luxury brands. As a country of the Middle East, Omani people like to try new worldwide products and they send their young youth to countries around the world to educate and get high certificates, this results in acquiring good knowledge and information about brands and luxury products and this raises the consumers' purchasing rates for luxury products; for example, people in Oman prefer buying the most luxurious cars in the world such as Rolls Royce as the company has its branch in Oman Called Oman Rolls Royce and the people in Oman like to purchase accessories relevant to the luxurious care with high rates, according to the Times of Oman newspaper, rates of Rolls Royce sales in Oman increases with 27% which indicates how much the Omani people are interested in luxurious goods and luxury branding. (Omantimes, 2015). People in Oman like all types of art because they have a good artistic heritage, their women usually like to appear net and lovely as they prefer purchasing the very expensive brands of clothes, perfumes and make up. The Omani history is full of art and handicraft as these pieces of handicrafts used to be sold at very high prices for the elite of the society in old Oman and people used to buy them as a mark of being from the high social classes. Oman is a country that has rich oil product which makes it a country with a strong market that is full of business and attracts people from many destinations and countries all over the world which raises the market segmentation of Oman and results in a wide variety of consumers of different demographic features and this raises the consumers' purchasing rates for luxury products. Oman market is full of great malls that attract many consumers to purchase the luxury brands products these malls sell in addition to the big number of car shows, electronics shows and shows for different products and all of them are full of the best brands products from all over the world. According to what was discussed in the previous evaluation, Oman market considers a good place for marketing the luxurious brands for many international manufacturers due to the consumers' behaviors in Oman, their purchasing attitudes and their perceptions for the luxury brands and their products found in the rich Omani market. (Capstone, 2013).

Conclusion

Luxury branding is an industry that attracts many people of different social classes but it used to be specialized in attracting only rich people of the high classes in the past. Many factors today resulted in making luxury branding a common industry that attracts so many people all over the world through a dramatic effect. Globalization and communication are among these factors. Luxury branding has an identity that is built by many characteristics of the products these brands are issuing such as being of very high price, high quality and uniqueness. Consumers' behaviors and attitudes identify their perceptions of the luxury brands. Market segmentation can decide how consumers react to the luxury products according to the nature of these segmentations. The luxury brands' value in use is important for attracting many consumers as firms focus on what consumers really use for valuing the product and how important the product is to them and their prestige in society. Oman market is a distinguished rich market that is full of luxury brands all Omani people purchase.

BEngHonoursin E&I Sensors and TransducersM2H622266

The physical construction of the proximity sensor, its characteristics and working principle of i-phone 4

1. Physical construction

Proximity sensors of the mobile phones are capacitive sensors that are able to detect both metal and nonmetal things and they are  generally constructed of capacitive proximity sensor are plate, output circuit, oscillator and a threshold detector. When the person comes near the field of the sensor, it works to stop the works of the touch screen. Capacitance is raised when the object comes close and it is reduced when the object goes away.

2. Characteristics

A proximity sensor is characterized with its ability to recognize the existence of an object within a certain detection range which is specified according to the device abilities and the sensor boundaries, the sensor can recognize the person when the mobile phone is near his ear or face with certain distance, then the sensor can stop the work of keys of the mobile phone and other touching screen jobs in order to prevent turning the keys off or doing any unwanted actions that occur by touch. Proximity sensors include many types of sensors such as those found in mobile phones especially smart phones such as iphone 4. It depends on the physical contact in its operation. Manufacturers use proximity sensors in a commercial purpose which is raising the efficiency of the smart phone to attract more customers to buy it.

3. Working principle

The principle that proximity sensors work according to is its emitting for a beam or an electromagnetic radiation which is usually infrared, then the sensor works to detect the existence of changes in the field and if it doesn't find, the signal is returned by it. When the object is found, the sensor begins its operation. The found thing is called the proximity sensor's target.  There is a specific distance where the sensor can detect humans or things and it has a maximum known as the nominal range. There are sensors that are adjusted to the nominal range by a certain distance for detection. As proximity sensors don't have mechanical parts or physical contact with the sensed object, they are able to last for long time working properly. 

Result

A proximity sensor is a type of sensors that can be found in applications such as iphone 4 and it is using a detection process for objects or human found within the detection field and within the sensor's boundaries. The proximity sensor is based on the non contact detection which is different from other sensors. It can be helpful when the users of the iphone are talking and they don't fear the work of the touch screen such as turning the phone off or doing any relevant actions. Proximity sensors are accurate in detection jobs and they add extra commercial values to the product they are added to. The only disadvantage they have is the limited area of detection they sense. Proximity sensors are important for mobile phones manufacturers who consider them very important applications as many users of iphone look for such application so it is considered a commercial and an industrial success. 

  

Analysis and Discussion

A sensor is a device which works by receiving signals and sending certain signals which are used to express the needed task such as light, voice, sounds or motion. The sensor's job is turning the signal to a digital representation or to analog that represents the output. There are many different conditions that sensors work according to the specific job they are assigned to. Proximity sensors are set mainly for detection purposes. They work to convert the signals into readable outputs. The proximity sensors are not including mechanical parts or missions as they only use signals.

The type of sensors used to enhance the efficiency of iphone 4 is the capacitive sensors as they can detect both metallic and non metallic objects. This means that any smart phone can bear the capability of having a proximity sensor. Targeting motions is meant to be the basis of using this sensor in mobile phones.

The sensitivity of the capacitive proximity sensor and the application uses it can be measured by a method prepared mainly for this purpose, the application is iphone4. For tuning sensor placement, 2D sensor data plots were used and found more accurate but a 3D sensor data plots were found to be more effective for comparing sensors according to their efficiency and intensity as the differences between sensors used by many applications are shown and declared. Sensitivity measurements are important to measure the level of performance of the sensors. The phone is used by the users holding it with many possible ways and the sensor can work when the user is talking or browsing tasks. The sensor is physical sensitive and working in electric fields. Many modifications can be made for sensors of the mobile phones as most people look for new versions and updates of the iphone they have and issuing a new update of the mobile phone means that there is an improvement in the sensor applications. Thermal stress analysis can be done for other types of proximity sensors such as the inductive proximity sensors. Element analysis also can be made by the finite element method.

Conclusion and Future Work

In conclusion, it is important to report that sensors are widely used in many applications of computers and mobile phones especially those smart phones such as iphone4 which uses sensors for doing many tasks in the mobile that raise its efficiency and meets the needs of the customers. Proximity sensors are sensors that use signals in a way that is meant to detect the face of people talking or browsing the iphone 4 application screen in order to stop the touch screen work until the person goes away as the sensors send the signals and the function of the touch screen is delayed. Sensors are considered a commercial helping factor that manufacturers focus on in order to use them in new innovated applications that are helpful to the person and the society and provides welfare and luxury options in mobile phones. More future work is needed to enrich the literature review about this topic which is sensors and this future work can mainly depend on researches, questionnaires, surveys and discussions with the customers in order to measure their satisfaction with the application. Sensors have a long time validity but they soon can be updated to new versions which can be able to extend the field where detection process is occurring. More modifications can be added to the device in order to enhance its capabilities and raise its efficiency and abilities of performing the jobs required to be done by him. More studies will also be helpful in the field of sensors. Many researches should be conducted with different ways of analyzing the data collected about the use of inductive proximity sensors.

Supply Chain Almarai Company

concept of supply chain:

Almarai is a vertically integrated enterprise, covering such diverse activities as marketing creativity, sales and distribution, food processing, and dairy farming. Daily availability of high quality, fresh, short shelf-life dairy products across a vast area in an environment of high ambient temperatures is critically dependent on high quality inputs, the

highest standards of excellence throughout all processes and an effective chilled distribution network. Almarai ensures this through direct control of all aspects of its integrated food supply chain Almarai has been able to position itself as a low cost producer of fresh dairy and related food

and beverage products through the efficiency and effectiveness of its integrated activities, by the investment in advanced and modern facilities and infrastructure and by the benefits of economies of scale. These capabilities combined with the breadth of its distribution coverage, has given Almarai a particularly strong position among large food retailers. These customers are gaining an everincreasing share of the retail market and Almarai is well positioned to service this growth. Almarai’s quality milk pool, broad product range and extensive and effective chilled distribution network place the Company in a position that would be difficult for a retailer brand to replicate or improve upon.

Almarai’s management believe the Company has established a reputation as one of the foremost milk producers in the world despite operating in an arid environment with extremely high ambient temperatures. Almarai‘s herd productivity is exceptional, well ahead of local rivals and comparable to the highest yields being achieved by commercial dairy herds anywhere in the world. Almarai currently estimates that its average cow yields 12,400 litres

annually. Almarai’s dairy farms are relatively capital intensive and include numerous features to ensure cow comfort and safety and to minimise stress, which can depress yields. These features, combined with dairy management expertise, allow Almarai farms to produce a relatively even

supply of milk throughout the year, thus matching raw milk production to market demand. By directly controlling its own milk supply, Almarai can ensure the quality of milk used in producing its products. This contrasts with dairy processors in other countries who must mix raw milk of variable quality sourced from a large number of independent farmers.

Sohar University Investment Analysis

Introduction

All communities depend on investment as a main source of reaching business goals and achieve profits and enhance its economy because investment is important for increasing work opportunities, gaining hard currency, increasing the financial movement of any country and supports the economic development of it. Investment can be in many fields and areas and it can be within large amounts of finance or small ones. To make successful investments, investors are asked to work on specific business plans and analyze the costs and benefits of the investment process, study the feasibility of the process and measure the potential profits that an investing project can produce. Investment can be defined as using finance assets to make profits and achieve business success through some trade processes and projects in different fields of business. It also represents the purchasing process for goods and products or services of certain values in order to make future returns out of them though reselling them or reusing them in the business operations.

Types of Investment

There are many types of investment as there are many factors affecting investments and these factors result in the variety in investment types. Risk and return makes the difference sometimes and making different investments regarding types reduces the risk and leads to better results. Among these types are the ownership investment which includes stocks, businesses, real estate and precious objects, there is also the lending investment which includes the bonds and the savings accounts in banks, there is also the cash equivalents such as the money market funds. There are also other types of investment such as the national, international, direct, indirect, long term and short term investment. This means types of investments can be numerous according to the effecting factor.

Investment Portfolio

It is a pool of various investments done by investors whether they are people or organizations with a target of achieving profits and keeping the invested assets. There are various risk reward combinations control choosing these investments such as low risk and high risk ones.  An investment portfolio should be effective in reducing risks and achieve high revenues.

Investment Policy Statement

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this IPS is to make a project that will be useful individually and for the society as the IPS will set the potential expectations, guidelines and objectives of the portfolio within its assets. Then there will be a classification for assets and how they will be invested and allocated. It will encourage the relationship between the advisor and the investor, prepare a framework for diversifying the mix of assets for getting returns on the long term on a suitable risk level. It describes the investment policy for both the investor and the advisor.

The portfolio

The portfolio is representing a strategy for the active assets allocation and there are mutual funds for investments so the assets will be liquid. There will be investment managers for fund advice and they will be monitored by the board of trustees. There will be criteria for choosing the investment managers based on adherence specifications. Each manager will provide advice regarding the assets according to the stated objectives of the fund and the investor will study the advice before performing the investment process.

Objectives

• The investment process tends to make profits with capital appreciation on the long term to be insurance against life difficulties.
• The investment is tending to grow a strong business in the Gulf area within different countries to enrich the Gulf market with products and goods it needs.

Guidelines and Policies

Time Horizon

The portfolio represents an investment horizon of 15 years long term in stock and 5 years in bond as short term.

Risk Tolerance with Return and Performance Expectations

The portfolio is comprised of investing in stocks and in bonds according to specific allocation in order to get returns but risk is expected too. The risk associated with stock is high but the return is high too and the risk associated with bonds is low but returns are low too. The statement is not guaranteeing any future performance.

Asset allocation

Assets will be distributed as 25% stock and 25%bond in Oman and 25%bond in KSA and 25% stock in Kuwait.

Rebalancing Procedures

There could be market conditions that may cause the investments of the portfolio to vary from the current set allocation so from time to time, each fund invested within the portfolio will be under revision and rebalance to its normal weight if there is a variation in the actual weight for about 3% or more from the preferred weight. 

Ethical Position

This portfolio ensures legal investments with clear and clean levels of investments following laws and regulations of the three countries invested in.

Duties and Responsibilities

Investor

The investor is to provide the advisors with all relevant and important information such as financial situation, risk tolerance, net worth, rebalancing procedures and ethical position.  The investor is well aware of all details within this portfolio.

Investment Advisor

Advisors are responsible for studying and analyzing this portfolio and the market in order to provide the investor with all information about asset allocation, investing decisions, risk tolerance and return expectations. The advisor will also provide periodically revisions for the portfolio in order to discuss the status with the investor and provide the proper advice.

Analysis for current and projected financial, economic, political, and social conditions and the portfolio investment plan

Investment Illustration

The amount will be invested in is 10 million Omani Riyal to be allocated as follows

Reasons for Investing in Oman

Economic

Oman is a country with strong economic growth as it is ranked as a competitive country in 2012-2013 Global Competitive Report of the World Economic Forum to be the 32nd most competitive country. Oman also attracts many companies and corporations from all over the world to invest in it such as companies of USA as Microsoft, Dover Energy and Oracle. This makes Oman of good investing climate for any investors to get good returns in it. (Michelle, 2014)Oman has strong economic reports compared with its neighbors and it is a great country for oil producing and manufacturing and has great production level of oil barrels as it is the largest producer of oil and natural gas in the Middle East. Oman has oil reserves estimated with 5,5 billion barrels in 2014 to be ranked 7th in the Middle East for energy investments with a refining sector controlled by The Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company. The GDP was 81 billion Dollars in 2013.   (Eia.gov, 2015)

Political

Oman has a stable political situation which makes investment there is a good idea as the efforts made by Sultan Qaboos Bin Said to enhance national and international trade are great in addition to the good relationships with other countries in the Gulf area and around the world. (Oman.org.au, 2015)

Financial

Oman is advantaged with a financial and banking sector which is efficient and secured enough for safe investments and it can be catered locally and internationally. There are a number of commercial banks, Islamic and other national and international banks with different sectors and services.  Short, medium and long term finances can be found in the commercial and international banks. Oman has banks which are owned by the government which are Oman Development Bank and Oman Housing Bank. These financial organizations provide its customers with a variety of services and business consult and experiences that provide Oman with a good rich financial environment full of accounting services and other services as marketing, legal and banking services. Many companies are found in Oman and they are national and international which provides lots of different types of investment in Oman.

Social

Oman has a diversified society with its main native citizens and other residents from many countries around the world who come to work. The main religion is Islam with welcoming to other religions of people living there. There are Arab majority, Ibadi and Sunni Muslims with ethnic groups and native languages. This social diversity results in great opportunities in business and investment as this creates a wider range and scope for business customers with their different needs and purchasing natures. (Peterson, 2004

Education      

Majan College

Majan college  is a part of a company which is a joint stock company and it is based in Oman for educational purposes. It provides higher education services for people in Oman by operating a campus college since 1995 according to a royal decree then. It is a private college in Darsait and it includes many educational academic disciplines such as business administration, English language, IT and others that provide degrees for its students and it is approved and supervised by the Ministry of Education. The college is chosen because of the great development it witnessed through the past years as it expands its services which are favored by many people in Oman and it is accredited by Bedfordshire university and its success and profits make it a good choose for investment in stock.

25% of my money will be invested in this company (2500000 Omani Riyal) as the company's net profits were increasing the past years to have a net profit growth of 35% in 28 February 2015. It is expected to have a net profit of 1,307 million OMR =3,397 $ as its net profit of 2014 was 967,249 OMR=2,512million $.

Market Capital=3million OMR

Price of share=0,1

Investment Price/Price of share=2500000/0,1=25000000

Investment Price/Total Price of investment= 2500000/10,000,000=25%.

Islamic Banking     

National Bank of Oman

The National Bank of Oman SAOG (the Bank) is based in the Sultanate of Oman since 1973 and provides many banking and financial services for people in Oman such as retail banking, investment, corporate banking, international and Islamic banking . The Bank's shares are listed in the Muscat Stock Exchange with company code which is "NBOB". At 31 December 2013, the Bank was listed as the second largest bank in Oman by having total assets of about 13.0 per cent of total assets, 13.6 per cent of total deposits and13.9 per cent of total loans. There are about65 branches for the bank all around Oman and 169 ATM automatic teller machines. The bank is famous for making great success and high profits especially in Islamic banking which has been regarded as very successful in the Middle East and in the Gulf area specifically in Oman.

Islamic banking was chosen because it has reported worldwide competitiveness as international Islamic banking assets were reported to be more than US$778b in 2014, The Islamic banks global profit is expected to triple by 2019, Global Islamic banking assets had a growth rate (CAGR) of about 17% from 2009 to 2013 and Islamic Banking is preferred by most Omani people today. National Bank of Oman is providing Islamic Banking services which are very distinguished and preferred by most people all around Oman.

I will invest 25% of my money in National Bank of Oman as in Islamic Banking =(2500000 OMR). This is because of many reasons as the bank in 2014 achieved a net profit of OMR 23 million, with an increase of 22.3 per cent, compared to OMR 18.8 million for the same period the previous year. 

 Market Capital= 2,000,000,000 OMR

Price of share=0,1

Investment Price/Price of share=2500000/0,1=25000000

Investment Price/Total Price of investment= 2500000/10,000,000=25%.

Reasons for Investing in KSA

Economic

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a favored country for most investors because it has a very good economic status as it is one of the 25 largest economies in the Middle East, it is also among the largest economies in Africa and Gulf area. Its economy is fast growing with a great capital income which is expected to rise for USD $33,500 by 2020 as it reached USD $25,000 in 2012. Saudi Arabia has a cost advantage which is substantial because of the costs of energy which are low and because it has a great oil industry which enriches other industries and investments there. It has a stock exchange market which enriches all stock markets in the Gulf area. The Saudi currency which is Saudi Riyal is a stable currency that has no changes occurred to it through the past decades which raises its value and makes it good to invest in KSA. Saudi Arabia is considered the biggest free economic market in the Middle East as 25% of the total Arab GDP is hold by it and having the largest oil reserves in the world estimated with (25%) and it provides energy for projects that invest there with very reasonable prices. It is advantaged with the huge population who are interested in investments and purchasing.

Political

Saudi Arabia enjoys a stable political status in addition to a favorable political situation among all Arab countries, countries of the Middle East and countries of the Gulf area. KSA has a political power over all participants in the oil market and it doesn't have the political tensions occurring in most Arab countries today. The Saudi government provides many opportunities for foreigners and people of the Gulf countries to invest in almost all sectors without restrictions without local partners. The government provided many chances for people out of the country to invest with all availabilities such as setting up Investment Services Centre (ISC) by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority(SAGIA). The ISC is to decide for granting or refusing a license within 30 days of receiving an investor application.

Financial

Saudi Arabia has a very successful financial environment with high comparative advantages with its largest free market in the Middle East that bears 25% of the total Arab gross domestic product (GDP), biggest reserves of oil internationally, a stable currency and great investment projects in addition to its encouragement for small projects from KSA and from outside. Investors can get great benefits from the corporative agreement the government holds regarding taxations and its reduction for foreigners in addition to its being free of personal income taxes. Companies of KSA have 20% of its total profit. It has also the Human Resources Development Fund that provides support for any activity that involves recruiting or sharing Saudi employees. It is privileged with its Islamic Banking and its compatible avenues of Shari'a. Another reason is that the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) is involved into financing economic and social development projects in many Arab countries.

Social

The Saudi social conditions are suitable for investment there due to the great variety of people living there as there are many people from different nationalities from all countries of the world living there and investing their money there. It has a unique social framework that witnessed great changes in the past decades which resulted in the existence of a vivid investing market there. Saudi people are Muslim in general and it has the most important holly places for Muslim worldwide which makes it a place for all people to come from all over the world and this raises the investment advantage of this country.

Saudi Orix    

KSA is a leading country in the finance leasing activities as it is an important market in the Gulf area. The company was established in 2001 for leasing activities such as rental services. The company was a closed joint stock set by an issue from the Ministry of trade and industry. It included many shareholders such as Group Investment and Trade Development Co, Saudi Investment Bank, ORIX Corporation and ORIX Pakistan Leasing ltd. There are many branches for the company all around the kingdom.

I will use 25% of my money (2500000 OMR) to invest in Saudi ORIX due to the great success and profit it achieves as it made SAR 30.4 million net profits for the first quarter of 2015 with a rise of 7.7% year-over-year. The company announced its financial results for 2014 as the table: 

ELEMENT	CURRENT YEAR	PREVIOUS YEAR	% CHANGE
NET PROFIT (LOSS)	116,948,453	100,202,366	16.71
EARNING OR LOSS PER SHARE, RIYALS	2.58	2.23	-
GROSS PROFIT (LOSS)	181,837,784	157,898,621	15.16
OPERATIONAL PROFIT (LOSS)	183,295,101	160,318,777	14.33

So its net profit for 2014 was 116,948,453 which means it increased from that of 2013 which was 100,202,366 OMR. Gross profit also increased from 157,898,621 in 2013 to be 183,295,101 in 2014.

Liquidity= Total assets / Total liabilities

= 1,841,687/ 1,303,201= 1.413

Investment price / Total price of investment= 2,500,000 / 10,000,000= 0.25= 25%

Reasons for investing in Kuwait

Economic

Kuwait has a currency which has the biggest world value and it is a leading country in oil manufacturing and production. The country is trying hard to versify its economics since Gulf war and it makes high profits. Kuwait is the Arab world largest foreign investor as in 2013 its outflows were 8,4 billion $ for FDI. It has oil reserves estimated with 102 billion barrels and representing 6% from the world reserves. In 2010, Kuwait prepared an economic development plan that tends to spend up to $130 billion throughout five years for diversifying its economy away from oil, attracting more investment, and boosting private sector share in the economy. It has a solid condition due to oil trade and oil reserves which raises the scope of investment in Kuwait. The Kuwait government has low debts.

Political

Kuwait is a very small country with stability in political conditions as the country's businesses flourished after the Gulf war finished and the country has a strong government which provides foreigners and citizens of the Gulf countries with many business and investment opportunities and its taxation system is very good as there are no personal taxations in addition to reducing the taxations on successful investment projects. Kuwait has good political relationships with all Gulf countries, Middle East countries and countries of the world because this small country attracts human resources from every place in the world to work there. It is advantaged with a parliament that issues very updated laws regarding business and investments which are very useful for any investor wishes to get high profits.

Financial

Kuwait is a country that includes many financial institutions that have a future vision for investment extending to 30 years. The Kuwait government has many financial bodies that enhance investments such as Kuwait Investment Office and Kuwait Investment Authority and they can provide financial aids and consults for investors. A great variety of banks and financial organizations are there in Kuwait representing a strong finance background for investors. There are many multinational investment companies with great assets and investment branches all over the world. Banks are varied among national banks as Kuwait National Bank and foreign banks such as Central Bank of Kuwait, City Bank, HSBC and others, there are also Kuwait Finance House, the Commercial Bank of Kuwait and the Kuwait Stock Exchange.

Social

The country has a great and interesting variety of people living there of citizens and residents who are almost more than citizens which makes Kuwait a country that has big chances for investing there and making profits. Most Kuwaiti are Muslims who are either civil or Beduin and there are Bedun people and the residents who come for work and they are of all nationalities and religions. Kuwait people has a nature of purchasing and seeking new products and new trade mark which raises the opportunities of making profit in a society such as that of Kuwait.

Financial sector

Kuwait Gulf Bank    

 Kuwait's Gulf Bank is the a great lender by assets in the Gulf area and it provides various banking services for all customers from all nationalities. I will invest25% of my money in this bank (2500000OMR). The bank is chosen for investments because it has high records of net profits and has a good reputation in the whole Gulf area. Its latest report asserted that the bank's net profit raised to 12%. The bank asserted having a net profit for the three months to March end was 9.78 million dinars ($32.4 million), compared to 8.73 million dinars in the year-earlier period. The bank is forecasted by KAMCO Investment Company to have net profit of 11.86 million dinars during the quarter. Gulf Bank confirmed the net profit rise and attributed it to a net interest income increase, which rose 8.8 percent to 31.2 million dinars. ($1 = 0.3021 Kuwaiti dinars)

Investment price / Total price of investment= 2,500,000 / 10,000,000= 0.25= 25%

Conclusion

Investment is very interesting when the country where investment is done is well chosen and the market conditions of it are well studied and analyzed according to the profits and the general financial situation of both the country and the company where investments are run in. The current paper is representing a portfolio of investment in three countries of the Gulf area which are Oman, KSA and Kuwait due to many economic, financial, social and political reasons.

  

References

1. Eia.gov,. (2015). Oman - Analysis - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Retrieved 22 April 2015, from http://www.eia.gov/countries/cab.cfm?fips=mu
2. Michelle. (2014). Why Invest in Oman?. Diversified Finance. Available at: http://diversifiedfinances.com/why-invest-in-oman/
3. Oman.org.au,. (2015). Business. Retrieved 22 April 2015, from http://www.oman.org.au/business
4. Peterson, J. (2004). Oman Diverse Society: Northern Oman. Middle East Journal. Vol. 58, No. 1 ,pp. 32-51
5. http://english.mubasher.info/MSM/news/2717535/Majan-College-Q2-profits-leap-35-#.VTiD7dKqqko
6. The Report: Oman 2014. Oxford Business Group. https://books.google.com.eg/books?id=BKNtBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA246&dq=the+report+Oman+2015&hl=ar&sa=X&ei=FY84Vc3aB4jPaJr-gPgJ&ved=0CCQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=the%20report%20Oman%202015&f=false
7. https://www.nbo.om/en/Pages/About-Us/Investor-Relations.aspx
8. http://www.ey.com/EM/en/Industries/Financial-Services/Banking---Capital-Markets/EY-world-islamic-banking-competitiveness-report-2014-15
9. https://www.sagia.gov.sa/Investment-climate/Some-Things-You-Need-To-Know-/Investment-Incentives/
10. http://english.mubasher.info/TDWL/news/2737394/Saudi-Orix-posts-8-profit-rise-in-Q1#.VTkp9NKqqko
11. http://www.tadawul.com.sa/wps/portal/!ut/p/c0/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3g_A-ewIE8TIwN_D38LA09vV7NQP8cQQ_dgE_3g1Dz9gmxHRQDvjvPB/?ANNOUNCEMENT_NO=37119
12. http://www.theodora.com/wfbcurrent/kuwait/kuwait_economy.html
13. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/21/gulf-bank-results-idUSL5N0XI0PY20150421
14. http://www.kuwaitse.com/Stock/Stock.aspx?Stk=102

Purchasing Strategies

purchasing procedure

Other than the transactions described below, there is no, and there is not currently proposed any transaction or series of similar transactions to which Almarai is or will be a party in which any director, executive officer, holder of five percent or more of any of the Company’s Shares or any member of their immediate family had or will have a direct or indirect material interest.

Based upon a competitive analysis of comparables, the Management has determined that thetransactions set forth below were executed on terms no less favourable to Almarai than it could have obtained from unaffiliated third parties. It is Almarai’s intention to ensure that all future transactions between the Company and its officers, directors and principal

shareholders and their affiliates, are approved by a majority of the Board of Directors, including a majority of the independent and disinterested members of the Board of Directors,

and are on terms no less favourable to the Company than those that it could obtain from unaffiliated third parties. 11.2.1 Feed Supply Agreements and Management Agreement with Al Kabeer

Arable Farms Almarai entered into agreements for the procurement of animal feed from Al Kabeer Arable Farms providing for the purchase of hay, grass and maize. The agreements vary in duration,

of between one to three years, and value, with certain agreements in excess of SAR 25,000,000. In addition, Almarai has entered into a management agreement with Al Kabeer Arable Farms, which provides that Almarai shall manage the operation of Al Kabeer Arable Farm in Hail. The

duration of the management agreement is one year and the management fee payable to Almarai is SAR 864,000. HH Prince Sultan bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Kabeer, Almarai’s principal shareholder, is the owner of Al Kabeer Arable Farms. 11.2.2 Supply and Purchase Agreement with Savola Group Almarai entered into a supply agreement for the provision of its products to Savola Group's retail division. Under this agreement, Almarai sells products to Savola Group's retail division for a period of one year and extends a progressive rebate on the sales of its products depending on the volume of net purchases. Savola Group is a major shareholder in the Company. 11.2.3 Trademark License Agreements with Markley Holdings Limited Almarai entered into trademark license agreements for the use of certain Class 29 “Almarai” trademarks registered under the name of Markley Holdings Limited in Egypt, Yemen and Lebanon, all of which are secondary markets with combined sales volume amounting to less

than 1% of the total sales of Almarai. The agreements generally provide that Almarai shall

CORPORATE STRUCTURE

45 have an exclusive right to use a relevant trademark and that Markley Holdings Limited reserves the right to inspect Almarai's premises and to condition the use of the trademark upon on the Company’s good manufacturing practice in accordance with standards and

specifications approved by Markley Holdings Limited. The agreements provide for a catch-all termination provision in which either party may provide six (6) months prior written notice of termination of the agreement. Almarai will not be authorized to use trademarks in the three

relevant countries following the termination of the trademark license agreement under this class. See “Trademarks, Patents and Other Intellectual Properties” section. Markley Holdings Limited is an offshore company owned by the following Selling Shareholders: HH Prince Sultan bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Kabeer, the Savola Group, Abdulaziz bin Ibrahim Al Muhanna and Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz Al Muhanna. Ownership of Markley Holdings Limited is currently in the process of being transferred to Almarai.

4-purchasing structure and design:

Interested in pasture access directly to the consumer. To achieve this goal, the organization has  reorganized marketing team and the restructuring of this section to increase our ability to respond to the demands and tastes of consumers. Where they divide their products into seven main categories: fresh dairy products, fresh fruit juices, canned products, sweets, meals light housework, kids products and bakery products. Each of these categories targeting a specific segment of consumers and respond to their requirements.  And remain fresh milk, on top of milk, yogurt, mainstay of the company's business and its success. Where these products continue to occupy the first position in the markets of Saudi Arabia and a market share of up to 59%.  In this context, it was put skim milk pastures which will enhance the ability of our products to reach new categories of consumers, in particular those with tastes and requirements.  Where he achieved good results have reached the market share of 50% of this product has been redesigned product as well as brick and whipped cream which has helped to attract more consumers.

Continued success in the market of juices pastures which started in the previous year, and this year we have introduced a new design and unique packaging juice 200 ml where this creative excellence in forms of packaging in the growth of the sales volume increased by 33% compared to the previous year increased market share overall in the juices.

The packed home light for sensitive seekers taste delicious and perfect food canning and ease of consumption in times of snacks. There is no doubt that cheeses such as cheddar, cheddar-flavored cups cheese and cream, and sliced cheese, and cheddar cheese boxes and templates (provide consumer quality and taste the wonderful addition to their prices.

Almarai products also saw used in cooking, which includes dairy products such as butter, margarine, cheese, feta cheese and whipping cream. Some developments through the redesign of the packaging and the products to enter the markets in the coming year.

The category of children's products that are especially attractive to those between the ages of 4 and 14 years old. And in this age which is the precise stage children begin to differentiate products and choose the product that meets their needs and combines quality and good taste. This category includes products: cheese triangles, long-term milk flavors  (Maher), Zadie, elasadi other products as light healthy meals to children. In 2008 started two major projects represent the first amendment project combination cheese triangles to meet the needs of consumers. The second project was the launch of a new 150 ml milk.

On the other hand continued to grow sales of bakery products that could attract more consumers by launching new products under the trade name luisine. These new products include:

Place cake slices, add to the cake the new Cup cake toffee. The bakery Department under the brand "luisine" of achieving a marked increase in sales volume as well as

To develop new containers have had a significant impact on sales growth.