At the event, AZEAD honoured the top 40 Daikin dealers for their performance during 2002. A special prize - the Platinum Award - was given for outstanding performance during the year, which went to Amjad Nashwaty from Winter & Summer, the top dealer in the Central Province, and Mohammad Suliman Al Ahmed of Hassa Gate, the leading dealer in the Eastern Province.

A total of 38 dealers were presented with gold, silver and bronze awards as well as appreciation certificates to motivate them in improving sales of Daikin products.

Daikin is Japan's leading specialist air-conditioning equipment manufacturer, and its products continue to be popular in the Kingdom, says Syed Ishtiyaq Ahmed, AZEAD's marketing and planning manager.

Among the more commonly-specified Daikin products are the ducted type of air-conditioners for large residential, commercial and industrial applications.

Citing some of the advantages of using these units, he says: "Placing the air-conditioning system within the ceiling leaves a room's design and finish undisturbed and beautiful. Minimal operating sound levels also ensure that people standing/sitting in close proximity to the duct are almost unaware of the unit's presence.

"Daikin offers a wide line-up of indoor units, which means there is always a suitable model for guest rooms, offices, shops or banquet halls."

In addition, units providing different levels of air pressure are available to suit various applications. These include:

The units feature a centralised control system, which can control up to 1,024 indoor units (64 groups), making them ideal for use in large facilities, Ishtiyaq adds.

Daikin recently boosted its range with the introduction of the enhanced SkyAir twin multi-application system, which provide high-quality air-conditioning, low running noise, attractive design and comfort control.

Daikin also offers a range of wall or floor-mounted or ceiling mounted/suspended split air-conditioning units in various capacities

"The quiet operation of these units has made them the most popular design for residential use," says Ishtiyaq. "They are also extremely lightweight and compact for easy mounting on practically any wall material.

"Daikin's curved design for the heat exchanger has resulted in a more compact yet more powerful indoor unit. Wide-angle louvres can be adjusted using a remote control to provide wide airflow coverage. The 3-D airflow combines vertical and horizontal auto-swing to uniformly circulate cool/warm air to every part of a room.

"Special anti-corrosion treatment of the outdoor unit's heat exchanger fin provides greater resistance against the elements."

"Daikin products are well-known for the energy-savings they offer even during periods of extended use," he adds. "In addition, the indoor units are quiet in operation with sound levels restricted to within 27 dB. The outdoor units offers the industry's best sound level of 45 dB."