Tires are much more than just rubber. They are complex pieces of engineering that are designed to tackle a multitude of challenges.

There are two key areas where one type is distinguishable from another – the rubber compound and the tread pattern. These, in turn, are determined by the environment and conditions where the tires are used.

There are many different tire types including Summer, Winter, and All-Season.

But what makes them different? We explain.

Summer Tires

Summer tires have a dedicated rubber compound that delivers excellent grip and handling on both dry and wet roads in warmer conditions. They also have reduced rolling resistance and therefore provide greater fuel efficiency and generate less road noise.

The tread pattern on a summer tire is more contoured than a winter tire, with fewer grooves for water clearance, which maximizes the contact patch with the road. This provides superior traction and braking during summer months.

Winter Tires

Winter tires provide outstanding grip on road surfaces covered with snow and ice, as well as wet roads in cold conditions.

The tread compound of a winter tire contains more natural rubber, so it doesn’t harden when the temperature drops below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead, it stays flexible and pliable in cold climates to reduce the stopping distance when braking.

The tread design has deeper blocks that will dig into snow and ice to provide more grip. The winter tire also has a lot of sipes, small slots that are molded into the tire tread surface to increase traction. This is excellent for clearing water and slush from the path of the car and mitigating the risk of hydroplaning.

All-Season Tires

All-season tires combine the characteristics of both summer and winter tires, offering a solution with the benefits of both.

For drivers living in regions with mild winter conditions where temperatures rarely drop below freezing, all-season tires can be an alternative. In addition, drivers can save money and time, and reduce the effort required for seasonal tire changes.

Source: Continental Tires

Green Rubber Recycling is a local initiative where they recycle used tires to create a variety of rubber tiles including fitness ones. I found out about it by mistake while helping someone who was looking for workout mats and thought it was a very smart idea. Loads of people are working out from home at the moment so the GreenRub fitness tiles are a good way of converting a home space into a mini gym.

If you have neighbors under you it’s a good way of silencing your workouts but even if you don’t have neighbors under you, having a rubber surface provides cushioning to your joints during workouts and you also won’t worry as much about dropping your weights on the floor.

Their fitness tiles start at KD6 for a square meter and you can get more information on their online shop or by visiting their Instagram @greenrubq8

Source : 248am

Toyo Golf Tournament was organized on Friday 8th Feb 2019 at the Sahara Golf Club. It was the 36th year of this prestigious event, which started in 1983 and since then has been held each year with the exception of 1991. The trophy is appropriately called the Liberation Cup as the tournament is organized in February for commemorating the National and Liberation Days.

The tournament is quite popular among golf enthusiasts. Being an Open event, the participation is not just limited to Sahara Club members but includes golfers from all over. As always, there was an overwhelming request for participation, and eventually, 100 players were shortlisted. To ensure a level playing field, the players were categorized into two divisions based on their handicap levels: Division A (Handicap 0 to 14) and Division B (Handicap 15 to 28).

Toyo Golf has traditionally followed the ‘Stableford’ format, which allows for relatively fast play. Though it has been relatively cold & windy over the past few days, thankfully the weather was quite pleasant on Friday with sunny conditions in the morning and a mild breeze followed by light rains in the afternoon.

The veteran Adnan Assaf came up with a fabulous score of 37 points net (and 69 gross in a par-70 course) so as to win the trophy in Division A. He was followed by Luiz Swarez in the second place with 35 points. In Division B, Dr. Seemant Raizada achieved a whopping 44 points to win the prize. Incidentally, this is his second successive win – he was the winner last year also. The second prize in Division B was won by Yahya Bakir at 35 points.

Among other prizes, Nearest to Pin was won by Alison Peterson and Brett King in Ladies and Men’s categories respectively. As regards Longest Drive, Fadia Emadi was the winner in Ladies, whereas in the Men’s group, the corresponding prize was won by Scott Dunning. Last but not the least, the coveted Best Gross trophy was won by the experienced Abdulwahab Al-Mussalam, who has always come up with remarkable performances in this tournament, even in the past.

Finally, the highlight of the day was an amazing shot by Mr. Sisonxay Ngaovongsi, the Ambassador of Laos, who hit a ‘Hole-in-One’, a rarity in golf, at Hole no. 11, a par-3 hole.

Prize distribution was organized in the afternoon in the gracious presence of Mr.Keishi Inoue, General Manager, Toyo Tires Japan who had specially flown in from Osaka for the tournament. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kuldeep Lamba, Managing Director, AlMailem Group expressed his satisfaction at the enthusiastic turnout, and complimented Razmic, Richard, Xuxon, Jason, Cameron and other Sahara Club staff for their professional administration of the event.

If the mark of a great man is humility, then Kuldeep Singh Lamba possesses a greatness few of his peers can hope to rival. As the Managing Director of the Al Mailem Group, he is among the most prosperous Indians in Kuwait today, but despite his business success he is a man who exudes grace and simplicity over grandiose excess.

What makes Lamba so likeable is the rare combination of genuine modesty and great ambition. He ascribes his triumphs to virtues of honesty and hard work, and to the benevolence of the Almighty.

For those struggling on the bottom rung in the ladder of life, Lamba’s story is a source of immense inspiration; attesting not only to the material successes and accomplishments that are the reward of persistence and toil, but more importantly, for demonstrating how adversity truly builds character.

Lamba was born in what is today Pakistan, before India could gain independence from the British. He was just six months old when he lost his mother and was legally adopted by his maternal uncle and aunt who had no children of their own.

When India gained independence from the British, his family was displaced in the partition. Leaving behind their home and properties in Jhelum, Lamba and his mother made their way to refugee camps set up in Khalsa College in Amritsar and then to Ambala where they lived in uncertainty for a period of six months. Fortunately, his father was also able to make the perilous journey to India on his own and they were reunited.

The family then moved to Lucknow where his father was able to find a job with the Indian Railways and restart his life again. But those were hard times and Lamba started working at the age of 15 to support his family, completing his high school certification by attending night school.

As soon as he turned 18, he made his way to Kuwait to join his uncles and grandfather who were living and running a business here. After working extremely hard and putting in 15 hours a day for two and half years, Lamba made the bold move to venture out on his own, to the displeasure of his family. But no opposition could steer him away, he was resolute to do something of his own and in 1960, he joined hands with the Al Mailem family and started a small tyre shop. He was still a salaried employee for a few years until a competitor’s offer in 1965 compelled Al Mailems to make Lamba a partner in the business in a bid to persuade him to stay on.

Since then, the company has grown in leaps and bounds. Crucial deals in the early 70s and the agency acquisitions of Continental, Hankook, Toyo, and Goodyear were instrumental in the company’s early success and gave them a competitive advantage. Now, the company is the leading name in the automotive industry offering a wide ambit of products and services through numerous retail outlets and service centres. It is still evolving today and in the process of becoming a shareholding company in the market.

But no matter how far he has come in life, Lamba has not forgotten where he came from. “Anybody who has become rich today often do not want to remember where they came from. I am proud to tell people what I was. But some people once they achieve success alter their stories. They will act as if they were born multi-millionaires.”

A framed picture of the Shamiya Gate overlooking a mosque and a cluster of small buildings along a city corner hangs on the wall of his office. He points to his small shop where it all began and describes how difficult things were in the early years. “I started this company with very little money. Neither party was rich then. I still remember the red Indian Rupee notes that were used in those days and how we used to travel to Kuwait by sea, it would take us eight or nine days depending on the tides. We have seen a very hard life here.”

He stressed that expatriates have played a crucial role in building this country. “People like us were working here when there was no refrigerator or air conditioning. We used clay-pots to cool our water. We never had any comforts then, but we still worked hard. So it is sad today when we are blamed for many of the country’s problems.”

The business environment in Kuwait has changed tremendously in the last six decades, he shared, “Back then, people were very innocent in Kuwait. They were very honest and a man’s word carried a lot of weight. There was nothing put to paper in writing. In fact, when I first started, I had no contract. This is unimaginable today. People used to have respect for each other and values, honor and ethics. But life has changed a lot and our values have gone down not only in Kuwait and India but all over the world. Even when everything is done properly in writing today, people will sometimes deny signatures or find loopholes to get out of their obligations.”

Lamba is often asked about the secret to his company’s growth, “There is no magic formula. You have to be very honest and hardworking. If you possess these two qualities, the time will come that God will definitely bless you. But if you are looking to make quick money at the expense of your character and others, then you lose your own credibility and you lose everything.”

“If there is a secret to business, it is that you live with your commitment. Do not get overconfident or overestimate your knowledge. There is always someone who is smarter than you. If you want to gain respect, you have to respect others,” he added.

The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait brought a big setback in the company’s progress. “We lost everything, we lost millions.” He recounted how Iraqi soldiers went to his house to demand the keys of all the properties and warehouses. Lamba left Kuwait on 24 August, 1990, taking 167 of his employees with him. With local financial systems in a flux, he maxed out his credit card to buy 38 of his employees their tickets home.

When he set out to rebuild the company after Kuwait’s liberation, he was granted a loan of US$15 million, guaranteed by long standing banking partners. “All our material had been looted but fortunately our buildings were not burned. We needed funds to buy the products and restart our operations. We were given a loan in a time of great uncertainty because of our reputation in the market and the trust others had in us.”

Lamba is highly respected within the Indian community. He was among the founders of the Indian Community School of Kuwait and served on its Board for decades. Education has been his priority from the early days where he would pick up and drop school children in his small car, to when he established a school in Meerut that has a strength of 5300 students today. The K.L. International School, run by his nephew, has become a landmark in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Despite his very busy schedule, he remarkably carves out time to travel and attend school functions. “If I am proud in life for something, it is this school,” he said.

He shared that the Indian community in Kuwait is made up of good people and good families and most community leaders will go out of their way to help compatriots. He does however frown upon the tendency of some to engage in backbiting that has been ‘historically present in India’.

Lamba credits the shaping of his moral core to his maternal grandmother who was a godly woman who taught him good values through stories and instruction. “Whatever I am today, it is all her blessings. I can never forget all the teachings I got from her.”

At 79, Lamba is robust and has lost none of his vitality, “I am a God-fearing man and I pray a lot every morning. I do a few exercises at home and play golf to keep fit, and I don’t eat too heavily now.”

HankookGolf Tournament was organized last Friday 16thMarch 2018 at the Sahara Golf Club. It was the ninth successive year of this prestigious event, organized in the month of March during spring season.

It is an open event with participation not just restricted to Sahara Club members, but covering general golf enthusiasts as well.As in earlier years, this year also, there was an overwhelming rush for inclusion, and eventually 100 players were shortlisted covering various nationalities, age-groups and diverse backgrounds. Moreover, the Ambassadors of South Korea and Vietnam graced the tournament with their energetic participation. The players were divided into two categories based on their Handicap levels – Division A (Handicap 0 to 14) and Division B (Handicap 15 upwards).

As usual, the game was played in the ‘Stableford’ format, which allows for relatively speedy play. Fortunately, the weather was quite pleasant on Friday with a light, cool breeze and mild drizzle occasionally. The salubrious climate contributed to a healthy game of golf in the beautifully landscaped 18-hole Championship course.

The star of the day was SeiJinPyo, who achieved a fabulous score of 40 points to win the trophy in Division A. He was followed by S.P.Pradhan at 36 points who claimed the second prize. In Division B, it was a close contest – the first and second prizes were won by Kyung Suk No and Soo Yi Park at 37 and 36 points respectively. The coveted trophy for Best Gross was won by Adnan Assaf with a dazzling performance of overall 70 points.

Among other winners, young Adam Al-Shimali hit an amazing shot to win the prize for Longest Drive in the Men’s category, whereas the prize for Nearest to Pin was won by Tom Leiknes. Among Ladies, both the corresponding prizes were won by FadiaEmadi. Incidentally, Fadia comes from a family of keen sportspersons – both her husband and son are talented golfers.

Prize distribution was organized in the afternoon in the gracious presence of His Excellency Mr. YeonchulYoo, Korean Ambassador, Mr. Cho Kyu Wang, Vice-President and Mr. Sung WookKang, General Manager of Hankook Tires.Speaking on the occasion,KuldeepLamba, Managing Director, AlMailem Group expressed his satisfaction at the large turnout. “It is wonderful to see such high level of enthusiasm among golfers here”, he added, “I take this opportunity to thank our principals Hankook Korea for their unwaveringsupport”.Finally, he complimented Razmic, Richard, Sohand other Sahara Club officials for their professional administration of the event, and expressed hope that the tournament would continue to receive the same level of encouraging response in future also.

Toyo Golf Tournament was organized last Friday 26thJan 2018 at the Sahara Golf Club. It was the 35th year of this prestigious event, which started in 1983 and since then has been organized each year with the exception of the invasion year. An important fixture in the annual golf calendar of Kuwait, the tournament has always attracted keen golfers from all over. Organized in the month of January-February to commemorate the National and Liberation Days, the trophy is appropriately called the Liberation Cup.

Being an Open tournament, the participants includednot just Sahara Club members but general golf enthusiasts as well. There was an overwhelming request for participation, and eventually 100 players were shortlisted. To ensure a level playing field, the players were categorized into two divisions based on their handicap levels : Division A (Handicap 0 to 14) and Division B (Handicap 15 to 28).

As usual, the game was played in the ‘Stableford’ format, which allows for relatively speedy play. Though it has been relatively cold & windy over the past few days, fortunately the weather was quite pleasant on Friday with bright sunny conditions and a mild breeze.The salubrious climate contributed to a healthy game of golf in the beautifully landscaped 18-hole Championship Course.

The star of the day was Abdulaziz Al-Sarawi, who came up with a dazzling performance of 37 points to win the trophy in Division A. But that was not all – he was the winner of the coveted Best Gross prize also, having achieved an outstanding 73 points.

Second prize was won by Ms. Meoung Ok Cha with a score of 36 points. The corresponding prizes in Division B were won by SeemantRaizadawith 38 points and Sunil Kumar Singh with 36 points. Among other prizes, Nearest to Pin was won by Ms. Mekyung Cha and Y.Y.Jin in Ladies and Men’s categories respectively. As regards Longest Drive, Ms. Hyekyong Yoan was the winner in Ladies, whereas in the Men’s group, Mohammad Ali Baba hit an amazing whopper of a shot to claim the prize.

Prize distribution was organized in the afternoon in the gracious presence of Yasushi Takagi and MasaokiKono of Toyo Japan along with Mishari AlMailem. Speaking on the occasion, KuldeepLamba, Managing Director, AlMailem Group expressed his satisfaction at the large turnout. “it is always heartening to see such high level of enthusiasm in golfers for this event”, he added, “I also take this opportunity to thank our principals Toyo Tires Japan for their unwavering commitment.” Finally, he complimented Razmic, Richard, Cameronand other Sahara Club officials for their professional and administrative support, and expressed hope that the tournament would continue to receive the same level of encouraging response in future also.

Hankook Golf Tournament was organized last Friday 18th March 2016 at the Sahara Golf Club. It was the 11th successive year of this prestigious event, which is usually organized in the month of March each year at the beginning of the spring season.

Since it is an open event with participation not just limited to Sahara Club members, the tournament has always attracted golf enthusiasts from all over. This year as well, there was an overwhelming rush for inclusion, and after extensive deliberations eventually 104 players were shortlisted covering various nationalities, age-groups and diverse backgrounds.

The weather was quite pleasant on the day with a light, cool breeze blowing. The verdant,beautifully-landscaped 18-hole course of the Sahara Club together with ambient climatic conditions contributed to a healthy game of golf. The game was played in the ‘Stableford’ format as usual, which allows for relatively speedy play. The tee-off commenced at 8:00 am using the Shotgun approach, and the players were able to finish their games by around 1:00 pm.

Young Soon Son came up with an astounding performance to win the tournament with a net score of 39 points. He was closely followed by Wahab Al-Rashoudand JeongIl Suh both on 38 points, but on countback, Wahab was declared second and Jeongthird.

The coveted trophy for Best Gross was won by the young budding talent Ali Al-Ansari, who comes from a family of keen golfers. Not only did he come up with a superlative gross score of 71 points, but also hit the ball a breath-taking 350 yards so as to win the prize for Longest Drive – Men’s.

Among other prizes, the trophy for Longest Drive – Ladies’ was won by Park Soon Yi. The prizes for Nearest to Pin were won by the FadiaEmadi Al-Welayti and the veteran Brian McDonald in Ladies’ and Men’s groups respectively. Incidentally, Fadiahas won prizes in the same category in recent tournaments.

Prize distribution was organized in the afternoon in the gracious presence of MishariAlMailem and B.H.Kim General Manager,Hankook. Speaking on the occasion,ChojiLamba, President, AlMailem Group expressed his satisfaction at the enthusiastic response. “It is wonderful to see so much energy and excitement among golfers here”, adding, “I would like to express our gratitude to Hankook For their unwavering support”.Finally, he complimented Razmic, Edward, Richard and other Sahara Club officials for their professional administration of the event. It is expected that the tournament would continue to receive the same level of support from the golfing community in future also.

Toyo Golf Tournament was organized last Friday 4thMarch 2016 at the Sahara Golf Club. It was the 33rd year of this prestigious event. An important fixture in the annual golf calendar of Kuwait, the tournament is organized in February/March to commemorate the National & Liberation Days, and appropriately the trophy is called the ‘Liberation Cup’.

Being an open event, the tournament has always attracted golf enthusiasts from all over. This year also, there was an overwhelming request for participation, and eventually 100 players were shortlisted. The distinctive feature of golf is the provision of handicap system which ensures a level playing field by allowing players of varying skill levels, genders and age groups to compete on a single platform.

The weather was quite pleasant last Friday with mild cloudy conditions, and a light, cool breeze. The ambient conditions together with the beautifully-landscaped 18-hole course of the Sahara Club contributed to a good game of golf. As usual, the game was played in the ‘Stableford’ format, which allows for relatively speedy play. The tee-off commenced at 8:00 am using the Shotgun approach, and the players were able to complete their game by around 1:30 pm.

Nam Gyu Cho came up with a dazzling performance to win the tournament with a net score of 35 points. He was closely followed by Wahab Al-Rashoud and David Peterson in second & third places respectively.

The coveted Best Gross trophy was won by Jongkuk Choi, who came up with a superlative gross score of 72 points.

Among the side prizes, the trophy for Longest Drive – Ladies’ was won by Kyung Ok Hyun, whereas the corresponding prize in Men’s category was won by Myung Chul Lee. The prizes for Nearest to Pin were won by Fadia Emadi Al welayti and the veteran Qatami Al-Qatami in Ladies’ and Men’s respectively.

Prize distribution was organized in the afternoon in the gracious presence of Mishari Al Mailem and Hiroshi Umehara, Oversea Manager of Toyo Japan. Speaking on the occasion, Kuldeep Lamba, Managing Director, Al Mailem Group expressed his satisfaction at the large turnout. “It is heartening to see such a wonderful response for this tournament always”, he added, “I also take this opportunity to thank Toyo officials, who every year specially fly-in from Japan to give their support for the event”. Finally, he complimented Razmic, Edward, Richard, Cameron and other Sahara Club officials for their professional handling of the event, and expressed hope that the tournament would continue to receive the same level of positive response in future also.

AlMailem Sports Day was organized on Friday 12th Feb in NadiAl-Shabab Sports Club in Ahmadi. It is an annual event in which all employees of AlMailem Group and their families come together to participate in various sports and fun-filled activities.

The program of the day started at 7am with the semi-finals of inter-divisional cricket tournament. The matches were quite competitive, and eventually Battery-Division Team and Warehouse Team managed to reach finals after tough fights in their respective groups. In a keenly contested game, the Battery Team came up with a brilliant display of cricket so as to win the coveted trophy. Besides cricket, Football finals were also held –the Spare Parts Team triumphed here with a narrow-margin victory over the Tires Team in front of a cheering crowd. Moreover, Badminton, TableTennis & Carom matches were organized earlier in company premises for men and women.

But that was not all – for the families there was an assortment of interesting activities. Children of different age groups excitedly took part in games such as musical chairs, spoon race& hoopla. The highlight was a three-course obstacle race, in which participants, both children as well as adults, had to run across a maze of tires, then use a skipping-rope and finally run with a balloon.

Prize distribution was organized at 2pm – the individual winners and runners-ups were presented with gold and silver medals respectively, whereas the winning teams received the cups. “It is heartening to see such an overwhelming response”, said ChojiLamba, President AlMailem Group while speaking during the presentation ceremony, adding “all of us are part of one family”. He also complimented the organizers and volunteers for their efforts in making the event memorable.The presentation was followed by a sumptuous lunch, and a raffle-draw with attractive prizes.

Weather was quite pleasant last Friday with a cool, gentle breeze combined with warm sunshine.Such ambient conditions created a carnival-like atmosphere in the spacious grounds of the Sports Club. In fact, excitement for the event had been building up over the last 2-3 weeks. AlMailem has about 650 employees covering 12 nationalities, and the Sports Day provides a welcome opportunity for staff to interact with each other in an informal environment. No wonder, all employees eagerly look forward to the Sports Day each year.