The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is to purchase 84 new Boeing F-15 fighter aircraft from the US government and upgrade 70 of its existing F-15s.

Boeing chairman, president and CEO Jim McNerney welcomed the announcement. "For Boeing, this agreement represents the continuation of an enduring partnership between the company and the Kingdom that dates back to 1945 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented a DC-3 Dakota airplane to King Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," he said.

Bombardier Transportation has secured an additional order for 130 of its Electrostar rail carriages from UK rail operator Southern, in a contract valued at £189 million (€227 million/$296 million).

“We are delighted to be awarded this contract by Southern. This is a significant project which emphasises the performance of Bombardier’s products in the UK,” said Paul Roberts, chief country representative and president of Bombardier Transportation, Services UK and Passenger Fleet Management Service Line. 

ThermoEnergy Corp has announced the completion of a 28,000 square foot expansion of the manufacturing facility at its Worcester, Massachusetts corporate headquarters.

The expansion will more than double the manufacturing space available to ThermoEnergy, a diversified technologies company engaged in the development and sale of municipal and industrial wastewater recovery and clean power generation technologies.

Toyota is planning to increase production by 24 percent in 2012 as it recovers from the effects of the Japanese earthquake and the floods in Thailand.

The company said it plans to produce almost 8.5 million vehicles next year (Lexus and Toyota brands) and to increase sales by 20 percent to 8.65 million.

Figures released a few days ago show that Toyota aims to increase production in Japan by 23 percent to 3.4 million and overseas by 25 percent to 5.25 million.

Los Alamos trackers will use state-of-the-art technology to mark the course taken by St. Nick and his eight tiny and highly efficient reindeer.

"We expect Santa and his team to arrive in northern New Mexico about midnight on Christmas Eve," said scientist Diane Roussel-Dupré of the Lab’s Space Data Systems group.

Los Alamos supports Santa trackers at North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which has been following Santa’s Christmas runs since the 1950s.

Los Alamos National Laboratory announces top ten science stories of 2011

Los Alamos National Laboratory's top ten science stories of 2011 illustrate the broad variety of scientific excellence that's the hallmark of the Laboratory. This year's stories include alternative energy research, world record magnetic fields, disease tracking, the study of Mars, climate change, fuel cells, solar wind, and magnetic reconnection.

SPX Corporation has completed its acquisition of CLYDEUNION Pumps, a UK based global supplier of pump technologies used in oil and gas processing, power generation and other industrial applications.

In the final agreement as amended 22 December, 2011, the total purchase price comprises £500 million sterling, paid at closing, plus a potential earn-out payment in 2013 based on 2012 EBITDA performance.

International Airlines Group (IAG) and Germany’s flag carrier Lufthansa have reached a binding agreement for IAG to acquire UK-based airline British Midland Limited (bmi).

IAG will pay £172.5 million for bmi, which consists of three distinct business units—bmi mainline, bmi regional and bmibaby.

Canadian business software company Intelex is to open its first overseas office in the United Kingdom.

The office will open in London in February 2012, and will serve as a beachhead for the company’s coming European and Eurasian expansion, as well as helping to serve existing clients in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Stephen Ross, Intelex’s vice president of sales and a 10-year veteran of the Intelex team, will relocate to London, England, to help launch the new office.

Sulaiman Al-Rumaih, vice president of the Energy and Industrial division of the Tamimi Group, talks about the dynamic expansion of the business within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and beyond. Jayne Alverca reports.