RGBB News Spring 2011

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FROM THE CHAIR

O

n the 19 March the RGBB held its Annual General Meeting and I am privileged and honoured to have been elected Chair for 2011/2012.

Following the elections the Board Members will be, for the year 2011/2012 as follows:• • • • • • Nicola Quick RGBB Chair

Gary Richardson - Deputy Chairman and Sports.

Moaz Al-Sibaai - Special Interest Groups.

Jane Blackledge - Events.

Peter Hall - Communications (Website and Magazine).

Stephen Jones - Special Briefings.

Andrew Smith - Treasurer.

I extend my congratulations to the Board on their elections and thank them all for their commitment to and support of the RGBB.

At the AGM Owain Raw-Rees presented Gary Richardson with a plaque in recognition of his hard work and success at the recent RGBB Golf Day Tournament and Dinner. The Event raised SR240,000 for the International Children in Need Group (ICING). Gary Richardson will be making a presentation to Lady Phillips (Patron of ICING) in the near future.

In addition to ICING, the RGBB continue to connect with and support activities in the community – the British International School, especially the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme; the SANGCOM Half Marathon and Fun Run (Help for Heroes) and also the English Society.

Presentations were also made to Ian Crawford (at our Board Meeting on 13 March 2011); to Luke Bowen and Jane Brierley at the AGM, to acknowledge their dedication, hard work and commitment as they come to the end of their term on the Board. Luke Bowen also presented Owain Raw-Rees with a presentation plaque and so did I! Hence the new nickname “Owain ‘Two Argies’ Raw-Rees”!

I would like to develop on the foundations laid by Owain Raw-Rees and the former Board to continue to strengthen the RGBB with its aims and objectives and to also continue to promote and benefit British business in conjunction with the UK Trade & Investment Section at the British Embassy, Riyadh.

Please contact me directly on nicola.quick@talk21.com if there is anything you wish me to address to the Board, as I would appreciate all Members views and feedback on what the future should hold in all areas of the RGBB, both business and social.

Owain gets Argie Number One

I look forward to seeing you all at future RGBB Events, whether it is a Special Interest Group Meeting, a Special Briefing (09 April 2011), a New Member’s Evening, and/or at our RGBB Summer Ball (02 June 2011).

Contents From the Chair ..........................1 Valete - Owain...........................4 Festive Ball................................6 BBA Notes.................................9 BBG Notes ..............................11 SIG Eng. & Cons. ....................12 SIG IT ......................................14 SIG Education .........................15 SIG Financial Services ............16 SIG Aviation ............................19 SIG Security ............................20 Sudoku ....................................21 Open Golf Event......................22 Bike for ICING .........................29 Moving On...

Paul Williams...........................30 Duke of Edinburgh Award .......33 Run Together Riyadh ..............34 SANGCOM Run ......................35 RGBB Golf Society..................37 Jingle Ball ................................38 Retirement...............................40 Welcome new members..........40 New UKTI Director .................44

Advertisers Our thanks to the following advertisers. Without their support we could not publish.

Please give them yours Arabian Homes........................10 AlKhozama Hotel.......................3 AMEX ......................................38 AXA ..........................................5 BA.................. Inside Back Cover BAE Systems ..........................18 BMI ............... Inside Front Cover British School Riyadh ..............34 Four Seasons Hotel.................39 InterContinental Hotel..............31 Noble Smile Dental Centre......42 SABB ..........Outside Back Cover SESE.......................................28 Sheraton Hotel ........................20 Spacemaker ..............................8

RGBB News 1

The RGBB 2011-2012 Board

The RGBB Secretary, Jane Brierley can be contacted on Tel: 00966 1 488 00 77 ext. 2263 on Saturdays or secretary@rgbb.org

Nicola Quick

RGBB Chair nicola.quick@talk21.com

Gary Richardson Deputy Chairman & Sports richardsonksa@hotmail.co.uk

RGBB RGBB NewsNews 2 2

Andrew Smith

Jane Blackledge

Treasurer aps.expat@gmail.com

Events janeblackledge@yahoo.co.uk

Moaz Al Sibaai

Peter Hall

Stephen Jones

Christopher Innes-Hopkins

Communications peter.a.hall@me.com

Special Briefings mr.sjones72@yahoo.com

Embassy Representative chris.innes-hopkins@fco.gov.uk

Special Interest Groups sibaai@yahoo.com

has been a most visible success. Other Board members, who I have had the good fortune to work with, past and present, Bill Nicholson, Jim Milne, Peter Howarth-Lees, Chris Murray, Chris Maybury, Graeme Douglas, Nigel Astbury, Nick Oakes, Ian Hay, Marcus Cleverton, Nicola Quick, Laurie Callow, Chris Konstan and Moaz Al Sibaai have all given freely of their time and contributed to the success of the RGBB – thank you to all of you. Thank you also to Andrew Mead and his hardwork in ensuring the regular publication of the Riyadh equivalent of the Tatler or Hello magazines - RGBB News.

Valete

Owain Raw-Rees

I was asked by Andrew if I would contribute some copy to this issue of RGBB News to mark my “escape” from the Board of the RGBB. In putting pen to paper it is with the mixed feelings of relief and gratitude. Relief at the thought of being freed from the duties of Chairman, but also gratitude for having had the opportunity to work with so many members of the RGBB who have wholeheartedly given of their time to making the RGBB a success.

Since joining the Board in 2004 I have seen that any success that the Board has had has been through teamwork and I have been privileged to work with many committed individuals, on an off, the Board who have contributed, not only to the RGBB, but also to many other activities within the British community here in Riyadh.

One of the cornerstones to the success of the RGBB it is good administration and thus I offer a wholehearted thank you to Jane Brierley who as the RGBB Secretary has been of invaluable support to me.

Since I became Chairman three years ago a number of Board members have come and gone, but three in particular have stayed the course - Ian Crawford who as Deputy Chairman over the past six years has been a source of wise counsel and common sense; Luke Bowen, my predecessor as Chairman; graciously accepted his change of role and managed most ably the RGBB News; and last but not least Gary Richardson whose commitment to the development of RGBB sports activities

RGBB News 4

Another cornerstone is the relationship with the Embassy and in particular with the United Kingdom Trade and Investment team and in this regard the RGBB has been fortunate to have had the able and willing support of many individuals notably Gareth O’Brien, Sharon Wardle and her husband Peter Millman, Tim Dearden and Paul Williams. The excellent working and social relationship that the RGBB has had with the Embassy provides many benefits to all parties. In addition to the UKTI team another equally important Embassy team is that of the staff, who work so hard, supporting the RGBB at the various business and social events – this team is ably led by the invaluable Gilbert D’Silva - my especial thanks to him and his colleagues.

A third cornerstone is the financial support received by the RGBB from its sponsors and advertisers – this income is essential as it allows the RGBB to ensure that all events and also the magazine are self financing.

Whilst I will not list all of those who are so generous with their support, I would say a big thank you to SABB who have loyally supported the RGBB for many years – this support has been most welcome and is indeed gratefully acknowledged.

The fourth and final cornerstone is the membership of the RGBB – the support and kind words of all of you have been a great encouragement to me during my tenure and your support of the activities of the RGBB is and will remain central to the success of the RGBB. Your support to the new Board will be important to its success and I would ask that you all endeavour to support it in whatever manner you can. Well I have said what I have to say – again thank you – diolch yn fawr iawn.

FEATURE ARTICLE

RGBB News 5

BBA

Notes from the Eastern Chair

Firstly, I think a belated Happy New Year is in order and I hope that 2011 brings you and your families all that you desire. A special welcome to new Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Sir Tom Phillips and wife Anne and we look forward to them being frequent visitors to Eastern Province in the years to come. Also new to the fold are Bill Kelly and wife, Carol. Bill has replaced Neil Wilson at the British Trade Office and has already made his presence known at committee meetings and events. Welcome to all.

It was a pleasure to welcome HMS Somerset into Jubail in early October and the on board reception provided an early opportunity for the British community to meet new ambassador, Sir Tom Phillips. Thanks to the Officers and crew for their hospitality.

Geoff Fennah MBE Chairman, British Business Association Eastern Province

In November, we were very fortunate to welcome Mr Edward Oakden, former HM Ambassador to UAE and currently Managing Director, Sectors Group, UKTI, as guest speaker at our November business dinner.

Edward made a very interesting presentation covering a diverse range of topics including trade opportunities, politics, challenges for the new UK coalition government and even the potential impact of wikileaks. In late November, I had the pleasure of representing the BBA at the Annual Gulf Commercial Officers Conference (GCOC) in Dubai and the following day, the “Britain in the Region” symposium. It was good to once again meet the representatives of the other British Business Groups in the Gulf and further strengthen the ties between our respective organisations.

In January, we welcomed Paul Williams, Director of Trade and Investment, British Embassy, Riyadh as our guest speaker. Paul has been a civil servant for 42 years, of which 30 were spent in the Foreign Office. Paul gave a very entertaining valedictory address outlining his thoughts on his career, Middle East and his pending retirement. We wish Paul and Barbara well and especially a very long and happy retirement.

The annual Poppy Ball was held at the Crowne Plaza, Bahrain in November and once again proved to be a very enjoyable event and successful evening. As in the past, the event was run jointly with the Bahrain British Business Forum with the proceeds being donated to the Royal Chelsea Hospital Building Fund, London and the Earl Haig Poppy Fund in Scotland.

The first ever Volvo European Challenge golf tournament was held at the Royal Golf Club, Riffa in Bahrain at the end of January and the BBA were fortunate to receive free tickets from the event marketing organization, MEMAC, Bahrain. Many members took advantage of this offer and enjoyed a day out watching some of the best players in the World – the 19th also seemed to be a popular gathering point! Great day and we are all looking forward to next year.

If you have any other ideas or suggestions for the BBA or need to contact us then feel free to call me directly, send an e-mail to our Secretary (Pamela) at bbakhobar@atheer.net.sa or via the website www.bbaep.com

RGBB News 9

BBG

Notes from the BBG in Jeddah

Edward Ogilvie BBG Jeddah Chairman

Greetings from the British Business Group in Jeddah – Saudi Arabia’s first and oldest business group!

A new year and a new BBG Committee. Well, on reflection, perhaps not all that new. In February, we held our 32nd Annual General Meeting. Our Constitution requires that each year the incumbent Committee stands down and those members who wish to continue to serve can put themselves up for re-election and may be voted for by the full paid-up membership. However, this year since we had eight nominations for eight Committee member positions, no election was required.

While, of course, such a situation ensures an element of continuity and with the benefit that we are able to retain valued experience on the Committee, I cannot help but feel a little disappointed that from the BBG’s healthy and growing membership base, there was not more interest in standing for the Committee. I very much hope this is not a sign of the times and that we can look forward over the coming year (and beyond) to greater participation and sense of active involvement from our members in support of running the various group activities and working with the membership to achieve our aims and objectives through serving on our Committee.

Needless to say, I am honoured and delighted to advise that I have been selected by my fellow Committee members as BBG Chairman for a second year and with Chris Barsby continuing in his role as our very able Treasurer.

Other members making up the Committee are as follows:

Karen Adams-Shearer - Events Secretary John Lockhart - Business Liaison Secretary Helen Mack - Honorary Secretary Scott McCarthy - Communications Secretary Wyn Owen - IT Secretary Sam Thanvi - Membership Secretary There are two key changes in the make-up of our team for the new Committee year. We are happy to welcome Karen Adams-Shearer, a relatively new member of the BBG who brings plenty of energy and enthusiasm to the Committee as well as valued skills and experience from her career over a number of years in education and training. Karen will be taking over from John Lockhart as Events Secretary. And that brings me to the second change on our Committee since John has stepped down from handling our Events portfolio for the past 7 years. We thank John for his committed service over all these years, organising Balls (State of the Nation and Survivors’), Quiz Nights and our regular monthly programme of speaker events. A hard act to follow, but I am sure Karen will do her best and, no doubt, ring some changes and introduce new initiatives in both our formal and informal functions. John will be taking over the reins of Business Liaison Secretary with special responsibility for overseeing the recently formed Special Interest Groups or SIGs (currently Financial Services and Engineering & Construction) but with a number of new groups planned. I personally perceive the SIGs as being a vital part of our remit as the British Business Group. One example of the significant role such working groups can play is the valued assistance we were able to provide to HM Consul-General Kate Rudd and Deputy Consul-General Greg Gibson and the UKTI team in briefing the Lord Mayor of the City of London and his senior finance delegation on their recent visit to Jeddah.

I wish the entire BBG Committee all good fortune in the challenges we will undoubtedly face this year and I look forward to working closely with the team to achieve our objectives and in serving our members to the best of our abilities.

We are always keen to hear from fellow business group members throughout the Kingdom. Do let us know if you are passing through Jeddah and able to drop in on any of our events and activities. You can contact me directly at bbg.chairman@bbg-jed.org or through our BBG Secretary, Anita Wright, at bbg.office@bbg-jed.org. You are also welcome to view our website at www.bbg-jed.org.

RGBB News 11

Engineering & Construction SIG Administrative error!

To explain; For the last issue of the RGBB News, I wrote an article similar to the one printed here, however due to an admin error or a decision taken outwith my control, what was sent for print (so no fault of Andrew’s) was my resume for consideration by the RGBB board for my position as C&E SIG Chairman.

I have redrafted the original article accordingly.

So to make a proper start; But what’s it all about?

This article sets out to achieve three things; 1. To introduce the new “Engineering & Construction SIG” 2. To introduce myself, a little less formally 3. To generate enthusiasm by those members of RGBB who may have interest in this new SIG to take an active role in SIG events henceforth.

So taking the first two items in reverse order; How did I come to deserve this & who am I? How; As you will be aware from the previous article, I appear to have volunteered to be Chairman of the newly formed E&C SIG and I am already asking myself how did this happen? If I am looking for a culprit to blame for being Chairman, this would have to be my good friend Jim Mann, the Chairman of the Security SIG and the delightful Nicola Quick, who at the time was our very effective SIG Co-ordinator.

Jim and I have been friends for more years than I care to remember, many of which both of us probably can’t remember through imagine the haze of smoke, refreshment and very loud Elvis. This was somewhere in between Jim returning from his exploits in Africa and his eventual arrival in Saudi and my missionary work in Yorkshire, from “tutha side o’ Pennines”, and the selling of me & my wife’s Public House. You might assume, the haze of smoke, refreshment and very loud Elvis, all occurred in the Pub, an excellent and correct assumption. Jim and I would take over the public bar, banishing all comers to the lounge, although some might say it was the noise the drove them away to seek the relative quiet of the civilised Lounge bar, we then spent many long nights and early mornings crooning to all the best tunes but mostly Elvis and whilst I was trained at Chester Cathedral choir (I do not jest) and still sing with two local choirs in North Yorkshire (when there) and occasionally the Leeds Philharmonic Chorus (they only let me attend rehearsals), it is Jim that remembers all the words to our very wide repertoire. In fact although Jim and I have known each other for many years, we did actually lose contact for a while, about nine years (was it really that long?), only meeting up again, almost by chance a few days before my departure from sunny, green North Yorkshire to the rocky and sandy beaches of Riyadh.

Well, having been in the Kingdom for about two weeks, I was introduced to Nicola Quick by Jim, at an evening of

RGBB News 12

dining and refreshment and you guessed it, we are still doing “rather loud Elvis”. Take note; whilst Jim strives to be a blue suede shoes cowboy, my taste in Music is very much broader.

Anyway back to the plot; I Martin WJ Smith think it was a set up, after an E&C SIG Chair introduction to the RGBB and the merits and opportunities of the Riyadh lifestyle, the advice seemed to be “say yes to everything” I suspect now that this may have been a ploy on their part to make it difficult for me to say “no” to the next proposal. Jim knew my professional background (I am not just an ex-Publican), and after some polite interrogation, so did Nicola. In no time at all, I was asked, that if a new SIG for Engineering & Construction was proposed to the RGBB board, would I be Chairman; in the spirit instilled upon arrival, I seemed to have no option but to say YES. As a consequence, I find myself Chairman of the Engineering & Construction SIG, a position I am happy to fill, even if only until someone more appropriate volunteers to take the reins.

I’m sure the Editor can write a postscript if this changes by the time of the publication of the winter magazine! So that’s the “how”, here is the “who”; Who; I am Martin WJ Smith, known as Martin, although many nicknames have been used over the years, all polite to my knowledge, I am an Associate Mechanical Building Services Engineer at the Buro Happold Riyadh office. I am very happily married, my wife has so far put up with me in wedlock for over 27 years, I know I don’t look old enough, we have with three grown-up children, one and a half have left home. I reside in Riyadh on bachelor status. My wife Cheryl has a job she thoroughly enjoys in York as Company PA for Great Rail Journeys Ltd and she is deeply involved in our village community in many ways and is happy to stay back in GB whilst I am working away. She does intend to visit Riyadh sometime this year.

My home is a small village with its own Castle ruin (three castles actually) in the heart of North Yorkshire, to which I will return. I am happy “to boldly go”, I don’t get hung up about “split infinitives”, as long a message is clearly communicated. My philosophy on life; it’s is too short not to “have a go”, although I do have limits, don’t ask me to bungee jump, my doctor wouldn’t like it, most others opportunities I embrace with enthusiasm... usually.

This is my first permanent posting away from the UK, although I have worked on projects both here in the Middle East and elsewhere. I also managed a permanent design team in Bangalore whilst I was in the UK, to work on UK projects. I travelled between the two, as the need arose.

This style of work management has both advantages and disadvantages but is workable and if engaged with enthusiasm, most enjoyable, that’s a subject for another day. I now have many friends in India.

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS And a little about my life in Engineering & Construction; After an indentured technician apprenticeship (so I know how to put it all together as well as design it, so it actually works) with Drake & Scull, I moved into Consulting and have been working for consultants for over 25 years, even when my wife and I owned and ran a pub for 5 years. I have two degrees, one in Mechanical Engineering, the other in Fluid Mechanics and qualifications in Building Services Engineering. I have been working in Building Services Engineering for over 30 years.

My Key Experience; • Leading building services engineering in concept design and new technologies.

• Independent Technical Advise & Expert Witness work • Sustainable and LZC engineering solutions • Lead consultant of multidisciplinary teams.

• Detailed knowledge of the commercial aspects of construction contracts • Project management & Client Liaison.

My Career Highlights; • Taking the lead role for Design for “Building Services Engineering” in Saudi Arabia.

• Working in several different Business Sectors e.g. healthcare, education, industrial, commercial and rail.

• Independent Technical & Expert Witness in Mechanical Building Services Engineering.

• Managing an in-house project team encompassing, Mechanical & Electrical building services Engineers, Public health engineers, Structural & Civil engineers and Architects. Responsible for all aspects of project management, financial management and marketing.

It has been said I am a “closet Architect”, not an observation I would agree with, but I do have a passion for “designing the engineering out” of buildings whilst aiming to maintain a comfortable controlled environment, a good trick if you can achieve it beyond concept and I can!

Now that reads almost like a CV, or experience portfolio, well in reality that is my intention, to allow those of you interested in participation in the E&C SIG to understand my background and to consider how you might compliment my own skills and experience with your own contribution to widen the breadth of the E&C SIG to encompass all aspects of Engineering and Construction that is not already covered by other SIG’s.

The new Engineering & Construction SIG The inaugural meeting of the Engineering & Construction SIG, took take place on the 18th September 2010, to introduce myself and the attending members to each other and to set the scene for future meetings.

Not just Construction; Whilst I spend my career as an Engineer in the Construction Industry it is the objective of this SIG to appeal the wider “Engineering” fraternity, not be limited just to the construction opportunities.

A clear direction for the E&C SIG has been identified and is summarized below;

Group Dynamics; • Benefit of Membership.

• Collective interest or competitive conflict? – this might be an ongoing debate...

• Synergistic relationship with Embassy Objectives 1, To promote UK Plc and develop opportunities for Members and their Companies in the Engineering & Construction Sector.

2, To establish working relationships between RGBB representatives of Local Companies and Individuals within the Construction & Engineering Sector.

3, To act as a think-tank for the Business Development Committee on all matters relating to Engineering & Construction.

4, A medium through which articles of Engineering & Construction interest to its members are circulated via email, on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

5, A platform upon which to share best practice.

6, Definition of what the RGBB Engineering & Construction SIG stands for.

7, A resource for RGBB to call upon re: speakers to new business and visiting Trade Delegations with an interest in Construction & Engineering.

8, Networking.

9, To liaise with other SIG’s on matters of mutual interest.

Membership Benefits • To provide a structured response to UK Plc leads generated by Trade Missions and other Embassy initiatives.

• Provides an identity which we and others can relate to • Potential Business Leads.

• Local and international articles to improve situational awareness.

• Possible real-time ‘call chain’ for the passage of Engineering & Construction Alerts.

• Promotion and continued development of Special Briefings with local speakers to engage with Saudi Business and promote British Business.

• Improved situational awareness.

• Information exchange which can include CV’s of Engineering & Construction professionals and overviews of relevant Engineering & Construction services (continuity of employment in KSA).

• Social networking.

• Improved Communication.

I trust the above gives you an initial idea of the outline and objectives of the Construction & Engineering SIG and that if this area of business is relevant or of interest, you will take the opportunity to become involved.

RGBB News 13

IT SIG

Firstly I would like to thank both Peter Broom and his wife Veronica for graciously hosting our last SIG meeting Simon Hepburn at their home.

IT SIG Chair They have not been in-country for long and to accommodate us at short notice was greatly appreciated by all involved. The guest speaker on this occasion was Mike Popoola from Thrupoint and he came with many years of experience on the subject of IT Security. Mike is currently managing the Network Operations Centre for Alinma Bank at their Head Office in Riyadh. He gave an excellent overview of security and security threats from an Enterprise Network perspective as well as methods to combat those threats.

However the general consensus was that we had only briefly touched the subject of network security and much more was needed to combat this ever present threat. One other thing that was brought to my attention was the threat to home users which was exacerbated by the lack of understanding from many of those around. From the remarks I encountered I have decided to use this column to explain how to start making your home network more secure and try to allay any fears you may have.

It is amazing just how many people set up their home wireless networks without once considering the security aspects that should be attended to, but invariably never are. By the time the Service Provider’s ‘nice man’ has left your home, having connected all the relevant pieces of equipment and demonstrated how to establish a connection to the Internet, the kids have already logged into Facebook, MSN, Twitter or whatever and are broadcasting to their friends that they can contact them at home from now on. Everybody is happy and you have peace and quiet as the kids have something else to occupy themselves for a while. However, it is worth pointing out that many of the security RGBB News 14

features that are now available to you have not been implemented.

It is worth considering just how far you are willing to go to protect your network and any valuable data that resides within. Let’s start at the beginning of this pile of wires, boxes and flashing lights.

Your Wi-Fi Router (or Access Point) is the best place to start. All the setup and configuration tasks are done using a browser which is pointed to the IP Address of your router. In many cases this is 192.168.1.1, a common private network address. You need to have an understanding of NAT (Network Address Translation) to be able to understand why so many routers can use this as their internal address yet can all communicate on the Internet without conflicting with other addresses that are the same.

To open the configuration and setup page just type ‘http://192.168.1.1’ (or whatever IP Address the ‘nice man’ gave you) in your browser and press enter.

Once the web page is opened you will usually be presented with a login screen. Invariably these logins are still the default manufacturer’s login such as admin / admin, cisco / cisco, setup / setup etc. Almost all hackers are more than aware of the default passwords for manufacturers various home routers, gateways, access points, so the first thing you must do is to change the default login and the default password, but I do not mean changing the login - password combination to something like 123456/ABCDEF. Use something that you can remember but which uses varied alphanumeric and special keystrokes. For instance, using the name Fitzgibbon as a login can be changed to F1tZgI8b0n and the password from Bonito Fish to b0n1t0fI2H. Although these examples are quite simple, the process is clear.

It can still be hacked into with special password cracking software, but it will take a lot longer than leaving the default login in place. Also use the maximum allowable number of characters, in some cases 16, which will make guessing the login even harder.

Mac-Address

authentication

is

definitely worth applying as the WiMax connection is dependent on a special identifying number that can be found on your wireless adapter in your PC and on this PC only. It is not dependent on a login and password. (unless of course you are the purchaser of ‘questionable’ interface cards from one of the not so well known, side street vendors in Olaya). To do this, obtain the Mac address of your working wireless network interface. You can find this easily by going to ‘Start’, ‘run’ and typing the letters CMD, then press enter (Apple/MAC die-hards look somewhere else). This will give you a DOS prompt. Just type in the following at the C: prompt Ipconfig / all Look for the section that is headed “Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection” and then look for the sub-heading “Physical Address…… ……….00-80-fa-c5-8e-dc”. This last section is your Mac Address and it is written in hexadecimal. (PC’s use base 16 numbering instead of base 10. As there is no single digit to represent the numbers 10 to 15, letters are used instead as shown: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 a b c d e f) The huge advantage of using Mac Address authentication is the sheer number of addresses available. This gives a total of 281,474,976,710,656 addresses or, in plain English, a hacker has a one in 281 trillion, 474 billion, 976 million, 710 thousand, 656 chances of getting it right. Impressive eh? Anyway, back to the job in hand…this is the address that you need to enter into the configuration screen on your router. Once entered, only the computer with this Mac Address can access the router. No password is needed. Obviously the more users you have, the more Mac Addresses have to be added to the list. The advantage of using this type of security is that no matter how long someone spends trying to guess your password, they will not gain access to your router.

Another way of beating the hackers is to not advertise your network to everyone around you. Just click on the tab that says “View Wireless Networks’ on the bottom right of your screen and you will be presented with an orderly list of all the networks in range of your PC. How convenient

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS is that to a hacker? To stop your network from advertising itself you have to disable the SSID Broadcast feature. Again, this can be found on the configuration/setup menu. Also remember to change the configuration in your network adapter to connect to networks that are not broadcasting.

Changing the SSID from the default one of say ‘Linksys’ to ‘Apartment 123’ will at least make someone think that maybe your router has been configured correctly and they might just leave it alone.

Enabling WPA/WEP encryption will scramble the private data being sent across your wireless network making it much harder for someone to decipher the information should they eventually gain access to your network. Again this has to be done on both the Router and the PC. If you are a little bit savvier you can assign static IP Addresses to your internal network devices and disable the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol on your router. If you want to be really clever you can also play with the subnet mask and give yourself a network with say five devices and only five available addresses which will leave no room for anyone else. Also ensure that your Router’s Firewall capabilities have been enabled. It is also prudent to enable the individual firewalls for each PC on the network. Do not forget the physical security of your network as well. Make sure that your Router is centralised within your home and that accidental ‘broadcasts’ to the outside world is greatly reduced. Turn off the router when leaving the home for long periods of time. More detailed information on the huge amount of possible security configurations that can be applied to your Router can be found on the Internet. It’s well worth taking advantage of these features, after all, you have paid for them.

Finally, only connect to public Wi-Fi Hotspots if you really have to in case of an urgent need and NEVER use a Wi-Fi connection to carry out online banking or credit card transactions.

Get yourself an Ethernet cable and connect your PC directly into the Router and then disable your PC’s wireless adapter before continuing.

You never know who else is listening!

Education SIG

Tony Calderbank ED SIG Chairman

International Education in the Saudi Context The Training and Education SIG held its second meeting on the 14th of December 2010. Around 25 people attended the talk which was delivered

by Peter Wiles, the Principal of the British International School in Riyadh.

The topic of Peter’s talk was the provision of international education in the Saudi context.

Peter started his speech by asking what exactly a British school is and how we should define one. He talked about the large variety of schools in the UK: there are public schools like Eaton which are quintessentially English; there are grammar schools and comprehensive schools and Catholic, Jewish and Islamic faith schools. There are schools in the Outer Hebrides with less than ten pupils and huge inner city schools across the UK with thousands. So, how can we say what a British school is? Peter suggested that there is no categorical answer to this question but that a British school overseas can be a reflection of all these approaches, one in which British parents, teachers

and children contribute to the daily life of the institution.

Peter also spoke about the particular challenges of running an international school in Saudi Arabia such as the complexities of adapting a British curriculum to a local context which is predominantly Islamic, so that while the school must provide an education which reflects British values and experiences it must also cater to a wide range of nationalities and backgrounds.

Another interesting issue concerns the teachers who work in the international schools, some of whom have worked in schools in more than one country and who then find it difficult to return to the profession in the UK due to the lack of opportunities back home. Pupils of expatriate parents sometimes face problems and when the family moves on to another country or returns home the children can face disruption to their education and miss the friends they have made.

Did you know?

The Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman University (PNU) is the largest university built from scratch in history. Covering 2.8 million square metres, the university and its campus will be big enough to accommodate 40,000 students and 12,000 employees. This will automatically give it a capacity larger than any other Saudi educational institution after Riyadh’s King Saud University. A total of 38 of its buildings, with a combined built-up area of 1 million sq m, are aiming to secure a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating. The PNU library, which will be one of the largest in the world with 4.5 million books, is going for LEED Gold, the second-highest rating.

RGBB News 15

Saudi Arabia’s 2011 budget The government’s budget for the 2011 fiscal year (31 December 2010 to 30 December 2011) was endorsed by the Council of Ministers on December 20. A deficit of SR40 billion ($11 billion) David Stokes is projected, based on revenue FINSIG Chair of SR540 billion and expenditure of SR580 billion. This is the third year in a row that the Kingdom has budgeted for a deficit. It is regarded as an expansionary budget, authorising huge government investment spending that will provide a major contribution to economic growth.

In presenting the budget, Finance Minister Ibrahim AlAssaf, said the focus had been to focus on balanced development and more employment opportunities and job creation. The budget, he said, attaches a particular importance to projects related to research and development as well as science and technology projects for the e-government.

The highlights are: Spending remains focused on defense, education and healthcare. Investment spending is down slightly from the level budgeted for 2010, but at SR256 billion it remains very high.

The budget ensures that government spending will continue to play a highly supportive role in the economy in 2011. With bank lending picking up, consumer and corporate spending rising and the global economy improving, economic conditions are expected to improve in 2011. Although many countries are being forced to cut back spending to containing budget deficits, due to concerns about debt, the Kingdom does not face any problems. Any deficit can be financed comfortably using SAMA’s huge stock of net foreign assets, which totaled $429 billion at the end of October and domestic debt was cut to a long-term low of SR167 billion in 2010, equivalent to only 10.2 percent of GDP. [For comparison, the UK Office of National Statistics records that...”The unadjusted measure of public sector net debt (including interventions), expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), was 65.2 per cent at the end of November 2010 compared with 59.5 per cent at end of November 2009. Net debt was £971.0 billion at the end of November compared with £843.6 billion a year earlier.”]

A budget surplus of SR108.5 billion (6.6% of GDP) was recorded in 2010, compared to a projected deficit of SR70 billion. Revenues were 56% above the budgeted target, at SR735 billion, and well above what had been assumed based on oil prices and production. Spending grew by only 5%, the lowest rate since 2002, to SR626.5 billion.

RGBB News 16

Preliminary economic data show that the economy bounced back fairly strongly in 2010. Real GDP growth was 3.8%, with non-oil private sector growth of 3.7%. Utilities, which have benefitted from significant government investment, was the fastest growing sector. Higher oil revenues caused the current account surplus to more than triple to $70 billion. Average inflation is put at 3.7%, though this is some way from the average for the first eleven months of the year, of 5.3%.

It is estimated that oil production of 8.3 million barrels per day at a price for Saudi oil of $56 per barrel is consistent with the oil revenue projection used in the budget. This appears to be a conservative assumption and based on other forecasts that Saudi oil will average $78 per barrel during 2011 a budget surplus for 2011 looks likely.

According to analysis by Global Investment House, Oil revenues contribute more than 85% to the goverment revenues and KSA could generate a fiscal surplus of around SR235 billion in 2011.

[As we prepare for press the Oil Price exceeds $100 per barrel]

Spending has been budgeted to exceed revenues in the last three budgets, though at SR40 billion, the projection for the 2011 budget deficit is the smallest of the three and equivalent to just 2.2%t of expected GDP. Many countries are being forced to cut back spending to bring budget deficits under control however the Kingdom does not face this constraint, as its planned deficit is much lower than most developed countries, and any deficit that the Kingdom runs will be financed by drawing down foreign assets rather than issuing new debt.

Expenditure Total expenditure is budgeted at SR580 billion for 2011.

This is 7% above the amount budgeted for 2010 and is the lowest growth in spending since 2003.

Budgeted capital spending is down on the 2010 level, at SR256 billion versus SR260 billion in the previous budget.

This is the first decline in budgeted investment spending for many years, but it is not a cause for concern. Most investment projects take several years and it is reasonable for the government to sequence its spending in order to avoid stoking inflationary pressures.

2005-2012 GDP and GDP Growth

FINANCIAL SERVICES SIG since 2008, when work was planned to start on 2,074, but the number of schools under construction has risen; currently 3,200 schools are being built. Education and training now accounts for 26% of total spending.

Male/Femail and Total population and Monthly income and spending per household per region.

It is more important to consider the actual level of investment spending, which at 14.4% of expected GDP is still very high. Indeed, budgeted capital spending in 2011 is greater than actual capital spending for the 11 years between 1993 and 2004 and nearly double the 2008 level.

It is also important to note that actual capital expenditure tends to be some way below budget. Data for 2009, the latest year for which a breakdown is available, put total investment spending at SR179.8 billion versus a budgeted total of SR225 billion.

Although a projection was not included in the budget, the estimate for current spending (primarily wages and salaries) is budgeted at SR324 billion, 16% above an estimate of the level budgeted for 2010. This probably reflects an increase in the number of employees in the public sector, in addition to the first full year of a pay hike for the military that was introduced towards the end of 2010 and an increase in spending on scholarships for Saudi students abroad. The government had earlier said that it would maintain the 15% rise in the pay of public sector employees that was awarded in three annual increments as part of a deal announced in January 2008 to help alleviate the impact of inflation. Actual current spending is likely to be well above the budgeted total.

Spending maintains the focus of recent years and is in line with the priorities laid out in the 2010-2014 Ninth Development Plan. Education is allocated the biggest share of those departments disclosed in the budget.

Spending increases are fairly uniform across the major components outlined in the budget, with municipality services receiving the largest rise, at 13%.

Spending plans for key public sector areas outlined in the budget include: Education and training is allocated SR150 billion.

This should fund the completion of the construction of campuses at newly created universities, a continuation of the foreign scholarship program (which cost SR12 billion in 2010) and the construction of 610 new schools.

School building provides a good example of how the government’s spending program is progressing. The number of new schools budgeted for has fallen each year

Health and social affairs spending is budgeted to rise to SR68.7 billion. As with schools, the emphasis of the budget is on continuing the work that was started in recent years.

Construction of 12 new hospitals is set to commence in 2011, compared to 92 in 2010. The 120 hospitals currently being built are likely to receive a greater proportion of the budgetary allocation.

Water, agriculture, and infrastructure projects have been allocated SR50.8 billion in 2011, marking a 10.4% increase from 2010. Analysts predict that SR1 trillion ($26.67 billion) will need to be invested in power and water infrastructure systems in order to meet rising demand over the next 15 years. Plans include major water purification, desalination, and sewage projects in addition to power generation, transmission, and distribution expansions.

Saline Water Conversion Corporation will use its SR14.92 billion allowance for water-related projects while the Saudi Electricity Company plans to augment government funds with massive private sector investment through publicprivate partnership projects in the power industry.

Transport and telecommunications received an increase lifting the total to SR25.2 billion. Around 6,600 kilometers of new roads are to be added to the 30,200 currently under construction. An additional $6.7 billion has been allocated for the building of four new airports, developing the port services and the redevelopment of KAIA airport in Jeddah.

Municipality services are awarded SR24.5 billion. This is allocated to various road, bridge and environmental projects, among others. In 2010, municipalities were able to finance spending of SR3.25 billion from their own resources, on top of their budgeted allocation.

Although not disclosed in the budget, it is believed that defence and security account for the largest component of government spending. The pay rise for the military will push up defense and security expenditure. According to IHS Jane’s, Saudi Arabia is the biggest military spender in the Middle East and ranks at number eight globally.

Specialized credit institutions such as the Public Investment Fund, the Real Estate Development Fund, and the Saudi Industrial Development Fund will receive SR47 billion from the 2011 budget. According to the Ministry of Finance, these institutions have already disbursed SR414.3 billion in loans to support industrial projects, housing, and small and medium-sized enterprises. While this allocation is a decrease of 2.7% from the 2010 budget, analysts interpret the shift as an effort by the government to reintegrate local and global investors in the development process, especially in energy, utilities, and construction projects.

[Core information from Jadwa Investment with additional commentary by Andrew Mead and David Stokes]

RGBB NewsNews RGBB 17 17

AVIATION SIG

RGBB and RAes Members get to fly with the Royal Air Force “Red Arrows” in Riyadh!

Paul Dugan OBE

in Riyadh. The museum comprises an outdoor static park and a large and modern indoor museum. The museum gives the history of the Royal Saudi Airforce from its establishment in the 1920s to the present day.

Visitors were able to explore and experience what “Aviation” is about and were able to operate cockpit trainers and flyable helicopters and experience the thrill of operating systems crew members a real thrill for any child, and of course we also had several sixty+ children!

To members of the RGBB and the Riyadh Royal Aeronautical Society Thursday 27th January 2011 will be remembered as a very special day in Riyadh Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

As guests of the Saqr Al Jazirah Royal Saudi Air Force Museum where more than sixty+ members of the combined Riyadh Aviation Group with their children descended on the museum and were treated to a thrilling roller coaster visit to the Royal Saudi Air Force Museum

The Museum is open to the public everyday of the week for all families and hosts many interesting and rare artifacts of aviation history with the UK being extremely well represented, with fast jets and training aircraft produced in the UK from the 1930’s through to today’s air force.

The highlight was a simulated Aerobatic flight with the famous Royal Air Force Red Arrows with motion wind and water effects with the Red 1 leader calling out display commands whilst we all enjoyed and experienced the full display program of aerobatics performed by this unique and outstandingly professional RAF demonstration. The RGBB SIG group and the Royal Aeronautical Society thank the staff and hosts of the Museum for a memorable day and we look forward to further visits.

The Royal Saudi Air Force Museum or Saqr Al-Jazira is located on the East Ring Road of Riyadh between exits 10 and 11. A Saudia Lockheed L-1011 Tristar serves as a gateguard visible from the ring road. The Museum was opened on 24th Jan 1999.

RGBB News 19

PROFILING THE SERIAL EXPAT IN SAUDI ARABIA Hi all, it’s me again, Jim Mann, Chairman, RGBB Security SIG, Riyadh. People are begging me Jim Mann to write something relevant to SIG Chairman security issues, for a change, as Security my quarterly contribution to this edition. They are also beseeching me not to submit anymore poetry, or ode’s as I like to call them. After writing about UFO adventures and Grizzly Bears in Yellowstone, I am starting to notice people glancing at me askance and avoiding me when I am amongst large crowds.” Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they are out to get you.” So… before they come in white coats aboard the green van, to take me away, here goes…..

In the early 80’s I was a Consultant to a Law Enforcement entity in Miami, Florida. My ‘turf’ was Miami Beach, then run down and in decay, and, at the acknowledged epicenter of savage, Cuban inspired Drug Wars and ‘Murder Capital’ of the good ole USA. During my service there, I was incredibly fortunate to be selected to attend the FBI’s ‘VIOLENT CRIMINAL APPREHENSION PROGRAMME’ (VICAP), an intensive, and much lauded, training course out of Quantico, Virginia, which certainly pioneered, what

RGBB News 20

we all now know, courtesy of Maria Cornell and her Kay Scarpetta novels, as ‘Serial Offender Profiling’.

Profiling is indeed a fascinating subject; we now profile Homicide Bombers, Potential extremist terrorists, airline passengers and young offenders, to name but a few.

You know the sort of thing, this offender is likely to be between 23 and 30 years old, a loner, or (often) living with his ageing mother, with whom he maintains an unhealthy, one sided relationship, he resides in a dingy high rise, on the 16th floor, probably close to the town centre. He’s prone to have difficult relationships with the opposite sex (unless he’s slashing them to pieces and placing broken mirror glass over their eyes) and likes to work with his hands. Historically he has enjoyed torturing and killing small furry animals, and so on. The advantage of profiling is that no forensic or physical evidence needs to be recovered from the Crime Scene. It is purely based on the perceived actions and motives of the offender en scene and the inferences drawn from these compounded by the condition and state of the environment around that same scene.

With this in mind I thought I would have a go at ‘Profiling’ some of us, the expats living and working here in KSA. A bit of light hearted entertainment, and I am not, by any means, suggesting or condoning here, that we start dismembering our maids and drivers and covering them in green paint on a whim, nor, stalking about Kingdom Tower in leather breeches late at night, sporting a wide selection of titanium deaths head body piercings.……

SECURITY SIG THIS IS NOT AN ODE!

Extra Shop at Grenada Mall. He wishes his mobile phone would ring.

He is between 40 and 50 years old, politely referred to as in his ‘middle years’. That first flush of youth is long gone.

Fine dining really is meat and two veg, with pucker gravy and mash. He has consumed enough Hummus and Kabsa to end conflict in the Middle East, permanently.

He has to wear expensive glasses with lenses as thick as NASA deployed re-entry shields. These to enable reading and writing skills.

He looks up to the late, great, Genghis Khan as an Icon of the Corporate Social Responsibility model. He was previously a Tory voter but feels the BNP are a spent force.

He has probably been divorced, maybe more than once, and if currently married may still live alone but maintain a remote, expensive, exotic and extended, family, numbering near forty people, spanning three generations, on a Banana Plantation in the Asia Pacific region.

He owns a semi in the suburbs of a Provincial English town, situated within a forty mile radius of where he grew up. He has invested in an overseas property, or even two, probably in the med, or the Far East.

He speaks good ‘pigeon’ English, which helps him a little, in restaurants and shopping centres, but not when he gets a taxi. He knows no Arabic, save for the words ‘Bukhra Insh’allah’.

He has been dragged screeching and kicking into a modern, inscrutable ‘Cyber’ space, fantasy world where everyone is constantly involved, and engaged in, social networking and can ‘do’ Excel spreadsheets with ease. He dislikes IT, and the geeks who inhabit that world.

He likes the smell of old leather, and, rather fancies himself as a dashing and attractively maturing, Morse – esque figure, driving that beautiful old Jag around Oxford.

Nonetheless he pilots a 2004 model 4 X 4 around the mean streets of Riyadh. The land cruiser sports several battle scars, thank goodness for Lord SAHER

His education began at the school of ‘hard knocks’ and he then continued into the ‘University of Life’ for his HND. He was good at physics and math’s at school, if he’s an engineer. If he’s not, then he wasn’t and may work in IT. He has probably seen some military service, which did him good, he, and others, assume retrospectively. He may have done his National Service after World War Two, or even be, a decorated veteran, of the Scout movement.

Whatever, he has been round the block plenty!

He lives quietly in an apartment or a villa located within Fortress AlHamra or Bastion Kingdom. It is a mystery to him why the folks ‘back home’, consider him slightly peculiar. Then again, unless doing a stretch for breaching an ASBO, they do not generally tend to live behind razor wire fences.

He’s a good guy, mentally robust, does not suffer fools gladly, treats his subordinate staff with respect and minds his own business unless asked for help. Most people would be happy to call him friend! God bless him.

SuDoku Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

Answer on page 44

He listens to, and knows the words to, some Country Rock Music and selected Eagles classics, including the one about a Hotel. He definitely does not seek out the music of TUPAC, Acon or Puff Daddy. ‘Rave’, ‘rap’ and ‘Acid house’ do not feature on his radar. Garage music to him, was trying to play ‘Hey Joe’ by Hendrix on an old electric guitar when he was eleven, within his father’s parking facility.

Those halcyon days of fur rimmed parka jackets and Chromed vespa’s, complete with mini skirted, pillion rider are all over. Or was that studded leather and a Triumph Bonneville?

He’s been away from the Yew Kay so long that the only attraction of Coronation Street is the Rovers Return. He sticks to Nat Geo and Discovery during his solitary, après supper Vigils with his 32 inch Toshiba purchased in the RGBB News 21

3rd Annual RGBB Open Golf Championship A record one hundred and fifty two golfers battled out the tightest ever finish in the Third RGBB Open championship staged at Dirab Golf & Country Club course on February 24th.

However the title, Claret jugs and flights to Casablanca (courtesy of Royal Air Maroc) went to Paul Dart, Jerry Doncarolis, Tom Merkel & Lee Turner as they had taken 1 stroke less on the back 9. They were in jubilant mood as they received their prizes from David Dew; Managing Director of the Premier sponsors SABB.

The event which took the form of a four ball Texas scramble saw 38 teams fight for the coveted claret jugs on offer.

In second place were Morgan Mead, Hitesh Valla, Gary Richardson and Vic Dhillon, who all received their trophies and prizes of a La-z-boy recliner from Almutlaq Furniture Group’s General Manager Mujeeb Hazzaa.

The scoring was so close that only 4 shots separated the top 7 teams, with 9 shots separating the entire field from first to last. The increase in the number of mulligan’s (second chance shots) that players could purchase, combined with perfect playing conditions, clearly had a significant effect as a record number of teams shot below the par score of 72 on this challenging parkland course.

The 7am starters began their rounds in conditions that were much warmer than expected for late February, with some taking real advantage by birdying their first 4 holes.

However the majority of these proved to be false-starts as the teams with the strongest back 9 scores were to prove triumphant in the end.

By the end of the morning session the scoring was so sensational that teams that had recorded 6 under par (good enough to have won this event last year) were already out of the main trophy positions.

The afternoon groups continued where their morning counterparts had left off as numerous teams shot rounds well under par. Despite the higher scoring of some teams everyone seemed to be enjoying the unseasonal high temperatures which topped 30 degrees in the middle of the afternoon.

For the second year in a row the title of Open Champions needed a count back to decide it, as the teams of Paul Dart and Morgan Mead both shot scores of 17 under par, after their handicaps had been deducted.

RGBB News 24

In third place with a score of 56 (16 under par) were Graeme Bliss, Tom Schneider, Lois Barker & June Schneider. They all received their trophies and prize of a Titleist tour bag from Robert Lickley from our generous sponsors BMI. Fourth place was secured by John Spitz, Talal Sarriedienne, Mihir Bhatt & Matt Delacour. They had also scored 56 (16 under par), but were beaten again on the dreaded count back system. However they were more than happy with their trophies and Cannon printers (courtesy of our sponsors El Ajou).

Fifth place went to MS Kim, Nikko Roukosou, Matt Martin and Simon Ward who also shot a 56 but were also prevented from finishing higher on count back. They shot an incredible 11 under in their round but were playing off the lowest handicap in the competition of just 5. They were still content to receive their trophies and new golf clubs from Khalid Masoud, General Manager of UPS. Rob Hanway, Majed Sorour, Paul West and Brad Garlinghouse came in sixth place with a score of 57 (15 under par) and were delighted to receive their digital photo frames and trophies from David Dew, Managing Director of the Premier sponsor SABB. The main prizes were rounded out by Iain Blacklaw, Abdullah Masoud, John Wood & Lance Jones who came seventh with a 58 (14 under par). Although they may not have landed one of the higher placings they were still

RGBB SPORTS very happy to receive their prizes of golf equipment from Mujeeb Hazzaa, General Manager of Almutlaq Furniture Group.

The scoring this year was so good that the team in last place still shot an impressive 8 under par 64. This dubious accolade went to the tam of Pat Halloran, Ed Bulkeley, Madele’ Burger & Alan Janvier.

The longest putt competition was won by the team of Jean Luc Haas who each received an RGBB Golf Society umbrella and a dozen golf balls courtesy of UPS. The tournament, organised by Gary Richardson and his team, was hosted for the third straight year by Dirab Golf & Country Club and had two shotgun starts, 7 am and 12 noon, to accommodate the large number of players that entered the event. The prizes for the longest drive for both ladies and men went to Chiara Morris and Seamus Hennessey. The closest to pin to Tom Schneider on No. 4, Majed Sorour on No. 7, Kay Chapman on No. 7 and Karen Bridgeford on No.16.

Such was the strength of some of the teams that Dirab manager Bouchaib Al Jadiani (who selected the teams) stated how surprised he was that the top teams finished in the positions that they did.

The evening part of the event was hosted for the first time by Sir Tom and Lady Philips and despite not being a golfer Sir Tom was clearly impressed and delighted by the proceedings over which he and Lady Anne presided.

As well as a fun golf event and evening function the day had a serious side to it. All proceeds from the event were earmarked for the ICING children’s charity.

The raffle alone raised SR45,000 this year. Among the incredible range of prizes were: Two 17” Samsung laptops courtesy of sponsors El Ajou; A La-z-boy reclining chair, courtesy of Almutlaq Furniture Group; A pair of international flights to any of their destinations courtesy of Nas Airways and another pair of international flights from Nas Airways together with weekend accommodation in the Sheraton Beirut.

The star prize was a pair of return flights to the UK, courtesy of BMI, which was won by J P O’Neil.

The auction was equally as strong with items such as signed shirts from Sir Geoff Hurst, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and the England rugby team accompanying the 2 main items which were a meal for 20 at the British Ambassador’s residence (catered for by the Sheraton Riyadh) and return flights to Scotland (courtesy of BMI), with a accommodation and weekend of golf at the Turnberry hotel (courtesy of the Sheraton Hotel Group).

After raising SR 110,000 in 2009 & SR250,000 in 2010 Lady Philips admitted that she would have been very happy with a similar amount to that of 2009 for the charity to which she is patron. However after all of the money raised by sponsorship, entry fees, raffles and auctions was added up by RGBB Golf Society committee member Marcel Luckman, Gary was able to present a clearly stunned Lady Philips with a cheque for SR 240,000, this was then topped up to SR 250,000 by the RGBB. This huge sum of money seemed surreal in 2010 and was evidently not expected again in 2011 as a clearly delighted Sir Tom and Lady Anne gave their heartfelt thanks to everyone in the garden.

The evening concluded with dancing to the tunes of DJ Olaf Brinkmann until it was time to draw the line under another successful event.

The RGBB and ICING committees would like to thank everyone who was involved in making the event such a huge success. We would particularly like to thank our generous sponsors without whom this event could not have taken place, these sponsors are: SABB, La-z-boy, Almutlaq Furniture Group, BMI, UPS, Amex, El Ajou, Crane, Sheraton Riyadh Hotel & Towers, Royal Air Maroc, Pepsi Al Jomaih, Almarai Co., AXA, Model craft, Arabian Shield, Rhonda’s Beauty Salon, Smile Dental Clinic, Saudi Xerox, Nas, and the Dirab Golf & Country Club.

RGBB News 25

ICING NEWS

SR30,000 for ICING

Also the simple fact that I was not prepared for the hills, nor the gravelled roads they have there. Boy was my a&* sore at the end of it. I can tell you with tires pumped up to 140psi it’s as if you’re scrapping your bum along the road… J So where does that leave the ICING Sponsorship?

It leaves it in your good hands. So far I have responses committing over SR30,000 which needs to be collected, and there are others who didn’t commit who now want to offer cash for the deed done.

Remember all funds raised, that is 100% of it, go to ICING (International Children in Need Group) supporting charities here in Saudi Arabia and the region. Your generosity is much appreciated and anything you can give will be gratefully received and put to good use.

I hope to grab your cash over the next few weeks at various events and meetings, however if you don’t think you will see me then please send me an email (below) and I will give you details of how you can contribute via the Banking system. For those that have already committed I will send an individual email with details of how they can send their monies in.

I suppose you’re thinking I’m still cycling? No, I had to wait for the official results and then an unscheduled stop at Heathrow due to snow (5 days extra in the UK), then it came to be the season of all good will to all men and then new year! Nonstop I tell you…

So before I tell you how I did I want to convey my congratulations to everyone who took part in the Lake Taupo challenge, all 12,000 bodies in all across all race categories, it’s not as easy as people think. And from what I’ve heard from third parties, Scott Waight, also of Riyadh also found it a little tougher than he expected. I’ve not met Scott but am told he is one of the top riders in Saudi Arabia, so congratulations to him on his 5 hours and 3 minutes. Well done.

Once again thank you, as without your help this ride would have just been about me. Now it is all about others.

Oh yes, U2 were fantastic, when I get the images and video off the phone I’ll post them somewhere…

The photo is me at the 110Km checkpoint.

Sean McPoland smcpoland@gmail.com

So what happened to me? I started at the back, and I finished, with a time. Not the time I wanted, but I finished. Was I last? No! Was I prepared?

No! The hills are hills and the weather was unseasonably hot. I spent too much time at the official rest stops replenishing liquids and at one part of the course walking with one of my peers who was suffering from heat stroke. Once the ambulance came along I was off on my bike again (the care services were excellent).

In the end I did 9 hours and 18 minutes, much more than I expected. But that time is explained by the stopping for water and taking care of others.

Sean receives a cheque presented by Sharon Whyte, Chair of the Riyadh Irish Society and HE Niall Holohan, the Irish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

RGBB News 29

Moving On...

I am leaving Saudi Arabia on 1 March after three happy years which have coincided with the most clearly defined period of reform and commercial liberalisation in recent Saudi history. That has made a real difference; the upturn in the economy here, the subsequent global downturn which brought much more focus on this market and the successful penetration Paul Williams of this market by a plethora of UK companies, meant that I could concentrate exclusively on an extremely heavy workload and not notice the increasing lengths of time that my wife, Barbara, simply was not here.

So, a successful and exhilarating time for UK business, which is now in an excellent place that needs to be developed while keeping a weather eye to the ‘drang nach westen’. - That is all I intend to say about the commercial scene.

I was never quite sure why I came here in the first place. In 2007 I was 58 years old and safely ensconced in a delightful job in Cambridge. It wasn’t a sinecure, not quite anyway, but I had been doing the work for some time so it all came reasonably comfortably. I could have stayed there until I retired but I continued habitually to apply for a long line of Foreign Office jobs, none of which I got, until eventually Sir William rang and said that my latest failure was in Jeddah but that there was a better opportunity for me in Riyadh. I said that I supposed no one else had applied. He reassured me that applications had been legion, with no conviction whatsoever. So I went and imparted this joyful message to Barbara who did not share my euphoria and, somewhat lengthily, told me it was an extremely bad idea. So here I am, and here she is, occasionally.

It is always difficult to reflect when moving on, it’s like asking you to take the views of Janus, but it’s doubly difficult when you are also retiring after a long period of service, in my case 42 years. It means that the major part of your life is coming to an end and the lingering decision is whether to leave it all behind gracefully and embark on retirement as a new and valuable experience, or to continue to work in perhaps a very different field. We are all different and will all make different decisions. But expats, of whatever complexion, are all a particular breed and are defined by their longing to broaden their horizons, to experience different cultures, to be in some way apart from the common chord. The overwhelming attraction of life in the Foreign Service is that it promises to deliver on this addiction to foreign places and indeed it did just that for me. I see the same motivations in the ex-pats I have met in Saudi Arabia, and it’s no different in other parts of the world. So, whether we work for governments, multinationals or for small Saudi companies, we all have the same drives and motivations.

Which is probably why we get on so well. Some of you RGBB News 30

have commented that an advantage of being in Saudi Arabia is that no one is here who doesn’t need to be and, by extension, they need to be here for the money. Well, Saudi Arabia is not yet somewhere that people come for their holidays but, that aside, I’m not really convinced that motivations are so simple. At the last RGBB Board Meeting we were going through the high number of members who were still here and who hold very early membership numbers. These are often people who have been here for 20 years plus, Luke, Chris, Michael, Ian, Owain. And if they were not here they would be somewhere else abroad.

None of them is here simply for the money. Admittedly they wouldn’t be here without it, but in reality it simply lubricates their addiction to being somewhere different, somewhere more challenging.

The common characteristics that seem to be the makeup of our expatriate communities shows themselves in other ways. The same inquisitive nature has led to the most eclectic body of knowledge I have ever encountered.

Whether it is an encyclopaedic knowledge of birdlife, desert travel, medieval ironmongery, Islamic awards and medals, languages and etymology, you can guarantee that someone in the community will have it in spades. Good on them, why Alan Coren wasn’t an expat I can never imagine; he would be well at home here.

Will it stay the same? Somehow I doubt it. Changing societies have changing needs and rightly need to move on.

The same reflections on the longevity of RGBB members also shows that the profile of expats in Saudi Arabia is changing. There will be fewer veterans; a much greater number of people are moving in and out of the country within two years. Reliance on virtuality and the value attached to transience are increasingly dictating our working lives. A year or so ago an airline executive explained to me that they don’t do ‘country managers’ any more, as if this were somehow a neo-colonial concept. Fortunately for us they do in Saudi Arabia and it is difficult to imagine a philosophy of non-contact working in a traditional Arab community.

So I leave with a strong regard and respect for all of those who chose to work abroad. I have made a number of very good friends here and, although it is our habit to make and lose friends easily, I hope these friendships are for life. It has been a privilege to be part of the British business community here. This organ, this RGBB, is one of the best and certainly the best that I have worked for. I shall follow it’s progress with fraternal pride - onward and upwards.

Yasmin Drummond and Lady Anne Phillips at a farewell party for Barbara (centre) in February.

COMMUNITY NEWS The International Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme at the British International School, Riyadh The BISR International Award students have been engaged in another busy and successful year.

The strategic management of the Scheme has lead to the active updating and developing of the way in which the award is delivered to its young participants this year. However it remains the same challenging scheme which helps to develop and support young people in their transition from teenagers to young adults. It is also a constructive activity in which both boys and girls can participate, in a country in which this is otherwise difficult.

The school’s outdoor adventure centre in the form of the Bedouin camp at Thumamah has proved to be a major success. As a residential centre surrounded by largely unspoiled desert and beneath the cliffs of the escarpment, it provides an environment where the D of E students may learn a wide range of outdoor skills. These include First Aid, navigation, rucksack packing, outdoor cooking, team membership, physical fitness and leadership skills.

Navigation has been one of the skills which have been specially emphasised in preparation for the expeditions to the desert. In a country where high definition maps are not easily available, it can be a problem when trying to teach teenagers to plan a hiking route. The level of detail and information required is demanding but by using a combination of GPS waypoints and adapting existing maps, staff have given students the opportunity to learn to plan a detailed route.

it. As a result many choose to help teachers in the infant department, coach younger children at sports clubs or help staff with their administration.

All of this helps to develop in young people a sense of commitment and the value of serving others, for its own sake and not that of financial gain.

Climbing, which is one of the major aspects of the ‘Skills and Physical Recreation’ section, has been given a huge boost by the RGBB in the form of another generous grant.

The school intends to renovate the tired old indoor climbing wall with a major face lift. This will provide a very valuable facility which will develop in students a sense of self-confidence and balance and will give them a great sense of positive physical achievement.

It is important that students are extracted from their comfortable urban environment to appreciate wild country and a sense of self-reliance within it. In the ‘Adventurous Journey’ section of the Scheme, all members of the Bronze and Silver levels will experience three expeditions into the desert from Thumamah. Some of the students often wonder why they need to carry rucksacks and survival paraphernalia, and why don’t they just leave all the equipment back in the big tents at the base camp?

After some explanations revolving around the concepts of ‘resilience’, ‘journey on foot’, ‘character-building’ and ‘adventure’, students seem to get the message. Success in this has lead the leaders to conjure up ever more exotic ways of running the

RGBB Chairman, Owain Raw-Rees presents Principal Peter Wiles with a cheque to support the Scheme. expeditions. The Thumamah base camp will certainly feature in future trips but staff will see whether they can make it all a little ‘wilder’ and introduce more ‘self reliance’ as time goes on! Watch this space.

The school is also looking forward to taking the Silver and Gold Award students to Oman towards the end of June this summer, with ‘Outward Bound Oman’. Despite the obvious high temperatures at that time of year at sea level, the conditions above 2000m in the Hajar Mountains will be far more pleasant and provide an awe inspiring setting for the four day expedition.

The School looks forward to these new initiatives within the award and all the other exciting, challenging and worthwhile activities that the young people are involved with in the scheme and would like to thank the RGBB again for its part in supporting them.

Peter Thompson, Duke of Edinburgh Scheme Co-ordinator

Students taking part in desert activities around Thumamah.

The participants have also been very active with the other sections of the award which include ‘Physical Recreation’, ‘Skills’ and ‘Service’.

‘Service’ in particular is the section that the school gains great satisfaction from as the positive impact that some young people can have upon others becomes clear. They are encouraged to find opportunities for voluntary service within their day-to-day lives both within the school and outside RGBB News 33

In aid of Cancer Research UK. Salwa Garden Village, 26 Nov 2010

On a warm November morning, the inaugural Run Together Riyadh 5K run based on the UK’s “Race for Life” took place to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. After many months of organising from a dedicated team of volunteers Laura Cox, our administrator, managed to organise an incredible 198 starters; a mixture of serious runners, joggers and happy walkers to all be in the right place at the right time, facing the right direction!

There was an incredible family atmosphere and it was great to see so many families taking part, with lots of parents walking and jogging with children in pushchairs. In many cases, the children finishing way ahead of their parents. GPT Special RGBB News 34

Project Management Limited sent a fashionably pink team and they raised an incredible SAR 8,700 for us!!!!

There were runners and supporters who had survived Cancer and runners dedicating their run to someone special, especially given so many of us have been affected by this indiscriminate and cruel disease.

Sadly Laura was diagnosed with Breast Cancer 3 days before the run, so it was especially poignant for her.

We felt extremely privileged that so many of you shared your experiences with us, we felt honoured.

Handing out the medals, Debenhams goodie bags and the Powerhorse rucksacks with goodies in them to all the finishers was heart warming; there

were tears and laughter cheering and clapping, a lot of fun just to watch! Ian & Juliet McDonald came to watch and ended up handing them all out!

The first runners came in very quickly; Steve Tomlinson was 1st man, with Greg McDermott quickly on his heels, with Paul Chambers a very impressive 3rd. The 1st lady was Dawn Leslie with Tracey Day 2nd and Karen McCarthy 3rd. The first junior was Huw Thomas, 2nd a fab run by Phoebe Lloyd Evans followed quickly

by David Ashcroft.

We have to mention number 158 David Wright who ran the whole course pushing a baby in a pram and still finished in the top 20!!!! Andy McKechnie from Riyad Bank ran the course as number 007 in his DJ and

COMMUNITY NEWS was happy to donate 100 Riyals for everyone who overtook him and he graciously paid up his 3,000 Riyals.

We all enjoyed checking out all the pink accessories including hats, lipsticks and tops, and that was just the men, a fab sight!

After the run we all went up to the BBQ area where The Sheraton put on a delicious lunch. Medals were worn with pride, children ran around and parents sat enjoying the food.

Pauline Bladon did a great job selling all the raffle tickets, raising SR 3,360 from the morning alone. We handed out amazing prizes offered by local companies to a lot of very tired but happy people, who slowly went home.

We were overwhelmed by the generosity of companies whom we approached for either sponsorship or

raffle prizes; we really must mention some very, very generous people.

Andy McKechnie from Riyad Bank, Owain Raw-Rees from AXA, the RGBB, the ever charitably minded Robert from BMI, Melanie Paul from NAS air, Al Khozama Hotel, BAE Systems for allowing us to use Salwa, Gordon Nesbit’s team from Salwa who set it all up and were marshals, Ennas from Debenhams at Kingdom Mall, Michelle at AlHokair for the lovely Banana Republic goodies, Powerhorse who gave all the rucksacks filled with goodies, the Caledonian Society for the trophies and presents for the Juniors and last but not least Stuart Birkwood and his team from The Sheraton Hotel, what a fab team they were! We really cannot thank these companies enough – Thanks.

Also, special thanks to the RGBB board members Nicola Quick and

Gary Richardson, who helped initiate the event and get the ball rolling. And A big thank you to the committee who helped make the day such a success, Laura Cox, Pat & Gordon Nesbit, Ian Crawford and latterly Sara & Vic Dhillon.

Lastly a big THANK YOU to all the runners, supporters and helpers (thanks Shirley & Keith, Ian & Juliet, Pauline Bladon & Pete Wilson).

We were able to donate SR32,264 to Cancer Research plus £3973 donated directly to our page on justgiving.com/ RunTogetherRiyadh Thank you all so much It was hard work, there were tears and laughter along the way, will we do it again? – Oh Yes! See you in November 2011. runtogetherriyadh@hotmail.co.uk

SANGCOM Charity Half Marathon and Fun Run 2011

Under the clear blue Saudi sky over 100 competitors registered for the 5th annual SANGCOM Charity Half marathon. Race conditions were perfect, the 6-lap route was flat and fast and the temperature rose from 10 °c to a warm 19°c throughout the race.

minutes and 23 seconds. The half marathon was won by Stephen Tomlinson who eventually finished with a credit worthy time of 1 hour and 28 minutes. The fastest female competitor was Mrs Wendy Hazlewood who finished with a time of 1 hour and 53 minutes.

As in previous years, the event was run to raise money for the ‘Saudi Disabled Children’s Society’ and the Armed Forces Charity ‘Help for Heroes’. This year, the event has been pledged SAR 48,000 (£ 8,000) for these charities.

The event was well supported and money was raised through direct sponsorship, donations of prizes for the raffle and entry fees. The SANGCOM Team would like to thank: Riyadh Group for British Business, Selex Gallileo, Harris Communications, GPT, Dirab Golf and Country Club, British Airways, the Sheraton Hotel, Al Khozama Hotel, AXA Insurance, Al Manhal Water company, Nissan cars, BAE systems, British Midland Airways, the British Businessmen’s Association, and the Riyadh Caledonian Society.

The race was started by Her Majesty’s Ambassador Sir Tom Philips and the 2.6 mile fun run was won by 9 year old Jack Miller in a credible time of 17 minutes and 3 seconds, hot on his heels was the fastest girl in the race Phoebe Lloyd-Evans who finished the race with a time of 17

RGBB News 35

RGBB GOLF SOCIETY

Mead dominates again as the RGBB Golf Society continues to grow The transient nature of the Kingdom, coupled with the popularity of the game enabled the RGBB golf society to continue its growth during the final quarter of 2010 and the first quarter of 2011.

In February the society held its presentation evening at the Canadian Embassy to award the trophies won in the final quarter of 2010 and start of 2011. A good number of people assembled at this new venue as a real mixture of first time and repeat winners received their awards.

October saw the society hold two events, a Texas scramble 4 ball challenge as well as a monthly medal. The 4 ball scramble was a very tight affair with 0.80 of a shot separating first, second and third places.

When the calculations were completed the team of Phil Pannell, Bruce Wade, Phil Munroe and Joe Corrigan were triumphant with a net score (after handicaps) of 56.20. Second place went to Ed Bulkeley, Paul West, Eric Lemmens and Allan Watthey who shot 56.75 net. Third place was awarded to Peter Dadzis, Tom Seymour Taylor, Kay Chapman and Sheldon Ritchie who scored a 57.

Ladies longest drive was won by Liz Kennedy, with Spence Hawthorn scooping the men’s award.

October Medal Division 1: Morgan Mead continued his dominance when he won his second medal of the season with a net 71, beating society secretary Chris Smith on a count back.

Division 2: Richard Harkansson won by an impressive 5 shots with a round of 70, with Tony Wilson in second place with a 75.

Division3: Pam Hanway broke through with her first medal win in division 3, registering a fantastic 37 points, with Martin Dickinson in second place with 32 points.

November Medal Division 1: Morgan Mead continued his grip on division 1 and pole position in the player of the year race with his third title in row, scoring a 4 under par 68 off of his 5 handicap. Second place was won by Rabie Fares who was 4 shots further back on 72.

Division 2: Gary Richardson, who was playing in the division for the first time since being cut by handicap secretary Marcel Luckman, won the title by 5 shots. He also shot an impressive 4 under par 68 to secure his first division 2 title. Phil Pannell was the division’s runner up with a score of 73.

Division 3: Matt Martin narrowly won the division as he edged Barbara Dickinson into second place using the count back system as both players shot 35 points.

January also saw two events held, with a pieces of string singles tournament and a monthly medal taking place.

The pieces of string event proved to be a really different and fun form of golf, as all of the players received 5 pieces of string of differing lengths. They were able to use this string at any time during their round to finish off a missed putt or move their ball from trouble without incurring any additional shots or penalties.

This event was won by handicap secretary Marcel Luckman who scored an incredible 46 points.

Second went to competition secretary Gary Richardson who scored 42 points. Rumours that Marcel and Gary left the course to find a Mexican restaurant were hotly disputed, despite the calls of “bandit” ringing loudly. Third place was secured by Ali Hernandez who was playing in his last golf tournament before leaving the Kingdom, exit only.

Ladies longest drive was won by Ruby Klawakowski, with the men’s award going to Julian Bennett.

Nearest the pin was won by Dr. Abbi Oluyadi.

January Medal Division 1: Morgan Mead continued his unbeatable form, as he secured his fourth division 1 title in a row with a score of 72. Chris Smith was the runner up once more with a 78.

Division 2: John Davies became another first time winner for the season when he shot a 76, with Sheldon Ritchie coming second with an 82.

Division 3: Pam Hanway doubled her titles for the season as she shot 28 points to add the January title to the one she secured in October. Will Appleby collected his first trophy of the season as he secured the runners up spot the division after shooting 25 points.

The society has several major events upcoming before its annual awards dinner in May. These include the Captains day on March 31st as well as the singles Championships which take place on May 12.

For more details on joining the society please email rgbbgolfsociety@gmail.com for an application form.

RGBB News 37

RGBB News 38

FEATURE ARTICLE

To retire or not retire - Is that the question?

The UK Employment Equality (Age) Regulations, which came into force on 1 October 2006, provided for a default retirement age of 65 that employers could rely on if they wished. The regulations made earlier retirement ages unlawful unless employers could objectively justify them. The regulations also introduced a statutory right for individuals to request postponement of retirement beyond the age of 65.

The UK Government confirmed on 13 January 2011 that the Default Retirement Age (DRA) will be phased out between 6 April and 1 October 2011.

Employment Relations Minister Ed Davey said: “Retirement should be a matter of choice rather than compulsion - people deserve the freedom to work for as long as they want and are able to do so. Older workers can play an incredibly important role in the workplace and it is high time that we ended this outdated form of age discrimination.”

Ditching the DRA was first proposed by the coalition government in July last year - largely to tackle issues around the ageing population and the shortfall in pension savings. Employers though have called for the changes to be delayed for a year to allow for greater clarity over the plans.

Davey dismissed suggestions that the move would further penalise young people, amid figures that suggest that they have found it harder than other groups to find jobs during the recession. The minister said that evidence both here and abroad, in the “many other countries” which have already scrapped the fixed retirement age, suggests that more people in the labour market means there is “more activity, more income, more growth”.

“I’m afraid those people who seem to think there is a displacement between young and older people here firstly are not reading the evidence and secondly they have a very old fashioned approach to labour supply as though there is a fixed amount of jobs in the economy. That clearly isn’t the case ... this will actually boost the number of jobs in the economy.”

The Liberal Democrat minister appeared to have little sympathy with employers who have called for changes to employment legislation to make it easier to sack people on the grounds of incapability, alongside the abolition of DRA. John Cridland, Director-General Designate of the CBI, said the government’s new guidance was inadequate and did not deal with how firms could retire staff if they were no longer capable of doing their jobs properly.

“There is not enough clarity for employers on how to deal with difficult questions on performance,” he said.

There are currently 850,000 people over the age of 65 still in work in the UK. OECD figures suggest that 1 in 10 of the UK labour force will be over 60 by 2030 . The state pension age will rise, for both men and women, to 66 by 2020.

Currently, employers are allowed to insist that employees retire when they reach the DRA for that organisation usually 65 - provided that six months’ notice is given in writing. Employees are allowed to request to work beyond 65 but there is no obligation on the employer to comply.

The latest statistics available show that 81% of requests to carry on working were agreed to by employers.

From 6 April employers will not be able to give notice to retire under the DRA procedures. Between 6 April and

RGBB News 39

1 October only people who were notified before 6 April and whose retirement date is before 1 October can be compelled to retire. After 1 October employers will not be able to use the DRA to compulsorily retire employees.

Activists have argued that the change could inject billions of pounds extra into the economy. But some employers are worried it will complicate the job of managing a workforce and add to overall costs.

The only exceptions to this rule will be where a retirement age can be objectively justified. The police or the air traffic control service may be examples of employers who could still justify a retirement age of 65 or lower.

Graeme Leach, director of policy at the Institute of Directors, said: “We greatly regret the government’s decision to abolish the default retirement age. We do not see how the removal of a mechanism that gives employers flexibility in managing their workforce is compatible with the government’s stated desire to boost enterprise and de-regulate the employment arena.”

Other employers’ organisations have expressed many concerns about the changes and there are certainly going to be challenges ahead for any organisation with members of staff approaching retirement age.

Employees can carry on until they decide to retire voluntarily or become subject to one of the fair reasons for dismissal. Fair reasons for dismissal include misconduct, incapability and redundancy.

Many employers have raised the fear that members of staff who have provided decades of loyal service to an organisation may suddenly find themselves leaving under a cloud.

Further concerns have been expressed that an increasingly older workforce will limit the number of job opportunities that can be made available to younger workers potentially leading to an increase in youth unemployment.

ACAS has issued the following advice for employers.

“The removal of the DRA not only raises practical issues for employers in managing the older worker but also across the workforce more generally with a wide range of areas such as succession and workforce planning, performance management and ensuring consistency and fairness in their policies and practices. It is important to remember too that the removal of the DRA will have implications for all employees in terms of career expectations and advancement.”

RGBB News 40

The rules vary across Europe although, even where there is no default retirement age, figures from 2005 showed that people did not, on average, work beyond the age of 65. Charts to bottom left and centre show the comparisons between Men & Women.

Saudi Arabia, like most countries in the world, is also facing the challenge of an ageing population. By 2050 the number of dependant adults in Saudi Arabia is estimated to equal the number of dependant children. Given this youthful population profile, the average person is currently around 20 years old, this age convergence arrives much later when compared with mature economies. This gives Saudi Arabia more time to plan, what is often called a ‘demographic dividend’.

In looking at the future of retirement, the World Bank has established a model with three pillars of retirement provision: the state, occupational and the individual. Each pillar has a differing level of importance within a country, but together these pillars encompass a country’s total pension provision. In Saudi Arabia, a reliance on social provision has made the state the main provider.

The Chart below shows how the percentage of the over 60’s is expected to rise over the next 40 years. The percentage of under 20’s falls from about 42% today to 25% by 2050.

AND FINALLY WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS Alex Bannerman Simon Chanter Lilian Clephane James Cooper Stephen Dowker Khalid Fayz Adrian Flowers Steve Govorusa William Green Rahulan Gunanayagam Mark Hackett Keith Hainsworth Peter Hall Phil Heard Simon Hill Camille Janvier Stephen Jones Irfan Kahn Scott Lancaster Dan Lockett Colin Mackey Robert Marshall John Matthews Robert Pearce Chris Phokeerdoss Robert Reaper Nik Rowley Malcolm Sandford Gavin Staines David Stokes Gerry Waters John-Paul Way David Williams Peter Wiles David Wood

First Secretary Political Systems Manager Teacher Executive Managing Office Implementation Manager Risk Manager Acting Chief Executive Officer Advisor to Director HR Director Enterprise Risk Management Principal Test Engineer Sales Manager - Central Province Vice President Finance Senior Consultant to CEO Head of Air Programmes Senior Maintenance & Training Mngr.

Newsreader COO Corporate Account Manager Maintenance Manager Design Engineer - Rollout Manager Supply Chain Consultant CEO Senior Mechanical Engineer Senior Commercial Officer Sales Director Senior Enginer SHE Advisor Installation Quality Manager Group Director Safety & Security Chief Information Officer VP Business Development Senior Global Relationship Manager Director Programme Delivery Principal MD KSA

New Director for UKTI I am delighted to be joining the Embassy on 1 March, replacing Paul Williams as Commercial Counsellor and Director of UK Trade & Investment. It is an exciting time to be coming to Saudi Arabia. The Saudi economy has weathered

SuDoku

Answer on to puzzle on page 19

British Embassy Cyril Sweett International British Int’l School Riyadh Dhuruma Electricity Company GPT SPM LTD BAE Systems SABB Takaful BAE Systems Ma’aden Advanced Electronics Company Aggreko Ltd BAE Systems King Faisal Specialist Hospital MoDSAP BAE Systems Saudi TV KSA Channel 2 Co-Ordination Arabia British Airways Arabian Homes EADS Defence & Security Sys. Almarai Co. Ltd Food & Entertainment Buro Happold BAE Systems Fawaz Al Hokair Detecon Al Saudi BAE Systems Systems Network Company Ltd National Air Services (NAS) SABB Fawaz Al Hokair SABB Fujitsu KSA British Int’l School Riyadh Fichtner GmbH & Co

the global recession,and significant growth is resuming. UK exports are holding up well but so are our competitors. As the Saudi economy diversifies, there are great opportunities to develop our economic and commercial relations,for example in the education, healthcare, infrastructure and energy sectors.

Like Paul, I am keen to help build a strong relationship with the RGBB and Saudi counterparts in developing these opportunities, with the support of the Chris Innes-Hopkins energetic UKTI trade teams in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar. I have already met some of you, and look forward to meeting many more RGBB members over the coming months.

For those who do not know me, this will be my fourth commercial post overseas after Paris, Tunis and Ankara. I have also served in Jerusalem, Kuwait and Cairo, and with the EU in Brussels. I recently gained some experience outside the FCO as Trade Director of the London-based Middle East Association, and as Corporate Affairs Director for BG Group in Egypt. So I have also been a client as well as a provider of Embassy services!

My wife Soraya is accompanying me, and our 17 year old daughter (Laura) and 24 year old son (Jeremy) will visit from time to time. I look forward to supporting the RGBB, and getting out and about in the commercial world of Saudi Arabia.

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