RGBB News Sum12

FROM THE CHAIR

B

usiness in the Kingdom continues at a frantic pace and for many of us, finding time for RGBB matters has been difficult to say the least.

In spite of the pressures, I’m delighted with the progress the RGBB has made in the few months since our AGM. As mentioned on Page 3, the RGBB hosted a reception for MEA Trade Mission visitors in April, the first time as far as I’m aware, that this has been done.

Gary Richardson RGBB Chair

With Luke Bowen back in the chair of the BDC, a post he first filled about ten years ago, I’m confident that the Special Interest Groups will continue to be a valuable source of information and support both for other members and the Embassy.

Our Special Briefings have been extremely well attended and our thanks must go to the speakers and sponsors who have educated and entertained us.

Chance Wilson, General Manager of the Hay Group gave us an insight to how the process of Saudisation has to be balanced against realistic business needs. Altaf Dossa, Head of Forensic Science at KPMG delivered a presentation which considered local practical arrangements in regards to preventing, detecting and responding to the risks of fraud.

As always, if any member has a particular subject area that he or she feels needs covering, please talk to a member of the Board and we’ll see what can be done.

Speaking of entertainment, The RGBB Summer Ball, organised this year by Jane Blackledge and her team, was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.

This years event gave us the opportunity to celebrate the 60 years of dedicated service that our Queen has given to our country and our thanks must once again be passed on to the staff at the British Embassy who allow us to use the wonderful gardens at the Ambassadors residence.

At the end of May we said farewell to Sir Tom Phillips and his wife Anne.

Their posting to the Kingdom seems to have flown by and I’d like to pass on my personal thanks, and I’m sure those from the entire membership, for the support and encouragement Sir Tom gave to the RGBB during his tenure.

We look forward to welcoming the new Ambassador, Sir John Jenkins to our future events.

We also had to say farewell to our secretary Brigitte Davenport and her husband Tony who have now departed Saudi Arabia. The photo below left shows Brigitte receiving one of our “Argies”.

Our two new secretaries are now in place. A warm welcome to Andrea Corbett and Nicky Reineke who have already started to make an impact with RGBB administration.

A busy schedule of events is already in place for the Autumn and I look forward to seeing you all again after you’ve taken, what will be I’m sure, a well earned rest during the summer.

Contents From the Chair ..........................1 2012-13 RGBB Board ...............2 RGBB Milestone........................3 BBA Notes.................................5 BBG Notes ................................7 RGBB Summer Ball...................8 Aviation SIG ............................10 Security SIG ............................10 nasair Exclusive Member Offer .......11 Special Briefing Nitiqat - Hay Group..................12 Community News ....................14 Sudoku ....................................14 Riyadh Welsh Society .............17 English Society Jubilee Ball pictures ................18 RGBB Golf Society..................23 RGBBGS Captains Awards Dinner.........................24 Special Briefing .......................27 Olympic Schedule ...................28 British Hopes ...........................30 Saudi Snippets ........................32 ICING ......................................34 UK Gossip ...............................38 Welcome to new Members......40 And Finally...............................40

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

Please give them yours AlKhozama Hotel.....................39 AMEX ......................................22 Arabian Homes..........................6 AXA ........................................16 BA..........................Inside Covers BAE Systems ..........................20 emax..........................................4 InterContinental Hotel..............35 SABB ..........Outside Back Cover SESE.......................................26 Sheraton Hotel ........................12 RGBB News 1

The RGBB 2012-2013 Board

Gary Richardson

Marcel Luckman

Chris Konstan

Moaz Al Sibaai

Chairman richardsonksa@hotmail.co.uk

Deputy Chairman marcel.luckman@riyadbank.com

The RGBB Secretary can be contacted on Saturdays Tel: 01 488 00 77 ext. 2263 or secretary@rgbb.org

Sean McPoland

Sports knewbery@olivegroup.com

Sean Ellis

Jane Blackledge

Treasurer chriskonstan@aol.com

Saudi Business Liaison sibaai@yahoo.com

Embassy Liaison ellis.family@hotmail.co.uk

Andrew Pearce

Christopher Innes-Hopkins

Peter Broom

Special Briefings andrew.d.pearce@logica.com

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

Keith Newbery

Communications smcpoland@gmail.com

Deputy Embassy Representative peter.broom@fco.gov.uk

Events janeblackledge@yahoo.co.uk

Luke Bowen

BDC Chairman and SIG Construction luke@arabianc.com

Special Interest Group Chairs

Keith Newbery

SIG Security knewbery@olivegroup.com

Andrew Day

SIG Aviation andrew.day-ksa@baesystems.com

Bernie Hewitt

SIG IT bh@bernhew.com

Christopher Palmer

SIG Education & Training christopher.palmer@sa.britishcouncil.org

The Queens Diamond Jubilee Ball - A note from the Events Secretary

a celebration from the RGBB Board and members to celebrate H.M Queen Elizabeth II.

We had a memorable time, celebrating the diamond years of H.M Queen Elizabeth II. You can see the photos on pages 8 & 9. I have had many compliments and praise for this event, which I am very grateful for, but there are many other people that should be thanked for making this event successful. These are the people who are there all the time making sure that all is safe and secure and the hoards of people involved in the catering of such events who entertain us feed us and keep us from dehydration.

Mostly I would like to thank the, almost 300, RGBB members and guests who attended for respecting the venue and the importance it holds for us all. I look forward to future events and will try again to include some live entertainment in future events. I have a great Jazz/ Swing band but they are a tad pricey and come from the UK any ideas for sponsorship to aid their journey would be most welcome.

Hope you all have a good summer, I’m going to Italy for a family wedding... yet another posh frock!

See you all at the next briefing or event.

RGBB RGBB NewsNews 2 2

Jane Blackledge

RECEPTION

Another milestone for the RGBB On 28th April 2012 the RGBB hosted a visiting trade mission from the UK. The visit was organised by the Middle East Association (MEA) in London.

In the absence of Chairman Gary Richardson, who was out of station, Deputy Chairman Marcel Luckman welcomed the visitors on behalf of the RGBB.

The mission consisted of representatives from companies across a number of sectors such as manufacturing, education, fire safety, recruitment and the legal profession.

David Lloyd OBE, from the MEA thanked the RGBB for hosting the event and hoped that similar events could be arranged for the future.

Around 60 members of the RGBB and selected invitees attended the reception, held in the amenities hall at the British Embassy.

A number of appropriate introductions were made during the evening, which reinforced the RGBB’s position as a major asset to UK companies looking to do business in the Kingdom.

RGBB NEWS

ADVERTISMENT SIZES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

The RGBB News magazine serves to advise, inform, entertain and promote members of the British business community in Saudi Arabia. 1000 copies of each edition are circulated free of charge to members of the British Business Groups in Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province; and others concerned with British business in the wider region. Publication dates for this year are expected to be April, June and October. Actual deadlines will be advised one month before production dates.

Full Page The finished size of the magazine is A4 portrait. i.e. 210mm wide x 297mm tall Full page "Bleed" type ads should be supplied +5mm all around. i.e. 220mm wide x 307mm tall

ADVERTISING RATES ARE AS FOLLOWS: Outside Back Cover ...................................... SR12,000 All covers Inside Front Cover ......................................... SR 6,000 booked Inside Back Cover ......................................... SR 5,000 for 2012 Centre Spread ............................................... SR 6,000 Full page inside ............................................. SR 4,000 Half page Inside ............................................ SR 2,500 Quarter Page inside ...................................... SR 1,500 Flyer Insertion................................................ SR 2,500

Half Page Adverts will be placed inside the standard printed area Landscape/Horizontal space at 185mm wide x 125mm tall Portrait / Vertical Ads at 90mm wide x 260mm tall Quarter Page Landscape /Horizontal space at 185mm wide x 60mm tall Portrait / Vertical space 90mm wide x 125mm tall DISCOUNTS A 10% discount will be given to any company booking a minimum of three adverts. The adverts may be placed in any combination of sizes in the same magazine or in two or three consecutive editions of the magazine.

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BBA

Notes from the Eastern Chair

Geoff Fennah MBE Chairman, British Business Association Eastern Province

Well summer is here along with the relentless heat that comes with it and I am sure you are all looking forward to your well earned summer breaks. I assume some will be heading to UK to attend the Olympic Games and others to Eastern Europe for the European Championship – wherever you are heading have a great time.

The Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen is now behind us with fantastic celebrations held all over the UK and abroad.

Only UK could pull of such an impressive pageant on the Thames and concert at Buckingham Palace – makes one feel proud to be British. Congratulations to Her Majesty on her long and successful reign and long may it continue.

Sadly, we have said farewell to HMA Sir Tom Phillips and Lady Anne and we all wish them well in their retirement. At the same time we welcome new HMA Sir John Jenkins and wife Nancy, to the Kingdom and look forward to hosting them at one of our upcoming events.

Our 40th AGM was held on 30 April and we are pleased to welcome Alexandra Robak and Al Jones to the committee. Zane Thirlwall decided not to stand for re-election after serving on the committee for a several years – thanks to Zane for his contribution to the BBA. It was good to see the F1 go ahead in Bahrain and hopefully it will prove to be a turning point

British Business Association - Eastern Province P. O. Box 1868, Oasis Gardens, AlKhobar 31952 Tel: 00966 3 882 5288 ext 1651 Fax: 00966 3 882 5629 Secretary: Julie Czarnota email: secretary@bbaep.org

for the economy which has suffered during the recent troubles. In contrast, Eastern Province continues to be busy with Jubail 2, Ras AlKhair and infrastructure projects moving forward at pace – the province is starting to look like one huge building site! Progress on Jubail, Ras Al-Khair and related projects was the subject of an interesting presentation at one of our recent monthly business dinners and left us staggered at the scale of the developments.

HMS Daring, one of UK’s new Type 45 destroyers, took a short break from Gulf patrol duties made to visit to Jubail in May. Thanks to the Captain and crew for hosting a very pleasant reception on the flight deck for local dignitaries and expatriate community.

Due to unforeseen circumstances we recently had to changes our ISP and as a consequence modify our web address slightly. Please note the new address below. If you have any ideas or suggestions for the BBA or need to contact us then feel free to call me directly, send an email to our Secretary at Secretary@bbaep.org or at our website www.bbaep.org

Members of the Jubail branch of the BBA said their farewells to Sir Tom at the Eastern Province QBP in April

RGBB News 5

BBG - JEDDAH

Notes from the BBG in Jeddah

Captain Steve Thomas BBG Jeddah Chairman

As I write this news has just broken of the sad demise of the Crown Prince, HRH Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. As the longserving Minister of the Interior HRH Prince Nayef was, amongst many other duties, responsible for our security. From the dark days of 2003/4 he led the Kingdom’s fight against terrorism and extremism to the point now where, although vigilance remains the watchword, Al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia has never been so weak. For these successes we can all be grateful and we offer our sincere condolences to Prince Nayef’s family and to the Saudi people.

The last four months have been busy ones for the BBG in Jeddah. We said thank you and goodbye to our longest serving committee member, Sam Thanvi. Sam had been our membership secretary for 3 years and since February had held the business liaison brief.

We wish him and the family all the best in his new job. Joining us on committee are Jason King, who has taken on the business role, Carl Redman who will assume the duties of the BBG Honorary Secretary. Welcome to the asylum, chaps!

We have held just the one Business Briefing. At the end of April Chance Wilson from the Hay Group presented the findings from the Survey they carried out at the end of last year concerning the effects of the Nitaqat programme on the Expatriate community. The meeting was very well attended and, in keeping with goals of the programme, we welcomed a number of Saudi attendees as well as members of the other European business groups in the Kingdom.

The presentation was excellent and generated a brisk discussion Unfortunately, our next business briefing, on Corporate Social Responsibility, had to be cancelled when it became obvious that we weren’t going to get the same stellar attendance!

In a new initiative, we have been in touch with our friends in other Jeddah-based European Business Groups and we are part of the planning effort for a combined business networking event to be held in November. We aim to bring together the members of the various groups along with key Saudi stakeholders in an effort to identify areas of potential cooperation.

It’s been an active few months on the social front. In April we had the Queen’s Birthday Party followed by a BC-G event “Celebrate2012” which was a great success. Continuing with the Jubilee theme the BBG participated in a Family Fun Day at the BC-G in early June. Just a few days ago, the BBG had a very successful race evening which was fully subscribed and thoroughly enjoyed by all.

As always, our thanks go to our friends at the Consulate-General, particularly Nadia Kelly who acts as our liaison.

The BBG has been an active supporter of the appeal to refurbish the Jeddah non-Muslim cemetery. We’d like to record our thanks to our Consul-General here in Jeddah, Mohammed Shokat, for his initiative in this cause. The BBG is proud to have been asked to

help and in turn we must thank all those who have helped in very many ways.

On the sports front, our annual sports challenge against our American cousins resulted in a hard-fought draw when our golf team eked out a win on the last day of the competition. A special mention must go to Gill Thompson and her Horseshoes team for their magnificent victory. Talk about beating them at their own game! Thanks also to all the players, the team captains and, of course, our Sports Coordinator Dave Wheen. The Sports Challenge was rounded off by the Survivors’ Ball, hosted this year by our opponents. We thank the ABJ for their kind hospitality and for a very successful evening.

Our esteemed Consul-General enlivened the evening by issuing a challenge to his US counterpart for the BBG and ABJ to face off in a game of softball for bragging rights.

Some would question the choice of sport but Shokat felt that it was only fair to allow our opponents a chance and, anyway, as a true Yorkshireman he was sure that any game with a bat and a ball should give us the upper hand! Unfortunately, due to schedule changes we couldn’t play the game before the summer so we look forward to it in the autumn. Watch this space to see how we fare.

Also looking forward, we eagerly anticipate welcoming Sir John Jenkins, our new Ambassador when he visits Jeddah. We warmly welcome Sir John and Lady Nancy to the Kingdom and wish them every success here.

We have slowly enhanced our presence on LinkedIn and now have sub-groups for our various Special Interest Groups (SIGs). By taking this step we hope to encourage more interaction both within our membership and with interested relevant parties beyond.

We would welcome members of the RGBB and, indeed, all the various Mideast British Business Groups to join us at: http://linkd.in/ BBGJED. We are also developing a twitter feed and you can follow us at @BBGJeddah.

As with all things web-related though the success of these communications channels will depend entirely on how much use is made of them – here’s keeping our fingers crossed.

Finally, I’d like to take the opportunity to wish all our friends, colleagues and partners throughout the Kingdom a great summer.

RGBB News 7

SIG AVIATION

I’m Andrew Day and I work for BAE Systems as Head of Maintenance Training and Competence aligning aircraft maintenance and continuing airworthiness governance with industry leading practice. For some light relief I offered to take over from Sean Ellis as the new Head of the Aviation Special Interest Group.

My interest in aviation pre-dates me joining the Royal Air Force in 1983 as a University Cadet studying Air Transport Engineering at The City University, London. Not only did this let me visit more CAMRA hostelries than most students, the thin sandwich course allowed me to work on all

the fast jets in service with the RAF except the Lightning.

Graduating from RAF College, Cranwell, I found myself at RAF Coningsby as a Junior Engineering Officer on Tornado F3s deploying to Dhahran in August 1990 for my first taste of Saudi Arabia. I returned to Kingdom in 2002 and 2003, again with F3s, as Senior Engineering Officer on 111(F) Squadron during a career that included guided missile trials, operational deployments to Northern Italy and Iraq, and introducing MultiSkilled aircraft tradesmen to the RAF. When the aforementioned Mr Ellis posted me to RAF Cosford. The RAF was kind to me: enabling me to race my old TR7 by subsidizing my fuel; play football and rugby at station level (the better players couldn’t get time off); and introducing me to Richard Noble in time to help build Thrust Super Sonic Car. I concluded my

SECURITY SIG Following on from Jim Mann’s departure from the Kingdom, and the RGBB AGM, I have taken over from Jim as the head of the Security SIG for the coming year.

A very big pair of shoes to fill! A very huge vote of thanks to Jim for his hard work over the years as head of the SIG. Jim, please feel free to visit us when you are in Riyadh.

One thing I will say; sorry, but I am not a poet in any way so please, if you want lines of poetry, please send them to me, if they are good and clean I will publish them in future issues of the RGBB News.

During the coming year I hope to hold at least two SIG meetings, however, as always speakers and subjects are always hard to find. Again, if anyone has an interest in talking to an audience of 100+, please contact me. I hope to hold one in November/December and February/March next year.

As part of the ‘job’ I send out the daily security notices from all of the contributors, thanks to OSAC-Bahrain, Crispin in Dubai, David Alexander for his SO18 news sheets and Ron from OSAC-Riyadh. If there is anyone who wishes to receive these daily updates please send me your Email address to: ksasecuritysig2012@gmail.com I hope you all have a great summer and look forward to seeing you all later in the year.

Keith Newbery RGBB News 10

career at Coningsby on the Typhoon and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and set up a small engineering and business improvement consultancy in 2008. This led to a contract with the Royal Saudi Air Force in Riyadh and then to my current post with BAES. Through my company, I became involved with various networking groups, the local Chamber of Commerce in Lincolnshire and the Sleaford Kesteven Rotary Club. This will help bring a business focused approach to the Aviation SIG that will bring our community together regularly allowing us to network and explore mutually beneficial opportunities.

My intention is to appeal to aviation enthusiasts and professionals alike through a series of diverse, enjoyable events that give us plenty of time to hear each other’s news, views, business interests and aviation yarns. Look forward to meeting you at one of them!

Biography Ted M. Spencer

Vice President Arabian Gulf Electronic Systems Sector International Northrop Grumman Corporation Mr. Spencer is responsible for all Business Development and sector strategy activity in select countries throughout the Middle East and Africa. He leads the Sector’s customer and government relations activity within Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Morocco, and South Africa. Mr. Spencer also identifies and provides new business development opportunities for multiple business units within Northrop Grumman Corporation, while directing activities from his Field Office located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In his current position since retirement from the US Air Force in August 2010 Ted previously served for 26 years in the United States Air Force, retiring as a Colonel. His last position was as the United States Defense and Air Attaché to Saudi Arabia, serving as the senior United States Government defense representative, responsible for representing US government defense policies and programs and implementing US Foreign Defense policy and engagement programs in the region.

Mr. Spencer holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration, a M.S. in National Security Studies, and conducts graduate seminars in Strategic Leadership.

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS Northrop Grumman Presentation

O

n 5 May 2012, the Aviation SIG was very fortunate to host Ted Spencer, Vice President of Northrop Grumman (Arabian Gulf) at the Wadi Club. Having served a long and distinguished career in the US Air Force in a variety of staff and operational appointments, including that of Air Attaché to the US Embassy in Riyadh, Ted is an authority on aviation matters in the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia.

Consequently, he delivered an entertaining presentation providing a synopsis of his Company and its business dealings in the Middle East, including an analysis of the business environment and opportunities in this region.

Northrop Grumman employs approximately 100,000 people in 25 countries around the world. The company is split into 4 Operating Sectors: Aerospace Systems; Electronic Systems; Information Systems; and Technical Services. It has leading capabilities in the following sectors: Cybersecurity; Systems Integration; C4ISR and Battle Management; IT and Networks; Homeland Security; Defense Electronics; Naval Shipbuilding; and Space and Missile Defense. It is a premier provider of manned and unmanned aircraft, space systems, missile systems and advanced technologies all critical to the USA and other nation’s security. The large BAES contingent in the audience noted the similarities between its company’s portfolio and Northrop Grumman’s and the good natured banter began.

goods, and services from the senior Saudi leadership so the opportunities are good for US companies. Northrop Grumman’s view was that Saudi Arabia will continue to use its political and economic influence to steer a moderate and conservative course for the Middle East region in its position as Custodian of the Islamic Faith. Ted felt that the Saudi Arabian Government will use its large cash reserves to influence regional actors following the Arab Spring in an attempt to counter perceived security threats from: Iran and its nuclear stance; instability in Iraq; unrest along the Yemeni border; Al-Qaida and Hezbollah terrorism; and also Syria. It also still needs to watch the unrest in Israeli and Palestinian territories. All these threats will continue to drive increased defence spending and opportunites for the sector.

The presentation closed with a lively question and answer session and some discussion of future Aviation SIG events and their format.

We then adjourned for an excellent buffet and refreshments courtesy of Northrop Grumman Arabian Gulf. On behalf of the Aviation SIG, I would like to thank Ted Spencer for an interesting and enjoyable evening and also thank my predecessor, Sean Ellis, for organising the event as well as for his work as Aviation SIG Head.

Ted went on to discuss notable products from Northrop Grumman’s diverse range including: Global Hawk, Fire Scout and UCAS-D unmanned aerial systems; the B-2 bomber; the James Webb Space Telescope; E-2 Hawkeye; Joint STARS targeting and battle management system; F-16, F-22 and F-35 active electronically scanned array sensor systems; and LITENING targeting and sensor system amongst others. A discussion ensued about colaborative programmes and areas where defence corporations competed against each other with Ted using the term “Competorator” to describe colleagues from different organisations and the curious relationship that now exists between us now that consortiums form and dissolve in response to a shrinking number of high value contracts.

The presentation moved on with a debate about the defence environment in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom has historically been one of America’s top international defense customers, and will remain so for many years to come. Since 1990 $56.6 Billion USD in Foreign Military Sales and $1.8 Billion USD in direct Defence Contractor Sales (excluding the new F-15SA contract) have been made to KSA. There is a continued strong demand for American technology, RGBB News 11

organisations. Hay Group has carried out a survey of expatriate workers in the Kingdom to understand how they view Saudisation and the Nitaqat program, what effects they believe it will have on their employees as well as their own roles, and what obstacles they think may be standing in the way of it becoming a success. Chance reported on the key findings of the research, putting statistical evidence to many of the anecdotal beliefs we hold and dispelling a few myths along the way.

By way of introduction, Chase set the scene with a stark quantification of the problem: Saudi Arabia has one of the youngest populations globally, and one which is still growing rapidly, with forecasts predicting it will expand by almost 450,000 annually. Unemployment is running above 40 per cent for those aged 20 to 24 and the Ministry of Labor is facing tough challenges to create sufficient job opportunities in a country where 29.4 per cent of the population is under 15 years of age.

D

uring May, we were delighted to host Chance Wilson, the KSA General Manager of recruitment experts Hay Group, giving us an insight into the views of KSA expatriates on Nitiqat or "Saudisation", the Kingdom’s program for measuring nationalization in the labor market.

Nitaqat poses real challenges to RGGB members’ businesses when addressing recruitment, retention, knowledge transfer and succession planning within their

RGBB News 12

To address these issues through the expat senior presence in the Kingdom, Hay needed to know the views of business leaders here – whether justified or not, these hold the key to change. A survey was conducted of high level managers within organisations operating in the Kingdom, 74 per cent of them CEOs, GMs and senior management. 57 per cent of respondents have been working in Saudi Arabia for five years or more. In many ways then, a similar cohort to our own membership.

The talk, backed throughout by empirical data, covered

SPECIAL BRIEFING expats perceptions of the following areas (note that what is a reported include not only Hay’s findings but also RGBB members’ views expressed on the night) : •

The real driver behind Nitiqat.

Saudi unemployment being recognized as the highest answer, and helping KSA to grow economically or compete internationally being way down the list.

•

The likely effect on UK businesses 62% expected a negative impact, only 10% positive. Note that Saudi nationals are paid 13% more than the general market average and this may twined with Nitiqat compliance contributes to the 4.4% wage inflation problem we are dealing with.

•

Barriers to Saudisation and development needs of the local workforce.

Competition with the public sector was raised in the report and in our RGBB audience as a major concern – Saudi skills and education ranked top as barriers, but private companies are acutely aware of the risk that they invest in the training and development of Saudi nationals, for many to then switch to public sector jobs with shorter hours and better pay?

•

•

Realistic timescales to transfer work from expats to Saudi nationals.

The most commonly cited timescale for a respondents own role to be transitioned across was 6-12 months, with the second most common answer being ‘over 2 years’ What it would take, including financial incentives, for expats to embrace the program.

Respondents felt strongly that it was the right thing to do, but on an individual level it seemed that the majority were not committed to doing it (they felt either that they would be pushed out, or that the rest of the workforce were not committed. When asked if finance could incentivize them 73% said yes, most commonly because it would serve as compensation for their eventual job loss.

Chance presented the formal conclusions of the study as follows : 1. Expatriates are largely supportive of the program, but see the biggest barrier to its success as a misalignment of the skills and competencies that Saudi nationals possess, compared to those most sought after by the commercial sector.

2. Private companies are struggling to find, attract and retain the best Saudi nationals, especially as they are often competing directly against the public sector for them. This is putting upward pressure on salaries.

3. Most expatriates believe that a stronger emphasis on apprenticeship initiatives across the Kingdom, as highlighted recently by the Ministry of Labor, would better support the Ministry’s nationalization efforts.

4. To improve knowledge transfer to Saudi nationals in the workforce, private companies and the government need to encourage, support and engage the expatriate workforce in the process.

For Saudisation to become the success that the government, and especially Saudi nationals, require it to be, private organisations such as those RGGB represents must be committed to working effectively with not only government but the education sector.

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A recent request from the RGBB Board was to make more of the articles featured in the magazine relevant to doing business in Saudi Arabia.

RGBB Member John Lawton, MD at the Agricultural Technology Company has sent us this piece about one of the companies he represents in the Kingdom.

Alvan Blanch, wins coveted Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2012 Alvan Blanch, world leaders in post-harvest crop processing systems, has won the coveted Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2012 in the ‘International Trade – Outstanding Achievement’ category.

This is the company’s second Queen’s Award, following previous success in 2005, but this time it comes just as the company celebrates its 60th year of business – and recognises the company’s achievement in increasing overseas sales by 160% over a three year period, with exports now at 80% of total sales, to over 90 countries worldwide.

A growing export sales team, with many different languages spoken, travels widely and practices a personalised pproach to selling; using its engineering, process and market knowledge to propose the most appropriate solutions for customers.

highly critical, and this new investment will help us to consolidate our position and to win new business” says Mr Blanch. “Producing in-house gives us the flexibility that we need and ‘British-made’ is still an important label in many of our markets.”

To meet the growing demand manufacturing capacity at the Alvan Blanch factory in UK has been extended and a major investment in new computer-controlled manufacturing equipment has been implemented – a total spend of over £2 million in the past 2 years. “While we sell on the basis of quality and service, pricing is of course

The company places great importance on creating products that are right for the market to which they are aimed – so design, research & development are given top priority.

SuDoku

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

Answer on page 40

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The company’s late founder, Mr Alvan Blanch, received an OBE from the Queen in 1969 for export achievement.

“My father quickly recognised the potential that exporting offers – for growth and stability”, says Mr Blanch. “His drive to sell worldwide laid the foundations for our success today”.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Climbing Wall in operation for next term During the last year the climbing wall at the British International School of Riyadh (BISR) has undergone quite a transformation and the RGBB has helped to make this happen.

We decided that we wanted to improve and expand the tired old wall and in doing so provide the school with an exciting new facility that would inspire students to take up the challenging sport of climbing.

We had hoped to have the project finished earlier in the year but as is the case with many bespoke projects (in Saudi!), delays inevitably occurred with regard to construction, paint sampling and suitability, bolt sizes and types, and so forth.

With the help of a small group of keen expatriate climbers, we have now recently fixed the various colourful climbing holds and safety attachments to the wall which means that it is now ready to be climbed!

Well,‌. once it has been certified for safety and in order to do this to the standards we expect in the west we have found a company in Dubai who will shortly be coming out to perform this task.

Therefore, the climbing wall will certainly be ready for September where we hope to have plenty of students learning to climb and may be some adventurous adults too!

None of this would have possible without the support of our sponsors and we would like to sincerely thank the RGBB for the generous contribution they made.

We feel especially lucky that we have groups like the RGBB who take an interest in projects like this, and help to make them possible.

Peter Thompson BISR

RGBB News 15

RIYADH WELSH SOCIETY C.C.R.W.S. (Cymdeithas Cymraeg Riyadh Welsh Society)

T

he Society is going from strength to strength and continues to draw new members from the community in Riyadh. Recently it held a ‘Film Night’ where members got together and viewed the Welsh classic ‘Twin Town’ whilst sharing popcorn and socialising with each other. This was a great success and there are plans afoot to hold further film and television nights including the ‘Gavin and Stacey’ series.

More recently on the 14th June CCRWS hosted a Family Day in which its members and employees of the British Embassy were invited to bring along the whole family for pool fun, entertainment and good food. Many members of the committee worked tirelessly to provide a relaxed and friendly day for everybody – CCRWS would like to thank Mark Roberts for his hard work and Llinos DryhurstRoberts for her indefatigable energy and drive which served to make the event such a colourful occasion.

We would also like to thank Ceri-Anne Jones who kindly supported the Family Day by being on call throughout the occasion.

A BBQ was held and the pool was available for children and adults alike. Indeed, most of the children spent the day in aforementioned pool, pausing only briefly to have

their face painted, temporary tattoos applied and to consume their soft drinks. Babies enjoyed themselves as well as the older children and friends were made across nations in the pool. The atmosphere was relaxed and cool – as cool as 43 degrees can be – it was a lovely summer’s day for all.

The highlight of the day was the raffle, for which members of CCRWS had been collecting prizes whenever they visited the motherland. Prizes included Welsh polo shirts and signed pictures of Rob Brydon, Matt Lucas and many others. It proved worthwhile to buy a few raffle tickets as Luke Jones and Nicola Quick found out, each winning more than one prize! After the raffle, there was the auction of two BA Club Class Return tickets to the UK which had been generously donated to the society

by Dr Ken Mason of Riyadh Military Hospital. CCRWS is eternally grateful for such a great donation from Ken as the monies raised from both the raffle and in particular the auction will be put towards the costs of future events.

As CCRWS does not charge membership fees it is reliant on the goodwill and support of its members – and they have not let us down!

CCRWS is always seeking new members to join our expanding family – all those born in or have parents or grandparents born in Wales are welcome and exceptionally families with children born in Wales can also join! We look forward to the future with great expectations. Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far this year.

Sarah Blainey-Ansquer RGBB News 17

BAE SYSTEMS SAUDI ARABIA ATTENDS CAREERS FAIR IN US

The Company welcomed Saudi students currently participating in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Scholarship Programme in the US BAE Systems Saudi Arabia participated in a Careers Fair that coincided with the graduation of the fourth intake of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Scholarship Programme in the US. The event was held over a period of three days in Maryland, US, under the patronage of Dr. Khaled Al Angary, Minster of Higher Education, and His Excellency Adel Al Jubair, Saudi Ambassador to the US. The event was inaugurated on their behalf by Dr. Mohammed Al Omar, Cultural Attaché Assistant for Academic Affairs.

The Company welcomed Saudi students currently participating in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Scholarship Programme in the US, who will graduate later this year and who are interested in working in multinational companies.

Representatives of BAE Systems Saudi Arabia’s Human Resources department and current employees answered questions and enquiries from the students and talked about the career opportunities offered by the Company.

Participating in the Employment Fair was part of the Company’s ongoing efforts in supporting the recruitment, retention, training, development and capability building of Saudis Nationals in various disciplines and roles.

Abdulaziz Al Humaidhi, Head of Recruitment, BAE Systems Saudi Arabia, said: “BAE Systems Saudi Arabia takes pride in its commitment towards the employment of the largest possible number of local individuals in various functions across the Company. Currently approximately 60% of our workforce in the Kingdom are Saudi Nationals.

These activities earned the Company the Prince Naif Saudisation Award and Best Business Environment for Job Localisation Award in 2011.”

He explained that the graduates of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Scholarship Programme are highly sought by all companies operating within the Kingdom. This is attributable to their excellent academic achievements and their exposure to a variety of cultures, enabling them to work within multinational workplaces.

“One of the foundation stones of the Company is the attraction of well-educated, local talent, stemming from our firm belief in the importance of establishing a local employee base. We provide a comprehensive approach that supports the training and development of young Saudis in order to help them meet the requirements of the local job market and apply their skills in the Kingdom.

As a business, we seek to develop and refine employees’ personal and practical skills throughout their time with us to enhance their efficiency and knowledge” added Abdulaziz.

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RGBB SPORTS

RGBBGS

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r e c o r d seventytwo golfers battled out another tight finish in the RGBB Golf Society Captain’s day.

The event, which was hosted by Captain Spence Hawthorn, took the form of a four ball Texas scramble and saw 18 teams fight it out for one of the societies major awards of the year.

Fourth was secured by Julian Bennett, Per Anders Nilsson, Eddie Lee & Shirley Denis. They scored 16 under par (58).

SPORTS REPORT

Fifth went to Patrick Kennedy, Paul Jardine, Syed Shafiq & Orazio Moretti. who also shot a 58 but were also prevented from finishing higher on count back.

Thank you to all those people who voted for me at the AGM, to be elected to the Board of the RGBB. As is the way, each Board member has a section that they are responsible for and those posts were shown in the last issue of the magazine.

Ladies longest drive was won by Lois Barker, with George MacKay claiming the men’s title.

The nearest the pin competitions were won by Ed Bulkeley, Sigurd Anderson, Ruby Klawakowski, Peter Butterworth, Shirley Denis & Duncan Smith.

The scoring was so close that only 3 shots separated the top 5 teams, with count backs being required to separate 2nd to 5th places.

The longest putt competition was won by the team of George MacKay who all received a goody bag courtesy of sponsors UPS.

The availability of mulligan’s (second chance shots) that players could purchase, combined with a golf course that is in perfect playing condition, clearly had a significant effect as a record number of teams shot below the par score of 72 on this challenging parkland course.

The prizes were rounded out by Craig Gordon who won the straightest drive competition.

Some teams however really took advantage of the opportunities that they created; with all of the top 5 teams recording a minimum of 6 birdies each.

However the title of Captain’s day Champion’s went to Duncan Smith, Rob Stacey, Bennie Burger & Sigurd Anderson as their handicap edged out Hawthorn’s team by 1 shot, winning with a net score of 17 under par (55) 1 stroke less on the back 9. They were in jubilant mood as they received their trophies from RGBB Captain Spence Hawthorn at the family part of the event later in the day.

In second place were Spence Hawthorn, Gary Richardson, John Spitz and Will Appleby, who recorded a net score of 16 under par (56).

In third place also with a score of 16 under par (56) were Paul Dart, Declan White, Liz Kennedy & Jonathan Corrigan, only losing out second pace on a count back.

The tournament, which was organised

by Spence Hawthorn and his team was hosted by Dirab Golf & Country Club included a range of family activities during the day.

After the golf event was completed buses arrived at the course carrying over 60 family members. The afternoon saw children’s activities including putting, golf lessons, football, horse riding, bouncy castle, face painting & kids entertainment.

Each of the children then received gifts from Captain Hawthorn at a family lunch, which was catered for by the Sheraton hotel.

The RGBB golf society would like to thank everyone who was involved in making the event another huge success. We would particularly like to thank our generous sponsors without whom this event could not have taken place, these sponsors are: Dirab Golf and Country Club, UPS, nasair, Almarai & the Sheraton.

For details about joining the RGBB Golf Society please send us an email at rgbbgolfsoc@gmail.com

For my sins, I have adopted the Sports section, for those of you who know me, I am very much a spectator when it comes to sport, Rugby, Football, Cricket, I love watching them all!

Let me say from the start, I am not a golfer! I am very much in the group which believes in Mark Twain’s statement: “Golf is a good walk spoiled” but and a very big but, I fully support the RGBB Golf Society and its fantastic efforts in raising so much money for charity, keep it up.

What I would like to do, is organise some other sports for both the active and inactive sports lovers.

There are a number of ‘events’ that I would like to arrange, but as always, support for them is essential and therefore would ask you to participate in a very simple questionnaire which I will distribute to all the paid up members shortly.

As a few examples, •

• •

“Any one for Cricket?” It has been a few years since there was a RGBB Cricket Match, does anyone play or know a team of amateurs, who would like a 20 over game?

Boules. It appears that there is a set of Boules here in Riyadh, anyone interested?

Ten pin bowling. There are a number of venues on compounds with bowling alleys, maybe a night out or even a mini-league?

Please give it some thought and I will be in touch with some dates Please remember, it is your participation that will make these events a success

Keith Newbery RGBB Sports Coordinator RGBB News 23

RGBB News 24

RGBB OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

RGBB News 25

SPECIAL BRIEFING

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n June our special briefing speaker was Altaf Dossa, Head of Forensic Services & IT Risk Consulting Services for KPMG, KSA. Altaf gave a practical and informative summary of the Saudi landscape with regard to countering fraud, bribery and corruption.

Following enactment in July 2011 of the UK Bribery Act, a piece of legislation which is equally applicable here as it is ‘at home’, this has become a very hot topic for many British companies and expats. This new act joins the long standing US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and underlying Saudi law, together meaning that perpetrators of dishonesty could be put behind bars in either of the Kingdoms for up to 10 years. As well as strict penalties, the increasing breadth of legislation means that more types of transaction than ever before are defined as illegal - the loopholes are closing - and that the risk of detection with so many eyes upon us is now greater than ever before.

The audience listened intently as Altaf told us how to know if we had adequate protection against transgressing the rules and incurring these penalties. Key facts about the UK Bribery Act : • • • •

• •

It applies to all employees worldwide of any company, UK based or not, if that company has a UK presence – its ‘reach’ is unprecedented.

It applies equally to the person giving and receiving the bribe – these are both offences.

Unlike the US Act, it applies equally to the bribing of staff in private businesses, not just to deals with public officials.

The definition of a bribe is far broader than before – ‘facilitation payments’, for example, are no longer exempted (and Saudi legislation clarifies that any benefit, privilege, promise or gift can count – it doesn’t need to be material to be a bribe) Even supply chain or agents working on your behalf could, if involved in bribery, render you and your company liable for prosecution.

Penalties are a fine and up to 10 years jail for individuals and an unlimited fine for their companies (under the Saudi 1992 Combatting Bribery Law, maximum imprisonment is also up to 10 years, with fines limited to 1 million SAR).

A number of recent examples were given, from major defense contracts to improper gifts of office supplies before Altaf tackled the million dollar question: But how do people actually get caught ? Human nature it seemed

from the cases audited was key:- All too often, motivations such as jealousy lead to whistle-blowing, prompting an investigation and the downfall of the perpetrator.

But the news is not all bad – risks can be managed through some sensible precautions: 1. Put in place adequate procedures within your organisation to prevent bribery - this means providing policies (such as on corporate gifts) but crucially evidencing that these are enforced and that staff are aware of them and are suitably educated. Complying in this respect can indemnify an organisation from the actions of a rogue individual.

2. Perform due diligence on persons who will perform services for your organisation, whether directly or through supply chain – your company may be liable for ‘failing to prevent’ them bribing on your behalf.

A lively debate followed the talk, probing further into what would or would not constitute an illegal transaction.

Many attendees questioned whether it was possible to do business in the Middle East with these restrictions in place, others that it left UK based businesses at a disadvantage to those from other countries.

Altaf concluded with a profile of a typical fraudster, based on a KPMG review of recent cases: 36 to 55 years of age, male and in senior management. This struck an uncomfortable chord with the collected RGGB attendance!

Length of service also played a part - those in office less than 2 years it seemed did not know the systems well enough to cover their tracks so tended not to be involved.

Finally, it was revealed that 68% of fraudsters acted alone – far from being a corporate instruction, could it be that the offence was committed in order to meet that sales target or get that promotion ?

Our thanks go out to KPMG and to Altaf for an enlightening and entertaining evening – when asked how to get around the rules his professionalism did not waiver, but to know his answer… well you had to be there.

Andrew Pearce For further information, Altaf’s slides were emailed to the membership on 11 June 2012 RGBB News 27

London 2012 The biggest sporting event in the world is due to kick-off in the UK in July. Many of you may already have your travel plans sorted but for the rest of us, left with only the television coverage, the schedule may help to give you some idea of what is happening and when.

RGBB News 28

OLYMPIC SCHEDULE The Torch Relay Crowds gather across the UK to witness the passage of the Olympic flame as it uses a variety of transport.

Right: Josephine Loughran carries the Olympic Flame on the Scots Guardsman steam locomotive on the journey from York to Thirsk in England, Below Left: Joanne Gregory, a Scout leader from Llangollen, travels across the thousand-foot-long Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Below Right Zara Phillips arrives on her horse Toytown as she brings the flame to Cheltenham Racecourse

RGBB News 29

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ith many althletes still competing for their place in the 2012 Olympics, we take a very brief and random look at ten British Medal hopefuls.

Athletics Jessica Ennis Date of birth: 23/1/1986 Place of birth: Sheffield Height: 165cm / 5ft 5in Weight: 57kg / 8st 13lbs Lost world crown to Tatyana Chernova due to her worst showing in the javelin since the 2007 Championships in Osaka but still lays claim to European hepthathlon title. Poised to be the face of the 2012 Olympics, some fine-tuning to the javelin should see her close in on Denise Lewis’s British record.

However current Olympic hepthathlon champion Nataliya Dobrynska should make a strong return in 2012 and has remained within touching distance of Ennis over the past couple of years.

Another name to watch out for is Tatyana Chernova of Russia, who is not as good a runner as Ennis but could make up ground in the long jump and javelin, two of her strongest events.

Athletics Dai Greene Date of birth: 11/4/1986 Place of birth: Llanelli Height: 185cm / 6ft 1in Weight: 77kg / 12st 1lb Clinched 2011 World Championship title in dramatic fashion in 48.26secs for GB’s first gold in Daegu. Just needs RGBB News 30

Olympic gold to complete the set after being crowned Commonwealth and European champion in 2010.

The current BBC Welsh Sports personality of the year’s personal best of 47.88sec means Kriss Akabusi’s British record of 47.82sec is well within his reach, even if the Olympic record of 46.78sec, set by Kevin Young at the 1992 Games in Barcelona, is not.Having proved that he is the best in Europe and the Commonwealth, Greene will be hoping to beat the American trio of Angelo Taylor, Kerron Clement and Bershawn Jackson, who swept the board at the Beijing Olympics.

Boxing Nicola Adams Date of birth: 26/10/1982 Place of birth: Leeds Weight: 51kg / 8st 0lbs Became first British woman to win a major boxing title with victory at the 2011 European Amateur Boxing Championships. Claimed silver at the World Championships in 2008 and 2010. She has been tipped as “our best Olympic prospect out of all of Great Britain’s boxers, male and female” by coach Gerry Willmott, MBE. World No.1 Karolina Michalczuk, of Poland, and China’s Cancan Ren, have both beaten Adams in major tournaments in recent years.

Victoria has a truly imperious CV. A gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, eight world titles, and gold and silver medals from the Commonwealth Games. Rewarded with an MBE in 2009.

Beijing silver medallist Anna Meares and Commonwealth medallist Kaarle McCulloch will challenge her for gold.

Victoria is expected to win three gold medals, so the pressure of a nation’s hopes on her shoulders could prove as big a rival as any. Just ask Andy Murray.

Cycling Chris Hoy Date of birth: 23/3/1976 Place of birth: Edinburgh Height: 185cm / 6ft 1in Weight: 92kg / 14st 6lbs He is Britain’s most successful cyclist of all time. Became the first Briton in 100 years to win three golds at one Olympic Games when he claimed victory in the men’s keirin, team sprint and individual sprint at 2008 Beijing Games. Add that to another Olympic gold from Athens and 10 World Championship titles, and it’s easy to see why he was awarded a knighthood.

Admits to being obsessive about bikes. He used to work for a pittance in a bike shop, and spend all his wages on things from the shop as he built his own bike. “I knew the cost of every component,” he says. “I knew the weight of every titanium skewer.” www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ olympics/TeamGB/competitors

Cycling Victoria Pendleton Date of birth: 24/9/1980 Place of birth: Bedfordshire Height: 165cm / 5ft 5in Weight: 62kg / 9st 10lbs

is the place to find an impressive collection of Team GB profiles for those of you wanting to find out more about who might be competing in your favourite sport

BRITISH HOPES Mustafina and the USA’s Rebecca Bross, who are both set to compete in London. China have yet to reveal their hand, but are expected to challenge strongly in every event.

Gymnastics Louis Smith Date of birth: 22/4/1989 Place of birth: Peterborough, Height: 179cm / 5ft 10in Weight: 76kg / 11st 13lbs Became Britain’s first Olympic gymnastics medallist for 80 years in Beijing, winning bronze on the pommel horse. Followed up this success with two silvers at the 2010 European Championships and a bronze at the 2011 World Championships. Krisztian Berki of Hungary is the man to beat on the pommel horse at the moment and beat Smith handily in Berlin in April 2011.

Gymnastics - Artistic Beth Tweddle Date of birth: 1/4/1985 Place of birth: Johnnesburg Height: 160cm / 5ft 3in Weight: 53kg / 8st 4lbs Born in South Africa where her father was temporarily employed, Beth arrived in the UK at 18 months old. Tried her hand at ballet and horse riding, amongst other things, before finding her niche. Signed up to her local gymnastics club, Crewe and Nantwich, aged seven. Began competing for the British junior team at nine. She is now Britain’s most successful gymnast of all-time.

Seven national titles, six European championships, three world championships. She was awarded the MBE in 2010.

She faced stiff competition on the uneven bars from Russia’s Aliya

Sailing Ben Ainslie Date of birth: 5/2/1977 Place of birth: Macclesfield Height: 183cm / 6ft 0in Weight: 90kg / 14st 2lbs Three-time Olympic gold medallist, Olympic silver medallist and three-time ISAF World Sailor of the Year, Ben is the most successful British sailor ever in the Olympics. Ben has won a host of international and national titles, including five gold medals in the Finn World Championships. In 2001 he was awarded an MBE, in 2005 he was promoted to an OBE and in 2009 was awarded a CBE. London 2012 will be Ben’s fifth consecutive Olympic Games. Sir Steve Redgrave and Sir Matthew Pinsent are the only British Olympians to have won more medals than Ben. Olympic silver medallist and USA competitor Zach Riley has vowed to be the one to finally topple Ben from the podium in 2012.

For anyone attending the Olympics, specifically the Olympic Village.

Please be aware that purchased product branding is in place. Therefore be advised that you MAY NOT be able to use any credit or debit card that is not branded by VISA. VISA have purchased the advertising rights to the Olympics and it has been reported that only VISA cards will be allowed to be used in the Olympic Village (around the main stadium). You may use cash or VISA, but may not be able to use Mastercard, AMEX, Diners etc. this does not afect any other stadium or arena where sports are being played, only the Olympic Village.

Swimming Rebecca Adlington Date of birth: 17/2/1989 Place of birth: Mansfield Height: 179cm / 5ft 10in Weight: 70kg / 11st 0lbs Claimed double gold at the 2008 Olympics in 400m and 800m freestyle, the first British swimming champion since 1988 and the first Team GB swimmer to claim double gold in 100 years. She currently holds the world record for the 800m freestyle event and was awarded an OBE in 2009 in recognition of her sporting achievements. Rebecca is currently ranked No.1 in the world for the 400m and 800m freestyle, but she faces tough competition from her Australian rivals Kylie Palmer and Bronte Barratt.

Swimming Fran Halsall Date of birth: 12/4/1990 Place of birth: Southport, England Height: 171cm / 5ft 6in Weight: 59kg / 9st 4lbs The current British record holder for the 100m and 50m freestyle as well as the 50m and 100m butterfly. A reigning Commonwealth champion and former European champion, Fran has claimed nearly 20 international medals in the last five years including five at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Ranked as the world No.1, Fran is currently at the top of her game, however Australia’s Alicia Coutts is hoping to outshine Fran.

RGBB News 31

Saudi Aramco has produced more oil than any other company on Planet.

SkyTeam, the global airline alliance, welcomed Saudia as its 16th member in May.

About 300 students and others at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., crowded into a campus auditorium June 1 to hear CEO AlFalih talk about his role leading one of the world’s most successful energy companies. His presentation was part of a guest speaker series called “View from the Top” that is hosted by the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

The flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, Saudia becomes SkyTeam’s first member airline from the Middle East and gives the alliance a strong foothold in the region.

Drilling a little deeper was the mantra that Al-Falih used to further explore the theory and practice of leadership, and to describe Saudi Aramco today and its future aspirations. Saudi Aramco story is one of success by multiple measures, he explained.

Al-Falih went on to talk about Saudi Aramco’s expanding role in natural gas and chemicals, and its push into the downstream sector through significant investment in refining assets, both at home and abroad.

Al-Falih also touched on the company commitment to lead the industry in technology research and innovation, and its important role in serving as the engine of the Kingdom economy and source of energy.

He said that even though Saudi Aramco is already one of the world largest, most successful enterprises, it is aiming even higher to unleash its full power and potential through a transformative change.

RGBB News 32

From its hubs in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam, Saudia operates a comprehensive network throughout the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian Subcontinent and Northern Africa.

Saudia adds 51 new destinations to SkyTeam’s global network, including 23 within Saudi Arabia. Examples of new destinations are: Islamabad, Pakistan; Colombo, Sri Lanka; and Alexandria, Egypt.

“Saudia’s membership adds value to the alliance by opening up the considerable Saudi Arabian market to our customers,” said Michael Wisbrun, SkyTeam’s Managing Director. “We are responding to passenger demand for increased travel choice within the Middle East by adding a significant player from the region. This allows us to offer more destinations, while continuing our focus on enhancing products and services for our global customers.”

Prince Fahd bin Abdullah, President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, and chairman of Saudia’s board of directors, unveiled two Saudia aircraft decorated with the SkyTeam livery. “We are confident that this meeting would herald a big turning point in the history of SkyTeam,” Prince Fahd said.

“Joining SkyTeam is an integral part of Saudia’s long-term transformation strategy, which includes rebranding our airline, restructuring core operations and enhancing onboard products and airport services,” said His Excellency Khalid Al-Molhem, Saudia’s Director General. “We are proud to become SkyTeam’s first Middle Eastern member and this milestone marks a momentous occasion in our airline’s history. We look forward to a bright future as a SkyTeam member, offering a greater worldwide network and benefits to our customers.”

Prior to joining SkyTeam, Saudia embarked on a four-year turnaround program, which will be completed by 2013. As a key part of this program, the airline took the opportunity to refresh its corporate identity and change its name. Upon joining SkyTeam, the name Saudia was reintroduced, the airline’s name from 1972 to 1996. Honour, an aviation brand experience consultancy, designed and managed the brand refresh program. Other elements of Saudia’s transformation plan include modernizing IT, commercial, operational and financial platforms and renewing the fleet by acquiring 90 new aircraft.

The aircraft are a Boeing B777-200 deployed on routes to Dubai, London, New York and Guangzhou, in addition to an Airbus A320 used primarily on routes to Europe and the UAE.

SAUDI SNIPPETS SABB launches Credit Card Summer Campaign

Aston Martin Zagato Development of launch event in Riyadh Jeddah a top priority

The Saudi British Bank (SABB) has launched its credit cards summer campaign “Your summer is on us”.

The campaign offers customers 100 chances to win back their summer expenses when they use their new or existing SABB Visa or SABB MasterCard cards.

The Aston Martin V12 Zagato recently launched in Saudi Arabia, with Aston Martin Chief Commercial Officer Michael Van der Sande present to talk guests through the heritage behind the car and the long standing partnership with Zagato.

New applicants will not only qualify to enter the draw but will get a “buy one get one free” vouchers booklet worth of SR25,000 upon receiving their credit card.

The bank continues to develop various cards propositions and products that can meet and cater for all customers’ needs.

SABB has recently introduced its AQSAT installment programs designed to allow customers to pay for their purchases in easily monthly installments.

Additionally, SABB’s ICSABB rewards program, has recently seen the addition of new top brands and merchants allowing customers to have more choices to redeem their ICSABB points. Under the scheme the Bank gives 1 ICSABB point for every SR 10 spent on the SABB Credit Card (cash advances are excluded). Once a cardholder has collected 1,000 points, they get 1 ICSABB voucher, worth SR 100, to be redeemed at any of the ICSABB participating merchants.

Ali Husein Alireza, CEO of sole Aston Martin concessionaires in Saudi Arabia said “This is considered for us a decisive step to position Aston Martin the way it deserves and we are very excited to launch this new car. Aston Martin and Zagato have collaborated once again to create this modern interpretation of the marque which remains true to the company’s original focus of craftsmanship, performance and exclusivity.

The Zagato is considered a renewal of a past successful cooperation between the British company Aston Martin and the Italian car design company Zagato. This cooperation comes to mark the 50-year partnership between the two companies since launching the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato. The long-awaited car now features a new handcrafted aluminium body with a unique stunning double bubble roof, a heavily modified middle and rear section that unites both of the companies design DNAs. Additional is the endurance racing fuel tank carrying up to 120 litres of fuel. The V12 Zagato is powered by a 6.0 L V12 engine with 510 bhp and 570 Nm of torque.

Riyadh Governor Prince Sattam, presided over the third joint meeting of the High Commission for Riyadh Development, the Board of the Riyadh Region and the Municipal Council of the City of Riyadh as well as the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Riyadh.

“I am pleased to welcome everyone to this blessed two-yearly meeting and hope it will be a renewed opportunity to enhance communication among us.” he said.

Prince Sattam called on participating agencies to contribute with effective opinions and proposals that would contribute to the development of Riyadh and the region.

The meeting also showcased a presentation on the overall plan for public transport in Riyadh, which consists of six main axes at a total length of 181 kilometres of railway for electric trains, and constructing a network parallel for buses to be divided into four different levels that will cover the entire city, integrated with the train system.

In a notice on the Arriyadh Development Authority’s website, “global consortia” were invited to bid to provide infrastructure including rolling stock and telecommunications, as well as tunnelling, civil, mechanical and electrical works. Suppliers had until 20 June to submit their proposals.

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CULINARY CORNER:

Important bread making tips

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Always use strong bread flour. If you want to use flour that does not have such a high gluten content such as wholemeal or granary flour, mix 2/3 of wholemeal or granary flour with 1/3 of white strong flour.

alt or sodium chloride is essential for our health, yet many of us are unknowingly consuming far more than we should. Many people avoid adding salt to food or to cooking to keep their salt intake down, however, the majority of salt (around 75%) that we consume is already present in processed food such as bread, breakfast cereals, pastries and ready meals. A high salt intake is associated with high blood pressure and heart problems.

It’s also linked to stomach cancer and osteoporosis.

Fresh yeast is hard to find (a few bakers and health shops do sell it). By far the easiest yeast to use is the fast action bread yeast and this can be added straight to the flour without having to activate it first.

Always use warm water for mixing but not hot, i.e. it should be pleasantly warm to the hands.

Experiment by taking your favourite recipe and adding nuts, dried fruit, bran, wholegrains, seeds, wheat, onion, garlic, etc, to the dough.

If you are not using a breadmaker, after mixing the dough it should be put in a warm place until is has approximately doubled in size (proving). This will take a variable amount of time, usually from 1⁄2 to 1 hour.

How much salt should be in our food?

The Food Standards Agency states that adults should not consume more than 6g of salt a day. The amount recommended for children is a lot less and varies according to age. Salt can be listed as salt or as sodium on a product’s nutritional information. A high salt content is more than 1.5g salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium). A low salt content is 0.3g salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium) Manufacturers are working towards reducing salt in their bread, yet most commercial bread is still fairly high in salt.

If, like many people, you have toast for breakfast and a sandwich for lunch, you could be consuming half your daily quota of salt by lunchtime based on the salt levels in some breads. For a child, this can be more than their daily recommended salt intake.

What’s the alternative? Bread from independent bakeries can contain less salt than the sliced bread found in supermarkets but not always - ask your local baker about the amount of salt they use. Better still, get kneading and bake your own low salt bread.

You can do this either by hand (which is quite time consuming) or using a breadmaker (which is much quicker and easier). Using a breadmaker will make a loaf from start to finish in around three hours and, apart from adding the ingredients and setting the controls, no further work is needed.

Alternatively, you can use the breadmaker for mixing and proving the dough only and then bake the bread in a conventional oven or you can mix and let the bread rise yourself (proving).

Whether you make it yourself or in the breadmaker, the recipe is identical.

RGBB News 34

Here’s a receipe for Wholemeal Bread that you might like to try: Ingredients: 300g wholemeal flour 150g strong white flour 1 sachet (7g) fast action bread yeast 2 tablespoons olive oil/ rapeseed oil 1⁄2 pint warm water Method Place the flours in a large bowl together with the yeast, olive oil and warm water. Mix to a dough adding a little bit more water or flour if necessary. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Leave in a warm place until it has doubled in size (about 30 minutes).

Turn out the dough and knead again for a few minutes.

Lightly oil a 450g loaf tin or baking tray and shape the dough to fit the tin or make an oblong shape and place on the tray. Leave it for about 10 minutes.

Heat the oven to 220C (Gas mark 7) and bake for 3040 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Cool on a wire tray.

If the bread is not eaten on the same day it is a good idea to slice it when absolutely fresh and freeze it.

The same recipe applies if using a breadmaker - place all the ingredients in the container, choose a programme and let the machine do the work.

to raise awareness in the community at large that children with Down syndrome can lead happy and fulfilled lives provided they are offered the opportunities to do so.

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n May, ICING held what may be its last Summer Fundraiser. After a seven year run at co-ordinating the charitable efforts of the community the organising team have been advised that they probably do not comply with the new legislation governing fund raising activities.

Although all of the events have been managed by unpaid volunteers, and all of the cash raised can be accounted for, the success of the exercise has introduced the prospect of having to form a legal entity to be able to carry on.

Since the financial costs and the physical time involved in fulfilling that exercise would be prohibitive, ICING supporters are encouraged to make their donations directly to the organisations ICING has been supporting.

In Saudi Arabia those causes would include the Downs Syndrome Children’s Association.

DSCA provides a group of integrated services to children with Down syndrome. These services include medical care, speech and physical therapy as well as preparation for education and training for mothers of the children.

Sadly there are an estimated 25,000 cases of Down syndrome in the Kingdom, a figure that increases by about a thousand every year. By supporting this initiative ICING has

Indeed, for many people with Down syndrome, the outlook has never been brighter. Increased life expectancy, higher educational achievements and greater social inclusion are improving the quality of life for people with Down syndrome the world over.

More information about the Association may be obtained on their website at: www.dsca.org.sa Another recipient of funds from ICING has been the Saudi Autistic Society.

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability. It is part of the autism spectrum and is sometimes referred to as an autism spectrum disorder, or an ASD. The word ‘spectrum’ is used because, while all people with autism share three main areas of difficulty, their condition will affect them in very different ways. Some are able to live relatively ‘everyday’ lives; others will require a lifetime of specialist support.

The three main areas of difficulty which all people with autism share are sometimes known as the ‘triad of impairments’.

More information may be obtained at http://nfsp.org.sa

They are: · difficulty with social communication · difficulty with social interaction · difficulty with social imagination.

Key to the help provided is the Goat Loan Project where the organisation lends six goats to a family for two years - providing milk for the children, and forming the nucleus of a little flock. They agree not to sell the Kids for Kids goats and they sign an undertaking to care for them in trust but the kids are theirs. After two years they pass on six offspring to another family in need, and so on.

Donating even one little goat makes an enormous difference because its

People with autism have said that the world, to them, is a mass of people, places and events which they struggle to make sense of, and which can cause them considerable anxiety.

In particular, understanding and relating to other people, and taking part in everyday family and social life may be harder for them. Other people appear to know, intuitively, how to communicate and interact with each other, and some people with autism may wonder why they are ‘different’.

More information about the Society may be obtained on their website at: www.saudiautism.com Donations have also been made to

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Ensan – The Charity Committee for Orphans Care: www.ensan.org.sa and the National Family Safety Program. The NFSP seeks to address, amongst other things, child abuse and neglect. Probably because Saudi Arabia is considered a very conservative society this subject is not spoken about too freely but the problem does exist here just like everywhere else in the world.

Princess Adela bint Abdullah has lent her support to the National Family Safety Program’s (NFSP) awareness campaign saying that “It is the responsibility of all government and private sectors, policemen, judges, lawyers, teachers and of course media to fight violence against women and children through preaching and educating families.”

Outside of the Kingdom, ICING has been pleased to support the Kids for Kids organisation set up by Patricia Parker.

Kids for Kids helps children living in remote villages in Darfur, Sudan, who live lives of inexcusable hardship.

It is the only organisation created specially to help these children, children who the world seems to have forgotten.

ICING BOWS OUT offspring will go to another family, and another.

See www.kidsforkids.org.uk .kidsforkids.org.uk more information.

for

In Yemen an organisation setting the standard for assistance is the Friends of the Hadramaut.

Though based in the United Kingdom it has been an international effort from the outset. The trustees draw on the goodwill of well-wishers around the world. The trust, registered with the Charity Commissioners of Great Britain, aims to promote philanthropic, educational and medical links between the people of Hadhramaut and overseas, bringing the needs of the people to the attention of those who may be in the best position to help.

Elsewhere, ICING’s primary focus has been on Saudi Arabia and the near region with donations being made to specific projects in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan.

In Gaza for example in 2009, the ICING donation paid for emergency medical kits for the under 5’s caught up in the violence. In Iraq the original project paid for 3000 pairs of shoes to be distributed in Maysan Province. A subsequent donation paid for equipping a school with text-books and equipment whilst another resulted in a complete school building. In Afghanistan, ICING paid for specific medical equipment for the Children’s ward at the Bost Hospital.

In India a contribution was made to “Future Hope” a charity assisting the “Street Children” of Kolkata. In Pakistan a contribution was given to the Earthquake appeal and in Malawi donations have been given to Ndi Moyo, a centre for palliative care supporting the chronically and terminally ill in the area. See website at www.ndimoyo.org Should any reader want specific contact information for any of the projects supported by ICING over the years, please send an email to admin@icing-ksa.org and it will be redirected to someone who will attempt to put you in touch.

a very big

thank you to all individuals organisations and companies

who have supported

icing since 2005

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UK GOSSIP came up with a storyline in which he suffers a mental breakdown and ends up living rough on a motorway underpass. Apparently Adam hadn’t taken a break from EastEnders since he joined the programme for its first episode in 1985.

“Capello is entitled to his opinions, I suppose. I don’t know what relationship he would have had with Wayne but I always think it’s a bit cheap to kid on a player who was so anxious to do well,”

A

ccording to the Guardian blog writer Rupert Sawyer, George Harrison penned one gem of wisdom back in the swinging sixties that seems rather relevant today: If you drive a car, I’ll tax the street, If you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat, If you get too cold I’ll tax the heat, If you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet.

He used this rhyme adding that taxing the rich, particularly the rich and famous, is insane. Of course in his catchy ditty, George was referring specifically to Harold Wilson’s bonkers 95% supertax, but his point was simply that the rich tend to spend their money to the benefit of the rest of us. So why did he bring this up now?... Jimmy Carr of course.

Jimmy’s confession that he had been using the K2 scheme to reduce his tax bill has resulted in almost every newspaper claiming a moral highground and running exposures of every Tom, Dick & Harry who has ever managed to shave his or her tax bill.

In other news the Spice Girls have reunited for the first time in four years for a new musical based on the band’s experiences and featuring their biggest hits.

Viva Forever is the brainchild of the producer of the hugely successful West End musical Mamma Mia, Judy Craymer, and is written by comedy legend Jennifer Saunders.

Speculation about the show and rifts between the former band members has been mounting for months but Victoria Beckham, Geri Halliwell, Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton and Melanie Brown put on a show of unity as they appeared in public for the first time since their reunion tour in 2008.

In the sports world, much of the chat has been about Euro 2012, and of course Englands exit after being beaten yet again on penalties.

At the other end of the scale, Now magazine reports that EastEnders star Adam Woodyatt has been given a rather shocking makeover for his return to the soap.

The 43-year-old actor - who took a 6-week break from the show - was spotted sporting an umkempt beard and cuts on his face as he filmed scenes in June. To explain his character Ian Beale’s absence, writers RGBB News 38

England’’s Team Manager, Roy Hodgson has reacted to former manager Capello’s comment that Rooney “only understands Scottish” because he only plays well for Sir Alex Ferguson. Hodgson was full of praise for Rooney’s attitude and commitment and did not welcome Capello’s input on the subject saying

The other Manchester Team have also featured in the back pages this week being forced to reject claims that they wanted to offload Alexander Kolarov. Kolarov has been linked with moves to the likes of Juventus and a host of German clubs.

Having bought him for a massive eighteen million pounds in 2010, the team could only offer him twelve league starts last season.

Away from the sporting celebs, The Daily Mail reports that MPs are receiving large sums of BBC licence fee payers’ cash simply to appear on a range of BBC output, including politics, news, and entertainment.

Among those cashing in are leading political figures not short of a bob or two such as MPs Diane Abbott, Caroline Flint, Sir Menzies Campbell, and Hilary Benn. Diane Abbott has had generous BBC payments questioned before. In 2004, Abbott was investigated by Parliamentary authorities regarding payments she had received from the BBC. They found she had failed to declare earnings of £17,300 which had been received for appearances on the late night tv politics programme This Week. The latest payment scandal to hit Abbott is a payment of £1,000 to appear on day time junk telly programme Cash In The Attic... Nice work if you can get it!

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SuDoku

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Answer on to puzzle on page 14

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AND FINALLY Just as we go to press, BBC reporter Frank Gardner has written that Saudi Arabia is to allow its women athletes to compete in the Olympics for the first time.

Officials say the country’s Olympic Committee will “oversee participation of women athletes who can qualify”.

The decision will end recent speculation as to whether the entire Saudi team could have been disqualified on grounds of gender discrimination.

Saudi officials say that, if successful in qualifying, female competitors would be dressed “to preserve their dignity”.

As recently as April, the indications were that Saudi Arabia’s rulers would accede to the sensitivities of the religious conservatives and maintain the ban on allowing women to take part.

But for the past six weeks there have been intense, behind-the-scenes discussions led by King Abdullah, who has long been pushing for women to play a more active role in Saudi society.

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