RGBB News Autumn 2009

RGBB News

FROM THE CHAIR

At the October Board Meeting it was agreed to formally write to the Ambassador on behalf of all three British Business Groups in the Kingdom to raise the issue of the ease, or lack thereof, of availability of business visit visas to Saudi Arabia. As this matter was being attended to notification was received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website that, with effect 26 October, business travellers no longer need to provide invitation letters from the host company in Saudi Arabia or from the Saudi Chambers of Commerce. Instead they only need to provide an introductory letter from their company confirming that they are going to Saudi Arabia on a business trip. In addition and importantly business travellers should now also be able to obtain multiple entry visas for up to one year. In furtherance of the promotion of British business in the Kingdom and to the further promotion of Saudi British relations this is a positive step and should be welcomed. In the light of this positive development I would ask all members to keep the RGBB and indeed the Embassy informed of the success or otherwise of this new process. (Further details are available on the MOFA website http://www.mofa.gov.sa/Detail.asp?InSectionID=62 00&InNewsItemID=100839) At the end of September I attended, on behalf of the RGBB, the Intergulf 09 Meeting in Muscat - this was a meeting of representatives of the various British Business Groups within the GCC and held in conjunction with the Gulf Commercial Officers Conference. This gathering went well and useful discussions were held between the various delegates and also with the UKTI teams. Proposed action plans are being developed by both parties to ensure that

the conference results in benefits and added value to all concerned. With regard to the British Business Groups, matters under discussion included revising the various constitutions to have common aims and to consider an umbrella website for all Groups. With regard to UKTI, matters to be considered included greater co-ordination between UKTI and the Business Groups with regard to conferences; greater use by Embassies of Groups and networks for inward and outward missions; link UKTI and Group websites; UKTI contacts in UK to be shared; market feedback from Groups through Embassies to UKTI; greater cooperation on specific sector opportunities and more feedback from Groups to UKTI. As you will note the proposed matters for development are many and the RGBB awaits formal proposals. Whilst I was happy to endorse on behalf of the RGBB the intent and direction of such ideas - indeed the RGBB supports any initiative which results in the further promotion of British business interests in the region, I did sound a note of caution reminding both Commercial Officers and fellow Business Group representatives that here in Saudi Arabia the British Business Groups are entirely voluntary organizations operating under the auspices of and in conjunction with the British Embassy and with relatively modest resources at their disposal. Any formal proposals received will be reviewed by the Board, the BBA in Khobar and BBG in Jeddah to ensure that prior to formal commitment or approval that such proposals will be within our cost capabilities; be meaningful to members and others and to be sustainable into the future. To give an idea of the difference of scope or scale of the various GCC British business groups I detail overleaf a summary of activities of the various groups:

The RGBB 2009-2010 Board

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

Owain Raw-Rees

Chairman owain.raw-rees@axa-gulf.com

Ian Crawford Deputy Chairman Ian.Crawford@baesystems.com

Luke Bowen

Ian Hay

Magazine & Advertising luke@arabianc.com

Special Briefings

Gary Richardson

Nicola Quick

Sports richardsonksa@hotmail.co.uk

SIGS & Website nicola.quick@talk21.com

Marcus Cleverton

Treasurer marcuscleverton@sabb.com

Paul Williams Embassy Representative paul.williams2@fco.gov.uk

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RGBB News In addition to welcoming ideas the RGBB also welcomes to Riyadh three key new members to the British community - Adrian Chadwick, Director of the British Council; Roddy Drummond, the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy and Donald Wilkinson, Principal of the British International School. Each of them fill important roles within the British community and they have kindly provided a detailed introduction to themselves which can be read later in this issue of RGBB News. On behalf of the RGBB I congratulate them on their appointments and wish them all success in their new roles.

I also offer on behalf of the RGBB congratulations to Rachel Smart and David Alexander, both RGBB members, who were recently married in Bahrain. As

far as I am aware this is the first instance of an RGBB “in house” marriage and may they enjoy a long and happy married life together.

Finally as the year draws to a close it is pleasing to note that the business climate here in Riyadh and the whole of the Kingdom remains positive. The many and varied British trade missions are a testament to the pulling power of the Saudi economy. This pulling power is reflected in the strength of membership of the RGBB which now approaches 350 members - a good reflection of the commitment of British nationals to living and working in the Kingdom. I hope that the coming year continues to be successful for British business and I extend on behalf of the Board my best wishes to all.

Owain Raw-Rees

FROM THE CHAIR

GCC British Business Groups Resume Name Riyadh (1981)

Members Annual Fees 345 SR350 On Joining SR 300 On Renewal Al Khobar 175 SR 150 On Joining SR 200 Annual Jeddah 255 SR 150 On Joining SR 200 Annual Dubai (1987) 1471 AED 350 On Joining AED 1200 Annual AED 2300 Non-res Abu Dhabi (1987) 400 AED 250 On Joining AED 700 Annual Bahrain (1995) 389 BD 20 On Joining BD 50 Annual Kuwait 220 KD 40 Annual KD 150 Corporate Qatar 340 QR 1000 Annual QR 4000 Corporate Oman (1993) 50 RO 30 Annual

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GBP Equiv £ 58.00 £ 50.00 £ 24.00 £ 32.00 £ 24.00 £ 32.00 £ 58.00 £ 195.00 £ 375.00 £ 40.00 £ 114.00 £ 38.00 £ 80.00 £ 84.00 £ 315.00 £ 165.00 £ 660.00 £ 47.00

Format 4 Speaker Briefings; 2 Balls; SIG’s; Sporting events.

Monthly dinner + 2 balls & other social event Monthly plus annual events

80+ events per year Various Monthly lunch + Poppy Ball and Golf 2 - 3 events per month 2 - 3 events per month Monthly evening meeting plus special events

RGBB News

Notes from the Eastern Chair

Geoff Fennah MBE Chairman, British Business Association Eastern Province

We are now in the final run in to year end – where on earth did the year go? As usual the latter part of the year has been hectic with Trade Missions, Conferences and Social events and I am sure everyone is looking forward to the Festive Season holidays. An early seasons greeting to you all.

On the business front we have continued with our successful series of monthly dinners. It was a pleasure to host HMA Sir William Patey who delivered a very interesting State of the Union talk covering a variety of topical issues. This was followed in July by a review of the agricultural sector in Saudi Arabia by John Lawton (Agricultural Technology Co.). The tendency is to focus on oil, gas and petrochemicals but John’s talk clearly highlighted the significance of the farming industry in Saudi Arabia.

In June all the British Business Groups in the Gulf signed a reciprocal agreement that allows members from each group to attend the events of the others at member rates. I personally believe that developing more cooperation between the groups is beneficial especially when you realize that the total membership across the Gulf is approximately 3000. The ultimate aim is to develop a more extensive business network that provides value to both members and UK plc.

The Gulf Commercial Officers Conference (GCOC) was held in late September in Muscat and was also attended by the Chairmen of British Business Groups in the Gulf. This provided an excellent forum for the Business Groups to meet to share ideas and identify areas were improved cooperation would be helpful. A subsequent joint meeting with the Commercial Officers also proved useful in understanding how we can better support each other in the greater interests of UK plc. All in all it was a worthwhile conference.

The annual MEA Opportunity Arabia (#6) was held in London in early October and it was the turn of Eastern Province to represent Saudi British Business Groups as a speaker. It was good to see a full lecture theatre with about 180 companies in attendance. Clearly there is considerable interest in the Saudi market so let’s hope there is follow-up and actual visits with future trade missions.

Finally, our flagship social event of the year – The Poppy Ball – will be held at the Crowne Plaza, Bahrain on 12 November. Once again, it is a joint venture with the Bahrain British Business Forum and a great night is expected. If you happen to be in Bahrain during this period why not join us?

If you 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

Local News Round-Up

Several companies now offer regular email up-dates carrying news items from the region. Herewith a selection of items recieved by the RGBB News Editor in the two weeks before publishing.

Saudis need attitude adjustment MENAFN.com reported late in October that Shoura Council Member Najeeb Al-Zamil has urged his fellow Saudis to open a channel of communication with expatriates in order to improve the image of Saudis.

“Now is the time to be honest about ourselves, Yes, we Saudis suffer as a result of media manipulation and Western stereotypes, but then, why is it that we are misunderstood and hated by people living among us?” he asked during an interview with the Arab News.

“What Al-Zamil says about Saudis can also be true of expatriates.” says the reporter “Many of them have been living in in Saudi Arabia for a long time and have made no effort to reach out to Saudis or to speak their language.”

Al-Zamil has recently announced the creation of an informal forum called the Saudi-Expat Forum.

He has offered the facilities of Al-Zamil House, which has previously hosted many debates and discussuions, as the staging centre for the Forum.

Saudi woman journalist sentenced to 60 lashes The Saudi woman accused of being an accomplice to Abdul Jawad, the Saudi youth who boasted on TV about his sexual exploits was sentenced by the Jeddah Summary Court in October.

Anti-Smoking regulations fail to see the light of day Dr Majid Al-Munif, Head of the Anti-smoking program at the Ministry of Health said that regulations approved by the Cabinet in 2003 have yet to be implemented and there is, as yet, no date fixed to implement them. Under the regulations People who smoke in public may face a fine of SR200 whilst people or companies who plant tobacco in the KIngdom could be fined SR20,000.

Helen Smith to be buried at last For three decades the body of Helen Smith has lain in a mortuary in a Leeds hospital, The British nurse, who fell from a sixth floor balcony to her death in Jeddah in 1979 has been kept as ‘evidence’ at the insistence of her father, Ron, who continues to maintain that his daughter was murdered and that there had been a cover-up by British and Saudi officials.

Ron who is now 81 and reportedly in ill health was reportedly prompted to organise Helen’s funeral after his ex-wife, Jeryl-now 71, insisted that they should deal with it while they were still alive.

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RGBB News

Notes from the BBG in Jeddah

Brian Hawley Chairman, British Business Group Jeddah

Brian Hawley BBG Chairman writes:

As we enter the last quarter of 2009 there are signs that the worst effects of the global recession, at least on Saudi Arabia, have passed their peak and things are getting better.

Moody’s Investors Services has recently issued a fairly up-beat report saying that the Saudi banking sector has weathered the storm and remains in good shape, despite recent ‘interesting‘ developments and credit risk exposure to a relatively small number of very large organisations. The World Conference on Trade and Development has given Saudi Arabia the best points of all GCC and MENA members.

Foreign direct investment to Saudi Arabia was $38.2 billion in 2008, a huge increase over the previous year, and the 2009 figure is also likely to be healthy as foreign investors have seen Saudi Arabia as a better risk than other GCC countries.

Although Saudi Arabia has suffered less than practically any other Gulf country, it would be unrealistic to claim that there have not been some problems. How have BBG members’ companies been affected? Well it’s a bit of a mixed bag and depends upon whom you ask: Many say they have not noticed any change or have seen profits go down only slightly; some have seen a moderate reduction; but very few, if any, have seen the complete meld-down that seems to have faced companies in Dubai. It may be this view is skewed and Saudi companies that employ BBG members are not typical of all Saudi companies, but the

message seems be that if you have made it this far, you have rounded the corner and things can only improve.

There has been a burst of activity as the business sector moves up a gear after Ramadan: Willie Walsh, CEO of British Airways, was in the Kingdom for the (second) return of British Airways to Saudi Arabia; King Abdullah University of Science has recently opened officially; Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry is holding board elections; a number of British Trade Missions are visiting the Kingdom, the Gulf Commercial Officers Conference has taken place in the UAE and Opportunity Arabia in London, with the BBG well-represented at both. Many thanks to UPS for sending the BBG directories for us as no charge.

Much appreciated!

Finally, we end on a slightly sad note. Angela Brazier our popular BBG office secretary has found a ‘proper’ job. We are very lucky to have had Angela as office secretary for so long. She is actually much higher-powered and better-qualified than you might have imagined, but jobs for ladies at that level of seniority are few and far between in Jeddah. We will miss her strong personality and dry sense of humour at BBG committee meetings.

Angela is not leaving Jeddah so we have not seen the last of her, but now perhaps she will actually join the BBG and we will get some money out of her! Thanks, Angela. Hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have.

OPEN SKIES has received support both from the BBG in Jeddah and ICING in Riyadh... but they need more help to maintain their facility.

Please consider giving them your support.

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RGBB News Over time, particularly the last 3 centuries, increase in our scientific and technological understanding has had a large part to play in improved life expectancy, which is around 80 years today. Moreover, where will be in a further 50 years time?

It is clearly plausible that we will be able to extend the human lifespan beyond the current norms. This has been made possible through the biomolecular revolution in past 200 years.

1) improvements in understanding of germ theory, and sanitation developments 2) widespread development and use of antibiotics, improved surgery techniques and vaccine programmes 3) improvements in understanding of genetic medicine and structures Over the past 60 years there has been a steady development in our understanding of science, but some major scientific breakthroughs have lead to fundamental changes to the scientific landscape: The October briefing was presented by Dr Sultan Al-Sedairy, PhD, Executive Director of the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre.

Dr Al-Sedairy is an internationally-known and highly-respected figure in the field of Tumour and Transplantation Immunology.

Born in Riyadh, he gained his BSc in Biology/Chemistry from the University of Puget Sound, Washington, USA in 1979, and later completed his postdoctoral fellowship at the Department of Pathology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York City.

The presentation focused on the Dr AlSedairy’s own journey through Biotechnology, how it has developed, where we are now, and looked to the future and what it might hold for the human race Biotechnology touches our lives directly, across every aspect of our lives, from industry and research, the environment around us and the population diversity within the human race.

Development of Biotechnology In the past, there was a distinct segregation of research and studies into subject, Chemists concentrated on Chemistry, Biologists on Biology and so on. However, in the past 50 years this has changed; more recently the focus has been on cross-functional science, and biotechnology is one of the greatest exponents of such a shift.

Historically the life span of humans has been increasing over time. A thousand years ago it was very short, on average our ancestors died in their 20’s, as a result of the harsh environment they lived in, and diseases killed more people, more often.

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1) Manhattan Project 1950s – Enhanced our understanding of particles at the molecular level, the building blocks of human life 2) Modern Computers 1960s – The development of the PC over past 50 years has been critical to the ability to process, analyse and model the large volumes of data required in modern science 3) Internet Revolution 1980 – the start of the information revolution, and the internet enabling the sharing, and dissemination of data worldwide 4) Human Genome 1990s – A revolution in healthcare. Up to this point all experiments were conducted in living animal cells, but could now be undertaken in laboratory cells under controlled conditions 5) Cloning (Dolly the Sheep) 2000s – We are now able to isolate the individual function of genes, and the proteins they produce and replicate them in the lab.

Special Briefing

by Ian Hay

RGBB News Currently, within human populations there is wide genetic diversity, and this has lead to the human race being the diverse collection we are today.

The development of cloning, and biotechnological intervention, is likely to reduce this diversity. By the end of the century many scientists believe, we could engineer a new species, or sub species of Humans, without any health issues, living to a thousand years old - but would we do so, and should we do so?

The Future There stands the possibility of manipulation and manufacture of organs and cells. The identification of stem cells and their potential for growth of organs for human use is a reality, and offers the possibility of a healthy life for all, even in the most extreme circumstances. It raises the possibility for us to change our genetic heritage and shape the evolution of mankind.

Currently organ transplantation’s major issue is rejection of donated organs. The time and cost of immune suppression, both through surgical techniques and the use of drugs to control rejection is great. In addition, the use of immune suppression drugs greatly increases the susceptibility to cancer in a transplant patient. It is possible to identify specific healthcare issue and the associated genetic makeup in a patient, isolate it and arrange to replace the damaged cells/organ. This is already been proven in USA, where re-engineered bladders (using patients own cells) were transplanted into patients with no rejection issues. The use of a replicated organs grown from the own cells of the patient, could all but eliminate the risk of rejection by the body, the pro-longed use of anti-rejection drugs and therefore the associated risk of cancer.

If we have the ability map out the humans genomes, we can identify a person is more/less prone to cancer or heart attack at 50, from their genetic make up.

However, would this lead to discrimination against them in the work place, through the ability to find and retain a job, their ability to get life insurance, or discrimination in other walks of life?

Do we want the situation where natural selection in babies is replaced by a catalogue baby where you have the ability to choose the physical attributes (sex, hair/eye colour, size, weight, etc)?

Finally, two key points made are made: 1) Ethical considerations transcend religious boundaries and beliefs, and that it is one area where all faiths come together as one.

2) Biotechnology presents tremendous opportunities, within the knowledge based economies for commercially orientated services, and also within the healthcare system for our expanded populations.Remembering of course George Bernard Shaw’s comment that ‘if economists were laid end to end they would not reach a conclusion”.

Whilst it is already possible to identify individual genes and their purposes, research continues to seek ways to be able to isolate and switch on/off these genes, and in particular rogue genes. Cancer contains many rogue genes all interacting with the environment, but while it maybe some way off until a Cancer Genome Atlas is available, daily advances in identification of the thousands of genome types, variations and sequences are being made.

Ethical Implications What was acceptable yesterday, and what is acceptable today or even tomorrow is constantly shifting. There are differences in opinion with time, and specifically from one generation to the next.

We have already seen biotechnology in the form of cross breeding of plants and animals to suit our own needs, whether it is for larger sweeter apples, or cows that produce more milk.

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RGBB News The SARIE (Saudi Arabian Riyal Interbank Express similar to BACS in UK) system, which has been in operation for over 11 years, has been the catalyst for the growth in electronic payments processing systems in the Kingdom. The volume of customer payments processed through the central SARIE system has grown significantly during that period.

Commercial banks in the Kingdom have developed a variety of electronic payments systems, linked to SARIE. This has led to high levels of automated processing of payments by the banks. However, the level of StraightThrough-Processing (STP) being achieved for Inward Customer Payments is currently lower than might be expected. The absence of a common account numbering standard across all commercial banks in the Kingdom has been identified as the primary cause for these lower than desired STP rates. This is causing an obstacle to the further automation of payments processing by banks.

The present account numbering structure in use in the Kingdom was introduced originally to cater for Cheque Clearing. Individual banks were permitted to choose their account numbering systems based on their own business and technical requirements.

Account numbers in use today range from 7 to 18 digits with banks having their own structures and formulae.

The International Bank Account Number (IBAN) standard published by the International Standards Organisation (ISO) provides a mechanism for introducing a common account numbering standard in Saudi Arabia without the need for banks to make changes to the basic account number or the bank’s accounting system(s). It involves the inclusion of additional characters before the basic account number enabling the validation of customer account numbers by other banks and customers with benefits accruing for both domestic and crossborder payments.

The IBAN was introduced in the Kingdom in a well planned and controlled manner starting from 1st July 2008. As of 1st october 2009, all Bank to Bank payments made in KSA, MUST use the IBAN number, on risk the rejection of the payment by the Central banks, that acts as the clearing bank.

The IBAN is also required for incoming payments from outside of KSA, and so you should advise you suppliers, and customers of your IBAN. The national standard for the IBAN in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which conforms to the international standard, will be a fixed length of 24 alphanumeric characters made up as follows: 2a [country code] 2n [check digits] 2n [bank identifier] followed by 18c [the basic account number preceded by zeros, if required] 10

Segment Format Content Country Code

2a (fixed length of 2 alpha characters) SA

Check Digits

2n (fixed length of 2 numeric characters) This is used to check the validity of an account number. The 2 digit number is calculated as per the ISO 13616-1:2007 Standard.

The “check digits” must be generated only by the account holding bank to ensure integrity of the full IBAN.

Bank Identifier

2n (fixed length of 2 numeric characters) The Cheque Clearing Identifier code for the account holding bank. This is a two-digit code that has been allocated by SAMA to individual banks in Saudi. The primary use of this code is to identify each bank in the Cheque Clearing.

Basic Account Number

18c (fixed length of 18 alphanumeric characters) This is the Account customer’s “basic account number”. As it must be a fixed length of 18 characters, zeros will be added before the basic account number to ensure the required fixed length.

About IBAN in Saudi Arabia

by Ian Hay, SAAB

In a printed format the IBAN will be printed in groups of four characters with each group being separated by a blank space. The reason for this is to increase the readability of the IBAN when presented on paper or in printed format. When used electronically the IBAN should be input as a continuous string, i.e. all spaces removed. To preserve the integrity of the ‘check digits’ the process of creating IBANs must be under the sole responsibility of the bank servicing the customer’s account. Only the financial institution that services (maintains) the account is allowed to generate IBANs for its customers.

If you have any queries related to IBAN, please look on your statement where all banks are now printing the IBAN, or speak to your Bank contact who will be able to provide your IBAN for you.

If you want to check if an IBAN is valid, the Central Bank have an IBAN checker available on their website. Please note this only checks the validity of an IBAN, and not that the actual Account Number of the customer is correct.

http://www.sarie.gov.sa/iban/?iban=checker&lang=en

RGBB News

Roddy Drummond,

Deputy Head of Mission British Embassy Riyadh This summer another Scot arrived in the British Embassy, the new Deputy Head of Mission Roddy Drummond, coming from London with his wife Yasmin.

Roddy is a Middle East specialist, who studied Arabic at SOAS and the University of Jordan, after reading Modern History at Edinburgh University prior to joining the Foreign Office. He has spent almost half his FCO career in the Middle East, most recently in Qatar as Head of Mission from 2007-8. Before that he served as Deputy Head of Mission in Syria, and before than in Jordan. His first experience of the region was in Algeria.

Outside the Middle East Roddy has worked in London, Johannesburg and Brussels. From London he has covered policies and programmes in South

East Asia, the Balkans, West Africa and the Middle East. In Johannesburg he focused on trade and investment promotion, black empowerment programmes and offset. And in Brussels he negotiated on Middle East affairs, the Common Foreign & Security Policy and the creation of the EU’s peacekeeping capacity.

Outside the office, Roddy’s interests include history, jazz, cooking and travel, desert driving and camping. He played and coached low-grade rugby until quite recently, and is proud to have helped develop Syrian rugby. He now enjoys walking, tennis and golf, and would like to learn to play the trumpet. Both he and Yasmin are keen scuba divers, and look forward to seeing what lies off the Saudi coasts. Yasmin teaches English as a foreign language, specialising in English for Academic Purposes. They have 5 grown-up children, who plan to visit occasionally from university or the world of work.

New Faces

Roddy Drummond

In the office in Riyadh, Roddy heads the Chancery team, dealing with political, economic, counterterrorism and foreign policy issues. In addition he will lead on overall Embassy co-ordination and management issues, security, crisis response and consular affairs.

Roddy looks forward to getting to know the RGBB membership and engaging with the RGBB as part of our strategic relationship with the Kingdom.

New Principal at the British International School To begin at the beginning: I was born in Scotland, but moved to England when I was just four. A five year stay in Manchester began my life-long interest in Manchester United. I was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Lancaster where I was a boarder for seven years. I read History at Keble College, Oxford, where I gained a first class honours degree and then completed a research degree there in early modern English History.

My teaching career has been spent entirely in the independent sector. I started at Manchester Grammar School, where I taught History and Politics, ran football teams and helped to coach the school’s 1st XI cricket team when Mike Atherton, the future England cricket captain, was a part of it. After MGS, I was Head of History at Oakham School and then Head of Sixth Form at Newcastle – under – Lyme School. In 1990, I was appointed Headmaster of Cheadle Hulme School, a large, coeducational, 4-19 school in the South Manchester conurbation. After ten years there, I had my first experience of international education as Principal 12

RGBB News

British Council News: From skills for employment to women’s football!

Adrian Chadwick

I am very pleased to have the chance to write a few words for the Riyadh Group for British Business. In part, because I have good memories of being part of the British Business Association in the Eastern Province where I was our Director 10 years ago. Also, because it seems to me clear after only two months back in Saudi Arabia, that the cultural relations activities the British Council are busily involved in today are of interest and value to the business community.

Our work teaching English is one obvious example.

We teach more than 7,000 men and women a year, and are currently expanding our capacity to add 6 new classrooms in the Riyadh men’s centre, 2 new classrooms in the Riyadh women’s centre, and extra classrooms in Al-Khobar to enable us to re-start teaching men in the Eastern Province in April next year. We run a wide range of English language, professional (eg accounting, business, marketing), and UK university and college examinations for over 23,000 candidates a year. We support a large number of ministries through joint projects to develop Saudi Arabia’s school, technical and higher education. Another major activity is working to increase the number of Saudi students going to study in the UK – an invaluable way to build lasting ties between the and Chief Executive of Jerudong International School in Brunei. We returned to England in 2004 and I was, successively, Head of St Christopher School, Letchworth, and Director of Studies at Haileybury, a large boarding school which offers both the IB and A levels, until I came out to Riyadh.

Donald Wilkinson

Sport has always been one of my main interests.

At Oxford, I played some first class cricket in Oxford University’s 1st XI – in the same team as Imran Khan, Vic Marks and Chris Tavare, having earlier captained the Lancashire Under 19 XI in which Graeme Fowler played. (All these names will have meaning to followers of cricket!). I was an enthusiastic, if not quick enough, footballer and so played at no higher level than Keble College’s 1st XI, (once against Tony Blair who was playing for St Johns). I still run, albeit depressingly slowly now, to try to keep fit.

History, politics and literature, particularly modern novels and poetry, are passions. I have eclectic if not terribly well-informed tastes in music, and no musical talent whatsoever. My interest in education

two countries, and there are currently over 15,000 Saudis studying in the UK. The value of all student recruitment from around the world is of enormous value to the UK economy at an estimated £27 billion per year.

This directly supports Saudi Arabia’s drive to diversify and grow its economy, by enabling wider segments of men and women to access the skills and training needed to move into productive employment.

This month amongst other activities, we also opened a major cultural heritage photograph exhibition at the National Museum in Riyadh, and in Jeddah organised a female football game between the first Saudi female football team, ‘Kings United’, and the British community (the British team won 5-4!).

Adrian Chadwick Director British Council remains undiminished, despite or perhaps because of my thirty years in the independent school world. I read a lot about educational theory and practice.

I am married to Rhiannon, who has recently taken up the post of Headmistress of Harrogate Ladies’ College. Together, we have four children. Rachael, the eldest, is a doctor married to another doctor.

Ian, who read Geography at university, is currently contemplating becoming a teacher. William will take his GCSE examinations later this year, and Edward, who is autistic, has just started secondary school. All three boys, having been well brought up, are passionate Manchester United supporters.

It goes without saying that I am delighted to have taken up my new post at the British International School, Riyadh. It has great potential and my colleagues and I see our task in the years ahead to translate that aspiration into reality. .

Donald Wilkinson Principal BIS 13

RGBB News Kia Ora! Aotearoa, ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’.

Nicky does New Zealand

Kia ora is a Maori language greeting and literally means “be well/healthy” and is translated as an informal “hi”. I travelled to New Zealand, as my sister, Natasha, and my nephew, Jack, are living in Auckland. It was only a two-week stay – a long way to go armed with a list of ‘must do’s’ – so a return visit is definitely in my plans.

The “City of Sails” was placed 4th equal (with Vancouver) in Mercer’s Quality of Living Survey – which compares 215 cities worldwide – and first among those in the Asia Pacific Region. Its two harbours, a gulf full of islands and glorious beaches make it a maritime playground, while its numerous shopping centres, cafés, restaurants, bars, galleries, museums, and parks provide 21st century big-city experience. For a visual overview of the City, go up one of its 49 volcanic cones, such as Mount Eden or One Tree Hill, or catch the highspeed lift up the 328m tall SkyTower which rises about SkyCity in the central city. Auckland’s most photographed volcano is Rangitoto, an Island just off Auckland. Ferries link the City with other islands in the gulf such as Waiheke with its beaches and vineyards; and Kawau and Tiritiri Matangi, an open bird sanctuary. Auckland’s twin harbours and gulf are a focal point for this ‘City of Sails’ – a passion for boats and sailing is reflected in marinas like the 1,400 berth Westhaven, one of the largest marinas in the Southern Hemisphere.

A few of my highlights are as follows:-

The ZORBIT ride, on the other hand, is a head over heels adrenaline rush. Strapped into the ZORB® globe in a specially designed safety harness, you are sent on your way down the hill rolling head over heels, heels over head as the ground and sky go whizzing past in a beautiful mosaic of blue... green ... blue ... green ... blu ... gree ... blu ... gre...bl. ..gr...b...g...bgbgbg...while your body is subjected to the soft and relaxing feeling of weightlessness and g-force. Funny enough, that’s not what my sister said at the bottom of the ride, as all she could apparently hear were my screams!!!!! It just made me want to go back for more and more and more!

Rotorua – Zorbing Rotorua is the place that smells like rotten eggs!

Home to an iconic New Zealand brand, it is the tourism and adventure hub of New Zealand, hosting an incredibly unique adventure activity.

ZORB® Rotorua is the first official ZORB® site and has been running for over fourteen (14) years.

Zorbing, or ZORB® Globe Riding (the sport of rolling down a hill in a large inflatable globe), often takes the number 1 spot of activities to do whilst in New Zealand so it had to be at the top of my “must do” list. There are two types of rides; depending on whether you want to get wet or not:The ZYDRO ride is the wildest, wettest ride. They throw you, and up to two friends, and water (warm water in winter, and cold in summer!!!) inside the ZORB® globe and send you on your way down the hill. When inside the ZORB® globe, you - the ZORBONAUT – are free to slip, slide, and spin inside the globe for an action packed, wet ride down the hill. It’s a wash for the unclean, a bonding experience for friends, a massage for the aching, and a cure for the hungover. It will leave you refreshed, exhilarated, and ready for your next ZORB® experience (or let the crowd watch you scream and laugh your way down the hill).

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Rotorua – Polynesian Spa The Polynesian Spa overlooks Lake Rotorua where you can relax in public or private hot mineral spring pools and also indulge in various spa therapies – definitely on the list AFTER the exhilaration of Zorbing to relax and chill. Definitely one for the girls!

RGBB News Auckland City Harbour Cruise A 90-minute cruise where you have panoramic views of Rangitoto Island and the City skyline; circle Bean Rock Lighthouse; pass North Head; view the historic naval base at Devonport and a fish-eye view of the Harbour Bridge as you pass underneath it. Sail past the hundreds of yachts moored in the Westhaven Marina.

than the Eiffel Tower and the Sydney Tower! There are three (3) separate viewing platforms, although the main Skydeck Viewing Platform at 220m is truly awesome. There are spectacular 360o views of the whole City, although the glass floor lifts made me quite nauseous! I did witness three truly mad (!) people trying to SkyWalk around the SkyTower, definitely not for the faint hearted! There is also an option to Sky Jump the 192m, which I (predictably) gave a miss!

Devonport A 12-minute ferry trip to the seaside village of Devonport; one of the City’s oldest suburbs.

Picturesque Victorian villas; pretty beaches and stylish shops, Devonport is a lovely spot to escape to. Art galleries, boutiques and gift shops line the main street, Victoria Road. Mount Victoria and North Head provide fantastic views across the City and nearby islands.

Browns Bay Browns Bay is an Auckland suburb. It is one of the East Coast Bays suburbs and is well known for its shops and beaches. Browns Bay is also well known for its sizeable South African and British communities. Consequently, Browns Bay is sometimes known as “Little Bloemfontein”. For Brits, there is Speaker’s Corner, one of Auckland’s English pubs, as well as Bramptin’s - a grocery store selling only British imported goods.

Auckland War Memorial Museum Mangawhai

by Nicola Quick

Auckland War Memorial Museum is located in the Auckland Domain; on the hill known in Maori as “Pukekawa”. The Museum is ‘interactive’ at the ‘Weird & Wonderful’ exhibit in the Stevenson Discovery Centre, which is perfect for children (and adults!) alike. It is a good place to delve into New Zealand’s past. The Museum is also the only place in Auckland to experience the Maori cultural performance - the Haka! I have only ever seen the Haka when the All Blacks are playing Rugby, and to be honest, it scared me to death! There is so much to see and do at the Museum; it is definitely worth a visit.

SkyCity/SkyTower The experience of the SkyTower is definitely one not to miss! SkyTower is the tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere. At 328m (over 1,000 ft) it is taller

Follow the winding country road off State Highway One, 80 mins from Auckland to Northlands southernmost resort and you will soon find any number of explanations for Mangawhai’s popularity. Mangawhai beach is a surfer’s paradise. The estuary provides further swimming or if a secluded long white sand beach is more for you then Te Arai is a short drive away.

Charter and recreational fishing boats ply the offshore waters, where you find superb fishing and world class diving, from the Hen and Chicken Islands to the Mokohinau Islands. Mangawhai Golf Club is a coastal course ranked within the best in the North Island. Unique walking tracks, including the spectacular Costal Track makes Mangawhai a great place to explore.

New Zealand is the place to be two years from now when the Rugby World Cup 2011 is held there during September and October. The first game of the competition will kick off at a revamped 50,000 seat Eden Park in Auckland on 09 September and the final will be played at the same ground on 23 October.

Don’t forget to try the ‘Hokey Pokey Ice Cream’ (icecream with crunchy pieces of toffee), a ‘Hangi’ (a traditional Maori way of cooking involving packing food into baskets, placing the baskets into hot rocks, and burying it deep underground to cook for hours in its own steam), AND complete a Wine Tour!!!!!

New Zealand is a destination like no other. I can hardly wait to return.

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RGBB News Patrica Parker, Chair of Kids for Kids has kindly sent us a report dealing with news about ICING’s most recent donation. ICING donations have totalled over SR500,000 since 2007.

Kids for Kids is currently assisting over 200,000 people in 51 villages. This includes 10 new villages which were brought into the programme in March 2009 and the range of activities supported by Kids for Kids is gradually being implemented. The Village Development Committees and Animal Loan Committees have been trained and the families will shortly be receiving their goat and donkey loans. Representatives from the villages are already undertaking training as village midwives .

The funds provided by ICING have been assigned to training and equipping the village midwives and paravets.

Where does the money go? with the Ministry of Health. With the construction of the new dormitory at the Midwives Training School with the generous support of ICING, 40 midwives from Kids for Kids villages are currently under training. This has enabled us to make up the backlog of trainee midwives which had built up due to the previous limitations on training places which has now been rectified by the construction of the new dormitory. However, a further 30 midwives still need to be trained next year to provide each village with 2 midwives to provide mutual support, in addition to the requirements for the next 10 villages. Thus the training of midwives is an ongoing, and extremely crucial, programme.

The women are chosen by the communities on the basis of established criteria. The women trained are generally between 19 and 32 years of age.

During the 12 month course the village midwives are trained in basic hygiene, ante- and post-natal care and nutrition. Where necessary an additional 3 months’ literacy training is provided. During the last training course, the 24 trainees delivered 280 healthy babies.

The midwives have an important role in reducing the mortality rate amongst women and babies through:

Training of midwives The lack of basic health facilities and services in the villages in Darfur particularly affects the health of women. The average age of women in the villages is only 34 years due to the high rates of maternal mortality. One of the greatest problems is the lack of trained midwives. Women speak of the problems they face in childbirth when the only care available in most, but not even in all, villages is provided by the traditional birth attendants who are basically the older women in the village but they have had no training even in basic hygiene. Due to the widespread practice of female genital mutilation in the communities, obstruction often prevents natural birth. This means that many women in the second stages of labour have to go to hospital.

This means travelling on a donkey or on a stretcher slung between two donkeys, frequently for over 60 miles across sand which can take 2 days, in order to reach the hospital. In addition to the danger to the health of the mother and the unborn child, travelling any distance in the present situation of conflict and insecurity is perilous with exposure to risk of attack.

Hence in response to requests from women, Kids for Kids is training village midwives in association 16

• Provision of delivery services using modern techniques; • Referring difficult cases at an early stage to the provincial HQ which is crucial in saving the lives of the mother and baby; • Provision of extension services to the community, particularly women, on hygiene, dangerous diseases like KIV/AIDS, and harmful practices e.g. female genital mutilation; • Taking part in immunisation campaigns; • Combating malnutrition and diarrhoea amongst children.

Kids for Kids provides each trained midwife with a midwifery kit and a cross-bred donkey to enable them to reach their clients more easily and a solar lantern is provided in each village which is a great asset for night-time deliveries. The services of the midwives are much appreciated by the women and one midwife, Nadia, has delivered 185 healthy babies in the six months since the end of her training, covering a wide area as women actively seek her assistance. Training as a midwife gives the women considerable status in the community and greatly increases their marriage prospects. Being a midwife can also be a lifeline for single or infertile women who are unlikely to marry and whose prospects are restricted to the life of a domestic servant.

RGBB News The actual cost of training a midwife is around £2,000 to cover training fees, accommodation and travel. The cost of the midwifery kit and purchase of a donkey adds an additional £110 to give a total cost of £ 2,110. £ 23,480 of the funds provided

by ICING will be used to finance the training of 10 midwives.

A new cause...

Training of paravets The provision of goat and donkey loans to poor families is one of the activities which transforms the lives of children. Most of the recipients of the loans have no animals and the goat loan transforms gives them the start of a small livelihood as well as contributing to the health of their children. Initially the milk from the goats provides much needed nourishment, including vitamins and essential minerals, for the children who are frequently severely malnourished. Then, as the flock increases, sales of milk and offspring mean that families can begin to pay for schooling and water (which saves children time and drudgery) and other items formerly beyond their reach and build up a reserve to provide cover for emergencies. One mother was able to buy antibiotics for her sick daughter by selling one of the offspring of her goats. The donkey is invaluable to the family – it saves women and children much time in collecting water, firewood, etc. With children able to accomplish these vital tasks to help the survival of their families quickly, they finally have time to attend school and to gain the education which can be the passport to a better life for them..

The establishment of basic veterinary health care services in the villages is essential to the success of the goat and donkey loan programmes, ensuring that the animals remain healthy and productive.

Regular inspection by the paravets is essential if animals are to remain healthy – and children are to have the milk they so desperately need. Two paravets, frequently women, are trained for each village. The paravets are provided with the basic equipment they need and a crossbred donkey to ensure that they can reach their clients speedily.

The cost of training a paravet, including the kit, is £335 and the purchase of a donkey adds an additional £110 giving a total cost of £445. £11,480 of the funds provided by ICING will be used to finance the training of 23 paravets.

On behalf of the communities in Darfur, we are most grateful to the supporters of ICING for their contribution to this valuable programme. We can assure you that this assistance is making a huge difference to the lives of families, even more so because of the on going conflict which has weakened traditional coping strategies.

For the first time, ICING has been able to identify a particular cause in India which meets with our objective of making a real difference. Future Hope is a UK registered charity which is helping the street children of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and was set up by Tim Grandage a former HSBC colleague of Richard Groves, MD at SABB. The following is an extract from their Newsletter.

Future Hope started twenty-one years ago. It wasn’t planned. We didn’t open a school, have a clinic or play sport. We just wanted to give a few children a better chance. Children who had nothing but the ragged clothes on their backs. Children who had somehow become separated from family. Children whose only support was from other children living in the same gang. If they got ill, they suffered alone; if they got very ill they died. These first steps were simply about giving those few children, visible to us, help. Get them well, perhaps teach them to read, give them a better chance for the future.

As we got to know the first children we also got to know there were many more like them. Children who had run away from home or whose home had been destroyed in a disaster or whose parents were no longer able to feed them. We learnt about the diseases, which afflict the children, and the abuse of which they were the victims. Children converge on Kolkata from across India, carried by the railways and the lure of the city lights. But really all that is here for them is the slim chance of survival.

As Future Hope began to take shape we discovered more about the lives of these children who we found on the streets. Survival takes courage and is often a battle of wits with the authorities who just want to see the problem go away. To survive children drift towards Kolkata’s stations and its markets where they find company and perhaps carry out menial jobs or beg to make some money.

It doesn’t cost much to live on the streets of Kolkata and children quickly learn how to survive, there is no safety net if they fail.

For more information see www.futurehope.net

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RGBB News

After a few Saudi summers what can you do to escape the heat and enjoy a different type of holiday? Travel to 80 degrees north and enjoy the cool of the Arctic!

The town is busy during the brief Arctic summer and as can be imagined is somewhat quieter during the permanently dark winter months. From Port Longyear you join your “Expedition Ship”.

Having spent more summers in Riyadh than we care to remember and looking forward to a holiday a little bit unusual we decided to travel even further north than usual and cruise in the Arctic, around Svalbard to be precise. Svalbard straddles the 80th parallel and is the focal point for many Arctic adventures.

It offers hiking, snowmobiling, a jump off point for cruising, mountain climbing and is home to around 5,000 polar bears (Isbjorn). These white cuddly balls of fur can weigh more than 1,000 kilos and can outrun any expat!

Expedition cruises vary from the usual by virtue of their flexible nature and the fact that you depart the ship by zodiac inflatable dinghies. Whilst this is a dawdle during calm seas it can be a bit more interesting with an Arctic swell! The zodiacs allow the travellers to be deposited on remote beaches and also allow for close inspection from the water of ice, glaciers and sea birds. My first sight of a flock of guillemots swimming under our zodiac was a sight that I shall never forget. I did realise that seabirds fished but thought that they dived, caught their prey, and then surfaced; I did not know they actually swam.

The human history of Svalbard is one of exploitation, of the wildlife and the mineral deposits. Originally called Spitsbergen (Pointed Peaks) by the Dutch, this name is now used for the main island in the archipelago. Since the eighteenth century a number of countries were represented in various mining and whaling operations, for example, Great Britain, Russia, Holland, Norway. Under “The Treaty concerning the Archipelago of Spitsbergen” signed in 1925, by 52 countries, Norway was given sovereignty but it is not integrated within the Norwegian local government system and nationals of the signatory nations to the agreement have the right to live and work there. The main town is Longyearbyen, named after the American industrialist John Longyear and it houses the airport which welcomes you at the start of your adventure.

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The flexibility comes on the trip timings, as during the Arctic summer there is 24hr daylight and normal rules do not apply. Trips are thus timed to suit the appearance of wildlife. We have departed for a zodiac trip at 5.00 a.m. to return to the ship for breakfast and on another occasion we departed after dinner at 9.30 p.m. to see a mother polar bear and her cub. Our fellow travellers were a mixed bunch and as expedition ships tend to be rather small you do get a chance to build up friendships quite quickly. These trips offer different adventures to different types; I personally enjoyed watching the seabirds, although I had never previously shown any ‘twitching” inclinations. My wife, Trish loved seeing the polar bears on the ice, she will never forget those

Arctic Adventure

RGBB News

Words & Pictures from Bill & Trish Nicholson

images, especially a polar bear stalking a seal, who than a polar bear”. After the guards are in position popped into the safety of an ice hole when the bear then passengers are deposited on the beach either made his charge! Other people enjoyed seeing the to take part in a guided tour or roam on their own, walrus at their haul out, seals on the ice and Arctic within the perimeter that is protected by the guards. foxes. There are a lot of sea birds, millions in fact. Only once have I been part of a quick departure from During our trips we have seen puffins, guillemots, a beach, where a guard noticed that a large cream razorbills, gannets, little auks, fulmars, arctic rock, had turned around and shown his black nose. terns, sea eagles, arctic skuas, glaucous gulls, The bear decided not to interrupt his slumber but we kittiwakes and buntings. We have seen whales, were politely requested to make our way back to the especially cruising south to a trip to Bear Island zodiacs, “as quickly as possible.” (which is not actually home to any polar bears).

Thus far we have seen humpback, blue, minke, fin A number of ships offer expedition cruising from and beluga whales and it is truly humbling to see sail boats with a few passengers to ships capable of these majestic creatures. The wild flowers are also taking over 100 passengers. Similarly it is possible interesting to some and indeed it is remarkable that to cruise on a budget or to opt for luxury travel. these small colourful plants We travelled on the Prince “there is less paperwork if we shoot survive in such a harsh Albert 2, named after the a guest than if we shoot a polar bear” environment. Personally I environmentally conscious cannot get enthused about Prince of Monaco the geology, I did attend the lectures held on board (www.foundationprincealbertiidemonaco.net). This but cannot really muster much interest, although ship can accommodate 132 passengers and has an for one Australian lady it was the reason she had ice rated hull (www.silversea.com). Whichever type travelled on the cruise. you choose you are certain to get close to wildlife and some truly spectacular scenery, and of course, There are no age barriers on these cruises except that at least for the time being, some Ice! for a minimum age for children on the zodiacs. For the more active passengers there are hikes, glacier Whilst this type of holiday is not for everyone, for crossings and some gentle strolls. Any landing must my wife and myself, as long as we are able, it is our be preceded by the landing of armed guides whose job preferred choice. Other passengers have said that it is to ensure that there are no polar bear incidents. At the Antarctic must be next on our list, but that would the opening briefing on respecting the rules of Arctic require a winter trip to catch the Antarctic summer. cruising you are informed of the protection afforded We have been fortunate enough to cruise around to the polar bears, the statement which sticks in my Svalbard and Bear Island in 2008 and 2009, and mind is, “there is less paperwork if we shoot a guest have hopes to make it again in 2010, Inshallah.

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RGBB News closely fought contest with both players getting very respectable scores. After the first frame the players were tied on 7 points, but then Martins earlier knack of finding a way to get all of the pins down deserted him and he left 2 consecutive frames open. Phil took real advantage of this dip in form from Martin to spare both frames and open up an advantage that Martin was unable to overcome.

Both players swapped strikes towards the end of the game; however Phil ended with an impressive 169 to Martins 147 to take the title.

Phil in form in final

After the game both players received their trophies from sports organiser Gary Richardson.

On Wednesday 12th August Cordoba Village hosted the RGBB 10 pin bowling competition.

Despite being in the middle of holiday season a good number of members and their families took part in this friendly, but competitive event.

Martin said “I started very well early on, but couldn’t maintain that standard, Phil beat me comfortably and I congratulate him on his victory. My wife Barbara and I have had a thoroughly enjoyable evening and we would like to thank everyone concerned with organising it.”

Although the bowling standard was “very mixed” there were clearly some talented bowlers amongst the field (a sign of a mis-spent youth). After the early rounds were completed the quarter finals threw up some intriguing ties.

In the quarter finals Martin Dickinson scored an impressive 199 to knock out Adam Pannell and progress to a semi final with Steve Nettl. Martin had a run of 5 consecutive strikes in this game, which was not beaten all evening. Steve Nettl managed to overcome the gutsy fight back of Amanda Richardson before booking his place in the semi finals with an impressive 129. One of the children in the event (Gillian Armstrong) gave sports member Gary Richardson a real fright, before Gary just eased past her into the semi finals.

Phil Pannell fought of the challenge of Salem Bin Abdoon to book his place in the semis. Phil looked “home and hosed” after 7 frames were completed as he had a substantial lead of over 30 points.

However Salem had other ideas and hit 2 strikes in a row to leave him needing 1 more strike with his last ball to knock Phil out...unfortunately he left 1 last pin standing and a relieved Phil progressed into the semi finals against Gary Richardson.

The semi finals were closely contested with Martin Dickinson scoring 145 beating Steve Nettl‘s 127.

Phil Pannell then took on his close friend Gary Richardson in the other semi, with the crowd being well aware that the bragging rights of this contest were far more important than the guaranteed trophy the winner would receive. Despite being close early on Phil showed that he really did have a mis-spent youth and put in a turkey (3 strikes in a row) to open up a gap that Gary would never close.

Phil eventually winning 164 – 139.

The Final between Martin and Phil was yet another 22

A jubilant Phil Pannell thanked Martin for a very close game and then commented “winning the semi final over Gary gives me the bragging rights in our golf buggy for a few weeks, which is fantastic. But to win this overall is a really nice surprise and I am delighted to have just edged Martin out”.

The RGBB would like to thank Mike Roberts and his Cordoba team for hosting this event in their superb state of the art Brunswick bowling alley. Not only was the welcome and facility superb, but the meal in the restaurant afterwards was very tasty, with food of a high quality.

The sports team has lots more events lined up over the coming months, so please watch your emails for details. If you have an idea for any events that we do not currently have planned please contact sports organiser Gary Richardson on richardsonksa@hotmail.co.uk

RGBB Sports

RGBB News Lessons continue for the RGBB Pool Team

Things went from bad to worse as Seder village racked up all of the remaining 5 doubles to matches to record an emphatic 14-3 win after winning the double matches 6-0.

After another comfortable win Seder captain Fred Redden said “I would like to thank the RGBB for the match this evening. We had to make several changes ourselves tonight from the last match and we were a little concerned that the match would be very close. However the players that represented Seder village last time were superbly supported by our replacements, making this another really strong team to lead.

Whilst the local schools official term time was over

by Wednesday 8th July the RGBB pool team was taught another tough lesson by the Seder village team, as they took us to school yet again.

After a huge loss last time the vastly changed RGBB team was confident of overturning the result and taking home the Axa Cup. Things looked promising early on as the best of 3 singles matches were swapped between the teams.

After the first 7 singles matches the score stood at 43 to Seder village, thanks to wins by Jerry Doncarolis, Olaf Brinkmann and Russell Taylor, however the early results proved to be a false dawn as the Seder team then went into overdrive winning the remaining 4 singles matches to take a commanding 8-3 lead at the break.

With 6 doubles matches remaining the RGBB needed to get off to a strong start to avoid the match being over early in the evening again. Unfortunately Seder continued to shine, winning the first doubles match to stretch the lead to an unassailable 9-3.

As always the RGBB bought a side that like us are as interested in the friendly and social nature that this event represents and played their part in a competitive, lively atmosphere. We look forward to defending the Axa Cup against them in August”.

The RGBB were led by Gary Richardson for the night. He said “I was hopeful of a positive result after being so close early on. Jerry, Olaf and Russell did really well to get 3 wins early on, with some of the matches that we lost going down to the black ball in the deciding frame. Unfortunately the rest of the team and I were unable to chalk up any more wins to support them, as the Seder team really ran away with the match.”

Gary went on to say “I would like to thank all of the players and supporters who turned up this evening as well as Fred and the Seder team for their fantastic hospitality. Clearly the best team won on the night and the leg pulling after my 2-0 defeat to one of the Seder ladies (Emma) will continue long after our return match. I would also like to thank tonight’s sponsors Axa, who continue to support some of the smaller events that we run for the RGBB.

Tom keeps his cool to be crowned King of Pool

New RGBB member Tom Seymour Taylor started his membership in the best way possible when he won the RGBB pool championship in September. The event took place in Arabian Homes impressive games facility, which comfortably housed more than 20 people for this event. Tom drew first blood in the best of 3 final encounter with Rick Armstrong by taking a 1-0 lead with some impressive potting and cue ball control.

However Rick fought back strongly to win a very close second frame and set up a sudden death decider.

After the tournament Tom said ”I am delighted to have won this competition. I had heard that the RGBB run lots of sports events and was keen to get involved in them.”

The RGBB would like to thank Graham Ferguson and his Arabian Homes team for letting us stage this event on the village and look forward to continuing our close relationship with them.

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RGBB News

turnout for inaugural event.

RGBB Great The RGBB ran its inaugural monthly medal at Dirab The men’s third division was a close affair with only Golf course on Friday July 10 . Despite the 5.45am 3 shots separating the top 3 players. Third was Moiz Golf meeting time being too early for some, more than Ahmed who shot 70, he only lost on a card playoff 80 people from numerous countries around the to John Morris who shot also shot 70, whilst the Society world “teed it up” for the event. After a refreshing winner was Richard Davis who shot a fantastic 5 th

breakfast and a quick group photo the players headed to the tee boxes for the 6am shotgun start.

In spite of the heat the scoring on the course was excellent, with numerous players matching their handicaps on this challenging PGA accredited course. The course was in fantastic condition, especially considering the searing heat, this contributed to the excellent scoring.

The nearest the pin competition on the tough 7th hole was won by John Walley, whilst Richard Davis was nearest to the pin on the tricky downhill 11th hole. The Ladies longest drive was won by Mitsuyo Saito, whilst Eric Liquigan won the men’s prize.

Third in the ladies division was Mami Tgukuda with a score of 77; Gudrun Barnden was runner up with a 76; whilst Flore Bouzanne was the delighted winner of the Ladies championship shooting a creditable 2 under par 70. I am sure that Dirab professional Bouchaib Al Jaidaini’s comments of cutting her 2 strokes were only in jest.

Under par 67.

Third place in the men’s second division was Chris Cowburn who shot 73, second was John Freel with a 71 whilst the surprised winner was Michel Joly with a 3 under par score of 69. The men’s First division was extremely close with first and second place tied. Third place went to Sam Montgomery with a 74, whilst second place went to Mark Campbell who shot a 73. Winning on a card play off (count back from the shots taken on the 18th hole) was a delighted Eric Liquigan.

The lowest Gross score of the day went to Michael Sykes who shot an incredible 1 under par 71 before his handicap was deducted. Being a 9 handicap he shot a 62. However as he was a guest of the RGBB his official handicap at Dirab will be scratch for future events (a great achievement).

The RGBB would like to thank Bouchaib and all of the staff at Dirab golf course for running the event so well and preparing the course so nicely for us.

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RGBB News On Friday 14th August an incredible number of contestants demonstrated just those traits as they competed in the RGBB Texas scramble pair’s tournament in temperatures above 50 degrees.

Finlay Graham and Alistair McIlroy bested the field of 98 players to win the event that was billed as the Dirab main event for August. The pair, with a combined handicap of 13, returned a net score of 56 from a gross of 69 to win by 3 strokes from Mark Campbell and Richard Hare.

Under this format, the 3⁄4 handicap of each player was added up and divided by 2 to determine the team handicap. The gross score is the actual score that the team shot, with the net score being the total after the teams handicaps have been deducted.

Campbell and Hare with a team handicap of 14 fired a gross 73 for a net 59 to tie with 2 other

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teams, Marcel Luckman & Brad Garlinghouse (3rd place) as well as John Palalagi & George Mackay (4th place) but managed to squeeze into second place on the count back rule. Chris Smith and Julian Bennett rounded out the winners with 5th place with a net 60.

After the event Alastair McIlroy said, “I am really surprised that we won it. We thought that the dropped shot on 18 would cost us dear. Even when the presentations started we had no idea that we had won until it was announced”. Smith and Bennett were the only other team to hit a gross score of 69 on the par 72, 6,756 yard course but their combined handicap reduced their chances of overall victory. The ladies longest drive was won by Flore Bouzanne with Raymond O’Neil winning the men’s prize. Paul Hansen won nearest the pin on hole 11 while Raymond O’Neil won nearest the pin on the 7th with a tee shot that was incredibly close.

Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun

Photos by Adam Pannell

RGBB News Davis has a single, while Monty’s boys make it a double

In 2009 alone 378 players have completed over 6,800 holes of golf in RGBB competitions. On the morning of Thursday 24th September it finally happened, a player scored a hole in 1. This rare feat was achieved by Howard Davis in the AGR/ RGBB 4 ball Texas scramble event on the par 3, 92 yard 9th hole at the Arizona golf course, Riyadh.

Howard was part of a 4 ball team that was not having the round it had wanted, when he teed up his ball and took out his trusty wedge. He hit his tee shot up onto the tricky sloping green and watched it take 2 small bounces before hitting the flag and dropping into the hole.

A stunned Howard said afterwards “I cannot believe I have achieved this and the sad thing is that I didn’t even see it. I hit the shot and bent down to pick up my tee when the players in my team and the team on the tee box next to us started cheering loudly.

When I looked up I couldn’t see my ball, that’s when I realized what had happened”.

At the presentation after the event Howard was awarded with an expensive putter by Arizona professional Hasan as a reward for his remarkable and rare feat.

RGBB Golf Society

The tournament itself saw some amazing team golf, with the course really put to the sword by some strong players and great shots. The event comprised of teams of 4 players who all hit their shot from the same place. The best resulting shot was then chosen as the place for all players to take their next shot from. The handicaps of the 4 players was added together and then divided by 10 to give each team its handicap.

The closest to the pin prize was up for grabs at the downhill 3rd hole, with the cup not visible from the tee due to a tricky pin position chosen by the course.

This did not stop Finlay Graham from leaving his tee shot just inches from the pin to win the prize. Finlay is currently in great form having partnered Alistair Mcilroy to success in the Saudi Arabian qualifiers of the Air Maroc Open, which was held at Dirab golf course, just 24 hours before this event.

4th place went to Bob Mordan, Scott Cummings, Bill Parks and Todd Bedenis who shot an incredible 18.2 under par for a score of 49.8.

3rd went to Tony Potgieter, John Burnell, Raymond O’Neil and Jean Pierre O’Neil. They shot 18.8 under par for a score of 49.2.

2nd place was achieved by Ed Buckeley, Spencer Hawthorn, Chris Cowburn and Chris Perry. They shot a superb 19.2 under par for a score of 48.8.

The event was won by the defending RGBB Open Championship winning team of Sam Montgomery, Mark Campbell, Phil Pannell and Gary Richardson who shot an amazing 21.4 under par for a winning score of 46.6. Their round consisted of an Eagle, 14 birdies and 3 pars.

After the event, winning captain Sam said “I am delighted to have won this event and made it a double of RGBB 4 ball wins this year. After we missed birdie putts on the 2nd, 8th and 9th holes we didn’t think we had a chance of even being in the top 4 as the standard of competition was so high”.

All of the winners were presented prizes by Arizona professional Hasan who arranged all of the items awarded. The RGBB would like to thank Hasan and the team at Arizona Golf resort for preparing a course in great condition and running the tournament so well. We already have plans for at least 5 more golf tournaments at Arizona alone this year, with events at other venues also planned.

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RGBB News

Second Mission of the year for the MEA

The Middle East Association is Britain’s lead private sector body promoting trade and goodwill in the Arab world, including Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan.

The November visit was the second of its multisector trade missions to Saudi Arabia this year.

Working closely with UK Trade & Investment, the MEA has the support of the British Offset Office who make available a generous travel grant for first and second time visitors.

Speaking at a reception for the missioners and invited business guests in Riyadh, David Lloyd the Mission Leader revealed that UK companies travelling with MEA Trade Missions to Saudi Arabi over the last five years had generated in excess of £70 million in trade between the two Kingdoms.

Welcoming the visitors, Paul Williams, UKTI Director of Trade & Investment for Saudi Arabia confirmed that as the Kingdom was indeed the largest economy in the Middle East it offered unparalled opportunities to British exporters of both goods and services. Despite the economic difficulties faced around the world, Saudi Arabia is the UK’s largest trade and investment partner in the region and continues to experience a period of substantial investment led growth.

Companies based in Saudi Arabia wanting to make contact with the Trade Mission companies should in first instance contact the British Embassy, Trade Office or Consulate.

Included in the UK delegation were representatives from: Airea plc - manufacturers of luxury and contract carpets; Air-Seal products Ltd - suppliers of Aramid Fibre based Tyre sealants; Ashridge Business School - tailored executive education; Cambridge Regional College - a centre of excellence for education & training; Canford Audio plc - manufacturers of professional audio & video equipment; Chichester College - offering specialist English language training for overseas students; JC Rathbone Associates Ltd - an idependant financial risk consultancy; Loake - manufacturers of handmade mens footwear; Newedge Group - financial products and services; Quigg Golden - specialists in construction dispute resolution; Reid Kerr College - offering a wide range of vocational education and training programmes; Rösler UK suppliers of roller conveyor and hanger shot blast machines; SEASUK - an experienced professional education and training consultancy; Showgold Ltd - an event management company; The Cavendish Chambers Ltd - bring doctors and lawyers together for the purposes of litigation; UGCS - utilising the educational, training and consulatncy expertise of the University of Glamorgan; University of Kent - a leading higher education institution.

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RGBB News Office for National Statistics - UK Unemployment 3 mths to Aug ‘09 The employment rate and the number of people in employment have fallen. The number of vacancies is unchanged. The number of unemployed people, the unemployment rate and the claimant count have increased. The number of inactive people of working age and the inactivity rate have increased. Growth in average earnings, both excluding and including bonuses, has fallen.

The employment rate for people of working age was 72.6 per cent for the three months to August 2009. It is down 0.3 from the previous quarter and down 1.8 over the year. The total number of people in employment for the three months to August 2009 was 28.95 million, down 45,000 over the quarter and down 467,000 over the year.

The unemployment rate was 7.9 per cent for the three months to August 2009. It is up 0.3 over the previous quarter and up 2.1 over the year.

The number of unemployed people increased by 88,000 over the quarter and by 677,000 over the year, to reach 2.47 million. Short-term (up to six months duration) unemployment has fallen by 57,000 over the quarter to reach 1.36 million. This is the first quarterly fall in this series since the three months to March 2008.

Steve Royston, until recently a resident of Riyadh and still an RGBB member has written in to the RGBB News with some observations and advice which may prove ‘interesting’ to many of us during these ‘interesting’ times.

Unemployment in the UK is topping 2.5 million and rising. Even at the top of the tree, people who would move effortlessly from one highly-rewarded job to another every few years are looking over their shoulders anxiously. Careers on the upward plane are stalling. Personal networks don’t work as they used to because people are focused on retaining their own positions on the ladder rather than helping their friends. New members are flocking to LinkedIn to try and find “new friends”. For goodness sake, Sven-Goran Eriksson is working at Notts County. But more about football later.

More than most, expatriate managers and executives in the Middle East know a thing or two about the simple twists of fate. Has there ever been job security in Dubai, in Riyadh, in Bahrain? Back in the UK, many of today’s high-flyers were at school or University last time a serious recession bit. Not for nothing do economists describe events like the Saudi oil embargo of 1973 and the meltdown of the banking system in 2008 as “shocks”. And on a personal level it’s shocking to find the stable foundation of a lifestyle or a career shaken.

The claimant count, which measures the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance, reached 1.63 million in September 2009. It has not been higher since April 1997. While the total number of claimants increased by 20,800 over the previous month, the number of claimants of up to six months duration fell by 2,500.

The number of redundancies in the three months to August 2009 was 233,000, down 68,000 over the quarter but up 85,000 over the year.

There were 434,000 job vacancies in the three months to September 2009, unchanged over the previous quarter but down 163,000 over the year.

The inactivity rate for people of working age was 21.0 per cent for the three months to August 2009, up 0.1 both over the previous quarter and over the year. The number of economically inactive people of working age rose by 50,000 over the quarter and by 80,000 over the year to reach 7.97 million.

Average earnings, excluding bonuses, increased by 1.9 per cent in the three months to August 2009 compared with the previous year. This is the lowest annual growth rate since comparable records began in 2001. Average earnings, including bonuses, increased by 1.6 per cent in the three months to August 2009.

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Interesting times demand interesting solutions.

Michael Owen, scorer of 43 goals for England, found himself in a personal recession of the mind and body. He was becalmed at Newcastle in a losing team, and struggling to resurrect his career after string of serious injuries. His advisors came up with a bright idea. Why not produce a 16-page glossy brochure extolling Michael’s skills, his track record and his newly-restored fitness, and send it to all the top clubs in England and the Continent? So they did. The result was increased press coverage and an expectation among managers that there would be competition for Michael’s services. Is that what caused Sir Alex Ferguson to sign him to Manchester United? Probably not. But what created a stir was the fact that a high-profile player like Owen was packaged and marketed like a product or a company – features, benefits and all.

The Business Within

RGBB News “I am the best. I do not need to advertise myself. People know my track record. People come running after me.” Except now.

We in Career Advantage think that it’s an approach worth considering. In the UK there has for decades been a flourishing market for freelance consultants, interim managers and technical specialists who operate through personal service companies.

They may be one-man businesses, but they market themselves as businesses, not as people.

The successful ones know what they are good at, they know what markets they are in, and they are experienced at presenting their features and benefits in front of their clients. Should people who hold down senior positions within their organizations be any different? For all the reasons we discussed earlier – economic uncertainty, corporate volatility, increased competition for fewer opportunities – we suggest that everyone on the corporate ladder should recognize that they are involved in two businesses: the organization that employs them and the organization that provides the services – themselves. And each should receive the fullest attention.

Is this stating the obvious? Perhaps, but our experience suggests that many people in senior corporate roles put their hearts and souls into the cause that employs them, but neglect their own cause. When the time comes for a move they find themselves woefully underprepared to launch their personal product on the job market. So they dredge up the CV that got them their last job ten year ago and add a couple of paragraphs to bring it up to date, instead of thinking “what do I have to offer an employer now?”, “which of my skills are valuable today and in the future?”, and “who is likely to want to employ me?” . They forget that an interview is a multimedia experience – interactivity, tone, body language, learning, listening, questioning. That takes practice and preparation. And what about research? Finding out about the potential employer – their business, their culture, their finances and their challenges?

The time and effort needed to manage a career is

often the reason why very capable and experienced executives find themselves in a rut, or worse still, in a hole. Career Advantage provides a solution.

We don’t find people jobs. There are thousands of companies in that business. What we do is act as personal marketing team for people who don’t have the time to attend to their personal proposition. We help our clients to hone their marketing collateral (more often a carefully prepared CV than a 16-page glossy brochure), prepare themselves for interviews by coaching and practice, research the market for their services, provide profiles of companies who are interested in them, and for people who are looking to work in the Middle East for the first time, we provide personal introductions to people who are already living and working here.

Career Advantage is not just a resource for expatriates. Saudis, Emiratis and Bahrainis are just as concerned about their careers as everyone else working in the Middle East. They have additional challenges: the need to market themselves in two languages; the need to show that they are ready step into roles with increasing responsibility in a market that sometimes values qualifications over capability.

With the CEO of HSBC warning of a double-dip recession in the UK (hang on, we haven’t emerged from the first one yet!), and other sages warning of increased political and social volatility likely to spill over into the Middle East, it’s easy to retreat into gloom. But we would suggest that there is no better time for executives to make sure that they are fit, ready and focused on their personal propositions if the worst should occur, or indeed to take advantage of the upside when it arrives.

And that means attending to the Business Within.

Steve can be contacted via the website www.careeradvantage-uk.com or by email: steve.royston@careeradvantage-uk.com

Personal Ads We’ve been asked to consider the inclusion of smaller advert spaces in next years RGBB magazines.

As examples, a Box this size would be charged at SR300 and a box like the one to the left would be charged at SR450.

For more information contact Andrew Mead on andrew@sbtd.co.uk Oh and by the way The Ad on the left is a REAL one!

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RGBB News sustainability, to the ‘Get Set’ education programme which has reached more than 11,000 schools and the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

The results of the London-wide London 2012 pin badge vote have also been announced, with local residents voting for a landmark in their borough to be immortalised in badge form. Tower Bridge in the City of London, the Globe Theatre in Southwark and Three Mills in Newham are among the chosen landmarks to be celebrated.

On Saturday 31 Oct 2009 the UK marked 1000 days to go until the 2012 Olympic games open in the UK. London 2012 Chairman Sebastian Coe commented: “Reaching 1,000 days to go gives us an opportunity to celebrate. Millions of people are already inspired by, benefiting from or delivering London 2012, from those who are taking part in sport participation projects inspired by the Games to the millions of National Lottery players who are helping to build the Olympic Park in east London.”

The occasion is being marked by the news that more than five million people are currently participating in London 2012 Games-related projects. Initiatives range from the Inspire programme, which has seen thousands of people take part in hundreds of community projects in sport, culture, business and

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Celebrations of another kind were interupted when pop princesses Girls Aloud gatecrashed the UK Packaging Awards event with fellow pop star James Morrison. The event was being held at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel and gained the event national coverage in the UK rags as reporters tried to find yet annother excuse to put pictures of ‘Our Cheryl’ on their pages.

The amazing Ms. Cole has of course been in the news recently, having launched her new single ‘Fight for Love’ as well as for appearances on the X Factor where her lack of support for the wedgehaired Jedward twins

RGBB News style was judged by Craig Revel Horwood as ‘Rigor Mortis’, has complained that the show is ‘fixed’. Mr Calzaghe declined to say what it was that he had actually said about one of the judges, commenting only that it was worse than a swear word!

Who will win in 2010, well it’s still too early to say.

My money would be on Ricky Whittle but star of The Bill, Ali Bastion (below) is definitely better looking.

has also received an airing. Apparently, it is now revealed, Simon Cole tried to persuade Cheryl to save the twins to avoid the embarrasment of having to do it himself. Clearly she ignored his pleas and gave her decision based on who she thought was better... Lucie Jones (above).

The furious grandmother of Lucie Jones yesterday insisted Simon Cowell was desperate to get her off The X Factor because he feared she would beat his own acts: “I think Simon Cowell chickened out. I said all along if it came down to Lucie and anyone else he would get rid of her because he is afraid of her. He is afraid of her voice. He said all along he wanted a male singer to win this year. He is protecting his own acts.“

Staying with ‘good looking’ for a moment you may have missed the OK magazine award for most Eligible Man earlier in the year. Robert Pattison pictured below is described as Hollywoods current hearthrob. After topping the Most Eligible Men’s chart Rob will now find no difficulty in finding a girl of his choice. Rob has also been quoted by the publication as saying, “Last year all I was trying to do was get a girlfriend“. Poor Rob! Last year he was desperate to find a girl and now he actually has to run away from them.

Pattison is apparently in the running to play the part of Prince Harry in a film known as ‘The Spare’ following the highs and lows of Prince William’s life including his time serving in Afghanistan. casting is expected to begin early in 2010.

According to the Telegraph, Jedward’s mentor Louis Walsh, has admitted he doesn’t believe they will be crowned winners. Broadcaster ITV was flooded with an astonishing 3000 complaints after the show but Ofcom has announced they will be not be investigating the situation since there was no breach of the broadcasting code.

Another voting fiasco has also hit the headlines recently after the new series of Strictly Come Dancing has grabbed the nations attention.

Ofcom were involved with last years show after three couples had to be allowed in the final after voting ‘irregularities’. The BBC escaped censure then, after offering to refund the cost of telephone calls. This years Week 7 event resulted in an obviously good dancer loosing out to a possibly more popular celebrity. Since then, one of those already booted off, Joe Calzaghe, whose dancing 33

RGBB News • Endurance Endurance exercises are any activity that increase your heart rate and breathing for an extended period of time – walking (with or without a dog), jogging, swimming, cycling, climbing stairs, cleaning the car but when you start do it gradually. Walk before you run. Make sure you drink plenty of water, 8 – 10 glasses a day and stop if you feel dizzy.

What are the effects?

I imagine the average age of RGBB members, like the BBBF in Bahrain, is 40 plus so we can all relate to my comments. Do you feel that you have slowed down as you get older? Do you feel stiff if you take up exercise after a break of a few years? Do you get out of breath when you walk up the stairs? ...or when you take a dip in the pool?

Do you put those feelings down to age and banish exercise as something you did when you were young? Now hang on, there’s Tom Watson coming 2nd in the British Open at the age of 59 and Lance Armstrong climbing the podium in Paris at the end of Le Tour at the age of 37. A 40 year old would think Tom is old and a 25 year old would think Lance is old so what relevance do their performances have for us.

It is true that both are exceptional athletes. They have maintained fitness levels that mean they can continue in their chosen sports although past the average age for excellent performances. But there are many other examples of athletes recording performances when they should be past it. Ryan Giggs and David Beckham are two names from football.

So what’s their secret ?

First of all people of all ages and physical condition will benefit from exercise and physical activity.

Don’t be afraid to exercise and think that it’s too strenuous. In fact it’s safe to exercise at any age and older adults harm their health more by not exercising.

If you’re inactive you lose ground in four areas: • Strength To combat this you need strength exercises that build your muscles and increase your metabolic rate that helps to control weight and blood sugar levels.

• Balance Balance exercises build leg muscles and this helps to prevent falls.

• Flexibility Stretching exercises give you more freedom of movement which will allow you to be more active.

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The Framingham Heart Study, conducted over 40 years, showed that for men and women aged 50 or more, moderate physical activity increased total life expectancy by 1.3 to 1.5 years for men and slightly less for women without suffering any cardiovascular disease.

High levels of physical exercise added 3.5 – 3.7 years to total life expectancy and 3.3 years free of cardiovascular disease. The authors concluded that ‘Our study suggests that following an active lifestyle is an effective way to achieve healthy aging’ Plus there are the hidden benefits of exercise.

• • • •

Exercise improves sleep It keeps your brain sharp Releases chemicals that make you feel good about yourself Gives you more energy

But before you grab your shoes, go check with your usual physician that it is safe for you to undertake a particular exercise. Plus he or she will check your blood pressure, height and weight ((to calculate Body Mass Index), pulse rate, cholesterol and blood sugar. If you get the go ahead then these readings give you a base for improvement in the coming months.

The other part of the lifestyle equation is for the future but it includes a good diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, and I won’t mention smoking and alcohol.

Sporting Footnotes By the way for the football fans Ryan Giggs puts his longevity as a footballer down to yoga that he started 6 years ago.

For more information check w w w. t i m e s o n l i n e . c o . u k / November 30 2008 life & Style Gary Player will be 74 on November 1st and he hates missing his gym sessions and still broke 80 in this years Masters. He can still do a 1,000 sit-up session.

Medical Notes

by Rob Grey, Director Communications & Development at the AMH in Bahrain

RGBB News

Fire Fighting demo at KKIA

Fire Rescue Service training ground. The visit was organised by RGBB member Assistant Chief Fire Officer Rick Armstrong.

K.K.I.A. is classed as a category 9 airport catering for the largest aircraft in that group B 747. Fire services in this category must carry at least 24,500 Liters of water and foam with an application rate of 9000 liters per minute. The service must also attend any aircraft fire incident within 3 minutes of an incident occurring, therefore all fire trucks must have cross country capability.

Some RGBB members and families attended a training session at King Khaled International Airport

The Wedding

The group were shown all the vehicles in use at the airport and some of the kids were allowed to squirt some water, much to the annoyance of some parents who got “accidentally” soaked. 500 liters of fuel were used for the training fire which of course was expertly extinguished by the fire crews.

A great time was had by all and a visit to Mackers on the return journey was greatly appreciated.

Further visits will hopefully be arranged for the next school holidays, more information at a later date.

Not quite the OK style exclusive I’d like to have provided, but RGBB Members David Alexander and Rachael Start tied the knot at St Christophers Cathedral in Bahrain in November. Photos kindly supplied by David and Sean McPoland. Good wishes to both from all.

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RGBB News Graham Baird Mihir Bhatt Iain Blacklaw Laurence Callow Trevor Cartwright Stephen Clark Vic Dhillon Craig Gordon Ali Haidar Tony Hallside Bill Hanbury Anthony Hatton Alan Howell Liam Liddy Rod Macdonald Matt Martin Dennis McKeever

OBEIKAN RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPERS AL RAJHI BANK ALMARAI COMPANY LTD AL KHORAYEF INDUSTRIES EADS DEFENCE & SECURITY SYSTEMS RIYADH BANK ARABIAN CENTRES SAUDI OGER APEX FUND SERVICES KING SAUD UNIVERSITY AL RAJHI BANK BANQUE SAUDI FRANSI AL RABIE SAUDI DAIRY CO LTD BURO HAPPOLD AL KHOZAMA MANAGEMENT CO HANSA LUFTBILD

Just in from RGBB Member Robert Lickley, is news of changes to Diamond Club benefits.

“We’ve launched a new service where you can use your destinations miles to upgrade into the next cabin on a bmi flight of your choice.

As long as your ticket is booked in U, L, Y, S, O or B class.” says Robert referring readers to the www.flybmi.com website for more detailed information.

Whether your destinations miles are earned from flights, hotel stays or online shopping, you can use them to upgrade. The great news is that these upgrades are confirmed before you arrive at the airport - giving you peace of mind.

[Editors note: For flights from Riyadh to the UK the website advises 20,000 miles will be required to upgrade from Economy to Business class.]

Robert also advises that from 01 December 2009 family membership will be available to all Diamond Club members.

Family membership will allow you and your family to combine your destinations miles and take advantage of awards sooner.

You’ll become the ‘Head of Account’ and invite up to eight members to the family, which can even include staff such as nannies and security.

All family members continue to be Diamond Club members in their own right and are invited by the ‘Head of Account’ to join the family membership.

Plus you’ll now be able to enrol under 18’s as long as they are part of a family account.

Welcome to new members Melanie Paul Martin Payne Tamsin Rees Paul Rees Nigel Rice Rupert Rogers Ian Sowden Wendy Stonehouse James Thetford Michael Thorpe Steve Wilks

NATIONAL AIR SERVICES (NAS) RIDER LEVETT BUCKNALL BRITISH EMBASSY PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPERS AL RAJHI CAPITAL SAUDI HOLLANDI BANK SAP-IT ALLIED DIAGNOSTICS AL RAJHI FINANCIAL SERVICES SAP-IT GPT SPM LTD

Club package due to rolled out at the end of November which includes new airline partners in the shape of Continental Airlines, who fly mainly from their hubs in Cleveland, Newark & Houston to 262 destinations worldwide; Brussels Airline, with its fleet of 51 aircraft connecting the European capital to 70 premium European and African airports; Tam Airlines, who in 2009 flew more than 700 daily flights to over 60 destinations in Brazil, USA, Europe and South America.

Destination miles can also be earned by staying with bmi partner hotels. Hotel Missoni is the newest member of the Rezidor family. The worldwide licence agreement signed with the Italian fashion house of the same name saw the very first Hotel Missoni debuting in the heart of Edinburgh in June 2009 - featuring 136 rooms, a “cucina” and a bar, and combining the iconic, colourful Missoni style with the experience of an international hotel operator. Further Hotels Missoni are under development in Kuwait, South Africa, Oman and Brazil. A new and distinctively different kind of hotel, Hotel Missoni sets itself quite unashamedly out to capture the increasingly important lifestyle sector of the hospitality market - appealing to well-travelled individuals, who are independent, relatively cash-rich and time poor, and, are willing to pay for the difference.

From 1 December 2009, when you stay in any Missoni Hotel around the world, you’ll earn 1,000 destinations miles per night, up to a maximum of 3,000 destinations miles per stay.

To set up an account, you’ll need to simply log into your Diamond Club account on or after 01 December 2009.

A range of other benefits have been launched including other ways to earn and spend your air miles. Diamond Club Gold members also get an extra range of benefits including being able to use the complimentary upgrade vouchers to confirm seating up to 7 days in advance of the flight

These changes are part of a revised Diamond

More details are available on the bmi website

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STOP PRESS ... bmi