Benchmark middle east, april 2015 edition

benchmark middle east

APRIL 2015 / VOL. 4 NO. 4

Published from Dubai Media City

APRIL 2015

Top Tips for CEOs

Once you’ve got to the top of the tree, it can feel like the only way is down

VorsprungdurchTechnik The hallmark that defines Audi in all areas of automobile development and production

Mumzworld

Mum’s the word when it comes to success for Internet Entrepreneur

APRIL 2015

benchmark middle east

inside

APRIL 2015 / VOL. 4 NO. 4

Published from Dubai Media City

APRIL 2015

Top Tips for CEOs

Once you’ve got to the top of the tree, it can feel like the only way is down

VorsprungdurchTechnik The hallmark that defines Audi in all areas of automobile development and production

Mumzworld

Mum’s the word when it’s comes to success for Internet Entrepreneur

GCC Update

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Cityscape Abu Dhabi is seen as a barometer of the local property market – and a much less pressurised atmosphere is forecast this year.

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Top Tips for CEOs: Following these 13 lucky tips can help senior execs get to the top – and, more importantly, stay there.

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Give it Away: Why top cheese are embracing philantrophy

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Cover design: Geri Batara Sonny

Rolls-Royce; the ultra-luxury brand synonymous the world over with style, sophistication and the super-rich has just sold its 1000th car in Abu Dhabi.

Industry Focus: Interviews & analysis

Crowdfunding: Can power to the people make you a property magnate?

Mumzworld: Mum's the word when it's comes to success for internet entrepreneur.

Vasilica Baltateanu is the managing director and founder of Vasilica Aesthetics, the UAE’s first plastic surgery consultancy. She chats to Benchmark about tackling female stereotypes, how to have success in the workplace — regardless of gender — and how women actually can have it all.

Helen Tatham, real estate female supremo speaks FrieslandCampina, 60 years and still going strong.

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Fadi Ghandour is co-founder of one of the Arab world’s largest companies, and has invested in more than 80 smaller ventures in the region. So he knows what he’s talking about when he describes starting a business as a “guerrilla struggle”.

Lifestyle

42 Fashion 46 Watches

Lacoste sail away collection The 10 best watches from Baselworld 2015

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Motoring

VorsprungdurchTechnik, The hallmark that defines Audi in all areas of automobile development and production

Tourism

Pullman Dubai Jumeirah Lakes Towers Opens its Doors Palma Hotel, The Hotel where the Royals holiday.

Eating Out

Fuego Heats up Souk Al Bahar: Contemporary Mexican restaurant opening in Souk Al Bahar is Hot. Hot. Hot.

Health

Is your desk job making you fat? A small weight fluctuation isn’t such a big deal, but over the course of a year or five years, that could result in major weight gain.

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Editor's Note

In 1887

John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, the first Baron Acton, wrote: "Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely".

He had a point, they made me Chief Executive Editor and now I'm planning world domination and practising my evil laugh.

However you slice it, it really can be tough at the top (I know, I know 'cry me a river').

One of the scary things about reaching the highest rung on the ladder is having absolutely no idea of how to stay there, so focused on the climb were we.

And so Benchmark brings you the Power Issue, packed with extra bootstraps and dedicated to all those determined to claw their way to success.

We've got top tips from industry leaders on how to survive at the heady heights of executivedom (yes we made up a word, we can do that we're the boss).

A familiar figure to all, founder of logistics giant Aramex Fadi Ghadour knows a thing or two about delivering results. He speaks to Benchmark about his new life as an angel investor determined to help others get their break.

Start-ups can be no child's play but Mona Ataya, the CEO of www. mumzworld.com, the most-visited online baby retailer in the region, tells us of her climb, the pitfalls and the perils as well as the rewards.

"Dedication, loyalty, commitment, passion, and enthusiasm." Just some of the qualities Helen Tatham, managing partner and founder of Prime Places Real Estate in Dubai, attributes to surviving the property crash of 2008. Read how she kept her nerve while thousands around her didn't.

And power to the people? Can crowd-funding turn you into a property millionaire. It's a growing industry and it's just come to the UAE, Benchmark talks to Waleed Esbaitah, the founder of DURISE. Also, as we'll all executives here, we've got the latest in power fashion, wheels and executive stays in our lifestyle section.

Just remember what the Iron Lady former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher once said: "Power is like being a lady... if you have to tell people you are, you aren't."

Scott Armstrong, Chief Executive Editor

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GCC Update

E x c l u s i v e S t o r i e s A N D A N A LY SIS F r o m A r o u nd T h e G u l f

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GCC Update

Cityscape Abu Dhabi BEN FLANAGAN

C

ityscape Abu Dhabi is seen as a barometer of the local property market — and a much less pressurised atmosphere is forecast this year.

The show has previously been characterised by the bluster of the boom times, the gloom of the financial crisis and, more recently, by fears the Abu Dhabi real-estate market could overheat once again.

But a quieter mood of cautious optimism is expected at the ninth Cityscape Abu Dhabi, held over three days starting on April 21.

Regulars such as the flagship Abu Dhabi developer Aldar, as well as new participants like Eagle Hills — which counts Emaar chairman Mohamed Alabbar as a board member — are set to be among 130 exhibitors at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Others include Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) — the government-owned master developer behind the massive Saadiyat Island cultural district — as well as overseas exhibitors looking to lure investment from the Arabian Gulf.

Cityscape Abu Dhabi is expected to be bigger than last year — but still only twothirds the size of the shows held in 2007 and 2008. That reflects trends in the UAE capital’s property market, says Wouter Molman, director of Cityscape Group at event organiser Informa Exhibitions.

“Both our Dubai and Abu Dhabi events haven’t reached pre-recession level sizes yet, as they are still some 30 to 35 percent smaller than they were in 2007 and 2008,” he said.

Yet a steady rate of growth in the property show is preferable to it “reaching record-breaking sizes that may not be sustainable,” Mr Molman added — just like the argument made by analysts about the property market itself. b e n c h m ar k m i d d l e e a s t | A p r i l 2 0 15

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GCC Update

Wealthy Abu Dhabi’s property projects have not generally been as brash as those built in Dubai, home of the ‘Palm’ islands, the world’s tallest building, and outlandish future developments such as the Middle East’s first tropical rainforest.

Mr Molman said he expects project launches at this year’s Cityscape Abu Dhabi to be similar in type to those of previous years, which have typically included announcements of new phases of existing master developments such as Reem Island and Saadiyat.

“The capital has traditionally been more low-key with its real estate developments than neighbouring Dubai, and we don’t foresee a different strategy for this year,” he said.

Mr Molman said the mood at Cityscape Abu Dhabi — like the property market as a whole — is likely to be “generally upbeat and positive” this year, although one of the main talking points is likely to be the impact of lower oil prices on government spending.

Abu Dhabi property prices have recovered significantly after shedding about 50 percent of their value during the global economic downturn.

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Rents in prime residential areas rose by 17 percent in 2013 and 11 percent in 2014, according to property advisory firm JLL. David Dudley, head of the Abu Dhabi office at JLL, says a shortage in quality housing in Abu Dhabi means that growth in rental prices is likely to continue, albeit at single-digit rates.

Sale prices for prime Abu Dhabi properties have recovered at an even faster rate, estimated by JLL at about 25 percent annually in 2013 and 2014.

But that has slowed dramatically, with Abu Dhabi house prices standing unchanged in the final quarter of 2014 — the first time they have been flat in nearly two years.

“The sales market is driven more by sentiment and consequently is more sensitive to the recent decline in oil prices and equities markets,” said Mr Dudley. “However we do not anticipate a significant decline in prime residential prices due to the relative shortage of availability of quality product.”

Haider Ali Khan, chief executive of property search website Bayut.com, which has booked a booth at Cityscape Abu Dhabi, says the exhibition is “a great place to connect with the real estate industry”.

The capital has traditionally been more low-key with its real estate developments than neighbouring Dubai, and we don’t foresee a different strategy for this year WOUTER Molman Director of Cityscape Group

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GCC Update

He said he expects rental prices in Abu Dhabi to stay stable or rise by up to 8 percent, while sales prices will hold steady for most of the year.

“Things that go up steeply or come down sharply are always due to people reacting [to] speculations, because mature markets or businesses don't tend to have these issues,” he said. “The Emirates real-estate market is a very young market compared to other markets in the world and I feel it’s graduating from this status.”

Ben Crompton, the managing partner of Crompton Partners estate agents in Abu Dhabi, said there would be a mood of “cautious optimism” at Cityscape Abu Dhabi.

“The oil-price drop and seeming ‘topping out’ of the Dubai market will make developers and investors alike a little cautious, but the continued strength of the Abu Dhabi economy and its ability to weather such minor shocks will keep confidence high for the long term,” he said.

Unlike the ‘megaproject’ announcements favoured by the UAE capital’s flashier neighbour, Mr Crompton said things at Cityscape Abu Dhabi are likely to be a little more measured.

“I think we will continue to see the dripdrip of stalled projects being brought back online,” he said.

“The Abu Dhabi market is… strongly linked to Government strategy and stimulus so large projects hurriedly put together aren’t the hallmark of this city. I expect steady measured projects to be announced in keeping with the strength of demand.”

Mr Crompton forecasts “steady” inflation-level growth in Abu Dhabi rents and sales prices over the rest of the year.

And with prices still 30 to 40 percent below their 2008 peak, it looks like another boom-and-bust cycle has been averted – at least for now. The market is simmering away, but it’s no pressure cooker.

“The prognosis has been getting better and better since 2012 and I see no reason to predict anything but measured increases in that recovery,” said Mr Crompton.

“I doubt, now that the government has a better grip on and sense of supply, that we will ever regain the heights of the boom years.”

Cityscape Abu Dhabi will be held from April 21-23 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. www.cityscapeabudhabi.com

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GCC Update

Rolls-Royce pass milestone Rolls-Royce, the ultra-luxury brand synonymous the world over with style, sophistication and the super-rich has just sold its 1000th car in Abu Dhabi. Carolyne Allmark spoke to Arno Husselmann, General Manager of Abu Dhabi Motors, exclusive retailer for Rolls-Royce in the UAE, on the marque maintains its elusive prestige today, and discusses plans for its new SUV. Congratulations on becoming the first dealership globally to reach their 1000th Rolls-Royce sold. This was a Bespoke model from the Suhail collection, which is perhaps unsurprising given that the Middle East has one of the largest Bespoke markets in terms of revenue per car. Are you forecasting 2015 to be another strong year for this personalised market?

Reaching our 1000th car sold is indeed an incredible achievement for us and we are extremely proud at being the first dealership to accomplish this.

As you mentioned, the 1000th car was from the Bespoke Suhail Collection, 12

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which in itself marked a milestone in Rolls-Royce Motor Cars’ illustrious history as the first collection to extend a Bespoke theme to the Phantom, Phantom Coupé, Ghost and Wraith.

This particular Bespoke collection was inspired by the Suhail star constellation and is named after one of the brightest stars in the sky. The light of the Suhail star is believed to have inspired poets and scientists throughout the ages, most significantly Ibn al-Haitham, a 10th Century Arabic mathematician, astronomer and physicist. He was the first to realise that light enters the eye rather than leaving it, amongst other considerable achievements,

and as a result, has been lauded for his contribution to science. Considered as one of the region’s most revolutionary individuals, the Suhail Collection pays homage to this historical Middle Eastern figure.

You were global sales leader for RollsRoyce in 2012 and 2013 and won Global Dealer of the Year, two years in a row.

Did you continue to beat your sales targets last year? How is 2015 shaping up so far?

Building on our successes in 2012 and 2013, we were identified as the best-selling RollsRoyce Motor Cars dealership in 2014. We achieved a 13 per cent increase in sales and A p r i l 2 0 15 | b e n c h m ar k m i d d l e e a s t

GCC Update

were recently awarded with eight accolades at the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Regional Dealer Awards held in Dubai. These awards include Best Selling Dealer 2014, Best Bespoke Dealer 2014, Best Performing Provenance Dealer 2014, and Aftersales Dealer of the Year 2014, as well as an award of Excellence in Sales, and two awards for Excellence in Aftersales for our valued staff members.

We can attribute our continuous success not only to the high-calibre vehicles offered

by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, but also to the level of unrivalled customer service provided by Abu Dhabi Motors. We also have to pay tribute to our discerning clientele, whose passion for automotive excellence, and love for the Rolls-Royce brand propels our continued growth to new levels each year.

We continuously strive for excellence in every aspect of the brand, so we are certain that 2015 will undoubtedly be another successful year for us.

What sets Abu Dhabi Motors apart from its competition?

As Rolls-Royce Motor Cars does not operate in the mass luxury segment, but the ultraluxury segment — it does not compete with other automotive brands. Due to the craftsmanship, excellent customer relationships and breadth of individualisation available, the marque competes alongside bespoke yachts, private jets and commissioned pieces of art, which share the same synergy for truly extraordinary luxury experiences.

What differentiates us is our clear understanding of customer requirements. We put in the extra effort to reward customers with a truly bespoke experience. Our products are unique and exclusive, our services are the best and our staff daily delivers ‘Service Excellence’ to demanding clientele. Customers are the purpose of our business and we take pride in creating customer delight with the product and our unmatched service standards, which is why we are number 1 and the most successful Rolls-Royce Dealer globally.

As you may already know, Rolls-Royce cars are predominantly hand-made and at Goodwood there is a selection of master craftspeople with a unique blend of skills that simply doesn’t exist anywhere else Arno Husselmann General Manager, Abu Dhabi Motors

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You have been quoted as saying that customer satisfaction is the foundation of Abu Dhabi Motors’ enduring success.

How do you measure that success?

Customer satisfaction is at the heart of what we do in Abu Dhabi Motors, particularly when it comes to the ultra-luxury marque Rolls-Royce.

When buying a Rolls-Royce, customers are not just purchasing the pinnacle of automotive luxury, they are investing in a timeless vehicle. The level of service provided here at Abu Dhabi Motors resonates with

the sophistication and excellence of the brand in every aspect, making the journey of purchasing a Rolls-Royce as effortless as possible. As a result of this, we generate many loyal customers who refer us on to their family and close friends. This partially contributes to our continuous growth in sales, ensuring Abu Dhabi Motors stands out in the ultra-luxury marques regional and global network.

Individual tailoring for the Bespoke collections is currently carried out at Rolls-Royce in the UK before the vehicles are delivered to you in Abu Dhabi.

Any plans for this aspect of design to be done in the Middle East instead given its obvious popularity here?

All Rolls-Royce vehicles are crafted at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, in the UK. As you may already know, Rolls-Royce cars are predominantly hand-made and at Goodwood there is a selection of master craftspeople with a unique blend of skills that simply doesn’t exist anywhere else.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars have hired people from the yachting industry with very specialist woodworking skills and craftspeople from the saddle-making industry for their leatherworking skills. They also have specialists from all walks of life, ranging from fabric and clothes design to metalworking, all working together to craft the unique Rolls-Royce Motor Cars masterpieces. The quality control is impeccable and our discerning customers will most likely only accept a product made by RollsRoyce in Goodwood. This will not change.

Rolls-Royce recently announced the addition of a Sports Utility Vehicle to its line-up of models. This is arguably quite a departure for this particular manufacturer — how do you think it may affect the brand image? Any early signs of interest from your customers?

It is a well-known fact that Sports Utility Vehicles are very popular in this part of the world. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars recently confirmed that it will be designing an ‘allterrain’ vehicle. This new model will deliver presence, elegance and purpose wherever its owners choose to be in the world.

I believe that this vehicle will resonate well with the taste of the discerning RollsRoyce customers in this region and we have received an overwhelmingly positive response from our clientele since the announcement. We have been requesting such a product for several years, and knowing Rolls-Royce, they will get it right and the product will be a huge success.

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Fadi Ghandour is co-founder of one of the Arab world’s largest companies, and has invested in more than 80 smaller ventures in the region.

So he knows what he’s talking about when he describes starting a business as a

“guerrilla struggle”

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Ben Flanagan

he seasoned entrepreneur founded logistics firm Aramex in 1982, taking on the likes of DHL and FedEx, and which in 1997 became the first company from the Arab world to trade shares on the Nasdaq in New York. The company later went private before launching another listing on the Dubai Financial Market.

Having stepped down as chief executive of the courier firm in 2012, Mr Ghandour has since turned his attention to investing in startup business in the region, through his initiatives Wamda Capital and MENA Venture Investments. His track record in the field is impressive, notably with his early involvement with Maktoob, the Arab web portal that was acquired by Yahoo for $165 million in 2010.

Here Mr Ghandour, who is Jordanian, describes the gear shift from being big CEO to angel investor — and why he’d never recommend going to business school.

Aramex went from being a startup, to a big business, to a global listed company.

How different are the leadership skills required in each of those three phases?

In the start-up phase you are engaged in a guerrilla struggle in a vicious jungle and you are in the business of survival. Once you are out of the jungle, you take a bath, clip your nails, comb your hair, and protect the clients you have and build a brand that is respected and admired. Going global and listing the company on a global exchange like Nasdaq is your coming out party. You are beautiful now, and ready to show yourself to the world with confidence, maturity and transparency. You are with the big boys now. Each phase is very different from the other and you had better know how to adapt to each very fast.

It is three years since you stepped down as Aramex CEO. How have your leadership skills changed since you 16

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shifted your focus towards Middle East start-ups?

I am running a much smaller company, a start-up of sorts, so I have to reinvent myself from a big company CEO to starting all over again – a totally different set of skills. But building a business in the digital age and in the 21st century is different – and similar – in many ways from what I started doing in the 1980s. It is similar to the Aramex way of managing and our culture. So being agile, networked, connected, fast, responsive, customer centric and managing talent, is the same as what companies need to do today, except it is turbocharged to Nth power. The mobile connectivity has accelerated everything to a level that is dizzying and talent is much more essential in a networked organisation than ever before. It’s lots of fun, but I am having to catch my breath all the time now, having to unlearn old things and relearn new ones on a daily basis.

How many startups have you invested in so far, personally and through the likes of Wamda Capital and MENA Venture Investments? And what is the most common piece of advice you give to the young entrepreneurs that run them?

We have over 80 start-ups and growth companies in our portfolio. My most common piece of advice to entrepreneurs is to think they are builders of the business, know the client, work with a team of people that fit a culture that is unique to your company and then you can take your start-up places.

Imagine you’re a 30-year-old middlemanager who wants to launch their own venture. You have $150,000. Would you spend that money on going to business school, or launching a startup and learning on the job?

Certainly not business school.

You started ‘courier week’ at Aramex, where office-based employees spent a week delivering packages. In general, how willing are Middle East business A p r i l 2 0 15 | b e n c h m ar k m i d d l e e a s t

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leaders to ‘get their hands dirty’ by working with front-line employees?

If you don’t get your hands dirty and you don’t appreciate people on the front lines – who are your image, your brand, and your narrative — you risk missing what is important about your business, which is the client.

And if you miss that story someone is going to eat your lunch, whether you are in the Middle East, China, or Gabon.

If you don’t get your hands dirty and you don’t appreciate people on the front lines — who are your image, your brand, and your narrative — you risk missing what is important about your business, which is the client Fadi Ghandour Co-Founder, Aramex

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You said at the ‘Egypt the Future’ investment conference in Sharm el Sheikh that Middle East school kids should be taught basic financial and entrepreneurial concepts. What is the next step in making that happen?

If we do not do that then we are taking a whole generation of people and telling them that they are going to be fit for jobs only in the public sector, and the public sector is not capable nor willing to employ any longer.

If we want to solve the employment challenges we need to understand what markets require for current and future jobs, and introduce that knowledge in our schools.

That requires a serious political will to completely revamp what we teach our kids now.

Reinventing our curriculum, and teachers at the same time. We don’t want all our kids to grow up to become entrepreneurs, but we want them to have an entrepreneurial mind, that thinks solutions, has good oral and written communications skills, knows how to analyse information and has deductive and critical thinking skills, numeracy and language skills. It is a mammoth task with generational impact. We start now and see results in 10 to 15 years. Otherwise we are doomed to perpetual turmoil.

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There is much more angel capital sloshing around the Middle East than there was a few years ago. But — given more and more startups are emerging — does the added competition mean it is actually harder to obtain angel funding in the region?

On the contrary: the more angel funding the more companies are created, the more entrepreneurs enter the start-up challenge, the more chances of success, and so on. It is a virtuous cycle, each feeds positively into the other.

Dubai’s startup scene is thriving, but do you seem much activity in Oman?

Dubai has emerged only in the past two years as the go-to place for tech entrepreneurs who have started their businesses in other places in the region. It is a must for every entrepreneur that wants to scale and grow their business, it is the hub for e-commerce, media and advertising businesses and it is how people get ready to go to big markets such as Saudi Arabia etcetera. That has brought lots of entrepreneur wannabes from big companies and consulting firms to leave their secure jobs and jump into the entrepreneurial journey.

Dubai is a plug-and-play city that understands what it takes to attract talent and nurture it. Namely an open market, easy to get visas, world class airport, world class sea port, easy registration of a business, free zones that bypass local bureaucracy, world-class real estate, and a quality of life that is attractive to generation X, Y and Z. Oman needs to find its own niche, for tourism, talent, beautiful and amazing culture, and connectivity to the rest of the world. And there is no reason why it cannot do what Dubai or Singapore did, you just need to do it in a way that fits your strengths and culture.

You’ve said previously that you will only retire once you’ve proved that the GCC is a region where global investors should put their money. How close is that to becoming a reality?

Haha, I have said that in reaction to people continuously asking me the silly question about whether the region with all its turmoil is a place to invest in and more importantly the question of investing in the digital-economy businesses in the Arab world. I mean give me a break, this place is still thriving, and the digital economy has arrived and it will disrupt everything we do, and we had better invest in it and embrace it, or else it will sweep us away.

Photos: The National, UAE

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Industry Focus Analysis

p o T

s p for CEO i T

Once you’ve got to the top of the tree, it can feel like the only way is down. So it goes for chief executives, who can find it a struggle to keep fresh in their professional lives, especially when promotion is not on the cards. But following these 13 lucky tips can help senior execs get to the top — and, more importantly, stay there.

By Ben Flanagan

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Analysis Industry Focus

Respect your rivals Having a healthy respect for your rivals will help your own business succeed, according to the British billionaire and

Change gears Becoming a chief executive requires a gear-shift from being the ambitious challenger to a leader, says Kai Peters, chief executive of Ashridge Business School

in the UK. “To get to the top, you need to be very self-confident, and you need to look like you have the answers,” he said.

entrepreneur Richard Branson. “Strike the right balance between respecting your rivals and focusing on how you can beat them, and you'll have a winning formula,” the Virgin Group founder tweeted in March. Wise words

“But a lot of those attributes could be really bad when

indeed. But it’s somewhat hard to imagine

you get to be in a senior position, because it tends to

Branson following that advice to the letter

manifest itself in not really trusting other people, and

during his long and bitter feud with Virgin

pretending you know everything.”

Atlantic’s arch-rival British Airways…

Get different perspectives Getting some distance and external perspectives on your business can help, said Mr Peters. He has been chief executive of Ashridge for more than 11 years, and says getting away helps him stay fresh. “I look at the organisation I’m in

as if I were a McKinsey consultant from outside,” he said. “And I do that the best by getting away, going to a conference or visiting friends in another company, to then reflect back on my own organisation.”

Do coffee Find an honest friend You know that slightly rude friend or former colleague who always tells you like it is? Seek out their advice, says Mr Peters. “It’s actually hard to find

people in your own organisation who are always willing to say ‘that’s great, however I think you should look at it from a different perspective’,” he said.

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Personal relationships are especially important in the Middle East, so

don’t neglect this: “Don’t make

the mistake that you can conduct your business with boardroom relationships. The best way to get to know someone is over coffee,” said Mr Weir.

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Industry Focus Analysis

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7

It’s not all about the money

Do something you love

A short-term focus on money — such as motivating staff

Do you have an unwavering passion for

with big bonuses — can be bad for business, said Mr

Sharjah-made ball bearings? Then open

Peters. “I’m not big on mega-bonuses. I don’t think that they motivate…. They don’t lead to decisions that lead to a long-term success,” he said. Similarly, cutting

a ball-bearing factory in Sharjah! Put like that, the advice of General Motors boss Mary Barra doesn’t sound quite so romantic. But you get her drift: “Do something

expenses can be bad over a longer period of time. “I could

you are passionate about, do something you

do lots of things around here to make lots of profit next

love,” she told Fortune magazine. “If you

year, like not investing in the facilities or people,” said Mr

are doing something you are passionate about, you are just naturally going to succeed.”

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Be sensitive An explosion at the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in 2010 caused the death of 11 people, and had a devastating impact on local communities in the United States. So nobody wanted to hear BP chief executive Tony Hayward declare “I'd like my life back” when he was supposed to be handling the crisis.

Peters. “But it will only come back to bite someone in the bum in three or five years’ time.”

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Avoid ‘leadership colonialism’ Expatriates arriving in the Gulf may have been big shots in their home countries — but that doesn’t automatically mean they will be abroad. Tommy Weir — adviser to top executives, author of ‘10 Tips for Leading in the Middle East’, and founder of the Dubai-based Emerging Markets Leadership Center — warns of the dangers of “leadership colonialism” for expat execs. “Do not show up in the

Middle East with an air of superiority. Just because you were successful elsewhere does not mean you will be in the Middle East,” he said.

But he said it, and a few weeks later was no longer in the job.

The takeaway? Be sensitive,

and empathise when things go wrong… unless you want to end up as a business-school case study — of what not to do — for years to come.

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Analysis Industry Focus

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Be a mentor Chief executives aren’t generally striving for a promotion. So what keeps them motivated, apart from that fat salary? Dawn Metcalfe, managing director of the Dubai-based Performance Development Services,

10

which works with board directors and senior managers across the region, says being a mentor can help. She recently moderated a panel for REACH, a mentoring programme based at the Dubai International Financial Centre. “One of the panellists suggested that, as

Be a leader

they progressed in their career, they found themselves

becoming somewhat jaded,” she said. “They found

Say you rose in the ranks of a

that working with a less experienced person as a mentor helped them look at what they do in a fresh light.”

computer-software company to become chief executive. You are no longer the person sitting in front of a screen for 18 hours a day, drinking Coke and eating pizza, and never speaking to anyone. You’re a leader, not a programmer — so act like one.

“A common error that I come across when working with CEOs is an overdependence on their technical abilities rather than leadership strengths,” said Mr Weir.

12

Vulnerability need not be a weakness Top managers should acknowledge their imperfections, and need not

be afraid of appearing vulnerable, said Ms Metcalfe. “If you want

to build relationships — and you do because without them you don’t succeed — you need trust. And the fastest way to do that is to show vulnerability,”

she said. “I don’t mean sharing your deepest fears or finding your inner child, but rather being prepared to acknowledge weaknesses and ask for help or forgiveness.”

13

Don’t ‘do a Ratner’ This may sound obvious, but try to avoid calling your own products “total crap”. That was the faux pas famously made by Gerald Ratner, former chief executive of the jewellery company Ratners Group. At a speech in 1991, the British businessman attacked his own firm’s products, saying some earrings he sold were “cheaper than a prawn sandwich but probably wouldn't last as long”. The gaffe wiped £500 million off the value of his firm, and the phrase “doing a Ratner” was born.

The lesson? Respect your customers.

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Industry Focus Analysis

Give it away Ben Flanagan

A

pple’s chief executive Tim Cook in March became the latest in a line of multimillionaires who, having spent years accumulating vast fortunes, said they plan to give it all away.

The head of the world’s largest technology corporation said he will donate the majority of his almost $800 million fortune to charity — although, as a thoughtful addendum, plans to pay for his 10-year-old nephew’s education first.

It is not yet clear whether the intensely private Apple boss will officially and publicly join the “Giving Pledge”, an initiative pushed by billionaires Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, under which the world’s superrich vow to give away the majority of their fortunes.

But if he did, Mr Cook would be in good company: Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Michael Bloomberg and Oracle Corp's Larry Ellison have all signed up.

Mr Cook’s charitable pledge highlights two important issues when it comes to philanthropy in the Arab world: a desire to donate privately, and a need for more effective mechanisms to give.

The executive told Fortune magazine – where his charitable pledge was revealed — that he has already been quietly donating money to unspecified causes, something that is mirrored in the privacy that many Middle Eastern philanthropists seek when giving to charity. And Mr Cook also said he is trying to develop a more “systematic approach” to philanthropy, a trait some believe is lacking in the Middle East.

Two executives from the Arab world are publicly acknowledged to be part of Giving Pledge: The Sudanese-British telecoms billionaire Mo Ibrahim, and Arif Naqvi, founder and group chief executive of the Abraaj Group.

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— why top cheeses are embracing philanthropy

Hassan Al-Damluji Head of Middle East Relations at The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Credit: Gates Foundation

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Analysis Industry Focus

“It is a great honour for me to join those wonderful men and women whose wealth and fame does not obscure or cloud the simple fact that they are part of this wonderful human tribe,” Mr Ibrahim wrote when signing the Giving Pledge. Mr Naqvi did not provide a ‘pledge letter’, and did not respond to requests for comment from Benchmark.

The latter approach is perhaps more typical of philanthropy in the Middle East, where many see giving as a duty to God, rather than something to trumpet in the press. Because of that, many studies and research about philanthropy in the region seem to only scrape the surface when examining giving trends.

According to the 2015 BNP Paribas Individual Philanthropy index, the richest people in the Middle East have the lowest worldwide levels of current and projected giving. But the same study also found that high-net-worth individuals in the region are also less likely to publicise charitable causes — suggesting a quieter, more modest approach to giving.

The report acknowledged that the Middle East’s low scoring “may not fully acknowledge the strong cultural heritage of philanthropy in the region”, but added that a lack of a systematic approach had also had a bearing on the rating.

“In the Middle East, philanthropy is a state of mind resulting from religious beliefs, but it is not always perceived as in need of a structured approach, which affects its score,” the report noted. “Respondents from the Middle East feel the least convinced that advisors are necessary to navigate the sector.”

The motivations behind why many top executives decided to give away their fortunes is a complex issue.

According to the BNP Paribas Individual Philanthropy index — which only tracks trends among the wealthiest — religion is the top motivator in the Middle East, whereas in all other parts of the world the main reason given for charitable giving is either a “sense of duty” or “desire to give back to society”.

Bill Conner, director of development at the Ashridge Business School, says that globally, many people choose to give to causes that have touched them personally.

“Top executives are often driven to give to charities and causes that have impacted on their lives personally, or are very close to their heart. People often march to their own drumbeat in deciding when and who to give to – and are often motivated to improve health or drive social change,” he told Benchmark.

But Mr Conner also pointed to a need for “transparency and accountability” in charib e n c h m ar k m i d d l e e a s t | A p r i l 2 0 15

In the Middle East, philanthropy is a state of mind resulting from religious beliefs, but it is not always perceived as in need of a structured approach, which affects its score

table giving — something that others see as lacking in the Middle East.

“Like all philanthropists, billionaires do need to think strategically about how they give money,” he said. “Philanthropists need to ask questions about impact - how their money is being spent, and whether it is solving the problems they want to solve.”

Despite the low score given to Middle East philanthropists in the BNP Paribas study, other experts in the field say that — far from being the least generous — the region as a whole actually ranks top in worldwide giving.

Hassan Al-Damluji, head of Middle East Relations at The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, pointed to the billions of dollars that go to charity through Zakat — the third Pillar of Islam — which requires the systematic giving of 2.5% of one’s wealth each year to benefit the poor.

“Really good data is hard to come by, but it is probably fair to say that the Middle East is the most generous region in the world,” Mr Damluji told Benchmark.

“Donors here often choose to give anonymously, because their gifts reflect the personal relationship they have with God, and with the beneficiaries, rather than the wider public,” he added.

“Although it is often done privately, there should be no doubt about the generosity of people in the Middle East, both rich and poor. Zakat alone accounts for billions of dollars every year, and this is just one of the many forms that charitable donations take.”

The Gates Foundation — set up by the Microsoft co-founder and his wife — has awarded grants worth a stonking $30 billion globally since it was formed in 2000. That includes $3 billion spent directly in the Islamic world, along with billions more given to global partners that do work in the region.

The foundation — which does not solicit direct donations — has strong ties with the UAE. In 2013, it co-hosted the Vaccine Summit in Abu Dhabi, where a total of $4 billion was pledged for polio eradication, including $120 million by Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and $1.8 billion by Bill Gates.

“There have been welcome moves recently to create more transparency, especially around government giving,” Mr Damluji said. “That can help the overall coordination of aid efforts.”

But much of charitable giving by individuals is still done quietly, and not always in a structured way. And so many in the Middle East — both billionaires and the millions of smaller donors — will feel Tim Cook’s dilemma: How to give quietly, but effectively.

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Industry Focus Interview

Can power to the people make you a property magnate?

Scott armstrong

T

he crowd-funding industry has grown to be over $5.1 billion worldwide in 2013 and expected to double annually, but Scott Armstrong asks is power to the people actually turning into profits?

Durise is the first company to introduce real estate crowd-funding to the GCC and Middle East, launching its services online to all real estate investors in the region, and also to those further afield wanting to invest in the region's property market through crowd-funding.

The company’s current offering is Old Town Island at the Souq al Bahar (Al Tajer) and investors can own a part of this offering starting from $5,000 by means of crowdfunding. The concept behind real estate crowdfunding investment is simple — a group of investors raise a sum of money to buy a specific property. Then a third party, such as 26

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DURISE, manages the property funded on behalf of the crowd. This gives real estate investors, in theory, the chance to diversify their portfolios and reduce their risks.

Waleed Esbaitah, founder of Durise took on some tough questions for Benchmark.

To the uneducated, crowd-funding might seem like a 'get rich quick scheme'? Tell us how your proposition is different.

That is very far from the truth, crowdfunding is not a scheme, instead, crowdfunding opens up markets that were locked up to corporations and the wealthy. Now, through this innovative method, anyone can take part in investments throughout various industries, be it real estate, startups, oil & gas, healthcare and many more. There is certainly money to be made in real estate, depending on how much you invest and the risks you are willing to take the returns can

be exponential. High risk — high returns.. low risk — low returns, it all depends on your risk appetite, capital vested and diversifying your portfolio.

Who regulates you, how can investors know their cash is safe?

We are regulated as a real estate brokerage and property management company locally, but the crowdfunding activity takes place overseas for ease of transactions. With time, we will add an escrow method, where your money is held by a reputable financial institution in the interim to reassure our investors. Also, we will be able to issue a fixed deposit on the invested amount, so even if the investment does not reach it’s full potential, you would have made a return on your investment better than what most banks can offer. After our first round of fundraising for our company, we will initiate the procedure to become regulated as a DIFC fund.

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Interview Industry Focus

You currently have two investment properties, explain how investors actually make their money if they commit cash to the projects?

Correct, we have two investments, one is live and one is yet to launch. Investors pledge their investment, and if the total amount required to buy the property is reached, we will register the property. Investors make their returns exactly as they would with an individual investment in real estate, 1. from disbursements in rental income. 2. from the capital gain at the end of the investment term. The overall return is known as the ROI (return on investment) and the annual return is known as the yield. Our calculated figures are estimations, educated ones, yet when it comes to investing in finance and real estate nothing is ever guaranteed.

How did you pick those two projects to be your launch properties? What makes them especially attractive to investors?

Our objective was to select one property which would provide a strong annual yield and another property which is in high demand for its prime location. With The first being the queue point unit, which provides 6.8% annual yield and part of a growing community. The other one, Index tower at the DIFC is an iconic address amongst the finance sector in Dubai, partially due it’s close proximity to the financial center and Downtown Dubai. Due to the high demand for end user purchase, the Index unit does not offer as much in terms of an annual yield, but we anticipate a higher capital gain.

Can someone in reality become a property magnate through crowdfunding?

From a first time investor to become a property magnate through crowdfunding, is a tall order. That being said, the crowdfunding model for real estate is meant to simplify the investment process, yet still benefiting from all the available tactics that the seasoned investors use. Therefore, if you invest a significant amount in every project on our portal and other portals around the world, you are bound to have exponential growth. One thing to note though, we aim to offer safer investments, ones that have a measured uncertainty level. Investing on your own is different since you have to assess your own risk tolerance. Most of the real estate magnates have made their wealth mainly from taking extreme risks, which is why they become extremely successful overnight. But a steady 20-30% growth, which is exponential year on year, b e n c h m ar k m i d d l e e a s t | A p r i l 2 0 15

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Industry Focus Interview

will have the same effect 20-40 years down the road. $1 today, 20% in a year is $1.2, but a further 20% on that is $1.44, and $1.728 the year after that. That’s what we call exponential growth. Infact, one of the wealthiest people on earth, warren buffet, made his wealth in a similar fashion, not by expecting his wealth to multiply over night by using a specific trick, it requires patience.

Property in Dubai can be a rollercoaster, with stories of incredible success and utter failure, what safeguards do you have in place?

As mentioned, we provide our investors with a variety of investment opportunities, some are high-risk with potential high returns, and some will offer low risk with minimal capital gain. By not putting all your eggs in one basket, you reduce the risk and safe guard your investments.

Our properties are vetted and analyzed by our team and a third party valuation compa-

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ny, Cavendish Maxwell. We don’t take just any property, we go through a comprehensive process in order to select the most viable properties. Again, nothing is guaranteed, but by using our sources and our network, you have access to opportunities which are normally only presented to a select few.

Persuading the public to embrace online retail has proven difficult enough in the Gulf region, what convinces you that they'll go for online real estate purchases.

We often hear people complain about the real estate industry, where they have had negative experiences investing a lot of time and effort, to end up with no results. We take away that pain and make it more convenient, as it is all done through our online portal. Certainly, people will be hesitant to buy real estate online. Yet it is our job to prove ourselves, be transparent and educate the market. When we do our job right, we will win the trust of the public and they will start to understand the added value that we bring.

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Interview Industry Focus

By not putting all your eggs in one basket, you reduce the risk and safe guard your investments What are the risks involved for the investor?

As with any investment, there are powers beyond our and your control that influence the real estate market and the outcome of your investment. However, we always make sure to provide a full-on study on each of the properties and are very selective in doing so.

This way, before stepping into any investment you have a clear understanding of the potential risks and returns involved. The other factor is up to fate and timing.

Do the investors ever get to spend time in the property they've sunk money into.

The term sinking money is a bit heavy, investing is a good thing and beneficial when done right.

Our concept is not focused on end-users, if you want to live in the property you invested in through our platform you will have to pay rent like any other tenant moving in.

This is part of our business model, as we are financially driven and have to safeguard the returns to all of the investors.

Why is crowdfunding a large project preferable to just buying a single property outright?

Not everyone is in the position to buy 100% of a single property or have access to promising opportunities. By using the power of the crowd and pool with peers you are capable of investing in properties that generate good returns without putting all your savings or get a loan.

It is not always the size of the project that guarantees high returns, sometimes it is a much better selection for instance, to be receiving rental income from 10 different single properties. However, it is common knowledge that real estate developments bring high returns in a short time span. We are planning to offer green field opportunities to our investors in the near future.

Tell us more about yourselves, what has been your journey to launching durise.com?

During my time in Washington DC pursuing a degree in finance at The George Washington University, I coincidently b e n c h m ar k m i d d l e e a s t | A p r i l 2 0 15

came across Fundrise, a company that is well known in the real estate crowdfunding marketspace worldwide. I loved their take on crowdfunding, which was helping a building from being foreclosed, taking the business with it as well. Which is why they opened up their portal to just about everyone, to chip in as little as $100 to become owners in the property.

Where did the idea come from to launch this new business?

During my time in the States, I was working for a real estate asset management company and that coupled with my time here in Dubai where I worked for an asset management company, I immediately knew there was a fit in this industry.

You already have some investors, typically who are they? Where are they?

The interest shown so far, is from a wide range of individuals with different financial, cultural and professional backgrounds.

There have been investors coming in from the UK, The Netherlands, Spain and Kuwait, just to name a few We have a lot of interest from professionals who work in the finance and real estate industry, they often have experience investing in real estate and understand how they can benefit from our portal.

Last pitch? Anything you can say to convince me to sign on the dotted line?

Your savings sitting in the bank are earning you less than 0.5%, so let’s consider that in the past year, you have kept $10,000 in your savings account and made $10,100.25 in 2 years. In that same time, 2 tickets in our first property, would have generated an annual return of $680 on the same $10,000 investment each year, for a total of $1,360.

On top of that, a very conservative 10% annual price increase would have gained you another $2,100. In the same amount of time, you could either make $3,460 or make $100.25. Take into account, that with inflation being 3% or over, you are in fact loosing purchasing power with your money. If that is not enough to convince anyone to invest I don’t know what will.

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Industry Focus Analysis

Jennifer Bell

B

enchmark chats to Mona Ataya, the CEO of mumzworld. com, a Middle East online marketplace catering for mother, baby and child products from newborns to 12-year-olds,

about how she created the start-up business that has now become the most-visited online baby retailer in the region.

As a mother-of-three, entrepreneur and CEO of a phenomenally successful start-up, Mona Ataya knows a thing or two about juggling a work/life balance.

After graduating with a dual honours degree in marketing and finance, Ms Ataya worked with Procter & Gamble in the US and then with Johnson and Johnson in both the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region and Europe.

It was during her time with the global company that she first found her feet as an entrepreneur joining the then start-up Bayt.com.

"It was new to the region at time time," said Ms Ataya. "The idea was the revolutionise recruitment in the Arab world."

The success of the company — now the largest recruitment site in the Arab world — speaks for itself. It wet Ms Ataya’s appetite as a female leader in business. When she gave birth to twin boys, then had her third son a short while later, Ms Ataya felt there was a gap in the market that provided mothers with easy access to good quality products.

"As a mother I experienced firsthand the many many frustrations mums have in the region," she explained. "One is access to quality products. Another is right information about products. Convenience of 30

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shopping. Knowing where to find what you need — and what is it you actually need. The lack of transparency of pricing. The very expensive pricing compared to the rest of the world. All of that created a very frustrating and inconvenient shopping experience.

"On one side I was a consumer and on the other side I was an entrepreneur and had been part of a start up and knew what it meant to bring something important into the market and really change the playing field."

Ms Ataya drew up the Mumzworld business plan in July 2011. Four months later the company became a reality. "The vision was very very simple; to empower mums to make the most informed purchase decisions for their children," said Ms Ataya. "As a mother myself I did not feel empowered.

I bought products that I didn't feel was the highest quality. And I was paying more. I always felt cheated as a consumer.

"So the idea really was to make sure that mothers were empowered. That they were buying the best possible products for their children. That they had access to choice and to transparency in information and in pricing and that convenience was a core part of their shopping experience."

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Industry Focus Analysis

In 2012, a year after its launch, Mumzworld was the most-visited online baby retailer in the Middle East with more than 1.2 million unique visitors to the site.

The company now has a staff of more than 50 people, many of them women, and more than 100,000 local, regional and global products for families across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the rest of the Middle East.

The website also offers information and reviews on toys, books and clothing for babies, pre-schoolers, up to the age of 12.

"I think with all businesses when there is a need that is important you will see growth quickly," said Ms Ataya. "We have grown 500 per cent since we set up. We have access to more than 650,000 mothers on our database of mums in the regions. We want to make sure mums come to our website and 365 days a year she will have access to the best prices and the highest quality of choice of products."

As with any other new venture, the ecommerce business faced challenges.

"I think e-commerce in general is very difficult because its a logistically complex business and in this part of the world ecommerce is still very immature," said Ms Ataya. "Things are only now developing. In November 2011 when we started there was only one payment gateway.

"Now there is four. But even with four payment gateways that is still very little compared to most parts of the world."

Sending goods to customers via courier also presented difficulties in a part of the world that was not ready for e-commerce, said Ms Ataya.

500% We have grow

since we set up, and have access to more than

650,000 mothers on our database of mums in the regions

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Analysis Industry Focus

You need to have a very, very strong support structure whether it is your direct family or very close friends that will support your work. You need to be willing to work seven days a week, 365 days a year and 18-20 hours days because that really is what it takes Mona ATaya CEO, Mumzworld.com

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"When you ask a courier to deliver a product or a letter it would take them sometimes weeks to do it. The infrastructure in the region was not ready for e-commerce — the market was not set up. So when we would tell our mums we would deliver within two to three days that is fine if you had two to three drivers and you are small but when you have thousands of products being delivered on a daily basis you need an infrastructure in the region that caters to that. Similarly you need reliable payment gateways.

You need technology that understands the fluidity of e-commerce.

"It continues to be challenging. But now that has changed and we see it evolving and improving every year."

Another challenge was finding a talented workforce that understands e-commerce.

This led her to make some of her wrong decisions Ms Ataya feels she has made to date in business — hiring the wrong people.

"In e-commerce you are always reactive rather than proactive in hiring," explained Ms Ataya. "Today if your business reaches a peak and you need to hire people you can not wait. You hire someone quickly and you end up not making the best decisions."

On the flip side, the best decisions Ms Ataya has made was always giving things a go. "I always say just do it," she said. "You can take years studying something and still find fault or you can say you know what I am just going to make it happen. My general attitude of just doing something when I fundamentally followed my gut has really paid off."

Ms Ataya does not feel that being a women in a traditionally male-dominated industry has hindered her success.

"Whether I did or didn't it as not something that was overt," she said. "For me the greatest challenges are that I am a mother and am constantly juggling between work, my family and all my responsibilities. That is a constant daily struggle to make sure you are balancing properly and to ensure you are giving everything that is due.

"Work/life balance is a constant battle. It is constantly going to be a learning curve for me. It is not easy."

It is that work/life balance that Ms Ataya feels is the biggest challenge facing women in business today.

"This is because you have many priorities that you can not compromise," she said.

"The other challenge is in non-traditional industries, whether that be in technology or e-commerce where it is less traditional to find women in senior positions. There is this constant notion that you have to assert your knowledge or your know-how and what you

will find is that women probably go the extra mile in order to assert themselves."

However this can ultimately shape great female leaders, she said.

"What always going the extra mile results in is women with skill sets that are fantastic," said Ms Ataya. "For example, heading our Saudi Arabia operation is a woman, our logistics manager is a woman, heading our technology department is a woman. We found that with a lot of trial and error that these women sitting in these top levels are very hard workers.

"They have built their skills set over years of working the extra mile so you find women who are exceptional."

Women in business should be doing more to help each other, said Ms Ataya, a Palestinian American expatriate.

"For me it is imperative and I really do believe women can and should support each other and I do not think think it is happening enough. There are lot of women in businesses who are not supporting each other and we should and allow women to grow and thrive and learn from each other."

Ms Ataya is modest but proud of the success Mumzworld to date. But she has big dreams for the baby retailer which, in her own words, is her own baby — a business that is in its early days but one which she believes will continue to thrive.

"It is still early days. We have just really touched the surface on what we can do.

"There is a lot we have still yet to do including content development, creating a much stronger community of mums and really become that go-to destination for the baby and child needs. We want to become the indispensable, online extension of a mother's life."

Finally, any advice for women wanting to climb the corporate ladder?

"I do not think it is for everyone to have this constant juggle between home and work," she advised. "I really think that different women have different needs and abilities or different dreams.

“You need to have a very, very strong support structure whether it is your direct family or very close friends that will support your work. You need to be willing to work seven days a week, 365 days a year and 18-20 hours days because that really is what it takes.

"It is really about putting in everything you have, working a lot of hours and just having the gut to say I believe in this vision and will compromise and sacrifice to get to that vision.

"Go in with open eyes."

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Industry Focus Analysis

V

asilica Baltateanu, is the managing director and founder of Vasilica Aesthetics, the UAE’s first plastic surgery consultancy. She chats to Benchmark about tackling female stereotypes, how to have success in the workplace — regardless of gender — and how women actually can have it all.

Describe your current role.

"I am the managing director at Vasilica Aesthetics and I offer consultancy for people interested in undergoing any aesthetic procedure — invasive or non-invasive. I guide them towards the best doctors specialising in the procedure they are interested in and we speak about the risks involved and if there is any non-invasive alternative to surgery."

How has your rise to the top been — have you encountered any stereotypes or the proverbial glass ceilings?

“It was definitely not easy. The only guidance I had was my intuition and my belief that there was something missing in the market and that people needed to be more educated and receive more information before undergoing a procedure. It was a challenge.”

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People often wonder about the differences between how men and women lead. What are your thoughts on that?

“I believe it is a matter of each individual. However, women tend to show more empathy.”

What's your opinion about whether women can have it all?

“A woman can definitely have it all. I personally know a few families where the woman works and the men work from home. One of them is a surgeon and her husband takes care of the housework and cooking. They have been married for the last 15 years and are very happy. I also know many families where they both work and they have children. So, I think that is when you can say you have it all. You have a successful carrier and a happy marriage. To have it all is

to have a successful carrier, a family and few best friends. If you have all this I think you are blessed.”

Stereotypes about women professionals, like struggling with emotions in the workplace, still survive. Why do these cliches linger?

“Women are more sensitive in general but I do not think that is a bad thing if you can use it in your advantage.”

Do you feel attitudes towards women are changing in the workplace?

“I know for a fact that many companies prefer to hire single women in the disadvantage of those that are married with children.

They think they will allocate more time to the work. But they don’t do that for men.

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Analysis Industry Focus

for it. I had more people who did not show up for their appointment when it was free than when they had to pay. And I offered that for six months at the beginning. That was a lesson learned.

“My biggest achievement is that I have so many doctors and clinics interested to collaborate with me and they see the importance of my job. I convinced them to offer free consultations (normally worth Dh500) to all the patients referred by Vasilica Aesthetics.”

By doing what you like. To maintain a balance and overcome challenges you must choose a job which you like. Then the solutions come easily. Less stress at work is less stress at home Vasilica Baltateanu Managing Director & Founder Vasilica Aesthetics

In many ways we still live in a man’s world and seeing a successful and independent woman is more rare than seeing a successful man. However attitudes towards women are changing day by day.”

Do you think women can often hinder their own career by underestimating themselves in the workplace?

“Yes, many times. There are still many men and women — including our mothers — who believe woman should be at home taking care of the house and children while men provide the necessary.”

Do you feel there is a pay disparity between men and women in the workplace?

“Sometimes the disparity is in the disadvantage of women and sometimes in the disadvantage of men. Being a woman does not mean you will necessarily get paid less, no.”

What is the worst decision you have made in the workplace? And your crowning achievement?

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What has been the most important lesson you have learned in your career to date?

“Listen more, speak less. I speak a lot. I like to speak but I have learned that listening first is the key to a successful career.”

Which women inspire you and why?

“I love Angelina Jolie’s achievements especially since she is an actress, a film director and she takes care of family while also doing a lot of charity work. I think she is an example to others. My mother also taught me good lessons. She raised me and my brother alone because she divorced aged just 31. As a teacher her salary was not very high but enough to raise us. I am sure it wasn’t easy.

She taught me to always be independent.”

How can women help each other in the workplace?

“If they would start seeing the benefits of being united then they could support each other and grow together.”

Why do you think women are important to leadership in general?

“Because of a woman’s sensitive side. Women tend to be more empathetic to other people's needs than men. By understanding the needs of others it is easier to find solutions when problems arise."

What do you think are the biggest barriers in female leadership? What can be improved upon and how can companies take steps towards this?

“Misconceptions that women can’t have it all. They can. Show women respect and understanding and they will prove to be very efficient.”

What advice would you give to women wanting to rise to climb the corporate ladder?

“Be patient, control your emotions, listen more and show strength.”

What skills do women need to be considered for a top leadership positions?

“Be confident, empathetic, have integrity and be a visionary.”

How do you maintain a work/life balance?

“By doing what you like. To maintain a balance and overcome challenges you must choose a job which you like. Then the solutions come easily. Less stress at work is less stress at home.”

Finally, how would you describe yourself in one word?

“Courageous.”

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Analysis Industry Focus

A woman is more natural when a soft touch is required. They can interpret feelings more naturally and potentially deal with personnel more easily.

This extends to customers and business partnerships Helen Tatham CEO, Dubai Luxury Homes

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tial division in the UAE which was probably my crowning achievement but my entrepreneurial side came back to dominate me so I decided to set up my own company again."

It was learning to listen to her inner voice that Ms Tatham feels is the most important career lesson she has had to date.

"Never do anything that does not feel right," she advised. "Follow your gut instinct even if it means turning down an opportunity." Ms Tatham believes women are being increasingly recognised as leaders in business.

"Female entrepreneurs are known for their multi-tasking skills and possessing endless energy when it comes to making the most of our lives and profession," she said.

"Many women are held in high regard and are just as qualified as men. It is no coincidence, therefore, that top HR roles are filled by women. A woman is more natural when a soft touch is required. They can interpret feelings more naturally and potentially deal with personnel more easily. This extends to customers and business partnerships."

Being a women in the often male dominated field of real estate has also had its advantages. "To be good in real estate there is a degree of understanding in psychology," says Ms Tatham. "Not only in interpreting

the needs of our clients but of our colleagues and counterparts. Forging relationships is important and making that connection through trust. There are many successful companies in my industry run by women which lays testament to our relatively natural skill set in this regard."

Despite this a few stereotypes remain such as women can let their emotions rule in the workplace.

"Women can be more emotional than men of course," concedes Ms Tatham. "But by the same token their intuition is frequently stronger which helps in making the correct decisions or recognising opportunities. I think as young women nowadays are brought up to serve in similar roles to our male counterparts, by the time they mature the emotional side is far more tempered."

What may hold some women back is the old adage of work-life balance.

"It is always a tough decision as to whether to pursue a career whilst your children are growing up. Invariably one will take time out and potentially lose ground and working from home is never quite the same."

For those women that do choose to focus on business there are five key words to remember. "Dedication, loyalty, commitment, passion, and enthusiasm," says Ms Tatham.

Also be the woman who is noticed in the room. "Go that extra mile in terms of work hours and delivery. Surpass your peers and stand out. It won’t come from nowhere, you have to prove yourself."

When it comes to what skill women need to be considered for a top leadership positions, the British expatriate would say experience, intuition, a networking capability, negotiation skills, a balance of attention to detail yet ability to delegate, a know-how of managing men and women and the ability to identify the right senior staff.

A successful woman in business also has to be approachable, opinionated, balanced, firm, honest, understanding, she says. And, most importantly, credible.

Now Dubai's real estate market is looking considerably healthier with residential prices soaring and an increasing appetite to invest in and buy property, Ms Tatham wants be a key part of that burgeoning desirable market. "I would like to be more involved at Government level, to share my experience and knowledge to enhance our systems and help to take us into a mature market. There is still so much that can be done which makes Dubai a very unique place so I would love to maximise my contribution in any way that I can. I will embrace the coming years to share my experience and help to better our industry."

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Industry Focus Analysis

Real Estate Female Supremo Speaks

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hen the global financial crisis slashed oil and equity prices in 2008, Dubai's real estate market began to collapse with residential prices falling by 50 per cent in a matter of months. The slump, which began slowly rebounding in 2012, was not the ideal time to be in the real estate business, but then again Helen Tatham can handle a challenge.

The businesswoman and realtor moved to Dubai from England in 2003 and cofounded her first real estate company — Dubai Luxury Homes — in 2004.

After weathering the storm, Ms Tatham took up the position of director of residential with Knight Frank UAE, the leading independent global property consultancy, in 2012 and engaged their residential services in the domestic market. However by

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December 2013 Ms Tatham felt that it was time to establish her own company again.

The 48-year-old founded Prime Places Real Estate in Dubai in January 2014 with the mission of delivering quality real estate services in a dynamic and fast paced market. As a managing partner she oversees a team, deals with investors and advises funds on investment and asset management strategy while also working one to one with end-users looking to buy their perfect home.

Being an entrepreneur had its highs and lows. "I misjudged someone whom I went into business with during the more difficult years and I realised that desperation can have very coarse effects on some people," reflects Ms Tatham. "I learnt to move on quickly and not dwell on the past. I was subsequently approached by one of the best brands in the world to head up their residen-

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Industry Focus Analysis

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Analysis Industry Focus

60 years and still going strong

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auritsKlavert is the Managing Director of FrieslandCampina Middle East, part of Royal FrieslandCampina – one of the largest dairy-cooperative in the world and world famous for Rainbow Milk Brand. With offices in 28 countries and employs a total of 21,186 people.

FrieslandCampina’s products find their way to more than 100 countries.We find out what’s in store for the anniversary and what to expect in the future.

What does the 60 year old milestone mean for Rainbow?

Rainbow is one of the first multinational dairy brands introduced into the Arab world back in 1955. Today, Rainbow proudly celebrates six decades of its journey in UAE and we are honored to be part of the UAE heritage, culture and its consumers’ lives. More importantly we are proud that we have earned the trust and loyalty of consumers in UAE which we will continue to hone by delivering products of best quality.

Can you explain the activities planned for Rainbow’s 60th anniversary?

In celebrating RAINBOW 60th anniversary, we launched ‘Proud to be by your side since 1955’ campaign which includes various promotional activities.

Starting 19th April and for a period of one month Rainbow Milk is giving away 3 Land Cruisers to 3 Lucky winners in the UAE. One of the oldest Rainbow cans will be on display at the Dubai museum. Sheikh Zayed Road will come alive with a huge billboard dedicated to Rainbow Milk and its fans.

What are the values shared between Rainbow and the UAE? Our most important value we live by is our dedication to “quality” which is very much a value shared by the UAE nationals. We also make sure that our company and products are trustworthy and reliable.

UAE is a very progressive country yet also able to maintain its heritage and traditions.

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As per our consumers’ opinions, especially the UAE nationals, our products have been in every house and can be found in every cup of tea every single day for decades the country for many years, RAINBOWalso shares the same values.

So in a nut shell, high quality, trust and innovation is our main values and I believe these are same values that UAE represents How do you think Rainbow has managed to be the favorite of the UAE consumer for 6 decades?

We have always made sure that we consistently deliver high quality product behind RAINBOW brand.

As a European dairy cooperative with about 19,000 member farmers, Friesland-

Campina is prepared to capitalize on this unique opportunity and deliver the highest quality dairy products with our unique ‘grass to glass’ business model. The model is anchored on our ability to have full control of the whole chain: from the farms (grass level) to the final product (glass level) which not many multinational companies have.

With more than 120 years of knowledge on farming, food production, food safety, sustainability, health and nutrition as well as in depth knowledge of the market we believe we are well placed to be part of the fast growth of this region. Additionally, with a state of art R&D center in Wageningen Netherlands, FrieslandCampina continues to discover and unlock the immense potential of milk. The company has capability to innovate and come up with new product concepts that can cater to various nutritional needs and consumer groups.

What are Rainbow’s future plans?

FrieslandCampina will continue to deliver the best quality products to strengthen our position by being part of UAE consumers’ daily life.

There are various dairy products within the company’s portfolio which can grow and become a popular product in UAE. FRICOcheesefor instance is a natural premium Dutch cheese which is delicious and nutritious.

UAE’s consumer will only be satisfied by the best… that is our secret of being around for 60 years and many more to come…. By simply offering the best…

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Lifestyle Fashion

Lifestyle Fashion

LAcoste Sail AWay Collection

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Fashion Lifestyle

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Lifestyle Fashion

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Fashion Lifestyle

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Lifestyle Fashion

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Fashion Lifestyle

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Lifestyle Watches

10 best watches from Baselworld 2015

1

Patek Philippe Ref. 5370 Split-Seconds Chronograph This split-seconds chronograph is a new classic, an elegant model that focuses on precise measurements of time. Powered by the caliber CHR 29-535 PS, a manually wound mechanical movement, the Reference 5370 boasts hours and minutes, small seconds, a split-seconds chronograph, a 30-minute counter, and a tachymeter scale.

Those functions are beautifully displayed on a black enamel dial with gold applied Breguet numerals, and housed in a 41mm platinum case.

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Watches Lifestyle

2

Slim d’Hermès Slim d'Hermès captures the essence of pure form. An elementary sobriety dictates each line, underscored by the thinness of the case and the right angle formed by the lugs. A study in harmony and rigor, Slim d'Hermès draws on the visual culture of Hermès, as witnessed by the original typography of the numerals, designed by Philippe Apeloig.

3

Visionnaire 1 Fabergé’s first complicated watch, the Visionnaire 1 works its magic through a precious and unexpected composition reflecting the famous mysterious eggs from the Maison. This haute horlogerie model showcases the tourbillon in its most demanding version: the flying tourbillon. Suspended in its carriage at 9 o’clock, this fascinating horological complication performs its seductive rotations in full view.

The flying tourbillon appears in a hollow at 3 o’clock, topped by a discreet powerreserve display.

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Lifestyle Watches

4

Serpenti A true icon of the Rome-based firm, the Serpenti watch inaugurates an original variation on its curvaceously design. For the very first time, the head and tail of the legendary snake cross over on the wrist in a remarkably supple composition. Reflecting Bvlgari’s inexhaustible creativity, this latest work of art also represents a goldsmithing masterpiece. The entirely hand-crafted gold bracelet breaks free of its inner spring and provides a perfectly comfortable fit by means of adjustable links, while the hold is secured by a twin-pusher clasp.Serpenti comes in two versions: pink gold with a black lacquered dial or white entirely paved with diamonds.

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Watches Lifestyle

5

The LonginesPulsometer Chronograph Longines draws upon its rich watchmaking heritage in reviving one of its 1920s models that was essentially used for medical purposes. Its pulsometric scale meant this monopusher chronograph made it possible not only to measure time, but also the heartbeat in a simple, reliable and accurate manner. Pulse measurements used to be taken over a 60-second period and involved counting the exact number of heartbeats during that entire time.

The LonginesPulsometer Chronograph uses the chronograph hand sweeping around the pulsometric scale to indicate the patient’s pulse on the dial after just 30 beats.

6

Bentley GMT Light Body B04 Midnight Carbon The new Bentley GMT Light Body B04 Midnight Carbon combines British chic with an exceptional ‘motorisation’. Carved from titanium with a highly resistant carbon-based coating, the case is distinguished by its daring design accentuated by a bezel with a raised motif inspired by Bentley radiator grilles.

Beneath its sporting bodywork beats Manufacture BreitlingCalibreB04 featuring a dual-time display and peerless user friendliness, as testified by the two patents protecting this exclusive mechanism.

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Lifestyle Watches

7

U10 Tourbillon Lumière A sleeping beauty returns to the fore.

A pioneer from the time of its creation in the late nineteenth century, Angelus has set numerous milestones in the history of Swiss watchmaking, such as its famous travel clocks that display their various indications on multiple dials. The brand now draws on this heritage, together with 1960s-70s industrial design, to deliver an avant-garde wristwatch.

Planned as a 25-piece limited series, U10 Tourbillon Lumière presents a flying tourbillon, combined with a linear power-reserve indicator on the side of the case.Seven sapphire crystals, including four that frame the flying tourbillon, allow light to flood this mechanical marvel to create three-dimensional effects.

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Monaco V4 Phantom Totally black.Stylish.Uncompromising.

Virtually a stealth watch. The Monaco V4 Phantom debuts an innovative case made entirely from Carbon Matrix Composite (CMC), as are the movement's seven bridges.

Using a special technique, the carbon fibres are positioned in the required direction in the mould, then microblasted to produce a particularly stylish "matt black vertical brushed" effect. This command of futuristic materials echoes the avant-garde construction of the famous V4 movement, with micro-belts cut with microscopic teeth and a linear mass which, rather than rotating, runs along a straight track on ball bearings.

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Watches Lifestyle

9

Gc Bold Chronograph The new Gc Bold Chronograph asserts its masculine character through an irresistible blend of precision, quality and design. Expressed through a clever colour combination, this powerful personality asserts an elegant style tinged with distinctive trendy touches. The engraved bezel presents striking contrasts with its polished and brushed finishes. Four distinctive screws accentuate its composition, while the dial creates threedimensional effects enhanced by a striped motif.

10

Turbine Skeleton RĂŠf. A3038/1A A concentrated blend of more than 200 years of horological heritage combined with a resolutely innovative spirit, the iconic Turbine

by Perrelet gets a complete makeover to welcome its first skeleton movement: redesigned dimensions, new aesthetic details, an evolution in materials. An authentic ode to transparency, the Turbine Skeleton reveals the internal structure of its entirely open worked Manufacture P-381 calibre.

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Lifestyle Motoring

Vorsprungdu

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Motoring Lifestyle

durchTechnik The hallmark that defines Audi in all areas of automobile development and production

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ith a new record for deliveries of more than 1.74 million automobiles Audi’s revenue grew to $58 billion with operating profit above $5billion in 2014, get ready to step into the world of Audi and see what innovations and developments are in store for this year and the future..

For simplicity lets break down some of the aspects that go into developing the new automobiles.

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Lifestyle Motoring

Aesthetic technology: Audi lighting technologies Includes new solutions such as the laser spot for the high beam and Matrix laser headlights which are a driving progress.

The lighting innovations enhance road safety while at the same time being an aesthetic expression of the brand’s values.

Besides road lighting, the second major field of work for the lighting developers and designers is interior lighting.

An innovative laser in the rear fog light, it uses a light signal to warn trailing drivers against getting too close New test environment: the Lighting Assistance Center in Ingolstadt Audi is further extending its lead in automotive lighting technology with a new Lighting Assistance Center. The facility is the longest drivable light tunnel in Europe, measuring 120 meters. The Audi developers work here on innovative solutions for the high beam and future camera-based lighting systems Matrix LED headlights The Matrix LED headlights currently available in the Audi A6, A7 Sportback, A8 and TT models, they illuminate the road extremely well in any situation without blinding other road users with glare. Working together with a camera, the control unit can turn off individual LEDs or dim them in 64 stages depending on the situation.

The interior of the new Audi Q7 The new Audi Q7 features extremely sophisticated interior lighting. A lighting package with LEDs and light guides is standard. Also in the new Q7 is the Audi virtual cockpit. The fully digital instrument cluster with its 12.3-inch TFT monitor presents all information as rendered 3D graphics.

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Motoring Lifestyle

For the sake of efficiency: the Audi Wind Tunnels The easier it is for a car to glide through an airstream, the lower its consumption, and the higher its speed. At the Wind Tunnel Center, experts from Audi are working on the best aerodynamics for production passenger cars and racing cars.

Audi’s Wind Tunnel Center in Ingolstadt comprises of three wind tunnels that cover over 10,000 m2 all under one roof. Each of the three wind tunnels have been designed for different purposes, so they ideally complement one another.

• T he biggest facility is the Aerodynamics and Aeroacoustics Wind Tunnel. The AAWT is equipped with a moving belt that simulates the road surface – and can move at speeds of up to 235 km/h.

• T he Thermal Wind Tunnel (TWT) is the competence center for heat conditions.

This is where Audi tests all systems for cooling engines, brakes and passenger compartments. A heat exchanger in the air circuit makes it possible to heat the space up to 55 degrees Celsius, and the heated floor simulates a road surface warmed by the sun. The turbines in the TWT can blow air up to a maximum speed of 275 km/h.

• T he third facility is the Climatic Wind Tunnel (CWT), whose turbines can generate wind speeds as high as 300 km/h A water sprinkler system can dispense up to 2,500 liters of water per hour, to realistically recreate heavy rainfall conditions.

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Lifestyle Motoring

High-tech on the assembly line: Audi production At Audi the focus is on people – the customer and the employee. Digitization and intelligent solutions in production are making it possible to continually increase the brand’s level of quality. Take the electronic vehicle job card, paper job slips with detailed specifications for individual vehicles were the standard used in production for many years. Audi gradually switched to a new technology from late 2011 – the electronic vehicle job card called known as electronic build document (eWBK). On monitors at the workstations, the eWBK shows exactly the component the employee needs for every car. Photos, highlighting in color and illustrations provide a fast, clear orientation, which reduces errors in the build.

A second pair of “legs”: the chairless chair Audi has collaborated with a Swiss start-up enterprise to conceive a solution that greatly reduces bodily strain on the assembly line and boosts well-being in the workplace – the “chairless chair.”

The chairless chair is an exoskeleton worn on the back of the legs. The hightech construction of carbon thus enables production employees to sit – without a physical chair.

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Motoring Lifestyle

Innovative data worlds: virtual and augmented reality In the Pre-Series Center at the Ingolstadt site, Audi has installed a high-precision Augmented Reality application named “Window to the World.” Audi is the first company in the world to pioneer such a system. Window to the World is based on virtual imagery of the various parts of an automobile, which a computer creates by means of the car’s construction data.

The Audi VR experience offers customers something unprecedented – the ability to use a virtual reality headset to configure their dream car. You are able to view the exterior from various perspectives, look into the luggage compartment, or sit in the driver’s seat. But there’s more: High-end headphones allow you to hear the full range of acoustic signals – from closing the doors to the quality of the sound system. The “immersion” experience – in the virtual world – is near perfect.

The automobile of tomorrow: the Audi prologue piloted driving This 5.10-meter-long coupé represents the brand’s new design language and displays many innovations in the areas of connectivity, infotainment and user interface. What’s more, the concept car’s laser-matrix headlights and environment sensors show how the car of the future is increasingly becoming the passengers’ assistant.

The headlights with high-resolution matrix laser technology open up unprecedented design freedom while delivering entirely new lighting functions The interior: architecture and operation are unified The architecture in the luxurious interior is perfectly unified with the new display and control concept, which completely does without switches, something entirely new. The digital instrument panel – the Audi virtual cockpit of the future – is equipped with high-resolution displays and three mirrors that convey information on a virtual stage with three levels. This display consists of an extremely thin, bendable OLED film and displays very sharp images that are rich in contrast.

State of the art: technologies for piloted driving The Audi show car also embodies the very latest technology in piloted driving. A laser scanner, several video cameras, and ultrasound sensors and radar sensors mounted front and rear all interact for data capture.

The drive train: power and efficiency The 4.0 TFSI, a biturbo V8, works together with an e-motor whose energy comes from a compact lithium-ion battery. With a combined power output of 687 hp and 950 Nm of torque, the two-door coupé sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds.

Uncompromising precision: Audi Toolmaking Audi Toolmaking occupies a leading position among the international competition, an achievement confirmed not least by multiple overall victories in the renowned competition “Excellence in Production”.

The department also has a key position within the company: It covers the entire process of sheet-metal production, making it an indispensable contributor to the precision of Audi car bodies. With realization of the “smart factory”, Audi Toolmaking is developing intelligent tools and currently testing a 3D printer for printing metal.

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Lifestyle Tourism

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Tourism Lifestyle

Pullman Dubai Jumeirah Lakes Towers Opens its Doors Pullman’s 5-star second offering Delights with elegant Charm

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ullman hotels and resorts welcome international, cosmopolitan seasoned travelers from all over the world for business and pleasure. The Pullman brand is an executive lifestyle upscale hotel brand: a new generation of hotels for a new generation of mobile, hyper-connected travelers. Pullman Hotels continues to satisfy guests with its impressive portfolio in the Middle East with the opening of their second property in the UAE the Pullman Jumeirah Lakes towers.

Nestled within the towers at JLT this 35 storey five star property is the second Pullman property in the uae and fouth in the GCC which recently opened its doors in Febraury and is already proving to be popular amoung tourists and residents alike.

The Hotel boasts 354 elegantly appointed rooms and suites,and, for lengthier stays, guests are invited to settle into one of the 58 apartments with 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms ideal for families with children. including 162 Superior rooms, 39 Deluxe rooms, 69 Execub e n c h m ar k m i d d l e e a s t | A p r i l 2 0 15

tive and Deluxe Executive rooms and eight rooms for guests with disabilities.

We ask General Manager, FadeelWehbe to give us the scoop on the latest offering: What makes the Pullman Dubai JLT unique?

“The new Pullman Dubai JLT epitomizes understated luxury combined with the utmost comfort.”

What types of visitors frequent the property?

“As our portfolio continues to grow across the world, we strive to meet the sophisticated needs of today’s versatile travellers who expect and appreciate beauty, quality and excellence. We are confident that our unique approach, attention to detail and unrivalled service will be a welcome addition to both visitors and residents looking to sample the Pullman experience for themselves.”

Amusement for Everyone The culinary exploration of cuisines of the world, at the Pullman boasts six food and beverage outlets in total which includeAmarillo, an upmarket tapastry bar, Manzoni a specialty Italian restaurant the rooftop poolside bar,as well as Seasonsan all-day dining concept, La Vue terrace lounge and Ahlan lobby café.

Impress with a signature event With 11 Conference and meeting rooms, incentives, events and weddings are available at the hotel. Complete with stateof the art audio-visual equipment and meeting packages for all your needs.

Need to rejuvenate? Fit & Spa The hotel offers the Fit & Spa by Pullman which provides guests with top of the range equipment including cardio machines with LCD screens. The health club with sauna and steam room offers a fitness room with spectacular views, which you can unwind at the roof top pool complete with a pool bar.

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Lifestyle Tourism

The Hotel where the Royals holiday 60

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Tourism Lifestyle

When the historical seat of the local nobility, Son Vida, first opened its imposing gates on 23 June 1961 as a luxury hotel, Mallorca experienced a sumptuous celebration that it has yet to recover from.

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nly a week later the “Christina O” mega-yacht put in at Mallorca. On board were shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis and opera diva Maria Callas, accompanied by Princess Gracia Patricia(aka Grace Kelly) and Prince Rainier of Monaco, who gave what was to be a legendary society party in the newly opened Hotel Son Vida.

A number of celebrities showed up, including Montgomery Clift, Elsa Martinelli and Charles Farrell. The evening ended with an unforgettable impromptu quartet featuring Elsa Maxwell on the piano, Prince Rainier on the drums and Maria Callas and Aristotle Onassis on the microphone, who gave resounding renditions of Greek songs.

Those on hand at the time at Mallorca’s luxury hotel met Prince Rainier relishing oysters at a clambake in the park or Gracia Patricia chronicling her travels with a small camera. Onassis and Callas stayed on the “Christina O”, however, due to the massive media presence: the press radar had homed in on the new hotel in no time.

Crowned heads, high politics Monarchs, higher nobility and heads of state from all over the world continued to stay at Son Vida on official visits as well as for marriage celebrations and private pleasure holidays. Great names grace the golden guest books of the Castillo Hotel Son Vida.

In addition to the princely family of Monaco, the Spanish royal family also showed a preference for the hotel when they sojourned in Mallorca in the 1960s.

Later they moved into their own castle, but continued to frequent this noble residence on various special occasions.

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Lifestyle Tourism

Even Arabian royal families and a number of sheiks admired the flair of the place with its park full of palm trees and little lemon trees. Much to the delight of Mallorca’s business community, they always travelled with a large entourage and spent lavish sums on the island. Morocco’s King Hassan II was particularly partial to the hotel’s culinary acumen. Once he was so delighted by the table d’hôte dinner that he invited the head cook up to his suite and asked him for the recipe for lubina a la naranja, sea perch in orange.

Don’t forget the clubs, but not the night clubs!

The challenging and well-groomed golf courses right next to the hotel have contributed as much to its reputation as its prizewinning cuisine. In 1963 Prince Rainier of Monaco would not pass up the opportunity to be the first player to test Son Vida Golf – now Mallorca’s most time-honoured 62

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course. Since golfing swiftly established itself in Mallorca as the preferred pastime of the rich and beautiful, it’s no wonder the second 18-hole course, Son Muntaner, soon became another haunt of the highsociety guests. For many a statesman, however, Son Vida was not only about having a nice time. The Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzáles and Austrian Chancellor Bruno Kreisky met with Libya’s President Gaddafi in the hotel to discuss international issues. Palestinian leader Arafat used the hotel in 1982 as a backdrop for a widelycovered press conference.

An artists’ hideaway But the Castillo Hotel Son Vidaalsoserved many an artist as an oasis of inspiration. The exceptional Spanish director and Academy Award winner Pedro Almodóvar worked on the screenplay for Carne trémula (“Live Flesh”) at Son Vida, and the successful American director Martin A p r i l 2 0 15 | b e n c h m ar k m i d d l e e a s t

Tourism Lifestyle

headlines: she had to spend a night in jail after indulging in all the delights of the sumptuous hotel – but forgetting to pay the bill.

The scores of other celebrities who have put their names and remarks in the guest books include opera star Montserrat Caballé and Truman Capote, Margaux Hemingway and Maximilian Schell, NikiLaudaand world chess champion Gary Kasparov.

Ritt took a break here from the making of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. After strenuous days spent shooting TheMagus, Antony Quinn and Michael Caine let the hotel’s attentive staff look after them, as did Yehudi Menuhin, who unwound in the castle after touring in 1964. The hotel itself served as the set for productions like Tony Richardson’s movie Laughter in the Dark with Anna Karina.

Time and again the darlings of the tabloid press made headlines at Son Vida. Newlywed Brigitte Bardot beamed into the cameras in the hotel beside her husband Gunther Sachs, and Hannelore Auer – who was later to marry German hit singer Heino – posed here for photographers as well. Julio Iglesias preferred to take the staff entrance with his wife to steer clear of all the media hubbub. Jean-Paul Belmondo and Sting caused a similar commotion: the latter left his band in the hotel and moved into a private house.

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Magnificent setting, ideal venue In the chronicles of Mallorca Island, Son Vida is first mentioned in 1518 – as a country estate in a dream location on the city limits of Palma, with an indescribable view of the bay. The Vidas were a highly regarded family that had amassed great wealth after the conquest of the island. After a turbulent history, Son Vida was radically altered by NicolauTruyols, Marquis de la Torre from 1900 to 1905, as a romantic token of his esteem for his wife: inspired by aristocratic manor houses on the mainland, he turned the estate into a castle.

This atmosphere consistently proved just the right setting for major business meetings and exclusive events. In the 1960s, for instance, the world’s 13 biggest shipownersconvened at Son Vida. But airlines, media groups and other companies also used the grand hotel for gatherings, conferences, product presentations and catalogue shootings. And innumerable catwalk beauties like Claudia Schiffer have basked in the beauty of this enchanting abode.

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Lifestyle Eating Out

Fuego Heats up Souk Al Bahar Contemporary Mexican restaurant opening in Souk Al Bahar is Hot. Hot. Hot.

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xperience a shot of Mexico with fresh and authentic cuisine in an upscale, contemporary environment and discover the bold evocative tastes of Mexico in the warm and inviting ambience of Souk Bahar’s latest restaurant concept, Fuego. Fuego, literally meaning, “fire”, offers fresh and authentic Mexican dishes. Tantalise your taste buds with generous portions of food made from high-quality ingredients, from sizzling Fajitas and Tacos De Azada with Wagyu Beef to savoury Enchiladas & Burritos.

Fuego is the vision of two local Hoteliers, Adarsh and Arjun Kumar who sought to bring a high-end yet casual restaurant that 64

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takes inspiration from fiery Mexico. The brothers comment, ‘’Fuego is a breath of fresh air in Dubai’s competitive restaurant scene. We have sourced the very best Mexican chefs and have drawn from their incredible knowledge of traditional authentic dishes to build our unique menu. We aim to serve the best Mexican food in Dubai; traditional Mexican food, not Tex-Mex.’’ Mexican cuisine is alive with light, fresh tastes and deep, complex flavours that combine to create a culinary journey like no other. The name Fuego refers to the ‘fire’ or ‘flame’ that is introduced in Mexican food through both flavours and sight. Fuego’s menu has been devised by Celebrity Chef

Anil and authenticated and executed by Chef de Cuisine Jose Manuel Puma from Mexico City. Highlights include Mexican favourites such as the popular seafood delicacy ‘ceviche’ alongside signature specials such as slow-cooked Lamb Shank Barbacoa and Tres Leches, a cake soaked with three stages of milk.

Chef Jose Manuel Puma comments, ’Our food is extremely diverse - as light and fresh as a seafood cocktail prepared by fishermen on the beach; as deep and complex as the moles of Oaxaca made with an astounding number of ingredients; and as earthy as the simplest homemade corn tortilla! We look forward to seeing and serving you with great A p r i l 2 0 15 | b e n c h m ar k m i d d l e e a s t

Eating Out Lifestyle

Empanada Camaron

Flan De Coco

Fuego Churros

Tacos De Azada

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food and a fantastic ambience. Just drop in and enjoy affordable, healthy, and tasty slow cooked Mexican food’ Fuego’s interior is full of Mexican charm and spirit. It brings in natural elements such as wood and stone inspired by Modern Mexican Architecture to provide a feast of colors, textures, and patterns.The bar area with a backlit onyx counter relates back to Fuego’s “fire” concept. This bar will form an integral part of the Fuego experience serving the best Mexican margaritas infused with flavours that have been created exclusively for the restaurant. A buzzing ambiance will be achieved through Fuego’s music, provided by rotating DJs. The founders have carefully selected the sophisticated Mexican and world music fusions, which will be ever evolving for its upbeat environment.

The restaurant is located in the prestigious Souk Al Bahar, at the foot of the Burj Al Khalifa and serves lunch, dinner restaurantand a special Friday brunch menus.

Visit Fuego to delve into a culinary voyage of Mexican delights.

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Industry Focus Health

Is your desk job making you fat?

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hen you first start a desk job, you notice a change in your shape. Even though your calorie intake remains the same, you still gain a few kilos. You get busier and have less and less time for exercise. A small weight fluctuation isn’t such a big deal, but over the course of a year or five years, that could result in major weight gain.

Sitting down all day long is one of the worst things for your health, as it increases the likelihood of heart disease and weight gain — among other things. We sit down at the office, then we sit in the car, and once home, we sit to eat and watch TV!

So, what can you do to prevent weight gain in that case?

• Try to schedule your exercise, if it’s not scheduled it won’t get done. It helps if you choose to exercise somewhere close to work or home. The goal is to increase

blood flow and heart rate, so even if you can only do 15-20 minutes, it’s better than nothing.

• You are not moving much, therefore you need need eat lower calorie lunches and snacks. Bringing your lunch from home is one of the best ways to control your calorie intake. Remember to focus on fruits and veggies for your meals and snacks.

• Take regular breaks and stretch. Every hour, get up from your desk and go for a quick walk anywhere (furthest restroom, copy machine, water cooler, colleague’s desk). Just move. You can set alarms to help remind you to get up and walk.

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator to reach your office. This is a simple but effective exercise. At the base of the stairs, put your toes at the edge of the base step and lower your heels to the ground and then stretch up on the the balls of your feet. Do this five times to give the calves a through workout.

• Hydrate. Get yourself a water bottle and keep it on your desk. Make yourself drink at least one full bottle before lunch, and one full one before you go home at the end of the day. Drinking water will keep you fuller and less tempted to snack on empty calories.

Experts say that with every hour of inactivity, levels of blood sugar and the stress hormone cortisol rise. This triggers cravings that lead to overeating. Plus, the liver slows down and doesn't do its job of burning fat for energy. The body thinks it's in an emergency state because of high blood sugar and high cortisol — and it's thinking something major here, like famine — causes the liver to signal the body that more calories should become fat; and that this fat should be stored mostly around the belly as an easy energy resource when the perceived emergency comes. So stay fit and healthy despite all the hours spent sitting by just moving every chance you get.

Dana Z. Taleb dztaleb@gmail.com

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