Business Chief - Middle East Edition - Feb 2018

DR ARAFAT EL MOURAD

February 2018 • MIDDLE EAST EDITION

SHINING THE LIGHT ON ABU DHABI’S TOURISM INDUSTRY EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Waleed Saeed Al Saeedi, Director of Procurement for Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism

TOP 10

MIDDLE EAST IPOs

AIRSWIFT

Power to the people

CITY FOCUS Jeddah

FOREWORD WELCOME TO A bumper-sized Middle East edition of Business Chief! We have a fascinating first story with Peter Searle, CEO of international recruitment company, Airswift, regarding the Middle East’s global status as a “big target zone”, and why he doesn’t place bets on the future.

We also speak to Conrad Fritzsch, Head of Digital Marketing at Mercedes-Benz Cars, who explains why people as much as technologies are the true drivers of change.

In a revealing interview Dr. Arafat El Mourad discusses the changing face of the banking sector in the Middle East as well as the growing role of procurement.

In addition to all that, the best CEOs from around the world advise us on how to retain talent. A recent Willis Towers Watson study showed that more than half of all organisations globally have difficulty retaining some of their most valued employee groups - we ask the bosses how they go about retaining their best staff.

Our city in focus this month is Jeddah, and we also list the top 10 biggest Middle East IPOs of 2017.

Enjoy the issue!

middleeast.businesschief.com www.bizclikmedia.com

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F E AT U R E S

8 Airswift

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

Power to the people TECHNOLOGY

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CHANGE FOR THE PEOPLE,

BY THE PEOPLE 4

February 2018

PEOPLE

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Indeed how What’sshows the key to an ‘unlimited tomake keeping your leave’ work best policy talent?

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CITY FOCUS

JEDDAH S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

REGENERATING SAUDI ARABIA’S RELIGIOUS TOURISM HOTSPOT

Why operational risk management is vital – and where it’s headed

TOP 10

Middle East IPOs of

2017

56

C O M PA N Y PROFILES

64

The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi Supply Chain

114 Dr. Arafat El Mourad Supply Chain

90

Gulf Health Council Business Services

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February 2018

126 Panda Retail Technology

150

design worldwide partnership Construction

140 Emirates NBD Business Services

160

Dr Sulaiman - Al Habib Medical Group Healthcare

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L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y

Airswift

Power to the people Peter Searle, CEO of international recruitment company Airswift, believes his contractors – all 6,000 of them – are key to unlocking engineering innovation. He discusses the Middle East’s global status as a “big target zone”, and why he doesn’t place bets on the future Writ ten by SAMUEL MUSGUIN -ROWE

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L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y ONE COULD BE forgiven for presuming the CEO of a multinational company boasting a $1bn turnover, 800 employees and offices in more than 50 countries puts little thought towards a contractor’s household appliances. Peter Searle, CEO of global workforce solutions provider Airswift, however, is no ordinary boss.

To him, people are paramount.

“We make sure we see to the small things,” he says. “For example, their washing machine. If they’ve gone to South Korea and happen to be from Western Europe or America, we ensure everything is translated into English for them.”

Searle concludes: “The devil is in the detail.”

Rapid diversification Aged 54, Searle is a titan of recruitment. Having entered the industry in 1988, by 1999 he was a Group Managing Director at Fortune 500 mainstay Adecco. Later becoming the Chief Executive of UK and Ireland (with the added responsibility of India, Australia and South Africa), in 2006 he then left to launch Spring – growing the company to an approximate $700mn turnover before 10

February 2018

Peter Searle it was acquired by Adecco in 2009.

A further six-year stint in his previous role followed until Searle, backed by private equity, helped merge Air Energi Group and Swift Worldwide.

The result was Airswift: a billion-dollar company, with 6,000 people working on customer sites each day. Originally geared around oil and gas, the firm has rapidly diversified to provide workplace solutions for what it calls ‘PIE’: Process. Infrastructure. Energy.

Within a fiercely competitive market, Searle claims that what sets Airswift apart is the global spread of its workforce. “The big difference with us, compared to most competitors

Airswift relies on 6,000 contractors to deliver projects every day

who claim they’re in lots of countries, is that we physically sit in 52.” This includes the three countries Airswift recently added to its portfolio.

While the task of overseeing staff who work all hours and are dotted across millions of miles appears, on the face of it, impossible, Searle strives for a business-wide culture favouring face-to-face communication, or a phone call, over email. “We are a people business,”

“There aren’t many countries that can just say they are going to build a new city in the middle of nowhere” - Peter Searle, CEO Airswift 11

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y he enthuses. “We run Great Place to Work surveys on a constant basis, an internal Yammer (an enterprise social networking service), and have multiple communication tools. We also run monthly call sessions with the entire company where myself, my board and my COO will sit and have everybody in the company on the phone at 6am, and at close to midnight, to cover both time zones.

“Airswift recongises that everybody in the company is effectively a revenue earner,” Searle adds, “and therefore should be included in the company’s

Airswift has bases in several GCC countries

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February 2018

future. We have a very high degree of feedback – over 90% of our contractors extend on their contract, which is almost unheard of in our industry.” Searle once boldly claimed his vision was for Airswift to be an “easy place to join and a difficult place to leave”.

It’s a fight he seems to be winning.

Target zone Airswift is already a firm fixture in the Middle East, with physical offices set up in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman, as well as a large sales operation in Dubai and corporate

offices in Doha. For his staff and contractors, Searle acknowledges it is a unique proposition, with cultural adjustment sometimes required in order to pay respect to the region’s cultural traditions and faith. What’s more, he recognises there is a misconception among the ill-informed that Dubai is merely an “American-type holiday resort”.

With due respect, however, comes great incentive, and Searle claims the upsides of working in the Middle East are plentiful. “There’s a great deal of loyalty, a great deal of support and a great deal of ambition,” he says.

“It’s a very user-friendly environment to go into if you are a foreigner with a high skill set. You’re well paid, you are respected and you are treated very well – so long as you respect the important things in the country.”

Searle has identified the Middle East as “a big target zone”, and recently agreed a lucrative deal with the Saudi government to provide up to 200,000 visas for contractors.

Referring to the nation as an “evolution country”, Searle is enthused by the ambition shown by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and believes his $500bn mega city-state plan

“Airswift recongises that everybody in the company is effectively a revenue earner” - Peter Searle, CEO Airswift

would be truly transformative.

“The Crown Prince is a very charismatic individual, and was very eloquent about discussing his city of the future, which will be constructed for 10mn people,” says Searle. “It’ll have technology that is a step beyond – driverless cars, solar roads, electronic trains. This will create opportunity for companies who have some vision to supply, for people who want to go there.”

And yet, amid the excitement, Searle is cautious of making projections regarding the Middle East’s potential market size. He 13

“[The Middle East is] a very user-friendly environment to go into if you are a foreigner with a high skill set. You’re well paid, you are respected and you are treated very well – so long as you respect the important things in the country” - Peter Searle, CEO Airswift

notes that “in real financial terms, it’s unlimited,” though is mindful to point out the unpredictability, and indisputable bearing, that geopolitical factors can have. “Outside political restrictions, it probably has one of 14

February 2018

the biggest growth opportunities in the world,” Searle admits. “There aren’t many countries that can just say they are going to build a new city in the middle of nowhere – you to Caption couldn’t do that in the UK,the thatimage

L E A D E R S H I P & S T R AT E G Y would be rather more challenging.

“But the thing that sits above all of this are the geopolitical restrictions.

Even now, we look at the conflict that might exist between Qatar and its neighbouring states, which is probably one of the brakes on development that would happen in the Middle East. That’s political, really. It isn’t structural.”

Telecommunication infrastructure Looking ahead, Searle is conscious of the challenge faced by the Middle East to catch up with the West in terms of telecommunication infrastructure. Airswift conducts a great deal of work throughout Africa, a continent that “jumped a generation” of telecoms – circumventing landline telephones in favour of mobile devices. Yet a similar feat may prove a tall order here. “The cities are very well spaced, without much infrastructure in between,” Searle says. “How do you get the infrastructure of a fastmoving broadband internet system working across multiple cities – effectively countries in their own

right – and make those structures work effectively so you can have a leading edge digital platform?

“If you jump a generation, and you don’t have a wired-in platform, you have to go to a digital platform, but when you also have a completely different alphabet, a completely different language – that’s a boundary the Middle East still has to get to grips with.”

On a more optimistic bent, when asked about the most exciting project currently underway in the Middle East, Searle pauses. Do not be mistaken, this is not due to a dearth of activities; quite the opposite. “The reason I hesitated is that some of the developments that are the most eye-catching, we are in the process of pitching, so I do not have permission to give customer names out,” he smiles.

“But some of the projects we are doing in new energy development and process are quite spectacular.

Some are quite ground-breaking, and are moving the window of the art of the possible. It is those that I find most rewarding – they are changing people’s lives.”

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TECHNOLOGY

CHANGE FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE Writ ten by BEN MOUNCER

Digital transformations are now seen as mission critical to businesses large and small, yet Conrad Fritzsch, Mercedes-Benz’s Director of Digitalisation, Marketing & Sales, explains why people as much as technologies are the true drivers of change

TECHNOLOGY

SPEAK TO THE leader of any ambitious business in any region of the world, and it won’t be long before you arrive at one particular topic in the conversation.

‘Digital transformation’ may well rank as the buzziest of buzz phrases from 2017, a year that also made convincing commentators ‘influencers’, heralded any progress points as ‘nextgen’ and redefined an employee’s (human, not robot) working capacity as ‘bandwidth’.

While quirks in language come and 18

February 2018

go, however, the plans and processes that define a ‘digital transformation’ are here to stay. This is no fad. Like the office chairs you sit in and the screens you’re reading on, technology as the vertebrae of a business – and installing it quickly - is becoming less desirable and more just plainly essential.

Yet a recent study, conducted by Vanson Bourne, reported that nine out of every 10 digital transformation projects fail. The research called on input from 450 CIOs, CTOs and

The parent company, Daimler, knows the pairing of its mobility platforms with the trends and futuristic technologies of tomorrow is the answer to the individual needs of its customers

Chief Digital Officers at sizeable companies in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and France. This startling rate of derailed disruption is consensus, not just a manufactured statistic.

Why does the embedding of digital in businesses prove so problematic, when the very people charged with managing that business have, more often than not, made it their priority? Are they trying too hard, losing sight of its true purpose?

“When you have true customerobsession, then this is what will drive your transformation because you see what’s important and what’s not so important” CONRAD FRITZSCH Director of Digitalisation Marketing & Sales at Mercedes-Benz 19

Video: An insight into the experience and shape of digital transformation at Daimler with the Digital Life Day 2017

CONRAD FRITZSCH Director of Digitalisation Marketing & Sales at Mercedes-Benz

Conrad Fritzsch, born in Berlin in 1969 joined Daimler AG in August 2017. He is the Director of Digitalization Marketing & Sales Mercedes-Benz. He is the driver of the digital transformation.

In order to promote entrepreneurial creativity and cooperation, Fritzsch brought digital marketing and IT together within a swarm organization. In his function, he leads the digital transformation and Mercedes me, which offers a digital, personalised ecosystem and is all about to satisfy customer demands.

Besides, he promotes a seamless customer journey, which is ensured through the new website in frontend and backend “OneWeb�. Further he is responsible for eCommerce. With the creation of new international delivery hubs, Fritzsch is also very active in worldwide recruitment of digital high potential employees.

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February 2018

TECHNOLOGY Conrad Fritzsch is Director of Digitalisation, Marketing & Sales, at Mercedes-Benz. As the overseer of a digital transformation in a worldfamous company steeped in tradition, he is keenly aware of the challenges.

For him, the focus shouldn’t be on technology itself, but on people.

“Customer-obsession is the starting point for any transformation,” he tells Business Chief from the automaker’s headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

“In the past (at Mercedes-Benz), often we built things because we can. Technical things, more driven by innovation, more driven by what us as engineers can build. Now we’re trying to find out what our customers want today and tomorrow.

“What is important for our customers? When you have true customer-obsession, then this is what will drive your transformation because you see what’s important and what’s not so important.”

Fritzsch joined Mercedes-Benz’s parent group, Daimler AG, in August 2016. In the short period since he has started the long journey to change, trying to impart his expertise on a company boasting 280,000 employees; a weight of work he

admits being surprised by initially “Coming from start-ups, I really underestimated how huge and complex the company is,” he remarks.

The 48-year-old’s primary role is to weave innovative digital products into modern working models, all with the customer’s requirements as the motivation. For example, Fritzsch lead on ‘Mercedes me’, the manufacturer’s range of mobile services and apps that come together to deliver a best-inclass digital service to its customers.

His most notable change so far, though, has been to merge MercedesBenz’s marketing and IT provisions, creating a swarm mentality that has hastened the pace of change from both a technical and personnel perspective.

He claims its most crucial aspect has been the buy-in of the employees.

“The first point that you have to really solve is, does the company want to change or not? Not only the Board, not only the top management, everyone. We have to create a working and culture model that works for all of us.” explains Fritzsch.

“Digital transformation in big companies is more a transformation of the people, from A to B. It’s not too much about digital only; you have to 21

TECHNOLOGY understand that the people are the core in this changing process. Daimler is a fantastic company and it knows that we have to change because the world is changing, the customer is changing.

“In our department, there were around 250 people from IT and the business unit together. We said, ‘Okay, these are our problems we have to solve and these are the people we have’. Then you see white spots because there are new roles we didn’t make! When you build digital products like apps, you need all kinds of experts – so we built a team from both outside experts and inside experts.”

A vital part of the process was establishing the new working models, with the scale of change broken down into step-by-step parts – an approach

“Digital transformation in big companies is more a transformation of the people, from A to B” CONRAD FRITZSCH Director of Digitalisation Marketing & Sales at Mercedes-Benz 22

February 2018

to transformation that Fritzsch likens to developing a key piece of software.

“When you build software, you go out with beta, the version one, version two etc. This is the same method. With the people, we said ‘let’s change in this direction’. We built a Daimler blueprint which combines the strengths of start-ups and global company,” he adds.

“Everybody was on the boat, they had the right mindset. They didn’t say ‘so we made something wrong and now some guy’s come here and has some big answer?’. We built a solution together and everyone could see that solution. That is super important when you want to change.”

Fritzsch’s energy for his mission is career, and it’s a passion that powered a unique career ahead of him taking up the role at MercedesBenz one and a half years ago.

Back in 1993, he co-founded the advertising agency Fritzsch & Mackat, where he served as Creative Director, leading on all creation and consulting. His innovative spark saw him launch tape.tv in 2008, an online music video streaming service that, at its peak, serves 3.9mn unique users, hosting videos from high-profile

DigitalLife Days is a method for the Group to keep staff informed of technological developments and show digital transformation in action artists from around the world.

Fritzsch left the company in 2016, with Daimler picking up the phone.

“I have never worked on this scale. And I thought, ‘okay, the transformation of the car industry is a fantastic challenge’,” he reveals.

“In my life, I had built my own companies but I had never had one of these corporate challenges, as they described; when a corporate company really wants to change. I thought, with all the skills and experiences I gathered in the past, that I can do it.”

Is he content with how it has gone since he picked up the baton in August?

“Am I happy how it goes? 100% yes.

Are we done? 100% no. It’s a really tough journey for us,” he summarises.

“In my world, when I made it my plan in August, September 2016, I thought it will be much quicker.

We’ve decided that we need more people, to move forward and to change more dramatically.

“With digital transformations, don’t make a plan and think it will just work. There is always a change, there is always a new idea from outside, there is always a distraction.

But you have to take everyone on this journey with you.”

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PEOPLE

What’s the key to keeping your best talent?

Stuart Hodge looks at the main challenges companies face in terms of staff retention and some of the novel approaches big companies are taking to create a positive culture Writ ten by STUART HODGE

PEOPLE FOR ANY BUSINESS, ensuring that you keep hold of your most talented members of staff in an often increasingly competitive job market can be the difference between sustained success and the possibility of stagnating or going backwards.

Indeed, a recent Willis Towers Watson study showed that more than half of all organisations globally have difficulty retaining some of their most valued employee groups and that more than a quarter of employees are considered ‘high-risk’ for turnover.

Most scholars would agree that motivation is at the heart of keeping a workforce happy and, according to a recent report by Forbes, establishing an emotional connection with staff is the key to ensuring a cohesive and inclusive culture around the company.

The Forbes study asked HR professionals what their biggest challenges are related to corporate culture and they said overwhelmingly that creating a cohesive culture (55%) and retaining talent (41%) gave them the most concern.

Lola Gershfeld, Psy.D, Board Dynamics Specialist and CEO at 26

February 2018

52% of executives feel culture is primarily set by the current CEO Level Five Executive, says creating that emotional connection can be done using a three-stage plan called Board/Team Dynamics Process.

“When everyone is familiar with and understands one streamlined process the culture becomes much more cohesive,” she says.

“Team members start speaking

W H AT ’ S T H E K E Y T O K E E P I N G Y O U R B E S T TA L E N T ?

the same language and using the same tools to work through conflict. This is where you start to see some really positive changes.

“In our work, we’ve found that culture has to start from the top.

Everyone tends to look up to learn behavior. This is backed up by a recent study from Duke University

that says 52% of executives feel culture is primarily set by the current CEO. And, while boards of directors do not directly choose the firm’s culture, they influence the choice of culture by picking the CEO. “Boards also modify the eventual success of the culture by reinforcing or undermining it through their 27

PEOPLE

“Addressing emotional connection is the way to arrive at a cohesive culture that retains and attracts talent” - Lola Gershfeld, CEO, Level Five Executive approach in addressing challenges together and making that emotional connection with the executive team.

“So, to have a long-term effect on culture, you have to start with the board and the executive team.

This might seem overwhelming, but in that same study, 91% of executives said culture is important at their firm and 78% view culture as one of the top three or top five factors that affect their firm’s value.

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Executives and boards understand the value of culture and they are looking for long-term solutions.

“Improving culture is within arm’s reach. We know how to fix culture for the long haul; it’s just a matter of committing to it. Addressing emotional connection is the way to arrive at a cohesive culture that retains and attracts talent.”

But this is just one approach to creating a positive culture within

a company. For some companies, such as the Star Entertainment Group in Australia, it’s more about creating an operational identity and sense of belonging for employees.

“With over 4,500 staff, the real trick is to ensure that everyone is willing to act autonomously,” says Dino Mezzatesta, COO. “It’s important to have confidence and faith in your employees and support them to give their best. There are four things

we ask our employees to do: live it, bring it, own it and deliver it.

“By ‘live it’ we mean that people need to understand guests and their expectations to ensure that what they provide is in keeping with what a customer wants. When we talk about ‘bringing it’, we want our people to always give of their best and to bring everything that they can to offer to our customers. ‘Own it’ means step up, don’t be afraid to take ownership of situations, to be brave and not to be scared to do things differently. And ‘deliver it’ is basically the final step, because if you do the top three then you should be able to be the perfect host.”

Given the Star Entertainment Group’s award-winning hospitality offering, there can be no doubt that this approach is working, but another important factor for businesses is ensuring that they are helping to develop the leaders of tomorrow as well.

Figures in the TalentKeepers Workplace America report show that a disappointing 36% of organisations are taking steps to develop leaders to drive engagement.

“Leaders need to be trained in 29

PEOPLE

A US study shows 36% of organisations are taking steps to develop leaders to drive engagement

employee engagement skills and must understand their role in retaining and motivating people,” says Christopher Mulligan, TalentKeepers CEO and author of the report.

“The first step in leveraging leaders is determining how well they are currently doing and understanding specifically what training they need to become successful. Every leader should have engagement and retention goals, incentives to meet those goals, and consequences for failing to do so.”

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Clearly the pressure to keep your best staff has never been greater and the lengths companies will go to in creating a positive working culture and environment are more creative than ever.

For Paul Alexander, Head of Indirect Procurement for EMEA with BP, the best way to ensure staff loyalty and to keep them happy in their work is by engaging employees on an intellectual level to stimulate and challenge them.

“My view is that inspiration and

W H AT ’ S T H E K E Y T O K E E P I N G Y O U R B E S T TA L E N T ?

learning is really what people are turned on by these days and that’s what creates a successful team,” says Alexander, who is a bonafide leadership expert and speaker with a passion for the subject.

“Something that compounded my thinking was research by Zenger and Folkman. They’ve written a couple of books, the first of which is called ‘The Extraordinary Leader’ and their research is absolutely fascinating.

“They’ve found many things in their studies and they’ve used very, very large sample groups to test their assumptions. They have

“Inspiration and learning is really what people are turned on by these days and that’s what creates a successful team” - Paul Alexander, Head of Indirect Procurement for EMEA, BP

found very clearly that the ability for leaders to inspire interest and the resource and sincerity you put into development and learning are the things that will drive success.

“I do believe in a knowledgebased economy and a productive economy: you need to have people who want to work for you and are motivated and want to succeed.

“The research on the millennial generation really underlines all of this, I think what they’re asking for which is to be treated with respect, not to be hugely well rewarded but to be sensibly and adequately rewarded but to be treated well and given the opportunity to learn and fulfill themselves.

“I think that’s what we all want; the difference now is that a lot of work has gone into listening to millennials who have a loud voice and I think and hope our workplace is evolving the way it needs to do for the benefit of us all.

“Another thing I would point to is the work of Dan Pink. What he says is three things really turn people on: autonomy, the freedom to do the job the way they want to do it; mastery, giving them the 31

PEOPLE Employees who are “engaged and thriving� are 59% less likely to look for a job elsewhere

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February 2018

W H AT ’ S T H E K E Y T O K E E P I N G Y O U R B E S T TA L E N T ?

support to excel at what they do; and purpose, helping them find a reason to do what they do.

“If I could crystallise everything that I’m saying about leadership into one word it would be: inspiration. Within procurement, they can be the kind of people who turn up, place orders and do a commodity task, or they can be the people who save the company.

“My very strong belief is that when people come to work they should be able to have a good time and I don’t know why so many organisations struggle with that.”

Indeed, when Alexander breaks it down like that it is hard to fathom why so many companies find it difficult to create such a positive environment for staff to work in, and no doubt this issue is becoming increasingly important.

Research from Gallup shows that employees who are “engaged and thriving” are 59% less likely to look for a job with a different organisation in the next 12 months.

Companies like German online clothing retailer Spreadshirt have an even more novel approach to creating that positive culture and ensuring that work is a fun place

for employees to come into, as Philip Rooke, CEO, explains.

“We have a Feel Good Manager whose job it is to make Spreadshirt a great environment to work in and a big part of this job is organising the company events. We always have a big summer party where family and friends, but also former Spreadsters, come together. Now we also have a “Spreadster exclusive” event, called Wandertag, like a summer outing.

“Talent retention isn’t a big problem for us. We have a great product and a great company, but we do not take that for granted.

Like any company we have our bad days. Our culture and talent retention is led by our Head of Recruiting and Feel Good Manager.

“She’s responsible for the onboarding process for each new Spreadster, and improving workplace culture. In particular she has brought in programs on management communication to improve the way we work with talent. If you respect and empower talent, it wants to stay.”

Words which should perhaps be borne in mind by companies who are worried about competitors poaching their most talented employees.

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Why operational risk management is vital – and where it’s headed

Writ ten by STUART HODGE

Business Chief looks at how operational risk management has developed in recent years and what we can expect in years to come...

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y MITIGATING RISK. IT’S a challenge that every company faces but it’s sometimes a difficult thing to confront or to feel that you’re maximising the potential from.

It can mean anything from having more money set aside for workers’ compensation to an awareness of transaction risk in crossborder deals – that’s why there can often be a reticence in certain sectors to properly address it.

Michael Rosenberg is from WPV Corp, a company which claims to have developed technology that almost completely mitigates the risk of harassment/sexual harassment and workplace violence, using a validated risk assessment and an incident reporting system that is held outside the organisation.

“Managing risk can literally mean the difference between a company being profitable and being bankrupt,” he says assertively.

“Reactive cultures that ignore risk waste millions of dollars literally having to deal with emergencies. It’s like a car: if you don’t do the maintenance and ignore the risk, it will break down at the worst possible time and cost you a lot of money to fix and replace.

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Many organisations still use spreads

“Ignoring operational risk leads to significantly higher insurance rates, turnover, lost time and most importantly brand degradation.

“Identifying and preventing operational risk before it becomes a crisis literally is the single largest factor in ensuring a company’s survival.”

But what exactly is operational risk and how do you manage it?

“Typically, operational risk is a highly-siloed discipline in

sheets to manage risk

organisations,” explains Val Jonas, CEO of British consultancy company Risk Decisions.

“Good risk management may be carried out locally, but this doesn’t necessarily meet the organisation’s need to achieve a connected view of risk. It also doesn’t encourage creativity in thinking about both up-side and down-side scenarios. This is exacerbated by the fact that most organisations still use spreadsheets

to manage risk in each silo.

“Those organisations most effective at risk management embed a culture of risk awareness and management as a top-down imperative. This encourages more informed risk taking, drives creativity and increases business performance.

“Key strategies include establishing a consistent approach to give panorganisation visibility of risk, while allowing different operational areas to 37

We asked

Tim Ng…

Operations is an oft used word in the business world, but what does it really mean?

“As a Chief Operating Officer, my challenge is multifaceted. It is not a role that is well defined. It is a role that is integral to the company but is also unique to the sector I am in. The role of a Chief Operating Officer for a financial services firm is very different from one in manufacturing, technology or health.

“The maturity of the business impacts greatly on the skills necessary to ensure that the company operates in a manner that allows it to react to internal and external pressures.

“With market uncertainty and volatility caused by Brexit and the pressure on the currency markets, companies have required a sustained pursuit of greater efficiencies and major business transformations.

“The nature of the position is diverse with a wide variation in operational roles from one sector to another, but the core lies in supporting the CEO and determining the optimal strategy for the future and then help implement it.

“As a CTO, it made sense to move into a broader role within the company which is primarily a technologyenabled business. The ability to marry technology and development skillsets to operations gives us the capability to take our operational agility to another level. We are not wedded and reliant on third parties, we can develop and create our own solutions to operational challenges.

“The challenges facing operations are varied and can be likened to guerilla warfare – you just don’t know where you will have to be next.”

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Feburary 2018

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

manage risk as appropriate. This will increase and improve collaboration which can lead to valuable insights e.g. supply risks impacting multiple areas of the business. Another strategy is to implement regular audits of key suppliers’ risk policies and processes to ensure they deliver. For example, pharmaceutical companies ensuring that the third-party companies running their clinical trials will do so ethically and in the required time-frames.

“Finally, all business cases should include an assessment of risks, with clear explanations of how they will be managed.”

One of the key facets of operational risk management companies have to address in this day and age is the prospect of cybercrime.

Figures in last year’s Accenture Cost of Cyber Crime study showed that the average annual cost of cybercrime is $11.7mn, increasing annually by 22.7%, with the number of breaches increasing by 27.4% to an average of 130 each year.

“Operational risk management is getting more important in recent years due to the new and more stringent regulatory requirement while organisations are keen to embrace the digital transformation which essentially increases the risk exposure as a result,” says William Tam, Director of Sales Engineering, APAC, for global cybersecurity expert Forcepoint.

“The continuously shifting ‘threat landscape’ requires an equally transformative view on behaviourcentric security. To manage cybersecurity risk, companies need to include measures that understand the nature of human intent and the ability to dynamically adapt security response. That’s the path forward to stop cyberattacks dead in their tracks.

“Cloud computing has been 39

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y a key disruptor to operational risk management. As business critical data continues to move to the cloud, and be made available to anyone anywhere, traditional perimeter-based security and riskmodelling are becoming obsolete.

“Organisations need to concentrate on when and why people interact with critical data. Additionally, as malware continues to evolve, the risks will multiply, leaving traditional security controls ineffective.”

It’s an ever-evolving space, and requires companies to be clear in their thought process and implementation.

Jeff Skipper, an expert in organisational psychology who runs his own consulting firm, Jeff Skipper Consulting, believes it is an area which companies often fail to address.

When asked how important operational risk management is in the business world, he responded assertively.

“Very,” says Skipper. “And it’s too often overlooked because risk management doesn’t seem like ‘productive’ work. You only feel the gap when something goes off the rails.

However, the impact of that can be measured in revenue hits, reputational 40

Feburary 2018

damage, and employee exits.

“In my work with leading organisations in both the public and non-profit sectors, risk management is most commonly only given lip service.

The leaders whom I advise are the ones who continually surface risk as a lever to remove obstacles and act.

“Combining high risk awareness with the strategic use of what I call ‘leadership capital’ is a critical combination for successful initiatives.

It has made the difference between 10% and 100% cost overruns.”

Skipper believes that poorlymanaged strategic projects are often at the root of organisational failings with regards to risk management.

“It’s very common for the best people to try and avoid key projects because they are very demanding,” he says. “But having the best people with strong skills and leadership is key in these situations.

“Secondarily, there are major gaps in future anticipation. We don’t give people time to think about the ‘what ifs’, which can be the greatest source of risk avoidance as well as innovation.”

One of the key areas where innovation is expected in the ORM

“Managing risk can literally mean the difference between a company being profitable and being bankrupt” - Michael Rosenberg, WPV Corp space, as it is in so many others, is by embracing cognitive technology.

David Cahn is the Director of Product Marketing for Elemica, a leading business network for supply chains of process businesses, discussed how that might, and might not, change things.

“Cognitive risk management involves the decision by a human to follow the risk mitigation procedures, but knowing the risk of something doesn’t prevent us from taking a chance anyway,” says Cahn.

“However, cognitive science is being incorporated into technology to create powerful tools that tackle complete problems. Advanced analytics and automation will increasingly play bigger roles as tactical solutions to drive efficiency or to help executives solve complex problems.

“The real opportunities lie in re-imaging the enterprise as an intelligent organisation – one designed to create situational awareness with tools capable of analysing disparate data in real or near-real time.

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“Organisations need to concentrate on when and why people interact with critical data” - William Tam, Director of Sales Engineering, APAC, Forcepoint “The goal of cognitive governance, as the name implies, is to facilitate the design of intelligent automation to create actionable business intelligence, improve decision-making, and reduce manual processes that lead to poor or uncertain outcomes.

In other words, cognitive governance systematically identifies ‘blind spots’ across the firm then directs intelligent automation to reduce or eliminate the blind spots.”

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Feburary 2018

Tim Ng, COO of Europe’s leading digital health business Now Healthcare, casts an eye even further forward.

“A key challenge in the future will be the necessary integration of new and future technologies into core processes, world-changing technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning,” says Ng. “Data is at the heart of operations, and those who can harness it will be more

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y successful than those who can’t.

“The greatest impact and trend will be the use of artificial intelligence.

This is a logical next step from business intelligence – systems that can consume data from multiple data streams and provide actionable intel in a format that is easily digestible to the management.

Say goodbye to huge teams of analysts: AI will be the new norm.

“Technology in general will drive greater change, so operations people will need to thrive on the adrenaline of complexity and change. The operational canvas will be changed forever and this needs to be embraced.

“The world economy has faced and is still facing large structural changes on the way to bringing business to the international stage. Technology has impacted hugely with the world becoming a much smaller place – globalisation of businesses has significantly accelerated with small companies able to enter the global markets through the use of technology.

It is no longer an honor reserved for large companies and SMEs. “Because of this, agility is required.

Agile operations allow the companies

to react to market conditions and plot routes through the minefield of consumer demand. I expect operational processes to be more agile with changes made almost instantaneously, as technology allows access to real time KPI (key performance indicator) management to an unprecedented level.

“Deeper integration of systems and data will be necessary with mobilisation and real time access a key enabler. With executives able to access data anytime and anywhere, leading to strategic and tactical decision making many factors quicker than previously possible.

Micro services will be the new fabric for operations with the reliance on the large monolithic enterprise systems no longer necessary.

Imagine if you could piece together the services you needed like a jigsaw.

Able to add, update and discard as necessary when new technologies or better AI became available.

“These are just the beginnings – it is no longer enough to be a safe pair of hands. It is now necessary to have the mindset of an innovator and creator to ensure that operations are able to support the needs of the business.”

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JEDD CITY FOCUS

Headline

Seque rest volorum aute velestio intem illibus es qui ut alit et, sita iuntur?

Writ ten by AUTHOR

DAH REGENERATING SAUDI ARABIA’S RELIGIOUS TOURISM HOTSPOT Writ ten by OLIVIA MINNOCK

CITY FOCUS

JEDDAH’S ECONOMY JEDDAH IS A key trading point connecting Europe and India.

It also provides land and water access to the religious locations of Medina and Mecca.

According to Arcadis, “the city is seeking to capitalise on its religious tourism by investing in luxury accommodation, retail and hotels. However, its rapid growth 46

February 2018

in the past 30 years has been without strong planning, resulting in infrastructure in need of updating and a city in need of a strong hand directing its development”.

Jeddah’s GDP is growing as well as its population, and 2014 GDP was up 2.4% in comparison with 2013, which was lower than the KSA average, yet higher than the Arab World average.

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CITY FOCUS

RELIGIOUS TOURISM RELIGIOUS TOURISM MAKES up a key part of Jeddah’s economy due to its coastal location and proximity to popular pilgrimage destinations Mecca and Medina.

Arcadis has stated that the Jeddah hospitality market is “strong and healthy” with the third largest average daily rate in the region following Dubai and Riyadh. The market is more of a luxury one with a high proportion of four and five-star offerings.

According to the Saudi Gazette, 5mn people visited Jeddah in 2017 48

February 2018

and the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) expects this to increase by about 20% in 2018.

Mohammad Al-Amri, the SCTH general manager, told the Saudi Gazette that Jeddah is set to be promoted to one of three global cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and has been chosen due to its accommodation solutions for tourists as well as activities and experiences.

Al-Amri cited the city’s 110 hotels, 1,200 furnished apartments and 70 trip-organising companies.

‘The Al Haramain High Speed Rail Line project is costing around $12.5bn and the finished railway will be 453m long, connecting Medina and Mecca via King Abdullah Economic City, King Abdulaziz International Airport, and Jeddah’ Jeddah is also set to gain an international airport terminal in May of this year, and work has already begun on its high-speed railway line.

At the Reconstruction of Makkah Region Conference, the head of General Authority of Civil Aviation, Abdul Hakim Al-Tamimi, announced the planned opening of the King Abdul Aziz International Airport for May 2018, and told Arab News: “Air transport is the preferred method for pilgrims of Umrah and Hajj, both from inside and outside the Kingdom. The number of Hajj pilgrims arriving by air in 2017 reached 1,648,906, while the number of Umrah pilgrims arriving by air in 2017 reached 5,664,208.”

He added that the airport is to include 810 sq km of terminal space, 200 manned counters and 80

self-service counters. The airport will be able to receive a total of 98 aircraft at any one time, whether on the tarmac or directly connected to the terminal.

Meanwhile the Al Haramain High Speed Rail Line, also dubbed the “Western Railway” of the “MakkahMedina High Speed Railway” is now set to open fully in March 2018, with its planned opening in 2012 having been postponed. The project is costing around $12.5bn and the finished railway will be 453m long, connecting Medina and Mecca via King Abdullah Economic City, King Abdulaziz International Airport, and Jeddah. In total the line is expected to carry about 3mn passengers per year and will ease traffic congestion particularly among Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. Construction began back in March 2009.

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CITY FOCUS

THE JEDDAH GATEWAY ACCORDING TO ARCADIS, Jeddah’s 2009 Strategic Plan aims to produce 283,000 housing units between 2010 and 2030 to meet the immediate deficiency in housing supply in the city. This will include 80,000 new affordable and 151,600 replacement housing units as well as 670,000 units to keep up with population growth.

Between 2012-2015, 60,000 units in total were produced as part of this project.

Arcadis also reports that “significant investment is being made in commercial space… as 50

February 2018

part of the large scale urban renewal the city is undergoing.” This will include investment in office space, commercial space, retail and hotels.

The Saudi government has launched the Jeddah Gateway housing project on a 192 sq km area of the city to provide more housing for Jeddah’s citizens.

The project will be implemented by Sundus Developers and will include 30 buildings with 8-16 floors offering a total of 1,952 housing units with four to six apartments on each floor, according to the Saudi Gazette The project will be located east

of the Haramain Expressway at the beginning of the Prince Muhammad Bin Avdulaziz (Tahliya) Road.

According to Naif Al-Suhaim, general manager of Sundus, the project will include three and five-bedroom apartments of 134 and 196sqm respectively, which will include balconies. He also stated that “about 40% of the area surrounding the buildings will be full of greenery” and that the housing complexed will include educational, healthcare and religious facilities as well as a 47 sq km commercial centre and a hypermarket.

‘Jeddah’s 2009 Strategic Plan aims to produce 283,000 housing units between 2010 and 2030 to meet the immediate deficiency in housing supply in the city’

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CITY FOCUS

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February 2018

$5BN RED SEA PROJECT THE REGENERATION OF Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast is receiving an injection of $5bn by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) to lead the development, which is being referred to as “New Jeddah Downtown”.

The plan was announced in September 2017 and will generate around 36,000 jobs according to Arab News, over 10 years, which PIF has claimed will create “a unique tourist, residential and commercial destination”.

PIF said in a statement that it “aims to create a distinct and attractive environment to support Jeddah’s ambition of becoming one of the world’s top 100 cities. The project will include spaces for entertainment, shopping and commercial activities, which are accessible for both residents

and visitors. In total, the project aims to deliver over 12,000 housing units to accommodate 58,000 new residents”.

Construction should start in 2019 and the first phase is to open in 2022.

The project forms a key part of Vision 2030 which promises to develop tourism sites as the Kingdom tries to diversify its economy away from its dependence on oil.

The project as a whole will be divided into six main sections to include: new homes, new museums, cultural and social centres, hotels, hospitality facilities, retail space, gardens, sports facilities, amusement parks, and areas for business and innovation.

In total, according to Arab News, 42% will be residential, 35% entertainment and retail, 12% office space and 11% hotel and hospitality.

‘The regeneration of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast is receiving an injection of $5bn by the Public Investment Fund’ 53

JEDDAH: THE FACTS

4.08mn POPULATION

3.5%

POPULATION GROWTH (Per year)

2.25mn

EXPECTED POPULATION INCREASE

$143.71bn JEDDAH’S GDP

2.08mn

PILGRIMS TRAVELLED THROUGH JEDDAH TO MECCA

8.08%

GDP GROWTH ESTIMATE (LLOYDS)

5.9%

UNEMPLOYMENT (Mens)

32.5%

UNEMPLOYMENT (Women)

Jeddah is a UNESCO world heritage site since 2014

Each year, the Hajj brings between 2-4mn pilgrims to Jeddah, many of whom stay overnight in the city 55

Middle East IPOs of

2017 The Middle East saw an increase from four IPOs in 2016 to 12 IPOs in 2017, although capital raised fell by 3% compared to 2015.

The UAE led domestic IPO activity with four listings and recorded the largest share of capital raised from the region, with proceeds of more than $2.5bn. We rank the top 10 IPOs in the Middle East by proceeds‌ (Source: Baker McKenzie & Bloomberg) Written by DAN BRIGHTMORE

T O P 10

Aeronautics Ltd $135mn (Israel) www.aeronautics-sys.com

10

Sisram Medical Ltd $128mn (Israel) www.sisram-medical.com

Sisram Medical Ltd. is among the top five global providers of energy-based medical aesthetic treatment systems (by revenue) aiming to bring state-ofthe-art solutions to millions around the world. Utilising comprehensive in-house capabilities to design, develop and produce innovative and proprietary technologies such as the Alma brand, and global products including Accent and FemiLift, Sisram Medical is widely recognised among doctors and treatment recipients globally. The company is also the largest provider of energy-based medical aesthetic treatment systems in the PRC market and sells its treatment systems in approximately 80 countries worldwide.

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February 2018

Aeronautics aims to provide system solutions and services to the defence products market, creating multi-operational systems based on advanced unmanned technologies and delivering dedicated UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) crews through training and technical support. Aeronautics operates with dozens of clients around the world; its leading system, the Aerostar Tactical UAS is serving 15 customers on four continents. Aerostar alone has accumulated more than 150,000 operational flight hours since its first flight in 2001. The company’s systems were operational in global conflict zones including Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan.

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ENPPI $150mn (Egypt) www.enppi.com

08

Investment Holdings Group $138mn (Qatar) www.ihgqatar.com

Investment Holdings Group (IHG) is a preferred partner for comprehensive and specialised construction solutions in Qatar, achieving sustainable growth and maintaining high quality performance of its subsidiaries across various contracting and trading businesses. It is the first IPO from a family business in Qatar and only the third new listing on Qatar’s bourse since 2010.

ENPPI (Engineering for the Petroleum and Process Industries) delivers a legacy of engineering expertise built over decades of hands-on practice and learning, states the company website. The company is renowned as an international, leading provider of fully integrated engineering, procurement, construction supervision and project management services for the petroleum, petrochemicals, power and other industries. ENPPI is globally recognised as a major engineering, EPC main contractor and management contractor, with decades of experience in onshore and offshore projects in the oil and gas, refining and petrochemical industries.

07

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T O P 10

Tamar Petroleum Ltd $199mn (Israel)

06

Jadwa REIT Al Haramain Fund $176mn (Saudi Arabia) www.jadwa.com

In April last year Jadwa Investment, a leading investment management and advisory firm in Saudi Arabia, announced the conclusion of the public offering of its first Shariahcompliant Real Estate Investment Traded Fund, Jadwa REIT Al Haramain Fund, which will invest in real estate properties in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. Jadwa Investment is a Saudi Closed Joint Stock Company with headquarters in Riyadh, offering wide-ranging investment services that support both individual as well as corporate financial goals. With a proven track record in asset management, financial advisory, mergers and acquisitions, and researched brokerage, Jadwa is a comprehensive financial services firm.

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February 2018

www.tamarpetroleum.co.il/en

Tamar Petroleum, which commenced operations in 2017, is a new player in the Israeli energy market. It operates as a yield company which holds 9.25% of the rights in the Tamar and Dalit leases, where the Tamar gas reservoir is located. The production of natural gas from the Tamar reservoir commenced in 2013. It supplies the natural gas consumption needs of the State of Israel and exports gas to Jordan. In July 2017, Tamar Petroleum raised bonds and equity for the purchase of Delek Drilling LP’s holdings in the reservoir.

05

ADES Int. Holding Ltd $244mn (UAE) http://investors.adihgroup.com

04

Shelf Drilling Ltd $225mn (UAE) www.shelfdrilling.com

Shelf Drilling is the world’s largest contractor of jack-up rigs (a mobile platform capable of raising its hull above the surface of the sea) for shallow water drilling. Headquartered in Dubai it runs rig operations across four core operating regions: Southeast Asia, India, West Africa and MENAM (Middle East, North Africa & Mediterranean) leveraging decades of industry experience and an outstanding track record to provide best-in-class drilling operations for customers worldwide.

ADES International Holding is a leading oil and gas drilling and production services provider in the Middle East and Africa offering offshore and onshore contract drilling as well as workover and mobile offshore production unit (MOPU) services.

From its base in Egypt, ADES International Holding leverages its low-cost structure and highly skilled workforce of over 1,200 employees aiming to set the benchmark for high quality and efficient services, states the company website. With an extensive track record of serving leading regional and global oil and gas clients, the company helps high-profile E&P players onshore, and in shallow waters offshore, maximise the value of their oil and gas resources.

03

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T O P 10

02

Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. $851mn (UAE) www.adnoc.ae

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) listing is part of a strategy by the UAE, along with other Gulf nations, to privatise energy sector assets, particularly amid the current lower oil price environment.

Operating across the entire hydrocarbon value chain, through a network of fully-integrated businesses, with interests that range from exploration, production, storage, refining and distribution, to the development of a wide-range of petrochemical products, ADNOC has played an integral role in 62

February 2018

Abu Dhabi’s economic development for over 45 years. Since 1971 it has created thousands of jobs while managing, producing and preserving the Emirate’s hydrocarbon reserves on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Government. Operating across the hydrocarbon chain through a network of 18 businesses, ADNOC produces 3.1mn barrels of oil and 9.6bn cubic feet of raw gas each day, placing it among the largest energy producers in the world. Its goal is to increase the number of barrels of oil it produces per day to 3.5mn in 2018.

Emaar Development PJSC $1.313bn (UAE) www.emaar.com/en

Emaar Properties is one of the world’s most valuable and admired real estate development companies. According to its mission statement, the company aims to leverage proven expertise in property, shopping malls and retail and hospitality and leisure, to shape new lifestyles with a focus on design excellence, build quality and timely delivery. Established in 1997, Emaar Properties is a Public Joint Stock Company listed on the Dubai Financial Market. A pioneering developer

01

of integrated master-planned communities, Emaar has transformed the real estate sector in Dubai. Emaar’s world-class project development competencies are underlined by its iconic assets in Downtown Dubai.

Here, Emaar’s flagship development is the world’s most visited lifestyle destination: a 500-acre neighbourhood home to the iconic Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Mall and The Dubai Fountain along with established communities including Arabian Ranches, Emirates Living, and Dubai Marina.

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Shining the light on Abu Dhabi’s tourism industry

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM’S WALEED AL SAEEDI Written by Dale Benton Produced by Heykel Ouni

Waleed Saeed Al Saeedi Director of Procurement Department

Following the completion of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi looks to preserve the region’s heritage, while embracing its future

E

stablished in October 2012, the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) was founded with a core value; to build a tourism industry in the region and to ensure the survival of the emirate’s culture and heritage.

It is a core value achieved through the creation of infrastructure across three key sectors: tourism, culture and national library.

But for Waleed Saeed Al Saeedi, Procurement Department Director, the true value that the DCT can provide for Abu Dhabi stretches beyond three simple categories.

“An organisation adds value in financial, social, reputation and other ways,” says Al Saeedi. “We ensure the survival of the emirate’s heritage through tangible means, such as the preservation of buildings, but also intangible ways such as poetry and even heritage performances.”

The DCT operate in accordance to, and fully supports, the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. The vision was designed to guide the Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s growth and development,

enabling the region to become a secure and confident society that aims to develop a competitive, sustainable and globally open economy.

The growth of the federation Born in the late 1970s, Al Saeedi has “lived” the modern history of the UAE, he himself being the same age as the federation. Over the course of his career, Al Saeedi has seen first-hand the evolution and growth of Abu Dhabi.

Throughout his career, Al Saeed spent time as a civil engineer and contract engineering before moving into senior procurement roles. During his early career, this exposed Al Saeedi to the procurement function, understanding its significance and its impact on financial operations but also the key role it plays ultimately in the success, and failure, of an organisation.

Most significantly, during his time at the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) Al Saeedi was presented with a unique opportunity to build a procurement function from the ground up.

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Horse riding in the Al Ain Oasis

2012

The year that the Department of Culture & Tourism was founded 70

February 2018

“It is not often that someone has the opportunity to build a department in effect, help build an industry,” he says.

“At ENEC there were managers and specialists from all over the world, all committed to the project and all experts. This gave me, and other UAE nationals, exposure to processes, methods, technologies and best practices that would have been difficult to acquire in a more mature, settled industry.”

After 18 years working in procurement in the energy sector and achieving FCIPS certification and developing his procurement competency, Al Saeedi was presented with a new opportunity and a new challenge with DCT. “DCT presented an opportunity to be involved in significant government initiatives – for the non-oil, or post-energy economy,” he says.

“DCT had just been formed out of the merger of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and Abu Dhabi Culture and Heritage Department, so there was the challenge of building a new procurement function in what was really a new organisation.”

The key role of tourism The tourism industry has been identified as a critical component of this vision and Al Saeedi is all too aware of the key role that DCT will play in developing and enabling this industry.

“Tourism impacts the emirate on a visible scale,

Experiencing the ancient history of the Jebel Hafeet Tombs

through attractions such as water parks, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al Hosn, the Al Ain Museum and others,” he says. “But it’s not enough to have interesting sites alone. We need ports for cruise ships, roads, hotels, medical services. Building all this creates growth opportunities for local firms, jobs for people and opens the door for international partnerships.”

“As Abu Dhabi grows, so does the nation.”

In its ambition to preserve the heritage of Abu Dhabi, Al Saeedi is keen to stress that it is important to

understand that culture is not limited to the past. The Abu Dhabi government places great emphasis on proactive, modern cultural programmes and since its establishment, DCT is leading the development of what Al Saeedi describes as a “different kind of economy”.

“It’s one that is knowledge intensive, internationally connected and involved with the rest of the world on a very different platform than say that of the energy sector,” he says. “It will require new skills and resources, but most of all, a new kind of people.”

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Visiting the site of the Al Jahili Fort

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February 2018

We ensure the survival of the emirate’s heritage through tangible means, such as the preservation of buildings, but also intangible ways such as poetry and even heritage performances

Waleed Al Saeedi, Director of Procurement Department

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D E PA R T M E N T O F C U LT U R E & T O U R I S M – A B U D H A B I

The Louvre Abu Dhabi: Procurement prowess In November 2017, on the Saadiyat Island Cultural District in Abu Dhabi, the doors were opened at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, a museum that was designed to “house the aesthetic expressions of different civilisation and cultures, from the most ancient to the best in contemporary artworks”.

Described as a “gift to the world”, the Louvre Abu Dhabi encapsulates the vision of DCT, a celebration of the old and the new that brings together cultures from all around the world.

The Visitors’ Centre at the site of the Qasr Al Muwaji Fort 76

February 2018

“It should be seen not as something for Abu Dhabi or the UAE, but something that we have, which we want everyone to come and enjoy, and learn from,” says Al Saeedi.

Built as part of a partnership between the Abu Dhabi and French governments, the Louvre represents a first of sorts. France and UAE have a long history of partnerships in the energy, defence and retail sectors, but the Louvre is one of the first, and certainly the largest, in the culture and tourism industry.

But it is not merely a tourist

attraction. “Of course, the Louvre, other museums we have worked on as well as other historic sites will provide tourist attractions, they have already and will continue to enable other tangible benefits,” says Al Saeedi.

“They will have a profound effect on the local economy and not simply tourist revenue. To a certain extent, they will create a new economy, as an industry or business sector cannot operate without an adequately resourced supply base, including people, facilities and infrastructure.”

Supply chain and a changing nation The Louvre Abu Dhabi represents one of many large-scale projects that the DCT has and will continue to deliver across the region and as Procurement Director, working with international partners, contractors and suppliers, Al Saeedi knows all too well the challenges that come with promise in delivering projects of such magnitude.

DCT is also working on two more museums in Abu Dhabi as well as major heritage site restorations and upgrades, such as

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Louvre Abu Dhabi, on the Saadiyat Island Cultural District in Abu Dhabi

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O f course, the Louvre, other museums we have worked on as well as other historic sites will provide tourist attractions, they have already and will continue to enable other tangible benefits Waleed Al Saeedi Director of Procurement Department

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Qasr Al Hosn and the restoration of historic fonts in Al Ain. For Al Saeedi, the challenge was in the locality. “Abu Dhabi’s supply chain is different from those in many other countries. First, because in some cases, very little of what we need is produced or created here, it has to be imported,” he says. “We are a small country, the local economy cannot always support a full-time population of castle restoration specialists, symphony orchestras or book cataloguers, for example.”

As a nation historically of consumers, procurement in Abu Dhabi has often favoured importing materials, expertise and equipment from outside of the country and this is common across not only Abu Dhabi but the wider UAE. But, as Al Saeedi points to, as Abu Dhabi continues to grow economically and a steady demand begins to build, this will change.

Working on projects with partners from all around the world does bring with it an inescapable challenge surrounding communication and logistics. DCT’s partner

networks spans Asia, South Africa, Europe and North America and so projects and programmes are dependent on the successful working with these suppliers.

“Supply chains are not pipelines such as what are used for oil,” he says. “Materials and goods cannot be pumped smoothly and so each stage needs to be managed.”

At the start of any project, the procurement function of DCT approaches the whole process as part of an integrated team to manage the multiple stages and elements of the process. This involves working with those partners and understanding their objectives and, importantly, their capabilities.

Critical communication An important aspect for Al Saeedi is to establish and capture milestones and work packages, allowing him and his team to configure the process internally so that DCT has the necessary resources available through to handover.

“In a large project, these milestones include the design phase in which

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there can be many iterations, development and construction, right through to pre-handover, commissioning and delivery,” he says.

“What we then do is build lists of requirements and schedules, identify lead times and risk levels and work with the project team to establish the procurement plan.”

This is where that communication component is key and DCT has utilised a procurement dashboard for performance planning and tracking, allowing it and end users to see into the cycle status, PO status, spending and supplier Teamwork has been central to recent internal project success at DCT

engagement. This dashboard, allows DCT to access what Al Saeedi calls as the “most used functionality” in a project – status updates.

“What we have now is the first stage in eventual automation of procurement and supply management. It will free up our people for more value adding work and a more strategic focus,” he says.

“The dashboard is really about information sharing to support executive teamwork and decision making. A great deal of the time and effort in managing procurement and supply for a large project is in working directly with suppliers and

Al Saeedi and a member of the procurement team

end users to achieve understanding and a negotiated win-win outcome.

Thus, managing large scale procurements is as much about networking and relationships as it is about transactional tasks.”

Achieving procurement value Having a forensic knowledge of the supplier landscape is an essential quality for any procurement leader, with Al Saeedi aware of how a reliable and cost-effective supply chain can make a huge difference to an organisation.

Ultimately, it comes down to covering all bases in order to do the best possible deal for the business - in his case DCT. “One area where all procurement functions can face issues is achieving value for the organisation,” he adds.

“Our role is not only to supply, but to do so on the best possible terms.

To do this, we have to know our markets and supplier costs, standard payment terms and best practices.

“For example, a bidder for restoring old books submits his commercial proposal: it is lower than the four

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W hat we have now is the first stage in eventual automation of procurement and supply management. It will free up our people for more value-adding work and a more strategic focus Waleed Al Saeedi Director of Procurement Department

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other bidders, but whether it is best value is another question. “ “We have to know market prices, and we have to have at least a general conception of the bidder’s costs and breakdown, so that we can negotiate from a position of strength and knowledge.”

While commercial viability is vital, Al Saeedi believes there are a multitude of considerations to take into account before any final contracts are struck.

“The bidder with the lowest price may not be one that the end users prefer, because of some technical aspects of the service that they Al Saeedi midpresentation

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are proposing,” he explains.

“Our job then is to question, challenge and understand enough of the technical nature of the purchase as well as the commercial terms, raw materials costs and other inputs.

“This is not always easy for common items; it requires considerable agility and resourcefulness when it is something new, particularly something that we may only buy once every few years.”

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essential to DCT. Abu Dhabi depends on global trade networks. DCT’s mission, as Al Saeedi notes, is to bring the world to Abu Dhabi, and to create ways in which Abu Dhabi can engage the rest of the world.

“There is a strong focus for us on delivering to global standards, whether they be art, entertainment, the built environment or intangibles such as poetry and heritage performance,” says Al Saeedi.

“We are fortunate to have one of the

most varied and interesting supplier communities. Because many of our local vendors have their own overseas suppliers and local subcontractors, the chain has many layers.”

The growing importance of the procurement function Over the course of his career, Al Saeedi has seen the growth of the region, the industry and with it the growth of the influence of the procurement function.

Al Saeedi believes that now, as

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W e feel we

must preserve our heritage for future generations by simultaneously embracing those future generations

Waleed Al Saeedi Director of Procurement Department Abu Dhabi’s skyline

the industry becomes more and more mature, transparent and robust, organisations such as DCT need to go beyond technology.

A key objective of DCT and the Abu Dhabi Government has been the support and enablement of SMEs in the region.

“Technology will enable us to identify, register and include SMEs, something that we cannot do today without enlarging our headcount – it is very hard to do it efficiently,” he

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says. “Imagine the possibilities if all government entities can cooperate in this initiative; the SME sector will be able to access public procurement and we can build mutually beneficial supply partnerships.”

“But possibly the largest influence we can have is in the transparency of public procurement, ethical compliance and sustainability because of the way in which information can be studied, compared and used to drive policy agendas

D E PA R T M E N T O F C U LT U R E & T O U R I S M – A B U D H A B I

through the supply chain.”

The increasing influence of Abu Dhabi In such a short space of time, the DCT has become an integral part in the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030. As the region continues to grow, Al Saeedi calls back to his earlier point, that culture is not limited to the past.

“We are a young country, but in the same breath we are ancient,” he says. “Our history, culture and way

of life are all much older than the federation. As we continue to deliver these projects and grow the region, we are creating opportunities, jobs and international partnerships.

“We feel we must preserve our heritage for future generations by simultaneously embracing those future generations.”

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Narrowing thegulf in healthcare procurement Written by Fran Roberts Produced by Heykel Ouni

2016 marked the 40th anniversary of the first meeting of the Gulf Health Council, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Today, regular meetings are held to discuss the health issues of concern in the states. Part of the Council is Gulf Joint Procurement programme, which ensures the standardisation of the medicines directory and medical supplies of all specialities across the GCC

T

he Gulf Health Council is a regional technical specialised organisation with its membership restricted only to the Cooperation Council States, plus Yemen. Within this organisation sits Gulf Joint Procurement programme. “The Council enjoys a legal impartiality and financial and administrative independence,” advises Fatthi Alkathiry, Director at Gulf Joint Procurement.

The Health Council of the GCC aims to develop cooperation and coordination among member states in the preventive, curative and rehabilitative health fields, as well as other mutually beneficial activities.

The idea of the joint procurement for medicine began in February

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1976, when the Ministers of Health of the GCC states requested that the Council form a technical committee among the states.

The committee’s main objective was to study the possibility of member states benefiting from direct control, like the processes in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

A second key objective was to standardise the purchase of certain medicines. “The set objective at that time was to study the development of a unified system for the registration and control of medicines and the development of a guide for medicines in the GCC states,” Alkathiry explains. “The Gulf Health Council for Joint Procurement seeks to standardise the directory

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Fatthi Alkathiry Director

A leading Procurement Director, currently working with in Gulf Joint Procurement for Gulf Health Council, Mr Fatthi AlKathiry focuses on developing the vision, mission and operational plans for Gulf Joint Procurement. Providing leadership, strategic planning and assurance for procurement administration, AlKathiry acts as the vendor management partner for all the business units, ensuring all relationships are strategically, culturally, and ethically aligned with GHC’s mission and values.

Throughout his career with GHC, AlKathiry has continuously enhanced the organisation’s sourcing, procurement and performance management capabilities by attracting public and private hospitals to become participants in Joint Procurement. With a proven ability to develop, maintain and execute procurement policies, Al Kathiry consistently supports the Joint Procurement mission and meets the stakeholder requirements, facilitating a seamless implementation and adoption of solutions.

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“The Gulf Health Council for Joint Procurement seeks to standardise the directory of pharmaceutical devices and medical supplies throughout the Gulf Joint Procurement programme” –Fatthi Alkathiry, Director, Gulf Joint Procurement

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of pharmaceutical devices and medical supplies throughout the Gulf Joint Procurement programme, with the controls in place across the GCC member states.”

High-quality medicines With vast potential to impact the lives of others, the Gulf Health Council takes very seriously putting the interests of citizens in the Gulf countries above all considerations. With a growing population in the region, healthcare is set to become even more important. The GCC healthcare market is projected to grow at a 12.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from an estimated US$40.3bn in 2015 to US$71.3bn in 2020, according to Alpen Capital.

“The mission of the Gulf Joint Procurement programme is the development of a unified directory for medicines and medical supplies for all specialities, and the provision of high-quality medicines, medical supplies and devices to member states and participating hospitals, to the right location, at the right

time, and from the manufacturers registered with the Central Registration Programme, at fair prices. The ambition of Gulf Joint Procurement programme is to be the benchmark in the provision of standardised procurement services, based on global procurement standards,” reveals Alkathiry.

In order to adhere to global procurement standards, Gulf Joint Procurement programme coordinates the process of selection, standards specification, and quantity of pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and equipment required

by Ministers of Health in member states, as well as standardising the preparation of tenders.

Ensuring safety The most prominent services that indicate the extent of progress and modernisation in a country are those services that concentrate on sustained health welfare and safety of the people. To this end, Gulf Joint Procurement programme ensures that all of the medicines it procures meet the highest safety

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THROUGH MUTUAL PARTNERSHIP AND HONEST DIALOGUE, WE CAN FIND SOLUTIONS THAT BETTER SERVE PATIENTS. Learn more at medtronic.com/furthertogether 1. World Health Organization. 10 facts on ageing and the life course. http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/ageing/en/. Accessed September 17, 2015. *Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 2. World Health Organization. Tracking universal health coverage. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/174536/1/9789241564977_eng.pdf?ua=1. Accessed September 17, 2015.

3. Porter E. A world of rising health care costs. New York Times: Economix blog. http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/27/a-world-of-rising-health-care-costs/?_r=0.

Accessed September 17, 2015.

Rising costs, an aging population, chronic disease, and barriers to healthcare access impact us all.

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standards. “We supervise the process of receiving samples and ensure the safety of their use, storage and preparation during the tender stage,” states Alkathiry.

The tendering services offered by Gulf Joint Procurement programme are possibly the most integral ones to the success of achieving its mission.

“We receive tender documents, and source and prepare schedules of comparison between tenders. Also, we plan, coordinate and prepare meetings of the joint procurement committees,” reveals Alkathiry. “We follow-up on the recommendations of the executive committee and decisions issued by these committees and coordinate with the member states as to the combined quantities required. Finally, we announce the results of the purchase decision and recommendations, and we receive, verify and study complaints and objections concerning tenders, and refer to the supplementary commentaries.”

The factor of time Many may not know that time is

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“THE AMBITION OF GULF JOINT PROCUREMENT PROGRAMME IS TO BE THE BENCHMARK IN THE PROVISION OF STANDARDISED PROCUREMENT SERVICES, BASED ON GLOBAL PROCUREMENT STANDARDS” –Fatthi Alkathiry, Director, Gulf Joint Procurement middleeast.businesschief.com

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Fatthi Alkathiry, Director, Gulf Joint Procurement, taking part on a discussion panel for a healthcare forum the most important factor in the procurement process. “The most important reasons for the success of Gulf Joint Procurement programme is committing to the time of tendering over the next 40 years. The whole tendering process takes around four months, starting from the directory updating meeting and preparation for tender until the tentative notice of award,” explains Alkathiry. “This attracted several bodies, other than the health ministries in the member states, to apply for participation in the Gulf Joint Procurement programme.”

Upgrading the health sector In order to achieve such success, Gulf Joint Procurement programme collaborates with a number of other key players. “Our partners are the ministries of health in the GCC. We have six countries there – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar. They are members of the Gulf Health Council.

Also, we have more than 20 public hospitals like King Fahad Medical City, King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, and King Abdullah Medical City in Mecca,” states Alkathiry.

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Fatthi Alkathiry, Director, Gulf Joint Procurement “All suppliers from our programme are our partners also. We have about 18 categories of materials.

“The mission of the Health Council is to promote and upgrade the health sector in member states by providing constructive initiatives and responding to the regional and global health issues. We challenge and support the decision-making process, and the health policies with the aim to strengthen the cooperation and integration between the member states, the health sector and among

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that, achieve the Council objectives.

Its values are accountability, professional leadership, continuous development, evidencebased decisions, creativity and innovations, quality, cooperation and coordination, integrity and ethics.”

Such partnerships and values have been key to the success of Gulf Joint Procurement programme. “I think we’re not successful without three main key factors – coordination, collaboration and integration,” Alkathiry comments. “Without these

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three main factors, the 40-year old Gulf Joint Procurement programme would not be successful.”

Encouraging innovation Out of 50 employees within the Health Council, seven employees are serving in the Gulf Joint Procurement programme. Alkathiry strives hard to attract and retain the best staff to ensure the continued success of Gulf Joint Procurement programme.

“I create a workspace where every employee is engaged by the work they do and inspired by who they work for. Without good staff you will not achieve your goal. The management structure achieves this by encouraging everyone to innovate.

“It doesn’t have to be earthshattering. It can be a small change, but innovation equals improvement.

Innovation must streamline, must enhance, must endure. Innovating our business by looking for ways to reduce expense, speeding up or streamlining processes, improving customer interactions and experience, making our products or services better. Innovation drives business, so if you don’t encourage middleeast.businesschief.com

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Stay ahead with Sysmex

Stay ahead with Sysmex 5 – 8 February 2018 Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre Za’abeel Hall No. 5, booth Z5.H10

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your people to innovate, you are wasting your resources, I believe.”

Automation for the people Such innovation is central to Gulf Joint Procurement’s future plans.

“I’m working now with my team to automate our processes. There are plans in the future, to implement a new system for the Gulf Joint Procurement programme. Currently we have requirement to automate our process, and link with the GCC countries and the suppliers to make quotations align, and to organise everything historically.

The second thing - there are plans for expansion of the service procurement to market our services to the private hospitals to join in our programme,” Alkathiry concludes.

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Procurement and digital banking in the UAE Written by Dale Benton Produced by Heykel Ouni

Dr. Arafat El Mourad discusses the changing face of the banking sector in the Middle East and the growing role of procurement

B

anking is changing.

As the world continues to embrace more and more technologies and innovation, this creates an ever growing and ever demanding customer base.

With the rise of smart payments, shifting towards a completely digital experience, the financial sector has to change and evolve with this shifting world.

For Dr Arafat El Mourad, Author and Acting Head of Procurement and Contracts, Xbank, this evolution should be a process that avoids the somewhat cliché term of “digital

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transformation” that is bandied around the industry so frequently.

“It’s not just technology. You can have the best technology in the world but if you don’t have the right mindset, the right people driving that innovation, it simply will not work,” he says.

As per his published book (Innovation in Procurement and its added value to United Arab Emirates Banking Sector, Islamic & Conventional) El Mourad says that in procurement you need the right people and you need communication, transparency, reliability, skilled and competent staff, quality

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innovation and, most importantly from a stakeholder viewpoint, cost optimisation and added value.”

Over the course of more than 20 years working in IT and procurement, studying in Zurich and working in the UAE at Xbank, he has seen first-hand how the industry has changed and must continue to change in order to provide the best possible services and solutions for its customers.

“Throughout my career I have become much more strategically driven, as opposed to focusing solely on the process,” he says. “I’ve spent the best part of it looking at how technology can be deployed to add value, not only in terms of cost optimisation but also how it we can add value to the customer that does not compromise on quality.”

El Mourad is a firm believer that for any push for technology and innovation to be successful, it must be built on three main pillars.

People, technology and process.

The people element is key to all of this, as without the right people with the right mindsets and possessing

an open mind to embracing technology and striving for innovation then nothing else will work.

As El Mourad says himself, people represent the first pillar of change.

“You have to be innovative in the way you approach technology and approach process,” he says. “You need those three pillars to make it work and you need to be innovative in the process, and the communication.”

Of course, working with people and attempting to change mindsets and approaches to the industry, mindsets that have been built up over years of working in a consistent and reliable way. The financial industry, despite its upswings and downturns over the years, remains a hugely profitable and ultimately successful sector so why try to fix what isn’t broken?

“It takes time [for people to get on board with technology transformation]” says El Mourad.

“But the key is how you communicate what will happen, the benefits we can reap and translating the added value that it will bring to the organisation.”

El Mourad points to a time where he planned to introduce a new technology

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system into Xbank, a process that took three years to fully implement.

The first two years of this journey were spent trying to convince people and stakeholders to embrace this change.

“It’s all in the language,” he says.

“I cannot present this technology to the CEO in the same way that I could present it to my peers on procurement. I have to translate it into a business case.”

“I approach the communication in a way that can be understood by every stakeholder because I communicate it in a different way to every stakeholder, or CEO, or CIO. There is no one size fits all to this.”

With technology and transformation there is an unavoidable element of risk involved. Risk of failure, risk of losing customers and perhaps most importantly, particularly from an operational standpoint, risk of significant costs associated with that failure.

This is a fact of life when it comes to implementing technology and it has developed a mindset that is somewhat consistent across the banking industry the world over and

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not simply within the UAE. “There is a risk and a concern. I’d argue that risk is actually up there as an important discussion with the working out the added value,” says El Mourad.

“The question becomes more about what are we actually doing to measure the risk and most importantly mitigate the risk.”

This calls back to El Mourad’s strive for clear and open communication. With regular meetings with top tier management and stakeholders, El Mourad ensures that from top to bottom all levels of the company understand the technology implications but also the risk implications in any new venture.

He attributes this to a cost ownership mentality.

After all, cost is often king.

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An author’s insight Dr Arafat El Mourad has explained in his book on innovation procurement the current situation of the banking sector and its impact on business performance, and that for three decades, many studies related to the practices of procurement and their consequences on the performance of business caught the attention of many researchers.

However, very few literature deals are struck which consider the implementations of procurement impacting the performance of business. Thus, the technique that El Mourad opts is to look into the firms’ perception of innovation, which is banks’ performance for the customers as well as the importance of innovation concerning all stakeholders (shareholders, suppliers, internal customer and external customers). The influence of this on business performance is analysed by conducting case studies, surveys and interviews with different stakeholders. middleeast.businesschief.com

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“It’s not just technology. You can have the best technology in the world but if you don’t have the right mindset, the right people driving that innovation, it simply will not work” -Dr Arafat El Mourad, Author and Acting Head of Procurement and Contracts, Xbank 122

February 2018

S U P P LY C H A I N

“It’s about cost ownership,” he says. “How much you’re spending on technology?

How much on security? It’s important to show that while technology costs, it saves you money – technology is all about reducing those costs and saving money, not incurring more costs.”

The banking industry in the UAE is changing at a rapid rate and this is driven by the customer.

The banking customer of 2018 wants a digital experience.

El Mourad himself points to a conversation he had with board members; upon asking them when was the last time they visited a branch in person over the course

of the last 12 months between a group of six, there was only three visits.

This is a perfect encapsulation of where banking stands right now in the USE and Xbank, along with all banks, must continue to innovate to continue to serve this growing demand.

This turn towards digital not only affects the bank’s external operations.

Over the last few years Xbank has continued to invest more into machine learning, automation and AI wherever possible as it looks to streamline its internal operations to enable its external operations to grow.

“I was involved in discussions about how the bank was moving towards digital,” says El Mourad. “They want to become more AI focused.

It’s a trend in the UAE. More banks are moving to AI, instead of just automation. This helped me build my case and the added value that procurement can bring on this front.”

A key example that El Mourad notes is the implementation of an automated procurement system that will see what he describes as the end of emails. Through this one centralised system, the procurement

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team can access all documentation from approvals to supplier lists at the click of a button.

Over time, this function will begin to utilise AI and for El Mourad this is crucial in growing as a business.

“This makes it easier to learn,” he says.

“AI will help us mitigate risk, learn from where we could potentially improve, and continue to understand the customer requirements and ultimately meet them. Therefore, procurement should transform and shift their focus from internal customers to internal and external customers.”

As the banking sector continues to grow, banks and financial organisations must continue to push the innovation boundaries in order to grow with it and ultimately survive.

For El Mourad, the key has always been the people. “The banking sector right now is rigid,” he says. “It needs to embrace innovation. People fear change and it needs a leader to inspire.”

“For me, it is all about inspiration, not transformation. Through inspiration, we can unlick the innovative mindset that will allow the sector to reach new heights.”

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Panda Retail Company: Always fresh Written by Nell Walker Produced by Craig Daniels

How Panda Retail remains an industry leader in the Middle East with advanced technology and customer focus

P

anda Retail has spent the past four decades as a household name in the Middle East.

Operating under Savola Retail since 1998, it leads the market across Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE, ever-evolving as per the trends, technologies, and requirements of the industry.

‘Always Fresh, Always Less’ is the brand’s slogan, and the first half refers not just to the groceries Panda sells, but every element of the business. Constant change is the norm for staff and customers alike, many of whom have watched the company split into two formats: a hypermarket under the name HyperPanda in 2004, and smaller convenience stores – named Pandati – as of 2013.

In 2014 the company name was changed from Azizia Panda United to the Panda Retail Company.

And another big step in the expansion plan was achieved when Panda opened it hypermarket in Egypt in the year of 2015. These big steps have raised Panda share in the retail sector from 7% to

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TECHNOLOGY

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‘Always Fresh, Always Less’ is the brand’s slogan, and the first half refers not just to the groceries Panda sells, but every element of the business.’

more than 8%. Today Panda is the largest food retailer in the Middle East owns more than 400 branch of panda Super, Panda Hyper and Pandati in Saudi Arabia & Egypt making it the largest retail company that offering its services to more than 400 million visitors annually.

There are over 500 stores altogether, and Panda is expanding all the time – 18 new shops were opened in 2016 alone.

All of this has been achieved thanks to a combination of innovation, customer focus, and the strong

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ethics that Savola and Panda are known for. Concentrating on an ERP transformation, a customer loyalty programmed, and the creation of an automatic checkout system, Panda is a business looking to leverage the changing tides of technology.

In Europe, the idea of automated check-out systems is a familiar one, but it is far less common in the Middle East. But by following a four-step plan from inception to full-scale development, Panda has implemented a retail innovation for the region. Feedback from

TECHNOLOGY

customers has been positive and it seems likely that Panda’s approach will become a blueprint for other major retailers in the Middle East.

As with the vast majority of transformational projects, there were challenges involved in simple aspects like barcoding strategy and related processes to ensure that the technology would perform at maximum potential, but the pilot phase followed after several months

of collaborative effort. The concept was brought to life in a store with customer experience and feedback helping to continually improve it.

Panda’s other current and upcoming technological offerings include a ‘Surprise and Delight’ loyalty programme. Recently launched, it brings together technology which allows Panda to analyse and understand customer data in order to improve the service further.

The company’s app can gather this type of information before the customer is even through the door, enabling it to cater offers and discounts to the person. Even better, customers can use the app in-store – utilising the wireless internet that is being implemented across the business – giving an extra edge to that user experience.

Part of Panda’s transformation programme also entails a concerted effort to expand its product portfolio and make significant savings by becoming a leading provider of basic branded goods alongside diversifying its range to include value added goods. Another of the central pillars of its transformation

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initiatives is to clearly differentiate between its hypermarket, supermarket and convenience formats, according to Retail Analysis.

In a 2017 report, it said: “Panda has said that its Pandati format is still being evaluated and reconfigured, following the formats launch in 2013. As part of the transformation programme this involves tailoring store’s products to suit their catchment areas. Panda has reported this has created an increase in footfall.”

The transformation programme will also see Panda Retail focus on “streamlining”, said Retail Analysis. “Panda has focused on range optimisation and improving its assortment of products. It is then drawing attention to certain food categories by pulling products together and turning them into destinations in stores to generate greater interest,” it detailed.

“Panda also aims to shrink its supply chain costs. To do this it has improved operations by ensuring better fleet utilisation and launching new planning initiatives. This has particularly focused on its convenience format, Pandati. Panda has also reduced working capital by reducing its inventory.”

The company is looking forward to a prosperous future, appealing to the millions of Saudi nationals through its range of outlets. As it looks forward it finds itself guided by new leadership; in October 2017, the company appointed Mr. Bander Talaat Hamooh as Chief Executive Officer.

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‘Part of Panda’s transformation programme also entails a concerted effort to expand its product portfolio and make significant savings by becoming a leading provider of basic branded goods’

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Bander is a Saudi national, who has over twenty-five years of vast experience in various leadership positions in Retail, Pharmaceuticals and FMCG. He started his professional career at the Ministry of Health after obtaining his Bachelor Degree in Pharmaceutical Science from King Saud University in 1989.

Bander’s most prominent role was his role as a General Supervisor of Public Affairs at the Ministry of Health and the CEO of Al Nahdi Medical Company, where he led the growth and expansion of the business and development of the Company’s strategy in pharmaceutical retail sector. In addition, he has established track records in both public and private sectors, where he accomplished many achievements in retail, commercial management, organisational development, change management, supply chain, marketing and social responsibility.

In a statement, the company’s board wished Banda all the success in his new position as the CEO of Panda to support its vision and achieve its objectives and aspirations in the future.

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AUTOMATION AND DIGITISATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF MIDDLE EAST CONSUMERS

Written by Catherine Sturman Produced by Stuart Shirra

Winning a number of banking awards in 2017, Emirates NBD’s digital service offering stands out in the region

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enowned as a leading retail banking franchise in the UAE, Emirates NBD has remained ahead of the curve within the digital banking space. Encompassing over 9,000 employees across the UAE, Egypt, the UK, China, Singapore, India and Indonesia, the business has adapted its traditional brick and mortar stores and increased the number of its ATMs in order to cater to consumer demand, whilst expanding its digital service offering.

Awarded ‘Best Private Wealth Bank in the UAE’ at The Asian Banker Private Wealth Awards 2017,

Middle East and Africa and the ‘Outstanding Global Private Bank – Middle East’ award for the third consecutive year at the 2017 Private Banker International (PBI) Global Wealth Awards, Emirates NBD has seen over 90% of all its financial transactions and requests conducted outside of its 221 branches.

Developing key, strategic relationships with corporate customers has been key to the bank’s success. Developing digital solutions which its customers demand, the number of customers visiting brick and mortar stores has declined.

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Now, up to a million customers utilise services, traditional brick and Emirates NBD’s digital banking mortar stores have not been left services on a regular basis. untouched. Identifying that a large Such shift in customer demand percentage of its customers are has therefore led Emirates NBD continually on the go, the bank has to transform its IT infrastructure introduced automated banking, in and adopt digital tools such as addition to its teller-less branches. big data and cloud services, and This will therefore allow the bank to strengthen these with worldtap into different regions and areas class security features. which will have previously Popular self-service proved challenging, and mobile banking and will provide the technologies are manpower needed now accessible, to deliver traditional easy to use and commercial hyper-secure. banking services.

Number of employees Additionally, the It is clear to see at Emirates NBD bank has moved a that by working with number of its services partners to provide its to another data centre, services to locations out of providing not only contingencies area, Emirates NBD is stepping out and triangulations, but can be rest of its comfort zone, whilst ensuring assured services are able to run it offers the best services without at all times for its customers. dissecting its overall service delivery.

Its digital investment also filters Transforming brick and into Emirates NBD’s paperless mortar branches ambitions and the consequent Despite such digital trends, where launch of its first paperless digital Dh500mn has been allocated to branch. Located at the Dubai World transform Emirates NBD’s digital Trade Centre, it will provide 24-7

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‘Dh500mn has been allocated to transform Emirates NBD’s digital services’ support and offer a number of online and self-service solutions. Not only will service ambassadors provide customer support at all times, the bank’s artificial intelligence powered humanoid robot, named Pepper, will also distribute information regarding the bank’s personalised services and what offers may benefit customers most. All future ideas and innovations at the bank will be further established

within its Innovation Lab, where future ventures will be addressed.

Business strengths The bank’s extensive growth would not be possible without its commitment to its customers.

Pledging to remain transparent across its operations, Emirates NBD plans to build 100 new branches and improve the visibility of its 760

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ATMs across the UAE. This will enable the bank to cater to both existing and developing markets, such as millennials, who all want digital banking services which are user-friendly and fuss-free.

To support its mobile and contactless payment services, Emirates NBD’s partnership with Apple Pay will further support customers. By adding their details from the Emirates NBD mobile banking app, customers will be able to undertake banking transactions on the move, guaranteeing increased flexibility and convenience.

Building partnerships has therefore become a strong focus for Emirates NBD, both nationally and internationally. Its recent partnership with the Dubai Electric and Water Authority (DEWA) has also seen the banks’ credit card users gain the ability to pay their bills in installments online or utilise Emirates NBD mobile banking services. Users will not be charged interest on their bills over the 12 months, enabling increased convenience and support within its local communities.

With an increasing budget for its digital services, Emirates NBD will remain committed to developing digital solutions with the customer in mind, whilst driving employee growth and providing essential training opportunities. Adopting a talent management programme, continuous improvement remains a strong driver for the business across its operations.

Fully placing the customer at the heart of its services, Emirates NBD’s digital channels have grown in response to essential customer feedback, and will see it continue to remain a leader within the Middle East banking sector. Continually focused on improvement, the future of Emirates NBD depends on its ability to listen to its customers and understand their requirements and needs in order to remain competitive across the Middle East.

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A global powerhouse of architecture and design Written by Laura Mullan Produced by Jon Bennett

With cultural sensitivity and sustainable design, dwp is questioning industry norms to become a pioneer in architecture and design

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n the fast-paced world of architecture, industry trends can come and go in the blink of an eye.

Whether a firm is experimenting with striking shapes or championing sustainable materials, engineering and science will have a huge role to play. But it’s not just about complex drawings and planning regulations – it’s also about reinventing and reimagining design trends to make them locally relevant, with insight, flexibility and cultural sensitivity.

Indeed, it is this introspective ethos that has propelled design worldwide partnership (dwp) dwp works for clients to global acclaim. In a market saturated with in industries from buildings that often look and feel the same, healthcare to hospitality the award-winning architecture and design company is turning the industry on its head by offering simple, elegant, and timeless designs that are making trends rather than following them.

A global footprint Headquartered in Bangkok, the expansive company has 450 professionals working collectively across 15 locations throughout Asia, Australia and the Middle East. Thanks to its global reach, dwp has completed over 2,000 design projects across its 23-year history, and so clients can be assured that

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dwp wants to expand its Middle East footprint

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dwp has completed over 2,000 design projects across its 23-year history

the company’s forward-thinking designs are anchored in the best industry know-how and expertise.

Complying with the highest industry standards, the group’s multicultural team has continually demonstrated an intuitive approach, whether its creating spaces for living, working or for communities to get together, even when this is in the most challenging of locations.

Reinventing healthcare spaces Regardless of whether the space functions as an office, retail space or even a hospital, the company questions industry norms, engages with clients and conducts thorough research to generate unique designs.

As dwp’s Community Portfolio Director Richard Wood explained in a company press release, concepts such as wellness are helping to

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reinvent the way dwp approaches healthcare design as hospitals are evolving into “spa-like environments as an extension of medical tourism.”

“A customer stepping on a firstclass flight doesn’t want to be assaulted with the trauma of accident and emergency, or the antiseptic smell we expect from hospitals,” Woods said. “They want five-star treatment.”

For dwp, this translates to elegant interiors, the careful use of sustainable materials and environmentally-controlled spaces,

combined with state-of-the-art technology. By utilising building information modelling (BIM) for all of its healthcare projects, dwp uses an intelligent 3D model-based process to meticulously identify and design every single detail from the moment a patient steps into the building.

By leveraging ground-breaking technologies, the company has managed to distinguish itself in a competitive market with agility and flexibility. However, dwp doesn’t underestimate the challenges

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innovation poses. Technology and high-quality design come at a price, and as a result, this is driving the company to be lean and cost-effective to maximise financial returns.

A taste of luxury A sense of luxury and opulence also translates to dwp’s residential projects. Over the past several years, branded residences have become increasingly popular and people are Number of prepared to pay a employees premium to live the at DWP luxury lifestyle.

Whilst tapping into this burgeoning market, dwp’s team has collected an array of accolades for grand projects such as 98 Wireless in Bangkok. Combining high-end decor with sustainable design and state-of-the-art technology, the luxury property made headlines last year when it won the global award for Best Luxury Residence at The International Design and Architecture Awards. Such awards clearly illustrate

dwp’s dedication to creating places where people truly want to be.

A sustainable outlook Dwp has also made ripples in the sector for its commitment to a green, energy-conscious approach.

Sustainability has also become a big talking point in the industry, and dwp showcased its commitment to the cause when it won the Sustainable Interior Design Initiative of the Year at the CID Awards for its pioneering work on the Smart Dubai office. From site handling to execution, dwp took meticulous care to ensure the project had a conscious and sustainable outlook and this helped to lead the property to LEED Gold Certification.

“From concept, we thought about sustainability,” explained Nadine Abedzadeh, Senior Interior Designer. “Our approach started with the material selection – everything we used was recycled.”

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“From concept, we thought about sustainability. Our approach started with the material selection – everything we used was recycled” – Nadine Abedzadeh Senior Interior Designer at dwp

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“Smart Dubai spends each day coming up with initiatives to make Dubai the happiest city on earth,” she continued. “Dwp wanted to give them the happiest workplace from which to do it. We’re incredibly proud that we’ve achieved this and been recognised for our sustainability prowess at the same time with this award.”

Next stop, the Middle East Thanks to its mushrooming economy and soaring skylines, the Middle East has become a hub for both architects and designers alike. Dwp has strategically positioned itself to harness the potential of the region by creating a lasting legacy in the region.

Yet, dwp understands that it takes more than entrepreneurial spirit to become a leading player in the architecture and design space. The pioneering company isn’t afraid to challenge industry norms and conventions to create one-of-a-kind designs and, perhaps more importantly, it understands the need to collaborate closely with its clients. Collaboration and cooperation is a value that runs deep in dwp’s DNA, and it is this forward-thinking methodology, anchored with an open view on partnership, that has helped to distinguish it as a world-class brand today.

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MIDDLE EAST MEDICINE MAKES ITS MARK FOR THE FUTURE Written by Fran Roberts Produced by Stuart Shirra

A TARGET OF SAUDI ARABIA’S VISION 2030 IS GREATER PARTICIPATION OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR WITHIN THE ECONOMY, AND THIS IS ESPECIALLY THE CASE IN HEALTHCARE. AS THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST PRIVATE COMPREHENSIVE HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, DR. SULAIMAN AL-HABIB MEDICAL GROUP IS SET TO LEVERAGE SIGNIFICANTLY ON THIS

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he GCC healthcare market is projected to grow at a 12.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from an estimated $40.3bn in 2015 to $71.3bn in 2020, according to Alpen Capital. The GCC healthcare environment is rapidly changing and flourishing with unprecedented demand in healthcare services as more patients choose to receive care in their home country rather than abroad as standards improve.

There is no doubt that the healthcare sector in the region would have never reached this point without adopting up-to-date innovative strategies, and of course technologies. Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Group (HMG), is one local provider that has keenly embraced innovation and new technology

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From advanced anaesthesia workstations for the operating room, to sophisticated ventilation and monitoring systems for intensive care, from pioneering devices in neonatal care to holistic gas management systems for the hospital – Dräger brings to life its passion as being “Your Specialist in Acute Care”.

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HMG is the largest private provider of comprehensive healthcare services in the Middle East, currently operating 14 medical facilities across Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain. This encompasses seven hospitals, six medical centres, and one of the largest private medical cities in Saudi Arabia.

Digital healthcare Founded in 1995 and based in Riyadh, HMG has achieved much over the last two decades. 2016 marked a major milestone for the

Group with the opening of Al-Habib Hospital in Al Sweidi. Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Hospital in Al Sweidi is the first digital facility in the Saudi Arabia that uses electronic systems at all stages of the provision of healthcare services; from patient admission until their departure from the hospital.

The hospital combines about 300 beds and 240 clinics, in addition to the 32 isolation rooms in all departments of the hospital, in order to control the spread of infectious diseases. The hospital has 88 rooms on each floor, characterised by spacious areas that

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provide greater comfort for patients. well as one of the largest hospitals in To accommodate the next Riyadh, with a capacity in excess of generation, the hospital has 100 350 beds. Built on an estimated area rooms for vaginal delivery, two rooms of about more than 900,000 sq ft, the for caesarean delivery, alongside hospital consists of more than 240 an intensive care unit for newborns, clinics covering 35 medical specialties. which accommodates approximately Arryan Hospital gained the Joint 58 incubators, 10 quarantine rooms, Commission International accreditation and 31 postpartum rooms.

(JCI) just seven months after opening – There are also 10 operation an unprecedented achievement. rooms of 56 sqm – larger Reflecting these high than the internationallystandards, dozens of adopted standard successful accurate HMG is the largest of 45 sqm – as well surgeries are private provider as two cardiac performed daily of comprehensive catheterisation inside the hospital, healthcare services rooms, and about 50 especially in the in the Middle East intensive care rooms. fields of neurosurgery, In addition, the hospital paediatrics, heart includes an emergency surgery, spine surgery department with a capacity and tumour surgery. of 45 beds and quarantine rooms Of course, such high standards are equipped with automated systems to not confined to one hospital. In recent quickly deal with infectious cases. years, HMG has received the Arab Health Award 2011 for Best Radiology International accreditation Department in the Middle East, The HMG’s other facilities are equally Arab Health Award 2012 for Excellence impressive. Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib in Human Resource Development, Hospital in Arryan is one of the largest and The Arab Health Award 2013 for existing investments of the Group, as Excellence in Surgery Services.

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DR SULAIMAN AL-HABIB MEDICAL GROUP

Major challenges A major challenge for HMG, as well as the wider region is the rise in mortality and disability due to noncommunicable diseases. According to the World Bank, four GCC countries are in the global top 20 for obesity: Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates. As a result, diseases like diabetes affect almost one in five people in the GCC which is almost three times the average of other high-income countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 70% of men and 75% of women in Saudi Arabia are overweight or obese.

HMG prides itself as being a pioneer in establishing obesity treatment centres within the private sector.

The Group operates its Obesity Centres in Riyadh and Qassim (Saudi Arabia), Dubai (UAE) and Manama (Bahrain). The centres adopt integral solutions: diet and behavioural therapy, and sport remedy, in addition to surgical options in order to eliminate weight increase and obesity.

The centres are always eager to keep up with the latest released technologies in obesity treatment,

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such as Obalon, which is considered to be the latest technology in eliminating obesity without surgical intervention. The Obalon Balloon System is an intragastric balloon system designed to be swallowed and indicated for temporary use to facilitate weight loss in adults with obesity who have failed to lose weight through diet and exercise.

Vision 2030 In just under a quarter of a century, HMG has achieved a tremendous amount, establishing itself as a pioneering healthcare provider and a leading adopter of state-of-the-art innovation and technologies.

2016 saw Saudi Arabia unveil an ambitious plan called Saudi Vision 2030 to transform its economy and diversify the country’s sources of income away from its current dependence on oil. Healthcare is one of the main focus areas of Vision 2030 and HMG will surely play a central role as the country works towards this.

H E A LT H C A R E

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