Arab British Chambers of Commerce Newsletter 18 by Distinctive Media Group Ltd

Arab-British Business Volume 39 Issue 2 July 2015 Monthly bulletin of the Arab British Chamber of Commerce

TRADE MISSION TO SAUDI ARABIA See inside for details

GAZA APPEAL Even before the ceaseﬁre agreement was in place, Muslim Aid were on the ground responding to the needs of the people of Gaza with emergency aid and relief. Working with local partners and UN agencies, Muslim Aid are working on long-term development programmes in order to rehabilitate Gaza’s services.

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CHAMBER NEWS

NEW MEMBERS Arabian Perfect Company Limited Eastern Province King Fahad Street 31992 PO Box 81 Al Hassa City Kingdom of Saudi Arabia +966 1 332 88883 mohdowair@gmail.com www.imaginapc.com Contact: Mr M Alowair Director of Foreign Trade General trading, marketing, import & export and contracting

Monthly bulletin of the A-BCC Editorial Team Abdeslam El-Idrissi Cliff Lawrence David Morgan Dr Yasmin Husein Arab-British Chamber of Commerce 43 Upper Grosvenor Street London W1K 2NJ Tel: +44 (0) 20 7235 4363 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7245 6688 d.morgan@abcc.org.uk (English Editorial) y.husein@abcc.org.uk (Arabic Editorial) www.abcc.org.uk

British American Tobacco Middle East 37th Floor JBC 3 Jumeirah Lakes Towers Dubai UAE +971 4 365 9500 Sulaiman_Beydoun@bat.com www.batme.com Contact: Mr S Beydoun Arabian Gulf Regulatory Affairs Manager A part of the international tobacco group with brands sold in more than 180 markets Bureau Veritas Sa 66 Prescot Street Kingsfield House 5th Floor London E1 8HG +44(0)20-7550 8956 sue.rossenrode@uk.bureauveritas.com www.bureauveritas.co.uk/GSIT Contact: Ms S Rossenrode Inspection Manager UK Trade facilitation, cargo surveyors, inspection and audit services, certification, consulting, testing and analysis

CITI Limited Lovat Bank 37 Silver Street Newport Pagnell MK16 0EJ +44(0)1908 283600 NSylvester@citi.co.uk www.citi.co.uk Contact: Ms N Sylvester Business Development Consulting and training Dewhurst UK Manufacturing Ltd Unit 9 Hampton Business Park Hampton Road West Feltham TW13 6DB +44(0)20-8744 8210 +44(0)20-8744 8299 ddewhurst@dewhurst.co.uk www.dewhurst.co.uk Contact: Mr D Dewhurst Managing Director Manufacturer of lift components DI Design & Development Consultants (UK) Ltd 20-22 Stukeley Street London WC2B 5LR +44 (0) 207 0922 700 +44 (0) 207 0922 799 london@designinternational.com ww.designinternational.com Contact: Mr L Cappuccitti, Head of Global Business Development Global architectural practice

Production & Design Distinctive Publishing Unit 2b Floor B Milburn House Dean Street Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 1LE Tel: 0845 884 2343 www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk

continues page 15

CONTENTS SUKUK SUMMIT

Advertising

BUSINESS & PROJECT NEWS

Distinctive Publishing Tel: 0845 884 2343 john.neilson@distinctivegroup.co.uk

GCC PROJECTS ROUND UP

LEBANON CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

SAUDI STOCK EXCHANGE

ARABIC SECTION

TENDERS

BUSINESS EVENTS, TRADE FAIRS AND CONFERENCES

Disclaimer Distinctive Publishing or Arab-British Chamber of Commerce cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies that may occur, individual products or services advertised or late entries. No part of this publication may be reproduced or scanned without prior written permission of the publishers and Arab-British Chamber of Commerce. ISSN No: ISSN 0958-8116

CHAMBER NEWS

TRADE MISSION TO SAUDI ARABIA LAUNCHED Dr Al-Shuaiby opening the launch event for the Trade Mission to Saudi Arabia.

A meeting was held at the offices of the ABCC on 17 June to launch a trade mission to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which will be taking place on 25-30 October 2015. The trade mission will be focused on the infrastructure sector and is being organised by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in partnership with the ABCC. The seminar was held to inform companies of the value to their business of taking part in the trade mission which will be visiting Riyadh and Jeddah. It was attended by business executives from the construction and related industries. Mr Peter Bishop, Deputy Chief Executive of the LCCI, chaired the discussion and introduced the speakers. Welcoming the initiative, Dr Afnan AlShuaiby, ABCC Secretary General & CEO, stated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was engaged in an extensive investment programme which was opening up many opportunities for business.

The Kingdom was looking to establish reliable partnerships and sustainable relationships as it implemented its ambitious development plans. Mr Abdeslam El-Idrissi, ABCC Director of Trade Services, delivered a presentation on the Saudi economy and its legal system. He described the Kingdom as a modernising country open to investors and pointed to the opening up of the stock exchange to foreign investment. Mr El-Idrissi stressed that spending on infrastructure had been valued at a trillion dollars. The construction of new housing was one large area of current spending. Even though UK-KSA trade was rising, the UK needed to step up to keep a foothold in the market and take advantages of the available opportunities. Companies should be able to make use of the high regard for the UK brand among Saudi consumers. Mr El-Idrissi concluded by explaining the services that the ABCC provides to assist exporters such as trade documentation. He said that the Chamber would be able to

prepare a market report for delegates who signed up for the trade mission. Mr Mike Shears, UKTI rail sector specialist, stressed that there was big spending across the GCC on developing a railways network both for freight and passengers. Many of the projects being undertaken in Saudi Arabia formed part of this larger network. Every major city is to have its own railways which meant that new projects were being implemented everywhere. On completion, the Gulf will become one of the biggest rail operators in the world. The date for implementation was 2018 although Mr Shears said that it was unlikely that all the plans would have been completed by the scheduled date. Currently freight was the main use for railways in the Kingdom but the Saudi Railway Company, SAR, had purchased passenger trains indicating that passenger services would soon be launched. Mr Shears explained that there were several aspects to the Kingdomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plans at different stages of development. There was a clear need for better public transport because of the traffic congestion evident in major cities, he said. Developing railways was one obvious solution.

CHAMBER NEWS

Mr Peter Bishop, Deputy Chief Executive of the LCCI, Mr Mike Shears, UKTI rail sector specialist, Mr Abdeslam El-Idrissi, ABCC Director of Trade Services and Mr Gianluca Racana, a director of Zaha Hadid Architects.

Plans included the Saudi Landbridge Project for which tendering was taking place. A high speed rail network was under way and would need new infrastructure. In addition, Metro networks were being constructed to serve the major cities. There were also projects in many of the Kingdom’s smaller cities. The main projects were the Jeddah Metro, Makkah Metro and Riyadh Metro. He stressed that there were opportunities for business across all areas and while UK firms had not been appointed as lead contractors there was a lot of UK involvement as suppliers and expertise. Mr Shears said there was a need for more UK participation as more opportunities become available in the supply chain. Mr Gianluca Racana, a director of Zaha Hadid Architects, spoke about the company’s experience of working on infrastructure projects in the Kingdom and delivered an insight into the design of the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) Metro Station, which will be a key interchange on the new Riyadh Metro network. He explained that the design concept for the structure had been based on the natural

landscape of the country in order to give the building an iconic status as a public space integrated within the financial district. The main principles guiding the activities of Zaha Hadid Architects were innovation, technology and sustainability, he stressed. The date of the trade mission will coincide with the Saudi Build trade fair held in Riyadh, which is the country’s leading exhibition for construction technology and building materials, now in its 27th year. Mr Stuart Whitehill, from The Building Centre, laid emphasis on the potential rewards for companies exhibiting as part of the UK pavilion at Saudi Build. Finally, Peter Bishop explained the value of taking part in the trade mission and gave details of how companies could formally register. He stated that the LCCI was joining with some experienced partners such as the ABCC and UKTI to ensure that the trade mission met all the expectations of the delegates. He mentioned that the LCCI had a strong record of leading successful trade missions and on average conducts about 15 such missions each year.

The trade mission would enable participants to find reliable agents and to understand the market. It would also raise the profile of a company by providing useful publicity through the media coverage that it would attract. Mr Bishop said that the itinerary would include the cities of Riyadh and Jeddah with an opportunity to visit the ports time permitting. He indicated that the initiative would be of benefit to companies operating in the services sector, power and IT as well as construction. There is a discount on the costs available to ABCC members and LCCI members. The Chamber would assist with visa applications which would make the process easier for delegates on the trade mission. The seminar concluded with questions followed by lunch. For more information about the trade mission and to register an interest in taking part, please contact Ms Marta Zanfrini, International Business Executive, LCCI, on Tel: (0)20 7203 1822 or Email: mzanfrini@londonchamber.co.uk

ECONOMIC FOCUS SYRIA BID TO WOO INVESTORS

Trade Mission To saudi arabia CiTies: Riyadh, Jeddah saturday 24 – Thursday 29 October 2015 Closing date: Friday 28 august 2015

In partnership with: arab British Chamber of Commerce aBCC, founded in 1975, is a membership organisation that exists to promote trade and investment relations between the United Kingdom and the arab world. Based in London, United Kingdom, aBCC work closely with the arab and British business community, government ministers, diplomats and heads of state.

Pre Mission Briefing: Thursday 8 October 2015 The London Chamber of Commerce and industry (LCCi) together with the arab British Chamber of Commerce (aBCC) will be leading a Trade Mission to the Kingdom of saudi arabia from saturday 24 to Thursday 29 October 2015. The mission will visit Riyadh and Jeddah offering opportunities to meet with government officials, business leaders and key stakeholders.

WHY saudi? For years, saudi arabia has been the Gulf ’s biggest construction market. The Kingdom has huge budgetary resources to proceed with expanding infrastructure, building new cities and modernising airports and other key installations. More than $3tn worth of development projects are expected to start on site in the Kingdom by 2020. Underway are already an impressive mix of mega-cities, public transport projects (over 4000km of roads as well as a national railway), social infrastructure such as healthcare and education, road infrastructure, public housing and mega towers. Projects that are attracting special attention at the moment are the new metro lines in Riyadh, Jeddah and Mecca, and the new mineral processing and integrated fertiliser plants at Ras al Khair in the north east of the country.

www.londonchamber.co.uk/international

THe beneFiTs oF JoininG THis Mission • Pre-visit and in-country briefings providing market information and advice on how to do business in saudi arabia • Networking opportunities and client hospitality at the business reception • Group visits to leading saudi contractors and building sites • Personal introductions to key decision makers • Your company profile in the trade mission brochure, circulated to companies in Jeddah and Riyadh • Visit saudi Build, the leading saudi exhibition in the building and construction sector • Market research provided through UKTi’s Overseas Market introduction service (OMis) scheme • extensive local media coverage to heighten your presence in the market • services of an experienced mission manager before and during the visit • Discounted flights courtesy of Saudia • discounted hotels and transfers

ARAB CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

WHo sHouLd Consider JoininG THis Mission? Companies in: • Construction • infrastructure • education and training (related to the infrastructure sector) • Project management • Facilities management • Construction products manufacturing

• • • • •

Construction equipment international law Project financing Recruiting Banks

saudi buiLd saudi Build 2015, the 27th international Construction Technology and Building Materials exhibition, provides contractors, real estate developers and building owners with a full range of building solutions. saudi Build is the largest business to business construction fair in the Kingdom. For more information visit www.saudibuild-expo.com or contact stuart@overseasfairs.co.uk

ProGraMMe (subject to change) daTe

LoCaTion

TiMe

aCTiviTY

saturday 24 October 2015

London

depart London

sunday 25 October 2015

Riyadh

Mission briefing

Group meetings with leading construction companies Business Networking Reception at the British embassy

Roundtable with members of the saudi British Joint Business Council

Visit saudi Build exhibition

Riyadh

Free for participants’ own meetings

Jeddah

Flight to Jeddah

Jeddah

Business Networking Reception at the British Consulate

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Jeddah

all day

Group meetings with relevant local stakeholders

Thursday 29 October 2015

Jeddah/London

depart Jeddah

arrive in London

Tuesday 27 October 2015

Riyadh

THe CosTs

eLiGibiLiTY

• Par ticipation fee: £395 (There is a discounted rate of £295 for LCCi Premier Plus Members and aBCC Members).

To accompany this trade mission, your business must be established within the UK and selling or marketing a British product or service. Applications are subject to approval by LCCI and you will be notified after the closing date for applications as to whether you have been successful.

• Optional extra: Overseas Market introduction service (OMis) provided by UKTI, (prices vary subject to specific requirements) – to be commissioned by Thursday 20 august 2015.

TraveL Discounted flight rates are offered by Saudia. Competitive travel package offered by appointed travel agent. For detailed information on travel and accommodation, please refer to the full application pack.

HoW To aPPLY For the full application pack, please contact the Mission Manager: Marta Zanfrini, international Business executive, London Chamber of Commerce and industry. e: mzanfrini@londonchamber.co.uk or T: +44 (0)20 7203 1822

Our preferred travel partner

6407/30/052015

Monday 26 October 2015

CHAMBER NEWS

TRADE SERVICES

SHUROOQ BOLSTERS TIES WITH ABCC The Arab-British Chamber of Commerce has signed a memorandum of understanding with Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq). The signing of the MoU took place at the conclusion of a three-day UK roadshow. The signing ceremony took place in presence of Shaikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Shurooq; Abdul Rahman Ghanim Al Mutaiwee, UAE Ambassador to the UK; Shaikh Mohammed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, First Secretary at the UAE Embassy in the UK; Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, chief executive officer of Shurooq; Dr Afnan Al-Shuaiby, Secretary General and chief executive of the ABCC; Saud Al Suwaidi, director of international relations and partnerships at Shurooq; and Mr Abdelsam El Idrissi, director of trade services, ABCC. Shaikha Bodour said: “We at Shurooq strive to enhance the international commercial and economic relations of Sharjah and the UAE, with the aim of attracting investment, increasing opportunities for business development, and encouraging mutual cooperation and exchange of expertise. These efforts help to pave the way for financial growth in the flourishing economy of the UAE.” The ambassador stated: “We are delighted to welcome Shaikha Bodour and the Shurooq delegation to the United Kingdom. Serving the UAE economy by promoting Emirati exports and encouraging British investment in the UAE is a high priority for the Embassy and especially for the Economic Department headed by First Secretary Shaikh Mohammed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, who has been working closely with Shurooq to arrange this visit,” he said. “We are pleased to have succeeded in arranging a vast number of meetings with some of the most prominent UK businesses and investment institutions and we would like to wish Shurooq all the success in promoting Sharjah’s investment portfolio here in the United Kingdom. I would also like to highlight the importance of the Arab British Chamber of Commerce’s role in promoting British Arab

HE Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO of Shurooq, and Dr Afnan Al-Shuaiby, sign the MOU at a ceremony in London in the presence of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Shurooq, H E Abdul Rahman Ghanem Al Mutaiwee, UAE Ambassador to the UK (centre), and Sheikh Mohammed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, First Secretary at the UAE Embassy in the UK.

trade relations and trade relations with the UAE in specific. ” Dr Al-Shuaiby said: “We are confident that signing this MoU will help enhance investment opportunities and the exchange of expertise, expand mutual business activities and add a new dimension to our business, particularly in the economic and commercial sectors.” Under the terms of the MoU, which was signed by Al Sarkal and Dr Al-Shuaiby, Shurooq and the ABCC plan to encourage, promote, and facilitate investment and development cooperation among the business communities in Sharjah and the UK, and to coordinate, establish and expand a business network that enables these communities to leverage the financial opportunities available in both countries, in addition to organising road shows for representatives of British government’s entities to the emirate of Sharjah by end of this year. In addition, Shurooq and the ABCC have agreed to encourage the flow of reciprocal economic information, statistics, and trade data, as well as joint research activities,

and to assist each other in organising and participating in trade fairs, exhibitions conferences and seminars. The two entities furthermore strive to work together to eliminate obstacles that may hinder the growth of investment and business by identifying barriers, finding suitable solutions, and supporting and encouraging the exchange of technical expertise and training opportunities. Shurooq’s delegation to the UK, headed by Shaikha Bodour, met with the British Chambers of Commerce, the Environmental Services Association, the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, the Lord Mayor’s Office, the Association of British Healthcare Industries and Royal Marsden Hospital and the London Chamber of Commerce. Bilateral trade between the UAE and the UK reached £12 billion in 2012, and it continues to grow. There are nearly 400 British trading companies and 800 British trading agencies, as well as over 8,000 UK trademarks registered in the UAE. Currently, over 100,000 UK expatriates reside in the UAE, while the UAE welcomes more than one million British visitors each year.

CHAMBER NEWS

AMBASSADORIAL ROUNDTABLE ON LIBYA HMA Michael Aron, British Ambassador to Libya, with Baroness Symons (right) and Lord Trefgarne (left)

The Chamber hosted a business roundtable with HMA Michael Aron, British Ambassador to Libya, on 21 April 2015, which was chaired by Baroness Symons, ABCC chairman. The meeting was attended by some 25 business executives and ABCC members with an interest in doing business with Libya, including Lord Trefgarne, ABCC Vice Chairman and president of the Libyan British Business Council. The attendees covered sectors such as oil and gas, banking and finance, security, the food industry, education and training and manufacturing. The Ambassador provided an insightful and up-to-date briefing on the political process and economic developments in the country. HMA Mr Aron had been in post since September 2012 and while he believed that the situation in the country had deteriorated the ambassador remained optimistic that a political settlement would be found to establish the long term stability and national unity that Libya needs. Discussion centred on the political stalemate in Libya with regards the government of the country since the removal of the Gadhafi regime and the international negotiations

currently taking place to broker a negotiated settlement between the various factions vying for political power.

through election and as such remained the internationally recognised Libyan government.

His briefing covered three key topics:

The Ambassador stressed that the only feasible means of resolving the outstanding differences would be through a political settlement leading to a new government of national unity.

n The British policy towards Libya over the past three years; n The latest round of negotiations towards a political settlement; n UK relations with the various major institutions in Libya, namely the central bank, the National Oil Corporation and the Libyan Investment Authority. HMA Aron felt observed that Libya faced a crisis in which no central government was able to exercise control over the entire country. The roots of this problem could be traced to the failure to seriously address the disagreements between the non-Islamist and Islamist factions in the roadmap for the transition process. As a result militias had grown in strength and were able to claim control over large parts of the country challenging the Army and police. Currently there were rival powers claiming to be the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s political groups in both Tobruk and Tripoli claiming to be the government, but no-one was able to exercise control over the whole country. The Ambassador stated that the current government in Tripoli was a fraud as it had assumed power after a court ruling rescinding the polling while the government in Tobruk had come to power

Libya possessed many strong features that provided a basis for its future wealth and stability as a nation; namely its oil resources and the shared history of the people. The Ambassador stressed that the central bank was continuing to function and paying salaries to 90 per cent of the population; food was still being imported into the country and the NOC continued to operate. While its assets were frozen, the Libyan Investment Authority also continued to function. The UK was maintaining contacts with these key organisations, HMA Mr Aron said. Discussions focused on the influence of the business community in helping achieve stability and the importance of education and training for building strong relations. The Ambassador said that many Libyans had been educated in Britain and retained a friendly attitude to the UK. In fact Libyans saw the UK as the country of choice for education. The final message was that Libya had immense wealth and offered much optimism for the future but companies should adopt a cautious approach at present.

CHAMBER NEWS

TRADE SERVICES

EGYPT AMBASSADORIAL ROUNDTABLE The Chamber held a successful business roundtable with the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt on 2 June 2015 in order to focus on new opportunities for business and investment in the country.

H E Nasser Ahmed Kamel Ali, the Egyptian Ambassador, Baroness Symons and Sir Nadmi Auchi

Dr Afnan Al-Shuaiby, ABCC Secretary General & CEO, welcomed His Excellency Nasser Ahmed Kamel Ali, the Egyptian Ambassador, and introduced him to the invited guests drawn from a wide range of key sectors who were keen to discuss how to do business with Egypt. Rt Hon Baroness Symons, ABCC Chairman, remarked on the current economic revival that the country was undergoing which was being driven by large-scale projects such as the new Suez Canal development. She hoped that the roundtable would be able to identify how UK firms can help to make Egypt’s enormous potential become a success. The sectors represented at the roundtable included banking, financial services, Islamic finance, trade finance and logistics, construction, real estate, hotels and tourism, transport, freight and shipping, media and communications. H E Nasser Ahmed Kamel Ali began his overview of his country’s economic developments by stressing that it had successfully emerged from a difficult few years but was now forging ahead with the adoption of an ambitious roadmap for growth. The Ambassador said that a new investment law had been ratified which removes obstacles to foreign investment under which a one-stop shop approach has been given the authority to take decisions and will help investors by streamlining procedures. He explained that Egypt’s previous economic model had achieved growth but it had not addressed the important social dimensions, such as the need to create enough

opportunities for the one million young people who come onto the country’s job market each year. Egypt was now committed to fostering inclusive growth and was adopting new social programmes to improve the conditions of the Egyptian people. It was also improving efficiency and reducing waste in the economy by moving away from a cash transactions and reforming the subsidy system. In particular, the Ambassador explained the country will be spending more on healthcare and education following the commitments outlined in the new constitution. This attention to healthcare and education reflected the fact that human development was now seen as a key to Egypt’s future success. World perceptions of Egypt were now improving as is indicated by the upgrading that its economic outlook had received from leading ratings agencies such as S&P, as well as the positive assessment of the IMF. H E Nasser Ahmed Kamel Ali pointed to the success of the recent economic development conference in Sharm El-Sheikh which had attracted governments from around the world and corporate leaders. Many new projects were agreed and unveiled during the conference which also saw new pledges of funding from the Gulf States.

Egypt was now able to offer promising opportunities in the energy sector, which was opening up to private investment, and where new power generation and gas exploration initiatives have been announced, as well as in the area of renewable energy. The new Suez Canal project was a flagship initiative that had been carried out to schedule and had been launched through raising local funds, which had been oversubscribed, a real indication that the Egyptian people were keen to invest in their country. The strength of the IT industry is seen in the widespread use of internet among Egyptian consumers. Cairo had its own successful ‘smart village’ for developing high-tech businesses. The discussion concentrated on issues such as the impact of regional security on Egypt, the widening role of the private sector in healthcare, financial policies and changes to the arbitration system available to companies working in the market. The clear overall message from the proceedings was that British firms are very welcome partners for Egypt as it moves forward to achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth. The Ambassador thanked the ABCC for continuing with its active engagement in promoting Arab-British trade.

CHAMBER NEWS

Dr Afnan Al-Shuaiby in discussion at the GW seminar on Strategic Leadership

GW GLOBAL SERIES IN LONDON ON STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP Dr Afnan Al-Shuaiby was honoured by George Washington University on 15 June by an invitation to share her insights on the importance of Strategic Leadership. The packed audience hall at the Four Seasons Hotel in London included ambassadors, business leaders and alumni. The event was part of the GW Global Series in London on Strategic Leadership. During the evening, Dr Al-Shuaiby answered questions before the invited audience. The event was hosted by Dr Steven Knapp, President of GW University.

The GW Global Series provides an opportunity for alumni considered as leaders in their fields to share their insights and experiences with other leading executives and professionals. The discussion focused on Dr Al-Shuaibyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership of the Arab British Chamber of Commerce and how her educational experience at GW had helped her prepare for her future career. She also addressed her role as the first woman to occupy the leadership of the Chamber, her diplomatic activities in London and how her experience across cultures had influenced her leadership decisions. Dr Al-Shuaiby also reflected on the role of Arab women in public life and the misperceptions of people from the Arab world. The event provided an opportunity for Dr Al-Shuaiby to share her own experiences of

Dr Al-Shuaiby presents a certificate of appreciation to Dr Steven Knapp, President of GW University.

leadership and was designed to encourage a younger generation of potential leaders. Dr Al-Shuaiby expressed her thanks to Dr Knapp and George Washington University for their generosity in organising the programme and for hosting the event. As a token of respect for his distinguished record of service in the field of education, Dr Al-Shuaiby presented Dr Knapp with a certificate of appreciation. Dr Knapp, the sixteenth president of the University who took up his position in August 2007, presented Dr Al-Shuaiby with a gift following the formal proceedings after which the evening concluded with a dinner.

CHAMBER NEWS

ABCC TAKES PART IN GOING GLOBAL

Mr Abdeslam El-Idrissi, ABCC Director of Trade Services, addressing a seminar at Going Global.

More than 3,000 delegates attended Going Global at ExCeL, London across the two days of 13 and 14 May 2015. Prysm Group’s Going Global Live saw its reputation continue to ascend to new heights as over 3,000 business professionals flooded through the ExCeL doors to attend the twoday exhibition on 13th and 14th May. It was an incredible showcase of the international opportunities for British businesses targeting overseas growth and trade and truly established itself as Europe’s leading show for expanding your business overseas. The Arab British Chamber of Commerce was one of the many exhibitors at the event and can report considerable interest in its services and publications from visitors to the exhibition. Copies of the Chamber’s magazines and other material were quickly picked up. Mr Abdeslam El-Idrissi, ABCC Director of Trade Services, also participated

in a seminar on doing business with the Arab countries as part of the talks programme that formed part of Going Global. With partner support from UK Trade & Investment, Qatar Financial Centre Authority, the Institute of Export and Made in GB – among others – the event proved its effectiveness in helping UK SMEs grasp the international business initiative. Organisers stated that 3,128 visitors descended on the ExCeL Centre to attend the two-day exhibition and conference to be greeted by an all-inclusive array of exhibitors, education and opportunities. The conference schedule was packed with information, insight and advice with 80 seminars across four seminar halls, featuring the likes of Lesley Batchelor, OBE, Director General, Institute of Export; Dan Waldschmidt, Global Business Consultant working in over 13 countries; and Souad M Al Hosani, Best Female Business Service Provider in the UAE 2015, Nexus Business Services. The UKTI Hall and Lounge was also a hotspot as visitors could speak to International

Trade Advisors to work out the best ways to start exporting with unbiased, professional guidance as well as network with other businesspeople looking to expand internationally. The Qatar Financial Centre Authority also sponsored the show and had an incredible amount of interest One of the exhibitors was the Institute of Export, which commented, “Going Global is still the best event we do! The quality of visitors to our stand is unrivalled and we will always be happy to partner with the show.” Going Global Event Director, Simon Chicken, stated: “With last week’s event being an overwhelming success, Going Global Live is going from strength to strength. We make every effort to present our exhibitors with highly relevant visitors and last week’s attendees were more tightly targeted than ever. The result was a fantastic feeling of inspiration and industry throughout the event. We’re already planning how to improve the show for its return to Olympia in 2015’. Going Global returns to Olympia, London on the 3rd and 4th December 2015. For further information see www.goinggloballive.co.uk

MEMBERS NEWS

RAS AL KHAIMAH FREE TRADE ZONE SHARES BUSINESS BENEFITS WITH INVESTORS A Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone (RAK FTZ) delegation visited Pakistan to share the benefits of establishing and growing companies at RAK FTZ with business owners in the country. The delegation met key government and investment bodies on 9 and 10 June during a two-day event in Lahore. It was RAK FTZ’s second road show in Pakistan this year following on from a delegation that visited Karachi in March. “There are tremendous growth opportunities for Pakistani investors at RAK FTZ. The free zone’s strategic geographical location between the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and South Asia allows Pakistani investors to easily introduce their products and services to diverse markets around the globe,” said Ramy Jallad, Acting CEO, RAK FTZ. “RAK FTZ offers a multitude of competitive advantages, including low set-up costs, world-class facilities, client-friendly support services, zero taxation, and 100 per cent foreign ownership, among others.” The free zone has attracted nearly 400 active investors from Pakistan. Among them are

J Awan & Partners, a consultancy firm that chose RAK FTZ over other free zones in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) because of its cost-effectiveness; Abasyn University, which expanded from Pakistan to take advantage of the free zone’s purpose-built facilities for education and visas for students; and VSF Logistics FZE, which provides cold storage, refrigerated logistics and customised logistics. Also known as Venus Group of Companies, VSF Logistics FZE began operating in Pakistan in 1970 and expanded to RAK FTZ in June 2014. “We chose RAK FTZ due to its flexible rules and regulations and excellent, ongoing support from free zone professionals in setting up the business,” Adnan Asad, owner of VSF Logistics FZE. “Even more impressive was its full range of ready-made facilities. RAK FTZ provided us with the best possible solutions for the unique warehousing needs of our company.” Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone provides award-winning services and world-class facilities, enabling clients to quickly and efficiently set up and grow profitable

companies in the UAE. Home to more than 8,000 active companies from over 100 countries and over 50 industry sectors, RAK FTZ offers completely tax-free status to its clients, allows for 100 per cent foreign ownership and unrestricted repatriation of profits, in addition to a host of other business-friendly incentives. Less than an hour’s drive from Dubai, RAK FTZ offers significant geographical advantages for clients to easily access markets in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South Asia. It caters to the unique requirements of small, medium and large businesses with four free zone parks including business centre facilities, offices, warehouses and land for development, as well as facilities for educational institutions. Since its inception 15 years ago, RAK FTZ has diversified from its traditional focus on industrial manufacturing to also support trading, sales and marketing activities, a wide range of service sectors, as well as logistics and distribution platforms. For more about RAK FTZ, please visit www.rakftz.com

MEMBERS NEWS

EMPLOYMENT LAW IN THE UAE - KEY ISSUES ABCC member Pinsent Masons LLP extends an invitation to you to its breakfast event – in either London or Edinburgh - which will focus on the employment law regime of the UAE. Employment law issues and labour relations in the UAE and Middle East are now firmly on the radar of many international companies, irrespective of the sector in which they operate. Whether it is worker strikes, nationalisation policies, business immigration or social media restrictions, such issues are increasingly on the agenda for employment counsel and HR professionals within global organisations.

We invite you to help us find those stories.

n Cost saving - redundancy, restructures and workforce management

It is time to counter-balance the constant stream of negative press reports about “Muslim extremists and terrorists”. We can to do this by collecting and publishing positive news stories about Muslim organizations saving and rebuilding lives.

n Nationalisation - policies, implementation and implications for employers n Terminations - process, payments and risk n Comparison - of the UK and UAE employment regimes. The good, the bad and the ugly.... Confirmed speaker: n Luke Tapp, Pinsent Masons LLP

Date Time/Location 14 July 2015 8.30am to 10.00am 30 Crown Place, London EC2A 4ES 16 July 2015 8.30am to 10.00am 13 Queen’s Road, Aberdeen, AB15 4YL Attendance is free of charge.

n HR professionals

To attend either of the above sessions please contact Pinsent Masons LLP:

n Senior business managers who have responsibility for existing operations in the UAE and Middle East region or are considering entering the markets. Key issues which will be discussed: n Fundamentals - employment contracts, visa sponsorship and the legal regime

CONTACT Linda Doyle Events Executive Pinsent Masons LLP Tel: +44 (0) 141 567 8503 Email: linda.doyle@pinsentmasons.com

THE COLLECTION LLP HIRES VASTU SHASTRA SPECIALIST The Collection LLP, London’s leading boutique property buying and management consultancy based in Mayfair, has hired the UK’s top Vastu Shastra specialist - Geetanjali Bhalla - to better serve clients searching for their ideal London property. Since many of our Vastu sensitive clients live abroad, we are mindful of the need to maximise the value of their visits to London by only showing them Vastu-compliant properties. Caroline Takla, Managing Partner at The Collection LLP, says: “We recognise that correct Vastu alignment of a property is a critical factor affecting the purchase decision

Balanced News aims to tell the world about the good works Muslims do and the lives they save.

n Remuneration - pay, contractual incentives and statutory benefits

Who should attend? n In-house legal teams

INVITATION

for an increasing number of our clients. We see no point in wasting their time by recommending properties that, for example, have a south-west facing entrance as this is thought to bring struggles and misfortune. With the addition of Geetanjali to the team, we are underpinning our commitment to clients who observe this ancient science.” Geetanjali’s expertise is available to clients using our search and acquisition service as well as a stand-alone service to both endusers and developers. For more information on this service, please contact us on +44 (0) 20 7629 4200 or at info@thecollectionllp.com

Muslims give more to life saving charities than any other group in the world. It is time people knew that. Research indicates that for every life taken by violent radical groups, between one and ten thousand lives are saved and rebuilt by the good works of Muslim Charities. The problem is that the reports have not been collected and published in one place so no one can say this for sure. Being able to say this with authority will raise the morale and spirits of Muslims in Europe, America and around the world. Here is our invitation to help ‘change the world’. 1) Contact the charities you already support and ask them to give you the facts about their life saving and life rebuilding projects. Ask your family to do the same. 2) Send the facts to us at Balanced News. We will prepare the articles and invite you to check back with the charity to make sure they are accurate. 3) To get started, go to balancednews. eu and click on the help us find an article link. Or email articles@ balancednews.eu and put “I want to help” in the subject line. We will then send you an email to forward to the charities that you already support. If you would like to help in any other way, please email Sohail at the address below. If you want to know more about us, please see the ‘about us page’ on the website. Yours truly, Richard Swift Project Director, Balanced News Richard@balancednews.eu Tel: 07940 577458

NEW MEMBERS

from page 3

NEW MEMBERS Elite International Assets 20 Hanover Square,London W1S 1JY +44(0)20-37005 262 info@elite-ia.com www.elite-ia.com Contact: Ms L Irshaid Al Taher, Country Manager UK Support services for international enterprises, franchises and new ventures in the Middle East and emerging markets; property and real estate; and training Grange & Castle Solicitors Limited Samonsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Castle, 209-210 Grange Road, Nr Tower Bridge, London SE1 3AA +44(0)20-7967 7070 +44(0)20-7967 7077 carlharding@grangeandcastlesolicitors.com www.grangeandcastlesolicitor Contact: Mr C Harding LLB, Senior Fee Earner Legal experts in commercial and company law, civil litigation, commercial property law, property law and personal injury law Hewlett Packard HP International Trade, Al-Faisaliah Tower 5th Floor, Riyadh 11596, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia +966 11 282 7555 / 7475 +966 11 282 7444 jason.mcmillan@hp.com www.hp.com Contact: Mr J McMillan, General Manager Manufacturer of laptops, computers, printers and IT equipment Intertek International Limited Academy Place, 1-9 Brook Street, Brentwood CM14 5NQ +44(0)1277-223304 +44(0)1277-220127 mimi.nwidobiemichaels@intertek.com www.intertek.com Contact: Mrs M Michaels, Sales Manager Testing, inspecting, certifying of products and related services; quality assurance, inspection agent, certification of conformity and training Lessore Solutions Limited 4 Ching Court, Monmouth Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9EY +44(0)20-7379 4323 katharina_schnalle@dalecarnegie.com www.dalecarnegie.co.uk Contact: Ms K Schnalle, Business Consultant Staff training and leadership development McFarlane Telfer Limited B5 Westacott Business Centre, Maidenhead SL6 3RT +44(0)162-882 2598 +44(0)162-882 8796 chris@mcft.com www.mcft.com/ www.McFT.ae Contact: Mr C Craggs, Managing Director Commercial catering and refrigeration equipment maintenance Navsat International Trade Limited Suite-3 First Floor, 31 Church Road The Atrium, Ashford TW15 2UD +44(0)178-425 8310 +44(0)178-425 1100 ilyascima@gmail.com; milyas@navsatinternational.com www.navsatinternational.com Contact: Mr M Ilyas, Business Development Manager Supplier of equipment and spares for international airports from conveyer belts to escalators and radar equipment

Newsdesk Media Limited 184 - 192 Drummond Street, London NW1 3HP 020 76501600 020 76501616 info@newsdeskmedia.com www.newsdeskmedia.com Contact: Mr R Linn, CEO Contract publishing Olive Group PO Box 502356, Dubai UAE +971 4 360 0883 cstgeorge@olivegroup.com www.olivegroup.com Contact: Mr C St George, Co-Chairman Services for the energy, national security and critical infrastructure sectors RAK Investment Authority PO Box 31291, Ras Al Khaimah UAE +971-7-2068 666 /678 +971 (0)7-24-34-464 Smail.A@rakinvestmentauthority.com www.rak-ia.com Contact: Mr S Abdelaziz, Associate Manager Free Zone and Non-Free Zone facilities for industrial and business investors Red Hill Trading Ltd Redhill House, Claverley, Wolverhampton WV5 7DH +44(0)1746-710 890 +44(0)20-7117 1012 jon@rhtrd.com www.rhtrd.com Contact: Mr J Robinson, Director Suppliers of bearings, gearboxes and ancillary equipment Residential London 15 Stratton Street, London W1J 8LQ +44(0)20 3176 0594 simon@reslon.co.uk www.reslon.co.uk Contact: Mr S Kyriacou, Director Property consultants specialising in real estate prime Central London locations Royal Ruby PO Box 62990, Abu Dhabi UAE +971 2 6670550 +971 2 6670556 mk.alhamed@royalrubygroup.ae www.royalrubygroup.ae Contact: Mr M Bin Khalid Al Hamed Representation and assistance for international companies to establish in the UAE RSK Group Plc 17 Chester Road, Cheltenham, GL53 7LA 01928 726006 01928 725633 communications@rsk.co.uk www.rsk.co.uk Contact: Mr S Mills, Company Secretary & General Counsel Multidisciplinary environmental consultancy providing environmental, health and safety support services Touchline FZ LLC 4th Floor, Pink Building, TwoFour54 Media Zone, Abu Dhabi UAE +971 (0)22 344 598 leonard@touchline.ae www.touchline.ae Contact: Mr L Stall Group CEO International content agency and client publisher for governments and blue chip organisations

Totus Capital 50 Farringdon Road, London EC1M 3HE +44(0)800-542 6789 +44(0)870-746 2020 sabina.sultanova@totus.com www.totus.com Contact: Ms S Sultanova, Client Relationship Manager Financial advice, wealth management, investment services, mortgages, insurance, banking, tax and accounts TPP (The Phoenix Partnership) Mill House, Troy Road, Horsforth, Leeds LS18 5TN +44(0)113-2050083 +44(0)113-2050081 internationalenquiries@tpp-uk.com www.tpp-uk.com Contact: Ms C Ball, Director â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Middle East Innovative and integrated IT and software designed to transform healthcare The Collection Acquisitions LLP 17 Grosvenor Hill,London W1K 3QB +44(0)20-7629 4200 info@thecollectionllp.com thecollectionllp.com Contact: Ms C Takla, Managing Partner London property buying consultancy Tidy Technology Solutions 71B High Street, Stony Stratford Milton Keynes, MK11 1AY +44(0)1908 760017 info@tidytechsolutions.co.uk www.tidytechsolutions.co.uk Contact: Mr C Bartlett, CEO IT support & telecoms, IT helpdesk, consultancy, infrastructure and hosting, software, broadband, cabling and IT backup solutions Universal Securities and Investments Suite 406, 162-168 Regent Street The Linen Hall, London W1B 5TB +44(0)20-3327 7780 +44(0)20-3014 7636 info@universalsi.com www.universalsi.com Contact: Mr M Qureshi, Business Development Manager Financial services specialising in the UK-Middle East markets: foreign exchange, equity brokers, pre-paid cards international payments; Prepaid Pilgrim Card aimed at the Hajj and Umrah pilgrims University of Salford The Crescent, Salford, UK M5 4WT +44 (0) 161 295 6347 s.d.waterworth@salford.ac.uk www.salford.ac.uk Contact: Stephen Waterworth International Business Development Institution of higher education with links to the MENA region Associate Members Mr Michael Solomon, Hillgrove, 22 Wembdon Rise Bridgwater TA6 7QZ +44(0)1278 457026 mikesolomon@btopenworld.com Individual associate member of ABCC Mrs Konstantina (Nadia) Roumeliotou-Iglezi CEO, Eolou 4, 116 73 Voula, Athens, Greece +30 694 4 516190 +30 210 6410 139 nadia.iglezi@beta.gr Individual associate member of ABCC

SUKUK SUMMIT

2015 SUKUK SUMMIT STRESSES NEW INNOVATIONS In an environment of excess liquidity in core markets and the encroaching impact of capital and liquidity requirements under the new Basel III Concordat, the proliferation of Sukuk issuances led especially by Sovereigns both from traditional and new markets continues unabated. The sustainability of Sukuk beyond the $100 billion mark in 2015 seems assured given that in the first five months of this year the volume of primary issuances had already surpassed $33.7bn. According to Standard & Poor’s (S&P), if we add the spate of issuances led inter alia by sovereign Hong Kong and Indonesia, and by The Saudi British Bank and Dubai Islamic Bank, then the figure pre-Ramadan is nearer to the $45bn to $50bn mark. All these developments offer encouraging opportunities for the maturing and sustainable global and domestic Sukuk market, which these days is also highlighted by exciting new innovation in structures and in Shariah governance. This was the overriding message from speakers at the 2015 London Sukuk Summit, which was held on 3rd-4th June at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower, under the theme: ‘Globalising Sukuk Beyond Traditional Markets, Structures & Asset Pools’. Setting the scene, Mushtak Parker, the session Chair, highlighted the various developments in the global market over the last year. These include a spate of sovereign issuances (both international and domestic); corporate issuances (one again in the international and local currency markets); the increasing origination of Sukuk in the aviation sector highlighted by the recent $930mn issuance by Emirates Airlines backed by a guarantee from the UK Export Finance, the export credit agency of the UK Government and the $500mn Sukuk by Garuda Indonesia. In addition, he cited the increased

$10bn Islamic Development Bank Sukuk Programme for 2015 and beyond; the various developments in terms of regulatory and prudential standards under the Basel III regime; the role of Sukuk in liquidity management; the consolidation of the Malaysian International Islamic Financial centre (MIFC) as a Sukuk origination platform with the issuance of the latest Sukuk by Kuveyt Turk Participation Bank; the continued buoyancy of the three largest markets - Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE - especially with new entrants including Noor Bank; the issuance of the first SRI Sukuk under the new Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) Sukuk Regulatory Framework of the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) by Khazanah Nasional Berhad; and of course the inclusion of Sukuk and Infrastructure on the agenda of the upcoming G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey in November this year. Keynote speakers comprised Jeremy Fern, Head of City Affairs - Economic Development Office, Corporation of London and a member of the UK Government Task Force on Islamic Finance; Jaseem Ahmed, Secretary General of the Islamic Financial Services Board; Prof. Datuk Rifaat Ahmed Abdel Karim, CEO of the International Islamic liquidity Management Corporation (IILM); and Dato’ Dr Nik Ramlah Mahmood, Deputy CEO, the Securities Commission Malaysia. Mr Fern highlighted the current status of the UK proposition on Islamic finance and the encouraging developments since the issuance of the country’s debut £200mn Sukuk in 2014. The UK and the City of London is serious about consolidating London into a major centre for Islamic finance, investment and trade. Indeed, following the election of the Conservative Government in May, and the appointment of Sajid Javid as the new Secretary of State for Business & Enterprise, there would be continuity in the UK Islamic finance proposition. Mr Javid was the Financial Secretary to the Treasury in the erstwhile Coalition Government under whose watch much of the work for the UK’s debut Sukuk was done and the go-ahead for the ECA-backed Emirates Sukuk was given. Mr Javid also oversaw the establishment of GIFIG during the World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) in London in 2013. Secretary General, Jaseem Ahmed highlighted the rapid growth of the Islamic financial services industry (IFSI) post the global financial crisis. The Islamic banking sector, he revealed, expanded at a CAGR

(compound aggregate growth rate) of 16.04% during 2008-2014; Sukuk issuances and outstanding grew at a CAGR of 33.9% for the same period; Takaful contributions are estimated to reach $21.4bn as at first half 2014. Not surprisingly, the Sukuk sector has replaced the Islamic banking sector as the fastest growing industry segment on a pure growth basis. The industry development is also encouraged by the emergence of large Islamic finance sectors in key economies. For instance, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, Brunei, Qatar, Malaysia and Bangladesh are among markets where Islamic finance has near systemic importance. The growth trends for Sukuk are encouraging too surpassing the $100bn market for the last three years. In 2014 Sukuk issuance totalled $118.8bn, almost the same as in 2013, and global Sukuk outstanding reached $300.3bn in 2014. During 2014, sovereign and quasi-sovereign Sukuk were issued in a record 12 countries, with five debut issuers. The summit highlighted the increasingly diverse role played by Sukuk especially in infrastructure funding and the emergence of socially responsible Sukuk. Dr Nik Ramlah of the Securities Commission discussed recent regulatory and market developments, stressing that in 2014 Malaysia accounted for 66% of global Sukuk issuance 57% of Sukuk outstanding. The Malaysian Islamic capital market is now worth RM1.64 trillion with an annualized growth rate of 12% over the last five years. There were of course several robust sessions on aspects of the Sukuk industry by speakers from NBAD, S&P, CIMB Islamic, Amanie Advisers, the Debt management Office of the Government of Sharjah, Rasameel Structured Finance, DDCAP Group, Oasis Group, Trowers & Hamlins, UK Export Finance, the London Stock Exchange, Cagamas Berhd, KFH Investment, Path Solutions, the Capital markets Board of Turkey, GIB, FWU Group and BLME. The Summit culminated in the regular annual Shariah Scholars & Issuers Panel Discussion, which highlighted Shariah governance issues and conditions for future innovation in the Sukuk market.

For further information on the Summit please visit www.sukuksummit.co.uk or contact info@icgevents.com

A LUXURIOUS HOME FROM HOME IN THE HEART OF MAYFAIR

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BUSINESS & PROJECT NEWS

FITCH AFFIRMS KUWAIT’S ‘AA’ RATING Fitch Ratings has affirmed Kuwait’s longterm foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) at ‘AA’ with a stable outlook.

The ratings agency expects that Kuwait’s fiscal break-even export price of oil will be USD57/b, below its oil export price forecast for Kuwait of USD64/b in FY16.

Kuwait’s country ceiling has been affirmed at ‘AA+’ and the short-term foreign currency IDR at ‘F1+’.

The budget balance is expected to improve to 16.7% in FY17 and the current account surplus to halve to 15.1% of GDP in 2015 before recovering to 20% of GDP in 2016.

The ratings reflect Kuwait’s exceptionally strong fiscal and external position, balanced against a heavily oil-dependent economy, a degree of geopolitical risk and weak scores on measures of governance and ease of doing business, Fitch says. Sovereign net foreign assets were an estimated 270% of GDP at end-2014, underpinned by 184% in external assets managed by the Kuwait Investment Authority across its two funds. The General Reserve Fund (GRF), the purpose of which is to cover government expenditure, had domestic and foreign assets of an estimated 56% of GDP at the end of fiscal year 2014/15 (FYE15). The Reserve Fund for Future Generations, which by law receives at least 10% of all government revenues before transfers to the GRF, had 196% of GDP; the transfer has been 25% of revenue in each of the past three years. Gross government debt was only 5.5% of GDP at FYE15. Kuwait is resilient to the fall in the oil price and the downward revision in the expected oil price path, due to a low cost of oil production and the large size of oil revenues relative to government expenditures.

Kuwait’s real GDP growth is expected to rise to 1.8% in 2015 and 2.0% in 2016, from an estimated 0.9% in 2014, says Fitch. Growth will be driven by resilient private and public consumption and government capital spending, given stable oil production volumes. New laws on foreign direct investment and public private partnerships have recently been implemented and are a step towards bringing Kuwait’s business environment more in line with its peers, Fitch points out. Oil directly accounts for 60% of GDP and 80% of government and external revenues, and government contracts support much of the private sector. Kuwait ranks better than only 50% of all countries in terms of the World Bank’s governance and ease of doing business measures, while the median ‘AA’ country ranks better than 70% of countries in terms of governance and almost 90% of countries in terms of ease of doing business. Additional information is available on www.fitchratings.com

Fitch Ratings, 20/06/2015

FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN BAHRAIN HITS $1BN Inward foreign direct investment (FDI) in Bahrain was nearly $1 billion at the end of last year, a report has found. The United Nations Conference of Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) World Investment Report 2015, launched regionally at the Ramee Grand Hotel in Seef, shows that FDI remained at a similar level in 2014 as in 2013, (2014: $957 million; 2013: $989 million). As a percentage of GDP (55.4 per cent), Bahrain’s inward FDI stocks, which reached $18.8 billion last year, remained the highest in the GCC and well above the global average, emphasising Bahrain’s position as one of the region’s most open economies, Economic Development Board (EDB) chief executive Khalid Al Rumaihi said. UNCTAD division of investment and enterprise head Mohamed Chiraz Baly, presented the findings of the report to

representatives from the private and public sectors, as well as the media along with Mena Centre for Investment chairman Dr Zakaria Ahmed Hejres. “There is no doubt that the region, and wider world, still faces a challenging economic climate, as businesses and governments continue to recover from the economic shock of 2008 as well as the current oil price environment, as illustrated by the investment flows outlined in this year’s World Investment Report,” Al Rumaihi said. “However there are a number of structural drivers which give cause for a more optimistic long-term outlook in the region, including connectivity, increasing economic integration, and the demographic dynamics.” The event was hosted in co-operation with the EDB and the Mena Centre for Investment.

Trade Arabia, 25/06/2015

TATA MOTORS OPENS ASSEMBLY PLANT IN TUNISIA Auto major Tata Motors has begun assembly operations for light commercial vehicles in Tunisia with local partner ICAR SA. Tata Motors will commence production of pick-ups and light commercial vehicles in June, the company said in a statement. The industrial launch of Tata Motors assembly plans in Tunisia is a major step in the company’s continued expansion in Africa and the global automotive industry, Tata Motors International Business, Commercial Vehicles Business Unit Head RT Wasan said. “The Tunisian automotive industry holds a strategic place in Tata Motors global plans, with a well-developed competitive network of suppliers, along with a welltrained work force in latest automotive technologies, key factors in the success of Tata Motors operations here,” he added. Tata Motors and ICAR SA plan to launch new products and upgrade existing ones, he added.

Car Trade, 12/06/2015

BIBF AND UNIVERSITY OF LONDON LAUNCH DEGREE The Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) launched its firstever undergraduate degree offered in collaboration with the University of London International Programmes. BIBF’s Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics and Management will be under academic direction from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the institute’s acting head of the centre for academics Dr Keith Sharp told a press conference held at BIBF’s Juffair premises. Academics at LSE will develop the syllabi, prepare the study materials, and are responsible for the assessment of students. On successful completion, students will be awarded a University of London degree. The certificate will state that the participant was registered with the University of London and that examinations were conducted by LSE.

Gulf Daily News, 17/06/2015

BUSINESS & PROJECT NEWS

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR EXPORTERS TO SAUDI ARABIA VEHICLE TYRES ROLLING RESISTANCE AND WET GRIP REQUIREMENTS The Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Org (SASO) has issued new specifications for imported tyres into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) has updated the Saudi Technical Regulation No. SASO 2857:2014 “Vehicle tyres rolling resistance and wet grip requirements” based on relevant ADMO, International and National Foreign Standards and references. The approved Saudi Technical Regulation will replace and supersede Saudi Technical Regulation No.

SASO 2857:2014. The technical regulation is concerned with the maximum rolling resistance and

QATAR GAS RESERVES TO LAST 138 YEARS ON CURRENT OUTPUT Qatar has enough gas reserves to maintain production at current rates for some 138 years and is therefore likely to remain central to global hydrocarbon markets for a number of years to come, QNB has said in a report. According to QNB, Qatar remains central to the global hydrocarbon sector based on new data for 2014 released in ‘BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy’. Qatar remains the third largest producer of natural gas in the world after the US and Russia with 5.1% of global production. The country is also the world’s top exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) with 31% of total global exports in 2014. This central role is a rAesult of its large endowment of hydrocarbon reserves. In terms of oil and gas reserves per capita, Qatar remains well ahead of the other major oil and gas producers with 83.6k barrels of oil equivalent (boe) in 2014.

Saudi Gazette, 23/06/2015

minimum wet grip requirements of all new tyres, imported, produced or sold in the Kingdom. Date of Publication in the Official Gazette: 28/06/1436 (H) - Approved 17/04/2015 (M). Date of Enforcement of this Standard: 18/01/1437 (H) - Approved 01/11/2015 (M). Any company seeking to export car tyres to the Kingdom is obliged to ensure that their products meet with the new specifications, full details of which can be obtained from SASO http://www.saso.gov.sa/en/contactus/ Pages/default.aspx

GCC MEMBERS TO UNIFY METROLOGY, STANDARDISATION SYSTEMS The head of the Emirates Authority for Standardisation & Metrology (Esma) said that members of the GCC are planning to introduce unified metrology and standardisation systems in a bid to receive international recognition for their services, help remove barriers to trade and to boost national economies. Abdullah Al Maeni, Director-General of Esma, said joint Gulf metrological committees, during recent meetings in Dubai, decided to participate in comparisons between measurements conducted by the GCC national metrology institutes and measurements conducted by the European Association of National Metrology (Euramet). Comparisons of standards of pressures and mass measurement are already being conducted in coordination with the National Metrology Institute of Turkey, a member of EMS and a participant in the activities of the Gulf Association for Metrology (Gulfmet). Dubai recently hosted a five-day meeting of Gulfmet, the new regional metrology organisation established under the auspices of GCC Standardisation Organisation (GSO), bringing together national metrology institutes of the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait as well as Yemen.

Emirates News Agency, 28/06/2015

IMF LIFTS OUTLOOK FOR SAUDI GDP The International Monetary Fund has raised its outlook for Saudi Arabia’s economic growth this year but also predicted a much bigger state budget deficit after talks with officials. The Saudi economy will keep expanding strongly this year, showing little effect from the oil price drop, but growth will slow in 2016 as lower oil revenues hit state spending, the IMF said after annual consultations with Riyadh. Gross domestic product is projected to grow 3.5 percent in 2015, unchanged from 2014, the IMF said. That marked an upgrade from last month, when the IMF forecast 3.0 percent growth for Saudi Arabia this year. “Government spending in 2015 is expected to remain strong, partly due to a number of one-off factors, while oil revenues have declined,” IMF mission chief Tim Callen said. Among other things, King Salman announced hefty bonuses for state employees to mark his accession to power in January. Callen added, however, that growth would slow to 2.7 percent in 2016 as government spending began to adjust to the lower oil price environment. Over the medium term, growth is expected to be around 3 percent, he added. The IMF also projected a fiscal deficit of around 20 percent of GDP in 2015 much larger than the 14.2 percent gap that it had forecast in May, and the biggest deficit since at least 1999, IMF records show.

Reuters, 02/06/2015

BUSINESS & PROJECT NEWS

UAE STAYS SECOND TOP FDI RECIPIENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST The UAE remained the second largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Middle East after Turkey in 2014, according to the United Nations. FDI flows into the UAE and Saudi Arabia — the region’s second and third largest recipients — registered slight declines and remained about $10 billion and $8 billion respectively as Middle East sustained its downward FDI trend in 2014 for the sixth consecutive year, decreasing by four per cent to $43bn, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad), said in its World Investment Report. FDI remained sluggish in the GCC countries, the region’s main FDI destination (61 per cent in 2009–2014). It was down by four per cent to $22bn in 2014, despite these states having been relatively unscathed by political unrest and enjoying robust economic growth in recent years, the report said. FDI flows worldwide dropped to $1.23trn in 2014, largely due to shaky investor confidence. But in 2015, FDI is expected to rebound after falling 16 per cent in 2014 due to a fragile world economy and political crises. Flows to developing nations reached their highest level at $681bn — a two per cent rise, the World Investment Report 2015 said. The report forecast an 11 per cent rise in FDI this year to $1.4trn, spurred by higher investments by multinational organisations. “Expectations are for further rises to $1.5trn in 2016 and to $1.7trn in 2017,” it said. “The continuing decline in FDI inflows into the Middle East since 2009 stems from a succession of crises that have hit the region, including the global economic crisis and an eruption of political unrest leading to conflict in some countries. This has deterred FDI not

only into countries directly affected but also into neighbouring countries and those across the region,” the report said. “However, growth was uneven across different activities. Real estate acquisitions increased by 29 per cent and accounted for 25 per cent of total FDI flows in 2014. FDI to the manufacturing sector rebounded by 30 per cent to $3bn after a steep fall in 2013. But flows into public utilities and financial services dropped by 44 and 55 per cent to $1bn and $2bn respectively. While investment flows into Jordan and Lebanon remained stable in 2014, deteriorating security in Iraq cut short a recent resurgence of FDI there,” the Unctad report said. Outward FDI from the Middle East declined by six per cent in 2014 driven mainly by divestment (negative intra-company loans) from Bahrain. Kuwait, which has been the region’s largest overseas investor, saw FDI decline by 21 per cent to $13bn. Outward FDI from Turkey jumped by 89 per cent to $6.7bn, driven mainly by equity outflows, which rose by 61 per cent to $5bn, said the UN report. The decline of FDI flows into the region has occurred within a regional context of weakening private investment and strengthening public investment in relation to GDP starting from 2008, said the report. “This was most evident in GCC economies and has translated into state-led construction growth focused on infrastructure and oil and gas development, opening opportunities for foreign contractors to engage in new projects in the region through less risky non-equity modes,” it said.

Khaleej Times, 26/06/2105

IRAQ PRIVATE SECTOR SEEKS UK PARTNERS Private sector development in Iraq is possible through partnerships with international firms, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Dr Rowsch Shaways has told a business conference in London.

“In the long run such working arrangements will be a win - win situation. We will end up with a reliable Iraqi private sector and you will establish sustained markets for your products and services.

Dr Shaways was speaking at the Iraq Britain Business Council’s Spring Conference held at Mansion House in the city of London on 1-2 June.

“On other occasion in other countries, the Iraqi Federation of Chambers of Commerce has suggested establishing Trade Centres. I table here the same proposal to establish Trade Centres for UK commodities and we can facilitate the process. Such a step will contribute to increasing the level of trade between Iraq and the UK and of course it is the private sector that takes the lead in the whole process,” concluded the Deputy Prime Minister.

The minister stated, “The Iraqi Government continues efforts to expand the role of the Iraqi private sector to have a key role in our economy. However, this will be faster and better achieved if our private sector enters into partnerships and joint ventures with experienced and reliable international businesses and firms.

IBBC, 04/06/2015

MOROCCO POISED TO OPEN ITS FIRST ISLAMIC BANK Morocco is poised to have its first full-fledged Islamic bank as early as September as the only North African country rated investment grade seeks to tap the $1.8-trillion industry. Dar Assafaa, an affiliate of the country’s largest lender AttijariWafa Bank, will probably become the nation’s first wholly Shariah-compliant financial institution when the central bank approves its switch, according to the Moroccan Association of Participative Financiers. The country introduced a law in January to regulate Islamic financial products and allow local and foreign banks to set up units that comply with the religion’s ban on interest. “By September or October the first Shariah-compliant bank will start,” said Said Amaghdir, the chairman of the association. “Morocco’s financing needs are huge, especially in project finance, and the stability we enjoy here will act in favour of Morocco.” The Moroccan Association of Participative Financiers estimates total investment in Shariahcompliant products in the country will reach $7 billion by 2018.

Bloomberg, 09/03/2015

BUSINESS & PROJECT NEWS

NORTHERN BUSINESSES LOOK TO THE GULF Northern businesses were given expert advice on how to create opportunities in the high growth markets of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait at an event held at the University of Salford on the 8th June. The Gulf Tour to the UK event was part of a UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) initiative, which toured Salford, Nottingham, Cardiff, and London. The event featured panels teaching British businesses the specifics of the overseas Gulf markets with discussions led by sponsors HSBC and Pinsent Masons and UKTI experts. Speaking at the event, Prof Nigel Mellors, Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Salford, said: “As part of the event, the University team was able to share its experiences of establishing in the region, as we are the first UK University to establish a physical presence in Abu Dhabi in 2014.” The Deputy Consul General based in the British Embassy in Dubai, Ian Gibbons MBE, was the mission leader for the Gulf Tour, who explained its aims: “What we want to do over the course of the Tour is to identify individuals and other business support organisations, who will help us get our message across- to think about the Gulf when exporting - to as many local companies as it is possible. “We want to work with the University of Salford, because its reputation will add to our credibility when we are articulating

opportunities, particularly in the education sector.” The executive director of the Saudi Arabia British-Business Counsel, Chris InnesHopkins, also participated in the event panels, who commented: “Middle Eastern visitors know London very well- they know Knightsbridge, Hyde Park, and Mayfair. But getting them out of London is sometimes a challenge. But I think Manchester and Salford are increasingly on the map.” Salford City Mayor, Ian Stewart, commented: “Today’s event is significant because it has provided opportunities for local businesses and it is a step towards the growth of this country in a northward direction.” At the end of the event, guests were provided with a networking lunch and opportunities to have one-to-one meetings with Gulf experts. Over the last 12 months, The University of Salford has expanded its presence internationally, opening its first international hub in Abu Dhabi to develop public and private sector skills and to meet the demands of the Abu Dhabi 2030 Economic Vision. Under the stewardship of Ali Kadir, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical and Petroleum Engineering, the University has also made progress in securing students with internships in Gulf countries. Kadir revealed: “Last week, I attended the Energy Industry Conference, where I managed to build links with top companies, such as bp, Shell, and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). “ The University is also working towards developing work placements and opportunities for split-side PhDs for staff at the above-listed companies.

University of Salford, 22/06/2015

OMAN FINANCE MINISTRY LAUNCHES STATE BUDGET GUIDE Oman’s Ministry of Finance has launched a State Budget Guide on its website, which contains a brief history of the State General Budget and objectives upon which the budget for the year 2015 is based. The statement, issued by the Ministry of Finance, said that the guide includes readings for the major items

of the budget, such as oil and gas revenues and expenses of the civil ministries, as well as various types of government subsidy, such as loan interest subsidy, electricity subsidy and petroleum products subsidy.

ONA, 21/06/2015

QIA ‘KEEN TO INVEST IN CARDIFF AIRPORT’ The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has expressed keen interest in the proposed development of a logistics and transport hub around Cardiff Airport in South Wales, UK Trade & Investment chief executive Dominic Jeremy told Gulf Times. Jeremy, who met with the QIA, Qatari Diar, and other investors in Doha, said the meeting revolved around the development of Cardiff Airport, which is part of the “northern powerhouse,” a proposal to drive economic growth in the north of England by the 2010-15 coalition government and the 2015-20 Conservative government in the UK. “We were talking about an investment proposition around Cardiff Airport that the Welsh government owns, including both the land and infrastructure around the airport. They’re pulling together quite a powerful proposition for a combined logistics, business, and transport hub based around Cardiff Airport. “And this very much fits in with a wider political agenda that we’ve got as the UK government that Mr Cameron is driving really hard to develop economically parts of the UK outside of London and the south east,” Jeremy said. He also stressed that the discussions aim to open the doors for Qatari investors on the Cardiff Airport project, and how they can take part of the northern powerhouse proposal. “With some of the investment businesses that we were talking to today, we were opening the doors for the whole conversation on what Cardiff Airport has in store in the future,” he said.

Gulf Times, 16/06/2015

GCC

GCC PROJECTS 2015

A recent report surveys some of the major projects planned and underway across the Gulf in 2015. “2015 stands to be another key stepping stone year as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) continues to grow, with the everincreasing launch of major projects. From road to rail, hotels to hospitality, engineering to Expos, most sectors and service providers are under increasing strain to meet demand. “Liquidity, absent from the market just three years ago, is ﬂowing again with bankers and investors keen to be involved in the resurgence of ambition and opportunity,” says Andrew Jeffery of Deloitte. Mr Jeffrey, MD Capital Projects Advisory Middle East, Deloitte, was introducing the report, GCC Powers of Construction 2015. Its forecast for projects planned and underway in the GCC in 2015 is put at US$172 billion; which is the highest on record to date. “The unprecedented investment across the region in transportation, infrastructure and social infrastructure over the last 10 years looks to continue unabated, increasing trade and travel driving inbound and outbound investment across the region. These are all opportunities for an increasingly brighter future for us all,” Jeffrey says. The survey lists the key projects by country.

Bahrain The largest expected 2015 award for Bahrain is the Bahrain International Airport upgrade, which amounts to US$4.6 billion in total. This will be the largest project Bahrain has seen

for years and is expected to be awarded in packages/phases with the ﬁrst wave of these anticipated to be in 2015. This is planned to be a 170,000 square meter terminal building, together with associated buildings and infrastructure for car parks and aircraft parking areas.

Kuwait Three of the largest project awards for Kuwait which are expected this year are all related to Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) - New Refinery Project: Package 1 (process plant) US$3.55 billion, New Refinery Project: Package 2 (process plant) US$3 billion, and New Refinery Project: Package 3 (utilities and offsites) US$3 billion.

project currently planned in Oman. It will be executed in nine segments and completed by 2022. Joint ventures of leading international construction and engineering companies are bidding for this railway project’s ﬁrst segment, which is a design and build contract that is expected to be awarded by the second half of this year. The next two largest projects employers hope to award in 2015 are ORPC – Liwa Steam Cracker & Polyethylene Project for US$1.7 billion, which will enhance both fuel and plastics production, and SEZAD - Liquid Terminal Project for US$1.3 billion, designed to handle the increase in liquid volumes associated with a large-scale reﬁnery and petrochemicals hub envisioned at the Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

KNPC, which currently operates three reﬁneries, has planned to set up a fourth one with the strategic goal of supplying local power plants with low sulfur fuel (less than 1% compared to current 4%), therefore aiming to enhance Kuwait’s petroleum products on the world markets, and signiﬁcantly reduce pollutant emissions.

When looking at projects in the pre-execution phase which employers hope to award in 2015, the oil, gas and chemical sectors stand out as the largest once again, amounting to US$11.6 billion.

The largest expected award is for KGOC/ Chevron - Wafra Joint Operations Heavy Oil Project: Phase 1, for US$5 billion, to boost output of heavy oil by more than 80,000 barrels per day (bpd).

In Qatar, the two largest projects in preexecution phase and expected to be awarded in 2015 are from QRail, namely the QIRP: Passenger & Freight Rail, budgeted at US$15 billion, and from QIRP, whose Passenger & Freight Rail: Phase 2 is budgeted at US$3 billion.

Based on MEED Projects data, there are signiﬁcant projects in the pre-execution phase which employers hope to award in 2015, with US$23 billion purely for the oil and gas sector.

Oman The largest project in pre-execution phase is Oman Rail Oman National Railway, with a total length of 2,135 km, which is budgeted at US$15.6 billion and is the single largest

Qatar

A total of 400km of mainline rail connecting Qatar to neighbouring countries and 260 km of metro and light rail are planned; most of this is to be completed before the World Cup begins. This is followed by two projects, one for the new Qatar Economic Zone budgeted at US$3 billion, which is one of the three new planned economic zones mainly focusing on logistics and air freight companies (expected to be

GCC

the biggest of the three), and Occidental Petroleum Corporation (Oxy) - Idd e Shargi North Dome Expansion Phase 5, again budgeted for US$3 billion. So in Qatar a clear focus on infrastructure continues as expected.

In the city of Mecca, the project Mecca Metro: Lines B and C for US$8 billion is to be awarded to help transport pilgrims around the Holy City.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The dwarﬁng infrastructure project of the region is of course DWC: Al Maktoum International Airport

The largest project in pre-execution phase in KSA is Al Mozaini - Riyadh East Sub Center, for US$15 billion. Riyadh East Sub Center is a mixed use commercial, retail and residential highdensity development to be situated within the eastern sub-centre of the capital, Riyadh. It is spread over a 200 hectare site and has been designed with a total built-up area of 7.2 million m2 with a maximum building height of 300m. When fully realized, it will cater to the needs of approximately 600,000 people within a 20km radius. The second largest project in pre-execution phase is Khozam Development in Jeddah for US$13.3 billion. This mixed-use development located in the south east of the centre of Jeddah is expected to develop the area economically, culturally and socially. It will be built in four phases executed in parallel, with a site area of 4 million square meters and a planned built-up area of 15,000,000m2, and will include residential units, commercial districts, hospitals, leisure and related facilities. These are obviously massive mixed-use developments which will take several years to be executed. When and how these projects will be awarded is yet to be determined by the developers.

UAE

expansion, currently budgeted at US$32 billion. The development, anticipated to be the biggest airport in the world, accommodating more than 200 million passengers a year, is being built in two phases, with phase 1 calling for two main terminals and three runways. The entire development will cover an area of 56km2. This is followed by a massive industrial project in Abu Dhabi for Tacaamol - AlGharbia Chemicals Industrial City, planned at US$20 billion. Being led by Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC), the project comprises 12 plants that will be located in the new Mina Khalifa Industrial Zone. The ﬁrst phase of the project is expected to have an output of more than eight million tons per year. The chemical industrial city will help diversify the predominantly oilbased economy by setting up complementary industries and associated services. The UAE projects would not be complete if there were no plans for large scale, mixeduse developments, such as Dubai Holding/ Emaar Properties- MBR City: Dubai Creek Harbour planned at US$17.7 billion. Located at the head of the Dubai Creek, the development of the Ras Al Khor area into a business hub is being planned.

Covering an area of 3450 hectares, the project will comprise a mixed-use development, an entrepreneurial zone, residences, educational facilities, cultural amenities and leisure, while the centrepiece will be The Dubai Twin Towers, which will be the tallest twin towers in the world. There are several other sectors with several billions being planned on capital projects, with the top sector for 2015 being mixed-use and residential projects amounting to US$24 billion.

In summary In summary, some mammoth projects are on the horizon once again. Out of the total US$2.8 trillion projects which are in execution and pre execution phases, 40% of this value relates to residential, leisure and hospitality buildings and mixed-use developments, totalling an anticipated budget value of US$1.1 trillion. These projects are the most sensitive in terms of balancing supply and demand in each of the GCC countries, with timing of delivery balanced alongside a sensible return on investment likely impacting the awards of these projects speciﬁcally. Deloitte says that it expects to see the GCC countries managing economic growth and planned capital projects to create diversiﬁed economies with effective debt and capital funding in the coming years. The full report, GCC Powers of Construction 2015, can be found here: http://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/ real-estate/articles/gcc-powers-ofconstruction-2015.html

LEBANNON

LEBANON: THE REGION’S CREATIVE HUB The Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL) introduces the country’s creative industries. Lebanon is home to one of the most noteworthy Media industries in the Middle East. The Lebanese media sector is highly developed and consists of varied industries including television broadcasting, advertising services, audio-visual production, publishing, music production as well as new emerging markets such as Digital media. The industry is a major contributor to the Lebanese economy.

Key Facts & Figures n The media industry accounted for nearly 4.75% of Lebanese GDP in 2013 and generated an added value of around 55.3% n The sector comprises more than 450 companies and employs around 4.5% of the Lebanese labour force n Lebanon heads the advertising community in the Levant with a total spending of USD 463 million. It also has the highest contribution of creative industries to the national GDP in the MENA n The Media Industry spans across several fields: Television Broadcasting, Advertising, Production & Post Production, Digital Media, Publishing and Music.

Competitive Advantages Lebanon is a source of talent to the entire Arab region that is both highly skilled and cost competitive: n Every year, some 600 students are estimated to graduate with a degree in audio-visual arts. Specialized universities and faculties ensure these students are fit to meet the market requirements n Seven Lebanese universities offer courses in film production or audio-visual arts. n Workers are not only highly skilled with average wages usually 50%-60% lower than in GCC countries. n Access to a large Middle Eastern market: Total household media consumption in the Middle East is considerably higher than

in most developed markets, including the US, Japan, and European countries, with an average annual growth rate of 22.9%. n The market continues to be highly promising with a youthful population ensuring a continued rise in demand; 52 % of the population in the Arab world is aged 25 and less. n According to the Arab Media Outlook report, advertisement spending is expected to grow by 5.9% till 2015 owing to the economic recovery of the Arab world and the growth of digital advertising. Online advertising is expected to reach USD 1 Billion in 2017. The Arab online addressees are one of the fastest growing sectors with a growth rate of 2500% per annum. n Liberal media sector: The country has the most liberal media sector in the Middle East, with minimal to no restrictions on broadcasting and publishing activities. In the MENA region, Lebanon has one of the highest Freedom of Expression Ranking. n Diverse geography: Lebanon’s diverse geographic scene is considered very adequate for filming and production, facilitated with the presence of 250 days of sunlight, offering weather conditions and geographic areas adequate for shooting, and with diverse locations. n Adequate legal framework: The Lebanese government has persistently spearheaded efforts to modernize media laws while playing an active role in enforcing intellectual property rights and regulations.

IDAL’s Support To The Lebanese Film Industry At Cannes We were present in Cannes from 13-25 May 2015 along with the Fondation Liban Cinema and the Office du Tourisme, to promote for Lebanon’s film industry and to network among the industry’s key players.

Objectives Of Participation 1. To create awareness of Lebanon as a media hub for the region 2. To increase interest in Lebanon as a destination for film production 3. To promote for Lebanese films

4. To support companies wishing to establish their business projects in Lebanon 5. To provide for existing Lebanese filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their brilliant work to an international audience. IDAL, apart from the networking opportunities and B to B meetings, took part in a roundtable discussion on the new drive of Lebanese cinema: Roundtable: Produced in Lebanon: The new drive of the Lebanese cinema: in 2015 several feature films and documentaries have been shot, including movies by Daniele Arbid, Georges Hashem, Assad Fouladkar, Maryanne Zehil, Vatche Boulghourjian. Academics and professionals commented on the evolution of this production and presented new initiatives to stimulate the sector across the financing, production, distribution and promotion fields. They also presented the main cinematographic manifestations during this year in Lebanon. A reception followed in the presence of Ely Dagher, a young filmmaker, whose short animation “Waves 98” has been selected for the official competition and won the Palme d’Or.

Investment Incentives For The Media Sector If you are involved in the film industry either through production, post production or distribution activities and would like to establish your project in Lebanon, you need to secure a minimum investment size of $200,000 or $400,000 (capital investment in land or machine) along with 25 job opportunities to take advantage of a range of incentives and business support services that include: n Up to 100% exemption on corporate income tax for up to 10 years n Up to 100% exemption on profits from dividends for up to 10 years n 100% exemption on land registration fees n 50% reduction on work and residence permits for foreign workers n Up to a 50% reduction on construction permits fees.

Contact IDAL Email: invest@idal.com.lb http://investinlebanon.gov.lb/

ALGERIA

ALGERIA MOVES TO BOOST AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

Weaker oil prices coupled with a drive to improve food security have prompted Algeria to accelerate its planned agricultural reforms over the next five years. In 2014, the government announced plans to spend AD300bn (€2.8bn) annually on agriculture, as part of the “Plan Quinquennal 2015-19”, to build on the country’s Agricultural and Rural Renewal Policy (Politique de Renouveau Agricole et Rurale, PRAR). During the 2014-15 agricultural season, the government aims to facilitate a number of improvements, such as the introduction of advanced irrigation techniques and higher fertiliser usage. It will also be looking to increase domestic production of staples from potatoes to milk.

Strengthening a key sector Currently the agricultural sector is a major component of the country’s nonhydrocarbons economy. As a whole, farming and agroindustrial activity contributes just under 9% to Algeria’s GDP, and in 2013, it employed more than 2.4m people – equal to nearly one-fifth of the entire labour force. Agriculture’s share of GDP has eased slightly since 2012, when it was closer to 10%, but that is due primarily to stronger revenues in the secondary sector. Agricultural production has actually increased steadily since in recent years, reaching more than €23bn in 2013. The PRAR, which was launched in 2008, has

been a key driver of industry development in recent years, leading to an annual growth rate in agricultural production of 8.3% between 2010 and 2014, up from an average of 6% between 2000 and 2008. Measures introduced under the initial PRAR scheme included facilitating farmers’ access to land and the introduction of preferential lending rates for producers, along with efforts to encourage farming in under-served areas such as the Hauts-Plateaux. While the PRAR has seen improvements in terms of production, development and equipment usage, there is still plenty more to be done, according to the minister of agriculture, Abdelwahab Nouri. “Agriculture continues to face challenges with respect to the climate and a lack of institutional order,” Nouri said, speaking to OBG in the summer of 2014. “To address these issues, the government is allocating additional budgetary funds to improve agriculture and rural development from 2015 to 2019,” he added.

Planning ahead A number of key challenges will need to be tackled over the next five years if the programme objectives are to be met. Unsurprisingly, given the country’s arid environment, water usage is one of the primary focal points. The government hopes to create 2m ha of irrigated land − from 1.2m ha currently − with over a quarter earmarked for the production of cereals. Authorities are also partway through the development of a 22km system of canals and pumps that will help support cereal production in the north-east while improving access to land for farmers operating informally remains a key focus. Increasing the use of fertilisers in Algeria

is also another key objective under the government’s five-year plan, including the creation of co-operatives, which can work together in the area of machinery and fertilisers. At present, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development subsidises 20% of the cost of fertilisers. However, figures from the World Bank indicate that Algeria’s use of fertilisers between 2009 and 2013 sat well below that of some of its peers. Producers used an average of 12.7 kg of fertiliser per ha of arable land in Algeria, significantly less than Morocco (39.1 kg per ha) and Tunisia (40.4 kg per ha). Algeria is also targeting improving the technical capacity of its farmers. While still in its early stages, the creation of the School of Agricultural, Forestry and Agribusiness Professions (Ecole nationale des métiers de l’agriculture, des forêts et de l’agro-industrie , ENMAFA) is expected to play a major role improving training and vocational skills. The school will provide training in agriculturerelated occupations, forestry and agroindustry with the exact location of the school still to be determined. Improving productivity, including focusing on an intensified local production and greater use of new farming techniques, should be the focus moving forward according to the director of the Algerian National Institute of Agronomic Research, Fouad Chehat. “With the pace of population growth in the population, food needs are increasingly important. To ensure better coverage of demand, it is imperative to act on improving yields of agricultural production,” Chehat told local media.

Oxford Business Group www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/

SAUDI ARABIA

TOP FIRMS SEE POTENTIAL IN SAUDI STOCK EXCHANGE Saudi Arabia’s stock exchange - valued at $585 billion - has opened up to direct foreign investment for the first time. Investors say the opening up the stock market, Tadawul, may not attract an immediate influx of foreign investment, but is a sign that the Kingdom is further liberalizing its economy. The Saudi market trades more than $2.4 billion in daily value compared to the $18.2 billion traded in all of emerging markets on daily basis representing 13 percent of emerging markets liquidity, according to data compiled by SEDCO Capital. The bourse is up 14.74 percent so far this year. But the Tadawul All-Share Index (TASI) dropped on Monday as modest trading volumes indicated there were no big fund inflows from abroad on the first day that the market opened. Only one foreign institution, HSBC, declared that it had obtained a license to invest and traded shares on the first day. “Today marks one of the most important moments in the history of Saudi financial markets and HSBC is pleased to have played a role in supporting their development,” HSBC said. Tadawul CEO Adel Al-Ghamdi told Reuters that regulators were processing six applications. He also said that he expected a flurry of licenses allowing foreign investors to buy shares in coming weeks. Speaking on the day the exchange opened its doors to direct foreign investment, Adel Al-Ghamdi said the first ‘Qualified Investor License’ should be awarded straight away and rules for foreign investors should evolve with time. “As we evolve, there might be a spike of involvement from foreign investors over the next two or three months, but that will stabilize as we go forward.” John Sfakianakis, Middle East director at Ashmore Group, commented: “The opening up of the market is very important because Saudi Arabia has both the scale and wealth and they are among the few within the Emerging Market space that can command such prowess.” He said: “The event of Saudi Arabia opening up is a very positive development for the entire Gulf region.” Bassel Khatoun, chief investment officer

— MENA Equities, Franklin Templeton Investments, commented: “We view the opening of the Saudi stock exchange to foreign direct investment as a constructive, and indeed, positive development for the market. With a capitalization that exceeds $550 billion, the Tadawul is the region’s largest, and compares to major emerging markets such as Turkey, South Africa and Russia in scale.” He added: “While we do have access to the market through promissory notes, we are currently exploring options to enter the market as a qualified foreign investor and are working closely with the relevant authorities and our internal teams.” Hasan Al-Jabri, CEO of SEDCO Capital, said: “The opening of the market comes as part of a continuing policy to deepen the equity market and broaden the investor base. Over the last decade, the Saudi Capital Market Authority has pursued several steps to make the Saudi market attractive to foreign investors, including aligning working days with other regional and international markets, improving corporate governance standards and disclosure norms by making quarterly earning disclosures mandatory for listed companies.” Al-Jabri said that Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority is among the most respected in the Middle East. The CMA has clamped down on several occasions to ensure market participants comply with listing and reporting regulations, he pointed out. Yazan M Abdeen, lead MENA Fund Manager and head of MENA Liquid Assets at SEDCO Capital, explained why the appeal of the Saudi market was immense and irresistible: “Saudi Arabia has simply put itself at the centre of the global investment scene with its opening to foreign investors.” Abdeen added: “The interest in the Saudi stock market will build up to become enormous over

the course of the coming two years as Tadawul makes its way into an emerging market status, due to the country’s strong economy and growing capital markets.” He said: “This will also allow Tadawul to be targeted by large pools of global institutional investors who will predominately reduce the effects of the dominance of retail investors in the Saudi market which will trigger lower market volatility. The significance of the market, combined with a lack of currency risk, will enforce emerging market managers (both active and passive) to give more allocation to Saudi Arabia.” Abdeen said: “Investing in Saudi Arabia does not mean confinement to the energy sector, with not a single oil company listed, with time we will see that more will be done to encourage firms to focus more on tradable rather than non-tradable production in the nonoil sector.” Although petrochemical businesses have correlations with oil, they have less volatile earning streams and are exceptionally profitable when compared to other chemical businesses in other markets in the given low oil price environment as their competitive advantage in feedstock rise. Local investors in the Saudi market are positioned to benefit from the market institutionalization as it matures and selects its best breed asset managers that follow a fundamentally driven investment process to outperform the market and their peer,” he added. According to SEDCO Capital, Saudi Arabia’s stock market, Tadawul, is the largest in the Middle East with a market capitalization of $580 billion, equivalent to two thirds of Saudi GDP. Saudi Arabia’s market size is individually bigger than South Africa, Russia, Mexico and Turkey. It makes up 6.4 percent of the global Emerging Market’s capitalization, which stands at $8.3 trillion.

Arab News, 16/06/2015

TRADE SERVICES

ARAB BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE www.abcc.org.uk

FOREIGN OFFICE SERVICE

SCOTTISH EXPORTS

SCOTTISH EXPORTS TO MIDDLE EAST GROW TO $2.2BN Scottish exports to the Middle East increased to £1.5 billion ($2.2bn), according to the most recent Global Connections Survey from Scottish Development International (SDI), the Scottish Government’s investment and business development agency. The UAE remains the largest market in the region accounting for £605 million ($894 million) of Scottish export, up 22 per cent from the prior year, said a statement. The GCC’s economic growth and modest inflation combined with its broad-based commitment to helping companies do business in the region have contributed and resulted in increased figures of exports from Scotland to the Middle East. This was driven primarily by the food and drink, energy, business and financial services and the metals, metal goods and mechanical engineering sectors. Tom Marchbanks, regional manager Middle East, Scottish Development International, said: “Trade figures clearly show that the Middle East has remained a key market for Scottish companies, with food and drink being a particular success story, to a growing demand on energy, education and financial services in this region, particularly the UAE doubling its import numbers compared to larger markets in the region.” “Scotland has always provided an immense pool of talent that has spawned world leading products and services across the globe. The Middle East and especially Dubai has a vast demand for quality products and services,” he said. “We have witnessed Scottish food and drink companies launching new products at Gulfood exhibition in Dubai last month; this clearly demonstrates an increasing appetite in the Middle East market. Also, with significant money being invested in the education sector in the region this presents fantastic opportunities for Scottish education suppliers,” he added.

Marchbanks concluded: “We are aware of the competition for inward investment, and we continue to increase our resources in new and emerging markets so we can respond to global opportunities.” The Middle East is considered as a priority market for Scotland. Over the past few years, Scotland has had multiple visits from Scottish Ministerial and senior SDI’s team coming over to the GCC to be part of major exhibitions and conferences, it added.

Trade Arabia, 18/03/2015

MAKING THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS Alex Watson, Head of Corporate Services at Davidson & Co Legal Consultants has lived and worked in Dubai for the last fourteen years. Alex is a member of Scottish Enterprise’s GlobalScot network with a wealth of local knowledge and expertise about the Middle East market. Scottish companies can tap into this valuable GlobalScot resource for practical and commercial advice about doing business in the region. “Scotland has always provided an immense pool of talent that has spawned world leading products and services across the globe”, explains Alex Watson, offering some practical tips and advice on routes to doing business in the Middle East. “The Middle East and especially Dubai has a vast demand for quality products and services. Irrespective of sector from education and food through to technology and services the Middle East’s appetite for innovative services and products will far outstrip local demand for the foreseeable future.” Uniquely the GlobalScot network provides real advice to real companies from real people. The network gives Scottish businesses easy access to industry leaders and experienced business owners to help them do business almost anywhere in the world. Alex has assisted Scottish companies in his role as a GlobalScot, including specialist service providers in oil and gas, education and project management and consultancy. “Whether in the form of doing business in the Middle East or actual incorporation of their company, these organisations among others are now actively doing business in the Middle East”, explains Alex.

“Dubai represents a global hub that allows Scottish businesses a springboard to both local and regional markets; with the support of Dubai Government, Dubai FDI and the Dubai Economic Department doing business in Dubai is becoming more straightforward.” “Accessing the region has never been easier with world-renowned airline Emirates offering twice daily flights to and from Glasgow as well as interconnecting flights across the region.” Having watched Dubai grow since arriving there in 1999, Alex says there has never been a better time for Scottish companies to broaden their horizons and look for new opportunities in one of the world’s fastest developing markets. “Although the advertised mega projects such as the Dubai EXPO 2020 and Qatar World Cup 2022 appear to be some way off, the budgetary and pre-qualification processes are already rapidly progressing. Scottish companies should act now if they don’t want miss out on these exciting opportunities”.

Sector Opportunities in the Middle East n Construction n Education n Healthcare and medtech n Energy (oil and gas etc) n Financial and professional services n ICT n Luxury foods and textiles n Smart cities n Technology n Transport and logistics n Travel and tourism.

ECONOMIC FOCUS CHAMBER NEWS

ADVERTORIAL

ADCB and Santander have forged an innovative and dynamic partnership Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) was established in 1985 and is now one of the UAE’s largest and most respected banks. As at the end of March 2015 ADCB employs in excess of 4,000 staff (of 62 nationalities) and serves some 600,000 retail and 50,000 corporate clients across a network of 48 branches in the UAE together with overseas branches in India, Jersey and representative offices in London and Singapore. Total assets (end March 2105) exceed GBP 36.6 Billion with a market capitalisation (excluding treasury shares) of approximately GBP 6.0 billion. ADCB is a full service commercial bank offering a full range of retail banking, wealth management, private banking, corporate and commercial banking, investment banking, foreign exchange, interest rate and currency derivatives and Islamic products/structures, project finance and property management. ADCB established a representative office in London in 2014 and provides advisory services, referral and introduction to corporate and commercial clients in the UK wishing to avail of trade, cash and treasury services in the UAE for which the bank has enjoyed an unrivalled series of major awards. The office also works with UK partners organisations and specialists to support their UAE clients requiring banking services in the UK market. In the UK the bank has formed an alliance with Santander UK to serve and support those of their clients who seek to take advantage of the dynamic and fast-growing export to the UAE, now one of the UK’s Top 10 export markets. Santander Group is a diverse retail and commercial bank with 1,157 branches in the UK and around 14,000 worldwide; more than any other international bank.

between the UK market the UAE and wider GCC and MENA markets. ADCB and Santander are proud to support the work of the Arab British Chamber and their membership.

ADCB Awards: Santander in the UK provide strong local knowledge and expertise and are increasingly the bank of choice for ambitious businesses seeking to expand internationally. Working closely together – and both as active members of the Arab British Chamber of Commerce in the UK – the two banks have forged an innovative and dynamic partnership in driving bilateral trade for UK and UAE businesses alike. Through Santander’s award-winning Trade Portal commercial and corporate entities are able to identify and explore potential trade relationships in new markets such as the UAE which the two banks are then able to support through appropriate cash, trade and risk management solutions. ADCB and Santander owe their success to their relationship approach; looking to harness a full understanding of client businesses and their unique requirements. The banks deliver a customer-centric and service-led model and are proud to increasingly be the banks of choice to support ventures

Best for Cash Management, UAE 2015 – Euromoney

Best Trade Finance Provider in the UAE 2015- Euromoney

Best Bank for Cash Management in the Middle East 2015- Global Finance

Best Supply Chain Finance Provider Award, Middle East 2015- Global Finance

Best Trade Finance Bank in UAE 2015Global Finance

Santander Awards: l

Best Business Current Account Provider - Business Moneyfacts 2015

Best International Solutions Provider Business Moneyfacts 2015

Innovation in the SME Finance Sector (Santander Trade Portal) - Business Moneyfacts 2015

Business Bank of the Year - Business Moneyfacts 2015

‫‪ARABIC SECTION‬‬

‫جانب من الحضور في االجتماع‬

‫وتطرق السفير إلى شرح عدداً من المشاريع الجديدة السيما مشاريع‬ ‫البنية التحتية مثل الطرق‪ ،‬والمالعب‪ ،‬ومترو الدوحة والبنية التحتية‬ ‫الجديدة في قطاع النفط والغاز‪ ،‬ودعى الشركات إلى اإلطالع على هذه‬ ‫الفرص‪ .‬وأشار إلى أن السلطات العامة التابعة لوزارة الصناعة في‬ ‫دولة قطر كانت دائما ً على استعداد لمساعدة المستثمرين‪ ،‬وفي هذا‬ ‫الصدد ذكر أن مركز قطر للمال ممكن أن يقدم المشورة للمستثمرين‬ ‫والشركات‪ ،‬وكان لمركز قطر للمال حضور في اجتماع المائدة‬ ‫المستديرة‪.‬‬

‫وعلق السفير بأن قطر تسير حسب ما رسمته من خطط ولم يؤثر عليها‬ ‫انخفاض أسعار النفط‪ ،‬وأن المشاريع التي وضعت في طريقها للتنفيذ‬ ‫حسب الجداول الزمنية المقررة‪ ،‬وذكر أيضا ً بأن قطر تولي اهمية كبيرة‬ ‫لموضوع البيئة وتنقية الهواء‪ ،‬وهي تعتبر من األولويات بالنسبة لدولة‬ ‫قطر‪ ،‬ومن هنا فإن هذا المجال يمثل فرصة جديدة للمستثمرين‬ ‫والشركات في هذا المجال‪ .‬وعرج سعادته على أهمية سوق العقارات‬ ‫في المملكة المتحدة للمستثمرين القطريين حيث تتمركز الكثير من‬ ‫األموال للمستثمرين األجانب‪.‬‬

‫وذكر السيد السفير بأن واحة قطر للعلوم تعمل كمنطقة حرة لجذب‬ ‫المبدعين والمستثمرين للبالد‪ ،‬وأكد بأن مشروع جسر قطر‪ -‬البحرين‬ ‫سيتم إنجازه قريباً‪ .‬وفيما يتعلق بمشاريع كأس العالم‪ ،‬ذكر سعادة‬ ‫السفير أن قطر تخطط إلنشاء ثمانية مالعب (استادات) والتي ستكتمل‬ ‫بحلول عام ‪ ،2020‬وذلك قبل عامين من الحدث الفعلي لنهائيات كأس‬ ‫العالم‪ ،‬ويجري البحث عن الشركات التي لديها الخبرة والتكنولوجيا‬ ‫المناسبة للمساعدة في تنفيذ هذه البنية التحتية الجديدة‪ .‬وأشار‬ ‫سعادة السفير إلى أن مجاالً أخراً مهما ً تسعى قطر للبحث عن شركاء‬ ‫لديهم الخبرة الالزمة في تطوير شبكة األمان في عالم االتصاالت‬ ‫المعلوماتية‪ ،‬والتي تسعى قطر إلى دعمها وتوفير عدم إمكانية اختراق‬ ‫شبكة المعلومات الخاصة بها‪.‬‬ ‫وفي ختام حديثة تقدمت البارونة سيمونز لسعادته بالشكر الجزيل‬ ‫وفتحت باب النقاش والحوار وطرح االسئلة‪.‬‬ ‫طرحت بعض االسئلة عن بعض القضايا من قبل الحضور خصوصا ً ما‬ ‫يتعلق بالجداول الزمنية لبدء وإنهاء بعض المشاريع‪ ،‬وما إذا كان‬ ‫هناك عقود جديدة تنوي قطر إطالقها‪ .‬كما طرح موضوع هبوط أسعار‬ ‫النفط ومدى تأثيره على خطط ومشاريع قطر‪ ،‬وكذلك اسئلة تتعلق‬ ‫بموضوع تدريب المهندسين والمهنيين القطريين في المملكة المتحدة‪،‬‬ ‫وكذلك فرص الشراكة في قطاعات الرعاية الصحية والتعليم‬ ‫والتشريعات البيئية‪.‬‬ ‫معالي السيد يوسف بن علي الخاطر والبارونة سيمونز‬

‫في الختام‪ ،‬تقدمت البارونة سيمونز بالشكر لسعادة السفير والحضور‬ ‫على النقاش الفعال‪ ،‬وسلطت البارونة الضوء على الدور الذي يمكن‬ ‫للغرفة أن تلعبه في تشجيع المستثمرين المحتملين إلى قطر وكذلك‬ ‫اإلطالع على الفرص المتاحة في بريطانيا كلها وليس في لندن فحسب‪،‬‬ ‫بما في ذلك المملكة المتحدة واسكتلندا وويلز وإيرلندا الشمالية‪.‬‬

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‫ ‪ARABIC SECTION‬‬

‫قطر‬ ‫دولة قطر‬ ‫سفير دولة‬ ‫مع سفير‬ ‫المستديرة مع‬ ‫الطاولة المستديرة‬ ‫اجتماع الطاولة‬ ‫اجتماع‬ ‫‪Qatar‬‬ ‫‪Qatar Ambassadorial‬‬ ‫‪Ambassadorial Roundtable‬‬ ‫‪Roundtable‬‬

‫معالي السيد يوسف بن علي الخاطر‪ ،‬سفير دولة قطر لدى المملكة المتحدة يتوسط اجتماع الطاولة المستديرة إلى جنب البارونة سيمونز‪ ،‬رئيس الغرفة التجارية العربية‬ ‫السيد يوسف بن علي الخاطر‪ ،‬سفير دولة قطر لدى المملكة المتحدة يتوسط اجتماع الطاولة المستديرة إلى جنب البارونة سيمونز‪ ،‬رئيس الغرفة التجارية العربية‬ ‫معالي‬ ‫البريطانية‬ ‫البريطانية‬

‫استضافت غرفة التجارة العربية البريطانية‪ ،‬في ‪ 18‬من شهر آيار‬ ‫آيار‬ ‫الطاولة من شهر‬ ‫ماع في ‪18‬‬ ‫البريطانية‪،‬‬ ‫التجارة‬ ‫استضافت‬ ‫المستديرة مع‬ ‫العربيةلندن اجت‬ ‫مقرها في‬ ‫غرفة في‬ ‫‪،2015‬‬ ‫(مايو)‬ ‫مع‬ ‫الطاولة‬ ‫المملكة لندن اجت‬ ‫مقرها في‬ ‫‪،2015‬‬ ‫المستديرةعلي‬ ‫يوسف بن‬ ‫المتحدة‪،‬ماعالسيد‬ ‫قطرفيلدى‬ ‫(مايو) دولة‬ ‫سفير‬ ‫علي‬ ‫البريطانيةيوسف‬ ‫المتحدة‪ ،‬السيد‬ ‫لدىمنالمملكة‬ ‫الخاطر‪،‬دولة‬ ‫سفير‬ ‫ومدراءبنشركات‬ ‫ممثلي الشركات‬ ‫قطر عدد‬ ‫بحضور‬ ‫الشركات البريطانية ومدراء شركات‬ ‫السلكعدد من‬ ‫بحضور‬ ‫الخاطر‪،‬‬ ‫ممثليفي لندن‪.‬‬ ‫الدبلوماسي‬ ‫وأعضاء من‬ ‫وأعضاء من السلك الدبلوماسي في لندن‪.‬‬ ‫افتتحت االجتماع الدكتورة أفنان ال ُ‬ ‫شعيبي‪ ،‬األمين العام والرئيس‬ ‫أعربت ال ُ‬ ‫والرئيس‬ ‫األمين العام‬ ‫عنعيبي‪،‬‬ ‫ش‬ ‫الدكتورة أفنان‬ ‫التنفيذي االجتماع‬ ‫افتتحت‬ ‫بسعادة الضيف‬ ‫ترحيبها‬ ‫للغرفة‪ ،‬والتي‬ ‫الضيف‬ ‫على ترحيبها‬ ‫السفير عن‬ ‫التيادةأعربت‬ ‫والمجتمعينللغرفة‪،‬‬ ‫التنفيذي‬ ‫بسعادةأعمال هذا‬ ‫المشاركة في‬ ‫وشكرتو سع‬ ‫هذا‬ ‫قطر في‬ ‫المشاركة‬ ‫السفير على‬ ‫وشكرت سع‬ ‫أعمال التي‬ ‫والحوافز‬ ‫الناشئة في‬ ‫علىادةالفرص‬ ‫والمجتمعينالذي يركز‬ ‫االجتماع‬ ‫التي‬ ‫وذكرت في قطر‬ ‫والمستثمرين‪.‬الناشئة‬ ‫للشركات على الفرص‬ ‫الذي يركز‬ ‫الدكتورة ال ُ‬ ‫والحوافز بأنها‬ ‫شعيبي‬ ‫االجتماعقطر‬ ‫توفرها‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫بأنها‬ ‫عيبي‬ ‫ش‬ ‫ال‬ ‫الدكتورة‬ ‫وذكرت‬ ‫والمستثمرين‪.‬‬ ‫للشركات‬ ‫قطر‬ ‫توفرهاقد حضرت مؤخراً منتدى الدوحة‪ ،‬وهو الحدث الدولي الذي‬ ‫كانت‬ ‫الذي‬ ‫األعمالالحدث‬ ‫الدوحة‪ ،‬وهو‬ ‫حضرت‬ ‫كانت‬ ‫لدولي قطر‪.‬‬ ‫في ا دولة‬ ‫منتدى تشجيع‬ ‫مؤخراً سمات‬ ‫هامة من‬ ‫أصبح قدسمة‬ ‫أصبح سمة هامة من سمات تشجيع األعمال في دولة قطر‪.‬‬ ‫ومن ثم تحدثت البارونة سيمونز‪ ،‬رئيس مجلس إدارة الغرفة‪ ،‬التي‬ ‫الغرفة‪ ،‬التي‬ ‫والحضور‪،‬سيمونز‪،‬‬ ‫تحدثت البارونة‬ ‫ومن‬ ‫سعادة‬ ‫إدارة من أن‬ ‫مجلس الرغم‬ ‫رئيسأنه على‬ ‫وأشارت إلى‬ ‫رحبتثمبالضيف‬ ‫سعادة‬ ‫أن‬ ‫من‬ ‫الرغم‬ ‫على‬ ‫أنه‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫وأشارت‬ ‫والحضور‪،‬‬ ‫بالضيف‬ ‫رحبت‬ ‫ً‬ ‫السفير قد تسلم منصبه حديثا إال أن سعادته له باع طويل في رسم‬ ‫له باع طويل في رسم‬ ‫والمملكةسعادته‬ ‫قطر ً إال أن‬ ‫بينحديثا‬ ‫منصبه‬ ‫العالقاتقد تسلم‬ ‫السفير‬ ‫المتحدة‪.‬‬ ‫اإلستراتيجية‬ ‫العالقات اإلستراتيجية بين قطر والمملكة المتحدة‪.‬‬ ‫وذكرت البارونة أن المملكة المتحدة تعمل بجد على العمل مع قطر‬ ‫قطر‬ ‫وإن مع‬ ‫‪،2022‬العمل‬ ‫العالمبجد على‬ ‫كأستعمل‬ ‫المتحدة‬ ‫المملكة‬ ‫البارونة أن‬ ‫وذكرت‬ ‫بريطانيا‬ ‫لنهائيات‬ ‫خططها‬ ‫ومساعدتها في‬ ‫كبيراً‪ ،2022.‬وإن بريطانيا‬ ‫نجاحا ًالعالم‬ ‫الحدثكأس‬ ‫لنهائيات‬ ‫على في‬ ‫ومساعدتها‬ ‫خططهايكون‬ ‫ضمان أن‬ ‫تحرص‬ ‫تحرص على ضمان أن يكون الحدث نجاحا ً كبيراً‪.‬‬

‫وطلبت من المجتمعين تقديم أنفسهم والشركات التي يمثلونها‬ ‫شركات يمثلونها‬ ‫والشركات التي‬ ‫تقديم هذاأنفسهم‬ ‫المجتمعين‬ ‫توزعت‬ ‫نخبة من ممثلي‬ ‫االجتماع‬ ‫من وقد ضم‬ ‫وطلبتعات‪.‬‬ ‫والقطا‬ ‫واالستشارات‪،‬توزعت‬ ‫والقانونممثلي شركات‬ ‫نخبة من‬ ‫الخدمات هذا‬ ‫مثل االجتماع‬ ‫عدةضم‬ ‫قطاعاتوقد‬ ‫والقطاعات‪.‬‬ ‫والنفط‬ ‫المالية‬ ‫على‬ ‫وخدمات والنفط‬ ‫واالستشارات‪،‬‬ ‫والقانون‬ ‫الخدمات المالية‬ ‫والغازقطاعات عدة‬ ‫على‬ ‫النقل‬ ‫والفنادق‬ ‫والعقارات‬ ‫والصناعاتمثلالكيماوية‬ ‫النقل‬ ‫وخدمات‬ ‫والفنادق‬ ‫والعقارات‬ ‫الكيماوية‬ ‫والصناعات‬ ‫والغاز‬ ‫الخاصة‪ .‬وضم االجتماع ممثلين تنفيذيين كبار من شركة شل المملكة‬ ‫المملكة‬ ‫شركة‬ ‫الكبرىمن‬ ‫تنفيذيين كبار‬ ‫جيرسي‪،‬ممثلين‬ ‫االجتماع‬ ‫الخاصة‪ .‬وضم‬ ‫قطرشلالمالي‪.‬‬ ‫ومركز‬ ‫وسلطة لندن‬ ‫وحكومة‬ ‫المتحدة‪،‬‬ ‫المتحدة‪ ،‬وحكومة جيرسي‪ ،‬وسلطة لندن الكبرى ومركز قطر المالي‪.‬‬ ‫وفي بداية حديثه‪ ،‬أعرب سعادة السيد يوسف علي الخاطر عن شكره‬ ‫الخاطرمنعن شكره‬ ‫يوسف علي‬ ‫سعادة السيد‬ ‫أعرب‬ ‫هذهحديثه‪،‬‬ ‫لتوفيربداية‬ ‫وفي‬ ‫شركات‬ ‫التنفيذيين‬ ‫بالمسؤولين‬ ‫لالجتماع‬ ‫الفرصة‬ ‫من شركات‬ ‫التنفيذيين‬ ‫بالمسؤولين‬ ‫الفرصة‬ ‫لتوفير‬ ‫القطرية‬ ‫البريطانية‬ ‫العالقات‬ ‫لالجتماع اهمية‬ ‫وشدد على‬ ‫بريطانيةهذهرائدة‪،‬‬ ‫القطرية‬ ‫العالقات‬ ‫الكبيرة على‬ ‫التجارية وشدد‬ ‫والروابط رائدة‪،‬‬ ‫بريطانية‬ ‫اهمية محوراً‬ ‫البريطانية العالقات‪.‬‬ ‫مهما ً في هذه‬ ‫التي تشكل‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫العالقات‪.‬‬ ‫هذه‬ ‫في‬ ‫ا‬ ‫مهم‬ ‫ا‬ ‫محور‬ ‫تشكل‬ ‫التي‬ ‫الكبيرة‬ ‫التجارية‬ ‫والروابط‬ ‫وذكر سعادته بأن قطر كدولة نامية ترسم إستراتيجيتها المستقبلية في‬ ‫في‬ ‫المستقبلية‬ ‫إستراتيجيتها‬ ‫ترسم‬ ‫النمو سعادته‬ ‫وذكر‬ ‫مجاالت‬ ‫البريطانية في‬ ‫الخبرات‬ ‫ناميةإلى‬ ‫كدولةتحتاج‬ ‫قطر لهذا‬ ‫والتطور‪،‬بأنوإنها‬ ‫مجاالت‬ ‫في‬ ‫البريطانية‬ ‫الخبرات‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫تحتاج‬ ‫لهذا‬ ‫وإنها‬ ‫والتطور‪،‬‬ ‫النمو‬ ‫االقتصاد والتكنولوجيا الحديثة‪ ،‬التي يمتلكها الشركاء في بريطانيا‪.‬‬ ‫االقتصاد والتكنولوجيا الحديثة‪ ،‬التي يمتلكها الشركاء في بريطانيا‪.‬‬ ‫وعرج السفير إلى شرح أن هناك العديد من مشاريع البنية التحتية‬ ‫التحتية‬ ‫شركاءالبنية‬ ‫مشاريع‬ ‫العديد‬ ‫وهيهناك‬ ‫قطر أن‬ ‫أطلقتهاشرح‬ ‫السفير إلى‬ ‫وعرج‬ ‫ومستثمرين‬ ‫علىمنجذب‬ ‫حريصة‬ ‫الجديدة التي‬ ‫ومستثمرين‬ ‫شركاء‬ ‫جذب‬ ‫على‬ ‫حريصة‬ ‫وهي‬ ‫قطر‬ ‫أطلقتها‬ ‫التي‬ ‫الجديدة‬ ‫وخبرات عالمية لتنفيذها والمشاركة فيها‪ .‬وأكد أن قطر قد استحدثت‬ ‫استحدثت‬ ‫قطر قد‬ ‫فيها‪ .‬وأكد أن‬ ‫لتنفيذها‬ ‫تشريعات عالمية‬ ‫وخبرات‬ ‫والعاملين في‬ ‫المستثمرين‬ ‫والمشاركةحقوق‬ ‫شأنها حماية‬ ‫جديدة من‬ ‫في‬ ‫والعاملين‬ ‫المستثمرين‬ ‫حقوق‬ ‫حماية‬ ‫شأنها‬ ‫من‬ ‫جديدة‬ ‫تشريعات‬ ‫السوق القطرية‪ .‬وأشار إلى الئحة قامت السفارة القطرية بإعدادها‪،‬‬ ‫إعدادها‪،‬‬ ‫القطرية ب‬ ‫السفارة‬ ‫قامت‬ ‫وأشار إلى‬ ‫القطرية‪.‬‬ ‫المجتمعين‪.‬‬ ‫وزعت على‬ ‫قطر‪،‬‬ ‫الئحة في‬ ‫للمستثمرين‬ ‫المتاحة‬ ‫السوقالحوافز‬ ‫تبين‬ ‫تبين الحوافز المتاحة للمستثمرين في قطر‪ ،‬وزعت على المجتمعين‪.‬‬

‫‪ARABIC SECTION‬‬

‫معالي السيد ناصر أحمد كامل علي‪ ،‬سفير جمهورية مصر العربية في المملكة المتحدة والبارونة سيمونز‪ ،‬رئيس الغرفة التجارية العربية البريطانية‬

‫كما أنه يتم وبشكل ملتزم على كافة الصعد أيضا ً تحسين الكفاءة‬ ‫وتخفيض الهدر في االقتصاد من خالل االبتعاد عن المعامالت‬ ‫النقدية وإصالح نظام الدعم االقتصادي‪ .‬وعلى وجه الخصوص‪،‬‬ ‫أوضح سعادة السفير أنه يتم وضع خطط في مصر لزيادة اإلنفاق‬ ‫على الرعاية الصحية وكذلك زيادة اإلنفاق في قطاع التعليم‪ ،‬وذلك‬ ‫في ضوء االلتزامات التي بينها ونصها الدستور الجديد‪ .‬وهذا‬ ‫االهتمام بوجه خاص السيما الرعاية الصحية والتعليم يعكس حقيقة‬ ‫أن التنمية البشرية أصبحت اآلن مفتاح لنجاح مصر في المستقبل‬ ‫في كل االتجاهات السيما التنمية االقتصادية واالجتماعية‬ ‫متالزمتين‪.‬‬ ‫وقال سعادة السفير "أننا نشهد تطوراً في مكانة مصر في وبعد كلمة سعادة السفير فتحت البارونة سيمونز باب النقاش حيث وجهت‬ ‫التصنيف العالمي وتتزايد التوقعات المتفائلة التي توضعها وكاالت اسئلة عدة فيما يخص تأثيرات األمن اإلقليمي في مصر وعليها‪ ،‬ودور‬ ‫التصنيف الرائدة مثل ‪ ، S&P‬فضالً عن التقييم اإليجابي لصندوق القطاع الخاص في مجال الرعاية الصحية‪ ،‬والسياسات والتغييرات المالية‬ ‫النقد الدولي (‪ .")IMF‬وأشار معالي السيد ناصر أحمد كامل علي لنظام التحكيم في المنازعات التجارية للشركات العاملة في السوق‪.‬‬ ‫بأن نجاح مؤتمر التنمية االقتصادية والذي عُقد مؤخراً في شرم‬ ‫الشيخ والذي اجتذب حكومات وزعماء وقادة شركات من دول‬ ‫عديدة في العالم‪ ،‬حيث ت ّم اإلتفاق على العديد من المشاريع الجديدة‬ ‫والكشف عنها خالل المؤتمر‪ ،‬والذي شهد أيضا ً تعهدات جديدة‬ ‫للتمويل من دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي‪.‬‬

‫ويهدف مشروع قناة السويس الجديد إلى تحفيز النشاط االقتصادي في جميع‬ ‫أنحاء منطقة السويس‪ ،‬ووصفه سعادة السفير بأنه يضم "ثالث مجموعات‬ ‫ضخمة من القطاعات"‪ ،‬السيما الصناعة والخدمات والنقل واإلمدادات‬ ‫اللوجستية‪ ،‬والتي من شأنها خلق ما بين ‪ 5-3‬مليون فرصة عمل جديدة‪،‬‬ ‫وهذا الهدف الرئيسي من المشروع‪ .‬وأشار السفير إلى االستخدام الواسع‬ ‫لصناعة تكنولوجيا المعلومات السيما اإلنترنت في مصر‪ ،‬وقد أنشئت في‬ ‫القاهرة القرية الذكية والتي تضم شركات تطوير التكنولوجيا الفائقة‪ .‬وتسعى‬ ‫مصر لالستفادة من تجارب االقتصادات اآلسيوية مثل سنغافورة والتي تسجل‬ ‫النجاحات الكبيرة في تكنولوجيا المعلومات وصناعاتها‪.‬‬

‫وأكد سعادة السفير بأن مصر اآلن قادرة على تقديم فرص واعدة‬ ‫في قطاع الطاقة‪ ،‬وإن هذا القطاع يشهد انفتاحا ً كبيراً على‬ ‫االستثمار الخاص‪ ،‬وحيث ت ّم اإلعالن عن مبادرات جديدة لتوليد‬ ‫الطاقة والغاز والعمليات االستكشافية‪ ،‬وكذلك في مجال الطاقة‬ ‫المتجددة‪ .‬وإن مشروع قناة السويس الجديد يعتبر المبادرة الرائدة‬ ‫التي ت ّم القيام بها من خالل جدوالً زمنيا ً وت ّم إطالقها من خالل جمع‬ ‫األموال المحلية‪ ،‬التي كانت قد نظمت من خالل االكتتاب‪ ،‬وهذا بحد‬ ‫ذاته يعتبر مؤشراً حقيقيا ً بأن الشعب المصري حريصا ً على اإلقبال على‬ ‫االستثمار في بلده‪.‬‬

‫السيد نظمي أوجي‪ ،‬رجل األعمال العراقي المعروف والبارونة سيمونز‬

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‫ ‪ARABIC SECTION‬‬

‫اجتماع الطاولة المستديرة مع سفير جمهورية مصر العربية‬ ‫‪Egypt Ambassadorial Roundtable‬‬

‫معالي السيد ناصر أحمد كامل علي‪ ،‬سفير جمهورية مصر العربية في المملكة المتحدة يتصدر أجتماع الطاولة المستديرة‬

‫عقدت غرفة التجارة العربية البريطانية في ‪ 2‬من شهر حزيران‬ ‫(يونيو) ‪ 2015‬في مقرها في لندن‪ ،‬اجتماع الطاولة المستديرة مع‬ ‫سفير جمهورية مصر العربية‪ ،‬معالي السيد ناصر أحمد كامل علي‪،‬‬ ‫وبحضور نخبة من مندوبي شركات بريطانية وأعضاء من السلك‬ ‫الدبلوماسي في لندن‪.‬‬

‫وطلبت البارونة سيمونز من الحضور تقديم انفسهم والشركات التي‬ ‫يمثلونها‪ ،‬والتي توزعت على مجموعة كبيرة من القطاعات بما في ذلك‬ ‫قطاع المصارف والخدمات المالية‪ ،‬والتمويل اإلسالمي‪ ،‬والتمويل‬ ‫التجاري والخدمات اللوجستية‪ ،‬والبناء والعقارات والفنادق والسياحة‬ ‫والشحن والنقل البحري‪ ،‬وسائل اإلعالم واالتصاالت‪.‬‬

‫أفتتحت االجتماع الدكتورة أفنان ال ُ‬ ‫شعيبي‪ ،‬األمين العام والرئيس‬ ‫التنفيذي للغرفة التي رحبت بسعادة السفير والحضور‪ ،‬وأكدت بأن هذا‬ ‫االجتماع فرصة عظيمة للتركيز على الفرص الجديدة للعمل واالستثمار‬ ‫في مصر‪.‬‬ ‫أعقبتها كلمة ألقتها البارونة سيمونز‪ ،‬رئيس الغرفة‪ ،‬التي رحبت‬ ‫بحضور سعادة السفير والوفد المرافق له وممثلي الشركات الحاضرين‪،‬‬ ‫وهم يمثلون مجموعة واسعة من القطاعات االقتصادية الذين حضروا‬ ‫لمناقشة كيفية القيام بأعمال تجارية واستثمارية في مصر‪.‬‬ ‫وأشارت البارونة سيمونز إلى أن مصر اآلن تشهد إنتعاشا ً اقتصاديا‬ ‫بعد فترة من التوقف بسبب التغيرات السياسية التي شهدتها في‬ ‫السنوات األخرية‪ ،‬وأكدت بأن االنتعاش االقتصادي الحالي تقوده بعض‬ ‫المشاريع العمالقة السيما مشروع تطوير قناة السويس الجديدة‪.‬‬ ‫وأعربت عن أملها أن يكون هذا االجتماع قادراً على تحديد كيف يمكن‬ ‫للشركات في المملكة المتحدة أن تساهم في النقلة االقتصادية الكبيرة‬ ‫التي تقدم عليها مصر والفرص الواعدة الكبيرة‪.‬‬

‫واستهل معالي السفير ناصر أحمد كلمته التي استعرض فيها التطورات‬ ‫االقتصادية في بالده‪ ،‬وأكد أنه في السنوات األخيرة قد شهدت مصر‬ ‫بعض الصعوبات ولكنها تقوم بمعالجتها بحكمة وقد تحققت الكثير من‬ ‫النجاحات من خالل اعتماد خارطة طريق طموحة للنمو والتي تسير‬ ‫عليها القيادة في مصر‪.‬‬ ‫وأشار السفير إلى أن قانون االستثمار الجديد الذي شرعته مصر بعد‬ ‫التغيير من شأنه أن يزيل العقبات أمام االستثمار األجنبي والتي بموجبها‬ ‫يتمكن المستثمر‪ ،‬من خالل النافذة الواحدة‪ ،‬والتي من شأنها أن تساعد‬ ‫المستثمرين من خالل تبسيط اإلجراءات وتسهيل معامالتهم‪ .‬وأوضح أن‬ ‫النموذج االقتصادي السابق في مصر قد حقق نمواً اقتصاديا ً جيداً ولكنه‬ ‫لم يعالج األبعاد االجتماعية الكبيرة والهامة‪ ،‬مثل الحاجة إلى خلق ما‬ ‫يكفي من فرص عمل للشباب المصري الذين يزدادون (بالمليون) كل‬ ‫عام‪ .‬وتحرص مصر على إدامة النمو وتعزيزه عن طريق خطة عمل‬ ‫شاملة وتبني برامج اجتماعية جديدة لتحسين أوضاع الشعب المصري‪.‬‬

‫‪ARABIC SECTION‬‬

‫الدكتورة ال ُ‬ ‫شعيبي والدكتورستيفن ناب تتحدث للحضور عن تجربتها‬

‫حديثة‪ ،‬وكانت "سلسة المقابالت العالمية لجامعة جورج واشنطن"‬ ‫إحدى نتائج هذا العمل"؛ قال السيد أرستيد كولينز نائب رئيس الجامعة‬ ‫لشؤون التطوير وعالقات الخريجين‪ .‬وأضاف "يعمل البرنامج الذي‬ ‫نستخدمه على ربط خريجي الجامعة الذين يصل عددهم إلى نحو ‪270‬‬ ‫ألف خريجا ً من ‪ 150‬بلداً حول العالم‪ ،‬بشكل مستمر ومتواصل على‬ ‫مدى الحياة وفي أية بقعة من العالم"‪.‬‬ ‫كأمين عام لغرفة التجارة العربية البريطانية تعمل الدكتورة أفنان‬ ‫ال ُ‬ ‫شعيبي على تطوير وتشجيع التجارة بين المملكة المتحدة والعالم‬ ‫العربي‪ ،‬وتشرف على تقديم الدعم والمشورة لقاعدة عريضة من‬ ‫أعضاء الغرفة الذين يتجاوز عددهم ‪ 1500‬عضوا‪ .‬أوضحت الدكتورة‬ ‫ال ُ‬ ‫شعيبي أن خبرتها المكتسبة كطالبة دكتوراه بكلية التعليم والتطوير‬ ‫البشري قد ساعدتها منذ سن مبكرة على الخوض في آفاق أوسع‬ ‫والسعي لتقديم ما هو فوق المتوقع‪ .‬كما أن الخبرة العملية التي‬ ‫اكتسبتها من برنامج التدريب المؤسساتي قد أعطتها دفعة لألمام وهي‬ ‫في بداية مسيرتها المهنية‪.‬‬ ‫الحقا ً وبعد توليها منصب األمين العام للغرفة‪ ،‬أدخلت الدكتورة ال ُ‬ ‫شعيبي‬ ‫أول برنامج للتدريب الداخلي في عمل غرفة التجارية العربية‬ ‫البريطانية‪.‬‬ ‫علقت الدكتورة قائلة‪" :‬ما كان لي أن أكون في منصبي هذا لوال ما‬ ‫كتسبته من خبرة وتعليم بجامعة جورج واشنطن"‪ .‬وأضافت قائلة ‪:‬‬ ‫"لقد كان خاصة لبرنامج التدريب الداخلي بجامعة جورج واشنطن‬ ‫فائدة عظيمة لي‪ .‬وكطالبة سعودية في الواليات المتحدة‪ ،‬لم تكن لدي‬ ‫فكرة عن التدريب الداخلي أو عن مفهوم العمل التطوعي‪ .‬إال أن هذا‬ ‫النمط من العمل قد ت ّم تبنيه بشكل أكبر في المملكة العربية السعودية‪،‬‬ ‫واآلن يت ّم تشجيع الشباب للمشاركة واالنخراط به‪ .‬لقد بدأت حي اتي‬ ‫العملية كمتدربة وذلك بتشجيع ودعم من القائمين على إدارة جامعة‬ ‫جورج واشنطن‪ .‬ينبغي علينا أن نعرف بأن المتدربين أعضاء مهمين‬ ‫ألية مؤسسة اذ أنهم يقدمون دائما أفكاراً جديدة وطاقات متجددة‬ ‫وإبداعات حديثة‪ .‬لذا فال يجب أبداً اإلستهانة بالمتدربين"‪.‬‬

‫الدكتورة ال ُ‬ ‫شعيبي والدكتورستيفن ناب‬

‫قبل توليها منصبها الحالي‪ ،‬عملت الدكتورة أفنان ال ُ‬ ‫شعيبي مستشار ًة‬ ‫لرئيس مجلس األعمال السعودي األمريكي‪ .‬وفي عام ‪ ،2011‬الدكتورة‬ ‫ال ُ‬ ‫شعيبي جائزة “وورلد أوف ديفيرنس ( ‪World of Difference‬‬ ‫‪ )Awards‬التابعة للتحالف الدولي للمرأة (‪ .)TIAW‬وقد ت ّم‬ ‫اختيارها في ذات السنة كشخصية دبلوماسية أولى من الشرق األوسط‬ ‫لعام ‪ ،2011‬اعترافا ً بنجاحاتها المتميزة كدبلوماسية أجنبية في‬ ‫العاصمة البريطانية‪ ،‬لندن‪.‬‬ ‫"لقد كان شرف لنا التعرف على خبرة قيادية بارزة جمعت بين عالمي‬ ‫األعمال والدبلوماسية"؛ علق قائالً السيد سيمبسون‪ .‬وأضاف "يؤكد‬ ‫هذا على مدى قوة الجامعة كمؤسسة تعمل على رفد األجيال القادمة‬ ‫بنخب من القادة األكفاء القادرين على اعتالء المنصات الدولية وتقديم‬ ‫ما له عظيم األثر ألوطانهم وللعالم بأسره"‪.‬‬ ‫أحدثت قصة الدكتورة أفنان ال ُ‬ ‫شعيبي الشخصية صدى عظيما ً لدى‬ ‫جمهور الحضور‪ ،‬الذي كان من بينهم السيد مايكل هوفمان رئيس‬ ‫مجلس األوصياء وعدد من السفراء لدى المملكة المتحدة من دول‬ ‫مجلس التعاون الخليجي وقارة آسيا‪.‬‬ ‫كما كان ضمن الحضور السيدة زوي بتكانس‪ ،‬بكالوريوس من جورج‬ ‫واشنطن بعام ‪ ،2010‬المتحدثة السابقة بجامعة جورج واشنطن‬ ‫لحفالت التخرج‪ ،‬والتي تؤدي حاليا ً بحث دكتوراه بجامعة كامبريدح‬ ‫تتناول فيه تحدي األفكار والقيم النمطية الشائعة بين الجنسين‪ ،‬مع‬ ‫التركيز على إنجازات المرأة البرلمانية في الحياة السياسية في دولة‬ ‫تونس‪.‬‬ ‫"كأول امرأة سعودية‪ ،‬وكأول سيدة وأصغر من تولى منصب األمين‬ ‫العام والرئيس التنفيذي لغرفة التجارة العربية البريطانية‪ ،‬فقد قامت‬ ‫ً‬ ‫الدكتورة أفنان ال ُ‬ ‫متحدية ما ُيساق من صورة نمطية‬ ‫شعيبي بعمل عظيم‬ ‫في الوسط العربي عن دور المرأة السلبي والضعيف"؛ تحدثت السيدة‬ ‫بتكانس‪ .‬وأضافت "إنهن أي شيئ إال عاجزات أو سلبيات"‪.‬‬

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‫ ‪ARABIC SECTION‬‬

‫"إزالة كل الحواجز" مع الدكتورة أفنان ال ُ‬ ‫شعيبي‬ ‫‪George Washington University Global Series in London features‬‬ ‫‪Dr Afnan Al Shuaiby on Strategic Leadership‬‬

‫الدكتورة أفنان ال ُ‬ ‫شعيبي‪ ،‬األمين العام والرئيس التنفيذي لغرفة التجارة العربية البريطانية مع رئيس جامعة جورج واشنطن الدكتورستيفن ناب‬

‫ضمن سلسة المقابالت العالمية لجامعة جورج واشنطن‪ ،‬الدكتورة أفنان ال ُ‬ ‫شعيبي األمين العام لغرفة التجارة العربية البريطانية‬ ‫والخريجة السابقة من جامعة جورج واشنطن تتحدث من لندن في شؤون القيادة والدبلوماسية والتعليم‬ ‫" كان هناك الكثير من الضغوطات‪ ،‬إال أننى إعتدت دائما ً أالَّ أقدم ما هو‬ ‫متوقع مني ولكن أحرص أن أتجاوز تلك التوقعات"‪ .‬هذا ما قالته‬ ‫الدكتورة أفنان ال ُ‬ ‫شعيبي عن تعيينها أمينا ً عاما ً لغرفة التجارة العربية‬ ‫البريطانية عام ‪ 2007‬حيث كانت أصغر من تولى منصب األمين العام‬ ‫للغرفة في خالل ‪ 40‬عاما ً من تاريخ إنشاءها‪.‬‬

‫تناولت السيدة أفنان ال ُ‬ ‫شعيبي‪ ،‬األمين العام والرئيس التنفيذي لغرفة‬ ‫التجارة العربية البريطانية – دكتوراه في الفلسفة من جامعة جورج‬ ‫واشنطن ‪ ،2009‬في حديث ال تنقصه الصراحة عن تجاوز كل الحواجز‬ ‫االجتماعية‪ ،‬واستعرضت جوانب تتعلق بشؤون الريادة‪ ،‬والدبلوماسية‬ ‫الدولية‪ ،‬والتعليم وذلك في فعالية لجامعة جورج واشنطن أقيمت‬ ‫األسبوع الماضي في العاصمة البريطانية‪ ،‬لندن‪ ،‬حضرها نخبة ضمت‬ ‫وتسعى سلسة المقابالت العالمية لجامعة جورج واشنطن إلى إثراء‬ ‫أكثر من ‪ 80‬خريجا ً من جامعة جورج واشنطن إضافة إلى أعضاء‬ ‫مجتمعها الجامعي حول العالم من خالل دعوة نخب خريجيها من كبار‬ ‫ومنتسبين في غرفة التجارة العربية البريطانية‪.‬‬ ‫الرؤوساء التنفيذيين وقيادات أوساط األعمال وآخرين من ضيوفها‬ ‫وضمن وقائع الفعالية التي تحييها جامعة جورج واشنطن سنويا ً المميزين للحديث عن بعض المواضيع التي تشغل الساحة العالمية‪ .‬وقد‬ ‫وباستضافة رئيس الجامعة – الدكتورستيفن ناب‪ ،‬وفي حديثها مع كان من ضمن لقاءات سابقة مناقشات ركزت على دور المرأة في مجال‬ ‫رئيس الجلسة‪ ،‬السيد سكوت سيمبسون – بكالوريوس ‪ 1978‬التجارة واألعمال‪ ،‬باستضافة سمو األميرة ريما بنت بندر آل سعود –‬ ‫والشريك في مؤسسة (سكادن)‪ ،‬عكست الدكتورة أفنان الشعيبي – بكالوريوس من جامعة جورج واشنطن ‪.1999‬‬ ‫وهي السيدة األولى وكذلك السعودية التي تتولى منصب قيادة غرفة‬ ‫"كانت إحدى أهم أولويات جامعة جورج واشنطن العمل على رسم‬ ‫التجارة العربية البريطانية – الضوء على حياتها األكاديمية وخبرتها‬ ‫أفضل سبيل للوصول لخريجيها على مستوى العالم مستخدمة طرقا ً‬ ‫أثناء إدارتها لتلك المؤسسة الرائدة‪.‬‬

TENDERS

TENDERS EGYPT CONSTRUCTION OF (A) A BASIC EDUCATION SCHOOL AT THE CITY’S BUSINESSMEN ZONE, (B) ANOTHER SCHOOL AT THE CENTRE OF THE 375 FEDDANS ZONE TO THE SOUTH EAST OF THE CITY, (C) A FIRE BRIGADE POINT AT THE SERVICES CENTRE OF THE 226 FEDDANS ZONE AT THE SAME & (D) CONSTRUCTION OF 5 SHOPPING COMPLEXES AT THE SAME ZONE UNDER FOUR CONTRACTS Document Cost: LE1,000 & LE1,000 & LE500 & LE500 Bid Bond: LE120,000 & LE120,000 & LE20,000 & LE30,000 Performance Bond: 5 % each Contact Gen. Authority for New Urban Societies, New Assuit City Development Agency Deadlines 7/12, 7/13, 7/14 & 7/15/2015

SUPPLY OF INSTRUMENTS & SPARE PARTS TO STOP GANZ MAVAG BRANDED BOOGIES (HUNGARIAN BRANDED) FROM CRAWLING ON THE RAILS Document Cost: LE5,000 Bid Bond: LE480,000 Contact Egyptian National Railways Authority (ENR), the Purchases & Stores Department 5th Floor above Shobra Subway, Cairo Tel: 02 - 25761337/27736285 Deadline: 12/07/2015

SUPPLY OF (A) 4,000 PLASTIC BARRELS OF 150 LITRES SIZE & 25,000 PLASTIC CONTAINERS OF 12 LITRES SIZE FOR THE PACKAGING OF TREES OILS (ROYAL BRANDED), (B) DIFFERENT TYPE & SIZE CARTON BOXES & (C) SINGLE & DOUBLE FACE DISPLAY STANDS Document Cost: LE200 & LE1,000 & LE200 Bid Bond: LE10,000 & LE100,000 & LE4,000 Contact Al Taawon Petroleum Co, Ex Petroleum Cooperative Society Co, General Department for Equipment 10 Maamal EL Saboun St, Sharabeyya, Cairo Tel: 7951800/ 7951900 Fax: 02 - 7920916 Deadline: 13/07/2015

IRAQ

OMAN

TENDER NO LOM/592/05-2015 FOR SUPPLY OF DIESEL POWER UNITS (DPU) MANUFACTURED BY PERKINS

CONSTRUCTION OF INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES FOR EXPANSION OF RUSAYL INDUSTRIAL ESTATE - PACKAGE 2A LOWER AREA

LUKOIL MID-EAST LIMITED, a designated Operator for the West Qurna (Phase 2) Contract Area in the Republic of Iraq, is developing the West Qurna- 2 oil field under the Development and Production Service Contract signed with the South Oil Company of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil. A full set of the Tender Documentation may be obtained after submission of a written application along with sufficient information confirming that the company meets the minimal qualification requirements set out above (applications on the letterhead signed by an authorized person shall be received before 30th July, 2015) to: Magomed. Belkharoev@lukoil-overseas.com / Rasul. Akhmetshin@lukoil-overseas.com ; Evgeniya. Romanenkova@lukoil-overseas.com. The written request of Bidder shall contain: n Full name of company; mail address; phone; fax; e-mail address; full name of contact person and his e-mail address. Tender Documentation shall be sent by e-mail without any responsibility for loss or late arrival after submission of a written application as noted above. Envelopes with Bids shall be delivered to the address specified in Tender Documentation before 5:00 pm (Dubai time), August 17th, 2015 Latest Tender Application submission date: 30/07/2015 Latest Bid submission date: 17/08/2015

DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR POWER TRANSMISSION, MIDDLE EUPHRATES REGION General Tender for the Supply 132 & 400 KV Disconnector Switch Tender No: 3/181 Contact Ministry of Electricity, Commercial Department, Babil Province, Abo Gahaq Q, Hille – Karbala route Email: 35.Egpt.Dept.Mgr@moelc.gov.iq www.moelc.gov.iq Deadline: 10/08/2015

Tender No: 31/2015 Cost: RO3000 Contact Oman Tender Board Muscat Oman PO Box 787/133 Al Khuwair Tel: +968 24602652 Email: Tenderom@Omantel.net.om Website: http://www.tenderboard.gov.om/ eng/ Deadline: 27/07/2015

PROVISION OF SERVICES FOR METER READING, BILLING, PAYMENT COLLECTION, ACCOUNT RECONCILIATION, INFORMATION REPORTING AND CUSTOMER SERVICES FOR THE WATER SECTOR IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN Tender No: 34/2015 Cost: RO3000 Contact Oman Tender Board Muscat Oman PO Box 787/133 Al Khuwair Tel: +968 24602652 Email: Tenderom@Omantel.net.om Website: http://www.tenderboard.gov.om/ eng/ Deadline: 10/08/2015

CONSTRUCTION OF AL FLAJ MAIN ROAD & BYPASS IN WILAYAT AL MUDAYBI (GOVERNORATE OF NORTH AL SHARQIYAH) Tender No: 33/2015 Cost: RO2391 Contact Oman Tender Board Muscat Oman PO Box 787/133 Al Khuwair Tel: +968 24602652 Email: Tenderom@Omantel.net.om Website: http://www.tenderboard.gov.om/ eng/ Deadline: 03/08/2015

TENDERS

CONSTRUCTION OF WADI QARIYATMARAIKH ROAD IN WILAYAT BAHLA (GOVERNORATE OF AL DAKHILIYAH) Tender No: 32/2015 Cost: RO3000 Contact Oman Tender Board Muscat Oman PO Box 787/133 Al Khuwair Tel: +968 24602652 Email: Tenderom@Omantel.net.om Website: http://www.tenderboard.gov.om/eng/ Deadline: 03/08/2015

QATAR PROVISION OF ENGINEERING CONSULTANCY SERVICES FOR PLANT CHANGE REQUESTS Tender No: GT15106800 Bid Bond: QR250000 Contact Qatar Petroleum PO Box 3212 Doha, Qatar Tel: (974) 4440 2000 Fax: (974) 4483 1125 Website: www.qp.com.qa Deadline: 02/08/2015

UAE CONSTRUCTION OF TWO (G+5) BACHELOR ACCOMMODATION BUILDINGS AND OTHER ASSOCIATED SERVICE BUILDINGS AT JEBEL ALI POWER STATION, DUBAI Tender No: 2131500020 Cost: AED2000 Contact Dubai Electricity & Water Authority Office of the Contracts Manager Zabeel East, PO Box 564, Dubai Tel: + 971 4 3244444 Fax: + 971 4 3248111 Email: contracts@dewa.gov.ae Website: www.dewa.gov.ae Deadline: 13/07/2015

CLEANING AND REPAIRING OF ACCESS ROADS ALONG OHL CORRIDORS Tender No: 2121500032 Cost: AED200 Contact Dubai Electricity & Water Authority Office of the Contracts Manager Zabeel East, PO Box 564, Dubai Tel: + 971 4 3244444 Fax: + 971 4 3248111 Email: contracts@dewa.gov.ae Website: www.dewa.gov.ae Deadline: 06/07/2015

INVITATION TO PV EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS Register Photovoltaic Equipment with Dubai Electricity & Water Authority for DEWA Smart Initiative related to Connecting Solar Energy to Houses and Buildings in the Emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Shams Dubai Initiative) Contact Dubai Electricity & Water Authority Office of the Contracts Manager Zabeel East, PO Box 564, Dubai Tel: + 971 4 3244444 Fax: + 971 4 3248111 Email: contracts@dewa.gov.ae Website: www.dewa.gov.ae Deadline: 31/12/2015

INTRUSION PREVENTION SYSTEM (IPS) UPGRADE Tender No: 2131500042 Documents Cost: AED200 Contact Dubai Electricity & Water Authority Office of the Contracts Manager Zabeel East, PO Box 564, Dubai Tel: + 971 4 3244444 Fax: + 971 4 3248111 Email: contracts@dewa.gov.ae Website: www.dewa.gov.ae Deadline: 02/08/2015

SUPPLY OF HEAT SHRINK & COLD SHRINK TYPE CABLE JOINTS, TERMINATIONS FOR 3 KV & 11KV CABLES Tender No: 2051500042 Documents Cost: AED500 Contact Dubai Electricity & Water Authority Office of the Contracts Manager Zabeel East, PO Box 564, Dubai Tel: + 971 4 3244444 Fax: + 971 4 3248111 Email: contracts@dewa.gov.ae Website: www.dewa.gov.ae Deadline: 29/07/2015

ENGINEERING AND SUPERVISION CONSULTANCY SERVICES FOR SUSTAINABLE AND INNOVATIVE LANDSCAPING AT MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM SOLAR PARK Tender No: 2131500019 Documents Cost: AED500 Contact Dubai Electricity & Water Authority Office of the Contracts Manager Zabeel East, PO Box 564, Dubai Tel: + 971 4 3244444 Fax: + 971 4 3248111 Email: contracts@dewa.gov.ae Website: www.dewa.gov.ae Deadline: 27/07/2015

CLEANING AND REPAIRING OF ACCESS ROADS ALONG OHL CORRIDORS Tender No: 2121500032 Documents Cost: AED200 Contact Dubai Electricity & Water Authority Office of the Contracts Manager Zabeel East, PO Box 564, Dubai Tel: + 971 4 3244444 Fax: + 971 4 3248111 Email: contracts@dewa.gov.ae Website: www.dewa.gov.ae Deadline: 26/07/2015

ADVA INSTALLATION IN NEW WARSAN DATA CENTRE Tender No: 2131500041 Documents Cost: AED500 Contact Dubai Electricity & Water Authority Office of the Contracts Manager Zabeel East, PO Box 564, Dubai Tel: + 971 4 3244444 Fax: + 971 4 3248111 Email: contracts@dewa.gov.ae Website: www.dewa.gov.ae Deadline: 26/07/2015

INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE, TESTING & CERTIFICATION OF EOT CRANES IN POWER STATION COMPLEXES Tender No: 2121500022 Documents Cost: AED500 Contact Dubai Electricity & Water Authority Office of the Contracts Manager Zabeel East, PO Box 564, Dubai Tel: + 971 4 3244444 Fax: + 971 4 3248111 Email: contracts@dewa.gov.ae Website: www.dewa.gov.ae Deadline: 23/07/2015

REGION Tenders Opportunities for Projects Financed by Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Details of current projects can be found here: http://www.isdb.org

DEVELOPMENT

THE BUSINESS OF DEVELOPMENT The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) highlights some of its key actions over the past year and the impact on the lives of beneficiaries around the world. As the UN’s lead development agency, UNDP oversees a nearly $4 billion portfolio of specially funded initiatives. In 2014, 90 percent of UNDP’s core resources went to low-income countries—and every $1 from UNDP’s core budget in those countries leveraged a further $5 of development aid from additional sources Although the Arab States region has made great strides in areas such as school enrolment and health standards, UNDP is working with governments to help the region do better in translating its considerable potential into commensurate development gains. Throughout the region, UNDP has made a priority of supporting the advancement of gender equality, for example through expanding access to health services for 27,000 women in Somalia, supporting over 300,000 women in Egypt to obtain national identification cards for the first time and training over 500 women in Jordan to work in competitive industries. In 2014, UNDP also introduced a new women’s empowerment programme called Mosharaka—’participation’ in Arabic—aimed at strengthening women’s empowerment through legal and policy reforms, and increased representation in government. To support this effort, UNDP signed an agreement in 2014 with the Arab Women’s Organization for joint action in policy proposals and advocacy to reduce gender gaps and promote regional dialogue on peace, security and women’s rights. In Somalia, UNDP has been working in recent years to increase women’s participation in public institutions and civic life, providing young women with university scholarships and paid internships in government ministries and the judiciary— opportunities that until recently were available exclusively to men. In Somalia, most small towns and villages lack basic electric power connections. One consequence is poor health care. Hospitals require uninterrupted electricity to operate medical equipment and refrigerate medicines and emergency blood supplies. Reliable lighting is essential, around the clock, for medical personnel and patients alike. Dependence on oil-fuelled electric generators is expensive however, and fuel supplies are often unavailable at any price— further exacerbating the difficulties of daily living in an impoverished conflict zone.

In 2014, UNDP’s Somalia office began installing solar power systems in four rural hospitals—a pioneering project with remote monitoring facilities to ensure their effective operation To help guide longer-term recovery, UNDP carried out the first detailed survey of damage to Gaza’s economy and infrastructure, cataloguing losses in manufacturing and agricultural capacity, and the destruction of schools, hospitals, power generators, telecommunications towers, sewage treatment plants and other essential public services. Government estimates show that damage to infrastructure and equipment in the water and sanitation sector alone was nearly $35 million. Rebuilding is already underway: in early 2015, UNDP broke ground on a state-of-the-art sewage treatment plant in the Khan Younis district, a $58 million project PAPP is managing with support from Japan and Kuwait. The innovative plant will provide recycled waste water to area farmers, while putting an end to the environmentally destructive discharge of raw sewage into Gaza’s coastal waters. UNDP is also leading implementation of a $21.2 million project funded by Qatarbased Al Fakhoora to rebuild schools and universities, and expand youth employment to benefit 600,000 people. In recent years, UNDP has also been at the forefront of efforts to introduce greater accountability and transparency in the use of public resources, beginning with our own

projects and programmes. For the past 25 years, UNDP’s Human Development Report has brought innovative and influential new thinking to many major development issues. UNDP’s Human Development Index (HDI) has become the most widely accepted alternative to narrow macroeconomic measures of national progress, such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The official incorporation of HDI data and analysis in policy planning in dozens of developing countries—with support from UNDP— has helped to raise health and education standards for millions of people worldwide. This is the year that world leaders gather at the United Nations in New York to adopt a new agenda for sustainable development. The new global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will guide policy and funding for the next 15 years, beginning with a historic pledge to end poverty. Looking forward to 2016 and beyond, UNDP and the entire team are preparing to work with national governments, civil society, the private sector and other partners to see how the new SDGs can be most effectively integrated into existing national development strategies. From the report, Time for Global Action, UNDP, June 2015. The full report can be found here: http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/ home/librarypage.html

Student: Ebanan Aldarweesh – Saudi Arabia, MA Special and Inclusive Education

TOP MODERN UNIVERSITY IN LONDON* A modern university but with a distinctive collegiate history, The University of Roehampton has been providing education through its colleges for more than 170 years. We are known for our rich educational history, traditional campus experience, highquality teaching and world-class research and a strong focus on student support. At Roehampton, we believe in the power of education to transform lives and communities, we are committed to driving the integrity and potential of individuals, and we have a passion for the highest standards of education. University of Roehampton is internationally recognised for its research, our vibrant research culture attracts students from all over the world and boasts one of the most diverse student communities of any university in the UK with over 140 nationalities represented.

We also pride ourselves with over 92% of our graduates are in employment or further studies within six months of graduation, this is one of the best rates in London “Studying in London has allowed me to develop not only my academic, but also my personal and social skills. Roehampton is special. It has a peaceful atmosphere and the staffs are supportive. As a Muslim, I appreciate the respect of our religion and the way a prayer room is provided. I have made a lot of exceptional friends from different cultures. With them my experience has been amazing” Contact us now (quoting ABCC001) to find out more, email international@roehampton.ac.uk or call +44 (0)20 8392 3232. To apply direct please visit our website www.journeytoroehampton.co.uk or www.roehampton.ac.uk *The Sunday Times Good University rankings 2015

@SignorSassi priVaTe rooM aVailaBle

14 Knightsbridge Green, London SW1X 7QL signorsassi@sancarlo.co.uk | T: 0207 584 2277 W W W. s i g n o r s a s s i . c o . u k

Aldo Zilli now part of the San Carlo team

@CicchettiLondon

Cicchetti Covent Garden, 30 Wellington St, London WC2E 7BD | T: 020 7240 6339 215 PICCADILLY, London, W1J 9HL piccadillycicchetti@sancarlo.co.uk | T: 0207 4949435 W W W. s a n c a r l o c i c c h e T T i . c o . u k

Winner of TWenTy TWo presTigious aWards London_Business_Matters.indd 4

17/10/2014 11:27

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BUSINESS EVENTS

BUSINESS EVENTS, TRADE FAIRS AND CONFERENCES HOW TO BECOME AN AUTHORISED ECONOMIC OPERATOR A Chamber International seminar in partnership with the Institute of Export 30 July 2015 Addleshaw Goddard, Sovereign Street, Leeds LS1 1HQ Contact Chamber International Tel: +44(0)845 034 7200 Email: info@chamber-international.com http://www.chamber-international.com CAIRO ENERGY 2nd Cairo Energy, Oil & Gas International Conference & Exhibition 1-3 September 2015 Contact Cairo Energy Tel: +2 02 262 33 190 / 91 Email: info@cairo-energy.com http://www.cairo-energy.com YOUNG DIPLOMATS FORUM 7-11 September 2015 11th Floor, 6 Mitre Passage, Peninsula Square London SE10 0ER Contact Global Diplomatic Forum Tel: +44 (0) 208 853 3293 Email: ydf@gdforum.org http://www.gdforum.org/ 18TH ANNUAL GRI EUROPE SUMMIT 2015 10-11 September 2015 InterContinental Paris Le Grand, France Contact Global Real Estate Institute (GRI) Tel: +44 20 7121 5060 Fax: +44 20 7388 8740 Email: info@globalrealestate.org www.globalrealestate.org 5TH BASRAH INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION FOR HOUSING AND BUILDING 10-13 September 2015 Basrah City, Iraq Contact Pyramids Group Tel: 00 964 77 0876 0504 Fax: +90 216 575 11 01/02 Email: Samir@pyramidsfaireg.com GULF GLASS The only glass industry in the MENA region 14 - 16 Sept 2015 Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE Contact DMG World Media Dubai Ltd Maude Aimee Tel: +971 4 445 3705 Email: maudeaimee@dmgeventsme.com www.gulf.glass MATERIALS HANDLING MIDDLE EAST The region’s largest exhibition for the warehousing, supply chain, and logistics industries 14 - 16 Sep 2015 Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE Contact Dubai World Trade Centre, PO Box 9292, Dubai Tel: +971 (0)4 332 1000 Email: info@dwtc.com www.dwtc.com

PAPER ARABIA Exhibition for Paper, Packaging and Printing 14 - 16 Sept 2015 Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE Contact Al Fajer Information & Services PO Box 11183 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 340 6888 Fax: +971 4 340 3608 www.paperarabia.com WE ARE INTERNATIONAL Seminar for anyone who wants to start exporting or to be inspired to go global and grow 30 September 2015 Deloitte LLP, City Square, Park Row, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS1 2AL Contact Chamber International Tel: +44(0)845 034 7200 Email: info@chamber-international.com http://www.chamber-international.com MOROCCO INDUSTRY EXPO Morocco International Building, Construction & Industry Exhibition 5-8 October 2015 Morocco Contact Pyramids Group Tel: +90 216 575 28 28 Fax: +90 216 575 11 01/02 Email: info@pyramidsfair.com www.moroccoindustryexpo.com INTERBUILD JORDAN FAIR 2015 8th Fair & Conference for Construction Technologies, Building Industry, Architecture, Decoration, Lighting, Building Installation Techniques, HVAC & R 12-14 October 2015 Halls of Zara Expo 3rd Cycle near Grand Hyatt Amman Hotel Amman, Jordan Contact Golden Gate for Exhibitions PO Box 340 Amman 11941 Al-Jubeiha, Jordan Tel: +962 6 565 8501 Email: info@jordan-fairs.com http://www.jordan-fairs.com CAIRO BUILD 3rd International Building, Construction, Municipal Equipment and Natural Stone Exhibition 15-18 October 2015 Contact, Pyramids Group Tel: +90 216 575 28 28 Fax: +90 216 575 11 01/02 Email: info@pyramidsfair.com http://www.pyramidsfair.com/pyramids-group/ EXPORT DOCUMENTATION Accredited by the British Chambers of Commerce 21 October 2015 Bradford Chamber Business Park, Bradford Contact, Chamber International Tel: +44(0)845 034 7200 Email: info@chamber-international.com http://www.chamber-international.com

SAUDI BUILD The 27th International Trade Exhibition for Construction Materials &Equipment & Environmental Technology 26-29 October 2015 Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Centre, KSA Contact, Riyadh Exhibition Company Ltd, PO Box 56010, Riyadh 11554, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Tel: +966 1 2295604 Email: info@recexpo.com http://www.recexpo.com SAUDI STONE-TECH 18th International Trade Exhibition for Stone & Stone Technology 26-29 October 2015 Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Centre, KSA Contact, Riyadh Exhibition Company Ltd PO Box 56010 Riyadh 11554 Tel: +966 1 2295604 Email: info@recexpo.com http://www.recexpo.com THE MIDDLE EAST FORUM 27 October 2015 11th Floor, 6 Mitre Passage, Peninsula Square London SE10 0ER Contact, Global Diplomatic Forum Tel: +44 (0) 208 853 3293 Email: ydf@gdforum.org http://www.gdforum.org/ TRANSFORMING AFRICAN ECONOMIES FOR GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS Global African Investment Summit 1-2 December 2015 Central Hall, Westminster, London Contact, TGAIS Email: programme@tgais.com Tel: +44 (0)203 772 6022 http://www.tgais.com UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF H E MAZEN HOMOUD, JORDANIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE UK The Arab Innovation Network cordially invites you to attend the AIN Charity Gala Dinner Sunday 6th September 2015 from 6.00 pm At Corpus Christi, University of Cambridge Funds raised will be used to support AIN’s efforts in nurturing innovation at a grassroots level in the MENA region. Contact Kindly RSVP by Friday 14th August 2015 by clicking here: http://aingala2015.eventbrite.com/ https://www.facebook.com/events/475264199321467/ The Arab Innovation Network is a Member of the ABCC.

ARAB CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

HELPING TRADE FLOW

Europe Arab Bank is uniquely positioned to help your business take advantage of Europe and North America trade flow and investment opportunities in MENA. As part of the Arab Bank Group, with the largest banking network in the Arab region, you gain seamless access to 16 MENA countries and a network of 600 branches around the world. Learn more: www.eabplc.com +44 20 7315 8500 ÂŠ Europe Arab Bank plc 2014 All Rights Reserved. Registered in England and Wales number 5575857. Registered Office: 13-15 Moorgate, London EC2R 6AD. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Not all products and services are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

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