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May 2016
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The information age is presenting organisations with massive amounts of data, but questions remain about the usefulness of it all. How can this data be exploited and utilised to improve profits? Charles Vincent, general manager of A101 Digital Solutions in Qatar, explains to The Edge how data analysis can improve business efficiencies across all sectors including IT, retail and in human resources. In an exclusive interview, with The Edge’s Sanae Bougria, Katara’s general manager, Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti discusses the various aspects of Katara and its efforts to introduce the country’s cultural traditions to the world and its dedication towards the objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
cover story 40
Retail is one sector of business that can benefit immensely BIG Data, Business from big data analytics, The state of Katara whether it be merely measuring Qatari SMEs: Exploring the mindset footfall or in terms of their behaviour, PLUS: which can better inform malls and individual stores on how to optimise visitors and sales. Read more in our cover story. (Image FotoArabia)
Business Interview Katara – Doha’s cultural village and international tourist attraction 34
Exclusive Interview: Janina Kugel, chief diversity officer and HR director, Siemens
BIG - May 2016
Vol. 8 No. 5
- QATAR’S BUSINESS MAGAZINE - Vol. 8 No. 5 - Issue 79 - May 2016
Is information technology the key to better company efficiency in Qatar?
An exclusive interaction with the Katara Cultural Village GM Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti
Feature Story: Exploring the entrepreneurial mindset 50
Entrepreneurs possess one desire: to walk an uncharted road. They must make an informed choice about the costs that they have to pay in terms of job security and trade it off with the challenge and change that they want to create. This is not what the conventional expectation is, though, for Qataris. Talking to some Qatari entrepreneurs such as Zeyad Al Jaidah, Maryam Alsubaiey and Hanan Al Taweel, The Edge’s Aparajita Mukherjee finds out what is it that they feel need to change to facilitate a larger number of budding entrepreneurs to make this career choice. “Qatar is one of the most difficult places for startups to grow. Regulations, policies and monopoly could kill your passion. You need to have strong determination to continue,” says Maryam Alsubaiey, Qtalent.
What drives Qatar’s most ambitious entrepreneurs?
Disputes in long-term gas contracts Qatar’s smart stadium future Diagnostic imaging technology in healthcare
Connect with us online www.gingercamelmedianetwork.com/edge facebook.com/theedgeqatar twitter.com/TheEdgeQatar linkedin.com/company/ the-edge-magazine-qatar
“Katara gives great importance to the cultural heritage events, such as the traditional dhow festival and the Halal festival, which aim to present a form of our heritage to the natives of our country or to the distinguished guests of other nationalities,” says Dr. Al Sulaiti of Katara. (Image Katara)
Creating wide consensus and enhancing trust 46
Siemens’ chief diversity officer Janina Kugel was in Doha recently to speak at the 2016 How Women Work Annual Conference. Kugel spoke to The Edge’s Aparajita Mukherjee on increasing the number of Qatari hires and investing in growing the skills of local employees, and increasing the diversity in the workplace.
sectors
Finance and Markets 19
With 13 investment funds registered with the Qatar Central Bank in existence in Qatar, and more new funds, both conventional and Shari’ah compliant, being set up and registered here, the sector has been growing in the Qatari market since 2005, writes Sarah El Serafy. The Edge | 3
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Energy & Sustainability 23
Natural gas and liquefied natural gas are often sold under long-term contracts. However, these agreements can represent considerable risks because economic conditions may change during the term of the contract, write Ben Holland and Charbel Maakaron.
Real Estate & Construction 27 Ian Fleming offers an analysis on how, with the help of new technologies such as Building Information Modelling, we are starting to see partial integrations with the project plan.
Tech & Communications 29
As Qatar continues to implement its strategy to gain recognition as a global sporting capital, big data analytics can change the game for teams and coaches, stadium operators, and fans and media to the 2022 World Cup and beyond, writes Gergi Abboud.
With the help of big data analytics, stadium operators can improve fan and player experience significantly. (Image Getty Images)
Business Insight 55
Nael Attiyat, country manager, DHL Express Qatar, says companies have come to appreciate the wide range of benefits and strong competitive advantage that an efficient logistics system can provide. In a conversation with The Edge, Jun Higuchi, managing director of Fujifilm Middle East speaks about the company’s regional presence. “We are also the first company in the local market to establish an Electronic Proof of Delivery (POD) service, which directly captures customer’s signature onscreen,” says Nael Attiyat, country manager, DHL Express Qatar.
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regulars From the Editor 6 Photo of the Month Business News 10 Qatar Perspectives Products 61 4 | The Edge
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editor’s letter One area I have always felt the Arabian Gulf, and Qatar specifically, is lagging behind many other parts of the world is in the realms of marketing and especially public relations (PR). I have seen some improvement in six years of working here, but I still believe there is a long way to go to match the sophistication of other regions, even in emerging markets such as Southern Africa or Southeast Asia. And the excellence of mature marketing sectors in Europe and North America and Japan in most cases set the bar very high. But as I am loathe to come across as yet another foreign ‘Qatar-basher’ I will immediately add two caveats. Firstly that it is unfair, yes, to compare Doha to New York or Tokyo here. And the second is that there are indeed many great promotional practitioners in Doha and naturally in Dubai – which hosts many of the world’s great advertising and PR agencies, as well as some regional equivalents – and elsewhere in the Gulf. However, it has become clear to me that the importance of well-defined branding, wellexecuted advertising campaigns and effective, meaningful PR is not as widespread as it could be. It has always come as a surprise, a shock even, that even large corporations, some of them local incarnations of multinationals, employ highlevel staff who lack even the most basic grasp of marketing basics. Such as one key individual in the communications department of a large company here who once inquired what a ‘demographic’ was from an associate of mine. Marketing and communications departments in these companies often lack any concept of effective communication requirements. Some multimillion riyal companies in fact often have no integrated marketing strategy at all, with no clear idea of what a brand is or what it means. They extend only the most cursory effort towards creating decent advertising material and do not embark on sustained brand marketing, beyond perhaps average adverts in daily newspapers. Moreover, PR firms enlisted to promote their clients sometimes dispatch clueless and overbearing representatives to interact with us media gatekeepers, often subverting their own
agenda and damaging the reputation of their own entity and their clients’ brand in the process. What got me thinking more about this topic lately was the security breach evidently experienced by a leading Qatar bank in late April, where thousands of clients had banking and other details exposed online by an unknown third party who hacked into their systems. It was of course immediately picked up on by social media, but the bank did not immediately confirm the breach and instead issued a response urging its clients not to succumb to Internet rumours. The institution then remained mostly quiet, and did not answer questions about the breach from many media outlets, including The Edge. In their defence it does seem some clients were contacted that same day, but apparently, many were not. So, these concerned customers took to social media to complain about this lack of information, either in the form of personal contact or in a media release confirming the alleged hack (which was forthcoming, some days later). Fortunately the breach seems not to have placed any of the bank’s customers’ funds in jeopardy. However it to the outside observer it does seem that this entity did not have a preplanned PR strategy in place to react to such an incident, which has arguably damaged their brand. Not a PR disaster certainly on the scale of BP’s oil spill debacle or Sony’s PlayStation customer data breach a few years ago, for example, but perhaps just as avoidable. Often, merely explaining situations to potentially aggrieved customers will ensure their loyalty and shore up any negative brand fall out. Investing in solid communications strategies, even during economic downturns, is clearly vital for any firm. Unfortunately, marketing and PR budgets are the first to feel cutbacks, but arguably these are as important to the success of a company as any key operational function. In fact, this is when firms should arguably pay more attention to their communications to maintain positive brand equity and business turnover during as the inevitable lower revenues follow. Only through robust communications departments, staffed by the most qualified, can firms ensure success and even improved market advantage when good times return.
Investing in robust PR and marketing, even during slow Miles Masterson economic times, is vital for firms. Executive Editor 6 | The Edge
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The Edge | 7
8 | The Edge
Solar crossing
photo of the month
Solar-powered plane Solar Impulse 2, piloted by Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard, flies over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco in late April, after a flight from Hawaii during its circumnavigation of the earth, to promote green technologies. The fossil-fuel-free aircraft landed at Moffett Airfield in Mountain View in Silicon Valley, in San Francisco, California. The Solar Impulse 2 is equipped with 17,000 solar cells, has a wingspan of 72 metres, and yet weighs just over two tonnes. The Solar Impulse 2 will next embark on a multistop trip across the United States to New York before it flies over the Atlantic and Europe en route for its final destination and original starting point in March of last year, Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. (Photo Getty Images) The Edge | 9
news
business news
Local fuel prices linked to global market prices from May 1
main story
Qatar’s Ministry of Energy and Industry recently announced that effective May 1, 2016, fuel prices in Qatar would be linked to global market prices for petroleum products. Energy analysts have interpreted the move as symptomatic of instilling a wider culture of fiscal discipline and overall cost rationalisation in a climate of depressed hydrocarbon price. By Aparajita Mukherjee. The fuel prices will be published on the official site of the ministry and in the local newspapers before the end of each calendar month. The announcement was made by Sheikh Mishaal bin Jabor Al Thani, head of the committee in charge of studying fuel prices in the domestic market. Addressing a press conference recently, Al Thani mentioned that the decision to restructure fuel prices in Qatar and adjusting them on a monthly basis has been aimed mainly to raise the efficiency of energy use and to increase consumer awareness on the need to rationalise fuel consumption. This decision, Sheikh Mishaal added, is also in line with practices followed in many countries of the world. Al Thani also stressed that the restructuring of fuel prices in Qatar and adjusting them on a monthly basis does not necessarily mean a rise in prices, but it means that the prices will be linked to the actual prices of these commodities whether up and down according to world prices. In January this year, domestic fuel prices were also hiked by more than 30 percent, following similar decisions taken by Bahrain, Oman and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. While curbing domestic fuel consumption has been at the heart of the move, global energy analysts have interpreted these as the Gulf states’ attempts at instilling a new era of wider fiscal discipline and cost rationalisation, in tandem with the current climate of depressed hydrocarbon prices.
Boost revenue earning
With the withdrawal of subsidies from fuel prices in the regional economies, studies by global think tanks have predicted that the major regional oil and gas companies might look for various means to complement their cost reductions with a range of revenue-earning tools, be it divestitures, merger and acquisitions or initial public offerings (IPOs). Depressed oil prices are likely to force oil and gas companies in distress to seek scarce buyers in a debt-driven shakeout, according to A T Kearney’s Oil and Gas M&A Outlook. The report, released recently, reveals that 2016 will be a pivotal year for all oil and gas companies as they look to complement their aggressive capital expenditure and cost reductions with divestitures, mergers and acquisitions. 10 | The Edge
A case in point is Saudi Arabia’s Aramco IPO, which, according to the Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, could exceed USD2 trillion (QAR7.28 trillion), as the country prepares to sell off less than five percent stake in what could be the world’s largest IPO. Analysts have mentioned that the value of the Aramco IPO itself would be heavily weighed by expectations of future oil prices and Saudi’s role within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to influence global production levels. The A T Kearney report continues that globally, companies with weak balance sheets will be forced to offload assets and seek partners to support their cash position as funding options dry up, while companies in a stronger financial position will have the opportunity to capture reserve and merger synergies. International oil companies, stated the A T Kearney report, will focus on structural cost reduction and portfolio high-grading, making selective acquisitions and continuing divestment programmes, especially in unconventional resources, more likely than mega-mergers. BP, Chevron, and Shell, for example, have announced more than USD45 billion (QAR163.8 billion) in combined asset sales over the next few years. This has also been echoed by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) which has outlined that in the backdrop of the repercussions of the United States’ shale gas renaissance, oil prices’ relentless dive, Saudi Arabia losing its access to cheap gas feedstock, China’s capacity build-up, and the lifting of Iranian
news
business quotes “It depends on economic growth.”
Citing an example of product specialisation, Marcin Jedrzejweski, principal at BCG has said that the best way to successfully spearhead product specialisation efforts is by forming a joint venture (JV) with a strategic partner (for instance, Sadara, a JV forged by The Dow Chemical Company and Saudi Aramco).
sanctions, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) producers will have to refocus in three areas. The BCG study has mentioned commercial excellence (building robust marketing and supply chain capabilities); operational excellence (beefing energy efficiency, raw material usage efficiency and asset maintenance management), and product specialisation (moving away from immediate derivatives and go further downstream). Citing an example of product specialisation, Marcin Jedrzejweski, principal at BCG, has said that the best way to successfully spearhead product specialisation efforts is by forming a joint venture (JV) with a strategic partner (for instance, Sadara, a JV forged by The Dow Chemical Company and Saudi Aramco). “At present, the GCC’s petrochemical industry is caught in the throes of fundamental change,” concluded Jedrzejewski. “To thrive and survive despite these evolving circumstances, GCC players will have to rethink and revise their business plans – urgently. Because stagnation is no longer an option.”
Brent crude oil price (USD/b) 80 70
Daily historical oil price
60
51.3
50
40.8
40 30 20
2015
2016 f
56.0
Average annual oil price forecasts 2017 f
2018 f
Sources: Bloomberg and QNB Economics forecasts
International Energy Agency (IEA) executive director Fatih Birol, referring to the hope for an ongoing increase in oil prices, said in late April that it “may be the case” that oil prices may have already bottomed out, but that a continued rise in the oil price would in main depend on international gross global domestic product performance. Birol had predicted earlier in the month, after the unsuccessful meeting of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other energy trading countries in Doha, that the worldwide glut in oil supplies would decline in the next few years and ostensibly would result in a rebound of oil prices in the medium. “At the end of this year or the latest 2017, we expect oil markets to rebalance and prices to rebound,” Birol had said. Birol expected global oil demand to grow by 1.2 million barrels per day this year while non-OPEC oil production would fall by more than 700,000 bpd.
“This is the silly season. It will pass.” United States (US) senator Lindsay Graham, broadly addressing the concerns of leaders of his country’s allies in the Middle East by his political party’s presidential frontrunner Donald Trump’s election promise about banning Muslims from the US and other similar sentiments. “I’m telling them that in my view, his policy positions don’t represent the Republican Party, they represent him,” Graham told media after returning from a trip to the region, where rulers of Egypt and Jordan for example expressed their concerns. “I cannot tell you how that one statement was unnerving,” Graham also said. “Because if you’re riding this tiger like El Sisi and King Abdullah, and you’re trying to have a relationship with the United States and Saudi Arabia, that was a pretty hard blow to absorb.”
The Edge | 11
news
business in brief
Realtors close major deals at Cityscape Qatar
City bus segment key for GCC public transport expansion
Visitors taking a look at one of the real estate projects displayed at the Cityscape Qatar event held last month in Doha.
Current road projects across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, signify the region’s commitment to building the greatest network of roads ever available in the Middle East.
Despite the challenging economic scenario, Cityscape Qatar, the annual real estate event held last month in Doha, saw some major property deals being closed over the course of three days. Among them was a sale and purchase agreement signed between United Development Company (UDC) and Al Qamra Holding, for a residential tower plot in Viva Bahriya precinct. The country’s biggest real estate exhibition is also a place for other regional and Qatari real estate companies to display and launch new projects. Al Bandary Real Estate, for instance, exhibited its Bay Complex Project and Bay Villa, located in The Pearl-Qatar. Whereas, Just Real Estate that made its official debut in Qatar during the event, unveiled a number of new developments, including Jenan Residence, The View Laguna Residence, La Verna Residence, and their luxury commercial office tower, The e18hteen, located at Marina District in Lusail City.
As the public transport sector across Qatar and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries continues to expand in response to the ever-growing demand, the city bus segment in particular is proving one of the preferred areas for investment by regional transport authorities. Commenting on the future demands on region’s transport infrastructure, Jithesh JV, regional director, Volvo Buses Middle East, said, “Local authorities in Qatar and other GCC countries are facing a range of factors adding to the demands on their transport systems and recognise the role buses can play in addressing these factors.” Driven by growing urban populations as well as upcoming world-class events such as the Dubai World Expo 2020 in the United Arab Emirates, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and increasing numbers of people travelling to Saudi Arabia annually to perform rites of religious pilgrimage, there will be a substantial upsurge in the numbers of passengers to be moved around the region’s cities, he added.
Qatar’s travel and tourism sector boosts GDP growth Qatar’s travel and tourism sector made the strongest contribution to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the region last year. According to World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) research, in 2015, 11 out of the 13 countries in the region experienced growth in the sector’s contribution to GDP. Qatar showed the strongest growth at 23.7 percent, stimulated by tourism investment for the World Cup, followed by Kuwait at 13.4 percent and Bahrain at 7.6 percent. David Scowsill, president and CEO of 12 | The Edge
the WTTC, who was speaking at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) 2016 in Dubai, said, “Our research demonstrates that rather than switching off investment in travel and tourism as oil revenues fall, countries dependent on oil income would benefit greatly from investing in travel and tourism, to further diversify their economies and to develop additional income streams.” He has called for continued investment in travel and tourism in the Middle East, as a means of diversifying economies as oil revenues decline.
Middle Eastern M&A reached USD4.7 billion in Q1 2016 Middle Eastern investment banking fees reached USD178.2 million (QAR649 million) during the first quarter of 2016, a 17 percent decline compared to the value recorded during the first quarter of 2015 and the lowest annual start for investment banking fees in the region since 2014, according to a quarterly investment banking analysis done by Thomson Reuters and Freeman Consulting. Nadim Najjar, managing director, MENA, Thomson Reuters, said, “The value of announced merger and acquisitions (M&A) transactions with any Middle Eastern involvement reached USD4.7 billion (QAR17.11 billion) during the first quarter of 2016, a decline of 67 percent compared to the first quarter of 2015 and the slowest first quarter for deal making in the region since 2014.”
APICORP’s income increases by 3.7 percent
Dr. Aabed bin Abdulla Al Saddoun, chairman, APICORP, said, “APICORP raised more than USD1.5 billion (QAR5.46 billion) of new finance.
Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP), a multilateral development bank established by the 10 member states of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), reported strong financial results, with total income increasing to USD162.04 million (QAR590 million) in 2015 compared with USD156.28 million (QAR569 million) in 2014; and net profit before provisions growing to USD124.38 million (QAR453 million) from USD118.51 million (QAR431.41 million) for the previous year. Dr. Aabed bin Abdulla Al Saddoun, chairman, APICORP, said, “APICORP raised more than USD1.5 billion (QAR5.46 billion) of new finance, and launched its Sukuk programme aiming at diversifying the company’s funding sources.”
news
events
Business events calendar May 2016 11-12 May Future BIM Implementation
From Doha’s Metro to the numerous sporting stadiums, BIM will enable project teams to use 3D digital models to collaborate and support building projects throughout their lifecycle.
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a process and it is already having an enormous impact on the construction and infrastructure industry. The very face of Qatar will change over the next decade as work on the country’s various mega projects is undertaken and completed, while further advancements will be made as the Qatar National Vision 2030 is realised. Future BIM Implementation event will provide a great opportunity to understand the importance of integrating disciplines and functions in BIM for mega projects in Qatar. The attendees will get a chance to interact and network with key officials and peers and understand the requirements of current and upcoming projects in Qatar.
16-19 May World Stadium Congress 2016 The World Stadium Congress 2016, in partnership with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, will offer a platform to discuss best-practice solutions, future projects, and forecast the future of both broadcasting and the fan. As stadium stakeholders continually focus on improving their respective venues’ legacy programmes in order to avoid longlasting losses, there remain additional issues at stake. This includes diversifying a stadium to encourage multi-use for the entire calendar year, equipping a venue with the latest technology to enhance fan experience and to boost ticket sales, safeguarding a venue with the most advanced security protocols to avert potential disaster, and more. This could be a good opportunity to join the biggest names in the sporting community. Attendees will get a chance to hear international case studies from the operators of most renowned stadiums in the world.
Events Listing May 9-10 May
LightingTech Qatar
9-12 May
Project Qatar
18-19 May
International Conference on Economics and Business Management (ICEBM)
18-19 May
International Conference of Civil and Architectural Engineering
22-25 May
6th Annual Underground Infrastructure and Deep Foundations Qatar The topics of discussion at the World Stadium Congress will include ways on diversifying a stadium to encourage multi-use for the entire calendar year.
23-24 May
ICC Banking Workshop
24 May The Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Attiyah International Energy Awards
Established in 2013 to celebrate the legacy of HE Al Attiyah, Qatar’s former Minister of Energy and Industry and Deputy Prime Minister, the energy awards are conferred to distinguished individuals for their achievements over a whole career in service of the global energy industry. This year, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources, HE Ali Al Naimi will deliver the 2016 Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Attiyah International Energy Awards Lecture at the annual gala event to be held in the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha. The annual Al Attiyah Lecture provides the national and international audience with an outlook for the energy industry, delivering insights on the possible implications of current trends for the international markets in the year ahead. 14 | The Edge
HE Abdullah Bin Hamad Al Attiyah is recognised globally for having made a formidable contribution to the international energy industry over the course of many decades.
qatar perspectives
Balancing energy supply with demand
Has the term ‘energy efficiency’ merely become a buzzword in recent years? Has the energy crisis taken its toll on humanity to such an extent that we have become indifferent to its potential risks? No matter what your answers may be, the fact remains: balancing energy supply and energy demand, especially in the midst of climate change, will continue to be a pressing issue that affects humankind as a whole, writes Yasser Salah Al Jaidah. The question still remains whether we as individuals consider ourselves part of the world’s energy problem. Something tells me that a randomised sample survey will show otherwise, which brings me to the heart of the problem: the energy crisis has not yet reached a tipping point. It is no secret that today’s energy systems are facing many challenges: the steady growth of global energy demand, depletion of energy resources and increasing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, to name a few. The combined effect of these challenges deserves a more sustainable approach to energy consumption – whether in energy generation or manufacturing environments. Such sustainable solutions, of course, not only improve energy efficiency, but also contribute to the cost efficiency of existing energy systems. As such, it is imperative for governments to adopt ‘green’ technologies when it comes to energy production in the interest of minimising waste and preserving natural resources. Nonetheless, making such changes in the short run may not be as easy as it sounds since urban planning usually takes into consideration other variables such as population density and spatial mapping. In the long run, however, incorporating environment-friendly technologies and energy-efficient systems such as district cooling networks and zero-waste developments will set the stage for building
Increased heat retention in exposed surfaces and heat generated from buildings in heavily populated areas trigger an Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. 16 | The Edge
Yasser Salah Al Jaidah is the chief executive officer of Qatar Cool. the future cities of tomorrow, where the population is expected to increase substantially leading to increased energy demand. Furthermore, it is worth stressing on the potential negative environmental impact imposed by the creation of densely populated cities. The increased heat retention in exposed surfaces and heat generated by activities from buildings in heavily populated areas trigger an Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect that causes temperature in its surroundings to rise. The latter can be mitigated through the use of green roofs and increased vegetation and retrofitting buildings with more energy-efficient utility infrastructures such as district cooling systems. Consequently, assigning district cooling ‘zones’ in urban plans for areas with a density cutoff ratio of around 10,000 tonnes of refrigeration per square kilometre or more, can be economically feasible for both the utility provider and user alike. Most importantly though, such design would allow for approximate savings of 40 percent to 50 percent in energy usage when compared to the energy consumption of conventional air-conditioning methods in such densely populated areas, let alone reducing the UHI effect. To put things into perspective, district cooling could provide around 30 percent of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s forecast cooling needs by 2030. This would prevent the region from having to build 20 gigawatts in new electricity-generating capacity, and save 200,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in fuel.
finance & markets
Given the growing number of investment funds in the country, the fact that banks often act as founders or fund managers of investment funds in Qatar has come under the scrutiny of the QCB, pictured here. (Image Arabian Eye/Corbis)
Qatari investment funds: Bringing risk management to the forefront With 13 investment funds registered with the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) in existence in Qatar, and more new funds, both conventional and Shari’ah compliant, being set up and registered here, the sector has been growing in the Qatari market since 2005, writes Sarah El Serafy.
I
nvestment funds established in Qatar are generally considered to be safe vehicles for both Qatari nationals and other Qatar residents to secure a better return than that available for fixed deposits. Given the growing number of investment funds in the country, the fact that banks often act as founders or fund
managers of investment funds in Qatar has come under the scrutiny of the QCB. Banks act in this capacity, either directly. or through one of their affiliates and often own a significant stake in these funds. The QCB has moved to limit any conflict of interest, as well as banking risks arising from banks holding a major stake in investment funds as a bank’s investment.
10%
The maximum ownership that a bank can have in an investment fund, without it being required to consolidate its financial statements alongside those of said fund. The Edge | 19
sectors | finance & markets
Qatari banks acting as founders or fund managers and owning more than 10 percent in investment funds must adjust their holdings within the year 2016.
Global EM Debt & equity inflows (USD bn) 45 35
Average inflows 2010-16 USD19bn
25 15 5 -5 -15 -25 -35
US Federal Reserve tapering announcement 2013
2014
2015
Total outflows USD70 bn
2016
Sources: IIF and QNB Economics It has instructed locally licensed banks, acting as founders or fund managers of investment funds, not to hold more than 10 percent of the units in such funds. The QCB elaborated on the resultant concerns in a circular issued in February 2016. In the circular, the QCB described how a bank that owns a significant stake in a mutual fund would have a ‘material’ interest in that fund which would require the consolidation of the financial statements of these funds with the financial statements of the bank. In the same circular, QCB also mentioned that significant ownership in an investment fund by the founder or fund manager is inconsistent with the provisions of the Investment Funds Law No. 25 of 2002 and its executive regulations and has restricted ownership to no more than 10 percent. The Investment Funds Law prohibits founders and fund managers of 20 | The Edge
investment funds from having any interest in or gaining any profit or advantage from managing or supervising the fund activities, save for fees and commissions set out in the fund’s Articles of Association. Moreover, a fund manager is prohibited under the Investment Funds Law from investing in a fund in excess of the permitted share set out in the Articles of Association or as otherwise determined by the QCB. Despite this, until now, there has been no formal restriction on the ownership percentage of a founder or fund manager of a fund in Qatar. There has, however, been an absolute restriction for custodians or investment agents of a fund to invest in the fund, for conflict of interest reasons Now, the QCB’s view seems to be that conflict of interest is also a concern, where fund managers or founders are owners of a major stake in a fund and, therefore,
fund management and investments may be driven by the interest of the manager or the founder. The QCB’s recent restrictions also seem to have risk management concerns on top of conflict of interest concerns. In particular, there seems to be a worry that bank investments in funds are mixed with investments they make on behalf of thirdparty investors recorded off balance sheet item in the bank’s financial statements. QCB has now requested that banks acting as founders or fund managers and owning more than 10 percent in investment funds, adjust their holdings within the year 2016. Time will tell whether or not this proves a success.
Sarah El Serafy is senior associate banking and finance, Eversheds Doha.
energy & sustainability An LNG storage facility in the United Kingdom. When it comes to financial disputes in the gas export sector, which can increase during times of price volatility, English law differs significantly to how these cases might be treated in Gulf energy exporting countries such as the UAE or Qatar. (Image Arabian Eye/Reuters)
Weathering hardships and disputes in long-term gas contracts Like many other energy industry relationships, natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) are often sold under long-term contracts. However, these agreements can represent considerable risk because economic conditions may change during the term of the contract, leading to disputes, write Ben Holland and Charbel Maakaron.
C
hanged circumstances, such as the present fall in oil prices, can cause financial problems, leading to disputes and arbitration between vendor and client. Even when price review provisions are included, they generally only permit a renegotiation and review of the price payable under the contract. Given this limitation, it is often necessary to look beyond contractual price review provisions and consider other ways that the terms of long-term contracts might be adjusted to take account of changed circumstances that cause economic hardship. However, there are radical differences in approach under different legal systems. Only some jurisdictions allow a court or arbitral tribunal to adjust the contract for financial hardship. So how can all of this be used to best advantage? English law is a good example to consider because there is
no principle recognising financial hardship, no statute (of any use) on ‘frustration’, no recognition of the ‘economic balance’ of a contract and no cases anywhere allowing: frustration based on economic or financial difficulties; impracticality; or commercial (rather than physical, legal) impossibility.
Gulf requirements
In contrast, in the Gulf region, the Qatar Civil Code, Article 171 of Law No. 22 of 2004 and the similar (but with important differences) United Arab Emirates (UAE) Civil Code, Article 273 of Law No. 5 of 1985, the Civil Transactions Law, allow an important measure of relief for financial hardship. Here, the applicable tests are different. In relation to the notion of unforeseeability, in Qatar, this references ‘Exceptional and Unforeseen Events’, whereas in the UAE this is determined by ‘Force Majeure’.
In relation to the nature of the hardship that must exist, in Qatar, this is considered as ‘Excessively Onerous’ and in the UAE, ‘Impossible’. In relation to the cause of the hardship, in Qatar: ‘The triggering circumstances may cause the hardship, but this is not required.’ whereas in the UAE: ‘No mention of level of proof or causal requirement is required’. In relation to the resolution of the hardship, in Qatar, there is ‘focus on reasonable resolution by renegotiation, and in the UAE: ‘Rescission of the contract, either in whole or in part’. Finally, in relation to hardship triggered by a fall in oil prices, a threshold issue relates to the foreseeability of the change in circumstances. Under Qatari law, the changed events must be ‘unforeseeable’, with UAE law imposing a less strict requirement. In the context of the gas and The Edge | 23
sectors | energy & sustainability
Source: Waterborne Energy, Inc. Data in USD/MMBtu. (Landed prices are based on a netback calculation.)
World LNG estimated landed prices, Feb. 2016 Cove Point United Kingdom Japan USD1.37 USD4.02 USD4.35 Korea Lake Charles Canaport USD4.35 India USD2.41 USD1.74 Belgium USD4.38 USD3.90 China USD4.20 Spain Altamira USD4.27 USD4.52 Rio de Janeiro USD4.57 Bahia Blanca USD4.55
LNG industry, it may be possible to foresee an event such as a fall in oil prices, but not to foresee exactly what will happen, its timing or its specific consequences. It is possible to debate if such a claim would be barred under the requirement that the triggering ‘events’ be ‘unforeseeable’, because it was known that a future fall in price would eventually take place. One answer is to analyse whether or not either party knew enough about the economic effects to have taken them into account at the time that the contract was executed. Another common issue relates to the nature and the cause of hardship, in other words, the degree (and proof) of causation required between the triggering event and the specific economic hardship relied on. Both tests are strict, but UAE law is harsher – requiring ‘impossibility’ compared to the more permissive approach under Qatari law, which requires only that the performance of the contractual obligation becomes ‘excessively onerous’, and does not include the additional requirement (seen, for example, in Algerian law) that the event must ‘threaten the obligor with an excessive loss’.
terms fixed by the court (or arbitrators). This is a powerful remedy for the party disadvantaged by the hardship. In an arbitration concerning the way that a contract ought to be revised due to hardship, the arbitral tribunal will have a very broad jurisdiction to impose revisions to the terms and conditions of the agreement. Certainly, the complexity of revising far broader parameters within a contract, not just its price provisions, can involve even greater commercial and legal complexity than in a price review. A concern among gas and LNG industry participants, that the arbitrators may not have the experience necessary to devise commercially appropriate revisions to a long-term contract, can be alleviated by appointing arbitrators with relevant industry expertise. It can also be alleviated if the parties
consider incorporating the concept of ‘baseball arbitration’ into the hardship provision within the agreement. Each party would be required to set out its final position on how the contract should be revised. After the hearing, the arbitrators would be required to render a final and binding award that adopts one or the other of the parties’ positions. The arbitration process would thus be focused on the arguments for and against very specific proposals, proposed by the parties themselves. Concern about the possibility of unintended consequences resulting from the arbitral tribunal mixing and matching proposals from each of the parties, or the prospect of decisions being imposed by an arbitral tribunal without having been checked and evaluated for cost by at least one of the parties, would be reduced. The difficulties of renegotiating longterm LNG contracts due to hardship, and with Qatari and Emirati courts applying local laws as the basis of argument may result in high costs of litigation, particularly as the elements of unforeseeability (under Qatari law) or hardships resulting in impossibility (under UAE law) may not be as easy to substantiate. As such, utilising arbitrators with relevant industry expertise may be able to offer a preferable approach for contracting parties seeking resolution. While there is no ‘one-size-fit-all’ solution, the three key elements that are critical to the success of long-term LNG contracts are not much different from any other contract: a well-drafted contract; dialogue between the parties; and a clear dispute resolution mechanism involving industry experts.
Scope of relief
Finally, what is the scope of available relief? Qatari law limits the relief that the court (or arbitrators) may grant to a renegotiation, in order that the obligation is no longer excessive, and otherwise requires the contract to remain in force. In contrast, broader remedy is available under UAE law, and the contract may be terminated on 24 | The Edge
Ben Holland is a partner in International Disputes Resolution Practice and Charbel Maakaron is office managing partner in Doha at Squire Patton Boggs law firm.
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real estate & construction
By integrating planning and execution systems, BIM is touted by the author as the ideal solution to the lack of cohesion and communication often experienced in large infrastructure projects in Qatar especially. (Image Arabian Eye/Corbis)
Technology vital in aiding project integration in Qatar
Since Qatar won the bid to host the 2022 World Cup in December of 2010, it has increased its infrastructure projects under the Qatar National Vision 2030 to create a lasting legacy. Ian Fleming offers an analysis of how by utlising new technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), the country is starting to experience partial integration within its large project plans.
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he infrastructure sector has long been heavily document-based, with few fixed offices and staff predominantly based on site. With many interwoven teams and multiple businesses working together, tracking staff availability, scheduling, timesheets and payroll is still one of the biggest overhead tasks. When it comes to the project plan, the sub-plans for these (staffing) business functions along with procurement, engineering, operations, sub-contract management,
construction and project cost control are still typically created in Excel. So, not only are they not integrated with the primary systems supporting these functions, how does the management even know that these sub-plans are aligned with the pretty picture of the original project plan? The problem of alignment is made even harder when the scope of a project changes constantly through contract variations. Whenever you have multiple overlapping systems – and therefore no single source of
information – there is a risk that one system will be updated but not the others. With the introduction of new technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), we are starting to see partial integration with the project plan. Some organisations, for example, are trying to link the plan to the BIM module to implement smart 4D construction simulation solutions. But even this only covers the construction phase of the project and does not attempt to create a The Edge | 27
sectors | real estate & construction
single source of information. It also relies on having a well structured BIM model and high quality data. Nevertheless, despite the obvious advantages, there is reluctance in some quarters to integrate the plan. Why so? There are two main reasons: The first is inertia. The business systems used in most construction and contracting businesses are not integrated and do not support a work breakdown structure that is integrated with the other functional areas of the business. They are still operating with many non-integrated systems and Excel spreadsheets and there is no expectation that things should be different. The second is culture. Simply put, people are still working in departmental silos and are reluctant to change as they may fear that if their data becomes visible, they can be held accountable. The functional areas all want to invent their own plans because that is what they trust and that is what they can control. Given the size of many of the projects currently underway in this region and the new constraints of a lower oil price, the infrastructure sector needs to think about introducing an integrated approach to project management to ensure that projects run within timescales and, more crucially, do not go over budget. An integrated plan means everyone has to trust and work to one plan. The benefit to the organisation (and the overall project) is working to one common goal, ensuring that the project delivery performance will improve. To achieve this, an integrated solution which can manage the entire project lifecycle which is essential to project-based businesses like those in the
Ian Fleming is the managing director, IFS in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia regions.
oil and gas, utilities and construction and contracting industries is needed. New technologies such as BIM will increasingly drive a move away from primarily document-driven processes to an integrated data-driven approach. The adoption of more sophisticated information inputs enables organisations – and potentially entire supply chains – to move away from isolated business processes, with their corresponding information
The infrastructure sector needs to think about introducing an integrated approach to project management to ensure that projects run within timescales and, more crucially, do not go over budget. 28 | The Edge
silos, to processes that are integrated throughout the whole design, construction and asset management lifecycle. Ultimately this requires an integrated systems approach that supports accurate and timely information management across business processes including tendering, estimating, design, programme management, procurement, construction, sub contract, plant and equipment, materials management, risk, progress, cost control, quality, health and safety, asset and facilities management, document management, human resources and finance. Beyond improvements in project delivery performance, we see a great potential for efficiency improvements in the design, construction and management of assets over their entire lifecycle from this more data-driven approach to process efficiencies. The reality right now – starting with a project plan that is often disconnected from the rest of the business – is a high risk approach. Perhaps it is time for the industry to change – or at least those that want to start improving their competitiveness.
tech & communications
With the help of big data analytics, stadium operators can improve fan and player experience significantly. (Image Getty Images)
Qatar’s smart stadiums can take
fan and player experiences to the next level As Qatar continues to implement its strategy to gain recognition as a global sporting capital, big data analytics can change the game for teams and coaches, stadium operators, and fans and media to the 2022 World Cup and beyond, writes Gergi Abboud.
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y analysing data from sensors and on-field cameras, today’s coaches and players can gain unparalleled insights on player speed, positioning, and possession. As a result, coaches and scouts can improve player performance and reduce injuries, while optimising team line-ups and strategies. Already, Qatar can deploy these best practices in technology from leading teams and stadiums worldwide.
Real-time software
After the 2014 World Cup final game, fans and football analysts celebrated Germany’s precision and teamwork. But what common
football fans may not realise is that Germany was assisted by a 12th man – big data analytics. Before the World Cup, Germany relied on scouts and coaches watching hundreds of hours of video recorded from stadium cameras to analyse matches and plan strategies. Thanks to a co-innovation partnership with German-headquartered enterprise software company SAP, they developed the Match Insights solution, now called Sports One, to take sports analytics to the next level. Using eight high-definition panoramic video cameras from Panasonic, the Sports
One solution breaks down the pitch into a grid, with each player tagged and tracked virtually. Football generates a massive amount of data – in only 10 minutes, 10 players with three balls produce over seven million data points. Sports One uses the power of the realtime SAP HANA database platform to crunch this data on the cloud via in-stadium WiFi. As a result, users can play back matches on their smartphones and tablets, and track passing and scoring trends, time of possession, and even estimates of player’s fatigue. During practice sessions, teams can also put sensors on the players themselves, giving more indepth insights on health. The Edge | 29
sectors | technology & communications
Still, the data alone only accomplishes so much – the execution comes down to the coaches and players. With the insights, Germany reduced average possession time from 3.4 to 1.1 seconds, and developed strategies that helped them clinch the championship.
Mobile-optimised stadiums
Another German sports club, FC Bayern Munich wanted to take the player and fan experience to the next level. In addition to using SAP Sports One, they decided to use SAP HANA to transform the in-match experience at Allianz Arena, Munich. On the back end, FC Bayern Munich upgraded its enterprise resource management (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and business intelligence solutions to the SAP HANA platform, providing them with real-time insights on fans’ past interactions and current context using in-stadium WiFi and sensors. Imagine the opening ceremony at the 2022 World Cup, with tens of thousands of fans using mobile apps that allow them to order concession from their seats. They will not have to leave their seats, and instead can have concessions delivered directly to them. This will not only cut down on lines, but also allow stadiums to optimise their food and beverage stocking and reduce supply chain costs. When fans roam the concourse, the same technology can deliver geo-location based discounts and special offers to their mobile phones. Walk by the gift shop, and
7m+
The number of data points football generates in 10 minutes, with 10 players and three balls. 30 | The Edge
Stadium operators will need real-time mobile network analytics to provide ultrafast mobile broadband and WiFi to fans in the arena. a fan can receive a 10 percent off on a football jersey for their child, or a special promotion on slow-moving concessions such as sushi or pretzels. By 2022, the world will not only be mobile – but driven by smartphones, with industry reports predicting that two thirds of all mobile connections will be on smartphones, reaching a total of roughly six billion. At matches, we are seeing a rising trend of fans uploading as much digital content as they are downloading. While they may be downloading content such as video playbacks and real-time match statistics, they are also uploading photos and videos to their social networks – which reaches a ‘fever pitch’ during major matches. As a result, World Cup stadium operators will need the real-time mobile network analytics to provide ultrafast mobile broadband and WiFi where and when fans need it in the stadium. These kinds of network analytics can also let teams and operators optimise apps for the type of mobile device and browser being used, allowing fans to replay matches on their mobile phones, and gain the same insights that players and coaches have on the field, and media with the insights to enhance their reporting. On a global scale, the same software enables FC Bayern Munich to support its international growth, and monitor social media sentiment from its 400 millionstrong global fan base. By 2022, social media will be completely integrated into our daily lives, from what we watch to what we buy. During the world cup, national teams will no longer court only their home country supporters, but harness real-time social media analytics to effectively engage with fans around the world, on any mobile device. Increasingly, social media is serving as a virtual majlis for sports, where fans debate
the games. In the near future, teams will host social media Q&As with star players, and interactive discussions with fans on everything from strategies to lifestyle trends – and potentially translate in realtime from different languages. Teams like FC Bayern Munich are using apps and social media to deliver relevant, personalised video content, and developing innovative behind-the-scenes mobile experiences for global fandoms. With Qatar ramping up as a global sporting capital, these kinds of solutions can be deployed in stadiums and arenas across the country – transforming the player and fan experience in local leagues, and for mega-events such as the 2019 World Championships in Athletics, the 2022 World Cup, and the 2023 FINA World Championships. The entire world will be watching these events, and Qatar will be able to demonstrate the most advanced sporting technology, from team line-ups, to sustainability, and fan-friendly features.
Gergi Abboud is managing director of the Middle East at SAP, driving global sports technology innovation.
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business interview | cultural tourism
“Katara’s strategic projects and its cultural and investment programmes are all complementary and combine to serve cultural, economic and social aims under the Qatar National Vision 2030,” Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, Katara’s general manager, tells The Edge.
34 | The Edge
cultural tourism | business interview
Katara offers great support to the arts in Qatar through exhibitions and theatre and concerts in all forms. Pictured here is Katara’s ampitheatre. (Image Katara)
Katara: Doha’s cultural village and international tourist attraction
Katara Cultural Village is considered to be the principal cultural destination in Qatar. In an exclusive interview with The Edge’s Sanae Bougria, Katara’s general manager Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti discusses the various aspects of Katara and its efforts to introduce the country’s cultural traditions to the world and its dedication towards the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030.
The Edge | 35
business interview | cultural tourism
S
ituated adjacent to the business metropolis of West Bay in Doha, Katara has become a prominent cultural landmark for tourists in Qatar and an enjoyable recreational location for its residents. The institution is arguably playing a crucial role in introducing Qatari culture and traditions to the world through its many varied events and activities. Katara’s track record of well-executed events is impressive and its contribution to Qatar’s cultural legacy obvious. As such this cultural entity is both an intellectual and financial investment toward the future of the country and the region and often no expense has been spared to ensure its success. However, this could lead one to wonder whether the recent decline in oil price has led to any changes in its ambitions. Here, Katara’s general manager Dr. Khalid Bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti provides an emphatic answer: “Katara is continuing to execute its scheduled plans and we can confirm that the current economic situation is not affecting Katara’s efficiency. Our series of meticulously scheduled and high-standard activities are proof of this”. Katara’s work plan, adds Dr. Al Sulaiti, has been formulated to mirror the pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030. “The Katara Culture Village draws its goals from the Qatar National Vision,” he says, “which aims to turn Qatar into an advanced country, capable of achieving sustainable development, in addition to preserving the national cultural heritage and promoting Arabic and Islamic identity and values. “Katara’s strategic projects and its cultural and investments programmes are all complementary and combine to serve cultural, economic and social aims under the Qatar National Vision 2030,” he adds.
“Katara is continuing to execute its scheduled plans and we can confirm that the current economic situation is not affecting Katara’s efficiency.”
Katara Cultural Village GM Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti and the Kuwaiti ambassador in Doha HE Metyeb Saleh Al Mutotah at the launch of the fifth annual Halal Festival 2016 organised by the Cultural Village Foundation-Katara. (Image Katara)
36 | The Edge
cultural tourism | business interview
Katara Cultural Village announced in 2014 that it would adopt a five-year strategy, ending in 2018, with the aim of evolving itself into a cultural institution that is also economically viable, with revenue generating projects such as Katara Mall Plaza and various restaurants for example. Their plan aims to transform the workforce – which moreover has undergone a Qatarisation process whereby more than 70 percent of Katara employees are now nationals according to Dr. Al Sulaiti – to universally accepted and world-class standards and programmes. Strategic partners Another of Katara’s aims, explains Dr. Al Sulaiti, is to build bridges of communication, linking cultures and people – the Cultural Village seeks partnerships within a vast network worldwide in order to ensure the success of its events and activities. Katara chose its present collaborators carefully, for whom Dr. Al Sulaiti has nothing but praise. “We have strategic partners who I can only thank for their support”, he says, “in meeting our goals and vision, seek varied partnerships with local and international institutions that reflect our cultural and humanitarian message.” Case in point, one of these partners, Dr. Al Sulaiti tells The Edge is the Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (GORD) who are working together with Katara with the aim of promoting and developing the concept of sustainability in the urban area through workshops and training for the personnel, and also cooperating in the area of scientific research which plays a great role in directing the architectural rise currently happening in Qatar. Katara, he adds, also places great importance on the development of the potential and the capacities of Qatar’s youth through its partnerships, such as its relationship with the International Public Relations Association-Gulf Chapter, whereby there is a focus on bringing millennials in direct contact with the cultural renaissance that is currently in full swing in Qatar. Within this realm, Katara has also renewed its agreement with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), says Dr. Al Sulaiti, “in order to be a part of a greater number of international initiatives. Our partnerships usually include several ministries, local and international museums and organisations selected according to our cultural messages and our ambition to enrich the local scene.” Purposeful events The variety of Katara events and activities is one of the key foundations of the Cultural Village. Dr. Sulaiti explains that Katara is intent on organising a number of exceptional events on a yearly basis, has already organised more than 170 events in 2015, providing a treat to the cultivated, creative and artistic Qatari natives and expatriate residents. The events were varied and included festivals, lectures, symposiums, activities, plays, exhibitions and musical shows. “Katara gives great importance to the cultural heritage events, such as the traditional dhow festival and the Halal festival,” he added, “which aim to present a form of our heritage to the natives of our country or to the distinguished guests of other nationalities.” The institution also works tirelessly to promote and endorse
Katara hosted Qatar’s dhow festival in 2015 and is a central focus point for many forms of promotion of Arabic culture. (Image FotoArabia)
“We seek a variety of partnerships with local and international institutions, in order to meet our goals and visions, which in turn reflect our cultural and humanitarian message.” The Edge | 37
business interview | cultural tourism
art and literature, having been the host of the first-ever Middle Eastern opera and classical music Oscars, Oscar de la Lirica. Katara’s important literature events must also be included, such as the awarding of the annual Katara Arabic novel prize, offered since 2014. Dr. Al Sulaiti stressed the importance of this prize, saying that it “aims to reinforce the status of Arabic novels in the Arabic world as well as internationally, in addition to encouraging and honouring creative Arabic writers.” Katara also announced that it will collaborate with the Tunisian-based Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) to celebrate International Arabic Novel Day in order to emphasise the importance of Arabic literature and the continued efforts of Katara to endorse Arab novels and novelists, and to help them reach wider horizons, in the Arab region and the wider world. Dr. Al Sulaiti also touches on the first ever Katara prize for the Prophet’s Poet, which first took place last April. “This prize aims to stress the importance of poetry and the Arabic language in uniting the Arabic nations,” he furthers, “as well as linking the youth to their Arabic identity and promoting efforts aimed at preserving their literary heritage and the Arabic language and highlighting the talent of aspiring poets.” More than 828 poems were submitted from Arab and nonArab countries. The prize was awarded to Omani poet Jamal Bin Abdullah Al Mulla for ‘The Prophet’. Al Mulla also received a prize of USD3000 (QAR10,921) Omani poet Jamal bin Abdullah Al Mulla’s poem entitled ‘The Prophet’ won the Katara Prize for Prophet’s Poets for the best poem in praise of Prophet Muhammad. The prize is part of Katara’s drive to promote the Arabic language and culture in Qatar and beyond. (image courtesy Katara)
“We seek worldwide recognition for Katara Cultural Village’s through the quality of what is offered during our events.” 38 | The Edge
Katara’s Future Plans In terms of its revenue-generating aspirations, Katara, points out Dr. Al Sulaiti, is making great strides in various projects designed to attract visitors to the destination and contribute to its financial independence. These include the Katara Mall Plaza, its fountains and Katara Hills. We are working on several new projects, which will occupy a significant space in the country’s culture,” he added. “They include a children’s mall, fitness centres and swimming pools.” Most of these projects are in their final stages of execution, furthers the Katara general manager, and will be launched in the near future, cementing Katara’s position as what he terms, a full-fledged international destination.” Katara Plaza, Dr. Al Sulaiti then reveals to The Edge exclusively, will be opened during the first quarter of 2017. The outstanding mall, set on a space of more than 38,000 square metres will include highly comfortable shopping spaces among the most popular brands, in the world. The mall will also include a large number of creative entertainment services, and comprise an extensive air-conditioned space, both outdoors and indoors, in the aim of ensuring visitors’ comfort. Katara Mall Plaza will also employ an innovative floor cooling system, making it the perfect combination of artistic architecture, innovation and comfort. This attraction will help to increase the number of visitors which, says Dr. Al Sulaiti, reached nine million in 2014 alone. In further defining Katara’s strategic formula to attract visitors, Dr. Al Sulaiti explains: “It’s in our definition of what a benefit is and what entertainment is, and for us, the first ensures the second. Katara’s visitors are lucky to be a part of the events, whether they be festivals or lectures, for Katara is a cultural tourism destination. Why, even the restaurants in Katara are an expression of the international
cultural tourism | business interview
“Katara gives great importance to the cultural heritage events, such as the traditional dhow festival and the Halal festival, which aim to present a form of our heritage to the natives of our country or to the distinguished guests of other nationalities,” says Dr. Al Sulaiti. (Image courtesy Katara)
Q1,2017 Katara Mall Plaza is expected to open in the first quarter of 2017.
culinary cultures from the East to the West. This applies to its many different facilities. As for the content that is presented, the Cultural Village ensures to offer continuingly varying content.” As for future plans, the general manager states: “It is no secret that we seek Katara Cultural Village’s worldwide recognition through the quality of what is offered during our events. We are working continuously to ensure a high and varying artistic level, which has the purpose of attracting a varied public, in addition to seeking partnerships and agreements with several parties, on both the local and the international levels. “We invite tourists to visit Katara to discover the limitless cultures of the world and the wonderful face of Qatar and the Arabic Gulf at large,” closes Dr. Al Sulaiti. The Edge | 39
Data, Big BigBusiness Is information technology the key to better company efficiency in Qatar?
40 | The Edge
The Information Age is presenting organisations with massive amounts of data, but questions remain about the real usefulness of it all. How can this data be exploited and utilised to improve efficiency and profits? Charles Vincent, general manager of A101 Digital Solutions in Qatar, explains to The Edge how data analysis can improve business efficiencies across all sectors including IT, retail and in human resources (HR) management especially. By Mark van Dijk.
I
t happens all around us, all the time, and often without our knowledge. Whenever we travel, whenever we purchase something, whenever we walk through the security gate at the office: thousands of machines track our every move. This is not the premise of a paranoid science fiction film; it is the very real modern world of Big Data – and it is changing the way humans do business. Big data is not a new term and of course is used to describe data sets that are so large or complex that traditional data processing applications are inadequate. This information is usually generated from sensors and machine-to-machine (M2M) technologies within a facility. According to analyst firm Berg Insights, the number of M2M technologies in use in the global oil and gas sector could rise from 423, 000 in late 2013 to 1.12 million by 2018. “The greatest value of this data gathering lies in the compounding impact,” Ghassan Barghouth, vice president, Middle East at Schneider Electric, wrote in a recent statement. “Building an organised portal of useful data today places a company at the forefront of innovation in five or 10 years. These systems have evolved and matured to operate alongside today’s IT systems and standards.” Yet despite the obvious benefits of this
high level of data analysis, companies in the Gulf and across the world are proving to be slow adopters. “IT leaders are looking twice, even three times, before riding these new technology waves into their mission-critical core applications,” analyst Joe McKendrick remarked during his opening keynote at the Collaborate 2016 conference in Las Vegas, United States, in April. McKendrick based his opinion on a survey of nearly 700 users of computer software firm Oracle, which hosted the conference. Technophobia Charles Vincent, general manager at the Doha-based A101, has noticed this trend too – and understands the reasons for the scepticism. “A lot of time people consider technology as expensive and as changing so quickly that it’s like a neverending hole where you just pour money in just to look fancy,” he tells The Edge. “On the other hand, when you come from an
53%
The amount of organisations that use big data security analytics and report a high business benefit. The Edge | 41
cover story | information technology
Companies across all sectors in Qatar have yet to fully realise the potential contribution of big data analysis when it comes to improving efficiencies in operational functions such as human resources and in optimising retail offerings, to name but two. (Image FotoArabia)
IT background, you have the complete opposite approach where you believe technology is helping a lot. One of the reasons is because it tries to translate any actions or activities or processes within the company into data. When this data is measured and well analysed, we can really put our finger on areas where there is a lack of efficiency.” A101 has developed a line of products focusing on big data analysis that are aimed at improving business efficiency, including HR time tracking, retail footfall analysis, incident reporting and event activities. Vincent believes that Qatar is perfectly poised to embrace data analytics – precisely because of, and not in spite of, the state’s economic pinch. “In previous years, Qatar was in a high pace of demographic and economic growth,” he explains. “There was no time to waste focusing on how things were operated, 42 | The Edge
“When this data is measured and well analysed, we can really put our finger on inefficiency.” – Charles Vincent, general manager, A101, Qatar.
and companies had to adapt very quickly. Many burned through some necessary implementations of good practices, which is normal in any fast-growing economy.” These companies enjoyed many years of very good growth, sustained by the high oil and gas prices, says Vincent. “Now that the deal has changed,” he adds, “I think everyone is expecting to sell a bit less while keeping profitability afloat. These businesses will tend to look at themselves, how they operate, and look to optimise and reduce costs to hopefully keep the same profit margin as before.” Vincent’s point of view is backed up by recent global findings. A new survey conducted by the Business Application Research Centre (BARC) revealed the value of big data analytics in helping organisations to become more resilient in the face of increasing cyber attacks. “A recent survey found that 53 percent
information technology | cover story
of organisations that are using big data security analytics report a ‘high’ business benefit,” says BARC founder Carsten Bange. “The survey also found that 41 percent reported a ‘moderate’ benefit and only six percent said benefit was ‘low’, so there is fairly strong evidence of the business benefits of big data security analytics.” Bange adds that cyber security resilience can be enhanced by user behaviour analytics: in other words, by tracking user behaviour across all IT systems to identify significant deviations from normal behaviour and to warn of potential malicious activity. “There is nothing new in being able to identify patterns of behaviour,” Bange continues. “Most of the analysis techniques are 30 to 40 years old. But now we are able to apply them to extremely large data sets across multiple information technology systems.” Another area of business big data analytics can be implemented with a direct positive effect on turnover is in retail. While this is not new in Qatar, concedes A101’s Vincent, “for some reason it has not widely been implemented yet here, but now that there is a lot more retail offer than has ever been in Qatar, people might be focusing on this a bit more, as they should. It consists in measuring footfall so you know how many people at the end of the day came inside the mall or store, but more importantly we want to know where those people have been and how they have behaved.” Of course, behaviour analytics need not be limited to security or retail. At A101, Vincent and his team have identified other key areas in which Qatar’s data analysis transformation could happen: your own staff. “Those sectors are mainly found in human resources (HR),” he says, “mainly looking at the overtime of employees, where there is no proper ways of measuring this.” Vincent explains further: “When we measure people in their work space – outdoors or outside – the point is really to measure their ins and outs, and to be able to quantify the time this whole workforce represents. Everyone has problems with overtime in Qatar. Overtime costs a lot of money for a company, so having a system that doesn’t cost much at all, which has a fairly quick return, is very important.
1.12
million
The number of machine-to-machine technologies predicted to be in use in the global oil and gas sector by 2018.
Taking the example of companies that have 250 to 3000 or 5000 employees, if you are talking about 30 percent of overtime, then 20 percent might be justified, but if 10 percent is not, then that represents a lot of your payroll.” “An interesting example,” Vincent continues, “is when a biometric – a machine reading fingerprints at the entrance – is installed. Now people start coming back on time, because they feel they are watched. They think, ‘I’d better be here for the machine!’ Now, in a lot of cases we came across, those machines were not even plugged in and nobody was taking the reports from it, but still the psychological effect was working.” Continuing the example, Vincent expands this to a larger company, perhaps of 100 employees or more. “If those machines are not plugged in,” he says, “and rumours start going around: IT finds out, laughs about it, discredits the management team, and nobody cares anymore. That is generally when
Doha technology company A101 has developed a line of products focusing on big data analysis that are aimed at improving business efficiency, including HR time tracking, retail footfall analysis, incident reporting and event activities. General manager Charles Vincent believes that Qatar is perfectly poised to embrace data analytics.
The Edge | 43
cover story | information technology
Retail is one sector of business that can benefit immensely from big data analytics, whether it be merely measuring footfall but also in terms of their behaviour, which can better inform malls and individual stores on how to optimise visitors and sales. (Image FotoArabia)
“Building an organised portal of useful data today places a company at the forefront of innovation in five or 10 years.” - Ghassan Barghouth, vice president, Middle East at Schneider Electric 44 | The Edge
they put a reporting system in place, which is basically an Excel file which they download from the machine every week or two.” Even then, though, the information is gathered, processed and saved by the IT team… and, as Vincent says, “that means humans are taking care of it”. Human error – whether intentional or not – remains an error. And therein lies the clear benefit of computerised data analytics. “Finally you introduce a system where the report leads directly to a cloud server, and gives the proper report at the end of the month,” Vincent adds. “It is completely automated. It does not require anyone. It gives a report at the end of the day, week and month of people, which allows us to calculate and quantify the amount of overtime along with in depth analytics, which can be compared on an employee or department with the company’s key performance indicators (KPIs). It also gives you all the data you require to do your accounting around Qatar’s newlyimplemented wage protection system.”
Quality vs. quantity As Vincent’s case study illustrates, any quantity of data is useless without an adequate quality of data. As he puts it: “Gathering the data is one thing; filtering this data, analysing this data…. That’s another thing completely.” The obvious take out is that in HR or in oil and gas production, the real value of data gathering lies in the analysis of that data. “It is important to say that a lot of people do things traditionally on paper,” Vincent warns. “I’ll give you a simple example. I am living in an apartment. I want to report an incident. There’s a leak, so a guy comes and he makes me sign a piece of paper. He comes back later to sort out the leak. Everything is fine, except that he has taken four days to do it. At his next weekly meeting, he is going to say everything was done and cleared out fairly quickly. It was quick for him, but from a higher management perspective, if it leaks in 50 apartments in the same residence, then there is a major problem. It is not localised in one apartment, but it is a bigger issue
information technology | cover story
A BIG DATA GLOSSARY FOR THE NEWBY The Edge demystifies some Big Data buzzwords, starting with the term itself…
BIG DATA
Extremely large data sets which can be analysed computationally to reveal patterns.
DATA AGGREGATION
Gathering data from various sources for the purpose of analysis or reporting.
BEHAVIOURAL ANALYTICS
Using information about people’s behaviour to understand their intent and to predict their future actions.
INTERNET OF THINGS
A collective term for electronic devices that are connected to the Internet.
that the landlords need to revise.” Another problem with paper records is that the computational factor is removed entirely from the equation. Files upon files of paper records cannot be analysed; the values cannot be compared, charts cannot be created and comparisons cannot be drawn. “Finding patterns, when it is done on paper, is just impossible,” says Vincent. “Let’s face facts: the manager is not going to look and run statistics through 50 pieces of paper.” However, if the data is entered in an
BIOMETRICS
CLOUD
Using technology to identify people by their physical traits, such as facial or fingerprint recognition.
Any Internet-based application or service that is hosted remotely.
MACHINE2MACHINE DATA (M2M)
UNSTRUCTURED DATA
When two or more machines share information with each other.
electronic system, Vincent’s hypothetical building management team will be able to measure the efficiency of the plumbing team, record the time it took to fix the problem, and track the types of problems that are recurrent. “A recurring problem costs money, right?” he says. “So if you fix it once and for all you will save in the longer run.” Many companies are still hesitant to embrace Big Data, or to explore the possibilities of data analytics. As McKendrick’s snap survey (and Vincent’s
Data that cannot be structured or organised such as the text of email messages or social media posts.
own experience) suggests, there are concerns around the costs and the mechanics of implementation. But we are fast reaching a tipping point, where the challenge is less about whether a company can afford data analytics and rather whether any modern concern can afford to go without any data analytics. “Everyone should know as much as they can, so that they are more aware and more dynamic in terms of decisionmaking, and more prompt to take quicker decisions,” Vincent concludes. The Edge | 45
business interview | managing people
“At Siemens in Qatar, we started to put a strong focus on gender diversity within our organisation about 12 months ago, and in that time, we have increased the number of females within our business from nine to 11.5 percent. Of course there is still work to do, we have committed to a female workforce of 20 percent by 2020 in Qatar,� says Janina Kugel, Siemens’ chief diversity officer and chief human resources officer.
46 | The Edge
managing people | business interview
is to create a wide consensus and enhance trust Siemens’ chief diversity officer Janina Kugel was in Doha recently to speak at the 2016 How Women Work Annual Conference. Kugel, who is also responsible for the company’s human resources function globally, spoke to The Edge on increasing the number of Qatari hires and investing in growing the skills of local employees, increasing the diversity in the workplace in Qatar and the region, and intensifying Siemens’ collaboration with higher education institutions in Qatar. By Aparajita Mukherjee. Tell us about yourself, your educational qualifications and your professional experience both before and at Siemens. I started my career in consulting, and working for various clients around the globe which allowed me to experience of many different perspectives. Now I am a member of the Siemens managing board since February 2015, and as chief human resources officer, I am globally responsible for the company’s human resources (HR). Prior to this, I held various positions in Osram and Siemens in the areas of HR,
corporate executive development, strategy and innovation management in Germany, Italy and China. I think the most important thing in every career path is that you constantly learn and are open to new developments, tools and especially people. I often took the chance to try out interesting new tasks. You have to be courageous with regard to new challenges to be successful. And you have to accept the opportunities when they are offered to you – and they do not always come when you await them.
75
The number of graduates that Siemens will employ from Qatar by 2020. The Edge | 47
business interview | managing people
From your experience, what HR practices can Middle Eastern companies learn from the West to improve a more gender inclusive workplace and encourage a higher degree of diversity in the workplace in Qatar and the region? Siemens believes that different thinking, backgrounds, experience, expertise and individual qualities all foster creativity in high-performance cultures, and this of course means building a highly diverse workforce. Achieving this is not necessarily about learning from Western practices, but looking at the needs of employers and employees – or potential employees – and finding solutions to match these. For employers, this means, where possible, developing a culture of flexibility in such a manner that creates a family-friendly environment without affecting the business. The ability to be flexible with working hours will also enable employees to work around the family commitments, and this is something we have addressed at Siemens in Qatar and across the Middle East. We have identified core hours for our employees with flexible start and finish times allowing our people to plan their work day around other commitments, and we are receiving extremely positive feedback about this. For gender diversity, it is also important that companies are clear about the opportunities available to female employees. Women working in senior management send a clear message that a company values gender diversity, and – crucially – has the necessary practices in place to allow women to take advantage of the same opportunities as men. At Siemens in Qatar, we started to put a strong focus on gender diversity within our organisation about 12 months ago, and in that time, we have increased the number of females within our business from nine to 11.5 percent. Of course, there is still work to do, we have committed to a female workforce of 20 percent by 2020 in Qatar. But in general, we can all learn from each other, no matter where you are in the world. What is Siemens’ collaboration plan with higher educational institutions in Qatar? We feel that as a local company, it is our
business administration, computer “It is the science and information systems. recently, we celebrated the first responsibility threeJustgraduates from a joint talent training programme with Qatar Foundation, of educational and a second group will follow in April. institutions and We also work closely with Texas A&M most recently with our weekcompanies to work University, long presence on campus engaging with and our Innovation Center together to bring students, in Qatar has a series of collaboration the private sector projects with Qatar University. is your view on the workplace into the education What readiness of graduates who are going be hired by corporates/public process, rather than tosector companies? Do you think that educational institutions have a role simply trying to in getting a curriculum that makes ‘bridge the gap’.” students more workplace ready, or is
responsibility to contribute to Qatar National Vision 2030. The country is experiencing an extraordinary transition towards a knowledge economy, and this is where Siemens can make a real contribution. Our aim is to support knowledge building in Qatar, diversifying our company in order to drive success. We have made a commitment to employ 75 local graduates by 2020, and by being a part of the education process and offering training and learning opportunities with our organisation, we are making a real contribution to Qatar’s future knowledge economy. We already operate collaborative programmes with educational institutions in Qatar, including participating in a programme with Hamad bin Khalifa University which will provide scholarships for exceptional students majoring in electrical engineering,
it the role of the employers to bridge that transition? This is an important point, and there is work to be done. Of course if graduates are better informed about the working world before they enter it, this is to everyone’s advantage. Educational curriculums are tight, and it is the responsibility of both educational institutions and companies such as Siemens to work together to bring the private sector into the education process, rather than simply trying to ‘bridge the gap’. We believe that work experience at Siemens is an extremely valuable asset for students, whether they eventually join us or not, and it is important to work closely with universities to make sure there is enough flexibility on both sides to create this opportunity. In the next three months, we will be hiring approximately 10 graduates, and every year we welcome on average of 15 working students into our Qatar business. We would like to see this figure doubled in coming years. Why is diversity becoming more and more important? For a company such as Siemens, being active in more than 200 countries all over the world, it is not only natural but indispensable to be diverse. We are acting in a wide variety of markets, working with a number of different customers, so our employees need to serve all that diversity, too. Furthermore, diversity is crucial in times of demographic change and skill shortage. We cannot risk losing potential
managing people | business interview
talents for our businesses, be it women, older individuals and their profound experiences or young people belonging to Generation Y who have a new and different attitude towards leadership, innovation and new media. At Siemens, we proactively foster diversity, for example, by women mentoring programmes, we try to hire people with physical handicaps and we establish global exchange programmes to increase international experiences and to include different nationalities in our international apprenticeship programme called ‘Europeans@Siemens’. And we are setting ourselves ambitious targets, one instance being the corporate thrust at constantly working on getting more women into leading positions. Our employees benefit from diversity, too. In today’s complex and dynamic world, different perspectives, openmindedness, lifelong learning and a high degree of flexibility are key to market share in times of digitalisation.
“Women working in senior management send a clear message that a company values gender diversity, and has the necessary practices in place to allow women to take advantage of the same opportunities as men.”
“We make a lot of different people work together – across countries and across hierarchies. Thus, leadership is getting more horizontal which essentially means being less hierarchical and more team-focused,” Kugel tells The Edge.
Siemens is focusing on digitalisation. What does that mean for your company? Digitalisation is one of the most radical changes to how we innovate, produce, sell and service our goods. It also influences our workforce and our working environment. The world around us – and here I mean the digital revolution – is getting more and more disruptive and it’s getting radically different. Through digital and social media, we get more freedom and flexibility, but also more responsibility. We have to rethink not only the way we are doing business and how we support innovation, but also on how we recruit and retain people. We will constantly have to check out new ways to stay competitive. What would you rate as your contribution to making Siemens more accepting of diversity and an equal opportunity employer? We believe in the potential of diverse teams. It is a fact that we need to manage the most diverse workforce ever to use collective
intelligence. To be successful, you need to appreciate and even foster this diversity. We are in the middle of a transformation of our company. And we want to be a role model by coming to a new leadership style. But what does that mean? We make a lot of different people work together – across countries and across hierarchies. Thus, leadership is getting more horizontal which essentially means being less hierarchical and more team-focused. Today, as a leader, you cannot just tell your employees what they have to do – you need to really take them with you, coach them and convince them, discuss with them in an open-minded way. We have to use the collective intelligence within the company, but also outside. That’s why – as a leader – you have to communicate with a broader range of employees like before. Social media channels can facilitate this new leadership style but of course meeting people in person remains very important to build trust.
feature story | qatari smes
Explorin entrepre
mindset
Without exception, entrepreneurs possess one desire: to walk an uncharted road. They must make an informed choice about the costs that they have to pay in terms of job security. They must trade it off with the challenge and change that they want to create and experience. This is not what the conventional expectation is, though, for Qataris. Talking to some Qatari entrepreneurs such as Zeyad Al Jaidah, Maryam Alsubaiey and Hanan Al Taweel, The Edge’s Aparajita Mukherjee finds out what drives them, and more importantly, what is it that they feel need to change to facilitate a larger number of budding entrepreneurs to make this career choice.
A
report by Oxford Strategic Consulting, Qatar Employment Report: Insights for 2016, a report by Oxford Strategic Consulting, has stated, “Qataris have an appetite for entrepreneurism… Approximately 41 percent of Qataris surveyed listed ‘running their own business’ as their ideal role in the future”. The report further analyses that in contrast to widely-held notions about public sector preferences in Qatar, 27 percent of respondents ranked the public sector as the least preferable industry to work. This figure, the report states, represents a stark difference with neighbouring countries where the respective surveys have revealed persisting and deep preferences for public sector roles. This shift in preference away from public sector employment is 50 | The Edge
“We are not here to make a quick buck, we are here to stay… we are here to build a legacy so it is also a commitment from our side.” – Zeyad Al Jaidah, TechnoQ.
qatari smes | feature story
ng the neurial
Zeyad Al Jaidah, managing director and co-founder of TechnoQ, embodies the crux of the nonconventional Qatari mindset. Al Jaidah attributes the root of his own entrepreneurial journey to his family, saying, “We have always been business people. For hundreds of years now, we have been doing business here. For me, it was in my blood and I just grew up thinking of business., I remember.�
The Edge | 51
feature story | qatari smes
can give customer vouchers, reward points or even cash in return for the waste cooking oil. Al Taweel partnered with The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) to come up with a national solution to the waste management for Qatar. The character traits that an entrepreneur must have, in Al Taweel’s view, are strength, determination and the ability to take criticism and make mistakes.
Commenting on the lessons learnt in her entrepreneurial journey so far, Maryam Alsubaiey, founder of Qtalent mentions, “Be creative and flexible. You will end up taking jobs that are not related to your idea, you will change your business model. You have to adapt to survive.”
at the root of the unconventional mindset of Qatari entrepreneurs that The Edge has spoken to. It is the motivation of one single individual and their desire to work for oneself and to create something new, something that does not exist already that is the common core, which the entrepreneurs who are part of this story, exhibit. Maryam Alsubaiey, founder of Qtalent, an online platform that provides creative recruitment for creative industries, tells The Edge that she began her own journey when her creativity was “blocked by bureaucracy. I resigned when I saw that there was no place for me in that place, and that I was learning nothing and going nowhere. Few months later, I created Qtalent. It’s an idea that I had for a long time but never had the time to start,” adding that her job did give her privileges, but never the sense of freedom and creativity she now feels. Zeyad Al Jaidah, managing director and co-founder of TechnoQ, a systems integrator in sound and lighting, traces the starting point in his desire to start a business of his own. He mentions, “Whether it was being with my family business, I just want to be in the private sector,” acknowledging that there 52 | The Edge
is a debate in his mind about the risk and the return paradigm had he stayed on with his government job and focused on his business part of his time, reiterating, “I think what happened has been for the best. It could not be any better or any different.” For Al Jaidah, it is the readiness to be an entrepreneur that is intrinsic to and is the basic prerequisite to the mindset. He adds, “You have to want it. You have to be ready for it,” adding “There is a fear of failure which, in our society, is a big differentiator. In other societies, maybe in the West, it is a done thing to try to do something and fail and try yet again, which does not hold true here”. In the case of Hanan of Taweel of Eco Star, the idea of doing something for her country as well as for her children is dually responsible for founding the company. It all began when she looked into the project of taking waste cooking oil and turning it into clean energy. Al Taweel was more focused on the health implications of not changing the waste cooking oil regularly, rather than the environmental, social, financial or ecological benefits. She looked into ways to encourage and engage with the public by sourcing reverse-vending machines that
The journey so far Commenting on the current thrust of Eco Star, Al Taweel tells The Edge, “Now we are in the final stages of funding the biodiesel plant that we will build here in Qatar, alongside Green Fuels UK.” Al Jaidah attributes the root of his own entrepreneurial journey to his family, saying, “We have always been business people. For hundreds of years now, we have been doing business here. For me, it was in my blood and I just grew up thinking of business. I remember.” Al Jaidah’s role model has been his father though having lost him early on, Al Jaidah grew up with his eldest brother, Jassim as his idol and nursed a dream of wanting to work with him at Jaidah Motors though the journey took him to finding his own company, even though he started his career at Qatar Petrochemical Company, after having studied mechanical engineering in Texas. “I finished in 1994. I had a scholarship from Qatar Petroleum to do my Bachelor of Science so when I finished I joined one of their subsidiaries,” Al Jaidah says. Reflecting on what he has learnt from the path that his family has tread throughout, Al Jaidah highlights that he takes justifiable pride in the honesty that he has seen and heard of from anyone associated with his family. He describes the business method his family opted for as “just simple, straightforward business. Not greedy. We are not here to make a quick buck, we are here to stay… we are here to build a legacy so it is also
41%
Of the respondents felt that running their own business was their ideal role in the future quoted in Qatar Employment Report: Insights for 2016.
qatari smes | feature story
a commitment from our side. There already is a reputation and we now are bound to maintain that quality standard,” adding, “To maintain that level of integrity in the market, which I take a lot of pride in and that is what drives me every day.” Al Jaidah mentions the projects that TechnoQ has delivered, especially citing the big projects in Qatar Foundation and Qatar Museum, describing them as “landmarks which will hopefully stay forever”. Reflecting on the phase when he was still with the public sector job, and if he ever looks back to check where in life he could have been, Al Jaidah mentions that most of his friends are in government jobs, adding, “Yes, their income is high, they do not have to worry about the balance sheet, they make mistakes, their return on investment will not happen probably in 30 years, a luxury that a private investor will never have.” Lessons learnt Talking about what she learnt in her entrepreneurial journey, Al Taweel of Eco Star says that sharing one’s knowledge, helping others achieve their goals and supporting a cause that benefits others sums up her take. Alsubaiey is unequivocal when she says, “Qatar is one of the most difficult places for start-ups to grow. Regulations, policies and monopoly could kill your passion. You need to have strong determination to continue. Those who make it are either smaller companies or those that are part of bigger groups or those who have endless funds and can continue taking risks. Second, the journey shows true colours of people around you. Don’t be afraid of losing a few friends, because you will gain new ones. Third, be creative and flexible. You will end up taking jobs that are not related to your idea, you will change your business model. You have to adapt to survive. Fourth, expect not to be paid on time, especially if you are working for the government. Lastly, expect fake promises. Many people and organisations claim that they support entrepreneurs, but they actually don’t.” TechnoQ’s Al Jaidah’s top lesson is being creative in adjusting the business to make it work. Citing an example, he tells The Edge, “When we first opened our business, we were targeting home theatre markets only, so we had a home theatre with a projector screen targeting those elite who want a home theatre for QAR150,000 to 200,000, and it was a big, big failure, but that was
our beginning which was an opportunity, in hindsight.” Relating the opportunity, Al Jaidah mentions that one of his friends wanted to have a sound system in a car show and he said ‘your surround sound is lovely, I want this beautiful sound in my showroom’. “It is then that we had to stretch our heads and accept that it was not going to be home
“Qatar is one of the most difficult places for startups to grow. Regulations, policies and monopoly could kill your passion. You need to have strong determination to continue.” – Maryam Alsubaiey, Qtalent.
theatre definitely, but work towards a good quality showroom sound for the car. Having delivered what the client wanted made us more confident and we had a happy client,” says Al Jaidah. Obstacles Al Jaidah is of the opinion that being in a small country, there are social and cultural judgements on running a company, as opposed to being in a public sector job which may not be easy for every individual to deal with. On the policy side though, there are efforts, says Al Jaidah, for supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), such as the thrust that Qatar Development Bank is giving, or the possibility of a SME exchange within Qatar Exchange, there is a lot more work to do in the domain of contract structure, which at present is one-sided and unfair. Citing an example, Al Jaidah continues, “The current contract terms put the full responsibility on the business and none on the government. For example, if there is a supply contract with the government and regardless of whether there is a delayed payment, the contractor is supposed to finish the project or is liable to be penalised, even if he didn’t get paid is unfair, and there is nowhere to go and complain except the courts which take a long time to resolve the issue.” Late payments hinders the growth of SMEs and Al Jaidah explains, “For me, in order to survive in my day to day operations, I cannot think of moving to Oman or developing...I opened an office in Oman but I do not have time to go there. I don’t have the energy to go and develop that business Continued on page 54
Hanan Al Taweel of Eco Star feels that the character traits that an entrepreneur must have are strength, determination and the ability to take criticism and make mistakes.
The Edge | 53
feature story | qatari smes
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because I have many things to fix here and to worry about here. Every day I have to call like five or six clients... what happened to my payment?” Another thing, in Al Jaidah’s opinion, that needs to change is the personal guarantee on setting up a business. Elucidating further, he mentions, “In any other country in the world, the bank will finance a corporate entity based on their balance sheet. If it is a start-up and there is no balance sheet, QDB needs to fund them. So I don’t understand this personal guarantee for start-ups here, especially if a local is setting up his own business and has no escape route.” Alsubaiey of Qtalent is emphatic that apart from policy changes, “We need buyers to have more trust in start-ups. We are still being treated the same as big corporations and multi-billion dollar business when it comes to regulations and opportunities.” Some welcome steps forward While the entrepreneurs The Edge has spoken to suggest measures that they would like implemented, it has been reported by local media earlier this year that the government is making policy changes in the requirements they need fulfilled before a small and medium enterprise (SME) is set up. Prominent among the changes is the removal of the need to raise QAR200, 000 before obtaining a commercial registration. Earlier, any new company would start the process of commercial registration with the MInistry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) and then proceed to obtain a letter from the government. This letter could be shown to a bank to enable them to open a temporary account. In that temporary account, the new business owners would then need to deposit at least QAR200,000, after which they could return to the MEC to complete their commercial registration, on the completion of which, they could apply for a trading licence and computer card. However, the QAR200,000 requirement was done away with in June 2015, for limited liability companies, which represent the largest number of firms incorporated by entrepreneurs and investors in Qatar, according to the MEC. In another move, the MEC has also relaxed the rules around office space requirements. The new requirement allows renting of furnished offices and boardrooms to new companies which can make do with modest space requirements. Citing his legal wish list from the government, Al Jaidah closes, “I just want that extra push for me not to worry about my accounts receivables. If I can get a clear law from the government, which addresses an everyday issue: where can I go and complain in case of a delayed payment, my life is going to be much easier. This will make people take payments more seriously, across the board.”
54 | The Edge
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Inside the minds of leading business figures
business insight Qatar has greater demand for strong and reliable connectivity 58 As logistics is the often the core of operations, Nael Attiyat, country manager, DHL Express Qatar, in an exclusive interview with The Edge, says companies have come to appreciate the wide range of benefits and strong competitive advantage that an efficient logistics system can provide.
The healthcare business has taken a core position within this region 56 In a conversation with The Edge, Jun Higuchi, managing director of Fujifilm Middle East, speaks about the company’s regional presence and the thrust of its activities in Qatar, where Fujifilm recently opened an office.
58
“Innovation has always been the key driving force in our development strategy. As a result, we have always pursued creative and pioneering solutions that can help organisations and individuals with their particular needs. Our meticulous initiatives include the recent launch of a dedicated air network to Qatar, which is scheduled five days a week from DHL Express’ Middle East headquarters in Bahrain to Qatar’s Hamad International Airport,” Nael Attiyat, country manager, DHL Express Qatar, told The Edge.
The Edge | 55
business insight | imaging industry
DIAGNOSTICS
The healthcare business has taken a central position within the Middle East In a conversation with The Edge, Jun Higuchi, managing director of Fujifilm Middle East, speaks about the company’s regional presence and the thrust of its activities in Qatar where Fujifilm has recently opened an office. Give us a brief history about your presence in the Middle East region. Since 1934, as Japan’s pioneering photographic filmmaker, Fujifilm has long enjoyed a monopoly within the Japanese market. Outside of Japan, it has also fiercely competed with other international brands. Having diversified our operations all over the globe, we established Fujifilm Middle East FZE in 2010, which assumes responsibility and scope of the Middle East and African markets. In recognition of the rapid growth and huge potential that this region offers, and following the establishment of Fujifilm Middle East FZE, we then established our representative office in Morocco and Saudi Arabia. As part of the diversification of our business portfolio, we paid more attention to maximising our resources and introducing new developments into markets that help us accelerate our business expansion objectives. For instance, the healthcare business has taken a core position within this region, which offers a host of opportunities including a potentially huge market that promises significant growth for the future. We are therefore fully committed to these markets and aim to further develop our business in line with the many opportunities it presents. You have recently opened an office in Qatar. Tell us why you decided to do so. As Fujifilm Middle East FZE, the regional office of Japan-headquartered Fujifilm Corporation, the company was looking to further expand its coverage and tap into the fast-growing regional healthcare sector. Accordingly, we have opened an on-theground technical service office in Qatar. Having been chosen as the medical equipment and information solution provider for the Breast and Bowel Cancer Screening Program of the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) in January 2015, 56 | The Edge
“The biggest challenge to the growth of the healthcare sector in the region is probably the lack of homegrown and local expertise in the medical field. At the moment, this region is characterised by a high dependence on expatriate workforce that runs and operates most of its medical facilities, be it government-run or privatelyowned,” Jun Higuchi, managing director of Fujifilm Middle East FZE told The Edge.
our decision to establish an office in Qatar is a clear manifestation of our commitment to fully engage ourselves in the programme as well as other business opportunities in the country. It is also reflective of our commitment to provide and offer customers the most excellent service here in Qatar. This office is also intended to provide the much-needed on-the-ground technical support and further extend the reach of our products and services to this region’s healthcare sector. Furthermore, Fujifilm´s overarching aim is to help enhance the quality of life of people worldwide and the company also seeks to contribute to the advancement of culture, science, technology and industry, as well as to improved health and environmental quality.
imaging industry | business insight
Which services will you be providing in Qatar? What new diagnostic imaging technologies will you be offering here? Our overall aim is to provide top-tier service that will lead to the improvement in the quality of life for the people of Qatar. Our revolutionary techniques and wealth of experience enables us to provide high-precision and high-resolution mammography equipment, image management and information systems. You are associated with the Breast and Bowel Cancer Screening Program in Qatar. Tell us about your involvement in this project. Which are the other projects are you associated with in Qatar? As the medical equipment and information solutions provider of the programme, Fujifilm will be providing its IT Solution ‘Synapse’, which will connect the Breast and Bowel Cancer Screening Program of PHCC to the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). This solution will also digitise HMC’s breast imaging department, provide digital breast assessment and diagnostic report services, and create a single uniform breast imaging and information system solution for the whole of Qatar. In addition, Fujifilm’s ‘Synapse CWM RIS/PACS’ solutions will be installed at all PHCC Health clinics throughout the country. Fujifilm’s Digital Mammography ‘Amulet’ System has obtained a PreMarket Approval from the United States’ Food and Drug Administration . This system has been approved by the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom (UK) as a high-quality system that meets the standards of the European Reference Organisation for Quality Assured Breast Screening and Diagnostic Service. What do you have to say about Qatar’s healthcare sector? What business opportunities do you foresee in Qatar and the Middle East region? Qatar’s healthcare sector is rapidly evolving and developing. Driven by the aspirations contained in Qatar’s National Vision 2030 plan, wherein one of its key pillars – human development – has the state fully committed towards ensuring the health and well-being of its citizens and residents, the country’s healthcare sector has tapped the products and services of some of the world’s leading medical equipment and software solutions providers. The same holds true for the other countries in the Middle East.
“As diagnostic imaging technologies become quicker and more accurate, it provides the necessary data for medical professionals to determine the most appropriate treatment for patients.”
Accordingly, this has created huge opportunities for companies such as Fujifilm to lead the way in introducing cutting-edge technologies to this market. With the advancement in the diagnostic imaging technologies, how do you see the evolution of the healthcare sector happening in this region? The advancement of diagnostic imaging technologies plays a huge and important role in the treatment of diseases. As such technologies become quicker and more accurate, it provides all the necessary information and data for medical professionals to determine the most appropriate treatment for any patient – thereby increasing the chances of saving more lives. And clearly, countries in this region have the resources to acquire such technologies and equip their medical facilities with them. What is your future growth strategy for this region? Any specific plan for Qatar? Besides the government-driven healthcare services, do you see opportunities in the private sector? While Fujifilm offers a wide range of products and services such as imaging, graphic systems, highly functional materials, optical devices, recording media as well as office and industry, our growth strategy for the region includes an emphasis on medical systems. Our specific plan for Qatar, which as mentioned earlier includes the establishment of an on-the-ground technical service office, is to fully engage ourselves in programmes and projects that help medical professionals and the healthcare sector perform more effectively and efficiently. As these programmes and projects are not limited only to government-driven healthcare services, the influx of private sector healthcare providers also present further business opportunities for us. Any challenges you foresee for the healthcare sector in this region? The biggest challenge to the growth of the healthcare sector in the region is probably the lack of homegrown and local expertise in the medical field. At the moment, this region is characterised by a high dependence on expatriate workforce that runs and operates most of its medical facilities, be it government-run or privately-owned. Accordingly, the growth of the region’s healthcare sector may largely depend on how it is able to attract overseas medical and technical experts who can run and operate all the technologically-advanced medical equipment and facilities that countries in this region are certainly capable of providing. The Edge | 57
business insight | logistics sector
EXPRESS DELIVERY
Qatar has greater demand for strong and reliable connectivity
Qatar’s logistics industry has been experiencing positive growth in the past few years as it expands along with to the strong development of various industry verticals. As logistics is the backbone of operations, Nael Attiyat, country manager, DHL Express Qatar, in an exclusive interview with The Edge, says companies have come to appreciate the wide range of benefits and strong competitive advantage that an efficient logistics system can provide. What is your assessment about the overall performance of Qatar’s logistics sector and the factors driving its growth? As Qatar continues to reinforce its position as an economic powerhouse, all key sectors have flourished driven by increased investment from foreign enterprises that are drawn to the country for its strategic location as well as infrastructure campaigns within the state following the introduction of initiatives to address Qatar National Vision 2030. DHL performed well in 2015 and this was further cultivated by our development campaigns to enhance and improve our services by establishing a new service point that will allow us to address the unique needs of our diverse clientele in an even more effective and convenient manner. We are optimistic that 2016 will continue to offer a host of new opportunities for DHL and our partners, and we remain committed to offering superior logistics solutions to our customers and the people of Qatar. For companies doing business in Qatar, logistics is still an issue as the sector faces “We are looking to address the needs of an expanding e-commerce sector. This is especially crucial as Qatar is a number of challenges such as limited now considered as the seventh largest business-to-consumer market in the Middle East and North Africa region,” capacity and lack of proper address says Nael Attiyat, country manager, DHL Express Qatar. and street marking system. How do you address these issues? Qatar features a vibrant and dynamic business sector, being one of the most rapidly expanding economies in the Middle East. This is further fuelled by the developments happening due to the Qatar National Vision 2030, which has further stimulated growth across all sectors. This is most evident from the increased investment and flourishing projects that are taking place within the construction and hospitality sectors. This does in fact provide strong growth opportunities for the logistics sector as there is greater demand for reliable connectivity.
“We are also the first company in the local market to establish an Electronic Proof of Delivery (POD) service, which directly captures a customer’s signature onscreen.”
58 | The Edge
logistics sector | business insight
We remain dedicated to providing local companies and the national economy with support through superior quality. Although the existing local address and street marking system can at times pose a challenge in our goal to facilitate swift delivery of consignments, we continuously look for solutions in order to provide best services to our customers. We have integrated systems and highly trained workforces, which are equipped to effectively coordinate with the concerned parties for the exact location to ensure safe and efficient deliveries. Last year, Qatar announced liberalising the courier sector by allowing private companies to operate here. How do you see this changing the dynamics of the logistics sector in Qatar? The national initiative to cultivate a more open business landscape within the courier sector provides a unique and positive opportunity for businesses across various sectors, particularly in the field of retail. Online shopping is becoming a more popular consumer alternative with the increased mobile and Internet penetration not only in the country, but also across the region. With this policy, private courier companies are now able to offer their services alongside state-owned Qatar Postal Service Company. It will drive competition, and private service providers will clamour to provide services at a lower price to create competitive advantage – something that will greatly benefit the consumers. This will also help enhance the operations of small and medium-sized enterprises and local entrepreneurs. People in this region still have apprehensions about shopping online. How is DHL addressing this issue? Any apprehension with online buying is mostly directed towards ensuring that purchases are being delivered in the fastest and most efficient manner, which creates a market gap for trusted service providers that are reliable and transparent. This is where DHL comes in, as we have established ourselves as one of the leading logistics providers not only in the country, but also in the international arena. We are looking to address the needs of an expanding e-commerce sector. This is especially crucial as Qatar is now considered the seventh largest business-to-consumer market in the Middle East and North Africa region. The trend is expected to continue in the coming years, especially with the
“The national initiative to cultivate a more open business landscape within the courier sector provides a unique and positive opportunity for businesses across various sectors, particularly in retail.” national government directing more investment in the sector in recognition of the wide range of possibilities. The government’s efforts in this regard will also impact the logistics market as infrastructure projects continue to emerge. In addition, the government is also developing a more unified and standardised system to address challenges in the logistics sector – all of these will contribute to a more dynamic market in the country and beyond. What kinds of solution do you offer for merchants and the business sector? Innovation has always been the key driving force in our development strategy. As a result, we have always pursued creative and pioneering solutions that can help organisations and individuals with their particular needs. Our meticulous initiatives include the recent launch of a dedicated air network to Qatar, which is scheduled five days a week from DHL Express’ Middle East headquarters in Bahrain to Qatar’s Hamad International Airport. The new flights and expanded network aim to address the growing need for express services, streamline operations, and effectively reduce the transit time for packages from North and South America by one day. We have always made an effort to strengthen communication channels with merchants so we can better provide them with tailor-made solutions of unparalleled services in terms of delivery of their products. Have you introduced any latest technology or solution to the local market? The logistics sector has always welcomed the latest modern advancements and integrated these technologies to facilitate better quality services at a faster rate and to reinforce the market’s competitive advantage. We have also adopted this mindset as part of our innovation-driven development plans. At the moment we have an integrated online Shipment Management Solutions in Qatar. This programme aims to fill the market gap for occasional shippers, small and medium businesses with regular shipping requirements, and large-volume business-to-business shipments. In addition, this platform provides our clientele with more convenient option of scheduling their courier pickups online. We are also the first company in the local market to establish an Electronic Proof of Delivery (POD) service, which directly captures customer’s signature onscreen. The capability of Electronic Signature (e-signature) eliminates the need for hard-copy POD sheets. It also allows for increased shipment visibility as well as a more streamlined delivery experience. This latest system is also an important part of our green initiative that has been developed to promote environmental sustainability. By eliminating the need for printing and post hard-copy delivery sheets or PODs, we are able to reduce our carbon footprint. What is your future plan for Qatar? Do you plan to open more retail service points? We remain steadfast in our commitment to provide unparalleled logistics services across the region. As one of the trusted names in the market, we will continue to consolidate and reinforce our position and create new benchmarks of excellence. With this in mind, we are actively working to reduce time and increase efficiency across our various logistics solutions. We are looking to expand our network in the near future to better serve our clients. In the recent past, we have opened a branch in Mesaieed and the Barwa Village, which helped us connect Al Wakra and airport as well as the facilities in the Qatar Science and Technology Park, to address the needs of students and organisations in the area. We will continue to create additional service points across the country in coming years. The Edge | 59
هل تبحثون عن حمتوى ديناميكي ُمميز؟ جمالت مطبوعة ورقمية للشركات مبزود احملتوى األكرث نشرات إلكرتونية اتصلوا إذن ُ ديناميكية ومتيزًا يف الدوحة .كتب تذكارية خاصة ،وكتب لطاولة القهوة تقارير سنوية تقارير االستدامة تصوير ضوئي (فوتوغرافيا) تصوير فيديو ُمدونات وحمتويات صوتية تطوير التطبيقات بيع وتسويق اإلعالنات حمتوى أصلي راسلوا روجن عرب الربيد اإللكرتوينpremium@firefly-me.com : أو اتصلوا على الرقم +٩٧٤ ٤٤٣٤ ٠٣٦٠ :لتحديد موعد لالجتماع.
سناء بوكريع
جو ماريت جنڤياڤ دياب
مصممة جرافيك اإلبداع املُ َو ِّجه للسوق
مدير عام مدير اسرتاتيجي ُمحنَّك
روجن بايلي
مديرة حسابات العمالء خدمة العمالء االستثنائية
مايلز ماسرتسون رئيس التحرير التنفيذي خبري يف تطوير املُ حتوى
حمررة القسم العربي احملتوى العربي النموذجي
products & reviews
Reviews
The new
Porsche 911 Carrera
T
he new generation of Porsche’s iconic model 911 Carrera comes with turbo flat engines, an advanced chassis designed for optimum performance, as well as a new infotainment system. Thanks to more than four decades of experience with turbo engines – in both motor racing and production sports cars – the new engines in the 911 Carrera set benchmarks in terms of performance and efficiency. The rear-axle steering, available as an option for the Carrera models for the first time, further extends the range of driving dynamics. A range of exterior features has been refined, including new headlights with four-point daytime running lights, a redesigned rear lid with vertical louvres and new rear lights, featuring the four-point brake lights. In the interior, the updated Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system with a multi-touch display offers a considerably expanded range of functions and simplified operation. The new generation engine that comes with bi-turbo charging enhances the driving experience with 370 horse power (hp) at the rear of the vehicle. The engine in the new 911 Carrera S also now delivers more power, with 420 hp. Both derivatives now have a power increase of 20 hp, and a displacement of three litres. The significant power increase in the new Carrera S is a combination of turbochargers
with modified compressors, enhanced exhaust system and tuned engine management. The new Porsche engines are characterised by significantly increased torque – 60 Newton metres (Nm) in each version – with a maximum torque of 450 Nm and 500 Nm respectively, delivered constantly from a low 1700 rpm up to 5000 rpm, ensuring better driving performance. For the first time, the PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) chassis, which lowers the ride height by 10 millimetres, is a standard feature on board all Carrera models. The active rear-axle steering, that is available as an option for the 911 Carrera S, is chassis technology adopted from the 911 Turbo and 911 GT3. It supports high driving stability when changing lanes at high speeds and ensures greater manoeuvrability in city traffic thanks to the reduction of the turning circle by 0.5 metres. The 911 Carrera can now be customised even more, according to personal preferences with new and enhanced assistance systems: the optional automatic speed control can now also brake moderately when the pre-set speed is exceeded, for example when driving downhill. The optional Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) now has a coasting function in conjunction with the PDK transmission.
The Edge | 61
products & reviews
Read it:
The Decision Book
Decisions. We are faced with them daily, by the hour, by the minute. Should I send that email now, or work on this project? Should I fire that troublesome employee or wait and see if their attitude changes? Should I buy a sandwich or have a pizza for lunch? Should I pitch that new business idea now or work on it a bit more? Should I write this review or do more ‘research’ on Facebook? Every decision has a repercussion, perhaps not ultimately resulting in life or death for you or anyone else (assuming of course you are not a doctor and your big decision of the day is what carbohydrate food form to eat for lunch and not whether to operate on a terminally ill patient or not). And we all need, and have likely had help in making our calls, whether simple or complex from a friend, family member, colleague or mentor. Which is precisely why Finnish journalist Mikael Krogerus and Swiss author and consultant Roman Tschäppeler came up with this strange but compelling little book, a interesting deviation from the modern narrative, ego-driven ‘how to’ self-improvement genre.
Read it:
Indeed, instead of a series of rehashed epiphanies and life lessons, this book cuts to the essence, adapting or directly attributing a series of tools and methodologies one can adopt to the broader process of deciding which things to do or what choices to make. Broadly quartered into sections ‘How to improve yourself’, ‘How to understand yourself better’, ‘How to understand others better’ and ‘How to improve others’, The Decision Book (a best-seller in Europe, for what it is worth), takes and/or adopts models for doing from an eclectic range of sources. These include former United States president Dwight D. Eisenhower, Warren Buffett, the Boston Consulting Group (their famous BCG Box to be more specific), Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the Johari Window James Reason’s ‘Swiss Cheese’ model and Garnter’s ‘Hype model’ for analysing mistakes, and a host more. Most are useful, especially from a business perspective (including the widely known and used SWOT model) and others are downright odd, such as the Esquire gift model (used for determining what presents to buy for whom) and the fashion model, which analyses what kinds of clothes we should wear. Got a personal conundrum? A workplace impasse? A business choice? Sweating over what colour socks to wear? There is likely to be a model in The Decision Book that will likely help you solve most problems - though maybe not that decision about what to have for lunch.
Available at Virgin Megastores in Doha.
How to Build a Billion Dollar App
For a budding tech entrepreneur, there are many inspirational books or topics to read, but what George Berkowski’s How to Build a Billion Dollar App offers is comprehensive and practical guidance about how to actually identify a great idea, and turn that into a successful business proposition, more precisely in this case, a billon dollar mobile app. The author, who comes from a tech background and happens to be a former rocket scientist, was one of the minds behind the internationally successful taxi hailing app Hailo. What he shares in this book is all from his experience of working with some of the leading tech and mobile companies, and explains in the details how to go about building a mobile app company from an ideastage through to scaling it up to a level when it can be sold for a billion dollar. A serial tech entrepreneur himself, Berkowski has been through all these processes, and he had the opportunity to interact and interview some of the great minds behind the success of leading apps such as Instagram, Whatsapp, Candy Crush, Viber, Uber and Flipboard. Often for a budding entrepreneur, having just a great idea may not be enough. What he or she needs along with it is the financial support and the business planning to turn that idea into
a successful business venture. The book explains all these in five steps, detailing what needs to be done at the start-up stage, followed by steps a company needs to follow for getting funding, and then to become a successful or a billiondollar company. However, this book is specifically about mobile apps, so it is more relevant for people who are interested in this particular subject. But, if you are a rookie app developer or a person sitting with a great app idea but do not know how to turn that into a billion-dollar business, this book is for you. Available at Virgin Megastores in Doha.
62 | The Edge
products & reviews
CANON CAMERA Canon has introduced the EOS 80D DSLR camera, which has all the latest imaging technologies, including a new 24.2 megapixel CMOS sensor and DIGIC 6 processor, alongside a new 45 all cross-type point AF system. The camera manufacturer also unveiled an all-purpose lens – the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM – with new Nano USM technology, and an optional Power Zoom Adapter PZ-E1, for smooth zoom control when shooting movies and remote operation via Wi-Fi. Designed to shoot in varying light conditions, the camera has a native ISO 10016,000 range, expandable to ISO 25,600, and the AF system will continue to work even under moonlight (-3EV).
yAMaha sound projector Yamaha’s latest YSP-5600 digital sound projector offers 3D surround sound experience from a single unit. It has six height channel speakers on each side that provide 3D surround sound reproduction. In order to create seven-channel sound beams, each of the speakers is controlled by individual delay time and is driven with its own independent amplifier circuit. These beams are projected onto the walls and ceiling, to be reflected accurately to the listening position. The sound projector also comes with an exclusive app MusicCast, which allows you to enjoy a variety of audio content throughout your home.
App Reviews By M. Iqbal
ClickMe (iOS, Android)
A to-do app does not get much simpler than this. ClickMe promises to let you set up most of your reminders in one to two ‘clicks’. The home screen primarily consists of a text box and 12 buttons below it, with the most common reminder settings – ranging from 10 minutes to 24 hours, to a date, to adding an item to do in the next seven days. Click on any button and the reminder is set.
CloudMagic (iOS, Android) CloudMagic brings a powerful and consistent user interface to email accounts from multiple sources. With support for Yahoo Mail, Gmail, Hotmail/Outlook, Exchange, iCloud and IMAP, you will find you no longer need to switch between different apps to get all your emails. CloudMagic eliminates the need for you to learn the nuances or eccentricities of individual apps. Other notable features include support for Google Calendar and the ability to save your emails to a wide range of productivity apps.
BeyondPod (Android)
SEIKO WATCH Seiko has launched a new Prospex Marine Collection, led by a Marinemaster watch, that incorporates GPS solar technology. The new line looks to build on the success of Seiko’s Prospex line, which was launched internationally just two years ago and has already established itself as one of the brand’s leading global collections. The new Marinemaster GPS Solar is built for the harsh conditions that any ocean racer may foresee. The case and bracelet are made of corrosionresistant titanium, protected by a hard coating and a ceramic bezel. The watch is 20 bar water resistant, with a screw-down case back and crown.
BeyondPod is a podcast manager, which simplifies the process of subscribing to podcasts for first timers, by asking you for your topics of interest and then populating your feed with its recommendations. Adding podcasts manually, or importing from other sources such as Feedly, is also an option. You get a weeklong trial for the pro features, which include support for Chromecast, synchronisation, and the ability to download new podcasts automatically overnight, and must then pay USD7 (QAR25) for the pro features.
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