Global Citizen 24 by Global Citizen

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E X H I B I T I N G I N D O H A J E W E L L E R Y & W A T C H E S FA I R 23 - 28 FEBRUARY 2015 4

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Q A TA R N A T I O N A L C O N V E N T I O N C E N T E R

2015 jan / feb

CONTENTS Business

16 First Word

30 Social Business

48 Business

28 Investment Destination

34 Interview

Philanthropy

20 Social Business

Business

Crisis Looming? Argentina

Gemfields ethical mining

22 Profile

Jacques Attali

Patrick Stewart

38 Advice for start-ups

Saudi Rolex Laureate

40 NYC entrepreneurs in Dubai

24 Business

42 Family Business

26 Cover

46 Profile

Aramex CEO

Eddie Redmayne

Taittinger champagne

Tony Buzan mind mapping

IWC CEO Georges Kern

52 Caroline Fiennes on better giving 54 Celeb sunglasses designer on addiction 56 Marathon effort for Bangladesh Global Citizenship 58 Hollywood in the Caribbean 62 Arton Index

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lifestyle 64

64 Gizmos & Gadgets

76 Design

92 Little Black Book

66 Handmade

78 Fragrance

94 Fashion

70 Auto

80 Hotels

96 Horology

72 Art

84 Dining

74 Yacht

88 Travel

Gadgets to get you in Shape

Q by Aston Martin

Jaguar R Coupe

Restoring Jeddahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Public Art

Arcadia 85

Curvy Designs

Frederic Malle

Posh Pistes

Madrid

Winter Essentials

Luxury Ceramic Timepieces

Brunches to Savour

Winter in Salzburg

2015 jan / feb

Publisher’s LETTER GLOBAL CITIZEN publisher Armand Peponnet editor Natasha Tourish - nt@global-citizen.com Sub Editor Tahira Yaqoob - ty@global-citizen.com Lifestyle Editor Nausheen Noor - nn@global-citizen.com ART DIRECTOR Omid Khadem - ok@global-citizen.com

Photo credit: Nico Iliev

Finance Manager Muhammad Tauseef - mtauseef@reachmedia.ae CONTRIBUTORS Simon de Burton, Amanda Fisher, Peter Allen, Gemma Champ, Robin Yapp, Sarah Walton, Francais Bentley, Craig Courtice, Piers Manning Printed by Masar Printing and Publishing

s we embark on another new year, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank my talented team for their hard work over the past four years, and for positioning Global Citizen as the premier luxury title in the UAE for wealthy expatriates. Nothing would have been possible without our loyal readers and advertisers who have been supporting us since the very beginning. It takes a lot of determination and perseverance to launch a new title in a market that is over saturated but if you do it right, as we believe we have, the reward is even greater! Following the success of Global Citizen in the GCC markets, 2014 saw the launch of our first International edition in South Africa. We hope this year will bring even further opportunities to expand our reach internationally. Beyond Global Citizen (GC), I still felt there was a void for a title focusing on the same like-minded individuals that shaped GC’s content, namely entrepreneurship, philanthropy and social business but with a special focus on the domestic market. So with the same determination and gusto, we have gone from global to local and are this month launching a new title for the citizens who shape one of the fastest growing economy’s in the world. Emirati Citizen is a luxury newspaper published in both English and Arabic, and the first edition is offered as a supplement to our January issue of Global Citizen. As the name suggests, Emirati Citizen will focus only on Emiratis, the nationals who contribute to the growth of the UAE economy and help put their country on the map thanks to their vision, pioneering work and generosity. In the same luxury format as our mother title, Emirati Citizen will be the first bi-monthly title to showcase the UAE’s entrepreneurs, philanthropists, family businesses and creatives.

www.global-citizen.com www.issuu.com/global-citizen www.facebook.com/GlobalCitizenMag MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE Fierce International Dubai Internet City Business Central Tower A | Office 2803 T: +971 4 421 5455 | F: +971 4 421 0208 tarek@fierce-international.com

REACH MEDIA FZ LLC CEO Armand Peponnet - apeponnet@reachmedia.ae Advertising sales@reachmedia.ae SUBSCRIPTION subscription@reachmedia.ae Dubai Media City, Building 8, Office 87, PO Box 502068, Dubai, UAE T: +971 4 385 5485 - Email: info@reachmedia.ae Copyright 2015 Reach Media. All rights reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the permission of Reach Media. Where opinion is expressed it is that of the author and does not necessarily reflect the editorial views of the publisher or Global Citizen. All information in Global Citizen is checked and verified to the best of the publisher’s ability, however the publisher cannot be held responsible for any mistake or omission enclosed in the publication.

I wish you a happy new year and enjoy the new issues!

Armand Peponnet 8

JAN / FEB 2015

Photo by: Jay L. Clendenin

2015 jan / feb

CONTRIBUTORS

Simon de Burton

Amanda Fisher

Peter Allen

is a UK-based journalist and author who covers a variety of subjects ranging from high-end cars and motorcycles to luxury watches and international auctions. He is a contributing editor to the Financial Times How To Spend It magazine.

is a Dubai-based journalist from New Zealand. She worked at the Philippine Star and Radio New Zealand before taking up a post as special correspondent at the Khaleej Times. Amanda has reported from countries including the Philippines, Yemen, Bosnia and Iraq.

is a British journalist and author based in Paris. He writes for a variety of international media, including the Daily Mail, London Evening Standard and Sunday Telegraph. He has covered major news stories all over the world, from Afghanistan to Yemen.

Gemma Champ

Robin Yapp

Sarah Walton

is a journalist specialising in fashion, the arts and lifestyle. Over 14 years she has written for publications including The National, Menswear Insight, which she launched and edited, The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and the Daily Mail.

is a UK-based freelance journalist specialising in energy, South America, sport, health and psychology. He is the former Brazil correspondent for the Daily Telegraph. He is also editor of thememorystore.net, a new website dedicated to sport and culture.

is an Australian living in Dubai. She is a freelance food and travel writer and photographer as well as being a qualified sommelier. She spends as much time as possible following gourmet trails around western Europe and exploring the Arabian peninsula and the subcontinent.

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2015 jan / feb

JAN / FEB 2015

Images courtesy of Corbis / ArabianEye.com

A thick layer of fog lies over Dubai skyline: Heavy fog has resulted in a chaotic start to 2015 on the UAE roads, with 20 people injured in a multi-car pile up on Rawdhat Al Reef bridge heading towards Shahama, Abu Dhabi.

the Big Picture

Entrepreneur of theYear or ProfessIoNAL swINDLer? We help you decide.

Citizenship by Investment | Anti-Money Laundering | Investigative Due Diligence

2015 jan / feb

Globetrotter January

1 8 jan

february 2015

24 jan

London Boat Show, Excel Centre, London

The World Economic Forum Davos-Klosters, Switzerland

Every size of vessel is represented among the hundreds of luxury boats on display. Everything from small boats to superyachts will be brought by specialist independent builders such as Sunseeker International. Enter the show through a wall of rain and listen to nautical talks before experiencing the show’s 4D experience.

With a backdrop of falling oil prices and European cities on high alert following terrorism plots, global leaders gather at the annual meeting from across business, government, international organisations, academia and civil society in Davos for strategic dialogues, which map the key transformations reshaping the world.

2 8 feb

0 1 feb

Omega Dubai Desert Classics

Last year saw past winners returning to play in the tournament, with the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy taking on the eventual winner Stephen Gallacher to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the event. Top international golfers will return to the PGA European Tour sanctioned event for a chance of taking home the $2.5 million prize pool.

27 feb

Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2015

Dubai Jazz Festival

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is the region’s premier tennis event. Taking place as part of both the Association of Tennis Professionals and Women’s Tennis Association world tours, it sees the best tennis players in the world go head to head for what is widely considered one of the most popular tournaments on the circuit.

As the longest running music festival in the region, Dubai Jazz Festival this year promises to be a showstopper for live music lovers as it welcomes perhaps its strongest line-up yet with Sting, John Legend, James Blunt and Christina Perri among others, all performing during the three-day event.

JAN / FEB 2015

How powerful is your passport? Your passport dictates where you are entitled to live, work or travel. Some passports open doors for you and family worldwide, others can seriously limit your freedom of movement and even compromise your wealth or security. If you have money to invest, it makes sense to do so in countries offering established Immigrant Investor Programmes (IIP) where you gain some kind of formal status in return. Sovereign and its specialist external partners can guide you through the best IIPs worldwide to suit your particular circumstances and requirements. Get in touch with Sovereign If you are considering applying for a second passport or residency under any IIP.

www.SovereignGroup.com

2015 jan / feb

the first word Perspectives from the top

Is There A Crisis Looming? With Dubai Financial Market down 40 per cent in a month at the end of last year, how will the current uncertainties around lower oil prices impact markets this year?

Bruce Robertson

managing director, Jaguar Land Rover MENA “Economies will naturally experience periods of volatility, whether due to falling oil prices or other factors, which could affect business in the short term, but in the medium to long term, I think the GCC growth story will continue. We manufacture premium luxury vehicles in a market where the appetite for luxury goods shows no sign of abating and with the increasing number of mega-projects in the pipeline and expected population growth in the GCC, we will be well placed to capitalise on this in the years ahead.”

Jordan Grogor

director, Macsteel International “One should expect a direct impact on oil-producing countries and emerging market economies. The big question is, when will this impact be felt? The majority of regional GDP is made up from oil revenues, which we are heavily reliant on for continued government infrastructural spend – a major stimulus to regional economic activity. We are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the KSA budget, which will give us a good insight into what we can expect this year.”

JAN / FEB 2015

The first word

Craig Moore

chief executive, Beehive Group “I believe the economic picture will be one of cautious optimism with global growth expected to be stronger this year. Growth in the UAE will depend on continued investment in infrastructure alongside successful expansion of the SME sector. Fiscal reserves should mean that lower oil prices are not critical over the short term. Oil prices will probably stabilise during the first half of the year, tempering the knock-on volatility to markets, although liquidity concerns might continue to determine pricing on the DFM.”

Gary Watts

partner and regional head of Corporate Commercial, Al Tamimi & Co “The impact on DFM-listed companies is not strictly logical because the oil and gas industry is not a major part of the diversified economic base of Dubai and most of the companies affected do not operate in the oil and gas industry. Nevertheless, the oil price fall has driven the market sell-off. Investors will be very cautious next year about investing in real estate or stock markets due to the continuous impact and effect of the international recession in Europe, the sanctions against Russia and ongoing instability in the region. It will have an impact on retail, hospitality and tourist sectors within the UAE but GCC governments will continue to support their economies by utilising the reserves available to them and maintain public expenditure levels, including upgrades to education, healthcare and flagship infrastructure projects.”

Mohammed Essa

senior executive broker, Varengold Bank AG “Dubai’s real growth economy is not dependent on oil prices - it relies on tourism, transport, trade, construction and financial services. Dubai government is still spending and expanding its projects, regardless of oil prices. The UAE government will trigger its capital reserve if oil price continues to fall. I believe in the long term, oil prices will rebound because Opec will intervene if the price reaches $40 per barrel and Saudi Arabia will cut its production. This will drive oil prices back up and DFM will surge in the first half of the year.”

2015 jan / feb

Investment destination

A New Argentina The Argentines might never fully reclaim their prosperous past but trade opportunities are wide open for savvy UAE investors By Robin Yapp

rgentina was one of the world’s wealthiest countries a century ago when Buenos Aires’ reputation as ‘the Paris of South America’ was at its height. But in the 21st century it is known for its 2001 debt default and ongoing economic turmoil, prompted in early 2014 by the government devaluing the peso followed by another (much smaller) default in July.

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Yet despite these troubles, the South American nation is gaining a growing reputation as an important emerging market and trade partner. Argentina boasts rich natural resources, high literacy and a vast export-oriented agricultural sector, famed for its beef but also for producing huge quantities of soybean and cereals. It also has a diversified industrial base, encompassing areas

Images courtesy of Getty Images

Investment destination

such as food processing, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and petrochemicals. Argentina’s GDP per head ($18,600 in 2013 on a purchasing power parity basis), places it second to Chile among South America’s most affluent nations and it experienced growth of 8.9 per cent as recently as 2011. While now in recession, Argentina’s medium to long-term trade prospects remain positive as it stands to benefit from rising demand for meat and other food products from fast-growing Asian nations, according to a recent HSBC forecast. Indonesia and India will become the fourth and fifth most important destinations for Argentina’s exports by 2030, it predicts. Brazil, China and the US will be unchanged as the top three. Many companies in the United Arab Emirates could find significant opportunities in this growth in trade from Argentina to Asia. Argentina wants to use Dubai as a hub to export agro-industrial and livestock products, including halal meat, around the UAE and the rest of the Middle East, Africa and south Asia. Dubai’s Department of Economic Development signed a cooperation agreement on the issue with Argentina’s Ministry of Agriculture in 2012 and further talks have since taken place to move the idea forward. Bilateral trade relations have been dominated by UAE imports, as shown by a 2014 Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report, commissioned by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry to mark an official UAE visit to Latin America. Imports from Argentina totalled $280 million in 2012, including $72 million of maize, $35 million of barley and $29 million of tubes and pipes for the energy sector. UAE exports to Argentina were worth only US$33 million, mainly organic chemicals. However, sources in Dubai Chamber said trade in that direction could soon flow much more freely, with potential for greater exports and re-exports. “UAE businesses could re-export a range of manufactured and semi-manufactured products made in east Asia, south Asia, central Asia and Africa that are needed by Argentina,” one source said. “Examples could include plastics, electronics and electrical equipment, panels for solar technology and used automobiles.” The chamber also sees Argentina as a target market for ceramics, iron, steel, glass and glassware made in the UAE

and for re-exports of pearls, stones, precious metals, furniture and bedding. Argentina has actively sought funding from countries including the UAE for hotels and tourism, renewable energy and agribusiness. One potential investment avenue is olive groves. Global demand for olive oil is growing and Argentina hopes to benefit from Mediterranean production shortfalls. Another is for UAE businesses to help construct large solar plants in Argentina, an area of “substantial potential” for cooperation, according to the chamber. Argentina, already Latin America’s biggest natural gas producer, also requires foreign investment to exploit the world’s second largest technically recoverable shale gas reserves. In July 2013, US-based multinational Chevron committed to jointly investing $1.24 billion with Argentina’s largest energy firm, YPF, to drill wells in the Vaca Muerta formation. YPF held talks with Dubai’s Dragon Oil that same year and potential remains for cooperation with UAE companies in tapping both conventional and shale fossil fuels. Nuclear energy is already an area of unity. Argentina has had nuclear plants since the 1970s and struck an agreement with UAE last year to transfer knowledge, technology and nuclear material. The two countries have also taken formal steps to forge closer business links. In 2013, the UAE Federal Customs Authority signed an agreement with its Argentine counterpart to share information about shipments, customs policies and training. The following year Hector Timerman, Argentina’s foreign affairs minister, led a business delegation from his country to Dubai. It included executives from sectors such as software, construction and pharmaceuticals as well as the food industry. Dubai Chamber is also planning an office in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s main business city, which will provide a gateway to Argentina and other countries on the continent. Argentina’s currency devaluation has inevitably impacted on its imports this year but the EIU predicted they will rise strongly between now and 2018. It also forecast an improved business and policy environment after Argentina’s October election, which will mark the end of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner’s presidency. While the old phrase “as rich as an Argentine” might never come back into fashion, there are clear signs Argentina’s near future should prove far more prosperous than its recent past.

2015 jan / feb

Social Business

Treasure Chest Mining precious stones has been tainted with controversy in the past - but one company is redressing the balance By Amanda Fisher

n centuries gone by, it was pirates who seized treasure and buried their loot, according to folklore. Then colonisation introduced a new form of piracy with foreign invaders getting rich off the fat of the land. Trading precious stones has rarely been without controversy in history. But one company aims to reverse that tainted legacy by putting something back. Since it started five years ago, the UK-based coloured stones company Gemfields has quickly gone from nothing to producing one fifth of the world’s emeralds. It also claims one tenth of the ruby market and is close to matching that in the amethyst trade. But Gemfields says it is not in the business of a one-way trade. In areas where it operates, such as Zambia, it has built schools, health clinics and set up farming projects to give back to communities. But isn’t it difficult to defend a British company marching in to take jewels from an impoverished African treasure chest? Ian Harebottle, Gemfields’ South African chief executive, admits it is a tall order. “You’re right - England historically colonised the world and has a reputation of stealing all the wealth,” he says. “But we have come in and before we made a penny we put power, we did schools, we made investments. “We are committed to our workers’ education. Wherever we mine, we focus on building schools, [we build] clinics for free healthcare and farming projects.” He says before Gemfields set up its ruby mine in Mozambique, the government never saw a dime as gems were smuggled out of the country through Tanzania. The coloured gems market is growing exponentially and Harebottle says timing is everything, factoring into much of

JAN / FEB 2015

Gemfields’ success story. Coloured precious stones had been neglected in favour of diamonds. Emeralds and rubies had been left to small-time miners who were doing things inefficiently and inconsistently, ruining the land and causing global prices to fluctuate wildly. Then Gemfields stepped in, bought the largest emerald mine in the world with the help of the Zambian government and instilled some order. Why did no one think to do this sooner? “I really don’t know,” says Harebottle. “But it came together and for us it is our life. We couldn’t think of doing anything else yet colour stones were there forever and people took that for granted.” Of course, the story behind Gemfields - which boasts the actress Mila Kunis as an ambassador - is not quite as simple as that. The company has modelled itself on a vision of ethics, something Harebottle says has helped, not hindered, profits. Success has also taken hard work, vision, good fortune and some stellar resources – the Zambian emerald and amethyst mines and Mozambiquan ruby mine producing the glittering jewels in the Gemfields crown. But it is the community partnerships which Harebottle thinks has underpinned Gemfields’ success. “We as a company believe in partnerships. In each of our mines, we are in partnerships.” That might be with governments, local business communities or sustainability organisations like the World Land Trust. Harebottle says this is about “the power of togetherness”. A concrete example of this in action at Gemfields is the partnership with employees. A major cornerstone of Gemfields, Harebottle says, is non-exploitation of workers, from fair wages and universal worker training to a host of corporate social

Social Business

responsibility (CSR) programmes. Farming projects near the mines aim to transform the environmentally devastating small-scale farming into larger, more sustainable projects and have had a knock-on effect on the economy. “We bring in experts to help [the farmers] work better,” says Harebottle. “The idea is we create them as a seed project, then we buy our fresh produce back from them at market price. It saves us money because normally we would have to travel all the way into town.” Ethical practices have actually helped Gemfields grow, he adds. “We did not have to change our business model. We have actually managed to turn what seems to be a cost centre into a profit centre. On the one hand, training your staff as much as possible is a cost centre. On the other, they can give you more and tend to stay with you longer because they feel they have got a future. Recruiting people is very expensive.” He takes the same approach with environmental promises to leave the land being mined in as good as, or a better, state than when the company took over, or gives the mine to market guarantee with gem traceability from source to sale. Customers are also increasingly choosing ethical gems – as long as the price is not significantly different.

It seems to be working as, says Harebottle, share prices have gone from three cents a share to nearly 78 cents in five years. Revenue has also soared to $160 million with a market cap going from $7 million to just under $500 million. Meanwhile, the price of emerald carats has risen from 50 cents to $6 in the same six years – largely due to the certainty and popularity Gemfields has brought to the market. It has also introduced regular ruby and emerald auctions, something previously unknown to the gem world. In Zambia, 80 per cent of the $100 million which came from emerald exports went back into the country. For the previous three decades before Gemfields took over, the same mine was returning less than $5 million. The company’s commitment to paying taxes means while Gemfields exports just over half the emeralds out of Zambia, “we are responsible for at least 90 per cent of the revenue that comes back into the country for emeralds”. Gemfields has created such a reputation of good governance and contribution back to the country, says Harebottle, it has been invited by the governments of gem-producing Sri Lanka and Colombia to set up similar operations in their countries. So while foreign investors are often viewed with a degree of mistrust and trepidation, “the moment we say: ‘We are Gemfields’, we always get respect.”

Ian Harebottle, Gemfields CEO

Workers handpick emeralds at Gemfields Kagem emerald mine in Zambia 2015 jan / feb

Business

Under the Microscope Award-winning young scientist Hosam Zowawi is working on a revolutionary new test to combat superbugs By Francis Bentley

hen Hosam Zowawi was seven years old, a relative bought his father a microscope as a present. The scientific instrument sat gathering dust until Zowawi’s father bestowed the unwanted gift on his son. “He never used it so said I could,” recalls Zowawi, now 30. “I remember looking at an ant under it for the first time. The size and what I could see were amazing. I was obsessed from then on. I realised there are many things in the world we cannot really observe with the natural eye yet they are very complicated and interesting to study.” That life-transforming endowment at a young age set Saudiborn Zowawi on a career path in which he has excelled. The microbiologist and doctoral student has made it his mission to combat drug-resistant bacteria, one of the biggest threats to

JAN / FEB 2015

healthcare today. According to the World Health Organisation, resistance to antibiotics is a global threat reaching “an alarming level”. Perhaps even more shockingly, Zowawi’s homeland and the surrounding Gulf countries are among the worst-affected areas for superbugs. The scientist learned as much while working as an infection control trainee in Jeddah after graduating from Umm Al-Qura University in Mecca. He saw patients admitted for routine procedures like hip replacements and eye operations then developing secondary, life-threatening infections in the same hospitals treating them, thanks to the prevalence of superbugs. And he fears the culture of casual antibiotic use in the Middle East, over-prescription of antibiotics without proper diagnosis and the easy availability

Profile

of drugs over the pharmacy counter are contributing to the problem. Zowawi aims to counteract the growing problem by developing a new test which will accurately pinpoint what infection doctors are dealing with in a matter of hours rather than the three or four days it currently takes. Called Rapid Superbug, it will also determine whether the bacteria present are resistant to antibiotics - putting a halt to medication being prescribed needlessly and in doing so, stopping the continuous cycle of overuse of antibiotics, which is contributing to the problem in the first place. “The improper use of antibiotics has damaging consequences. Bacteria are placed under pressure to become resistant to antibiotics,” says Zowawi, who is currently studying for a doctorate at the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research in Australia, a leading biological research institution. “Antibiotics can also demolish sensitive bacteria and leave the resistant ones without competition. If you get sick, the most common thing is to be given antibiotics or worse, you go out and get them yourself with no prescription.

“Imagine if all illnesses became resistant to the drugs we use to treat them. It will be like the past when people used to die of a sore throat.”

“At the moment, the only way to identify what antibiotics to use on a patient in hospital is trial and error. You give them a little of everything and see what works. It is too much and the viruses become immune. “Imagine if all illnesses became resistant to the drugs we use to treat them. It will be like the past when people used to die of a sore throat. We will be helpless. And how many people come through the GCC every day? The world is much smaller now. Viruses will spread too much.” Nearly a century ago, penicillin inventor Alexander Fleming first warned of the danger, he adds. Zowawi’s pioneering research earned him a Rolex Award for Enterprise last year. He was one of five young laureates worldwide granted just over $50,000 for his innovative work and the first Saudi to be named a young laureate. The bi-annual Rolex enterprise awards have attracted more than 30,000 applicants since they were first launched in 1976 but only 190 have been successful, with just two winners coming from Saudi Arabia. The young laureate category was set up in 2009 to award innovators aged between 18 and 30. Zowawi, who was also named one of Time magazine’s next generation leaders, plans to put his prize money toward his research. But he has some other unconventional ideas about how to win support for his new test from both the healthcare profession and the public. “We need awareness of the problem. I am a keen polo player and want to start a team called the Superbug Slayers,” says Zowawi, who bears more than a passing resemblance to top polo player Nacho Figueras. “I want us to enter international tournaments to spread the message. Every person reached helps. Hopefully we will find the answer.”

Rolex laureate Hosam Zowawi is trying to raise awareness of the overuse of antibiotics

2015 jan / feb

Business

Right On Time Aramex chief executive Hussein Hachem is using new technologies to speed up delivery times and pinpoint customers exact locations. By Tahira Yaqoob

hen the East India Company managed to slash postal delivery times from six months to two in the 1830s by using steamers to cross the Middle East to Bombay, it was hailed as a miracle of modern technology. These days, Aramex promises to deliver mail in as little as three hours in some of the 70 countries in which it operates. But even that is not quick enough, says the Middle Eastern postal giant, which is introducing new technology to enable customers to track their parcels by mobile phone and give them direct access to couriers, who will be able to pinpoint their location without the need for a centralised customer service desk.

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“I think this whole address thing is going to become obsolete. Your address is going to be your mobile,” says chief executive Hussein Hachem. “I don’t want to hold you hostage to your physical address and tell you to wait for me for two or three hours until I deliver, which is currently the process for everyone. That does not make sense. “Technology is overcoming this address thing and we as a company are becoming agile and flexible to accommodate you as a consumer.” It is the latest innovation from the first and only company in the Middle East to list on the Nasdaq stock exchange in New

Business

York (then relisted on Dubai Financial Market three years later) and one of the biggest success stories of Arab entrepreneurialism. Prompted in part by the rise of online shopping in the region - currently one fifth of Aramex’s business but growing year on year by about 30 per cent - the firm aims to shift its focus from one of business-to-business to business-to-consumer and eventually, that of consumer-to-consumer. But for a firm which has always prided itself on being at the forefront of innovation and risk-taking, isn’t it a little late to the party? Companies like Uber, the limousine service, and SmartJet for private jet clients have already been using such technology to track customers through mobile phone applications for some time. “There is a major change happening within the organisation itself,” says Hachem. “There is a shift of trade from corporate to consumer. With the internet and online shopping, companies like us have to change - in our mindset, our investments and our structure - so I can cater to the needs of the consumer. We need to understand our customer base here more. “Technology at least for the last seven or eight years has been overwhelming. We need to make sure we embrace change and are ready for it. I don’t want to be a dinosaur.” Hachem has big shoes to fill. He follows in the footsteps of Fadi Ghandour, who founded Aramex with William Kingson in 1982 and retired as chief executive three years ago, although he continues to sit on the board as vice chairman. The company originally aimed to replicate the success of US firms like Fedex by delivering in the Middle East at a time when no other courier firms dared to do so. But as well as being a great success story of Arab enterprise, it had something else - Ghandour’s personal vision and reputation as a risk-taker and a beneficiary of young start-ups. His angel investment fund supported the likes of companies like Duplays, which organises sports events, while he mentored smaller companies on a regular basis. Hachem, 44, might lack Ghandour’s charisma but like his predecessor, he is a graduate of the school of Aramex and is key to the company’s vision with a sound understanding of its customers. Like Ghandour, the father-of-three joined Aramex fresh from university and has stayed with the firm ever since. As a business administration graduate from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon-born Hachem was playing basketball with Ghandour in 1991 when his mentor casually suggested he go to Kuwait to manage a new operation there. In the wake of the first Gulf War, it was no easy task.

“I was a management trainee,” says Hachem. “At the time, Kuwait was burning in flames - but at 21, I was running Aramex Kuwait and from there, the journey started.” After a stint in Sri Lanka, where he set up a new base, he moved to Dubai 14 years ago as head of the Middle East and African division, which generates the largest revenue stream for the firm. Since he took over at the helm of the company, it has acquired Mail Call Couriers in Australia for just under $27 million, expanding its Asia-Pacific coverage with a firm which pledges delivery times of three hours, including in the evening. The acquisition of PostNet in South Africa extended its counter network by 270 offices, serving the community there with express and domestic deliveries as well as offering digital services to small and medium enterprises. And last year, Aramex launched a Biocare medical courier service in the Middle East and North Africa, enabling hospitals, laboratories, clinics and pharmaceutical companies to send and receive samples within 72 hours. All of which saw Aramex - which has 14,000 staff in 360 offices - with a net profit increase of 13 per cent by the third quarter of last year, mirroring the previous year when it closed at 15 per cent above 2012. Revenue last year was around the $1 billion mark with profitability in the range of $75 million. But it is the rise of e-commerce expected to be worth $15 billion in the Middle East this year, according to PayPal Mena - where Aramex sees its most lucrative potential. As well as introducing mobile phone technology to speed up delivery times and profile customers to aggressively target them with products to meet their needs, secure lockers will be installed this year across residential communities in the Middle East and Africa, starting in Dubai this quarter. Accessible 24 hours a day, they will give another means for customers to pick up their post using a pin code sent to their phone when a delivery arrives and giving them three days to collect their parcel at their convenience. Meanwhile, Aramex’s flagship shop-and-ship service has just been launched in Australia and will be set up in the UK this year. The firm is now looking to extend its network in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Offices have opened in Botswana, Angola, Ghana and Djibouti with more on the horizon in Namibia, Zambia and Nigeria. “We continue to expand our footprint either through direct acquisition or by a franchise representation,” says Hachem. “In each and every country, I represent the social fabric of that country. I just want to make sure I deliver happiness.”

2015 jan / feb

COVER STORY

The Theory of My Success British actor Eddie Redmayne has secured his place among the acting elite with his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. He talks about that rumoured Oscar nomination, being a fully-fledged member of the new Brat Pack and meeting Hawking

Felicity Jones (L) and Eddie Redmayne (R) play Stephen Hawking and his wife Jane as they fell in love during their time at Cambridge University in 1963

ours after we meet, Eddie Redmayne is nominated for his first Screen Actors Guild award for a truly astonishing portrayal of theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. The Golden Globe nod comes a day later for best actor in a drama. Both are dependable guarantees of an Oscar nomination. For both awards, he will face opposition from seasoned titans

JAN / FEB 2015

Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler), Steve Carell (Foxcatcher) and his good friend Benedict Cumberbatch for The Imitation Game. All compelling, mesmerising performances. And all quaking in the shadow of Redmayneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s momentous work. He is more than likely to compete against them for best actor in the Academy awards. But oddly, the 32-year-old is sick of hearing about it.

Piers Manning / The Interview People

Photo credit: focusfeaturespress.com

By Piers Manning

Images courtesy of Getty Images

COVER STORY

Felicity Jones (L) and Eddie Redmayne with the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking at the UK premiere of The Theory of Everything

“I really cannot get wrapped up in all of it,” he pleads as we meet in a London hotel. “If you start buying into it and believing it all, it can’t lead to anything good. Although it’s not the worst position to be in.” After being cast in James Marsh’s adaptation of Jane Wilde Hawking’s memoir, which charts her ex-husband’s early life as a scholar at Cambridge, their 25-year marriage and initial struggles and triumphs through his diagnosis with motor neurone disease, Redmayne delivered a revelatory performance. That is something special for a relative newcomer. A former model, who attended Eton the same year as Prince William, the actor only got his breakthrough role in 2011’s My Week with Marilyn before going on to harmonious success as part of the Les Miserables ensemble. With The Theory of Everything and his upcoming role opposite Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis in the sci-fi action film Jupiter Ascending, there is an even stronger chance of a shiny gold man landing on his mantelpiece next month and it looks like this year is going to be big for the ginger-haired Londoner. Tailored in a form-fitting blue suit, he talks about the privilege of playing Hawking and why his famous friends will always mean the world to him. You are 32 but seem so much younger. I have been told that a lot, which is surely not a bad thing. But I am definitely greying.

“The experience of making it, getting to meet Stephen, Jane, going back to Cambridge to film - it felt like this extraordinary mixture of great privilege and huge fear”

How many times during the shoot of The Theory of Everything did you think: ‘What have I gotten myself into?’ Pretty much daily. I got the script and found it riveting and arresting and because I knew James was doing it, I pursued it quite hard. But in our world, there are lots of jobs where you pursue and nothing happens. So what you do is talk really loudly and confidently and tell them what they want to hear. Then it was like a sucker punch of fear...of persuading people but having no idea of really being able to do it. So the fear was daily.

2015 jan / feb

COVER STORY

How difficult was it immersing yourself in such a harrowing affliction? There were moments that were harrowing to watch but at the same point, people were so upbeat and optimistic and found a joy in life that Stephen does. [It was] amazing and kind of affirming. Is that what you found in Stephen Hawking? I really found how truly formidable he is and the extremes his family have to go through to find the positives. He was told he would only have two years so every year beyond that has been a gift. As a consequence he feels every second of his life fully with passion. I am one who gets caught up with the daily foibles of life and it is a reminder we only have one shot at it. It sounds like it was a lifechanging experience for you. The experience of making it, getting to meet Stephen, Jane, going back to Cambridge to film - it felt like this extraordinary mixture of great privilege and huge fear.

JAN / FEB 2015

What was it like meeting him? I knew he would be funny but did not realise how funny he would be. He has this razor wit and a sense of mischief. I describe it like a glint in his eye or a Lord of Misrule quality. It is also power. Even though it is difficult to communicate, he runs a room. You really sense his strength. Did he intimidate you at all? Of course he did. He came in to see shooting at one point. We were doing the May ball scene and we had these three sets of fireworks. They were quite expensive and we only had three takes. Stephen arrives in his chair, flanked by these nurses and on cue, the fireworks went off and he was there, silhouetted by the glow of the fireworks and soft-lit by his computer screen the greatest rock star entrance ever. So yes, his presence used to rattle me every so often. Talk us through the challenges of replicating and portraying the stages of motor neurone disease. It was a constant thing and sometimes there were emergency acupuncture sessions and a couple of painkillers. The reality though was I got to get up every day out of the chair. I had met so many who couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. You are constantly reminded of how lucky you are. My wife is happy to have me back. It was one of those consuming parts.

Photo credit: focusfeaturespress.com

Tell me about the research process. Is it true you spent four months with patients of motor neurone disease? Yes, I had four months of solid research. There were so many people who let us into their lives and [had] the generosity of spirit of letting us into their homes. It is a pretty brutal disease and one that is really difficult to get your head around. Someone described it as being in a prison where the walls are getting smaller every day.

COVER STORY

What is the hardest thing for your wife? When I was filming Jupiter Ascending, I was playing this baron from outer space and had to have these long fingernails. Then I read that Stephen [Hawking] had grown his fingernails at the age of 21 as an act of rebellion so I had to say to her: ‘I have to start growing them again.’ Last night we were watching the film and there was one closeup of the nails and she said: ‘Was it really worth it?’ This role took over the best part of a year of your life. Did you have to turn down a lot of offers? Once you accept a role, it is not about turning anything down. Your ears just get closed off. A great friend of mine, Charlie Cox, who plays Jonathan in the film, said the great thing about being given this opportunity to play someone as extraordinary is you have no option but to give your everything. So it was a no-brainer about how involved I was. It has been a really intense year doing it and then promoting it. We have been all over America and so many want you to communicate on behalf of Stephen. That is not my role and the last thing I would want to do is speak for him. How are you feeling about the Oscars? It has been an interesting time. I have friends who are actors and can see how weird it is how you are perceived. You can see

them as an outsider but when you are in it, you can’t because you have no idea. Right now though, I’m weary of the buzz and it is a fleeting thing, it’s ephemeral. If you read the good stuff then you read the bad and I just try to block my ears. There cannot be too much of the bad surely? I am sure I could hunt it down. It is just a bad habit and I don’t think it is healthy. For both Felicity [Jones, who plays Jane Wilde Hawking] and I, when we took on these parts, Stephen, Jane, Jonathan and the kids were properly generous to us. The great thing was, we did them proud. Everything else after that pales in comparison. But it is all lovely all the same. It is said you, Sam Claflin, Douglas Booth and Tom Sturridge all jostle for the same roles. But with a potential Oscar win, you are going to be soaring high above that pack. My pals in this world are my greatest gift. Sam Claflin, Dougie Booth, Tom Sturridge, Andrew Garfield, Jamie Dornan, these are all pals. What is lovely is that we have all been lucky. It has never really felt like a jostle to me. It has felt like we have got each other’s backs and we are in it for the long haul. I see Ben Whishaw and Ben Cumberbatch and cannot wait to see what they are doing in five years. All of that is exciting for me.

2015 jan / feb

Social Business

A MAN FOR ALL PRESIDENTS In an exclusive interview, GC sits down with Jacques Attali, the president and founder of the global microfinancing aid organisation PlaNet Finance By Amanda Fisher

JAN / FEB 2015

Social Business

t is just days into 2015 and Jacques Attali is already hoping he fails to keep all his New Year’s resolutions. Not that this 71-year-old could ever be described as an underachiever. “This year I have a wishlist that is very demanding. I hope it is so demanding that I am not able to reach that level of accomplishment. If I was able to reach it then I have not made it hard enough,” he says. The polymathic septuagenarian, whose list of accomplishments is so long it becomes an impediment to describing him, is on a stopover in Dubai for a board meeting of the local arm of his global microfinancing aid organisation PlaNet Finance. He encourages people to take seven steps in order to realise new achievements every year. It gives a good insight into the ethos of a man clearly possessed by goals – many of which seem to have been ticked off. A one-time advisor to the former French president Francois Mitterand, Jacques Attali was the founder and first president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, a multilateral development bank focusing on Eastern bloc economies. He is also currently the president of the Commission for the Liberation of French Economic Growth, a working group set up by former president Nicolas Sarkozy to improve the competitiveness of the French economy. He has advised the United Nations on nuclear nonproliferation as well as education in Iran and Afghanistan, is

behind unifying European higher education through the LMD [licence master doctorate] system and was a founding member of the multinational technological research body Eureka. And on the side, he is an accomplished pianist who directed the Grenoble University orchestra and is on the board of directors of the Musee D’Orsay in Paris. If that is not enough, he has also written 65 books, from children’s stories to biographies, and sold eight million copies across the globe. If all this has gone to his head, he does a good job of hiding it. What else could be behind this impressive list? Ever humble, he says: “The best resolution is to say not what can I do for myself but [what can I do] for others. My most important resolutions are linked to that. “There is nothing I am more grateful for than when I can help someone. To help is a privilege. It is a wonderful feeling.” If altruism is the raison d’etre that drives the Algerian-born intellectual and economist, who moved to Paris with his family when he was 13, microfinance is the tool he believes is the most efficient to help. Attali founded PlaNet Finance, co-chaired by former Senegalese president Abdou Diouf and the microfinance pioneer and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, in 1998. It currently runs 92 programmes in 43 countries, with hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries. Attali’s Dubai trip was in part to raise funds for the

“Microfinance is the key for democracy as well as for stability for two reasons - one is the creation of the middle class, the other being the fact there are jobs and there is no democracy without jobs.”

2015 jan / feb

Social Business

Attali paying a visit to a school in Tamale, Ghana

organisation’s Middle Eastern branch and he hopes the UAE will become a centre for fundraising in the region. In recent years, the organisation has helped set up three olive oil cooperatives in the West Bank, a programme to help nearly 1,000 women farming in Egypt and Lebanon and three microfinance institutions in Palestine, Lebanon and Egypt to help young entrepreneurs onto the business ladder. Attali says to complete everything on his wishlist, he would need seven lives. But if he had to choose one desire, he says: “I would say try to be useful for the next generation. I think what we do in microfinance and, on a larger basis, helping people to become themselves and choose their lives is my main thirst.” Attali thinks a globalised society needs both a global economy and a strong rule of law – a necessary balance of anarchy and dictatorship. In order to have a rule of law in countries where it currently does not exist, such as Somalia and Iraq, society must demand it. That will only happen when the middle class is strong enough and owns enough property that a rule of law becomes essential for society to flourish. He says: “A strong government leads to a dictatorship, a dictatorship creates a market economy, a market economy creates a middle class, a middle class creates the request for rule of law, the request for rule of law destroys the dictatorship.” Microfinancing, he adds, is key to helping people become part of the middle class.

JAN / FEB 2015

“Take people begging for food in refugee camps, who cannot sustain their own living. When you propose to them coaching and training and trust them to provide financing, you put them in the condition to become the bottom of the middle class and then they can go up and develop. “That is why microfinance is the key for democracy as well as for stability for two reasons - one is the creation of the middle class, the other being the fact there are jobs and there is no democracy without jobs.” But how realistic is that vision? Attali is hopeful technology promises to improve the quality of life and standards of health, education and energy-saving initiatives while “there is no shortage of capital. We have all the tools.” He adds: “The real fight today is between selfishness and altruism. And actually the real fight is for people to understand that the cleverest [way] to be selfish is to be altruistic. If you are only stubbornly selfish, you don’t care about anyone else but if you are cleverly selfish you realise taking care of others helps us in our life.” The impassioned Attali, named one of the world’s top 100 public intellectuals in 2008 by Foreign Policy magazine, would not reveal his list of resolutions for this year. But if failure is what leads Attali to more achievements, one can only hope he falls short of this year’s targets. For information or donations contact nalshadhir@planetfinance.org

Photo courtesy of Team Sager

Social Business

GLOBAL CITIZEN FOUNDATION

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Involve. Evolve. Empower. 2015 jan / feb

Interview

Living Legend The veteran actor and activist Sir Patrick Stewart tells how a troubled childhood still shapes his ideology more than 70 years on

e has an acting career spanning an incredible six decades but Sir Patrick Stewart has never been one to seek fame and celebrity status. Instead, the 74-year-old veteran of the stage and screen has used his high profile as a platform to highlight noble causes. His moral compass kicked in once again on his recent visit to Dubai, when he was invited to speak as guest of honour at the annual Chivas legends dinner in December. On discovering the event was only open to men, he insisted it be made unisex before accepting the invitation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would have felt very uncomfortable if it were all men but given my now-public voice in terms of gender equality,

JAN / FEB 2015

despite the fact this was a delightful honour, I could not see how I could explain the absence of women,â&#x20AC;? he says in his rich baritone voice. That should come as little surprise from one who has spent years campaigning for equal rights and civil liberties - and who has a deep-seated personal reason for doing so. Born during World War II to a textile worker and an army sergeant major, Stewart grew up in a poor household in Yorkshire in the UK, where he was witness to the domestic violence which shaped his ideology later in life. He left school at 15 to sign up to a theatre company and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966. But the influence of

Images courtesy of Getty Images

By Francis Bentley

Interview

his father - “a very potent individual” - was ever-present and Stewart recalls preparing for a role as the troubled Shakespearean character Macbeth and seeing “my father’s face staring straight back at me”. “I work with many organisations but perhaps the most important work I do is with a British charity called Refuge, a domestic violence charity because my mother suffered violence in the home,” he says, gazing out of the window on the 123rd floor of the Burj Khalifa. “As a child, I witnessed it. I work closely with [Refuge] largely because it is a secret occurrence. Everyone is ashamed of it. I was ashamed of it as a child.” Stewart, who is perhaps best known for playing Captain JeanLuc Piccard for seven years in the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation, says it was becoming a well-known performer that allowed him to highlight causes close to his heart. “I was not prepared for the pleasant side of notoriety,” he says. “I have been a member of Amnesty International, for example, for many years, but I was just a member. I wrote my postcards and I paid my dues. In the

late 1980s, I found they wanted me to speak for them because I had acquired a public face. I am able to be a voice for Refuge. “I do this work for my mother because I could not do it for her 70 years ago. It brings me enormous satisfaction that my success as an actor has permitted me to bring some improvements.” Stewart is exactly as you would imagine - calm, steady and reassuring as he speaks, yet animated with a glint in his eye when he is talking on a subject he is passionate about. But he is not beyond sending himself up. He lent his voice to deputy director Avery Bullock in Seth MacFarlane’s American Dad and he appeared in a cameo role in Ricky Gervais’ sitcom Extras. He was knighted four years ago for his services to drama. Last year he married his partner of seven years, the singer-songwriter Sunny Ozell, in a ceremony officiated by his fellow thespian Ian McKellen. Talking about his wife gets him onto another of his cherished causes, the topic of women in Hollywood. Stewart is a vocal advocate opposing the limited roles for female actors compared to their male counterparts and feels strongly about the imbalance in career longevity.

Sir Patrick Stewart received the Living Legends award at the annual Chivas Legends dinner in the Armani hotel in Dubai

2015 jan / feb

Interview

Stewart is escorted as guest of honour to the Chivas Legends dinner The actor outside the Burj Khalifa

JAN / FEB 2015

“I see the careers of actresses begin to diminish as they get older,” he says. “These are not nations who have a second-class role for their women. These are not like societies where violence and abuse against women is commonplace. It does not need the law to intrude. But it does need a shift in the perception of what all human beings can bring to their work. It is frustrating that we are saying this [today]. The contribution of women is as significant as men’s. “Hollywood seems to be entrenched in habits of male domination. However, you cannot make writers create roles for older women. What you can do is persuade producers they should look for projects like this. They are missing out.” The veteran X-Men actor will have a busy year with three American films - Match, Green Room and Stuck - all scheduled for release. For fans of his comedic roles, as witnessed in oneoff episodes of series such as Frasier, perhaps the most exciting project on the horizon is just about to kickstart. The TV series Blunt Talk will see Stewart again teaming up with MacFarlane and playing an English newsman with his own nightly chat show. Sound familiar? “It is based on no-one,” insists Stewart. “I was in a restaurant two weeks ago and saw Piers Morgan sat there. He shouted: ‘You’re making a film about me!’ “We had lunch together and I assured him: ‘No Piers, this is not about you. Although people are likely to think it might be, but you should be flattered.’” And the result? The irrepressible Stewart says with a twinkle in his eye: “He has agreed to appear on the show.”

Business

2015 jan / feb

Business

Young Upstarts It lacks glamour and involves plenty of hard graft - but entrepreneurial start-ups can be rewarding in the long run, say experts

man in his mid-30s wearing a tailored dark grey suit is standing on stage talking hurriedly and excitedly. Suddenly, midstream, a buzzer goes. His time is up. The man is Tel Rashid, the director and head of recruitment for a UK-based start-up called Executive Muslim and he has come to Dubai on the hunt for funds. Rashid pitched his idea – a sort of LinkedIn-cum-marriage site for Muslim professionals – to a crowd at a five-star hotel in Dubai’s business district, along with nine other hopefuls at the Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority’s entrepreneurial competition, The Entrepreneur Day. Among the gathering are two men who have seen and done it all before. Dubai-based entrepreneurs Dany El Eid and Leith Matthews,

L-R- Elie Youssef, Dany El Eid and Denis Kruger from Pixelbug

JAN / FEB 2015

who own separate companies, are on hand to offer words of wisdom as two young upstarts who have already made it. El Eid is the founder of the marketing technology engine Pixelbug. His two-and-a-half-year-old venture, which now turns over seven-figure revenues, came after years of failed endeavours – a reality many entrepreneurs must contend with. “My entrepreneurial endeavours go all the way back to high school. I come from an entrepreneurial family so I was exposed very early on. I tried my hand at start-ups even as early as high school and college,” he says. At university, the college dean tried to guide El Eid into a job with the international advertising agency Leo Burnett but he decided to go it alone – before having a rethink. “I had a few failures, lots of learning and never any regrets

Business

[but] everyone needs to have that corporate mindset so I was advised by my mentors to try that out. I joined Puma where I tried a lot of my digital marketing ambitions and eventually headed the digital department.” French-born and raised in Canada, Lebanese El Eid says it was not long before one of his contacts, Proctor and Gamble, gave the signal they would back him if he went it alone and Pixelbug was born. It now offers tech-based solutions using augmented reality, gaming and gesture-based technology to companies wanting new ways to reach customers. El Eid says starting a business in the Middle East at a time when entrepreneurship was yet to take off was a challenge with clients and investors reluctant to put their faith in an unheard-of company. “Our differentiating point was saying we were helping companies and multinationals adopt new technologies.” Pixelbug was lucky enough to have one big client from the outset. For Australian Matthews, who has spearheaded several businesses in Dubai, including the Make business hub, the social dining club Restronaut and SnappCard, a mobile loyalty rewards programme, the route was different. “I arrived in Dubai and quickly felt this was a really exciting city and part of the world [but] you could feel there were things missing and that was an opportunity,” he says. Matthews started by launching Make, one of the first cafes for freelancers and the site where he met his co-founders for both Restronaut and SnappCard. Make is now two years old and generates nearly $1 million a year while Restronaut and SnappCard were both launched last year, turning profits of $1.9 million and $272,260 respectively. Matthews says things took a different turn when an angel investor took on SnappCard. “Our angel really kickstarted it a year ago. I do not even think of him as an investor but as a close friend and an ally and someone who has supported us and travelled with us. He is a strong part of the team.”

Angel investors stump up funds at the most high-risk period, the beginning of the start-up process. They can prove the make-or-break element in many cases, offering advice and other resources besides cash to nascent companies. Heather Henyon is the founder of micro-finance advisory firm Balthazar Capital and heads the Women’s Angel Investment Network in Dubai. She is an ardent believer in the importance of angel investment. “There is a higher likelihood of success for start-ups if they have angel investors right from the beginning than if they don’t,” she says. Henyon stumbled into investment almost inadvertently. While trying to set up her own firm, she noticed a lack of formal angel investment networks. “I started looking around for other angel investors in the region and I really couldn’t find many.” Now her own business is running smoothly, she is on a mission to encourage more start-ups and shore up more angel investment. “I do think there are a lot of angel investors in the region but they tend to be more fragmented and work as individuals rather than groups.” El Eid, a member of the Young Arab Leaders non-profit group, says the time is right for young businesses. “There is always more room for more entrepreneurs. We are heading into a whole new paradigm shift and it is very important to address the unemployment gap, especially in the Middle East,” he says. Matthews believes there are “still loads of opportunities here in Dubai and the region”. But, both caution, entrepreneurs need to want it and believe in it – the business, that is, not the money. “A lot of people think within a year they are going to be driving Maseratis. It is not really a glamorous avenue to take but it is very fulfilling,” says El Eid. “You have to sacrifice a few years of financial outcome in the early days to be living like most of your peers cannot in a few years.”

2015 jan / feb

Business

Eugene Remm and Mark Birnbaum, owners of Catch seafood NYC and the new Dubai outpost

The Kings of Nightlife They are older and wiser than when they first launched. Now the doyens of the New York club scene are bringing their trademark to Dubai By Daniel Bates

JAN / FEB 2015

Business

sk Eugene Remm how old he feels and the answer is: “I don’t feel young”. This might sound strange coming from a 36-yearold but he and business partner Mark Birnbaum have spent the last 10 years living through more than many do in twice that time. They launched a string of successful clubs and restaurants in New York that survived the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the economic crash of 2008 by regularly staying up entertaining until 4am - then coming into the office at 9am. A profile in Forbes magazine dubbed them the ‘new kings of New York nightlife’ and A-list celebrities flocked to Catch, their flagship restaurant, in Manhattan’s trendy Meatpacking district. Now they are among the most successful nightlife operators in the city and have seen their mini-empire bring in tens of millions of dollars in revenue. In February the duo will open a Middle Eastern branch of Catch in the Fairmont Hotel in Downtown Dubai. The Dubai version will have “the same DNA” as the New York original, according to Remm, which if true means it will welcome a bevy of famous faces whenever they are in town. David Beckham and Jay-Z are regulars in the New York outpost. It will also have a highly regarded seafood-based menu, courtesy of executive chef Hung Huynh, the winner of US reality TV series Top Chef, who will oversee the Dubai launch. Based on the second floor of the Fairmont, Catch will be “a sophisticated dining experience that later translates into a sophisticated drinking and lounge experience”, according to Remm. He says he is convinced it will be a success despite stiff competition in Dubai as “the formula and the business are the same” in both cities - good food, top notch service and a lively scene. His business partner Birnbaum, 37, adds: “We are very confident. It is not just that the food is good, it is different. “We have a unique menu that has set us apart in New York city. When Eugene says New York is competitive, it is on a whole other level because within a block radius are 10 of the top chefs in the whole world.” The pair are coy about their opening plans but say they will be spread over a week, not just one night. Remm said they want to ensure “the right people get the right experience and [there is a] mix of the right people in the room”. That is something they have perfected in New York, where their company EMM Group recently moved to a larger office

to accommodate their 30 staff. The pair laugh as they think back to all the lessons they have learned over the past decade. Remm is quick to offer his pearls of wisdom: “Get an accounting minor.” They confess to “every cliche” imaginable such as mixing business and friendship, biting off more than they can chew and overstaffing. But what has kept them going - and saved their business more than once - has been their passion for the job. Birnbaum says: “The only people I think are successful at this business are the ones that love it and live it. If you start not liking it, it resonates through everybody. “If, as they say, love what you do and you never work a day in your life, then I have never worked a day in a decade.” Remm agrees, saying: “When Mark and I got into this business, he and I had a studio apartment and I wanted to afford the rent on a one bedroom. Remm and his family emigrated to the US from St Petersburg in Russia when he was three years old and, in contrast to his later life, ate homecooked meals every day and saw a trip to a diner as eating out. Birnbaum is the more design-focused of the two and credits his interior designer mother for introducing him to art and culture at a young age in their upstate New York home. Both put on parties at college and became friends when they discovered they had rival events on June 10, which inspired the name of their first restaurant, Tenjune. These days their schedules are not quite so hectic as they once were but they still cover about 20 hours of the day between them, with Birnbaum more inclined to stay out late. He says: “You become conditioned. To me it is normal. “I understand people get home at 6pm, have dinner at 7pm and go to bed at 10pm. I don’t relate to that - I don’t understand it. I think it is a waste of the day.” In his office, Remm shows off the yellowing newspaper cuttings they used to have on the wall but are now in a box. Just like his own past, he seems keen to move on, but not entirely. He says: “Youth is not a bad word. [There are] parts of being youthful - if you want to talk about being carefree, arrogant, inexperienced - those aspects you don’t want to have. “The most successful entrepreneurs I meet are still big kids. “They are playing with big toys and being very creative and you don’t want to lose that.”

2015 jan / feb

Family Business

L-R, Vitalie, Pierre-Emmanuel and Clovis Taittinger

In Success and Defeat Taittinger is one of a few champagne houses still in family hands although the third-generation business was almost lost By Peter Allen

hen you have arranged to meet a famous French heiress next door to the Louvre Museum in Paris, you don’t expect to end up chatting about football. This is doubly so when the lady in question is Vitalie Taittinger, a member of a champagne-making dynasty renowned for its strong links with high art, classical music, theatre and haute cuisine.

JAN / FEB 2015

Yet here we are, sitting in upholstered leather armchairs in the lobby of the five-star Hotel du Louvre and Vitalie, a graduate of the Emile Cohl School of Design in Lyon, is enthusing about the most popular game on earth. She is particularly keen to tell me how Taittinger came to sponsor last summer’s Fifa World Cup finals in Brazil. “My whole family absolutely loves football and we were

Family Business

delighted to play such a big part in the competition,’ says Vitalie, who has lived in or around the champagne capital of Reims, eastern France, for most of her life. “My grandfather was mayor of the town for around 20 years and during this time Reims were an exceptionally good football team. He’d go to every game possible and so would other members of the family. When my brother Clovis was growing up, he wanted to be a football commentator. He was very passionate about the game and so were the rest of us. Winning the contract for Brazil was a dream come true for everybody.” Clovis Taittinger didn’t fulfil his schoolboy sporting ambitions but is now the export director of the family firm. Its brand was already well known in 140 countries but the World Cup involvement was a huge success. It was the first time the global extravaganza, which has run since 1930 and which now claims a peak TV audience near the billion mark, has had its own champagne and Taittinger was up for celebrating. The firm produced a souvenir Brut Reserve bottle, complete with a World Cup trophy insignia on the label, describing it as ‘pale with a fine, strong bubble’. It was drunk in vast quantities throughout the tournament and, Vitalie confirms, “sales were particularly good in Germany” after they won the tournament in some style, beating Argentina in the final. Vitalie was pregnant with her third child and so unable to make it to Brazil but “watched as much as I could on TV

and, of course, I was cheering for France”. (Les Bleus reached the quarter finals, losing to the eventual winners, Germany, by just one goal.) Champagne is normally associated with upmarket sports such as horse racing and polo but Taittinger’s current close association with football sums up the image of the company: it is indisputably traditional but also massively innovative. “Yes, we keep up with the times and are always looking for ways to improve,” says Vitalie, who, despite her considerable success as the label’s marketing and artistic director, is still only 35. “We are very much involved in sports such as horse racing and polo but we were very keen to get more involved in football. Champagne is a celebration drink associated with the luxury market but there is no reason why it cannot be popular with millions of people. Costs are very important to us, for example, as we want to make sure prices can be low enough for as many people as possible to enjoy the drink, including football fans.” Her great-grandfather was PierreCharles Taittinger, who first came across the lush vineyards which are now eternally associated with his family’s name during the First World War. He was billeted in Chateau de la Marquetterie as a young cavalry officer during the 1914-18 conflict and bought it in 1932, turning it into the family estate. Taittinger is now a highly successful

The Taittinger family Chateau la Marquetterie in Reims, France

2015 jan / feb

Family Business

family firm but it is less than a decade since it was briefly put in the control of the Starwood Group, the American private equity chain which runs numerous hotels and resorts. Some 45 members of the Taittinger extended family voted to sell the business and its affiliate, Société du Louvre, for $2.5 billion. It was Vitalie’s father, Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, who effectively “saved the firm”, bringing it back under the family’s full control after a “very long year” for $700 million. “That was a very worrying period but it is all behind us now,” she says. “What we are now certain of is how important the personal touch is to everything we do. Large corporations are not necessarily best suited to creating a product like ours. The re-purchase was solely of the champagne label, not of all the other elements like hotels, meaning we could concentrate on what we do best.” Taittinger produces more than five-and-a-half million bottles of champagne a year, around a fifth of some of the bigger labels, but the status of a “small family firm allows us all to drive the company forward in the direction we want to go,” says its

JAN / FEB 2015

marketing director. “We can be original and creative and do not solely have to follow the economic figures. There is too much passion and history in our champagne for that.” The history is indisputable – Taittinger is based on the remains of the Benedictine Saint-Nicaise Abbey, whose monks produced wine in the 13th century, and its vaults date back to ancient Gaul – but the label’s passion is also in evidence all over the world, including in the Middle East. While time, nature and the silence of the cellars are all part of Taittinger’s unchanging production process, the elegant Vitalie personifies its reluctance to rest on its laurels. There are no immediate plans for her father to quit as chief executive but it is clear a Taittinger will continue to run the firm for years to come. Vitalie’s oldest child is 10 and has already had a sip of the family brew. “Passion for champagne is certainly a family trait,” says Vitalie, smiling broadly as she admits to “drinking it all the time, as is my duty”. But does she prefer it to football? “Yes probably a little bit more,’ she replies, laughing loudly.

Business

2015 jan / feb

Business

Use Your Head Nobel Peace Prize nominee Tony Buzan is taking his mind-mapping philosophy to underprivileged schoolchildren around the world By Francis Bentley

t was during the first few heady months of his student days at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver that British professor and mind-mapping expert Tony Buzan came up with his revolutionary educational aid technique. Now 72 years old, the author, television presenter and educational consultant is certain had a book existed in the 1960s on the subject, he probably would have read it and moved on. Ironically, it was the fact there was nothing on the subject of how to harness what he describes as “the erratic power of his brain” that spurred him on to study neurology and its relationship to improving the memory - the very subject which has since earned him notoriety. “Like 99 per cent of students in college, I got lost. I got lost within the territory of my brain,” says Buzan from his home in Berkshire in the UK. “It was almost like being a traveller without a map. Where does that get you? Stranded on a reef in the ocean and stuck on mountains on land. “I went to the library and asked to borrow a book on how to use my brain. They pointed me to the medical section. I said I do not want to operate on it, I want to use it.” Buzan wanted to improve his memory to become a better student. With little or no academic studies on memory, he did what

“I got lost within the territory of my brain. It was almost like being a traveller without a map.” any precocious young innovator would do – he learnt what he could about the brain’s functions and came up with his own method for better recollection, the mind map. A mind map is a diagram used to visually organise information containing the main concept drawn at the centre and with written ideas, or branches, emanating from the central source. “The principles have remained unchanged since then, but elements keep evolving,” he says. “The fundamentals to the Buzan is taking his Butterfly Universe teaching concept to children in Pakistan 46

JAN / FEB 2015

Business

“I suppose I teach the world and I teach individuals how to use their heads”

Michael Jackson with King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al Khalifa. Buzan was paid to meet the pop star in Bahrain because Jackson, who was living there in 2005, wanted his children to learn his techniques

mind map involve the initial images, colours, the association you have with those colours, where things are on the page and looking at [things] in a non-linear way.” More than 100 books in 30 languages, countless appearances on television, including his own BBC series Use your Head in 1974 and two Nobel Peace Prize nominations later, Buzan’s work is as relevant as ever. This year marks the beginning of the Butterfly Universe Project in Karachi. Over the last four months, Buzan has been travelling to the Pakistani city to deliver a project that aims to unlock children’s potential. “Art and drawing are a crucial part to my technique, although I could never draw. That frustrated me,” Buzan says. “I found Leonardo da Vinci’s technique the most useful and incorporated it into my work. I found when I could draw, it opened up my mind. Using his method, I taught 40 teachers in Karachi how to draw butterflies. Or rather, I unlocked their potential to do so. The results encouraged them to believe anything was possible.” From Pakistan, Buzan will go to schools in Poland, China, Mexico, India, East Africa and the UAE this year. When children realise they can draw something beautiful, it opens up the universe for the mind. That then spreads immediately to everything else they think they cannot do.” Slightly unorthodox methods are sure to draw criticism,

although Buzan states he has far more fans than detractors. One notorious follower was the late Michael Jackson, who employed Buzan’s services to help with his children’s education. “That was about two years before he died,” recalls Buzan, who has not been in contact with the children since Jackson died in 2009. “He was living in Bahrain at that point. “I met him and the children [in Bahrain] over the course of 10 days. “During the time I was there, he was a caring father. His palace was decorated with art and figures of genius. Michael was cultivating the intelligence of his children. He wanted their minds to roam.” Alongside the Butterfly Universe Project, his latest Nobel Peace Prize nomination weighs on Buzan’s mind. Not because it is his second nomination (the first was in 1999), nor because he will have to wait until the end of the year to discover whether he has won but why he was put forward in the first place. “When I was nominated it came as a shock. Why are my maps getting me nominated for the peace prize?” he says. “They said my maps help the brain to realise how wonderful it is. And when you realise you have one of those in your skull, you tend to look after it. “I suppose I teach the world and I teach individuals how to use their heads.”

2015 jan / feb

Business

By George!

He parties with the likes of Emily Blunt and Cate Blanchett and was a chief executive at 36. In a rare interview, blunt-talking Georges Kern tells GC what it is like to run one of the world’s leading watch brands By Natasha Tourish

They did what they could with what they had before I came along,” says Georges Kern, the straight-talking German chief executive of IWC Schaffhausen. He is speaking in a Dubai hotel ahead of a lavish party he is throwing that evening to mark the annual IWC filmmakers’ award, held as part of the Dubai International Film Festival. At 36, Kern took the helm of Richemont-owned IWC, making him the youngest chief executive within the group at the time. His task was to help put the then mostly masculine sporty brand on the same global playing field as other luxury Swiss watch houses.

It was a challenge to say the least, considering IWC only had a retail presence in three European countries. But Kern got to work and over the past 12 years has masterminded IWC’s commercial success with the same military precision that goes into crafting its watch calibres. Part of Kern’s plan was bricks and mortar. Today IWC, which is the only watch brand based in eastern Switzerland, has boutiques in New York, Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo and Dubai. In December, the firm opened its flagship London boutique in New Bond Street, which IWC managers hope will cater to the city’s increasingly global and well-heeled shoppers.

Georges Kern, IWC chief executive

JAN / FEB 2015

Business

So if Kern sounds overly confident with his assertion “they were doing the best they could” before he came along, he was simply stating the truth. “Everything changed,” he says of the company’s evolution. “It is like taking a football team from the third division into the champions’ league. This is what we did.” Is there a surefire recipe for success? “If there was then everybody would apply it and everybody would be successful,” he says. But the firm’s penchant for utilising A list stars like Cate Blanchett and Emily Blunt in multimillion dollar advertising campaigns could play a role in their winning formula. “Marketing and communication is not a science,” says the sharp-tongued chief executive. “I have never interviewed or met good marketing people who actually studied marketing, never. Creative people have that in them.” Kern studied business administration at St Gallen university in Switzerland before getting his first job as a brand manager at Kraft Foods. He famously delivered a speech to 1,100 of the world’s top marketing directors in Switzerland and asked everyone in the room to raise their hand if they thought they were a creative person. “Of course they all put up their hands,” he recalls. Then he asked who played football and almost all the men put up their hands. Finally he asked who played like the Argentine team captain Lionel Messi. No one raised their hand. “My point was that you need to have a vision of how you want to play and IWC always plays offensive, never defensive,” he says now. “That is our philosophy. I prefer winning 4-3 than 1-0. Everybody knows how Barcelona play but nobody can play like them. “Right now IWC is playing in the champions’ league. We are always in the quarter-final or semi-final but we will be in the final in the next five years. We have the wiliness, which is the basis of every success.” That is not to say, he adds, that creativity cannot be taught. “What I learnt at Kraft was systems and methods, how to approach a problem or build a plan. But these are techniques which are very different to filling a technique with an idea.” His game plan seems to be working to date. This year IWC launched its Portofino midsized collection — a 37mm watch designed with both women and the Asian market in mind — to positive reviews. The collection was unveiled in a short film with a star-studded Hollywood cast in what can only be described as understated elegance, shot in black and white by filmmaker Peter Lindbergh in the Italian coastal town the watch range was named after. Kern says the inspiration came because one quarter of IWC

Sneek peek: The IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar will be officially presented at SIHH in Geneva on January 19th

“Right now IWC is playing in the champions’ league. We are always in the quarter-final or semi-final but we will be in the final in the next five years.” watches are sold to women: “You had women who could not buy our watches because they were too big or too small so we decided to go for a watch that was 37mm in diameter and called it midsize. “Of course, the style is more feminine than our standard collection but when you look at the pictures, you see Cate Blanchett and Emily Blunt in tuxedos and you see a more masculine approach in the women.” Although Kern insists IWC does not distinguish between men and women’s watches, he admits the Portofino collection has proven popular with men in Asia, who account for 40 per cent of sales on the continent, while in Europe and North America it is “mainly women who buy the midsized pieces.” He says this is where IWC’s brand power really takes grip, with the firm never pigeonholing itself into one particular genre. “We have very different products - very sporty products, very bulky and very elegant products - all under the same umbrella,” he says.“But it depends on how strong your brand umbrella is and how authentic and real everything is under that umbrella.

2015 jan / feb

Star power: Cate Blanchett, Emily Blunt, Zhou Xun, Ewan McGregor and Christoph Waltz all starred in IWC Portofino’s advertising campaign shot by Peter Lindbergh in black and white where the stars are dressed in tuxedos and loose ties

“The strength of IWC is that we have a very contemporary image and can do many things. We have opened ourselves into many different areas and it is all credible, from Formula One to the Laureus [Sport for Good] foundation. But that is very much a question of feeling.” Kern says IWC turns down hundreds of commercial sponsorship proposals as well as non-commercial from NGOs because they are not the right fit for the brand. “What you see is one per cent. We have kicked out 99 per cent already,” he says. “We have been approached by every football team on this planet as well as half of Hollywood asking to work with us but we will not do it because it is not in line with our brand.” Pointing to IWC’s Le Petite Prince and Top Gun Pilot watches, which are limited special editions, as examples of the brand’s diversity, Kern says: “Some people are attracted by the toughness of Top Gun and some by the romance of Antoine de Saint-Exupery [the French poet, adventurer and pilot referenced by Le Petite Prince watch]. They are both opposites yet somehow fit into the brand perfectly.” The sky is the limit for Kern and even that is within reaching

JAN / FEB 2015

distance. His team are prepping for the watch industry’s most exclusive fair, Salon International De La Haute Horlogeries (SIHH), which takes place every January in Geneva. IWC is this year going with the theme of ‘high watchmaking’. In previous years, Kern has taken his visitors on a tour of the Galapagos islands to mark the launch of the Ingenieur line and he even created a flight simulator for the Top Gun Pilot line. Will this year’s exhibition be as dramatic? “It is very different. It is about high watchmaking so the dream will be about the sky, the stars and the moon. “It will be very technical - about functions, movements, very much filled with the technical content of a super powerful engine of a car,” he says. When he comes back down to earth, IWC will be focusing on developing its market around the world. “We have been growing strongly. In Asia the market is still growing but when you go from zero to double it is not a big deal. “When you reach a certain level, it is much more difficult to increase your market share.” Ever confident, he adds: “In the next three to five years, we will be one of the absolute leading brands.”

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

Photos courtesy of Aziz Ahmed ÂŠ

Delivering capacity in Ecology

UNESCO Liaison Office in Addis Ababa with the AU and UNECA Phone: +251 935 40 35 99 Fax: +251-11 551 1414 www.unesco.org/new/en/addisababa UNECA Building, 1st floor, new building P O Box 1177, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia

Involve. Evolve. Empower.

2015 jan / feb

Philanthropy

Putting a Price on Charity Charitable donations are often a matter of the heart - but Caroline Fiennes is turning it into a science with algorithms to ensure money goes where it can be most effective By Craig Courtice

his is not your typical academic presentation. Yes, the speaker has a thesis and data to prove her point, occasionally uses jargon and cites research studies from this foundation or that university. But when Caroline Fiennes is on stage, you sit up and take note. As the 41-year-old founder of Giving Evidence, an organisation advising donors and institutions on charitable giving, Fiennes thinks a lot about how to best make her point. She stands as close to the audience as possible; if the stage is horseshoe-shaped, she’ll stand at the bottom of the U-bend. She uses slides but if she senses you do not understand a visual, she will switch to an analogy. And if one comparison does not click, she has another. “I became obsessed with the audience, to get my idea from my head into their head,” says the author of It Ain’t What You Give, It’s the Way That You Give It. “I am terribly keen they understand it. I use analogies so they can understand better. But some people think in pictures, others in numbers, so I use both. I’m a transmitter rather than a performer.”

JAN / FEB 2015

Her obsession with communication extends to the written form. Her book was dubbed “the Freakonomics of the charity world — but with better cartoons” while she has contributed articles everywhere from the Financial Times to Forbes and the Guardian. What is unique about Fiennes, however, is the message she so desperately wants to convey — “some help actually hinders” — is, well, uncharitable. “Charities have a serious problem with research quality,” she says. “The system incentivises charities to do bad research, even though it leads to wrong decisions and wasting money.” Shortly before her book was published in 2011, Fiennes set up Giving Evidence to address the issue. The company enables NGOs, charities and foundations to conduct more rigorous research and make their findings clear. A study by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, an independent grant-making organisation in the UK, found only 30 per cent of charitable reports contained “good data”. If charities are not transparent enough, they lose out on

Philanthropy

large donations. Giving Evidence advises organisations from the BBC to the Association of Tennis Professionals, as well as wealthy private clients. Fiennes, who studied physics and philosophy at Oxford, knew from an early age she would end up in the sector. She comes from a “churchy background”; her father worked in the public sector and still volunteers in the community service institution Lions Club International while her teacher mother ran a Sunday school. She has a cousin who is a priest and other family members who work in human rights and social services. When she worked in the quantitative field of business strategy consulting at the now-defunct Monitor Company, however, she found it was not numbers she was interested in. “I was not fascinated by money,” she says. “Why did I quit a higher-paid job to get into this sector? I was increasingly fascinated by other issues.” At New Philanthropy Capital, Fiennes was tasked with finding ways to make charitable money flow better. The London-based organisation was set up by two former Goldman Sachs employees in 2002 to develop new ways for charities to measure their inputs and outcomes. “Quite a number of us were physicists,” she says. “We were looking for algorithms. It had surprising data that worked differently to what you might think.” She left New Philanthropy Capital after five years for Global Cool, a charity that promotes sustainable lifestyles. As chief executive, Fiennes was responsible for collecting evidence about its impact. It was also at Global Cool that she put her counterintuitive thinking into action. To get people to fly less, Global Cool developed a campaign to promote train travel. Put jokes on the stairwells and people will forgo the elevator was the message in another. She continues to think about the other side of the equation at Giving Evidence - but she always follows hard facts. At the Emirates Foundation youth philanthropy summit in Abu Dhabi in November last year, Fiennes presented research that disproved the notion a charity should spend all its money on programmes and cut administration costs. “Intuition tells us that non-profits are wasteful,” she says. “But we built the graph and it goes the other way. In fact, better organisations spend more on people and decent infrastructure.” Since this was a Fiennes presentation, she went further. “Measuring costs is bit like measuring how much chalk a teacher uses. It’s easy to measure but it does not tell you how effective the teacher is.”

The IWC Portugieser Annual Calendar will be officially presented at SIHH in Geneva on January 19th

“The system incentivises charities to do bad research, even though it leads to wrong decisions and wasting money”

2015 jan / feb

Philanthropy

Addiction in the Frame The glasses designer to the stars tells how she turned a personal tragedy into a mission to help drug addicts By NAUSHEEN NOOR

he is renowned for accessorising the faces of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Her Sama Eyewear glasses are worn by everyone from Tom Cruise to Brad Pitt. But company founder Sheila Vance’s success masks a personal tragedy that still shapes her life today. In 1997, her comfortable life in the Hollywood Hills was turned upside down when her only son Sam, a 19-year-old student at the University of California Los Angeles, died from a heroin overdose. Determined to turn her personal tragedy into a positive force for change, Vance took action. Just months after her son’s death, she created the Sam Vance Foundation with a mission to help the young fight drug abuse. She started Sama Eyewear at the same time to fund the foundation. In the 1980s, Vance was one of the pioneers in eyewear design with Bada USA, the company she founded with her then husband. She helped take glasses from being purely functional to the fashion statement they are today. That was long before every designer had an eyewear line and the idea of couture glasses was still a novelty. “I remember when people were going to buy prescription glasses. They would give their prescription to the optician, who would choose the glasses for them,” she says. Now her stylish glasses are regularly worn by Hollywood heavyweights - but behind her success is the tragedy that continues to give the company a purpose. Vance donates all of the net proceeds from Sama’s Visionaries collection, as well as a portion of all Sama Eyewear’s total annual net profits, to her foundation to help support drug rehabilitation programmes as well as a number of other initiatives focusing on women and children in need. Acting as a charitable agency, the foundation has supported projects in far-flung places, including Afghanistan, France and Africa. Though Vance does not have exact figures, she estimates several million dollars have been donated to various causes since its inception. In recent years, the mandate of the foundation has

JAN / FEB 2015

also evolved to include combating child trafficking. Vance is visibly moved when discussing her work with children. “To me, all these young kids remind me of my son so any problem they have, it is sensitive to me and I want to make sure they have an opportunity to have a future,“ she says. “All of this can be prevented. When you lose people but you could have saved them, that is where the pain starts. It is not cancer or something we do not know how to solve. We

Philanthropy

“It is not cancer or something we do not know how to solve. We should be able to solve problems of child trafficking or drugs and alcohol.” movie made me happy as a story. That was a happy ending but that is not typical. The majority of the time, it is tragedy. It really takes away from your life, your existence. “I explained to [Soderbergh] that drugs are no longer exclusive to the kids that grow up in the streets whose parents are not around or who do not get enough love. Drugs are in very loving houses. My ex-husband and I gave great education to our son. We took care of him, we never smoked, we did not even drink. He was in a very safe environment, he went to private school, we watched who his friends were - but he still died of an overdose.” She says it is an ongoing battle but one she will never relinquish: “In a way, we never won the war against drugs. It is so widespread. Anybody who is fighting drugs - we are all losing every single day. We save lives on the way but overall we keep losing.”

Images courtesy of Getty Images

should be able to solve problems of child trafficking or drugs and alcohol. Those are the areas we focus on the most because if we lose [young people], we feel regret and think: ‘I could have saved them.’” At a time when most sunglasses companies have been acquired by larger conglomerates such as Luxottica, Vance designs and oversees the entire production of her line. The majority of Sama’s products are produced in Japan, where the company was the first to incorporate titanium frames and laser design on eyewear. Over the years, Vance’s frames have gained a cult following and have been spotted on everyone from Brad Pitt to Stevie Wonder. She has designed some of the glasses immortalised on the big screen too, from Tom Cruise’s sleek, high-tech frames in Mission Impossible 3 to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic Terminator sunglasses in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Still, Vance remains shy around celebrities, preferring to retreat to her office and let her husband Ross cater to their needs when they visit her Beverly Hills store. In 1999, Vance had a pivotal meeting with the director Steven Soderbergh, who later changed the script for his hard-hitting film Traffic about the illegal drug trade as a result. In the film inspired by Vance’s story, Michael Douglas plays an Ohio judge appointed as the head of the presidential drug control office while his daughter Caroline becomes a cocaine and heroin addict. In the last scene of the movie, Caroline attends a Narcotics Anonymous meeting with her parents. Vance, who admits she had no idea who Soderbergh was before the meeting was set up by a mutual friend, says: “Watching the

Brad Pitt wears Sama sunglasses at the 2012 Cannes film festival

Sheila Vance with her husband Ross at the Light Up Your Night charity dinner in Las Vegas

2015 jan / feb

Philanthropy

GOING THE EXTRA MILE GC speaks to Maria Conceicao, the founder of an organisation supporting the education of Bangladeshi children and their families, about her constant battle against donor fatigue

Conceicao’s charity helps raise funds to eradicate poverty in Dhaka, Bangladesh

How do you measure the achievements of MCF since its inception nine years ago? The community now understands the value of education and begs us to send their kids to school. I used to have to force them or give financial incentives to let their children go to school so this is great to see. It is a whole new mentality towards education and long-term thinking, instead of just thinking about how much money or food they have today. We also have adults’ educational programmes, where we eventually place them in gainful employment in Gulf countries and we have seen great success. Not only do they support their families comfortably but many put back into the community. One has even opened a small school in his village.

JAN / FEB 2015

How many children to date have come from Dhaka to live with host families in the UAE and receive an education? We have five children currently studying in Dubai. They are all doing well and hopefully will start applying for universities soon. They will be at a level to compete worldwide for an international career so I have great hopes for them. We are not currently extending these programmes in the UAE as there are currently some visa issues for all Bangladeshis but in the future, if possible, we would prefer to bring whole families rather than put the children with foster families. Between visa bans, red tape and changing attitudes on the ground, what are the biggest obstacles you have encountered? Some of these obstacles need a lot of patience. It took us a long time to change people’s attitudes towards education but we have succeeded. With the current visa ban in the UAE, we just have to wait. However the one obstacle we have to face daily is poverty. These families have such difficult times, wrought with sickness, death, disabilities and many daily hardships that you cannot even imagine without seeing it firsthand. When they face such difficulties, sending their kids to school is the last thing on their minds. They just want to survive.

Images courtesy of Imran Ahmed

ince quitting her job with Emirates airline in 2005, 31-year-old Maria Conceicao has been living in the UAE working on fundraising for her eponymous Maria Cristina Foundation (MCF) and travelling when needed to support her projects in Dhaka in Bangladesh. But she says all that will change if the current donor fatigue in the UAE continues. She says “only a small percentage of people in the UAE are the giving type”, which is putting the future of her organisation in jeopardy.

Philanthropy

The UAE contributes millions to international charities annually but you have said when you knocked on doors here you found “only lip service”. Do you think a lot of people have donor fatigue, not just here but in the western world? There is definitely a case of donor fatigue in the UAE. If there are billions going to international charities then it is likely the donors are seeking glory by donating to a well-known charity or a fashionable cause. This is fine as it means money is going to charity. However, I think you have to question the social impact per dollar with these big organisations. With my foundation, we do not have overheads so every cent goes to the beneficiaries and we can show the direct benefits with proof of progress reports. Believe it or not, I have been told before that we are too small to support. The donors that we do have really do care about the cause and they are good people and companies to deal with. I just wish we had more. Should a new model of philanthropy be adopted in that case to change attitudes to giving? Already consumers are expecting more and more from corporations and will switch products to a company that supports a cause. I think this mentality is likely to increase so the way forward for charities may be to seek more corporate partnerships rather than just rely on individuals. The problem for charities is that there are more and more needy causes and so many charities that it is hard to get noticed.

Do you believe the key to ending the poverty cycle is by inspiring entrepreneurs rather than providing donations? The key to ending the poverty cycle is by enabling the families to support themselves. You cannot expect to train somebody for a month for them to go and run a successful business. The women we have taught some skills have been able to make enough money for food but they are still in poverty. Our real success in adult education has come from teaching adults for one or more years so that they are able to find employment overseas. That way they can earn at least 30 times the amount they would earn working in Dhaka. A father and son from this programme recently bought an apartment in a decent area of Dhaka. It is great to hear this sort of news. What is MCF in need of the most right now? Money, or to be specific, school funds. We have partnerships with three schools in Dhaka. Although they give us very good rates, we still have a lot of bills to pay. You trekked to the North Pole in 2011/12. What is your next big fundraising effort? I have a new marathon challenge in February – seven marathons on seven continents in seven consecutive days – although it is possible there will be something before then. What I would really like is for more people to take on challenges such as I do or create fundraising events to raise money for MCF because just me is not enough and I am really struggling.

Conceicao is taking part in the 777 challenge in February for the second year in a row (7 marathons of 42km each in over 7 continents in 7 straight days), she hopes to raise $1million towards her charity.

2015 jan / feb

Global Citizenship

St Kitts’ Red Carpet Entrance A pioneering new citizenship by investment option has attracted Hollywood producers of five major movies to the tiny Caribbean island of St Kitts and Nevis By Natasha Tourish

with the US and Canada being the most popular destinations for young Kittitians in search of more prosperous work opportunities. This youth brain drain is likely the spark that ignited the government’s most successful investment scheme to date. The twin island nation has one of the longest-running citizenship for investment programmes in the world, which is popular with Middle Eastern and Chinese investors as it allows them visafree travel to more than 120 countries. In return, they must invest in either the sugar industry diversification foundation with a minimum of either $250,000 for a single applicant or invest at least $400,000 in a government-approved real estate project on the island. However, to make the citizenship for investment scheme even more attractive for foreign investors, the government, along with support from the Hollywood film producer Rudy Langlais and the entrepreneur and activist Val Kempadoo—both Caribbean

Images courtesy of Getty Images

he white sandy beaches and crystal clear blue waters of the Caribbean have been home to James Bond and Jack Sparrow in the past but beyond blockbusters like Pirates of the Caribbean and the archetypical beach shot befitting a Bond movie, Hollywood directors and writers generally steer clear of the Caribbean islands when producing big budget movies. But all that is about to change with the tiny island of St Kitts and Nevis leading the charge. The island’s economy has been crippled since the government shut down its sugar industry in 2005, due to falling profits, and has been largely dependent on tourism. Even then, it has only been at a fraction of the level of neighbouring islands, although a highly anticipated new luxury eco-based development, due to open this year, will boost the island’s standing as a hotspot. Still, tourism-based economies are notoriously fragile. Since the early 1970s, St Kitts has also fallen victim to a brain drain

The Caribbean island of St Kitts and Nevis (pictured) has one of the world’s longest running citizenship by investment programmes. 58

JAN / FEB 2015

Global Citizenship

natives—is offering investors the opportunity to help fund one of five Hollywood movies that will be produced in and around St Kitts over the next five years. According to Armand Arton, chief executive of Arton Capital, the government backed investment company handling the official offering through private placement, “up to 20 investment slots from the citizenship for investment programme have been allocated to help finance the five movie projects. “This means foreign investors have the opportunity to buy into the Hollywood lifestyle. They will get to attend the red carpet premiere of the movie, whether in Europe or the US, and have a chance to come along to the set to watch filming if they wish, this is in addition to the benefits received from their new citizenship.” Although it has been a collective effort to get the movie project off the ground, for Langlais and Kempadoo it goes far beyond a one-time investment incentive for wealthy foreigners to step into the glamorous world of the movie business. “We want to create a filming hub within the Caribbean that can stand alongside film-making industries in Britain, Italy and Germany,” says Langlais from his home in LA. Langlais, who was born in Basseterre in St. Kitts, points to the town of Wellington in New Zealand, which has played host to blockbusters like Avatar, the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and King Kong, to name a few. “Wellington has really pushed the boundaries of creative filmmaking by maximising the potential of its natural surroundings. It has also built world class post-production film facilities and trained local filmmakers. “I believe St Kitts can be a filmmaking hub for the whole of the Caribbean if we build the infrastructure and train local talent.” The producer behind The Hurricane, featuring an awardwinning performance from Denzel Washington in 2000, and Sugar Hill starring Wesley Snipes, says after the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which was shot in Dominica and St Vincent more than a decade ago, the impact on the local economy was significant. It caused “quite a stir on the other islands”, leaving locals wondering if the Hollywood effect would be replicated there for the sequels. But that never happened, with the movie franchise shooting in multiple locations outside the Caribbean. The area’s film industry stretches back to 1944, when To Have and Have Not was the first movie to entice Hollywood producers out of their studios and onto pristine white beaches. The film was shot in Florida Keys and on the eastern Caribbean island of Martinique. This was followed by another pioneering project filmed in Grenada in 1956, the low-budget movie Island

Rudy Langlais (centre) at the Toronto Film Festival last September with (L-R) Ambassador Rosalyn Hazelle from St Kitts and Armyan Bernstein, the writer of The Hurricane and Suzann Ellis President of Beacon Pictures; next to her, the writer Carolyn Stotesberry

“I believe St Kitts can be a filmmaking hub for the whole of the Caribbean if we build the infrastructure and train local talent” in the Sun, which dealt with interracial relationships for the first time on screen. Although it was not a big hit with critics, it showcased Grenada’s Grand Anse beach club to the world. But one has to wonder why, in the last 70 years, there have only been a handful of quality films to come out of the Caribbean? According to Dr Bernard Frampton, a filmmaker and communications specialist, it is because “the film policy in the Caribbean is more focused on enticing and accommodating foreign film production and does very little to encourage and support indigenous filmmaking”. He adds any associated benefits to filming in the Caribbean were previously only short-term as “the average person does not benefit,” while local filmmakers were unaware of how to promote and market their productions outside the region. Langlais hopes to change this pattern. But first, he says, the foundations must be put in place. “It is not that the demand from Hollywood is not there but you have to imagine the enormous cost of bringing in a whole cast and crew with you from the US or Europe. You have to pay for their travel expenses, house

2015 jan / feb

Global Citizenship

Upcoming movies to be filmed in the Caribbean Bob Marley directed by Oliver Stone The film tells the story of the four men who helped launch the career of the Jamaican singer, songwriter and musician. Shooting starts in St Kitts and Nevis in spring.

them, feed them, fly in your own equipment and then do post production back in LA. “It would be much easier for Hollywood producers if we had good camera [operators] in the Caribbean whom we could hire locally.” Currently, Pinewood studios in the UK is the only major studio to have a presence in the Caribbean, with a production studio and a water tank facility in the Dominican Republic. Beyond that, the closest available experienced film crew members are based in Puerto Rico, according to Langlais. With five big-budget movies confirmed and shooting soon to begin on the first, Langlais is confident he can find the next big star with the help of his friend Kempadoo, the founder of Kittitian Hill, a 162-hectare eco-friendly development which includes four hotels, its own organic farm, spa and onsite film school with editing and production facilities. Langlais also plans to draft in a few high-profile friends, including Lord of the Rings director Sir Peter Jackson and veteran cinematographer Roger Deakins, to ensure the film students who attend school, which Langlais hopes will become accredited by a top US university once it opens on the island, learn from the best. “If we can meet the enthusiasm with training and talent, there will be a flowering of young filmmakers in the Caribbean,” he says. “We will be offering scholarships to students in the hope we can stem this youth drain and develop local talent within the next five years so younger generations stay and older generations, who already work as costume designers and cinematographers, have a reason to come back home to work.”

JAN / FEB 2015

Unburnable directed by Kenny Leon Based on Antiguan writer Marie-Elena John’s novel of the same name, it tells the story of three generations of Dominican women haunted by secrets and scandals. Naomi Harris, Beyonce and Rihanna are in talks to play the three female characters, according to Langlais. Shooting starts next spring. Indian Warner directed by Kevin Costner Based on the true story of a British naval officer in the Caribbean in the 1700s during colonial rule, the protagonist leads a revolution of Caribbean Indians. Shooting begins in St Kitts next year and spreads across the Caribbean. Captain Blood, director TBC Australian tough guy Russell Crowe is set to play Captain Blood in the remake of this classic pirate movie. Similar to Indian Warner, filming will take place in St Kitts and the Dominican Republic to avail of Pinewood studio’s water tank facility.

Images courtesy of Getty Images

Australian actor Russell Crowe will play Captain Blood in the upcoming movie of the same name, to be filmed in St Kitts and Nevis

Nick Carter directed by Andy Davis Based on the popular book The Judas Conspiracy, this spy action thriller is tipped to be a new James Bond-style franchise. Shooting will begin in St Kitts at the end of the year and continue in locations all over the world.

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Global Citizenship

RAISING THE INDEX

Bulgaria takes the lead in Arton Index, the industry benchmark for investors who consider second residence and citizenship

lobal immigrant investment company, Arton Capital, has published the semi-annual update of its Arton Index - the industry benchmark for global residence and citizenship programs as perceived by investors. Every update of Arton Index reflects the legislative changes and amendments that have been introduced since its last update and this latest edition of the index takes these into consideration. The company also announced some modifications in the methodology that allows for even more precision in the assessment of the performance of popular global programs, including 10 countries in North America, Europe, and the Caribbean. “We are in constant pursuit of providing high net worth individuals with unparalleled, tailor-made tools. Our mission is to enable them to take a prudent decision when they consider obtaining a second residence and citizenship,” Armand Arton, the chief executive of Arton Capital explained. While some of the methodology is enhanced, the overall structure of the index remains the same. It is based on five pillars that represent the main benchmarks against which countries offering immigrant investor programs are assessed. Each pillar has a relative weight, where the maximum score that a county can get, is 100 points. The most significant changes are introduced in Cost and Speed - two of the pillars that measure industry-related indicators. Their components have been modified and the interval of the evaluation grid has been detailed in this version of the index. This allows for even more precision in the formation of the individual score of a program. The third industry-related pillar Simplicity - has also been enhanced, where one of the indicators has been changed and the relative weight of all components have been adjusted in accordance with the latest assessment of the investors’ perception of the importance of each indicator included in the category. Another novelty introduced in this version of the index is in the Global Mobility section. It now features two components - the most wanted destinations to visit, and the total number of countries that can be visited visa-free or with a visa upon arrival. Currently, the index covers ten of the most popular countries, which offer investor programs for residence and citizenship.

JAN / FEB 2015

Arton Capital expects to include another 10 countries before the next regular update of the index in June 2015. The past year saw dynamic legislative changes in the field of global residence and citizenship, which had been reflected in this latest update of the index. Together with the modification in the methodology, this has resulted in reshaping the view at the top and in sending Canada to the bottom of the chart, alongside the USA and UK. Below, we have highlighted some of the most interesting findings of the index.

bulgaria

Bulgaria In this new edition of the index, Bulgaria Investor Programchanges for Residence ranks first due to favourable in theand Citizenship legislation in the past years, which made it one of the most attractive programs. Its regular residence to citizenship program gets high marks on Cost and Simplicity. The program scores relatively low in Speed, but this is compensated with the fast track option to location citizenship within 12 months of PR that BulgariaSoutheast Europe capital has introduced in the end of 2013. Sofia

arTON iNDEX

time Difference UTC+2 total area 110,879 km 2 age DemographicS 0-14: 14.2%, 15-64: 66.9%, 65+: 18.9%

cost

speed

global mobility

language Bulgarian: 76.9% Turkish: 8.2% Roma: 3.8% Other: 11.1%

quality of life

simplicity

The Arton Index is an overall assessment and comparative benchmark of the country and its investment program.

religionS Eastern Orthodox: 59.4% Muslim: 7.8%, Other: 29.1%, None: 3.7% goVernment type Parliamentary democracy currency Bulgarian Lev (BGN), tied to EUR exchange rate 1 EUR = 1.95583 levs

6,9

Popula -0.81%

14,5

GDP (p GDP (p 105.5 b

160

Visa fr

legal representatives, or the competent Cypriot financial The inst granted by the applicant). Each step must be completed before Eac

Global Citizenship

PHASE I Main applicant 69spouse) (and

CYPRUS UNITEDHUNGA KINGDOM 52

month 1

STEP 2 Preparation of applica Property and other req completion of bank tra

United Kingdom Hungary UK is currently at the bottom of the list. Its This overall attractive program STEP 3 Investor Bond Program The Investment funds high scores in Global Mobility and Quality reaches the Residency top three performers price of the residentia of Life cannot compensate the poor marks mainly due to the fast process for account, and fees and c in the other three categories. The country residence, but it gets low scores inSTEP 4 PH Application lodged at t recently doubled the minimum required Speed for citizenship and Simplicity. Vis Immigrant Investor Program STEP 5 investment to £2M, thus making it the The anticipated legislative changes Approval, settlement o second most expensive program in the in 2015 are expected to boost its of remaining legal and index after Cyprus. At the same time, it marks in these two pillars and we STEP 6 Issuance of naturaliza keeps scoring low on Speed to citizenship can even see some interesting location location main applicant and sp and on Simplicity, on account of the tough changes at the top. South Eastern Europe, island in Western Europe, Islands location the Mediterranean Sea Central Europe capital requirementARTON for physical residence. INDEX PHASE II ARTON INDEX STEP 7capital capital London Nicosia All necessary documen Budapest Family members time Difference Cypriottime consul or a Co time Difference UTC 0 Differen (subject to successful UTC +2 STEP 8UTC+1 total area completion of Phase I) Application lodged at t

Cyprus Currently, this is one of the mostProgram Citizenship-by-Investment expensive programs assessed by the index because of the cancellation, in October 2014, of the financing option for the bank deposit. At the same time, Cyprus gets the maximum marks for Speed and ranks very high on Global Mobility and Simplicity.

ARTON INDEX

243,610 km 2

total area 9,251 km 2

age Demographics 0-14: 15.8%, 15-24: 15.8%, 25-54: 46.9%, 55-64: 10.6%, 65+: 11.0%

52 1,155,403

language Greek, Turkish, English widely spoken

cost

speed

global mobility

quality of life

STEP 1 All necessary documen PH and signed before Inv a Cy

simplicity

The Arton Index is an overall assessment and comparative benchmark of the country and its investment program.

Population Growth 1.52%

religions Greek Orthodox, Muslim, other

cost

speed

government type Presidential democracy

13 16 26,800 8 USD

global GDPquality (per capita)simplicity mobility of life

total area

STEP 993,028 km Issuance of naturaliza age Demogra 0-14: 14.8%, 15-6 for the family member 2

age Demographics 0-14: 17.3%, 15-64: 65.4%, 65+: 17.3%;

language English religions Christian: 71.6%, Muslim: 2.7%, Hindu: 1.0%, Other: 1.6%, Unspecified or none: 23.1%.

month 3

65+: 17.5%

63,395,574

languages Hungarian 93.6% Other 6.4%

Population Growth 0.55%

religions Roman Catholic

Arton’s Global CitizenCalvinist: Programs are repr 15.9% government type of Certified Partners, who are proud mem Unaffiliated: of the Global Citizenship14.5 mo Constitutional monarchy cost speed global simplicity quality GDP (per capita) the The following table breaks Antigua &government BarbudaThe pro and Commonwealth realm mobility ofdown life

StEPS 37,500 25 anD 7 tiMELinE 17 7

USD13

STe

GDP (purchasing power parity) GDP (purchasing power parity) continuingParliamentary to the next. appld currency Each step must be completed 23.36 billion USD (2012) 2.375 trillion before USD (2012) British Pound (GBP) currency thre The Citizenship by Investment Program in Cyprus is offered by Arton CapitalHungarian Holdings, a membe Forin exchange rate The Arton Index is an overall assessment and TheLLC. Arton is an overall assessment andfor information purposes only, Associates The Index above timeline is an estimate provided bas The U depending a number of factors. Arton Capital for any changes to th purpo exchange rate comparative benchmark of the country 1 USD = 0.63 GBP (2012)on comparative benchmark of theHoldings countryis not responsible exchange ra individual basis. Please refer to our website for the most up-to-date information. chang 1 USD = 0.78 EUR (2012) and its investment Visa free countries program. Visa freeprogram. countries and its investment 1 USD = 225.1 HU currency Euro (EUR)

155

195

DownloaD an electronic tHE PrOCESS version of this Document.

antiguagrenada DOMIN anD BarBuDa

month 1

For more information, please contact us at

info@artoncapital.com artoncapital.com

STEP 1 The File preparation. Arton Advisory and due dilige

dis

month 2

STEP 2 Citizenship file submis

Antigua & Barbuda Grenada Commonwealth of Dominica STEP 3 The program ranks first among the Grenada’s score is balanced, thanks The “Nature Island” is a top-scorerGovernment’s Citizens “Approved in Principle Economicand Citizenship Program Caribbean group and finds its place to its maximum points in Speed Program and in Simplicity gets the highest Citizenship-by-Investment month 3 among the top performers within all Simplicity. This Caribbean island points among the four Caribbean STEP 4 Investment made in sel assessed countries. It gets the highest gets low marks in Global Mobility and programs, but has the lowest markofin government fees, if a Citizenship-by-Investment Program score for Speed and relatively high shows average performance in Cost. Global Mobility. One of the legislative STEP 5 Naturalization certifica marks for Simplicity. In terms of cost, Its real estate option is one of the changes in the end of 2014 cancelled month 4 it has to catch up with its Caribbean most competitively priced and attracts the mandatory interview, which STEP 6 Submission of passpor location peers, but it gets the top rank on greater number of investors than the boosted its marks in Simplicity, but Caribbean, islands between location Sea and location Global Mobility compared to the other the Caribbean donation. that is still not enough to raise its final Caribbean, Islan the North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, island between Caribbean Sea an islands, especially after St. Kitts lost score. east-southeast of Puerto Rico the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic O Atlantic Ocean, north their visa-free access to Canada. capital capital arTon IndeX ARTON INDEX artOn inDEX of Trinidad and Tobago Saint John’s Roseau capital Saint George’s

time Difference UTC -4

time Difference UTC-4

total area 442.6 km 2 age DemographicS 0-14: 24.7%, 15-64: 68.1%, 65+: 7.1%

language English (official), local dialects religionS Protestant, Roman Catholic and other Christian

13 20

cost

speed

global mobility

quality of life

simplicity

The Arton Index is an overall assessment and comparative benchmark of the country and its investment program.

time Differen UTC-4

65 90,156 Population Growth 1.26%

goVernment type Constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system global cost speed GDP quality (per capita)simplicity of government and mobility of life GDP (purchasing power parity) Commonwealth realm 1.605 billion USD (2012) currency East Caribbean dollars (XCD) The Arton Index is an overall assessment and exchange rate comparative benchmark of the country program. 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (2012) and its investment Visa free countries

14 20

total area 751 km 2

total area 344 km 2

20 5 18,300 6 uSD

131

age Demogra 0-14: 22.3%, 15-6 65+: 10.4%

age Demographics 0-14: 24.7%, 15-64: 66%, 65+: 9.2% language English (official), French patois religions Roman Catholic, Anglican and other Protestant

18 12

government type cost speed Parliamentary democracy and Commonwealth realm

language English (official)

109,590

religionS Population Growth Roman Catholic Arton’s Global Citizen Programs are repre 0.52% Protestant 20.6%

of Certified Partners, who are proud memb Other 18% mov of the Global Citizenship

413,900 6 USd20

global quality GDP (per capita) mobility of life

simplicity

goVernment Parliamentary d and Commonwea

GDP (purchasing power parity) currency 1.467 billion USD (2012) currency East Caribbean d East Caribbean dollars (XCD) tied to USD Theand Arton Index is an overall assessment The Antigua Barbuda Citizenship-by-Investment Programand is offered by Arton Capital Holdings, The Gr a information purposes only, based on experiences with past clients. Processing times and costs will purpos vary exchange rate comparative benchmark of the country exchange rat for any changes to the estimations above; we can provide specific time and cost estimates on an change indiv 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (2012) Visa free program. countries and its investment 1 USD = XCD 2.70

2015 jan / feb

DownloaD an electronic VerSion of thiS Document.

For more information, please contact us at

info@artoncapital.com

I disc

lifestyle

Power Plate

For the busy executive, power plate is a great timesaver, due to the effectiveness of training and the fact many muscle groups are activated at the same time. It has been described as the microwave of fitness. As little as 10 minutes on the power plate will have the same results as 60 minutes of conventional strenuous training.

From $10,500

Technogymâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Run Personal

Architect Antonio Cettorio, known for projects like the Bvlgari Hotel in Milan and B&B Italia brand, has crafted a beautiful piece of equipment designed not just to make us sweat but also entertain. Technogym Run Personal which is made of tempered glass, polished aluminum, and plastic comes with Visioweb, an innovative entertainment system, with 19 languages, wireless internet, TV, radio, USB drive and an integrated iPhone and iPod connection as well as a games feature that enables you to train your mind as you exercise.

$16,334

JAN / FEB 2015

gizmos & gadgets

Louis Vuitton Boxing Set

As part of a new project celebrating 118 years of the iconic Louis Vuitton monogram, Karl Lagerfeld has designed a custom four-part boxing-themed set for the French fashion house, including this pricey trunk with aged cowhide leather trim and golden-brass hardware. The trunk, which doubles as a travel closet when the leather punch bag is removed, has four inside compartments and two zipped pockets. As well as the case and a gym bag, the set also includes a monogrammed mat and a pair of boxing gloves.

From $175,000

Vanhawks Bicycle

It has been hailed the first smart bicycle ever to be created as it is capable of suggesting preferred routes and warns riders if they are about to embark on a dangerous path with potholes. The carbon fibre frame bicycle was funded as a Kickstarter project and designed specifically for urban commuters. It uses bluetooth to connect to GPS on a smartphone, relaying turn-by-turn directions to the rider using LEDs built into the handlebars. It also features hidden blindspot detection sensors in the rear that alerts the rider by vibrating in the handlebars.

$1,249

2015 jan / feb

Handmade

Taking Their Q From Customers James Bond’s car of choice is an Aston Martin, customised under its newly launched Q service to cater to drivers’ every whim By Gemma Champ

aniel Craig might play the hero of the upcoming James Bond film Spectre but arguably one of the biggest stars will be the Aston Martin DB10, the silky, athleticlooking steed the director Sam Mendes described as “the first cast member”. With its lithe contours and a plethora of gadgets, it recalls the DB5 driven by Sean Connery in Goldfinger and Thunderball – the archetypal Bond car. And its special production by Aston Martin is the zenith of the marque’s recently launched Q service, which offers bespoke automobiles with specifications ranging from as little as a custom paint and interior to a completely new body design. As Mendes no doubt discovered, Q is not simply about picking off-the-shelf customisations but is instead a collaboration between

JAN / FEB 2015

customer and car maker, led by Aston Martin’s design director Marek Reichman. “The really complicated designs are when we’re sitting together with a client and they are describing their personal Aston Martin as a shape and form and a spirit. In many ways, that is what we have done with DB10 for Bond,” he says. “Sam’s initial idea, his first comment to me, was he would like the modern day DB5. Obviously I do not do retrospective design – I do something with the spirit of what DB5 stood for and the result was the DB10.” Aston Martin has always been open to customisation, of course – a company that hand-assembles just 4,000 cars a year at its base in Gaydon, Warwickshire, in England, has the flexibility and skills on hand to be able to mix things up a little – but this is,

Handmade

says Reichman, the first time the service has been formalised. It already accounts for about 10 per cent of the factory’s production. “We realised there are certain customers and clients who really want to have a bespoke service. We wanted to give those customers even more options and to say the limit of what we can do is your and our imaginations together. It really is anything the customer wants in that respect – although we work together so we follow our principles of design, taste, colour, all of the things that make us Aston Martin.” Yet even a team that has decades of design experience behind it can find itself surprised by the possibilities of a customer’s imagination. With cars so far created inspired by everything from a Ming dynasty bowl to a Jaeger-LeCoultre watch, there seem to be few limits to what can be achieved in creating a unique car – especially when customers tend to be that little bit more sophisticated than the drivers of some other flashier sports cars. “These are real car enthusiasts, people who are passionate, successful, confident, self-driven people typically,” says Reichman. “I have just come from a meeting where we are speccing a car

for a female Chinese customer and she wants something that is more than just colour and materials. “She has this image in her head of a kind of incredibly modern Birkin bag in a unique colour and that is my inspiration: how do I translate that? What is a Birkin bag? Well it is very practical, it has beautiful leather, it’s got history. So how am I going to translate that in a modern way? I do not want to just look at a Birkin, pick a leather that’s the same colour and trim the car in it.” With a dedicated interior designer, a colour and materials designer and artisans ranging from a former furniture designer-turned-leatherworker to the artists who carve each new body design from a giant block of clay before producing the final bodywork, this is the work of craftsmen as much as of a car factory and the experience of ordering is just as special. Customers visit the factory in Gaydon where possible or Reichman’s team will fly out to meet them, carrying a travelling case of samples and images of previous projects. Six to 12 months later, the car is delivered. The results reflect the fact this is as thrilling for the designers

2015 jan / feb

Handmade

and makers as for the customers with every new car offering a new challenge for a factory staffed with car fanatics. Customers, meanwhile, return time and again, particularly from the Middle East. Car owners in Qatar have commissioned more Q-spec Vanquish models than anywhere in the world and a fruitful relationship is building between the country and the car marque while the Lagonda Taraf was a Q project developed in the design studio as a 200-car edition specially for the UAE.

JAN / FEB 2015

Yet however many Q cars someone can afford (and we are talking a minimum of about $313,000) their status as a reflection of a customer’s spirit and taste means they are anything but throwaway. “I had a customer who picked the car up two weeks ago,” says Reichman. “He would normally renew his car every six months but he said: ‘With this one, I am keeping it forever because it is just for me.’ That is what happens when you have a Q-spec.”

2015 jan / feb

Cruise to Crackle

The Jaguar F-Type R Coupe goes into full-on sports mode at the push of a button By Simon de Burton

onsidering the car world’s love of jargon and acronyms, it must be getting decidedly difficult to find new ones. But a journalist colleague came up with one of the best I have ever heard just seconds after settling into the passenger seat of Jaguar’s F-Type R Coupe. It was ‘crackle button’, in reference to the addictive electronic switch which puts the car in full-on sports mode. Such devices are ubiquitous on today’s high-end motors but I don’t think any are as good at effecting the instant transformation from street cruiser to street fighter as the one on Jaguar’s latest high performance coupe. And one of the reasons is that it results in the loudest, baddest, most spine-tingling exhaust crackle you will find this side of a race car. With hindsight, it was quite possibly overindulgence with the crackle button that encouraged the three gendarmes in a Peugeot hatchback to flag me down with a luminous baton as I approached the port of Calais at 4.30am after a fabulous nocturnal blast across the whole of France from east to west. In actuality, I was only travelling at 12mph above the speed limit and had not seen another car for miles, so my behaviour was hardly up there with the 200mph antics of Tokyo’s legendary Midnight Club street racers. But I must admit, the growling, grumbling, loud-howling F-Type, with its travel-stained Salsa Red paintwork, satin black Centrifuge wheels and bug-spattered windscreen did look more than a little bit naughty. They demanded 90 euros and sent me on my way - but only after requesting a few throttle blips so they could take a last listen of the crackle.

JAN / FEB 2015

As its name suggests, the F-Type R Coupe is the souped-up, hard-top version of the F-Type convertible which was launched to great acclaim in 2013 with two V6 engine options or a nonsupercharged 495 horsepower V8. I loved the convertible but love the coupe even more. Apart from being considerably more practical - for starters, the boot can accommodate more than just a sponge bag - it simply looks superb from any angle and is reminiscent (albeit it slightly) of the legendary E-Type of the 1960s. It’s less expensive too, with the entry level model (which uses the least powerful V6 engine) starting at just under $80,000 - although after sampling the R Coupe with its 550 horsepower supercharged V8, it is unlikely you will believe less is more. What might persuade more purist drivers to opt for the V6, however, is the recent news that supercharged versions can now be specified with a six-speed, manual gearbox instead of only the eight-speed quickshift automatic - although the announcement also coincided with the arrival of a four-wheel drive option for the V8 R. Plus you will also be able to get the convertible with the R engine. Have you ever had the feeling you are spoiled for choice? The 2016 Jaguar F-Type 3.0 V6 coupe starts at $79,742, rising to $105,000 in four-wheel drive automatic form. The F-Type V8 R starts at $136,000 in two-wheel drive coupe form, rising to $151,137 for the four-wheel drive convertible.

2015 jan / feb

art

Sculpting Jeddah A new book documents the restoration of Jeddah’s public artworks, created by the grand masters of sculpture

n the 1970s, Jeddah’s then mayor, Mohammed Said Farsi, envisioned a city on par with other global cultural hubs and undertook the Jeddah Beautification Project. With an initial budget of $150 million from his personal funds and private donations and the help of the Spanish architect Julio Lafuente, Farsi started acquiring and collecting select sculptures to enhance Jeddah’s urban spaces. The priceless collection now amounts to more than 400 works that sit along Jeddah’s corniche. In addition to some local and regional artists, the collection includes works by masters such as Henry Moore, Alexander Calder, Jean Arp and Joan Miro.

Over the years, however, Saudi’s harsh climate, heat, salty sea air and sand have taken their toll on the pieces. That is when the Jeddah-born art patron and collector Fady Jameel stepped in to initiate the project to restore the works in 2012. The Jameels are key figures within the Middle Eastern arts community. Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives sponsors Edge of Arabia, which promotes contemporary art from the kingdom and showcases it around the world. The Jameel family are also patrons of the eponymous Islamic Art gallery in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum and sponsor the institution’s annual Jameel Art Prize. The renovation project

Photograph of Verse Boat by Julio Lafuente

JAN / FEB 2015

art

Oiseau (Bird) by Joan Mir贸 in situ in the Open Air Sculpture Park was spearheaded by the British firm Plowden and Smith, which specialises in the restoration of fine and decorative arts. In conjunction with Jeddah Art Week in early February, the public artworks and their restoration process have been documented in the new book, Sculptures of Jeddah: The Restoration of a Rare

Photograph of Oval with Points by Henry Moore Collection of Twentieth-Century Art. The book contains a foreword by Chris Dercon, director of the Tate Modern, photography by the acclaimed Saudi Arabian artist Ahmed Mater and unseen architectural archive material and personal sketches by Lafuente.

Accident! (Crazy Speed) by Lafuente

2015 jan / feb

yacht

JAN / FEB 2015

yacht

Arts and Craft The US edition of the eco yacht Arcadia 85, unveiled at Art Basel Miami, has a dash of sophistication his Arcadia yacht is an ecological dream. The craft resolves the design conundrum of integrating solar panels into a yacht with a top-notch navigation performance. This 26-metre long, 7.15-metre wide yacht is equipped with 40sq m of photovoltaic technology, a system used to convert solar energy into electricity using solar panels, each composed of hundreds of high performance solar cells powering all the equipment on board including showers, toilet, fridges and lights. Arcadiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stylish linear interiors made quite a splash when the yacht made its debut at Art Basel Miami last year. The deckhouse is made almost entirely out of double-layered reflecting glass, giving the interior a bright and airy feel. The sliding overhead and lateral blinds provide privacy and shade when required. The impressive 8.5m-long aft deck lounge features a well-protected cockpit - perfect for dining - as well as

a large sunbathing area toward the stern of the boat. Designed to be a family yacht, the Arcadia has four guest cabins on the lower deck, including the ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spectacular cabin, with a wider than usual living space than other yachts of the same size. The ensuite main room is generous in size and comes complete with a dressing area. There are an additional two twin cabins. The vertical bow of the yacht offers space for four crew, which can be accessed through the wheelhouse. It also contains a tender garage which can accommodate a 4m tender and a two-seater jet ski. The interior layout features some of the most luxurious of Italian design brands, including as Poltrona Frau, Cassina and Schiffini. Both the layout and interior design, with movable furniture, can be customised to individual tastes. Full floor-to-ceiling windows allow an unfettered view of the seascape.

2015 jan / feb

DESIGN

MOD MOMENTS The mid-20th century fashion movement is making a comeback in design with distinctive curves

Ploum sofa, Ligne Rosset, $5,320

Resin lamp $1,564, desk $5,500, and chair $783, Ingrid Michel and FrĂŠdĂŠric Pain, Binome

JAN / FEB 2015

Vintage chair, The Odd Piece, $2,067

Resin and oak shelf, Ingrid Michel and Frederic Pain, Binome, $4,741

DESIGN

Chaise longue, burnished steel, oak and leather, Cities Dubai Galleria Mall, $13,340

Desk, resin and concrete, Ingrid Michel and Frederic Pain, $5,500 Armchair and ottoman, resin and oak, Ingrid Michel and Frederic Pain, $1,335

Vintage chair, The Odd Piece, $2,067

2015 jan / feb

Fragrance

Frederic Malle, founder of the perfume company Editions de Parfums

JAN / FEB 2015

Fragrance

MAKING SCENTS

Coming from a long line of distinguished perfumers, Frederic Malle tells GC about founding his own brand

t came as no surprise when Frederic Malle, founder of the perfume company Editions de Parfums, ended up working with fragrances. His grandfather Serge Heftler Louiche founded Christian Dior Parfums while his mother worked as the brand’s art director, frequently using young Frederic as a test subject for her creations. At one time as a child, he even occupied the former bedroom of master perfumer, Jean-Paul Guerlain. “My mother said she had to repaint the walls in the apartment so many times because it was soaked in Guerlain perfume,” recalls Malle. With this pedigree behind him, Malle gained early experience working as a consultant for corporate perfume houses but soon became disillusioned with their direction. “In the 1990s, perfuming went south. It became invaded by marketing people. Big brands were catering, with the same fragrance, to please everyone ranging from the Innuits to the Africans, the French to the Americans. This huge one-size-fits-all kind of thing was going against all the principles I had inherited,” he says. Malle established his first shop in 2000. With Editions de Parfums, he set out to revive the 19th century methods of perfume-making using the skills of one master perfumer. He likens himself to a literary editor, guiding his talent toward fulfilling a creative vision, hanging their portraits on the walls of his stores and printing their names on perfume bottles. “It is a small world and we have all known each other for a long time,” says Malle. “I have known [the perfumer] Dominique Ropion for 25 years. He is probably the best perfumer in the world - he will go down in history. His career is amazing and his talent is proportional.”

This month Editions de Parfums will become part of the Estee Lauder group, a move which might seem surprising for a brand that has gathered a loyal, elite following without the use of marketing, advertising or celebrity endorsements. In this instance, however, Malle found a particular synergy with the family-owned cosmetics giant. “My grandfather left a very strong legacy in terms of how to do things and my mother always stuck to that. We heard that song, which we thought was so boring, all of our lives as kids. “When I met Leonard and William Lauder, it was exactly the same song. Many people have approached me to try to buy my company or get a share of it and none of them had the same tune, ” he says. Malle was recently in Dubai to launch his latest fragrance, The Night. The inspiration came from a dinner party in New York when Malle, seated next to a Saudi royal, became enraptured by her unique scent. The two quickly became friends and the princess finally revealed the ingredients of her signature scent. The Night, created in collaboration with Dominique Ropion, is composed of authentic oud from India mixed with Turkish rose and amber. Malle’s scents are often inspired by real people, such as an aunt or his father’s charismatic best friend. The Night will be available exclusively in Bloomingdale’s and Harvey Nichols Dubai. Malle says the Middle East market is unique due to its strong traditions of men and women wearing scent. “In Europe and North America, men seek reassurance from their perfumes. They want to smell clean and manly. But in the Middle East, perfume is a way to define yourself, to set your mark, to say who you are. They look for something very specific. They want something long-lasting, soothing, mysterious and deep. It is more than the quality of the perfume. They are more confident.”

Dominique Ropion at a perfume store 2015 jan / feb

hotels

AprĂ¨s-ski GC navigates you around some of the most exclusive slopes in the world

Bella Coola, Verbier, Switzerland The reception of the newest chalet from CK Verbier is instantly welcoming, centred around a raised fireplace with built-in seating for cold winter evenings. Further exploration reveals four romantic Indian-style bedrooms with flowing fabrics and bright accents. A private chef can make anything on demand from simple comfort food like bangers and mash to four course gourmet meals. CK Verbier-organised sporting activities include Skilates (Pilates for skiers) and heliskiing, the exhilarating off-trail sport loved by

JAN / FEB 2015

experienced skiers. When it is time to relax, a walk through giant antique Indian gates leads to a spectacular spa complex. The indoor pool comes complete with massage jets and panoramic mountain views in every direction. There is also a large hammam to melt away the frost and a spacious bar area in which to lounge with a warm drink in hand. Weekly rental from $44,585 per week www.ckverbier.com

2015 jan / feb

hotels

Chedi Andermatt Switzerland The Chedi has taken this erstwhile sleepy town and converted it into the latest ski hotspot. Designed by Belgian architect Jean-Michel Gathy, who was also responsible for the other Chedi properties in Bali and Muscat, the resort tempers a Swiss influence with an Asian twist, oozing luxury, style and opulence. The hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dramatic 15ft-high lobby is broken up into intimate spaces using wood-burning fireplaces, lounging sofas and wellstocked bookcases, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a 115ft-long swimming pool flanked by glass-encased fires. There

JAN / FEB 2015

is an intimate Japanese restaurant and large main diner with four international show kitchens and a glass-fronted cheese room as well as an inviting wine and cigar parlour. The ski lounge is staffed by friendly butlers and filled with oversized sofas, steaming pots of tea, top-of-the-range rental equipment and a fleet of blacked-out cars waiting to whisk you to the slopes. Double rooms from $685 per night For reservations go to www.lightfoottravel.com

hotels

Bighorn Revelstoke British Columbia, Canada The perfect setting for the thrillseeker, the Revelstokeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ski slopes are accessible via private helipad. Every morning after breakfast, a chopper descends over the evergreens ready to whisk you in a scenic flight over the Illecillewaet river valley, then high up into the bowls and glaciers of the untamed Selkirk mountains. Minutes later, you will be skiing on light, abundant snow. For those not inclined for adventure, the handsome eight-bedroomed property offers plenty of less extreme entertainment, including an indoor

pool, games room, gym, sauna, 30-seater cinema and outdoor hot tub. The chalet boasts eight elegant suites, all complete with balconies, a fire burning under the high-vaulted ceiling of the magnificent great room and a dining room with gourmet meals prepared by a private chef. 7 night rental from $50,000. For reservations go to www.lightfoottravel.com

2015 jan / feb

dining

Brunch Time

Fridays in the UAE wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be complete without an all-day food and drink extravaganza

Toko The Toko brunch, which spills out onto the outdoor terrace, attracts a more sophisticated crowd with the focus on the quality of ingredients and preparation rather than quantity. Under the gaze of Takeshi Murakamiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smiling flowers, the simplest of ingredients -avocados, heirloom tomatoes, French beans - are brought to life with complex and nuanced dressings. Warm green beans are lifted with sesame and nori, sweet soy and lime give a mouthwatering twist to grilled avocado, beautifully presented as a swirl and a semi-sweet honey yuzu sauce accompanies the juicy flesh of a king crab. The starters, served buffet-style, are accompanied by a generous range of sushi and sashimi while the six mains are served at the table. The slightly spicy miso butter accompanying the salmon is a perfect partner while a wagyu bavette in a teriyaki sauce and a baby chicken dressed in lemon and soy are both moist and meltingly tender. Inventive sakebased cocktails and a modest platter of French-style pastries are the finishing touch. Every Friday 12-4pm from $99, Vida Downtown Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, +971 4 442 8388

JAN / FEB 2015

dining

Pier chic Suspended in the middle of the sea with 360 degree views of the Arabian Sea, the calming effect of the sounds of the ocean encourages dining at a leisurely pace. Start with a glass of bubbly at the raw bar where fresh Fin de Clair oysters have been whisked in from France. Continue dining in the newly refurbished interior with a giant seafood platter brimming with lobster tails, mussels, clams, and Alaskan king crab.The green gazpacho soup with its sweet-tart notes captures the best of the innovative Mediterranean-inspired menu created by head chef Rosalind Parsk and chef Laurent Gras, of the three Michelin starred Chicago restaurant L2O. Every Friday 12-3.30pm from $150, Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah, Umm Suqeim +971 4 366 6730

2015 jan / feb

dining

Crescendo Keeping with the oriental theme of Anantara, the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fork & corkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Friday brunch in Crescendo restaurant pays homage to its mother cuisine with street-style hawker stalls offering homemade noodle soup and crispy duck wraps. Novel food and drinks from all corners of the globe are on offer throughout the eclectic mix of stations, from the sombrero stand filled with fiery Mexican chicken tacos and the carvery with melt in your mouth beef brisket and piping

JAN / FEB 2015

hot fritters. Dessert is the real triumph with a teppanyaki ice cream station and steaming red velvet cake, topped off with oven-roasted plums, perfect for dining al fresco by the pool in the cooler climes. Try their espresso martini for an afternoon pick me up. Every Friday, 12-4pm, from $80, Anantara The Palm, +971 4 567 8304

dining

The Terrace The St Regisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Bloody Mary brunch has a sumptuous wall-to-wall feast so enormous, the desserts and cheese counter had to be moved into the library. There are, of course, several incarnations of the tomato-based drink said to have been invented by a bartender from the St Regis New York, including the surprisingly refreshing Great Wall version with beer. From the dozens of prettily displayed whole crabs and freshly shucked oysters to the vast salad counter with plenty of vegetarian options, the bread display with moist tomato and olive-studded focaccia and the mountains of seafood

- including plump prawns in their shells, juicy clams and tender lobsters in half-shells - it is impossible to try everything.The trick is not to overdo it before hitting the carvery with succulent joints of lamb and beef and a delightful baked salmon with saffron butter sauce. The icing on the cake is the rich chocolate mousse in tiny jam jars, the selection of 38 cheeses - including a brie de meaux with truffle - and the irresistible martini trolley which does the rounds with a raspberry and pineapple-infused French martini. Every Friday 12.30-4pm, from $80, St Regis Abu Dhabi, Nation Tower, The Corniche +971 2 694 4444

2015 jan / feb

Travel

Fairytale Kingdom Bewitching Salzburg, home of Mozart and The Sound of Music, looks like a magical stage set By Sarah Walton

veryone knows Austria is beautiful. There is Vienna, the squeaky-clean, palace-filled city of roses and dancing horses. Then there are the Alps, populated with crisp snowy peaks, Christmas trees and candy-coloured communes. There are lush fields and medieval and gothic fortresses perched picturesquely on precipices. The lakes are all mirror-perfect, rimmed by villages that appear to be made out of gingerbread and lace. But the fairest of them all is Salzburg, a fairytale kingdom above the clouds. It is rare to find a place so immensely welcoming in winter but it is the best time to come. This is when the weather coats the city

JAN / FEB 2015

in its own sugar-white universe, making you believe you might just have to climb down a beanstalk to get back home. The streets glisten with ice and fairy lights and are scented with star anise, cinnamon and cherry strudel. The air rings with small bells on sleighs and grand ones in churches. Everywhere around are rosy cheeks, crackling bonfires and the laughter of children. Cliche? No - just magical. The kitsch part is The Sound of Music, the pull for nearly 60 per cent of tourists to the city. Its title makes locals cringe but simultaneously fills the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coffers. For one of the most famous movies of all time was filmed in Salzburg and everyone wants to see the fountains where they sang Do-Re-Mi, the gazebo where

Travel

Images courtesy of Corbis / ArabianEye.com

Liesl dreamed of being 17 and the terrace where Captain Georg Von Trapp finally realised he was in love with a nun played by Julie Andrews. But the melody does not stop there. The city is the birthplace of Mozart and residents revel in this rather more high brow musical legacy. Mozartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life reads like a Shakespearean tragedy, the grimmest of fairytales - but his presence left music all over the city. At any time in Salzburg, it is possible to see his operas and concerts performed in festival halls, garden amphitheatres and dinner playhouses. Here buskers play concertos not the blues. The streets are so consummately baroque they appear almost artificial, their pristine nature suggesting they are part of a stage set. Dainty chairs and tables are set outside for tea parties, even in the chill. Signs are painted in storyboard calligraphy over shuttered windows, gothic arches and shop windows filled with pastries and sweets fit for Hansel and Gretel. And at the end of every winding alley is a mountain, a steeple, a river, or a cart with a trader roasting chestnuts. Salzburg is so bewitching that by the time you need to leave and pass the Makartsteg bridge, seeing the padlocks that lovers leave as they do in Paris, you might think you have left your heart behind too. â&#x20AC;&#x192;

2015 jan / feb

Travel

Where to Go

The old town (Altstadt)

Hellbrunn

Hohensalzburg castle

Mozart dinner opera

An 11th century medieval castle perched above the old town, reached by an almost vertical funicular journey over St Peter’s bulbous spires and the cobbles of Domplatz. The fortress includes regency rooms, boltholes and a 360-degree view of the surrounding area. You will also find a torture chamber, marionette museum and a seasonal Christmas market.

JAN / FEB 2015

This early baroque palace is on the edge of the city and easy to get to by bus or car. In warmer months the castle is open for tours and although it closes in winter, the Advent market takes its place. Families will love the trick fountains, Leisl’s famous gazebo, the glorious gardens and at Christmas, Salzburg’s prettiest market.

This is one place where they do dinner theatre with true class. It is set in the baroque hall of the monastery cellar of St Peter, allowing you to cross off two activities in one stroke. Do not expect standard tourist fare either – Salzburg is known as Austria’s culinary capital and won’t let you down.

Images courtesy of Corbis / ArabianEye.com

Salzburg’s Unesco world heritage streets are a joy in themselves. Lanes are narrow and car-free, lined with impeccably preserved classic architecture and jammed with adorable stores selling everything from classic couture to handmade teddy bears and schlotfeger, a chocolate-coated, cream-filled pastry you simply must try.

Travel

Where to stay

Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron

Just recently converted into a luxury hotel, this is where you can pretend to be a problem like Maria. This is the venue used for all of the exterior Von Trapp villa shots and set beside the dreamy Leopoldskron lake, a 20-minute walk from the old town. Suites from $325 per night www.schloss-leopoldskron.com

Hotel Blaue Gans

The oldest hotel in Salzburg is now a sleek art hotel, historic lines now melding seamlessly with modern. It is beautifully positioned right in the heart of the old centre. Suites from $335 per night www.hotel-blaue-gans-salzburg.at

Schloss Fuschl

For those who like to be a little away from it all, Fuschl is a castle on a striking lake of the same name. There are golf courses, hiking and skiing very close by, plus the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marvellous health spa. Salzburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old town is only a 20-minute drive away. Suites from $500 per night www.schlossfuschlsalzburg.com

2015 jan / feb

Little Black Book MADRID

Cafe de Oriente at the Plaza de Oriente opposite the Royal Palace.

Fine art the perfect balance The Prado is incredible, it has moderns. and sics clas between the

On the pitch The Bernabeu, Real Madridâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stadium is fascinating. You get the full spectrum of Madrid life, it is unlike any other stadium in the world. The people go there expecting to be entertained as if it were the theatre.

JAN / FEB 2015

Images courtesy of Getty Images

Coffee break

Images courtesy of Corbis / ArabianEye.com

Malcolm Borwick is one of Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading professional polo players with a six-goal handicap, as well as being a Royal Salute world polo ambassador. Borwick has long been a favourite of the England selectors, with over 30 caps for the Audi England team to his name, as well as contracts for teams in the UK, Spain, France, USA, South Africa and Argentina. He will be appearing in the Royal Salute UAE Nations Cup 2015 hosted at the Desert Palm Resort from January 26-30.

little black book

Eating out

Walkabout

Madrid has incredible restaurants. For game, Horcher is a classic.

Not being much of a city person, it is the perfect introduction - a city that feels like a village. It has beautiful architecture, great restaurants and bars and plenty of space. My wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family lives there, so for me, it is like going home.

It is nice to walk through the old part of town between El Retiro and the botanical gardens.

Enchanted garden One of Madridâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best -kept secrets are the beautiful gardens at El Capricho, an old private estate inside the city limits of Madrid that is now a public park.

Heart of the city The Plaza Cibeles right in the heart of town has incredible views up the Castellana.

2015 jan / feb

fashion

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S A WRAP Whether on the ski slopes or meandering through snow-covered streets, these items are sure to keep you warm and stylish

Gloves, Berluti, Dubai Mall, $860

Wool blend field jacket, Theory, MrPorter.com, $695 Jawbone activity tracking band, Jumbo Electronics, $180

Gilet, Rocky Mountain, MrPorter.com $650

Scarf, Salvatore Ferragamo, Mall of the Emirates, $795

Carry-on and duffle bag, Tumi Boutique, Dubai Mall $1,080 and$1,555 Cb Made in Italy shoes, Level Shoe District, Dubai Mall, $610

JAN / FEB 2015

fashion

Sunglasses, Sama Eyewear, Magrabi Optical, $595

Pen, Montblanc, Emirates Towers, $1,150

Leather diary, Smythson, Boutique 1, $70

Cashmere cable knit, Polo Ralph Lauren, Mall of the Emirates, $398

Cotton corduroy jacket, MrPorter.com, $813

Nubuck gloves, Berluti, $708

Toiletry case, Berluti, Dubai Mall, $1,893 Leather backpack, Alexander McQueen, Bloomingdaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, $1,995

Shoes, Berluti, $1,594

2015 jan / feb

horology

Mr Tough Guy Known for their hard exterior, GC looks at three of the most resilient luxury ceramic timepieces

Richard Mille Rafael Nadal 027

Chanel J12 Rétrograde Mystérieuse The 47mm J12 Rétrograde Mystérieuse is not just a watch which respects the Chanel style and values; it is also a truly complicated watch, both mechanically and aesthetically. It involves a triple complication: tourbillon, retrograde minute and clutch crown. Water resistant to 300 metres, the case of the J12 Marine is made of black high-tech sand-blasted ceramic and steel and comes with a black rubber bracelet and blue bezel in the 38 and 42mm versions or with a black bezel in the 42mm version. $259,146

JAN / FEB 2015

Richard Mille’s collaboration with tennis player Rafael Nadal began with the RM 27. It features a movement made from titanium and LITAL alloy, a high lithium content alloy containing aluminium, copper, magnesium and zirconium — which you can also find in the Airbus A380 — its so light the tennis player wore it on the court and it stayed in place thanks to a freesprung balance, which keeps it reliable despite shocks, a carbon composite case, a hand-drawn upper face, a 48hour power reserve, and an ultra-light polycarbonate strap makes it a classic. $525,000

Panerai Radiomir 8 days ceramica The real appreciation for this watch lies in its stealthy looking 45mm black ceramic case, which is made of ZrO2, a raw material powder produced by the compression moulding process, giving a smooth and uniform appearance. Its robust movement (the manual wind Panerai P.2002 provides an impressive 8 days power reserve), and a classic Panerai sandwich dial with date, small seconds, and linear power reserve meter. Also note worthy, is the removable wire loop strap attachments for fast and easy strap changes. The movement is also visible through the smoked sapphire crystal back. $14,700

2015 jan / feb

TIME. MASTERED. 166 years in the making. The world’s first fully anti-magnetic Co-Axial movement is another historic landmark in precision watchmaking. Our industry’s new quality standard has a name.

Available at:

OMEGA Boutiques Dubai: BurJuman • Deira City Centre • Dubai Mall • Dubai Festival City • Mall of the Emirates • Mina A'Salam • Mirdif City Centre • Sahara • Waﬁ and at select Rivoli Stores. 98 JAN /Centre FEB 2015 Abu Dhabi: Marina Mall • Toll Free: 800-RIVOLI