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AUGUST 2019 | ISSUE 174

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Contents August 2019 Issue 174

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14 18 20 24 34 36

Saudi Arabia’s $500 Billion Futuristic City State Propery Shocker Keypoint: The Art of Productivity Bahrian Gets Expensive for Expats An Antartic Iceberg to UAE Digitalizing Bahrain

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409,631 Simply unparalleled online presence that connects region’s most inspired communities.

Car News & Reviews

44 48 50 54

Camp Jeep 2019 A Taste of Sweden - Volvo XC90 European Road Trip - BMW X7 Audi’s Big Beast - Audi Q7

… and much, much more!

Mobile Crane Training PILOT Program

Agora Training Center announces the commencement of the Pilot training for NPORS Mobile Crane Operator in collaboration with Ministry of Labour and Sarens Nass Middle East.

www.agoratrainingservices.ae

Six people will be trained and certified during the program, upon successful completion the candidates will be presented with a NPORS (National Plant Operator Registration Scheme) card. The successful candidates will then be offered a job opportunity with Sarens Nass Middle East. We express our gratitude toward the Ministry of Labour and Sarens Nass Middle East for their continuous support.

For more informations contact: Agora Training Center, Villa 270, Rd No 503, Muqabah, Kingdom of Bahrain, Tel: +973 3370 1547

Social Media is changing business

Most businesses in Bahrain lack advanced digital and social media marketing skills to expertly manage a successful digital strategy, so missing major opportunities they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even realize. The good news is we can inexpensively create an effective digital strategy for your business, and manage it for you, for less than the salary of an employee - freeing you to run your business. We also build beautiful websites - optimized to generate income for businesses, and provide online services including SEO, design, e-commerce, photography and video production.

For a FREE evaluation of your businesses digital marketing needs. call +973 36 188 100

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Knowledge is power

Publisher & Editor in Chief

- Nicholas C. Cooksey

Editorial - Supriya Reginald

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Editorial Contributors

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- Charlie Cooksey

- Dhanraj S Layout Designs Admin & Finance

- Nikesh Pola

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Photography - Angelo Jose A

Here's last month’s most 'Liked' #BestInBahrain picture posted to our social media.

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Cover: Between Manama & Osaka Artist: Ishaq Madan Courtesy of ArtSelect

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Events

Day & Night Amazon Web Services Summit Bahrain (AWS Summit Bahrain)

SmartSec Cyber Security & Blockchain Conference

Bahrain Infection Prevention & Control Conference

When: 15th September 2019 Where: Gulf Hotel Bahrain

When: 3rd and 5th September 2019 Where: Gulf Convention Centre, Bahrain

When: 19th -21st September 2019 Where: Wyndham Grand Manama

The Amazon Web Services Summit Bahrain will be bringing technologists together to connect, collaborate, and learn about AWS and it will provide the attendees with the opportunity to learn how the cloud is accelerating innovation for businesses of all sizes, and connect with colleagues and peers, see what digital transformation looks like, and discover how cloud-based skills empower the workforce of today and tomorrow.

Gulf Industry Fair 2019 When: 24th â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 26th September 2019 Where: Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre Gulf Industry Fair is the premier industrial event of the Gulf region, aimed at demonstrating the enormous growth and potential of the Middle East. The fair offers exhibitors excellent opportunities to promote their products and services, discover new markets as well as to open up new business fields.

Gulf Insider August 2019

SmartSec Conference & Exhibition is a 2-day event that focuses on Cybersecurity and Blockchain. SmartSec provides attendees with a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the latest trends, innovation, and solutions featured by the international Cybersecurity and Blockchain community.

For more information visit: www.smartsecme.com

The event will highlight ground rules for the program which will focus on all recent update information and knowledge on infection prevention and control to be presented by highly professional speakers providing an exceptional experience to all delegates for sharing knowledge and raise their learning skills.

A moment in time...

An aerial view of Bahrain’s historic freshwater spring known as Ain Adari in 1967.

To view more immemorial images of Bahrain follow ‘The Old Bahrain’ The Old Bahrain @theoldbahrain Gulf Insider August 2019

Business

Saudi Arabia’s

$500 Billion Futuristic City State Saudi Arabia plans to create the world’s “most livable city” that will attract the “world’s greatest minds”.

harma is a seaside corner of northwest Saudi Arabia. It is so barren that the only abundant resources a group of consultants could identify were sunlight and “unlimited access to salt water.” But Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman didn’t see a wasteland. He saw the future— and hatched a plan for a $500 billion city-state to cover 10,000 square miles of rocky desert and empty coastline to attract the “world’s greatest minds and best talents” to the world’s best paying jobs in the world’s most livable city. 14

Gulf Insider August 2019

They’ll fly drone taxis to work while robots clean their homes. Their city will supplant Silicon Valley in technology, Hollywood in entertainment and the French Riviera as a place to vacation. It will host a genetic-modification project to make people stronger - these ideas are laid out in 2,300 pages of documents by Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey & Co. and Oliver Wyman. The project is called Neom - a portmanteau of the Greek word for “new” and the Arabic word for “future.” The documents offer the most detailed look inside Neom and its planning since the project was unveiled in 2017. Former

Neom employees and people familiar with the project say they don’t know how much of the plan will become reality due to potential funding issues and technological limitations. “Neom is all about things that are necessarily future-oriented and visionary,” Neom Chief Executive Nadhmi al Nasr said. “So we are talking about technology that is cutting edge and beyond—and in some cases still in development and maybe theoretical.” He said that construction is under way. The first projects include an airport and a resort. The government has also built a palace at the site.

Business

Neom is the centerpiece of the Crown Prince’s (MBS’s) effort to transform an insular, oil-dependent kingdom into a country with an outward-looking, diversified economy. Rather than relying on petroleum revenue to fund purchases from foreign countries, MBS has said he wants Saudi Arabia to produce goods and services that Saudis currently buy abroad. He has proposed Neom as an area with car factories, hospitals, tech companies

structures so entrenched that it was easier to develop a new city than to change existing ones. “Starting Neom from scratch, with independent systems and regulations, will ensure the availability of best services without social limitations,” he is recorded to have said at Neom’s first board meeting. The project is so ambitious that it incorporates some technologies that don’t even exist yet. 1. Flying Taxis: Scientists might take a flying taxi to work. “Driving is just for fun, no longer for transportation (e.g. driving Ferrari next to the coast with a nice view),” planning documents show. 2. Cloud Seeding: The desert won’t always feel like the desert. “Cloud seeding” could make it rain. 3. Robot Maids: While scientists are at work, their homes would be cleaned by robot maids. 4. State-of-the-Art Medical Facilities: Scientists would work on a project to modify the human genome to make people stronger. 5. World Class Restaurants: There would be fine dining galore in a city with the “highest rate of Michelin-starred restaurants per inhabitant.”

They’ll fly drone taxis to work while robots clean their homes. Their city will supplant Silicon Valley in technology.

6. Dinosaur Robots: Residents could visit a Jurassic Park-style island of robot reptiles. 7. Glow-in-the-Dark Sand: The crown prince wants a beach that glows in the dark, like the face of a watch. 8. Alcohol: Alcohol is banned in the rest of Saudi Arabia. But it likely won’t be here, say people familiar with the plan. and resorts to keep Saudis spending domestically. But the plan to spend $500 billion building Neom from scratch, rather than investing in existing Saudi cities, reflects the kingdom’s long-standing problems in attracting foreign investment. Many foreign companies have long avoided investing in Saudi Arabia due to an opaque legal system, corruption, and social strictures banning alcohol and requiring women get a male relative’s permission to travel. MBS found those

9. Robot Martial Arts: Robots would do more than just clean your house. They also could spar head to head in a “robocage fight,” one of many sports on offer. 10. Security: Cameras, drones and facial-recognition technology are planned to track everyone at all times. 11. Moon: A giant artificial moon would light up each night. One proposal suggests it could live-stream images from outer space, acting as an iconic landmark.

Gulf Insider August 2019

Business

Neom’s reliance on foreign consultants reveals another deeply entrenched challenge. As a young nation without a single university until 1957, Saudi Arabia historically lacked expertise in planning, engineering and management. So it turned to foreign experts like McKinsey, which has worked in Saudi Arabia for more than 40 years. McKinsey increased its Saudi staffing by acquiring a local consultancy called Elixir in 2017. In addition to recommendations on urban planning, economic, legal and regulatory systems, McKinsey details using “big data” - the use of computers to sift through volumes of information

markets. Temperatures will be cooler than Dubai, the documents say, and moderated by “cloud seeding” to make it rain. Because they live in the city with the “highest GDP per capita,” the documents say, a resident could indulge in a fancy dinner; Neom aims to have the “highest rate of Michelin-starred restaurants per inhabitant.” To keep Neom safe, cameras, drones and facial-recognition technology will let Saudi intelligence services track everyone. “Everything can be recorded,” the founding board declared. Neom in a statement said the project is about “technology in all sectors such as mobility, livability, health and medical,

- and a “13-pillar liveability framework” to quantify how much people would like living in Neom and objectively prove it’s the world’s most livable place. Neom aims to have “zero work/ stress-related diseases,” with residents working at startups or companies like Amazon.com Inc., which Saudi officials are trying to lure with incentives like free energy and subsidized labor, according to the planning documents. Residents’ children would be schooled in the “leading education system on the planet,” with innovations like “hologram faculty.” Though Neom is surrounded by desert, it will have many farmers

all of which will ensure we are providing the most attractive living environment on the planet.” A major goal is to attract large Western companies. Neom’s board in 2017 suggested guaranteeing Tesla Inc. billions in annual government purchases in exchange for Tesla moving automotive production to Neom —and giving the kingdom a stake. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund last year spent $2 billion to buy 5% of Tesla. CEO Elon Musk later said he was taking Tesla private with the help of Saudi Arabia, but subsequently reversed himself and said he didn’t plan to do that. MBS also wants Neom to host

Gulf Insider August 2019

innovations like the “Apollo” project with Softbank, which will create “a new way of life from birth to death reaching genetic mutations to increase human strength and IQ.” Softbank declined to comment. One potential reward for foreign companies is an investment fund that will commit money to businesses “that can contribute to Neom’s vision and future,” the Neom spokesman said, “either by locating their headquarters there or selling goods and services in Neom.” One surprising element is a proposal to allow alcohol, say people familiar with the plan. With borders encompassing land acquired from Jordan and Egypt, Neom would function largely as a separate country. Hoping to build a bridge across the Red Sea, MBS arranged with Egypt’s president to acquire two uninhabited islands, sparking protests from thousands of Egyptians. In a January 2017 Neom board meeting, MBS made his ambitions clear: The prince “envisions Neom the largest city globally by GDP, according to the planning documents. Another challenge is what the legal system of this new city should look like. Saudi Arabia’s opaque, unpredictable and religious-based justice system presented “red flags” to foreign investors, according to the planning documents. It suggested a new structure in which all judges will be appointed by—and report to—the king. They, like the regular Saudi judges, will comply with Sharia law, planning documents show. “Neom law will be based on best practices in the areas of economic and business law, as well as feedback from potential investors and residents,” Neom said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal. Whether Neom becomes a reality, and if it does how closely it resembles these plans, remains to be seen. Meanwhile, construction on Neom is currently under way using thousands of foreign workers.

Sources: The Wall Street Journal, Zero Hedge

News Roundup

Bahrain: EWA uses Whatsapp to record meter readings

Bahrain: CBB warns customers on fraudulent banks

Bahrain’s Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) utilizes WhatsApp to avoid the estimated readings of subscribers’ electricity and water meters. EWA pointed out that this service was launched to avoid the estimated readings of EWA staff when they can’t read the meter in the absence of the resident. This facility allows the subscriber to record the meter reading by themselves, by taking a picture and sending it through the EWA account on “WhatsApp” within 24 hours of receiving the SMS message by the meter reader.

Unlicensed financial institutions that market securities have targeted people through SMS, telephone calls and websites, announced the Central Bank Of Bahrain (CBB). The fraudulent activities were carried out under the name of “United Investment Bank” with multi-award winning financial services to its clients in Bahrain tagline quoted in its website. The Bank’s website also listed a commercial registration number in Saudi Arabia while mentioning itself as a closed joint company, attracting customers under its shield. The CBB urged its customers to visit the register of licensed financial institutions on CBB’s website in order to ensure they are not subjected to cheating by fraud institutions.

Bahrain: Coastguard rescues fivemember family The Coastguard patrols rescued five members of the same family when their boat was about to sink near Al Dar Islands last month. As soon as the case was reported, the vessels sailed to the site and rescued the individuals and they are reported to be in good health. The Coast guard Commander urged the seafarers to follow the rules, to operate the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and utilize the provided safety tools. The seafarers could call 17700000 or the hotline 994 in case of an emergency. Gulf Insider August 2019

Money

Property shocker Dubai developer Damac hits cleaners and workmen with Dh20 per day fee.

leaners and workmen are to be charged a Dh20 (BD2) per day fee to access apartments and villas run by the Dubai developer

Damac. Security officers have begun stopping contractors at building entrances and asking for the cash. Damac said the move is intended to “restrict any rogue service providers” and “improve safety”. Residents said they had been told the fee was Dh20 per day or Dh5,000 (BD500) per year for a permit. “This has more than doubled the cost of my gardener,” said Babikar Khateeb, 49, who lives in Damac Hills with his family.

Gulf Insider August 2019

Mr Khateeb said he had complained to the Damac customer care centre but was left with more questions than answers. “I pay them Dh3,000 a year to landscape my garden and having to suddenly pay this, without any prior consultation, is just crazy.”

Residents said they received an email from the management company informing them about the new charges. It said the new fees were being introduced to ensure that only “service providers that are registered with authorities” were allowed to enter and operate within the properties. Mr Khateeb said he had complained to the Damac customer care centre but was left with more questions than answers. “I phoned them and they told me they were being inundated with calls from other homeowners and residents having the same issue,” he said. “They told me they had no idea why the fees were being introduced. “This was not part of the annual agreement for service fees and it seems especially unfair.” Other residents of Damac Properties also spoke about the problems the new fees were creating. “The maids can’t afford to pay these fees so the residents are the ones who have been hit with the extra charges,” said an American resident living in Damac Park Towers. “It is absolutely absurd. It is already is extremely expensive to rent in Dubai. “I have spoken to several neighbours who have all had their maids denied entrance into their properties and there has just been confusion so far.” Niall McLoughlin, Damac’s senior vice president, said the new work permit would ensure that services were in line with government standards and regulations. “The fee collected will be accounted for as income for the owners’ association of the property, in a bid to reduce service charges,” he said. Damac Properties posted a drop of 94 per cent drop in profits for the first quarter of 2019.

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Business

By Guruparan Kumarasamy, Executive director ,Keypoint.

The art of productivity By Guruparan Kumarasamy, Executive director, Keypoint.

hy do we come to work? Why do we do anything at all? And why – if we are doing something – is it important to be done as efficiently as possible? Last month, my colleague Wajdi Al Jallad explained how Keypoint, as a consulting firm, adds value, not just to its clients but to the general economic landscape. Almost the next article in last month’s magazine was on how to beat procrastination – summed up as finding a way to make your ‘present self’ act in the best interests of your ‘future self’ – with three primary options: making the rewards of longer-term behaviour more immediate; making the costs of procrastination more immediate; and removing procrastination triggers from your environment. How then can we ensure that we are as productive as possible? Having worked in Bahrain for longer than the

Gulf Insider August 2019

Schedule your day so that you are clear on what you are going to do and when you are going to do it. majority of the population has been alive, I would love to be able to say that I know the answer. However, as we all know, life is infinitely complicated – and what works for Ali may not work for Layla. My top tips for maximising productivity include: Learn to distinguish between what is important and what isn’t - I know people with ‘to do’ lists that include dozens – and sometimes even hundreds – of tasks. Even if each task only takes

10 minutes, a ‘to do’ list with 50 items on it is going to take up almost two working weeks – even if no more tasks are added. Prioritise what needs to be done – and delegate or delete tasks that can or should be done by someone else or do not need to be done at all. Be organised – schedule your day so that you are clear on what you are going to do and when you are going to do it. Also, be tactical with your scheduling – if you are more productive in the morning, frontload your schedule. If you are a late riser and find you get more things done at the end of the working day, then be tactical – but be aware that nearly everyone is better able to focus in the morning. Set deadlines – deadlines can be something of a double-edged sword. As an audit engagement partner, I often saw deadlines that gave individuals and teams far more time than they needed. Deadlines – by their very nature –

Business

should be challenging, if not impossible. If you have to work hard to achieve a deadline, it is more likely that you are going to achieve that deadline – and you will save a lot of time in the process! Concentrate – last month’s article on procrastination stressed the

a lot of those emails can be delegated, deleted or done in batches. There are only 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week, and 52 and a bit weeks in a year. Nothing you can do will change that. Productivity is a tantalising mixture of motivation, mental energy, alertness and attitude - and (in my experience at least) can be boosted by exercise, eating healthily and sleeping well. The converse is also true – a bad night’s sleep is almost certain to mean a less productive day in the office – so why not use it to get some less important, more mundane (and less mentally taxing) jobs done. As a senior decision maker, I know that productivity translates into results – both personal and corporate. Productive employees are not only happier – they are also more successful. So – if you are looking for that next promotion, take a moment to reflect on how productive you are – and how you could be even more productive.

For more details on Keypoint’s services, please visit keypoint.com

If you have to work hard to achieve a deadline, it is more likely that you are going to achieve that deadline – and you will save a lot of time in the process!

importance of removing procrastination triggers from the environment. We are surrounded - or is it besieged? – by noise: emails, WhatsApps, phone calls, colleagues “just popping in to say hello”, to do lists (see above), Twitter, Instagram … the list goes on and on. Focus on a single task, set a deadline to get it done – and then get it done! Equally, recognise that focusing intensely is mentally exhausting – so plan breaks, create opportunities to rest and give yourself some downtime. Batch non-essential tasks – in the same way that you shouldn’t put the dishwasher on each time you have a cup of tea, don’t interrupt your flow to complete less strategic tasks. Make a window in your day to reply to emails, answer calls and those other things that need to be done – but are not priorities. You need to answer emails – no one should have an inbox of over 15,000 emails – but being strategic means that

Guruparan Kumarasamy is an executive director with Keypoint, having worked in the accounting and auditing fields for 40 years. Guru spent 26 years with EY in Bahrain, where he progressed to a partner of EY’s Middle East practice. At EY, he led audits for institutions across industry sectors, including financial institutions. His 36 years in Bahrain, as well as giving him professional and consulting expertise, have given him a deep understanding of Bahrain’s business practices, including the art of maximising productivity. Views expressed in this article are his own. Gulf Insider August 2019

News Roundup

Bahrain: Security forces might manage issue of stray dogs

Bahrain: “No Additional Costs” for biodegradable garbage bags

The issue of stray dogs is a matter that should be handled by the security forces and not Animal Welfare suggests the Chairman of the Southern Municipal. After castrating nearly 100 dogs during their four-day campaign, Animal and Environment Welfare Society is currently in the second phase of their sterilizing campaign in a bid to address the issues of strays. Hunting and sterilizing the mongrels is expensive with the castration of each dog amounting to BD 38, these are a few reasons why the task should be handed over the security forces according to the official. The Chairman pointed out that some countries tend to poison stray dogs as they pose as a potential threat to the public. Meanwhile, the Minister of Works, Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning is currently working on a shelter for strays which is scheduled to be ready in six months.

The Works Ministry has confirmed that there will be “no additional Costs” for the distribution of biodegradable garbage bags in the Kingdom. The specific fee for garbage bags will be contained within the municipal fees as per the regular practice. Single-use plastic bags across Bahrain will be banned from July 21 and the municipality has conveyed to the garbage bag suppliers to incorporate a new eco-friendly and bio-degradable environment for the consumers. Biodegradable garbage bags vending machine project is named “Sahal” which translates to “Easy”. The vending machines are meant to be user-friendly, requiring the user’s ID and EWA account to check eligibility to the user to receive the bag.

Bahrain: Summer outdoor work ban begins The two-month summer work ban begun on the 1st of July as per the edict issued by the Labour and Social Development Ministry. The regulation bans direct sun exposed labour activities between midday and 4 pm effective until August 31. The humanitarian move aims to safeguard workers health and their safety against heat exhaustion and sunstroke as well as prevent summer related diseases and to reduce occupational incidents in view of the increasing temperatures. The Ministry has called on companies that have worksites exposed to direct sunbeams to comply with the afternoon work ban.

Gulf Insider August 2019

News Roundup

KSA: Ministry to ban coffee at offices In an attempt to increase workers’ productivity, Saudi Ministry has issued a circular urging the ban of coffee and other hot drinks, among other changes in offices. An official stated that this move is a step in the “right direction’’ and will allow employees to devote themselves toward their work responsibilities. The circular also included the removal of seating facilities in workplace corridors as well as creating gender-specific waiting areas.

LARGEST WOMEN EMPOWERMENT EVENT IN THE MENA REGION Obai and Hill launches Second Edition of the Women Power Summit.

L Saudi: 24-hour trading for restaurants approved Saudi cabinet decision permitted stores and restaurants to operate the 24-hour trading in exchange for paying a fee, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. The Ministry will determine the charge, as well as which commercial activities will be affected by the decision. The all-day trading decision was welcomed by many despite businesses currently closing around midnight. The practice contrasts with neighboring Muslim-majority states, many of which close businesses for a special Friday prayer but otherwise continue commercial activities as usual.

eading PR and Design Firm, Obai and Hill, announced the launch of the Second Edition of the Women Power Summit at a press conference, held on July 24th at Isa Cultural Center. The summit will be hosted this year on October 13th and 14th at the Isa Cultural Centre, to present successful female leaders in diverse fields. The Women Power Summit aims to showcase opportunities for investments, partnerships and collaborations created by inspirational female entrepreneurs and investors. Their vision is to connect and empower women by providing them with access to network and knowledge that can allow them to be innovative and succeed, by unleashing their power to create positive change. The theme of the second edition of the summit will be drawn towards Women in Leadership: Inspiring Action and Leading Change. The Core pillars will continue to follow the pillars initiated in 2018, which includes: Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Over 115 women leaders will share their success, passion, creativity, and energy to over 2,000 delegates from across the region and internationally. The summit will also include a wide range of workshops, panels, talks, pitch competitions and mentoring sessions which creates new opportunities for collaborations and partnerships. Each Ticket grants attendees with access to 50+ panel sessions, Interactive workshops, Keynote discussions, Power Pitch Competition, Mentorship opportunities, Industry focused groups, Networking opportunities, Lead generation opportunities, Evening programs for 2 days, a Goodie bag, Breakfast, Lunch and Coffee!

For Early Bird tickets visit the official website https://womenpower-summit.com/register/

Gulf Insider August 2019

Money

bahrain gets expensive for expats

Bahrain’s rising living costs means in just one year it has climbed 20 places in Mercer’s annual Cost of Living Survey.

ahrain’s rising living costs means in just one year it has climbed 20 places in Mercer’s annual Cost of Living Survey and to become the 6th most expensive Arab city to live in, and the 57th most expensive city in the world to live in, from 77th most expensive city last year. Dubai remains the most expensive Arab city and the 21st most expensive city globally. Mercer’s widely recognized survey is one of the world’s most comprehensive, and is designed to help multinational companies and 24

Gulf Insider August 2019

In Bahrain, expats have been hit by an increasing number of costs that don’t effect nationals. governments. The survey includes over 500 cities throughout the world; this year’s ranking includes 209 cities across five continents and measures the comparative cost of more than

200 items in each location, including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods, utilities, and entertainment. In Bahrain, expats have been hit by an increasing number of costs that don’t effect nationals such as domestic electricity and water utilities where an expat will typically have to pay nearly ten times more for these services on their homes. Mercer’s 2019 Cost of Living Survey finds that eight out of the top ten of the world’s most expensive cities for expatriates are Asian cities, resulting from high costs for expatriate consumer

Money

The revised tariff published by Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) the tariff for domestic and non-domestic usage hits expats 866% more than Bahrainis. goods and a dynamic housing market. Tokyo (2), Singapore (3) and Seoul (4) top the list, while the costliest city in the world for the second consecutive year is Hong Kong (1). Only one European city is among the top ten list of most expensive cities, which is Zurich at number five, followed by Bern (12). Geneva (13) is down two places. Tel Aviv (15) continues to be the most expensive city in the Middle East for expatriates, followed by Dubai (21),

Abu Dhabi (33), and Riyadh (35). Cairo (166) remains the least expensive city in the region. “Many currencies in the Middle East are pegged to the US dollar, which pushed cities up in the ranking, as well as steep increases for expatriate rental accommodations,” said Ms. Traber. Mumbai (67) is India’s most expensive city, followed by New Delhi (118) and Chennai (154). Bengaluru (179) and Kolkata (189) are the least expensive Indian cities ranked.

Mercer Cost of Living Survey – Worldwide Ranking 2019

Mercer’s 2019 Cost of Living Survey finds that eight out of the top ten of the world’s most expensive cities for expatriates are Asian cities.

2018

2019

City

Country

Dubai

United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates

Riyadh

Saudi Arabia

Beirut

Lebanon

Manama

Bahrain

Amman

Jordan

117

100

Jeddah

Saudi Arabia

117

103

Muscat

Oman

115

Doha

Qatar

121

119

Kuwait City

Kuwait

163

154

Istanbul

Turkey

165

160

Rabat

Morocco

188

166

Cairo

Egypt

208

209

Tunis

Tunisia Gulf Insider August 2019

News Roundup

UNESCO lists Bahrain’s dilmun burial mounds as world heritage site The UNESCO World Heritage Committee added Bahrain’s Dilmun Burial Mounds to the World Heritage List for its “globally unique characteristics.” The burial grounds include “21 archaeological sites in the western part of the island” built between 2050 and 1750 BC, according to the global body. “Six of these sites are burial mound fields consisting of a few dozen to several thousand tumuli,” it said in a statement. In all there were some 11,774 burial mounds, UNESCO said, while another 15 sites include 17 royal mounds built as two-storeyed towers. UNESCO said the burial mounds were evidence of the early Dilmun civilisation, “during which Bahrain became a trade hub, whose prosperity enabled the inhabitants to develop an elaborate burial tradition applicable to the entire population”. They are the third site in Bahrain to be designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Head of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, said the tombs were “living proof of Bahrain’s distinguished cultural heritage”, according to BNA news agency. Bahrain’s other two UNESCO sites are the Bahrain Citadel, listed in 2005, and a major pearling site in the city of Muharraq included in 2012.

Bahrain to launch first satellite in 2020 Bahrain’s National Space Agency (NSSA) will elevate the stance of the Kingdom with the launch of the nation’s first satellite by 2020 which will modernize and develop government practices. Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Mutawa, expresses the dawn of a new era in the Kingdom’s dedication to space science as the NSSA will potentially provide services on its new website to a large number of Government Authorities such as inspecting building violations or identifying areas of pollution and many services that will lead to a surge in the performance of a number of Government Authorities.

Bahrain to launch first-ever park for “Diffabled” Muharraq municipality officials have received a proposal to build Bahrain’s first-ever park dedicated to the differently-abled, also known as “diffabled”. The proposal suggested a very large area to be allocated in Muharraq with an estimated cost of about BD40, 000. Possibly under the name “Muneera bint Hendi model park for differently-abled”, the park is among various other proposals that are supposed to be implemented in the budget of 2019-2020. 26

Gulf Insider August 2019

Money

Careem PAY

launched in Bahrain Digital transactions made easier with the new feature. cash in a secure manner or the ability to make digital payments. Cash is still the main form of payment in the region including for Careem rides. But with smartphone penetration on the rise, Careem PAY is going to be an increasingly common way of paying in the coming years. Careem wants to stay ahead of this change and is working to bring new payment services to their customers which will ultimately help them simplify the lives of people. Right now, we’re beta testing the peer-to-peer credit transfer feature, but soon it will be available to all our customers as it is progressively rolled out across the entire base in all cities.

ome of you may have noticed that on the latest update of your Careem app there is a new feature – Careem PAY. Careem customers have the ability to easily and instantaneously transfer Careem credit through their wallets to friends and family. For example, it will allow credit transfer for a Careem ride, for companies to transfer credit to their out-of-office sales force to simplify their claims and reimbursement process or just as a gift to a loved one. It’s easy to sometimes forget that bank accounts and cards that many of us take for granted are not available to everyone. According to the World Bank, only 14 percent of people in the Middle East have access to a bank account.

Careem customers have the ability to easily and instantaneously transfer Careem credit through their wallets to friends and family. That means there are hundreds of millions that have no means of storing

About Careem Careem is the leading technology platform in the greater Middle East. A pioneer of the region’s ride-hailing economy, Careem is expanding services across its platform to include mass transportation, delivery and payments. Careem’s mission is to simplify and improve the lives of people and build a lasting institution that inspires. Established in July 2012, Careem operates in more than 120 cities across 15 countries and has created more than one million job opportunities in the region.

Gulf Insider August 2019

News Roundup

Iconic Raffles brand is coming to Bahrain! Accor, a world-leading augmented hospitality group, is set to debut the iconic Raffles brand in Bahrain after signing a milestone agreement with GFH Financial Group (GFH) to manage the Kingdom’s first ultra-luxurious retreat. The management agreement for Raffles Bahrain marks the start of a growing partnership between the two entities and consolidates Accor’s presence in the Kingdom where it currently operates six properties. Raffles Hotels & Resorts is renowned for bringing old-world elegance, firstclass travel experiences and genuine charm to the world’s most fascinating cities and desirable holiday hot spots since 1887. Raffles Bahrain will continue this legacy with a landmark takeover of the Al Areen Palace & Spa. This highly anticipated private resort features 78 pool villas as well as the region’s largest spa and hydrotherapy facility and landscaping inspired by the Arabian palace gardens. Property enhancements attuned to Raffles brand standards will include the refurbishment of the 56 one-bedroom Desert Pool Villas and 22 two-bedroom Royal Pool Villas, which feature open-air swimming and jet pools and converting its four F&B outlets to six.

National Bank of Bahrain net profit hits bd 40 million national Bank of Bahrain (NBB) has posted a net profit of 8.7 percent with BD40million compared to a net profit of BD36.8 million in H1 2018. The result reflects the ongoing success of the achievements made in transforming the bank with a focus on modernization and further diversification and digitalization of the business, said the Chairman. In the second half of the year, NBB will build on this momentum and promises to achieve continuous growth offering great value to its customers and stakeholders.

BAPCO to increase job opportunities in Bahrain The BAPCO expansion will increase the refining capacity by more than 42%, elevating the contributions of the national competencies in the oil and gas sector. The $4.4 billion project will allow the total refinery throughput to increase to 380,000 barrels per day from the exiting 267,000. Upon completion, the project will require a total of 24,000 contractor staff on-site increasing the number of job opportunities in the Kingdom. 28

Gulf Insider August 2019

Technology

Revolutionizing tutoring AWS Launches Region in the Middle East New AWS Region expands cloud pioneerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global footprint, enabling customers to innovate faster and run workloads from data centers located in the Middle East

mazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), an Amazon. com company (NASDAQ:AMZN), announced the opening of the AWS Middle East (Bahrain) Region. With this launch, AWS now spans 69 Availability Zones within 22 geographic regions around the world, and has announced plans for nine more Availability Zones across three more AWS Regions in Indonesia, Italy, and South Africa. Developers, startups, and enterprises, as well as government, education, and non-profit organizations can run their applications and serve end-users from data centers located in the Middle East, as well as leverage advanced technologies from the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading cloud, to drive innovation. The AWS Middle East (Bahrain) Region offers three Availability Zones at launch. AWS Regions are composed of Availability Zones, which each comprise at least one data center and are located in separate and distinct geographic locations with enough distance to significantly reduce the risk of single event impacting business continuity. Each Availability Zone has independent power, cooling, and physical security and is connected via redundant, ultralow-latency networks. AWS customers focused on high availability can design their applications to run in multiple Availability Zones to achieve even greater fault-tolerance with the highest levels of security, compliance, and data protection. AWS offers over 165 fully featured services for compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, robotics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), mobile, security, hybrid, virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR), media, and application development, deployment, and management from 69 Availability Zones (AZs) within 22 geographic regions.

A digital platform supporting tutors and students alike.

ver 8 months, Telp (teach+help) has been disrupting the tutoring and academic support scene in Bahrain, providing jobs for over 350 tutors. The Telp app, available on IOS and Android, transforms the experience of finding qualified tutors at reasonable prices and offers bookings with educators across K-12 education as well as university for a variety of subjects and fields. Winners of Tamkeenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mashroo3i Youth Business Award and Pitch@Palace Bahrain 2.0, Telp has also been a part of the Flat6Labs accelerator program. Telp makes educational support accessible as users can find & book lessons with educators in a click of a button & with full transparency. Telp empowers educators & any high caliber individual to offer freelance education services for economic growth & self-reliance. This model also enables students to receive high quality, one-on-one, tailored academic services and a knowledge-sharing economy is fostered. Telp consolidates the market, encourages competitiveness, enables quality control & ensures the services are quickly accessible to anyone needing them & anyone qualified to offer them. The need for tutoring is increasing annually for several reasons including the competitiveness of private schools and universities as well as the educational gap between parents and their children. The Telp app offers a transparent marketplace that allows users to instantly book lessons with private tutors or subscribe to Telp academic support programs. Students can view profiles and programs, rate lessons, and chat with tutors. Telp is also a tool for tutors to grow their tutoring business, automating custom scheduling needs and offering marketing tools.

For more information visit www.telpapp.com Gulf Insider August 2019

Hospitality

Family Summer Escape Elite Hospitality Group offers great summer escape packages tailored for families at all their hotels for visitors to Bahrain.

lite’s value packages offer a convenient choice of comfort and luxury for families wishing to explore different suites types of one, two or three-bedrooms with wide range of amenities and activities at each Hotel. Elite Resort and Spa located at Muharraq overlooking the Arabian sea offers deluxe modern suites with the latest amenities providing the best stay for families wishing to book one bedroom suites at BD 36++ per night which includes Breakfast buffet for two persons, Wi-Fi Connection, complimentary use of swimming pool and gym with free kids activities and games. Elite Resort and Spa offering Special promotion on our chef’s most popular sandwiches for the month of August with your choice from the Charcoal Grill Burger with fries and free soft drink or a selection of feisty burgers and wraps with free soft drink at BD 4.9 Net at Al Naseem poolside, Shift7 and all day dining restaurant La Brasserie. Guest can also enjoy the special summer cocktails and Mojitos all day at Al Naseem poolside at BD 3++.

Gulf Insider August 2019

All the hotels and service apartments are designed to serve the needs of the modern-day GCC traveler and are the preferred choice for the international travelers. Elite Grande Hotel situated in the heart of the Seef area across Bahrain City Center has a unique location which complements families seeking shopping and kids programs. Guests can explore our elegant Two Bedroom suites which offer a real treat of complimentary amenities along with wide range from our lavish breakfast buffet at BD 60++ per night. The All-day Dining restaurant offers business lunch set menu daily

with a glass of wine at BD 4.5++ Every Thursday and Friday families can Dine at the Julio’s exploring Lavish International buffet with blend of Italian Dishes for 4 people only at BD 15++ from 6pm – 11pm. Themed Shisha Nights every Wednesday, complimented with a Weekend Vibe every Thursday & Friday evening, order grills and get one shisha free only at BD 12 nett per person. Elite Seef Residence offers special rate for all room types and stands out with its very own ‘Kids Club’ offering great kiddies facilities with games and entertainment to keep children happy. The Hotel offers “Tarab Nights”, as also Arabic grills and Buffet with live music over weekends, at BD 10 nett per person. All the hotels and service apartments are designed to serve the needs of the modern-day GCC traveler and are the preferred choice for the international travelers who want to experience Traditional Arabic hospitality.

For more information, please visit: www.elitegrouphotels.com

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Technology

HUAWEI wants to convey to consumers through HUAWEI P30 Series. With that said, HUAWEI chose to use the color orange because it is committed to creating a bright and fresh effect with this color.

Behind the Looks

HUAWEI P30 Pro Amber Sunrise

Gulf Insider puts the Limited Edition HUAWEI P30 Pro: Amber Sunrise to the test.

arlier this year, HUAWEI Consumer Business Group (CBG) unveiled the muchanticipated HUAWEI P30 Series to consumers in the Middle East and Africa region. To date, the HUAWEI P30 Series are the company’s most advanced camera smartphones. In this review, we focus on their limited edition product – the HUAWEI P30 Pro: Amber Sunrise.

Brand New Feel Bringing an entire new look to Huawei’s flagship champion, the Amber Sunrise is easily one of the most eyecatching colours you can get for the P30 Pro. Emanating the beauty of the morning sunrise, this color variant of the 32

Gulf Insider August 2019

To date, the HUAWEI P30 Series are the company’s most advanced camera smartphones. P30 Pro flaunts rich hues of orange and red. Upon first look, we can’t deny that the phone really grabbed our attention in an instant. Its original DNA and unique aura are the most important attributes that

The Amber Sunrise color variant of the HUAWEI P30 Pro is available in an impressive 512 GB of storage option, exclusive for this limited edition. Giving users more space for all their photos, videos, apps and more, as well as 8GB RAM to enjoy faster processing. The P30 Pro boasts a stunning 6.47inch curved OLED display. Despite its slightly larger size, it is still comfortable to hold with one hand. Smooth and rich textures surround the phone, while a double curved glass envelops the phone in a protective invisible barrier. What’s even more impressive is that this design serves a dual purpose, with an IP68 rating against dust and water.

Performance The Amber Sunrise is powered by the Kirin 980, HUAWEI’s fastest chipset yet, along with a massive 4,200 mAh battery with 40W HUAWEI SuperCharge which can charge the phone back up to 70% in just 30 minutes. It also includes GPU Turbo 3.0, which improves gaming experience by enhancing graphics and ensuring users will enjoy a smoother performance with no lag. The brand has made a name for itself with long battery life and it continues to stand above the rest. The charging experience has also been heightened with HUAWEI’s supercharge, wireless quickcharge, and HUAWEI’s reverse charge feature. Furthermore, the call quality is very good, reception is loud and clear and signal is fairly strong in both the WiFi and mobile connectivity. The phone is also incredibly responsive and its fingerprint sensor is almost instantaneous. Like the rest of the P30 Pro Series, the Amber Sunrise runs the latest version of EMUI 9.1 as its operating system. Themes and icons have been updated to match the advanced allscenario AI to provide a wonderful experience in looks and practice.

Technology

Camera Inside the slim body of the Amber Sunrise is a 40MP primary camera with a HUAWEI SuperSpectrum Sensor, a 20MP ultra-wide angle camera, an 8MP telephoto camera fitted with a SuperZoom Lens and a HUAWEI ToF Camera. The all-new sensor, lens arrangement, image signal processor (ISP) and neural processing unit (NPU) work in tandem to capture incredible photos and videos. The phone also introduces the most

Amber Sunrise is a 40MP primary camera with a HUAWEI SuperSpectrum Sensor, a 20MP ultra-wide angle camera, an 8MP telephoto camera.

never enjoyed smartphone photography as much as we did with the Amber Sunrise.

The Verdict HUAWEI is really trying to impress – our experience with the Amber Sunrise lived up to the hype. It’s safe to say that this powerhouse really exceeded our expectations in many aspects.

Sample shots of the HUAWEI P30 Pro

advanced mobile imaging technology seen on a HUAWEI device yet— the Leica Quad Camera System. HUAWEI intends to pack all the amazing features into one camera system and true enough, the P30 Pro provided absolute clarity, precision, and perfection in any photo or video shoot we had. We’ll be honest, we have

Where to get the Amber Sunrise? Customers can get their hands on the HUAWEI P30 Pro with Amber Sunrise color through Batelco, Zain, Sharaf DG, Lulu Hypermarket, and a number of authorized retailors through the Kingdom of Bahrain. The phone is available for the price of BHD 410.9.

Gulf Insider August 2019

Big News

Emirati businessman plans to drag

an ICEBERG to UAE

The GCC is at serious risk of droughts over the next 25 years due to its climate. One iceberg could provide enough for one million people over five years.

n inventor and entrepreneur from the UAE plans to drag an iceberg to Australia or South Africa later this year at a cost of $80million. The mission will act as a test run for a much more ambitious project which he hopes will end with a hunk of ice measuring 1.2miles by 550 yards being taken to the UAE. Abdulla Alshehi says a chunk of Antarctic ice will be towed to either Cape Town or Perth at some point in 2019. The aim would be to provide the Emirates with a steady supply of fresh drinking water, along with a tourist attraction. Eventually, Alshehi plans to move a

Gulf Insider August 2019

piece of ice measuring 1.2miles by 550 yards to the Fujairah coast of the UAE, where he hopes it will provide millions of gallons of fresh drinking water along with a new tourist attraction Speaking to Euronews’s Inspire Middle East, Alshehi said: ‘As per our analysis, it will be cheaper to bring in these icebergs rather than using desalination water (gained by stripping the salt out of sea water.) ‘Desalination plants require a huge amount of capital investment and means pumping a huge amount of sea water to the gulf, killing fish and marine life. The National Advisor Bureau plans to harvest icebergs from Heard Island,

around 1000 kilometres off the coast of mainland Antarctica. It will then transport them around 8,800 km to Fujairah, one of the seven emirates which make up the UAE. The UAE is one of the most arid countries and one of the top 10 most water-scarce in the world, at severe risk of droughts over the next 25 years. An average iceberg contains more than 20 billion gallons of water. Upon arrival at a specially constructed processing facility, workers will ‘mine’ the icebergs for their water supplies. One iceberg could provide enough for one million people over five years, according to the company. ‘We believe it will be economically

Big News

Abdulla Alshehi

One iceberg could provide enough for one million people over five years.

better and more environmentally friendly to use the icebergs, not just for the United Arab Emirates, but throughout the world.’ Alshehi points out that similar schemes were trialled before by the likes of Saudi Arabia, but their project failed in 1977 due to technical difficulties. He plans to overcome these difficulties using a metal ‘belt’ which will be constructed around the ice, before using a boat to drag the block across the ocean. The block selected for use by the UAE will be chosen via satellite. It is expected to lose around 30 per cent of its mass during its ten-month journey from Heard Island, near Antarctica, to the Fujairah coast. Even so, the block will provide millions of litres of fresh drinking water to the Arab kingdom, as well as bringing natural rain clouds by releasing cool, damp air. Alshehi hopes the block will also prove to be a major tourist attraction. The final project will cost between $100million and $150million, in addition to the $60million to $80million spent on the test run. An average iceberg contains more than 20 billion gallons of water, according to the Abu Dhabi-based company. They take a long time to melt as 80 per cent of their mass is underwater, while the white ice above reflects sunlight and deflects its heat. Upon arrival at a specially constructed processing facility, workers will ‘mine’ the icebergs for their water supplies. Blocks of ice will be chipped off and placed in giant tanks, before being filtered and processed. ‘This is the purest water in the world’, Mr Al Shehi added. He also claims the iceberg’s presence could provide a more moist microclimate in the area, perhaps even prompting rainfall. And the project may prove a boost for tourism if it proves a success, with people travelling to see the unusual sight of an iceberg off the coast of the Arabian Gulf.

Gulf Insider August 2019

Interview

Digitalizing Bahrain Interview with Mr. Mohamed Ali AlQaed, Chief Executive for Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA).

hat is the role played by the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) in digitalizing the Kingdom?

iGA is the government entity incharge of supervising the digital agenda of Kingdom of Bahrain represented by the transforming of government services and supporting the digital infrastructure needed to execute the digitalization strategies set under the directions of the Supreme Council for Information and Communication Technology (SCICT).

Gulf Insider August 2019

In line with Bahrainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Economic Vision 2030, our role to deliver better government eServices to the public through single platform (the National Portal bahrain.bh), continuously develop major national projects and diversify the channels through which government interacts with the public. We also aim to strengthen the ICT environment in general and help create stronger digital literacy. Through the adaptation of online services, Excellence Award supporting startups in the ICT infrastructure, introducing cloud computing. Furthermore, leads

IT management and governance within the various government entities and ensures the successful implementation of the National Cybersecurity strategy. To date, iGA provides over 370 eServices accessible through multiple online channels.

What are the challenges that you are facing in digitalizing Bahrain? One of the main challenges in any digitalization strategies is the vastly changing technologies and customer experience. Therefore, digitalization requires proper planning, timely

Interview

implementation and most importantly augmenting the customer expectations and experience. Solid integration is another key challenge in delivering government services. This process requires an extensive amount of coordination between entities, in addition to the technical IT challenges involved. We are gradually but surely working towards meeting our objectives.

What is the major impact that the eGovernment services brought into the Kingdom’s economy? By having most of the government services digitalized and reengineered, the quality of the services, along with the user satisfaction, has improved. Moreover, process times, administrative burdens and costs have been reduced. One of the most notable examples is the Business Licensing Integrated Systems, Sijilat.bh that enables entrepreneurs, businessmen, and investors to carry out all transactions related to commercial registrations. Reducing their setup time for starting a business in Bahrain. Another example is the National System, Tawasul, which enables citizens and residents to submit suggestions and complaints to any government entity in the Kingdom, which saves time and allowing the voice of customer to be heard for any developments. There are many other services such as the Pre-Employment Health Check-up for Expatriates Workers

eService which simplifies procedures and shortens waiting times from three months to a single week; and Benayat, the official portal used for issuing building permits for real-estate projects, amongst many other initiatives.

What are the achievements that you have gained so far? The maturity and steady levels of progress attracted leading global

Bahrain has always been a leader in terms of digitalization in the region. companies like Amazon Web Services to the Kingdom - making Bahrain the regional center of excellence for developing cloud platforms, and becoming the first Arab country in the world to implement a ‘Cloud First Policy’. On the other note, government transactions via eGovernment channels grew by 32% in comparison to the previous year; and the value of eTransactions across all channels increased by 62% during 2018 alone. Also last year, more than 40 eServices were developed along with new mobile apps which witnessed a growth in utilization of 22%.

The committee responsible for eGovernance in the country, saved nearly BD6.8m in project expenditures and procurements between 2016 and 2018. Over the same period, an additional set of initiatives conducted by the committee resulted in savings of BD7.1m in communications, IT licenses and state financial transactions.

What is Information & eGovernment Authority’s vision for the ICT sector in the Kingdom in 2020? We will soon be announcing our new eGovernment Strategy, which is aligned with the Government Action Plan for 2019-2022. The focus will be on the Government’s commitment to proactively transform its services through digital technologies. Of course, the process of keeping pace with the latest international advancements in IT and reflecting them on government entities will be continued. All governmental entities and branches would benefit from a single cloud environment with high speeds, shorter deployment times, minimal costs and maximum protection. Lastly, ‘server-less’ applications – the next step in cloud adoption, which brings the great benefits of increased security, efficiency, flexibility and cost reduction.

Where would you say Bahrain is positioned in terms of digitalization in the GCC? Bahrain has always been a leader in terms of digitalization in the region. This is due to the focus and the immense leadership support that we have received over the years. We benefit from embracing the shift towards digitalization much earlier than our GCC neighbors, who are now joining the field and learning valuable lessons from Bahrain’s experience. Our government entities take every step necessary to ensure that the public’s needs are served in an efficient and reliable manner. This synergy is what enables the Kingdom to unlock its full potential and maintain its leading position in the digitalization of the GCC.

Gulf Insider August 2019

News Roundup

Saudi Haramain Train: Middle Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest public transport project The Saudi Haramain High-Speed Express Train is considered the largest public transport project in the Middle East and transports 60M passengers in a year. The SR60 billion project aims to connect the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh covering a distance of 450 km in about 120 minutes at a speed of 300 km/h. The project has 35 trains each with a capacity of 417 seats and has five railway stations with the main one in Makkah which is built on an area of 503,000 sq. meters accommodating about 19,500 passengers per hour and is only four km away from the Grand Mosque, Al-Madina Arabic daily reported. The Saudi Haramain train transports 3,800 passengers in an hour between Makkah and Madinah and 19,600 between Jeddah and Makah. In a year, it transports about 60 million passengers.

Saudi launches six mega water projects to serve hajj pilgrims The Central Haj Committee inaugurated six mega water projects in Makkah and other holy sites worth over SR3.1 billion to serve Hajj pilgrims. The inauguration of the six mega water projects confirms the continuous care and attention accorded by the Kingdomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wise leadership for its prominent Haj services. The Ministry aims to develop and preserve its water resources, protecting the environment and to provide high quality and efficient services that will contribute to sustainable socio-economic development in the Kingdom.

Etihad Airways deploys additional flights for hajj pilgrims Etihad Airways to deploy additional flights between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia to facilitate the movement of thousands of pilgrims during the Hajj season. The airline will operate 15 extra flights between July 28 and August 25 to transport pilgrims to Madinah. The airlines expect approximately 25,000 Hajj travellers on our flights, with most originating in Australia, Pakistan, Morocco, United Kingdom, India and Indonesia, traveling via our Abu Dhabi hub. To facilitate the Hajj travel experience, Etihad will also assign a dedicated staff and check-in counters at Abu Dhabi International Airport. 38

Gulf Insider August 2019

Business

PUTTING SAFETY FIRST G4S Group Chief Executive Officer, Ashley Almanza, talks to The International Security Ligue about safety and the importance of putting our people first.

elivering world-class security for our clients is a complicated business. There are myriad of nuances to consider. It requires the precise movement of hundreds of moving parts. However, for all our intricacies, security companies are also rather straightforward. At our core, we are all about our people. Day in and day out, we rely on our security officers to keep our clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; people, property, and assets safe from harm. It is our employees that make us the companies we are, which permits the leaders of our industry to rise above the rest. We may be comprised of countless little pieces, but they are our most valuable resource. So that raises a critical question: Are we taking adequate steps to enhance their safety and health? In other words,

It is our employees that make us the companies we are, which permits the leaders of our industry to rise above the rest. are we doing enough to protect the protectors? We live in tumultuous times. Societies, technology, and the manner of work are all undergoing rapid transformation. These changes have implications for the business, certainly,

but they also mean the risks faced by our personnel are evolving. Our safety programmes must keep pace. Many safety programmes were built on the need to meet safety and health regulations. But while compliance assurance is a key element in a successful safety and health programme, it is only a baseline. It is merely a starting point. Regulations are often insufficient to protect workers and typically move too slow to keep pace with changes in risk. If a compliance mindset is the primary driver of worker safety and health, one should expect that a gradual degradation in performance is likely to go unnoticed. To truly advance worker safety and health, safety programmes must focus on goals in addition to regulatory compliance. Programmes must continually move forward, improve, and reflect advances in safety management practice, theory, and controls. They must be flexible, responsive, and continuously measure a variety of indicators of safety performance. In a mature safety environment, companies should be able to talk about many aspects of safety at once, without fear that any one discussion will dominate or compromise the others. A company should be able to examine injury rates without fear that the company will view it as the onlyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;or even the most importantâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;measure of safety. And companies should be able to talk about individual behavior and responsibility without it diminishing the importance of organisational cultural issues. All areas are important, and we need to work on them simultaneously. Our people deserve it.

For more information visit www.g4s.com

Gulf Insider August 2019

Experts Reveal Life Secrets

Part 13

How to Win in Business and Life Every month Gulf Insider publish 2 pages that reveal brilliant secrets for winning in business and life. The techniques are provided by top international experts and we will often summarize an entire book into a single page so you can learn the essence of their wisdom in minutes instead of hours. Take the time to learn what we reveal each month and you will be rewarded a thousand times over!

How to stop procrastinating By Jeff Haden

how me someone who doesn’t procrastinate, and I’ll show you a robot. Everyone procrastinates. A little “research” yields a number of reasons for procrastination: fear of failure or success, perfectionism, impulsiveness, lack of motivation, lack of self-discipline, etc.

That’s a nice list, but it doesn’t really help, since we all face these challenges. At times we all lack motivation and selfdiscipline. At times we all are impulsive or easily distracted. At times we all fear failure or success. Each reason for procrastination is a part of what makes us human. We’ll never completely overcome any of

those shortcomings. So I put aside the research, and thought about myself. While I fall prey to everything on the list, for the most part I procrastinate when a task or activity seems hard — even when it’s something I love to do. I love to write, but sometimes the thought of writing seems daunting. I love to ride my bike, but sometimes the thought of riding seems daunting, especially in the first few miles... but then something magical happens. Somehow my aversion to “hard” goes away once I break a sweat. Maybe it’s the endorphins kicking in. Maybe it’s because my legs have warmed up. Maybe it’s because I feel proud that I can do something hard and do it reasonably well. Maybe it’s because regardless of the initial pain, once I’m actually riding I remember all the reasons I love to ride. The same is true with writing. Looking at something I’ve written and thinking, “That was hard ... but hey, that really works,” is one of the reasons I love to write. Wanting to put off a difficult task is normal. Avoiding a challenge is normal. We all feel that way sometimes. I feel sure you have felt that way, too. But I also feel sure you’ve put off a task, finally gotten started, and then once into it thought, “I don’t know why I kept putting this off ... it’s going really well. And it didn’t turn out to be nearly as hard as I imagined.” And here’s the thing: It never is. Forget task lists and external motivations and mental mind games. When you’re struggling to get started, don’t think about the pain you’ll feel in the beginning. Focus on how good you will feel once you’re engaged and involved. Focus on how good it will feel to remember why you love what you do. Get started with that in mind. Never try to pretend the first few minutes won’t suck. They will. But once you break a sweat it will all be downhill from there — in the best possible way.

LinkedIn Influencer Jeff Haden published this post originally on LinkedIn. 40

Gulf Insider August 2019

Experts Reveal Life Secrets

12 Scientific Reasons To Drink Coffee

ere are the top 13 evidencebased health benefits of coffee, as confirmed in medical studies:

1. Improve Energy and Make You Smarter - This is because it contains

a stimulant called caffeine, which is the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world. Many controlled trials in humans show that coffee improves various aspects of brain function. This includes memory, mood, vigilance, energy levels, reaction times and general cognitive function.

2. Help You Burn Fat - Caffeine is one of the very few natural substances that have actually been proven to aid fat burning. Several studies show that caffeine can boost the metabolic rate by 3-11%. Other studies show that caffeine can specifically increase the burning of fat, by as much as 10%. 3. Drastically Improve Physical Performance - Caffeine also increases

Epinephrine (Adrenaline) levels in the blood. This is the “fight or flight” hormone, designed to make our bodies ready for intense physical exertion. Caffeine can improve physical performance by 11-12%, on average. Because of this, it makes sense to have a strong cup of coffee about a half an hour before you head to the gym.

4. Essential Nutrients - A single cup

of coffee contains: Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): 11% of the RDA, Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5): 6% of the RDA, Manganese and Potassium: 3% of the RDA, Magnesium and Niacin (B3): 2% of the RDA.

5. Lower Your Risk of Type II Diabetes - For some reason, coffee

drinkers have a significantly reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The studies show that people who drink the most coffee have a 23-50% lower risk of getting this disease, one study showing a reduction as high as 67%.

6. Protect You From Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia - Several

studies show that coffee drinkers have up to a 65% lower risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease.

7. Lower The Risk of Parkinson’s - In

studies, coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, with a reduction in risk ranging from 32-60%.

8. Appears to Have Protective Effects on The Liver - It turns out that

coffee may protect against cirrhosis. People who drink 4 or more cups per day have up to an 80% lower risk.

in 2011, women who drank 4 or more cups per day had a 20% lower risk of becoming depressed.

10. Lower Risk of Some Types of Cancer - Studies show that coffee

drinkers have up to a 40% lower risk of liver cancer. One study of 489,706 individuals found that those who drank 4-5 cups of coffee per day had a 15% lower risk of colorectal cancer.

11. May Lower The Risk of Stroke

- It is often claimed that caffeine can increase blood pressure. This is true, but the effect is small (3-4 mm/Hg) and usually goes away if you drink coffee regularly. However, studies do NOT support the myth that coffee raises the risk of heart disease. In fact, there is some evidence that women who drink coffee have a reduced risk of heart disease. Some studies also show that coffee drinkers have a 20% lower risk of stroke.

12. May Help You Live Longer - Given that coffee drinkers are less likely to get many diseases, it makes sense that coffee could help you live longer. In two very large studies, drinking coffee was associated with a 20% lower risk of death in men and a 26% lower risk of death in women, over a period of 18-24 years.

9. Fight Depression and Make You Happier - In a Harvard study published Gulf Insider August 2019

News Roundup

Kuwait Airways plans ‘flying cars’ by 2021

Omanisation replaces thousands of expats in health sector Nearly 3,000 expats employed in Oman’s health sector were replaced in the ongoing Omanization project aimed at reducing unemployment levels among the country’s nationals continued, national daily Times of Oman reported. There were 2,869 foreign nationals replaced by Omanis from 2015 to 2019, pushing the proportion of locals working within the Ministry of Health to 39,220 – that’s 71% of the total workforce by the end of last year – according to Ministry of Health figures. Oman introduced the expat visa ban in January 2018 for a six-month period for certain professions. There have been a number of extensions to the ban since then and it has also been expanded to cover other industries and professions. Tens of thousands of Omanis have found work since the ban was brought in. Historically Gulf countries have been dependent on expatriate workers to power their economies. A 2013 study revealed that up to 71% of Oman’s labor forces were foreign-nationals. Oman’s expat population has dropped significantly since the introduction of the ban.

Gulf Insider August 2019

Flying cars could be taking to the skies of Kuwait by 2021. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) and the Dutch firm Personal AirLand Vehicle (PAL-V) flying cars company, where KAC will provide maintenance for the vehicles in the Middle East. The PAL-V is a two-seater with a maximum speed of 170km/h using the same jet fuel used in normal planes. It needs a 180m long runway to take off and only a 30-metre runway to land. It can take off from roads and fly an altitude of 10,000 feet. According to a report in the Kuwait Times, the MoU was signed by KAC deputy CEO Abdul Halim Zaidan and PAL-V CEO Robert Dingemanse, at a ceremony that was also attended by KAC board chairman Yousif Abdul Hameed Al-Jassem, the Netherlands Ambassador to Kuwait Frans Potuyt, KAC CEO Kamel Al-Awadhi, manager of the regional business centre in Dubai Abdullah Al-Enezi, and PAL-V’s deputy CEO in the Middle East Khalil Malaeb.

Middle East’s largest aquarium to open in Abu Dhabi The largest aquarium in the Middle East, The National Aquarium at Al Qana in Abu Dhabi, is now 70 percent complete and is set to open in 2020. The 10-zone, giant aquarium measuring over 7,000 square meters is expected to welcome an estimated 1 million visitors per year. It will form one of the key anchor features at Al Qana, the much-anticipated waterfront destination in the heart of the UAE capital. The National Aquarium will have a whole department dedicated to education. It will have the capacity to welcome 50,000 school children a year to visit and learn at the site. Tourists will be able to learn about more than 250 species, spanning from the tropical waters of the Pacific and freshwaters of the Amazon to the frozen ice caps of the Arctic and the caves of the Mediterranean.

CAR News & Reviews

BMW X7

Volvo XC90

Camp Jeep

Audi Q7

Car Bahrain

Camp Jeep 2019 Gulf Insider travels to Northern Italy to experience the sixth annual Jeep Camp.

Nicholas Cooksey, the author of this article is the publisher of Arabian Magazines, Gulf Insider Media, and a jury member with the Middle East Car of the Year Awards (MECOTY). 44

Gulf Insider August 2019

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Conclusion: Jeeps are dependable and tough. They’re also fun!

amp Jeepis the largest annual event for Jeep owners and enthusiasts. The two-day event attracts people who love Jeep, off-roading, adventure, and camaraderie with fellow enthusiasts - all within beautiful surroundings. There’s also outdoor sports, barbecues, children’s activities, and live concerts. Old models from Jeep’s history are on display. Gulf Insider attended last year’s event in Austria, a huge success attracting

over 1,200 fans. This year the event took place in Italy and was even bigger than the year before, attracting over 1,600 people and 800 Jeeps. To get to Camp JeepI flew from Bahrain to Venice. Upon landing I was met by the Jeep team and handed the key to a new Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT with sat navigation programmed for my destination in the Dolomite Mountains. The latest SRT Grand Cherokee has an immensely powerful 6.4-liter V8 offering 475 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. My drive was spectacular. I witnessed steep green mountains, rivers, streams, and even a few natural waterfalls. After a while, as the air became cooler, I switched off the AC and opened the windows to let the fresh mountain air in. The higher I went, the cooler the air became. The vehicle’s Harman Kardon Sound system was my companion. A few hours later I arrived at my destination, San Martino di Castrozza, a small village over 2,000 meters above sea level, located among the stunning mountain scenery. It was here that Camp Jeep 2019 was to be held. That evening we were invited to a pre-event press conference. To great fanfare the new Jeep Gladiator was unveiled, the company’s first pick-up in 27 years and the only ‘open air’ pick-up on the market (its roof and side panels

Gulf Insider August 2019

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can be completely removed). Jeep claims it has the comfort of a luxury car while being the ‘ultimate outdoor vehicle’. The Gladiator is coming to the Middle East before any other market and should be available in the GCC by early next year. We were given an introduction to Mopar, the maker of over 200 authentic accessories that allow Jeep owners to customize their vehicles and make them unique. Jeep is America’s most customized vehicle – 98% of all Jeeps in the USA have been customized! Visitors to Camp Jeephave the opportunity to view and test drive the latest Jeeps in both road and off-road conditions, with instructors from the Jeep Academy, from the iconic Jeep Wrangler (sales up 73% over last year), Renegade, Compass, Cherokee and Grand Cherokee. Also available was the Trackhawk, the fastest and most powerful Jeep ever made, featuring a 6.2-litre supercharged V-8 engine developing 710 hp. Also on show was the new Jeep Wrangler 1941 fitted with street legal Jeep Performance Parts that further 46

Gulf Insider August 2019

Visitors to Camp Jeephave the opportunity to test drive the latest Jeeps in on and off-road conditions. enhance its off-road capability including a 2-inch suspension lift kit, performance rock rails, optional snorkel, and other options exclusive to Mopar. We were invited to drive new model Jeeps off-road on some fairly scary tracks. I drove the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon in low gear on a muddy and steep track along the side of a mountain. At some points there was little space to maneuver and a giant drop down the mountainside if we oversteered. Scary, but with breathtaking views! It handled perfectly at all times. Conclusion; Jeeps are dependable and tough. They’re also fun!

To test drive a Jeep in Bahrain call Behbehani Brothers on +973 1745 9955

Wrangler Starting Price: BD 12,888

Compass Starting Price: BD 8,555

Cherokee Starting Price: BD 9,999

Grand Cherokee Starting Price: BD 12,995

Read our Reviews Online (Scan the QR Codes for the Review)

Porsche Cayenne

BMW X2 M Sport

Jeep Wrangler

Is the Cayenne back at the top of the competitive luxury SUV market?

BMW’s newest and most compact luxury SUV

Does this Jeep offer the most fun off-roading on the market today?

From BD 17,995

From BD 32,954

Euro Motors, 1775 0750

From BD 12,799 Behbehani Brothers,1745 9955

Subaru WRX STI

AUDI A8

Renault Duster

Why this 300 hp 2.5 liter turbocharged engine racer is a monster

A couple of days experiencing Audi’s top of the range luxury saloon

We visit Jordan’s desert to discover the off road capabilities of this reasonably priced SUV

From BD 35,700

From BD 5,875

Porsche Center ,17 459 911

Audi Behebani, 1745 9933

Genesis G70

Ferrari Portofino

Why this compact luxury saloon from Korea’s new luxury marque is set to take on all competition

Ferrari’s new 591 hp entry level model

From BD 15,540

First Motors,1712 1149

From BD 95,000

Euro Motors,1775 0750

Renault showroom,1770 5705

Bentley Bentayga V8 2 Reviews

From BD 13,995

Motorcity, 1773 6222

It signaled the arrival of the Super Luxury SUV to the world. We find out what it’s like From Price on Application Behbehani Brothers,1745 9955

Gulf Insider August 2019

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A taste of sweden Gulf Insider takes the big Volvo XC90 SUV for a spin.

he 2020 Volvo XC90 is an update of the previous generation and offers improved fuel economy, subtle design changes, and extra safety equipment. The first two things I noticed about the XC90 were that it’s big, and that I found the blue colour of the model I

was about to drive particularly attractive. On climbing inside, the first things I noticed was how impressive the cabin looked and felt, and just how comfortable was the driver position thanks to the ergonomically designed driver’s seat. Why don’t all cars have seats like this? The dashboard is simple and stylish,

and the cabin draped in soft dark Nappa leather. This new model offers additional seating configuration options of four, five, six or seven seats and is the only SUV on the market offering so many different seating configurations. The bumpers and front grille on the latest XC90 have been redesigned, along with other subtle improvements.

Nicholas Cooksey, the author of this article is the publisher of Arabian Magazines, Gulf Insider Media, and a jury member with the Middle East Car of the Year Awards (MECOTY). 48

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when required, automatic braking that activates if the driver turns in front of oncoming traffic… and more. I didn’t have this car for very long, but the short time I did spend with it I enjoyed. I found some empty roads near our offices in the Seef where I could accelerate, brake hard, make sharp turns, and take it off road for a bit. It handled perfectly at all times. A smooth ride!

To arrange your own test drive in Bahrain call Motorcity on +973 1773 6222

The T6 engine, which is both turbocharged and supercharged, offers 316 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of tourqe.

There’s also an improved infotainment system, and more interior space compared to the previous model. The T6 engine, which is both turbocharged and supercharged, offers 316 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of tourqe. Zero to 100 kph is achieved in 6.5 seconds. Volvo says the new model gives extra fuel savings of up to 15% over the previous model. Adaptive Cruise Control with Pilot Assist comes as standard and makes the XC90 semi-autonomous. The XC90 is one of the safest vehicles on the market with… City Safety and Blind Spot systems that help with steering, Oncoming Lane Mitigation, Cross Traffic Alert technology with autobrake, “run-off road protection” where front safety belts are tightened automatically

Volvo XC90 Prices start from BD 23,900

Alternative options: Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class Starting Price: BD 21,390

BMW X3 Starting Price: BD 21,000

Gulf Insider August 2019

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European Road Trip with

BMW’s first-ever X7

Charlie Cooksey travels to Warsaw, Poland for a 2 day road trip to Prague, Czech Republic with BMW Group Middle East.

MW are knocking out a lot of new sexy product at the moment. Just recently, I jumped on a plane to Warsaw, Poland for a cross-country road trip to Prague, Czech Republic with BMW Group Middle East to test out the new and first-ever BMW X7. Yes… X-seven! BMW has finally made a jump into the seven-seater 50

Gulf Insider August 2019

Part 1 SUV (or in BMW lingo - SAV, Sports Activity Vehicle) segment and produced something quite special in the segment and it was worth the wait. The first day began in Warsaw, after checking out of a beautifully European hotel – Raffles Europejski. The trip was split into two days with two cars which broke up the road trip with an overnight stay half way. The entire journey was

over 800 kilometres so it gave us plenty of time to get a feel for each car. The first day I partnered with the X7, and the second day with the new ‘facelifted’ 7 series. The X7 is big and bold. It’s BMW’s largest SUV to date and is 5.2m bumper to bumper and 2m wide. It certainly makes a statement and stands out from the rest of the X range. This car

Car Bahrain

The seats and cabin are like a first-class suite with luxury in every nook and cranny.

is a genuine 7-seater, there is vast amounts of space and storage so that when there’s bums on all seats, even in the third row – there’s no inkling of claustrophobia. Climbing into the car and sinking into the ultra-comfortable driver’s seat, I realised this was my home for the next 400 kilometres and I was just fine with that. The seats and cabin are like a firstclass suite with luxury in every nook and cranny. Heated and cooling seats in Merino leather (all 7 seats), wireless charging pad for smartphones, head up display and a generous 12.3” screen… the list goes on. Oh, did I mention the hot/cold thermo cup holders? Yup – that coffee ain’t going cold anytime soon. There are also climate controls, USB ports and cupholders in all three rows so no passenger will go too cold, too hot or more importantly - low on battery.

I’m a big fan of BMW’s iDrive – the communications and entertainment system, it’s user friendly, intelligent and easy on the eyes. We had a bit of fun playing around with BMW’s ‘Intelligent Personal Assistant’. You tell the car “Hey BMW, I’m hot” to which the climate settings will be adjusted accordingly, or “Hey BMW, take me to the nearest gas station” which then fires up the sat-nav directions. Handy stuff. The long journey begins as we depart from Raffles Europejski and make our way to the Polish city of Wroclaw and then head on towards the Czech Republic. We spent a lot of the time on the long-stretched motorways and I can tell you the X7 is wonderful for long distant and motorway driving. A feature I enjoyed most about the car was the driving-aid packed cruise control and lane assist; the car almost drives itself. It keeps you in lane, will adjust the speed accordingly to how close the car is in front and use the brakes as required and of course accelerate back up. It’s slightly bizarre at first but the trust will soon kick in! It also works in traffic jams when you’re slow moving… I didn’t have to touch the foot controls. It’s genius technology. Trims of the X7 available in the Kingdom will be the 40i and the 50i. The 50i has a 4.4 litre V8 twin turbo under the hood knocking out 462 horses, and when slipped into the sport mode, it sounds monsterous. After a long and coffee fuelled day of driving we reached our halfway point where we would be staying for the night - Gola Dzierzoniowska, a small village in south west Poland, about 400km out from Warsaw. Gulf Insider August 2019

Car Bahrain

New BMW 7

New BMW X7

Stay tuned - part two of the road trip will continue in our September issue with the new and facelifted 7 series.

BMW X7 starting price BD 40,000

Alternative options:

A feature I enjoyed most about the car was the driving-aid packed cruise control and lane assist; the car almost drives itself. BMW has produced a spectacularly luxurious new seven-seater SUV and I would encourage you to book a test drive and take it for an entire day, so you can play around with each of the features and all the cool technology and 52

Gulf Insider August 2019

Audi Q7 Starting Price: BD 30,300

Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class Starting Price: BD 35,820

get a real feel for the car and see just how well made and comfortable it is.

For more information contact, BMW EuroMotors on +973 17 750 750

Volvo XC90 Starting Price: BD 23, 900

Read our Reviews Online (Scan the QR Codes for the Review)

Chevrolet Silverado

Volvo S90

Volvo XC 40

We go to the UAE to review this Big Boy’s Toy in the desert

Sweden’s alternative to big German luxury cars

From Price on Application

From BD 19,900 Motorcity, 1773 6222

How does this Swedish compact SUV compare to rivals from luxury German and Japanese manufacturers?

Dodge Challenger

Hyundai Sonata

Porsche 911

3 days driving the latest generation of an iconic American muscle car

We go to Korea to drive the latest offerings from Hyundai

Dodge Challenger SXT BD 12,555 Behbehani Brothers,1745 9955

Our reviewer finally drives his dream car – on Germany’s unrestricted autobahns! Did it live up to his dream?

First Motors, 1712 1121

From BD 49,146 Porsche Centre,17 459 911

Mercedes GLE 450

Hyundai Palisade

BMW X3 and X4 M

Why driving this big luxury SUV put us in a good mood

Hyundai’s big ‘Flagship’ From BD 19,000

We go to America to experience 2 highly powered luxury SUVs

National Motor, 1745 7211

From BD 31,995

Al Haddad Motors,1778 5454

From BD 8,600

First Motors, 1712 1121

From BD 16,900 Motorcity, 1773 6222

X3M Competition from BD 35,500 X4M Competition from BD 36,500 EuroMotors, 17 750 750 Gulf Insider August 2019

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Audi’s big beast Gulf Insider goes to Ireland to drive Audi’s big luxury Q7.

ast month we visited Germany to witness Audi’s new RS range – this is the sports division producing high performance options of the Audi range – see next month’s Gulf Insider for a full report. During our trip Audi flew us to County Kerry in Ireland to test drive the new Q7, which has just had a major facelift.

Upon landing at the airport we walked to the dedicated Audi conference center that had been erected in the airport’s car park, and over coffees and snacks we were introduced to the Q7 before being lead to the waiting vehicles for us to test drive. The vehicles were all right hand drive as Ireland drives on the left as we were reminded before getting into our cars. We were even given rubber bands to wear on our left wrists

as an extra reminder - better safe than sorry. We then went on a long drive along an incredibly scenic coastal route of rolling hills, quaint villages, stunning beaches (they really were), and the Atlantic Ocean. The climate was wonderful; we experienced summer sunshine as well as storm clouds and rain during the few hours we spent driving.

Nicholas Cooksey, the author of this article is the publisher of Arabian Magazines, Gulf Insider Media, and a jury member with the Middle East Car of the Year Awards (MECOTY). 54

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There’s an MMI navigation plus system that blends all sorts of connectivity and infotainment features such as LTE, Wi-FI hotspot, voice control, navigation with Google Earth, and Amazon Alexa. Safety features include adaptive speed assist, traffic jam assist, active lane assist… and much more, including an emergency feature that allows the car to automatically stop and start rescue measures if it detects the driver is inactive while the car is in motion. Under the bonnet is a 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 engine tied to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Allwheel drive is standard. This is a big car with a powerful engine, which works in conjunction with a mild-hybrid system that improves fuel consumption. Driving along narrow country lanes there was plenty of power to be able to put the foot down and easily overtake slower moving vehicles before facing on-coming traffic. This is an impressive family SUV that will likely sell very well in Bahrain and beyond.

For a test drive or further information, please contact Audi Bahrain on +973 1745 9933.

This is a big car with a powerful engine, which works in conjunction with a mild-hybrid system that improves fuel consumption.

So, back to the car - what’s changed with the Q7? Well, in addition to being filled with more technology and growing 11 mm longer, the exterior lines have become sleeker, as has the shape of the headlights which can now be specified in HD Matrix LED technology with Audi laser light. The vehicle comes in a choice of five or seven seat variations. There’s a new digital concept centered around two touchscreens. There’s four-zone automatic air conditioning, a powerassist function that closes the doors, a Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system, massaging front seats, and an air quality package with fragrance and ionizer.

Audi Q7 Prices start from BD 30,300

Alternative options: BMW X7 Starting Price: BD 40,000

Mercedes GLS-Class Starting Price: BD 35,820

Gulf Insider August 2019

Read our Reviews Online (Scan the QR Codes for the Review)

Porsche Panamera GTS The Panamera just got even better

Ferrari GTC4 Lusso 2 Reviews

Why driving this car makes a statement to everyone else on the road that you are not a normal traffic user

2 Reviews

Ferrari 812 Superfast

We went to Dubai to drive Ferrari’s FF replacement From Price on Application

From Price on Application

From BD 43,702 Porsche Centre,17 459 911

Euro Motors, 17 734 734

BMW 3 Series

Audi Q8

Rolls-Royce Cullinan

The elegance of a 4 door luxury coupe with the versatility of an SUV

We get to drive the first ever SUV produced by Rolls Royce

From BD 17,995

From BD 32,490 Audi Bahrain, 1745 9933

Euro Motors, 17 750 750

Mercedes Benz A – Class

Bentley Continental GT

The new high tech entry level compact from Mercedes

A car that looks rich, proud, and powerful – but with beauty

From BD 15,530

From Price on Application Behbehani Brothers, 1745 9800

Does the latest generation 3 Series maintain its status as the ultimate luxury compact?

Euro Motors, 1775 0750

Al Haddad Motors,1778 5454 56

Gulf Insider August 2019

2 Reviews

Euro Motors, 17 734 734

From BD 170,000

Lamborghini Urus Lamborghini’s first ever SUV unveiled in Bahrain From BD 95,000 Behbehani Brothers, 1745 9800

Car Bahrain - Read Our Reviews Online

Ram 1500 When you think of pick-up trucks you don’t usually think of luxury. Enter the Ram 1500

Volvo V40 Cross Country This rival to the Golf GTI was so good bought one – can’t say better than that!

Porsche Macan The second generation of Porsche’s biggest selling car From BD 22,242 Porsche Centre, 17 459 911

From BD 16,800

Behbehani Brothers, 1745 9955

From BD 9,995 Motorcity, 1773 6222

Ferrari 488 GTB

BMW 7 Series

BMW 8 Series

We spend a thrilling day driving this pre-owned Ferrari

BMW’s iconic big luxury saloon reviewed

BMW takes luxury and comfort to the highest possible level

From Price on Application

Euro Motors, 17 734 734

Audi e-tron Very quick, extraordinarily quite, and 490 lb-ft of torque From BD 35,000

Audi Bahrain, 1745 9933

From BD 44,500 EuroMotors, 17 750 750

Mercedes AMG GLE 43 Mercedes new 385 hp mid-size SUV From BD 29,995

Al Haddad Motors,1778 5454

From BD 44,500 EuroMotors, 17 750 750

Nissan Maxima SR This 3.5 liter V6 offers 300 hp, making it Nissan’s ‘sporty’ saloon From BD 12,000

Y.K. Almoayyed,1773 2732

Gulf Insider August 2019

Last Month’s BIG News

BEHBEHANI BROTHERS Partner With BENTLEY

entley Motors, the British luxury automotive manufacturer, has appointed Behbehani Brothers as its partner in Bahrain. Stephen Reynolds, Regional Director for Bentley Middle East, Africa and India, said: “Bahrain is a very important market for Bentley, and Behbehani Brothers is the natural choice for our new partner.”

Gulf Insider August 2019

Steven Hill, Group General Manager, Behbehani Brothers commented: “This is a major step for Behbehani Brothers as we expand our automotive offering across the Kingdom… With this partnership, we will enhance the brand’s position in the country and elevate the customer’s experience to the highest levels that Bentley customers expect.”

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