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CONTENTS May 2015
THE ‘YOU’ ISSUE
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Special Feature
WORK Telecoms
TEAMING UP FOR INNOVATION Property
BAHRAIN PROPERTY REVIEW
Property
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KINGDOM TOWER
Affairs
HALAL GUARANTEED Affairs
HOW TO NEGOTIATE LIKE OR AGAINST A PIRATE Affairs
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BAHRAINI PASSPORT
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Travel
26 44
Life
28 48
Motors
30 50
Motors
32 56
Art
HOTEL INSIDER: SECRETS REVEALED Life
INSIDE THE BURJ AL ARAB
INSIDER PROFILE: KARLA SOLANO CAR INSIDER: INFINITI QX80 CAR INSIDER: 2015 SUBARU LEGACY
HAMED AL-BOOSTA
The Arabian Review Publisher & Editor in Chief - Nicholas Cooksey
COMMENT...
Editorial - Agnieszka Piechoska - Shahrazad Al-Sa’ati Regular Contributors - Hugh Haskell-Thomas - Nicholas Cortes - Bill Daly
Who are the top cash buyers in Dubai property?
Guest Contributors - Jeanette Bicknell - Jacob Tomsky
But did you know which nationality buys the most real estate in Dubai for cash? A new survey by YouGov says that 54 per cent of Emiratis prefer to pay in cash compared with other nationalities (Asians = 39%, Arab expats = 37% and Westerners 27%).
Layout Designs - Dhanraj S Business Development - Redia Castillo Admin & Finance - Nikesh Pola
According to the survey, 85% of buyers are 50+ years old, and that not surprisingly properties near to parks, beaches, and shopping malls are the most in-demand.
Photography - Harold Tejada - Bench Medina Distribution Executives - Mohammed Yousif - Muhammed Shareef P - Rafnaj K P
So what’s the latest development to make property investment attractive for investors? Ameen Al Qudsi, CEO at Nationwide Middle East Properties LLC, said, “Removing the 5% cap on rental increases has raised the income and return on investment for individuals who choose to buy, making it a more favourable option than renting. Governmental regulations have restored investor confidence in the market over the last few years and by providing more infrastructures, we have seen a rise in future projects across all sectors. This pumps a whole new consumer segment into the market.”
Published by:
The above notwithstanding, the property market in the emirate has noticeably cooled recently. Some suggest a price bubble while most believe it to be a correction with prices likely to escalate once again as Dubai’s hosting of 2020 approaches. Either way Dubai is certainly more buyer friendly than just 18 months ago.
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Established since 2004, Gulf Insider is the multi award winning Arabian business and current affairs magazine that also covers property and expat news, interviews, car reviews, travel features, even a bit of art and fashion.
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I’ve never heard of flower men of Saudi Arabia – not until I read GI’s April issue that is! I’m fascinated by all the different cultures around the world, and this was something totally new for me. I will, however, make sure not to accidentally wander anywhere near the Habala Mountains, as the peaceful-looking flower garlands apparently don’t correspond with the tribesmen’s general attitude towards visitors… – Lewis
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A tiny complaint about your “10 of the Best Performance Cars in Bahrain” – although I understand that you chose to feature only the models that you’ve personally driven, but the list does appear incomplete… It is, however, a very helpful guide to what is currently available in Bahrain, and for every budget. To me, GI is a go-to publication when it comes to honest car reviews. Keep it up. – Andy
As a fresh graduate in mass communication, I’m extremely motivated to see how Bahraini Government lends a helping hand to the home-grown businesses. I’ve always seen my future as an entrepreneur, and I know my business plan is pretty solid, but I would still worry that I might not succeed on my own. It’s great to know that I’ll have all the support I need, from Tamkeen and other organisations. And, perhaps one day, I will find myself among the ‘cream of Bahraini business world’! – Sara
SOMETHING FOR THE FOODIES Great restaurant review, GI! I’m a regular at Rasoi by Vineet, and I was happy to see my favourite Indian restaurant featured on your pages. I look forward to your next pick! – Adnan
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GULF ROUNDUP NEWS AROUND THE GCC AND BEYOND
BUSINESS & AFFAIRS
BD 20 Million Added to Joint Tamkeen-BDB Finance Portfolio Tamkeen and Bahrain Development Bank (BDB) signed an agreement to add BD 20 million to their joint enterprise finance portfolio, bringing its total amount to BD 170 million. Through their partnership, Tamkeen and BDB provide sharia-compliant finance facilities to SME’s under Tamkeen’s Enterprise Finance Programme. Since its launch in September 2008, the joint finance programme has thus far offered 4,570 finance facilities totalling BD 137 million.
YKA Named Exclusive COOLEX Distributor in Bahrain Y.K. Almoayyed & Sons Electronics & Home Appliances Division was appointed the exclusive distributor of the COOLEX brand of air conditioners in Bahrain, during a meeting between YKA Chairman Farouk Y. Almoayyed and RIC Deputy Chairman and CEO Saleh Al-Mekhief , held in April 2015 at YKA head office in Manama. COOLEX is a subsidiary of RIC Refrigeration Industries of Kuwait.
Bahrain’s New Public Transport Network Unveiled The official launch of Bahrain’s new Public Transport Network, an ambitious venture was officially launched last month. The new service started the first phase of operations with 77 brand new state-of the-art buses servicing a network of 22 routes – compared to 35 buses and 12 routes that made up the old network. The new bus service will be rolled out in phases with full implementation by August 1, 2015, when the modern network will further expand to cover a total of 35 routes being serviced by 141 buses operating on a daily basis across 77 per cent of the country, reaching highly populated areas across Bahrain formerly not covered by the network. The new network will have the capacity to serve around 50,000 passengers daily, compared to 16,000 previously.
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In each of our lives, there are moments that come and go and then there are moments that call for Incelebrations each of our lives, there are moments thatremind come and and then there are moments that call for of a special kind; events that yougo that you deserve a little bit of exclusivity. celebrations ofMODA a special kind; events that remind you that you deserve a little bit of exclusivity. Mall is there in those moments to make them truly special. MODA Mall is there in those moments to make them truly special.
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UAE Drafts Law for 100 % Foreign Ownership of Firms The UAE is at an advanced stage of drafting a foreign investment law that would allow 100 per cent foreign ownership of businesses in some sectors, the economy minister said. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, speaking at an international investment conference in Dubai, did not specify the sectors or say when the law might be passed. The process of drafting and enacting major laws in the UAE often takes years. But, the initiative may mark a more aggressive push by the Arab world’s second biggest economy to attract investment. At present, foreigners generally cannot own more than 49 per cent of any UAE firm unless it is incorporated in a special “free zone”. A new companies law, anticipated to take effect within months, was originally expected to relax this restriction, but that reform was dropped because of strong opposition from some Emiratis who feared they could lose out to foreigners. Mansouri said, however, that the UAE was determined to diversify its economy beyond oil and saw foreign investment as a key way to do this. “Economies face pressures from changes in the international environment, including the drop of the oil price,” he said. While Mansouri did not say how the new foreign investment law would work, it may require fully foreign-owned firms to transfer technology in sectors that are strategically important for the UAE. Officials have previously said they are keen to attract technology for industries such as aerospace. New foreign direct investment (FDI) in the UAE rose 25 per cent to USD 13 billion in 2014, Mansouri said, adding that the government aimed to raise FDI to five per cent of gross domestic product in coming years. GDP was AED1.540 trillion (USD 420 billion) last year, he said. – ARABIAN BUSINESS
Bahrain’s Almoayed Chambers Names Chief Projects and Resources Officer Almoayed Chambers announced the promotion of Evangeline A t i e n z a Canilang as the Chief Projects and Resources Officer and Director of C h a i r m a n’s Office. “Evangeline is a key part of our success, and we are thrilled to promote her to this important position. The promotion is in line with the firm’s restructuring to deal with its continued growth,” said Almoayed Chambers Chairman and Managing Partner Aymen Almoayed. Evangeline has a background in accounting and finance and had started with the firm as a PA to the Chairman in 2011. She now leads the Bahrain operations.
Foreigners Welcome Opening of USD 500 Billion Saudi Bourse As Saudi Arabia’s USD 500 billionplus bourse prepares to open its doors to foreigners in June, outside investors appear ready to finally get access to a market that rivals Brazil and Russia’s. The move is likely to start the process of incorporating Saudi Arabia into major equity indices by the likes of MSCI, and this could attract as much as USD 24 billion in foreign capital, according to one estimate. Foreigners will still not have unfettered access and definitive rules have yet to be published. And yet, the prospect of market opening has already helped the Saudi stock index to outperform its Gulf peers over the past 12 months. While market capitalisations vary with 10
Gulf Insider May 2015
stock prices and currency rates, the Saudi bourse is currently worth USD 528 billion compared with USD 600 billion for Brazil and USD 491 billion for Russia. It features the world’s largest chemicals producer, Saudi Basic Industries Corp,
and Saudi Telecom Co, the Gulf’s biggest telecoms operator. At the moment foreigners have access to the market only through swaps and exchange-traded funds. – SAUDI GAZETTE.
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Bahrain’s TRA Probes Complaints over USD 79k Roaming Bills TheTelecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) Bahrain telecoms regulator said it is investigating complaints regarding international mobile roaming bills which have left consumers with bills totally around BD 30,000 (USD 79,000). The TRA said it was investigating a total of 12 complaints, one of which has a value of BD 12,800. The TRA said it is now considering additional regulatory measures to ensure that consumers are notified when they’re about to reach their limits to prevent them from incurring additional charges. Sheikh Abdulla bin Humood Al Khalifa, the TRA’s director of consumer affairs, said: “During the first quarter of this year, not only did we notice an increase in the number of consumer complaints related to roaming cases, but also an increase in the amounts being billed to consumers as a result of using mobile roaming.” “It is completely unacceptable that consumers do not receive the adequate level of transparency regarding the cost and volume of their usage of mobile roaming services,” Al Khalifa said. – ARABIAN BUSINESS
TBWA\RAAD Syracuse University Internship Gains Popularity The establishment of an Internship Agreement between the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, USA and TBWA\RAAD, UAE, back in 2009, has experienced tremendous growth in popularity amongst the university’s advertising and public relation graduates. Each year, two students are offered internship opportunities during their summer break at TBWA\RAAD and Ketchum-RAAD in Dubai, and a number of interns were subsequently employed by the institution. Syracuse alumni are some of the most powerful and successful communications professionals in the world, including acclaimed sportscaster Bob Costas, foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley, President and CEO of GE Middle East Nabil Habayeb, and business magnate Al-Waleed bin Talal
Number of UAE Millionaires Forecast to Grow 15% by 2017 The number of millionaires living in the UAE is forecast to grow by 15 per cent to reach approximately 82,600 by 2017, according to a new report. Growth will be constrained by the falling oil price, which is expected to deter business formation and construction going forward, said New World Wealth’s new United Arab Emirates 2014 Wealth Report. It said millionaires living in the UAE have reduced the amount of their wealth that they hold overseas in the past seven years. At the end of last year, high net worth individuals (HNWIs) held 41 per cent of their fortune abroad compared to 47 per cent in 2007. The report showed that Europe made up the largest share of foreign holdings at 57 per cent, followed by Asia Pacific (16 per cent), the rest of the Middle East (15 per cent) and North America (7 per cent).
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Gulf Insider May 2015
The study also showed that cash and bonds was the largest asset class for HNWIs in the UAE (32 per cent), followed by business interests (23 per cent), real estate (22 per cent), equities (17 per cent) and alternatives (6 per cent). At the end of 2014, there were approximately 72,100 HNWIs (with net
assets of USD 1 million or more) living in the UAE, with a combined wealth of USD 305 billion. The report said that the UAE is the second largest HNWI market in the Middle East, behind Turkey, with one in every 130 people living in the UAE being a millionaire. – ARABIAN BUSINESS
Special Feature
the YOU issue!
HOW TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOU! 5 acclaimed experts reveal proven techniques to become more successful than you ever imagined.
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Gulf Insider May 2015
Special Feature
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9 THINGS SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE DO DIFFERENTLY - By Heidi Grant Halvorson Decades of research on achievement suggests that successful people reach their goals not simply because of who they are, but more often because of what they do.
1. Get specific When you set yourself a goal, be as specific as possible. “Lose 5 pounds” is a better goal than “lose some weight,” because it gives you a clear idea of what success looks like. Knowing exactly what you want to achieve keeps you motivated until you get there. Also, think about the specific actions that need to be taken to reach your goal. Just promising you’ll “eat less” is too vague - be clear and precise. Leave no room for doubt about what you need to do, and whether or not you’ve actually done it.
2. Seize the moment Did you really have no time to work out today? Achieving your goal means grabbing hold of opportunities before they slip through your fingers. To seize the moment, decide when and where you will take each action you want to take, in advance. Again, be as specific as possible. Studies show that this kind of planning will help your brain to detect and seize the opportunity when it arises, increasing your chances of success by roughly 300%.
3. Know exactly how far you have left to go Achieving any goal also requires honest and regular monitoring of your progress. If you don’t know how well you are doing, you can’t adjust your behavior or your strategies accordingly.
4. Be a realistic optimist Believing in your ability to succeed is enormously helpful for creating and sustaining your motivation. But whatever you do, don’t underestimate how difficult it will be to reach your goal. Studies show that thinking things will come to
you easily and effortlessly leaves you illprepared for the journey.
5. Focus on getting better rather than being good Many of us believe that our intelligence, our personality, and our physical aptitudes are fixed - Fortunately, research suggest that the belief in fixed ability is completely wrong - abilities of all kinds
To build willpower, take on a challenge that requires you to do something you’d honestly rather not do. are profoundly malleable. Embracing the fact that you can change will allow you to make better choices, and reach your fullest potential. People whose goals are about getting better, rather than being good, take difficulty in stride, and appreciate the journey as much as the destination.
6. Have grit Grit is a willingness to commit to longterm goals, and to persist in the face of difficulty. Studies show that gritty people obtain more education in their lifetime, and earn higher college GPAs.
7. Build your willpower muscle Your self-control “muscle” is just like the other muscles in your body - when it doesn’t get much exercise, it becomes
weaker over time. But when you give it regular workouts by putting it to good use, it will grow stronger and stronger. To build willpower, take on a challenge that requires you to do something you’d honestly rather not do. When you find yourself wanting to give in or just not bother - don’t. It will be hard in the beginning, but it will get easier, and that’s the whole point. As your strength grows, you can take on more challenges.
8. Don’t tempt fate No matter how strong your willpower becomes, it’s important to always respect the fact that it is limited, and if you overtax it you will temporarily run out of steam. Don’t try to take on two challenging tasks at once. Successful people know not to make reaching a goal harder than it already is.
9. Focus on what you will do, not what you won’t do Plan how you will replace bad habits with good ones, rather than focusing only on the bad habits themselves. Research on thought suppression (e.g., “Don’t think about white bears!”) has shown that trying to avoid a thought makes it even more active in your mind. If you want to change your ways, ask yourself, what will I do instead? It is my hope that, after reading about the nine things successful people do differently, you are able to identify the mistakes that have derailed you, and use that knowledge to your advantage. Remember, you don’t need to become a different person to be more successful. It’s what you do.
Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D. is a motivational psychologist, and author of Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals.
Gulf Insider May 2015
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MAKE TIME FOR THE WORK THAT MATTERS By Julian Birkinshaw and Jordan Cohen
We’ve spent the past three years studying how we can become more productive and found that the answer is simple: Eliminate or delegate unimportant tasks and replace them with value-added ones. Our research indicates that we spend a great deal of time - an average of 41% - on discretionary activities that offer little personal satisfaction and could be handled competently by others. So why keep doing them? Because ridding oneself of work is easier said than done. We instinctively cling to tasks that make us feel busy and thus important. We believe there’s a way forward, however. Knowledge workers can make themselves more productive by thinking consciously about how they spend their time; deciding which tasks matter most to them and their organizations; and dropping or creatively outsourcing the rest. We tried this intervention with 15 executives at different companies, and they were able to dramatically reduce their involvement in low-value tasks. The results astounded us. By simply asking to rethink and shift the balance
of their work, we were able to help them free up nearly a fifth of their time - an average of one full day a week - and focus on more worthwhile tasks with the hours they saved. We interviewed 45 executives in 39 companies across eight industries in the United States and Europe to see how they spent their days. We found that even the most dedicated and impressive performers devoted large amounts of time to tedious, non-value-added activities.
Knowledge workers can make themselves more productive by thinking consciously about how they spend their time. There are many reasons why this happens. Most of us feel entangled in a web of commitments from which it can be painful to extricate ourselves. Also, those less important items on our to-do lists are not entirely without benefit. Making progress on any task even an inessential one - increases our feelings of engagement and satisfaction, research has shown. Our process is designed to help you make small but significant changes to your day-to-day work schedule. We facilitated this exercise with the 15 executives mentioned above, and they achieved some remarkable results.
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Identify low-value tasks Look at all your daily activities and decide which ones are (a) not that important to either you or your firm and (b) relatively easy to drop, delegate, or outsource. Our research suggests that at least one-quarter of activities fall into both categories, so you should aim to find up to 10 hours of time per week.
Decide whether to drop, delegate, or redesign Sort the low-value tasks into three categories: quick kills (things you can stop doing now with no negative effects), off-load opportunities (tasks that can be delegated with minimal effort), and long-term redesign (work that needs to be restructured or overhauled). Our study participants found that this step forced them to reflect carefully on their real contributions to their respective organizations. “I took a step back and asked myself, ‘Should I be doing this in the first place? Can my subordinate do it? Is he up to it?’” recalls Johann Barchechath, a manager at BNP Paribas. Another participant noted, “I realized that the big change I should make is to say no up-front to low-value tasks and not commit myself in the first place.”
Off-load tasks We heard from many participants that delegation was initially the most challenging part - but ultimately very rewarding. One participant said he couldn’t stop worrying about the tasks he had reassigned. Most participants eventually overcame those stumbling blocks. They delegated from 2% to 20% of their work with no decline in their productivity or their team’s. A bonus was that junior employees benefited from getting more involved.
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Allocate freed-up time The goal, of course, is to be not just efficient but effective. So the next step is to determine how to best make use of the time you’ve saved. Write down two or three things you should be doing but aren’t, and then keep a log to assess whether you’re using your time more effectively. Some of our study participants were able to go home
4
earlier to enjoy their families (which probably made them happier and more productive the next day). But more than half reclaimed the extra hours to do better work. With relatively little effort, what we propose can significantly boost productivity. You don’t have to redesign any parts of an organization, reengineer a work process, or transform a business model. All you have to do is ask the right
questions and act on the answers.
Julian Birkinshaw is a professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at London Business School and the author of Becoming a Better Boss. Jordan Cohen is a productivity expert at PA Consulting Group and the recipient of the 2010 grand prize from the Management Innovation eXchange (MIX) for his previous work at Pfizer.
THE 5 LEADERSHIP QUALITIES By Mark V. Hurd
F
or reasons that aren’t exactly and more dramatically than ever before—do you have a sustainable clear to me, there’s a powerful tendency to overcomplicate the strategy for product development and whole notion of leadership: what customer engagement and employee it is, why it matters, and how it engagement that lets you keep pace with this relentless upheaval? Or do manifests itself. I’m not saying it’s a simple concept you find you’re always playing catch-up to master; quite the contrary. We see with competitors, always struggling to the evidence of this all around us in find new sources of revenue, and all too our daily lives: whether in business, frequently seeing market share taken by competitors that are far more in politics, sports or other endeavors large and small, it’s not easy to find effective tune with customers, opportunities, and leaders who’ve built an enduring record structural trends? of success. I am a huge believer in brilliant, razorIn my own career, and with the great sharp operations and execution—but executives on my team now, I try to unless those outstanding qualities are keep the leadership formula pretty being applied to a world-class strategy, simple. And yes, I know that scores of that company’s ability to compete and business books have been written about win and grow will diminish. leadership, and it’s been the subject of countless courses and seminars in MBA programs. That’s great, and I’m sure each of those offers some value. Some consultants and B-school But I’ve found that the best way to professors are fond of saying that be a leader, and to help shape high- “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” That potential young people into the leaders conclusion totally misses the point: if the of tomorrow, is to ensure that these five strategy’s right but the company can’t abilities are always the focal points: execute, then the problem isn’t an overly hungry culture – it’s weak or incomplete leadership. That’s why I describe my leadership formula as simple—not easy, While this has always been a top priority but simple: the CEO’s got to be able to for CEOs, it’s taken on an even greater not only set the right strategy but also significance in the past few years drive operational excellence that brings because of the highly accelerated pace the strategy alive with dynamic new of change in today’s world. Consumer products, sales teams that are highly tastes and needs are shifting faster intelligent and engaging and brilliant
2. Execution
1. Getting the Strategy Right
new talent that sees the company as a terrific destination. Operations aren’t just supply chains and automated systems; they are the optimization of people and process across every part of the organization— front office, back office, product development, finance, engineering, customer service, sales, etc.—that allow them to work with the shared purpose of delighting customers, winning new business, creating fantastic new products, and identifying and exploiting opportunities well ahead of competitors.
3. Put the Right People in Place I know, that sounds pretty simplistic. But again, the margin for error in today’s always-on business world is shrinking rapidly—and in spite of the fantastic applications and systems that are available to companies today, brilliant technology in the service of sub-par managers will yield nothing but sub-par results. That’s why the business leaders of today have to be able to master this Gulf Insider May 2015
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third indispensable discipline: after formulating and communicating the right strategy, and optimizing operations to execute that strategy, CEOs and other top leaders then must be able to build management teams that truly understand the big picture, that understand how their teams must engage inside and outside the company to deliver maximum value, and stay laser-focused on making that strategy come fully alive for customers and prospects.
4. Business Isn’t “Either/Or” In addition to those three absolutely indispensable qualities outlined above, I want to mention two other attributes that are essential for leaders. We all occasionally get questions like this: “Are we more concerned with longterm vision or short-term execution?” Managers will seek to pick one or the other, but leaders will instinctively know that the answer is “Both!” When asked if employees should focus on cost and efficiency, or growth and innovation, leaders will instinctively answer “Yes!” Another variation is, “Is our primary focus new products or new revenue?” And again, leaders will know that the answer must be both. For most people, those answers can sometimes be counterintuitive—but leaders in today’s turbulent business environment have to be able to not just answer the question but also build teams in such a way that both outcomes stand a high likelihood of success.
5. Stay Focused on 3 Big Things I’ll never forget something FedEx founder and CEO Fred Smith once said: “In business, the big thing is making sure the big thing stays the big thing.” And to me, the Big Thing is made up of those top 3 qualities: the ability to set the strategy, the ability to harness operational excellence to bring that strategy alive, and the ability to pick the right people to drive relentless execution. For CEOs and aspiring leaders, distractions abound: the temptation to get caught up in important but nonessential discussions and projects; the 18
Gulf Insider May 2015
tendency to fall back on what you’re comfortable with rather than what needs to be done; and the understandable but dangerous attraction of shiny new toys and trends in today’s remarkably fastpaced world. So I’d add that a second key supporting attribute is one of focus: “The big thing is to make sure the big thing stays the big thing.”
The CEO’s got to be able to not only set the right strategy but also drive operational excellence that brings the strategy alive with dynamic new products. Let me offer one final thought on this issue of focus, and on why I feel CEOs and other leaders would be well served to avoid overcomplicating how they define and deliver leadership. Some people say leadership has to encompass qualities like passion, integrity, vision, energy, commitment, and so forth. Don’t
get me wrong—I think those are all wonderful attributes, and there’s nothing wrong with a CEO embracing them. But the deeper question is this: what does “passion” mean in terms of setting a strategy, or driving worldclass execution? If a leader is fiery and high-energy passionate but can’t define a breakthrough strategy, how valuable is that passion? If a candidate for a top position is a rock-solid individual with great integrity but has demonstrated an inability to select great people and put them in the right positions, how does that personal integrity make her or him a better leader? In some ways, that’s the real challenge of leadership: the ability to push aside anything that’s not directly tied to setting a great strategy, executing upon it brilliantly, and putting terrific people in the right positions. In my experience, those top three leadership qualities are more than challenging enough, and I’d advise you to let the B-school professors worry about all the other issues.
Mark Hurd is President of Oracle Corporation and a member of the company’s Board of Directors. He oversees the corporate direction and strategy for Oracle’s global field operations, including marketing, sales, consulting, alliances and channels, and support. He focuses on strategy, leadership, innovation, and customers.
Special Feature
5
THE PROBLEM WITH PROBLEMS By Yiorgos Mylonadi
People can be extremely well educated with many years of experience, they may be successful managers who have accomplished great things, but frequently their ability to solve a problem is severely limited. That sounds like a paradox, but every time I talk to executives I’m struck by how true it is. People cannot define the problem they are trying to solve. So that is what has been occupying my mind: how we structure and solve problems. Every decision involves problem solving. In some cases we employ professionals who do that job they’re called project managers and administrators and so on. They are certainly a part of that process, but what happens when you have to anticipate an issue or when you don’t have an established process or routine to deal with it? You have to define the issue before you can pick a routine to address it. In principle, it is a simple exercise: Define a problem, identify options, pick the best, and communicate the finding. Since the Renaissance, science has progressed using this formula. Management consultancies advocate a similar approach in their work. Yet, often managerial conversations resemble more expressions of dogma (“I believe…”) or contestants sparring on a TV general knowledge contest (“sales in the Northeast in July are double those of the entire West in December”) than informed argument. If you look at engineering or architecture the ability of people to explain the problem they’re working on, and ask questions so they can get feedback is very high without their need to resort to either dogma or trivia. They are helped by reference to blueprints which are a highly codified way of communicating. Our equivalent in management is jargon. Like blueprints, jargon was invented to make our exchanges efficient (we all know what is
In principle, it is a simple exercise: Define a problem, identify options, pick the best, and communicate the finding. meant by a “functional organisation”.) But the analogy to the blueprint ends when jargon becomes meaningless. It is also a sure way of eradicating any arguments left standing from the onslaught of dogma or trivia. Law is often used to illustrate informed argument. Medicine is another good example. Every time doctors deal with a case, they have to define it. Before you do anything for a patient you have to define what you think the problem is and then coordinate a large array of resources to address that. You form hypotheses all the time, you take feedback, you reassess your hypotheses as you go along, you use different resources as a result and so on.
I suspect that the reason that our problem-solving ability in management is so limited is because our models of problem-solving are devoid of people while actual problem-solving isn’t. As useful as a decision tree might be as an analytical abstraction, the issue is how do you actually define a problem with the help of others around you? Who should these people be? What kind of input should you be asking from them? Which part of that input should you disregard? Which part of that input should you take into account? People are prone to action. By the time someone can start even articulating a question they already have an answer for it. You need to ask: what is the problem you’re trying to solve and what are the possible ways that you can go about doing it?
Yiorgos Mylonadis is a Strategy expert who lectures extensively on competitive strategy, methodologies for strategic thinking, and strategic management. He is an Adjunct Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School. He received his Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he received twice the MacArthur Scholar Award. Gulf Insider May 2015
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n a mission to remain Bahrain’s most innovative telecom provider, VIVA Bahrain teamed with Huawei, a leading global ICT solutions provider, to further develop the operator’s services offered to enterprise customers as well as improve overall customer experience management systems. Following the tieup, a memorandum was signed between the two companies at the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, Spain. The memorandum comes as VIVA continues to expand its mobile network coverage and advanced high-speed LTE services for the public in Bahrain. The agreement will see VIVA and Huawei leverage those investments to serve a growing base of enterprise customers within diverse industries along with small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The agreement with Huawei adds to our commitment to continue investing in infrastructure to meet our customers’ needs for cutting-edge services and the best customer experience,” said VIVA Bahrain CEO Ulaiyan Al Wetaid. “Huawei’s expertise in this domain will enable us to provide our growing
Focussed on the Objectives
enterprise customers with even more innovative and reliable services and solutions,” he added.
“Earlier this year, we were recognised by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in Bahrain as the country’s widest 4G network coverage and ranked top on Quality of Service. 20
Gulf Insider May 2015
The agreement adds to our commitment to meet our customers’ needs for cuttingedge services.
What’s in It for Businesses? In particular, VIVA will be able to
benefit from Huawei innovations in enterprise LTE services, mobile device management solutions, enterprise connectivity solutions, and unified communication devices. Huawei Bahrain CEO Feng Nan commended, “The ICT industry is innovating rapidly. Telecom operators are focusing more and more on customer experience, while also being able to give businesses new tools, through which they can strengthen their information analysis capabilities and enhance organisational collaboration. “This latest memorandum will help VIVA Bahrain leverage these opportunities and launch new services into the marketplace even better and faster way,” he concluded. Additionally, the memorandum will see VIVA and Huawei cooperate in enhancing VIVA’s customer experience and customer care platforms. This will include reviewing service qualitymanagement metrics, planning for service-oriented operation centres, proactive VIP care models, and the management of tailored tariff plans and services.
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Property
BAHRAIN PROPERTY REVIEW
F
itch Ratings places the current outlooks on Bahrain’s long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) at Negative and the IDRs at ‘BBB’ and ‘BBB+’, respectively, mainly due to the lower oil pricing that has exacerbated the already challenging fiscal situation. The government of Bahrain, reported real GDP growth of 4.5% for 2014. The country’s growth is forecasted to slow to around 3.6% in 2015, principally as a result of regional oil price volatility. Real estate has been one of the most dynamic sectors of the economy in the past few years, with steady growth
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and improved sentiment apparent, following the political unrest of 2011. The introduction of new regulations, such as new lease and development laws, has also been a key factor in improving market confidence as the country starts to develop more in line with internationally recognised standards. The government’s recently renewed focus on completing prominent stalled projects including Villamar and Marina West, which have effected the Kingdom’s reputation and investor confidence levels in recent times, demonstrates greater promise for the Kingdom’s future. In Q1 2015, Bahrain witnessed the
opening of the much anticipated 273 room Four Seasons Hotel at Bahrain Bay, a prominent and ambitious project with landmark status in the capital. Another five star hotel, the Art Rotana at Amwaj Islands, was also completed, providing over 300 rooms. Other developments in the 2015 pipeline include the Wyndam Grand at Bahrain Bay and Downtown Rotana in Manama at Bab al Bahrain. The retail sector continues to perform strongly. Seef Mall Muharraq, which offers 70,000 m2of retail space, opened its doors during the first quarter, and was near fully pre let. The Courtyard in Seef District, is due for completion
Property
Many Grade B tower owners are now offering attractive incentives and rent free periods to entice occupiers who are willing to take sub prime space to meet their needs and fit within their budgetary restraints.
Retail Market The retail sector continues to thrive amidst a wave of project completions and launches. This includes destination malls such as The Avenues, which will be located opposite Bahrain Bay on Manama Cornicheand Seef Mall Muharraq which opened in Q1 2015. Further projects are also set for delivery later this year, including The Courtyard in Seef District and Galleria in Zinj, a
Image by: EDSA
this summer and has reportedly had commitment from retailers for around 70% of the project.
Office Market The commercial office market has become fragmented, with landlords who have been able to adapt to current market demands performing better than those who have continued with traditional approaches to leasing space. The current surplus of commercial stock in and around the CBD, with further office developments in the pipeline, has led to the emergence of
a tenant’s market. Landlords proposing flexibility in their offering, providing smaller, partitioned units as well as traditional space are faring better in terms of occupancy rates and income in this climate. For Grade A, market leading properties, headline rents remain largely unchanged. Grade B and out of town office vacancy rates also continuing to increase gradually, as businesses take advantage of the opportunity to relocate and lease in premium buildings, with a greater number offering flexible solutions, incentives and fitted sub-150 sqm units.
Real estate has been one of the most dynamic sectors of the economy in the past few years, with steady growth and improved sentiment apparent, following the political unrest of 2011. Dadabhai project located on the Skh Isa bin Salman Highway offering over 40,000 sqm of gross leasable area. Reportedly, a significant portion of the mall has already pre let. Despite Bahrain being a small market geographically, the country’s demographics and mounting traffic congestion have provided an opportunity for local retail centers and malls. Retail occupiers, including large international groups, are now considering the community segment as an important part of their strategy for the Kingdom, outside of the obvious destination
Gulf Insider May 2015
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Property
locations such as City Centre and Seef Mall.
Hospitality Sector A number of new projects have entered the hospitality market, both in the luxury and mid-range segments, providing a boost to Bahrain’s economy. Although average reported occupancy for many hotels is modest, particularly in the five star bracket, development shows no signs of slowing. Already this year, Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay and the beach front ART Rotanaat Amwaj Islands, have been completed, opening in time for the Formula One race season. Ibis Hotel, Sanabis, the first of this budget midrange hotel chain to open in Bahrain has also entered the scene, taking advantage of the limited offerings for reasonable, affordable accommodation that meets international standards.
Residential Market Bahrain’s residential market remained buoyant during the first quarter of 2015, albeit without actually recording further rental growth. However, demand continues to be strong with newly completed residential buildings across the capital, and particularly in popular expatriate areas such as Juffair and Seef, achieving high occupancy within relatively short time frames. Notable success stories include the 4th tower of Dar Al Salam Port, a Bin Faqeeh development at Reef Island. The property was completed this quarter and is currently at around 75% occupancy,
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with a mix of owner occupiers and rental tenants. Spring Hills, Juffair, part of the Royal Ambassador property portfolio, also welcomed it’s first tenants this year and has already achieved approximately 80% occupancy. A number of other areas are now growing in popularity, following the downturn caused by the civil unrest of 2011, including the Sar and Budaiya areas. Surrounding residential districts,
The residential sales market is gradually adapting to the current demand drivers which have shifted from pre financial crisis times, to being led by mainly local and GCC nationals. including Hamala and Jasra, which provide ease of access to international schools and are in close proximity to the King Fahad Causeway linking Bahrain with Saudi Arabia’s eastern province, also continue to attract expatriate families. Throughout the past 18 months a gradual return of confidence has enveloped the market, as the effects of the political tensions have eased in the
Kingdom, leading to growth in demand and increased occupancy levels in established and newer compounds. Differentiators for the north west of the island for potential tenants, include the value offered by relatively low rents for more spacious properties. Although rates have not significantly increased in the past quarter, occupancy levels continue to creep up and year on year, whilst rents have seen a marginal increase in some properties and otherwise typically stable conditions. Established master planned developments, Amwaj Islands and Riffa Views, continue to attract occupiers as lifestyle developments, which provide comfortable, secure environments for both expatriates and locals. The residential sales market is gradually adapting to the current demand drivers which have shifted from pre financial crisis times, to being led by mainly local and GCC nationals looking at longer term investment and for family homes. Apartment and villa developments, such as 360 and Marina Breeze have reported strong sales at Durrat Marina with over 80% being sold to Bahraini nationals. In line with the government’s2030 vision, further progress towards the demands for affordable and social housing is also coming to the forefront. It has been reported in the past quarter, that Bahrain’s Ministry of Housing has signed an agreement with Diyar Al Muharraq to purchase 3,100 residential units at, a cost of $732m (BHD276m), for the ministry’s social housing programme.
Information provided by CBRE, Bahrain
Property
KINGDOM TOWER SAUDI’S 1KM HIGH SKYSCRAPER WILL HAVE 252 FLOORS
$1.2 Billion
Soft cost of the Kingdom Tower was 1/3 of the $1.2+ billion construction bill.
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Property
T
he 1km-high Kingdom Tower, according to its developers, “has challenged mankind to outdo himself, and calls into question whether it really is possible to build even higher in the future”. So says Dr Hisham Jonah, chief development officer for Jeddah Economic City. Soft cost (design, research and development) of the Kingdom Tower was 1/3 of the $1.2+ billion construction bill. Unheard of, but that’s what it took to deal with the design challenges for this monumental project; “to do this we needed the top minds in the business that money can buy”, said Jonah. The tower will have over 500,000 sq m of floor space and be home to a Four Seasons hotel, offices and luxury apartments. It will have 89 more floors than Dubai’s 163-floor Burj Khalifa, and have the world’s highest observation deck. “The floor count is 252 floors.” Jomah said, making the height of the new tower equal to the Shard of London, the highest building in Europe, plus the
The tower will have over 500,000 sq m of floor space and be home to a Four Seasons hotel, offices and luxury apartments. It will have 89 more floors than Dubai’s 163-floor Burj Khalifa, and have the world’s highest observation deck.
Burj Khalifa – PUT TOGETHER! Jomah said one of the problems was how to reach 167 floors in 1.6 minutes in the elevators. “The fastest elevator is made by Toshiba at 17 metres per second. But we discovered that people’s bladders behaved funny if we go faster than 10 metres per second going down.” he said. Another challenge was the weight of the cables, which amount to 40 tons per car. New technology by Finnish company Kone reduces it to just six tons. The tower will feature 59 elevators, including four double-decker and 2 triple- decker elevators. The tower will avoid harsh sun reflections by using tinted glass and new energy conservation technology. Ventilation will be installed to allow maintenance crews to work without being scorched by excessive heats. “For fireworks displays, the tower has preinstalled equipment to prevent what is happening with Burj Khalifa when a team of mountain climbers are called to install pyrotechnics and then taking them out again, costing millions.” The developers acquired six cranes that can withstand harsh winds. The biggest crane can lift 18 tons at a speed of 44 metres a minute. Soil conditions proved to be nearly impossible to overcome. Microphones and sensors identified rivers 70 metres underground. “It was as if building 30 floors underground. All the steel bars inside the piles are electrified so they won’t rust for a guaranteed 100 years. Each part of the building is gaged for soil movements and is observed via satellite and we cannot build around the tower until floor 40 to make sure the soil has received the tower and settled in.” The Kingdom Tower is part of Kingdom City development. Described as the new Downtown for north Jeddah, it will create 50,000 new jobs and include residential and commercial units, an international hotel, business offices, educational centres, a diplomatic area, commercial centres, entertainment and tourist facilities, and water sports activities. The tower is expected to be completed in 2018.
Gulf Insider May 2015
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Affairs
HALAL GUARANTEED Gulf Insider visits the farms (and restaurants) of Victoria in Australia.
A
ustralian meat has established an international reputation for quality. Exports to the Gulf have grown substantially over recent years. Last month we visited a few farms while in Victoria, each covering huge areas, to find out for ourselves about both the quality and the level of trade and exports to this region. Victoria is Australia’s smallest state. The state capital, Melbourne, is about a one hour flight from Sydney though the climate is a lot cooler and similar to European weather. During our stay we decided it was the perfect climate. The farms we visited were about 3 hours drive from Melbourne. All the farmers we met were from families that had been farming in the area for generations, and they were passionate about their professionalism and quality of their produce. Their passion extended to caring for their livestock in the most humane ways possible, not just because it’s the right 28
Gulf Insider May 2015
Compared to how cattle are raised in many other countries, Australian cattle have a very good deal. and decent thing to do – though it’s clear that would be enough reason for them to act this way, but it’s proven that meat from unstressed animals tastes better. All Middle East-bound Australian cattle, sheep, and goats are slaughtered under the Australian Government Authorized Halal Program (AGAHP), accredited by the Islamic certifying authorities according to strict Shariah law and
administered by the Federal Department of Agriculture. As a result, only certified ‘Guaranteed Halal’ meat products are exported. The farms incorporate the ‘five freedoms for animals’ into their property management plans and procedures. These include freedom from hunger and thirst; freedom from discomfort; freedom from pain, injury, and disease; freedom to express normal behaviour; and freedom from fear and distress. Looking around at the cattle they seemed to be pretty relaxed, healthy, well fed, and were free to roam. Compared to how cattle are raised in many other countries, Australian cattle have a very good deal. When it comes to slaughter, the farmers told how they pay extra attention to the livestock’s stress levels for up to two weeks before they are taken away to the abattoir to ensure they are as relaxed as possible. Of course the proof is all in the eating, and as I stated earlier, we had the pleasure
Affairs
to visit some of the finest restaurants in Victoria, all serving Australian meat. We ate the most delicious meals we have experienced in our lives – more on this next month in our Victoria travel feature (aka our food fantasy trip). But you don’t have to travel all the way to Australia (though we recommend it) to taste the most amazing meat, because they export it to us in the Gulf.
For more information on Australian meat visit www.mla.com.au
Government Authorized Halal Program Guidelines • Processors may employ only registered Muslim slaughtermen. • Haram meat may not be processed in the same area as Halal product. • Halal and non-Halal product must be adequately separated and identified at all times. • Only genuine Halal products may be issued a Halal certificate. • Halal meat for final export receives an official Halal meat certificate signed by both the Australian Department of Agriculture and a recognised Islamic Council representative.
2014 Middle East Exports, with comparisons Beef
Australian beef exports to the Middle East in 2014 reached 59,803 tonnes swt – 2% lower than the year before, but 24 times higher than 2005. The largest market was Saudi Arabia, with 32,213 tonnes swt in 2014 – 3% higher than the previous year and 100 times more than in 2005.
Lamb
Australian lamb exports to the Middle East in 2014 reached 64,249 tonnes swt – 7% higher than the year before and 4.6 times higher than 2005. The largest market was the UAE, with 17,479 tonnes swt in 2014 – 11% higher than the previous year and 137 per cent more than in 2005.
Mutton
Australian mutton exports to the Middle East in 2014 reached 52,831 tonnes swt – 29% higher than the year before and 47% higher than 2005. The largest market was Saudi Arabia, with 18,538 tonnes swt in 2014 – 45% higher than the previous year, but 15% less than in 2005.
Live sheep
The Middle East accounted for 98% of all Australian live sheep exports in 2014, accounting for 2.25 million head – 16% higher than the year before, but 46% lower than 2005. The largest market was Kuwait, with 744,671 head in 2014 – 15% fewer than the previous year and 16% fewer than in 2005.
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Affairs
HOW TO NEGOTIATE LIKE OR AGAINST A PIRATE By Jeanette Bicknell
G
ood negotiators know that one of the trickiest aspects of their job is the timing of offers. As negotiations grind on, the costs of a stalemate rise on both sides. Yet if a settlement is reached too quickly, it is possible one side has left money on the table, giving in too easily, with the other side happy to accept. This is true whether talks are across a boardroom table, in a used-car lot, or in a pirate-hijacked ship floating in the Indian Ocean. In mid-January there were confused reports about the possible hijacking of a merchant ship, the Marzooqah, by Somali pirates. It now looks as though the “pirate attack” was actually an operation by Eritrean forces, although no one seems to know why they boarded the ship. Had the Marzooqah been the target of an attack, it would have been the first successful hijacking by Somali pirates since 2012, when approximately US$200 million was paid in ransom to Somali pirates. The following year saw a big
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drop in the number of pirate attacks off the coast of East Africa, a consequence of an international naval effort and the increased use of private, heavily armed security firms. Between 2004 and 2012, these interventions steadily reduced the pirates’ success rates and raised their operating costs. Yet while the number of successful hijackings went down, the total income from piracy remained about the same. Pirates responded to the increase in their costs by bargaining harder and raising their returns on successfully hijacked ships. In an effort to better understand these patterns, economists with the Economics of Security research initiative examined 179 hijackings from 2004 to 2012, drawing on interviews with “professional pirate negotiators” in the region. (Apparently the temptation of pirate talk was too powerful to resist: The title of their study is “Barrgh-gaining with Somali Pirates”. The researchers found huge variations in ransom amounts and in the length of talks. Some ship-
owners paid a couple hundred thousand dollars after a few weeks, while other negotiations dragged on for over a year and resulted in pay-outs of several million. The amount of ransom paid and length of negotiations depended on a number of factors. Bigger, more modern ships fetched higher ransoms than smaller, older ships. Well-organized, “sophisticated” pirates, with the infrastructure to delay settlement while negotiations went on, were able to extract higher payouts than did opportunistic amateurs. As in any kind of business, existing market conditions proved very important. Pirates had a keen understanding of what the market would bear—the maximum amount of money recently offered for similar ships. They were also often privy to settlements won by rival gangs and were motivated to do just as well, if not better. (It seems that confidentiality provisions, if they were included, proved difficult to enforce.) Relatively low ransoms were paid after both short and long negotiations,
Affairs
with the highest amounts paid after intermediate-length talks. Researchers attribute this pattern to information asymmetries. It can be difficult for pirates and ship-owners to get reliable information about one another. It is in the interest of ship-owners to appear too poor to afford a large payout. At the same time, pirates have an incentive to appear well-organized and patient enough to sit out a long haul—but not too long. Costs for both parties go up the longer negotiations continue. The ship’s value decreases as it sits in the water. Cargo deteriorates, supplies are consumed and barnacles grow on the hull. Pirates also end up spending more on fees to local militias, protecting the ship from rival gangs and law-enforcement agencies, feeding hostages after their supplies run out,
Pirates had a keen understanding of what the market would bear—the maximum amount of money recently offered for similar ships. diesel fuel needed to maintain the ship’s desalination equipment to produce drinking water, and even maintaining a supply of fresh khat, a stimulant drug that many pirates use. While piracy has decreased in the waters around East Africa, it remains a problem the world over. The full annual economic cost of naval piracy globally is estimated to be about $1.5 billion. The International Maritime Bureau’s Live Piracy Map shows a number of attacks in progress. Better understanding the economics and incentives of piracy might help authorities make it a bad deal for would-be pirates.
Jeanette Bicknell, Ph. D., is the author of Why Music Moves Us (2009)
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Affairs
BAHRAINI PASSPORT RANKS 57 IN LATEST PASSPORT POWER INDEX Passport Index reveals the diversity and power of the world’s passports.
A
rton Capital, the global financial advisory firm specializing in investor programs for residency and citizenship, launched the ‘Passport Index’, the world’s first online interactive tool, which collects, displays and ranks the passports of the world. “Working in an industry that is so sensitive to origin and nationality, we wanted to display the diversity, the beauty and the power of world’s passports”, Armand Arton, president and CEO of Arton Capital explains. Visitors of passportindex.org can discover the world’s passports on a map, by country name, by Passport Power Rank and even by the color of their cover. The ranking is based on points accumulated for each country that the passport holder can travel visa-free. The country list is based on the 193 UN member countries and 6 territories for a total of 199. The territories annexed to other countries are excluded. For the visa-free count, IATA’s 32
Gulf Insider May 2015
In the GCC, the UAE is ranked in 47th place, with access to 72 countries visa free, whilst Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are both ranked at 57th in the list by passport power. Timaticweb platform and other sources are consulted. In the GCC, the UAE is ranked in 47th place, with access to 72 countries visa free, Qatar shortly follows in 52nd place,
whilst Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are both ranked at 57th in the list by passport power. The USA and UK top are ranked 1st, in tie at second place are ranked France, Germany and South Korea. At the bottom of the list are the passports of Solomon Islands, Myanmar (Burma), South Sudan, Sao Tome and Principe. Of course though a US passport is an excellent travel document, it incurs severe tax and reporting liabilities on all those who hold it, and this includes those who live permanently outside the USA. This is something that no other country does and has resulted in many US citizens attempting to renounce their citizenship, which is no easy task. These unique extrajurisdictional regulations means that both US citizens and institutions that deal with them, regardless of whether they have offices or any contact with the US, are subject to draconian financial reporting requirements. As a result, for example, few banks outside of the US are now prepared to take on American customers. The Passport Index is just one of the numerous interactive tools made available by Arton. This particular project is open for visitors to contribute with information about new passport covers, and recommendations about the methodology. Arton Capital will also be hosting the Global Citizen Forum 2015 in Monaco this year. The Forum will bring together government agency representatives, distinguished speakers, philanthropists, as well as financial, legal and family office advisors, industry professionals, business leaders, high net worth individuals and celebrities. With special guests including Kofi A. Annan, 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations.
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GULF ROUNDUP NEWS AROUND THE GCC AND BEYOND
LIFE IN THE GULF
Bahrain Moots Gov’t Homes for Single Women Councillors have approved early plans to provide government funded homes for single Bahraini women, divorcees, widows, and abandoned wives. The Shoura Council backed amendments to 40-year legislation governing social housing, reported the Gulf Daily News. Dr Mohammed Hassan, secretary of the public utilities and environment affairs committee, said women deserved access to housing services regardless of their status. “But, due to difference in categorisation, the fifth category will be eligible for an apartment on rent, with guidelines and procedures…issued by the housing minister.” “The basic income for women should be BD 300 (USD 797) from any source, in addition to details on loans and other financial obligations,” he added, but did not specify to what time period that referred. “In case of a mental or physical disability related to applicants in the fifth category, or any family member that will live with them, the ministry will be required to have special facilities provided.” The maximum age of all government housing applicants would be 50. But, housing minister Bassem Al Hamer warned the cost of implementing the changes was too high and called for discussions to be postponed pending a financial study. – ARABAIN BUSINESS
New GIFT Website Launched Nico Rosberg Pits in at the IWC Boutique in Bahrain Swiss luxury watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen celebrated the anniversary of its first boutique in Bahrain’s Moda Mall, together with its partner, Asia Jewellers. Special guests at the event were IWC brand ambassador and Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team driver Nico Rosberg as well as Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Toto Wolff.
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Gulf Insider May 2015
The Gulf Irish Food Traders (GIFT) has introduced their new e-commerce site www.gift-shop.me, which facilitates online ordering and home delivery. GIFT offers the GCC markets the best of UK and Irish food, including major brands, artisan goods, and niche products.
News
Dubai Council Proposes Visas without Sponsor for Skilled Expats Government advisory body Dubai Economic Council (DEC) has recommended a host of measures including the introduction of a state pension scheme for foreign skilled workers, visas for highly skilled expats without a sponsor, and easing foreign ownership restrictions in selected industries. Among the major recommendation made by DEC in cooperation with professional services firm Deloitte, it advised doing away with caps on mortgage amounts, easing retirement visa restrictions, easing criminal implications of bankruptcy and of bounced cheques, easing residency rights process and ease of travel within the GCC, and allowing issuance of visas for high skilled expatriates that meet specific requirements without the need of a sponsor. As part of confidence boosting measures, it advised that pension scheme for skilled expat workers, easing retirement visa restriction could help attract more investments into the local market and support financial stability of the capital market. Emirates 24l7 had reported in October 2014 that the government is currently in discussion to launch a federal pension scheme for expatriates. A number of private banks and financial entities offer pension schemes to expats and UAE nationals. – EMIRATES 24l7
More Than Half of GCC Women Aim for Top Jobs Career women in the GCC are ambitious and want to lead in their organisations, with 62 per cent of those surveyed aiming at senior or board level position within next seven years, according to a report by Pearl Initiative, a not-for-profit organisation. The report, titled ‘Women’s Careers in the GCC – The CEO Agenda’, follows a GCCwide research programme on women in senior management conducted by Pearl Initiative in collaboration with United Nations Global Compact and Sharjah Business Women Council. Women in the GCC understand the importance of a good education when it comes to their career with 86 per cent thinking that education has been vital for their career progression. The report polled more than 600 senior businesswomen across the GCC. While it acknowledges significant progress that has been made in the region for working women, it highlights several key areas of concern. 80 per cent of working women in the GCC feel they are disadvantaged in the workplace simply for being a woman. – EMIRATES 24l7
Bahrain-Inspired Poetry Compilation Issued An eclectic poetry collection titled, Poetic Bahrain has been published recently by Robin Barratt, the founder of the Bahrain Writers’ Circle (BWC). The compilation focuses on Bahraini people and culture and consists of 47 poems – both traditional and modern – by 25 poets from ten countries. Many of the featured poets are members of the BWC and the Second Circle poetry group, two of the biggest groups for writers and poets in the kingdom. Poetic Bahrain is available on Amazon and as a Kindle.
TRA Bahrain’ New SIM Card Services Regulation Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) Bahrain announced the publication of a second public consultation on the SIM-Card Enabled Telecommunications Services Registration Regulation on its official website last April. The new regulation requires the licensees to follow a more thorough registration and verification process for both prepaid and post paid subscribers in order to better protect the interests and privacy of mobile subscribers. The full document can be found on the Authority’s website in the consultations section. Gulf Insider May 2015
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Travel
HOTEL INSIDER SECRETS REVEALED Industry insider turned author Jacob Tomsky shares some little-known secrets of the hotel industry.
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hat are some of the most common items that people take from hotels? ‘Without a doubt, toiletries and towels are definitely the most popular items for guests to pocket. But some individuals staying at the hotel take things a bit too far. They take everything. Duvet covers, little silver trashcans, universal remotes - anything that’s not nailed down.’
housekeepers must clean a certain total of points in one day. I’d guess the average time is between 30 minutes to an hour to flip the room. Once a year, large sections of rooms, or even entire floors are pulled out of service for maintenance and deep cleaning.’
… and what about minibars? ‘The minibar is the most fallible system in the hotel. ‘Human error, over-stocking, failure to re-stock, errant charges from weighted items being shifted but not consumed, all of these lead the front desk to spend hours a day slicing off incorrect charges. Items are purchased in bulk and sold at an absurd mark-up. Hotels are much more concerned with your overall experience and securing further room nights - the main revenue stream - than whether or not you ate a candy bar.’
How much do hotels generally spend on toiletries per year? ‘This one has everything to do with the scale of the property and its occupancy. According to a recent Forbes article, the Marriott hotel chain will spend approximately $20 million annually on their Thann products, a natural skincare line that’s stocked in their Americas and Asia Pacific hotels. Usually the ordering is done by a housekeeping manager who takes into account the current supply and the average monthly uses from years past. It’s a rather intriguing ordering process based on a large amount of collected data. And, ultimately, you don’t want to be the one who fails to order enough toilet paper for the entire hotel.’
How long does it take to clean a hotel room? Is there anything that typically does not get cleaned? ‘The length of cleaning time generally depends on the room. Because rooms have varying levels of difficulty, they are usually awarded ‘points’ and
What happens if someone dies in a hotel room? ‘It’s not something a hotel wishes to publicise, naturally. So, they are removed as discreetly as possible. This may involve flashing lights and paramedics, depending on the severity
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of the situation, but can also happen via employee elevators and back exits. Afterwards, the room is sanitised, cleaned, ‘flipped’ and sold - and that can happen a lot faster than you’d think. And, of course, all hotel staffers are forbidden from revealing any details - including cause of death and room numbers - to anyone. Death is a part of hotel life. Do staff have access to the in-room safes? ‘No, they do not. The safes truly are, you know, safe. I always recommend using the safe to every traveller. The only person who can open the safe, should you forget your password, is a manager from the security department, using a tool that only they are trained and authorised to use.’ And finally, what happens to the halfused toiletries and loo roll in hotel room bathrooms? ‘A lot of times it depends on the hotel itself. In the spirit of being environmentally-minded, many chains will simply refold the paper and leave the half-used roll in the bathroom, with another full roll behind it. If there’s not enough left to warrant leaving it, nearlyused up roll winds up on housekeeping carts for when a room attendant needs a tissue for other cleaning tasks or in
Travel
employee bathrooms. One charity has come up with a novel way to deal with leftover hotel soaps - churning them together to provide soap to those in developing countries. Clean The World, receives partially-used and discarded soap from hotels, recycles it into millions of new bars, and then works with partner
Global Soap to strategically distribute the new soap to poor people around the world. ‘
Jacob Tomsky is the author of Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality.
WHAT IT’S REALLY LIKE TO BE AN
AIR STEWARDESS ON A PRIVATE JET
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here’s perhaps nothing more glamorous than flying in a private jet. Those privileged few who travel this way lead lifestyles most of us can only dream of. They bypass airport queues, eat meals prepared by private chefs, and at 35,000ft sleep in master bedrooms with double beds. Carolyn Paddock witnessed things first-hand. Private jet staff sign confidentiality agreements, so Carolyn could not discuss names, but she revealed what life is like for the rich at 35,000ft. It’s common for aircraft to have a private bedroom with a spacious walkin shower. The shower head alone costs an estimated $10,000 as it must comply with strict industry certification standards. An in-flight entertainment system on a Boeing 777 costs around $2million as the engineering behind the installation makes everything extremely expensive. Likewise a 55in flat-screen TV can cost $28,000. The price for a new Gulfstream 650 is $65million. Or you can charter a Boeing 777 for $40,000 an hour or a Boeing 767 is $25,000 (prices include catering, crew, landing fees and other costs). There are benefits to working on a private jet. Carolyn said; ‘I work for someone who travels to only the most fabulous places, and I get to go too. If he flies to the south of France for a week,
I’m in the south of France for a week. I stay in incredible hotels and my meals are paid for. ‘That said, I had to pay my dues to get to this point, and this executive has very high expectations so I always need to deliver the best service, food, and meet or exceed his expectations.’ Some employers reward their flight attendants with gifts: ‘I know of a crew member who received a €17,000 tip from one flight.’ When it comes to in-flight meals, the client gets whatever they want. Carolyn has served pizza to billionaires, plus the finer meals one would expect: ‘Lobster, white truffles and foie gras are standard meals that are often served on board a private jet, followed by sweets and chocolates from the finest producers in the world.’ One flight from Los Angeles to Saudi Arabia had an $18,000 catering bill. Some jets have private chefs on board, although the food typically comes from corporate caterers, high-end restaurants or a house chef. There have been tales of employers expecting sex from their flight attendants, considering it part of the job. Carolyn said it’s important for flight attendants to be careful who they fly for. On a recent flight, a passenger asked her to join him in the master bedroom to watch a film. ‘I was so unprepared for that invitation
that when he asked me, I looked at him, smiled, graciously turned around and dashed for the door. ‘From that point on I insisted that another crew member join me whenever I served him for the rest of the flight.’ Starting pay in corporate aviation can be anywhere from $35,000 to $110,000, depending on the company which owns the plane and the flight attendant’s experience. Carolyn said: ‘Corporate flight attendants get raises annually and almost always get a bonus.’ Those who stick with a generous employer for longer periods of time can earn well over $110,000 a year, with some taking home an annual salary of $180,000, including raises and bonuses. Flight attendants who work for corporate clients must be available at a moment’s notice, as there is no
real schedule. Carolyn said: ‘Being a corporate flight attendant is a highperformance job. I say it’s like event planning. There are so many details that are important – passenger preferences, catering choices, and how and when they like things done. ‘Your success in this industry is meritbased, and who you know. Private aviation is completely under the radar, hard to break into, and then you have to prove yourself, build a reputation and work very hard. Most companies can fire you on a whim, so you need to be on top of your game at all times. There is no job security.’
Gulf Insider May 2015
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Travel
ULTIMATE LUXURY USD 600 million Boeing 747-8 converted into the ultimate private jet.
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he UK’s Daily Mail newspaper reported that US firm Greenpoint Technologies had completed an estimated USD 246 million transformation of a Boeing 7478 for an unnamed private customer. The 747-8 can carry 450 passengers, and has cabin dimensions of 20 feet by 200 metres.The plane normally sells for around USD 354 million, according to list prices, making this particular plane worth about USD 600 million if the cost of the interior work was added to the price. Although no photos of the plane were released by the firm, these renderings from its website show what it was hoping to achieve by creating a restaurant, dining room, master and guest bedrooms, two large lounge areas and office space inside the plane.
Image credit: Greenpoint Technologies. www.greenpnt.com 38
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Life
INSIDE THE BURJ AL ARAB
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t 1,052ft (321m) and 56 stories high, the Burj Al Arab — meaning the Tower of the Arabs — is the world’s tallest all-suite hotel. Taking five years to build – at a cost of $1.5 Billion, it opened in December 1999 and, with its distinctive sail design, instantly became a Dubai landmark. The 1,500 staff include 200 chefs and a 70-strong arrivals team: men and women chosen for their good looks, who are the first faces to greet you at the hotel. Anyone applying for a job as a concierge must undergo a luxury test. Questions include ‘What is cashmere?’ and ‘Name a luxury brand of handbag’. No demand is too taxing. One guest turned up with a dead alligator and asked the staff to cook it for him — they did. Rates start at $1,200 per night, excluding taxes, for one of the 142 one-
The 1,500 staff include 200 chefs and a 70-strong arrivals team: men and women chosen for their good looks, who are the first faces to greet you at the hotel. bedroom deluxe suites. Every suite has two floors, a minimum of 14 phones and a private butler. Each suite has two TVs, a Bose iPod/ iPhone docking station and a remote control to operate the curtains, music and lights. The hotel’s two most expensive suites, costing up to $25,000 per night. Fancy a drink or dinner at the Burj? Unless you have a reservation, you’re not allowed past the entrance gates at the end of the 300m bridge leading to the hotel.
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Life
Royal Suite bathroom
Water features including cascade waterfalls on the ground floor and an infinity pool, above
In the bathrooms are 14 his and hers full-size Hermes toiletries. There is also a whirlpool bath and a rain shower
The Royal Suite has two master bedrooms, a cinema room and private dining for 12
There’s eight restaurants, offering a variety of cuisines. In the Jusui — Japanese for ‘pure’ — bar, there are 29,000 Swarovski crystals in the ceilings designed in the shape of the Milky Way. The leather floor is replaced every year. The hotel served 35,000 afternoon teas last year, costing $160 per head. You won’t need dinner afterwards: included are a glass of Louis Roederer champagne, the chef’s carvery of the day, finger sandwiches and soft buns, home-made cakes and mini patisseries.
An extra glass of champagne will set you back $50. In the Skyview bar, 650 ft (200m) above sea level, signature cocktails are the Burj Royale, Dubai Dream and Camel Colada. The minimum spend is $100 per person. When you arrive at the Al Mahara — meaning Oyster Shell — restaurant in the gold-plated lift, you can sit and gaze at the fish in the huge circular aquarium. There are 11 shops in the Burj offering everything from Prada handbags to tacky T-shirts emblazoned with: ‘I (heart
symbol) the Burj.’ The Talise is the only spa in the Middle East offering La Prairie treatments that include gold and platinum facials. It has 16 treatment rooms, saunas, whirlpool spas and steam rooms. There is a pool for ladies only. Ten white Rolls-Royces are available for guests’ transfers to and from Dubai International Airport or around Dubai. Those who want to make an even more glamorous arrival can book a helicopter transfer.
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Life
15 GREAT BOOKS ON HOW TO BE GREAT
… From how to live to how to be a leader to how people should handle crises. Check them out.
HOW TO LIVE
“Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” by Robert M. Pirsig Addresses the fundamental question of how to live life. The author suggests that no matter what a person is doing, he should do it with care and without external distraction.
“Things Fall Apart”
by Chinua Achebe - The leader of a Nigerian village deals with the question of what it means to be a man as he navigates the shift from tradition to modernity.
“Siddhartha” by Hermann Hesse - Siddhartha’s life is the classic tale of selfdiscovery. He pursues enlightenment and ultimately discovers that it is experience that leads to understanding. Moments alone, he finds, are meaningless.
“Night” by Elie Wiesel –
The author writes about his imprisonment at Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps, and his struggle to maintain his faith during moments of absolute brutality.
HOW TO DEAL WITH FAMILY AND OTHERS “Palace Walk” by
Naguib Mafouz – A novel set in Egypt right before the 1919 revolution. Describes the daily lives of a tyrannical husband and father, his docile wife, and their sons and daughters.
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“The Odyssey” by Homer - Odysseus comes home after being MIA for 20 years to find his son grown up and his wife fighting off suitors. He must reclaim both his family and his kingdom.
“The Brothers Karamazov” by
Fyodor Dostoevsky - Dostoevsky debates the questions of morality, free will, law and science via four brothers. Albert Einstein reportedly said that this is “the most wonderful book I ever laid my hands on.”
Life
HOW TO BE A LEADER
“The Prince” by Niccolo
Machiavelli - Machiavelli declares that it’s better to be feared than loved in this 16th century text. Hundreds of years later, we still haven’t figured out whether that’s true or not — and that makes this a very relevant text for any leader.
“Julius Caesar”
by William Shakespeare - The major characters, including Caesar and Brutus, deal with the complicated questions of free will, public versus private life, and whether friendship or ambition is more important.
“The Art of War” by Sun
Tzu - Sun Tzu believes that although people should try to avoid war, it is a necessary evil. He argues about the importance of strategic positioning and meticulously describes war tactics. Interestingly, many of his principles can be applied to the business world.
“The Bully Pulpit”
by Doris Kearns Goodwin This text chronicles the first decade of the progressive era — a turbulent time full of reform and change — via the friendship of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft.
THE LEGENDARY HEROES
“The Iliad”
by Homer “The Iliad” is the original adventure story where heroes like Achilles and Hector learn that true heroism is not determined by the number of enemies killed.
“Beowulf”
translated by Seamus Heaney - Uber-hero Beowulf takes on a merciless monster, Grendel, by himself and kills Grendel with his bare hands. You don’t get anymore legendary than that.
“Don Quixote” by Miguel
de Cervantes - “What is the true object of Don Quixote’s quest? ... We cannot know the object of Don Quixote’s quest unless we ourselves are Quixotic,” writes the eminent Yale professor Harold Bloom.
“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” translated by Burton Raffel - Sir Gawain faces the choice of honorably showing up to an event in which he will be killed, or dishonorably shirking his responsibilities. Gulf Insider May 2015
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Life
20
o. N e l i f o r P Insider
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ell us about the moment you decided to do your first triathlon. It was over three years ago, when triathlons were fairly new to Bahrain. I had no proper equipment, nor had I done anything else aside from running before, but I borrowed a mountain bike from a friend and registered for a sprint triathlon in Durrat Al Bahrain. That was the beginning of my journey into triathlons. I didn’t find my first experience to be the easiest, but it was certainly fun! What have been your proudest moments as a runner and a triathlete so far? People often think that crossing the finish line is our proudest moment as athletes, but I really feel it is actually when you are extremely tired from training, you have a heavy overload of work, or a lot of personal responsibilities and still manage to find the strength to do the training session of the day, whatever that may be. Sometimes those training sessions require more physical and mental strength than the race itself. As a runner, completing my first marathon in Dubai was a fantastic experience and as a triathlete, crossing the finish line of my first half ironman in Aix du Provence in France is something I will never forget. What is your strongest discipline – run, bike, or swim? I have to work hard in all three to ensure that I perform well when doing competitions. I’m a stronger triathlete rather than being good in each individual discipline, but the one I train the least and I always manage to do well is swimming. What advice do you have for the beginners? Believe that your body is so much more capable than you think. The level of endurance and pain that we can withstand is truly outstanding, but you only get to know it if you go for it!
KARLA SOLANO A professional marketer, keen runner, and passionate triathlete
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Who is your greatest triathlon inspiration? Chrissie Wellington, a British triathlete and four-time world ironman champion. Her story is phenomenal, because she is one of the few who turned professional at a late stage of their life, but achieved great accomplishments in a short period of time based on raw talent and determination. As a self-proclaimed citizen of the world, where do you think you’ll move next and why? I’ve had the opportunity to live in different countries over the last 12 years, and I would expect for my journey to continue. I feel curious to explore Asia, but I’m really attached to Bahrain, so I guess time will tell.
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Not All Places, Just THE BEST Places
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N
Insider guide to dining, nightlife, & events
If you suffer from stiffness in your back, neck, or with any of your joints/ muscles, James and Annie from our medical and chiropractic massage team will be pleased to help you.
The first issue of Bahrain101, revealing the best in dining, nightlife, and events in Bahrain.
Issue 01 - May 2015
Introducing Bahrain’s
DJs’
We do not try to include all places, just the best places
DJ BUZZERK DJ COSSTA DJ DAMIAN D’COSTA DJ FAWAZO DJ JACKSON DJ SALIMÈ DJ VJ MP3 DJ YOUSS
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Motors
CAR NEWS COVERING THE LATEST UPDATES FROM THE REGION
NEW PORSCHE CAYENNE MODELS ARRIVE IN BAHRAIN Porsche Centre Bahrain celebrated the arrival of the all-new Porsche Cayenne GTS in the kingdom last month. Also on show and welcomed to the country for the first time was the entry-level Cayenne featuring a powerful 3.6 litre V6 engine.
NEW MCLAREN SUPERCARS REVEALED IN BAHRAIN
TWITTER CONTROVERSY: 100 BENTLEYS FOR RSAF PILOTS A Saudi prince has deleted a tweet offering 100 Bentleys to Royal Saudi Air Force pilots who took part in operations over Yemen. The message said, “In appreciation of the 100 Saudi pilots taking part, it honours me to present them with 100 Bentley cars,” and sparked criticism from other Twitter users, some accusing him of “showing off.” One user said a gift of 100 warplanes “would have been more patriotic”. The tweet can’t be found on the official account of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, @ Alwaleed_Talal, which has more than three million followers. Alwaleed’s office did not respond to messages seeking comment.
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Two new McLaren supercars, the 675LT and the 570S, were revealed last month at the RitzCarlton Bahrain, Hotel and Spa by British Ambassador Iain Lindsay and Al Ghassan Motors President and Chief Executive Shaikh Ghassan Al Sulaiman. The launch ceremony was part of the “GREAT British Advanced Engineering and Innovation” event planned to coincide with the 2015 Gulf Air Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix. Both cars are now available for ordering; deliveries of the McLaren 675LT will start from October-November this year and for the McLaren 570S – early next year.
PREMIUM COLLECTION LAUNCHES PAGANI HUAYRA IN BAHRAIN The Premium Collection, part of Nahwasharq Co. Ltd, held an inauguration ceremony for the Italian-made premium sports car Pagani Huayra, the most expensive car in the world. The launch was held last month at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay.
Motors
AUDI CENTRE BAHRAIN INTRODUCES THE ALL-NEW AUDI TT COUPÉ Audi enthusiasts welcomed the arrival of the third-generation Audi TT Coupé at the official launch held last month at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay. The model is now available at the Audi Centre Bahrain, with a starting price of BD 18,990.
NISSAN JUKE INTRODUCED IN BAHRAIN Y.K. Almoayyed & Sons launched the 2015 Nissan Juke last month, at the Central Galleria, Bahrain City Centre. The event was attended by Y.K. Almoayyed & Sons management, members of the media, and guests. The new model starts at BD 6,995.
RENAULT SYMBOL NOW AVAILABLE IN BAHRAIN Y.K. Almoayyed & Sons launched the 2015 Renault Symbol in Bahrain last month, at the Renault showroom in Ma’ameer. The new model starts at BD 3,895.
Gulf Insider May 2015
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Motors CAR INSIDER
INFINITI QX80 Nick Cooksey drives the posh version of Nissan’s Patrol around the streets of Bahrain, and the mountains and desert of Oman.
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few months back I had the pleasure of driving Infiniti’s big new SUV on and off road in Oman. I had a great time. And last month Infiniti invited me to test it on the mean streets of Bahrain. So, what did I learn about this big and luxurious SUV? Over the past few years Infiniti have been enjoying great success in the Middle East, and are now the fastest growing premium car company in the region. The QX80 is an important part of the growth plan and has been described by Infiniti as its ‘flagship’. This SUV is really a posh version of its sister, the Nissan Patrol, which historically has proven itself as one of Arabia’s favorite and most loved SUVs. The QX80 has also been described by some, due to its 48
Gulf Insider May 2015
This SUV can easily carry five adults in comfort, or even more children! big size and luxury, as ‘Infiniti’s Cadillac Escalade’. Inside there’s lots of leather, lots of wood, and even some metallic trim. In Oman I had the cream leather package, In Bahrain it was black leather. Personally I like cream leather best, but each to their own. There’s lots of space inside. This SUV can easily carry five adults in
comfort, or even more children! Seating is high up enabling you to look down on the other traffic below you. The front seats are AC ventilated (optional) which was great and kept me nice and cool while driving. The QX80 has a big 5.6 liter 400 horsepower V8 engine. A seven speed auto transmission. Zero to 100 kph can be achieved in 7 seconds, which for its size and weight is pretty good. Its exterior appearance has been made to look far more macho than the previous model. In terms of quiet and comfort, it scores high and certainly matches any of its competitors. During my test drive in Oman I drove it for many hours over a couple of days on highways, steep hills – including driving 2,000 meters high up into the Al Hajar mountain range on
Motors
cruise control, blind spot and lane departure warning systems. Standard features include navigation with hard drive for maps and music, DVD audio and satellite radio, 20-inch wheels, moon-roof, power tailgate, and Bluetooth. Overall this is an excellent vehicle. Anyone looking to get a big luxury SUV should certainly consider taking a QX80 for a test drive before making their purchase decision.
Starting Price for BD 27,900
an unusually steep gradient – and then driving back down again using its gears as brakes. I further drove it along rocky wadis and across desert – I got to know it well, and I liked it. Obviously in Bahrain I clocked up a lot less millage – A LOT LESS, and stuck mostly to the roads, excluding a bit of sand driving just for the fun of it. Despite its large size and weight it drove impeccably and was easy to navigate in hectic traffic, and when off-roading it cut across waste land without a care in
the world. For off-roading, full-time fourwheel drive can be employed with a real low drive ratio. Torque is biased to the rear, but can be split 50:50 between the front and rear axles when wheels start slipping. Both on and off road, the QX80 has powerful braking capability. New features for this 2015 model include adaptive headlights that automatically dip the high beams if another vehicle is approaching, collision warning system, brake assist, backup collision warning system, and adaptive
To arrange a test drive in Bahrain contact YK Almoayyed on +973 1773 2732
Despite its large size and weight it drove impeccably and was easy to navigate in hectic traffic, and when off-roading it cut across waste land without a care in the world. Price Comparison Nissan Patrol From BD 15,995
Cadillac Escalade From BD 30,200
Mercedes GL 500 From BD 38,800 Lexus Landcruiser From BD 34,000
The author of this article, Nick Cooksey, in addition to being publisher of Arabian Magazines and Gulf Insider Media, is a jury panel member of the Middle East Motor Awards. Gulf Insider May 2015
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Motors CAR INSIDER
2015 SUBARU LEGACY Nick Cooksey drives a fully loaded Subaru Legacy.
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’ve always had a soft spot for Subaru, a brand with a well-deserved reputation for making quality cars with high performance capabilities at affordable prices. Well, the Legacy, though sharing many parts used in Subaru high performance models, is not aimed at speed freaks, but at families. Despite this, it has the sort of refined look you would expect on a far more expensive car, with stylised headlight clusters that bracket it on either side. And, the cool looking black aluminum wheels wouldn’t look out of place on a sports car costing many times the price. Inside, there’s lots of room, and the materials used feel they are of high quality. The upholstery is soft leather. There are split-folding rear seatbacks, which aid with carrying long objects. There’s an electronic handbrake, a leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel, and I was particularly impressed with the way the dash lit up at night. It
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was like something from the Starship Enterprise. There’s a rearview camera, blind-spot detection, lane-change assist, cross-
Most buyers will most likely be happy with the 2.5-litre engine, which provides adequate power for normal driving. traffic alert, and a top of the range infotainment system. The quality 12 speaker Harman Kardon audio system
pumps out the equivalent of 576 watts. It has all-wheel drive and brake-based active torque-vectoring as standard. The latter brakes the inside front wheel to reduce understeer. That Subaru offers these in a car of this price is excellent. Power is supplied by a 2.5-litre boxer four-cylinder engine that gives up to 175 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque – which is respectable. There’s a single exhaust at the back, though the six-cylinder 3.6-litre models have dual exhaust outlets and sends 256 hp and 247 lb-ft to all four wheels. I found the car enjoyable to drive. It’s well balanced, quiet, and with little road vibration. The four-cylinder 2.5i model shares the same CVT (if you don’t know what that means, look it up) as other Subaru models. The six-cylinder Legacy Limited comes equipped with the high-torque version from the WRX and Forester Turbo. Most buyers will most likely be happy
Motors
Starting Price for BD 8,300
with the 2.5-litre engine, which provides adequate power for normal driving. Sure, the V6 offers more power, so if that’s what you want, then get the 3.6-litre. I haven’t yet driven the larger engine version, so cannot compare, but I drove this car the whole time I had it in “sport” mode, and found it capable and a smooth yet reasonably firm ride. The power steering feels right, as did the brakes, which safely stopped the car as required. The Legacy gives the driver a feeling of competence which is fine as it’s designed to attract customers away from the Toyota Camry – and its fantastic value for money
To arrange your own test drive, contact Motorcity on +973 1773 6222.
Price Comparison Toyota Camry From BD 8,600
Honda Accord From BD 8,600
Nissan Altima From BD 8,300 The author of this article, Nick Cooksey, in addition to being publisher of Arabian Magazines and Gulf Insider Media, is a jury panel member of the Middle East Motor Awards. Gulf Insider May 2015
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Motors
INSIDE GP2 By Bill Daly
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rior to the running of the 2015 Bahrain Grand Prix,Bahrain International Circuit played host to the final testing session for GP2 teams. It was the last chance for the teams and drivers to test the cars and tyres before their first races of the 2015 season which took place in Bahrain over the Formula 1 weekend. The now infamous sandstorm which covered Bahrain in a blanket of dust at the time,almost resulted in the cancellation of the GP2 testing but as a testament to the hard work and resourcefulness of Shaikh Salman bin Essa Al Khalifa and his team at Bahrain International Circuit,proceedings were delayed by a mere few hours. The GP2 series kicked off in grand style as Formula 1’s official support race at the 2005 San Marino Grand Prix and now features races all over Europe and Asia. In it’s tenth year of running,GP2 52
Gulf Insider May 2015
GP2 is the almost guaranteed way for a young driver to make that dream leap into the glamorous and rewarding world of Formula 1. has proven beyond doubt to be the training and grooming ground for future Formula 1 drivers and indeed F1 world champions. The Formula 1 grid in Bahrain saw no
less than nine ex-GP2 drivers in the line up,including Lewis Hamilton,the current F1 world champion, and his team mate and adversary,Nico Rosberg. When one considers that Lewis Hamilton has just been named Britains richest sportsman and fellow F1 driver,Jenson Button as third richest,it is not surprising that GP2 gives rise to some of the most competitive motor racing in the world. A successful season or two driving in GP2 is the almost guaranteed way for a young driver to make that dream leap into the glamorous and rewarding world of Formula 1. The GP2 cars are just slightly down in pace from Formula 1 cars so there is no shortage of speed. But what makes it particularly attractive to me is that it is less formal and less controlled than Formula 1 and Motorsport fans have the opportunity to get up close to the action and the personalities and this was certainly the
Motors
case in Bahrain. With drivers casually walking around the paddock or queuing for lunch at the buffet,one can easily find oneself sitting and chatting with a possible future F1 world champion. Teams and drivers were once again full of praise for the facilities and management of Bahrain International Circuit which should ensure that it hosts many more such prestigious events in the future.
Photography by Hugh Haskell - Thomas
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Art
BAHRAIN’S PHOTO HISTORY Each month Gulf Insider will publish photos showing Bahrain in past times. To view many more visit Gulf-Insider.com and LIKE Gulf Insider on Facebook to receive new (er… old) Bahrain photos almost daily.
Bab-Al-Bahrain early 1940s
SEAFRONT OF MANAMA IN THE MID 1920S. The building on the far right is the old customs house which stood on the site of “Bab al Bahrain” while the building on the far left is the Gray Paul company which later became Gray Mackenzie 54
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BAHRAIN’S BIG FREEZE. Freezing conditions in Awali on 20th January 1964
RAF Muharraj – 1960s
1969 - A brand new EE Lightening, the fastest jet fighter in the world, is prepared for handover to the Royal Saudi Air Force 8th Squadron
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Art
HAMED AL-BOOSTA Abdul Kareem Al-Boosta, Hamed’s father, is considered one of the pioneers of art movement in Bahrain. And now, Hamed has been following in his father’s footsteps. Not only is he an intriguingly talented artist, but also an active member of Bahrain Arts Society and Bahrain Comprehensive Exhibition Committee, a jury on a number of arts competitions, an organiser of art exhibitions, and a founder of Al-Qafila Culture Festival that celebrates art, music, theatre, film, and poetry. Beautifully capturing the ephemerality of passing ruminations, Hamed’s works have been featured in several exhibitions both in Bahrain and abroad. 56
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Last Word
WHY I JOINED
THE 5AM CLUB By Nick Cooksey
“T
he 5am Club”, is the name coined by world famous success “guru” Robin Sharma for the daily habit of getting up at 5am. Sharma believes we lose the most powerful hours of the morning to sleep and strongly believes that developing this habit has been a major key to his and many other people’s success. I attended Sharma’s event at the Crowne Plaza in Bahrain last summer and was impressed by him and his ideas, though at the time disregarded his idea of getting up so early. It just didn’t seem “feasible”. But, a few months ago I happened to watch a YouTube video on the benefits of rising at 5am. This reminded me of Robin Sharma’s enthusiasm for this, so I decided to do a bit more study on the subject which consisted of reading and watching a couple of videos on the internet. Everything seemed to be very positive, so decided to give it a try. I set myself a challenge to get up at 5am every workday for one month. I figured that after a month I could assess if it were something that I would want to continue. I chose to take weekends off
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problem waking. I recognize that this is a consequence of my lifestyle as I eat healthy, keep fit, and don’t worry too much about things. I recommend that you choose a beautiful alarm sound so you awake in a good mood. My phone wakes me to the sound of running water and a gentle musical wind chime which is all very Zen. Interestingly, after just a few days of waking at 5 am I found myself as often as not waking up a few minutes before the alarm. I did in fact break my routine on three occasions during my first month, each time when there was a particularly special event in the evening that went on till late and I wanted to stay. On each occasion I gave myself a ‘pass’ and allowed myself to sleep an extra 2 hours the next day without guilt. But special events aside, I didn’t miss a single 5am and even opted to get up at 5 am on those weekend mornings when I hadn’t had something the night before worth keeping me up. So what’s the point of rising at 5am?
because, well weekends are weekends and it’s sometimes nice to stay out late, so I allowed myself a couple of late nights and next day lie-ins per week which seemed both sensible and fair. So what was it like? Well, I was already an early riser so I found that getting up at 5am wasn’t really that difficult to achieve. It just required a bit of discipline. By the way – notice that I say “get up” and not “wake up” – waking up is only half the task – and the easy half at that! You have to actually GET UP for it to count. A strict rule for anyone attempting to join the 5am Club is that you don’t let yourself snooze in bed after your alarm goes off. You allow yourself no more than 2-3 minutes to prepare yourself (NOT SNOOZE) then you get up and start your day. It’s important to recognise that getting up at 5 am is not about sleeping less. As you change the time you wake up, so you must also change the time you go to bed. Typically I need 5-6 hours’ sleep per night so I simply started going to bed at 11pm. I’m lucky in that I naturally sleep well - I fall asleep really fast, sleep without interruptions, and have no
1. You start your day with a rested mind and 2 hours of calm while the rest of the world is still sleeping – this is extremely powerful. 2. Getting up whether you want to or not develops willpower and is a victory over the self that is satisfying and confidence building. 3. Rising at 5 am has allowed me to see life differently. Going running while the sun is rising or exploring different places when I travel, impossible to do within a “normal schedule.” I am delighted to have swopped those last 2 hours at night in which nothing was achieved with these 2 new hours in the morning. I’ve decided to maintain my membership of “The 5am Club” on the proviso that if there’s anything worth staying up late for then I will give myself a special pass to miss the 5am Club that next morning. After all, life is for living and this is not a dry discipline to be followed just for the sake of it. On the contrary, the 5 am Club empowers me to do more of the interesting things that exist in the world.
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