Gulf Insider July 2018

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knowledge is power

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Gulf Financial Insider

Contents July 2018 Issue 162

38 54 Facebook Followers

326,566 Simply unparalleled online presence that connects region’s most inspired communities.

Bahrain Education Insider

16 18 20 22 24

The Advanced Education Courses Pioneer in Bahrain’s Higher Education Outstanding Schools in Bahrain “LEVEL 5” Innovation Center Moving to RVIS The British School

Bahrain Lifestyle

26 29 30

Breakfast Fit for Kings

Women’s rights for Bahrain How my trip to Incredible India was defeated by Incredible Indian Bureaucracy

Car News & Reviews

54

Ferrari Portofino

…and much, much more!

Comment...

A picture is worth a thousand words.

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

Knowledge is power

Publisher & Editor in Chief

- Nicholas C. Cooksey

Editorial Contributors

- Sawsan Abu Omar - Ryan Ernst - Dhanyasree M - Hugh Haskell-Thomas - Nicholas Cortes - Bill Daly

Business Development

- Charlie Cooksey

Layout Designs

- Dhanraj S

Admin & Finance

- Nikesh Pola

Photography

- Aneesh Mathew - Rafnaj K P

Distribution Executive

- Mohammed Yousif

For Advertising Opportunities Call Charlie Cooksey

Dhanyasree M

M. +973 3652 0004

M. +973 3612 8111

charlie@gulf-insider.com

sales1@gulf-insider.com

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P.O. Box 26810, Kingdom of Bahrain Tel: +973 1700 4575 Fax: +973 1772 1722 Printed at Awal Press, Kingdom of Bahrain.

Registered with Ministry of Information approval no. TFI-431©. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the publisher. All Rights Reserved. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

The multi-award winning Arabian magazine

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161

knowledge is power

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Outstanding Schools in Bahrain Al Areen Palace and Spa Ferrari Portofino

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General Manager

Royal Golf Club General Manager

Ramadan Car Deals

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+ Inside Ananda in the Himalayas Rhythm of Life Ford Expedition 2018

Passion for innovation

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Events

Day & Night Bahrain Summer Festival When: 1st to 30th July 2018 Where: Arad Fort Held under the slogan “Muharraq Capital of Islamic Culture”, the 10th edition of the Bahrain Summer Festival is returning with a thrilling consecutive two-month program! The festival, which will be located in Nakhool Tent at the historical Arad Fort, will offer a variety of children’s activities and workshops from 18 June to 18 August.

For more information: Tel. +973 1729 8777 info@culture.gov.bh

Al Fann, Art from the Islamic Civilization

The Stamp Seal: Hallmark of Dilmun and its Hidden Art

When: 1st to 30th July 2018 Where: Bahrain National Museum

When: 1st to 30th July 2018 Where: Bahrain National Museum

The exhibition introduces the public to the great and multifaceted nature of Islamic culture through the spectacular al-Sabah collection of Islamic Art. Broadly divided into two parts, the display illustrates a chronological progression broken into four stages and tackles themes that run transversely through Islamic art.

‘The Stamp Seals: Hallmark of Dilmun and its Hidden Art’ draws on the permanent collection of the Bahrain National Museum and some highlights from the National Museum of Kuwait.

The display illustrates an exceptional selection of seals spanning the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE and examines the use, techniques, diversity and splendour of the Dilmun seals.

For more information: Tel. +973 1729 8777 info@culture.gov.bh

Advanced Financial Modeling Training and Workshop When: 13th July 2018 Where: Swiss International Palace Hotel This specially designed 4 days Advanced Financial Modeling Bootcamp on Financial-Modeling is designed for working professionals and hence it is not basic introductory course instead it is a fast pace course covering all the topics of Financial-Modeling with Practical examples and case studies.

For more information: Tel. +1-518-635-845 8

Gulf Insider July 2018

For more information: Tel. +973 1729 8777 info@culture.gov.bh

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Follow @Gulf Insider A few of our social media posts from last month. Don’t forget to like our Facebook page!

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Society

Kalaam Telecom hosts their Ramadan Ghabga at Lagoona Beach Resort

Payment International Enterprise (PIE), one of the major FinTech players in the Kingdom, held its annual Ghabga at Downtown Rotana.

Gulf Insider July 2018

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Art

The colour changes are a common sight in the spring and early summer due to seasonal precipitation and climate patterns, Nasa said

The Iranian salt lake that turned blood red

A

n Iranian salt lake which was hit by drought turned red could be saved.

Urmia Lake in northern-western Iran changed back to a healthy blue colour after bouts of wet weather rejuvenated the waters. Amazing photographs taken from space showed the scale of the drought.

After weeks of dry conditions the water level had became so low that red-coloured micro-organisms turned the lake into something resembling a horror film.

Nasa’s Aqua satellite captured images of the red lake with its Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer.

Experts aren’t sure which tiny creatures turned the lake red but they believe they likely to be either algae or a type of bacteria known as Halobacteriaceae.

The colour changes are a common sight in the spring and early summer due to seasonal precipitation and climate patterns, Nasa said.

Spring is the wettest season in north western Iran, with rainfall usually peaking in April and snow on nearby mountains also melts.

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Gulf Insider July 2018

After weeks of dry conditions the water level had became so low that red-coloured micro-organisms turned the lake into something resembling a horror film. The men here bath in the salty waters

Art

Last month amazing photographs taken from a Nasa satelitte in space showed the scale of the drought but now the waters are beginning to come back as pictured

Four women here take a trip out into the mesmerising red-coloured lake which is turning back to its normal blue hue

One of the men walks into the salt lake which is still red in this part because low water levels over the hot summer

The vastness of the area is shown in these stunning photographs Gulf Insider July 2018

13

Society

BIsB Partnership Strategic Alliance Signing Ceremony with The Ritz-Carlton Bahrain

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Gulf Insider July 2018

Batelco Media Ghabga

Bahrain

Education insider

Education Special

Education Insider

The Advanced

Educational Courses

T

he time is not far that the socio-economic and demographic factors will bring forth a new job market, where the required skill sets will change. As the world’s marketplace drastically changes, career experts predict potential employment in 10 fields in Bahrain.

Today’s education industry has a decisive roles on the job functions, employment levels and skills of the future. As many educational institutions resort to the traditional courses, there are visionary educational institutions in the Kingdom, who have responsibly considered their roles. Gulf Insider presents top educational institutions in the Kingdom, offering programs in each field.

of the leading course in Bachelor’s in Graphic Design.

Royal University for Women provides Master of Arts in Design Management.

Public Health Sector Arabian Gulf University (AGU) offers Graduate Programs in Personalized Medicine and Molecular medicine.

Architects & Engineers

Hospitality

AMA International University offers courses in Bachelor of Science in Informatics Engineering and Bachelor of Science in Mechatronics Engineering.

Bahrain Institute of Hospitality and Retail is the only educational institution in the Kingdom to offer a Diploma in Hospitality and Tourism.

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) offers courses in Medical Commencement Program (MCP), undergraduate medicine program, BSc (Hons) Nursing program, and BSc (Hons) Nursing.

Ahlia University conducts Bachelor’s Degree in Computer and Communication Engineering for aspirants in this field.

Lawyers & Government Relations Experts

Specialized Sales & Marketing Experts

Applied Science University is the only University in the Kingdom who offers Bachelors and Master’s degrees in Law and Masters in Commercial Law.

University College of Bahrain offers the Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, where the graduates are valued by companies in Bahrain for 16 years.

Applied Science University in collaboration with London South Bank University offers Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Architectural Design Engineering.

Finance & Business Analytics AMA International University offers Bachelor of Science in International Business and Bachelor of Science in Business Informatics.

Ahlia University conducts graduate programs in Bachelor’s in Accounting and Finance and Bachelor’s in Banking and Finance.

Gulf University offers Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Financial Sciences

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Gulf Insider July 2018

Media Professionals University college of Bahrain offers Bachelor of Arts in communications and Multimedia for more than a decade.

Bahrain Polytechnic University offer 2 Majors in Web Media and Visual Design.

Petroleum Engineering University of Bahrain conduct unique programs in Bachelor’s and Masters of Science in Petro-Chemical Engineering in Bahrain.

Ahlia University offers Bachelor’s in Management and Marketing.

Sustainability University of Bahrain offers Graduate, Masters, and Doctorate programs in Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Finance & Business Analytics BIBF offers the Technical course FinTech in Flash: Financial Technology Made Easy

Product Designers

Specialized Sales & Marketing

Applied Science University offers one

BIBF has specialized training courses for Marketing, Sales & PR.

PROGRAMS B.Sc. in Business Administration B.Sc. in Information Technology BA in Communication and Multimedia MBA in Islamic Finance MBA in Management

ADMISSION OPEN

2018-2019

ACADEMIC YEAR

LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE

OfďŹ ce of Admissions and Registration, University College of Bahrain, P.O. Box 55040, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain Tel.: (+973) 17 790 828, Fax: (+973) 17 793 828, E-mail: admission@ucb.edu.bh, http://www.ucb.edu.bh

Education Special

Education Insider

Pioneer in Bahrain’s Higher Education

Interview with Dr. Khalid M Al-Khalifa, Chairman and Founder of the University College of Bahrain.

courses have been developed to suit the current job market in the fields of finance, business analytics, media, product design, sales & marketing.

What differentiates UCB from other universities and colleges in Bahrain?

UCB is a pioneer in higher education in Kingdom of Bahrain, as I have earlier mentioned our courses are developed in a way to match the current job market and is of the most superior quality. We review our curriculum on an annual basis, where we develop our courses according to the market needs. For instance, our current Islamic Banking course is in collaboration with the Malaysian University, who are experts in this field.

Does UCB have an on-campus recruitment process?

U

niversity College of Bahrain has been a leading provider of tertiary level education in the fields of Management, Business and Communications Technology, for 16 years. UCB works with a vision to provide a modern, quality-enhanced learning and teaching environment for students to ensure successful entry anywhere in the global economy.

Gulf Insider’s educational guide focusses on the leading educational institutions with accurate courses for future jobs.

In this aspect, the Gulf Insider team meets with Dr. Khalid M Al-Khalifa, Chairman and Founder of the University College of Bahrain.

What courses does the University College offer for the future jobs?

UCB offers three majors at the undergraduate level, namely Business Administration, Multimedia and Communications, and Information Technology. UCB also offers MBA program with specializations in Management and Islamic Finance. All these 18

Gulf Insider July 2018

Yes, Indeed! For the past 11 years, we have annually hosted a Career day at our campus where companies from across Bahrain exhibit themselves and recruit the most promising candidates from our graduating batch. Many of our students have secured jobs this way.

There are many changes in the market these days, what UCB has done to cope with it?

The last 4 years have seen the market delve into depression, thus jobs have become harder to obtain, especially in banking. But, what I have witnessed is that it bears no problem to our graduates. This is only because our reputation precedes us and there has always been a demand for UCB graduates in Bahrain.

What impact have modern-day developments taken on students?

I think there is a change in how students receive information, since they are no longer dependent on just one source. They are benefitted by the electronic databases.

Everything is available if they want to source it. This revolution of information seeking and availability has only helped students to obtain more knowledge and it also changes

Education Special

how they apply the information in assignments and their day-to-day life.

What is the long-term plan for UCB? We are planning to move to a bigger campus in the next 5 years. I would also like to see some collaboration with Indian universities to deliver Indian programs here. A vast population of the expatriates in Bahrain belongs to the Indian ethnicity and therefore catering

Our courses are developed in a way to match the current job market. to them would be beneficial to both parties. We really look forward to realize this dream.

Does UCB have any affiliations with foreign universities?

Initially, we had affiliations with Canadian and American universities, but we no longer have them since we have potential in ourselves to be independent. We’ve been in the education field for 16 years, and we have acquired the maturity to run solely on our programs and ambitions.

What is your dream on the education sector of the Kingdom?

Many of our students are from Saudi Arabia and for me, I would like to see Bahrain as a hub for higher education in the Gulf region. For example, the Kingdom can invite plenty of students from Saudi Arabia to offer additional opportunities that we offer. I hope our government and Ministry of Education, support us in this regard.

Gulf Insider July 2018

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Education Special

Education Insider

Outstanding

Schools in Bahrain As the Education and Training Quality Authority (BQA) represented by the Directorate of Private Schools and Kindergartens Reviews (DPS) will complete the second cycle of reviews in December 2018, find more about their evaluation and the outstanding Private schools in Bahrain.

T

he education sector in the Kingdom anticipates major uprising as the demand for modern institutes and facilities suited to 21st century teaching methods increases.

Private schools will play a major role to develop the community and will be teaching about 33% of the Kingdom’s students by 2020.

The Government in Bahrain has stepped in to ensure the quality of education and training sectors since 2008. This is essential to ensure the quality of what is provided to students,

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Gulf Insider July 2018

The Education and Training Quality Authority (BQA) was launched in 2008 and was recognized according to the Royal Decree No. (83) of the year 2012. In terms of Article (4) of the Royal Decree, BQA is concerned with review the performance of education and training institutions, manage the National Qualifications Framework and conduct National Examinations in light of the guiding indicators set by the Authority.

particularly as new private schools are springing up across Bahrain. The Directorate of Private Schools and Kindergartens Reviews (DPS), is one of the four directorates within the General Directorate of Education and Training Institutions Reviews (GDR) within BQA. DPS reviews, monitors and reports on students’ outcomes, the main processes and the quality assurance of both outcomes and processes within private schools according to the best international practices. They identify strengths and areas for improvement in Private schools to spread best practices

Education Special

and processes is judged through the aspect of leadership, management and governance.

The DPS trains private schools on filling out a Self-Evaluation Form (SEF) prior to the review to get schools ready for the review by explaining how to fill the SEF. The SEF assists the school to organize the mass of information about the school, and to make judgements about its achievements and schoolwork aspects. It will also enable the schools to clearly identify the school’s strengths, areas for improvement, and plan for addressing these areas.

Schools should regularly update the

and provide recommendations for improvement.

The Directorate emphasizes in the conduct of all its procedures the principals of professionalism, fairness, integrity, transparency, consistency, credibility and sustainability. The review framework evaluates students’ outcomes through judging the aspects of academic achievement and personal development. The school’s processes are judged through the aspects of teaching and learning and support and guidance provided to students. The quality assurance of both outcomes

SEF, in order to ensure that the school is constantly aware, knowledgeable and effectively evaluates its situation and sets their plans accordingly. Completion of the SEF includes a range of management processes of monitoring and evaluation. Rigorous self-evaluation is an indicator of an effective leadership.

In addition to the Self-evaluation Form (SEF), the DPS includes parents in the review process through relentlessly seeking their views about their children’s schools/kindergartens and the services provided. This is done through an automated process of screening

using an online parents’ opinion questionnaire (PQs) that takes into account confidentiality. The Directorate continuously develop schemes to elicit parents’ views in various ways to maximize their involvement in the review process. This is also achieved through holding a parents’ meeting during the actual review of randomly selected parents. For Parents interested in attending the parents’ meeting, they are asked to express their wish to attend through the parents’ questionnaire (PQs) to be included within the selection of the invited parents as much as possible.

DPS has completed the third cycle of reviews in June 2018. As per the DPS reviews, here’s the list of top 6 Private schools in Bahrain: 

The British School of Bahrain



Riffa Views International School



Bahrain Bayan School



Ibn Khuldoon National School



Nadeen School



St Christopher’s School

Gulf Insider July 2018

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Education Special

Education Insider

“LEVEL 5”

Innovation Center Moving to RVIS A Beacon of Innovation Excellence in the Middle East.

R

iffa Views International School (RVIS) is embarking on an ambitious journey to bring a level of innovation that has never been seen in Bahrain or the region. RVIS, in partnership with International School Services (ISS), will transform the school into a hub of innovation for the region. The school will be expanding an already existing program that started 18 months ago by ISS and Shekou International School (SIS) in Shekou China that revolutionized education in the region.

A culture of innovation will be ingrained in every aspect of the school changing how education is viewed and experienced.

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Gulf Insider July 2018

Since the opening, the LEVEL 5 Innovation and Training Center at SIS has earned the school the “21st Century Learning School of the Year” which is awarded by an illustrious group of educators from around the world.

LEVEL 5 and SIS has also been named an Apple Distinguished School for its effectiveness in instilling innovative practices within the school. Thanks to LEVEL 5, global innovation experts regularly present workshops at the school which attracts hundreds of teachers from around the world.

The new LEVEL 5 Center at RVIS is scheduled to open in the 20182019 school year and will promote the exploration of design thinking and project based innovation while bringing in experts from around the world on a regular basis. A culture of innovation will be ingrained in every aspect of the school changing how education is viewed and experienced.

This innovative style of education will help RVIS students rise above the rest when applying to the top universities around the world, as well as give them the skills for future careers. The aim of LEVEL 5 is to also provide opportunities for local and international schools and businesses to utilize the space to expand their innovative practices and partner with the school in a variety of ways.

After making the announcement to the RVIS community, the School Director, Dr. Kurt Nordness said, “we are honored to have been chosen from other elite schools in the region to become the worldwide headquarters for LEVEL 5 and look forward to bringing a new level of innovation to our school and the region.” He went on to say, “the LEVEL 5 project will indeed reinforce RVIS’s vision of being a beacon of innovative teaching excellence for the region and the world.”

CREATE | DISCOVER | LEARN

A NEW LEVEL OF INNOVATION COMING TO RVIS

+973 1656 5004

rvis.bh

admissions@rvis.edu.bh

rvis_bh

www.rvis.edu.bh

rvisbah

Education Special

Education Insider

The British School Spreading the Best Teaching Practices in the Kingdom

T

he British School of Bahrain is one of the five ‘Outstanding Schools’ in Bahrain as per the report of Directorate of Private Schools and Kindergartens (DPS) Reviews. The twelve member DPS team observed lessons and other activities, scrutinized students’ written work and analyzed the school’s performance data and other documents. They met with staff members, students and parents.

Exceptionally effective systems are in place for monitoring the school’s performance, especially in respect of student achievement.

DPS commented on The British School’s effective learning in almost all lessons using a wide range of educational resources and a variety of teaching strategies and crafted as

per individual needs of the students including the highest achievers.

Students’ interests and experiences are promoted in full within a safe and healthy environment and through the provision of a wide range of extracurricular activities and development of their personal skills.

Rigorous and effective selfevaluation and strategic planning are spearheaded by a very clear vision that is appropriately focused on the achievement of the highest academic and personal outcomes for students.

The effective management team focuses on continuous development and continually encourages staff to improve performance.

The British School Pioneer Projects A range of technological initiatives has been introduced to help primary students to develop their technological skills, including the use of Edmodo, Lightbot programming, Alfie cloud assessment and the Accelerated Reader and Star Reading programs. In addition, Google classrooms and Google apps are

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Gulf Insider July 2018

being used to support learning and to enhance feedback and efficiency.

The British School has created student Digital Leaders who demonstrate a particular expertise in computing and technology to support students, staff and parents in the application of technology in school. The Performance Management structure is linked to the school’s development plan and departmental development plans.

This sets clear targets for teachers in terms of student attainment and the development of teaching strategies and approaches.

A Gifted and Talented program includes an enrichment week, Gifted and Talented Robotics, Gifted and Talented Choir, and membership of the University of Warwick’s online Gifted and Talented community. Committees have been introduced in the sixth form.

These include charity, social media and teaching and learning bodies.

DPS strongly recommended The British School to keep up their outstanding standards and spread the best teaching practices across the school and disseminate these to other schools in Bahrain.

Bahrain

LifeStyle insider

Bahrain Lifestyle

BREAKFAST

FIT FOR FIT KINGS Gulf Insider sits down at Rimal, Al Areen Palace and Spa for a perfect healthy breakfast.

W

aking up in Al Areen Palace and Spa is by itself a very relaxing dream, add to that a breakfast buffet fit for kings. You’ve already made the right start to the day.

The Spread The elaborate breakfast buffet is held in the Rimal restaurant and is a collaboration between the chefs at Rimal and the health team at Al Areen Palace and Spa. The spread is split between savory and sweet items and represent a combination of English and Arabic cuisine. Complete with a madeto-order egg station, a salad bar that 26

Gulf Insider July 2018

also features various types of Cheese and cold cuts, A dessert bar, toasts, pancakes, waffles, the works.

There isn’t a fixed menu as the items keep shuffling and new dishes are brought in each day to provide a unique experience to the guests who come to stay. Rimal is with long windows letting in natural daylight, if you’re not awakened by the strong coffee and tea they serve, the natural light and the aroma of baked goods and spices will.

The Wellness Intervention Al Areen Palace and Spa is centered around the idea of living well, ergo the policies intervene in this breakfast buffet as well. Each item is arranged next to a

Bahrain Lifestyle

The elaborate breakfast buffet is held in the Rimal restaurant and is a collaboration between the chefs at Rimal and at Al Areen Palace and Spa. color-coded place card. There are four colors used, Purple, Green, Blue, and Orange. Each color communicates to you the amount of calories you will consume per 50 grams of serving. The blue depicts 100 calories per 50 grams which are the lowest amount of calories you could consume at this spread and the highest being 500.

The chefs have delivered all the items in the spread keeping in mind the health and well being of their guests, which means no extra dollop of butter or oil. But this is without compromising on the flavor, of course.

Even the dessert bar holds fast to this policy, The Danish pastries and the blueberry muffins aren’t

A CALORIE is the large calorie or kilogram calorie, also known as the food calorie and similar names, is defined in terms of the kilogram rather than the gram. It is equal to 1000 small calories or 1 kilocalorie.

excessively decadent. There is just the recommended amount of sugar to give you that sweet finish. Most of the sweets made, also avoid sugar and use natural sweeteners like raw honey and organic jams. And if you still want to be extra cautious, there are various fruit salads to choose from.

Al Areen Palace and Spa ensures indulgence while keeping your fitness in mind.

For more information: www.alareenpalace.com Tel. +973 1784 5081

Gulf Insider July 2018

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Bahrain Lifestyle

Massive Shift In five weeks of signing up to Al Areen’s Fitness for Life program I have lost four kilos (that’s a total of seven kilos since I started in March) and an incredible three inches from my waist, two inches from my chest and an inch from my hips, glutes and legs and it shows. I’m really starting to see the difference although much more than that it’s how I feel. No matter how hard the session— sometimes I seriously just want to quit, roll into the fetal position and cry, the endorphins kick in and I come out feeling fitter, stronger and walking taller.

Managing Shift

Live Well Challenge Christine Warren-White has an amazing shift!

N

ever would I ever have thought that I would describe myself as a “Gym Bunny”; (“Gin Bunny” possibly, but never “Gym”) however I seem to have somehow, in just five weeks, managed to swap settee for PT. Five weeks ago I was a hefty hippo, huffing, heaving and hurling myself around the studio, horrified at how hard a moderate 60 minute class was. Now, I’m practically skipping in to my sessions and actively look forward to working hard at working out. I’ve gone from fear and loathing in class breathless to good morning here I am, in a ridiculously short space of time.

How has this happened? Well, my surroundings have everything to do with this, as being at Al Areen Palace & Spa is not only inspiring, it’s motivating me

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Gulf Insider July 2018

My journey thus far has seen me detox, curb my enthusiasm for good food and drink (four months and not touched a drop) and commit to the gym, however I’ve been unable to combine exercise and diet. There’s still a long way to go and I know to maintain momentum I’m going to have to have both working together. A fad diet won’t work for me; my challenge will be to find a regime that enables me to lose kilos and Live Well. Gulp! See you in August with the results!

too. From the smiles at security to the encouragement of every staff member I meet, it motivates me to want to try and work harder. And that’s before I’ve even hit the fantastic facilities.

Amazing Grace My personal trainer Grace absolutely lives up to her name. Patient, persuasive, fair, definitely firm and exactly what I need to ensure I’m exercising effectively, efficiently and now it would seem excitedly! Grace makes me work harder than I ever could on my own, mixes up the sessions so I’m never bored and most importantly she knows exactly what I need to work on whether it’s cardio, strength training or a mix of both and the results are starting to show.

Christine Warren-White From setting up then selling her PR business to the world’s largest communications agency, Christine has worked domestically, regionally and internationally with renowned global brands and governments across multiple sectors. Over 20 years, she’s managed high profile accounts, campaigns and crisis communications whilst being a regular media commentator on TV, radio and in print, including for the BBC. She lives with her family in Bahrain.

Bahrain Lifestyle

Women’s rights in Bahrain

A

lthough Bahrain ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 2002, it added reservations. One of these was to Article 9, which is the right for women to transfer their citizenships to their children when they marry foreigners.

A common reasoning for the status quo is allowing women to transfer the nationality will dilute Bahraini culture and identity. However, if this is to hold for women who marry foreigners, it should also hold for men who do the same. It doesn’t because of the subtle culture of discrimination against women here. This argument also fails because, for many of these children, the only

country they have known is Bahrain. In essence, they are born and bred here and are quite conversant with the ways of the country.

Another benefit is that it encourages immigration, which, although having two sides to the coin, is on average quiet advantageous to a country.

Granting this right to women encourages their foreign husbands to stay in Bahrain for a longer time.

How is immigration beneficial? Firstly, in addition to being workers, immigrants are also consumers, meaning that they spend the money they earn on goods and services. More the spending, more the profits for businesses to make.

The positive ripple effects are quite beneficial to the economy as a whole.

The increased profit leads to more

revenue for the government and to the creation of more jobs for Bahrainis.

In the end, immigrants boost the economy.

Allowing Bahraini women this right also prevents the creation of a permanent underclass. When children automatically become stateless at birth, they become second-class citizens.

This also applies to their children, going down into infinity, who will be forced to a lower standard of living, meaning that employers can hire them at lower rates, and so they will out-compete Bahrainis for jobs.

This women’s right is already in practice in Arab countries like Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, and Yemen.

Granting it in Bahrain would signal that it seeks to end all forms of discrimination against women. Denying it is a clear injustice to children, who are made to pay for the perceived sins of their parents.

The journey towards gender equality is a slow and steady one. However, granting Bahraini mothers the right to transfer their citizenship is something that is long overdue, not just because it is the right thing to do, but also because it is to the benefit of all Bahrainis.

Dr. Ahmed Alkhuzaie Author & Managing Partner of D.C. based political consultants Khuzaie Associates LLC. Gulf Insider July 2018

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Bahrain Lifestyle

How my trip to Incredible India was defeated by incredible Indian bureaucracy Nicholas Cooksey fails in his attempt to visit India

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Bahrain Lifestyle

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ndia, I hear, is a beautiful and amazing country that offers much to see, and actively markets itself as a tourist destination. The recent ‘Incredible India’ campaign was awesome.

As publisher of Gulf Insider I was invited by a hotel group to visit India to promote both India and a hotel there to an international audience.

Whoever thought up the visa application questions also needed to know all sorts of other pieces of seemingly meaningless info.

I’ve never visited the country before and looked forward to sharing my experience with thousands of others in the print edition of the magazine and amongst 325,000 online followers throughout the Middle East and beyond.

A Bahrain travel agent organized our flights, but told us that we had to arrange our own visas. So, we went online and filled out an overly long and sometimes bizarre questionnaire requiring us to name, among other things, every country we had visited over the last ten years – TEN YEARS? I’d struggle to list all the countries I’ve visited in the past 10 months!

Whoever thought up the visa application questions also needed to know all sorts of other pieces of seemingly meaningless info. Anyway, we answered the online application as best we could, laughing at the pointless questions instead of being angered by them, and received a print out which

looked official and included our portrait photos. We thought these were our visas.

We realized two days before our departure date that there was a charge of BD 60 for each visa, which we had not paid. We reviewed what we thought were our visas but were in fact not visas!

We called the travel agent who booked our flights and asked for advice, which was to go to another travel agent in Manama that handled Indian visas – in person. Why must we go to another agent? Why can’t it be done online?

‘That’s just how it works’, was the reply.

I jumped into my car and drove to the travel agent mentioned, located close to Bab al Bahrain. As I entered my heart sank. There were about sixty people standing and sitting around waiting.

The atmosphere was one of tedious resignation. Babies were crying, which always makes a place feel stressful.

Luckily, things were better than first seemed. I still don’t know why so any people were waiting, but I was served almost immediately. I handed over my passport and completed form only to be asked for a letter of invitation from the hotel. I didn’t have one, nor had I been told I would need to bring one.

I had called and asked what I would need to bring beforehand and there was no mention of needing any letter of invitation.

I scrolled through the emails on my I-phone to show some correspondence with the hotel chain. The chap behind the counter then walked to another counter to make a call. I meekly followed in case I was needed to answer any more questions. He made a call and walked back to the original counter, which now had half a dozen people standing around where I had been standing just a few minutes earlier. I eased back into my original position in front of the other people. After another call I was invited into a side office where I met another gentleman. He inspected my documentation and told me I’d need to go visit the Indian Embassy visa section, get approval, and then once I received this approval I would need to return to his office.

Gulf Insider July 2018

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Bahrain Lifestyle

Indian Embassy, Bahrain

Seriously? It seemed like I was going to need to spend half a day driving around Manama getting various permissions just so I could go on a four day visit. ‘Surely there’s a better way’, I asked.

The problem, I was told, was the visit visa I had applied for was as a journalist.

Yes, to write a travel article promoting Indian tourism. I offered to reapply in any manner he suggested. ‘Sorry, but that would not be legal’, was the reply.

I thanked him for his time, in fairness he was doing his best, and walked out of the office feeling despondent. Then I had an idea...

I called an Indian friend, someone respected amongst the Indian community in Bahrain. I’d met with him just a few days previously and told him of my upcoming first trip to his country.

He’d been delighted and next day sent me photos of the place I was planning to visit, which looked beautiful.

He very kindly offered to take me to the Indian Embassy himself, but that 32

Gulf Insider July 2018

It’s my honest belief, based on my recent experience, that Indian government bureaucracy is acting as a brake on India’s tourist industry. didn’t seem right. I know he’s a busy man and didn’t want to take up his time.

Instead I asked him to give me the number of someone in the embassy I could call and seek advice from. Based on that advice I would either go through the recommend process, or give up on the trip.

Within seconds he texted me a name

and mobile number of someone in a responsible position at the embassy. I immediately called them, but there was no answer. I messaged them saying who I was, who recommended I call them, and asking they call me back when convenient. I received no call back despite two WhatsApp blue ticks confirming my message had been read.

Next morning I called again, but still no response.

The flight was for that evening. I looked at my flight ticket and itinerary, and realized we would not be going.

No doubt there were better ways I could have handled this, I’m certain there are, but I’m also certain there are better ways to organize a visa system, especially for a country as big and important as India. I have applied for many visas and until this time it had always been a simple process.

It’s my honest belief, based on my recent experience, that Indian government bureaucracy is acting as a brake on India’s tourist industry.

We contacted the Indian Embassy for comment, but received no reply.

News Roundup

Top Dubai hotel sacks celebrity chef over ‘AntiIslam’ tweet

Celebrity chef Atuf Lochhar has been sacked by top hotel JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai, where the chef lends his name to popular Indian restaurant Rang Mahalafter, after he was accused of posting a tweet defaming Islam.

The offending tweet was in response to another tweet from Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra relating to the recent controversy surrounding the TV show Quantico starring Priyanka Chopra.

Lochhar tweeted “It’s sad that you have not respected the sentiments of Hindus who have been terrorised by Islam over 2000 years. Shame on you”.

That tweet resulted in JW Marriott Marquis Hotel immediately terminating his contract and all association with the chef.

In an official email, the management of JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai stated; At the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai we pride ourselves on creating a culture of diversity and inclusion for our guests and associates across the hotel and our restaurants. We also remain committed to delivering the traditional culinary experience and high service standards that Rang Mahal is renowned for.”

“Following the recent comments made by Chef Atul Kochhar, we have taken the decision to end our agreement with him for Rang Mahal. With the termination of our agreement, Chef Atul will no longer be associated with the restaurant and the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai The chef has issued two apologies but did not comment on the termination of his contract

Saudi: Restaurant goers to be fined for unfinished plates Saudi Arabia’s consultative Shoura Council will this month discuss a food waste law that could see individuals charged for leaving unfinished plates in restaurants.

The plans follow a report from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture statin that Saudi Arabia ranks number one in food waste.

The ministry said 30 per cent of food produced in Saudi Arabia is wasted, worth around SAR49bn ($13bn) a year. In addition, the average Saudi wastes 250kg of food annually compared to a global average of 150kg.

Wastage is particularly high during the current holy month of Ramadan where leftovers from extravagant iftars are often thrown away.

Societal pressures to impress guests with extravagant food offerings have also led to excessive waste in the country yearround.

The food waste law, set to be discussed by the Shoura Council, would see individuals and organisations fined for excessive waste. Other potential measures include a fee for restaurant goers that leave unfinished plates of food.

The council’s social affairs committee has also proposed the establishment of a national centre to offer guidance and awareness on food waste.

Kuwait Suspends introducing VAT Following a Budgets and Final Accounts Committee meeting, the National Assembly confirmed the revised timeline for the VAT introduction, citing a lack of technical and logistical readiness for mechanisms of work and tax calculation.

Originally, all six GCC states had agreed to implement a 5 percent VAT, as well as excise tax, by 2018. However, to date the tax has only been brought in by Saudi Arabia and the UAE. While no official announcement has been made by Oman, Bahrain or Qatar, all three are expected to postpone introduction of the VAT to 2019, according to media reports.

Gulf Insider July 2018

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People & Culture

A picture dated November 5, 2016 from the Middle East Broadcasting Center shows Saudi actors Nasser al-Gasabi and Reem Abdallah filming a scene of ‘Al-Assouf’ in Abu Dhabi

Saudi TV drama

creates controversy

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Saudi television drama that is set during a period before the rise of religious fundamentalism has evoked nostalgia about the kingdom’s “modern past” — and fury from arch-conservatives sidelined in a much-publicised liberalisation drive.

“Al-Assouf”, set in the 1970s and aired on satellite broadcaster MBC during the holy fasting month of Ramadan, has emerged as a cultural flashpoint that has pitted hardliners against more moderate proponents of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reforms.

It portrays a different Saudi Arabia — a traditional but tolerant society where the sexes mingle unfettered.

That image of Saudi society, dismissed as a distortion by hardliners, chimes with Prince Mohammed’s repeated assertion that the kingdom

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Al-Assouf, which portrays the pre1979 era - widely hailed as Saudi Arabia’s “modern past” - has left conservatives bristling. was a cradle of moderate Islam until 1979, a turning point that marked the birth of radicalism.

Al-Assouf, which portrays the pre1979 era — widely hailed as Saudi

Arabia’s “modern past” — has left conservatives bristling.

“To picture a community that accepts the mixing of genders, adultery and children born out of wedlock… is a disaster,” prominent cleric Abdulbaset Qari said in a YouTube video.

“They (the show) want to spread immorality, to normalise this culture.”

One Al-Assouf scene showing a young Saudi boy leaning over a neighbourhood boundary wall to talk to a girl was widely criticised on social media.

“Young children flirting!” tweeted Abdulrahman al-Nassar, a Kuwaiti cleric popular in the kingdom.

“The ugly distortion of childhood in Saudi Arabia.”

But moderates, including Al-Assouf’s lead actor Nasser al-Kasabi, have fiercely defended the show.

People & Culture

A picture dated December 30, 2016 from the Middle East Broadcasting Center shows filming of ‘Al-Assouf’ in Abu Dhabi

A picture provided by the Middle East Broadcasting Center, dated December 20, 2016, shows filming of ‘Al-Assouf’ in Abu Dhabi

“Extremists are against it because they believe it is an attempt to destroy what they built over the next two decades (since 1979), which they refer to as the ‘awakening’,” columnist Abdulrahman al-Rashed wrote in the pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat.

“They are attacking Al-Assouf because it has cast light on an era that was deliberately made dark. The raison d’etre of the extremists is to extinguish this light.”

The backlash has laid bare what observers call an undercurrent of resentment over the waning influence of arch-conservatives, once a swaggering force with unbridled powers, as Prince Mohammed pursues reforms that mark the biggest cultural

shake-up in Saudi Arabia’s modern history.

The reforms have ended decadeslong bans on women driving and cinemas and allowed mixed-gender concerts, sidelining hardliners who were once the traditional backers of the royal family.

Prominent Salafist clerics with millions of followers on social media have been jailed.

Others who made regular appearances on television have disappeared from the public eye, and some long known for virulently opposing women’s rights have mysteriously come out in support of the prince’s pro-women reforms.

Columnists in Saudi newspapers have openly called for abolishing the kingdom’s once-feared religious police, whose powers have been clipped.

The modernisation drive has been lauded by the prince’s supporters as a “second awakening”, an idea that AlAssouf appears to promote.

“Our communities are in need of an Al-Assouf that is capable of sending us back to our first life, or in the correct sense, our simple life before we changed for the worse,” Ali al-Zuabi, a professor at Kuwait University, told AFP. The flagship MBC show, aired daily during Ramadan, was filmed two years ago in Abu Dhabi.

The broadcaster said the delay in airing was caused by production reasons, adding that the top-rated show will have two more seasons.

Gulf Insider July 2018

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News Roundup

Bikini-clad women in Saudi Arabia?

Yes, really…

The new project to develop part of Saudi Arabia’s coastline into a luxury tourism resort will be regulated by laws of ‘international standard’, possibly leading to a more liberal atmosphere.

A radical plan to transform part of the Saudi coastline into a beach resort for the international market could lead to more relaxed laws on beach clothing.

The country faces an uphill battle however, as the majority of tourists in the Gulf travel to the UAE, where relaxed laws on bikinis and alcohol allow for a more ‘liberal’ experience.

The Red Sea Project, a luxury resort to be built between the cities of Amlaj and al-Jawh, will be “governed by laws on par with international standards,” a statement by the Saudi Public Investment Fund [PIF] said.

The tourism development plan is a part of the Vision 2030 reform plan – devised by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as a way to wean the country’s economy off oil and improve the local economy.

Saudi Arabia by contrast, has banned alcohol, enforces strict gender segregation and maintains strict regulations on how women can dress.

The investment fund is working to combat these negative images of the country by focusing on the region’s unspoilt and pristine natural beauty, which will reportedly be protected by strict environmental laws.

Saudi: Expat fee taking its toll on restaurant owners Even though the price of renting a commercial space has decreased by more than 50 percent in comparison to previous years, investors are still hesitant about investing in the food industry due to high operational costs, Al-Yaum newspaper reported quoting economists and investors.

Sultan Al-Misiry, an investor in the food industry, has said the current period is the best time to invest in the food industry.

“The rent is at an all-time low. Some property owners even offer the first three months free. The rental contracts can extend to five years with a fixed price. Two

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Gulf Insider July 2018

years ago the average annual rent for a restaurant space was SR200,000.

Today, you can easily find a similar space for SR150,000,” said Al-Misiry.

He said the cost of expatriate fees is taking its toll on restaurant owners.

“A lot of employers prefer hiring Saudis as it saves them from having to pay workers’ taxes and buy flight tickets. Many restaurants however have closed due to financial burdens,” said Al-Misiry.

Economist Mohammad Al-Qahtani said running a restaurant requires dedication and commitment.

“It’s a highly competitive field.

Restaurants are not just competing with national trademarks in our country, but also international chains. Running a restaurant will require at least six expatriate workers between cooking, packaging, cleaning and preparation.

It is a great financial burden on the owner,” said Al-Qahtani.

Bahrain News

EWA bills shocked the residents of Hidd Residents of Hidd were horrified to receive unsubsidized electricity and water bills a few days ago as they became fresh customers to the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) with the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry changing their addresses.

New addresses made them ineligible for subsidies and thus the higher bills. Many residents who were receiving bills around BD40 got bills somewhere in the neighbourhood of BD300 by the end of May. The residents say address change was not informed to them by the ministry.

However, the change that came effective through the ministry hasn’t updated many government bodies including the EWA and the Central Informatics Organisation (CIO).

Yousif Al Thawadi, area’s representative at Muharraq Municipal Council, said, “The problem emerged when one of the residents randomly discovered that the entire block 109 in Hidd was changed to block 113.

He discovered this when he was renewing his identity card at the CIO, a few days after the block was changed without prior announcement.” He said the complaints increased when EWA bills were issued to the citizens after cancelling their subsidies.

Mr Al Thawadi also shed light on the other side of the dilemma. He alleged that all of the official mails of the citizens are now being delivered to unknown locations and that they can’t benefit from any municipal services.

The matter has been urgently referred to Muharraq Municipal Council, which will officially follow up on it with the concerned authorities.

Bahrainis’ are eligible to receive heavily discounted utility bills on their primary residence. Such discounts are being withdrawn from Expats who currently pay substantially more for their electricity and water, and from next year will face utility bills approximately nine times higher than Bahrainis.

32 Expats Caught For Gambling In Manama Bahrain police have arrested 32 expatriates for gambling in the capital Manama. In a brief statement, the Director-General of Investigation and Forensic Science late on Sunday said the detainees were from different Asian countries.

The arrests were made after an investigation was launched following the circulation of a video on social media that showed the suspects gambling.

They were subsequently identified and arrested while cash money and other items were confiscated, the director general said. Legal proceedings are being taken to refer the case to the Public Prosecution, he added.

Gambling and betting are strictly banned in Bahrain and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

MPs plan to end fishing licences for expats The lawmakers are planning to adopt a new law that would prevent the leasing out of fishing licences to expats. Leasing out their licences to Asian expatriates is a common practice among Bahraini fishermen and the lawmakers plan to end this “business” by adopting a new set of regulations aimed at protecting the marine wealth.

The existing law allows Bahraini fishermen to obtain up to three licences and it is not considered illegal to sell or lease them out. The lawmakers say this practice has ruined the fishing industry, with expats gradually becoming dominant players.

According to the proposed law, which will be voted by the House of Representatives in its next session, leasing out or selling licences could invite a punishment of BD5,000 in fines or up to six months imprisonment.

However, the proposed law doesn’t go against recruiting foreign workers.

Sources say leasing out licences is a big business and Bahraini fishermen earn between BD500 and BD800 monthly by locking deals with Asian expatriates.

Officials at the Fisheries Department within the Works, Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry say there are more than 1,600 licences issued, out of which 86 is for shrimping. Although there were plans to reduce the number of licences, the department has not worked on its implementation.

Gulf Insider July 2018

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Bahrain Lifestyle

Dubai v Bahrain Listed among top world cities, how they compare on prices and salaries.

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ubai and Manama have been named as two of the biggest climbers in new research on how prices and earnings of 77 international cities fare against each other.

Dubai’s ranking has risen 13 places to 14th globally since 2005 while the Bahraini capital jumped nine places to eighth in the same period, according to UBS Global Wealth Management’s Chief Investment Office.

Of Dubai, the research said: “Another Middle Eastern powerhouse, Dubai has risen 12 spots since our 2015 ranking. And while it’s one of the most expensive expat destinations, it’s pretty affordable when it comes to millennial must-haves.”

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Manama ranked 39th for price level, 35th for earnings and 31st for purchasing power.

UBS ranked Dubai as the third most expensive place for expats to live, behind Geneva and Brussels, but was one of the least expensive when comparing a list of things that generation Y might use as “millennial must-haves” in 2018, it added.

The cost of items which included an

iPhone, a laptop, a pair of jeans, a pair of sneakers, a Netflix subscription, a cup of coffee, a Big Mac as a late night craving and avocados came to just over $2,000 in Dubai.

This compared to $3,696 in the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires which was the most expensive of 11 cities from around the world chosen for comparison. Other cities included New York, Paris, London, Zurich, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Moscow, Bangkok, and Toronto.

The research showed Dubai ranked 36th for both price levels and earnings while ranking 38th for purchasing power.

It showed that it would take a Dubai resident 21.8 minutes to earn enough to buy a Big Mac, compared to the top-

Bahrain Lifestyle

Dubai’s ranking has risen 13 places to 14th globally since 2005 while the Bahraini capital jumped nine places to eighth in the same period.

ranked Hong Kong time of 11.8 minutes while it would take 107.6 working hours to buy an iPhone or iPod, compared to Zurich’s time of just 38.2 hours.

The UBS research also ranked the emirate as the fourth most expensive city for housing ($2,653 per month), with only Hong Kong ($3,946), New York

people, of which 35 percent are nonSaudi, also featured on the list and was ranked 60th for price level, 39th for earnings and 24th for purchasing power.

Globally, Zurich retained its position as the most expensive city, followed by Geneva and Oslo.

Los Angeles boasted the world’s best

and Paris ahead of it.

By contrast, Dubai ranked a lowly 74th for public transport with an affordable $5.40 compared to the $108 demanded

by Luxembourg.

Climbing less spots than its Middle Eastern neighbours, the capital of Bahrain nevertheless broke into the top 10 this year.

Manama ranked 39th for price level, 35th for earnings and 31st for purchasing power It would take a Manama resident 15.4 minutes to earn enough to buy a Big Mac and 80.9 hours to buy an iPhone or iPod. Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian capital which is home to more than 6 million

buying power for the average worker’s salary, with LA residents now able to afford almost a quarter more than New Yorkers.

The study, first launched in 1971 and now in its 17th edition, compares 128 prices of various goods and services as well as average earnings of 15 professions representing the average working population.

According to the study’s Purchasing Power Index, residents of European and North American cities typically enjoy the best buying power overall, with Bahrain’s capital Manama and Hong Kong the only non-transatlantic contenders in the top ten.

Gulf Insider July 2018

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News Roundup

Dubai: Municipality fees at hotels, restaurants slashed

10-year residency permit for expat investors costs BD600 The 10-year renewable residency permit on a self-sponsorship basis for foreign investors will cost 600 Bahraini dinars.

The fee for the two-year residency permit will be 200 dinar and 400 dinar for the five-year permit, the cabinet said at weekly session on Monday as it endorsed a draft-law on granting residency permits to foreigners on a selfsponsorship basis.

The new system is designed to reinforce Bahrain’s position as an investment destination.

Prime Minister Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa last month said there was a zerotolerance policy towards delaying the issuance of licenses required for businessmen and investors.

The government is keen on enhancing and improving the business environment through offering more facilities to grant commercial and investment licenses, he said and warned that postponing investment projects will not be tolerated.

The decision to grant the 10-year renewable residency permit was welcomed by members of the business community as a positive step that would contribute to attracting more investors to Bahrain and to unlocking more investment potential in the kingdom.

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Dubai has announced plans to reduce the municipality fee on sales at restaurants and hotels. The municipality fee will be cut to 7% from 10%, in a bid to make the emirate more tourist-friendly.

“We are announcing a 3 per cent reduction of fees on the sale value for hotel facilities and restaurants in Dubai to enhance its position as a preferred destination for both investment and tourism,” Sheikh Hamdan said on Twitter.

“This decree will expand the series of measures announced days earlier and aimed at supporting companies operating in Dubai, reducing the cost of doing business and attracting new investments,” he added.

Dubai has announced several measures this year to reduce costs and boost business confidence.

Earlier in the year, it was announced that government fees would not be increased for the next three years as businesses in the country absorb higher costs linked to the introduction of a 5 per cent value added tax.

Last week, the Dubai Executive Council also approved measures to slash the market fees imposed by Dubai Municipality from 5 per cent to 2.5 per cent, scrap 19 fees related to the aviation industry to attract Dhs1bn ($272.2m) of foreign investment, and waive a 4 per cent late payment fee on property registration for 60 days.

It also announced that private schools in Dubai will not be allowed to raise their fees during the next academic year.

Bahrain

Business NEWS

Bahrain Business News

Bahrain is going big on

real estate

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s part of the $32 billion investment plan, real estate is benefitting from $2.4 billion. In the last five years, the kingdom has developed public-private partnerships for housing projects, with 4,000 new units completed in the last two years. Social housing is included in the ambitious Diyar Al Muharraq, a project underway on 12 islands, spread over 12 sq-km off the coast of Muharraq, with the capacity to accommodate over 100,000 people.

Bahrain International Airport is undergoing a $1.1 billion redevelopment designed to boost annual passenger capacity from 9 million to 14 million by 2020. The Swiss engineering group Cavotec (in April) announced an $8

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Gulf Insider July 2018

$250 million project in Bahrain Bay Development to offer the tallest residential towers of Bahrain ‘The Golden Gate Towers’. million contract to design, supply and install new aircraft ground cooling systems — designed to both improve passenger comfort and operational

efficiency. But just as important for transport links are plans for a second causeway, parallel to the existing King Fahd highway, to connect Bahrain with Saudi’s Eastern Province, whose population is five times Bahrain’s resident population.

Rarely in the news is Bahraini agriculture but recently it attracted much attention. Prasad Thenkabail, a NASA US Geological Survey Scientist, told a conference in April at the Arabian Gulf University in Manama that the current 7.8 percent of geographical area used for agriculture should be increased to 20 percent within a decade.

While the current level, of geographical area under agriculture, is higher than a five percent GCC average,

Bahrain Business News

More than

2,650 citizens have

purchased their h ousing units over the last four years.

but still many steps could be taken in Bahrain to enhance the agriculture infrastructure to contribute in solving the food deficit situation in some parts of the Arab region.

In a recent report on Bahrain’s property market, Business Monitor International (BMI) has forecasted a steady growth in 2018.

“Government efforts to diversify the economy away from hydrocarbons have facilitated…new industrial zones that incorporate excellent amenities and access to key trade routes, part of a larger drive to position Bahrain as a regional hub for manufacturing and logistics,” said BMI. This “has fostered a rise in demand for bespoke industrial facilities from manufacturing and

logistics tenants…as investment pours into developing a suitable environment.”

According to confirmed reports, two leading Indian developers have joined hands to deliver a $250 million project in Bahrain Bay Development to offer the tallest residential towers of Bahrain ‘The Golden Gate Towers’. This project consists of world class amenities, and 750 super luxury apartments with a wide range of options.

Moreover Bahrain government is also facilitating the smooth rise of the real estate sector. The Real Estate

In a recent report on Bahrain’s property market, Business Monitor International (BMI) has forecasted a steady growth in 2018.

Regulatory Authority (RERA), which was established in 2017, has shown keen commitment to support real estate growth by strengthening regulation, attracting global investors and maintaining consumers’ confidence.

Recently, at the Gateway Gulf event in Manama, many premium housing projects were showcased, ranging from social housing opportunities to innovative schemes in collaboration with the private sector for the provision of affordable housing.

According to the Bahrain News Agency (BNA), the statistics show that more than 2,650 citizens have purchased their housing units over the last four years thanks to the funding solutions provided by this (Mazaya) program. A total of BHD15 million has

been provided in support of Mazaya beneficiaries in cooperation with the banks participating in the program. Real estate developers have also sought to offer housing at affordable rates for beneficiaries, through affordable finance. Interestingly Mazaya has helped to enhance the purchasing power of Bahrain nationals since its launch in October 2013.

“This is in addition to premium developments such as the $500 million Al Naseem, which is due to open tenders this quarter, and the $1.1 billion Hasabi development which will combine residential villas, apartments, retail, restaurants and education facilitates,” stated a report by BNA.

Gulf Insider July 2018

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Society

EDB hosts a Majlis in commemoration of Ramadan

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Gulf Insider July 2018

Emirates hosts the media Suhoor at the The Ritz-Carlton

Bahrain Business News

Thorough Security G4S, the world’s leading global integrated security company, leaves nothing unattended when providing their services to customers across numerous countries over six continents.

“I

’m truly impressed with the G4S Bahrain team, from the image of the security personnel representing the brand; to the management team running the dayto-day operations; and to the leadership organisation led by Atanu Sanyal.” comments Mr. Shapiro, Executive Vice President-Global Sales and Strategic Accounts of ME&I during the ASIS Middle East 2017 conference where G4S sponsored its on-site security. ASIS Middle East 2017 and World Islamic Banking Conference 2017 (WIBC2017) are two of G4S’ most recent events they have participated within Bahrain.

WIBC2017, supported by the Central Bank of Bahrain, conference theme “Drivers of Economic Growth & Risks: Policymakers & Regulators” was highlighted by G4S’ integrated solutions for the finance and banking industry. G4S provides manned security for conferences, private gatherings, graduation, and fairs. Their capacity for

both services and customer population, however, is not reflected wholly by event security.

Their security solutions include manned security, integration, supply, installation and maintenance of various electronic security systems ranging from CCTV to retail solution such as Electronic Article Surveillance which is a technological method for preventing shoplifting from retail stores, pilferage of books from libraries or removal of properties from office buildings. They also offer Cash Solutions where they collect valuables (e.g. cash, cheques, documents, data tapes, etc.) from customer’s premises and deliver to customer’s designated bank or delivery point, thus avoiding risk of theft or losses from handling large amounts of money (e.g. tuition fees) or other valuables. This is an incredible solution offered, perfect for universities and offices with a lot of physical and electronic documents stored.

They cater to schools, universities,

public, private entities and major corporates in any sectors.

In the global scene, G4S acquires major US retail contracts and just passed their hundredth cash technology milestone in the Asia Pacific.

Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) estate of over 700 properties in England, Wales, and Scotland will be provided integrated security by G4S. In India, they have just launched a transportation initiative, SafeGo, aimed to provide safe and low cost transport for India’s transforming workforce.

One of their more impressive projects is the security upgrade of Yale University’s, one of the world’s best known and oldest Ivy League institution with 350 main campus buildings. It consisted of area, employee, student, guest, library, finances, and on-site security. The AMAG integration, an all-inclusive flexible security platform, was highly praised by the Yale’s security team for being cost-effective and listened to their specific needs.

The whole ordeal was said to have been carried out almost unnoticed by Yale’s vast population of student and employees, a fitting testament to G4S’ ability in providing excellent services.

For more information visit www.g4s.com for G4S’ current projects and full information on provided services.

Gulf Insider July 2018

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Experts Reveal Life Secrets

NEW!

This month we reveal how to be hyper-productive, 4 secrets to attracting what you want, the killer interview questions, enhance your marketing strategy, how to win any argument using science.

for another productive hour of work.

Typically, your brain wants an hour on, 15 minutes off - People who have discovered this magic productivity ratio crush their competition because they tap into a fundamental need of the human mind: the brain naturally functions in spurts of high energy (roughly an hour) followed by spurts of low energy (15–20 minutes).

The best way to beat frustrating distractions is to get intentional about your workday. Instead of working for an hour or more and then trying to battle through distractions and fatigue, when your productivity begins to dip, take this as a sign that it’s time for a break.

Real breaks are easier to take when you know they’re going to make your day more productive.

Take charge of your workday. Once you align your natural energy with your effort, things begin to run much more smoothly. Here are four tips that will get you into that perfect rhythm.

Take the time to learn what we reveal each month and you will be rewarded a thousand times over!

Break your day into hourly intervals. We naturally plan what we

Part 6

How to Win in Business and Life Every month Gulf Insider publish 4 pages that reveal brilliant secrets for winning in business and life. The techniques are provided by top international experts and we will often summarize an entire book into a single page so you can learn the essence of their wisdom in minutes instead of hours.

How to be hyper-productive To be ultra-productive, you must find a new approach to how you spend your working time.

A

study recently conducted by the Draugiem Group used a computer application to track employees’ work habits.

Specifically, the application measured how much time people spent on various tasks and compared this to their productivity levels.

In the process of measuring people’s activity, they stumbled upon a fascinating finding: the length of the workday didn’t matter much; what mattered was how people structured their day. In particular, people who were religious about taking short breaks were far more productive than those who worked longer hours.

People who maintained a specific work/rest schedule had a unique level of focus in their work. For roughly an hour at a time, they were 100% dedicated to the task they needed to 46

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need to accomplish by the end of the day, but we’re far more effective when we focus on what we can accomplish right now. Beyond getting you into the right rhythm, planning your day around hour-long intervals simplifies daunting tasks by breaking them into manageable pieces.

Respect your hour. The interval strategy only works because we use our peak energy levels to reach an extremely high level of focus for a relatively short amount of time. When you disrespect your hour by texting, checking emails, or doing a quick Facebook check, you defeat the entire purpose of the approach.

Take real rest. In the study at

accomplish. They didn’t check Facebook “real quick” or get distracted by emails.

When they felt fatigue (after about an hour), they took short breaks, during which they completely separated themselves from their work. This helped them to dive back in refreshed

Draugiem, they found that those who took deliberately relaxing breaks were better off than those who, when “resting,” had trouble separating themselves from their work. Getting away from your computer, your phone, and your to-do list is essential to boosting your productivity. There you have the secrets to more productive days. So why not give it a try?

Experts Reveal Life Secrets

4 Secrets to Attracting What You Want

By Mike Brooks People ask me all the time if I believe in the Law of Attraction. My answer is that I not only believe in it, but I use it every day to attract the kind of life I want and practice a simple 4-Step process that ALWAYS works for me in my life.

Step One: The first thing I do is get somewhere where I can be quiet. I have a meditation space in my office, but I’ve done this in my car, in the parking lot, at the park, even in the lobby of companies. The important thing is to just sit somewhere and get quiet. Don’t try to think about anything. Don’t try to think of the right thoughts or of what you want or what you don’t have or what you’re afraid of. The point here is just to clear your mind for a few moments. I do this by just counting five breaths. Once you’re quiet, then you: Step Two: Shift your mind and think about something bigger and more powerful than you. You can think of God, or The Power of the Universe. Just think about a power greater than yourself.

Concentrate on this power and think about all its attributes. Once you concentrate on this for a few minutes, then you: Step Three: Think about what it is you want to accomplish.

The key here is to think about what it feels like to have already attracted or created or achieved what it is you want. Think about how you feel, how others feel, and what it means to actually be living and having what it is you desire. Feeling and emotion at this point are crucial. If you’re able (and you will with a little practice) to actually believe that you’ve achieved your goal, then you’ve succeeded here at this step. After a while this will be a really fun step, and you’ll want to do this exercise over and over because it feels so good!

The killer interview questions The killer interview questions every candidate should be asked.

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ob vacancies are rising, more businesses are hiring, the economy is looking rosier - so how do you find the right staff for your growing business? These killer interview questions will help you, as well as highlight some of the signs that should trigger alarm bells.

‘Tell me about a work achievement you are most proud of?’

A deceptively simple question, but a very powerful one. The main problem with any interview is getting through the fluff of a CV to the heart of a candidate’s approach to work challenges. When they nominate an achievement, delve into the detail.  What results did you actually achieve?  What was their position and role?  What were the key challenges and how did you overcome them?  How did you create a plan?  What resources did you have?  How did you manage the plan, resources and deadlines?  What was your management style and how did you get results from your team?  What went right, what went wrong, and what would you do differently?

Interviewers will quickly build up an insight into how an interviewee approaches work and gets things done.

If a candidate can’t name a strong or big achievement alarm bells should start ringing.

‘Can you describe an ideal colleague?’

This can be particularly revealing as most candidates will describe their own strengths. Also, ask them what they don’t like about colleagues as it can reveal pet hates.

Step Four: Give thanks to God, or the Universe or whatever power you’ve thought about for bringing this goodness into your life. This is an important step and learning to live in thanks and gratitude will change your life.

I’ve found that this last step has been the most important to help me maintain the feeling of “being” at the new level of achievement I am seeking. And it is this feeling of “being” that acts as the magnet in bringing in the circumstances and opportunities into my life.

If you’re looking for a way to create the life you know you are capable of achieving, then I highly recommend trying these “4 Secrets to Attracting What You Want.” I know first-hand that they work, and I know they’ll work for you, too.

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Experts Reveal Life Secrets

‘What exactly would you do to solve this challenge?’

Give a practical example of a challenge that is facing you or your business right now and get the candidate to give you a practical step-by-step view on how they would overcome this challenge.

The key is to distinguish between a consultant and a do-er, who can do good things for you. It is much easier to give a top level answer and broad brush advice.

But you are looking for specific points and actions. For example, what exactly would they do to solve the challenge?

Have they done something similar in the past, and exactly how did they overcome the challenge and what were the results?

This way you move from the often fictional world of a CV to the real world.

Enhance Your Marketing Strategy

By Brian Tracy

‘What would you do in your first 100 days in the job?’

This gets to the heart of how a candidate would approach their day-today role and how they would manage targets and planning. A vague answer is a red flag. What you are looking for is somebody that has the initiative, experience, wherewithal and passion to hit the ground running. If they haven’t thought about how they would approach the role, the role is probably not right for them.

hat is the purpose of your business? Do you have a quality marketing strategy in place to keep customers coming back?

Do you know who your customers are?

Here are some ideas and questions to ask yourself that you can use today to improve the overall goals and sales in your business.

Warning, warning, warning - Other

What is the Purpose Your Business?

warning signals to watch out for:

Inappropriately dressed candidates – if they can’t be bothered for an interview, they are not going to be bothered in their day-to-day role.

Poor social media profiles – either poorly maintained and managed or even worse some worrying posts or comments.

Lacklustre research – into the role, the company, the interviewer, the sector and market, or even failing to remember all parts of their CV. Finally, if you have any doubts about a candidate at the outset, they are only likely to get bigger over time. Trust your gut feeling, otherwise it could come back to bite you in the future.

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Many people think that the purpose of a business is simply to make a profit, but this is not the case. All the efforts of a successful business are aimed at creating customers in some way.

Profits are the result of creating and keeping customers in a cost-effective way over time.

The cost of creating customers initially is very high. The cost of keeping them is far lower than the cost of creating them in the first place. If you study the companies that are the most efficient at marketing, you will find that their strategies are all aimed at creating customers and then holding onto them.

High Quality as a Marketing Strategy - Perhaps the most profitable

marketing strategy is that of developing your products or services to a high level

of quality. Quality is the most powerful and effective of all marketing strategies.

People will always buy from a quality supplier, pay higher prices, and return over and over again to a company that provides them with high quality goods and services.

It is not only the product itself, but it is the way that you treat your customers from the first contact through to their entire time with you using your product or service. People will always come back to a quality supplier of goods and services, no matter what the price.

Your Customer Relationship Management - There is another

critical factor in marketing success, and that has to do with relationships.

People are 100 percent emotional.

They decide emotionally and then they justify logically. It is how they feel, and especially how they believe they will feel after the purchase that determines whether they make the purchase at all.”

Customers will be loyal to a business that they have a relationship with. The quality of the relationships you create with your customers will determine the success or failure of your business.

Experts Reveal Life Secrets

Sales Success Through Customer Retention - Do you know how much

you spend to acquire a new customer?

The costs associated with acquiring customers will determine the success of your business.

A company stays in business if it can buy customers at a lower amount than the net profit that the customer will yield to the company in the course of the customer’s buying lifetime. If your company can buy customers at a lower cost than the profit you can earn from that customer, you can spend almost any amount, to buy more and more customers. This is one of the great secrets of business success, and it is a core requirement for effective marketing.

Identify Your Target Market Now Identify your target market, your ideal or perfect customer, and then think of something to offer that customer, something unique and special that no other competitor can offer. This enables you to create meaningful differentiation that allows you to sell more, and often at higher prices than your competition.

Meaningful differentiation is the key to making you the first choice in your market for that particular type and description of customer.

Make Your Marketing Strategy Work for You - No marketing effort

exists in isolation. It always exists in comparison with what else is available to the same customer for the same amount of money. There will always be competition. Write down what will make you and your marketing efforts unique.

To be successful in your marketing strategy you must be continually focusing on your customer and on what they want today and also on what they will want tomorrow, while keeping your eye on your competitor and being aware of what your competitor is doing, or is likely to do, to attract the same customer.

Brian Tracy is recognized as the top sales training and personal success authority in the world today.

How to win ANY argument using science Experts reveal which words to use and how one simple trick can help you get your own way.

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hen it comes to getting our own way, many of us will use a range of techniques from crying to guilt-trips and even shouting - but these don’t work online. If you’re faced with a Twitter troll, a Facebook friend who lures you into a heated debate or an angry online commenter, there are a number of techniques you can use to push your point of view.

By studying two years of forum posts, researchers have discovered which words are the most effective, how using numbers in a post gives it more clout, and when to pick your battles.

The research was carried out by Lillian Lee and her PhD students at Cornell University in the USA. Although these techniques are particularly effective online, they may also prove useful in real-world conversations and debates.

The best ways to win an argument Timing: Typically, the first person to

reply to the thread has a greater chance of swinging the original person’s (OP) view than someone who joins the debate later on.

Alternative terminology: Use words

that are different to those used in the post. For example, if discussing climate change, describing it as global warming in a reply makes more of an impact than using the same terminology as the OP.

To push this point, commenters should specifically write ‘e.g’, ‘for instance’ or ‘i.e’ before presenting these arguments to strengthen their persuasiveness.

Links: Quotes and quotation marks play little role in trying to convince someone, but linking to examples and outside sources does.

Hedge your bets: Hedges indicate uncertainty, and an example is: ‘It could be the case’. Although this sounds like it might signal a weaker argument, the researchers said it may make an argument easier to accept by softening its tone.

Check the language in the original post: People can ‘pick their battles’

and decide whether or not it’s worth engaging in an argument by studying the terms used by the OP. Personal pronouns, such as ‘I’ suggest a person is more open-minded to persuasion, but the use of the words ‘we’ and ‘us’ suggests they are more stubborn.

Stubborn people use more emotive and decisive words including ‘certain’, ‘nothing’ and ‘best.’

Know when to give up: The researchers found that after four or five ‘back and forth’ posts have been made, the chances of swaying someone’s view significantly drops.

Use calm language: The study suggests using ‘calm’ language to make a point is more effective than swearing or using aggressive terms.

Length: Longer replies in general also tend to be seen as more persuasive.

Evidence: Using numbers, statistics and examples to back up opinions make people sound more convincing.

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Society

Al Areen Palace and Spa organized their FIFA World Cup 2018 Opening Ceremony

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First Motors hosts their Gergaaon celebration and unveils the Genesis G70

CAR News

& reviews

Top News

NEWS OF THE MONTH

NEWS OF THE MONTH

Driving change, quite literally.

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Car Bahrain

Ferrari Portofino Nicholas Cooksey goes to Dubai to drive Ferrari’s new 591 horsepower entry level model.

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

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Car Bahrain

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he Ferrari Portofino, we are officially told, is NOT a replacement for the highly successful California. But everybody talks like it is.

The California was the best-selling Ferrari ever made. It was touted as the Ferrari designed for daily use, and opened up the brand to a whole new audience able to pay $200,000 for the entry level model.

The California was named after America’s most populous state. The Portofino is named after a particularly picturesque Italian village. So how does it compare…

It’s slightly lower, slightly wider, and slightly longer than the California, and much more beautiful – which is saying a lot because the California was very beautiful indeed.

The Portofino is also lighter and faster. It has an aluminium chassis that uses 12 different alloys, weighing 80kg lighter and 35% stiffer than the car it replaces… or doesn’t replace.

There’s slightly more space in the back seats than the California (5cm – big deal!), and there’s relatively good boot space in the back – yes, the engine is in the front of this particular Ferrari.

The engine is a refined monster, Ferrari’s fantastic 591 bhp 3.9-litre twin turbo V8 which is good for 561 torques from 3,000 to 5,250rpm.

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

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It will take you from zero to 100 kph in 3.5 seconds!

It will take you from zero to 200 kph in under 11 seconds!

Its top speed is 320 kph!

I was delighted to be able to test it on some long empty roads where there were no speed cameras to spoil my fun.

I was delighted to be able to test it on some long empty roads where there were no speed cameras to spoil my fun.

I can confirm that this car is blisteringly fast – and the engine sounds fantastic.

Ferrari arranged a great road trip which included stunning locations.

We stopped for a photo opportunity, and a coffee, at Hatta Dam which is surrounded by vast and craggy mountains making for breathtaking views.

The Portofino has a power-folding

hardtop that can be opened and closed at speeds up to 40 kph, though its more comfortable to operate this at slower speeds as otherwise there’s a hefty drag.

There’s a 10.2in HD touch-screen, with Apple CarPlay, and the air con is more efficient and quitter than in the California. It’s interior looks and feels like luxury, as you would expect from a car costing this much.

Last, but not least - its Formula 1 inspired steering wheel is the sexiest steering wheel of any car I’ve ever driven.

Thanks to the overall usability of this car, this is the Ferrari which owners will likely drive far more frequently than any other in Ferrari’s model range, and it comes with seven years’ servicing included.

For more information: Euro Motors Tel. +973 1775 0750 Starting Price: BHD 95,000

Price Comparison AMG S63 Cabriolet Starting Price: BD 76,000 For more information: Al Haddad Mercedes Tel. +973 1778 5454

Aston DB11 Volante Starting Price: BD 85,000 For more information: Montana Motors Tel. +973 1766 9999

Porsche Turbo Cabriolet Starting Price: BD 60,000 For more information: Behbehani Brothers Porsche Tel. +973 1745 9911 Gulf Insider July 2018

55

Car News

40% of traffic violations last year involved speeding According to new statistics released by the General Directorate of Traffic, violations have consistently increased in the past years. The number of traffic violations went up nearly 60% last year when compared to 2016.

While there were 524,599 traffic violations in 2016, last year saw the number increasing to 843,697.

47% of all violations involved speeding vehicles.The statistics say 399,000 incidences of speeding vehicles were recorded. This was followed by parking violations (more than 14,000), the driving without licence and driving under the influence of alcohol.

The new traffic law had triggered resentment among citizens and residents with severe penalties being imposed on traffic violators. More tougher punishments came in place for violators whose action led to death or serious injuries to victims of accidents.

The Shura Council last week rejected the amendment of Article 56 of the Traffic Law imposed by Law No 23 of 2014, aimed at changing the period of reconciliation in some of the crimes prescribed by the law.

CarBahrain.com New fine plan for speeding drivers – Rejected A legislation instructing to amend the traffic law so that only drivers whose speed excess the permitted limits by 20 per cent are fined, was rejected by Shura Council.

The proposed amendment was submitted by council members Khamis Al Rumaihi, Jameela Salman, Khalid Al Maskati, Ahmed Bahzad and Hala Ramzi to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security Committee in the council in mid-2017.

Ordering the amendment of some of the provisions of Traffic Law 23 of 2014, the bill is said to reduce traffic violations rates in the Kingdom. The committee reviewed the bill with representatives of the General Directorate of Traffic in Interior Ministry and decided to reject it.

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Council members’ opinions varied while discussing the bill in yesterday’s weekly session of the council. Some members supported it saying it would reduce the financial burdens borne by citizens, while others feared that it may encourage over-speeding among drivers. Some of the members shared their opposing views to the amendment and underlined that accident rates have noticeably dropped since the implantation of the traffic law in 2014.

They also stressed on “showing no leniency towards reckless driving”. The majority of the members supported the committee’s view, stating that the existing law, which instructs to fine drivers who cross the speed limit of the road by 10 per cent, is “suitable and may not be changed”.

Car News

Traffic signal improvements New road to Saudi reduces trip by 800km More than 130 million cubic metres of sand were removed as Oman gears up to open the 680km road that passes through the world’s largest desert.

The quickest route between Oman and Saudi Arabia is currently 1,638 kilometres, passing through the UAE and taking between 16 and 18 hours. The new road is expected to shave off more than 800km of the journey.

In Oman, the road begins from the area of Tanam in Ibri, continuing through the oilfields until it reaches the Empty Quarter, where the Oman-Saudi border is located. The project has been called an “engineering marvel” having been built through the sands of the Empty Quarter, which is the largest contiguous sand desert in the world.

Expats running garages ‘exploit customers’ In the absence of proper regulations and laws governing the car repair business, many customers feel that they are being exploited very badly.

Sources say expat gangs control “garage business” in the Kingdom and they loot their customers to earn millions of dinars every year in profits, according to Daily Tribune.

Sources said many garages run by expats were generating thousands of dinars in monthly profits as they “easily exploit their customers” when it comes to rates for different services.

“Most often citizens are the victims. For a repair costing BD10, they charge BD50 and we are forced to negotiate.”

“It is very difficult for a Bahraini to enter this sector. You will see monopoly everywhere,” A man who runs garages in Muharraq and Arad said the customers should enquire rates at different garages before selecting one, which is the only way to avoid getting cheated.

“Always ask car mechanics to show bills if he purchases any spare parts for your car. Customers need to exercise alertness while dealing with these garage guys because cheating is a very common thing,”.

Phase one of development works to improve traffic signals on Shaikh Jabir Al Ahmad Al Sabah Highway have commenced, as announced the Ministry of Works, Municipal Affairs and Urban Planning, in partnership with the Ministry of Interior’s General Directorate of Traffic.

This is to develop urgent solutions to ease traffic flow across the Kingdom, and form part of a package of urgent improvement works designed to alleviate traffic in vital areas.

130,000 vehicles use the Shaikh Jabir Al Ahmad Al Sabah Highway each day, and 10,000 vehicles per hour during peak times. The Ministry of Works confirmed that the works will start with modifications to traffic signals at the Nabih Saleh and Sitra Shopping Mall intersections.

During the course of the works, the traffic signals at Nabih Saleh intersection will be modified from five to three stages. The intersection will be closed to incoming traffic traveling from Manama up to Sitra walkway, and the exit lane will be closed to traffic traveling towards Sitra. The works are anticipated to reduce waiting times at the Nabih Saleh intersection by 45 per cent, and increase the capacity of the intersection by 20 per cent.

The traffic signals at Sitra Shopping Mall Intersection will also be modified from five to four stages. Outbound traffic traveling from Sitra Mall towards Manama will be merged with outbound traffic traveling from Salman Ahmed Al Fateh Highway (Industrial Area), increasing capacity by 10 per cent and reducing waiting times by 37 per cent.

Alternative routes will be available for road users traveling through both intersections. Incoming traffic traveling from Manama towards Sitra Shopping Mall should take the u-turn at the signal and return to the Sitra walkway entrance. Those exiting from Sitra walkway towards Sitra should make a u-turn at Um Al Hassam signal.

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Last Word - Social Media Advice

94.3% of web pages

don’t get a single visitor Social Media Tactics - Part - 4 View more Insider Tactics FREE by visiting Fabianca.com

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he web is growing by up to 2 Million new pages every minute! But how much of this content gets any search traffic from Google?

Last year we studied 2 million random newly-published pages. We found that only 5.7% of them ranked in the top 10 Google search results for at least one search query within a year of being published.

In other words, a whopping 94.3% of pages in our 2 million page sample didn’t get even a single visitor from Google. 90.88% of all pages in the Content Explorer index get zero traffic from Google, and 4.5% of them get less than ten visits per month.

The vast majority of published pages never rank in Google and never get any search traffic. So how can you be a part of the minority that gets organic search traffic from Google?

There are hundreds of SEO issues that may keep your pages away from ranking well in Google. But if we focus the most common scenarios only, there’s only two.

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1. The page doesn’t have any backlinks Backlinks do help you rank higher in Google! And they are one of Google’s “top 3 ranking factors.” The more backlinks a page has, the more search traffic it gets from Google. So if you want to rank in Google and get search traffic, you’ll need to build high-quality backlinks to your page.

2. The page doesn’t target a topic with enough search traffic potential Sometimes pages will have tons of backlinks but still get zero traffic from Google. Two general trends explain why such pages get no traffic despite having so many backlinks:

ago and thus never search for them.

Sometimes you may have a fantastic resource that will attract a ton of backlinks, but nobody in the world will be searching for it.

So, target things that people are searching for and get some quality backlinks to your pages The bottom line is simple and obvious to anyone familiar with SEO. If you want to get traffic from Google, you need to publish pages about the things that people are searching for (i.e., do proper keyword research) and make sure those pages get links from other sites (i.e., do some link building).

 They

go overboard with “shady link building” and got penalized by Google;

 They

aren’t targeting a topic that people are searching for in Google.

People can’t search for things they’re unaware of, and most people don’t care about things that happened long

Fabianca is a Bahrain based digital marketing specialist. For a FREE 30 minute digital strategy session for your business visit Fabianca.com or call +973 36 188 100.

Fabianca can manage your social media strategy

Most business leaders lack digital expertise - that’s why they’re not making money from social media. We develop and manage online marketing strategies, build optimized websites, set up marketing funnels that collect leads, and monetize them. We free business leaders to focus on running their business.

For a free 30 minute digital strategy session for your business, call +973 36 188 100

Fabianca.com