Gulf Insider June-July 2020 by Gulf Insider Media

The multi-award winning Arabian Magazine

Learning to Learn Complimentary Copy

As traditional education gives way to virtual learning

June-July 2020 | ISSUE 183

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Contents June-July 2020 Issue 183

26 50 Simply unparalleled online presence that connects region’s most inspired communities.

Special Feature - Education

12 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40

Navigating education in Bahrain

44 50

Celebrating 25 years of excellence ‘Learn to learn’ for a lifetime of success Integrated learning for the future Achieving great heights through ‘Little Wonders’ Designing education for 21st century learning International education for an early start Terminology 101: Educational Terms to Know Reaching for New Horizons EduNet for public schooling – A tale of transition The future of education The remote learning family dilemma The Career Compass Keypoint: Back to school in 2020 5 Most common business errors

Knowledge is power

Publisher & Editor in Chief

Nicholas C. Cooksey

Comment...

Editorial

Annam Elizabeth

Editorial Contributors

Hugh Haskell-Thomas Nicholas Cortes Bill Daly

Sales & Business Development

Charlie Cooksey

A picture is worth a thousand words.

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

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Distribution Mohammed Yousif Aramex Al Ayam For advertising contact Charlie Cooksey +973 3652 0004 charlie@gulf-insider.com Annam Elizabeth M. +973 3612 8111 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. Bahrain Bd2 | KSA sr20 | Kuwait Kd1.75 | Oman ro2 | Qatar Qr20 | UAE dHs20

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Special Feature

Education Special

Navigating Education in Bahrain

hoosing the right educational institution for your child is always a crucial decision in life as a parent. With so much choice available, it is important to get a real feel of the sector and the different types of schools that are out there. While the sudden insurgence of virtual learning and need for online classes has catapulted education in a completely new direction, children, teachers and parents find themselves in new territory. How does this affect

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s learning curve? What is the most important factor to consider while choosing a school? These questions remain to be answered. We try to foray deeper into these waters, while also speaking to experts to discuss the future of education. Education in Bahrain is compulsory, and all school age children attend either public or private schools. Children with disabilities attend special institutions. The Ministry of Education provides free education for all Bahraini and nonBahraini students in public schools.

Meanwhile, private and international schools that offer either the IB Diploma Programme or UK A-Levels also exist. All educational institutions are regulated by various authorities such as the Ministry of Education, The Education and Training Quality Authority and others. For public schools, a single online platform â&#x20AC;&#x201C; EduNet is available for all educational needs, while private schools rely on various independent platforms and methods to carry out online classes.

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News Roundup

Bahrain: New VAT Payment Service Launched Via Bahrain.bh

Bahrain: Private Hospitals Permitted to Conduct COVID-19 Tests The private hospitals that have been licensed to carry out tests for COVID-19 were announced by the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA). The announcement, which was on MHRAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official social media accounts and website, included eleven private hospitals, nine of which were in the Capital Governorate. The cost of the tests, which include taking a nasal swab, was set at BD50 per person. The result, the announcement stated would appear in 48 hours. The hospitals that have been licensed were the American Mission Hospital, Awali Hospital, Al-Kindi Specialized Hospital, Royal Bahrain Hospital, Ibn Al-Nafees Hospital, Middle East Hospital, Bahrain Specialist Hospital, Dr. Tariq Hospital, Noor Specialist Hospital W.L.L, King Abdullah Medical City and AlSalam Specialist Hospital.

The Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA), in cooperation with the National Bureau for Revenue (NBR), launched a new service allowing VAT payments to be made via the National Portal, bahrain.bh. The service enables entities of all sectors that are eligible to charge VAT on their services and products to view and settle their bills online easily and conveniently, iGA said. The new service adds to a host of eServices already offered by NBR in cooperation with the iGA. The new service is available through the National Portal, bahrain. bh that allows entering bill and VAT account numbers to view the due amounts in detail. The service also allows entering the due amounts and contact details, to finalize the online payment. Once the transaction is complete, a receipt can be printed or sent via email.

Bahrain: Expat Workers Gather Over Unpaid Wages Dozens of migrant workers gathered at the Ministry of Labor to claim their unpaid wages. This went viral on social media according to Albilad. According to the news, the number of workers was around 100. These expats work for a construction company and have not received their wages for eight months. It is noteworthy that the same group has previously gathered near the entrance to the Nuwaidrat area, but security forces ended their protest by asking them to call it off.

More Than 92,000 Expats Leave Kuwait in 3 Months More than 92,000 expatriates left Kuwait in April, May and June through Kuwait International Airport, Mansour Al Hashimi, Director of Operations at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) at Kuwait International Airport was quoted as saying. Al Hashimi said the expats included residents in addition to violators of residency regulations who left aboard 600 flights. 14

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

News Roundup

Bahrain: New Academic Year to Start in September

Bahrain: COVID-19 Patients with no Symptoms Allowed to Self-Isolate at Home Bahrain provided asymptomatic coronavirus patients with an option to self-isolate at home starting from Sunday 07 June, 2020. Such patients need not necessarily remain in hospitals or quarantine facilities. Positive cases will be directed to the Shamel Field Hospital (Comprehensive Disability Center) for triaging and assessment. Patients who meet the set criteria and opt to self-isolate at home will be issued an electronic bracelet and receive the needed medical supplies for the isolation period. This will include masks, sterile gloves, and basic medications if required. All asymptomatic cases under home self-isolation will be monitored daily by health professionals and the “BeAware Bahrain” app. The home self-isolation period is 14 days and a ‘Self-Isolation Exit Test Appointment’ will be required in order for patients to be officially discharged. The patient must report if there are any symptoms developed during this period. The following is the set criteria for the optional home self-isolation: • Patients under 60 years of age • Patients with no underlying chronic illnesses • Patients who are asymptomatic, or with mild symptoms, and those not living with individuals with low immunity • Patients must have access to a secluded area at the place of residence • Patients who understand they must vigilantly follow the home self-isolation guidelines The home self-quarantine measures will also be applied to those living in the same residence, and will follow the guidelines for contacts of active cases, which include the following: • An appointment must be scheduled for testing • Contacts of active cases must ensure they do not interact with others and do not leave their residence. • Should there be an urgent need to leave the residence, masks must be worn when in public settings • An Exit Test must be conducted after 14 days. 16

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

The administrative, educational and technical staff will return in the next academic year on September 6, 2020 while students will return on September 16, 2020, said Education Minister, Dr. Majid bin Ali Al Nuaimi. He stressed that the Ministry of Education will spare no effort in protecting them while ensuring continuity of the educational process in public and private schools as well as higher educational establishments and kindergartens. He pointed out that the administrative, educational and technical staff will return in the next academic year on September 6, 2020 while students will return on September 16, 2020. The private schools will open their doors according to their scheduled dates which differ from one school to another, starting from mid-August until the outset of September 2020.

Bahrain: BD177 Million Emergency Funding Approved to Fight COVID-19 An additional BD177 million ($470.7m) will be injected into Bahrain’s budget this year in order to deal with emergency expenses incurred as a result of fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Further endorsement was given to a proposal to support small, medium-sized and micro private sector enterprises through the BD 4.3 billion stimulus package announced by the government to confront COVID-19 in the kingdom.

News Roundup

Bahrain: COVID-19 Reproduction Rate High Due to Gatherings The R0 in Bahrain from May 13th to 9th June stands at 1.52, reported health officials. The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr Walid Al-Manea, highlighted that the Ministry is monitoring local COVID-19 developments with a number of standardized global indicators including the basic reproductive number (R0), which is the average number of secondary infections arising from a single active COVID-19 case. The levels of R0 in residents stands at 1.83 and for citizens stands at 1.35. One of the reasons for the high basic reproductive number is due to non-compliance such as family and social gatherings, leaving the house unnecessarily. Dr Al-Manea emphasised the importance of continuing to follow all precautionary measures aimed at mitigating the spread of the COVID-19.

Bahrain reduces work permit fees by 50% for 3 months The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) has announced a reduction in monthly labor fees for issuing and renewing work permits by 50% for a period of three months, starting on July 1, 2020. This decision is taken to support the private sector, especially small and medium enterprises, to maintain their sustainable growth in light of the effects of the pandemic. They have also announced an exemption from work fees for economic sectors most affected by the consequences of (Covid-19), for a period of three months from July 1, 2020. The Authority stressed that these decisions would support and aid the economic sectors by providing the necessary liquidity to private sector institutions, as well as giving the sector the ability to overcome the economic difficulties caused by the impacts of (Covid-19).

Bahrain: BAPCO Considers Cutting Down Expat Workforce Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) has become the latest in the region to announce a cut in the number of foreign workers. A spokesperson told Akhbar Al Khaleej newspaper that it is the intention of the company to employ more Bahraini nationals, particularly with the refinery expansion project due for completion in 2022. He is quoted as saying: “Job contracts of all employees, who will be made redundant, are close to expiring and some of the employees have reached retirement age and have high wages.” Although no exact figures were given, reports suggest the number of job losses could run into the hundreds. According to an internal circular issued yesterday to all staff by Bapco Chairman and Chief Executive Dr Dawood Nassif, the company has been hit particularly hard by the continuing negative refining margins. And, while this was showing signs of improvement, the onset of the coronavirus pandemic has caused “huge financial losses” in the industry and posed “a huge challenge to all our operations”. It went on: “Unfortunately, despite our strenuous efforts, the decision to reduce our fixed costs to make them smaller and more efficient has become imperative and necessary. We feel very sorry that we have to send termination notices to many of our colleagues.”

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

Special Feature

Education Special

Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence

Gulf Insider speaks to John Maguire, Executive Headmaster at the British School of Bahrain, which this year celebrates 25 years of growth and excellence in British education.

he BSB is all about community. Can you tell us more about this?

Community is very important to us. We see ourselves as being the British School in Bahrain as well as being the British School of Bahrain – that’s integral to our ethos not only in our staff, but the way the students interact with each other as well as the way that we interact within our wider community. Our ethos is very much about being a successful school at the heart of the local community.

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

Extra-curriculum activities are just as important as academics. How can we make these effective learning opportunities for children? We have three pillars: academics, creative arts, and sports. Each are given equal weight here at BSB as within all our schools. For me, it’s about that key part of our ethos, which is individuality. You often see that a student will grow in their individuality if they find their niche within a school. For a lot of students, that niche can be in the extracurricular. Once a student has found that niche, they grow in confidence and that

confidence can actually relate back to their academics. We then see the student develop all around – a reason why extra-curriculum activities are important.

How much do parents need to be involved in their child’s learning and how do you attain that balance? Parents are integral to the success of the student and we consider them a key part of our school. Gone are the days in education where parents just drop their kids off at the door. Modern parents are very aware of what outstanding

Special Feature

education looks like and they want to be part of that throughout. For us, it’s about keeping those parents informed and keeping them reassured that their child is making progress.

How do you see the trend in education changing post-coronavirus? I see three changes. The first change is to teachers and their pedagogy – the way they teach. For us, it’s been about adopting technology, embracing it and seeing some superb developments in that regard. The second change is the way that students learn. These last three months has certainly seen a growth in independence in their learning. They’ve had to motivate themselves. They’ve had to actually direct their own learning. I think we will try and make that continue.

John Maguire

Parents are integral to the success of the student and we consider them a key part of our school.

The third way is parental involvement. The parents’ current engagement is something they’ll definitely want to continue. They won’t want to go back to the old way of being slightly kept at arm’s length. It will be important to keep that going and make them feel part of the school community moving forward.

Has the BSB undertaken any coronavirus initiatives or extended any support to the parents? Yes, certainly. Maintaining education is important for a lot of families and we’ve been the consistent anchor

point, right from when campuses were first shut. A lot of our parents have been financially hit by economic downturns and we’ve had to support them in providing financial assistance or repayment plans to ensure that the education of their children can continue. Some of our parents have actually felt the need to reach out to the school counselor to talk. They’ve reached out to the school and we answered. I think that’s the sign of an outstanding international school. If you are at the hub of the community, you’re not just there for the student, you’re there for the parents as well.

How has the response been from students with regards to online learning? Students have absolutely thrived within online learning. They’ve loved it. The older students have found the

move to independent learning and selfdirected learning quite straightforward. A lot of teaching within our curriculum has been enquiry based already so it was just in a different location. The younger students have found it more challenging. That put a greater load on the parents, which we’ve been enormously grateful for. It does really depend on age but overall the students thrived and we loved seeing them. We do miss their faces. We do miss them in person. I wouldn’t want it to continue much longer and we’re certainly looking forward to September. Gulf Insider June-July 2020

Special Feature

Education Special

‘Learn to learn’

for a lifetime of success Gulf Insider speaks to Dr. Susan E. Saxton, Founding President and Mr. William D. Hurt, Chief Operating Officer of the American University of Bahrain.

ell us a bit about the American University of Bahrain.

The American University of Bahrain is the first purpose-built, American-style University in Bahrain, supported through the Mumtalakat Holding Company portfolio. We focus on STEM programs, student-centeredness and holistic experiences.

How do you use technology to empower your students? From the very beginning when we designed this institution, we added technology to empower students at the

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

core of our focus. If you walk around the campus, you’re not going to find a server room. For example, a lot of other universities have significant physical infrastructure on the campus to support technology. We don’t – we actually built a university to focus on the cloud from the very beginning. This has enabled us to launch applications and different technologies very quickly. This has also enabled us to react to COVID-19 very quickly. We implemented ‘ProctorU’, an AI enabled invigilation application used by 1,100 universities in the US. Since students couldn’t be on campus, it allows us to invigilate them in a safe and effective manner.

Due to the current pandemic that we’re going through, are there any changes that are going to be made indefinitely for when schools reopen? Absolutely. With this crisis that the world has been facing, every institution, not just universities, have had to adapt. I believe we’re going to be able put courses in an online environment more effectively so that ultimately, the quality of education provided is more holistic and hopefully, more successful.

In the ever changing world that we live in, are there other career paths you see opening up that are going to be in more

Special Feature

demand for future graduates at AUBH? The great thing about AUBH is that we are providing skill sets for students to be able to “learn to learn”. What’s happening in a few years will be very different from what’s happening now. So our responsibility is to give students tools, techniques, experience and transferable skills – skills that they can use for any career and allow them to be productive as well as adapt to what’s needed in the future. Through “learning to learn”, the students pick up concepts from learning in an experiential way. AUBH is helping

Mr. William D. Hurt

We are providing skill sets for students to be able to “learn to learn”. What’s happening in a few years will be very different from what’s happening now.

the current environment. We’ve also been trying to make sure that we’re communicating as frequently as we possibly can.

Could you tell us how much that you wish in costs at AUBH on an average year? Depending on the number of credits that you take, it’s about BD6,000 per year. We’re in line with most private high schools in Bahrain. We wanted to make sure that our price point was competitive and accessible. There’s no point in building this fantastic campus and creating this great faculty, if nobody

Dr. Susan E. Saxton students become independent.

Can you tell us how AUBH is helping and supporting students and parents during this time? Supporting students and parents is central to our focus here at AUBH whether we’re on campus or we’re teaching remotely. We’ve focused on a very mindful and thoughtful way to engage with students. We’ve given them access to an application called ‘Headspace’, which allows them to calm themselves, meditate and think through things that might be challenging them in

can afford to access it. In addition, we’re offering a lot of scholarships. Those scholarships could come from government entities that might be offering them private individuals, companies that want to sponsor students, and of course from us as an institution. We have also waived the seat fee for students who are returning from abroad or students who are transferring from other places. We hope that this puts their mind at ease and lets them know that they found a home here at AUBH.

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

Special Feature

Education Special

HOLISTIC STUDENT CENTERED APPROACH

Gulf Insider speaks to Abby Saadeh, Principal at the Canadian School of Bahrain, which is completing its first, highly successful year in September.

hen did the CSB start and currently which grades does the school offer?

The Canadian School of Bahrain, which follows the British Columbia Canada curriculum, was founded with the belief that we needed something new to be introduced to Bahrain schools. Our school opened in the 2019-2020 school year, so this was our first year opening. It has been open for nursery to grade 3, and then every year hereafter we’ll be adding 1 to 2 grades.

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

How strong are the Arabic and Islamic subjects at the CSB? We like to say that we have them incorporated quite strongly into our program, and so what you’ll find is that it’s the first real integrated program in Bahrain. We do have more Arabic and more Islamic studies than you may find in other foreign schools. So it really is an integrated program.

What do you mean by the ‘studentcentered- approach? A student centred approach means that while making all of the decisions

that we make as a school, we are really thinking about the student first. Even if were making admin type of decisions, we think, ‘how is this going to impact the students?’, ‘how is this going to support the student, are we making decisions on behalf of the child?’. In the classroom that works differently as every child has a relationship with their teacher. The teacher will adapt a lot of their instructions to support the child because they know who they are and what their needs are, whether it is to help them improve things that are challenging or to support them in the things they do very well.

Special Feature

How do you assess the students’ progress? We call it formative and summative assessment. In traditional schools, there are exams or summative type of assessments. That means if the child completes an assessment or a test at the very end, that’s the score that’s taken. Now, we aren’t so heavy on summative assessment, although we do incorporate it. We mostly incorporate formative assessment, which means that we check in with the child each day to see progress on an assessment or assignment so we can see how they’re doing and give them direct feedback as they go, instead of finding out later on that they had been struggling with something. They go through what’s called the formative feedback loop, so they

Ms. Abby Saadeh – Principal, Canadian School Bahrain

The most important thing is the safety of our students in school. We’re making sure to follow all the WHO guidelines and follow sanitation processes.

Once the application is filled, we’ll set up an entrance assessment which can be done online or in person depending on what the family is comfortable with. After the assessment process, it gets approved by the admissions department and they go forward from there.

How has the school stayed connected with parents and students through this period? We knew that it could be quite difficult for families to adjust to the COVID-19 situation, especillay at the beginning. So what we did in the first month is have ongoing conversations with parents on a weekly basis to see if they need anything. Sometimes we did one on one sessions with parents to show them how to use the technology. We also did one on one sessions with

get to a point where they do have a summary, but the summary and the final assessment at the very end is a reflection of all the feedback that happened throughout the assignment.

the students, so they could learn how to submit their assignments. There are a lot of parent teacher interviews still going on so we made sure that parents felt supported during this time.

What is the registration process and till when are admissions open?

Now that schools are set to reopen in September, what precautions and measures has the school taken?

Our admissions are open until the class is full. We have allocated a certain number of classes, and when they become full, that’s when we have to close registration. Because we’re a new school we have the liberty of doing that. To register for the school, all you need to do is go online or call the front office and they’ll send you the application.

The most important thing is the safety of our students in school. We’re making sure to follow all the WHO guidelines and follow sanitation processes. We’re also making sure to follow all the guidelines from the Ministry of Education to make sure that we’re ready for September. Gulf Insider June-July 2020

Special Feature

Education Special

The ‘Little Wonders’

that Make an Outstanding Preschool Gulf Insider speaks to Ali Khan, Founder, Rabiya Essa, Principal and Shazray Khan, Vice Principal of Little Wonders Preschool to learn what sets them apart from other preschools in Bahrain.

ocated in Saar, Little Wonders Preschool Bahrain provides a friendly, nurturing, childcentered environment for children aged one to fouryears-old. With a bright and welcoming ambiance, the preschool fosters curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking for children, with an option of teaching in both English and Arabic. Little Wonders Preschool follows the British Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) while bringing in a Montessori teaching approach. “We are proud to follow a curriculum which we have developed to ensure a happy

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

We want to give each child opportunities to discover, question and develop. medium between teaching the children both academically and holistically in preparation for their future schools”, Ali Khan, founder of the preschool said. However, “the ethos of the school is really to provide a loving and caring environment where children can learn

and develop as individuals”, he added.

Setting Standards The learning environment is seen as key for the children’s development and a homely atmosphere is a must to enable children to feel safe and secure. Here, a great degree of emphasis is placed on one-to-one attention and the individual learning needs of the child. Little Wonders has a low student faculty ratio; with two qualified teachers (English and Arabic), one teacher’s assistant and a class nanny in each room. A minimum of two

Special Feature

When asked about what makes Little Wonders stand out, the Vice Principal Shazray Khan said that their people are the heart and soul of the preschool. “However, what really sets us apart is the love, passion and care we have for each child. This, along with the individualized care each student gets”, Shazray happily said.

Passionate and qualified staff and educators All teachers and staff at Little Wonders are passionate about children and are exceptionally well qualified. The preschool prides itself in allowing their teachers to fully engage with their students, promote personal growth, and enrich lives without the overbearing

child. Having a complete picture of the students from all angles help identify their capacities, overcome difficulties, and provide guidance in a healthy environment – something that Ali, Shazray and Rabiya agreed on. Parents need not worry as Little Wonders have an open door policy for any of their queries and concerns. The preschool also provides daycare after school until 5 pm daily and goes out of the way to make sure that the needs of each and every parent are catered to. In many ways, Little Wonders has no doubt achieved great advances in the quality of early years’ education they’re providing. Jillian, a parent whose child is enrolled in Little Wonders said, “Some schools were merely daycares,

Left to right - Shazray Khan, Ali Khan and Rabiya Essa staff are assigned to any group of children, ensuring that each one gets personalized attention. The preschool also has a full-time certified nurse onsite. “Small class sizes and low student to teacher ratios ensure personalized attention”, Rabiya Essa, the preschool principal said. “We want to give each child opportunities to discover, question and develop skills at their own pace through our range of activities. Our learning materials are especially designed to help each child creatively explore the world around them”, Rabiya added.

setting traditional classrooms present. “Our English-speaking teachers are primarily from the United Kingdom while most of our Arabic teachers are Bahraini”, Ali said. He added that their teachers have been trained extensively on their combined curriculum.

Satisfied Parents Little Wonders has their own dedicated app for communication with parents. With various elements and stages, the app also allows parents to monitor the development of their

some made me feel as though my expectations were too high. Then I found Little Wonders; Godsend. My child is thriving. She’s challenged, stimulated, educated and safe. The Montessori curriculum is immersive and encourages learning by doing. They have a separate art room, playroom and cooking lab outside of the classroom. The teachers and administrators are excellent communicators who keep me up- to- speed with my child’s progress.”

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

Special Feature

Education Special

Designing Education

for 21st Century Learning Gulf Insider speaks to Dave McMaster, Founding Director of American School Bahrain, an Esol Education school set to open its doors in September this year.

ell us a bit about yourself, your work and philosophy.

I worked as a teacher, vice principal and a principal of a large high school in Canada. I’ve been an educator for 31 years, the last 26 as a principal or head of school. I’m a huge believer in having a school, atmosphere and an ethos that the kids and staff would love to come to. The greatest thing I can do as a leader is to

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

We’ve got some very experienced teachers who have taught 25 to 30 years.

set that atmosphere and ethos to one where people want to be there. I think this makes the learning and the teaching much more natural.

What advice would you give students from your 30 years’ experience working in schools? I think for kids these days, the greatest advice I would give them is please do, as I say, not as I do.

Special Feature

Don’t be afraid to do things differently. Don’t be afraid to put up your hand and challenge, a comment your teacher, director or parent has made. Do it respectfully and do it with humility, but don’t be afraid to challenge popular opinion. And I would tell young people today to follow your passions. If you love art,

We’ve got some very experienced teachers who have taught 25 to 30 years, and I am making sure that these are the type of people who are still willing to try different things.

follow art; if you love music, follow music. If you love reading and you’re an academic, follow that. Take the advice of your parents for sure. Your parents always, have the best interest, but at the end of the day, it’s your life. And you need to be accountable for your life.

Could you just tell us a bit about your philosophy of designing education for 21st century learning? I’ve learned over the years that as educators, we’re so resistant to change but I want us to be innovative. We’ve got some very experienced teachers who have taught 25 to 30 years, and I am making sure that these are the type of people who are still willing to try different things. It is easier to mold somebody that’s younger. But I do think if we’re going be innovative, if we’re going to try new things then we need to have people who are going to be up for it. Technology is also a real catalyst to

change education and how we do it. It’s forced people to do things differently and the way the education sector is handling COVID-19 is a great example.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? I’ve been very fortunate in my career from a professional standpoint that

I worked with some great people. From a professional standpoint, I had a boss who took a big chance on me as a young administrator. He told me a couple of things; one is to “never be satisfied with status quo”. He also said, “You’re young enough that it’s okay to make mistakes. Change things up, allow your teachers to take risks. Take some risks on your boss. I’m responsible for this entire school district. I’ll take the heat.” And that really put a level of confidence in me. He also said to put everything about yourself into your job but don’t let your job identify yourself. American School of Bahrain offers a holistic and challenging American and international educational program founded on the pillars of academic excellence. As an Esol Education school, ASB is part of a family of exceptional international schools around the world in locations such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Hong Kong, Cairo, Nicosia and Lebanon. Gulf Insider June-July 2020

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Education Special

International education for an early start summer, the school has various programmes for children to keep them occupied during this very difficult period.

What makes EtonHouse unique from other schools in Bahrain?

tonHouse Bahrain Pre School and Preparatory School provides an Early Years and Primary Years programme for children from 15 months old. Their highly qualified international class teachers are supported by teaching assistants. The Executive Principal Carol Pedersen originates from the UK and has been actively involved in various schools, educational management positions in international schools around the world for over two decades.

Curriculum EtonHouse provides a programme with a carefully resourced environment that stimulates the learning and development of children from one to 12 years old. EtonHouse’s curriculum is inspired by internationally accepted best teaching practices from around the world. It is one of the world leading educational groups recognised and accredited by the Council of International Schools, Oxford 28

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EtonHouse values the uniqueness as both a gift and an opportunity, we believe in empowering children to be life-long learners. They teach sets of abilities and dispositions that students need to develop in order to succeed in the information age, these include life skills that encompass critical and creative thinking, collaboration, communication, flexibility, initiative, leadership, information and technical literacy. All of their preschools and primary schools hold a maximum 20 students per class. and Cambridge, and International Baccalaureate. EtonHouse’s education group has been established over 25 years worldwide with over 125 schools globally.

What is EtonHouse doing to help students during the COVID-19 Pandemic? During the pandemic, EtonHouse has provided home based online learning to over 20,000 students worldwide. They have been participating in an ‘Online Learning Programme’ for children from 2 years to 18 years globally. The EtonHouse group has developed various online features to support engaging learning activities, virtual classrooms for all our children, and physical weekly educational packs to support parents during this difficult time. Many non EtonHouse families reached out and have been supported with educational packs. During the

Mindfulness Studio EtonHouse is the only school in Bahrain offering a Mindfulness Studio, Sensory Shadow and Light Studio, an Atelier. They also have large extensive outdoor areas for play as well as several mud kitchens, sand and water areas, planting garden, and physical activities.

After School Activity Clubs EtonHouse offers After School Activity Clubs, which are also open to non EtonHouse students. Each term, there are different activities for children to participate in such as the Earth Creative Art Club, Gymnastics, Language Clubs, and Performing Arts. EtonHouse offers Activity Camps for children from 2 Years to 10 years old during holiday periods.

Corporate Discounts Several corporate discounts are offered to major companies and embassies in Bahrain.

News Roundup

Bahrain: Nurse-Attacker Faces 3 Years in Jail, Permanent Deportation

Free EWA for Bahrainis for Three Months Starting July The Cabinet approved a number of initiatives aimed at mitigating the impacts of the novel coronavirus. In this regard, the government decided, based on its consultations with the Legislative Branch and the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and based on their visions, to pay 50% of the salaries of insured Bahrainis in the most affected private sector institutions for three months, starting from July, in accordance with the terms and conditions to be set by the Labour and Social Development Ministry, in coordination with the relevant authorities. The government also decided to pay the electricity and water bills of all Bahraini subscribers for their first houses for three months, beginning from July, provided that they do not exceed the bills of the same period last year. The Labour Fund (Tamkeen) will also support the most affected economic sectors, in accordance with the terms and conditions that will be approved by its Board of Directors.

The viral nurse-attacker was sentenced to three years in jail and to be permanently deported upon completing the punishment. In the previous trial, held on April 23rd, the 29-year-old Asian attacker claimed that he was drunk and was not aware of what he was doing. The video of a nurse being tackled and mugged went viral last February prompting cause for major concern in Bahrain. The video showed a hospital nurse walking and being followed by a man who moments later strangled her and pushed her to the ground. The woman was brutally punched, picked up and thrown again to the ground. The attacker ran away when people started noticing. The incident is said to have happened at 10:55 pm near the St Mary’s Indian Orthodox Cathedral in Salmaniya area. The incident was recorded on a CCTV camera showing the 60-second ordeal. The attacker was arrested in less than 24 hours after the news broke.

Bahrain delays mosques reopening to limit virus spread Bahrain has delayed again the reopening of mosques for fear of the spread of the new coronavirus due to congregations amid a spike in cases. The country’s Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs unanimously decided at an online meeting Wednesday to keep the mosques closed and continue to suspend group prayers inside them. The council said that the causes on the basis of which Friday and daily congregation prayers in mosques were suspended are still there. The medical agencies cited a “marked’ increase in infections and deaths from COVID-19 in June compared to the previous months, mostly due to mixing and human gatherings, it added in a statement. “Therefore, the council emphasises the necessity of delay in reopening mosques and the return of group worshipping [to them] until the curve of the disease spread decreases,” it said, according to Bahraini newspaper Al Bilad. Last month, Bahrain postponed the reopening of mosques, which was originally scheduled for June 5, due to an increase in virus cases. Gulf Insider June-July 2020

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Education Special

Terminology 101: Educational Terms to Know Here are some terms to know in your search for the right educational experience for your child. A Level

Short for General Certificate of Education Advanced Level, A Levels are studied between the ages of 1618. A Levels are British educational qualifications which school children take.

Academy

The term academy has originally been used to describe private schools or semi-private. More recently educators have used the term in reference to three common reform strategies: (1) â&#x20AC;&#x153;smaller learning communities; (2) teaming; and (3) theme-based academies.

Accounting, Business and Management (ABM)

This strand is designed as an introductory course in accounting and business and management where

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students are trained to think logically and scientifically.

Accreditation

Accreditation is the act of granting credit or recognition, especially to an educational institution that maintains suitable standards.

Advanced Placement (AP)

Advanced Placement (AP) is not a program of study that itself culminates in a High School diploma. It is a variety of courses offered as separate entities at Advanced Placement level. They are designed to be university or collegelevel courses of study.

Assessment

Refers to the wide variety of methods or tools that educators use to evaluate,

measure, and document the academic readiness, learning progress, skill acquisition, or educational needs of students.

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a national level board of education in India for public and private schools, controlled and managed by Union Government of India.

Curriculum

School curriculum refers to a particular set of courses that a school or governing body designates, but may also refer to a variety of activities designed to foster education and meet the needs of a learning community.

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and Science. Coursework may count for part of the final mark depending on the subject and syllabus. The curriculum is set by the government but exams and specifications (syllabuses) are sent by individual exam boards.

Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS)

Programme), IB Diploma Programme.

Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE)

The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination, a private board of school education in India.

Middle Years Program (MYP)

The Middle Years Programme (MYP) is offered by the International Baccalaureate (IB) for students aged 11-16 years and provides a framework of academic challenge and life skills through embracing and transcending traditional school subjects.

Mission

Statement outlining the school guidelines they follow to achieve their goals or maintain performance standards.

Open House

An event where parents can learn more about the school and its offerings.

Primary Years Program (PYP)

Education & Training Quality Authority (BQA)

The Education & Training Quality Authority (BQA) is an independent entity established as a part of the National Education Reform Project that aims to improve the services provided in education and vocational training in Bahrain.

(General Certificate of Secondary Education) GCSE

Short for General Certificate of Secondary Education, GCSEs are studied between the ages of 14-16 years and are assessed by formal exams. GCSEs cover a wide range of subjects and each student chooses several subjects to study. Most are expected to take English, Mathematics,

This strand is for learners who aim to take up journalism, communication arts, liberal arts, education, and other social science-related courses in college.

IB Diploma Programme

The IB Diploma Programme is offered by the International Baccalaureate (IB) for students aged 16-19 years. It is a demanding two-year curriculum that leads to a qualification recognized by universities around the world.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

IB is a comprehensive academic program emphasizing traditional disciplines while encouraging an international perspective. IB offers three programmes used in many schools all over the world: PYP (Primary Years Programme), MYP (Middle Years

The Primary Years Programme (PYP) is offered by the International Baccalaureate (IB) for students aged 6-12 years and focuses on the development of the whole child in the classroom and in the world outside.

SAT

A standardized test measuring the critical thinking, mathematical reasoning and writing skills of students planning to attend college.

Special Education Needs

A school or program for children who have mild to moderate learning differences.

STEM

STEM is an educational program developed to prepare primary and secondary students for college and graduate study in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

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Education Special

Reaching for New Horizons Leena Verma, Acting Principal at The New Horizon School writes about the efforts that helped create a successful online learning system at the school.

t The New Horizon School, we firmly believe in holistic development of our students. Due to the necessity posed by the current situation, there has been a paradigm shift in the education process. The virtual learning platform for the Academic year 2020-â&#x20AC;&#x2122;21 was launched at the New Horizon School from 19th April 2020. Going from physical to virtual teaching wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t easy for anyone, be it teachers, students, parents or the administration. Meticulous planning, frequent Parent-Teacher interface via WhatsApp, online resources and most importantly the collaboration between the teachers and students have made this transition an immense success. Our teachers have done exceptionally well in terms of shedding their inhibition to go virtual. It was a sudden change but our teachers adapted very well to this situation. Teachers researched and created new innovative ideas / teaching learning strategies before executing the topic. They found new ways to make the

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Leena Verma

Our teachers have done exceptionally well in terms of shedding their inhibition to go virtual. topic more interesting by introducing the class with an ice breaker/starter/ game/story narration, etc. They correlated the current topic with other subjects with the help of teaching aids, charts, pictures or by even showing videos related to the topic. Considering all the challenges, our teachers have handled this situation in a very balanced way. They have made it a point to continue education and use these difficult times as an opportunity to harness technology into education field which itself is the biggest achievement.

Reopening preparations The school plans to implement a vast multitude of measures to ensure the safety of the students when the school reopens, including temperature checks of all students and staff on arrival, sanitizer dispensers and tissue boxes in each classroom, staff nurse stationed during school hours, and many more. It will be made mandatory for students and staff to wear the face mask at all times inside the school and they will be denied entry for noncompliance. Only one parent or guardian will be permitted to drop off and pick up their children. The school strives to continue its effort to make learning as productive as possible through the collaborative effort of the management, staff, parents and the students and by following the norms laid down by the Ministry of Education.

News Roundup

Kuwait will no longer hire expats in oil sector – Minister’ Kuwait has decided to ban the employment of expatriates in state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and its subsidiaries for the year 2020-21. The number of special contracts awarded to expats will also be trimmed, Kuwait News Agency reported. The Kuwaiti Minister of Oil and acting minister of Electricity and Water Dr. Khaled Al-Fadhel stressed that “he would not be inactive towards laying off nationals serving in national petroleum companies,” KUNA reported. Earlier this month, several lawmakers had planned to propose regulations including a ban on recruiting ‘new expats’ and limiting the duration of residence for foreign workers in the country. The Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah also stated earlier this month that the Gulf state would like expat numbers to reduce to 30 per cent of the country’s population – down from 70 per cent at present, as the economy faces immense strain. That would require cutting down the number of foreign workers by around 2.5 million.

Qatar Airways to Lay Off Pilots, Cut Wages Qatar Airways will lay off some pilots and reduce the salaries of others by as much as a quarter due to the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Pilots will be included in previously announced job cuts, the sources said, while others will have their salaries reduced by 15 percent to 25 percent. An airline spokesman declined to comment. Bloomberg reported the layoffs and salary reduction, citing an internal letter that it said disclosed Qatari nationals were exempted from the wage cuts. The carrier has previously deferred salary payments, with some employees receiving half their wages from April to June to be paid back later. Qatar Airways Group, which includes the airline, Hamad International Airport and other aviation assets in Doha, previously said it would lay off close to 20 percent of its more than 40,000-member workforce. It later said fewer could be laid off.

Bahrain: Renowned Indian doctor passes away battling COVID-19 Scores of people in Bahrain and across the globe are paying tribute to a renowned Indian doctor who was battling Covid-19 in Bahrain. In a first, Dr Solomon Vinaya Kumar, 69, is the first death reported among the medical community in Bahrain. The respected doctor has been fighting Covid-19 for the last four weeks in the ICU at the BDF hospital. Dr Solomon worked for 14 years at AMH as a primary care physician. In a statement, American Mission Hospital CEO Dr George Cheriyan stressed that the history of the hospital has at its foundation several health care workers who have sacrificed their lives in the purpose of healing others. The late doctor was also the President of the Gideons International – Bahrain Chapter and a former board member of the English Language Congregation –NEC. He is survived by his wife Elizabeth Indira, two sons and their families.

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

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Education Special

EduNet for public schooling – A tale of transition

everaging the current country’s existing cloud computing technology, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Ministry of Education and the Information & eGovernment Authority partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to re-platform & redesign the application hosting of the available EduNet “Educational “portal in just one week to deliver based remote learning solution and the scalability that was required to absorb the nation-wide adoption of remote learning for all the governmental/public schools. The application was quickly assessed, and a few changes were made to enable it to auto-scale on the AWS cloud. The enhanced hosting design was launched 09th March 2020.

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How were educators given necessary training within such a short span of time?

How many students and teachers benefit from EduNet? Is it bilingual?

With His Majesty King Hamad Schools of the Future Project adopting the ‘train the trainer’ strategy within the past years by training specialists in educational technology to help trainers develop their skills to train the teachers of their schools anytime throughout the whole school year, teachers are set to acquire necessary skills in the use of available technologies and digital tools. The training courses implemented by His Majesty King Hamad Schools of the Future Project enabled the teachers to prepare educational content, create applications, tools, exams, games, digital stories and interactive activities for students & enrich the educational system.

Currently, the portal is accessible in both Arabic and English by 146,498 public school students and over 18,000 teachers from primary ,intermediate and secondary school levels corresponding to Grade one to 12 and this includes 376 e-books, 1097 educational units, 1301 e-lessons, , 754 sample questions and exams. The school teachers have created 218,290 online activities, 88,190 lessons engaging the students in 83,237 discussion forums. On average since the activation period of EduNet Education portal, the daily average for the first two weeks was around 14,592 Student Visits. The following couple of weeks witnessed a triple increase with 48,190 Students

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Directorate at the Ministry of Education. These documents can be used when needing to register with various academic institutions via the ‘Issuing Copies of Student Certificates’ service available on the National Portal and selfservice kiosks. Secondary school graduates from both pubic & private schools can also benefit from University of Bahrain (UoB) eServices that include an ‘eAdmission Service’ for enrollment, ‘Course

Visiting daily. The subsequent two weeks in the month of April saw an exponential increase with over 600% more visits, coming to around 304,075 average daily student visits.

What is the bundle of eservices for students & graduates? There are more than 12 eservices for student & Graduates catering to public and private schools, including the Student Exam Results app, which intermediate and secondary public school students can register on to view their exam results once they are officially announced. Students can also request the issuance of public intermediate and secondary school certificates from the Examination

There are more than 12 eservices for student & Graduates catering to public and private schools, including the Student Exam Results app.

Payment’ available to students once they have set their schedules for the semester, and ‘Bookstore’ service to view and buy course books. If students choose to continue their university studies abroad they can make use of the Accreditation of Abroad qualification services which enables them to ensure that this academic utility is accredited by the Kingdom Ministry of Education also providing online endorsement of local qualifications.

Finally, is there any assistance provided for fresh graduates who are seeking jobs? University graduates looking for a job suiting their qualifications can register via the ‘Job Seekers Services’ offered by the Ministry of Labor and Social development on the National Portal Bahrain.bh , and receive unemployment benefits, or via the ‘Apply/Update Employment Application’ service offered by the Civil Service Bureau, to apply for public sector jobs. The eservices are available through the National Portal bahrain.bh and the eGovernment Apps Store bahrain.bh/ apps. Also, student & graduates can call 80008001 to inquire how to avail of any of the other eservices.

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

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Education Special

The future of education Gulf Insider interviews Shaikha Latifa Al Khalifa, Co-founder & CEO Clever Play to discuss the future of education, both online and offline.

lever Play is an online and offline STEAM education platform for children. Clever Play is a big advocate of STEAM educationwhich basically is Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math, which we think is the future of education.

How different is virtual learning for younger and older children? Children of all ages have had to adapt to the virtual learning space but younger ones have more challenge to adapt; the older kids being more technologically advanced and digital savvy. But yes, there’s a lot of things educators have 36

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been doing to keep younger kids engaged.

What are the ways to keep children engaged via virtual learning? Transition from a traditional to an online video conference has been challenging for teachers as well as students. One thing that I feel works is re-thinking the lesson format in a virtual setting. Giving students more autonomy, more control and ownership of their learning journey. One way that the teacher can do that is by giving children the freedom to choose topics and projects they’d like to dig deeper into. As an informal educator, that’s

something that I find students gravitate towards because they feel they are taking control of their learning path. Diversifying the delivery also helps; switching it up from audio to video, presentations and text also brings an exciting element to online learning. Gamifying the learning through virtual classrooms is also now doable. If educators create enjoyable competitions, it will encourage collaboration, teamwork, skill sets and so much more. I think there are a lot of challenges but also so much opportunity to rethink what learning can look like in a virtual space.

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yourself to the traditional curriculum.

Is there a better understanding now on the relevance of project-based learning over traditional schooling? Yes, absolutely. For a few years now project-based learning has been revolutionizing learning. It allows students to come up with solutions to real world problems. Project based learning is all about building skill based competencies which are important today. Today we’re not talking about knowledge, we’re talking about the acquisition of skills. Google knows everything today. That’s why we need to teach our children skills – so they can learn how to learn. Project-based learning offers that opportunity to build in-demand skills, contribute to real world problem solving, and learn by doing.

How do we educate children for the changing world?

I think personalization, collaboration and informal learning is basically the future.

How are parents finding the entire process? While some parents are enjoying that their children are learning at their own pace, some are finding it difficult because unlike traditional schooling, time management gets a little tricky. Parents aren’t sure if their kids should be in “home mode” or “school mode”.

Do you think prolonged virtual learning is effective? I think personalization, collaboration and informal learning is basically the future. I’m leaning towards a blended learning model where the brick and mortar schools have a time and space but at the same time embracing online learning since there is more scope for students to learn at their own pace craft their own learning journey. I believe learning doesn’t stop whether you’re at home or school – and with online learning you can do that and make sure that you can learn from the comfort of your own home while not limiting

While we can’t predict what the future is going to look like, we can equip them with what I call super skills. The best way to do this is by imbibing in them human skills. For example, what is the competitive advantage students have over robots? It’s the human touch. We can imbibe in them the human touch by investing in their creativity, imagination, critical thinking, problem solving – for which they will always win over robots. Change children from passive learner to active lifelong learners – open up their appetite for learning so they learn wherever they are. So they can learn, relearn and unlearn for most of their life.

How to merge playing and learning for children? Honestly, I don’t see the difference. I’m a big advocate of play – I believe play is learning. Children learn best through unstructured play wherein they don’t know they’re learning but they are. It’s also important as educators and parents to praise efforts over results – in school and play. Effort matters more than result ever will. I truly believe that the best kind of learning happens through play. Gulf Insider June-July 2020

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Education Special

The remote learning

family dilemma

hen the pandemic forced schools to close, parents and educators grappled with how to keep the kids learning. Many students from low-income families also lack the basic technology they require to study online – including access to a computer and a reliable internet connection. Apart from the costs of providing decent systems and the struggles of adapting to the new arrangement, most parents are also concerned about the stability of data providers. Internet access has been a problem in Bahrain long before the pandemic, with high prices, slow speeds and lack of coverage in some areas. A number of parents debate whether online education is worth the same price as a regular classroom setup; while some worry about handling online

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lessons when they have no time to teach. “There were times our daughter found it hard to catch up with the learning materials because of the quality of the Zoom classes, due to either our or the teacher’s internet connection. In this kind of learning setting, we’ve also noticed how hesitant the students are in raising their concerns since they are usually put on ‘mute’”, a parent whose child is enrolled in The Indian School said.

Are students becoming less productive? We are all witnesses to our homes being transformed as a makeshift classroom. And ironically, this is where social exclusion is felt the most. As a result, students are becoming more and more demotivated to go through their daily tasks.

“I think because our children are not studying in a classroom, it is a lot harder to stay motivated on one task. There are also several unavoidable distractions at home on a daily basis”, a parent whose child is studying at the Philippine School said. Furthermore, the inconsistency of teachers and difference in teaching approaches make it difficult for students to keep track of what is assigned. “It actually feels like the workload is heavier”, a student from a university in Bahrain said. “It’s also a lot harder to grasp the information sometimes which adds to the pressure”, he added. While it is easier for teachers to provide links and readings, it is more impactful for students to see their teachers and stay engaged together through their shared communication. Since that’s what parents are paying for, right?

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Education Special

The Career Compass Gulf Insider interviews Education Zone’s Maryam Al Razqi, Director and Head Counsellor and Zahra Ghanbari, General Manager.

ducation Zone is an education consultancy which has been helping students; governments and companies upgrade their skills and register at top-notch universities, colleges and schools for more than 10 years.

As education counsellors, what changes are you now noticing in students when it comes to choosing courses or universities? The stereotype in choosing the 40

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right majors is still there – especially medicine, engineering and commerce. Many times, students’ passion and skill sets are left neglected. However, there are also students who are extremely self-aware and choose their courses and majors very diligently. These students will be the leaders of their generation, especially those who choose futuristic majors such as Robotics, AI, Instrumentation, Biomedical Engineering etc. are bound for success. In a changing world, it is important to know what the needs are of the future,

so we collaborate with companies in the region, set up internships for students so that they can get a feel of the career – and understand if it’s a right fit.

What must students keep in mind while choosing a course going forward? It’s really important for students to find the right course – we need students to understand that what they choose now will end up being what they do for 8 hours a week for the rest of their lives. We do psychometric tests to help students understand the careers

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can you help us now?”. And that is still okay, because you can lose a year but you shouldn’t lose your whole life. We ultimately want the students to succeed. We inform them of everything and counsel them based on their budgets, interests, country of choice, career choice, GPA. It is also important to be realistic – some students can’t meet the requirements of the university so we counsel them for that as well. We try to guide the students in the right direction in choosing their dream career.

Is it important to tap into one’s interests to be able to choose a career path? Around what age should one know what field they want to pursue?

It is also important to be realistic – some students can’t meet the requirements of the university so we counsel them for that as well.

they are suited for. It’s important to do courses you enjoy – especially since the choices are unlimited now. Students need to stop focusing on only mainstream courses such as engineering or commerce – why not art or humanities – focus on your skill sets and while choosing courses.

What is the role of counselling when one is choosing a course? What are the benefits? Parents come to be guided on choosing the right course based on their budget, university ranking, etc. But the main focus of career counselling is always the student – is this in tune with their interest and job expectations? And most candidates end up choosing the right career and do their best to excel at it. We also always have few students coming back to us saying “we went to university but chose the wrong career,

I don’t think its age; age is just a number. But, it is important to tap into students interests to unleash their potential very early. As educators, we always suggest parents to help their children find their passion at a very early age. Pushing them towards what they know they can achieve is always a good idea. For people that change careers after years of working in a field, we always suggest to pinpoint what it is that they enjoy. We have students that come to us aged even 40 and above. For example, they’re working in the financial field and they decide it’s not their passion. So we see that shift even at a later age. There is a change in how people perceive careers, it’s not just the financial or earning aspect anymore.

Tips for university students navigating through this time. It’s a very tough time. Shifting from face to face to online learning overnight has been difficult, but students are adapting. To students - Don’t let anything stop you, don’t put your careers on hold, students that are in senior years, keep trying to get internships, keep hustling, just keep going. Universities are putting together precautionary measures for reopening– so just do your best and achieve more, try your best to fit this situation around what you want to achieve.

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

News Roundup

Saudi: Expat Residents Abroad Still Banned from Returning Saudi Arabia announced that expatriates will be allowed to exit and re-enter the Kingdom only after the end of COVID-19 pandemic. The Directorate General of Passports (Jawazat) stated on their Twitter account while responding to expatriates seeking to exit or re-enter the Kingdom. According to reports in Saudi Gazette, the Jawazat stated that those expatriates wanting to return to the Kingdom will have to wait until the pandemic has ended in order to obtain a valid re-entry visa. While in case of any new development in this regard, the expatriates will be notified through the official channels, the Jawazat added.

Around 1.2 Million Expats Expected to Leave Saudi Arabia in 2020

UAE: Citizens and Residents Allowed to Travel Abroad The United Arab Emirates will allow both citizens and residents to travel abroad, the state news agency reported. In March, the UAE suspended all inbound and outbound passenger flights and the transit of airline passengers in the UAE, allowing only cargo and emergency evacuation flights.

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

Around 1.2 million expat workers are expected to leave Saudi Arabia this year, according to the latest figures released by Jadwa Investment Company. The report also revealed that, based on health insurance data, an estimated 300,000 expats have left the kingdom so far in 2020 – between April 22 and June 3 alone, a total of 178,000 applications were made to ‘Awdah’, which aims to facilitate the departure of expat workers to their home countries, and subsequently filed through the Ministry of Interior. According to the report, 445,000 foreign workers left the Saudi labour market in 2019. Sectors struggling the most include transport, wholesale and retail, hotels and restaurants, and non-oil manufacturing, in addition to entertainment & leisure; while education, health, public administration, utilities and agriculture are also facing “challenging conditions”. However, despite the potential exodus, it said the Saudi unemployment rate is expected to remain unchanged at around 12 percent by the end of the year, largely as a result of the Saned scheme – an unemployment benefit programme launched in 2014 which bears 60 percent of most of the private sector Saudi workers’ salaries for three months. Latest data from the General Organisation of Social Insurance (GOSI) shows there were 450,000 Saned beneficiaries by May in more than 90,000 companies. So far, around SR2.4 billion ($640m) has been handed out, around 37 percent of the scheme’s budget. The report said: “Thus, we see further scope for the Saned scheme to be extended for more than three months, if necessary.”

News Roundup

Saudi Arabia: COVID-19 Protocol Violators to be Deported Saudi Arabia will deport residents who fail to abide by the coronavirus protocols, Saudi media quoted authorities as saying. Authorities called on people to report offenders by dialling the toll free number 999, except for the holy city of Makka, where the toll free number is 911. As per the newly-revised Saudi protocols, social gatherings such as mourning or celebration events that take place inside homes, rest houses or farms, are allowed, but attendants should not exceed 50 persons.

International Flights Remain Suspended, Says Saudia All international flights continue to be suspended and will remain so until further notice, the Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) reiterated. Flights will resume gradually and the schedule will be announced through official channels, the airlines said on its official Twitter account. It said international flights allowed at the moment are only incoming flights carrying stranded Saudi citizens who are availing of the services provided in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Awdahâ&#x20AC;? (return) platform. Saudia also announced its domestic flightsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; schedule, tweeting that flights between Jeddah and Hail will start operating on Monday, June 15.

Saudi Arabia to Use Dexamethasone to Treat COVID-19 Patients Saudi Arabia has approved dexamethasone to treat seriously ill COVID-19 patients after UK researchers found that the generic steroid drug substantially cuts the death rate among the seriously ill COVID-19 patients. The Ministry of Health said that dexamethasone would be used within the treatment protocol for coronavirus patients. Dexamethasone is hailed as the biggest breakthrough yet in the fight against coronavirus, according to British researchers. It is a cheap, widely available drug that reduces deaths among severe COVID-19 patients. According to the UK study involving thousands of patients in the UK, dexamethasone cuts the death rate among the most seriously ill COVID-19 patients. Such patients are so ill that they have to be artificially ventilated, and often have less than a 50 per cent chance of surviving. The study also found that less sick patients needing only oxygen support also benefited from the drug, with a 20 per cent cut in the death rate. Gulf Insider June-July 2020

Finance

Back to school in 2020

his is normally one of the busiest times at schools. Children - whether three or 18 - have reached the end of another school year, with all that that entails. There should be books to return, items of uniform to find or return and friendships to revisit. For parents, school reports may be a source of pride - or a trigger for a serious conversation on the importance of application. For teachers, classrooms need to be emptied, display boards need to be taken down, reports need to be written and planning needs to be started for a new educational year. For many - teachers, students and parents -

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

Keypoint has been running a series of discussions on leading practice for human resources practitioners which have looked at a number of different aspects of the current economic situation.

the summer holidays are an opportunity to recharge batteries, see somewhere new or - for expatriates - a chance to go â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to see families and friends. This year - as with so many other things has of course been a year like no other - and planning for a return to school is probably best described as problematic. Any return to school is going to have to simultaneously satisfy a number of different stakeholders: students (who ultimately may be the easiest group); parents (who need to juggle a work/life balance at the same time as trying to ensure schools are as safe as possible for their children); teachers (who may have significant concerns over their

Finance

own safety as well as questions about what a ‘blended’ curriculum looks like); school management (who will be keen to ensure working practices protect staff, parents and children while also understanding the implications of change in finances); support staff (including drivers, cleaners, ground staff and others who suddenly find that their roles are more critical than was thought and whose actions are suddenly under

The recent announcement from Bahrain’s Ministry of Education, which includes blended learning and a limit of nine children to a classroom at any one time.

much more scrutiny); and the regulators (who have to balance the needs of all stakeholders, including ensuring the young people under their aegis get the skills development they need). Clearly, this will be easier said than done! Over the last three months, Keypoint has been running a series of discussions on leading practice for human resources practitioners which have looked at a number of different aspects of the current economic situation. We have discussed the impact of COVID-19 on different economic sectors, including schools and the educational sector; the ramifications of returning to work; and business sustainability in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world. The learnings from these discussions are as applicable to schools - and their stakeholders - as they are to

other organisations. When discussing responses to COVID-19, we identified five elements of leading practice: employee wellness (mental as well as physical); effective communication; alternative work arrangements; digitalisation; and business continuity. When discussing the implications of returning to work, the importance of flexibility (and understanding that different people are going to react to different situations in different ways); risk awareness; the reconfiguration of physical space; the importance of discovering, enhancing and embracing virtual solutions; and understanding that leading practice is not written in stone should all chime with key decision makers in the educational sector. Any return to school will - as pointed out above - need to address all of these factors according to the needs of many different - and perhaps conflicting stakeholders. The recent announcement from Bahrain’s Ministry of Education, which includes blended learning and a limit of nine children to a classroom at any one time, underline the importance of the leading practice we have seen. Only one thing is for certain: there will be a lot of change between now and the reopening of schools - no matter what the format - in September!

Arpita Mhatre heads Keypoint’s human capital function. A long-term resident of Bahrain, she has a deep and abiding interest in a wide variety of human capital themes, including strategic reorganisations, psychometric assessments and executive recruitment. Arpita is available at arpita. mhatre@keypoint.com or www.linkedin. com/in/arpitamhatre/ For more, please see keypoint.com or @keypointme. follow us on Gulf Insider June-July 2020

Money & Business

An Elite Family Treat

ake it a family summer escape with Elite Hospitality Group, by exploring the special offer at the Elite Seef Residence Hotel located at the Seef area in the center of the Kingdomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main shopping area. Elite Seef Residence Hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one and two bed room family suites are elegantly furnished in modern leather interiors, with a fully equipped modular kitchen, lavish bathrooms, home theatre

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

system with in-house TV channels, Digital Satellite television system and 24 hour personalized room service with special menus offering lavish choices with great value. The one bed room suite starts at Bahrain Dinars 33 net per night, inclusive of WiFi and breakfast for two with hot beverages and selected fresh juices. Elite Grande Hotel, nestled in the heart of the Seef, will help you find the time for a real treat. The two bed room family suite is a perfect place to

unwind in a relaxing atmosphere with our personalized service by a dedicated team. Each spacious suite is lavishly furnished with grand bathrooms, complete home theatre systems in each bedroom with DVD, and HDTV Satellite channels, hi-speed internet, direct dialing facility with voice mail and digital safe-deposit lockers. The two bed room suite starts at Bahrain Dinars 60 net per night, including Wifi and breakfast for four with hot beverages and selected fresh juices. Their offers are valid till the end of September. The excellent food and service Elite is known for is now delivered to your doorstep. Specializing in institutional catering in offices and factories, Elite Hospitality Catering is supplying to large corporates, banks, factories and ministries. They are also available to cater for all events such as receptions, cocktail parties, BBQs, birthdays, anniversaries and graduation celebrations.

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Find the best schools near you!

People & Culture

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modern living

he changing landscape of Bahrainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elegant Juffair district constantly keeps getting new additions. The latest is Lotus Apartments, a luxurious, fully furnished 180-room apartment which boasts of diverse offerings in the very heart of Juffair. The Lotus apartments have a varied range of products, all specifically designed to suit business and leisure travellers. It offers 180 luxuriously furnished, one and two BHK apartments. All the flats are centrally air-conditioned, with luxurious bedding, spacious living rooms with cable TV, kitchens, direct telephone lines, hi- speed wireless internet connectivity, and electronic safes. It features a roof-top swimming pool, a modern gym equipped with cardio machines. It is also equipped with a recreation hall and conference hall to cater to the need of small and medium business meetings and gatherings.

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Gulf Insider June-July 2020

News Roundup

Saudi Aramco may cut hundreds of jobs this year

Saudi Arabia: New VAT Rate Comes into Effect Saudi Arabia’s decision to raise value-added tax (VAT) from 5 percent to 15 percent has come into effect starting from Wednesday (July 1). The new VAT rate will apply to all goods and services subject to it in commercial markets after the announcement of royal order on May 11 to amend Article (II) of the value-added tax regulation, which included raising the tax rate from 5 percent to 15 percent. The Authority urges people to check the elements of the tax invoice, which are: the store name, the date of purchase, the tax number, and the value-added tax cell, calling on them to cooperate with it and report any violating facility in the event that these elements are not available, through the website of the authority (gazt.gov.sa), and through the application (tax added) for smartphones.

Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest oil exporter, has begun cutting hundreds of jobs as it looks to reduce costs after a slump in energy prices, according to people familiar with the matter. Aramco is letting go of mostly foreign staff across several divisions, with affected employees being informed earlier this week, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private. The company employs almost 80,000 people and goes through a round of cuts annually. This year’s is bigger than normal, according to several of the people. Aramco’s first-quarter profit slumped 25 percent year-on-year to 62.5 billion riyals ($16.6bn) as coronavirus shutdowns caused demand for oil to collapse. Brent crude has more than doubled since late April as more economies re-open. But at around $41 a barrel, it’s still down 37 percent this year, putting huge pressure on producers globally. The shares of Aramco, which listed in Riyadh in December, have fallen 14 percent since their peak to 32.80 riyals. Its market valuation of almost $1.75 trillion is still the world’s biggest.

Saudi Arabia to limit Hajj pilgrims to 1,000 this year Hajj pilgrim numbers could be limited to less or more than 1,000 to protect public health in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Saudi authorities. Saudi authorities said the decision is in line with the keenness of the kingdom’s

leadership to ensure public safety amid the outbreak of the coronavirus. People from outside the kingdom will not be allowed to perform Hajj this year, while Umrah will remain suspended. Saudi Arabia residents who are above 65 years will also not be allowed to do Haj this year. According to the Hajj Minister Mohammad Benten, this year’s season will see a “small and very limited” numbers of pilgrims to ensure social distancing and crowd control amid the coronavirus outbreak. Saudi Arabia usually attracts millions of Muslims from all over the world, which makes the Hajj an important source of income for the kingdom. Meanwhile, the Minister of Health Tawfig Al Rabiah affirmed that medical crews will accompany pilgrims while performing their rituals. A hospital will be dedicated in anticipation of any emergency in addition to a health center in Arafat’s compound. Gulf Insider June-July 2020

Money & Business

THE 5 MOST COMMON

BUSINESS ERRORS Billionaire entrepreneur and magazine publisher Felix Dennis reveals what’s required to be exceedingly rich. 1. Mistaking desire for compulsion Wishing for or desiring something is futile without an inner compulsion to achieve it. Such lack of compulsion, if not frankly acknowledged, can lead to great personal unhappiness. Life is not some kind of rehearsal. Why, then, do so many people punish themselves in this way? The answer, in almost every case, is that they were ‘persuaded’ or hectored into becoming a banker or a lawyer when, in reality, they would have preferred to do something else entirely. Their misery is made all the worse by the realisation that had they acknowledged their lack of enthusiasm early on and stuck to their guns, their lives might well have taken a far more congenial course. Do not mistake desire for compulsion. When the going gets tough, when all seems lost, when partners and luck 50

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

desert you, when failure is staring you in the face, all that can sustain you is a fierce compulsion to succeed at any price.

2. Overoptimism concerning cash flow Any trained accountant or auditor reading this has just nodded their head. The last four words of the subheading above are the source of the vast majority of business failures. Not only does lack of cash flow eventually doom any enterprise, it just as surely prises control of any entity from its owner or majority shareholder. Lose control of a business by running out of cash and you are relegated to the status of minority investor or salaried employee. Once you lose control of a business, then no bank, white knight, investor or new owner is likely to permit

you to gain control again, if for no other reason than that of your original sin, your overoptimism concerning the venture’s cash flow in the first place. All new ventures (and established ones, too, come to that) require positive cash flow if they are to grow and to succeed. This is an elementary point, which would scarcely need reiterating if it were not for the number of times I have seen a promising venture snatched away from its founder when cash flow faltered. Cash is a serious matter. Its management is utterly vital in any enterprise. If, like me, you have no head for figures whatever, then this is no cause for concern. You simply employ somebody who does and listen to them carefully. There are enough qualified bean-counters in the world and forecasting cash flow is hardly rocket science.

Money & Business

It was only when a venture I was involved in became a publicly listed company that I bothered to ask a senior accountant to explain to me what a balance sheet really was. He was astonished. How could I have become a multimillionaire many times over without truly understanding a balance sheet? Today, I have at least a rudimentary understanding of depreciation and suchlike on a balance sheet. But as far as cash flow is concerned, I have little to learn from any qualified accountant. Cash flow is something that any entrepreneur must fully comprehend from the get-go. Balance sheets are a matter for accountants, banks and auditors. But cash flow is the heartbeat of your company. If cash flow is good, then no matter how badly run or poorly managed a company is, there is always a decent chance of turning its fortunes around. At the very least, there is time enough to be able to do so. But if a business’s cash flow is weak or failing, then the chances are that it must shut down or be sold in the not-too-distant future and its assets disposed of to satisfy creditors. You can improve cash flow by observing the following suggestions in a company’s early days:  Keep payroll down to an absolute minimum. Overhead walks on two legs.  Never sign long-term rent agreements or take upmarket office space.  Do not be shy to call customers who owe you money personally. It works.  If you’re going to be late paying, call the vendor’s boss. Give a date. Stick to it. Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business. Regular, even obsessive, monitoring is the key.

3. Reinforcing failure Probably the two easiest words to write and the hardest error to avoid. We all do it. Even the best of us. And we never stop doing it all our business lives. This is a disease curable only by iron willpower or 20/20 hindsight.

Felix’s Top business Tips Here’s some of what I have learned. None of this should be written in stone. The way I got rich may not suit you or your own circumstances. 1. Make annual bonuses generous. If you want your managers to concentrate on improving margin and profitability while growing the business, then they have to feel the light is worth the candle. Pay them well for performing well. 2. Keep costs down. Prune overhead regularly. Stop only when the

pips squeak.

3. Insist on collective responsibility for bonuses. Part of the annual incentive bonus for senior managers should result from their combined efforts. Peer pressure is a powerful force. If senior managers sense one of their number is slacking and fear they may all suffer for his or her transgressions, they are likely to let their feelings be known. Forcefully. 4. Praise excellent work. But do not waste your praise on ho-hum performances. Employees respect a boss who knows the difference between the mundane and the exceptional. Remember that employees respond well to recognition, not bribery. 5. Fire incompetents. Not only does firing them make you feel better and contribute to a more pleasant working atmosphere, it cheers up the whole staff. 6. Encourage senior managers to go over annual results with you oneon- one. You will learn more from off-the-cuff remarks and opinions expressed

at one-on-one meetings while looking over financial results than you will in a dozen board meetings.

7. Back up your managers. With delegation comes responsibility. Back up

your managers, in public, whenever and wherever you have to. If they do not perform, speak seriously in private to them. If they still do not perform, fire them.

8. Search out and promote talent. Talent comes in all shapes and sizes and is often inarticulate and shy. When you find it, test it. Groom it. Work it until it’s ready to drop. Load it with more work and responsibilities. Praise it. Reward it. It will make you loads-a-money. 9. Never bad-mouth rivals. It’s a sign of stupidity and weakness. I try to go out of my way to praise my rivals when I can. Often enough they deserve praise and they’re sure to learn about my comments sooner or later. Why go out of your way to antagonise them? 10. Sell early. Whenever the chance comes to sell an asset at the top of its value, do so. Things do not keep increasing in value for ever. More money is usually lost holding onto an asset than is made waiting for the zenith of its value. I should know - it’s my own biggest defect. 11. Enjoy the business of making money. Time cannot be recaptured. If you find you dislike what you are doing, then sell up and change your life.

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

Money & Business

Reinforcing failure sounds so easy to avoid. If something fails, stop doing it and start doing something else, right? Er, right. Except, just when do you decide that you have a ‘failure’ on your hands? Too late, is the answer - always too late. But how the devil can we judge when a failure has occurred so that we can safely cease to reinforce it and move on. It is the possibility, the chance that we are onto a slow-burn winner, rather than being stuck with an out-and -out loser, that persuades so many of us (who should know better) to hang in there with a product or service in financial trouble.

4. Thinking small and acting big Once you begin to believe that you are infallible, that success will automatically lead to more success, and that you have ‘got it made’, reality will be sure to give you a rude wake-up call. By acting small, I mean remaining in touch. Remaining flexible. Constantly examining how your company could do better. Keeping a sense of proportion and humility. Not throwing your weight around playing the great ‘I Am’. Acting small in the early days of your business sets an example to those around you. If staff see you indulging in long lunch hours and purchasing yourself a fancy company car, then they are either going to resent it or they are going to emulate you. This is not a good thing. You can do all that stuff 52

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

later, when you’ve made your first fifty million. Think big, act small. It’s a recipe that never goes out of style. While especially important for start-ups, it will serve you faithfully long after you have established yourself as a serious player.

5. Skimping on talent You need the talent to identity, hire and nurture others with talent. Any company managed and run by plodders and jobsworths will be lucky to survive, let alone prosper. Talent is the key to sustained growth, and growth is the key to early wealth. You have to identify and hire talent. You can’t skimp on it. Sometimes, to ensure that a talented individual will work for you, or will stay working with you, you need to be flexible. Money is not always the great motivator here. Talented people want a good salary, of course, but surprisingly often they are more attracted to new opportunities and challenges. Talent is usually conscious of its own value. But the currency of that value is not necessarily a million-dollar salary. The opportunity to prove themselves, and sometimes the chance to run the show on a day-to-day basis, will often do the trick just as well. What talent seeks, as often as not, is the chance to prove itself and the opportunity to excel. My advice on this subject is that you must identify talent. Then you must move heaven and earth to hire it. You

must nurture it, reward it properly and protect it from being poached. If necessary, dream up a new project. Better still, get the talent to dream it up. Youth is a further factor. By the time talent is in its mid-to-late forties or early fifties, it will have become very, very expensive. Young talent can be found and underpaid for a short while, providing the work is challenging enough. Anybody wishing to become rich cannot do so without talent. Either their own, or far more likely, on the back of the talent of others. Talent is indispensable, although it is always replaceable. Just remember the simple rules concerning talent: identify it, hire it, nurture it, reward it, protect it. And, when the time comes, fire it. If you can do all these things with talent in the context of building your own company, I would be truly astonished if you did not become rich.

Felix Dennis (1947-2014), was selfmade and worth in excess of a billion dollars. Starting as a college dropout with no family money, Felix Dennis made himself the sixty-fifth richest individual in the UK He was the publisher of numerous magazine titles including the international mens magazine Maxim, and the author of How To Get Rich, available from Amazon.com

Money & Business

A Safe Summer Escape from Elite

lite Hospitality Group has created ‘Elite Salamatik’ program, implemented at all Elite hotels in Bahrain. Elite Salamatik ensures that every guest will have a safe stay with their family and friends, in face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Elite has taken various steps to protect guests and employees. Enjoy a summer escape with family to explore the special offer at the Elite Seef Residence Hotel located at Seef in the center of the Kingdom’s main shopping area. Their one and two bed room family suites are elegantly furnished in modern leather interiors with a fully equipped modular kitchen, lavish bathrooms, a home theatre system with in-house TV channels, Digital Satellite television system and 24 hour personalized room service with special menus offering lavish choices with great value. The one bed room suite starts at BD 33 per night, including taxes and service charge, inclusive of Wifi and breakfast for two with hot beverages and selected fresh juices. Elite Resort & SPA Hotel overlooking

the sea welcomes all guests promising the most exciting and relaxing atmosphere this summer. Elite’s spacious one bed room suite offer this summer is only BD 39 per night inclusive of taxes and service charge, Wifi and packed breakfast for two, in the suite. The elegant two bed room suite with a special rate of BD 60 makes a

perfect choice for a family of four people to unwind with a personalized packed breakfast service at the suite. Elite Grande Hotel will help you find the time for a real treat with the family. Nestled in the heart of Seef, close to the largest shopping complex on the island - Bahrain City Centre, Elite’s two bed room family suite is a perfect place to unwind in a relaxing atmosphere with personalized service by a dedicated team. Each spacious suite is lavishly furnished with grand bathrooms, complete home theatre systems in each bedroom with DVD, and HDTV Satellite channels, hi-speed Internet access, Direct Dialing facility with voice mail and digital safe-deposit lockers. The two bed room suite starts at Bahrain Dinars 60, including taxes and service charge, Wifi and breakfast meal for four with hot beverages and selected fresh Juices.

Elite’s special offers and packages this summer are valid till 30th September 2020. For bookings and more details please call: +973 17 558 200 or visit www.elitegrouphotels.com Gulf Insider June-July 2020

People & Culture

Iran This is an item I first wrote in 1998, which covers a two-week visit to Iran. I wrote it for the BBCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Farsi service, but the BBC decided not to use it. Apparently the views expressed were at variance with the BBCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Middle Eastern policy! Our expatriate English correspondent Peter on his experience in Iran.

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

t was just after midnight as, in company with my fellow passengers, I finally stumbled into the bustling arrivals hall on Tehran airport, more than three hours after my flight from Delhi via Dubai had landed. The intervening time had been spent standing in a series of queues while a number of dishevelled hirsute men went through our baggage and other belongings minutely examining everything we had, presumably to ensure we were not bringing anything into their country that might in any way be considered improper, offensive, or undesirable. No sooner had we left one queue than we had to join another and yet another after that while different sets of plain-clothes ruffians rummaged through our things. After we had performed this particular ritual a sufficient number of times, the roughnecks who were detaining us must have decided that we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have whatever it was they might have been looking for and allowed us to leave. Although I was the only non-Iranian on the flight, I had not been treated any differently by the customs officials than had any of the other arrivals, although the same could not be said for passport control where I was removed from the queue by two more unkempt bruisers and escorted to the end of the line, clearly a discriminatory gesture.

People & Culture

Indeed, Tehran appeared to be so devoid of any prominent landmarks that I had no idea how I would find my way around without getting lost.

It was another week before I saw Tehran in daylight. With its characterless, concrete buildings, some adorned with murals depicting the baleful visage of the late Ayatollah Khomeini or the more benign features of the current president Mohammed Khatami, I concluded that it had not been worth the wait. Indeed, Tehran appeared to be so devoid of any prominent landmarks that I had no idea how I would find my way around without getting lost, a misgiving I raised with my friends after the taxi

to my new-found friends, I found out what most things cost, generally a lot less than they did in Western Europe, and that while the accepted currency was the Rial, worth about 1500 to the US dollar at the time, there was also something called a Toman worth ten Rials. There did not appear to be any denomination of banknotes denoting the Toman and I quickly decided that its only reason for existence was to make certain I paid ten times the going rate for any commodity I might need. By the time Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d returned to Tehran,

had dropped me at their ground floor apartment. Ali, his wife Soraya and their two daughters had been staying at the same hotel as me in Esfahan and they had adopted me to ensure I did not fall foul of any xenophobic activities in which some of the local inhabitants were known to indulge, or to prevent me from committing some outrageous though innocent blunder that might have brought me into contact with the Komite, a particularly virulent strain of religious police whose apparent role in Iranian society was to find out how ordinary people managed to enjoy themselves in this austere theocracy and instantly put a stop to it. Thanks

after spending four days in Esfahan and three more in Shiraz, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d formed the opinion that Iran was a country that evoked many questions but offered few answers in return. For example, while I waited in baggage reclaim for my suitcase, I noticed a number of passengers from Kish Island, a dutyfree resort in the Persian Gulf, removing articles from a carousel piled high with boxes containing the latest and most advanced Japanese technology and satellite equipment. Yet, in a country where communication with the outside world was actively discouraged by a Government, whose edicts were covertly policed by any number of sinister internal organisations, how

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

People & Culture

could it be that people were openly unloading digital receivers and satellite dishes at a public airport without any apparent fear of detection or reprisal? As I was being driven through the dusty streets of Tehran, I noticed bed linen hung out to air on every balcony, veranda or patio I passed, a futile gesture in this highly polluted environment but one in which everybody appeared to participate without exception. Ali revealed the answer to this particular conundrum when he showed me his garden and I noticed the edge of a huge satellite dish protruding from beneath the sheet festooning his balcony. He explained that everybody he knew had satellite dishes and as long as these remained concealed, nobody could report them to the authorities but anyone who neglected to hide their dishes could guarantee a visit from the Komite, whose heavy handed representatives had a well-earned reputation for physical abuse and malicious damage, not to mention arbitrary arrest and detention without trial. In 1998 Iran was the fourth largest producer of crude oil in the world, possessing 9% of the global supply, yet, as Ali drove me through Tehran, there was little indication that any of the oil revenue had made it to street level.

Gulf Insider June-July 2020

But where did all the oil money go? There were many opinions about this, and I must have heard most of them at a party I went to with Aliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family in a fashionable part of Tehran. The armed forces, overseas Islamic groups and alternative energy sources were popular theories, as were hi-tech weaponry, health care and scientific research, but the consensus view was that a high proportion of the oil revenues had been misappropriated by the ruling clerics and salted away in their Swiss bank accounts. Corruption was rife in Tehran in 1998 and no one was above suspicion. There was much anger and frustration at the current political impasse. While the president and Parliament could initiate legislation, their power was strictly circumscribed by clerics and a

whole network of unelected bodies, the most prominent of which was the Council of Guardians, which could veto any law passed by Parliament. There was also the Expediency Council, set up by Khomeini to mediate disputes between Parliament and the Council of Guardians, but which invariably supported the latter and the Assembly of Experts, once compared to the Vaticanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College of Cardinals. In all it was a veritable Gordian Knot of checks and balances designed to suppress any proposal deemed to be counterrevolutionary or un-Islamic. At the apex of this knot sits the all-powerful Supreme Leader, a senior cleric elected by the Assembly of Experts but accountable and subordinate to no one. It is the Supreme Leader who dictates domestic and foreign policy and has power to appoint and dismiss leaders of the judiciary, the state media networks and the Supreme Commander of the Revolutionary Guard. The people I met during my time in Iran were heartily sick of theocratic oppression. Leaving Iran proved to be just as difficult as entering the country. I had to queue for half an hour just to get into the airport terminal where I spent the rest of the morning either being searched or standing in a queue waiting to be searched.

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