Business in Gulf magazine September 2016

BUS ESS a Gulf Business magazine for today’s entrepreneurS

IN Gulf

september 2016 / Vol-10 No:09

KING OF THE RING

WHY NO SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM CAN TRUMP FACEBOOK

YOU’VE GOT MAIL!

USING EMAIL MARKETING FOR ONLINE LEAD GENERATION

WINNING FORMULA

HOW TO WRITE THE PERFECT BUSINESS PLAN

Money 2.0

BRAVE NEW ECONOMY Khaled Al Amin reveals plans for Bahrain’s future economic vision

The Cashless Future is here

DISPLAY UNTIL September 20, 2016

The best ticket rates to all destinations Great deals on hotel bookings around the world Most competitive rates for car rental services Complete honeymoon packages for newlyweds Huge variety of cruise programs at unbeatable prices Dynamic vacation packages for groups and independent trav

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September

BUSINESS Contents Gulf

32 34 The poWer oF email marKeTing By eman Bu-rashid

rainBoW oF SenSaTionS interview with executive chef of Kolors restaurant at the K hotel, nitai chand

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48 iSlamic BanKing vS convenTional BanKing By prof. mukhtar al hashimi

64 Brave neW economy our exclusive with Khaled al amin, midway Food Services ceo and Bcci Board member 4

september 2016

Khalid janahi

Talking Business Behind the Wheel of a Bentley

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September

BUSINESS Contents Gulf

at a Glance

24

CoVER StoRy 48

khaled al amin, midway ceo and bcci board member Reveals Bahrain’s Economic Vision for the Future

EntREpREnEuRS

dalal & hanan aBdul rahim a new Twist to Traditional clothing

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mariam fathi & sara sayyar Bringing Aged Furniture Back to Life

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hashem mohamedyan Introducing High-tech Escape Games to Bahrain

ContRIButoRS 30

fatema ebrahim talking about the Cashless Future

38

anita menon Why Facebook Remains King of Social Media

REGuLARS

STyle File

The classiest Fashion pieces

gadgeTS

68

fashion Bold statements

70

GadGets the latest in electronics

72

hotel listinGs All they have to offer

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Quoted What the VIps said

The coolest lifestyle items

BIG Words

If you were to ask anyone their opinion on Bahrain’s current state of affairs, chances are they’d have a fairly grim outlook. However, we spoke to someone who doesn’t quite share the same sense of pessimism. In our cover story interview with Khaled Ali Al Amin, CEO of Midway Food Services and Board member of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he addresses a number of pressing matters currently affecting the country’s economy.

Among these are: the new 100% foreign ownership of business policy, the highly controversial decision to drop Parth Vaya government subsidies, and Bahrain’s economic vision for Deputy Editor the future. Aside from our interesting cover story interview, 6

september 2016

we also talk to a number of the country’s young fledgling entrepreneurs. These include Mohammed Al Hammad, founder of Plugit, an innovative mobile charging solution, and passionate fashion designers Dalal and Hanan Abdul Rahim, and founders of Traditional Trends. Last but not least, our faithful contributors share their stances on the latest developments in their respective fields. To any budding entrepreneurs who’d like to share their story; contact us on Instagram and Facebook @businessingulf, or email big@maxmediaco.com. Also visit www. businessingulf.co the read our magazine’s digital version.

Have a good read!

BUSINESS Gulf

a MAXMEDIA PUBLICATION Bahrain’s premier entreprenurial lifestyle magazine PUBLIShEr / EdItor IN ChIEf

Sameer Uchi

MaNaGING PartNEr / GroUP EdItor

Mohd. A. Kayani

dEPUty EdItor

Parth Vaya

SaLES & MarKEtING dIrECtor

Tarek Rashdan

MEdIa CoordINator

Namrata Sunil SaLES tEaM

Dima Kamal | Aya Jabri ProdUCtIoN MaNaGEr

Sachan Chandran

GraPhIC dESIGNEr

Haroon Rasheed

PhotoGraPhErS

Sachan | Haroon

dIStrIBUtIoN CoNtroLLEr

Salah Abdulla Hassan

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Subscription enquires: +973 17402482 ext-143 (Mob: +973 36665633) Editorial: +973 17402482 ext-112/145 Advertising enquires: +973 17402482 ext-125 (Mob: +973 36977111) +973 17402483 Publisher: sameeru@maxmediaco.com Group Editor: mohammedk@maxmediaco.com Advertising: tarek@maxmediaco.com Subscription: subscription@maxmediaco.com www.maxmediaco.com P.O. Box 108 Bldg. 428, Road 84, Block 407, Tashan, Shk. Salman Highway. Bahrain

NewsFlash

The latest headlines from around the globe

INovesT RecoRds us$5.4 mIllIoN pRofIT IN fIRsT HAlf of 2016

BAHRAIN: THIs moNTH, THe INovesT GRoup ANNouNced ITs fINANcIAl ResulTs foR THe fIRsT HAlf of 2016, wITH A NeT pRofIT of us$5.4 mIllIoN IN compARIsoN To A NeT loss of us$1.9 mIllIoN foR THe sAme peRIod lAsT yeAR. esTABlIsHed IN 2002, INovesT’s BusINess spANs THRee pRINcIple AReAs: dIRecT INvesTmeNT, AsseT mANAGemeNT, ANd ReAl esTATe INvesTmeNT.

BAHRAIN’S MuMtAlAKAt BuyS StAKE IN ItAlIAN HEAltHCARE fIRM

Qatari bank to introduce ‘finger vein pattern’ ATM technology

QATAR: Qatar’s Commercial Bank has announced that it has obtained approval to introduce new finger vein pattern recognition technology to its ATMs, allowing customers to withdraw cash without the need for a bank card or PIN number. The technology will also be extended to corporate and VIP customers to access their internet banking accounts using a finger vein scanner.

BAHRAIN: Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the investment arm of the Gulf kingdom, has announced the acquisition of an equity stake in KOS Group, a European healthcare group. Italy-based KOS is focused on long-term care and rehabilitation services, with additional activities in hospital equipment management, diagnostics and cancer care services.

$391 million

Amount for which Bahrain’s Investcorp has agreed to sell snack giant Tyrrells to UK-based Amplify Snack Brands Inc.

Citi Bahrain wins GloBal FinanCe MaGazine’s award

Bahrain: Citi Bahrain has been named winner of the “Best Corporate/Institutional Digital Bank” award in the first round of Global Finance magazine’s awards for the 2016 World’s Best Digital Banks Awards in the Middle East & Africa. This is the fourth consecutive year that Citi Bahrain has won the “Best Corporate/Institutional Digital Bank” award after receiving the same in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

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Bahrain ranked first regionally in Wef’s hCi 2016

BAHRAIN: The strength of Bahrain’s local workforce was highlighted in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Human Capital Index 2016, with the country ranking first in the Middle East. The report ranks 130 countries on how well they are developing and deploying their talent. The index evaluates the levels of education, skills and employment available to people in five distinct age groups.

Bahrain’s largest lender raises stake in Commercial Bank of iraq

New law to make investments easier in Bahrain

Bahrain: Ahli United Bank (AUB),

Bahrain’s largest lender, has purchased another 10% stake in Commercial Bank of Iraq, bringing its total stake to 64.71%.

In addition to Iraq, AUB has a presence in Kuwait, Egypt, Libya, Oman and Britain.

KuwAIt SEtS $200 MINIMuM wAGE fOR dOMEStIC wORKERS

BAHRAIN: Bahrain’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) is said to be drafting a law that will smooth the process for investors to enter and exit the market. The law is meant to eliminate obstacles for foreign and domestic investors and boost competition in the market.

KuwAIt: Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior has set a monthly minimum wage of $200 for domestic helpers. the decision was announced in a bid to settle rising disputes between maids and their employers or recruitment office. It also grants domestic workers mandatory weekends, eight hours limited daily work, and a 30-day paid annual leave as well as the right to demand overtime pay for extra working hours.

348, 877

No. of people employed by the Toyota Motor Corporation worldwide.

Oman Air, Saudia sign new codeshare agreement KSA: Oman Air and Saudi Arabian Airlines have signed a codeshare agreement covering services between Muscat and four destinations in Saudi Arabia. The airlines said in a statement that passengers are able to book flights through either airline for services between Muscat and Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, or Madinah.

Mercedes to create 2,500 jobs at new 1bn euro Hungary plant

GERMANY: German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz recently announced that it would spend one billion euros ($1.1 billion) on a large new factory in Hungary, creating around 2,500 jobs. The “convertible factory” -- designed to be rapidly reconfigured to produce different models -- will sit alongside an existing plant in the city of Keckskemet.

$1.2

BILLION

Bahrain’s non-oil exports in Q2 2016.

UAE’s MUbAdAlA sEt to bUy 20% stAkE in bAhrAin’s invEstcorp

Bahrain: Abu Dhabi state investment fund Mubadala has agreed to acquire a 20% stake in Investcorp, the Bahrain-based alternative investment firm. Mubadala will buy 9.99% of Investcorp immediately, and a further 10.01% following the necessary regulatory approvals.

$283m RAised To fund BAhRAin inT’l AiRpoRT modeRnisATion BAhRAin: Contractors working on Bahrain International Airport have raised $283.6 million in financing to support their work on the modernisation of the airport. The joint venture includes Dubai-listed Arabtec Holding and Turkey’s TAV Construction (TAV), which was appointed to complete the main work for the $1.1 billion modernisation and expansion project.

september JUly 2016

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Saudi

Kuwait

bahrain

Saudi gov’t approves $6.9bn of tourism, heritage projects

Kuwait news websites set to require license under new law

$283m raised to fund Bahrain Int’l Airport modernisation

KuwAIt: Online news and other publications in Kuwait must obtain a license to operate, under a new law aimed at regulating web-based publications. Information minister Sheikh Salman Al Humoud Al Sabah insisted the regulations are aimed at online media publications and would not apply to personal accounts, such as blog sites.

BAHRAIN: Contractors working on Bahrain International Airport have raised $283.6 million in financing to support their work on the modernisation of the airport. The joint venture includes Dubailisted Arabtec Holding and Turkey’s TAV Construction (TAV), which was appointed to complete the main work for the $1.1 billion modernisation and expansion project.

KSA: More than $6.9 billion of tourism projects were recently approved by Saudi Arabia’s National Transformation Program (NTP). The NTP is part of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy away from oil. Among the sectors the Saudi government wants to develop is tourism.

”The recent decline observed in oil prices and the current market volatility is only temporary” Mohammad bin Saleh al-Sada, Qatar’s minister of energy and industry

The soon-to-be revamped Bahrain International Airport.

$651.9 million Revenue generated from inbound tourism in Oman in 2015.

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september 2016

YK Almoayyed & Sons (YKA) has announced that it has acquired the master franchise of global kids toy brand Imaginarium for Bahrain and the UAE. The company said that it is planning three Imaginarium showrooms in Bahrain, with the first one expected to open at the El Mercado Mall in Janabiya next month. The Imaginarium brand currently sells in 27 countries.

New KuwaitDoha causeway ‘34% complete’

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s new Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Causeway is 34 percent complete, an official from the Ministry of Public Works has been quoted as saying. The 12.4 km causeway is one of the largest infrastructure projects in the GCC, with a price tag of $559 million.

Qatar’s Barwa real estate, one of the Gulf araB state’s larGest listed developers, recently announced that it had BouGht a vacant plot of land in riyadh, saudi araBia, for $175.8 million. it said the deal is part of Barwa’s plan to explore potential real estate investment opportunities in the kinGdom and that the project would include residential and commercial use.

1.1

$ Billion Bahrain telecom

sector revenues in 2015.

“We are working to activate the ‘Gender Balance Index’ across various sectors to enhance the role of women, and promote gender equality through encouraging female participation” Mona Ghanem Al Marri, vice president of the UAE Gender Balance Council

qatar

uae

oman

Qatar ‘to restrict alcohol’ to curb violence at World Cup

South Korea inks $920m deal for UAE reactors

Oman allows three-month stay on multiple entry visas

QAtAR: Qatar will restrict the availability of alcohol during the 2022 World Cup “whatever the criticism might be”, if drinking increases violence at games, according to an official.

The Gulf state, which is hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022, has been working with Euro 2016 organisers to study links between alcohol and violence among fans.

uAE: State-owned Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) signed a $920m deal with Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) to operate four nuclear reactors, currently under construction, in Barakah in Abu Dhabi. Based on the agreement signed, KHNP will dispatch a total of 3,000 employees to the UAE until 2030 - about 210 every year starting May, next year.

OMAN: Last month, Oman relaxed rules on multiple entry visas for some countries in a bid to boost its economy. People visiting from 38 countries can stay for three months, an increase from the previous rules which allowed a three-week stay. It is hoped the extension will allow investors more time to get to know the country and give tourists more time to spend money. september 2016

13

newS

Dubai to Fujairah in 10 minutes? Hyperloop transport system could make it possible

UAE: Dubai Future Foundation plan to build a transport system that would make the journey across the Arabian Peninsula from Dubai to Fujairah just 10 minutes. The Dubai Media Office explained they were seeking someone ‘to shape the future of transportation’, sparking a global competition for Hyperloop designs that takes place in the UAE next month. A 48-hour event known as ‘Build Earth Live’ will feature more than 100 participants, six teams and a panel of leading international judges.

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newS

Space scientists conduct lunar rover tests in UAE desert

UAE: A group hoping to send a privately funded mission to the Moon will test its lunar rover in the UAE desert. Part-Time Scientists is one of 16 teams hoping to secure $25 million (AED110 million) in funding through Google’s Lunar X-Prize competition to build a vehicle and send it to the Moon. Made largely of aluminium, the 35 kilogram rover has a top speed of 3.6 kilometres an hour and cost about $750,000 to build.

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ALGERIA, BAHRAIN, BRUNEI DARUSSALAM, COLOMBIA, CÔTE D’IVOIRE, DJIBOUTI, EGYPT, GABON, GHANA, INDONESIA, JORDAN, KENYA, KUWAIT, MALAYSIA,MEXICO,MONGOLIA,MOROCCO,MYANMAR,NIGERIA,OMAN,PAPUANEWGUINEA,PANAMA,PERU,QATAR,SAUDIARABIA,SOUTHAFRICA, SRI LANKA, THAILAND, THE PHILIPPINES, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO, TUNISIA, TURKEY, UAE: ABU DHABI, UAE: DUBAI, UAE: RAS AL KHAIMAH, VIETNAM

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EvEnt

A Closer look SteppingStone global organiSeS ‘performance evaluation’ WorkShop

O

ver 100 senior business personalities gathered at The Domain Hotel and Spa in Bahrain earlier this month to take part in the sixteenth monthly workshop organised and conducted by SteppingStone Global, a consultancy firm. The interactive session exploring ‘Performance Evaluation’ proved to be not only informative but also exceptionally lively.

SteppingStone Global president Jean Nicolai in the middle of his presentation

More thAn You CAn Chew baguetteS and more openS firSt outlet in bahrain

A Bageuettes And More co-proprietor Hussain Al Alawi with staff

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new restaurant, Baguettes And More recently held a soft opening for all members of the media. The restaurant is located on the popular ‘American Alley’

in Juffair, and serves a wide array of sandwiches, drinks and desserts. The restaurant is owned by the the LWH Group and will officially open to the public later this month.

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ChArged Up mohammed Al Hammad provides Innovative mobile Charging solutions 20

september August 20162016

EntrEprEnEur s smartphones today come with increasing amounts of processing power, so do they with decreasing battery lifespans. To address this problem, Mohammed Al Hammad introduced the novel concept of mobile charging stations in public spaces. Now visible at a number of locations and events around the country, Plug-it is a shining example of the success that inspired innovation can produce.

Tell us a little bit about your educational and career background before Plug-it.

I have a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University College of Bahrain. While studying for my degree, I started my first business, Live Gaming, on the side. Live Gaming was a unique gaming centre with PlayStations, Xboxes, and billiards and foozball tables.

I was very enthusiastic about this centre and put in a lot of effort to make it work, but ultimately failed. I simply lacked the experience to run it successfully. If I were to start such a company again today, I would run it very differently!

What inspired you to start Plug-it?

After I dissolved my first business, I worked with my father’s construction company for a few years before trying my hand at entrepreneurship once again. I wanted to introduce a unique concept to Bahrain that would add value to its entertainment sector. I tried bringing a number of new products to Bahrain, but was unable to sell them. Finally, after months of research, we realized there was a gap in the market for mobile charging solutions in public areas. The way I

see it, wifi is easily available in a number of public areas today, but if his or her phone’s battery is running low, then wifi becomes useless. For example, If I need to send an important work email and my battery is running low, then a charger made available at the right time can make all the difference.

Who is your main clientele today?

Today, we supply a number of hotels and gyms in Bahrain.

We also work with Batelco, and supplied a number of devices for the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix earlier this year.

We also work with a number of construction companies, who purchase our devices as giveaways for their clients.

What were some of your biggest challenges when initially setting up the business?

Out of the 7.2 billion people on this planet, almost 3 billion use smartphones; and every single one of them requires a charger in order to work. So we know that our business idea has some merit. Our biggest challenge was convincing potential clients of its value, as people generally don’t feel comfortable investing in a new concept.

What was the first product that you started selling?

Our first product was the ‘PLG Multicharger’, a small dock that can charge 10 devices at the same time. It has 6 retractable cables, 2 usb ports and 2 universal sockets. We initially targeted hotels in Bahrain as we feel that one shouldn’t need to travel with a phone charger.

Chargers are actually one of the most common things left behind in hotel rooms, and it only makes sense for each hotel room to have their own charging station. Today, we have a whole range of products and have even incorporated advertising spaces on our docking stations, as they have high visibility in public areas.

An example of Plug-it’s mobile charging stations

Are all the products designed and assembled in house?

Or do you import them from somewhere else?

We come up with idea for new products ourselves and then work with a company abroad to design, build, and then import them to Bahrain. I can’t reveal any more than that, I’m afraid! I can tell you, however, that all our products use certified original cables. The trouble with using non-original cables is that they are more susceptible to damage and after charging, the phone’s battery drains a lot faster.

Who is responsible for your marketing and branding?

Our marketing and branding is outsourced; mainly handled

by WCM Agency. It is a very important aspect of our business, and we need all the professional help we can get. We’re currently very hard working to increase our visibility on social media to draw attention to our website in order to drive online sales.

“If I need to send an important work email and my battery is running low, then a charger made available at the right time can make all the difference.”

What advice do you have for any aspiring entrepreneurs out there hoping to blaze their own trail?

From what I’ve seen so far, there are two types of entrepreneurs: those that copy, and those that innovate. My advice is to be the second. It is an incredibly rewarding feeling to be part of a unique type of business that adds real value to your customers.

What do you think is the single most important trait or quality that has enabled you to achieve your success?

I’m very enthusiastic about my work, and once I set a target for myself, I don’t stop working till I reach it. But you don’t achieve a measurable amount of success without making a number of mistakes on the way, and I do my best to learn from each one.

What are your future plans for Plug-it?

Our long-term plans are to introduce our concept to the other GCC countries, especially Qatar. We’re also currently working to make our devices solar-powered.

To find out more about Plugit, follow @ plugitme on Instagram and Facebook or visit www.plug-it.me

september 2016

21

Mariam Fathi (left) and Sara Sayyar, founders of Babushka

Aged to Perfection

mariam Fathi and sara sayyar bring Aged Furniture back to Life 22

september August 20162016

EntrEprEnEur ombining their cultural experiences and love for creations to make decorative furniture and home accessories, Mariam Fathi and Sara Sayyar established their concept brand “Babushka”. Sara Sayyar talks to us about how the progression of their innovative enterprise shows no signs of slowing down.

What inspired you two to start Babushka?

Mariam and I had always strived to start our own business one day and work with a concept we were both passionate about. An opportunity presented itself and we grasped it! Babushka was initially inspired by the idea of ‘bringing back life to something that was once beautiful and flawless’, preserving and restoring something that can stay with you forever. Our job, as lovers of ‘all old things’ is to hold on, refurbish, and improve aged furniture and accessories and never let them fade away.

In addition, a year into our business, we found that there was a need for innovation and development. So, we started creating new designs by utilising cultured fabrics to give the product depth and character.

What tasks is each of you responsible for in the company?

We are both responsible for all matters related to Babushka.

Together, we research, design, innovate and strive to progress in every aspect of the business.

These include introducing new product lines to handling day to day operations. We stay motivated by setting initiatives and following through with them. Experimentation is what keeps it interesting!

Why did you decide to name your company Babushka?

Babushka is defined as ‘grandmother’ in the Russian language, of which we believe, are considered beautiful in every way. Symbolically, like grandmothers, our old furniture pieces should be perceived in the same way. Our main aim, when we decided to name our concept “Babushka” was to embrace beautiful cultures and preserve aged furniture and home accessories.

Could you briefly go over what types of products you sell?

When we first started, we only aimed to refurbish old furniture. However, we have developed our brand immensely since then. We worked on our own designs and just recently introduced a wide range of home accessories. Our product mix includes: chairs, sofas, benches, dressers, cabinets, cushions, mirrors, lamps, candlesticks, ottomans, pouffes and carpets amongst other home accessories.

From where do you draw inspiration when coming up with new designs?

We are inspired by travelling, people and cultures.

Sometimes you find sources of inspiration in the oddest instances and when you least expect it. You just stumble upon them! We then try to experiment with different fabric and furniture styles all the time to come out with the best outcome possible.

Where is the furniture manufactured? Where do you get the raw materials from?

Most of Babushka’s furniture is produced in Bahrain. All our brainstorming sessions and design development takes place at home. However, we supervise the production of our designs, which are executed by carpentry and upholstery experts. Having most materials locally manufactured makes it easy for us to monitor and ensure that high quality is met. However, in regards to

Some examples of Babushka’s highly original designs

fabrics, they are personally handpicked from every country we visit. In addition, we attend specialised buying trips, which are conducted regularly throughout the year.

Lots of our fabrics originate from countries such as India, Uzbekistan and Egypt amongst others.

What were some of the challenges you faced when setting up the business?

When it comes to establishing your own business, there are always a number of challenges.

Normally, our challenges were harder to overcome in the beginning since we were inexperienced. I would say the limitations in the market for obtaining exceptional and rare fabrics was quite challenging at first. Moreover, we found it difficult to expand, since we had a limited capital. However, thankfully, we have overcome those obstacles.

From where did you receive the funding to start this enterprise?

We received funding from the Supreme Council for Women, and Tamkeen. It has been a great opportunity to initially become a part of the “Riyadat Mall”, which was designed to support start-ups and offer support to female entrepreneurs. Moreover, the financial support from Tamkeen, through subsidised funds towards marketing, purchase of equipment, and so on, contributed greatly to the progression of our business.

What marketing techniques have you used to raise awareness about your products? Which ones have proven most successful so far?

Our main avenues of marketing are: word of mouth, social media and magazine editorials and ads.

We believe that word of mouth and social media have proven to be the most successful sources of awareness for our products and progression. Due to the small size of the Bahraini market, it is very easy to spread the word about a new concept or idea.

What advice does each of you have for any aspiring entrepreneurs out there?

Figure out what it is that you are passionate about and only then must you work hard to attain it.

We believe that when there is no passion, it will be hard to succeed in the long-term. Try to see people and things in a deeper light. You never know where the greatest source of inspiration may lie.

What are your future plans for Babushka?

We have recently opened our new outlet in Seef Mall and are currently looking to expand within our store, in terms of product lines.

We wish to locate the product gaps in our store and tend to them. However, we would love to expand in the GCC in the future!

To find out more about Babushka, follow them on Instagram @Babushka_ bh or visit www.babushkastory.com

september 2016

23

Dalal Hussain Rahim (left), and Hanan Abdul Rahim, sisters and founders of Traditional Trends

ElEgant traditions sisters Dalal and Hanan Abdul rahim bring a New twist to traditional Clothing 24

september August 20162016

EntrEprEnEur

uelled by a passion for fashion ignited at an early age, sisters Dalal Hussain Abdul Rahim and Hanan Hussain Abdul Rahim recently decided to turn their childhood dreams into reality.

Through their clothing boutique, ‘Traditional Trends’, the sisters have introduced a fresh concept to an otherwise saturated market.

Hanan tells us more.

What inspired the two of you to start Traditional Trends?

We’ve had a passion for tailoring and fashion ever since we were kids. As we grew into our separate professions, we thought of having a side business related to something that we were passionate about. So, in Ramadan 2013, we launched our first online collection through Instagram, which was well received by our clients.

What style of clothes do you sell at the boutique?

We have several lines, starting from the regular day-to-day kaftan, to the Jelwa jalabiyas and dresses. We recently introduced a third line of evening gowns.

Where is your shop located, and how many people do you currently have working with you?

Our shop is located on Adhari Highway, just next to Asian School. We are currently made up of a team of 10 members.

“The beauty of having your own business is looking at your dreams come true.”

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when trying to set up your business?

Well, it was a challenge from the beginning as we had to manage our families, current jobs and a new business. We were fully supported by our mother who currently handles the operations of Traditional Trends and our husbands who actually gave us the initial investment to start this enterprise. As the business grew, we faced challenges with suppliers, maintaining quality, producing enough quantity for the Bahrain market and then the rest of the GCC when we expanded.

Do you design the clothes yourselves?

Where do you draw inspiration from when coming up with new designs?

Yes, we design the outfits ourselves. Our designs depend mainly on the season. We try our best to provide the market with good quality, reasonably priced, fashionable outfits for traditional occasions.

From where do you source the necessary raw materials for the clothes? Where are they sewed?

We import the majority of the raw material from overseas and then oversee the design and sewing locally.

What marketing techniques have you used so far to promote your brand?

Most of the marketing was done by our clients themselves. Word of mouth played a big role in making us one of the preferred choices for the customers when it comes to jalabiyas.

Some examples of Traditional Trends’ work

What would you say are the most difficult, and the most rewarding parts about being an entrepreneur?

We would say that the most difficult part is the time management; after all family is still the number one priority.

The beauty of having your own business is looking at your dreams come true. When it’s your business, you can always apply all the ideas you have to make it grow even bigger and the rewards will be for you and your partners.

What advice do you have for any aspiring entrepreneurs out there?

Follow your passion, take risks and always stay focused.

What are your future plans for Traditional Trends?

We are looking at expansion in the GCC and introducing new lines depending on the market requirements.

To find out more about Traditional Trends, follow them on Instagram @traditional_trends

september 2016

25

EntrEprEnEur

The GreaT escape How Hashem mohamedyan ‘escaped’ the world of banking to pursue his passion 26

september August 20162016

fter trying out escape games in numerous countries around the world, Hashem Mohamedyan had a brainwave.

Turning his back on a successful banking career, Hashem decided to open his own high-tech escape game venue here in Bahrain. We have a chat with him to find out what makes his enterprise, ‘Escape Code’, so special.

Tell us a little bit about your educational and work background prior to starting Escape Code.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in business information systems and have 19 years of retail banking experience. I’ve worked as a branch manager and in business development positions for many local and international banks such as: City Bank, Ahli United Bank, Arab Bank, and National Bank of Kuwait.

What inspired you to start Escape Code?

I am a big fan of real-life escape games and have played at loads of venues all around the world. Inspired by these fun experiences, I eventually decided to start my own concept in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Rather than just copy what I have seen, I wanted to take the genre in a new, high-tech direction and add my personal touch. By doing this, I want to give first timers as well as seasoned players a truly unique experience.

From where did you receive the funding to start up the business?

I funded the venture through my own investments and savings.

Escape Code is Bahrain’s first high-tech escape game venue

Your venue is located at Nakheel Centre in Saar.

Why did you choose to set it up there?

I believe that Saar is a great prime location with the majority of residents being expatriates from mid to high-income households. Nakheel Centre is a popular hangout spot amongst the younger generation, with a number of well-known franchises that help to attract visitors. Furthermore, Nakheel Centre is situated right opposite St. Christopher School, which makes it an ideal location to host student events as well.

The venue has 4 different rooms, each with a different theme.

Who designed the rooms, and where did you get the necessary props and furniture?

Are there any plans to add more rooms, or perhaps change any of the themes?

All furniture and rooms branding were selected by me and purchased locally and internationally. Props designing, and development and installation is the key factor of the success of my company.

It took me a long time to make it happen. After months of planning exactly what I needed, I had them custom made by a professional international company and then shipped to Bahrain. I then personally tested the functions of each prop and made the necessary changes as required to add more fun for the players. I’m definitely thinking of adding new rooms and maybe changing some of the existing themes, but shall only do so when I feel the time is right.

Do you also organize corporate teambuilding events? Could you tell us a little bit more about them?

Yes, we organize team building events at the venue, and have hosted successful corporate events for companies such as Investcorp, Gulf International Bank, Zain, BMMI, HSBC, BISB. We’ve also hosted a number of birthday events.

What are some of the challenges you faced when setting up the company?

Building a high-tech and next generation game venue is a big challenge that needs a lot of research and study and requires a lot of time for installation and testing. The second challenge is choosing the right themes and designing a great scenario to reflect a true story or a new creation that goes in a chain of steps and puzzles to be discovered in sequence.

Escape Code is not the only escape venue of its kind in Bahrain.

How do you deal with the competition?

I didn’t have to worry about that as Escape Code was the first and only high-tech escape game venue in Bahrain. I also have my own marketing channels and a dedicated social media team to help me stand out from the crowd. And I believe that competition is a key factor for the success of escape games within the region as each company’s individual success gives us all a chance to grow together. For a new concept like this, competition shouldn’t be viewed as a bad thing. It should

“Rather than just copy what I have seen, I wanted to take the genre in a new, hightech direction.” rather be viewed as a way of spreading the idea; introducing people to this new and fun form of entertainment in Bahrain and the region.

Of all the escape games you’ve tried out, which one has been the most impressive so far?

I would have to say Escape Code! I guarantee that your readers would have a great, unique and fun experience if they were to give us a try.

What are your future plans for Escape Code?

Our long-term goals are to further develop our customer base, build a mass escape game experience, and eventually franchise Escape Code in the Middle East.

What advice do you have for any aspiring entrepreneurs out there?

If you have an idea, study it well and make it happen at the soonest. Do not let anyone disappoint you or affect your decisions. Everything is possible; your idea just needs enough belief and hard work for it to succeed.

To find out more about Escape Code, follow them on Instagram @escape.code or visit their website www.escapecode.co

september 2016

27

Unknown Pastures The #Brexit and Your Offshore Company

June 23, 2016! A date most people in the United Kingdom, Wales and Northern Ireland won’t easily forget – and neither will a large group of people all around the world, Brussels in particular.

The people of the United Kingdom have voted in a public referendum on remaining part of the European Union or leaving the 28 (until then) member bloc – the result: a majority, albeit a small one, of the people decided to let “Europe be Europe” and leave the European Union! The amount of “Emergency Meetings” in Brussels and Berlin is a clear indication that nobody actually believed that – what the social media would refer to as #BREXIT – would actually happen!

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Whom should we blame?

If you have followed the media in recent weeks you will have noticed that all politicians seem to point fingers and refuse to accept responsibility for the outcome of the referendum – even those campaigning in favour of leaving – and try to have someone else ‘lead Britain’ out of the EU. Legally speaking, you must know, this referendum is NOT binding, it was a mere opinion poll if you will. However, any British Government would be ill-advised to overthrow this clearly democratic expression of the people’s will and simply go about their business as usual by ignoring the referendum’s result. Everyone knows it and therefore is very uneasy to go into the history books as the very Prime Minister who lead the United Kingdom into, what most people deem, an uncertain future. This future, if you hear the 27 other bloc members talk, has to include invoking article 50 of the “Lisbon Treaty” as soon as possible, which means, officially starting ‘divorce proceedings’ between the European Union and the United Kingdom.

Early Predictions Economists such as myself, have predicted early on that in case of #BREXIT, the trust in the Kingdom’s economy would probably waiver and as a result, the purchasing power

of the British Pound would lessen. At date of writing this article, the Bahraini Dinar was equal to 2.06 British Pounds!! Newspapers speak of a 30-year low and people, in and outside Great Britain, are obviously nervous. What does this all mean? It is a reflection of the uncertainty, the unknown that lies ahead.

The United Kingdom is, legally speaking, still a full member of the European Union but it’s the sheer expression of the people’s desire to change that has financial analysts and foreign investors getting ‘cold feet’. The property sector in the UK is taking a turn downwards as ‘on paper’ these properties have lost in value and foreign investors are moving into jurisdictions seen to be more ‘stable’ and ‘reliable’ like the continental EU.

your company’s profits won’t be taxed all of a sudden. It may, however, affect taxes you have to pay in the UK for property you may now decide to purchase there. There are rumours that a new government could increase property tax on real estate owned by ‘foreign and overseas entities’, which would then affect your cash flow. Needless to say, that any account in any of the offshore banks operated in British Pound still won’t be taxed as such, but is currently losing value in itself.

Silver Lining However, in every crisis lies opportunity and especially the property market in the UK, which for years has no longer reflected the ‘real’ value of the properties, opens up to a great number of investors from INSIDE the United Kingdom who had no longer been able to afford property in their own country. A weaker British Pound makes the currency cheaper for others and subsequently the goods sold in that currency – if you ever dreamed of owning a Bentley or an Aston Martin: Now is the time to buy!

With Britain not being a nation ‘on its own’ but the centre of a much larger framework, the British Commonwealth, for instance and still in charge of overseas territories, the question arises if the current

“It’s the sheer expression of the people’s desire to change that has financial analysts and foreign investors getting ‘cold feet’.

situation in the UK has any effect on companies registered in such overseas territories like the British Virgin Islands or Bermuda. The initial and very superficial answer is: NO. However, this might not be true for all such entities.

Taxing Effects Generally speaking, taxation is a matter of jurisdiction. Despite the fact that the British Virgin Islands or the Cayman Islands are “British Overseas Territories”, they are autonomous when it comes to their finances and their legislation. This means, just because Britain may need to find a source of extra income (taxes),

Analysts are not shying away from saying the British Pound could reach parity with the United States Dollar (at time of writing this article 1 British Pound = 1.29 United States Dollar). So, overall, we’ll have to wait and see because the only sure thing is that “it will be dark at night” – for all else, only time can tell.

Dr. Alex R. Suchy von Weissenfeld is a Senior Consultant and Area Manager Middle East for C&S International LLC, an internationally active business consultancy out of Vermont, USA. He has spent the last 10 years in Bahrain and has held several academic positions with several local and international universities during this time. For the last 5 years, however, his focus has been on forming companies all around the globe and helping corporations and individuals use these International Business Companies to achieve their personal and professional goals.

september 2016

29

Money 2.0 The Cashless Future Is Coming

By Fatema Ebrahim

he current shift that will have our undivided attention for a while is the payments space. The era of a cashless future has begun, and it has quickly been creeping in some parts of the Middle East simplifying various systems in place.

Have we been preparing for the cashless future? Indeed.

The western societies have been famous for their online payment apps such as Paypal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Facebook Messenger, Square Cash and much more. However in the Middle East - the focus has been placed more on E-commerce and SMEs rather than a daily personal payment app or wallet (yet!)

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Many Middle Eastern countries have typically been cash-based societies. Cash on delivery is the most popular method among locals. However industries are rapidly changing and most transformations demand societies to move with the trends and upcoming digital tools.

Let’s look at some numbers here

The Middle East and Africa one of the world’s fastest growing mobile markets. According to eMarketer; In 2019, the number of residents in the Middle East and Africa with a smartphone approaches 174 million. In 2015, it was found that regional internet penetration was highest in Bahrain, where 93.48 percent of the population had internet access.

In addition, another strong area in MENA that we should focus on is e-commerce. Penetration is the highest within the Middle East – the e-commerce market in the Arab world is worth USD 7 billion. Let that sink in for a second.

Do we have online payment tools in the GCC? Yes, we do.

Let’s start with our island.

Bahrain’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has witnessed a few online payment solutions that have catered to small and large business owners, namely:

Valopay: an online platform that simplifies

communication and facilitates payments between sellers and buyers within the Instagram marketplace. It’s the first app in the region to cater to the Instagram marketplace and allows sellers to accept online payments and offers buyers a simpler experience when placing an order.

White Payments: a Bahrain-based online payments solution. Their aim is to take the burden of dealing with banks, payment gateways, merchant accounts, and security deposits away from the entrepreneurs. They were later acquired by Payfort in the United Arab Emirates.

Let’s take a look further in the MENA region

There are other several companies that have launched and entered into this territory to cater to the MENA region, increasing levels of online usage for several categories whether it’s shopping, paying bills, running a business and etc.

Across the GCC we have seen multiple online payment apps that have created quite a buzz in their own communities.

Paytabs: a unique payment processing system funded by the Saudi Aramco’s Investment Wing Wa’ed that is all set to revolutionize payment and eCommerce industry. It is easy to use and does a quick bank transfer. They have branches in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Dubai.

Payfort: was established in 2013 and is a

leading payment service in the MENA region. It enables businesses, governments, SMEs, startups and institutions trade with both banked and non-banked online shoppers, through innovative payment solutions.

CashU: is a Jordanian company established in 2002 by Maktoob (now Yahoo), is a safe payment method designed for and customized to Arabic speaking online shoppers in all countries.

HyperPay: is another fast growing online payment service provider in the MENA region launched in 2013 providing a range of processing services that help businesses sell online and offline.

“the e-commerce market in the Arab world is worth USD 7 billion.”

What are some great sources to help me catch up on this industry?

Payfort released their recent annual ‘State of Payments Report’ that has a comprehensive detailed view of payments in the Middle East and the statistics of various segments related to e-commerce and much more.

Another great source is ‘The Payments & Cards Network’ e-magazine that is issued every month which covers new startups in the payments space across Europe and Asia.

Another favourite is www.pymnts.com which focuses on what’s coming up next in the payments and e-commerce space in general. You get opinion pieces, live viewing sessions with professionals and data & research on several areas.

Hope this has helped, and made you gain some interest for the Payments space. If you’re a business owner, you might want to try one of these!

Fatema Ebrahim is the founder of Valopay, a payments app catered to the Instagram marketplace in Bahrain.

Fatema has been heavily involved in the Startup space in New York for several years and got her Master’s from New York University. She is also an independent PR consultant for Action Global Communications working with clients covering various industry sectors including: aviation, automotive, banking, telecommunications and government.

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31

Rainbow of Sensations

Interview with Nitai Chand, Executive Chef of Kolors Restaurant at the K Hotel

A

t any given point in their career, every high-powered businessman has had to entertain a potential client with a fine dining experience. Keeping this in mind, we decided to interview the chef of a leading restaurant in Bahrain to help you decide where to take your guests to next. This month, we interview the Executive Chef of Kolors Restaurant at the K Hotel, Nitai Chand, who gives us an insight into life behind the kitchen doors.

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How did you first get into cooking, and where did you receive your training?

I actually started cooking at home at the age of eight. Every time my mother prepared a meal, I’d beg her to let me help out in some way. She was hesitant at first as she was afraid that I would injure myself, but I was insistent. Eventually, I wound up packing lunches for all my siblings every morning before going to school. I then trained at the hotel management institute in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, which is where I grew up.

How long have you been cooking professionally?

I’ve been cooking professionally for almost 20 years now, initially specialising in Chinese cuisine. I got my start at the Green Park hotel in Visakhapatnam, India.

How would you describe your style of cooking?

I’d describe it as a fusion between traditional and contemporary. I started out my career cooking traditional authentic cuisines, but eventually incorporated elements from modern cooking into my dishes. The fine dining industry has changed drastically during the course of my career, and I believe that it’s important for a chef to keep up with the latest trends. In order to be successful, a chef must be able to constantly modify his or her style of cooking to match customers’ changing preferences. But no matter what type of cuisine I serve, at the end of the day my sole purpose is still to make sure that every customer is served a well-presented and tasty meal.

“In order to be successful, a chef must be able to constantly modify his or her style of cooking to match customers’ changing preferences.”

The Kolors Restaurant at the K Hotel, formerly known as ‘Klouds’

As a chef, what has your most memorable career moment been?

There have been a number of memorable moments but if I had to choose one, I would say it was being appointed as an executive chef at the Gulf Hotel Group’s property in Zanzibar at the age of 30.

I’m sure a number of our readers would like to know: is the kitchen environment for a young chef as rough as it seems on TV shows such as Hell’s Kitchen?

At the beginning of my career, I probably experienced worse! I was even reduced to tears on a number of occasions. Even though I was always considered one of the best chefs in the kitchen, my superiors would constantly push me to become better. And today, I thank them immensely for it. These experiences only made me stronger, and moulded me into the chef I am today.

Is there a secret behind running a successful restaurant?

The secret to running a successful restaurant is a good team. The team needs to be able to work well together under pressure, while not neglecting the guidelines and procedures we have set in place. To lead a successful team, you need to constantly strive to bring out the very best in them. The team needs to put their heart and soul into their work so that every meal that comes out of the kitchen is as close to perfection as possible.

Do you have a ‘signature’ dish or favourite dish that you enjoy cooking?

My favourite dish to cook is lamb rack. I cook it with a mixture of egg white, pistachio powder, pepper corns and parsley to give it a crispy texture and nice green colour. It is served with either rice

or ratatouille and potatoes. I also enjoy cooking seafood − scallops in particular.

Is there another chef you most admire?

My favourite ingredient to use is Cajun spices. I also like using herbs; especially thyme and basil, which I think give the food a nice aroma and flavour.

I’ve worked with a number of great chefs, but Sylvester Rosario, the former executive chef at Kolors restaurant, has probably had the biggest impact on my career. I’ve known him for around 10 years and consider him a mentor, as well as a close friend.

What is the best restaurant you’ve ever eaten at during a night off from work?

Are there any new developments at Kolors Restaurant that customers can expect?

Do you have a favourite ingredient?

Very hard to choose just one! I’ve eaten at a number of great restaurants in India and Dubai.

One memorable one is Tagine, at the One&Only Royal Mirage hotel in Dubai. I’m normally not a fan of Arabic cuisine, but the food served at that restaurant was exquisite. I make it a point to eat there whenever I visit the city.

We are constantly updating our menu, so there’s always something new for our guests to enjoy. We’ve already introduced our ‘theme nights’ concept, serving a different cuisine every night. We are currently working to introduce a number of new themes such as a beer and burger night, and a wine night. september 2016

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You’ve

Got Mail!

Email Marketing: A Better Strategy for Online Lead Generation and Conversion

By Eman Bu-Rashid

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“Email marketing, when done right, can nurture leads and keep current contacts and customers involved with your brand.�

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WHAT IS EMAIL MARKETING?

Email marketing can mean lots of things to lots of people. To some it involves renting lists from 3rd parties while for others it means cultivating relationships with your existing contacts to drive sales as well as customer retention. For the purposes of this article, we define email marketing as the latter.

Whether you are new to email marketing or are a seasoned professional, a strategy and a roadmap prove critical for email marketing just like they do for other tactics such as social media, public relations, and advertising.

Below are some of the first steps you should take when determining the best email marketing campaign for your business:

DETERMINE YOUR GOALS

Email marketing is a lead generation channel that businesses have long used to reach people who could potentially be interested in their company.

To some, email marketing is considered outdated, shifting the focus to social media as the key channel for appealing to customers and clients. However, despite changes in the marketing world, email marketing is still a powerful tool business owners can use to make their business accessible to the right people.

Y

our total online presence doesn’t end with having a website. It needs to be integrated and complimented by other efforts that includes content creation, online advertising, local SEO, social media, reputation management and email marketing for lead generation.

Email marketing, when done right, can nurture leads and keep current contacts and customers involved with your brand.

Marketers consistently ranked email as the single most effective tactic for awareness, acquisition, conversion and retention. In fact, email emerged as the most effective digital marketing tool for meeting all objectives.

However, the practice of email marketing itself has changed; the most specific changes have occurred in how you get people to sign up in the first place.

People are more sophisticated than they have ever been in the past about being marketed to online and what that means when they give up an email address.

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Before you implement an email marketing campaign, you first need to know your goals for the campaign and what you hope to accomplish. This will help you determine what needs to be done to implement the campaign, and it can help you determine if the emails were successful.

Email campaigns should be part of your holistic marketing approach to educate your customers. Email cannot be truly fruitful just by itself, but can strengthen your other initiatives. (Just like you cannot use social media in vacuum, or only rely on blogging, or trust that search engines optimization is enough to meet your goals.) The real power comes from achieving a strong marketing mix.

To help determine your goals, ask yourself why you are sending the emails.

Think of what you hope the outcome will be.

For instance, if you plan to send emails in the hopes of getting new business from your existing customers, use that to determine the rest of the campaign. Send emails targeting new business and create content that will appeal to these people.

If your plan is to strengthen or deepen relationships with existing contacts and customers, your tone needs to be different.

Your emails need to reflect your existing relationship with them, and the content needs to be catered toward them. Setting clear and defined goals early on can help you easily determine the rest of your campaign and can make it more effective.

CHOOSE AN EMAIL MARKETING SOFTWARE

Once you determine the goal of your campaign, you will need to choose an email marketing software that can help you accomplish your plan. You should select a service that will allow you to do what you need to do, but will also be easy and simple to understand. The less time it takes for you to learn a new application, the more time you can spend connecting with clients and customers.

You need a special email marketing tool because bad things can happen if you start sending lots of emails without one. Let’s look at an example. You are a growing real estate business, and right now you have 50

email addresses on your list. You want to send an email to those contacts. Why can’t you just open up an email in Outlook, put all 50 email addresses in the “BCC” field, and start typing your message?

Sending bulk emails manually (from like Outlook or Apple Mail) can cause problems.

• Your recipient’s email client (like Gmail) might label your message as spam and send it directly into a spam or junk filter. Future emails from you might also get labelled as spam, and you may never be able to reach your prospect again.

• Your hosting company or Internet Service Provider could notice that you are sending bulk emails and refuse to provide services for you.

To avoid delivery issues and service interruptions, smart businesses use an email service provider (ESP) to send emails to their prospects. An email service provider (ESP) is simply a company that offers email marketing or bulk email services. Examples include Constant Contact, MailChimp, AWeber, FeedBlitz, Infusionsoft, and iContact.

These companies allow users to send bulk emails, create and manage an email database, utilize a campaign management service and create customizable email templates. A majority of reputable email service providers offer free trials where users can determine if the program is right for them. This could be a cost-effective way to determine which one is best for your business.

BUILD AN EXTENSIVE CONTACT LIST

After selecting the proper software, you should begin thinking of who you want to contact. You should be committed to building and managing an extensive contact list. This could include current clients or customers, as well as people who worked with your business in the past. Who you add to your list is determined by the goal you want to accomplish.

Even if you only have a handful of email addresses, you should add those to your database. Once you start to add more people and their contact information, you can categorize the data and create an email list within your master list. For instance, you can have categories for former clients, current clients, and potential clients. This could make the emailing process more targeted, less confusing and more time effective.

To grow their email database, businesses sometimes purchase lists. This practice will surely get you into trouble: it might add invalid addresses to your list and thus pollute your entire database. Even if the addresses you acquired are valid, the new recipients will most likely not be interested in your content and either unsubscribe or not engage with your emails altogether. Both of these alternatives are undesirable.

Additionally, you should begin to determine how often you plan to email your contacts. Generally, you do not want to email a person too often for fear of becoming

“Setting clear and defined goals early on can help you easily determine the rest of your campaign and can make it more effective.” spammy. However, you do want to keep your business on the forefront of that person’s mind. Depending on your business, about one or two emails per month could be a good way to start the campaign.

DEVELOP A CONCISE MESSAGE

Next comes the content of the message you want to send. Again, this will be determined by the goal you wish to achieve. If you want to attract new clients and customers, your content should reflect that. If you are looking for a better connect with your current clienteles, be sure to keep that in mind when writing the email.

No matter who the email is targeted to, you should be sure your content is original and fits within your brand. You want it to be concise and informative, but also relevant to your readers. Adding humor or something unique to the content can help you stand out among dozens of other emails. A compelling subject line can have a significant impact on whether or not a person even opens the email.

The content of emails is unique because they can be highly personalized. Unlike social media and blogs, emails allow you to speak directly to a person. Because of this, your email communication must be used for more than simply promoting something. It should be used as an avenue to communicate with people on a different level and to establish relationships.

ACHIEVING MEASURABLE ROI

Achieving measurable ROI (return on investment) is another challenge that businesses face with email marketing. In other words, it is difficult for them to connect between the email they send and the customers they get.

Interestingly, this challenge is closely connected to the holistic approach mentioned earlier.

When your marketing channels are not speaking to one another, it is hard to identify how they affect conversions.

For instance, can you see if that communication contributed to generating new leads? What is more, do you see if it resulted in any new customers? It is therefore essential to identify your most powerful marketing channels and assign clear value to each of them. In this way, you will be able to measure the ROI not only of your emails, but also of your other efforts, which might include social media and blogging.

CONCLUSION

The way people communicate through email has changed, ultimately giving entrepreneurs and business owners a new market to grow and expand their businesses.

The steps above can help you determine what needs to be done to implement an effective campaign and how you can best use it to your advantage.

Eman Bu-Rashid is a marketing strategist. She is a Duct Tape Marketing™ Certified Consultant based in Bahrain, the only certified consultant of this network in the region, and the founder of Keynotes Consultants and OnePointSix. She has a passion for helping entrepreneurs and SMEs, specializing in creating simple, effective marketing and business growth strategies. To get more tips and advice on marketing, send her an email eman@keynotesbh. com or visit her website: www.keynotesbh.com

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King of the Ring Why no social platform can trump facebook

By Anita Menon

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Facebook may have started for college

students to socialize and interact but over the last 16 years of Facebook’s existence, it has evolved into being a ubiquitous part of everybody’s life, regardless of gender, age, race, nationality and such.

The truth of the matter is Facebook has become a way of life where all who are on Facebook never log off.

What Makes Facebook Tick?

“FacebooK has taKen lessons FRom now obsolete and neaR-extinct social channels liKe myspace, Ryze.com etc. and has not stopped updating itselF.”

With more than 1.13 billion daily active users on average (as of June 2016), this social network is centred on keeping people logged in to their accounts. Even when you visit other sites, Facebook wants to be just one click away. In fact, you can’t visit many sites without seeing the social media buttons that allow you to share the content on Facebook. When you log in to this social media site, the first thing you see will be a news feed that keeps you updated on the lives of your friends. The Facebook toolbar will notify you immediately if you have a new friend request, an unread message in your inbox or if someone commented on or liked your status or posts.

Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram (Instagram was bought by Facebook) and other social channels may be the competition but they have limited utility when compared to Facebook.

Facebook has taken lessons from now obsolete and near-extinct social channels like MySpace, Ryze.com etc. and has not stopped updating itself. The ease of usage is the top feature of Facebook. There is no limit to the amount of information that can be uploaded on Facebook and it can in the form of videos, pictures and text.

Facebook allows you to express your moods and emotions and lets your friends know which places you have ‘checked in’.

Most people created accounts on Facebook to connect with their school, college friends and former colleagues.

measures with privacy features and restricted access. If there is a feature that trumps all others is the ability to ‘mark yourself safe’ during times of emergencies; both manmade and natural. Hurricanes, earth quakes, terrorists attacks can happen anywhere and this feature would let your loved ones know you are safe, to keep them from worrying.

The King of Social Networking

Friends, Not Strangers

The business page facility on Facebook is unrivalled. The features it offers for all types of organizations, whether it is a large multinational corporation or a home-owned business, allow for maximum exposure of the organizations’ offerings.

However, Facebook wants the businesses to run ads in order to reach its target audience and in the process earns money out of it.

Guess that is only fair!

Facebook is the king of all social networking sites and the features it offers is just the tip of the iceberg. Having an account on Facebook allows for us to be a part of a larger community which otherwise would have been quite difficult.

We have access to like-minded groups on Facebook that are involved in hobbies such as baking, cooking, raising money for charity, parenting advice and much more. This universal social network may face some criticism for using the personal information of its users to its advantage and thereby posing security threats. But Facebook allows you to up your security

This article on Facebook was prompted by the recent unfortunate incident that shocked our usually incident-free country.

A five-year-old was kidnapped and the whole country was completely taken aback by how such an untoward incident can happen in Bahrain. Within no time, the child’s photograph was circulated among friends and friends of friends. Prayers for her safe return poured it giving much needed morale support. Search parties were organized on Facebook and big groups got together to search for the little one. Every minute, statuses on Facebook were updated sharing the most recent finding. Relevant ministries resorted to updating their pages with the information to keep the worried nation informed.

Finally, when the little one was found, everyone shed tears of joy. The emotional and real support that happened through Facebook was beyond explanation and everyone experienced it first-hand. None of the other social channels were that prompt in response as Facebook was.

The primary reason for this instant response rate is the high level of trust. If you compare Facebook to Twitter or Instagram or Snapchat, there is a stark difference. That remarkable difference is the trust we have in the people we interact with on a particular channel. Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat are full of strangers and more strangers who follow us and interact with us. However Facebook is about friends. We make friends of friends, our friends and let them enter our circle of trust and influence. This sets Facebook apart and this is what that makes it such an effective channel for REAL. Of late, plenty of updates in the social networking world are about Facebook becoming passé as more new platforms come into existence. But it is important to note that none of those have the experience and advantage of being around as long as Facebook and there’s a lot that Facebook stirs in us at a primal and emotional level that others will take just way too much to emulate.

Anita Menon is the founder of the digital marketing firm The Butterfly Effect. She converges her business consulting skills with her passion for social media to create digital marketing solutions for enterprises and individuals. www.thebutterflyeffect.co

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TradiTional MindseTs

By Professor Mukhtar AL-Hashimi

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oday, especially in most Islamic countries, Islamic banking is evolving and progressing in gaining market share over the conventional banking system, also known as the commercial banking system. Strategically, Islamic banking is set to rival and provide an alternative to the conventional banking system. In reality, Islamic banking and commercial banking are adopting different banking ideologies and principles, which sets them apart. When comparing commercial banks with Islamic banks, the clearest distinction is that commercial banking is an interest-based banking system in which the customer is guaranteed a return on investment; while the Islamic banking system acts as the custodian of the customer’s money.

The major difference here is that Islamic banks operate on the basis of the Islamic financial system, formed from the Holy Qur’an and in accordance with Shariah standards and law. The core logic behind Islamic banking is the ban of the concept of interest. This makes Islamic banking an interest-free banking system, in which principles and distribution of profit and loss are shared among business intermediaries of partners, intermediaries, lenders and borrowers.

Four Elements

Customers’ Criteria in selecting islamic or Conventional Banks in Bahrain

In summary, there are four major elements that govern the investment behaviour for all transactions between customers and an Islamic bank: the strict prohibition of Riba (interest); avoid any type of speculative transactions associated with Gharar (uncertainty) and Maysir (betting); contribute to the Islamic tax system; and not engage in Haram prohibited and unethical services and products as stipulated by Islamic law and religion.

Reflecting on recent statistics and rate of growth of Islamic banks, all indicators shows positive growth in terms of number of banks and total assets. The World Bank reports that in the past decade the growth rate ranged between 10% and 15%, with financial assets having doubled to around US$2 trillion for both banking and non-banking, money markets, capital markets and insurance Finance. Some scholars believe that this growth occurred since the 2008 financial turmoil and crises. According to the World Islamic Banking Comparativeness Report 2016, the nine core countries of the Islamic banking industry market account for 93% of the Islamic industry assets exceeding US$920 billion. These countries are Bahrain, Kuwait, Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, Qatar and United Arab Emirates. september 2016

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Motivation and Objective of the Study

Bahrain has a strong banking sector that contributes strongly to the development of the economic growth of the country. This recent growth of Islamic banking, and the highly competitive banking environment across both conventional and Islamic banking, has led top management and strategists in the banking sector to question what determines customers’ choices when selecting a banking system and why. To be more specific, what are the factors involved in the customer’s decision making process in selecting specific banks? Some of these factors could reflect the social background and family; culture, belief, psychological, internal, and external factors likely all play a role in selection of a bank.

The significance of such a study is to understand the key decision drivers from the perspective of customer perception in relation to conventional banking sectors, in order to enhance market positioning and develop appropriate, effective, sustainable strategic planning, including appropriate marketing strategy.

This study’s objectives were to assess the peoples’ knowledge of Islamic banking; determine the major factors for customers’ selection of either Islamic or conventional banks in Bahrain; identify the relationship between the demographic and other attributes recognized by previous authors; and finally identify the unique services offered by the Islamic banking system and their impact on the customer selection criteria in Bahrain.

1. Literature Review

Many studies have considered the difference between conventional and Islamic banking systems by focusing on the principles and the characteristics of finance in the contemporary world. There are empirical studies utilizing these research methods and approaches, conducted in different countries and cultures, which aimed in investigate the criteria influencing customers when selecting their bank. Generally, results showed some inconsistencies due to economic differences, banking regulations, and other factors from one country to another.

With respect to religion, some studies found that religion does not play a significant role when selecting an Islamic bank in Jordan, but rather social circle and friends have a greater influence in selecting Islamic banks. Other studies stated that Muslims and non-Muslims mostly have the same perception in selecting the bank they desire. They suggested that in order to target new potential customers banks have to invest more in emphasizing unique selection criteria rather than the religion factor.

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2. Methodology

As stated above, the study’s objective is mainly to determine the major factors for customers’ selection of either Islamic or conventional banks in Bahrain. The theoretical model suggests that the criteria for selecting banks are influenced by two major constructs: the environmental factors, which are the internal and external environments; and customer perceptions of the Islamic banking system, all of which are associated with demographic profile factors. On the basis of the research model, a quantitative research approach was adopted and, for data collection, a questionnaire was designed and distributed to a sample group representing the target population.

The questionnaire structure reflects the research theoretical model, which has four major factors: participant demographic information; bank profile and services type; knowledge of Islamic banking; and internal and external environmental influential factors. The initially developed questionnaire was tested on a small sample as a pilot sample to assess the contents, accuracy, and ease of understanding on the

part of participants, which resulted in minor alternations leading to the final version of the questionnaire.

3. Research Findings and Discussion

The questionnaire was distributed to 240 individuals. The total number of returned questionnaires was 229, making the response rate 95%. There were almost equal numbers of males and females, with age groups relatively representative of the broader population, with the majority (38%) from the age group of 26 to 35 years.

The majority (92%) of the respondents hold a college degree or above, while 77% were Bahraini nationals. The incomes of the participants are relatively reflective of the normal population, while 60% are at or above the average national income figure, which is 700BD. When the participants were asked what type of bank they currently deal with, 65% reported only conventional banking; 17% reported that they deal with only Islamic banking; and approximately 18% reported that they deal with both types of banking.

Table 1: Factors Influencing Consumers’ Bank Choice (Islamic or Conventional) Demographic: Gender, age, nationality, residential area, religion, education, employment, and monthly income Bank Type: Islamic or conventional bank; For how long you have been dealing with the banks?

Knowledge of Islamic Banking: (either Yes , No or Don’t Know) • Are you familiar with Islamic banking services & products?

• Does the Islamic banking system include an interest reward system?

efficient services (quick speed of processing); pleasant banking experience; easy deposit and withdrawal at different branch locations; ATM available at shopping centers.

• External Factors (Social) ranked on a measurement scale as very important; important; neither important nor unimportant; or unimportant.

• Electronic services; internet banking & ATM; bank reputation; paying high rates of interest on savings account; hours of operation; friendliness of bank personnel; recommendation of friends, family and relatives; or media advertising.

• Is there a risk sharing system in the Islamic banking system?

Reason for Choosing Islamic Banking and Perceptions:

• Can Islamic banks invest in unethical investments or war, arms, trade, alcohol, tobacco etc. industries?

• For what purposes do you use this bank (investment/savings, borrowings, other)?

• Can Islamic banks engage in excessive speculative venture(s) like gambling?

• Do you agree that Islamic banks operate in compliance with Shariah?

(Yes, No or Don’t Know).

• Is the meaning of Murabaha a contract sale between the bank and its client for the sale of goods at a price that includes a profit margin for both parties?

• Would you continue to deal with an Islamic bank even if its service charges were higher than those of conventional banks? (Yes, No or Don’t Know).

• Do you agree that Islamic banks can contribute more to the societal balance, human prosperity and welfare?

• Specify reasons for choosing Islamic banks (higher rates of return; religious; ethical; family members and my friends; offer withdrawal prize campaigns).

• Do Islamic banks distribute higher profits than conventional banks?

Factors Influencing Consumer Banking Choice (Islamic or Conventional Banks): • Internal Factors (Personal/Psychological) ranked on a measurement scale as very important; important; neither important nor unimportant or; or unimportant.

• Convenience; safety of funds; fast and

• How would you rate your level of satisfaction with this bank during your transactions?

(Satisfied, Not satisfied, or Don’t know).

• How do you perceive Islamic banks’ operations? (Better than conventional banking, Same as conventional banking or No Difference).

• Would you recommend an Islamic bank to your friends or family? Why? (Yes, No or Don’t Know).

Table 2: Participants’ Knowledge of the Islamic Banking System Islamic Knowledge Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Not Knowledgeable 121 52.8 52.8 52.8 Knowledgeable 24 10.5 10.5 63.3 Somewhat Knowledgeable 84 36.7 36.7 100.0 Total

229 100.0 100.0

“Strategically, Islamic banking is set to rival and provide an alternative to the conventional banking system.”

The results of this study indicate that the majority of the participants (53%) have no understanding of the four characteristics of Islamic banking, namely the Shariahcompliant, interest-free profit mark-up system, profit and loss risk sharing between the lender and the borrower, and Islamic ethical projects and transactions. Table 2 illustrates the participants’ knowledge of the Islamic banking system, demonstrating that only 11% are knowledgeable of the Islamic banking characteristics and 36% are somewhat knowledgeable.

It might be assumed that Muslims would be more aware and knowledgeable than their follow non-Muslims of the principles codified in Shariah, which is the basis for Islamic finance concepts. However, this study does not necessarily indicate that Muslims are very knowledgeable of the Islamic banking system, as shown in Table 2.

Research Conclusion

The study was designed to examine aspects of customers’ choices of banking services (conventional vs Islamic), investigating the most influential factors associated with their choices. Also, another objective is whether Islamic banking knowledge is essential for the selection of a banking system. A general conclusion from this study is that knowledge of Islamic banking does not play any significant role and that there are no unique significant criteria for selecting Islamic banking. Both conventional and Islamic banking need to focus on similar external and internal factors. For Bahraini customers, safety of funds and electronic services: internet banking & ATMs are the most important factors in selecting either banking system.

Professor Mukhtar Al-Hashimi Ahlia University, Bahrain Email malhashimi@ ahlia.edu.bh Instagram “Prof_Mukhtar” Mobile +973- 39664117

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Behind the Firewall Why Dealing With hackers requires BoarDroom engagement

By Scott Manson 44

september 2016

Cyber-attacks are increasingly sophisticated and discrete. Nation states and cybercriminal organizations frequently bankroll and mastermind these attacks with the aim of financial or political gain. If attackers have high-powered backing behind them, shouldn’t defenders as well? Isn’t it time that organizations’ top leaders are actively engaged in defense? Granted, the vast majority of enterprises have an executive with direct responsibility for security. But for modern businesses, security leadership needs to ascend even higher in the organization: to the boardroom.

Given that in the modern economy every company runs on IT, an increased focus on cyber risk at the board level is a positive development, but one that is long overdue.

Security is the business of every person in the organization, from the chief executive to the newest hire, and not just personnel with “security” in their title or job description.

Everyone should be accountable, and learn how to avoid becoming a victim.

and shifting supply chains can create significant business opportunities but also potential risk. Addressing how technology and security must align to support these models with budgetary concerns and risk management top of mind is critical.

Greater Engagement A core component of the future of cyber-

Technology and security leaders must also possess knowledge of regulatory requirements and standards to help the board navigate and comply with new mandates. Insights into industry and technology trends, as well as strategies and experiences of similar organizations help provide board members with a frame of reference to evaluate current security postures and validate controls.

How to communicate is important as well.

Every message should be delivered clearly, briefly, and with minimal technical jargon. For example, it’s expected that CIOs and CISOs understand threats and how the most recent attacks were successful. But translating the impact of those attacks into relevant business terms such as lost revenue, productivity, or profitability will help ensure the consequences are understood. Graphical tools like executive dashboards can also help focus discussions on metrics that are most relevant to the business.

Cyber-security as a boardroom topic is not only a good thing, it is necessary.

As defenders it gives us an opportunity to better educate the highest levels of leadership on the cyber-security issues facing the business. With that knowledge, boards are equipped to make more informed security and risk management decisions and, together, we can better protect valuable assets while achieving business goals.

security will be greater engagement by the board. Corporate boards of directors across industries need to know what the cybersecurity risks to the business are and their potential impact.

To truly understand the scope of cybersecurity issues that affect the organization, we will likely see a rise in the number of CIOs and even CISOs on corporate boards.

The phenomenon of external factors influencing board makeup isn’t new. In the previous decade, we saw a dramatic increase in the number of CFOs serving on corporate boards as a direct result of the global financial crisis and an increasingly complex regulatory environment. Research by Ernst & Young found that in 2002, 36 percent of CFOs from the world’s largest companies held board level roles. Ten years later, the number had risen to nearly half.

With members that bring technology and cyber-security expertise, boards can start getting answers to tough questions about security controls: What controls do we have in place? How well have they been tested? Do we have a reporting process? How quickly can we detect and remediate the inevitable compromise? And perhaps, the most important question: What else should we know?

Even if they don’t currently hold a board seat, CIOs and CISOs need to be prepared to answer these questions from the board, and in terms that are meaningful to board members and outline business implications.

They must be equally comfortable speaking about business strategy as they are about technology and security strategy. New business models such as direct to consumer, expansion into new channels and regions,

Communication is Key

Scott has over 18 years of experience in Information Technology sales and consulting. His technology background includes Data Center Infrastructure, Security and Management, Middleware and Application technologies.

He currently leads Cisco’s Cyber Security Sales and Operations across the Middle East and Turkey region.

Cyber Security: A Pressing Matter

Recent, massive data breaches involving well-known companies, more legislation and regulation related to data security, geopolitical dynamics and shareholder expectations are all factors making cyber-security an agenda item in the boardroom. A report by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) revealed that 55 percent of corporate directors now have to personally understand and manage cyber-security as a risk area. Discussions on the size of the burden, where it should be placed, and how to encourage the sharing of information to strengthen defenses for all, should command the attention of more corporate directors.

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World of Difference

Is 100% foreign ownership in Bahrain a game changer?

By Neil Fogarty 46

september 2016

Across the world, the fall in oil prices has not only affected services and investment from governments but the trickle-down into economies has tightened lending conditions and created a general sense of uncertainty for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The extension in the categories for which non-GCC citizens can take majority control over Bahrain-based businesses has been long-discussed and so, in itself, is not a big

surprise. In fact, Bahrain’s economic freedom is already recognized as being the best for any country in the MENA region, enjoying the lowest living and SME operating costs in the GCC. So why do it?

The rationale

In 2015, the Bahrain Ministry of Industry and Commerce estimated that SMEs formed 99% of companies registered in the Kingdom (employing over 420,000 people of which 53,000 were Bahraini) - contributing 28% of Bahrain GDP.

A Bahraini cabinet statement says that the decision to allow full ownership of businesses by foreign entities and individuals is intended to “spur growth, generate rewarding jobs for citizens, and attract businessmen to invest in various economic sectors”.

Will this happen?

Over time, with the right political will, then yes we will see enterprise growth, rewarding employment and foreign investment - this has happened time and again in similar economies and so it’s difficult to see why it wouldn’t happen in Bahrain.

In the short term, however, when you relax restrictions on a market, the early entrants are SMEs that don’t necessarily add value to the broader national economy or offer rewarding jobs to citizens.

The sentiment (rightly or wrongly) is that it brings cheap labour which affects the competitive landscape.

In fact, elements of the business community expect an increase in foreign-owned competitors and fear this competition whilst customers are happier at the prospect of wider choice and price wars.

There is no denying an increase in competition but this should be seen as a positive move - if you have grown a business through weak products / services, poor customer experience and high prices then you will need the right mindset to transform your business to offer superior products and services, thrill your customers with exceptional service and so on.

It’s happened before and can happen again Mr Stephen Harrison, the founder and CEO of a 100% foreign-owned company (H Squared Consultants) anticipates little impact on his own organisation but can see it assisting international retail companies seeking to serve the Bahraini and neighbouring Saudi markets.

Mr Harrison also tells me “the legal services field was opened up to non-Bahraini companies almost a decade ago (only two expat law firms existed in Bahrain before that), and most would agree that the change has been beneficial to the law firms’ clients and to Bahraini lawyers seeking to enter the profession without travelling overseas.”

What next?

From what I can see, property developers will be very happy with the new ruling - as will businesses specialising in Mergers & Acquisitions.

Similarly, I anticipate growth in the area of tourism (the Economic Development Board is aiming for 15 million tourists in 2018, contributing over $2.6 billion) and meaningful employment will come from sales, customer service, finance, management, etc. On top of this, the $1 billion expansion of the Bahrain airport drives new employment.

Foreign-owned businesses coming to Bahrain will need to understand the local culture and business practices - and this is an excellent opportunity for partnerships and joint ventures with local enterprises.

There will be strong competition for local businesses but appropriate government support and the opportunity to partner with new market entrants should help. Importantly, encouraging the nationalisation agenda with foreign-owned startups in Bahrain will work towards addressing the employability issue.

Is it worth getting excited about?

Yes, I think so. Bahrain is definitely a good place to do business. Whilst the announcement can be considered as a positive step in order to attract foreign investment to address the several challenges due to the drop in oil prices, new

business facilities will encourage foreign investors to consider Bahrain as a great option for setting up their businesses.

Importantly, when you step back and look at the announcement, there is a strong message embedded into it: Bahrain is not only taking positive steps towards mitigating the problem of declining oil revenue but is looking to a future beyond 2020.

Neil Fogarty is a business writer, international speaker and advisor with clients in Europe, GCC, Africa and The Americas.

Working with government and private sector organizations his expertise is in corporate entrepreneurship (intrapreneurs), leadership and business excellence. As Managing Director of Spark Global Business, he works with regional associates and partners in the delivery of Learning & Development consultancy including workshops and Corporate Academies.

“There will be strong competition for local businesses but appropriate government support and the opportunity to partner with new market entrants should help.” september 2016

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“Running a successful business means that you have to stay ahead of the game.�

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Cover Story

BRavE nEw Economy Khaled Al Amin, Midway Food Services CEO and Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry board member talks about Bahrain’s future economic vision.

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Do you have any role models or mentors that you look up to in your personal or professional life?

Mentors or role models are important. I consider my father, Ali Al Amin and Dr. Esam Fakhro, Chairman of the National Bank of Bahrain as well as the Chairman of the BCCI, to be my role models. I have learned a great deal from them as they are both successful entrepreneurs and true visionaries.

You’re currently the CEO of Midway Food Services, a very popular supermarket chain in Bahrain.

What is the key to running a large operation successfully?

ver the past year, a number of sweeping changes have shook peoples’ faith in the integrity of Bahrain’s economy. With the fall in oil prices and the dropping of government subsidies, citizens have a right to suspect that Bahrain’s days of prosperity might be numbered. Here to prove otherwise is successful entrepreneur and Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry(BCCI) board member Khaled Ali Al Amin. In our interview with him, he tells us why we have nothing to fear by giving us a unique insight into Bahrain’s economic growth plan.

Before we get into the serious stuff, let’s start off with a few personal questions. Where did you go to university and what did you study?

The early part of my schooling life - high school was in Bahrain. But after finishing my secondary studies I left the kingdom to go study at the University of Texas in Austin, majoring in marketing and computer science.

What are three things you would never leave the house without?

My rituals before heading out start with kissing my wife goodbye, getting my iPad2 and mobiles, and last but not least, checking my garden with a quick glance or two.

Outside of work, what are some of your hobbies or interests?

Basically, work takes up a lot of my time, but when I do have time to relax I indulge myself in collecting art, playing golf or gardening.

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Running a successful business means that you have to stay ahead of the game. To always be working towards a target and being proactive with what needs to be done in order to achieve it. Here’s how I do it; offer what people want to buy, not just what you want to sell; always find new ways to keep costs low and make things affordable; when planning, always overestimate expenses and underestimate revenues; manically focus on sales and marketing and lastly, get a coach.

What is the most difficult decision you’ve had to make during the course of your career?

The most difficult decision would be choosing to give my work life more time than my family. You realise it, but also accept it as “this is who I am”, and luckily for me my wife and family support and understand this.

What personal quality or trait do you think has enabled you to achieve the success that you have had?

From an external perspective I would have to say my strong public relation and interpersonal skills have had a considerable impact in helping me achieve my goals.

While internally, (i.e. within our own business), it has to be my mixture of proactive and reactive style of management.

From what you’ve observed, which types of businesses or business sectors in the country seem to be the hardest hit due to the recent slump in oil prices?

The drop in oil prices has obviously had a detrimental effect on the economy as a whole.

It has resulted in increased transport costs for companies, businesses and residents and a reduction in disposable income for consumers. Out of all the sectors affected, I would say that construction and real estate seem to be the hardest hit.

You seem to be a strong advocate for the dropping of subsidies, while you are fully aware that the average Bahraini or expat are well underpaid compared to the level of growing inflation. In light of this, how do you justify dropping subsidies?

The government should definitely not impose any more charges for their services

or create new ones in order to boost revenues hit by slumping oil prices. The removal of fuel and utility subsidies will of course increase costs for households and in turn threaten to reduce Bahrain’s competitiveness as a destination for expatriate workers. And yes, this may lead to a decline in rental yields and capital values in the kingdom. However, I don’t believe that the dropping of fuel, utility and food subsidies by the government will have a long term impact on the kingdom’s industrial and residential property markets.

I have a firm belief that the government’s long-term strategy and vision towards maintaining financial stability by lifting subsidies has put us in a safer position.

Credit rating agencies are putting Bahrain under huge pressure to reduce spending or else we risk losing more in our borrowing accreditation. We have gradually slipped in the ratings and are now the lowest in the GCC. And if the ratings were to slip any more, it could affect the kingdom’s ability to borrow, leading to a knock-on effect for the planned services and programmes. The drop in oil prices has severely affected Bahrain’s public finances as 86% of our total revenues are dependent on oil and we suffered a drop of 70% in one year thanks to the slump. Thereby, the dropping of subsidies was the best option available.

Are there any plans to provide stimulus to the economy, considering we took a major blow with the cancellation of the Free Trade Agreement with the US? A number of new initiatives have definitely gotten the ball rolling for us again. These include slashing the time taken to process commercial & investment permits from months to just under an hour, plus the new 100% foreign business ownership policy, and the simple online visa application process. Moreover, the government expenditure in the coming five years is estimated at around $US37 billion. This would be invested in projects such as the new Bahrain International Airport, social housing projects (40,000 homes being built for nationals), the expansion of Alba’s Line Six plant and Bapco’s facelift. Last but not least, the Bahrain International Investment Park (BIIP) is already adding value to the economy, ensuring that Bahrain remains one of the Middle East’s most attractive destinations for foreign investment.

Could you tell us a little more about the Investment Park and its objectives?

The 247 hectare business park was developed by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to attract export-oriented, local and global companies. The whole park is dedicated to high value-added projects that will contribute to creating quality local employment. What makes it more attractive besides the incentivised rental rates and amenities, is the park’s location. It offers excellent connectivity and access to both Bahrain International Airport and the new Sheikh Khalifa Port in Hidd - just 5-10 minutes away by road. It also enjoys direct

Cover Story

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Cover Story motorway access to Saudi Arabia, which is only 20 minutes away via the 25km Saudi-Bahrain Causeway. In the future, it will also share direct motorway access with Qatar, once the scheduled Qatar-Bahrain Causeway is completed.

A new law was recently passed that allows 100% foreign business ownership. What impact do you think this law will have on Bahrain’s economy?

The government’s decision to allow 100% foreign ownership is an important development for Bahrain. Economic growth in the country had been subdued ever since oil prices fell from record highs two years ago, and the announcement will likely have positive overall implications for business.

The move will also improve investor confidence and make Bahrain an attractive place to work and live in. The decision will boost foreign investments in various sectors offering a positive long term impact, especially in the property market.

“I have a firm belief that the government’s long-term strategy and vision towards maintaining financial stability by lifting subsidies has put us in a safer position.”

Are there any support systems in place to help educate these potential foreign investors about their options and the procedures they’d have to follow?

Yes, everything is in place. In Bahrain we have the investor centre, the EDB and BCCI all working together to provide help and information to potential investors, making their experience easy and successful. I am proud to say the organisations meet international standards, enabling our economy to remain competitive on a global scale.

Moreover, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce has recently launched the very user-friendly ‘SIJILAT’ portal, through which anyone can get their commercial registration within minutes.

Would expat entrepreneurs be given the same opportunities and funding from organisations such as Tamkeen?

Yes, by all means. Tamkeen will offer guidance and support to all companies with an active commercial Bahrain registration, whether they are expat or local.

If an expat wanted to start his own business, what would you say are the major factors for him/her to consider Bahrain as opposed to our neighbour, the UAE?

There are a number of factors that make Bahrain a more attractive destination.

Let’s look at the typical costs associated with operating a financial services firm in Bahrain, Dubai and Qatar as an example.

Recent reports suggest that the total cost of doing business in Dubai and Qatar is significantly higher (37% and 46% respectively) than Bahrain. In addition to the costs of operating a financial services firm, rental rates of commercial properties in Bahrain remain considerably lower than Dubai, where office rents are more than twice the rate in Bahrain. Commercial rental rates for Dubai are assessed for free zones only (DIFC2) as financial services firms are restricted to these locations.

Bahrain, however, has no such restrictions and an investment company would be permitted to set up operations in any commercial office location. Although communication and utility expenses vary upon consumption, Dubai has the highest average cost for utilities (water and electricity) and telecommunication.

From a cost of living perspective, residential rents are higher in Dubai, making Bahrain a much more affordable country to live in. On average, the rental rate of 2 bedroom apartments and 3 bedroom villas in Dubai are twice that of Bahrain. Furthermore, education costs in Dubai exceed Bahrain by 102%. Bahrain also has the lowest manpower costs in the region, with the average salary in Bahrain for the year 2015 being 6-15% less than Dubai and Qatar, respectively.

Additionally, participation of nationals in the private sector is greater in Bahrain compared to Dubai and Qatar at 19%, 0.5% and 1.5% respectively.

Looking back on your career, is there anything you wish you had done differently?

Looking or going back is not an option. I call it experience, and am happy and grateful with all my decisions and my life.

What advice do you have for any aspiring entrepreneurs in Bahrain hoping to start their own business one day?

My personal advice to young braves who want to enter the business life: Love your business as much as you love your family – always be ready, equipped with plan A + B. In business, you have to take the good with the bad, smile with the sad, love what you do and appreciate what you have. You must also learn from your mistakes rather than regret them. And most importantly, have a mentor who will guide or advise you in certain key decisions.

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Risky Business 8 Innovation Trends for Digital Insurance in 2016

By Mark Palmer,

General Manager of Analytics at TIBCO Software Inc.

After years of anaemic IT innovation in the insurance industry, the momentum is now dramatically shifting towards digital transformation, and three forces are driving this change. The first driving force is the millennial generation who grew up surrounded by mobile devices and computers.

Because of this, they’re used to an entirely new, digitalcentric framework for customer interaction. The second force in insurance is that the ubiquitous adoption of digital technologies means new opportunities for additional premiums, improved customer experience, better risk selection and increasing governance. Finally, the last force all insurance companies must address is finding better and faster ways to meet the ever-increasing demands of the regulatory environment. As a result of these drivers, here are the business and technology trends for the next wave of digital insurance we see in 2016 and beyond: 54

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1

Digital channels will replace and augment physical channels.

A 2015 Bain survey of insurance companies projected that digital channels will continue to significantly replace physical channels in the next 3 to 5 years. The survey found that 20-40% of physical activities in insurance will be transitioned to digital. Specifically, pre-purchase, purchase, servicing, renewals, claims handling and management, payments, and customer feedback and resolution will become digital first, followed by other functions later.

millennials, and millennials only want to interface with the firm digitally, what does that mean for IT systems?

Insurance companies must turn the IT in their user experience departments upside down. Legacy systems were designed for human worker workflow, assumed the use of phones and postal mail, and assumed customers were willing to wait for a response. These assumptions are no longer true, and the new insurance customer demands information and service on mobile devices and the web, which are completely different design philosophies for application user experience experts.

millennial 2theThe effect on modern

Embrace and 3insurance extend legacy IT

If the success of insurance companies depends on

With this brave, new, looming technology world,

application design.

infrastructure.

can insurance companies afford to simply dump their systems from the past? Of course not! The techniques to embrace and extend the decades of technology debt require innovation in and of itself. Technologies now exist to extend the life of legacy IT assets and increase the return on investments. There is no longer a need to pursue very high risk, costly, resource distracting, and multi-year journeys to replace these systems in order to benefit from digital transformation.

For example, one hot technology trend is the use of in-memory data grid to move and cache back office data for new, innovative, digital applications. Data grids reduce load on existing systems and can save tens of millions of dollars in some cases, at the same time reducing the need to buy additional storage.

The rise of digital customer 4relationship management and digital integration.

IoT increases the need for streaming analytics to innovate.

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Insurance companies are now capturing new data from the “Internet of Everything.”

For example, wearable device data allow insurers to offer discounts for healthy behaviour, based on activity.

But activity-based products require activity-based data and systems, and require the ability to process massive amounts of streaming information from devices. New technical challenges arise. How can streaming data be efficiently analyzed? Which streams must be archived? How will privacy be maintained? How will insurance companies deal with the volume of data streaming from these devices?

These technology challenges didn’t exist in the last era of insurance, and pose formidable challenges on how to apply streaming analytics technology, historical analytics, security, and big data fabrics.

Digital insurance data is fast moving—like streaming market data in the capital markets. In 2016, insurance companies will increasingly apply real-time algorithmic computing technologies born on Wall Street to the onslaught of streaming data from GPS, mobile, and wearable devices in order to make algorithmic decisions about subscriber conditions. But unlike Wall Street, insurance companies are not building low-latency automation. Instead, they’re using continuous algorithmic analysis to continuously monitor streaming data to manage risk, continuously manage subscriber loyalty, and continuously search for sales opportunities.

“Digital insurance data is fast moving like streaming market data in the capital markets.”

Increased focus on algorithmic risk assessment.

Driverless cars 7of risk. pose new forms As Elon Musk and Google continue to lead driverless car innovation, the insurance industry must respond. Risk management will not be the same in the digital era—not only in terms of forecasting risk, but also in managing and mitigating risk in real-time.

That is, if an automated driver feature in your car causes an accident, who is at fault?

And, relatedly, what is the obligation of all insurance companies to gather and

analyze massive amounts of streaming forensic data from insured, automated assets in order to decide? How can risk be mitigated in real-time by monitoring streaming data?

The digital insurance company must invest in capturing these new forms of data, and in data science to analyze it for forensics, patterns, and predictive actions to decide how to respond to these regulatory pressures.

new digital 8stepsThe Data Scientist to the forefront.

Data Scientist used to be synonymous with actuary in the insurance industry. But in the new digital insurance era, data science is being applied to IoT data for forensics, history for predictive analytics, and location awareness for risk mitigation.

These are new forms of data science that will rise to the forefront of the modern insurance firm.

Mark Palmer has over twenty years of experience working in the financial technology industry, with expertise in algorithmic trading applications and automated trading architecture development. In 2010 and 2011, Institutional Investor named Mark as one of “The Top Executives and Innovators in Financial Technology.”

Customer relationship used to be a purely human practice, but moving forward, relationship management must be digital. For example, modern insurance call centres must have a seamless, real-time, 360-degree view of social media engagement, mobile application interaction, and geo-awareness from IoT sensors. This relationship management scenario is hard to accomplish with legacy systems. Modernized integration infrastructure with up-to-date web API, cloud-based services, IoT aware connectivity, as well as traditional integration infrastructure and data integration is required. september 2016

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Smart Logic

By Yair Flicker President, SmartLogic 56

september 2016

The 7 MosT CoMMon MisTakes Made When hiring an app developMenT TeaM If you need an outside team to help with developing your application, choose carefully.

Hiring the wrong team can cost you both months and millions, and many companies don’t survive working with a bad outside development team.

Of course, my company SmartLogic is a custom application development firm, so I’m biased to think that our way is the right way to handle a development project. But we have worked and talked with hundreds of companies over the years, so I have seen a wide range of application development projects gone wrong, and I’d like to think my perspective could prove valuable to fellow entrepreneurs.

Here are seven huge mistakes companies make when hiring an app development team. Avoid them, and you’ll have a better chance of finding an outside app development firm that will help your company, not hurt it.

Only Interviewing One Firm

When you are searching for an application development team, the third firm you talk to might say something that shows you the first firm was way off-target. Many of our clients choose us after meeting with other firms that don’t specialize in the right kind of technology for their business, and vice versa. Sometimes it becomes clear that we’re not the right fit after the client has taken a few meetings. No credible firm should want your business if they’re not the right team to build your product, as this won’t lead to good results for either party. Talk to at least three different application development firms before making your decision. That way, you can get a better view of which firm is best for your product.

Hiring a Company That Builds Marketing Websites

You wouldn’t want your car mechanic to fix your airplane, would you? If a company mostly creates marketing websites with limited functionality or suggests building your application in a Content Management System (CMS) such as WordPress, run fast and far. Custom applications should be built with the right tools for the job. A firm that doesn’t know how to use those tools will only waste your money. We have had to rebuild software for clients whose first app development team used a CMS system when they should have built a custom application using a framework like Ruby on Rails. Look for a firm that has experience building custom products, not digital brochures.

always know where they stand. Clients may re-prioritize features and change timelines as needed. Look for a firm that will give you an estimated budget range, and then communicate frequently about your project’s status and cost.

Offshoring Your Work

Personally, I have never seen this work.

Language and time zones are formidable barriers to good communication—and communication can make or break your application development process. It’s hard enough to communicate the factors in a technical decision to non-technical stakeholders when you’re both in the same room speaking the same language. I’ve seen companies lose time and money because of miscommunications that come from language barriers. Plus, it’s hard to vet a company that’s half a world away.

Hiring and Managing a Development Firm Without Someone Technical Involved

If you don’t have anyone in-house to manage your development process, find a technical third-party advisor to help you find the right outside firm and make sure your contractors are on track. Some of our clients previously worked with firms that wooed them with extremely low prices and quick timelines. Someone with technical know-how would have been able to steer them in the right direction and save them a lot of wasted money and time. It’s hard to know what’s normal if you have no experience managing the development process. If you hire a third-party consultant, they’ll know whether a problem with your development team is par for the course or reflective of a poor-quality firm.

Spending All of Your Dough on Development

The four “p”s of marketing are product, pricing, promotion and placement: if you spend all your cash on product, you won’t have the money to promote it. Having an amazing app is cool, but who cares if no one knows about it? Our most successful clients budget for public relations, marketing campaigns and advertising. Setting the budget is up to you, but an experienced development firm will help you prioritize features so you can build a working product and still have money left over for marketing.

Using Microsoft Products (e.g. .NET or SQL Server) in Your Product

Microsoft technology is not widely used in the startup world, which means you might have a problem finding a new firm to help you if the current firm doesn’t work out.

In some cases, clients come to us because they need to completely rewrite their code after creating the first version of their product with Microsoft technology. Your development firm should use the best tool for the job, not a legacy product.

Hiring the right application development team can be the key to turning your app idea into a reality. But hiring the wrong firm can kill your app and hurt your business, so keep these common mistakes in mind.

Yair Flicker is the President of SmartLogic, a custom web/mobile software development company based in Baltimore. He also runs operations for TeamPassword, is Treasurer of Bikemore, and is on the board of Emerging Technology Centers.

Paying a Fixed Price

Any custom application firm that will give you a fixed price likely isn’t experienced with complex projects. Fixed prices only work when all variables are fixed; with more complex applications, built for quickly changing markets, variables are never fixed.

Besides, estimating a budget after just a few sales discussions is hard to do. 100% of SmartLogic’s projects have changed at some point during the development process.

Clients often start off with one idea for how a product will work, but when they see their ideas in practice, they’ll want to cut or add features, and tweak certain elements. At SmartLogic, we have an intake process that helps us set estimates that reflect the complexity and timeline of the project. We invoice clients weekly, so they

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Winning Formula

Introduction to Writing Business Plans

By Mike Orlov 58

SEPTEMBER september 2016

ver recent months we have been asked by many organisations for help with their business planning.

This article is a simplified summary of basic pointers, which ought to give you a good start in getting your business plans down on paper and ensuring these plans are connected to action – making the plans happen.

Techniques of how To wriTe strategic business plans are straightforward. Business planning is mostly common-sense and logic, based on cause and effect. This guide explains how to define your enterprise’s purpose, put together a strategy and then craft a basic business plan and a customer-focused marketing and sales plan.

People use various terms referring to the business planning process – business plans, business strategy, marketing strategy, strategic business planning, marketing and sales planning - they all cover the same basic principles. When faced with business planning or a strategy development task, it is important to clarify exactly what is required. Terms can be confused and can mean different things to different people so it is vital to clarify what needs to be done and agree these needs with others involved, rather than assume any meanings.

Return on Investment

When writing a business plan, remember the most important driver for most business plans is return on investment, based on revenue from customers who recognise your value, and then buy-in on your purpose. The essential planning elements are identifying causes and effects, according to your relevant business drivers. In many enterprises a substantial business planning responsibility extends to front line customer-facing employees, and this trend is increasing. In this context, your business plan needs to incorporate a marketing and sales plan.

Define what you are going to sell to whom, when and how you are going to sell it, how much contribution (gross

profit) these sales will produce, what the marketing and/or selling cost will be, and what will be the return on investment. The essentials of business planning, strategic business plans, sales plans and marketing planning are then quite straight-forward; inputs of resources then bundling these with planned processes and activities leading to defining your capabilities and thus producing outcomes and outputs.

The same principles and methods actually apply to very large complex global and multinational organisations - the only differences are scale and headquarters’ costs typically fixed overheads - more spreadsheets, more lines and columns on each, more people crunching the numbers, and a couple of extra angles for the accountants, to tell them what they need to know about the profit and loss plan, cash flow estimates and the impact on the balance sheet.

Tap into the Market

It is vital you conduct and carry out market research, including understanding your customers, focusing on your directly rivalrous competitors, understand possible substitutes, forecast new entrants into your market, and supplier-power.

Your market research should help you formulate business decisions.

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and purposeful; a means to an end, and not a means in itself. Market information potentially covers a vast range of data, from global macro-trends and statistics (STEEPLE and VUICA models are really useful at this stage), to very specific and detailed local or technical information, so it’s important to decide what is actually relevant and necessary to know. Market information about market and industry trends, values, main corporations, market structure are all important to know.

Much of your useful primary market research can be performed using customer feed-back, surveys, questionnaires and focus groups, obtaining indicators and views through discussion among a few representative people in a controlled discussion situation.

This sort of primary research should be tailored exactly to your needs. Primary research requires less manipulation than secondary research, but all types of research need a certain amount of analysis.

Establish your purpose, enterprise aims, vision and values before taking any other steps; these will be your anchor points.

Establish, confirm and validate these aims of your enterprise. State the goals; short, medium and long term aims. In other words, what is the enterprise aiming to do over the next one, three and five years and who are your customers going to be.

Bear in mind you must reliably ensure the success and viability of the business in the short term or the long term is merely an academic issue. These grand visions need solid foundations so all objectives and aims must be prioritised and as far as possible quantified.

Crucial Research Areas For businesses of any size, small, local, regional, international or global, the main elements you need to understand and quantify are:  Customer (and potential customer) numbers, profile and mix  Customer perceptions, needs, preferences, buying patterns, and trends, by sub-sector if necessary  Products and services, mix, values and trends  Demographic issues and trends  Future regulatory and legal effects as part of a STEEPLE and VUICA study  Prices and values, and customer perceptions in these areas  Distribution and routes to market  Supplier power  Directly rivalrous competitor activities, strengths, weaknesses, products, services, prices, sales methods  Possible new entrants  Complementarities; enterprises you can work with in your defined market

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"A plan should show all the activities, processes and resources in terms of revenues and costs, which together produce a profit at the end of the trading year."

Mission Statement

Then work up your mission statement, announcing clearly and succinctly to your stakeholders what you do. Your mission statement may build upon a general ‘service charter’ relevant to your industry. You ought to involve employees in defining and refining the enterprise’s mission statement, which will help develop a sense of ownership and responsibility for the plan through the enterprise.

Producing and communicating this mission statement is also an excellent process for focusing attention on priorities, and particularly stress an emphasis on customer service. Whole businesses need a mission statement, departments and smaller business units within a bigger business need them too.

You must understand and define clearly what you are providing to your customers.

This description should normally go beyond your products or services, and critically must reiterate your values; the way you do business. Question what benefits your customers derive from your products and services, and from doing business with you and how you can create sustainable competitive advantage, based on your people’s capabilities, what they do and how well they use time through an aligned approach, creating synergy.

The definition of your service offer must make sense to your customers in terms that are advantageous and beneficial to these customers, not what is technically good, or scientifically sound to you. Think about what your service delivers, and the manner by which you deliver it to your customers.

Reap the Benefits

In marketing and sales terms, this perspective is referred to as translating features into benefits. Understand your services and proposition in these terms will ensure your customers recognise your services and products as being relevant and beneficial to them. Most enterprises have a very poor understanding of what their customers’ value most in the relationship, so ensure you discover this and reflect it in your stated product or service propositions.

Customers invariably value making money, saving money or saving time; if your propositions cannot be seen as leading to any of these three factors then customers will not be very interested in you.

This is the first element in the process of business planning. Next, write your costs into the plan, including marketing and sales investment, operational costs, supplier costs, overheads and gross margins. Essentially your plan is a spreadsheet of numbers with supporting narrative, explaining how the numbers are to be achieved.

A plan should show all the activities, processes and resources in terms of revenues and costs, which together produce a profit at the end of the trading year. The level of detail and complexity depends on the size and part of the business the plan concerns.

You will normally describe and provide financial justification for the means of achieving the plan, together with any customer satisfaction improvements.

Above all a plan needs to be based on actions - cost-effective and profitable cause and effect; inputs required to achieve required outputs, analysed, identified and quantified separately wherever necessary to be able to manage and measure the relevant activities and resources.

Simple Business Plans Structure  Title page: Title or heading of the plan and brief description if required, author, date, company/organisation if applicable, details of circulation and confidentiality  Contents page: A list of contents, allowing the reader to find what they need and navigate the document easily and to refer others to particular items and page numbers when reviewing or querying  Introduction page: Introduction and purpose of the plan, terms of reference if applicable (usually for formal and large plans or projects)

Business Planning Definitions A: Plan -

a statement of intent - a calculated intention to organise effort and resource to achieve an outcome - in this context a plan is in written form, comprising explanation, justification and relevant numerical and financial statistical data.

B: Business - an activity or entity,

irrespective of size and autonomy, which is engaged in an activity, normally the provision of products and/or services, to produce commercial gain, extending to noncommercial organisations whose aim may or may not be profit; often referred to as an organization or an enterprise

C: Business plan - this is now rightly a very general and flexible term, applicable to the planned activities and aims of any entity, individual group or organisation where effort is being converted into results. The business entity could be a proposed start-up, a new business development within an existing organisation, a new joint-venture, or any new organisational or business project which aims to convert action into results.

 Executive summary page: Optional and usually beneficial, this should normally be no more than a page long, outlining the key points of the whole plan including conclusions, recommendations, actions, financial returns on investment, clearly readable in a few minutes

Strategy - originally a military term,

 Appendices: appendices or addendums - additional detailed reference material, examples, statistics, spreadsheets, for reference and not central to the main presentation of your plan

in a business planning context strategy/ strategic means/pertains to why and how the plan will work in the present and in the future, in relation to all factors of influence upon the business entity and

 Main body of plan: sections and headings as required, typically on Excel sheets, broken down by weeks / months / quarters, for the profit and loss plan and cash flow estimates

activity, particularly including competitors, customers and demographics, technology and communications

Marketing - means and covers

everything from company culture and positioning, through market research, new business/product development, advertising and promotion, PR (public/press relations), and arguably all of the sales functions as well; what you will sell, to whom and how

Strategic Business Plan - see

strategy and business plan - it’s a business plan with strategic drivers.

Mike Orlov Partner, SteppingStone Global Before joining ‘SteppingStone Global’, Mike has spent 35 years in industry, publishing magazines at Haymarket, Turret and Reed Elsevier, working in newspapers and on digital channels in the UK and the GCC, having been a director at Northern and Shell and on the board of the London Evening Standard. Launching media brands in Dubai for ENG, Mike was also Chief Performance Officer for News Group International, before taking the Chief Executive role at Primedia International, with offices across the GCC and headquartered in Bahrain. Mike has completed an executive MBA, achieving a distinction.

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The Good and the Bad of Facebook for Business What the growth and decline of Facebook as a free advertisement platform means for your business.

By Matthew Capala, CEO and Founder, Alphametic

“Think about what people are doing on Facebook today. They’re keeping up with their friends and family, but they’re also building an image and identity for themselves, which in a sense is their brand.

They’re connecting with the audience that they want to connect to. It’s almost a disadvantage if you’re not on it now.”

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook

When Zuckerberg remarks that “it’s almost a disadvantage” not to be on Facebook, he’s guilty of gross understatement.

The real problem, in fact, is that Facebook isn’t always a very friendly marketing environment (despite their own claims to the contrary). I’d go so far as to say that Facebook presents two very different personas to the marketer: a nice Dr. Jekyll side and a quite scary Mr. Hyde side.

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Facebook’s Duality

“The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is the original title of a novella written by Robert Louis Stevenson that was first published in 1886. It has become a part of the modern language, with the very phrase “Jekyll and Hyde” coming to mean a person who is vastly different in moral character from one situation to the next.

The Dr. Jekyll side is Facebook’s “sunny” persona — an engaging social network with billions of users, excellent analytics and marketing tools, plus an ultra-easy self-serve model that makes it possible to spend just a few dollars — perhaps $10 to $25 a day — to move your business forward.

Facebook’s darker, more malicious “Mr. Hyde” side was only revealed recently. This side brutally forces you to “pay to play” using its ad system,

or face invisibility trying to communicate with your fans and followers organically.

You cannot blame Facebook.

They’re in business to make money. In fact, Mark has done a much better job monetizing the platform than Twitter, which recently let go of eight percent of its workforce, mostly engineers.

The Death of Facebook Organic Reach

It wasn’t always so bad. Once upon a time (as recently as two years ago) getting your message

• Posts that solely push people to buy a product or install an app • Posts that push people to enter promotions and sweepstakes with no real context • Posts that reuse the exact same content from ads” out on Facebook organically was easy and inexpensive. Facebook worked a bit like the Web: even if you didn’t pay a toll, your content would still be visible. In other words, you enjoyed some measure of “organic reach.”

Organic reach was something that brands took for granted because they thought they’d earned it. After all, hadn’t they put Facebook’s big blue icon on their TV, print, transit and billboard ads? Weren’t they helping Facebook (which makes virtually no content of its own) when their teams cranked out social content for the service each day? Hadn’t brands earned a right to distribute their wonderful branded content using Facebook’s free pipes?

No, they hadn’t. In reality, earned media is not really earned. It’s rented… and susceptible to each platform’s terms of service and algorithm.

In November 2014, Facebook lowered the boom on brand content and what it called overly “promotional” posts when it announced on its official blog that, “According to people we surveyed, there are some consistent traits that make organic posts feel too promotional:

Marketers — Tbad ones and good ones alike — saw their organic reaches shrink to a fraction of their former selves.

Subsequent research by Ogilvy reported that “large brands’ Facebook posts reached just two percent of their fans (a number that was falling by .5 percent per month). More research by Forrester showed that “on average, only .07 percent of top brands’ Facebook fans interact with each of their posts.”

Taking Facebook’s Good Along With the Bad

The good old days of Facebook are gone — and they are not coming back.

If there’s a silver lining in Facebook’s rampage against promotional posts, it’s this: it drove many “huckster-style” marketers away from Facebook, creating more space for smart marketers to reach out using less intrusive tactics. Facebook has also introduced various really cool advertising tools, with reach and targeting capabilities unmatched by any other social network.

But there’s no question that the algorithm change made it more difficult for every brand lacking an unlimited social media budget to break through without buying clicks.

Facebook’s change didn’t obviate the need for marketers to build compelling pages, create high-quality content, or otherwise engage with the service in an organic way.

Free, organic visibility is still important on Facebook. But it added a new burden: the necessity to buy eyeballs — in as efficient and targeted a way as possible — or yield ground to competitors and become irrelevant.

In today’s media environment, invisibility is a fate much worse than failure for any business large or small.

Like it or not, every business needs to be on Facebook to remain relevant. But being on Facebook is just not good enough anymore. You need to learn how to use Facebook advertising tools effectively.

Matthew Capala is an Internet entrepreneur, SEO strategist, international speaker, trainer, and author of Amazon best-selling “SEO Like I’m 5.” He is the founder of Alphametic, an organic growth accelerator, with clients including L’Oreal. Matthew has launched several popular websites, including SearchDecoder.com, a place for SEO ideas for entrepreneurs.

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Powered september by 2016 64

t a e s t o h in the With

I H A N A J D I L A H K

ES! U IN T N O C S IE R E S Y E L T OUR ONGOING BEN WE HAVE A CHAT WITH THIS TIME AROUNDD, ULRAHMAN AL JANAHI, KHALID AB 360.

E R U T C E IT H C R A F O R E N MANAGING PART

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"CREATIVE THINKING CANNOT BE ACHIEVED ALONE. TEAM PARTICIPATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IS REqUIRED IN ORDER TO MAKE A DESIGN A SUCCESS."

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Let’s start with a little background history about yourself. Tell us a little bit about your education and work experience prior to starting your company.

I hold a BSc. in Architectural Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, USA, and a MSc. in Construction Management from University of Leeds, UK. Prior to the formation of Architecture 360 together with my partner in April 2009, I had been working with the Ministry of Housing and the Economic Development Board with a combined 21 years working experience serving both authorities.

How many partners and employees do you currently have working at Architecture 360?

Currently, I have one partner running the business with me. We have a total of 14 staff consisting of architects, engineers and administrative personnel supporting Architecture 360.

What are some notable projects your company has been responsible for?

We at Architecture 360 have been involved with variety of projects ranging from villas to high-rises; residential to mixed-use development. Among our notable projects is the 26-storey Cebarco Tower Project in Mahooz. We also have a number of projects underway such as the development of Muharraq Central Market and the 15-storey Seef Office Tower.

How do you distinguish your company’s services from that of your competition?

In Architecture 360, we strive to diversify our approach to projects with innovative design ideas, redefining architecture in terms of spatial relations and aesthetics.

We use the latest technology to enhance data and information management of architectural project solutions. In doing so, we create efficiency, sustainability, uniqueness and cost effectiveness to each project we undertake.

Are there any other emerging trends or technologies that will soon have a major impact in the field of architecture?

One thing that came to my mind is the 3D printed interiors. If this technology is combined with the already emerging concept of 3D printed buildings, it will

definitely be a huge game changer in the industry. Apart from this, the other emerging trend that I see is Indoor Parks, which is suitable and adaptable to our country’s climate. Such developments can be integrated with an augmented micro-climate that will enable the park to function both as park and a public space.

As an architect, what types of projects do you find most rewarding to work on?

I would say mixed-use developments, specifically malls. When designing malls, the challenge is to define the public and private spaces and in some occasions merge both spaces into one to create a harmonious design.

As a company leader, how would you describe your management style?

I believe in team work. For an architectural firm, constant involvement in the creative design process is a must when designing any type of project or development. Creative thinking cannot be achieved alone. Team participation in the development process is required in order to make a design a success in both the aesthetic and the practical aspect.

What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of work?

My only hobby, if it can be called a hobby, is spending quality time with my family.

Running a firm demands my fullest attention and consumes most of my time. If I do have time to spare, I most prefer spending it with my loved ones.

What do you feel is the most important quality of a successful entrepreneur?

An entrepreneur must have an unwavering passion for the things that he or she loves. He or she must also have an open mind, and be a multitasker, knowledge seeker and last but not least, a risk-taker. These essential traits and attributes are a must for anyone to be truly successful and different from the rest.

You got to take home a Bentley for the weekend.

How did you enjoy the car?

I certainly enjoyed driving the car very much. I took home a 4-door sedan, so the kick I felt when accelerating really startled me! The thing that impressed me most about it was that although it behaved like a sports car when you wanted it to, it was still extremely luxurious and comfortable.

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Fashion

Statement pieceS to make a laSting impreSSion Business people, be bold. BIG’s picks from global fashion powerhouses KAREN MILLEN

Shoulder Braid Top

Intricately woven braiding forms a geometric latticing over the shoulders of this high-neck top, which effortlessly straddles the line between work and weekend.

Karen Millen, City Centre BD 64

BuLgARI

eau de parfum Spray 100ml

A sensual, neo-Oriental Eau de Parfum. A daringly charismatic fragrance, expressing a new statement of masculinity. Dedicated to tremendously seductive men.

Bulgari, Moda Mall BD 37

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Hugo Boss

‘lady Sandal lace’ cuTouT SandalS

Made in Italy, these BOSS sandals feature elegant suede accents and a lace-cutout upper that provides sensuous texture.

Hugo Boss, City Centre BD 262

LouIs VuIttoN

Keepall 55 men’S Travel Bag

In Damier Cobalt canvas, Louis Vuitton’s iconic Keepall 55 travel bag is both timelessly elegant and distinctively modern. The historic design, dating back to the 1930s, remains as sleek and functional as ever.

Louis Vuitton, Moda Mall BD 671

RoBERto cAVALLI

leaTher BelT wiTh logo charm

2 cm wide leather belt. The smooth leather belt is embellished and enhanced by a chain featuring the RC logo charm.

Made in Italy.

Roberto Cavalli, Moda Mall BD 167

guccI

SignaTure men’S driving ShoeS

Gucci’s signature driving shoes are made in heat debossed Gucci Signature leather resulting in a defined print with a firm texture.

Gucci, Moda Mall BD 195

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LifestyLe

To add more power To a high-flying lifesTyle Withings Pulse Ox

PhOrus Ps5 Wireless sPeaker

With premium DTS Sound, the PS5 is custom tuned for peak performance. Renowned DTS post processing restores rich details, enhances bass and gets maximum volume from your music. An advanced dual-core DSP and Class-D digital amplifiers dynamically deliver incredible sound quality at every level.

RadioShack, Seef Mall BD 76

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Whatever your fitness level or style, the Withings Pulse Ox can help you be more active and improve your health.

During the day it captures steps, distance walked, elevation climbed and calories burned. At night, it monitors your sleep cycles. And when asked, it measures your heart rate and blood oxygen level.

With this data at hand, Pulse Ox empowers you to make informed choices.

Virgin Megastore, City Centre BD 62

BOse sOundtrue in-ear headPhOnes

Bose SoundTrue Ultra in-ear headphones are small and lightweight for comfort, but deliver deep, rich sound across a wide frequency range. And the sealed acoustic design provides a more immersive listening experience to let you hear every detail of your music.

Virgin Megastore, City Centre BD 67

ChiPOlO lOst & FOund traCker

If you’re the kind of person who searches for your lost or misplaced things every day, the Chipolo is perfect for you. It rings when you are searching it. It shows you the last known location on a map. Shake the Chipolo and ring your phone, even if it’s set on silent. Attach, stick or drop the Chipolo inside everyday items and find them in seconds.

Virgin Megastore, City Centre BD 10

iOn the hOme Camera

iON the home™ is a Wi-Fi security camera and monitoring system that connects you closely to your home or workplace—so closely it’s like you never went away. Keep an iON your home, baby, pets, and business. Easily monitor your home and business while you’re away — with more convenience, more security, and more peace of mind. An iON The Home video camera is cloud-based Wi-Fi video monitoring that offers 24/7 live streaming, two-way talk, and remote viewing.

RadioShack, Seef Mall BD 50

Osim usqueez air

Inspired by the health benefits of an intense traditional foot reflexology massage and the soothing comfort of a relaxing full-leg massage, the OSIM uSqueez Air brings together strong and gentle massages that revitalize your legs and better the health of you.

OSIM, Seef Mall BD 151

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the BIG

hotel guide Your guide to the Kingdom’s hotel outlets

Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq thalaSSa Sea & Spa  Dining

Fiamma: Italian Restaurant

Designed with an indoor and an outdoor seating area, this outlet will serve authentic Italian food.

Opening Hours: Thursday - Saturday 12:30pm to 3:00 pm, Every night except, Sunday: 8:00pm to 11:00pm (Fiamma is closed on Sundays)

Saraya: All Day Dining / International

Exquisite buffets with flavors from across the world.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner available. Saturday lunch buffet (18 BD net including soft drinks).

Opening Times: Daily 6:30am to 10:30am, (11am on weekends) Lunch: 12:30pm to 3:30pm, Dinner: 7:00pm to 10:30pm

Wok: South East Asian Restaurant

The perfect combination of stones and wood in the décor to reflect an authentic Asian feel. Dinner buffet every Thursday (18 BD net excluding beverages).

Opening Hours: Wednesday to Monday: 7:00pm to 11:00pm (Wok is closed on Tuesdays)

Tapas: Restaurant

It services a wide range of exciting tapas, and the best cocktails on the island. Tapas bar has a truly vibrant and lively atmosphere with its Cuban band.

Opening Hours: Daily: 11:30am to Midnight

La Mer: Seafood Restaurant

Sheraton hotel Bahrain 

Shopping

Al Safir Restaurant

Opening Hours: Daily: 9am to 9pm

It is the signature restaurant of the hotel, guests will enjoy the freshest seafood and catch of the day. Saturday lunch buffet (18 BD net including soft beverages, 26 BD net including selected alcoholic beverages).

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 7:00pm to 11:00pm, Thursday to Saturday: 12:30pm to 3:00pm

For Information

Pashawat: lebanese Restaurant

Dining

Gastronomical buffets for breakfast lunch and dinner as well as superb á la carte options.

Opening Hours: Breakfast 6:30am - 10:30am Lunch 12:30pm – 3.30pm, Dinner 7:30pm – 11:30pm

Soie Chinese Restaurant

Alhilal Bookshop Alhilal Bookshop: +973 17 531 665

Spa & Salon

Image Spa & Leisure

Relax in the dramatic ambience with dark wood floors, oriental ornaments and lanterns.

Opening Hours: Daily: 6am to 10pm

Opening Hours: 7:00pm – 11:30pm (Closed on Saturdays)

Opening Hours: Daily: 7am to 10pm

Golestan Restaurant

Sheraton Health Club Sheraton Fitness

Discovery of traditional Iranian dishes with freshly oven-baked breads served at the table.

Opening Hours: Daily: 9am to 8:30pm

Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday Lunch 12:30pm – 2:45pm, Dinner 7:30pm – 11:30pm Friday: Lunch 12:30pm – 3:45pm, Dinner 7:30pm – 11:30pm (Closed on Sundays)

Image Spa & Leisure: +973 17 524 570 Sheraton Fitness: +973 17 524 570 Sheraton Health Club: +973 17 533 533

For Information

It is open in the evenings and offers a delightful Lebanese cuisine. Special offer every Tuesday (40 BD net for 4 persons).

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 7:00pm to 1:30am (Closed on Saturdays and Sundays)

Spa & Salon

Thalassotherapy

(Call for Appointment) Summer offer BD175 per couple (120 mins)

nightlife

Amber Bar

Opening Hours: Daily: 6pm to 2am

Lagoon Pool Bar

nightlife

Opening Hours: Daily: 8am to 8pm

An Nada Lounge

Lobby Lounge Bar

Opening Hours: Daily: 7:00am – 10:00pm

Opening Hours: Happy Hour: 1:00pm to 7:00pm Daily 1:00pm – 1:00am

Opening Hours: Daily: 8am to Midnight

For Information & Reservations

For Information

Opening Hours: Daily: 11:30am to Midnight

Espressamente Illy

A perfect place to meet and enjoy a cup of espresso, refreshing beverages and light snacks.

Al Safir: +973 17533533 ext 259 Soie Chinese Restaurant: +973 17 533 533 ext. 497 Golestan Restaurant: +973 17 533 533 ext. 375 Espressamente Illy: +973 17 533 533 ext. 1790

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September 2016

An Nada Lounge: +973 17 533 533 ext. 293

Tapas BAR For Information & Reservations

Hotel: +973 1763 6363 - Concierge: +973 39349659

the K hotel  Dining Kolors

Enjoy an assortment of culinary delights with their special Themed Nights everyday of the week.

Opening Hours: Daily: 7pm to 11pm

Friday Brunch

Discover The K difference in Friday Brunch!

IS YOUR HOTEL LISTED ON THIS PAGE?

Opening Hours: Friday, 12:30pm to 4:30pm

The K lounge

Some new dishes include the world famous Angus steaks and exceptional desserts with that extra K flavor.

Our ongoing promotions include: Daily Happy Hour from 5pm to 7pm, Coors Light & Burger Treats, Ladies Night from Saturday to Wednesday all cocktails free of charge for Ladies.

Opening Hours: Daily: 11am to 2am

Kenza Lounge

Outdoor seating and Arabesque interiors, experience the finest Lebanese dining.

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 7pm to 2am

Be included in Business In Gulf’s hotel guide and benefit from the exposure the magazine offers.

nightlife The K lounge

Opening Hours: Daily: 11am to 2am

Champions Sports Lounge Opening Hours: Daily: 11am to 2am For Information & Reservations

K Hotel: (973) 1736 0000 Klouds: (973) 1736 0000 ext. 4019 K Pool: (973) 1736 0000 or email banquet@thekhotel.com

the ritZ-Carlton, Bahrain hotel & Spa  Dining

Al Khayma

Experience a delightful Iftar buffet followed by Ghabga in Ritz Carlton’s Al Khayma tent. Enjoy authentic Middle Eastern specialties and be entertained by a four-piece band and talented singer Margo Kassar, while enjoying your favorite flavor of shisha.

Opening Hours: Daily: Sunset – 2:00am Iftar: Daily, from sunset until 8:30pm (BHD 25++ per person) Ghabga: Daily, from 9pm to 2am (BHD 27++ per person) Pergolas: Daily, available during Iftar and Ghabga (BHD 300++ for 6 persons)

La Med

Casual dining in generous surroundings is brightened with natural sunshine and views of the turquoise blue waters of the Gulf.

La Plage

Indulge in a new and enticing menu of ArabianMediterranean Fusion Cuisine at our newest restaurant, just off the beach. Formerly known as Overlook, La Plage is the perfect venue for those seeking the vibrant outdoor scenery of the Arabian Gulf.

Opening Hours: Daily: 10am to 6pm

The Ritz Gourmet Lounge

Experience authentic chic ambience like in a Parisian along with homemade pastries and richly decorated desserts.

big@maxmediaco.com Tel: +973 17 402482 Fax: +973 17 402483

Mohd Sharif Hatam & Sons Opening hours: Saturday to Thursday 10am to 2pm – 4pm to 8pm For Information

Chopard Boutique: +973 17 580 667 Mohd Sharif Hatam & Sons: +973 17 580 889

Spa & Salon

Elie & Jean Beauty Center Gents Saloon

Opening Hours: Daily: 7am to Midnight

Opening hours: Saturday to Thursday: 9:30am to 8pm, Friday: 10am to 7pm

For Information & Reservations

Sports Club & Spa (Membership only)

Hotel: +973 1758 0000

Shopping Chopard Boutique

Limited offer from June 1 to 30 ‘Touch of Aloha’ (BD 55 for 90 minutes). Daily, 9am to 9pm.

Opening hours: Daily: 5:00am to 10:30pm For Information

Elie & Jean Beauty Center - Gents Saloon: +973 17 580 798

Opening hours: Daily: 7am to Midnight

Opening Hours: Daily: 6:30am to 11pm Iftar: 6pm - 11pm, daily (BD 22++ per person)

Plums

The specialty being premium beef and fresh, top quality seafood, it provides guests with the ultimate in dining pleasure.

Opening Hours: Dinner: 7pm to 11:30pm

Nirvana

Nirvana brings royal flavors to The Ritz-Carlton for a dining adventure rarely enjoyed outside of India.

Opening Hours: Lunch Noon to 3pm Dinner 7pm to 11:30pm September 2016

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Gulf hotel  Dining Al Waha

Dinners are spoilt for choice with an extensive array of buffet fare featuring local and international dishes, as well as an impressive variety of Bahraini hummus.

Opening Hours: Breakfast 6:00am – 10:30am Lunch 12:00pm – 3:30pm, Dinner 7:00pm – 11:00pm Friday Brunch: 12:30pm - 4:00pm

China Garden

The restaurant, which is designed in a modern oriental style, offers a varied selection of food influenced by distinct Chinese regions creating Cantonese, Szechuan and Peking specialties.

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday Lunch 12:00pm to 3:00pm, Dinner 7:00pm to 11:00pm (Closed on Sunday)

Sato

It is favored by Japanese Embassy staff who are said to love its peaceful Zen-like surroundings and exquisite features, including teppanyaki rooms and an authentic robatayaki grill and a Sushi bar with a smoking section.

Opening Hours: Lunch 12:00pm – 3:00pm Dinner 7:00pm – 11:00pm

Takht Jamsheed

Taking inspiration from Persia’s royal palace of Takht Jamsheed, the Gulf Hotel’s chic restaurant offers a fine dining experience fit for a king.

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday Lunch 12:00pm – 3:00pm, Dinner 7:00pm – 11:00pm (Closed on Mondays)

Zahle

The menu boasts an extensive selection of hot and cold mezze, grilled meat and regional Lebanese fare, such as beautifully presented shish kebab served in a golden box atop warm Arabic bread and burning coals.

Fusions

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, Weekdays: 7:00pm – 1:00am, Weekends: 7:00pm – 2:00am Saturday Lunch 12:00pm -3:00pm Dinner 7:00pm – 2:00am

Opening Hours: Sunday to Friday 6pm – 12am (Closed on Saturday)

For Reservations

Fusions is a contemporary and stylish rooftop restaurant boasting unrivalled views over the hotel’s tropical gardens and Manama skyline.

La Pergola

Renowned for being one of Bahrain’s oldest Italian eateries, the intimate restaurant offers a fantastic Mediterranean ambience with a vaulted roof and striking wall murals depicting scenes of ancient Rome.

Opening Hours: Lunch 12:00pm – 3:00pm Dinner 7:00pm – 11:00pm

Margarita Mexicana

All dishes, including tortillas and guacamole, are freshly prepared at guests’ tables to guarantee that the menu and fine dining experience are as authentic as possible.

Opening Hours: Sunday to Friday 6:00pm – 12:00am (Closed on Saturdays)

Royal Thai

The restaurant is situated in a grand pagoda in the grounds of the hotel’s tropical gardens and provides scenic views overlooking the turquoise waters of the outdoor swimming pool.

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday Lunch 12:00pm – 3:00pm, Dinner 7:00pm – 11:00pm (Closed on Mondays)

Al Waha: +973 1774 6425/26 China Garden: +973 1774 6423/24 - Fusions: +973 1771 3000 La Pergola: +973 1774 6419/20 Margarita Mexicana: +973 1774 6462 Royal Thai: +973 1774 6421/22 - Sato: +973 1774 6429/30 Takht Jamsheed: +973 1774 6431/32 Zahle: +973 1774 6417/18

nightlife

Sherlock Holmes Opening Hours: Daily: 12:00pm – 2:00am

Typhoon Bar and Lounge Opening Hours: Daily: 5:00pm – 1:00am Happy Hour: 5:00pm – 7:00pm

Vintage Wine Bar Opening Hours: Daily: 5:00pm – 1:00am For Reservations

Sherlock Holmes: +973 1771 2450 Typhoon Bar and Lounge: +973 17 746 395 Vintage Wine Bar: +973 1774 6461

the DoMain Bahrain hotel  Dining

Txoko

A playful and vibrant venue crowning the top floor of The Domain Hotel and Spa. Opening hours: Daily 4:00pm – 2:00am

Imari

Cosmopolitan Japanese restaurant and lounge Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 6:00pm – 12:00 am Sunday Closed

Le Sauvage

French Steakhouse , open grill kitchen Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 6:00pm – 12:00 am Monday Closed

Le Domain

Fresh, light and passionate cuisine from the south of France.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 6:00pm – 12:00 am Monday Closed

Figs & Olives

A casual duet eatery of both classic Italian and Lebanese comfort foods.

Opening hours: Daily 6:30 am – 10:00 pm

The Cigar Lounge

Refined and masculine social space with walk in humidor.

Opening hours: Daily 6:00 pm – 12:00 am For Information & Reservations Hotel: +973 16000 400, 16000 200, 16000 222, 16000 333.

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September 2016

al Safir hotel  Dining

Yalla Yalla

In place of Savoy Café, Yalla Yalla offers lunch and dinner bufftets as well as an ala carte menu.

Opening Hours: Daily: 6:30am - Midnight

Bennigan’s

Enjoy tasty food and spirited conversation.

Opening Hours: Daily: 6am - 2am

Cucina Italiana

The place where Italian Food is served with style & passion.

Marriott eXeCutive apartMentS  Dining

SKYWALK CAFÉ

Find this contemporary yet cozy café, one of our favorite Bahrain restaurants, on the ground floor.

Enjoy international cuisine, and even keep connected with free Wireless Internet access available onsite.

Opening hours: daily, for breakfast, lunch and dinner For Reservations +973 17 363999

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 6:00am - 1:00am

Spa & Salon

Ann Beauty Salon

Come in and relax to soothing music as our therapists provide the perfect treatment.

For Information & Reservations Al Safir Hotel & Tower: +973 1782 7999 Email: alsafirh@batelco.com.bh Bennigan’s: +973 1781 3750 Website: bennigans.com.bh Cucina Italiana: +973 1700 1317 Website: cucinaitaliana.com.bh

raMee GranD hotel & Spa  Dining

Lemon Tree

Featuring a dynamic menu, the Lemon Tree is the place to enjoy our signature casual dining, delicious breakfasts, Friday family brunches, scrumptious dinners and those all-day quick nibbles. Breakfast Buffet BD10 net, Daily, 6:30am-10:30am. Business Lunch Buffet BD9 net, Saturdays-Thursdays, 12:00pm3:00pm. Friday Brunch BD15++, 12:00pm-4:00pm.

Seafood Night, Thursdays, 7:00pm-11:00pm, BD15++ Opening Hours: Breakfast: 6.30am – 10.30pm Lunch: 12.00 pm – 3.30pm, Dinner: 7.00pm – 11.30pm

novotel al Dana reSort  Dining

La Perle

Enjoy a delicious range of culinary specialties with an extensive selection of appetizers, salads and desserts to complement your choices Seafood and fishes.

Opening hours: Daily: 7:00pm - 12:00am

Zytoun

Mediterranean Grill buffet restaurant serving a variety of Mediterranean and international foods.

Opening hours: Daily: 6:30am - 11:00pm

nightlife

Le Bellevue

A relaxed yet elegant bar offering one of the most stunning views of the sea and city skyline. Light live music in the evenings.

Opening hours: Daily: 4:00pm - 2:00am

Pool Bar

Pool bar is open on weekends during DecemberFebruary and every day from March 1 until November.

(Closed during Ramadan).

For Reservations

Lemon Tree: +973 17111999

Ruka

Ruka aims to present itself as the region’s most luxurious Japanese restaurant/lounge. With breathtaking views of the Bahrain from the 24th floor, the vast azure Arabic Gulf & the infinite cerulean skyline, Ruka’s connotation to its name certainly holds true to its very core. Unlimited sushi Monday’s for BD15++, 7:00pm onwards. Daily lunch menu BD8 net Buy one cocktail get one free 4:oopm - 7:00pm daily Opening Hours: Daily: 12:30pm – 3:00pm and 6.00pm -11:30pm For Reservations Ruka: +973 17111971

Reborn

The Spa at the Ramee Grand Hotel & Spa is 5,000 square feet of pure serenity. Inspired by wellness techniques from around the globe, our spa features 13 treatment rooms with a unique selection of facials, massages & treatments designed specifically for women, men & couples.

Opening hours: 10.00am – 11.00pm 7 days a week Health Club: 6.00am - 11.00pm Pool Bar: 10.00am – 6.00pm For Information Reborn: +973 17 111980

nightlife

Ibrida

Ramee Grand’s very own club and steak-house is the heart of Bahrain’s biggest nightlife entertainment and has steadily become the perfect venue for the after-work crowd to unwind or for weekend revelers to dance the night away. Ladies and couples free entrance from Tuesday-Friday. Mohombi Live, August 25th, and Alexandra Stan Live, last Thursday of September. Early Bird for BD10, Presale for BD15, On Door for BD 25. Doors open at 7:00pm.

Opening Hours: Club: 8.00pm – 2.00am Restaurant: 7.00pm - 11.30pm For Information

Ibrida: +973 17 111972

Rasoi

Rasoi takes you on a culinary journey with its extensive buffet display, open exhibition kitchen and live cooking areas. Soothing music from a live ghazal band while you dine creates the perfect atmosphere for our guests to relish the sophisticated blend of flavors, which celebrate the vibrancy, of Indian cuisine. Make a reservation for 2 adults or more during weekdays and get a free bottle of grape by our Sommelier

Opening hours: Daily: 9:00am -8:00pm

Opening Hours: Daily: 12.30p.m - 3.00p.m and 6.30p.m - 11.00p.m

For Reservations

For Reservations

Hotel: +973 1729 8008

Spa & Salon

Rasoi: +973 17111973

September 2016

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iBiS Seef ManaMa 

MerCure GranD hotel Seef 

SEEF RESTAURANT

NEYRAN RESTAURANT

Dining

Enjoy a wide range of succulent dishes from around the globe in a casual and tranquil setting. The a la carte menu is available throughout the day and our chef’s special is freshly prepared daily. Whether you’re looking to grab a quick bite or to have a more relaxed sumptuous meal, the restaurant is the perfect choice to satisfy those yearnings.

Opening Hours: 4 AM to 11 PM daily, 7 days a week Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Breakfast timings: Intercontinental breakfast is from 4:30 AM – 6:30 AM Breakfast Buffet is from: 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM Intercontinental breakfast is from: 10:30 AM – 12 PM Lunch: 12 - 3:30 PM Dinner: 7 – 11 PM Come try out our special Combo offer for lunch & dinner! Revel in one of our culinary delights for your main course from the menu. Add BD 1 for a delicious salad and soft drink.

SEEF CAFÉ

The ideal place to meet with family and friends and enjoy a delightful array of cold and hot beverages, mocktails, light snacks, and sweets, while watching your favorite sports team play on our big screen TV. Opening Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week For information & reservations:

+973 17386020 or e-mail H6303-RE@accor.com

Dining

Specializing in flavors from Europe with hints of Asian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, Neyran’s menu presents a reflection of striking aromas and essences. Guests can start or end their day with a meal from our extensive deluxe buffet for breakfast, lunch or dinner whilst our a la carte menu provides limitless choices anytime of the day in general surroundings brightened with natural sunshine.

Opening hours: 06:30 - 23:00, every day

CASA BAR & TERRACE

Shades of Oak and yellow surroundings, brightened with natural sunshine, Casa Bar provides that chic and stylish setting with stylish décor and the comfiest furnishings all in a Moroccan style. Casa Bar’s cigar collection epitomizes graciousness with a menu that has been created to complement the tastes of aficionados who will find the humidor stocked with some of the finest premium cigars. Don’t miss out on Casa Terrace, on the mezzanine level, where you can enjoy the finest open-air hospitality with a beautiful view of Manama and the Seef skyline. Unwind with live entertainment, a wide variety of shishas, light meals and sandwiches...with your favorite drink!

Opening hours: 14:00 - 02:00, every day.

SAMA POOL & BAR

Marvel at the panoramic city and the sea views, the endless skyline framed against the beautiful sunsets from Bahrain’s highest roof top at Sama Pool Bar. This urban oasis is an unmatched visual feast and the perfect place to enjoy an evening of barbecued grill or gather with a group of friends over light snacks and beverages. The ‘sky’ high experience is completed as you dive into the clear blue water of the pool, with the open-air pool deck a refreshing relief from the city’s buzz throughout the day. The Sama Pool Bar is also a coveted venue for pool parties, family barbecues, farewell gatherings, weekend treats, corporate events, anniversaries or for that special event to celebrate with your friends and family.

Opening hours: 10:30 - 19:00, every day.

the DraGon hotel anD reSort  Dining

MUJU RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE

MUJU’s contemporary style and timeless sophistication blends with a warm and inviting ambiance that combine to make the ideal venue for lunch, dinner or cocktails.

MUJU’s exquisite international menu has a wide variety of delicacies for even the most discerning of palates.

Whether for lunch or dinner, its timeless classics and seasonal specials are a treat to the taste buds. With its warm ambiance, breath-taking sea views and culinary masterpieces, MUJU restaurant and lounge is an indulgence to your senses. Laze away an afternoon or watch the sunset, sipping cocktails while enjoying an appetizing selection of treats from the lounge menu.

Opening hours: Everyday 12pm till 5am

YAMIN JANA MEDITERRANEAN SEAFRONT

RESTAURANT Treat yourself to a refreshingly different dining experience at Yamin Jana, a Mediterranean-Style seafront lounge with an Arabic twist. Allow yourself to be transported all over the Mediterranean when sampling tapas in true Spanish style, as well as authentic Lebanese mezze. The beverage selection is as vast as the Mediterranean, with great beverages and an amazing variety of different shisha flavors. Yamin Jana seats 140 guests on a beautiful al fresco wooden deck. Watch the evening come alive when the whole of Amwaj and all its lights breathe life into the lagoon in front of the Dragon Hotel & Resort.

Opening hours: 11am to 2 am every day.

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September 2016

For Reservations

+973 17 58 44 00 H5685@accor.com/H5685-RE@accor.com

CORNERS

Corners is the first pub to open in Amwaj Islands. A place to socialize and unwind whilst enjoying the latest in live sports, bands and DJs including resident DJ. With a diverse selection of food, including traditional pub grub as well as International classics to treat the taste buds, Corners is your ultimate Gastropub.

Opening hours: 2pm to 2am For Reservations

+973 1603 1111/ +973 1603 3833 fo@dragonresorthotel.com

SWiSS-Belhotel  Dining

SWISS-CAFÉ RESTAURANT

al areen palaCe & Spa  Dining

RIMAL RESTAURANT

Rimal offers all-day dining in a light and airy setting that provides a spectacular view of the resort. Catering to Middle Eastern and global tastes, guests can indulge in a sumptuous breakfast buffet or select from an extensive a la carte menu.

Opening hours: daily Breakfast served daily: 6:30am - 10:30 am Last Order: 11:00 pm

SAFFRON RESTAURANT

Resplendent in majestic shades of gold and maroon, with a beautiful high ceiling, traditional Middle Eastern accents and a spectacular view of the resort’s grand outdoor pool, this signature dining venue introduces a new menu inspired by modern Bahraini dishes, combining elements of enticing European and Khaleeji fusion.

Opening hours: daily For lunch: 11:30 am-3:00 pm For dinner: 6:30 pm - 11:00 pm

KEIZO RESTAURANT

Keizo offers guests surprising signature dishes from traditional Far East cuisines contemporarily prepared and elegantly presented. Highly experienced chef and multi-talented sushi chef all make up this exceptional dining venue.

Opening hours: Thursday, Friday and Saturday For lunch: 11:30 am-3:00 pm Open daily for dinner: 6:30 pm - 11:00 pm Closed on Sunday

An all-day dining restaurant located on the 10th floor, with a panoramic terrace overlooking the city.

Opening hours: 6:30 AM - 11:30 PM, everyday Essential Food Deals (Valid until last evening before Ramadan): Business Lunch Buffet: 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM, Saturday to Thursday (7 BD net per person including soft drinks and mineral water) International Dinner Buffet: 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM, Saturday to Thursday (8 BD net per person including soft drinks) Arabic Dinner Buffet: 7.00 PM - 11.00 PM, Thursday and Friday (8 BD net per person including soft drinks) Friday Seafood Lunch: 12.30 PM - 3.00 PM (Net BD 12 per person including soft drinks) Summer Lunch Buffet: 12:30 Pm - 3:00 PM, Saturday to Friday (BD7 net including soft drinks)

CAFECCINO

Lobby Café serving a variety of salads, sandwiches, pastries, hot and cold beverages in a casual ambience.

Opening hours: 24 hours, everyday

B28 bar & lounge

This trendy bar is located on the 28th floor with a panoramic view. 30% off on selected beverages during happy hour on Wednesdays from 6:00 PM. Live music with Lilyana, Wednesdays from 6:00 PM, Thursdays & Fridays from 8:00 PM Opening hours: 4:00 PM - 2:00 AM, Saturday to Thursday & 1:00 PM - 2:00 AM, Friday

CroWne plaZa Bahrain 

Floor 27

SPICES

The incomparable hall, overlooking the Seef area is the place to host any type of events. Located on the 27th floor with a panoramic 360 degree view of Bahrain, it’s the perfect venue for gatherings with family & friends.

Opening hours: 24 hours, everyday

For Information and Reservations

+973 66310041 reservationsbse@swiss-belhotel.com

SENSES LOUNGE

Indulge in delicious pastries, freshly baked cakes and our special selection of tea and coffee. Senses Lounge is the perfect place to relax and re-charge your senses.

Opening hours: From 9:00 am - 10:00 pm

Silk’s restaurant

Asian Fusion cuisine Open from 6.00am to 10.30am for breakfast, from 12.30pm to 4.00pm for lunch, and from 7.00pm to 11.00pm for dinner.

Thursdays from 7.00pm to 11.00pm (Thursday Night Out)at BD27 net Mondays from 7.00pm to 11.00pm (Monday Seafood Night) at BD 27 net Friday from 12.30pm to 4.00pm (Award-Winning Friday Brunch) at BD31 net

The Gallery

French brasserie Open from 7.00am to midnight.

Rimal Spa Open daily from 10.00am to 10.00pm 12 luxurious treatment rooms

LA MOSAIQUE

The spacious, elegant and classic La Mosaique Restaurant is open 24 hours a day, serving a choice of international buffets and a la carte menus. This restaurant is suitable for all, from family meals out, to meetings, with our facilities being able to cater for all. La Mosaique really does have something too suit all tastes, along with great atmosphere and fantastic service!

A must for seafood lovers, who can choose from our extensive a la carte menu or our market place selection of fresh fish which is delivered daily from local Bahraini fisherman.

Opening hours: daily for lunch and dinner

+973 17 84 50 00/+973 17 84 50 01 alareen@alareenpalace.com

Dining

Spices Indian Restaurant ensures the best Indian food available, as well as the highest quality possible service. Spices has many exciting signature dishes that are perfect for all and set us apart from the others.

Opening hours: 12.00 to 23.00

WAVES SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

For Reservations

MövenpiCK hotel Bahrain 

Dining

The Gym & Wellness Open daily from 6.00am to 10.00pm Tennis Court Infinity pool Cybex equipment

Flamingo Bar & Lounge

THE HARVESTERS PUB AND TERRACE

Serves the best pub grub in town and is the perfect place to meet up after work with friends or colleagues. There is live entertainment from our band every night, and you can also catch the latest sporting action of one of the many screens.

Weekdays open from 2.00pm to 2.00am Weekends open from 12.00pm to 2.00am Daily happy hour from 2.00pm to 9.00pm Live band performance daily except Saturdays from 8.45pm 12.30am

CAPPUCCINO CAFÉ

For Reservations

TRACKS SPORTS BAR

Silk’s Restaurant: +973 17460017

Coffee shop is located in the lobby area, and serves freshly brewed tea, coffee and pastries throughout the day. Hold your meeting here with colleagues, or simply sit and enjoy the surroundings.

A great place to socialize with friends and colleagues and watch all the world’s best sporting events everyday on big screen. Come and enjoy Tracks’ relaxed and friendly atmosphere, play pool or darts, listen to great music while having a drink and a fabulous snack from our menu.

Opening hours: daily from 3pm to 1am For Reservations

+973 17531122 cp@cp-bahrain.com

September 2016

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BUSINESS Market Place Gulf

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september 2016

BUSINESS Market Place Gulf

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Call us now or book online to schedule an appointment.

Oil Change

Battery Change

Wiper Change

light BulB Change

T.: +973 17 404 131 F.: +973 17 405 441

a/C gas Filling

Brake Change

spark plug Change

suspensiOn

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THE MUST HAVE ACCESSORY FOR ANY SELF-RESPECTING CAR! Raised rubber writing for all international tires in colours of your choice. Custom fonts and words available on request.

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BD4 from juSt Road 115 l Sitra 601 Tel: +973 1712 5171 l info@tires-art.com

september 2016

79

Quoted “In today’s fastpaced lifestyle and competitive market environment, customer convenience and service excellence are key to the success of any business.”

“Adopting simplified, safe services for the registration of domain names will support the digital, knowledge-based economy in Bahrain; particularly the e-commerce sector.”

Mohammed Alnoaimi, Bahrain Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Director of Technical and Operations

Fahad Al Bannai, Axiom telecom CEO

“Although there are a number of emerging opportunities in the region, the size of funds being raised

by Middle Eastern venture capital firms has always been modest in comparison with the US and Europe.”

“Employers that are proactive in exploring new talent pools will be best positioned to hire the markets most in demand candidates in 2016.”

Jason Grundy, head at Robert Walters Middle East

Ramachandran Narayanan, Partner and Head of Deal Advisory at KPMG Middle East and South Asia

“Developers are now moving towards applying all possible cost control measures, including delay penalties and very precise management of valuations and claims from the contractor.”

Iyad Abdulrahim, former Arabtec group CFO 80 88

may february september 2016 2012 2016

"Alba is progressing on schedule and we look forward to the commissioning of PS 5 which will be the largest and most efficient power station in Bahrain and first power station with H-class gas turbine technology in the Gulf region.”

Shaikh Daij Bin Salman Bin Daij Al Khalifa, Alba’s Chairman of Board of Directors

Do you need to change anything?

Oil Change

a/C gas Filling

Battery Change

Wiper Change

suspensiOn Change

Brake Change

spark plug Change

light BulB Change

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WE’ll COME TO YOU FOR A CHANGE! autoMAX car care will come to your home or office to perform any of the above services on your vehicles in less then an hour*. Call us for an appointment or book online now. vice

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