Qatar Today September 2016

inside this issue September 2016 / Vol. 42 / Issue 08

COVER STORY

32 HALAL ON THE GO

The Halal travel market has expanded at a formidable pace and early adopters stand much to gain.

28 FOREIGN LOANS EASE LIQUIDITY PRESSURES

While foreign borrowing among commercial banks in the GCC has been on the rise in recent months, the trend is most pronounced in Qatar.

52 MANNING THE MANIA

Brazilian sports architect and stadium consultant Diogo Taddei talks about his World Cup experiences, which includes a stint at the Al Wakra Stadium.

56 HEAT OF THE MOMENT

Studies conducted by Reza Sadr, Associate Professor at Texas A&M University in Qatar, show that the country is going through a period of “dramatic warming�.

68 THE NEW KIND OF OLD SCHOOL

Cruising around The Pearl in a tomato red Ferrari California T, you come to the conclusion that life is sometimes all about luxuries and not just the necessities.

inside this issue September 2016 / Vol. 42 / Issue 08

SPOTLIGHT

58 A BRAVE NEW WORLD

There was no dearth of activity or news related to schools and universities in Doha in the last few months. And there’s plenty more in store as students head back to school after the summer break.

14 QATAR SHINES ON

Athletes from around the world competed at the highest level during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Brazil, last month.

22 OLD SCIENCE MEETS NEW TECH

Mike LeRoy, CIO at Sidra Medical and Research Center, provides an insight into the ways the business and human sides of healthcare can benefit from technological innovation.

42 BRINGING IN THE BEST

Bayt.com elaborates on seven ways to recruit top candidates in Qatar.

54 GRANDEUR WORTH ITS HISTORY

With the hospitality sector booming, Qatar Today speaks to Sheraton Grand Doha Resort and Convention Hotel’s new General Manager, Nick Heath.

76 IN SERVICE OF HUMANITY

Qatar Living Volunteers Group speaks to Qatar Today about their activities and motivations.

and regulars 08

NEWS BITES

11

O&G OVERVIEW

12

BANK NOTES

13

REALTY CHECK

74

TECH TALK

72

MARKET WATCH

70

A UTO NEWS

78

DOHA DIARY

PUBLISHER & EDITOR IN CHIEF YOUSUF BIN JASSIM AL DARWISH MANAGING DIRECTOR JASSIM BIN YOUSUF AL DARWISH MANAGER DR. FAISAL FOUAD EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR SINDHU NAIR DEPUTY EDITOR IZDIHAR IBRAHIM SENIOR CORRESPONDENTS AYSWARYA MURTHY UDAYAN NAG KARIM EMAM CORRESPONDENTS AARTHI MOHAN KEERTANA KODURU ART SENIOR ART DIRECTOR VENKAT REDDY DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR HANAN ABU SAIAM ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR AYUSH INDRAJITH SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER MAHESHWAR REDDY PHOTOGRAPHER ROBERT F ALTAMIRANO MARKETING & SALES MANAGER SAKALA A DEBRASS TEAM SONY VELLATT DENZITA SEQUIERA MATHEWS CHERIAN ANIS MANSOURI IRFAAN A H M NISHAD N P EVENTS OFFICER JASMINE VICTOR ACCOUNTANT PRATAP CHANDRAN DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT BIKRAM SHRESTHA ARJUN TIMILSINA BHIMAL RAI BASANTA POKHREL PRADEEP BHUSAL

PUBLISHED BY ORYX PUBLISHING & ADVERTISING CO WLL P.O. Box 3272; Doha-Qatar Tel: (+974) 44550983, 44671173, 44667584 Fax: (+974) 44550982 Email: info@oryxpublishing.com website: www.oryxpublishing.com Copyright © 2016 Oryx Publishing & Advertising Co WLL

from the desk Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, spoke about the impact of early success recently on Bloomberg. He said that any company that has had tremendous success should be mindful that early success or big success should not get in the way of creating new success. He said that the worst thing that can happen to anybody growing up is early success, because after that you really don’t understand what it takes to actually drive, strive and persist.

This can be taken in the context of Gulf countries and the early success they have had, which might determine how they move forward when austerity measures are in place.

One such move taken by Qatari banks was in focus recently and we at Qatar Today delved into the implications of foreign borrowing. Though the move itself was not worrisome, the fact that none of the banks wanted to throw light on this behaviour made us more aware of the implications if this trend continues.

While austerity has cast a spell of gloom over the country, the possibilities available to new-age businesses in the current economic climate are said to be critical. We focus on one such emerging enterprise that is on the tourism radar and is getting a lot of interest.

Halal tourism is a concept developed due to the rising demands among Muslim tourists travelling for business or leisure who need to adhere to the requirements of lslam.

While countries across the globe are cashing in on this new segment of travellers, countries which could attract a lot of Halal tourists are doing nothing much in the way of promotion. We look in detail at this growing segment of targeted tourism that Qatar can cater to and wonder yet again how advances in science and technology while developing societies and simplifying life also makes its global citizens much more conservative than they were ever before.

SINDHU NAIR Managing Editor

affairs > local FORGING CONNECTIONS IN THE LATIN WORLD Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos welcomes HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at Nariño Presidential Palace in Bogotá.

AFP / DIANA SANCHEZ

Handout photo released by Argentina’s Presidency of HH the Emir and Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri gesturing after Qatar’s Foreign Minister HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Argentinian Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra signed bilateral agreements during a meeting at Olivos presidential residence in Olivos, Buenos Aires.

AFP / ARGENTINIAN PRESIDENCY

A PIECE OF THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING Dubbed Qatar’s latest trophy asset, Qatar Investment Authority made a $622 million (QR 2.26 billion) investment in the Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) which owns and operates the Empire State Building.

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he sovereign wealth fund now owns nearly 10% of the iconic building which was once the tallest tower in the world. John Kessler, president of the ESRT, welcomed the Qatari investment in a statement, calling it an “endorsement” of the company’s “irreplaceable assets”.

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Other major shareholders include Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, Japanese investment firm Shinko Asset Management as well as Australian real estate investor Resolution Capital. Empire State went public in 2013 as a real estate investment trust and the IPO raised nearly $1 billion.

QATAR AIRWAYS ESCAPES ENGINE TROUBLE UNSCATHED

MAJOR BOOST FOR TOURISM

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atar Airways, Qatar Tourism Authority and VFS Global Group signed a deal late last month aimed at increasing the number of tourist arrivals in the country, addressing the slump in visitors in the first half in 2016. The announcement was made by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker. From early next year, visitors will be able to apply online and get their visas within 48 hours. Al Baker added that the objective was to increase the number of visitors from 2.9 million in 2016 to five million in three years’ time. It was also announced that 38 countries would be on the ‘visa on arrival’ category and that Russia, China and India would be added to the list.

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Qatar Airways passenger plane has made an emergency landing at Istanbul Atatürk Airport on August 18 due to an engine fire believed to have been caused by a bird.

All passengers and crew were safely evacuated from the Doha-bound plane, the airline said in a statement. The incident was reportedly caused by a suspected bird strike that caused one of its engines to catch fire. The pilot followed all proper safety procedures, saving the lives of the 298 passengers and 14 crew aboad the Airbus A330.

A NEW BATCH OF RESEARCH Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) announced the winners of its 19th Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP). Out of 123 research proposals submitted by student teams from six universities across Qatar, 37 were awarded grants.

This latest UREP cycle will engage a total of 146 undergraduate students and 69 faculty members and mentors. Among the 37 awarded proposals, 26 went to Qatar University, five to Texas A&M University at Qatar, and two each to Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) and University of Calgary in Qatar. The remaining two grants were awarded to Hamad bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q). The grants will address the various pillars of the Qatar National Research Strategy with as follows, 12 projects in energy and environment; 10 in health; nine in social sciences, arts and humanities; and six in computer science and information and communication technology.

QIA BUYS UP STAKE IN RUSSIAN AIRPORT OPERATIONS

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raport AG and its consortium partners reached an agreement to sell a portion of their shares in Thalita Trading Ltd. to Qatar Investment Authority.

Thalita is the parent company of Northern Capital Gateway LLC, which holds the concession to operate Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, Russia. Due to the sale by consortium partner Copelouzos Group, Qatar Investment Authority will acquire a total stake of 24.99% in the airport operating consortium, while Fraport AG

will remain the lead operator following this transaction.

The transaction is subject to the approval of the Russian government and the senior project finance lenders. Currently, Fraport AG expects that these approvals will be granted and that the transaction closing will take place during the second half of 2016. Based on the current book values Fraport AG expects the total transaction to generate a gain between 30 and 40million euros.

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AFP / MAHMUD HAMS

affairs > local

PAVING THE WAY FOR ENVIRONMENTFRIENDLY COOLING

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atar General Organization for Standards and Metrology (QS) has completed the design of optional “Gold and Silver” Cards for new energy-saving air conditioners prior to its formal inauguration next month.

Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Dr Mohammed bin Saif Al Kuwari, said that the State of Qatar sought to introduce the new system as a mandatory measure in its energy-efficiency project in the future, similar to what other developed countries have adopted, such as South Korea and Japan. QS will grant companies and manufacturers of 7 and 8-star ACs a certificate of appreciation indicating the number of stars they achieved, in a step to further encourage companies to import those highly energy-efficient models, he said in a press statement.

MORE CLINICS COME ONLINE AT SIDRA Sidra Medical and Research Center has announced the opening of three additional pediatric clinics at the Sidra Outpatient Clinic. Neurosurgery, Urology and Orthopedics consultation clinics are now open for referral-based pediatric patients. Sidra is collaborating closely with other healthcare institutions in Qatar to expand the referral network as and when more clinics and services are launched, the hospital said in a statement. The Sidra Outpatient Clinic currently has over 25 clinics, allied health and clinical services, and will be fully operational by January 2017.

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KEEPING THE ECONOMY GOING Palestinian public sector employees in the strip ruled by Hamas queue up outside a post office to receive their long-overdue salaries on August 17 in Gaza City. HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has ordered paying a total of 113 million rials ($31 million), which is the total wage bill for one month in Gaza, according to an announcement made by Qatar News Agency in July. Hamas hired more than 40,000 people after it seized Gaza in 2007 but has relinquished responsibility for paying salaries since June 2014.

A TWIN IN TURKEY

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inister of Municipality and Environment HE Mohamed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi announced the signing of a twin cities agreement between Doha and Ankara in order to exchange expertise between them.

The minister spoke to the press after signing the agreement in the Turkish capital, commenting on Doha’s advanced smart city initiatives and the latest technological enhancements in this direction. The minister and the accompanying delegation then toured Ankara and visited Haci Byram

and Ankapark Theme Park.

During this visit, a $2.1 billion (QR7.6 billion) contract was signed with Ahmet Arslan, Turkey’s Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication, to build a new expressway through Al Khor. The 34 km route will have a total of 10 lanes, 12 viaducts and eight intersections as well as a dedicated pedestrian lane and a motorcycle lane. It will be built by Tekfen Construction, which is part of Tekfen Holding, and is expected to be completed in three years.

business > oil&gas

“Our recent agreement with Kuwait Petroleum Corp. reiterates our intent not only to service existing clients but also to gain new customers.”

KHALID BIN KHALIFA AL THANI CEO, Qatargas

FORGING BONDS IN SOUTH AMERICA Argentina’s government has drummed up interest from Qatar to help increase the country’s flagging energy supplies.

FUELING MENA GAS DEMAND

With leading global LNG demand growth in 2016, the MENA region is forecast to become the world’s second-largest gasimporting area by 2040. And Qatar will be meeting most of its needs.

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atar alone supplies 40% of consumer countries' imports from the region and is being seen as the potential supplier to meeting the fast-growing appetite for natural gas here. Despite the region’s dominant role in terms of hydrocarbon reserves, the consumption of natural gas in the Middle East will rise from 480 billion cubic metres (bcm) in 2015 to 738 bcm in 2040, noted a latest research report by Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation, citing International Energy Agency data. And countries in the region are to invest around $10.3 billion in LNGimporting facilities over the medium term to cater for growing demand. As well as Dubai and Kuwait, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi are now planning to begin LNG imports, while there have even been reports that Saudi Arabia could consider importing LNG in the future.

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uilding closer ties with Qatar is high on the agenda for Argentina’s new president, Mauricio Macri, said cabinet chief Marcos Pena in a televised news conference a day after a state visit by Qatar. “It’s very important because [Qatar] is an energy power,” he said. HH Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met with Macri in Buenos Aires and his delegation suggested it would “start to work as quickly as possible” to deepen relations with Argentina. Oil production has tumbledd by 38% since a record 847,000 b/d in 1998, while gas has dropped by 16% from a record 143 million cu m/d in 2004, leading to shortages and a surge in imports. Qatar has been supplying LNG to Argentina over the past few years.

QATARGAS CELEBRATES MILESTONES

QATARGAS RECENTLY ACHIEVED TWO COMMENDABLE SAFETY MILESTONES, WITH ITS OPERATIONS GROUP COMPLETING 13 MILLION MAN-HOURS WITHOUT A LOST TIME INJURY (LTI) AND THE VENTURES DEPARTMENT COMPLETING 12 MILLION MAN-HOURS WITHOUT AN LTI.

OIL PRICES ON PATH TO RECOVERY Minister of Energy and Industry, and current OPEC president, HE Mohammad bin Saleh Al Sada, has said that the oil market is on the path to rebalancing despite the recent decline in global oil prices, adding that OPEC was in continuous talks to stabilise the market. “The recent decline observed in oil prices and the current market volatility is only temporary,” he said in a statement. “OPEC continues to monitor developments closely, and is in constant deliberations with all member states on ways and means to help restore stability and order to the oil market.”

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business > bank notes “Doha has very large foreign reserves available to cover short-term shortages and protect the peg if needed, reinforced by the $256 billion held by the country’s sovereign wealth fund at the end of 2015.”

OLIVIER NAJAR Emerging Markets Analyst, BMI Research

QCB’S SUCCESSFUL BOND OFFER An offer of QR3 billion ($825 million) of government bonds, the first domestic government bond offer this year, was successful and showed liquidity in the Qatari banking system is healthy, said Qatar Central Bank.

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he offer comprises QR1.5 billion of three-year bonds, QR1 billion of five-year debt, QR250 million of seven-year debt and QR250 million of 10-year debt.

It’s QCB’s first such issue since it sold QR6.5 billion of conventional bonds and sukuk last November, according to bank data. Reportedly, it was a very successful auction with big demand from both Islamic and conventional banks.

BIOMETRIC BANKING Commercial Bank of Qatar is the first bank in the country and the Middle East to introduce a biometric solution that enables cardless transactions at ATMs.

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he bank announced obtained Qatar Central Bank’s approval to introduce new finger vein pattern recognition technology at its ATMs, which will allow customers to withdraw cash without a bank card or PIN number. The technology maps the internal vein system within a finger, and will only accept a living finger unlike fingerprint scanning.

The technology is secure and eliminates fraud because the pattern of blood vessels in fingers is unique to each individual and finger vein patterns cannot be reproduced or forged. The technology will be extended to corporate and VIP customers to access their Internet banking accounts using a finger vein scanner. Registration to use the finger vein scanning technology is free of charge.

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ECONOMIC FORECAST Qatar’s government expects to run a budget deficit for at least three years as low natural gas and oil prices weigh on its revenues, said the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics.

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n a long-term report on the Qatari economy, the ministry forecast a fiscal deficit of 7.8% of GDP this year, which would be the first deficit in 15 years and bigger than the deficit of 4.8% predicted for 2016 in the ministry’s last report published in December. The deficit is expected to total 7.9% of GDP next year before shrinking to 4.2% in 2018, said the ministry. The ministry said the central bank might take several steps to reduce pressure on liquidity in the Qatari banking system. It could cut official interest rates, continue to suspend domestic Treasury bond issuance while resuming its suspension of Treasury bill issues, or adopt unconventional measures used by central banks in other countries such as direct purchases of commercial bonds and extraordinary loans to, or equity injections in, individual banks, said the ministry without specifying which steps were likely to be chosen.

business > realty check "Consultation with our London office has revealed that there is a 25% jump in the number of enquiries from potential investors from the Middle East, including Qatar, the UAE (Dubai) and Saudi Arabia, after the referendum on Brexit in June."

RAVINDER KAUR Valuation Advisor, DTZ Qatar

DROP IN OFFICE RENTS TO BENEFIT TENANTS: DTZ

QATAR'S REAL ESTATE PRICE INDEX TAKES A PLUNGE

Real estate company DTZ released its 2016 Qatar market report for the second quarter last month, which showed a 1015% reduction in Grade A office rents since the start of the year.

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acancy rates of Grade A office accommodations in West Bay have increased by approximately 5% over the last six months resulting in opportunities for tenants to negotiate advantageous terms. While the population of Qatar increased by approximately 9% over the past 12 months, the vast majority of new arrivals has been made up of construction workers. While this has kept the tertiary sector buoyant, demand for prime and mid-range residential accommodation has fallen due to a significant exodus of white-collar workers following recent redundancy programmes in the government and hydrocarbon sectors.

"The current rental softening reflects market-driven supply and demand and provides some relief to occupiers from rents which have been rising year on year since 2010," said Mark Proudley, Director, Head of Commercial Agency, Consulting and Research, DTZ. He added: "The long-term trajectory for Qatar remains good with the government's significant infrastructure investment, valued at QR261 billion, providing welcome and fundamental support to the wider real estate economy."

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ccording to an index of prices released by the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) last month, real estate prices in Qatar have witnessed a steady fall in the second quarter of 2016.

The country's real estate index for June 2016 fell by 3.8% to 295.8 points from 307.6 points in March 2016. According to the data provided by QCB, the index did, however, rise by 4.15% in June this year compared to the same time in 2015. The index reached its all-time high of 311.1 points in November last year from which it had declined by 5% in June. Each of the three months of the second quarter of this year has seen a near-identical decline of around five points in the index.

Wakrah City gets a new mall Global Real Estate Company, owned by Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Abdurrahman Al Thani, and Qatar’s Quality Group International last month signed a deal to launch a new 14,864 sq. m shopping centre in Wakrah City.

Apart from a supermarket and department store, the mall, which is expected to be completed by mid-2017, will also have other facilities such as a pharmacy, laundry and money exchange. "The mall project in Wakrah has undertaken extensive market research to better understand the needs and preferences of customers, so we have taken a strategic approach to hand over the project to a leading retailer in Qatar," said Sheikh Ahmed. “We hope that Quality Group can provide the best shopping and leisure experience to the multicommunity in Qatar, especially in Wakrah and Wukair areas, and we are delighted to be signing this new collaboration," he added.

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affairs > sports

QATAR SHINES ON

RIO WITNESSED TWO WEEKS OF SPORTING EXCELLENCE, WITH ATHLETES FROM AROUND THE WORLD COMPETING TO BRING GLORY TO THEIR NATIONS.

MARCHING FORWARD Clockwise from top left: Team Qatar at the parade; Rio 2016 olympic flame, HE SHEIKH JOAAN BIN HAMAD AL THANI with flag bearer SHEIKH ALI KHALID AL THANI during the opening ceremony; and NADA ARAKJI with the president of the qatar swimming federation KHALIL AL JABIR during the flag-raising ceremony.

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WINNING PERFORMANCES Clockwise from top left: SHEIKH ALI at Rio 2016; MUTAZ ESSA BARSHIM wins Olympic silver; FARES ELBAKH finishes 8th; ASHRAF ELSEIFY competes in the hammer throw final; and HERIF YOUNOUSSE competes in the Qatar Open FIVB 2016.

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atar's Olympic Team of 38 athletes, participating in 10 sports, was led by the acclaimed equestrian team member and showjumper Sheikh Ali Khalid Al Thani who was also bestowed the honour of being the nation's flag-bearer by the Qatar Olympic Committee at the opening ceremony of Rio Olympics 2016. The social media campaign #YallaQatar managed to create quite the buzz before and during the games.

After several days of waiting, high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim made history by becoming the first ever athlete from Qatar to claim a silver medal at an Olympic Games. The 25-year-old from Doha cleared 2.36 metres to cement his place on the podium. The London 2012 bronze medallist has written himself into Qatar's

sporting history once again following his 2014 World Indoor silver medal and also achieving the second highest jump in history with 2.43 m. Speaking after his competition, he said: "It was a difficult final – every technical error made a difference, plus there were 15 athletes in the final which is quite a large number. I have a lot to be thankful for during my sporting journey – I've set a world record, I've won Olympic medals but the most important thing is to set a plan with the coach and work towards it. The world record and the Olympic gold medal are both goals for me."

Speaking about Barshimís momentous achievement, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, HE Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al Thani, said: "This is the biggest achievement in Qatar’s Olympic history and we are so proud of him. We know that he will have inspired a new generation

of sporting heroes and connected new audiences to Olympic sport.”

Qatar Olympic Committee's hospitality house Bayt Qatar, in Casa Daros, also attracted a lot of attention during the games. It was designed to welcome people from around the world to experience Qatar's unique culture, its warm hospitality and passion for the Olympic movement. At the centre of the house was an outdoor Souq, which incorporated traditional activities, including Arabic calligraphy, basket weaving and henna hand painting, regular live music performances, and a large screen showing live Olympic action and film screenings for all. It was also the hub of exciting campaigns like the one that arranged for street children from the favelas of Rio to play football with national heroes like Cafu and Zico

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development > viewpoint

A VISION FOR THE FUTURE

BY RETHINKING IT, QATAR CAN ALLOW FOR GREATER CONNECTIVITY, PRODUCTIVITY AND SECURITY THROUGH DIGITISATION.

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here are many transitions happening in the Middle East IT market from the Internet of Things (IoT) and Digitisation to Cloud, Mobility and Software -Defined Networking (SDN), to name a few. We are in the midst of a wave of technological innovation, which leverages the power of networked technologies to create unprecedented opportunities to transform daily lives and make an impact on economic growth.

In order for Middle East cities, countries and economies to embrace the IoT, they will need to become fully digitised. The impacts of digitisation will not only transform how people engage with their governments, their cities and each other, but will also usher in an era in which new jobs will be created, innovation will be fostered and global competitiveness enhanced.

As we move into an era of complete digitisation, Middle East countries and organisations will need to rethink how they approach their infrastructure on a grand scale. At its core, digitisation is the process of planning, and ultimately building, a sophisticated and forward-thinking IT

network ecosystem that will allow for greater connectivity, productivity and security to drive positive impact.

Qatar has been taking a proactive approach in this domain and its National Vision 2030 aims at having an impact in every field: education, healthcare, energy, security, and transportation. Guided by this vision, as Qatar moves into a phase of digitisation where technology connects everything from people to processes and data to things, the country will become more capable of listening, learning, and responding to its citizens' daily needs.

Qatar’s IT spend is seeing an upward trend due to the growing number of large-scale infrastructure projects across transportation, healthcare and education. The International Data Corporation predicts that total ICT spending in Qatar will increase at a rate of 7.4% a year, to QR17.1 billion by 2018, while Booz & Company expects the country’s overall ICT market to grow by 10% annually, reaching approximately QR24.7 billion in 2016.

As digitisation accelerates in Qatar, the country is implementing cutting-edge infrastructure which will increase its GDP, reduce spending and create new opportunities

for employment. Having the right digital ecosystem in place will be a prerequisite to achieve any of these outcomes. It will allow the government to extend the reach and impact of public services by converting insights into action. It will enable new and diverse groups of entrepreneurs to build businesses that will shape the country’s future, whilst providing more accessibility and opportunities for education and technology-based careers. As a result, it will ensure that Qatar becomes more competitive on the global stage.

There are enormous benefits derived from digitisation and connectivity. It brings about greater efficiency and economy, better enduser experiences, greater usage of assets and clearer views of the business. In the Middle East, for example, the benefits of digitisation across different sectors can include:

Government Services Technology is changing the ways we interact as global citizens and how we govern. Public Service employees also need to collaborate across multiple agencies and geographies in real time.

Transportation: Digitisation can enhance the ability to mitigate interruptions in services, and aim for very high levels of satisfaction from residents and visitors.

Safety and Security: Connected safety and security can extend police presence into more areas of the city and enables new services such as remote video-based language interpretation.

Travel and Tourism: A unified platform for hosting and engaging with visitors would provide uninterrupted coverage along with location intelligence to ensure a flawless experience.

Healthcare: The power of connecting patients from rural areas using collaborative technology without ever having to leave their homes.

Education: Pupils in rural and underserved communities can be connected to academicians in different cities around the globe via collaborative technology.

However, with the tremendous opportunities that digitisation brings, there are an increasing number of cyber-attacks and security breaches which have become an everyday occurrence. Security is one of the

main concerns when it comes to adopting IoT technologies. So while IoT is creating many opportunities today, it also comes with increased vulnerability. As attackers innovate, many defenders continue to struggle with maintaining the security of their devices and systems. Unsupported and unpatched systems create additional opportunities for attackers to easily gain access, remain undetected, and maximize damage and profits. This security angle is one of the main barriers to the adoption of IoT technologies.

Inadequate security proves to be costly for organisations and their supply chain and it is important then for them to secure their networks. Therefore, organisations today need to maintain a secure endto-end environment to protect critical infrastructure, data and intellectual property.

Cybersecurity solutions need to protect not just networks and devices, but also critical applications and data.

To improve the sophistication and reliability of security defences, organisations should consider continuous threat detection.

Such a system not only monitors the inside of networks (not just the edge), but also detects and mitigates threats to make sure that if attackers gain entry to critical systems, their impact is limited. A threat-centric and operationalised approach to security can reduce complexity and fragmentation, while providing superior visibility and continuous control. Physical and cybersecurity solutions need to work intelligently together and protect the networks, devices, applications and data that make up the IoT. We believe the most effective way to address these real-world challenges is with continuous threat protection that is both pervasive and integrated.

Given the large number of devices connecting to the Internet, the readiness of the networks and data centre infrastructure could also have an impact on the adoption process. Besides, it is crucial to have the right data analytics solutions that can analyse the massive amounts of data coming from all the sensors and connected devices which will in turn generate useful business insights.

Critically, there is also a lack of specialised skill sets that are required for IoT. Digitisation will have a much greater impact on the world than the Internet did in its first 20 years. We believe the possibilities created by the IoT and digitisation are limited only by imagination, that the dramatic change they bring about will touch everyone, and that they will usher in the most significant technological revolution in history

BY MIKE WESTON Vice President, Cisco Middle East

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affairs > arab snippets

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R I V E RS O F W R AT H

A Sudanese man sits on a makeshift bed as he returns to his destroyed house in the village of Makli that was flooded after the Gash River burst its banks on August 14, in the impoverished eastern state of Kassala bordering Eritrea. Thousands of houses have been destroyed and several villages submerged after flooding triggered by torrential rainfall killed 100 people across Sudan.

AFP / ASHRAF SHAZLY

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economy > viewpoint

TURNING A CORNER IN THESE TURBULENT ECONOMIC TIMES, THE EMERGING IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS IN REAL ESTATE VALUATIONS BECOMES CLEARER.

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he impacts of the global economic slowdown and low oil prices have resulted in reduced economic activity that can be seen across sectors in Qatar including corporates, banking and financial institutions, investment funds, etc. This has resulted in major businesses and organizations looking for ways to optimise operations and minimise costs, leading to restructuring and resizing of operations.

Major cost optimisation initiatives have led to reduced spending on investments and other related segments and as a result, major investments funds, real estate developers, banking and financial institutions have adopted a more conservative approach to the real estate market.

The reduction in fund availability has limited real estate transaction activity in Qatar and as a result the real estate market has been witnessing significant pressure for the last six to nine months. Accordingly, the number and value of transactions have witnessed a declining trend for the last few quarters.

This partly arises from the conservative approach taken by banks in financing real estate assets. The number of transactions has significantly fallen since 2014, from

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approximately 5,830 transactions to 2,365 in 2015. Further, the number of transactions in 2016 YTD (July 2016) was 441, showing a continued declining trend.

We have seen a number of prominent real estate developers delaying or stalling projects and/or looking for alternative sources of support to progress developments (including from the government). In response to the challenging market conditions, financial institutions have also become more strict when considering applications for project funding. Project funding reports are now expected to be more detailed than ever before, explaining the recent demand and supply situation of the real estate components and a detailed view on the future outlook of the market. Approval processes for funding are becoming more complex and banks are being cautious to ensure loans are granted at the ‘right’ market value.

Developers with investment properties are becoming more careful with market valuations when reporting these in financial statements.

If investment properties are not valued professionally, it can lead to an unrealistic notional profit or loss which would not be healthy for the company in the long run. If development

properties have an aggressive market value, chances of securing project funding could be reduced as the projects may not be able to provide returns as expected in the valuation. As a result, many corporates and banks are moving towards international real estate valuation practices, leading to the emergence of a new, professional and internationally recognized real estate valuation sector in Qatar. The most common practice adopted by developers in the past has been to use locally based real estate valuers, registered with the Ministry of Justice. Whilst sufficient for earlier times when there was less pressure on financing, valuations that are not undertaken in accordance with international standards are often not as comprehensive as those which adhere to those guidelines as set out in the International Financial Reporting Standards, which a majority of banks in Qatar have now adopted. These standards require developers to have at least two opinions on the valuation, of which at least one must adhere to international valuation practices.

Using an international valuer also means that local projects are more marketable and in a better position to raise debt from international debt funding agencies, as well

32,000 27,000

6,087

5,882

37,000 2,498 1,176

26,355

29,186

22,000 12,000 2,000

5,000

31,265

2,365

441

14,998

17,000 7,000

5,830

4,114 2010

2,180 2012

2013

Total Value of Land Transactions (in QAR mn)

2015

1,000 (1,000)

8,211

2011

3,000

(3,000) (5,000)

Number of land Transactions

Total Value (QR million)

The trend line showing the decline in the real estate transactions

2016 (YTD)

Total Land Transactions

Source: Ministry of Justice and KPMG Analysis

as being more attractive to other international investors.

The globally recognized International Valuation Standards (IVS) guidelines and the Red Book issued by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) are those most commonly used by developers in Qatar and provide some of the key parameters to be considered while undertaking a valuation. But these are guidelines not rules, so there is still room for interpretation further emphasizing the importance for developers to engage internationally trained, experienced and recognized valuers.

It has been widely said by many valuation experts that “valuation is an art not a science” which essentially means that two individual valuers may value the same property with two different approaches and may come to different conclusions about a property’s worth. Differing values are generally accepted provided they are within a small range, which, if the valuation is carried out according to international guidelines/practices, they generally should be. The methodology and approach adopted for the valuation used is critical, because an inappropriate approach could lead to the risk of selling or buying the asset at under or over the market value, respectively, and in case of the debt being raised based on such an aggressive valuation, it may risk the repayment of the loan.

The three valuation approaches are: 1. Income approach Typically used in the case of incomegenerating properties or where the properties under development have incomegenerating potential. There are multiple methodologies under the income approaches for valuation, which are adopted based on the type of the property being valued.

2. Market approach: Primarily the comparison of the subject property to similar properties being transacted or quoted for transaction

in the market. This approach involves assessment of the subject property vis-á-vis the comparable being used to arrive at the market value of the property.

3. Cost approach: Typically used where there are limited comparables for the subject development and there is no revenue potential from the property. This approach would take market value for land and cost of construction for the building.

BY ADITYA RASTOGI Head of Real Estate Valuations - Qatar KPMG Qatar

The valuation from all three approaches should reflect the purpose for the valuation , e.g., assessing the market value for financing or reporting, or liquidation/distress sale value, etc. The valuation provided by two different valuers for a specific purpose should be within an acceptable range, even though the valuation has been undertaken by a different approach or methodology.

In Qatar, the real estate valuation market is evolving quickly and we are seeing more and more international real estate valuation and advisory companies establishing operations in the country.

Qatari real estate developers and investment funds have started acknowledging the benefits of adhering to international practices and are increasingly adopting these to value property portfolios. Banks are following suit and considering this closely when granting funding and loans for development or against properties.

By considering the benefits of firmer and internationally recognized valuation methods and adopting these practices, developers and investors in Qatar can have a significant positive impact on the local real estate market.

This in turn will help bolster resilience against a significant price correction as seen elsewhere in the region in previous years. A knock-on effect of greater security in the real estate sector is greater protection for banks in relation to loans and investments, ultimately boosting the stability of the country 23 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

technology > listening post

OLD SCIENCE MEETS NEW TECH

24 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

IN AN EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND THE TRANSFORMATION OF TRADITIONAL SECTORS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY, WE SPOKE TO MIKE LEROY, THE CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER AT SIDRA MEDICAL AND RESEARCH CENTER, WHO GIVES US AN INSIGHT INTO THE WAYS BOTH THE BUSINESS AND HUMAN SIDES OF HEALTHCARE CAN BENEFIT FROM TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

W

BY AYSWARYA MURTHY

hile Mike LeRoy is a veteran of the healthcare sector, his IT experience and expertise were picked up during his early years in the automotive industry. When he first became the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Detroit Medical Center over a decade ago, few had any inkling of the mind-boggling possibilities of a connected healthcare environment. “CIOs were once just the leaders of IT departments tasked with managing the technology, building software and running data centres. In the early days of IT, the role was purely technical.

‘Here is an order, please fulfill this’, that’s all we were told,” he remembers. “Today we are considered Chiefs of innovation, we wear many different hats and are part of the executive suite reporting directly to the CEO. CIOs today are integral to providing innovative technology solutions, enabling ideas, improvement and efficiency for the organisation.” And in the process, they are invariably at the forefront of the organisation as it reinvents itself.

Sidra’s digital strategy A greenfield project funded by an entity that is keen on innovation is any CIO’s dream. “Sidra was envisioned and built to be an all-digital hospital. Everything we do is electronic and involves technology,” says LeRoy as he goes on to detail a six-fold strategy that aims at laying down a strong framework upon which future innovations could be built.

“First is ensuring interoperability. Every system and medical device is integrated.

Everything talks to each other, has an interface to everything else and is connected.

This is complemented by mobility which allows staff to do their jobs through wireless mobile equipment, irrespective of where they are. And the natural byproduct of this is digitisation. Sidra will be a paper-light hospital where all the data is electronic. The fourth pillar of Sidra’s strategy is unified communication. All communications are electronic and integrated. Our doctors, nurses and caregivers carry smartphones and smart identification cards which facilitate easy communication with each other and without having to pick up a hard-wired phone. This also enables concepts like video collaboration and telemedicine,” he says.

The fifth area of focus is to secure and strengthen the core that supports current and future needs. “We need to ensure a highbandwidth, fast-performing network with active robust infrastructure and datacentres.

To provide care quickly you have to have a robust infrastructure. If a piece of IT software or technology goes down, the other picks up so that you are always online and always active,” he says. “And the final strategic push is towards systems automation.

Since everything is electronic, data and transactions have to be passed automatically between departments. For exmaple, palm vein scanners automatically register patients and digitised signature pads help do away with paper records, recording signatures electronically.”

This is what a digital hospital is all about, 25 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

technology > listening post

This is what a digital hospital is all about.

Implementing digital medical records that can be quickly accessed to ensure patient safety and comfort, a highly reliable infrastructure that allows wireless communication and mobility of the workforce.”

LeRoy summarises. “Implementing digital medical records that can be quickly accessed to ensure patient safety and comfort, a highly reliable infrastructure that allows wireless communication and mobility of the workforce.” Together they are the foundation upon which further advances in Big Data, the Internet of Things and cloud computing can be made.

Of course, security is always an area of priority for any IT department and is an even bigger focus when you are charged with sensitive and extremely private data like health records. With the proper security in place that is continually reviewed and monitored, especially whenever you are creating another channel for patient engagement, like an enterprise mobile app, you can protect patient data and the organisation, he says.

Prioritising patient engagement In healthcare, innovation is most tangible when it is extended to its patients, irrespective of whether they are in the clinics, emergency rooms, the operating theatre or the ward. “Technology can be at the core of making patients healthier,” says LeRoy. “We are keen on engaging patients during all stages of healthcare – before they arrive for an appointment, during the episode of care at the hospital and even after they go home.”

LeRoy goes on to talk about the mobile applications under development that would eventually help streamline the check-in process and gather information about

26 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

patients health even before they get to the facility. “When a patient arrives, we’d know that they have entered Sidra and can automatically register them. In the future, we can also monitor them throughout the facility through remote tracking technology and provide patient education and updates while they are in the hospital. The medication allergies can be cross-checked with medical records and reminders and alerts can be sent to them when they are at home, so that they can be compliant with their medication,” he says. “The whole patient engagement possibilities are extremely important to us in order to make their experience better and also to improve their healthcare.”

Medicine largely moving towards preventive rather than reactive care – the Internet of Things will play a big role in keeping people out of hospitals, feels LeRoy. “When a patient is sent home after treatment, technology has moved at a pace that we will be able to monitor them remotely. For example, there are technologies that can monitor the blood glucose levels of a diabetic patient to ensure they stay in range, or those that can remotely track the performance of a heart patient’s pacemaker. This will keep them healthier and, as much as possible, out of the emergency department. Telehealth and video monitoring at home can help minimise follow-up visits to the clinic,” he says.

Clinical data analysis While Sidra isn’t fully operational yet, more and more clinics are coming online and most

of the IT department is in place, with over 150 staff working under LeRoy. When the in-patient hospital is fully live, the growing data analytics department will go to work analysing outcomes and predicting trends, and will be a part of an exciting application of the connected environment. LeRoy says they are hiring more experts in this field, not only in IT but also in bioinformatics and research, creating synergies between these departments.

“Part of what we will be doing is trying to sort through the data and look for trends.

Through this data analysis, we come up with unique scenarios that we can create algorithms to alert doctors and clinicians to provide better patient care, using the data as a metric to improve patients' health.”

Often these will be built into the software itself and, what’s more, these algorithms and apps are ambitiously being built inhouse. “For example, in our pediatric clinics we can create an algorithm that can rangecheck medication dosage to avoid decimal errors, whether we are printing an order to the pharmacy or actually administering the medication. We will also use data to look at key performance indicators and the patient experience data points which will help provide a continuous improvement cycle for patients,” he says.

The genomic equation What’s unique about Sidra is that not only is it a teaching hospital that trains future doctors but also an academic and research centre working on some truly groundbreaking translational research and genomic guided medicine. “Personalised healthcare – which is a core research focus at Sidra – will change the way healthcare is provided in Qatar. The possibilities are tremendous when you merge research and clinical data. We will have a really great thing going once we are able to combine Omics data (which is extremely large and in the petabyte size range) with medical records to come up with ‘concierge-type medicine’ that is tailored to each individual patient in reference to their genetic makeup,” he says.

“Your unique DNA sequence is your signature; it’s who you are. So if we know a patient's genetic uniqueness, instead of giving them a generic drug, we can tailor the drug to the dosage or brand level that would be most effective and less chance of toxicity to achieve the best outcome. And we will have information on the diseases that they may be prone to that could impact them in later life.

We will be able to tailor medicine, tests and reviews based on these kinds of data points; like creating reminders to clinicians that are

embedded within a patient's medical records.

So if a patient comes in for a broken arm, we can take that opportunity to look out for signs of other possible complications that may be in their medical history, specific to their genomic make-up,” he says. LeRoy concedes that this is extremely complex work. What is promising is that they have already implemented genetic testing in selected clinic cases. He says they are very close to getting international accreditation to serve clinical needs that will change clinical care.

Hand in hand with public policy Innovation isn’t a given and it doesn’t come naturally to all organisations. “Much of what I consider an inhibitor to innovation is just the ability to change,” says LeRoy. “To innovate you have to have a culture that values innovation.

It’s a serious commitment which needs changes to take place in workflow and process. Once that happens, digital innovation can go beyond the four walls of the organisation, directly to the consumer.”

“To innovate, you just have to be willing to do it.”

And luckily, Qatar, in general, and Qatar Foundation in particular, continue to actively demonstrate their willingness in this direction.

The country and many of the organisations here are all at different stages of innovation when compared to global best practices. “I am impressed, for example, by many of the e-government initiatives that are being launched – evidence of an appetite for innovation. The story is different for the various industries and the verticals within them,” says LeRoy. “When it comes to healthcare innovation, we are on the right path to get there and we are all pursuing that goal the best we can.”

Sidra is fortunate that its ambitions are matched by Qatar’s public policy on healthcare and technology, particularly the e-health strategy that is part of the master plan drafted by the Ministry of Public Health. “We have put a lot of effort into building the infrastructure to enable those e-health initiatives, like creating the capabilities to share medical record data with other entities in the country, be it a private healthcare provider or a primary healthcare centre, through the Health Information Exchange.”

For the Board of Governors at Sidra, technology is a top priority, says LeRoy. Many CIOs around the global are faced with challenges related to lack of budget or internal support to innovate and explore new opportunities.

"At Sidra, our tech needs are more than adequately met, because there is a recognition that innovation will eventually pay for itself by increasing business and efficiency."

27 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

affairs > worldview

28 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

FUTILE FIRE

A melted thermometer is stuck at 110 degrees outside the door of resident Daniel Brown's home after the Clayton Fire destroyed a part of his house in Lower Lake, California, on August 16.

A man was arrested and charged with arson for starting the massive wildfire in northern California that has destroyed 175 buildings and forced thousands to flee to safety.

AFP / GABRIELLE LURIE 29 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

affairs > bank notes

FOREIGN LOANS EASE LIQUIDITY PRESSURES WHILE FOREIGN BORROWING AMONG COMMERCIAL BANKS IN THE GCC HAS BEEN ON THE RISE IN RECENT MONTHS, THE TREND IS MOST PRONOUNCED IN QATAR. IN THIS ISSUE, QATAR TODAY DELVES INTO THE CAUSES AND IMPLICATIONS OF THIS PHENOMENON.

BY AYSWARYA MURTHY

30 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

A

couple of months ago, Commercial Bank of Qatar announced that it had secured a three-year $166 million international loan (which had been increased from an original target of $100 million) from a consortium of primarily Japanese financial institutions.

This isn’t an isolated incident by far and is only the latest in a lengthening list of foreign loans issued to banks in Qatar.

According to Qatar Central Bank data, Qatari commercial banks owed QR196.3 billion ($53.9 billion) to banks abroad in May this year, up 53% from a year before, when the borrowing started to show a marked upward trend. Factoring in assets outside Qatar, the net foreign liabilities of Qatari commercial banks, excluding investments abroad, jumped to about 13.1% of total assets in May (one of the highest levels in the past decade) from 3.6% a year earlier, as per a Reuters report.

It isn’t difficult to fathom why. The Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics noted in a report this year that “lower oil and gas revenues have caused public sector deposits in the domestic banking system to shrink, tightening liquidity and driving banks to raise funds abroad.” In fact, banks have experienced a slowdown in overall deposit growth, to 6% in 2015 from above 20% during 2012-13.

This is largely because of reduced deposits by government and related entities, including national oil companies, which are responsible for direct deposits between 10% and 35% in the GCC. While Moody’s banking outlook for Qatar is largely stable, that of the funding and liquidity situation is “deteriorating” and is being addressed by foreign lenders eager to tap into Qatar’s credit market. With the largest depositor in the system – i.e., the government – affected by sustained low oil prices, Moody’s expect the banks to raise

more expensive and confidence-sensitive market funding (which includes foreign borrowings to some extent) to sustain asset growth and moderate funding pressures, according to Nitish Bhojnagarwala, AVP Analyst at Moody’s.

And this isn’t something expected to reverse anytime soon, considering the volatile rally in oil prices this year, which will continue to reduce the inflow of deposits into 2017. Deposits from government entities climbed to 42% of total deposits from 23% over the 2010 to 2013 period, but this has shrunk since then to 32% as of March 2016, constraining the banks’ capacity to fully finance their lending growth from domestic deposits.

While Moody’s says the government’s recent jumbo debt issuance of $9 billion (primarily placed with international investors in May 2016) will partially ease the liquidity pressure in the system going forward, Qatari banks are also using their

additional borrowing capacity to support projects related to the World Cup and the Qatar National Vision 2030. Qatar leads the GCC in international loans and this can be explained to some extent by the government and its banks confident about borrowing (at attractive rates) from the international community who see Qatar as a stable economy and accordingly are willing to provide such liquidity. Under the circumstances, it’s a good option to fall back on. Especially considering how the various World Cup projects are at a critical stage that requires timely and continual funding.

While Qatar and its banks have had their credit rating downgraded in the last couple of years, they are still able to raise debt easily in the international markets because of strong marco-economic fundamentals.

However, “an increased dependence on market funding (in the case of Qatar, currently 28% of total funding as of March 2016) will raise refinancing risks and leave

According to Qatar Central Bank data, Qatari commercial banks owed QR196.3 billion ($53.9 billion) to banks abroad in May this year, up 53% from a year before, when the borrowing started to show a marked upward trend.

31 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

affairs > bank notes OIL PRICE VULNERABILITY HEAT MAP Banking System Indicators GCC Countries

Liquidity

Funding Struture

Profitability

Capital

Asset Quality

Government Support

Kuwait Qatar UAE Saudi Arabia Oman Bahrain Low

Moderate

High

banks more vulnerable to shifts in investor sentiment,” Bhojnagarwal says, even though the bank’s stocks of liquid assets (at 25% of total assets as of December 2015) is expected provide a solid buffer against liquidity pressures.

An increased dependence on market funding (in the case of Qatar, currently 28% of total funding as of March 2016) will raise refinancing risks and leave banks more vulnerable to shifts in investor sentiment.”

NITISH BHOJNAGARWALA AVP, Analyst Moody’s 32 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

Moderate borrowing While the current level of borrowing doesn’t pose any systemic risk, there are signs that authorities may act to reduce funding pressures on banks as they increasingly chase more price-sensitive and potentially volatile non-resident deposits to make up the shortfall. According to Moody’s Banking System Outlook for Qatar, Qatar Central Bank’s announcement in 2014 that it will cap banks’ loan-to-deposits ratios at 100% by end-2017 might be relooked at or delayed, considering “this guidance combined with reduced flows of deposits will exacerbate the pressure on banks’ lending capacity, particularly given that: the current loan-to-deposit ratio is currently 102% sector-wide; and that we expect lower (but still high) credit growth of around 10% for 2016”. As mentioned in the Qatar Economic Outlook 2016-2018, “now, the deposit side of the ratio includes only customer deposits and not long-term wholesale funds, which have recently been the primary source of funding. Banks are still in negotiation with regulators to amend the loan-to deposit formula to include longterm wholesale funds in the denominator.

The deadline for compliance may be postponed until end-2018, given liquidity issues faced by Qatar’s banks.” According to government sources, the central bank could if necessary use unconventional measures to assist banks, such as direct purchases of commercial bonds and special loans to or equity injections in them. “At current levels it would seem the regulator is comfortable, no special measures have been announced,”

Source: Moody's Investors Service

says Bhojnagarwala, also citing the loan to deposit ratio. “The refinancing risks related to increased market funding can be moderated by keeping a high stock of liquid assets. This currently stands at around 25% of total assets and provides a solid buffer against these pressures,” he adds.

Pivot to Asia The aforementioned multi million dollarloan to Commercial Bank of Qatar was reportedly the first loan to a bank based in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council that was provided primarily by Japanese institutions. The seven lenders in the deal included Mizuho Bank as sole co-ordinator and bookrunner, as well as Gunma Bank, Shizuoka Bank and Fuyo General Lease. Agricultural Bank of China, State Bank of India and Bank of Taiwan also participated. Increasingly, other Qatari banks have also been opening channels to borrow from Asia.

From investments to energy partnerships, Qatar (and the Middle East, to a larger extent) has been deliberate in developing deeper relationships with Asia and this is no different when it comes to raising loans. For Asian institutions as well, the region and its financial infrastructure are an important link to the emerging economies of Africa. It is this mutually beneficial environment that is fostering new credit links.

Some analysis also suggest that this move also ensures minimum exposure to the debt crisis in Europe which has traditionally been a favourite market.

“European banks are still in the process of delivering and focusing on core domestic markets which moderates some of the high levels of lending that historically came from Europe, leaving proportionately more for liquid Asian/Japanese banks,” says Bhojnagarwala

COVER STORY

HALAL

ON THE GO

34 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE HALAL TRAVEL MARKET HAS EXPANDED AT A FORMIDABLE PACE AND EARLY ADOPTERS STAND MUCH TO GAIN. IN THIS ISSUE OF QATAR TODAY, WE EXAMINE THE INTERNATIONAL GROWTH OF THIS SEGMENT AND HOW QATAR CAN CAPITALISE ON THIS TREND TO EDGE CLOSER TOWARDS MEETING ITS AMBITIOUS TOURISM GOALS.

BY AYSWARYA MURTHY 35 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

COVER STORY

THE TOP 10 OIC DESTINATIONS IN THE GLOBAL MUSLIM TRAVEL INDEX 2016 Malaysia

United Arab Emirates

Turkey

Indonesia

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Oman

Morocco

Jordan

Bahrain

Source: Global Muslim Travel Index

THE TOP 10 NON-OIC DESTINATIONS IN THE GMTI 2016 Singapore

Thailand

United Kingdom

South Africa

Hong Kong

France

Taiwan

Japan

Sri Lanka

USA

36 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

D

estinations, hotels and resorts, airlines, and travel agents are increasingly looking to woo Muslim travellers. This is evident by the sudden growth in the number of Halal travel conferences and events from Indonesia, Japan, to Spain and the prominence of the topic in global media. NonMuslim majority destinations, especially ones that are new to targeting this market, are focusing on getting the basics right by increasing their Halal food offerings and providing places to pray. More seasoned places are advancing to the next level, like Turkish resorts that offer segregated pools and beaches and Malaysian cruise companies which are marketing family-friendly/Halal cruises for Muslims.

Compared to a couple of years ago, when most potential markets were still questioning the viability of the Halal travel market, the question now is not what is this market, but how do we best benefit from it.

According to the 2014-2015 report by Thomson Reuters on the State of the Global Islamic Economy the global Muslim spending on travel (outbound) has increased by 7.7% to reach $140 billion in 2013 (excluding Hajj and Umrah). This is 11.6% of the global expenditure and is expected to reach $238 billion by 2019. Qatar is among the top source countries of Muslim tourists who spent $7.8 billion, third in the Gulf after Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Tourists from the Middle East and North Africa and Gulf Cooperation Council countries represent only 3% of the global Muslim population, but 37% of total Muslim travel spending. These numbers speak for themselves about how this sector is demanding to be catered to and can no longer be ignored. This is apparent in how countries like Malaysia, UAE, Turkey and Singapore have worked on developing their Halal travel ecosystems and are reaping rich rewards as a result.

Singapore-based CrescentRating could be considered one of the early pioneers in this segment. Founder Fazal Bahardeen, a veteran of the telecom industry, was made aware of this gap in the travel market during his business travels. “Even as recently as ten years ago, I had trouble

Ahead of the game There were many countries, both of Muslim majority and otherwise, who had the foresight to capitalise on this trend and adapted their products and services to accommodate

INSIGHT INTO THE HALAL TRAVELLER

> 30% 15-29 years old

Hyper-planning mode for family trips

High spending power

Travel to both familiar and new places

Rely heavily on word of mouth and increasingly on social media

Tech-savvy

High educated

Exp grow ebcted to y in volu50% me

35% se rea in Inc alue rs in ve yea fiv

meeting my most basic needs as a practicing Muslim – Halal food, places to pray, etc. And I knew many others like me were going through the same issues. The travel industry hadn’t yet realised that there was this important section of travellers who had very specific requirements and I wanted to do something about it,” he says. The company was started towards the end of 2008 with an aim of rating hotels on a scale of 1 to 7 on their “Muslim-friendliness”. Today, they also rate restaurants, airlines and spas/wellness centres and will soon be expanding into other areas like theme parks, malls, attractions, convention centres, etc., have a thriving consultancy and training arm, started a B2B business called Muslim Travel Warehouse and acquired online travel portal HalalTrip. The growth has been nothing short of staggering. “We were early in identifying this as a segment and it was a novel idea for many,” says Bahardeen. “But I was convinced that this would grow once we started talking to the travel industry and showed them tangible numbers through our Global Travel Muslim Index.” With several high-profile partnerships, this annual index soon started to attract a wider audience. “In the last 24 months we have seen a huge interest from almost every sector in the travel industry,” he says.

DinarStandard started looking in-depth into the Halal travel market in 2012 when they partnered with CrescentRating to produce the first Global Muslim Lifestyle Tourism Market Landscape and Consumer Needs Study, according to Reem El Shafaki, Senior Associate, Halal Lifestyle Markets. “Being in the Muslim lifestyle space we noticed the need for Muslim-friendly travel services and wanted to quantify the outbound and inbound Muslim travel markets globally to highlight the business case for addressing this multibillion-dollar customer base whose latent needs were yet to be met by the tourism industry,” she says. "Since then, great strides have been made in the industry; several annual conferences on Halal travel have taken place, mainstream companies in the travel industry have started producing research studies on the market, and many more Halal-focused travel companies and service providers have emerged.”

The growing value of the Halal brand is apparent when speaking with founder of UK-based Serendipity Tailormade and Luxury Halal Travel, Nabeel Shariff. With its Arabic logo that translates to "the journey", it was always meant to cater to the luxury Muslim traveller, even though it didn’t explicitly say so. But soon the unsaid would demand to be proclaimed loud and proud, and Luxury Halal Travel was developed on the back of the core business. “This branding strategy was needed to take advantage of the opportunity especially in the UK, mainland Europe and North America which were seeing huge demand from a young, vibrant Muslim population that was eager to travel to new and exciting destinations but was unwillingly to compromise on their Islamic lifestyle,” says Shariff.

Women are strong influencers in destination choice and holiday planning

All Halal travellers are not equal: They have different needs and expectations

Halal travellers want to unlock untapped desinations and visit nonMuslim countries as easily as Muslim countries

Source: Amadeus Traveller Trends Observatory 37 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

COVER STORY

MUSLIMS GLOBALLY SPENT

I35 BILLION ON TOURISM IN 2012

(12.5% OF GLOBAL EXPENDITURE)

EXPECTED TO REACH

I8I BILLION IN 2018

(12.5% OF GLOBAL EXPENDITURE) Source: State of the Global Islamic Economy, 2013

WE WERE EARLY IN IDENTIFYING THIS AS A SEGMENT AND IT WAS A NOVEL IDEA FOR MANY. BUT I WAS CONVINCED THAT THIS WOULD GROW ONCE WE STARTED TALKING TO THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY AND SHOW THEM TANGIBLE NUMBERS. FAZAL BAHARDEEN Founder CrescentRating

38 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

the unique faith-based needs of Muslim travellers. Many like Turkey embraced Halal travel primarily in order to cater to their own domestic travellers, while Malaysia and Singapore aggressively courted those from countries with huge Muslim outbound travel. There are lessons here for Qatar which is looking to market itself as a family-friendly destination and most of whose leisure travellers come from the neighbouring Gulf countries.

Let’s start by examining the circumstances in Turkey, which is well known for its Halal beach resorts that offer separate swimming pools and even beaches for women.

Most resorts even have their own mosque. Can this be replicated in other Muslim majority countries? Marketing Manager at HalalBooking, Ufuk Secgin, takes us through the organic growth of Halal travel in his country. “Turkey is surrounded by sea and beach holidays are a very popular national pastime. A lot of large beach resorts opened but they weren’t suitable for the Halal-conscious traveller who either had to compromise on their beliefs, and hence on the comfort, satisfaction and fun factor of holiday, or didn’t go to those resorts at all and had to find alternate solutions.

When the first Halal resort opened 21 years ago, it was such a huge success that others soon jumped on the bandwagon.

It was a win-win situation for both the customers, who could have a fulfilling holiday, and entrepreneurs, who were not offering just another beach resort that is one among thousands but something niche that guaranteed higher earnings and increased occupancy,” he says.

Among the non-OIC countries, Singapore is heralded as an example of a Muslim-friendly tourist destination. “The Halal travel market picked up here for two reasons,” says Bahardeen. “Proximity to big Muslim markets – Malaysia, Indonesia and, to certain extent, Brunei – who make up 20% of their arrivals, and also a growing domestic Muslim population. The major drivers already existed.” Similar conditions prevailed in Muslim-majority Malaysia which is ranked number one in the Halal Travel Indicator. But they have also gone above and beyond. “Malaysia has launched a Muslim-Friendly Hospitality Standard and hotels that wish to adhere to the standard need to have certain criteria in place,” explains El Shafaki. “Even hotels applying to the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism and Culture for a conventional star rating must have in place certain minimum Muslim-friendly criteria. Indonesia has established a dedicated committee for Muslimfriendly tourism that reports directly to the Ministry of Tourism, and 10% of the Ministry’s promotional budget is dedicated to Halal travel”. These are a perfect examples of how Muslim countries, even though they have the infrastructure and services needed to cater to Halal travel, have to do much more if they are to compete with global destinations that are increasingly trying to woo the Halal-conscious traveller. “It’s about reaching out to the international market and demonstrating that you have these facilities,” says Bahardeen. “The tourism industry is not like how it was 10-15 years ago when the choices were limited. Today thousands of cities beyond Tier I and II are opening up because of budget airlines. It’s one of the most competitive industries and you can’t afford to say ‘I am a

Muslim country and that is enough to attract the Muslim traveller’.”

Countries like Japan showcase what kind of competition is coming up in this market. It has been making a concentrated effort in improving Muslim friendliness primarily because a large majority of visits come from Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore which accounts for around 65% of all Muslim visitors to Japan. To meet the growing demand for Halal facilities, Japan has been implementing steps to upgrade its prayer facilities, Halal food availability and other travelrelated services for Muslims. It has started subsidizing Halal certification in order to encourage restaurants and hotels to provide Halal food for Muslim guests and it recently introduced visa requirements for travellers from Southeast Asian countries. With increased awareness, local businesses and firms in Japan are gradually shifting their approach to cater to the Muslim travel market.

Tourism juggernaut Thailand was not too far behind.

It already was a very popular destination for Muslims from the Gulf (especially those going there for medical tourism) and it just had to build on that base. Thailand has developed a Muslim-Friendly Tourism App that lists Halal restaurants, mosques as well as other Muslim-friendly services, says El Shafaki. “It developed a Unified Thailand Diamond Halal Brand to promote restaurants and other small businesses that offer Halal. Thailand has opened a series of gender-segregated 'Halal' spas and the Thai resort city of Pattaya has opened Islamic prayer rooms in nearly all of its top shopping centres,” she says.

It is no wonder that Shariff says for his clients at Luxury Halal Travel, the most popular destinations remain the Indian Ocean and the Far East – Mauritius, Maldives, Seychelles, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and increasingly Sri Lanka. But he also aspires to help Muslims travel to fringe destinations that are not generally on their radar.

“China, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, New Zealand... I am heading out to the Caribbean next month to speak about Halal travel to a whole new set of stakeholders who want to look into it,” he says. In the end, in marketing Halal travel one shouldn’t lose sight of our motivations to travel. “For us, it’s important that our clients experience the culture of the destination. One doesn’t want to go to Japan and eat Lebanese food. We want Japanese food but with no pork and Halal meat,” says Shariff. “So this is what we are looking for when we put together, say, a guide to Halal restaurants.

Places where you can try local food, explore local culture and meet local people; that is what travel is about.”

The fact is that most destinations can market themselves as Muslim-friendly. “Some, obviously, are more suited than others,” says Bahardeen. “That’s what our ranking is all about. But one doesn’t need to do a huge amount of work to deliver at least some basic services. Japan is a great example of that. I was in a mall in Shinjuku recently and was surprised to find out that they had created a prayer room on the one of the floors for Muslim shoppers,” he says.

If the Japanese, with their secular and largely homogenous environment, can do that, it’s not difficult to imagine other destinations making more of an effort in this direction. It

EVALUATING THE MUSLIM-FRIENDLINESS OF A DESTINATION Suitability as a holiday destination, family friendliness and safety Muslim visitor arrivals Family-friendly holiday destination Safe travel environment Muslim-friendly services and facilities available at the destination Dining options and Halal assurance Ease of access to prayer places Airport services and facilities Accommodation options Halal awareness and reach-out to Muslims by the destination Muslim travel market awareness and reach-out Ease of communication Source: Global Muslim Travel Index

SEVERAL COUNTRIES IN THE GULF HAVE STARTED PAYING ATTENTION TO THE MUSLIM MARKET SEGMENT; HOWEVER, THEY PREFER TO USE THE TERM ‘FAMILY-FRIENDLY’ RATHER THAN ‘HALAL’ OR ‘MUSLIM-FRIENDLY’.

REEM EL SHAFAKI

Senior Associate, Halal Lifestyle Markets DinarStandard 39 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

COVER STORY

ultimately comes down to whether you want a piece of the business that Muslim travellers are bringing, he says.

GLOBAL MUSLIM MARKET BENCHMARKED AGAINST TOP TOURISM SOURCE MARKETS ($ BILLION, 2012)

$I37 Source: State of the Global Islamic Economy, 2013

$I22 $95

$89 $65

GLOBAL MUSLIM MARKET

UNITED STATES

GERMANY

CHINA

UNITED KINGDOM

$52

FRANCE

NON-MUSLIM COUNTRIES TODAY ARE MAKING MORE OF AN EFFORT TO WELCOME MUSLIM TRAVELLERS. HOTELS IN MUSLIM COUNTRIES HAVE A MARKET SITTING RIGHT THERE AT THEIR DOORSTEP THAT IS LARGELY IGNORED. NABEEL SHARIFF

Founder Serendipity Tailormade and Luxury Halal Travel

40 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

The missing Middle East Why is it that the Halal brand of travel has picked up both to the east and west of us, but not here in the Muslim heartland? What differentiates the Gulf Muslim from, say, a British Muslim? Travellers from the Gulf tend to take the availability of Halal food options as well as other Muslimfriendly services, such as availability of prayer spaces and women-only services such as spas, for granted, since they are widely available in the region. However, Muslims from the West are more accustomed to having to search for businesses that accommodate their needs, so when they travel on holiday, they similarly seek out services that meet their needs as Muslims, and are especially interested in being able to eat freely at restaurants without having to worry that everything is Halal. They also tend to be interested in visiting Islamic heritage sites and learning about the Islamic history of the areas they are visiting.

While local travel agencies will gladly customise your tour packages for you, the concept of Halal travel is a bit bizarre to most of them. This is also because the term Halal might confuse people who’d associate them with a religious or spiritual holiday. This is where services like Muslim Travel Warehouse come in. They put together Muslimfriendly packages across various destinations and help travel agencies market them to their local audience. But more importantly, it also works in reverse. They can help Qatar market itself as a Halal-friendly destination in other outbound markets globally. This might seem laughable at first, for Qatar needs to say that it is in fact Muslim-friendly.

But as we discussed before, just being an Islamic country is not enough anymore.

“Gulf countries have a tremendous advantage in that many Halal facilities are already in place. Halal food is widely available as are prayer spaces, as most shopping centres as well as amusement centres have prayer spaces and ablution facilities. In addition, because of the conservative and family-oriented culture of the region, many attractions and facilities are already family friendly,” says El Shafaki.

"Several countries in the Gulf have started paying attention to the Muslim market segment; however, they prefer to use the term ‘family-friendly’ rather than ‘Halal’ or ‘Muslimfriendly’, in part not to alienate non-Muslim visitors to the region, and also because travellers from the region are not accustomed to ‘Halal’-related branding or communication, since it is understood as being so. However, I would advise countries in the Gulf to highlight their ‘Halal’ offering as part of their marketing communications to Muslims from outside of the Arab world, and not take them as a given.”

Targeted marketing aside, there is also the fact that even in Islamic countries the travel sector is used to catering primarily to the non-Muslim market. Facilities and staff in hotels are geared to them. So while Halal is implied and certain aspects are Muslim-friendly by default, facilities like segregated pools (which men are increasingly demanding) and dry properties are rare. “Banana Island by Anantara is one property that does tick a lot of the boxes,”

says Shariff. “It’s a dry hotel with villas that have private pools. But this is not happening enough in the Middle East.

Non-Muslim countries today are making more of an effort to welcome Muslim travellers. Hotels in Muslim countries have a market sitting right there at their doorstep that is largely ignored. Morocco, for example, has a large domestic Muslim population which travels within the country and are not supported. The burkini ban in France has generated a lot debate but there are hotels in Morocco that quite clearly state that burkinis are not allowed at their pools.

That’s incredible for a predominately Muslim country to say that. It all comes down to how they view the value of the ‘Halal pound’ (or dollar or euro),” he says.

Policy at play Opinion is divided on whether a few bold businesspeople are enough to make a destination Muslim-friendly or a national strategy needs to be in place, and whether politics play a role at all. “There was no policy in Turkey to start catering to Muslim travellers,” says Secgin. “In fact it was just the opposite. There was no support from the local councils, because they came from secular backgrounds.

Over the last 10-15 years, the political scenery has changed and there isn’t any preferential treatment towards Halal hotels and resorts. Obviously government policy would be helpful in encouraging more investment but if someone wants to replicate this in their country, they’d just have to open up such resorts, partner up with the right channel and market it well.”

Hotel rooms that indicate prayer direction

TOP MUSLIM TOURISM EXPENDITURE SOURCE COUNTRIES (2013) COUNTRY

SIZE (BILLION)

SAUDI ARABIA

$17.8

ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN

$14.3

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

$11.2

QATAR

$7.8

KUWAIT

$7.7

INDONESIA

$7.5

MALAYSIA

$5.7

RUSSIA

$5.4

TURKEY

$4.5

NIGERIA

$4.4 Source: Global Muslim Travel Index

41 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

COVER STORY

He goes on to cite the case of Lombok, Indonesia. “Their tourism board is very keen on Halal-friendly initiatives because they want to differentiate themselves from the neigbouring island of Bali and attract a different type of customer. So they have supported and promoted this new industry and have won awards for being a Halal-friendly destination,” he says.

In non-Muslim majority countries, however, some groundwork needs to be laid. El Shafaki says the priority in these cases is to regulate the Halal food certification industry and ensure strict compliance, as well as ensure the availability of prayer spaces and family-friendly facilities.

“Countries should develop a clear marketing strategy focused on promoting themselves as Muslim-friendly destinations, starting from developing their branding and positioning, to launching campaigns directed at targeted source markets. It is much harder for destinations to market themselves as Muslim-friendly without government support. For example, there are individual efforts in Spain to promote Halal travel, but they do not have government backing. Instituto Halal, which is a Halal certifying body, has certified hotels and travel agencies as Halal. It has also launched a programme for Cordoba to become a Halal city.

However, if these efforts had national level government support and national destination marketing efforts were in place, the results would be much more impactful,” she says.

THERE IS A LARGE GENERAL TOURISM MARKET AND THOSE CHOOSING TO SERVE THE HALAL-CONSCIOUS TRAVELLER ARE JUST COMPLEMENTING THE CHOICES. SO IF A HOTEL OWNER MAKES A CONSCIOUS CHOICE TO TARGET THE MUSLIM TRAVELLER, HE IS MAKING A BOLD CHOICE TO GO AFTER THIS SEGMENT. UFUK SECGIN

Marketing Manager HalalBooking 42 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

Exclusively Islamic Is there a downside to marketing yourself as a Halal-friendly destination or hotel? And what are the challenges faced by those who want to? Shariff, who says he inadvertently ends up doing some consulting in the course of growing his business, says his role is to allay fears. “Being Halalfriendly is not scary or difficult,” he says. That may be true but it definitely requires one to be bold. Apprehensions that arise come from a lack of understanding of the market and also the courage to invest in such opportunities, according to Secgin. You might end up targeting only to a certain segment but that segment is huge. “The market is clearly huge. There are different segment in the general tourism market that cater to different kinds of travellers – Halal is just one of them. For example, look at Antalya.

It’s one of the top five beach holiday destinations in the world. There is a large general tourism market and the resorts catering to serving the Halal-conscious traveller are just complementing the choices. So if a hotel owner makes a conscious choice to target the Muslim traveller, he is making a bold choice to go after this segment,” he says, decrying half-hearted attempts that some hotels make in order to market to Muslims. “They might say Halal food is available on demand or if an order is placed in advance or the spa is available one hour per day for women. This is not enough. If you want to tap into this market, you have to be bold. People will generally see through something that’s being used just as a marketing tool.” And it’s really like targeting any other segment. “At the end of the day it’s about the business,” says Bahardeen. “If you want the Chinese to come, you have to cater to the Chinese requirements. It’s the same for the Russians. So if you want the Muslims to

come, there are certain requirements which just happen to be linked to their faith.”

But the concern of business owners that catering to Muslim travellers will alienate non-Muslims might be valid, according to El Shafaki. And in most cases, such as when it comes to hotels, for example, they want to avoid appealing to one segment at the expense of the other.

This is where the semantics are important. It has been CrescentRating’s policy never to brand a hotel as "Halal" or "Shariah-compliant". Their ratings have always been about Muslim-friendliness. “So we don’t require hotels to discard what they do for other segments but if they need a higher rating, they need to meet certain criteria. Ultimately the choice is with the traveller,” Bahardeen says.

El Shafaki points out that there are many ways brands can cater to Muslim travellers without alienating nonMuslims. “The Gulf-based luxury hotel brand Shaza, for example, focuses on communicating its authentic Arabian hospitality rather than calling themselves a ‘Halal’ brand despite the fact that they are a dry hotel and accommodate Muslim needs. Another example is Alanda Hotel in Marbella, Spain. When they converted to a Halal hotel after being bought by a Saudi Arabian investor, they were afraid to lose their existing customers; however, they found that a large percentage of their guests were nonMuslims who found the family-friendly nature of the hotel and the absence of a nightclub appealing; so businesses may position themselves as 'family-friendly' for more mainstream appeal.”

“One way to avoid the dilemma of marketing to Muslims while not alienating others is to market to the Muslim audience through targeted marketing channels, such as Muslim media, local publications in Muslim majority countries, as well as targeted ad campaigns,” she says.”

DinarStandard is starting to work with destinations to market them as Muslim-friendly through targeted email campaigns, by working with Muslim influencers and travel bloggers and through targeted social media campaigns.”

Even without these challenges, there are some important issues that need to be sorted out. Ambiguity remains in terms of acceptable standards for the Halal tourism industry, as there is still no global Halal tourism certification system. According to the State of Global Islamic Economy report, besides the Halal integrity-related controversies as well as the geopolitical challenges that brand "Islam" faces, there are also structural and operational challenges faced by the sectors. Key issues that still need to be dealt with are regulations, standardisation, compliance; Halalcertified raw materials, supply chain integrity; human capital development and training; consumer education; global positioning (variances in terminology, e.g., Shariahcompliant, Halal, Muslim-friendly, family-friendly); SME/ venture financing; IP protection; operational excellence in quality, competitiveness, innovation, and profitable solutions. But these will have to be solved on the go because Halal travel is here and about to take off and ambivalence would just leave one standing on the runway, watching the vapour trails

SPENDING FROM EACH REGION Central Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

Eastern Europe

South Asia

North America

Other

6% 3%

MENA (GCC)

3I%

MENA (Other)

25%

5% 2%

4% I%

GCC TRAVEL FOCUS 3% OF GLOBAL MUSLIM POPULATION BUT 3I% OF MUSLIM TRAVEL EXPENDITURE

East / SE Asia

I2%

Western Europe

6%

Source: State of the Global Islamic Economy, 2013

THE HALAL HOTEL

1

HALAL-CERTIFIED KITCHENS. SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS TO SERVE FOOD LATE DURING RAMADAN

2

MALE/FEMALE PRAYER ROOMS OR LOCATED CLOSE TO A MOSQUE. ALTERNATIVELY, PRAYER DIRECTION INDICATED IN ROOMS WITH PRAYER MATS AND TIMINGS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST. QURAN AVAILABLE IN THE ROOMS

3 4 5 6

BATHROOMS IN ROOMS FITTED WITH BIDETS AND HAND SHOWERS NO ALCOHOL SERVED ON THE PREMISES (NO PUBS AND CLUBS)

NO CASINO ON THE PREMISES SEGREGATED BEACHES/POOLS/SPAS/GYMS/ WELLNESS CENTRES WITH ENOUGH PRIVACY. APPROPRIATE SWIMWEAR ALLOWED FOR FEMALES

7

FEMALE ROOM ATTENDANTS AND OTHER STAFF FAMILIAR WITH THE NEEDS OF THE MUSLIM TRAVELLER

43 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

business > bottomline

BRINGING IN THE BEST

SEVEN WAYS TO RECRUIT TOP CANDIDATES IN QATAR.

W

ith its increasingly diversified economy and high-quality healthcare system, Qatar has become one of the countries which has the most prosperous and appealing employment scenario in the whole region. In fact, according to the Bayt.com Middle East Job Index (February 2016), 61% of respondents in Qatar say that their country of residence is more attractive as a job market in comparison to other MENA countries.

A number of elements – such as the rate of expatriates and lower HR budgets – are posing unique challenges facing HR and recruitment professionals in Qatar and the GCC region today. Whilst different elements continue to pose both challenges and opportunities to the local labour market, reaching out to a qualified talent pool in Qatar is not an easy feat. But we have good news for you. With its series of full-fledged employer solutions, Bayt.com can give you and your company the edge to find the right person, in the right place, at the right time. Here are also seven ways to recruit outstanding candidates in one of the most controversial yet abounding talent hives in the region.

BUILD YOUR EMPLOYER BRAND As in any other country of the region, a large portion of candidates is passive, meaning that they are not actively looking for a job – either because they have one or they are first-time jobseekers who easily get lost amid the crowd. To penetrate a massive workforce including proactive and passive candidates, the secret is building a social proof to set yourself apart as ‘the’ place to work. Make sure that, in doing so, your company is telling stories that showcase how it operates and what makes it truly special to work in. Incorporate a unique message so that also passive jobseekers will develop a genuine interest in your corporate objectives. Tools like Premium Company Profile are essential to build up a compelling employer brand and represent the primary way top organisations like yours communicate to the outside world.

44 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

NARROW YOUR TALENT SOURCING In the war of talents only a strong army of recruiters can stand out. While prowling about the candidate database, the more generic your search is the more possibilities you have to fall into error and hire an ugly fit. To avoid that, you can sort out the cohort of candidates adopting different parameters – like age, field of interest, location and so on – all of them attuned to your business needs. In pursuing your talent search in the MENA region, you will find a powerful ally in Bayt.com CV Search, a state-of-the-art tool that allows you to match candidates’ skills to an individual customer’s requirements by harnessing as many as 30 different search criteria.

WRITE KILLER JOB ADS If you are looking for killer candidates in Qatar, putting effort into crafting an attractive job description is one of the first things that will probably come to your mind. And you are quite right. By spelling out duties and responsibilities of a job, employers create one of the most fundamental pieces of document they must have when planning the staffing programme. While the title is like a handshake and will certainly grab the attention of your target candidates, exciting content and effective call to action will do the rest.

FOCUS ON REAL SKILLS RATHER THAN THE TITLE/ PREVIOUS COMPANY If you think that having worked for a big company or pursued postgraduate studies in a well-known university is indicative of what your candidates are effectively able to do, think again.

Instead of scanning for relevant work experience and a prestigious title, focus on the achievements, the recognition from other people, the references delivered by a teacher or the involvement in a particularly interesting project/activity pursued at a personal level. Whether you are recruiting for an entry level or a senior position, you can also test your candidates’ skills and evaluate their potential by using Bayt.com Tests.

SET UP NETWORKING EVENTS Networking events bring together like-minded professionals from different areas and fields of expertise and are a unique opportunity to ignite conversations and personal connections. As key findings show, Qatari jobseekers blame the little access to networking opportunities in the country, seeing in it a real obstacle during the job search process. Bayt. com Job Fair is a newly developed platform designed to interact in real time with top talents around the globe, no matter where they are. The idea comes from the need to evolve the traditional job fair and provide an ultimate level of convenience for today’s busy professionals by exploring new opportunities. Don’t forget that, being virtual, such initiatives allow you to save considerably on advertising and sourcing costs – which isn’t bad at all.

CONSIDER FRESH GRADUATES It is commonly acknowledged that youth have much more difficulties in finding a job than their adult counterparts. One of the biggest hurdles facing most jobseekers in Qatar is how to enter the labour market, and the small relationship between vocational training in high school and labour market success is at the heart of the problem. According to the Bayt.com ‘Fresh Graduates in the Middle East and North Africa’ survey, June 2014, 75% of respondents claim their college or university did not help them in identifying or applying for suitable job opportunities, while 73% believe that there is low availability of jobs for fresh graduates in their country of residence.

On the other side, there is plenty of evidence to show that hiring fresh graduates is beneficial for various reasons, as they are prone to challenge themselves in a new environment and model to the new culture altogether. In turn, the benefits of hiring fresh graduates over experienced workers include the opportunity to leverage a natural aptitude for innovation, engage with the leaders of tomorrow and welcome new perspectives – a breath of fresh air – within the company. Once you have them on board, you can cultivate their raw talent with continuous training and on-the-job development opportunities, so that they can thrive and grow with you

ENSURE HEALTHY SALARY AND CONTRACT TERMS A survey conducted by Bayt.com and YouGov revealed that only 5% of Qatari respondents are actually satisfied with their current remuneration.

The results of the Bayt.com MENA Salary Survey, May 2016, suggest that salaries are not keeping pace with the rising cost of living in Qatar. Also, the labour market of Qatar is dominated by the pervasive feature of informal employment, which neglects access to work contracts and social insurance, hence contributing to creating discouraging work conditions and negative feelings toward the workplace. If a careless environment may dampen your candidates’ enthusiasm, a positive workplace which ensures stable income and delineates legal terms is bound to improve job quality and retain the top talents who will positively shape your business.

Visit www.bayt.com today and download the white paper to know more about the skills gap crisis in the Middle East.

ABOUT BAYT.COM Bayt.com is the #1 job site in the Middle East with more than 40,000 employers and over 25,750,000 registered job seekers from across the Middle East, North Africa and the globe, representing all industries, nationalities and career levels.

Post a job or find jobs on www.bayt.com today and access the leading resource for job seekers and employers in the region.

45 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

affairs > bottomline

LEAN IN OR LEAN BACK? Carolin Zeitler examines how corporations are evolving in a direction that will invariably begin to cater to women’s motivations as employees.

A

few years ago a friend sent me a video link to a funny talk about the difference between a man’s brain and a woman’s. The speaker explained that in a man’s brain, everything is sorted into neat little boxes and only one box can ever be opened at a time – there’s a box for fishing and a box for work, there’s a box for cars and a box for family. Whatever happens, one box always has to be closed before another is opened, never and under no circumstances must the contents of one box be allowed to touch the contents of another.

In a woman’s brain, on the other hand, everything is connected to everything

46 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

else. Family is connected to work, work is connected to sports, sports is connected to cooking and everything is connected to emotions. It made me laugh. And it made me think. While it is completely exaggerated and a very broad generalisation, I still feel that there is a kernel of truth in this explanation.

Whole books have been written about why this might be so. Personally I think that a lot of it has to do with the way we are raised. Especially after coming to Qatar and seeing that local men here are able to multitask just as well as women back home. My theory is that it has to do with growing up in the majlis, where there are

always many things going on at the same time and there are no women around, so the men have to deal with the little boy tugging at their sleeve, the old man needing help to get up off the chair, while greeting a visitor who has just come in and is finishing a conversation with a peer who is sitting next to them. A situation that Western men rarely find themselves in.

I feel though, that the differences go further than that. Women tend to be more inwardly oriented, while men tend to look more to the outside. There are always exceptions on both sides, of course, and the tendencies are stronger in some people than in others. However, after working with thousands of clients over the past twenty years, I feel that I can see a clear trend. The men I’ve worked with tended to be more concerned about making money, gaining status and looking successful to the outside world, while the women tended to be more concerned with making a difference, growing continuously and feeling they are being authentic. Both parties care about all of the above, of course it’s just the weighting that tends to be different.

Making money vs making a difference I have worked with a lot of female entrepreneurs and executives over the years. In an estimated 85% of the cases, the women were motivated to start their business or work in their executive role mainly because they felt that they could really make a difference through what they were doing. When they thought about which product or service to build their business around, the potential to make a difference or make people’s lives better in some way had priority. Making money was a necessity rather than a motivation.

When I work with men who are trying to identify the product or service they would like to provide, there is definitely a much higher proportion who think about making money first. For them, making a difference is a ‘nice to have’.

There might be many reasons for that.

Men are still the main breadwinners in the vast majority of families around the world. Also, in many cultures girls and boys are still brought up very differently.

Girls are told not to brag, to be nice, etc., while boys learn to compete and to shine by

outdoing others.

In his article “Which jobs have more women than men?” on bbc.com Mark Easton opens with the words: “Most journalists are women. Most authors are women.

Most teachers, lab technicians, therapists, editors, librarians, public relations officers and insurance underwriters are women.”

This list shows a clear preference towards professions that have a great potential to make a difference and support the positive development of society.

Gaining status vs continuous personal growth In 2011 we started work on a project that later became a book. When we asked women from all around the world to send us their success stories, we found that the 34 entries that we collected for an anthology of women’s success stories showed some trends despite the diversity of the stories.

Many of the women described their version of success as getting out of the corporate environment and setting up on their own.

Interestingly, we did not get a single entry that spoke about corporate success as the end goal; some just mentioned it as a stepping stone on the way to something far more important to them – a balanced life. The closest thing we got to a corporate success story were two women rising through the ranks of the Canadian Space

So maybe creating gender equality is less about trying to match women’s behaviour in the workplace to that of the men and more about the reverse. Maybe instead of asking women to lean in we could ask men to lean back a bit more often.

47 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

affairs > bottomline

Agency and a non-profit organization, respectively.

The only two criteria for success that all of the stories referred to were continuous personal growth and authenticity. Money was only mentioned in one out of 34 stories that were entered.

Power vs authenticity Another example of looking inside vs looking outside is power vs authenticity. A mark of success for many women is when they can fully be themselves at work. A mark of success for many men is to have power over others.

As Google engineer and Jolly Good Fellow (that’s his official job title) Chade-Meng Tan explains in Search Inside Yourself – a book on how EQ and mindfulness positively impact the bottom line, the individual employee, their reports and world peace – that people who are more authentic, more mindful and have a higher EQ are better leaders and more productive employees, even in an unlikely environment like the US Navy. And the so-called ‘soft skills’ are only becoming more important as we are heading into the age of the knowledge economy.

Times they are a-changin’ Anyone can work on a production line, it’s easy to replace someone who drops out. So in the past, the scales were tipped in favour of the employer.

But the environment is changing more and more and the scales have now been evened out and are about to be tipped in 48 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

favour of the employee. In a world where specific expertise and experience in one of tens of thousands of disciplines is something companies need for their survival, never mind staying ahead, employees are not as replaceable anymore – the pool of people to pick from is becoming smaller.

So it will be interesting to see whether more women are willing to rise through the corporate ranks as corporations are creating cultures that are less competitive and more collaborative, as more priority is given to soft skills and as working hours are becoming more flexible.

Furthermore, the more automated the production of goods is becoming, the more capacity we have for creating new services. We are also becoming increasingly interested in ‘luxuries’ like happiness and what that means for each individual, as fewer people are having to fight for survival on a daily basis. So will these changes attract more women into the workplace?

Will the gender gap close in other ways too?

Will men be looking for more work-lifebalance too?

I opened with a story about a memory and I’d like to close with another. Years ago I read a novel about a mother who was working in the finance sector and trying to be everything to everyone. There were a lot of comical incidences where the PTA looked down their noses at her because she didn’t bring homemade cakes; she had unnoticed stains on her work blouse from burping the baby just before work; and she fell asleep at the keyboard of her computer.

However, I remember that I was quite upset with the author because the protagonist chose to give up her career for the sake of her family in the end. I wished it didn’t have to be a choice between either neglecting her family or neglecting her job.

These days I feel there is hope. More and more people are calling out the outdated belief that only people who spend ridiculous amounts of time at the office can progress. Studies are being conducted that prove over and over that happier, healthier, well-rested employees that have time for their families are more productive and more creative at work. So maybe creating gender equality is less about trying to match women’s behaviour in the workplace to that of the men and more about the reverse. Maybe instead of asking women to lean in we could ask men to lean back a bit more often.

Just a thought

SECURING OUR ENERGY WEALTH WITH THE MIDDLE EAST ACCOUNTING FOR NEARLY 35% OF GLOBAL OIL EXPORTS, ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE IS CRITICAL: IT REPRESENTS A NATIONAL STRATEGIC ISSUE AND IS A HIGHLY SENSITIVE SPOT IN EVERY COUNTRY'S NATIONAL AND ECONOMIC SECURITY. THESE INSTALLATIONS ARE SEEN AS THE REGION'S ACHILLES HEEL AND HAVE BEEN AN ATTRACTIVE TARGET FOR TERRORISTS AND OTHER HOSTILE GROUPS OR STATES. CONSIDERING THAT ANY DAMAGE CAUSED TO ENERGY SECTOR INFRASTRUCTURE COULD HAVE AN IMMEDIATE AND TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON THE GULF'S ECONOMIES, HOW ARE WE PROTECTING THEM?

BY SASA ZUZMAHOWSKY

49 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

energy > tag this

T

hreats to energy infrastructure occur at all levels, from individual acts of sabotage or terrorism to major regional wars. For various reasons, the Middle East cannot be termed “safe” and the threat of “terrorism” looms large, explains Rajiv Roychaudhuri, Associate Director & BU Head (Energy & Power) at MarketsandMarkets. The highest-ranked country in the Middle East on the World Peace Index is Qatar, which is ranked at 34 while the rest of the Middle East countries have ranks beyond 50. But even if worstcase scenarios do not materialise, the region has a long history of disruptions to oil and gas production and transport. Historically the conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa have had significant, though not apocalyptic, impact on the world oil market and the recurrence of disruption in the future cannot be excluded.

For example, a sabotage attempt on Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia in 2002 which could have impacted at least 10% of the world’s oil supply, as well as last year’s incident at In Amenas clearly highlight that risks are real and should be taken very seriously.

Vulnerable energy transit Despite energy infrastructure security being constantly improved and oil and gas

facilities representing only a small portion of terrorist attack targets, Robin Mills, in his study “Risky Routes: Energy Transit in the Middle East,” notes a sharp rise in terrorist attacks related to oil and gas.

According to him, “analysis of historical patterns of attack suggests that oil and gas fields, processing facilities, refineries, and export terminals are easier to protect from attack, except in cases such as Syria, Libya, and northern Iraq where security has entirely broken down.”

However, there were numerous disruptions and attacks on energy supply facilities in the entire region, such as port blockades in Libya, and sabotage in Sinai, Yemen and Southeast Turkey. Pipelines, tankers and secure transit lines are even easier targets, despite technological improvements through introduction of cameras and drones. Traditionally, transit through the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz has always been seen as one of the most sensitive spots, but there are other vulnerabilities, with potential disruption scenarios ranging from small-scale local terrorism and sabotage to major interstate conflicts.

This is why some countries in the Gulf have taken decisive measures to avoid dependence on key choke points by building bypass pipelines, which may mitigate

REGIONAL THREAT MAP

Local threat to energy infrastructure Threat to energy transit

50 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

existing risks in the case of serious threats.

Bypass pipelines include SUMED (which avoids the Suez Canal); the HabshanFujairah pipeline in the UAE (bypassing Hormuz); and the Saudi Petroline, which runs to the Red Sea, avoiding the choke point at Hormuz.

But so far most concern has focused on oil exports due to their importance for the global economy, while security of gas production and LNG transit routes has not been fully explored.

Gas transit is more problematic than oil because the high cost of gas transportation makes alternative routes more costly to construct. LNG can only be carried by tankers and thus there is no plausible way of lessening the Qatari dependence on Hormuz, for example. Mills’ study indicates that the very underdeveloped state of international pipelines in the broader Middle East region leaves limited space for any diversions or alternatives, unlike, for instance, Eastern Europe. Even within the GCC, there is only one significant gas pipeline: the Dolphin line from Qatar to the UAE and Oman. Additional pipeline routes may be individually vulnerable, but they at least diversify supplies and markets.

However, physical infrastructure is

not enough. In order to avoid largescale security complications, a more comprehensive approach is needed.

Therefore Mills highlights the importance of institutions, as improvements in energy infrastructure have to be followed by a framework of regulation, legislation and diplomacy. Any crossborder or multilateral pipeline requires agreements on international cooperation – something that Gulf countries have been a bit short of. The same could be applied to construction of strategic storage. “The effective combination of infrastructure and institutions has a strategic benefit even if it is never used. By making oil exporters and consumers less vulnerable to threats it makes it less likely that such threats will be carried out,” he says.

Oil workers and firemen try to extinguish flames at the Khabbaz oil field some 20 kilometres southwest of Kirkuk on June 1, 2016 following a reported improvised explosive attack by the Islamic State (IS) group. The Khabbaz oil field produces around 20,000 barrels of oil per day and is situated between areas disputed by opposing fighters from the Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces and the Islamic State (IS) group.

AFP / Marwan IBRAHIM

Cyber threats Besides physical threats, one of the greatest concerns nowadays is the issue of cybersecurity. Operational technology, such as industrial automation and control systems, including power plants, oil and gas transportation and manufacturing, are also connected to networks. The manufacturing and energy/utilities sectors reported 23% of all cyber security infringements 51 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

energy > tag this

IRAQ-CONFLICT-OIL-GAS-KIRKUK A picture taken with a mobile phone shows smoke billowing from oil silos following an attack by militants on a gas facility and the nearby Bai Hassan oil field in Iraq's northern Kirkuk province on July 31, 2016. Gunmen travelling on motorbikes opened fire on the gas facility's guards, then killed four of its employees and planted multiple bombs before escaping, officials from Iraq's North Oil Company and the Kurdish peshmerga forces said.

AFP / STRINGER

in 2014 according to IBM. “In the oil and gas industry, 27% of all attacks are considered advanced and targeted and thus the potential for an attack to interrupt production activity is high,” revealed Trend Micro, a security software company.

According to Roychaudhuri: “There is no significant data to conclude whether these attacks were initiated by professional hackers or terrorists; however, many agencies have not ruled out the fact that terrorists and hackers work hand in hand to organize these attacks.”

Therefore GCC governments have been called on to secure their critical national infrastructure as cyberattacks evolve to ever more sophisticated levels.

The examples of last year's hacker attack on a Ukrainian power network, leaving 250,000 people in the dark, and a cyber fraud attempt targeting the trading unit of Saudi Aramco and India’s stateowned ONGC when hackers managed to activate highly sophisticated malware that subverts conventional system checks to access sensitive payment data, speak for themselves. According to the Kasperski Lab, breaches were especially common in Turkey, Egypt and Qatar. The most cyber-secure country in the Middle East is Lebanon.

It is evident that cybersecurity is not an

TERRORIST ATTACKS RELATED TO OIL AND GAS 900

Oil and gas-related attacks

Total global attacks

800

16000

14000 Oil Incidents

700 Gas Incidents

12000

600 All Incidents

10000

500 8000 400 6000 300 4000

200

2000

100

0 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

0

Source: FUSE Analysis Based on Data from Global Terrorism Database 52 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

CAUSE AND EFFECT SITUATION

DURATION

IMPACT

Isolated acts of sabotage, perhaps including cyberattacks: labour unrest

Days to years, but episodic

Interrupion of hundreds of thousands bpd of oil exports for short periods

Intensification of piracy

Years, but episodic

Longer shipping times and higher insurance rates

Major attack, disabling a significant pipeline or other facility for an extended period

Days to months

Interruption of hundreds of thousands bpd of oil or up to 10 bcm per year of gas

Days to years

Large increase in transit times, spike in tanker and insurance rates, and likely reconfiguration of oil and gas trade patterns, partly mitigated by increased use of SUMED pipeline

Hampering of Gulf/Hormuz transit

Days to years

Some disruption to 12 mbpd of crude and oil product exports; maybe no supply halt if interruption is show and buffered by stocks

Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz

Days to months

Halt to 12 mbpd of crude and oil product exports25 and 106 bcm per year of LNG exports; maybe no supply halt if iterruption is short and buffered by stocks

Complete disruption of a major producer or transit state (e.g., Libya in 2011)

Days to years

Interruption of up to approximarely 3 million bpd of oil exports or 41 bcm per year of gas

Major regional war

Weeks to years

Interruption of several million bpd of oil exports and up to 140 bcm per year of gas exports

Hampering or blockade of Suez or Bab el Mandab

optional solution but an imperative that must be taken seriously regardless of the high costs as it is easier and much cheaper for hostile groups to harm critical assets from a distance, causing enormous financial damage without physically destroying the target. But “the plunge in oil prices will affect investments and may also reduce spending on unnecessary overheads.

However, security of the existing energy infrastructure might not be reduced as they are mandatory in nature. Further, keeping in mind recent terrorist attacks, the existing security might get tightened (but may not increase per se),” adds Roychaudhuri.

As the energy sector continues to invest in new technologies to automate production, the potential for attacks inevitably grows.

International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that IoT (Internet of Things)related expenditure in the Middle East is

set to rise at a five-year growth rate of 21.9% to total $10.18 billion by 2018. But will this be enough?

According to the Strategy& report “Cybersecurity in the Middle East”, governments in the region are often too slow in offering solutions to these phenomena, as their efforts are fragmented, tactical and reactive. Moreover, they do not include all essential stakeholders. A strategic approach to national cybersecurity is needed that follows a “CCC” framework – comprehensive in nature, collaborative by intention, and capability-driven.”

Meanwhile, a thought by former US National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection and Counterterrorism Richard Clark should be one’s guidance: “If you spend more on coffee than on IT security, you will be hacked.

What’s more, you deserve to be hacked.”

53 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

sports > tag this

MANNING THE MANIA

AFP PHOTO / EVARISTO SA

IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH QATAR TODAY, BRAZILIAN SPORTS ARCHITECT AND STADIUM CONSULTANT DIOGO TADDEI TALKS ABOUT HIS WORLD CUP EXPERIENCES, WHICH INCLUDES A STINT AT THE AL WAKRA STADIUM.

BY UDAYAN NAG

54 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

T

he right person for the right job becomes paramount when an event of the magnitude of the FIFA World Cup is organised.

And it certainly helps when the concerned person has had hands-on experience with previous editions of the quadrennial event. Diogo Taddei had plenty to say during his visit to Qatar recently as he has been involved, in one way or another, with the last three football World Cups. Taddei was also part of the design consultancy team for the 2014 World Cup in his home country, and worked as design manager for the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

So, with three World Cups under his belt, has Taddei been snapped up by any organisation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar?

“I had some engagements in the early

stages of conceptual and operational planning at the Al Wakra Stadium, which was done with my former company AECOM. That was my only involvement,” says Taddei, adding that his task was primarily to make sure that the stadium was fully compliant with FIFA requirements.

“As far as the operational aspects were concerned, it was about making sure that we would be delivering an architecture plan which flows with the people. Apart from that, it was also about monitoring the players’ route – their arrival, their path to the pitch and back to the changing rooms, etc.”

Taddei says that working on the shell/ facade is an architectural delight. He adds though that a sports architect needs to make sure that the crowd gets a view of the game from anywhere in the stadium and that it also has the best facilities. “The spectators

of design, so that their inputs are included, is critical.

“In hospitality, we needed even more areas for lounges, which we were not being provided with. So we took part of the concourse and created additional lounges.

In that way we were able to provide FIFA with some seats that would be different from the general seating, so that they could increase their revenue.”

Taddei also makes the point that it’s a case of horses for courses as far as dealing with the spectators is concerned.

“There are the fanatics; there are those who want to be a little comfortable; and then those who want extreme comfort.

It’s very much like an airline which sells economy, business-class as well as firstclass tickets. Sometimes there are so many hospitality seats that they don’t fit inside the stadium and have to be accommodated in tents. You have to adapt, whether it’s an existing or a designing facility.”

And what does Taddei have to say about the state of Castelão right now? Has it lived up to its legacy expectations?

“Brazil did a great job in terms of the spectators’ facility. You had all kinds of people showing up. If you treat your supporters like animals, they will behave like animals. If you give them bad seats and toilets and bad transport facilities, they will indulge in vandalism. If you make them feel welcome and comfortable then fan behaviour will be influenced in the best possible manner.”

DIOGO TADDEI (centre) at the 2016 World Stadium Congress in Doha.

A model of the Al-Wakra football stadium in Doha, Qatar.

AFP / KARIM JAAFAR

should not have to look between heads to watch the match. They should have easy access to the toilets and the person selling French fries and hamburgers. And they also want to be getting in and out of the stadium comfortably.”

Taddei feels it’s crucial to ensure that the euphoria of the supporters is not wiped out on the road. “If you go to a concert or a football match and your team wins but you spend three hours getting out of the stadium and another three hours on the road back home, it can spoil all the fun you’ve had.”

He also stresses on the importance of the technical aspects, i.e., the stadium being ready to receive the tournament. “If you don’t have a proper pitch and the lights go out then people are going to remember the stadium for all the wrong reasons.”

As is the case in most parts of the world, a city hosting an event of the stature of the FIFA World Cup has to take into account the legacy angle. What happens to the venues at the conclusion of the games? The Estãdio Plãcido Aderaldo Castelão, one of the stadiums which hosted the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil, was redeveloped with a certain objective in mind.

“The city wanted a multipurpose arena.

They wanted to host various kinds of events, not just football matches. One had to really go into the depths of the concept designed for the transformation. Among the requirements of FIFA was fitting things in as part of the legacy plan,” says Taddei.

“I was part of the design consultancy team which looked into the different aspects of the stadiums of the various regions to see whether it would be feasible to have a World Cup stadium.”

Taddei goes on to share the dilemmas faced while adhering to the legacy requirements. He felt that the percentage of hospitality/VIP seats in the Castelão stadium was on the higher side.

“There were more business seats in that stadium than was needed; the skyboxes could also have been done differently. So, there were lessons to be learnt from those instances.”

According to Taddei, planning for legacy starts as early as planning for the event or else an increase in the costs is incurred.

He is also of the view that involving the operator of the stadium in the early stages

55 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

affairs > tag this

GRANDEUR WORTH ITS HISTORY

WITH QATAR'S HOSPITALITY SECTOR BOOMING, ONE CAN ONLY EXPECT AMAZING THINGS IN THE COMING YEARS AS THE COUNTRY GEARS UP FOR 2022. QATAR TODAY SPEAKS TO SHERATON GRAND DOHA RESORT & CONVENTION HOTEL’S NEW GENERAL MANAGER, NICK HEATH, TO FIND OUT HOW HE KEEPS THE SHIP AFLOAT.

BY KEERTANA KODURU

W

“

e all have our stories, but I would say that over the years, I have learned that everything has two sides. Knowing now to never assume anything and to keep an open mind, I always have the approach that a conflict must be dealt with today ,” says Nick Heath, General Manager of Sheraton Grand Doha, which is known for its distinct pyramid shape that was one of the first iconic structures of the wondrous Doha skyline.

Speaking about his journey, he recalls not being sure at first of taking that step into the field of hospitality, right after completing his engineering degree. Visiting countries all over the world for work and vacations, 27 years later he doesn’t regret his decision one bit. He never looked back from the moment he got accepted into the corporate management training programme at Hyatt in Virginia, USA. “Visiting countries on vacation is an experience but being able to actually live in a country gives you a deeper understanding and a real appreciation of the place,” he says.

Being associated with one of the oldest institutions that is proud to be a part of this country’s history, Heath says, “Sheraton Grand Doha is part of the fabric of a nation, standing as a social icon with such a rich history, and it is only natural to be humbled by the great opportunity to lead a landmark hotel like this one. This brings a certain pride as well as responsibility to continue the famed legacy. Welcoming heads of state and key dignitaries from around the world comes as second nature to us but we still

56 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

feel very privileged. We would like all visitors to enjoy not only the visionary architecture but our Arabian hospitality too.” Sheraton is part of Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which has more than 1,300 hotels around the world, and it was recently designated as a Sheraton Grand Hotel, being welcomed into the brand’s new premier tier of hotels recognized for their enticing destinations, distinguished designs, and excellence in service and guest experiences.

While talking strategy and what he would add to the vision of a flourishing field of hospitality in Qatar, he said “In principle we would like to uphold our reputation for great service, where actions speak louder. We want our teams to inspire, be empowered and to take action.

We give guests smart solutions so they can experience more and make the most of their stay.

For our local visitors we would like to continue our drive to deliver a dining destination.”

Changing trends Social media has changed the face of this industry over the last few years, with reputation management becoming a key investment area in the field. According to ReviewTrackers, the hospitality industry embraced online reviews as part of its marketing, sales, and customer experience strategies in 2015. “Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have revolutionised the manner in which we as a business interact with guests. It is so important for us to clearly understand how to engage with our guests online. Most of our lives are spent online and since there has been quite a shift from traditional marketing to digital, we believe in keeping up to date with trends such as Facebook advertising which helps us reach a large audience. However, it is not just about promoting the hotel, but also

about building relationships and conversations just like we would in person. Video has become such a powerful and influential element in social media, with live streaming on Twitter and video recording options on Facebook and Instagram, that we always try to incorporate videos as a medium to tell stories of what is happening at Sheraton Grand Doha, be it chef or associate stories,” Heath says.

Wishes of wanderlust A modern customer or traveller tends to choose destinations in order to do something for the first time, like attend a music festival, watch a sporting event, or discover cultures outside their own. With an increased focus on physical and mental well-being, people are willing to spend more on travel and hospitality services have seen a major upward trend engaging themselves with customers on a personal level and providing the best that the sector can offer.

“Being a traveller and guest myself, I feel that the demands have changed as we want personalised communication via multiple electronic platforms and an authentic, customised travel experience where each guest is given special attention. At Sheraton Grand Doha, we offer the ‘Lets Chat’ experience on WhatsApp through which guests can instantly communicate with us using the messaging service which allows us to respond immediately to their needs and queries,” says Heath.

“Since I had spent the last 25 years in North and Southeast Asia, I wanted to head west to the Middle East. There is so much growth and activity in the hospitality industry in this part of the world that it was a calling card for me. As I am currently working and living in Qatar, it is the next adventure in my journey,” he concludes 57 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

green scene > tag this

HEAT OF THE

MOMENT

STUDIES CONDUCTED BY REZA SADR, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY IN QATAR, SHOW THAT THE COUNTRY IS GOING THROUGH A PERIOD OF “DRAMATIC WARMING”.

BY UDAYAN NAG 58 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

W

hen it comes to dealing with the unfavourable forces of nature, Qatar is quite literally caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. While the rising sea levels are threatening to submerge vast portions of its land and drastically affect its marine life, the dust particles are reducing the efficiency levels of the solar panels throughout the country. Sadr has been conducting his studies, on behalf of Qatar Foundation, along the coast for a better understanding of the nation’s weather patterns.

“Qatar is one of the largest natural gas producers in the world, and most of these resources are coming off the shore,” says Sadr. “The effect of winds and waves is very important in the exploration and extraction process. And we need to understand climate patterns and atmospheric turbulence in order to plan ahead.”

Sadr feels that even though Qatar is on the coast, the scope for studying the atmosphere, wind, and how the ocean and the coast interact is limited.

“There have been reports that the temperature in Qatar is increasing at a rate of approximately 1.5 degrees Celsius per decade. This warming is affected by atmospheric circulation, wind intensity, and ocean characteristics. The sea surface temperatures have increased, which in turn affects marine life.”

Al Ghariya, a Qatar Museums heritage site, was chosen as the location for conducting the research. The place, according to Sadr, has several advantages.

“It’s located at the north tip of the peninsula, so the wind coming from Shamal passes from here.”

Sadr’s analysis indicates that the country is witnessing a period of dramatic warming.

“During our studies, which includes data from 1983–2013, we found that the number

"There have been reports that the temperature in Qatar is increasing at a rate of approximately 1.5 degrees Celsius per decade."

REZA SADR Associate Professor Texas A&M University in Qatar

of warm/summer days (when the maximum temperature is above 25 degrees Celsius) is increasing. In fact nine warm days per decade have been added during that 30-year period.”

“The sun is hot in this region, so carbon dioxide absorbs more of the sun's energy and does not allow it to be reflected properly.”

He further says that the rise of the minimum temperature is at a higher rate than the maximum temperature, and that there is also a negative trend in the number of cool (winter) days.

Sadr connects the rise of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Qatar with the warming pattern in the country. “The amount of CO2 generated in the country has more than doubled since 2000. The number of cars increased by 230%. The pollution has to be dispersed in the atmosphere. If we break down the population by area then it becomes clear how much pollution is generated per sq m. Qatar doesn’t have mountains or forests but there is a consistent wind for most of the year.” He adds: “Qatar only has

two seasons (summer and winter) since there is no spring or autumn.”

According to Sadr, the CO2 emissions also have an adverse effect on water bodies.

“Qatar’s lifeline depends on water. If the flow of water in the ocean is disturbed then it’s detrimental for the people. We are trying to have a better understanding of these parameters.”

The wind speed of Qatar continues to be a subject of debate, with there being a perception that other Gulf countries like the UAE are more blessed in that regard. Is there an element of truth in it?

“All GCC countries have a similar wind speed which is not great in terms of an alternate form of energy. We took a oneyear average and our reading showed that it was six metres/second.” Sadr says that wind speed is more related to dispersion of pollutants rather than global warming.

He also holds the view that the wind dictates how all pollution generated from the refineries is dispersed into the atmosphere. “If you are designing a refinery or power plant, you need to know about the direction of the wind.”

If one has a look at the graphs made by Sadr, it is worth noting that despite the planet getting hotter by the year, there is a fluctuation in the number of cool nights in Qatar – it’s up and own. Should there not be a continuous downward slide, considering that there has been a steady rise in global temperatures over the years?

“The number of cool days has been constant in the last 15 years. Maybe it’s because the body of the water in this country has reached a point where it dampens the temperature of the atmosphere.”

As far as the credibility of climate predictions is concerned, Sadr says that people who talk about global warming do so on the basis of evidence unlike those who claim that it’s part of the Earth cycle 59 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

A BRAVE NEW WORLD EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT

60 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, IT IS EDUCATION AND RESEARCH THAT WILL BRING QATAR CLOSER TO REALISING ITS VISION FOR THE FUTURE. IN OUR ANNUAL EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SECTOR IN THE PAST YEAR AND HEAR FROM INSTITUTIONS WHO ARE AT THE VANGUARD OF THIS MARCH FORWARD.

61 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

QATAR TODAY

EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT

QATAR UNIVERSITIES UP THE ANTE IT MIGHT BE A LEAN TIME OF THE YEAR IN THE ENTIRE GULF REGION, BUT THERE WAS NO DEARTH OF ACTIVITY OR NEWS RELATED TO SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES IN DOHA IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS. AND THERE’S PLENTY MORE IN STORE AS STUDENTS HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL AFTER THE SUMMER BREAK.

W

hether it was about universities getting involved with the country’s cybersecurity efforts, or a hike in school fees for the upcoming year, the education sector has been all hustle and bustle of late.

In a major development in July this year, Lockheed Martin tied up with Hamad bin Khalifa University in Qatar and the University of Patras in Greece to help the Qatari government develop a mechanism to tackle cybersecurity issues. The discussions, which stretched over two days, also focused on the importance of having a future generation of cyber defenders.

The 2016 Summer Olympics might be over but Rio continues to be in the news. Late last month, the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, founded by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser four years ago, collaborated with the Association Apprentice School City and the

62 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

Municipal Secretary of Education of Rio de Janeiro to educate 16,000 children living in Rio’s slums.

Earlier in May, there were a couple of major developments concerning schools in Qatar. In announcements made by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, 55 schools in the country were given the go-ahead to raise their tuition fees for the upcoming school year. In another interesting bit of news, Qatar’s publicly run kindergartens and schools will be wrapping up their days earlier than usual. The move will affect more than 1,00,000 students and is aimed at providing them with more time to prepare for end-of-the-year exams, according to a statement released by the ministry.

Alpen Capital came out with its report recently, according to which “the GCC education sector is witnessing a robust growth in student enrolments coupled with a steady expansion in related infrastructure”. The growth of the private

education sector has been spurred on by the population growth and rise in disposable income, the report further added. The publication noted the presence of highly acclaimed international universities in Qatar and the UAE as the reason for the two countries being the “emerging education hubs in the Middle East”.

In other news, Qatar University was given a shot in the arm when it was ranked as the No.1 university in the Middle East

by Round University Ranking (RUR).

The rankings agency, based in Moscow, measures the performance of 750 leading world universities by 20 unique indicators across four key areas of activities – teaching, research, international diversity and financial sustainability.

It would have been hard to find a dull moment in Qatar’s schools and colleges recently. Participate in the September Spotlight feature of Qatar Today, which puts the focus back on the leading educational institutions in the country

INSPIRING INNOVATION IN EDUCATION CITY

CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY IN QATAR OFFERS A UNIQUE APPROACH TO SCHOLARSHIP AND RESEARCH AND ITS GRADUATES ARE HIGHLY SOUGHT-AFTER BY REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS.

I

n 2004, Carnegie Mellon University entered into a partnership with Qatar Foundation to offer highly ranked undergraduate programmes in Education City.

After the enrolment of just 41 students in its first class, CMU-Q today is home to over 400 students and offers five undergraduate degree programmes: Biological Sciences, Business Administration, Computational Biology, Computer Science and Information Systems.

The university’s graduates are highly sought-after by regional and international organisations, and the vast majority is in graduate programmes or employed in top organisations like Google, Microsoft, Qatar Petroleum, Shell and Commercial Bank of Qatar. In May 2016, 89 students graduated from our programmes, bringing the total number of alumni to 570.

Students enjoy a favourable faculty-to-student ratio, which helps to foster their abilities and talents.

Programmes of study

CMU-Q offers undergraduate programmes in technology, innovation, scientific discovery and economic growth. All undergraduate majors require four years of full-time study,

following which students earn a Bachelor of Science degree.

Biological Sciences: The Biological Sciences programme is offered in collaboration with the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar.

The programme uses interdisciplinary approaches to tackle some of today’s most important scientific problems, and provides students with an intellectual approach to modern research biology.

Business Administration: Carnegie Mellon’s undergraduate Business Administration programme has earned global recognition for its approach to the study of business management as a science. The Qatar Business Administration programme further extends the reach of this powerful curriculum. Business administration students partner with professors, students, researchers and employers to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world situations.

Computational Biology: The Department of Biological Sciences at Carnegie Mellon realised the potential of computational biology early, offering one of the first degree programmes in the United 63 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

QATAR TODAY

EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT

States. This programme provides an intensive, interdisciplinary education, which enables outstanding students to become leaders in identifying and solving tomorrow’s biological problems by using computational methods.

Computer Science: Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science is known worldwide as an incubator of original ideas, which have led to some of the most exciting advancements in computer science. Students in the computer science programme acquire a wide variety of skills that transcend technological trends.

Information Systems: The Information Systems programme at Carnegie Mellon University exposes students to four areas fundamental to understanding and solving problems in information systems: organisations, decision-making, research methods and professional communications. Students may specialize in social and global aspects of technology, in technology and applications development, in applications of technology to business, or in user experience in design.

Cutting-edge research

Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar fosters an innovative research environment, encouraging a collaborative approach.

Faculty researchers often work with Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, institutions within Education City, and major centres around the world. Research is an important part of the undergraduate educational experience at CMU-Q, with students engaging in independent studies, senior and honours theses, as well as summer internships and funded projects as junior researchers.

Faculty members contribute to the CMU-Q body of work through studies funded by Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) and internal seed research funds. Funded projects fall within the core disciplines of Biological Sciences, Business Administration, Computational Biology, Computer Science and Information Systems, as well as complementary areas like mathematics, languages, environmental science and social sciences.

Current projects relate to cloud computing, education, robotics, bacteriophages, business process design and engineering, innovation-driven entrepreneurship, next-generation wireless networks, cybersecurity and air quality.

Community outreach

Carnegie Mellon Qatar has strong ties to the community through several outreach efforts that target pre-college students. Several 64 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

workshops take place each semester to introduce students to the different programmes of study: Biotechnology Explorers Programme for biological sciences; Tajer Investment for Qatar for business administration; CS4Qatar and CS4Qatar for Women for computer science; and Ibtikar for information systems.

The Summer College Preview Program is a three-week offering that provides a glimpse into the rigours of university coursework.

Students attend math and English courses; prepare a project in one of the four programmes of study; and learn essential skills for standardized tests and college applications.

CMU-Q also holds educational competitions like Botball, Alice Computer Programming and the Pi-Day Mathematics Contest to involve and engage students in high schools across Qatar.

Collaborations with industry

CMU-Q has strong ties with government and industry through partnerships that provide internships and job opportunities to students. In return, we provide our partners with executive and professional education training; during the past year, we have worked with hundreds of professionals from government agencies and corporations in Qatar.

Ideas that shape your world start here

As a global leader in education, Carnegie Mellon University is known for its creativity, collaboration across disciplines, and top programmes in business, technology and arts. The university has been home to some of the world’s most influential thinkers, among them 19 Nobel Laureates and 12 Turing Award winners.

Carnegie Mellon University ranked 23rd in the Best National Universities category in US News & World Report’s 2016 list, and 22nd in the Times Higher Education world university ranking.

Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar – like all Carnegie Mellon campuses globally – is founded on the firm belief that by encouraging scientific inquiry and promoting practical preparedness, the university is providing a generation of thinkers, business leaders, researchers and scientists who will change the world. Core values of innovation, creativity, collaboration and problem solving provide the foundation of everything that the university stands for.

Carnegie Mellon has more than 13,000 students, 100,000 alumni and 5,000 faculty and staff globally. In Qatar, students from more than 40 countries enrol at our world-class facilities in Education City, which gives them a truly unique and multicultural experience

QATAR TODAY

EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT

CNAQ TO OFFER BACHELOR’S DEGREES THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE BY GERRY BYRNE, MINISTER OF ADVANCED EDUCATION AND SKILLS FOR NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR, WHO WAS IN QATAR TO ATTEND CNA-Q’S 14TH GRADUATION CEREMONY.

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ollege of the North Atlantic - Qatar (CNA-Q) is expanding its programme offerings to better meet the needs of business and industry and the career aspirations of students in Qatar by making a move towards offering bachelor’s degrees. The college was granted authority to offer the degrees in May. The announcement was made by Gerry Byrne, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills for Newfoundland and Labrador, who was in Qatar to attend CNA-Q’s 14th and largest graduation ceremony. Byrne said the ability to grant degrees “will assist CNA-Q in expanding programming and increasing enrolment, help ensure the college’s ability to meet the growing demand of employers, and for colleges of applied learning to be able to grant students a degree-level credential.”

The news was welcomed by CNA-Q president Dr Ken MacLeod.

“Students and parents have been asking for degrees to be offered at CNA-Q for a long time. This legislation provides us the opportunity to meet the expectations of Qatar’s youth and their parents, and still maintain our focus on applied learning and meeting the needs of the workforce of Qatar, while achieving the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030,” said MacLeod.

Dr MacLeod added there are still many details to be worked through, including the structure of the degrees to be offered, the quality assurance framework, when the first class would be enrolled, and which programmes would be included in the first year. He added: “We will be working closely with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Qatar to meet its requirements so we can move forward on this exciting development as quickly as possible. If everything falls into place, our goal is to launch our first degree in September 2017. This is a tremendous boost for CNA-Q

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and its students and stakeholders. The college has documented hundreds of inquiries from existing students, alumni and others who want to complete their degree at CNA-Q.” CNA-Q currently offers 30 programmes in four schools: Business Studies, Engineering Technology, Health Sciences and Information Technology. The college was opened in 2002 to meet the needs of the state for more qualified, technically competent graduates for Qatar’s growing businesses and industries.

CNA-Q’s new degrees will meet the standards of conceptual sophistication, academic rigour and specialized knowledge, while aligning with the college’s philosophy of experiential applied learning, where the disciplinary content is oriented to an occupational field of practice and the changing needs of Qatar’s workforce

auto news > viewpoint

THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY

MODERN DRIVER SAFETY AIDS ARE PAVING THE WAY FOR INCREASED AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE CAPABILITY DURING THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, ACCORDING TO SAMIR CHERFAN, THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF NISSAN MIDDLE EAST.

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t’s a news story that simply won’t go away. The automobile industry has been busy investing in, and developing, automated driving technologies. This has been a constant headline for the past two years and the potential upheaval and impact autonomous driving technology will have when it becomes a day-to-day reality cannot be overstated and should not be underestimated.

We are seeing the results of this exciting new technology already filtering into contemporary production vehicles, with digital connectivity, safety and driver assist systems now transforming the way we drive, run and maintain our cars,

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vans and trucks. Yet there is a common misconception still that fully autonomous driving is still many years away. The reality, however, is that this technology is being developed at an incredible speed by a number of manufacturers – and not just established carmakers.

Why the push for automated driving in the first place? There are two goals: aiming at zero emissions for a cleaner environment and zero road fatalities for enhanced safety on the roads. For as long as vehicles are propelled by the burning of fossil fuels this planet will face ecological problems and, while human beings are responsible for operating these vehicles, mistakes will

be made and accidents will happen. To prevent either scenario is what responsible manufacturers are working toward, for the benefit of all.

As expected from a forward-thinking industry leader, Nissan is right at the forefront of this innovation and many of its cars are already equipped with technologies that would have seemed like science fiction only a few years ago.

Certain Nissan cars have the ability to park themselves, warn their drivers of potential hazards, maintain a safe distance from other road users and automatically apply emergency braking – all extremely practical and useful for removing the stress from driving. But the company is not resting on its laurels.

Our CEO, Carlos Ghosn, had much to say on the future of mobility and Nissan’s involvement in it, at the 2016 Geneva International Motor Show. He believed that our Intelligent Mobility vision is a framework to move customers around the world toward a safer and more sustainable future, and in order to realise this vision, Nissan had launched a long-term strategy, supported by significant R&D investments.

He added that this enabled Nissan to introduce the breakthrough LEAF, the world’s first mass-production EV, in 2010 – years before any of our competitors. It has also driven our development of cuttingedge autonomous drive technologies, which will be available in a range of massproduction models by 2020. He finally reaffirmed that Nissan’s aim is to lead the way toward a new era of mobility.

Nissan’s commitment to developing intelligent mobility is evidenced on a local level through its SmartCar application and on a global level with its Autonomous Driving R&D. In Britain, Nissan is already manufacturing "Piloted Drive" cars, with the award-winning Nissan Qashqai crossover being earmarked to be the first to offer it to customers. This is technology that’s normally the preserve of expensive luxury cars but Nissan is determined to apply it to one of its most popular – and most accessible for many customers – making it readily available to potentially millions of people.

Intelligent mobility still has final hurdles to overcome. But the race to introduce fully automated driving to our towns and cities is not far off on the horizon. Nissan has developed its own technologies and is in the process of refining them, with concrete plans to introduce vehicles equipped with autonomous drive technologies in 2017.

These cars will be able to negotiate road hazards and even change lanes while driving and, by the year 2020, Nissan intends to introduce technology that will allow cars to drive themselves on busy intersections and crossroads, in complete safety for occupants and pedestrians alike.

Naturally, safety and security are at the front of everyone’s minds right now and for Nissan these are vital attributes for our future autonomous vehicles.The company is investing enormous sums of money and resources to make our future cars as safe as possible. It’s all about intelligent mobility, after all

BY SAMIR CHERFAN Managing Director Nissan Middle East

69 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

test drive > auto news

THE NEW KIND OF OLD SCHOOL

Cruising around The Pearl in a tomato red Ferrari California T, you come to the conclusion that life is sometimes all about luxuries and not just the necessities.

By Sindhu Nair

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Ferrai is always associated with old school heritage and accumulated wealth. In Qatar, this fact is slightly different; it is the favourite ride for the young with loads of money and , according to Ferrari, the California T is a new kind of old school.

How old school can a Ferrari be? According to the brand, choosing a Ferrari is choosing heritage above convention. I would say it is choosing heritage backed with wealth. The heritage is apparent in the feel of the Frenchstitched leather panels, the rigidly firm bucket seats and the familiar glow of the dashboard with its circular display screens. Wealth is also distinctly apparent in the fierce red of the car and the orange-toned leather interior with its most up-to-date technological advancements. The California T is old school in its portrayal of the Ferrari design but it packs a solid punch when it comes to looks and performance.

The California legacy traces back to 1957 with the production of the first, original V12-engined 250 California – a spectacular 2-seater convertible, often heralded as one of

the greatest examples of automotive design.

Spanning a period of over five decades, the model has evolved gracefully into the present-generation California T with a new turbocharged V8, the reason for the ‘T’ in its name.

A seamless interplay of convex and concave surfaces exudes the sophisticated aura of a classic Ferrari Grand Tourer. Its softer curves, a generous luggage compartment and robust chassis make it a favourable choice for long, rugged journeys, while its retractable hard top and 2+2 configuration lend it superior versatility.

While sports machines are known for their lack of comfort factor, the California T seems to blend in comfort through its seamless design features and its not-so-low profile which makes it an immediate choice for the younger generation who prefer to ride adventurously when the need arises (read areas where there is no traffic vigilance).

The interface encompasses the Ferrari steering wheel with integrated controls while the Turbo Performance Engineer (TPE) takes pride of place between the two air vents at the centre of the dash. This is a sophisticated instrument with a touch-sensitive scroll surround and a digital display that provides indications on making the most efficient use of the new engine’s performance. The California T also has a new infotainment system with a large, extremely intuitive 6.5” display and a choice of both button and touch-screen controls.

The new model also boasts true sports car dynamics, thanks to lower steering wheel activity and quicker steering courtesy of a new steering box and new suspension set-up.

To get the full momentum of this machine, Fouad Aboulhosn, Marketing Manager of Al Fardan Sports Motors, took to the wheel to discover the roll and pitch reduction at curves, the full-on power delivery and the instant response and handling of the machine.

The car’s proportions are designed by the Ferrari Styling Centre in collaboration with Pininfarina, according to Al Fardan representatives, and is in line with Ferrari’s front-engine ethos.

The highly responsive turbo technology of the California T, when tested in the efficient hands of Aboulhosn, took the car from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds flat and from 0 to 200 km/h in 11.2 seconds.

Its top-notch performance is further complemented by a maximum power of 412 kW at 7500 rpm and a torque of 755 Nm) at 4750 rpm.

This is one old school that’s completely attuned to the new generation

Acceleration:

0 to 100 km/h in

3.6

seconds

0 to 200 km/h in

II.2

seconds

Maximum power:

412 kW at

7500

rpm

Torque:

755 Nm at

4750

rpm

71 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

business > auto news

THE FIRST MASERATI LEVANTE IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR TEST DRIVE IN QATAR.

MEC COMES DOWN ON LEXUS

LOVE FOR THE MINI ENDURES

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lfardan Automobiles, the official MINI importer in Qatar, recorded a 27% increase in sales for the first half of 2016. The MINI 3-Door Hatch saw an increase of 19% while the MINI 5-Door variant recorded an upswing of 15% in sales over the same period in 2015.

“Our sales figures are testament to the growing appetite amongst premium car owners in Qatar for the MINI experience,” said Ihab Allam, General Manager of Alfardan Automobiles. “By combining the British pedigree of the brand with our impeccable customer care and bespoke

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services, we have been able to showcase the brand’s portfolio of best-in-class models coupled with a limitless variety of equipment and accessories,” he added.

The MINI 3-Door Hatch made its way to the Middle East in early 2014, followed by the 5-Door Hatch six months later. Both feature expanded legroom, headroom and boot space. The two are also renowned for the engine variants of BMW Group’s latest-generation 3 and 4-cylinder engines with TwinPower Turbo Technology, using a six-speed automatic gearbox.

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iting a defect in the inflatable device of airbags for the front passenger, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) announced the recall of the 2010-2011 Lexus IS-F, 2009-2011 Lexus IS-Convert /GX460, and the 2006-2011 Lexus ES350/IS250 vehicles last month.

The move, according to MEC, is aimed at protecting the rights of consumers.

The ministry has also urged all customers to report all violations to the Consumer Protection and Anti-Commercial Fraud Department which receives complaints and suggestions through its communication channels.

As far as the defect in the Lexus cars is concerned, the ministry said it will ensure that the implementation of the procedures and the repair work in the cars are carried out.

NEW FORD AND LINCOLN SHOWROOM OPENED BY AL MANA

Almana Motors Company (AMC), the exclusive distributor for Ford and Lincoln in Qatar, announced the opening of the company’s new showroom on Old Airport Road last month.

KIA LAUNCHES PRE-OWNED CARS PROGRAMME In response to the expanding demands of its consumers, KIA Qatar announced the launch of Konfidence Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicles division for the local market last month. Qatar was chosen as one of the pilot markets for the rebranded division which will eventually roll out to many other countries as well.

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he new premises, which will be dedicated to the Ford and Lincoln automotive brands, are significantly larger than the previous venue on Salwa Road. “We look forward to welcoming our loyal customers and prospective owners to this new showroom, which offers a much larger location in more luxurious surroundings to browse the latest models from both Ford and Lincoln,” said Ian Partridge, General Manager, AMC. “Almana Motors Company looks to always offer our clientele the best experience and service and I believe that the larger premises will allow us to do this. The expanded shop floor will provide for a relaxed and welcoming environment in which we will be able to display a number of models from each of the brands,” he added.

“We are ecstatic that not only do we have a revamped, manufacturer-supported Certified Pre-Owned cars programme; we are also one of the first markets to roll it out regionally and globally, said Hossam Abu Shadi, Automotive Director of Al-Attitya Motors and Trading Co., the official distributor of KIA Motors in Qatar.

“Konfidence will aid us as a distributor in offering flexibility and practicality for our customers as we aim to meet their needs without compromising on KIA’s quality or reliability,” he added.

Based on the existing stock on display, customers can choose from an existing array of CPO cars such as Sportage SUV, Cerato sedan and Soul MPV with model years ranging from 2013 up to as recent as 2016, all with existing manufacturer warranties to boot.

NEW INFINITI Q30 UNVEILED IN QATAR The Infiniti Q30 was launched by the Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co. during an exclusive event held at the Gate Mall last month.

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he Q30 takes Infiniti’s signature design cues and evolves them into new shapes.

The double-arch grille with 3D mesh, for example, has grown from the Q50, with a more fluid movement into the headlamps.

“We, at Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co., are very pleased to officially launch the new Infiniti Q30 at the one-of-a-kind Infiniti Boutique in the region,” said Martin Aherne,

Acting General Manager of the company.

“With the launch of the Infiniti Q30, we further extend the range of our models to a completely new segment of customers in Qatar. The Infiniti Q30 features a dynamic design and class-leading performance, combined with perfect craftsmanship that will set a new benchmark in its segment and will assure to deliver Infiniti’s premium experience,” he added.

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business > marketwatch WAY TO GO!

Doha Bank was named ‘Qatar Domestic Trade Finance Bank of the Year’ at the Asian Banking and Finance Awards 2016 held recently in Singapore.

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ommenting on the achievement, Dr R Seetharaman, CEO of Doha Bank, said: “Adequate trade finance has an important role to play in boosting exports, improving SME competitiveness and accelerating national economic growth. Doha Bank recognises this fact and we have been diligent in ensuring that our resolve to support trade finance remains undimmed even during volatile and challenging market conditions,” Doha Bank recently launched ‘Supply Chain Financing’ which benefits small businesses engaged in supplying goods to larger establishments by providing them with improved working capital and liquidity.

ASPEN WINTER IN DUBAI GET THE PICTURE?

Coinciding with the tenth year anniversary of the hotel’s opening, the Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates unveiled the Aspen Chalets.

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reated as an exclusive hotel within a hotel – the Aspen Chalets boast all the comforts of a ski lodge with the warmth of world-class service.

A dichotomy between snow and sun, the chalets offer guests spectacular views of the wintery slopes of Ski Dubai, or the calming waters of the outdoor infinity swimming pool.

Located on the 2nd floor of the Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates, there are a variety of Aspen Chalets categories to suit couples and families,

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including the 3-Bedroom Aspen Ski Chalet featuring charming 4-poster beds, the 2-Bedroom Aspen Ski Chalet, Duplex Aspen Ski Chalets, Aspen Ski Chalets and Aspen Pool Chalets.The rooms, which all come with access to the exclusive Executive Lounge, feature spacious marble bathrooms and luxurious Hermès vanities. Qatari families will be pampered with the personalized butler service that is available throughout the stay to meet every need. Rates start from $549 per night.

The LG G5 makes for the perfect holiday travel companion with its wide-angle camera shooting capacity, steady record feature, pop-out picture and funky editing features equipped with dual cameras, including a wide-angle lens that spans 135 degrees. The LG G5 is available across Jumbo Electronics, Spark Lifestyle Electronics and leading hypermarkets. Video Home & Electronic Centre is the sole distributor of LG in Qatar.

ALL ABOUT THAT SOUND

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ifty One East, Qatar’s Favourite Department Store, and Sony bring the GTK-XB7 one-box high-power audio system that comes with Sony’s unique Extra Bass TM technology with vibrant speaker lights for the best stayat-home experience. The store, along with Sony Middle East and Africa FZE, also unveiled the new HT-RT3 5.1ch

surround sound bar system delivering a phenomenal 600W of power through a slim, stylish Sound Bar plus dedicated subwoofer and rear speakers. Both products will be available at the Fifty One East store located in Al Maha Center on Salwa Road in addition to all branches of Virgin Megastore as well as major retailers in Qatar.

PAK DELIGHT AT EZDAN MALL

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two-day Agro Festival held at Ezdan Mall was jointly organised by Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and Zaoq Restaurants, under the umbrella of the Pakistan Qatar Business Forum (PQBF), under the theme ‘Taste of Pakistani Delicacies’.

Addressing the gathering, PQBF president Ahmed Hussain said that the Agro Food Festival was the first event of its kind to be organised to promote Pakistani mangoes, rice and meat varieties. A number of major exporters from Pakistan, who are already established entities in the GCC, Europe and USA displayed their wide range of products. PQBF chairman Mehmmod Arshad said that holding such events would further promote Pakistani products in Qatar, which have a great following in other countries.

BANG & OLUFSEN GROWS ITS B&O FAMILY OF WIRELESS HEADPHONES WITH THE NEW BEOPLAY H5.

THE BEST IN TECH Technical experts from 45 leading specialists’ magazines across 23 European countries voted 59 products best in their category at the European Imaging and Sound Association awards. Harman has been recognized with three 2016-2017 EISA Awards for three products categories, all of which are available for purchase at Jumbo Electronics Qatar.

European High-End Headphones AKG N90Q Headphones European Mobile Headphones JBL Reflect Mini Bluetooth Headphones European Mobile Speaker JBL Charge 3 Portable Bluetooth Speaker 75 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

affairs > tech talk

“I have never set a goal which I know is unrealistic, unless I have specifically said I know it’s unrealistic.”

ELON MUSK The Wall Street Journal concluded in a recent article that Tesla has failed to meet more than 20 of CEO Musk’s projections in the past five years.

HIGH TECH CAMERAS TARGET DRIVERS USING MOBILE PHONES The use of mobile phones while driving causes about 80% of road accidents in Qatar, according to data by the General Traffic Directorate at the Ministry of Interior. It has led to the launch of a campaign that fines violators QR500 caught if using their phones behind the wheel.

A NEW WAVE OF DIGI-PRENEURS

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he Digital Incubation Center at the Ministry of Transport and Communications has once again opened its doors to a new group of young, tech-savvy entrepreneurs who have innovative technology-related ideas, fledgling ICT start-ups, or are ready to start an ICT company. Eleven new start-up teams and 14 idea stage teams have joined DIC last month. The 25 teams were chosen after a rigorous selection process by a panel composed of judges from QMIC, Qatar University, Ooredoo, QNRF and QDB. With the new intake, the total number of tech start-up teams incubated at DIC has reached 44.

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TAKING ON THE TROLLS Police in London are eyeing ways to take down Internet trolls and could end up setting an example for law enforcement officials everywhere.

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ity officials were awarded up to £1.7 million ($2.1 million) to develop and implement what the office calls “an online hate crime hub”. The idea, which is currently just a proof-of-concept, is to clamp down on “online hate” and find ways to thwart online abusers, or trolls. The programme will have four components. First, officials will train a “police team” that will filter and identify online hate crimes. Police will also be trained on how to use “online tools to address online hate crime,” and will work within their community to find volunteers who can quickly help those who have been affected by the online hate crime. Lastly, the officials want to be intelligent in how they target potential online hate speech.

DON’T CHEAT ON POKÉMON GO With unprecedented waves of users getting hooked on Pokémon GO and trying to “catch ‘em all”, the company behind the hit augmented reality game is bringing down the hammer on cheaters.

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hile users have reportedly found creative ways to “walk” without incurring the strain (placing their smartphone on turntables, for example), it isn’t them that Niantic is going after. The developer’s latest efforts appear to be targeting those who spoof their locations using GPS hacks to catch many more Pokémon than they should be able to from the comfort of their homes – or to catch Pokémon outside of their region. Niantic is also allegedly going after those who are using bots to play the game on their behalf. “Your account will be permanently terminated for violations of the Pokémon GO Terms of Service. This includes, but is not limited to: falsifying your location, using emulators, modified or unofficial software and/or accessing Pokémon GO clients or backends in an unauthorized manner including through the use of third-party software,” read the description on Niantic’s webpage. Meanwhile, Iranians got permabanned by their own government, which officially banned the app. The country’s High Council of Virtual Spaces cited “security concerns” for the move, making Iran the first country to take this kind of action.

NSA HACKED? A GROUP CALLING ITSELF THE SHADOW BROKERS PUBLISHED HACKING TOOLS ALLEGEDLY BELONGING TO THE NSA, AND THEY PLAN TO AUCTION OFF THOSE TOOLS FOR A STARTING BID OF 1 MILLION BITCOIN (NEARLY $570 MILLION). “ATTENTION GOVERNMENT SPONSORS OF CYBERWARFARE AND THOSE WHO PROFIT FROM IT,” THE SHADOW BROKERS WROTE IN A MANIFESTO. IN BROKEN ENGLISH, THE STATEMENT ASKS READERS HOW MUCH THEY WOULD PAY FOR THEIR ENEMIES’ CYBER WEAPONS OR OTHER STATESPONSORED TOOL SETS. THEY CLAIM TO HAVE FOUND CYBER WEAPONS MADE BY THE CREATORS OF STUXNET, DUQU, AND FLAME, THREE STRAINS OF MALWARE THAT HAVE BEEN CONNECTED TO THE US GOVERNMENT. WHILE THE NSA HASN’T COMMENTED SO FAR, THIS IS WORRYING ANALYSTS WHO FEAR MALICIOUS USE OF THIS SOPHISTICATED SOFTWARE.

A SUMMER OF BIG ACQUISITIONS

A couple of multi-billion dollar deals shook up the tech industry last month, which includes a bold move in China and a sad end to a former internet icon.

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idi Chuxing and Uber China will join forces to end a long-standing rivalry and create a new company worth approximately $35 billion, 20% of which will be owned by Uber China. The move is a Hail Mary for both organisations, neither of which has been able to turn a profit in China. After three years, Uber currently operates in more than 60 Chinese cities, and plans to expand into another 30 soon. Didi, meanwhile, operates in 400 areas, and offers taxis, private cars, ride-sharing, and

other services, facilitating more than 11 million rides per day – or $1.43 billion – in 2015.

On the other side of the world, Yahoo finally found a buyer. Verizon officially acquired Yahoo’s core business for $4.83 billion in cash, which includes Yahoo’s advertising, content, search and mobile activities. Yahoo’s stakes in Alibaba and Yahoo Japan aren’t part of the acquisition, whose stakes are worth tens of billions of dollars alone. But Yahoo’s Sunnyvale headquarters are part of the acquisition.

77 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

affairs > QT take

IN SERVICE OF HUMANITY

Humanitarian group Qatar Living Volunteers Group speaks to Qatar Today about their activities and motivations.

By Keertana Koduru

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peed Ali” (online alias), a member of the Qatar Living Volunteers Group (QLVG), clearly remembers the night he drove through a labour campsite, whose residents had lost all personal belongings in a recent fire. “It was all smoky and the workers were lying down on what seemed to be burnt beds and stony streets. I came across one elderly man who was looking for something in the dark and I approached him to see if I could help in any way. He told me that he had saved QR6,000 for his daughter’s wedding and he was supposed to be leaving the next day for his hometown. Even eight years after this incident, I still get goosebumps when I think about it. My heart went out to him and my soul told me that I had to do something for the workers.”

Ali, an expat living in Qatar and part of the Qatar Living community since 2008, didn’t know what

78 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

else to do other than send out a call for help among fellow community members. He sent out a message in the QLVG discussing what help could be provided to the workers of that camp. Within two hours of sending the message, he had overwhelming responses from members who had said, "we are here and we want to help". “That’s when I realized that it doesn’t matter where you’re from, the voice of humanity rises above everything. We had people from as many as 16 different nationalities come forward to donate clothes and household items. It was surprising to see that without knowing a face or a name of the sufferer, people had the will to do something good in that moment.” Six SUVs came in, filled with everything that was a necessity at the campsite – some new, some used. All items were collected at an empty parking lot and taken to the site only to find out that the residents of the camp were moved to a new location in Industrial Area. It was 11 pm but the volunteers were relentless in their efforts. They travelled about an hour and a half to locate the temporary accommodation and deliver the goods.

“The adrenaline rush that comes from doing something good for the community has kept me going since then and makes my

efforts worthwhile,” explains Speed.

QLVG, now managed by Ali, is a fastgrowing community with more than 20,000 current members who work towards humanitarian and community service – be it organising Iftar drives and cool campaigns, helping out individuals who are stuck in Doha due to debts or helping a neighbouring country during times of crisis.

“Charity work or community service starts from within. If we don’t help one another in times of need, what’s the point of calling ourselves a community? This is true even if you are staying miles away from home.

A lot of expats and Qataris come forward every year in helping us achieve our goal of spreading the message of humanity and bringing the community closer,” says Ali. The Iftar drive in 2008 by the QLVG was the first of its kind organised on such a large scale and has now grown to become the most awaited event of the year for this group.

Donations are received from corporations and individuals alike. For three days during the holy month of Ramadan, the group is busy with the collection, packaging and distribution of juice, dates, water and

with us. We now distribute more than 3,000 packets every year. We have subsequently also started blood donation drives and beach clean-ups.”

These events are covered in the newspapers and other media but they lack patronage from the government, says Ali. “We need more support from government authorities. The embassies of concerned countries have previously helped us. The registration process for an NGO is also lengthy and confusing. There is a gap between the NGOs and the government authorities which needs to be bridged. The process needs to be clearly defined as well.”

“People are creating hatred everywhere and I have experienced this from childhood, witnessing the struggle with our neighbour, India. I wanted to do something on a personal level to bring people closer and feel more loved”, says Ali, speaking about a certain case where they helped an Indian worker clear his debts and move back to his country. “We have all come here with a goal to earn better and be better. I’ve come across so many different nationalities and religions that it’s unbelievable to see such

snacks at four major signals of the city during Iftar, helping those stranded at signals break their fast. The group accepts donations in material only and not in cash.

“The April of 2008 changed my life. We were only 8-10 volunteers and made about 400 packets in our first year for the Iftar drive. A Qatari lady (online alias: “pitstop”) volunteered her shop for collection and packing and she still continues to volunteer

kind hearts who only think of others as their brothers and sisters who need help, without seeing race, religion, colour, caste or country. My only aim is the service of humanity.”

If you’d like to volunteer your time or contribute to QLVG in any way, please get in touch with the group on Facebook or Qatar Living. You can also communicate directly with Speed Ali at speedql@gmail.com 79 > QATAR TODAY > SEPTEMBER 2016

city life > doha diary

Three titles – The Holy Sail, The Bamboo Stalk and Telepathy – that display fictional works from HBKU have been selected to compete for the 2016 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation.

READ BETWEEN THE LINES

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ritten by Qatari author, Abdulaziz Al Mahmoud, and translated by Karim Traboulsi, The Holy Sail is a gripping historical adventure set in the Arabian Gulf. The 2013 winner of the highly-esteemed International Prize for Arabic Fiction, The Bamboo Stalk is written by Kuwaiti author, Saud Al-Sanousi, and translated by Jonathan Wright brings the story of a young KuwaitiFilipino boy navigating his dual identities to a wider and ever-growing international

audience. Written by Sudanese author, Amir Tag Elsir and translated by William Hutchins, Telepathy, is a psychological thriller that blurs the lines between reality and the imagined world. Fakhri Saleh, Head of Arabic Publishing at HBKU Press, said: “As a leading publishing house in the Middle East, we strive to work with the most talented writers and translators and to introduce more and more readers to the wealth of literary works and voices from the region.”

THE ART OF READING

Qatar Foundation’s National Reading Campaign, a part of the Qatar Summer Festival, was well received by hundreds of families who participated in fun-filled games and educational activities, including storytelling sessions and jigsaw puzzles.

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A MILLION SMILES

MashreqMillionaire recently announced Doha-based Puthenveetil Suryanarayanan as the winner of QR1 million.

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he winning certificate for QR1 million was handed over to the winner Suryanarayanan

by Tooran Asif, Head of Retail Banking Qatar, and Maryam Al Muhannadi, Branch Manager, Mashreq Qatar, at a specially organized event held at C-Ring Branch. Asif said, “Suryanarayanan is among more than 200 customers who have been made millionaires over the years”. The winner described his prize as “unbelievable." "I’m still pinching myself as I have never won anything like this before. I intend to deposit this money in my family’s name to secure their future, partially in Mashreq itself, and I’m also planning to donate some of it to charity. I am very grateful to Mashreq Qatar for this oncein-a-lifetime opportunity given to me,” said a beaming Suryanarayanan.

BEST IN BOWLING Megapolis crowned the winners of The Bowling Challenge 2016 with travel, store credit and an exclusive meal.

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he first community sports competition organised by the popular indoor entertainment leisure centre scored big among families and youngsters. Ali Al Maula bagged the first prize, a travel package to Dubai with return tickets and hotel accommodation for two people for two nights, sponsored by Joury Tours & Travel, while the second winner, Izi Majed Al Rais, took home a Mega Card with QR 1,000 credit that can be spent at any Megapolis outlet. Firas Mammaur will enjoy an exclusive dinner for two guests at one Aura Hospitality & Food Services and Palma Hospitality Group F&B outlet of their choice. Other competitions include karaoke, billiards and golf.

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Alaa compartmentalizes her life neatly into distinct spheres. Her mornings are dedicated to the marketing company she founded and are usually a caffeine-fueled blur of emails, client meetings and project updates. She handles an interesting mix of corporate and personal brands and is often at the helm of their outreach events and channels.

A day in the life of...

Alaa Mohamad Ali Founder of Paradigm Marketing and fashion/lifestyle blogger

Qatar Today follows the daily routines of professionals around the country from all walks of life.

By Ayswarya Murthy

Alaa is a patron of the lost art of the siesta. Lunch is almost always home-cooked fare with the family, courtesy of her mother. Her busy out-andabout lifestyle compels her to maximise on quality time at home, however she can. This is a time to pause, refuel, refresh and prepare for the long day ahead.

During the sluggish afternoon hours, Alaa and her business partner Adil are usually out attending to out-of-office business matters – running errands, visiting the printers, shopping for the office, selecting and putting together corporate gifts for their clients and zipping across the city.

At the end of the business day, she sheds one identity and dons another.

Alaa the businesswoman is retired (until next morning) and Lulu the blogger and fashionista takes over. Now she sets her time aside for her fashion-related meetings and there is no such thing as routine, with every day bringing something new. For example a few months back, Salaam Stores made her the face of their Spring/Summer collection.

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Lulu is a prolific Instragram and Snapchat user with a loyal following, something that happens organically in her search to connect more deeply with the city she grew up in. “When I returned to Doha after my graduation in Lebanon, I felt very disconnected from what was going on here. I wanted to create a platform that would help me get back in the zone, meet new people in the business, lifestyle and fashion worlds,” she says. And so Qatar Street Style was born, through which she shares her favourite styles, outfits and tips.

The fashion/lifestyle blogger group in Doha is very tightknit and supportive. They get to connect and meet each other at least twice a week at events. “We support each other instead of competing.

It’s a fun, energetic group,” she says. This week she has been invited to attend the launch of a new catalogue at IKEA and raise awareness about it among her followers.

Despite a packed schedule, she still manages to squeeze in personal time with her friends and family. Alaa is in constant conflict with herself because, although she is deeply introverted and private, her job and her passion require the exact opposite of her. So the end of the day is her special time to lock herself in her fortress of solitude and read, reflect and introspect.