inside this issue April 2017 / Vol. 43 / Issue 4
COVER STORY
32 TIC TALK …TIC TALK
As time runs out for meaningful climate action, the whole world is talking about it. Why aren’t we?
16 SURVIVING A SHALEFUL FUTURE
Even as the United States prepares for a big push towards increasing shale production, this spurt in LNG exports is unlikely to hurt Qatar.
28 COPY, PASTE, INNOVATE
Careem’s General Manager for Emerging Markets, Ibrahim Manna, says there is no shame in copying a certain business model, as long you localise and innovate in order to meet the needs of your market.
50 SMART QATAR INITIATIVE LAUNCHED AT QITCOM
The annual technology conference and exhibition, hosted this year for the first time by the newly formed Ministry of Transport and Communications witnessed several announcements that herald a new technological era in Qatar.
64 WHEN WORDS AREN’T ENOUGH
At this three-day poetry slam workshop, participants were encouraged to expand their safe space and give voice to their words.
inside this issue April 2017 / Vol. 43 / Issue 4
22 COMPETING FOR LEISURE
A busy supply pipeline breeds competition and innovation among Qatar’s malls.
26 DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY KEY TO SUSTAINABILITY
Technology and digital economies can help humanity emerge from many of its present-day challenges but a partnership with government, business, citizens, and consumers is crucial.
40 STYLE AND SUBSTANCE
Bodybuilder Mohammed Koroghly talks about the salient features of the BMW 760LI and explains why the car is so dear to him.
44 SUCCESS IN HIRING FRESH GRADUATES
Here are the top three mistakes to avoid when hiring fresh graduates, collated from the insights of professionals who have been there and done that.
46 THE AGE OF DIGITALISATION
Qatar Today speaks to Wael El Kabbany, British Telecom’s Vice President for the MENA region, to get some insights into digital transformation in the Middle East.
60 BE AT HOME ON EVERY ROAD
Qatar Today test-drove the Renault Koleos over one rainy weekend; whatever be the weather and however be your road, inside the Koleos’s luxurious, safe bubble, all is well with the world.
and regulars 10
NEWS BITES
13
REALTY CHECK
14
BANK NOTES
15
OIL & GAS REVIEW
52
TECH TALK
54
MARKET WATCH
58
AUTO NEWS
666
DOHA DIARY
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from the desk It’s true that over the past few months we have shown a somewhat crusade-like zeal in covering climate change-related topics. So much so that lips were pursed and eyebrows raised in our monthly editorial meetings.
Number of articles dealing with the topic of "Climate Change" 200 180
Number of articles
160
2009 2010 2011 2012 (COP 18) 2013
140 120 100 80 40 20 0
Qatar
Source: Protecting the Gulf: Climate Change Coverage in the GCC Print Media
But this is in part to make up for the rather laid-back way in which the regional media, us included, have been covering what is perhaps the most significant, centuries-long man-made event in history. And if the media is any indicator, as it often is in these things, this reflects the low level of dialogue we are having about this – both in civil society and between the public and the governments. So funnily enough, in our quest to “justify” our renewed focus on environmental coverage, we started asking a different kind of question. “Why not?” Why can’t we regularly devote a few pages towards highlighting some of these big-picture issues in local context? What does the depth and frequency of coverage of environmental news tell us about how important we consider these issues to be? What is that unique prism through which the public here views climate change and how can it potentially impact their lives? What can be done to improve this network of communications between the public, researchers, government, media and civil society organisations? As usual, we dive deep into this topic in our cover story this month. Ramping up to the Qatar Motor Show, which is back after a one-year hiatus, we have plenty of news about the auto world in Qatar and region and we haven’t skimped on this one bit. Speaking of cars, we also had the opportunity to sit down with Careem’s General Manager for Emerging Markets for an engaging chat about how they became one of the only two unicorns (a $1 billion start-up) to emerge from this region. And from Qatar’s booming leisure industry (read: malls, malls and more malls) to how technology can usher in an era of sustainability, we carry our usual wide variety of expert opinion pieces. Another important story we address in this issue is the big news about Qatar’s new development ventures in the North Field. How will all this fresh supply compete with the ever-expanding shale supply and Iran’s rapid production in a market where prices are yet to stabilise at satisfactory levels? Flip the pages to find out. Happy reading!
affairs > local
MANATEQ OPENS UP MESAIEED Manateq announced that it is now welcoming applications from investors eager to capitalise on opportunities in its Mesaieed Industrial Zone, 40 km south of Doha.
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EMIR ATTENDS ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT Jordan’s King Abdullah II and HH Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attend a welcoming ceremony at the Queen Alia International Airport in Amman on March 28 ahead of talks on the eve of the Arab League summit. Khalil MAZRAAWI / AFP
A SUSTAINED GLOBAL PUSH ON SYRIA Foreign Minister HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani with his counterparts from Denmark, Canada, Switzerland, the UK, Kuwait and more pose for a group photo during a conference on Syria and the region at the Europa Building in Brussels. The EU and UN rallied donor countries and aid groups to support a devastated Syria at a conference overshadowed by a suspected chemical attack blamed by the West on Damascus. The Brussels meeting, co-chaired by the European Union and United Nations, is a follow-up to last year’s London conference which raised $11 billion for humanitarian aid programmes. JOHN THYS / AFP 14 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
anateq hopes that offers like the opportunity for the immediate handover of land plots, ranging from 1,500 to 300,000 sq.m., and an option to move in now and start paying rent next year, and the possibility of extending the lease up to 25 years, would make Mesaieed Industrial Zone, which is located within Mesaieed Industrial City, attractive to many companies. The zone’s strategic location next to Hamad Port and Um Alhoul Special Economic Zone makes Mesaieed the perfect location for sectors including raw building materials, concrete asphalt and building equipment, or for firms looking for a sound investment, the company said in a statement. The zone has already established itself as a hub for firms specializing in petrochemicals, chemical fertilizer oil refining and metallurgical engineering. Applications can be made online through the company's website.
S&P DOWNGRADES QATAR’S OUTLOOK The outlook for Qatar was revised from Stable to Negative due to “mounting risks to external position”.
Q
atar’s external liquidity position has weakened with the rapid growth of banks’ foreign liabilities and public sector debt, which has pushed up the country’s external financing needs, the ratings company said in the document that detailed this shift in outlook. “We are revising the outlook on Qatar to negative from stable and affirming the ratings at ‘AA/A-1+’. The negative outlook reflects the risk that Qatar’s external position could deteriorate further should the rapid growth in external debt continue to outpace external liquid asset growth, thereby reducing the buffer provided by its sizable external assets,” the statement said. Qatari banks’ external liabilities increased sharply by 24% of GDP over 2016, with non-resident deposits in particular increasing by 17% of GDP. Public sector external debt also grew by some 14% of GDP over 2016, reflecting government deficit financing.
DFC WELCOMES FIRST VISITORS
Doha Festival City is now the biggest mall in Qatar and one of the largest leisure and retail developments in the Gulf.
STRENGTHENING TIES WITH POST-BREXIT UK
Qatar has said that it will invest £5 billion in Britain over the next three to five years, underscoring the country’s commitment to the UK despite economic uncertainties relating to Brexit. Speaking at the Qatar-UK Business and Investment Forum in London, finance minister HE Ali Sharif Al Emadi said that he was optimistic about the future of the British economy and indicated that he was unperturbed by the possible implications of the country’s splitting from the EU. “Currently, the UK is our first investment destination and it is the largest investment destination for Qatari investors, both public and private,” HE Al Emadi told the BBC on the sidelines of the event. He also noted that Qatar already has invested close to £40 billion in the UK. Al Emadi was part of a more than 400-strong delegation of officials and business executives, led by HE the Prime Minsiter Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, who visited the UK for meetings with their UK counterparts. Chief executives of Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar Petroleum and Qatar Airways were also in attendance.
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ith a gross building area the equivalent size of 94 football pitches, and a Gross Leasable Area of 244,000 sq.m. and 8,000 parking spaces, the QR6.5 billion mixed-use development threw its doors (all 29 of them) open to the public recently. The mall expects around 1.6 million visitors each month to its 500+ retail units, four unique theme parks, and the 18-screen cinema. Created by artist and sculptor, David Harber, the bespoke ‘Sculpted Torus’, welcomes visitors from its prominent position at the mall’s Centre Court. The mall has announced a number of initiatives that will position it as one of the region’s leading Smart Malls from announcing visitors to plan their trips via the website, to smart parking, digital wayfinding and blanket Wi-Fi connection. VOX Cinemas is also bringing many new concepts like Theatre by Rhodes where customers are served gourmet food in their leather recliners during the movie and VOX Kids with an adjoining party room perfect for children’s birthday celebrations. 15 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
affairs > local
EXIT PERMIT APPEALS PROCESSED; 25% REJECTION RATE A new body set up to handle complaints from migrant workers seeking their sponsor’s permission to exit the country received hundreds of claims over two months, according to government data. The Exit Permit Grievances Committee received 761 applications between December 13, when new labour policies took effect, and February 15. Of those, 485 applications were approved and 213 were rejected, with the rest still being considered.
MALL OF QATAR OFFICIALLY INAUGURATED HH the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani attended the inauguration of the Mall of Qatar in Al Rayyan. Pictures courtesy: Qatar News Agency
WORLD CUP 2022 BUDGET SLASHED; QATAR FAILS TO QUALIFY FOR 2018
Tamim Loutfi Elabed, project manager of the construction of Lusail Stadium which will host the opening and final of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, holds the football to be used in the starting match.
S
peaking to CNN, Hassan Al Thawadi, secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), said the budget for the FIFA World Cup 2022 has been reduced by 40%. But he added that this was not in response to lower oil prices, but rather, the goal was to “ensure there is financial responsibility.” He said that the SC now plans to spend about $810 billion on tournament infrastructure and most of that will go toward stadiums and training grounds. Meanwhile, Qatar crashed and burned out of the running for FIFA World Cup 2018 after a 1-0 defeat to Iran during the qualifier match in Doha. The subsequent defeat against Uzbekistan pretty much sealed the deal, making sure Qatar would not be one of the teams competing in Russia next year. The 2022 host is now at the bottom of the group.
16 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
QATAR AIRWAYS TO INVEST IN INDIA Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker announced plans to launch a 100% foreign-owned airline in India in partnership with Qatar Investment Authority.
A
ccording to media reports, Qatar Airways is likely to select Bengaluru as its base and has appointed an executive search firm to recruit staff for its proposed Indian airline. A delegation was in India to review the facilities at major Indian airports. Last year, India allowed foreign investors – barring overseas airlines – to own up to a 100% stake in local carriers by liberalising FDI regulations. Currently, foreign airlines are allowed to invest only up to 49% in Indian carriers. However, the revised norms provide room for overseas airlines to partner with a foreign non-airline player to set up a 100% foreign-owned carrier in India.
MASSIVE LAYOFFS AT QF Qatar Foundation laid off some 800 employees last month on a single, brutal day. The layoffs, which are apparently due to budgetary constraints, were applied across the board to QF staff based in Qatar, including employees working in human resources, capital projects and other departments. Qatar Foundation has been shedding staff and programmes for some time.
business > realty check TAKING OVER LONDON
“Qataris are dominating London’s real estate scene and are ahead of the City of London, Transport for London, Network Rail and even the Queen, as far as ownership of properties in the city is concerned.” Datscha, providers of commercial property data
JUST REAL ESTATE OPENS NEW SALES CENTRE MEEZA SIGNS CONTRACT FOR MSHEIREB DOWNTOWN DOHA MEEZA, a Qatar Foundation joint venture, has signed an operational contract with Msheireb Properties for the Smart City ICT package at Msheireb Downtown Doha (MDD). The signing ceremony, which took place on the sidelines of the 2017 QITCOM Exhibition and Conference, appoints MEEZA as the Master System Integrator for the ICT operations at Msheireb Downtown Doha. Msheireb Properties CEO Abdulla Hassan Al Mehshadi commented, “At Msheireb Properties our allegiance to preserving traditional architectural languages while leveraging advancement systems inspired us to revolutionise the urban experience. Extending our agreement with MEEZA into stage two is part of our pledge to remain steadfast in establishing Msheireb Downtown Doha as the pioneering smart city urban development in Qatar and the world.” The agreement, initially inked in 2014, has concluded phase one, which included the design and implementation stages.
Property service provider Just Real Estate (JRE) opened the doors to its new home, a 1,000-squaremetre luxury real estate sales centre, in Al Shoumoukh Tower in March.
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RE Chairman Nasser Al Ansari officially inaugurated the facility during a ceremony attended by prominent businessmen, stakeholders and members of the local and regional media. “JRE is a one-stop destination for all real estate solutions,” said Al Ansari at the opening. “We manage and facilitate sales and leasing opportunities in some of the most exclusive real estate projects in Qatar and abroad, provide marketing communications expertise, development management, asset management and property and facilities management. So it was important for us to have a home that reflects our vision.” JRE’s properties portfolio in Qatar includes THE e18hteen and Jenan Residence in Lusail’s Marina District, and The View Residence, a 15-storey residential complex in the Qutaifiya area near Diplomatic Club.
International Bank of Qatar (IBQ) hosted a private workshop on international real estate investment for its influential female private banking customers. The workshop showcased the fundamental knowledge and necessary tools on understanding residential and commercial real estate in the UK.
A TUTORIAL IN REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT
The workshop was headed by Azeemeh Zaheer, CEO of Naissance Capital Real Estate, who shed light on several topics, among which were: residential valuation, foreign ownership considerations, asset management, and insight
on the developments in the real estate market in the UK. Meanwhile, Chaouki Daher, General Manager, Head of Private Banking at IBQ, said, “This workshop is another example of how IBQ is sharing the best in global expertise with our private banking clients. In recent years, we have worked hand-in-hand with our clients to explore new avenues for diversifying their investment portfolios and expanding their investment horizons. Our workshop with Qatari women is also testament to the growing role and influence that women have in Qatar’s private banking world.”
17 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
business > bank notes BEST IN THE BUSINESS Qatar Islamic Bank named ‘Best Islamic Financial Institution in Qatar and the GCC’ for 2017 by US-based magazine Global Finance.
“QATARI BANKS’ MERGER TO TAKE SIX MONTHS”
QU HONOURS DOHA BANK WITH ‘COMPANY OF THE YEAR AWARD’
Masraf Al Rayan’s chairman Hussain Ali Al Abdulla has said that the merger of Masraf Al Rayan, Barwa Bank and International Bank of Qatar (IBQ) will take six months to complete.
I
“
think the merger will finish within six months. There will be a lot of synergy between the three banks,” Abdulla told reporters in April. The new bank is expected to have assets worth more than QR160 billion. Abdulla added that Masraf Al Rayan has appointed KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers as merger advisers and law firm Allen & Overy as legal adviser. He also said that Barwa Bank and IBQ had chosen their advisors as well. Asked whether the bank’s liquidity had been affected by low oil prices, Abudullah said that liquidity at present is better than in 2016 and that the US Federal Reserve’s raising of interest rates last month would improve the profits of Qatari banks.
18 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
D
oha Bank was honoured with the ‘Company of the Year Award’ by Qatar University in March. The award was received by the bank’s CEO Dr R Seetharaman from QU president Dr Hassan Rashid Al Derham. Seetharaman said that the award was given for Doha Bank’s contribution to sustainable development in Qatar. “Doha Bank believes in Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030, which aims at directing Qatar towards a
balance between developmental needs and the protection of its natural environment,” said Seetharaman. He also said that Doha Bank advocates and practices green banking, which is one of the core business philosophies that would support sustainability in the future. He added that the bank has embraced sustainable business practices to satisfy its customers and promote solid environmental stewardship.
Robust credit demand to benefit Qatar banks
A new report issued by BMI Research has said that commercial banks in Qatar will continue to benefit from robust demand for credit over the coming years. “In particular, public sector credit demand will remain strong as the government looks to finance large-scale investments into infrastructure projects linked to the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the National Vision 2030 diversification programme,” said the Fitch Group company. BMI forecasts Qatar’s annual asset growth to be the highest in the GCC at 12% in 2017 and 12.5% in 2018. The report added that government investments in infrastructure fuels credit demand so loan growth will remain robust in Qatar, and deposits will expand at a slower pace as state and oil and gas sector earnings remain constrained by lower energy prices.
business > oil&gas NEW EXPLORATION IN CYPRUS
QP TO DRILL IN NORTH FIELD AFTER 12 YEARS In a major development that ends a self-imposed embargo of 12 years, Qatar Petroleum (QP) has set its sights on the North Field, the giant reservoir shared between Qatar and Iran.
A
ccording to QP CEO Saad Sherida Al Kaabi, the patch in the southern section of the field will have a capacity of 400,000 barrels of oil, and production should start in five to seven years. “Global demand for gas is expected to rise,” said Al Kaabi. “There are no analysts who can say when demand for gas will wane. For oil, there are people who see peak demand in 2030, others in 2042, but for gas, demand is constantly growing.” He added, “We will remain the dominant force for LNG in the world for a very long time, and this basically solidifies that position.”
“QATAR INTERESTED IN RUSSIAN OIL AND GAS, LNG PROJECTS”
Qatar Petroleum, ExxonMobil, Total and ENI have successfully bid for rights to explore oil and gas off the coast of Cyprus. Total (France) and ENI (Italy) jointly negotiated a licence for a block off the island’s south coast while ENI secured another block on its own. ExxonMobil (US) and Qatar Petroleum successfully bid for a third block. “This is a very important development for both the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the eastern Mediterranean,” said Cyprus trade minister George Lakkotrypis. “It reinforces the prospect for hydrocarbons in the area,” he added. “You will find that companies are quite optimistic with regard to prospects for the eastern Mediterranean, and more specifically the Cypriot EEZ.”
DOHA HOSTS GULF STANDARDS COMMITTEE MEETING The 20th meeting of the Gulf Standards Committee for Oil and Gas Industry in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries was hosted by Qatar between April 3 and 5. The meeting discussed the challenges and difficulties facing oil and gas companies, in the field of specifications, and proposed the appropriate solutions. The event was organised by Qatar General Organization for Standards and Metrology (QS) in cooperation with the GCC Standardization Organization (GSO). The meeting also discussed a training plan aimed at upgrading the oil and gas industry in cooperation with GSO, which seeks to implement standards and international metrology that will also be reviewed and updated. The objective is aimed at improving GCC standards in oil and gas industries so that they become highly credible and meet international standards.
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he Russian ambassador to Qatar, Nurmakhmad Kholov, has said that businesses in Qatar are interested in taking part in two Sakhalin oil and gas projects, and the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Russia’s Arctic Yamal Peninsula. “In the long term, the Qataris are considering their participation in the Sakhalin-1, Sakhalin-2, and Yamal LNG projects,” said Kholov. “I believe that at the upcoming OPEC member states’ meeting in Vienna in May this year, we and our Arab partners need to exert maximum efforts to continue the course taken to reduce the level of oil production based on the economic interests of all participants, and to extend the agreement for the next six months,” the Russian envoy added. Under the extendable six-month Vienna Agreement that took effect on January 1, 2017, OPEC countries pledged to reduce oil production by 1.2 million barrels per day. Non-OPEC countries agreed to reduce their output by 558,000 barrels per day, 300,000 of which was committed by Russia. 19 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
affairs > oil & gas
SURVIVING A SHALEFUL FUTURE
EVEN AS THE UNITED STATES PREPARES FOR A BIG PUSH TOWARDS INCREASING SHALE PRODUCTION, THIS SPURT IN LNG EXPORTS IS UNLIKELY TO HURT QATAR. BY V L SRINIVASAN 20 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
“While a huge amount of gas is coming onto the market, the demand is also growing more than for any other fossil fuel and the trend will continue for a long time.” HE DR MOHAMMED SALEH AL SADA Minister of Energy and Industry State of Qatar
E
ven as Donald J Trump assumed office as the 45th President of the United States, his aides posted “An America First Energy Plan” on the website of the White House making it amply clear that exploring unconventional energy resources in the country topped his list of priorities. For too long, the US was held back by burdensome regulations on the domestic energy industry and the new president was committed to eliminate harmful and unnecessary policies. Lifting these restrictions will greatly help American workers, increasing wages by more than $30 billion over the next seven years, the statement said. “The Trump administration will embrace the shale oil and gas revolution to bring jobs and prosperity to millions of Americans. We must take advantage of the estimated $50 trillion in untapped shale, oil, and natural gas reserves, especially those on federal lands that the American people own,” the statement added. In other words, the new government wants to step up shale gas production and enter the global gas markets and this has created a flutter among major gas exporting countries such as Qatar, Australia, Iran
and Russia. Among them, Qatar should be more concerned as it has been the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), 77.8 million tons per annum (MTPA), accounting for nearly one-third of global exports, for the last six years. The International Gas Union has put the total volume of LNG traded globally at 244.8 MTPA in 2015. Donald Trump’s pro-independent energy policies is also expected to clear the longpending proposals of domestic and global companies to increase shale oil and gas production and huge investments are likely to be seen in the country’s oil and gas sector soon. While the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that the country has about 200 trillion cubic feet of proved shale gas resources, the World Shale Resource Assessments report of September 2015 claims that the US has around 623 trillion cubic feet of additional unproved technically recoverable shale gas resources. New markets enthuse US One of the major reasons for Trump’s decision to increase shale output is the opening of the new $5.25 billion Panama Canal linking the Atlantic Ocean and
the Pacific Ocean. The new canal, which was opened in June 2016, has more than doubled the capacity of ships (from 5,000 TEUs to around 14,000 TEUs) and is expected to help American oil and gas firms save nearly a fortnight in time and also onethird of the cost in transporting their LNG to new markets in South America, Asia and the Far East. Another reason cited is that Trump wants more investments in the oil and gas sector, which has seen thousands of oil companies shutting down their operations following a drastic fall in crude oil prices from $124 per barrel in mid-2014 to below $20 in 2016. The companies investing in the oil and gas sector can now look at Latin America, Asia and Europe as the new markets to sell their output for handsome returns on their investments, provided the LNG prices remain stable or look upwards in the coming years. According to a Platts Analytics forecast, LNG production in Asia is set to increase to 127 MTPA in 2017, up 16% on 2016, led by increased capacity in Australia, while commissioning of the world’s first floating LNG plant in Malaysia heralds new global opportunities for LNG production. “Nevertheless, Asia will continue to be 21 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
affairs > oil & gas
a net LNG importer as demand across the region is expected to grow by 6% to 195 MTPA in 2017. While demand in the large, mature Japanese and Korean markets is likely to remain flat, energy-hungry nations such as China and India are expected to boost their imports of LNG by 28% and 38%, respectively,” the forecast said. Russia and China have already entered into an agreement in 2014 to lay a huge gas pipeline linking Western Siberia to NorthWestern China and supply 38 billion cubic metres of gas every year for 30 years. The project will be commissioned by the end of the decade. Qatar cements LNG supplies in Asia Australia has invested around $200 billion in its existing and new LNG production
facilities and its export capacity is likely to be around 106 billion cubic metres (BCM) per year by the end of the decade. It is also expected to overtake Qatar as the largest LNG exporter by 2020, while the US is not far behind and may end up as the third largest producer around the same time. As far as Qatar is concerned, the government is confident of retaining its market share despite the entry of US shale gas in the global gas markets in the coming years as it has already tied up with new customers in South Asia like Pakistan by signing a 15-year deal, re-worked the LNG export deal with India, and is also looking at supplying more LNG to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Since the Fukushima tragedy in 2011, Japan has shut down its nuclear power
plants and increased LNG imports from Qatar for power generation, while Korean gas major KOGAS entered into a 20-year deal with Qatar for LNG supplies five years ago. If Qatar’s plans to lay a pipeline to Europe via Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey, which has been hanging fire for the last six years due to unrest in the region, materialise in the near future, it will continue its position as the world’s largest LNG exporter for years to come. Minister of Energy HE Dr Mohammed Saleh Al Sada re-asserts that his country was not worried about the recent developments in the LNG markets. “While a huge amount of gas is coming onto the market, the demand is also growing more than for any other fossil fuel and the trend will continue
US SHALE GAS PRODUCTION (2005 - 40) billion cubic feet per day 90 history
80
AEO2016 Reference case projection all other shale gas players
70 60
Bamett (Texas)
50
Haynesville (Texas, Louisiana)
40
Utica (Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio)
30 20
Marcellus (Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio)
10 0 2005
2010
Source: US Energy Information Administration
22 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
2015
2020
2025
2030
2035
2040
for a long time,” he says. In its latest report released on January 17 this year, the Doha-based Gas Exporting Countries Federation (GECF) said that global gas demand was expected to grow faster than primary energy demand between 2015 and 2040, the bulk coming from Asia, North America and the Middle East, while an additional annual 100 MTPA of LNG was expected to come on stream by 2017-18. Primary energy demand was set to expand by 30%, while gas demand would increase by 50% to 5,200 BCM in the said period, the report said. Based on the energy reserves in over 130 countries, the report says that “natural gas would be the largest contributor to the increase in total primary energy consumption with a share of 40%, followed by non-hydro renewables (30%) over the review period.” US-Qatar LNG ties It is not that Qatar is immune to the changing dynamics of global LNG markets and likely to face a diminished market share and the possibility of prices going down further in the long run. Qatar’s confidence stems rather from the fact that it enjoys a cozy relationship with the new US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who was former chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil. ExxonMobil Qatar participates in 12 of 14 Qatar LNG trains, or liquefaction units, and along with state-owned Qatar Petroleum exports over 60 MTPA of LNG through the Qatargas and RasGas joint ventures. Qatar Petroleum International, the investment arm of Qatar Petroleum, is also working with ExxonMobil to form a joint venture company – Golden Pass LNG Projects – in the US and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved in December last year the joint venture’s proposal to build a $10 billion Golden Pass natural gas export plant in Sabine Pass, Texas. The project will be completed in five years and would export up to 15.6 MTPA of LNG that will be processed in three trains, each capable of producing 5.2 million MTPA. Qatar’s rise in the global LNG markets since 2011 was due to the partnership between Qatar Petroleum and ExxonMobil and the latter was instrumental in the tiny Gulf state’s gigantic growth into the world’s largest supplier of LNG. Other US energy firms like ConocoPhillips and Chevron Phillips are also working in Qatar.
“The cost of LNG production in Qatar, which has the world's third largest proven natural gas reserves (around 900 trillion cubic feet) after Russia and Iran, is less compared with its competitors and it has already developed infrastructure like LNG production facilities, owns a fleet of ships to transport gas, and has established a network of worldwide marketing operations.” DR MAMDOUH G SALAMEH Energy expert and international oil economist
No impact, says expert Energy expert and international oil economist Dr Mamdouh G Salameh says that the US LNG exports will not affect Qatar’s position in the global gas markets in the foreseeable future. However, the real threat to Qatar’s position comes from Australia in the Asia-Pacific region but even that will also depend on Australia’s continued investments in the sector. “The cost of LNG production in Qatar, which has the world's third largest proven natural gas reserves (around 900 trillion cubic feet) after Russia and Iran, is less compared with its competitors and it has already developed infrastructure like LNG production facilities, owns a fleet of ships to transport gas, and has established a network of worldwide marketing operations,” he says. With these measures, there is no exposure to rising costs or overruns and Qatar can withstand the price fluctuations in the markets. He also pointed out that in the context of prevailing low energy prices, the cost of
shipping LNG from the US to Europe or Asia is prohibitively expensive. Moreover, the US LNG exports in future will face stiff competition from leading exporters in the world. Dr Salameh feels that Qatar also need not reduce its LNG prices to defend its market share as the global demand for natural gas was projected to accelerate faster than any other energy source including oil, coal and nuclear energy, according to ExxonMobil’s energy outlook to 2040. “Moreover, most global gas contracts are based on oil-indexed prices. Once oil prices rally, gas prices are expected to rise as well, bolstered by strong global demand,” he says. The entry of US shale gas in the world markets will help create an LNG price ceiling globally akin to shale oil creating a price ceiling for OPEC oil. It will also provide tough competition for anyone hoping to build new LNG plants such as in East Africa, Canada or Russia, he adds 23 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
affairs > arab snippets
24 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
WA R A N D P E AC E
Even as peace talks continue in Brussels, attacks on civilians in Syria continue unabated. Here, a Syrian man pulls a body to be buried following reported air strikes by government forces in the rebel-held town of Douma, on the eastern outskirts of Damascus. The attack killed at least 22 civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. Soon after a toxic gas attack in Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province killed 72 people, including 20 children. All signs point to the attack having been carried out by Syrian forces which denies any role in it. AFP / Abd Doumany
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development > viewpoint
Competing for leisure
A busy supply pipeline breeds competition and innovation among Qatar’s malls.
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A
n abundance of new supply is set to transform Qatar’s thriving retail landscape, with sustained levels of consumer confidence and high occupancy rates driving optimism among brick-and-mortar retailers. According to a Qatar real estate report released by DTZ Research at the end of last year, following the opening of the 195,000-sq-metre Mall of Qatar on December 10, retail space in Doha totalled 838,000 sq metres distributed across 15 malls. Total retail space is set to increase to some 1.85 million sq metres by the end of 2019, by which time a further nine malls are expected to have opened. With all but two of these malls set to open this year, concerns have been raised that the retail market may suffer from the dual effects of oversupply and more straitened economic circumstances in the coming years. However, DTZ notes that occupancy
levels and rents have remained high, with malls in Doha typically charging QR260QR300 ($74.10-$82.40) per sq metre for rent on a monthly basis. By comparison, the upper end of the average range in 2014 was around QR260 ($74.10). Changing customer expectations Retailers are therefore confident that the sector’s performance will reward investment over the medium to long term; however, a number of stakeholders recognise the need for evolution in the approach of large shopping centres to keep customer interests alive. “It is true that retail will face an oversupply in the coming years,” Kareem Shamma, CEO of Doha Festival City, told OBG. “As a result, the market is responding by moving more towards entertainment. In fact, we do not consider ourselves a mall – shopping is only one part of the whole experience.”
Costing QR6.5 billion ($1.8 billion) and offering 244,000 sq metres of gross leasable area, Doha Festival City is set to be among the largest malls in the Gulf when it opens in April. According to Shamma, 90% of the mall’s retail space has been leased. The entertainment element of Doha Festival City will include an Angry Birds theme park, an “edutainment” city for children, an Arabian-themed snow park and an adultsonly videogame area. Another one of the larger developments in Qatar is Lusail City’s Place Vendôme – a multipurpose complex that will include a mall with 500 retail outlets. Sean Kelly, the development’s project director, told OBG that the $1.5 billion project already has strong lease commitment from retailers, with completion of works scheduled for late 2018. He also highlighted the need for brickand-mortar retailers to offer something different to continue to draw shoppers. “With the increase in retail supply and the growth of e-commerce, retail destinations are having to be increasingly competitive in providing the customer with focused and personalised customer service,” Kelly told OBG. Continued consumer confidence Retailers’ investment in the future of the market is supported by the high disposable incomes and consumer confidence of the Qatari population. Despite moderating economic growth – which saw GDP expansion drop almost one percentage point to an estimated 2.7% in 2016, according to the IMF – consumer confidence remains strong. This was evidenced by a score of 184.3 out of a possible 200 in the third quarter of 2016
on the Ministry of Development, Planning and Statistics’ consumer confidence index. This figure is just below the 2013-16 average of 184.67. In 2015 gross income per capita in Qatar stood at $83,990. This translated to high consumer spending, which reached a new high of QR131.7 billion ($36.2 billion), up from QR118.5 billion ($32.6 billion) in 2014, according to the Qatar Statistics Authority. According to a survey commissioned by American Express Middle East and conducted by German market research company GfK, wealthy Qataris spent an average of $4,000 a month on luxury goods in 2015, twice as much as the GCC average and around 12% of their household income. Meanwhile, UK-based BMI Research forecast in January 2017 that household retail spending growth in Qatar will average 10.2% until 2020. Promoting retail tourism Another measure being taken to support the growth of the retail market is the promotion of the country as a regional destination for retail tourism. One such offering is Shop Qatar, a month-long festival of Qatar retail held for the first time from January 7 to February 7 this year. According to Qatar Tourism Authority, the event helped drive up visitor numbers over the period by 16.8% year-on-year (y-o-y). The festival was particularly successful in attracting the Saudi Arabian family market. Of the 188,500 GCC nationals that visited, over 133,800 were Saudi Arabian, with the number of visitors from the kingdom increasing by 43% y-o-y during its school holiday period in January
BY OLIVER CORNOCK Managing Editor, Middle East Oxford Business Group
This Qatar economic update was produced by Oxford Business Group.
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affairs > world view
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SW E P T AWAY
People carry their belongings amidst the rubble left by a devastating landslide following heavy rains in Mocoa, Putumayo department, southern Colombia. The death toll from the landslide stood at around 300 as rescuers clawed through piles of muck and debris in search of survivors. AFP / LUIS ROBAYO
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green scene > viewpoint
DIGITAL CONNECTIVITY KEY TO NEW ERA OF SUSTAINABILITY C
TECHNOLOGY AND DIGITAL ECONOMIES CAN HELP HUMANITY EMERGE FROM MANY OF ITS PRESENTDAY CHALLENGES BUT A PARTNERSHIP WITH GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, CITIZENS AND CONSUMERS IS CRUCIAL.
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ountries, regions, and the world at large face a growing list of challenges. Food, water, job creation, and a widening gap between rich and poor appear insufficient, driving social and political instability. However, there appear to be solutions to tackle these insurmountable challenges. One of the most significant changes in the coming years will be the dramatic increase in global connectivity via the Internet. The Internet of Things and related technologies will help to connect people, data and devices in all countries. Put together, the potential for
countries to prosper in the coming decade is significant. In this Digital Age that we have entered, 500 billion people and things will be connected by 2030. Countries and regions that were left behind in the Information Age will have the ability to move forward. They will have data and knowledge to make the right decisions to change their lives for the better. Standards of healthcare, education, and transportation will improve in the countries that were once left behind. As an example, across the Middle East and Africa where we are looking at the highest growth rate in the world, 2.4 billion new
devices and connections and 445 million new Internet users will be added by 2020. However, all these changes cannot occur without the network. Digital networks have the capacity to connect every person, every country, and every connected device. Those countries that foster digital activity will see new industries emerge, and experience accelerated development of traditional markets. This is why Broadband Internet has been categorised as one of the world’s most important generalpurpose technologies, with the capability to dramatically impact social structures and economies. But even with Broadband Internet, regions like the Middle East and
Africa still have some way to go. Only 1% of the broadband connections will have a speed in excess of 100 Mbps by 2020. All these changes have brought the world to a tipping point. We are now in the process of transitioning into the Fourth Industrial Revolution that is being built on digital economies and technology infrastructure. In this world, growth rates can be exponential and the way we live, work and relate to each other is going to change fundamentally. Cisco has developed a Country Digitisation Acceleration strategy. Connecting the unconnected, accelerating GDP growth, creating new jobs, and building a sustainable innovation ecosystem are core principles that define digitisation. Country Digitisation Acceleration is a long-term commitment with national leadership, industry and academia to deliver outcomes faster and effectively. By accelerating the national digitisation agenda, Cisco can help countries grow, create new jobs, provide innovation, and invest in a sustainable innovation ecosystem. The challenges confronting the world are complex and cannot be solved by any single government, industry or organisation. But these problems are not insurmountable, and one way to move forward is to connect social mindsets of young workers to the power of technology. Never before have people and companies been so motivated to help the world. A growing number of today’s new workers believe that work and social responsibility go hand in hand. A large majority believe that business has at least as much potential as government to solve society’s problems. A new economy is taking shape, one that requires innovation in governance and regulation. Offering it the right conditions will be crucial to ensuring sustainability. If we want people-centered, inclusive and development-oriented information societies, where all have access to digital technologies, legal frameworks need to be put in place. All stakeholders including governments, businesses, technical communities, citizens, and consumers play a role in building trust and confidence in global networks. The global Internet must be allowed to further develop without obstacles
BY ZIAD SALAMEH Managing Director & General Manager West Region Cisco Middle East
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development > listening post
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COPY,PASTE, INNOVATE
CAREEM’S GENERAL MANAGER FOR EMERGING MARKETS, IBRAHIM MANNA, SAYS THERE IS NO SHAME IN COPYING A CERTAIN BUSINESS MODEL AS LONG YOU LOCALISE AND INNOVATE IN ORDER TO MEET THE NEEDS OF YOUR MARKET. BY AYSWARYA MURTHY
I
brahim Manna, who was at the Qatar Business Incubation Center (QBIC) for their Speaker’s Series session, said that the time spent by him interacting with the young entrepreneurs brought back memories of his own experience at an incubator. Manna is a veteran of four e-commerce and logistics start-ups in the past ten years, three of them in Jordan. Now he heads a 60-member team at one of two unicorns from the region (start-ups valued above $1 billion; the other is Souq.com), managing Careem’s existing cities while exploring new opportunities to expand their footprint. With six million users and 200,000 captains in more than 50 cities from Morocco to Pakistan, Careem is the biggest ride-hailing app in the region,
outperforming global leader Uber, which entered the regional market a year after Careem was launched. Manna never tires of talking about the early days of the company, in an effort to highlight how far they have come in just a few years. He takes great pleasure in recalling how the early version of the app was orange. And even though they are known for their innovative skills today, during those days texts and calls to customers were done manually by using an excel sheet. He uses this point to illustrate that when you have a minimum viable product, you need to go to market right away. “Whatever assumptions you are making about what people need is not true. Many companies pivot based on the market validation. This feedback is a blessing. If the market rejects your model, tweak it and
offer it again and again till it is accepted,” he says. The two founders, Mudassir Sheikha and Magnus Olssen, were McKinsey consultants who had to travel extensively for work and found that no elegant solution existed for getting around in many of the cities here. A health scare fueled Olssen’s desire to do something meaningful and they decided to take a leap of faith. The sharing economy was making its way to the Middle East and Careem capitalised on it before anyone else. “They were blessed and I am blessed to be part of this company,” says Manna . Careem started off by catering exclusively to corporate clients; in fact, McKinsey was the first company to use its services. Soon many of these corporate users were asking 33 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
development > listening post
"WE EXPANDED INTO AL WAKRAH EVENTHOUGH WE KNEW THERE WOULDN’T BE VOLUME. BUT THERE WERE STILL PEOPLE THERE WHO NEEDED THE SERVICE AND IF WE WANT TO BE LOCAL, WE NEED TO SERVE OUR PEOPLE." IBRAHIM MANNA General Manager, Emerging Markets Careem
34 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
to use Careem for their personal trips. They decided that they needed to go after this user base and within six months of their inception, Careem pivoted and threw open its app to the general public. “As an entrepreneur, they always tell you about the hockey stick. You hit that and you know you have cracked the market,” says Manna. Careem had the mother of all hockey sticks. Today, Manna looks after their expansion, which is happening at the rate of almost 2-3 cities a month. Careem is going deeper into the countries they are already operating in, targeting Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Go local or go home It may be tempting to attribute Careem’s success to the fact that, as the region’s own tech baby, many doors that are normally shut for start-ups were thrown wide open to them. Governments encourage them, the media love them, and investors huddle around them. But there is more than meets the eye. They certainly have a home advantage, but it’s a two-way street. “What we are doing right is going back to our roots. All our employees have been born and brought up in this region. We understand the market dynamics and the kinds of challenges people face here and we tailor products accordingly. Basically, we are catering to ourselves,” he says. There are numerous examples of how Careem has stayed ahead of the curve by anticipating the needs of their customers and working diligently in developing their relationships, be it with their customers, drivers (who they refer to as captains) or corporate partners. It’s the little things that add up. “People here prefer getting support or leaving feedback over the phone; they
like to speak to other people. So we started a call centre to cater to our customers and provide help and assistance. We knew people wanted the certainty of early booking and we introduced that before our competitors. We were the first ones to allow cash payments because we know that credit card penetration isn’t very high here. To make the experience seamless, we introduced Careem wallet,” says Manna’s. Apart from these practical considerations, the emotional appeal is also important for the company. “We wanted to be progressive and set trends and so we introduced female captains. During Ramadan, we offered free rides during Fajjar, and in Eid we disbursed Eidiya to all our captains. From catering to people with disabilities, to providing child seats for mothers travelling with young children, Careem has always sought to understand its customers and their lives,” he says. At a time when Uber drivers in Doha were staging a strike against low fares, Careem was launching a loyalty programme for its captains which enables them to collect points based on their biweekly performance and redeem them at participating merchants to get flight tickets, dining vouchers, grocery vouchers, mobile phone top-ups and car service coupons. Manna has some strong views about pricing. “These prices are already low. It’s not fair to continue reducing them till you are paying nothing at all. This will make the service less reliable as many drivers will not accept trips for these low prices. Our captains have to make a living and so we always make sure the captain economics work fine with monitoring factors like earnings per hour.” For Careem, which sees itself as a
guardian of people’s interests, some things have to be done despite it not making financial sense. “An example of that is our expansion into Al Wakrah. We knew there wouldn’t be volume but there were still people there who needed the service. If we want to be local, we need to serve our people.” The end goal after all is to “simplify the lives of our people in the region and build an institution that inspires”. Even with governments, regulatory bodies and transport authorities in the region, Careem’s approach is quite different. “We are not in a conflict with these entities. These are governments we respect and want to work hand in hand with. We want to enable regulators to understand the market and base new regulations on data and practical issues faced by customers and captains so that we have modern rules and regulations to enable our people to improve and enhance their lives,” says Manna. “Any new change is difficult. For the taxi industry which has been running a certain way for decades, it can be confusing and scary. We understand this and that’s why we try very hard to meet and communicate with them and help them understand Careem and how the platform can benefit them.” Careem has tied up with traditional cabs in Jordan, Dubai and Egypt which allows customers to request these taxis through Careem's platform. The tech backbone It’s not just ride-hailing; it’s never just ride-hailing. Careem is at the forefront of experimenting with several new tech concepts. “With Big Data, we get to know our customers better, and using this knowledge to make the service more reliable. With this information, we can predict demand and make sure that our captains are at the right place at the right time. This is great for the captains as well as it actually optimises the time and helps them make more money from being the on the platform,” says Manna. Careem recently announced that in order to make ride-hailing a safer experience for its users, it will be including facial technology in its framework. The back-end biometric identification system enables Careem to confirm its captains’ identity in real time, eliminating all risks associated with fraudulent car ownership and possession, the company said in a statement. The facial recognition facility will also prove to be an added advantage for markets like the UAE and Saudi Arabia where many working families depend on the ‘Careem Kids’ service
AT A TIME WHEN UBER DRIVERS IN DOHA WERE STAGING A STRIKE AGAINST LOW FARES, CAREEM WAS LAUNCHING A LOYALTY PROGRAMME FOR ITS CAPTAINS WHICH ENABLES THEM TO COLLECT POINTS BASED ON THEIR BI-WEEKLY PERFORMANCE AND REDEEM THEM AT PARTICIPATING MERCHANTS. to safely transport their children back from school. Manna adds that the moving of people and things has huge potential and Careem is on it. At the regional tech exhibition GITEX, the company revealed that it may be bringing driverless pods to Dubai within the next year, in partnership with US-based Next Future Transportation and Dubai’s Road Transport Authority. “We are testing these now and are also working very closely with authorities and regulators in the UAE to find the right framework to operate those pods. We understand what the future of the market is with autonomous vehicles,” said Manna. A word of advice Chatting with new and aspiring entrepreneurs at QBIC, Manna has lot of advice to offer. “I know entrepreneurs,” he says. “They usually try to do it all. When you embark on a new venture, you feel empowered and believe that the sky is the limit. It’s a great feeling but being a successful entrepreneur requires focus, dedication and hard work. Focus on having a clear value proposition, get customer validation, make sure your product is fit for the market, and always aim regionally or globally. It doesn’t matter whether you are starting in Qatar or the UAE – build your company and scale it up.”
That last part concerns a lot of entrepreneurs in Qatar. They worry that the market isn’t big enough to get them started and maybe they might be better off starting their companies in places like Dubai. “This is a huge misconception,” says Manna. “Dubai has had its share of failed startups as the cost of running a business is very high there. In fact, I started a business in Dubai at almost the same time as Careem with comparable seed money and I lost the whole thing. It doesn’t matter where you start, it’s about how fast and well your adapt. Careem was fast enough to pivot their model when they met with a plateau with just their corporate clients. And honestly, we saw big breakthroughs and drastic changes when we started expanding into Saudi Arabia. So starting from smaller cities doesn’t mean your business will stay there. Always think of yourself as a regional, multinational business. You need to continue expanding.” This needn’t be overly complicated, says Manna. “If you need to start scaling a business to reach a mass market in another city, find someone in that city to partner with. Or do what I do – pack your bags and go figure out the market for a couple of weeks. We expanded into a lot of cities using this method. As an entrepreneur, you need to hustle.” 35 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
Tic Talk … Tic Talk COVER STORY
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As time runs out for meaningful climate action, the whole world is talking about it. Why aren’t we? By Ayswarya Murthy
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COVER STORY
Tic Talk … Tic Talk 38 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
If
you want to begin to comprehend just how far-reaching an issue climate change is, how many stakeholders need to come together to make it work and what kind of broad impact this kind of coordinated action can have, just pop into any climate conference. It’s a cantankerous coming together of government officials, policymakers, climate activists, the media, lawyers, the private sector, think tanks, financial institutions, non-governmental organisations, academia, diplomats, farmers…literally any job from any sector you can think of is represented here. It makes you appreciate the scale of the problem and also the kind of commitment we are seeing across the board. But when you are on Team Qatar at these events, you always feel like that kid whose birthday party no one came to… except for the parents and a couple of elderly neighbours. It’s lonely out there. In almost every global challenge – be it economic growth or food security or inclusivity – Qatar proves that it is a unique case study, the results of which cannot be extrapolated from anything we have ever done anywhere in the world. Climate change is no different. Which is why this month we explore the various factors driving intranational climate debate, or the lack of it, how this can be improved and why we should care. Most of the experts we spoke to more or less agreed that dialogue related to climate change is low and difficult in the region for a variety of reasons. “It’s not something that worries your average person on the street, or keeps them up at night,” says Dr Mari Luomi, Senior Research Fellow at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy, who works on sustainable energy and climate change issues and is the author of ‘The Gulf Monarchies and Climate Change’. “Here in the GCC, unlike many parts of the world, the society doesn’t feel the impact of climate change.” Many other countries are witnessing tangible effects of climate change, she says. Coral bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia is something that affects the whole country. Frequent flooding affects millions in Bangladesh. Sea water intrusion is a scary reality for many small island nations. The dire air pollution levels in their cities have put mitigation at the forefront for Chinese youth. “Here, people do not depend on nature or are not directly exposed to it,” says Dr Luomi. “It’s already very hot. The Arabian Gulf is for now relatively insulated from extreme weather events like major storms or sea level rise. There is also very little agricultural production here and this is where the impacts of changing climate are felt more directly. This has an impact on people’s awareness.” But there are other issues closer to home that are capable of instigating debates on climate change. “The recent spate of subsidy reforms that saw fuel prices being hiked around the region has created a bit more awareness when linked to debate on the global energy landscape. The big push we are seeing towards sustainable, smart
cities is also helping us talk more deeply about these issues,” she says. Neeshad V S talks about another factor that affects climate change communication within the nation – the difficulty to mobilise. He is the national focal point for several NGOs and is most notably the Co-Founder and National Coordinator of Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar (AYCMQ). The Qatar chapter is one of 17 operating across the region and it’s glaringly obvious to Neeshad that his counterparts in other countries can do a lot of things he can’t. “The social environment is not very conducive to campaigns of any kind at an individual or an NGO level. In a few Arab countries where our chapters are most active, they could organise events easily with local participants. This has a huge impact, I think – the lack of on-ground activities makes meaningful engagement difficult. Face-to-face communication here is very low so there are fewer opportunities for public engagement. Which is why one of ACYMQ’s strategies is to reach out to the hyper-connected savvy population on social media and drive conversations there,” he says. Small events that are centered around the environment are rare and subsequently so is the possibility of meeting people one on one in casual settings that encourage frank conversation. Government and quasi-government organisations host events, but neither regularly nor reliably with negligible participation on the community level. Neeshad would love to run his own awareness and conservation programmes and campaigns but loack of sufficient support and, at times, funding for NGOs or social groups here makes this a difficult task. That’s a shame because it’s desperately important to get diverse and young voices to spark a debate on this. Qatar Environment Day went by quietly last month, with no one even noticing. And, a five-minute photo session at a tree planting event without community enegagement doesn't make much of an environmental campaign. Still, he tries to make the best of the avenues open to him. ACYMQ has partnered with entities like the French Embassy, Qatar Green Building Council, Qur'anic Botanic Garden and ROTA, which helps them increase involvement with public, especially young people, during the events they host. “Because of the youth perspective we share, we find that a lot of these organisations want to engage with us. And we are happy to increase awareness about their causes and the environment in general through our focused social media outreach. It’s our key tool,” he says. Targeted messaging Climate Outreach was created specifically to address the challenge of communicating climate change among different types of communities in many countries in Europe, North America and Asia. It specializes in research-based climate communication that uses academic understanding around this issue, supplemented with its own activities that revolve around
what is called “deep listening”, working with particular groups to understand their cares, their values, where climate change fits into lives and what images and words are more effective in delivering the message. The firm began looking into the region when it was approached by a few organizations in the UAE and other GCC countries about communicating climate change in the Gulf states. Executive Director Jamie Clarke says that very little work has been done here around bringing these topics into mainstream public discourse. “The idea of planning constructive public engagement around an issue that is based on the use of fossil fuels is a big challenge in terms of impact when the society’s wealth is built on fossil fuels,” he says. “The social background of our lives and cultures can help or hinder the process.” Which brings us to what seems like a naïve question but one that begs to be asked – why is effective communication of these issues so important, especially in this region where civil society doesn’t necessarily have a huge impact on policy or governance? “The situation here is certainly different from where much of the work in terms of public engagement is being done, like in the US and Europe. That’s why we are keen to operate, help and advise Arab states where the context is so different; we’d like to learn from different cultures and provide our understanding to help in that process. Language around climate change has often been dominated by the Western perspective which might disengage the values of many other people around the world,” says Clarke. He goes on to add that every country around the world has a unique relationship between population and policy. “But public engagement is key to the success of any policy. Especially if lifestyle changes need to be made, then having the population understand and be engaged with the process is going to be way more effective, no matter what type of government we have got in place. Which is why it’s important for people to relate to these issues from their perspective; it’s not just about science or big economic numbers, but things that are important
“HERE, PEOPLE DO NOT DEPEND ON NATURE OR ARE NOT DIRECTLY EXPOSED TO IT. IT’S ALREADY VERY HOT. THE ARABIAN GULF IS FOR NOW RELATIVELY INSULATED FROM HURRICANES OR SEA LEVEL RISE. THERE IS ALSO VERY LITTLE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND THIS IS WHERE THE IMPACTS OF CHANGING CLIMATE ARE FELT MORE DIRECTLY. THIS HAS AN IMPACT ON PEOPLE’S AWARENESS.”
DR MARI LUOMI
Senior Research Fellow Emirates Diplomatic Academy
IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT
C
onsidering how societies are organized in this region, governments, rather than the civil society, are in a unique position to be driving the dialogue on sustainability. And fortuitously, the narrative aligns with the governments’ stated goals of economic diversification. But there is still some ways to go in how those in power channel these conversations. “Even in governments, beyond certain agencies that deal directly with the issue, the awareness levels are low because of the prevailing belief that the issue doesn’t necessarily influence their work. And even then, climate change is just one factor in the basket,” says Dr Luomi. An example of this is KAHRAMAA’s Tarsheed. Even if climate change mitigation isn’t their stated goal or mandate, their innovative campaigns on water and power
conservation have translated into proven reductions. “They are far more effective than many other purely environmental initiatives in Qatar,” says Neeshad. “They reach more people, their content is compelling and has a human touch, making us think deeply about how wasting power and water can impact the country.” While not particularly referring to programmes like Tarsheed, Clarke mentions something which nevertheless fits this context to a T. “These initiatives around behavioural change action are useful,” Clarke says, “However, they haven’t always joined up these campaigns with the bigger issues of climate change which allows the public to understand the relevance of changing behaviour and how this complements the climate action being taken by their government.” 39 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
COVER STORY
Tic Talk … Tic Talk
to them. We have to work on taking climate change from scientific reality to social reality,” he says. AYCMQ’s solution to this conundrum is to double down on its engagement with the youth, especially nationals, who have direct access to government jobs and might very well be shaping future policy in the country. “Already the UAE is doing this; working closely with young innovators, entrepreneurs and environmental activists in this space and collaborating with young people from other countries in creating a social platform for them to engage in,” says Neeshad. Dr Luomi doesn’t dispute that, despite the large transient population, educating the general public and students is as important as ever. “But these are long-term goals. We need action now,” she says. Which is why she is a proponent of targeting people in positions of power with this messaging. “The question is how to increase awareness among high-level government officials and CEOs of companies who are invariably Gulf nationals who are born here, will remain here and so have a stake in the future of this region.” Holding a mirror to society The media is always a good place to start when you want to begin to understand how the society is engaging with a certain issue. In his academic paper “Protecting the Gulf: Climate Change Coverage in GCC Print Media” which was published last year, Dr Bradley Freeman, Associate Professor of Communication and Information Studies at the American University in Dubai, analyses how ten English-language newspapers from the six GCC countries address climate change. An environmentalist
“LANGUAGE AROUND CLIMATE CHANGE HAS OFTEN BEEN DOMINATED BY THE WESTERN PERSPECTIVE WHICH MIGHT DISENGAGE THE VALUES OF MANY PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD.”
JAMIE CLARKE Executive Director Climate Outreach
200
Notes: The study examined one English-language newspaper from each of the six GCC member countries. The search for articles used the keyword "climate change" in the Lexis-Nexis and Factiva databases.
180
Number of articles
Number of articles dealing with the topic of "climate change", 2009-2013.
160 140 120
2009
100
2010 2011
80
2012
60
2013
40 20 0
UAE
Bahrain
Saudi Arabia
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar
Countries of the GCC
61% Narrative news categories in the GCC newspaper articles dealing with the topic of climate change, 2009 - 2013
40 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
x
w 44%
65% u u v w x
v 44%
Economic/business-related Social/cultural/environmental/science/educational Political/international relations/policies/treaties/law Mlsc. or Indeterminate
Notes: N = 300. Articles were sampled from six newspapers over a five-year period; search term was "climate change". The narrative news categories were created based on previous research on news coverage.
Source: Protecting the Gulf: Climate Change Coverage in the GCC Print Media
himself, Dr Freeman believes that irrespective of what we do, we should all find ways within our scope of work to investigate and take on climate change. It was in this vein that he carried out content analysis on environmental coverage in regional blocs like the GCC and ASEAN. This, coupled with his familiarity with the media in the US and Europe, gives him a broad perspective on what is unique about the media narrative on climate change in this region. “It’s quite different here and a lot of that has to do with things outside the issue itself like the kinds of media structures that are in place,” he says. On how the media and societies play off each other, Dr Freeman begins with a caveat. “Newspapers are beginning to have less and less influence on public opinion. We can’t say that increased media coverage means immediate transformation of people’s perceptions and lives. It’s cumulative and a number of researchers in mass communication agree on this. The media can affect us on three levels – awareness, attitudes and behaviour, and each is harder than the last. Newspapers tend to lack the emotional appeal that is needed to change attitudes or behaviour so they tend to work best on the awareness level,” he says. “I don’t want to discount the ability of newspapers to have an influence but it’s usually in combination with other factors like an event.” “Typically, in this region, the level of concern is often talked down to a large extent,” Dr Freeman notes. “Someone in the government has a new mandate to talk about the environment, they will have press releases or events to encourage other people to be concerned about that. Or they launch some kind of initiative. The coverage is not usually, say, a group of concerned students for the environment. It could be, but it would still revolve around some kind of event called internationally or by the government.” On the perception of the media, viz. whether there is any government-led censorship, Freeman says the average media audience is not overly concerned with that. “And when it comes to environmental coverage, it’s hard to gauge what kind of effect any level of control has. In some cases, a newspaper is more likely to write about climate change because a certain government ministry may have decided that this is a big issue that they want to promote.” In fact, a study comparing The National in Dubai and Khaleej Times in Abu Dhabi notes that there
Dominant frames found in GCC newspaper articles on the topic of climate change, 2009-2013
u 29% x 49% w 20%
u v w x
v 2%
Problems Causes Judgments Remedies/solutions
Notes: N = 300. Articles were discovered using search term "climate change" in Lexis-Nexis and Factiva databases for six newspapers. A priori frames were suggested by previous arsearch.
“ISLAMIC SCRIPTURES TALK ABOUT CONSERVING WATER AND PROTECTING THE EARTH, AND DESIGNATE EVERY HUMAN AS A STEWARD OF THE ENVIRONMENT. THESE ARE PART OF THE PRINCIPLES TO BE FOLLOWED AS A MUSLIM. THIS MESSAGE, HOWEVER, HAS BEEN FORGOTTEN OVER THE YEARS AND FAITH LEADERS ARE NOW TRYING TO REVISIT THESE TEACHINGS.”
NEESHAD V S
Co-Founder and National Coordinator Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar
Blame responsibility variable in GCC newspaper coverage of climate change, 2009 - 2013
w 23%
u 29%
v 48%
u "Our Country" v "Other Countries" w "Both" Notes: N = 161. In this case, 131 articles did not mention which country was responsible. Of the 161 that did, 47 indicated "our country" meaning the country of the article's origine; 77 said "other countries", and 37 suggested that it was "both".
41 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
COVER STORY
Tic Talk … Tic Talk “WHEN IT COMES TO ENVIRONMENTAL COVERAGE, IT’S HARD TO GAUGE WHAT KIND OF EFFECT ANY LEVEL OF CONTROL HAS. IN SOME CASES, A NEWSPAPER IS MORE LIKELY TO WRITE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE BECAUSE A CERTAIN GOVERNMENT MINISTRY MAY HAVE DECIDED THAT THIS IS A BIG ISSUE THAT THEY WANT TO PROMOTE.”
DR BRADLEY FREEMAN
Associate Professor of Communication and Information Studies American University in Dubai
MEASURING SUCCESS HOW CAN WE MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF A MESSAGE? “IT IS A BIG CHALLENGE,” SAYS CLARKE. “IN SOME INSTANCES, IT’S EASIER TO MEASURE REDUCTIONS IN ENERGY USE THAN CHANGES IN BEHAVIOUR. OUR WORK IS BASED ON FOCUS GROUPS SO WE CAN MEASURE THE CHANGES PEOPLE HAVE EXHIBITED OVER THE PROCESS AND AFTER. WE HAVE BEEN DOING BIGGER SURVEYS ACROSS EUROPE TO LOOK AT POPULATIONS’ UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE ISSUE, SO THESE KINDS OF POLLS AND SURVEYS AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH ALSO HELP. WE ALSO MONITOR HOW THE MEDIA COVER THESE STORIES, HOW THE LANGUAGE AND THE WORDS THAT ARE USED CHANGE.”
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were more articles on environment issues in the latter because the Abu Dhabi government was keen to talk about all the work they were doing in this area. Exhibiting neither skepticism nor catastrophism, the general coverage can be broadly understood within a gradualism-oriented frame, Dr Freeman says. The articles are also more remedy-oriented. “The undertone is that, ‘Yes, burning fossil fuels contributes to climate change but we are not the ones burning them. We are just selling them. Massive emitters like the US, China and India have a much bigger responsibility. We have to play our part but ultimately our impact is very small. But rest assured it’s going to be okay because we can have international meetings and treaties and policies, and everything is going to be fine.’ That’s the message.” There is no need for catastrophism when climate catastrophies are the new norm, Neeshad feels. “It’s enough to just report on what’s happening around the world and connect the dots. You just need to correlate these incidents with climate change while providing critical information backed by scientific studies.” Dr Luomi too has some suggestions about how environmental coverage can be improved in regional media. “There should be an increase in science journalism. Despite the increasing research coming out of the region about the impact of climate change in the region, we don’t see much of that in the news. For example, there was a very interesting study done by the Abu Dhabi Global Environment Data Initiative with specific cases of the impact on energy, water, marine environment, coastal infrastructure, food security, air pollution, etc. on national and, to some extent, regional levels. There is a range of studies being done and if the media would publish them, it would bring the topic closer to home for the audience. Second, it’d be great to read about local leaders and nationals in key positions talking about this, about what they are doing every day that has a positive impact on the environment. This will have a lasting impact on the public. And finally, the media can do more to highlight businesses that are embracing sustainability. These are the kinds of stories that give concrete ideas on how you can green your economy and showcase positive examples of climate action by companies.” Emotional appeal It’s obvious that the most effective way to communicate an environmental message is to dial up the emotional appeal. This is why climate communicators are increasingly turning to faith leaders and artists who can disseminate the message on a spiritual level. Climate Outreach too undertook some work with five main global faiths around what kind of language works most positively for them, Clarke says. “It all stems from our perspective of effective and relevant messaging. Faith is the guiding principle for a lot of people and we need to be able to talk about climate change within the context of their faith. We came to some interesting conclusions about the commonalities of language that work across all faiths as well as differences in their approach to the environment, communities and narratives. And when Islamic scholars came together to make very strong
commitments to climate action around the time of the Paris Agreement, we found that they used many of few words we identified as key in order to make the message feel relevant to people for whom the Islamic faith is very important. This was very encouraging and we hope to continue to expand that work and make it more effective,” he says. Neeshad, who wrote about the Islamic perspective on environmentalism, says, “Islamic scriptures talk about conserving water and protecting the earth, and designate every human as a steward of the environment. These are part of the principles to be followed as a Muslim. This message, however, has been forgotten over the years and faith leaders are now trying to revisit these teachings. These activities are ramping up now with Pope Francis’s support for climate action and with leaders from various religions coming together before COP21 to stand for the environment. All over Morocco, during COP22, Friday sermons focused on this aspect of Islam and called for initiatives that will help all the mosques go green,” he remembers. “Coming from a pious place and being talked about as a religious duty, this might have a bigger impact than cold scientific reports.” Similar approach should be taken up aggresively by countries in the Gulf, he feels. In this respect, Tarsheed has demonstrated some out-of-the-box thinking. Not only did they try to engage worshippers after prayer time at the Education City Mosque but they have supported films through Doha Film Institute that speak about conservation which has proven to be an effective strategy. Artists like Olafur Eliasson have shown how art can communicate our concerns about the environment in wa ay that even thousands of news articles can't. The UNFCCC is also now increasingly focusing on art in helping to get the public on board. To get a sense of artdriven dialogue in the region, we spoke to Khalifa Al Obaidly, Director of the Artists in Residence programme at the Fire Station. “I feel the art scene in Qatar is similar to that in the rest of the GCC in the sense that most of the art produced is for decorative purposes and though some senior artists reflect their personal impressions and reactions to news from the Arab world, I don’t find a real dialogue with the society.” But Al Obaidly does say that art being used as a vehicle to raise awareness about young people leads diverse government bodies like the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy and Qatar Rail. “In fact, we are holding a big show at the Fire Station with Qatar Solar Technologies towards the end of the year where we will exhibit works of art by created students and established artists using solar lights.” Like everywhere else, it’s important here for the government to take the first step, according to Al Obaidly. “It’s very rare to find artists in the region whose art is focused on interacting with the audience to deliver an environmental message. The government ought to encourage artists in this direction as well, instead of relying on commercial companies to craft awareness programmes for the society. Done in a very corporate style, I don’t think these are particularly effective in resonating with the people.”
“IT’S VERY RARE TO FIND ARTISTS IN THE REGION WHOSE ART IS FOCUSED ON INTERACTING WITH THE AUDIENCE TO DELIVER AN ENVIRONMENTAL MESSAGE. THE GOVERNMENT OUGHT TO ENCOURAGE ARTISTS IN THIS DIRECTION AS WELL, INSTEAD OF RELYING ON COMMERCIAL COMPANIES TO CRAFT AWARENESS PROGRAMMES FOR THE SOCIETY.”
KHALIFA AL OBAIDLY
Director of the Artists in Residence Programme Fire Station
HARD-TO-REACH AUDIENCES “IN ENGLISH-SPEAKING NORTHERN COUNTRIES, THERE TENDS TO BE A SET OF AUDIENCES, PEOPLE WITH CENTRE-RIGHT VALUES AND PRINCIPLES, THAT ELEVATE TRADITION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ABOVE ALL ELSE. THEY ARE AN EXAMPLE OF 'HARD-TOREACH AUDIENCES FOR CLIMATE CHANGE COMMUNICATORS,” SAYS CLARKE. “BUT THIS CAN CHANGE WITH CONTEXT. IN SOME CASES, IT’S PEOPLE ON THE LEFT OF POLITICS WHO ARE HARD TO REACH. IN INDIA, THERE ARE DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES THAT ARE MORE OR LESS ENGAGED. THE PEOPLE OF THE HINDU NATIONALISTS TRADITION HAVE NOT BEEN WELL ENGAGED WITH THE MESSAGE BUT THE GOVERNMENT THEY ELECTED IS VERY POSITIVE TOWARDS PROMOTING RENEWABLE ACTIVITIES. THIS MAKES FOR AN INTERESTING ANALYSIS. THAT’S WHY IT’S DIFFICULT TO MAKE SWEEPING STATEMENTS ABOUT WHO IS HARD TO REACH ON THIS ISSUE. IN THE ARAB SITUATION, WE ARE NOT CLEAR OURSELVES WHO THESE AUDIENCES MAY BE.” 43 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
business > auto news
STYLE AND SUBSTANCE
BODYBUILDER MOHAMMED KOROGHLY TALKS ABOUT THE SALIENT FEATURES OF THE BMW 760Li AND EXPLAINS WHY THE CAR IS SO DEAR TO HIM. 44 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
D
ynamic personalities and renowned brands do tend to make the perfect match, so it comes as no surprise that Sudanese bodybuilder Mohammed Koroghly, who has lived in Qatar for the last seven years, finds the BMW 760Li to be “simply amazing”. “I like this model because it has everything. It gives the feel of a sports car and its interiors are mind-blowing,” said Koroghly, who served as an Emiri guard for Sheikh Tamim. He quit his job three years ago to follow his dream of becoming a professional bodybuilder. The selected features from the M Sport package give the stylish appearance of the BMW M760Li xDrive a decisively sporty accent. Supplementing them are exclusive M Performance design characteristics. Koroghly says that the standout design features of the car are its accent colours. The modified front with enlarged air inlets comprises exclusive M Performance elements. The frame and the front surfaces of the kidney grille as well as the Air Blades are all finished in Cerium Grey.
The M Sport package gives the stylish appearance of the BMW M760Li xDrive a decisively sporty accent.
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business > auto news
The different parameters of the steering electronics are linked directly with the Driving Experience Control.
46 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
Those looking for consistently luxurious equipment in the BMW M760Li xDrive will find their requirements in the optional character model of the BMW M760Li xDrive Model V12 Excellence. The attention focuses on exclusive comfort, elegant luxury and a distinct presence. This M Performance 12-cylinder can be recommended for everyone who prefers to take a seat in the luxurious rear of the vehicle. As far as the exterior of the car is concerned, the package includes 20’’ BMW individual light-alloy wheels in W-spoke 646 design and the M sport brake with callipers in high-gloss black. At the front, the BMW M760Li xDrive V12 Excellence has a chrome strip in the air inlet grid; and the xDrive badge on the left side of the luggage compartment lid and the V12 emblem are gleaming at the rear above the chrome-plated grip strip.
The interiors offer a headliner in Alcantara design as well as door sill finishers in Aluminium high finish with illuminated V12 model designation. Fine wood inlays for the seat-belt outlets, armrests and roof handles in the rear as well as the BMW leather steering wheel with wooden applications set elegant accents. When the ignition is turned on, a V12 emblem at the centre of the instrument cluster is displayed. Koroghly further says that the BMW M760Li xDrive features the active chassis regulation system Executive Drive Pro with two-axle air suspension, Dynamic Damper Control as well as Integral Active Steering and the intelligent all-wheel drive system xDrive. Thanks to tuning specific to M Performance, these systems provide exceptional driving dynamics combined with a very high level of ride comfort. According to Koroghly, the Integral Active Steering benefits the driving dynamics by adjusting the steering angle of the front and rear wheels to match the speed, thus further increasing handling and directional stability. It masters accelerated cornering and fast lane changes with inimitable agility. The different parameters of the steering electronics are linked directly with the Driving Experience Control. They are activated by selecting the appropriate driving programme and are specially tuned to the dynamic character of the BMW M760Li xDrive. The permanent all-wheel drive is a standard constituent of the BMW M760Li xDrive. The intelligent system distributes the torque between the front and rear axles with 100% variability. More dynamics, higher agility and noticeably improved traction have a positive effect on the sporty driving pleasure. To further hone the competitive M Performance character of the BMW M760Li xDrive, the focus of the drive has been placed even more emphatically on the rear wheels and hence on even greater precision in the dynamics. As far as the comfort angle is concerned, Koroghly says that interacting with the twoaxle air suspension and Dynamic Damper Control, this active chassis regulation is responsible for an exceptional level of ride comfort. On straight stretches, the adjustable stabilizers allow the suspension system the greatest possible freedom of movement, which further raises ride comfort. The system has been specially tuned to the more dynamic character of the BMW M760Li xDrive
affairs > bottom line
SUCCESS IN HIRING FRESH GRADUATES HERE ARE THE TOP THREE MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN HIRING FRESH GRADUATES, COLLATED FROM THE INSIGHTS OF PROFESSIONALS WHO HAVE BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT.
W
hen hiring new talent, managers often tend to overlook the potential of fresh graduates. When inducted and onboarded well, fresh graduates can be a great addition to any company. Not only are they excited and motivated by the prospect of their new careers, but they are also up to date on the latest trends and technologies, and can bring in new ideas and a fresh perspective. Selecting the right hire is always a challenge. The mindset required when hiring fresh graduates is quite different from hiring an experienced professional, and with little to no experience, some recruiters find it considerably difficult to discern whether or not the candidate would be a fit. In fact, there are a few mistakes that hiring managers tend to make when hiring fresh graduates, and it is important to know what they are, and how to avoid them. In order to get the insights of the reallife professionals who have hired fresh graduates, we spoke to Shobha Anne Jaison, Senior Manager of Human Development at Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 job site, who weighed in on the issue. Here are her top three mistakes to avoid when hiring fresh graduates.
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Judging the book by its cover “Do you remember your first job interview after graduation?” asks Shobha. “A job interview is a nerve-wrecking process,” she explains. The first job interview is probably the first time graduates are given the opportunity to market and sell themselves in a real-life scenario, which no doubt will be quite daunting. “Always remember this when interviewing fresh graduates. Many fresh graduates fail to perform their best during an interview and have trouble fully conveying their skills and abilities.” To spot a competent candidate, Shobha suggests, “[managers] should make the job interview as comfortable as possible.” Most recruiters make their hiring decision within the first few minutes of an interview. It is exceedingly important to avoid this, especially with young graduates. Instead, take your time, have both formal and informal conversations with them, walk them around the office, show them their potential workplace, and offer them coffee or a quick snack if possible. “In general, help them feel more ‘at ease’ and in their element, so they can fully deliver. You may even want to consider having more than one interview, in varied styles, as well as assigning them a task or two to complete, so you can better judge their abilities and potential hidden by their nervousness,” she adds.
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Failing to highlight the incentives Some of the most important job attributes that fresh graduates value today don’t revolve around the salary factor, according to the Bayt.com ‘Fresh Graduates in the Middle East and North Africa’ survey conducted in July 2016. “Generally speaking, the salary expectations of fresh graduates are lower than the average market rate, and they value other benefits, such as alternative working arrangements, training and growth opportunities,
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employee wellness programmes, flexible working hours, and a work culture that is well suited to them,” says Shobha. If your company offers these incentives, make sure to highlight them during the job interview or screening process to show the graduate that your company is a great place for them to start their career with. Fresh graduates might not know that a company could offer the aforementioned benefits that might carry more value than a high salary, so make sure you bring it up when talking to the job candidate if you’re interested in hiring them. Undervaluing their abilities and potential A rule of thumb for all employers is: Once you’ve hired a candidate, you have invested in them. There is no reason to undervalue their abilities and to not encourage and push them to work at their full potential. “These young minds will shape the future of your company,” says Shobha. “Therefore, it is important not to belittle them or their experience. Instead, use them to your advantage, encourage their participation in brainstorming sessions, value their input, and take their ideas into serious consideration,” she adds. Fresh graduates are very eager to learn and are determined to prove themselves in their new careers. You have the ability to train and mould them, transforming them into your future top achievers and the true fit within your company. Overall, fresh graduates can be a great asset and bring a fresh perspective to your teams. Some companies remain hesitant in hiring candidates with little to no experience. We recommend internships as an alternative starting point. Interns can also be trained and monitored. However, keep in mind that most interns aspire to get a full-time position. Make sure that they are treated as regular team members, recognized, and motivated in order for them to perform their best and remain loyal to their employers
Visit www.bayt.com today and download the white paper to know more about the skills gap crisis in the Middle East.
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ABOUT BAYT.COM Bayt.com is the #1 job site in the Middle East with more than 40,000 employers and over 27,000,000 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.
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technology > tag this
THE AGE OF DIGITALISATION IN THIS ERA OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, TECHNOLOGY IS EVOLVING CONSTANTLY TO RESHAPE THE WAY BUSINESSES OPERATE. THE MIDDLE EAST IS SLOWLY BUT STEADILY ADAPTING TO THE CHANGES, PAVING A PATHWAY FOR FASTER ECONOMIC GROWTH. QATAR TODAY SPEAKS TO WAEL EL KABBANY, BRITISH TELECOM’S VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE MENA REGION, TO GET SOME INSIGHTS INTO THIS TRANSFORMATION. BY KEERTANA KODURU 50 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
"THE CUSTOMER OF TODAY IS EXTREMELY SAVVY, WHICH AUTOMATICALLY CALLS FOR COMPANIES TO KEEP UP, IF NOT STAY AHEAD. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IS UNDOUBTEDLY THE SOLUTION TO THIS CONUNDRUM. IT ENABLES ENTERPRISES TO REMAIN AGILE AND ADAPTABLE."
I
“
n the business world, digital transformation means leveraging the latest technologies to stay ahead of the competition,” says Wael El Kabbany, Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, British Telecom. “If you look around, disruption is taking place on an unprecedented scale, transforming entire industries and bringing agile new competitors, who are trumping the status quo, to the fore. To put it simply, we are on the cusp of nothing short of a major technological revolution at the moment,” he says. But how does this translate to the average person on the street? “It means businesses will proactively listen to one’s valued customer base and deliver what they want. It also means streamlining everyday operations and improving communications not only between the company and external parties, but also within the company itself,” he elaborates. Catering to customers these days is getting more difficult by the day and no mean feat. They are much more mobile and highly connected to a wealth of information. They expect organisations to be proactive, and also demand that enterprises respond to their tastes, preferences and requests in realtime. “The customer of today is extremely savvy, which automatically calls for companies to keep up, if not stay ahead. Digital transformation is undoubtedly the solution to this conundrum. It enables enterprises to remain agile and adaptable. It allows them to respond to them in realtime.” The customer experience is the ultimate goal of any digital transformation.
WAEL EL KABBANY Vice President, MENA British Telecom
Real-time discussions Big data analytics are driving businesses by showing how customers think, what they want, and how the market views the brand. In the age of digital transformation, almost everything can be measured. In the coming years this will be a foundation on how businesses operate. Every important decision can and should be supported by the application of data and analytics. When asked which sectors will digitalisation benefit the most, El Kabbany believes it will be more evident in the retail, aviation and banking sectors. “It’s no coincidence that these three sectors are heavily characterized by customer relations, with their success dependent on responding to customers in realtime. Sectors such as aviation and retail are intrinsically linked to customer service. Their success depends on delivering what their customers want, in a timely fashion," says El Kabbany. Digitalisation essentially allows organisations to evolve and become more dynamic. It also helps them get insights from valuable data, thus allowing organisations to know what public preferences are, and make better-informed decisions about new products and services.
prioritized accordingly and considered a business risk, not merely one limited solely to the IT department,” says El Kabbany. To overcome these challenges, a company will need to invest more time, energy and money in having open discussions on what’s more important in the technology department and cybersecurity investments must go hand in hand with those related to digital transformation initiatives and an effective defence strategy is one based on threat intelligence, people and technology. With these elements in place, organisations can increase their resilience to cyberattacks. Generally, political risks are considered when making decisions while approving a technology road map, especially if the technology would be affecting critical national data or assets. The adoption of cloud services is always the first to be affected in a highly volatile political environment. However, British Telecom and other leading vendors across the world provide models to enable cloud services adoption and yet cater for national and regional political concerns. “Hybrid cloud services models enable such a balance between cutting-edge technologies and compliance restrictions. Moreover, a comprehensive security wrap provides the comfort against cybersecurity threats,” he says.
Empowering disruption Of course, digitalisation does not come without its own set of challenges. “Cyber security has become a major concern, not just for companies but for governments as well. This being said, it needs to be
Skills required From the back-end point of view, there is a grave need to supply the technological sector with skills required to sustain these changes. Almost every level and function of an organisation is affected by
Customers are more cautious than ever; they’ll turn away from brands that don’t align with their values and needs.
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technology > tag this
"WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE MIDST OF THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, AS IT HAS BEEN COINED BY THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, WHERE TECHNOLOGY’S IMPACT ON EVERYTHING FROM CUSTOMER SERVICE TO BUSINESS EFFICIENCY WILL BE IMMEASURABLE."
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IT – which inherently calls for more IT expertise. It is encouraging to note that the Middle East’s technology industry has been growing rapidly. However, the talent pool has not kept pace with the growth. “At the moment, the Middle East is facing a significant shortage of highly skilled technology professionals. As more industries experience disruption due to technology, we expect demand for IT talent to increase accordingly, especially with the rise of IoT, smart cities, cloud adoption, Big Data and an increase in the complexity of security threats,” says El Kabbany. “We see a rise in demand in two key areas: the first is the requirement that Chief Information Officers and other senior IT managers play a key role in advising key business functions, in a way that has a tangible effect on the rest of organisation. The other is the need for cybersecurity experts with the requisite skills and knowledge to combat the latest generation of cyberthreats.”
Talking Middle East Speaking about the influence of technology’s role in overcoming the challenges of a post-oil economy, El Kabbany says, “We are currently in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution, as it’s been coined by the World Economic Forum, where technology’s impact on everything from customer service to business efficiency will be immeasurable. Considering the current financial climate in the wake of low oil prices, there is a lot to be gained by digital transformation. Digital technologies can help enterprises create innovative business models, deliver an exceptional customer experience and enable national economies to come up with new revenue streams in a post-oil future.” Qatar has rapidly emerged as one of the fastest-growing markets in the region. Its economy, traditionally based on oil and gas, has now diversified into other key sectors such as telecommunications. In 2016, we saw Qatar acquire state-of-theart networks and fibre-based technologies. Speaking about British Telecom’s plans in Qatar, he says, “We have been working closely with telecom providers and system integrators in Qatar since 2014. We rely on the highly resilient telecommunications infrastructure to provide solutions for our existing global customers operating in the market. Furthermore, we have successfully signed many joint agreements to extend our solutions to cover security domains and global contact centres for local organisations in the country. Qatar has become one of the most promising markets in the region, especially with the drive towards Qatar 2022. We can see that leading companies around the world are eyeing the Qatari market. Technology figures highly in the country’s investment priorities and we are firmly committed to contributing to this remarkable growth.” While there is still ground to cover, great strides are being made by Qatar on the technological front. “Even though 2017 is bringing some challenges, we firmly believe that digital technologies can help enterprises create innovative business models, deliver an exceptional customer experience and enable national economies to come up with new revenue streams. We see bright growth prospects for the country, which also brings great opportunities for technology companies operating within the region,” concludes El Kabbany
technology > local
Smart Qatar initiative
launched at QITCOM The annual technology conference and exhibition, hosted this year for the first time by the newly-created Ministry of Transport and Communication (MoTC), witnessed several announcements that herald a new technological era in Qatar.
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H
E Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani launched the Smart Qatar initiative under the name “TASMU” during the opening ceremony of QITCOM which was held at the Qatar National Convention Centre. During his opening remarks, he said TASMU is designed specifically to accelerate the achievement of all pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030. The programme will serve as a platform for the realisation of a digital economy and a smart future. “To ensure its success, the State will make every effort to finance the public and private sectors, in which QR6 billion will be spent over the next five years, and enable the development of a necessary technological infrastructure that will activate hundreds of initiatives across many sectors. Qatar Digital Oasis will be established, forming a key pillar
for cooperation among multinational companies, small and medium enterprises and research institutes,” he said. “In this regard, I would like to point out that TASMU, along with other planned digital enterprises, will generate about QR40 billion for the Qatari economy over the next five years, and will accelerate the development of job opportunities in the Information Technology and Communications sector at a rate of 10% annually.” He also mentioned that since 2013, the government has supported the training of about 10,000 Qatari specialists and launched more than 1,600 electronic services related to all the segments of society. The MoTC, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Qatar Science & Technology Park and Ooredoo, along with 15 national stakeholders, joined forces to launch Qatar Innovation Community (QIC) in an effort to accelerate innovation across
Qatar and create solutions for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and beyond. Through various innovation programmes and initiatives, focusing on different strategic areas, QIC will support and enable Qatar’s innovation capability and knowledge capital. In addition, it will address national priorities and look to enhance Qatar’s
image and global competitiveness. During 2017 QIC will aim at strengthening stakeholder links and aligning innovation capabilities. In addition, QIC will launch three key services in order to accelerate knowledge transfer, innovation discovery, collaboration opportunities, innovationdriven entrepreneurship opportunities and
joint public-private innovation projects. During the conference, solutions were exhibited and discussed from various fields like artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, machine learning, cybersecurity, the cloud and big data. A number of workshops were also conducted on skills like mobile application development. The Communication Regulatory Authority (CRA) offered complimentary Qatari domain registrations during the event and reported an overwhelming response with over 400 local businesses and individuals having submitted their applications for domains under .qa extensions. Several momentous agreements were also signed like that between Ooredoo and Hamad Medical Corporation that will support the launch of an advanced mobile and digital solution to enhance the level of care and convenience for patients in Qatar, and between Qatar Rail and Qatar’s two telecom providers to implement nextgeneration consumer technologies across the Qatar Rail Metro network during the construction of stations and in the operations phase. A series of packed audiences filled the conference theatre to learn about the latest innovations in digital technologies from over a dozen experts. The conference was opened by HE Jassim Al Sulaiti, Minister for Transport and Communications, followed by Dr Allan James, VP for Worldwide Business Development at Hyperloop One, who gave the first keynote speech on the future of mobility. Dr Aisha bin Bashr, Director General of Smart Dubai, spoke of the importance of prioritizing happiness and creating a ‘happiness’ agenda while Antoni Vives, former mayor of the city of Barcelona, urged those involved in urban development to adopt a ‘first city, then technology’ approach. Another key component of QITCOM was TumuhaTEC’s Digital Youth Festival which offered teachers and students a fun-filled day, in which they could engage with technology through TechTalks and interactive activities. The festival hosted hundreds of children from all across the country aged eight years and above. These five zones were designed to instill the skills needed for emerging technologies in a digital future and cutting across all the different zones were the underlying themes of engaging girls in technology to show solidarity with International Women’s Day and to encourage and inspire these young women to pursue opportunities in the technology sector 55 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
development > tech talk
SIEMENS TO HELP DEVELOP QATARIS’ TECH SKILLS Siemens and the Ministry of Transport and Communications in Qatar signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at QITCOM to advance tech capabilities among Qatari nationals.
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nder the agreement, Siemens will endeavour to provide mentoring and training to the Ministry’s Innovation Lab, its staff as well as start-ups affiliated with its innovation and incubation programmes. The collaboration will focus on knowledge transfer and building skills that support Qatar’s national Information and Communications Technology (ICT) strategies and policies. Siemens agreed to provide mentoring and guidance in areas relevant to its expertise, including manufacturing, automation, intelligent traffic solutions, smart cities, efficient and integrated mobility solutions and digitalisation. At
the same time, the Ministry will share its expertise in public policy and regulation in areas linked to its mandates in the transportation and ICT sectors. The parties will also seek to support pilot projects of relevance to national ICT initiatives and with a positive economic or social impact on Qatari society. “This agreement comes shortly after we released our Business to Society report for Qatar, where we had quantified our contribution to society through sustainable business. We are delighted to continue supporting local talent development in line with Qatar’s National Vision 2030,” said Adrian Wood, CEO of Siemens in Qatar.
BIG WINNERS ‘Accessible Qatar’ by Sasol and ‘Madar Al Huruf’ by Qatar Foundation International – two mobile apps from Qatar – were among the 40 winners selected over 450 nominations for the World Summit Award.
Wheelchair Users
Mobility Impaired
Visually Impaired
Hearing Impaired
QIA TO OPEN OFFICE IN SILICON VALLEY
GOOGLE HELPS PARENTS Google is taking a different approach to parental controls with its new Family Link app, which allows parents to dynamically adjust how much access their kids have to their Android device. Currently available as an invite-only beta for Android 7.0 Nougat and above, Family Link has two parts: a special kid’s version of a Google account, and an app that parents install on their own Android phone or tablet. You download the app first, which allows you to create a Google account for your child, who then signs into his or her device. Once everything is set up, you’ll have three options for controlling your child’s Android experience. Each time he or she wants to download an app from the Google Play store, you’ll get a notification to approve or deny it in your Family Link app. You can also set screen time limits for each of your kids’ apps. Finally, you can remotely lock your kid’s phone or tablet when it’s time for bed. Family Link doesn’t come with any other typical parental control features, like monitoring a child’s physical location or restricting web browsing.
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Qatar Investment Authority is looking to open an office in San Francisco to expand its growing US portfolio. With QIA’s new push to invest in the US and Asia and in more non-traditional assets like technology, this move was only a matter of time in coming. “Soon we will be opening an office in the Silicon Valley in San Francisco,” CEO Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani was quoted as saying at an investment conference in London. “What we plan is to open the office hopefully by the end of this year; if not by the end of this year then it will be the first quarter of next year. It will be linked very commercially to our office in New York and we will take it from there,” he said. Qatar has not yet made a decision about investment in the $100 billion technology fund formed by Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp and Saudi Arabia, he said.
WORKING AROUND THE LAPTOP BAN Qatar Airways announced that it intends to offer a complimentary laptop rental service to any Business Class passenger travelling on a US-bound flight.
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he move comes after American authorities banned passengers flying on certain airlines from specific destinations from carrying any electronic device larger than a smartphone in their hand luggage. The laptops will be available to all Business Class passengers flying to the United States. It’s not clear what software will come preinstalled, or indeed, what laptops the airline intends to offer. Qatar Airways also intends to offer passengers access to a USB memory stick before they board the flight, allowing them to copy over their files and documents that they’ll need to work on.
TWITTER AGAINST TERRORISM Twitter’s attempt to crack down on users who promote terrorism and extremist views resulted in the suspension of 376,890 accounts in the second half of 2016, according to the company’s latest transparency report.
T THE BIG CONNECTED VEHICLES PUSH The Ministry of Transport and Communications has announced the creation of a consortium aimed at creating an ecosystem that would facilitate the early deployment of Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAV) on a national and regional scale.
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memorandum of understanding signed with Qatar Mobility Innovations Centre (QMIC) is seen as a “strategic move” to take the CAV programme in Qatar “to the next level.” QMIC has been very active in the area of CAV since 2010. In 2014, it carried out the first field demo of an industrycompliant V2X system and applications in the MENA region at the Qatar Science
and Technology Park. As the next step to facilitate potential full deployment of technology in Qatar, QMIC has committed plans to carry out a field pilot of V2X systems (Qatar V2X pilot) and applications in 2017-2018 in Qatar. This will allow QMIC and its partners to test CAV in real field scenarios as vehicles and roadside units will be used together with a few applications, the ministry said.
hat brings the total number of extremist accounts suspended to 636,248 since Twitter began tracking such suspensions in August 2015. Seventy-five percent of accounts suspended for promoting terrorism in the second half of 2016 were found by Twitter’s own spam fighting tools, the company said. Others were suspended following outside requests, including those from government representatives. After coming under fire from advocacy groups for not doing enough to stamp out hate speech and extremist views, Twitter stepped up its purging efforts last year. In addition to removing tweets and accounts that violate the company’s prohibition on promoting terrorism, Twitter has also suspended the accounts of several prominent individuals associated with the “alt-right” movement. In addition to suspending accounts, Twitter, like other social media companies, also receives legal requests from law enforcement agencies to remove content. Although it complies with many such requests, Twitter said it rejected most of the 88 legal requests in the second half of last year to remove content posted by verified journalists or news outlet accounts. 57 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
business > marketwatch
WINNING IN STYLE Sealine Beach, A Murwab Resort – Qatar’s first leisure destination – has been named Luxury Travel Guide’s (LTG) ‘Luxury Beachfront Resort of the Year - Qatar’ at the LTG Africa & Middle East Awards 2017.
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ommenting on winning the prestigious award, Nawaf Ali Al Obaidly, General Manager at Sealine Beach Resort, said, “We are delighted to be recognised with this coveted title which represents the pinnacle of travel and tourism achievement and the culmination of our successful and extensive renovation process that we carried out in 2016.” Kerry Payne, Account Manager at Luxury Travel Guide, said, “Sealine Beach Resort is characterised by having great accommodation and facilities that give their guests a homely feel. It is
one of the best places to visit for a relaxing vacation. I have read the reviews, and the guests kindly express how fabulous their stay was." In addition to enjoying the luxury resort’s panoramic views of the sea and pure natural surroundings, Sealine Beach offers leisure enthusiasts a chance to engage in a wide range of recreational activities that include a number of exclusive beach-sport adventures for the first time, as well as the opportunity to experience an expansive collection of culinary specialties at its five-star beachside dining areas.
BRINGING HUAWEI TO QATAR
Intertec Group W.L.L will now be the sole authorised IR distributor for Huawei Mobiles in Qatar. Asraf NK, Division Manager, Intertec Group, delivered a warm welcome speech for all officials and invitees. “Intertec group is a leading multi-divisional company which was formed in 1993. During these years the company has been able to commercially excel in diverse business activities. This has been possible only because we have focused on our mission of building strong relations with our partners,” said Asraf.
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EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE Logistics provider GWC was recognised for its continuing efforts in serving the local community during the launch ceremony of the fifth edition of the National CSR Report during Qatar University’s CSR Exhibition and Conference.
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CSR award ceremony honouring those who have made significant contributions to these causes was held during the conference and was attended by a number of dignitaries, industry experts and ambassadors. During the award ceremony, GWC senior corporate communications manager Mohammad Daoud received the CSR leadership award, on behalf of the company, from Qatar University president Dr Hassan Al Derham. “GWC’s strong nationalistic orientation coheres strongly to the societal ideals put forth in the National Vision and finds expression in the varied initiatives it supports towards cultivating the spirit of service to community that it promotes both within and outside the company,” said GWC Chairman Sheikh Abdullah bin Fahad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani.
FROM LUXURY TO FITNESS The Alfardan Group recently inaugurated the Gymmito Fitness Club at the Qanat Quartier, The Pearl-Qatar. Hussain Alfardan, owner, Alfardan Group, commemorated the VIP event, with a ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by well-known guest speakers, refreshments, gym tours and mini group fitness classes. On the occasion, Fardan Fahad Hussain Alfardan, Director and President of Alfardan Exchange, said, “Our family has always been known for bringing innovations to the country. Gymmito is Qatar’s largest and most technologically advanced fitness club. The vision of the fitness centre seamlessly dovetails with the objective of Qatar’s National Vision 2030 – promoting a healthy lifestyle among its residents.” Dave Jones, General Manager, Gymmito, said that Alfardan has been in the news for the last 60 years as one of the leading family companies bringing the best, exclusive products and services to the country. He added, “It’s accessible, affordable and a great place for community members to get to know each other.” The fitness centre boasts a range of machines including the MILON Strength-Endurance Circuit. The club layout has been designed for quick and effective exercises. Equipment options will include elliptical machines, free weights, stationary bikes and treadmills; other options include personal training, a ladies-only section with female instructors, and a unique juice bar to hydrate the body after a hard workout.
EVENTS GALLERY Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and its partners in the business events sector launched the country’s first Business Events Guide, signaling a new chapter of growth in the sector.
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he guide offers a comprehensive resource that will help international event organisers, wherever they are, plan and deliver their exhibitions, conferences, conventions and meetings in Qatar. The gathering was attended by event organisers and various members of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry who help to make a business event successful. Addressing attendees,
Ahmed Al Obaidli, Director of Exhibitions at QTA, said, “Empowering our partners in the private sector to participate in the national efforts to promote Qatar as a destination for global business events is at the core of our strategy. This guide, which includes inputs from all the members of the sector, will put all the tools needed to organise an event in Qatar at event planners’ fingertips.” 59 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
business > marketwatch
MIRRORLESS PHOTOGRAPHY
RAMADAN SPECIAL Azraq Restaurant at Banana Island Resort Doha will be marking Ramadan this year with a special month-long event offering its guests a wide choice of cuisines for Iftar and Suhoor as well as activities for the entire family.
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replica of the renowned Al Rakiyat Castle will be displayed, complete with inscriptions from the Holy Quran. A spice market, reminiscent of the souks, a live band playing traditional Arabic music and a Henna artist will all be waiting for guests. Menu choices include Mediterranean cuisine from all over Arabia, Asian delicacies and international comfort foods. Live stations will be the main highlight, where guests can choose from sushi, saj, shawarma, Italian and Indian food. Of course, the evening cannot
be complete without traditional Arabic coffee and Moroccan tea. To end the meal, there will be a fruit mountain and chocolate mountain as well as a traditional Laban cart offering six different flavours of Laban that will be made on the spot for guests to enjoy. Alternatively, there are four different Ramadan juices, fresh orange juice, frozen slushies as well as other soft drinks. A special menu has been created just for the little ones, including mini burgers and nuggets, with an assortment of mini chocolates and marshmallows for desert.
ESCAPE TO THE REAL WORLD KidzMondo recently opened in Mall of Qatar with one purpose in mind; blending education and entertainment to prepare children for adulthood and prime them to become tomorrow's, skilled professionals, talented artists and responsible citizens.
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Careem teamed up with 365 Adventures to offer its customers in Qatar an unforgettable desert experience.
FUJIFILM Corporation president, Kenji Sukeno, announced that the company will release the FUJIFILM GFX 50S(GFX 50S) medium format mirrorless digital camera, adopting a 43.8x32.9mm medium format (FUJIFILM G Format) sensor with 51.4 MP. Featuring a premium design and excellent operability stemming from the highly reputable digital camera “X Series� system and the accumulation of image design technology from over 80 years of experience, the GFX 50S achieves the highest ever image quality from Fujifilm.
BRING YOUR BEST BUSINESS CASE
THE THIRD ANNUAL AL RUWAD BUSINESS CASE COMPETITION WAS HOSTED BY THE COLLEGE OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC – QATAR (CNA-Q) WITH THE CONTINUED SUPPORT OF SPONSOR, DOHA BANK.
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l Ruwad, which ran from March 24 - 26, is the only business case competition open to all GCC post-secondary students, making it the premier intercollegiate business preparation activity in the region. This year 44 students comprising 10 teams competed in the competition, which tests the students’ ability to evaluate a number of cases focusing on any one aspect of business from marketing, finance or human resources. The format challenges teams to compete against each other in three rounds of case analysis. The four teams with the highest scores compete in the final round to vie for the top prize. Doha Bank provided prizes of QR30,000 for the winner, QR20,000 for second place and QR10,000 for third place. Two teams from Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar took first and third place, while a team from College of Islamic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University took the second place prize for the second year in a row. “We are thrilled that Doha Bank has sponsored the Al Ruwad Business Case Competition for the third consecutive year. Through their support CNA-Q is able to host the premier business case competition in the GCC, allowing students
from across the region to compete in solving practical business scenarios,” said David King, Dean of the School of Business Studies at CNA-Q. “This event is about developing opportunities for students to gain a greater understanding of the business world and help them develop into strong leaders who will steer the region’s economy in the years to come.” Dr R Seetharaman, Group CEO of Doha Bank, said, “Sponsoring the Al
Ruwad Business Case Competition is a matter of great pride for Doha Bank, as we are always keen on supporting outstanding initiatives that help the region’s top academic talent advance their professional growth through practical, applied learning. Our sponsorship also reaffirms our long-standing partnership with the leading educational entity, CNA-Q, which is actively contributing to the future development of communities driven by knowledge and insight.” 61 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
business > auto news
ONE-STOP BODY SHOP
QATAR AUTOMOBILES COMPANY (QAC) INAUGURATES NEW BODY SHOP ON STREET 18 IN THE INDUSTRIAL AREA.
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atar Automobiles Company (QAC), the authorized distributor of Mitsubishi Motors and Mitsubishi Fuso in Qatar, recently opened its new comprehensive Bodyshop on Doha Industrial Area’s Street 18. Inaugurated on April 3, under the patronage of Sheikh Nawaf bin Nasser Al Thani, Chairman and CEO of NBK Holding, the latest aftersales addition reaffirms the remarkable expansion of the strong automotive player, recorded as one of the fastest in Qatar and the GCC.
This new addition to QAC not only caters to Mitsubishi Motors and Mitsubishi Fuso, but also covers all other QAC and Auto Class brands such as Liderkit, and renowned Chinese brands Maxus and BAIC. A team of highly trained and experienced technicians, as well as the latest automotive technologies, provide holistic repair services for all kinds of vehicles. Minor or major accident damages are repaired using the latest realignment system, the highest original quality parts, and the fastest service. QAC’s General Manager, Ihab El Feky, describes the centre’s concept as “a world-
This new addition to QAC not only caters to Mitsubishi Motors and Mitsubishi Fuso, but also covers all other QAC and Auto Class brands such as Liderkit, and renowned Chinese brands Maxus and BAIC. class repair facility aiming at simplifying customers’ lives and optimising their time through professional services designed to deliver excellence.” Prioritising customers' satisfaction and convenience, QAC Bodyshop goes the extra mile to reach its clients wherever they are. Ewen Baxter, After-sales Director, further added, “We provide our customers with the best services including offering a courtesy car and arranging collection and delivery additional to recovery service in case of an accident. By revolutionizing the car repair approach, we hope to introduce innovative automotive and customer-centric standards that all parties can benefit from.” In addition to being a preferred service
provider for insurance companies, the new centre offers a comprehensive range of repair services, including accident repairs, full re-spraying, major and minor repairs for any make or model (for passenger & commercial vehicles), as well as quick turnaround for small-scale localised repairs to areas such as bumpers, trims and windscreens, avoiding the full body shop process. The new QAC workshop can repair almost any vehicle. Pairing its services with state-of-theart machinery, computerised systems, and a highly skilled team, QAC plans on exceeding its customers’ expectations through this milestone in the automotive industry 63 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
business > auto news
BE AT HOME ON EVERY ROAD QATAR TODAY TESTDROVE THE RENAULT KOLEOS OVER ONE RAINY WEEKEND; WHATEVER BE THE WEATHER AND HOWEVER BE YOUR ROAD, INSIDE THE KOLEOS’S LUXURIOUS, SAFE BUBBLE, ALL IS WELL WITH THE WORLD. BY AYSWARYA MURTHY
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ou know the BaaderMeinhof phenomenon? One day you learn a new word and suddenly that word mysteriously keeps popping up everywhere. Soon after the weekend test-driving the new Renault Koleos LE, it seemed like the whole of Doha was driving nothing but this specific car. I was seeing it everywhere. But sometimes it was a Nissan X Trail, which looks strikingly similar and reportedly also shares some engine specifications. Manufactured in the Koleos plant in Busan, South Korea, this SUV is a big car; so big that it ought to have its own moon. You get the full force and meaning of the thing only once you climb inside its cavernous interior. There is enough room in the back for a baby elephant. There can be no casual tossing your bag into the back seat here; you might never see it again. So that’s
great news for families, campers and those who complain about leg room. However the vehicle seemed a little unwieldy; there were a few times that I wondered whether this is how truck drivers felt, manoeuvring 18-wheelers into the city at 100 kmph. But the 2.4 litre, 4-cylinder, 126-horse power is more than up to the task and that’s evident from the effortless pickup and smooth acceleration. Be it on the gravely stretches of the Dukhan desert or the paved roads of Qanat Quartier, the car simply glides along and is a pleasure to behold. There were a couple of times I was well over the speed limit and didn’t even realise it; it was like a bizarre illusion (I soon discovered the speed limiter but having that on simply felt like a waste of the car’s potential). It’d be scary to think of this beast of a car thundering down the roads at great speeds if not for its wealth of safety features. The Renault Koleos comes with
PHOTOS COURTESY: AYSWARYA MURTHY
an advanced preventative safety suite with features such as blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision alert and autonomous braking, lane departure indicators, traffic sign recognition, safe distance warnings, tiredness detection, and hands-free, Easy Park Assist. The 360 degree sensors, with cameras whenever applicable, are a boon for careful/new drivers. The detection of any obstacle immediately sounds the alert along with the activation of camera feed on touchscreen. The 8.7-inch portrait-oriented capacitive screen tablet is easily my favourite feature of the car because it’s a window to a host of other really cool features. It’s really like your command station – view camera, operate multimedia, access GPS, check tyre/engine status, view driving data, choose between driver profiles and control fan speed and ambient lights from this one panel, which can also
be controlled by voice. I have always been a fan of minimalism and this one-touchto-rule-them-all approach thrills me. Let’s do away with as many buttons as we can, is my philosophy. Renault Koleos is proof that this can be done and done well. However, the interface definitely could be more polished and intuitive; for example, it doesn’t return to last state before switch off so each time you restart the car, even if it’s only after a short jog to the shop, you’ll have to navigate your way back to the Bluetooth settings, for example, and connect again. Surely this is an easy fix. The ambient cabin lighting (with five colours) and the look and feel of the dashboard can be altered and saved as separate profiles if you are sharing the car or even if you are in the mood for different each day. The real leather trim seats are ventilated for those really hot or really cold days. The keyless one-touch start can
also be activated remotely and the auto lock is great for those who constantly keep forgetting to lock their cars. The oftenneglected rear seats get their due here with dedicated AC vents, cup slots and USB ports. You’ll be thankful for the big 12-speaker Bose sound system with a sub, and the lpanoramicsunroof during those long road trips in cool weather. These are just some of the standout features in the Renault Koleos; there are plenty of others we can’t mention in the interest of space. But I bring it up because in this context the price of the vehicle is simply astounding. All my friends (all two of them) who experienced the car with me that weekend went slack-jawed when I told them all this came for less QR100,000. I understand how they felt. It makes you question every other car you had ever bought. And that, I think, is the biggest compliment one can give 65 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
business > auto news PARADE MARKS FERRARI’S 70TH ANNIVERSARY IN QATAR Over 50 Cavallino Rampante models were showcased in a car parade in Doha as Ferrari marked its 70th anniversary celebrations in the country.
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he event was organised by Alfardan Sports Motors, the official dealers of Ferrari in Qatar, in collaboration with Qatar Tourism Authority, Qatar Museums and Mawater Centre. Together with 60 nations across the globe, Qatar hosted a spectrum of bespoke experiences for Ferrari clients and enthusiasts under the
theme ‘Driven by Emotion’. “We proudly gather here today to celebrate not just the brand, but the extraordinary legacy that it has created since 1947,” said Charly Dagher, General Manager of Ferrari Qatar, Alfardan Sports Motors. “Ferrari has always stood as an icon of automotive excellence, captivating our
ALL-NEW GS4 MAKES QATAR DEBUT
Doha Marketing Services Company WLL (DOMASCO), the distributors for GAC in Qatar, displayed the urban SUV GS4 at the City Center in March. The Al Futtaim company also displayed the GA6 and GA3 on March 24 and 25 at the same venue. The GS4 event was marked by VIP guests and mall visitors getting a chance to take a closer look at the vehicles, and the first few customers also received exciting gifts along with their purchases. The event was also marked by hip-hop dancers and a fashion show. “The GS4 raises the bar for the compact SUV segment and offers an unrivalled combination of style, performance and safety,” said Faisal Sharif, Managing Director, DOMASCO.
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discerning Qatari clients with its promise of exclusivity and luxury. In its 70th year, we are extremely thrilled to unveil the LaFerrari Aperta as the grand attraction of the parade. The model embodies the core values of technological innovation, performance and style while offering a unique open-top driving experience,” he added.
AUDI QATAR LAUNCHES BRAND-NEW Q2
Q-Auto, the official importer of Audi in Qatar, announced the launch of the all-new Audi Q2 in the country. The model, which is an urban-type vehicle for everyday driving and recreation, features polygonal design, sporty performance, and full-size class connectivity and assistance systems. With a length of 4.19 metres, the model is notably more compact than the rest of the Q clan, which makes parking easier. Despite its reduced dimensions, the five-seater SUV offers ample head and leg room across its interiors. There are numerous storage compartments available for all seats, including an extensive luggage compartment. The Audi Q2 is available in two trim options – Sport and Design. “The model stuns with its urban, trendy design and incredible functionality, thanks to the cutting-edge technologies that power its advanced performance,” said Ahmed Shariefi, General Manager of Audi Qatar.
DOMASCO WELCOMES MOTOGP RIDERS TO HONDA SHOWROOM
QATAR MOTOR SHOW SET TO SHOWCASE AUTOMOTIVE INNOVATION
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atar Motor Show (QMS) is returning once again this year under the theme ‘Driving to Innovation’. Held under the patronage of His Excellency Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister of the State of Qatar, the seventh edition of QMS is scheduled to be held from April 18-22 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC). The five-day exhibition, organised by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and Fira
Qatar, will feature the latest automotive trends and innovations with a particular focus on creating exceptional visitor experiences. The show is expected to host several 2017 models in the Middle East. “QMS continues to build on its position as a prominent regional automotive event which has played a significant role in reinforcing Qatar as a premium business events destination,” said Ahmed Al Obaidli, Director of Exhibitions at QTA.
Doha Marketing Services Company W.L.L (DOMASCO) brought in the 2017 MotoGP season by inviting three-time and reigning world champion Marc Marquez and his highly acclaimed teammate, Dani Pedrosa, to the Honda flagship showroom. The annual motorcycling event kicked off with the Qatar MotoGP at the Lusail International Circuit in March. DOMASCO also unveiled the 2017 Africa Twin CRF1000 DCT and the all-new 2017 CBR1000RR during the event. The new CBR has been redesigned, with new engines, chassis, suspension and bodywork. It is substantially lighter, narrower, more powerful and faster than its predecessors. The new CBR1000 will come in three distinct model options, including the RR, and for the true racing enthusiast, the SP and SP2 which will be produced in limited quantities. The all-new 2017 CBR1000RR will be available in Qatar soon.
NISSAN INTRODUCES DESERT CAMEL POWER
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issan Middle East announced a new concept in March which is set to revolutionise the way vehicles are evaluated for desert performance. Developed by Nissan engineers, Desert Camel Power uses a scientifically proven formula to determine how a given vehicle will perform in typical desert off-road conditions. Horsepower alone is not enough to perform well in desert conditions, but just as horsepower can be calculated scientifically, so can Desert Camel Power, thereby raising the prospect of a vehicle’s desert fitness. According to Desert Camel Power Unit engineer Joseph Rachid El Hachem, “Over the past two years we have been researching what elements make a vehicle such as the Nissan Patrol so well suited to desert driving. Basically, we found that it comes down to the interplay between the vehicle’s weight, its velocity and its trajectory. Other factors including manoeuvrability, engine torque and of course the skill of the driver do come into play and cannot be discounted.” 67 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
affairs > qt take
When words
Picture Credit: OSCAR T RIALUBIN
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aren’t enough
At this three-day poetry slam workshop, participants were encouraged to expand their safe space and give voice to their words. By Ayswarya Murthy
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atar National Library, in collaboration with the German Embassy Doha and the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region, recently hosted a ‘Poetry Slam’ workshop. The workshop took place over three days, and was delivered by German poetry slammers and instructors, Julian Heun and Dominique Macri. On the fourth day, the small class of about ten young people gave a public performance at the Black Box Theater in the HBKU Student Center in Education City. We decided to sit in on the secondday workshop, but “sitting in” was not an option. It is understandable; over the previous day, the group of strangers – instructors and participants, veterans and novices, English-speakers and Arabicspeakers – came together to create a space. It’s precious and it’s fragile; the sudden introduction of a stranger in their midst who’d only silently observe from a distant could be disruptive, we were told. So we penned down a few hasty verses and mumbled them into the void. It’s significantly harder than it looks. It’s no wonder that both Heun and Macri recall having had a huge push their first time around, about ten years ago – friends and teachers had to force them on stage, but once they got started, they never stopped. Marci, whose background is in improve theatre, initially could never quite get her head around the idea of competing. “But I have reconciled with it,” she says. The two frequently perform on stage in Germany, sometimes together, and have individually conducted many workshops as well. But they have never quite instructed such a diverse set of pupils before, each of them from different countries and backgrounds. And it’s not surprising that one of the themes the young people here kept coming back to was that of identity. Heun has increasingly been working with young refugees in recent years and notes that identity is a source of contemplation among them as well, in addition to the war-related trauma. Whenever they conduct such workshop, the first order of business is creating a safe atmosphere where everyone trusts each other enough to express themselves freely. “In a safe space, people are not afraid to fail. They have fun making mistakes,” says Macri. “But this safe space is within yourself. It’s what helps you make a decision about how far you want to go,
and want you want to show and still feel safe. What we do is help them stretch this space to include more people in it. The result is you have this big variety of people presenting themselves in this individual, personal way and it’s so colourful; it’s a chance for so many different people to come on stage and be heard by a supportive audience,” she says. And that’s how we found ourselves standing there on the stage, squinting into our notes and belting out a short verse in a strangled voice. “These team performances are important, we try to get them to listen to not just us, but each other as well; to share their knowledge and work with each other. Many of them are skilled writers and there is something to learn from everyone. We strive to create a situation where this can happen,” says Macri. Some are naturally strong at writing than performing, or vice versa; but it’s a thing of balance, Heun says. “I am a better writer than performer. I am still working on it,” he smiles. And that’s what the workshop is about – to take someone who is good in one aspect and help them in the other. So on Day 2, we are sitting in a circle penning our own poems and Day 3 is dedicated to performance and delivery, so the class is instructed to bring along some of their favourite poems - their own or otherwise – to practise on. The duo share some great pointers about avoiding kitsch and staying away from clichés. “The cliché is a poet’s worst enemy,” Heun tells the group. “There are two ways to avoid this – by being precise or by being absurd.” Later he advises us to find new images and use small words to talk about big emotions. And to drive the point home, he tasks the group to pen a love poems without using words like “heart”, “family”, “eyes”, “passion”, “stars” and a dozen other usual suspects. It’s a formidable challenge and our group rises to the occasion spectacularly. There were poems that made you gasp, laugh, sigh... they listened, they encouraged and in the end, they critiqued. And it was always positive, nice things like “that poems made me feel like I was sitting in front of a heater on a cold day”. Even for the couple of poems that were in Arabic, Macri says she was able to recognize the rhythm and the repeating patterns that the sound of a phrase would be in her head before the speaker said it. “Even if you don’t understand the poem, you feel it,” she tells us
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city life > doha diary
RECORD-BREAKING TOUCHDOWN Aiming to become the oldest plane to circumnavigate the globe, the Breitling DC-3 aeroplane landed in Qatar last month as part of its record-breaking world tour.
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he Breitling DC-3 world tour took to the skies on March 9, 2017, 77 years after embarking upon its maiden flight. Departing from Breitling’s home country of Switzerland, the plane will visit 54 countries over seven months, landing back in Switzerland at the Breitling Sion Airshow 2017 in September. Qatar is its sixth stop, following on from visits to Jordan and Bahrain. The visit of the Breitling DC-3 harks back to the early days of international aviation travel – its maiden
flight took place just a few weeks after oil was first discovered in Qatar. Speaking after arriving in Qatar, Breitling DC-3 pilot Francisco Agullo said, “Crossing the Middle East, with its vast open desert, is something I’ve really been looking forward to since we started planning this project. And flying over Qatar at just 2,000 feet, far lower than commercial aircraft are normally allowed, has been a truly unique experience and a personal highlight of this world tour."
SIDRA PROGRESS REPORT Sidra Medical and Research Center recently launched Qatar’s first dedicated women’s perinatal mental healthcare clinic.
H A NEW DIMENSION TO ADVERTISING ELAN Media launched Novo Cinemas’ latest innovative advertising campaign to announce the first MX4D cinema in Qatar and the largest IMAX laser screen in the region. Featuring on 60 of their street furniture assets in both Doha and Al Rayyan, the four different MUPI executions have brought static visuals to life. The special 3D-effect die-cuts reflect the new dynamic cinema experiences of MX4D and IMAX in an original and engaging way that resonates with Novo Cinemas’ target audience. Additionally, seven bus shelters located in Doha and Al Rayyan have been fully wrapped to look like real cinema popcorn boxes. 70 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017
ere women can be treated for a wide range of pregnancyrelated mental health difficulties including anxiety, depression, and transition to motherhood by qualified perinatal psychiatrists. The team of Sidra professionals will provide guidance and counseling for mothers facing difficulties with attachment and bonding and issues related to previous trauma and loss. The clinic will also seek to provide support for those with more serious disorders such as postpartum psychosis, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD Festivities at the Qatar International Food Festival (QIFF) included a variety of exclusive dining experiences, cultural and edutainment performances, interactive food art and photography workshops as well as health awareness activities.
H
assan Al Ibrahim, Chief Tourism Development Officer at Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), commented, "QIFF demonstrates the impact and value tourism events can deliver to various sectors across the economy, particularly when we join hands to create unique experiences. The collaborative spirit shown from the various private and public partners, chefs, nutritionists, and artists was the key ingredient in the cultural and culinary innovations that drew people back to Hotel Park for repeated visits.” His Excellency
Sheikh Nawaf bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani, Chairman of Katara Hospitality, who visited QIFF during the week, expressed his pride in this edition of the festival as well as his appreciation for the tremendous efforts made by QTA to ensure its success. In light of the current Somalian drought, QIFF organisers collaborated with Qatar Charity (QC) to encourage participants to donate 10-20% of their revenue from the festival to QC's relief campaign. The festival's longstanding feature was back this year bringing 50 local, regional and international food celebrities to run live demonstrations and
share their best cooking tips and tricks with fans in Qatar. In addition to a designated health zone, 'Care', this year's festival featured 26 interactive health workshops and coaching sessions for the first time. Residents also enjoyed specially-curated QIFF Menus on offer at 100 participating cafes and restaurants across the country. In addition, a series of eight Chef's Table events were held at select five-star hotel restaurants, giving residents and visitors an opportunity to savour exclusive live cooking and dining experiences with internationally acclaimed chefs.
A NEW FAN HUB Katara Hospitality recently announced its partnership with Spanish football league La Liga to launch the world’s first La Liga lounge at Hotel Park. The press conference was attended by Hamad Abdullah Al Mulla, CEO of Katara Hospitality, Fernando Sanz, General Director, Middle East and North Africa of La Liga, Adolfo Bara, General Manager, Marketing & Sales of La Liga, among other VIP guests. The new sports lounge, expected to open inmid-2017, will feature various facilities and amenities including big-screen televisions that will broadcast live coverage of matches, an official league shop, and the first themed restaurant for sports fans in Doha. The press conference was followed by a La Liga clinic where 18 Qatari players from Aspire Academy, aged between 10 and 11 years, exhibited their football skills. Adolfo Bara, said, “La Liga wants to bring the competition closer to our international fans, creating meeting spaces where they can enjoy La Liga both during and outside of games and where fans of all ages can share their enjoyment of the game.”
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A day in the life of...
The first thing I do is read up on the latest industry news and reports. I like to start my day with numbers. I am on a plane three days a week so my morning in the office is always spent playing catch up!
Amruda Nair Joint Managing Director and CEO Aiana Hotels & Resorts
Qatar Today follows the daily routines of professionals around the country from all walks of life. By Ayswarya Murthy
Typically the afternoon is spent at current project sites or visiting future sites for development.
As we have operations and offices in Qatar, India, KSA and Malta, the midmorning always works in terms of time differences to set up conference calls with the team. It is amazing how much we get done on Skype! We have 1,000 hotel rooms under construction across three countries at the moment so there is a lot of coordination between the operations and technical teams on the ground.
My creative time is over a coffee in the late afternoon. This is when I focus on brand development, signature programming and sit with our Senior Vice President of Operations on all the fun stuff like branded amenities and ideas for our signature Indian restaurant and spa. I am also a regular speaker at hospitality events and participate in panels about trends in the region. I am passionate about women’s issues as a Trustee of a school called Apne Aap in Mumbai that supports education for girls.
My evenings are usually committed to industry events. I sit on the Advisory Board for Stenden University and also speak at the university. 72 > QATAR TODAY > APRIL 2017