Qatar Today December 2012

contents

DECember 2012

60

c ov er story

44 2012 – A year remembered

How was it for you? Did you fulfill the resolutions you made last December? Seeing the year through to the end is the most fundamental of resolutions and is anticipated by all but, unfortunately, our ability to do this is often taken out of our hands. Qatar Today looks back on a year which brought more devastation and tragedy.

36 Muted expectations at COP18

The 18th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 8th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol opened on November 26 at the Qatar National Convention Centre. Sindhu Nair talks to some experts about what we should expect from the conference.

36

32

32 Changing the face of education

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66

Abigail Mathias talks to this year’s World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Prize winner, Dr Madhav Chavan, who is changing the face of education with inspiring innovations.

published by oryx advertising co. wll, All rights reserved. qatar today is published monthly by oac, po box no. 3272, doha, qatar. subscription rate qR240 per year. address all subscription correspondence to qatar today, oryx advertising co. wll, po box 3272, al hilal area, doha, state of qatar. for single copies call us on +974 44672139 or mail qtoday@omsqatar.com. material in this publication must not be stored or reproduced in any form without permission. request for permission should be directed to qtoday@omsqatar.com. reprint requests should be directed to info@Omsqatar.com. qatar today is a registered trademark of oryx advertising co. wll

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DECember 2012 volume 38 issue 12 www.qatartodayonline.com

contents 64

DECember 2012

96

64

A big believer in small

88

Small and medium-sized enterprises are the real engine of any economy. Rory Coen talks to co-CEO Bill McDermott about how SAP is helping to increase their profitability.

60

Fighting for inclusive growth

Lord Michael Hastings – KPMG’s Global Head of Citizenship – talks to Sindhu Nair about the merits of giving all children the potential to learn.

96

Arab Spring frees expression

From a story about Arab hip hop to one about an Egyptian delivery boy, Ola Diab looks at three “Made in Qatar” films screened at the DTFF 2012 that tell strong and emotional stories about the Arab Spring.

30

Are you engaging with sustainability?

Sustainability risks and opportunities feature on many corporate agendas, and nowadays Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) are engaging with these issues more as they relate to finance functions and overall business strategies. Deloitte experts analyse a 2012 Sustainability CFO survey.

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74

86

App or Web?

Businesses need to prepare and make a decision on how to boost their presence on the mobile web.

Kapil Bhatia looks at how people are accessing their important information through mobile apps or mobile web.

86

Msheireb feels a Thai Breeze

Doha is about to be blown over by its first authentic Thai hotel when the Amari Doha, Qatar opens its doors later this month. Rory Coen talks to its General Manager, Damian Ball.

88

Luxury to the Hilt

Rory Coen meets the President of Hilton Worldwide, Middle East and Africa (MEA), Rudi Jagersbacker to learn more about the opening of the new Hilton Hotel in West Bay.

regulars News Bites.................................................12 O & G O v e r v i e w. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 Bank Notes................................................18 Realty Check.............................................22 ARAB SNIPPETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4 Wellness warriors....................................66 TECH TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 0 AUTO N e w s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 0 Market Watch.............................................89 D o h a D i a r y. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 4

V o lu m e 3 8

issue 12

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

Chief Executive Executive Vice President Vice President

december 2012

Yousuf Jassem Al Darwish Sandeep Sehgal Alpana Roy Ravi Raman

Editor Sindhu Nair

SENIOR CORRESPONDENTS RORY COEN EZDHAR IBRAHIM Abigail Mathias CORRESPONDENT OLA diAB

senior Art Director Venkat Reddy

deputy Art Director Hanan Abu Saiam

assistant art director Ayush Indrajith

senior Graphic Designer maheshwar reddy Photographer R obert F ALTImirano

senior Manager – Marketing Zulfikar Jiffry ASSISTANT MANAGERS – MARKETING Chaturka Karandana THOMAS JOSE

senior Media Consultant HASSAN REKKAB

MARKETING RESEARCH AND

SUPPORT EXECUTIVE EMILY LANDRY

senior Accountant Pratap Chandran Sr. Distribution Executive Bikram Shrestha Distribution Support Arjun Timilsina Bhimal Rai basanta pokhrel

Published by Oryx Advertising Co WLL, P.O. Box 3272; Doha-Qatar Tel: (+974) 44672139, 44550983, 44671173, 44667584 Fax: (+974) 44550982 Email: qtoday@omsqatar.com website: www.omsqatar.com Printed at: Gulf Publishing and Printing Co WLL Copyright © 2012 Oryx Advertising Co WLL

Qatar Today invites readers’ feedback Share your views on the magazine or any issue connected to Qatar. One lucky reader will win an exquisite Mont Blanc writing instrument.

10 Qatar Today

DECEmber 2012

published by oryx advertising co wll, All rights reserved. qatar today is published monthly by oac, po box no. 3272, doha, qatar. subscription rate for qr. 180 per year. address for all subscription correspondence to qatar today, oryx advertising co wll, po box 3272, al hilal area, doha, state of qatar. for single copies call us on + 974 44672139 or mail to qtoday@omsqatar.com. material in this publication must not be stored or reproduced in any form without permission. request for permission should be directed to qtoday@omsqatar.com. reprint requests should be directed to the info@Omsqatar.com. qatar today is registered trademark of oryx advertising co wll reprint requests should be directed to the info@Omsqatar.com. qatar today is registered trademark of oryx advertising co wll reprint requests should be directed to the info@Omsqatar.com.

Write to: The Editor, Qatar Today, PO Box 3272, Doha.

Fax: (+974) 44550982, email: qtoday@omsqatar.com Qatar Today reserves the right to edit and publish the correspondence.

Views and opinions expressed in the published letters may not necessarily be the publication’s views and opinions.

dece m b e r 2 0 1 2

from the desk

The

COP18 climate change conference is indeed one of the biggest conferences that will ever come to QATAR. Close to 13,000 visitors AT THE last count – with 6,000 delegates, 5,700 NGO representatives and observers and 800 media professionals from around the world tells its own story. the FACILITIES PUT UP BY THE organising committee HAVE BEEN CLOSE TO FLAWLESS: LOCALLY-PRODUCED GTL-FUELLED buses TRANSPORTING ATTENDEES, ZERO-TOLERANCE FOR PAPER while details ARE posted online promptly AND no plastic bottles visible ANYWHERE at the venue.

Thus COP18 became a reminder of other events held here when profusion was the paradigm. As climate change negotiators debate the most prudent path to take – whether the Kyoto Protocol should indeed include more commitments from the developing world and more funding from the developed world – Qatar should go back to basics and change its habits, not only during the conference but even after it, to make a bigger impact on climate change.

December is that time of the year when we ponder on the year gone by. To sum it up, in 2012, for every step forward in technology and progress, nature and even mankind have pulled us back. Nature has been at its worst, and conflict between countries in the Arab region has resulted in the senseless deaths of common men, women and children.

But lodged between these depressing stories is the story of a Malala who defied opposition in her quest for education for other girls in her society and of a WISE winner for Education, Dr Madhav Chavan who reaches out to the poor.

It is these stories that we bring you in this issue of Qatar Today. The stories of hope (our interview with the WISE winner on page 33), change (the COP18 interviewees who speak of the small steps that make huge impact), convictions ( we meet SAP co-CEO Bill McDermott on page 64 and the KPMG’s Global Head of Citizenship, Lord Michael Hastings on page 60) and dreams (woven by talented filmmakers in the “Made in Qatar” segment at DTFF 2012 in page 96 ) for a better tomorrow…

Sindhu Nair

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letters feedback qtoday@omsqatar.com

Make a real difference, please I don’t think Qatar will ever be ready to stage an event which is trying to promote clean energy. Everywhere you look on our roads, these huge over-sized vehicles are being paraded and shown-off. And for what? Qatar is a small country, where the vast majority of people are based in a relatively small urbanisation. If Qatar wanted to make a real difference, it would ban these vehicles and mandate “clean city cars” which burn very little fuel.

Ulla Hynes

Celebrate, not regulate!

qt poll – december

It’s sad when regulation is seen as the most divisive topic of discussion when trying to upgrade a national health system. Instead of discussing how more lives can be saved and more patients cured from critical illnesses using this new technology, we are left to discuss who has the right to access personal medical records and how these can be exported when a patient travels abroad.

K. Nasser

Poll result is based on messages received till 20th of every month

Let’s get this party started

Q

I’m excited about what the Arab world can produce in a creative sense in the coming years.

I feel it’s like a child prodigy – it is young in terms of modernisation and has so many young latent talents that it just needs to be tapped in the right places to realise its full potential.

Joe Khalil explained in Ola Diab’s article that the region was moving away from copying westerns ideas and instead focusing on creating its own. This is a tangible step in the right direction.

Khalid Yamani

Teach the horse why he should drink

Very interesting article on the Qatari men avoiding higher education. It’s easy to talk and say they should be more focused on getting properly schooled, but when they get everything falling into their laps, it’s difficult to have the required motivation. Most 16-and 17-year-old boys just don’t see the point in putting themselves through the system and it’s hard to blame them. You have to educate them about being educated – or teach the horse why he should drink, if you like.

Brad Jeffreys

is qatar doing enough to reduce its co2 emissions?

SMS answers to +974 33072524 A lucky winner will win a NOKIa C5-03

are qatari males right to abandon their plans for higher education?

24% 76% Yes

no

The winning number of the last QT poll is 2576499

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Qatar Today invites readers’ feedback Share your views on the magazine or any issue connected to Qatar. One lucky reader will win an exquisite MontBlanc writing instrument.

Write to: The Editor, Qatar Today, PO Box 3272, Doha.

Fax: (+974) 44550982, email: qtoday@omsqatar.com Qatar Today reserves the right to edit and publish the correspondence.

Views and opinions expressed in the published letters may not necessarily be the publication’s views and opinions.

Check out all articles of Qatar Today on www.QATARTODAYONLINE.COM www.issuu.com/oryxmags/qatartoday follow us on www.facebook.com/qatartoday www.twitter.com/qatartoday www.qatartoday.tumblr.com

wise prize winner inspiring educators 32

NEWS BITES

EDUCATE A CHILD is launched at WISE

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he World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) was the perfect platform for HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser to launch a global initiative to help the world’s impoverished children. With 61 million children worldwide still deprived of their fundamental right to education, the Educate A Child (EAC) initiative is partnering with the world’s expert organisations to bring high-quality learning to children affected by extreme poverty, conflict, natural disaster, prejudice, or any other factors that can make them hard to reach by conventional means.

Speaking at the launch of the initiative at the Qatar National Convention Centre last month, HH Sheikha Moza said: “Educate A Child will reignite the world’s commitment to the hardest-to-reach children, the forgotten children. Our mission is to turn attention back to the disadvantaged children of today who could become confident adults tomorrow, able to fulfil their potential, if we just give them the opportunity.”

Educate A Child is already supporting 25 projects in countries across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, usually on a matching funding basis. At the time of its launch,

there are already some 500,000 children in EAC-funded projects. The initiative is seeking further partnerships to help many more. Fostering innovation and creativity, it aims to share solutions that can be scaled up to reach millions of children and deliver

sustainable education over the long term.

Projects range from low-cost one-room schools in Indian urban slums that provide flexible learning hours in line with children’s working needs, to floating boat schools in flood-ridden areas in Bangladesh.

IT to address problems in society

c

arnegie Mellon University’s Professor of Computer Science and Robotics, Dr Raj Reddy delivered a lecture entitled, “Computing technology in service of society” last month in which he explained how information technology can be used to address problems in society. Reddy is a pioneer in research on robotics and intelligent systems and how this has had an impact on society, bringing the benefits of information technologies to some of the world’s poorest people.

“Computer technology has transformed

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the way we live, learn, work and interact with each other and will continue to do so,” Reddy said. “However, there are currently five billion people worldwide at the bottom of the pyramid who do not have access to devices or networks.”

Reddy discussed the possible solutions that, through IT, could improve the lives of these individuals. IT can resolve basic human needs, such as providing access to education, health care and entertainment, as well as being used in disaster rescue, helping an ageing population and eliminating auto-related deaths.

news bites

QNRF awards research grants

Q

cop18– opportunity lost? 56

Dr Khalid Al-Quradaghi, Director of Programmes at QNRF, said: “This research programme is an integral part of QNRF’s strategy to support a scientific research culture and develop a qualified generation of junior scientists.”

The majority of this year’s submitted projects were in the field of medical and health sciences, with 16 proposals received and five projects awarded in this category.

The remaining grants were given to two projects in the field of natural science and two in engineering and technology.

atar National Research Fund (QNRF) announced the results of the third cycle of its research funding programme for junior scientists.

QNRF’s Junior Scientists Research Experience Programme (JSREP) aims to develop critical thinking skills and foster a vibrant research culture in Qatar by supporting junior scientists, both Qatari nationals and other residents, in all disciplines. A total of 16 junior scientists have previously participated in the programme. This year, grants

worth a total of $1.78 million have been awarded to nine winning projects from four academic and research institutions.

Four of the research grants were awarded to Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, and two each to Qatar University and Texas A&M University at Qatar. Aspetar – Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital – received the final JSREP grant, the first of its kind for research in the field of sport and fitness sciences. The project will study the regulation of prolonged self-paced exercise in hot climatic conditions.

Doha prepares for Inaugural World GTL Congress

Qatar to have a national library

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he inaugural World GasTo-Liquids Conference will witness one of the industry’s largest ever assemblies of international experts and government representatives when it takes place next January. Organised by IQPC (the International Quality and Productivity Centre), with Qatar Petroleum supporting the three-day gathering as the host organisation, the congress will take place at a time when GTL is poised to become the fuel of the future. Furthermore, the event will underline Qatar’s place at the helm of the global GTL industry.

The congress will feature a world-class line up of international GTL visionaries who will showcase technological innovations and offer solutions to the challenges facing the region’s GTL industry.

H

H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, launched a national library at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, in the presence of the Qatar National Library (QNL) project team last month.

Designed by the world-famous architect Rem Koolhaas, the new QNL will officially open in late 2014 and will instantly become one of the most important and iconic landmarks in Qatar. Its singular design will help readers feel relaxed, creating a perfect atmosphere for studying and learning.

QNL will provide innovative facilities for exploring interaction between devices and human beings to promote new ways of learning. QNL will operate a Qatar Reference Service and provide access to over 60 online databases and websites and will have over 300 public computers, Wi-Fi and multi-media production studios. QNL will partner with the British Library to digitise 500,000 records relating to Qatar. An “eHub” will make millions of electronic books and documents highly accessible as the archive will be accessible remotely through handheld devices.

QScience to track impact of research

q

Science.com has acquired a valuable new tool which will provide its users with comprehensive information related to research articles.

In partnership with Altmetric.com, the QScience.com platform will offer useful indicators that can measure and track the impact of research through page views, news mentions, and social shares.

QScience.com will join a growing number of publishers who are making the usage data of individual articles, often referred to as article-level metrics or altmetrics, freely available to users. By combining all online discussions about a specific paper, scientists will be better able to gauge what their peers find interesting and worth sharing.

Authors and research funders who publish with QScience.com can monitor the level

of attention that their articles are receiving from many sources.

QScience, Technical Systems Director, Paul Coyne said: “The discovery and sharing of research papers has moved to the online environment and I believe that we have a duty of care to our authors and their funders to measure, as comprehensively as possible, the impact of the papers that we publish on their behalf.

DECember 2012

Qatar Today 17

news bites

Qatar Chamber creating enthusiasm

a

s part of its transformation over the past year, Qatar Chamber recently nominated its first winner of a new corporate initiative, “Employee of the Month”. The in-house award is aimed at making Qatar Chamber a robust organisation fuelled by its diverse staff as it surges to a leading role in realising the ambitious goals of Qatar National Vision 2030.

Ihab M. Rashad Ahmed, in charge of Certificate of Origin, was recognised in a ceremony led by Qatar Chamber Director General Remy Rowhani and Deputy Director General Saleh Al Sharqi, for his ability to exhibit a superior level of work-related attitude, clear vision, creativeness and use of resources.

“As one of the oldest institutions in Qatar, Qatar Chamber recognises the importance of empowering its staff. The hard work of these employees placed Qatar Chamber

A jubilant Ihab M. Rashad Ahmed shows his certificate of appreciation as CEO Remy Rowhani (right) and Deputy CEO Saleh Al Sharqi (left) look on.

central to one of the most favourable economies in the world,” said Director General Remy Rowhani. “I congratulate the first

winner of the “Employee of the Month” award, hoping that the winner’s enthusiasm will be contagious.”

Second case of SARS detected in Qatar

QLC Candidates complete their training

he Supreme Council of Health (SCH) confirmed last month that a second case of the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) – like coronavirus had been detected in Qatar. The World Health Orgaisation (WHO) reported it had registered four new cases, three in Saudi Arabia (including one death) and one in Qatar, taking the recent number of recent victims to six.

The UN health agency warned the world last September that a virus previously unknown in humans had infected a 49-year-old Qatari who had travelled to Saudi Arabia, where another man with the same virus had died. The SCH said in a statement that the laboratory diagnosis for the new case was conducted last month and the patient was admitted to the Hamad General Hospital last October, where he was treated and his condition gradually improved. The SCH said that the WHO was officially informed about the second case late last month and it added that it was monitoring the suspected cases and sending samples for examination.

The WHO is still trying to work out where the infection came from. Studies show that the virus is closely related to one found in some species of bats. It said in a statement: “Until more information is available, it is prudent to consider that the virus is likely to be more widely distributed than just the two countries which have identified cases.”

Coronaviruses are a group of viruses ranging from the common cold to the SARS virus. They infect a wide range of animals.

andidates from the Qatar Leadership Centre (QLC) completed the Leaders Teaching Leaders session of the Current and Future Leaders programme last month. The candidates met with Corporate Vice-President of Microsoft International, Ali Faramawy and also attended a local study trip to ictQatar hosted by Secretary-General Dr. Hessa Al Jaber.

The meeting and study trip offered participants the opportunity to meet leading figures from a variety of industries as well as an understanding of how different organisations in Qatar operate and are contributing to the Qatar National Vision 2030. As part of the programme, candidates met industry leaders from oil and gas, education, government, healthcare, telecoms and the ICT community.

T

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C

CMU-Q hosts ISOC

i

nternet enthusiasts gathered at Carnagie Mellon University to discuss the “Rise of the Arab Information Society” last month. iNET Qatar explored a number of issues such as “Arab businesses on the Internet Development of Online Arabic content”, “The State of the Internet in the Arab World”, “Trends of Arab Internet users” and “Internet Governance in the Arab World”.

It was the first iNET conference that the Internet Society (ISOC) has run in the region, following recent events like INET Madrid, INET Tallinn and INET Bangalore. Speakers included ictQATAR’s Secretary General, Dr. Hessa Al Jaber; Professor William Dutton from Oxford University; Senior Economist at the OECD, Taylor Reynolds; Vice President of Global Technology Policy, Cisco, Dr. Robert Pepper; Deputy Chairman of Kuwait Information Technology, Qusai Al-Shatti; and Chairman and CEO of the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority in Lebanon, Dr Imad Hoballah.

news bites

Injaz Awards our young entrepreneurs

The Injaz Al-Arab Young Entrepreneurs awards winners

T

he 2012 Injaz Al-Arab Young Entrepreneurs Awards ceremony was held on November 6, at the Museum of Islamic Art. The Young Entrepreneurs Competition, now in its sixth year hosted participants from 13 countries in the MENA region competing for highly coveted prizes. The awards were judged by a panel of highprofile Pan-Arab business leaders.

An emotional Soraya Salti, Regional Director of Injaz Al-Arab said she was proud of the contestants and happy to see their determination to beat the odds that had brought them this far.

Operating in 15 countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Injaz Al-Arab is a confederation of national operations collaborating with corporate volunteers and ministries of education to provide experiential education and training to Arab youth in work readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship. Since its inception in 2004, INJAZ Al-Arab programmes have reached over one million students and engaged 21,000 volunteers.

Judging criteria included a review of financial and management reports created by the students on the real-life challenges of running a business, in addition to a presentation on their product innovation. In total, students competed for five accolades including the highly coveted Best Company of the Year award. ALGreenIA, which hopes to foster green development in Algeria, and Creative Generation from Yemen which deals with tackling solar energy walked away with the “Best Company of the Year”.

Other awards include the 2012 Barwa Bank Award for Best Marketing Plan, the 2012 Nasser Bin Khaled Award for Company with the Best Social Impact, the 2012 HSBC Award for Most Innovative Product, and the 2012 FedEx Access Award.

Salti added, “We believe in the boundless potential of Arab youth, and this competition shows us just how much talent there is. Our job – the private sector, educators and the government – is to help

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them unleash it.”

The competition is the culmination of six months of inspirational work, dedication and passion in which corporate mentors work hand in hand with young Arab leaders.

Earlier this year, each of the contending countries held its own individual National Company Programme Competition where students spent four months training on entrepreneurship, financial literacy and work readiness. The winning team from each country then represented its nation in Qatar. Teams from all over the region appeared at the ceremony dressed in their national attire.

“The Injaz Al-Arab Young Arab Entrepreneurs competition offers an unusual opportunity for young Arabs to collaborate with each other and with professional business people to improve their entrepreneurial skills while learning about the cultures and markets of their region.” said HE Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, President of Hamad Bin Khalifa University and Vice President, Education, QF.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE 66

O & G overview

New petrochemical facility opened

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atar Petrochemical Company’s new QR2.3 billion state-of-the-art petrochemical facility was officially launched by the Emir, HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani on November 20. QAPCO considers the LDPE 3 facility as another step in the company’s role towards fulfilling the economic diversification goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030. While the country is blessed with ample hydrocarbon resources, the added value lays in the refined product.

Low Density Polyethylene, or LDPE, is the raw material required to manufacture most thermoplastic-based products. This includes items such as packaging films, agricultural film, extrusion and coating lamination film, high clarity film, injection molding, pipes, cables, wires, and other related products.

Shale Gas no challenge for qatar

t

he Minister of Energy and Industry and Chairman and Managing Director of Qatar Petroleum, HE Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada, said Qatar is quite capable of responding to any market challenges posed by the global expansion of shale gas.

The international expansion of the shale revolution will take some time before it significantly impacts global LNG deals. Qatar is capable of strategically responding to any possible market challenges posed by the expansion of shale gas, the minister said in an interview that appeared in international energy publication The Oil & Gas Year.

Dr Al-Sada said: “When we embarked on the massive expansion of our LNG business 10 years ago, a key objective was to ensure we could respond to changes in the market. The rise of shale gas was not

anticipated to be on such a scale. However, due to the built-in flexibility of our involvement in the total value chain of the LNG business, we could address and deal with the change in LNG demand in different regions, and we prepared ourselves to respond to these changes.”

The minister said Qatar will continue to look at options to expand its upstream business all over the globe in terms of portfolio gaps and opportunities, preferably with its long-term international oil partners. Qatar has plenty of opportunities to expand the country’s downstream business.

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) “World Oil Outlook 2012” noted that shale gas development is in its infancy, and there are considerable uncertainties about the size of the resources and their potential contribution to future supply.

Pioneers in flare reduction

Q

atar Petroleum and Maersk Oil received an “Excellence in Flaring Reduction” award from the World Bank-led Global Gas Flaring Reduction public-private partnership (GGFR) in October.

The award recognises the successful efforts of the two companies to reduce flaring within Qatar’s Al Shaheen offshore oil field development.

“This award both reaffirms the significance of our commitment to minimising flaring in Qatar and recognises our determined efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our oil and gas operations,” said the Minister of Energy and Industry and Chairman and Managing Director of QP, HE Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada.

“Together with QP we have successfully minimised gas flaring from the Al Shaheen field – a rare accomplishment and one to be proud of,” said Deputy Managing Director of Maersk Oil Qatar, Sheikh Faisal bin Fahad Al Thani.

DECember 2012

Qatar Today 21

believing in small businesses

64

bank notes

QIIB goes live with ACH network

q

atar International Islamic Bank (QIIB) has gone live with its Misys Payment Manager. The bank selected Misys to support its transition onto Qatar’s Automated Clearing House (ACH) network and will now be able to make simple, secure and reliable payments through this network.

The ACH project’s scope was to connect Qatar Central Bank with all banks in the country in order to deploy direct debit and direct credit payment transactions, which provides a simple, secure and reliable means for banks to make payments via electronic transfer. QIIB has implemented Misys Payment Manager to provide comprehensive support for direct debits, thereby helping to reduce the volume of cheques received. The bank can now process any type of payment regardless of size, complexity or structure. It has improved efficiency through compliance with the ISO 20022 standard format for payments and process automation, enabling it

to comply with local regulations and maintain its high standard of customer service.

“Customer service is key to us remaining ahead of our competitors and at the forefront of the industry,” comments Ali AlMesaifri, Chief Operations Officer at QIIB. “With that as a continuing goal coupled with the challenge of complying with the local regulations, Misys’ solution offers a quick and low-risk way to innovate our payments infrastructure. The solution includes functionality that extends visibility and control of both outbound and inbound payments through the complete payment life-cycle, from initiation to settlement. We have worked closely with Misys for many years now and are pleased to extend this partnership to enable us to strengthen our business and maintain our competitive edge.”

“Misys is recognised as a global expert in terms of helping banks to integrate their existing systems with new payment networks,” said Maruf Majed, Managing Director, Middle East for Misys.

QNB announces completion of its bond issue

q

NB Group announced the successful completion of a bond issuance under its Euro Medium-Term Note (EMTN) programme in the international capital markets. Under this programme, a $1 billion (QR3.64 billion) tranche was issued on November 7 that matures in February 2018 with a coupon rate of 2.125%. This rate is the lowest in the history of bonds issued by financial institutions in the region. The Reg S issue attracted strong interest from investors around the world.

The highly successful issue reflected strong interest and participation by key global investors that led to the issuance being several times oversubscribed. The proceeds of this issue will be utilised for general banking purposes.The issue was arranged and offered through a syndicate of joint lead managers that included Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Mitsubishi UFJ Securities International, QNB Capital and Standard Chartered Bank.

banks’ record low NPL ratio

T

Sir John Major (extreme left), former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, chaired a roundtable discussion attended by leading Qatari businessmen and investment advisors at the St Regis Hotel last month. The panel of speakers included Emeritus Senior Minister and former Prime Minister of Singapore, Goh Chok Tong ; Chairman of the Housing Development Finance Corporation of India Deepak S. Parekh ; and President DT-Global Business Consulting Dr Daniel Thorniley.

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he ratio of non-performing loans (NPL) to total loans in Qatar was 1.7% in 2011, down from 2% in 2010. But NPLs in the country’s banking system have increased slightly following the financial crisis, as in most countries.

QNB’s “Qatar Economic Insight 2012” reported that provisions for loan losses as a percentage of total NPLs remain above 80% and are rising. The QCB requires banks to set aside risk reserves of 1.5% of total private sector credit and specific reserves of 20% for loans that are 90 days overdue, 50% for loans that are 180 days overdue and 100% for loans that are 365 days overdue.

bank not es

Avoiding the mistakes that can cost you We all make mistakes. But while most of our errors in life end up amusing fellow dinner party guests, making mistakes with our money is never amusing. Nor do we ever want to broadcast how we have lost out financially simply because, as expats, we never considered that managing money abroad would be any different from back home.

To help you avoid becoming just another anecdote, here is a list of five of the worst money mistakes that repeatedly cause expats losses.

1. Underestimating the cost of cake Not literally, but expatriate living isn’t cheap.

Most job offers include a cost of living allowance (COLA) which helps to ensure that the lifestyle you enjoyed at home is matched in the new location. However, expatriates often make the mistake of assuming all costs are covered. They are not. The allowance is generally based on a standard basket of goods and services, but often does not include housing costs, taxes and education. Other big spending areas you need to ensure your salary can cope with include healthcare and leisure costs. So do your homework thoroughly on the costs involved if you want to have your cake and eat it!

2. Dropping the currency ball Expats generally have to juggle at least two currencies at once. This includes your salary or retirement income, local currency spending needs plus any financial liabilities back in your home country. Currency changes can be fast-moving and transfers can become expensive. So keep your currency balls safely in the air by making sure you understand any exchange rate charges involved and consider

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fixing the rate for longstanding exchange rate transactions. Also, explore foreign currency accounts that allow you to save in a variety of different currencies more efficiently.

3. Tax free syndrome While your stay in Qatar is relatively tax-free, this benefit is not universal and there may also be local taxes to consider. No tax authority in the world will accept, “I didn’t know I owed any” as a legitimate excuse for not paying taxes. It is incumbent upon every individual to know what taxes apply to them and to which authority they are due. For example, you may find you have a liability when moving to another country for work or returning to the UK. Pay particular attention to bringing any savings and investments parked in offshore centres back onshore. Remember, timing is generally crucial when it comes to maximising any tax reliefs and incentives.

4. Financial planning traps There are many, but complacency is probably the worst trap of all for expats under the spell of new surroundings and a tax-free salary. It is essential to get into the regular practice of

checking your savings are earning as much interest as possible and that investments are not languishing in loss-leading funds or portfolios. Similarly, check over health and medical policies and other regular commitments to make sure premiums haven’t risen without you being aware and the insurance cover is adequate for your changing circumstances.

5. Shark attack Far too many expats have fallen prey to the promise of high returns, or that sure-fire tip over dinner. Never, ever, discuss your financial affairs with anyone who is not regulated by an authority of repute. Always take the time to check for yourself with the relevant authority that the person or organisation you are entrusting your money to is regulated, and don’t take any one else’s word for it, even if you are told by a family member or friend. Dealing with regulated financial advisers with the right expertise not only gives your savings and investments the best chance of growing, it also gives you the best chance of redress and compensation should anything go wrong.

BY David Russell Senior Executive Officer, Guardian Wealth Management David Russell joined Guardian Wealth Management in Geneva, helping from inception to establish an office which is now regarded as one of the leading providers of independent financial advice to the employees of many international organisations.

With the expansion of the company into the Middle East, David was elected to take over the reins as the Senior Executive Officer for Qatar. He brings a wealth of experience to the Qatar office as well as a sound legal background, which stands him in very good stead in ensuring the team bring the best in financial advice to theIR many expatriate clients.

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Qatar Today 23

ba n k n ot es

Is Turkey the next investors’ paradise?

If you are looking to add some diversity to your portfolio, then Turkey might be the answer to your call. Fitch awarded it investment grade status last month, which had a very positive impact on the domestic market. The other agencies are now looking to follow its lead and give investors the confidence they need.

Turkey

has been nicknamed one of the “New Tigers” of the world economy. Currently the world’s 17th largest economy, it is emerging as a new economic power. After the boom-and-bust cycles of the 1990s, Turkey’s last economic crisis, in 2001, opened the way to a decade of economic reform and political stability, during which the economy grew at an average of 6% per annum until it was interrupted by the 2008 financial crisis. The country recovered quickly from the global crisis, enjoying growth rates of 9% in 2010 and 8.1% in 2011. GDP growth is expected to slow to 2-3% in 2012, as the impact of the global slowdown takes hold.

The country is blessed with very favourable demographics. At 72 million, its population is the third largest in Europe, but with an average age of 28. While other nations struggle with the burden of an ageing workforce, only 15% of Turkey’s population is forecast to be over 60 in 2025. A young, well-educated workforce represents a great competitive advantage.

Standing at the crossroads of the Balkans, the Middle East and the Caucasus, Turkey is developing into a major energy corridor connecting East with West. Its central location also makes it a natural trading hub, with easy access to markets in Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East and Africa. The country has a robust banking system, as tight regulations have prevented banks from taking excessive risks.

Political stability during the 2000s has allowed the government to implement necessary structural reforms which had been de-

layed for decades. The ruling AKP party has enjoyed increasing electoratal support since 2002, winning two local and three general elections. More than a decade of disciplined budget policy has reduced Turkey’s debt-to-GDP ratio sharply. The strong period of growth has resulted, however, in a high current account deficit, which remains a concern.

The Central Bank of Turkey has implemented a flexible monetary policy to manage the macro-economic rebalancing process.

The bank has coped with managing the effect of slowing growth without allowing the lira to appreciate too much. The “soft landing” slowdown is welcomed, as it should help to tame inflation and have a positive effect on the current account deficit.

As an acknowledgement of its recent economic record, Fitch Ratings awarded Turkey investment grade status in November 2012, the first time the country had reached this status for almost 20 years. Fitch cited the “...combination of an easing in near-term macro-financial risks as the economy heads for a soft landing and underlying credit strengths”. The other ratings agencies have yet to follow suit.

On news of the upgrade to investment grade, the Istanbul stock exchange reached a record high. The exchange is one of the most liquid in the region, with 394 stocks. Market capitalisation is expected to grow in 2013, with new public offerings planned. Local investors are under-represented in the market, but this is expected to change as mutual and pension funds increase their equity allocations. Potentially high growth rates for Turkish companies, as well as the long-term attractions of the country, are likely to continue to draw in overseas investors.

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Issued by HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, PO Box 57, Doha, Qatar, which is licensed and regulated by Qatar Central Bank and Jersey Financial Services Commission.

QCOMS CMP 12044

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By Kris Werner Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management, HSBC

a first class fantasy on 787 dreamliner 102

realty check

Passive housing next year

Sports Master Plan Revealed

T

issa Al-Mohannadi, Chairman, Qatar Green Building Council; Essa Hilal Al-Kuwari, president, Kahramaa; and Abdulla AbdulAziz T. Al-Subaie, CEO, barwa real estate, signing a Memorandum of Understanding to develop the Qatar Case Study Passivhaus project at the Four Seasons Hotel.

q

atar is expected to have its first energy-efficient “passive house” early next year, with the Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) partnering with Barwa Real Estate Company and Kahramaa to launch this groundbreaking experiment.

A passive house (Passivhaus in German) boasts an ultra-low-energy, airtight building design that requires little energy for space cooling, reducing its environmental footprint.

The three partners jointly announced “Baytna” (Our House in Arabic), the first Passivhaus project in the country. An MoU was also signed to develop the Qatar Case Study Passivhaus project.

Two houses will be built side by side near Barwa Village in Mesaimeer under the project – a Passivhaus villa and a conventional villa – to compare their energy usage and environmental footprint.

The conventional villa will be built to a one-star rating of the Global Sustainability

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Assessment System (GSAS) developed in Qatar, while the country’s first Passivhaus will have all the comforts of a modern dwelling but consume at least 50% less energy, water and operational carbon dioxide. Construction of the 225-sq. m villas is expected to be completed by January 2013, and the two houses will be occupied by similarlysized families, with at least one child.

“The project aims at educating the public about the concept of a Passivhaus. It will foster discussions about green living and sustainable practices for the public to implement in their daily lives, and raise Qatar’s profile in the field of sustainable and green building,” said Ahmad Abdullah, Deputy Group CEO, Barwa Real Estate, presenting the project.

“QGBC is extending great support to this initiative, which is a main pillar of the energy-saving campaign in Qatar, along with a number of other consultancy firms, researchers and contractors without whom we wouldn’t have been able to achieve current progress,” he added.

he Qatar Sports Venue Master Plan (QSVMP) was presented to the public for the first time during Aspire Build, the last of three forums held during the recent Aspirt4Sport congress. Two years in the making, the plan audited 62 existing sports venues for usability and proposed 11 new ones, in addition to eight venues originally planned by the Qatar Olympic Committee.

The plan was introduced by HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Secretary-General of the QOC, and presented

by Abdul Rahman Al-Malki, Director of Engineering at the QOC. “Our focus since the beginning of this project has been legacy and ensuring that we avoid white elephants,” said Sheikh Saoud.

“We have watched countries build large venues and struggle later with what to do with them. Our team has worked backwards, thinking first about how these venues can be of use in the future before planning their use during major sporting events.”

The new venues planned are distributed over five zones around Lusail City, Qatar Foundation, Aspire Zone, Old Airport Area, and Qatar University.

“We spent a lot of time meeting with these entities and their engineers to find out what their plans are and ensure that we were aligned,” said Al-Malki, referring to major stadia and other sports facilities already in the plans of Qatar Foundation and Lusail.

“We’ve also mapped out a way – in collaboration with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs – to integrate all our sports venues with the transportation network that Qatar is preparing,” he added.

The cost of building a permanent new venue amounts to QR12 billion. He also said that the plan was put into place “with the 2024 Olympics in mind”. The Qatar Foundation stadium will be the first arena to be constructed in advance of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.

2012 – the year remembered

44

arab snippets AFP PHOTO/ABBAS MOMAN

BETUNIA: A Palestinian student from Birzeit University pushes a burning tyre with his foot during clashes with Israeli soldiers, in protest against the ongoing Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, in the West Bank town of Betunia on November 18. Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that Israel would not negotiate a truce with the Gaza Strip’s Hamas rulers as long as rocket fire continued from the Palestinian enclave.

Gaza

IS THE CEASE-FIRE EFECTIVE?

a

cease-fire agreement went into effect in battle-scarred Gaza on November 21. After a week of heavy bombing raids and missile attacks by the Israeli armed forces that killed more than 160 Palestinians and wounded over 1,000, mainly civilians, Israel and the elected Hamas government of Gaza agreed to end hostilities. The government of Egypt, with the participation of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, brokered the agreement.

He the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani, who is also head of the Arab Peace Initiative Committee, called on Arab coutries to honour their pledges of economic support to the Palestinian people. He also urged the Arab nations to do more than just releasing statements of condemnation and denouncement. He was speaking at the opening of an extraordinary Arab ministerial meeting in Cairo. He called for a review of the pan-Arab body’s handling of the Palestinian issue.

GCC

GCC Economy stable

D

espite the gloomy global economic outlook, the GCC region is “insulated” from potential shocks.

“The outlook for the global economy remains gloomy with some key risks: a looming fiscal crisis in the US, potential for further disruption from Eurozone sovereign debt and a potential slowdown in the Chinese economy,” a QNB report says.

Slower growth in the US, Europe and China would have knock-on effects in the GCC, mainly through weaker demand for oil and

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the impact on oil prices. The IMF estimates that 1% lower real GDP in either the US or Europe would lead to 0.4% lower GDP in the GCC a year later, while a 1% fall in China’s growth would lead to a 0.1% fall in the GCC. Over 20% of GCC exports are to China, the EU and the US, so a simultaneous demand shock in these countries could have a significant impact on demand for GCC exports.

However, the regional macroeconomic environment is stronger than it was in 2009, which should help insulate the GCC from global economic shocks.

a Nation celebrates OMAN, Muscat: Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said salutes during a military parade in the capital, Muscat, marking the Sultanate’s 42nd National Day, on November 18, 2012.

AFP PHOTO/MOHAMMED MAHJOUB

SAUDI Arabia

Business optimism rising

S

audi businessmen and entrepreneurs remain bullish about prospects in the fourth quarter of this year, as revealed by the latest Business Optimism Index survey conducted by the National Commercial Bank in association with Dun and Bradstreet.

The survey showed that Saudi Arabia’s hydrocarbon sector optimism has improved in Q4 2012, gaining 2 points to reach 25 from 23 in the third quarter of 2012.

Though two out of three parameters have retreated from Q3 levels, a strong rebound in the profitability outlook has helped the composite index to log an uptrend. The parameter score for net profits has spiked by 25 points to 48 in Q4 2012 from 23 in the previous quarter. The level of selling price expectations of industry players moderated by 3 points to 5 in Q4 2012. The BOI for number of employees, too, has lowered to 40 in Q4 2012 from 53 in the third quarter of 2012.

v i e w p oi n t

The Key to National Healthcare

Capacity Planning

National healthcare systems in the GCC have improved tremendously in recent decades as the bloc has achieved standards of living equivalent to those western countries. With these advances, however, have come developed-country healthcare problems.

Across

the GCC, health systems are experiencing similar quality, capacity and cost challenges affecting developed healthcare systems. The quality problem stems from limited infrastructure and expertise, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Most healthcare systems in the region rely heavily on an expatriate workforce from a multitude of educational backgrounds who are generally transient. This is compounded by a limited offering of local medical education facilities to train GCC nationals, a scarcity of local standards of care, and weak institutionalisation of medical practices.

The region is also suffering from capacity constraints. For instance, the misalignment between supply and demand has led to long waiting times and in some cases, inappropriate use of existing facilities, which has forced many patients, locals and expats alike, to seek treatment abroad. In fact, our research indicates that thousands of Saudi Arabia and UAE residents leave their countries for care overseas every year. Another example of ca-

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pacity constraints is the systematic lack of long-term and rehabilitation beds across the region. This has led to long-term care patients, who need specialised but non-urgent care, occupying high-cost acute care beds - further exacerbating the limited availability of acute beds, increasing costs, and putting patients in settings where they may not get the appropriate quality of care.

High costs have also affected the region’s healthcare systems.

Healthcare systems have become inefficient because of service duplication, limited management capabilities, fragmentation of services, limited staff productivity, high salary costs (often to attract and retain expert expatriates) and inability to achieve economies of scale, as well as inappropriate usage of capacity.

Most of the GCC is tackling these issues through significant initiatives in medical education and healthcare capacity. Qatar has been graduating doctors from the Weill Cornell Medical College in Doha since 2008. Saudi Arabia plans to have 27 medical schools training doctors within just a few years. Investment, private and public, is also pouring into new facilities, such as the forthcoming Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in the UAE. While many of these projects will have a significant impact on

vie w point the region’s healthcare systems, they are mostly driven in a re- diseases or demographic drivers. For example, the future inciactive and disjointed manner. This could result in situations of dence of cases of diabetes and obesity can be forecasted based gross over- or under-capacity in certain services or specialties on current numbers and factoring trends such as limited physias planning efforts lack a holistic view of healthcare needs. The cal activity and unhealthy eating habits. Once needs are forecast, impact of these projects would be drastically greater if they were the expected incidence of each disease is then translated into deguided by national healthcare plans that pinpoint gaps (services, mand for services and then into utilisation patterns for coming human capital and infrastructure) in the system based on current years.

Translating disease patterns into healthcare demand is imporand projected capacity. Moreover, through national healthcare planning, projects will operate with increased coherence and tant, given continuous technological innovations. For instance, coordination, allowing them to complement each other, which in chronic diabetes patients who need regular blood sugar measurements and medication dose adjustments require laboratory tests turn reduces duplication and capacity issues.

Essentially, national capacity planning is about determining and outpatient visits today. In the future, patients may instead the future needs of the healthcare system in terms of services, use home-based blood glucose monitors and a remote monitoring system that will test and guide them to expertise and facilities through a deadjust medication doses autonomously, tailed understanding of the current and hence reducing visits to health facilities. projected population disease profile. By Estimating and forecasting supply understanding a country’s burden of disseeks to capture what is currently availease, and its evolution over time, the fuable in terms of supply and planned inture services required by the population Translating disease patterns vestments in physical and human capital can be planned as well as the resources into healthcare demand is (along with a probability of realisation and facilities necessary to deliver them. important, given continuous of future projects). Finally, the demand For example, knowing the forecast experand supply forecasts are used to identify tise requirement will help the planning technological innovations. gaps, which are the foundation of a plan. of education and training investments or For instance, chronic diabetes The forecasts will identify the investment even shape compensation and motivation patients who need regular needed to ensure a balanced healthcare schemes to retain experts. blood sugar measurements and system. For example, the plan might limit An organised approach to planning the medication dose adjustments investment at the facility or service line evolution of healthcare systems, rather level to limit duplication and ensure qualthan disjointed expansion, will help narrequire laboratory tests and ity of care. row quality, capacity and cost gaps within outpatient visits today.

Developing national capacity plans reGCC healthcare systems. National capacquires a solid base of information, with ity plans can bring vast improvements to the analysis level at the service line idethe region’s healthcare systems by establishing a common view of the current system’s capabilities and ally. However, perhaps more important than data is the involveshortcomings as well as future needs across public and private ment and participation of all stakeholders to ensure alignment and buy-in. players.

The Emirate of Abu Dhabi has developed such a national caHealthcare authorities across the region can develop national capacity plans in three sequential steps, starting with a compre- pacity plan, and other governments in the region can replicate hensive study of current and projected demand. This should be this initiative to determine their healthcare needs of today and followed by a detailed assessment of current and forecast supply. tomorrow and ultimately work toward focusing on relevant Finally, a national action plan is drawn up based on identified service lines for their populations. With a systematic approach to planning that aims to match resources to health needs, GCC gaps and requirements in terms of services and resources.

The demand forecast enables the projection of healthcare countries can make strides towards attaining the complex healthneeds based on current utilisation and prevalence, taking into care trinity of improved accessibility and high quality care at an consideration causality factors such as predisposition to chronic affordable cost.

Visit

www.booz.com and www.booz.com/me

By Gabriel Chahine, Partner, Jad Bitar, Principal, and Dr Nikhil Idnani, Senior Associate, with Booz & Company

About Booz & Company: Booz & Company is a leading global management consulting firm, helping the world’s top businesses, government ministries and organisations. Our founder, Edwin Booz, defined the profession when he established the first management consulting firm in 1914. Today, with more than 3,300 people in 60 offices around the world, we bring foresight and knowledge, deep functional expertise, and a practical approach to building capabilities and delivering real impact. We work closely with our clients to create and deliver essential advantage.

DECember 2012

Qatar Today 31

v i e w p oi n t

Food for the Future With an average rainfall of just 80mm per year, and largely desert conditions, Qatar has long relied on food imports to meet the bulk of domestic demand. Indeed, according to the World Bank, the state now imports 90% of its food.

Not only is this extremely costly, it also offers Qatar little by way of food security, putting it at the mercy of price fluctuations.

Moreover,

in recent years, the burden of expensive food imports has grown, and it looks set to continue along that upward trajectory. According to the Qatar National Food Security Programme (QNFSP), Qatar spent about QR3.5 billion ($961 million) on food imports in 2012. However, that figure is set to rise by some 15% in 2013, not only due to rising costs of staple foodstuffs but also as a result of a fast-growing population, which now stands at 1.8 million, and is forecast to rise to 2.5 million by 2020, according to the Qatar Statistics Authority. This figure includes a large number of foreign workers brought in to oversee the large state-funded infrastructure building programme, much of which focuses on the 2022 World Cup. Factor in gradually declining oil and gas revenues over the long term, and one begins to see that this is a scenario the authorities are understandably keen to address.

Currently just 1.6 % of Qatar is arable land, and agriculture contributes only 0.1% to gross national product, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN. However, just as Qatar’s transport and infrastructure sectors are due to be upgraded in preparation for 2022, the primary sector too is set for an overhaul.

As part of a new drive to raise domestic production capacities, the state is now targeting a reduction in its food imports by some 60% over the next 12 years. The QNFSP – established with the specific aim of revitalising the domestic agricultural sector – plans to more than double the number of farms in Qatar from the current 1,400 to 3,000, covering an total area of 45,000 hectares (ha) as part of its strategy to achieve greater self-sufficiency in food production.

Of course, the challenge of developing fertile farmland is significant, with soaring summer temperatures, water scarcity and high soil salinity all impediments. However, increased funding and

agricultural technology are enabling the authorities to look afresh at the prospects for the sector.

The food security programme is set to be implemented over a period of 10 years from 2014. Banks are being asked to provide easy and soft loans to Qatari nationals to set up agricultural and irrigation, as well as food processing, projects. So far, QR1.1 billion ($300 million) has been invested in the project, but the final amount is likely to run into the billions of dollars, with roughly 50% of funding coming from the government and the rest from the private sector.

Vegetable and livestock production are two areas being targeted for development. Hydroponics – technology that uses small amounts of water in production – is being investigated as a key way to stimulate the market. Qatar’s aquifers are already severely depleted, but the QNFSP plans to obtain agricultural water from seawater desalination using solar parks, and keep aquifers only as strategic water reserves. According to Mahmoud Refaat Shamardal, agriculture sector manager at Al Sulaiteen Agricultural and Industrial Complex (a prototype farm), a combination of open-field agriculture, greenhouse production and artificial soil technology are now being advanced, yielding up to 10 times the amount of crop grown from conventional methods.

Meat consumption is also on the rise in Qatar, and livestock development plans are being rolled out that intend to see imports decreased, fodder levels increased, and investments in overseas agriculture that will lead to the export of livestock back to Qatar. The poultry sector, for example, will gain 30 sq. km of land, set aside for modern poultry farms and related facilities, where some 17 million chickens and 90 million eggs could be hatched every year, according to QNFSP targets.

It is too early to say whether Qatar will succeed in achieving its goal of 70% self-sufficiency in food by 2023. Certainly, the scale of the operation in Qatar is considerable. Yet, if successful, the measures being implemented now could help avoid future crises, and pave the way for markedly reduced dependence on food imports.

online www.qatartodayonline.com

By Oliver Cornock The author is the Regional Editor of Oxford Business Group

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v i e w p oi n t

Global CFOs Are Engaging With Sustainability:

Are you?

Sustainability risks and opportunities feature on many corporate agendas, and nowadays Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) are engaging with these issues more as they relate to finance functions and overall business strategies. This was a key finding of the 2012 Sustainability CFO survey

ThE

250 CFOs who were surveyed represent companies with more than $1 billion in revenue each, across 14 countries on five continents. They express a clear view that CFO attitudes and roles concerning sustainability are in transition. Some 53% of CFO participants say their involvement in sustainability issues has become more pronounced in the last year, and 61% expect their role to at least increase in the next two years. Some of the other trends include: A growing perception among CFOs of the link between sustainability performance and financial performance; Increased authority being given to CFOs for sustainability strategy and management; and Greater attention being paid to the financial benefits of investments in energy-efficient and other sustainability-promoting technologies.

So what is “sustainability�?

Sustainability is a state in which people are achieving equitable gains in lifestyle quality and well-being, while also preserving natural resources and ecosystems for the future. For businesses, helping to bring about a state of sustainability is likely to require profound transformations.

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vie w point Why is sustainability becoming a priority?

Several factors matter, but perhaps the most compelling one, seen by 49% of the CFOs surveyed, is the strong link between sustainability performance and financial performance. This represents a marked increase from Deloitte’s 2011 survey of CFOs, in which many respondents emphasised their priorities.

In a period of high cash balances and careful investing, CFOs have recognised the benefits of sustainability initiatives, which often require little capital and offer two- to three-year payback periods. And as they strive to maintain margins in a low-growth environment, they are pursuing more savings: Some 56% of CFO respondents in the 2012 survey plan investments in telepresence and video-conferencing equipment in the next two years, 55% plan purchases of energy-efficient equipment and 52% cite plans to invest in data center efficiency equipment.

The sustainability agenda is also having a broad influence on business strategy and management. According to the survey, more than a third of companies have implemented an organisational transformation in response to sustainability risks and another 22% plan to do so in the next two years. And more and more CFOs are being called upon to lead such transformations. For instance, the proportion of CFOs who hold authority for sustainability increased from 17% last year to 26% in 2012. In addition, 66% said they were “always” or “frequently” involved in driving the execution of their companies’ sustainability strategies, and 65% are involved in forming those strategies.

Focus on the Middle East A closer look at the responses from CFOs based in the Middle East reveals some interesting attitudes and circumstances.

None of the Middle East CFOs report that they are accountable to the board for their company’s sustainability strategy. Only 9% say that they are always involved in the execution of that strategy; 27% are frequently involved. However, this might change before long: 45% of surveyed CFOs say their role in sustainability strategy has increased or slightly increased over the past year, and 55% say they expect to increase or slightly increase over the next two years. One CFO commented: “As far as sustainability is concerned, it is a new process [...] It is necessary for me to get involved in all the aspects to keep a balance between expenses and benefits.”

CFOs in the Middle East are seeing the effects of sustainability priorities on their financial management efforts. Some 72% of those surveyed expect sustainability to impact capital-raising at

least slightly over the next two years. Another 63% expect it to affect financial reporting. The Middle East CFOs in the survey say their companies plan capital investments related to sustainability during the next two years such as data centre energy-efficiency equipment (73% of CFOs), industrial emissions reduction equipment (55%), and telepresence or videoconferencing equipment (45%).

How can CFOs leverage sustainability for success?

Given the overall strategic importance of sustainability in business, CFOs should consider sustainability in their finance programmes if they haven’t already done so. A successful sustainability programme depends on the following actions: Gathering high-quality sustainability information. Among CFOs surveyed globally, 12% say they have “excellent” sustainability information, compared with 27% in the Middle East alone. CFOs should examine data sources and information systems to make sure the right analysis is being performed and articulated to internal and external audiences.

Evaluating resource use and a full array of solutions. Energy management seems to have become normal business practice, with fewer CFOs in the global survey naming it “challenging” or “very challenging” this year than in 2011. Scrutiny of emerging issues such as water can reveal new opportunities. Cleantech solutions to resource problems can be game-changing, which may help explain why 26% of CFOs in the global survey rated investment in cleantech products a “very important” initiative.

Harnessing the enthusiasm of employees. Sustainability transformations are felt throughout companies and enabled, to a critical degree, by employee engagement. CFOs recognise this: 39% of global survey respondents, and 55% of those in the Middle East, believe it is “very important” to communicate about sustainability to employees. CFOs stand to benefit from having their employees engaged, and can do a great deal to promote this engagement with internal reporting.

The sooner the better Overall, based on the survey results, it is fair to conclude that sustainability is becoming more important every day and that CFOs, as well as the wider business community, appear to recognise the benefits of engaging in such activities. The sooner we engage in sustainability, the sooner we reap the benefits and gain the edge.

EMAIL: dehayes@deloitte.com, milbaig@deloitte.com

By Declan Hayes, Renewable Energy and Cleantech Leader, Middle East, AND Milhan Baig, Renewable Energy and Cleantech Assistant Director, Qatar

Deloitte is a leader in the Renewable Energy and Clean technology sector. We focus on the entire spectrum of renewable energy and clean technology, from individual components to the wider ecosystem (e.g. smart cities). Deloitte’s Renewable Energy and Cleantech team is based in the Middle East and has unprecedented access to specialists across the globe.

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Deloitte is the first Arab professional services firm established in the Middle East region with an uninterrupted presence for over 85 years. Deloitte is among the region’s leading professional services firms, providing audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services through 26 offices in 15 countries, with over 2,500 partners, directors and staff who are committed to becoming the standard of excellence.

DECember 2012

Qatar Today 35

listening post

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listening post

Changing the face of

education If you are looking for inspiration, look no further.

This year’s World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Prize, which was held in Doha last month, was awarded to Dr Madhav Chavan, a former chemistry lecturer who devised a simple formula to bring education and literacy to millions at minimum cost.

By A b i g a i l M at h i a s

Dr

Madhav Chavan is the co-founder and CEO of Pratham, a non-profit organisation that reaches three million primary school-age children in India every year. He also started the “Read India” campaign, which aims to teach basic reading, writing and arithmetic to underprivileged children across India.

Dr. Chavan was born and raised in India.

He completed his post-graduate studies in the US and returned to India in 1986 to teach Chemistry at the University of Mumbai. He was struck by the plight of the city’s poor, and he applied his scientific training to creating a solution. Dr Chavan saw that education was the main barrier to India’s development and that action was required for rapid results. Leveraging the power of collaboration from the outset, he joined

forces with UNICEF and the government to work towards the goal of “every child in school and learning well”.

Using his passion for social justice as a catalyst, he launched a mission to create large-scale impact at low cost. The reaction produced by combining the primary elements of government infrastructure, corporate resources and citizen volunteerism had striking results in bringing literacy to Mumbai’s slum children. The formula easily passed the scientific tests of scale and was replicated and spread rapidly across the country. Today the mission has expanded to 17 of India’s 28 states, making Pratham the largest non-governmental provider of basic literacy and numeracy for underprivileged children in India.

Its programmes now address pre-school education, learning support to both inschool and out-of- school children, computer literacy, vocational training and special programmes for vulnerable and working children.

With the WISE prize, the laureate received an award of QR1,820,000 ($500,000)

and a specially minted gold medal. Dr Chavan said: “Twenty-five years ago I saw that a new approach was needed to improve the lives of the millions of underprivileged in my country. Many individuals and organisations have contributed to what has been achieved, and I share this tribute with them. WISE is pursuing a similar mission on a global scale, and I applaud its bold vision and inclusive approach. This prize is a major landmark that reminds me how much more remains to be done. It is an enormous honour for me to be recognised by this unique community of innovators.”

A change of teaching methodology Independent studies have shown that children who have attended Pratham’s programmes are much more likely to learn effectively in primary school than other children in their age group, and that they perform at a higher level than their classmates. He explains, “As far as India goes, there are a huge proportion of children that are not even learning the basics of reading and writing. Our curriculum is aimed

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listening post high and is often beyond what the children can comprehend. We need to focus on learning of basic skills. At the moment the knowledge-imparting is done by a very rote method. Learning needs to be more skillfocused.”

Dr Chavan’s scientific method includes monitoring and evaluation. Thanks to a nationwide voluntary effort, Pratham’s Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) measures quantitative and qualitative parameters including enrolment, facilities and learning outcomes. The model has now been replicated in a number of countries in Asia and Africa. He says passionately, “If you don’t teach the children who are lagging behind, they feel dejected and may drop out of school. Though it won’t happen overnight, once you give them the tools, that child will fly. This is something that you can universalise. You don’t necessarily have to become the greatest person in the world. You are a human being and you have dignity. That is important.”

Dr Chavan believes that when it comes to learning, nothing can replace human interaction. “There is a saying that if all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Today we have so much information that everyone starts thinking only in terms of hardware and software. There are so many regions of the world where if there is no human interface or know-how to deal with children, it won’t work. The tools don’t achieve success. You can’t hand over a laptop and think your job is done. Information technology is about random access to information, whereas for the past two centuries we have been on an assembly line system, you learn a particular subject in standard one and something else in standard two.”

He explains: “Our goal has been to improve the productivity of the schooling process. Children often reach the fifth grade but they can’t do basic arithmetic problem solving. What we do is, we work after school for a couple of hours or, if the school agrees, we work inside the school. We recently started a method of learning camps.

We found through scientific research that when children are grouped according to their academic ability and you conduct activities with them with a focus on learning certain things, they learn very quickly.”

The learning camps are held in villages for seven or eight days so that all the children can participate. These camps return after two or three months to reinitiate the process. He explains,“By doing this you economise on manpower and you don’t make it monotonous as it is not held

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every day. These are different methods and you can work only incorporate these with a school being there. One trained person brings together three to five volunteers who learn on the job how to teach. The beauty of it is that we are working 70,000 volunteers every year who will in turn become better parents. They will not be afraid of teaching their own child. What’s more, they don’t have to be specialised teachers.”

He adds: “The African proverb says it takes a whole village to educate a child. We cannot lay the stress only on schools. Parents and the community at large have a very definite role to play. Education is too important to leave to the government alone. We have to educate our children. If it was your child, would you wait or would you roll up your sleeves and see what you could do?”

There is a certain mindset that is a stumbling-block with such initiatives. “We sometimes don’t believe that all children have equal potential. That there can be geniuses coming out of any population. You start with the misconception that these children are not going to learn that much. With this we are throwing away a lot of Einsteins.”

Dr Chavan has also anchored television

shows and written songs about human rights and women’s rights. He enjoys working out creative ways to educate or train children and youth. He finds time to work on the challenges of teaching despite his duties as the CEO of a large organisation.

He explains: “I learnt a wonderful tool from the children since they write on the floor with chalk. They want to share this with others and this leads to a huge amount of interaction. Learning is not just an individual activity. It is important that you are part of a social group. What’s more. this particular kind of learning is eco-friendly too.”

He jokes that thanks to this award, his friends are now calling him a “wise guy”. “This is an ongoing process which may not be easy. But even if a child is 16 years old you can’t give up, you must create avenues for people to learn. We often have volunteers who were not very good in school but have the potential to teach.

He concludes: “When I started people asked me, “Why are you reinventing the wheel?” I didn’t know how to answer that question but I knew it had to be done. After 18 years I am convinced that everyone has to reinvent their own wheel.”

cop18-cmp8

Second commitment on climate change

by January 2013 Which countries will stick to commitments and which will not?

The biggest climate change conference in the world brOUGHT negotiators to Doha to decide on issues that will rewrite the future of our children, while observers note the irony of holding COP18 in Qatar, the world’s biggest per-capita carbon emitter. On the other hand Qatar’s strong determination to create a sustainable future is also brought into focus through the UNFCCC COP18 meetings.

Q

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atar is more confident than before and on its way to reduce emissions substantially, concluded HE Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, President of the 18th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP18) and the 8th Congress of the Parties (CMP8) to the Kyoto Protocol, at the opening session.

“I am more confident than before that Qatar is on the right track to reduce its emissions because we have started the process a long time ago, and ensuring car-

bon footprint reduction is on top of our agenda in the oil and gas sector presently,” Al-Attiyah noted while speaking at a press conference held on the side-lines of the Qatar Sustainability Expo, which was launched at the Doha Exhibition Center on November 16.

“Qatar is a small country and we can’t compare our emissions with other small countries such as Singapore, for instance, and say we have the biggest per capita carbon emission. I believe the figures are

Paper-Smart COP18

Green buses

QU reveals work on biofuel

In a pioneering initiative, COP18/CMP8 Doha IS the first COP conference to be “Paper-Smart”. While the negotiations and meetings that take place during these annual conferences are critical to developing climate change policy, an unfortunate side-effect is the QUANTITY of documents that often need to be printed and circulated among delegates.

To make COP18/CMP8 Doha as green as possible, a Paper-Smart initiative IS INTRODUCED. The scheme, which is already being used in the New York headquarters of the UN, has until now never been transported to a COP meeting. It is part of a directive by Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary-General, to make the UN a paperless organisation by 2015. By making COP18/CMP8 paper smart rather than paper less, delegates can manage their own use of paper resources by printing only the documents that they need.

A fleet of “green” buses will be running throughout COP18/CMP8 to ensure that the event minimises the impact on the environment.

To cut down on traffic pollution, a fleet of buses will take delegates and other participants from hotels to the Qatar National Convention Centre, where the conference IS HELD, the Doha Exhibition Centre, VENUE FOR the Sustainability Expo, and some of the city’s top tourist attractions.

A total of 100 buses will run on gasto-liquids (GTL) fuel, a cleaner form of fuel.

COP18/CMP8, head of Accommodation, Transport and Volunteers, Alanoud Al-Meghaisib said: “This is diesel made from natural gas and is an ordinary diesel, so these buses will emit fewer pollutants into the atmosphere, which will have significant benefits FOR local air quality.”

Qatar University (QU) revealed a groundbreaking LINE OF research into the development of sustainable biofuels to the President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation OrganiSation(ICAO) Roberto Gonzalez.

The state-backed QR45.5 million biofuel project is the only one of its kind in the region. The team publicly detailed its latest progress for the first time, on the eve of the UN Climate Change conference.

QU’s project, in collaboration with Qatar Airways and Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) is now into its third year.

The aim of the project is to find a way of producing affordable, sustainable biofuels which do not rely on the use of valuable arable land and which can be produced efficiently in the punishing climate of Qatar. These fuels should provide an alternative source of energy, specifically for use by the airline industry.

misleading,” he maintained.

However, the official admitted that the country’s emission rate was still high and noted the country had already initiated efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

“We realise the huge impact carbon emissions have on the climate and our environment and we know that there are going to be serious problems if we don’t do anything, but I am confident that the country is now committed more than before,” he stated adding that the country only needed to implement its energy policy for quicker results.

Reacting to questions on whether the world’s big emitters such as the US and China will ratify the second commitment of the Kyoto Protocol, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres, said: “The governments of the world have already decided that there will be a second commitment by January 2013.

Right now, it is clear that some countries such as the US (which did not ratify the first commitment), Russia, Canada and Japan have said they will not be taking part in the

DR YOUSEF AL HORR OF GORD EXPLAINING GREEN INITIATIVES TO HH AL ATTIYAH, HE AL SADA AND FIGUERES, AT THE QATAR SUSTAINABLE EXPO

protocol this time.”

She also said that just recently New Zealand had said it would not take part in the second commitment but would apply its mechanisms once it goes into force.

However, she said that countries like Australia, the European Union and Switzerland have all agreed to adopt the new Kyoto Protocol.

The first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, which was adopted on December 11, 1997 in Japan, and entered into force on February 16, 2005, ends on December 31

this year.

Al Attiyah, who is also the President of COP18/CMP8, inaugurated the Qatar Sustainability Expo with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Christiana Figueres, was also present and took a tour through the exhibition together with other authorities and VIP guests.

With this expo the Qatari government aims to let the world know about the range of sustainable initiatives undertaken, both by various public departments and by local and international organisations.

Coinciding with the grand opening of the expo, the Minister of Energy and Industry and Chairman and Managing Director of Qatar Petroleum, HE Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, presented an official copy of the Energy and Industry Sustainability Report to the President of COP18.

The Minister of Energy talked about Qatar’s sustainable development programmes, referring also to the country’s approach to climate change. “In a short amount of time, many companies are working on sustainability and promoting sustainable programmes,” Dr Al Sada said.

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cop18-cmp8

Who’s polluting

Who?

Yvo De Boer, a Climate Change Expert tells Sindhu Nair that it is time we reinterpretED the definition of the term “polluting country”.

W

hat picture does the country project to the many negotiators who have come in to this oil-and gas-producing country (the “polluter”) for the climate change conference COP18?

The first impression of the country doesn’t look very sustainable, agrees Yvo de Boer, KPMG’s Special Global Advisor, Climate Change and Sustainability, who was here ahead of the COP18 conference.

But on a positive note, says de Boer, there is a general consensus among leaders that change needs to happen and the country needs to move towards a different model of

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economic development.

De Boer says it is a challenge for Qatar to be sustainable, in the sense that the economy is highly dependent on an intrinsic part of climate change.

“It is also the most challenging part of the world to build a modern country, given its dry and hot climate conditions,” he says.

De Boer has an interesting angle to counter Qatar’s increasing carbon footprint, which is due to its oil-and gas-exporting status.

“Consider this situation: If you are a food producer and I am a food consumer and I

eat too much food and get fat, then are you as the food producer responsible for my condition? Well, Qatar’s condition is much the same. If Qatar, in order to shrink its climate change effect, stops its oil and gas production tomorrow, the oil and gas would still come from somewhere else. So I think the responsibility is largely on the sides of countries that have economies that are very reliant on fossil fuels.”

Europe outsourced its industrial activities to Asia because of lower costs and is now importing what is actually made in Asia, while complaining of higher emissions in Asia, says de Boer. When you look at this side of the argument, it seems unfair that Qatar and other “oil-producing countries” are always on the receiving end from the climate change pundits.

“I do not think the solution is to keep the oil and gas under the ground, from an economic and political point of view nor that there should be a dramatic change in the pricing model. I do think the solution lies in diversification and enhanced efficiency of the economy. But these actions take time.

Just as it is not realistic to ask a fishing nation to stop fishing, so is it impractical to ask an oil-producing country to stop producing oil,” says de Boer.

Climate change scare is for real Rising food prices, shrinking ice bodies, a spate of floods and droughts – the effects of climate change are quite vivid, but which of these threats is the most crucial?

It is difficult to pick any one, says de Boer as he sees an intimate relationship between climate change, energy, food and water against the backdrop of population growth.

The global population is going to touch 10 billion people by the end of the century.

“These people will be living in urban centres; they will be wealthier than they are today and creating greater demand. To feed those people we will need to produce 70% more food on agricultural land that we don’t have using water that we don’t have.

Both land and water will be severely constrained due to climate change. So for me it is a nexus of issues that is driving the planet in a very unsustainable direction.”

In terms of the impacts of all of this, de Boer feels that there will be two very severe ones.

“If we fail to get climate change under control, one of the two severe impacts would be sea level rise, since a very significant portion of the global population lives in urban centres on coast lines threatened by rising sea levels. The next big threat would be to

food and water,” he says.

Developing countries and emissions De Boer was a member of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development and the Bureau of the Environment Policy Committee of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and he is aware of the steps taken by the developing countries in reducing emissions.

“People have the impression that developing countries have no commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. That is not true.

They might not have emission reduction

targets, but they do have obligations to take actions to limit their emissions. There is real awareness in countries like China and India that climate change has an impact and that they need to act to safeguard an economic and social future. In a number of countries like China they have the recognition that the current economic model is unsustainable,” he says.

China is the largest investor in wind, solar and battery technology.

“This diversification helps widen the energy mix and it helps China to become less dependent on fossil fuels as it acts on climate change. It also helps in

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cop18-cmp8 “One ISSUE is that there is a general ONUS on the industrialised countries to show greater ambitions in reducing their emissions. The second is that there are demands from developing countries for significant financial assistance to limit their emissions, and thirdly THERE is the future of THE Kyoto Protocol which more and more countries are turning their backS on.”

stabilising prices for the investment-heavy technology” he says.

“I see similar things happening in India,” says de Boer, “like Suzlon in India focusing on wind technology and others even on battery technology. “ COP18 challenges De Boer has been involved in climate change policies since 1994. He helped to prepare the position of the European Union in the lead-up to the negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol, assisted in the design of the internal burden-sharing of the European Union and has since led delegations to the UNFCCC negotiations.

The main agenda of the COP18, according to de Boer, is to have a common understanding of what it is that we are working towards.

“At the moment we know that we are working towards an approach that is agreeable by all countries, which is good. We do know that different countries need to take different responsibilities according to their economic status, but we do not know of an agreement that will capture this responsibility. If COP18 can help to create more clarity on what it is that we are working towards and also formulate that in legal terms it can perhaps lay the foundation for a decision that can be taken next year,” he says.

Three main issues on the agenda according to de Boer, will be vital at this conference.

“One is that there is a general onus on the industrialised countries to show greater ambitions in reducing their emissions. The second is that there are demands from developing countries for significant financial assistance to limit their emissions, and thirdly there is the future of Kyoto Protocol. which more and more countries are turning their backs on,” he says.

If you look at the number of countries that are committed, then it is not enough

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Inspiring initiatives Producing gas from waste – innovations in waste is a truly significant advancement.

Recentralised renewable energy, especially in areas with no access TO energy.

Green Countries Bhutan has a concept THAT is laughed at by others, THAT WAS called Gross Domestic Happiness which focuses on well-being RATHER than on wealth.

You gET a good quality of life, not opulence, A different concept of well-being but a highly sustainable one, with zero emissions due to less industrialiSation.

Scandinavian countRies have set themselves THE target of beCOMING carbonneutral countrIES. China is also trying numerous new technologies that make use of renewable energy sources.

“to keep climate change under control, and global tempertures will rise more than the two degrees estimated by the UN. That action needs to come from industrialised countries, which have more economic and moral responsibility, “says de Boer categorically.

But that again is a difficult situation because the euro crisis makes it difficult for industrialised countries to make the commitment.

De Boer says that the industrialised countries also expect the developing countries to make some sort of commitments on climate change.

Japan, Russia, Canada and lastly New Zealand (during the COP18) have not agreed to sign the Kyoto Protocol for the second term. The US (the second-largest polluter after China) has never signed it so that just leaves the EU and Australia in the

industrialised basket of countries to make all the commitments.

“So what’s the point?” asks de Boer, which more or less indicates the futility of climate change conferences.

Carbon market De Boer is also the Board Member of the Carbon Markets International Association and an expert on carbon markets as well.

“The idea is that atmosphere basically doesn’t care where you reduce the emissions from. So if the atmosphere doesn’t care, you may as well reduce emissions at the lowest possible cost in places where it is cheaper to do so. So you can use the capital from industrialised countries to invest in reducing emissions in developing countries, and those industrialised countries get carbon credits for reducing emissions,” he says. This is not a sustainable direction going forward, agrees de Boer, but it is one of the easier paths to follow.

“The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change) has been telling us for 15 years that we can reduce the global emissions by somewhere between 20 and 30% by actions that will pay themselves back in two to three years. These cheap actions would be the easier way to reduce the emissions,” he says.

And by cheap options he means energy efficiency, new sources of energy and new technologies. Individual initiatives do matter, says de Boer, but in the end it is governments and the policies to push the right incentives that make sustainability work.

De Boer feels that in the end we have a very flawed concept of a polluter.

“A polluter is not someone who produces the most emissions. It is the consumer who consumes most of the cause of the pollution who is the actual polluter,” he says.

This is one definition that all the oil majors extracting oil and gas from the North Field in Qatar will nod their heads to.

Four degrees to deprivation Wael Hmaidan, Director OF Climate Action Network International and former Executive Director OF IndyACT gives Sindhu Nair a Middle East perspective on climate change.

t

hat the World Bank report by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Climate Analytics was released just weeks before COP18 could be either a coincidence or a wakeup call. Either way, it does not reduce the shockwave.

The report spells out what the world would be like if it warmed by four degrees Celsius, which is what scientists are almost unanimously predicting by the end of the century, if there are no serious policy changes.

The four degree scenarios are devastating: the inundation of coastal cities; increasing risks for food production, potentially leading to higher malnutrition rates; many dry regions becoming dryer and wet regions wetter; unprecedented heat waves in many regions; substantially exacerbated water scarcity in many regions; increased frequency of high-intensity tropical cyclones; and irreversible loss of biodiversity, including coral reef systems.

And most importantly, a four degrees hotter world is so different from the current one that it comes with high uncertainty and new risks that threaten our ability to anticipate and plan for future adaptation needs.

According to Dr Jim Yong Kim, the

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cop18-cmp8 “It is a decision we have to make. But this should not be seen as a threat but as an opportunity, as we can then prolong the life of fossil fuels, and we can benefit from the rich resources that the country also enjoys in terms of alternative energy like the solar energy and wind energy,”

President of the World Bank in his foreword to the report: “It is a stark reminder that climate change affects everything. The solutions don’t lie only in climate finance or climate projects. The solutions lie in effective risk management and ensuring all our work, all our thinking, is designed with the threat of a four degrees hotter world in mind. The World Bank Group will step up to the challenge.”

It was this same report that Wael Hmaidan, who was here well before the COP18 proceedings, touched on as he spoke about the importance of climate change for the Middle East region specifically.

In a world rapidly warming toward four degrees higher temperatures, the most adverse impacts on water availability are likely to occur in association with growing water demand as the world population increases. Some estimates indicate that a four degree warming would significantly exacerbate existing water scarcity in many regions, particularly northern and eastern Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, while additional countries in Africa would be newly confronted with water scarcity on a national scale due to population growth.

“The situation is scary. Climate change could lead to the collapse of human civilization. Unfortunately, the action by governments is not enough and we need to increase our commitments to reduce greenhouse emissions to help see any change in the climate change scenario.”

This is especially challenging for the Middle East as economies are dependent on fossil fuels, he says adding that there is no choice in this matter if we want to ensure the survival of our children and have them enjoy the resources we enjoy.

“It is a decision we have to make. But this should not be seen as a threat but as an opportunity, as we can then prolong the life of fossil fuels and benefit from the rich resources that the country also enjoys in terms of alternative energy like the solar energy and wind energy. Building an alternative economy based on renewable resources is very important,” he says.

The Middle East is the most heavily-im-

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Hmaidan’s Green list Denmark has already reached 50% of its commitment to being carbon neutral by 2050.

Maldive islands have committed to being carbon-neutral in ten years. this is very ambitious but attainable.

Why countries in the Middle East are not making commitments on climate change Lack of awareness They do not take climate change seriously A cultural awakening is needed to make people come forward and push for change the need to Rebuild the economy on renewable energy the need for a legislation to tackle climate change

pacted region globally by climate change “as we are heavily reliant on food imports.

Food security will be heavily threatened.

Sea level rise is another factor which directly affects Qatar as it is a low-lying land and most of the development is along its coastline,” according to Hmaidan.

The countries of the region, specially Qatar, needs to show leadership on climate change in international committees by pledging a numerical target to reduce green gas emissions, says Hmaidan.

“Sadly, there is no political agenda that says the developing countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia should make a pledge because they have the economic clout to make it happen,” he says.

As the host of COP18, Qatar should have made a voluntary pledge. That should have been the first step. This should have been done by now and sadly, notes Hmaidan, nothing has been done yet.

“Qatar is very ambitious and can play a very political role by making a commitment,” he says.

But isn’t the country already committed to extracting solar energy?

“To pledge, the country has to submit a meaningful target. A meaningful target is something that is adequate to the capability of Qatar. Qatar is a rich country with a lot

of emissions. There is a lot of capacity for change,” he says.

If the country does come up with a pledge, it will help its image and also remove the title of a “polluter” that it now carries.

“We have delivered the message and we know that the authorities are mulling over it. But it is difficult to come up with a figure that is ambitious enough while keeping to a figure that can be attained,” he says.

Going back to De Boer’s comment on oil producing countries taking the blame for greenhouse emissions, Hmaidan counters that no one is asking them to stop producing oil or gas, but to make commitments to reduce, and also not to obstruct others from reducing emissions.

“Saudi Arabia is considered a menace by countries who want to see change on climate change, as it blocks consensus on reducing emissions,” he says.

This has to change, as the region as a whole is known for its attitude of disinterest on climate change. The UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia are countries with the resources to come forward and pledge changes. Even Lebanon and Egypt could do their bit like India and make international pledges and keep to them, feels Hmaidan.

Globally too there is a political will which is increasing, there are a smattering of change, he says, but not enough to make an impact or alter the course of catastrophic climate change. Hmaidan, who has attended five COP meetings to date, feels that “countries should not only do what they promise but they should do more.”

The European Union countries and Norway, he says, are countries that have kept to their promises. There are also cases of countries that have done more they have promised.

“Germany, UK and even developing countries like China, India, South Africa and South Korea, that are not obliged to have commitments, have still delivered,” says Hmaidan. “The US is the elephant in the room. Civil societies criticise the US for this lack of responsible action as it throws water on the efforts made by the rest of the world.”

2012 The year remembered As 2012 winds up, Qatar Today looks back on a year which HASN’T REALLY RESOLVED ANY INCUMBENT ISSUES. The uncompromising violence in Syria looks set to continue well into a third year, and perhaps beyond. the EUROPEAN SOVEReign debt crisis forced many EU countries to push through harsh austerity programmes which choked their citizens financially and forced many into acts of violence and self-harm.

HOWEVER different nationalities and cultures CONVERGED to celebrate sport at the London Olympics – a gathering which continues to give us hope for the future.

C o m pi le d by r o r y c o e n

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JANUARY 03.01.2012

Closing Time STRAIT OF HORMUZ: Iranian military personnel place a national flag on a submarine during ten-day “Velayat 90” navy exercises in the Strait of Hormuz.

AFP PHOTO/JAMEJAMONLINE/EBRAHIM NOROOZI

Iran threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz – a strategically crucial waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, where about a fifth of the world’s daily oil trade traverses every day – should economic sanctions limit, or cut off, its oil exports. American administration officials said publicly that Iran would cross a “red line” if it followed through on these threats to close the strait. On January 23, the European Union imposed severe sanctions on Iran in a show of determination to increase peaceful, legitimate pressure on Iran to return to negotiations regarding its nuclear programme. The sanctions froze the assets of Iran’s central bank in European Union nations and banned the importation of Iranian oil to those countries. However, Iran’s continued threats to close the strait throughout the year never became reality despite the continued sanctions.

13.01.2012

AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLAR

Research Center for Islamic Legislation QATAR, Doha: Under the patronage of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the Research Centre for Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE) was launched on January 15.

Maritime Farce ITALY, Isola del Giglio: A seagull flies over the partially-submerged Costa Concordia cruise ship.

The cruise ship Costa Concordia partially sank after hitting a reef off the Italian coast and running aground at Isola del Giglio, requiring the rescue of over 4,000 people on board.

Thirty people are known to have died while two others remained missing, presumed dead.

After the event, the ship’s captain, Francesco Schettino, was arrested on preliminary charges of multiple manslaughter in connection with causing a shipwreck, failing to assist 300 passengers, and failing to be the last to leave the wreck. He was subsequently also charged with failing to describe to maritime authorities the scope of the disaster and with abandoning incapacitated passengers.

Qtel Fibre now live After months of preparations, Qtel Fibre went live on January 22. By 2014, Qtel will cover the whole of Qatar, promised officials.

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Qatar Today 49

FEBRUARY 01.02.2012

Palestinian Agreement in Doha QATAR, Doha: Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani (C), Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal attend a signing ceremony in Doha, on February 6. Abbas was to head an interim national consensus government under a deal signed in Qatar between Abbas and Meshaal, ending a long-running disagreement that had stalled Palestinian reconciliation.

AFP PHOTO/STR

Whitney Houston ends her life UNITED STATES, Newark: Members of the public gather on the streets near the New Hope Baptist Church as a private funeral for singer Whitney Houston is held. Houston, who ruled as pop music’s queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behaviour and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, died on February 11. She was 48.

AFP PHOTO/Stan HONDA

Celebrating Sports February 13: Qatar decided to stage a National Sports Day on the second Tuesday of February. Several ministries and organisations lined up public events to encourage employees to engage enthusiastically in sports activities.

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Egyptian Football Stadium Tragedy EGYPT, Port Said: Egypt’s Al-Ahly football players run away from clashes between rival football fans after their football match against Al-Masry in Port Said on February 1. At least 79 people were killed and hundreds injured when rival fans clashed after the football match.

AFP PHOTO/STR

MARCH

06.03.2012 Down Under Water AUSTRALIA, Wagga Wagga: This general aerial view shows flooding in North Wagga Wagga during a helicopter tour by Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard as she reviewed the disaster zone.

AFP PHOTO/POOL/ANDREW MEARES

Mali Coup D’Etat MALI, Bamako: Mutinying Malian soldiers, displeased with the management of the Tuareg rebellion, attacked several locations in the Malian capital on March 23, including the presidential palace, state television and military barracks. Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure, who was forced to flee his palace during an overnight coup, escaped without injury and later formally resigned his position.

AFP PHOTO/HABIBOU KOUYATE

App Store delivers 25 billion downloads After announcing that the App Store had reached 25 billion downloads, Apple said it had awarded Chunli Fu of Qingdao, China a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card for downloading the app that put the marketplace over the mark.

According to Apple, Fu downloaded “Where’s My Water? Free”, a Disney game. stock traded above the $700 a share milestone on September 18 on the back on the release of the iPhone 5, but it depreciated to $535 a share by mid-November.

Vast areas of Australia’s east and southeast faced devastating flooding after weeks of heavy rain. Most of New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, was either under water or at risk of going under, after 16 river systems flooded. Southeast Queensland and northern Victoria also faced serious threats of flooding. Thousands of people had to evacuate their homes and return to devastation and huge financial loss.

The huge amount of rainfall was attributed to the La Nina phenomenon where the sea surface temperature across the equatorial Eastern Central Pacific Ocean falls lower than normal by three to five degrees Celsius.

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april

AFP PHOTO/EBRAHIM HAMID

Sudan’s split leaves legacy issues SUDAN, El Obeid: Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir waves to the crowd during his visit to the North Kordofan town of El Obeid to address a rally of freshly-trained paramilitary troops.

16.04.2012 Sudan’s parliament met and voted unanimously to declare that “South Sudan is an enemy of all Sudanese state agencies”. The parliamentary speaker called for Sudan to mobilise all its resources to fight South Sudan and topple its government. Rabie Abdelaty, a spokesman for the Khartoum government, ruled out peace talks with the south, saying it would hurt national pride if Sudan did not take back the disputed Heglig area by force. On April 18, a new front opened up in the conflict, 160 kms west of Heglig, resulting in seven South Sudanese soldiers and 15 Sudanese soldiers being killed.

In March, Sudan had claimed that South Sudan attacked the Heglig oilfield, located in the Sudanese state of South Kordofan, while South Sudan claims it was acting in self-defence after an attack on its territory.

01.04.2012 Suu Kyi So Good

MYANMAR, Rangoon: Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi (C) waves to the crowd as she leaves National League for Democracy (NLD) headquarters after addressing journalists and supporters in Yangon.

AFP PHOTO/Christophe ARCHAMBAULT

Spicy Mexican MEXICO, Santiago XalitZintla: Ash and smoke spew from the Popocatepetl mountain as seen from Santiago XALITZINTLA town, in the Mexican central state of Puebla, on April 24, 2012. Residents at its foot HAD NOT slePT soundly since the towering mountain roared back into action a week earlier, spewing out a hail of rocks, steam and ashes. The volcano, Mexico’s second highest peak at 5,452 metres, started rumbling and spurting high clouds of ash and steam on April 13, provoking the authorities to raise the alert to level five on a seven-point scale.

AFP PHOTO/RONALDO SCHEMIDT

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A news broadcast on Myanmar’s state-run MRTV, reading the announcements of the country’s Union Election Commission, confirmed that Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), had won 43 of the 45 contested seats in a byelection, officially making Suu Kyi the leader of the opposition in the lower house.

NLD MPs-elect, including Suu Kyi took their oaths-of-office, without the wording having been changed to adhere to their principles. However, according to the Los Angeles Times, “Suu Kyi and her colleagues decided they could do more by joining as lawmakers than maintaining their boycott on principle”. On July 9, she attended parliament for the first time as a lawmaker.

may 06.05.2012

29.05.2012

AFP PHOTO/STR

TRAGEDY STRIKES VILLAGGIO MALL

Viva Hollande FRANCE, Paris: A supporter of France’s newly-elected President, THE SOCIALIST PARTY’S Francois Hollande waves the national flag at the Bastille Square in Paris following the announcement of the results of the French presidential final round.

AFP PHOTO/MEHDI FEDOUACH

Tragedy struck Doha when 19 people – including 13 toddlers – were killed in a fire at a creche in Villaggio Mall. Lillie, Jackson and Willsher Weekes, two-year-old triplets from New Zealand, were among the toddlers who perished after they became trapped when a staircase leading up to the first-floor nursery collapsed. Firefighters smashed their way through the roof of the building to try to rescue those inside, but they were too late to save the victims. A hearing into the tragedy, where the owners of the nursery are facing charges, was postponed four times due to the absence of the defendants.

Nuclear shutdown in Japan JAPAN, Tokyo: People gather at an anti-nuclear demonstration on the Children’s Day national holiday, calling for a safer future for younger generations at a park in Tokyo on May 5, 2012. The last working reactor in Japan was switched off on May 5 leaving the country without nuclear power just over a year after the world’s worst atomic accident in a quarter of a century.

AFP PHOTO / KAZUHIRO NOGI

QIA buys Shell stakes A Shell spokeswoman confirmed the purchase of Shell Stocks by THE Qatar Investment Authority while declining to detail its size but the Middle East Economic Survey (MEES) reported that Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund was looking at a 3-5% stake.

Facebook goes even more Public UNITED STATES, New York: A Facebook logo is seen through the windows of the NASDAQ stock exchange as people walk by on Times Square in New York, May 17. The stock opened on May 18 at $38 a share, BUT DESPITE speculation that it could rise by 50% it never regained its initial market value and dropped to $23-A-SHARE IN NOVEMBER. AFP PHOTO/Emmanuel Dunand

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june 24.06.2012 Mursi becomes Egyptian President

Polska, Bialoczerwoni POLAND, Wroclaw: A Polish football fan cheers her team before the Euro 2012 football match between the Czech Republic and Poland on June 16 at the Municipal Stadium. The tournament was co-hosted by Poland and the Ukraine for four weeks in June and July. Spain eventually beat Italy in the Championship final in Kiev, Ukraine. “Polska, Bialoczerwoni” (POLAND, THE RED AND WHITE) became a well-REHEARSED chant across Poland for the month.

AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI

Although he was not their first choice as presidential candidate, Egypt’s powerful Muslim Brotherhood threw its weight behind the chairman of its Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), Mohamed Mursi. The 60-year-old engineer took 24% of the vote in the first round of the election in May, with second place going to Ahmed Shafiq, a former air force chief who served briefly as former President Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister. In the run-off, Mursi claimed victory with 51.73% of the vote.

Mursi immediately promised to bring “stability, security, justice and prosperity” to the country after a year of political upheaval. He has said that it is time to put into practice the Brotherhood’s famous slogan, “Islam is the solution”, but described its policy plans as having “a moderate Islamic reference”.

Mursi handed in his nomination papers for the presidential race on the last possible day after it emerged that Khairat Al-Shater, a millionaire businessman and deputy leader of the Brotherhood, might be prevented from running.

Nigeria suffers Aviation Tragedy NIGERIA, Lagos: A part of the flight that crashed in Nigeria’s largest city of Lagos, killing all of the 153 people on board, is removed from the site of the crash, in the densely populated Toyin Area. Dual engine failure WAS CITED FOR THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH. Nigeria’s Accident Investigation Board report explained that the crew of the Dana Air flight first experienced problems with their throttles, while one of the aircraft’s black boxes melted. The commercial aircraft was flying from the Nigerian capital, Abuja to Lagos when it crashed into a printing works and residential buildings in Iju, a busy suburb north of the airport, and burst into flames. All 153 people on board and 10 on the ground died, AIB’s preliminary report into the accident said.

AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL AREWA

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EGYPT, Cairo: Muslim Brotherhood presidential candidate Mohamed Morsi speaks during a press conference in Cairo.

AFP PHOTO/STR.

july 04.07.2012

AFP PHOTO/CERN

QATARI ICON THE Shard OFFICIALLY opens in London

Higgs Boson Discovery SWITZERLAND, Meyrin: A handout graphic distributed by the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva shows a representation of traces of a proton-proton collision measured in the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiMENT in the search for the Higgs boson.

CERN scientists reporting from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) claimed the discovery of a new particle consistent with the Higgs boson. The particle had been the subject of a 45-year hunt to explain how matter attains its mass. Both of the Higgs boson-hunting experiments at the LHC see a level of certainty in their data worthy of a “discovery”. Peter Higgs, after whom the particle is named, said it was incredible that this had happened in his lifetime.

July 5: Irvine Sellar, who developed the building with financing from Qatar, CALLED IT a “global building” THAT WOULD leave a legacy for “centuries to come”.

The 310-METRE-tall skyscraper was opened by the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani, London Mayor Boris Johnson and BritAIN’S Prince William. The cost of the building and developing the surrounding area next to London Bridge station WAS approximately £1.5 billion (QR8.65 billion). It is the tallest building in Western Europe.

Qatar has invested an estimated £20 billion (QR115 billion) in the UK over the Past few years and is a major shareholder in scandal-hit bank Barclays. However, Sheikh Hamad said Qatar is planning further investment in the UK.

11.07.2012 Barbaric killing stuns the World AFGHANISTAN, Qol village: This frame grab was handed over by a Qol villager to the Parwan provincial government and shows a man firing an AK-47 rifle at a 22-year-old woman named as Najiba as she lies at the edge of a ditch in Qol village, Parwan province, north of Kabul.

AFP PHOTO

Women’s rights activists marched in Kabul to protest the videotaped execution of a young woman, apparently by the Taliban. Protesters said the killing shows the Taliban have not changed, and is a harbinger of what’s to come if they return to power.

In a grainy video that shocked viewers around the world, the young woman, shrouded in a grey shawl, sits alone on a hillside surrounded by men with guns and waits to be executed.

Afghan activists decided to speak out in solidarity with the murdered young woman to press their government to take violence against women far more seriously.

Najiba was married to a member of a hard-line Taliban militant group and was accused of adultery with a Taliban commander. She was executed in late June 2012 after she was found guilty and sentenced to death, Parwan provincial spokeswoman Roshna Khalid told AFP on July 8.

Dark Night in Colorado UNITED STATES, Centennial: James Holmes, 24, appears in court at the Arapahoe County Justice CentRE on July 23. Holmes was accused of shooting dead 12 people and wounding 58 others at a cinema in Aurora, outside Denver, as young moviegoers packed the midnight screening of THE Batman film The Dark Knight Rises. His preliminary hearing is set for January 2013.

AFP PHOTO/POOL/RJ SANGOSTI

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august 16.08.2012 Miners Massacre

Qatar scoops two Olympic medals The Qatar Olympic Committee honoured the country’s Olympic stars, shooter Nasser Al-Attiyah and high-jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim. Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Secretary-General, QOC, presented the two bronze-winning athletes with certificates and shields at a ceremony attended by top sports officials of the country. Al-Attiyah, 41, won bronze in the men’s skeet shooting final while Barshim, 21, was one of three bronze-winning athletes in the men’s high jump final at the Olympic Stadium on August 7.

Libya takes another baby step LIBYA, Tripoli: Libya’s ruling national assembly picked Mohamed al-Megaryef (C), leader of the National Front party, as its president on August 9 in a vote carried out a day after it took power from the outgoing National Transitional Council.

AFP PHOTO/MAHMUD TURKIa

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Members of the South African Police Service, from an elite special unit, opened fire on a group of striking miners at a mine in the Marikana area, close to Rustenburg, South Africa. Thirtyfour people were killed and at least 78 were wounded.

It was reported that the incident was the single most lethal use of force by South African security forces against civilians since the Sharpeville massacre during the apartheid era. The shootings were described as a massacre in the South African media. Controversy emerged after it was discovered that most of the victims were shot in the back and many victims were shot far from police lines. On September 18, a mediator announced a resolution to the conflict, stating that the striing miners had accepted new conditions.

Sheikha Mayassa on Forbes Powerful Women List HH Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad Al Thani was named on the Forbes 2012 list of 100 most powerful women in the world. Only three Arabs are on the list and all hail from the GCC countries.

september AFP PHOTO/DON EMMER

10.09.2012

AFP PHOTO/Kimihiro Hoshino

the kiss of victory UNITED STATES, San Francisco : Journalists and attendees line up outside of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco to attend Apple’s special media event to introduce the iPhone 5 on September 12, 2012 in California

AFP PHOTO/Saeed KHAN

21.09.2012

iPHONE 5 is here UNITED STATES, New York : Andy Murray of Great Britain kisses the US Open trophy after his win over Novak Djokovic of Serbia after their men’s singles final match at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament September 10, 2012 in New York.

The space shuttle Endeavour

Global hysteria follows anti-Islam film

UNITED STATES, Los Angeles : The space shuttle Endeavour arrives at the United hangar at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California. after it’s cross country trip from Florida on September 21, 2012. The retired space shuttle will be moved to its permanent home at the California Science Center in October AFP PHOTO / Pool / Anne Cusack

MALAYSIA, Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Muslim demonstrators march towards the US embassy after a mass Friday prayer against an anti-Islam film, Innocence of Muslims, and the publication of caricatureS of the Prophet Muhammad by a French magazine.

The film Innocence of Muslims sparked violent demonstrations and protests around the world, not just in traditional Islamic regions but also in places such as Australia, Brazil and Germany. The low-budget movie had very poor production values and attracted only a small attendance at its opening night at a small cinema in Hollywood at the end of June. However, a 14-minute trailer later posted on YouTube tripped mass global hysteria.

The worldwide protests led to hundreds of injuries and over 75 deaths. The film sparked debates about freedom of speech and internet censorship.

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october 29.10.2012 Sandy locks down American East Coast

AFP PHOTO/FABRICE COFFRINI

09.10.2012

Armstrong’s reputation in tatters SWITZERLAND, Geneva: International Cycling Union (UCI) President Pat McQuaid arrives to give a press conference to announce the decision about the fate of US cyclist Lance Armstrong on October 22 in Geneva.

Armstrong was banned by the UCI as the world cycling body upheld an earlier doping sanction handed to the seven-time Tour de France champion. McQuaid said the UCI would strip Armstrong of all of his Tour de France titles, adding: “Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling.”

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AFP PHOTO/STR

Hurricane Sandy, which battered much of the Caribbean and the eastern coast of the US, was recorded as the most brutal Atlantic storm in history. Sandy was estimated in early calculations to have caused damage of at least $20 billion (QR73 billion). Preliminary estimates of losses that included business interruption exceeded $50 billion (QR182 billion). At least 191 people were killed along the path of the storm in Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rica, Cuba, the Bahamas and the US.

Malala survives assassination attempt PAKISTAN, Mingora: Pakistani hospital workers carry injured 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai on a stretcher at a hospital following an attack by gunmen

Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head and neck in an assassination attempt by Taliban gunmen while returning home from school In the days immediately following the attack she remained unconscious and in critical condition, but later improved enough for her to be sent to a UK hospital for intensive rehabilitation. On October 12, a group of 50 Islamic clerics in Pakistan issued a fatwa against those who tried to kill her, but the Taliban reiterated their intent to kill Yousafzai and her father, Ziauddin. Yousafzai became a child celebrity in Pakistan after she was nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize. Her public profile rose even further when she was awarded Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize two months later in December.

november 17.11.2012 MOVIE DAZZLE

The red carpet was out to welcome Hollywood veteran Robert De Nero and movie stars of the Arab world as the Doha Film Institute’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist opened the Doha Tribeca Film Festival.

The movie is directed by Mira Nair, which aims to shatter stereotypes and spark dialogue about the cultural divide between the East and the West since the terror attacks on the US in 2001.

AFP PHOTO/Robyn Beck

AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON

QATAR, Doha: Egyptian actress Yosra, Director of the Reluctant Fundamentalist Mira Nair and Pakistani actress Meesha Shafi at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival that was staged from November 17-24.

Obama returns for second term

China in your hand CHINA, Beijing: Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping emerges as head of the newly-reshuffled sevenmember Communist Party of China Politburo Standing Committee, the nation’s top decision-making body, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on November 15. Xi Jinping was appointed China’s new leader at the helm of a revamped top power circle that will face the tricky task of setting the planet’s second-largest economy on a new course.

UNITED STATES, Chicago: US President Barack Obama waves to supporters on election night, November 7 in Chicago, Illinois.

Obama promised the American people that the “the best is yet to come” as he accepted a second term in the White House after easily beating off the challenge from his Republican rival, Mitt Romney.

With a second chance to fulfil some of the expectations that greeted his election in 2008, Obama used his soaring victory speech at a rally in Chicago – by far his best of the entire campaign – to press for a bipartisan approach to politics and returned once again to his theme of “hope”. The address was the finale to a night that had begun with many of the swing states too close to call but ended with an overwhelming victory as Obama held seven of the nine battlegrounds upon which his presidency had been founded.

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bottom line

Create a Winning Office Environment Office environments have a tall order to fulfill to maintain the high productivity of employees: as well as being functional, they also have to be practical, comfortable and inspiring.

Since

an average person spends almost two thirds of the day at work (in most cases indoors), multinational employers and SMEs alike are increasingly giving office interiors the attention they deserve. In many cases these employers’ efforts are being rewarded with improved employee morale and productivity, as well as being recognised by international institutions such as Great Place to Work.

Statistics from Bayt.com’s recent “Absenteeism in the Workplace in the Middle East and North Africa” (July 2012) poll reveal that almost a third of professionals rate the working environment in their company as “fair to poor”.

The same poll showed that almost a quarter of employees feel that the absenteeism in their organisation is high.

Great office environments also communicate a lot about the corporate vision, values, leadership and culture. At Bayt.com for example, the value of “openness of communication” is re-

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flected by transparent and open management offices – one of the several reasons the company was rated one of the “Top Ten Places to Work in the UAE” for two consecutive years.

Considering that there is more to a great office than desirable physical attributes (the human element is also important), Bayt.com recommends these tips to turn uninspiring clinical spaces into hotbeds of creativity and productivity.

1. Cubicles –vs– open-plan offices: While cubicles were a staple of most office space designs during the 20th century, the 21st century workplace thrives on information sharing and collaboration. The new “groupthink” model is increasingly being favoured by employers. But the open-plan setting also brings with it the cons, i.e. lack of boundaries means more interruptions. A comfortable “middle ground” can be found in the form of semi-enclosed spaces (also favoured at all 11 Bayt.com regional offices) which, while providing a private corner, do not completely cut employees off from one another.

2. Flexibility: Workplaces in the modern sense of the word need not be confined to a certain location. With flexitime and work-life bal-

bottom line ance increasingly becoming part of modern day HR parlance, today’s workplaces need to be technologically integrative and flexible. This means giving employees access to technology that makes video-conferencing and online file-sharing possible.

3. Colour: Colours have long been recognised by psychologists for their mood-altering properties. Apart from being a quick and cheap interior design tool, they also add instant pizzazz to the space. For example, the colour blue is identified by psychologists as the most productive colour, making it attractive for office spaces. Other positive colours include orange for warmth and excitement and green to boost tranquillity and health. However, it’s important not to go overboard with bold colours, and to balance them with optimal white spaces.

4. Let ideation flow: The “thought mirror” is an integral part of the pantry at Bayt.com HQ, and serves as a blank canvas for employees to share their ideas, unleash their creativity and voice their opinions.

5. Online shared spaces: Offices rarely operate as isolated units. Online communication and virtual collaboration are an integral part of current-day work culture, as most companies have far-flung regional/ international offices. In such a situation, having an online space to share the positive and informal vibe is important. Such a space could be created, as in the case of Bayt.com’s online “Love Wall”, where employees can award “love touches” based on the Bayt.com values to colleagues, or you could use free online services such as Yammer.

6. Congratulate publicly: While camaraderie can be built virtually, there is no substitute for in-person interaction. At Bayt.com these get-togethers take the form of month-end Fiestas where top performers are given “Star” awards and personal milestones of “Baytheads” are celebrated.

Building amazing workplaces is all about balancing great physical spaces with the right human factor. As demonstrated above, the possibilities are endless when it comes to creating winning office environments, and they need not require large expenditures. With collaborative efforts and the right intent this is very much achievable.

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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 9,200,000 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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Encouraging people to have a healthier lifestyle To fight against health problems like obesity and smoking, governments are experimenting with new ways of regulating lifestyles. These methods, or incentives, usually involve a “nudge” that takes advantage of the irrational patterns in human behaviour to encourage people to make the least harmful choices for their health, as Alberto Alemanno explains.

Health Health risk factors include hidden fats and sugars in processed foods, as well as cigarettes and alcohol. When consumed in excess, they can cause diseases like diabetes, cancer, heart problems and chronic respiratory problems, which are responsible for more than half of deaths worldwide. To fight against this increasing phenomenon, public policy-makers are trying out new approaches to modify lifestyle habits. A new type of measure has emerged,which seeks to take into account how people actually behave, and not how they are expected to behave as rational agents. A growing number of studies show that human beings do not always act in a way that maximises their interests, making decisions, for example, that lead to short-term pleasure but do not take into account long-term negative effects.

The gentle nudge The “nudge” approach is based on findings in behavioral research, which draws on economics, psychology, anthropology and sociology. It aims to gently encourage (nudge) individuals to make better decisions while maintaining their freedom of choice. As such, managers take advantage of patterns of irrationality to shape the context and decision-making process to influence choices. This can mean, for example, presenting food in a cafeteria so that

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people choose salad, fruit and vegetables rather than foods with poor nutritional quality. This form of governance, which is based on “choice architecture”, is still in the experimental phase. The Conservative-led government in the UK is the only one to date to have created an administration to implement the approach.

The fight against smoking The nudge method holds promise for the fight against smoking.

Many countries worldwide have gradually established regulation that is now universally accepted. But smoking remains the leading cause of avoidable deaths in both the developed world and in emerging countries. The nudge approach could help to work out the contradictions of traditional methods whereby states encourage citizens to stop smoking by multiplying publicity campaigns and by increasing taxes, while at the same time organising the official sale of tobacco and financing a good portion of their budget through taxation. When it comes to tobacco, the traditional “command and control” method is necessary to restrict access to the product, by banning smoking in public places, for example.

The first objective is to reject smoking as normal, acceptable behaviour, and to make it a quasi-deviant behaviour; as a second step, the nudge reinforces changes to the social norm. While a nudge modifies behaviours in a predictable way, it should not exclude any options, nor does it need to change economic incentives. For example, some governments are studying new radical measures, like the standardisation of neutral cigarette packaging with no logo, and the prohibition of branded products on the

bottom line

Nudge Literally, “to nudge” means “to push someone with an elbow” or “to prod someone to do something”. In their authoritative book Nudge [Yale University Press, April 2008], Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein explain the concept in terms of paternal libertarianism: “a relatively moderate, flexible, and non-invasive version of paternalism which does not prohibit anything, nor does it limit an individual’s options; it is a philosophical approach to public or private governance which aims to help people make decisions that improve their lives without affecting the freedom of others.”

What are the implications for leaders?

It is in the areas where the need to regulate is largely accepted, like smoking and obesity, that these kinds of policies get the best results. Other examples could be the environment (recycling), or even the fight against tax evasion. Experience shows that it is more effective to combine nudges with traditional regulations. Alemanno also stresses that it is “crucial to work with the private sector, to convince companies to change their habits”. The latter “do not have a choice,” he says, citing the restrictions on ads directed at children and the use of trans fatty acids. The public now seem to be aware of the downside of junk food: the Olympics in London marked the first time the sponsorship of sporting events by companies like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola was heavily criticised.

shelves of tobacco shops with the purpose of countering industry marketing efforts and reducing the visual impact of their brands.

The product itself, however, remains perfectly legal.

Can the method be extended to food?

The debate today is on whether or not a similar approach, of “enabling while discouraging”, can be extended to other areas such as poor nutrition and lack of exercise. The legitimacy of state intervention is more problematic for food and alcohol. Tobacco, unlike food, is not a vital need. And what further complicates the regulation of unhealthy food is that consumption patterns are just one factor among several others – physiological, genetic and even socio-economic – which, according to scientists, promote obesity. In Western societies, it is generally agreed that individuals should be free to choose their own lifestyle, even if they decide to make high-risk choices. The argument is particularly strong when it comes to alcohol and foods high in fat and sugar,

which have associations with celebrations and other social rituals deeply rooted in Western culture. In the case of tobacco, the problem was resolved by shifting the debate from the rights of smokers to the rights of non-smokers who were being exposed to second-hand smoke.

Is it right to manipulate people?

Nudges and traditional interventions usually combine forces, making it difficult to measure the impact of either on a particular policy. Empirically, we see a decline in consumption, but how do you know if it is due to this or that nudge or to an increase in taxes on tobacco? Moreover, if nudges are transparent they may fail, as people do not like to feel they are being manipulated, even if it is for their own good. Or what about the risk of the “tyranny of health”? Obsessed by the need to adopt a healthy lifestyle, individuals risk stressing out so much when they miss their gym class or daily jog that it cancels out the benefits obtained.

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By Alberto Alemanno Alberto Alemanno has been a professor at HEC paris since 2009. He teaches EU law and risk regulation. He is also editor-in-chief of the review European Journal of Risk Regulation. He holds degrees from Harvard Law School and the College of Europe in Bruges, and a PhD in international law and economics from Bocconi University.

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TAG THIS

Fighting for inclusive growth A few days before Lord Michael Hastings took to the stage at the International BusinessWomen Forum in doha, the world was shaken by the attempted assassination of a young Pakistani girl who dared to fight for education rights of girls. A prolific speaker, Hastings is KPMG’s Global Head of Citizenship, and it was no surprise that he highlighted the story of Malala Yousfzai’s plight to enforce the importance of inclusive growth.

For

by S i nd h u Nai r

the world to finally experience “inclusive growth” it is necessary for both genders, in every continent of the world, to get the education they need. For generations, girls have been disadvantaged but now it is time to draw a line under this longtime suffering by making sure they are able to take an active role in societies where girls have the ability to thrive.

“Sound early education, right from primary to secondary school, is the fundamental right of everyone,” says Hastings. “For genuine inclusive growth, women must be in a position of equal education, equal remunerations and equal potential to men.

That is not to say that there should be enforced jobs or enforced privileges, because you cannot achieve that simply by forcing people to make decisions that they are not qualified to make.

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“Inclusive growth means that by giving women, and particularly young girls, the potential to learn, it will give them the dignity to define how and when they they work, whom they relate to and if they wish to, how and when they have families and how they can secure health and security prospects of their own kids,” he adds.

There are now vivid and strong examples of women and even girls standing up for the right to education. The right to education, says Hastings, is a fundamental right laid down by the UN way back in the post-second World war period, and 70 years on, still not enacted.

“There has to be a campaign for education rights by nations with influence, wealth and capacity,” says Hastings. “Qatar is one of the countries with women in leadership positions and they should take a strong stand

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“it is extremely comforting to see that as a country, Qatar is focusing on its long term development plans, and has a very holistic approach to the way they are engaging the various stakeholders within the country,”

in these areas and help spread the message globally.”

Country perspective As a first time visitor to the country, Hastings gives his take on a country that has its own version of non-inclusive growth, looking at the migrant population and their issues.

“This is indeed my first visit to Qatar, and it is extremely comforting to see that, as a country, Qatar is focusing on its long term development plans, and has a very holistic approach to the way they are engaging the various stakeholders within the country,” says Hastings. “The country clearly has its share of strengths and challenges. Its access to natural gas as a resource gives it enormous strength in terms of the economy, but its lack of water poses a huge challenge in terms of its development. I’ve had the good fortune to have some very enlightening conversations with some key people driving the development plan within Qatar, and can confidently say that they are well aware of the areas of development, and I’m sure they will see the Vision 2030 through to success. In terms of the issues around the migrant population, the country seems to have been dealing with this issue since the early 1970s, and is in fact looking at engaging all parts of the population, i.e. national and migrant to help in implementing its development plans. The one impact they will indeed need to consciously work on is the cultural element, but this already seems to be a key focus area in the development process.”

Lord Hastings also focuses on an increasingly widening gap between haves and havenots. On how this is played out even more intensely in Qatar, he says: “The country is one of the most progressive and aggressive countries in the Middle East with a

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“People are feeling the divide between this small percentage of rich and the rest of the population while they are also seeing children dying due to malnutrition, due to lack of access to clean sanitation, medicines and water. This can’t be appropriate at least not now when there is so much development in other fields.”

leadership that is already investing in education and a sustainable environment. With its position on the world stage, this small country with its small population but enormous mineral richnesshas the potential to instigate solutions in global matters and take a stance that will help steer action.”

The richest two percent own more than half the household wealth in the world. The richest 10% hold 85% of total global assets.

And the bottom half of humanity owns less than one percent of the wealth in the world.

The three richest men in the world have more money than the poorest forty-eight countries.

“More than before, people are watching the opulence,” says Hastings. “People are feeling the divide between this small percentage of rich people and the rest of the population while they are also seeing children dying due to malnutrition, due to lack of access to clean sanitation, medicines and water. This can’t be appropriate, at least not now when there is so much development in other fields.”

Hastings had earlier been quoted as saying that the greatest way to change the world is by overcoming cynicism. How do you change that to fit the Arab region?

“Cynicism is a condition driven by affluence and indifference. People become focused on the difficulty of the problem and not the opportunity of the solution. Significantly, cynicism stops engagement and ownership of the actions necessary to move forward. For the new emerging democracies and new political arrangements in the North African and Arab countries, this is an opportunity to build not the affluent society but the generous and committed society, and I hope that countries in the Arab region grab the opportunity to lead from affluence,” he says.

Diversity at KPMG Talking about the role of diversity in organisations and Hastings’ role in building that, he says, “My role in KPMG is to lead our thinking towards how we as a global busi-

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ness can lead on solving some of the world’s most complex problems, and how we develop successful partnerships with all our stakeholders to help make this is a reality in our operations.”

“At KPMG our approach to corporate citizenship is founded on the belief that business has a distinct and vital role to play in helping solve the world’s most complex problems,” he says.

Responsible business practices, which are at the heart of corporate citizenship, help build trust and contribute to the development and sustainability of the capital

Prior to KPMG Hastings had spent over a decade with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). He worked for over 12 years for the BBC, first as a Journalist, then as the Head of Public Affairs leading Government and Political relations. He has also set up the CSR team within the BBC and spent his last three years with them in leading their work towards Corporate Responsibility. Hastings came to KPMG by invitation of the then Chairman, Sir Mikael Rake. In 2005, Hastings received the UNICEF award for his outstanding contribution to understanding and effecting solutions for Africa’s children.

markets.

But Hastings is pragmatic when he says that this by itself is not enough to address the challenges facing our world today.

“We are committed to doing more – moving beyond good governance, compliance, ethical behaviours and philanthropy to work with governments, societies, and nongovernmental organisations to tackle global social and environmental issues,” he says.

“Through our commitment to our people,

our values, embracing diversity and our responsibility to our communities, we aim to create an environment in which our people are proud to work - and to foster a rich pool of talents to support our clients’ business.

After all, our member firms’ reputations are founded on our exceptional people. With over 145,000 people across 152 countries, KPMG is globally diverse by its very nature.

But there are always ways to enhance our performance, to ensure that we create an environment of inclusiveness and respect for all our people,” he says.

On removing barriers in the work places, Hastings says, “Embracing differences of culture, race, colour, ethnic or national heritage, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, marital or parental status, age, disability, faith or religion – is good for business. Removing any barriers that are irrelevant to our people’s ability to do their work, will make the business more successful.

Arab Spring legacy The issues around the Arab Spring and the tensions in the region are not something that is region-specific says Hastings.

“The global economy is going through a dramatic transition, and issues around disparity, poverty, hunger, ethics, unemployment are all being challenged across the world. The advent of technology and innovation has made it easier for the common man to express their opinions, and essentially gain a voice through the power of virtual media.

“This means that not only governments, but also businesses need to rethink the way they operate. People across the world, who are also consumers / stakeholders for businesses are going to challenge irresponsibility in the way governments and businesses operate. This is an opportunity for public/ private sector organisations to understand the force of the voice of the people, and take this new opportunity to redefine the way they operate to ensure that they have a sustainable future,” he says

TAG THIS

A big believer in small How many dedicated, not-for-profit agencies are failing to develop functional schemes to help entrepreneurs turn their ideas into revenue-generating businesses? Maybe that’s their problem – they’re not in it to make money. However, some corporations are investing billions to provide sustainable solutions for these businesses. the Co-CEO of SAP, Bill McDermott, explains how these small businesses are playing a big part in its core strategy.

by RORY C OEN

Getting a business started is both a stressful and a financially challenging exercise. Even if one does get venture capital to ease the burden of finance, the chances of it being a success are less than 30%. In such a scenario, the most prudent thing to do is to be conservative – test the waters and get a sense of the market before blowing every dirham of your savings on a business that was doomed before it was even conceived.

There are of course many reasons why a business falls flat in its early stages: the timing was wrong, finances dried up, lack of experience, the wrong market. Statistics show that entrepreneurs often choose the markets in which businesses are most likely to go under; they fail to take the actions that research shows help businesses to survive. Academic research shows that putting in place careful financial controls, emphasising marketing plans and writing a business plan increase the odds that a new business will survive, yet many founders fail on all three counts.

The Power of Small

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Bill McDermott, the Co-CEO of German enterprise software provider SAP, spoke to Qatar Today about start-ups and small- to medium-sized enterprises, and whether his organisation was only after the big fish or also had a special focus on the tadpoles. He believes he knows how small businesses can have a better chance of survival.

“We are a big believer in the power and value of ‘small’,” said McDermott. “Sixty-five percent of our customers are small. These businesses are the economic engine of the world – it’s where intellectual property exists and it’s where jobs will be created. But one of the learnings we heard at the [World Economic Forum Annual Meeting] in Davos earlier this year was that the number one root cause of small businesses not scaling and ultimately not succeeding is that they enter into the market without systems that can support their business model.

“We have come up with a break-through solution for SMEs called Business One, which runs on our proprietary platform

HANA. It can also be provisioned to a cloud environment, so it can be up and running in a matter of hours. It’s extremely easy to install and it’s very low-cost. Many of our customers might have only a half-dozen employees and they are running this piece of software,” he added.

If SAP is innovating for small businesses with applications like Business One, then it is certainly collaborating with others to do the same. The winners of “The Power of Small: Entrepreneurs Strengthening Local Economies”, a global competition jointly sponsored by SAP and NGO Ashoka, were announced last month. The competition attracted 370 entries from 69 countries.

The four winning entries, selected by the Changemakers online community, represent the most innovative strategies to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities. The winners received a comprehensive capital, technology and promotion package from SAP – including a cash prize of $10,000 (QR36,400) and a technology donation to optimise performance and scale up operations.

One of the winners, MySoft, said that small businesses need IT just as much as the big ones. For the price of a meal at McDon-

TAG THIS ald’s, micro-entrepreneurs in Brazil (such as street-market salesmen, curtain fitters, car washers, confectioners and day labourers) can subscribe to MySoft and get apps to run their businesses better. In just three years, this development collaborative has trained approximately 10,000 young people to create cloud-based smartphone and laptop apps.

There’s market potential to reach 27 million small service providers.

Under the hood Sapphire Now – the twice-annual gathering of SAP developers, users and partners – was held in Madrid last month, and McDermott reiterated SAP’s loyalty to its “five-category strategy” which has been so influential in the huge turnover figures it has been churning out in the last couple of years in particular.

HANA, the powerful in-memory database that can run real-time analytics, is the ringleader, while applications, business analytics, cloud and mobility make up the quintet.

“We just did an amazing quarter,” said McDermott. “We accumulated nearly four billion dollars in software revenue, and that’s double-digit growth. Software and softwarerelated services – which is the most important benchmark for the capital markets – was up 19% to $3.21 billion (QR11.7 billion). Our software itself, which is often regarded as the greatest predictor of future demand, came in at over ¤1 billion (QR4.6 billion) for the first time ever, which is an increase of 17%.”

McDermott intimated that we can now look forward to the “next-generation total customer experience”, which will be even more mobile, social and cloud-based. But he stressed that the most dynamic change will be in the real-time application of data.

“There seems to be this insane bias for having real-time enterprise software now, and the latency in legacy systems and diskorientated databases will not satisfy the modern customer any more,” he said. “They want to have instant customer satisfaction on the mobile device with no waiting. So whether it’s Samsung, Lenovo, Google on the Android device, Apple with the iPhone and iPad, you’re going to see them standardising on SAP’s unwired platform so they can run business applications in a secure way.

“The CEO of a well-known fashion company in Milan was quite stunned by the fact that he could not only have a completely digital relationship with his consumers, but because they interact with the Internet he could understand their preferences; he could make predictive decisions on what they are likely to want next, based on their purchasing history; he could revert them to the right store to suit their travel needs. We’re in a

Bill McDermott, co-CEO of SAP

whole new world here where we’re digitising the total customer experience, bringing it to a new level,” said McDermott.

Regional importance With its obvious global growth, how important is the MENA region for SAP? What is it doing to develop its strategy in this region?

“We made a strong statement that we were investing $500 million (QR1.8 billion) in MENA by 2015, and we are keeping that promise,” said McDermott. “Our growth is

doubling there year on year, so it’s really one of the jewels in our crown.

“I have been to the region many times and I see a tremendous opportunity for young people to work in our ecosystem, whether that’s to work for SAP, our partners or our customers. We’re working with the governments in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE to really create opportunities for the young folks to get the skills and tools they need to compete in the modern economy,” he said

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Qatar Today 69

wellness warriors

Leading by example

Qatar Today continues its health and living series where the top echelons answer the hard questions about sustaining a work-life balance and issue some healthy living guidelines of their own.

Last month we featured a banker, this month a hotelier.

by N i c o le va n Hat t e m

TECHTALK

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patterns. I look for the positive side of everyone I meet and if I’m faced with a very challenging situation, I think of the worst thing that can happen and quickly switch to think about all the possible solutions.

Spending quality time with a variety of friends is also a great way to release stress.

I really enjoy what I do and I surround myself with positive people.

Garry Friend is engaging, energetic and successful in an industry that requires long hours, strong competition and constant people interaction. As a General Manager of the Grand Hyatt Hotel, a five-star hotel property, how does this leader maintain the balance, positive attitude and energy levels required to sustain success?

What health or lifestyle changes have you made in the last one to two years?

My weight has changed tremendously. I put on 13 kgs when I came to Qatar and now I’m back to my original weight.

What was the key to your success in regaining a healthy weight?

I exercise three or four times a week for 60 minutes each time. I swim in the sea and use the personal trainers at the Grand Hyatt – they are amazing!

How does exercising regularly help you to manage stress?

Exercise is key to maintaining healthy stress levels, and the fitter I am, the more productive I become.

Working long hours, being surrounded by delicious food all the time and entertaining constantly provides many opportunities to overeat or to choose the wrong foods. How do you cope with this?

Managing my food choices is also essential.

I make it a point to not eat while I am doing other things such as working on the computer or in meetings. When I eat I choose high quality foods, and I enjoy healthy foods such as green apples, walnuts, honey, green tea, leafy greens, and spices such as chillies.

your top 10 tips for maintaining your professional performance at a senior level in business?

Keep healthy Enjoy your work environment Understand your company goals and targets Know how your boss ticks Keep a high profile in your company Work with the local community Employ well educated staff Keep learning Mentor the young staff in your company Ensure you go on holidays twice a year

Snacks l Selection of mixed nuts, green apple, green tea with honey

How do you see your personal approach to health and work-life balance reflected in the rest of the hotel staff?

I find that people who do not balance work and life tend to burn out very easily, become emotional and negative and can swing from engaging to disengaging.

Fit and healthy employees are key to delivering consistent and high levels of customer service and business performance.

Hyatt has stress management programmes and encourages its executive members and department heads to access the gym.

On a weekly basis, the department heads and I do a physical workout session together to start the day and build the team.

Our healthy approach extends into the staff restaurant, where we offer lots of raw salads without dressing, and whole fruits.

We are also renovating the pool at the staff accommodation to provide a lap pool.

As a leader in the community and the workplace, setting an example for others to follow, what would you say are your top 10 tips for: Managing stress Enjoy your job Make sure that fun is in your daily routine l Eat sensibly l Stay away from junk food, soft drinks, sugar l Take regular exercise l Have a good mix of friends l Target short-and-long-term goals l Keep a sense of humour l Practise positive thinking l Overcome fear and move forward l l

What do you eat (on most days) for: Breakfast l Yogurt with fruit and nuts l Lunch l Tuna and salad Dinner l Fish, chicken or salad unless I am entertaining hotel clients, when I have bigger meals

Stress is a normal part of everyday life, however too much stress can be detrimental to health and performance. How do you manage stress in your work and life?

If my stress levels are too high for too long I notice it in my shoulders and back, where it causes pain. So I go for a stress relief massage every week.

I also make sure that I monitor my thought

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Twitter @AALNicole

By nicole van hattem

Nicole van Hattem is the Founder and Director of the Art of Abundant Living – the only Corporate Wellness and Health Coaching Company in Qatar.

Email: info@artofabundantliving.com

DECember 2012

Qatar Today 71

GREEN SCENE

Al Shaima Girls wins GPS Eco-School of the Year The Green Programme for Schools (GPS) presented awards to participating schools that showed outstanding commitment to the environmental campaign at a ceremony at Hafsa Independent School on November 6. Numerous schools around the country have been putting in great efforts to promote greener ways of going about our day-to-day routines, but as always, there can only be one overall winner. However, there were some other awards also handed out on the day.

T

he winner of the GPS “Eco-school of the Year” was Al Shaima Girls Independent School, while Doha Modern Indian School won the “Best Student Participation” award and Ali Bin Taleb Independent School won the “School for Best Innovation” award.

All participating schools received recognition for their valuable contribution and support towards the successful implementation of the environmental campaign for 2011-2012. The winners were selected based on the results of the evaluation session that was held on October 9 at Msheireb Enrichment Centre, where schools gave a presentation to the GPS Steering Committee about the green initiatives they have been involved in since June last year. Mission 20 volunteers were also recognised for their role as activation partners.

Members of the GPS Steering Committee include Nawal Al-Kowari, Communications Officer, Supreme Education

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Council (SEC); Jamal Mohamed Al-Jaber, Education Coordinator, Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC); Eng. Mohamed Jaber, Head of Education Committee, QGBC; and Ravi Raman, Vice-President, Oryx Advertising Co. WLL. Proud achievements “We support and encourage the GPS because our mandate at SEC is to encourage sustainable living. We hope the school and student participation will increase next year , ” said the SEC’S Nawal Kuwari.

“The award ceremony and recognition of the Eco-School of Year is indeed a proud achievement for us and all the participating schools. GPS is a unique initiative which involved students right from inception – from branding of the schools to monitoring their electricity and water usage; the young people took charge and showed enthusiasm, interest and responsibility. We look forward to the next edition, where we are inducting 30 more schools,” said Ravi Raman, Vice President of Oryx Advertising Company WLL.

To know more about the programme,

To know more about GPS,

visit the GPS page at http://www. facebook.com/GPSQatar.

contact 44550983

TECHTALK Bringing the newest gadgets and globaltech stories each month…

Wash your messy keyboard

T

he Logitech Washable Keyboard K310 is designed to be very easy to clean. It can even be submerged in up to 30 cm of water and it will still work like new, thanks to drainage holes on the back.

The letters and numbers are laser-printed and UV-coated, ensuring that they won’t be damaged no matter how many times you clean or wash it. Only one warning – don’t put it in the dishwasher; it’s only meant to be hand-washed.

Samsung to make bendable phones?

T

he next flagship Samsung smartphone is expected to be the first with a flexible screen.

Rumours suggest that the substitution of plastic for glass in its displays will make the South Korean company’s phones bendable and possibly extremely difficult to break.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the first such devices should be ready before July 2013. The report also adds weight to rumours circulating that Samsung is set to unveil a 14 cm OLED display at January’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) – the tech world’s flagship event, where every major player in the industry lines up to dazzle the crowds with its latest prototypes and newest products. Unlike traditional LCD screens, which have to be lit by a bulb behind or around the perimeter of the display, OLED (or Organic Light-Emitting Diode) displays generate their own light source. This makes them thinner and lighter than traditional screens (because they don’t have to house a light) and, due to this in-built luminosity, don’t require glass in their construction. A screen can just as easily be made from polymer plastic or even metallic foil.

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Entry-level iPhone for emerging-market customers: analyst Google announces Arabic web days

G

oogle has announced the launch of the programme “Arabic Web Days” to enrich digital Arabic content, through a series of activities and initiatives to be implemented by a group of prominent international bodies and regional shows in the Middle East and North Africa over a month.

Google has partnered with Vinelab, Taghreedat and Wamda to shape the programme, which will also see involvement of Twitter, Wikipedia, TED, SoundCloud and YouTube.

The programme will be supported by local expertise from the Media Zone Authority in Abu Dhabi, twofour54 and Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI).

The motivation to start the programme came from the fact that despite Arabic being one of the fastest-growing languages on the Web it only represents 3% of the total digital content.

Google’s Communications Officer in the Middle East and North Africa, Maha Abouelenein said: “The programme primarily seeks to enhance the participation of users who want to contribute to the availability of digital Arabic content to suit the needs and aspirations of the Arab user.”

a

ccording to a note to investors from Apple analyst Gene Munster, Apple plans to build a sub-$200 (QR720) handset to build its market share in India and China, where network carriers are not prepared to subsidise handset costs in order to tie potential customers into long-term contracts.

The latest smartphone sales figures from Gartner show that Android currently accounts for over 70% of the world smartphone market, while Apple has less than a 15% share.

Meanwhile, data from Canalys show that the Asia-Pacific region accounted for 53% of worldwide smartphone sales in the third quarter of 2012, and that in China alone local manufacturers, using older forms of the Android operating system on their handsets, are quickly catching up with Samsung, currently the most popular manufacturer in the region.

All of Apple’s devices sell at a premium, and so it cannot and will not compete in terms of price with its competitors, only in terms of quality. This approach to business leads many in the industry to assume that a low-cost phone from the brand would not simply be an older or discounted iPhone, but a handset developed and designed specifically for the territories in which it would be sold.

FB statistics Currently, there are 695,600 Facebook users in Qatar, which makes it #93 in the ranking of Facebook users by country.

65-100 years

25-34 years

55-64 years

Total Facebook Users

695,600

Position in the list

93

average cost per click

$0.32

13-15 years

User age distribution on Facebook in Qatar 18-24 years

16-17 years INTERNET Penetration of population

82.72%

average

Penetration of ONLINE population

159.54%

cost per impression

45-54 years

35-44 years

$0.06 Courtesy: socialbakers.com

DECember 2012

Qatar Today 75

TECHTALK

Nokia’s game-changer: coming to Doha soon

T

he Nokia Lumia 920 release in Dubai had all the elements to make its launch catch the radars of the press, the tech bloggers and all those closely following the smartphone market. The launch was funky, creative and loaded with fun. Well, almost like the like the smartphone itself.

Which begs the question, what would you look for in a smartphone?

Ease of use and a good, fast-working platform; add a trendy look and you almost have a winner. But not when you have a Samsung or an iPhone on the horizon, with most users already having chosen one of the two. Nokia therefore had to make a bigger impact and with the Lumia 920 it seems to have done just that, delivering the basics and in some features going beyond that.

Commenting at the launch event, Nokia Middle East Vice-President, Tom Farrell said: “We are now proud to stand here and present to you the most innovative device in the history of Nokia, embodying the height of technology, design and user experience.

“The Middle East is one of the top key markets for Nokia, and the company continues to be strongly committed to this region. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are among the six top markets for Nokia to introduce the new Lumia range with Arabic-language capabilities and strong operator offerings and retail presence. The availability of a user interface in the local language combined with strong operator offerings are two key elements in satisfying the demands of consumers from the region.

We are confident that this innovative smartphone, the Lumia 920, will be a milestone for the company as a whole,” he added.

Here’s looking at some of the features that will hopefully make it one of the most coveted smartphones.

PureView Technology:

Blurred and low-light mobile photography becomes history. Using advanced floating lens technology, the camera in the Nokia Lumia 920 is able to take in five times more light than competing smartphones without using flash, making it possible to capture clear, bright pictures and video indoors and at night.

City Lens:

The start of a new augmented-reality experience. By pointing the camera at a city street, City Lens overlays information about restaurants, shops, hotels and more on the surfaces of buildings, for the most intuitive way to explore your surroundings. Nokia City Lens also enhances Nokia Maps, making it possible to move between maps view and augmented-reality view to help check direction and surroundings.

Powered by Windows Phone 8

Windows Phone 8 provides a more personal smartphone experience, with a Start screen that can be more easily rearranged to reflect individual priorities, and new animated Live Tiles for real-time updates on the things that matter most. The ability to sync content between Windows Phone 8 smartphones, Windows 8-based PCs and tablets or Xboxes means files, music, pictures and video can be accessed in whichever way is most convenient, with Internet Explorer 10 for faster, safer browsing and Microsoft Office apps built into the platform.

(Reviewed by Sindhu Nair)

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TAG THIS

HOW DO YOU ACCESS INFORMATION?

By Kapil Bh ati a

Wise internet observers know by now that more and more users will continue to access online content via mobile. People will own multiple mobile devices from smartphones to tablets and will use them alternatEly. But how will they be accessing their important information?

B

usinesses need to prepare and take a decision on how to boost their presence on the mobile web. The decision-making authority, i.e. the people with budgets at senior levels may be clueless on what is better for their customer when it comes to mobile apps versus a mobile website.

Decisions are driven by the whims and fancies of a senior person who thinks that having a mobile app is a “cool� thing. The more important question is why you want to have a presence on the mobile platform. The answer is that the customer is looking to access your content/service via mobile.

You need to give them the required access in the form of a website or app. Mobile apps are becoming popular with Internet users.

Mobile apps are faster, interactive and can be integrated with phone features. However, an app must be installed on the phone to experience the features. On the other hand, a mobile website can be navigated on an impulse.

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A matter of choice Two years ago you could hire an external agency to develop an iOS app and deliver the mobile experience. With the influx of so many other devices and tabs it is difficult to keep up with every platform.

The answer to what should be developed first depends on what type of service you are looking to provide. According to research done by an ad agency called MDG, internet users prefer mobile browsers for shopping, searching and entertainment (Amazon, eBay, Google). But they prefer mobile apps for managing data, navigation and connecting with others (Facebook, Twitter).

Let’s take the example of a bank. Mobile banking usage is on the rise. Many banks are in a race to have a portfolio of apps developed on various platforms, which is an expensive affair. Most of the customers want to see their balances and conduct transactions on mobile. A bank could develop a mobile website with transaction capability rather than having an app on Android, BlackBerry, Apple etc.

Once you have assessed the use of mobile web, your second step could be to venture into the world of apps.

Big media publishers like the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times prefer to offer a mobile website as an add-on to their existing subscribers, since it can be more easily integrated with their standard web content without having to customise individual native apps. These big publishing houses can afford to manage multiple platforms.

Mobile apps are preferred by many

news bites

developers over mobile web, as heavier apps can run efficiently from the device’s internal memory, thanks to the for pay-per-download model over app stores that has encouraged many to take a plunge into this industry.

Businesses can always look into building hybrid apps. These apps utilise both web (HTML5) and native app technology, e.g. mobile banking applications can be hybrid as they typically store some content locally and some on the web. Hybrid apps vary technically, but for a user it is just a normal app that they may need to download from a store.

Employ a CMO A piece of research conducted by Forrester says that companies should create a position called Chief Mobile Officer if they want the business to focus on mobile initiatives.

Mobile is not simply another device for IT to support, it is a medium of broader engagement with your company’s products and services.

If your company ever wants to go mobile then remember that you will have to manage several platforms, depending on your

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www.twitter.com @kapilkb blog @ iwep.blogspot.com amateur photographer @earsplease. blogspot.com

TAG THIS

A quick comparison between mobile websites and mobile apps: Mobile Website

Mobile App

Accessed through web browser

Accessed through app after being installed

Requires Internet Connection

Can be used offline

Static in nature

Interactive

Development costs are reasonable

Development costs are high

Fast

Very Fast

Doesn’t need to be uploaded on App store

Some platforms like Apple need developers to upload their app on the store

Updates can be done on the fly

Updates need an approval from the store e.g. Apple

budgets, strategy and customer needs.

You may need to manage a mobile website for smartphones and tablets.

You will also need to develop apps for platforms like iOS, BlackBerry, Android and Windows.

It is important to recognise that we are in-

creasingly moving towards a “multi screen” world where businesses may want to reach out to their users across various media platforms. There is no right or wrong strategy on mobile; it depends on how you want to engage your customers. So when are you planning to hire your Chief Mobile Officer?

By Kapil Bhatia Kapil Bhatia is an E-Business Manager, working in the Financial Services Industry for the past 10 years. His work ranges across Digital Marketing, e-Channels and development of marketing strategies, with a sound Information Technology base.

TFour.me is an up-and-coming technology blog in the Middle East, which will feature talk about Tech Entertainment, Social Networks and Digital Trends and also list jobs. it will offer insightful analysis about Big Data and the Internet industry and will feature Start-ups in the Middle East region.

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braking news

are you engaging with sustainability?

30

The Italian Stallion

A fighting bull represents Italian car manufacturer Lamborghini, but the power and speed of the dynamic drivetrain reminded Rory Coen more of another Italian export, the elusive boxer Rocky Balboa, than a clumsy and irrational bull.

i

f you were unlucky enough to be on Lusail Road on the morning of November 5 and saw a cavalcade of Lamborghinis doing some inconsistent speeds, then here’s an explanation.

Al Wajba Motors, the exclusive dealer for the Lamborghini brand in Qatar, gave some very lucky people an opportunity to testdrive the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2, Coupe and Spyder models. We departed the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and headed towards the Lusail Circuit – which we didn’t circle – before heading back. I took the trip out and my Egyptian passenger took the wheel on the return leg. I knew whatever speed I could manage, this guy would try to beat it.

Such was the comfort I experienced in the driver’s seat, it felt like I had poured myself in and my body had set itself against its immediate surroundings. I was far from catatonic, however, and all the controls were well within my grasp. I immediately recounted how, in my own private car, I had a remote control for my car stereo – as redundant a gadget as you’re ever likely to hold. I always thought the driver chose the music! The dash on the LP 550-2 is fitted with a paddle shifter to move through the gears, but for those who aren’t familiar with this, it also provides an automatic mode. It’s so simple to switch between automatic and manual during the drive.

Connoisseurs of supercars Francesco Cresci, Lamborghini Area Sales Manager, says Qatar is a hub for supercar connoisseurs with an expanding client base. “It is great to do test drives on Doha roads, and my sincere thanks to our Qatar

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partner, Al Wajba Motors, whose hard work and dedication made this event possible and a truly memorable one,” he added.

Cresci went under the hood and explained some of the more technical details about the powertrains that were being tested on the Doha roads. “The Gallardo LP 550-2 Spyder has a powerful V10 engine,” he said, “and the heart of the Gallardo – the 5.2-litre ten-cylinder engine – guarantees phenomenal performance. It sling-shots itself from zero to 100 km/h in just 4.2 seconds, and its top speed of 319km/h guarantees it a place among the ultimate super sports cars.”

I didn’t manage to hit the 319 km/h – I’m no speed merchant – but I did cruise nicely along when I got a clear stretch of road. The handling isn’t the easiest, and I’m not sure I’d like to be manoeuvering it around sharp bends too often. It’s more of a car for the open road where you can let yourself go a little bit.

Saher A. Baaj, the General Manager of Al Wajba Motors, said: “It is always a pleasure to organise test drives for our partners. It gives us the chance to show off our superb cars and gives them the opportunity to experience the unique sensation of driving one of the world’s finest and most powerful cars. It is also a great feeling to recognise that we meet our customers’ expectations.

To give more excitement to our brand owners, we are already into the details of forming a Lamborghini Club in Qatar.”

The owner of Al Wajba Motors, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Ahmed M. Al Thani, believes the company will carry on doing more dynamic driving events in the future for its customers and prospects. It is set to launch its new state-of-the-art showrooms for all its brands very soon.

braking news

tech spec: Engine Type: 10 cylinders V 90, DOHC 4 valves, common-pin crankshaft Displacement: 5,204 cm3 (317.6 cu.in.)

Bore and stroke: 84.5 mm x 92.8 mm (3.33” x 3.65”) Valve gear: Chain-driven, intake and exhaust continuously variable valve timing, electronically controlled Maximum power: 550 HP (405 kW) @ 8,000 RPM Maximum torque: 540 Nm (397 lbft) @ 6,500 RPM Frame: Structural aluminium space frame, based on aluminium extruded parts welded to cast aluminium joint elements Suspension: Aluminium doublewishbone front and rear suspension system, anti-roll bar, anti-dive and anti-squat Type of transmission: Rear-wheel-drive Gearbox: 6-speed and reverse, robotised sequential system (E-gear) with actuation by paddles on the steering column Steering: Power-assisted rack and pinion Front tyres: Pirelli PZero 235/35 ZR 19 Rear tyres: Pirelli PZero 295/30 ZR 19 Front wheels: Aluminium alloy 8.5” x 19” Rear wheels: Aluminium alloy 11” x 19” Turning circle: 11.5 metres (37.7 feet)

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auto news

key to national healthcare is planning

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Nissan Altima to top its class

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he all-new 2013 Nissan Altima is poised to become the new benchmark in the hotly contested mid-sized sedan segment after it went on sale at Nissan retailers last month.

It’s a modern and charismatic vehicle which over-delivers on the fundamentals of driving. It offers numerous segment defining attributes that enhance the ownership experience and provide real customer value, including: upscale interior rivaling premium luxury sedans, including best-in-class seat comfort inspired by zero-gravity research; next-generation Safety Shield Technologies, including Blind Spot Warning (BSW), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) AND Moving Object Detection (MOD) systems and a rear view camera; first in class Remote Engine Start for comfort as soon as you enter the cabin; power-train efficiency, equipped with either 2.5 litre or 3.5 litre engines and the new generation CVT providing better per-

formance and an increased fuel efficiency of 18% compared to the current Altima.

“We took our most successful model, kept its DNA and changed nearly everything – the

A different view of Rolls-Royce

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arl Lagerfeld visited RollsRoyce Motor Cars recently to present his photography exhibition, entitled ‘A Different View’, in the latest of the luxury manufacturer’s Icons of Art series.

The exhibition comprises his own unique photographs of Rolls-Royce motor cars, to private guests at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood, England. The event was compered by Peter York, the esteemed media commentator, journalist and author.

Every Rolls-Royce motor car is an inspired, one-of-a-kind work of art. Throughout 2012, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has hosted the Icons of Art series – a succession of private talks by contemporary artists in tribute to the impeccable artistry behind each Rolls-Royce motor car. The series provides an opportunity to share passion for innovation and artistic merit, exploring innovative canvasses for ar-

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tistic creation and modern day excellence.

Talking about the exhibition, Mr Lagerfeld said, “I can no longer view life without juxtaposing its abstraction. I view the world, fashion and automobiles through my camera lens. That allows me to keep a critical distance to my work. This approach serves me more than I had ever thought possible in my view of reality. Each of my shots of the RollsRoyce is the abstract representation of a concrete reality. The technical medium of photography is a welcome means for my artistic work, creating my different view.”

Speaking at the event, Torsten MullerOtvos CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said: “It is a great honour to welcome Karl Lagerfeld and to host this unique photographic exhibition. His inspirational work demonstrates passion, innovation and attention to detail, values that we embrace every day at RollsRoyce.”

visual appeal, the driving experience and, of course, the technology,” said Atsuo Kosaka, Managing Director, Nissan Middle East. “Innovation is what we do!”

auto news

Challenging Ferrari Rosso

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lfardan Sports Motors has teamed up with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) TO engage and inspire Qatarís top young artists in a unique and exciting experience consisting of a series of glamorous Ferrari themed workshops named Ferrari Rosso, which means Ferrari Red in Italian.

Students were briefed about Ferrariís history, colours, and a core brand values that includes innovation, uniqueness, exclusivity, excellence, performance, and representing authentic Italian taste and culture, twelve students then started to create their own art statement that reflects their emotions and passion for Ferrari and its brand values.

A jury composed of VCU professors and representatives from Alfardan Sports Motors will choose the best creation that combines innovation with maintaining Ferrariís core values and colors. Alfardan Sports Motors will award the student who designs the most creative art statement two VIP tickets to Ferrari World in Yas Island – Abu Dhabi, the worldís first Ferrari theme park and largest attraction of its kind. Also the resulting art statements will be exhibited at the Ferrari showroom at The Pearl-Qatar, where Ferrari customers and enthusiast, visitors,

and tourists will be able to admire the creative designs of Qatar’s rising artists.

Commenting on this event, Mohammed Kandeel, General Manager of Alfardan Sports Motors said: “We expect Ferrari Rosso to generate local and regional interest which

Volkswagen celebrates its most successful year

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olkswagen today celebrated its most successful year in the Middle East with a star studded event at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi last month.

The spectacular occasion, which included the unveiling of all of Volkswagenís models, the first time they have all been together in one location in the Middle East, was an impressive way to celebrate what has been an extremely successful year. Increased annual sales, the completion of its full portfolio to the region, which was concluded with the launch of the Passat and the new Polo Sedan, are just some of the highlights that have made 2012 such an exciting year.

Commenting on the successful year and the event Thomas Milz, Managing Director Volkswagen Middle East said: “As a new member of the Volkswagen Middle East

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team, I am delighted to see the success that has been achieved over the course of 2012.

With the support of our dealer partners, we can now offer our Middle Eastern customers the complete range of Volkswagen models. This demonstrates our long-term commitment to the Middle East,” he added.

Sales results for 2012 have been extremely encouraging with 22% increase from January to October, compared to the same period in 2011 – this result makes Volkswagen the fastest growing volume manufacturer in the region. The month of September was also the strongest month for sales in Volkswagen Middle East’s history.

Volkswagen Middle East will be participating in the Qatar Motor Show in January and announcing further models, including the new Golf which will be available in spring 2013.

will further highlight the importance of partnership between arts and business world.

Giving emerging artists this opportunity is also a bonus for Qatar’s creative industries and demonstrates how is Qatar a catalyst for business, creativity and learning”

auto news

Another Adventure with Mini

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harismatic, sporty and opentop cars are back in Qatar this season, with thanks to Mini, the car small in size but big in space, design and

personality.

The brand’s two newest models ñ the Mini CoupÈ and Roadster ñ are the worldís only two-seater Mini models and embodies sportiness, agility to provide the best-ever interpretation of Miniís go-kart driving experience. The streets of Qatar will enjoy the playfulness of Mini this winter that extends far beyond vehicle design, and highlights the sportiness and adventurous positioning of these new Mini models.

The first open-top two-seater Mini, marks a new chapter in the history of the Mini brand and embodies sportiness and open-air driving fun under the open sky. Even with the roof closed the Mini Roadster displays an elegant, sweeping silhouette, with the transition from soft-top to rear end highlighting its characteristic three-box design particularly clearly.

The Mini Roadster underlines its premium character with a high-quality range of standard equipment, including innovative Mini Connected infotainment and commu-

nications functions that allow the driver to enjoy web radio, Google services and RSS news feeds.

The Mini Coupe sees the brand’s sporting DNA transferred into a cutting-edge vehicle

concept with an unmarked interpretation of the super-compact sports car class. As one of the sportiest model in the Mini line-up, the Mini Coupe sees the brand breathe new life into its successful racing history.

Lady, start your engine

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he Middle East’s most exciting and professional race series, the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, created its own chapter in the history of the series by having the first female racing driver ever.

Christina Nielsen, who has made a big impression in Europe, made her debut on the grid alongside seasoned professionals and promising regional drivers in the opening rounds of the fourth season at the Bahrain International Circuit last month.

The 20 year-old, born in Rungsted, Denmark, competed in the German Porsche Carrera Cup and this year’s VLN Endurance Racing Championship on the Nurburgring, but she was in new territory once the flag dropped to signal the start of the first race, as the first female driver to participate in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East.

Speaking ahead of testing in Bahrain,

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Nielsen said: “I am thrilled at the thought of racing in the Middle East. The circuits look fantastic and I’ve only heard good things on the quality of racing and the organisation of the series. By getting seating time and be

able to compete I’m following my dream.

I’m a competitive person, and I wish to grow as a racing driver from this experience.

Neilsen came 6th in Round 1 and 8th in Round 2.

MARKET WATCH

is turkey an investors paradise?

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Msheireb feels a Thai breeze Doha is about to be blown over by its first authentic Thai hotel when the Amari Hotel opens its doors later this month. Its special flavour – which will influence the unique Breeze Spa and its food and beverage profile – will give Doha’s newest hotel an air of distinction. by r o r y c o e n

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sheireb used to be a hive of activity in Doha at one time – where banter and barter emanated from every cranny and crevice and industrious peddlers would try to promote a bargain against their customer’s best intentions.

Well, it’s set to regain some of this allure in the coming years as the Msheireb Downtown Doha project nears completion.

On the fringes of the project stands the new Amari Hotel. For those who have travelled to Thailand, this brand may be familiar to you – for others, probably not. Doha will be its first venture outside its home market, so it’s putting a lot of effort into creating a Thai-Arab synergy.

“We’ll be bringing our world-famous warm Asian hospitality to this historical area of the city,” said General Manager of Amari Doha Qatar Damian Ball. “Infusing it into our service standards and our guest experiences. For instance, we have an Amari host who will be roving around the property and he will be able to attend to any questions or queries that our guests may have – from the night’s activities to the best local restaurants.

He’ll be working off iPad tabs with the latest information. This is a little concept that we do which might be a little bit different.

“We’re targeting both the business and the leisure traveller,” added Ball. “Due to our location we are ideally situated for both.

We’re close to the city centre for the business tourists and we’re close to some tourist attractions such as the Corniche, Souk Waqif and the Islamic Art Museum. The Msheireb Downtown Doha project will open in two or three years, so we’re ideally placed.”

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Damian Ball ADQ General Manager

Feelin’ Breezy On the top floor, the hotel hosts the Breeze Spa which it claims will put a “bounce into your step”, so who better to explain what it offers than a man called Ball I thought. I was lucky enough to get a quick guided tour of the facility and I got to see some instruments only a torturer might have.

“The Breeze Spa is unique from the other hotels in town,” said Ball. “To make you feel comfortable throughout your treatment, we offer the highest-quality products, freshly laundered towels, comfortable treatment beds and support pillows. Our experienced therapists will ensure that you get a professional treatment. You can customise your own massage pressure, room temperature, lighting and music during your treatment.

The hungry feelin’ The hotel boasts a magnificent-looking in-

ternational restaurant on the mezzanine level where it has employed a Lebanese and a Thai chef. Unfortunately for me the hotel hasn’t opened, so I didn’t get an opportunity to enjoy the experience.

“From a food and beverage perspective we’ll have our all-day dining restaurant, Msheireb Restaurant, with international cuisine, but obviously offering a lot of authentic Arab and Thai dishes – due to the make-up of the hotel,” said Ball.

The Nasma Lounge can be found on the rooftop with a remarkable panoramic vista of the cityscape, the Corniche and the Gulf. With a sheesha deck and exciting range of teas and kebabs on offer, it’s a very leisurely place to spend an evening with friends and family. For those who aren’t keen on heights, the Al-Jalsa Lounge is in the lobby and also offers some flavoured teas and coffees.

MARKET WATCH

Luxury to

the hilt

Almost a decade after deciding to locate in the west bay area, the hilton doha is finally open. ITS REGIONAL PRESIDENT, RUDI JAGERSBAChER, SEEms TO THINK the choice of location has been justified.

by R o r y C o e n

i

“I would say this is a first-class hotel which f ever a hotel would want to is very much geared towards a corporate climimic its president, it’s the entele for four days and a leisure clientele for Hilton Doha. The diminutive the tail-end of the week,” added the loquacious Belgian was in Doha recently Jagersbacher, when I quizzed him about the to officially open the unit and concept of the hotel. “We were the first hotel to he was laden with excitement. He was bubbling bring Trader Vic’s to London and nobody stutover with passion and enthusiasm about what tered when we discussed bringing it to Doha. this new incarnation could achieve. And his is We wanted this hotel to have a great food and exactly the kind of personality the hotel is strivbeverage profile in an exciting atmosphere, ing for. and Trader Vic’s was an obvious choice to fa“We are really proud to be here and very cilitate this. It’s not so much an exclusive brand confident of success,” said President of Hilton that only some people will feel comfortable – it Worldwide, Middle East and Africa (MEA), should be an experience for everyone.”

Rudi Jagersbacher, from the edge of his seat.

Eforea, the Hilton Doha’s spa experience, “We are in a sustainable market and are located combines three distinct ranges of treatments in one of the prime locations in the city, withfocused on organic, natural and scientific apout a doubt. The country has so much potential. proaches. It offers eight treatment rooms If I were Gordon Ramsay talking about Doha, Rudi Jagersbacher, including an exclusive Thai massage room, a I’d say: ‘You’ve just had your starters; the main President, MEA, hilton worldwide.

VIP room with a steam rasul chamber, a single course has yet to come.’” treatment room with steam rasul and five multi The hotel stands on a beachfront in the Diplomatic Area of West Bay. As Jagersbacher explained, the hotel has purpose treatment rooms. All contain a private shower facility. a relatively small “footfall”, but it packs a lot into its punch. It didn’t compromise the reputation of the brand by stuffing the property Worldwide strategy with money-spinners such as rooms and restaurants. It’s a very func- The Hilton brand is a global brand, and locating here is obviously a tional and practical offering where every square inch seems to have strategic move. It has over 30 million members, so its marketing and a purpose. Redundant areas, which make a hotel look spacious, are sales team are trying strategically to move these members around the sacrificed for larger leisure areas out back. This cosy interior makes it globe like pieces on a chess board.

“We are growing tremendously in some regions – none more so more habitable and sociable.

The main lobby is the social centre of the hotel and can facilitate than in MEA,” explained Jagersbacher. “We have 4,000 hotels worldgroups of all shapes and sizes. You can order a coffee from the Ya Hala wide, 56 of which are in this region, but we have 53 currently under cafe or stroll into the Zawaya lounge for something a little stronger. construction. So being here is a two-way thing. We bring new cusFrom the lobby, you can walk down the stairs and outside into the tomers and the world of Hilton to Qatar, and in return we are looking for our regional members to go to America and Europe.” beach area, which hosts the world-famous Trader Vic’s.

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MARKET WATCH

Crowne Plaza Celebrates Grand Opening

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rans Orient Establishment and IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) celebrated the grand opening of Crowne Plaza Doha – The Business Park, the first Crowne Plaza hotel in Qatar, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held last month.

Hotel owner HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani hosted the Emir, HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and a number of VIP guests at the private event, which was also attended by representatives from IHG. The hotel is located in the heart of Doha’s banking district. Just two kilometres from Doha International Airport, it is part of the new Business Park area in Doha and features 378 rooms, including 288 hotel rooms and suites and 90 one- to two-bedroom resident suites.

Following the ribbon-cutting, guests were taken on a tour of the hotel and treated to a private lunch at Rodizio – the Brazilian

churrascaria restaurant at the hotel.

Commenting at the grand opening, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad said: “Since it was signed in 2008, we have eagerly anticipated the opening of this hotel. We started out with a vision to develop a hotel that would offer unparalleled meeting and conference facilities and exciting new restaurants for the booming Doha market.

This hotel does exactly that, and under IHG’s management we’re certain it will be a success.”

The hotel offers six food and beverage outlets: Rodizio, Brazilian churrascaria; Misturado, the Brazilian lounge; Aramede, a Mediterranean all-day dining restaurant; Savor, an elegant lounge; Liquidity, the lively pool-side lounge; and the refined Crowne Plaza Club Lounge. Guests can also enjoy a rooftop swimming pool, fitness centre and spa. The hotel’s iconic glass-domed meeting venue, The Event Centre, is situated in the middle of the park complex and contains two state-of-the-art ballrooms.

MBA fair comes to Doha

he QS World MBA Tour is coming to Doha on December 10. Some of the world’s top business schools, including Duke, Hult, IE, INSEAD, Manchester, Nottingham, Queen’s and Wollongong will be at La Cigale Hotel to answer questions.

Research has shown that there has been

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Darwish recognised for growth

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arwish Technology, the technology arm of Darwish Holding, was recently recognised for the highest year-on-year sales growth of Belkin products in the GCC and MENA region at Belkin’s yearly distributor gathering in Dubai. The award was presented

by Patrick Hayati, Managing Director, and Youssef El Arif, National Account Manager from Belkin.

Belkin International, Inc. is a Californian manufacturer of consumer electronics that specialises in connectivity devices, headquartered in Playa Vista, Los Angeles, California. Belkin sells in both the consumer and the commercial market, with various product lines including routers, iPod and iPhone accessories, mobile computing accessories, surge protectors, switches, hubs (USB and computer network), cables, KVM switches, racks and enclosures, and other peripherals.

Belkin products are available at Fifty One East, iSpace (Apple Premium Reseller) and all Virgin Megastores branches, in addition to many electronics retailers in Qatar. an explosion in employer demand for MBAs. This year, the tour has over $1.2 million worth of exclusive scholarships on offer for attendees of the fair. There will also be a pre-fair seminar on how to select a B-school, advice on application procedures and a GMAT seminar, and the first 100 attendees will receive a copy of the QS Top MBA Career Guide.

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MARKET WATCH

Kempinski unveils special winter offers

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hether it’s lazing in the sun or cocooning by the fire that appeals most, Kempinski’s “Winter Breaks” make it possible, with up to 35% off from now until March 15, 2013 on destinations around the globe. Take advantage of the warm and sunny winter time in Doha, ideal for short or long breaks, with friendly temperatures and clear blue skies.

Soak up the sun and get pampered like royalty in the 1001 Arabian Nights at Kempinski’s Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, or check in to chill during the Ice Polo World Cup at Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains in St Moritz in the Swiss Alps; explore the capital of three empires and one of the world’s oldest cities with Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul, or follow the scent of spices at Siam Kempinski Hotel, Bangkok. The choices are endless, and with so many options on offer, one break may not be enough.

Whether it’s holiday resorts, legendary palaces or modern city hotels, Kempinski hotels are all different in style and person-

ality, drawing inspiration from the culture of their location, yet still united in their core philosophy: European flair at its best.

Kempinski hotels provide guests with the

The Gourmet Festive Show

elusive “travel moment”, where individual experiences, personal journeys and affinity for location merge with personalised and discreet service.

Qatar Steel Inducted into Hall of Fame

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elebrate the season at The One Restaurant at Landmark Mall Theatre, where you can tuck into a fabulous two- or three-course feast for only QR85 or QR99 respectively, while enjoying a glass of mulled festive punch and a coffee on the house! Available from November 15 to December 29. But if you’d like to entertain at home or have an office party to plan, then why not call The One to cater for your Christmas event?

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alladium Group announced Qatar Steel as one of the winners of its 2012 Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame during its Annual Global Summit in Boston, USA recently.

The induction ceremony, recognising leading organisations from North America, the Middle East and Asia, featured twelve organisations including Qatar Steel that have achieved dramatic performance outcomes through their strategy execution expertise. Palladium Group, Inc. is the global leader in strategy execution consulting and serves a broad range of private and public sector clients around the world. The Director and General Manager of Qatar Steel, Ali Bin Hassan Al-Muraikhi, stated: “It’s been a long journey since we first introduced Balanced Scorecard in 2003; the hard work and commitment of all our employees have culminated in receiving this prestigious award, as strategy execution is everybody’s job. We are happy to be the first company in Qatar, and also the first company in the steel industry in the region, to be inducted into the Palladium Hall of Fame.”

MARKET WATCH

Food of the highest quality

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t is now time for diners to rediscover fine dining moments at La Mer Restaurant on the 23rd floor of the RitzCarlton Doha, with the recent appointment of French Chef de Cuisine Olivier Catora. A wasabi and caviar cream for the most adventurous, a turbot steamed with rooibos flavour for the most “gourmet”, or a rose-flavoured millefeuille for the sweetest palates: dish after dish, the recipes of Chef Catora’s new menu transport food lovers from the sublime of the most dramatic Doha nights to the divine of a culinary and sensory journey. The restaurant offers several rendezvous with Chef Catora this year, including an exclusive Wine Maker Dinner on December 4, all now open for reservations.

Continuing the tradition of providing new premium travel experiences, the RitzCarlton Doha has just been bestowed by three recent awards including Best International Hotel 2012, Best Executive Chef in the Middle East region for Executive Chef Richard Green, and Most Romantic Restaurant in the peninsula. The new La Mer is an invitation to meet Qatar at its most sublime.

Cluster General Manager Hoss Vetry comments: “The engagement and testimonials that we have received from our guests over a decade help us pass new frontiers in service excellence today. We are delighted to offer a new level of fine dining experiences to the visitors of La Mer.”

Chef Olivier Catora La Mer Restaurant, Ritz-Carlton Doha

Soaring 115 metres above Qatar’s sea and desert landscape, the Ritz-Carlton Doha is an impressive symbol of the nation’s emergence as a destination for travellers to the Middle East. The 374-room, five-

star hotel fuses contemporary styling with classic Arab and European design. Located in the West Bay Lagoon district, the hotel has sweeping views that overlook the turquoise blue waters of the Arabian Gulf.

Harley-DaviDson team visit Tangia he Harley Davidson team visited the Tangia Moroccan restaurant at Wyndham Grand Regency Doha recently as part of its special month of activities and events aimed at promoting social activity and charity.

Eman Abela, the director of food and beverage at the hotel, commented: “Harley-Davidson is not just a motorcycle team – they have lots of charity activities aimed at educating young people about social aspects and living in a charitable society.

“Since it opened, we have been doing our best to provide the finest services for our guests and we are so excited that the “Harley-Davidson team has chosen Tangia to enjoy this Moroccan night.”

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MARKET WATCH

HEC Paris offers new management degree

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he business world is constantly evolving, so it’s important to stay abreast of the latest developments. Working off stale methods and routines is no good for you or your business, so retraining yourself in new business models and architectures will not only retrain your skills but your motivation as well.

HEC Paris in Qatar – the region’s leading hub for executiv eeducation, offering a complete portfolio of management programmes including the first-ever international Executive MBA (EMBA) in Qatar – is now offering a brand new programme starting in March 2013: the Specialised Master’s Degree in Strategic Business Unit Management.

The objectives of the programme are fourfold: to create effective leaders of business units; to develop management acumen;

to enhance leadership and people management skills and to foster a genuinely entrepreneurial approach to management.

This degree is aimed at professionals with a minimum age of 25, a four-year university degree (or equivalent) from a recognised seat of learning, and at least three years’ work experience. Typically, the participant will be a manager responsible for a business unit or profit centre, or one who is likely to occupy this role in the near future. The new programme will be covered in 18 months in the form of 14 three-day modules representing a total of approximately 370 hours of teaching.

This part-time programme is divided into two components, core curriculum and professional thesis. The core curriculum is designed as a practical foundation for managing a business unit and gives participants

the opportunity to learn international best practice and focus on key areas relevant to their personal and professional development. It is made up of the 14 modules, which include areas of specialist study such as “Understanding the Business Environment”, “Developing the Leader”, “Marketing Strategy” and “Negotiating for Success”.

The second component of the programme comprises a professional thesis, where each participant will submit a master’s thesis, under the supervision of a faculty member, on a topic relevant to their company or their career progression.

The Chief Operating Officer of HEC Paris in Qatar, Joshua Kobb, commented: “Managers who are capable of innovating, detecting new opportunities and implementing increasingly high-performance processes are a source of vital competitive advantage.”

CGC has aggressive expansion plans

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ontinuing its aggressive global expansion plan, Consolidated Gulf Company (CGC), Qatar’s leading technology and engineering conglomerate, has announced the opening of its branch office in Abu Dhabi to cater to the UAE market. This is CGC’s fourth branch office outside Qatar in line with its international business development strategy.

Chief Operating Officer Anil Mahajan outlined the company’s strategic business goals: “Establishing an office in the Middle East’s oil and gas hub and the UAE’s capital clearly demonstrates our aggressive growth plan. To date, we have operations offices in Abu Dhabi and Colombia, besides running two branch offices in India’s metropolitan cities of Hyderabad and Mumbai through our fully owned subsidiary – CGC Converse Technologies.

“Our future expansion plan includes the opening of offices in Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia,” he continued. “It is a testimony to our global aspirations, inspired

by Qatar’s growing stature. Our increasing business activities in the Middle East, India, the Americas and Europe signify that the company is consolidating on its foundations as a technology and engineering solutions and services provider.”

Mahajan added: “With a solid footing and expertise in Qatar, it was only natural to le-

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verage the company’s trained human capital, solid infrastructure and international networks to explore opportunies overseas and strengthen our business horizon. With diversified interests we are already working on projects with several large enterprises in the region, besides implementing strategic projects in some other countries.

“Our Abu Dhabi branch is getting queries from ADNOC and EPC companies for our 3D Laser Scanning, Intelligent Modeling Services and Manpower Outsourcing

Services. Large ELV projects are also under discussion. It is all set to serve as the cornerstone for our business flow in the UAE and the global market, offering total turnkey solutions and in-depth services ranging from consultancy to design, planning, procurement, project management, enterprise technology infrastructure setup and commissioning, technical manpower outsourcing, business process outsourcing, and long-term operations and maintenance services.”

SPORTS FILE

Qatar’s Golfers enjoy CLQ weekend The inaugural Corporate League Qatar (CLQ) Golf Tournament went ahead in glorious weather at Doha Golf Club last month. Over 180 people - including team and individuals entries - took to the course over the weekend. Qatar Today reveals the winners of the various prizes that were on offer.

CLQ

is a corporate golf tournament organised by advertising company Network Qatar, and it’s hoped that it will be renewed with greater prestige every year. The first event was probably the most difficult in terms of getting sponsors and generating interest, but in light of the numbers who turned out and the fun that was had by everyone, the tournament weekend looks set to become a fixture on golfers’ calendars from now on.

It’s a tournament designed to inspire employees to be healthy and fit. It promotes team spirit, fitness and fun, providing a balance of work and play. By advocating an active and healthy lifestyle at work, the forward-thinking company is nurturing a new breed of athlete who can better sustain the business to win the corporate race.

The tournament attracted such top-class sponsors as Turkish Airlines, and Mehmed Caymaz, Country Manager of the airline, said: “Turkish Airlines’ relationship with sport stretches back to 2010 when we signed two major sponsorship deals with [FC Barcelona and Manchester United]. We found Corporate League Qatar to be a promising event for our strategy and we are glad to be promoting the Qatar National Vision in some way. We look forward to continuing to sponsor sporting events in the future.”

The tournament saw CEOs and decisionmakers from numerous corporates walking the course. Maersk Oil, Qatar Rail, QDVC, Hitachi, Descon Engineering, Redco Construction Al-Mana and Bluu Gulf were all

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there vying for the top team prize.

There were prizes for the top three players in all categories including vouchers from Jezequel and Turkish Airlines, which kindly offered return flights to Istanbul in its array

of prizes. The winning team also collected a fantastic trophy. There were special daily prizes for those who were “nearest the pin” on a certain hole, or who had the “longest drive” on another

Winners: TEAM CATEGORY

FIRST Descon Engineering Faisal Mir, Abdul Aziz Al-Boeinen, Tami Al-Hajri, Sami Qush.

second

INDIVIDUAL Category 1 (Handicap 1-9) 1st: EHab Burki 2nd: Faisal Mir 3rd: Donovan LiddIcoat

Category 2 (Handicap 10-18)

QDVC QSV-1

1st: Linus Byberg 2nd: Zul Ihsan 3rd: Denzil AustIn-Little

Thibaut Piniguet, Simon Gabellec, Jean-Dominique Lucas, Stephen Shephard.

Categoty 3 (Handicap 19+)

third Redco Construction Al-Mana Faisal Rashid Al-Naimi, Omar Al-Naimi, Mohammed Faisal Al-Naimi, Mohammed Nasser Al-Kaabi.

1st: Tassaduq Bandey 2nd: Ian Dunn 3rd: Mohammad Taufiq

Ladies 1st: Tasnem Kazi 2nd: Kimberly Stiegler 3rd: Uzma Mir

SPORTS FILE

That’s Sports

Business!

Business, sport and entertainment collided at the Aspire Dome last month as hundreds of stakeholders met to discuss the recent innovations in sport. Qatar is at the cutting edge of business and sports tourism in the run up to World Cup 2022, and the four-day congress reflected its commitment to putting on a good show.

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he third edition of Aspire4Sport attracted over 4,200 visitors, almost 1,000 delegates, 92 speakers, and hundreds of exhibitors and media. It focused on three segments in particular - Construction, Science and Medicine, and Technology - while an expo gave over 170 exhibitors the opportunity to showcase the latest products and services in the sports industry.

Over 250 business-to-business meetings were conducted between partners, exhibitors and key organisations within the sporting industry, including the Qatar Olympic Committee, the UAE Olympic Committee, Aspire Zone Foundation, the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, and the Public Authority for Youth and Sports, Kuwait.

The congress witnessed the signing of an MoU between HE Sheikh Saoud bin AbdulRahman Al Thani, Secretary-General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, and his French counterpart, Jean-Pierre Mougin. The agreement allows the two entities to work towards excellence in sport, whether Olympic or non-Olympic, through the exchange of knowledge resources, managers, coaches and sports medicine experts.

“This MoU is the culmination of several small agreements between Qatari sports federations, including the handball and volleyball federations, and their French counterparts,” said Sheikh Saoud.

President of the Jordan Football Association and Vice President of FIFA Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein on a tour of the Aspire4sport exhibition ground, accompanied by the President of the Qatar Football Association, HE Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, and Executive Director of Aspire4sport Ward Abdullah. The Aspire4sport conference and exhibition were held at the Aspire Dome last month.

World Cup 2022 latest Senior members of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, the organisation tasked with planning for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, confirmed at the congress that all stadia to be built or renovated for the hosting of the tournament will be ready in time for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2021.

Speaking at the Congress, Technical Director of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee Yasir Al-Jamal said: “All stadia that we will use to host the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup will be completed and ready for the 2021 Confederations Cup. Qatar Foundation’s stadium will break ground in early 2013, and by the end of next year we will have in place stadium design consultants

for all our tournament stadiums. Construction also started last month on the Musheirib Station, part of the new Doha metro system that will be an integral part of our transportation strategy for fans.”

Director of Communications and Marketing for the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee Nasser Al-Khater also updated Aspire4Sport delegates on preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup: “All our planning is focused squarely on hosting the FIFA World Cup in summer 2022. But if the international football community decides to switch the tournament to the winter, our plans will not be affected by this because all our stadiums will be ready by Confederations Cup 2021.”

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Arab Spring frees expression From a story about Arab hip hop to one about an Egyptian delivery boy, three DTFF films tell strong and emotional stories about the Arab world’s most current issue – the Arab Spring.

by O la D i ab

For its distinguished cinematography, its remarkable focus on its subject matter, and its discussion of a contemporary language of youth culture that is in alignment with the social and political changes currently being witnessed by the Arab world, the jury granted a special mention to the film Lyrics Revolt, by Shannon Farhoud, Ashlene Ramadan, Melanie Fridgant and Rana Al-Khatib.

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wave struck the Arab world – a revolutionary wave the media dubbed “the Arab Spring”, which started in Tunisia in December 2010, and, like a domino effect, spread across the pan-Arab region as citizens challenged the establishments of their countries. This bloody revolution continues to this day, as rebel forces fight against the Assad regime in Syria. It drew the attention not only of international media and governments but of regional filmmakers as well.

Of the 19 films in the “Made in Qatar” section of the Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF), the annual cultural event of the Doha Film Institute (DFI), only three films discuss the Arab Spring. Lyrics Revolt, Hystoria and January 28 each depict very different narratives but they all relate to the Arab world’s most current issue – the Arab Spring.

“The Made in Qatar programme embraces the multi cultural essence of Doha, and from the submissions we received it is clear that the filmmakers in the country are consciously aware of what is happening around them – they know what their audiences are looking for and try to explore it in the most original way,” says Chadi Zeneddine, a resident filmmaker and programmer at DFI. Lyrics Revolt The Made in Qatar programme opened with a red-carpet screening of Lyrics Revolt, a documentary by four journalism and communications graduates from North Western University in Qatar, Shannon Farhoud, Ashlene Ramadan, Melanie Fridgant and Rana Al-Khatib.

“Our film is about the Arab Spring and Arab hip hop,” says 21-year-old Palestinian Al Khatib. “It basically covers how Arab hiphop affected the Arab Spring last year. A lot of international news channels were covering Arab hip hop during the Arab Spring and some were even saying that the revolutions were directly correlated to Arab hip hop whilst others claimed that Arab hip hop started some of the revolutions.”

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...And the “MADE IN QATAR” award goes to... ... a film that is distinguished by its courage and transparency. Using smooth cinematic language, it captures a segment of Qatari society in a humanitarian way, and its protagonist is extraordinary for expressing his ideas with spontaneity as he refuses racial, ethnic and tribal discrimination.

The “MADE IN QATAR” award goes to the short documentary Bader, by Sara Al-Saadi, Maaria Assami and Latifa Al-Darwish.

The filmmakers travelled to Lebanon, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and Jordan and produced the film in just two weeks.

“We found that the music was directly about what was happening on the street and it was helping to voice people’s opinions. A lot of artists were getting in trouble and actually jailed for it,” says 23-year-old SyrianAmerican Farhoud.

These young filmmakers now run their own company, Torath Media Production (TMP). Lyrics Revolt is their first TMP project and a sequel to their first Arab hip hop documentary, Broken Records. The documentary features about 15 Arab artists including rappers, beatboxers and graffiti artists. Rap artists Omar Offendum, Arabian Knightz, Farah and Malikah, who were featured in the documentary, flew in to Qatar to sing at a rap concert, which followed the screening of Lyrics Revolt.

“Making this film changed us and made us stronger,” says Al-Khatib. “We felt like real journalists for the first time because we had no fixers and no advisers. We’re doing

this all on our own.”

The girls, however, faced many issues, as Farhoud explains: “When we were shooting in Tahrir Square, a bunch of guys came to us and started yelling: ‘You shouldn’t be shooting things like this because it doesn’t represent the revolution.’ And when we were in Jordan, they were going to confiscate our camera at the airport but because we are young girls, we got away with it.”

The girls didn’t get to interview all the artists they had hoped to include in their documentary. They stayed in each country for no more than three days. However, they felt that all the artists they worked with were very helpful and assisted them with any problems they encountered.

January 28 January 28, 2011, also known as the “Friday of Anger” or “Day of Anger” was one of the most important days of the Egyptian revolution as mass demonstrations called for an end to President Hosni Mubarak’s government.

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“The thousands of lives that were lost defending the country and humanity on that day are the prime reason for the escalation of the revolution, hence the fall of the regime.”

Thirty-two-year-old Egyptian director, Sherif Milad talks about concept of his sixminute film: “I have always perceived January 28 (the third day of the revolution) as the most important day in the whole 18-day period of the Egyptian revolution,” he claims. “If it wasn’t for that day, I don’t think the tyrant regime that ruled Egypt for over 30 years would have ever collapsed. The thousands of lives that were lost defending the country and humanity on that day are the prime reason for the escalation of the revolution, hence the fall of the regime. All Egyptians owe their freedom to these brave souls to whom I am mainly dedicating my film to.”

Milad has portrayed the significance of January 28 in a single-shot drama through the eyes of Tamer El-Masry, an ordinary delivery man, who was arrested during a police clash, questioned and tortured by the national security service, as he faced treason charges.

Milad shot his film in one day and produced it in a month, but what he found most challenging was writing the script.

“I wanted to bring out every aspect of Tamer’s background, character and motives, relating it to what happened on that particular day of the revolution, in a threeto four-minute monologue,” he says.

Every film has a message, and in January 28 the message is hope. “We should always have hope for tomorrow because it will definitely be different; nothing lasts – even a 30-year oppressive regime,” says Milad.

Hystoria Hystoria is an unusual name for an unusual film consisting of a man, a book and a fly.

But in this film, pictures truly speak louder than words.

“When I first imagined the film,” explains the Lebanese director, Youssef Jabre, “which is a man sitting in a room reading peacefully, I couldn’t isolate it from the sounds of the weapons, the screams of the mothers and children, and all the noises associated with the Arab revolutions.

“We usually cannot control the voices and sound that surround us in real life.

However, this is not a limitation in cinema.

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Therefore, as a filmmaker, I chose to put these voices of violence in a television set in the main character’s bedroom. And at one point in the film, he mutes these voices but then he realises that they have come back again, but in a different form: the noise of the fly,” he says.

Other than finding inspiration in his love for filmmaking, Jabre found it in a poem by an award-winning Palestinian poet and author, Mahmoud Darwish.

“My film is raising a lot of questions. One of them is, will [the character in the film] find the ‘exit’ out of this circle of violence?” says Jabre.

With very little dialogue, Hystoria is strong on imagery. The film concludes with fierce images of the Arab revolution, which Jabre uses to send a message.

“At the end of the day, when we are in front of a television we are spectators, and the spectator is a very strong player in this game; he has the control because he has the remote control. In a fraction of a second he can zap away from the gory images of real life offered by the news channels to the notreal gory images that a movie channel is offering him. For any spectator, with time, and the amount of violent imagery he sees, nothing changes. In both cases, he will stay a passive spectator,” says Jabre.

A change is going to come The film industry in the Arab world has changed in recent years. In the eyes of Milad, “the freedom of expression created by the Arab Spring is having a great effect, especially on the creativity of the current works”.

For Jabre, “Andre Bazin says that ‘cinema preserves things’, so what we need here the most is to preserve our Arab culture, and Qatar and DFI are playing a huge role in making it happen.”

Though the revolutionary wave hit the Arab region for similar reasons – ending tyrannical and dictatorial regimes – each country has a different story to tell, which the narratives of these three films depict.

Lyrics Revolt, Hystoria and January 28 are films which act as wakeup calls for countries within and beyond the Arab world.

MADE IN QATAR FILMS 8 Billion A short narrative by Riad Makdessi Al Muqana3 A short narrative by Tarek Abu-Esber Angel in June A feature narrative by Jan Xavier Pacle Bader A short documentary by Sara AlSaadi, Maaria Assami and Latifa AlDarwish Brains of Empowerment A short Narrative by Amna Al-Khalaf Crazy Calm A short narrative by Noor Ahmed Yaqub Ghazil - The Story of Rashed & Jawaher A short narrative by Sarah Al-Derham His Name A short documentary by Hend Fakhroo Hystoria A short narrative by Youssef Jabre I A short narrative by Ali Al-Anssari January 28 A short narrative by Sherif Milad Lockdown: Red Moon Escape A feature narrative by Mohammed AlIbrahim and Ahmed Al-Baker Lyrics Revolt A feature documentary by Rana aLKhATIB, Ashlene Ramadan, Shannon Farhoud and Melanie Fridgant Omra with Friends A short documentary by Ibrahim Arar Plan B A short narrative by Tom Hines Rain A short narrative by Rahab Elewaly Theatre Night A short narrative by Ali Ali Transient A short narrative by Robert Arlo DeGuzman AND Kennedy Somera The Worker A short narrative by Manal Ahmed

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Movies weaved magic over Doha Algerian filmmaker Merzak Allouache scooped the Best Narrative Feature Film award for the emotional The Repentant during the fourth Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF), the annual cultural event of Doha Film Institute (DFI), Arab Films Competition awards ceremony at the Al Rayyan Theatre in Souq Waqif last month.

The

Merzak Allouache, Director of The Repentant – voted Best Narrative Feature Film at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival last month.

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Repentant was selected for its powerful emotional thrust and for the subtle manner in which it treats the complexity of its characters at a tragic moment in their existence. Tracking a former jihadist and a separated couple whose lives were destroyed five years earlier, it is a deeply emotional drama that puts the audience into the heads of the troubled onscreen lives, all the way to a staggering finale. Though cinema is awash in Islamic fundamentalist themes, Allouache goes beyond mere issues with his intimate approach and narrowed focus.

The DTFF jury presented Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige with the award for the Best Feature Documentary Award for their production of The Lebanese Rocket Society and they dedicated it to the dreamers behind the Middle East’s first rocket launched by Lebanon in the 1960s.

Film lovers in Doha voted for the Chinese feature film Full Circle, the story of a group of irrepressible senior citizens who decide to enter a reality show on television, and Searching for Sugar Man, a documentary on the life of Rodriguez, the 70s US rock icon who never was, as the ‘Best of the Fest’ at Audiences at DTFF had the opportunity to vote for their favourite feature and

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documentary at DTFF screenings. Both films received QR182,000 ($50,000) each as prize money.

The “Made in Qatar” award went to the short documentary Bader, by Sara Al-Saadi, Maaria Assami and Latifa Al-Darwish, which “is distinguished by its courage and transparency”, claimed the jury.

DFI Chief Executive Officer, Abdulaziz Al-Khater said: “We had set stringent quality standards for the Arab Film Competition this year - from the short-listing process to evaluation. We congratulate the winners as well as every filmmaker who has been part of this amazing cinema journey, marked by several compelling portraits of how Arab filmmakers react to the society and world around them. The thematic intensity of their films, their courage to push the boundaries and their focus on telling our stories with conviction to the rest of the world will be an inspiration to every emerging filmmaker.

The competition is a reflection of our focus to strengthen the regional film industry by setting solid benchmarks of excellence.”

With total prize money of over QR1.6 million the Arab Film Competition had its largest selection of 27 films this year, comprising seven documentaries, seven narrative features and 13 shorts from 10 Arab countries, including first time entries to the competition from Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

The Feature Narrative jury was headed by renowned Tunisian actress Hend Sabry.

The other jury members included: Dr. Emad Amralla Sultan, Cultural Advisor to Katara Cultural Village; Indian director Ashutoush Gowarikar; Turkish filmmaker Yesim Ustaoglu and Algerian author Mohammed Moulessehoul.

The jury for Documentary Narrative comprised: Syrian documentary producer, and scriptwriter Hala Al Abdalla; Qatari director Hafiz Ali Ali and Iranian artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat. The short films at the competition were evaluated by Joana Hadjithomas, Tahani Rached, and Nadir Mokneche.

Appraising the “Made in Qatar” showcase were: Qatari author Wedad Al Kawari; Saudi Arabia’s first female filmmaker, Haifaa Al Mansour; and founder of the Qatar Fine Arts Society and visual artist Faraj Daham.

The fourth edition of DTFF opened to a colourful start at Souq Waqif, with film talent from Qatar, the Arab world and international cinema walking the red carpet gala of the opening film, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, financed by DFI. The opening ceremony was attended by Mira Nair, the director of The Reluctant Fundamentalist; Mohsin Hamid, the renowned author, whose eponymous book the film is based on; Ami Boghani, script co-writer; Meesha Shafi, musician and actress; and Abu Muhammad and Fariduddin Ayaz, the Qawwal Brothers, who composed the film’s soundtrack. Also walking the red carpet was Robert De Niro, whose latest film Silver Linings Playbook is screened at DTFF. Over seven days, the festival hosted over 200 screenings of more than 87 films from 34 nations across the three venues including at Souq Waqif, Katara Cultural Village and the Museum of Islamic Arts..

Highlighting DFI’s mandate to sustain film education and appreciation, DTFF also had a series of industry events and panel discussions evaluating the diverse aspects of filmmaking - from story development, implementation of technology, to distribution.

DTFF’s ‘Doha Talks’ featured a series of 13 thought-provoking industry events, special screenings, and extended Q&A sessions with renowned filmmakers including Mira Nair and Robert De Niro.

The family and youth-centred activities included Family Day Screenings, kid’s red carpet experiences, DFI Kids Access Programme, stage performances, roaming entertainment and performers, arts and crafts workshops, sports, storytelling, puppetry, games, film-making activities and performances from local schools and community groups among others

Arab Film Awards: Narrative Features Best Film The Repentant (Algeria, France), directed by Merzak Allouache Best Filmmaker Nabil Ayouch for Horses of God (Morocco) Best Performance Ahmed Hafiane for Professor (Tunisia, France, Qatar) Special Mention: Goodbye Morocco (France, Belgium), directed by Nadir Moknhche

Documentary Features Best Film Lebanese Rocket Society (Lebanon, France, Qatar), directed by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige Best Filmmaker Hanan Abdalla for In The Shadow of a Man (Egypt) Special Mention Damien Ounouri for Fidai

Short Films: Best Film The Forgotten (Syria, Qatar), directed by Ehab Tarabieh Development Award Sanctity (Saudi Arabia), directed by Ahd Special Mention A Day in 1959 (Lebanon), directed by Nadim Tabet

Made in Qatar: Development Award Bader, directed by Sara Al-Saadi, Maaria Assami, Latifa Al-Darwish Special Mention Lyrics Revolt by Shannon Farhoud, Ashlene Ramadan, Melanie Fridgant, Rana Khaled Al Khatib

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The first class fantasy A wise man once said to me: “The difference between truth and fiction is that the latter has to make sense.” A fictional scenario might seem so unrealistic that it’s passed off as a nonsense, yet the truth has no such limitations – it can break all barriers of reason. Qatar Airways is using this philosophy to bring its new 787 Dreamliner first class experience to new levels.

by Ro ry C oe n

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atar Airways (QA) has recently deployed its initial batch of shiny new Boeing 787 Dreamliners, and its marketing team allowed the media to experience its First Class service last month – which was literally a flying return trip to Dubai.

Flying first-class doesn’t come with a manual – you have to learn things as you go along through observation and with embarrassing questions. No amount of economy travel can prepare you. I had travelled first-class only once before, and I was hoping to take the lessons I learned from that experience into this one.

I got to the premium terminal well ahead of schedule – I wanted to get a proper feel for the lounge – and I checked in and went through emigration and security within a couple of moments. From here I was brought to the premium lounge, which is just a couple of minutes’ walk from the First Class departure gate.

The first thing I noticed was the sense of quiet and lonesomeness about the place compared to the regular terminals. It’s a rather vast space with little or no significant activity. Such is the cost of first-class travel, many customers are corporates who are travelling alone. The seating configuration in the premium lounge restaurant was customised for this: I don’t think I noticed one table that was set for more than two. The only couple I did notice hardly said a word to each other, preferring to interact with their smart devices instead.

I reflected that I was no different, as I put my device into my pocket and shook some salt onto my bowl of fresh pea soup – the first time I had ever tasted that blend, and I hoped it wouldn’t be the last. I followed this down with a concoction of slightly

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heavier Arab and Indian offerings. As full as a bingo bus, I decided I would retire to an armchair overlooking the apron, where I was able to enjoy a drink as I read the morning newspaper.

The quick-witted marketing staff at Qatar Airways decided to fly us out to Dubai in economy and back to Doha in luxury.

On-the-record they said it was to give me a sense of both environments, but I’m pretty sure it was a deliberate tactic to slingshot my senses from the insipid arena of economy into the fantasy of First Class.

Very private What has changed with the new 787? The seating configuration is now 1-2-1, with each stable having a higher degree of privacy and immediate access to an aisle. It’s a little more difficult to engage in conversation with a fellow traveller, however, as the stables are designed more to maximise your comfort and privacy than to promote general chit-chat.

This is all well and good for those who want to relax, but when I noticed a middle-aged man playing Tetris on his entertainment system I wondered what it was all about. He was like somebody who was itching for more intellectual stimulation, and I feared if the flight was any longer than an hour he might have started talking to himself.

Meanwhile, I had only an hour to figure my stable out so either side of my meal I opened mini-compartments and pressed buttons and tested features. I was like a kid with a brand new toy. I found out I was able to stay fully connected through Wi-Fi and GSM telephony, so sending both SMS and MMS messages wasn’t a problem.

Each stable is equipped with USB, MP3 and other charger ports, including laptop power outlets.

The seating configuration in economy is 3-3-3, and this architecture is designed so passengers can actually move freely. It has welcoming entryways, larger windows and vaulted ceilings. The stowage bins have been made larger, which minimises the need to store bags under the seat.

The new 787 is powered by General Electric and Rolls-Royce engines – the GEnx and the Trent 1000. It is the first composite airliner with the fuselage assembled in one-piece composite barrel sections instead of the multiple aluminium sheets and some 50,000 fasteners on existing aircraft.

The higher aspect ratio that this allows, combined with efficiency-enhanced raked wing tips, allows it to be one of the fastest commercial aircraft out there, whilst also consuming less fuel than its competitors.

Each one of the 232 seats throughout the aircraft – first class and economy – has a touch screen Android system, where passengers are able to navigate through an interactive service offering more than 1,000 movies, television programmes, and music and gaming entertainment options. The dynamic mood lighting and the composite design of the Dreamliner with lighter materials ensures that passengers are less fatigued and more refreshed, as the cabin pressure is 2,000 feet closer to ground level, with an air purification system that is cleaner and healthier than many other aircraft.

Qatar Airways has also employed four award-winning chefs – Ramzi Chwayri, Vineet Bhatia, Tom Aitkens and Nobu Matsushisa - to create a new range of signature dishes for its first class passengers

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Souk Waqif Boutique Hotels open

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nder the patronage of HH the Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels marked its grand opening with a new brand identity last month. The exclusive ceremony was also attended by the Crown Prince, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

Showcasing a creative edge that is synonymous with the Souq Waqif Boutique Hotels brand, the opening ceremony fea-

tured the first immersive 3D mapping show in Doha, revealing the story behind each of the Boutique Hotels.

The ceremony showcased all five operational hotels, including the unveiling of Al Jasra, the latest boutique destination, containing 22 rooms and four suites.

Currently Al Najada, Al Mirqab, Arumaila, Musheireb and Al Jasra Boutique Hotels are operational, while additional boutique offerings will be revealed to the public in 2013.

GEW socialising business

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series of entrepreneurshipdriven workshops were held at the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) last month, which were aimed at giving young entrepreneurs some muchneeded knowledge in the area. Some of the workshops included in the programme were Youth and Social Entrepreneurship, and Individual Leadership and Entrepreneurship.

Silatech is the official host organisation for Qatar, and its activities included a Career Guidance Workshop that focused on the importance of networking, and an Ambassadors Panel to get feedback from young people on how to best develop Qatar Ta3mal, Silatech’s soon-to-be-launched web portal for career guidance and entrepreneurship in Qatar. Silatech also engaged the public in a discussion of Kiva Arab Youth, an innovative project to crowdfinance young entrepreneurs throughout the Arab world.

Qatari is a Star of Science

Innovators to gather in Doha

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lans have been revealed for an exhibition as yet unseen in Qatar. The organisers say that the new exhibition, Innovate Qatar, will gather innovators, investors and tech enthusiasts at Doha Exhibition Centre next March 18-20.

Sheikh Fahed bin Mohammed Al Thani, CEO of the renowned Al Fahad Group and Chairman of Innovate Qatar, is also the strategic mind behind the new exhibition.

He explained that by introducing a crosssectoral exhibition focused on innovation and new technologies, the organisers hope

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to showcase innovative solutions being developed in Qatar and technologies aimed at Qatar’s future growth needs, as well as end-user technologies and products that are changing the way we live and will shape our future.

Addressing a void in the market, Innovate Qatar aims at being a platform to showcase and celebrate innovation in the country.

By bringing together both global and local players on the innovation scene, the exhibition aims to bridge the gap between speaking about innovation and actually innovating.

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atari Khaled Abu Jassoum won MBC4’s “Stars of Science” Series 4 last month.

With a combined jury and public score of 30.9%, he walked away with a first prize of $300,000 to help develop his invention “Tahi”.

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QTA showcase the country at WTM

Mawashi honoured by Forbes

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atar Tourism Authority (QTA) took centre stage at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London last month. The Qatar pavilion was promoting the country as one of the world s most up-and-coming destinations and a central hub in the region for business, leisure, culture, education and sport. QTA showcased a series of traditional Qatari cultural activities as well as henna and Arabic hospitality with coffee and dates.

Qatar was strongly represented by a large number of strategic partners including the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, the Cultural Village Foundation, Katara, Souq Waqif, the Diplomatic Club, in addition to a range of tour operators and hotels.

Staged annually in London, WTM is the leading global event for the travel industry. A vibrant four-day business to business event, WTM presents a diverse range of destinations from all over the world and travel industry sectors to UK and International travel trade professionals.

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anaging Director and Chief Executive Officer of Mawashi, Ahmad Nasser Sraiya Al-Kaabi was named the fourth most powerful CEO in the Arab region by Forbes Middle East

magazine. It also ranked Mawashi’s management on the list of Top Executive Managements. The award saw more than 324 entries from companies in the Arab world.

Al-Kaabi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Qatar University.

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Hope for Qatar

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photographic exhibition entitled “Hope” was launched at the Sheraton Park last month. The exhibition showcased a collection of work by the renowned photographer Reza and marked the beginning of a series of educational programmes that took place in parallel with the 2012 WISE Summit HE Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani, Ph.D., Chairman of the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), launched the exhibition with the photographer.

Hope presents 80 photographs, including three images from the latest WISE Book, Learning a Living: Radical Innovation in Education for Work, which examines the relationship between education and

the world of work. In addition to the photo exhibition, an educational programme has been organised that includes opportunities for personal meetings with Reza and others.

Activities include a guided tourof the exhibition with the photographer for students, screenings of documentaries, and a conference and debate with Reza.

Nepal receiving aid Pearl Diving attracts great interest

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t the halfway stage of its four-year mission to improve the quality of education and build resilience to natural disasters in schools in Nepal, Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) in partnership with Vodafone Qatar worked in 22 villages in the Kailali District of western Nepal. The Vodafone-ROTA partnership, through the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) project, has improved the lives of 68,000 students and 1,450 teachers in 150 schools since 2010.

Aiming to increase knowledge and awareness of DRR, ROTA and its partners have to date provided training for 950 students in 37 schools, given Education in Emergencies training to 100 teachers, brought together 20 head teachers for a three-day school safety training programme and helped schools raise an emergency fund of $5,000 (QR18,200) to be used when natural disasters strike.

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he Second Annual Dhow Exhibition, which honours traditional transportation along the shores of the Arabian Gulf, was held at Katara last month. Held under the patronage of HH the Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the event attracted thousands of visitors and brought together 100 dhows from Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Oman. A key highlight of the festival was the pearl diving competition, which was won by Al-Rayyan from Qatar.

Visitors were entertained by a variety of activities including a light show, a rowing competition, performances of traditional music by renowned regional bands, dhow cruises, fireworks, children’s workshops and museum displays from galleries across the Gulf. Additionally, a series of lectures on the history of the dhow provided visitors

with a deeper understanding of the trade. A library offering further anecdotes of information was also made available to visitors at Katara’s Traditional Village.

SAMI YUSUF LAUNCHES NEW ALBUM IN QATAR

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ritish singer and songwriter Sami Yusuf announced the official launch of his new album, Salaam, in Doha last month.

The launch was celebrated by an album signing and a meet and greet with fans at Virgin Megastores in Villaggio Mall.

Yusuf is set to perform at Katara’s Amphitheater on December 6 and ahead of the concert, Katara will host auditions for young talented singers and instrumental-

ists to perform their solo song during the concert.

Recently, Yusuf was invited to become the first Global Ambassador for Silatech, a Qatar-based initiative promoting entrepreneurial skills and open access to capital and markets for large-scale job creation in the MENA region. His support of humanity to reach out those in need through his music has earned him a massive following in the Middle East, North African nations and South-East Asia.

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Walking FOR Diabetes

Countdown has begun

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ver 5,000 people took part in the third annual Beat Diabetes Walkathon organised by the retail and hospitality conglomerate Landmark Group on the Corniche last month.

The walkathon marked the culmination of a year-long timeline of diabetes awareness drives and activities. Walkathons were also held during November in Kuwait, Dubai and India.

The Qatar edition of the walkathon was organised under the patronage of the Qatar Diabetes Association, a member of Qatar

Foundation. Santosh Pai, Chief Operating Officer, and Suresh Sarma, General Manager, Landmark Group Qatar, joined supporters on the two-kilometre walk.

Dr Abdulla Al-Hamaq and Dr Sharoud Al-Jundi from the Qatar Diabetes Association also participated in the walk, reiterating the organisation’s support for the cause.

The walkathon was preceded by a fortnight-long wellness campaign of free blood glucose tests for mall visitors in Barwa Plaza Mall and Al Asmakh Mall, in which more than 4,000 people enrolled.

Sharq introduces Sea Lounge

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dding to the vibrant gastronomic mix of Doha s culinary scene, Sharq Village and Spa has introduced Sea Lounge ideally located on the water s edge, lulled by the sound of the waves and dozes in the sun before all five senses come alive.

The essence of Sea Lounge is to create a place for people to meet, relax and lounge, said Carsten Fritz, General Manager of

Sharq Village and Spa. For diners who prefer loftier views, Sea Lounge offers an elegant and refined location ideal for both business functions and casual gatherings, he added.

Guests will be able to experience chef’s special menu, starting from tapas such as patatas bravas, fried calamari with aioli sauce, marinated beef, or lamb cutlets from the grill, to the impressive range of cocktails, long drinks and tropical drinks.

he countdown is on for the fourth General Conference of the Arab Union of Electricity, a seminar on “Investment Opportunities in the Electrical Industries in Arab Countries” and the seventh Exhibition of Electrical Industries in the Arab World. They will be held in Qatar from January 7-9.

The conferences and associated events are being organised by the Arab Union of Electricity, the Arab League and the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) in cooperation with Interactive Business Network.

It is considered an event of importance in view of the leading role of the Arab Union of Electricity in the Arab electricity sector, the level of official attendance at the conference, and the expected contribution of public sector enterprises and companies in its deliberations and the associated events.

Barwa Bank launches service in style

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arwa Bank launched its private banking proposition in style last month, as it made a significant contribution to the future of children’s education and revealed an exclusive exhibition of coloured diamonds, co-hosted with renowned fashion house and jeweller, Asprey of London at the Museum of Islamic Art. During the evening, guests took the opportunity to view an exceptional collection of rare, coloured diamonds, all of which were accompanied by designs inspired by Islamic art, created exclusively for this exhibition. In addition, finished jewellery sets were also displayed.

A highlight of the evening was the charity auction of two jewellery designs made especially for the occasion, which raised QR700,000 for the charity Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) and the new charity initiative Educate a Child, launched the next morning by HH Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser.

DECember 2012

Qatar Today 11 1

Best in Travel 2013:

Top 10 cities

As 2012 winds up, you’re no doubt looking forward to the New Year and where it might take you. With the world’s developing nations becoming more practical places to visit of late, travellers are tempted with much more choice and diversity than they once were. Lonely Planet has revealed its Top 10 cities to visit for 2013.

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San Francisco, California – Darling of America’s west coast

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Golden Age charmer prepares to party

Hyderabad, India – Old City recapturing past glories

Famous for hills, earthquakes and a penchant for liberal politics, San Francisco continues to attract kindred spirits, eagerly embracing all newcomers to the bosom of its cultural MElange. If you need an extra incentive to get yourself to San Francisco, the city has an ace up its sleeve – the 34th America’s Cup is coming to fog city next year, and big changes and upgrades are afoot all along San Francisco’s heaving waterfront.

Amsterdam always cast a spell on travellers, but the party ramps up big-time in 2013 when more anniversaries than you can shake a herring at coincide. For instance, the famed canal ring turns 400 years old, it’s Vincent van Gogh’s 160th birthday and the 40th for his colour-swirled museum, and the Rijksmuseum re-opens after a 10-year renovation.

It all adds up to a slew of celebratory concerts, exhibits and street fests grooving throughout 2013.

Hyderabad was once the capital of a filthy-rich princely state, but after years of being out of the limelight, several palaces in the Old City have recently been refurbished. Many monuments and buildings are being fixed up, but the city – and many of its architectural gems – are still off the radar, which keeps the masses at bay. Elegant and blossoming, but also weathered and undiscovered, Hyderabad’s Old City is ripe for exploration.

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Derry, Northern Ireland – Packed calendar for UK City of Culture

Beijing, China – Capital on the cusp of greatness

Christchurch, New Zealand – Rising from the rubble with flair

Derry is the UK City of Culture 2013, which means this vibrant, historic walled city is undergoing a renaissance. The year will see a wealth of cultural events, including the 10-day All-Ireland Fleadh, the world’s biggest Irish festival. DERRY also plays host to the always-controversial Turner Prize. The city will buzz throughout the year with hundreds of other events, from pageants to music to contemporary dance.

Beijing remains the cultural and artistic centre of China as it tentatively balances a multitude of (growing) populations and subcultures. There’s a palpable sense of change in the air, though no-one quite knows what to expect. China is on the cusp of true greatness, and one day people will look back and say it all started here.

With a unique opportunity to rethink urban form, New Zealand’s “Garden City” is bouncing back with a new energy and inventiveness. Foodies will be surprised by the variety of what is on offer, from Burmese to Turkish to local specialities. live-music venues have popped up all over the place, and innovative artworks fill empty demolition sites.

2013 will be an intriguing year to join the rebirth.

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Hobart, Tasmania – Harbour town becomes hip

Montreal, Canada – MElange of cultures marries brains and beauty

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Ethiopian metropolis evolving Apace

Puerto Iguazu, Argentina – Much more than just a waterfall

Having recently gained HIGH RATINGS as the world’s happiest and hippest, Montreal continues to impress.

Spring 2013 marks the launch of the new Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, rounding out the ambitious “Space for Life” project. And MontrEal’s social calendar is also bubbling over with the unveiling of the GrEvin wax museum at the Eaton Centre, the 50th-anniversary celebrations of the Place des Arts, and the new Point Zero hotel, owned by the eponymous fashion label.

Like the Ethiopian marathon runners, Addis Ababa is evolving at a fast pace.

The fact that the country’s economic growth should reach almost 5% in 2013 helps create a feeling of confidence and stamina. Founded little more than a century ago, Addis Ababa, which in Amharic means ‘New Flower’, is not only the diplomatic capital of Africa and a thriving metropolis, but also a groovy city that takes pride in its multifaceted assets.

The Foz dO IGUAZU waterfall has won its place among the prestigious new seven wonders of nature, following a worldwide 2011 poll. This is a phenomenal waterfall, spreadeagled along the Argentine-Brazil border. So tourism to these falls is set to morph, which is good news for Puerto IguazU, the main tourist base hereabouts.

The sleepy harbour town reputation attracts a solid “outdoorsy” set, but the recent arrival of the worldclass Mona museum has the waters rippling, hip tourists flocking and Hobart rousing ITSELF from its slumber. 2013 will see the new kid on the block team up with the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) for the Theatre of the World exhibition curated by Jean-Hubert Martin, former director of the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.

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DECEmber 2012

Compiled from www.lonelyplanet.com