Qatar Today January 2013 by Oryx Group of Magazines

contents

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114

52 Women Leading

According to a recent CNN Money article, How One Billion Women Will Shake the Business World, nearly one billion women will enter the global economy for the first time in the coming decade alone. The article calls these women the “third billion”, as their economic impact will be just as significant as that of the billion-plus populations in China or India. While the signals are strong in the Middle East, the pace of change is slow. Qatar Today met over a dozen business women from various sectors and they recount their stories of success mapped with challenges.

34 What was the COP18 all about?

Was it successful? Were any revolutionary treaties signed and passed? How did Doha fare as the hosting country? If these are the questions that you wanted answered, Qatar Today gives you the right mix with experts voicing their thorough opinions and synopsis along with a high-profile interview with Connie Hedegaard, EU commissioner for Climate Action who was part of the World Climate Summit that was held parallel to the COP18 meetings.

21 Can finance serve Qatar’s economy?

It’s easy to see the attraction of financial services to a country such as Qatar. It is as much an exporter of capital as it is an exporter of hydrocarbons. But is this a viable and sensible course for Qatar to be taking asks Richard Banks, Director, Euromoney Qatar Conference. published by oryx advertising co. wll, All rights reserved. qatar today is published monthly by oac, po box no. 3272, doha, qatar. subscription rate qr. 240 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@msqatar.com. qatar today is registered a trademark of oryx advertising co. wll

january 2013 volume 39 issue 1 www.qatartodayonline.com

january 2013

Qatar Today 5

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A prisoner of hope

Mary Robinson was the seventh and first female President of Ireland (1990-1997) and the second United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (19972002). She was here for the COP18 meetings and spoke to Rory Coen about the human rights infringement issues in Qatar among other matters.

The Arab spring revolutions: reprocussions and the way forward

Ezdhar Ibrahim asks Dr Abdulhamid Al Ansari, Islamic thinker and former Dean of Sharia and law faculty at Qatar University, whether the Islamists will deliver objectives and values of freedom, justice and dignity necessitated by the Arab Spring revolution.

Special Report: A year of sustainable innovations

QSTP brings together the brightest and most farsighted pioneers of sustainability who want to be in the vanguard of this movement. It has attracted the faculties of top international universities and allows foreign companies to set up 100%-owned businesses here. Qatar Today looks at the recent developments within QSTP in its special report.

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A new name to old comfort

The hospitality sector in Doha is steadily growing. Qatar Today speaks to Gordon MacKenzie, General Manager of Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha about the new developments at the hotel.

GCC should work towards tax co-operation

At the first International Fiscal Association (IFA) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an association of tax experts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; meeting, hosted by the Qatar Financial Centre, Jeffery Owens, Senior Tax Policy Advisor to VP, Ernst & Young, and former Director of the Centre for Tax Policy and Administration, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), spoke to Sowmya Sundar about the progress made by Qatar and the GCC on taxation.

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Doha Goals promises change through sports

300 initiatives were put forward for review as nearly 3,000 participants attended the two-day Doha Goals Forum last month. The conference was met with great acclaim and guarantees that positive changes would be made on a global scale through the use of sport before the event returns in 2013.

regulars News Bites.................................................10 O & G O v e r v i e w. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 Bank Notes................................................18 Realty Check.............................................24 ARAB SNI P P ETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6 W o r l d V i e w. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 TECH TA L K . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 BRAKING N e w s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 8 Market Watch...........................................104 D o h a D i a r y. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 8

Volume 39

issue 1

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Chief Executive Executive Vice President Vice President

january 2013

Yousuf Jassem Al Darwish Sandeep Sehgal Alpana Roy Ravi Raman

Editor Sindhu Nair SENIOR CORRESPONDENTS rory coen eZdhar ibrahim abigail mathais 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 LYDIA YOUSSEF MARKETING RESEARCH AND SUPPORT EXECUTIVE KANWAL BALUCH 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.

8 Qatar Today

january 2013

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.

january 2013

from the desk

we were busy packing our January issue of Qatar Today , the news of the death of the brutally raped 23-year old female in New Delhi filtered in. It is not an easy day for any parent, especially a mother of two girls when she reads about this horror story, even in the safe haven of doha.

While criminals roam the world aided by the inaction of certain governments, children around the world will slowly learn to be cautious in their actions and deeds and be wise beyond their years. We spend millions negotiating on actions to be taken on climate change and of saving the earth for our future generation, but what do we have to offer to our children in the next century? A life of perpetual fear; a life that could end with a gun shot from a random teenager, or by brutal slaughter by deranged men? Like someone rightfully observed, these inhumane acts mark the end of the world, the end of a humanitarian world. As a salute to the brave unnamed woman who fought for her life til the end, Qatar Today features the triumphant stories of the businesswomen of the region. Stories of women, who rose faced the odds in a country that is bound by traditions and paved the path for the new generation. In our January issue, Qatar Today also spoke to two very inspiring women leaders who continue to fight for causes they believe in. One such leader is Mary Robinson who was the ex-President of Ireland and what she said seems to be apropos for what we are going through now (though she was speaking about the situation in Congo). “There’s so much instability in the region and it’s very worrying – so much gender-based violence. It infuriates me that this kind of thing can happen,” she said in an exclusive interview with Qatar Today. Another such leader featured this month is Connie Hedegaard, EU commissioner for Climate Action, who talks about her unending fight for climate action that has put the EU countries on safe ground. What we learn from these go-getters is an untiring zest, not just to react to circumstances but to act. Qatar Today prompts all readers to keep a vigil against injustice, fight all forms of marginalism, and teach the next generation to respect and support every human being, man or women. All this, while we remain hopeful for a better 2013. A hope for a kinder world, where children remain as they are, uninhibited and childlike.

Sindhu Nair

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letters feedback qtoday@omsqatar.com

Cop on World Having been more in tune with this COP than any other, I have realised that there is no hope for humanity and the world we live in. Selfish and short-term gains are more important than long-term security. What has to happen for the world to finally make this issue a priority? As a wise man once said: “Only when all the fish in the sea are poisoned and all the trees in the forests are felled will we realise we cannot eat money.” Josephine Duggan

Lucky 13?

It was only when I read the Qatar Today countdown that I realised what a roller coaster 2012 has been. While the Olympics brought the world together, there was a lot of war and strife in so many places. Let’s hope that lucky ‘13’ brings with it a lot of positive milestones. Fred Santimano

Enlightenment

Personally, I think conferences are a waste of time. People travel from all around the world to just talk and go back home once the conference is over, without making any real impact or solutions. But as I read the story on Dr Madhav Chavan, who won an award at the WISE conference, for his accomplishments in education; I realised I was wrong. The point is if it wasn’t for conferences like WISE and the COP, we wouldn’t know what people have accomplished in other parts of the world. It was truly an enlightening and inspiring piece. Emily Roberts

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

qt poll – january

have you noticed women having a greater impact in qatar recently?

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

is qatar doing enough to reduce its c02 emissions?

Yes

The winning number of the last QT poll is 3786526

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A step too far?

Having seen some of the local talent at the recent Doha Film Festival, I have only great optimism for the future of film in the region. But aren’t all the movies very similar? What I’d love to see – and it might be a sign of how well the country is progressing – is to see a black comedy which focuses on some aspects of Qatari culture. Soma banerjee

What a difference a day makes

From my observations on the Internet, the global sentiment, once again, seems to be a delight to put out with the old and in with the new, like it’s some kind of salvation from debt, pain and curses. What a difference a day can make to one’s mood. We turn over new leaves, resolutions are undertaken and promises are made. Gym membership and attendance rise, sweet consumption depresses and productivity at work increases. We look deep, deep within ourselves to find the better us. Such a pity the year is so long. G David

What a drain!

With all the talk about mobile apps and mobile web and how they’re going to change my life and my business around, when, oh when, will I be able to get through a day without worrying about my battery. It’s a constant struggle for me and these new apps – as sharp and functional as they are – don’t work on a dead battery unfortunatelty. On the back of climate change talks, surely daily charging isn’t the way to go either? Hassan Boudraa

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

cop 18 coverage 34

NEWS BITES

EMIR opens Al Wakra Hospital

The Emir, HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, inaugurated the Al Wakrah Hospital, the eighth hospital under the Hamad Medical Corporation. The hospital will serve residents in Al Wakrah, Doha International Airport. It has 210 beds with an in-built flexibility of adding 50 more and 96 critical care and observation beds.

New solar test facility inaugurated at QSTP

atar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), GreenGulf and Chevron Qatar inaugurated the first large-scale Solar Test Facility in Qatar coinciding with the COP18 summit held in Doha. The Solar Test Facility has been set up to test emerging solar technologies from around the world and identifies those best suited to the region. The facility will investigate the effects of heat, humidity and dust on the performance of the solar equipment and address challenges such as the efficient use of water in cleaning solar systems. The 35,000 square metre facility located within QSTP will support the deployment of solar energy in Qatar and the region by generating data required to plan large scale solar power production facilities and other key applications such as solar cooling and solar desalination. The research and analysis conducted

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will enable QSTP, GreenGulf and Chevron to understand the technical and commercial issues of applying solar technologies. The Solar Test Facility will also play a role in educating and building capacity, as students at Qatar Foundation and Qatar University will get a chance to participate in training and internship programmes related to solar technologies. Commenting on the inauguration of the Solar Test Facility, Dr Tidu Maini, Executive Chairman of QSTP, said: “Although our region is blessed with high exposure to the sun, making it an obvious renewable source of energy, many specific challenges must be examined and addressed before we can take full advantage of this potential. We are confident that this unique testing facility will provide us with data that will be able to support further development in the field.”

Junior Scientists get fresh funding from QNRF

atar National Research Fund (QNRF) launched the fourth cycle of its Junior Scientists Research Experience Program (JSREP), a funding programme for ‘junior’ scientists that is getting increasingly competitive. QNRF, a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, recently awarded nine grants to local academic and research institutions under the third cycle of JSREP. A key aim of JSREP is to build human capital in Qatar by supporting junior Qatari and non-Qatari scientists to initiate or lead their own research. Two research cycles are funded each year by JSREP, with grants of up to $100,000 per project, per year, awarded for up to three years. Thirty-two proposals covering a broad range of topics aligned with the Qatar National Research Strategy were submitted in the last cycle of JSREP.

news bites

QCS WANT TO “Think Again”

he Qatar Cancer Society (QCS) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have launched a nationwide cervical cancer awareness campaign in an effort to educate women in Qatar about the disease. The new ‘Think Again’ campaign aims to dispel myths and misconceptions that currently surround cervical cancer and help women to make well-informed decisions about their health. Commenting on the new initiative, HE Sheikh Dr Khalid Bin Jabor Al-Thani, Chairman of QCS said: “Women around Qatar will be able to learn more about cervical cancer and the best ways for prevention and early detection. We realise the importance of having a world-class partner such as GSK to help us in executing this initiative.” While many women continue to underestimate their risk of getting cervical dis-

ease, one woman is diagnosed with cervical cancer per minute and another dies from the disease every two minutes, globally. The Middle East loses a woman every hour from cervical cancer. It is the second largest cause of female cancer mortality, accounting for the death of almost 288,000 women on annual basis. Research shows that early vaccination against it is the most effective means of preventing the disease. Alongside regular screening, vaccination could reduce the risk of cervical cancer by up to 93%. Women in Qatar can take action now by visiting the QCS website and registering for a vaccination and a screening session, free of charge. The website serves as an informative and interactive portal for cancer patients where patients can receive tips on how to reduce the risks associated with the disease and where other can donate and/or volunteer to help fight the disease.

QU celebrates 848 women graduates

Qatar Airways to sue over delay

atar Airways (QA) told media that it will file a QR2.19 billion legal claim against Lindner Depa Interiors (LDI), a German-Emirati joint venture, for delaying one year to complete construction of the New Doha International Airport (NDIA). The QR56.58 billion international airport project, to be managed and operated by QA, was originally set to open on December 12, 2012. QA stressed that LDI had undertaken to complete the construction of 19 airport lounges by the summer of 2012 in a contract worth over QR912.50 million, but “performed extremely poorly in executing the project and failed to meet construction targets”. Qatar Airways management told reporters that LDI had ‘badly defaulted’ which adversely affected the former’s expansion timetable, resulting to increased revenue losses and construction costs, as well as liability for delay fines and airline passengers inconvenience. “We have been badly affected as an airline with the delay impacting Qatar Airways’ expansion plans that include new aircraft deliveries and opening up new routes at the rate we want to and more importantly causing a lot of inconvenience to our passengers in addition to the revenue losses to the airline and its subsidiaries,” said QA CEO Akbar Al Baker.

Qatar Motor Show set to dazzle

is Highness, the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani congratulated 848 QU women graduates of the Class of 2012 during the graduation ceremony held at the Qatar National Convention Center. It is the first time that His Highness’ was present at a wom-

en’s graduation ceremony at QU or other higher education institution in Qatar. 117 students with GPA 3.5 and above were presented with their certificates by His Highness The Emir. Their colleagues received their certificates from QU President Prof Sheikha Abdulla Al-Misnad and the respective College Deans.

ever-before seen models from car brands and spectacular shows are set to make 2013 Qatar Motor Show the best edition of the most anticipated event which would put Qatar on the map of the global automotive industry. The five-day auto expo, which will run from January 29 until February 2 at the Doha Exhibition Centre, will again be organised jointly by the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), q.media Events, and GL events. “Each edition of the Qatar Motor Show has put the country squarely on the global automotive industry map,” said Issa bin Mohamed Al Mohannadi, Chairman, QTA.

january 2013

Qatar Today 1 5

news bites

Initiative to boost online Arabic content in Qatar atar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, and Taghreedat, a regional Arabic e- content community building initiative based in Qatar, organised an Arabic YouTube Tweetup to introduce new programmes and tools to boost online Arabic content. The tweetup, scheduled as part of Google’s month-long Arabic Web Days project, gathered over 400 content creators from around the region interested in contributing to digital Arabic content, with

a focus on developing video content for YouTube. Representatives from YouTube, Google and Twitter, and video content entrepreneurs from across the region shared their insight and experiences of how to create viral Arabic videos on the YouTube platform. There are eight localised YouTube domains in the Middle East, with more than 260 million videos viewed per day in the MENA region. The YouTube platform is fully Arabicised. Dr Fayeq Oweis, Arabic Localisation Manager at Google Inc, talked about numerous initiatives underway at Google in support of creating Arabic digital content, including local Arabic dialect

Qatar Airways increases flights to Bangkok

atar Airways are to fly four times instead of thrice a day from February 20, 2013, taking the total frequency to 28 non-stop flights a week. The significant increase is in response to growing demand, particularly from key feeder markets across Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Americas. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport is one of Asia’s premier hubs and passengers can connect to destinations across

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Qatar most peaceful among Arab Nations

Thailand and neighbouring countries from there.

QNB acquires stake in Egypt Bank NB Group entered into a definitive agreement with Société Générale to acquire its entire stake of 77.17% in National Société Générale Bank, Egypt. Subject to receipt of required regulatory approvals, QNB Group will launch a mandatory tender offer for 100% of the share capital of NSGB. The acquisition is consistent with QNB Group’s strategy to expand its presence in high growth emerging markets with large under banked populations. The transaction is the largest banking transaction in the Middle East since the financial crisis, and one of the largest cross-border investments in Egypt over the last two years.

voice recognition on Android phones, and tools that are available to write in Arabic. Samy Al Mubarak, co-founder of Taghreedat, encouraged the audience to contribute creative Arabic content online to effectively represent local ideas and culture. Speaking about Ethraa, QCRI’s initiative to enrich and increase Arabic digital content, Majd Abbar, Director of Arabic Content Initiatives at QCRI said, “Ethraa is focused on ensuring that the Arabic language is restored to its natural position as a language of science and research, which supports Qatar’s transformation to a knowledge-based economy.”

With this acquisition, the QNB Group will be able to increasingly benefit from the rapid development of trade and the strengthening of economic ties in the Arab and North African region and between Qatar and Egypt in particular. This also reflects QNB Group’s confidence in the long-term prospects of the financial sector and economy in Egypt. Egypt Bank is the second largest private (nonstate owned) bank operating in the high growth Egyptian market through a network of 160 branches across the country and more than 4,150 employees, with total assets as at 30 September 2012 touching $10.4 billion (QR38 billion). The transaction is expected to boost earnings in 2013.

or the fourth consecutive year, Qatar has been ranked the first among Arab countries and the 12th globally in the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2012, prepared by the Australiabased Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) annually since 2007. Qatar scored 1.395 points, compared to 1.398 points last year, indicating improvement in the country’s performance. Globally, Qatar came ahead of many countries such as Sweden, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, Britain, Italy, France and the United States. The Index measured 23 quantitative and qualitative indicators based on data from reliable sources and it consists of internal and external factors that cover political, security, economic and social aspects.

SPOTLIGHT ON QSTP

O & G overview

Qatar: major LNG player

atar’s LNG boom has been phenomenal, according to a report from QNB Group. Through the 1990s and 2000s Qatar invested heavily in LNG production, with exports beginning in late 1996. Ten years later, Qatar was the world’s largest exporter and in 2011 it exported 76 million tonnes of LNG, accounting for 31% of the global market. The next largest exporter was Malaysia with 24 million, less than one-third of the tonnage.

In 2011, 47% of Qatar’s LNG exports went to the Asia Pacific region and 42% to Europe. Asia has been the primary export destination for some time, and received an even larger share in 2007 of 79%. This region is characterised by a shortage of hydrocarbon resources combined with rapidly rising demand for gas-fired power generation. The largest Asian destinations in 2011 were Japan (12 million tonnes), India (10 million tonnes) and South Korea (8 million tonnes).

LNG EXPORTS (million tonnes)

north america

south america

QAFCO-6 inaugurated

he new QR2.2 billion QAFCO-6 project was inaugurated by HH Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani in Mesaieed Industrial City last month, making QAFCO the world’s fourth largest producer of urea and potentially the world’s largest exporter of the substance. QAFCO will account for 15% of the globally traded urea post QAFCO-6. Minister of Energy HE Dr. Al-Sada said: “With the start-up of QAFCO 6, the company’s annual production of urea will touch 5.6 million metric tons. This has established QAFCO as a key player in the global fertilizer market.” Currently, QAFCO exports to over 45 countries.

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europe

A new LNG destination

atargas announced last month that it will deliver the first ever cargo of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to Singapore next year. The cargo, expected to be delivered during the first quarter of 2013, will be used to commission Singapore LNG Corporation Pte Ltd’s (SLNG) LNG Terminal being built on Jurong Island, Singapore. Qatargas CEO Khalid Bin Khalifa AlThani, said: “Qatari LNG continues to have a key role to play in helping countries improve the diversity of their energy supplies. We think this will help to meet the growing demand for energy in Singapore and help us build our relationship with a new customer.” The cargo will be delivered on board either a Q-Flex or a Q-Max LNG vessel, both of which can be accommodated at the LNG Terminal.

asia pacific

discovery at Texas A&M

ground breaking research by Texas A&M University was recognised at the Third Annual Qatar Foundation Research Forum. The ‘Best Energy and Environment Research Programme of the Year’ went to associate professor of chemical engineering Dr. Nimir Elbashir for his multi-scale investigations leading to the design of a novel FischerTropsch reactor, the heart of the gas-toliquid processes that convert natural gas into ultra-clean fuels and value-added chemicals. Carrying a QR364,000 prize, the awardwas recognised to inspire collaboration for future research. Winning abstracts were chosen based on quality, merit and relevance to the nation.

o&G overview

Setting the stage for sharing technology World GTL Congress to be held in Doha

hat GTL is an important technology that will help the country monetise the huge abundance of gas reserves of the country is a no brainer, but the World GTL Congress to be held in Doha this month is going to be equally historic with financers and technology providers attending it, according to Leila Masinaei Al Marzouqi, Division Director, Oil and Gas, IQPC Middle East. She tells us what to expect during the congress. How important is the World GTL Congress to IQPC and to Qatar? Qatar has invested billions of dollars and taken a lot of risk on technology that could have a very bright and impactful future for the world of energy, but it would require the investment and support of a proactive and forward thinking nation. It has supported the success of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first and largest commercial GTL plants, that has paved the way for the industry as a whole. Following the success of Qatar GTL plants (ORYX GTL and Shell Pearl), there are now numerous projects being announced around the world. The industry is now entering a new era and GTL is going to become a globally expanding industry. So, it is vital for Qatar to host the World GTL Congress at this tipping point, to demonstrate its success, and help others with their journeys. At IQPC, we are proud to be organizing this event. This is not yet another generic oil or gas show, it is a critical and instrumental event bringing together technology providers, financers, builders and buyers around the world to help collaborate and collectively take the industry forward. A new industry that needs all players in line to grow into its rightful place in the world. This is a global stage for years to come and of most importance to IQPC. How will this Summit help the oil and gas professionals in the region? The summit will enable the oil and gas professionals gain clarity and visibility on an industry, which is growing, and that will

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Fact File Dates: 13 - 15 Januar.y Venue: St Regis, Doha. Website: www.worldgtlcongress.com 2-day conference and exhibition : 13 - 14 January Technical & Educational Focus Day: 15 January Open exhibition day: 15 January

change the energy landscape. It will provide them with the opportunity to gain visibility of upcoming plans, and analyse how it will impact their industry, thus their daily lives. They will gain knowledge and information at the event, and meet partners who will surely be their colleagues for many years to come. Is there scope for technology transfer or isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the technology for this process usually closely wrapped under the IP law? There are many players with their unique technology built on a general concept. For GTL plants to succeed, you need to have people who own and operate the technology, nations with vast gas reserves, financiers (these projects cost billions of dollars) seasoned EPC contractors, most advanced operation technologies to be deployed. No one party or technology owner can claim to

have done it all themselves or be able to do so in the future. So although each plant may be designed with an IP protected technology, it can only succeed by building the necessary partnerships. That is why an event like this is essential. It brings forth all the key players and initiates dialogue for future projects. Who are the experts who will be here in Doha for the World GTL Congress? Who will be the key note speaker? The event is lined up with GTL industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s key experts. The most important speaker is HE Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry and Chairman and Managing Director of Qatar Petroleum. CEOs, Presidents, VPs, the line-up is the most impressive. No oil and gas event in anywhere can claim to have a line of 30+ highest level of management of energy leaders on the programme. Do you think Doha is the ideal location for such conferences? Doha is named, rightfully so, as the World GTL hub. So of course, no other place in the world would be more ideal. How many people do you expect for the conference? We hope to attract approximately 400-500 people to the congress.

DOHA GOALS: CHANGE THROUGH SPORT

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bank notes

Central Bank gets more definition

H the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani issued a new law regulating the functioning of the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) and its allied financial institutions. The most significant aspects of the law, which consists of 238 articles, are that henceforth QCB shall be deemed as an autonomous corporate body with its own budget and shall be under the direct control of the Emir. Its capital money will be QR50 billion

and will be fully owned by the government. Ensuring financial stability, supporting all developmental activities and strengthening the national economy will be among its primary goals. The QCB shall be headed by a governor to be appointed on the basis of an Emiri decision. He will function in the rank of a minister and be responsible for implementing all policy matters and efficient administration. His term of office will be for five years which may be extended further for a similar period. He will represent QCB in courts of

QInvest sells stake in ABEC

Invest, Qatar’s leading Investment bank, has sold its stake in Asian Business Exhibitions and Conferences (“ABEC”), India’s leading trade exhibition organiser, to ITE plc, the London-listed global trade exhibition organizer focused on emerging markets. Commenting on the transaction, Tamim Hamad Al Kuwari, QInvest’s newly appointed CEO, said: “QInvest’s successful realisation of its investment in ABEC shows the firm’s capability in private equity and its ability to manage and profitably exit investments in a difficult economic environment” Franco Danesi, QInvest’s representative on ABEC’s Board of Directors, commented saying: “ABEC has been a great investment for QInvest. We are delighted to have contributed to their continuing success by facilitating a strategic tie-up with ITE, which will surely strengthen ABEC’s capabilities by providing global reach and best practices” ABEC runs 19 exhibitions across 11 vertical markets including architecture, design, construction, education, lifestyle, real estate, and oil and gas. Characterised by strong local management and with 2012 revenue of $20 million (QR73 mil-

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law and in all dealings with third parties. Among the other salient points of the law are: a) The QCB shall have a board of directors to be presided over by the Governor, b) It will include the Deputy Governor and at least five members among whom there shall be representatives from the Ministries of Economy and Finance; and Business and Trade. The board should meet at least once in every three months, and c) QCB is exempted under the law from all taxes and fees that may be due on its capital and assets, its transactions and profits.

Doha Bank working with China UnionPay

TAMIM HAMAD AL KUWARI CEO, QINVEST

lion), ABEC’s 8% market share makes it India’s largest exhibition organiser. ABEC’s portfolio of events is complementary to ITE’s existing exhibition interests in India and the two businesses shall be run concurrently.

oha Bank has established a partnership with China UnionPay (CUP) covering ATM and POS transactions. This opens a new gateway for people from China and the Middle East to interact and conduct their business. The Qatari bank has worked closely with CUP in recent months to establish the framework required to enable CUP customers to get the maximum benefit from Doha Bank’s large domestic network and strong relationship with retail outlets in Qatar. Prominently, Doha Bank will be launching cash withdrawals and balance inquiries for any card issued on behalf of CUP through Doha Bank’s ATMs. Doha Bank CEO, Dr. R. Seetharaman said: “Doha Bank sees China as a strategic growth market and with a representative office already present in China, we are confident that there will be even more avenues for partnership with China in the upcoming years.According to the ChinaQatar Business Council, bilateral trade had risen by 72% to $5.1 billion in 2011, over the previous year.”

bank notes

Tasdeer approves Single Window System

atar Development Bank’s (QDB) Export Promotion Agency, Tasdeer, has given a thumps up for the new Single Window System (SWS) being implemented by the Qatari Directorate General of Customs (QDGC). Ever since its launch in 2011, Tasdeer has been making efforts to overhaul the systems, processes and fundamentals to support Qatar’s ambition to become an internationallyrecognised export hub. The SWS is one of the many initiatives taken by Tasdeer to promote Qatari exports. In a recent workshop conducted by Tasdeer and QDGC, Hassan Al Mansoori, Executive Director of Tasdeer, spoke about the benefits and implementation of the SWS and explained how the initiative will be strongly integrated with the Ministry of Interior. The single window system was implemented in three phases. The first and the second phase was implemented in the Doha Port and further extended to all ports in the third phase. Designed in 2009, the first phase commenced in August 2011, when trial started for most services. In the second phase, implemented in July 2012, all government agencies were linked to the system. In the third phase commencing December 2012, the operation was extended to all ports and the situation is being assessed. Benefits Elaborating on the benefits of the SWS, Mansoori said: “The system will play a significant role by reducing the documentary procedure to a record five minutes and reducing the percentage of previews from 70% to 5% by applying risk management systems.” The new system is designed to improve performance quality in accordance with global standards of the World Customs Organisation and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The system supports electronic integration and connectivity making the process efficient and transparent. For instance, the system provides the Ministry of Interior with accurate and instant information on individuals, vehicles and companies; the relevant government bodies with pre-clearance before cargo arrival and quick release of restricted goods; and

Effect of the Single Window System

Monthly statistics After Before Number of details submitted

9882.55

4854.33

Number of details released

9318.44

4569.66

Value of goods (QR million)

5195

1247

Total fees (QR million)

167

Number of details 18249 6084 Number of rejected details

1.7

14.7

Number of requests for amendments

9.5

13.3

Number of cancellation requests

0.4

17.6

Increase in revenues post single Window system

15%

Number of personnel trained to use Single Window

800

Average phone calls received per day by the customer call centre

850

Average time taken to complete a statement

3.5 days

freight forwarders providing risk systems with information on goods imported. The system helps the Ministry of Trade match customs receipts with imported materials, confirms authorisation for customs clearance in the commercial register, updates the Statistics Authority with instant and accurate statistics, and aids instant information dissemination across all GCC ports. It is integrated with e-government systems in the country. Features Other features of the system include a 24/7 customer call centre, a personal smart card for state portal and a state-of-the-art payment system through credit cards, other

bank cards or direct transfer to customs account; a proper and robust risk management system, an electronic site designed to reduce time and effort, audit to ensure the rights of both the state and the customers are protected, pre-clearance to complete customs clearance procedure prior to the arrival of goods and electronic surveillance to analyse and adjust processes or incorrect customs declarations. Al Mansoori said: “We are looking forward to co-operation from the relevant government agencies to ensure the success of this promising project. We will also work hard with related authorities to keep raising the awareness amongst the local business community.”

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Deposits: Worth the dig? Interest rates remain stubbornly low across the globe, and with few brave enough to predict substantial, or any interest rate rises in the major currencies for 2013, there appears to be little relief on the savings horizon. So where does this leave the expat saver?

you want to have your cash in a deposit account, the short answer is worse off and weary. Whilst there is some relative reward in spending time searching through the various offerings that banks have, liquidity is sacrificed for marginal returns.The reality of this means that even the most prudent and resourceful savers amongst us will find that inflation supersedes the returns a bank can give – if they stick to banking deposits. Looking at the current table of offshore savings accounts an expat who has QR29,479 to put away for around three months, will find that the Alliance & Leicester International based on the Isle of Man is currently paying 2.15% on its Select Notice 95 Issue 3. Withdraw money earlier than the 95 day term and the saver will suffer a loss of interest as penalty. A slightly lower return is offered by Nationwide International (also on the Isle of Man) which is paying out 2.10% on its Bonus 95 account for a balance of QR29,479 Next best rate comes from Lloyds TSB International whose International Bonus Saver is on a no notice term and is offering 2%. Compare these returns with the offshore fixed rate accounts and expat savers will notice an appreciable difference in the rate of return. For the same QR29,479, were you to put that sum away for one year, then Britannia International will pay out a rate of 2.5%. To earn rates above 3% your balance has to be at least QR58,959 For example, Guernsey-based Clydesdale Bank International’s best paying account offer 3.2%. The lock away term is five years. That rate is only matched by one other provider, Santander Private Banking and this particular deposit-taker is looking for a minimum balance as high as QR589,591 for the same rate. However, when you

consider that global inflation fluctuates at around the 3.5% mark, even the highest performing traditional cash savings represent a guaranteed loss against the steady march of inflation. Whilst it is always sensible to maintain an emergency cash level, the majority of international workers prefer for the majority of their surplus income to be working hard for them-and frankly, so they should. It is a common perception that banks offer the highest level of security, the greatest liquidity and a run to safety for the surpluses of the hard, working expat, but the reality is that this is only a marginal proportion of the offshore savings spectrum; once you have made the decision to work offshore, it follows that your money should be doing the same! Further to this, if the economic climate of the last five years has taught us anything, it is that spreading your commitment and diversifying is a sensible path to follow. There are numerous ways to access different types of savings and asset classes other than cash (be it fixed interest, bond markets, equities, commodities, futures or emerging market trends for example) that are far better placed to allow the rate of return to climb above the inflation rate, and whilst cash will always have its place in the makeup of someone’s net worth, they should never make up the entirety. Are deposits worth the dig? Well yes, holding cash is an important part of a portfolio and it takes very little in the way of common sense to assume that you would also like the best rates; but an equal level of common sense would tell you that a deposit account yielding less than inflation should be supplemented with a balance of other assets that – when properly managed – can yield a far greater return (Note: All rates correct as at 19/11/12)

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BY Will Myers Will Myers is the Senior Financial Consultant at Qatar Guardian Wealth Management

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Can finance serve

Qatar’s economy? Despite the economic trauma of the global financial crash and its multiplied effect on nations with big, open financial sectors – it seems that many countries still look towards financial services as a cornerstone of their future economies. Qatar is no exception. But is this a viable and sensible course for Qatar to be taking? It’s easy to see the attraction of financial services to a country such as Qatar. The nation has deep financial resources. It is as much an exporter of capital as it is an exporter of hydrocarbons.

Financial

cial services industry necessitates openness and exposure to the volatility of international markets. Does Qatar want that? How can it protect its people from the fallout of the inevitable next financial crash? Should it? All these questions must be asked – if not answered – when considering the role of financial services in the future economy. Qatar’s current strategy is to focus on particular areas where its capital resources play a vital part – in asset management, insurance and re-insurance. This focus is a sensible strategy – countries such as Bermuda (smaller even than Qatar) have successfully leveraged their sovereignty to create market leadership in re-insurance. It can be done. But, bear in mind that Bermuda had an estabQatar’s current strategy is lished system of English law to start with and, to be honest, there was not much to focus on particular areas else it could do. Necessity is a powerful where its capital resources incentive.

services is a knowledge-based industry that provides the type of jobs Qatari nationals might want to do and it doesn’t need a lot of space or a big domestic market. With the Qatar 2030 vision clearly focusing on growing the knowledge-based economy, the financial services sector has a potential role to play both as a catalyst for achieving long-term goals and supporting Qatarisation.

Developing legislation However, beyond strategy and people – the financial services business is about two things – technology and law. Technology can be bought, but laws must be developed. For Qatar to have a truly vibrant and diverse financial services industry, it must be prepared to develop its legal and regulatory system to globplay a vital part - in asset al standards. This requires far more than Managing regulation just enacting legislation – it necessitates a management, insurance and Strategists must also consider how the truly independent judiciary, the developre-insurance. financial services industry is changing ment of a trained and experienced cadre globally. In previous years it was relaof lawyers, the establishment of westerntively easy for a new jurisdiction to posistyle precedent and much more. And this tion itself in the global market. Financial takes not just commitment but time too. institutions operated relatively freely It can also change the culture of the naacross borders and the emergence of trution – which is something Qatar, being a ly global banks, insurance companies relatively small nation, must think hard and investors over the past two decades provided a deep pool of about. A vibrant financial services industry also implies an open potential customers. Now everywhere regulation is being tightened. Not just in the economy. Consider the impact of the financial crisis on the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai. All these economies had sig- oversight of financial institutions to attempt to create a more nificant finance and investment industries and they all suffered stable system but also in the fields of tax and money-laundering. from the crash - disproportionally and severely. Building a finan- Combine this with the capital constraints faced by the industry

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and the model of global financial super-firms is under threat. There will be fewer global firms and more specialist institutions in the future. Qatar therefore needs be sure that its long-term financial services strategy should be aligned with these developments. It must appeal to regional firms in Asia and Latin America as much as to its traditional partners in Europe and the US. It must also have the regulatory structure in place to enable these firms to operate successfully and in compliance with their home jurisdictions. What are financial services for? In the end, however, the key question that must be answered is: “what are financial services for?” The answer is in the word “services’”. For too many years financial firms and markets forgot that they really exist to provide a service to others. The industry became very focused on itself. Much of the revenue and profits of the industry came from providing products (not services) to other financial institutions. The end clients – governments, firms and individuals – were often less lucrative prospects and didn’t have the focus they should have. The financial crisis had its origin and epicentre in financial institution to financial institution transactions. It was not a sovereign debt crisis or a stock market bubble, and in that respect it was a new iteration of the cycle of boom and bust all financial market historians knew about. One of the few silver linings in the current financial cloud is a return to the idea that banks and other financial institutions exist primarily to serve clients. Witness the decision of UBS to

online www.qatartodayonline.com

scale down its investment banking business and focus on private banking, asset management and corporate finance. Others are following suit. So, the true basis for a successful financial services industry in Qatar will be the clients of that industry. In a recent series of interviews I did with leading asset managers, I asked them the question: ‘Does the physical location of your business matter?’ They all said it did. They want their businesses to be physically close to their clients and their peers. This is above all why they choose to locate in the money market centres of London, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore. Clients are the key. Qatar is a strong client. But it must become stronger. The government, the companies and the people must first and foremost be customers of locally-based institutions. The policy-makers could follow the example of Chile which distributed its state pension fund resources to locally-based private asset management companies. If local clients don’t use local institutions – then why should foreigners. Finance must serve the overall vision for the Qatar. It is part of it, but it is an enabling part. Necessary to the achievement of the vision, but not in itself sufficient. Qatar does not, as far as I know, want an economy based on financial services, but one based on knowledge of a much wider form. And the financial services industry must support that. Specialised asset management institutions, technology and science-based incubators, creative industry finance and all of these types of niche institutions should be encouraged. It is they who will provide the capital and management to allow the knowledge-based industries to grow. And it is in those industries that Qatar’s future truly lies BY Richard Banks. Director, Euromoney Qatar Conference

The inaugural Euromoney Qatar Conference “Global Finance: Re-Designed” took place in Doha from December 11-12. Topics addressed in the conference included the new global economic paradigm in the wake of the global financial crisis, the role of capital-exporting nations like Qatar, Islamic finance, the role of the financial sector in Qatar’s National Vision 2030, and adapting the current real estate financing model. www.euromoneyconferences.com/qatar

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realty check

Msheireb construction gathers pace

sheireb Properties announced last month that it has appointed a consortium of Arabtec Construction as the main contractor for Phase 2 of Msheireb Downtown Doha, the QR20 billion regeneration of the commercial centre of the Qatari capital. The QR2.3 billion contract involves the construction of a built-up area of approximately 370,000 square metres comprising 10 buildings between 2 and 19 storeys high as well as 4-5 basement levels. “The pace of construction at Msheireb Downtown Doha continues to accelerate and the involvement of Arabtec further asserts our commitment to the highest standards of quality, reliability and sustainability,” said Mohammad Al Marri, Chief Officer for Design and Delivery at Msheireb Properties. The portfolio of Arabtec includes office towers, hotels, residences and villa projects, universities and airports in the Gulf and countries outside the region. The MGallery hotel will be the first in the GCC region and its design will be inspired by Qatari heritage. The phase also includes a purpose-built mall covering around 42,000 square metres over four levels. The mall will account for almost 45% of the total retail space within the Msheireb Down-

QGBC makes strong green commitments

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In Numbers

99 The mixed-use Msheireb

Downtown Doha Phase 2 will HAVE 99 residential units town Doha project. Besides 100 stores, it will include an anchor supermarket chain, a food court catering to more than 500 diners, a cinema and a major department store. QNBN and Msheireb Properties also signed an agreement to provide Qatar a nationwide

atar Green Building Council (QGBC) drew attention to an array of green initiatives at the Qatar Sustainability Expo, which ran alongside the UN Climate Change Conference in Doha (COP18/CMP8). The council, established in 2009 to steer Qatar’s booming construction business towards environmentally sustainable practices, is showcasing its recently-launched Baytna project, which will create Qatar’s first Passivhaus, amongst other initiatives. “QGBC aims to promote and raise awareness of environmentally and socially re-

3,102 parking spaces, as well as commercial, retail, hotel, hospitality and community-based facilities.

state-of-the-art fiber optics infrastructure. Under the new agreement, Qnbn will equip Msheireb Downtown Doha with a future ready network that is capable of sustaining IP based high speed broadband, communication, multimedia and television services. sponsible building practices for Qatar,” said Meshal Al-Shamari, Director of QGBC. “Our presence at the Qatar Sustainability Expo is an opportunity not only to engage the industry, but also to spark new dialogue amongst the local community.” QGBC’s innovative display stand at the Doha Exhibition Center has itself attracted considerable interest from visitors. It is made from low-carbon eco-friendly plastic wood composite, supplied by Qatar Plastic Products Company (QPPC), in a shared commitment to minimise the impact of production on the surrounding environment.

ADVERTISING AGE

arab snippets

GCC growth to remain stable in 2013

itch Ratings forecasts that economic growth in the GCC would remain solid in 2013, yet comparatively slower than that seen in previous years due to a moderation of the increase of oil production. Yet, sustained high oil prices and output would provide a supportive backdrop for another year of strong non-oil growth. According to the agency, GCC countries will still be heavily impacted by global oil prices which would average $ 100 per barrel in 2013 despite the relatively weaker demand outlook. As most GCC exporters aside from Saudi Arabia are operating at close to capacity, there is little

scope to raise output after the hikes over 2011 and 2012. Fitch Ratings indicated that many governments within the GCC would still inject their substantial oil revenues to stimulate their economies. According to the same source, Qatar would remain the fastest growing of all GCC sovereigns in 2013, driven by the government’s significant capital investment programme. Growth will also be strong where fiscal stimulus is combined with healthy rates of bank lending and buoyant consumer and business confidence, as is the case in Saudi Arabia and Oman. With regards to Bahrain, Fitch sees that political uncertainty is still clouding the country’s outlook despite the higher AFP PHOTO/KARIM SAHIB

kuwait

government spending that boosted real growth in 2012. This is also the case of Kuwait which might be impacted by adverse political developments. Although there is little fiscal impulse in the UAE, the non-oil economy will pick-up owing to a renewed influx of businesses and residents. For all GCC sovereigns apart from Bahrain, Fitch foresees that fiscal and current account surpluses would further strengthen sovereign balance sheets and external positions. The agency expects the benign global inflationary environment to be sufficient to offset most domestically-driven price pressures and keep inflation in the region relatively subdued. UAE

Brand New

First Estidama project

KUWAIT, KUWAIT CITY : Kuwaiti Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Thekra al Rashidi chats with MPs during the opening session of the newly elected parliament in Kuwait City on December 16, 2012. The new parliament, almost entirely dominated by pro-government MPs, was elected on December 1 amid a massive boycott by the opposition in protest at the government’s amendment of Kuwait’s electoral law.

Movie Magic

AFP PHOTO/YASSER AL-ZAYYAT

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, Dubai : Bahraini actress Haifa Hussein poses for a picture with her husband, fellow actor Habib Ghallum during the Dubai International Film Festival on December 9, 2012.

he 1,022-villa Al Ain Ghareba scheme, being built by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) and the developer Sorouh, is part of the first Emirati housing project designed to comply with the Government’s environmental Estidama standards. “With the Estidama villa prototype in Al Ghareba we are implementing principles that are imperative for sustainable community development,” says Mohamed Al Khadar, the Executive Director for development review and Estidama at UPC, at the new villa’s unveiling. “By building sustainable homes that comply with the Estidama Pearl rating system requirements, we not only create healthier, resource-efficient, comfortable and environmental-friendly communities, but villa owners may see a better return on their investment,” he said.

AFP PHOTO/TED ALJIBE

world view

Nature strikes yet again PHILIPPINES, Boston: This photo taken on December 10, 2012, shows destroyed houses in the town of Boston in Davao Oriental province after Typhoon Bopha hit the province on December 4. The death toll from the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year has topped 1,000 and could still rise sharply, the government said on December 16, 2012.

Innocent Lives lost UNITED STATES, NEWTOWN: Children and their family pay tribute to the victims of an elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 15, 2012. A young gunman slaughtered 20 small children and six teachers on December 14 after walking into a school in an idyllic Connecticut town wielding at least two sophisticated firearms.

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AFP PHOTO / CARL COURT

world view

And a win... JAPAN, Tokyo: Former Tokyo governor and Japan Restoration Party leader Shintaro Ishihara poses before his party logo mark after winning a seat in parliament in the general election in Tokyo on December 16, 2012. Japan’s conservative opposition swept to victory in polls on December 16, broadcasters said, in an apparent shift to the right as tensions rise with China and the economy continues to stumble.

A different hat

AFP PHOTO / RIE ISHII

UNITED KINGDOM, London: Sikh Scots Guards soldier Jatenderpal Singh Bhullar marches past prior to a changing of the guard ceremony outside Buckingham Palace in central London on December 13, 2012. Jatenderpal Singh Bhullar became the first guardsman to parade outside Buckingham Palace wearing a turban instead of the bearskin.

AFP PHOTO/Emmanuel DUNAND

Voting for change again? EGYPT, Cairo: An Egyptian woman casts her vote in a referendum on a new constitution at a polling station in central Cairo on December 15, 2012. Egypt’s opposition cried fraud in the first round of a divisive referendum on a new constitution, accusing President Mohamed Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood of rigging votes to adopt the Islamist-backed text.

AFP PHOTO/MAHMUD KHALED

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Connecting Cars Digital Technology on the Road

Wireless connectivity is rapidly expanding beyond mobile devices, bringing the benefits of digital technology to many aspects of consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lives.

TODAYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

near ubiquitous connectivity and faster develop the right business model, and partnerships to provide speeds have created an era in which ev- the end-to-end innovative services that consumers and busieryday objects and machines are wire- nesses expect. In particular, telecom companies will need to lessly linked to the Internet, trans- determine their growth strategy based on their core capabilities forming them into intelligent devices exchanging real-time and their positioning in the overall M2M ecosystem. They will information. The connection of passenger cars to the Internet is have to develop right-to-win capabilities including vertical inthe next digital wave, a development that will provide important novation, solutions development and management, end-to-end opportunities for Middle East governments, telecom operators, horizontal platforms, and commercialisation. Some of these capabilities can be achieved through internal development. Others automotive players, and insurance companies. may require acquisitions or creating colConnected devices are possible belaborative business partnerships of a kind cause of machine-to-machine (M2M) that are very different to the contractual communications. M2M uses wireless relationships that currently exist. data networks, sensors, and software to By building these capabilities, telecom conduct remote monitoring, measurecompanies will be able to deliver on the ment and condition recording, in-field two sets of services required by connected data collection, and other sophisticated cars: core and value added. Core services processes. This eliminates once manual, the M2M market is estimated include fleet management, usage-based time-consuming work and minimises to reach over QR2.2 billion ($2 insurance, driver intelligence, and road human intervention. tolling. Fleet management is the biggest Within automotives, M2Mâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential billion) by 2016, representing segment today. It is also one of the first is considerable. M2M provides drivers 6.1% of the global M2M market, successful services in the automotive with connected cars fitted with in-vehicle driven mainly by the demand of M2M market because of its significant applications, turning a transport machine cost benefits to companies. Companies into a social, intelligent, and interactive new vertical service use this service to improve utilisation and device. Already drivers do not have to read tracking of their fleet vehicles, which can maps and plan journeys. They can just reduce costs by optimising route manageput a destination into their GPS and start ment and enhancing fleet security. Usagedriving. Similarly, traffic management based insurance service allows insurance tools employ M2M technology to control companies to analyse driving data of traffic volume and speed, a process that policy holders and lower costs by customising insurance previously required lengthy data collection and analysis. Unsurprisingly, the M2M market is expanding rapidly. In the coverage to match driving patterns and habits. Middle East and North Africa (MENA), it is estimated to reach over QR7.2 billion ($2 billion) by 2016, representing 6.1% of the Safety can also be undertaken global M2M market, driven mainly by the demand of new vertical Similarly, driver intelligence services can monitor the driving beservices. Automotive M2M services are expected to have a large haviour of new, young drivers along with older ones. Insurance share of this new revenue by 2016, with 12 million automotive companies can then personalise premia based on driving behaviour rather than age alone. Also, parents can receive reports M2M connections, up from just three million in 2012. Such rapid growth presents companies with a tantalising op- on the driving behaviors of their teenagers. Finally, road tolling portunity. To successfully enter the market, however, they must services allow customers to pay tolls through devices attached to

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vie w point

their cars, based on their geographic location (geo-fencing). This allows governments, highway, and road operators to reduce costs associated with building and maintaining road toll stations, and saves time for drivers. Value-added services include driving and green reports, navigation and mapping, remote vehicle diagnostic, weather and traffic reporting, and social media connectivity. Remote diagnostics can allow manufacturers to monitor vehicles, notify owners of upgrades, and identify issues before they become serious and demand costly recalls. Another value-added service, social media connectivity, means that drivers can locate friends or make restaurant bookings from their vehicles. In addition, cars will be able to talk to each other and share information, such as traffic status and driver profiles. With support from governments, insurance companies, automotive players, and technology vendors such value-added services are becoming integral to connected cars in both developed and developing nations. Although few of these services are on offer in the MENA region, providing them will be an important part of the growth in the automotive M2M market. The challenge will be to elaborate the correct business and distribution models. In terms of business models, successful automotive M2M providers are increasingly subsidising the cost of devices and set-up fees to promote device penetration in the market. These firms lease device to users, or provide them for free and only charge a

monthly subscription. This technique is facilitating the entrance of telecom operators into the automotive M2M market as they master the monthly subscription fees models - a departure for telecoms players used to annual contracts. Another model, used for road tolling services, is pay-per-usage which charges a commission for each toll payment or for the distance driven. Distribution models The first is a business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) or business-to-government-to-consumer (B2G2C) model that distributes products to insurance companies, telecom operators, or governments which then provide the M2M services to fee-paying customers. In the alternative model, business-to-consumer-tobusiness (B2C2B), the automotive M2M provider sells devices directly to consumers. The consumers use the devices to produce driving reports that they share with insurance companies to obtain better rates. Automotive M2M services in the Middle East are a growth market thanks to the new digitisation trends that are driven by government initiatives, combined with growing demand from Generation-C and enterprise customers. As part of their digital agenda, telecom operators in the region can grab the first mover advantage if they move fast to build the correct capabilities, partnerships, and models that will help transform our cars into the next digital device

Visit

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

By Bahjat El-Darwiche, Partner and Bassam Hajhamad, Principal, with Booz & Company

About Booz & Company: Booz & Company is a leading global management consulting firm, helping the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

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A platform for sustained growth With the 2022 FIFA World Cup acting as a catalyst for a host of major development projects, the last 11 months has seen the Qatari economy continue to perform strongly. Despite a reduction in growth from the record levels of 2011 (when GDP hit 20%), the economy is forecast to post a robust 6.2% for 2012, according to the Qatar Economic Outlook – still stronger than most developed economies and those of its neighbours.

Indeed,

2012 has been a year of consolidation, with long-term infrastructure projects moving forward to ensure a decade of good growth before 2022. Furthermore, 2012 has seen a number of positive developments in the non-hydrocarbons sector, laying a firm foundation for a gradual transition away from the traditional dependence on these finite resources. At the macro-level, three key themes have emerged over the last year. First, oil has performed well, with prices much higher than expected, while gas production rose from an average of 989,000 barrels per day (bpd) in 2011 to 1.03 million bpd in 2012. Of course, hydrocarbons continued to provide the lion’s share of the state’s growth (Liquefied Natural Gas alone contributes around 40% of state revenue) - a contribution which, far from dwindling in 2012, was boosted further by the high oil prices. It is widely assumed that the government based its budget for the period 2011-12 on a price of $55 (QR200) a barrel, but in 2012 crude averaged over $95 (QR345) a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. However, despite the dominance of hydrocarbons, a broader look at contributors to GDP shows a second theme – the improved performance of non-hydrocarbons. According to the Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA), hydrocarbons edged up by 0.8% year-on-year in Q2 2012, but the smaller non-hydrocarbons sector posted 8.5% growth. Moreover, the share of oil and gas in overall GDP shrank to 43.4% in the second quarter of 2012, compared with 58% in 2011. This expansion in non-hydrocarbons is chiefly driven by a rapidlygrowing construction industry, which despite being hit by the ongoing high cost of input materials, is showing itself to be a valuable contributor to economic growth. Third, both hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbons growth has put the economy in an extremely good position going forward, generating a budget surplus of around QR58 billion ($15.93 billion), according to Qatar National Bank. Indeed, the Ministry of

Finance has revised its budget, and will increase funding for major infrastructure projects by 25% in the fiscal year 2012-13. This budget allocates QR62 billion to major projects being constructed in preparation for Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup, including the New Doha International Airport and the new metro system in Doha, which is set to become operational in 2016. Meanwhile, Qatar’s education sector will receive QR22 billion in funding, housing QR7.1 billion and the health care sector QR14 billion. Infrastructure upgrades are clearly at the top of the government’s agenda in the run up to 2022 – and is widely expected to remain so up until the first match kicks off. Enviromental concern The environment has benefitted hugely from increased state funding. In 2012, a number of projects were advanced that are set to reduce environmental impact of electricity generation and water consumption. To prevent a crisis in water provision as the population continues to grow (average growth has been 7% since 1995, according to the QSA), Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation announced in March that spending on water and energy projects will increase, in line with previous years. Spending has risen from QR6.2 billion ($1.7 billion) in 2011 to QR8.7 billion ($2.4 billion) in 2012, and will further rise to QR11.65 billion ($3.2 billion) in 2013. Indeed, although there are currently no large renewable energy plants, the Ministry of Energy is planning to tender its first solar power project in the first quarter of 2013; something many hope will be the start of further similar developments. One other area of the economy that has seen notable developments in 2012 is the state’s sovereign wealth fund, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). The number of acquisitions over the last 11 months has been staggering. Qatar Holdings, the investment arm of QIA, now has a significant stake in a number of foreign firms, adding oil (Total) and power (Iberdrola) to its already sizeable portfolio

online www.qatartodayonline.com

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

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COP18 “...If not us, then who? If not now, then when? If not here, then where?” Naderev SaLead, lead negotiator, the Philippines.

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was about moving forward on a trajectory towards adopting a universal climate agreement by 2015 – rather than immediately raising ambition as demanded by many young people and non-Governmental Organisations. Delegates arrived in Doha with the objective of adopting a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol. “COP18 was very much about addressing the cost of climate change and, in particular, making progress on long-term funding to support action in developing countries, which is supposed to reach a level of $100 billion (QR364 billion) a year by 2020, as agreed in Copenhagen in 2009,” explains the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in its final report. The “Doha Climate Gateway” decisions adopted on the final evening of negotiations

included amendments to the Kyoto Protocol to establish its second commitment period. Key elements of the outcome also included agreements to consider loss and damage, “such as” institutional mechanism to address loss and damage in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. “While developing countries and observers expressed disappointment with the lack of ambition in outcomes on Annex I countries’ mitigation and finance,” says the report, “most agreed that the conference had paved the way for a new phase, focusing on the implementation and advancement of the outcomes from previous negotiations.” The IISD report continues: “It has been clear for some time that ensuring a ‘seamless transition from the first to the second

doha provides

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gateway for

change In a united bid to control global warming, nearly 200 countries agreed over talks to extend the Kyoto Protocol – a treaty that limits the greenhouse gas output of some rich countries, but will ultimately only cover around 15% of global emissions. In light of the low expectations at the outset, where are we post-Doha in relation to cleaner and more sustainable world?

commitment period’ would not be enough to guarantee ambitious emission reductions. The first commitment period included binding targets for 37 industrialised countries and the EU to achieve average emission reductions of 5% below 1990 levels in 20082012, a figure that was far from ambitious when it was adopted in 1997. By 2005, when the Kyoto Protocol was established, many already accepted the fact that the US would never ratify it. However, they probably did not expect that some of the key Kyoto Protocol parties would jump ship, as Japan, Canada, New Zealand and the Russian Federation did, by refusing to take on commitments in the second commitment period. This, coupled with the fact that under the Kyoto Protocol major developing countries, such as China-currently the world’s highest emitter – do not have commitments, means that in 2012, the Kyoto Protocol only covers about 15% of global GHG emissions. “With the adoption of a second commitment period, the fears of many that instituphotos Courtesy of IISD/Earth Negotiations Bulletin

tions, common accounting rules and flexibility mechanisms developed under the Kyoto Protocol would collapse can be assuaged. However, some Annex I parties have been accused of only wanting to “cherrypick” from elements of the Kyoto Protocol, such as the market mechanisms, which have spawned burgeoning carbon industries back home. Agreeing on the eligibility criteria for participating in the Protocol’s flexibility mechanisms, including the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), occupied a great deal of delegates’ time in Doha. Parties eventually agreed that only those Annex I parties taking on commitments will be able to trade (“transfer and acquire”) carbon credits generated through the flexibility mechanisms during the second commitment period,” says the report. The IISD report concludes that Doha was able to deliver on the Kyoto protocol mandate, with parties agreeing that the second commitment period can be provisionally applied from January 2013. However, it is well-

known that the average 18% emission reduction by Annex I parties from 1990 levels in 2013-2020 is not nearly enough to put the world on track to avoid the 2°C temperature increase limit. Success or not? With such low expectations ahead of the congress, had the hosts the luxury of breezing through the fortnight without feeling any real pressure to beat expectations? It is incumbent upon the presidency to push for the maximum, but Jonathan Smith, key advisor says that reaching a balanced outcome is nearly impossible. Even the president of COP18 said: “I am not saying what is in store is a perfect package. Perfection is just a concept. If great minds like Plato and Socrates were in the COP presidency, I assure that even they would not been able to deliver a perfect COP 18 package.” However Smith counters: “COP18/CMP8 was a highly successful round on two fronts: (Continued on page 38)

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AAU Credits can’t be carried over

etween 2005 and 2012, many countries managed to cut their emissions by more than they had promised, giving them a surplus of emissions permits, known as Assigned Amount Units (AAU). If these AAUs were carried over into the second commitment period, it could have hugely reduced the effectiveness of the entire agreement, as the extra permits will allow certain countries to increase emissions levels and use their surplus. “Without doubt, the most drama in Doha unfolded over the use of excess Assigned Amount Units (AAUs),” says the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)’s final report. “Parties that have AAUs to spare because of emission reductions above their Kyoto commitments are permitted to sell the excess units to other countries. However, these surplus AAUs are mostly ‘hot air’ units that do not represent real mitigation efforts but are due to the economic decline experienced

“[COP19/CMP8] was a success in the sense that the Kyoto Protocol was extended. However many questions still remain to be answered, and in particular on the finance front, where money is still scarce for the developing world. Doha’s logistical organisation was outstanding, but politically it was not as optimal, and that probably explains the lack of interest from delegates coming to Doha less than 10,000 and the media less than 700.” Michael Mathres, Co-Founder & Director, World Climate Limited - Green Business Generation

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during the transition to a market economy by a number of countries, such as Russia, Ukraine and Poland. The final ‘wrangling’ took place on the final afternoon between those wanting to limit the use of excess AAUs to ensure the ‘environmental integrity’ of the emission reduction commitments put forward and those arguing that ‘overachievement’ of commitments should not be punished by a limitation in the use of AAUs. Russia, Ukraine and Belarus attempted to block the adoption of the Kyoto protocol outcome during the CMP closing plenary, but the COP President gaveled its adoption before appearing to notice Russia’s raised flag. “A round of applause welcomed the adoption of the decision,” continued the report, “which limits the amount of surplus AAUs that can be used. It also made many wonder whether this was becoming a trend in the climate negotiations – as many have repeated, consensus does not mean the right of one party to block progress.”

“The second commitment phase of the Kyoto Protocol is the priority in Doha. Not only in the near term, but also because it is the only legallybinding instrument we have that creates conditions for developing countries to lower mitigation. The extremely important decision in Durban to move forward does not eliminate the need to work through specific details. Conditions are clearly there for us to have an agreement, but we must have serious discussion to ensure KP2 in Doha. It is a clear deliverable, but we have to work to get it.” AndrÈ denbreit Carvalho, Head of the Division of Climate, Ozone and Chemical Safety, Brazilian Ministry of External Relations

“I’ve worked on policy throughout my career and I can honestly say that I’ve never seen a leader of the rank and experience of President Al-Attiyah dedicate the tireless hands-on time that he did during these sessions. Shepherding the will of the parties to a successful conclusion in this particular year with this particular list of work required the kind of patience and political know-how that I think very few could deliver. It was an incredible thing to witness.” Jonathan Smith, Senior Advisor to the Chairman Sustainability and Strategic Communications Qatar National Food Security Programme the Office of HH the Heir Apparent.

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“The news the Kyoto Protocol is continuing - or the ‘second wave’ - has been the culmination of seven years of hard work and it’s important news for the participating countries who have made vast collective efforts to reduce global warming. However, it is disappointing those governments who have signed up to the second period of the Kyoto Protocol, which will run from January 2013 - 2020, only account for 15 per cent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, while the first period covered 33 per cent of the world’s emitters. Also, during the second period there will be no involvement from the world’s biggest emitters China and the United States.”

“Among the bright spots of the COP18 were the agreement to continue negotiations on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, which would sustain an important framework for committing emissions reductions, and a broad statement in support of adaptation financing. Like COP17 and Rio+20, the Doha talks were marked by a significant presence and voice from business. Those who are disheartened by the achievements made at Doha might find some reassurance in the fact that more and more companies are taking the problem of climate change seriously, and that national governments are moving ahead with strong climate policies even in the absence of a global policy deal.” David Pearson Global Leader for Sustainability, Deloitte

Charles Stephenson, CEO of Dubai-headquartered sustainable investment group, Advanced Global Trading.

Research Institute announced at COP18

atar Foundation, in partnership with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), officially announced the creation of a pioneering Climate Change Research Institute and a Global Climate Change Forum to be based in Qatar. QF’s motivation for creating the Qatar Climate Change Research Institute (CCRI) and the Global Climate Change Forum stems from a national commitment to tackle the impacts of climate change and advance the science and technology available to address this global challenge. The Institute, the first of its kind in the region, will seek to fill critical gaps in research on mitigation, adaptation and climate resiliency for key regions such as tropics, sub-tropics and dry lands. As a nation uniquely situated within the harsh demands of a coastal dry land eco-system, Qatar is perfectly positioned for this work. Its recent rapid economic and urban development also serve as an ideal setting for cross-cutting research needed by nations and population centres struggling to find balance between rapid growth and proactive policies on climate and sustainability. Professor Hans

Joachim Schellnhuber, Founding Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, said: “The ground-breaking initiatives that we are announcing reveal our shared belief in the critical importance of science-based action. Solutions have to be found urgently in order to prevent dangerous global warming from happening and to make countries like Qatar climate-smart.” The new CCRI will operate at the crossroads between the natural and social sciences, while building on the work of other leading institutions. Some of the important research topics that will be tackled by the new institute will include extreme events, water systems, ecosystems, food production, public health, and sustainable urban development. Another key effort of this partnership, the Global Climate Change Forum will provide a platform for like-minded countries to work together and create innovative climate change strategies. The forum will supplement ongoing official UNFCCC negotiations and discussions by paving the way for an alliance of pioneers to implement new approaches based upon cutting-edge science.

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CO P 1 8 The UN Climate Change Conference (COP18/ CMP8) held at Doha has given an important platform for various global leaders to take necessary steps in response to the climate change. The conference has come out with “Doha Climate Gateway” which will push forward the solutions to climate change. Governments have agreed to speed up efforts toward a universal climate change agreement to be adopted by 2015, and to find ways to scale up efforts before 2020 beyond the existing pledges to curb emissions . Governments have agreed to deliver scaled-up climate finance and technology to developing countries. They have endorsed the selection of the Republic of Korea as the location of the Green Climate Fund which is expected to commence work in second half 2013 and launch by 2014. Governments have launched a process to review the long-term temperature goal which will start in 2013 and conclude by 2015. It will give indicators on the advance of the climate change threat and the possible need to mobilize further action. A roadmap has been established to provide the most vulnerable populations with better protection against loss and damage caused by slow onset events such as rising sea levels.

Dr R Seetharaman, CEO, Doha Bank

“COP18 achieved a small step forward in terms of the negotiation outcome, but a big step forward in terms of impact on the region. What is important of holding the UN climate negotiations in Qatar is bringing the climate change debate into the heart of the region, where understanding of climate change is the lowest. Because of COP18, climate change was discussed on all levels, communities, businesses, and governments. The Qatar Presidency also supported mobilisation on climate change, where they funded the participation of more than 100 Arab youth from across the region in the conference. They also organised a number of awareness activities to increase the engagement of communities and businesses in this issue. Qatar also brought three other governments from the region (Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain) to commit together to climate action. Finally, Qatar established the Climate Research Institute and an annual Forum on climate change. These two institutions will ensure that the climate debate remains in the region. Therefore, overall, the conference was a success. Although Qatar has little experience in the climate negotiations and had very short time to prepare, it still was able to ensure that the process continues by having an outcome agreed, even if it was a weak outcome. It is possible that a more engaged Presidency could have achieved a stronger outcome of the negotiations, but on the long-term increasing the urgency around climate change in the Arab region is more important than achieving a stronger outcome.”

Wael Hmaidan Director, Climate Action Network - International (CAN-I)

From a policy standpoint, it posed an unprecedented challenge with seven ‘bodies’ meeting (the most ever), to agree on three main negotiating tracks. Despite the complex nature of the discussions, Doha delivered on all fronts and we were able to establish a balanced agreement known as the ‘Doha Climate Gateway’. “In terms of the main agenda items in front of us, COP18 has secured a historic second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol. We also closed out the work of the All Party Working Group on Long Term CoOperative Action (the AWG-LCA for short). We have also laid out a clear work plan for a universal agreement on climate change for 2020 that will be agreed in 2015. Beyond this, Doha also set a very important precedent for poor and vulnerable countries that they can be compensated for the ‘loss and damage’ caused by climate change,” he said. Smith said that the congress was merely

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an “implementation round” from the outset and Doha succeeded in fulfilling that objective which was an achievement in itself seeing as how the ‘party-driven’ process was made up of 194 nations with complicated and often competing priorities. Our primary goals are to sort out and establish global agreements that create frameworks for cooperation and action and then strive to implement the measures that deliver locally appropriate responses and solutions. “The Doha Climate Gateway will prove to be a critical and important step towards putting in place a more effective framework and toolkit,” said Smith. “ It’s not nearly as glamorous as marching out with a headline promising that the world has agreed to dramatic leaps forward, but for those who work on these issues, the agreement reached in Doha delivered what was needed in this round in order to make meaningful progress as a body of nations.”

Regional agreement In a great moment for the GCC, a policy legacy was created which extends beyond the agreements reached at the conference. “Qatar can take great pride that, on the last day of the conference, it made a joint submission, along with the Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, filing a pioneering pledge on national actions on climate change,” said Smith. “This joint filing represents a significant shift in regional engagement under the convention and was heralded by key states in the negotiations as a critical new chapter in how developing nations lead the process. This formal submission wrapped up a week of exciting announcements by Qatar including a partnership between Qatar Foundation and the renowned Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research to establish a Climate Research Institute and a Global Forum on Climate Change in Qatar.

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Modest

prorgess

not

enough “The snail’s pace of the global political process on climate change frustrates many, but I predict it will accelerate sharply in the next three years.”

Yvo de Boer, Special Global Advisor, Climate Change and Sustainability, KPMG.

the run up to COP18, KPMG’s Special Global Advisor on Climate Change and Sustainability, Yvo De Boer hoped that the congress would “create more clarity on what it is we are working towards and to formulate that in legal terms”. This, he said, would help lay the foundations for future assemblies. He sums up his reaction to the congress. If there is one word that sums up the achievements of the recent UN climate talks in Doha, it is “modest”. It is little wonder that we are seeing that word time and again in media coverage of the event. Let’s start with the good news. The most important outcome is the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol, the legally-binding global agreement under which some countries had agreed to reduce their carbon emissions. This agreement was due to expire at the end of 2012, placing a question mark over the future of carbon trading and market-based mechanisms such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Delegates in Doha managed to agree a second period for the Protocol until 2020, albeit with a smaller group of countries involved, including the EU and Australia but not Canada, Russia or Japan. The countries still signed up for the Protocol account for only 15% of global emissions, which is disappointing. Global Carbon Market But, on the bright side, a continuation of the Kyoto Protocol provides ongoing policy direction to businesses based in those countries. It also leaves the infrastructure for carbon trading and market-based mechanisms in place. This is important, because I believe the world

is inching towards a global carbon market. Australia’s trading system is due to link with the EU’s in 2015 and there is talk of further links to come potentially involving China, Korea and others. By saving Kyoto, negotiators have avoided putting a massive crater in the road to a global carbon market. The fact that the Kyoto Protocol will now run until 2020 means that it is due to complete at the same time that a new global deal on emissions reduction – agreed in Durban last year – is due to take effect. We still have no real idea of what form that deal will take. The wording is fuzzy. It could be a “protocol”, “another legal instrument” or “an agreed outcome with legal force”. Doha did nothing to improve clarity around this but it did at least set out a timetable for working towards the new deal which is supposed to be agreed by the end of 2015. Flickers of hope The signals to business are that we are still heading, slowly, towards some sort of global agreement on climate action. Importantly, this will involve all countries including the high-emitting emerging economies such as China and India that were not part of the Kyoto Protocol. The snail’s pace of the global political process on climate change frustrates many, but I predict it will accelerate sharply in the next three years. There will be increasing world focus on the fact that the global aim of limiting average temperature rises to 20C now seems almost impossible. Organisations including the World Bank and the International Energy Agency are making it quite clear that we are on course for temperature rises of 40C or more by the end of the century. While Doha did not deliver any increased commitments from major emitters, it did recognise the need for greater ambition. There will now be a review of the long-term temperature goal, intended as a “reality check”. The review is due for completion by 2015, so its findings can feed in to the final decisions on the new global deal. Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary General, has announced that he will organise highlevel talks in 2014, recognising that the engagement and commitment of world leaders is essential to achieving real progress. And let us not forget that the UN-established climate science body, the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, is due to publish its next reports in 2013 and 2014. My conversations with scientists working on that report make me think that report will make frightening reading. A meeting of world leaders in the wake of that report might just create the new political momentum needed in the run-up to the crucial climate conference of 2015

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Holding the baton of climate

change That the COP18 negotiations didn’t make any phenomenal announcements was expected but that it paved the way for a new global climate agreement to be finalised in 2015 and enabled a second period of the Kyoto Protocol to start on 1 January 2013 came as a welcome respite.

by S I NDHU NAI R

FOR journalists in the region, the fact that COP18 brought experts in the field of climate change was putative but getting the opportunity to talk to the inspiring ones was a dream come true. One such opportunity was when Qatar Today got to speak to Connie Hedegaard, EU’s first ever Commissioner for Climate Action. Before she took on this role Hedegaard was the Danish Minister for the Environment from two terms from 2004 to 2009. In 2007 she was in charge of setting up the Danish Ministry of Climate and Energy, where one of her main tasks was to prepare the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009.

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Having held the baton of responsibility of the Copenhagen COP talks, Hedegaard is not new to the strain involved in organising and bringing the parties to get to a conclusion. “The run-up to the Copenhagen climate summit and the negotiations to get everyone on board were without doubt a big challenge,” she said, “but I’m sure the government of Qatar knows what I am talking about!” The resolution of COP18 has given her grounds for optimism: “In Doha, we have crossed the bridge from the old climate regime to the new. We are now well on our way to the 2015 global deal. It was not an

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The EU’s climate policy is progressing well. Last year, the EU’s emissions were 18% below 1990 levels, whereas our economy grew by 46% over the same period.

bring us new economic growth and jobs – for example in the renewable energy, waste treatment and building sectors.

easy and comfortable ride. It was not a very fast ride either. But we have managed to cross the bridge. Very intense negotiations lie ahead of us. What we need now is more ambition and more speed.” In this exclusive interview she speaks about the tall ambitions set for the EU and how they intend to keep to it. According to your mandate as the EU Commissioner for Climate Action, you hope that by the end of your fiveyear term, Europe would be the most climate-friendly region in the world. How close are you to achieving this? Is this possible for countries experiencing

austerity? The EU’s climate policy is progressing well. Last year, the EU’s emissions were 18% below 1990 levels, whereas our economy grew by 46% over the same period. We are on track to achieve our 2020 climate and energy targets - reducing emissions by 20%, increasing the share of renewable in our energy mix to 20%; and a 20% energy efficiency gain. Thanks to these headline targets climate has not disappeared from the agenda despite austerity. In fact, I believe the only way forward is to address the economic, resources and climate crisis simultaneously. Moving to a low-carbon economy will not only reduce the resources bill, it will also

You were responsible for the Copenhagen meet in 2009. How different was it in Doha? International climate policies have moved forward since Copenhagen. More than 90 countries have made emissions reduction commitments. Significant progress has been made on climate finance, adaptation, technology, and increasing transparency. And the Durban conference, last year, we agreed that by 2015 all countries – both developed and developing countries, must commit and contribute to a legally-binding global climate agreement to enter into force in 2020. But we cannot wait until then: we must also strengthen emission reductions before 2020 to keep global warming below 20C. Since Copenhagen the gap between our efforts and the reality has become bigger too. I hope that the Doha conference will raise our joint ambition to address climate change without further delay. What are your thoughts on the Kyoto Protocol and the way to it being resolved? What is the role of EU in the next stage of the Kyoto Protocol? The EU is standing by the commitment it made last year in Durban to take on a binding emissions reduction target under the Kyoto Protocol’s second period. Having a second Kyoto period is part of the transition to the legally-binding global climate agreement covering all countries and will preserve the well-developed set of rules that the Protocol has established. However, the EU and the handful of other countries who have committed to a second Kyoto

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period only represent around 15% of global emissions and this share is shrinking. The other 85% must come forward too. There are many countries whose GDP per capita is higher than that of the EU – for example Qatar – which have not committed to an emission reduction target yet. If we are to stop accelerating climate change, the world will have to step up its collective efforts. In your tenure as the Environment Minister of Denmark what were your biggest challenges as the country led by you took strong steps in this direction? While I was environment minister, the Danish government took bold steps to transform Denmark into a climate and environment friendly society. For example, we decided to move to a fossil-fuel free society by 2050. One third of energy used in Denmark already comes from renewable energy. We believe that this can give an important push to our economy; we are world leaders in wind energy technology and other green technologies. How close are you to the aim of building an international carbon trading market? With the EU Emission Trading System, which covers more than 11,000 industrial

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and power installations in 30 European countries, we have created the world’s biggest international carbon market. Across the world an increasing group of countries are implementing or setting up carbon markets, including Australia, New Zealand, Korea, California and China. With Australia we have agreed on a plan to link our markets. And here at the negotiations in Doha, we are discussing the continuation of the Clean Development Mechanism and the setting up of a new market mechanism. Not only are carbon markets the most cost-efficient way of reducing emissions, they are also an important potential source of future climate finance. What has the EU and Denmark in particular done in the climate change scenario? Some tips for ME countries? I think there are two important lessons we have learnt in Europe. The first is that if you want to change behaviour, you have to put a price on pollution. That is the basis of the EU’s Emissions Trading System, where we put a price on every tonne of CO2 emitted by industrial and power installations. This gives companies a strong incentive to invest in emission reductions, while still ensuring flexibility through trading. The second lesson learnt is that targets help

governments and businesses to focus on emission reductions. For example, thanks to the emission and fuel targets for cars and vans, new cars in Europe currently emit a fifth less CO2 than ten years ago. This has ensured European car manufacturers are among the most competitive in the world. It was in your term as the Environment Minister that Denmark set a mandate with the aim to get half of its electricity from wind power by 2020. By 2050, the country’s goal is to become “a society free of coal, oil and natural gas”. Tell us how you went about it. Some lessons learnt and challenges scaled. The most important lesson is that making the transition to a climate and environment friendly society is doable, but it does not happen by itself. You need clear targets, incentives and pricing of pollution in order to get there. And you have to engage business to get them on board too. It is the same at these international negotiations here in Doha: everyone must act if we want to save the climate. But if you do it smartly, climate action is not only good for the environment. It can contribute to growth, the development of new markets and a cleaner environment for people to live in. It is about addressing climate, energy and economy at the same time.

listening post

A prisoner

of hope Treating global issues must feel like treating eye-brows. When you pull one hair, two more pop up in its place. However, Mary Robinson, who attended the recent COP18 congress on behalf of her foundation, feels she is bound to act on these issues by the clutches of hope. Rory Coen spoke to her about Qatarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s human rights issues, the mary robinson foundation for climate justice and the ongoing conflicts in the region.

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listening post

ollowing her Nelson Mandela lecture in South Africa earlier this year when Mary Robinson ruffled some feathers in the ruling African National Congress (ANC) Party regarding issues of corruption, she said she always understood that [the fight for] human rights is about speaking truth to power. “I was speaking as a true friend; tough love if you like,” she said. The former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights conceded that she could have highlighted more abuses of power from her regular visits to the country, but felt as an outsider it might not be her place; it was better to establish herself first as a friend and then do what a true friend does: be honest in assessment. Since joining the Silatech Foundation some time ago, Robinson has been spending more and more time in Qatar promoting the project. And whilst she is keen to observe how Qatar continues with its economic and social development, and commitment towards energy efficiency, she also feels that some darker issues are clouding the country’s image abroad. She didn’t need much encouragement to comment on Qatar’s much publicised human rights issues. “The conditions for migrants in the labour camps are not good,” she said. “Any migrants that I’ve talked to tell me they’re here because they have to be here. They’re not happy; they don’t believe this is a good place to be working, but they’ve no choice. “Qatar is branding itself, both politically and economically, as a player in this region. This treatment is going to undermine that sooner rather than later unless there’s an understanding that you cannot build your success on the backs of a modern form of bonded labour,” she said. Robinson empathised with the locals in so far as they had a right to protect their identity and culture in the midst of the massive influx of foreign workers, but she felt they should bend a little more to accommodate the people who are building the nation. “It’s simply an economic cost to make sure that the workers have the proper conditions and choices so they don’t have their passports removed and these other practices that we hear about,” she said. Climate Justice After leaving her post as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2002, Robinson learned she could achieve more “outside of the constraints that a multilateral organisation inevitably imposes”, where her outspoken views on civil liberties made her an “outsider” and an “awkward voice”. By setting up The Mary Robinson Foundation for Climate Justice (MRFCJ) in 2010,

she had the scope to push through her own agendas without being railroaded or sidetracked by political preferences. Her foundation looks crucially not at the subject of “climate change” but that of “climate justice” for those people vulnerable to the impacts of climate change that are usually forgotten – the poor, the disempowered and the marginalised across the world. Her primary focus during the COP18 sessions was to change the narrative regarding climate change and instead on focusing on the melting ice-caps and the rising water-levels, look at the poor and innocent female farmers in the fields who cannot fend for their families because of climate change. “We start from a human rights perspective as you might expect,” said Robinson, “looking at the injustices of those who are affected by climate change and the fact that they are the least responsible. It’s hurting poor communities all over the world, especially in poor, small island states and its undermining their ability to get access to food, water and health. It’s displacing huge numbers of people and it will predictably displace as many as 200 million by 2050 – and we don’t even have a framework to deal with it yet!” Robinson mentioned how the future of small island states was being compromised by climate change. Her foundation is all about getting justice to those who need it most and certainly some of these island states are living each day one at a time because of climate change. In a discussion “Avoiding a 4-Degree Warmer World: The Need for Global Action”, hosted by the World Bank and Qatar during COP18, officials from two island states in the Caribbean Sea were almost weeping as they made their presentations. A four-degree warmer world could ultimately see the world’s oceans rise to unprecedented levels and drown these island states forever. The Minister for Environment in Costa Rica, Rene Castro explained that participants at the congress were treated to CO2-neutral coffee from his country. By its nature, coffee is a product that has the potential to create a large negative environmental impact. Castro said that if Costa Rican delegates were coming to Qatar to plead for more sensitivity, then they would bring a tiny sample of what they were doing to reverse the trends; they would show some example and “walk the walk”. The Minister of Environment in Grenada, George Prime told his audience that two “one-in-50-year” hurricanes hit his island in 2004 and 2005 where total damage costs tallied to twice that of the country’s GDP. October’s Sandy was another reminder of how fragile their state is. Even if these island states reduced their carbon footprint to zero, their futures are out of their hands. It would ultimately depend on how the rest of the world reacts to the threat of climate change. So could their eventual demise be construed as “gang manslaughter”,

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listening post

profile: Mary Robinson was born in County Mayo, Ireland in 1944. She was the seventh and first female President of Ireland (1990-1997) and the second United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-2002). She has been sitting with the Elders since its foundation in 2007. She is Chair of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and is also a founding member and Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders. She established the Mary Robinson Foundation for Climate Justice (www.mrfcj.com) in 2010.

with no nation being held accountable? Where’s the justice in that? Equity-centric The MRFCJ is pushing for a people-centred approach to climate – to get it across that this is happening to the poorest and the most vulnerable now and there are very specific things that we can all do. More like Mary Poppins than Mary Robinson, she reeled off the world’s stakeholder’s responsibilities. “We need to ensure that there is equity right across the board,” she explained. “Starting with equity in mitigation - those most responsible must act much more ambitiously and take seriously their common but differentiated responsibilities. We know now that emerging economies are also big emitters so instead of pointing their finger at the [developed nations], they also have to take responsibility. “We also need equity in adaptation,” she continued. “We must realise the support that many developed countries give to developing countries is being undermined by the impacts of climate change that they are responsible for. There needs to be a focus on big money - new money for adaptation, which is already promised but it’s not enough. The ‘smart finance’ and the ‘100 billion-a-year by 2020’ deals may sound generous but when you look at how certain communities affected don’t have insurance and don’t have a Plan ‘B’, you understand that more money is needed. “Then we need equity in the transfer of technologies as part of the building of trust – the technologies that the rich world is developing should be made available to the rest of the world,” she said. Robinson

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recognised the work Qatar was doing in this space especially and highlighted how encouraged she was to hear Fahad bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, Chairman of the Organising Sub-Committee for COP18/CMP8 talk about how these Qatar’s technologies must be applied and made available for the poorer countries in this region “Finally,” she said, taking a breath, “we need more equity in finance, and I don’t think this will happen until we get a proper understanding that the real narrative is about people and how climate change is affecting them, including the stories of how they’re transitioning to climate compatible growth and development.” Hopes for the future Whilst climate justice is the focal point of the foundation’s principles, it is also trying to highlight other imbalances which it feels is retarding global progression and innovation. One of the aspects which it is working on is gaining a fairer gender balance in key committees and organisations. During Robinson’s campaign for the Irish presidency in 1990, she encouraged “Mná na hEireann” or the “Women of Ireland” to stand up and be counted. She has never let go of this particular baton. “We managed to get the [gender imbalance] decision adopted by the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI),” she said proudly. “We would not have been able to get that decision if the Qatar presidency hadn’t backed it. I met with the president of COP18, HE Abdullah bin Hamad AlAttiyah during gender day and I told him that we needed his support on the proposal and he said he would do the right thing. He referred it to the SBI and it was negotiated

– everybody wanted it to happen so we’re very proud.” Robinson is truly an individual with influence which is evidenced in her position on “The Elders” – an international nongovernment organisation of public figures noted as elder statesmen, peace activists and human rights advocates. At 68 years of age, she’s virtually a baby sitting alongside Nelson Mandela (94), Jimmy Carter (88), Fernando Cardoso (81) and Desmond Tutu (81). The 12-member group meet to discuss and recommend on salient global issues such as the political instability across the region. “We discuss these devastating conflicts a lot, and Lakhdar Brahimi (the UN peace envoy to Syria) broke down in tears when we turned to the situation [in Syria] in a recent discussion,” said Robinson. “There’s so much instability in the region and it’s very worrying – so much gender-based violence. When I think of what happened in [Goma, DR Congo] recently with the rebels coming in. I know what happens on the ground when there is this kind of movement of male militia. Women, including grandmothers and young girls, being raped and re-raped. It infuriates me that this kind of thing can happen.” She summed up her appreciation for the problems and issues the world is now facing – from the devastation in Syria to the threat of a four-degree warmer world – in a manner and method which only some people are blessed with. “I have adopted Archbishop’s Tutu’s way of saying this and he has been through a lot more than me,” she said with a sense of modesty, “I’m not an optimist, I’m a prisoner of hope”

listening post

the arab spring

revolutions Repercussions and the way forward The Islamists took the reins and became the leaders of the countries as an aftermath of the Arab spring revolutions. They did not come to power in a military coup. They were chosen by the people of the region through free elections. It is now time to see if they will keep to their promises and prove that their reform and development programmes are better than those of the former rulers. The persistent question that remains is whether the Islamists can deliver on objectives and values of freedom, justice and dignity of the Arab spring revolutions?

by e z d h a r i b r a h i m 5 2 Qatar Today

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an exchange with Qatar Today, Dr Abdulhamid Al Ansari, Islamic thinker and former Dean of Sharia and law faculty at Qatar University explains that there is a lot of work completed by the revolutionaries, but there’s more to do to realise their ideology. What were the underlying reasons for the Arab spring revolutions? First these were not revolutions as they didn’t match the concept of revolutions. They can be called popular uprising and protests; and the underlying factor behind them is an emotion of insult and humiliation on the part of the Arab citizen. It is not true that the reason was an economic one as many of these people have lived in worst conditions of poverty or under the line of poverty without rising against their autocratic regimes. Egypt, Tunisia or Libya flagrantly violated the dignity of their people, humiliated them, denied them their livelihood and destroyed their future. This was more than anything was a revolution for dignity. Dignity is a sublime human value. Allah almighty said we have honoured human beings. If human beings were content to live without dignity, there will be no reason for their existence. How then did the Islamists come to power? There are two reasons behind that: first, they are more organised. After the collapse of the incumbent regimes, the only obvious alternative was the existing groups of liberals, seculars and Islamists who are more organised and have the potential to attract people towards them. Secondly, the Islamists posed as victims who were subjected to prosecution and abuse, notwithstanding that they were not alone here. Left wingers and all those with consciences and free thought went through the same sacrifices in the fight for liberation. Can the Islamists who came to power through the Arab spring revolutions endorse the value of freedom, justice and dignity? Will the governments of the Islamists succeed in developing their societies and take them to prosperity? There are many challenges facing the post-Arab spring revolutions. I don’t think the Islamists have the required skills and experience for leadership. I have many reasons for this belief. Foremost, their governments are still guided by the (reaction) of vengeance, and they have not yet moved towards the (action) of creative development and growth. Moreover, the Islamist governments in the Arab Spring affected countries which don’t have real projects for development. They have said no more than rhetoric and theoretical thinking which cannot be translated into reality. They don’t have any experience being in power and they are ignorant about the art of managing political differences. Their best experiences are, lim-

ited to opposition. They are good at provoking the public and manipulating its sentiments through enthusiastic speeches. We as a nation are traditionally infatuated by zealous speeches with which get us instantly agitated. The Islamists, moreover, are not tolerant towards their political rivals whether they are salafis (fundamentalists) or liberals; they cannot maintain the minimum level of national accord that can pave the way for political and social stability conductive to further development and allowing cultural and artistic prosperity in the country. The Islamists are still more preoccupied with themselves than by the issues of their countries. They are preoccupied with empowering themselves and their supporters through acquisition and wide range encroachment in all institutions and posts. In Egypt, for example, (brotherhood) has become a reality that affirms that the Muslim brothers don’t forget prejudices. When the Islamists took power in the countries of the Arab Spring revolutions, anxiety was heightened that they may resort to undermine the fundamentals of the civil state for the benefit of the theocratic state. What are the main characteristics of the theocratic state and what are its dangers? All the existing civil states are Islamic states because their constitutions stipulate that their official religion is Islam, whose provisions are observed in all state institutions of the state, Sharia law is applied and Islamic principles are upheld in the daily life of the people. However, what we are talking about is the theocratic state which is different from the Islamic state. The first has a narrow understanding of Islam and an intolerant concept of it. Such states think that adopting Islamic rule means to apply doctrinal punishments. They are similar to the regime of Taliban or Boko Haram group and some extremist groups in Mali, Afghanistan and some parts of Africa. Iran is a Shiite version of theocratic state too. In my opinion the most distinct characteristics of the theocratic state compared to the civil state is the doctrine of Wilayat al Fakih (the leadership of a jurist). In the theocratic state, the leader and guardian is the just and capable jurist as in the Shiite case, and the guiding jurist in the Sunni case. The jurist is the one who decides, unopposed, what he sees fit in all the affairs of the society and the state, while the point of reference in the civil state is the constitution and parliament that represent the nation. In your opinion, what should be the Islamist’s code of conduct when they come to power? They should be courageous enough to be self-critical of the programmes, ideas, slogans and behaviour they advocated when they were in opposition on the seats of the opposition; recognise their

january 2013

Qatar Today 5 3

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Over the past ten years most of the terrorist acts were committed by fanatics, and their actions were not limited to the Islamic world but spread all over the world. I believe that the statement that says that most of the terrorists are Muslims is true, but I don’t think that all Muslims are terrorists. This doesn’t mean that Islam is a terrorist religion. Islam is a religion of tolerance. mistakes and failures and try to benefit from them and also learn from others. Today they speak about the respect of international conventions and agreements while, in the past, they against Israel and were demanding the cancelation or amendment of the Camp David agreement. They are also maintaining good relations with the West, while in the past they were considered as enemies. Today they are seeking close relations with the International Monetary Fund while earlier they prohibited interest rates as usury. They no longer disdain accepting arms and assistance from the USA. In the past they used to attack the regime of Hosni Mubarak and accuse him of dependence and subservience. This, in my opinion, is what they deserve to be commended for, whether these actions are dictated by necessity, adaptation to the balances of the current affairs, political pragmatism or care for the best interests of the nation. Having the courage to admit that the former slogans and hypothetical solutions of the political and economic problems is useless as there are no religious answers to the economic, political and social issues. Yes, there are religious and moral concepts of such problems but the solutions are the scientific ones. The Islamists don’t have anything to offer regarding the civil state, constitutions and systems of rule. Thus they have to admit that the national state which has been in existence for two centuries now in the region under the banner of the previous and present regimes is respectful of the principles and teachings of Islam and other religions, and is abiding by the Sharia law though marred by some omissions, failures, corruption and tyranny. The right way to rectify the long democratic and civil march is to intensify the democratic tendency, bolster the civil state rather than try to manufacture an illusory state that never existed in the Islamic history. How is this possible? They should be courageous enough to be truthful to the people who have the right to know about the realities. Speaking about

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the economic condition in Egypt, for instance, we find that 76% of the resources are devoured by the payroll, subsidies and instalments and interest to settle government loans; and unemployment, consumption and the increasing population. The people must be told frankly that continuing the policy of depending on borrowing, grants, assistance and charity cannot continue; and that printing banknotes without a real cover from productivity and hard work cannot help realise the objectives of the economic reform programme. The Islamists should admit that they don’t have an economic vision that is different from what the specialized experts have. They have to stop squandering time and resources in promoting new programmess claiming that the Islamic economic system is different from the international economic system. They should admit that the problems of authority are too complex to be tackled by one political faction. Thus the Islamists need to engage in a joint effort through national consensus inclusive of all inclinations without any exclusion, marginalisation or monopoly. This requires that they stop the policy of dominating the state’s institutions and resorting to contention rather than participation. There are real apprehensions in Egypt today regarding the invasion of the concepts of Muslim brotherhood of the educational curricula, the judiciary, the press and all major positions. Why is extremism and terrorism linked in Islam in people’s minds? Extremism and radicalism is not confined to the followers of a particular religion. It is there with the Jews, the Buddhists, the Sikh, the Christians and the followers of all creeds and with all races. However, we must differentiate between extremism as an action and extremism as a thought in the areas such as prohibiting all forms of music, films and technology. We respect the point of view of the extremist and support his freedom of speech and thought so long as it’s limited to the realm of thought. The

problem starts when he or she moves from thinking or theorising to take material action harmful to others. Terrorism is associated with Muslims because many violent actions in which the victims were Muslims were perpetrated by fanatic Muslims who followed the ideology of jihad (holy war) and martyrdom. Over the past ten years, all terrorist acts were committed by fanatical Muslims, and their actions were not limited to the Islamic world either. I believe that the statement that says that all terrorists are Muslims is true, but I don’t think that all Muslims are terrorists. This doesn’t mean that Islam is a terrorist religion. Islam is a religion of tolerance. The thing is that a segment of Muslim youth with aggressive thoughts have a misguided and distorted understanding the religion as a result of wrong education. This fanatical trend was further enhanced by religious platforms and satellite TV channels. Terrorism is not new. It is as old as the creation of mankind. What is the relationship between the political unrest in Kuwait and Islamic political expansion? Is the unrest in Kuwait part of the repercussions of the Arab spring revolutions? The opposition in Kuwait is using the support of the Islamic political expansion. It thinks that today is its best chance to benefit from such support to change the regime in Kuwait and ascend to power. They want to overthrow the ruling family and install a people’s government. They also hope to change the constitution in line with the tendencies of the peoples government, but they failed because they depended on the Kuwaiti people’s boycott of the elections of the national assembly which had a 50% turnout and a new assembly with a majority of youth members was formed. Women and minorities who were excluded won the membership of the assembly, and the opposition lost its role in the political scene. The Kuwaiti people became tired of contention that caused them to lag behind the march of progress and found a new approach to pass through to the future

cover story | women taking the lead

j a n u a r y 2 0 1 3 | Qatar Today

Women are becoming the new faces in business today, pushing their way into a manâ&#x20AC;&#x2030;s world. Qatar Today puts the spotlight on some of the leading businesswomen in the country and in the region. They tell us about the advantages, challenges and prospects of female businesswomen.

cover story | women taking the lead

Today,

Social enterprises are selfsustaining in that they don t really have to make a profit but generate some form of revenue that sustains it from day-to-day and allows it to grow to meet their own modest ambitions, Martin Roeske,

Chief Operating Officer, Silatech

women account for less than 10% of the 1,011 billionaires in the world just 14 of these are billionaires whose wealth is self-made. According to a recent CNN Money article, How One Billion Women Will Shake the Business , nearly one billion women will enter the global economy for the first time in the coming decade alone. The article calls these women entering business, the third billion as their economic impact will be just as significant as that of the billion-plus populations in China or India. While these women have been overlooked in many markets and actively suppressed in others, they are increasingly taking their place in the global economy, as both employees and entrepreneurs, says DeAnne Aquirre, the author of the article. As women join the business workforce, countries will see an increase in their gross domestic product (GDP). The article states that the UAE would see a boost of 12% in GDP, and Egypt’s economy would grow by 34%. Despite the enormous economic contribution of women entrepreneurs globally, the impact of female entrepreneurship in the MENA region remains overlooked and inadequately covered in the region. According to an Ernst & Young’s review, ‘Scaling Up’, women in the Middle East and South Asia are one of the most self-employed women in the world; however they are the least employed women. Research shows there is the growing body of strong female role models in the region. A greater number of women in the MENA region hold university degrees – 57% in Saudi

Arabia, 70% in the UAE and 70% in Qatar. However, only 20% of businesses in the MENA region are owned by women, and only about 9% of women in the MENA region start businesses, compared with 19% of men. There is a perception that women-owned businesses lag behind in professionalism and that many women-owned businesses are managed by men with female-ownership only in paper. Debunking these myths is Leila Hoteit, Principal with Booz & Company, and Mounira Jamjoom, Senior Research Specialist at Booz & Company s Ideation Centre, who say while female-owned firms are few in the region, they defy commonly held perceptions. Femaleowned firms are as well-established as maleowned firms. In Syria and Morocco, more than 65% of female-owned firms are managed by the owner, discrediting the myth that women are owners in name only. Female-owned firms offer good jobs and tend to hire more women. Workers in female-owned firms are about as educated and as skilled as those in other firms. In Egypt, for instance, 19% of workers in female-owned firms have professional competencies, compared with just 16% in male owned firms. Rachel Petero, the founder of Genviva and Women Leading Change Qatar (WLC Qatar), gives a country-perspective. She believes women in Qatar have great potential to be successful as entrepreneurs. “My niche market is Qatari Women and I love working with this dynamic group of trail-

j a n u a r y 2 0 1 3 | Qatar Today

The Forbes list Forbes named 2012 as the “year of the impact of women” as it has seen a rising tide of female entrepreneurs worldwide. From the MENA region, only three women made the Forbes list of The World s 100 Most Powerful Women of 2012: Shaikha Al Baha, the CEO of the Bank of Kuwait (at 85), Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the minister of foreign trade in the UAE (at 92), and Sheikha Mayassa Al Thani, the chair of the Museum of Islamic Arts of Qatar (at 100). Sheikha Mayassa, aged 29, is the youngest woman on the list.

blazers,” says Petero. “I am inspired by their hunger to learn as they qualify for Masters and PhDs all over the world. I am inspired by their strong family and the religious and cultural values that they balance with modernism. But most of all I am inspired by their openness to lead positive change for the good of their country.” WLC Qatar’s purpose is to support the development of future female leaders of Qatar through, Al Jiwan programme – meaning the perfect pearl – which launched in December in collaboration with UK-based Oxford Strategic Consulting and Qatar Chamber. At least 1,000 women in Qatar will experience world-class leadership development skills and techniques through the programme. In line with Qatar’s National Development Strategy, Al Jiwan will run for three years with its primary objective to positively impact the number of women in leadership roles by 30% in the next three years. According to Noureddine Daggou, Head of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) at Al Khaliji Bank, women tend to invest in businesses such as nurseries for young children, beauty showrooms, fashion houses, retail and advertising agencies. These businesses are general profit generating enterprises. However, Qatari businesswomen are also generally involved in social associations with local and regional scopes, he says. These social businesses are called social enterprises, which most female entrepreneurs in Qatar venture into. “Social enterprises are self-sustaining in that they don t really have to make a profit but generate some form of revenue that sustains it

from day-to-day and allows it to grow to meet their own modest ambitions,” says Martin Roeske, the Chief Operating Officer of Silatech. However, social enterprises need full-time management. Only some women are fully dedicated to their businesses, says Roeske, and these types of dedicated women are the goal-oriented ones. “They primarily have some social mission, whether it is environmental, supporting young people, or supporting high school dropouts or people who live in less affluent areas of helping foreign workers, so there are a variety of fields that they get into,” he says. Progressive women It s part of the Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030) to strengthen a woman’s role in society. “Women are at the forefront of the business sector in this country and the GCC,” says Qatari Maryah Al Dafa, the founder and director of Maryah Trading. “If we look at the business sector, the woman’s role has changed; she is now more proactive and seeking further opportunities for herself as well as those around her. Previously women were predominantly into real estate, however more and more, women are increasingly becoming involved in the retail, media, fashion, and education industries. Concurring with Al Dafa’s opinion, Roeske says: “In my experience here, businesswomen are very well integrated into the national economy. There are many business leaders we can point to. HH Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser plays a significant role in the rapid developing of the country and a role model to women in Qatar. Qatar is certainly a fertile ground for women

Aysha Al Mudheki and Shareefah Fadhel Aysha Al Mudheki and Shareefah Fadhel are the founding members of the Roudha Centre – a nonprofit woman’s entrepreneurship and innovation center, helping women in qatar to open and grow their business. Founded in 2009, the center offers women in Qatar workshops and training, mentoring and coaching, office or work space, networking opportunities, and legal and financial advice. ALWANE, is one of Roudha Center’s most recent projects. It is a non-profit, nongovernmental voluntary group of Qataris and non-Qataris conducting research on the business environment in Qatar, with the aim of developing a research report on legalizing home businesses for women in Qatar. a regional coalition of leaders from 17 countries in the MENA region, committed to social change and the advancement of women s leadership. Aysha Al Mudheki is also is the executive director of INJAZ Qatar. INJAZ Qatar is affiliated with Junior Achievement Worldwide (JA), the world’s largest non-profit economic education organisation that operates across 123 countries worldwide. INJAZ Qatar is part of a regional network, INJAZ Al Arab, which spans across 14 Arab countries, focusing on entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy.

cover story | women taking the lead

Maryah Al Dafa Maryah Al Dafa is the founder and director of her own holding company, Maryah Trading, under which she operates Arabella, a multi-brand haute couture boutique launched in 2006, and a Vera Wang boutique launched in 2009. Al Dafa has also worked with the US-based NGO, Al Hewar Center and Academy for Educational Development, to launch and manage the Voice of Arab Youth initiative, which develops and promotes micro-enterprises, female education programs, and health projects. In 2010, she co-founded (but later left) Fikra Consulting and Research, a policy entrepreneurship firm that develops societal betterment ideas and initiatives that can be adopted by either public or private entities.

wanting to get into business.” Women in Qatar are one of the most educated in the MENA region, with more than 70% of females holding a bachelor degree. “In recent times, the nature of women’s roles has changed since they have started working in all sectors and become notable decision-makers. This is because Qatari women have become more educated and knowledgeable, and so there are now many more roles for them, such as manager, official, secretary-general, minister,” says Haya Al Modadi, the founder and general manager of Al Fursan Training and Consultancy Centre. Palestinian Rana Khaled, who recently joined the business realm in Qatar when she and Shannon Farhoud, Ashlene Ramadan and Melanie Fridgant established Torath Media Productions (TMP), witnesses the trend of women entering the realm of entrepreneurship. “There are many women who want to startup businesses here, says Khaled. “This is a recent phenomenon not only in the Arab world but everywhere, to represent themselves instead of going into a company and working as a subordinate. There’s a glass ceiling and women can’t really be on top. So I think the best way for them to have a voice is to start

their own business.” The four entrepreneurs established TMP through ictQatar’s QITCOM competition and won second place when they presented the idea. As a result, “they give you financial support, training on how to start up a company and actual office space which is a major thing in Doha. They also take you to events, and you represent them,” says Lebanese-American Ashlene Ramadan about ictQatar. TMP, however, doesn’t receive financial aid from any other organisations. “We don’t get any financial support, per se, but a lot of people are giving us advice. They love our ideas and passion, and they think we are really well-driven and they want to support us in every way except funding,” added Khaled. “Women have gone from being housekeepers, cooks, and child carriers, to being executives of fortune businesses,” says Saudi Arabian Razan Suliman, founder and CEO of BYLENS, a Qatar-based company that produces and distributes regional stock images. “Women today can be the breadwinner and still manage the household and children. They can work in jobs that were unheard of before.”

j a n u a r y 2 0 1 3 | Qatar Today

Always challenges As women continue to enter the business realm worldwide, it raises questions about the obstacles they face as they venture into this mandominated sphere. “Studies on women entrepreneurship confirm that gender-neutral obstacles to doing business can hit female entrepreneurs harder. For this reason, women tend to make up a large part of the informal economy. Women also find it difficult to transition from the informal sector to the formal sector due to complex procedures, costly registration fees, and high minimum capital requirements, the need for education on how to access new markets and manage finances and the right networking opportunities,” says Leila Hoteit. In the eyes of Nabeela Al Hashmi, owner and general manager of Al Hashmi Accounting and Auditing, the main issue preventing female entrepreneurs from succeeding is their lack of self-confidence. “There are challenges that come from within themselves like reluctance, and embarrassment about knocking on closed doors,” she says. “Sometimes, a woman can have plenty of money, either from inheritance or savings, but she doesn t have the necessary self-confidence, and she takes refuge in being a woman.” Qatari Layla Al Dorani, the founder and CEO of Raw ME, believes holidays in Qatar are a challenge. “There are a lot of breaks into the process which impinge on meeting time-lines,” she says. Ashlene Ramadan also shares Al-Dorani s

concerns. “The thing about Qatar is that everything goes really slow,” she says. Maryah Al Dafa’s challenges as an entrepreneur are with “bureaucracy, extensive paper-work and the slow pace tend to hurt businesses. Bureaucratic problems are hard to correct because it causes several delays in the business world,” she says. “Funding is also a problem for businesswomen, but there are a number of bodies that offer finance, so it isn’t the biggest obstacle they face,” says Reham Al Homayan. “What will cause a business to lose money and be declared bankrupt, however, is failing to take into account the enterprise culture – the way to set up and run a business. The entrepreneur is the real asset of the business, and financing bodies see dedication to the business as the main prerequisite for funding.” She believes there is unfair competition from big corporations that pounce on small entrepreneurs, lack of business support initiatives and institutions in the Gulf and lack of publicity of the few entrepreneur-supporting initiatives. “They need to be more open to women, because men always take priority in Arab countries,” Al Homayan says about the bias that exists in the society. Al Dorani also says financing is a challenge for entrepreneurs; “The reason being that Angel investors are very hesitative in investing into new concepts and [Small and Medium sized Enterprises] businesses. Even though there are lots of organisations in Qatar that say they want to promote entrepreneurship, none

Rana Khaled, Ashlene Ramadan, Shannon Farhoud and Melanie Fridgant Rana Khaled, Ashlene Ramadan, Shannon Farhoud and Melanie Fridgant are the founders of Torath Media Productions (TMP). Founded in August 2012, TMP is a production house based in Qatar that focuses on making documentary films in the Arab world. Their first TMP production is Lyrics Revolt, a documentary about the correlation of Arab hip-hop to the Arab Spring. The documentary was screened at DTFF 2012. Khaled, Ramadan and Farhoud are recent journalism graduates and Fridgant is a communication graduate of Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q).

cover story | women taking the lead

36%

of Qatari women now work outside their home.

75%

of discretionary spending worldwide will be controlled by the year 2028

17%

is the average gap in earnings between men and women worldwide

20% of businesses in the MENA region are owned by women.

Layla Al Dorani Layla Al Dorani is the founder and CEO of Raw ME, a 100% raw and vegan fast food restaurant, founded in January 2012 with her sister, Sara Al Dorani. She is also a freelance nutritionist and yoga instructor.

My niche market is Qatari Women and I love working with this dynamic group of trailblazers. Rachel Petero, founder of Genviva and Women Leading Change Qatar (WLC Qatar).

of these organisations have really moved to the stage where they are actually investing in something tangible.” “You have a lot of non-profit organisations that try to help entrepreneurs, but there is still a major gap into financing. So it is a joke here in Qatar where Qataris always have a side business, other than a full-time job because banks will not give loans, unless you have a guaranteed income. So you have to have a day job to facilitate a loan for a new business,” she says. Al Dorani’s company, Raw ME, is a 100% raw and vegan eco-friendly healthy fast food chain, which Layla along with her sister, Sara Al Dorani, is committed to full-time. “I am spending [my savings] on trying to build this company. There are a lot of legal fees, and general expenses that are associated with starting a business,” she says. “The Qatari government doesn t give me any support. There is no such thing as an entrepreneurship fund.” Noureddine Daggou from Al Khaliji Bank, which has received a few financial inquiries from women entrepreneurs in the country, says they decline granting financial aid to female entrepreneurs for a number of reasons. “We find that our denials are related to the client’s lack of a good business plan, insufficient cash flow to repay incurring debt, a poor

financial record or negative credit history, and the absence of a guarantor or security,” Daggou says. “What they don t lack is the motivation and the ambition to start their project. We encourage them to try again and advise how to improve their business plan.” However, Daggou believes as banks begin to tailor their programmes and services specifically to female entrepreneurs, more women will receive funds and therefore join the business realm. Cultural boundaries Qatar is a conservative country where social, cultural and religious traditions dominate the lifestyle. Regardless of modernisation, the role of men and women are still expected to remain in the traditional paradigm. “This challenge is more profound on women entrepreneurs where the cultural value entails that the man or husband be the bread winner. A woman exhibiting her entrepreneurial prowess is presumed as wanting to take over the leadership role of the husband,” says Razan Suliman. Therefore, she has found herself frequently confronting gender discrimination. “Men often assume women are generally incompetent in certain fields of life. People would rather deal with a business man than a woman,” she says. Suliman also finds it a challenge balancing be-

j a n u a r y 2 0 1 3 | Qatar Today

“A lot of the challenges are to do with customs and traditions, but if we go back in Islamic history we find that women fought in wars, were leaders and merchants and helped the Prophet Muhammad with many tasks, so this is the model we should look to as women in Arab society.”

tween business and family. “Women naturally are the backbone of the family; they lay the building blocks on which the family foundation is built. So often, women entrepreneurs usually find themselves torn between commitment to the family and business.” “A lot of the challenges are to do with customs and traditions, but if we go back in Islamic history we find that women fought in wars, were leaders and merchants and helped the Prophet Muhammad with many tasks, so this is the model we should look to as women in Arab society,” says Reem Badran, a member of the Jordanian House of Deputies (Lower House of Parliament) and Vice-Chair of the Amman and Jordan Chambers of Commerce. “Islam has never forbidden women to work in commerce,” says Nabeela Al Hashmi. “Let’s not forget that [the Prophet s wife] the Mother of the Faithful, Khadija bint Khuwailid, used to work in commerce. We should only understand the culture of a particular society at a particular period in terms of the customs of that time.” Time is changing, Al Hashmi believes, and as that happens, societal norms change too, In the MENA region, women have become leaders and decision makers in business and commerce.

Gender equality The business field is known to be a man’s forte but in today’s world, women are showing interest in sharing it. “It can be a little intimidating for a woman to open business,” says RAW ME’s Layla Al Dorani. “When I went down to the Ministry of Health to register the business, I was the only woman in the room. A lot of people will say you can send some guy who will do this for you, but these are just more expenses. It’s easier for a man to go into a man’s world.” For Rana Khaled and her business partners, being female entrepreneurs is more of an advantage than a disadvantage. “People get really drawn by the idea that four girls are starting up a media company. They kind of believe in us more because we are girls,” she says. Razan Suliman echoes Khaled’s opinion as she believes businesswomen have exceptional opportunities and advantages specifically because they are women. However, she believes that gender inequality is a major issue and has been an issue for decades. “Although men and women are required by law to receive equal pay for equal work, women still earn less than men,” she says. “Gender diversity stimulates more vigorous discussions, resulting in smarter decisions. More controversially, women may on average, exhibit a different and fruitful

Maha Al Essa and Aysha Fakhroo Maha Al Essa, Aysha Fakhroo and Alanoud Al Henzab established a design agency, 974Design, in 2010 in Qatar. As they are passionate about encouraging creativity, they offer a wide range of services by servicing local and international brands. Their services include ad campaigns, corporate identities, brochures, website designs and any other form of graphic design service.

cover story | women taking the lead

Specific programmes for SMEs and start-ups Al Khaliji currently works closely with the Qatar Development Bank in the Al Dhameen programme; providing facilities for new businesses and projects partially backed by QDB should they fall within specific sectors. al khaliji provides banking support for SMEs for the last years through a dedicated department within their Business Banking division. Products include interest bearing accounts (such as Fusion Business accounts), business debit cards, cash margin trade facilities, and so forth. “Our support for SMEs does not stop there. We regularly host workshops for SMEs to educate and provide them with the right tools to develop their businesses. “We do have plans to create tailor-made programmes for female entrepreneurs. At present, we do have a female relationship officer in our Branch Sales team that is completely dedicated to cater to the needs of Qatari businesswomen. “Female entrepreneurs can, of course, benefit from the Al Dhameen program. As mentioned before, the program provides support to entrepreneurs in certain businesses such as nurseries, educational institutions, etc,” says Noureddine Daggou, Al khaliki bank.

Razan Suliman Razan Suliman is the founder and CEO of BYLENS, a company based in qatar that focuses on the distribution and production of stock images for editorial and commercial purposes. Founded in 2011 as a high quality photo library for creative projects, BYLENS photos are used in brochures, reports, books, flyers, and advertisements. Their photography is produced in studios using models to pose for business, health, family and other purposes.

leadership style.” Qataris Maha Al Essa, Aysha Fakhroo and Alanoud Al Henzab, founders of a Qatar-based design agency, 974 Design, find being an allfemale team a disadvantage. “We don’t believe that being women is an advantage to us. As a matter of fact it was quite a challenge for us in the beginning when we first met clients and had to show them that young Qatari women from a small local design agency can do the same job as larger international design agencies, whether they were in Qatar or outside,” says Al Essa. For these young entrepreneurs, it was initially a challenge to gain the trust of clients. “The biggest challenges we face is getting people to trust in a local agency in a field that is dominated by international agencies,” she says. Furthermore, these businesswomen had to adjust to their new life as full-time entrepreneurs, finding a balance between running their company and answering to their social obligations in a country rich in societal traditions and ethics. When Haya Al Modadi first founded Al Fursan Training and Consulting Center, it was a challenge especially because of her gender.

However, after she overcame the gender obstacles, she recognized that the best person to handle a job like hers is a woman. “I see things as a mother would see, something that a man wouldn t see.” she says. Maryah Al Dafa believes that women have equal opportunities; however they don t have the same advantages, while Nabeela Al-Hashmi says that the government s strides to empower women in the workforce and promote gender equality is necessary. Around 90% of Qataris aspire to a job in the public service. “Going into the private sector, especially with a risky enterprise, is still a nascent concept here,” says Martin Roeske. “Women are prepared to be greater risk takers than men because the pressure on them to act as the bread-winners for their families and have a steady flow of income is much less for them.” Therefore, in Qatar, men usually take on a steady job in the government or take on a leadership role in a private sector and the women focus on projects such as social enterprises, which is “where the entrepreneurial spirit

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Nabeela Al Hashimi Nabeela Al Hashimi is the owner and general manager of Al-Hashimi Accounting and Auditing. Al Hashimi Accounting and Auditing is a firm of Business Advisers and Chartered Accountants operating throughout the state of Qatar. Their services are targeted to help clients improve business performance, and plan for the future. They can provide routine bookkeeping, accounting and auditing requirements and they work closely with all the trusted advisors involved in the business including, legal, banking and financial so that communication is open and consistent. Al Hashimi also provides business valuation services to business owners.

comes from,” says Roeske. Land of networking opportunities Qatar is known as the land of opportunities where people from all around the world come to this small Arabian Peninsula for financial gains and therefore, creating great networking prospects. When Caroline Zeitler, founder of How Women Succeed, first came to Qatar five years ago, her networking skills were weak. “Luckily, people in Qatar made it very easy for me. Be it nationals or expatriates, I have found people to be approachable and helpful. Which brings me to the first of the opportunities you have here, the opportunity to build a great network, to meet amazing people and inspiring role models and mentors,” she says. This led Zeitler to form a network with people who shared her interests, ideas and enthusiasm. “It has been, and still is, a steep learning curve, which is another great opportunity you have here. You can go into new fields, gain new experiences and build new expertise. If you have the drive to do it, the ability to get the right people on board and you can avail yourself of the expertise and means, then you can start some great projects here. Our How Women Succeed book went from idea to reality in a mere nine months.” Because Qatar is still developing, Zeitler believes there are vast business prospects in the country, giving people the opportunity to become pioneers or trailblazers in various overlooked fields. “If

you are looking to go down that route, the good news is that publicity is more accessible here than elsewhere. If you can offer an interesting angle, a good story or a newsworthy press release, you can usually get some media coverage and speaking engagements,” she says. Rana Khaled echoes Zeitler’s opinion on accessible publicity in the country but in a different manner. “The good thing about Qatar is that it is small and things work by word of mouth. We have not officially gone out yet and said we are a media production company and this is what we can do for you, because word of mouth is sustaining us so far,” she says. Future of business women With Qatar’s rapid economic development, people tend to forget it is still a developing country. In its 2030 vision, the country hopes to see women thrive in areas like business and politics, areas women rarely enter. There are many powerful Arab female role models to follow but yet, they remain a minority not only in Qatar but in the entire MENA region. “Governments in the region need to first support an entrepreneurship ecosystem to enable potential women entrepreneurs. They need to support the development of an entrepreneurial culture at a very early stage at universities and other institutions and include entrepreneurship in general schooling curricula,” say Leila Hoteit and Mounira Jamjoom

Haya al Madadi Haya Al Madadi is the founder and general manager of Al Fursan Training and Consulting Centre. The center first began as voluntary work for Al Madadi and her team. However, the center began their first activities in October 2004 by offering young men and women in Qatar training course in the field of industry, through guidance and career counseling and by directing them to some of the institutions for volunteerism, Al Fursan Training and Consulting Center’s mission is to provide and prepare the latest models of training and development programs in the areas of management, information and marketing, and the provision of experts and consultants.

cover story | women taking the lead

It has been, and still is, a steep learning curve, which is another great opportunity you have here. You can go into new fields, gain new experiences and build new expertise. If you have the drive to do it, the ability to get the right people on board and can avail yourself of the expertise and means, then you can start some great projects here. Caroline Zeitler founder of how women succeed

Studies on women entrepreneurship confirm that gender-neutral obstacles to doing business can hit female entrepreneurs harder. Leila Hoteit Principal with Booz & Company

from Booz & Company. “Governments can also contribute to the development of incubators and accelerators that support women entrepreneurs. Governments can also see to it that financial enablers are put in place. The MENA region’s financial enablers are under developed. In particular, the network of equity investors, a critical source for start-up capital. Government programs are also crucial such as funds, short-term loans, guarantees and other financing initiatives for specific industries where the government perceives a need or wishes to influence behavior. The region, however, lacks the appropriate regulatory and legal framework conducive to the development of a more formal and accessible early-stage financing industry,” they added. Razan Suliman also believes that the involvement of the government is necessary to strengthen the role of women in the country. “The government must give money to small business owners, and provide more government grants for small business owners that can provide for start-up costs. They also need to provide more entrepreneurs with assistance by providing free information for small business owners,” she says. However, Suliman believes that Qatar has put effort on the advancement of women s role in the country; “Women in Qatar now have the right to vote, drive, and pursue many career opportunities. As Qatar moves towards the realisation of its 2030 Vision, there is no doubt that the role of women will be critical to its success,” she says. Therefore, in the eyes of Suliman, women should look forward to the future of the business with high quality training and elimination of gender constraints. “Qatari businesswomen are not shy, but no one has reached out to them in the right way,” says Haya Al Modadi. “I am talking here about the relevant organisations, like the Qatar Chamber or the Qatar Businesswomen Forum. No one has taken a close look at them and guided them to manage and invest their energies, and how to highlight their role in society. We need everyone to come together on this, especially on the economic side.” Al Modadi suggests that governments and private organisations should

create female-friendly work environments, set up programmes, activities and projects to help develop women s skills while maintaining the customs and traditions of society, allow women to work at home or hold part-time jobs so they can maintain their household responsibilities, and to reach out to and engage with women of all classes, especially the divorced, widowed and elderly. “The role of women in Qatar will only become more apparent under the guidance of our leaders and the National Development Strategy 2011-2016. More Qatari women are joining the labour force amid expectations by the government to have their participation rate in the labour force reach 42% by 2016,” says Maryah Al Dafa. “Education is becoming more and more vital amongst young girls. More women are highly educated and work hard to make careers or businesses for themselves. I think we will see many more women in all levels of positions although Qatar already has a good track record in that regard.” Chief Executive Officer of Al Ebdaa Centre for Consultancy and Training Services in Kuwait, Reem Badran says: “Women have a big part to play in bringing change, but they have not been given any place or role of their own; they have not reaped the benefits of this change and they are not satisfied with their position, especially since the revolution in which they had such a strong presence. Having women in decision-making positions is not a luxury; it is a better way of serving Arab societies, so that you get balanced decisions. And although Arab women have made good strides, they still have a long way to go in all levels, political and economic.” In addition to the necessary support of governments in the MENA region to help female entrepreneurs excel in the business sphere, female entrepreneurs in the region also have to develop their business proficiencies. “I urge the women of Qatar to think more strategically about which markets to enter when starting a business. Of course being passionate about what you do is always a great start but we need to research and diversify to understand what Qatar, the GCC region and the international market trends and needs are,” advises Petero, founder of WLC Qatar

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How Women Work revisited The success of its annual conference has cemented HWW’s reputation among Qatar’s business community while encouraging more women to create their own success. by K r i sti n M c Kie

or the hundreds of women who attend the annual How Women Work (HWW) conference, the event is more than just an opportunity to hear from some of Qatar’s most successful women. It is their chance to tap into the unique energy that is created when women support and encourage each other. That energy is something that HWW founder Carolin Zeitler has spent the last year capitalising on. “Since the conference in March 2012, HWW has continued to grow into more and more of a community – true to its aim to empower women to grow and succeed. We have really managed to harness the enthusiasm and joy that the conference generates by giving women across Qatar even more opportunities to connect,” says Zeitler about the community-building process. Responding to HWW’s inspirational postings on Facebook, women have been enjoying the organisation’s novel approach to encouraging personal growth via its social networking sites. “In December we decided to set ourselves a 21-day challenge to get some clarity for the year ahead. There were three themes, with three weeks to explore them. We invited women to join us and share their experiences through our LinkedIn group. We were delighted to see how well women of all nationalities bond in the virtual world too. “Week one was about identifying our strengths and weaknesses; week two, was about listening to and connecting with our communities; and the final week focused on self-expression and gratitude for the positive things in our lives,” she explains. HWW had a lot to be thankful for. 2012 saw it strengthening its own connections with the wider business community in Qatar. The International Bank of Qatar (IBQ), having long supported HWW through sponsorship of the conference, reconfirmed its commitment to the growth and success of women in Qatar by becoming HWW’s Strategic Partner in June. It is by fostering such relationships that HWW has been able to expand its initiatives.

Using the proceeds from its self-coaching book How Women Succeed, the group is also now working with the Social Development Centre to provide free coaching to women who are either living in remote areas of the country, or who may be experiencing other challenges such as limited incomes. Bond between participants For Zeitler, there is a real bond between all the individuals and organisations that are working towards the future of Qatar. “Looking back over the last year, we feel blessed with all the support we get from the community,” said Zeitler. “Women feel inspired, encouraged and empowered by our offers and are making very real progress in their lives as a consequence of.” “Our volunteer team is another blessing: highly motivated, professional ladies who find time in their busy schedules to give back to the community – and they do it with a smile on their faces,” she says. Another feather in HWW’s cap last year was its inaugural conference at Education City in December. The event examined ‘Women’s Evolution from a Student to a Professional’ and in line with HWW’s aim to empower women to grow and succeed, participants were encouraged to create their

own criteria for success through a number of goal-setting activities and interactive workshops. Interactivity is an integral part of all HWW’s workshops, as is demonstrated in the ‘Equipped to Succeed’ series – a joint project with Qatar Professional Women’s Network (QPWN) and Bedaya Center. The popular monthly workshops are joined by some exciting new initiatives targeting specific groups of women in Qatar. Entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs can discuss and develop their business ideas through How Women Do Business; ladies who wish to improve their job applications have How Women Find Work (supported by recruitment professionals such as Doha International Consulting, Nelson Park and Global Women Qatar, and professional women from the Bedaya Center and QPWN); while women working in male-dominated fields such as the oil and gas industry, construction and IT can now come together through How Women Thrive Amongst Men. How Women Work 2013 Conference will be held in March. Delegates this year will be encouraged to explore their potential and actualise their talent – something that the vibrant women who make up the How Women Work community will undoubtedly support each other to do.

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Innovative Alternatives to Cash Bonuses With the New Year here, professionals and managers everywhere turn a critical eye on what they set out to achieve during 2012 and how well they succeeded at it.

Those professionals who have truly succeeded beyond their manager’s expectations will eagerly look forward to performance appraisals. For managers across the region this is a testing time too, as their appraisals have a triple function to fulfill – give feedback, motivate and adequately reward. When it comes to rewarding, the HR experts at Bayt.com, recommend some innovative alternatives to complement the traditional cash bonuses. In fact human resource experts believe that non-cash rewards can sometimes have an even greater impact on the performance of employees. This is due to the fact that most employees yearn for special recognition for a job well done. Even if you are a cash-strapped start-up, there is no reason you should hold back from rewarding your team. Below are some alternatives to cash bonuses worth considering:

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1. Training: By providing adequate training to employees, not only will you fulfill their essential need for continual growth and self-development, but also reap the benefits of enhanced skills and competencies. According to Bayt.com’s ‘Reward Programs and Employee Engagement’ (November 2012) in the Middle East survey, 44.7% of professionals in the Middle East say that more opportunities to learn and grow within the company is what they need to feel more engaged at work, beating the option of ‘a better salary and benefits package’. 2. Team building activities: Over the past decades, management theory has evolved from the promotion of competitive work environments to the development of cooperative ones. As part of this evolution, companies have put an in-

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creasing emphasis on team building. Team building activities, whether they are fiveminute games or week-long retreats, teach essential collaborative skills while helping employees develop trust in each other and each other’s abilities. 3. Off-time: As per Bayt.com’s poll on ‘Work-Life Balance in the MENA’ (September 2012), professionals today give more importance to work-life balance than ever before. In fact, 88.3% of professionals who participated in this poll go as far as stating that they wouldn’t mind changing their job for better work-life balance. In the same poll, 36.2% of professionals also said that they would spend their free time with family members and loved ones. In light of the above, employers should know that their employees need a break once in a while. Companies can offer paid off-time in the form of vacation days, holidays, personal leaves, and sick leaves, so as to give employees down time and a chance to deal with non-work related issues. Despite the high costs of paid off-time, companies who offer it are also the same companies that are good at attracting and retaining talented employees.

4. Memberships: There is no doubt that free gym memberships keep employees healthy and happy. But, what most companies don’t know is the fact that every dollar invested in year-round health-promotion programs can ultimately save you more in terms of not having to pay for absent or sick days. Employers benefit in terms of increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, and less healthcare related costs. People who are more active may not need to go to the doctor as much. But what it really comes down to is that better health means more productivity. So what can you do? As an employer, you can provide staff with access to on-site gym facilities at no cost, or can negotiate a deal or discount with local gyms and fitness centers. Another healthy incentive could be by offering your team a nutritious canteen service at the office. 45% of professionals in the MENA region say that they don’t have an office canteen or cafeteria, and would appreciate one (MENA Professionals Health & Eating Habits, April 2012). 5. Free parking: Free parking is commonly considered by

employees as one of their top daily peeves. An incentive practice (which is also followed at Bayt.com) is granting top achievers access to free office parking. 6. Gift cards: With many financial compensation and bonus programs cancelled or suspended because of the slowing economy, employers are turning to gift cards to express their appreciation. Most employers give gift cards to acknowledge outstanding performance, boost morale, increase sales, or reward loyalty. Gift cards are non-cash incentives that are often referred to as “sticky” rewards, because of their tendency to remain in the minds of employees long after cash is spent. Non-cash rewards can be much more effective than cash rewards. It’s just the way our brains work. People are able to visualize and remember tangible items better than cash, and therefore stay more actively engaged with program goals and objectives. They’re also more emotionally involved and willing to work harder for something perceived as an emotional item, rather than cash or a more practical reward. So, when thinking about alternatives to cash bonuses you can be as creative as you want!

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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 6,750,000 registered job seekers from across the Middle East, North Africa and the globe, representing all industries, nationalities and career levels. Post a job or find jobs on www.bayt.com today and access the leading resource for job seekers and employers in the region.

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Advetising Age Repositioning “Positioning”: The best way into a consumer’s mind is not with visual nails but with a visual hammer.

Forty years ago, Advertising Age published a series of articles by Jack Trout and my father, Al Ries, titled The Positioning Era Cometh. Almost a decade later, McGraw-Hill published their book Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind. In the years that followed, “positioning” became one of the most talked-about concepts in the marketing community. In its 75th anniversary edition, Ad Age selected positioning as one of its 75 “top ad moments”. More than 1.4 million copies of the book have been sold in 20 different languages, including 400,000 copies in China. But as revolutionary as positioning was, it had a weakness. Invariably, positioning strategy was expressed verbally. You looked for a verbal hole in the mind and then you filled that hole with your brand name. But the best way into the mind is with visuals, not with words. Visuals play a more important role in marketing because they hold emotional power that sticks. In 1973, for example, psychology professor Lionel Standing conducted a research study in which he asked subjects to look at 10,000 images over a five-day period. The images were presented for just five seconds each. When the subjects were shown pairs of images (one they had seen before and one they had not), they remembered 70% of the images they had seen before. I challenge you to try presenting 10,000 advertising slogans for five seconds each and see how many of them a person will remember five days later. Now, here’s a visual everyone can identify: a pink ribbon. Consider what the symbol has done for Nancy Brinker who in 1982 started a foundation to fight breast cancer

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in memory of her sister, Susan G Komen. Since then, the foundation has raised nearly $2 billion (QR7.3 billion). Today, Susan G Komen for the Cure is the world’s-largest nonprofit source of money to combat breast cancer. In contrast, the American Cancer Society was founded in 1913, yet most people have no idea what visual symbol the society uses. The Cancer Society has a trademark that is almost impossible to verbalise, while Susan G Komen has a visual that is easy to describe. I call Komen’s pink ribbon its visual hammer because the interplay between words and images is like a nail and a hammer. A strong verbal idea is a brand’s nail, but the hammer that really drives home the idea is the visual. This concept is even more important in today’s global economy, where a strong visual hammer can cross borders without requiring translation. In 2010, Coca-Cola spent $267 million (QR972 million) advertising its brand in the US. What was Coke’s slogan? Most people don’t remember. What they do remember is the “contour” bottle. The contour bottle is not just a package but a visual hammer that emphasises the idea that Coke is the original, the real thing. Even though Coca-Cola sells very little product in contour bottles, the visual is strongly identified with the brand. And the company reinforces the visual hammer effect by using the bottle image on its cans, cups, billboards, trucks and even business cards. If Coke’s contour bottle says “the authentic cola,” what does Pepsi’s “smiley-face” trademark, introduced to much fanfare in 2008, say? Pepsi’s smiley face says “Pepsi”. In essence, it’s a rebus – a visual symbol that’s a substitute for a brand name. PepsiCo’s management, like many others, seems to think that a visual hammer is nothing but a glorified name for a trademark. That’s why executives tend to spend a lot of time and money perfecting their trademarks rather than searching for visual hammers. In fact, almost all trademarks are rebuses. After years of constant use, they can be recognised as symbols that stand for brand names. But trademarks don’t

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have to be meaningless. Nike, for example, has the “swoosh”, a powerful visual hammer, which doesn’t just say “Nike”, but “leadership”. Nike was first in its category, giving it permission to create a visual hammer out of a rather mundane checkmark that has been streamlined. Today, everybody knows what a swoosh looks like, but how many people can rattle off a description of Reebok’s trademark? The advertising industry is hung up on trademarks and logotypes, but in reality they account for only a small percentage of visual hammers. Anything associated with a brand can become a hammer. Colour, packaging, demonstrations, founders or celebrities. Even the product itself. Colour often plays a role in creating memorable visual hammers. Think: Tiffany’s blue box, the US Masters green jacket, Nexium’s purple pill and Christian Louboutin’s red soles. The product itself can play that part: a Rolex watchband, the grille of a Rolls-Royce, the Absolut bottle or the polo player on a Ralph Lauren shirt. Symbols can act as hammers to visualise “invisible” products: Travellers’ red umbrella, Wells Fargo’s stagecoach and Geico’s gecko. And, finally, company founders can do this as well - think Colonel Sanders, Papa John, Frank Perdue, Orville Redenbacher and Paul Newman. McDonald’s is another leading brand with a visual hammer. By naming its symbol, “the golden arches”, the company moved beyond the rebus idea and turned the “M” into an effective visual hammer. Not every brand gets it right. Despite $5.1 billion (QR18.6 billion) in annual sales, Red Bull doesn’t own a visual hammer. The energy-drink brand had the opportunity, but its visual is too complicated for a small can. Two bulls and a sun make a weak hammer. Furthermore, its blue cans undermine the Red Bull name. In spite of these examples, why do many marketing people

work exclusively with words, when the real power is with visuals? Don’t get me wrong, the objective of a marketing programme is to “own a word in the mind” and visuals shouldn’t come before some well-thought positioning planning. But to consider words independent of how they might relate to a visual would be a mistake. BMW, for example, owns “driving”, an achievement that turned the brand into the world’s largest-selling luxury vehicle. The visual hammer that etched “driving” into the minds of BMW fans were its distinctive TV commercials showing happy owners maneuvering BMWs over winding roads. In 2009, BMW switched its focus to “joy” – a verbal concept that broadens the appeal of the BMW brand. But how do you visualise it? Like many other high-level abstract words (happiness, enthusiasm, customer satisfaction, quality) joy cannot be visualised in any meaningful way. Is it a coincidence that for nine years in a row, from 2001 to 2009, BMW led archrival Mercedes-Benz in the US market and then, in 2010, after launching the joy campaign, fell behind Mercedes? Luckily, this year BMW ditched joy to go back its driving nail. Of course, advertising is loaded with visuals, but most of them never become hammers. They might be funny but if they’re not also functional they do little for the brand. Visual consistency is even more important than verbal consistency. You can sometimes successfully change a verbal nail, but not a well-established visual hammer. Look at what happened when Tropicana tried to drop its straw-in-the-orange image. For decades, marketers have sat in meetings developing positioning statements for their brands. But sorry Dad, today that’s not enough. Today, marketers also need a visual hammer to build their brands – one that connects emotionally, authentically and credibly with consumers

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Laura Ries is president of Ries & Ries, an Atlanta, Georgia USA marketing consulting firm she runs with her father and partner Al Ries. Here is their website: www.ries.com.

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GCC should work towards tax co-operation Qatar steers forward and diversifies its economy, tax experts echo the need to accelerate tax reforms in the country and the GCC.

by S ow m ya S u nd a r matic exchange of information to facilitate Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FACTA) implementation.

the very first International Fiscal Association (IFA) – an association of tax experts – meeting, hosted by the Qatar Financial Centre, Jeffery Owens, Senior Tax Policy Advisor to VP, Ernst & Young, and former Director of the Centre for Tax Policy and Administration, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), talked about the progress made by Qatar and the GCC on taxation and the issues that require further dialogue and action. He stressed that the GCC needs to work towards a unified taxation system; and Qatar should expand its network of international tax treaties and work towards introducing a VAT system. He also emphasised that all countries should work towards a global reporting standard backed by auto-

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Need for standardised reporting systems FATCA is a new law that comes into effect in January 2013 that has rattled businesses around the globe. It intends to reduce tax avoidance by US citizens and entities. FATCA requires overseas banks to report information on US clients to the US Internal Revenue Service, failing which the firm will be subject to a 30% withholding tax on the interest, dividend and investment payments earned by the company in the US. FATCA requires stringent information disclosures and compliance costs are high. Speaking about mitigating FATCA concerns, Jeffery suggested that international co-operation and development of standard systems for successful FATCA implementation is the key. “Countries should work towards a global reporting standard backed by automatic exchange of information that

will reduce the demands on the financial sector,” he said. He also said that the GCC should engage in a dialogue with the US and the financial community and see the bigger picture of where FATCA can lead to. “There have been representations from some countries in this region. The process began with a unilateral condition on the part of the US. We now have inter-government agreements being signed and I think these agreements will work towards a solution. If you have a global reporting standard backed by automatic exchange of information, it is worth for financial institutions to make the investment in the systems so that they can service the end point of the global reporting standard. It may be heavy, but you know you have satisfied the information required by the tax authorities. The GCC does not want to put itself in a comparative disadvantage on a level playing field.” He added that the biggest challenge for Qatar is to make sure that the tax administration has the resources to comply with the practical implementation of the

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exchange of information standard and also think its position vis-a-vis FATCA and automatic spread of information. GCC Taxation Trends Speaking about the taxation trends in the GCC, he said the trends in the GCC are similar to those seen in the OECD countries. He welcomed the move to put in place a more robust tax structure by cutting down corporate tax rates and broadening the tax base by eliminating deductions and expenses. “You are also seeing countries taking much more care about how they apply the international rules of the game. The treaty network here has been expanding. There has been much more willingness to adopt the OECD definition of permanent establishments. You have eleven countries in the region that have implemented withholding taxes primarily as a means of more effective collection of taxes and to protect the tax business. Six members in the region are running Value Added Tax (VAT) readiness projects,” said Owens. The path forward Touching on a number of issues that needs to be addressed, he stressed that GCC countries should be looking at tax co-operations. According to him, inter-regional trade could take off if various trading groups in

“tax policies in the region are driven by the move towards trade liberalisation, investment promotion and diversification.”

the region get together and adopt a unified system. “As a starting point, there has been a major attempt towards a coherent Value Added Tax regime between the GCC countries”, said Owens. He pointed out that the tax policies in the region are driven by the move towards trade liberalisation, investment promotion and diversification. “You can see the move to promote free trading. The governments here need to move forward on the liberalisation, investment promotion and diversi-

fication agenda and Qatar should work towards expanding its treaty network. It should work towards a treaty with the US. We also need an international consensus that includes this region, towards advanced transfer pricing agreements. Only some governments, not many, have explicitly endorsed OECD guidelines in their legislations.” He feels that efforts are being made to see that Qatar meets the highest international standards whether in the financial, money laundering, or tax area. “Qatar is amongst the top in terms of the way it has put in provisions for its financial centre. The QFC is much respected in the financial world. In terms of taxation, Qatar has passed its first phase of the review of the global tax transparencies undertaking. They are now moving to the second part of the review, that is practical application. They participate very actively not only in the tax forum but other activities of the OECD in this region as well. We, in my new capacity as a professor at the University of Vienna, have been talking to Qatar as to what we can do in terms of what we can do in terms of research programmes, conferences and joint activities. Qatar is very much a progressive jurisdiction that is trying to position itself as a financial centre.”

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What is

crowd funding? In 2006, Michael Sullivan coined the term “crowd funding” while describing the process of raising money online for video projects. How popular is it in the region? by Ma nik Kinra

even before the term was coined, crowd funding was used at various stages and in various forms. Electric Eel Shock, a Japanese rock band raised around 10,000 pounds in 2004 from his fans. Franny Armstrong, a British documentary film director working for her own company, Spanner Films, and a former drummer with indie pop group, The Band of Holy Joy, between 2004 and 2009 raised £1.5 million (QR9 million) from the film industry. There are many similar examples of people building groups to fund their ventures, interests and businesses. Crowd funding is described as the collective effort of individuals to pool their resources to support efforts initiated by other people or organisations. Crowd funding is used in support of a wide variety of

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activities, including disaster relief, citizen journalism, support of artists by fans, political campaigns, start-up company funding, movie or free software development, inventions development and scientific research. Crowd funding is also used to raise funding for a company by selling small amounts of its equity to many investors. As this phenomenon grows globally, quite a few platforms have opened up in the Middle East providing such a service in a streamlined fashion. Alflamnah is one of the first such platforms in the Middle East. Launched during the Cannes Film Festival, Aflamnah focuses on projects for the Arab world created by Arabs, or by individuals or organisations that care about culture, society, and people or residents

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of the region. Equity crowd funding was in the news couple of months ago in the US when Obama signed the Jumpstart our Business Start-ups (JOBS) act, making it easier for emerging growing companies to secure seed capital taking online investments from the public in exchange for slices of equity. Eureeca, a platform which works on crowd sourced investments has attracted over 100 applications from business owners in the last few months. There are similar other platforms like Entelak, Mawwell and a few more which focus on providing a channel to business initiatives through the model of crowd sourced investments Most of these sites work on two models – All or Nothing (AoN) and Keep it All (KiA). When the fundraising period is over, the pledged money is collected from the contributors if the fundraising goal is met. If the goal is not met, no money is collected. In KiA whatever money is collected, is used as funding. The pros and cons From an entrepreneur’s perspective, theoretically the model looks wonderful as it allows the companies to

raise money quickly and much easily. However raising investment is not just about raising capital. Building a successful company is more about the people and how they contribute to the success of the company. The people matter, more than just the funding. As the model doesn’t allow much interaction, the ability to know about each other is missing. Investors who are on the other side of such platforms have varied views of the model being a “nonserious” version of angel investment to an enabler to access good businesses. However most feel that crowd funding will open a parallel avenue for investors to route their investments in parallel with the traditional way. As any new model, it has its own takers and detractors. Also like anything innovative, it will take its own time to mature with more processes and laws coming into the picture. But as the association with the financial authorities becomes stronger and the process gets more streamlined, I feel crowd funding will provide a lot of entrepreneurs with the much-needed angel funding support for various business activities they want to venture into

Manik is Co founder for Mixilion. Having worked for technology majors like Infosys and Computer Sciences Corporation, Manik decided to start his own venture Jade Magnet in 2009. Jade Magnet today is one of the largest creative crowdsourcing platform in the world with a unique delivery assurance model to support complex crowdsourced solutions. Jade Magnet ventured into Middle East as Mixilion in late 2012 and has already been delivering crowdsourced marketing solutions to some of the best brands in Qatar, UAE and Kuwait. Mixilion was also responsible for marketing support for Asian Champions Trophy in Doha which involved some of the best National Hockey teams from across the globe.

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Local tech takes on the

traffic Drivers in Doha set to benefit from smart-traffic technology

Any guesses on the official number of traffic accidents in Qatar in 2011? 5000, as per a press release issued by Qatar Statistics Authority on the occasion of the World Day of Traffic Accidents on 23 November, 2012.

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his number marks a 13% rise when compared to 2010. In 2011, the Civil Defense Department carried out 356 rescue operations. 57% of the total rescue operations were related to road accidents. Recent studies by Qatar University show that Qatar has the world’s highest traffic accident fatality rate relative to its population. To address this, in Qatar, QR62 billion ($17 billion) has been allocated to road projects ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Late last year, the Gulf Traffic Conference provided a regional platform for as many as 40 Qatar-based companies to share transport infrastructure expertise and innovation. Organised by Informa Exhibitions at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on November 19-21, 2012, Gulf Traffic brought together more than 130 exhibitors, 1751 visitors and 190 delegates involved in the design, build, and maintenance of the region’s road, rail, parking and public transport projects. Government organisations met with suppliers and manufacturers, showcasing products, services and technologies for improving road, rail and public transport industries. This is especially significant, given that governments in the Gulf have outlined impressive plans to boost investments in developing their road networks. One of the Qatari companies in attendance, Qatar Mobility Innovations Center (QMIC), is the first independent research and development center in Qatar and the Gulf region, and focuses on using emerging mobility and wireless technologies to deliver locally engineered innovations to the market. Omar Bondogji, Head of Marketing & Business Development at QMIC, said his company’s participation at Gulf Traffic this year was key to introducing the business and its innovations to the public and its target market. “Increased efforts from the Ministry of Interior are being made to contain accidents. Besides adhering to traffic rules; having the right traffic information tools go a long way in reducing accidents. Change in user behavior in combination with strict law enforcement and the use of proper technology tools are all essential to improve driving habits and reducing traffic accidents,” he said. QMIC has developed Masarak(tm) an intelligent transportation, road safety and logistics portfolio of applications and services – and the Traffic Congestion Monitoring tool (iTrafficMon) for Qatar. The tool informs the driver to avoid certain routes where congestion or an accident may be cited by the tool. QMIC is also working on innovating in the car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure technologies which aim at increasing road safety and eliminating accidents. Speaking to Qatar Today about the significance of the application of traffic engineering, Husam Musharbash, President and CEO, Traffic Tech Group (Middle East/Gulf ), said, “While the concept of the 3 E’s of traffic safety is well known, namely; Engineering, Education and Enforcement, what is not widely understood is that they need to be applied in that particular order. Most traffic authorities always think

tag this mainly in terms of enforcement and education and neglect the effect of sound engineering in promoting traffic safety. With the exception of speeding violations particularly on highways that require speed enforcement methods, most other violations that usually lead to accidents can be reduced by proper design of roads and traffic control devices. Traffic engineering has a lot to do with Human Factors Engineering. A good design attempts to positively influence the behavior of road users and commands their respect for road rules.” “I am a strong supporter of a design-build approach for ITS projects; system integrators like us can select the latest technologies and products and make sure they work together. Not only that, in our experience, such an approach reduced costs and the time to implement the system”, he continued. Richard Pavitt, Exhibition Director, Informa Exhibitons commented, “Qatar is considering major decisions that will determine how its traffic and transport strategy evolves and is implemented as it cements its reputation as a venue for global events such as the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup. Road safety is also cited as a key priority in the National Development Strategy 2011-2016. By highlighting and resolving issues concerning traffic safety and security, we are able to compliment Qatar’s existing holistic safe-system approach and extensive awareness campaigns. Through the annual editions of the conference, we bring to the region extensive expertise and latest strategies and technology in road safety and congestion management.” According to the Middle East Market Report published by Eng. Zeina Nazer, Secretary General of ITS Arab based in London, UK on December 6, a number of progressive ITS and law enforcement leaders are equipping regional capitals to become global models for advanced ITS, security and safety system design and deployment, with the adoption of technologies including video vehicle detection, automated traffic data collection and classification, fully actuated intersections, and the removal of hazardous roundabouts and replacement with high-efficiency fully actuated and coordinated arterials. The report stressed on the need to base all system designs on standardised products with proven performance and open and standardized system interfaces. Zeina suggests R&D investment in Communication Access for Land Mobiles (CALM), produced by ISO TC204/WG16 which is a vehicle-to-vehicle technology that will make vehicles ‘aware’ of each other. Other delegates from Qatar included representation from Arab Center For Engineering Studies, Salam International Investment Co, Al Jaber and Makhlouf, Smart Mobility Solutions, Doha Industrial Safety Services; Al Fahd Consulting & Technology, Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Co, and the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), among others. Alternating each year between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Gulf Traffic is the only dedicated event for the road, public transport and parking sectors. The tenth edition of the conference will return to Dubai in November 2013

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Recent studies by Qatar University show that Qatar has the world’s highest traffic accident fatality rate relative to its population. To address this, in Qatar, $ 17 billion3 has been allocated to road projects ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

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TECHTALK Bringing the newest gadgets and global tech stories to you each month… Samsung Introduces Galaxy S III mini BlackBerry 10 Mini Jam drums up excitement

amsung unveiled the Galaxy S III Mini, a compact version of its successful flagship smartphone, Galaxy S III, last month. It brings the high performance design of the Galaxy S III to an elegant, compact smartphone with a 4-inch screen. “The award winning Galaxy S III has been extremely popular and well received globally as well as locally,” said Young Woo Jun, Director, Telecommunications Group, Samsung Gulf Electronics, Samsung. “So we are thrilled to offer our customers the same revolutionary design, intuitive usability and intelligence in a compact version with our Samsung Galaxy S III Mini.” Powered by the latest Android 4.1, Jelly Bean operating system, its ultra-minimal curved frame delivers a rich natural feel, which is also reflected on its nature-inspired home screen, wallpapers and ringtones. Its beautiful 4-inch super-amoled display offers a generous viewing experience that lets you view multimedia and Web content in brilliant colour and clarity. Its compact size gives users a comfortable grip and allows a convenient one-hand operation.

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he BlackBerry 10 Mini Jam World Tour arrived in Qatar last month, showcasing the unique capabilities of BlackBerry 10 to developers. More than 80 developers registered for the hands-on event at the St Regis Hotel. The BlackBerry Qatar team also announced their $10K app development competition, which will give three BlackBerry 10 developers the chance to take home $10,000 (QR36,400) each if their app is chosen as one of the best and most original apps in the country. To participate in the competition, developers simply need to submit their native BlackBerry 10 apps online on the BlackBerry 10 Mini-Jam website. Qatar Country Manager for BlackBerry, Ahmad Olaywan said: “With every BlackBerry Jam event, the excitement for our new platform is only increasing among our developer community. The enthusiastic participation we have seen today strengthens our commitment to provide our customers in the region with a strong pipeline of locally relevant applications when BlackBerry 10 launches.” The winners of the BlackBerry 10 app contest will be announced in the run up to the launch of BlackBerry 10 in the region early next year. Applications created with any of the BlackBerry 10 tools will run on BlackBerry 10 smartphones as well as BlackBerry PlayBook tablets when the new platform becomes available for the PlayBook.

Twitter introduces image filtering software

The midnight challenge

okia and Microsoft are challenging university students in the Middle East and Africa to come up with the next big mobile app idea through “The Midnight Developer Challenge”. The competition is aimed at providing students with exposure and training in the latest mobile and app development technologies. “It’s a fantastic opportunity for students to get real life experience in designing, developing and distributing a mobile app for consumers in an emerging app economy,” said Joe Devassy, Head of Developer Experience, Nokia IMEA. “We designed this competition to maximise the learning process of this entrepreneurial journey - that is, how to go from an abstract idea to a fully-developed Windows Phone 8 app available to millions of consumers worldwide.” Over the next three months, registered students will receive advanced technical training and coding sessions with Nokia and Microsoft software experts through weekly webinars and dedicated online support to help them conceptualise their ideas. Both Nokia and Microsoft will also be working closely with the universities to ensure faculty support is provided for students who enter the competition. The contest is divided into two categories - Apps and Games. Each category will have a winner and a runners-up prize.

witter has introduced a new feature allowing members to apply retro and other filters to their images, replicating Instagram, the popular Facebook-owned photography app which has cut ties with the microblogging network. The move is part of an effort by Twitter to take more control over its service. The introduction of in-house image filtering software by Twitter was anticipated. Instagram recently severed a link with Twitter Cards, a system that ensured photographs would be well presented if they were shared on Twitter. It stopped its members embedding photographs in tweets completely. Sharing an Instagram image now means a link is posted. In a blog post, Twitter said its new in-house filters were provided by Aviary, a third-party photography editing firm and would be introduced to its mobile apps. Twitter has increasingly focused on photography, and recently redesigned its website to give images more prominence on profile pages. It is part of a strategy to emphasise “rich” multimedia material, in the hope it will mean members spend more time using Twitter, making it more attractive to advertisers.

Time’s top 10 gadgets of 2012 i Phone 5 top gadget of 2012: Time

Nintendo Wii U

Sony Cybershot RX100

Raspberry Pi Model B

Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display Lytro camera

Microsoft Surface with Windows RT

Samsung Galaxy Note II

Nest smart thermostat

Simple.TV

january 2013

(Relaxnews)

Apple iPhone 5

ime magazine has chosen the iPhone 5 as the tech gadget of the year, praising its seamless fusion of hardware, software and services and claiming that the Apple smartphone still has no competition. The biggest surprise in Time’s annual list of the year’s top 10 gadgets is that Samsung’s Galaxy SIII is nowhere to be seen, although the publication does put the South Korean company’s phablet, the Galaxy Note II, in eighth place referring to the device as the “antiiPhone.” The iPhone was one of two Apple products to make the top 10, the other being its 15inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, which came in sixth, one place above the Microsoft Surface RT. of Microsoft’s first venture into the hardware market, Time said: “[The Surface is] one of the sleekest, most ambitious devices ever to run Windows. The magnesium case looks and feels good and the integrated kickstand is beautifully done.”

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What WAS trending in Doha last month?

What’s top on Doha News? Qatar goes big for National Day

National Day flashmob dubbed #qtelfail

In the run-up to December 18, we saw interest building as lights and chairs went up on the Corniche, and heritage activities kicked off at the special Darb Al Saai site.

Telecom provider Qtel organized a flashmob at Land Mark ahead of National Day celebrations, but the video disappeared hours after it was posted on YouTube. The video, which featured poetry, Qatari performers and break dancers, came under fire for combining reverent poetry with irreverent “Western” dance styles. It wasn’t universal criticism though, with many saying the incident created undue drama.

Thousands of people thronged the Corniche on National Day to catch sight of the impressive annual military parade. Many were unexpectedly delighted, however, when the Emir himself took a walk down the Corniche, shaking hand and waving to cheering onlookers. For many lower-income workers though, the day was less delightful as security forces turned them away from the festivities in large numbers. At night, the roads descended into revelry and gridlock as spectacular fireworks lit up the Doha Bay. Susan • 13 days ago : I’m very happy to see and hear that they’re doing all these fun activities - but honestly, I still am not brave enough to venture out on National Day. I’ll be home hanging out on the sofa and not stuck in the middle of a crowd or trapped in a traffic jam for hours on end. Maybe when the infrastructure here improves, I’ll give it a go...

MIMH • 5 days ago: I can’t believe people are complaining about this, don’t they have more important things to worry about. Large number of deaths on the road, too many building fires would do to start with but dancing? What next, expats are breathing Qatari air and must be stopped?

Filipina maids face temporary visa ban Qatar instituted a temporary ban on business and working visas for Filipinas entering the country, a local manpower agency told Doha News. The ban followed on the heels of attempts by the Philippine government to increase the wages its workers earn around the world to a minimum of $400 a month. Peter Draper pay people well, treat them like human beings and they’ll stop running away and give good service...... November 28 at 3:15pm · Like · 40 Troy Gonzales • 25 days ago: I just hope that the Philippine government has a contingency measure regarding this, because this will greatly affect a vast majority of Filipinas who just want to earn a living and help their families.

JustKooki1 Some days living in #qatar feels like an elaborate game of Russian roulette via @dohanews

Under-construction World Trade Centre catches fire No injuries were sustained in a fire that broke out at the still under-construction World Trade Center but many Doha residents expressed concerns after witnessing dark smoke billowing across the Dafna skyline. Firefighters arrived on the scene before too long, clearing the smoke in under an hour. Jamal Qassim • 7 days ago i was in the area with a fellow friend of mine in their office in 2022 Tower , the Firebrigade response was to tell the truth amazing , they arrived in less than 2 min. of the time of the call , and in 4 min Mark the whole building was evacuated. The fire started in the penthouse.

IKEA Qatar opening next month Qatar’s first digital news service http://dohanews.co

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Swedish home goods store IKEA intends to open its doors for the first time in Qatar on January 30, 2013, development company Al Futtaim Group told Doha News. The highlyanticipate store, which will launch a little over a month behind its original schedule, is located on Al Shamal Road just north of Doha and is the anchor tenant of the upcoming Doha Festival City project.

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QSTP to launch Second Phase Qatar Science and Technology Park

(QSTP), inaugurated in 2009, is now home to 46 companies researching and developing new technologies in the field of energy, environment, health sciences, and information and communication; the key areas outlined by the Qatar National Vision 2030. QSTP has attracted both international and local companies and is now looking at further expansion. Qatar Today spoke to Hamad Mohammed Al Kuwari, Managing Director, about the exciting research work conducted within the park and its contribution to the economy.

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Think about what you like doing and what environments you prefer to work in. Then begin looking for careers that play to those strengths.

How has your experience been of developing Qatar as a research hub?

It is a challenge to start any new era. Research has not been a priority in the region in the last decade. However, there are quite a few initiatives in the region now. QST P is collaborating with entities inside the QST P and with institutions and companies engaged in R&D within the country. Availability of infrastructure, funds and interested entities are the key parameters. The proof of our achievement is in the number of companies that have moved into the QST P. According to our internal target, we did not expect 46 companies to move in by 2012. We were expecting it by 2015. Reaching the target earlier than expected reflects the hard work of the people. The demand has picked up quickly and we are almost full now. We are planning to go into our second phase of infrastructure development to be able to accommodate more entities.

Can you tell us more about the second phase?

In the second phase we are planning to construct two more buildings to accommodate more entities. Quite a few companies are approaching us with certain specifications that are not available any more. Next year, we should be breaking ground on the project. The second phase will consist of work on the Tech 3 building which is 38,555 square metres and the Tech 4 building which is 12,000 square metres. Work on both projects will be carried out simultaneously.

What is the role of QSTP in taking innovations to the market?

Some entities approach QST P with a proven technology to be commercialised. They carry out further technology develop-

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ment related to the concept with their own funding. QST P’s part in this case will primarily be limited to licensing of the entity under the Free Trade Zone. In the second case, QST P partners with local stakeholders like universities and other research-oriented entities within Qatar. In this case, its role may include screening through previously funded research, exploring its commercial potential and taking the project through the proof of concept stage, pilot stage, prototyping and then commercialisation. Here QST P steps in as a facilitator. The entire process is governed by the Qatar National Research Strategy. T he Strategy, launched in October, set the areas of importance to the country. The ones relevant to QST P will be energy and environment, health sciences and ICT. The strategy governs the funding for projects. It is a document that focusses the efforts of all entities carrying out research in the country. It governs all the entities involved in R&D in Qatar.

about the biofuel project in partnership with Qatar Airways and QU. The project has reached pilot stage now. In the ICT segment, there is RASAD, an intelligent platform to manage data transfer. RASAD was used initially in the healthcare segment for monitoring patients online.The technology has been commercially implemented abroad. We are now exploring various other applications for RASAD and adding more parameters.

What according to you are the most exciting projects within the QSTP?

One of the purposes of QST P is to diversify the economy. Considering the maturity of R&D in the country, some entities have already registered intellectual property rights and those entities have started making money. Some are still in the development stage, which have not yet been commercialised. There are two revenue streams. One, the research projects that QST P partners in, where they co-fund certain technology development projects with other entities. The money generated through those projects will flow back to us through intellectual property rights and revenues from commercial deployment of those technologies. We also get revenues from renting the space and services we provide

In the health sciences segment, one of the success stories is SenoBright. SenoBright Contrast Enhanced Spectral Mammography (CESM) is an innovative technology to aid breast cancer imaging. It is now being sold in the market. (The technology has been cleared by the US drug authority and is already used in various European countries). It was developed at QST P by General Electric. In the energy segment, we launched a solar testing facility within the QST P in December. The facility will be used to test different solar technologies to zero in on the most efficient technologies suitable to Qatar. On the environment front, we are excited

How would you compare QSTP with other technology parks?

It is unfair to compare QST P with other parks. You don’t compare apples to oranges. QST P has a different strategy and method of conducting its activities given the local market, community, the country’s specific requirements or restrictions. Other initiatives in the Gulf have chosen a different approach. It is more about promoting the whole area from an R&D perspective.

When do you expect QSTP to start contributing to Qatar’s economy?

ConocoPhillips Global Water Sustainability Centre

Working to solve water woes Technologies to solve Qatarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water woes

while utilising the waste water guaranteed from the oil and gas industry.

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When implemented on

a mass scale, membrane distillation can be very costeffective and there will be significant cost reductions as the technology gains acceptance and more manufacturers enter the field. Dr Samer Adham,

Director, Global Water Sustainability Centre

cientists at the ConocoPhillips Global Water Sustainability Centre (GWSC) located within the QST P are working on technologies that could lead to the efficient use of waste water generated by the oil & gas industry and thus supplement Qatar’s water supply. In an extensive and exclusive interview with Dr Samer Adham, Director, Global Water Sustainability Centre, talks about the GWSC’s projects, its impact on the country’s water supply and its contribution to the oil and gas sector.

How many projects are being pursued and when are they expected to be live? Give a brief overview of the projects. Have there been any key breakthroughs?

There are four main projects being pursued. The first, relates to the treatment of water produced from Qatari gas fields; second, the membrane distillation of thermal desalination brines; third, the membrane bioreactor treatment of produced water from Qatari Gas fields and the fourth focuses on the Water Visitor Center. T he first programme is dedicated to evaluate various water treatment technologies for the cleaning produced water from Qatari gas fields. The project has two potential benefits for Qatar; by facilitating recycling and/or reuse of the by-product water

from the gas production operations here and removal of field chemicals before well injection disposal for environmental sustainability. As a result, various technologies were evaluated at bench-scale using actual produced water from Ras Laffan. Two patents were filed based on the new concepts developed. Further testing & optimisation is planned for 2013. The Membrane Distillation project focuses on evaluating membrane distillation technology as a method to cost-effectively increase the capacity of Qatar’s thermal desalination plants using low grade waste heat. It has the potential to increase the country’s drinking water supply at low cost with minimal greenhouse gas emissions. Subsequently, the benchmarking and preliminary pilot-scale test result to-date is promising. Further pilot testing at a thermal desalination facility in Doha is planned for 2013. The third project is concerned with Membrane Bioreactor Treatment of Produced Water from the gas fields. It aims to determine the optimum conditions to biologically treat ‘produced water’ for removal of hydrocarbons to facilitate its use for irrigation or industrial applications.Most importantly, it generates a new alternative source of water in Qatar thereby reducing freshwater requirements from thermal desalination plants. Preliminary bench-scale test results indicate the produced water can be

biologically treated. We expect testing to continue in 2013. Finally, the fourth project relates to the ConocoPhillips Global Water Sustainability Visitor Center, where we educate local school children and the public about sustainability issues and the importance of conservation. The GWSC includes a 300 sq mt Visitor Center with interactive displays and hands-on exhibits focused on water treatment and conservation in Qatar. It seeks to enhance awareness about the value of water here; a state concerned about developing its water resources and that makes ecological concerns one of its main priorities. In 2012, about 1100 students and other VIP visitors toured the facility. They were encouraged to share what they learned with their families and friends.

What is the scope for commercialisation of the technologies being researched? How profitable will they be when executed on a mass scale?

The technologies under research at GWSC will have wide application as the demands for both additional drinking water and more advanced wastewater treatment are increasing steadily. In the municipal sector, the membrane bioreactor technology (MBR) is already implemented on a mass scale including treating at least 170,000 cubic metre per day of Doha’s municipal wastewater for reuse as irrigation water. The

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cost-effective use of MBRs for produced water treatment could be implemented within two to three years in Qatar and around the world. The application of MBT on a broad scale is a few years years away but its application within Qatar in the interim period is possible. Financially, when implemented on a mass scale, membrane distillation can be very cost-effective and there will be significant cost reductions as the technology gains acceptance and more manufacturers enter the field.

How important is the Global Water Sustainability Centre to ConocoPhillips global business portfolio?

The GWSC has been designated by ConocoPhillips as its global center of excellence for water related technologies. The GWSC initially focused on supporting ConocoPhillips’ projects in the Middle East, particularly Qatar. As our staff increased in size and expertise, we are now supporting other global strategic projects. The GWSC is the only ConocoPhillips research facility that houses a Visitor Center, which offers tours and provides public education about water sustainability.

What will be the Centre’s contribution to Qatar once the projects reach the commercialisation phase in terms of additional water supply or water savings for the state of Qatar?

The technologies evaluated will help develop an alternative water source in Qatar and reduce dependence on fresh water supply from thermal desalination plants. For example, the membrane distillation and membrane bioreactor technologies have the potential to contribute significantly to water sustainability in Qatar. The membrane distillation can also be applied to other industrial applications producing water suitable for reuse within a plant thereby reducing the facility’s demands for fresh water from Kahramaa.The Center also provides technical support utilising state of the art analytical equipment to characterise the produced water from Ras Laffan operations and address challenging issues that could impact flow assurance issue and enhance process efficiency, facilitating smooth operation of the gas production facilities. Finally, on the social level, if each of the children touring the Visitor Center encourage their household to save 25 or 50 liters per day of water, it will result in huge water savings for many years to come.

What is the investment made in the centre so far? How are the projects Give us an idea of the economics inbeing funded? When do you expect it volved in converting petrochemical waste water to fresh water. What to start generating profits? There are no expectations for GWSC to are the challenges in the process? generate profits; its role is to support ConocoPhillips’ business operations worldwide related to water challenges and opportunities. ConocoPhillips committed $25 million for the centre during the first 5-7 years of its operations.

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It depends on a project by project basis. There are multiple issues related to produced water management, which varies from one region to another. Factors such as transportation of water, environmental regulations, geological conditions, varying

qualities of produced water, cost of energy, etc can alter the economics and feasibility of produced water treatment. The cost of produced water management is typically in the range of $1 – $10 per barrel, depending on the site specific conditions. The treatment costs depend on the type of energy costs used and its cost. For example, if membrane distillation is applied to the treatment of petrochemical wastewater and low grade waste heat is used, it is economical. If high grade thermal energy is used, then the economics would not be as favorable. The main challenge of advanced produced water treatment is that the overall concept is relatively new. The oil & gas industry is typically very conservative and needs a great deal of operational experience before adopting new technologies. Thus, pilot testing would be required to demonstrate process feasibility and treatment reliability.

What are the advantages of being in QSTP?

The primary advantage of being in QST P is the excellent facilities in an environment that promotes knowledge sharing and cooperation. QST P provides a unique facility where a cluster of the world’s top companies can work under one roof and conduct research on global challenges and opportunities. Additionally, having the world-class Hamad Bin Khalifah University across the street from QST P is a bonus. QST P’s tenants can collaborate with top scientists, have access to facilities, and employ graduates from these universities. The university also has the opportunity for their students to work on real world projects

EMRQ Environmental Lab: Scientists at EMRQ are using state-of-the-art research labs combined with field studies and eco-risk model development to understand, assess, and predict the potential impact to local marine organisms that may occur as a result of Qatarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s industrial activities.

ExxonMobil Research Qatar

Local research with global benefit Scientists and researchers at the ExxonMobil

Research Qatar (EMRQ), set up at the QSTP, are advancing a number of projects in the areas of environmental management, water reuse, LNG safety, and coastal geology. 9 0 Qatar Today

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iCube: Advanced, 3D visualization environment simulates actual work scenarios increasing effectiveness and improving job safety.

lobally, ExxonMobil has invested approximately $8 billion over the past 10 years in research and development and employs a robust process for evaluating technology for development and commercialization. In Qatar, EMRQ plans to invest more than QR218 million through 2014 in research programmes that will benefit Qatar. EMRQ works in cooperation with Qatar Petroleum, Qatargas, RasGas and local universities and has strong ties with Qatar Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gas Processing Center and Environmental Studies Center, and Texas A&M University at Qatar.

Key research programmes

EMRQ is developing the scientific knowledge needed to better understand environmental risks from industrial activities and developing technologies to manage it. The researchers are studying the potential effects of cooling water discharges through eco-toxicity studies and hydrodynamic modeling, and developing technologies that can effectively monitor the health of rich

and sensitive ecosystems existing in Qatarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ocean waters. In the oil and gas sector, specifically in the LNG business, ways to enhance safety training are being explored. Researchers are developing an advanced 3D immersive training platform where individuals working in the oil and gas industry can step into a realistic environment that simulates actual work scenarios. The element of realism makes training more effective, and enables personnel to perform jobs more safely. EMRQ is also conducting research focused on developing a remote gas detection system that can autonomously scan for and identify hydrocarbon gas emissions. This system will be highly beneficial in oil and gas production and transport facilities, as early detection can help avert potential safety hazards and reduce environmental emissions. The Qatar Center for Coastal Research is conducting research into the coastal formation processes over the past 10,000 years. The knowledge gained is applied by geologists to develop complex models of geologic formations that were formed under similar conditions millions of years ago, and are

PAM Dive Mission: EMRQ is conducting a study to evaluate the effectiveness of a cutting-edge technology – Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM) fluorometry that can help identify potential coral stresses more efficiently and earlier.

Remote Gas Detection Camera: Infrared camera technology enhanced with a sophisticated software algorithm selectively identifies hydrocarbons, allowing for earlier identification of gas emissions.

now located thousands of feet below the surface. Understanding these oil and gas reservoir formations better allows energy companies to make more educated and cost-effective decisions about how to best produce these valuable resources. Lastly, EMRQ is pursuing a water reuse programme to develop technologies that will reuse industrial water. EMRQ recently signed an agreement with Qatar University to conduct a 12-month, QR2.2-million study as part of its water reuse research programme. QU and EMRQ will assess the potential to treat industrial waste water through phytoremediation, a process using plants to naturally clean the water. It will evaluate the effectiveness of native plant species to contain, degrade, or eliminate contaminants present in industrial waste water in an engineered wetlands system. The treated water could then be reused in non-potable applications such as park or green-space irrigation.

their technology investment in addition to corporate-level research, says Dr Andy Wigton, Director of ExxonMobil Research Qatar. The standard process for technology investment requires assessing technical feasibility through R&D. ExxonMobil’s research functions follow a stage-gate research management system to progress technologies from the early stages of innovation through the final stage s of deployment, he adds. “Time horizons for these projects vary significantly. For example, the technology evaluation for the remote gas detection system project started in 2007, technical feasibility determined in 2010, field tests conducted in 2011 and finally the technology will be commercially deployed in 2013. Breakthrough technologies can take much longer to develop. Even a technology that faces barriers to deployment can provide valuable insights to business decisions,” says Wigton.

Technology evaluation and commercialisation

Technology application

At EMRQ, functional technology groups support each of the business lines in guiding

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The technologies developed at EMRQ can be applied globally. Citing an example, Wigton says, “Our work around LNG safety

in both the 3D training system development and remote gas detection will be applicable anywhere LNG is processed or shipped, or at any oil and gas facility worldwide. Many aspects of our environmental management research such as the Pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) technology have broad applicability, though designed specifically for Qatar’s waters.” PAM fluorometry assesses the health of a coral by analysing the photosynthetic processes of algae that live inside it. A twoyear study recently confirmed that PAM provides an additional tool to more effectively monitor coral health and predict damage to coral reefs before it occurs. The coastal carbonate research benefits Qatar’s natural gas producers and can also be applied to other regions that have reservoir formations similar to those seen in Qatar. “Through our work at EMRQ and our valuable partnerships, ExxonMobil is committed to developing key technologies that will help achieve continued sustainable development of the oil and gas industry here in Qatar and around the world,” says Wigton

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SHELL

Leadingtheresearch on carbon storage Shell, Qatar Petroleum and Qatar Science and

Technology Park (QSTP) have opened the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest suite of laboratories to research the storage of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in carbonate rock formations. 9 4 Qatar Today

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“QSTP is excited to be able to provide a home in Qatar to a programme that is at the very forefront of scientific discovery in a field that provides one of the most viable means of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and effectively responding to global climate change. We are enormously proud that Qatar-based research in this field will become a reality, soon making Qatar a regional leader in new CCS technology.”

he new laboratories form part of the Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre (QCCSRC ) at Imperial College London, and are part of a $70 million, 10-year research partnership between Shell, Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Science and Technology Park and Imperial. Commenting on the initiative, Peter Voser, Chief Executive of Shell said, “This initiative builds on the already strong partnership between Shell, Qatar and Imperial. Qatar Petroleum and Shell, together with world class experts like Imperial College and the Qatar Science and Technology Park, are working at the frontier of science and innovation for the energy sector. The research carried out in this new laboratory will deliver real benefits for the oil and gas industry as well as making a valuable contribution to progressing CCS which will be needed to address climate change.” The laboratories represent a significant step forward in the development of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as a solution to climate change, by helping to build knowledge that can be used to unlock the vast carbon dioxide storage potential of carbonate reservoirs. Researchers at the laboratory will also analyse how liquids and gases move through carbonate rock to optimise oil and gas production. The research in the new laboratories will be the first in the world to utilise multi-scale X-Ray CT technology - more commonly used in hospitals to visualise internal structures of the body alongside other state-of-the-art measurement and modelling techniques, to understand the way carbon dioxide interacts with, and flows in, carbonate rock

formations. With more than 50 researchers, including PhD students from Qatar, this new venture will create one of the largest university-based CCS research teams in the world. Professor Geoffrey Maitland, Director of QCCSRC from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial, said, “Thanks to this long-term collaboration between academia and industry, we now have the most advanced laboratories in the world for understanding carbonate rocks and the fluid flows within them. A deeper understanding will enable us to improve processes such as CCS and enhanced oil recovery. These rock formations, which are located all around the world, including the Middle East, could provide us with a valuable repository for storing carbon dioxide, but more work needs to be done to understand how to lock away these greenhouse gas emissions effectively. We look forward to working even more closely with our partners from Qatar and Shell on research to make this CCS vision a practical reality.” Currently in its fourth year of activity, QCCSRC conducts research in a range of science and engineering disciplines relevant to CCS. This involves experimental, theoretical and modelling activities working in close harmony and includes an unrivalled combination of experimentally validated models for thermo-physical fluid properties, multi-scale porous media flow and reaction experiments linked with pore or core-scale modelling and field scale reservoir simulation. The programme will operate internationally in both Qatar and the UK over the coming years with the main site ultimately located in Qatar and hosted at QST P, which

will provide state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. Dr Tidu Maini, Executive Chairman of Qatar Science and Technology Park (QST P) said, “QST P is excited to be able to provide a home in Qatar to a programme that is at the very forefront of scientific discovery in a field that provides one of the most viable means of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and effectively responding to global climate change. We are enormously proud that Qatar-based research in this field will become a reality soon, making Qatar a regional leader in new CCS technology.” Shell is a key partner in developing Qatar’s oil and gas industry. Globally, Shell is working with governments and experts on a political and technical level to facilitate the development and wide-scale deployment of CCS. It is involved in a number of projects related to CSS worldwide. In September 2012, Shell invested in the Quest project in Alberta, Canada, which is expected to start up in 2015. In June 2011, Shell Canada signed agreements with the Governments of Alberta and Canada to secure Canadian $865 million in funding. In September 2009, Shell invested in the Gorgon LNG project operated by Chevron. The project will nearly double Australia’s LNG output and will include the development of the world’s largest carbon capture and storage project, expected to capture 3 to 4 million tonnes a year of carbon dioxide that will be produced with the natural gas. Shell is also involved in a possible project in the UK to store carbon dioxide from Scottish and Southern Energy’s Peterhead Power Station in the depleted Goldeneye gas reservoir in the North Sea

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Advancing Technology for racing cars Williams Technology Centre

Williams is a leading Formula One team with a strong

record of innovation and developing advanced technology for racing cars. Williams is now expanding its activities, establishing Williams Advanced Engineering in 2008 to apply its technology, engineering culture and world famous brand to deliver products and services in Energy efficiency, Road safety and Education.

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1. 2.

xamples include building a hybrid supercar with Jaguar, providing hybrid energy storage for Porsche and Audi in endurance racing and hybridising London buses with Go Ahead Group. Williams established the Williams Technology Centre, Qatar (WTCQ) in partnership with the Qatar Science & Technology Park as part of this strategy to develop and commercialise technologies that have their origins in Formula One. It is the first Formula One related Technical Centre outside the sport’s traditional heartland of Europe. Williams is currently focused on two R&D projects in Qatar. The first is development of high-power flywheel energy storage systems–a vital enabling technology in the growing multi-billion dollar renewable energy market. Originally pioneered by Williams for Grand Prix racing, the flywheel energy storage systems being developed address the rapid transit (metros, trams and monorails) and electric power stabilisation sectors. Incorporation into rapid transit systems will help improve regenerative braking, increase reliability, reduce electricity consumption and cut infrastructure costs. In an electric power stabilisation role, they will be deployed to help smooth output from intermittent renewable generation sources (such as wind turbines) and provide fast response frequency regulation and short term demand peak shaving to strengthen electricity grids. The second project is the application of Williams’ immersive vehicle simulator technology. Williams in Qatar has devel-

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The development of highpower flywheel energy storage systems.

oped and deployed the Middle East’s most advanced motorsport simulator which was locally designed and constructed. T his simulator is now available to international and local professional or aspiring drivers to hone their racing abilities and realise their potential. With the establishment of this simulator, Williams is playing an important role in the growth of motorsport in Qatar by nurturing a new generation of Qatari racing drivers and attracting international ones to visit the country for training. A mobile version for corporate entertainment has also been constructed to bring the thrill and excitement to conferences, exhibitions and other events in Qatar. Williams in Qatar has also developed a range of highly realistic road safety simulators which are being used as a training tool for road going vehicle drivers. Williams sees this as the area which ultimately holds the greatest commercial potential, whilst playing a key role in reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries on Qatar’s roads. The ability to safely simulate dangerous or rare situations gives simulators a unique ability to train or assess drivers. This is important to emergency services such as police and fire where drivers navigate chaotic environments at high speed. This capability is also valuable for the training and assessment of regular commercial and private drivers. In addition, using simulators to improve a driver’s vehicle operating skills can dramatically reduce fuel consumption, vehicle wear and tear and therefore cost and environmental impact. Since the establishment of the WTCQ in 2009, Williams’ projects in Qatar have progressed through the applied research

The application of Williams’ immersive vehicle simulator technology.

stage and are transitioning into commercial exploitation. It is working in partnership with Mowasalat, Qatar’s leading transport company, to use road safety simulators as a means of training Karwa taxi drivers. Williams is also working with the UK supermarket giant Sainsbury’s to train their HGV and online delivery vehicle drivers using simulator technologies. The flywheel programme has seen the establishment of a collaboration with Siemens in Qatar on the interaction of Mobile Energy Storage Units in light rail systems. Williams is also working with the Qatar Railways Company to assess the application of its flywheel energy storage systems in the Doha Metro and connected light rail systems. Such technology has the potential to make Qatar’s public transport infrastructure one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly in the world. Other technical discussions and evaluation programmes are also underway with a variety of worldclass infrastructure suppliers and end users. Williams is also contributing to education in Qatar in a variety of ways. This includes mentoring final year student engineering teams, running multiple summer internship programmes to expose students to a rapid engineering culture, and hiring graduates from local universities. T he WTCQ has established a partnership with Silatech to promote entrepreneurship, provide mentoring and help generate job opportunities. By working with its ambitious public bodies, Williams is sharing its technological expertise and culture of innovation to develop exciting new technologies that will help Qatar achieve its 2030 National Vision

Internet business solutions Feugo Digital Media

uego Digital Media QST P-LLC is a web software technology company incorporated in 2008 in the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP). Using its ‘Made in Qatar’ content management platform, the company builds sophisticated Internet-enabled business solutions for public and private sector clients equipping them with the most advanced web, mobile application and social media capabilities.

QSTP Proof of Concept Success

Fuego was the first recipient of a QR18,00,000 ($500,000) grant under the QST P Proof of Concept Program for the purpose of developing a sophisticated Arabic Web content and eBusiness software platform for the MENA region. Fuego has commercialised the technology during 2009-2012 and is now used by close to 30 customers in Qatar including Al Shaqab, Barwa Bank, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Qatar Solar Technologies, the Supreme Council of Health and Virgin Health Bank. In July 2010, Fuego became

QF’s strategic web partner in the development of a new generation of iconic web properties for QF and its member organizations. As a result of its investment in QST P, the company has successfully created one of the world’s most sophisticated software platforms for authoring and publishing Arabic and English Web content and has expanded ICT career opportunities for graduates of Education City and Qatar University. The company is commercially profitable and foresees substantial growth opportunities within Qatar, the MENA region and globally.

Significant R&D Projects

Fuego’s ambitious software design, development and commercialisation programme revolves around six key areas namely, digital publishing, accessibility support, Arabic language support, mobile applications, social media and search. Fuego is currently in the research and design phase of its next-generation Digital Publishing Platform that will transform its software into a fully multi-channel, global publishing solution.

Innovation on air Thales QSTP LLC

hales QST P LLC was established in 2011 for the purpose of developing products and services that deliver innovative in-flight entertainment capabilities that address the needs of the region, and to incorporate other areas of Thales’ expertise relative to communications and security. Thales has been present in Qatar for more than 30 years. Currently there are more than 300 Thales employees in the country providing services and support in the fields of aerospace, defense, security and transportation. The Thales QST P facility currently houses two advanced In-flight Entertainment and Connectivity (IFEC) development racks operating actual aircraft hardware. This lab setting emulates full aircraft functionality of the Qatar Airways’ single aisle and B787 IFEC systems. In 2013, a third rack will be installed which will provide similar capability for a new generation Thales system that will be installed on the Qatar Airways A380 and A350 Fleets. Thales IFEC began delivering In-flight Entertainment systems to Qatar Airways in late 2009, and today is supporting more than 30 of the airline’s aircraft.

Thales is currently onboard the Qatar Airways A319, A320, A321 and B787 fleets and has been selected for the future A380 and A350 Fleet. Thales IFEC systems will eventually be installed on almost 200 aircraft in the Qatar Airways fleet. The development and integration of Android applications to both the IFEC system and passenger mobile devices while in flight is a main focus. The company is engaged with local entities to define and deliver exceptional applications that appeal to the Middle East aviation market. Is also aims to partner on the development of applications that create a seamless travel experience connecting the passenger and the airline before, during and after flight. The applications range from simple stand-alone functionality (games and information) to revenue generating connected apps and personalisation capabilities. Once the applications are fully developed, integrated and qualified they will be available to all 70 Thales IFEC customers located around the world. Thales and Qatar Airways are financially supporting current activities. Thales intends to start delivery over the next year.

Innovations in Mobility

Qatar Mobility Innovations Centre (QMIC)

he Qatar Mobility Innovations Centre (QMIC), formerly known as QUWIC, is the first regional independent innovations institution that focuses on using emerging mobility and wireless technologies to deliver locally-engineered innovations to the market. The innovations address the needs of a number of important market segments like transportation, environment, utilities, and sports. QMIC was set up in 2009 as a partnership between Qatar University and the Qatar Science and Technology Park and has chartered an aggressive R&D and commercialisation Strategy. QMIC’s portfolio of solutions developed or currently being developed in Qatar includes The intelligent sensing and M2M services platform (Labeeb(tm)), the intelligent transportation, road safety & logistics services (Masarak(tm)), environmental air quality monitoring system (Hawa’ak(tm)), Arabic eContent delivery platform (Kutobi(tm)), and its leading con-

nected cars platform and applications. QMIC is actively working with local and international partners, and entrepreneurs to create an innovations eco-system for knowledge-based ventures in Qatar. QMIC’s current projects include developing the Masarak and Hawa’ak systems. About one fifth of the company’s efforts are directed towards executing applied research projects in areas like intelligent transportation, connected cars, intelligent airports, intelligent sensing, water leakage, Long Term Evolution wireless broadband technology and emerging technologies. Some solutions such as the Masarak has been commercialised successfully. QMIC intends to sustain its services through revenues generated from locally produced innovative solutions. QMIC may rely on funding from the Qatar National Research Fund in the form of grants under the National Priorities Research Program.

Making history through research Virgin Health Bank

irgin Health Bank (VHB) is Qatar’s first and only stem cell bank licensed by the Supreme Council of Health. The company banks, processes and preserves cord blood that has been proved to effectively treat diseases such as cancer and leukaemia. By creating a regional centre of excellence for cord blood banking, the company has made the service available locally. Cord blood stem cell banking is permitted under Islamic law and there are several fatwas supporting cord blood banking. VHB has entered into private agreements with Qatar’s major maternity hospitals and primary health care providers for collection of cord blood. It is also involved in educating and spreading awareness about the benefits of stem cell banking among the local community. QST P is home to VHB’s new state of the art stem cell banking, processing and cryopreservation facility opened in 2011. The company is owned by Qatar Foundation, the Virgin Group and Excalibur. Stem cell research is one of Qatar’s key priority research programmes aimed at delivering advances in the field of stem cell therapy and discovering new treatments for cancer. Qatar recently set up a Stem Cell Research Excellence Centre as part of the Qatar

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Biomedical Research Institute. The centre will work closely with VHB, Weill Cornell Medical College and Hamad Medical Corporation to pursue advanced research in the field.

braking news

CONNECTING CARS: DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY ON THE ROAD

new state-of-the-art showroom for Rolls-Royce

“The Middle East is a crucial market for Rolls- Royce Motor Cars, and the excellent performance and support of our partner in Qatar compliments this unprecedented success drive in the region. ”

Geoff Briscoe, Regional Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

olls-Royce Motor Cars Doha celebrated the launch of its newly-expanded showroom in the Pearl-Qatar with a press conference followed by a prestigious event attended by a host of high-profile guests and VIPs. The new and refreshed facility is a culmination of an impressive first three quarters of the business for the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars importer in Qatar, and will mark an exciting new era for the luxury car brand in Qatar. The redeveloped flagship facility, which was initially inaugurated in 2009, has been expanded from 580 square metres to cover a total area of 750 square metres. This is a 30% increase in space to fit seven cars in display, including a new dedicated area for the Rolls-Royce Provenance Programme cars, the approved programme for pre-owned Rolls-Royce Mo-

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tor Cars. The new showroom also has a customer lounge, refreshments bar, and a configuration area to enable Rolls-Royce Motor Cars clients to customise and tailor their vehicles. Commenting on the landmark opening, Geoff Briscoe, Regional Director, RollsRoyce Motor Cars, Middle East, Africa & Latin America, said: “The Middle East is a crucial market for Rolls- Royce Motor Cars, and the excellent performance and support of our partner in Qatar compliments this unprecedented success drive in the region. The investment in this impressive facility is testament to the continued opportunities that lie ahead in Doha.” Commenting on this occasion, Mohamed Kandeel, General Manager of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Doha Showroom, said, “This new facility will not only allow us to match our sales growth with our physical growth, but also underlines

our ambition to achieve greater results in the coming years with even greater focus on customer convenience.” Latest results from the importer reveal sustained growth in the first three quarters of 2012, with an 18 percent increase in sales of Rolls-Royce vehicles compared to the same period last year. “Our business is not only about selling luxurious cars, but also investing on many different levels to ensure we have the right facilities and staff to sell new and RollsRoyce Provenance Programme pre-owned cars, to service them and provide a very high level experience throughout the car ownership period,” he added. Located in Porto Arabia in the PearlQatar, the renewed Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Doha showroom is open from Saturdays to Thursday from 10am to 10pm and on Fridays from 5pm to 10pm.

braking news

BMW launches Pearl Series

Just like Haute Couture, the BMW Individual programme is the ultimate reflection of style and exclusivity. Alexander Eftimov, Director of Sales and Marketing for BMW Group Middle East.

he story starts with the Pearl; the treasure that brought the UAE its first taste of wealth and the latest source of inspiration for BMW’s bespoke optioning programme – BMW Individual. The BMW Pearl Series is a collection of 88 specially designed and produced BMW 6 Series Pearl and 7 Series Pearl Individual models featuring an exclusive Frozen Matt Brilliant White exterior colour and Merino Amaro Brown leather interior with newly developed white piping and individual wood trim in Ash Grain White. An elegant ‘Pearl’ designation on the chrome trim adorns the rear of both models as well as the door entry seals. These exquisite marks of bespoke craftsmanship are the vision of BMW Group Middle East. BMW Individual designers were challenged to transfer the mystery, elegance and beauty of the Pearl to a BMW 7 Series and 6 Series Gran Coupé. The result - a series of unique vehicles that are set to truly capture the imagination and appeal to the discerning tastes of BMW customers across the Middle East. Just like the BMW Individual programme, Haute Couture is synonymous with exclusivity – it is the creation of custom-fitted fashion garments where each piece is unique and handmade by the most experienced and talented tailors. It is therefore befitting that the BMW Pearl Series was unveiled last month in a series of exclusive Haute Couture fashion shows across the UAE. In the company of

a select line-up of VIP guests and a host of the UAE’s fashion elite, this unusual commission was launched alongside masterpieces from a number of renowned international designers, including: Giambattista Valli, Alexis Mabille, On Aura Vu by Livia Stoianova & Yassen Samouilov, as well as jewellery houses, Garrard and David Morris. “Luxury and style are experiences you aspire to; both of which can be achieved through the car you drive and the clothes you wear,” said Alexander Eftimov, Director of Sales and Marketing for BMW Group Middle East. “Just like Haute Couture, the BMW Individual programme is the ultimate reflection of style and exclusivity. It enables customers to tailor their vehicle to a bespoke design that suits their individual style by using a range of premium materials, paints and interior trims. We have high expectations for the BMW Pearl Series. It will no doubt reinforce BMW’s association with luxury and strengthen our status as the leading global premium car manufacturer,” he added. A history in design and art: Karl Lagerfeld and David Hockney Established in 1991, BMW Individual was the first of its kind in the premium automotive industry. The programme launched with the aim of leading the trend towards more individuality by concentrating on customers looking for made-to-measure solutions and making tougher demands on their BMW in terms of distinction, design

and function. BMW Individual has been a synonym for outstanding technical ambition and a desire for automobile perfection ever since. The programme’s success story began with a design from Karl Lagerfeld, followed by another two creations over the next few years – unusual prototypes that were pioneering for what followed. An Individual model created for the world renowned artist David Hockney was the epitome of eccentricity. The passenger seat in his BMW 6 Series was replaced by a basket containing supplies of water for his constant companions – two dachshunds. The designer Hanae Mori, with her butterfly design for the upholstery, was also an exception. Apart from such extravagances, high-quality hand finishes and exclusive materials went without saying in all versions during the subsequent years. Cars were “made to measure” to suit personal requirements. Most recently, BMW Individual completed a very unique car for the Swiss watch manufacturer Girard-Perregeaux. Meanwhile, here in the Middle East, 40 BMW 7 Series UAE 40th Anniversary Limited Edition models were produced to mark the 40th Anniversary of the unification of the UAE. They featured an exclusive Marakesh Brown exterior colour, coupled with a Merino Platinum leather interior, which features the UAE emblem on the head rest, iDrive button and other areas of the interior trim. An elegant ‘UAE 40 years’ designation featured on the chrome trim at the rear of the vehicle.

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braking news

Nissan unveils the Altima 2013

Built to be the most engaging vehicle in its class, the new Altima breaks the mould while upholding the core Nissan elements - excellent value, reliability and comfort”

Hisham Al Mana, Chairman, Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Company

issan recently unveiled the ‘class above’, the all-new 2013 Nissan Altima. A modern and charismatic vehicle, the Altima delivers on quality and reliability and adds new levels of innovation, fuel-efficiency, dynamic performance and premium style. The new Altima offers numerous segment defining attributes that enhance the ownership experience and provide real customer value. “Built to be the most engaging vehicle in its class, the new Altima breaks the mould while upholding the core Nis-

san elements – excellent value, reliability and comfort,” said Hisham Al Mana, Chairman, Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Company. Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Company is one of the leading automotive distributors in the region and the sole distributor of Nissan, Infiniti and Renault brands in the state of Qatar. The new Altima offers numerous segment defining attributes including next-generation Safety Shield Technologies, including Blind Spot Warning (BSW), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Moving Object Detection (MOD) systems and rear view camera. “We are excited to bring

it to the mid-size car segment, where it will stand out from the crowd and play an important role as the core representation of the Nissan brand,” he added. The all-new 2013 Nissan Altima exemplifies innovation and class. The Altima will provide customers an experience that is unmatched in its segment. “We took one of our most successful models, kept its DNA and changed nearly everything – the visual appeal, the driving experience and, of course, the technology,” said AtsuoKosaka, Managing Director, Nissan Middle East.

centenary car achieves pride of place

he Silver Ghost, a car of legendary smoothness, the model on which RollsRoyce’s illustrious legacy was built, recently achieved pride of place at the St. Regis Hotel in Doha. A true masterpiece of engineering and design from the founding fathers, Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, it has been cherished since 1911. Following the celebration of King Georges’ Coronation on the subcontinent, its ownership passed to Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV, Maharaja of Mysore. The car returned to the UK in the early 1960s, as property of Victor Barclay, son of Jack Barclay founder of the famous sales agency for Rolls-Royce. American James

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Leake bought the famed vehicle for a record price in 1965. A little over a decade later, Leake returned the car to the UK for the celebration of the Queen’s Jubilee at Windsor in 1977. James Leake would keep the car for more than 20 years, passing it on to Tom Barrett of (Barrett-Jackson fame) in 1987. From Barrett it was sold to ‘Ghost collector Raymond Lutgert in 1993 before passing briefly to Silver Ghost aficionado Millard Newman of Tampa, Florida. Newman sold the car to Richard Solove who is one of the most noted collectors of the model to date, The Maharaja’s car becoming the eleventh in his quest for a ‘fullset’ of each year of Silver Ghost from 19071915. On achieving this goal in 2007, Solove

nobly sold the collection to benefit Cancer charities at which point the car joined the penultimate member of this impressive chain of Silver Ghost owners, the late John M. O’Quinn. In 2011, Silver Ghost was acquired by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Doha.

braking news

MARKET WATCH

A new name to old

comfort The hospitality sector in Doha is steadily growing. QATAR TODAY speakS to Gordon MacKenzie, General Manager Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha about developments at the hotel.

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

rectangular gold hotel building that houses the Radisson Blu is one of the most recognised landmarks in Doha. Formerly known as the Ramada Plaza, it continues to be the hub of the town. The hotel’s General Manager, Gordon MacKenzie, has over 40 years experience in the hospitality industry. He says, “Over the last 5-10 years I believe the emergence of hotel brands has grown phenomenally throughout the Middle East, especially in the UAE. Qatar has already begun the early stages of a similar boom, mainly driven by the announcement of the FIFA World Cup 2022.” Originally from Scotland, MacKenzie moved to the Middle East in 1975, gaining extensive experience throughout the region, working in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Lebanon before moving to Doha. In 1989 he joined the Ramada Plaza Doha, now Radisson Blu Hotel, Doha. During his time at the property, MacKenzie has gradually increased annual sales revenue from QR13 million to QR280 million, overseen extensive renovations - personally project managing the planning, design, building and opening of a 259 bedroom and six restaurant extensions, which saw the hotel double in size in April 2007. Employing and managing more than 1,000 members of staff, the hotel is one of the largest in the country. MacKenzie says, “We have 583 bedrooms, 11 restaurants, 6 bars and 14 conference rooms in

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our hotel in Doha. Typically, hotels in Europe with that many rooms will only have one, or two restaurants and one bar on the property. Here in the Middle East, I believe there is a greater emphasis on entertainment within the property and hotels are a destination for food and beverages and entertainment for everybody.” Qatar has had a significant impact on the global landscape. MacKenzie says, “Over the last few years Qatar has been hosting some very high profile events like the World Petroleum Conference in 2011, and more recently COP18 with 17,000 delegates attending it. Various sporting events have been fantastic for Qatar, with the Asian Games in 2006 and the Pan Arab Games in 2011. The Qatar Tourism Authority has worked hand in hand with hotels in the country to ensure they are promoted and pushed for the highest level of service during these times.” When it comes to the look and feel, customers find comfort in the familiar. “Most consumers like to see brand names they recognise and trust when travelling; it offers them comfort and security when travelling to a destination they have never been before,” says MacKenzie. “With the re-branding of the hotel in July 2012 to Radisson Blu Hotel Doha, we continue to be one the busiest four star hotels in town. Operating now for 33 years, we are currently undergoing a $22 million refurbishment of 324 guest bedrooms. In the summer

MARKET WATCH

With the World Cup coming to Qatar in 2022, I believe we will see a surge in new hotels opening up over the coming years. The market will become more and more competitive as we all strive to reach our goals. of 2013 we will renovate our all day dining restaurant (Hyde Park Coffee Shop) and Japanese restaurant (Sakura). As always the hotel continues with its new and exciting promotions in our food and beverage outlets. With 11 restaurants you are never spoilt for choice here,” he says. Speaking of future initiatives, he continues: “With the World Cup coming to Qatar in 2022, I believe we will see a surge in new hotels opening up over the coming years. The market will become more and more competitive as we all strive to reach our goals. From the consumer point of view this will be fantastic as they will see new products, innovations, promotions

and service levels rising considerably as we all battle to keep our share of the market. It is projected that Qatar will require approximately 90,000 hotel rooms to host the World Cup.” When it comes to protecting the environment, the Radisson Blu sets the pace. MacKenzie says: “We have a number of key initiatives in place already at the hotel. Our ‘Responsible Business Team’ works with a local company to recycle some of our waste, namely plastic, newspapers, cardboard and aluminium. In conjunction with our corporate programme ‘Think Planet’ all hotels are actively engaged to reduce their energy consumption by 25% by 2016. “During our refurbishment we’re installing all rooms with energy saving devices, utilising the latest lighting technologies with LED’s, even the LCD televisions have been replaced with new energy saving Samsung 40-inch LED televisions. “All our staff is actively engaged in learning where and how we make an impact into helping our environment, through the use of our corporate mascot ‘Lumi’ we engage the staff with online as well as traditional classroom and on the job trainings, competitions and suggestion boxes where we can all help to make a difference.”

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MARKET WATCH

CAN FINANCE SERVE QATAR’S ECONOMY?

BMW Golf Cup held

Lawrie to defend title at CommercialBank Qatar Masters

WINNERS OF THE WORLD FINALS OF THE BMW GOLF CUP INETRNATIONAL

mateur golfers were given a chance to secure their place in the World Finals of the BMW Golf Cup International in the second BMW Golf Cup International 2012, organised by Alfardan Automobiles, the BMW Group importer in Qatar, at the Doha Golf Club on December 14, 2012. More than 150 players participated in the 18-hole Individual Stableford Event, with golfers falling into three categories: Mens Category A (Handicap 1-12 and Mens Category B (Handicap betwen 13 to 28) and Ladies Category with a handicap between up to 36. The 18-hole championship course posed a real challenge for the players, providing an exciting day of golf. Chris Sharkey was the Mens Category A winner with 35 Stableford points; whilst Dean Kenneally finished on top in Mens Category B with 40 and Tasnem Kazi won the ladies category. The three winners of the national round in Qatar will be flown to the BMW Golf Cup International Finals in Fancourt Resort, South Africa in March 2013 where they will

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tee off against more than 100 other golfers representing over 30 countries. The tournament, which is sponsored by Qatar Airways, the official airline carrier and T-Qatar Magazine, the media sponsor, and Kempinski Residence and Suites also displayed a range of BMW and BMW Motorrad models where participants had the opportunity to enjoy Sheer Driving Pleasure through BMW test drive vehicles and BMW Motorrad bikes. In addition, BMW Lifestyle items were on display at the event. “Golf enjoys a special relationship with BMW, and we are committed to hold the BMW Golf Cups every year, which is another exciting way to promote our new BMW vehicles. Both the Golf sport and BMW are exclusive, elegant and stylish-a perfect match for the brand’s premium character.” said Mr. Mohammad Kandeel, General Manager of Alfardan Automobiles. Equally noteworthy that the winners of 2011 BMW Golf Cup Qatar; David Borrows, Nasser Ali Al-Kaabi and Yanling Wang have represented Qatar in last year’s finals in Singapore and achieved the 22nd position worldwide.

yder Cup star Paul Lawrie has confirmed he will attempt to win a record third Commercialbank Qatar Masters title next month to add to his victories in 1999 and February this year. The 43-year-old is only the event’s second two-time champion, following Australian Adam Scott who won in 2002 and 2008. The 16th Commercialbank Qatar Masters will, for the first time, be played from Wednesday to Saturday, January 23-26, at Doha Golf Club, positioning the US$2.5 million event at the heart of the 2013 European Tour’s three-week Middle East swing. Now enjoying a ‘second wind’ in his career, Lawrie won two European Tour titles in 2012, finished 10th in the Race To Dubai with over $2.5 million, reached a careerhigh world ranking and beat Brandt Snedeker in the singles to help Europe retain The Ryder Cup.

MARKET WATCH

Technical innovation

n 2005, the launch of the Master Minute Repeater Antoine LeCoultre (Calibre 947) had already created a sensation with its patented crystal gong, constituting a major breakthrough in the world of watch sound. The gong heel was soldered to the watch’s sapphire crystal so as to make the most of the sapphire crystal’s properties of velocity to magnify the intensity and purity of the sound vibrations emitted. After several years of research, JaegerLeCoultre perfected a totally new shape of gong, used for the first time ever on the Master Minute Repeater watch in 2007. Consisting of a single part extending from the heel to the actual gong itself, this new design has a square cross-section rather than the traditional round cross-section, and a larger surface area that comes into contact with the hammer, which for its part can also strike with increased force. The gongs meanwhile were made out of a material for which Jaeger-LeCoultre possessed, and still possesses, the exclusive and confidential formula. A succession of technical innovations were inspired by the Calibre 947, which con-

solidated its place in the history of watch sound when in 2009 Jaeger-LeCoultre unveiled the first minute repeater watch with a two-week power reserve combined with a regulator display. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Grande Tradition A Repetitions Minutes produces a sound that has never been heard before in a wristwatch. With 64 decibels, durations of over 600 milliseconds and a richness of nine partials, the sound produced surpasses any performance previously obtained with a wristwatch.

30 years of Ferrero Rocher

breathtaking 12 metres high Ferrero Rocher tower was revealed to the public at The Dubai Mall in the presence of the Italian Ambassador to the UAE HE Giorgio Starace, and the General Manager of Ferrero Middle East and Africa Dott. Magnarello. The glamorous celebration of Ferrero Rocher, known as the world’s favorite premium luxury chocolate for 30 years is the courtesy of Filmmaster MEA (Middle East and Africa). The event carries the name “Ferrero Rocher Top of the Golden Luxury”. Built in 72 hours, the idea of creating a 12-metre-high “Burj Khalifa” Ferrero Rocher tower was born by combining the icon of Dubai, represented by Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world and the symbol of Ferrero Rocher, the pyramid shape. Thousands of Ferrero Rocher chocolate mock-ups using the authentic Ferrero Rocher gold-aluminum foil were used for the display.

Alfardan committed to customers

lfardan Premier Motors, the exclusive importer of Land Rover in Qatar, announced new Friday opening hours as of January 1, 2013 for its Land Rover Showroom located at Alfardan Plaza, Al Sadd St. and for its select showroom (Pre-owned cars) in Al Jazeera building, Al Jazeera St. The showrooms will be open on Fridays from 5 to 9pm. All showrooms will remain open from Saturday through to Thursday from 9am to 9pm. This is in line with Alfardan Premier Motors’ commitment to better serve their customers and maintain the highest level of customer service.

A radical timekeeper

co-Drive Ring was first introduced as a concept model in 2009. Citizen’s continued efforts have resulted in refinements in watch face design, features and details and is finally presenting the limited edition of 250 pieces worldwide. Turning convention on its head, Eco-Drive Ring captures light from the sides of the case, turning a onceperipheral component into a centrepiece of the watch’s design. A radically new concept in watchmaking is born, fusing light power generation with design elegance. The design demonstrates the considerable thought given by Citizen to the side view. Seen head-on, the design appears simple. Its unique features are revealed when the watch is observed from an angle. The ring-shaped solar cell is embellished with a coin-like edge, overlaid with curved sapphire glass.

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Qatar Today 109

sports file

Doha Goals promises change through

sports

300 initiatives were put forward for review as nearLY 3,000 participants attended the twoday Doha GOALS Forum which concluded on December 12 to great acclaim with guarantees that positive changes would be made on a global scale through the use of sport before the event returns next year.

working group led by Executive Director of Doha GOALS Sheikh Faisal bin Mubarak Al Thani will process more than 300 proposed initiatives that came out of the conference. At the event’s closing press conference it was announced that a number of initiatives will be selected from those proposed over the course of the next three months. The working group will define the further detail of the selected initiatives over the subsequent three months with the remaining five months prior to Doha GOALS 2013 earmarked as the delivery phase. The inaugural Doha GOALS Forum ran at the Aspire Zone, Doha from December 10-

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12 and saw almost 3,000 participants from 60 countries meet to discuss how sport can be used as a vehicle for social and economic change. The conference brought together a community of policymakers and government officials, heads of business, athletes, NGOs to build a roadmap for addressing social challenges through sport. 400 international students from 25 countries and 400 Qatari students travelled to the event. Speakers at Doha GOALS included leaders in sport such as President of FIFA Sepp Blatter and Lord Coe, chairman of the organising committee of London 2012, as well as sporting champions such as multiOlympic gold medalists Ian Thorpe and Carl Lewis. Emphasising the role of delegates and students in contributing to the success of this road map, Sheikh Faisal promised every support from the team at Doha GOALS: “Without your help and partnership, we cannot get these goals implemented,” he said, adding his heartfelt thanks to everyone who had participated in the event. Carl Lewis, Nine time Olympic gold medallist, said at the closing press conference: “Sport has the power to change lives and

it was wonderful to have such a strong collective international community gathered here in Doha, who all made commitments to making meaningful change and improving lives.” The aim of the initiative is to build a community of hundreds of key influencers from all areas who believe that sport is a crucial vehicle for nation building and development. Most importantly, the forum has been designed to deliver tangible action items, such as the launching of a Global Student Ambassador programme for youth leaders from all around the world, and a global NGO to help underprivileged children. The objectives of the Forum were dictated by a taskforce of more than 50 of the leading policymakers, innovators, sports scientists, physicians, federation heads, academics, athletes, corporate executives and competitors who gathered for a Pre-Forum event in January 2012. This group, which included top executives from FC Barcelona, IMG, Coca-Cola, as well as federation heads, and past and present athletes, debated economic development, the commercialisation of sports, the welfare of athletes, and sport as a vehicle for tourism.

sports file

SPORTING GOALS HH SHEIKH HAMAD ADDRESSES THE AUDIENCE AT THE DOHA GOALS FORUM

Sasol concludes second chapter of Definitely Able campaign with Oscar Pistorius

asol confirmed its commitment to social development by hosting another Definitely Able campaign initiative, featuring Oscar Pistorius, Olympic semi-finalist, Paralympic gold medalist, and world record holder. The defining moment of Pistorius’ participation was winning the ‘Run like the Wind’ race against an Arabian horse at the Aspire Zone outdoor circuit. The ‘Run like the Wind’ race, organised by Sasol Qatar in collaboration with the Doha Goals Forum, Qatar Olympic and Qatar Paralympic Committees, forms part of Sasol’s on-going Definitely Able campaign which aims to highlight the positive contribution and possibilities for people living with disabilities in Qatar. Pistorius also visited ACS Doha School, Shafallah Center, and the Al Noor Institute, where he interacted with students, telling them about his life journey and the challenges he has faced along the way.

Oscar explained to students the meaning of being definitely able and encouraged them to focus on their abilities and not their disabilities. Pistorius was described as being “a role model, a child’s dream, and a wonderful life lesson,” by one of the teachers attending the assembly. Pistorius concluded his week-long stay in Qatar with a visit to the Qatar Paralympic Com-

mittee headquarters, where he met with Qatar’s Paralympian Abdulrahman Abdulqader Abdulrahman and other Paralympic athletes, sharing with them his inspiring message. Marjo Louw, Sasol’s Qatar Country President thanked the Qatar Olympic and Paralympic Committees for their support in making the Definitely Able campaign a success.

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A PRISONER OF HOPE 44

doha diary

RasGas’ Year of Education

asGas Company Limited (RasGas) officially launched the Year of Education 2013 Impressionist Art Exhibition by renowned Qatari artist, Ali Al Sharif at the company’s headquarters in December. The week long exhibition marked the start of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme Year of Education 2013 campaign. Showcasing 12 unique paintings by Al Sharif, the collection provides an artistic portrayal of traditional education in Qatar. Set in the 1940’s and 1950’s, the paintings place specific emphasis on almutawaa and traditional Islamic teaching methods, which paved the way for modern-day education in Qatar. “This is our first exhibition at the new headquarters and we are honoured to reinforce our commitment to local arts and

preservation of local heritage ahead of Qatar’s national day celebrations. RasGas’ CSR programme is aligned to the Qatar National Vision 2030 and Qatar National Development strategy 2011-16,” says RasGas Managing Director, Hamad Rashid Al Mohan-

Celebration time at St. Regis

fter kicking off its festive season with special tree lighting in the first of week of December, The St. Regis Doha unveiled a wide variety of promotions and events for the whole family. More than 300 guests watched the illumination of the six-metre-high tree, listened to a youth choir from the Qatar Music Academy sing holiday carols, and took pictures in front of Qatar’s largest gingerbread house. On New Year’s Eve, The St. Regis Doha hosted a gala dinner in the Grand Ballroom with entertainment by superstar, Nawal Al Zoghbi and band, the guru of oriental beat DJ Said Mrad and Lebanese belly dancer, Vanessa. Guests also attended Jazz at Lincoln Center, Doha’s “Jazzy!” evening, featuring a five-course menu and the swinging sounds of the Sherman Irby Quintet. On December 31, guests also enjoy a sev-

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nadi. The RasGas CSR’s Year of Education 2013 campaign will cover a range of topics related to education, including art, culture, literature and reading, science as well as employee volunteer and skills transfer initiatives.

CHEF EXCHANGE BY QATAR AIRWAYS

en-course fine dining experience at Gordon Ramsay designed by Michelin-starred chef Gilles Bosquet, a festive set menu at Astor Grill, or a grand buffet at Vine Restaurant.

rand Hyatt, Doha and Hyatt Regency Warsaw, Poland embarked on a unique exchange programme to celebrate Qatar Airways’ route launch between Doha and Warsaw, Poland. The two Hyatt properties, together with Qatar Airways, organised a 10-day chef exchange programme to celebrate the recent launch of the airline’s new Polish service. Grand Hyatt sent Arabic Chef Wael Aboelela to Hyatt Regency, Warsaw to showcase Arabic cuisine with a Qatari twist. In exchange, Chef Witold Drobny from the Hyatt Regency Warsaw brought the tastes of Poland at Grand Hyatt Doha at The Grill Restaurant from December 9 to 19. Qatar Airways is operating non-stop flights four times a week between Doha and Warsaw, the airline’s 32nd European destination.

doha diary

Over 20,000 Visitors at HOPE

aunched in November by His Excellency Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, Chairman of the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), The HOPE Exhibition showcases the photography of renowned world photographer, Reza. Having ended on December 18, 2012, the exhibition attracted more than 22,000 people to the Corniche on the Sheraton Park. Hosted by WISE, the exhibition aims to reach audiences through art and its accompanying educational programme. Showcasing 80 photographs by Reza, the programme was created by the photojournalist, and academic and professional institutions here in Doha. “The WISE initiative is an action call to the world and to everyone here in Qatar. We are proud that Doha’s residents have heard the call to participate; the crowds visiting

our HOPE Exhibition prove that the arts are an excellent way to bring people together for a common goal,” says HE Dr. Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani. “My personal hope is that you will see this exhibition and be energized to become the catalyst for positive change in your schools, homes and communities.”

‘Craft for the Digital World’

s part of the Crossing Boundaries Lecture Series, Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCUQ) presented a lecture by OFFF, with artistic director, curator and founder Hector Ayuso Ros, and partner and executive director Pep Salazar Garcia, entitled ‘Craft for the Digital World’ on December 9, 2012 at VCU-Q’s atrium. The lecture focused on knowing how to do or make something, which OFFF says, is as important as the idea behind the work. It looked at the union of digital tools and the knowledge of physical realities, a balancing of the virtual and the analog. “These are exciting days, where we are exploring new ways to express human feelings,” say Ros and Garcia. “Many of us have suffered an education that placed too much importance on analysis; nowadays, young artists/students are falling into the hyper tech clutches; technology makes your life easier, but also makes you lazier. The ultimate remedy is to be innovative: getting our hands dirty, not denying the importance of the brand-new app or deluxe plug in but also convincing ourselves to do arts and crafts, motivating ourselves to enjoy all different artistic expressions, exploring

In December, Reza hosted additional activities to continue the educational programme accompanying the exhibition. In partnership with the Qatar Photographic Society (QPS), Reza reviewed the portfolios of amateur and student photographers at the QPS.

QFBA Launches 2013 Programme

new narrative territories. We have to teach everybody to use any tool available but not forget the ideas, the organic. Creating experiences that improve our everyday lives, interacting with people and spaces, that is design, that is OFFF,” they add. OFFF is an entity in continuous transformation, alive and evolutionary. More than a decade ago, it was born as a post-digital culture festival; a meeting place to host contemporary creation through an in depth programme of conferences, workshops and performances by the most relevant artists of our time.

he Qatar Finance and Business Academy (QFBA) launched the 2013 Programme at the Hilton Hotel in Doha last month. Throughout the event QFBA also introduced their new team structure to those in attendance. “It is satisfying to know that we are here to help build Qatar’s human capital and that our efforts have proven great success in little time. With a mission to train and develop the financial services sector and build professional capacity, we are proud to be contributing in developing a modern and knowledge-based economy, in line with Qatar’s 2030 vision,” says Abdulaziz Al Horr, the CEO of QFBA. The 2013 QFBA Program has now been expanded to include several programs such as insurance, Islamic and non-Islamic finance, rules and regulations, compliance and anti-money laundering, as well as soft and basic skills.

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Qatar Today 1 1 3

doha diary

Katara Unveils Qatar UK 2013

DOHA DASH

olphin Energy announced the official launch of the first annual Dolphin Energy Doha Dash, in celebration of Qatar National Sport Day on February 12, 2013. The Dolphin Energy Doha Dash will take place at the Lusail International Circuit in Doha, giving runners the chance to run on the circuit and follow the tracks of Motor GP stars. The community event aims to encourage a healthy lifestyle and raise money for charity by donating a percentage of the entrance fee charged, and will feature a 5km run for participants aged 12 and over, a 3km run for all ages, a 1km run for children and a 1km ladies walk. Adel Ahmed Albuainain, General Manager of Dolphin Energy, says: “This is a wonderful opportunity for the community to get involved. The Dolphin Energy Doha Dash, created by Professional Sports Group, is a family fun run that supports Qatar National Sport Day and carries an important message about the benefits health and fitness have on people’s personal and professional lives.” All runners will receive an official race t-shirt, medal and gift bag as well as en-

joy a family day out in the Festival Village. The first three runners across the line in the 5km, 3km and 1km runs will receive a trophy and a special prize. Participants are invited to bring their friends and family to watch and cheer them on as they cross the finish line from the Festival Village, situated in the circuit. In the morning, a range of activities will be on offer including live music, children’s activities, have-a-go sports areas and food and beverages.

HILTON DOHA EMBRACES COMMUNITY OUTREACH

round 20 members of Hilton Doha’s Blue Energy programme joined 40 children at the Shafallah Centre, which provides a range of educational and recreational services for children with special needs. Andreas Searty, General Manager at Hilton Doha, says: “We are delighted to be working with such an important organisation that provides such an essential service to the society. The Shafallah Center empowers these children so that they can fully participate in their communities and we are very proud to be a part of this initiative.” Children at Shafallah Centre participated in various fun-filled activities, learned to make their own cupcakes with a range of decorations and condiments, teamed up to create beautiful flower arrangements and to construct towering buildings out of cards

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and pins. The Blue Energy team further entertained the kids with impressions using wigs, hats and bowties.

atara Cultural Village kick started Qatar UK 2013 with the opening of Encounter: The Royal Academy in the Middle East and The Witness, an exhibition by Naji Al Ali & Hani Mazhar on December 6, 2012. Qatar UK 2013 commemorates a long lasting diplomatic relationship through a series of cultural events which aim to raise awareness of the cultures of each country. Katara jointly collaborated with The Royal Academy of Arts to co-curate Encounter: The Royal Academy in the Middle East. The exhibition features over 80 works of art in a wide variety of media by 25 Royal Academicians and 25 prominent artists from across the Middle East. Concurrently, Katara collaborated with Al Markhiya Gallery, to host The Witness, an exhibition by Naji Al Ali & Hani Mazhar which commemorates the 25th anniversary of the assassination of the renowned Palestinian caricaturist. The exhibition marks the first time that original drawings by Naji Al Ali will be exhibited in the Middle East. The exhibition will take place in Katara Gallery 1 and 2, Building 19 and 22 until March 6, 2012. The Witness exhibition, held in Katara Gallery 2, Building 18, will run until January 12, 2012.

ehab kamel appointed country rep of the mecsc

Second left: Ehab Kamel, General Manager of Retail Leasing at The Pearl-Qatar, has recently been appointed as one of Qatar’s representatives for the Middle East Council of Shopping Centres (MECSC).

doha diary

TYC and QMA Launch National Youth Sports Festival

The Ritz Bash

Left to right: Dr Christian Wacker, director of Qatar Olympic and Sports Musuem, Diego Pinzon, Acting Executive Director of TYC, and AbdulSalam Issa Abu Issa, Deputy COO, Salam International

un The World (RTW) festival 2012 kicked off with “Inspiring Qatar” Sports Fashion Show at The Gate Mall. An initiative of The Youth Company (TYC) organised in partnership with the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, a department under the umbrella of the Qatar Museums Authority (QMA), this festival engaged youth in sports through a series of events from December 12–22, 2012. Being held for the second year, RTW festival is designed to encourage the youth of Qatar to lead an active, athletic and healthy lifestyle. In addition to the fash-

ion show, this year’s RTW festival featured RTW Talk, Heart Qatar, Young Corporate Cup, RTW Comedy Show, a Medical Camp, a three-day RTW Outdoor Festival and a Gala Dinner, all under the theme of Youth and Sports. The RTW Festival 2012 is sponsored by the cultural village Katara, host of the RTW Outdoor Festival, Commercial Bank as Strategic Partner; Qatar Airways as the Official Airline of the event, Qatar Stars League as the Official Football Partner; Tasmeem Flowers and Chocolates as the Awards Sponsor, and I Love Qatar as Social Media Partner.

VODAFONE AND MADA PARTNER

Qatar Chamber to host world congress

o mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Mada (Qatar Assistive Technology Center) and Vodafone Qatar have teamed up to launch permanent offers for customers with disabilities. Vodafone offers customers with disabilities a 50% discount on all Vodafone’s Postpaid Plans and 20% discount on selected handsets equipped with accessibility features and applications. Vodafone Qatar will offer home delivery of products purchased online on Vodafone’s highly accessible website and home pick-up of bill payment. Vodafone in collaboration with Mada trained its store managers to communicate and deal effectively with customers with disabilities. Mada also helped Vodafone assess the accessibility features of various handsets.

atar Chamber, the host organisation of the ICC WCF 8th World Chambers Congress and Exhibition, is diligently arranging to make the flagship chambers assembly one of the largest to date. “Qatar Chamber is committed to making the 2013 Congress not only an opportunity for Qatar and its businesses, but one that will also be relevant to the wider business community in the MENA region, and the world at large,” says Remy Rowhani, the CEO of Qatar Chamber and International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Qatar. The Congress will take place in Doha on April 22-25 2013 at the Qatar National Convention Centre, an iconic LEED-certified conference and exhibition space. As one of the oldest chambers in the region, Qatar Chamber is hosting the four-

he Ritz-Carlton, Doha celebrated its 11th anniversary by organising an exclusive appreciation dinner as gratitude over the support from its loyal guests. The gala dinner was attended by more than 400 guests with spectacular prizes including traveling experiences to different parts of the world, courtesy of Qatar Airways, and a Harley Davidson, as a surprise grand prize at the end of the programme.

day gathering to bring together the global community of over 12,000 chambers, hundreds of multinational businesses and SMEs, and many influential world leaders to the region for the very first time. Organised biennially by the ICC World Chambers Federation (WCF), the Congress is the only international forum for chamber of commerce leaders to share experiences, exchange insights, develop networks and address the latest business issues which affect their communities. Qatar Airways and Al Sraya Holding are joining hands with Qatar Chamber by agreeing to transport 50 delegates from least developed countries and host them at the Millennium Hotel in Doha for the fourday event. QNB Group, the leading financial institution in Qatar and the MENA region, is providing its strategic sponsorship of the 2013 Congress.

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doha diary

Living it up at La Mer

by rory coe n

LA MER RESTAURANT, RITZ-CARLTON DOHA STAFF AT THE HOTEL SHOW OFF ITS RECENT HONOURS AND ACCREDITATIONS

s one of the most exclusive restaurants in Doha, I found the atmosphere at La Mer decidedly inclusive. The interior design is sophisticated and elegant, and complements the flavours of its new French chef. Situated high on the 23rd floor of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, La Mer sweeps its casting eye over the city of Doha. An idyllic vista – the lucent Pearl-Qatar on the immediate left is set in front of the appendages of West Bay; south of this is the Corniche which channels into the sprawling human habitat. You’ll probably spend a few moments trying to find your house, as I did. Of course I sat down with my back to all this. After being shown to my table I neglected to take advantage of the view during my meal. I was scolded by the waiter for my lack of ambition and he repositioned me on the opposite side of the table – facing the remarkable view. He didn’t entertain my argument for a second; as I was the first to arrive, I felt it rude to turn my back to my fellow guests and waiting staff. To temper me until my cohorts arrived I was offered some bread with four different types of butter – garlic and herbs, chilli and lime, sweet and plain. For a man who judges

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his quality of life on his ease of accessibility to choice brown bread, Doha hasn’t been all that great but La Mer didn’t disappoint – the bread with the garlic butter in particular was sublime to taste. Let’s eat When our table had its full complement of guests, we ordered. I didn’t look any further than the lobster; I had my menu down and was back eating the bread before the others had even found the right page. I had never had it before and if I was ever going to break my duck, this was the place to do it. There’s something about lobster which means you’re living. Such was my ignorance regarding the clawed crustacean I was relieved when another guest ordered in kind. I knew enough to know it wasn’t as simple as eating mashed potato with gravy. I had sweaty visions of myself taking out a lump hammer and bolster to get at the good stuff. So now, at least, it would simply be a case of “monkey see, monkey do”: whatever way she attacked it, I would do the same. However, as it transpired, my obtuse panic was averted by the manner in which Chef Olivier Catora presented it. The Le Homard selon La Mer was the chef’s vision of how lobster should

be prepared. It came in three distinct, yet complementary offerings. I was quickly briefed that this was how our chef rolled – each main course on his menu was tendered as a trinity and this was the lobster variety. On the centre plate were three lobster medallions equipped with the famous French beurre blanc truffle flavour and tartine mascarpone coral mousse. On its right was an astounding lobster thermidor risotto and on its left was a bisque and cod fish, which I wasn’t so enamoured with. It was one of those things you either love or hate apparently. Either way, I was able to keep my hammer and bolster on my tool-belt and use traditional cutlery instead. I had the crispy chicken, stuffed with wild mushrooms, beef bacon with reblochon foam to start and a chocolate fondant with vanilla sauce and white chocolate ice cream for dessert. Let me be the first to apologise for writing these in English – they sound so much more parochial in French. La Mer is open every day, except Saturday, from 6.30pm to 1am. Private dining rooms and the adjacent bar are also elegantly designed environments in which to relax and sample classical dining in its finest form. No better place to retreat after polishing off a lobster and chocolate fondant

doha diary

qatar national day 2012

Qatar celebrated its National Day on December 18 last and Qatar Today is proud to provide some of the prominent images of the day.

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doha diary

great excitement on the corniche on national day patrons who made the trip to the corniche to witness the National Day celebrations were delighted to see the Emir HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani take off on foot through the crowd between the Ministry of Interior’s headquarters and Al Bida Park shaking hands with many and embracing children. As has happened in previous years, a huge crowd started assembling from the very early morning – all trying to gain a view of the proceedings – but they must have been shocked to see the Emir mingling and greeting. The formal celebrations began with the singing of the national anthem and recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, before the Emir took salute as contingents from the security forces marched by. Powder fireworks followed the parade while many other activities were on display to mark the occasion. Two different kinds of Qatari traditional boats were showcased at the Dhow exhibition while a classic car exhibition and palm trees illuminations added to the spectacle.

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The Iron Ladies of 2012 In line with Qatar Today’s unchoreographed theme for January, where most of our interviewees seem to be women, we list the 10 most powerful in the world today. Who is destined to become the next Iron Lady? 1. Angela Merkel

5. Jill Abramson

(From Germany; born 1954) has been the Chancellor of Germany since 2005. She has been described as “the de facto leader of the European Union” and is currently ranked as the world’s second most powerful person by the Forbes magazine, the highest ranking ever achieved by a woman.

(US; 1954) is the executive editor of The New York Times. Assuming the position in September 2011, she became the first woman in this role in the paper’s 160-year history.

2. Hillary Clinton (US; 1947) is the US Secretary of State. She was the First Lady from 1993 to 2001. She has been at the forefront of the US response to the Arab Spring, including advocating for the military intervention in Libya.

3. Dilma Rousseff (Brazil; 1947) became the first female president of Brazil on January 2011. Last September, she became the first woman to open a session of the United Nations General Assembly. She has proved to be a popular leader, despite having a very different style to Lula, her predecessor.

4. Melinda Gates (US; 1964) is an American businesswoman and philanthropist. She is the wife of Bill Gates. She is the co-founder and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and a former unit manager for several Microsoft products such as Publisher, Microsoft Bob, Encarta, and Expedia.

Source: www.forbes.com

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6. Sonia Gandhi (India; 1946) is President of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties of India. She is the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi.

7. Michelle Obama (US; 1964) is the wife of the incumbent President of the US, Barack Obama, and the first African-American First Lady.

8. Christine Lagarde (France; 1956) became the first female Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund in July 2011. Previously, she held various ministerial posts in the French government.

9. Janet Napolitano (US; 1957) is the third and incumbent US Secretary of Homeland Security, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was Arizona’s third female governor, and the first woman to win re-election.

10. Sheryl Kara Sandberg (US; 1969) has served as the chief operating officer of Facebook since 2008. Before Facebook, she was Vice President of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google.