Qt october 2013 by Oryx Group of Magazines

inside this issue october 2013 / Vol. 39/ Issue 10

cover story

36 Betting on people

Qatar is a nation in fast-forward mode, with billions spent on development programmes, and needs hundreds of talented professionals from around the world to keep pace with these activities. While those arriving in the country are hopeful of making a career by being part of this historic development, will Qatar’s HR managers be able to retain them by putting the right policies in place? Qatar Today talks to five of the country’s top HR policymakers and HR heads of companies' to find out how they strike a balance between Qatarisation and meeting the aspirations of those drawn to this part of the world.

18 Boom, gloom or doom?

Will Qatar's "emerging market" status upgrade spell doom or make the country’s markets shine in the near future? Sowmya Sundar finds out.

62 Waking up to a new dawn

Doha is all set to be become the cultural capital of the Middle East, as the Qatar Museums Authority finalises plans to bring four hallmark art exhibitions from around the world. QMA officials tell Sindhu Nair about the forthcoming events.

82 a looming threat

The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus that first emerged in Saudi Arabia last year has swept the Middle East, and may end up causing a catastrophe with the impending arrival of millions of pilgrims to the Saudi kingdom from all over the world. Ezdihar Ibrahim reports.

inside this issue october 2013 / Vol. 39/ Issue 10

32 Overestimating the power of one nation

Career diplomat and former US Ambassador to Bahrain Adam Ereli speaks exclusively to Srinivasan VL about Qatar's greater role in defusing tension in the region.

54 Women Wanted

While prior research has established that Qatari females attend higher education at much higher rates than males and has explored reasons why men fail to continue into higher education, very few studies have explored why Qatari females pursue academic education over technical and vocational education and training.

74 Living on credit

Abigail Mathias speaks to some of the leading banks in the country on how to keep yourself safe from being a victim of credit card fraud.

68 Need of the hour

With Qatar planning to spend more than $120 billion on infrastructure projects in the next five years, Director of the Institute of Infrastructure Studies Anthony Holmes tells Ayswarya Murthy that Qatar is perfectly positioned to set up an infrastructure bank if it collects and analyses data from these projects.

and regulars 12

news bites

16 bank notes 20

o&g overview

22 realty check 100 tech talk 102 auto news 105 market watch 108

Sports

110 doha diary

from the desk Last month, Qatar’s English daily The Peninsula Qatar spoke about bridging the expat-national gap in compensation, and a Western expat was quoted in the article as saying:“Many locals don’t realise just how challenging it is for expatriates to live here. From the way people drive on the roads, to the sponsorship system, many of us feel certain insecurities living here.” While this comment seemed ludicrous to many (including me), an HR consultant would have sympathised with the expat, for it is his/her job to make the employee as comfortable as possible in his/her new environment, and working in the Middle East, is indeed a challenge for many. But do HR mangers really care and are HR policies really as democratic as they are supposed to be? Is a job as good or as bad as the compensation you receive, or is there more to a job than just the moolah? Looking at this from a national’s perspective, what stage has Qatarisation reached, and is it really helping them? Qatar Today finds out whether Qatar’s HR sector is still in its nascent “administrative stage” or has blossomed into a scientific tool that helps the employee, the employer and the bottom line of the organisation. Our report throws light on the most crucial need in HR, for leadership development that will drive business transformation. And that will be the biggest challenge for the country too, as it comes under further flak for its “modern day slavery," which is how the International Labour Organisation describes the “deaths of dozens of Nepalese migrant workers due to labour abuses". To pave the way to becoming a country that is as humanitarian within its borders as its philanthropic efforts outside the country, Qatar will have to make sure that it cares for the people who work assiduously under the scorching desert sun to upgrade the country’s developing infrastructure needs. Qatar Today also brings you other interesting stories from within its shores – an update on the infrastructure preparations for hosting the 2022 World Cup, the cultural mapping of the country, the need for an infrastructure bank with the billions' worth of infrastructure projects, the lack of women in technical fields and the growing scare of credit card fraud; and some interesting stories from around the world, the catastrophe that MERS presents with the arrival of millions of pilgrims in Saudi Arabia this month, the emerging market and its future, and the Syrian debacle discussed by a former US diplomat who feels that Qatar’s role is not to be underestimated. As cynics look at Qatar with mistrust and shrug off the country’s rising influence on the global arena and its escalating buying power, I ask them to look back and reflect on history, how each country battled its own inadequacy, apartheid in the US, discrimination against Aborgines in Australia, the Holocaust in Europe, caste system in India and so on. While we live in much more progressive times and the atrocities that we have seen belong to a forgotten era, there are tinges of this discrimination, few and far between but still prevalent, lurking below the surface of all modern societies, and as ruthless. While Qatar has to bridge the gap to a fair society without discrimination, let’s all throw away the last lurking layer of bigotry and strive for equality across gender, culture and colour.

Sindhu Nair

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Yousuf Jassem Al Darwish Chief Executive Sandeep Sehgal Executive Vice President Alpana Roy Vice President Ravi Raman editorial Editor Sindhu Nair SENIOR CORRESPONDENTS eZdhar ibrahim abigail mathias ayswarya murthy Sub editor sue eedle art senior Art Director Venkat Reddy deputy Art Director Hanan Abu Saiam assistant art director Ayush Indrajith senior Graphic Designer maheshwar reddy Photographer Robert F ALTImirano marketing and sales senior Manager – Marketing Zulfikar Jiffry ASSISTANT MANAGER – MARKETING THOMAS JOSE senior Media ConsultantS HASSAN REKKAB LYDIA YOUSSEF MARKETING RESEARCH AND SUPPORT EXECUTIVE KANWAL BALUCH senior Accountant Pratap Chandran distribution Sr. Distribution Executive Bikram Shrestha Distribution Support Arjun Timilsina Bhimal Rai basanta pokhrel

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An education hub

25 YES

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Barely five years ago I was packing my bags to fly off to the States, where I had enrolled myself in an undergraduate programme. I didn’t have a choice then; the options in Qatar were non-existent. But as I was flipping through the Education Spotlight pages I couldn't help but be in awe of the range of scope for students in Qatar now. Some of the best names in global education have a presence in Qatar. Our young people are in want of nothing.

Figures in percentages

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Quintessentially Qatar

I am looking forward to the launch of QELA and will be eagerly watching what they have to offer. Considering how highly fashion-conscious and brand-aware we are as consumers, it’s about time to give something back to the world of fashion. I hope the new brand will encourage young, local designers who, I am sure, are only just coming into their stride. Noor Mohsen

Currency pegging, demystified The article explaining the pros and cons of pegging the Qatari riyal to the US dollar was highly engaging and informative. It broke down the fundamentals and helped the reader understand the nitty-gritty involved.

experience a new era of reading

Anand Verghese

Interesting timeline "From Kuttab to Campus" was a serious eye-opener. Barely six decades ago there were no formal schools in Qatar, and look how far we have come. It is almost as if we are living lives at a faster rate than the rest of the world! Abdulaziz Al marri

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affairs> local “His Highness the Father Emir planted the seeds of openness, creativity and freedom of expression in our society. These are the seeds of prosperous minds that will continue to flourish generation after generation.” HH Sheikha Moza bint nasser

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meets with Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani during the 68th United Nations General Assembly, in New York, September 24, 2013. AFP PHOTO/Emmanuel Dunand.

Qatar-Japan relations

HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser accepts George Bush Award Investments in Qatar’s human resources are reaping rewards, says Sheikha Moza

atar Foundation Chairperson HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser spoke of the blessings and creativity of the Qatari people as she accepted the George Bush Award for Excellence in Public Service at the University of New England in Maine in the United States. President Bush and Mrs Barbara Bush presented the award to Sheikha Moza in

16 > qatar today > october 2013

recognition of her “devoted promotion of peace and human development throughout the world”. Mrs Bush presented the award to Her Highness, noting that her initiatives combine “the best of modernity and tradition. Her belief in the character and potential of her nation’s people is truly an inspiration.”

Going strong

Japan is Qatar’s largest trading partner

inister of Energy and Industry HE Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada says that the volume of trade exchange between Qatar and Japan reached more than QR135 billion ($37 billion) in 2012. Al Sada said in his address at the opening of the Qatar-Japan Business Forum in Doha that Japan is Qatar’s largest trading partner, with a total volume of more than QR135 billion ($37 billion) in 2012. Qatar is Japan’s second-largest LNG supplier and is also Japan’s third-largest supplier of crude oil, he added. “Both the State of Qatar and Japan continue to enhance four decades of friendship, and strengthen their trade, economic, and political ties,” he said.

QF gets new President

The march to tap human resources gets fillip

H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, has appointed Saad Al Muhannadi as its new President and Rashid Al Naimi as the CEO of Qatar Foundation Investments, as the organisation moves forward in its mission to unlock human potential. Paying tribute, HH Sheikha Moza said: “In Saad Al Muhannadi we could not wish for a more capable president to continue advancing our mission. As one of the founding members of Qatar Foundation, he is steeped in the esteemed traditions of our organisation.

“It is now 18 years since Qatar Foundation was founded. From humble beginnings it has grown to become the world-class institution that we see today, spearheading the nation’s efforts on our journey towards a knowledge economy. “Al Muhannadi has been with us throughout this incredible journey, leading the ongoing development of the organisation’s infrastructure, and I have the utmost confidence in his ability to provide the necessary leadership as Qatar Foundation continues its exciting mission to unlock human potential. I would like to extend my very best wishes to our new president in his new role.

Qatar Reached an aggregate spends most QR5.8 trillion ($1.6 trillion) Qatar’s high credit rating is on a par GCC SWFs

with developed nations

atar’s public expenditure jumped by a whopping 160% during the period 2008-13 to reach QR2,500 billion ($683 billion). The import coverage ratio of Qatar's foreign exchange (FX) reserves is comfortably higher than the threshold coverage ratio of three months of imports, at 10 months, according to a new report. The Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC)'s monthly GCC Markets report for September has placed Qatar in the upper tiers of “investment grade” in terms of sovereign credit ratings. The country’s credit rating, like other GCC countries, is on a par with most developed economies. These high credit ratings are mainly a result of strong macroeconomic fundamentals as GCC countries enjoy large fiscal surpluses, low levels of public debt and robust non-oil GDP growth. The report noted assets managed by GCC sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) currently exceed government liabilities in all GCC countries except Bahrain, mainly due to large net foreign assets and FX reserves.

at end-2012. up

FDI flows decline Qatar’s net purchases

touch QR16.78 billion, says UNCTAD

67%

The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows from Qatar to other countries declined by 8.5% to QR 6.56 billion ($1.8 billion), last year. Meanwhile, the inward fund flow saw a marginal increase of 0.6% to QR1,190 million ($327 million), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in its “World Investment Report 2013”.

equivalent to

UNCTAD’s country fact sheet on Qatar’s "cross-border mergers and acquisitions" shows Qatar’s net purchases reached QR16.78 billion ($4.61 billion) in 2012.

from QR3.57 trillion ($980 billion) in 2007,

107%

of aggregate GDP in 2012. With relatively little external debt, the GCC region’s net foreign assets could rise to

The report noted that FDI flows from the GCC to other countries declined last year, by 17.7% to $18.6 billion. Kuwait was once again the largest investor overseas, accounting for 41% of outflows with $7.6 billion, followed by Saudi Arabia with $4.4 billion and the UAE with $2.5 billion.

QR7.65

trillion ($2.1 trillion), equivalent to 132% of GDP. qatar today > october 2013 > 17

affairs > local

Valuable Paying taxes? No problem Qur‘an Qatar has retained second place among world nations for the fourth

gifted

successive year as far as ease of paying taxes is concerned Where Paying Taxes is easy. and Where it is not. Economy

Overall Rank

United Arab Emirates

Most difficult

Rank

Cameroon

176

Qatar

Mauritania

177

Saudi Arabia

Senegal

178

Hong Kong

The Gambia

179

Singapore

Bolivia

180

Ireland

Central African Republic

181

Bahrain

Republic of Congo

182

Canada

Guinea

183

Kiribati

Chad

184

Oman

Venezuela

185

atar keeps second position globally for the fourth successive year in ease of paying taxes, according to the “Paying Taxes” 2013 annual report issued by the World Bank, International Finance Corporation and consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) recently. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states are ranked among the top 11 countries globally according to the ease of paying taxes study, where the UAE ranked first,

Saudi Arabia third, Bahrain seventh, Oman tenth and Kuwait 11th, the report said. “The public revenues and tax department have streamlined the tax declaration requirements for locally-owned facilities since the beginning of data collection upon which the survey was based. Qatar's global rating could probably improve if the streamlining of tax declaration had taken place at that time,” said Declan Mordaunt, an international tax partner at PwC Qatar.

More males than females

The male/female ratio indicates that Qatar had three times more men than women as of August 31 Total Population within the State of Qatar

Males

1,419,678

Total

1,864,817

Females

445,139

to QNL

atar National Library (QNL) has received a precious and valuable 200-year-old Holy Qur‘an as a gift from Thailand. Ambassador of Thailand HE Panyarak Poolthup recently visited QNL’s Heritage Collection Building and donated the holy book on behalf of his country as part of the Thai Embassy’s efforts to promote cultural relations with Qatar. The Holy Qur‘an was previously owned by Ustaz Yusuf bin Harun from the Southern Pattani province of Thailand. It was handwritten in Mecca by Sheikh Al Khatib Hud bin Mahmoud in the year 1236 of the Islamic Hijri calendar.

Research applications called

The Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) continues to encourage undergraduate students to apply for grants to conduct original research on topics relevant to Qatar, as part of its Undergraduate Research Experience Programme (UREP). Applications for the 15th cycle of the programme are being accepted. First launched in 2006, UREP is QNRF’s longest-running programme, with two cycles per year.

18 > qatar today > october 2013

Qatar leads Arab World in ICT revolution The WEF’s Global IT Report 2013 says Qatar has moved five places upwards in providing online services and in the online participation of its citizens

atar is placed among the top 10 nations in the world for its ICT usage and prioritisation by the government, and is leading the Arab world, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Information Technology Report 2013. Qatar, the reports says, scores high on four indicators: ICT use and government efficiency; government procurement of advanced technology; government prioritisation of ICT; and importance of ICT to the government’s vision.

70.3%

Mobile broadband subscriptions: Jumps from 9.6% last year (43rd place) to 70.3% this year (11th).

I08

Fixed broadband and broadband internet subscriptions: 108th and 62nd place respectively.

Business-friendly environment: 12th place.

Processes Most Commonly Automated by Government Organisations HR (Human resources)

94%

Finance

88%

Information technology

55%

Procurement

52%

Inventory

48%

Public Relations/Communications

39%

Marketing

18%

Quality Assurance

18%

Publishing

Social Services

Online Training

Source: Government IT Executives Survey, 2013; Organisations that have automated their processes

are you Ready for Change? Qatar’s strengths: Fiscal and Budgeting, Macroeconomic Framework and Health Qatar’s opportunities: Informal Sector, Civil Society and Environmental.

List of top 10 countries

1. Singapore 2. Sweden 3. Qatar 4. New Zealand 5. Germany 6. Israel 7. Japan 8. Saudi Arabia 9. Australia 10. United Kingdom

Qatar is ranked third, after Singapore and Sweden, and first in the Middle East, among 90 countries that were assessed for the 2013 Change Readiness Index (CRI)

PMG, in collaboration with Oxford Economics, developed the Change Readiness Index (CRI), which assesses the ability of 90 countries (developed and developing) to manage change and cultivate the resulting opportunity. Change readiness relates to the capability of a country’s agents – its government, private and public enterprises, people and wider civil society – to anticipate, prepare for, manage and respond to a wide range of change drivers, proactively cultivate the resulting opportunities, and mitigate any potential negative impacts. Among the 90 countries, Qatar is placed second for Enterprise Capability, third for Government Capability and 12th for People

and Civil Society Capability among high income group nations. After considering various issues and aspects, Qatar has been placed after Singapore and Sweden in the index. Interestingly, Saudi Arabia is the other country from the GCC and is ranked eighth among the countries assessed by KPMG for its report. The 2013 CRI expands the scope of KPMG’s 2012 index to include developed countries, and also input from more than 500 interviews with experts worldwide from a range of backgrounds, and more than 70 secondary data variables, including from sources like the World Economic Forum, World Bank, Economist Intelligence Unit, World Health Organisation and UNESCO. qatar today > october 2013 > 19

business>bank notes “The new laws” (Laws No.13 and No.8), “are a healthy update on the regulatory framework that governs the financial sector in Qatar, and will elevate the State’s status as an international financial hub.” HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud Al Thani

Qatar Central Bank Governor

The MEED Qatar Banking Summit 2013, held over two days in Doha, brought together the biggest players in the country’s banking, finance, investment and insurance sectors.

QCB issues

QR7 billion debt To help Qatari banks meet the Basel III liquidity requirements, Qatar Central Bank has announced that it will issue sukuk and conventional bonds. In a bid to “develop the monetary policy” and “support the strength of the banking system and financial and market tools”, QCB is issuing QR4 billion ($1.1 billion) of local currency sukuk and QR3 billion ($0.8 billion) of local currency conventional bonds. The debt will include three-year and five-year tranches of both conventional and Islamic bonds, the Central Bank said. The bank's governor was quoted as saying that the demand for bonds was strong, as was evident from the fact that the auction of riyaldenominated government bonds had been fully subscribed.

20 > qatar today > october 2013

Banking on World Cup 2022 and QNV 2030

s the country prepares to address the challenge of delivering the infrastructure for the FIFA 2022 World Cup Finals and the Qatar National Vision 2030, finance’s movers and shakers got together to discuss updated regulations and structures, how Qatar can position itself as a hub in global risk management, opportunities for the country’s lucrative banking sector, initiatives to develop the capital markets, how Basel III will affect the region’s banks, and more. Qatar Central Bank (QCB) Governor HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud Al Thani, who delivered the keynote address, described how total assets of Qatari banks have grown by 13% per annum to reach QR875 billion in 2012 from QR400 billion in 2008. He said deposits have increased by 41% to reach QR535 billion in the first half of this year compared with QR212 billion in 2008, and credit facility has risen by 15%. The governor stressed increasing activity on the Qatar Exchange (QE) and encouraging international banks to set up operations in the country. “It’s not just one big deal that will bring foreign banks into the country.

It’s the overall perception of the economic climate. Is there a good growth story?” said International Bank of Qatar’s Head of Corporate Banking, Bhupendra Jain during a panel discussion. “Very few economies can match Qatar’s historic and potential nonoil-and-gas growth.” Michael Ryan, CEO of the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA) spoke about a formal structure for coordination between QFCRA, QCB and the Qatar Financial Markets Authority (QFMA), supported by a common strategy. This combined strategy, he said, would be launched towards the end of the month. This move is to “fill fatal gaps” between regulatory organisations and comply better with the regulations announced globally, it was said. Zain Al Abdin Sharar, Director of Legal Affairs and Enforcement at QFMA, spoke about plans to launch a second market on the QE for companies that can’t meet the requirements of the primary market. Governed by a new set of rules, this new market could potentially double the number of listed companies in the country in the next five years, he said.

business > bank notes

Boom, gloom or doom? By Sowmya Sundar

This summer, the emerging markets (EM) felt the worst pangs in a long time. Used to easy money flowing in without much hard work (reforms), the sudden flight of capital from most emerging markets sent their currencies into an abrupt drop, shedding 10-25 % of their value against the dollar.

qr3.64

billion ($1 billion) Estimated capital inflow into Qatar after May 2014.

I0-25

Losses suffered by Asian currencies against US Dollar in past four months

Qatar Gate Fund returns in last three years 22 > qatar today > october 2013

he good news for now is that the US Fed has put off its decision to stop buying bonds, briefly cheering the markets. It is expected that America’s bond-buying programme will now be phased out gradually, giving time for markets to adjust. Qatar National Bank (QNB), in a note released in early September, opined that the Fed’s move could affect growth prospects for developed markets as well. According to QNB Group, “the EM may derail the incipient global economic recovery. This is likely to unleash further EM capital flight, thus undermining their economic growth and reducing global export demand. This will inevitably have a knock-on effect on the relatively weak growth in the US and the incipient recovery in Europe. Ultimately, QE (quantitative easing) tapering may well be self-defeating as it could, in fact, lead to lower growth, in both the US and the rest of the world, thus derailing the global economic recovery.” Experts feel that the UAE and Qatar, which have recently been upgraded to Emerging Market status by MSCI Inc., may not suffer much as interest in these markets is governed by a different set of factors. What went wrong with Emerging Markets? America, in a bid to boost its economy following the global financial crisis in 2008,

embarked on a massive bond-buying programme to inject more money into its economy and trigger growth. As interest rates in developed markets were close to zero, global financial institutions invested these loose dollars in the high-return, highgrowth emerging markets. As developed economies have shown signs of recovery, America has expressed its intention to withdraw the stimulus, leading to rising interest rates back home. The move, in turn, triggered a mass flight of capital from EMs to the developed markets, which now offer competitive returns. Dubai-based Arqaam Capital's Head of Equity Sales Wafic Nsouli calls it a “cyclical pull-back” triggered by the Fed move. The UK-based TIER's Co-founder and Chief Economist Paul Temperton points out the inherent factors that have been clouding these countries, accelerating the pace of outflow. “The EMs under most pressure – Brazil, India, Turkey and Indonesia – are those with trade deficits that need to be financed by attracting capital inflows. In the past they have been able to do that, as their bond yields have looked attractive in a world characterised by the ‘hunt for yield’. That is no longer the case. These vulnerable EMs have seen the triple whammy of a weak currency, falling bond market and dropping equity market.” Alpari Middle East CEO Iskandar Najjar blames “slowing growth and higher

inflation” for the slowdown in the once-roaring EMs. Asian currencies have shed between 10 and 25% of their value in the past four months. India emerged as the worst loser, shedding a quarter of its value against the dollar. “Moreover, amidst all the economic developments over the past few months, the Indian government has introduced some rather backward and questionable measures that will only complicate matters,” says Najjar. Is the party over? Not all experts agree on that. Nsouli feels that “the dynamics governing global cyclical flows have many moving parts and so could readily see incremental capital flow back to global emerging markets”. Temperton says: “The adjustment has been short and swift. In some of these markets – India, for example – the currency, bond and equity markets all look quite cheap.” Barclays Chief Investment Officer (Europe, Wealth and Investment Management Division) Kevin Gardiner recommends developed equities. In a recent note to investors he says: “Monetary normalisation has long been the most visible pothole in the investment road ahead, and it could easily lead to the sort of setback that would be worth trying to avoid. We’ve long had a tactical preference for developed stocks and bonds, not because we lack faith in the long-term emerging market story but because we’ve felt investors have been overly pessimistic about the developed world.” Impact for Qatar and the UAE Did the five-year-long wait for Qatar and the UAE to get an EM status upgrade from MSCI finally come at a time when the money is fleeing away from established markets? Analysts’ estimates for additional capital inflow into Qatar following the upgrade range from QR1.3 billion ($350 million) to QR3.6 billion ($1 billion), and the flows are expected to arrive gradually. Will these global developments adversely impact investor sentiment in Qatar and the UAE? Nsouli opines that, on the contrary, investor interest in Qatar and the UAE has gone up. “We have seen the large global index funds position themselves in these markets for a while now,” he says. “The measurable improvement in average daily turnover for both markets in the past nine months clearly suggests that investor interest has risen for both.” Brushing aside the worries, he says: “The

MSCI upgrade is a structural change for these markets, while the recent pull-back from global EM is mostly cyclical in nature. For mainly this reason, we see negligible impact over 12 months for Qatar and the UAE.” Moreover, no action is expected until the revised classification comes into effect from May 2014. Secondly, with just 0.45% weight in the EM Index, no significant changes are expected to EM portfolios. Doha-based investment company Amwal's Head of Asset Management Afa Boran says: “Both overall investor sentiment towards emerging markets as well as the recent escalation of the Syrian issue have negatively affected foreign investor interest in Qatar. Once these events fade out, we should see some increase in foreign ownership of Qatari stocks. Statistics show almost no change in foreign ownership since the beginning of the year.” He feels “foreign buying is important more as a vote of confidence in Qatar’s growth prospects. This would encourage local investors to buy more.” Both Boran and Temperton opine that Qatar, being a net exporter of capital, is not desperate for foreign capital, unlike most other emerging market countries. MENA outlook Nsouli says Qatar and the UAE are attractive markets as “they offer investors the best of emerging markets (high growth, high margins, low input costs and product penetration) without the usual downside risks (unstable political environment, weak macroeconomics and currency risk). For these reasons, we believe that both markets carry significant return potential for investors.” According to him, “the 12-month outlook for MENA funds is very positive. We see strong structural EPS (earnings per share) growth coming through for consumer stocks (growing and young population with rising income levels), real estate and building materials (as balance sheet book values become more believable and the next build cycle drives earnings), and banks (as expectations of a rising rate environment reinstates pricing power for banks).” Reiterating his view, Boran says: “We are very positive on Qatari equities because there are great companies at very cheap valuations which will appeal to both foreign and local investors. Our fund (Qatar Gate Fund) has returned 52% in the last three years, till end of May 2013, 18% above the index and 3% above the closest competitor.”

Paul Temperton TIER Co-founder and Chief Economist

Iskandar Najjar

CEO, Alpari Middle East

qatar today > october 2013 > 23

business>oil&gas “No wider shortage of crude oil”

Crude oil production from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was 30.28 million barrels per day (b/d) in August, down 60,000 b/d from July, a recently-released Platts survey of OPEC and oil industry officials and analysts showed. OPEC crude output fell in August as oil worker strikes and protests drove Libyan production below the 300,000-b/d level towards the end of the month. According to HE Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry, during a visit to Tokyo, OPEC was monitoring the Libyan situation closely, but there was no wider shortage of crude. He said the market appeared to be in a “healthy situation”.

A milestone in offshore engineering

LNG to Petronas from 2014

Barzan Gas is expected to supply approximately

I.4

billion standard cubic feet of gas per day (Bscfd).

asGas Company Limited (RasGas) has announced that the Barzan Gas Project’s four offshore platform topside modules, collectively weighing a total of 9,500 tonnes, have started their long journey by sea from Ulsan, South Korea to Qatar’s North Field. The topsides will be installed beginning in the fourth quarter of 2013. “The safe completion of the topsides and their successful sail away to Qatar marks

The Oil & Gas Year qatar 2013 recognises the Best in the sector

the culmination of 32 months of close cooperation between the RasGas and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) project teams during engineering in Malaysia and fabrication in South Korea. We now look forward to continuing this teamwork during the final offshore hook-up phase of the project, following installation of the topsides in October,” said Nafez Bseiso, Chief Venture Officer, RasGas.

Man of the Year: Abdulrahman Ahmad Al Shaibi, Chief Co-ordinator, Industries Qatar Sustainability Project of the Year: Jetty Boil-Off Gas Recovery Project, Qatargas Downstream Company of the Year: Qatar Chemical and Petrochemical Marketing and Distribution Company (Muntajat) QJSC Upstream Project of the Year: Maersk Oil for Al Shaheen International Investment of the Year: Qatar Petroleum International

24 > qatar today > october 2013

Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited (4) (Qatargas 4) and Petronas LNG (UK) Ltd (PLUK) have signed a five-year sales and purchase agreement (SPA) for an annual LNG volume of 1.14 million tonnes, effective January 2014.

he LNG will be supplied from Qatargas 4 (Train 7), a joint venture between Qatar Petroleum and Shell that started production in January 2011, and will be delivered on board Q-Flex LNG vessels to Petronas’ Dragon LNG Terminal located in Milford Haven, United Kingdom. HE Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Qatargas, signed the SPA on behalf of Qatargas 4 while the Executive Vice President, Gas and Power Business of Petronas Datuk Anuar Ahmad signed on behalf of PLUK.

business > realty check

High on

most expensive country to build in

Urbanisation

Qatar is the most expensive country to build in across the Middle East and is ranked 15th most expensive in the world, according to the International Construction Costs Report 2013 released by global built asset consultancy E.C. Harris. 10 Belgium

03 Denmark

08 France

japan

macau

Switzerland

Hong Kong

04 Sweden

09 singapore

he annual study, which benchmarks building costs in 47 countries, found that relative construction costs across the globe have been affected by substantial currency fluctuations throughout the year. With Gulf currencies closely tracking the US dollar, the impact of these fluctuations on Gulf countries has been limited. Qatar and the UAE remain in the top 20 most expensive locations to build in, and with inflation running at around 5% per annum, Saudi Arabia has continued to move up the cost curve. Qatar remained unaffected by the 2008 global financial crisis, with GDP rising rapidly as a result of increased LNG output. Qatar’s construction market is relatively small and historically has been associated with a steady rate of development. However this is all set to change, with Qatar taking up huge construction activities

26 > qatar today > october 2013

australia

during the run-up to the FIFA World Cup in 2022, and also as part of its Vision 2030. Beyond government–driven projects, progress is relatively slow, with developers preferring to hold back from development in commercial schemes until the infrastructure is in place. There is also some oversupply in commercial space, the report said. Qatar’s resource challenge is related to the speed of proposed development. There is plenty of capacity in local supply chains, as these have already been put in place in anticipation of a fast start to programme delivery. By contrast, there are potential constraints in the availability of construction professionals and some imported materials, mainly due to transport infrastructure. Prices are currently stable, but have the potential to ramp up quickly if procurement is not accelerated and additional capacity is not built over the next two years, the report added.

Qatar will achieve the highest level of urbanisation in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region by 2020, with 99.5% of its estimated population living in cities, followed by Kuwait at 98.4%, much above the Mena average of nearly 62%, according to the United Nations’ latest estimates.

ther GCC countries such as Bahrain, the UAE and Saudi Arabia will achieve 89.4, 86.7 and 84.1 per cent urbanisation respectively. Egypt and Sudan, the two big Arab countries with the largest and second-largest populations in the region, will remain the least urbanised by 2020, with only 45.5% and 35.1% of their populations living in cities, respectively. According to the latest revision of the World Urbanisation Prospects report by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Qatar’s population by 2020 will reach 2.2 million, of which 2.1 million will be living in cities. However, in contrast with UN estimates, according to an earlier forecast by the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Qatar’s population is expected to reach about 2.8 million by 2020 from the present 1.83 million. The UN report says more than 226 million people will be living in cities throughout the MENA region by 2020, accounting for 61.7% of the region’s total population.

99.5

estimated population OF QATAR living in CITIES by 2022

business > viewpoint

Medical tourism

on an upward

curve

Medical tourism in Southeast Asia has developed into a phenomenon of great scope, meanwhile producing annual revenues of about QR18 billion ($5 billion) for the region.

Thailand welcomed around 2,00,000 million medical tourists in 2012, which makes it the top destination for medical trips to the region. Singapore counted 850,000 medical tourists, and Malaysia saw some 670,000 in the same period. 28 > qatar today > october 2013

hile Southeast Asian countries have long been top tourist destinations for their glistening beaches, warm climate and exotic culture, in recent years the number of people travelling there for medical procedures has increased dramatically, especially people from the Gulf countries who seek high-quality treatment and related services at affordable prices and also want their families to have an enjoyable stay. The top countries in Southeast Asia for health tourism are Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. Thailand alone welcomed around 2.4 million medical tourists in 2012, which makes it the top destination for

medical trips to the region. Singapore counted 850,000 medical tourists, and Malaysia saw some 670,000 in the same period. In the cases of Malaysia and Thailand, the main attraction for many remains lower costs: bills for medical treatment are on average about 25 to 50% below what hospitals would charge in Europe or the US. Another reason why especially Gulf nationals increasingly chose Southeast Asia over the US and even Europe in the past is that it has been more difficult to obtain visas there since 9/11, whereas for example Thailand has been very generous in granting visas on arrival for medical tourists from the Gulf and their families, or even made it visa-free for certain passport-holders. Furthermore,

patients from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are now allowed to stay in Thailand for up to 90 days instead of just 30. Thus the number of foreign patients in Thailand has been growing at a yearly rate of 16%. In 2012, they generated QR13.5 billion ($3.7 billion) in revenue, compared with just over QR2,900 million ($800 million) in Singapore. Most patients seek treatment in orthopaedics and heart surgery, as well as cosmetic surgery and dental work. From a competition point of view, the advantages of Thailand compared with Singapore and Malaysia are price and hospitality, as Thailand is a major tourist destination. However, its weakness is the lack of English–language capabilities, having fewer English-speaking hospital staff than Singapore and Malaysia. Just to give an impression of the savings that are possible when undergoing treatment in Malaysia or Thailand, while heart bypass surgery in the US can cost up to QR364,000 ($100,000) for private patients, in the Southeast Asian countries the same surgery would set a patient back just QR54,000-QR90,000 ($15,000 to $25,000). A hip replacement in the US costs around QR127,400 ($35,000), in Thailand and Malaysia around QR47,300 ($13,000) and in Singapore QR72,800 ($20,000). In-vitro–fertilisation in the US would result in a bill of around QR55,000 ($15,000), in Southeast Asia it would be QR23,660 ($6,500) and QR32,760 ($9,000). Last but not least, cosmetic surgery, one of the most sought-after services, is generally cheaper. A facelift, for example, costs around QR11,000 ($3,000) in Thailand, while in the US it would be around QR36,400 ($10,000). Following is a comparison of the three top destinations in Southeast Asia for medical tourists:

Thailand

The number one health tourism destination in Southeast Asia, after the Asian financial crisis in 1998, has realised that its earlier investments in new medical technologies and its well-educated medical staff, most of them certified abroad, can pay off. Leading hospitals such as Bumrungrad, Bangkok Hospital or Phyathai have started heavy marketing of their services abroad, pointing to their broad range of treatments including cardiology, oncology, ophthalmology and spinal surgery at significantly lower costs. Together with Thailand’s reputation

as a top holiday destination in the region, this has lured a large number of health tourists, especially to Bangkok but also to holiday spots such as Phuket, where some Thai hospitals have opened branches and health tourists can combine their treatment with a pleasant leisure stay. It is not just the lower treatment costs, but also the more reasonable expenses for hotel rooms, food and transport that medical tourists appreciate in Thailand. And, for the country, the trend is lucrative too. Medical tourists already account for 10% of the overall tourism numbers, and at a time when Thailand’s economy is otherwise somewhat suppressed, it is significant that receipts from the sector contribute notably to GDP. By 2015, annual revenue from medical tourism in Thailand is estimated to reach QR18 billion ($5 billion).

By Arno Maierbrugger

Singapore

Being number two in medical tourism in the region, the main difference from Thailand is that Singapore’s medical services are not necessarily that cheap, but are at a world-class level underpinned by outstanding clinics and research centres and a sizeable number of world-class physicians. That said, people who need, for example, to undergo highly critical surgeries such as organ transplantation or modern treatment methods such as stem cell transplant therapy for acute cancers might better seek treatment in Singapore, as such highly sensitive procedures might not be available elsewhere in Southeast Asia. However, it would still be cheaper than in Europe or the US. The leading hospital group in Singapore offering such treatments is Parkway Group.

Malaysia

Malaysia, the region's number three in health tourism, again has a different ecosystem for medical tourists. Patients from the Middle East might enjoy the combination of affordable treatment, modern health facilities and tropical surroundings paired with Malaysia's Islamic culture. The country is far more multicultural and multilingual than Thailand, at comparable prices and quality for health services. Major hospitals are of the KPJ Group and the Gleneagles Medical Centres. One specialty of Malaysia that differentiates it from the other destinations is top-notch traditional Chinese medicine

dr arno MAIERBRUGGER is Editor-in-Chief of www. investvine.com, a news portal focusing on Southeast Asian economic topics as well as trade and investment relations between ASEAN and the GCC. Investvine.com updates its clients on current business news and financial market data and publishes interviews with prominent business people as well as government officials. The related website www. insideinvestor.com is currently being developed as an online platform connecting investors with investment opportunities. qatar today > october 2013 > 29

news bites > regional

30 > qatar today > october 2013

A rt i n t i m e s o f D i st r e ss? Israelis stand by Renaissance master Botticelli’s “The Annunciation of San Martino alla Scala”, displayed at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, on September 17, 2013. The famous painting went on display diplomatic efforts that assured Italian authorities the fresco would be safe. AFP PHOTO/GALI TIBBON

qatar today > october 2013 > 31

affairs > viewpoint

resolving Construction Disputes

hose involved with construction and engineering projects know too well that the procurement and construction process is fraught with uncertainty. Add to this average year-round temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius, a demand for iconic oneoff structures, a culturally diverse work force, a high reliance on unspecialised labour, construction material supply shortages, an unfamiliar legal system and regional geopolitical tensions, and one can start to see that when executing projects in the Middle East the areas of potential uncertainty are increased exponentially, perhaps none more so than with regard to the uncertainty surrounding disputes resolution, the process and ultimate outcome.

Zane Hedge Director and Head of Construction Disputes, Deloitte Forensic

deloitte The opinions expressed here are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Deloitte & Touche (M.E.). Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Deloitte was the first Arab professional services firm established in the Middle East region, with uninterrupted presence now for over 85 years, providing audit, tax, consulting and financial advisory services through 26 offices in 15 countries, with over 2,500 partners, directors and staff.

Dispute uncertainty comes in many forms: 1. At the tender stage, as a result of a tendency to weigh cost over technical capabilities; 2. At the contract formation stage, as a result of unnecessary or poorly drafted amendments; 3. During the construction stage, as a result of inexperienced or overstretched contract administrators; 4. When a dispute has crystallised as a result of financial or political leverage, when in an arbitration as a result of delays and uncontrollable legal fees;

how a typical contract sum evolves over the life cycle of a project

qr billions

movement in contract value

2. 4.

5 3

2. 3.

1 original contract value

32 > qatar today > october 2013

approved variations

pending variations

value certified to date

value of contractors' claim

5. When one is nearing the end of the dispute resolution process as a result of a court system that can take months or years to ratify arbitral awards or issue judgments; 6. When it comes to enforcement or collection of payment as a result of poor financial transparency and lack of publicly-available asset ownership information. There have been many high-profile and very well-publicised disputes, particular recent examples in relation to the New Doha International Airport. As such, it is perhaps natural that those contractors who are looking at the region in light of the potential riches available may question whether the rewards are outweighed by the risks. It is therefore refreshing to see that Qatar has shown significant foresight and has arguably illustrated to the world that it is committed to providing an efficient and credible solution with the “Q-Construct” adjudication scheme. Q-Construct aims at reducing the uncertainty surrounding construction disputes by providing a fast-track, reliable and fully supported dispute resolution process. To those coming from jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Australia, the terminology and “interim binding” nature of the process will be very familiar. Moreover, the use of dispute boards is well founded in World Bank or major FIDIC (International Confedaration of Consultancy Engineers)-procured projects, so many of the concepts will also be familiar to engineers and international contractors alike. Consequently, management of construction projects will need to be better educated in alternative dispute resolution and the “Q-Construct” process itself. Although there are still some very specific risks in doing business in this region, Q-Construct represents a huge step in the right direction and one that will hopefully ensure that high-profile disputes do not put off local or international contractors, which could in turn severely hamper Qatar's ability to deliver the 2030 vision

affairs > international

34 > qatar today > october 2013

T h e r i d e o f j oy The pack rides during the 17th day of the 68th edition of the "Vueltaâ&#x20AC;? cycling tour of Spain, a 189-km stage between Calahorra and Burgos on September 11, 2013. AFP PHOTO/ JAIME REINA

qatar today > october 2013 > 35

development > listening post

Overestimating

the power of one nation 36 > qatar today > october 2013

Career diplomat and former U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain Adam Ereli feels that Qatar has a greater role to play in defusing tension in the region in the wake of President Barak Obama’s decision to conduct “limited” military attacks against Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad regime for using chemical weapons against its people, and the stalemate continues. By v l Srinivasan

n an exclusive interview with Qatar Today, Ereli, a familiar face in the diplomatic circles in the GCC for several years and who is presently vice-chairman of Mercury, a high stakes public strategy firm, talks about the strong ties between Qatar and the U.S., efforts by Russia to avoid any military conflict in the region, the prospects of improving ties with the new leadership in Iran and the continuing instability in Egypt, among others: Will the US-Russia deal to make Syria give up its chemical weapons by mid2014 defuse another potential crisis in Middle East or will “force be still an option” for Obama? The Geneva pact between the US and Russia to disarm Syria from using chemical weapons is an important step and is in the right direction but there is still a long way to go. I think Obama has made it clear that Bashar Al-Assad should not use chemical weapons as it would be dangerous not only to his people but also to the entire region. Obama has favoured military action, before signing the deal with Russia, even without the approval of Congress. However, what has changed is that we found a better way to accomplish the

objective through diplomatic means, which is better than using force, and takes longer time. We don’t know whether this will work, but personally, I have my own doubts, as dismantling the huge arsenal that Assad has built is a very complicated task, but I think we can still try. If it works, it’s great, and if it does not and Assad tries to wriggle out or obstruct the deal, the U.S still retains the right to use force and we are very clear about it. Obama believes that the Geneva pact was signed because of the threat of using force, and hence a diplomatic effort has been initiated to end the problem. But the key question is time, which is not anybody’s friend. The longer it takes, the less it is going to work. I predict Assad will be going to stretch this out and buy time. All these steps taken will not solve the problem. What role do you foresee for Qatar in ensuring peace and stability in the Middle East? After the end of the Cold war, the US obviously remained a superpower for its military, political system and strong economy. The world has changed so much in the past three decades that one country is not able to exercise power to solve the problems qatar today > october 2013 > 37

development > listening post

2002

2004

2005

2006

2007

US includes Syria in its list of "rogue states."

US imposes economic sanctions against Syria.

US accuses Syria of fomenting trouble in Lebanon following Lebanese Prime Minister RafiK Hariri’s assassination.

US Embassy in Damascus is attacked by four gunmen, Three of them killed while one is captured.

Israel bombs a military site in northern Syria believed to be a nuclear facility under construction.

January

may

FEBRUARY

september

across the globe. Though we re-constructed Europe after World War II, expecting the same at present is nothing but underestimating the nature of the problem and overestimating the power of one nation. With respect to Syria, after removing Assad, helping the country to rebuild is the biggest challenge, and massive assistance is needed for the purpose. This is where Qatar and other GCC member states will come in, to play a prominent role. The great thing about Qatar’s leadership and its relations with the US is that the two countries understand and respect each other and recognise that they need each other’s support. This has been true whether it was dealing with Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Egypt, the Israel-Palestine conflict and challenges like global energy or environment challenges, sociopolitical and economic challenges. We know we have a reliable partner in Qatar, which can make a positive difference. What kind of military action is the US planning to take against the Assad re38 > qatar today > october 2013

september

gime? Obama has specifically mentioned that limited strikes will be against select targets in Syria, like launching cruise missiles from offshore, which is going to be for a short duration and blow up a couple of military sites. These proposed strikes are not intended to bring down Assad’s regime but to compel his government to cooperate with the international community. It’s not an invasion as we have seen in the past, and would be on the lines of strikes against Iraq. Do you think Obama is correct in his decision to call for military action against the Assad regime? I don’t think using force will solve the crisis and heal the deep divisions in the society, as one can see what has happened in Iraq and Afghanistan. But Syria has been a much bigger problem and a more complicated one. The political and social groups that are fighting with each other should come to an understanding on how to live together, and

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports traces of uranium at a second site in Syria.

US and allies resolve to renew sanctions on Syria within three months for supporting terror groups.

Protests spill across Syria and hundreds of people die in clashes with security forces.

President Barak Obama hints at US intervention on the issue of chemical weapons.

Charges of Syria using chemical weapons resurface. US defers air strike as it reaches pact with Russia to end Syria’s chemical weapons programme by mid–2014.

June

may

that is what we have told the Taliban. We will support the rebels, but having US forces on their respective soils will not help. The governments in Syria or Afghanistan should hold talks with the opposition and solve the issue for themselves. As far as Al– Qaeda is concerned, we are very clear and not going to tolerate attacks on America, its citizens or its allies, and we will respond. Coming to Iran, will the US soften its stand as there is a change in the leadership of that country? There will be no change in our stand as far as Iran is concerned, as the style has changed but the substance remains the same. While Iran's ex-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a confrontationist, loud, impolite and shrill, his successor Hassan Rouhani is much smoother, calm, sophisticated and very cosmopolitan. The strategic intent of Iran remains unchanged, as it wants to reassert its power in the region and the world. Iran is a dangerous threat as it is a theocratic state and not ruled by leaders like in the

January-september

Gulf countries. They intend to use terror as an instrument of state policy and develop nuclear power. They want to combine state resources with terror, which is really scary. They have been ruthless in stifling dissent and massively authoritarian. These things have not changed even with Rouhani and why should we compromise with such leadership? The US will not make concessions just because he talks softly and tweets. You were in Bahrain for quite some time, and do you feel the situation is well under control now? I am quite optimistic, as Bahrain is an ancient civilisation with a long history of thousands of years. The unrest is nothing but a phase of history, as Bahrainis love their country and are motivated by this love. Bahrain has got wise, responsible and humane leaders who know what they want and what is good for their people. The leadership will work with its people to find a way out of the crisis qatar today > october 2013 > 39

cover story: An HR roundup

Betting on cover story

people By Ayswarya Murthy

40 > qatar today > october 2013

At the arrivals terminal of Doha International Airport, the queue for the immigration counters snakes back and forth across the hall, every hour of every day. Dotted along it are men and women from around the globe, captured and drawn in by the whirlpool of Qatarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incessant and pulsating economic currents, who all have their own different dreams trailing behind them and independent, individual value systems clutched firmly in their fists along with their passports. And they are all here for one thing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to make a career in Qatar.

By Ayswarya Murthy qatar today > october 2013 > 41

cover story: An HR roundup

o Qatari companies manage to keep these career-makers content? Qatar, not unlike the other GCC countries, needs the influx of foreign workers to supplement its own and keep the cogs of its giant economic machinery moving smoothly. Likewise, its robust growth, promising a secure, tax-free income for challenging, cutting-edge work, is an irresistible attraction to many. For human resources (HR) departments trying to keep these diverse employees happy, productive and firing on all cylinders, no two days are the same. Qatar Today speaks to five of the biggest employers in the country – massive homegrown entities and MNCs that have had to give shape to their HR policies from scratch and to some HR experts who give us the low-down on the country’s HR needs. We get down the fundamentals – the how, the what and the why - of attracting, retaining and developing this global talent pool in this unique environment and attaining the right balance between fairness and transparency and the all-important goal of nationalisation. Policy on paper The hallmark of a good human resources policy, a majority of our respondents enthused, is to address and accommodate the company’s business objectives. Even in HR, where one would assume that the goals are intangible and results unmeasurable, the bottom line remains all-important.

“Globally, We still have many people who spend the majority of their career with Shell. It's a little too early to tell whether that will also be the case for Qatar Shell, but we certainly hope so.” Dr Jamal Al Ammari Talent and Resourcing Manager, Qatar Shell

42 > qatar today > october 2013

“Policies can be leading-edge, a sophisticated thing of beauty; however, if they are not grounded in delivering a solution that enables leaders to compete with and beat the competition they will miss the mark,” says Dr Jamal Al Ammari, Talent and Resourcing Manager, Qatar Shell. Employee engagement comes close on the heels of that. “A company’s employees are its largest asset and it is very important to create a productive and friendly working environment to ensure that staff are engaged and content,” according to Maha Jabor Al Mohannadi, Head of HR, HSBC Qatar. Various stakeholders must be regarded while crafting a sound HR policy, Eisa Ahmed Abdulla, Head of Qatarisation at Vodafone Qatar notes. “HR is a partner within the organisation, working with all stakeholders to ensure that we achieve our goals and serve our customers better. HR policy needs to support that,” points out Buthaina Al Ansari, HR Director at Ooredoo. The quality of cooperation between HR and your stakeholders, both internal and external, determines how successful your policy is on paper. But at the end of the day, that’s what it is – a piece of paper. “It is all too easy to focus on the policy itself and assume that the written word magically becomes reality across the entire organisation. That simply isn’t realistic. Consequently, in thinking about people management, it is important to remember that the policies, processes and procedures are important but not sufficient. Their total effectiveness will also be driven by the organisation’s ability to ensure that line managers and employees really understand the intent and detail of the policy and have the capability and time to fulfil their roles in bringing the policies to life,” says Dr Al Ammari firmly. Benefits are passe? Over the past few years, the GCC has managed to attract the best from the global talent pool for several reasons. While it’s true that the region remained a bright ray of sunshine amidst the economic gloom, even so, the compensation and benefits that companies here were prepared to offer to the right person were on a par with Western economies. The lack of taxation was the cherry on top of the sundae. “In most Gulf countries the percentage of expatriates in the workforce has increased in recent years, and that’s despite severe nationalisationprogrammes. Since the economies are set to remain very healthy, salary packages will remain competitive,” says Robert

FACTORS INFLUENCING HR POLICIES AND PRACTICES OF ORGANISATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST -80%-70%-60%-50%-40%-30%-20%-10%0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

-20%

COMPETITIVE MARKET CONDITIONS CHALLENGING PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFIT TARGETS

-17%

46%

-20%

SCARCE RESOURCES (E.G. TALENT, FINANCIAL RESOURCES ETC.)

46%

-40%

INCREASED REGULATIONS OR CHANGES IN LABOUR LAW DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF NEW COMPETENCIES

-37%

HIGHER EXPECTATIONS ON ETHICAL STANDARDS IN CORPORATE PRACTICES

-37%

CHANGING EMPLOYEE EXPECTATIONS (E.G. YOUNG GENERATION, AGEING POPULATION)

43% 43% 31%

-34%

29%

-40%

MORE STRINGENT RISK MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES EXPANSION OF OPERATIONS IN NEW MARKETS

26%

-49%

23%

-63%

20%

-69%

17%

-63%

17%

-69%

OTHER “LEAST INFLUENCING” (RANK 1 + RANK 2)

49%

-29%

MARKET VOLATILITY AND GENERAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

INCREASED PRESSURE ON CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY / GOVERNANCE

49% -23%

CHANGE IN ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE AND/OR STRUCTURE

ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING (ERP) SYSTEM FOR HR OR THE BUSINESS

51%

-34%

NEED FOR HIGHER RATE OF NATIONALISATION

BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING

54%

-23%

PRESSURE ON COST REDUCTION

DIGITISATION AND VIRTUALISATION OF WORK

54%

14% 0%

“MOST INFLUENCING” (RANK 5 + RANK 4)

“We seek to attract people to come to Shell because of the opportunity for personal and professional growth, the chance to feel challenged and to work with a diverse group of very talented people,” he says. Dana Al Mulla, HR Manager at RasGas, also feels that more than anything else, RasGas’s “world-class working environment and the encouragement and support we give people to help them develop a long and successful career in the business” is what will attract more and better talent. Aon Hewitt’s Head of Reward Consulting Martin McGuigan sums it up. ”Whilst the tax-free environment is still attractive, offering employees challenging and interesting work will be a better anchor for a long-term career,”, he says. “Well-paid employees who are disengaged will inev-

Source: Aon Hewitt, 1st Middle East HR Barometer Survey Report

Richter, Compensation Survey Manager at HR consultancy Aon Hewitt. Many of Qatar’s companies benchmark their salaries against industry standards globally. “We participate in both local Qatar and regional industry salary surveys every year to ensure that our compensation packages can attract the right talent,” says Abdulla. Al Ansari argues that since their employees are sourced from the global market, consequently their salary ranges, benefits and compensation packages must be designed to meet their expectations. “To keep up with the market, Ooredoo regularly undertakes compensation benchmarking exercises, in collaboration with international consultancies that are specialised in the industry. These benchmarking exercises take into consideration both the telecommunications industry and regional norms,” she says. Even when benchmarked against the local market, as in the case of Qatar Shell, pay and benefits here are nothing to scoff about. In fact, Qatar salaries are expected to grow by 5.6% in 2014, according to a study by Aon Hewitt. But that alone isn’t enough, owing to the unique nature of the GCC average workplace. “Given the workforce usually consists of expats, people are not as attached to the workplace as they would be in their home country, and hence we are seeing high turnover rates compared with the rest of the globe. Typically, employees state the main reason for switching job or even country (within the Gulf region) as salary,” Richter says. So with the countries in the GCC competing amongst themselves for the best of the expat talent coming into the region, companies have to offer more. Much more. But what could that crucial factor be? Benefits in the region don’t seem to add much to the "wow" factor of the pay. Tangible add-ons like “financial rewards, medical aid, maternity and paternity leave schemes, flexible working hours” (at HSBC), “healthcare, education” (RasGas), “housing allowances” (Qatar Shell), “health insurance, annual tickets” (Vodafone), “access to all our services at tailored rates and with bespoke packages” (Ooredoo) are quite standard and are, in fact, expected and taken for granted by an employee. “Globally, employee benefits are actually becoming less important as companies adopt a philosophy of putting more money into pay than benefits,” Dr Al Ammari says. “The philosophy is that the individual employee is the best person to choose where that money is best spent.

itably seek a more stimulating work environment. If we all became global citizens tomorrow, with a universal tax system in place the companies which offer interesting careers would not see their workforce leaving in droves to return home. Additionally, the number of employees who are now settled and who see Doha as home continues to grow year on year. So it’s not just the money, it’s the quality of life and the opportunities here that hold them in place; not the money, which could be replicated in any other GCC nation.” A place to work, a place to learn, a place to grow “Loyalty and commitment is a two-way street,” says McGuigan. “Organisations that demonstrate commitment to employees by investing in their career developqatar today > october 2013 > 43

cover story: An HR roundup

“Lack of good HR professionals in Qatar” By Sindhu Nair

Human resources professionals are said to bridge the gap between the individual and the collective, the person and the purpose. They are said to be successful professionals who see their careers as a calling, graced by a profound generosity towards mankind.

haven’t met many HR professionals who think beyond company policies and personal career graphs, but then I haven’t met many of them at all. One who comes close to this evocative description is People Dynamics Chairman Jassim Al Mansoori, one of the few Qataris who have taken up a career in human resource management and pioneered HR principles. He genuinely believes that “companies should always strive to be the employer of choice by improving and enhancing policies and reward systems and by making employees more engaged. Microsoft, Google and GE are all enduring examples of having solid HR policies that values their people,” he says. Al Mansoori and his colleague Hari Krishnan, Head of Human Capital, shared their insights with Qatar Today.

Krishnan adds: “Building up a pipeline of leaders, is another concern. There are leaders but to identify them and to have a succession plan in place is the next big concern.” “This lack of professionals is not because the country does not attract the best, but because of the fast growth that throws open more opportunities while the pool of these professionals still remains very small,” says Al Mansoori. While private and governmental organisations in Qatar have put updated HR policies in place, Al Mansoori says that family-run businesses are still following archaic personnel management policies and haven’t made much progress in HR development. “And that is a global phenomenon,” adds Krishnan, “not a situation that is specific to Qatar.”

HR: then and now “Human resources has evolved considerably in the past 15 years in this country,” says Al Mansoori, adding: “Earlier, the focus was on personnel management – payroll, leave administration, etc. Now, organisations are using HR as a strategic tool to upsurge the company bottom line.” Al Mansoori thinks that firstly, the understanding that HR is a useful tool in management practices has come about, and that is a huge mind-set change. The most noteworthy change, in his view, is the place that HR has on a CEO’s table. “Organisations focus as much on HR strategies as on marketing and finance strategies. Manpower planning, hiring, performance management and development are all viewed as strategies critical to the organisation's success,” he says.

The one HR policy One most important policy that Al Mansoori is passionate about, and an issue that he feels all companies should circumvent, is gender wage discrimination. “Companies have already started implementing identical HR policies across genders,” he says. Another important HR tool is to focus on the development of staff, because people are the key assets of any organisation, he adds.

HR concern A deterrent in HR management ambitions for organisations is the lack of good HR professionals in Qatar, both locals and expats, laments Al Mansoori.

44 > qatar today > october 2013

Attract and retain talent The direct factor that attracts an employee is compensation, but it is the indirect factors like the organisational environment, the leadership talent, accessibility to managers, independence to do the work assigned, etc. that retain talent. “Compensation should never be the benchmark; it is just one component of your job,” says Al Mansoori. “The most important criterion for any employee should be the environment or the organisational culture; the second and equally important component is your immediate boss, who motivates and builds the talent.”

On Qatar’s and the region’s attractiveness for jobseekers, Al Mansoori says: “The region, with all the political instability around the world, is attracting talent. Qatar, with its huge infrastructure boom and peaceful status along with a very high standard of living, is one of the most attractive destinations for employees.” But the country still faces some barriers in attracting the best, and for that he feels the governmental procedures during and after recruitment should be streamlined and even made easier. “Some of the companies are fairly unknown, too,” says Krishnan. “The employer branding that organisations based in the UAE enjoy will take time to be applicable to all Doha-based companies too.” “But there are huge advances too. Qatar Foundation, which was virtually unknown a few years ago, is now attracting the best talents. Qatar Financial Centre is another highly-regarded employer the world over,” he goes on, citing examples of companies that have grown in HR stature and are attracting talent with just their branding. “These organisations build their entire organisations based on best practice.” And it is here that People Dynamics comes in, says Al Mansoori: making jobseekers aware of the companies, and making the recruitment simple and manageable. Nationalisation is not about numbers Nationalisation is a vital tool, and one of the strategic issues that every organisation should focus on. “But we should focus on talented Qataris rather than meeting numbers. The problem that we now face is that organisations are so focused on numbers that the quality of the workforce is compromised,” says Al Mansoori. According to Krishnan, “Qatarisation is a two-pronged process. While one prong is getting talented Qataris, the second is developing them. Because there is so much focus on employing Qataris, the development part takes a dip.” The whole idea of Qatarisation is to have talented Qataris on board who can be developed as leaders. “The QP companies and subsidiaries, Ooreedoo, QNB, QF and Vodafone are those that have set clear career routes for their Qatari employees,” says Al Mansoori.

Can HR be democratic? Democracy contributes to higher levels of innovation, engagement, trust and efficiency across an organisation. But is it possible to be completely democratic in HR policies? “HR policies follow the organisation’s structure and are built on values that the organisation stands for. If you talk about equality as one of the core values of the organisation, then equality should be within the HR policy too,” says Al Mansoori. That is why equality across genders and nationalities should be applied across the board, Al Mansoori opines. “There might be some differences, though, especially when you need professionals with unique skillset for a particular job requirement. Then you have to pay a premium for that particular candidate, and also take into consideration the cost of living, but all this would be within the band. This is called a market adjustment and practised globally,” he says. So it would be fair to say that HR is only as democratic as the organisation wishes it to be.

“HR is now moving away from being a function that took decisions on a “gut feeling” to being more data-backed. Data-backed decision-making is the way ahead for HR.” Jassim Al Mansoori Chairman, People Dynamics

qatar today > october 2013 > 45

cover story: An HR roundup ment will always do better at engaging and retaining their workforce.” Clearly the focus is to help your employees grow in their roles. Instead of going out and hunting for good talent, invest in your own employees and help them to gain skills and knowledge for future roles. So that they give back more than you are giving them. And though it ought not to make business sense, it undoubtedly does. Companies adopt strategies to keep their employees in a constant state of learning even whilst they work. “We are strong believers in the benefits of on-the-job training, and typically this forms 80% of an individual’s development plan,” says Al Mulla, “But we also offer a range of classroom based training courses (delivered by the RasGas Learning and Development team). Finally, we encourage people to enter into mentoring relationships as a way to learn from their more experienced colleagues.” At Vodafone, while it’s very important to remain on the lookout for fresh talent, it is also just as important to retain and develop existing team members. “We follow a 70/20/10 model, which basically means that 70% of our employee’s time is an onthe-job learning experience while 20% happens through coaching and mentorship and the last 10% will be based on formal classroom training and a variety of other e-learning coming straight out of our global learning academies,” explains Abdulla. Ooredoo’s comprehensive suite of development activities is delivered through a mix of modes, including internal and external classroom courses, e-learning courses and on-the-job learning programmes. “All of our training and development activities are competency-based, and we ensure that our training delivery partners are worldclass. For example, over the past three

"We sponsor a certain number of students at the university level and develop human capital based on calculations regarding how many new employees we’ll be needing in the next five years. It’s a big initiative and there is proper planning." Buthaina Al Ansari HR Director, Ooredoo

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years we have partnered with HEC Paris, the number one-rated management development school in the world, to provide training for our top managers,” Al Ansari shares. New rules for the new generation There is no denying that the nature of how we are working is changing. Young people want more out of their lives than just a successful career. They want to do more, better and in half the time. An HR policy crafted 20 years ago that is set in stone isn’t going to sit well with today's jet-setting, tech-savy generation. Companies are finding it necessary to be more flexible and less schoolmarm-ish, with a constantly changing and adapting policy that’ll cater to the younger generation that is joining the workforce. One such example can be found in Ooredoo Qatar’s pilot programme with ictQATAR that explores how technology can be used to support remote working arrangements. “We are currently studying how the findings from this pilot can be applied more broadly across the organisation,” Al Ansari says. “We see remote working facilities as important for empowering a whole section of the population, including people with mobility issues, women who need to work from home, to join the working community.” To keep the restless, ADD-ridden youth of today engaged, companies are tickling their wanderlust with assignments at exotic foreign locations and, while at home, keeping them on their toes with new roles and new challenges. “A participant will complete a number of job rotations to gain a broad exposure before taking on a specific role. We are also increasingly seconding trainees or people still in the early years of their career with RasGas to business partners all around the world. For instance, we currently have one young man on assignment with our joint venture partner ExxonMobil in the US, a second person working in the UK with a major LNG customer, and a young lawyer in Europe to gain further insights into the international dimensions of the profession,” Al Mulla points out.” In addition, for our young Qatari staff, we have a very well-developed experience-based talent development programme.” “Qataris need to take over responsibility” The massive nationalisation strategies being aggressively adopted across the GCC

“One size doesn’t fit all” Saurabh Mittal, Business Head, Bahrain and Qatar, Aon Hewitt Middle East, leads commercial and client development activities. As part of the landing team, he helped set up Aon Hewitt’s consulting practice in the Middle East.

ittal’s expertise lies in the areas of talent management, organisation restructuring, job evaluation and large-scale HR transformation. He has also been closely involved in the development of competency-based organisational capability enhancement solutions at Aon Hewitt. In Qatar, the approach has moved from being a transactional “Push” (Stage 1) to a blend of “Pull” (Stage 2) and “Outward-In” (Stage 3). This is an outcome of the fast pace of economic and business growth (scale and complexity that HR needs to support. Qatar is following this evolution by having scalable (expansion, if business) and capable (to counter complexity) HR models that can support the exponential ramp-up (faster than elsewhere). What are the major concerns in HR within Qatar that have been put forward by management and their employees? Similar to other GCC nations, the top priority or concern in HR is attraction, retention and engagement of national employees. Second is managing pay parity. Third is finding the right numbers and quality of talent and fourth is leadership development to take on the challenges of a fast-expanding business scenario. What is the one thing that all companies, regardless of size, should incorporate in their HR policies? Companies should always find ways and means to engage employees through a strong employee value proposition – what can I do better to help my organisation grow, and what can the organisation do for my individual growth? Companies should also reinforce the values in policies that the company stands for. Can an HR department be truly democratic? The HR department should be as transparent and communicative as possible. Policies, processes and procedures should be

made clear to the employees, in whatever shape or form, and they should be able to understand how they are designed to help them rather than restrict them. Do you think paying more than market rates, in the case of some oil companies, will help with retention of employees, or will this make the team lackadaisical? Pay is a “point in time” phenomenon. Its value is very short-lived. An organisation may be able to attract the employee using pay, but in most cases it will not be able to retain the employee. Even if is able to do so, the productivity and engagement of such an employee would not be optimal. Compensation ideally should be aligned to market realities, and to performance if an organisation wants to strike a balance. However total rewards (pay, work environment, development, opportunities etc., as a concept, should be applied to retain employees and engage them. How important is nationalisation to Qatar? Do numbers really matter? And how difficult is getting the numbers in reality, especially with the apathy Qataris have towards private businesses? Nationalisation can be viewed from two perspectives – the employment rate and employability. Both are equally important. While a country like Qatar requires a critical mass of nationals entering the workforce to ensure future sustainability of their economy, what is equally important is to identify the key skill gaps, occupational classes etc. in the core sectors of the economy and build a systematic framework to build preparedness in them. For a long time, the public sector has been the traditionally-preferred employer for nationals, but with the pace of growth in Qatar, and its rub-off effects on the private sector, it is imperative that both public and private sectors attain the status of equally-preferred employers. The private sector has to focus on the specific needs and employment preferences of the Qatari workforce and also engage in public-private partnership initiatives.

How important is it to balance the expectations of both nationals and expatriates? Isn’t it nearly impossible? One size does not fit all – it is important for all organisations to realise this. While both expats and nationals have certain common expectations from employers, there are also certain unique preferences which must be catered to. Aon Hewitt research indicates that building opportunities systematically through organisational programmes catering for both sets of employees can not only balance expectations but also lead to better engagement and healthy diversity. If there is one mistake that all companies should avoid in HR, what would it be? The biggest mistake is to treat HR as an administrative function. Unless and until HR is given due authority and responsibility to drive organisational changes, it will continue to remain reactive. For HR to focus its energies on “true organisational development” it needs to get a seat at the table (board and executive management). Thus it is equally imperative for HR to “earn” that seat by investing in its bandwidth for more value-added activities, building the required business acumen (to partner with line management) and the appropriate specialist skills in the team.

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cover story: An HR roundup TOP HR PRIORITIES FOR 2013-2015 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

57%

IMPROVE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

54%

EFFECTIVE MEASUREMENT AND REWARDING OF EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE BUILD A PIPELINE OF LEADERS FOR THE FUTURE

43%

SUCCESSION PLANNING

40% 40%

IMPROVE TALENT ATTRACTION AND RETENTION INCREASE NATIONALISATION / DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL WORKFORCE

34%

REORGANISE OR RESTRUCTURE ENTIRE ORGANISATION / SPECIFIC FUNCTION(S) / ENTITIES TO IMPROVE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY IMPROVE ASSESSMENT OF HR SERVICES AND THE VALUE THEY ADD TO THE BUSINESS

31% 29% 29%

IMPLEMENT AN INTEGRATED HR IT SYSTEM THROUGHOUT THE ORGANISATION IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF HR SERVICE DELIVERY

26%

INTEGRATE THE HR FUNCTION ACROSS ENTITIES / GEOGRAPHIES

17%

DEVELOP A CONSISTENT HR POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR THE ENTIRE ORGANISATION

17% 14%

SUPPORT INNOVATION IN THE WAY PEOPLE WORK TOGETHER AND INTERACT ACROSS COUNTRIES AND OPERATIONS

14%

FURTHER IMPROVE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION REORGANISE OR RESTRUCTURE HR / SPECIFIC AREA(S) WITHIN HR TO IMPROVE SERVICE EFFICIENCY

11% 9%

WORKFORCE PLANNING TO BETTER ANTICIPATE BUSINESS NEEDS AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHALLENGES IMPROVE OVERALL WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND WELL-BEING AT WORK

REDEFINE COMPENSATION POLICY FOR TOP EXECUTIVES AND BOARD MEMBERS DEVELOP A RISK MANAGEMENT POLICY RELATED TO PEOPLE ISSUES

DEAL WITH RECESSION CHALLENGES REDUCE LABOUR COST OTHER

60%

6% 6% 3% 3%

PERCENTAGE OF RESPONSES

have been criticised for pushing a quick-fix solution for a problem that needs years of groundwork. But the truth is, though the programme might have had a shaky start, it’s a step in the right direction. It might even help jolt some reverse-reforms into the education system, to feed the need of industries for more qualified Qataris. “It’s time,” Al Ansari says seriously. “Our country has done so much for us. It’s time for us

"HR, as any other business unit, uses market analysis techniques and tools such as the PESTEL and SWOT in order to be able to determine and craft the best policies that are aligned to our current and future needs." Eisa Ahmed Abdulla Head of Qatarisation, Vodafone Qatar

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to start to take over some of the responsibilities.” “Qatar is no different from any other GCC country in that much of the HR concerns centre on nationalisation, upskilling the workforce for a knowledge-based economy and finding and retaining talent to drive business and government forward,” McGuigan says. “The Qatar government has a strong vision on how they can support growth through government initiatives and they have a strong focus on opportunity creation for nationals. However they are committed to nurturing the talent who are prepared to work for the opportunities rather than creating a sense of entitlement. The challenge, though, is always the pace of change, and the management is often not as nimble as the employees would like.” Bottlenecks and bureaucracy Ooredoo (which has “one of the highest Qatarisation rates in the private sector in the country, at 42%”) says it still faces some challenges when it comes to finding technically-qualified nationals to fill the engineering and technical positions. “Unfortunately, vocational education does not

Source: Aon Hewitt, 1st Middle East HR Barometer Survey Report

“If you have an international mindset and the ambition to grow and learn more, HSBC has endless prospects,” maha jabor al Mohannadi, head of HR at hsbc, says.

Mind Your Language

HR-related policies are predominantly developed to promote employee accountability in terms of behaviours and actions at the workplace. They also create a much wider-spanning function: they aid in distinguishing organisational culture.

hether your organisation employs five or 500 people, whether you are based in one office or in multiple offices, the management should be constantly working towards developing a strong culture to encourage the employees to connect with the identity of their organisation. This connection also reinforces the impact individuals provide to the success of an organisation, which, in turn, increases productivity. HR policies are a foundational platform for establishing and retrenching organisational culture. Based on the responsibility HR policies have in aiding and guiding employees to the wider organisational culture, why is it that HR policies within Qatar so often are copied from other organisations? Further, why are these policies made in such a way that it makes employees feel like enemies? Do organisational leaders fear doing something different from other businesses? Adherence to local employment regulations provides the platform from which businesses can develop a unique set of policies that are purpose-built for the organisation and industry they are serving. Industry standards aside, every organisation is unique, and as such, those within Qatar require governing regulations that are purpose-built to meet their vision and culture, their employees and their service offering. So why do we see so much copying and pasting from one organisation to another? It's time organisations reflected upon the message they wish to send to their employees. Many policy manuals I have seen over the past six years in Qatar are about rules and processes that are repeated time and again, irrespective of industry and service offering. This practice is not directing or managing human resources; it is simply cloning another organisation. HR policies need to be engaging and more inclusive of the reader. Consider us-

ing the words “we” and “you” rather than the depersonalised “all employees” (usually followed by “must”). Employees know they must follow the policies set out by an organisation, so the threatening language is redundant. An example of this is “all employees must strictly adhere to our dress policy”. This is a direct order that provides no explanation and is not at all engaging. The same message can be written in a more considered way like this: “Your professional image is important to the company. We take pride in the standards of care and professional service we provide to our clients, and keeping this in mind, we require all employees to adhere to our dress policy.” It is the same request but written in a more engaging manner, providing a logical explanation to employees regarding the reasons behind it. My team has been utilised by a range of organisations to rewrite policies and make them supportive of their work environment. The difference in the engagement levels as a direct result of redefining policies (without changing the policy purpose) has been significant. One of my clients said: “We were looking to establish a range of new policies and elected to pilot a more employee-focused language in them. The new ones have proved very beneficial, and we have decided to review the existing policies over the next 12 months.” If organisations are serious about engaging employees, then consideration must be given as to how the policies are written. Language is a powerful vehicle that translates messages and can either empower and motivate or diminish relationships within the workplace. Organisational culture provides a platform for the way employees think and act and how they are motivated to achieve the vision collectively. It would then only stand to reason that local organisations can define policies that suit their purpose, culture and their most valuable asset – their people.

By Elizabeth Fleming

Managing Director. Qatar Development and Consultancy Centre

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cover story: An HR roundup CONDITIONS MOST LIKELY TO HELP HR FULFIL ITS MISSION 0%

10%

20%

30%

GREATER AND TIMELY INVOLVEMENT OF HR IN STRATEGIC BUSINESS DECISIONS

40%

50%

43%

MORE EMPOWERMENT FROM THE BOARD AND/OR LEADERSHIP

31%

ATTRACTING NEW TALENT WITHIN HR

29%

IMPROVED EXECUTION OF PROJECTS AND PROGRAMMES

29%

INCREASED HR BUDGET

23%

DEVELOPING MORE EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

23%

SHOWING FINANCIAL RETURNS ON INVESTMENT IN HR FUNCTION OR PEOPLE-RELATED ACTIVITIES

17%

INCREASED CREDIBILITY WITH LINES OF BUSINESS / FUNCTIONS

14%

A MORE CENTRALISED HR STRUCTURE

11%

MORE DIRECTION FROM THE CEO AND THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM

11%

GAINING BUSINESS-RELATED EXPERTISE

DEVELOP PROJECT MANAGEMENT EXPERTISE

HR-SPECIFIC EXPERTISE

A MORE DECENTRALISED HR STRUCTURE

OTHER

PERCENTAGE OF RESPONSES

"Having citizens who actively contribute to creating wealth and developing the infrastructure is not an optional extra it is a necessary part of the national growth strategy." Martin McGuigan Head of Rewards Consulting, Aon Hewitt

50 > qatar today > october 2013

always receive a lot of attention from the local youth education market. As a result, we struggle to attract and retain nationals who want to be trained as technicians,” Al Ansari says. Its biggest competitor, Vodafone, shares the same problem, as do many very large companies. “Especially for certain very technical roles, there are simply not enough qualified and experienced staff available anywhere in the world,” Al Mulla chimes in. “For instance, in certain engineering disciplines half the world’s experts are expected to retire in the next five years. So this is not a national but a global, industry-wide issue. What should be done to fill the gap? Where we have clearly identified skills gaps, we are working to “grow our own”. We have strong links with Qatar University and vocational schools to encourage our young people to choose to work in our industry.” While Dr Al Ammari also laments the small pool available to work with, he chooses to look at the positive side. “The Qataris that do join us enjoy a clear and consistent focus on development, and the better job we do in Qatarisation translates to more Qataris joining,” he says, while also men-

tioning the Qatar Shell has achieved 20% Qatarisation despite the Pearl GTL having started only in 2011. RasGas has invested considerable time and effort in its aim to reach 50% Qatarisation, and “has been awarded three Qatarisation Crystal Awards since 2009, with the most recent being presented a couple of months ago in recognition of our maintaining a Qatarisation rate of 33% during 2012,” according to Al Mulla. Though Qatarisation undoubtedly affects bottom lines, it’s heartening to see the programme isn’t viewed through the usual black-and-red lens. “We believe that Qatar Petroleum looks to international oil companies to help develop Qatar’s natural resources. That means oil and gas, and it also means people. So actually, we see talent development as a ‘table stake’ in doing business here in Qatar,” Dr Al Ammari says. Al Ansari shares his sentiment and this is clearly something she is passionate about. “Not everything can be measured in shortterm profits. Yes, we do devote considerable resources to developing our national workforce; we made a choice to provide a significant number of sponsorships for national university students who will form a

Source: Aon Hewitt, 1st Middle East HR Barometer Survey Report

26%

INTEGRATED HR-RELATED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEM

Long on growth, short on talent

The GCC region is blessed with large hydrocarbon reserves, stable political systems and young and growing populations. This positive environment would be conducive to healthy economic growth in any country.

his growth is fuelled across the region by an active government sector as well as a strong private sector, itself essentially driven by family-owned businesses, many of which are now entering their third or fourth generations. However, the population growth itself has not been enough to provide a talent pool sufficient to keep up with the economic growth. Qatar and the UAE, in particular, have to rely on expatriates to fill positions ranging from basic manual crafts to the most senior managerial roles. Attracting the right talent is one of the major challenges faced by boards of directors and company owners anywhere in the world. In the GCC region this challenge is particularly acute, as a lot of the talent has to be imported. Here, like elsewhere, in-demand managers require a range of incentives to attract them and retain them in positions looking to be filled: Attractive compensation, including salaries and bonuses; Comprehensive health and life insurance packages; Promising career prospects, including the possibility of promotions and potentially international mobility; and Good quality of life for the employees and their families, including good educational systems, cultural life, entertainment facilities and easy connectivity to the rest of the world. Qatar is faring better and better in this regard, as evidenced by the continuous upgrading of talent within a wide range of organisations. Qatarisation (and Emiratisation, Omanisation and Saudisation) are good policies for trying to fill the talent gap and build a loyal workforce that is committed to living and working in the country as opposed to being transient. However, in order for Qatarisation to be successful employees need to have the required training, education and capabilities to fill the positions. Otherwise,

such policies may result in reduced efficiency and a return to large-scale recruitment of imported talent. There are a number of ways in which external independent consultants can support companies looking to implement Qatarisation in a sensible and sustainable manner: Provide interim managers who can train the local talent on the job and groom them to occupy more senior positions after the interim manager has finished his/her assignment; Provide independent consultancy services to fill temporary gaps in the management or knowledge structure. This also results in a knowledge transfer to the in-house employees; and Coach and train the local talent. A wide range of training and coaching is available and should be used intensively to raise the competence level of employees as they look to fill different positions or get promoted. Specialist leadership management is also required at the CEO/MD level as well as for family-owned businesses to ensure they are best equipped to deal with the growth of their businesses and know, in turn, how to attract and retain the best talent, regardless of its origin, whether local or expatriate, in-house or external. In an ideal future, the best-run companies in Qatar and the UAE should have management teams comprised of a mix of loyal and motivated local and expatriate employees, who occupy their positions based on their merits and capabilities. In addition, external consultants are available to fill specialised needs and supplement the internal teams on certain tasks and projects. As regional companies, whether publicly listed or privately-owned, look to strengthen their management structures and improve their governance, a lot of work needs to be done to ensure that the right decisions are taken.

By Ziad Awad

CEO of Boardroom Metrics Arabia (BRM Arabia) and Founder and CEO of Awad Advisory. BRM was founded in Toronto in 1994 and is now an international talent hub connecting like-minded consultants, called Accomplished Executives, with corporate advisory opportunities across a range of strategic services.

qatar today > october 2013 > 51

cover story: An HR roundup large part of our future graduate intakes. However, the long-term benefits of this approach far outweigh the short-term costs. A competent national workforce is critical to ensuring business continuity, and since Ooredoo is a key part of Qatar’s national infrastructure we have a moral obligation to ensure that we have a sufficiently large cadre of Qatari staff to manage and run the business,” she says. “The return on investment to develop a Qatari workforce is huge, because having the right talent on board brings us closer to our customers and makes us highly attuned to their needs and those of our country,” says Abdulla. Bottlenecks aren't the only issue though; there is also the clear preference among Qataris for public sector jobs over private sector ones. However national initiatives such as the Qatar Career Fair have helped

tremendously in casting light on career opportunities in both sectors, according to Vodafone. Al Ansari admits it is hard for the private sector to compete with the government. However she feels that the experiences in the public and private sectors are completely different, and the choice depends entirely on the person. “Unlike most local organisations, Ooredoo has a global presence and can offer unique international career opportunities that put the concept of professional development on a totally different level,” she says. Trouble in the melting pot? A few weeks ago, a column in an Arabic daily about a government organisation sparked off a gigantic online row about expats and office politics. It was startlingly venomous on both sides and seemed like it had been repressed for a while. But in a way, now that

For a fulfilling career

“How Women Work: a conference to inspire joyful and fulfilling careers” will be the theme of our fifth annual conference in March 2014, which brings together Tataowar’s expertise in the field of employee engagement with the learning and experience from five years of running events for professional women in Qatar.

e chose this theme to raise more awareness for the important topic of employee engagement, which is still largely underrated in many compa-

nies in Qatar. In my work as a coach and consultant, focusing on employee engagement and women in leadership, I regularly encounter crises that could be avoided, or at least have a significantly lesser impact, if the employees were involved and engaged and if the expertise they were hired for in the first place was trusted and valued. There are still a lot of misconceptions out there that cause frustration and dissatisfaction in the workplace. Here are my top three along with some suggestions for alleviation: “I’m the boss, therefore I need to know everything better.” This belief is limiting in so many ways. First of all, it puts an enormous amount of stress on the executive’s shoulders. He or

52 > qatar today > october 2013

she has to constantly struggle with feeling out of their depth and overwhelmed. Such feelings often lead to hostile behaviour and erratic decision-making that unsettles the management and weakens the employees’ confidence in their leaders. Executives who understand that their main function is to lead – to uphold the vision, to bring the values to life, to strategise and to unite their employees in a common purpose – have more fruitful and interactive relationships with their subordinates. They are mature and confident enough to admit that their employees’ knowledge surpasses their own in certain areas, and they value these employees as a resource, discuss different perspectives with them and rely on their judgment.

than salary. Employees crave a connection with their workplace; they want to find meaning in what they are doing, want to see their values reflected in the values of the company. Give employees a chance to start their own CSR (corporate social responsibility) project and many of them will happily take on the task. Make your employees feel that you care about them and they will care about you and your company’s success. The same research shows that companies with high employee engagement (65% or greater) have a total shareholder return that is 22% higher than average, while companies with low employee engagement have a 28% lower than average shareholder return (see opposite).

“My employees are just here because of the money; they don’t care about the company.” Aon Hewitt’s global research shows that brand alignment is higher on the list of factors that inspire employee engagement

“Every employee is replaceable.” Having the right qualifications is not the only important thing for hiring an employee. Most smart and ambitious candidates are looking for a job for which they only possess about 70% of the required skills and

grievances are being openly aired, they can be addressed. While it is interesting and rewarding to work with people from such diverse cultural backgrounds (even in the smallest of offices, you can find yourself rubbing shoulders with people of at least 10 different nationalities), it would be naive to assume that this won't ever cause any friction, especially when there are stark differences in compensation packages between different nationals (though it is never acknowledged). However, thankfully, diversity has always been the cornerstone of HR policies in Qatar. With a workforce numbering 250,000 worldwide, international bank HSBC knows a thing or two about how to encourage its employees to be their best in an “inclusive and inspiring environment”. “The diversity of our employees is an important

element on which we base our HR policies,” according to Al Mohannadi. “Diversity not just in terms of nationality or gender, but we also employ people with a very diverse range of skills, of all ages and in a very wide range of different roles,” says Al Mulla, whose department looks after close to 3,300 people drawn from 67 different nationalities employed across fields as varied as offshore engineering, LNG production operations, finance, marketing and shipping. “This presents both opportunities and challenges. The opportunity is to capture and benefit from the different experiences, skills and approaches that our people bring with them, whereas the challenge is to do this whilst maintaining a degree of consistency across the business to ensure we are inclusive, transparent and fair.”

expertise, so that they have an opportunity for growth in the job (number one on the global list of factors that generate employee engagement). Other factors that are equally important for hiring are compatibility with the team, the culture, and the values of the company. If an employee is well aligned in those aspects but not performing well in their current role, it might be worth looking into adapting their job description rather than terminating their employment. It is frequently overlooked how much of a negative impact a constant change in management has on the productivity of the company, as decisions are stalled, strategies are changed before their effectiveness has been tested, teams are reshuffled and responsibilities are redefined. All of this not only unsettles the employees but also causes great ideas to fall through the cracks and weakens ties with key suppliers and business partners. It also has a devastating effect on the bottom line, as customers are lost due to delays, employee engagement decreases and costs go up. Coaching service “Business Breakthroughs” says that the average cost of a bad hire is as much as QR220,000 ($60,000), and that is in the US, where the average salary is significantly lower than here in Qatar. To sum it up, employee engagement is well worth the effort of everyone involved. The employees are more motivated, give their best and improve the business with

Effect of employee engagement on total shareholder return 22% higher than average

average total shareholder return

28% lower than average

Companies with high employee engagement (65% or greater)

Companies with low employee engagement (45% or less)

Source: “Trends in Global Employee Engagement” (c) Aon Hewitt 2011

innovative ideas, while the executives have time to concentrate on doing what they (should) do best: uniting the company in a common purpose and driving it towards their visionary goals.

by Carolin Zeitler

Founder and CEO of Tataowar Coaching and Consulting. She believes that there is always a mutually beneficial solution to be found that will allow every party involved to thrive. This belief keeps her going and fuels her social enterprise, which ventures into the fields of employee engagement and (women’s) leadership. The How Women Work Community is Tataowar’s biggest project to date: www.hwwqatar.com

qatar today > october 2013 > 53

cover story: An HR roundup MEASURES LIKELY TO BE INTRODUCED/REINFORCED FOR IMPROVING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IN 2013 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

71%

EDUCATE AND EMPOWER MANAGERS AND LEADERS 57%

IMPROVE DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYABILITY

54%

NON-FINANCIAL EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION SCHEMES MEASURE ENGAGEMENT OF EMPLOYEES

43%

POST-ENGAGEMENT-SURVEY ACTION PLANNING

43%

OVERALL PERFORMANCE-RELATED BONUSES

40%

ESTABLISH LINKS BETWEEN EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AND COMPANY BUSINESS RESULTS

37% 31%

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE-RELATED BONUSES

31%

ENCOURAGE AND REWARD INNOVATIVE IDEAS

26%

WELLNESS INITIATIVES 20%

PROMOTE GREATER AUTONOMY OF EMPLOYEES

20%

MANAGE AND/OR INCREASE DIVERSITY 14%

FLEXIBLE BENEFITS PROGRAMMES

14%

IMPROVE GENDER BALANCE REDUCE WAGE GAP BETWEEN TOP MANAGEMENT AND REST OF THE TALENT

11%

PROMOTION OF WELL-BEING AT WORK

11%

ENCOURAGE EMPLOYEE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

11%

DEVELOP A SPECIFIC PROGRAMME FOR HIRING UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE (E.G. YOUNG PEOPLE ETC.)

SUPPLEMENTARY RETIREMENT PLANS

NO NEW MEASURES PLANNED FOR 2013

OTHER

PERCENTAGE OF RESPONSES

“The fact is there are fewer people who can tick the national box in their application form so there will typically be a premium for that “qualification”. The reality is that expats and Qatari nationals can both be feel fairly treated if the company is transparent about decisions on issues such as pay and promotion.” martin McGuigan Head of Rewards Consulting, Aon Hewitt 54 > qatar today > october 2013

Grooming the leaders of tomorrow HR experts believe that leadership training and succession planning are where Qatari companies are lagging behind. But the organisations we spoke to are well aware of this and are working towards it. “In fact, a key factor in progressing a career within Shell is the extent and skill with which ‘leaders develop leaders’ in the organisation,” Dr Al Ammari says. “Every member of our extended leadership team is clearly expected to live an explicit ‘leadership charter’ noting their obligations as leaders. First comes Goal Zero, as in no harm to people and no leaks. Next, we expect them to bring to life our ‘Pride in Production’ work culture.” Ooredoo, with a large percentage of nationals in its midst, has a strong leadership programme with successors chosen and trained for all top level executives. “Ooredoo has the responsibility of training and developing some of the next generation of young Qatari leaders, and we take that

responsibility very seriously,” Al Ansari says. “We also recognise that younger employees are keen to have a clearer view of their career path and development opportunities within the company, and for that we have recently expanded our succession planning programme to include a greater number of national junior managers.” Qatari companies certainly have their finger on the pulse of what the modern employee in the region wants, and are shaping their HR strategies to reflect that. But where are we on the curve? “It’s hard to generalise, as many companies would be following best practice whilst others may be lagging. The key factor is the pace at which Qatar and the region are catching up with the more progressive HR communities globally,” McGuigan says. After mulling over the question he adds: “I would give the region a 6 and Qatar a 7, but both would get 10 out of 10 for commitment to change and speed of transformation.”

Source: Aon Hewitt, 1st Middle East HR Barometer Survey Report

29%

DEVELOP AND DELIVER A TOTAL REWARD STRATEGY

business > bottomline

Business as Unusual

The Small Changes That Can Make a Big Difference

Sometimes it’s not monumental behavioural shifts that can cause a dramatic leap in the quality of one’s life but small, incremental changes.

e’ve all heard about the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back; similar small disruptions can gradually be engineered to improve one’s life by improving general performance and well-being. Here’s a number of small changes from the career experts at Bayt.com that can make a big difference in your life and career: Read Contrary to popular belief, 77.9% of Middle East and North Africa professionals who took part in the Bayt.com “Career Ad-

56 > qatar today > october 2013

vancement in the MENA” poll of July 2011 indicated that they read on a regular basis, while 69.6% said that they believe reading is vital to career progress. Make sure you are among those who read regularly and are active lifelong learners if you look for continuous personal and professional growth. Aim to pick up a book a month at the very least. Find something you are genuinely interested in and build your expertise in that area, while at the same time broadening your horizons in other areas too. Allow less distraction at work Online and other distractions are the bane

of productivity. According to the Bayt.com “Rest and Recreation Habits Among MENA Professionals” poll of January 2013, 30.7% of the polled professionals spend more than five hours a day surfing the Internet just for fun. Don’t cheat yourself out of a truly optimal day’s work, and ultimately a great career, by getting caught up in office trivia and distractions. Reward yourself While 62.2% of poll* respondents say that they do receive recognition at work from managers and colleagues, you should make it a habit to reward yourself too. Set milestones and reward yourself when you reach them. Take regular small breaks during the day, and regular breaks from work, to do something that invigorates you, and come back to work refreshed with new ideas and fresh perspectives. A happier, more fulfilled and more balanced you will manifest itself in increased energy and productivity. Exercise Taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking around the block, dancing to your favourite music at home, incorporating some yoga routines in your down-time, are all easy enhancements that can make your life less sedentary even if you can’t access a gym, park or outdoor exercise facility. Let your imagination run riot; a bit of exercise will do your brain and body a world of good. After all, if over 80% of polled MENA professionals** can squeeze some exercise time into their busy schedules, then so can you! Eat healthy 31.7% of professionals in MENA would describe their eating habits as unhealthy, according to the Bayt.com “MENA Professionals’ Health and Eating Habits” poll of March 2012. Those mid-morning and mid-afternoon slumps are usually simply the result of eating too much, too little or the wrong type of food altogether. Don’t skip breakfast, and try to reach for fresh, unprocessed foods rather than sugary and processed alternatives; don’t underestimate the effects that healthy eating can have on your skin, as well as on your mood, energy levels, productivity and stamina. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water too; many people are severely dehydrated and unaware of it, and often a feeling of hunger is really a sign of thirst. Save No job is totally secure, and in today’s job market it makes a lot of sense not to be

77.9

of MENA professionals say they read on a regular basis.

reckless with your spending habits, as your savings may well be necessary to tide you over between jobs at some point in your career. According to the May 2013 Bayt.com MENA Salary Survey, 36% of polled professionals do not save any percentage of their monthly income at all. Moreover, 79% of polled MENA professionals agree that the cost of living will further increase in 2013, suggesting that acquiring some level of saving habits may not be a bad idea. Say “Yes” Flexibility is more essential than ever in today’s fast-moving times. So the next time you find the word “No” automatically perched at the tip of your tongue, ask yourself if saying the opposite would challenge and grow you as a professional. If the answer is yes, then embrace the opportunity wholeheartedly. Embrace the moment Embrace the present moment and make the most of it. Whatever your circumstances, make the most of them and don’t postpone essential tasks or projects in anticipation of some mythical light at the end of the tunnel; work as though everything rested on your performance today. Put some soul into it People hire and work with people they like, admire and trust. You may have the best credentials in the world, but if you are not sincerely pleasant and cooperative in the workplace, chances are your CV shows frequent job changes. Likewise, if you are not passionate about what you do, you can be almost certain that your clients will see right through you, as will your manager and peers. Smile from the heart. Nothing is as contagious or conducive to success as a genuinely good attitude. Good news! According to the Bayt.com “Work Satisfaction in the MENA” poll of November 2012, 94% of MENA professionals find real meaning in what they do

* The Bayt.com “Reward Programs and Employee Engagement in the Middle East” survey, November 2011. ** The Bayt.com “MENA Professionals’ Health and Eating Habits” poll, April 2012

bayt Bayt.com is the #1 job site in the Middle East, with more than 40,000 employers and over 13,000,000 registered job seekers from across the Middle East, North Africa and the globe, representing all industries, nationalities and career levels. qatar today > october 2013 > 57

business > viewpoint

Women

Wanted

Attracting Women to Technical Fields in Qatar

Over the past several decades Qatar has reformed its education and training system to align it with macroeconomic policies aimed at advancing towards a knowledge-based economy.

owever, technical vocational education and training (TVET) has not been a significant focus of educational reform. Though the need for a technically-trained labour force was recognised by policymakers as early as the 1940s, when Qatar began exporting oil, dedicated TVET institutions began to emerge only in the late 1990s with the establishment of several post-secondary institutions, two secondary institutions for boys, government-run training academies, and the emergence of a private training market. Despite the proliferation of TVET institutions, many of the governance institutions that provide regulation and coordinate policy and institutional stakeholders are still in a nascent state. TVET policies in Qatar have largely proceeded without a clear conceptualisation of what fields it encompasses and whether TVET leads to jobs that are acceptable to Qataris. The lack of a clear definition of what constitutes TVET and overcoming

58 > qatar today > october 2013

negative stereotypes related to TVET in Qatar are key challenges to policy formation. TVET faces an identity crisis in which people are unhappy with its name, its image and its reputation. The missing half of the TVET debate While prior research has established that Qatari females attend higher education at much higher rates than males (Qatar Today November 2012 cover story) and has explored reasons why men fail to continue into higher education, very few studies have explored why Qatari females pursue academic education over TVET. There is also a lack of research concerning the labour market decisions of Qatari females and how the highly technical, knowledge-intensive fields expected to emerge as a result of Qatarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s knowledge-based economic development will shape the future education and employment decisions of females. According to United Nations statistics, 73% of all students attending higher ed-

Challenges and barriers A strong commitment was made to TVET reform and female employment in the Qatar National Vision 2030, the National Development Strategy 2011-2016, and the Education and Training Sector Strategy in order to realise Qatarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic development ambitions. However, several gender issues related to TVET participation and labour market outcomes for women in Qatar deserve attention: Though improving, female enrolment in TVET is comparatively low Despite significant gains in reforming higher education, several institutional gaps still exist, such as a lack of secondary TVET schools for women. This lack of secondary technical schools for women stands at odds with data released by the Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA), which show that Qatari women contribute significantly to emerging technical sectors of the Qatari economy such as ICT, utilities provision, oil and gas, and technical research. The large number of female students who pursue an academic higher education pathway is heavily influenced by the absence of secondary TVET institutions for women, lack of early career guidance, and few experiential opportunities for girls to be exposed to technical fields at a young age. Research by the General Secretariat

FEMALE QATARI EMPLOYMENT AS % OF TOTAL QATARIS EMPLOYED IN SECTOR

TOTAL FEMALES EMPLOYED IN SECTOR

QAtari females as % of total females employed in sector

agriculture, forestry, fishing (qr 4,405)

mining and quarrying (qr 18,783)

7,738

12%

3,102

30%

manufacturing (qr 6,614)

918

12%

691

16%

electricity, gas, steam, air cond. (qr 18,424)

1,327

479

21%

water supply, sewerage, wastemgmt. (qr 13,431)

123

31%

100%

Construction (qr 3,964)

709

11%

2,930

wholesale/retail trade, vehicle repair (qr 6,516)

1,451

25%

5,523

transportation and storage (qr 11,722)

1,466

5,338

accommodation and food service (qr 6,375)

593

33%

2,990

information and communication (qr 18,483)

2.403

27%

2,783

24%

financial and insurance services (qr 19,453)

2,802

52%

3,209

46%

real estate activities (qr 14,017)

669

13%

369

23%

prof., scientific and tech. activities (qr 7,756)

301

26%

1,583

administrative and support services (qr 5,935)

718

64%

2,390

19%

public administration and defence (qr 22,898)

45,463

21%

13,805

69%

education (qr 17,319)

10,652

84%

18,515

49%

human health and social work (qr 17,068)

4,516

75%

11,796

29%

art, entertainment and recreation (qr 13,969)

828

62%

752

69%

other service activities (qr 6,460)

18%

680

activities of households as employers (qr 2,381)

90,361

extraterritorial organisations (qr 18,287)

29%

331

sector and monthly average wage

80% of Qatari females are employed in these section

Source: Qatar Statistic Authority, 2012

QATARIS EMPLOYED IN SECTOR

industry sectors in which females earn more than/less than the average wage in the public sector

Less

sector

-16,909

agriculture, forestry, fishing

mining and quarrying -7,279

manufacturing

-5,040

electricity, gas, steam

-3,586

water supply, sewerage, waste

-7,874

Construction

-12,112

wholesale/retail trade, vehicle repair

-4,896

transportation and storage

-11,267

accommodation and food service

-2,226

information and communication

-1,815

financial and insurance activities

-2,960

real estate activities

-8,112

prof., scientific and tech. activities

-8,308

administrative and support services

-2,596

education

-2,733

human health and social work

-500

art, entertainment and recreation

-11,071

other service activities

-17,439

activities of households

3,974

activities of extraterritorial organisations

217

Source: Qatar Statistic Authority, 2012

ucation programmes in Qatar are women, second only to Bahrain in the Gulf Cooperation Council. However, only 38% of the students pursuing TVET education in Qatar are women, despite emerging employment opportunities in technical fields. Qatar has one of the highest female labour market participation rates in the Arab world. Because a large number of women attend academic higher education and enter the labour market, many people view the lack of female enrolment and employment in technical fields as a low priority issue. However, high female employment concentrations in select public sector fields is inconsistent with the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic ambitions to grow technology- and innovation-driven industries as Qatar transitions to a knowledge-based economy. As Qatar prepares to host the World Cup in 2022 and continues to diversify its economy beyond the extractive industries, it must ensure that its education and training system is able to evolve to meet its economic ambitions, particularly with regard to the inclusion of females in high-skill, high-wage technical fields.

qatar today > october 2013 > 59

business > viewpoint evolution of percentage of female students as a proportion of total students at tertiary-type b 5b level - mainly technical and vocational

70%

for Development Planning (GSDP) shows that rates of return for short, technicallyfocused diploma studies exceed those for higher education. This means that, on average, women who pursue technical diplomas make more in terms of average lifetime salaries than women who pursue academic tracks at the higher education level.

60%

50%

40%

30%

20% Relative to GCC countries, saudi arabia and qatar have lower female participation rates in tvet

10%

0% 2003

'04

'05

'06

'07

'08

'09

'10

2011

Source: State of Kuwait Central Statistic Bureau, 2011; UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2013al

note: the uae only has data available for 2009; kuwait only has data available for 2011 from the kuwait central statistical bureau.

80%

evolution of percentage of female students as a proportion of total students at tertiary-type a level - more advanced skills

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

ď&#x201A;Ź females in qatar make up 73% of all students attending higher education programmes

10%

ď&#x201A;Ź with the exception of bahrain, qatar has the highest number of women attending higher education programmes in the gcc

0% 2003

'04

'05

'06

'07

'08

'09

'10

2011

note: the uae only has data available for 2009; kuwait has data available only for 2003 and 2004, reflecting 65% participation for both years. bahrain

oman

saudi arabia

qatar

uae

kuwait

Training Location Government Ministries and Corporations Semi Government Corporations Private Training Centers 20,529

Qataris Trained

38%

44%

female Qataris Trained as % of total qataris Trained

18,670

other nationalities Trained 21%

female Trained as % of total other nationalities Trained

1,440

7,810

68%

10,165

7,544

51%

Below gender parity Source: Qatar Statistics Authority, 2011 60 > qatar today > october 2013

Women receive fewer on-the-job training opportunities Over the past decade, the number of training institutions that provide training privately and in the workplace in Qatar has grown dramatically. This is due to the emergence of a private training market as well as several government and mixed companies establishing internal training units. While lack of policies concerning licensing and quality control of the private training institutions has been highlighted as a high priority issue, a potentially bigger issue of concern is that data from the QSA show women receive substantially less onthe-job training than men once they are employed. As more women enter the labour market and work for longer periods, low levels of training for women could potentially serve as a bottleneck that limits the overall effectiveness of organisations in Qatar. Women often wind up employed in the public sector, education and social work Evolving socio-cultural values often affect the education and career decisions of women. For example, while there has been a notable rise in the enrolment of women in TVET institutions, 80% of the Qatari female labour force is employed in less technical sectors such as public administration and defence, education, and human health and social work. According to the most recent Qatar labour market survey, not a single Qatari woman is employed in an occupation in the international standard classification of technical occupations, statistically grouping for craft and related trades workers and plant and machine operators and assemblers. The clustering of women in select occupations in government, education and social work reflects a phenomenon found in other Arab countries too, where individuals who have received specialised academic or TVET training ultimately wind up employed in positions not related to their original training. Cultural factors strongly influence womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice of employment. A focus group convened by the GSDP and Ministry of Labour revealed that females prefer employment in the government sector

rather than privately-owned companies, since it is “conducive to their cultural requirements”. In addition to the socio-cultural values that shape career choice, the high comparative wages paid to females in the public sector and the sectors dominated by government-owned and mixed companies over other technically focused sectors is a significant economic deterrent to female entry into more diverse disciplines. According to Qatar’s recent labour market survey, the average monthly salary for women employed in technical occupations (craft and related trades workers and plant and machine operators and assemblers) is between QR2,369 to QR2,750. This amounts to 14% of what a woman would earn employed in a professional role in the public sector. Average monthly wages outside the public sector are comparatively unattractive relative to the high average monthly wage of QR19,523 paid to women in the public sector. The extractive sector is the only sector in Qatar to offer a monthly wage that exceeds the average in the public sector. Significant education and labour market reforms Strong TVET education systems have been shown to help nations prepare young people for careers in technical industries associated with knowledge-based economies. High rates of participation by females in the labour market will be essential if Qatar is to reach its ambitious economic development goals. However, to ensure that females not only receive the training they need but also transition to technical fields, a number of barriers that serve as disincentives to TVET enrolment and women’s work in technical fields must be addressed. A priority for Qatar should be to offer options for TVET education for females at the secondary level. The fact that females start their exposure to TVET later than males has many important repercussions, not only depriving females of exposure to TVET options but also subtly implying that TVET education is worse than academic education or is not appropriate for females. The effect is likely to discourage females from pursuing TVET education at the post-secondary level. Expanded institutional offerings should be accompanied by a rethinking of sponsorship and scholarship schemes, which serve to perpetuate existing stereotypes about the roles that women should perform and the types of education they pursue. To bolster the number of women in TVET education and jobs, Qatar must continue to emphasise technical vocational education

and training for women while making technical careers more competitive in terms of pay and status. Labour market policies must be pursued that reduce the pay and benefit differentials between the public sector and private sector employment in technical industries. An initial step in achieving this is identifying economic sectors with the potential to generate high-skill, high-wage employment opportunities for women. Given Qatar’s strong economic performance in the finance, aviation and hospitality industries, these might be areas to expand TVET options. A long-term public awareness campaign that highlights women who are successful in TVET fields and focuses on the value of TVET to Qatar’s development will also be essential. Young women need more female role models in technical fields and must be exposed to technical industries through structured programmes and partnerships. Employers who require technically-trained staff must also make a concerted effort to entice more women into technical sectors of the labour market by engaging universities and training institutes, providing directed career guidance, and offering scholarships. On-the-job training and mentorships can further enhance the role of women in technical careers in Qatar. The role of women beyond 2022 While some have suggested that the awarding of the World Cup 2022 to Qatar has brought clarity to economic sectors that could provide employment opportunities over the next several years, Qatar must retain its focus on 2030 and beyond. While the World Cup will create economic and job opportunities over the next decade, it remains unclear if these positions will be of interest to women and whether the employment opportunities created will be in line with Qatar’s focus on creating innovative, skilled industries associated with knowledge economies. As the recent Olympics held in London showed, many of the jobs created by large showcase events are concentrated in the construction and retail sectors, which currently do not offer sufficient wages to attract Qataris. Qatar will have to think hard about whether gearing the education and training system to accommodate large-scale events like the World Cup may ultimately stray from the vision articulated in the Qatar National Vision 2030 and National Development Strategy, which emphasises the development of innovation-driven, knowledge-based industries that can sustain the country’s rapid economic growth

By Walid Aradi and wes schwalje , Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Consulting

About Tahseen Consulting Tahseen Consulting is a specialised advisor on strategic and organisational issues, focusing on governments, social sector institutions and corporations in the Arab world. With deep experience developing and monitoring technical vocational education and training systems in the Arab world, it aligns national educational systems with broader economic development, business and social measures. To learn more, visit www.tahseen.ae. qatar today > october 2013 > 61

development > tag this

Spotlight on 2022 Delivery

What will it take to provide the infrastructure Qatar needs? By Sowmya Sundar

62 > qatar today > october 2013

he usually quiet pre-summer months of May and June witnessed a flurry of activity this year. High-profile construction contracts in the rail and road segments were finally awarded, to a sigh of relief from the contractors. According to a Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee spokesperson, “the early earthworks of the first stadium site will begin in Q4 2013 or Q1 2014”. The Supreme Committee’s Executive Director (Communications and Marketing), Nasser Al Khater, says: “The design consultants and project managers for the stadium developments at Al Wakrah and Al Rayyan have been appointed. More developments will be announced in the near future concerning Al Khor, Qatar Foundation and Lusail Stadiums.” AECOM, an international firm involved in several high-profile projects in Doha, including the New Doha Port and the Al Wakrah Stadium, confirms positive progress on many projects over the past twelve months, with many more package awards and construction milestones achieved. The New Doha Port, the key to solving Qatar’s logistics challenges, is ahead of schedule and three key packages have already been awarded. Just as the country’s infrastructure build-up was getting this fresh impetus, the Emir, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, took over the reins from his visionary father. The new Emir and his recently-sworn-in Cabinet have a big challenge on their hands – to get the country's infrastructure ready on time for the World Cup while minimising the pain for

stakeholders. Most analysts believe that dealing with Qatar’s internal challenges will be the new government’s priority. “Disentangling the effect of the new Emir and the natural pick-up of pace in World Cup preparations is difficult,” says David Roberts, Research Fellow/Director at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) for Defence and Security Studies, Qatar. “It is more likely that the effect of the new Emir and his reorganisation will be seen from now on, as the ministers have had some time to get used to their new functions, roles and personalities,” he says. Meanwhile, Doha residents have already started feeling the pinch due to spurt in the construction activity. Traffic jams, safety issues near construction sites, long waiting lists for school admissions and rent hikes are issues that people in Doha continue to battle. Contractors, on the other hand, are wary of rising prices of raw materials and the short supply of high-quality people to work on the projects. “We are hiring” is a common announcement across their companies' websites. But experts across the industry are cautiously optimistic about the ability to sail through the rough tides and deliver the infrastructure on time. “The government has been gearing up its resources to deal with the expected ‘unexpected’ challenges that are likely to arise,” points out Manfield Mandigora, Assistant Director (Infrastructure and Capital Projects) at Deloitte and Touche. “There is no such thing as ‘smooth’ when referring to huge infrastructure developments in the whole world,” he says. AECOM Director (Programme, Cost Consultancy) Steven Humphrey says: “As

is always the case with major infrastructure developments, the visible progress takes time to gain the public spotlight. But we are confident that the projects we are involved with will be landmarks in Qatar’s steps towards achieving the Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030.” So what will it take for Qatar to sport a smiling face when welcoming the international football community that is now turning increasingly hostile to the idea of Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022? Improve communication To start with, Roberts emphasises the importance of taking the residents of Qatar into confidence and including them in the broader decision-making process. “People want to see more outreach and clarity on project time frames, delays and such,” he says. Citing the chaos the vast range of interrelated road closures have created, Roberts says: “Maybe there is a logic in doing it all at once – in one congested six-month period – but people need to be made aware of this logic.” Managing supply bottlenecks It is now widely acknowledged that managing Qatar’s logistics is the key to delivering projects on time. “Bringing the required quantity and quality of resources to the market, as and when they are needed, is the biggest challenge,” says Rod Stewart, Managing Director, Qatar for engineering firm, Atkins. “Supply chain bottlenecks have long been identified and the government has been implementing policies to address these challenges,” says Mandigora, citing measures such as the new arterial supply routes for heavy goods vehicles, new high-quality temporary labour accommodation and increased local staffing to deal with increased demand for construction-related services, as examples. Stewart says: “The threat of supply bottlenecks and cost inflation is something we’re already very familiar with in the region, having seen it during the property boom in the UAE. We’ve seen the various government agencies working together to prepare and plan so that, as much as possible, activity can be spread evenly throughout the next decade, evening out the peaks. Work is being prioritised to ensure the right work is done at the right time.” The EC Harris report on cost inflation in Qatar published in March this year suggests that as far as possible non-core construction activity should be taken up

after the World Cup. The timely execution of World Cup-related projects depends on completion of the New Doha Port on schedule, as most construction materials will have to be imported. Timely completion will make it easier to import them. The existing roads are not capable of carrying such large-scale heavy traffic. In addition to building exclusive supply routes for heavy-duty vehicles, the government has recently awarded the contract for the Qatar Gabbro berth expansion project at Mesaieed, due to be completed in 29 months. The project will enable importers to directly import construction aggregates through an integrated set of conveyors, significantly reducing truck traffic through Doha. Meanwhile, Ashgal is planning to deploy an integrated Intelligent Transport System (ITS) that will provide accurate traffic flow information on major roads and highways. Manpower Qatar National Bank estimates that the new and ongoing projects will create more than 120,000 jobs per year till 2016. The shortage of skilled labour is being addressed through various measures. Stewart says: “We need a combination of two things: expertise in Qatar, and the ability to effectively and efficiently manage workflow around international organisations.” He feels tapping international resources enables firms to draw on wider and global skills. Humphrey says there is an increase in the number of international or local joint venture arrangements in the contracting market. “Over a period of time, this arrangement will improve local skills and capabilities, which in turn will boost the capability of the local market. The governmental facilitation of this collaboration is critical to the long-term development of the local market as well as successful delivery of the QNV 2030,” he says. The recent rail tenders awarded by Qatar Rail are an example of such collaboration, he says, adding that the expansion of locally-based global firms has also allowed many major projects to be delivered with highly professional teams blending the best of global expertise and local knowledge. Mandigora says the government has been adapting immigration rules and qualification regulations to accommodate the morphing employment landscape. “There has been a marked increase and toughening of the requirements for certifying expat qualifications. There has also been a concerted

Rod Stewart Managing Director, Atkins Qatar

Qatar Infrastructure - Key facts Qatar’s total infrastructure spending during 2013-18: QR578.4 billion ($158.9 billion). Source: General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP) Expected growth in the construction sector: 12% Source: GSDP Value of construction contracts awarded: QR58 billion ($16 Billion) in 2011; QR65.5 billion ($18 Billion) in 2012 Source: Ventures Middle East report Value of contracts to be awarded in 2013: QR119.4 BILLION ($32 billion) Source: Ventures Middle East report Projects that have reached the execution stage: 51% of total Source : MEED Ashgal to spend QR16 billion in 2013-14 Source: Ashgal Spending on tourism-related infrastructure: QR73 billion ($20 billion) Contracts worth QR12 billion ($3.3 billion) related to the New Doha Port project to be awarded by December 2013 According to the Qatar Tourism Authority, 121 hotels are being built in 2013 as against 110 hotels at the end of 2012, providing 20,955 new rooms. Contracts awarded by Qatar Rail in 2013: QR30 billion ($8.2 billion) and by Ashgal for Doha Expressway project: QR7.2 billion The construction materials market could be worth QR22-32 billion ($6-9 billion) over the next 2-3 years. Source: EC Harris report

qatar today > october 2013 > 63

development > tag this effort by government departments to employ professional services firms to assist in re-aligning their procedures and policies to cope with the changed environment.” Meanwhile, the international community has been raising questions about Qatar’s squalid labour conditions, and the Qatar Supreme Committee has responded by completing a “migrant worker charter” for all World Cup-related projects, under which the country will strive to achieve the highest health, safety and worker welfare standards.

Manfield Mandigora Assistant Director (Infrastructure and Capital Projects) at Deloitte and Touche.

Steven Humphrey, Director (Programme, Cost Consultancy), AECOM

Capacity constraints Agreeing with the findings of the E.C. Harris report, which says there has been approximately 30% spare capacity in Qatar’s construction market, Humphrey says although there has been a global and regional slowdown over the past three years, the local market has not significantly expanded. To boost local capacity, the EC Harris report suggests involving SMEs to solve some of the localised capacity issues such as establishment of more fabrication and assembly capability and provision of technical services. Monitoring and facilitating entry for new companies should also help, the report says. Flexible contracting terms “Introducing the concept of ‘partnering’ in construction contracting could go a long way to ensure that the projects are completed on time, as some state entities have started to entertain more international and flexible tender regulations to deal with contractual risk-sharing, now an international norm,” Mandigora says. “Traditionally, construction risk has been borne by the contractors, leading to higher quotations to cover their risk. This traditional adversarial relationship between contractors and clients needs to be changed to a partnering relationship where both work in tandem to achieve the desired end-goal. The high level of construction disputes, delays and budget overruns bears witness that this needs urgent attention,” he adds. Minimising cost inflation The E.C. Harris report predicts that construction cost inflation in Qatar could touch 18% during the peak construction period if not managed well. It also says that Qatar is one of the costliest construction markets in the world. Due to the huge imports, external factors like demand from neighbouring countries and market conditions in the

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respective source countries are impacting the costs. Humphrey thinks this is natural, given the size of the market and volume of work. “There are clear signs in the local market that the decision-makers are conscious of this risk and phasing the release of new projects to avoid the effects of overheating of prices,” he says. He cautions however that “with the global economic recovery, further pressure will be placed on the local marketplace and therefore all developers (both public and private) will have to plan carefully their development strategies to ensure the timely delivery of projects is not disrupted”. In an effort to help alert contractors about cost inflation, the authorities have launched a price index for construction materials to monitor pricing and availability of raw materials for the industry. The index will alert importers in advance to any sudden shortage of building materials and help them plan their inventory. Real Estate – the pinch is short term Qatar’s population is expected to reach 2.2 million by the end of 2014, according to GSDP estimates, and expected to grow at 10.5% annually over the next two years. The incoming population will push up the need for quality affordable housing, and the capacity in this segment is limited. Rents have already inched up and are specifically burning holes in expatriates’ pockets. Jones Lang LaSalle's Head of Strategic Consulting, MEA, Deepak Jain, says: “The private sector is focusing on quality residential developments, with Ezdan and Barwa Real Estate, a quasi-governmental entity, being among the few developers offering affordable housing units in projects.” Jain attributes the outpaced supply in the short term to the financial crisis which put on hold major developments in Qatar in 2010, with work resuming only in 2013. Capacity in the leisure segment is still in the planning stage, including the recently-announced high-profile Oryx Island that will house World Cup fans. “This is completely in line considering there is still close to nine years to the actual event. Completion of projects too early would have its own effects in terms of market supply and demand fundamentals,” he says. Deepak is positive that the supply-demand anomaly will be corrected in due course. According to him, “supply delivery will outpace the influx of new residents as construction progresses and new residential stock is delivered.”

development > tag this

Waking up

to a new dawn

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JUXTAPOSED

left, from Hajj exhibition, Magnetism by Ahmed Mater, magnets and iron fillings, Insert, The Immortal by Damien Hirst

Four hallmark exhibitions bring the focus of international art enthusiasts’ attention on Doha, which is touted to be the next cultural hub of the region. By Sindhu nair

t cannot get better than this for a country that hopes to move the cultural centre of gravity away from the West and earlier hotspots in Damascus and Cairo to its shores. This month the Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) will be bringing four entirely different collections to the people of the country. One will have on display the most valuable memories and paraphernalia of a Hajj pilgrim, while another will have, among other exhibits, a formaldehyde preservation of a dead shark in a clear glass case. One is “Hajj: The Journey Through Art”, which will be on display from October 9 to January 5, 2014 and celebrates the holy pilgrimage, with the majority of items on display coming from the collections of the Museum of Islamic Art, some of which have never before been displayed in public. Another of the exhibitions is “Relics”, the first exhibition by Damien Hirst in the Middle East, and reportedly the largest exhibition to date by Britain’s wealthiest artist. Other exhibitions, equally prolific, are Adel Abdessemed’s solo exhibition curated by Pier Luigi Tazzi at Mathaf from October 6 to January, 5, 2014 and Francesco Vez-

zoli’s “Museum of Crying Women” at the QMA Gallery, Katara from October 7 to November 30, 2013. Under the patronage of QMA Chairperson HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Relics will run from October 10 to January 22, 2014 at Al Riwaq exhibition space and will span 25 years of the British artist’s career. It will include both his most iconic work, such as his spot paintings, the formaldehyde animals from his “Human Nature” series and his diamond-encrusted skull (“For the Love of God”, 2007), as well as previously unseen work. Talking exclusively to Qatar Today on this diversity of collections on display, Kimberly French, Chief Marketing Officer at QMA, says: “In Doha, we are fortunate enough to have both a modern art museum, in the form of Mathaf, as well as the Museum of Islamic Art and venues such as Al Riwaq exhibition space. By its very nature, this range of different spaces enables very different exhibitions to be presented at the same time, like the Hajj exhibition, Damien Hirst, Adel Abdessemed and Francesco Vezzoli.” While Hajj: The Journey Through Art qatar today > october 2013 > 67

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Damien Hirst

Jean Paul Engelen Director of Public Art, QMA

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will include historical elements, it will also touch individual viewers by taking them on a memorable route retracing their unique experience during the pilgrimage. With local Qataris invited to contribute their own stories as recent pilgrims, there will be some contemporary pieces in a show that is sure to attract local and regional fans. So, while one exhibition falls back on religious sentiment to attract viewership, another will use its shocking displays and its international repute to garner attention. “The exhibitions are in venues appropriate to the collections. We believe that a variety of art is important not only for the visitor experience but for Doha to be reflected as an international cultural centre,” says French. That, in essence, is the very agenda of QMA: “to cultivate a new voice for Qatar for generations to come; our purpose is to be a cultural instigator for creation generation.” Jean-Paul Engelen, Director of Public Art Programmes at QMA, talks about the widely popular while controversial Damien Hirst exhibition, and whether this exhibition is in Doha for its “shock factor”. “Damien Hirst is widely regarded as one of the world’s most successful contemporary artists and has created some of the most seminal works in recent art history. We hope this exhibition will encourage local audiences to take part in debates and

discussions about the arts that will challenge their understanding and unveil new perspectives.” While Doha has been host to a wide range of international exhibitions, the question is whether the local and expat audiences are knowledgeable enough to understand this form of art. Engelen feels that art can mean something different to everybody, and “we hope each visitor has their own unique experience as the subject matter is universal and translates across all cultures”. Talking about its plan for the country, the spokesperson says that as of now, the Museum of Islamic Art and MIA Park; Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art; the Al Riwaq exhibition space; and the QMA Gallery at Katara have already been launched. “In the next few years, we plan on opening the National Museum of Qatar, the Olympic and Sports Museum and the Orientalist Museum,” says French, “With regard to forthcoming museums, we can’t provide a number because the museums are in the planning phase. Some are ideas that will combine collections; others are standalone projects that will require their own facility. As projects move out of the planning stage and realise a clear direction, we will announce them. We have a headstart on many aspects of these institutions. Our plans will continue to evolve over the next

ARTIFACTS

(clockwise from left) Kitab Kharida al-Ajaib wa farida al-Gharayib, al-Marrakshi, 3 Safar 983 AH, 14 May 1573, For the love of God by Damien Hirst, Believer, butterflies and household gloss on canvas by Damien Hirst

several years and will be announced when we’re ready. Suffice it to say that each of these museums will provide a new version of collecting and service within their genre, as we bring the best talent from around the world to combine with Qatari knowledge and skill.” Dr Karen Exell, Lecturer in Museum Studies and Coordinator, MA (Museum and Gallery Practice) at UCL Qatar, feels that she is in the right place with all the best things happening right on her doorstep. “It will be interesting to watch the impact of these two exhibitions locally. Damien Hirst will take all the global attention, while local people might prefer the Hajj experience. It is fascinating to see how people will react to these two exhibitions,” she says. A culture that is growing Speaking about the burgeoning museum culture in Doha, Dr Exell says that Qatar follows a unique model of acquiring the best skillsets to showcase QMA’s development plans. “Like bringing in I.M. Pei for the building and the curators from world-renowned institutions for planning exhibits and associations with different authorities,” she says. QMA’s plans could be best described as a local collaboration with a regional focus, which HE Sheikha Al-Mayassa has described as “a hybrid of local culture and in-

ternational expertise”. Another example of this international expertise is Edward Dolman, who heads the QMA as its Executive Director and Acting CEO. He is from Christie’s International plc, where he served as Chairman from September 2010. Dolman had 27 years of experience with Christie’s and brings with him a wealth of experience. Mathaf, the Arab Museum for Modern Art, which brings the contemporary work of Arab artists into focus, has attracted a lot of attention in the country, especially amongst its youth, by the innovative display of artwork and collections and also through its unique outreach programmes addressed to the entire population. According to Mathaf Director Dr Abdellah Karroum, the country is investing in education and culture for the next generations. “Doha’s cultural scene is rich, dynamic and diverse; the Arab youth is playing a key role in this transformation. HE Sheikha Al-Mayassa’s ambition for the country, her vision of creating an artistic hub in Qatar made, many things possible in a small amount of time, including the opening of two unique museums with rich collections in Qatar: MIA and Mathaf are already opened, and soon the National Museum and Sports Museum will open in Doha,” says Dr Karroum.

Kimberly French Chief Marketing Officer, QMA

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Abdellah Karroum Director, Mathaf

dr karen exell Lecturer, Museum Studies and Coordinator, UCL Qatar

mayssa fattouh Artistic Director and Curator, Katara Art Centre

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“As part of QMA,” he continues, “our museum responds to its role of producing and sharing knowledge. For us, every new collaboration is a contribution to our growing society. International relations are also important for a museum, and at Mathaf we promote our artists and intellectuals in the global spheres. We co-produce exhibitions and education programmes and have continuous dialogues with Mori Tokyo, MoMA NYC, Tate Modern, MACBA Barcelona and the Tate in the UK. We also interact with biennials and institutions in Asia, the Arab world and Africa.” But there are sceptics as well. Mayssa Fattouh, Artistic Director and Curator at Katara Art Centre, one of the few independently-run galleries in the country, feels that the country can never aim to become a production hub. “Having an established museum study will be extremely beneficial to the country itself first of all, for the development of sustainable strategies and good relations with museums across the world,” she says. “The understanding of purchase ethics, history and social contexts are key in shaping art policies. Having many more museums will make Doha an undeniable cultural tourism destination, but this is not enough to make it a production hub.” A gap to be filled In a country that could be said to have very little art history, one would assume that the best way forward would be to work in tandem with an international franchise, the approach that Abu Dhabi has embraced through its collaborations with Guggenheim, the Louvre and the British Museum for its museum development. Dr Exell argues that the country has a large amount of history, but that it just takes a different form. “Local forms, tradition, heritage, history and so on are being overshadowed by the decision to bring in the Western style or forms of museum management. So people

come in and say that there is no history in the region because they are looking for a form of history that exists elsewhere.” That is problematic in itself, she says, because you need to look at the local culture, family lineage and tribes, and that does not fall into a category that is tangible or understood by someone who is used to the Western form. “It takes years of living here to even understand and recognise the nature of the culture here,” she says. “Qataris are very private and that is part of their culture too.” She stresses that it is because of their need for privacy that the culture seems intangible, not because of the lack of it. “Heritage just takes a different form than what is recognisable to outsiders. “Tribal identity, family identity, is all part of Qatari culture, which is very complex, and we need to be part of the network to know all of this. These are not things to be displayed in a museum; it would be culturally inappropriate to do so. And since they cannot be displayed, there comes in the imported culture, which IS displayed. People then come in and say ‘they needed this imported culture because they didn’t have anything of their own,’ which is a misinterpretation,” she says passionately. And it is this culture, the one that is truly Qatari, that still resists the museum advancements of history being displayed, because it is not what people here are used to. So there is still alienation, especially for Mathaf, since local people do not identify with the kind of display that is used there. Hence it is a difficult battle for Qatar, a tightrope walk for the organisation, to keep the local audience content while it straddles international expertise and exposes the Qatari population to the wider art world. All this should be done without losing Qatar's culture of privacy, tribal identity and history

development > tag this

NEED OF THE HOUR

A GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE BANK

By Ayswarya Murthy 72 > qatar today > october 2013

the Director of the Institute of Infrastructure Studies, Anthony Holmes, has an exciting new challenge for Qatar. they are 12% overbudget and are expected to take 29% longer to complete. Barely a month before it was due to go operational, snags found in the control systems forced the Berlin Brandenburg Airport to push back opening by two years, incurring an additional cost of QR7 billion ($2 billion). Closer to home, Jeddah and Oman have suffered delays with their airports,” says Anthony Holmes, Co-founder and Director of the Institute of Infrastructure Studies. “All over the world, large complex infrastructure projects are increasingly facing roadblocks. There are several common features between them that induce delays and overspending, but since they are being built and handled in isolation, nobody has tried to understand them or learn any lessons.” This is the purpose of the British Consulting-funded non-profit thinktank that began operations in April this year. With its staff currently based in London, Holmes says they will be opening a branch here in December because Doha is a fertile research ground. “Transformative economy is a new science, and Qatar is the perfect study subject,” he says.

traditional asset risk profile

risk

practical completion

emerging asset risk profile

risk

construction completion

Construction Phase

Operate Phase

Time

Construction Phase

aggregate risk

asset operation

Integration Phase

Time

Operate Phase

Source: Institute of Infrastructure Studies

he opening of Hamad International Airport, already embarrassingly late, has been postponed further to early 2014. Recently all work at Lusail was stopped temporarily when a bridge collapsed, injuring 15 workers. The prestigious Doha-Bahrain Expressway remains a non-starter and a distant dream. After its celebrated launch, the Al Waab City project, said to be the largest residential project in the country, seems to be going at a snail’s pace, with no new announcements of project relaunch for close to a year. For a country whose infrastructure overhaul is only just heating up, with a string of megaprojects yet to be realised (MEED predicts that 2014 will be a record year for Qatar, with QR182 billion ($50 billion) worth of projects scheduled to be awarded), within strict deadlines too, these aren’t good signs. But if misery loves company, Qatar would be glad to know that it isn’t alone. “Heathrow Terminal 5 in London was a struggle to deliver on time and under budget. We are monitoring 16 big projects in progress in the UK, and between them

qatar today > october 2013 > 73

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“All over the world, large complex infrastructure projects are increasingly facing roadblocks. There are several common features between them that induce delays and overspending, but since they are being built and handled in isolation, nobody has tried to understand them or learn any lessons.” Anthony Holmes Director of the Institute of Infrastructure Studies

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A new solution “Qatar is expected to sink close to QR437 billion ($120 billion), or 9% of GDP, in mega infrastructure projects in the next five years, and if oil prices stay put, the government can afford this without having to borrow,” Holmes says. This gives them the advantage of flexibility and more control compared with public-private partnership projects. Elsewhere in the world, unfortunately, private financing is struggling to cope with the challenges that these complex projects are throwing up. In fact, Holmes goes so far as to say that traditional private funding is on its way out. Infrastructure can’t be treated like a regular investment, he feels, and this is why: “The importance of infrastructure can’t be overstated. It’s the framework around which our society exists. It stimulates economic development. So financing these assets isn’t optional, it’s obligatory.” But the risks associated with these projects make them unviable for private players. He puts forward the example of the London-Birmingham high-speed rail link. “It hasn’t even begun, and already the government has revised the costs from £32billion to £50 billion. It is likely that costs might touch £70billion before it is finally delivered.” Complex infrastructure like ports, airports and railways that have large components of IT can go overbudget by as much as 80%. How can any private entity prepare itself for this? “Although the project is extremely important, with big social returns, there is no direct economic return for the extra money that has to be invested.” He says $70 trillion needs to be invested in infrastructure globally in the next 17 years, much of which will be required within the next 5-6 years. “There is no historic precedent for this kind of spending. Banks, as we know them today, can’t handle this. Neither do investment firms have the capacity.” The Basel III regulations will only put more pressure on the banks, with their focus on liquidity and intolerance to uncertainty. “It is very likely that more than half of these projects won’t be able to find financing,” he predicts. “There is a need for a better, specialised entity that understands how these projects work and treats them as a separate asset class. An institution that has the financial and technical ability to deal with fairly big projects ($8 billion and above). One that doesn’t just lend money and sit back but is actively involved in the unfolding of these projects, stepping in and rectifying

problems when required. There is a dire need for an institution that has collected and analysed data from such projects worldwide and knows about the hidden “dark risks” that are not seen at the outset. Challenge accepted? “This country is unique in the way it’s spending a lot of money on its infrastructure projects over a short period of time. The action, unrivalled in the rest of the world, is concentrated and funded and supervised by a single entity (the government). The data generated here on how the implementation of these different projects works and interacts together will be invaluable in guiding the next generation of project managers.” Holmes has an enticing and thought-provoking idea: “Qatar has the ideal combination of relevant economic activity and financial resources to collect and analyse the data and use this information and expertise to create an international infrastructure investment bank (there is no such institution in the world currently, though the World Bank has for long been recommending one), placing the country’s banking sector in a dominant position in this major asset class,” he says. Pause for effect. Currently, the data from the country’s mammoth $200 billion is being wasted, being burnt away despite its immense economic value. “We estimate that $15 million would be needed to collect and study the data over the next few years. That’s 0.01% of the total programme cost,” he points out. Qatar easily can, and should, consider doing this, even if it isn’t yet hatching plans to float an ambitious global banking entity. “Inflation over the next two years can increase the programme cost by as much as 15-20%. If this information can help to reduce that even by 1%, the exercise would have paid for itself enormously. It’s a very sensible thing to do,” Holmes says. But things have to be put in motion as soon as possible, he says. “It’s already too late for the airport. This sort of data evaporates quickly and it isn’t possible to go back and collect the information. And the earlier you start, the richer your data is. And that’ll dictate whether your data will be used to rectify a problem or predict it before it even happens and avoid it all together.” Holmes has a compelling argument to support the need for such an initiative. “I always tell people, don’t think of overspending in terms of money, think of it in terms of infrastructure. That $1 billion of over-budget could mean a few more schools and a few more hospitals.”

development > tag this

Diplomacy and

deep sea treasures

In this first instalment of a series of articles on Qatar’s history, the British Library’s Mark Hobbs gives us a picture of one of the country’s earliest legacies – pearls.

he earliest mention of how important pearl diving was to the region’s economy was found in James Buckingham’s records. In 1829, this British officer noted that the volume of the pearl trade was close to £200,000 (not adjusted for inflation). By the time John Lorimer’s extensive survey of the region was compiled and realised as the Gazetteer in 1905-06, the industry was worth £1.43 million. Over the next decade, the numbers steadily rose till they peaked in 1920, with the best harvest

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on record. We know how this story goes from here on. Soon cultured pearls from Japan started to appear in the market. Artificially mass-produced in farms, they were sold for one-third of the price of natural pearls. There was no competing with that. Prominent pearling towns slipped into poverty and most people moved away. In fact, there was a significant population decrease between the 1920s and 1940s, which didn’t reverse till the discovery and export of oil in the 1950s. Despite this, the quality of natural pearls fished in the region was

Map of pearl diving beds along the coast of Bahrain, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, comissioned by the British offices in Bahrain

incomparable, and people were willing to pay premium prices for these until the Great Depression of 1929 sounded the death knell for the industry. So it must come as no surprise that the mentions of the pearl trade were integral to records of British offices in the region – the one in Basra (Iraq), the political agency and, even ones in Kolkata make references to this lucrative activity in the Persian Gulf. These records include maps of rich pearl beds in the Gulf, off the coast of Abu Dhabi and to the north of Qatar, made in the 1930s. These were commissioned and drawn by the British for their own reference and only one of these maps (of the coast of Dubai) is in Arabic. There is no evidence of the pearl divers or boat owners ever using such maps.

They probably didn’t need map, as they came from generations of pearl divers who knew instinctively where to dive and passed down this knowledge from father to son. Navigation was done through traditional means and so were the dives. Divers would hold their breath and gather the pearls by hand, averaging 10-12 per dive. This meant that the deeper pearl beds weren’t exploited till the 1940s, when deep sea suits started to become available. There is evidence of renewed interest in the region’s pearling industry from other countries like France and Japan and private British companies who wanted to use this new technology to explore the deeper beds. Communications to the British offices from the Japanese in the mid–1930s indicating their desire to fish for pearls in the Gulf were largely met with anxiety and suspicion as the British didn’t want foreign interests interfering with what rightfully belonged to the Arabs. Documents from the Bahrain office between 1900 and 1940 contain a wealth of information on pearling. Bahrain was the largest and busiest pearling centre, with 917 boats involved in the retrieval of these precious gems, as per Lorimer’s count in 1905. Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai were in close competition for second place, with 410, 350 and 335 boats respectively. Several reforms and regulations were enacted during these years to bring efficiency and accountability to the industry, like issuing licences, registering boats and dispatching hospital boats to patrol the pearling banks – diving was a dangerous affair because of the strain on the body and shark attacks

An ambitious project is currently underway at the British Library where more than 350,000 government documents relating to the Gulf, newly unearthed from the depths of the library archives, are throwing new light into the history of the region.

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Living on

credit

How do you protect yourself from credit card fraud? Qatar Today asks some of the leading banks in the country for answers By Abigail Mathias 78 > qatar today > october 2013

eing accustomed to last-minute holiday plans, I usually book most of my hotels online. Just before we took off for the recent Eid break, my husband received a call from the bank informing him that a few credit cards (his included) were on alert, as Visa had instructed the bank to issue new cards for a few users. Since we wanted to take our credit card with us on the trip, we made sure to pick up the new one from the bank’s security monitoring system. That’s where I met Srinavasa (name changed on request), a man who doesn't have more than two seconds to look up from the series of computer screens before him. He is constantly tracking transactions online for a leading bank in Doha. Routine transactions don’t raise eyebrows, but when three transactions take place on the same card from different geographical locations, Srinivasa and the bank step in. How safe are we? With the advent of social networking, customers are more vulnerable to credit card fraud than ever before. “For Mashreq Qatar, out of 39,000 customers we have had just three complaints so far in 2013. In all three cases, we ensured that the money was credited back to the customer after conducting an investigation,” says Niranjan Mendonca, Head of Retail Banking, Mashreq Bank. “The customer received a phone call within minutes of the transaction to verify the matter, since the transactions were online; after discussions with the customer we blocked and replaced their credit cards to ensure the customer was not exposed to any further risk,” adds Mendonca. As technology advances, the fraud experts also raise their level of expertise. According to a credit card expert who did not wish to be named, cybercriminals operate in groups worldwide and buy and sell the data. “They can source data from 75,000 cards a month, and are then just waiting to trap vulnerable customers,” he says. “While high-tech fraudsters have devised ever-more sophisticated attacks, Visa is fighting back with new technology to detect these emerging threats and help shut them down on the spot,” says Isaac Thomas, General Manager, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain at Visa Inc. “The technology also enables us to pinpoint and address coordinated attacks on multiple accounts in realtime.”

While most people in the region abide by the law, the situation is different when your information is on the World Wide Web. Most national and international banks have fraud systems in place. A representative from Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) explains: “In the GCC, credit card fraud is not a very big phenomenon, and there are few instances compared with Western markets. Fraudulent transactions are not related to holidays or festivals; they can occur at any time. However, during holidays there are typically many more transactions than at other times.” Three months ago QIB received a complaint from a customer about an unrecognised transaction. “We stopped his card and issued a new one. Three days later the customer complained about the same problem. After investigating further we informed him that his computer had been hacked. We advised him to change his PC’s passwords. He hasn’t reported any fraudulent transactions since.” If a customer’s average expenditure on grocery items is QR1,000, the bank is immediately on alert when a significantly larger amount is transacted on the same card. They will call the customer to verify usage. Despite fierce competition between banks, fraud teams alert each other when trouble brews. “If there is any suspicious activity, a card will get hotlisted,” explains the QIB representative. “In case your card is used in fraudulent activity, on use at the next venue, an alert will show on the system and the authorities will be contacted.” With so much at stake, it is a relief to know that there are systems in place. “The Qatar Central Bank is one of the most forward-looking in the region and has been an early adopter of the chip-and-PIN (Personal Identification Number) method, which is a much safer form of payment, hence suspicious activity in Qatar is extremely low,” explains Mendonca. Fraudsters prefer to withdraw cash from a user's account throught an ATM, which is harder to trace compared with online activity. Overtly ‘social’ media Mendonca believes that social media make it easy for anyone to access personal information. He says: “If you think about the security questions you are asked to identify yourself at a bank or for a financial transaction you will notice that the answers are readily available in personal profiles online.

“We invest significant amounts in making sure that VisaNet, which is capable of processing more than 30,000 transactions per second, remains one of the safest retail electronic payment networks in the world.” Isaac Thomas General Manager, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain at Visa Inc.

Credit card usage can be kept secure. This is how. VISA One simple measure is to have transaction alerts for your cards. This way, whenever the card is used you get an alert on your phone. This means you instantly know if it might have been used in a fraudulent manner. Make sure you always know where your cards are and keep them safe and secure. Never share your private PINs with others – and try to find numbers that are unique to you and not easy to replicate. qatar today > october 2013 > 79

development > tag this the seven commandments for protecting yourself from credit card fraud 1.

Ensure that PIN (Personal Identification Number) is a number that is difficult to guess, i.e. not 1234, or 1111, or your year of birth.

2. Never share your PIN with anyone, including waiters or staff at retail outlets. Always type in the PIN yourself.

Niranjan Mendonca Head of Retail Banking, Mashreq Bank

Regularly check bank statements to monitor transactions.

Ensure that your mobile number is updated regularly for SMS alerts of suspicious transactions.

Avoid using your primary card online; use it only on reputable websites, or issue a supplementary card with a smaller limit for online transactions.

Avoid using the card in high-risk countries (certain countries in Eastern Europe or South Asia, among others). If you do need to use your card in these countries, get it blocked/replaced upon return.

Avoid publishing personal information on social media that can be misused. (Source: Mashreq Bank)

kris werner Head of Retail Banking, HSBC Qatar

80 > qatar today > october 2013

Many people publish personal information like telephone numbers, mobile numbers, date of birth, e-mail addresses, parents’ names and/or maiden names, and all this information can be pieced together for card fraud or other forms of identity theft.” Thomas feels that caution is the best way to prevent such frauds. “With any new communication platform our advice to card holders is simple,” he says. “Be safe and secure and never share personal details about your credit or debit cards or PIN details with others. As long as individuals take the proper precautions when using online platforms there is no reason why they should encounter any challenges. However, we always recommend that our cardholders make sure to use only verified payment platforms, ones that are secure and they can trust. These include the padlock icon in your browser’s status bar, https in the URL, or the words Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). These are security layers that are designed to protect your personal data and transactions,” he adds. As the payments landscape continues to evolve, so must security. Online payments are now an everyday occurrence for everything from cinema tickets to expensive luxury holidays. Doha resident Ren Wlasiuk states: “I definitely feel that online purchasing makes you feel vulnerable. Companies and internet providers could do more

to protect and reassure users.” Visa’s risk management efforts have helped keep fraud rates at historic lows, enabling cardholders to transact with confidence. “We invest significant amounts making sure that VisaNet, which is capable of processing more than 30,000 transactions per second, remains one of the safest retail electronic payment networks in the world,” claims Thomas. “In August 2011, we introduced Vital Signs, a new analytic engine that has changed the way the company combats fraud,” he says. These help track ATM transactions. Vital Signs not only alerts Visa clients on unusual ATM withdrawal patterns but also blocks further transactions on the cards if the threshold limits defined in the system are breached. “One of the most important industry innovations has been the introduction of EMV card chips into cards. This has been a revolution that has brought a level of security magnetic strips cannot offer to ensure that cardholders, retailers and banks are much safer from fraud and criminal activity,” explains Thomas. The EMV chip-andPIN technology offers dynamic authentication values for each transaction and is capable of storing secret information such as the cardholder’s individual PIN, thus increasing the security on card usage. Fraudsters may use “phishes” or fraudulent e-mails to try to trick you to submit sensitive personal information. Always carefully review every e-mail asking for personal data, and then check the legitimacy of the request by looking up the company’s phone number and calling to verify the request. According to Kris Werner, Head of Retail Banking, HSBC Qatar, EMV cards with the chip-and-PIN option are viewed as more secure, and customers are advised only to use those options when travelling abroad. Werner says: “Our customers receive an SMS sent to a valid mobile number held on file, and this indicates transactions that are processed through their account. Customers are requested to immediately report transactions that they received an SMS for but did not make. We are happy to receive any queries about these messages at our dedicated support hotline. Quick action by customers is very important, as this helps protect their data and their funds.” Werner also cautions against entering card or account details over the Internet. “It is sensible always to seek advice when something seems suspect or out of the ordinary,” he advices.

development > tag this

Empowering education By Abigail Mathias

82 > qatar today > october 2013

More than 30 years ago, when Professor Russell Bishop first started teaching at Mana College in Porirua, New Zealand, he was struck by a single question: why did so many Maori students start out well, but fail as they went through school?

n 2001, Professor Bishop led a study where more than 70 Year 9 and 10 students were closely interviewed along with their whanau members, (whanau is a Maori word for extended family), principals and 80 teachers in five secondary schools around New Zealand's North Island. What he discovered was a surprisingly hidden challenge and a new approach that is already showing remarkable gains. Te Kotahitanga is a group that emerged from his efforts and is one of six winning projects of the 2013 WISE (World Innovation Summit for Education) Awards. Since 2009, the WISE Awards have identified, showcased and promoted innovative projects in education around the world and have clearly given a big boost to education, with 2,000 applications from 136 countries, resulting in 24 award winners. Education is not just about learning from a textbook. It promotes a great deal of self-esteem as well. Professor Bishop, who set up and leasds the Te Kotahitanga project, explains: “The educational achievement of Maori students in mainstream secondary school classrooms is the main focus of this research and professional development project. If we want to make a difference to the worrying statistics of disparity, then we need to focus on this group, because it is only by focusing on the problem that we will solve it. This is the most

pressing educational priority of today [in New Zealand].” Bishop and his team then developed a professional development programme based on implementing the “Effective Teaching Profile” (ETP). There are currently 49 schools in the project with a total of 43,000 students, which includes 16,000 Maori students and 3,300 teachers. These schools cover 27% of Maori students nationwide. The students share aspects of their school lives, and this in turn helps their educators make their learning experience more effective. “The experiences shared by the students are used to help develop an

“Improved learning relationships mean that teachers are more able to engage in effective teaching approaches through which more students can benefit from all that education has to offer.” Professor Russell Bishop

Te Kotahitanga, New Zealand qatar today > october 2013 > 83

development > tag this

“It is only by focusing on the problem that we will solve it. This is the most pressing educational priority of today.” Professor Russell Bishop

Te Kotahitanga, New Zealand

ETP, essentially what effective teaching for Maori students looks like in mainstream secondary school classrooms. We also speak to their whanau members, their principals and their teachers, who relate the importance of relationships that promote self-determination for all as being central to classroom success.” It was not just the students who were facing challenges. “Many of the teachers spoke of being overwhelmed by the problems that Maori students presented to them, and despite their having good intentions, they were frustrated and angry about their inability to reach and support the learning of Maori students. They felt isolated and unable to provide effective solutions.” Te Kotahitanga is run out of Waikato University and is funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Education. The world’s future leaders What does it take to leave a positive impact on future generations? Certainly a lot more than cliches and empty promises. This year’s WISE Award finalists demonstrate that today’s education barriers have no borders, as projects respond to global issues such as access to education and employability. Projects present innovative solutions, such as utilising new technologies to teach native language skills to primary students in Morocco, or using trucks to teach essential ICT skills to rural students via a mobile solar computer classroom in Uganda. HE Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani

Students with their teacher Flaxmere, New Zealand

PhD, Chairman of WISE and Chairman of the WISE Awards jury says: “This year’s awards' finalists' projects are truly inspiring in their creativity and commitment to addressing challenges in education. The projects are from all over the world and are extremely diverse, yet the obstacles they are working to overcome can be found in many places and relate to some of the most difficult problems facing education today.” Of the 14 finalists, a jury of international education experts chose six winning projects, which will be showcased at the 2013 WISE Summit taking place in Doha from October 29-31, and will receive QR72,815 ($20,000). Finalists are selected based on a strict set of criteria including a project’s ability to show innovative thinking and demonstrate a concrete impact on education within a community and an ability to be replicated in other parts of the world. Making learning fun In the evenings, children and parents gather in Nagina, an Indian town in the Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh. They huddle around a mobile phone to tune in to Radio Mewat, a nearby community radio station. What they listen to is a mix of laughter and learning, as characters from Galli Galli Sim Sim (an adaptation on Sesame Street) talk about literacy and maths lessons, as well as good nutrition and healthy habits like always washing hands before you eat. The Radiophone project by Sesame

Professor Bishop observing a teacher and students

200,000

10,000

36,700

So far Galli Galli Sim Sim Radiophone, broadcast in Gurgaon, India, has reached over 200,000 listeners.

The Fabretto Foundation serves approximately 10,000 children and their families from six Fabretto centres and more than 50 public elementary schools.

In a bid to promote children’s rights and end child poverty, Plan Thailand has worked with more than 36,700 children and their families in over 600 communities in seven provinces, helping them access their rights to education, health, livelihoods, protection and participation.

84 > qatar today > october 2013

Six to receive WISE awards WISE has announced this year's six award winners. They are Medersat in Casablanca, Morocco, for promoting quality pre-school and elementary education in rural areas; PEAS in London, United Kingdom, for promoting equality in African schools: ALISON, Advance Learning Interactive Systems Online in Ireland, for providing high-quality free education and workplace skills online to anyone via interactive, self-placed multimedia; Pathways to Education in Toronto, Canada, for helping underprivileged students graduate from high school and access post-secondary education; Te Kotahitanga in Hamilton, New Zealand, for improving educational opportunities for Maoris students; and the iThra Youth Initiative in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, for innovative and hands-on education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics for young people. Children interacting with a character from Galli Galli Sim Sim

Workshop Initiatives India offers a unique, sustainable financial and educational model that has helped serve over 1.4 million people in 10 communities across India. The project uses technology to provide literacy and numeracy skills, bringing quality early learning experiences to disadvantaged children in India. Radiophone uses a combination of community radio and telephone systems to deliver literacy, numeracy and healthy habits to the highly mobile migrant community. Messages on the benefits of vaccination are also relayed to listeners. The project provides a low-cost technology-based solution that combines entertainment with education. Since 2011 it has received 50,000 calls across ten community radio stations, with 12% of people surveyed reporting that they had changed their lifestyle within three months. According to Sashwati Banerjee, the managing director of Sesame Workshop Initiatives India, Radiophone plays a critical role in facilitating young Indian children’s basic academic skills as well as life skills, while celebrating India’s rich cultural diversity, in order to promote their overall learning, health and development. The programme has now expanded to include nine other community radio stations in the country. The initiative is the first of its kind ever in communities like Nagina. The need for health lessons is critical here, where basic knowledge of nutrition and hygiene is scarce. Each year throughout India approximately 1.9 million children under the age of five die from preventable diseases.

A firm foundation In other parts of the world, even the most basic forms of education remain a challenge. The Fabretto Foundation has a simple mission – to enable impoverished Nicaraguan children and their families in underserved communities to break the cycle of poverty and reach their full potential through programmes promoting nutrition, health, education, community and character development. The group serves approximately 10,000 children and their families from six Fabretto centres and more than 50 public elementary schools. While some children have no access to education, others elsewhere are ruthlessly deprived of their rights. Children without a legal status are at greater risk of being exploited through trafficking, kidnapping, forced labour or sexual servitude. The lack of birth registration creates a barrier to important social services, such as healthcare and education. In the northern part of Thailand nearly one-quarter of children aged under 18 haven’t had their births registered. In a bid to promote children’s rights and end child poverty, Plan Thailand has worked with more than 36,700 children and their families in over 600 communities in seven provinces. The organisation has been running since 1981, helping poor children access their rights to education, health, livelihoods, protection and participation. Among the many activities, the group looks at birth registration. Workshops and training sessions show stateless children how to prepare documents for identification and how to pursue their rights under the

Medersat also received a special mention for “access to education”. This emphasis reflects the support of Qatar Foundation Chairperson HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser for United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 2 on achieving universal primary education.

Nationality Law. The Fabretto Foundation and Plan Thailand were two 14 projects shortlisted by WISE, though they did not make it to the final six. Making a difference International recognition from a global initiative such as WISE is a tremendous achievement for the WISE Award finalists. Professor Bishop of Te Kotahitanga says: “All involved in the project are delighted that our project has been one of 14 shortlisted from over 400 applications from round the world. It will support our university and our research centre in developing further projects that help students currently not well served by the education system to be better served.” The results are evident. “Overall, the research has shown that there is a marked difference between the educational experiences of those Maori students interviewed in 2001 and those whose teachers have been part of this programme.” There are plans for expansion. “Most of our work has been within New Zealand, although we are starting to undertake work with school districts in Canada and Australia.” Even if some of these institutes don’t make it to the final round of the coveted WISE prize, we salute their causes and the lives they have enriched qatar today > october 2013 > 85

affairs > local

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome goes

global?

A report by ezdhar ibrahim 86 > qatar today > october 2013

The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus that first emerged in Saudi Arabia last year has swept the Middle East and may end up causing a catastrophe with the impending arrival of millions of pilgrims to the Saudi kingdom from all over the world.

Comparative fatality rates for MERS and SARS

58 deaths out of only 119 cases of MERS

9.6

117 deaths out of 3,000 cases of SARS qatar today > october 2013 > 87

wellness > tag this

hen inthe 14th century CE, or 8th century AH, the Black Death broke out in the Arabian Peninsula killing one-third of the population, it spread throughout the Islamic world via infected pilgrims. Today, the Middle East is under threat of a new plague called Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), caused by a coronavirus discovered in Jordan in 2012 that has since been named MERS-CoV. By the beginning of September 2013 there had been 119 laboratory-confirmed cases of the illness, 96 of them in Saudi Arabia; 47 of these Saudi patients have died. Although the numbers are small, the disease has caused anxiety all over the region,

but officials in Saudi Arabia have particular cause for concern, because over the next month millions of Muslims will be arriving in Mecca and Medina in one of the biggest annual migrations in human history. In 2012, roughly 3,161,573 pilgrims came to perform the Hajj rituals, and the number is expected to be even higher this year. In Mecca alone millions will circumambulate the Kaaba, and the presence of such a large mass of people in a relatively confined space risks turning the most sacred site in Islam into a Petri dish of germs and bacteria. The disease is still a mystery. Little is known about its mode of transmission, and even less about its origins. Its fatality rate, at approximately 55%, makes it markedly more deadly than the disease with which it is often compared – SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which caused panic among international travellers in 2003 despite having a death rate of only 9.6%. Like SARS, the MERS coronavirus is transmitted from person to person through close contact, shared medical instruments and coughing. Once the virus enters a person’s lungs it sets off a chain of reactions that damage the lung’s natural functions. Patients may suffer from pneumonia so severe that within 12 days they need breathing apparatus to keep them alive. Unlike SARS, the MERS coronavirus is also able to attack the kidneys and can be passed on to other people through exposure to infected urine. Survivors of the illness in its acute form may need years of rehabilitation, like some of the SARS victims in 2003. And, just as in 2003 health officials were worried about air travel because of people in confined spaces having the potential to spread the virus all over the world, so too the Hajj pilgrimage presents a unique risk of spreading the virus. It could be the catalyst that converts this small viral colony into an epidemic. If so, it will be

Saudi Deputy Health Minister Dr Ziad Memish looks on prior to a meeting on the SARS-like novel coronavirus (nCoV) situation on May 23 at the World Health Assembly in Geneva. Saudi Arabia lamented that foreign drug companies had patented the new SARS-like virus that had by then killed 22 people worldwide in less than a year, slowing down the diagnosis process considerably. "We are still struggling with diagnostics, and the reason is that the virus was patented by scientists and is not allowed to be used for investigations by other scientists," said Dr Memish. AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI 88 > qatar today > october 2013

impossible to contain the virus, with millions of pilgrims from almost every country in the world flocking to Saudi Arabia. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said the risk posed by the MERS coronavirus to the millions of Muslim pilgrims intending to undertake the Hajj this year is “very low” and there is no need for health screening. It is nevertheless asking all countries to increase awareness of the SARS-like virus to help stop it taking hold among the pilgrims, but it is not proposing any restrictions on travel or trade. The following article outlines the basic facts about MERS and the MERS coronavirus, and what you can do to protect yourself against it. Global Alert and Response (GAR) The WHO is maintaining a state of maximum alert and readiness and is calling for extreme vigilance in respect of the dangerous respiratory infection caused by this new SARS-like coronavirus. In France, where there have been three cases, Arnaud Fontanet of the Pasteur Institute says the latest findings are that this strain of the virus does not yet have the ability to trigger a pandemic, but the coronavirus can easily mutate. MERS-CoV in bats... The Saudi health ministry has a team of researchers working with Columbia University and EcoHealth Alliance in the United States, who have succeeded in isolating the new coronavirus in one of a number of samples taken from bats in Saudi Arabia. The ministry says the research team examined the molecular polymerisation of the virus in samples taken from 96 live bats of seven different species and 732 samples of bat faeces in regions of the kingdom where confirmed cases of MERS have been reported. One sample, from a live insect-eating bat, showed a 100% genetic match with the coronavirus identified in the first case of MERS reported in Saudi Arabia. The study revealed the presence of several other viruses of the corona type in 28% of the samples examined, and the researchers concluded that bats are capable of harbouring a number of viruses, such as the rabies, SARS and Hendra viruses, and that finding a genetic match with the new coronavirus makes bats a likely host of the virus. The researchers suggested that in view of the spread of confirmed cases among humans across a wide geographical area there was a strong possibility of the virus being present in other animals, and this needed

Number of cases and deaths worldwide from April 2012 to September 2013 Country

Cases

Deaths

Saudi Arabia

47 2

UAE

Qatar

Italy

Britain

Jordan

Tunisia

France

TOTAL

119

Source: U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

further research. They noted the importance of studying the mode of transmission of the virus from the host source to humans (i.e. from animals that could be intermediate hosts between bats and humans). ... and camels The intermediate species in transmitting the infection between bats and humans has not yet been identified, according to a statement from the Saudi ministry. But scientists are taking a close look at livestock, with camels at the top of the list of suspects. Researchers are now close to confirming camels as the likely intermediate host for MERS-CoV, the role that cattle and poultry played in “mad cow disease” and “bird flu”. In a study on potential animal sources of transmission of MERS-CoV to humans, the senior researcher, Chantal Reusken of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in Bilthoven, the Netherlands, says the dromedary, or one-humped Arabian camel, may be one source of the infection. The study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, suggests that the Arabian camel widely used in the Middle East may be the source of MERS-CoV. The team took 349 blood samples from an assortment of livestock including camels, cattle, sheep and goats from Oman, the Netherlands, Spain and Chile. They did not find antibodies specific to the virus in the blood samples from 160 animals (cows, sheep and goats) from the Netherlands and Spain, but did find them in all fifty samples taken from camels in Oman. The researchers say the Oman samples came from different areas, suggesting that MERS-CoV or a virus extremely like it is widespread among camels in the region. In the face of this strong evidence camels must surely now join cows and birds on the list of animals associated with causing

Precautions Stay away from damp places. Keep your home well ventilated and heated. Wear a face mask (or scarf over the nose and mouth) to protect against infection. Isolate anyone who falls sick in a separate room and avoid physical contact with them or their personal belongings until they have recovered.

qatar today > october 2013 > 89

wellness > tag this Mohamed Al Hajri, Director of Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control, Supreme Council of Health

MERS – the symptoms MERS-CoV is an obscure and rare virus belonging to the “coronavirus” family. The early indications are that this new viral respiratory disease starts off with minor influenza-like symptoms – congestion in the throat, coughing, fever, breathing difficulties and headaches – after which the patient may get better. The symptoms may, however, develop into severe pneumonia, due to damage to the air sacs in the lungs and swelling of the pulmonary tissues, or lead to kidney failure. Oxygen may be prevented from reaching the blood, causing organ failure and sometimes death. The WHO announced some time ago that this obscure new virus belongs to the same coronavirus family as the SARS virus, the difference between the two being that SARS, apart from affecting the respiratory system, can also cause gastroenteritis, whereas the new virus causes acute inflammation of the respiratory system and rapidly induces kidney failure.

Transmission of the disease Like most viruses that affect the respiratory system, MERS is spread by dirty hands, sneezing, direct contact with the body fluids and excretions of an infected person, and tiny air particles, as the virus enters the body via the membranes of the nose and throat.

MERS-CoV and children Children accounted for only 5% of cases of the SARS coronavirus, because cases were quickly picked up, quarantined and treated, and children were banned from visiting patients in hospital. There has however been one case of MERS in a child in Saudi Arabia, an eight-yearold girl who reportedly made a full recovery from the illness.

Treatment There is no specific treatment for MERS, as the body’s own immune system normally wards off viruses. The symptoms of the disease are treated, however, with the appropriate medication for each one, such as cough medicines, sedatives and anti-inflammatory drugs. 90 > qatar today > october 2013

diseases. Health officials, though, have played down the idea of the “ship of the desert” having a possible role in spreading the disease. Dr Ziad Memish, the Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Health, speaking to the Saudi newspaper Al Watan, has said there is no way of determining the validity of the conclusions of the Bilthoven study. Memish, who is responsible for managing the issue in his role at the Saudi health ministry, and who was also one of those who peer-reviewed the study, says it has not been proved conclusively that camels are the source of the infection. Meanwhile Dr Ian Lipkin, Director of the Centre for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University, who took part in the joint study with the Saudi ministry on viruses in bats, has said that in the coming days his group will be reporting the results of their own investigation into the possible presence of the MERS virus in camels, sheep and goats. Qatar is not at the epidemic stage Dr Mohamed Al Hajri, Qatar’s Director of Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control, explains that many viruses are discovered every year, some them new and some of them mutations of existing viruses. This applies to the coronavirus too, which already exists around the world. Dr Al-Hajri says the exact strain of the virus caught by the five Qatari citizens reported to have MERS is new to scientists and researchers, but it’s of the known coronavirus type. He points out that it’s hard at present

for researchers to give any new, clear, precise information on the extent of the danger from this virus or how widespread it is, but he confirms that contacts of those with the virus who have been traced are in excellent health. Although there is as yet no vaccine to fight the virus, because it has only recently been discovered and it will take time to identify a serum for it, Dr Al-Hajri says Qatar is in communication with the WHO over detecting and reporting suspicious cases, but these are still early days, and as time goes by more information will come to light to help us understand how the virus spreads and how much of a risk it poses. Regarding the procedures followed at Hamad Hospital in dealing with the virus, Dr Abdullatif Al Khal, an infectious diseases consultant at Hamad Medical Corporation, says HMC has carried out an investigation across all departments, especially intensive care, looking for suspicious cases, but they have not found any so far. He says the doctors at HMC and the specialists in gastric and thoracic diseases, both in children and in adults, are highly conscious of and knowledgeable about the condition. Dr Al Khal adds that the HMC laboratory stands ready to handle any samples coming in, especially for suspicious cases, which will be fast-tracked. He says that the WHO and others are working hard to find a way of testing for the virus and to make the test available in all countries. There is no test or treatment for the MERS coronavirus in Qatar or any of the Gulf states

wellness > viewpoint

At the bleeding edge of Immunotherapy Research

Dr Francesco Marincola Chief Research Officer, Sidra Medical and Research Centre; Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Translational Medicine; and President, Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer

92 > qatar today > october 2013

ost people are aware of how cancer works. Little tumours develop in the body on a regular basis but our immune system is able to fight them off before they impact health. It is only when the tumour “escapes” or “hides” from the immune system that malignant cells begin to grow and spread throughout the body. Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide and the number one biological cause of death in Qatar, accounting for almost 10% of deaths in the country according to a 2011 report by the Supreme Council of Health. Biological can mean treatable and we should never give up an opportunity to advance an individual’s quality of life. Researchers are investigating the way the body’s immune system fights tumours in a bid to unlock the body’s innate potential to fight cancer. Think about it this way. The body has an army of cells that make up the immune system that targets tumours. There are several stages of attack: elimination, equilibrium and escape. Elimination involves the body’s immune system recognising the tumour’s presence and stimulating the immune response. Cells are called to the scene to kill and digest the tumour cells. Some tumour cells are able to survive the elimination phase and enter the equilibrium phase and then the escape phase. In the escape phase, tumour cells continue to grow and expand in an uncontrolled manner and may eventually lead to malignant growths. Researchers are looking into how tumour cells manage to escape the immune system. Two prevailing hypotheses have emerged, further research into which will lead to novel ways of fighting and preventing cancer. The first hypothesis suggests that the immune system is being actively suppressed and so will not initiate its fighting mechanism to kill tumour cells, while the second option is that the tumour is resistant to the immune system from the beginning. New treatments are in development that re-educate the body’s defences to recognise

cancer cells as a threat, or stop the cancer cells from restricting our own immunity. The body’s cells could be trained to “remember” the cancer and protect the body long after treatment has stopped. Of course, clinical outcome varies widely among patients in the same cancer stage. Understanding why some people are able to defend against cancer for longer is key to tackling the disease. Two factors will indicate the body’s potential to “fight or defeat” a tumour: the strength of the immune response, and the mechanisms adopted by tumours to escape recognition. Addressing the first factor, researchers led by Dr Jerome Galon, Research Director and Head of the Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology in Paris, have developed the “Immunoscore” to predict the ability of a person’s immune system to fight tumour cells, and defined characteristics of the immune reaction associated with prolonged survival of the patients. Using the Immunoscore as part of routine diagnostic and prognostic assessment may provide crucial novel prognostic information and facilitate clinical decision-making (including guiding treatment decisions). In parallel, research conducted by the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) has independently identified characteristics of tumours likely to respond to immunotherapy. The group observed that these characteristics are similar to those displayed by tumours in patients with good prognosis as described by Dr Galon’s group. The realisation that these phenomena are based on similar mechanisms may lead to the identification of therapeutic strategies that can integrate information from a range of research fields. This would provide treatments tailored for individual diseases that take into account the repercussions that each treatment may have on other conditions. The research team being assembled at Sidra Medical and Research Centre will build on this research with the development of the first reprogrammable gene therapy facility in the region

innovation & Technology

spotlight

Where new

ideas are born daily

qatar today > october 2013 > 93

innovation & Technology

spotlight

Innovation. the buzzword may be a bit tired by now, but the search for new ideas is not. Every business and every industry is constantly on the lookout to improve upon what it is doing, seeking ways to do it better, faster and more cheaply, never satisfied with the thought that something might be â&#x20AC;&#x153;good enough.â&#x20AC;? Just when we think we have achieved the maximum efficiency humanly possible, technology shows us how to close the gap a little bit further, an incremental gain that may end up translating into millions of dollars in revenue. Even industry leaders today continue to find plenty of scope to make their operations more sustainable, more profitable and less wasteful through innovation and technology.

A leader in innovation in the region, Qatar has pushed boundaries to incorporate best practices and leading-edge technologies into sectors as varied as education, healthcare, finance, construction and industry. From business mobility apps at the micro level to advanced anti-flaring technology in Qatarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important industries, from research facilities to thinktanks - wherever we look, creativity and technology have touched our lives. Many of these innovations are crossing borders to find applications in global markets. Ideas for the world, made in Qatar. Innovation is usually born out of constraints and necessities but here, despite the seemingly infinite financial resources, it is a habit. 94 > qatar today > october 2013

innovation & Technology

spotlight

Innovation key to future prosperity

In a recent study of global business environments, Qatar achieved the highest rank of all middle east and north african countries. This echoes several other studies that have commended the attractiveness of the business environment here, after evaluating different factors.

ataris should certainly be proud of these achievements. But, with other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states following similar paths and implementing legislation to attract foreign investors, encourage greater private sector participation and diversify their economies, and a young population increasingly adding to the workforce requiring jobs, the pressure is on. The authorities and business leaders alike will therefore be looking to ensure that the gains of recent years, that have put Qatar in the forefront of the region’s global ascendency, are not lost. The wealth accrued from the exploitation of hydrocarbon reserves has put the government in a strong position to invest widely in areas that have supported its pro-business credentials, often using the FIFA World Cup as a catalyst. Infrastructure projects, accounting for 40% of the budget until 2016, such as roads, mass

96 > qatar today > october 2013

transport systems and the airport, spring to mind. However, given the finite nature of gas and oil wealth, as well as increased competition from US shale gas, there is a danger that the relatively short-term benefits of this economic development will not, in the long term, stand up to the pressures from a young population and regional competition, and more emphasis is required on developing longer-term strategies to secure Qatar’s future. These actions will increasingly need to look beyond the hydrocarbons sector, and focus on innovation in other areas in which Qatar can excel. The founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Klaus Schwab, said recently: “The traditional distinction between countries being ‘developed’ or ‘less developed’ will gradually disappear and we will instead refer to them much more in terms of being ‘innovation-rich’ vs ‘innovation-poor’ countries.” Speaking after publication of the WEF’s Global Competitiveness Report, he argued that “innovation becomes even

By Oliver Cornock Regional Editor, Oxford Business Group

more critical in terms of an economy’s ability to foster future prosperity”. So the question stands: is Qatar capable of such innovation? The government has in fact already proved capable in this sphere. Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) dominance came about as the result of a concerted technology and innovation drive, and has provided huge prosperity for the nation. Further to this, and to address the finite nature of this wealth, the government is implementing a number of projects to ensure that this continues across all business sectors. In accordance with the Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030), goals have been set to ensure greater human development and encourage diversification and entrepreneurialism, and in so doing increase the variety of knowledge-based industries in Qatar. The implementation of the QNV 2030 has enshrined education as a central factor in the sustainability of Qatar’s growth, with reforms to both primary and secondary schooling aimed at creating a

system that encourages innovation and entrepreneurship in its students. Further to this, a number of organisations such as the Qatar Foundation (QF) are operating to deliver the leadership’s vision, establishing institutions such as the Qatar Science and Technology Park, a technology free zone, and Education City, a complex of global universities, schools and research centres. If Klaus Schwab’s prediction is correct, however, and nations are to be judged in the future as ‘innovation-rich’ or ‘innovation-poor’, some states may find themselves losing their competitive edge, both regionally and globally. While Qatar’s direct competitors are looking to innovate too, Qatar looks particularly well positioned to avoid such a fate, as not only does it have a proven track record of creating prosperity through innovation in its LNG industry, but it also seems to have in place the building blocks to ensure that a creative, entrepreneurial spirit is fostered and encouraged in the population through the implementation of QNV 2030 qatar today > october 2013 > 97

innovation & Technology

spotlight

Making Waves

QNRF has awarded GWSC a grant of $700,000 to reduce produced water injection volumes in Qatari gas fields

Produced Water Management oil and natural gas reservoirs contain large amounts of formation water that come to the surface along with the oil or natural gas. The actual processing of the oil or gas results in additional wastewater being generated. Produced water is not fresh water and is usually highly saline, and may contain hydrocarbons or minerals from the reservoir. With mounting pressures worldwide on water quality and supply issues, treating these wastewaters is an opportunity for the petroleum industry to demonstrate leadership in water conservation and recycling. GWSC has a comprehensive programme on the characterisation, treatment, reuse and disposal of produced water from oil and gas production and processing plants, with an emphasis on the Middle East region.

98 > qatar today > october 2013

he ConocoPhillipsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Global Water Sustainability Centre (GWSC) is a world-class centre of excellence for key water technologies related to produced water management and desalination. The centre occupies 1,000 sq.m in the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QST P) and examines innovative ways of treating and recycling byproduct water from oil and gas production and refining operations, as well as other projects related to industrial and municipal water sustainability. The GWSC facility, which comprises offices, state-of-the-art analytical laboratories, advanced bench and pilot-scale process testing equipment and a Water Visitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Centre, aims to become a global centre of excellence for desalination and produced water management, befitting its unique position in Qatar. While the

centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primary focus is finding solutions for the State of Qatar, it is also keen on exporting its knowledge globally. The research programmes at GWSC focus on applying current technologies to develop innovative solutions for the treatment of produced water from the oil and gas industry, desalination of high-salinity seawater and produced water, recycling of industrial wastewater and bio-treatment with membrane bioreactors. To do so, GWSC has been armed with state-of-the-art equipment and instrumentation for water characterisation and treatment. Water characterisation covers physical determinations and comprehensive chemical analyses of water from various sources. The laboratories are fully equipped to carry out application testing over a wide range of treatment technologies and include chromatography, spectroscopy, wet chemical analysis and

innovation & Technology

spotlight

Innovative Desalination The most common method of seawater desalination in Qatar is based on thermal technology. However, membrane-based processes are gaining acceptance worldwide. The membrane-based technologies have advantages such as lower energy consumption, modular design and lower environmental impact, but do lose efficiency as salinity of the water increases – particularly to the levels seen in areas around the Arabian Gulf and in produced water. New membrane technologies are needed that are robust, energyefficient and less sensitive to challenging waters. GWSC is working a new technology called "Membrane Distillation" (MD) at both bench and pilot scales of operation to understand scale-up issues and assess the feasibility for this technology to augment fresh water supplies in Qatar. Since MD performance is not affected significantly by salinity, this technology also has tremendous potential for treating high-salinity produced waters.

application testing capabilities, some of which are only carried out at GWSC in Qatar. The cutting-edge research that GWSC is carrying out has not gone unnoticed. Last year, GWSC was awarded a two-year contract by the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) to evaluate the effectiveness of treating produced waters from Qatari gas fields with membrane bioreactors. Although the focus is on treating Qatari produced water, the lessons learned will have broad application to the oil and gas 100 > qatar today > october 2013

industry worldwide. This year, QNRF awarded GWSC a grant for its proposal on the application of forward osmosis to reduce produced water injection volumes in Qatari gas fields. The $700,000 grant is part of the sixth cycle of the National Priorities Research Programme (NPRP), an initiative of the QNRF to foster a culture of research in Qatar. The prestigious funding decision was based on a combination of proposal quality and high merit; Qatar National Research Strategy (QNRS) and the national interest; collaboration with stakeholders inside Qatar; and peer reviewers’ funding recommendations. GWSC Managing Director Dr Samer Adham, while commenting on receiving the prestigious grant, says: “It is an honour to be selected by Qatar Foundation’s QNRF for our proposal and have our scientific efforts, dedication, commitment and innovation recognised. The competition this year was even tougher than last year. There were a total of 720 proposals submitted and only 137 selected, a selection rate of a little less than 20%.” “The project will generate data on an innovative forward osmosis desalination process that is important for treatment of produced water in Qatar. The same innovative technology was also recently proposed and pilot-tested on produced waters from unconventional resources in Texas and Pennsylvania, USA,” he says. The proposal that won the grant is part of the two-year project that aims to research the desalination and volume reduction of petrochemical wastewaters. Dr Adham will serve as the lead principal investigator of the project and will be joined by key members of the GWSC research team, including Raul Dores, Joel Minier Matar and Arnie Janson, and by co-principal investigator Professor Tony Fane from Nanyang University in Singapore. Petroleum production and water resource sustainability are extremely important to Qatar and are two areas that are high on ConocoPhillips’ priority list. This project connects the two in a way that is clearly appropriate for the country. The implementation of this project is expected to add scientific value in the produced water volume reduction research area, which will enable GWSC to transfer this wealth of knowledge to the scientific community. GWSC also focuses on sharing its expertise and knowledge with the scientific

Bio-treatment Bio-treatment can be an integral part of a cost-effective and robust wastewater treatment plant design. When it is coupled with membrane filtration, i.e. membrane bioreactors (MBRs), it becomes even more robust, as effluent quality is consistently high and not subject to settleability issues associated with conventional bio-treatment processes. MBRs are used worldwide for municipal wastewater treatment, and their application in the industrial sector is increasing steadily.

and technical community in Qatar and beyond. Last month GWSC organised a one-day technical workshop at QST P for technical staff from QP Research and Technology, QP Dukhan and Qatargas. The workshop addressed the latest technologies in “Produced Water Treatment and Seawater Desalination”, and featured technical presentations delivered by ConocoPhillips’ leading expert engineers and scientists from ConocoPhillips' Technology Organisation in Houston and GWSC in Doha. The speakers included Dr Kris Bansal, who spoke about produced water treatment in ConocoPhillips’ global operations, and Dr Adham, who introduced GWSC’s ongoing research and development programmes. During the workshop, participants had the opportunity to witness a live lab experiment on membrane distillation of brines discharged from thermal plants and produced water, in addition to other lab experiments carried out by GWSC engineers and scientists. The event was an opportunity to share experiences and new techniques in the field of water sustainability. All in all, it was a successful event that allowed participants to bring their valuable knowledge and years of experience to the workshop. GWSC utilises every possible opportunity to transfer its knowledge and ex-

Water Reuse Municipal and industrial water reuse is a critical component of integrated water management policies for developed and developing countries. Advanced water treatment technologies have been developed and optimised to promote safe and reliable water recycling applications. Water recycling and reuse is considered in all of the projects undertaken by GWSC. The technologies include membrane processes (including reverse osmosis), chemical oxidation (ozone) and membrane bioreactors. GWSC is also exploring the development of new water desalination technologies that use renewable energy.

pertise to others in the hope that this technical expertise will be utilised to further develop solutions that will contribute to sustainable development and the future of water in Qatar. This recent workshop was one of many similar cases where GWSC puts its expertise into motion and benefits the scientific community with the centre’s latest technological innovations. “We are very proud of our scientific efforts to find solutions for treating produced water in Qatar. The hard work and dedication of our team has helped us position GWSC as a leading centre of innovation and water solutions in Qatar,” Dr Adham says qatar today > october 2013 > 101

affairs > local

There is always scope to improve your SMS marketing strategy in the mobile-savvy MENA region.

he Gulf Region has one of the highest mobile phone penetrations in the world. As of April 2013 the UAE had over 14 million mobile subscribers. Neighbouring Qatar has smartphone penetration of 182%. As marketers, how many of us focus on this medium of communication? While executing an SMS programme is easy – no graphics, no code, just 160 characters – planning requires thought and discipline. Mobile is a highly personal channel

and marketers interested in leveraging mobile to build community take a relationships-first approach. Many customers in the region feel that companies are spamming them with text messages. In 2010 the UAE's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA)came up with a policy of allowing customers to unsubscribe from any promotional offers from service providers. For a programme that delivers value for your customers and results for your company, follow these steps to SMS success:

Provide value beyond the usual channels

Don’t give customers offers and information that they can find from your e-mails/print/store/site, though you may want to send an SMS as part of the campaign. Vary the offer and make it worthwhile. 102 > qatar today > october 2013

Consider the conversation

You’re very good at figuring out what you want from me. What might I want from you? What useful information can you provide to me in response to a keyword? Customer service is one of the best uses of SMS.

Do not disturb

The sound of a new text message wakes us up every time. If it’s a promotional message customers get very unhappy. Don’t send texts after 10 p.m. or before 9 a.m. to avoid aggravating late risers and deep sleepers. Send your SMS in batches.

Timing is critical

Recently I got my car serviced at a car dealer’s service centre. The car dealer has a loyalty points scheme which I did take note of, however ignored the details. A few hours after I had done my payment, I got an SMS informing me that I had collected x number of points which can be redeemed for my next service. I was amazed at the timing of the SMS.

Content of non-promotional SMS is critical

When sending a non-promotional message, like how many points have been collected, it’s great if you could also inform the customer what they can do with the points and what is the currency value of these points.

Language Preference

In the Middle East it is important to understand the preferred language of communication with a customer. There are times when many Arab customers get SMS in English and vice versa, which is a total waste of money and resources.

Leverage on Smartphone users

Insert a hyperlink within 160 characters if possible to allow customers to get more info about the promo. Smartphone users have the tendency to click links for info. Ensure your website is mobile-customised to serve a consistent experience.

Tag and monitor response and opt-out rate

If you have inserted a link in the SMS, measure reach by tagging landing pages to

understand response and conversion to individual messaging. Monitor and process opt-out. Use dedicated keywords to assure opt-out “Stop” texts are tied to individual messages and not the entire messaging programme.

BY kapil bhatia www.twitter.com @kapilkb blog@iwep.blogspot.com

Choose your Short code

A code for your exclusive use, best in the longrun for a robust programme.

Give an option to opt out of the SMS messages

Leverage key traditional, as well as digital, touch points to build your addressable audience and to communicate the value of subscription. Use industry best practices and implement an opt-out process.

Get A Vanity Code

A specific number that contains an easy-to-remember numeric sequence or spells out a brand name. Available for short codes only. Users are accustomed to sending texts to a person, not a number, so they tend to use letters. E.g. 2=ABC, 4 = GHI

Use SMS to build your database

Ask customers to text their e-mail address to subscribe to promo updates. Several airlines and travel websites are offering the traveller a quick and easy way to receive special promotions and updates by e-mail by sending an e-mail address via SMS to a short code. These campaigns simply ask a user to text their e-mail address to be instantly subscribed. SMS is the universal mode of communication. Virtually every cellphone owner can receive it. Done well, it delivers bright brand touch points. If you misuse it, expect aggravation

kapil is an e-business manager, working in the financial services industry for the past 10 years. His work ranges across digital marketing, e-channels and development of marketing strategies, with a sound information technology base. qatar today > october 2013 > 103

development > tech talk

One app to fix it all

The Qatar Olympic Committee has launched an interesting app that allows citizens to participate in helping it maintain its stadiums. If you find a broken seat or some other section of the stadium that needs some TLC, click a picture and send it across to the QOC through their app, and they guarantee they’ll fix it!

Microsoft acquires Nokia’s mobile business

Microsoft has launched a new Arabic-language corporate blog, providing an interactive forum to discuss the impact of technology on the economic and societal development of the Arabic-speaking world.

Zomato’s upgraded app

makes eating out easy

The Zomato restaurant finder app has launched a new version with improved features and an iOS7-compatible redesign. Zomato 3.0, now available for free on the Apple Store, introduces several new features like moodbased restaurant recommendations in Doha, one-tap access to nearby restaurants, dish searches (just search for the dish you are craving and the app will recommend the restaurants known to serve them the best), and user upload of restaurant and food pictures to share with the world. 104 > qatar today > october 2013

Another high-profile tech takeover went down last month with Microsoft’s $7.2 billion buyout of Nokia’s devices and services division.

icrosoft purchased all of Nokia’s devices and services business, patents and licences and use of Nokia’s mapping services for a total sum of €5.44 billion in cash, according to a company press release. Many anticipate that the transaction, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014, will see the loss-making Finnish manufacturer revive itself courtesy of Microsoft’s more aggressive tactics in pursuing business. While Nokia has been struggling to make a mark on the smartphone market, taking a heavy beating from Apple and Samsung, Windows is far from one of the preferred operating systems in the world today. For the team, the hard work is just starting, as Google executive Vic Gundotra made painfully aware through his tweet immediately after the announcement: “Two turkeys do not make

an eagle.” Microsoft and Nokia have been working closely since the new line of Nokia phones started operating on Windows, moving away from proprietary operating systems like Symbian and MeeGo. Stephen Elop, who took over as CEO of Nokia after leaving Microsoft, will now return to the tech giant as Head of Devices. He is also being tipped as a hot contender for the position of CEO at Microsoft once Steve Ballmer steps down in 2014. The Internet had a field day with light-hearted speculation about whether Elop was meant to be a Microsoft “Trojan”, considering that when talks about a Microsoft buy out surfaced in 2011, figures as high as $30 million were being floated around, yet two years down the line Microsoft has managed to wrap up the deal within a quarter of the sum.

Lumia 925 launched in Qatar

onsolidated Gulf Co. (CGC), the distributor for Nokia in Qatar, has announced the local availability of the Nokia Lumia 925, which introduces the new Nokia Smart Camera mode, latest PureView camera innovation, new features and third-party applications. This model

also brings metal for the first time to the Nokia Lumia range, with a polycarbonate back that comes in white, grey or black. A wireless charging cover can be clipped onto the back of the phone to take advantage of Nokia's extensive wireless charging accessories and ecosystem.

Sony’s portable wireless server comes to Doha

Fifty One East has launched Sony’s new Portable Wireless Server (PWS), available at its outlets in City Centre Doha, Lagoona Mall and Al Maha Centre.

he versatile device, which provides consumers with convenient options to view, share and store content on the move or at home from their smartphones, serves as a battery charger and card reader/writer, offering users added control when managing multimedia data such as photos, videos, music files and office documents. With a wireless connection, users can transfer content utilising PWS as a convenient option for smartphones, especially for devices that do not

have a memory card slot. The PWS can also connect several devices via Wi-Fi at one time, allowing up to eight users to simultaneously share and playback same or different content. The PWS also functions as a back-up power source for smartphones or digital cameras. Consumers can use the PWS for up to 10 hours of continuous MP3 playback. All controls are managed by the smartphone or tablet through the PWS Manager App (available at Google Play or App Store).

This season’s iPhone The iPhone 5S and 5C, announced last month, introduce the first smartphone in the market with fingerprint recognition technology.

raditionally the S models haven’t been radically different from their predecessors, with a few cosmetic changes and not too many new features. It is the same this time around, except for the announcement of the much-speculated-about fingerprint sensor. TouchID is built into the home button and can be used in lieu of entering passwords, like when you are unlocking the phone or purchasing apps or

content on the iTunes store. The camera has also been upgraded with a physically larger sensor than previous models, promising better pictures in dark environments. The “unapologetically plastic” iPhone 5C will be the budget model of the iPhone range, and comes in a spectrum of bright colours. The iPhone 5S also boasts the new A7 processor and M7 motion processor in addition to the new iOS7 operating system. qatar today > october 2013 > 105

business>auto news Nissan raised the curtains on its all-new Nissan Tiida, which was launched simultaneously at a colourful function in multiple locations – Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Lebanon and Oman – in the region on September 18.

All-new Nissan Tiida launched

he vehicle is shaped to complement the lifestyle of the young at heart of customers throughout the region. With dynamic styling looks, advanced technology and class-leading spaciousness, the completely revised second generation of the region’s best-selling compact hatchback has everything to build on the Tiida nameplate’s established success. Already commanding 54% of the expanding compact hatchback segment in the Gulf, Nissan aims to more than double sales and extend market share beyond 60 per cent with the introduction of the

All-new Nissan Tiida. “The All-new Nissan Tiida is equipped to reward the diverse lifestyles of the Middle East’s free spirits,” said Samir Cherfan, Managing Director, Nissan Middle East. “Tiida is the region’s most established name in the hatchback market, with a customer loyalty second to none in its class. With refreshed design and improved levels of standard technology, the All-new Nissan Tiida will not only appeal to existing customers but also attract a new range of Middle East buyers looking for a stylish and premium hatchback,” he said.

Renault unveils new models at Frankfurt Motor show

Renault has unveiled new Megane range of models including the high performance version – Renault Sport 365 – with the brand’s new design identity at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show held recently. 106 > qatar today > october 2013

enault Sport 265 received an updated exterior look like a new hood and headlights and few additional features inspired by F1 technology. The R.S. version is designed to deliver maximum driving pleasure. With its 2.0 16V 265 engine, limited slip differential, front suspension with an independent steering axis and a choice between two chassis types (Sport or Cup), the new model groups a range of technologies illustrating the complete expertise of Renault Sport. Reserved for fans of exclusive design, the optional R.S. design pack includes exterior features painted red: F1 splitter, lower door

protectors and rear spoiler. The new Mťgane GT and GT-Line are distinctive vehicles that add excitement to everyday driving. Their styling reflects their sporting heritage and “GT Renault Sport” signature. Mťgane GT and GT-Line are available in hatchback, coupť and estate versions (depending on the country) with a wide range of gasoline and diesel engines. Revealed in its racing configuration in June at the Le Bourget Air Show, the Renault Energy F1-2014 Power Unit illustrates the technological breakthrough set to take place in Formula 1 next season.

Alfardan presents latest BMW models Alfardan Automobiles, the official BMW Group importer in Qatar, has presented the BMW’s latest models.

ommenting on the arrival of the newest additions, Alfardan Autmobiles General Manager Mohammed Kandeel said: “The new BMW 5 Series, the leader in the executive saloon segment globally and in the Middle East, uniquely combines outstanding dynamic performance and efficiency, superior ride comfort and advanced connectivity turning heads amongst car aficionados in Qatar. As is the All-New BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo, which follows in the tyre tracks of the latest generation BMW 3 Series sedan that we launched early last year. Its distinct character - dynamic and sporty, while versatile and spacious - is very exciting. We are confident that these two models will prove

popular among our customers and BMW enthusiasts in Qatar.” The All- New BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo adds an innovative new concept to the already successful line-up. It combines the Sedan’s dynamic, sporting genes with practicality, and versatility, qualities which are backed up by a palpable increase in space and driving comfort. Both the new BMW 5 Series and BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo will feature the suite of on-board BMW ConnectedDrive technology featuring a host of driver assistance systems and mobility services designed to enhance safety, convenience and in-car infotainment.

BMW ALPINA B6 Bi-Turbo Coupé

lfardan also introduced the new BMW ALPINA B6 Bi-Turbo Coupé. As an independent car manufacturer, ALPINA partnered with BMW on and off the racing circuit for over 40 years, collaborating on technological development and producing a steady stream of ground breaking innovations. The close collaboration between ALPINA and BMW is evident across all stages of the inception of a new model. Working closely with BMW, ALPINA begins simultaneous development and testing, long before a new model is launched, ensuring each ALPINA builds upon the virtues of its BMW counterpart. ALPINA provides all necessary technical information and replacement parts to the BMW network, meaning servicing and warranty work is fully integrated and carried out in the normal way at any BMW dealer.

In his comments, Mohamed Kandeel said, “We are pleased to provide all what’s new to the Qatari market, the introduction of ALPINA range through B6 Bi-Turbo Coupé shows our commitment to keep providing all what’s new to our valued

customers and all sports cars enthusiasts in general, and we are confident that B6 BITURBO Coupé will achieve all the desired success to be the best start for ALPINA in the Qatari market.”

qatar today > october 2013 > 107

business > auto news

Ferrari 458 Speciale debuts at Frankfurt

he 458 Speciale is the latest product of Ferrari’s core philosophy of extreme technological innovation and research which, in this instance, has yielded powertrain, aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics advances that transform the already exceptional 458 Italia into a car genuinely worthy of the “Speciale” moniker. The result is a completely new, uncompromising, streamlined sports car concept. Many of the sophisticated solutions being applied for the very first time to an in-range car in the 458 Speciale, including its advanced active aerodynamics, will become a standard feature of all new Ferraris in the future. New Panamera offers unprecedented breadth of range.

Porsche Panamera arrives in Doha The Porsche Panamera, the brand’s four-seater sports car for every day, which gave the automotive executive class a new lease of life, has expanded further with the introduction of the second generation at Porsche Centre Doha, Al Boraq Automobiles.

n unprecedented ten derivatives are now available, with three debut models joining a re-developed lineup. Parts of the unrivalled breadth of range are the Panamera 4S Executive and Panamera Turbo Executive, with an extended wheelbase. They take the sporty saloon into the luxurious Executive segment. A third new model, the Panamera S E-Hybrid marks a new technological benchmark as the world’s first plug-in hybrid in the luxury class. Furthermore, a completely new three-litre V6 engine that features biturbo charging for the Panamera S and Panamera 4S is introduced. Porsche Middle East and Africa Managing Director FZE George Wills said, “This is a great moment for our brand as we extend the Panamera range to an unprecedented ten models in the Gran Turismo segment.”

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Porsche Centre Doha Chairman & CEO Salman Jassem Al Darwish said: “As you would expect, we have had a great deal of interest around the launch of the new Panamera. The new design is a lot more precise, sharper and edgier. It’s a successful combination of traditional values and a forward-looking design.” “I am excited about the new Executive versions that represent the best of both worlds: a sporty spin in the driver’s seats or an efficient work session in the comfort of the rear. It is the first time that Porsche has paid special attention to the absolutely exquisite rear compartment. Several features such as 8-way power seats with seat ventilation as well as thermally and noise insulated glass with a privacy glazing are just a few features, our customers will be able to enjoy.”

business>marketwatch

Grey-t expectations Achieve a great ambience in the home with a little help from The Oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dark and handsome living room look. This suavely sophisticated, masculine style, oozes understated luxury by blending a monochrome base with hints of silver and contrasting clean, straight lines with chunky standout pieces. Going grey has never looked this good!

QIBWF to be held in november

The Qatar International Business Women Forum (QIBWF) will be held from November 11-12, 2013 at St. Regis Hotel, Doha. Over the years the event has become more international. The fourth edition promises to be bigger.

he focus of the event will be on topics pertaining to the human dimension in business. Nowadays these are considered hot topics within the corporate social responsibily sector, which modern companies are striving to perfect. As a result, firms based in Qatar have shown a big interest in sponsoring the QIBWF as part of their growth strategy and social responsibility. The forum will include the Qatar Business Women Awards, which aim to recognise and reward the achievements of prominent Qatari businesswomen in various sectors. These awards will be announced on November 11.

QIBWF is also seen as international platform for exchanging ideas and expertise. Delegates from more than 25 countries will be present in Qatar, networking and discussing potential investments and business opportunities. The forum will host a number of international speakers including HE Dr Mohammed Alâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Sada, Qatar's Minister of Energy and Industry, Sadhguru, who is the founder of Isha Foundation, and a prominent speaker at the World Economic Forum. In addition to HE Princess Hayla bint Abdul-Aziz Al Saud ,and many others. For more information, visit www.qibwf.org.

qatar today > october 2013 > 109

business > market watch

Making a big Splash

Arab Women in the spotlight The 2013 judging panel of the ITP Arab Woman Awards Qatar met recently at the W Doha Hotel and Residences to discuss this year’s Arab Woman Awards Qatar nominations. Launched in 2009, the awards recognise and reward inspirational Arab women who have made a positive impact on society in areas including business, the arts, charity and fashion. This will be the second consecutive year. ITP Consumer publishing has brought this prestigious award to Qatar. Strict criteria are followed to ensure that winners are nominated objectively, based on their accomplishments over the past 12 months and their contribution to Qatar.

Riding high on signing actor Salman Khan as its brand ambassador, Splash has unveiled the first leg of its highly anticipated Autumn winter ’13 campaign featuring the heartthrob in the season’s key trends.

evealing an entirely new concept and moving forward from Fashion 365, Splash’s new brand campaign plays on the brand’s long-standing affair with fashion and is entitled "Love Splash". Raza Beig, CEO Splash and Iconic, said: “The new campaign reinforces our love

affair with fashion and brings the entire brand experience of 20 years in love with fashion to life.” The brand is also creating a variety of interaction points on its social media platforms for Salman Khan fans and consumers to stay updated and also participate in exclusive competitions.

This year’s judging panel is made up of six inspirational women drawn from the worlds of commerce, medicine, the arts and journalism, including Buthaina Al Ansari, Senior Director, Human Resources at Ooredoo, who said, “The Arab Woman Awards are vital in inspiring younger generations of Arab women to strive for success in their chosen field.” Other 2013 judges include Dr Nawal Sheikh, Director, Communications for the Securities and Exchange Commission and Mashael M. Al Ansari, Marketing and Communication Director at AntiDoping Lab Qatar, as well as Amal Al Aathem, one of Qatar’s leading artists. The awards will take place on October 21 at the W Doha Hotel and Residences and will be hosted by Al Jazeera news presenter Fairouz Ziani. The awards run annually in the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait and will be launching in Saudi Arabia in 2014. They have recognised the achievements of over 130 inspirational Arab women to date.

CBQ teams up with Manchester United

Football fans in Qatar might have blinked twice recently, seeing twice legendary former Manchester United football player Andrew Cole pass them on Doha’s streets.

he football star, along with Manchester United executives who came to meet Commercial Bank of Qatar Chief Executive Officer Abdulla Al– Raisi, recently visited the country to announce a five-year partnership offering an exclusive range of financial services. As Qatar readies itself for hosting the 2022 World Cup, CBQ will offer customers a range of Man U–branded current accounts, savings accounts, debit cards and credit cards. Speaking at the occasion, Abdulla Al–Raisi said his bank would continue to deliver innovative financial products for its customers, backed by top quality service. “Our history and heritage have always

110 > qatar today > october 2013

demanded that we truly make everything possible for our customers, and our historic partnership with Manchester United further demonstrates our commitment to do

just this.” In addition to the new range of products available, every customer who applies for a Manchester United credit card will automatically enter a draw to win top prize of an all-expenses-paid dream trip to watch Manchester United train and play at Old Trafford from the comfort of a top hospitality suite. Runners–up will win tickets to games, signed shirts. The first 200 new Man U credit card customers will be invited to attend a live screening of a United game at an event in Doha with a prominent team legend, giving fans an opportunity to get close up and personal with one of their sporting heroes.

Sofa, so good

A comfortable and elegant sofa can transform your living room. Home Centre has unveiled a wide range of new sofas in its "just arrived" section. The top choices for sofas this season are flora, glaze and zeba. There is also an entire range of sturdy sofa beds to choose from. Lina, flint, durham and frenzy are some of the latest arrivals in store now.

Apple premium store now in Doha

The Ali Bin Ali Group recently opened a new Apple Premium Reseller store under the iSpot brand at Doha’s Ezdan Mall.

he new store offers shoppers the opportunity to learn about and experience Apple’s innovative products and solutions in a trendy environment. The new store will offer the complete range of Macs, iPads, iPhones and iPods along with a wide range of accessories. “We’re very excited to open a new Apple Premium Reseller store,” said Mohamad Al–Ebrik, Chief Operating Officer, ICT Ali Bin Ali Group. “Customers can now visit one store to test and purchase the full range of Apple products and accessories. We offer a superb personal service for home and business customers that includes installation and training.” Knowledgeable experts are available at the store to help visitors learn about all the latest products from Apple, including the iPad mini with a stunning 7.9-inch Multi-Touch display, FaceTime HD and 5–megapixel iSight cameras, ultrafast wireless performance and an incredible 10 hours of battery life, and the MacBook Pro with Retina Display, featuring the world’s highest-resolution display. qatar today > october 2013 > 111

focus > sports file

QFA announces Q League The Qatar Football Association has launched the first edition of Q League with the participation of 18 reserve and second division teams.

League, which kick-started on September 21, will run until December 17, with matches being played in nine different stadiums: Al Sadd, Qatar, Al Gharrafa, Al Rayyan, Lekhwiya, Al Arabi, Al Wakrah, Al Khor and Al Sailiya. The name of the new league represents the joining of the Reserve League and the Second Division League, which used to be played separately but now both fall under Q League. The Q League competition will be played in a league format, with the top two teams from the second division gaining promotion to the Qatar Stars League (QSL) whilst the 13th- and 14th-placed teams in

QSL will be relegated directly from QSL to Q League. At the launch, Hamad Al Mannai, Director of Competitions at QFA, said: “Preparations for Q League have been in place for months now as this is a crucial league that contributes to the development of national football.” Khalid Al Kuwari, QFA's Director of Marketing and Communications, mentioned that Al Kass Channel will broadcast the matches, and they won’t conflict with the current QSL matches. “There will be a TV show dedicated to covering Q League,” he said.

Jordan await their fate

After finishing 2-2 on aggregate, Jordan beat Uzbekistan 9-8 on penalties in the fifth round of Asian Football Confederation qualification for the World Cup in Brazil next summer.

he Middle East team, who finished third in their fourth-round group behind Australia and Japan, must now play the fifth-placed team in the South American qualification region (CONMEBOL) in an intercontinental playoff, the winner of which will qualify for the finals. With Argentina, Colombia and Chile looking like taking the top four spots in South America along with hosts Brazil, the fifth spot in the group will be either Uruguay or Ecuador. The other intercontinental playoff is between New Zealand and the fourth-placed team from the North America region (CONCACAF). Currently Mexico and Panama share this fourth place. Meanwhile, in Africa, the draw for the final round of qualification has been made, with Ivory Coast against Senegal; Ethiopia versus Nigeria; Tunisia playing Ivory Coast; Ghana facing Egypt; and Burkino Faso taking on Algeria. The winner of each tie qualifies for the World Cup. So far, 10 countries will definitely be playing in Brazil next summer: host nation Brazil and Argentina from South America; USA

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and Costa Rica from North America; Japan, Australia, South Korea and Iran from Asia; and Italy and the Netherlands from Europe. The next two months will determine the other 22 teams.

Argentina celebrates its World Cup qualifier win

The Winner Takes It All Swede Henrik Stenson became the first European to win the PGA season-ending FedEx Cup at East Lake Golf Course in Atlanta last month, and with it a cheque for $11.44 million.

tenson's professional career has been something of a rollercoaster ride, where he seems to experience great peaks and then suffer incredible troughs. In 2009, he collected the Players Championship in Florida, the flagship event on the PGA Tour, and reached No. 4 in the world, yet he somehow slid from there to No. 230. And after being by far and away the best golfer in the world of late, culminating in this win, he’s back to No. 4 again. Stenson said: “I’ve been on a fabulous run since finishing second in the Open in July, and I’m speechless right now at claiming these two prizes (the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup). “I’m unbelievably proud of what I’ve achieved. It just shows you should never give up but always hang in there and try harder.”

Winter World Cup now inevitable?

The prospect of a winter World Cup in 2022 is looking more likely after European football heads agreed a summer event was untenable. UEFA’s 54 member associations backed the switch at a meeting in Croatia last month. “The World Cup cannot be played in Qatar in the summer,” said FIFA Vice-President Jim Boyce. “Everyone was certainly in agreement about that.” Boyce, a former president of the Irish Football Association, added that realistically the debate should now move on to whether the tournament would be played in January 2022 or the November and December of that year. UEFA favours January so that it does not impact the European Champions League, but British associations want to ensure their domestic festive fixtures aren’t compromised. Boyce said the associations do not want FIFA to rush any decision: “There is still nine years to go, and people feel FIFA should sit down with all the major stakeholders and come up with a solution that would cause the minimum disruption to football.”

Vettel to go forth in Abu Dhabi German Sebastian Vettel is closer to a fourth consecutive world Formula One title after winning the Singapore Grand Prix on September 22. With three races this month – the Korean GP (October 6), Japanese (October 13) and Indian (October 27) – he could wrap up the title in Abu Dhabi on November 3. qatar today > october 2013 > 113

culture>doha diary Docking in Doha L The first edition of the Qatar International Boat Show is scheduled to take place between November 12 and 16, 2013.

usail Marina, operated by Dubaibased Mourjan Marinas, will play host to a range of events both on land and in the water, with around 100 international and local exhibitors attending, 150 boats on display, five global and regional launches and an estimated 15,000 visitors. It will host a variety of motorboats, cruisers, yachts, fishing boats, speedboats, recreational family boats up to 30m in size, and leisure marine products. “We have already signed with some of the biggest marine and leisure supply companies and distributors who seek to capitalise on Qatar’s booming economy and the upcoming marine industry,” said Faysal Mikati, Vice-President of Snow Comms, the event’s organiser. “The plan is to put Qatar on the map in terms of the international boat show circuit by becoming one of the main destinations for regional yacht and boat companies, as well as international companies involved in leisure and water sports.”

The gift of giving

Qatar Red Crescent and the Ritz-Carlton Doha came together to celebrate the International Day of Charity, dedicating it to Syrian children.

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he tent in the Ritz-Carlton came alive with the sounds of happy children who took part in the various recreational activities and competitions, taking home gifts and school bags to help give the new academic year a colourful start. The event, celebrated under the slogan “Bringing Back their Joy”, was dedicated to the children of Syria and sought to encourage charitable work. Saleh Al Muhanadi, Secretary-General of the Red Crescent, said: “We are hoping that this event will be a catalyst for companies, state

institutions and community members to donate to QRC’s projects inside and outside Syria to provide Syrians with what they need in terms of equipping hospitals, treating the wounded and providing shelter, food and basic necessities of life.” The Ritz-Carlton is also championing humanitarian work at home through its Community Footprints programme that seeks to make a difference in children’s well-being, environmental responsibility and relief from hunger and poverty.

The cooling touch

This Qatar Foundation researcher takes time out of his weekends to educate migrant labourers on heat-related illnesses.

Countess of Wessex attends charity dinner

ohammed Sayeed has extensively dealt with migrant issues over the years, interviewing labourers and trying to understand their socioeconomic situation. “I met with the Indian ambassador earlier to persuade him to regulate the safety standards but work is progressing slowly,” he says. On most weekends he takes off towards the Industrial Area, where he drops in on unsuspecting labourers to give them a crash course in how to avoid heat stress. There is much work to be done in the field, he feels. “The international standard mandates that outdoor workers shouldn’t be exposed to heat over 40C but here in Qatar the limit is higher. 50C is definitely too much to handle.” The large firms have systems in place to ensure the health and safety of their workers, but it’s the large chunk

of labourers from small construction companies who are marginalised, Sayeed says. He also feels there needs to be more transparency in data reporting on deaths and illnesses, which is right now very sensitive. “But the government is starting to take steps in the right direction,” he says. “Currently there is only one hospital in the whole of the Industrial Area which is constantly crowded, but the three hospitals that are scheduled to be constructed definitely will do wonders.” His voluntary work hasn’t gone unnoticed. The Supreme Council of Health, most of whose initiatives work from the topdown, was happy to lend him its support by supplying him with material and brochures (printed in several languages). “It definitely gives my work more credibility,” he says.

Over QR300,000 raised at a gala charity dinner to fight against avoidable blindness in the world. HRH Sophie Countess of Wessex, who is the longstanding patron of the global initiative “Vision 2020: The Right to Sight”, has lauded the efforts of Qatar Foundation in underscoring the importance of universal education for children. Speaking at a gala charity dinner at Katara, which was part of an event to mark the 10th anniversary of Seeing is Believing – an initiative of Standard Chartered Bank and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) – during her visit to Qatar, she expressed hope for the poor, especially children, with avoidable blindness. During the event, three Qatari artists – Mubarak Al Malik, Ali Mulla and Maha Al Sulaiti – exhibited their talents live, drawing the attention of the participants. Funds were raised by way of auctioning artworks like paintings, pottery, Arabic calligraphy, drawings and mixed media portraits created by Ali Hassan, Amal Al Aathem, Maha Al Sulaiti, Salman Al Malik and Yousef Ahmad. A fashion show by UAE-based designer Tanya Ashraf and sub-designer Suboohi Zubair under the label Roxx also formed part of the event.

Rock Stars in Doha The British-Moroccan artist, designer and photographer Hassan Hajjaj immortalises his "rock stars" through a series of photographs on exhibit at VCUQatar till October 23. “These are musicians, boxers, henna artists, fashion designers... the unsung heroes who are just about surviving doing what they believe in and haven’t sold out to the mainstream thought,” he says.

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Qatar Today looks at two expatriates from everyday life, one who has lived here for a significant amount of time and another who has just made Doha his or her home, for their take on life in this city.

great hotels to visit and a comfortable and steadily increasing standard of living that allows one to enjoy all this. On the other hand, Doha now is very crowded and traffic jams have become commonplace.

My Home in Qatar Jun Gatdula and Rexy Rogando General Scope Nurses at Doha Clinic Hospital Here since 2005 and 2004 (eight and nine years respectively)

“Our World is here” I came to seek my fortune in Doha and for an improvement from the life back home, where nursing wasn’t a lucrative enough profession. But Qatar has now become more of a home for me. I met my lovely wife here and now I am a proud husband and a father to a beautiful little girl. For us, love happened in the emergency room when I trained under her. We even got married here in the country and rarely find the need to travel home. In fact, the last we travelled to the Philippines was in 2009. Our world is here. Doha is Change Doha has really changed since we arrived. On the positive side, it now has these huge establishments, beautiful parks, fast food restaurants everywhere,

Missing Old Doha There suddenly seem to be so many strangers and I miss the peacefulness of the country. We definitely crave the feeling of security we used to feel no matter where we went and at what time, which sadly is not the case any more. The best is right here We are definitely financially better off since we moved to Doha. We find ourselves worrying less about our future and even our health. It’s also an amazing experience to be working in the cutting-edge healthcare environment that Qatar now has. Since we first came here, there has been tremendous progress in adopting new technology in hospitals and laboratories, and our knowledgeable doctors, nurses and technicians are on a par with some of the best in the world. But the most wonderful thing that happened to me here in Doha is, undoubtedly, my family.

New Beginnings gauthier dupont Sales Manager, Cisco Here since July 2012 (14 months)

making doha my home Before I came to Doha, I lived in Dubai for over six years; so it wasn't a dramatic change for me. Europeans who are here for the first time find it tough coping with the weather. But I am pretty much used to it. There are plenty of similarities between the two cities. In fact, when I first landed in Qatar I remember thinking that it looks like the UAE 15 years ago with all the buzz of construction and changing skylines.

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making friends I find that the expat community here is much more open-minded and easier to integrate with than that in the UAE. Maybe it's the fact that the community is smaller and there are less things to do in Doha that brings the people closer together. What I miss about home Being from France, I definitely miss all the cultural

and outdoor activities that was part of our daily lives there – museums, theatre, cinema, sports, food... I could definitely use more of that. Also I miss being able to escape the city once in a while. For example, there is so much to do just two hours away from Paris. That's not an option here. if i can take a piece of doha back home I'll definitely take back some of the sunshine.