Private Sector Qatar English | November 2013

QR 10

november 2013 www.privatesectorqatar.com/en

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SME education partner

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CONTENTS November 2013

26 18 MAKING IT FEASIBLE FOR YOU! Tamara Pupic got talking to Ali Al- Khulaifi, Executive Director of Business Support Services at Enterprise Qatar to get to understand the vision behind their new initiative, called JADWA.

20 ACCELERATE YOUR BUSINESS IDEA Flat6Labs is a regional startup accelerator programme that fosters and invests in bright and passionate entrepreneurs with cutting-edge ideas. Aparna Shivpuri Arya got talking to Nour Ahmadien who is the founder of this initiative to get all the details.

TWO HEARTS THAT BEAT AS ONE

Marketing

H.E Jomaa Rashid Saif Al Dhahri, Ambassador of the UAE to Qatar, described the bilateral relations between the UAE and Qatar, during a conversation with Jenny Kassis.

24 WHAT’S YOUR PRODUCT’S DNA?

News 10 updates A quick look at news and events in this region.

About town 14 CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE:

What exactly is a brand and why does it matter so much? Anthony Ryman, Managing Director, grow, answers all these questions for us.

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Bilateral trade 26 TWO HEARTS THAT BEAT AS ONE: H.E Jomaa Rashid Saif Al Dhahri, Ambassador of the UAE to Qatar, described the bilateral relations between the UAE and Qatar, during a conversation with Jenny Kassis.

Private Sector Qatar brings to you the main highlights from the 12th session of Cityscape Conference and Exhibition 2013, which was held in Dubai from 8th-10th October.

28 LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR:

Entrepreneur

Business guru

16 Capture the moment

32 LEAD BY EXAMPLE:

Khalifa Al Misnad, President, EOQatar and Partner, Al Misnad & Rifaat, spoke to Jenny Kassis about his journey.

Tamara Pupic spoke to Sheikh bin Qassim Al Thani, Chairman, Al Faisal Holding, who has succeeded in building an empire through effective diversification of his business.

4

H.E Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, spoke to Tamara Pupic about the trade relations with its neighbour, Qatar and what does the future hold.

28

Finance 34 WATCH YOUR MONEY: Fathi Abu Farah, Partner, Moore Stephens, Qatar, explains to us in detail the issues of anti-money laundering and counterterrorist financing.

32

44 COOPERATION ACROSS BORDERS:

50 EXPLORING TUNISIA:

Aparna Shivpuri Arya spoke to H.E Abdulaziz Bin Hamad Al- Ageel, Secretary General, Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting to understand the dynamics behind this set up.

We bring to you some highlights from a market study on Tunisia.

Legal

Sector Watch

46 RULE OF THE LAND:

38 USING NATURE AS AN INSPIRATION!

Charbel Neaman, Associate, Corporate and Commercial, Clyde & Co, explains to us the basics of the legal provisions in Qatar.

Joakim Hauge, CEO of The Sahara Forest Project, introduces the Project and explains how important the concept is to Qatar and the desert areas around the world.

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52 YOUR GUIDEBOOK TO EVERyTHING EXPORT: Tasdeer, QDB’s export arm, recently released Trade Secrets, in collaboration with the ITC. In this section, we highlight some of those questions related to making the decision to export.

Tasdeer

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Business advice 42 GET THE FUNDAMENTALS RIGHT: Whether you’re focusing on getting your product out or ensuring you can pay out salaries on time, truth be told, you are faced with constant pressure as an SME. Abdallah Al Sulaiti, CEO, Jadara SME, gives us some important pointers to tackle these challenges.

november 2013

5

EDITORIAL Publisher Dominic De Sousa

Editor’s note

Group COO Nadeem Hood Managing Director Richard Judd richard.judd@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9126

The year, it seems, has flown by way too quickly. As we often hear- time flies quickly when you are having fun. Or probably when you are losing your mind!

EDITORIAL Senior Editor Aparna Shivpuri Arya aparna.arya@cpimediagroup.com +971 440 9133

Well, it has been a bit of both for me. October was a good month, since I got the opportunity to be on the panel of the 3rd Global Free Trade & Special Economic Zones Summit. It was pure joy to discuss issues such as the WTO, regional trade agreements, the Doha Round and more.

However, it was also a busy month because besides working on the magazine, we have also been finalising some events for the month of November. So, do watch this space.

Assistant Editor - Arabic Jenny Kassis jenny.kassis@cpimediagroup.com +971 440 9116 ADVERTISING Commercial Director Chris Stevenson chris.stevenson@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9138 CIRCULATION Database and Circulation Manager Rajeesh M rajeesh.nair@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9147 OPERATIONS AND DESIGN Production Manager James P Tharian james.tharian@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9146 Head of Design Fahed Sabbagh fahed.sabbagh@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9132 Photographer Jay Colina jay.colina@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9137

I don’t know if you have noticed, but right now, Qatar is abuzz with activities planned around promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship. We have the Global Entrepreneurship Week from the 17th-21st of November. Then we also have organisations, such as EQ, launching new initiatives to cover those gaps left in supporting entrepreneurs in the country. Read all about this and more on page 18, with our feature on JADWA. In this issue, we also got talking to two interesting individuals – Khalifa Al Misnad, who is the President of EO, a lawyer and an avid photographer and Nour Ahmed, who is the founder of Flat 6 labs in Egypt.

Moving on, we also take a look at Qatar’s relation with a very important neighbour – the UAE. It was fascinating to hear what the experts had to say. And as always, this month, we have our section on Tasdeer, which looks at Tunisia and also highlights the questions that exporters need to answer before they make the decision to export. We hope to continue with this series and get your more details from Tasdeer’s guide book – Trade Secrets.

Also, this month we have tried something new – our Arabic and English issues are featuring different stories. We thought with so much going on, why not maximise the coverage? So we hope you’ll enjoy this change and hope to see you in Doha in a few weeks’ time.

Till then…

DIGITAL SERVICES www.privatesectorqatar.com Digital Services Manager Tristan Troy Maagma Web Developers Abey Mascreen Erik Briones Jefferson de Joya Louie Alma online@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9100 Published by

Aparna Shivpuri Arya, Senior Editor, Private Sector Qatar Talk to us: E-mail: aparna.arya@cpimediagroup.com Twitter: @PrivateSectorQA Facebook: www.facebook.com/PrivateSectorQatar LinkedIn group: Private Sector Qatar

Head Office PO Box 13700 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 440 9100 Fax: +971 4 447 2409

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Dar Al Sharq Distribution © Copyright 2013 CPI All rights reserved While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

qatar.smetoolkit.org/qatar/en

advisory Board

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Amal Al-Mannai

Gail Gosse

Executive Director, Social Development Center.

Dean, School of Business, College of North Atlantic-Qatar.

Professor Nitham M. Hindi

George M. White, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Business and Economics, Qatar University.

Associate Teaching Professor of Entrepreneurship, Carnegie Mellon University-Qatar.

Abdulaziz Bin Nasser Al Khalifa

Ali Al Khulaifi

Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Development Bank.

Executive Director, Business Support Services, Enterprise Qatar.

Wael Sawan

Hamad Mohammed Al-Kuwari

Managing Director and Chairman, Qatar Shell.

Managing Director, Qatar Science & Technology Park.

Raed Al-Emadi

Rashid Nasser Sraiya Al Kaabi

Chief Operating Officer, Silatech.

Chairman of the Board, Energy City Qatar Holding.

For more information, please visit www.privatesectorqatar.com/en

News

QDB launches financing product for fishing boat owners Qatar Development Bank (QDB) announced the launch of its new Shariah-compliant financing promotion based on the Murabaha financing product that offers customers financing options to buy fishing boats and equipment. This programme is the second product launched by QDB to support the fishing sector in Qatar, and builds on the promotion launched earlier to enable the financing of wooden boats. The new promotion comes as part of QDB’s ongoing support of fishing boat owners and the fishing sector in Qatar.

The launch of the new product is the culmination of intensive efforts by QDB, In collaboration with the Qatari Ministry of Environment and boats owners at various levels, to determine the needs of the market, recognise the challenges of the local fishing sector, find optimum ways to support fishing boat owners, and provide adequate financing methods to develop and renew their boats and equipment.

“Since its inception, Qatar Development Bank has invested significantly to develop and support local industries in Qatar,” said Abdulaziz Bin Nasser Al Khalifa, Chief Executive Officer, Qatar Development Bank.

“Through this new product, we aim to grow the

fishing sector in Qatar, which was historically a key pillar of the local economy. Our job doesn’t end here, we are in constant dialogue with the fishermen to understand their needs and through collaboration with the ministry of environment, we are developing products that meet those needs.”

The new Murabaha financing promotion covers fishing boats and equipment up to 100% of the value, with a profit rate of 1%, in addition to 0.5% as prepaid fees. The loan can be for a tenor of up to four years with additional two months if required. The financing options available via this promotion can be used to buy equipment, tools and engines for fishing boats. The loan value ranges from QR 50,000 up to 150,000, and depends on the length of the boat as shown in the schedule below.

The fishing sector is considered extremely significant in Qatar, and has resulted in producing 13,760 tonnes of fish in 2010, according to the Qatar National Food Security Programme. Qatar exported around 2208 tons in 2010. Qatar is estimated to be 88% selfsufficient in fishing, with the average annual fish consumption registering about 12 Kg per capita, roughly the same as the world average. The total supply of fish for local consumption was 15,487 tonnes in 2011, including imported fish.

Category

First

Second

Third

The length of the boat

18-24 foot

25-31 foot

32-38 foot

Engine Value( QR)

50,000

90,000

130,000

Equipment Value (QR)

10,000

10,000

20,000

Total (QR)

60,000

100,000

150,000

QFCA proposes legislative enhancements The Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFC Authority) is proposing legislative enhancements in three important areas of the QFC Legal Environment for which the QFC Authority is responsible for and has published a Consultation Paper on each area. The proposed changes are to the Insolvency Regulations, the Single Family Office (SFO) Regulations, and the Special Company (SC) Regulations. Further, in addition to the amendments to these Regulations, new Rules are being proposed to supplement and provide further detail to the practical operation of the respective Regulations.

The proposed legislative enhancements were drafted after a thorough comparison with various legislative and legal regimes around the world and vary from miscellaneous amendments aimed at providing better clarity and certainty of the Regulations to more substantive but necessary changes to ensure that the Regulations continue to support the world class QFC Environment.

These enhancements are described in detail in the respective Consultation Papers and their appendices are available on the QFC Legislation website: www. complinet.com/qfcra/display/display. html?rbid=1557&element_id=3290 The proposing of such legislative enhancements is consistent with the QFC Law, the QFC Authority Regulations and the QFC Authority Governance Policy.

US-Qatar bilateral trade at USD 123.7bn in 2012 The United States of America is the largest investor in Qatar and its top importer. In 2010 Qatar has acquired a stake in the Golden Pass LNG. Qatar’s trade with US increased to USD 4.61 billion in 2012 from USD 3.62 in 2010.US investments in the Gulf country also have crossed USD 100 billion with most of the investments being made in the hydrocarbon sector.

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These were the details discussed by Dr. R. Seetharaman, Group CEO, Doha Bank during the US-Qatar Business Council meeting in Washington.

US firms are looking at opportunities in IT, logistics, food and beverages, event management, hospitality and other sectors in Qatar.

‘Youth Job Readiness Programme’ students graduate As part of their commitment to supporting the human development pillar of the Qatar National Vision 2030, INJAZ Qatar, a non-profit organisation and member of Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide and Bedaya Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Development held a graduation ceremony for their Youth Job Readiness Programme students on 8th of October, 2013 at Katara.

business networking and potential employment opportunities.

Participating students received certificates of achievement for the program, which is sponsored by Boeing.

During his opening speech at the graduation ceremony, Saleh Al-Khulaifi, General Manager, Bedaya Center highlighted the importance of Job Shadowing.

“Through this experience, we tried to solve a very important issue among youth in Qatar; Job shadowing has never been recognised. Now students are made aware of the many different career options that are available to

The Youth Job Readiness Programme successfully engaged 40 0 students in 2013 and is targeted at providing undergraduates with practical work experience,

them, and how important it is to choose based on their particular preferences, strengths and weaknesses in order to find the career path that suits them best.”

INJAZ Qatar’s Executive Director Aysha Al Mudahka commented, “It is extremely fulfilling to see this new generation of students motivated to grow and develop into Qatar’s future business leaders. One of our Work Readiness pillars is to inspire and motivate Qatar’s youth by giving them the opportunity to be part of major companies in the country and see what it takes to run a successful business first-hand. We are proud to celebrate this major

Save the date!

accomplishment forged through partnership between academia and the business community.”

The Programme featured three phases. Participants firstly attended a series of careerbuilding training workshops including a Junior Achievement work readiness programme, followed by job shadowing of professionals in a Qatar-based company and a month-long summer internship. INJAZ Qatar and Bedaya Centre kicked off their Job Shadow Day initiative and internships as part of the Youth Job Readiness Programme earlier this year.

November - December 2013

Date

Event

Location

3 - 4 November

The 3rd Annual Qatar Defence Logistics & Support Forum

The City Hotel Doha

3 - 5 November

Inventions and Nanotech Middle East

Doha

6 - 8 November

International Exhibition for Pool and Spa

Doha

10 - 15 November

World Social Security Forum 2013

Sheraton Doha

11 - 12 November

Qatar International Women Business Forum (QIWBF)

St. Regis Doha Hotel

11 – 13 November

Airport Exchange 2013

Qatar National Convention Centre

11 – 13 November

Doha Carbon and Energy Forum

Qatar National Convention Centre

11 – 13 November

The 4th Civil Defence Exhibition and Conference Qatar 2013

Qatar National Convention Centre

11 – 13 November

The 6 Annual Bridges Middle East Co-located with Tunnels Middle East

Doha

13 – 14 November

Real Estate Fair Qatar

Doha

15 – 19 November

Aspire 4 Sport

Aspire

17 – 20 November

MENA Investment Management Forum

Ritz Carlton Doha

17 – 21 November

Global Entrepreneurship Week Qatar (GEW)

Doha

18 – 19 November

Solar Qatar Summit

Grand Hyatt Doha - Qatar

18 – 19 November

Qatar Customer Service Forum

Doha

23 – 25 November

Annual Research Conference

Doha

th

26- 28 November

5 Annual Middle East District Cooling Summit

Doha

26- 28 November

TRANS 4 QATAR 2013

Doha Exhibition Center

1 – 3 December

MEED Qatar SME

Doha

4 – 5 December

GEOTECHNICA ME 2013

Grand Hyatt Hotel

11 – 12 December

The Euromoney Qatar Conference 2013

The Ritz-Carlton, Doha

10 – 12 December

Oil & Gas Fundamentals

Doha

Th

To know about the events happening in Qatar in the next six months, please visit our Website.

november 2013

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REGIONAL News

Big opportunities for Web and mobile developers in the Arab region The rapid growth of the digital sector in the Arab region is leading to a surge in demand for top-tier web and mobile developers. Hiring the best has become a priority to be able to build a successful digital company across sectors, from media to advertising to e-commerce. ArabNet bridges this gap between companies and talented developers in the ArabNet Developer Tournament 2013 – 2014. A regional competition to identify the best web and mobile developers in the Middle East.

After the success of the first edition, with hundreds of developers participating across the region, the tournament returns to gather top coders across six Arab countries: Lebanon, Jordan, KSA, Kuwait, Qatar, and UAE. This year the tournament caters to the needs of web and mobile developers at three levels: giving them the opportunity to test their coding skills, advance in their career and learn the latest technologies in web and mobile development.

The heart of the Tournament is the competition: 3 rounds of 1-on-1 challenges that

will test developers on different skill sets: Speed, Creativity and Competency. The top 4 winners will receive cash prizes and the opportunity to represent their country at the Championship, taking place at the ArabNet Dubai Digital Summit in May 2014.

The tournament also introduces two new features to complement and enrich the competition. First, the Job fair connects developers with local and regional companies

GCC countries consider laws to control social media Concerned by the spread of social media in the region, the GCC countries are taking a closer look at the possibility of reining in the electronic media.

On 1st October 2013, information ministers from the GCC countries hinted that they favoured framing laws to regulate the electronic media, including social media.

The two-day event was held to discuss media freedom and national security issues in the GCC. The symposium which attracted senior media professionals from the GCC was organised on the sidelines of the 21st Meeting of the GCC Information Ministers.

Addressing the event, Dr Abdul Aziz Khoja, Saudi Arabia’s Information Minister, said that there was

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the need to differentiate between the organised media and social media. “Just as we managed to differentiate between the official media and unofficial media we must differentiate between the conventional media and new media. The aim of the legislation is to regulate the electronic media is to protect the users, he said.

Salman Al Sabah, Kuwait’s Information Minister, said that there was a draft law to regulate the electronic media, but that was shelved. “Now we might be having a fresh draft,” he suggested.

Mubarak Jaham Al Kuwari, Head of Qatar Media, said Qatar was about to enforce a new media law.

He said the country disbanded the information ministry years ago. The GCC states have urged Bahrain to study the media situation in the region and recommend steps to be taken to organise it.

looking for technical talent, with multiple opportunities to either join their team, or collaborate on freelance projects. Second, the event will feature a Code Lab, a series of hands-on technical training sessions led by experts from development agencies, to help developers hone their skills and stay up-todate with the latest technologies. Workshops will cover topics ranging from mobile and game development, to usability and user interface design.

Bank lending to Saudi private firms up 15% High loan growth to the private sector in Saudi Arabia is likely to continue in the next two to three years as government spending supports a surging economy, said David Dew, Managing Director, Saudi British Bank (SABB).

According to the Central Bank data, bank lending to the private sector was up 15% in August 2013 against the same period in 2012, growth that will likely push SABB to raise its own capital as it loan book grows, Dew said.

Real gross domestic product growth in Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, was 5.1% in 2012 and 8.5% in 2011 when government spending surged to help avert protests during the Arab Spring.

“If you’re going to maintain your capital adequacy ratios, which we are, you’ve got to grow your capital at least at the same rate as your loans,” Dew said.

While Dew said he would not discuss specific plans to raise capital, banking sources told Reuters in August 2013 that SABB was aiming to sell a riyal-denominated sukuk by the end of 2013 to boost its Tier 2 capital position. However, he said other options were also available.

“Instruments such as convertible bonds that will convert to equity or be written down in the event of breaches of ratios and so on, those are being issued with increasing regularity around the world and I think you will see them in Saudi Arabia,” he said.

Saudi banks are well provisioned against nonperforming loans thanks to very conservative regulation by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA-central bank), Dew said.

Moreover, he noted, “Saudi banks would need to develop ways to hedge against interest rates rising above the historically low levels they are at now, and that it would be important to develop a securitisation market in the kingdom. Clearly if you’ve got a large fixed interest rate loan or investment portfolio that’s going to hurt you when rates start to rise. So, you’ve got to have a better ability to hedge against that risk.”

A healthy GCC hotel pipeline The GCC travel market is continuously growing, recently the Gulf has gone up the ranks of the 2013 World Economic Forum Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index, with the UAE now making the top 30.

Qatar and Oman are also improving their ‘appeal’ rating on the 14-strong country list. This is supported by figures from Dubai’s Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM), which forecasts the economic value of the GCC hospitality industry will be USD 28.3 billion by 2016, through a healthy annual growth rate of 8.1%.

According to Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, the UAE is the undoubted tourism leader in the Gulf region, but multibillion Dollar and high profile developments and ambitious long term economic diversification plans are also putting neighbouring Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia in the spotlight.

Qatar’s 2022 vision and infrastructure investment agenda, and Saudi Arabia’s focus on domestic tourism are creating new tourism hubs across the Kingdom as the region’s hotel pipeline reaches 485 hotels (118,535 rooms) according to the latest STR Global Middle East update.

The UAE currently has 114 hotels (32,261 rooms) under construction and STR Global reports that Oman will see the highest growth, with 4,577 rooms in development, followed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait and Jordan. A trend towards large scale property development is boosting total room stock, and a number of new upscale brands are also entering the region including the recently opened Waldorf Astoria in Ras Al Khaimah and the Anantara Dubai on Palm Jumeirah. The first Four Seasons luxury resort in the UAE is also scheduled to open by Q4 2014 in Dubai’s popular Jumeirah Beach district.

november 2013

13

About Town

Changing the landscape The 12th Cityscape Conference and Exhibition 2013 attracted all the stakeholders and interested public in the real estate sector from the 8th to the 10th of October at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Private Sector Qatar visited this exhibition and brings to you the main highlights and some interesting quotes with Eng. Mohamed Jassim Al Othman, QPM Acting CEO and Board Member.

H

is Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai officially inaugurated the twelfth edition of Cityscape Global. Senior real estate investors, developers, local and regional authorities, participated in this event, encouraging investment, architects, designers and others involved in the real estate sector.

They all attended the event to network and learn more about the latest and main real estate projects in the Middle East and exchange their experiences.

Wouter Molman, Exhibition Director of Cityscape Global said, “Cityscape Global has grown substantially for the second year in a row, having sold out exhibition space six weeks ahead of the opening day.

This mirrors the Dubai property market sentiment which has started to gain momentum since early 2012.

The 2013 edition has attracted 223 regional and international exhibitors, covering six exhibition halls and 25,000 square meters of space.”

From its side, Qatar had a remarkable presence, since Barwa Real Estate Group, one of Qatar’s leading international real estate development and investment company was the “Strategic Sponsor” of this event. Barwa’s pavilion spread over 345 square meters and showcased subsidiaries such as, Waseef, QPM and Tanween.

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Waseef, is a fully integrated asset, property and facility management services company which manages renowned projects. Tanween manages the project development process end to end. QPM on the other hand provides Program management,Project management design management and construction management services for civil infrastructure, commercial, leisure, real estate, and residential projects with a focus on ensuring project efficiency.

In line with that, we spoke with Eng. Mohamed Jassim Al Othman, QPM Acting CEO and Board Member of QPM. QPM was established in 2008 as one of the region’s premier project management companies and the first Qatari firm in the field of project management.

He pointed out, “QPM provides management of real estate and construction projects and programs in accordance with the highest international standards from inception to project completion, through pre- and postconstruction project management and risks management in addition to reporting and cost forecasting systems, electronic document management, risk and quality management systems.” He also added, “We are operating in various sectors such as, residential, commercial, military railway and sports sector. We are currently working on implementing final stages to deliver several projects in Qatar such as Barwa City, Barwa Commercial Avenue,. We are also involved in Lusail City, QP District and Sheraton Park among several projects in Qatar, regionally we are

engaged in many countries in North Africa and Middle East including Egypt, Sudan, and Morocco. QPM recently opened a new office in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in order to strengthen our presence in the regional market”.

Regarding their participation in this event, Eng. Mohamed said, “The main reason for our participation in Cityscape is to learn about the market and latest trends in the real estate sector in the region, and seize the opportunities of regional expansion and openness to others. We intend to increase the number of our activities in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region”.

In this framework, QPM signed an agreement with Moroccan Agency for Tourism Development (SMIT) to provide a turnkey solution for investors in tourism-based projects in Morocco. Under the terms of the agreement, both companies will provide development management, tourist investment advisory, project management, construction management and consultancy services on tourism related projects.

“Since inception of the company, QPM had its sights set on becoming a major regional player in the field of project management and development. Having successfully established an excellent track record and reputation in the industry, QPM has already become the most sought after provider of a wide range of expertise related to project management not only locally but also regionally ”, noted Mr. Ahmad Al Abdulla, Chairman of QPM. After having established offices in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Egypt, our services have also been engaged in several key projects in Yemen, Egypt, Sudan and Libya,” Mr Al Abdulla continued. “With the construction boom currently back on full swing in the UAE, across the GCC and in nearby countries, QPM is more than capable and prepared to offer its services to investors and developers – both in the public and private sectors – who aim to play a greater role in the rapid economic and infrastructure development in this part of globe.

growing metropolis, Msheireb Downtown Doha features a multitude of unmatched retail offerings such as a leading department store, supermarket, cinema, children’s edutainment zone, large fashion flagships, casual and fine dining restaurants and cultural offerings all within a downtown environment.

In addition to that, Msheireb Properties presented a stand designed to reflect Qatar’s approach to architecture, which offered visitors glimpses into Doha’s past through displays of artefacts, images, interactive displays and other elements such as a traditional Qatari Majlis, along with a scale model of Msheireb Downtown Doha.

Moreover, the Mall of Qatar, set to be the largest shopping mall in Qatar when it opens in 2015, received an overwhelming response from the media and retailers at the event.

After a great success, Cityscape 2013 exhibition ended amid optimism about the real estate sector to flourish throughout the coming years in the region.

When asked about their future plans in Doha, he remarked, “We are close to implementing several projects in Qatar. We expect to sign an agreement to complete these projects before the end of 2013 and currently participating in the various projects aligned with the preparations for 2022, with our management team also engaged in infrastructure projects such as the Rail project. “ Msheireb Properties, Qatar’s leading sustainable real estate developer, was also one of the companies that showcased its pioneering regeneration of Doha’s historical commercial centre through its QR 20bn Msheireb Downtown Doha (MDD) project at Cityscape Global 2013.

The Qatari developer also showcased unique retail opportunities of over 90,000 square meters. Designed to meet the ever increasing demand within a rapidly

November 2013

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Entrepreneur

Capture the moment Khalifa Al Misnad, President, EO-Qatar and Partner, Al Misnad & Rifaat, is a man with numerous talents and has taken up many interesting paths. In a conversation with Jenny Kassis he takes us through his journey and his love for Qatar as a photographer.

Following your admission to the Qatar Bar in 2010, you founded Al Misnad & Refaat. Please tell us more about your work within this law firm.

Al-Misnad & Rifaat, which works in association with the Law Offices of Khalifa Al-Misnad, was founded to provide local and regional legal advice on an international level. Rifaat & Associates has been providing sound legal advice in the region for over 40 years, which has enabled the Al-Misnad & Rifaat cooperative to hit the ground running in Qatar.

Our largest asset is our talented pool of lawyers whom have varying specialties with predominant exposure in the Middle East and Africa region. Surrounded by an excellent team makes my role as Managing Partner of the firm much easier, and allows me to focus on ensuring we deliver a quality service and to further develop the firm. From a personal perspective, my diverse educational and career background lends well to supporting the firm in commercial, transactional, real estate, and dispute resolution related matters.

Within your legal expertise, what do you think are the rules and regulations foreign investors or businesses in general need to be aware of while investing in Qatar?

Qatar is a relatively young, yet rapidly growing, economy. The surrounding regulatory framework still requires time to mature and to adapt to the everevolving business climate. Setting up a business in Qatar today may seem to be a relatively lengthy and complicated process for a foreign investor from a more mature jurisdiction such as North America or Europe.

There are several different methods to setup a company in Qatar, with the most common one being establishing a Limited Liability Company (LLC). In setting up an LLC, a foreign investor would need to first identify a local Qatari to partner in the business.

Foreign investors are limited to a 49% equity interest in an LLC, unless the foreign investor is a GCC national which would allow for a 50% equity interest. From a financial perspective, setting up in Qatar is likely to be more capital intensive than other places in that

16

a LLC requires that a minimum of QR 200,000 be available as seed capital. Furthermore, office space is a requirement in obtaining the necessary permits to conduct business, which is usually a fairly considerable financial commitment, especially for some businesses that do not necessarily require office space. Over the last several years the local government has taken a serious interest in identifying barriers of entry to the market for budding entrepreneurs and SME’s and is keen to support the private sector. As such, expect to see positive change in the years ahead.

How did you decide to set up your own real estate company COREO back in college? Why did you choose this specific sector?

I was interested in obtaining part time work while I was studying as a Mechanical Engineer in University. I wasn’t looking for anything necessarily related to engineering, but something that could accommodate my study schedule and would still provide me with interesting work exposure. Real estate offered me just that, so I took the necessary course work to become a licensed real estate associate.

After a few years of experience, I took further coursework and exams to obtain my RE Broker’s license, which allowed me to establish my own real estate firm. Due to time restraints with University the operation was not of any substantial size and served to be more of a training ground to develop a diverse skillset more than anything.

After working in the public sector for a couple years in Qatar, and while waiting to be admitted to be licensed to practice law in Qatar, I decided to explore the local real estate market. At the time the real estate services market, with special respect towards marketing property for sale or lease, had a lot of room for growth and improvement. So I took everything I learned over the years and founded Coreo, which only actually came to life in Qatar, making it a home grown firm. Much of the success of the firm is based off of best practices exposed to abroad and tailoring the exposure to adapt to the local market.

In addition to your diversified career path, we know that you are a talented photographer. Which side of Qatar you like to represent?

How do you see this country growing through your lens?

I’m more of a landscape photographer and enjoy the outdoors. Qatar, like any desert, has a certain harshness to it, but within and surrounding that stereotypical and visible harshness, is an element of beauty, and that’s what I’d like to capture. As you drive in to Doha, there’s a beautiful balanced landscape that stretches the historic sandy center which flows across the watered bay to a modern sparkly skyline. Move south to capture sand dunes rolling into the sea or adventure north to catch glimpses of crashing waves into sandy beached mangroves seasonally laid with native turtle eggs once frequently walked by our elders. Qatar is thriving, and Doha gets the spotlight, and I enjoy capturing the balance outside the city limits.

Our region experienced a significant number of scientific and cultural achievements during the 7th century onwards, and after a slumber in the last several centuries, you can feel that the region is trying to lead the way again. We’re blessed having the leadership we have at such a critical stage in our growth, with focus on building a solid foundation based on human, social, and economic development. I find my generation and those that follow to be truly fortunate to be provided such a platform to help advance our society and selves. This is a very unique time in Qatar and the region’s history to again contribute on a regional and global scale. The country, economy, and society is transforming at a remarkable pace, and it’s important the past, present, and future is kept in balance.

That is what myself and others from my generation are trying to do and we’re hopefully inspiring future generations to continue down such a path, while retaining the humble values of our ancestors.

How do you find time to succeed in all these alternative roles?

Structure and time management definitely play a role in helping me accomplish the various initiatives I’ve been involved in. I learned at a very young age how to manage my time and ‘live efficiently’. This skill set has inevitably been helpful in not only my personal life, but also my work life allowing me to filter out any noise and distractions and have the capacity to focus on things that matter to me. More importantly, you need a great team of people around you to support and allow you to succeed, and I’m fortunate to have just that.

As a founder of Entrepreneurs’ Organization - Qatar chapter, what motivated you to take this step? What does this organisation mean to you?

Development of the entrepreneurial spirit was the motivation behind spearheading the initiative of bringing the Qatar chapter for the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) to life. I believe that an entrepreneurial spirit should not be confined to being related to just business, but should be independent to pave the way for the overall better good of humanity. I’ve always been interested in being able to systematically give back to the community around me, and hopefully EO can continue to grow and do just that. I’ve moved on from my Presidency role in the organisation to focus more on social responsibility initiatives within EO by engaging the EO community to support the budding entrepreneurial community by sharing their energy, experience, and ideas.

Could you please tell us more about the annual “EO Majlis” initiative?

EO Majlis kicked off in Qatar in 2012, was hosted in Oman in 2013, and is scheduled to be an annual event to bring entrepreneurs in the region together to share, learn, and grow. The life of an entrepreneur

can be a difficult road to take without a support system of like-minded people that have all been there and done that in different ways. EO Majlis is typically a 2-3 day event that hosts world renowned speakers, workshops, and social events to provide participants to walk away In your opinion, what are the main challenges that trouble an entrepreneur’s journey while setting up a business here in Qatar?

What is the best way to overcome these burdens?

Challenges are inevitable in business no matter where an entrepreneur pursues setting up his/her business. In Qatar, young budding entrepreneurs would likely be challenged with the process of setting up a business and the financial commitments associated with setting up. These hurdles often make it difficult for aspiring entrepreneurs to put their business ideas to the test. My recommendation to overcoming these challenges is to first contact local institutions like Bedaya, Enterprise Qatar, and Silatech to learn how they can help with setup, mentoring, and funding.

What would be your advice for young Qatari entrepreneurs?

My advice to up-and-coming entrepreneurs would be to explore new frontiers, and not to be afraid of failure because it’s the natural course of development. Embrace challenge, understand that setbacks are natural and present an opportunity to learn and grow. The more we push the envelope, the more we’re likely to fail, yet the more likely we will also learn and succeed. I find that we face hurdles and challenges everywhere in life, and what I find most important in such times is how one overcomes such obstacles. Different individuals handle setbacks differently and I believe those that make the most of adversity will find success. I find success to be a subjective term as it’s what we define it to be and is ultimately quite relative, but to me success is making the most of our given situation. I’ve experienced setbacks of various kinds, but I’ve learned that the only way forward is to persevere and overcome setbacks to the very best you can.

What are your ambitions and business growth plans for the next few years?

It takes time to build a sound institution, so my plans for the next several years will be to focus on developing Al-Misnad & Rifaat, while continuing to find balance in my interests outside the work place.

November 2013

17

entrepreneur

Making it feasible for you!

JADWA, an initiative by Enterprise Qatar, has been set up to tackle the problems the Qatari entrepreneurs face. Tamara Pupic got talking to Ali Al- Khulaifi, Executive Director of Business Support Services at Enterprise Qatar to get to understand the vision behind this initiative.

Please tell us about the vision behind this new initiative JADWA? Enterprise Qatar (EQ) was established to create a supportive business environment for SMEs in the State of Qatar – enhancing successes and reducing risks. EQ aims to contribute to the pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030 by developing and supporting a flourishing SME sector as the backbone of a dynamic, diversified and expanding economy. To achieve this, EQ offers a full range of business support services.

Ali Al- Khulaifi, Executive Director of Business Support Services at Enterprise Qatar

We have noticed the following problems within the Qatari market, which our entrepreneurs and SMEs face: ■■ Lack of business support for entrepreneurs and SMEs ■■ High bearing entry costs for new businesses ■■ Difficulties in accessing finance ■■ Lack of initial planning before establishing a business Being a semi-governmental institution, which is mandated to develop entrepreneurs and SMEs in the country, and working in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, we identified the subsidised advisory and consultancy services as primary needs for entrepreneurs and SMEs. For that reason, our latest initiative, JADWA, provides subsidised consultancy services to Qatari entrepreneurs and SMEs under our ISTESHARA advisory programme.

What do you aim to achieve with this initiative?

Our main objective is to assist Qatari entrepreneurs and SMEs in obtaining subsidised and professional consultancy services in order to develop and enhance their businesses. We will also help them to achieve sustainability and competitiveness in the long run.

JADWA consultancy services, specifically feasibility studies, will be provided in cooperation with qualified professional service providers. EQ will subsidise 70% of the service cost whereas the applicants will express their commitment by covering 30%. In parallel, a Qatari entrepreneur will allocate time, effort and he has to come up with a valid idea.

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The direct output of these services is to facilitate access to finance and prepare an entrepreneur, start-up and SME to well approach the SMEs divisions in the operating banks for loans inquiries. –A feasibility study with a business plan is highly required for entrepreneurs and SMEs before applying for finance. They need a comprehensive study, which addresses the technical, market and financial feasibility of the project, and that will also include an execution plan. So, we don’t stop only with facilitating the access to finance for them. Once their finance is secured, they can follow an execution plan or guidelines on how to implement and develop the project.

That is all included in this study.

The programme started on 22nd September. JADWA falls under the advisory programme of EQ - Isteshara, an Arabic originated term for advisory. Jadwa, which means feasibility, is the first product/offering under Isteshara, as the plan encompasses other programmes: ■■ Audit and accounting services ■■ Legal services ■■ SME clinic ■■ Marketing Services So, the strategy is to launch new services as we go forward with this vision.

We have a pool of approved consultants who will be linked with entrepreneurs and SMEs –We procure the service for our clients and then we engage them with the consultant/advisor.

Those are expert consultants who expressed their interest in working closely with entrepreneurs and SMEs. So, we are very sensitive in selecting our service providers – we need to make sure that there is an interest among them to work closely with SMEs. In addition to their time and effort, there should be a low financial commitment. Since the costs of these advisory services are quite high we are bearing the big portion of it.

The 70% is a grant provided by EQ and the entrepreneur will not be asked to pay this amount back.

Please explain to us who can benefit from this initiative and how?

JADWA services target two main categories of businesses in Qatar: ■■ Qatari Entrepreneurs, who are still at the idea stage ■■ SMEs actively managed by Qataris, who are looking to expand or diversify their products and services or enter new markets or both

Since JADWA is EQ’s flagship programme, we expect to get more familiar with the market needs. Later on, definitely, we will need to focus on certain sectors which will help us in diversifying the economy and add value to the business environment in Qatar. Also, we will come up with specific programmes which will address these sectors.

We will provide three services.Two of them are tailored for entrepreneurs while one is designed for SMEs.

Are there any other stakeholders in this initiative?

We have identified key stakeholders for this engagement – QDB is one of the major ones, next to Bedaya, Roudha Centre, MET is a key stakeholder along with the Chamber of Commerce, QBWA, QBA and QBIC.

The services to be provided to entrepreneurs are: ■■ Pre-feasibility study – a dip-stick review of the concept Anyone who has an idea can approach us, and we will undertake a need assessment in order to determine whether the concept will be a feasible business in Qatar.

In addition to that, we will evaluate the entrepreneurial skills of the applicant. Every applicant should maintain a certain score, which is “acceptable score” or “passing score”, to be eligible for the service. This tool will measure the organisational, operational, and market know-how skills of the applicant, as well as his/her commitment. If he or she doesn’t reach this score, we will direct them to trainings and programmes within our Learning and Development Department. After attending these courses, they will be evaluated again and, if they pass, we will enrol them.

■■ Business Plan Assessment This service will target situations in which an entrepreneur presents to us his/her high level business plan. We will assess it and give them a correction plan to consider.

For SMEs, we have prepared advanced advisory services to support their business growth. These services include preparation of their feasibility study and business plan.

By doing a pre-feasibility study, we assess if the proposed project has a potential, and we then decide whether to support it. Since SMEs are already existing companies, and are mostly looking to develop new product or to diversify/expand their business or promote their products in the regional or international markets, they always need a feasibility study and/or a business plan.

Who is eligible to apply for the JADWA programme?

The eligibility criteria are that we are serving any Qatari entrepreneur who comes to us with an idea. So, it’s applicable only to Qatari entrepreneurs, male and female. We will require them to present to us their Qatari ID. In line with that, SMEs should provide commercial registration and the company ID. So, they have to prove that the company has a legal identity in Qatar. In addition, it has to be actively managed by a Qatari person.

The main purpose of JADWA initiative is to diversify the Qatari economy, develop the private sector and introduce viable businesses to the market.

Are there any specific sectors you are targeting?

In the beginning we will be targeting all sectors, but as we go forward with the implementation of this programme, we expect to obtain some statistical information about the most attractive sectors in Qatar. From our experience in the Business Plan Competition (Al Fikra), 39% of entrepreneurs are interested in the ICT sector while 28% focus on the services sector. For SMEs, we are targeting nearly ten sectors – from trading to industrial manufacturing, health, education, ICT, livestock, and more.

Our role is to look at these business ideas, filter them and choose the feasible ones in order to diversify the economy which is the long term output of this engagement.

In the long run we’ll be looking into supporting and developing unique or added-value sectors, whether knowledge-based industry or industrial manufacturing.

If you look into the Qatari economy, the GDP is based on the contribution of oil and gas sector while in 5 to 10 years; we will manage to increase the percentage of the non-oil GDP. Have you identified a deadline for the short term?

We aim to attend to atleast 150 cases in the next six months. We need to make sure that we are serving entrepreneurs in an efficient way.

Once the entrepreneur gets the approval, what is the next step?

For entrepreneurs – once they have the pre-feasibility report in hand, they will decide whether to establish their businesses or not. In case of that an output of a pre-feasibility study is positive, and if the entrepreneur is committed to his business idea, he/she will definitely establish a legal identity of his company. We will support him from this stage onwards.

The business plan will be the manual/guideline on how to operate or what to do first. While the feasibility study is to facilitate access to finance.

Once that is facilitated the entrepreneur can adopt the business plan. So, we cover both areas.

There is a follow up/tracking system. Also, once they start operating they can benefit from audit, accountancy, legal services. If they face any challenges, there is our SME clinic. So, we provide a pool of services.

We had a service provider workshop two weeks ago; 15 companies (consulting firms) have been appointed accordingly. .

What happens if an entrepreneur doesn’t get approval?

In case the first business idea is not feasible, the entrepreneur is entitled to come back with another idea/concept and we will take him through the process again. So, an entrepreneur is eligible to bring three ideas per year, but in case that the first deep stick review or the proof of concept confirms the feasibility of the idea, he’ll focus on this opportunity that’s why we take him from pre-feasibility to a comprehensive business plan with Technical and Financial Feasibility. This is the first step in an Entrepreneur journey.

How does one apply?

Applying to the ‘Jadwa’ services requires few simple steps through an online application process on EQ’s website: (www.eq.gov.qa) or by calling 40125000, E mail: jadwa@eq.gov.qa .

November 2013

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Entrepreneur

Accelerate

your business idea

Flat6Labs is a regional startup accelerator programme that fosters and invests in bright and passionate entrepreneurs with cutting-edge ideas. Aparna Shivpuri Arya got talking to Nour Ahmadien who is the founder of this initiative to get all the details.

Please tell us a bit about the inception of Flat 6 labs? It is an extremely interesting name- a lot to do with the location I believe.

Flat6Labs is a Sawari Ventures’ dedicated startup accelerator for seed stage investments. It assists and encourages entrepreneurs through the critical first steps of development to eventually become a full-fledged scalable business. The inception of Flat6Labs (first office opened in Cairo in mid-2011) came out of a void and gap in the local and regional market, in terms of sheer lack of people who were executing on their own business ideas. We have entrepreneurial-minded individuals throughout the region, as well as a history of problem-solving out of sheer necessity - but at the time citizens of the region did not have the tools, knowledge capital, support from investors, or even a simple platform to help encourage those bold few to start acting on their startups. We are trying to fulfill this void, by accelerating startups and working closely with other entities in the region to create a unified network to help streamline all their efforts.

Egypt has been going through a phase a political and economic turmoil.

In an environment like this, how important and difficult is it to support aspiring individuals?

The importance of harnessing and pushing the startup ecosystem during a time of turmoil is unquestionable, and in fact, is essential in the advancement of the country’s overall economy as well as civil society’s progression. Training and investing in entrepreneurs does not only affect that immediate business and its customers, it in turn ends up affecting the entire community around it. It is a lifestyle and a mindset as much as it is a commercial business. The more entrepreneurs this country harnesses and embraces, the cleaner our streets will become, work standards will be held at a higher standard, the more ambitious our youth will become, and the overall vision and strategy of those managing SME’s will be interwoven into the psyche and fabric of society. We need to keep moving forward, and startups are integral way of doing so.

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What is the process of selecting individuals that you support?

We have a comprehensive internal screening and interviewing process.

Apply – All teams who want to apply are required to fill out the online application form on our website. We accept all applications regardless of what stage you are at in the startup building process. Take your time to fill out this form as this application is what allows us to assess your initial idea and separate the serious from the non-serious folks.

The dates for applications are announced on our website. Our only requirement is that one founder is committed full-time throughout the entire cycle in order to make full use of the programme and its offerings.

Interviews – We receive hundreds of applications every cycle. Once all applications have been submitted, our internal management team reviews every application carefully (using a defined framework we have created) and selects the best applicants to be called in for a 30-60 minute interview. We go deeper into learning about the founders - who they are, why are they building a company, how well do they know their market, what problem do they want to solve.

This interview helps us get to know the founder(s) better and ask any questions that the application may not have covered.

This helps us bring down the 100+ founding teams to about 20 Boot camp – We then require each of the selected teams to attend a 5-day boot camp. This boot camp is designed as an intensive workshop for each team to work on developing and testing their idea further and for us to better understand their business in more detail.

It also serves as a very important filter for identifying founders who we believe have what it takes to “make it in the real world.”

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Operating in Qatar since 1979 we’ve been helping businesses here grow for decades; delivering express solutions on-time, every-time. dhl.com.qa

Entrepreneur

Selection committee – By the end of the five-day boot camp, each team presents in front of the selection committee who then select the final teams to be accepted into the cycle. The selection committee is a diverse group of partners, industry experts, entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors all from our close network who come out with the final “go/no go” decision on each team.

By this stage, we have taken a strong look at each team and idea and know what will work and what wont, so dropping teams after this point is very tough.

Company registration – This is where the selection process ends and we start the on-boarding process which includes signing term papers, company registration, legal agreements, and lightweight due diligence. We help handle this entire process for each selected team, making sure that every document is standard and extremely entrepreneur friendly. After this point, you are ready to begin operating as a fullyfledged incorporated business.

Is there a mechanism for ensuring how the money is used and if the individual is following the business plan?

Generally, we take a very hands-off approach with the teams in terms of the way they utilise their money. As each team works out of our co-working office space for the first five months, we get to monitor and see where their money is going. It usually goes to salaries/ marketing as well as resources needed to build their first prototype. Also, we have a weekly founders meeting to follow-up on teams progression, expansion, financials and more.

You provide mentoring as well – what, according to you, are the core points of good and effective mentoring?

■■ A mentor must be able to help fill your knowledge gaps and seek opportunities for you to grow.

■■ A mentor should believe in his/her mentee ■■ A mentor should be honest and unafraid ■■ A mentor should have their own mentors and network.

■■ A mentor must be dedicated to their mentees, or not take on the role altogether.

■■ A mentor needs to be a good listener, and committed.

According to you what are the common mistakes that entrepreneurs make? Or what issues do they take for granted, which could possibly lead to their failure?

Across the board, every entrepreneur’s learning curve is very steep. A recurring mistake that we often see is that many entrepreneurs try to tackle too many obstacles with their product or service. It’s better to be specialised in one feature/product/service than striving to be a jackof-all trades. Another thing that many startups take for granted is not capitalising on the short-lived media hype that many tech company’s face.

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Can you please explain the concept of “Perks and Services” in detail? This seems as a very unique concept.

We provide our startups with over USD 300,000 in perks and benefits, providing our entrepreneurs with some of the best resources available to build their companies.

As a member of the Global Accelerator Network and various other partnerships, all of our startups get to take advantage of huge perks from sponsors like Microsoft, PayPal, Amazon Web Services, etc.

We are also working on a local perks programme Flat6LabsCard. Flat6LabsCard is an exclusive membersonly programme for all current and graduated Flat6Labs Entrepreneurs in Egypt. Our members get discounts and offers on products and services. Some of these products and services will include discounts from various web design houses, graphic designers, print houses, marketing firms, cafes, A/C installations, office spaces, co-working spaces, legal consultation, office stationary supplies and more.

Could you please share some success stories with us?

Instabug and Nafham are two growing success stories.

Instabug is currently on tour in Silicon Valley (at the time of the interview) and they also recently won the Arab MIT award of USD 50,000. They have been gaining great traction and fantastic testimonials about their service.

Nafham has over 8200+ videos uploaded onto their educational platform website.

How do you see the ecosystem for entrepreneurship in Egypt and the region?

For those who have the patience and know-how to weather the current political turmoil, will unquestionably reap the fruits of their labour within the coming years. Egypt’s entrepreneurship ecosystem is growing at an exponential rate, public policy regarding an SME’s needs to follow suite to really help drive the ecosystem forward.

At Enterprise Qatar, we are offering Qatari entrepreneurs and SMEs a modern office, located in West Bay, completely free of charge. You will have access to free Wi-Fi and meeting rooms so you can focus on your business idea.

- This offer does not include company registration - The number of offices is limited and their use is subject to a timing schedule

To apply, call 4012 5000.

For information on EQ mentorship and advisory services, please visit www.eq.gov.qa

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Marketing

What’s your product’s DNA? We all have our favourite brands and as some say are “brand conscious”. But what exactly is a brand and why does it matter so much? Anthony Ryman, Managing Director, grow, answers all these questions for us.

S

tarting a new business is a most exciting (and frightening) activity, akin to bringing a new baby into the world. You have to nurture it, feed it, be patient with it and teach it how to survive on this planet and develop a character and personality designed to add value, impress and find its rightful place in society.

Anthony Rayman has years of branding experience in UK and Middle East. He is a prolific writer on brands and future trends for Design Week, Campaign, Communicate, Gulf Marketing Review, Qatar Today and ArabAd Magazine. Since 2005, Anthony is Managing Director of grow, a multi award winning Doha-born brand consultancy. For more on grow see, www.growqatar.com

A baby has your DNA, so it is imbued with a give set of characteristics, whether physical, mental or emotional that he/she can build on while developing their own way of being.

A product or service, especially something new, designed by you, doesn’t have these and yet, one could argue, that the character and personality of your product - how it communicates and what it stands for is what is going to make it stand out as a great brand, or just an ordinary brand.

So what is a brand? And why is it important? Wally Olins said that brand is the greatest gift that commerce ever gave to culture.

Why is this? Brand has become a shorthand for how we, as individuals express and communicate who we are and what we aspire to.

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The products we buy and the services we use - and how we use them, help to define us as personalities and communicate on a deeper level so that others can approach us as being part of their tribe that love Apple or Montblanc or BMWs. Brand is much more than a logo, a uniform, packaging, an advert or a look and feel. It’s all of these and more!

Your brand is your DNA, your brand promise. It’s emotive and it’s an asset with intrinsic value. Moreover, brand is about “tribes” or “identity”.

In this world of complex messaging, where we are constantly bombarded by thousands of advertising messages per day trying to sell us stuff, brand is a shorthand to cut through all the hype, enabling you to find the brand that reflects and reinforces who you are, or who you want to be. It’s a shorthand for self expression.

A great brand should set you apart from your competition, and speak to the world about who you are, what you do, how you do it and what you stand for. Ultimately, it should get you noticed and drive people to want you and what you offer.

Great brands are based around a “BIG IDEA”, a brand story, that is true, authentic, believable,

Great brands are based around a “BIG IDEA”, a brand story, that is true, authentic, believable, Worth campaigning and compelling. It’s an idea so simple, so powerful and so insightful, that it gives the company a real sense of purpose and belief that drives everything they do.

worth campaigning and compelling. It’s an idea so simple, so powerful and so insightful, that it gives the company a real sense of purpose and belief that drives everything they do. It fundamentally answers the question… “Why?” Why should I care? Why does it matter?

Essentially if you’re easy to understand, and easy to trust then, you’re easy to do business with.

At grow, we have a really clear structured design process to uncover the DNA of your brand.

It’s an idea that is so simple and yet so powerful that it drives everything about your brand. It acts as the creative and communications catalyst and platform from which we design how your brand looks, feels, talks and acts. Essentially we give the brand its own voice, character and personality.

A brand has to have the following attributes: ■■ It must stand for something that real, true, campaignable, believable and memorable.

Authenticity is the key word here.

■■ It must also have power to drive emotion - so people can really feel it.

■■ It must represent a core asset value and must communicate simply and clearly and ultimately stand for something that people can adopt as their own.

Marketing is a work of the head AND the heart. You have to engage the strategic, rational thinking (left brain) as well as the right brain of empathy, intuition, artistry.

When setting up a new company, most entrepreneurs naturally focus on “How” and the ever-important “What” – these are essentially the traditional strategies and tactics or operations of bringing a product or service to market and essentially focus on left brain (logical/rational) thinking. How I am going to do this -(structure/process/timeframe/activity) and what is it that I am going to do are vital elements in the process of building a company from cash flow to business plan.

H ow we d o i t i s a b o u t v a l u e p r o p o s i t i o n , differentiated, proprietary processes, USP (unique selling proposition). Our expertise kicks in here.

But ask yourself, WHY are you doing this in the first place? This is what most people forget to ask or answer and this is the starting point for the development of a powerful brand essence or brand story. You start with the “WHY”. Why are we doing this? Why are we getting out of bed in the morning?

Why are we motivated? It’s hard to measure, hard to see and probably that’s why it tends to get forgotten.

“WHY” is often neglected, not because it doesn’t exist, but because it exists in the part of the brain that controls behaviour but not language.

“WHY?” provides a compass, a direction, a sense of self. It’s who you are and what inspires you.

Why are you becoming an entrepreneur? What is driving you? Why do you think your product or service is special, unique or different? What’s your purpose or mission?

It’s the peeling of the onion, so to speak, to uncover the DNA, the reason WHY you are here doing what you are doing. It’s a process of discovery, not invention. It’s when passion runs high, inspiration is paramount and there’s tremendous energy to achieve. You BELIEVE! Why do we do what we do? What’s our purpose, what’s our cause, what’s our belief? It’s intangible. It comes from the heart, from our very soul. And not from our head. It’s about belief.

Successful businesses need to have the discipline of how and the consistency of what.

And above all, they need to be honest, authentic and think creatively. But if they get the “Why”, then they achieve the potential to develop a great brand as people will follow you and believe in you.

“It’s not what you do that really matters, it’s why you do it.”

November 2013

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Trade

“ Two hearts that beat as one ”

With these words, H.E Mr. Jomaa Rashid Saif Al Dhahri, Ambassador of the UAE to Qatar, described the bilateral relations between the UAE and Qatar, during a conversation with Jenny Kassis, which aimed to highlight the economic cooperation between these two countries.

Please give us an overview about the economic relations between the UAE and Qatar over the years?

United Arab Emirates and Qatar are two hearts that beat as one. We share resilient and ancient relations and the trade and economic relations between us are very strong.

There are strategic economic partnerships between the two countries dating back to the pre-sixties. And, the UAE is ranked fourth among the countries Qatar import products and raw materials from, as the percentage of imports hits 9%.

H.E Mr. Jomaa Rashid Saif Al Dhahri, is the Ambassador of the UAE to Qatar. He began his career as an officer in the armed forces and then became Staff Major General.

Prior to his appointment as Ambassador, he was a military attaché to the UAE in the Kingdom of Morocco. For more information please visit: uae-embassy.ae/embassies/qa

One of the most important projects between Qatar and the UAE, is the Dolphin Energy Project- the only strategic cross-border project. It was founded in 1999 under the guidance of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first president of the UAE and Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the previous Emir of the State of Qatar. This project- which is a maritime line from Ras Laffan to Abu Dhabiserves the two countries strategically, as well as the neighboring countries such as Oman.

When it comes to trade sectors, it is known that UAE in general, and Dubai in particular is an open Emirate for re-export. Thus, there is an intensive collaboration between Qatari and Emirati traders, whether in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or even Fujairah.

In addition, there are big joint projects between us, most notably a contract worth a billion and a half QR, signed

by Qatar with Al Jaber Group in order to contribute to building roads and developing the infrastructure in Lusail project. Furthermore, some UAE companies are involved in the completion of the New Doha International Airport.

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In March 2013, a delegation from Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry visited Qatar and signed contracts worth approximately QR 30 million in three days. This indicates that traders in these countries need each other and the UAE – Qatari market is strong as bilateral trade reaches approximately QR 7.5 billion yearly.

This is an excellent number and we are looking forward to increasing it.

We also have partnerships in the real estate sector, given that many Emiratis invest in Qatar, whether in the Pearl, the new Lusail city or other areas. Likewise, Qataris strongly invest in the real estate sector in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and are looking to increase their investments there in line with the market recovery during this period in the UAE and Dubai in particular.

On the other hand, the aviation sector between the two countries is booming. Open skies between UAE and Qatar have increased flights between the two countries, thus, transit flights which have facilitated the travel of many people. There are about 38 flights daily between Qatar and UAE with accredited airlines in both countries.

Regularly, these flights are fully booked, which also refers to the prosperity of the economy and trade between the two countries.

Both countries are currently focused on developing their SME sectors. What initiatives of both countries you would like to point out? How could Qatar and UAE learn from each other to achieve greater success in this area?

In addition to great partnerships in this area, around 384 UAE SMEs are present in Qatar, and are considered a key pillar for economic cooperation, as they serve a large segment of the society and

provide the greatest proportion of services between the two countries. During Project Qatar 2013, the two countries agreed on the representation of a number of UAE SMEs in Qatar.

This sector owes its success to the strong relations between the two countries at the level of their top leadership and people as well. As long as good intention exists between the two countries, this will increase the cooperation and help us benefit from each other, due to the similarity of our customs, traditions and language that we share. This leads us to invite Qatari companies to exchange experiences with UAE companies, and we also call for UAE companies to come to Qatar and benefit from the growing and strong economy here.

How do you asses conditions for doing business in Qatar?

The General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), has agreed on the conditions for doing business in Qatar, which are easy and affordable.

There are no difficulties for doing business, with laws and regulations that facilitate this process and do not hinder the access of UAE companies to the Qatari market.

According to you, is the interest of UAE companies to do business in Qatar increasing and if so, why? What is your advice to them?

UAE works and participates in Qatari exhibitions held in Qatar and vice versa as Qatari companies contribute to the exhibitions held in the UAE. In 2013, nearly 110 UAE companies participated in Project Qatar 2013, and the UAE pavilion was the biggest. This indicates that doors in Qatar are open for UAE companies, and the same thing applies for Qatari companies in the UAE. Furthermore, UAE companies seek to work in the Qatari market, since it is flourishing and includes a number of prevailing projects in preparation for the FIFA 2022. Therefore, these companies have extensive and strong expertise in several areas, including infrastructure.

We invite Emiratis to invest in the health sector in Qatar, especially in private hospitals. This is an open sector and is a wide and fruitful field.

Moreover, I would advise UAE companies to take the initiative and enter the Qatari market, in order to build partnerships and bid with Qatari companies to benefit from the preparations for the big event as much as possible. I address UAE companies that have expertise and capabilities to come to Qatar. Qatar is an open market, and both the Government and people in Qatar, welcome UAE companies on their territory.

Looking specifically at exports and imports, what are the main sectors of interest to both countries? And which sector holds promising opportunities which allows greater trade cooperation between the two countries?

I think that all the areas are important. But currently, the construction sector is at the forefront of interest of Qatari and UAE companies. This sector is very wide and holds great opportunities which will bring fruitful results for both the countries.

The creation of the GCC common market in January 2008 has removed all barriers to cross country investment and services trade among the member states. How can Qatar and UAE enhance their trade in services?

GCC common market agreement mandates doing business between these countries through specific laws and mechanisms. There is no doubt that there are some barriers related to each country. But these obstacles can be overcome through agreements and focus on the interests of both countries that are collaborating together. I believe that Qatar and UAE should continue working the same way and increase opportunities for cooperation and trade exchange between them. This can be done through active participation in exhibitions, exchange of visits and expansion of their economic activities.

What would be your recommendation to Qatari companies looking at expanding their business in the UAE? As I advise UAE companies, I also advise Qatari companies. There is no doubt that Qatari economists and traders are familiar with the UAE market more than us. We assure them that UAE is their country and Emiratis are their family, and are happy to cooperate with them and provide them with their expertise that can benefit them economically and serve the State of Qatar.

What is your main advice for Emirati investors looking to invest in Qatar?

We invite Emiratis to invest in the health sector in Qatar, especially in private hospitals. This is an open sector and is a wide and fruitful field. Thus, they can also invest in the cultural and educational sector, which is a promising sector in Qatar, and UAE nationals have extensive experience in this area through schools and well known private universities in the UAE.

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Trade

Love thy neighbour H.E Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, talks to Tamara Pupic about trade relations with its neighbour- Qatar and what does the future hold.

Please provide us with a brief overview of the trade relations between Qatar and the UAE over the years.

For years, the two neighbouring countries have been enjoying a very cordial bilateral relationship, especially Dubai and Qatar. Both the trading partners share excellent business synergies as Qatar is one of the top leading export destinations for Dubai and is well connected via sea and air. Last year’s trade figures demonstrate Dubai’s close links with Qatar as the Emirate’s non-oil trade with the country valued at AED 9.4 billion, and it ranked 27th on Dubai’s list of largest trading partners.

Also, imports were worth AED 1.7 billion while exports and re-exports were at AED 7.7 billion. Also, there were 237 partnership, ownership firms registered with Dubai Chamber and operating in the Emirate at the end of 2012.

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Idea Time Effort

Trade

Dubai is well placed to help Qatar meet its import obligations with regards to machinery and construction materials that are set to increase in line with population growth and large-scale planned infrastructure projects.

Is the interest of the Emirati companies to do business with Qatar increasing and why? What is your advice to them?

Qatar today presents ample investment opportunities for Dubai businesses. Like Dubai, the country is working to diversify its economy away from the energy sector and this offers scope for Dubai’s private sector to export its experience and know-how to the neighbouring nation. The Emirate has a lot of experience and success in developing other industries to lead economic growth and it is now a world leader in terms of tourism, trade and logistics. I would urge both the sides to keep up the momentum and to work more rigorously to enhance trade and bilateral ties between the two countries.

Looking specifically at trade, what opportunities do the UAE market offer to Qatari exporters, and what are the major products being traded between the two countries?

Dubai is well placed to help Qatar meet its import obligations with regards to machinery and construction materials that are set to increase in line with population growth and large-scale planned infrastructure projects. Dubai’s economy is stable and growing. The city is a fantastic place to do business, with easy access to markets across the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The major products traded are machinery, electrical and electronic equipment, meat, fish and dairy, plants and cut flowers and edible vegetables and fruits as well as precious, semi-precious stones, base metals and products thereof, vehicles, clocks and watches and cereals which Qatar imports from Dubai.

The major products traded are machinery, electrical and electronic equipment, meat, fish and dairy, plants and cut flowers and edible vegetables and fruits as well as precious, semiprecious stones, base metals and products thereof, vehicles, clocks and watches and cereals which Qatar imports from Dubai.

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Which are the priority sectors for the Emirati exporters within the Qatari market?

As said earlier, machinery, mechanical appliances and parts, and construction materials and food items are priority sectors for Emirati exporters while also the consumer electronics sector, which has always witnessed a rising trend, are potential investment areas.

What is your main advice for UAE investors looking to invest in Qatar and vice versa?

Qatar has allocated huge investments in infrastructure projects and has formulated business-friendly measures to attract private investments. The country has the resources to fund major planned investments.

More so, with events like the FIFA 2022 World Cup coming up its development will accelerate significantly. Other areas of co-operation between the two countries are machinery, electrical equipment, vehicles, clocks and watches and cereals which Qatar imports from Dubai. The two can also increase their capital flows to Africa as special opportunities lies in investing together in Africa’s agricultural sector.

Also, Dubai can assist Qatar with its own diversification plans and at the same time capitalise on the investment opportunities that exist in the country. Qatar can also benefit from Dubai’s position as a leading business hub and gateway to growing Middle Eastern, Asian and African markets. New profitable opportunities exist in Dubai’s trade sector which can be explored.

There is room to bring new products to Dubai’s market and to re-export them within the region with considerable success.

Can you please highlight Dubai Chamber’s plans for 2013/2014, which might be of interest for the private sector in Qatar?

Based on the record performance of its leading sectors including trade, tourism, logistics and finance in 2012, Dubai’s economy is poised for further growth with the expected 4-5% rise in 2013 while the trade sector is continuing its upward trajectory. Also, the support sectors like retail, real estate and healthcare are also growing. Besides logistics and finance, we see the exponential rise of the tourism sector with the expected influx of tourists and visitors due to the appeal of the Emirate’s tourist attractions.

Dubai Chamber has an ambitious plan to establish 20 branch offices in key markets around the world.

We established our first overseas office in Baku, Azerbaijan, the second one in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and will soon open another office in Erbil in Iraq. Our strategy is to enhance the competitiveness of Dubai businesses in the promising markets of the world as well as to open the doors to enhanced business opportunities for our members and stakeholders.

WHAT IF THERE WERE A GLOBAL MOVEMENT TO INSPIRE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE TO EMBRACE ENTREPRENEURSHIP? PLATINUM SPONSOR

GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEEK 2013 QATAR

17th-21st NOVEMBER

For the duration of one week, in the month of November every year, thousands of events and competitions around the world inspire millions to engage in entrepreneurial activity while connecting them to potential collaborators, mentors and even investors.

Last year alone, more than 7 million people participated in nearly 38,000 events during GEW – including startup competitions, mentoring marathons, global speednetworking events and more!

W W W. G E W - Q ATA R . C O M

business guru

Lead by

example

Two months ago, we had interviewed Sheikh Mohamed Bin Faisal Al Thani,who is the Vice Chairman of Aamal. This month, Tamara Pupic spoke to Sheikh bin Qassim Al Thani, Chairman, Al Faisal Holding, who has succeeded in building an empire through effective diversification of the business.

Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, one of Qatar’s leading entrepreneurs and Chairman of Qatari Business Association, Founder and Chairman of Al Faisal Holding, Aamal Company Q.S.C. and AlFaisal Without Border Foundation.

Sheikh Faisal started his business in 1964 with a small trading company. With his vision and leadership skills, Sheikh Faisal steered his business to become a large corporation with over 40 diverse commercial and industrial companies today, operating under the Al Faisal Holding and Amal Company Q.S.C..

S

heikh Faisal is one of Qatar’s leading entrepreneurs, and has seen Al Faisal Holding play an important role in shaping the development of Qatar’s economy and infrastructure. With a business that spans nearly 50 years, the Group has launched many new ventures and attracted foreign investment to various sectors of the economy. The business has thus grown exponentially into a flourishing network of more than 40 diverse but well established commercial and industrial companies that now form Al Faisal Holding.

Sheikh Faisal elaborated on this and said, “Creating synergy between our operations is a key element of our strategic development. For instance, through Al Rayan Tourism Investment Company (ARTIC), the tourism and hospitality investment arm of Al Faisal Holding; we established the “Modern Central Laundry”, the Middle East’s first state-of-the-art industrial laundry service, managed by Paragon Laundry Limited of the U.K. Similarly, as we have numerous investments in real estate sector (compounds, towers and shopping center) it was logical to establish joint ventures with top facility management companies such as Johnson Controls and MMG.” He further added that the industrial sector exemplifies their strategic growth plans, as they aim to build a solid industrial base. In 2010, Aamal Company launched Doha Cables, Qatar’s first cable manufacturing facility.

Soon they will launch the Advanced Pipes and Casts Company, the first plant which will manufacture two kinds of pipes, the reinforced concrete pipes (RCP) and

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glass reinforced plastic pipes (GRP). Their readymix, and cement operations also enjoy a strong leading market position.

He added, “Al Faisal was able to expand its resources and capabilities to keep up with the growth of the economy and market demand. We diversified into hospitality, real estate, food supplies, trading, construction, industrial services and building materials, education, healthcare as well as other sectors.”

Capitalising on opportunities Talking about the importance of seizing opportunities, Sheikh Faisal remarked, “The Group’s success is the result of a strategy designed to identify key growth opportunities, capitalise on them through the deployment of capital, and partner with industry leaders, who provide the required level of expertise when necessary. We aim to be the first mover in the market, as offering innovative products and services is a key element in our strategy.

Our diversified approach is a source of strength; we are providing both a degree of stability and a platform to take full advantage of these opportunities.”

“As Qatar continues to advance and evolve, moving from a hydrocarbon-based economy to more of a knowledge-based one, we are keen to be in step with the country’s diversification as we are well placed to capture opportunities from its substantial infrastructure and industrial development. Qatar’s expanding population is further stimulating growth, bringing with it greater market demand for new products and services,” he opined.

Best practice Corporate governance has always been an integral part of Al Faisal Holding and permeates all the Group’s operations, reflected in the professionalism and quality of its people, products and services in every sector in which it operates. The Group’s high caliber team of over 3000 dedicated industry professionals aim high, using effective corporate policies and working to consistent, rigorous international standards. A belief in professional ethics has become the cornerstone of the Group’s best practice corporate guidelines.

Listing benefits The importance of strong corporate governance to the future success of the business lead to the creation of Aamal Company in January 2001, following a reorganisation of Al Faisal Holding.

It was then that the Group made the decision to list the Aamal Company on Qatar Exchange in 2007.The desire to ensure the continuity in the company’s success was the prime motivation behind becoming a shareholding company. Other business reasons included the desire to broaden the base of shareholders and take advantage of investment opportunities offered by the growth of Qatar’s economy.

The transformation into public shareholding companies from private and family-owned companies typically helps liquidity and increases their valuation.

Being listed on the Exchange also has the effect of improving organisational efficiency and diversifying funding options. This can offer many benefits to businesses, such as supporting growth, investing in assets and expanding of R&D, or even retiring debt.

International reach Sheikh Faisal confirmed the international ambitions of the Group, “After our domestic success, we then set our sights on expanding regionally and globally to achieve more growth and opportunities abroad.”

Our diversified approach is a source of strength – we are providing both a degree of stability and a platform to take full advantage of these opportunities.

The Group’s International Investments Division now has successful diversified investment in several countries in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and the US. These range from the W Hotel London in the UK to the Grand Hyatt and Maritim Hotel Berlin in Germany, the Four Season Hotel Cairo and Hilton Hotels in Alexandria and Hurghada in Egypt, as well as Algiers City Centre in Algeria and the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in Chicago, US. In addition there are real estate developments in Algeria and many other investments as part of the Group’s international expansion.

Indeed, Sheikh Faisal retierated the Group’s goal to expand the Company investments in the hospitality sector and acquire more hotels around the world by 2020, and said, “Inspired by Qatar National Vision 2030, Al Faisal Holding will continue to grow locally and internationally, promoting Qatar to the world and attracting the best to Qatar with a commitment to always support and develop our society. Al Faisal Holding is proud of its past but focused very much on the future.”

In his role as Chairman of the Qatar Businessmen’s Association, Sheikh Faisal has spearheaded many international delegations to explore opportunities for Qatari investors abroad. The most recent of these include trips to Germany, the UK, Egypt, France with the inauguration of a Euro 300 mn SME investment fund, and even a trade delegation to Afghanistan this summer.

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Finance

Fathi Abu Farah, Partner, Moore Stephens, Qatar, explains to us in detail the issues of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing.

M

oney laundering is the method by which criminals cover-up the illegal origins of their wealth and protect their asset bases, so as to avoid suspicion of law enforcement and to prevent leaving a trail of incriminating evidence, as per the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

What is terrorist financing all about?

■■ Financing anti–social elements ■■ So called charitable Institutions with dubious intentions ■■ Organised crime that helps non-state actors ■■ Any other act intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to a civilian, or to any other person not taking any active part in the hostilities in a situation of armed conflict.

How big is money laundering?

■■ The estimates suggests that USD 2.5 trillion to USD 3 trillion laundered worldwide annually by drug dealers, arms traffickers, and other criminals.

Sources of money laundering are: ■■ Tax evasion ■■ Fraud

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■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

Trans-national organised crimes Theft Human trafficking Gambling Arms smuggling Counterfeiting currency Drug trafficking Terrorism Corrupt practices

Fathi Abu Farah, has CPA & CMA professional certificates from USA. Fathi, who was associated with Ernst & Young & RSM International, has over 25 years’ experience in the Middle East including Kuwait, Jordan & Qatar and therefore knows the commercial and business environment very well. He has considerable audit, consulting and taxation experience and is abreast of the latest international and local accounting practices. He is currently the Audit Partner with Moore Stephens Qatar.

How money laundering works - The PLI Model As you can see from the diagram below, the basic money laundering process has three steps: 1. Placement - At this stage, the launderer inserts the dirty money into a legitimate financial institution. This is often in the form of cash bank deposits. This is the riskiest stage of the laundering process because large amounts of cash are pretty conspicuous, and banks are required to report high-value transactions.

2. Layering - Layering involves sending the money through various financial transactions to change its form and make it difficult to follow. Layering may consist of several bank-tobank transfers, wire transfers between different accounts in different names in different countries, making deposits and withdrawals to continually vary the amount of money in the accounts, changing the money’s currency, and purchasing high-value items (boats, houses, cars, diamonds) to change the form of the money. This is the most complex step in any laundering scheme, and it’s all about making the original dirty money as hard to trace as possible.

3. Integration - At the integration stage, the money re-enters the mainstream economy in legitimatelooking form -- it appears to come from a legal transaction. This may involve a final bank transfer into the account of a local business in

which the launderer is “investing” in exchange for a cut of the profits. It’s very difficult to catch a launderer during the integration stage if there is no documentation during the previous stages. some examples of common money laundering methods ■■ Nominees This is one of the most common methods of laundering and hiding assets. A launderer uses family members, friends or associates who are trusted within the community, and who will not attract attention, to conduct transactions on their behalf.

■■ Structuring or “smurfing” Many inconspicuous individuals deposit cash or buy bank drafts at various institutions, or one individual carries out transactions for amounts less than the amount that must be reported to the government, and the cash is subsequently transferred to a central account. These individuals, commonly referred to as “smurfs,” normally do not attract attention as they deal in funds that are below reporting thresholds and they appear to be conducting ordinary transactions.

■■ Asset purchases with bulk cash Individuals purchase big-ticket items such as cars, boats and real estate. name. The assets may also be resold to further launder the proceeds.

Placement

Dirty Money Integrates into the Financial System

Collection of Dirty Money

Layering

A TYPICAL MONEY LAUNDRING SCHEME Payment by “Y” of False Invoice to Company “X”

Transfer on the Bank Account of Company “X”

Integration Loan to Company “Y”

Wire Transfer

Purchase of Luxury Assets Financial Investments Commercial / Inductrial Investments

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■■ Exchange transactions Individuals often use the proceeds of crime to buy foreign currency that can then be transferred to offshore bank accounts anywhere in the world.

■■ Currency smuggling Funds are moved across borders to disguise their source and ownership, and to avoid being exposed to the law and systems that record money entering into the financial system. Funds are smuggled in various ways (e.g., by mail, courier and body-packing) often to countries with strict bank secrecy laws.

■■ Gambling in casinos Individuals bring cash to a casino and buy gambling chips. After gaming and placing just a few bets, the gambler redeems the remainder of the chips and requests a casino cheque.

■■ Black-market peso exchange An underground network of currency brokers with offices in North America, the Caribbean and South America allows drug traffickers to exchange pesos for USD. The dollars stay in the United States and are bought by South American (mainly Colombian) companies, which use them to buy American goods for sale back home Financial Action Task Force – FATF ■■ The FATF is an inter-governmental body whose purpose is the development and promotion of national and international policies to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.

■■ Member Jurisdiction: 34; Regional Organizations: 2 (the GCC and the EC); International and regional organizations: 31 (Associate Members or Observers of the FATF).

■■ Over 180 Country Jurisdictions apply FATF recommendations.

Financial Action Task Force – FATF FATF Recommendations set out the essential measures that countries should have in place to: ■■ Identify the risks, and develop policies and domestic coordination; ■■ Pursue money laundering, terrorist financing and the financing of proliferation; ■■ Apply preventive measures for the financial sector and other designated sectors; ■■ Establish powers and responsibilities for the competent authorities (e.g., ■■ Investigative, law enforcement and supervisory authorities) and other institutional measures; ■■ Enhance the transparency and availability of beneficial ownership information of legal persons and arrangements; and ■■ Facilitate international cooperation.

Summary of FATF Recommendations ■■ AML / CTF Policies & Coordination

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■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■ ■■

ML & Confiscation TF & Financing of Proliferation Preventive Measures CDD & Record Keeping Additional Measures for PEP, Correspondent Banks, Wire transfers..

Reliance on High-Risk Countries Internal Controls of Foreign branches & Subsidiaries.

New Technologies Reporting of Suspicious Transactions DNFBPs Transparency & Beneficial Ownership of Legal Persons & Arrangements Powers & Responsibilities of Competent Authorities & Other Institutional Measures Regulation & Supervision Operational & Law Enforcement Cash Couriers General Statistical Requirements Sanctions International Cooperation Freezing & Confiscation Extradition

In addition, the risk-based approach guidance for accountants is as follows: ■■ June 2007, FATF has developed High-Level principles & procedures for Accountants in public practice; ■■ Applies to sole practitioners, partners or employed professionals within professional firms; ■■ Some of the functions performed by accountants that are the most useful to the potential launderer include: • Financial & Tax Advice; • Creation of Corporate Vehicles & Complex Legal Arrangements; • Buying & Selling of Property; • Performing Financial Transactions; • Gaining Introduction to Financial Institutions.

AML Bandwidth The regulations provide no guidance on how to create an effective Anti-Money Laundering Programmeme. Reference to the United States Sentencing Guidelines, however, provide some direction that, at a minimum, a company should take: 1. E stablish policies, standards and procedures to prevent and detect money laundering; 2. Conduct a risk assessment based on the company’s products, services, customer base and geographic location(s), and develop specific risk-based procedures to meet the perceived risk areas. A risk assessment is not a onetime-only exercise. It is a continuing process that continually takes into account changes in

methods of money laundering, new products or services offered by the company, changes in the company’s customer base and geographic areas of operation, and changes in the law or applicable regulations; 3. Ensure that the company’s Board of Directors and Senior Management understand the content and operation of the Compliance Programme and exercise reasonable oversight with respect to its implementation and effectiveness. Specific senior manager(s) should have overall responsibility to ensure the implementation and effectiveness of the Programme. A Compliance Officer should be delegated at the outset to conduct or supervise the risk assessment, develop appropriate procedures, and oversee the drafting, implementation and day-to-day operation of the Programme. This person should be afforded adequate resources and authority to accomplish these tasks.

4.

Take reasonable steps to ensure that the Compliance Officer and his or her staff are adequately knowledgeable about the business, money laundering and applicable statutes and regulations. Also ensure that the Compliance Officer and his or her staff are of the highest integrity by screening out persons whom the company knows, or should know

5.

6.

7.

8.

through the exercise of due diligence, have a history of engaging in illegal activity or other misconduct; Take reasonable steps to communicate periodically and in a practical manner the company’s its standards and procedures to all officers, employees and, as appropriate, its agents, through effective training programmes and otherwise disseminating information; Take reasonable steps to (a) ensure that the programme is followed, including using monitoring and auditing to detect criminal conduct; (b) evaluate periodically the programme’s effectiveness; and (c) have a system whereby employees and agents may report or seek guidance regarding potential or actual criminal conduct without fear of retaliation (although a mechanism for anonymous reporting is not required); Promote and enforce the programme through appropriate incentives and disciplinary measures for engaging in criminal conduct and for failing to take reasonable steps to prevent or detect criminal conduct; and Take reasonable steps to respond appropriately to money laundering by customers and to prevent further similar conduct, including making any necessary modifications to the compliance and ethics programme

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Sector watch

using nature

as an inspiration

The Sahara Forest Project is designed to utilise what we have enough of and to produce what we need, using deserts, sunlight, saltwater and CO2. Joakim Hauge, CEO of The Sahara Forest Project, introduces The Sahara Forest Project and explains how important the concept is to Qatar and the desert areas around the world.

T

he world is facing critical challenges in providing enough sustainably produced food, water and energy for a world population excepted to reach 9 billion in 2050. These challenges also represent a huge market potential for companies investing in solutions that set out to address these challenges. The Sahara Forest Project has embarked on the quest to provide environmental answers that not only address the challenges individually, but rather develop solutions that address multiple challenges simultaneously.

What’s the concept?

The uniqueness of the concept lies in bringing out the potential that exist in the synergies between technologies across industry sectors. The Sahara Forest Project does this by combining already existing and proven environmental technologies, such as solar power technologies, saltwater cooled greenhouses and technologies for establishing vegetation in arid areas. A key pillar of this project is that the company’s activities shall be good for the environment, good for social development and provide long term economic benefits to the investors. This is the company’s triple bottom line approach. As such, The Sahara Forest Project bases its work on close cooperation with businesses, academia and civil society in the countries

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where it operates. The cooperation ranges from scientific and social cooperation with universities, think tanks and NGOs to joint ventures with commercial companies.

Technologies The Sahara Forest Project has three core technological components: 1. Saltwater-cooled greenhouses – greenhouses that uses saltwater to provide suitable growing conditions that enable year-round cultivation of high-value vegetable crops even in desert conditions. By using seawater to provide evaporative cooling and humidification, the crops’ water requirements are minimised and yields maximised with a minimal carbon footprint.

2. Concentrated solar power for electricity and heat generation - using mirrors to concentrate the sun’s energy to produce heat that is used to make steam to drive a steam turbine, which in turn drives a generator to produce electricity.

3. Technologies for desert revegetation - a collection of practices and technologies for establishing outside vegetation in arid environments, such as evaporative hedges.

However, the technologies are only part of the equation.

The concept has received widespread international attention and was described by the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Development Programme as a “gold standard”.

By establishing a commercially viable way to bring saltwater into the desert, the project works as an enabling technology, creating opportunities for a wide range of businesses to develop alongside it. These include salt extraction, traditional desalination, algae production, halophyte cultivation, PV, mariculture, bioenergy and more.

Joakim Hauge is the CEO of The Sahara Forest Project. Mr. Hauge holds an MSc in biology from Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis at the University of Oslo. He has a broad experience on issues related to innovation and biology from non-governmental and private sectors and has previously been advising national and international institutions such as the EU Biofuels Technology Platform.

For more information about The Sahara Forest Project, please visit www.saharaforestproject.com

The project has established proven track record of developing internationally recognised and ground breaking ideas and putting them into effect on the ground. Based on this experience we have set a pretty ambitious target. We want to enable a Restorative Growth: re-vegetation and creation of green jobs through profitable production of food, freshwater, biofuels and electricity.

We are aiming for a triple bottom-line.

Waste products as resources With nature as an inspiration we have designed an integrated technological system where the waste product from one technology is used as resource for another.

The synergies arising from integrating the technologies improve the performance and economics of the system compared to those of the individual components. For instance: The Concentrated Solar Power facility will deliver considerable amounts of surplus heat to be used for evaporation of additional seawater. It will also provide power for electrical installations in the greenhouse, while the majority of the power can be exported from the facility.

The Concentrated Solar Power facility will benefit because the greenhouses and hedges can provide efficient water-cooling with seawater. This means that freshwater is not wasted and that construction of cooling towers is avoided. The new vegetation stabilises the soil and reduces dust so that more focused light reaches the mirrors.

The outside vegetation will benefit from greenhouses and saltwater infrastructure as they create a more humid and favourable environment for the plants.

Sahara Forest Project facilities will only be truly successful if well integrated with local communities providing opportunities for jobs, produce and knowledge transfer.

The combination of Sahara Forest Project’s aim for a triple bottom line and the project’s technical concept has gained considerable attention and support since the first launch of the concept at The UN Climate Summit in 2009 (COP 15 in Copenhagen). Three years later, Sahara Forest Project attended the COP 18 in Doha and presented the Qatar Pilot Plant to the delegates.

First step in Qatar In cooperation with the world leading fertilizer companies Yara International and Qafco, The Sahara Forest Project realised the first pilot facility on the ground in Qatar. After conducting extensive feasibility studies and field tests the agreement for the facility was signed at a ceremony in Oslo under the patronage of the Norwegian and Qatari Prime Ministers in February 2012.

The 10,000 square meters Sahara Forest Project Pilot Facility was opened in December 2012 by, at the time, H.H the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The pilot facility contains an integrated combination of environmental technologies, including seawater cooled greenhouses, Qatar’s first operational concentrated solar power plant, revegetation technologies and an integrated state of the art facility for cultivation of algae – the only of its kind in Qatar and the larger region. This was the first step in rolling out the project in Qatar to contribute to the country’s ambitions goals of becoming self-sufficient in food by using renewable energy sources.

More than two and a half years of studies, data modeling, tests and pilot operations has been conducted in Qatar.

In 2013 we, in cooperation with Yara International and QAFCO, performed a comprehensive program at the facility in Qatar to optimise the synergies of the multipurpose technological set-up and to fine-tune the technologies to Qatari conditions.

The Sahara Forest Project brings together a number of various technologies into an integrated system.

There is a rapid development in the maturity of these technologies and a growing appreciation in the global community that we need to look beyond traditional technological solutions for sustainably increasing food, water and energy security. For the seawatercooled greenhouses in The Sahara Forest Project the development has been especially quick, going from concept drawings a few years back to producing high yields of cucumbers in Qatar.

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Business advice

The biggest challenge has not been with any of the individual components, but in bringing all the technologies together in a wellintegrated system were the waste-stream from one technology becomes a resource for another component.

Large scale ambitions The concept has received widespread international attention and was described by the Assistant SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations Development Programme as a “gold standard”.

The Sahara Forest Project has developed quickly from concept to reality and significant challenges have been overcome towards the successful implementation of the project. A key success factor has been the creative and dedicated team of world-leading experts that joined the project.

The biggest challenge has not been with any of the individual components, but in bringing all the technologies together in a well-integrated system were the waste-stream from one technology becomes a resource for another component. With this technical challenge there is also a challenge in bringing together people and innovation cultures from various fields of science and technology development.

Big ideas and promising technological solutions are a great starting-point. Our focus must be at optimising the technological system as a whole, rather than the individual components. That is challenging. To reach our ambition of large-scale deployment we therefore need to maintain a creative, yet targeted dialogue between the various fields of expertise to promote an innovation process firmly focused at creating synergies and increased efficiencies. We need to dear to embrace the crossing of boarders between technologies, but also between mindsets and cultures.

Interacting with Qatari expertise Being in Qatar together with our very capable partners Yara and QAFCO, we have really enjoyed interacting with the considerable knowledge and forward-looking technological expertise present in the country.

Khalifa A. Al-Sowaidi, CEO of QAFCO, has stated that QAFCO and Yara have taken part in the pilot facility executed by Sahara Forest Project in a pilot scale to demonstrate the potential of the Green Technology

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in arid region like Qatar using seawater and solar energy for future larger scale research and commercial platform in the area of horticulture, freshwater generation, energy production, algae production. The pilot facility is expected pave way for commercialization of this green technology for large scale implementation with a vision to produce energy, food and fresh water not only for Qatar but for tomorrow’s world population in a sustainable way.

Ole Jorgen Haslestad, CEO of Yara International ASA, said that the project collaboration is a perfect fit to Yara’s agenda of developing sustainable solutions, creating value for us as a company as well as to society. We have to accept that businesses have to operate in a more sustainable way, and I believe innovative partnerships such as the one with Sahara Forest Project are vital to trigger this development. Innovation is essential to address the global challenges. The project creates a new approach to the combined issues of food, energy, fresh water and climate change.

Important to Qatar The goals stated in Qatar’s National Vision of 2030, aim “to reduce the country’s economic dependency on hydro-carbon resources, develop environmental sustainability, and create a knowledge-based society”.

Sahara Forest Project offers commercial opportunities for renewable energy production and agricultural production in Qatar.

Current levels of Qatar’s domestic agricultural output satisfy no more than ten percent of total national food consumption needs. The Sahara Forest Project has offers demonstrated solutions to expand some of the domestic agriculture production to increase Qatar’s selfsufficiency.

The Sahara Forest Project also contributes to meet Qatar’s expressed wish for research and studies for best practices and optimal use of resources in the agricultural sector.

Project in Jordan In Jordan The Sahara Forest Project was first presented to His Majesty King Abdullah II in 2010. In January 2011 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority and The Sahara Forest Project in Am¬man, Jordan.

This agreement committed Sahara For¬est Project to conducting three comprehensive stud¬ies in Jordan financed and supported by Norwegian authorities. The MoU also includes that the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority will facilitate 20 ha for a Test and Demonstration Centre and 200 ha for possible later expansion.

Excellence. At Carnegie Mellon.

For more than a century, Carnegie Mellon University has been inspiring innovations that change the world. Consistently top ranked, Carnegie Mellon has more than 11,000 students, 90,000 alumni and 5,000 faculty and staff globally.

In 2004, Qatar Foundation invited Carnegie Mellon to join Education City, a groundbreaking center for scholarship and research. Students from 39 different countries enroll at our world-class facilities in Education City.

Carnegie Mellon Qatar offers undergraduate programs in biological sciences, business administration, computational biology, computer science and information systems. Carnegie Mellon is firmly committed to Qatar’s National Vision 2030 by developing people, society, the economy and the environment.

Learn more at www.qatar.cmu.edu

November 2013

41

SMEs

Get the fundamentals right In today’s fast-paced world, running an SME is extremely demanding. Whether you’re focusing on getting your product out or ensuring you can pay out salaries on time, truth be told, you are faced with constant pressure as an entrepreneur. Abdallah Al Sulaiti, CEO, Jadara SME, gives us some important pointers to tackles these challenges.

Abdulla Al Sulaiti is the Founder and CEO of Jadara SME a project Management office specialising in business support services. A business owner, and an entrepreneur, Abdulla has more than 15 years of experience in Qatar.

Abdulla can be contacted at jadara@entrepreneursgulf.com

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he challenge is to stay ahead, think ahead and anticipate any pitfalls. Well, depending on the nature and scale of your business, it is possible to prepare yourself adequately enough. And during the course of this article, we will share light on certain do’s and don’ts when you’re marking a foray into the world of business. As an SME, there’s no shortcut to success.

But if you have your fundamentals right, there’s no stopping you.

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There are winds of change We are currently in a season where smaller companies are learning how to turn the tables on mega corporations and use their smaller size to their advantage. One glance at the likes of Google, Facebook, Twitter and other digital media players and you can see how a big idea in a small place can really take the world by storm. There are hundreds and thousands of these companies emerging every single day. Indeed, with technology, it’s easier than ever to operate faster and address a larger audience than the traditional small outfit could. But technology is just a piece of the overall picture. If you think of successful SMEs, there are a few characteristics that stand out prominently.

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Lean teams are mean teams Being lean can be an advantage. For one, speed can make or break a deal, and SMEs are better able to capitalise on making fast decisions than larger firms. Rather than wait for a decision to be made after several meetings with people of all levels and departments, a small group of experienced team members can sometimes arrive at an intelligent, workable plan faster. SMEs can operate on this principle

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by breaking up their teams into smaller, operational groups. This allows decisions to be made faster, with one or two members of top management keeping the various moving parts cohesive. So think big, but keep your team small, at least when you’re starting out.

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Be an expert in your domain The ability to move quickly depends also on the level of experience and know-how in a team. Good decisions or ideas may come not from a large committee but instead from a handful of experienced experts in a small team. These experts form the second pillar of a lean SME’s core: expertise. While working with tight budgets and a small staff may seem to limit the ability to take on large projects, this “weakness” can be balanced by aligning your team’s depth of knowledge towards the market. Many SMEs can position their know-how to their advantage, to combat a larger competitor that may be able to provide breadth. Know your strengths and make them bigger than your weaknesses.

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Focus squarely on your market The size of an SME also means it has to focus tightly on a market segment, because of their limited resources. This allows SMEs to better identify segments of a market where its product or service competes the most strongly and has the best chance of success. A small firm can also focus on a strategy that aligns all its product lines in a coherent, integrated manner. This can help cut costs and make your product or service appear more attractive to prospective customers. Being focused, of course, does not mean hedging your bets all in one place. It just means concentrating your resources on delivering the best chance for success.

One of the most critical reasons why SMEs fail within the first five years is because they arenТt set up for failure.

Pre-mortems are a powerful tool, easy to apply and represent great economic value to your firm.

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Put your business idea through a premortem One of the most critical reasons why SMEs fail within the first five years is because they aren’t set up for failure. Pre-mortems are a powerful tool, easy to apply and represent great economic value to your firm.

They may seem like dousing enthusiasm with ice cold water but remember, its way better than doing a postmortem after a costly failure. Get your core team into a room. Take them a year into the future and pen down your thoughts. Analyse and discuss what everyone has written. You now have a concise summary of what exactly is wrong with your current plan, and you should know how to fix it. Pre-mortems can improve the chances of your project being in the right half.

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Know your competition, inside out The marketplace is saturated with all kinds of businesses. So it’s very likely that you have competition. Ignoring your competitors could spell disaster for your business, as you will never know what you’re up against. Carry out extensive and intensive research. Find out what your competition offers and work out how you differ, make it clear why customers should choose you over them. Keeping close tabs on your competitor will also help you identify their potential flaws which could help you iron out yours, before your product rolls out of the assembly line. It’s not about doing something different from what the market does.

It’s about doing the same thing differently.

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Don’t set unrealistic goals When you’re starting out as an entrepreneur, with enthusiasm and drive greasing your wheels, it’s easy to get carried away and make commitments that you may find hard to keep. As much as you would like to make a favourable impression on your customers, it’s also important to set benchmarks and yardsticks for yourself. Ambition is one thing, but aiming for unrealistic goals could put you in a spot at some point. Know your business capabilities and its demand. If your business is seasonal, don’t spend thousands of riyals on marketing out of season. It’ll just go to waste. Ensure your pricing is right. Too high and you’ll alienate customers, too low and you won’t make any money.

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Engage with your team regularly Communication is intrinsic to a team’s success.

Opening the channels of free speech can address fears, identify ideas, and recognise talent and so much more. It’s critical to have team meetings on a regular basis even if there’s nothing to discuss.

Sometimes, it’s just about building confidence, affirming your team, getting to know each other better or simply having a laugh. It’s highly likely that when the meeting is finished, there may be a handful of action items that could translate to issues if they haven’t been raised. Or on the brighter side, there may be a potentially big idea that needed a brainstorm and is just one step away from booming your business.

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Get a grip on the finances Money is something that needs to be monitored very closely in business. If you spend carelessly and don’t allocate budgets for your business, you may soon have no money left. Worse still, you might be dragged into the mire of debt. If you’re unsure about what you’re doing with your finances, and don’t have the right resources within your setup, enlist help through an external source. It’ll be the best decisions you will ever make.

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Keep service in customer service Service is everything in business. Your marketing strategy may attract your target audience and entice them into buying it. But good service will ensure they remain your customers and turn into brand ambassadors. From the outset, within any business, reputation is the one thing that needs to be built and safeguarded to ensure organic growth in your business, and customers are the ones who will promote this. They are more likely to tell their friends and family about a bad experience than a good one. Social media has made the world even smaller and communication faster and easier.

So make sure your customer always have something good to say.

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Use technology as much as possible Yet another way that SMEs often overcome the disadvantage of their small size is to leverage on technology to level the playing field with bigger players. Take cloud computing, for example.

Large data centres used to be the sole domain of huge firms with the resources to access that. Today, players like Amazon, Google and Microsoft make these clouds available to all, and this has allowed some SMEs to hop on and harness that power.

Depending on what you’re offering, allocate a bit of your investment for a sound digital marketing strategy. There’s a huge market online that’s waiting to be engaged. With the right tools and resources, you could take your business places.

November 2013

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Business advice

Cooperation across border Qatar has a number of stakeholders that play a very important role in promoting business and investment. One such interesting entity is the Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting (GOIC). Aparna Shivpuri Arya spoke to H.E Abdulaziz Bin Hamad Al- Ageel, Secretary General,Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting to understand the dynamics behind this set up.

Mr. Abdul-Aziz H. Al-Ageel is the Secretary General of the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC).

He assumed this current post in August 2010. Mr. Al- Ageel started his professional career path with the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) with 25 years of distinguished experience and track records of value-added accomplishments in Marketing, Communication and Administration Services management, where he held various managerial positions at the headquarters in Riyadh and its offices in the United States and Turkey. Mr. Al-Ageel obtained an MBA from Houston University, Houston, Texas. USA

Please tell us about the vision behind setting up GOIC. Why was a need felt to put together an organisation to promote industrial cooperation among the GCC countries?

The Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting was founded in 1976 by the GCC member states: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, while Yemen joined in 2009. The goal was to achieve industrial cooperation and coordination between member states. In order to accomplish that goal, the Organisation uses methods such as: suggesting joint industrial ventures between member states, offering technical assistance to prepare and evaluate industrial projects, providing recommendations for industrial development projects, preparing industrial data and studies, collecting and disseminating information about industrial development projects and policies, coordinating and developing technical and economic cooperation between existing and new industrial enterprises and firms.

What exactly is the job- role of the GOIC? What particular aspects of industrial cooperation does it focus on?

For more than three decades, GOIC has been playing a major role in identifying and introducing modern industries and shaping general industrial policies in the Gulf. GOIC provides recommendations specifically related to the unified industrial strategy between GCC countries. In fact, the Organisation has been providing the industrial and economic public and private sectors with accurate market information, specialised researches and consulting services and adequate training over the years. At the same time, GOIC plays a key role when it comes to industrial development in the region.

In this regard, GOIC has helped resetting cooperation between existing industries and the Organisation’s recommendations have laid the foundations of general

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industrial policies for several years, notably the unified industrial strategy that was ratified by GCC countries.

In addition to that, GOIC has recently been playing an increasing role with the private sector in the GCC countries.

Its work was also key to economic and social integration between the public and private sectors in the region.

Among the GCC countries, the level of industrial development is different. Can you throw some light on the developments in the various GCC countries?

GCC countries keep up with all advancements and strategies responding to their aspirations.

They implement these strategies according to the capabilities and strengths of each country and based on the availability of resources. Thus, GCC industrial development is cohesive and directed toward target markets.

How has Qatar fared so far? How do you see the private sector’s development here?

Qatar has witnessed a remarkable industrial development leap over the last ten years. Small and medium enterprises were at the heart of this development. In fact, SMEs represent 78% of the total industries and offer jobs to 45% of the total workers in the manufacturing industry. Moreover, the private sector undoubtedly plays a major role at the level of Qatar’s economy in general and the industrial sector in particular.

Please tell us a bit about the 14th Gulf Industrialists Conference which will be held in Oman in 2014.

The Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting in collaboration with the Omani Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Public Authority for Industrial Promotion and Export Development (PAIPED) and

GOIC endeavours to direct companies toward promising sectors in GCC countries. In this regard, the Organisation launched the Industrial Map for GCC countries last year, which was a first. The positive results of this study paved the way for new projects, especially in the area of petrochemicals, food products, metals and construction material.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), and in coordination with the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Federation of GCC Chambers is organising the 14th Gulf Industrialists Conference “Industrial Exports in the GCC and Yemen – Opportunities & Challenges”.

In fact, the world has witnessed severe commodity and raw material price fluctuations and a rise in international shipping prices from various worldwide ports. Yet, large industrial firms are still looking for new centres to settle their investments in exports. Most of these firms consider GCC countries and Yemen an attraction for their investments.

Furthermore, a new generation of Gulf small and medium investments was born. These SMEs constantly seek exporting opportunities to international markets.

Therefore, the increase in Gulf exports’ share of the markets in target countries and the establishment of regional distribution centres for European and North and South American countries were among the most important challenges that Gulf countries had to face. In addition, the restructuring of supplying relationships with partners on Asian markets and the birth of new centres for African markets were also among the challenges.

In order to identify challenges and opportunities, the conference will be an opportunity for a group of renowned experts and specialists to shed light upon industrial exports and challenges in GCC countries and Yemen.

They will also tackle establishing potential new channels aiming at reinforcing business relationships with international markets and international industrial firms. Furthermore, the Conference will talk about laying the foundations of exporting businesses in the Arab Gulf to boost Gulf industrial exporting opportunities to international markets. It goes without saying that the main focus will be reinforcing relationships between Gulf countries by promoting industrial SMEs and businessmen to invest in exporting industries and establishing ventures and firms specialised in exporting to international markets.

Last but not least, the conference will expose international success stories and study their potential implementation in GCC countries and Yemen.

On this topic, please allow me to mention GOIC’s role in supporting Gulf industrial exports through its various programmes, mainly the Gulf industrial exports development services. This programme studies international promotion and marketing strategies and discusses activities related to developing exporting capacities of Gulf industrial commodities in order to promote Gulf products on the international markets.

For businesses looking at setting up or expanding in the GCC countries, what will be your advice to them? Are there any sectors they can look at in particular countries? Or any regulations they need to be aware of?

GOIC endeavours to direct companies toward promising sectors in GCC countries. In this regard, the Organisation launched the Industrial Map for GCC countries last year, which was a first.

The positive results of this study paved the way for new projects, especially in the area of petrochemicals, food products, metals and construction material.

As to new firms, our advice would be increasing competitiveness through energy and raw material efficiency, complying with international standards, reducing costs as much as possible in order to achieve competitiveness, seeking to target new markets, focusing on efficient marketing and research and development, and shifting to knowledge-based and vital industries such as communications, software, electronics and pharmaceuticals in order to achieve added value, compete on the international markets and develop local cadres.

How do you assist businesses?

We provide businesses with assistance start until the operation phase.

In fact, we have introduced several investment opportunities and we provide market and project feasibility studies. In addition, through GOIC’s programmes, we offer guidance to businessmen to allow them to accomplish their goals by providing training, assistance and specialized and general courses about starting new ventures and industrial awareness.

GOIC recently conducted an annual assessment of the readiness of GCC countries to move to knowledge-based industries (2011-2012).

What were the results?

The assessment highlighted the importance of knowledge-based industries by studying the industrial map. We offered ideas and principles to be implemented. As a matter of fact, countries adopted our ideas and we expect that future surveys carried out by GOIC will reveal a positive outcome.

GOIC’s 2012 diagnosis about the readiness of GCC countries to move to knowledge-based industries underlined an important potential in GCC countries. Some of the key factors were: the availability of necessary financial resources for investments and vital economic infrastructure, the existing demand on local and regional markets and the lack of any alternative to knowledge-based industries. The study identified two groups. The first group: KSA, UAE and Qatar achieved an important progress in terms of readiness to move to knowledge-based industries.

These countries will be capable of making the shift by 2020 if they work on their current weaknesses. The second group: Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain need to deploy additional efforts to achieve this shift toward knowledge-based industries.

What, in your opinion, are the strong points of Qatar, which can make it an ideal industrial destination?

Qatar enjoys several factors that help making it a successful industrial destination such as political and economic stability, transparent economic transactions, abundant energy resources notably natural gas, important geographic location and accumulated expertise.

They all help attracting additional investments in the industrial sector. In addition to that, Qatar has a lot of capital and encourages tourist industry.

November 2013

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Legal

Rule of the land The State of Qatar is a hereditary Emirate characterised by a modern legislative system which is aimed at ensuring justice and equality between citizens and to accompanying its rapid economic growth.

Charbel Neaman, Associate, Corporate and Commercial, Clyde & Co, explains to us the basics of the legal provisions in Qatar.

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he origin of the current legal system in Qatar is to be found in the Permanent Constitution of Qatar enacted by the Emir on 8 June 2004 (“Constitution�).

The Constitution is based on the separation of powers: legislative authority, executive authority, and judiciary authority.

Charbel Neaman is an associate at the corporate and commercial department of Clyde & Co, Doha.

Before joining Clyde & Co in May 2010, Charbel worked for major local law firms in Lebanon, Bahrain and Qatar where he advised local and international clients on various corporate, commercial and civil matters including but not limited to mergers and acquisitions, incorporation and registration of companies, bankruptcy and employment.

Charbel has extensive experience in corporate and commercial litigation.

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Before going into the legislative process it is necessary to outline the structure of the Qatari constitution and the competences of the various arms of government within such structure.

The legislative process in Qatar consists of three phases – enactment of the law, publication of the law and execution of the law. Whereas enactment of laws vests mainly with the Consultative Assembly (also known as Shoura Council/Majlis Al-Shoura) and under exceptional circumstances with the Emir, the execution of laws vests with the Council of Ministers.

Pursuant to Article (67) of the Constitution, any law enacted by the Consultative Assembly should be approved by the Emir.

Enactment of laws Article (61) of the Constitution vests in the legislative authority with the Consultative Assembly.

The Constitution provides that the Council of Ministers and/or any member of the Consultative

Assembly are entitled to propose a new law or amendment to a law in force. Any such proposal should be referred to the concerned committee at the Consultative Assembly in order for it to study the same and to provide its opinion on it. The committee should refer the proposal and its opinion to the Consultative Assembly and if the latter agrees to such proposal it should refer the proposal to the Council of Ministers to provide its comments and observations and refer the proposal back to the Consultative Assembly for its approval. The Council of Ministers may refer the proposal to the concerned Minister, Ministry or Government agency for this purpose (it goes without saying that if the proposal originated from the Council of Ministers, the Consultative Assembly is not required to refer it to the Council of Ministers for comments and observation and may refer the proposal directly to the Emir for approval in accordance with the process below). The Consultative Assembly has discretion to take into consideration or disregard the comments and observations provided by the Council of Ministers, however, as the Council of Ministers is the authority responsible for execution of laws in Qatar, its comments and observations are always taken into consideration by the Consultative Assembly for the purpose of enactment of a new law.

Pursuant to Article (106) of the Constitution, any proposal of a new law passed by the Consultative Assembly should be referred to the Emir for his

Legal

approval. The Emir may refuse to approve the proposal and in this instance he is required to refer the proposal back to the Consultative Assembly within a period of three months from the date he received this proposal.

The Consultative Assembly may, through a two thirds majority vote to enact a law proposal disapproved by the Emir, however, the Emir is entitled to suspend application of any such law for any period he may deem appropriate to safeguard the highest public interests of the country.

Decree-Laws Pursuant to Article (70) of the Constitution, The Emir may, in the event of exceptional circumstances requiring measures of highest urgency necessitating the issue of special laws and in circumstances where the Consultative Assembly is not in session, issue Decrees having the power of law. Such decree-laws shall be submitted to the Consultative Assembly at its first meeting and the Consultative Assembly may within a maximum period of forty days from the date of submission and with a two thirds majority of its Members repeal any of these decree-laws or request amendment thereof to be effected within a specified period of time; any decree-law shall cease to have the power of law from the date of its rejection by twothirds of the members of the Consultative Assembly.

Publication of laws Pursuant to Law No. (1) of 1961 any law issued in Qatar should be published in the Official Gazette. A law published in the Official Gazette becomes effective after 30 days from its publication or any shorter or longer period as may be specified in the law itself. If the law is silent in relation to any shorter or longer period, the period of 30 days above applies.

Execution of laws The execution of laws is made through Ministerial decrees, Ministerial resolutions and/or executive

The legislative process in Qatar consists of three phases – enactment of the law, publication of the law and execution of the law.

Whereas enactment of laws vests mainly with the Consultative Assembly (also known as Shoura Council/Majlis Al-Shoura) and under exceptional circumstances with the Emir, the execution of laws vests with the Council of Ministers.

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regulations issued by the concerned Minister, Ministry or Government authority following approval by the Council of Ministers. The approval of the Council of Ministers is not required when the law, subject to execution explicitly entitles the Minister, Ministry or Government authority to issue such decree, resolution or executive regulation.

For example, pursuant to Article (3) of the Qatar Foreign Investment Law No. (13) of 2000 (“Foreign Investment Law”), the Minister of Economy and Trade has discretion to issue a Ministerial resolution establishing a branch totally owned by a foreign entity in Qatar carrying on a public benefit project (e.g. a contract with a Government or quasi-Government entity in Qatar). This Ministerial resolution does not require approval from the Council of Ministers as the authority of the Minister of Economy and Trade is explicitly provided under the Foreign Investment Law. Emiri Decrees Article (67) of the Constitution vests with the Emir the authority of establishing and organising Ministries and Government entities and specifying their authorities. Article (67) of the Constitution entitles the Emir to establish specific public authorities directing the highest politics of the country and supervising it.

Furthermore, the Emir is entitled to issue amnesties in relation to criminal acts. These authorities are carried out by the Emir through decrees referred to as Emiri Decrees. Unlike Decree-Laws which may be repealed or amended by the Consultative Assembly, Emiri Decrees may be repealed by another Emiri Decree only.

The legislative system as described above has proved efficient in the process of enactment and execution of laws in Qatar. The fast economic growth which Qatar is witnessing currently entailed a considerable number of new laws in a very short period in different social, financial, and economic sectors. The publication of these laws in the Official Gazette remains the main tool for notification of such laws, however, the Ministries and Government authorities executing these laws are also playing a noticeable role in their implementation.

The existence of many foreign investors in Qatar also had influence on the Qatar Laws which aim to satisfy the requirements of the local community, the Islamic Shariaa and the internationalisation of the financial and commercial transactions.

Note: Qatari Laws (save for those issued by the Qatar Financial Centre to regulate internal business) are issued in Arabic and there are no official translations for the purpose of drafting this article, we have used our own translations and interpreted in the context of Qatari regulation and current market practice.

QDB’s export arm

Tasdeer Tasdeer, QDB’s export arm, was launched by Qatar Development Bank (QDB) in 2011 with the objective to develop, support, and globally promote exports from Qatar through export financing and export development and promotion support to Qatar-based SME exporters. It provides access to finance, credit insurance and advisory services for exporters and supports businesses to develop their export capabilities through export development and promotion.

As part of its offering, Tasdeer offers two different sets of services: ■■ Export financial services ■■ Export development and promotion services.

Tasdeer’s export development services focus on products and services offered to the exporters in the area of capability and capacity building, market and business-related intelligence and market advisory services. As part of its export promotion services, Tasdeer is focusing on facilitating the participation of exporters in identified exhibitions in the target markets

Tasdeer

Exploring Tunisia Tasdeer, QDB’s export arm, recently assigned Ernst & Young to conduct a market study in Tunisia for 21 product categories in order to assess the competitiveness of Qatari exports to Tunisia. We bring to you some of the highlights.

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unisia has a single e-window to facilitate export procedures: Tunisia TradeNet (www.tradenet.com.tn).

As per World Bank’s doing business survey (2012): ■■ Exporting to Tunisia requires four documents per shipment whereas the MENA region requires ~six documents on average ■■ Documentation and clearance of exports to Tunisia costs lower than the average for the MENA region: USD 773 vs. USD 1,060 (for a 20 ft. container) ■■ Port handling, clearance and documentation for exports to Tunisia is faster than the same procedures on average in the MENA region: 2 days vs. ~3 days (for dry non hazardous / refrigerated cargo)

Tunisian imports from the GCC (23% increase)

Qatar’s opportunities Tunisia looks forward to discover the supply of Qatari products as it is trying to find new international suppliers” (2nd largest Tunisia is also currently seeking to find a solid international partner for an industrial JV and are very keen to do it with a Qatari Manufacturer” (1st distributor of Plastic plates and cups in Tunisia) Tunisia believes that the quality perception of the Qatari industrial products is very strong all over the world, and it would like to get more information about their products” (Major importer of valves) Recent trade shows and exhibitions ■■ 21-22 October 2013: North Africa Downstream Summit Tunis, Tunisia ■■ 5-8 November 2013: International Association of Operative Millers Conference & Expo – Sousse, Tunisia ■■ 13–16 November 2013: International Agribusiness Fair Tunis, Tunisia ■■ 11-15 December 2013: Building and Construction trade show – Batexpo – Djerba, Tunisia In the beginning of 2014, two workshops will be organised.

■■ A Workshop with Qatari exporters in Doha (tentative date: late January 2014) ■■ A Match making event in Tunis, Tunisia (tentative date : midMarch 2014) For more information about this market, please visit the following websites.

Ministry of trade and handicrafts: www.commerce.gov.tn Ministry of Industry

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www.tunisieindustrie.gov.tn

Tasdeer

Your guidebook to everything export

Tasdeer, QDB’s export arm, recently released Trade Secrets, in collaboration with the ITC, which is a handbook customised to answer the most commonly asked questions on the export process. In this section, we highlight some of those questions relating to making the decision to export.

More information about the Trade Secrets handbook can be found at http://www.qdb. qa/english/products/exporting/ development/pages/tradesecrets.aspx

Why should a business person export?

Exporting offers numerous advantages for the firm but, unfortunately, many firms do not take advantage of the incredible opportunities that exist in the worldwide marketplace.

The massive restructuring of political boundaries, the opening of new consumer markets, historic trade agreements, and the new World Trade Organization have created unprecedented opportunities for business to export.

Ours is a global economy, influenced by the worldwide access of manufacturing technology which has created competitive manufacturers able to produce cheaper, faster, and better.

Many developing countries have become serious rivals to established economies because of their links to global communication systems and the development of television, print, and electronic access to information.

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Gain global market share: By exporting the firm will learn from its competitors, their strategies and what they have done to gain a share in foreign markets.

Reduce dependence on existing domestic markets: By expanding into foreign markets the firm will increase its marketing base and reduce its dependence on local customers.

Stabilise market fluctuations: By tapping global markets, firms are no longer held captive to economic changes, varying consumer demand and seasonal fluctuations in the domestic economy.

Make use of excess production capacity: Exporting could increase the utilisation of production runs, thereby reducing average unit costs and raising economies of scale.

There has never been a more opportune time for Qatari firms to capitalize on these market shifts and to export for the following reasons:

Enhance competitiveness: Exporting enhances a firm’s and a country competitive advantage. While the firm will benefit from exposure to new technologies, methods and processes, the country will benefit from improved balance of trade.

Increase sales and profits: If the firm is performing well domestically, expansion into foreign markets is likely to improve its profitability.

Above all, the Qatar’s market size is small (population 1.9 million) and there is a need for all the Qatari companies to look for export market.

What are the advantages and risks of exporting for the firm?

Direct advantages to the exporting firm ■■ Opportunity to expand market share.

■■ Increase production if underutilised in the domestic market.

■■ Decrease dependence on domestic sales or compensate for stagnating domestic market.

■■ Diffuse domestic competition by expanding into less competitive foreign markets.

■■ Follow domestic leaders into foreign markets to reduce foreign market research costs.

■■ Competition in international markets stimulates exporters to adapt their products to the needs of the market, leading to an improvement in their level of technology know-how.

Implementation ■■ Determine methods of distribution.

■■ Establish marketing methods.

■■ Choose sales representatives or sales methods.

■■ Negotiate financial instruments.

■■ Obtain insurance cover.

■■ Complete the required paperwork.

■■ Package and label the product.

■■ Ship the product.

It is important to note that many of the risks of exporting are similar to those faced in the domestic market.

■■ Failure to obtain qualified export counseling and to develop a master international strategy and marketing plan before starting an export business.

■■ Insufficient commitment by top management to overcome the initial difficulties and financial requirements of exporting.

■■ Inadequate care in selecting overseas sales representatives or distributors.

■■ Seeking orders from around the world rather than concentrating on one or two geographical areas.

■■ Neglect of exports to foreign markets when the domestic market booms.

■■ Failure to treat a particular market technique and product will automatically be successful in all countries.

■■ Unwillingness to modify products in order to meet regulations or cultural performances of foreign countries.

■■ Failure to print service, sales, and warranty message in foreign languages.

■■ Failure to consider the use of an export management company if the firm cannot afford its own export department.

■■ Failure to consider licensing or joint venture agreements when the company is reluctant to enter into foreign markets on its own due import restrictions, insufficient resources or a limited product line.

■■ Failure to provide readily available after-sales services for the product.

Risks of expanding into domestic or foreign markets ■■ Sales may not meet projections.

■■ Competition may be greater than anticipated.

■■ Customers may be slow to pay, or not pay at all.

■■ Risks unique to exporting ■■ Repatriation of profits from the target country may be constrained or forbidden.

■■ Fluctuations in exchange rates may decrease or eliminate profits, or may even result in losses.

■■ In cases of non-payment or other contractual problems, there may be questions of jurisdiction.

■■ Instability in the target country can lead losses from war or civil strife or nationalization by the foreign government.

■■ The product may not be accepted in foreign markets.

What is involved in a typical export process?

The export process involves three critical functions: feasibility analysis, planning foreign market entry, and implementation. These functions involve 20 steps.

Feasibility analysis ■■ Analyse domestic performance.

■■ Assess the firm’s capacities.

■■ Consider the demographics and the social, political and economic factors of target markets.

■■ Confer with international trade experts (e.g. in marketing, finance, legal and logistics).

■■ Select target markets.

Planning foreign market entry planning ■■ Conduct market research into the industry sector.

■■ Evaluate market research.

■■ Plan market entry strategy.

■■ Comply with target country licensing, standards and certification requirements.

■■ File for necessary patent, trademark and copyright protection.

■■ Identify taxes, tariffs, duties, quotas or other non-tariff trade barriers.

■■ Establish pricing schedule.

What are the most common mistakes made by exporters?

The following are the twelve most common mistakes often made by small firms as they begin to export or expand into foreign markets:

What questions should be answered before making the decision to export?

Exporting involves a considerable investment of financial, managerial, and production resources. Therefore, objective analysis is necessary before making the decision to export. It is important to consider the followings: Analysis of Domestic Performance ■■ Why is the business successful in the domestic market?

■■ What is the current domestic market share of the product?

Firm’s Commitment and Desire to Export ■■ What are the firm’s objectives for exporting?

■■ At what level in the firm’s hierarchy is the exporting department located?

■■ Which members of the firm’s staff will be involved with the

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export process?

■■ Is there a need to increase the size of the firm’s staff?

■■ What international experience does the firm (or any of its employees) have?

■■ What level of involvement in the export process is the firm willing to have?

■■ How much risk is the firm willing to take?

Competitive Analysis ■■ What makes the firm’s products or services competitive in a foreign market?

■■ What makes the products or services unique?

■■ What are overall competitive advantages (e.g., technological advancements, patents, skills)?

■■ Repatriation of profits from the target country may be constrained or forbidden.

Finding Out About Target Foreign Markets ■■ What market segments are being targeted?

■■ How much inventory will be necessary to sell overseas?

■■ How is the firm’s competition performing in international markets?

■■ Will the product be restricted due to tariffs, quotas or other non-tariff barriers?

■■ Does the product conflict with the culture, traditions or beliefs of customers abroad?

■■ Will patent/trademark protection abroad be essential for the product?

■■ What product labelling requirements must be met?

■■ What sort of environment regulations need to be adhered to?

Marketing the Product ■■ How will the product or service be advertised?

■■ What companies, agents or distributors have purchased similar products?

■■ Who will represent the firm when selling abroad?

■■ Will an agent or distributor be appointed to handle the export market?

■■ What territory should the agent or distributor cover?

■■ What non-competitive lines are acceptable for the agent or distributor to carry?

■■ Can a potential buyer see a functioning model or sample of the product?

■■ Is there a trade fair that will best highlight the product or service?

■■ Will the product/service be sold under the same name in the foreign target market?

Pricing and commercial terms ■■ How will the price be calculated?

■■ What are the service terms?

■■ What are the payment and credit terms?

■■ What are the warranty and guarantee terms?

■■ What are the discount terms?

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What are the facilities extended for an industry in the State of Qatar by the Government?

Qatar has the following incentives and features that are attractive to foreign investors: ■■ Qatar has two telecom operators, Ooredoo and Vodafone Qatar ■■ An extensive and growing list of trade agreements and double taxation agreements.

■■ Well developed and well-resourced medical and educational facilities.

■■ Natural gas and electricity priced at low rates by international standards.

■■ Industrial land at reduced rents.

■■ An extensive range of air links to global destinations.

■■ A strong telecommunications sector. Qatar has two telecoms operators, Ooredoo and Vodafone Qatar ■■ A 10% rate of corporate income tax rate which is low by international standards.

■■ There are many sectors in which 100% foreign ownership may be permitted. An amendment made in 2010 to the Foreign Investment Law mentions that the Ministry of Finance, Business and Trade may now authorise up to 100% foreign investment in companies that undertake activities in the following sectors: agriculture, industry, health, education, tourism, development and utilisation of natural resources, energy, mining, advisory and technical consultations, IT, cultural, sport and entertainment services, and distribution services.

■■ Foreign investors can also have 100% ownership of companies in the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) or in the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP).

■■ There are no foreign exchange controls or restrictions on the remittance of funds overseas.

■■ Zero import duty on machinery, equipment and spare parts for industrial projects.

■■ There is no VAT or Sales Tax in Qatar, although there are plans for the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries to introduce VAT in the future.

What are the advantages of exporting to the GCC? ■■ No duty for Qatari products subject to meeting the value addition norms.

■■ The GCC countries are in close proximity to Qatar, and exports can be done by road. This makes the transportation much easier and swifter.

■■ Qatari products are produced as per GCC specification.

■■ The culture in the GCC is the same as in Qatar and hence the products are easily accepted.

■■ Six member countries of GCC are: State of Bahrain, State of Kuwait, Sultanate of Oman, State of Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates

The Fourth Qatar International Businesswomen Forum November 11-12, 2013 - St. Regis Doha Hotel, Qatar

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