contents
november 2012
32
40 74
c ove r story
40 Where are the young Qatari men?
There is a huge disparity in the ratio of females to males currently studying at Qatar University. Why are Qatari males avoiding higher education to such a degree? Do we blame them for their lack of motivation or simply a system which will welcome them into a great job without any formal higher education?
32 Labour Laws being altered
36
The Labour Ministry is looking more closely at its sponsorship laws and has now issued a draft law which it claims will solve some of the defects in the original legislation. Vice-Chairman of Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Dr Yousef Obaidan discusses the contentious subject with Ezdhar Ibrahim.
100
36 All in a day’s work
How do you approach your day? With anxiety and trepidation, or with a firm call to action? As Dr R. Seetharaman completes ten years as CEO of Doha Bank, he tells Rory Coen that he is keener than he was when he started and feels blessed – rather than cursed – to have been in such a position during the recent financial crisis.
80 published by oryx advertising co. wll, All rights reserved. qatar today is published monthly by oac, po box no. 3272, doha, qatar. subscription rate qr. 240 per year. address all subscription correspondence to qatar today, oryx advertising co. wll, po box 3272, al hilal area, doha, state of qatar. for single copies call us on +974 44672139 or mail qtoday@omsqatar.com. material in this publication must not be stored or reproduced in any form without permission. request for permission should be directed to qtoday@omsqatar.com. reprint requests should be directed to info@msqatar.com. qatar today is registered a trademark of oryx advertising co. wll
6 Qatar Today
november 2012
november 2012 volume 38 issue 11 www.qatartodayonline.com
contents
november 2012
84
27
92
88
56
COP18 – Opportunity Lost?
Michael Mathres, Director of World Climate Ltd, has a simple mandate: to make sure that the UN Climate Change Conference, COP18 – to be held in Doha in November and December – is a success. However, he tells Sindhu Nair that the country is in danger of underestimating the potential of the conference and how it can promote Qatar’s green agenda.
64
60
Should Qatar enable e-health?
As information and communication technologies have grown rapidly in recent years, medical science is compelled to keep pace with what they can offer. Rory Coen heard Dr Najeeb Al-Shorbaji, Director of Knowledge Management and Sharing at the World Health Organisation Headquarters in Geneva, explain the merits of “e-health”.
88
The forgotten food
Falafel had almost become extinct until Just Falafel brought it back through a more modernised and international version of the basic recipe. Lebanese entrepreneur, Fadi Malas, the CEO of Just Falafel, spoke to Ola Diab about how social media helped propel the fast food joint into the stratosphere.
8 Qatar Today
54
november 2012
Localising our media
There’s increasing interest in the localisation of media in the Middle East – meaning producing shows that relate to people not only linguistically but also culturally. Joe Khalil, an Associate Professor at Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q), talked to Ola Diab about this as well as his research on youth media in the Arab world.
28
What influence can a CIO have?
Which individual in your team is best positioned to support a new company as it navigates its way through the early stages of development? Booz and Company argue that the Chief Information Officer (CIO) has influence and has a key role to play in the success of a company.
regulars News Bites.................................................12 O & G O v e r v i e w. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 Bank Notes................................................18 Realty Check.............................................22 ARAB SNI P P ETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4 W o r l d V i e w. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 6 W e ll n e s s w a r r i o r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 4 TECH TA L K . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 AUTO N e w s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 8 Market Watch............................................90 D o h a D i a r y. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 8
V o lu m e 3 8
issue 11
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Chief Executive Executive Vice President Vice President
november 2012
Yousuf Jassem Al Darwish Sandeep Sehgal Alpana Roy Ravi Raman
Editor Sindhu Nair SENIOR CORRESPONDENTS cassey oliveira RORY COEN EZDHAR IBRAHIM CORRESPONDENT OLA diAB senior Art Director Venkat Reddy deputy Art Director Hanan Abu Saiam assistant art director Ayush Indrajith senior Graphic Designer maheshwar reddy Photographer R obert F ALTImirano
senior Manager – Marketing Zulfikar Jiffry ASSISTANT MANAGERS – MARKETING Chaturka Karandana THOMAS JOSE senior Media Consultant HASSAN REKKAB MARKETING RESEARCH AND SUPPORT EXECUTIVE EMILY LANDRY senior Accountant Pratap Chandran Sr. Distribution Executive Bikram Shrestha Distribution Support Arjun Timilsina Bhimal Rai basanta pokhrel
Published by Oryx Advertising Co WLL, P.O. Box 3272; Doha-Qatar Tel: (+974) 44672139, 44550983, 44671173, 44667584 Fax: (+974) 44550982 Email: qtoday@omsqatar.com website: www.omsqatar.com Printed at: Gulf Publishing and Printing Co WLL Copyright © 2012 Oryx Advertising Co WLL
Qatar Today invites readers’ feedback Share your views on the magazine or any issue connected to Qatar. One lucky reader will win an exquisite Mont Blanc writing instrument.
10 Qatar Today
november 2012
published by oryx advertising co wll, All rights reserved. qatar today is published monthly by oac, po box no. 3272, doha, qatar. subscription rate for qr. 180 per year. address for all subscription correspondence to qatar today, oryx advertising co wll, po box 3272, al hilal area, doha, state of qatar. for single copies call us on + 974 44672139 or mail to qtoday@omsqatar.com. material in this publication must not be stored or reproduced in any form without permission. request for permission should be directed to qtoday@omsqatar.com. reprint requests should be directed to the info@Omsqatar.com. qatar today is registered trademark of oryx advertising co wll reprint requests should be directed to the info@Omsqatar.com. qatar today is registered trademark of oryx advertising co wll reprint requests should be directed to the info@Omsqatar.com.
Write to: The Editor, Qatar Today, PO Box 3272, Doha. Fax: (+974) 44550982, email: qtoday@omsqatar.com Qatar Today reserves the right to edit and publish the correspondence. Views and opinions expressed in the published letters may not necessarily be the publication’s views and opinions.
november 2012
from the desk
Qatar
has always been on the receiving end of criticism. If its GDP per person was the highest in the world, it was branded “a rich autocratic country” making its wealth by “unsustainably” depleting natural resources; if foreign workers sought out the country to make their living, Qatar was responsible for their “deplorable” living conditions; if it made an effort to bring the Arab world together for the Doha Talks, there was a “political” intent behind it; and if it won the right to host the 2022 World Cup, then it was because the country used its wealth to “secure” the vote -- the list goes on. And while some of these denunciations may have the facts to back them up, the latest act to put the country in the limelight has proved most of the naysayers wrong. In what has been seen as a landmark move, the Emir of Qatar, HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, visited the Gaza Strip last month, the first visit to the territory by a head of state since the Islamist Hamas movement took over there in 2007. What makes the visit all the more important is that the Emir has pledged to invest in a QR932 million ($254 million) project to rebuild the impoverished and overcrowded Gaza Strip, which sustained major damage during a huge 22-day Israeli military operation in December 2008 and January 2009. While this humanitarian project gets under way, other issues within Qatar itself are again raising flak. The COP18 Climate Change Conference that will bring delegates here from about 198 countries will again draw attention to this tiny state with the world’s largest per-person carbon footprint. The “perfect time” to highlight Qatar’s efforts to mitigate the effects of being a gas-producing and -exporting country, according to an expert from the World Climate Summit, Michael Mathres, who spoke exclusively to Qatar Today. He wonders whether the country is missing the opportunity presented. Read the story (page 56) for his insights into the global – and local – effects of climate change. The country’s education policies have always come under scrutiny. A report published last year showed that young Qatari men were uninterested in higher education. But a Qatar Today investigation (see our cover story) reveals that the report also formulated a 12-point plan to help decrease the gender divide in education. While its recommendations will take time to yield results, what parents, businessmen and leaders can start doing right away is – inculcate a culture of learning. It’s this same attitude that makes Dr R. Seetharaman, Doha Bank CEO for 10 years, love his daily routine. In an exclusive interview with Qatar Today he describes his personal work culture (page 36). We have begun a new series, aptly termed “Wellness Warriors”, where CEOs reiterate the importance of healthy living in a country that is branded “unhealthy” (page 74). Meanwhile, for speed freaks there is McLaren’s latest thrill ride on page 84. As the summer heat eases, let us embrace the health and wellness mantra and enjoy the outdoors more often.
Sindhu Nair
12 Qatar Today
november 2012
letters feedback qtoday@omsqatar.com
Enhancing Qatar’s national identity Priyanka Motaparthy made an interesting point in response to criticism from lawyer Yousef Ahmed Al Zaman when he said the labour and sponsorship laws were in place to help maintain national identity. She said that Qatar’s national identity can only be enhanced by protecting human rights commitments that the country’s rulers have been committed to upholding. I don’t think any expatriates are coming here to compromise Qatar’s national identity. J. Nash
No appetite for change
The whole concept of corporate governance is pointless unless there are practical and punitive punishments for activities which go against the grain of what a financial institution promotes in its annual statements – both for the individual and the institution. All staff – from the top down – need to sign a code of conduct which has jurisdiction in a court of law. I’m not sure there is an appetite for this – even after all that has happened. Hisham Haji
Sort out Road Safety, please!
Something decisive needs to be done about road safety in this country. Travelling on the Al Shamal road last week, two SUVs sped past me on my inside lane at an incredible speed. There can’t have been more than a few feet between the back bumper of one and the front bumper of the other. Whatever about their own safety, what about everyone else on that road that night? Road safety is not and can not be a cultural thing.
qt poll – june
Poll result is based on messages received till 20th of every month
Q
are qatari males right to abandon their plans for higher education?
Sheila Michaels
Two weeks in Qatar
I understand there are about 18,000 delegates coming from 190 countries for the two-week COP18 summit in November. With Qatar trying desperately to promote its “48 hours in Qatar” campaign, what kind of entertainment and cultural activities does it intend to provide for these delegates for two weeks?
In another world
I know many of us are living in a foreign land and we should respect the laws and cultures here, but something is wrong when a defendant can skip a court appearance twice and then seemingly have grounds to miss the third one as well. Officials said the court will proceed “with or without” the defendant the next time. Qatar has just been given the rights to host a World Cup – and has an 80% expatriate population living here – so isn’t it about time it acted is a worldly way?
SMS answers to +974 33072524 A lucky winner will win a NOKIa C5-03
ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH YOUR RETAIL BANK?
62% 38% Yes
no
The winning number of the last QT poll is 3569866
14 Qatar Today
november 2012
K. Benazzi
Ger Morrison
Qatar Today invites readers’ feedback Share your views on the magazine or any issue connected to Qatar. One lucky reader will win an exquisite MontBlanc writing instrument. Write to: The Editor, Qatar Today, PO Box 3272, Doha. Fax: (+974) 44550982, email: qtoday@omsqatar.com Qatar Today reserves the right to edit and publish the correspondence. Views and opinions expressed in the published letters may not necessarily be the publication’s views and opinions.
Check out all articles of Qatar Today on www.QATARTODAYONLINE.COM www.issuu.com/oryxmags/qatartoday follow us on www.facebook.com/qatartoday www.twitter.com/qatartoday www.qatartoday.tumblr.com
cop18– opportunity lost? 56
NEWS BITES
Qatar helping to rebuild Palestine AFP PHOTO/MOHAMMED ABED
Q
atar has launched a $254 million (QR924 million) plan to rebuild and modernise Gaza, the biggest injection of reconstruction aid for the Palestinian enclave since it was devastated in an Israeli military offensive nearly four years ago. Qatari ambassador Mohammed Al-Amadi said the projects will require the cooperation of Israel and Egypt to admit building materials and heavy machinery to Gaza, which is under a partial blockade. Qatar’s envoy said politics played no role in the emirate’s aid decision, but acknowledged that the government of Gaza would ultimately benefit, in addition to the people. “The policy of the state of Qatar is that we make the projects, we design them, we finance them, and once they are finished we hand them over to the relevant ministry,” he said. “This is the policy of Qatar everywhere we act, and Gaza is no exception.” It’s hoped work will begin on site within three months, starting with a highway that will run the length of the Mediterranean coastal strip. The projects are of sufficient scale to transform Gaza and the lives of its 1.6 million people, 28% of whom are un-
Qatari HH Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani (C-R) walks alongside Gaza’s Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya (C-L) during a welcome ceremony at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on October 23, 2012 in the Gaza Strip. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani arrived in the Gaza Strip in the first visit by a head of state since the Islamist Hamas movement took over in 2007.
employed. Economists said thousands of jobs would be created by local contractors who have won tenders to do the work and smaller businesses that will supply and service them.
The Islamist Hamas movement that rules Gaza welcomed the announcement as proof that Gaza had emerged from isolation. An aide to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called it “the first drop of rain”.
Qatar 2022 signs multiple agreements
T
he Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee signed five stakeholder cooperation agreements at a signing ceremony held at Doha’s Four Seasons Hotel last month. The agreements were signed with Qatar Rail, Ashghal, Kahramaa, Aspire Zone Foundation and Qatari Diar – all entities with responsibilities and projects that will play a key role in delivering the infrastructure required. Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee Secretary-General Hassan Al-Thawadi said: “This is a symbol of the unity that exists in Qatar in relation to successfully delivering the Middle East’s first FIFA World Cup. We
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will be signing more agreements in the near future to further unify local entities.” “The World Cup is no longer merely an event that lasts thirty days. Events of this stature have the potential to accelerate the progress of a nation and leave a lasting social, economic and cultural legacy. Our aim is to ensure that the event contributes to achieving the targets set in the 2030 National Vision and to ensure this, it is of the utmost importance that the entire nation works together in a spirit of close cooperation. We are working diligently with our stakeholders every day to ensure the correct foundations are in place for the ten years ahead.”
The main objective of the agreements is to set the framework for coordination with stakeholders responsible for the delivery of projects. It establishes clear guidelines for reports on progress, identifying and implementing efficiencies and providing for early warnings should there be any issues affecting the timely implementation of projects. Representatives from the Supreme Committee and the stakeholders will meet on a monthly basis as part of a Joint Working Group that will cover coordination on aspects involving logistics, health and safety, risk, quality control, security, environmental issues, sustainability and project management.
news bites
Businesswomen emphasise empowerment
T
he Qatari Business Women Association in collaboration with Interactive Business Network (IBN) held their third annual Qatar International Businesswomen Forum (QIBF) last month. In addition to the keynote speakers, VIP attendees and distinguished businesswomen and businessmen, more than 800 delegates took part in QIBF 2012. Vice-Chairwoman of the Qatari Businesswomen Association Aisha Alfardan said: “The main message we wanted to give to the female attendees in general was: ‘You can do it, you can make progress in what is still a male-dominated business environment’. I
think we have succeeded in that for two reasons. First, the speakers at the event come from the very top of their professions, and so know exactly what they are talking about. Second, and this was remarked upon to me many times over the Past two days, was the real appetite, ambition and thirst for learning shown by our female delegates.” Topics included the challenges facing businesswomen in light of economic realities and prospects, which examined the impact of current and expected future economic conditions on business and employment prospects for women in different Arab countries, as well as the implications of any slowdown in the process of economic reform
for business opportunities. There was also a discussion of what attributes make a successful entrepreneur and whether businesswomen have them. Obstacles to successful entrepreneurship in the region and how to overcome them were also discussed, as well as learning from success stories. The number of women engineers in Qatar has been growing recently with female graduates in engineering fields increasing year on year and making an impact in what has traditionally been a male-dominated environment. In one discussion, a variety of women engineers, who are either at the beginning of their careers or already excelling, spoke candidly about their experiences.
QSN to enhance research and sustainability
A
s part of Qatar’s investment and long term commitment to the environment, the Qatar Sustainability Network (QSN) was officially launched last month. Several leading Qatari stakeholders have committed to establishing a network that collectively enhances the culture of research, science and sustainability through active public engagement. As a contributor to Qatar’s National Vision, QSN will promote collaboration among the research and academic community, as well as NGOs to become a leader in sustainable development and research. The network aims to inspire, inform, empower
and educate to improve the quality of life for future generations in Qatar. During COP18, QSN will be the focal point for NGOs and will actively lobby and give advice on the global climate change debate. Dr Rabi Mohtar, Director of Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI) said: “This new initiative highlights the importance of conservation and sustainability in Qatar. It also encourages collaboration and increased awareness about the crucial role of outreach among the community through dissemination of science-based information.” HE Fayad Bin Mohammed Al-Attiya, Executive Chairman of the National Food
Security Programme (QNFSP)and Chairman of the Organising Sub-Committee for COP18/CMP8 Doha stated: “We are delighted that Qatar is at the forefront of sustainability outreach plans in the region. This new initiative will demonstrate the country’s commitment to leading a sustained quality of life for future generations and advance the culture of research in Qatar with its international partners”. To reflect the joint efforts from multiple institutions, the interim management board of QSN consists of representatives from Doha Oasis, ECO-Q, the Ministry of Environment, QNFSP, QScience, QEERI and Sustainable Qatar.
november 2012
Qatar Today 17
news bites
QTA reveals five-year plan strategy
E
stimates predict the GCC hospitality market will grow at an annual rate of 8.1% to a total of $38 billion (QR138 billion) by 2016. While Saudi Arabia is expected to remain the largest GCC market in terms of revenue, followed by the UAE, Qatar is showing much promise. Driven by its preparations for the World Cup and its National Vision 2030 plans, hotel occupancy rates in Qatar are expected to average around 67-73% between 2012 and 2016. Providing the perfect platform for discussion of these developments, the sixth annual Middle East Hospitality Expansion Congress 2012 convened 150 leading hoteliers and specifiers involved in existing or upcoming projects in the Middle East, all
seeking innovative ideas and solutions for projects. Director of Tourism at the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) Abdulla Malalla Al-Bader, who inaugurated the event, said: “Our mission at QTA is to promote and support the country as a quality tourism destination for business, education, leisure, culture and sport, and we see hotel expansion as the cornerstone for the future. “The Qatar Tourism Authority’s strategy is to grow the tourism industry by 20% in the next five years. As part of its five-year plan, Qatar is investing $17 billion (QR62 billion) in tourism infrastructure, including the construction of luxury hotels, resorts and meeting facilities. To meet forecast demand, hotel capacity will increase by 400% to over 29,000 luxury rooms and apartments by 2017,” explained Al-Bader.
138 billion QR by 2016:
400% hotel capacity TO increase
GCC HOSPITALITY MARKET
62billion qr
In Numbers
to BE investED as part of QATAR’S five-year plan
QNRF and SEC recognise budding researchers
T
he Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) concluded the latest cycle of its Secondary School Research Experience Programme (SSREP) with an awards ceremony recognising 89 outstanding student researchers last month. The QNRF awarded the students for their projects, which covered a wide range of research topics and achieved an average score of 80% or above. The Supreme Education Council (SEC) collaborated with the QNRF to ensure the quality and relevance of the students’ research. Commenting on the success of this collaboration, Executive Director of QNRF Dr Abdul Sattar Al-Taie said: “We are very pleased to see a surge in both the quantity and quality of research projects participating in the second cycle of this programme.” He added: “Through SSREP and our other student activities and programmes, the QNRF hopes to spread a culture of research to every home in Qatar, with the long-term goal of helping the country build a progressive, knowledge-based society.” Sixteen schools won recognition in the programme’s second cycle, with ten research projects receiving outstanding results by passing the 90% benchmark.
QBA findS ITS feet on legal issues
T
he Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) held a round-table legal discussion with the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC) last month to discuss the duties of the court and its specialty in resolving legal issues and disputes. This was followed by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of Lord Phillips, the newly appointed President of the QICDRC, during his visit to Doha. The QBA was headed by its Chairman, Sheikh Faisal bin Qasem Al Thani, who explained that the development of the legal infrastructure is an essential factor in the progress of the economy and in pushing economic development, since the presence of such specialised legal bodies and entities
18 Qatar Today
november 2012
encourages foreign investors and protects companies’ rights while reducing the long procedures involved in dispute resolution. Moreover, the presence of this body also creates awareness in the local business community in addition to foreign investors, who in turn become knowledgeable about laws and regulations. The MoU reflects the QBA and QICDRC’s shared vision of helping with the development of the country’s business and legal infrastructure to the highest international standards. Central to this shared vision are improving the professional skills and practices of Qatari businesses, promoting openness, fairness and transparency in business dealings and promoting confidence in Qatar’s business environment and legal systems.
CEO of the QFC Authority, Shashank Srivastava receives the ‘Best Financial Centre in the Middle East’ award from Global Investment magazine for the second year in a row.
news bites
Meeting Qatar’s solar energy target
Milipol Qatar 2012 The ninth edition of international internal security exhibition “Milipol Qatar 2012” was hosted by the Doha Exhibition Centre last month. The three-day event, which was inaugurated by HH the Heir Apparent, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, saw a total reserved area of 5,623 square metres, with approximately 265 companies from 38 countries participating.
Qatari Enterprise gets another major boost
S
ilatech launched SILA, the country’s first business angel network last month, which it hopes will propel it to the forefront of the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. With this milestone initiative, Silatech is aiming to grow the start-up community into a vibrant enterprise culture in Qatar, and to boost the success rate of early-stage new businesses. Silatech has identified a start-up equity gap, as entrepreneurs in Qatar find it difficult to obtain funding for their business ideas. The new angel investor network will aim to address this gap through collaboration with a variety of organisations both within Qatar and throughout the region. In addition to Silatech, founding partners in SILA include the Bedaya Centre, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) and Enterprise Qatar (EQ). Silatech CEO Dr Tarik M. Yousef said: “Despite a generally favourable enterprise climate and a lot of young talent with good business ideas, the equity gap between the seed and early business stages and the growth stage of small businesses with support from investment funds is a barrier to success that SILA will address. SILA will
connect angel investors with start-up entrepreneurs by offering opportunities for interaction and personal mentoring at a series of regular events. In addition, SILA will provide training programmes for both potential angel investors as well as aspiring young entrepreneurs.”
Q
atar Solar Technologies (QSTec) are firmly behind the nation’s bid to generate 1.8 gigawatts – 20% of the country’s total energy requirements – through renewable sources. Dr Khalid Klefeekh Al Hajri, Chairman and CEO of QSTec said: “As one of the key organisations dedicated to building a brand new industry of solar energy in Qatar, we at QSTec are extremely proud to support this promise wholeheartedly and meet its requirements. “QSTec is a strong advocate of the 2030 Qatar National Vision and will seize every opportunity that will turn this vision into a reality – beginning with the manufacture of polysilicon, the key ingredient of the world’s most efficient solar panels, and expanding through to the manufacturing and installation of solar modules and solutions. “It is worth mentioning that solar energy will complement Qatar’s conventional sources of energy. QSTec’s polysilicon plant in Ras Laffan Industrial City, when fully expanded, will have the capacity to produce 6.5 GW of solar power. QSTec will continue to collaborate and partner with key local and international organisations to shape the future of the solar industry throughout Qatar and the region.”
november 2012
Qatar Today 19
is e-health the right fix for qatar? 60
O & G overview QU establishes Qatargas CENG Chair
Q
qatargas in london Qatargas attended the 26th Gastech Conference and Exhibition, which was held from October 8-11 at London’s ExCel Conference and Exhibition Centre.
Qatargas signs new SPA with Chubu
H
E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry and Chairman of the Board of Qatargas, signed a new long-term Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) between Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited (3) (Qatargas 3) and Chubu Electric Power Company Incorporated (Chubu Electric) of Japan. Under the terms of the agreement, Qatargas 3 will deliver up to one million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG for a period of 15 years starting from 2013. On this occasion, Dr Al-Sada said: “Consistent with the vision of HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, this agreement is further testimony to Qatar’s leading role in helping ensure the energy
20 Qatar Today
november 2012
security of countries around the world. Chubu Electric has a unique place in Qatar’s LNG success story. LNG deliveries from Qatar to Japan started with the first cargo to Chubu Electric in 1997. This new agreement underlines our ongoing commitment to supply LNG to Japan well into the future.” This new agreement is in addition to several existing agreements between Chubu Electric and Qatargas. Chubu Electric was the first Japanese company to sign an SPA with Qatargas back in 1992 and was also one of the eight Japanese power and utility companies that signed a multiparty contract with Qatargas in 1994. In December 2011 Qatargas signed a tripartite agreement to supply LNG to Chubu Electric Power Company and Shizuoka Gas Company.
atar University (QU) recently established a Qatargas Chair position in its Department of Chemical Engineering at the College of Engineering (CENG). The newly appointed chairholder, Dr Leo Pierre van den Broeke, is an expert in the field, having obtained his undergraduate and higher degrees and research experience in the Netherlands at the University of Amsterdam, Delft University, Eindhoven University and TNO (Netherlands). Under the terms of the agreement, he will join a group of CENG chemical engineering faculty to set up a long-term project on carbon capture and utilisation in association with Qatargas and other industrial partners.
where are the young qatari men?
40
bank notes
MENA prospects strengthen amid global slowdown
T
he global economic outlook looks more downbeat as major world economies struggle with low real GDP growth. However, prospects for the MENA region have strengthened due to higher oil prices and increased government spending, according to a QNB Group review of the IMF’s October World Economic Outlook, released at the annual IMF meeting held this year in Tokyo. Growth prospects for the MENA region have strengthened, with forecast growth of 5.3% in 2012 and 3.6% in 2013. Growth in the MENA region is two-dimensional, with a clear distinction between oil exporters and importers. The gap in the growth outlook between them has widened. While growth prospects for oil exporters have improved to 6.6% in 2012 (up from 4.8% in the April 2012 forecast), the prospects for oil importers have substantially
declined to 1.2% in 2012 (down from 2.2% in the April 2012 forecast). Higher oil prices and increased government spending have been the key differentiating factors that has brightened the growth prospects for oil-exporting countries. The outlook for oil-importing countries remains subdued as political turmoil and change have led to declining economic activity. Looking at oil prices based on the futures market, the IMF has revised downwards its oil price assumptions to $106.2/barrel in 2012 and $105.1/barrel in 2013, from $114.7/ barrel and $110.0/barrel respectively in the April 2012 forecast. Supply increases from Saudi Arabia and the US and the worsening outlook for global growth, and hence oil demand, have led to lower expectations for oil prices. Further downside risks to oil prices are posed through weak demand from Asia and Europe, according to QNB Group.
Q
QIB completes issuance of Sukuk
22 Qatar Today
november 2012
atar Islamic Bank (QIB) has successfully priced a $750 million (QR2.7 billion) fiveyear sukuk issued at par with a 2.5% semi-annual profit rate under its $1.5 billion (QR5.5 billion) Trust Certificate issuance programme. Deutsche Bank, HSBC, QInvest and Standard Chartered Bank acted as joint lead managers and joint bookrunners, with Qatar International Islamic Bank and Sharjah Islamic Bank as co-managers on the transaction. Bookbuilding began on October 2 with the release of official price guidance at MS + 190bps area. The following morning a revised price guidance of MS + 175-180bps was released to investors, and the deal was
stabilising global economy difficult
A
lthough decisions taken by the European and US central banks have helped to stabilise the markets, there are still many uncertainties regarding the future direction of the economy. The latest Global View by Bank Sarasin’s research department predicts additional, far-reaching political measures for the fourth quarter of 2012. After the late summer rally, equities only offer limited upside potential and a setback is likely. The yields on government bonds are likely to trend sideways and will only start to rise significantly as the global economy starts to pick up again in Q1 2013. The additional dollar liquidity is likely to weaken the greenback during the fourth quarter.. Recent announcements by central banks have managed to stabilise economic sentiment. But getting the economy back on its feet requires far-reaching political measures which could possibly be forced by renewed turbulence in financial markets during the fourth quarter of 2012. Given this backdrop, the uncertainty regarding the future direction of the economy is likely to persist until at least the end of this year. finally priced at the tight end of the range at MS + 175bps. The transaction was priced efficiently against QIB’s October 2015s. This financing represents the lowest profit rate ever achieved by any GCC financial institution. The final book reached $6 billion (QR22 billion), representing eight times the subscription of the desired issuance size, an extremely strong performance given the large supply of Middle Eastern sukuk issuances this year. The size of the book represents both the increased liquidity in the Islamic investor base and also the growing appetite for sukuk among conventional accounts. The Trust Certificates will be listed on the Irish Stock Exchange.
ba n k n ot es
Inflation-proof your savings What returns do you currently enjoy from your savings? Whatever those returns are, chances are they will be a lot less once inflation has taken its bite.
So
to achieve a “real” return from savings, you need to make sure any financial planning takes inflation into account. Inflation is a measure of the purchasing power of cash. It is generally calculated by measuring price changes on a basket of goods and services covering basic needs such as rent, fuel, food, clothing and other essential living items. It’s basically a measure of how much money our savings must earn in order to sustain the same standard of living. So if annual inflation is running at 2%, it means goods and services will cost 2% more than they did a year ago. To give an example of how this affects your savings, if you had savings of $100,000 and inflation was running at a rate of 2% per year, then over a 10 year period you would have lost money as your savings would be worth only $78,100 in real terms. Or, to put it another way, your savings would need to grow to $121,900 just to achieve the same purchasing power. It’s an important consideration, particularly when it comes to your retirement pot, where you need your savings to reach an annual income target. So how do you keep the negative impact of inflation on your savings at bay? For most savers it’s a question of making sure that savings rates achieved are higher than the rate of inflation in the currency your savings are in. But for expats there are a few extra considerations. Most expats will have their savings tied to two, possibly three, economies depending on where they consider home, where they work and where they plan to retire to. So for the expat community in Qatar, any Qatari riyal savings must beat the current local inflation rate of 2.2%. For those who are paid in sterling or have savings tied to that currency then you need to keep an eye on the UK rate of inflation, which is currently running at 2.5%. For euro savers, it’s as high as 2.7% at the moment, whereas US dollar savers will find the rate to beat is a more achievable 1.7%. feedback qtoday@omsqatar.com
Lock your money away for longer The key to inflation-proofing your savings is first and foremost to ensure the rate of return you achieve is higher than the prevailing level of inflation. This is no easy task in the current low interest rate environment, where many savings rates are struggling to match, never mind beat, inflation. For those who can afford to tie up any cash savings for longer, then consider locking away your money in a fixed-term account or bond as these often offer much better returns. Diversify Diversifying your savings ensures that you are not reliant on interest rates alone to beat inflation. A well-diversified savings strategy also helps to reduce risk and allows you to take advantage of money flowing into different global markets, which gives you the best chance of achieving a performance kick. So as well as cash and money market instruments, consider equities, bonds and alternative investments. How much you allocate to each asset class will depend on the size of your savings pot and your attitude to risk. Any well-diversified investment portfolio strategy should be underpinned by a disciplined savings programme. It’s an often-overlooked factor, but it’s an important one if you want to give yourself the best chance of reaching your investment goals. Raise your targets One sure way of beating the spectre of inflation is to raise the targets you have set yourself. Whether it’s for covering school fees, buying property or retirement, then putting aside even a little extra over and above your current savings level will, over the long term, help boost returns. Teamed up with the strategies above, it could be just the extra push required to give you the best chance of inflation-proofing your savings.
BY David Russell Senior Executive Officer, Guardian Wealth Management David Russell joined Guardian Wealth Management in Geneva, helping from inception to establish an office which is now regarded as one of the leading providers of independent financial advice to the employees of many international organisations. With the expansion of the company into the Middle East, David was elected to take over the reins as the Senior Executive Officer for Qatar. He brings a wealth of experience to the Qatar office as well as a sound legal background, which stands him in very good stead in ensuring the team bring the best in financial advice to theIR many expatriate clients.
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understanding the mobile economy 70
realty check
Msheireb hosts risk management seminar
Breaking ground on infrastructure projects
S
sheireb Properties and the Institute of Risk Management (IRM) hosted their third annual seminar for local risk management professionals at the Msheireb Enrichment Centre in Doha. With companies across industries exposed to ever more sophisticated technical and reputational risks, a new level of preparedness is required to ensure both operational continuity and stakeholder trust, delegates attending the full-day programme of discussions and presentations heard. Guest speakers at the seminar, entitled “Strategic
M
Risk Management”, included Steve Fowler, Chief Executive Officer of the IRM; Jerold Williamson, Chief Risk Officer at the Commercial Bank of Qatar; and Peter Kohut, Director of Risk Management at KPMG. Opening a panel discussion at the event, C.S. Chandrasekaran, Chief Financial Officer of Msheireb Properties, said: “Enterprise risk management is of vital importance to the growth of all forward-thinking organisations. Though complex, enterprise risk management procedures help companies achieve more effective internal integration and deliver on their business targets.”
Lusail gets sustainable
Q
atari Diar Real Estate Investment Company and Lusail Real Estate Development Company (LREDC), in cooperation with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Doha, planted dozens of trees using Dutch innovative technology in water conservation. A seminar entitled “At the water’s edge:
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Exploring the potential for Dutch-Qatari cooperation in water technology”, under the patronage of the Ministry of Environment, was held alongside. The seminar shared Dutch innovative technologies in the water management, water saving, water treatment and consultancy fields provided by Dutch companies such as TNO, Royal Haskoning DHV, Groasis, Norit and Dacom.
ignificant outlays have already been made for major projects in Qatar’s budget, according to Standard Chartered in its MENA Focus. In mid-August, Qatar Railways awarded five contracts totalling about QR1.5 billion for the country’s integrated railways network (for engineering consulting, project management and enabling works). “To us, this signals that Qatar is now beginning to break ground on some of the larger projects in its pipeline – the railway and metro project alone should total about QR145 billion over the next 10 years,” said the report. Qatar’s LNG output is now running close to capacity, following completion of all key expansion plans around year–end 2011. Thus the sector’s base-effect-driven growth, which has propelled GDP growth over the past eight years, will no longer do so. The budget for 2012-13 emphasised that the highest allocation would be for project spending – about QR62 billion on major projects including the New Doha International Airport, the New Doha Port, the rail network, urban development and other infrastructure related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. “We are seeing clear signs that Qatar is beginning to focus on the non-oil sector,” Standard Chartered said.
Projects in Bulgaria, Turkey Leaders of Qatar, Bulgaria and Turkey agreed last month to study joint infrastructure projects like the construction of a new motorway from Istanbul across Bulgaria.
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Asian Cooperation summit aims to fight poverty Kuwait’s Emir, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, opened the two-day Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) summit at the Liberation Building at Bayan Palace in Kuwait. He proposed setting up a $2-billion fund to fight poverty in Asia and said Kuwait would donate $300 million to its corpus. The session was attended by HH, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani, and members of the official delegation accompanying HH the Emir of Qatar.
lebanon
UAE
AFP PHOTO / JOSEPH EID
Abu Dhabi is the top ranked emerging country
A
bu Dhabi ranked 22nd among 27 cities in the fifth edition of Cities of Opportunity, an annual report released recently by PwC and the Partnership for New York City. Cities of Opportunity 2012 analyses the current performance of 27 cities at the centre of finance, commerce and culture and studies the cities’ potential by the year 2025. In addition, the study analyses city employment in the most significant and telling job sectors, and projects the trajectory of the cities in jobs, productivity and population to 2025. As Abu Dhabi joins the world’s developed cities in terms of jobs today, the study shows that the biggest part of employment will be in the leisure and culture sectors, and by 2025 reaching 20.3%, and the city’s total business services will grow by nearly 9%. “We have always perceived the UAE as a positive environment for growth and we have selected its capital, Abu Dhabi, as one
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of the 27 cities to be part of the Cities of Opportunity due to its position as a financial, commercial and cultural centre that continues on a path of growth and development,” commented Jacques Fakhoury, PwC Abu Dhabi Senior Partner. With the highest number of hospitals per capita, Abu Dhabi is the top-ranked emerging economy in the health, safety and security category, bringing it to a tie with Tokyo. It has surpassed Los Angeles, Paris, Madrid and Hong Kong for this indicator among developed economies. Abu Dhabi also reported the lowest crime rates, bringing it closer to Singapore and Hong Kong, economies that have fared very positively on low crime rates year on year. The capital secured top performance in other key indicators including: 6th in the cost of business occupancy 9th in consumer price index 15th in the iPod index: measuring the number of working hours needed to afford an iPod Nano
under siege A Lebanese supporter of the March 14 movement, which opposes the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad, demonstrates waving his national flag, as other protesters tried to storm the governmental palace, after the funeral of top intelligence chief General Wissam al-Hassan and his bodyguard, in downtown Beirut, on October 21. Lebanese police used tear gas to repel protesters trying to storm the office of Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, amid calls for him to quit.
world view CHINA OUT AFP PHOTO
A Grrreat day in China CHINA, Beijing: This picture, taken on October 3, shows visitors gathered on the Great Wall of China outside Beijing. Hundreds of millions of tourists crowded into scenic spots, resorts and other tourism destinations scattered across the country while millions of visitors arrived in the capital city over the National Day “Golden Week� holidays.
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PHOTO / AAMIR QURESHI
Prayers for Malala PAKISTAN, Islamabad: A Pakistani female activist of the Islamic Minhaj-ul-Quran Party holds a photograph of child activist Malala Yousafzai during a protest against the assassination attempt by Taliban, in Islamabad on October 13, 2012. the Pakistani schoolgirl, shot in the head by the Taliban, remained on a ventilator for days as people continued to pray for her recovery.
AFP PHOTO / JUAN BARRETO.
world view AFP PHOTO / ARIS MESSINIS.
Greeks show contempt for Merkel GREECE, Athens: Demonstrators protested outside the parliament in Athens against the visit of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel on October 9. Athens went into security lockdown for the landmark visit by Chancellor Merkel, an austerity hate figure in Greece whose arrival was greeted by union and opposition party protests. Thousands of police fanned out across the capital, creating a large safety zone for Merkel’s meetings with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and President karolos Papoulias in which all gatherings and protests were banned.
Chavez retains control in Venezuela VENEZUELA, Caracas: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez waves a Venezuelan flag while speaking to supporters after receiving news of his re-election in Caracas on October 7. According to the National Electoral Council, Chavez was re-elected with 54.42% of the votes, beating opposition candidate Henrique Capriles, who obtained 44.97%.
AFP PHOTO / Pool / Michael REYNOLDS
The Gloves are off UNITED STATES, Denver: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney (R) greets US President Barack Obama at Magness Arena moments before the start of their first debate at the University of Denver, Colorado, October 3. After hundreds of campaign stops, $500 million in mostly negative ads and countless tit-fortat attacks, Obama and Romney went head-tohead in their debut debate.
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v i e w p oi n t
Orchestrating Strategic
Transformations from the CIO’s Office Which individual in your team is best positioned to support a new company as it navigates its way through the early stages of development? Who can understand the interdependencies in how the company operates? Booz and Company argue that the Chief Information Officer has a key role to play in the success of a company.
The
Middle East’s energy sector is entering an impor- IT changes cause, starting this often multi-year endeavour on the tant stage of development. Middle East energy right foot is critical. What is needed is to establish leadership that can enable, concompanies are making the transition to becoming multinational corporations with global operations vene and spark change early on. Within the C-suite, the Chief Inand assets. These companies are also embarking formation Officer (CIO) is well positioned to play a critical role in supporting the company as it shapes and on massive capital spending, while supplysteers the transformation at the embrying the world economy with much-needed onic stage. CIOs have a vantage point from oil, gas, and related products. At the same which to understand interdependencies time, these firms’ investments and acquiamong changes in how the company opersitions are occurring in a difficult environates. This position allows the CIO to work ment. There is market volatility, increased The CIO can also start with all business units and functions while competition from new sources of energy, discussion on key traderemaining impartial. The CIO can also start potential cost pressures, and stiffer envidiscussion on key trade-offs, such as beronmental and regulatory frameworks. offs, such as between the tween the focus on technology and the necMiddle East energy companies can focus on technology and the essary emphasis on change management navigate through this challenging envinecessary emphasis on change and capability development, or between ronment by providing senior executives management and capability exploiting existing systems and investing with the ability to react swiftly and effecdevelopment, or between in potentially unnecessary new ones. The tively to market changes through a stronpoint is not for the CIO to lead the transger basis for decision-making. Companies exploiting existing systems formation to its conclusion, but to help lay can do this by cultivating the capabilities and investing in potentially the foundations. required to provide accurate and timely unnecessary new ones. The early stages of transformation are information, capabilities that stem largely critical. Companies can be overwhelmed from IT-enabled transformations. A critiby the complexity of the transformation, cal aspect of such change will be turning with the result that they take the wrong data into clear indicators of business performance, whether managing daily operations or reaching grand path. With the CIO’s support, energy companies can avoid three common pitfalls at the beginning of transformation. The first and strategic goals. The challenge is that IT-enabled change is lengthy, costly and most frequently encountered pitfall is for the company to begin complex. Most IT-enabled transformations either miss at least making numerous, unconnected changes that run simultaneously one major objective or completely fail. Given the disruption that among processes, geographies, business functions and IT systems.
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vie w point Instead, companies should adopt an integrated approach from the beginning. The second pitfall involves regarding IT as a mere order taker that answers service requests. By treating IT just as a support function, companies hinder partnership between IT and its corporate counterparts. This discourages precisely the collaboration necessary for developing holistic, cost-effective solutions. Companies should instead develop the business acumen of IT leaders, and
have these leaders rise to the challenge of being business leaders rather than technical specialists. Finally, the third pitfall is the temptation to outsource the entire transformation project. Handing this mammoth undertaking to outside providers is tempting. The difficulty is that this hampers the growth of a company’s own abilities – an approach that is also at odds with Middle Eastern governments’ efforts to improve their national skills bases.
To help the company avoid these common pitfalls and set the transformation on the right path, CIOs should follow a four-step approach.
01.
02.
as a first step, the CIO should spot the need for an integrated transformation and articulate the case for coordinated change to C-suite partners. The integrated nature of change is important. Lack of integration often compromises the success of transformations.
Second, the CIO must evaluate and build a compelling case for the transformation. This requires the CIO to act as a facilitator to evaluate the case for a transformation, and partner with C-suite colleagues to build a compelling argument for change. Moreover, it involves working with other business function leaders as they define the extent of the transformation, its benefits, costs, and implementation plan. By including these functional leaders, the CIO can help ensure support and accountability for the changes ahead.
03. The third step involves equipping IT with the required capabilities. Specifically, the CIO must provide the IT function with the ability to build momentum for the transformation while delivering the company’s daily technology needs. This means a clear strategy for IT based on two main requirements. The first specifies the technology architecture. The highly integrated environment of energy companies generally dictates that Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) be at the centre of this technology. ERP draws together information from the whole company, from internal and sometimes external sources. The second strategic requirement is to decide upon a sourcing approach that secures vendor commitment to assist in this process while building internal skills.
04. The fourth and final step is to drive the transformation agenda. The CIO promotes change by convening colleagues as they create the structures to oversee the transformation. A capable CIO acts as a catalyst, seeking to achieve and maintain consensus among key stakeholders. Implementation obstacles will inevitably emerge. The best way to overcome them is to establish strong governance mechanisms. These governing bodies help to foster collaboration among staff and senior executives – which sets an example to other staff and helps break down the silo mentality.
By rallying their senior colleagues, CIOs in Middle East energy companies can put their companies on the right track toward transformation and success. Correctly initiating IT-enabled change for energy companies is of paramount importance. As Middle Eastern economies seek to move from being resource-dependent to being knowledge-based, there can be no better example than the national energy champions taking on that challenge and leading the way.
Visit
www.booz.com and www.booz.com/me
By Ramez Shehadi, Partner, Dr. Kamal Tarazi, Principal, Nadim Noujaim, Senior Associate, and Sevag Papazian, Associate, at Booz & Company
About Booz & Company: Booz & Company is a leading global management consulting firm, helping the world’s top businesses, government ministries and organisations. Our founder, Edwin Booz, defined the profession when he established the first management consulting firm in 1914. Today, with more than 3,300 people in 60 offices around the world, we bring foresight and knowledge, deep functional expertise, and a practical approach to building capabilities and delivering real impact. We work closely with our clients to create and deliver essential advantage.
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Jobs growth points to hospitality expansion There may be a long way to go before the 2022 World Cup, but the prospect of hosting the competition is already having an impact on job creation. In September it was announced that Qatar is now leading Middle East growth in online job opportunities, according to Monster Employment Index, a monthly barometer of online hiring. The index for Qatar rose 28% in August compared to the same month last year, with Bahrain coming in second place (with 24%).
The
lion’s share of this jobs growth, both in Qatar and across the region, is within the hospitality and travel sector, which has continued to lead all industry sectors. Rabea Ataya, Chief Executive of the employment website Bayt.com, commented: “The retail and hospitality industries [across the region] are hiring aggressively”, a picture which was supported by the latest report by investment bank Alpen Capital. The report, released in October 2012, showed that the Gulf hospitality sector is now one of the fastest-growing markets, expanding an average of 8% yearon-year. However, it also showed that Qatar stands out as the regional leader, with growth expected to be about 14%. This comes as no surprise, for two reasons. First, during the bid to host the World Cup it was widely predicted that hospitality and tourism would be among the main sectors to benefit from investment, in addition to construction, infrastructure and banking. Indeed, in July Al Arabiya reported that Qatar is hoping that the preparations leading up to the World Cup will create about 1.5 million new jobs in these sectors, supporting a previous prediction by the country’s standing committee on population. But with the Qatari government planning to spend around QR237 billion on infrastructure to facilitate growing numbers of tourists over the next ten years, it is the hospitality and tourism sector in particular that is showing the biggest growth so far. Second, Qatar has long earmarked the hospitality sector as a labour-intensive, employment-generating sector. With growing intensity, Qatar is shifting its focus to the non-oil sector and a strong hospitality sector. In 2011 alone, it is estimated that 6,369 hotel rooms – spread across 25 hotels and 10 hotel apartment blocks – came onto the market, according to the Qatar Tourism Authority. Going forward, the state plans to build a further 77 hotels and 42 hotel apartments ahead of the World Cup. According to the latest
figures for occupancy (for 2011), rates edged up 0.4% from 2010. Average daily revenue also increased by 0.7%, according to data from travel consultancy STR Global. These gains may seem small, but they are a sign of momentum picking up within the sector, and evidence that the QR73 billion allocated by the government for the development of hotels and other entertainment facilities is starting to bear fruit as new projects start to come online. According to data compiled by Hotelier Middle East, there are 17 new hotel properties currently in either the planning or the construction stage. Major international players are planning hotel projects, seeking to take advantage of the boost to the number of tourists as a result of Qatar’s raised profile. Msheireb Downtown, for example, a QR20 billion mega-development in downtown Doha, is expected to announce three new hotel partners. However, there is some room for caution. Although the Qatari government has said it will exceed FIFA’s requirements that the host country build an additional 65,000 hotel rooms, planning to build 19,000 on top of that figure, it is not certain that this target will be met. Gavin Samson, Managing Director, Christie + Co. MENA, has warned that while Qatar offers great potential for hotel companies looking to launch new properties, they need to look beyond the potential windfall from the World Cup. In a recent interview, he pointed out that based on estimates of hotel projects that have been announced, Qatar will offer about 22,000 hotel rooms by 2017 and about 35,000 by 2022. According to Samson, the 84,000 will therefore more accurately reflect the total number of accommodation units, from hotel rooms to residential dwellings. Of course, this is purely speculative. Perhaps more importantly, the challenge will be to ensure the sustainable growth of the hospitality sector, and indeed the broader economy, if the 1.5 million figure for employment is to be met. But Qatar has certainly shown a good start.
online www.qatartodayonline.com
By Oliver Cornock The author is the Regional Editor of Oxford Business Group
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Labour laws being amended Qatar Today continues its human rights coverage as ViceChairman of Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Dr Yousef Obaidan advances the opinion that we shouldn’t be looking to find solutions to labour issues from the narrow perspective of the 2022 World Cup.
I
by e z dha r i b r ahi m
n response to the report published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) in June and critiqued in September’s Qatar Today, Dr Obaidan reveals that the NHRC is working to eliminate abuses and violations and to change labour policies so as to respect the principle of fundamental human rights. “The Qatari Labour Law is flawed in that it excludes domestic workers, but the Labour Ministry has now issued a draft law on domestic workers that has been approved by the Cabinet and forwarded to the Shura
Council for the completion of the necessary legislative steps so as to remedy this defect in the law,” he says. He discusses the contentious subject in more detail here with Ezdhar Ibrahim: The HRW report published in June criticised abuses observed in Qatar and called for a complete overhaul of labour practices ahead of the World Cup. What is your view on this? We commend the efforts of HRW. However, we shouldn’t be looking at labour issues and trying to find solutions simply from the narrow perspective of the 2022 World Cup. We are working to eliminate abuses and violations, and to change labour policies so as to respect the principle of fundamental rights, by means of human rights education. Naturally, these principles cannot become rooted in society simply by decree of the higher authorities or by pressure from some international organisations. They must be learned through public awareness, by developing a cultural and social foundation and by inculcating in society a moral conviction that
stability, security and a comfortable lifestyle are closely bound up with human rights. Do you expect much of a response from the Qatari government and the Labour Ministry? The HRW report was announced from Qatar and HRW staff had positive discussions with government officials. I think the Labour Ministry is serious about protecting workers’ rights, despite all the shortcomings noted in the HRW report. It is not a rigid organisation, as can be seen from the initiatives it is taking. It has proposed and drawn up a draft law on “domestic workers”, and is actually doing the tricky job of maintaining a delicate balance between the rights of workers and those of employers within the limits of the law. Some workers revealed to HRW that their employers had not paid their wages and were not given back their passports. Why aren’t these issues heard by the NHRC? We have seen similar cases at the NHRC,
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“The approach should rather be to focus on entrenching human rights and strengthening the [human rights] infrastructure of frameworks, institutions and professionals.” and we have had complaints about passports being withheld, delayed payment of salaries, travel being denied and so on. The number and type of complaints reaching us is published on our website. We deal with labour complaints completely transparently, but people still have the idea that only international human rights organisations talk about human rights abuses and local institutions won’t help them. This rationale is part of a deep-seated culture that makes us feel helpless, whereas in fact we could do things locally to improve the human rights situation more effectively than international organisations, because we understand our communities and their needs, and ways of building capacity. Some workers told HRW that their wages were reduced illegally. Have you heard such complaints? Of course, we have a lot of such cases, and the NHRC raised the issue at the annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Forum in 2009. But it’s not a matter of illegally deducting a portion of the monthly wage; it’s the difference between the contract agreed between the agency and the worker in the country of origin and the contract agreed between the worker and the employer in Qatar, which is documented in the Labour Department. This is one example of the exploitation workers face in their home countries, by employment bureaus giving them contracts that falsify the salaries on offer for work in Qatar. The NHRC has asked civil society organisations to work with government agencies in the labour-exporting countries to protect workers against this practice. Workers come to Qatar without accurate information about the work that awaits them, and then find themselves locked in jobs that they haven’t agreed to do, or to receiving far lower wages than they were expecting to be paid. Whose fault is this? The labour-exporting country and the host country are jointly responsible. It starts
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with the agency that recruits the workers in the source country to get money out of them, in exchange for promises of work in the Gulf states – with contracts giving higher salaries than are on offer in Qatar. We know very well how these things happen: a representative of the agency makes a tour of impoverished villages and city slums offering young people the golden opportunity of a lifetime to work in the Gulf states, and then these young people pay all the money they can raise – from a plot of land, selling gold, taking out a loan or by other means – to be able to cover their travel costs and the agency’s fee. Then when they arrive in the host country, the company that brought them here may turn out to be fictitious, or the sponsor may be breaking the law by bringing in people to whom he cannot guarantee genuine work, and indeed lets go (as “released workers”) in exchange for them paying him a monthly sum – a crime punishable under Qatari law by a prison term of up to three years or a fine of up to QR50,000, or both. International human rights organisations say Qatar lags behind other Gulf States as regards protecting workers. What do you think? The laws in Qatar allow workers to apply for a transfer of sponsorship in cases where their sponsors are mistreating them and are in breach of the Labour Law or the work contract between the two parties. The Ministry of Interior has discretionary powers to take the appropriate decision in each case. The NHRC has issued many recommendations to strengthen and protect human rights in Qatar, including one to abolish the sponsorship system. As for comparisons with other countries, concern for workers’ rights in Qatar takes the form of creating the institutional structure to look after their rights and enable them to make use of the country’s justice system, like the Foundation for Combating Human Trafficking, the Constituent Labour Committee, and the NHRC with its broad powers to receive and investigate complaints and take the neces-
sary measures (such as appointing a lawyer to help the complainant bring a prosecution, submit his notification and many other procedures). The NHRC is the only organisation of its kind in the Gulf to be classified Grade A by the International Coordinating Committee (ICC) of National Human Rights Institutions. It’s supposed to be the employer who pays the recruitment fees, yet almost all the workers said they themselves paid them. The law stipulates that it is the beneficiary who bears these expenses, so who is the beneficiary, the sponsor or the worker being sponsored? Under Labour Law No. 14 of 2004, recruitment bureaus are not allowed to take any money in fees or expenses from the workers they recruit, but exploitation may occur in view of the workers’ circumstances and their powerlessness to act because of their need for work. It is not our policy to deny that there are violations and abuses in Qatar; indeed we recognise them and propose solutions to redress them. In 2009 the NHRC printed thousands of copies of a “Workers’ Pocketbook” both in Qatar and abroad, with 10,000 copies being distributed in Nepal alone, in which it published the provisions of the law on work and residence in Qatar and the ministerial decrees concerning construction workers. The aim was, and remains, to make workers aware of these things even before they come to Qatar, right from the lowest-paid workers to top-level managers or sponsors. A lot of the Labour Law is enforced effectively, but a significant part of it is ignored by some companies, and dozens of violations are logged every day by the Labour Department. Solving this problem will need an intensification of all the work being done in society at all levels, on the part of the government and civil society institutions and the media, with everyone pooling their efforts and learning from each other’s experience
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For
a workaholic in the financial services industry, there must be no greater treat than waking up before the alarm. They have a headstart on the day. The markets have opened in East Asia and will stay open in the US late into the Doha night. There’s a full day of exciting and volatile work ahead. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Doha Bank, Dr R. Seetharaman wakes at 4am, and is immediately immersed in what he missed while he was asleep. The markets wait for no man. He went to sleep feeling satiated but he’s now playing catch-up. He doesn’t panic though. He never has. Dr Seetharaman is a man who values every minute of the day because he knows time is scarce. Each minute is treated with the intensity and decisiveness associated with a critical juncture in a major sporting contest. He reads right up until his eyes droop and is fast asleep before the lightbulb cools off. Not a minute is wasted in analysing the day’s events like so many of us do. He doesn’t second-guess himself. He never has. Unthinkable for the CEO of a major bank in recent years, surely? Opportunities and challenges Dr Seetharaman has been in the hot seat at Doha Bank for ten years now and feels grateful to have held such a position during the recent issues in the financial services industry.
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all in a day’s work Dr R. Seetharaman has been CEO at Doha Bank for over ten years now, yet hasn’t relinquished an ounce of his early enthusiasm. The past five years might have lowered the life expectancy of most bankers, but not this CEO; he thrives on the volatility of the industry. Rory Coen talked to him about his motivations and expectations.
Indeed he has seen first-hand how Qatar has elevated itself to heights which were unthinkable a decade ago. He explains how he feeds off major challenges and opportunities to become a better professional. “I am even more energetic and enthusiastic now,” he says when tested about his drive after a decade as CEO. “The opportunities in 2002 were not a test for my intellectual frame; I was coasting reasonably well with the changing dynamics of the market. Those days it was about opportunity and hard work. Now, in addition to these, you need to extend your vision to sustain your credibility with the changing dynamics in the global, regional and local space. “The experiences I have gone through in the past four or five years are the greatest one can possibly hope to have. Running a local institution such as this, the nuances are so intricate; you have to make sure you run
a balanced enterprise. You have to weather all the storms that come across your path. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. What I have learned in the last five years is exciting, and it’s going to take me further,” he explains. Take him further? Does he expect to continue as Doha Bank CEO or are there other challenges and opportunities that tickle his fancy? Can the financial services industry continue to satisfy his intellectual drive and his thirst for innovation? “I think so,” he answers. “I think financial services is very interesting and exciting as long as we stay committed to the knowledge society. No other profession has given the width and depth that finance has given. The economic fundamentals of the region are sound. Qatar is now a society which is intellectually stimulating. Everything boils down to economics; globalisation is now all
about the convergence of politics and economics. We are fortunate to be part of this journey. “I would have said when I started my career that my intention was to be stimulated, but my primary needs were different. Today, I look at my profile – after spending 30 years in banking and having done over 600 research papers and hundreds of interviews – and what I need is intellectually stimulating exercises, what I need is to innovate, what I need is to create institutional power excellence which truly reflects global benchmarks in terms of standards by creating values for all the stakeholders.” Has he ever felt the need to start up his own business or maybe delve a little into educating young business students from his vault of experience and expertise in the financial services industry? “I am sharing my knowledge when I do
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Qatar Today 41
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The experiences I have gone through in the past four or five years are the greatest one can possibly hope to have. You have to weather all the storms that come across your path. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
media interviews. I can’t do such interviews unless I continue my education. In the workplace, you have to understand the financial markets. Dynamics of changing circumstances, stock markets, currency markets, bond markets and property markets – the local and regional economic fundamentals are always changing.” Career highlights Dr Seetharaman has collected some notable awards and accolades in recent months for his contributions to the industry, aside from the performance of Doha Bank as a whole. Most recently he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Civil Law of Honoris Causa by the European University, one of the world’s top business schools in Geneva, Switzerland during its 2012 graduation ceremony, for his unique and valuable contribution to global governance and social responsibility. He was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2012, during the 229th commencement function of Washington College, for his unique and valuable contribution to society in the field of banking, knowledge management, corporate social responsibility and governance. These awards, he says, are the highlights of his professional career. “I think getting recognition from these international institutions was quite gratifying. Washington College, calling me to be one of their alumni after President Bush Senior, was a feather in my cap. I think it’s a testimony to the commitment to my profession as such. They both recognised somebody for being committed to global governance and transparency in an open market, aside from being the best performer in the bank. I am humbled by these recognitions really,” he says. Good ratios And what of Doha Bank itself? Net profit for Q3 2012 recorded a 5% growth against the same period last year while its net operating
42 Qatar Today
november 2012
income rose by 3% to QR1.8 billion. Total assets increased by 5.6% to QR52.8 billion. Return on average equity was 21.2% as at September 30 – the highest return in Qatar. “We have been fairly successful in sustaining our credibility,” he says. “Given the size of the operation, we have always maintained good performance. That’s what matters when it comes to business management. Boom or downturn, we managed to have a sustainable journey. “If 2003 to 2007 was a boom period, then 2008 to 2012 is a critical phase for the world and for the region irrespective of the macroeconomic fundamentals in the country, because the true reflection of any institution is global not local. Banking can never be construed as being local or private – it is global, it is public – this is a widely-held belief. So we have done quite well through both periods. “What’s more important is to avoid heavy fluctuations in your returns. Maintaining sustainability is the name of the game and 2012 is not an exception. We managed to maintain good ratios during the first three quarters. “If you look at our diversity in terms of our business model – corporate, retail, tertiary investments and international – we don’t just sell products, we advise the customer, which is a definite value advantage. We want to make sure we plan their financial solution, whether they are an individual or an institution. This is the difference we are making in the market. “We have recently announced gold loans. If you have gold at home, bring it to us and we will give you money. We can give you a loan of up to 60% of the value of the gold – it’s safe with us, it’s secure. Instead of keeping it at home, you can optimise your investments and you can recycle the cashflows any way you deem fit. “We opened a new branch office in Abu Dhabi in [October]. That will help with cross-border opportunities for Emiratis
doing business here and for Qataris doing business there. Abu Dhabi is a good market, so we definitely intend to enjoy some success there. We have commercial gates all around the world, including South Korea, Singapore, Turkey, London, Frankfurt, Japan and China. “We support SMEs and social entrepreneurs by providing working capital finance and insurance, and we are also coordinating with Qatar Development Bank . So if you’re an existing businessman and you want to measure your financial plan, you can come to us and we can support you. We can look at your business critically, measure your risk and map this into a solution,” he adds. Winding down With time so obviously at a premium in Seetharaman’s schedule, and work and intellectual stimulation so crucial, how does he unwind? How does he get away from it all and relax? Surely his physician must advise some down-time around his hectic schedule? Does he enjoy his holidays or his time away from the perpetual harvest at the bank? “I don’t need holidays – every day is exciting for me,” he trumpets. “I can’t go to the beach or watch the moon. What excites me is relaxation in the workplace. If you want to imprison me, send me on holidays. I don’t mind not getting paid or stepping out of the limelight, but I need intellectual inputs to stay fit in mind and body. “I don’t believe that you need to detach yourself and spend a holiday as a traditional holiday. Every day is a holiday for me. Every day is relaxation for me. I crack if I don’t have an agenda. “Even if I organise a time of relaxation or entertainment it has to be very well structured. The intensity at which I am watching a movie, visiting a site or eating has to be programmed so that it is purposeful; everything I do has to be designed to deliver the maximum,” he says
cover story | where are all the qatari men?
by sindhu nair
Qatar University (QU) President, Sheikha Abdulla Al-Misnad detailed the University’s plans for the academic year a couple of months back. She first focused on its recent achievement: 4,000 new recruits – a huge 35.7% increase ON last year’s figures; 47% improvement in student GPA; and an increase in published research. But what was ignored was the unnaturally low number of male students who were registering. This year 755 more female students have joined QU than male students. While this phenomenon has been recorded PREVIOUSLY, this year’s figures seem to reflect a higher disparity. What makes these figures worrisome is another STUDY, one that points at the deplorably low percentage of Qatari male enrolment in higher education – 28%, almost half the RATE FOR Qatari females – 54%. The fact that female enrolment is higher than male enrolment isn’t unique, as it’s seen in most countries, but in no other country is the disparity in figures so conspicuous.
Qatar Today tries to understand this EXTRAORDINARY phenomenon.
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Qatar Today looks into a report that highlights the lack of interest shown by Qatari men in pursuing higher education. How should the country keep them motivated?
n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 2 | Qatar Today
Where are the YOUNG Qatari men?
cover story | where are all the qatari men?
FactS speaks LOUDER The report, prepared by Sheikh Hamad bin Jabor bin Jassim Al Thani, President of Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA) was a study presented to the Board of Regents of QU. An example of the highlighted phenomenon is the fact that in 2011 there were no Qatari male graduates in the scientific disciplines of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. If students’ opting out of higher education at QU is a common phenomenon, then considering the fact that the institutions within Qatar Foundation (QF) are much more competitive, there should be more such instances at the QF institutions. A 21-year-old Qatari, Yafea Al-Yafei, a graduate from VCUQ, also talked about his experience during his student years. “I know two Qatari males who were studying in Texas A&M Qatar, and during their sophomore year they couldn’t take the pressure any more. They dropped out and went to QU to study engineering. Since you couldn’t transfer the grades that they got here, they had to start from the beginning again,” he says. Al-Yafei agrees that there is stress involved when it comes to studying in colleges here in Qatar (QF, to be more specific). These colleges are first-class universities, trying to keep their reputation with strict rules and academics. The problem is that most of the students come from schools in Qatar that don’t prepare them for this intense experience. He says: “Some students take the easy path, and absent themselves from classes and the reason for this is laziness more than anything else. They are just not prepared to handle the pressure and the high level of preparation required in these colleges.” What is the reason behind this disconnect? According to the report, motivation is one of the main reasons behind this low level of participation in higher education. High absenteeism, few hours spent on homework and a lack of disci-
As an example of this phenomenon was the fact that in 2011, there were no Qatari male graduates in the scientific disciplines of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Sheikh Hamad Bin Jabor Bin Jassim Al-Thani President of QSA
Senior Advisor for the Arab States, ILO, Beirut
pline in schools or classrooms compared to other countries are cited as reasons behind the dropout. Qatari students spend 50% less time in preparation for their classes than other students in the world, while the average rate of absenteeism is 15% in Qatar and 4% in the US (the report records). Other reasons mentioned are a mismatch in subjects taught, knowledge acquired and the entry requirements for higher education in subjects like mathematics and science. The lack of a smooth transition towards higher education, the lack of alternative routes, particularly technical education and the lack of semi-flexible courses that do not require full attendance at the university level were further reasons. Poor communication was also cited as a reason, along with the mismatch of the skills of students and the needs of the labour market in Qatar. Sheikh Hamad noted that although coordination has begun in recent years there is a need to strengthen partnerships between higher education institutions and the private sector. An absence of data on education needs is one cause for this, such data could be used to channel the energy of students in the right direction and thus fill gaps in the labour market needs.
On the job None of the concerns in the report is new to the Supreme Education Council (SEC), says Dr Aziza Al Saadi, Director of Policy (Continued On page 45)
47
Professor Zafiris Tzannatos
Focus on Youth As part of the GSDP’s efforts to support the achievement of the National Vision, Qatar’s third National Human Development Report (NHDR) turns the spotlight on young people. With the theme of expanding the capacities of Qataris youth, the report focuses on five critical development challenges and opportunities confronting them. The second critical area that is mentioned in the report, and that connects to our story, is building knowledge and expanding education opportunities. Qatar has made large investments in education and training infrastructure for young Qataris and multiple opportunities now exist. But educational performance is not progressing at a commensurate pace, despite a decade of reforms. Stronger incentives and opportunities to retain youth in education through the tertiary level are required according to the report. Large and continued government expenditure on education in the past decades has translated into lower levels of school enrolment rates across the GCC region. According to the GCC Education Sector Report by Alpen Capital, the tertiary school gross enrolment rate in the GCC region is lower than the world average, reflecting a disconnect between the skills taught to graduates and the requirements of the labour market. The gross enrollment rate in tertiary schools or vocational training in the region is highest in Saudi Arabia at 36.8%, followed by Oman at 24.5%; Qatar comes far behind at 10%, well below the world average of 27.1%.
n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 2 | Qatar Today
“At present, job requirements in many GCC countries are geared towards what migrant workers do rather than what nationals want to do. Nationals will not work in the private sector as long as employers have more or less unlimited access to migrant workers and migrant workers are paid low wages.”
Easy employment Professor Zafiris Tzannatos, Senior Advisor for the Arab States, at the International Labour Organisation in Beirut, answering to Qatar Today in a personal capacity attributes this labour market mismatch to the employment incentive regime for Qataris. “The labour market strategy undertaken by the then Planning Council in the mid-2000s (now the GSDP) attributed the rather extraordinary ratio of three female students to one male at university level to the employment incentive regime for the locals. Women have few employment opportunities unless they become highly educated. On the contrary, practically all men can find employment on the basis of nationality rather than education, skills, merit and effort,” he says. According to experts at Booz & Company, there are a number of factors behind the higher education dropout of Qatari males. “A perceived lack of incentives to invest time in higher education, opportunities available to young Qataris especially Qatari males that may not require higher education in certain fields like public service (armed forces, police and others) or family business; lack of higher education aspirations from parents for their children, as well as the community at large not placing a high enough premium on completing tertiary education, are some important ones,” says Dr Leila Hoteit, Principal with Booz & Company. “Lack of adequate preparation in K-12 for university resulting in the need for at least a year of foundation study prior to admission to university is also one factor that results in drop-out,” reflects George Atalla, Partner at Booz. Another factor, says Atalla, is the perception that higher education today in Qatar does not necessarily prepare adequately for the skills needed by the economy.
cover story | where are all the qatari men?
TECHNICAL COLLEGES make a mark
T
Nabit, the Secretary General at GSDP. That explains why Dr Latifa Ibrahim Al Houty, one of the two individuals initially charged with the development of a concept for a technical college under the directives of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, didn’t quite agree with the report as she wasn’t “aware of the methodology” it had used. We need to understand this phenomenon before we make such statements, she maintains. “Where, then are the students?,” she asks. “They must be in the army, as the armed forces are giving huge incentives and also training to recruits in their respective fields. All this falls into the education sector too.” Since 2007, Dr. Latifa has held the position of Vice-Chair, Executive Committee, CNA-Q. She reminisces about the challenges of bringing in a new concept of education to the country. “One of the challenges was bringing the Canadian faculty to Qatar in August (the hottest month here). The medium of
fact
he College of the North Atlantic-Qatar (CNA-Q), opened in 2002, has grown in popularity and now has about 2,300 students. It is a post-secondary institution combining a Canadian curriculum and industry expertise, adapted to national needs, in health sciences, information technology, engineering technology and business studies. The Community College of Qatar (CCQ) opened in September 2010 with 300 full-time and 150 part-time students, and plans are in hand for considerable expansion. Run in partnership with Houston Community College, it offers technical and liberal arts programmes and is open to students of all ages. Both CNA-Q and CCQ attract many Qatari male students. “The enrolment pattern in tertiary education among Qatari men and women differs markedly. Most Qatari men (56%) enrol in technical colleges. By contrast, far more Qatari women (81%) enrol in Qatar University,” says Dr Saleh bin Mohammed Al-
10%
The gross enrolment rate in tertiary schools or vocational training in the region is highest in Saudi Arabia, at 36.8%, followed by Oman at 24.5%. Qatar comes far behind at 10%, well below the world average of 27.1%.
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CNAQ FACT FILE CNA-Q opened in September 2002 with 300 students and 50 staff l Ten years later, CNA-Q has an enrolment of 2,100 students and 650 staff l 30+ diploma programmes are based on Canadian curriculum
Dr Latifa Ibrahim Al Houty
Vice Chair, Executive Committee, CNAQ
education was English. This was also a first for the country (after VCUQ), though CNA-Q had many more students in its programmes compared to VCUQ. There was also the difficulty of starting a co-educational college, which was also a new concept in the country then.” Another factor was that since this college was created to give Qataris a chance in higher education, all Qatari students were given a chance, even those who had not performed exceptionally well. “Our concept was to give every student a chance. Give everyone access to education and a chance to be successful in life. We took that as a challenge and tried to make a difference by working on each student. Anyone with a minimum qualification was taken in,” she says. The concept of sponsorship was also introduced by CNA-Q and Qatar Petroleum was the first company to sponsor Qatari students in the first year of start-up. “Work environment was mimicked to help the students work in tandem with the industry they specialised in,” she adds. All the efforts seem to have borne fruit as 97% of the students who have passed out from CNA-Q are employed and the rest are in family businesses. Of the total students in 2011-2012, 67% were nationals, 69% of them male and 31% female.
Analysis and Research, SEC. She says that these issues are being addressed through implementation of the Education and Training Sector Strategy 2011-2016 (ETSS), led by the SEC which contributes to the overall National Development Strategy (NDS) for the same period. Answering in particular the concern about Qatari male students opting out of higher education and the steps being taken by the SEC to handle this crisis, Dr Aziza says: “The need to address the comparatively low (OECD overall) levels of enrolment in higher and further education (HE) of Qataris, particularly of Qatari males who are represented in far fewer numbers than females, is one of the priority areas of the ETSS. There is par-
Graduation Statistics l l l
l l
248 graduates in June 2012 1,937 graduates in ten years 266 Technician Preparatory Programme (TPP) certificate recipients in 2011 (levels, I, II and III) 1,051 TPP recipients since 2009 2,988 alumni
Students (Fall 2012) l
Total students 2,109
ticular concern, that the students who do enter HE need to be channelled into knowledge economy-related disciplines.” She agrees that one of the factors in low HE enrolment relates to student motivation, a complicated area that can only be solved to a certain extent within the education sector but is also highly influenced by entrenched social attitudes and conditions and by overall government policy. “However, in addition to mounting an awareness campaign on the benefits of continuing education (to the family, society and the individual’s earning and life satisfaction capacities), a number of ETSS projects under the SEC can and will contribute to improving student motivation,” she says on a positive note.
cover story | where are all the qatari men?
Recommendations from the Report
001
Develop a comprehensive methodology to enhance the motivation to learn (for life) for Qatari students, especially males. Encouraging learning in Qatari students will be a major cause of their success in education and training, and will reduce the number of dropouts.
002
Integrate media campaigns, community awareness and other efforts on a long-term basis targeting students, parents, teachers, and managers, to raise students’ awareness of the value of higher education and its benefits, and promote the concept of lifelong learning at the community level. Utilise all possible means in this campaign including youth forums and religion (raise awareness of the importance of science and learning in the Islamic religion and Arab heritage, in Friday sermons for example).
003
Establish vocational guidance service in schools including education and training options, to increase motivation of students, and reduce dropout rates. There is clear evidence that communication ensures awareness among students in middle school and secondary school of benefits of education beyond secondary/ higher education. Activate counselng, academic and career guidance, in schools to build a love of learning.
004
It is necessary to coordinate policies in education and the training sector with the main policies in the labour market and other sectors of society to enhance the motivation of learners.
The ETSS projects include : l Improved professional development for all education and training sector professionals l Best-in-class use of ICT l More comprehensive and accessible career and academic guidance l A national qualifications framework highlighting alternative pathways up and through the education ‘ladder’. l A national curriculum aligned with labour market and higher education needs, and addressing individual student needs l Increased exposure of students to future work environments l Improved participation of community and parents in K-12 Education Dr Saleh bin Mohammed Al-Nabit, the Secretary General at GSDP, opines that while test results of students are improving, they are still not on a par with those in international benchmark countries. “The NDS includes multiple initiatives that will help to improve student performance, including for example a comprehensive communication and motivation plan that involves enhanced communication with students, parents, teachers and
005
Increase encouragement of the disciplines and professions that support a knowledge-based economy, and take into account the opportunities available before the completion of basic education, to ensure raising students’ awareness of the value of education beyond high school, its benefits and educational consequences of their decisions.
006
Conduct in-depth studies on how to motivate Qatari students to seek education and training to fulfill the needs of the labour market.
principals, to raise awareness of the value of education and the consequences of education decisions,” he says. He goes onto talk about an advantage that the country has which is the quality of teachers here. “International comparisons suggest that teachers in Qatar are, on average, better qualified academically than the international paradigm. Just over 90% of Qatari students are taught by teachers with a university degree, compared with the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) international average of 60%. But they often lack professional teaching qualifications and this too is being addressed in the strategy,” he says. Technical education comes to the fore To enhance the technical skills of graduates, the GCC member countries have recently been placing a strong emphasis on the development of technical education and vocational training (TEVT)Qatar has also taken initiatives in the right direction, but the figures are still not encouraging. But there has however been some legislation on this matter, according Dr Al-Nabit: “Technical and vocational skills are the backbone of any economy. Qatar recognises that TEVT qualifications are essential for achieving
008
Enhance the possibilities of distance learning (such as the use of e-learning) and make it accessible to all Qatari citizens. Encourage universities to use distance learning to deliver their programs to citizens who do not have time for full-time study.
009
011
010
012
Complete the requirements for a national framework qualifications plan and begin its implementation.
Activate partnerships with the business sector for the development of data education, continuing education and training. Find ways and means to organise the public sector and private sector in the fields of education.
Education in the kindergarten stage and secondary education are essential, and need to be included in compulsory education.
Raise the professional level and educational staff education at all stages of basic education.
Among the National Development Strategy 2011-2016 initiatives currently under way are establishing a TEVT supervisory body, adopting a new model for accreditation and licensing, finalisation of a National Qualifications Framework, and establishing a national Occupational Standards and Oversight Body Dr Saleh bin Mohammed Al-Nabit Secretary General, GSDP
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Work to ensure that the educational system has a smooth transition for students from public education to higher education and to find alternative paths in higher education particularly technical education and flexible courses that do not require full-time attention of the university. Enhance communication between higher education institutions and public education institutions and students.
n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 2 | Qatar Today
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cover story | where are all the qatari men?
“There is particular concern that more students who enter HIGHER EDUCATTION need to be channelled into knowledge economy-related disciplines” Dr Aziza Al-Saadi
Director of Policy Analysis AND Research, SEC
fact
a skilled labour force to meet our economic diversification objectives. Among the National Development Strategy 2011-2016 initiatives are establishing a TEVT supervisory body, adopting a new model for accreditation and licensing, finalisation of a National Qualification Framework, and establishing a national
Occupational Standards and Oversight Body.” Booz experts say vocational and community colleges in many countries have been very successful, offering a faster, more practice-oriented pathway to higher education credentials. “In the US for example, community colleges are an integral part of the education system, serving 6.5 million students – almost half of all college undergraduates. They offer numerous benefits like providing open and affordable access to postsecondary education, equipping the workforce with vital skill sets for a large number of industries, allowing students to transfer to fouryear institutions, helping high school students transition into college,” they say. Despite several initiatives by governments, the quality of higher education across the region is still not at par with the standards in developed nations and some emerging economies. Professor Tzannatos says that TEVT increases the employability of job seekers, not necessarily their employment. But he says if nationals do not care about their employability in the private sector, then they will not approach TEVT with enthusiasm. “At present, job requirements in many GCC countries are geared towards what migrant workers do rather than what nationals want to do. Nationals will not work in the private sector as long as employers have more or less unlimited access to migrant workers and migrant workers are paid low wages. TEVT will lead to successful employment outcomes for nationals only if productivity is high, that is, wages are high. This is not the case now, as employers can still recruit technical workers at wages prevailing in some of the poorest countries on the planet, where per capita incomes are as low as one twentieth (of what a Qatari would expect),” he says. Dr Al Nabit brings to light a brighter side of the story. He says that Qatari unemployment rates were 4.1% in 2010 and 3.9% in 2011, compared with 11.6% in 2001. “Currently Qatar has one of the lowest youth unemployment rates in the world, certainly among Arab countries. There are now previously undreamt-of employment opportunities for Qatar’s young people, especially for those with post-secondary qualifications. Our challenge is to try to get a higher proportion of them to attain tertiary qualifications rather than to leave the education system at secondary school level and then immediately enter employment,” he says. Dr Al-Nabit agrees that most Qataris opt for employment in the public sector. To find an alternative to this trend, he says the NDS has proposed a programme to promote private sector participation, focusing on three areas: (i) alignment of
4.1%
THE Qatari unemployment rate wAS 4.1% in 2010 and 3.9% in 2011, compared with 11.6% in 2001.
Principal, Booz & Company.
compensation (wages and allowances) between the public and private sectors; (ii) an entrepreneurship initiative; and (iii) providing economic incentives to private companies to encourage Qatari employment and campaigns to promote attitude changes in terms of meeting the needs of female Qatari employees. A Booz expert puts it in perspective: “It is still early days for Qatar. There is still much to do to change the mindset about vocational and technical education. Indeed, this should start with a national strategy for vocational and technical education which would need to include awareness campaigns and a national qualifications framework (clarifying equivalencies between the various education pathways). However, individual cases of success, such as at the College of the North Atlantic– Qatar, can be important in creating a positive mindset about this education pathway.”
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Dr Leila Hoteit
n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 2 | Qatar Today
“A Perceived lack of incentives to invest time in higher education, opportunities available to young Qataris, especially Qatari males, that may not require higher education in certain fields like the public service (armed forces, police and others) or family business, are some important reasons for this lack of interest in HIGHER EDUCATION”
Public services still the highest paid All of the issues that the NDS has highlighted will take time to translate into results, but the direction is strong and the intentions genuine. Yett almost in opposition to this objective in the NDS was the pay rise that Qatari government employees received at the beginning of last year, a fact no public body commented on, as would have been expected. But Professor Tzannatos gives us his interpretation: “The big differences in pay and employment conditions between the public sector and the private sector induce nationals in the GCC states to choose employment in the public sector that does not require a lot of pre-employment preparation (for example, in terms of studying or skills development) or long hours and high effort, when employment in the private sector is often without other benefits,” he says. Job seekers are clever and make choices in view of the available opportunities and incentives. His solution, though, is not to close the gap by reducing conditions in the public sector but to increase productivity in the private sector, which would in turn allow employers to pay higher wages instead of relying on the low wages that are typically paid to migrant workers. “High wages will in turn induce nationals to invest in their education and thus break the vicious circle of low wages for migrant workers, low investment in capital intensive technologies, low productivity, again leading to low wages and thus making jobs in the private sector unattractive to nationals,” he says. For this, private institutions too have to make the effort, but whether they are willing remains the question. Booz experts echo similar sentiments. “With a relatively small national population, it is critical that Qatari talent finds its way to leading positions in both the public and private sectors. Today, the employee value proposition for a national is significantly more attractive in the public sector than in the private sector. To redress the balance, efforts should be spent in three directions: firstly, gradually bring closer the employee value proposition of the public sector to that of the private sector along the various dimensions that a national places a premium on: compensation, working hours and job security to allow for a more level playing field. Secondly, incentivise the private sector to offer a more attractive employee value proposition by subsidising training for nationals in private sector employment. This also makes the national more attractive to the private sector as the latter does not have to bear the full cost of developing this resource. Thirdly, public awareness campaigns to shape what matters in terms of employee value proposition. For example, enhancing in Qatari youths’ minds the importance of the development opportunities offered by the private sector against the pure financial benefits,” says Dr Hoteit. Sheikh Hamad has proposed a 12-point programme (see box in PG 46) which outlines the way forward to combat the shortage of Qatari males in higher education. He says, “I consider all 12 recommendations to be important, and they must be addressed in totality if we want to address this disturbing problem in a holistic way. However, I feel that the recommendation which aims to increase the awareness and motivation of Qatari male secondary school students to proceed eagerly to higher education is the most crucial one.”
bottom line
Managing Difficult Employees Being a manager does have its perks: You may get the corner office with the view, a marked parking space, probably even an attractive pay package, but we all know the managerial role is no walk in the park. So what’s the toughest part of the job?
According to Bayt.com’s “Management Challenges in the MENA” poll, 29.9% of managers consider managing multicultural teams to be the toughest part of the job. This particular management challenge increasingly comes into the spotlight in the MENA region where an average workplace has multiple different nationalities, cultures and ethnicities interacting and working together. Cultural diversity aside, an average workplace is usually also hugely diverse in terms of job skills, personalities, attitudes towards work and life, and individual quirks and preferences. While this can contribute to an interesting and stimulating work environment, it also means that occasionally we encounter a truly “difficult” employee, i.e. someone whose personality, attitude, or approach to work and life is so skewed it causes problems for a manager and the rest of the team. Bayt.com has classified four kinds of difficult employees and how to manage them to ensure that your team is calibrated to mini-
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mise their negative impact. 1. The Perennial Pessimist This person is the one who will put a damper on every endeavour through their perpetual negativity. While it is good to have a devil’s advocate when brainstorming and bouncing ideas, a perennial pessimist will take a negative approach not for the benefit of idea development but just because they are generally uncooperative. Dig deep, and you may find the reasons for their inertia are that they are lazy or burnt out or very risk-averse and changeaverse or simply severely lacking the selfconfidence needed to take risks. Still, they pose a roadblock to the company’s growth and productivity and their negativity can be contagious if not addressed. 2. The Know-it-all According to the “Management Challenges in the MENA” poll, 37.2% of managers believe that mid-career employees are the hardest to manage. With a large influx of Generation Y workers, non-traditional ways of thinking and
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problem solving are the paradigm. Interestingly, the same poll also shows that 34.4% of managers believe that those at entry level are hard to manage. The Know-it-all is the person who is difficult to convince because they hold rigid views that are resistant to change possibly because they have been doing the job for a while or maybe because they have the inflated confidence and selfassurance of freshly graduated youth. This
brand of difficult employee is characterised by being arrogant, and having a perpetually superior attitude. Their belief that they can do no wrong makes them very stubborn and poorly receptive to constructive criticism. 3. The Passive-Aggressive The PassiveAggressive employee may not seem as overtly difficult as the other “types” but they are no less toxic for a workplace. The Passive-Aggressive employee is meek, sub-
missive and avoids confrontation. They have a problem saying “no”, which makes them take on more projects/tasks than they can handle, ultimately jeopardising the deliverables and project timelines. 4. The Hostile-Aggressive The HostileAggressive type is the most overtly difficult type of employee. It’s easy to spot them, they are openly violent, pushy, abusive and generally get the team morale down.
Given that all personalities are different there is no one-size-fits-all solution to deal with difficult employees. You can’t control other people’s behaviour, but you can control your responses to them. Below are a few steps that career experts at Bayt.com suggest to confront this problem. Don’t Ignore:
Intervene:
Help:
Don’t ignore the problem. While an employee may be of value to the organisation, this should not be an excuse for you to condone his/her behaviour when it is counterproductive and adverse to the company’s wellbeing and morale. Also, do not wait for the problem to resolve itself, this will probably only reinforce the negative behaviour cycle and perpetuate the problem further.
Timely professional intervention is necessary; if possible take action immediately after such behaviour is displayed. Sometimes it is necessary to make the difficult employee realise that their behaviour is having a negative effect on the rest of the team. Timely feedback given very constructively and professionally and nonconfrontationally can help the employee view their actions from others’ point of view and realise there are other ways to see and approach a situation.
Once the difficult employee starts to see things from the others’ perspective, they can be coached to display healthier behavioural patterns. The HR department can assist in this regard by suggesting coaching and training and effective communication techniques. The Perennial Pessimist can learn to give constructive criticism rather than complain, the Knowit-all can learn to be more open to others’ opinions, the Passive-aggressive can undergo assertiveness training and the Hostile-aggressive can start addressing their anger and stress in a healthier manner.
Ignoring this issue will not help, addressing difficult employees in a timely manner will ensure that the rest of your team does not suffer, and dealing with this will definitely reflect well on your reputation as a manager.
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Qatar Today 55
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Diversity goes a long way To transform Qatar to where it needs to be, it will require organisations to empower all their employees, specifically those who are currently unable to make significant contributions but have the expertise to do so.
Qatar is rich in diversity and has had many international links and relationships throughout its history. In recent years, the international market has had an expanded interest in the country, as it came to be recognised as one of the fastest-growing nations, both financially and in terms of infrastructure. With the changing pace in many industries and the growing interest in the country, the market is expanding with the population surge of expatriate professionals from across the globe. Research has demonstrated that organisations with a diverse workforce perform better than their nondiverse counterparts. So with Qatar’s ability to draw a global workforce we should see high performance across many industries. However, are businesses here utilising and fostering the diversity of employees to create and sustain an enriched working environment where innovation and decisionmaking are powerful tools? Diversity is not only about groups Diversity generally describes the dimen-
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sions of race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, age, sexual orientation, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs and other ideologies. However, diversity includes multiple groups as well as characteristics and experiences that define us as individuals. Fostering diversity is a multifaceted concept. It involves learning about and engaging with others who are not the same as us; it is about ensuring dignity and respect for all, as well as recognising and employing individuals in a safe, positive, nurturing environment. However, inclusive practices need to go beyond tolerance, safety and knowledge to ensure the true benefit of diversity. Organisations need to create a culture that embraces and celebrates the rich dimensions employees contribute to their environment. For that to occur, employees require a voice that must be heard by their leaders. Without this voice being heard, the diverse workforce within an organisation is not being fully utilised. Workplace diversity provides substantial
benefits to employees as well as the organisation. Obvious employee-related benefits include a more engaged workforce, reduced attrition, increased morale and an enhanced commitment to organisational outcomes. However, we need to dig a little deeper into the Qatar workplace to design and deliver suitable solutions that will positively impact diversity. Each organisation has a unique culture that may or may not accept different practices and ways of working. In this regard, organisations should only implement worldwide best practice solutions that are tailored to their specific organisational culture. I have seen the recruitment of international consultants who do not possess long-term experience of Qatar and invariably there is a disconnect between the design and the delivery of change management in organisations. Delivering change to Qatar businesses often requires incremental implementation and almost always requires consideration of the long-term effects of change (or the risk of inaction). While diversity training
bottom line for employees and especially managers is useful and I would say imperative, it is only part of the process. Diversity committee Establishing a diversity committee that represents employees has proven beneficial to many organisations. Diversity committees are designed to ensure the employee experience within the workplace is positive, the organisation receives feedback, and change initiatives are managed appropriately. Diversity committees represent the interests of the employees and the organisation they serve; they provide services such as providing feedback on HR-related policies, orientating new employees and their families to Qatar, providing feedback on organisational initiatives, developing diversity workshops and knowledge awareness programmes, and supporting organisational change. The human development pillar of Qatar’s 2030 Vision talks about retaining expatriate professionals who are outstanding. Needless to say, to demonstrate capacity to be outstanding there must be an opportunity to do so. In some businesses there has been an unwillingness to allow a diverse workforce the opportunity to be empowered and make a significant difference to business or operational outcomes. Trusting employees to deliver outcomes is a measureable HR process which begins with ensuring employees have agreed goals and objectives, that are measured and appropriate to develop the business. Organisations may need to consider moving away from the traditional autocratic style and slowly transition to a “managing by objectives” approach to leadership. Further, organisational leaders need to get more connected with their workforce and understand what is really happening in their businesses rather than listen to a trusted few who have the privilege of their voice being heard. Leaders must find a way to hear from a range of employees who have knowledge and expertise but are struggling to influence their core area of business expertise, possibly due to antiquated processes and a mid-level management that does not fully understand the nature of their
Utilising diversity
improves Decision-making
Enhances problem-solving
Reduces groupthink
Heightens creativity and innovation. specialisation or are highly territorial over their organisational influence. To deliver the change Qatar needs to realise its vision, there must be significant change related to the organisational culture of businesses, specifically leadership. Leaders need to seek a balance between empowering individuals to make a significant difference and managing the business risk of that empowerment. Qatarisation and diversity One of the most misunderstood activities is Qatarisation and its effect on diversity. Qatarisation is part of the State’s strategic development plan, specifically relating to the pillar of human development, which includes identification and support of Qatari
nationals to competently hold defined roles within an organisation. Qatarisation is misunderstood largely due to the fact there are very few countries that have such a nationalisation programme in place. However, Qatarisation is imperative; the Qatar Statistics Authority stated in a 2011 report that expatriates comprised 94% of the workforce. In order to maintain self-determination for the country’s nationals with such a huge majority of expat workers, it is key to have Qataris in decision-making roles. However, with Qatarisation largely misunderstood by the majority of the workforce, how does such a fundamental strategic programme become effective? It is essential in business for all employees to be actively engaged in making Qatarisation successful. I would go so far as to say that all employees should have a goal which may be something along the lines of “actively contributing to the success of Qatarisation”. This should be included in all job descriptions and embedded into the corporate values of all organisations. Involvement in Qatarisation can be offered through a range of activities starting with ensuring the expectations of expatriate workers are clear at the time of recruitment. There should be an effort made in organisations to ensure all expatriate workers are in alignment with Qatarisation initiatives within their organisation. Further, that Qatarisation as a strategy and with its supporting policies and processes is transparent, and those that contribute, Qataris or expatriates, are rewarded for their efforts. I recommend leadership teams reflect upon whether they are creating the best possible employee experience and harnessing the power of the diversity of their employees. To transform Qatar to where it needs to be and fulfil the vision it has for the future, it will require organisations to empower the diverse people that maybe currently are unable to make significant contributions to their organisations. The culture of an organisation is reflective of the leadership that governs it, and the key to unlock the full potential of the diverse workforce lies within organisational leaders
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By Elizabeth Fleming Elizabeth Fleming has over 20 years of international HR and business solutions experience. Her well-balanced mix in business solutions, human resources and anthropology adds a unique and effective approach to Qatarisation, both in cultural understanding and as a business offering. She has now established Qatar Development and Consultancy Centre; where her skills and industry knowledge has been well received; she is currently working on a National HR Competency Framework alongside Qatar University.
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Qatar Today 57
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“COP18 is a huge
opportunity for the country� 58 Qatar Today
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TIMELY COMMUNICATION OF Green initiatives VITAL FOR ITS SUCCESS
M by si ndhu nai r
ichael Mathres, Director of World Climate Ltd, has a simple mandate: to make sure that the UN COP18 – to be held in Doha from November 26 to December 7, 2012 – is a success. He specifies that what he wants is COP18 to have as many deals signed, new initiatives announced and Doha, the host country, to be portrayed in a sustainable manner to the whole world. Considering the fact that Qatar, with 55.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person, has the largest per person carbon footprint globally – about 10 times the global average – his aspiration might not be so modest after all. Mathres doesn’t agree. He feels that COP18 has come at the right time and is a perfect platform for the country to showcase its economic success and sustainable aspirations. “We have 194 country representatives or government officials who will practically be living here for two weeks and experiencing how the country works,” says Mathres. “They will see that electricity provides for the conditioned air and the desalinated water and they will know that this is not sustainable. Qatar has a huge responsibility towards all these countries to portray itself as a more responsible nation.” He feels Qatar is not at all prepared for this huge event, in terms of what needs to be communicated to the world. This is not criticism but a fact, he stresses. “The COP18 is the largest environmental conference in the world,” he says. “An event of this magnitude has never happened in Qatar or in the Middle East. It is the perfect opportunity for the country to showcase its strategy of developing its economics sustainably. All environmental experts, negotiators
and environment NGOS will be here. If Qatar does not use this huge opportunity it will reflect badly on the country and convey a bad image for the World Cup it is to host. “On the face of it, the country looks like a big construction site,” he continues. “This is the image that will be seen by others. If the country doesn’t start communicating about the initiatives – the solar plants, the transportation initiatives – then the image that stays is the construction site and a wonderland that is not ‘green’ in any sense. These are representatives for whom green initiatives, sustainable living and renewable energy are all part of their system. This is a political and a reputational risk that the country has to manage. From now until December, it is all about communicating Qatar’s sustainability – politically, scientifically and socially.” The global scenario Mathres’s view about the global climate change scenario is equally dramatic, and he offers the thought that climate change pundits are underestimating the effects in their predictions. “All that I say is entirely based on fact,” he clarifies. “The scene hasn’t been scarier than it is at the moment. This summer has been the worst in the history of mankind. The Arctic ice had the minimum cover, a level that has never been reached before. This summer was also the first time in human history when the whole of Greenland was melting. Nearly the entire surface of Greenland’s massive ice sheet had turned to slush, the fastest thaw-rate since satellites began keeping score 30 years ago. (Qatar will drown if the whole of Greenland melts and the sea levels rise by seven metres). The harvest for wheat and corn has been one of the worst in history. Prices on these two commodities have gone up, and as a result of these, prices of related products like meat and poultry (which depend on these grains) will also rise,” he says. Why, then, hasn’t there been a panic globally like some years ago? The only rationale for this, Mathres says, is that people are tired of hearing the oft-repeated yet scary truth.
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“We have 194 country representatives or government officials who will practically be living here in Qatar for two weeks and experiencing how the country works,” says Mathres.
Qatar Today 59
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Nearly the entire surface of Greenland’s massive ice sheet turned to slush, the fastest thaw-rate since satellites began keeping score 30 years ago.
Qatar will drown if the whole of Greenland melts and sea levels rise by seven metres
60 Qatar Today
“It will hit people directly when food prices go spiraling,” he predicts. People need to be reminded, he says, that the effect of climate change is not getting better, but worse. As a result of the climate change scare, countries and organisations have been harping on about taking the sustainable route for quite some time, so what has happened so far? Mathres feels that nothing much has been achieved. “Very little has changed,” he says, “Every year the countries meet up during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference (same as the one to be held in Doha) and no global deal has happened since Kyoto Protocol, which was a long time ago (1997). Even the Kyoto Protocol doesn’t include all the countries (the developed world, the US, Russia). The world has finally agreed to agree to the Protocol in 2015, and in 2020 they have agreed to implement some sort of global deal.” While countries are still mulling over the path to take, the world’s air has reached what scientists call a troubling new milestone for carbon dioxide, the main global warming pollutant. Monitoring stations across the Arctic in June measured more than 400 parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere. “The number isn’t quite a surprise, because it’s been rising at an accelerating pace. It’s been at least 800,000 years – probably more – since the planet saw carbon dioxide levels in the 400s,” Mathres says. What’s special about this COP18? If COP18 will not have any landmark agreements signed, what will this conference’s headline be? “This year there will not be any decision on the Kyoto Protocol, but there might be some sort of agreement on the finance side, an agreement whether the developed world will finance the developing world on mitigating carbon emissions. If they agree to finance then the COP18 can be called successful,” he says. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is an operating entity of the financial mechanism of the Convention under Article 11 and was established at the COP16 in Durban. The GCF will support projects, programmes, policies and other activities in developing countries. “Ironically, this year was the first that the US has decreased its emissions and without any sanctions,” he says, “and the reason for this is that the country has used more gas and much less coal for power generation.” And that’s where Qatar comes into the picture. “Qatar has a huge economic opportunity in dictating the global energy mix in the next decade,” he says, “The US is going to use much more gas than it is using now. Gas is part of the mitigating story, and it could act as a bridge between the developed world and the
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developing world in reducing emissions.” That, says Mathres, is the reason why this COP18, is so crucial to the country. “Politically Qatar wants to be seen as a major force and hence holding a conference on this scale automatically puts the country in the spotlight. Economically the country has an image to project too,” he says. Qatar needs to show the world that it is mitigating the carbon emissions it is producing, or else opt for the less cynical view by showing the world that it is trying to develop its renewable energy portfolio. “If this opportunity is lost, there are chances that the country will be looked at negatively and this will not bode well for the country before the World Cup developments,” he says. Climate summit The World Climate Summit (WCS) is the largest business summit that is held during the UNFCC conference where businesses, climate change experts and financiers communicate and develop solutions for climate change. “The reason for our existence is simple,” says Mathres. “From the UNFCCC you are not allowed to have business meetings during the conference and WCS becomes a perfect platform to have businesses participate alongside. We also believe in bottoms-up solutions from financiers and researchers. We make sure that there is as much benefit as possible for people and businesses who attend the conference, and also the global business community that comes to the country. “We try and bring the private sector and the public sector together. Governments all around the world, unlike here in Qatar, have no money anymore. For them to develop their economy sustainably, they reach out to the private-sector. Most of large-scale projects need a lot of funding and technical expertise that cannot be provided by governments. The private sector, such as Siemens and Philips, come into the picture and help in terms of financing, in terms of renewable energy projects,” he says. Last year Philips launched an energy-efficient lighting system for cities, which had a massive impact on the energy being consumed. “That project was also launched at last year’s climate change conference and it is being implemented in South Asia, and Latin America.” On a finishing note, Mathres adds that to paint a green future for Qatar is not an insurmountable task. “You have an abundance of sun and sand, two ingredients indispensable for a solar plant, and you have the technology too...It can’t get better than this. (I know the plant is already underway.) “You just need a government policy to power the country on solar energy”
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is e-health a runner in Qatar? As information and communication technologies have grown rapidly in recent years, medical science is compelled to keep pace with what they can offer. Both segments can collaborate to provide more robust healthcare products, whilst Governments can leverage their flexibility to implement leaner management systems.
T
by rory coen
he World Health Organisation (WHO) is promoting a concept called “e-health” and believes it can reduce costs and improve performance. Qatar’s National Health Strategy (NHS) aims to
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“improve the health of Qatar’s population with an integrated system of healthcare managed according to world-class standards”. The importance of this development and the financial commitment by the government to the ultimate goal is evident in the increased allocation in the state budget. Huge infrastructure projects are going on and Qatar is gearing up to a requirement of doubling hospital bed capacity by 2013 to 4.4 beds per 1,000 residents. Recent public sector builds include the Cardiology Centre of Excellence, Al Wakra General Hospital, Qatar Foundation’s support to the Sidra Medical Research Centre and further works towards Hamad Medical City. It’s widely expected that most private
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What is e-health? dr, najeeb al-shorbaji director, department of knowledge management and sharing, world health organisation.
opportunity to drive efficiensector operators are eyeing cies through the provision of expansion plans in light of remote access to high-quality the sector being encouraged health information, services to grow private capacity by a and treatment. However, that quarter. opportunity is narrowed by Dr Najeeb Al-Shorbaji, DiQatar’s National Health a range of risks that must be rector of Knowledge ManageStrategy (NHS) aims to managed effectively from both ment and Sharing at the WHO “improve the health of Qatar’s a legal and an ethical perspecHeadquarters in Geneva, is an tive. It was indeed discouragadvocate of “e-health” and bepopulation with an integrated ing to witness the discussion lieves that a country can have system of healthcare managed turn more towards the legal the greatest infrastructure in according to world class and ethical questions about the world, but it’s futile withe-health than the positives out working standards and standards”. within it. interoperability between all It was argued that an ethe systems. He says that if health strategy won’t work a country wants to adopt e– within a country’s limits health in its national health or indeed internationally – strategy, it needs to be at without a legal and regulathe core of the implementation, as too many countries are taking a “fragmented tory framework that will ensure the implementation and maintenance of internationally recognised best approach”. Al-Shorbaji was chairing a discussion at the W practice in relation to the provision of healthcare Hotel last month which brought together many of and compliance with relevant data protection and the key health administrators in the country. Their confidentiality laws. The challenges associated with mandate was to engage in dialogue to lead to a better regulatory compliance in particular are compounded understanding about what could be done in Qatar to by the cross-border/no-border nature of e-health as a concept. Governance structures will have to be desupport the NHS using the “e-health” concept. fined and adhered to before any implementation of e-health can become a reality. What is e-health? It doesn’t come cheap, either. Al-Shorbaji exOptimal use of e-health initiatives will create the
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Optimal use of e-health initiatives will create the opportunity to drive efficiencies through the provision of remote access to high quality health information, services and treatment. However that opportunity is tapered by a range of risks that must be managed effectively from both a legal and ethical perspective.
Qatar Today 63
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“If a country decides to have multiple systems because of different sectors such as public, private, military, NGOs, that’s ok too, but we want all entities to be able to report and record data according to certain standards and allow it to be exchanged between systems.”
75 QR
BILLION amoun t allo cate d to the UK’S Nati onal Prog ramme for Information Technology
75 QR
BILLION AMOUNT ALLOCATE D TO the US Health Information Te chnolog y for Economic an d Clinical Health
1.7 QR
BILLION AMOUNT spen t BY AUST RALIA TO des ign and build a system
13 QR
MILLION AMOUNT spen t BY SAUDI ARA BIA just to develop a strategy
64 Qatar Today
plained that “the UK allocated QR75 billion to its National Programme for Information Technology 2003-2011, whilst the US Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health received the same amount for its 2011-2013 plan. Australia spent QR1.7 billion just to design and build a system, without implementation, while Saudi Arabia spent QR13 million just to develop a strategy – that was without using any technology or computers, just to come up with a strategy.” However, e-health does offer the potential to play a critical role in the delivery of services and meeting the growing phenomenon of “patient power” as well as in areas such as telemedicine and education, with the provision of management information on spends and trends that can be used in the improvement of desired outcomes for healthcare in Qatar. If e-health is delivered properly it can incredibly reduce mortality rates by 45% and bring a 20% reduction in the need for emergency admissions. It can lower the number of beds required by 14% and lower the tariff costs by 8%. According to Al-Shorbaji, Qatar has yet to discuss an e-health strategy, but there are many components within the National Health Strategy which refer to e-health and the use of information and communication technology. He believes that it would be a wise decision for Qatar to start looking more closely at the technology. ictQATAR is supporting the Supreme Council of Health (SCH)’s efforts to further digitise healthcare systems and records. The SCH and Hamad Medical Corporation have begun efforts to build a unified health records system, and 500 employees – including doctors, nurses and therapists – have already been trained in how to use the system. Four out of 12 hospitals have already fully integrated the system, and it is now the standard for all new hospitals in Qatar. “There are three things e-health can do,” AlShorbaji said. “Reduce costs, improve the quality of healthcare, and boost equal access to services for everyone. The WHO has plenty of evidence that ehealth is money in the right direction. We have many case studies and research papers. I think it would be a good idea for Qatar to have an e-health strategy or a roadmap for one which is fully compatible with the National Health Strategy. The e-health strategy would
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have to support the national health strategy. It would be an enabler; it would be supportive and integral. “What we are promoting at the World Health Organisation and with our many partners is to encourage and help countries to develop e-health strategies. We have developed a tool kit for that alone. This includes defining governance structures, what and who are the stakeholders, what should be in the implementation plans and what kind of budget is needed, as well as the policy and strategic directions to take,” he added. Standards and interoperability A major talking point when it comes to implementing an e-health strategy is whether to run with a large integrated system or to have multiple systems that are interoperable. Some health centres in Qatar have begun operations to develop their own systems already. “Of course, there isn’t one definitive answer to that,” says Al- Shorbaji. “It depends on the economic situation and on the size and structure of policies. But there is one thing that is really important, and that is following standards and interoperability protocols at a national level, and then these can be used internationally. From insurance companies’ point of view, it’s important to have the coding done in a standardised way so that when a patient goes from Qatar to a foreign country with a certain diagnosis, then that diagnosis is standardised in its description and its codification. “If a country can afford one big system, that’s great,” Al-Shorbaji continued. “If a country decides to have multiple systems because of different sectors such as public, private, military, NGOs, that’s OK too, but we want all entities to be able to report and record data according to certain standards and allow it to be exchanged between systems. That’s what the regulator and the SCH would like to have. Standardisation and interoperability are the two key aspects of the ehealth concept. “I think if Qatar asked me to give an opinion on the matter I would encourage interoperable systems. If private companies, computer developers and policy makers follow interoperability principles then ehealth works. I don’t mind what computer systems are used as long as they meet the requirements, and the basic principle is to follow standards and interoperability. This is not only at the technology level – it is also at the legal level,” he said
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Media moves towards
localisation As you flip through the Arabic TV channels, you begin to see a pattern of westerninfluenced shows similar to “The Voice”, “American Idol” and “America’s Got Talent”. There’s also the phenomenon of dubbing Turkish, Indian, Mexican and Spanish TV series INto Arabic. This is called ArabisatioN and it’s regularly seen in THE media TODAY.
by O la D ia b
NOW, however, there’s increasing interest in the localisation of media in the Middle East meaning producing shows that don’t only relate to people linguistically but also culturally. There’s a growing trend of localisation in media, says Joe Khalil, an Associate Professor at Northwestern University in Qatar (NU-Q) who was recently awarded a visiting research fellowship at the prestigious London School of Economics, where he will be publishing his research on youth media in the Arab world. “Up until a few years ago, when we thought of localisation, we equated that with Arabisation. So we took a Western programme and made it Arab,” he says about the current trends in media. However, he believes that the Arabisation of Western programmes isn’t what the viewers or consumers want. People in the Middle East are looking for ideas they can
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understand, relate and adapt to. Therefore entrepreneurs of the Arab world, in the media field, need to have an innovative take on localising their ideas to ensure the success of their businesses. Khalil began his project in London in June 2012 and will be publishing his work in 2013. His research is part of the Media@ LSE series and relates to his constant work on youth-generated media in the Arab world, a subject he has been researching and writing about since 2006. Arab Spring opens channels The Arab world has come under scrutiny since December 2011, as the Arab Spring spread from Tunisia to Syria, marking the region’s biggest current crisis. The Middle East grabbed more attention after a YouTube anti-Islam film was released, causing people across the region to flood the streets in protest yet again. Young Arab men and women are the major voices behind these revolutionary events. And these young minds are Khalil’s protagonists in his research.
“Youth all over the world are sharing similar anxieties about this moment in human history,” says Khalil. “But it is interesting to note that 2011 was not the first time this had happened. It had happened before in the late 1960s. It happened at the fall of the Soviet Union when people were concerned about their future.” These are the same questions that the youth in this part of the world, considered dormant for so many years, started asking when all of a sudden they realised that their own livelihood was at stake, says Khalil. On choosing this subject of youth and media, he says: “When I decided to start my research work, I was motivated to try and understand the conditions under which young people find tools to express themselves out of the paradigm.” Khalil, who has been preparing programmes for the young people for at least ten years for Middle East Broadcasting Corp., CNBC Arabia, MTV Arabia and Orbit, was certain he had the pulse of the youth in the region. However, when he started his research he realised that young Middle East-
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“Governments in the Arab world realised that it was time for new media entrepreneurships and thus media cities were formed.”
ern men and women are using unexpected or new tools for self-expression. “Mass media is becoming irrelevant to young people’s lives,” says Khalil. “We are no longer seeing young people as listeners, viewers or movie-watchers but as users. They are the kind of people who want to use and transform media.” Online media has become an essential tool that many young men and women in the Middle East have turned to for selfexpression. “In an environment of anxiety, people would resort to some sort of communication to understand or hear others, but also to express themselves and ask questions,” says Khalil. “If there’s any ability of a two-way process then they would love to be engaged in that.” Online media may be a main tool of selfexpression, but recently young men and women in the region have incorporated hip hop, rap and graffiti culture into their own. “They [Arab youth] see themselves surrounded by a police state that treats them as immature and incapable of responding to basic needs. They are marginalised and put in a corner. Historically these were the same sentiments that were echoed in the original movement of rap,” says Khalil. “It is resonated by iconic graffiti artists who say, ‘I’m going to take every single wall on every single street and turn that into a platform for my expression.’” Entrepreneurship and media According to Khalil, there have been three significant turning points in the media scene in relation to entrepreneurship in the region. The first turning point was during the first Gulf War, when Arabs used the war as an opportunity capitalise on reaching out to the people in the region via satellite channels. “In terms of entrepreneurship, that created a major change because also it not only created media entrepreneurs but also ancillary businesses, particularly in the area of advertising and so on.” The
second turning point was the event of 9/11 in 2001. “Governments in the Arab world realised that it was time for new media entrepreneurships and thus media cities were formed,” he says. Today, believes Khalil, we are at a third turning point “where there’s a search for a new or stable media ecosystem. That ecosystem takes into consideration the fact that there are lower barriers to entry.” Entrepreneurs in the Middle East need to keep their eyes open for two things–content and creativity. “By content, I mean provide something that is unique so it goes hand in hand with creativity,” says Khalil. “There’s a lot of competition on getting that right content; that’s why we see big channels com-
peting over formats like Arab Idol or The Voice, because these kinds of formats are seen as tried and tested.” Regardless of the success of such shows, Khalil believes one of the biggest problems in the Middle East is that the region lacks venture capitalists. Many of these programmes are based on up-and-running projects, lacking originality or, as Khalil would say, lacking content and creativity. Khalil feels that governments in the region should rise to the occasion and provide young entrepreneurs with the necessary finance and resources. And when governments lag behind, private companies should be able to attend to the financial necessities of young entrepreneurs
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Qatar Today 67
wellness warriors
Self-belief for the big rewards
Qatar Today kick-starts a health and living series where the top echelon in the country reveal their work-life balance strategy and healthy living guidelines. by Nic o le va n H att e m
TECHTALK
The desire to move ahead in business and ensure a solid financial future for yourself and your family can lead you to take short cuts with your health and wellbeing. Is this the best way to get to the top and stay at the top? The Wellness Warriors series will be interviewing leaders in business in Qatar who lead by living lives of balance and wellness. Learn how they stay on top of their game by investing in their work-life balance, and how this approach impacts their performance at work and their quality of life overall. We kick off this series with Hussain AlAbdullah, Head of Retail Banking for Barwa Bank, who explains the approach to fitness, food and relationships that enables him to deliver high-level results in business. Qatar has been described as the richest and fattest nation on earth, and is now the third-highest in terms of diabetes rates. If this situation continues, how do you see the health of the nation in 10 years’ time? I think it will improve. There are programmes that are going on to improve the lifestyle of the nation. Huge investments have been placed to encourage exercise, healthy dieting, and awareness of the risks tagged with some wrong yet common habits. I think it will pay off in the next few years. What impact will this have on the banking and finance sector in Qatar (e.g.
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Qatarisation strategies, talent pools, health costs, absenteeism rates, employee performance levels)? Should we continue on the path of promoting good healthy habits, it will positively affect the way we conduct life and business. It will promote healthy competition and encourage productivity. What health or lifestyle changes have you made in the last one to two years? I have returned to exercising more frequently. I used to play volleyball professionally; however, after my return from the US years ago, I started to exercise less and less. What triggered you to make this change? I gained a lot of weight and did almost no exercise, and so started to experience all types of pains. I ignored these at the beginning. However, there was an incident when a back pain kept me in bed for over 10 days and then I could hardly move. It was a very difficult situation where I had to depend on people to move me around. I couldn’t reach or carry my kids, and it hit me: these kids have only me to depend on; what would happen to them if I was like this forever? It was a trigger that made me think about my life and the way I was approaching it. How did getting more active affect your weight, mood and mental clarity? I lost a lot of weight and I felt good about it. My mental makeup improved and I became more positive and energetic. With a clearer picture of my future and a plan to live well, everything else began to revolve around it. What, if any, changes did you notice about your leadership abilities, as a result of getting fitter and leaner? I can move around a lot more freely! I have more energy and patience and higher a tolerance. I like to actually see the results being delivered by my team and eing fit and healthy enables me to do this.
How does exercising regularly help you to manage stress? Exercise is a great stress reliever. I lose myself when I put my music on and start lifting heavy weights. Everything else disappears from my mind when I exercise. My stress levels are still high but I don’t get dragged down by it now and I don’t give in to stress. This has a positive effect on my performance at work.
How many times a week do you exercise, and what types do you do? I work out with a personal trainer 3–4 times a week. We do cardio and weight lifting. It takes about two hours, but it’s well worth the time invested. What do you eat to fuel your performance? l Breakfast – fruit along with tea. l Lunch – varies, but in most cases any kind of protein. l Dinner – very early light snack or fruit. l Snacks and treats – once a week I let myself go and have whatever I like. Burgers and chips, for example. How does your spiritual practice support your health and wellbeing? It’s an important part of my life. It provides guidance, support and the path to my way. In my personal opinion, you can’t have one without the other. Relationships are a key part of health and wellbeing. If these are not being nourished, then it can affect other areas of our lives and health. How do you maintain good relationships with colleagues, family and friends? Constant communication with colleagues.
Humour and food contribute to this relationship. You rarely go wrong with these two. I love to keep them close and motivated. By doing that, I keep myself motivated. I am a family man by nature and like to keep myself close to my family, and my children are the reason behind everything I do. They keep me on my toes and keep pushing me toward these life-changing challenges. I love them to death. They are my heart and soul. My friends are my comfort zone. It is to their midst that I go to be myself. Do you consider that you have a healthy work-life balance? It’s better than before and I’m constantly trying to improve it. I do give time to those who need it most, including myself. That’s why I tend to break the routine by taking kids out for lunch sometimes or leave work early to catch up on my exercise. As a leader in the community and the workplace, setting an example for others to follow, what would you say are your top 10 tips for managing stress? l Self-believe; believe that you can do it l Find the few things that motivate you most in life l Time management l Prioritise your tasks l Get enough sleep l Take short trips to unwind l Exercise l Exercise l Exercise l And more exercise What are your top tips for maintaining your professional performance at a senior level in business? l Always come prepared l Have confidence in what you do l Have a “can do” attitude l Positive thinking l Take care of yourself l Ask for help when needed
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By nicole van hattem Nicole van Hattem is the Founder and Director of the Art of Abundant Living, the only Corporate Wellness and Health Coaching Company in Qatar. A board-certified Holistic Health Coach, Nicole specialises in wellness transformations and is a raw food and detox enthusiast.
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Qatar Today 69
GREEN SCENE
GPS to announce Eco-School of the Year The Green Programme for Schools will be presenting awards at a special ceremony, to schools that have shown outstanding commitment to the environmental campaign for the year 2011-2012.
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articipating schools of the Green Programme for Schools (GPS) will receive awards and recognition for their valuable contribution and support towards the successful implementation of the environmental campaign for the year 2011-2012 at a special awards ceremony to be held on November 6 at the Hafsa Independent School, GPS officials announced. Awards in numerous categories will be handed out, including the Eco-School of the Year, School with Best Student Involvement and School with Best Innovation. The winners will be selected based on the results of the evaluation session that was held on October 9 at Msheireb Enrichment Centre, where schools gave a presentation to the GPS Steering Committee about the green initiatives they had taken since the launch of the programme in June last year. Members of the GPS Steering Committee include Nawal Al-Kowary, Communications Officer, Supreme Education Council; Jamal Mohamed Al Jaber, Education Coordinator, QGBC; Eng. Mohamed Jaber, Head of Education Committee, QGBC; and Ravi Raman, Vice-President, Oryx Advertising
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Company. Mission 20 volunteers will also be recognised for their role as activation partners during the ceremony. “The culmination of this year’s programme and handing out the awards is a matter of great pride and joy. Over the past year, all schools have demonstrated commitment, innovation and teamwork in making a huge difference in their schools.
This gives a tremendous launching pad for next year’s programme,” said Raman. The GPS is the environmental initiative of Msheireb Properties, in association with Qatar Today magazine and supported by the Supreme Education Council. Since its launch on June 5, 2011, GPS has seen the participation of around 25,000 students from more than 28 schools.
Textbooks get GPS branding
More than 1,000 old textbooks were collected and rebranded at the end of the Textbook Collection Drive at MES Indian School. As part of the campaign, students were encouraged to donate old school books after each semester. These books were cleaned and branded with the GPS sticker and handed over to the next batch for re-use. The project was launched in all participating schools to encourage students to share their textbooks while reducing waste and impact on the environment. The collection, segregation and branding of the textbooks is being monitored by GPS coordinators from Mission 20.
To know more about the programme,
To know more about GPS,
visit the GPS page at http://www. facebook.com/GPSQatar.
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The Mobile
Economy
By Kapil Bhatia
We are all well aware of the fact that mobile is the future for technology and the web. There have been enough studies and factual presentations to prove that consumers are increasingly using their mobile devices to access the web.
BUT even with the worldwide explosion of highspeed tablets and smartphones, some websites are struggling to generate enough revenue to keep them in business. Publishers that depend entirely on online advertisement revenues are the most impacted. The traditional print model was suffering, which encouraged publishers to go online. By the time they had managed to adjust to the online revenue model, accessing Web using mobile devices had gained traction. How would the ever-struggling print industry cope with these changes?! According to a study published on Journalism.org, for every $1 gained in the digital space $7 is lost in print revenue. The current advertisement revenue on website versus mobile is disturbing for the online publishers. The current CPM (cost per mille) for a banner advertisement on a website in the region is approximately $30 versus $7-10 on a mobile website. This varies between different advertisement networks, but for comparison purposes publishers are losing around 60% of their
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revenue as advertisers shift their dollars to the mobile platform. Online publishers run their business on two important factors: how many people access their content (reach) and how many times they visit the website (frequency). With the mobile channel (apps, mobile website) in place there is always a possibility of cannibalisation of the website traffic. The good news is that the growth in mobile usage has been met with a sharp increase in advertisement impressions leading to increases in revenue. The Interactive Advertising Bureau has valued the global mobile advertising market in 2011 at $5.3 billion (QR19.3), of which the Middle East and Africa accounted for 3.2%. An infograph released by the mobile advertisement network InMobi states that in Q1 2012 there were 11 billion advertisement impressions generated on their mobile network in the Middle East. Out of this 11 billion, 82% of impressions were generated on smartphones. To understand the mobile usage in the Middle East region look at the following statistics: According to research done by Google, the Middle East is leading the smartphone race globally with 62% of mobile users being on smartphones in the UAE and 60% in Saudi
tag this
for every $1 (QR3.64)gained in the digital space, $7 (QR25) is lost in PRINT REVENUE. $1
Arabia. In the UAE 71% of users are accessing the Internet every day. Mobile shopping Another interesting stat from an e-commerce perspective is that smartphone owners in the Middle East are the most active mobile shoppers. In Egypt, 41% of smartphone owners have made a purchase on their mobile device, and of these mobile shoppers 80% make purchases once a month or more. This monthly shopping behaviour is the highest out of all of the countries that participated, and in fact 46% of Egyptians expect to make more mobile purchases in the future. The above stats prove that there is a huge revenue opportunity in the mobile space regionally. Web companies are still depending on a click to make money on mobile. A recent survey by mobile app marketing platform Trademob found that 40% of mobile clicks on advertisements are essentially useless, the result of accidental presses or fraud. To debate this opportunity, how many of you actually like to see a banner advertisement while playing a game or surfing a news app? Irritating, isn’t it?! The banner advertisement on a mobile actually takes up a significant amount of real estate space. Earlier this year Google had acquired the loss-making Motorola Mobility business. Last week Google reported Q3 2012 net revenue of $11.33 billion, missing follow
www.twitter.com @kapilkb blog @ iwep.blogspot.com amateur photographer @earsplease. blogspot.com
market expectations of $11.86 billion. Motorola’s acquisition was directly linked to Google’s decision to launch Android as a major business venture. When you account for the costs of the Motorola purchase, Android has been a pretty epic failure. However, it has been a successful product challenging companies like Apple. Even after acquiring mobile companies Google is still not able to crack the solution to monetise the mobile business. It can’t charge as much for a mobile advertisement or click as it can for a regular one on a browser. Mobile advertising is generating significantly less revenue for all players, including Facebook. Facebook has a product called “sponsored stories”. For example, if a user clicks the “like” button on the Facebook page of a certain brand, some of his friends might see a notice about this when they visit the site. The website now generates about $1 million of revenue a day, about half of which comes from mobile users. However, this is a small step in the mobile space for a company like Facebook. Most online publishing websites have not been built on business models that take into account the potentially lower advertisement revenue that mobile may continue to present. But as mobiles usag increases, it’s imperative that not only publishers but anyone in the online business creates a new business model that doesn’t rely solely on advertisements
$7 60 publishers are losing around 60% of their revenue as advertisers shift their dollars to the mobile platform.
the global mobile advertising market in 2011 stood at $5.3 billion (QR19.3), of which the Middle East and Africa accounted for 3.2%.
the Middle East is leading the smartphone race globally with 62% of mobile users being on smartphones in the UAE and 60% in Saudi Arabia. In the UAE 71% access the internet daily.
Google reported Q3 2012 net revenue of $11.33 billion (QR41 BILLION), missing market expectations of $11.86 billion (QR43 BILLION). Motorola’s acquisition was directly linked to Google’s decision to launch Android as a major business venture.
By Kapil Bhatia Kapil Bhatia is an E-Business Manager, working in the Financial Services Industry for the past 10 years. His work ranges across Digital Marketing, e-Channels and development of marketing strategies, with a sound Information Technology base. TFour.me is an up-and-coming technology blog in the Middle East, which will feature talk about Tech Entertainment, Social Networks and Digital Trends and also list jobs. it will offer insightful analysis about Big Data and the Internet industry and will feature Start-ups in the Middle East region.
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TECHTALK Bringing the newest gadgets and global tech stories to you each month… Apple launches iPad Mini – but at what price?
Gentlemen, start your engines
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pple’s CEO Tim Cook announced its latest tablet computer, the iPad mini in California last month. It’s designed to look like a smaller version of the triumphant iPad. It’s also expected to eat into its sales. It is flat and slim – 7.2mm from front to back, and weighing 0.68lbs. It has a slightly larger screen size than some rivals: 7.9ins, not least because the bezel on the iPad mini is noticeably slimmer than most rivals. The screen resolution looked crisp, pin-sharp and colourful. Apple executive Philip Schiller compared the iPad mini to the Google Nexus 7, claiming Apple’s superiority for web browsing, dedicated apps and more. It also has a 5-megapixel rear camera, which the Nexus lacks. The iPad mini is on sale from November for the wi-fi only version, with models including 4G. It has the same sleek design as its bigger sibling, and feels great in the hand. As for the price, it starts from approximately QR1,600. This is more than Apple’s rivals, but it is likely to take the battle to Amazon and Google with great effect. Schiller also announced a new full-size iPad – a fourth-generation model, which may not please those who bought the one that only went on sale in March.
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he Nissan PlayStation GT Academy 2012 contest went ‘LIVE’ last month. The highly acclaimed virtual-to-reality racing competition is open to anyone in the Middle East and South Africa with a PlayStation 3 console by simply downloading a free GT Academy qualification challenge themed around the hugely popular Gran Turismo game. At stake is the ultimate racing prize – a chance to be part of an intensive driver development training programme that has turned previous winners into professional racing drivers with Nissan. To enter, all competitors need is access to a PS3 with an Internet connection, and to register on PlayStation Network. The eight-step online qualification format, especially developed by legendary Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi, poses gamers and motorsport fans a variety of fun and exciting challenges that reflect the wide range of driving skills required to master the fine art of becoming a professional racing driver. Entrants have eight weeks to complete these adrenaline-fuelled driving contests, which include handling powerful Nissan rear-wheel-drive performance cars and mastering cornering techniques at high speeds, through to setting the fastest possible lap times in wet and challenging conditions.
Spoon-Pheeding celebrities
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heed, a new social network similar to Twitter and Tumblr, has attracted lots of celebrity support in its first week on the web. Celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Miley Cyrus, Chris Brown and Slash are using the new service, which allows members to charge for access to their ‘channels’, either on a subscription basis or a pay-per-view basis. Pheed lets members post text updates, as well as photos, video and audio clips. Channels can even host live broadcast events. OD Kobo, the company’s co-founder, said: “That whole model where people pay x amount for a video or song is a bit outdated. What social media is today is about selling bits and pieces of peoples’ lives. It’s not necessarily selling that one song, it’s selling access to me.” The channel owner keeps half the fees their feed generates, with the other half going to cover bandwidth and other overheads, as well as Pheed’s profits.
Chromebook is a Google eco-system
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Cash-on-delivery or Online payment? Getting paid isn’t always a certainty, so as Middle Eastern e-commerce companies look to accelerate sales, they are still struggling with payment options. Initially, cashon-delivery (COD) is encouraged by websites to create confidence among consumer to purchase online. However, they do hope that at some stage they will also purchase online. Have you as a consumer gained enough confidence to purchase online? http://tfour.me is running an online poll to see what the general sentiment is in the region.
Online Payment (Credit card, Debit Card, Paypal, Cashu, etc)
67%
Cash On Delivery
33%
oogle’s push to encourage users to adopt laptops that rely on the Internet continued last month with the launch Samsung’s QR900 Chromebook. It offers six hours of battery life, 100GB of online storage, weighs 2.5lb and measures 0.8” thick, Google claims. Chromebooks have recently been upgraded to include a more familiar computing environment, adopting a desktop and a series of windows based on the Google Chrome web browser. Sales, however, have remained sluggish despite ambitions for the laptops to take one in ten sales. Sundar Pichai, Google’s senior vice president for Chrome and Apps, said the goal was to create a “thin, light, portable computer which is great quality”. He said the team sees this as a second device people use at home, as a complement to their desktop computer or a more powerful laptop. To demonstrate that idea, Pichai and his team explained how someone might use the Chromebook (which are basically laptops that use Google’s cloud-centric Chrome OS), emphasising its integration with Google services like Gmail, YouTube, and Google Hangouts. He argued that when consumers make purchasing decisions, they think in terms of “ecosystems” (though they probably wouldn’t use that word) – if you use a lot of Microsoft services, you’ll probably buy a Windows device, whereas a Chromebook should be more appealing if you use lots of Google services and devices.
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What WAS trending on Doha News IN OCTOBER?
We’ve rounded up the most popular stories on Dohanews.co for the month of October. While safety at Villaggio Mall and the proceedings of the post-fire hearing continued to be a topic of significance, it was the apparent dress code changes at Aspire Park that generated the most interest and discussion. Residents express confusion, frustration at dress code crackdown at Aspire Park
Villaggio fire hearing adjourned a third time
As Doha’s weather finally cools down, its residents have been heading to some of the city’s green refuges, including Aspire Park.
A criminal hearing to determine responsibility for the 19 deaths in the Villaggio fire nearly five months ago was postponed for a third time after one of the owners of Gympanzee nursery did not attend.
But at the start of October, numerous visitors told Doha News they were being asked by security guards to leave the popular park for not conforming to new, unannounced dress code standards. Reportedly, visitors to the park had to come in either athletic attire or Qatari national dress. A week later, Al Arab newspaper reported that even Qatari men were being asked to leave for not wearing sports gear. Following the report, and significant outcry from many online, Aspire Park appeared to retreat from the dress code requirements, saying visitors need only dress “decently”, covering their shoulders, midriffs and knees. Marwa Abbas: My friend was told to leave because he was wearing Sudanese national attire, which is like the thobe with different headgear. Abroad there would be one hell of a lawsuit for this. MissScoutFinch WTH? Nothing more important in #Qatar than making sure people don’t expose their toes at a public park??? #DressCode
Parents question mall safety measures following Gondolania ride incident A half-dozen children were stuck hanging upside down on the “Sky Loop” ride at Villaggio Mall’s play area for about an hour on October 13 after a technical malfunction stopped the ride suddenly. The children were eventually rescued by Civil Defence, but parents said Gondolania staff were clearly unprepared for such an incident, and questioned how that could be possible after all the safety inspections and checks the mall recently went through. JustKooki1 Some days living in #qatar feels like an elaborate game of Russian roulette via @dohanews
Qatar’s first digital news service http://dohanews.co
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But the court will proceed with the hearing on November 13, with or without Iman Al-Kuwari, officials said. All other defendants, including Gympanzee’s co-owner and Al-Kuwari’s husband, Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar’s Ambassador to Belgium, as well as representatives of Villaggio, an insurance company, the Ministry of Business and Trade and Civil Defence, were present. Several embassy officials from various countries, including South Africa, France and the US, also attended. Officials said Al-Kuwari will be presented with another notice to turn up to court or appoint a representative, but if she does not attend next month’s hearing, a verdict will be issued in absentia. The hearing was previously postponed twice after some of the defendants did not turn up to the Lower Criminal Court in Al Sadd. Martin Weekes : I’m not sure which is more concerning here, the disrespect being given to our dead children or the disrespect for the justice system of Qatar – neither of which are good for the international reputation of Qatar.
Al Arabiya: Syrian forces took credit for deadly Villaggio fire in Qatar Days after the deadly Villaggio fire in Qatar, the Syrian government took credit for starting it, Al Arabiya has reported, citing two documents apparently leaked from Bashar Al-Assad’s government. In the first document, a senior Syrian official asserts a need to “embarrass” Qatar for its support of the Syrian rebels, while a later cable claims the “success” of operation “Villaggio Blaze.” However, numerous details – including the fact that the cables were sent to an ambassador who was no longer in residence at the already closed Syrian embassy in Doha – indicate the documents to be of a dubious nature. Ahmad El Nakib: Seriously, I can’t believe people would even believe this. There is no political gain for Syria to provoke these fires, and studies have proven that Villagio was very poorly equipped.
auto news
“FLAWED LABOUR LAWS” BEING AMENDED
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Nissan Altima breaking records
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issan Altima’s market share has reached a record high across the Gulf, achieving 23% of all sales in the D/E class during September. The result was achieved in the same month as the regional launch of the all-new 2013 Altima, which boasts class-above design, a rewarding driving experience and segmentdefining technologies. The Altima’s features include world firsts and options unique to Nissan’s mid-size sedan in this class, such as the remote engine start that has previously only been seen on luxury vehicles. “Nissan Altima has consistently been a strong challenger for the position of best selling mid-size sedan in the Middle East throughout all its generations, and September’s sales prove its appeal is only growing,” said Samir Cherfan, Sales and Marketing Director, Nissan Middle East. “In the 2013 Nissan Altima we have redefined what buyers should expect from cars in this class, with game-changing technologies and features adding to the essential ownership
demands of build quality, durability, safety and running costs. Nissan standards, a highest possible safety rating and commitment by us to keep service and maintenance costs 20% lower than our competitors, makes us confident Altima sales will increase by 50% over the next three years.” Altima’s targeted best-in-class fuel efficiency, which reduces fuel consumption by 18% compared with the previous generation, is the first of several cost-saving ad-
vantages over its competitors. That’s been achieved through a thorough reworking of its CVT transmission, which also helps to reduce service costs through its lower number of moving parts (compared with a conventional gearbox) and proven durability. Additionally, Nissan Middle East has conducted its own survey which highlighted that maintenance parts for the Altima are typically 20% less to buy than those of its competitors.
Alfardan Motorcycles launch Sand-X Motors
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lfardan Motorcycles launched Sand-X Motors during Milipol 2012 last month. Sand-X Motors is the producer of the world’s fastest high-performance tracked all-terrain vehicle. Owner and founder of Sand-X Motors Urs Eiselin said: “We are pleased to be in partnership with Alfardan Motorcycles, and based on their extensive experience in Qatar we are confident that Alfardan Motorcycles will be the best ambassador for Sand-X and achieve all the desired success in Qatar.” Founded in 2005, Sand-X Motors is a Swiss land-system manufacturer that provides a range of innovative and specialised solutions for landward requirements of defence, security and civil use. The Sand-X is designed to conquer all kinds of terrain, which includes safe operation on sand, marsh, ice, mountain, snow, mud, shallow water, dirt, rocks, road, swampland and grass. Mohamed Kandeel, General Manager, Alfardan Motorcycles said: “We are proud ofgaining the trust of Sand-X Motors and their choosing Alfardan Motorcycles to be the official importer of Sand-X Motors in Qatar.
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“Sand-X provides the ideal transportation solution for all terrains and roads in various military and civilian sectors, and we are confident that it will achieve great success in the Qatari market,” he added.
auto news
auto news
Bespoke M Sport package on sale
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aving advanced into a new vehicle segment in June with the introduction of the new BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe – the first four-door coupe in the history of the brand – BMW has now introduced an M Sport package for the new BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe. Developed specifically for the third model in the BMW 6 Series line-up and now on sale across the region, the M Sport package accentuates the sporty genes of the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe through its exclusive exterior and interior elements, which underscore the powerful and dynamic essence of the model. In the cockpit of the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe with the M Sport package, first-class materials meet stylish elegance, ergonomic design and sporting temperament. Made specifically for driving enthusiasts, the M leather steering wheel ensures perfect control of the car with multifunction buttons and gearshift paddles. Meanwhile, the sporting theme continues with electrically adjustable sports seats for the driver and front passenger and a sill finisher with the
BMW M logo. The extra-sporty M Aerodynamics package stresses the sporty look with strikingly styled front and rear aprons and side sills. Accompanied by 19-inch M light alloy wheels or the optional 20-inch M light alloy
wheels and an enhanced exhaust system for the 650i/650i xDrive, the athletic impression of this new model is further enhanced. Additional exterior M Sport package features include LED front fog lamps and dark chrome exhaust tailpipe trims.
Harley-Davidson wraps up open day
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arley-Davidson Doha wrapped up its “Join the Ride, Change Lives” Open House Day, which saw over 100 riders from all over the region showcase their motorcycles in Doha. It also inaugurated its new showroom on the Salwa Road and launched its 2013 model year line of motorcycles. The Doha event saw hundreds of HarleyDavidson and non-Harley-Davidson riders along with other Harley-Davidson aficionados who got together to embody the spirit of camaraderie and embrace the road for a good cause, helping raise funds for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to feed schoolkids in the MENA region. All riders were invited to buy HarleyDavidson pins, and the amount will be donated to feed over thirty underprivileged school children a day. Sheikh Nawaf Nasser bin Khaled Al Thani, Chairman and CEO of Nasser Bin Khaled Holding, said: “This is a momentous occa-
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sion for both Harley-Davidson Doha and Nasser Bin Khaled. The Open House Day was a strong testament to the brand’s image of being a devout supporter of its community: wherever it is in the world, HarleyDavidson makes sure to spread good deeds. This is the true spirit of Harley-Davidson and its freedom-loving riders who live up to this spirit each time they start their bikes. The new Harley-Davidson showroom is NBK’s very own way to underline our unfaltering commitment to the brand and the business in the country.”
Volkswagen Middle East appointed Thomas Milz as its new Managing Director last month. Milz has worked for Volkswagen for 20 years and has relocated to the Middle East from Volkswagen’s head office in Wolfsburg.
auto news
Porsche launches special Gran Turismo series
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orsche is offering a particularly exclusive and elegant version of the Panamera: the Platinum Edition. The elegant special edition, also available as Panamera 4 and Panamera Diesel, stands out thanks to its subtle, independent design features in platinum silver metallic combined with expanded standard features and exclusive details. The lower half of the side view mirrors, the air inlet grille lamellas, the air vent grille on the side designed specifically for the turbo model, the trim on the trunk lid and the rear diffuser are all in platinum silver metallic. The interplay with one of the edition’s five exterior finish colours results
in an especially harmonious and elegant appearance. Solid exterior colours are offered in black or white as well as the options of metallic basalt black, metallic carbon grey and metallic mahogany lacquer finishes. The black glossy finish used for the side window strips creates a convincing overall exterior appearance. Delivering considerable benefits to the customer, many frequently requested extras are now coming as standard equipment with the Panamera Platinum Edition. The automatically dimming interior and exterior mirrors reduce glare from traffic behind you, and the 19inch Panamera Turbo alloy wheels with the red, black and gold Porsche crest highlight the sporty elegance of the vehicle.
New top model in the Cayenne model series
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he new Cayenne Turbo S assumes top position in the Porsche SUV model range with its engine power of 550 hp. With its complex active chassis, the top athlete in SUV clothing surpasses the driving performance of many sports cars. All of the basic Cayenne properties, such as versatile offroad capabilities, high ride comfort and superior towing power, have been preserved without exception. Its NEDC fuel consumption of 11.5 litres per 100 km is the same as that of the Cayenne Turbo, which makes it more fuel-efficient in relation to its engine power. The new Turbo S model has an extra 50 hp of power compared to the Cayenne
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Turbo, as well as a torque boosted from 700 to 750 newton metres, which converts into faster acceleration and a higher top speed. The sprint from zero to 100 km/h takes just 4.5 seconds (-0.2 seconds), and the SUV accelerates to a top speed of 283 km/h (+ 5 km/h). The exterior and add-on equipment of the Cayenne Turbo S lives up to the high standards of a top model. Numerous exterior features such as the air inlet screens, headlight housings and mirror parts are painted in high-gloss black. The standard 21-inch 911 Turbo II wheels with coloured Porsche badges were exclusively designed for the Cayenne Turbo S; their inside surfaces are painted in high-gloss black.
BMW showcases at Milipol Qatar
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MW Group had a special presence at Milipol Qatar by displaying its BMW 7 Series High Security vehicles and the BMW Motorrad. The BMW 760Li High Security vehicle displayed at the stand of the Lekhwiya Internal Security Force was air-freighted from Germany especially for the exhibition and was accompanied by Harald Scheffel, Sales Strategy and Steering, Channel Development Direct and Special Sales at BMW Group, who explained the vehicle and its exceptional equipment, specifications and high security features. Despite its weight – up to 4 tonnes – the vehicle features a 5972cc engine which develops an output of 544 bhp and 750 nm of torque, with acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds. BMW offers three levels of security vehicles: Security and Security Plus, whichare available in the BMW X5, in addition to the top level of security available in the BMW 760Li High Security. The BMW Group has extensive experience with security cars. It has developed the mechanism of manufacturing this kind of vehicle by adding security equipment to the vehicle after its production instead of manufacturing it directly through production lines. The unique security concept is based on findings which BMW gained as a result of its determined development work and on more than thirty years of experience in security vehicle engineering. Milopol Qatar also saw the special presence of the BMW Motorrad, as a bike equipped with FireExpress fire fighting equipment. Using such a bike for fighting fires has many advantages, as the bike can reach the fire location much faster than normal fire engines, as well as its ability to penetrate hard-to-reach places. Commenting on the presence of BMW Group at Milipol Qatar, Mohamed Kandeel, General Manager, Alfardan Automobiles said: “It’s a great honour for us to showcase the BMW 7 Series High Security on the Lekhwiya’s stand. It provided the perfect platform to display our vehicles that are especially equipped to operate in different security activities, as BMW Group is well known in developing security solutions on all its security vehicles, including the flexibility to add special orders that were not implemented before by the company.
auto news
braking news
DOHA BANK CEO TAKES IT ALL IN HIS STRIDE
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Fast and Furious Technology marries design in the McLaren 12C. It stuns Doha speed aficionados and startles Sindhu Nair.
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ast acquired a new meaning when Yousef Tarabaih, the talented professional driver, put his foot on the pedal of the McLaren MP412C Coupe and drove it out of the enclave of Al Wajba showroom, right into the evening rush of Doha traffic. McLaren took on shades of stealth, a command of the space it had been unleashed on, and a reverberation that made me and those in nearby cars sit up in awe. Doha roads flicked past, traffic seemed commonplace, everything ceased to matter but the car, its deep-throated growl and its ease of mobility. The car seemed to have an almost sublime effect on the passengers. It was clearly a case of machine over man. McLaren Automotive, with a history of making technologically superior racing cars for four decades, launched the first of
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its range of high-performance sports cars last year. “These cars will break new ground in driving dynamics, automotive technology, Formula 1 process transfer and performance, but their future success lies in the roots of a company steeped in a motorsport history,” says Ron Dennis, Executive Chairman of McLaren Automotive. According to Dennis, the brand is not just about cars but about great products, latest technology and the people (those who drive it and those who make it). “McLaren,” he says, “is a company steeped in tradition, with a focus on the future. And we want to ensure that it is the most outstanding brand of the world, with its technology constantly upgraded in the state-of-the-art McLaren Technology Centre (MTC).” He says that even if the brand is about racing, McLaren is much more than a race team. It is more of a technology group.
Antony Sheriff, Managing Director, McLaren Automotive explains that the 12C has all the values of McLaren Formula 1 cars distilled into an everyday car. The looks The 12C seems to be spread-eagled on the road surface, disappointingly like most of the sports car models we see zipping around our roads; the basic proportions are instantly familiar, and defined by the midengine layout. The C-pillar is notably far forward, a feature determined by the car’s efficient aerodynamics. But my guide Tarabaih, the young Syrian professional driver who has trained with the McLaren drivers, opinions that “McLaren has a much sleeker design when compared with the competition and its interior is designed around the comforts of the driver”. According to the designer, Frank
braking news
Stephenson from MTC, “the pedals and steering wheel are set with no offset to the driver, making it much easier to drive.” One feature I can vouch for is visibility. Most sports cars with a low profile have this bone to contend with – that of visibility especially at the front end of the car. The McLaren team seems to have scored here. “We defined forward sight lines to meet our own stringent visibility targets,” says Stephenson. “The result is a low cowl that gives a full six degrees of downward vision from eye level, allowing the driver to see much more of the road than is legally required.” This design feature proved to be a blessing for a novice like me, as I tend to be more confident if I am aware of the path I am to tread or speed along, as the situation demands. Another feature was the dihedral doors (first seen in the iconic F1 road car) which are indeed spectacular but needs expert guidance, as I failed to open the doors (all the five times I tried) on my own. Even if you attribute my failure to lack of sports car affinity, I still think, as a rider, I would prefer to open the doors on the first go instead of fumbling with the forward/backward sliding action on its trim. But there was a reason for such an “inventive” design, says Stephenson in the video demonstration. “It minimises the width of sill to negotiate and gives more
The survival cell: Carbon Fibre Monocell
Clean Technology
McLaren has over 30 years of pioneering carbon fibre technology to its name. The Formula 1 car was the first ever to use a carbon fibre monocoque. The MP4-1 went on to become the first race-winner in the modern era. The Monocell is the skeleton of 12C and contributes significantly to its very low overall weight. The one-piece construction provides strength and integrity but also accuracy. The carbon fibre does not degrade or fatigue with age, hence the 12C will remain squeakfree for decades, promises the manual.
McLaren claims a power output of about 600 horsepower and 443 poundfeet of torque. At the same time, it also says that the engine is extremely clean in terms of air emissions, delivering more power per gram of carbondioxide emissitted than any other power plant, including diesel-and gasoline-electric hybrids.
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BRAKING NE W S
tech spec: Engine M838T Engine capacity 3,799cc Type 90(degree)V8 Technology Twin-turbo, dry sump Valvetrain 32-valve, DOHC, VVT Bore x stroke 93mm x 69.9mm Compression ration 8.7:1 Max rpm 8,500 Power 600PS (441kW) 592hp@7,000rpm Torque 600Nm (443lb ft)@3,0007,000rpm
McLaren Doha facts: In a country that thrills on speed, the McLaren, in its second year since the inception of road cars, has already made a mark. 10 cars had been sold as of last month for the year 2012. Its clientele comprise mainly Qataris and according to Tarabaih, “They know their machines”.
soon to come: Al Wajba Motors is set to launch its state-of-the art showroom soon. 12C Coupe can be seen at the Al Wajba Showroom in Al Mana Business Centre, Al Amir Street, Doha and at the Lagoona Mall. To book a test drive, call McLaren Doha on 44114411.
space for the legs while entering or exiting the car. It also requires less room to open as the doors use just one hinge and that saves weight.” Well, with so much at stake, I reckon, it makes more sense to look foolish while opening your own car than sacrificing on the lithe of the car. After all, speed matters, and the sight of the doors opening regally on the sides does make up for the slight inconvenience. The interior features are simple yet efficient with all the controls in close reach either on the central console or on the doors. Engine power As in any car, the heart of the 12C is its engine. The new, all-aluminium engine is twin-turbocharged, 3.8litre, 90degree V8 engine. The engine is super-light, just 75 kg and its power is deployed through a sevenspeed seamless-shift gearbox which can be driven as a fully automatic transmission or with manual input. The braking system of the car is worth flaunting and can be quite
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a hair-raising experience in the first demo, after which you gain confidence and rely on the machine to do what it is geared to. Tarabaih tested the brakes on the busy Doha roads, and was superbly thrilled by my shriek as he jammed on the brakes inches behind the rear of a small car, frightening not just me but also the poor passengers in the other car as the mean but intelligent machine bore down on them. “In addition to the braking system inherent to the car, there is the Airbrake, which when deployed not only decreases the stopping distance but also improves corner entry stability on a track,” he says. I agree without an iota of doubt. If you enjoy thrill rides and would love to integrate them into your daily routine, and if you have a million plus Qatari riyals to shell out, then don’t look beyond the McLaren 12C. You can go faster than the Doha traffic (if you can afford the car, you can afford the speed fines too) and be confident about its safety, and be the proud owner of a technologically superb machine that is vouched for by the greatest race drivers in history
Steering Rack & pinion Power steering Variable rate, electro-hydraulic Turns lock to lock 2.66 Turning circle 12.3m Suspension McLaren ProActive Chassis Control Double-wishbone independent suspension Damping & roll modes Normal, Sport & Track Vehicle Dynamics Open differential with Brake Steer Stability control modes Winter, Normal, Sport & Track Driver aids ABS, traction control, ESC, launch control Wheels &brakes Wheel size (F/R) 8.5” x 19”/11” x 20” Tyre Type Pirelli P-Zero Tyre size (F/R) 235/35 R19/305/30 R20 Brakes Cast iron discs with forged aluminum hubs Brake size (F/R) 370mm/350mm Brake calipers (F/R) four-piston/ four-piston Optional brakes Carbon ceramic discs Optional brake size (F/R) 394mm/380mm Optional brake calipers (F/R) six-piston/four-piston Capacities Fuel tank 72 litres Engine oil 8.0 litres Coolant system 20 litres Washer fluid 4 litres Braking 200-0kph (124-0mph) 123 (404ft) 100-0kph (62-0mph) 30.5m (100ft)
MARKET WATCH
Making a social phenomenon
of streetfood
Falafel had almost become a forgotten food until Just Falafel, one of the Middle East’s fast growing brands, brought them back in a more modernised and international version of the basic recipe.
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by Ola Dia b
ebanese entrepreneur, Fadi Malas, the CEO of Just Falafel, brings with him diverse business expertise and a strong focus on expansion that has pushed Just Falafel from being a mere fast-food eatery to a social network phenomenon. Touted as “one of the Middle East’s fastest-growing brands,” Just Falafel, has become the GCC’s first Facebook case study after generating more than 3,500 requests for franchising opportunities from over 70 countries, using a targeted social media campaign. Originally based in the UAE, Just Falafel has established an extensive network of store locations across
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the UAE and Jordan. Having recently launched in Oman, it is continuing with its regional expansion, opening in Qatar with two outlets in Musheireb and Al Nasser Street. It’s also entering the markets of Lebanon for the first time, opening outlets in Bechara El Khoury and City Mall. This adds to the brand’s existing portfolio of 20 operational stores across the region. UK and India are the next expansion destinations for the brand. After creating a specific franchising application on its Facebook fan page, Just Falafel has witnessed increased traffic with more than 596,000 “likes” and seven million impressions per day, highlighting the significance of social media as a business enabler in the GCC. The vegetarian outlet first opened in the UAE in 2007, delivering varieties from Indian to Mexicanflavoured falafel, alongside its biggest seller, the Original, a traditional Middle Eastern falafel wrap. Malas expands more about the marketing strategy which has propelled his business into the stratosphere and complements this with some advice for budding entrepreneurs.
MARKET WATCH As a food brand, why did you choose falafel for your menu? Just Falafel, as the name implies, offers only falafel across a variety of sandwiches from traditional to Japanese, Italian, Indian, burgers, Mexican and quesadillas. We chose falafel because we felt that this is the only food category that has not adapted to a 21st century lifestyle. How do you come up with different menu ideas for falafel? Are the menu possibilities limited because the menu consists of just falafel? The menu has been engineered over the last three years to what it is today, a comprehensive and diverse menu at par with all other food categories across the food courts. We do not feel any limitation to sticking to just falafel in our menu instead we feel that we are more challenged to come up with innovative menu items that satisfy our clients, while retaining our differentiating factor. How and why do you think Just Falafel became such a social network phenomenon? I think that Just Falafel quickly became a social network phenomenon because the social community appreciated how we took a long forgotten street food and innovated in the way it offers across the different sandwiches. Many people had almost forgotten about this food. When there is an interesting story on the net, the viral effect kicks in, and you will experience a spillover from social media across the whole market place. How do you decide on which countries to expand your brand in? Just Falafel’s objective is to become a global player in the Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) and to remain the #1 Falafel rollout story across the globe. We have been able to sell out franchises across the region, and we are now moving into Europe starting in the United Kingdom, where we have already secured our first location in Covent Gardens. We have also sold franchises in India where we feel Just Falafel will grow fast given the vegetarian angle, and we have also sold franchises as far as Australia. We have an ambition to cross the Atlantic, which is the home of more then 80% of the total QSR worldwide. Do you think Just Falafel would be successful in other parts of the world as it is in the Middle East? Absolutely, yes. Falafel as a food category can already be found on the shelves of Marks and Spencer’s across the UK, and on the streets of New York, just like sushi. Is branding the main reason behind Just Falafel’s success? Why or why not? Most recently we have engaged Wolf Olins with the mandate to develop our brand equity and make it global as we are going global. As you expand globally
When did you realise that social networks are important to your advertising and marketing strategies?
fadi malas ceo, just falafel
you have to look and feel like a global brand. And we make sure that we choose partners that have global commercial exposure to advise us accordingly. But success for a brand goes beyond what the eye can see -it is an element of a fully integrated management team and franchisees working towards one objective. How important is entrepreneurship for the region? How important is it spreading success stories to young people to encourage them to come out of their hiatus and dependence on governmental jobs? Entrepreneurship is very important for the region and with the eco system now available to us, thanks to the efforts of local governments across the GCC countries, it is proving to be the land of opportunity to all of us willing to put in the hours and persistent in following our dreams. Success stories seem to spread quicker nowadays with the social media revolution.
In late 2010, as our proposition was becoming complete from a menu standpoint. We decided that we are ready to start franchising; we had to think of avenues to expose our idea to the open market. That’s when we considered social media as part of our strategy and as we saw an immediate response, it suddenly became at the core of our advertising and marketing strategy.
As an entrepreneur, what advice do you give to your Middle Eastern counterparts on following their dreams? The advice that I have for entrepreneurs is to be entrepreneurial in their management style and to always be ready to try to integrate social media within their strategy. I strongly believe that we are experiencing a digital media revolution that will change the way we do business going forward in particular with regards marketing and advertising. Qatar youth are very internet savvy. I advise them to play an integral role in this digital media revolution by adapting a strategy to reach further and beyond at a time when the idea of the Global Village is becoming a reality
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MARKET WATCH
inflation-proof your savings
20
Pink all the way for Breast Cancer
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ommitted to increasing awareness on breast cancer, Qatar Optics, the leaders in the eyewear industry in Qatar, launched their awareness campaign for the third year in a row. This campaign seeks to communicate the risks and preventive measures relationg
to breast cancer within Qatari society. It is dedicated to all mothers, sisters, wives, daughters and colleagues who have experienced breast cancer or been affected by it. “Qatar Optics’ aim extends beyond being the pioneers in the eyewear industry whilst providing outstanding services and products,” said Ethan Shafiei, Qatar Optics
General Manager. “We believe we have a social responsibility towards all residents of Qatar, and part of this responsibility is increasing awareness on social issues that affect our lives. We don’t ask the customer to make any purchases for us to support this cause,” he added. “All we do is use the traffic generated in our stores to speak about this cause that has touched the lives of millions around the globe and in our beloved country, Qatar.” To show their support throughout October, Qatar Optics branches have dedicated their store fronts to displaying pink posters reminding window shoppers that breast cancer is here and it’s real! Pink ties for men and pink scarves for women is the dress code throughout October, and every staff member shows pride in participating in this campaign. Every person walking into Qatar Optics also receives a well-designed information leaflet that talks about breast cancer and helps everyone identify the risks and better understand the measures by which breast cancer can be prevented.
B&O launch BeoPlay A9 speaker
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ang and Olufsen, the Danish manufacturer of a highly distinctive and exclusive range of audio and video products, launched the latest B&O Play active speaker system, BeoPlay A9, from its store located at Lagoona Mall. Powerful original design and unprecedented placement flexibility make it easy to find a place for it next to the rest of your high-end furniture. Raw power refined to jaw-dropping gorgeous sound will have customers rediscovering all their favourite tracks. Wireless music has never looked so clean or sounded this good. BeoPlay A9 integrates an all-star lineup of dedicated components with provocative design to create a complete sound solution that is as easy to listen to as
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it is to decorate with. And because wireless connectivity and magically simple controls are built in, it is ready to keep up with your listening needs as they change throughout the day or night. Just plug it in, connect it wirelessly to your iPhone, iPad or Android device, and BeoPlay A9 starts streaming. According to Henrik Taudorf Lorensen, Vice President at B&O Play, the BeoPlay A9 is all about simplicity. “We asked Oivind Slaatto, a young designer who also has a strong interest in music, to create a design that is as free of visual noise as possible, and then had our engineers empower it with truly amazing sound. The result is a liberating take on acoustic performance with a cleanly graphic look that is intuitively easy to use,” said Lorensen.
MARKET W ATCH
LG launches Healthy Living appliance
Innovative workshop for customers
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G Electronics has unveiled a new line-up of home appliances aiming to promote a healthy lifestyle, while making consumers’ lives easier and more convenient through its innovative product categories. Among its new product line-up, LG unveiled the world’s largest-capacity standard-sized front-loading washing machine, its low energy consumption “Clarus” dishwasher, the world’s biggest-capacity sideby-side refrigerator and freezer, its Charcoal Lightwave oven and an allergy-free vacuum cleaner, the Steam Kompressor. LG’s front-loading washing machines boast a large LED display and a capacity of 9kg and feature new 6-Motion Direct Drive technology, which combines the ease of
machine washing with the care of hand washing. This technology is not only smart but also green, as the Direct Drive uses less moving parts and therefore fewer electricity. The LG Clarus Dishwasher features a 14ps capacity and low energy and water consumption, and contains a number of features for enhanced dishwashing such as its SmartRack, which offers flexibility and functionality by adjusting the baskets in the dishwasher to load various types of crockery and cutlery, ensuring the most hygienic and thorough wash. Meanwhile, in terms of keeping food fresh, LG’s side-by-side refrigerator features a hygiene filter to eliminate 99.99% of all known bacteria, and Smart Cooling Plus technology, designed to maintain superior conditions within the refrigerator.
ome Centre’s visual merchandising (VM) team and experts have handpicked the best products from their extensive range of furniture and household accessories to deliver comfort, style and value to your home. They take extra care in coordinating the colour schemes and matching stylish furnishings along with accessories to create the kind of aesthestics you desire for your kind of home. Home Centre has launched a new initiative awareness programme so you can learn more about the basics of visual merchandising and beautification tips for converting a house into a home. Home Centre conducted the first VM workshop for its internal customers. The workshop was conducted for a 90-minute session by various nationals. The main focus of this workshop was to give customers a basic idea about the visual merchandising concept. Workshop briefs discussed the basic rules to be followed while doing a room layout, as well as colour schemes and colouring methods. The workshop also covered topics like VM understanding, utilisation of space and different styles of furniture. The participants were divided into groups and given a mockup room to decorate using the skills gained in the VM workshop. Suresh Sarma, Business Head for Qatar, said: “We at Home Centre always endeavour to give extra for our customers by our various initiatives. This year we have planned to conduct more such activities to benefit our customers.”
Mouawad opens New-Generation Boutique
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uxury jeweller Mouawad opened the doors of its new flagship boutique at luxurious Lagoona Mall in Doha last month. The new showroom, located on the first floor of Qatar’s new luxurious retail destination, covers 272 square metres and is the first newgeneration Mouawad boutique to open in the country, conceptualised by fourth-generation co-guardians of the brand Fred and Pascal Mouawad. With its distinctive decor in the grey and gold of the Mouawad brand, the new Doha outlet will feature an exclusive private VIP room for its customers to try on select pieces from the exquisite jewellery and watches the company is renowned for.
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MARKET W ATCH
Babyshop Unveils Fall/Winter collection
Hilton Doha Opens its Doors
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ith summer making its way out, it is time to update your little one’s wardrobe with Babyshop’s Fall/Winter (FW 2012) collection. Inspired by global trends for the season, the brand has a line that reflects eclectic themes such as the rugged outdoor look, country bohemian, and the prep-school turnout.These themes have been reinterpreted to create an age-appropriate collection that carries seasonal favourites including dark flannel shirts in classic shades of marl grey and navy blue as well as the more upbeat caramel, lilac and periwinkle. The season also boasts a trendy selection of sports-themed T-shirts, party dresses, snug-fit chinos, plaid cardigans and varsity jackets. The garments use bold checks and chunky knits to convey a warm and comforting mood during the cooler months of
the year. With fur and leather trims to embellish fabrics such as flannel, tweed and knitwear, the line-up is perfect for any occasion from parties to school functions or just a family fun day out.
Richard Mille refining cufflinks
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ichard Mille has a passion for the technical, as demonstrated by the exceptional watches he has been creating for 11 years. But his continual quest for innovation, performance and design drives him ever onwards to other challenges. This is how he became interested in cufflinks, the sophisticated accessory that men take as much pleasure in choosing and wearing as they do their watches. The Richard Mille automatic cufflinks take their inspiration from the same process of creation and development as a Richard Mille watch movement. Two years of work went into creating and designing these exceptional, highly technical and refined pieces, consisting of no fewer than 38 components each. Made from grade 5 titanium, they inaugurate a groundbreaking and patented mechanism that opens the bars using a push-piece. Unlike the classic mechanism, where a pivoting bar on the cufflink holds the double cuff in place, Richard Mille’s design fastens the cuff using two titanium bars. These open with a simple press of the push-piece and close by pressing on the top plate.
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Another exceptional feature of the Richard Mille automatic cufflinks is the care devoted to every aesthetic detail and to the finishes. The cufflink’s upper surfaces are satin-brushed, bead-blasted and bevelled by hand, creating an exceptional finish of the utmost elegance.
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ilton Worldwide’s first property in the Qatar was officially inaugurated by Sheikh Saoud Bin Khaled Al Thani last month. The ribbon cutting and opening address was followed by a glamorous “Festival of Senses” – a celebration that showcased Hilton Doha’s world-class facilities in a festive setting of food, music and socialising. The new visually stunning 309-room Hilton Doha is ideally located on the headland of the capital city’s prestigious Corniche and boasts a number of leading features including a 750-capacity ballroom, a dedicated conference wing and the first eforea: spa at Hilton in the Middle East. The hotel also features seven state-of-the-art meeting rooms, six restaurants and bars, an outdoor swimming pool, a kids club, a private beach and a view of the Arabian Gulf from every bedroom. Andreas Searty, general manager, Hilton Doha said: We are a hotel of firsts – we are the first Hilton Worldwide property in Qatar, home to the first world re-known Trader Vic’s in Qatar and have opened the first eforea: spa at Hilton in the Middle East. Our business forecast looks promising and we look forward to being part of Doha’s dynamic hospitality industry.” The Festival of Senses brought together various musical and culinary elements to celebrate the launch of Doha’s newest hot spot. Musical acts including the Electric Ladies as well as jazz acts and a pianist serenaded the attendees as they mingled in specially created venues set up all around the property.
sport file
Aspiring to be the
Greatest As Qatar becomes a regional hotbed for sporting activity, it’s only natural that it should provide a definitive platform for potential stakeholders to discuss industry-related topics. The third Aspire4Sport Congress and Exhibition will give regional and global companies another chance to exchange their ideas with the local executive sporting committees here.
A by r o r y c o e n
spire4Sport is where business, sport and entertainment collide. Whilst it’s primarily aimed at people with business interests, there will also be some coaching seminars and indeed some speeches from global sporting personalities. The four-day congress will feature three conferences aimed at promoting areas of sporting interest in the country: Aspire Build, Aspire Tech and Aspire Med. Conferences Supported by Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Aspire Med will
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open the congress on November 12 and is designed to allow leading experts to share, debate, and collectively discover the latest breakthroughs in sports science that impact the success of high-performance athletes. Aspire Tech will be held on November 13 and will highlight the main challenges, trends and accomplishments in sports technology around the world. With a focus on innovation and best practice, the event will bring together research and development specialists, directors of technology, CIOs, IT managers, sports technology consultants and heads of security and technology. Aspire Build (November 14-15) will focus on infrastructure and stadium development. The programme will discuss topics such as stadium financing, venues and modern architecture, the current status of host cities and stadia and the question of renovating or building a new stadium. “What we are trying to do is provide a platform for local and international companies to do business in Qatar, especially now that we are preparing for the World Cup in 2022,” said Ward Abdullah, Executive Director, Aspire4Sport. “International companies might have sent delegations to
Qatar six or seven times a year to give presentations or attend conferences on various matters. They would hire small conference rooms in hotels, sell some exhibition space and attract sponsors. They don’t do this anymore because of Aspire4Sport. We asked these companies to organise their conferences during our congress. Exhibition areas “The Dome will be transformed into seven exhibition areas showcasing the latest in sports technology and management,” he continued. “These will include the three topics already mentioned – Med, Tech and Build – and also Logistics, Org, Turf and Equip.” The Aspire Logistics exhibition area will present a collection of companies involved in the planning and management of direct and indirect activities, such as sports camping facilities and services, sport events and sponsorship companies. Aspire Turf will be specifically involved in sport surfaces, both artificial and natural, as well as under-soil heating and cooling systems. The Aspire Org exhibition area will accommodate a variety of the top sporting organisations including
sport file you will be entitled to meet them for 15-20 minutes instead of having to possibly wait three months for an appointment. “Our key partners – the Qatar Olympic Committee, the 2022 Supreme Committee, the Aspire Zone Foundation and the Qatar Football Association – will be present with teams ready to speak to any of the exhibitors, where they can showcase their products and portfolio. The congress will have a dedicated press room where deals and promotions will be announced,” Abdullah added.
American tennis player Venus Williams walks with Ward Abdullah, the Executive Director of Aspire4Sport during last year’s Congress.
sports institutions and training centres and corporate social responsibility organisations. Aspire Equip will bring together the largest brands in sports and fitness equipment, ranging from providers of golf equipment to football fans merchandise. This is the third year of the congress, so how has the concept evolved over the past two years? How has it grown into what it is today? “Trade is the whole concept of the congress,” said Abdullah. “We have more exhibitors now in terms of sales. We have the
participation of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), which is sending a delegation of UK companies. We are expecting some 15 to 20 French companies. Business to business “We are bringing decision-makers from the GCC and Arab countries to do the “matchmaking” and networking for the companies present at the exhibition. We are facilitating business-to-business (B2B) meetings where we are hosting the largest stakeholders in the country. If you are an exhibitor
Sport stars Last year, the congress hosted such stars as Nadia Comaneci, Venus Williams, Carl Lewis and Frank Williams. The Aspire4Sport audiences were able to hear about their motivations and sacrifices to reach the top. This year, the congress will be talking to some more international heroes such as Raul, Fernando Hierro and Pedro Mijatovic – all ex-Real Madrid players – as well as Lennox Lewis and recently crowned superheavy weight Olympic boxing champion Anthony Joshua. Gerard Houllier, the exLiverpool and French manager will be providing some expert tips on football training grounds.
Corporate League Golf just days away
QATAR LOSE GRIP ON AUTOMATIC QUALIFICATION FOR WORLD CUP 2014 QATAR’S FOOTBALL COACH PAULO AUTOURI suffered a disappointing 1-0 loss to Uzbekistan at the Jassim Bin Hamad stadium in October and now faces a huge task to MOTIVATE HIS SIDE TO qualify for the World Cup in Brazil in 2014. UZBEKISTAN’S Sanjar Turnusov volleyed home in the 13th minute and Qatar were never able to get themselves back on level terms.
The inaugural Corporate League Qatar Golf tournament will see over 250 golfers tee up at Doha Golf Club on November 23 and 24. Golfing enthusiasts from numerous corporates based in Qatar competing for the top prize. The much-anticipated event will be covered by Ginger Camel, the video production company, which will provide great images from the weekend’s fun and games. The tournament will see both an individual and a team format. Currently multiple teams and individuals have been registered by companies such as Maersk Oil, Qatar Rail, the Qatar Armed Forces, Astad Project Management, Descon Engineering, Dolphin Energy and Prime. It will be an excellent way (and a great opportunity for companies) of getting closer to their key clients and distinguished guests. Registration is still open for corporates and individuals. Further details on the tournament are available at www.clqatar.com.
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doha diary JOBS GROWTH AND HOSPITALITY EXPANSION 30
doha diary
TweetUp fuels interest
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njaz Qatar showcased its entrepreneurship and education programmes at the Doha Tweetups on October 9 at the Grand Heritage Hotel. The “Doha 101”-themed event was attended by 100 people from Injaz Qatar, a non-profit organisation and member of Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide, and Doha Tweetups, a regular get-together for members of Twitter and social media networks in Qatar. The event was designed to introduce new residents to Qatar’s social media and
networking scene with a focus on life and business in the country. Bilal Randeree, founder of DohaTweetUps, said: “It has been pleasure to work with Injaz Qatar on this occasion, and we are happy to provide a platform for an organisation which focuses on stimulating the youth to believe that they can achieve their goals. The Doha Tweetups attract people from all communities and business sectors, and we hope that by raising awareness of the Injaz Qatar programme, people will be motivated to sign up and make a difference.”
The Torch Doha launches exclusive iPad services
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each Out to Asia (ROTA) held its latest Youth Service Club (RYSC) Leadership Training programme from October 10 to 13, in partnership with Msheireb Properties. The four-day RYSC Leadership Training event is an experiential, reflective and interactive learning programme for high school and university students aged 14 to 22. Since the programme’s commencement in 2009, this was the first time the training was in both English and Arabic.
Lagoona Mall Launches Its New Campaign “Move Up”
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he Torch Doha has introduced the in-room iPad solution for the first time in the Middle East. All 163 rooms and suites at the hotel are equipped with iPads that offer guests customised in-room control such as: order in-room dining, mood and ceiling lights control, curtain operation, room temperature control, access the Internet on iPad and TV, listen to music and radio, guest check-in and history clean-up, set prearrival requests, DND, MMR and doorbell requests, read online newspapers and access their hotel account. The exterior of the hotel is equipped with coloured LED facade lighting and three large screens which are synchronised to display images and broadcast high-definition movies. The Torch Doha opened its doors to the public in November 2011 and is currently preparing to celebrate one year of operation in the luxury hotel market, as the flagship project situated at the heart of Doha’s Sports City, Aspire Zone. Its first year of operation marked the visit of sports personalities at-
ROTA Hosts Leadership Training
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tending conferences and world-class football teams who chose the Aspire Zone facilities as ideal for their preparation stages.
agoona Mall has just launched its latest campaign, “Move Up”, marking a new phase of development for the mall, which has recently welcomed a series of globally renowned brands. Lagoona Mall comprises some of the world’s most iconic names in fashion and accessories such as Armani Collezioni, Jean Paul Gaultier, Paule Ka, Michael Kors, Moreschi, Nancy Gonzalez, Nina Ricci, Azzaro, Bally, Brioni, Carven, Casadei, Dior, Emilio Pucci, Georges Hobeika, DKNY, Superdry, Jezequel and Porsche Design. The mall also includes the world’s most renowned names in jewelery and watches, such as Rolex and Boucheron, along with high-end home furnishing and electronics such as KARE, Bang & Olufsen and Bose, which have recently opened their first flagship stores in Qatar.
news bites
SFS-Q wins Debating League Tournament
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he School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Q)’s students earned Georgetown first place with 19 points, at the first of the monthly Qatar Universities Debate League (QUDL) tournaments at the College of the North Atlantic in Qatar. Students from seven universities took part in the debate. Georgetown University SFS-Q’s Debate Club members
carried the win home. Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) followed with 17 points and the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q) with 16. “It was great to see fellow debaters again,” said Arwa Elsanosi, president of the Georgetown Debate Club and a third-year student at SFS-Q. “We were very excited and eager to reconnect and catch up on the events of last year.”
QLC present their findings
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andidates from the Qatar Leadership Centre (QLC) have presented their report from their recent summer fact-finding mission to Asia. The 33 candidates from the Current and Future Leaders programme travelled to Singapore and China in June to study best practice initiatives in the region and to develop processes to implement these learnings in Qatar. During the feedback session, the candidates reported on their insights into key issues related to Public-Private Partnerships and how they could be used to drive and promote global economic development. Presentations also included sessions on how candidates could develop and mobilise human capital towards the Qatar National Vision as well as the introduction of new development initiatives and themes from the visit. Further sessions reported on the study trip’s findings on how to create and sustain knowledge through innovation and analysis into customer-centricity. Under the patronage of Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the QLC is helping to realise the leadership potential of the country by selecting, across schools, universities and the workplace – both the private and public sector – candidates with proven talent.
1001 Inventions and Arabick Roots Exhibitions open
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E Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Qatar Museums Authority, opened the “1001 Inventions” and “Arabic Roots” exhibitions at the Museum of Islamic Art last month. At the event, 500 distinguished members of the local and international cultural communities were led through the exhibition on a journey to the Golden Age of Muslim civilisation, connected by the theme “Explore our past to inspire our future”. Brought to Qatar’s public by theQatar Museums Authority and the Museum of Islamic Arts in partner-
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ship with 1001 Inventions and Qatar Shell, the 1001 Inventions exhibition takes visitors through the works of scientists and scholars during the Golden Age of Muslim Civilisation, while Arabick Roots reveals the influence of this science on the scientific revolution and lifestyle in Europe in the
17th century through showcasing objects and manuscripts. The 1001 Inventions Exhibition will be open until November 12 and Arabick Roots Exhibition will be open until January 2013 where you will be able to see inventions made by men and women in the Muslim world.
doha diary
Back2Business: Eighth Record BreakingYear
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ore than 600 business leaders gathered at the Grand Hyatt Doha on October 3 for one of the region’s biggest business networking events. Now in its eighth year, Back2Business 2012 saw the participation of seven major business councils operating in Qatar, including the Australia-New Zealand (ANZBIQ), British (QBBF), Dutch (DBCQ), German (GBCQ), Italian (IBCQ), Scandinavian (SBCQ) and Spanish (SBC) business councils. Qatar Airways was the official airline of Back2Business 2012. Proceeds from the 2012 event went to the Qatar Red Crescent. Launched in 2004 by the German Business Council, Back2Business Qatar aims to open doors to major opportunities for both local and international businesses, as Qatar is poised to continue on its path of economic growth. For the third year running, IBQ was Back2Business’ Diamond Sponsor and Vodafone was the Strategic Sponsor, providing sup-
port with online registration and the popular Back2Business magazine. Qatar Today partnered again with Back2Business as the event’s Media Sponsor. Gold Sponsors for this year were the Turkish Businessmen Association and GAC, the Gulf Agency Co. Qatar. PRO-Partnership, Crom International, Qatar Skills Academy, ABB LLC, Action International Services, Emdelight, Engage Selection LLC, PennWell Corp., Protection Insurance, Ginger Camel and Almoe AV Solutions were the Silver Sponsors of the event.
A day in a pursuit of leadership
Youth and inspiration
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ctQATAR’s TumuhaTEC programme is partnering with TEDxYouth@Doha to offer a range of interactive ICT workshops to Qatar’s youth over the next ten months. The workshops aim to encourage young people to improve their basic skills in ICT fields, such as photography, graphic design, and gaming. Over time, TumuhaTEC and TEDxYouth@Doha are hoping that the workshops programme will lead more students to explore ICT career paths and improve skills which are critical to joining the workforce today. This year’s TEDxYouth@Doha event is taking place on November 17 at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. Talks by speakers will follow this year’s TEDxYouth@Doha theme, #failbetter, with speakers using examples of how people, things or ideas fail, and how that in itself is an opportunity to create something stronger and better than the original. The roles vary from handling the social media channels, assisting in the development of the TEDxYouth@Doha website and working alongside the team’s photographers and videographers.
Qatar’s Newborn Screening Programme Making Strides Shareef Mostafa Batata, Associate Director of SME Programs at Silatech; James Callahan, Public Affairs Officer at US Embassy in Doha; Dean Proctor, EGM Retail and Consumer Banking at Commercialbank; and Maryam Al Subaiey, a Qatari writer, entrepreneur and co-founder of UChange.
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he “Youth Change Everything” conference brought together over 120 high school and university students for a day of learning, inspiration and fun in September. Devoted to the topic of “Leadership in Arab World”, it aimed to provide the youth of Qatar with knowledge and skills, essential for future leaders. Organised by The Youth Company, a youth-run social enterprise, sponsored by the US Embassy
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in Doha and supported by the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the “Youth Change Everything” conference appeared to be a unique platform for the development of personal and professional skills. James Callahan, Public Affairs Officer at US Embassy and one of the panelists of the conference, commented on the occasion: “We feel it’s important to develop the leadership skills of young people everywhere. The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow”.
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xperts from Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) highlighted Qatar’s newborn screening programme at a recent workshop for neonatologists and neonatal nurses. “We started the newborn screening programme in December 2003 and are building more and more on this programme,” said Dr Hilal Al-Rifai, Medical Director of HMC’s Women’s Hospital on the sidelines of the workshop. “What is unique about Qatar’s programme is that it is universal and offers screening for all babies born here irrespective of nationality. This service is also provided free of charge, which is a very generous gesture from Qatar.”
Top 10 Company
Facebook Pages Just Falafel is a fairytale Facebook story. Its decision to employ social media as the driving force behind its advertising and marketing strategy was inspired and it has since become a Facebook phenomenon (see page 88). Here are ten companies which have leveraged the qualities of Facebook to drive their own appeal to potential customers.
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Bare Escentuals
Bonobos
Brendan’s Irish Pub
Burt’s Bees
Bare Escentuals adopts a “handsoff” Facebook strategy, letting unsolicited testimonials from its 200,000 fans drive traffic to its boutiques and resellers. Customer feedback on Facebook even led to a redesign of the firm’s product packaging, says chief marketing officer Simon Cowell.
A very active blog page provides stellar advice on men’s fashion while generating tonnes of feedback and user-generated comments. Facebook has become a crucial part of the Bonobos business model; in fact, it has now surpassed direct entry as the No. 1 referring site, and has become a powerful tool to generate new customers.
By using Facebook to generate buzz for parties, cement first-time customers, and sell swag, Brendan’s was able to successfully launch a company that already had a loyal and excited following. Months prior to its grand opening, the owner launched it Facebook page, giving himself time to build up hype in the community-gaining nearly 3,500 fans.
Burt’s Bees has become one of the leading manufacturers of natural personal care products. With more than 150 products to sell, Facebook is the perfect space for the company to connect with its fans and customers. Since last year, the company page has doubled the amount of fans going from Facebook to its e-commerce site.
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Candles Off Main
Clarisonic
Community Coffee
Weekly giveaways and coupons make Candles Off Main’s Facebook page the go-to place for discounts on its products, while informative videos and detailed pictures entice potential buyers. With 2,400-plus fans, it contends it’s a combination of giveaways, discussion boards and consistent responses that makes its Facebook page so effective. “Facebook probably produces less than 10% of our sales, but what we get from Facebook is more valuable than that,” says Susan Webster Adams, CEO and co-founder of the company. “We’ve gained insight, support, suggestions, inspiration and friends from our Facebook page.”
Last fall, the company pledged to donate $1 to charity each time a Facebook user clicked the “Like” button on its page. The campaign raised $30,000 to support women with cancer and increased Clarisonic’s Facebook fan base by 80%.
By offering recipes and allowing fans to post their own, Community Coffee has built an active fan base. Community Coffee is a 92-year-old familyowned coffee company in Louisiana. The main goal of Community Coffee’s Facebook presence is to make the brand known to potential customers and to engage existing customers with contests and trivia.
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eCycler
Fresh Brothers
Johnny Cupcakes
eCycler has built a community that is passionate about recycling by posting great content in its Notes section as well as by posting fun videos. The co-founders use Facebook as a communication channel for their 9,000-plus fans and also to make the inner workings of eCycler transparent.
By announcing discount codes to Facebook fans, Fresh Brothers can easily track Facebook referrals. “We reward our social media users by offering them a weekly special, but we really excel at sharing family stories and history with our fans, as well as employee stories,” says Adam Goldberg, co-founder. “It’s a great way to connect with our customers, and a great way to demonstrate our personality.”
Johnny Cupcakes is a lifestyle brand that sells T-shirts, hoodies, and hats. Lorraine Earle, the company’s business manager says the company’s Facebook page has been an unexpected boom to the business by driving traffic to their site, and getting useful customer feedback. The company now has over 80,000 fans on Facebook. 5% of all site visits came from Facebook, the fifth highest referrer. Supplied by www.inc.com
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