inside this issue NOVEMBER 2014 / VOL. 40/ ISSUE 11
COVER STORY
42 AN OASIS OF INNOVATION
Qatar Today meets the people behind innovation hubs around the world at the just-concluded International Association of Science Park conference to learn about their distinct take on how their STPs are doing their bit to address some of their national challenges and even take on some global ones.
28 COMING IN FROM THE COLD?
With Western countries softening their attitude towards Iran, the latter is positioning itself for the potential lifting of international sanctions, a move that would revive its ailing energy industry, pave the way for its return as a major oil exporter.
36 QATAR STEPS UP TRANSPORT SPENDING
Increase in spending on Qatar’s transport sector has resulted in building the momentum across Qatar’s rail, aviation and port projects, which in turn is paving the way for a broadening of the state’s economic base.
60 NEXT IN LINE
No family-owned businesses in the region can survive unless they have proper governance and succession structures in place, Qatar Today finds out.
66 IRAN TALKS BOOST INVESTORS’ CONFIDENCE
The progress being made in the ongoing nuclear talks between Iran and the West is rekindling fresh hopes among the Middle East countries of attracting foreign investments to the region.
72 READING BETWEEN THE STRANDS
Researchers Dr Sara Deola and Dr Chiara Cugno tell Qatar Today about setting up Sidra’s Gene Therapy Research and how this would potentially change healthcare delivery in the country and even in the world.
76 THE FACEBOOK OF NEWS
A new platform connecting editors and news assimilators in Qatar has been doing rounds in the region.
98 GOING, GOING, GONE!
Qatar Today finds how Sotheby’s auction held last month in Doha has put the focus on Middle Eastern contemporary artists.
inside this issue NOVEMBER 2014 / VOL. 40/ ISSUE 11
SPOTLIGHT
79 IN SOLID STATE
With the demand for natural gas around the world expected to double by 2040, the future for Qatar’s energy sector looks bright.
20 WAKING UP TO SECURITY NEEDS
How are governments responding to the growing threats posed by criminals and terrorists around the world? Qatar Today speaks to participants of Milipol Qatar, the international exhibition on internal security which took place last month, during which many global firms showcased their latest technologies and equipment.
24 CAN BASEL III DENT ISLAMIC BANKS’ GROWTH?
Qatar’s Islamic banks have been bullish all these years but what will happen to their growth rate once Basel III norms are in place in 2018? Qatar Today finds out.
34 FOSTERING ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY
The entrepreneurship landscape in Qatar has some weaknesses but also presents some opportunities for adjustment and growth. The private sector in Qatar will need to evolve and adapt to provide a sustainable basis for national economic growth.
38 OF MIND AND BODY
Qatar’s National Mental Health Strategy lays out a vision in which its population is educated and self-aware on issues of mental as well as physical health.
106 UP CLOSE WITH THE TIGER OF MYSORE
and regulars 14
NEWS BITES
22
BANK NOTES
26
O&G OVERVIEW
30
REALTY CHECK
88
TECH TALK
90
MARKET WATCH
94
AUTO NEWS
102
DOHA DIARY
An encapsulating exhibition of one of the most fascinating rulers of India, Tipu Sultan, captures his life and times. Qatar Today’s conversation with the exhibition curator William Greenwood and his team throws up some interesting facts.
from the desk What is the highest priority for companies waiting to enter science parks? According to Professor Stuart Macdonald of Aalto University in Helsinki, it isn’t access to academics or the latest research, it’s JUST good parking. That is certainly not lacking in Qatar’s Science and Technology Park, with its concrete brilliance in the middle of the desert, but, on a serious note, there are other parameters that seem to work – world-class infrastructure that supports complex technology research projects, the close proximity to educational institutions and the freedom of operating as a free zone, the last of which is of utmost importance to private enterprises considering the snags in starting businesses here. According to Macdonald people fixate on the wrong things when it comes to the science park concept. He says the aim for many is to replicate the success of places like Silicon Valley in California. Talking to the experts from other science parks, the triumph of any science park is not when it follows old models but creates a new one that takes into consideration the local environmental challenges, labour concerns and technological advancements to mould a winner of its own. Read Qatar Today’s cover story, where our Senior Correspondent Ayswarya Murthy talked to experts from various science parks around the world who were here to attend the International Association of Science Parks World Conference, to understand how each model caters to their unique country-specific challenges.
RICK WEDDLE, President of the International Association of Science Parks, and HH SHEIKHA MOZA BINT NASSER open the IASP World Conference in Doha.
As the winter season sets in and conferences heat up, Qatar Today correspondents get equally busy bringing to you the gist of these events, like we have tried to at Milipol Qatar, where deals disclosed between Qatar authorities and Milipol vendors appear to be totalling QR309 million ($84.86 million). An important fabric of Qatar’s business society is the family-owned business and it is always intriguing to delve into such models to understand how difficult it is to work with members of family and to avoid conflicts in the process. Succession planning has gained momentum in Qatar and elsewhere in the region according to experts and this renewed emphasis will continue to grow and develop in the wider GCC. An insight into this makes for some interesting read with an added case study of a family business in Saudi Arabia which went through the works and emerged successful. From advice on investment plans to speculation on the oil and gas scenario with Iran positioning itself for the potential lifting of international sanctions, a move that would revive the Islamic republic’s ailing energy industry; from gene therapy research that would potentially change healthcare delivery in the country and even the world, to the cultural scenario in the country, with auctions worth millions being held, and an international boat exhibition this month that will again shine light on millions being traded for luxury yachts, Qatar Today brings to you stories that you need to know and some more.
SINDHU NAIR
10 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
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AFP PHOTO/Brendan SMIALOWSKI
affairs > local
COALITION OF THE WILLING Military chiefs from Turkey, the UAE, Spain, Denmark and Qatar (General Ghanim; extreme right) were among the foreign military leaders from 21 countries who met with US President Barack Obama and General Martin Dempsey, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at Andrews Air Force Base to discuss solutions for dealing with the Islamic State threat.
FRENCH FIRM OFFERS SAT-COMM SYSTEM TO QATAR ARMED FORCES The French multinational Thales was awarded a contract to supply the Qatar Armed Forces with a military satellite communications system.
A
contract signed between Pascale Sourisse, SEVP International Development for Thales and Eng. Abdulaziz Falah Al Dosari, Assistant for Technology to the Minister of State for Defence Affairs, in the presence of Major General Hamad Bin Ali Al Attiyah, Qatar Minister of State for Defence Affairs and Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Minister of Defence, stipulates that Thales will provide the Qatar Armed Forces with a
16 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
secure, high-data-rate satellite communications system. The technologies included in this project are based on Thales’s Nexium solution for critical communications, which includes System 21 that is being used by several NATO countries. The ground segment supplied by Thales will provide Qatari ground and naval forces with a long-range communications capability to enhance national security and protect vital interests.
DIGITAL LIBRARY PROJECT GOES ONLINE The bilingual, online portal that the British Library Qatar Foundation Partnership has been working on for the last three years was launched, giving users access to a wealth of information related to the Gulf region uncovered in the British Library archives.
AFP PHOTO / CAROLYN KASTER / POOL
affairs > local
QATAR TOPS GAZA-BOUND FOREIGN AID
T
he new portal, called the Qatar Digital Library and available at www.qdl. qa, provides contextual material to help teachers, students and history enthusiasts make the best use of the 500,000 digitised pages available. This includes 475,000 pages from the India Office Records and 25,000 pages of medieval Arabic manuscripts. Dr Claudia Lux, Project Director of Qatar National Library, said: “We are glad to partner with the British Library on this ambitious and unique project. The huge quantity of
priceless historical material that has been placed on the Qatar Digital Library portal are made available online for the first time, can be accessed by anyone around the world, and shall play a crucial role in raising awareness and sharing knowledge about the Gulf’s history and Arab Islamic Sciences. The digitised materials will not only preserve the region’s heritage for the future generations but will also deliver an unprecedented resource of huge benefit to everyone interested in the region’s history, heritage and culture.”
ON THE WORLD STAGE
At the Gaza Donor Conference in Cairo, Qatar promised $1 billion (QR3.64 billion) in reconstruction aid for Gaza, making it the single largest donation towards the total of $5.4 billion (QR19.66 billion) bound for the Gaza strip. The US pledged $212 million (QR772 million), the United Arab Emirates and Turkey both committed $200 million (QR728 million), and the European Union said its member states will collectively donate $568 million (QR2.68 billion) apart from the UK’s $32 million (QR116 million). While it was announced that only half of this amount will be directed to reconstruction activities, it is speculated the rest will be spent on budgetary support, emergency relief operations, boosting economic activity, etc. In the picture, US Secretary of State John Kerry is seen greeting Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled al Attiyah during the conference.
SENDING MONEY HOME Remittances from Qatar increased by
8.34% QR40.55 5.48%
in 2013 to
billion ($11.14 billion) and totalled
AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI
of nominal GDP, with some of the top receiving countries being India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Largest remittances from the region last year were sent from Saudi Arabia File photo of a UN Human Right Council session in progress in Geneva, Switzerland Qatar has been re-appointed to a new three-year term on the UN’s Human Rights Council and will be taking its place among the 47-member body for the third time after its term ended in 2013. While there have been mixed responses to this news, with some pointing out the irony because of Qatar’s tainted human rights record and others suggesting that this would result in Qatar working more diligently towards righting some of the wrongs, there is speculation that this is just a taste of Qatar’s growing clout within the United Nations. It has renewed whispers that Qatar’s former Prime Minister HE Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, also known as HBJ, might be put forward as a candidate to take over from Ban-Ki Moon when he retires as General-Secretary in 2016.
18 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
QR127.37
billion ($34.98 billion), followed by Kuwait
QR55.49
billion
($15.24 billion).
Sources: Qatar Central Bank, Qatar Statistics Authority, World Bank
affairs > local
RIVALLING THE WORLD BANK
AFP PHOTO/Takaki Yajima /POOL
Qatar is part of the 21-member, $100-billion Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, to be headquartered in Beijing.
QATAR BAGS MAIDEN TITLE AT AFC U-19
T
his massive entity, backed by China and India (who will be the largest shareholders), seeks to challenge the World Bank and Asian Development Bank in funding much-needed infrastructure projects in Asia. Other stakeholders include Kuwait, Qatar, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Nepal, Oman, and all the countries of the Association of Southeast Asia. Australia, Indonesia and South Korea are conspicuous by their absence. Earlier this
year a local English daily quoted Chinese Ambassador to Qatar, Gao Youzhen, as he praised Qatar’s contribution to the construction of the AIIB, noting that “Qatar has preceded many countries in contributing to this bank”. Qatar’s expertise and experience, because of its recent and ongoing large-scale infrastructure overhaul, will likely be invaluable towards the bank’s future operations.
The Under-19 team from Qatar lifted its first ever Asian Football Confederation Trophy in Myanmar after defeating North Korea 0-1. This automatically qualifies the team to complete in the FIFA U-20 to be held in New Zealand next summer.
THE CLASSROOM OF THE FUTURE On the eve of the annual World Innovation Summit on Education, the sixth edition of which is to be held in Doha between November 4 and 6, a survey was released on what schools would look like in 2030. Below are some selected results.
Almost half of the respondents think that online content will be the most important source of knowledge.
School diplomas will be challenged by company certifications.
content
favour schools that implement innovative methods
7% of experts anticipate that schools will
return to fundamental values and traditions WHAT ROLE FOR BIG DATA? 88% of experts agree that Big Data will play a role in education.
nd 2Brick and
39%
motar school
and 3rd Social personal
environment
4th Workplace 5th
24% School diolomas
Company certifications
Peer endorsements
Cultural institutions
WHO WILL PLAY?
THE ROLE OF TEACHERS? The role of eachers will shift toward guiding students along their autonomous learning paths.
37%
70% of respondents think that the State will not be the main source of financing for education.
Parents
68%
A useful tool for building an educational community.
20 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
WHAT TYPE OF ASSESSMENT?
st 1online
93% of respondents
I2% It won't be very useful, but not dangerous either
WHO WILL PROVIDE KNOWLEDGE?
20%
It could lead to determinism
73
%
Guide and mentor students
State
43% 30%
I9% 8%
Delivery knowledge Validate student's online work
Companies
27%
affairs > local
Alarmed at the wide spectrum of growing threats posed by criminals, governments around the world have been using latest technology to counter them. Qatar Today spoke to participants of Milipol Qatar 2014, the biennial international exhibition on internal security.
WAKING UP TO
SECURITY NEEDS
T “These latest equipments and gadgets would come in handy for the government as it will be hosting a series of international events during the run-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. We need to develop our security systems to ensure that the events would be free of any untoward incident.” BRIGADIER SHEIKH NASSER BIN FAHAD AL THANI Chairman, Milipol Qatar 2014 Committee
22 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
he need for constant upgrading of security measures has been necessitated as no threat can be ignored around the world today, particularly in the Middle East, and several companies are developing new products and technologies for ensuring internal security in areas like communications and border control management systems, among others. According to the findings of a survey by trade publisher “En toute sécurite,” the Middle East’s security markets grew 12% to a value of 16 billion Euros (QR76.79 billion) in 2012, compared with an average of 5.5% growth in overall spending worldwide. This is because the local governments have given utmost importance to internal security due to the presence of vast oil and gas resources. The Middle East cyber security market alone is expected to be around QR34.8 billion ($9.56 billion) by 2019 as against QR18.81 billion ($5.17 billion) and hence is prone to be a target for hackers. Among all countries in the region, Saudi Arabia is likely to be the largest market on the basis of spending and adoption of cyber security solutions and services. “It is like a race where the criminals want to outsmart the officials but the latter has a job to stop such people in their tracks by
using innovative technologies,” says Michael Weatherseed , Director of Security Business Unit of the Paris-based Comexposium. People from all over the world visit Milipol Qatar to find out the latest developments in security-related technologies and update them in their respective internal security systems. “There has to be innovation and governments have to perform to curb any attack,” Weatherseed adds. Saudi’s NBS Project An example of how serious the GCC countries are to protect its citizens is Saudi Arabia commissioning in September this year the Northern Border Security (NBS) project, which is a fully-integrated technological security-solution encompassing 900 km of the border with Iraq. The project is being implemented by Airbus Defence and Space as part of the Saudi Border Guard Development Programme, and is aimed at securing the kingdom’s frontiers in view of the terror threats emanating from the militant groups in Iraq and Syria. It includes one sand berm, three fences, seven Command and Control (C2) Centres, 32 Response Stations, 240 response vehicles and 10 Surveillance Reconnaissance Vehicles. Security is enforced through 40 surveillance towers, equipped with Airbus
“It is like a race where the criminals want to outsmart the officials but the latter has a job to stop such people in their tracks by using innovative technologies.” MICHAEL WEATHERSEED Director of Security Business Unit Comexposium
DS TRGS-SEC radars and day/night cameras, and 38 communication towers, all of which are connected to the C2 centres, the National HQ and the Ministry of Interior over 1.45 million km of fibre-optic cables. Qatar ink pacts Even Qatar’s Interior Ministry has signed agreements with several firms worth over QR309 million. The companies would provide 20 Italian-made search and rescue boats for the Coasts and Borders Security department costing around QR34 million, 24 state-of-the art fire fighting vehicles and maintenance of a number of fire and rescue vehicles for the Civil Defence at a cost of QR61.5 million, besides a number of security surveillance systems and programmes for QR22.4 million. “These latest equipments and gadgets would come in handy for the government as it will be hosting a series of international events during the run-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. We need to develop our security systems to ensure that the events would be free of any untoward incident,” says
Brigadier Sheikh Nasser Bin Fahad Al Thani, who is chairman of the Milipol Qatar 2014 Committee. Mexico City relieved In the far off-Latam region, when Mexico City was plagued by a spurt in crimes in the first decade of the millennium, the Mexican government decided in 2009 to implement the Ciudad Segura project by Thales to protect the citizens and prevent attacks on strategic sites, among others. The Mexican government awarded the project to a French company, Thales, which started installing over 50,000 cameras all over the city. The results were encouraging. “There has been a reduction in the crime rate by 23% in the last three years, and the response time was reduced from 12 minutes to 4 minutes and 30 seconds. The number of vehicle thefts was reduced by half and the operational efficiency of the law-enforcment authorities has increased by 19.1% during the same period,” says Dominique Gaiardo Vice President and Managing Director of Thales Group
“There has been a reduction in the crime rate in Mexico City by 23% in the last three years and the response time was reduced from 12 minutes to 4 minutes and 30 seconds. The number of vehicle thefts was reduced by half and the operational efficiency of the law-enforcment authorities has increased by 19.1% during the same period.” DOMINIQUE GAIARDO Vice President and Managing Director Thales Group
QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 23
business > bank notes “We are doing what requires to be done to contribute to funding the ongoing projects based on our policies and strategies. These help us to participate in the process of adding value to our national economy.” HE SHEIKH DR KHALID BIN THANI BIN ABDULLAH BIN THANI AL THANI Chairman and Managing Director Qatar International Islamic Bank
-3.0%
Public Sector
Private Sector
Outside Qatar
Sep-14
Jun-14
0.0%
Mar-14
200,000
Dec-13
3.0%
Sep-13
400,000
Jun-13
6.0%
Mar-13
600,000
Dec-12
T
Total Loan Growth MoM
TOTAL DEPOSITS 600,000
20%
500,000
300,000
0%
200,000
Change MoM
10% 400,000 QR million
he bank’s board of directors has approved the proposal to merge HSBC Oman’s India operations with Doha Bank’s India unit. However, the financial details weren’t disclosed, according to a Bloomberg report. Doha Bank is seeking to boost profits from overseas operations to as much as 30% of net income by next year, up from 10% in 2013. The bank has opened representative offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Japan, Australia and South Korea and received permission from Reserve Bank of India to open a branch in Mumbai last December.
9.0%
Sep-12
As part of its global expansion plans, Doha Bank has agreed to acquire HSBC Bank Oman’s operations in India.
800,000
Change MoM
TOTAL LOANS
QR million
DOHA BANK ACQUIRES HSBC OMAN’S OPERATIONS IN INDIA
LOANS & DEPOSITS BY QATARI BANKS
-10%
-
DOHA BANK ACHIEVES 5% PROFIT GROWTH Doha Bank has registered a growth of 5% by earning a net profit of QR 1.13 billion in Q3 of 2014 compared with QR1.07 billion for the same period in 2013. The bank also increased its net operating income by 14% to reach QR2.2 billion while the total assets increased to QR70.3 billion during the first nine months of this year compared with QR63 billion during the same period last year. Net loans and advances increased to QR44.6 billion from QR38.9 billion for the same period last year, registering a growth of 15%. Deposits showed a year on year increase of 10% from QR40.1 billion to QR44 billion during the third quarter of 2014. 24 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
Public Sector
Private Sector
Non Resident
Sep-14
Jun-14
Mar-14
Dec-13
Sep-13
Jun-13
Mar-13
Dec-12
Sep-12
-20%
Total Deposit Growth MoM
QATARI BANKS’ PERFORMANCE FOR FIRST NINE MONTHS IN 2014 TOTAL ASSETS
NET PROFIT
TOTAL DEPOSITS
EARNINGS FOR SHARE (EPS)
QNB
QR475 billion
QR8 billion
QR329 billion
QR11.4
QIB
QR93.3 billion
QR1.13 billion
QR64 billion
QR4.8
QIIB
QR37.9 billion
QR625 million
QR26.3 billion
QR4.13
Al Khaliji
QR48.2 billion
QR404.7 million
QR25.6 billion
QR1.12
BANK
Masraf al Rayan Ahlibank
QR77 billion
QR1.42 billion
QR59.9 billion
QR1.90
QR30.4 billion
QR458.1 million
QR19.68 billion
QR2.77
Source: QCB
100,000
business > bank notes
CAN BASEL III DENT ISLAMIC BANKS’ GROWTH?
Will the Islamic banks around the world including four of them in Qatar, which have been maintaining their growth trajectory so far, sustain the momentum once Basel III norms are in place in 2018? BY V L SRINIVASAN
“If we look at the products that are being offered by Islamic banks in Qatar today, we can notice that there is a lot of innovation in product creation compared to a decade ago or when Islamic banks started their operations.” DR MOHAMMED GHIYATH SHEIKHAH Head of Local & International Investments and Treasury & Investments Qatar International Islamic Bank
26 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
I
slamic finance has been the fastest growing business in Qatar and its market share has reached about 25% of the Qatari market at present and is expected to cross 50% by the end of the decade. Statistically speaking, the Islamic assets, which were QR119 billion ($32.6 billion) in December 2010, have grown to QR213.1 billion ($58.4 billion) in December 2013, registering a stupendous growth rate of 78.6% over three years. This can be attributed to the fact that these banks are targeting all segments – wholesale, institutions and retail – on the lines of conventional banks.
The economic growth in Qatar is expected to reach around 10% in the next few years and this kind of growth requires funding. At present, there is enough business for Qatari banks including conventional banks as the government has taken up massive infrastructure projects. However, the major challenge for the Islamic banks is to expand their global footprint to keep the current growth. According to market watchers, the Islamic banks are awash with funds and strong enough to meet Basel III’s capital requirements. However, it is the deposit base
that may get in the way of their unhindered growth as no riba (interest) would be paid or received on such financial instruments as per the Sharia principles.
developing but will take some time to be active and many companies will use sukuk as a financing vehicle when the market will develop,” he adds.
ISLAMIC BANK ASSETS
Shortage of HQLAs The banks have to negate the volatility to abide by Basel III regulations by increasing their high-quality liquid assets (HQLAs), which are in short supply, and it would be interesting to see how they resolve the issue. This is not only limited to the Islamic banks in Qatar but to all such institutions across the world. In fact, the regulators are again looking at the Kuala Lumpur-based Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB), a global standard-setting body set up by Islamic banks and regulators, which is likely to release a guidance note on the subject in early 2015. The IFSB has issued some regulatory standards that constitute the equivalent of Basel II for Islamic finance in 2005 which helped the Islamic banks to compute a ratio equivalent to the Basel II capital adequacy ratio by taking into account the Profit Sharing Investment Accounts (PSIAs)specificities of Islamic banks.
Immense contribution “I think that Islamic banks in the country are in a good position to meet Basel III requirements, like other banks in Qatar,” says Mohamed Damak, Analyst at Standard & Poor’s Rating Services. Damak says that Islamic banks are contributing to the financing of the significant project pipeline in Qatar akin to conventional financial institutions. “The key challenges the Islamic banks face in the future are similar to those faced by conventional banks, namely high exposure to the real estate sector. This is all the more true for Islamic banks due to the asset backing principle inherent in Islamic finance, and the significant competition due to the narrowness of the market,” he says. It may be mentioned here that in Qatar, conventional banks are no longer authorised to offer Sharia-compliant products and that a portion of the government-sponsored projects is generally financed using Sharia-compliant financings. The combination of these results had resulted in a relatively protected environment for Islamic banks. Damak points out that the Qatari issuers have been tapping the sukuk market more actively this year. The total amount of issuance by Qatar-based issuers reached QR10.92 billion ($3 billion) as of October 1 compared with QR3 billion ($823 million) in the same period last year. However, all these issuances were done by the government. The main reason for the underdevelopment of the sukuk market is the high liquidity in the Qatari banking sector, though sukuk issuance in Qatar was QR19.84 billion ($5.45 billion) of the total QR168.9 billion ($46.4 billion) around the world, accounting for 12% of the global sukuk issuance in 2012. “The local sukuk market is still to be developed and the Qatar Central Bank, and more generally regulators, can take the opportunity of Basel-III and the lack of HQLA for Islamic banks as an opportunity to develop the necessary infrastructure locally,” he adds
IN DECEMBER 2010,
Innovation, the need of the hour Head of Local & International Investments and Treasury & Investments at Qatar International Islamic Bank (QIIB) Dr Mohammed Ghiyath Sheikhah says that the Islamic banks in the country have already met all requirements of Basel III norms as they have a strong capital base and very healthy financial ratios. He says the present Sharia-compliant products can meet the demand of the market. However, there always is a need to create more innovative products to enable the Islamic banks to grow further and compete with the conventional banking sector. “If we look at the products that are being offered by Islamic banks in Qatar today, we can notice that there is a lot of innovation in the products creation compared to a decade ago or when Islamic banks started their operations,” Dr Sheikhah adds. Dr Sheikhah also feels that the present regulatory framework in Qatar is appropriate and sufficient to encourage growth and mitigate all the related risks that many banks are facing. “The sukuk market is
QRII9 QR2I3.I
IN DECEMBER 2013.
BILLION
BILLION
“The key challenges the Islamic banks face in the future are similar to those faced by conventional banks, namely high exposure to the real estate sector. This is all the more true for Islamic banks due to the asset backing principle inherent in Islamic finance; and the significant competition due to the narrowness of the market.” MOHAMED DAMAK Analyst Standard & Poor’s Rating Services
QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 27
business > oil&gas RIP DE MARGERIE The CEO of French oil giant Total, CHRISTOPHE DE MARGERIE, died in a plane crash at a Moscow airport on October 21, when the private jet he was using struck a snowplough on takeoff. AFP PHOTO / FRED DUFOUR
DIP IN OIL BUSINESS FOR ISLAMIC STATE A picture taken on August 10 shows a chimney at an oil field in Sheikhan, northeast of the city of Mosul in northern Iraq and near the Kurdish city of Dohuk, an area where Kurdish Peshmerga forces are fighting to stop the advance of Islamic State fighters. AFP PHOTO/AHMAD AL-RUBAYE
OIL GLUT PUSHES PRICE DOWN
Oil is in the middle of one of its steepest sell-offs since the financial crisis, with prices on the international market falling drastically from its June price of $115 a barrel.
There are two explanations:not enough demand or too much supply. Supporting the weak demand argument are a stagnant economy in Europe, slower growth in China and flat gasoline consumption in the U.S. According to the International Energy Agency, in 2014 world demand for oil will grow only 1.5%. But the bigger factor appears to be surging global oil production, which outpaced demand last year and is shaping up to do so again in 2014. To try to keep prices high, Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest petroleum exporter, has reduced its oil production from 10 million barrels a day – a record high – in September 2013 to 9.6 million as of September 30. That hasn’t done much to raise prices, mostly because other OPEC countries are pumping more crude as the Saudis try to slow down. Sharply higher production increases from Libya and Angola, along with surprisingly steady flows out of war-torn Iraq, have pushed OPEC’s total output to almost 31 million barrels a day, its highest level this year and 352,000 barrels a day higher than last September.
Falling oil prices, gushing output
Oil prices are down sharply in the past four months...
A
report from the International Energy Agency in Paris has just estimated that Islamic State controls only about 20,000 barrels of daily oil production, down from about 70,000 in August. Most of it remains in Iraq. It seems that though the airstrikes have failed to keep Islamic State from advancing in the field, they have apparently succeeded in dismantling its sophisticated oil network, reducing the movement’s ability to make gasoline and diesel for its tanks and trucks and cutting off a vital source of funding. (Source: Bloomberg Businessweek)
$120 a barrel 110
Brent, $85.04 -22.3 %
100
from the beginning of June
90 80
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
WTI, $81.84 -20.3 %
...yet the world's biggest oil producers keep churning it out...
QATARGAS ANNOUNCES PMP START-UP
Qatargas has announced the successful start-up of the Plateau Maintenance Project (PMP). The objective of the project is to ensure the production capacity of Qatargas 1 is maintained at 10 million tonnes per annum (MTA) of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) for many years to come.
T
he project involved drilling and recompleting offshore wells, adding new onshore facilities for sulfur handling and modifying existing LNG production trains 1, 2 and 3. Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chief Executive Officer, Qatargas, said; “We want to ensure Qatargas 1 can produce 10 MTA until the end of the concession
28 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
in 2021 and well beyond. The Plateau Maintenance Project will help deliver that capability and enable Qatargas to continue to supply LNG safely and reliably to its customers. The project is yet another important milestone in Qatargas’ journey towards its Vision 2015, namely to be the World’s Premier LNG Company.”
15 million barrels a day
U.S. I2.9M Saudi Arabia II.6M
10
Russsia I0.6M
5
0
China 4.3M 2009
'10
'11
'12
'13
...and stock prices of oil producers and oil-service companies are hurting. Change since the start of June:
-7.3 % -9.9 % -I0.6 % -I3.5 % -I5.2 % -I7.7 % -20.2 % -23.2 % -24.9 %
-38.5 %
'14
Canada 4.IM
Royal Dutch Shell Exxon Mobil Chevron Suncor Energy BP Anadarko Petroleum Apache Halliburton Continental Resources Tullow Oil
Note: Oil production figures include oil, condensate and other pertoleum liquids. Source: WSJ Market Data Droup (oil prices); Energy Information Administration (production); Fact Set (stocks)
The Wall Street Journal
oil & gas > viewpoint
COMING IN FROM THE COLD? IRAN’S ENERGY SECTOR GEARS UP FOR THE POST-SANCTIONS ERA
In a sign that frosty relations between Iran and the West continue to thaw, British Prime Minister David Cameron met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the UN in New York in late September – the first encounter between an Iranian president and a British prime minister since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
T
he meeting is the latest indicator that, after years of isolation, Iran is positioning itself for the potential lifting of international sanctions, a move that would revive the Islamic republic’s ailing energy industry, pave the way for its return as a major oil exporter and provide much-needed stimulus to the domestic economy. Pending a final, comprehensive deal on the country’s controversial nuclear program between Tehran and the five permanent UN Security Council members Britain, France, Russia, China and the US plus Germany (P5+1), the Islamic republic may see relations with the rest of the world return to normal as early as 2015, a development that would not only reverse the fortunes of its struggling economy; it would also open the biggest bonanza for international energy companies since the ouster of
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in 2003. Iran, holder of the world’s fourth-largest proved oil and the second-largest proved natural gas reserves, has been hard hit by UN and international bilateral sanctions imposed on the country in 2006 and 2010 on top of existing US sanctions. But it was the latest set of even more stringent measures enacted by the US and the European Union (EU) in late 2011 and 2012 that had the most devastating impact on the local economy. According to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) latest Article IV Consultation report on Iran published in April, the sanctions have had a contractionary impact on the economy, with real gross domestic product (GDP) declining by almost 6% year-on-year in 2012/13 and by about 2.5% during the first half of 2013/14. Between June 2012 and February 2014, Iran
IRAN GDP ANNUAL GROWTH RATE 4
4 2
2
2 0
0 -2
-2
-3.9
-4 -6 -8 -10 Jan / 12
-2.3
-2 -4.2
-6
-6.9 -9
-4
-8
-9
-10 Jul / 12
Jan / 13
Jul / 13
Jan / 14
Sources: www.tradingeconomics.com | Central Bank of Iran
30 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
recorded negative GDP growth for seven consecutive quarters. The Islamic republic’s energy sector has been among the most severely affected by the various embargoes in recent years, which have prevented it from securing much-needed foreign investment, technology and expertise, stymieing developments especially in upstream oil and gas. A large number of projects has either been cancelled or delayed. As a result, the country has struggled to expand production capacity at its oil and gas fields, and to halt and reverse declines at its mature fields. Since the latest round of stringent sanctions was levied on Tehran, the situation has dramatically worsened. Aimed at impeding Iran’s ability to sell oil, the sanctions led to a 1 million-barrel a day (b/d) drop in crude and condensate exports in 2012 versus the previous year. Once OPEC’s second-largest oil producer, Iran now ranks behind Iraq in terms of oil and liquids production, averaging only about 3.2 million b/d in 2013, compared with about 4.2 million b/d in 2011. The economic price of falling oil production and exports in particular has been hefty. According to IMF figures, Iran’s oil and gas export revenues slumped by 47% to $63 billion (QR230 billion) in the 2012/13 fiscal year from $118 billion (QR430 billion) a year earlier. The IMF estimates that oil and gas export revenues declined by another 11% to $56 billion (QR205 billion) in the 2013/14 fiscal year. Few would disagree that Iran has the potential to reclaim its status as an energy giant. But it won’t be an easy task. The sector’s infrastructure is in dire need of rehabilitation and upgrading worth tens of billions of dollars. Moreover, decline rates at the country’s oil fields are relatively high, ranging between 8 and 11%, while recovery rates are quite low at 20-25%, according to energy consultancy FGE and the Arab Oil and Gas Journal. Going forward, the country will have to introduce and apply advanced technologies and techniques such as enhanced oil recovery (EOR), which it hasn’t been able to get its hands on due to sanctions, on a much greater scale to maintain and boost output. The need for Iran to invest in its oil and gas sector is therefore obvious. In a bid to
create an environment more conducive to attracting foreign investment, Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh–appointed following last year’s election of President Hassan Rouhani–has started working on a new oil and gas contract model for international companies. The Iran Petroleum Contract (IPC) is set to replace the unpopular buyback contract that was first introduced in the 1990s. Mohsen Shoar, Managing Director at Dubai-based Continental Energy DMCC and an expert on Iranian energy, says the new IPC varies markedly from the buyback model in that it proposes the establishment of a joint venture between National Iranian Oil Co. (or one of its subsidiaries) and a foreign partner for field exploration, appraisal, development and–for the first time since 1979–production. Unlike the short nature of the buybacks, the IPC model will offer extended contract duration of 20-25 years, allowing for much longer cost recovery after first production. There will also be a provision for the IPC to extend into EOR phases. On top of this, there will be, for example, a risk-reward element linked to the complexity of fields that pays companies higher fees for ‘very high risk’ on- and offshore fields compared with ‘low-risk onshore’ fields. Overall, the increased flexibility and improved terms offered under the IPC will provide some incentive for foreign investors to consider a return to Iran’s oil and gas sector if and when sanctions are lifted. However, challenges remain. Continental Energy’s Shoar says, among other issues, IOCs may be concerned over too much interference into operations by the local joint-venture party. “Another potential sticking point for international oil companies may be the fact that any dispute arising under the IPC will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Iranian courts. Many international companies may not feel comfortable with this and would probably prefer international arbitration,” according to Clyde & Co. Iran’s new contract model has the potential to change the country’s economic fortunes. It all depends now on world powers and Tehran to come to an agreement that will result in the lifting of sanctions
BY SEAN EVERS Managing Partner Gulf Intelligence
ABOUT GULF INTELLIGENCE Gulf Intelligence facilitates knowledge exchange and networking between stakeholders in the Energy, Healthcare and Banking & Finance sectors across the Gulf region. The strategic communications firm, headquartered in Dubai and operating in Qatar and Oman, prepares and positions clients as Thought Leaders in their industry utilising a range of dynamic platforms that ensure a direct and tangible engagement with stakeholders. www.thegulfintelligence.com QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 31
business > realty check “If the cost of real estate keeps increasing, there will also be an increase in the cost of contracting, cost of rent, and high prices in residential and commercial real estate properties. However, Qatar is ready to counter the phenomenon, as the government will try to maintain inflation costs that are congruent with a real estate boom.”
YOUSUF MOHAMED AL JAIDA Deputy CEO Qatar Financial Centre
QATARI DIAR TO BEGIN WORK ON TUNISIAN RESORT
QATAR REALTY RECOVERING
The new mega projects that are coming up in The Pearl Qatar and Lusail City are a clear indication of the recovery of Qatar’s real estate sector.
T Qatari Diar, the state-owned real estate company, has started selecting consultants and engineers for Tozeur Desert Resort in Tunisia.
Q
atari Diar CEO Khaled Mohammed Al Sayed said that work on the Tozeur Resort in Tunis will begin soon and Tunisian authorities were being consulted about preparing to start work on the project, which is in the southwest of the country. “Our technical team is currently coordinating with local authorities to prepare for launching field work for the project. Our company is also selecting local and
QATARI DEVELOPER IN
QR2.54
BILLION LAND DEAL
32 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
international engineers and consultants for various stages of the project, including planning and construction,” he told a local vernacular daily. Scheduled to open in 2015, the $80 million (QR291.2 million) resort will include 60 luxury suites, high-end health and spa components, retail outlets and restaurants, state-of-the-art conference and business facilities, as well as an amphitheatre and other sports facilities.
he sales of residential properties in these projects have witnessed positive performance during the third quarter of this year, a local vernacular daily Al Arab reported, citing real estate developer Al Asmakh’s latest “Qatar real estate report.” According to the report, the prices of apartments in The Pearl-Qatar have seen a slight increase since the beginning of the year and are most likely to continue this growth over the next year, especially with the completion of shopping centres and infrastructure facilities. As the outlook for Qatar’s real estate sector has been projected as ‘strong’ by various market analysts, investment in Qatar’s real estate sector is set to increase in the coming months. In fact, Qatar’s real estate sector is witnessing a strong performance compared to other sectors of the local economy, the report adds.
Qatar’s Barwa Real Estate says it will sell land worth QR2.54 billion ($697.4 million) to the government, making this the latest state assistance the indebted developer has received. In exchange for a plot in Lusail City, Barwa received QR1.04 billion ($285 million) in cash, while the government also settled QR1.5 billion ($411 million) of the developer’s bank loans, according to the bourse filing as reported by Reuters. The sale was agreed on September 30 and will have a positive impact on the company’s financials, although Barwa did not specify in which quarter the deal would be logged. The size of the plot was not disclosed, the report added.
news bites > regional
34 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
CATAST RO P H E Iraqis gather at the site of two car bomb explosions that hit the car park of a large restaurant on October 21 in the Talbiyah Shiite area, northeast of Baghdad. Another car bomb exploded near a police patrol which passed by later, killing at least 18 people. AFP PHOTO/AHMAD AL-RUBAYE
QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 35
business > viewpoint
FOSTERING
ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY
Economic diversification in Qatar takes many forms. Qatar Petroleum (QP) for example acquired a natural gas import terminal facility in cooperation with Exxon Mobil and Conoco Phillips in Texas and is now in the process of obtaining permission by the US government to convert the import terminal into an export facility, an estimated $10 billion (QR36.4 billion) investment. The purpose of the project is to capitalise on the discovery of natural gas capacity in the US and allow QP to diversify its revenue streams away from natural gas production. 36 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
A
s the US becomes a net producer of gas, the investment would also allow QP to open up new markets for its natural gas and Qatar to maintain its current position worldwide as a major broker in the natural gas market. It also ensures that hydrocarbon revenues for Qatar will continue unabated in a changing global landscape for energy demand. But what does this have to do with entrepreneurship? Just like QP adapting to changing demand for energy, Qatar’s non-hydrocarbon sector, which constitutes about half of total economic output, needs to adapt, evolve and grow. It’s not just a matter of national pride to diversify Qatar’s economy away from oil and gas, it is essential for the country’s long-term economic sustainability. And who better to do it than entrepreneurs? Men and women who create businesses that grow into small and medium sized enterprises are the engines of wealth and job creation worldwide. And Qatar is well positioned to offer entrepreneurs a base from which to do business - it ranks in the top tier countries for ease of doing business according to the World Bank, is the richest country in the GCC by per capita income, and has an active youth population. Youth constitute over 30% of the population, have high levels of educational attainment when compared to other MENA countries, and have an employment rate of nearly 70% - well over any other country in MENA. While the numbers are encouraging, entrepreneurship in Qatar is very low when compared to international benchmarks. The entrepreneurship landscape in Qatar has some weaknesses but also presents some opportunities for adjustment and growth. For example it’s expensive to do business in Qatar because salaries in the public sector are relatively high, so businesses who want to compete regionally find it difficult because their cost structures are higher than their competitors. This is why many businesses in Qatar that are successful tend to be in the non-tradable sector – retail, restaurants and hospitality. Also, there are currently no Dubai-style free zones from which businesses fully owned and operated by foreigners can flourish. While Qatar has plans to open up economic zones, the regulatory details have not been worked out yet so it’s difficult to know how much these zones are going to contribute to economic diversification and this is an opportunity for the government
to design a regulatory framework that allows Doha to compete as a business hub with other economies in the region. On the other hand, for companies that are established by foreigners in Doha, the 51/49% ownership law implies that many Qataris are actively involved in managing businesses that are set up by foreigners. This is interesting because this is a different form of entrepreneurship than what we observe in other countries. The ownership law gives an opportunity for Qataris to get involved in, and contribute to SMEs that have been established by foreign entrepreneurs while at the same time getting on-the-job training, skills-building and professional experience. What other factors drive entrepreneurship in Qatar and what practical solutions can be put in place to stimulate a richer entrepreneurship ecosystem? To find out, a gathering of entrepreneurs, policy makers, academics and others who are interested in creating an ecosystem that fosters growth of entrepreneurial activity in Qatar will meet from November 16 to November 22, 2014 at Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW). Thousands of similar GEW events take place in November every year, bringing in more than 7.5 million people and 125 countries last year alone. Launched in 2007 by Carl Schramm of the Kauffman Foundation and Gordon Brown, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the event will now be hosted this November in 140 countries worldwide. In Qatar, a number of workshops organised by Silatech will be dedicated to better understanding the entrepreneurship experience. These include a meeting of the Entrepreneurship Policy Working Group that will discuss improvements in the regulatory environment that can benefit Qatar’s global competitiveness, a workshop on the upcoming economic zones and how they can be shaped to allow entrepreneurs from across the world to create wealth and jobs in Qatar and many other workshops focusing on youth and women entrepreneurs that will shed light on the challenges and opportunities faced by Qataris in starting an operating a business. Just like QP adapting to new market conditions, the private sector in Qatar will need to evolve and adapt to provide a sustainable basis for national economic growth. Global Entrepreneurship Week is an excellent occasion to explore how exactly the private sector will have to adapt to make this transformation possible
BY DR TAREK COURY is an economist at Silatech, a social initiative based in Doha.
QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 37
business > viewpoint
QATAR STEPS UP
TRANSPORT SPENDING
Momentum is building across Qatar’s rail, aviation and port projects, on the back of rising investment, paving the way for a broadening of the state’s economic base.
H
igher investment in Qatar’s transport network will support efforts to diversify the economy, according to a report produced by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) on behalf of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). The report, published in mid-September and entitled “Economic Insight: Middle East Q3 2014”, noted that stronger transport infrastructure would also reinforce GCC integration. Regional potential In its findings, the CEBR said investment
38 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
in Qatar’s rail and aviation infrastructure would begin to have a marked impact over the next few years, with the logistics sector’s contribution to GDP expected to reach 8.4% in 2018, up from 6.5% in 2013, according to the Ministry of Development, Planning and Statistics. An improved performance on this scale would make Qatar better placed to step up trade regionally and beyond in the years to come, said ICAEW’s regional director for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, Michael Armstrong. “While Qatar currently has the lowest level of intra-regional trade of all the GCC nations, exporting only 1% of total goods
to the Middle East in 2013, this situation is expected to change significantly when the country’s rail and airport projects come on-line. This diversification will help foster internal commerce and investments necessary for sustainable long-term growth,” he said. The report noted that high levels of investment in key sectors of the economy, including transport, should put Qatar’s economy on course to post growth of 6.3% in 2014, edging towards 7% in the following two years, well above the predicted regional average. QNB Group was even more bullish in its economic update, released at end-September. The bank said it expected GDP to expand at between 6.8% and 7.8% up to 2016. Much of the growth, the group said, would be fuelled by investment in the transport, construction and services sectors. Key part for port Qatar’s New Port Project (NPP), which is under construction to the south of the capital, Doha, will be a cornerstone of the infrastructure development. The first phase of the $7.4 billion (QR27 billion) facility is scheduled to begin operations in 2016, with initial capacity to handle 2 million containers and 2 million tonnes of general cargo annually. Once fully completed, the port will be able to handle 6 million containers and manage 2.7 million tonnes of general and grain cargo combined each year. “The port is quite possibly the most critical project for the country,” Nabeel Mohammed Al Buenain, NPP’s executive-director, told OBG. “The amount of material needed for the country cannot come in via road and air. The country has to have the new port operational on time to bring in the materials required for the infrastructure boom that is under way.” Construction work on the NPP’s facilities will also include a naval base for the Qatar Emiri Naval forces and an access channel for Qatar Economic Zone 3 (QEZ3), one of three industrial zones. The project’s planners hope QEZ3 can attract additional industrial development in the area by providing businesses with simpler regulations
and infrastructure connections. The area is set to focus on building up value-added industries like downstream metals, petrochemicals and maritime industries. Port investments are significant, but progress could be instrumental to future economic plans. Export-oriented ports delivering LNG and other hydrocarbons around the world have been the dynamo driving the Qatari economy forward. Continuing to modernise port infrastructure could support those revenue streams and keep trading costs low for virtually every sector of the economy. Tapping into investors A government stipulation that at least 50% of the work carried out on the port project must be awarded to domestic contractors will ensure that much of the investment remains within the local economy. However, Qatar has also begun highlighting the opportunities emerging in its transport projects to overseas firms. In September, Qatar’s Minister of Transport, Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, told participants at an international infrastructure conference in South Korea that the country would be setting aside $140 billion for transport and other infrastructure development projects over the coming five years. Listing several of the projects, including the NPP, the metro and rail network and the planned expansion of Hamad International Airport, the minister said Qatar had plenty to offer overseas investors seeking opportunities in the region. Sheikh Ali bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, the Chairman and Managing Director of transport company Milaha, believes the sector will see increased activity over the course of the year as imports rise, resulting, in part, from new infrastructure developments. “We saw relatively strong growth of 10% plus in import volumes in the second quarter of 2014 and we are optimistic that this growth trajectory can be maintained the rest of the year,” he told OBG. “We expect volumes to continue to grow in the second half of 2014, as the pipeline of projects is starting to move into execution stage.”
BY OLIVER CORNOCK The author is the Regional Editor of Oxford Business Group.
QATAR’S NEW PORT PROJECT
THE FIRST PHASE OF THE
QR27
BILLION FACILITY IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN OPERATIONS IN 2016, WITH AN INITIAL CAPACITY TO HANDLE
2 2
MILLION CONTAINERS AND MILLION TONNES OF GENERAL CARGO ANNUALLY. ONCE FULLY COMPLETED, THE PORT WILL BE ABLE TO HANDLE
6 2.7
MILLION CONTAINERS AND MANAGE MILLION TONNES OF GENERAL AND GRAIN CARGO COMBINED EACH YEAR. QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 39
health & wellness > viewpoint
OF MIND AND BODY
This year, Qatar is embracing a wellbeing theme for World Mental Health Day, promoting the notion that "a happy, healthy life means caring for your body and mind".
40 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
"Qatar’s National Mental Health Strategy lays out a vision in which our population is educated and self-aware on issues of mental as well as physical health." SHEIKH MOHAMMED HAMAD J AL THANI Director of Public Health, Supreme Council of Health.
T
he inclusion of mental as well as physical health in our overall definition of a happy, healthy life aligns with the compelling evidence about the interconnections between chronic disease, injury and mental health. Positive mental or emotional health is associated with decreased risk of illness and injury; better immune functioning; better coping and quicker recovery; and increased longevity. Therefore, to protect and enhance the overall wellbeing of our people, we are undertaking a collaborative plan to integrate mental health within our public health programmes. What does our theme really mean for the people of Qatar? Without using technical terminology, mental health is about the way a person thinks and feels, and their ability to deal with ups and downs in life. Good mental health is a sense of wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem that enables us to fully enjoy life. So when we discuss mental health, therefore, we are not talking about something mysterious or frightening, but about something we all share as human beings - our personal response to the challenges and difficulties of life, and our interest in its pleasures and rewards. When we recognise this, it becomes much easier to see the benefits of taking steps to increase our happiness and enjoyment of life by enhancing our mental health and reducing the risk of it declining. Because our body responds to the way we think, feel and act, our physical health is affected when we are stressed, anxious or upset. A healthy mind naturally tends towards the good maintenance of a healthy
body, and a healthy body is a crucial factor in preserving a healthy mind. It is not a surprise, therefore, that many of the things we can do to improve physical health - such as sleeping and resting sufficiently, exercising regularly, and eating a healthy diet – will also help us to stay emotionally healthy and happy. The chemistry of the body and brain is a topic of fantastic complexity and delicacy in its details, but through thousands of years of evolution we instinctively know many of the fundamental principles that underpin good function: for example, that regular exercise produces an immediate feeling of wellbeing and also promotes good sleep, which in turn provides the opportunity for the body to use nutrients consumed for the repair of damage and restoration of energies in body and mind for better focus and performance the following day. Another factor, recognised worldwide, and particularly fortunate in Qatar where we remain traditionally close-knit as families, is that strong relationships, social connections and a caring community improve everyone’s sense of overall wellbeing. Recognised in the social model of health, we know that good physical health and supportive networks of friends and family deliver huge benefits for our overall wellbeing, including good mental health. Our integrated approach to health and wellbeing is also responding to the rapid change Qatar’s society and culture is undergoing and the significant challenges that are potentially ahead. The individual response to stress and challenging life events can cause
physiological changes which affect overall health. Since prolonged exposure to stress can also increase the chances of developing a mental illness, it is important for the people of Qatar to learn how to manage stress for themselves and how to help others during difficult circumstances. Our plans to build the resilience of our community and increase overall health are being delivered alongside the development of our services. We want people to be able to access the support they need in a range of settings. It’s important that people know that if sadness, worry or stress persist and they find it hard to cope with everyday life, support is available through our health services and they should ask for help, without any sense of shame. Qatar’s National Mental Health Strategy lays out a vision for the future in which our population is educated and self-aware on issues of mental as well as physical health, and ready and willing to help themselves, their families and friends to achieve the best that is possible in health and happiness. Sharing our vision for good mental health and wellbeing for the people of Qatar is intended to promote a vital, resilient society and culture towards the National Vision 2030
Qatar National Mental Health Strategy, Changing Minds, Changing Lives (2013-2018). Share our vision for good mental health and wellbeing for the people of Qatar. QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 41
news bites > world view
42 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
OUTBREAK Jeff Hulbert from Annapolis, Maryland, dressed in a protective suit and mask, holds a poster demanding a halt of all flights from West Africa as he protests outside the White House in Washington, DC on October 16. Top US health officials faced a grilling Thursday by lawmakers infuriated over the nation's fumbling response to the Ebola outbreak, as the Obama administration scrambles to contain the disease's spread. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) director Thomas Frieden has become the most prominent target of the criticism, which has mounted as it emerged that a second Texas healthcare worker infected with the deadly disease was allowed to board a commercial flight despite reporting a low-grade fever. AFP PHOTO/MLADEN ANTONOV
QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 43
COVER STORY AT THE EDGE OF INNOVATION
44 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
AT THE EDGE OF INNOVATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PARKS: CONNECTING PUBLIC SECTOR, PRIVATE ENTERPRISE, EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS BY AYSWARYA MURTHY
QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 45
COVER STORY AT THE EDGE OF INNOVATION
Q "THE CULTURE AND COMMUNITY WE HAVE DEFINED AT THE PARK AMONG STAFF, TENANTS AND QATAR’S WIDER ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM IS EXCELLENT." HAMAD AL KUWARI
Managing Director Qatar Science and Technology Park
46 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
atar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) may seem abandoned to the uninitiated, but the air is unmistakably thick with electricity. Even if you don’t realise that it is at the very core of the country’s push forward into a knowledge economy. Even if you don’t know that five years since it began operations, the tech park now hosts 40 local and global companies carrying out disruptive research in the fields of energy, health, sustainability and information and communication technology (ICT). Even if you are not aware that after 30 odd years, QSTP was instrumental in making the world sit up and notice the new age of innovation that is silently taking root in the Arab world. The aura is unmistakable; it’s that of change and new horizons. At the recently concluded International Association of Science Parks (IASP) conference in Doha, which attracted more than 500 delegates from 50 countries, Qatar Today got an opportunity to chat with science and technology parks (STPs) from nearly every continent of the globe to figure out
how they were effecting change in the their little corners of the world. Irrespective of whether they were government supported or non-profit, confined to a campus or spread out over a city, promoted local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) or coveted foreign multinational companies (MNCs), were engaged in reviving their economy or kick-starting a new one, the underlying agenda was common – to drive innovation by effectively connecting the public sector, private enterprises, universities and research institutes. In an earlier interview, Managing Director of QSTP and Head of the IASP 2014 Doha Organising Committee, Hamad Al Kuwari, had said that hubs like QSTP and its counterparts around the world play a critical role in sparking meaningful collaboration across sectors, ensuring that historic investments in education and research pay off in the form of skills, intellectual property and viable technology businesses. QSTP itself is still in expansion mode, Al Kuwari says, outlining the hub’s future plans. “We are at 95% occupancy and on track, having officially started design work on the next phase. The plan is to have two more buildings within the park and free zone – a technology building similar to Tech 1 and Tech 2, which incorporates feedback from
BOTSWANA our members, enhancing functionality and further supporting their work; and Tech 4, which is going to be more of a workshop where tenants who require heavy-operation testing will be housed,” he said. Speaking about the draw of QSTP, he said, “Companies are attracted to QSTP’s model, notably because we offer world-class infrastructure that supports complex technology research projects. Additionally, we offer freedom operating as a free zone, meaning we can license companies that are 100% foreign-owned, with no taxation on their income or on imported goods used for technology development.” But he says he is equally proud of the non-tangible benefits of being a part of QSTP. “The culture and community we have defined at the park among staff, tenants and Qatar’s wider entrepreneurial ecosystem is excellent. We regularly bring local and global industry figures in the health sciences, energy and ICT sectors to QSTP for our TECHtalks series, which has grown into a sought-after knowledge forum. Increasingly these are the types of programmes and services that add value for tenants and entrepreneurs while increasing the attractiveness of the cluster itself.” This, he says, is the trend that is emerging and what his counterparts around the world – from Brazil to Muscat – are implementing
TAKING BOTSWANA TO THE WORLD
T
hough it might not seem obvious at first glance, Botswana and Qatar have much in common. Their wealth is primarily buried underground – LNG here and coal and diamonds over there. And in both the countries, the governments are keen on channeling income from these non-renewable resources into diversifying their economies and finding local solutions to address their national challenges. Speaking with Tshepo Tsheko, Program Manager at the Botswana Innovation Hub (BIH), it is crystal clear that their push is in finding a lasting place for Botswana’s companies and people in the global value chain. BIH is new to the scene too; they are in their second year of operations and are the newest member of IASP. The flagship technology entrepreneurship development programme that Tsheko heads, which is essentially an incubator/accelerator, is the biggest one yet for BIH. “In commercialising innovation, one of the strongest components is entrepreneurship and at BIH we bring mature companies and startups together to collaborate,” he says. The government-funded STP actively seeks players in four critical sectors – ICT, biotech (focusing on medical research and food security), clean tech and mining. “Considering the relevance of these four sectors to the African agenda, our vision is to apply and leverage what’s already there and localise it to solve African challenges,” he says, supporting it with an example. “One of our startups is a company that had designed the world’s first solar-powered hearing aid. Over 200 million Africans suffer from hearing impairment. People were donating hearing aids but the batteries were expensive or difficult to charge because electricity was often unreliable. They took an African problem and solved it and now those hearing aids are being used in places as far flung as China and Brazil,” he says. So their challenges, though local, have the potential to be scaled up and applied to other middle- and low-income economies in the world. That is why although Tsheko considers Botswana, with its extensive investments in infrastructure and one of the most stable political climates in the continent, as a “no-brainer” when it comes to attracting MNCs looking for a foothold in Africa, it doesn’t end there. “So if an QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 47
COVER STORY AT THE EDGE OF INNOVATION
“DID YOU KNOW THAT TECH STARTUPS AROUND THE WORLD USE AFRICAN PROBLEMS TO INNOVATE? AND OUR MOST POWERFUL VALUE PROPOSITION IS A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE AFRICAN CHALLENGES AND ACCESS TO THE BEST TOOLS TO SOLVE THEM.” TSHEPO TSHEKO
Program Manager Botswana Innovation Hub
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MNC is only looking at Botswana as a potential market, that’s not what we are doing anymore. We are challenging overselves to look at the rest of the world and our goals at the STP reflect that.” Their focus on local companies is understandable. “SMEs run economies because they can take the risks where the big players are stagnant,” Tsheko says. “Historically we have had the limitation of being a small country and that has left a lot of companies that could have gotten big at the SME stage. At the hub we are saying, there is no ceiling. We want to take these SMEs and make them bigger.” And these are knowledge-intensive businesses that can be valuable players in the global value chain. “But we do need big guys; we look at what they are doing that the smaller companies can offload and develop. By beginning to deliver finishing touches or ancillary products and services, local companies will start to cut deeper and deeper into the value chain. It not only builds trust and credibility but also allows us to showcase African innovation and knowledge systems. It’s not about bringing the world into Botswana but owning our success and taking Botswana to the world,” he declares. Currently, out of the 50 members in the hub and, around 20 are born-in-Botswana companies. Also at BIH are facilities like a solar testing lab being set up in association with Lund University in Sweden for the benefit of companies involved in clean tech innovation. Be it post-mining diamond operations, or HIV research, the vision is to have more and more of the knowledge-
intensive and value-added work done in Botswana. “We have doctoral candidates in universities working on AIDS research but because their funding comes from outside, they don’t have a free hand and are often reduced to just collecting and sending the data. This has to stop,” he says. BIH now has a state-of-the-art wet lab for biotech research. To be relevant as an STP, Tsheko says they have to address gaps in the skills of the local population. “In Bostwana, there is a lot of work but not many jobs,” he says wryly. “Right now we graduate thousands of ICT students every year but I’d be the first to admit that many of them are not employable,” he says. But they are starting to engage the universities in how things are getting done. “We are challenging training people on skills and career paths that are dead ends given the local climate and guiding them to manage output by developing relevant skills. Because at the end of the day, the real diamonds are our people,” he says. Tsheko is emphatic about one thing: “As much as the rest of the world can solve our problems for us, we need to be a part of that. We need to invest in people and they need to be part of the vision. We can’t move forward and leave them behind. And we know it takes time and, unfortunately, no matter how much money you throw into these projects, you need to go through development stages. That’s what we have learnt from people who have done it before. It could take ten years or more for anything significant to come out of an STP. We are prepared for that.”
BRAZIL
A LIVING LAB
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orto Digital is deeply invested in Brazil’s IT and creative economy. One of the biggest tech parks in the country, supports many sectors within the economy, thanks to the scale of IT services that is being exported out of the park. Situated just off the coast of Recife in northern Brazil, the STP has a whole island to itself, where it routinely rolls out and tests projects under development in its companies. For everyone who works there, it’s like living in an “uber” lab. Guilherme Calheiros, Director of Innovation and Business Competitiveness, and his colleague and Project Manager Cidinha Gouveia explain that Recife was a natural choice for a digital STP and it all happened quite organically. “The city has very good academic institutions and houses one of the most important public universities reputed for its IT courses, in particular. And though some of the most brilliant IT engineers were being nurtured there, the students would head to the more developed south after graduation in search of better jobs. We wanted to keep those people in the region and that’s how Porto Digital was born,” Gouveia explains. Recife Center for Advanced Studies and
Systems, known by its Portuguese acronym, CESAR, their first company and the core of their R&D strength, was born out of supporting projects of university students after they graduated. In 2001 Porto Digital was born and the many companies that were starting to spin off from CESAR came under its umbrella. Government funding and tax benefits soon started attracting other tech companies, both from within and outside Brazil. While most of these companies deal in software services, CESAR continues
“TECHNOLOGY IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING AND UNIVERSITIES OFTEN DON’T FOLLOW THE SAME RHYTHM. WE AT PORTO DIGITAL FILL THIS GAP WITH FREE COURSES ON SUBJECTS HIGH ON MARKET DEMAND FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS FROM OUR PARTNER UNIVERSITIES.” CIDINHA GOUVEIA (right)
Project Manager Porto Digital and
GUILHERME CALHEIROS
Director of Innovation and Business Competitiveness Porto Digital
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COVER STORY AT THE EDGE OF INNOVATION to remain a powerhouse of innovation and is often contracted by companies to develop projects from them. “Recently CESAR was contracted to develop drones that can monitor electric lines and transmit data of disruptions and maintenance needs.” Gouveia says. “The contractor is now looking to manufacture those drones on a large scale.” If the contract stipulates so, CESAR will hold partial ownership of the intellectual property (IP) and choose to further improve on that technology, churning out more companies. “More than 30 companies have come into existence this way,” Calheiros says. Porto Digital’s job is to support the companies to become more competitive and break into markets in Brazil and abroad. And this is a tough job. Because, though the Brazilian market for IT is very big, almost 70% of it is being served by international companies and local companies find it hard to compete with them, says Calheiros. Many of those tech MNCs like Accenture, IBM and, Microsoft have a presence in Porto Digital and, though they make up only a third of the companies there, they employ a large chunk of the people working on the island. “They share space with growing Brazilian tech firms like Stefanini and Serttel,” he says. Serttel is one of the STP's better known success stories. The mobility solutions provider began operations in Porto
Digital and now earns an annual revenue to the tune of $100 million (QR365 million). “Their first product was a public shared bike system,” Gouveia remembers. “They first rolled out ten stations within the island to test the product and iron out the glitches. As a tech park, we love to contract these technologies as it improves the environment of the STP and benefits other employees of the 250 companies working there.” With a solid product in hand, Serttel sold the technology first to the city of Recife, setting up 70 bike stations, and soon expanded deeper into the country, in cities like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro . It was the first-of-its-kind solution in the country and the residents of Porto Digital got a taste of it before anyone else. And this is not an isolated case either; rather it’s the norm. Right now a car sharing system, a parking space locator and public transport information software are all being tested on the island. The employees are constantly exposed to new innovations being developed by their neighbours, before they are fixed and implemented in the outside world, and this has an energising effect on the whole community. While these stories are evidence of what a valuable jumping board Porto Digital can be, the trials don’t stop here. “The first problem in trying to take our companies international is the language,” Calheiros
says. “It’s not like in India where everyone speaks English. Our engineers have to learn it and then translate their solutions to that language. This involves a lot of training (which Porto Digital provides). The other problem is funds. Brazil, and especially our region, doesn’t have strong funding mechanisms. We give funds during the early stages but our companies face problems when they need more to scale up.” But Porto Digital’s IT incubator is always fully occupied and its other one - focusing on creative technology – is starting to find big name partnerships. In its efforts to stimulate a creative economy in the region, the STP is supporting artists and engineers who are into design, gaming, filmmaking, etc. Gaming is one of the key fields with a lot of traction; there are companies working alongside Microsoft on Xbox games. “We created Proto Media where we invested in a state-of-theart studio that’ll help filmmakers create high-quality movies. This kind of equipment is available at only one other place in Brazil, within the confines of the country’s largest TV network. But now, for a nominal price, anyone can use the facilities to create pieces with international quality audio and video,” Gouveia says. “It’s been very popular with students and amateur filmmakers and 27 films and documentaries were made here in one year alone.”
THE NETHERLANDS
WHICH CAME FIRST:
THE ECOSYSTEM OR THE STP?
Y
ou’d think a country like Holland didn’t have any pressing national challenges that needed to be tackled. But Floris de Gelder, Managing Director of the Utrecht Science Park in the Netherlands, puts us straight. “We do have several looming challenges to address. Other countries seem to think it should be the rising sea levels, but we have 800 years of experience in water management in a country below sea level,” he laughs. “It’s important, of course, and it's expensive and we have a lot of wonderful knowledge which we use in our own country to showcase.
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Another important challenge is the aging population. The mix is changing very fast and maintaining the price of healthcare is becoming a priority. We need to take steps now to make sure that when we have more of the elderly and less of the working population, we can still keep healthcare standards high,” he says. At Utrecht STP, incidentally, life sciences and sustainability are two prominent areas of focus. Like many instances in the Netherlands of sector-specific STPs evolving in certain areas, de Gelder assures us this is not by design but is something that just transpired organically. “No STP is
directly owned by the government so there is really no overarching mandate dictating the sectors and areas that we should focus on,” he says. For a sophisticated society like Holland’s, it’s neither necessary nor good for the government to be on the front line of the STP business, de Gelder says. “We can act much faster and be more dynamic the farther we are from government oversight. What we have, and prefer, is a small government working at the highest level of abstraction and people on the ground working with the businesses.” By and large, all STPs in the Netherlands are centred on universities and the ecosystems that evolve around them are understandably linked to the university’s specialisation. “In the case of Eindhoven, the STP was influenced by the environment Phillips had created over the decades and also the Eindhoven University of Technology,” he says. Similarly, Delft University of Technology, with its expertise in typical Dutch ingenuity in water management and civil engineering, led to the spawning of similar companies around it, and the Wageningen University spawned Food Valley which is regarded as one of the largest food, nutrition and food security clusters in the world. “The stronger and better focused your ecosystem is, the more business it attracts,” he says. De Gelder believes that their capability around life sciences probably started with a small group of professors and scientists with the right kind of entrepreneurial spirit. “They were a small part of a large
“OUR AGENDA NOW IS TO TELL A GOOD DUTCH STORY. THE NETHERLANDS IS PRACTICALLY ONE LARGE CITY – WE ARE 17 MILLION PEOPLE, HOME TO FIVE OF THE WORLD’S 100 BEST UNIVERSITIES, HAVE ONE VERY BIG AIRPORT AND ONE HARBOUR. WITH INCREASINGLY BIG CITIES BECOMING SUCCESSFUL PLACES OF INNOVATION, WE CAN TELL OUR STORY BETTER IF ALL THE STPS IN THE COUNTRY SAID IT TOGETHER.” FLORIS DE GELDER
university but they had great relationships with the business community. Soon the businesses around life sciences picked up the fastest, attracting more companies,” he says. This way the companies and ecosystem were feeding into each other and it is difficult to say which came first, only that they can now offer one of the best and stimulating environments for research in that area. Also, because over 2,500 students live on the STP campus, there is an air of constant activity, no matter what time of the day, he says. Though Utrecht Science Park is situated on the campus of the University of Utrecht, it is not formally connected to the
Managing Director Utrecht Science Park
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COVER STORY AT THE EDGE OF INNOVATION
TURKEY
university. This was a conscious decision made during its formation, according to de Gelder. They chose be a non-profit organisation which works for the provincial government, city council, the universities in the area, and the business community. “Though the land is owned by the university and it is part of our board of directors, the science park is independent. For the university, the core business is education and research and this is something else altogether. To run a good STP, you need excellent hospitality skills, be outgoing and speak the language of entrepreneurs; knowledge that the university by definition doesn’t have. Now, all of us are part of the ecosystem, on an equal basis and fulfilling different roles. So with a small, dynamic, credible and independent organisation leading development within a university campus, we have managed to combine the best of both worlds.” Most of the 82 companies at Utrecht are Dutch and a majority of them specialise in life sciences research. The year 2009 was a turning point for the STP with the entry of its first MNC, the French company Danone. “Danone decided to establish the research headquarters for Europe in medical and baby nutrition in USP. Before this
we too were grappling with questions like should we have large companies in our STP and, if so, do we need to impose special conditions on them to ensure they don’t become too dominant. For us it was an important development. We had small companies emerging from our incubators, we had medium-sized, fast-growing companies, but the big MNCs were good for reputation and creating volume. They also have larger research budgets and attract international scientists. That year was also when we were thinking about our value proposition, whether we were telling a good story and delivering something the world was waiting for. But being able to attract a company like Danone, which believes in open innovation, showed us we were on the right track,” he says. Utrecht doesn’t want fences. When you stand outside Danone, you can see what’s happening in the building. You can see the pilot plans, look into the rooms where the new products are tasted, de Gelder says. “And a company with a great reputation and high level of knowledge is always great for a science park. They act as a magnet for other companies. Danone’s entry invigorated the stakeholders, made a real team out of us and helped accelerate the development of the next phase of the STP
FILLING THE RESEARCH DEFICIT
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urkey, which has for centuries been the gateway between Asia and Europe and has enjoyed the best of both worlds, continues to bring together Asian innovation and Western corporate ethos. Gökhan Çelebi, who is the Coordinator for Incubator Programs at Teknopark Istanbul, says it’s an exciting challenge to manage the needs and demands of these different entities. “Startups are more flexible and can be guided towards a certain direction in line with national priorities but they often lack focus. And while large corporates are more rigid, they have a clearly defined mission and vision which gives you are better picture of what you are getting into,” he says. The Turkish government has mandated that 10% of all companies in STPs should be in the incubation programme. Teknopark Istanbul meets this quota some more, with 30 incubatees and 90 mature and major companies working alongside each other.
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Also, unlike most tech parks in the country which focus largely on ICT, Teknopark Istanbul “complements the economy by focusing on disruptive technologies and appointing companies that deal with hardware R&D. Energy (and clean energy), aviation, life sciences, maritime, and advanced electronics are some of the sectors we push for because, within the country and globally, this is where an innovation account deficit exists,” he says. “So if we don’t close this gap and create relevant skills, we’ll be more dependent on the outside.” He admits that these are investment-driven and says that his STP is prepared to put money into the critical research that is happening around these fields. “By 2023, we would have spent $4 billion (QR15 billion) and most of it would go towards cultivating entrepreneurship around these areas.” While only a third of the startups have reached the prototype stage, Çelebi is excited about some of the work that they are doing. “One of the companies that is working on the Internet of Things is developing solar-powered smart bins. They can compress trash to up to 1/5th of their original size and the tech park is going to buy all our bins from them once they are ready. One of our more promising life science projects is being headed by a Harvard-returned researcher who is working on a microchip that can quickly and efficiently separate cancer cells from healthy ones,” he says. While the incubated companies enjoy many benefits like various tax exemptions and free office infrastructure, Çelebi feels these are necessary but not sufficient. It’s the STP’s “360 coverage and value added services” that is a big draw for young entrepreneurs and makes them more productive. Jointly owned by the Undersecretary for Defense Industries (public sector) and the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, there is a
conscious push on entrepreneurship with the knowledge that the future lies here. And it is exactly for this reason that attracting MNCs is also a priority. “We already have some big names like GE, Siemens, SAP and Accenture (and more are on the way) who are working out of the tech park. We carefully review and accept companies based on their total size and scale of operations and they do have some restrictions which Turkish companies don’t, but the benefit from MNCs is undeniably and closely linked to the development of our own companies. They often need qualified subcontractors to outsource certain operations and our smaller companies can help them out here. This is called clustering where we have one big guy and a group of small guys working around them, providing support in the fields of IoE, big data, etc.” For the MNCs too, Teknopark Istanbul’s value proposition is inviting. “They don’t just come for the tax relief. One of the important reasons they do is because of the easy reach to qualified human resources through us. Our close relationship with universities means the best of PhD and Masters talent is just an arm’s reach away. We have signed contracts with eight universities in Turkey and are helping them set up satellite campuses in our premises. One has opened their technology transfer office and another wants to set up their own incubation centre.” It is this self-sufficient environment that attracts some of the biggest players around the world. And even though there isn’t often a tangible KPI that a tech park openly commits to, Çelebi says Teknopark Istanbul would be considered a successful national project by all accounts if by the year 2023 (which is the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey) it was contributing to at least 1% of the country’s GDP.
“LESS THAN 5% OF STPS ARE USING SOCIAL MEDIA EFFECTIVELY TO MARKET THEMSELVES. THIS IS A GREAT TOOL FOR REACHING OUT TO YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS, HIRING THE RIGHT TALENT AND PROMOTING YOURSELF ON THE GLOBAL STAGE.” GÖKHAN ÇELEBI
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COVER STORY
HONG KONG
AT THE EDGE OF INNOVATION
A GATEWAY TO CHINA
H “IN THE FUTURE, INNOVATION WON’T BE ABOUT SHUTTING THE DOORS AND DOING YOUR OWN RESEARCH IN YOUR LAB OR UNIVERSITY OR COMPANY OR EVEN COUNTRY. IT’S INCREASINGLY ABOUT COLLABORATION AND SPARKING IDEAS BY THE MEETING OF MINDS.” ALLEN MA
Chief Executive Officer Hong Kong Science & Technology Park
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ong Kong is also on a path to diversify its economic base from the activity around financial services and Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks is at the forefront of this effort. “In the 60s and 70s we were the biggest exporter of toys,” says Allen Ma, Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong Science & Technology Park. “From being a world leader in light industries, we began to lose our competitive edge with China starting to open up and build their economic systems. Most of the factories began moving into China and expanding further inland,” he remembers. Around the turn of the millenium, the government decided that it needed to embark on a new industrialisation policy that attracted MNCs and SMEs alike and helped redefine what businesses Hong Kong wanted to be in with the use of innovation technologies. And thus the HKSTP was born. Beginning as of this year, the massive STP completed Phase 3 of its expansion and now manages the STP, three industrial estates, a design centre and three incubators, all next door to each other but with their own unique mandates. The HKSTP broadly functions around
seven technology clusters - semiconductors, ICT, green tech, biotech, precision engineering (which has been expanded to include new materials), design and industrialisation. “They form the basis of how we run the businesses,” Ma says. Quite contrary to what you would expect, the STP seems to have adopted a certain amount of laissez-faire policies. “The government, though it is the single largest shareholder in the tech park, doesn’t in any way dictate how it is run. We are not directed to invest in certain sectors and neither are we told about what kind of companies we should accommodate. We are run like a private entity with a board of 17 members (only one of whom is a government representative) made up of reputable businessmen, professors and research specialists we invite. They do standard compliance, approve accounts and big expenditures, the appointment of the CEO, review strategies recommended before implementation,” he says. Because they use the tax payers’ money, Ma says full transparency is essential in their operations. But this is where the similarities end. “An STP shouldn’t be run like a normal business where it works towards maximising profits
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
for shareholders. STPs are for the long term. Success isn’t measured in terms of money but by the talent we nurture and our impact on the ecosystem. Though a proper KPI needs to be agreed upon at the board level, the STP should be under no pressure to produce short-term profit at the expense of the long-term mission by being forced to make decisions that are not optimal.” While Ma says no conscious effort was made to balance out the mix of companies at their tech park, it naturally came to a certain equilibrium. Now about 40% of their companies are foreign-based. “This ratio is important, however, when considering that overseas companies bring new thinking and connections. R&D is about brain power and ideas and collaboration which helps your own businesses grow overseas.” Hong Kong has been a magnet for MNCs for several reasons. “We have a wonderful cosmopolitan culture, the compactness lends itself to the ease of doing business, strong IP regulations, no ceiling on remittances in and out of the country, and a transparent rule of law based on British systems. Foreigners who come here adapt easily because of the high standard of living,” Ma points out. And why is this important? Because of China. “Hong Kong’s appeal comes from the access it provides to the Chinese market. Companies around the world are looking for entry into the second largest country by GDP and the easiest way to understand business in China is to come to Hong Kong. The commute between us and southern China is short and easy. There are plenty of manufacturing facilities in and around us with a supply of cheap labour and a growing middle class that is an eager consumer of global products. Which is why we offer a soft landing programme at the STP where companies stay and learn about doing business in the People’s Republic of China. Most companies establish their Chinese headquarters in Hong Kong, with IP registration, research and core decisions being made here,” he says. But within the STP, the focus is on creating an environment that is conducive to innovation for MNCs and SMEs alike. While the incubation programmes have been tailored to meet sector-specific needs, the companies can easily find suppliers and customers among its tenants. "But more importantly, we facilitate the meeting of like-minded people with plenty of networking activities, offering shared labs and opportunities to partner with our universities (all of whom have labs in the STP) to jointly work on research projects. The universities’ technology transfer office licenses their IPs to companies which discover greater values in them when put together with a family of IPs.” It is little details like these that have catapulted the South East Asian region to the lead of the innovation curve. Ma paraphrases Steve Jobs about being hungry and curious. “The region’s stellar economic progress is relatively recent. Thirty years ago many still had very low GDPs. I feel this is because the people of the region are by nature hungry for a better quality of life. This is coupled with an innate sense of curiosity; we want to learn and are constantly searching for answer to things we see. These have been the driving forces among our younger people. But there is something that is holding us back still – our reluctance to think differently. We tend to stick to the mainstream and parents seldom allow their children to go off track. But we shouldn’t be afraid to think wildly because that is how the best ideas of innovation are created,” he says
INNOVATION WITHOUT BOUNDARIES
T
here are some areas in the world that have had the type of results that STPs have had without really having an STP. “Silicon Valley is an example”, Paul Krutko, President and Chief Executive Officer at Ann Arbor SPARK, mentions. “It’s more about creating an organisation that coordinates a number of activities without being tethered to a particular geography.” Which is just what this independent non-profit entity is all about. Ann Arbor in Michigan, US, is centred on the anchor institution of the University of Michigan, which Krutko says has one of the largest research budgets in the whole country – $1.6 million (close to QR6 million) a year and has the largest concentration of IT professionals after Silicon Valley. With a rich ecosystem in place, SPARK acts as a “facilitator” and “coordinates service delivery to companies to where they are located”. The big pull is not space, Krutko says, and this is validated by many of the conversations he has during the conference. “Particularly in the US, innovation districts have organically developed, often in the centre of the city, reflective of young people who like to live and work in that environment. They are not drawn to go to some park separate from the city,” he says. For more than a decade now, Ann Arbor SPARK, an entity being supported by private companies, the university and local and regional governments, has been an impact on the economic future of the geography through its support for early-stage and mature. “When it comes to startups, our objective is to help identify their markets, get their first customers and send them on their way; not house them for many, many years,” he says. This means a suite of services like access to capital, mentoring, bringing in consultants for those that need help, a CEO-in-residence programme, etc. In fact, due to their track record with early-stage companies, they were given the opportunity to support and operate a programme for State of Michigan where they invested $25 million (QR455 million) in 100 companies on their behalf. “We have the expertise and a good reputation in identifying early companies before the venture capital stage,” he says. But, like all well-balanced STPs and areas of innovation (AI), mature companies and foreign enterprises also seek out Ann Arbor SPARK’s expertise of a different kind. “Nearly half the investment we have had is FDI from overseas, from companies looking to locate operations in North America. And due to the heritage of the region, with Detroit being one of the epicentres of the automotive world, we lead on strategy for the region for Ann Arbor; to be influential in connected, autonomous and automated transportation. All the buzzwords of today.” This is reflected both in the kind of startups they support and the type of MNCs who approach them. “Mature QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 55
COVER STORY AT THE EDGE OF INNOVATION
companies usually need help to successfully open a new operation in our community,” he says, illustrating how they help them find sites, connect to regulatory committees, give them access to the right talent for their enterprise and generally act as facilitators in helping them settle in. “Mahindra, the Indian MNC which manufactures heavy vehicles, wanted to enter the US market with a new product – an electric scooter that they had designed from the ground up. They had miniaturised the Tesla motor, developed the battery and wanted to produce and sell these in the United States, particularly the sunnier campuses in California and Florida.” SPARK helped Mahindra find a facility to set up the factory, got them government support through some financial incentives and they are now up and running, producing over 100 scooters a month. They similarly helped Faurecia, a large auto supply company based in Paris, to acquire a Ford facility in the community and totally rebuilt it. “Often STPs try to emulate someone else. But what you need to focus on to be successful are best practices and sectors that stem from what problems you are trying to solve in the community and the assets you have.” Which is why the emphasis
“ONE OF THE COMPANIES WE ARE WORKING WITH IS THE LEADING MANUFACTURER OF HEART-LUNG MACHINES USED IN HOSPITALS GLOBALLY AND IS DEVELOPING SMALL DEVICES TO ASSIST CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE.”
there is on the automotive cluster and their strengths in ICT, with a little of devices (particularly, medical) and advanced manufacturing thrown in. “Sometimes STPs can get off track on this because they aren’t tethered to what’s going on in the community. If you don’t have the institutions to support, say, bioscience you have to invest a lot of money to get yourself there,” he says. Investment that oftentimes only the government would be prepared to make. That’s why the non-profit private-public partnership is the prevalent model in the US, he says. “Government funding can be tricky because if the funds dry up or the government changes or a new technology minister with different ideas comes in, STPs might find themselves a little vulnerable. It is accepted fact that the most successful parks and regions are where private sector involvement is maximised,” he says, while allowing that in many countries that have aspirations for knowledge economy, like Qatar has, government support is important. “Instead of the leadership saying let’s just let things happen, the government makes an intervention in the beginning to jump start the ecosystem, especially in areas that don’t quite have a history of innovation.”
PAUL KRUTKO
TAIWAN
President and Chief Executive Officer Ann Arbor SPARK
THE STATE AT THE CENTRE
T
he first of Taiwan’s three government-owned and -managed tech parks opened three decades ago and it has added one every ten years since then, “every time we ran out of space,” as Andrea Hsu, Director of Investment Services Division at the Southern Taiwan Science Parks Bureau, puts it. The Northern, Central and Southern Taiwan Science Parks Bureaus all function under the auspices of the Ministry of Science and Technology and, unique among the STPs we have spoken to, involve the highest levels of government involvement. “All of us who work for the bureau are government
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officers,” says Chun-Wei Chen, the Director-General of the STSPB, who also believes that they won’t have the free rein on resources that they currently do otherwise. Also interesting is that these STPs are not financed by tax payer’s money but rather by private borrowing through government credit. “Taiwan is not a big country; it’s the size of Switzerland. So the government’s role in allocating resources fairly and efficiently to all companies is key for the success of our STPs,” Hsu says. Chen also says he has heard a lot of talk at the conference in Doha about combining manufacturing and R&D in STPs. “We did it 30 years ago!” he says, talking about their operation mod-
el which has earned Taiwan its place among the top five machinery exporting countries in the world. “When manufacturers earn money, it is invested back into R&D and thus sustains itself without just depending on government funds.” It all began back in the day with the ubiquitous semiconductor. “The first STP wanted to recreate the Silicon Valley experience in Taiwan and hence was established near two of the biggest universities in the country. It was also in close proximity to ITRI, the Industrial Technology Research Institute. The primary sectors when we started off were semiconductors and electronic components and they still make up 90% of our annual sales,” says Hsu. In southern Taiwan, with two large industry clusters around integrated circuits and opto-electronics, the annual revenue is in the league of $20 billion (QR73 billion) and involve the combined efforts of more than 80,000 people who work with the 360 companies there. Such is their two-fold strategy, according to Hsu. “In the past the accent was on attracting foreign companies to build manufacturing capability and boost development. But now we are also sponsoring companies to create enterprises in the STP through our incubation and innovation centres.” This is evident from the fact that less than 15% of the companies based out of the southern STP are foreign-based. Director-General of the Central Taiwan Science Park Wayne Wang, who heads the STP that houses several high-tech industries like ICT, machinery and biotech, says that Taiwan’s big plus points are its strong regulation and legal environment and large human resource pool, most of whom are university-educated, and the national focus on R&D. Three percent of the country’s GDP is invested into R&D and the importance of getting returns is highlighted at
every stage, right from the university level where professors ask their charges to think long and hard about how their research can contribute to the larger picture. In this tech park, more than 30% of the 120 companies are MNCs, mostly from Japan, Hong Kong, US and Germany. “We are constantly learning from their experience and innovation and this has resulted in a local supply chain giving plenty of local companies an opportunity to improve their capability,” he says. While the STPs keep a close eye on several KPIs like annual revenue, number of personnel, talent cultivation, number of new companies and their investment in R&D, they also know they have a big role to play outside in advising other sectors of government that can affect some of the external factors that influence their functioning. “For example, early-stage tech research is very important. Universities here do a lot of research but they need to think about how to transform it into a technology and then a new industry,” says Wang. The government encourages this by generously financing university research grants and allowing them to own their work
“THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HERE HAS A THREE-PRONGED STRATEGY THAT PROMOTES SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION, ACADEMIC RESEARCH AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF STPS.” CHUN-WEI CHEN (Centre) Director-General Southern Taiwan Science Park bureau with WAYNE WANG
Director-General Central Taiwan Science Park, and
ANDREA HSU
Director of Investment Services Division Southern Taiwan Science Parks Bureau
QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 57
business > bottom line
MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE
AND LEADERSHIP MAGIC... MADE FOR EACH OTHER
Looking back at the books published about leadership that I have come across in the last 15 years and my personal encounters with great and not-so-great leaders in my career, I always wonder, what are the real differences between true leadership and management excellence?
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B
eing born Austrian, I of course always quote Peter Drucker as being the “Management and Leadership Guru,” who was born in Austria too and who influenced generations of managers to be pragmatic and efficient. He differentiated leadership from management by the simple sentence, “Leaders do the right things and Managers do the things right.” It highlights the main differentiators of the two intertwined disciplines nicely, for management: given the right framework, producing excellence and quality in achievement of predefined set objectives, and for leadership: setting the right course and inspiring to have a challenging vision,
mission and strategy that others want to follow. In his book “On Becoming a Leader,” published in 1989, Warren Bennis composed an even more extensive list of the differences: The manager imitates; the leader originates. The manager administers; the leader innovates. The manager maintains; the leader develops. The manager focuses on systems and structure; the leader focuses on people. The manager relies on control; the leader inspires trust. The manager has a short-range view; the leader has a long-range perspective.
The manager asks how and when; the leader asks what and why. The manager has his or her eye always on the bottom line; the leader’s eye is on the horizon. The manager accepts the status quo; the leader challenges it. The manager is the classic good soldier; the leader is his or her own person. To be honest, I would love my managers to tick all the boxes from above, but in all fairness it might not be enough. It doesn’t consider the organisational context, even given the perfect leadership traits. What if the leader has all the so admired traits of a leader, but the organisational environment does not provide the opportunity to live them? It lacks the understanding that being a great leader can only happen when you have great followers. At Aon Hewitt we have conducted leadership research since 2001 which has become the broadest and deepest global study on organisational leadership called Top Companies for Leaders (TCFL). The research question is: What organisational practices need to be in place to ensure leadership has the greatest impact? The results are stunning: Top Companies consider leadership development as a way of doing business so managers and leaders are equally involved. A comprehensive study of their leadership development practices brings out five key themes that differentiate them from others: 1. Building a leadership brand: All of the Top Companies intentionally build a strong leadership brand and invest in opportunities for their senior leaders to cascade this leadership brand internally through various institutionalized processes to their managers and employees. Top Companies also ensure external visibility of their leadership brand in order to attract top talent from the market.
2. Unrelenting focus on talent assessment: All of the Top Companies have an institutionalised talent review process as compared to many of the other participants that do not have such a process. The talent review process rigorously measures competencies, values and potential of the employees. They assess talent through multiple lenses and with great rigor.
BY DR. MARKUS WIESNER CEO, Aon Hewitt Middle East and Africa
3. Customised learning opportunity: Top Companies provide accelerated and customized learning for their top talent differentiating between management and leadership. One size does not fit all for them. They emphasize one-to-one development interventions, such as exposure, coaching, mentoring, and action learning projects. 4. Taking top talent out of their comfort zone: Senior leaders encourage their top talent to take up new challenges outside of their comfort zones in order to create additional long-term value for the organization. To them, it is important to create a “creative tension” in the organization and bring out the best in their management and leadership talent. 5. Diversity of thought: Top Companies work towards increasing the diversity of their leadership group as part of the leadership strategy. These organizations make conscious efforts to build an inclusive workplace promoting cultural agility, global mindset and diverse experiences. In summary, combining the thoughts from the opening chapter with the conclusions from our TCFL research, I think we have to draw the conclusion that MAGIC happens when the leader with the right traits creates or meets the organisation with the right leadership practices
ABOUT AON HEWITT Aon Hewitt is a global leader in human resource solutions. For more information, please visit www.aonhewitt.com.
QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 59
business > bottom line
FIVE WAYS TO HIRE
BETTER PEOPLE CLEARLY DEFINE YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION Usually, talented professionals have a very clear vision of where they want to be, thus, they need to know exactly what their role in the company would be. It’s advisable to rectify any vagueness in your job description, and highlight any challenging aspects of the role in order to attract highly talented candidates. Five in 10 professionals would want to work for a place where they feel their work is part of a greater purpose, according to the Bayt. com ‘What Makes a Company an Attractive Place to Work?’ poll, February 2014. Another trick is to make your language less formal and more personal. Try using “you” as much as possible, with phrases such as “you will be responsible for” or “you should be experienced in”.
REFINE YOUR INTERVIEWING PROCESS Depending on the nature of the job, you could ask either technical or behavioural questions. However, it is best to utilise the interview time to be creative and ask clever questions, instead of standard questions, such as “tell me more about yourself”. You could discuss case studies related to the job, or potentialscenarios. For example, “if you ever disagreed with your manager on a particular project, how would you handle it?” It is easier to
An organisation is only as good as its employees. Today’s job market is so competitive that it can get difficult to pinpoint talented professionals. Finding top talent could feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but it doesn’t have to. Here are five tips from the experts at Bayt.com to hire great candidates.
evaluate candidates on specific, rather than general questions. Another great way to evaluate a candidate is by giving them a task to do. For example, if you are hiring for the position of a social media content writer, you could ask the candidate to come up with five posts that they could put on the page within 24 hours, and evaluate them on that basis.
GET THE RIGHT REFERENCES Often, references mentioned on the CV are biased and would not provide accurate accounts about the candidate’s past. Instead, you could ask the candidate for their direct boss or supervisor’s contact details, or their HR manager’s details. These people are likely to be more honest with their recommendation.
BRAND YOURSELF AS AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE In order to attract talented professionals, you need to brand yourself as a company that values its employees. Nowadays, social media is proving to be a great employer branding platform, with endless opportunities to share your company
culture, news, updates, photos and much more. In fact, 76% of professionals will always turn to the internet to research a company when considering a job opportunity, according to the Bayt.com ‘What Makes a Company an Attractive Place to Work?’ poll, February 2014. Bayt.com has recently introduced dedicated employer pages, or Company Profiles, through which you can attract qualified jobseekers by engaging with them and letting them know why your company is a top employer.The intention is to connect you with your target job seeker audience, which completely redefines the way you interact with potential employees. By offering regular insights into your organisation you start to build a community of top-notch followers.
HIRE FOR CULTURE Cultural fit has gained increased prominence among hiring managers recently. An assessment of the cultural fit allows a recruiter to go beneath the surface of a candidate’s skills, qualifications, and relevant experience to determine whether the candidate’s “on-the-job” behaviour is consistent with the values and expectations of the organisation. As a hiring manager, you want to hire the job applicant who, in addition to the required skills and qualifications, exhibits the best fit within your organisation’s culture
ABOUT BAYT.COM
Bayt.com is the #1 job site in the Middle East with more than 40,000 employers and over 17,500,000 registered job seekers from across the Middle East, North Africa and the globe, representing all industries, nationalities and career levels. Post a job or find jobs on www.bayt.com today and access the leading resource for job seekers and employers in the region. 60 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
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NEXT
IN LINE
Family businesses in the region, many still being run by the founding generation, are beginning to understand that without proper governance and succession structures in place, their wealth might disappear before it reaches their grandchildren. BY AYSWARYA MURTHY
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Y
ou don’t need to go to a B-School to discern the importance of leadership in business. It’s the most basic and impactful cog in the machinery of enterprise. To stretch the metaphor, for many of Middle East’s businesses it’s time to crank up the speed; they are at the brink of stagnation and making the giant leap towards globalisation. Now more than ever, business houses here need visionary leaders and often families have to find this quality in a small pool limited to their bloodline. In Qatar, if there is one thing we know about family-owned businesses (FOBs), it is that we don’t know anything about them at all. The region itself is not big on transparency and this, coupled with typical FOBs’ characteristics of being notoriously private and extremely skittish about outside eyes on their inner workings, means that they are effectively information black holes. But with growing global aspirations, this is changing and for the first time we are able to peek into the majlis and witness Arab enterprise at its best, particularly how it’s customising and adapting practices like succession planning to suit their temperament. In its most basic form, succession planning is a preparation to fill the leadership vacuum created by retirement or death and ensure business continuity. “At first glance, this lack of planning seems incomprehensible,” says Mark Nierada, Partner QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 63
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“Planning for your succession will, by necessity, be a process rather than an event, as it will take time to address these issues. Planning five years in advance is good but planning ten years ahead is even better.” MARK NIERADA Partner Integris
EY'S FIVE-PRONGED APPROACH THE METHODOLOGY AT EY ENTAILS A FIVE-PHASE PROCESS TO ASSIST FAMILY BUSINESS CLIENTS THROUGH THE GOVERNANCE TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY. Understanding the family history, family tree, culture, founder’s vision and values, family business structure, strategy and direction. Holding private meetings (often oneon-one) with family shareholders to better assess their expectations, areas of concern, aspirations and worries about the future of the business. Serving as facilitators and moderators in workshops held with the working group who fairly represent all branches and generations. Documenting and presenting the family charter to all family members and facilitating the ceremonial event for signing the family charter. Reviewing the corporate structure and governance framework to ensure that it is aligned with the family charter. Also, assisting in the development of the necessary governance bodies and defining their roles and responsibilities. Developing an authority matrix and articulating the mechanism for the decision making process. 64 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
at Dubai-based Integris. “But, when you look at the personal and family issues that are involved, it is easier to understand why many people avoid dealing with the issue of business succession. None of us like to think about or discuss our own mortality, for example,” he says. Add to that the fear of losing control and we can begin to understand why it took so long for this concept to make inroads in FOBs in the region. As Ernst and Young’s Partner at MENA Family Business Leader Loutfi Echhade puts it, there is no dearth of reasons why the region’s businesses find succession planning particularly challenging. So what is stirring FOBs in this direction now? Adam Lomas, Partner at the leadership and talent management consultancy firm Castor & Partners, with a rich experience in MNCs like Shell and later on in private businesses, says, “In Qatar, and the region, very often wealth was built up in the last 20-30 years, since the oil boom in the 70s. Because the market was captive and
the wealth in it was big, business boomed and it was impossible to go wrong. But to sustain that growth, families started looking at neighbouring markets (which were also soon saturated) and then the international market. They found out that to function globally, the business approach is quite different.” And adapting the corporate practices to FOBs wasn’t easy either, because of the aura of confidentiality around them. “In MNCs the process is more open and transparent. You need to demonstrate to shareholders that you have a procedure in place and have promoted the right people for the job in order to maintain trust. But in family businesses, it’s extremely difficult to discover how their size and waelth are layered.” That is the first barrier to bringing in external consultants. Living examples The general consensus, however, is that awareness is on the rise. Succession planning has gained real momentum in Qatar and elsewhere in the region according to Gary Watts, Partner and Regional Head of Corporate Commercial and Regional Head of Family Business, at the law firm Al Tamimi and Company. He says that FOBs are starting to experience and witness the “difficult scenarios which have arisen following the passing of founders of family businesses. There have been highly visible cases of conflict between the heirs and those cases have served as warnings to other families. This renewed emphasis on succession planning will continue to grow and develop in Qatar and in the wider GCC.” Echhade concurs, pointing out that several families have started and completed the journey and more still are seeking outside help (see box). “Still, many have not done anything formal or initiated steps to develop their governance framework. We also witnessed a number of such businesses that suffered or went out of business due to family feuds, conflicts and unreconcileable differences,” he says. Lomas has a reservoir of such local stories where it has all gone south due to lack of foresight. “Ultimately it’s the family’s choice between absolute control and some sort of compromise. Most FOBs have sufficient understanding of the market and are willing to look at alternatives, even if it conflicts with their moral and spiritual system.” To Sharia or not This moral and spiritual system is, more often than not, the Sharia Law. The shadow
“Our goal is to develop a culturally sensitive Arab leadership model. The region has a huge leadership history but this might not necessarily resonate with the modern world. But we also can’t impose leadership models from America or Europe.” ADAM LOMAS Partner Castor & Partners
of Sharia looms heavily over businesses in the region and under it, the already limited options for leadership is further narrowed. “Obviously, in the Middle East, succession planning has a different dynamic to succession in, say, civil law countries (which is often about mitigating tax) because of the way in which distribution of estates occurs on death due to Sharia law. When you have fixed heirship provisions, your planning options are reduced,” says Nierada. But there are ways of getting around it and a handful of companies choose to take the ownership offshore (register the company abroad) to get around the Islamic law. “This way you can mitigate the effects of Sharia and plan the business succession with a free hand,” he continues. “But this can be a delicate subject because of the Sharia issue and the question of whether people, especially Muslims, should be seeking to avoid its provisions.” Lomas is skeptical of these “backdoors” because, though you get away on a technicality, he feels families would still have to answer to public opinion. “I personally would like to help create a leadership culture within Sharia law; this will prove to be more successful,” he explains. “Often it’s about the perception among friends and family. So we have to craft a story for the family to accept and tell their peers.” Watts argues that Sharia law is not at odds with succession planning and is, in fact, entirely in harmony with it. “However, there is confusion in the minds of some between Sharia inheritance rules and the distribution of assets during the lifetime of the founder, which are two entirely different things. This confusion does sometimes lead to paralysis and hesitation in dealing
with important business issues, which are usually best tackled during the lifetime of the founder.” Collapse vs compromise The other alternative available for families is to bring in an experienced person to run the business until a family member is sufficiently groomed to take over. “We examine the skills within the family, sometimes one of them has clearly got leadership skills and we suggest working with them. In some cases, it is not as obvious. Either there is no potential or it’ll take longer to build,” Lomas points out. “In these instances, we suggest finding outside help. We recommend bringing someone in for a fixed period of time, like two to three years, who can coach and mentor the next in line. We have a large database of executives who have worked in the Middle East and have a passion for Continued on Page 65
“Factors relating to the tradition and culture in the region that hinder effective governance. Reluctance of the founder to let go of control, power and management of the business; Lack of professional and competent top and middle management resources; Poor utilisation of the women’s role; And the lack of good understanding and knowledge of family governance framework and protocols.” LOUTFI ECHHADE Partner MENA Family Business Leader Ernst and Young
QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 65
business > tag this
SUCCESSION PLANNING DONE RIGHT
A CASE STUDY
ZAMIL FUTURE LEADERS (ZFL) PROGRAMME PARTICIPANTS IN NUMBERS
111 101
32
Family members participating in ZFL
26
of which employed in the business
4
of which employed outside the group
2
of which fresh graduates
T
he Pearl Initiative is an “independent, not-for-profit, by-business for-business institution working across the Gulf Region to influence and improve corporate accountability and transparency.� Recently, they released five case studies on Middle Eastern firms to illustrate good governance in family business. For excellence in succession planning, they pointed out the initiatives undertaken by Saudi conglomerate Zamil Group. With several divergent business interests, this FOB, which was established in 1934, is currently being managed by its second, third and fourth generation family members, 30 of whom run the various verticals that employ over 12,000 people. In the early 2000s, after an external consultant was brought in to conduct an organisational analysis of the group, the importance of strategic talent management and development within the family became very clear. The family established a junior board to start involving the next generation in a more organised way. During these
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Next batch of non-family particiipants
Non-family employees participating in ZFL (from across 16 companies)
early years of the new millennium the family started developing a family constitution alongside policies for succession and employment of family members. The Zamil succession policy was introduced in 2010 after a three-year development process. The values of the policy are anchored in the Zamil family constitution and the following principles: The importance of talent recognition and assessment Identifying the personal development needs of family members Identifying high-potential and high-performing talent Developing career paths for family members The policy also states that family members are not entitled to occupy certain positions in the group and that promotions in the group are solely based on merit and achievements.
Furthermore, a Talent Committee was formed comprised of four family members and the group HR director, and was responsible for creating a long-term strategy for the development of family members. A first programme called Zamil Third Generation (ZTG) was launched. Under ZTG 18 family members (even those not involved in the business) took part in a psychometric assessment to evaluate their strengths and personal development needs. Sparking a first wave of personal development plans and seeing the impact of those plans, the family quickly decided to start including non-family members in the talent development strategy and ZTG was transformed into the Zamil Future Leaders programme (ZFL). As a result of this well-structured and longterm initiative ZFL has provided smooth transitions from academia to business for family members who joined the business as employees and is experiencing an increased level of confidence in the overall succession process and transition management.
“If legal advisors are involved when the founder is considering the relevant structure with the family members, it allows for them to inform the family on the legal implications and legal processes involved as well as identifying key issues which the family must discuss and agree before moving forward.” GARY WATTS Partner and Regional Head of Corporate Commercial and Regional Head of Family Business Al Tamimi and Company.
Continued from Page 63
nurturing Arab leadership.” But Echhade admits that few families go down this route. “The bloodline for the family business is still of primary importance and in limited cases, in-laws are appointed as leaders or key executives,” he says. Lomas accepts that in his experience businesses weren’t very receptive to the idea at all until he spelt out the consequences. “Some families consider this a big risk but the bigger risk is the collapse of business.” Starting a dialogue FOBs in the region are, for the most part, still young, only just making their way down to the second and third generations. So best practice cases are quite limited and skill in the area of succession planning specific to the region is also lacking. And in the Arab culture, where the word of mouth from a respected elder counts far more than volumes of management school theses, it’ll take a while . “We are trying to build a reputation,” Lomas says “We speak at conferences and help people understand the concept. Right now it’s rare for us to be invited before something needs to be corrected.” Watts says there are challenges around the “soft issues” i.e. the relationship between family members and ambitions of the second generation. This is exactly why Lomas believes it’s important to get a dialogue going between the different generations; and it is often not easy. “There is a huge respect for the patriarch in the Arabic culture and the younger generation is often reluctant to speak their ideas and go against an approach that might no longer be working. So there is no discussion, a big deterioration in business and a loss of revenue.” In many cases, the second generation is
already in their 40-50s and might have little interest in the business, having been used to a different lifestyle, Lomas says. “The next generation - Gen Y - have a different way of looking at the business altogether, with their internet-age ideas and social media savvy, which is often at clash with the patriarchal generation. So if the leadership is to skip a generation (and there are provisions for this within Sharia) there is a huge difference in understanding what has to be bridged. The very first thing we do is try to get a conversation going between the two.” Groomed to lead Lomas says that recognising a natural leader is often a gut feeling; unlike the West, psychometric tests are not very prevalent here although some businesses are starting to open up to the idea. “You look at some and see an innate ability. They are charismatic. People listen to them out of interest. They are passionate. These are important qualities because leaders need to be loved. This is a difficult concept in the Arabic culture where the majority still believes in power, fear and control. They lead by right.” These are the qualities he tries to exorcise out of the successors he is often charged with nurturing. “We tell them that it might be hard but they have to earn their employee’s respect. We often take them outside Qatar; teach them to follow before they can lead. We go to places like South Africa where they would have to do jobs that they would consider menial. But it helps them better understand the people they are going to be asking things of in the future. We have to help them build an experience of 20 years, of people who have come up in the organisation, within a few months.” QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 67
business > tag this
IRAN TALKS BOOST
INVESTORS’ CONFIDENCE G BY V L SRINIVASAN
The progress being made in the ongoing nuclear talks between Iran and the West is rekindling fresh hopes among the Middle East countries in attracting foreign investment to the region, James Green, the newlyappointed Area Manager of Qatar and Abu Dhabi, at PIC deVere group, tells Qatar Today.
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reen says that the investment climate in the Gulf is expected to remain buoyant, despite the conflicts in Iraq and Syria, because of the growing belief that sanctions against Iran will soon be lifted and that this will provide a significant boost to regional trade. “The Middle East is not one coherent region, so we cannot generalise about foreign investments too widely. However, traditionally the most receptive part of the region to foreign investment are the hydrocarbon economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in view of their oil and gas reserves,” he says. With the reports of Saudi Arabia joining the MSCI EM index next year the impact on GCC stock markets could be huge, helping to put the region firmly on the map for global investors. “But other GCC member states will have to work to improve liquidity and transparency issues if they are to make the most of the increase in investor awareness of the region,” he says. Saudi Arabia has announced in July that foreign institutional investors would be allowed to invest in its market and that other criteria such as liquidity and free float (as a percentage of total market capitalisation) should not be a problem. “Goldman Sachs has estimated that the Saudi market could account for up to 4% of the MSCI EM index, and 19% of the MSCI EMEA index. The Saudi market (the Tadawul All Share) is the largest and most liquid within the GCC,” he says.
However, there is a glitch as the Iran talks are complicated by the rise of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, and Green expects any lifting of sanctions to be put on hold until the ISIS threat is contained. Another block could be the apprehensions of Israel that Iran will never truly give up its nuclear weapons ambitions, while Saudi Arabia - which represents the Sunni strand of Islam - fears that a rapprochement between Iran and the US will boost the former in the long-standing rivalry between the two countries. “If the West can clear these doubts in the minds of its allies in the region, there should be no looking back for the Middle Eastern nations as far as attracting investors from all over the world is concerned,” Green says.
On track As far as Qatar is concerned, Green feels that the local authorities are definitely moving in the right direction and this is clearly evidenced by the growing number of foreign businesses moving into the country. “My experience from working with expatriates and international investors, which is deVere Group’s primary client base, is that foreign investors are feeling more protected than ever by the regulatory framework that is now in place and this is driving confidence in Qatar as a destination to do business and invest,” he says. According to him, these are exciting times for Qatar and his firm is thrilled to be one of the major global brands that is
currently using its resources to develop its presence in the country with its strategic and ambitious growth plans for the longer term. “One can sense the growing momentum in Qatar and I am confident that Doha will become a major international business hub within a matter of years,” he says. Green also has a suggestion: “One of the keys to attracting further foreign investment is to further consolidate and enhance the legal system, which should be inscrutable and can work quickly to settle cases, and possibly a greater use of English common law for trade disputes where one of the parties is non-domestic. This applies not only to Qatar but to other countries looking at foreign investments.” He says that though, it is impossible to quantify the amount of pent-up investment spending waiting to take place, it is highly likely to be focused in the oil and gas sector which has been starved of investment (and even cash for maintaining production) in recent years. He also feels that the GCC financial markets need to diversify away from the financial and property industries, which are two closely interlinked sectors. “Tight liquidity and leveraged investors remain an issue, as was shown in the summer when Arabtech’s fall led to a knock-on effect on the UAE market as banks called in money they had lent against shares,” he says. Advice to expats He says that due to their often more transient lifestyles, their careers, their education fee planning and retirement planning needs, their unique tax situation, and the financial tools available to them, expats always require specialist financial advice, and it is no different in Qatar. “Expats are typically able to become more financially secure than their counterparts back home due to the established, expat-only financial opportunities available to them in Qatar. However, due to the complexities of cross-border financial services, it is highly recommended that professional, independent financial advice is sought from an adviser who has this relevant cross-border experience and who works for a robust company with an international presence,” Green says. When his attention was drawn to the latest Business Optimum Index, which showed Qatari businesses have scaled back their outlook for investment in business expansion, Green says it would be hard to identify reasons for the decision of the local businessmen.
Looking ahead “We have dynamic expansion plans in place for Qatar, which is driven by the ongoing and increasing demand for our services from globally-minded individuals looking to safeguard, maximise and grow their wealth,” he says. His company is also planning to increase its business in Qatar by at least 50% over 12 months and efforts are being made to achieve this goal by recruiting more talented wealth managers to join the Doha-based team, Green says. About his company, Green says that there are many factors that give deVere Group its ongoing edge over its competitors. Among others, naturally these include size. With 80,000 clients, 70 offices and QR36.4 billion ($10 billion) under advice and management globally, the group is one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations. “The fact that we are this robust, global company gives our clients security and peace of mind. They also enjoy the associated benefits such as our market-leading technologies, our comprehensive range of products – many of which are exclusive to deVere clients in, and our well-established relationships with the world’s leading financial institutions,” he adds
“My experience from working with expatriates and international investors, which is deVere Group’s primary client base, is that foreign investors are feeling more protected than ever by the regulatory framework that is now in place and this is driving confidence in Qatar as a destination to do business and invest.” JAMES GREEN Area Manager, Qatar and Abu Dhabi PIC deVere Group
QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 69
development > health & wellness
A JOURNEY
OF FIRSTS
BY ABIGAIL MATHIAS
You could call Dr Aisha Ahmad Yousuf a super achiever. At 30, she has reached milestones that many would hope to emulate in a lifetime. Speaking exclusively to Qatar Today, she shares a hope of encouraging other young Qatari women in her field. 70 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
A
s the first batch of 16 students graduated from Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar in 2008, only four Qatari students stood among them. Dr Yousuf was one of them. She soon went on to obtain the first residency position for a foreign student at the University of Michigan. She is today the first female physician of the Obstetricians and Gynecologists department at Sidra Medical and Research Center, Qatar. “Shortly after completing high school, a few honours students were invited to a private meal by HH Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser. I still remember the feeling of pride sitting right next to her as she described her vision about the Education City. She specifically spoke about education and health and
mentioned Weill Cornell Medical College.” This was the turning point for the young Yousuf who decided to dedicate her life to medicine. At the University of Michigan Hospital she conducted extensive pelvic floor research and was selected for its residency programme. “In more than 50 years of its operations, I was the first foreign graduate and first Qatari national to be selected,” says Dr Yousuf. Despite her achievements she is reluctant to dwell on herself and more on the experience. “Though it was a tough residency programme, I think in terms of just fitting in, my peers were a big help,” says Dr Yousuf who was appointed as chief resident at the American hospital. When one of her patients lost twin babies and went through an emotional roller
Dr Yousuf (third from left) with her University of Michigan Class of 2013.
Dr Aisha Yousuf at her graduation ceremony with her parents.
coaster, Dr Yousuf stepped in to help and developed a close bond with the patient. After a period of time the patient delivered a healthy baby girl. In gratitude, the baby was named after the young doctor. “Emari Aisha Sanders is a blonde American girl with blue eyes. She doesn’t look anything like me,” she says. As a living example for students Dr Yousuf hopes to guide them on what their choices ahead may be. She often volunteers as a guest lecturer at WCMC-Qatar. An important event for Dr Yousuf’s department at Sidra is an upcoming conference. The medical centre has partnered with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) to host a joint meeting on “Hot topics in Obstetrics and Gynecology” from November 30-December 2, 2014. As a first-of-its-kind event in the country, Dr Yousuf and her peers are encouraged to see these issues discussed. Inspiring others Using her own life as an example, Dr Yousuf hopes to encourage others in her communi-
ty. “There are a lot of Qatari women making a mark in their own field. I hope they follow their dreams.” She also has a strong message for families whom she believes hold the ‘key’ to their children’s success. “Medicine is not an easy field and students need all the support they can get from their families as they embark on this field.” Despite a hectic medical residency period she kept herself active with sports and horseback riding. “Medicine teaches you to be adventurous. I would like to encourage women to go outside their comfort zones,” she asserts. Breaking myths With an explosion of information on the internet, most of it unauthenticated, patient education has taken even more priority. Dr Yousuf understands the fears that some of her female patients have when it comes to their own health. “Surprisingly the number of female physicians in Qatar is more than male, which is good for our patients who feel they can connect better with a female doctor. This is an international phenomenon,” she explains
COMING SOON A CONFERENCE ON OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY, THE FIRST EVENT OF ITS KIND IN QATAR, WILL BE HELD FROM NOVEMBER 30 TO DECEMBER 2. THE THREE-DAY PROGRAMME WILL FEATURE A SERIES OF LECTURES, INTERACTIVE PANEL DISCUSSIONS, WORKSHOPS, INTERACTIVE CASE STUDIES AND TRAINING COURSES. OVER 30 INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL EXPERTS WILL DISCUSS TOPICS RANGING FROM PATIENT SAFETY TO PREVENTION OF CAESAREAN SECTIONS, WITH HIGHPROFILE ATTENDEES. DR ZIYAD HIJAZI, ACTING CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, SIDRA, WILL ELABORATE ON SIDRA’S FUTURE PARTNERSHIP WITH RCOG. PROFESSOR SIR SABARATNAM ARULKUMARAN, PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF GYNECOLOGY AND OBSTETRICS (FIGO), WILL SHARE LESSONS LEARNED ABOUT PREVENTION OF POSTPARTUM HEMORRHAGE. PROFESSOR FRANK CHERVENAK, CHAIRMAN OF THE DEPARTMENT OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY AT THE NEW YORK WEILL CORNELL MEDICAL CENTER, WHO WILL DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF ADHERING TO GLOBAL PATIENT SAFETY STANDARDS. QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 71
development > tag this
READING BETWEEN THE STRANDS
RESEARCHERS DR SARA DEOLA AND DR CHIARA CUGNO TALK ABOUT SETTING UP SIDRA’S GENE THERAPY RESEARCH AND HOW THIS WOULD POTENTIALLY CHANGE HEALTHCARE DELIVERY IN THE COUNTRY AND EVEN THE WORLD. BY AYSWARYA MURTHY 72 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
E
verything that makes us who we are – the colour of our eyes, our mysterious predispositions, birthmarks, idiosyncrasies and seemingly random quirks – is linked to 0.1% of our gene, because studies have shown that the genetic makeup of 99.9% of all humans is exactly the same. But truly understanding this 0.1% has the potential to change our approach to disease prevention and diagnosis. This is the core tenet of Sidra’s genetic research. As the Sidra hospital moves towards completion and the gene medicine facility waits to move in their state-of-the-art equipment and the expanded team of researchers, a hundred or so personnel are working out of West Bay, laying the groundwork for this exciting chapter in healthcare and medicinal research in Qatar. Dr Sara Deola and Dr Chiara Cugno, long-time colleagues of the Chief Research Officer Dr Francesco Marincola, who are currently involved in setting up the gene therapy research project, take some time out to chat with Qatar Today about their progress, genome sequencing and the benefits of the programme. Even as they are working on the clinical side of setting up the bone marrow transfer programme (putting on paper the procedure, guidelines and such, forming the basis of gene therapy protocols), recruitment is ongoing for the many hundreds more who will join them in the coming months, working on disciplines as varied and advanced as immunotherapy in the treatment of cancer (which Dr Marincola spoke about not too long ago in our magazine) and nutrigenomics (see right). But a critical focus currently is on supporting the Qatar Genome Project (QGP), which created quite a buzz when it was announced last December during WISH by HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. The QGP committee, headed by Dr Asmaa Ali J F Althani has created a true collaborative entity comprised of Sidra Medical Research Center, BioBank, QBRI, HMC and QCRI. The committee proposed a pilot phase study to be conducted by Sidra. To ensure the success of the pilot study, Sidra teamed up with Illumina, a sequencing company, which completed a pilot “Understand Your Genome (UYG)” study on a group of 25 volunteers (Dr Deola is one of them) who are awaiting the results of their gene sequencing. This feasibility study has been extremely fruitful since it paved the way for successful regulation compliance, public awareness, readiness of clinical and
DR SARA DEOLA Bone Marrow Transplant Program Physician Research Division Sidra Medical and Research Center
academic staff, as well as benefit and risk assessments for the broader project. This experience will be used to develop a platform that will be used to sequence the entire Qatari population, Dr Cugno says. “Understanding each individual’s genome will help us address their health concerns in a personalized and effective way, according to their unique genetic makeup,” she says. Under this UYG program, blood samples had to be sent to the biotech company Illumina in San Diego, US for sequencing, but the team is confident that by the end of 2014, Illumina’s ultra-high-throughput HiSeq X Ten sequencers will be brought into the country and begin to be put to use for the massive project. By next year, the team hopes they will be able to start their first round of sequencing of the local population with 200 Qatari community leaders contributing to the first, pervasive Arab genome study of its kind. “The implementation of this project will establish a foundation for genetic mapping of diseases in the entire Qatari population, create the first Qatar-Middle East genome reference, set up a robust approach to neonatal screening and assessment of genetic disorders prevalent in Qatar, and establish a model for the study of complex disorders, such as diabetes,” Dr Cugno says. The sheer scope of QGP means that Sidra will be a major part of its technical backbone, coordinating with various national entities like Hamad Medical Corporation, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar and Qatar BioBank to help realise the project’s
NUTRIGENOMICS IS THE SCIENCE STUDYING THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE DIET AND THE GENES, AND HOW THIS CAN IMPACT OUR HEALTH. THIS IS A PARTICULARLY HOT TOPIC IN QATAR, AS LOCAL GENETIC BACKGROUND PREDISPOSES INDIVIDUALS TO NUTRITION-RELATED DISEASES, SUCH AS DIABETES AND OBESITY, AND IS DETRIMENTALLY INFLUENCED BY MODERN NUTRITION TRENDS. QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 73
development > tag this Globally, only
2%
of GDP on average is invested in developing scientific research. However,
2.8%
of Qatar’s annual GDP is allocated for funding and promoting research and development, one of the few countries investing heavily in scientific research. DR CHIARA CUGNO Bone Marrow Transplant Program Physician Research Division Sidra Medical and Research Center
COMING SOON TO SIDRA A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND HIGH-THROUGHPUT GENOMICS CENTRE TO UNDERTAKE POPULATION STUDIES AND GENETIC SEQUENCING FOR THE MENA REGION. THE FACILITY WILL PROVIDE QATAR AND THE REGION ACCESS TO THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO HELP ADVANCE GENETIC MAPPING PROJECTS, WORKING ON THE CREATION OF THE ARAB CONSENSUS GENOME AND ALLOWING FOR A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF GENETIC VARIANTS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE HEALTH OF THE ARAB POPULATION. AN ULTRAMODERN LABORATORY FOR DIAGNOSIS AND DISCOVERIES, CAPABLE OF IDENTIFYING ALREADY KNOWN AND NEW GENETIC DISEASES, AND OFFERING THE PATIENT THE BEST PERSONALIZED THERAPY. A GMP FACILITY THAT IS A SPECIAL LABORATORY TO SAFELY HANDLE PATIENTS’ CELLS FOR THERAPEUTIC PURPOSES (GENE CORRECTION OR TISSUE REGENERATION). A CLINICAL TRIAL OFFICE TO COORDINATE FUTURE CLINICAL TRIALS RESULTING FROM RESEARCH DISCOVERIES. 74 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
full potential. Some of these institutions have already been working in the field of gene therapy research – WCMQ recently published a paper on its findings on genetic variations in a sample of the native population that causes certain diseases, and Qatar Biomedical Research Institute has for many years now been collecting and analysing samples of genes from Qataris and long-term residents to understand genomics and personalised healthcare - and it is still unclear at this point how these studies, each of which is in a variety of stages and verticals, will be integrated. However, considering most of Sidra’s potential partners come under Qatar Foundation’s umbrella (as does Sidra itself ), this shouldn’t be too hard to achieve. But what exactly would the results of this ambitious programme look like? “There are around 3,500 genetic conditions, many of which may be potentially treated or eased with the advance of genetic medicine,” Dr Cugno says. “For example, testing women for the BRCA gene mutation, which is linked to a higher risk of developing breast cancer, can lead to early diagnosis and treatment, increasing the chances of survival.” And this is only the beginning. Qatar has already mandated pre-marital genetic testing since 2009 which identifies the predisposition of offspring to certain diseases due to one or both of the parents carrying particular mutations. But this hitherto has been limited. “Currently only a few genes that are known to cause particular
diseases like thalassemia and sickle cell disease are being tested. Also these diseases are relatively simple because only one gene is involved. However, many of the other genetic diseases are multifactoral with complex interaction between many genes. The sequencing of the whole genome will lead to fresh discoveries, uncovering new connections and resulting in definitive diagnosis,” Dr Deola explains. This in turn will lead to better predictions on odds of transmission of a wider range of disease to offspring. But the cost of personalised medicine is currently quite high, in many ways. Genome sequencing is an expensive process. One other country, Iceland, with a local population comparable to Qatar’s in terms of genetic homogeneity, has also attempted to have all its citizens sequenced. Obviously, this is only feasible with a small population that has sizeable resources at its disposal Qatar is an ideal candidate. Of course, the experiment in Iceland didn’t go down without problems. There were overwhelming concerns about privacy, what entities with access to this sensitive data could do with them (these could even be pharmaceutical companies who are developing certain drugs based on the research data), criticism from the government for presuming consent of the population (citizens had to opt out of the programme, not opt in), not informing the person concerned about the kind of research their data is being used for, fear of medical stereotyping, etc. How the Qatari community, which is notoriously paranoid about privacy, will react to this remains to be seen. Sidra, for its part, is developing high-level privacy protection programs through the use of the most advanced informatics technology. But, however this unfolds, there is no denying that, given the cutting-edge nature of the research, Sidra and Qatar will find themselves at the epicentre of gene medicine in the region and globally. “Very few people in the world will be able to do the kind of research we are planning to undertake at Sidra because of a rare and precious confluence of many factors. The infrastructure we are building at Sidra will serve as a point of collaboration for those interested in pursuing this in their own countries,” Dr Deola says. “In the future, Sidra will serve as a launch pad for broader scientific projects, locally and possibly in the MENA region.” And with Sidra’s core commitment to translational medicine (integration of research and clinical services) it wouldn’t take too long for laboratory discoveries to directly reach the patient’s bed
business > tag this
THE FACEBOOK OF NEWS
In this era of smart apps for mobiles, another platform that intends to connect editors and news assimilators in the region, who can have discussions on subjects that stimulate them, is making the rounds.
76 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
M
aydan Qatar, a social news platform for people networking around news and events, is the brainchild of Ali Al Assam, who founded Diwan, the first science and technology non-for-profit organisation in the Arab World, with fellow Iraqi technologists and social scientists. Diwan is said to have created the desktop publishing revolution in the Arab World in 1984. Fast forward to 1995 and Al Assam founded KnowledgeView to focus on Internet-based information systems. In 2014, with the effort of a group of people in KnowledgeView, taking advantage of various projects over the years including research funded by the European Union for the information society in Europe a decade ago, Maydan Qatar was born. “The driving force for all technical developments is the belief in the need to empower individuals and grass-root innovators to advance societies, especially those in the developing world,” says Al Assam. “Maydan Qatar is designed to help empower the Qatar’s national economy as part of the Qatar National Vision 2030.” Maydan Qatar is a mobile-first application but it has a large web presence too. “We encourage users to download the
‘Maydan Qatar’ mobile apps on iOS and Android and tell us what they think. We did not try to replicate other models as we think we are quite unique in this regard. The idea was developed to solve a problem: how can users be persuaded to engage with prime content,” says Al Assam. Promoted and owned by Qatar News Agency (QNA), Maydan Qatar is intended to benefit Qatar’s knowledge economy, empowering the local commercial and enterprise publishers by acquiring their content and providing a link back to their online sites. Business model About the business model, Al Assam says: “Down the line, QNA may decide to generate revenues from advertising and subscriptions, though it is free as of now.” According to QNA officials, they benefit by reaching out to people in Qatar and by showing the outside world the progress being made in Qatar. “QNA strives to make best use of the technology so as to reach not only its traditional subscribers but all citizens in Qatar and abroad using technologies such as the Agenda apps, and now the Maydan Qatar. Thus we see the future of the media sector as very much digital and very much mobile,” they aver. The main reasoning to launch the portal
is Al Assam’s strong views on the future of newsprint. He thinks that the newsprint medium will largely be obsolete in 10 years or so. “There will still be some specialist publications that are retained for artistic and specialised services, but it will largely be dead,” he says. “Our advice to our publishing clients is to be consumer-centric first and take maximum advantage of their vast experience in creating premium content. This experience cannot be matched by newcomers. You have to focus on using new technologies to continue to serve your users irrespective of what forum is used. You should embrace online, and more mobile, to engage your users even better than before.” There is no doubt that the publishing industry is going digital. The digital consumption in this region is expected to boom in the coming years. The younger generation is active and engaging throughout different platforms. However, this revolution comes with many challenges for publishers such as monetising digital content when most content is readily available online for free. “Publishers will also need the right tools to reach and monitor their digital presence effectively with minimum cost. This is where KnowledgeView can be helpful and supportive with the right technologies and solutions to face those challenges,” Al Assam says. Talking about the constraints that the Arab publishing world faces, Al Assam is optimistic about the turn the technology has taken in terms of Arabic language.
ALI AL ASSAM Founder KnowledgeView
With multi-language information systems and implementation of the world standard, UNICODE, now a reality, Arabic is fully utilised on the Internet. “We don’t see any constraints at the moment, even with using novel technologies in Maydan Qatar like text to speech and machine translation,” he says. Pioneers in education Reminiscing about his first venture in Iraq, Al Assam takes us through Diwan, the first
first non-profit technology organisation in the Arab world formed by a group of Iraqi engineers back in 1984. “They went on to create the desktop revolution in the Arab world with Al Nashir Al Maktabi and Al Nashir Al Sahafi. Before Al Nashir Al Maktabi was launched on the Apple Mac, timed to launch at the same event that launched the Apple Arabic Mac in London in 1984, there was no way Arab publishers, large or small, could do quality publications at affordable prices. “We changed all that, and we had close to 15,000 users of Al Maktabi by the early 90s. Diwan also developed news and photo management systems, that were used by the largest European publications such as the Times of London, a technology continued by our present KnowledgeView.” Continuing on the success of Diwan, KnowledgeView revolutionised the Arab world with its innovations in the Arabic language. “KnowledgeView was created to further develop the work on information sharing and online publishing started by Diwan. We appreciated the importance of the Internet and technologies like XML at a very early stage. KnowledgeView’s first client was the UN agency Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) where we created RAPID Publish and RAPID Archive as web-based applications for the World Food Summit in Rome in 1996. We were also pioneers in that respect. Publish Live for online and paper publishing and NewsSocial are also pioneering in our view and are used by many publishers in the Arab World and in Europe,” he says. The fine print What makes Maydan Qatar informative and engaging is that its users can follow their favourite authors or journalists and communicate directly with them over their articles. “Interacting directly with the audience will open up opportunities for journalists to host different opinions and debates and see how their material inspires others. Also the number of followers is a good indicator of a journalist’s popularity,” says Al Assam. A critical element of news consumption today is filtering. People mainly want to follow news or subjects of interest from certain sources. “This app will allow people to customise their news according to their preferences and encourage them to contribute their own articles and reports with minimum ease,” he adds QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 77
affairs > green scene
THE GREEN PROGRAMME FOR SCHOOLS
IS BACK WITH ADDED IMPETUS The Green Programme for Schools, the largest of its kind, in its second edition will potentially reach and influence over 25,000 students.
78 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
G
reen Programme for Schools (GPS) is the most engaging contact programme in Qatar that was executed by Qatar Today magazine. It is meant to reach, inspire and reward students and schools, have permanent and consistent branding points and engage youth in a meaningful way to build green equity in their minds. In its second edition GPS is being powered by ExxonMobil Qatar. ExxonMobil’s commitment to environmental health and safety excellence ranks among the best in the industry and the company pays meticulous attention to the safety and health of its employees and the communities where it operates and has a conscientious regard for the environmental impact of its activities and products. It is as an extension of this very principle that ExxonMobil has partnered with Qatar Today for the GPS. “At ExxonMobil, we welcome the opportunity to teach Qatar’s youth about environmental protection, as this topic is incredibly relevant for everyone in the community,” said Saleh Al Mana, Vice President and Director of Government and Public Affairs for ExxonMobil Qatar Inc. “We are excited to be part of the
Green Programme for Schools effort once again, in support of the Environmental Development Pillar of the Qatar National Vision.” The first and foremost principle that GPS believes in is to hand the responsibility of sustainable living to the youth of the country, thus making sure that the youth are motivated enough to continue living sustainably. In its first edition, GPS reached out to 30 schools, interacted with 25,000 students and the families of these students. It is by far the most engaging and immersive programme that is so tailored that sustainability is a principle that remains ingrained in each and every student’s mind. According to the Vice President of Oryx Advertising Company, Ravi Raman, “GPS will encourage students to make conservation a way of life than look at it as a one-off event. This programme will make students accountable and thus more responsible in all their activities.” In its second edition, GPS will continue the environmental efforts with a huge impetus from ExxonMobil who will conduct parallel workshops and presentations in schools and a GPS mascot will also be used to spread the message of green
ENERGY
SPOTLIGHT
IN SOLID STATE THE PROSPECTS FOR QATAR’S ENERGY SECTOR LOOK BRIGHT AS THE DEMAND FOR NATURAL GAS IS EXPECTED TO DOUBLE BY 2040, NOT ONLY BECAUSE IT IS THE CLEANEST FOSSIL FUEL BUT BECAUSE OF ITS ABUNDANT AVAILABILITY.
QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 79
ENERGY
SPOTLIGHT
80 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
W
ith the third largest proven raw gas reserves after Russia and Iran, it is only natural that the entire world is looking to Qatar and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, along with Iran, (which are in possession of 67% of the world’s natural gas reserves and are responsible for 65% of gas trade and over 40% of the pipeline supply) to meet their energy requirements. It is estimated that at 2013 extraction rates, Qatar’s proven gas reserves totaling 872 trillion cubic feet would last another 156 years. Hence, Qatar will continue extracting gas even into the second half of the 22nd century. Gas production in Qatar grew at an average of 15.4% annually between 2009 and 2013 as additional LNG export facilities became operational, due to which Qatar is currently ranked among the top five countries globally for gas production. In 2013, around 52.6% of gas production was allocated to LNG exports. Qatar also exported 11.7% of its gas production by pipeline to the UAE. The rest was consumed for domestic use including power generation and water desalination, feedstock for GT Ls, petrochemical and fertilizer plants, and household cooking gas.
The QR37.49 billion ($10.3 billion) Barzan gas project is a North Field gas development project aimed at increasing production for domestic use. Initial production is expected in 2015 with incremental growth until 2023. Qatar’s proven reserves of crude oil condensates and natural gas liquids (NGLs) were estimated at 25.1 billion barrels at the end of 2013, about 1.5% of proven world oil reserves. Rising production of condensates and NGLs have more than compensated for lower crude oil production in recent years. Total crude oil, condensates and NGL production in 2013 was around 2 million barrels per day (BPD), of which 0.7 million BPD was crude oil and the remainder condensates and NGLs. Qatar accounted for 2% of world oil production in 2013. At current production rates, Qatar’s reserves of crude oil condensates and NGLs will last for another 34 years. Qatar’s position as the leading exporter of LNG was underscored by HE Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry, during his address to the Brookings Doha Energy Forum held in April this year. “Qatar’s prominent position in the global energy market is set to remain for years to come. The country is well placed to meet the increasing demand for gas. We are also committed to continue
ENERGY
SPOTLIGHT
“QATAR'S POSITION AS THE LARGEST LNG SUPPLIER IN THE WORLD COULD BE SURPASSED BY AUSTRALIA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA AND THE UNITED STATES IF THEY STEP UP THEIR GAS PRODUCTION. HOWEVER, THE ONGOING PROJECTS IN THESE COUNTRIES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED UNTIL THE 2020S AND THE DEMAND IS LIKELY TO OUTPACE SUPPLY. ” meeting our obligations as a reliable energy producer, as a partner in development, and as an active player in ensuring market stability,” the Minister said. As of now, Qatar remains the largest LNG supplier in the world, though it could be surpassed by Australia, Papua New Guinea and the United States if they step up their gas production. However, the ongoing projects in these countries are not expected to be completed until the 2020s and the demand is likely to outpace supply. Due to this, Qatar is likely to benefit from higher LNG prices for years to come. According to the Brookings Doha Energy Forum report, Qatar has benefited from rising prices in Asia where demand has been strong owing to robust GDP growth and the switch to cleaner energy, notably in China. Qatar has, therefore, increased exports to Asia (71% of exports in 2013), mainly to Japan, South Korea and India. While there is enough gas available at present to generate electricity, Qatar has been looking at an energy diversification programme for energy security and at other options as exploitation of gas is capital intensive. “Hence it is hardly 82 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
surprising that some Gulf States are also turning to solar, nuclear and other renewable sources to help meet this ever-growing demand. Nevertheless, coal rather than oil is likely to become the dominant fuel source for the foreseeable future,” the report said. The notable developments in Qatar’s oil and gas sector during the year include laying the foundations for the QR5.5-billion Laffan Refinery 2 (LR2) by The Emir, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the QR2.9 billion Jetty Boil-off Gas Recovery project. While the LR2 project will double the condensate refining capacity of the existing LR1 to 300,000 barrels per day, reinforcing the country’s unique position as the largest condensate producer housing the biggest refining capacity in the world, the J-BOG project is the energy-saving environmental project aimed at recovering gas currently being flared during liquefied natural gas ship loading at Ras Laffan Port. The J-BOG project is the biggest environmental investment for LNG boiloff recovery in the world and a landmark project underlining Qatar’s commitment to protect the environment
ENERGY
SPOTLIGHT
“ENERGY REVENUES HAVE HELPED TO LAY A SOLID ECONOMIC FOUNDATION IN QATAR. REALISING THIS, THE STATE OF QATAR IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE PRO INVESTMENT CLIMATE MEASURING UP TO THE EXPECTATIONS OF PRIVATE NATIONAL AND FOREIGN INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENTS.” HE Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada Minister of Energy and Industry
KENYA WOOS QATARI INVESTORS
2I5
billion
Global demand for natural gas will rise by 215 billion cubic feet per day over the outlook period. That is equal to adding more than three times the natural gas consumed in the United States in 2010.
NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION BY TYPE Billion cubic feet per day 600
Rest of world Asia Pacific
500
Unconventional
North America
400
Source: Exxonmobil
300
200
100
Conventional
0 2000
2020
84 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
2040
NOTING QATAR’S ABILITY AND EXPERTISE IN THE EXPLORATION OF ENERGY SECTOR, KENYA SAYS COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES WOULD ACCELERATE KENYA’S EFFORTS IN ACHIEVING ITS ENERGY TARGETS. QATARI ENTITIES IN THE ENERGY SECTOR SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE KENYAN ENERGY SECTOR WHERE SUBSTANTIAL RETURNS AND MUTUAL BENEFITS CAN BE EXPECTED, KENYA’S PRESIDENT UHURU KENYATTA SAYS.
QATAR IN TALKS WITH CENTRICA
ENERGY
SPOTLIGHT
GCC OIL AND GAS WEALTH PER CAPITA (2013) Hydrocarbon GDP per National ('000 USD)
403
Hydrocarbon reserves per National ('000 boe)
687
Qatar
152
133
UAE
99
E
nergy and Industry Minister HE Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada said Qatar was “discussing some projects” in the UK energy sector with Centrica, citing “a lot of common interest and values between the two companies.” Centrica signed a cooperation agreement with Qatar Petroleum International in 2011, which has so far focused on projects in North America. Last year it also signed a QR25.78 billion (£4.4 billion) liquefied natural gas supply deal with Qatargas.
98
Kuwait
17
Saudi
16
18
Oman
5
14
Bahrain
2
Qatar is in talks with Centrica over investing in UK power plants, under plans to expand its partnership with the British Gas owner.
Source: British Petroleum (BP), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and QNB Group analysis
OIL PRODUCTION DECLINES
M
iddle Eastern oil production is estimated to decline by 20 trillion barrels per day (T BPD) in October 2014 to average 1.34 million barrels per day (MBPD), a downward revision of 30 T BPD from the previous month. Bahrain and Syria saw production at 0.22 MBPD and 0.03 MBPD respectively in 2014, while Oman’s growth for 2014 has increased to 20 T BPD, although absolute volumes were unchanged at 0.95 MBPD. Syria was producing 330 T BPD just six months before its civil war began, and no changes are expected for Syria in the last quarter of 2014. Yemen is estimated to show a decline by 30 T BPD for the last quarter of 2014. The country’s forecasts indicate a decline by 10 T BPD to average 0.13 MBPD, revised upward by 10 T BPD compared with the previous MOMR.
86 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
ZERO GAS FLARING
T
he Al Karkara oil field, the latest oil field to be developed in Qatar, is the first in the country to be zero gas flaring. Qatar, through its industrial strategy, is contributing to the protection of the global environment pursuant to the Kyoto Protocol of 1997, and to international economic stability by securing sizeable, long-term supplies of cleaner energy from liquefied natural gas. It has joined the World Bank’s Global Gas Flaring Reduction Programme and carried out a major flaring reduction initiative at the Al Shaheen oil field, which is likely to generate some 2.5 million credits of Certified Emission Reductions per year.
development > tech talk
AFP PHOTO/Mark RALSTON
NEXT ONE FROM MICROSOFT
WHY ELON MUSK IS SUSPICIOUS OF AI?
The man behind Space X, Tesla Motors and the revolutionary Hyperloop transportation system expressed reservations about artificial intelligence, saying it threatens human existence.
IT’S MANAGED TO STAY UNDER WRAPS JUST LONG ENOUGH TO SET THE WEARABLES INDUSTRY ABUZZ WITH SPECULATION. A SMARTWATCH FROM MICROSOFT WITH FITNESS TRACKING CAPABILITIES IS SAID TO BE LAUNCHING IN JUST WEEKS, ACCORDING TO FORBES. THE REPORT SAYS PASSIVE HEART RATE TRACKING AND COMPATIBILITY WITH DIFFERENT MOBILE PLATFORMS ARE AMONG THE FEATURES OF MICROSOFT’S DEBUT OFFERING.
S
peaking at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Aeronautics and Astronautics department’s Centennial Symposium, he said that in developing artificial intelligence “we are summoning the demon”. “I think we should be very careful about artificial intelligence. If I had to guess at what our biggest existential threat is, it’s probably that. So we need to be very careful. I’m increasingly inclined to think that there should be some regulatory oversight, maybe at the national and international level, just to make sure that we don’t do something very foolish,” he is quoted as saying. However Musk himself has invested in companies developing AI “to keep an eye on them”.
SINGING TWITTER
T
witter began letting people instantly listen to music and other audio by clicking on tweets from the popular messaging service. The new Twitter Audio Card feature, launched in partnerships with SoundCloud and Apple’s iTunes store, will allow users to stream audio live from the Twitter app. Audio Card works on mobile devices powered by Android or Apple software.
88 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
VODAFONE QATAR BUYS QNBN The second-biggest telecom operator in the country, Vodafone Qatar will complete the deal to own 100% of Qatar National Broadband by the end of 2014. ACCORDING TO A COMPANY STATEMENT, VODAFONE WILL BUY ALL OF QNBN’S 21 MILLION SHARES AT A PAR VALUE OF QR10 ($2.75) PER SHARE. THOUGH THE DEAL IS POTENTIALLY WORTH QR210 MILLION, THE TWO PARTIES ARE YET TO ARRIVE AT A MUTUALLY AGREED PRICE. QNBN HAS BEEN LAYING OUT FIBRE BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND EXPECTS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE 95% OF THE USERS IN THE REGION WITH FIBRE CONNECTIVITY BY 2015.
GOOGLE ANNOUNCES NEXUS 9 The HTC-built tablet will go on sale starting the beginning of November.
I
t runs on the latest Android OS, Lollipop, and boasts of an 8.9 inch IPS LCD screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The tablet’s a 6700mAh battery should be good for around nine hours. A Keyboard Folio case sold separately allows you to alter the typing position and allowing it to compete with both the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 and the iPad Air 2. It is available in black, white and sand.
THE SELFIE PHONE
The media had its gripe with the Nokia phones which had no Instagram feature and no front camera on its devices.
TECH SUPPORT FOR FIGHTING EBOLA MARK ZUCKERBERG AND HIS WIFE PRISCILLA CHAN DONATED $25 MILLION (QR91 MILLION) TO THE US CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION TO FIGHT AGAINST THE DISEASE THAT IS MAKING POPULATIONS PARANOID EVERYWHERE. ONLY A FEW WEEKS BEFORE, THE BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION MADE A $50 MILLION DONATION TO SUPPORT EMERGENCY EFFORTS IN WEST AFRICA.
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nd then there came the Lumia 730 which was made to cater to a specific group of narcissists, the selfie obsessed group. And to introduce this phone to a group that largely includes bloggers and writers, Microsoft devices took them on an adventure trip and the only condition given was to record all of it on the selfie phone and create a social media revolution with the hash tag #lumiaselfie. While there was no revolution, of course, the media came back with an experience worth remembering and a new love for the Lumia 730, the first smartphone designed specifically for selfies and Skype video calls. You won’t compromise quality with the 5 MP front-facing camera and wideangle lens. QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 89
business > marketwatch TIVOLI LAUNCHES NEW STORE
Radi El Natsha, Tivoli Group Managing Director; Mohammed Hamad Al Mana; HE Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatari Businessmen Association; HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Muhammed Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Dr Saif Al Hajari.
Furniture store Tivoli recently launched its flagship store in Doha. Measuring 8,000 square metres the store houses leading brands such as Roche Bobois, Adriani & Rossi, Natuzzi, Bene, Tahboub Kitchens and Giorgio Collection, to name a few.
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pening its doors to the public in 1978, Tivoli is one of the longest established furniture retailers in Qatar. Offering a complete range of quality furniture and world-class design solutions all housed under one roof, it has become a leading high-end furniture brand in the country. With 36 years of experience and a strategic location at the heart of Doha, the brand offers a keen insight into the local market, catering to a wide range of audiences with different tastes and needs.
ACTION QATAR CELEBRATES 10 YEARS
PR and communications agency Action Qatar is celebrating 10 years of providing consultancy services in Qatar and beyond.
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stablished in Nicosia, Cyprus in 1971, Action Global Communications has a global presence in over 40 countries and is the only independent communications consultancy that focuses on the world’s most promising and emerging markets. With over 300 capable professionals in its network, Action’s multi-lingual people combine international communications skills and expertise with strong local knowledge to deliver award-winning campaigns to clients across the world. “The growth and success of Action Qatar over the past 10 years has been even greater than we could ever have expected and was no doubt positively influenced by the parallel emergence of Qatar as an important economy on the world stage,” said Elise
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Zwein, Country Manager, Action Qatar. “Today, as we celebrate our tenth year of business, we are proudly looking back on our achievements such as our leading campaigns for British Airways, Milipol Qatar, IGTC-Chubb Fire Qatar and more. We are also looking forward at the vast potential of future opportunities, both for Action Qatar and for the nation itself, especially the realisation of Qatar’s National Vision 2030.” Tony Christodoulou, Founder and Managing Director of Action Global Communications, adds “Throughout the last 10 years of our operations in the country we have seen how the country’s public and private organisations have grown and reached astonishing levels of successes.”
affairs > local
SONY LAUNCHES 4K Fifty One East, the premium luxury retail chain in Qatar, and Sony Middle East and Africa, the leading consumer electronics brand, recently announced the launch of three new series of its Bravia 4K LED TV comprising five models with enhanced options.
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he range includes the premium flagship X9500B (available in 85-inch screen size) series featuring the new X-tended Dynamic Range™ PRO technology to offer brilliant pictures, the X9000B (available in 79-inch and 65-inch screen sizes) delivering an innovative design that integrates magnetic fluid speakers, and the X8500B (available in 65-inch and 55-inch screen sizes) series serving as an affordable option in the 4K LED TV range. The new 4K LED TV will be available at all Fifty One East outlets located in Al Maha Center, City Center Doha and Lagoona Mall in addition to all Virgin Megastores at Villaggio and Landmark malls.
REDEFINING THE CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE Bang & Olufsen, the audio-visual manufacturers, recently introduced the latest state-of-the-art TV, the “BeoVision Avant 85’’, for its discerning clients in Qatar. The new model is an enhanced version of the acclaimed BeoVision Avant 55 introduced earlier this year. The latest design delivers an unexpected and astounding home viewing experience which will soon be available at Bang & Olufsen Store in Lagoona Mall. The majestic 85-inch screen size of BeoVision Avant 85 sets the perfect stage for a truly cinematic movie experience with family and friends or an enthusiastic sports night with crystal clear action images and an engaging surround sound that unfolds a stadium sensation in the living room.
QIBF TO BE HELD IN DECEMBER The Fifth edition of the Qatar International Businesswomen Forum, will be held on December 16 and 17 at the St Regis Doha Hotel and will include new discussions on human development, women empowerment, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and entrepreneurship.
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ith a total of five sessions throughout the two-day event, there will also be keynote speeches in between sessions that will be delivered by distinguished personalities from the public and private sector, who will elaborate on the widening opportunities for women to be among the future business and socio-political leaders of society.
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business > marketwatch
BOSCH HOME APPLIANCES STORE OPENED Darwish Technology and the German home appliance giant Bosch, has launched its premium flagship showroom on Salwa Road.
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he opening of the store came a year after Bosch appointed Darwish Technology as its exclusive distributor for the brand in Qatar. Darwish Holding Chairman and Managing Director Badr El Darwish says: “Customers in Doha can now visit an outlet of Europe’s number one home appliances brand. The showroom will feature several attractive offers which families can benefit from.” BSH Middle East CEO Mark Saunders says: “With the Qatar market progressing at a rapid rate, it is important that fami-
lies in the region have unrivalled access to appliances that are of an exceptionally high quality.” The showroom will showcase appliances from dishwashers, washing, fridges, cooking products, built-in products, and various small appliances. Bosch dishwashers’ offers ultimate hygiene, increased water efficiency and performance, while the washing machines with varying capacity feature the intelligent water management systems and premium textile care.
VERTU LAUNCHES ASTER SMARTPHONE
Aster, the new smartphone from Vertu, the English manufacturer of luxury mobile phones, recently made its debut.
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andmade and finished by craftsmen, using the most luxurious materials, in an exquisite palette of colours, Aster can also be personalised with a monogram or engraving. Elegant designs coupled with cutting-edge technology facilitate its seamless operation almost anywhere on the globe. The new handset features Dolby Digital Plus virtual surround sound and Hasselblad certified imaging, as well as Vertu’s full portfolio of services, which comprises classic concierge as well as Vertu Life and Vertu Certainty packages. “In contrast to Signature Touch, which has seen its popularity soar amongst our more traditional and corporate customers and is very masculine in design, with hard, straight, edges and classic lines, Aster is a more unisex offer and appeals to a different customer; someone searching for something a little more glamorous,” said Massimiliano Pogliani, Vertu’s Chief Executive Officer.
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business > auto news ROLLS ROYCE CREATES ONE-OFA-KIND VEHICLE FOR QATAR
The Pearl has a new resident that is truly unique. A bespoke vehicle created especially for Qatar has arrived at the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Doha showroom.
NISSAN PROMOTES ROAD SAFETY
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nspired by Oud, the seductive scent of Arabia, the vehicle was conceptualised by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Doha, part of the Alfardan Group and its sole dealer in Qatar, before being hand-crafted by specialists at the home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England. The model, which took 18 months to create, has already prompted interest from local automotive enthusiasts seeking the pinnacle in luxury and individualisation. Made from the oil extract of the tropical Agar tree, Oud is believed to have originated in India, and spread throughout Southeast Asia. It has been used in the Middle East and beyond as an aromatic oil and medicine for thousands of years, and today is highly valued by perfumers for its sweet, woody, aromatic scent. “Oud is one of the oldest fragrances in existence, with the oil often termed as liquid gold due to its rarity, high demand and the fact that it is estimated to be worth 1.5 times the value of gold,” explains Mohammed Kandeel, Chief Oper-
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ating Officer, Alfardan Group - Automotive Division. “The synergies with Rolls-Royce are clear; our vehicles are unique, aspirational and synonymous with pioneering heritage. This car is a celebration of those shared qualities.” A host of features has been added to the unique Phantom Coupé. The vehicle is presented in a dark colour combination, featuring a solid black and autumn mystery black exterior and dark spice interior, including a centre console trimmed in ostrich leather. The Oud emblem features throughout the vehicle’s design, beautifully incorporated into a bespoke single and twin coachline in gold and within the inlays that decorate the fascia and rear switch pack. Another elegant touch is a special scent storage box and glass container within the glove box. "Through the bespoke programme, customers can customise almost every aspect of the vehicle to their individual liking, and make the car even more unique,” says Kandeel.
With a burgeoning population and the number of cars increasing on Doha’s roads almost every day, road safety is a top priority. At the recent Paris Motor Show, Nissan and the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) jointly announced a partnership to make the world’s roads safer. As part of the multi-year agreement, the Japanese automaker will become an official supporter of the FIA’s innovative awareness-raising campaign, which was launched in 2011 in support of the United Nations’ Decade of Action for Road Safety. The new partnership will see Nissan support and promote awareness campaigns worldwide - in particular Action for Road Safety’s golden rules for safer motoring – with the aim of combatting a global scourge that results in the deaths of 1.3 million people annually, with 50 million more being injured each year. FIA president Jean Todt said, “Nissan has a long tradition of developing life-saving automotive technologies and this new agreement reaffirms its strong commitment to road safety. By combining our efforts, we can ensure that our message for safer driving and safer roads reaches an even wider audience.”
business > auto news
BMW SHOWCASES SECURITYENHANCED VEHICLES AT MILIPOL QATAR
When it comes to safety and security, few people want to take any chances. For more than 30 years BMW has taken vehicular safety to new heights, offering reliable and expert vehicle and passenger safety solutions.
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he BMW Security Vehicles are designed and produced with protective features that are integrated in the vehicle in such a way that they not only protect the occupants but also live up to BMW’s brand promise - a promise of performance, innovative technology and high-quality workmanship. At this year’s Milipol Qatar Exhibition – an important trade exhibition dedicated to internal state security. Alfardan Automobiles in Qatar and the BMW Group showcased the BMW 7 Series High Security and X5 Security Plus vehicles. Offering protection from firearms attack, robbery, kidnap and carjacking, the BMW X5 Security Plus and 7 Series High Security vehicles have become the cars of choice for heads of state, high-profile business people and celebrities throughout the world. The BMW 760Li High Security the vehicle of choice for government and highprofile VIP’s is certified in accordance with the ballistic guideline BRV 2009. This High
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Security model is classified in the new resistance class VR7. It combines comfort, superior drive technology and a multitude of innovative equipment features and guarantees supreme driving characteristics at all times. An exceptionally strong armouring made from special steel and designed to suit the vehicle, as well as, developed security glass protect the passenger cell in particular, against different kinds of attack. Thanks to gap coverings, which have also been specifically designed to match each model, critical areas such as the door and body gaps are additionally protected. The underside of the high-security sedan is also fitted with a special armouring, which was exclusively designed for maximum protection against explosives. The BMW X5 Security Plus is equipped with an intercom system and an assault alarm, which allows communication with people outside of the vehicle without opening doors or windows.
INFINITY STANDS OUT AT PARIS MOTOR SHOW
Infiniti signals a clear intent to break into the top tier of the premium sedan category with the eye-catching Q80 Inspiration concept car revealed at the 2014 Paris Motor Show by Infiniti Vice President, Europe, Middle East and Africa, François Goupil de Bouillé, and Infiniti’s Executive Design Director, Alfonso Albaisa. The four-door fastback aims at shaking up the segment with progressive body styling and daring proportions that challenge convention. At five meters long and two meters wide, the Q80 Inspiration is only 53.1 inches (1350mm) at its highest point, further underlining its fastback contours. Portal-style doors open into an artistically tailored interior which pampers the senses. The four individual leather seats give equal importance to driver and passengers, while the plunging panoramic glass roof creates a light, airy environment inside. Showcasing ingenious innovations, the Q80 Inspiration previews autonomous driving technology which empowers and enhances the driving experience. It also provides a glimpse into a high-performance and efficient hybrid electric powertrain that is expected to deliver 550hp while returning 5.5L/100km. In addition, the new 2015 Infiniti Q70 made its debut∆∆ in Europe during the show, allowing visitors to admire the performance sedan’s fresh new looks. Powered by a new 2.2-liter, fourcylinder turbo diesel engine, it delivers 170 hp of power and 400 Nm of torque while retaining low carbon dioxide emissions. Both the Q80 Inspiration concept and the new Q70 sedan embody the expansion of Infiniti’s upper range, providing strong indication that Infiniti is on track to increase its vehicle portfolio by 60 percent over the next five years, and to more than double the number of engines and transmissions.
culture > doha diary
GOING, GOING,
GONE!
Sotheby’s auction held last month put the focus on Middle Eastern contemporary artists. BY SINDHU NAIR
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s I stood before Anish Kapoor’s shimmering masterpiece and gazed at my reflection that multiplied into infinite tiny images, I had no clue that this piece of steel magnificence would be the top lot of the Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Doha auction held on October 13. The sale this year achieved a strong total of $8,006,625, solidly between pre-sale expectations of $6.2 million and $8.5 million, according to Sotheby’s. The sale was 84.6% sold by lot and records were established for 13 artists. Anish Kapoor’s untitled stainless steel work of 2009 was sold after extended bidding for $1,595,000 (est. $700,000-900,000*) – the
highest price achieved for a work by the artist in the Middle East. Kapoor is very popular, says Aileen Agopian, Sotheby’s Senior Vice President, International Contemporary Art Specialist, who was excited to bring the best of contemporary artists from the region to the Doha auction. A day before the much-awaited auction by Sotheby’s, she took media around the pre-sale exhibition of the Contemporary Art Doha auction in its entirety and as we stood looking at our own reflection in the polished mirror-like steel work of Kapoor’s, she says, “Anish has had major museum achievement all over the world and people from all cultures love his work. This sculpture masterfully captured every element one desires in Kapoor’s
Under the Hammer Iranian artist Ali Banisadr’s “The Chase” in the process of being auctioned.
work, the perfect marriage of biomorphic and geometric forms, as well as visual and physical spatial experience. The luminous, pixelated surface of this sculpture created an astonishing sensation of movement, reminiscent of rippling water and seeing one’s own reflection endlessly, which perfectly beguiled and enticed every art lover.” “This unveiling (before the auction) also represents the first exhibition in the Middle East of works by a number of the featured artists which, combined with the sale itself in Doha, will make a distinct contribution to the international arts scene in Qatar and beyond,” she says, “We have strategically sourced works by the most compelling and cutting-edge international
artists whose works, alongside their Middle Eastern contemporaries, will challenge art lovers and collectors and expose them to new art forms.” While there are other internationally renowned contemporary artists’ work on sale, like Damien Hirst’s Tranquillity which was sold for $845,000 (est. $1,000,0001,500,000), Agopian had her eyes and hopes set on The Chase, a highly fluid and dramatic piece of artwork by internationally acclaimed and highly sought-after artist Ali Banisadr. He didn’t disappoint too, with 16 bidders from 10 different countries bidding for his work, driving prices to record levels. “We aggressively went after The Chase as we knew immediately it would break the world record and as we expected there was an almost frenzied bidding war in the auction from as many as ten different countries. The Chase was hotly contested by 16 bidders, eventually selling for $557,000 (est. $180,000-250,000),” she tells us after the sale. Drawing on Eastern and Western artistic traditions, Iranian artist Banisadr’s work recalls both the startling complexity of Persian miniatures and the wide-ranging landscapes of the Flemish Old Masters. Banisadr’s spell-binding and intoxicating painting, The Chase, engulfs the viewer in a way that creates an illuminated masterpiece and the market responded to the painting’s dynamic power. Banisadr has undoubtedly become one of the most compelling painters of his generation in his masterful interaction of abstraction and
AILEEN AGOPIAN, Sotheby’s Senior Vice President, International Contemporary Art Specialist poses before her favourite artwork by Banisadr
QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 101
culture > doha diary film installation of the artist’s career. “Never before has any video artwork sold at auction in the Middle East, and this is the first time anywhere in the world that Neshat’s work has appeared at an auction. This work has been extensively exhibited and editions are housed in the permanent collection of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, New York and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art,” she says.
Shirin Neshat’s Passage is being screened at Katara Art centre for the pre-sale exhibition of the Contemporary Art Doha auction which also featured Anish Kapoor’s hot seller (bottom).
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figuration to create elaborate and mesmerising paintings that speak to collectors around the world. “He has major responses from international museums and is a favourite with collectors. He had a sell-out show in New York. He is an artist who works very meticulously, very slowly and methodically. This painting depicts a historic battlefield. The whole feel is of a dynamic symphony of different layers and contemporary abstractions and figurations. What I love is that people from around the world love his work and look out for his work,” Agopian says. There was a painting by Yousef Ahmad which was to go under the hammer too but no explanation from Sotheby’s was given regarding its sale, though a day before the sales, Agopian did comment that “Ahmed was one of the most popular Qatari artists whose work is so difficult to find because anyone who owns a work of his would not want to part with it”. Another beautiful work, a soul-stirring video by Shirin Neshat, was also creating interest as it was the first video artwork ever to be auctioned. Neshat’s Passage fetched $269,000, a bit below the top estimated price of $200,000-300,000 which might be an indicator that video artwork did not stir the imagination of many in the region. The artwork was also acquired by a European collector. Agopian had high expectations from this evocative film that explores themes of feminism and Islamic culture and this work of Neshat is considered the most significant
Doha, a venue for auctions? But why is Doha the chosen country to hold auctions? The answer is in the success of auctions for Sotheby’s, says Agopian. “We look at the reaction and the history of sale from previous auctions,” she says. “In the April 2013 auction, Sotheby’s had bidders from 21 countries, we set nine auction records, and we even set the record for the highest price ever achieved for an Arab artist.” Doha is looked at as the hub of art in the Middle East. “The market in Doha has grown significantly for Sotheby’s since opening an office back in 2008 and our sales here have evolved according to demand,” she says. What’s so rewarding about this is that the participation in the sales in Doha has been increasingly international. “The auction attracts interest from all over the world, from Kuwait, from Sharjah and also from Latin America. It is a great cultural dialogue that happens right here and it is an experience to watch the coming together of bidders from all over the world to this tiny state, either physically or remotely, that reflects art maturity,” she says. “It’s hugely important to us that we are attracting bidders from both the region and internationally so that the dialogue between the ME and international art that is presented in the sale is played out in the audience and participants are drawn to the sale - this year we had participation from as many as 22 different countries.” Does this success indicate a growing shift in interest to contemporary art? Agopian says: “Contemporary Art is most definitely in high demand, as our sale results in every single one of our selling locations demonstrate. That’s not to say that collectors have shifted from buying modern works to contemporary – it’s more that there are more collectors now than ever before so the demand is ever increasing – and of course there aren’t the same constraints on supply of art by living artists.”
FAYSAL MIKATI Vice President Snow Comms
ALL ABOARD QBIS TAKES PLACE FROM 11-15 NOVEMBER AT THE LUSAIL MARINA LOCATED IN LUSAIL CITY.
BY ABIGAIL MATHIAS
As Qatar puts the final touches to its second International Boat Show, Qatar Today catches up with the organisers who are going full steam ahead.
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n keeping with the noticeable drop in temperatures, one is tempted to spend more time outdoors – a fitting time to set sail on the high seas. Doha’s international boating event will be held this year from November 11-15 at the Lusail Marina. In only its second year, QIBS has garnered significant attention. This year’s show will see a total of 65 exhibitors from 16 countries. The organisers claim that last year’s event managed to generate a sizeable number of sales. Ten boats were sold at a value of QR100 million. While that figure seems extravagant, it is a mere drop in the ocean for the luxury segment. Viewed as a venue for serious boating enthusiasts and industry experts QBIS is a common platform for those involved in this segment. Organisers state that more than 10,500 visitors frequented the event last year. “We are positioning the show as a premier yachting lifestyle which showcases boats, yachts and luxury or innovative maritime products and services,” explains
THE EVENT SEES 51 INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITORS AND MORE THAN 250 BRANDS INCLUDING 12 MAJOR INTERNATIONAL SHIPYARDS. THE NEW UPGRADED EXHIBITION AREA COMPRISES SHOWS BOTH ON LAND AND IN THE WATER WITH 25,000 SQM OF WATER BASIN SURFACE, OVER 60 BOATS IN THE WATER, AND MORE THAN 10,000 SQM OF PAVILIONS AND OUTDOOR AREAS, WITH OVER 100 EXHIBITORS. QIBS 2014 OPENING HOURS WILL BE FROM 3 TO 9.30PM. ENTRY IS FREE.
Faysal Mikati, Vice President at Snow Comms and the official spokesperson of QBIS. Boating and pearl diving were once the main seafaring activities in Qatar. Experts suggest that Qatar’s maritime industry is on the cusp of maturity. In this context an event of this kind seems well in place. Earning a mention in the calendar of the International Boat Industry (IBI) reaffirms the position this event receives globally. Besides access to the latest and most sophisticated boats that will be parked in the marina, the hosts are planning a number of water sports during the five days of the event. There will also be a new section devoted to other luxury products and services such as cars and bikes. Qatar’s Prime Minister, Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, is expected to inaugurate the event. The country with the maximum number of participants this year is Italy, “who last year had eight Italian brands and are expected to have the same number this year as well,” confirms Mikati. A number of evening entertainment and
live shows are also planned at the venue. Some of the companies participating in QBIS from its maiden event include Palmer Johnson and Hydra Sports from the US, Blohm and Voss from Germany, Lagoon represented by Tan Services from France, Premare Amer from Italy, Esen Yachts and Konsept from Turkey. At 92 feet in length, the Italian brand, Grupo per Mare Amer Yachts, is expected to dock the largest yacht of QBIS 2014. Another prominent participant, Nakilat Damen Shipyard, Qatar, is the only super yacht builder in Qatar – a joint venture of two blue chip companies: Qatari gas shipper Nakilat and Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards. The line-up of exhibitors reads like a who’s who in the maritime industry, says Mikati, adding, “We are still getting enquiries from other potential exhibitors for the show; and it seems news of the success of the first edition of QIBS last year has filtered through the international boating community and it’s as if the whole of the industry is now making a beeline for Qatar.” QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 103
culture > doha diary SECOND BATCH GEARS UP FOR LEAN STARTUP CRASH COURSE
For the second time within a year, Qatar Business Incubation Centre prepares to put a new group of young men and women through a grueling and enriching 10-week programme that would serve as a foundation to their entrepreneurial pursuits.
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ave 2’ consists of 55 participants from 34 startups who have been selected based on the strength of their business ideas. The Autumn edition of the Lean Startup Programme seeks to provide entrepreneurs with a “real hands-on learning experience of how to successfully start a company”. The teams will start by testing the market viability of their product or service by talking to customers, partners and competitors, unlike conventional approaches where the entrepreneurs start developing a prototype even before this crucial exercise. At the end of the programme, entrepreneurs will have their business ideas validated with customers, develop a prototype that customers need, and finish by pitching their new startup businesses to judges and potential investors.
BLACK COMEDY After nearly two decades, Doha Players once again staged the hilarious Black Comedy by Peter Schaffer.
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he venerable amateur theatre group put together eight shows over two weeks at the Black Box Theater in Education City. The British farce features a young couple who try to impress their guests at a dinner party with antique furniture stolen from their neighbour. A power outage and some unexpected guests add to the ensuing mayhem. Doha Players wraps up its 60th anniversary celebrations this year with one final play; Peter Pan is scheduled to be staged December 3-6, venue TBA. Pictures courtesy of Doha Players
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A discussion at Brookings Doha around how the renewed conflict in the Middle East goes beyond sectarian divides brought together thinkers from the UAE, US and Qatar for an engaging 90-minute session.
BEYOND SHIA AND SUNNI
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oderated by Sultan Barakat, Director of Research at Brookings Doha Centre, the evening saw a heated debate among political science professor at Emirates University, Abdulkhaleq Abdulla; non-resident senior fellow at Brookings Doha Centre and professor at Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University, F. Gregory Gause III; and Mehran Kamrava, Professor and Director, Center for International and Regional Studies at Georgetown
University, on how factors beyond sectarianism are fueling the conflicts in the region. Professor Gause opened with some insights from his latest paper, saying that labeling the ‘new Middle East cold war’ as a Shia-Sunni conflict over-simplifies it and it is important to take into consideration the weakening of governments in the region and the ambitions of some of the state players. “If this is a purely sectarian conflict, Saudi Arabia, the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Qaeda, Turkey and ISIS would be on the
same side,” he said. Professor Abdulla said that the region was still experiencing the “first ten minutes” of the changes that were kick started with the Arab Spring. Coupled with that are the rising forces of extremism, he said, indicating that he was pessimistic about this being resolved quickly and without more bloodshed. Kamerava also pointed out that sectarian shades were introduced to emerging uprisings by the powers that may be, as in the case of Bahrain.
CHAMPIONING PINK OCTOBER
A DIFFERENT TIME, A DIFFERENT VIEW
United Development Company and Qatar Foundation for Elderly People Care (Ihsan) are organising a series of excursions for the elderly people to The Pearl.
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he iconic development welcomed its first group of visitors – 30 senior women from Ihsan – to experience the ambiance of The Pearl-Qatar. The programme includes a golf cart ride along the Porto Arabia Boardwalk followed by a water shuttle tour. After some free time for shopping and taking photos, the group is treated to a Lebanese lunch at Burj Al Hamam, a perfect end to a leisurely day at The Pearl. The second and third excursions will welcome about 60 women combined, while the fourth and last trip will be designated for about 30 elderly men, also members in Ihsan.
As part of Ford’s Models of Courage programme which was initiated in the Middle East in 2011, five breast cancer survivors came together to openly discuss their stories. By continuing to highlight stories of local breast cancer survivors, especially in Qatar, the taboo around the disease can be countered and more women can be encouraged to talk about it and go for regular checkups, the company said in a statement. Deirdre Mcguire, Nicola Simpson, Georgina Taylor and Karen Morris took part in an event in Doha where they shared their personal stories and encouraging messages for those battling the disease. QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 105
culture > doha diary Fifteen inspirational women from the region were recognised at the Arab Women Awards ceremony held at the Intercontinental Doha The City.
A WELL-DESERVED RECOGNITION
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hese women, representing the best of the best in their respective fields, were chosen by an independent jury of accomplished women from business, culture and government. Dr Aisha Al Mannai won the Inspirational Woman of the Year award and businesswoman Ibtihaj Al Ahmadani was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award during the event. The awards, given out by Al Jazeera’s Fairouz
Ziani, also went to Samira Fakhri (Businesswoman of the Year), Dr Hessa Sadeq (Education), Maryam Al Shaibi (Entrepreneur), Hessa Al Awadi (Literature), Dr Nabila Al Meer (Medical), Amal Abdul Malik (Media), Anisa Al Hitmi (Sport), Dr Noora Al Hinzab (Humanitarian) and Maryam Al Jaber (Woman in Government), among others.
LEARNING AND FUN WITH ANGRY BIRDS Angry Birds Universe, a travelling exhibition that is making its debut in the Middle East, stopped over in Doha for three weeks before continuing its five-year world tour.
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he 1,500 sq metre exhibition that was put up in Katara till October 31 and consisting of areas like Bamboo Forest, Cobalt Plateaus, The City, Cave Studio, Crown Mountains and Space provided children with interactive games that taught them many scientific and mathematical concepts including friction, mass, velocity, gravity, orbits, and other educational and fun topics like natural history of birds, animation, drawing and music.
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culture > qt take UP CLOSE WITH THE
TIGER OF MYSORE
BY ABIGAIL MATHIAS
Palanquin handle.
“I would prefer to live the life of a tiger for a day than that of a jackal for 100 years.” TIPU SULTAN
Cannon, Sultanate of Mysore, India (Srirangapatna).
Head of the cannon shaped like a tiger.
Axle bosses and cannonballs.
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Guard’s sword
More information on the events can be found at www.mia.org.qa/en/tigers-dream
Entrance to the exhibition, Tiger’s Dream: Tipu Sultan
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fter the storming of the Indian fort of Srirangapatna, in May 1799, which led to the annihilation of the most feared foe of the British, Tipu Sultan, the victors found a curious toy in his chambers. ‘The Musical Tiger,’ as it was called, was made up of a tiger preying on an English soldier. It was so constructed that, by the turning of a handle, the animal’s growls mingled with the shrieks of its dying victim. It is believed that Tipu’s favourite toy reflected his hatred for the British. There is no doubt that Tipu Sultan was one of India’s most fascinating rulers. The Sword of Tipu Sultan, a dramatised television show, enthralled and intrigued Indian audiences when it was first aired in 1990. To view the original sword owned by a bodyguard of the legendary ruler, so many years later, is almost surreal. The Tiger’s dream Tipu Sultan is an exhibition at the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar that tries to encapsulate the life of this legendary South Indian ruler. In what he describes as ‘an intimate setting,’ the curator William Greenwood and his team have tried to recapture the grand life and times of the former king. Tipu Sultan ruled the Malabar area for 36 years in the 1700’s. It is fascinating that one of his personal ornate daggers on display in Qatar seems almost new so many years later. “The pieces on display in this exhibition are beautiful and can be used to understand how Tipu Sultan continues to be relevant even two centuries after his death,” says the curator. It is the first time an exhibition on the ‘warrior king,’ as he was known, is being held in the region. The previous exhibition on Tipu Sultan was held in Scotland in 1999. “Tipu Sultan was not only a warrior and ruler, but a man who, through his accomplishments, became a legend during his lifetime,” says Greenwood. Admitting his own fascination with the ruler, Greenwood adds: “After
growing up in London and seeing Tipu Sultan’s life documented in the Victoria and Albert Museum, his story just grows on you. The curator has worked in the Indian and Islamic Department at Bonham’s auction house in London. In a previous exhibition in Qatar, he showcased historic swords from the MIA collection. The Indian ruler was always fascinated with tigers, owing to which he was called the ‘tiger of Mysore.’ Tipu was so fond of the tiger that he had reared six tigers which he kept as pets and had them chained to the pillars of his durbar (courtroom) whenever he was present in the palace for any official court hearing. Tigers are considered fearless and courageous animals and the ruler tried to identify his character with these noble and brave creatures. Which explains why Tipu Sultan designed his weapons with the symbol of a tiger. His clothing also often carried this symbol. On entering the MIA exhibition one is surrounded by the power of the historic ruler. In the centre sits a large cannon, whose mouth is shaped like a tiger’s head. There is also a brass sculpture which is believed to have been used to carry royal women in palanquins. The sculpture uses a prominent tiger motif here as well. Cannon balls used at the time also bear the tiger’s head. The centrepiece of this exhibition is a series of paintings depicting the Battle of Pollilur in 1780. Showing Tipu Sultan’s victory over the British army, the paintings appear to be a preparatory work for a palatial mural. In their original state, they formed one continuous roll of rice paper, approximately two metres high and nine metres wide. It has since been cut into 24 separate pieces. The original wall painting housed in the Darya Daulat Bagh, the Sultan’s palace on the outskirts of Mysore, survives to this day. The images at MIA have been reconstituted using digital imaging. The exhibition is currently on at MIA’s Special Exhibitions Gallery and will continue till January 24. A series of activities including art workshops and special lectures is planned to coincide with the exhibition QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014 > 109
Qatar Today looks at two expatriates from everyday life, one who has lived here for a significant amount of time and another who has just made Doha his home, for their take on life in this city.
MY HOME IN QATAR STEFAN CRAITA Marketing Manager, Volkswagen Qatar, Q-Auto Been in Doha since: March 2007 (seven years)
IN THE SEVEN YEARS THAT I SPENT HERE, I WAS PRIVILEGED TO BE ABLE TO TASTE A WIDE RANGE OF DELICIOUS ARABIC AND ASIAN FOODS WHICH I PROBABLY NEVER WOULD HAVE FOUND IN MY HOME TOWN.
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NEW BEGINNINGS MANUEL SANTOS Director of Food & Beverage Four Seasons Hotel Doha Been in Doha since: June 2014 (five months) 110 > QATAR TODAY > NOVEMBER 2014
Nostalgia Doha’s population was around 700,000 when I arrived in the country. At that time, being stuck in traffic meant that you are 30 metres away from the traffic light, while getting across town was a 30-minute drive. There was no D-Ring Road, no flyovers or highways. I vividly remember how West Bay was a massive construction site with dozens of skyscrapers being built the same time, giving the impression it was preparing itself for something big. The city is in a race against time to become the cosmopolitan emirate of the Middle East with a focus on sports, education and culture. But the things I miss the most are the uncongested roads, the low rents and the green roundabouts. Changing before my eyes In the past seven years I witnessed the rise of a new Doha. One by one, projects reached completion. The Museum of Islamic Art, which opened in 2008, was the new signature landmark on Doha’s Corniche. I was very impressed with the architecture and the beautiful collections of Islamic art, textiles, rugs, and all other artifacts. I still feel the same kind of awe today as I did when I first walked into its enormous lobby. This was followed by the inauguration of other major landmarks – The Pearl, Katara, MIA Park, Qatar National Convention Center and Hamad International Airport and more.
With all the development taking place in Qatar, I realised that this is the right time to be here and be a part of it. So I welcomed the opportunity to join the hotel which is in the beautiful West Bay area. I live close to Aspire and so find myself hanging out a lot at the Villaggio Mall, Aspire and its parks. I am looking forward to exploring the coast and pursuing two of my favourite hobbies: Kite-surfing and fishing. I’m from Porto in the north of Portugal but I haven’t lived there since 2001; if there is something I miss about home it’s the river and seaside cafes and restaurants which are great places to spend time with your friends and have good meals. I also miss the beach waves where I used to surf whilst living there.
Making memories I used to spend most of my free time either in the Souq, strolling on the Corniche or exploring new places outside the city limits with my friends. I also got the opportunity to meet famous sports personalities from my country, Romania, here in Doha: Nadia Comaneci, Ilie Nastase and Gheorghe Hagi. A fond memory that I always gladly recall is arriving back to Doha at 20*C from a freezing -15*C in my country. Shifting from below 0 clothing to shorts and t-shirt in less than 24 hours is a great feeling. Growing with Qatar Over the last few years, I grew both personally and professionally. I learnt that patience and a good sense of humour are must-have skills for anyone deciding to live in this country and that living in Qatar will make you more adaptable to any situation that life throws at you. I made many friends with people of different nationalities and walks of life. I am proud to say I have friends from more than 30 countries. I have to mention that Qatar, compared with other countries, does provide an expat with extra benefits as an employee when it comes to remuneration. It helps a lot when you know that you can afford much of everything that allows you to live a stress-free lifestyle.