The Alea Journal - June 2021

THE JOURNAL JUNE 2021

BUSINESS // TRAVEL // POLITICS // CULTURE // LIFE PRODUCED BY

ALEA GLOBAL GROUP

Contents FOREWORD

Page 2

“GIVEZAKAT”: A NEW DIGITAL SOLUTION FOR ISLAMIC PHILANTHROPY

Page 3

DIANA HAMADE ON RELIGION, LAW AND BUSINESS BIG FUTURE

Page 5

Page 7

COLOMBIA, AN INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR PRIVATE EQUITY FUNDS

Page 9

OPEN BANKING

Page 14

THE HYPE ABOUT VIRGIN HYPERLOOP

Page 16

THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL AUTOMATION

Page 18

PAOLO PETROCELLI: CULTURE AFTER COVID

Page 20

AN INTRODUCTION TO VERTICAL FARMING

Page 25

THE WORLD'S BEST TRAIN JOURNEYS

Page 28

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN RULERS REHOMED

Page 32

HALIMA ADEN: A MUSLIM BEFORE A MODEL

Page 33

WELCOME

JUNE 2021

The alea journal FOREWORD BY MOHAMMAD AL DUAIJ CEO OF ALEA GLOBAL GROUP Although in many ways it feels as though we are now moving into a new world for which we have no blueprint, these times remind me very much of something else.

Much of what we see around us now in the Middle East – our cities and our way of life – came from our history of wandering from spot to spot in search of natural resources.

While previously this meant travelling through the desert to find water and wildlife, now we must apply this logic, spirit and persistence to our current situation.

New information about Covid continues to come to light, and new hope continues to spring up along with new opportunities that can restore our freedoms, economies and lives.

Like our ancestors we must keep moving, taking what resources we can and not stopping until we reach a point at which we can settle for good.

This means moving forward in a metaphorical but also a literal sense. We must reclaim our freedoms from this virus, and not be afraid to live and to travel as much as we are able to.

Not only does travel broaden our minds, connect us and educate us, but it is also the backbone of many of the industries on which we in our professional lives have come to rely.

New variants may now be commonplace and regular, so it is up to us to decide whether we will stay in one place for the rest of our lives, or whether we will strive to keep our professional and personal lives moving despite these new challenges.

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For myself and for our family office, we know that there is no substitute for inperson events which bring together people from all over the world.

Through meeting face-to-face, and sometimes by chance, our own worlds can change and we can collaborate on ways to change other people' s worlds for the better.

We wish you all health and happiness, and look forward to seeing you in person as soon as possible.

To contact us with news and ideas for future issues, email info@aleaglobalgroup.com

“GiveZakat”: A new digital solution for Islamic philanthropy “As UNHCR is always looking for new ways to meet the increasing needs of refugees, and with lots of Muslims ready for giving to people in need and always asking us to consider Zakat, we launched the Refugee Zakat Fund in 2019.”

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has recently launched a new mobile application to encourage Muslims around the world to give their Zakat and Sadaqah using their mobile phone, to support refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Chahine highlighted that UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund follows a 100% Zakat distribution policy, ensuring 100% of Zakat contributions are delivered directly to eligible families most in need.

“GiveZakat” was launched to provide Muslim donors and philanthropists with a digital solution that simplifies the donation process, said Hossam Chahine, Head of UNHCR’s Private Sector Partnerships in the MENA region.

The Refugee Zakat Fund is supported and approved by many of the most credible Islamic organizations and authorities as a legitimate channel for Zakat.

He pointed out that Islamic philanthropy is one of the most vital resources to support refugees and IDPs worldwide, “especially that more than 50% of refugees and displaced individuals around the world are from Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries.”

Among those organizations are the OIC’s International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA), the Muslim World League (MWL), Dar al-Ifta al-Missriyyah in Egypt,

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The Fatwa Council of Tareem in Yemen, and The Council of Senior Scholars of Morocco.“GiveZakat” is the mobile digital arm of the Refugee Zakat Fund.

donors to stay up to date about their donation and to monitor where and how it was spent.

The reporting section of the app enables donors and interested individuals to understand key details about online Zakat donations being made to UNHCR in real-time.

It was launched in 2020 to provide Muslims with a digital solution for their Zakat donation to refugees and displaced populations.It allows users to pay their Zakat and regular charity “Sadaqah” using a secure payment gateway.

The information reported on the app includes the number of online donors during the current fiscal year, the total amount of Zakat they have donated, the destination of Zakat funds, and, most importantly, the number of families impacted.

App users will be able to choose the amount and the frequency for their giving and calculate their Zakat based on their assets and wealth, using the “Zakat Calculator.”

To know more about the Refugee Zakat Fund, please visit https://zakat.unhcr.org/en/aboutzakat

“GiveZakat”, available now on the “App Store” and “Google Play”, allows

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diana hamade on Religion, law and business Diana Hamade is the founder and managing partner of Diana Hamade Attorneys at Law. Here she kindly discusses with the role of religion in business Could you explain a little about your career

clients in every case before the court. Think of me as the Good Wife, in what she does in the series telling the story of an American woman lawyer.

path to date?

My career was not a steady, uninterrupted path, like many people. I guess I had to be the exception, even in a career path, though I finished school at the age of 17 and university when I was 21 and got my Masters degree when I was 23.

But what I am known for, is property, family and employment law. I keep my distance from criminal law. I am also known as the private client lawyer in the region. I am ranked by Chambers as the rank one lawyer in the HNW private client practice and I also advise family businesses on corporate governance and dispute resolution.

My career started with one if the international law firms in Dubai in the 90s but when I got married I left work for almost 6 years to have my children and when my second child went to nursery I joined the legal department of the chamber of commerce, for 3 years, but left work again when I got pregnant with my third child.

For our readers around the world, could you give a brief overview of Sharia law, and whether you see business and Sharia law becoming more or less intertwined in the

I joined the DIFC after the birth of my third child then left again 2 years later to set up my own law firm in 2007

future?

When I went to law school, the UAE University offered a law degree in Sharia & Law. A dual major which is not available any longer any where, which is a pity. Studying Sharia was quite challenging even for me, despite my fluent Arabic and my religious upbringing, not in the sense of practice but the spiritual home I was raised in.

What drives you on a personal level to do the work you do?

What drives me on a personal level is the love of what I do. I have loved every bit of the journey so far. Being the child to my parents, the sister to my siblings, the mother to my children, the friend, the advocate of causes and of course the lawyer.

Sharia law is one of the sources of law in the UAE and not the source of law. That means we do base our laws on Sharia, in the areas we believe we should and need to.

What are your professional specialisms?

My professional specialism is litigation, being an attorney at law is what I have passion for and continue to do. As an attorney I represent my

Until now the Family law is the most reliant on Sharia. We are not a Sharia law state, like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, or Iran.

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We are like the other GCC states and other Arab countries, render Sharia a source of law. We may be rendered Sharia compliant in general but we do have conventional banks, alchohol served in restaurants, and other non sharia compliant sectors of business and economy that are rendered legal.

day by day. Other countries may not be enjoying our experience. It is saddening to see that neighbouring countries still fight over religions and sects, but trust me the same countries have the same people of different religions doing business and doing good for their countries.

Literature on the relationship of Business and religion is scarce, because religion has been seen as a divisive tool. I can say from experience in business that religion has not mattered to us or to our partners in business ever.

Businesses can benefit from different faiths intertwined in the workplace and in deals.

What is required is respect and tolerance.

Religion is what may be needed at the workplace to enhance creativity because religion is a vulnerability, which Brene Brown advocates and calls upon businesses to avoid creating cultures where perfectionism and armour is rewarded, and zero tolerance for vulnerability, because people will be talking about each other than talking to each other and that is what we see in our societies.

Would my clients consider the religion of a business partner before signing a deal? No. But 30 years ago yes.

Religion played a part in business long ago but not any more. On the contrary, now it is interesting to meet now business acquaintances from different religions.

Especially in Dubai where I live.

Dubai is all about tolerance and we are living it

Religion is vulnerability and it is not a weakness, it is actually powerful because it connects people if we direct it positively.

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Big Future An online charity event to inspire hope for 2021 and beyond

BigFutureFestival.com

The story so far Big Future has hosted two events in 2021.

The first was a talk by renowned entrepreneur and futurist Yanki Margalit.

Yanki’s presentation, ‘Mind the Gap! Big Future Ahead’, discussed technological and other developments that will shape our world.

The second talk, 'Meant To Be', was by Leah Zveglich of Aster Impact. Leah told the romantic and unlikely story of her parents' relationship through many challenges.

Yanki Margalit

Among the projects Big Future has funded so far is the building of a school in Malawi; the distribution of medical supplies and food in Brazil, and the building of a new business premises for a Brazilian family.

We’re now funding a new project; a bus which doubles as a mobile school and can provide educational resources to children in areas with no schools.

Beginning as a Kuwaiti idea for a refugee camp in Lebanon and villages in India, we hope to take this project to multiple countries.

Leah Zveglich

BigFutureFestival.com

Colombia, an investment opportunity for private equity funds

Colombia's capital fund industry celebrated its 15th anniversary and is advancing at a good pace.

According to ProColombia, with information from Colcapital, this sector has more than 151 active funds that have managed more than US$16.4 billion in the country throughout its lifetime.

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The investment of private equity funds in Colombia is quite recent and can be dated to 2005, when the first of the funds was created in the country.

This was the beginning of a path of growth that, to date, totals 151 assets, which have reached different sectors of the economy.

In total, the capital committed to the funds amounts to US$16 billion, of which more than US$10 billion has been invested and with capital of US$6 billion available to invest.

Several funds have shown outstanding performance in Colombia in recent years.

The Government of Colombia understands that the attraction of investment of private equity funds and family offices is essential and for this reason since 2019, the country has had an exclusive regulatory framework for this type of vehicle that promotes the creation of local funds.

Among them is Brookfield, a global U.S. group with more than US$250 billion in assets under management, closed a nearly US$2 billion investment a couple of years ago with Isagen a Colombian electric energy supplier; and also AKKR-an American firm with presence in London and San Francisco-, with the acquisition of the Siigo software company.

It should be noted that private equity funds are not subject to income tax.

In Latin America, Colombia is strategically positioned as a business and export platform for the Pacific Alliance, Mercosur, and other countries as an alternative for risk diversification and market expansion.

Large investment firms focusing in technology such as Sequoia, Andressen Horowitz, Delivery Hero, Softbank, and DST Global, jointly invested more than US$1.3 billion in Rappi, Colombia’s first unicorn startup.

In Europe and Asia, Colombia is viewed as a continental production and distribution center for companies in these regions, with a focus on the market in the Americas.

Additionally, the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI, as per its acronym in Spanish), following Colombia’s entry to the OECD, stated that 13 foreign groups (pension funds, private equity funds, among others) had shown interest in participating in various infrastructure projects in the country.

Thanks to the 17 trade agreements in force, Colombia has preferential access to more than 60 countries and more than 1.6 billion consumers worldwide.

Colombia is regarded as a clear answer for companies that are thinking of relocating their operations.

These are just a couple of examples that show signs of the country's potential for global private equity funds.

The trend of nearshoring has been accelerated by the pandemic and the closure of economies has led to a rupture, or at least an interruption, in supply chains, increasing the need to diversify risk.

ProColombia, the agency responsible for international promotion of exports, international tourism, and the attraction of foreign direct investment, seeks to align the opportunities Colombia has to offer with the interest shown by funds.

The pandemic and the dynamics of international trade have forced multinationals to seek new investment destinations close to their consumers.

"ProColombia's aims at providing capital funds with information on the supply of companies that are interested in receiving investment to strengthen their internationalization processes and to establish contact between the latter and the former so that resources may create growth and generate greater employment and competitiveness within companies.

With this in mind, Colombia enjoys an ideal position as a platform to diversify production and mitigate supply chain risks.

The country also has a competitive free zone regime with tax incentives that generate efficiencies through economies of scale, productive chains, and access to innovation and technology platforms that facilitate business and promote the internationalization of the country's industry.

In the current economic recovery scenario there is a great opportunity for private equity funds," said Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia.

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ZOOM IN KEY INVESTMENT SECTORS Infrastructure : In order to revive the

focus on solar, wind and biomass, especially in regions such as the Caribbean, where there are important air and solar radiation indicators that make the region ideal for the implementation of such projects.

economy following the health emergency, the Government prioritized investments in Private Public Partnerships amounting to US$5.2 billion.

It is projected that this will create more than 90,000 jobs between 2020 and 2022 in the modernization of roads, highways, ports and airports that are part of the infrastructure development projects known as 5G projects.

President Ivan Duque’s Government has made a commitment to ensure the country's energy efficiency with the incorporation of new renewable energies.

In addition to these projects, Colombia has a secondary dynamic infrastructure market, which allows Foreign Investment Capital Funds to join ongoing projects, with stable and secure profitability.

The goal is to increase installed capacity for solar and wind power generation by 50, with an increase from less than 50 megawatts in 2018 to more than 2,500 megawatts by 2022.

Energy : Thanks to its geographical location

This means that there are opportunities available for private equity funds and other forms of foreign investment in the development of new projects.

and weather conditions, Colombia has great potential for the development and use of renewable energies with a particular

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Tourism and Real Estate: The

Economic Growth Act 2019 offers a preferential income tax for hotels, theme parks, agrotourism, ecotourism, and new docks.

Under the same legislation, there are incentives for mega-investments with a value equal to or greater than US$300 million that create at least 400 jobs.

These projects are able to benefit from a tax rate of 27% (which is below the regular 32% rate); as well as tax exemptions on dividends and capital gains; and greater legal fiscal stability through a contract with the tax department.

Mega-investments in the high-tech, emerging and exponential technology, and e-commerce sectors must generate at least 250 direct jobs.

Agribusiness: Colombia is the fifth largest country

in Latin America with an area of 114 million hectares, of which about 40 million make up the national agricultural frontier.

Of these, there are about 8 million planted hectares, so the potential for an agricultural boom is enormous.

This, coupled with tropical climatic conditions, make it possible to produce a rich variety of food throughout the year in Colombia.

Colombia is considered one of only seven countries in the world to be a global food supplier according to FAO. Private equity funds represent an opportunity for all investors to reach Colombia's agricultural sector and agribusiness. To date, only 3% of fund investments have been made in these sectors.

For more information on investing in Colombia, contact ProColombia: www.investincolombia.com.co

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open banking AN INTRODUCTION Open Banking is a series of guidelines in the UK that means banks must let you share your banking information with third parties – if you want to.

to do this, but if you’re in the UK then your bank no longer gets to deny you this option.

So what are some real world examples of open banking in

Notoriously striving to be extremely secure, banking systems have previously locked out even their own customers, especially when it comes to plugging in externally-managed services to their accounts.

action?

But the Competitions and Markets Authority have decided a couple of years ago that British customers can authorize the sharing of their financial data, and this has opened up opportunities customers have never had before.

These kinds of apps can do the daily work of saving you money without you having to think about it.

What does open banking allow you to do?

By using the new open banking rules, you can do things like connect apps to your accounts to analyse your spending habits and make suggestions about how you can save money.

Any kind of personal account you hold that is in some way accessible online will eventually be applicable. That could be your current account, credit card or savings account.

You might be able to outsource some of your banking functions to people other than your bank, looking elsewhere for loans and savings services that compare favourably to those your own bank can offer.

Of course it makes sense that your bank might not want you

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Well, there are apps like Moneybox, which rounds up your purchases to the nearest pound and then squirrels the change away as savings.

And then there’s the meatier functions of companies like Canopy, which can track your rent payments and make sure they count towards your credit score, so that renters aren’t disadvantaged when it comes to getting credit.

How do I know it’s secure?

As you might expect, not everybody trying to get in on the open banking game has your best interests at heart.

The Financial Conduct Authority regulates the genuine players in this market, and also keeps track of the trusted and regulated third party service suppliers on the FCA Register.

This extra layer of security means you’re protected in case any of those third party apps and sites decided to defraud you (which is highly unlikely if they’re on the register in the first place).

You can also check the Open Banking Directory to make sure you’re dealing with an above board company.If you happen to be unfortunate or unwise enough to start using an app that isn’t regulated, and you do fall victim to fraud, you might not be able to chase down the culprit and get that money back.

banking is an entirely voluntary one, so it’s there if you want to use it but there’s no pressure to use it if you don’t want to.

Just bear in mind that it could be saving you money, and it’s likely to become more and more common.

So if you want to safely dip a toe into the open banking waters with a trusted budgeting app you could find yourself fully prepared for the future of finance.

What if I don’t want to share my data?

Then you don’t have to! The concept of open

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the hype about Virgin hyperloop The Virgin Hyperloop is a futuristic form of transport that sounds like it belongs in a retro sci-fi film; a train speeding along inside a vacuum tube, reaching more than 100mph, and eventually aiming for more than 600mph.

But it’s very real, and it’s just carried its very first passengers.

This ambitious new transport project is being developed by Virgin, although it’s also got its roots in Elon Musk’s imagination too.

His vision of combining maglev (magnetic levitation) to elevate and then propel a train along on a frictionless journey at incredible speeds is finally taking shape.

Virgin hopes to have the technology safety certified by 2025 so they can begin the serious work on Hyperloop by 2030.

But it could be that the trickiest work is still ahead.

The first test run with two real passengers took place in the Nevada desert, over 500 metres of tube-shaped track.

Despite the number of countries that have expressed an interest in exploring these trains of tomorrow, there’s a phenomenal amount of infrastructure involved, and it could seriously slow down the development of this high speed transport – at least in Europe.

It may have lasted a mere 15 seconds, but it may be the beginning of the first new mode of mass transport in a century.

In the Middle East, however, things look a little different.

With more easily navigable planning processes, more money, and big flat stretches of desert, we could see the first working Virgin Hyperloop connecting Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Reports from the two passengers who took the test flight (both Virgin Hyperloop employees) were very positive.

Neither reported feeling ill, and were able to sit comfortably and wear normal clothing for the very brief and very fast trip to the future.

Find out more at virginhyperloop.com

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The future of digital automation Since digitization of services become increasingly important in serving customers especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Digital Transformation and Innovation became a necessity to lead, develop and safeguard organizations to create a sustainable echo system in order to serve and guarantee business survival in future.

There are many challenges facing the current businesses and particularly those less dependants on technologies and innovation.

Digital transformation became a must to allow the business to operate with its highest capacity efficiently at the minimal cost.

The disruption of digital technology had reformed customers behaviour and increased their demand towards digitization.

We observed the old generation struggling to adapt the digital rapid changes occurred last year by the government and private sector; however, it became an obligation to meet and satisfy clients need.

Young generation enjoyed the beauty of technology and assisted elder people to learn and build up new skills for the

future within a short period of time.

For instance, our parents learned how to book appointments with governments, order groceries and purchase goods within few clicks using e-commerce apps and websites.

While, in banking sector digital transformation was heavily noticed through the recent deployments of smart branches, automated tellers, digital signage, customized promotions and high service availability through alternative channels such as mobile apps, online and phone banking.

Banks had realized that the only way to sustain is to build a new business module to ensure business survival in the upcoming years.

For instance, banks started to seek more flexibility to run and operate their daily business by rolling out 100+ of self-service machines across branch network and shopping malls.

A business shift made a significant difference to the efficiency of banking processes, and has transformed customer experience after migrating 40% of their customers towards digital services rather than traditional branch visit.

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“It is very important to put people in at the center of our business in order to succeed in the competitive banking industry,” said Khalil Al-Qattan, Head of Digital Transformation & Innovation. “Bank customers were keen on the flexibility of 24/7 self-banking.

Prioritising automation allowing customers to deposit their cheque immediately, instant money collection and seamless payments through mobile app and wearables made banking more exciting.

Developing smart and innovative business model gave banks the opportunity to restructure their workforce and place skilled professionals in efficient and proactive roles, rather than having large numbers of tellers facing customers, instead serve them from a centralized hub.”

Leadership in most organizations perceived a significant change in overall performance after adapting automation.

For customers, waiting times and human errors are reduced, resulting in a streamlined, reliable and more secure banking services At last, every organization is unique and has its own potential of growth, which helped resources think of tailor-made solutions specific to their customers. “

Video banking made it even easier for customers to reach out and consult relationship officers from anywhere anytime.

It is our chance to build and shape the future of our businesses through digital innovation and to contribute to our community and country as a whole” said AlQattan.

The experience of onboarding new customers via mobile app to open bank accounts in a few minutes without the hassle of visiting a branch. .

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Paolo Petrocelli:

culture after covid

How important is culture to a nation's economy?

What kind of work do you do? And how has it changed through the pandemic?

I'm a manager in the cultural sector. Specifically, I work in the music field, in classical music and Opera. I'm working and based in Rome. I'm working, of course, for Italian institutions, but I've been working for many years now for European and international organizations, also in the Middle East, and specifically in the Gulf region. So every day I try to support opera houses, music, academies, ministries of culture, to develop better strategies for cultural and music initiatives.

During the pandemic, it's been extremely challenging for the cultural sector to plan and develop business and activities. But also, I think, this is an opportunity to expand the vision of the sector, and try to really come up with some innovative solutions, not just to the current challenges, but also to some historical challenges that our sector has. So this pandemic is actually giving us not just problems, but also I believe, opportunities..

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A lot of citizens, but also politicians, and entrepreneurs and managers look at the cultural sector just as the entertainment sector. But we know that the financial impact that culture produces everywhere in the world is so big, and I think that the cultural sector should be able to communicate more clearly the value that it represents not just from a social point of view, but also from an economical point of view.

The pandemic is clearly demonstrating that once you put on hold an entire sector, like the cultural sector, you're damaging every level of our society, because we know that the cultural sector is positively engaging all the main stakeholders of our society, from citizens to the private sector, from the government to the NGOs and the civic society.

What role can culture play or does culture play in international relations?

Well, of course, it's a crucial role. We hear more and more about the concept of cultural diplomacy which is a very advanced and sophisticated form of diplomacy and of soft power. So definitely we know that culture has

b e e n u s e d o v e r t he c e n t u r i e s a s a t o o l t o f a c i l i t a t e i n t e r a c t i o n and collaboration and cooperation between people and countries. And I think that working together on these kinds of programs will give us a lot of new opportunities to not only facilitate political economical interaction between countries and regions of the world, but also it will give a new perspective of how we can develop culture with a very global and international vision.

How has the pandemic impacted cultural activity in the past year?

Beside all the criticalities, of course, trying to see the positive aspect we realize that technological innovation is not something that you can actually implement quickly on a large scale. We realized that we were thinking within our museums, theaters, concert halls, opera houses, that innovation was to have a very nice website, or have a very good social media manager in the team. Of course this is not enough at all, but actually, we realized that we need to work on serious investments, especially on the digital infrastructure.

Most of our theaters, museums and cultural venues around the world – especially in Europe – they don't have a serious and appropriate digital infrastructure. So we need investments, we need a strategy, but we also need expertise and skills. That's why we weren't able to react promptly in going online.

Of course, everyone did their best, but the answer is not just going on YouTube or Facebook. With the live streaming performance, you really need to develop a cultural program, a digital cultural program, which is a little something a little bit different from just filming what you are doing in a normal season, for instance.

Any countries whose cultural sectors have done better than others worse than others through this?

If we see the two big blocks of US and Europe, you can clearly understand the consequences of the pandemic in the US where you have a system which is strongly supported by the private sector. Broadway is completely shut down, and all the major cultural organizations are basically in standby, because they usually count on strong support from the private sector. And now the private sector has different kinds of priorities.

Of course, in Europe, the system is completely regulated in a different way, the state or the governments are actually supporting most of the financial needs of the cultural organizations. So, let me say that for once the European system demonstrated to be more healthy from a certain point of view.

In the Middle East, there is a kind of mix of government and private support to the cultural sector. Of course, everything was also affected there, the same as in Asia.

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W h a t l o n g t e r m i m pa c t o n c u l t u r e d o y o u t h i n k t h a t t h e lockdown might have even when everything kind of is allowed again?

We are all expecting a big boom of the live events once this will be possible, so from the ticket office point of view everyone is very, very positive. At the same time, I think that every citizen of the world is really going to have different kinds of needs, in terms of a cultural event, we are all expecting something very meaningful and excellent. We don't want to waste time or money or energy in something that is not really making a difference. So we will I think be much more selective in what we are going to do during the next few years. And I think that this kind of approach from the audience will make an impact on the cultural sector and we will have to be much more committed to offer really, really great cultural projects and initiatives. This is my hope, at least. Also we will be much more careful about investing a lot of money in big productions and big projects, everything will have to be much more considered and valued.

Do you think everything there will, potentially every live event will have some kind of digital platform?

From now on, it will be very strange if you don't have these kinds of facilities. I think that this is going to really change how we plan and we create the strategy for our cultural projects. We will always have to think, well there might be someone that is not going to be there, and we also want to give them the opportunity to have this kind of experience.

How important do you think physical spaces and venues are to the cultural life of a city or a country?

I think that many cultural organizations will work to rediscover their social mission. So that cultural venues are not just a place for performance, but really the key venues of a community now, where people can actually meet, interact, share emotions, ideas, not just around the performance but around an idea of culture.

And this is something that I think we were losing, over the last few years, especially here in Europe where some theatres or concert halls were actually missing this kind of social role. So I think that we'll have to rediscover and rethink, at least partially, how we use these spaces to really make these theaters and concert halls and museums much more inclusive and open.

How do you think the virtual experience compares with the in person experience?

We clearly realize that it is almost impossible to reproduce the live experience in the digital way. But this is the point, we need to look at the digital as an opportunity to do something more and eventually different from what we are going to do as a live experience. So again, it doesn't really make sense, for instance,

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to make an opera of three hours streamed digitally, b e ca u s e w e a r e j u s t n o t i n t e r e s t e d i n s t a y i n g i n f r o n t o f a laptop for three hours looking at an opera. I think that the live experience will always have its dimension of uniqueness, and that the digital event will have to really find its own identity, which from my point of view is not just about live streaming. It’s an opportunity to expand the artistic languages. So what you can do on digital is sometimes impossible to do in the real world.

Do you have any particular favorite cultural venues or spaces around the world?

Some of the Italian opera houses and the Opera House in Paris are such special, special venues where you can really breathe a lot of history and heritage. I'm very inspired by the new performing arts centers that have been built in the Gulf region over the last few years.

If I think about Dubai or Qatar, they are so inspiring from many points of view, and it’s very interesting as an Italian, a European, to see how we can actually envision a new opera house in 2021. Now we can really create futuristic performing arts centers – something that might be very difficult to find in Europe, but these countries are creating the cultural ecosystem and we have proof of what architecture and engineering and design can really come up with.

What are some of the cultural projects or new venues or new work that you're looking forward to?

I've just been appointed a few months ago as Director General of one of the historical music academies in the city of Cremona. And in Italy, Cremona is so famous all around the world, because it's the city where the violin was created. So there is this very, very historical tradition of utility. It's a great opportunity for me as a manager to try to innovate and develop such an historical music academy that is working with the top young talents coming from all over the world to improve their skills as soloists as musicians.

And it’s a great opportunity to understand how an academy for higher education in such an historical city of Pomona could actually look into the future and project itself into the future. What does it mean today to help young talents that are working on a classical music field to really be successful as artists, but also let me say as human beings because what does it mean today to be an artist? What is exciting is the connection between the past, the present and the future, between the tradition and innovation.

Follow Paolo's work at PaoloPetrocelli.com 23

an introduction to

vertical farming James Lloyd-Jones is the Founder and CEO of Jones Food Company, a UK-based vertical farming company. We caught up with him to find out how the sector has developed in recent years.

Talk us through vertical farming technology

How have you noticed the industry grow and

and the specific way that it’s used

change in the past few years?

Traditional farming is normally on one plain. So either a field or greenhouse will have one level.

Vertical farming, in our first farm, was 17 layers high. So we are 16 times better per square metre than a normal farming greenhouse in that respect.

In 2009 it really ballooned in Japan because of the Fukushima disaster. And they didn't want to eat nuclear radiated food, or the perception of nuclear radiated food. So it's been quite big in Asia.

And effectively you're flooding trays with nutrient rich water, capturing that water, taking it back, re-mixing it, treating it and then putting it back in. So you're far more water efficient.

You're also bringing down the growing cycles.

So on some of our products, we're nearly three times quicker than a greenhouse to grow.

And you don't have any external weather issues to deal with, so you can be very controlled and grow everything to spec over and over, year round.

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I think it’s really revved up in the last 18 months more so than the last 10 years. It's probably just been bumbling along on the peripherals of agriculture.

That's changed a bit with some very large investments going into the American market especially, and some European players.

I think with COVID it's starting to be more acute on people's radar, specifically with food supply security, and, and also there seems to be a high nationalization of people wanting to have food that's grown and consumed in their own countries.

W h a t k i n d o f p ro b l e m s i n g e n e r a l d o e s v e r t i c a l f a r m i n g solve?

Well supply security, year round supplies are so important. You can make vertical farming carbon neutral. Farming is the largest polluter, especially of freshwater and Co2 emissions, in the world.

It also ensures that you take away the need for migrant labor.

In the UK it’s a big thing, not being able to get enough pickers in the soft fruit season, and you probably see that in the Middle East where they can't bring the migrant labor in to look at the polytunnels because of COVID and because of the high heat.

You’re getting rid of those sorts of social economic problems farming can bring.

If anybody reading this was thinking that they'd like to try and introduce vertical farms to their region, what do they need to consider?

You need a route to market. It is still, in reality, quite a new industry. There's lots of vertical farms with different technology. I would only go with the vertical farms that grow, produce and sell and do everything themselves, don't just buy technology because they won't be there to support you.

And there really is a very, very big skills gap in vertical farming, from hobbyists that can do a container size to companies that are now investing millions in upskilling staff to take them away from greenhouses. So I think the biggest challenge would be the staff and the experience in running a farm if they were to put it up in their own cities or countries.

Where do you see it going in terms of how the technology might be refined over let's say, the next 10 years?

From my personal perspective, we can be even bolder. 10 years is a long time away. I think in the next 18 months to two years, you'll see some advances and especially what we're bringing out.

What we've effectively built is the iPhone one, and now we're building the iPhone eight, there's a big jump.

So I think you're going to start seeing great greenhouses and vertical farms competing on CAPEX, so you'll have to go ‘well why build a greenhouse which needs a lot of space and different controls, just build a vertical farm which needs less space, and we can still get the same output per annum out and use less people’.

So I can see that happening in the next 18 months, 24 months.

And that will be game-changing, I think in horticulture worldwide.

Let's be fair, everyone wants to be doing a Silicon Valley tech company, and we're talking about how we can change the world with growing nutritionally.

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W h a t k i n d o f a m o u n t o f p ro d u c e a n d h o w m u c h can you produce with X amount of space and X amount of water and power?

Without giving too many trade secrets, how you can be completely carbon neutral, where they're set up between solar and battery. So for five megawatts of solar, and a megawatt battery standby, you can be carbon neutral on a large scale.

With the water, we use the equivalent that a two bedroom flat would use, to grow enough to cover 26 tennis courts. So that's too bad, two bedroom flat per day. So we do a lot of water capture water purification. So in the UK there's rainwater, but in the Middle East, rainwater is not going to really be a factor.

But that's fine, because we we capture our macro micro humidity and bring that through. So so water, we're very, two bedroom flat is equivalent to what we use and power. So and then on size depends on what you grow.

Because you can grow very high value light crops, that you'll go well, you probably produce 120 tonnes a year, or you can produce very heavy low value crops, and you may get like 600 tonnes a year. So it all depends on the crop type that you're growing, which will determine your annual output.

Do you have any examples that you can say of places you have set up in other countries?

We've got a slightly different model to everyone else because we don't sell, we only look to do joint ventures or licensing with local partners. We don't see it as fortunate to just sell technology. It's very short termism.

If you're going to work with a Middle East partner, for instance, you want it to be a 20 year partnership, both parties, where we provide technology and they have a route to market.

Because our technology and our R&D is always improving, our partner would get the benefit if you can increase your yield by 5%. You know that that's free money for them or free crop. So that's why we see the partnership model being far superior.

Fi nd out mor e at j ones f oodcompany. co. uk

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the world's best train journeys

Get inspired by our top picks and take an eco-friendly trip by train for your next holiday

The Rocky Mountaineer Take a journey around one of the most formidable mountain ranges in the world - the Canadian rockies.

The Rocky Mountaineer runs a wide variety of routes, and prides itself on offering the world’s leading luxury rail package.

There’s no danger of missing a single view on these luxury trains, which all offer glass dome coaches, enabling unforgettable panoramas for everyone.

With every package including a luxury hotel stay, this experience is all about the soaking up the splendour in the daylight, so don’t expect any sleeper cabins.

Their most popular 2 day route runs from Vancouver in the east to the beautiful Lake Louise in the west. Passengers are treated to local cuisine and 5 star service,surrounded by awe-inspiring canyons and stunning lakes.

The Train to the Clouds For a train journey like no other, nothing can top Argentina’s ‘Tren a les Nubes’, aka Train to the Clouds.

One of the highest railways in the world, the track itself could easily be mistaken for a rollercoaster, and gives the passenger the sensation of floating through the air.

This astounding route departs from Salta, and gives tourists a breathtaking ride marvelling at the Andes and the famous Polvorilla viaduct.

There’s a variety of tour options which make dedicated stops at panoramic photo opportunities, points of interest and local artisanal markets and cuisine.

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The Trans-Siberian As the longest, and most famous railway line in the world, the Trans-siberian line is synonymous with true adventure and exploration.

Running from Moscow to Vladivostok since 1916, and with connections to China, Mongolia and North Korea, this is one of the most unforgettable rail journeys possible.

Travelling no faster than 60kph, the journey gives you an amazing opportunity to take in the ever-changing scenery, from Soviet cities to awe inspiring lakes and meadows.

Trains, prices, tours and duration all vary because of this lengthy route (9289km), however it can certainly be done in luxury regardless of your schedule.

The Danube Express The famous Danube Express offers a variety of handpicked journeys that explore the hidden gems of Eastern Europe.

One of the most popular is the Balkan Explorer, which starts in Venice, and over the course of 11 days ventures through 9 stunning countries en route to Istanbul.

Passengers will get to soak up the beautiful changing landscapes of the Balkans and learn its fascinating history, all from the comfort of the opulent Golden Eagle Danube Express.

This train offers luxury en-suite hotel cabins, along with the finest onboard cuisine and entertainment.

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Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Classed as a World Heritage Sight, this rail journey ascends deep into the Himalayas to reach Ghum, India’s highest railway station.

Also known as The Toy Train due to its size, this bucket list worthy steam train connects New Jalpaiguri with Darjeeling - soaking up jaw dropping views of tea plantations, waterfalls and stunning mountains along the way.

There are several ticket types, and though the full journey one way takes 7 hours, tourists can choose a much shorter ride and still get the full magical experience.

Caledonian Sleeper The Caledonian Sleeper is by far the most stylish way to travel between London, Scotland and the Highlands.

It’s a brilliant chance to explore the UK’s many vibrant and historical cities such as Edinburgh, London and Glasgow alongside the beautiful rugged Scottish countryside of Fort William and Aviemore.

These classic overnight journeys offer passengers a variety of options all focussed on the utmost quality of service and comfort, with every room complete with a bespoke Glencraft mattress (favoured by royalty).

If there’s one way to enjoy some of the best sights in the UK, it's definitely with the Caledonian sleeper.

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ANCIENT EGYPTIAN RULERS REHOMED IN HISTORIC CEREMONY Crowds in Cairo witnessed an historic event this

Every care was taken to preserve and protect the

month, as a procession moved the mummified

remains, which were stored in boxes filled with

remains of past rulers from one museum to

nitrogen.

another.

There was a single vehicle for each mummy, and The 18 kings and four queens were transported

all vehicles were decorated and surrounded by

from the Egyptian Museum to the new National

their own motorcade. The government had even

Museum of Egypt, in a 5km procession that was

re-paved some of the roads to ensure the move

full of symbolism and ceremony.

was as smooth as possible.

Security guarded the move, which was formally

A 21-gun salute accompanied the procession, and

known as the Pharaohs' Golden Parade.

the mummies were greeted at their destination by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

The rulers were transported in chronological order of their reigns, beginning with the

Their new museum home has been opened with

Seqenenre Taa II, who ruled in the 17th Dynasty,

the aim of renewing tourism in the region, an

and continued through to Ramses IX whose rule

industry that has suffered particularly badly due

was in the 12th Century BC.

to the pandemic.

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Halima Aden: a muslim before a model If you don’t pay attention to the fashion world, you may never have heard of the supermodel Halima Aden. Until, that is, she quit that world completely.

Now more famous for choosing her religion over the fashion industry, Halima made a high profile decision that brought together female empowerment and faith.

Halima was the first supermodel to wear a hijab, and when she signed to the world famous IMG agency in 2017 her contract stipulated that she should never have to remove it.

Born in a refugee camp in Kenya and later moving to Minnesota, where she took part in Miss Minnesota USA in 2016. She became a semi-finalist, and this launched her career in modelling.

She quickly became a runway favourite, and starred in global campaigns representing brands such as Rihanna's Fenty Beauty, and Yeezy.

Charity remained close to her heart even when she left the refugee camp, and so Halima became a Unicef ambassador in 2018, with a particular interest in children’s rights.

But as much as she was able to have a high profile career and do charitable work, her world began to unravel as she noticed the ways her work and her faith would clash.

Stylists would begin styling her hijab and making it a feature of her look for shoots, which she found to be a subtly creeping invasion of the limits she had set when signing her contract.

On top of this, Halima would find herself regularly missing out on religious festivals and time with her family.

But it was one particular magazine cover which was the last straw. When she saw herself depicted with her face largely obscured in an image that she felt dehumanised her – and with a naked man pictured in an article on the following page – Halima reached her decision.

In November last year, Halima decided to quit modelling altogether, saying it was no longer compatible with her Muslim faith.

While this did also entail giving up her Unicef role, she hasn’t looked back, and has been spending time with her family while taking a well earned rest.

Now planning her next move, she has also executive produced a film about a refugee from Afghanistan, called I Am You. We wish Halima the best of luck, and look forward to seeing what she turns her talented hand to next.

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Upcoming Events 27 May 2021 Big Future Festival Virtual 16 September 2021 The Alea Sessions: Redesigning the Future (London edition) London, UK 24-25 October 2021 Middle East Family Office Investment Summit Dubai, UAE November 2021 Africa Family Office Investment Summit TBC APAC Family Office Investment Summit TBC Latam Family Office Investment Summit Mexico City, Mexico See aleaglobalgroup.com for updates

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