The Alea Journal — March 2023

THE JOURNAL MARCH 2023

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

ALEA GLOBAL GROUP

Contents FOREWORD

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INTRODUCING ALFRED PAY

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COSM: A NEW KIND OF IMMERSIVE VENUE

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MRBEAST AND A NEW STYLE OF PHILANTHROPY

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CHANGING THE WORLD, ONE PEACE AT A TIME

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15-MINUTE CITIES: THE PROS AND CONS

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WHY ARE ENERGY PRICES AROUND THE WORLD SO HIGH?

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SPACE REAL ESTATE

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THE MAIN PLAYERS IN THE 2024 USA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

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EGYPT: BEYOND THE PYRAMIDS

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A QUICK GUIDE TO THE METAVERSE FOR BUSINESS

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WELCOME

MARCH 2023

The alea journal FOREWORD BY MOHAMMAD AL DUAIJ CEO OF ALEA GLOBAL GROUP Hello and welcome to the latest edition of The Alea Journal.

As we've been cooking up our LATAM Family Office Investment Summit in Mexico City, we have been reflecting on some of the innovative and forwardthinking entrepreneurs we have been lucky enough to collaborate with on our journey.

One of these is Alba Medina, and we are delighted to be able to partner with her at our latest event as well as including in this issue an introduction to her latest project, alfred pay.

We have also been looking some controversial topics such as the ongoing debate around 15-minute cities, as well as looking ahead to the 2024 US election and the candidates we can expect based on what we know so far, and we have been asking why energy prices around the world are so high.

In more positive news we explore the wonderful achievements of the Peace By Chocolate company, and the philanthropic efforts of YouTuber MrBeast.

While continuing to think about the future of media and entertainment, we present a new kind of immersive venue called COSM which is springing up in multiple locations with more hopefully still to come.

estate and who owns what beyond earth. How do we begin to think of this land as real assets?

And then there's the metaverse, which seems even less real, but is a digital concept we all need to factor into our future business activities.

Staying very much here on earth, though, we also give an overview of Egypt and its charms, should you be looking for somewhere to new to visit for a natural, cultural and spiritual retreat.

To share your ideas or news of your own, please don't hesitate to get in touch. In the meantime, we hope you see you at one or more of our forthcoming events.

Staying on a futuristic theme, we also look at the interesting problem of space real .

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As ever, you can contact me at info@aleaglobalgroup.com

meet alfred pay: the new way to pay with crypto in latin america We caught up with the team behind new Latin American crypto innovation Alfred to find out what the app is about and what it can do for users now and in the future.

Can you describe what alfred pay does? alfred pay is a crypto to local currency infrastructure that enables businesses to provide local Latin American payment rails with one simple api.

What problems did you see in the world that you wanted to try and solve with alfred pay?

Latin America is the ideal market for the crypto thesis and it was proven in 2022 when it had the highest global crypto penetration at 30%. For adoption to continue to grow, alfred pay believes infrastructure will play a key role in this.

Problems such as: Limited banking coverage across LATAM Unbanked cannot access web 3 / crypto products Not interoperable with cash Therefore alfred pay provides: A su p p o r t d i r e c t t o b a n k w i t h d r a w a l s through their robust network of banks across the region A network of 150,000 retail stores that allows individuals to buy or sell crypto with physical cash without the need of having a bank account.

The opportunity for users to pay with USDC at local merchants

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Who do you think is your ideal or most likely type of customer?

Our ideal customer is wallets and exchanges that are tackling different use cases in Latin America with emphasis on the following: Crypto powered remittances from US into Latin America Using stable coins as a store of value to combat local inflation Where in the world is alfred pay active at the moment? alfred pay today has rails in Brazil, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Guatemala and will be going live in Mexico, Venezuela & El Salvador in Q2 of this year.

What territories do you want to move into and why?

Our goal is to have full coverage of Latin America by the end of 2025. Additionally, the alfred pay team is focused on providing infrastructure to markets of low attention.

Creating bridges for these economies into the digital economy is a priority to improve our goal of access to better products and services that can help empower the Latino.

How can businesses get involved with you and why should they?

We provide a plug and play widget that enables businesses to go live within weeks with just a few lines of code. This allows businesses to focus on their products and offerings while we provide the seamless integration and connection to Latin American rails.

What are your ultimate goals for alfred pay?

Our ultimate goal is to provide access into the Web 3 economy and help advance financial inclusion for Latino’s across the region.

How do you intend to reach those goals?

In order to reach these goals our team is focused on two things: Aggressively building out cash and bank rails across the region to provide infrastructure and interoperability for everyone.

Growing our partnerships with retail products who are attacking the region and this demographic. Currently have an ecosystem of 200,000 users and look to be at 1,500,000 by the end of 2023.

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cOSM: A NEW KIND OF IMMERSIVE VENUE A new kind of cinema screen is popping up around the USA, courtesy of immersive technology company Cosm. The venue uses a curved screen to create a partial hemisphere, which makes it feel completely immersive to the audiences who will experience the best of live and digital experiences mixed together.

This gives it the feel of a virtual reality headset, but without the need for viewers to wear anything on their faces in order to feel the immersive effects.

It’s not just the technology that differentiates Cosm venues from ordinary cinema screens, but the content too. The immersive format lends itself to travel and events experiences, and plans for future films include live concert footage, digital art and live footage from sporting events.

Cosm currently has one venue in Salt Lake City in Utah, which is not open to the public, but the new planned venues in Los Angeles and Texas will be available to anyone who wants to visit.

In LA the Cosm venue is planned for Hollywood Park, the largest mixed-use urban mega development currently under construction in the Western United States. LA’s Cosm venue will be the first of its kind in the world, with curved LED screens allowing audiences on two levels to be placed into all kinds of exhilarating experiences.

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The Cosm dome in Hollywood Park will be designed by HKS, and feature a 26.6m diameter LED dome in a 65,000 square foot venue which will be able to accommodate 1,700 people.

“We’re redefining the way the world experiences content and up-leveling fandom by opening our first Cosm venue in the center of the entertainment capital of the world,” said Jeb Terry, Cosm’s CEO and President. “For decades, we’ve powered some of the most iconic and entertaining experiences for our partners around the globe. Now, we’re powering our own. Cosm isn’t just a place, it’s a feeling. It’s the energy of the crowd, the exhilaration of sitting courtside at the biggest sporting events, the thrill of standing front row at your dream concert, the intensity of being enveloped in immersive environments that you have to experience to believe. Cosm is bringing that to life – first in Los Angeles, then around the world.”

A second Cosm venue, also designed by HKS, will later open in The Colony, Texas. This second venue will be at Grandscape, a mixeduse real estate development covering 400 acres and featuring retail, entertainment, residential, dining and unique attractions.

“Cosm is leveraging its technology to create a new category of immersive entertainment called ‘shared reality’, working with partners globally to stream live content to physical venues and to virtual worlds alike,” said Steve Winn, Mirasol Capital’s CEO and majority owner of Cosm. “We are just getting started and have plans to open venues around the world.”

“Cosm is providing an immersive and interactive canvas for partners and creators to showcase new and existing content in a way the world has never seen,” continued Devin Poolman, Cosm’s Chief Product and

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“T e c h n o l o g y O f f i c e r . “ F r o m o u r l i v e 8 K immersive production to real-time technology that leverages gaming engines like Unreal, to the architectural and interior designs and engineered build of our physical venues, our vertically integrated platform seamlessly intersects the digital and physical worlds.

Cosm is a portal that can transport you anywhere, anytime, real or imagined, and it is completely reinventing entertainment as we know it.”

MRBEAST AND A NEW STYLE OF PHILANTHROPY

stunts that gained significant viewer traction despite costing little or no money and having no obvious purpose. One excellent example is the video in which he spent more than 40 hours counting to 100,000, before condensing it into a 24-hour-long edit. This video gathered tens of thousands of views in a very short time, and began a trajectory to huge success as Jimmy learned more and more about how to create videos people felt compelled to watch.

Philanthropy has a new face, and it’s that of 24year-old American YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast.

His YouTube account is currently the fourth mostsubscribed on the platform, and the highest ranking of any individual, with 130 million subscribers by 2023.

What makes Jimmy Donaldson particularly interesting is the way he has merged entertaining stunts with philanthropy in a way that – while it may divide opinion – is extremely effective at achieving his goals.

While these videos themselves may not have changed the world (largely being silly stunts that played on viewer curiosity) their reach and popularity has arguably allowed him a platform from which to change lives.

Jimmy first began his YouTubing career at age 13, in 2012. In the beginning, his content was the standard fare of play-along gaming videos, plus commentary about other YouTubers.

Challenges he has set himself and challenges he has set for other people are among the most successful of his videos, whether creating a real life squid game, asking people to compete for a

This changed, however, once he began doing

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filmed and edited for viewers’ entertainment.

While some have criticized the way the subjects’ plights are served up as content, others have argued that the video highlights issues in a way that other, more dry, forms of publicity simply could not have managed.

private jet by being the last to take their hand off it, or building Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory in real life and creating a competition to win the entire construction.

Ad revenue and product placement offers have been plentiful, and he has taken other spin-off business opportunities too, including creating his own burger chain and merch for fans.

As MrBeast, Jimmy has also bought Christmas gifts for children, a house for a homeless man, and donated thousands of dollars in cash to streamers and gold bars to restaurant servers.

Tasteful it may not be, but attention-grabbing?

Certainly. And arguably raising money is only half the battle when it comes to supporting a cause, with the other half being raising awareness.

He hired many of his friends to work for him on content creation, spreading content across several different channels each with a different focus.

Now he is worth an estimated $100million, and has raised millions for charities including the Arbor Day Foundation and The Ocean Cleanup.

With so many family offices also looking to make their philanthropic effort as successful as possible, should we also be considering how to put our work and good causes front and center of potential audiences’ attention? We may not want to do so in exactly the same style or to exactly the same audience as MrBeast has so successfully done, but his combination of charity and fun is an excellent example we can all learn from as we seek to engage new supporters in our philanthropic efforts.

While much of his charitable work has involved making money from videos and then donating it to good causes, many of his videos have also directly combined entertainment with philanthropy in a way that makes the charitable contribution itself the entertainment.

Among these videos are one in which 1000 people with curable blindness receive a sight-restoring operation paid for by Jimmy, with the whole thing

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Changing the world, one peace at a time

Peace By Chocolate is the success story of Tareq Hadhad, a Syrian-Canadian entrepreneur who lost his family’s chocolate-making business in Damascus to the bombs of war in 2012. But he eventually made a much bigger impact with his confectionery from his new home in Canada than he ever could have from Syria.

Former medical student and peace advocate Tareq moved to Canada in 2015 following a stint in Lebanon aiding medical relief efforts. He was formally welcomed to the country in 2020 with a Canadian Citizenship, with a community-based sponsorship.

His citizenship story was celebrated because of his achievements in Canada during that time, which have continued to this day. His accolades include being a recipient of Start Up Canada’s National Newcomer Entrepreneur Award, being named one of the Top 25 Immigrants in The Maritimes, chosen as a National Hero Case 2018 by Google, and winning EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 as well as Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal.

And it’s not just Tareq himself who has won awards, since its inception in 2016 Peace By Chocolate has also won the Business of Diversity Champion Award and Emerging Business Award, and made press in

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print, online and on TV all over the world.

Peace By Chocolate continues the Hadhad family’s legacy of making and selling beautiful chocolate, but with the added benefit that its customers are also supporting a refugee’s business which itself support’s other refugees.

The company is dedicated to hiring, mentoring and championing refugees at their own facilities, supporting other refugee-led startups, and volunteering their time and funds to help community organizations across Canada that work with refugees.

Not only has the company made the press all over the world, but a best-selling book called Peace By Chocolate has been written about the family’s story, and in 2022 a film based on the true story of Peace By Chocolate was also released in cinemas throughout Canada winning awards at film festivals on the way.

Tareq has met presidents and prime ministers, and is now a celebrated public speaker, appearing at events all over the world to share his family’s story of optimism, kindness and paying forward to others.

15-minute cities: the pros and cons

Social media and traditional media are aflame with a debate about a living concept that’s either relatively new or as old as civilization itself, depending on which way you look at it.

This way of life has its fans delighted, and its critics enraged. It is, of course, the 15-minute city.

Oxford in the UK has made a start on implementing a 15-minute neighborhoods scheme in which residents can purchase a permit to drive their cars between neighborhoods for up to 100 days per year, with fines issued for those who go above this quota.

In a 15-minute city, everything residents need will be available to them within 15 minutes’ walk of their home. The result is that they will have relatively little or even no need at all for a car, in part thanks to public transport provision to take people between these neighbourhoods.

Generally accepted mainstream media commentary on the 15-minute city is that most criticism of this concept is irrationally fearful, and that those who are fearful of the idea are misinformed and can be readily mocked for their concerns.

It is one of the key ideas behind the huge forthcoming Saudi city The Line, where millions of residents will live together in a 170km long development segmented into such liveable chunks with public transport running between.

But is this summary fair? Let’s look at the pros and the cons of the 15-minute city to make up our own minds...

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The pros Discouraging people from using their cars will of course lead to a reduction in cars on the road. This has the immediate and pleasant effects of less pollution and traffic congestion in an area, making it a much healthier place to live and much quicker to navigate for those vehicles that are on the road.

More small businesses, too, can only be a good thing. This gives people local goods and services options they can reach quickly and conveniently.

It’s a bonus, too, if those businesses are independent and in keeping with the character of the area, making each neighborhood distinctive and adding some local character to prevent cities from becoming to homogenous.

This is, in many ways, a vision of what the earliest communities looked like.

What most citiies looked like until private vehicles became the norm, in fact.

It was expected that the goods and services one needed would be in walking distance because they would generally have to be, with so many people moving around on foot.

And then there are the physical and mental health benefits of walking.

Not only is walking good for us in so many ways, but walking through a less polluted neighborhood is infinitely nicer than taking a stroll through a congested one.

Overall, though, the promise is that such a way of life will – if widely rolled out around the world – positively impact climate change through the daily actions of ordinary members of the public acting together.

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The cons All of the above sounds absolutely idyllic, and that – in part – is the problem. While it may theoretically be possible for an individual to live happily within the parameters of the 15-minute city and reap the benefits of all of the above, the theoretical is not always the practical.

Life can be messy and unpredictable, everyone’s situation is different, and there are many reasons why an individual may not be able or willing to stick within their 15-minute zone much of the time.

Yes, there may be a grocery store within 15 minutes of her home, but if the working mother with two small children wants to access the free childcare provided by her parents – who live further than 15 minutes away – enough times per week so she can work to make enough money to survive, she may need to drive outside her zone more than 100 days per year. Under threat of picking up a fine for doing so, what should she do? This is a single example, but you can no doubt imagine people in your own life who would struggle to maintain a daily routine if they were unable to drive further than 15 minutes most days of the year.

And then there is the assumption that we do not value choice, that we should be happy with the nearest tore or service and have no right to preference. Unless these businesses are all

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homogenous chains (which would be a negative) then one business half an hour away may be more suited to your tastes or needs than the one ten minutes away. That choice may be removed or penalized at the most extreme ends of this plan.

Perhaps the area in which you can afford to live is not the place you wish to live, for any number of reasons, and getting away from your neighborhood often is something you feel the need to do.

The ever-present specter of gentrification hovers over the 15-minute city plans, and threatens to turn some neighborhoods into costly and desirable ones, pushing lower income residents into less desirable ones, something that could widen already present inequality gaps which often run along class, race, education and gender lines.

Then there is the exteme heat which makes walking around in summer in Kuwait a nonoption, for example, as well as the extreme cold of the Canadian winter.

And finally, as anyone who has ever had to rely on public transport will know, it isn’t always the most reliable or practical option.

From strikes to breakdowns to changes in timetable or inconvenient routes for one’s own individual needs, public transport cannot be all things to all people at all times.

Conclusion The carrot of the 15-minute city is very appealing and highly desirable goal. To provide residents with everything they might need within walking distance is a wonderful aspiration and one which should indeed come to fruition. Encouraging people to use their cars less, or not at all, is a worthy goal for cleaner air, calmer traffic and a healthier population across the board. We should, ideally, have everything we need within walking distance, giving us the ease and convenience of choosing local options without the obstacle of a lack of provision.

It is the stick that is the problem. If, despite all these provisions, citizens still prefer to take their own transport and travel outside their immediate neighborhood, that should be their choice and their right to do so without penalty. After all, if everything is provided on their doorstep and individuals choose to travel elsewhere, we can only assume they have a reason for doing so and that reason may be deeply personal, or a

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combination of unique and practical complicating factors which differ from person to person. One size fits all is not a reasonable solution for living environments and lifestyles and we should not insult our populations by imagining that it is.

But most of all, there is something deeply problematic about attempting to address the issue of pollution – something overwhelmingly perpetrated by the private sector, with a handful of companies doing more damage each day than any one of us could do in our entire lifetime – by telling every member of the public they must drastically restrict their daily life and freedom to travel. There may in the future be a time for the stick of the 15-minute cities, but it must be after the freedoms of the most offending companies have first been effectively restricted.

Meet us in Circo Massimo in Rome for a very special mass participation fitness event on 9 September 2023 Visit aleaglobalgroup.com for updates

why are energy prices around the world so high?

People in the US, Europe and the UK are all experiencing an energy crisis that has resulted in soaring bills and energy insecurity over the last few months.

For those in the USA, this is directly related to their own energy woes. USA suppliers, realizing they can command a very good price for gas in Europe, have been selling their wares there, resulting in a lack of supply back home, again driving up prices for Americans.

With speculation and misunderstanding about why this is happening, it’s important to note that every region is experiencing their own problem for a slightly different reason, so let’s break those reasons down.

But what about the UK, where less than 4% of natural gas comes from Russia, and where half the gas used is created by the UK itself?

For those living in Europe, one of the key issues is that 45% of natural gas there is supplied by Russia. Russia is a major global exporter of natural gas, and last year the Nord Stream pipeline carrying gas to Europe saw its capacity cut to 20% due to maintenance issues. Whether there really were maintenance issues, whether this was third-party sabotage, or whether Russia was weaponizing its natural resources due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, we have no definitive answer.

That’s a slightly more complex problem, but essentially the UK has a lack of storage for natural gas, which it sources from Norway and other European countries. This means the UK is reliant on the ‘real-time flow’ of gas as and when it’s needed. In the winter, when supply naturally increases and prices naturally rise, this hits the UK hard.

The UK also uses gas to create 40% of its energy, which is a much higher percentage of gas than other nations around Europe rely on. Add to this a lack of subsidies from the Government to make up for the disproportionate rise in energy prices, and we have the situation we see today.

The result, though, is indisputable; a surge in wholesale gas prices, and Europe has been experiencing an undersupply of natural gas, resulting in some of those higher prices.

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Space

Real Estate

Should the man in the moon be paying rent? And if so, who is his landlord? This ridiculous question is marginally less ridiculous than it would have been just a decade ago, as space real estate becomes a very real issue we need to collectively address.

Selling plots of land on the moon or mars, as well as entire stars, is a business endeavor that has worked well for certain individuals who issue deeds of ownership to anyone who can purchase one. But, as buyers may well suspect, these certificates are less legally binding documents than they are humorous novelties.

Also known as extraterrestrial real estate, space real estate is any land (and other parts of space) outside the bounds of planet earth, and we need to collectively agree whether or not it belongs to any individual, government or other organization before we consider what potential it might have for investors.

Out in interplanetary territory, investors and developers will be need to abide by the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, rather than national and local laws.

This treaty recognises outer space as the ‘province of all mankind’ and doesn’t allow governments to stake nationalistic claims on any part of it. The treaty said that "outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means."

This was followed in 1979 by the Moon Treaty, which forbids any private ownership of extraterrestrial real estate, although this has not been widely ratified.

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There have been some interesting claims on land in space, none of which have held up.

German Martin Juergens claimed the moon had been gifted to his family in 1756 and passed down through generations. A. Dean Lindsay claimed all extraterrestrial objects in 1936, while James T Mangan claimed all of outer space in 1948. In 1953 Chilean lawyer Jenaro Gajardo Vera also claimed ownership of the moon, and in 1980 the Lunar Embassy Commission, headed by Dennis Hope, sold plots of land on the moon to the public. Three men from Yemen sued NASA in 1997 for invading Mars, claiming their ancestors had inherited the planet 3000 years ago.

There are also other elements that investors will need to consider should this become a new market full of opportunities.

Whether a new territory in space is ripe for real estate investment will depend on the available transportation, the sustainability of the development, the astrobiology around it, and the critical mass of people ready and willing to set up life on other planets.

And then, of course, there’s a lot of long-term thinking involved. Exactly when investors would expect to see a return remains to be seen, considering we’re not as close to colonizing other planets as Elon Musk might have hoped by now. Only the longest of long term planning will take space real estate into account as a potential portfolio addition.

the main players in the 2024 usa presidential election

There were hopes and expectations both in the media and much of the global population that a change of president in 2020 would herald a new era of stability for the US. After the divisive figure of Donald Trump had left the Whitehouse, what followed would surely be relatively predictable and uncontroversial, with smooth sailing out of the pandemic.

Democratic candidates

That has not been the case. Wherever we may point the blame, Joe Biden has presided over as turbulent a period as Donald Trump ever did, arguably moreso, with economic and geopolitical woes and controversies, as well as personal and political issues at home that have dogged his public image.

A lecturer and author, Marianne also founded a meal delivery service for housebound AIDS patients in Los Angeles, and a nonprofit promoting peace.

With the ‘anyone but Trump’ crowd perhaps understandably disillusioned by the last three years, the country’s pick for the next president in 2024 looks likely to be a result of lessons learned on both sides of the aisle, and will hopefully bring that much-needed stability at last.

Potential Democratic candidates

Marianne Williamson So far there is only one confirmed candidate in the running for the Democrats in the 2024 election battle, and that’s Marianne Williamson.

Marianne was a 2020 presidential candidate, but ended her campaign and instead endorsed Bernie Sanders.

She has published 13 books including four New York Times number 1 bestsellers, and has appeared on TV with Oprah Winfrey and Bill Maher.

Although they haven’t confirmed their candidacy, there has been media speculation about other potential candidates for 2024 including incumbent president Joe Biden, as well as Stacey Abrams, Hillary Clinton, Andrew Cuomo, Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Elizabeth Warren, Gretchen Whitmer, Bernie Sanders, Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama.

So who are the confirmed candidates from the two major parties? And what surprise candidates might pop up in the meantime?

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Republican candidates

followed this with a master’s degree in political science, and then worked as a financial advisor as well as president of the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind Foundation.

Nikki Haley Nikki’s parents are Sikh immigrants from Punjab, and she was the first generation of her family to be born in the US. She graduated in accounting, and worked as the chief financial officer for her family’s independent business which she helped to expand into a multimillion-dollar enterprise.

She has also been president of the National Association of Women Business Owners and a United Nations Ambassador.

Not only has he risen through the ranks of Montana politics, but he also began making his own country music in 2022 and released two albums as Corey Stapleton & The Pretty Pirates.

Donald Trump Vivek Ramaswamy Vivek is a Harvard and Yale graduate and former president of a software company, as well as a former partner at a capital investment firm, and founder of a pharmaceutical company. He now chairs Strive Assessment Management which aims to advance the voices of everyday citizens in American boardrooms. A political commentator, he has been critical of woke and identity politics.

Corey Stapleton Cory was enlisted in the Navy and graduated from nuclear power school, before graduating from the Naval Academy with a degree in engineering. He

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Finally, Donald Trump has announced his plans to return to the race, having served as the 45th president of the USA.

Potential Republican candidates Still to announce any plans to run, but with some pundits expecting they may, are Greg Abbott, Liz Cheney, Ted Cruz, Ron DeSantis, Rand Paul, Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, Mitt Romney, Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump, among others.

EGYPT beyond the pyramids

Egypt is famous for its ancient and impressive landmarks and accompanying cultural history. While that should form a part of your visit to this magical country, there's a whole lot more to see and do that is rooted in the present day.

Let's look beyond the pyramids for a trip full of nature, adventure and spirituality...

Sun and sea With sun and warm temperatures all year round, Egypt is the perfect place to enjoy a beach holiday with plenty of sea swimming, snorkeling and sunbathing. You can try some adrenaline-fuelled kitesurfing or windsurfing, or some more laidback diving through the coral reefs and dining Bedouin-style by the sea.

Ecotourism and nature With a wide range of stunning landscapes to explore, a trip to Egypt can provide some memorable natural experiences. The protected areas and national parks are wonderful places to spot wildlife, and birdwatching is a popular tourist draw. You can go trekking on foot, or take a camel or 4x4 on a safari trail, or go sandboarding through desert dunes. As well as impressive sandscapes, there are plenty of mountains and palm and olive groves to take your breath away.

Spirituality Egypt’s spiritual and religious foundations are very easily accessible for those who want to enjoy them. From a renewing spiritual retreat to a tour of ancient places of worship, the stillness and serenity of Egypt is yours.

Mosques, Coptic churches, cathedrals and monasteries display some of the country’s most remarkable historic architecture as well as modern day welcoming spiritual communities.

Culture and history No visit to Egypt would be complete without taking the time to consider its rich cultural history. Ancient Egyptian temples and tombs, as well as museums and galleries focus on the country’s past, while you can experience authentic traditions such as hookahs, cafe culture and bazaars out on the street during day-to-day life.

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a quick guide to the metaverse FOR BUSINESS

It’s a word you’ve heard for at least the past two years, if not more, and there’s plenty of argument over what it actually encompasses. But getting down to practicalities, all you really need to know is what the ‘metaverse’ is going to do for you and your business.

Incorporating different virtual worlds, interconnected digital services, and social networks, the metaverse is an amorphous and ever-growing thing that is apparently worth a huge $5 trillion right now.

Elements of the metaverse are in play right now, with networked gaming, online customer experiences that bring brands onto digital platforms where people are playing and socializing, and services that would previously have been in-person being migrated or offered in parallel online.

Retailers are finding ways to sell digital versions of previously material products, like clothing for

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example, making it available in pixel form for avatars at a fraction of the cost of the real thing.

Furniture and interior design brands are helping customers fit out their homes by presenting their products in virtual reality to give a realistic 360 degree experience of a physical object.

Training and showcasing has moved online, with the kind of b2b relationships and professional learning taking place in virtual reality which would previously have been in person. This might mean touring a facility in a VR headset, or having a meeting in a digital world, or taking part in an educational exercise that mimics a real world scenario.

Established physical festivals and cultural events are also moving into hybrid models where they can present content to their online as well as at their on-site audiences, and new events are being created that take place entirely online while still being marketed in the same way as real world happenings.

Upcoming Events 4 May 2023 The Alea Sessions - Canada Edition Montreal, Canada 19-20 June 2023 Europe Family Office Investment Summit Lake Como, Italy 5-6 October 2023 APAC Family Office Investment Summit Bali, Indonesia  -6 December 2023 5 Middle East Family Office Investment Summit Dubai, UAE 28-29 February 2024 Africa Family Office Investment Summit Nairobi, Kenya

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