BIG February 2017

Gulf

BUSINESS february 2017 VOLUME-11 NO.02 Bahrain:BD 2 - Qatar:Riyal 30.00 - Oman:Riyal 3.00 - UAE:Dirhams 30.00 - Kuwait:KD 3 - Saudi Arabia:Riyal 30.00

BUS ESS a Gulf Business magazine for today’s entrepreneurS

february 2017 / Vol-11 No:02

IN Gulf

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Top Marketing Trends for 2017

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the yum yum tree story

PUBLICATION

how it grew into one of the biggest restaurant franchises in the gcc

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JANUARY 2017

ers ravellers

February

BUSINESS Contents Gulf

44 18 The online hYPermarkeT

amjad Puliyali on changing The Face of grocery shopping

20

The Yum Yum Tree sTorY our exclusive with Yum Yum Tree Founder dr. adel bukhowa

Planning haPPiness

dhabiya al majed talks about her Passion For event Planning

48 64 The besT laid Plans how To use mind mapping To unleash Your creative Potential 2

february 2017

Yacoob jawad

Talking business behind the wheel of a bentley

February

BUSINESS Contents Gulf

aT a Glance COveR STORy 44

The Yum Yum Tree STorY How Dr. Adel Bukhowa Created One Of The Biggest Restaurant Chains In The GCC

enTRepReneuR 22

24

mohammed al-mahdi Creating A Collaborative Hub For Bahrain’s Cartoonists

COnTRIBuTORS The hive bahrain’s First hackerspace

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26

joSe paul marTin 10 Reasons Why Investors Say no

54

eman bu-raShid Top Marketing Trends For 2017

60

mike orlov Our place In The Future Of Work

ReGulARS

70 sTYle File

The classiest Fashion Pieces

gadgeTs

The coolest lifestyle items

68

faShion Bold statements

70

GadGeTS The latest in electronics

72

hoTel liSTinGS All they have to offer

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QuoTed What the vIps said

BIG Words

It’s been exactly one year since I took up the role of Deputy Editor for this magazine, during which time I’ve learnt more about the world of business than I could have ever imagined. A great thing about being a journalist is the unique perspective that you gain from having the opportunity to mingle with and interview people from all walks of life. In that respect, this month was no different. For our cover story this month, we talk to Dr. Adel Bukhowa, Parth Vaya serial entrepreneur and founder of Yum Yum Tree, Deputy Editor one of the GCC’s biggest restaurant chains. We 4

february 2017

also interview a number of the country’s newest generation of entrepreneurs such as Amjad Puliyali, founder of online grocery retailer GetBaqala, and Ahmed Al A’ali, founder of Bahrain’s first hackerspace, The Hive. As usual, our contributors give us fresh insights on a range of subjects, including what trends to watch out for during 2017. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @businessingulf, visit our website www.businessingulf.com, or email big@ maxmediaco.com to stay in touch.

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BUSINESS Gulf

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NewsFlash

The latest headlines from around the globe

tESlA StArtS bAttEry cEll prodUction At gigAfActory USA: ElEctric cAr mAkEr tESlA motorS inc hAS StArtEd mASS prodUction of lithiUm-ion bAttEry cEllS At itS gigAfActory in nEvAdA Along with JApAn’S pAnASonic corp. thE cylindricAl “2170 cEllS”, which will bE USEd to powEr tESlA’S EnErgy StorAgE prodUctS And thE nEw modEl 3 SEdAn, hAvE bEEn Jointly dESignEd by tESlA And pAnASonic, itS longStAnding bAttEry pArtnEr.

BMW to reCAll NeArly 200,000 CArS IN CHINA

Linde, Praxair set to reveal $65 bn merger

GERMANY: German industrial gases maker Linde and US competitor Praxair are set to announce a $65 billion merger to create a global leader this month.

Linde and Praxair’s previous attempt at a tie-up failed last year, but they are now expected to reveal preliminary merger terms in the near future.

CHINA: German luxury carmaker BMW will recall nearly 200,000 vehicles in China because of flawed airbags, according to the country’s quality regulator and the company. Some 168,861 imported cars produced between December 2005 and December 2011, and 24,750 vehicles produced locally between July 2005 and December 2011 will be recalled.

22 %

Estimated job growth rate of IT jobs by 2020

BP signs $2.2 Bn ABu DhABi oil DeAl uAe: British oil giant BP secured a 10-per cent share in an onshore oil concession in Abu Dhabi recently in a deal worth $2.2 billion. BP signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi national oil Company to take a stake in the Abu Dhabi Company for onshore Petroleum operations which operates the 40-year concession.

Chinese group aCquires 40% stake in pakistan stoCk exChange

PAKISTAN: A Chinese consortium is set to acquire a 40 per cent stake in Pakistan’s main bourse, the country’s stock exchange said yesterday. At least 17 entities had expressed an interest in the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), whose benchmark stock index was one of the best performing indices worldwide in 2016. The deal is estimated to be worth about $84 million. The PSX is currently owned by more than 300 Pakistani brokers.

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febrUArY 2017 october 2016

HMD GloBAl lAuNCHeS fIrSt NokIA SMArtpHoNe

fINlAND: HMD Global, the finnish company that owns the rights to use Nokia’s brand on mobile phones, recently announced its first smartphone, targeted for Chinese users with a price of $246. the launch marks the first new smartphone carrying the iconic handset name since 2014 when Nokia oyj chose to sell its entire handset unit to Microsoft. the new device, Nokia 6, runs on Google’s Android platform and is manufactured by foxconn.

APPle Confirms $1 Billion investment in softBAnk teCh funD usA: Apple Inc recently confirmed its plans to invest

$1 billion in a tech fund being set up by Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp. SoftBank has said it is investing at least $25 billion in the fund and has been in talks with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund for an investment that could be as much as $45 billion. SoftBank has also said that it plans to make future large-scale investments via the tech fund, rather than on its own.

STC to buy stake in Careem ride app KSA: Saudi Arabia’s largest telecommunications firm STC has announced plans to buy a 10 per cent stake in car booking firm Careem. Careem is a competitor of US-based Uber, a smartphone app that connects passengers and drivers.

The investment is the latest high-profile Saudi venture since Riyadh in April announced its Vision 2030 plan to diversify the oil-dependent economy and broaden its investment base.

Brookfield buys Indian mobile tower business for $1.6bn Mercedes-Benz overtakes BMW to BecoMe largest preMiuM carMaker

gerManY: Mercedes-Benz sales overtook BMW last year for the first time in more than a decade, a feat achieved, ironically, only after parent company daimler stopped chasing market share and focused on making stylish high-tech cars. the achievement is a coup for daimler chief executive dieter zetsche, who struggled to revive the company following a messy divorce from mass-market brand chrysler in 2007.

1419 No. of operational

man-made satellites currently orbiting earth

INDIA: Indian internet and telecoms company Reliance Communications recently announced its intention to sell its mobile phone tower business to Canadian asset management giant Brookfield for $1.6 billion.

Reliance Communications said the deal represented the largest investment by a foreign investor in Indian infrastructure and comes as Brookfield seeks to capitalise on liquidity constraints at major Indian firms.

Kuwait to import gas from iraq

kuWAit: Kuwait is set to begin importing up to 200 million cubic feet of gas daily from neighbouring Iraq. Kuwaiti Oil Minister Essam al-Marzouk said the quantities have been agreed and the start date will be determined after technical committees fix prices and shipping methods. febrUArY JUly 2017 2016

9

Saudi

Kuwait

bahrain

Mobily appoints new chief executive

Kuwait Petroleum Corp committed to oil output cut

Batelco names new chairman

KSA: Saudi Arabian telecom operator Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) announced this month that it has appointed Ahmed Abdelsalam Abdelrahman to replace its chief executive Ahmad Farroukh. The appointment follows the recent announcement from minority owner United Arab Emirates telecommunications conglomerate Etisalat that its management agreement with Mobily had ended and the two parties were working on a new arrangement.

KUWAIT: State-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) recently announced its commitment to an oil output cut agreed by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries at a meeting in Vienna last year. KPC said in a statement it had notified its clients of the production cuts from the start of January, saying they will be in effect for the whole of the first quarter of 2017.

BAHRAIN: Bahrain-based telecoms group Batelco has appointed Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa as its new chairman following the resignation of Shaikh Hamad bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, who served as chairman of the company since 2006. Shaikh Mohammed served as a previous board member of Batelco as well as Gulf Air. He also served as president of Customs Affairs at Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior and Assistant Undersecretary for Financial, Administrative and Minor’s Estate Affairs at the Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs.

“As sustainability becomes pivotal to urbanisation across the world, there will be infinite opportunities for the FM sector with the energy FM services gaining further popularity in the GCC.” Jamal Abdullah Lootah, CEO, Imdaad

971, 420 metric tonnes Kuwait Petroleum Corporation headquarters in Gulf Street 10

february 2017

Amount of metal produced by Alba in 2016.

SAudi ArAbiA to lAunch firSt wind turbine

BAHRAIN: Bahrain’s Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism officials closed the Janabiya Branch of Al Jazira Supermarket for 15 days following violations of law related to consumer protection. The Ministry closed all the five Ruyan Cold stores in Bahrain for 15 days after the pricing sandal following a video circulating online showing the very known store in Bahrain apparently over charging their products and customers are overpaying.

KSA: Saudi Aramco plans to commission its wind turbine pilot project, the first in the kingdom, this month. this is part of nationwide plans to diversify energy supplies and to meet an increase in demand. the wind turbine, supplied by u.S. company General electric (Ge) will provide power to Saudi Aramco’s bulk plant in turaif, in northwest Saudi Arabia.

UAE: GooGlE hAs AppointEd lino CAttArUzzi As thEir nEw mAnAGinG dirECtor to lEAd its bUsinEss opErAtions in thE middlE EAst And north AfriCA. CAttArUzzi ComEs with ovEr twEnty yEArs of ExpEriEnCE in thE tECh indUstry whErE hE prEvioUsly lEd thE GooGlE bUsinEss in mExiCo As CoUntry dirECtor And bEforE thAt ArGEntinA.

431,978

Number of aircraft movements between Dubai International and Al Maktoum International.

“Data analytics has emerged as one of the key trends that will shape the future of the energy sector in 2017.

Big data is rapidly changing the way the energy sector operates globally – by reducing costs, optimizing investments and reducing overall risk.”

Dr. Adham Sleiman, vice president, Booz Allen Hamilton MENA

qatar

uae

oman

Qatar’s Hamad International Airport To Boost Capacity

Dubai to build satellite to monitor pollution, climate change

Oman plans mega tourism project

QATAR: Hamad International Airport is to undergo a major expansion to increase the its capacity to more than 65 million passengers. The expansion, which will increase the airport’s capacity from its current 50 million passengers, is being designed by British architects Foster and Partners.

Hamad International is the first airport in the Middle East to be award the prestigious Skytrax 5-Star Airport’ award and the sixth worldwide.

UAE: The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and Dubai Municipality have signed an agreement to design and manufacture the first environmental nanometric satellite in the region. The satellite, DM SAT1, will provide data for monitoring sandstorms and other environment related activities.

This includes aerosols and other factors affecting the climate as well as natural marine and wildlife reserves.

OMAN: National Development & Investment Company (ASAAS) has announced plans to build a 1.5 million square metre entertainment and leisure destination to be built in Barka, a coastal city in the north of the country. The company said the project will feature an integrated theme park, a wildlife and waterpark, an equestrian centre and edutainment centre as well as several hotels, a residential zone and retail areas. february 2017

11

news

Uber’s Loss Exceeds $800 Million in Third Quarter USA: Even as Uber Technologies Inc. exited China, the company’s financial loss has remained eye-popping.

In the first nine months of this year, the ride-hailing company lost significantly more than $2.2 billion.

In the third quarter, Uber lost more than $800 million, not including its Chinese operation. Uber, a closely held company based in San Francisco, has stayed mum about its financial performance even as its valuation has soared to $69 billion, making it more valuable on paper than General Motors Co. and Twitter Inc. combined.

12

february 2017

news

GCC said to see $25bn annual revenue boost from VAT launch GCC: The adoption of value added tax (VAT) by GCC countries in 2018 is expected to generate additional revenues of more than $25 billion per year. All GCC countries are working towards VAT implementation by 1 January 2018 to avoid transaction and sales issues that could arise from intra-GCC trade. Businesses that are not ready by the VAT go-live date may suffer fiscal consequences from the inability to pass on the underlying VAT to the end customer.

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february 2017

EvEnt

A Show of GrAtitude BWTC & MODA MAll HOsTs AnnuAl MeDiA AppreCiATiOn evenT

B Cushman & Wakefield Bahrain team with members of the media

ahrain World Trade Center (BWTC) and MODA Mall, hosted its annual media appreciation event to express its gratitude for the continuous support extended by the media. The event also highlighted the latest initiatives and collaborations in the pipeline for the property assets. Present at the event were by the property and asset management and marketing teams of Cushman & Wakefield Bahrain, the managing and leasing agents of BWTC and MODA Mall.

expAndinG profeSSionAl networkS BDB’s rOWAD HOsTs speeD neTWOrking evenT

L

ast month, Bahrain Development Bank’s Rowad team hosted the fifth Rowad majlis since its inception, and was themed “The Speed”. The Speed is a networking focused activity which Rowad created as a platform to connect entrepreneurs to investors, support organisations, and mentors.

The event, held at Cafe Amsterdam, hosted 200 individuals from the entrepreneurial community in Bahrain and across the region including the venture capital funds such as BECO Capital, Wamda Capital, and Middle East Venture Partners.

Fatema Ebrahim of tech startup Valopay pitching to a panel of investors

16

february 2017

T

he Demo Day, the last phase of the TURN8 Pre-Accelerator Program, recently took place at the CH9 Business Incubator in Amwaj Lagoon. A total of nine technology startups pitched to a panel of investors for an investment opportunity that can start from $35,000 to $80,000 and up to $500,000 for teams with more traction, and a room of a 130 members of the startup and business community. The program is being powered by the Bahrain Economic Development Board, in partnership with Tamkeen Bahrain, Zain Bahrain, Bahrain Development Rowad, GuestsBank, at the fifth Rowad Majlis and CH9.

The Online hypermarkeT amjad Puliyali Works to Change the face of Grocery Shopping 18

february 2017

EntrEprEnEur et’s face it: grocery shopping can be extremely boring. Not to mention, incredibly unproductive.

However, thanks to tech entrepreneur Amjad Puliayali, it need not be the mundane weekend chore it once was. With his app GetBaqala, your grocery items are now simply a click away.

Could you give us a brief overview of your career background prior to starting GetBaqala?

Prior to starting GetBaqala, I used to work at Vizury, a growth-marketing platform for ecommerce and travel marketers. Vizury is a Bangalorebased company with active presence across the US, APAC and Middle East markets. During this time I had the opportunity to work with ecommerce retail and travel clients such as Etihad, Qatar Airways, Souq. com, Careem.com, Flipkart, eBay India and BigBasket.

What inspired you to start GetBaqala?

I hate grocery shopping! The first problem with planned monthly or weekly visits to the hypermarket is that you end up buying a lot more items than you need. This is because the hypermarkets are designed to get more out of your wallet. The second is the amount of time that is wasted. The whole process of shopping takes up at least three to four hours from the time you leave your house to the time you return, and is really unproductive. On the other hand, you have the option to call the nearest grocery store for quick delivery – the problem with this is the language barrier over the phone and the fact that you always tend to forget something because you are not seeing the items in front of you. The GetBaqala app was built to solve these basic problems – we want to make grocery shopping fast, simple and convenient.

How exactly does your business model work? And how does GetBaqala make a profit?

We work on a marketplace model to replace the trips to local shops from our customers by bringing merchants (and their inventory) online. Customers can shop for a range of items on the GetBaqala app. Once the customer order is received, based on the location, we map it to the nearest partner and they keep the items ready in the GetBaqala provided bags. Then the delivery boy picks up the bag from the store and delivers to the customers within an agreed time slot. Regarding the business model, we have three main sources of revenue. First, we make a commission out of every sale from our grocery/ merchant partners. Second, we charge a delivery fee to customers for every delivery. If we scale up, hopefully we can make some revenue sharing agreement with our third party logistics companies. Finally, we have partnerships with big brands like Pepsi, Red Bull and P&G which result in sponsorship and mobile advertising revenues. We are currently trying to add other models like subscription commerce and eWallet into this mix.

From where did you receive funding or mentorship to start this business?

We are incubated in Rukn, a technology incubation centre managed by Bahrain Development Bank. In their Rowad program, we have access to some great mentors from the GCC region including people like Mohammad Jaffar, ex-CEO of Talabat.com. We raised about $120k of funding from friends and family last year, and are currently closing our Seed Round which has a number of regional angel investors participating.

“Our vision is to make local shopping fast, simple and convenient.”

GetBaqala’s logo

What are some of the biggest challenges you faced when trying to set up your business?

The set up of our company was relatively easy thanks to the EDB & the Rowad team. The biggest challenge we are currently facing is the raising of funds. I feel that it’s easier to raise funds in Dubai than in Bahrain, because of angel investors’ confidence in start-ups and ease of dealing with them. In Bahrain, it’s too early for angel investors to see any returns, hence they are slow in making deals – current terms are, on table, very unfriendly for entrepreneurs and start-ups in general. However, things are certainly changing for the better.

In the last two months, there has been a coordinated effort from the startup eco-system around investor education. Hopefully, these kinds of events will change the mind-set of investors and make it easier for startups in Bahrain to raise funds.

From your experience, what seem to be some of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to create a new app?

Most of the times, I’ve seen people try to fit every feature in to the first version of their product. Always start with a MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and make at least a functional

app focused on one or two areas. Try to deliver on those things first before you add more features around the app. Listen carefully to your first 100 or 1000 customers – they will tell you what you need to build next.

What advice do you have for any aspiring entrepreneurs out there hoping to start their own business?

Focus on one problem rather than trying to solve multiple problems at once.

What are some of your future plans for GetBaqala?

Our plan is to become the largest mobile commerce player in the region. We believe it’s a long-term play – hence we are investing for the future. Our vision is to make local shopping fast, simple and convenient.

We have a great product map with some unique features like Baqala Plus, Baqala Wholesale, Baqala Deli and Baqala Fresh – all of which will be available to our users shortly. Investors who believe in the future of mobile commerce and grocery retail category are welcome to be part of our exciting journey.

To find out more about GetBaqala, visit www.getbaqala.com or follow them on Instagram @getbaqala

february 2017

19

Planning

HaPPiness Dhabiya al Majed On Her Growing event Planning Career 20

february 2017

EntrEprEnEur nyone who has had to plan a wedding knows what an incredibly stressful ordeal it can be. But while some choke under the pressure, entrepreneurs such as Dhabiya Al Majed seem to thrive on it.

With a keen interest in event planning from a young age, Dhabiya decided to put her natural organisational skills to good use.

Today, her company, Events By Dhabiya caters to a wide variety of clients.

Could you tell us a little bit about your education and work experience prior to starting Events

By Dhabiya?

I graduated from the New York Institute of Technology, majoring in marketing and management. I then began work as a marketing coordinator at one of the banks in the kingdom. Six months later, I left for a job in one of the telecom companies here in Bahrain, and am currently working there as a corporate communication specialist.

What inspired you to start this company?

I’ve always loved flowers and planning events. Ever since I was a kid, I’d plan events like birthdays, sleepovers, picnics, you name it. My mom says that I used to pay attention to and discuss every detail of every wedding that I attended with her. I used to research about flowers, table setups, stages,

lights, and photography. People had always told me that I could make a professional career out of event planning but I never took them seriously. I’d always felt that I lacked the necessary skills to make it happen. Up until I had to plan a big event for my sister. I LOVED IT. I would work all day and stay up all night. The event was all over social media.

People eventually started asking about who planned it, and if I accepted requests – it all started from there.

Today, what is the majority of your clientele made up of?

What type of events do you organise?

We have worked with a various mixture of people from the GCC region. So far we’ve organised weddings, engagement parties, henna nights, corporate dinners, receptions, bridal showers, and baby showers.

Are there any particularly busy or slow months during the year?

All months are pretty busy except for July and August. They tend to be quite slow and are perfect for an escape away from the crazy life of an event planner.

From where did you receive the funding to start your enterprise?

I didn’t receive any funding to start my business. I started small, very small actually. I invested in the business one event at a time.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when setting up the business?

In the beginning, I received several comments from people around me saying, “There are many event management companies, yours won’t work!”.

Proving them wrong was my challenge. I believe working for

“People see passion.

So figure out what it is you love to do, and pursue it with all your heart.”

Some examples of Dhabiya’s work

yourself is also one of the biggest challenges; there is no such thing as a break or holiday. Especially when setting up, you plan the event and brainstorm even while you’re sleeping. Sometimes you forget you have a social life. But it was and still is worth it!

Outside of work, what are some of your biggest hobbies and interests?

I love to travel and explore new places. I like all kinds of sports.

I try to work out daily and play soccer once a week. I also love horseback riding; being around horses is so relaxing.

Who would you consider to be your biggest personal mentor?

Honestly, I can’t pick one. My parents, sisters and friends have all served as my mentors.

All of them were always there for me whenever I needed advice or just their opinion on something.

I owe all my success to them.

What advice do you have for any aspiring entrepreneurs out there?

People see passion. So figure out what it is you love to do, and pursue it with all your heart. Choose your target audience and offer them what they need but make sure to add your touch. The market is a huge cake. And there is a piece for everyone.

What are some of your future plans for Events By Dhabiya?

Because we are in an exciting business that relies heavily on creativity, I can’t really say anything except that there are no limits to what can be done.

I always say that we are in the business of planning happiness for a living. And we’ll make the most out of it.

To find out more about Dhabiya’s work, follow her on Instagram @eventsbydhabiya

february 2017

21

The CarToon neTwork Mohammed-al Mahdi Creates a Hub for Cartoonists In bahrain 22

february 2017

EntrEprEnEur ho wasn’t a comic book or cartoon fan when they were younger? While most of us grew out of that phase, cartoons become a lifelong passion for entrepreneur Mohammed Al-Mahdi.

Rejecting the path chosen for him by social convention, he decided to look for success on his own terms. His startup, Cartoon Planet, is a made up of a group of young professional Bahraini artists that offer illustrations and digital art services in a creative approach.

Could you tell us a little bit about your education and work experience prior to starting Cartoon Planet?

I studied IT at the University of Bahrain but discovered very quickly I had no interest in it. I spent my free time pursuing my passion through cartooning activities, and by the time I was in my third year of university I had gone professional, and established my startup, Cartoon Planet.

What inspired you to start this company?

One memorable internship exchange in Sri Lanka inspired me to pursue my dreams and take my cartooning hobby to the next level. I found clarity and peace of mind in the woods and it was there that I sketched out the initial logo of Cartoon Planet, which set off an entire chain of events leading to the establishment of the business.

What is the majority of Cartoon Planet’s clientele made up of?

What services do you provide?

Cartoon Planet’s services are targeted at individuals and corporates. For individuals, we offer training courses in cartooning, where they develop their freehand sketching skills and learn about creating of cartoon characters. We also offer Digital Art courses where the participants are trained to use various programs to transfer their ideas in a digital form such as Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop connected to a digital graphic tablet. We have courses for adults as well as for kids ranging from 6 to 12 years of age. For corporates, our services vary from creating masques that reflects the companies’ identities, to live cartooning sessions at corporate events.

“Don’t wait for the opportunity to reach you, but seek it. Start early so you can go even beyond the finish line.”

From where did you receive the funding to start your enterprise?

I started with only 100 BD which came from my personal savings. I also had access to an old office space that was owned by my family which I redecorated to start my business.

Some examples of Cartoon Planet’s work

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when setting up the business?

It was quite a challenge to spread awareness about our services and to create a need for them. Introducing business services was particularly difficult.

Apart from that, we have to constantly adapt to changing market conditions.

Outside of work, what are some of your biggest hobbies and interests?

Even outside of work I am constantly seeking creative inspiration. I watch the Batman Animated Series and read comics from the 90s. I also enjoy travelling to exotic and far-flung destinations.

Who would you consider to be your biggest personal mentor?

Suhail Al-Qosaibi, the well-known Bahraini

entrepreneur, has been a source of continuous guidance and he has helped me achieve milestone after milestone on my journey to success.

What are some of your future plans for Cartoon Planet?

I aim to develop Cartoon Planet’s services by adding more variety, creativity and maturity to them. I would also like to expand to other GCC countries starting with KSA and UAE.

What advice do you have for any aspiring entrepreneurs out there?

Don’t wait for the opportunity to reach you, but seek it. Start early so you can go even beyond the finish line. You may fail 100 times, but on the 101st try you will get it right.

To find out more about Cartoon Planet, visit www. cartoon-planet.com or follow on Instagram @cartoonplanet

february 2017

23

Hacker

Heaven How Two young Tech entrepreneurs Plan To raise bahrain’s Intellectual Capital 24

february 2017

EntrEprEnEur ounded by passionate tech enthusiasts Ahmed Al A’ali and Ahmed Al Quyim, The Hive is Bahrain’s first hackerspace, providing access to tools, training and technology to turn ideas into products.

BIG speaks to Ahmed Al A’ali, who gives us a little insight into the latest technological developments in the world today, and how The Hive plans to introduce them to the masses.

Could you give us a brief overview of your educational and career background?

I am currently working towards a degree in Engineering and Management from the University of Lincoln (UK) and I am experienced in a number of engineering and manufacturing disciplines, including electronic, mechanical, mechatronic, and simple robotics. I was the President and co-founder of the Heriot Watt University Robotics Club Dubai and I represented Bahrain at the London International Science Forum.

I am also an ethical hacker, OSHA Certified Occupational Health and Safety Specialist and I received the Engineering Professional Recognition award from City & Guild London.

For some of our readers who might be unsure of the term, what exactly is a “hackerspace”?

A hackerspace is a physical place in which people with an interest in computing or technology can gather to work on projects while sharing ideas, equipment, and knowledge.

What inspired you to start The Hive?

The Hive grew organically from the need to have a place where tech fiends could collaborate on their projects and share

mere hours, reducing the time needed to get products to the market. 3D printed prosthetics cost just a few hundred dollars as opposed to traditional ones which run to USD 20, 000 to 50, 000. The technology can be used to produce one-off parts or replacements where parts are hard to find or discontinued, and even for making cars, bikes, jet engines, novelty items and jewelry. 3D printers use materials ranging from plastics to ceramics, carbon fiber, and rubber, to gold and silver.

The Hive’s logo

tools and resources. At first The Hive was just one room where we would take things apart and put them back together, then it grew to an apartment, then a large store room, and it keeps growing. As long as there are people who want to build, learn, and share their creations The Hive will grow with them.

From where did you receive funding and mentorship to set up the business?

Seed funding came from the founders following our success at the Bahrain Development Bank (BDB) Technopreneur competition in 2015. The BDB has become a joint venture partner with an investment that gives the bank 18.5% of the shares. We also get support from the Rowad team and we won Start Up Weekend in the same year. In 2016 we joined The C5 Accelerate program which has helped us gain a greater international perspective as well as technical and financial support from AMAZON AWS.

We know that a large part of The Hive’s

operations are setting up training workshops, but what other clients or partners do you work with? Who do you build prototypes for, and what are some examples of your work?

We conduct a summer program each year in association with the Ministry of Youth where we teach students how to build computers, circuits, robots, and many other projects. We’ve built some innovative products for local SMEs such, as a duct inspection robot, small quad copter, agricultural monitoring equipment, low cost mini PCs, wearable computers, and much more. We’ve also dabbled with 3D printing technology.

With regards to 3D printing, in which areas do you think that kind of technology would be most applicable?

3D printing is a very promising field. Rapid prototyping and testing which would usually take days or weeks now takes

“As long as there are people who want to build, learn, and share their creations The Hive will grow with them.”

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when setting up the enterprise?

One of the biggest challenges was to explain to people what exactly we do. When most people hear ‘tech startup’ they think apps, SAAS, (software as a service), or a website, and we’d have to explain that we are a physical place where you can learn, play, share and develop products and prototypes ready for the market or for your own personal amusement. we also aim to connect all the respective stacked holders from students to industry to educational institutions and supporting bodies with the aim to grow stronger towards a digital more diversified economy.

What advice do you have for any aspiring entrepreneurs out there?

An idea is worth nothing without execution, so go out and test your ideas. Don’t think about money; think about solving a problem, and the money will follow. Especially for tech start ups, don’t expect everyone to understand what you are doing.

You may have to simplify things, but never talk down to anyone.

What are some of your future business plans for The Hive?

The Hive is going through a transition period now and we will soon expand our operations to double our production capacity.

To find out more about The Hive, visit www.thehivebh.co or follow on Instagram @thehivebh

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Perfect your

Pitch!

10 Reasons

Why InvestoRs say“no” Only 1% get funded. Imagine, out of 100, only one gets funded. Let’s face it. You’ll hear a lot of “NOs” before you get a YES. So what is it about the 99 companies that didn’t get a yes? Do they suck? Are they bad? Are they doomed?!

B y Jo s e P a u l Ma rt i n

I

understand you’ve poured your heart, soul, dreams, blood sweat and tears into getting your company off the ground. Raising capital is hard, and the majority of investors may not respond to your pitch, in fact you’ll hear quite a lot of radio silence. And the last thing you want, when you do hear something, is a person on the other side of the table - saying “NO”. Instead of chasing them , chill…

We all know you’re superhuman, and we also know that to you - your company is the most important thing. But I want you to develop some empathy, if not sympathy for the “poor” investor. And you can only do that if you think like an investor. There are bunch of nice ones out there like yours truly, and we do try to respond to every entrepreneur, but please do think about how fast our inbox gets filled.

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“investors generally like to invest in areas they’re familiar with, sometimes entire funds are created just for a sPecific tyPe of investment. accePt this.”

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27

welcome to “the land of no”

5. nuMbeRs gaMe

1. CRedIble Reasons

6. paRadox of tIMe

Some investors give precise reasons why they don’t want to invest. If you get this, consider yourself lucky, because it’s not normal for the investor to give an explanation why - he’s not into free consulting. Every business has its challenges – the question is what’s the magnitude of the challenge, and can your product/service/company/team solve it?

Whilst the numbers game is one part of the investor equation, the other part is the time the investor has to evaluate and decide. The trick in this business is to spend very little time on a lot of deals, and then a lot of time on very few deals. And talking about time, never use time as a pressure tactic on an investor – the default answer will be… you guessed it, ‘no’. Some even say it in less than 1 minute.

2. MIssed oppoRtunItIes aRe the pRICe

7. opM (otheR people’ s Money)

Investors have a tough job and saying “NO” is the toughest part, and that’s because they have plenty of deals / opportunities come their way — so they have to say ‘no’ 99% of the time. And trust me, there are many ways to say ‘no’ without offending you, but don’t mistake an investor’s politeness for weakness (ok, maybe he’s just being respectful).

Now there are three types of responses or answers you will hear – Yes, No and Maybe.

The last one is the worst… it’s just as bad as silence. There are plenty of reasons why investors give these responses, but we’ll touch upon just a few that are important:

There’s no financial upside to saying ‘no’. You need the investor’s cash and connections, they want a stake in your potential growth and return on investment. However, there is a price the investor has to pay for saying ‘no’ most of the time in order to be actively investing.

There are many such opportunities and investors who understand the investing game, accept this. We’re not always right, and there are chances for regret down the road. It works both ways, investors have probably seen very recent failures on their existing investments and are trying to figure out whether yours is the next one. The odds are stacked up against him – 80% of businesses fail after five years, and imagine how many of them he’s funded!

Let’s put it this way, an investor has only a finite amount of capital (if it were unlimited, life would be easier). So if they can only make 10 or even 1 investment per year, the stakes to take a decision on finding that one investment that will put their money to the best use possible, are high. So there are fewer investment opportunities to choose from. Whilst an angel may see 10 investments in a week, a venture capitalist may see 100 in a month and private equity investor may see 100 year in year. When they say yes to one investment, they are saying no to another – it’s a binary decision.

It may sting when someone says no – buckle up, and put one foot in front of the other.

This is a numbers game, buddy.

Look at the fund/investor and try to identify which series they’re investing in. If it’s a smaller Seed/Series A – expect a fund size between $5 to $50 million. As you move down the investment stages – the sizes get larger as well as the funds. Just as investors do due diligence on you, you should be doing your due diligence on the investor.

Just like you’re raising funds for your company, (and unless you’re an angel investor who lucked on an exit) - the “investors” you meet probably have some years of experience working at a larger firm and have now started a ‘ME2 Ventures’ by raising funds from other limited partners (our lingo for other investors like fundsof-funds, family offices, corporations, universities, endowments, pension funds or high networth individuals) following months if not years of meetings. Now, these guys have a fiduciary obligation to find good investments and generate a return for those other investors (and not just cover their salaries, which they get from charging a ‘2%-3% management fee’ to the other investors) – and that’s not easy. Raising capital/funds is not easy per se, deploying those funds and taking responsibility is even tougher. They’re investing other people’s money (opm) and all eyes are on them, just as their eyes are on you as a founder. And keep in mind, that it is possibly at such a time that you’re presenting to him.

4. IndustRy

8. It’ s busIness baby

3. seRIes / stage

Sometimes investors may not have the mandate or experience to invest in your sector/ industry/segment/type of company. Investors generally like to invest in areas they’re familiar with, sometimes entire funds are created just for a specific type of investment. Accept this. If it’s not in their scope - don’t waste more time on them, move on.

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Unless you’re targeting an impact investing fund, if you’re approaching a typical investment/venture fund, know this – it’s business as usual. Just like any corporation, they’re in this to make a profit (and investors have a profit sharing formula, usually a 20% carry or carried interest above and beyond a hurdle rate).

“the trick in this business is to sPend very little time on a lot of deals,and then a lot of time on very few deals.”

In short, if they don’t envision you helping them make 10x or whatever their internal return criteria is, they’re not going to invest in you. It’s all about the money, honey.

If you’re talking to angel investors, the cheque sizes are smaller, and the decision making faster – but you still need to generate a return for them. So imagine a situation where the last few investments the investor has done hasn’t turned out quite well or is doing badly: you bump into him and land a meeting… do you really think he’s going to say yes just like that?

9. KnoW youR stuff

Investors don’t know everything, which is why when they see someone who knows their stuff, they’re impressed, and

they’re interested. If you haven’t done your homework and you get quizzed by an investor, that’s going to reflect badly on you. Don’t pretend to know everything, but don’t be ignorant either. If you know what you’re up against (a sense of reality vs. optimism), investors will respect that.

10. attItude

The last thing an investor needs is a person with attitude, an entrepreneur who thinks too much of himself or thinks he knows it all. Don’t act like a jerk or be cocky. Be confident, but not arrogant – there’s a fine line between the two. Investors see a tonne of opportunities like yours and can keep passing on deals – there will always be another one to invest in.

Ok, you now have plenty of reasons WHY investors say ‘no’. But wouldn’t you like to also know HOW investors say ‘no’, so you can identify a ‘no’ from a ‘yes’ and what to do WHEN they do say ‘no’ ? Well then visit pitchprocess.com to gain access to the full guide as well much more to help you raise capital for your company. It could be your best move for 2017!

Jose Paul Martin is a private equity investor & advisor with over 14 years of experience in strategic & financial advisory and currently focuses on the Information Technology, Healthcare & Education. He is also the Managing Director of Eqoris Advisors - a boutique corporate advisory firm based in Bahrain.

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Allied Ne Team and Peer Coaching:

By Dr. Clare Beckett-McInroy Team coaching (teams being ‘facilitated’ or ‘coached’ by a team’s leader or by an internal or external Coach) is on the rise. It is a fabulous tool for employee engagement, team development, innovation and creating ideas, as well as a way of reducing toxicity in organisations. To do this a Coach, in addition to the competencies required for 1-1 coaching, requires further specialised competencies.

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twork The Way Ahead

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N

o one grows as a leader without the support of other people. Effective peer-topeer coaching can offer the encouragement people need to overcome the fear of starting something new. Peer Coaches, like professional Coaches, can also hold their Coachee accountable for moving in a new direction.

Being non-directive

Enabling team coaching and facilitating peer coaching with your team can accelerate learning and ensure that the best-fit solutions come to fruition. This article explains how to set up non-directive team coaching and a peer coaching network, in the Socratic tradition (the Coachee discovers solutions to their issues through dialogue), as opposed to instructional, evaluative and directive feedback (in which an expert Coach ‘solves’ the Coachee’s problem) – the latter is actually mentoring and is disempowering. Through compassionate, caring enquiry, everyone can develop and improve their abilities through practice and reflection on what works (and what does not).

Peer Coaching

Peer coaching is powerful. It will not absolve you of responsibility in making tough decisions about pay and promotion and everything else you must do within your role. Yet, to avoid initiating team and peer coaching, is to disempower, to inhibit learning and progress and to reduce capacity building. There is a sense of camaraderie and good feeling that comes when you have a positive impact as a Coach on another person’s well-being, and peer Coaches learn things about themselves both through the act of coaching, and, of course, by receiving coaching themselves. They also deepen their relationship with colleagues, which can be very powerful.

Where to start?

To construct a peer coaching network, start small and aim for quality and impact. Set people up in triads or ask employees to find two other people so they can take turns serving as both Coach and Coachee for each other: A coaches B, B coaches C, and C coaches A. Suggest each person start by discussing the results they want. The more open Coachees are about goals, the more they will increase commitment, and the more likely their goals will be realised.

It is also useful to talk about how the triad will work together, establishing expectations, time to meet, and understanding each other’s interests, hopes, and fears. Clarify how each member will play the Coach and Coachee roles and suggest adjustments as needed. Encourage each person to gain a preliminary understanding of each other’s key relationships at work, at home, and in the community. But the most important ground rules are that “You choose what you want to disclose…” and what is confidential stays that way!

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Co-Creating Strong Coaching Relationships

Provide your team with ways to design the relationship and co-create clear boundaries and agendas for team coaching, including confidentiality, phone calls and some basic guidelines followed by most Coaches. Ask your team to follow these guidelines to get the most out of their peer-to-peer coaching relationships:  Show you care about helping to enable the team as a collective as well as individuals.  Be as aware as possible of your own biases as a Coach and be subjective and non-judgemental.  Stay in touch with the reality your team is facing.  Be confident when asking ‘naïve’ questions, they are extremely beneficial.  Encourage your Coachees to get more help when needed, from all sources, including 1:1 coaching as well as team psychometrics to identify strengths and development areas.  Be open, honest and transparent about your role and what you can deliver.

The heart of non-directive, or developmental, peer-to-peer coaching is using powerful questioning, ensuring the timing and communication of a question has intention for the impact you want for your team.

Change?

Many people fear change because it forces them into unknown territory, where things are unpredictable and unfamiliar. And yet there are predictable stages people go through when they undertake intentional change.

Coaches help others to see and feel the need to create meaningful, sustainable change.

What’s the issue?

Simply identifying the need for change can be difficult, as many of us ignore information that disconfirms our current perceptions. Framing this is a problem that can actually inhibit progress. Encourage the team to share what is going well and the ways in they can improve things in that area, and draw upon them.

Deepening awareness

Coaches can help identify blind spots by encouraging self-reflection about things that are not obvious to their team. Asking these questions increases awareness: } As you think about your goals, what’s not working well in your life? } What are the consequences of this issue for you and the important people in your life? } What is the source of the need to change – is it you or is it external? } What if this stays the same?

What will change bring?

We naturally tend to lean towards continuing the status quo through an ‘away from’ mentality – ‘I don’t want this because... ‘. Carol Dweck advocates a ‘towards’ mentality – ‘I want this because…’.This can help raise passion and urgency by asking questions such as: } Looking ahead, what will happen if you don’t change? } What will happen if you do change? } What are you choosing? } What’s important about that choice? } What will it bring to you? } In what ways does it resonate with your values? (…your organisational values)?

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“MAkINg A ChoICe to ChANge IS A CRuCIAl MoMeNt. It MARkS the PoINt WheN MINDS ShIft AND DeSIReD futuReS ARe CleAR, AS ARe theIR BeNefItS.”

Commitment can decrease without a sense of urgency. Coaches can challenge this by asking: } What if this is easier than you think? } What are the first steps — and the next steps — you will take? } What will enable you to ensure a sense of urgency? } In what ways can this be sustained? } In what ways do you show true commitment?

Sustaining Impact

Making Choices

Making a choice to change is a crucial moment. It marks the point when minds shift and desired futures are clear, as are their benefits. It is also a potentially tricky point, hence the CoachME model incorporates transition planning as a discrete facet to forward action and to avoid reverting to the comfort zone or previous action. Coaches can help Coachees reach and move beyond this point by asking: } What have you decided to do differently and why?

Coaching in action

Effective Coaches ask their teams to think out loud about what to do differently, how to overcome setbacks or hurdles, and what skills or sources of support are needed.

You can help your team discover specific ideas for how to better accomplish goals by exploring the following: } What specifically will you do, and by when? } In what ways will you measure progress?

} What is the ultimate outcome?

} What stands in the way, and how will you overcome these barriers?

} What’s next?

} In what ways will you generate support?

Encouragement at every small step builds and sustains momentum – all action should be celebrated and ‘failures’ should be too, as learning opportunities.

As a Coach, you can provide frequent reinforcement and celebrate your Coachee’s successes to bolster confidence and help them manage setbacks. Key questions here include: } What impact have you had? } In what ways have your accomplishments benefited your team? } What small, smarter step will help you build momentum? } In what ways can I support you? } What else can support your mission?

Mentor Coaching?

Lead Coaches and Team Coaches need Coaches themselves. What is also useful is Mentor coaching – coaching on their coaching competencies through audio or video recordings or thought reflections and even through the mentor Coach observing real time.

Working at both providing and receiving peer coaching requires an investment of time as well as development of skills, knowledge and behaviour. Few people are naturally gifted in this area yet it can be learned – with practice. As the leader of your team, establishing a peer Coaching network can empower your colleagues, expand their skill sets, enrich them personally and professionally and ultimately help your organisation. It’s free, it’s fun and it’s more than just fashionable – it is rewarding and proven to have an impact.

Dr Clare BeckettMcInroy is a Researcher on Arab Women, Education and Employability as well as HRD and Leadership globally. She is CEO of BMC, Author of ‘Networking Know How’ and other books as well as a Certified Master Executive, Team and Leadership Coach. Visit www.beckett-mcinroy. com for further details.

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Empathise to Optimise Build A Powerful 2017 Using Emotional Intelligence

By Neil Fogarty

As we kick off a new year, we already know that a key differentiator for any organisation is its people: the strength of the leaders and their teams. But what do you think of when you think of great leadership?

Give yourself time to reflect upon a great leader that you have worked with – and what made them great in your eyes.

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I

have met hundreds of GCC business leaders since my first time in Dubai in 2011 and have witnessed many positive and negative traits. Crucially, the traits of the leaders strongly influence the culture of the organisation.

So which organisation fares better: the one with the leader who shouts and loses their temper or the one led by a professional who never lets their temper get out of control, no matter what problems they are facing?

What kind of organisation would you expect to be engaged with if the boss doesn’t listen to you, doesn’t demonstrate trustworthiness and is erratic in their decision-making?

Developing your Emotional Intelligence (EQ) The general intelligence and personality of

a leader is fairly fixed (your IQ and your personality assessments remain the same for most of your life - in fact, the theory is that your IQ peaks at 17!). Your technical know-how (understanding the nuances and complexities of the work that you do) and your emotional intelligence can be consolidated and built upon deep into your career.

If you’re reading this article, then you’re probably already aware of the emotional intelligence: it’s not that new.

Whilst Social Intelligence is referred to in the 1920s, it’s not really until 1983 that the Israeli psychologist Dr Reuvon Bar-On refers to the Emotional Quotient and then, in the 1990s, we hear from Mayer & Salovey which informs Daniel Goleman’s book, “Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ”.

The five elements of EQ Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, and recognise how these emotions can affect other people.

According to Goleman, there are five main elements of emotional intelligence:

“WhEn yOu raIsE thE EQ Of thE OrganIsatIOn, culturE changEs fOr thE bEttEr: pEOplE arE EnthusEd by succEss – partIcularly WhEn thE succEss cOmEs frOm thEIr OWn hands.”

• Self-awareness • Self-regulation • Motivation • Empathy • Social skills

EQ does not equal P

EQ is not ‘personality’ – so if you’ve been measured by personality tests such as NEO, 16PF, MBTI, Big Five… don’t assume that your EQ has been assessed.

The business case for EQ

This is an interesting evolution of Emotional Intelligence – something NLP struggled to achieve – providing tangible evidence to support the claims made by practitioners.

Emotional Intelligence is estimated to account for 27-45% of job success.

In short, Emotional Intelligence supports your work, addressing organisational challenges: • Higher sales and profits • Benchmark and increase performance • Improved customer satisfaction • Improved recruitment process • Retain high performers during the current war for talent • Drive greater ROI on training spend

• Build aligned and motivated teams – driving efficiency and efficacy • Create strong risk management • Reduce resistance to change • Help people to handle the stress • Enable better M&A integration • Transform cultures So if you accept that EQ has the potential for ROI, how would you go about moving it from theory into something more practical?

Implementing EQ in your organisation • Identify senior advocates of using EQ • Agree which single area to focus on first (e.g. conflict, talent management, etc.)

• Gather data to support the decision for the focus area • Conduct a 360-degree EQ evaluation for leaders and teams within the focus area • 1:1 feedback meetings to build action plans for improving your EQ • Workshops to support people as they work on the focus area • Gather new statistics and stories to help build momentum

When you raise the EQ of the organisation, culture changes for the better: people are enthused by success – particularly when the success comes from their own hands.

Using training, counselling, coaching and consultancy, you can implement EQ into the organisation: emotionally intelligent leaders create better engagement among employees; when teams have higher EQ, they increase their collaboration and innovation as well as make better decisions.

All of this serves to attract and retain emotionally intelligent business professionals able to handle stress, sensibly manage risk, boost customer excellence… and so it goes!

Are you ready for 2017?

Neil Fogarty is a business writer, international speaker and advisor with clients in Europe, GCC, Africa and The Americas. As Managing Director of business psychology company, The Warwickshire Partnership, he works with government and private sector leaders in organizational health, corporate entrepreneurship (intrapreneurs), leadership psychology and business excellence.

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Domain Strategy 5 Rules for Choosing the Best Domain Name for Your Business

By DeBorah Sweeney, CEO, MyCorporation.com

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If there’s one thing a small business owner should never rush on, it’s picking a domain name. If you hurry to choose a domain name, mistakes ensue. From picking an unpronounceable name to settling for a name that is too obscure for your business, rookie mistakes can spell disaster for brand recognition both on and offline. Keep your credibility and choose a memorable name that matters for your business by following these five rules:

1. First and foremost, conduct a search to see if the domain name is available.

Don’t just assume that your domain name is available.

Conduct a comprehensive trademark search to ensure it is available and not pending or registered elsewhere. Without a search, there’s a good chance you will end up in litigation for an alleged infringement.

After you’ve conducted the search and can verify that your domain name is free to use, purchase the domain name and file for federal registration. By doing so, you minimise the risk of trademark infringement actions, placing your business in a stronger position, and you save money. Consider obtaining domain name equivalents, after conducting a search to ensure they’re free for you to use, of course!

2. Make it short and memorable.

No domain name needs to be long or drawn out.

Keep it simple and to the point, unique, and easy to pronounce and spell.

3. Avoid hyphens and numbers.

Tying in with my spelling note, don’t include numbers or hyphens in your domain name. The key to a successful name is one that is memorable, and if you can’t remember where the hyphens go or how many numbers you included, you’re only confusing yourself and your customer base.

4. Include relevant keywords.

Imagine you run a bakery.

Depending on what your offerings are, you might opt to include the words “cupcake,” “pie,” or “bagel” in the domain name; you would not include words outside of your industry like “candy” or “car.”

If your domain name is keyword rich, you’ll be much more SEO friendly than you would be if you used a domain name without relevant keywords. Adding keywords to your name creates a fantastic domino effect – your business will come up in Google searches when potential customers type these words in, increasing your site traffic and search engine rank.

5. Add ‘.com’ as your extension.

Should your domain name extension be .com, .org, .edu., or even the trendy .co? Your best bet is to first look at your industry (for example, most nonprofits have .org extensions); however, most small businesses fall under the .com umbrella.

Try to go with .com for your business whenever possible because it’s the most easily recognised and considered the gold standard of extensions.

Finally, as a bonus sixth rule of thumb, you can get a head start on your competitors with geo targeting. For local businesses, this is huge.

Businesses specific to a certain city or town should create a domain name that is local-specific to limit their competition in search engines and so customers can easily find them – a win-win for everyone!

Deborah Sweeney is the CEO of MyCorporation.com. MyCorporation is a leader in online legal filing services for entrepreneurs and businesses. The company provides start-up bundles that include corporation and LLC formation, registered agent, DBA, and trademark & copyright filing services.

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Following H Suit How to bring up cHildren to become entrepreneurs

Will any of my children become entrepreneurs? It is hard to say, since all three are under the age of 12, but in my experience, the most powerful influence on youngsters’ career choices is their parents’ occupations. If you witness at first hand in the home the dangers and rewards of self-employment, and see a role model entrepreneur at the kitchen table every day, you are much more likely to reject a conventional job in favour of controlling your own destiny. So I suspect the likelihood is at least one of my offspring will run their own business.

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owever, I am not a great believer in slavishly following in the footsteps of one’s parents — indeed, no one in my family had anything to do with the commercial world. I deliberately chose a different vocation. When my children are older, I will try hard to let them decide their own paths for themselves.

But as a nation we do need to cultivate more founders of successful enterprises. And, of course, the upbringing we give the next generation will make a huge difference as to what sort of work they choose to do. A recent book, Raising an Entrepreneur, by Margot Machol Bisnow, gives guidance about nurturing “risk takers, problem solvers and change makers”. The author’s sons are both entrepreneurs, and she has interviewed more than 60 mothers of high-achieving entrepreneurs, so she understands the territory well.

Support their ASpirAtionS

The conclusions she derives from her research are not new insights, but, nevertheless, several of them bear repeating. She believes parents should support their children’s passions, and

“EntrEprEnEurship cannot bE taught but it can bE stimulatEd: parEnts and tEachErs should lEarn how to do it.” allow them to pursue their favourite activity — it might well turn into a company one day. She thinks we should permit our children to win and lose: failing and learning from setbacks at a young age is vital. It promotes resilience, and a dose of reality, which can be absent from households where children are protected from the rigours of the world.

The book argues that parents should not obsess about academic accomplishments: a lot of entrepreneurs rebel against the institutional requirements of mainstream schools; quite a few are dyslexic or have ADHD, or are simply non-conformists who cannot follow, but must lead or plough their own furrow. Tony Wagner, author of Creating Innovators and Most Likely to Succeed, two books on this subject, assert that most innovators are, by nature, disruptive. They resist authority — be it parent, teacher or boss. Consequently they are labelled disobedient, headstrong or insubordinate.

inStil ConfidenCe

The single most important task for a parent is to imbue their child with boundless confidence: almost all business builders have considerable self-belief.

A great deal of this inner strength is instilled when they are still at primary school level. Similarly, children should be encouraged to embrace adversity: they ought to see obstacles as opportunities.

Well-off parents in the 21st century have placed children at the centre of the universe, and are infatuated with obtaining a superior education for their offspring.

Families impoverish themselves to pay private school fees, and go into deep mourning if their sons and daughters don’t end up at the finest universities. But is the sacrifice worth it? What is the point of this striving? Formal schooling and higher education do not provide all the answers.

Spirit of Adventure

Top marks in the classroom and endless exam certificates are not a cast-iron guarantee for a fulfilling life. I meet increasing numbers of middle-aged professionals who want to jettison their

structured existence and embrace the riskier world of entrepreneurship. For some, the illusion of respectability and a safe job has been exposed as a sham: ennui has forced them to reinvent themselves.

I applaud their new-found spirit of adventure. But it is generally easier to make such a move at 21 rather than 20 years later.

I was lucky because I was the third of four children, and left to my own devices a fair amount when young.

Consequently I think I took greater risks and became more self-reliant.

I do worry that the widespread adoption of helicopter parenting means that children today are less independent, and slow to welcome adulthood.

Over parenting can definitely inhibit the vital need for children to explore, to get into trouble, and to do reckless things – the same sort of behaviour that leads to new business ventures. By contrast, I suspect over cautious children, wrapped in metaphorical cotton wool, are unlikely to become bold entrepreneurs.

inStitutionAl Support

But parents are not the only source of the enterprise gene. Schools, colleges and universities can all help to develop self-starters among their students. At our think tank, the Centre for Entrepreneurs, we are undertaking a study into how well Britain’s higher education institutions support entrepreneurship among their undergraduates. Next year we will report on those universities that offer the best mentoring, incubation facilities, financial backing, competitions, networking and overall experience for students starting a business.

Entrepreneurship cannot be taught but it can be stimulated: parents and teachers should learn how to do it.

by Luke Johnson, The sunday Times

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Cover Story

King of

QuicK Service Our ExclusivE with Yum Yum trEE FOundEr

dr. AdEl BukhOwA

After an illustrious government career, Dr. Adel Bukhowa’s name was set in stone after founding what eventually became one of the largest quick-service restaurant chains in the GCC region – the Yum Yum Tree Food Court. Recently sold to Kuwait-based Global Investment House, his brainchild is poised to further expand its international operations in coming years. In an exclusive interview with BIG, the visionary tells us more about the sale of his franchise, future plans for his holding company, and the secrets to his success.

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thE Qsr [Quick-sErvicE rEstAurAnt] sEctOr is OnE thAt is still grOwing, And sEEms AlmOst cOmplEtElY rEsiliEnt tO thE currEnt EcOnOmic situAtiOn.

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How do you ensure that branches of Yum Yum Tree in other countries stay true to the company’s standards?

Yum Yum Tree maintains two headquarters – the main headquarters in Bahrain, and a secondary one in Dubai. We also have teams from Canada and the USA that visit the branches to do quality checks.

Lastly, we have done our best to hire the most qualified people to join the team.

The combination of these factors allowed us to closely monitor the branches around the region to ensure that they meet the standards of the brand.

The general consensus is that the Quick-Service Restaurant (QSR) sector is far less affected by economic downturns that the fine dining sector. How far would you agree with that statement?

Yum Yum Tree’s first branch in Hoora

Let’s start with a little background about yourself: what are some of your educational and work experiences prior to founding Yum Yum Tree?

After graduating from high school in Bahrain, I travelled to USA, where I received my Phd in education in 1978. I then returned to Bahrain and worked for the Bahrain Monetary Agency, now known as the Central Bank of Bahrain, and later the Ministry of Education. I founded my first business, Dolphin Pools in 1987, which was soon followed by a restaurant chain called Socrates, which was quite popular in its day.

I then relocated to Hawaii, where I lived for three years, before moving back to Bahrain and founding Yum Yum Tree in 1995.

How did you come up with the concept of Yum Yum Tree? Could you give us a scale of the size of the chain’s operations in the GCC region at the time of the sale?

I’d always found the restaurant business very interesting. I’d first been exposed to the food court concept in Colorado, USA, in 1975. The place had a truly international feel to it, serving a range of different cuisines from all over the world. When entering the place, patrons would receive a “passport”.

Every time they ate at a certain place, or “travelled” to a new location, their passport would get stamped. Once they were ready to leave, their passport would get checked and they would pay accordingly. I found it to be a very unique experience – one that stayed with me for a very long time. 20 years later, I brought the concept to Bahrain.

Today Yum Yum Tree has over 180 branches all over the GCC. 46

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Could you give us a brief overview of the Bukhowa Investments Holding Company and its business interests?

By 1995, I was already an entrepreneur, but it was Yum Yum Tree that really switched my career into high gear. After the success of Yum Yum Tree, I decided to start diversifying my business interests. The Bukhowa Investments Holding Company was founded in its current form in 2002. Under the umbrella of the holding company, today we own and operate a number of businesses related to the real estate and hospitality sectors.

Yum Yum Tree is the master franchisee of more than 20 international brands in the region.

How do you select which franchises to introduce into the region?

The idea behind the food court concept was to offer as large a variety of cuisines as possible. So we carefully look at all the franchises that enjoy relative popularity in their country of origin, are unique, and might appeal to a wide consumer base in the region.

I’d fully agree to it. In fact, the QSR sector is one that is still growing, and seems almost completely resilient to the current economic situation. People today lead extremely busy lives and are always in a hurry, which makes the idea of quick-service more relevant than ever. Furthermore, the prices offered by QSRs such as ours are still considered affordable for the vast majority of our regular customers. Even with the reduction of their disposable income, our prices still fall within budget.

How has the QSR sector changed since the founding of Yum Yum Tree in 1995?

The biggest difference is that there is a lot more competition today. In 1995, we had the advantage of being a completely unique concept. Another major difference would be people’s changing tastes. People’s preferences and tastes are constantly evolving, and it’s important to adapt to change in order to stay ahead of the game.

Lastly, the use of mobile technology has had a huge impact on the industry. Apps such as Talabat have helped our outlets increase sales by nearly 20%!

whEthEr YOu ArE cOmpEting in thE ArEAs OF pricE Or QuAlitY, YOu nEEd tO BE mEntAllY prEpArEd tO cOnstAntlY innOvAtE And EvOlvE in OrdEr tO rEtAin YOur shArE OF thE mArkEt.

How did the sale of the franchise with Kuwait-based Global Investment House take place?

Did they approach you, or were you actively looking to sell the business at that point?

The deal itself was a fairly complicated process that took nearly a year to finish, as there was a lot of legal paperwork involved. At that point, we were looking to sell Yum Yum Tree as we felt that we had done as much as we could with it, and were ready to focus our attentions to our real estate projects. Under the new ownership, Yum Yum Tree will receive a substantial financial backing, with which the operation

will soon enter new international markets.

We wish them the best of luck!

With regards to Yum Yum Tree, what have been some of the major obstacles you have faced, and how have you overcome them?

One obstacle we regularly faced was the frequent increases of our rental prices, in some cases being doubled without prior notice. The law doesn’t do much to protect the retailers in this respect.

Another difficulty is the labour laws. With the current system, employees are able to mobilise themselves very easily, many times leaving the company without any prior notice.

What, in your opinion, are some of the most essential qualities of a successful entrepreneur?

You need to make sure that you’ve put enough thought into your concept, and always make the quality of your service or product your first priority. With the food industry in particular, you also need to pay close attention to the location of your outlets. One often-overlooked factor to one’s success is a competitor’s mindset.

No matter what business you start, you always need to be prepared to deal with competition. Whether you are competing in the areas of price or quality, you need to be mentally prepared to constantly innovate and evolve in order to retain your share of the market. However, this kind of competition is always healthy as complacency is a one-way ticket to mediocrity.

How would you best describe your style of management?

I would describe myself as generally easygoing in my approach. My door is always open to all of my employees, regardless of status or rank. I’ve done my best to do away with traditional company hierarchy and am always ready to listen to and receive feedback from any of my colleagues.

In what ways has working closely with your son proved to be a hindrance and in what ways is it an advantage from a business standpoint?

My son, Omar oversees our holding company’s operations in Dubai. It’s been a very positive experience, as working with Omar is like working with a dear friend.

We enjoy a close relationship, which is very important in a professional setting, as trust between partners is crucial to the success of any business.

Outside of work, what are some of your main hobbies and interests?

I enjoy travelling and learning about and experiencing different cultures. In the past I was also an avid skier, although I don’t do much of that these days!

What are some of the Bukhowa Investments Holding Company’s future business plans?

For the moment, we are focusing primarily on our real estate projects.

These include a hospital in Riffa, which has just been completed, and the Fiesta shopping mall in Saar, which is currently under construction. february 2017

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The Best Laid Plans How To Use Mind Mapping To Unleash Your Creative Potential

By Aravind MG

Mind mapping is a highly effective diagrammatic way of getting and organising information in and out of our brain. Mind mapping is used as a universal key to unlock the potential of our brain. Mind mapping is a creative way of note-making, note-taking, and can also be stated as a graphical method of visualising connections between several ideas which we may get from our team members if working as a team or ourselves. Each idea we get is written down and then linked according to their priority with key point at the centre, on which we are developing the mind map.

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The idea of mind mapping was developed by the British researcher Tony Buzan in his book in 1972. Mind mapping is a technique for diagramming complex information. A mind map starts with a central idea, from which related ideas or sets of information are linked in separate branches.

Nowadays, mind mapping is used in problem solving, project planning, brain storming, note-making etc.

Software development is a team activity with the purpose of solving a specified problem.

In order to solve it efficiently according to the wishes of the stakeholders, software development teams develop a mind map. The map would focus on key points and would develop further through sharing of thoughts, ideas and concepts within the team and also with the stakeholders.

During all phases of a project life cycle, but particularly during the initial phases, project managers need to communicate well with stakeholders, which is where they would use mind mapping as a strategy to get approval from people who can impact the project outcome.

Project managers will begin by drawing a diagram that lists the project objectives

and then validates it with the stakeholders. Project teams also can summarise complex project needs such as the hardware/software required to complete said project task using mind mapping.

Understanding The Requirements Of Stakeholders Using The Technique

The first step to understanding the requirements of stakeholders is Brainstorming.

Brainstorming as a group is highly effective for problemsolving simply because of the combined brain power and the greater number of ideas brought forward.

Each member of the team brings their own, different perspective to the issue at hand, which then translates into more solutions. A great strategy when starting brainstorming, is to get each member of the team to brainstorm alone first and then have everyone bring their ideas together. Brainstorming can also be a highly effective tool to develop a strong sense of mutual trust and friendship among people in a team, because it gives everyone a sense of responsibility and motivates them to work that little bit harder.

The figure shows a mind map about Global Warming

Here are some guidelines for Brainstorming:  Clearly state the objectives of the session.  Generate as many ideas as possible.  Let your imagination soar.  Do not allow criticism or debate.  Mutate and combine the ideas.

While brainstorming on a topic, we have to fulfil a few requirements in order to make it effective and useful, they are as follows:

i. Voting. ii. Apply evaluation criteria.

With the use of a mind map, we can elicit the needs of the system by: a) Discussing with the customer what the system will do. b) Identify who will interact with the system. c) Identify what interfaces the system should have. d) Verify that no requirements are missing. e) Verify that developers understand the requirements.

“Using pictures to represent project goals, status and background information usually helps clarify complex scenarios.”

Conclusion

Project managers can use these tips for stakeholder mind mapping activities as part of their overall project communication planning strategy. Using pictures to represent project goals, status and background information usually helps clarify complex scenarios. Using mind mapping to facilitate effective communication with stakeholders can help the project manager and his or her team to ensure a successful project outcome.

1. Gather Ideas  Write it down.  Shout it out.  Post it on the board.

2. Organise Ideas.  Combine ideas.  Eliminate outrageous

ideas.

3. Idea Reduction.  Discard redundant,

unwanted ideas.  Store those ideas that

need further development of the system.  Blend ideas.  Prioritise ideas that

remain using. february 2017

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Harnessing the Power of Customer Satisfaction in the Restaurant Industry

Stand-Out Service

By Professor Mukhtar Al-Hashimi

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Regardless of the type of business, customer satisfaction is nowadays crucial for the organisation’s survival as the main source of competitiveness and brand development, and a driver for new customer acquisition. Satisfaction is the post-consumption evaluation of one’s perception of the quality and value of the product or service purchased. Usually, it is more of a subjective measure that focuses on the customer’s perceptions or attitudes rather than the use of objective metrics.

experience is everything

Studies have emphasised the significance of having excellent customer experiences over bad customer experiences in the business domain regardless of the business sectors. Importantly, the literature has shown that it takes five times more resources, effort and time to acquire a new customer than it does to retain an existing customer, i.e., a ratio of 5:1.

Moreover, studies on customer satisfaction indicate that satisfied customers are willing to pay higher prices for exceptional services and are eager to spread their positive customer experiences to others.

In contrast, studies have shown that unhappy customers with unfilled expectations can lead to dissatisfaction and negative impacts on the existing business.

Importantly, customer satisfaction will lead to returning and loyal customers. However, loyal customers always seek quality services that exceed their expectations. In light of this, many companies, and especially those in the business service sectors, have recognised the importance of understanding how customers are satisfied. They have emphasised the importance of collecting data, and monitoring and evaluating their customer satisfaction. Once a business builds a strategy for gathering customer feedback information, this will transform the information into useful business knowledge. february 2017

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This knowledge leads to understanding and improving the business model, and especially the interaction processes related to the customer.

At this point, it is worth mentioning that perceptions relating to satisfaction differ from country to country, from culture to culture, and from customer to customer since each has a unique reaction to a set of attributes. Other factors that could influence customer satisfaction are nationality, culture, age, gender, beliefs and attitudes.

Food & Beverage industry

An industry that is very sensitive to customer satisfaction is the food and beverage industry. Significant changes have been seen in the scope of the dining business driven by the social, cultural and economic trends within the society.

The food and restaurant industry fall into three categories: fast food (sometimes called quick service), dining and fine dining. The concept of the casual restaurant emerged in the early ’90s in the United States, driven mainly by three major factors that were salient among the American population’s perceptions of satisfaction toward restaurants: atmosphere, price, and quality of meals. Today, casual restaurants are categorised into fast casual and casual dining restaurants. The 52

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former is “fast casual” and offers fast food and regular restaurants, while the latter, casual restaurants, often offer fast food with services based on a rich menu. The casual dining restaurant usually has an excellent atmosphere compared to that of fast food restaurants.

In the restaurant business sector, the subjective measure usually used is data collection methods, such as customer satisfaction questionnaire surveys that aim to measure the quality of the services and customer attitudes for the attained services course. The main objective of such satisfaction surveys is to collect customer feedback, monitor performance, and benchmark customer satisfaction in order to improve on the services. When measuring customer satisfaction there are three independent variables that will have a significant impact on the level of customer satisfaction: food quality, atmosphere and fairness in the order in which people are seated.

developing Measuring tools

One traditional model to determine the level of customer satisfaction starts at the macro level with five stages. It starts when the customer first arrives at the restaurant with an expectation of performance that is subject to the degree of familiarity with the product, service and environment.

Once the customer receives the services, they then start to assess and compare the received services to the expected standard, which leads to a perception of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Finally, with this feeling, the experience outcome can be either repeating the experience of approval or disapproval, or complaining through various means of communication. In the Gulf, the food services market is on the increase and considered one of the best performing industries in the region, even during times of recession. This is due to changes in the demographic makeup of society,

PercePtions relating to satisfaction differ from country to country, from culture to culture, and from customer to customer since each has a unique reaction to a set of attributes.

appreciation of other culture’s cuisines, and other economic drivers. To be more specific, in the Gulf region, customer satisfaction depends on multiple attributes that could affect the intention of the customer to return or repeat the dining experience. Among these attributes are: the attitude of the server, restaurant atmosphere, variety of the menu, consistency of quality, understanding the customer culture, purchasing power and waiting time. By understanding such attributes, restaurant management is able to be competitive in the market.

When developing a tool for measuring customer satisfaction in a restaurant there is a need to understand and review various customer satisfaction theories while underlining the business objectives of understanding customer satisfaction.

Typically, there are different data segments that need to be collected to understand the customer satisfaction in a typical restaurant. The first data segment concerns the respondents’ personal characteristics, such as age, gender, nationality, profession, and income level, marital status, and how they know about the restaurant. The second data segment is related to the selection of the restaurant, visit, and profile of satisfaction.

For such data one can ask respondents to rate other visits compared to other restaurants, familiarity with the cuisine and food items on the menu, occasion of visit, and average spend per visit. The third data segment is related to the customer’s current perception. This involves price, taste of the dishes ordered, staff professionalism and friendliness, waiting time for ordered food, general experience with the restaurant in terms of environment and physical appearance, and information about calorie profiles for the food. The fourth data segment is their loyalty and willingness to repeat the visit as well as recommending the restaurant to others. A good customer satisfaction tool will allow customers to openly express their experience and perception and give suggestions through writing few lines.

Such information is important to be coded and analysed since it contributes to the improvement strategy.

One of the studies conducted in the region in an attempt to understand customer satisfaction and intent to return was conducted utilising the two years data collected from customer surveys as data collection. The customer satisfaction tool covered five major dimensions of customer satisfaction: speed of the service delivery; communication and accurate information; food quality, presentation and preparation; atmosphere and environment; and overall rating for the services. In short, the study found that most customers do not feel that they receive what they expect. Most people rated facilities and location as good. As for the food quality and presentation, it is acceptable but not outstanding. With regards to the employee dimension, the customers indicated that it is excellent when it comes to communication, but only adequate regarding knowledge of the menu and ingredients.

One unique phenomenon that restaurant management needs to take into consideration is the Ramadan period, since almost all the customers need to be served within the specific timeframe during Iftar time, that is during the time of breaking

fast. Here all customers are expecting to be served within the specific timeframe and expecting an outstanding service as well as food quality.

conclusion

In today’s business world, customers demand excellence. Measuring and monitoring customer services using various innovative tools and gathering data supports the customer-centric business model. In reality, some businesses expend a great deal of money and effort trying to exceed customer satisfaction. But the fact is that the higher the service quality, the higher the customer satisfaction level, and competent employees are the key elements for sustainability and competitiveness.

However, collecting data about customer satisfaction is not enough. Managers need to understand their customers through different means and methods, not only relying on one measurement tool such as the questionnaires. They also need to utilise various data collection tools such as market research, focus group, brainstorming, interviews and observation of the customerservice provider interaction.

Business leaders of the ser vices industr y need to consider the following tips:  Ensure that the selected employees are willing and ready to communicate with customer in the services sector.  Train the employee to initiate communication and dialog in a friendly style.  Excellent employees will always provide a prompt service to their customer in an accurate and informative manner.  Excellent employees will go out of their way to help exceed the customer’s expectation.  Never give the impression that being

busy will affect excellent customer services. On the contrary, strive for fast and efficient service.  Create a long and lasting impression on every customer and specially those who are there on special occasions or social events.  Always pay attention to the small details in term of food quality, service quality and restaurant environment for the purpose of continuous improvements.  Create a relationship of empathy between customers and employees.

Professor Mukhtar Al-Hashimi Ahlia University, Bahrain Email malhashimi@ ahlia.edu.bh Instagram “Prof_Mukhtar” Mobile +973- 39664117

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Flash Forward Marketing trends to Watch for in 2017

By Eman Bu-Rashid

There’s a lot of interest from businesses in what new marketing tactics and tools they can use in 2017. I must say that since few marketing strategies really die out completely, the important point here is to focus on what works for you and what is the most efficient use of your time. Regardless of what technologies we use to generate leads and promote our products and services, our focus remains on our audience.

As business owners, we need to continue to monitor the behaviour of our audience and tailor our strategies and tactics to suit their information consumption behaviour.

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Here is what I see as the latest developments in marketing which look set to continue in 2017, and those you should pay attention to: 1. Content Marketing

Content marketing is a strategic-marketing technique to create and distribute relevant information to attract a target audience.

Your content generation strategy has to be human-centric, because each target audience consumes information differently. Content marketing is an ongoing process that’s best integrated into an overall marketing strategy. The key is to be consistent, staying in character for your brand.

Visual content has become so fundamental to the web that we’ve got entire social platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and Pinterest whose language is images. If you haven’t embraced using images in your marketing, it’s about time.

Like images, video is so core to the internet experience.

Zuckerburg himself has said, “I think video is a megatrend, almost as big as mobile.” Entire platforms have evolved including YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook Live and Twitter’s video options. Advances in technology have made the use of video cheaper and more effective, giving small and midsized companies access to sophisticated, power technology without big budgets. When you consider that consumers prefer to watch content, instead of reading it, particularly in our region, then the power of video marketing becomes immediately apparent. Video content will continue to build momentum and audiences will be looking for it more in 2017.

2. Interactive Content

There’s content you can read, and then there’s content you can interact with. Interactive content is a better way to educate, entertain, and engage your audience.

Building brand awareness and attraction leads to building the relationship that leads to building trust that leads to building sales that leads to building business. Interactive content offers an opportunity to differentiate your brand and engage your audience.

Think of ways to get readers to actively participate instead of passively consume. This can include quizzes, contests, surveys, polls and eBooks. The real measure of any form of marketing is action.

As marketers for our businesses, we need to measure actions and engagements, other than shares, clicks and views.

“In a world oF too much content and not enough tIme, personalIsatIon Is a huge wIn For busInesses lookIng to earn the attentIon oF theIr consumers.”

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3. Livestreaming

Although we’re still working out the technical aspect of this new technology, it’s clear that livestreaming will continue to push the boundaries. We’re going to see a lot more live broadcasts in 2017, as it becomes very commonplace for people to use.

Streaming live videos allows businesses to engage with their audience in an authentic way. With Facebook and Instagram adopting the livestreaming trend in 2016, the social networking sites joined Twitter’s Periscope app among the tools helping to widen access to on-demand broadcasts.

Live streaming can be integrated into your existing marketing strategy with relative ease and minimal investment. All you need is a phone and an app to communicate directly with your audience. On Facebook livestreaming, for example, people can send you hearts, likes and questions on the spot.

The interactivity with your audience is like nothing you have seen before.

4. Influencer

marketing

There’s consensus that some advertising spending in 2017 will go towards influencer marketing. Influencer marketing isn’t new, but it will play a renewed and central role in the marketing mix for 2017. We will see more businesses utilising digital savvy Snapchatters, Instagrammers and YouTubers to promote their products and service. Brands will look to influencers to gain recommendations to build trust with their audience. The only catch here is when those influencers are also speaking highly of your competitors. So you need to identify influencers that genuinely believe in your brand and that their trust is passed on to consumers.

I would like to extend this concept of “Influencer Marketing” to include content generated by your customers. More people will believe your message if other people trust you. More people will trust you, if your existing customers are sharing images, reviews and comments about your brand. It might seem like a completely new thing, but it’s really not. You just need to intentionally encourage your existing customers to share their experience with your brand on their social media platforms to build authenticity. In other words, every customer is an influencer.

5. The future of

Mobile is now

This may sound like a broken record, but it needs to be emphasised. Internet traffic is now coming more from mobile devices than desktops. As a result, there was a big push in 2016 for small businesses to ensure that their web pages were optimised for

mobile browsing. This mobile-friendly attitude was the first step towards being mobile-centric, but that journey is not over.

If you’re not catering your content, ads and online experience to a mobile user, then you are missing a massive opportunity. And remember: It’s not just about “optimising” for mobile; it’s also about making sure that piece of content gets integrated with a user’s lifestyle on the go.

Mobile marketing SEO techniques will be particularly important in 2017 with Google modifying its techniques to fit mobile searches with its ‘Mobile-first’ strategy.

Google takes into account businesses that are mobile friendly. Having a website that is not mobile-friendly will knock your website a few pages down on Google. Websites that are not optimised for mobile viewing will often load much slower on those devices and loading speed also affects your SEO. Also, Google now only focuses on quality and original content, so should you.

In 2017, make quality the focus of your content marketing strategy. Go back and look at your online content where you’ve compromised quality, and strategise ways to do better going forward.

6. Get even more personal

Personalisation doesn’t die away with time. The essence of your success lies in segmenting your content and delivery of products and services to reach different types of audience members based on their preferences, habits, etc. The most common form of this strategy is through lists, where certain content gets sent to certain types of users based on which lists they’ve opted into. In a world of too much content and not enough time, personalisation is a huge win for businesses looking to earn the attention of their consumers.

The winners will be those who can form meaningful and personal connections with customers to win over hearts and minds.

The winners will be the ones who can provide a personalised and meaningful experience to earn lifelong loyalty.

“IF you haven’t embraced usIng Images In your marketIng, It’s about tIme.”

When it comes to personalisation, I’m also talking about personalising your customer experience with your business. In other words, personalising content recommendations such as apps that offer a “choose your own event planning experience”, “choose your own catering experience” or “choose your own adventure experience”.

7. Marketing

automation

Marketing automation refers to the software that automates marketing actions.

Businesses need to consider automating repetitive tasks such as emails, social media, and other website actions. The technology of marketing automation makes these tasks easier. Marketing automation combines marketing campaigns across all channels – from direct mail to online, social and mobile initiatives. It combines insight-focused capabilities from your CRM, lead management system, web analytics platform, and other systems to create something that’s more than the sum of the parts. The aim here is to save time. This is where marketing automation steps in. It has

revolutionised the way organisations are managing their time and targets. Marketing automation allows businesses to shift their focus to the best possible prospects that can be converted, thus saving time and energy.

8. Advertising

still matters

It’s becoming so easy and more cost effective to target your audience with promotional campaigns through social media. You not only need to promote your products and services, you may also consider promoting valuable content to drive traffic to your various online platforms, including your website. Some businesses started to create educational content, because advertising was not working. Now, marketers are advertising their content to generate traffic.

Isn’t it weird?

Conclusion

No matter what year it is or what platform you choose for this year, what really matters is your audience. You need to keep your marketing and your message humancentric. Focus on how your audience is consuming information and where they spend most of their time. With that in mind, leverage your existing marketing channels with new ones to maintain visibility and to stay on top of mind.

Eman Bu-Rashid is a marketing strategist.

She is a Duct Tape Marketing™ Certified Consultant based in Bahrain, the only certified consultant of this network in the region, and the founder of Keynotes Consultants and OnePointSix. She has a passion for helping entrepreneurs and SMEs, specializing in creating simple, effective marketing and business growth strategies. To get more tips and advice on marketing, send her an email eman@keynotesbh.com or visit her website: www.keynotesbh.com

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Savage

artiStry BIG RevIews Le sauvaGe steakhouse at the DomaIn hoteL anD spa This month, BIG had the pleasure of reviewing one of the best steakhouses on the island – Le Sauvage at The Domain Hotel and Spa. Serving the finest curated cuts of meat and a delectable array of classic French dishes, this restaurant makes for an enthralling fine dining experience. Rather than just a quick-stop meal during your lunch break, Le Sauvage seems more suited for long dinners and conversation with good company.

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on’t let the feral overtones of its moniker fool you. Everything from the leatherbound grill room to the soft lighting and ambiance against a backdrop of spectacular artwork, oozes elegance. After being led to our table by our friendly host, one of the first things we noticed was the stunning night view of the city from the 34th floor. Coupled with the lavish interiors, the mood was set for a night of extravagant French cuisine, prepared for us by the dapper Executive Chef Rukmal from Sri Lanka. While we were unable to try everything on the menu (our appetites are only so big!), we were surely served enough to give us a sense of the style and quality of the restaurant’s food.

Cold Entree: Beef Prosciutto Aged In House

Executive Chef Rukmal works his magic

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Mains: Medium-well Wagyu Beef steak cooked to perfection

Mid-meal Sorbet

appetIseRs

To start off our night, we were served a glass of Sliver Palm red wine from California, which complemented the meat perfectly. For our cold entree, we were served aged Beef Prosciutto, served with sides of fresh garlic bread, thick burrata cheese and salsa de genovese. This was followed by our hot entree, a pan-seared Foie Gras, with peach yogurt, braised red cabbage, red berries and dark chocolate, which made for an interesting fusion of flavours. Finally, we were served Duck Soup with rich capprino goats’ cheese, with a side of truffled waffles and beetroot relish.

Interior of Le Sauvage on the 34th floor of The Domain Hotel and Spa

maIns

Prior to our main course, we were served a refreshing sorbet with chilli sauce to cleanse our palates. Then came our most eagerlyawaited dish of the evening – a muscular cut of home-aged Wagyu Beef served with a side of french fries with a hint of Cajun spice. The taste and texture of our perfectly cooked medium-well steak did well to satisfy the cravings of any meat lover.

DesseRt

Just when we thought the best part of our meal was past us, out came our chef from the kitchen to prepare our Flambé in front of our table.

We could only watch in awe as he expertly prepared our final course with a two-foot fire emanating from his pan. The Flambé consisted of banana cooked with a mixture of sugar and orange zest, topped with a healthy dollop of vanilla ice cream.

While the meal we enjoyed might be considered by some to be a bit pricey, the experience certainly offered more bang for the buck than we could have hoped for. Le Sauvage offers more than just good food at a reasonable price. The restaurant offers its patrons a visceral, theatrical assault of the senses – one that we would definitely encourage our readers to experience for themselves.

Dessert: Banana Flambé with Ice Cream

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Winds Of Change Our Place in the Future OF WOrk

By Mike Orlov

Technology and shifting demographics are changing the way we live, work and how enterprises operate across the globe. Within a continuously evolving, changing and transforming landscape, customers and consumers are increasingly expecting flexibility, highquality and a more personalised experience. These pressures are driving enterprises to deliver greater value each time consumers interact with them.

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Back-Office Automation

Enterprises need to understand what needs to be done as far as their employees go, and as far as implementing technological developments.

Understanding what technology can do and then using it to enhance the customer and employee experience is of course vital. A major coffee-bar chain could choose to install robot coffee machines.

However the customer experience is focused on a personal conversation with a barista and the sound and smell of coffee beans becoming a cup of coffee.

Some of the best places to work in the world are coaching employees to put down their phones so they can talk directly with each other in meetings.

Rather than send a flurry of emails, people are encouraged to tackle issues face-to-face. These no-phone meetings/cutting down on email wars, can help build a culture which stimulates use of technology in back-office tasks but not interrupting the face-to-face experience. By controlling use of technology, there is a greater chance for employees to become more ‘human’ in the workplace.

Every enterprise has the opportunity to rethink customer and employee experiences, and apply technology to make these more effective. In some cases this means changing jobs, but in most cases it means making jobs ‘better,’ reducing mundane tasks, and adding more value to relationships with employees and customer interactions.

faster Pace of Change

We are changing jobs more often, although not always through choice. The average baby boomer will be looking for a job 11.7 times during his/her life. Millennials change jobs every two years or less. Many of us now work on a contingent/contract basis.

Technology is automating work at an unprecedented rate, as artificial intelligence, sensors, and robotics become mainstream.

Chinese enterprises have acquired 160,000 robots in 2016, and will certainly increase this number through 2017.

92 percent of CEOs believe their enterprise structures must change, and most are looking at ways to flatten hierarchies, make jobs more dynamic, and further leverage contingent and contract employees.

Income inequality has become an obvious issue, forcing policy makers and business leaders to review how enterprises can provide well-paying jobs and benefits in the light of automation, contingent/contract work and restructuring of organisations.

New competitors emerge in moments. The challenge of adapting to this new landscape is huge. The consequences of not adapting are even greater. We are reaching a time when jobs, as we know them, are changing at a rapid rate. The idea of a job, with all its artefacts like a job title, level, and job description, is dying. People being hired to work on a project basis means: get the job done quickly, and be ready to move on.

“every enterPrise has the OPPOrtunity tO rethink custOmer and emPlOyee exPeriences, and aPPly technOlOgy tO make these mOre eFFective.”

adapting and evolving

Some forward-thinking leaders are adapting to these shifts and are reviewing core issues. They develop more effective structures and processes, putting people first in their thinking. By combining human insights with digital thinking, they are recognising what customers want. They understand where and why they access products or services, and focus on what drives their behaviours, thus aiding their internal communications with employees.

Most importantly, these forward-thinking leaders are focusing on why we work, how work fits into our life, how our careers progress, how we stay current in our skills and capabilities, and how work gives us meaning and purpose. Happiness at work is a proven multiplier of revenue, profits and improved culture in the workplace.

Individuals need to be encouraged to think for themselves as well as expect enterprises to look after their needs.

These issues impact on developing thoughts about what constitutes a job, what roles people play when compared to machines and how enterprises are currently organised.

How we are preparing people for work impacts how enterprises operate within national boundaries. A well-educated Singaporean might be a preferable future employee when compared to a less-well prepared possible employee from a country where the education system is failing both individuals and enterprises.

Placing Value On People, not Processes

By focusing on people not processes, being agile and constantly revisiting solutions, today’s leaders can identify and solve the right problems:  Understand what people actually do, rather than what they say, allowing greater understanding of and anticipation of future needs  Understanding employee journeys and motivations

 Understand what customers actually want and need, rather than what they say, allowing greater understanding of and anticipation of future products and services  Design solutions that align users desires with business strategy  Innovative and embrace digital and non-digital solutions  Deliver. Delight and excite with small, fast and often innovations – be they incremental market-following or transformational market-leading The future of work will lead the best of us to be working in smart, agile enterprises with thinking leaders who are identifying small wins, meeting customer expectations and connecting to business outcomes. We should always be looking for improvements, especially in terms of creating a happier working environment for your employees, be they short-term contractors or longer-term full-time staffers. And each of us has responsibility for ensuring we are working towards our own self-actualisation in what is a challenging and changing world.

Mike Orlov Partner, SteppingStone Global Before joining ‘SteppingStone Global’, Mike has spent 35 years in industry, publishing magazines at Haymarket, Turret and Reed Elsevier, working in newspapers and on digital channels in the UK and the GCC, having been a director at Northern and Shell and on the board of the London Evening Standard.

Launching media brands in Dubai for ENG, Mike was also Chief Performance Officer for News Group International, before taking the Chief Executive role at Primedia International, with offices across the GCC and headquartered in Bahrain. Mike has completed an executive MBA, achieving a distinction.

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New Year, New You What Are Your Resolutions This Year?

By Fatema eBrahim

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We all do the same thing when it comes to a new year. Some internally create a list of goals and some get a new chalkboard to make it official and probably do the same thing. You’ve heard the same list of resolutions including weight loss, career success, healthy lifestyle and etc.

a

ren’t your resolutions the same every year? You might have succeeded with some, and then others were carried over till the next year and the next, and it goes on. We all as human beings have this attraction for the “new state of mind” and a new year just gives us the feeling of having a clean slate ready for perfection.

But what does striving for perfection do? It wears you out and makes you reach the

Here are a few tips to make reaL resolutions:

mid-year thinking that you have failed and it’s almost the end of the year again.

But wait, how would it feel if someone told you this new year to just go with the flow, allow yourself to make mistakes and learn from them – you can call that your resolution.

You accepting that you will fail in many things also opens the door to learn much more. And all those things you’ve learned, you’ve resolved – thus you can call them RESOLUTIONS.

Doesn’t that feel lighter now?

For example, you want to create your own business this year? Don’t make a deadline to be successful and rich in the same year, just start and see where that leads you. Just starting is your resolution coming to life, not the dollar bills you want to see flowing by the end.

This is a great strategy and makes you go back to see everything you’ve achieved in a nutshell, all the details you’ve worked on.

“Just starting is your resolution coming to life, not the dollar bills you want to see flowing by the end.”

Find your crowd. Surround

yourself by people who have already succeeded at what you’re struggling with this year. You can’t always stick to the same crowd. Branch out and learn from different human beings. You’d be surprised, and appreciate the diversity of minds and cultures too.

Accept failure. There is a realisation now that failures have taught us so much more than the successful end product story. How did you get there, and what mistakes lead to the solutions? If you want this year to be better, you better be honest with yourself.

Set mini goals and incentivise yourself. Track what productive things you are doing and pair it with an incentive once it’s done.

Interrogate yourself. What small changes can you do in the way you function to make you achieve more? What elements in your mindset can you shift to make you venture outside the box? Answer your own questions and admit things to yourself. It does wonders.

Be accountable to yourself. If you haven’t

achieved your goals for the week or month, ask yourself why? Maybe those aren’t the right goals, maybe it’s you or maybe you were so overwhelmed with trying to succeed at so many.

Join programs that push you. Most people hate doing

this and do the ‘Lone Ranger’ path but think of this as a package. Join a program that is already systematic, gives you goals to follow and throws in a bunch of cool individuals doing the same thing.

Hope these tips help you think differently this year, and remember: Go with the flow.

What are your real resolutions? Share those with us!

Email your answers to big@ maxmediaco.com. Those with the best answers will be featured on our social media platforms.

Fatema Ebrahim is the founder of Valopay, a payments app catered to the Instagram marketplace in Bahrain.

Fatema has been heavily involved in the Startup space in New York for several years and got her Master’s from New York University. She is also an independent PR consultant for Action Global Communications working with clients covering various industry sectors including: aviation, automotive, banking, telecommunications and government.

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Powered february by 2017 64

t a e s t o in the h With

D A W A J B O O C A Y

ES! U IN T N O C S IE R E S Y E L T OUR ONGOING BEN WITH YACOOB JAWAD, A CHAT E V A H E W , D S. N U M R O R O A IF E N U F O E S THIS TIM U O H F O GENERAL MANAGER

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Could you give us a brief overview of your educational and career background?

I acquired a diploma in finance and accounting followed by a degree in marketing in Dublin, Ireland, where I lived for five years. I then spent a year working in Barcelona, Spain, in order to get to know the city, as I was born there. My mother and wife are both Spanish as well. Around 8 years ago, I moved back to Bahrain and started working for the family business.

How large is House of Uniform’s operations today?

Today, we produce and supply uniforms to more than 85 schools throughout the Middle East, including Bahrain. In order to develop and distribute our products to the best of our ability, we work in close conjunction with a number of textile engineers and pattern makers in the region. We also supply work wear for professionals including uniforms in hospitality, suits, tunics etc.

How would you best describe your style of leadership?

I do my best not to micromanage the work of my employees. I like to foster a more collaborative work environment. I actually work alongside my colleagues in the same environment – we work in a large open room, where there is constant communication.

What, in your opinion are some of the essential traits of a successful business leader?

I think the most important aspect to being a successful business leader is being able to recognise your strengths, and more importantly, your weaknesses.

One of the biggest threats to the success of a company is having a leader who is ignorant about what their true potential really is. I realise that my biggest weakness is that I’m a bit of a technophobe. Hence, I leave the computer-related aspects of the business to people more tech-savvy than myself. My strength and passion lies in branding and marketing, which is where I focus the majority of my efforts.

During your career, what is the achievement you are most proud of?

I think my proudest achievement during my time at House of Uniforms is successfully expanding the company’s business beyond Bahrain to the rest of the GCC.

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Other proud moments during my time here has been our successes at various trade shows, and the opening of our 1000 square metre store at Tala Plaza in Segaya.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your everyday work?

One of the biggest challenges we deal with is a lack of clear communication with some of the schools. Some of these institutions, whom we consider to be our partners, seem slightly ignorant about the amount of effort we put into their uniforms. Thus, when they fail to inform us about any changes or discontinuations, it causes a major damper on our business relationship.

It’s certainly not the kind of unethical behaviour you would expect from an educational institution, but it’s an unfortunate occurrence that we have to deal with from time to time.

Outside of work, what are some of your hobbies and interests?

To be honest, I don’t have much time for hobbies! I spend most of my day working, and then dedicate an hour at the gym to keep fit. The rest of my time is spent with my family. I guess the closest thing I have to a hobby at the moment is gardening.

What are some of your future plans for House of Uniforms?

We will be launching three new products next year. We’re also trying to encourage schools to look further into our businessto-business setup, whereby we sell to them at a wholesale price, and they sell to the customers for a profit. Lastly, we will be looking to further develop our international client base within the Middle East.

What did you think of the Bentley?

I’m actually not much of a car fan at all.

However, there are a few car brands I genuinely like – one of them being Bentley.

What I especially love about Bentley is that the brand caters to any age group.

I can picture someone like my father as well as someone like myself driving the Bentley Continental GT, for example, and getting away with it. I also love the design of their cars, particularly of the interiors.

Being very familiar with textiles in my line of work, I can appreciate the level of craftsmanship displayed in the designing and stitching of their fabrics.

ASpECT TO "THE MOST IMpORTANBTUSI ESS LEADER BEING A SUCCESSFUL OGNNISE YOUR IS BEING ABLE TO RECRE IMpORTANTLY, STRENGTHS, AND MO YOUR WEAkNESSES."

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Fashion

Statement pieceS to make a laSting impreSSion Business people, be bold. BIG’s picks from global fashion powerhouses Hugo BoSS

‘CaMlow’Virgin wool CashMere straight Coat

A melange pattern in neutral shades offers sophisticated elegance in this BOSS coat.

Made of virgin wool and cashmere, the coat provides consummate warmth.

Hugo Boss, City Centre BD 176

Jaeger Le-CouLtre

Master Ultra thin Date

The supremely elegant new case of the Master Ultra Thin Date features a 38.5 millimetre diameter ensuring a smooth fit on any wrist. It is distinguished by a streamlined bezel and lugs further slimming down the face of the watch, while the transparent case-back topped by a sapphire crystal invites connoisseurs to admire the inner workings of the ultra-thin mechanism.

Jaeger Le-Coultre, Moda Mall Approx. BD 3050

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CHoParD

Mille Miglia CUfflinks

With a nod to the famous Mille Miglia collection, a pair of cufflinks along with a superb table clock reflects the stainless steel and black rubber design powerfully evoking the legendary Italian car rally.

Chopard, Moda Mall BD 310

Hugo BoSS

‘Bria’ italian leather pin BUCkle Belt

This BOSS belt for women offers minimalist elegance to decisive style.

Hugo Boss, City Centre BD 53

LouIS VuIttoN

neglige laCe Up pUMp

This stiletto pump combines lace and satin into an elegant, feminine look for evening. Delicate suede calf leather laces are the sexy finishing touch.

Louis Vuitton, Moda Mall BD 403

CHoParD

iMperiale oslo shoUlDer Bag

This feminine handbag has hardware inspired by Chopard’s Imperiale motif, is made entirely of leather both inside and out, and comes with a choice of two detachable shoulder straps to suit different moods.

Chopard, Moda Mall BD 576

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LifestyLe

To add more power To a high-flying lifesTyle

Boogie BoARd Sync 9.7 lcd ewRiteR

The Boogie Board Sync 9.7 saves your images and wirelessly transfers to your phone, tablet or computer via Bluetooth. It allows you to write meeting agendas on the Boogie Board Sync just as you would on notebooks and memo pads. You can also save thousands of notes and sketches to the Boogie Board Sync’s internal memory with just the push of a button.

Furthermore, use Bluetooth to sync and share with Evernote, email and social media using the Sync desktop and mobile applications.

Virgin Megastore, City Centre BD 72

Auvio Rugged SteReo Bluetooth SpeAkeR

This is the perfect speaker for taking to the beach, pool, camping or other outdoor activity. Its True Wireless Function allows duplicate audio to multi-channels or produce stereo channels while using two TWS speakers. The speaker allows you to play music wirelessly from your phone, tablet, PC or other bluetooth device.

RadioShack, Seef Mall BD 28

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oSim uShApe muSic The intelligent Music Sync Vibration feature syncs the strong vibrations in uShape Music with the rhythm of the music being played, working the muscles as the body strives to keep its balance.

Spice up your workout and shape up with great ease and joy, driven by your favourite music!

Osim, Seef Mall BD 299

BlueSmARt BlAck SmARt SuitcASe

SimplehumAn 8 inch SenSoR miRRoR

Bluesmart is the next evolution of the travel experience. Its weather-resistant hard-shell makes the suitcase ultraresistant to water, scratches & bumps. The Bluesmart app allows you to control your suitcase’s lock. You can also use the app to check the bag’s location anywhere in the world as well as check its weight.

Simplehuman’s sensor mirror lights up automatically as your face approaches. Its tru-lux light system simulates natural sunlight, allowing you to see full colour variation, so you’ll know when your makeup is colour-correct and flawless. It easily recharges with the included USB cord and adapter, and one charge lasts up to 5 weeks. The mirror provides 5x magnification – ideal for providing exceptional detail while still allowing you to see your entire face at once.

Virgin Megastore, City Centre BD 207

Virgin Megastore, City Centre BD 98

SwitchmAte Remote contRol light Switch toggle Switchmate Remote Control Light Switch Toggle automatically turns on lights as you arrive home or enter rooms.

Its one-second Installation, avoids having to use tools, wiring or Wi-Fi. You can control the lighting via your phone or a manual wall switch control.

RadioShack, Seef Mall BD 15

FEBRuaRy 2017

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the BIG

hotel guide Your guide to the Kingdom’s hotel outlets

Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq thalaSSa Sea & Spa  Dining

Fiamma: Italian Restaurant

Designed with an indoor and an outdoor seating area, this outlet will serve authentic Italian food.

Opening Hours: Thursday - Saturday 12:30pm to 3:00 pm, Every night except, Sunday: 8:00pm to 11:00pm (Fiamma is closed on Sundays)

Saraya: All Day Dining / International

Exquisite buffets with flavors from across the world.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner available. Saturday lunch buffet (18 BD net including soft drinks).

Opening Times: Daily 6:30am to 10:30am, (11am on weekends) Lunch: 12:30pm to 3:30pm, Dinner: 7:00pm to 10:30pm

Wok: South East Asian Restaurant

The perfect combination of stones and wood in the décor to reflect an authentic Asian feel. Dinner buffet every Thursday (18 BD net excluding beverages).

Opening Hours: Wednesday to Monday: 7:00pm to 11:00pm (Wok is closed on Tuesdays)

Tapas: Restaurant

It services a wide range of exciting tapas, and the best cocktails on the island. Tapas bar has a truly vibrant and lively atmosphere with its Cuban band.

Opening Hours: Daily: 11:30am to Midnight

La Mer: Seafood Restaurant

Sheraton hotel Bahrain 

Shopping

Al Safir Restaurant

Opening Hours: Daily: 9am to 9pm

It is the signature restaurant of the hotel, guests will enjoy the freshest seafood and catch of the day. Saturday lunch buffet (18 BD net including soft beverages, 26 BD net including selected alcoholic beverages).

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 7:00pm to 11:00pm, Thursday to Saturday: 12:30pm to 3:00pm

For Information

Pashawat: lebanese Restaurant

Dining

Gastronomical buffets for breakfast lunch and dinner as well as superb á la carte options.

Opening Hours: Breakfast 6:30am - 10:30am Lunch 12:30pm – 3.30pm, Dinner 7:30pm – 11:30pm

Soie Chinese Restaurant

Alhilal Bookshop Alhilal Bookshop: +973 17 531 665

Spa & Salon

Image Spa & Leisure

Relax in the dramatic ambience with dark wood floors, oriental ornaments and lanterns.

Opening Hours: Daily: 6am to 10pm

Opening Hours: 7:00pm – 11:30pm (Closed on Saturdays)

Opening Hours: Daily: 7am to 10pm

Golestan Restaurant

Sheraton Health Club Sheraton Fitness

Discovery of traditional Iranian dishes with freshly oven-baked breads served at the table.

Opening Hours: Daily: 9am to 8:30pm

Opening Hours: Sunday to Thursday Lunch 12:30pm – 2:45pm, Dinner 7:30pm – 11:30pm Friday: Lunch 12:30pm – 3:45pm, Dinner 7:30pm – 11:30pm (Closed on Sundays)

Image Spa & Leisure: +973 17 524 570 Sheraton Fitness: +973 17 524 570 Sheraton Health Club: +973 17 533 533

For Information

It is open in the evenings and offers a delightful Lebanese cuisine. Special offer every Tuesday (40 BD net for 4 persons).

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 7:00pm to 1:30am (Closed on Saturdays and Sundays)

Spa & Salon

Thalassotherapy

(Call for Appointment) Summer offer BD175 per couple (120 mins)

nightlife

Amber Bar

Opening Hours: Daily: 6pm to 2am

Lagoon Pool Bar

nightlife

Opening Hours: Daily: 8am to 8pm

An Nada Lounge

Lobby Lounge Bar

Opening Hours: Daily: 7:00am – 10:00pm

Opening Hours: Happy Hour: 1:00pm to 7:00pm Daily 1:00pm – 1:00am

Opening Hours: Daily: 8am to Midnight

For Information & Reservations

For Information

Opening Hours: Daily: 11:30am to Midnight

Espressamente Illy

A perfect place to meet and enjoy a cup of espresso, refreshing beverages and light snacks.

Al Safir: +973 17533533 ext 259 Soie Chinese Restaurant: +973 17 533 533 ext. 497 Golestan Restaurant: +973 17 533 533 ext. 375 Espressamente Illy: +973 17 533 533 ext. 1790

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An Nada Lounge: +973 17 533 533 ext. 293

Tapas BAR For Information & Reservations

Hotel: +973 1763 6363 - Concierge: +973 39349659

the K hotel  Dining Kolors

Enjoy an assortment of culinary delights with their special Themed Nights everyday of the week.

Opening Hours: Daily: 7pm to 11pm

Friday Brunch

Discover The K difference in Friday Brunch!

IS YOUR HOTEL LISTED ON THIS PAGE?

Opening Hours: Friday, 12:30pm to 4:30pm

The K lounge

Some new dishes include the world famous Angus steaks and exceptional desserts with that extra K flavor.

Our ongoing promotions include: Daily Happy Hour from 5pm to 7pm, Coors Light & Burger Treats, Ladies Night from Saturday to Wednesday all cocktails free of charge for Ladies.

Opening Hours: Daily: 11am to 2am

Kenza Lounge

Outdoor seating and Arabesque interiors, experience the finest Lebanese dining.

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 7pm to 2am

Be included in Business In Gulf’s hotel guide and benefit from the exposure the magazine offers.

nightlife The K lounge

Opening Hours: Daily: 11am to 2am

Champions Sports Lounge Opening Hours: Daily: 11am to 2am For Information & Reservations

K Hotel: (973) 1736 0000 Klouds: (973) 1736 0000 ext. 4019 K Pool: (973) 1736 0000 or email banquet@thekhotel.com

the ritZ-Carlton, Bahrain  Dining La Med

Casual dining in generous surroundings is brightened with natural sunshine and views of the turquoise blue waters of the Gulf.

Opening Hours: Daily: 6:30am to 11pm

Plums

The specialty being premium beef and fresh, top quality seafood, it provides guests with the ultimate in dining pleasure.

Opening Hours: Dinner: 7pm to 11:30pm

big@maxmediaco.com Tel: +973 17 402482 Fax: +973 17 402483

For Information & Reservations Hotel: +973 1758 0000

Spa & Salon

Shopping

Elie & Jean Beauty Center Gents Saloon

Chopard Boutique Opening hours: Daily: 7am to Midnight

Opening hours: Saturday to Thursday: 9:30am to 8pm, Friday: 10am to 7pm

Mohd Sharif Hatam & Sons

Sports Club & Spa (Membership only)

Opening hours: Saturday to Thursday 10am to 2pm – 4pm to 8pm For Information

Chopard Boutique: +973 17 580 667 Mohd Sharif Hatam & Sons: +973 17 580 889

Limited offer from June 1 to 30 ‘Touch of Aloha’ (BD 55 for 90 minutes). Daily, 9am to 9pm.

Opening hours: Daily: 5:00am to 10:30pm For Information

Elie & Jean Beauty Center - Gents Saloon: +973 17 580 798

Nirvana

Nirvana brings royal flavors to The Ritz-Carlton for a dining adventure rarely enjoyed outside of India.

Opening Hours: Lunch Noon to 3pm Dinner 7pm to 11:30pm

La Plage

Indulge in a new and enticing menu of ArabianMediterranean Fusion Cuisine. La Plage is the perfect venue for those seeking the vibrant outdoor scenery of the Arabian Gulf.

Opening Hours: Daily: 10am to 6pm

The Ritz Gourmet Lounge

Experience authentic chic ambience like in a Parisian along with homemade pastries and richly decorated desserts.

Opening Hours: Daily: 7am to Midnight

Cantina Kahlo

The new authentic Mexican restaurant offers a scrumptious menu created by Chef Cesar Daniel.

Featuring a wide range of delectable dishes and an impressive range of cocktails.

Opening Hours: Daily: 12pm-12am february 2017

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Gulf hotel  Dining Al Waha

Oceanic cuisine night with impressive selection of Australian & New Zealand seafood Opening Hours: Breakfast 6:00am – 10:30am Lunch 12:00pm – 3:30pm, Dinner 7:00pm – 11:00pm Friday Brunch: 12:30pm - 4:00pm

China Garden

A varied selection of food influenced by distinct Chinese regions creating Cantonese, Szechuan and Peking specialties.

Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday Lunch 12:00pm to 3:00pm, Dinner 7:00pm to 11:00pm (Closed on Sunday)

Fusions

Fusions is a contemporary and stylish rooftop restaurant boasting unrivalled views over the hotel’s tropical gardens and Manama skyline.

Opening Hours: Sunday to Friday 6pm – 12am (Closed on Saturday)

La Pergola

Lavish Mediterranean seafood basket for BD 23++ at the incredible Italian restaurant Opening Hours: Lunch 12:00pm – 3:00pm Dinner 7:00pm – 11:00pm

Margarita Mexicana

Authentic Mexican food freshly prepared at guests’ tables to guarantee that the menu and fine dining experience are as authentic as possible.

Opening Hours: Sunday to Friday 6:00pm – 12:00am (Closed on Saturdays)

Royal Thai

This Thai restaurant provides scenic views overlooking the turquoise waters of the outdoor swimming pool. Situated in the gfrounds of the hotel’s tropical gardens.

Opening Hours: Tuesday to SundayLunch 12:00pm – 3:00pm, Dinner 7:00pm – 11:00pm(Closed on Mondays)

Sato

Authentic Japanese food favoured by Japanese Embassy staff, said to enjoy its peaceful zen-like nature.

Opening Hours: Lunch 12:00pm – 3:00pm

Dinner 7:00pm – 11:00pm

Takht Jamsheed

Taking inspiration from Persia’s royal palace of Takht Jamsheed, the Gulf Hotel’s chic restaurant offers a fine dining experience fit for a king.

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday Lunch 12:00pm – 3:00pm, Dinner 7:00pm – 11:00pm (Closed on Mondays)

Zahle

The menu boasts an extensive selection of hot and cold mezze, grilled meat and regional Lebanese fare, such as beautifully presented shish kebab served in a golden box atop warm Arabic bread and burning coals.

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, Weekdays: 7:00pm – 1:00am, Weekends: 7:00pm – 2:00am Saturday Lunch 12:00pm -3:00pm Dinner 7:00pm – 2:00am

nightlife

Sherlock Holmes Opening Hours: Daily: 12:00pm – 2:00am

Typhoon Bar and Lounge Opening Hours: Daily: 5:00pm – 1:00am Happy Hour: 5:00pm – 7:00pm

Vintage Wine Bar Opening Hours: Daily: 5:00pm – 1:00am For Reservations +973 1771 3000

the WeStin & le MeriDien, City Centre  Enjoy our inspired multi-cuisine buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Thursday Seafood night BD 20 net with soft beverages and 34 net with selected alcoholic beverages. Opening Hours: 6:30am - 11pm

Visit this poolside bar to relax and unwind. Weekends wind down with beverage packages and funky lounge music every Thursday and Friday from 6:30pm –11:30pm.

Bizzare Lounge

Rich purple hues and plush décor make this a chic lounge for after-hours. Newly installed TV’s and BeIn Sports package allows you to enjoy all the biggest sports events. Open Sunday to Thursday from 4pm – 2am, and Friday & Saturday from 12noon – 2am with all-day happy hour every Tuesday on selected beverages.

Boudoir

An art decor style bar with an intimate setting.

Opening Hours: 12pm – 2am

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A playful and vibrant venue crowning the top floor of The Domain Hotel and Spa. Ladies Night, SaturdayThursday; 4:00pm-1:00am, free drinks for ladies.

Opening hours: Daily 4:00pm – 2:00am

Imari

Cosmopolitan Japanese restaurant and lounge.

Business lunch daily, 12:00pm-3:00pm, BD 6++ Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 6:00pm – 12:00 am French Steakhouse, open grill kitchen. Unlimited Roasted Ribs, Every Wednesday, 6:30pm-10:30pm BD11++ Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 6:00pm – 12:00 am

Txoko

nightlife

Dining

Txoko

Le Sauvage

Dining

Nasmat

the DoMain Bahrain hotel 

Le Domain Mezzanine Lounge

A chic and cozy lounge with widescreen TVs and charming private pods. Opening Hours: 11am – 1am.

Fresh, light and passionate cuisine from the south of France.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 6:00pm – 12:00 am

Figs & Olives

Spa

A casual duet eatery of both classic Italian and Lebanese comfort foods.

Opening hours: Daily 6:30 am – 10:00 pm

Conveniently located on the third floor of The Westin Bahrain City Center, the Heavenly® Spa by Westin provides the perfect escape from the arduous of city life. 20% off all treatments from 9am - 1pm, Sun - Wed. Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm

The Cigar Lounge

For Information & Reservations

For Information & Reservations

Nasmat Heavenly Spa by Westin

Le Meridien: 17 171 1441, The Westin Bahrain City Centre, 17 171 122

Refined and masculine social space with walk in humidor.

Drink with Flame promotion, BD 25++. Happy Hour 15% discount on beverages.

Opening hours: Daily 6:00 pm – 12:00 am Hotel: +973 16000 400, 16000 200, 16000 222, 16000 333.

gym & Spa

Bodylines Fitness & Wellness Club

Relax at one of our leisure facilities at Bodylines Fitness & Wellness Club featuring a rooftop swimming pool, a gym equipped with latest machines and professional instructors. After your workout, unwind with a wide selection of massage treatments. *All price is subject to 10% service charge and 10% government levy.

For Reservations or more Information: +973 1311 9999 or email fb.downtown@rotana.com.

DoWntoWn rotana  Dining Teatro

Indulge in a special 4 course Italian set menu paired with sparkling bubbly and live entertainment for only BD 24*, 8 pm till 11 pm. Sushitini night very Tuesday from 6:00pm to 10:00pm. 1BD cocktail offer from 7pm-8pm daily. Enjoy 50% off the a la carte menu between 6pm-8pm.

Flavors on 2

Indulge in a lavish special buffet featuring a large display of salads and a variety of grills such as steaks, seafood and Kababs for only BD 12* including soft drinks and juices.

nightlife

Sundeck Pool Bar

Chill by the pool with your family and friends while enjoying our special Bucket Hour promotion, every day from 6 pm till 8 pm at Sundeck Pool Bar. Order a bucket of 6 Beers and get a free snack for only BD 18*.

Enjoy a Friday BBQ Brunch for only 15*.

al Safir hotel  Dining

Yalla Yalla

In place of Savoy Café, Yalla Yalla offers lunch and dinner bufftets as well as an ala carte menu.

Spa & Salon

Opening Hours: Daily: 6:30am - Midnight

Come in and relax to soothing music as our therapists provide the perfect treatment.

Bennigan’s

Enjoy tasty food and spirited conversation.

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 6:00am - 1:00am

raMee GranD hotel & Spa 

Spa & Salon

Cucina Italiana

The place where Italian Food is served with style & passion.

Dining

Featuring a dynamic menu, the Lemon Tree is the place to enjoy our signature casual dining, delicious breakfasts, Friday family brunches, scrumptious dinners and those all-day quick nibbles. Breakfast Buffet BD10 net, Daily, 6:30am-10:30am. Business Lunch Buffet BD9 net, Saturdays-Thursdays, 12:00pm3:00pm. Friday Brunch BD15++, 12:00pm-4:00pm.

Seafood Night, Thursdays, 7:00pm-11:00pm, BD15++ Opening Hours: Breakfast: 6.30am – 10.30pm Lunch: 12.00 pm – 3.30pm, Dinner: 7.00pm – 11.30pm

Dining

La Perle

Enjoy a delicious range of culinary specialties with an extensive selection of appetizers, salads and desserts to complement your choices Seafood and fishes.

Opening hours: Daily: 7:00pm - 12:00am

Zytoun

Mediterranean Grill buffet restaurant serving a variety of Mediterranean and international foods.

Opening hours: Daily: 6:30am - 11:00pm

nightlife

Le Bellevue

A relaxed yet elegant bar offering one of the most stunning views of the sea and city skyline. Light live music in the evenings.

Opening hours: Daily: 4:00pm - 2:00am

Pool Bar

Pool bar is open on weekends during DecemberFebruary and every day from March 1 until November.

(Closed during Ramadan).

For Reservations

Lemon Tree: +973 17111999

Ruka

Ruka aims to present itself as the region’s most luxurious Japanese restaurant/lounge. With breathtaking views of the Bahrain from the 24th floor, the vast azure Arabic Gulf & the infinite cerulean skyline, Ruka’s connotation to its name certainly holds true to its very core. Unlimited sushi Monday’s for BD15++, 7:00pm onwards. Daily lunch menu BD8 net Buy one cocktail get one free 4:oopm - 7:00pm daily

Reborn

The Spa at the Ramee Grand Hotel & Spa is 5,000 square feet of pure serenity. Inspired by wellness techniques from around the globe, our spa features 13 treatment rooms with a unique selection of facials, massages & treatments designed specifically for women, men & couples.

Opening hours: 10.00am – 11.00pm 7 days a week Health Club: 6.00am - 11.00pm For Information Reborn: +973 17 111980

nightlife

Ibrida

Ramee Grand’s very own club and steak-house is the heart of Bahrain’s biggest nightlife entertainment and has steadily become the perfect venue for the after-work crowd to unwind or for weekend revelers to dance the night away. Ladies and couples free entrance from Tuesday-Friday.

Opening Hours: Club: 8.00pm – 2.00am Restaurant: 7.00pm - 11.30pm For Information

Ibrida: +973 17 111972

Opening Hours: Daily: 12:30pm – 3:00pm and 6.00pm -11:30pm For Reservations Ruka: +973 17111971

Rasoi

Rasoi takes you on a culinary journey with its extensive buffet display, open exhibition kitchen and live cooking areas. Soothing music from a live ghazal band while you dine creates the perfect atmosphere for our guests to relish the sophisticated blend of flavors, which celebrate the vibrancy, of Indian cuisine. Make a reservation for 2 adults or more during weekdays and get a free bottle of grape by our Sommelier

Opening hours: Daily: 9:00am -8:00pm

Opening Hours: Daily: 12.30p.m - 3.00p.m and 6.30p.m - 11.00p.m

For Reservations

For Reservations

Hotel: +973 1729 8008

For Information & Reservations Al Safir Hotel & Tower: +973 1782 7999 Email: alsafirh@batelco.com.bh Bennigan’s: +973 1781 3750 Website: bennigans.com.bh Cucina Italiana: +973 1700 1317 Website: cucinaitaliana.com.bh

Opening Hours: Daily: 6am - 2am

Lemon Tree

novotel al Dana reSort 

Ann Beauty Salon

Rasoi: +973 17111973

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iBiS Seef ManaMa 

MerCure GranD hotel Seef 

SEEF RESTAURANT

NEYRAN RESTAURANT

Dining

Enjoy a wide range of succulent dishes from around the globe in a casual and tranquil setting. The a la carte menu is available throughout the day and our chef’s special is freshly prepared daily. Whether you’re looking to grab a quick bite or to have a more relaxed sumptuous meal, the restaurant is the perfect choice to satisfy those yearnings.

Opening Hours: 4 AM to 11 PM daily, 7 days a week Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Breakfast timings: Intercontinental breakfast is from 4:30 AM – 6:30 AM Breakfast Buffet is from: 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM Intercontinental breakfast is from: 10:30 AM – 12 PM Lunch: 12 - 3:30 PM Dinner: 7 – 11 PM Come try out our special Combo offer for lunch & dinner! Revel in one of our culinary delights for your main course from the menu. Add BD 1 for a delicious salad and soft drink.

SEEF CAFÉ

The ideal place to meet with family and friends and enjoy a delightful array of cold and hot beverages, mocktails, light snacks, and sweets, while watching your favorite sports team play on our big screen TV. Opening Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week For information & reservations:

+973 17386020 or e-mail H6303-RE@accor.com

Dining

Specializing in flavors from Europe with hints of Asian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, Neyran’s menu presents a reflection of striking aromas and essences.

Opening hours: 06:30 - 23:00, every day

CASA BAR & TERRACE Shades of Oak and yellow surroundings, brightened with natural sunshine, Casa Bar provides that chic and stylish setting with stylish décor and the comfiest furnishings all in a Moroccan style. Don’t miss out on Casa Terrace, on the mezzanine level, where you can enjoy the finest open-air hospitality with a beautiful view of Manama and the Seef skyline. Unwind with live entertainment, a wide variety of shishas, light meals and sandwiches... with your favorite drink!

Opening hours: 14:00 - 02:00, every day.

SAMA POOL & BAR Marvel at the panoramic city and the sea views, the endless skyline framed against the beautiful sunsets from Bahrain’s highest roof top at Sama Pool Bar. The ‘sky’ high experience is completed as you dive into the clear blue water of the pool, with the open-air pool deck a refreshing relief from the city’s buzz throughout the day. The Sama Pool Bar is also a coveted venue for pool parties, family barbecues, corporate events, anniversaries or for that special event to celebrate with your friends and family.

Opening hours: 10:30 - 19:00, every day.

four SeaSonS Bahrain  Dining

Bahrain Bay Kitchen International

International buffet for breakfast and lunch. An open kitchen, active cooking stations and a sushi station add to the fun, market-like atmosphere during Friday and Saturday brunch. Opening Hours: Daily, 6:30am – 10:30am; 12:30pm – 3:30pm

CUT by Wolfgang Puck

Widely recognised as one of the top steak restaurants in the world, features the widest and best selection of beef available to shellfish and whole fresh fish.

Opening Hours: Lunch (12:00 noon – 3:00 pm), Dinner (7:00pm – 11:00pm). Closed only for lunch on Saturday and Sunday

re Asian Cuisine by Wolfgang Puck

Savour Asian-inspired specialties such as dim sum and authentic Robata-style grilled items, inspired by the legendary chef’s trips to the Far East.

Opening Hours: Dinner Only (7:00pm-11:00pm) except on Saturdays. Saturday brunch (12:30pm-3:30pm).

Closed on Mondays

Vento

Offers authentic Italian dishes for lunch and dinner with a children’s menu. An open kitchen and a wood-burning pizza oven add to the atmosphere.

Opening Hours: Daily, 11:00am – 11:00pm

Bay View Lounge

Savour light international fare or afternoon tea while enjoying live piano music and stunning views of the Manama skyline and the Bahrain Bay. Opening Hours: Daily, 9:00 am – 12:00 midnight

Blue Moon Lounge

Enjoy an inventive bar menu of Asian delights complemented by a wide-selection of customcrafted cocktails, liqueurs and wines at the sleek and stylish onyx bar.

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For Reservations

+973 17 58 44 00 H5685@accor.com/H5685-RE@accor.com

Opening Hours: Sunday and Tuesday 6:00 pm – 12:00 midnight; Wednesday and Thursday 6:00 pm – 2:00 am; Friday 4:30 pm – 2:00 am; Saturday 12:00 noon – 12:00 midnight. Closed on Mondays

Spa

The Spa

The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay encompasses four interconnected buildings woven together with pathways and gardens, reflecting modern Moroccan and Turkish influences.

Opening Hours: Saturday and Sunday 5:00 pm – 1:00 am; Monday and Tuesday 12:00 noon – 1:00 am; Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 12:00 noon – 2:00 am For Information and Reservations +973 17115000

SWiSS-Belhotel  Dining

SWISS-CAFÉ RESTAURANT

al areen palaCe & Spa  Dining

RIMAL RESTAURANT

Rimal offers all-day dining in a light and airy setting that provides a spectacular view of the resort. Catering to Middle Eastern and global tastes, guests can indulge in a sumptuous breakfast buffet or select from an extensive a la carte menu.

Opening hours: daily Breakfast served daily: 6:30am - 10:30 am Last Order: 11:00 pm

SAFFRON RESTAURANT

Resplendent in majestic shades of gold and maroon, with a beautiful high ceiling, traditional Middle Eastern accents and a spectacular view of the resort’s grand outdoor pool, this signature dining venue introduces a new menu inspired by modern Bahraini dishes, combining elements of enticing European and Khaleeji fusion.

Opening hours: daily For lunch: 11:30 am-3:00 pm For dinner: 6:30 pm - 11:00 pm

KEIZO RESTAURANT

Keizo offers guests surprising signature dishes from traditional Far East cuisines contemporarily prepared and elegantly presented. Highly experienced chef and multi-talented sushi chef all make up this exceptional dining venue.

Opening hours: Thursday, Friday and Saturday For lunch: 11:30 am-3:00 pm Open daily for dinner: 6:30 pm - 11:00 pm Closed on Sunday

An all-day dining restaurant located on the 10th floor, with a panoramic terrace overlooking the city.

Opening hours: 6:30 AM - 11:30 PM, everyday Essential Food Deals (Valid until last evening before Ramadan): Business Lunch Buffet: 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM, Saturday to Thursday (7 BD net per person including soft drinks and mineral water) International Dinner Buffet: 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM, Saturday to Thursday (8 BD net per person including soft drinks) Arabic Dinner Buffet: 7.00 PM - 11.00 PM, Thursday and Friday (8 BD net per person including soft drinks) Friday Seafood Lunch: 12.30 PM - 3.00 PM (Net BD 12 per person including soft drinks) Summer Lunch Buffet: 12:30 Pm - 3:00 PM, Saturday to Friday (BD7 net including soft drinks)

CAFECCINO

Lobby Café serving a variety of salads, sandwiches, pastries, hot and cold beverages in a casual ambience.

Opening hours: 24 hours, everyday

B28 bar lounge & Grill

This trendy bar is located on the 28th floor with a panoramic view. 30% off on selected beverages during happy hour on Wednesdays from 6:00 PM. Valentine’s dinner, 14th Feb, BD 12 net inclusive of soft drinks.

Opening hours: Saturday-Thursday 4:00pm - 2:00am & Friday 1:00am - 2:00am

Floor 27

The incomparable hall, overlooking the Seef area is the place to host any type of events. Located on the 27th floor with a panoramic 360 degree view of Bahrain, it’s the perfect venue for gatherings with family & friends.

Opening hours: 24 hours, everyday For Information and Reservations

+973 66310041 reservationsbse@swiss-belhotel.com

Indulge in delicious pastries, freshly baked cakes and our special selection of tea and coffee. Senses Lounge is the perfect place to relax and re-charge your senses.

Opening hours: From 9:00 am - 10:00 pm +973 17 84 50 00/+973 17 84 50 01 alareen@alareenpalace.com

Silk’s restaurant

Asian Fusion cuisine Open from 6.00am to 10.30am for breakfast, from 12.30pm to 4.00pm for lunch, and from 7.00pm to 11.00pm for dinner.

Thursdays from 7.00pm to 11.00pm (Thursday Night Out)at BD27 net Mondays from 7.00pm to 11.00pm (Monday Seafood Night) at BD 27 net Friday from 12.30pm to 4.00pm (Award-Winning Friday Brunch) at BD31 net

The Gallery

French brasserie Open from 7.00am to midnight.

Rimal Spa Open daily from 10.00am to 10.00pm 12 luxurious treatment rooms

SPICES

Spices Indian Restaurant ensures the best Indian food available, as well as the highest quality possible service. Spice Up Your Life this Valentine’s, dinner 7pm-11pm, 14th Feb, BD 12 net inclusive of soft drinks.

Opening hours: 12:00pm to 11:00pm

LA MOSAIQUE

WAVES SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

For Reservations

Dining

Dining

The spacious, elegant and classic La Mosaique Restaurant is open 24 hours a day, serving a choice of international buffets and a la carte menus. Romeo & Juliet Valentine’s brunch 14th Feb, 12pm-4:30pm, BD 35 net, half price for kids 7-12.

Opening hours: 6:00am to 11:00pm

SENSES LOUNGE

MövenpiCK hotel Bahrain 

CroWne plaZa Bahrain 

The Gym & Wellness Open daily from 6.00am to 10.00pm Tennis Court Infinity pool Cybex equipment

Flamingo Bar & Lounge Weekdays open from 2.00pm to 2.00am Weekends open from 12.00pm to 2.00am Daily happy hour from 2.00pm to 9.00pm Live band performance daily except Saturdays from 8.45pm 12.30am For Reservations

Silk’s Restaurant: +973 17460017

A must for seafood lovers, who can choose from our extensive a la carte menu or our market place selection of fresh fish which is delivered daily from local Bahraini fisherman. Valentine’s Day dinner, 13th Feb, 7pm-midnight, BD 18 net.

Opening hours: daily for lunch and dinner

THE HARVESTERS PUB AND TERRACE

Serves the best pub grub in town and is the perfect place to meet up after work with friends or colleagues.

Romeo & Juliet night party, 7pm-2am, 14th Feb. Opening hours: 11:00am to 2:00am

CAPPUCCINO CAFÉ

Located in the lobby area, Cappuccino serves freshly brewed tea, coffee and pastries throughout the day.

Opening hours: 12.00 to 23.00

TRACKS SPORTS BAR

A great place to socialize with friends and colleagues and watch all the world’s best sporting events everyday on big screen. Come and enjoy Tracks’ relaxed and friendly atmosphere, play pool or darts, listen to great music while having a drink and a fabulous snack from our menu.

Opening hours: daily from 3:00pm to 1:00am For Reservations

+973 17531122 cp@cp-bahrain.com

february 2017

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BUSINESS Market Place Gulf

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february 2017

BUSINESS Market Place Gulf

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february 2017

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Dr. Walid Fayad, executive vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton MENA

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Dorian Barak, Global Strategy Officer of Kuang-Chi

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Abdullah Al-Shebli, GCC Assistant SecretaryGeneral for Economic and Development Affairs 80 80 88

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