MEA Business - April 2021

April 2021 Issue

News, Reviews and Interviews

Aviation Achievement Award 2021 From Challenge to Triumph

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Introduction

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he Covid-19 pandemic has changed the world we live in as well as the entire business landscape. There is no way to sugar coat the devastating impact the current situation is having on businesses throughout the region. However, just like all challenges before, we will get through this tough time and as a business community we will learn and grow as a result.

The editorial staff of MEA Business are committed to reporting the positive business developments in the Middle East and Africa, as well as highlighting the business opportunities that already exist in the two regions. We also want to provide a platform for business leaders to share ideas, engage in constructive debates and form strategic partnerships. Our ultimate aim is to equip business leaders and professionals with the practical and tactical skills to thrive in the Middle East and Africa. With an emphasis on positive news stories, case studies and inspirational interviews, MEA business will inspire readers towards personal development and overall business success.

The magazine is arranged to provide clear and concise informative sections including news sections on the Middle East and Africa, CEO interviews and market updates. We also include an essential event directory, which highlights the must-attend virtual and physical events in the region. Finally, in each issue of the magazine we include several focused reports and brand views. Our reports provide the all-important tools, to enable you to maintain a critical edge in the area highlighted. Our reports cover a range of sectors and industries, Aviation, Finance, Technology and Hospitality, to name but a few. The magazine and news service we offer are available on a variety of platforms, these include our printed magazine, e-magazine, website, and social media. Furthermore, we include augmented reality elements in some of our features to provide our readers with unparalleled coverage on the latest developments.

Kenneth Mitchen

Publisher, MEA Business

CONTENTS

NEWS MIDDLE EAST 1

DC Aviation Al-Futtaim receives Stage 2 IS-BAH Certification 3 Wizz Air Abu Dhabi launches new routes to Almaty and Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan 5 IATA Travel Pass successfully trialed on first International flight

PRIVATE AVIATION – PARTNER CONTENT 7 B ombardier Challenger 350 Jet Most Delivered in Category for Seventh Consecutive Year.

NEWS AFRICA 9 Z imbabwe’s Gweru airport and PLM Middle East announce strategic partnership at the 2021 Arab Aviation Summit

AIRCRAFT ENGINES 11 R olls-Royce reaches new milestone as world’s largest aero-engine build starts

CEO SURVEY

15 MEA Business WEB: www.mea-biz.com EMAIL: info@cme-media.com PUBLISHED BY: Creative Middle East Media FZ LLE, 19th Floor, Creative Tower, Fujairah Creative City, PO Box 4422, Fujairah, UAE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND PUBLISHER : Kenneth Mitchen Email: ken.mitchen@mea-finance.com

MEABUSINESS

13 C onfident CEOs applying the harsh lessons from COVID-19 to build back stronger

OPINION 15 T hat Was Yesterday!

16 G lobal Aviation Organizations

must step up communications to boost confidence in air travel: Arab Aviation Summit panel

ARAB AVIATION SUMMIT 17 2 021 Arab Aviation Summit calls for stronger collaboration to drive faster recovery of the aviation industry.

AWARD WINNER SPEICAL 19 Aviation Achievement Awards – (Winners) 21 Airline of the Year Emirates Airline 22 KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) - Aviation Sustainability Award Winner 23 Low cost Airline of the Year - Air Arabia 24 Cargo Airline of the Year - Etihad Cargo 25 Business Aviation Operator of the Year & Aircraft Management Service Provider of the Year - Empire Aviation 26 Flight Support Service Provider of the Year - UAS International Trip Support 27 Aircraft Charter Service Provider of the Year - Fly Charters 29 Engineering Innovation of the Year - Rolls-Royce 30 MRO Service Provider of the year - Etihad Engineering 31 Training Provider of the Year - Dynamic Advanced Training 33 Pandemic Response - FAI rent-a-jet GmbH 35 Satellite Network Service Provider of the Year - Inmarsat 36 Airport operator of the year - Dubai Airport 37 Aviation Achievement Awards - Winner Videos

ADVISORY VIEW 39 The Role of Start-ups in Economic Recovery and Growth

BANKING TECHNOLOGY

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41 Ushering a new era of ‘Bank of Things’ services

LIFESTYLE 45 The Art of the Horologist

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News Middle East

DC Aviation Al-Futtaim receives Stage 2 IS-BAH Certification DC Aviation Al-Futtaim received the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) Stage 2 certification for its Fixed Base Operations (FBO) located at Dubai South. The certification is the global industry standard on safety management and risk mitigation for business aviation handlers. upholds the same high standards of the wider DC Aviation Group. The DC Aviation Al-Futtaim team should be very proud of their strong result which validates their commitment to their clients and safety – it is clear this organisation is handling aircraft to a very high standard in the UAE.”

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C Aviation Al-Futtaim one of the region’s leading business jet operators recently obtained Stage 2 IS-BAH Certification for its FBO Facility in Dubai South. The International Standard for Business Aircraft Handlers (IS-BAH) is a set of global industry best practice and safety standards set by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC).

The Stage 2 Certification is the second of three levels of the highest possible safety standards that can be obtained by an FBO. The accreditation process involved a complete audit of DC Aviation’s FBO safety management systems, emergency and security procedures, organisational structure, training protocols and operating procedures and was conducted by an independent auditor from

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the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC).

DC Aviation Al-Futtaim is a joint venture between DC Aviation GmbH, one of the leading European business jet operations, with its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany and Al-Futtaim, a privately owned UAE business conglomerate headquartered in Dubai.

Commenting on the accreditation, Susan Bujtas, Director of Ground Operations at DC Aviation Al-Futtaim said, “The safety of our customers and employees remains our top priority. It is an ongoing investment we make and is part and parcel of our DNA. The successful completion of the Stage 2 audit was a result of months of around-the-clock hard work from all the teams involved and the continuous support of the management. This certification further demonstrates our vision to provide customers with the highest levels of safety and service.”

Karen Hein-Jones who conducted the IS-BAH inspection audit said “The beautifully appointed DC Aviation Al-Futtaim VIP facility unquestionably

Business News for the MEA region

Susan Bujtas, Director of Ground Operations at DC Aviation Al-Futtaim

News Middle East

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi launches new routes to Almaty and NurSultan, Kazakhstan With the launch of Almaty and Nur-Sultan, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi adds a further two routes to the already on sale thirteen routes

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izz Air Abu Dhabi, the newest national airline of the UAE, has announced the launch of its latest routes from Abu Dhabi to Almaty and Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan, starting in the middle of May 2021. With the launch of Almaty and Nur-Sultan, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi adds a further two routes to its existing thirteen routes.

The flight to Almaty will be operated 2 times per week on Mondays and Fridays, while Nur Sultan will be oper-

ated on Thursdays and Sundays, also 2 times per week.

The connection between Abu Dhabi and the cities of Almaty and Nur Sultan will open new and low-fare travel opportunities for those who would like to visit friends and relatives as well as travel for business. The new routes present an affordable opportunity for travellers to explore exciting destinations, empowering visitors to immerse themselves in the culture of the gorgeous city of Almaty and

Kees Van Schaick, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi discover the world’s youngest capital, Nur Sultan. Tickets are already on sale on wizzair.com and the airline’s mobile app, also available in Arabic, with fares starting as low as AED 159 for 1 way tickets.

Kees Van Schaick, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi said: “The new routes from Abu Dhabi to Almaty and Nur Sultan will encourage increased travel between the UAE and Kazakhstan through ultra-low-fare travel options. We are confident that the new routes will inspire desire to travel and open the doors to new cultural experiences.”

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi has one of the regions youngest fleets composed of four brand new Airbus A321 neo aircraft. The airline has also introduced a new era of sanitized travel across its network, with enhanced hygiene measures to ensure the health and safety of passengers and crew.

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Business News for the MEA region

Prepare For Take-Off Leading Edge Aviation Marketing will take your brand to new heights!

We’re an independent marketing consultancy focused on helping aviation companies identify, target, influence and retain core audiences with engaging content that sets you apart from your competition and increases your marketing investment returns.

For more information visit www.leadingedgeaero.co.uk

News Middle East

IATA Travel Pass successfully trialed on first International flight “The significance of this to re-starting international aviation cannot be overstated,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CE

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he International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the arrival at London’s Heathrow Airport of the first traveler using the IATA Travel Pass app to manage their travel health credentials. To gain maximum benefit from IATA Travel Pass the standardization of test or vaccination certifications, and their acceptance by authorities is key.

“The successful implementation of IATA Travel Pass in this trial with Singapore Airlines passengers demonstrates that technology can securely, conveniently and efficiently help travelers and governments to manage travel health credentials. The significance of this to re-starting international aviation cannot be overstated,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO. JoAnn Tan, Acting Senior Vice President, Marketing Planning, Singapore Airlines, said: “Digital health credentials will be essential as borders reopen and travel restrictions get progressively lifted worldwide. The successful implementation of the IATA Travel Pass reflects Singapore Airlines’ goal of using secure digital solutions to verify health creden-

tials, and support a safe and seamless travel experience for our customers.”

Automated Processing “Airlines understand that their ground operations will grind to a halt if they have to manage COVID-19 travel requirements—test results or vaccine certifications—with paper documentation.

The same is true for border authorities.

The UK is ahead of other governments

in mapping a way to re-starting international travel at scale. This real-life proof of concept should give all governments confidence that industry has a workable digital solution that will ease the pressure of incorporating health certificate checks into the travel process, including at borders. This trial is an opportunity for us to work with the UK government to demonstrate that the solution works and to share the results with others as we build a robust and efficient system that will help the world get moving again,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President Airport, Passenger, Cargo, Security.

Global Standards A recent IATA poll of travelers found that 89% agree with the need for global standards and 80% are keen to use a mobile app to manage their travel credentials. The International Civil Aviaiton Authority (ICAO) recently put in place plans to establishment a global set of standards for testing/vaccination certifications. Global Governments now need to provide a digital COVID-19 test/ vaccination certificate when people are tested or vaccinated so they have a verifiable document on their mobile device. This will ensure equivalence, mutual recognition, and acceptance of COVID-19 certifications for passengers when they travel around the world.

Private Aviation – Partner content

Bombardier Challenger 350 Jet Most Delivered in Category for Seventh Consecutive Year.

Bombardier’s comprehensive family of business jets firmly positions it to respond to the growing interest in private aviation.

B

ombardier recently announced that its best-selling Challenger 350 aircraft was the most-delivered medium category business jet in 2020, making it the category leader for a seventh consecutive year. As detailed in the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s (GAMA) annual shipment and billings report released recently, the company also outpaced competitors by delivering 44 aircraft in the fourth quarter of 2020.

This accomplishment was driven by a record 16 Global 7500 business jet deliveries in that timeframe.

In total, 50 Global 7500 aircrafts have been delivered since its entry-into-service at the end of 2018.

Bombardier’s comprehensive family

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Business News for the MEA region

Private Aviation – Partner content

BOMBARDIER ALSO OUTPACED COMPETITORS BY DELIVERING 44 AIRCRAFT IN THE FOURTH QUARTER 2020 medevac. The Challenger 650 aircraft is in service with many governments worldwide for various special missions.

of business jets firmly positions it to respond to the growing interest in private aviation and the enhanced safety they provide during these exceptional times. As more people seek to avoid crowds and interest in fractional and air charter increases, the bestselling Challenger 350 aircraft is there to take passengers where they need to go.

In 2020, Bombardier announced a firm order for 10 Challenger 350 aircraft in a transaction valued at $267 million U.S. and also marked the 350th delivery of the Challenger 350 business jet, a milestone reached after only seven years in service. The best-selling Challenger 350 aircraft now features an expanded selection of sophisticated and contemporary interior design schemes, highspeed Viasat Kaband connectivity and a refreshed cabin management system, inspired by the industry’s flagship Global 7500 business jet.

In addition to the Challenger 350 aircraft, Bombardier’s Challenger 650 business jet is a masterful expression of high-end craftsmanship and functionality. With its ideal combination of range, speed and field performance capabilities, the Challenger 650 aircraft is perfectly suited for both private and specialized missions, including

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News Africa

Zimbabwe’s Gweru airport and PLM Middle East announce strategic partnership at the 2021 Arab Aviation Summit As part of the agreement, PLM Middle East will provide advanced technology for driving innovation, new design upgrade, operation development and investment management for the Gweru Airport developer

local, national and global communities they serve.

Iddo T. Mudavanhu, CEO, Gweru Airport, said: “Zimbabwe is home to the Southern African Development Community, driving engagement across countries such as South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique in addition to offering ease of access to southern DRC and south eastern Angola, eastern Namibia and south-western Malawi. As the connecting link, we, at Gweru Airport, are confident of attracting world-class entities such as FedEx, DHL, Alibaba and Amazon by serving as a hub for the region. With the signing of the agreement with PLM Middle East, we look forward to partnering with global investors to strengthen our expansion plans.”

Z

imbabwe’s Gweru Airport and PLM Middle East announced a strategic partnership for Airport Development with a 176 million dollars investment plan at the 2021 Arab Aviation Summit (AAS), the region’s leading aviation and tourism industry event held at Al Hamra International Exhibition & Conference Centre in Ras Al Khaimah.

The eighth edition of the summit bought together experts to discuss the impact of the pandemic on the industry, the aftermath, and the road to recovery for a stronger future, under the theme, ‘Arab Aviation in the New Normal.’ As part of the agreement, PLM Middle East will provide advanced technology for

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driving innovation, new design upgrade, operation development and investment management for the Gweru Airport developer.

With a four-step approach to expand the partnership, PLM Middle East will also conduct a complete assessment of the airport including design concept as well as potential for upgrade and improvement. The two entities will also explore possibilities for global operators and international investment attraction for the overall development of the project. This partnership will support Zimbabwe in planning for post-pandemic travel and ensure that the Gweru Airport can upgrade the economic and social benefits to the

Business News for the MEA region

WE AT GWERU AIRPORT, ARE CONFIDENT OF ATTRACTING WORLDCLASS ENTITIES SUCH AS FEDEX, DHL, ALIBABA AND AMAZON BY SERVING AS A HUB FOR THE REGION.

Event News

The Aviation Annual Gala Evening 2021 (save the date).

The Aviation Annual Gala Evening 2021 is an exclusive aviation event held on a luxury 2020ft Megayacht. The event this year will take place on 16th November 2021 (Dubai Airshow Week). The event will also include a special Aviation Leadership Awards presentation.

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he Aviation Annual Gala Evening 2021 will take place on the 16thNovember 2021, (Dubai Airshow Week). The Gala Evening is an exclusive gathering of Senior Aviation Leaders. The purpose of the event is to provide a unique environment for leaders to network, entertain guests and celebrate Aviation Excellence. The venue chosen for the event is a luxury 220ft Megayacht docked at Pier 7 Dubai Marina. The open air Megayacht venue is the ideal setting for safety, luxury and in person networking. The evening event will be split into two sessions; the 1st session will include an exclusive drinks reception, awards and international gourmet buffet, later guests will enjoy an amazing cruise along Dubai’s shoreline, with captivating views of the Dubai skyline and Iconic buildings such

as the Burj Al Arab. Guests will be entertained throughout the evening by a live band and special entertainment. The ‘Aviation Leadership Awards’ which also takes place during the Gala Evening will recognize some of the region’s most outstanding aviation leaders. The Gala Evening and Awards should attract a wide variety of local and international leaders who will be in town for the Dubai Airshow.

THE OPEN AIR MEGAYACHT VENUE IS THE IDEAL SETTING FOR SAFETY, LUXURY AND IN PERSON NETWORKING.

For more information: Email: info@cme-media.com Call: +971 (0)58 518 80 80

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Aircraft Engines

Rolls-Royce reaches new milestone as world’s largest aero-engine build starts.

The UltraFan demonstrator, with a fan diameter of 140 inches, will be the world’s largest engine

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olls-Royce has officially started building the world’s largest engine, UltraFan®, which will redefine sustainable travel for decades to come.Work on the first module is underway at our dedicated DemoWorks facility in Derby, UK, and the demonstrator engine, which has a fan diameter of 140 inches, will be completed by the end of the year.

The engine is the basis for a potential new family of UltraFan engines able to power both narrowbody and widebody aircraft and deliver a 25 per cent fuel efficiency improvement compared with the first generation of Trent engine. That performance improvement is crucial to aviation sustainability. Gas turbines will continue to be the bedrock of long-haul aviation, and UltraFan’s efficiency will help improve the economics of an industry transition to more sustainable fuels, which are likely to be more expensive in the short-term than traditional jet fuel. The first test run of the engine will be conducted on 100 per cent Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce, President – Civil Aerospace, said: “This is an exciting moment for all of us at Rolls-Royce. Our first engine demonstrator, UF001, is now coming together and I’m really looking forward to seeing it built and ready for test. It is arriving at a time when the world is seeking ever more sustainable ways to travel in a post-COVID 19 world, and it makes me and everyone on our UltraFan team very proud to know we are part of the solution.”

As engine build starts, other key parts

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are already coming together for delivery to Derby. Work is underway on UltraFan’s carbon titanium fan system in Bristol, UK, and its 50MW Power Gearbox, which is powerful enough to run 500 family cars, in Dahlewitz, Germany. UltraFan is part of the of Rolls-Royce’s IntelligentEngine vision – for example each fan blade has a digital twin which stores real-life test data, allowing engineers to predict in-service performance. When on test at RollsRoyce’s £90m new Testbed 80 facility, data can be taken from more than 10,000 parameters, detecting the tiniest of vibrations at a rate of up to 200,000 samples per second. Data that helps us understand our engines and further improve them.

Key engineering features of the engine include: • A new, proven, Advance 3 core architecture, combined with a ALECSys lean

Business News for the MEA region

burn combustion system, to deliver maximum fuel burn efficiency and low emissions • C arbon titanium fan blades and a composite casing that reduce weight by up to 1,500lb per aircraft • A dvanced ceramic matrix composite (CMC) components that operate more effectively in high pressure turbine temperatures • A geared design that delivers efficient power for the high-thrust, high bypass ratio engines of the future Significant investment has been made to develop the UltraFan demonstrator and associated technologies by Rolls-Royce and a variety of funding agencies, including the Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK (United Kingdom), LuFo (Germany) and Clean Sky Joint Undertaking (European Union).

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14-18 November 2021

Join us as we launch a range of new features including new content streams, emerging technologies showcase, intelligent matchmaking platform, enhanced networking and much more in a live format.

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CEO Survey

Confident CEOs applying the harsh lessons from COVID-19 to build back stronger PwC surveyed 5,050 CEOs in 100 countries and territories in January and February 2021 to discover their plans to navigate the current crises.

As mass vaccination programmes offer an assured exit from the pandemic, CEOs are increasingly confident in global economic recovery according to a recent survey conducted by PwC. The study also highlighted that the majority of Middle East CEOs are optimistic about their own organization’s growth prospects. In addition, 52% of those polled said that they are ‘very confident’ about revenue growth over the next 3 years.

Hani Ashkar, PwC Middle East Senior Partner, said: “After successfully navigating the uncertainty brought about as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies have emerged more resilient and agile than ever before. Middle East CEOs are cautious but optimistic. It’s clear that in order to continue to thrive, companies will need to embed lessons learnt as a result of the pandemic to transform their operations, continue to drive investments and secure the wellbeing of their people.”

Taking the hard lessons from COVID19 to build more resilient businesses The survey findings reveal that Middle East CEOs are drawing on their experience of withstanding the dual shock of COVID-19 and the drop in oil prices to build smarter, more resilient organisations. Two lessons in particular are highlighted in the survey results. Firstly, the abrupt mass shift to remote working in 2020 amid worldwide economic upheaval has pushed employee welfare

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up corporate agendas, with 50% respondents agreeing that improving the health and well-being of employees should be a business priority, up from 43% in 2016.

Secondly, COVID-19’s social and economic impact has prompted 76% of CEOs across the region, in line with their peers worldwide, to reassess and overhaul business and operating models, as well as corporate transformation programmes, that were conceived and developed before the pandemic in order to drive growth.

Stephen Anderson, Middle East Strategy and Markets Leader, said: “Our CEOs realise that they need to transform their organisations and invest to emerge stronger from the pandemic. Planned digital investments, however, will only realise their full potential if organisations ensure that employees are upskilled to utilise Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, machine learning and other new technologies. CEOs are already citing a lack of available skills as a key constraint and as a region we are going to have to be able to develop our own talent to compete.”

Resilient CEOs are more acutely aware of the risks presented by cybersecurity and lack of available skills Looking ahead, potential business risks remain high on CEO agendas in the Middle East, with 41% of those surveyed stating that they are extremely concerned about cybersecurity. Overall,

Business News for the MEA region

Hani Ashkar, PwC Middle East Senior Partner.

74% regard cyberattacks and leaks as worrying threats to growth in 2021, compared with 68% in 2020; and 52% say that cyber threats feature in their organisation’s risk management.

This growing anxiety about cyber threats across the region is an inevitable by-product of fast and increasing digitisation by organisations as they implement new technologies and upskill their workforces. A growing number of CEOs have started to bolster resilience against external and internal cyber threats by utilising technologies that prevent attacks before they begin.

The urgency of this is demonstrated by the fact that 43% of Middle East CEOs plan to increase investment in cybersecurity and data privacy by 10% or more over the next three years, well ahead of the global average of 31%. In addition, 41% think their organisation should be doing more to measure cybersecurity.

We are reducing our environmental footprint Considering the continued growth of the aviation industry and related carbon emissions, our sector needs to become more sustainable.

So as KLM, we are taking responsibility for making our business more sustainable. How? By flying on sustainable fuel, with more efficient routing, with cleaner planes and by recycling our waste.

Learn more about our journey to more sustainable aviation on klm.com/flyresponsibly

Opinion

That Was Yesterday!

Nick Maynard, founder of Leading Edge Aviation Marketing, shares his opinion on the new approach needed by Aviation Marketers.

I

f you listen to the lyrics of the timeless Foreigner classic – and the first single I ever bought, they could have been singing about 2020 and the impact that Covid-19 has had on, well everything actually.

But that was yesterday I had the world in my hands But it’s not the end of my world It’s just a slight change of plans That was yesterday But today life goes on No more hiding in yesterday Cause yesterday’s gone The new ‘norm’ has become an overused phrase – and I actually prefer the phrase I heard recently during a Corporate Jet Investor summit. Rather than the new normal, we’re dealing with the ‘now normal’.

The world we operate in has changed – and it will continue to change over the coming months as nations, societies, industries and communities continue to fight and then recover from this virus.

As marketers, we need to be at the forefront of how our brands adapt in the face of a changing world, in the face of changing customer behaviour, and in the face of a reevaluation of the things that really matter – family, friends and communities. If there is any silver lining to the pandemic, then surely it must be that the world seems to desire and demand more humanity (and humility) from the brands we purchase from.

How can a brand deliver the human touch in an age of social distancing? Here are 5 tips for brands who want to connect with existing and new customers.

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One – Listen.

It’s time for brands to show some empathy towards their customers. Listen to them.

Understand their hopes, their fears, their needs. Brands can no longer afford to tell the customer what they think they want to hear, or rather the same sales pitch they gave the day before to a different customer.

Two – Deliver I find it hard to believe that in this day and age, we still need to be compelling brands to deliver exceptional customer service at every touchpoint. Unfortunately, as consumers ourselves, we know this to be true. Define your brand by delivering on the promises you make – and the service you yourself expect.

seems to have had a very real impact.

The world we operate in has changed – and it will continue to change over the coming months. Marketing has a significant role to play in helping brands navigate this storm.

However, even in this ‘now normal’, if all the consumer is asking brands to do is listen, deliver, be creative, connect and lead is that really all that different from yesterday after all?

Three – Ideate There has never been a better time to experiment. Encourage a culture of creativity and experimentation to deliver new propositions or offerings that will excite existing customers and win new ones. The time is ripe for a new approach.

Four – Connect Don’t be a corporate robot. Be human.

Engage with your customers emotionally and empathetically. Because you now listen to your customers, you can create stories that resonate with them. But be mindful that these stories must also reflect your brand.

Five – Lead Be a leader in your community and your industry. Consumers expect the brands they connect with to take an active role in the issues that concern them. Whether this is sustainability, racism (or any ism) or youth unemployment – an area in which Covid-19

Business News for the MEA region

Nick Maynard, is the founder of Leading Edge Aviation Marketing, an independent marketing consultancy focused on helping aviation companies, operators, MRO facilities and other aviationrelated businesses to communicate effectively with customers to build awareness, improve loyalty and drive growth.

For more information visit https://www.leadingedgeaero. co.uk/ or email Nick directly at nick@leadingedgeaero.co.uk

Opinion

Global Aviation Organizations must step up communications to boost confidence in air travel: Arab Aviation Summit panel The rise of private charter and the challenges in business travel will have a decisive influence on the industry, but the key is to boost passenger confidence, says Sunil John

D

escribing the aviation sector’s response to the crisis emerging from the pandemic as ‘timid’, Sunil John, President – Middle East of BCW and Founder of ASDA’A BCW, said the aviation sector’s current challenges can’t be addressed by airlines, airports, or tour operators alone but “global organisations such as IATA that must bring a commonality of approach and an industry-wide response regarding the safety and vaccine protocols to benefit the sector.”

Moderated by broadcast journalist Eithne Treanor, the panel discussion was also addressed by Linus Benjamin Bauer, Founder & Managing Director of Bauer Aviation Consultancy; and Peter Morris, Chief Economist at Flight Ascend Consultancy.

aviation sector,” added Sunil, “with Expo 2020 Dubai, playing a decisive role in boosting the prospects of both the aviation and tourism sectors. The nation is at the centre of the world and we have the opportunity to convert the pent-up demand for people to get on planes and travel.”

He cited the success story of Ras Al Khaimah in driving domestic tourism as “a smart strategy’ that led to near 100 per cent occupancy at hotels in the emirate during the pandemic year, and the RAK International Airport gaining market share despite the pandemic through “flexible pricing attracting lowcost airlines.”

Sunil said an emerging trend for the sector will be the rise of private jet char-

Sunil John said there is pent-up demand for travel now, but the key is to “build confidence among people who are not ready to fly, assure them of their safety and how they can navigate the various protocols. Aviation is sentiment-driven.

Right now, the sentiment is all gloom and doom. Building confidence will happen when the aviation sector has clear and honest communication that addresses passenger anxieties. They must lead from the front. A proactive, courageous stance is needed for the aviation industry today.”

“The United Arab Emirates will take a lead role in driving the recovery of the

Sunil John, President –Middle East of BCW and Founder of ASDA’A BCW

ters that will eat into the business travel segment of commercial airlines. “The ‘Uber of the skies’ will be a real trend offering the opportunity for people who had never had the opportunity to get on a private plane to charter their travel with an App. You are looking at a whole new market that is going to impact commercial airlines, which will likely lose market share in the lucrative first/ business class passenger segment. In addition, private companies are increasingly going to look at business travel for essential or unavoidable purposes only.”

Linus Bauer reiterated the need to build confidence in the industry’s ability to “carry passengers from A to B safely.”

He said the decline in business travel was a key challenge, while adding that the opportunities in the Middle East were tremendous, leading to increased appetite for aviation services.

Peter Morris said the success of the industry calls for commercial solutions.

“Only business models that meet the needs of customers will be successful.

You cannot force people to travel and there are different sets of parameters for business and leisure.” Top priorities include ensuring the continued viability of airlines, airports and tourism providers, he added. “A coherent response by governments is lacking and air travel patterns remain complex. The hit to global GDP is another factor that influences the ability to travel.”

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Arab Aviation Summit

2021 Arab Aviation Summit calls for stronger collaboration to drive faster recovery of the aviation industry.

Panelists at the Arab Aviation Summit predict a substantial industry recovery.

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he eighth Arab Aviation Summit (AAS), the region’s leading aviation and tourism industry event held at Al Hamra International Exhibition & Conference Centre, Ras Al Khaimah, concluded, on an optimistic note with industry stakeholders unanimous in their view of a faster recovery of the industry.

Experts highlighted the role of the tour-

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ism sector as a catalyst for post-pandemic growth, and also called for leveraging the potential of digital technologies to transform the industry by helping achieve higher operational efficiencies. They urged on the need for unified travel guidelines to support the industry, and expressed optimism that with more vaccinations being administered, there will be greater confidence among the public to travel.

Business News for the MEA region

The 2021 Arab Aviation Summit was the first in-person aviation event to be held since the pandemic, and was organised by following all safety protocols, sending a strong message of confidence for the industry and the travel community.

Under the theme, ‘Arab Aviation in the New Normal’, the eighth edition of the summit brough industry experts from around the world to discuss diverse topics covering the aviation sector.

Arab Aviation Summit

The first day witnessed a series of workshops and forums focusing on airport sustainability, investment trends and the importance of disruptive models of starts-ups such as Intelak, an aviation and travel incubator. The second day of the summit featured several panel discussions, with experts expressing confidence on the aviation industry’s recovery from the current crisis following the pandemic.

More than 300 participants attended the insightful panel discussions and live presentations on topics such as airline strategies to navigate through the new normal, sustainability outlook, out-manoeuvring uncertainty in a new era of travel, tourism as catalyst for a post-pandemic economic growth and job creation in the new reality.

Raki Phillips, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority welcomed attendees, and stated that the theme of the summit, ‘Arab Aviation in the New Normal’, aptly describes the growing call for the resumption of travel across nations and how strong performance of the aviation sector is a significant driver of tourism.

Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, predicted a positive outcome in the months to come and highlighted the need for industry and regulators to work together on contingency plans to address the current challenges and develop recovery plans for the entire aviation industry.

Egypt Air’s Chairman & CEO, Rushdi Zakaria’s said that the summit fostered a platform for discussion on the current sit-

uation of the aviation sector and reiterated that health and safety remain the number one priority.

Mikail Houari, President Airbus, Africa Middle East, shared insights on how the airline sector has always remained resilient and has found ways to recover even stronger particularly in the Middle East region.

Abdul Wahab Teffaha, Secretary General of Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO), shed light on the Arab region’s ability and infrastructure for quicker recovery, adding that the region’s business growth and tourism potential will support the industry. He emphasised the importance of strong alliances between all industry players to help the aviation industry emerge from this crisis.

Kamil Al-Awadhi, Regional Vice President of Africa and the Middle East, IATA, was positive about the industry’s recovery specially given how countries are leading the way with vaccination programmes. He said governments worldwide need to come together with a united front for a fast-track road to recovery.

Sunil John, President – Middle East of BCW and Founder of ASDA’A BCW, said the aviation sector’s current challenges can’t be addressed by airlines, airports, or tour operators alone but “global organisations such as IATA that must bring a commonality of approach and an industry-wide response regarding the safety and vaccine protocols to benefit the sector.

Linus Benjamin Bauer, Founder & Managing Director of Bauer Aviation Consultancy, said the decline in business travel was a key challenge, while adding that the opportunities in the Middle East were tremendous, leading to increased appetite for aviation services.

Peter Morris, Chief Economist at Flight Ascend Consultancy, said the success of the industry calls for commercial solutions. “Only business models that meet the needs of customers will be successful. You cannot force people to travel and there are different sets of parameters for business and leisure.

Endorsed by Arab Governments and previously held in many Arab counties, the Arab Aviation Summit 2021 was hosted in collaboration with Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) and supported by global industry partners such as Airbus, CFM, Air Arabia, Alpha Aviation Academy, and others. The summit will also be hosted in Ras Al Khaimah for the next two years.

THE 2021 ARAB AVIATION SUMMIT WAS THE FIRST IN-PERSON AVIATION EVENT TO BE HELD SINCE THE PANDEMIC, AND WAS ORGANISED BY FOLLOWING ALL SAFETY PROTOCOLS. mea-biz.com

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Award Winners Special

Aviation Achievement Awards – (Winners) The Aviation Achievement Awards 2021, honored Aviation Organizations who demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and resilience during 20202021. The hybrid event included a virtual award winners’ announcement on the 2nd of March 2021, followed by Award Winner trophy presentations at various locations. The awards was arranged by the Aviation Annual Gala Evening 2021 in partnership with MEA Business Magazine.

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Business News for the MEA region

Event Sponsors

Event Winners Airline of the Year Emirates Airline Aviation Sustainability Award Winner KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) Low cost Airline of the Year Air Arabia Cargo Airline of the Year Etihad Cargo Business Aviation Operator of the Year & Aircraft Management Service Provider of the Year Empire Aviation Aircraft Charter Service Provider of the Year Fly Charters

Platinum Sponsor

Flight Support Service Provider of the Year UAS International Trip Support Ground Support Service Provider of the Year Jetex Health & Safety Initiative of the year (Business Aviation) Alpha Star (Medevac Division) FBO of the Year Jetex Engineering Innovation of the Year Rolls-Royce

Current and Previous Sponsor

MRO Service Provider of the year Etihad Engineering Training Provider of the Year Dynamic Advanced Training Pandemic Response FAI rent-a-jet GmbH Satellite Network Service Provider of the Year Inmarsat Airport operator of the year Dubai Airport

Event Patners

Health & Safety Initiative of the year (Commercial Aviation) Bahrain Airport Company Aerospace Achievement of the year Emirates Mars Mission “Hope Probe” 50th Anniversary (50 years of excellence) Airbus

Award Winners Special

Airline of the Year Emirates Airline

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mirates Airline won the Airline of the Year award. The Award was received by Adil Al Ghaith, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations for Gulf, Middle East and Central Asia. Despite a challenging year Emirates Airline has been extremely proactive especially in the area of safety and customer assurance. It was the first airline in the region to offer extensive passenger testing, it was also the first airline in the region to offer a flexible ticket booking and exchange policy. Furthermore, it was also the first to offer passengers Covid-19 medical cover and multi-risk travel insurance. For these reasons as well as Emirates continued innovation, and service excellence, it was awarded Airline of the Year.

DESPITE A CHALLENGING YEAR EMIRATES AIRLINE HAS BEEN EXTREMELY PROACTIVE ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA OF SAFETY AND CUSTOMER ASSURANCE

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Business News for the MEA region

Winners Special

Aviation Sustainability Award Winner KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM)

K

LM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) was the winner of the Aviation Sustainability Award at the Middle East Aviation Achievement Awards 2021. Yeshwant Pawar, General Manager, Air France KLM, Gulf, Iran and Pakistan, received the award from Kenneth Mitchen, Executive Director MEA Business Magazine and Nap Estampador, Director, MEA Finance Magazine. The presentation took place at the Air France KLM Group regional headquarters at Dubai Airport Freezone, in the presence of His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Director General of Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA).

The Aviation Sustainability Award was

presented in recognition of the KLM Corporate Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Programme, which was launched in 2012 and now includes 16 partners, including ABN AMRO, Royal Schiphol Group and Arcadis. Through the programme, KLM ensures that the fuel it buys is manufactured sustainably, using raw materials that do not cause deforestation, impede food production or harm the environment in any other way. The award citation describes the KLM initiative as ‘a model for sustainable aviation’.

KLM forms part of the Clean Skies for Tomorrow (CST) coalition, which was established within the World Economic Forum to ensure the availability of sufficient SAF to be able to fly CO2-neutral by the middle of this century. In addition to KLM, the coalition consists of other leading players in the airline industry such as Airbus Group, the Boeing Company, Schiphol, Neste, Shell, SkyNRG and Heathrow Airport.

The KLM Corporate SAF Programme is aligned with the “Fly Responsibly” initiative that KLM launched in 2019, with a view to leading the way towards a more sustainable future for air transport. KLM is striving to achieve this by making all its products and processes more sustainable.

mea-biz.com

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Award Winners Special

Low cost Airline of the Year

Air Arabia

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ir Arabia won the Low Cost Airline of the Year. Despite a challenging year for the Airline Sector worldwide, Air Arabia returned to profitability by the fourth quarter 2020 with a net profit AED 20 million. This unprecedented achievement outlines the airlines amazing resilience and leadership. The early measures taken by the airline to control overall cost while ensuring business continuity enabled Air Arabia to recover much quicker than other airlines. For the reasons mentioned, Air Arabia was Awardsed Low Cost Airline of the year.

AIR ARABIA RETURNED TO PROFITABILITY BY THE FOURTH QUARTER 2020 WITH A NET PROFIT AED 20 MILLION. 23

Adel Ali, CEO, Air Arabia - Picture Credit ( Arab Aviation Summit 2021)

Business News for the MEA region

Winners Special

Cargo Airline of the Year

Etihad Cargo

AS THE NATIONAL CARRIER TO THE UAE, ETIHAD EMBARKED ON A JOINT MISSION WITH THE GOVERNMENT TO SEND MEDICAL SUPPLIES AROUND THE WORLD. Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Sales & Cargo at Etihad

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tihad cargo was presented with the Cargo Airline of the Year Awards at the Aviation Achievement Awards 2021.

During the Pandemic Etihad Cargo worked round the clock to identify solutions to add additional capacity to its network. As the national carrier to the UAE it also embarked on a joint mission with the government to send medical supplies around the world. Etihad Cargo operated 183 charters to carry more than 2.5mn kg of essential cargo to 129 countries.

This was a pivotal move which supported the creation of a COVID-19 Workforce and Steering Committee to drive Etihad Cargo’s pandemic response

and to continue to support the shipment of vaccines around the world.

Despite the challenges and significant increase in flight utilization, Etihad Cargo achieved 87 per cent on-time-performance (OTP) during 2020 – ahead of its 85 per cent target. The carrier also maintained a ‘Delivered As Promised’ (DAP) record throughout the year, passing its initial target of 85 per cent, underlining its on-time delivery capability.

In Q3 of 2020, Etihad became the UAE’s first airline to implement electronic technical logs (eTech logs). The switch accelerated Etihad Cargo’s journey to paperless airline operations and helped the carrier achieve an IATA ranking of eighth in the world for e-AWB penetration.

mea-biz.com

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Award Winners Special

Business Aviation Operator of the Year & Aircraft Management Service Provider of the Year Empire Aviation

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mpire Aviation , the Dubai-based private aviation specialist, was a double winner at the Middle East Aviation Achievement Awards 2021, where the company picked up the ‘Business Aviation Operator of the Year’ and ‘Aircraft Management Service Provider’ awards. Since launching in Dubai in 2007, Empire Aviation has extended operations around the world and today operates one of the largest managed fleets of private jets in the region.

Through the pandemic, Empire Aviation has continued to fly private jet missions including emergency medical or repatriation flights to various destinations from different countries. Empire Aviation also arranged charters for 150+ passengers on larger aircraft sub-chartered through airline partners. In 2020, the team flew several charter flights operating from Dubai to different cities in India, and from India back to Dubai, after the easing of some restrictions.

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Most recently, the company has been innovating luxury travel with the launch of a new ‘Luxury Partner’ programme designed to combine the unique benefits of private jet travel with award-winning luxury travel partners, in response to the growing

Paras P. Dhamecha, Founder and Managing Director of Empire Aviation Group, comments: “The Empire Aviation team is thrilled with the double award at the Aviation Achievement Awards 2021 and to be recognised for our commitment to aircraft owners and customers through a very challenging year for aviation. Thanks to the very positive response by the UAE authorities and the commitment of our team, we have managed to continue providing our services wherever possible, and to ensure the safety of crew while helping the community. We believe private aviation continues to prove its unique value and high levels of privacy, comfort, convenience, and safety. Even through the pandemic we have been able to innovate around our services with the introduction of the new Luxury Partner programme, and we look forward to expanding this programme as aviation recovers through the year.”

Empire Aviation’s services include aircraft management, flight operations and charter, as well as aircraft sales and CAMO.

demand from affluent leisure travelers for highly personalised private travel services and associated luxury leisure experiences.

The first Luxury Partners include companies with a particular focus on the luxury resorts of the Indian Ocean and Thailand favourites among private jet charter clients.

Business News for the MEA region

Winners Special

Flight Support Service Provider of the Year - UAS International Trip Support

Ground Support Service Provider of the Year Jetex

Health & Safety Initiative of the year (Business Aviation) Alpha Star (Medevac Division)

FBO of the Year Jetex

mea-biz.com

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Award Winners Special

Aircraft Charter Service Provider of the Year

Fly Charters

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ly Charters was awarded the Aircraft Charter Service Provider of the Year at the Aviation Achievement Awards 2021. Fly charters had an exceptional year despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic.

They are one of the few charter service providers and aviation organization that grew their business and expanded their operation over the last year. During the pandemic Fly Charters decided to diversify their range of charter options to include medical evacuation flights and specially equipment charter flights. They also organized several difficult charter flights to remote locations. Fly aviation attribute their success to exceptional service, attention to detail and outstanding value.

DURING THE PANDEMIC FLY CHARTERS DECIDED TO DIVERSIFY THEIR RANGE OF CHARTER OPTIONS TO INCLUDE MEDICAL EVACUATION FLIGHTS AND SPECIALLY EQUIPMENT CHARTER FLIGHTS 27

Bader Shourbaji, Area Sales Manager at Fly Charters

Business News for the MEA region

Award Winners Special

Engineering Innovation of the Year

Rolls-Royce

components in any engine and one way of getting inside the engine to look at them is with a borescope. A routine inspection can take an aircraft out of service for 12 hours – that’s 12 hours the aircraft is grounded and not making money.

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olls-Royce won the Engineering Innovation of the Year Award for its pioneering work, using technology and artificial intelligence to increase efficiency for its aviation customers.

Rolls-Royce Innovation Hub came up with the Intelligent Borescope, a peice of technology that can reduce the time it takes to inspect an aircraft engine by 75% and could save up to £100m in inspection costs over five years.

Rolls-Royce created something that was not only cost effective, but could potentially transform the future of aviation inspection procedures.

The tip of the Intelligent Borescope, equivalent to the size of a pen lid, is enabled with a scanner that can generate 3D colour images. It can view and scan whole objects as large as High Pressure Turbine blades.

As it moves through the engine, the borescope captures images which are analysed by the AI App installed on the Borescope handset and then sent to the Rolls-Royce Cloud for human review.

The Intelligent Borescope is an industry first which dramatically reduces the time taken to complete engine inspections. The initial launch will target two key customers with potential to roll out to further customers throughout 2021.

An average aircraft does 20,000 flights in its lifetime – that’s the equivalent of 60 million miles or 2,400 times around the world. There are around 20,000

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Business News for the MEA region

ROLLSROYCE CREATED SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT ONLY COST EFFECTIVE, BUT COULD POTENTIALLY TRANSFORM THE FUTURE OF AVIATION INSPECTION PROCEDURES.

Winners Special

MRO Service Provider of the year Etihad Engineering

the world. We continued to grow our global footprint and made concerted efforts to support the aviation industry during these challenging times. This achievement is a testament to the vision of our stakeholders, the support and confidence of our customers, and the outstanding passion and determination of our people.”

During the ongoing pandemic, Etihad Engineering utilised the latest thermal scanning solutions at the facility’s entry points, exercised remote working arrangements, and organised consistent disinfection of aircraft, hangars, and offices to ensure the safety and well-being of staff and customers onsite.

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tihad Engineering, the largest commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services provider in the Middle East, won ‘MRO Service Provider of the Year – Commercial Airlines’ award at the Aviation Achievement Awards 2021.

The award was presented to Etihad

resilience during 2020, and achieving strong results despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abdul Khaliq Saeed, the CEO of Etihad Engineering, said: “We are honoured to receive the Aviation Achievement Award for rising above the challenges and delivering our commitments to customers around

www.etihadengineering.com http://bit.ly/EYEngLinkedIn

Engineering for demonstrating exceptional leadership, innovation and

Haytham Nasir, Vice President Airframe Services of Etihad Engineering

The company invested in a state-of-theart medical mask production facility onsite which has delivered more than 1.8 million masks to the aviation industry, and manufactured 3D printed face shields for the UAE’s frontline health workers.

To support a safe return to the skies for airlines around the world, Etihad Engineering launched a range of service solutions. It leveraged its comprehensive Part21J and Part21G capabilities to design, manufacture, certify and install aircraft cabin parts.

Etihad Engineering’s state-of-the-art facility is located in Abu Dhabi, adjacent to Abu Dhabi International Airport, over an area of 500,000 sqm. Aircraft hangars at the facility cover approximately 66,000 sqm, including 10,000 sqm of aircraft painting facilities, and a custom-designed hangar that can accommodate up to three Airbus A380 aircraft simultaneously. The company has successfully completed maintenance projects over the years for airlines from all over the world. mea-biz.com

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Award Winners Special

Training Provider of the Year Dynamic Advanced Training

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ynamic Advanced Training was presented with the Training Provider of the year Award at the Aviation Achievement Awards 2021. Despite being launched in the middle of the worst crisis in aviation history Dynamic managed to maintain its core training business, while finding new ways of generating revenue. The cutting-edge facility offers comprehensive Safety & Emergency Procedures (SEP) training, including both theoretical as well as hyper-realistic, handson training, using industry-leading simulators and training equipment.

Dynamic is the first facility of its type in the MENASA region to offer Private, Business and Commercial Aviation Safety Training all in one place.

Compliant with international regulations including the GCAA, EASA and FAA, Dynamic offers both in-house training and offsite training. Dynamic also offers a range of non-training services that include an aviation-themed Hollywood style film studio that supports the region’s growing production community. For these reasons Dynamic Advance Training was Awarded Training Provider of the year.

Mark Kammer, Director Of Operations at Dynamic Advanced Training

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Business News for the MEA region

Advanced Training

We Entertain While We Train

a member of KHANSAHEB INVESTMENT

Aviation SEP and Service Training Academy Unique - Independent - One-Stop-Shop • Full Motion Cabin Simulators with integrated cockpit and cabin visuals Commercial (A318, A319, A320, A321, A300, A310, A330, A340, B737, B777) • Full Motion Cabin Simulators with integrated cockpit and cabin visuals Corporate (Gulfstream, Falcon, Global, Challenger, Legacy, Hawker) • Door Simulators with VR (A350, B787) • Water survival Pool with Environmental • Survival Simulators with Environmental (Jungle, Polar) • Real fire fighting Simulator • Hypoxia Simulator • VIP Service training Stock Store

DYNAMIC ADVANCED TRAINING

Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub, Dubai South, U.A.E.

info@dynamic-advanced.com dynamic-advanced.com

+971 4 887 1514

Award Winners Special

Pandemic Response FAI rent-a-jet GmbH

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he judging panel highlighted FAI‘s prompt and timely roll out of its Covid-19 aeromedical transport capability as well as its ability to increase capacity across its fleet as it rapidly responded to the pandemic. This latest award win follows FAI’s Aviation Annual Achievement Award in the Anniversary Milestone category in 2019.

Accepting the 2021 award, Barbara

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Baumgartner, Managing Director, FAI renta-jet, said: “On behalf of FAI, I am incredibly proud to have won this prestigious award particularly given the immensely challenging year we have had to meet demand and manage restrictions during the pandemic. I would like to thank our entire team who are driven by passion, dedication, and determination to overcome challenges and who have learnt never to take anything for granted. Without them, our work and this achievement would not be possible.”

In 2020, FAI rent-a-jet emerged from its busiest period in its 30-year history owing to the coronavirus pandemic. During this time the division was operating at maximum capacity and worked hard to fulfil all the requests coming in 24/7 for repa-

Business News for the MEA region

triation and medevac flights utilising its 10-strong fleet of air ambulance jet aircraft, covering all corners of the globe.

At the earliest time, FAI pioneered the rollout of Covid-19 aeromedical transport capability, the EpiShuttle isolation pod. This enables self-contained oxygen and air ventilation directly to the patient, isolated from the cabin’s airflow. In the past nine months, the division has worked hard to manage and respond to a very challenging and fluid situation with multiple operational restrictions and limitations. FAI has pioneered a number of passenger air transportation options for the repatriation of travellers and has created an environment where appropriate social distancing is feasible in flight, and where strict hygiene measures can be enforced. FAI developed a Client Package of Comprehensive Pandemic Guidelines which has enabled the company to safely transport Covid-19 positive patients, whether in stable or critical condition, from any location, to any destination across the globe.

FAI Aviation Group is co-owned by the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Bahrain (Mumtalakat) and has enjoyed a strong presence in the MENA region over the past 18 years.

Award Winners Special

Satellite Network Service Provider of the Year

Inmarsat

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nmarsat, the world leader in global mobile satellite communications, was named ‘Satellite Network Provider of the Year’ at the Aviation Achievement Awards 2021.The judging panel selected Inmarsat as ‘Satellite Network Provider of the Year’ for providing outstanding support to customers of its market-leading cockpit and cabin connectivity solutions during the global pandemic and bringing thousands of industry professionals together with two editions of its FlightPlan online broadcast event.

Inmarsat was also praised for successfully continuing the rollout of its market-leading inflight connectivity solutions and commencing an ambitious, fully-funded

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technology roadmap that began with the launch and commercial service introduction of GX5, its newest and most advanced satellite to date. GX5 brings significant layered capacity and network redundancy over the Middle East and Europe, which form one of the world’s busiest travel corridors. It delivers approximately twice the combined capacity of the entire GX sat-

Business News for the MEA region

ellite fleet (GX1-GX4) launched before it.

Inmarsat’s technology roadmap will see seven further satellite launches by 2024: five in geostationary orbit - adding speed, capacity and resilience - and two in highly elliptical orbit, which will enable the world’s only commercial mobile broadband service for aircraft flying in higher elevations and across the Arctic.

Neale Faulkner, Inmarsat Aviation’s Regional Vice President for the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA), said: “The Middle East is one of our most important markets and although 2020 was undoubtedly a challenging period for the aviation industry as a whole, Inmarsat crossed a number of important milestones in the region that highlighted our unwavering confidence for the future. From significantly expanding our inflight broadband capacity between the Middle East and Europe with GX5 to achieving 100 installations of GX Aviation with Qatar Airways.

“The recognition for Inmarsat at this year’s Aviation Achievement Awards is truly a testament to the efforts of our employees and partners in supporting customers on the ground through an incredibly challenging time, without losing sight of our long-term vision for the future.

Winners Special

Airport operator of the year Dubai Airport

Health & Safety Initiative of the year (Commercial Aviation) Bahrain Airport Company

Aerospace Achievement of the year Emirates Mars Mission “Hope Probe”

50th Anniversary (50 years of excellence) Airbus

mea-biz.com

36

Award Winners Special

Aviation Achievement Awards

Winner Videos To watch Award Winner videos listed on this page, download our app (Creative AR) using the QR Code provided. Then point your mobile device over the images you would like to view on this page. Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that superimposes digital content (images, sounds, text) on to printed pages and real-life objects.

Step 01 Download our app Creative AR.

Step 02 Point your mobile devise over one of the images on this page.

Step 03 Watch as the image comes to life.

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Business News for the MEA region

Winners Special

Aviation Achievement Awards

Winner Videos

mea-biz.com

38

26 May 2021 Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Future of Banking Innovation An exclusive gathering of the region’s leading bankers and technology professionals to debate and to learn how digitisation and new technologies are transforming banking for the new age digital consumer.

Join more than 150 top executives from leading banks, financial institutions, and technology providers from across the MEA region.

SPEAKERS

KEYNOTE Bryan Stirewalt Chief Executive Dubai Financial Services Authority

Ahmad Abu Eideh

Chief Executive Officer

United Arab Bank

Pedro Pinto Coelho

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Banco BNI Europa

Devid Jegerson

Ellis Wang

National Bank of Fujairah PJSC

Mashreq

Head of Customer Experience and Group Head of Technology, Transformation and Information Platform Development

Peter Smith

Head of Policy & Strategy

Dubai Financial Services Authority

Saud Al Dhawyani

Chief Technology Officer

Emirates NBD

Giselle Bou Ghanem

Senior Program Manager for Public Cloud - International CTO Office

Kokila Alagh Founder KARM Legal Consultants

Mohammed Abdel-Razek CIO - Africa, Middle East & Islamic Banking Standard Chartered Bank

Yan Bechet

Yuri Misnik

Limited

First Abu Dhabi Bank

Avaya

Stefan Kimmel

Chief Operating Officer

Head of Client Coverage, Dubai Group Chief Technology Officer, Commercial Banking Member of the Group Executive Commercial Bank of Dubai Committee HSBC Bank Middle East

Award Categories FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

TECHNOLOGY VENDORS

1.

1. Digital Banking Provider of the Year

Digital Banking Innovation of the Year

2. Best Digital Innovation in Islamic Banking of the Year

2. Islamic Digital Banking Provider of the Year

3. Best Neobank

3. Best Cybersecurity Provider

4. Best Cybersecurity and Risk Management

4. Best Core Banking Solutions Provider

Implementation

5. Best User Experience Solution Provider

5. Best Core Banking Technology Implementation

6. Best Data Management Solution Provider

6. Best Islamic Banking System Implementation

7. Best Risk Management Solution Provider

7.

8. Best Analytics Solution Provider

Best Data Management

8. Best Analytics System

9. Most Innovative Cloud Services Provider

9. Best Mobile Banking Services

10. Most Innovative Mobile Banking App

10. Most Innovative Emerging Technology Implementation

11. Best RegTech Solution Provider

11. Best Cloud Implementation

12. Bset Trading Infrastructure Provider

12. Best Innovation in User Experience

13. Best AML/KYC Solution Provider

13. Best Innovation in Retail Banking

14. Best Communications Infrastructure Provider

14. Best Innovation in Corporate Banking and Finance

15. Best Open Banking & API Solutions Provider

15. Best Innovation in Investment Banking

16. Most Innovative Payment Solutions Provider

16. Best Innovation in Trade Finance

17. Best Wealth and Investment Technology Provider

17. Best Regulation Technology Solution

18. Most Innovative Digital Wallet Deployment

18. Most Innovative Trading Platform

19. Best Digital Transformation Consultancy Firm

19. Best AML/KYC Solution

20. Tech CEO of the Year

20. Best FinTech Solutions Implementation

21. Financial Services Technology Leadership Award

21. Best Islamic Fintech Solutions Implementation 22. Best AI Technology Implementation 23. Best Open Banking & API implementation 24. Best Branch Digitisation Implementation 25. Best Corporate Payment Service 26. Best Risk & Compliance Implementation 27. Best Retail Payment Implementation 28. Best Treasury Management Implementation 29. Tech Leadership Awards

Submit your entries now!

Step 1: Choose your category.

It is important to review the individual descriptions and criteria before choosing your category.

Step 2: Upload relevant financial performance documents, case studies, or other relevant information.

Step 3: Confirm submission of your entry. *All nominations shall be submitted on or before 26th April deadline.

For inquiries, call +971 50 1005488 / +971 50 9313236 or email: info@mea-finance.com https://awards.mea-finance.com/2021/

Advisory View

The Role of Start-ups in Economic Recovery and Growth Start-up businesses are vital to the continuation and growth of economies, especially following economic shocks. George Hojeige, Chief Executive Officer of Virtuzone explains just how much they contribute to societies by employing, innovating and improving services for consumers.

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s the world continues to recover from the impact of the pandemic, the potential for startups to stimulate and accelerate economic recovery takes centre stage.

The global start-up economy was previously valued at nearly USD 3 trillion, which has been assessed by experts to be on par with the Gross Domestic Product of a G7 economy.

While the pandemic has impeded this growth, market studies indicate that start-ups still performed strongly at the end of 2020, citing a 4% year-on-year increase in global venture funding, which reached USD 300 billion.

According to Crunchbase, a leading platform for professionals looking to connect with innovative companies, this remarkable achievement was largely driven by the digital transformation of essential sectors, such as healthcare, education, finance, retail, entertainment and a majority of corporate work around the world.

As these sectors moved their operations online, they created huge market opportunities for companies specialising in tech infrastructure and cloud services, which are some key components of a successful and sustainable digital transformation.

41

MEABUSINESS

Rise of online businesses in the UAE In the UAE, we have seen a similar trend emerge in 2020, as existing companies expedited their digital shift, more entrepreneurs explored business opportunities online and consumers increasingly turned to e-commerce to get the products and services they need.

In fact, Dubai Customs has predicted that e-commerce sales in Dubai will rise by 23% and reach USD 27 billion (AED 100 billion) in 2022, as a result of the drastic shift in consumer trends and behaviour.

In a separate study published by Dubai Economy and Visa, the UAE ranked as the most advanced e-commerce market in MENA, with an estimated annual growth of 23% between 2018 and 2022.

With a burgeoning e-commerce sector, we are likely to see more entrepreneurs and start-ups aim to harness this massive opportunity. From health, fitness and nutrition consultants, to shopping and delivery services, more professionals and businesses will go digital.

Supporting start-ups means supporting innovation and growth Ask any venture capital fund manager what is the first question they ask founders, and they will inevitably answer,

Business News for the MEA region

George Hojeige, Chief Executive Officer of Virtuzone

“What is the problem you are solving?”

Start-ups play a pivotal role in advancing technologies and fuelling innovation.

As they uncover untapped markets and engineer innovative solutions, they are able to disrupt industries by introducing new and better ways to meet market demands, leading to economic and societal growth.

Consequently, this creates new employment and business opportunities that help revitalise the economy. By enabling and empowering start-ups, the government is helping to advance innovative

Advisory View

ways that resolve existing challenges more quickly and efficiently.

In addition, by collaborating with its startup community, the government can find unfulfilled or underserved markets and start filling in those gaps.

UAE-based banks and another AED 50 billion in funding. The Central Bank has also credited TESS in ensuring that UAE banks remain financially stable throughout the COVID-19 crisis and in helping the local banking sector bring back its liquidity to pre-COVID level.

How can the UAE support its start-up community?

What is Virtuzone’s role in the UAE’s start-up community?

While the UAE has been constantly improving its start-up ecosystem, banking can still be a challenge for SMEs. As a bank account is necessary for SMEs to start operating, the process should further be streamlined and accelerated, while ensuring KYC and due diligence requirements are met.

Virtuzone was established in 2009 specifically to help companies and entrepreneurs that want to be part of the UAE’s business community. The UAE has more than 50 free zone, mainland and offshore jurisdictions, and Virtuzone advises people on the best jurisdiction to set up in, as well as the most cost-effective solutions, and then execute these setups for their clients. In a nutshell, we make sure businesses are set up the right way from the beginning.

Minimising the time frame needed for opening a bank account helps reduce the barriers for start-ups to enter the market. As things move forward, we can expect to see more digital banking and fintech solutions emerge to provide more cutting-edge finance technologies to businesses in the UAE and the region, without compromising on due diligence.

Aside from enhancing the banking process, start-ups also need to be provided with access to financing. The UAE clearly recognises its start-up community as one of the major building blocks of its economy. From the start of the pandemic and to date, the government has been active in launching economic initiatives meant to alleviate the challenges that businesses and start-ups are facing.

The Central Bank of the UAE has recently revealed that since its AED 100 billion economic stimulus package was launched last year to support businesses during the pandemic, it has helped over 320,000 recipients, including individuals, SMEs and private corporations.

Currently, there are approximately 175,000 customers benefitting from the programme’s deferral arrangements.

Known as the Targeted Economic Support Scheme (TESS), the stimulus package includes AED 50 billion worth of zero-interest, collateralised loans for

As we know that banking is one of the challenges that most start-ups face, we

their unique needs – and we are excited to soon be unveiling a project we have been working on!

In addition, we work closely with government authorities to enhance the local start-up ecosystem, equip aspiring entrepreneurs with the right information, evolve the current business setup process and enable businesses to tap into new growth opportunities, both locally and internationally.

For one, we are actively working on adopting a borderless business hub model that will allow UAE-based businesses to easily expand into surrounding regional markets, such as Central Asia, Africa and the Far East, with reduced risk, increased confidence and the right connections to do so.

As a business that started small 12 years ago, we fully understand how crucial start-up support is in achieving success, and how local start-ups contribute sig-

ASK ANY VENTURE CAPITAL FUND MANAGER WHAT IS THE FIRST QUESTION THEY ASK FOUNDERS, AND THEY WILL INEVITABLY ANSWER, “WHAT IS THE PROBLEM YOU ARE SOLVING? have partnered with local banks and other financial services providers in the industry to ease the bank account opening process for our clients and give them better access to financing programmes.

We leverage the relationships we have built over the years to directly connect our clients with our partner banks and then act on their behalf to fulfil all requirements. With that added element of trust, we are able to simplify and expedite the banking process for our clients, while helping minimise the risk for our partner banks.

We are also exploring neobanking platforms and technologies to provide SMEs with more targeted banking solutions for

nificantly to the nation’s economy.

Since we started, we have enabled over 40,000 entrepreneurs to establish their businesses in the country, and we will continue to champion the start-up community and build on this feat in the coming years.

As part of this commitment, we also equip our clients with the core business support services they need to successfully launch and manage their companies. From their accounting, payroll and VAT registration, to mail management, IT support and branding, our business support services are specifically designed to help position our clients on the path to success.

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Banking Technology

Ushering a new era of ‘Bank of Things’ services Alaa Elshimy, Managing Director & Senior VP of Enterprise Business Group, Huawei Middle East introduces us to the concept of the “Bank of Things” and describes how this new level of intelligent interactions will take banking and finance to the next level.

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iven the new socio-economic paradigm shift, digital economy has become an important driver of global economic growth. Digital technologies enable high-quality economic development, marking a mature digital economy. The Coronavirus crisis has further accelerated the development of the digital economy in the Middle East and worldwide as digital transformation occurs within financial services. Legacy systems, siloed data and slow routes to market have plagued large banks for some time now, but the pandemic has seemingly freed up budgets and projects that might have taken years have now been completed in months.

Development Bank (SPD Bank) proposing a brand-new financial service model and design system for “intelligent things” in the industry, ushering in a new era of “bank of things” (BoT) services.

Emerging technologies such as 5G, IoT, and AI are evolving rapidly, resulting in hundreds of billions of “intelligent things” being connected. This has huge ramifications on business and daily life, forming a basis for cars with intelligent sensing and autonomous services, smart homes, smart factories, smart logistics and other innovative applications.

Having been involved in the banking sector for more than a decade, Huawei has helped and supported widescale cloud transformation, building new connectivity capabilities and working to drive agility and innovation. We have provided our technology expertise to trusted banking brands and financial institutions in the Middle East, such as the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) – the leading financial hub in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region.

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BoT is a business form in which “things” become one of the core production materials of future banks, and a component of the next-generation financial infrastructure with pan-financial service capabilities. “Things” here refer to physical entities that directly engage in financial activities. By connecting physical and digital spaces, “things” become business data, intelligence, scenarios and customers.

Information of “things” is the increment of data elements; intelligence of “things” is the increment of technical elements; interaction of “things” is the increment of scenario elements. By improving these three key elements, BoT can discover more financial and non-financial requirements of enterprises and individuals, thereby generating customer profiles with greater accuracy. This can expand service receivers, enrich business models, and enhance risk management capabilities.

Introducing Bank of Things At our flagship event, Huawei Connect 2020, we launched a white paper, in partnership with Shanghai Pudong

In this context, SPD Bank and Huawei propose a brand-new concept — BoT or Bank of Things. This concept extends direct service targets from people to “intelligent things”, builds a scenario-centered business model and establishes a risk management model based on an objective credit system.

Alaa Elshimy, Managing Director & Senior VP of Enterprise Business Group, Huawei Middle East

Business News for the MEA region

Features of BoT With AI development, “things” will become

Banking Technology more intelligent. They will obtain autonomous decision-making capabilities and participate more in the social activities of humans. In the future, “things” will help people process a large number of common and financial affairs, serving as important carriers of all human activities. Therefore, “things” is defined here as “intelligent things” that are capable of environment awareness (sensing), information interaction (expression), information processing (thinking), information storage (memory), and ownership proving (identity).

“Things” can independently own bank accounts and become direct banking service receivers, i.e. customers. For example, with an independent account, a self-driving car is capable of autonomous refueling/charging, maintenance, parking, repair, and insurance services, as well as processing all corresponding financial activities. Similarly, an unstaffed factory can independently perform financial and non-financial activities such as raw material purchase, processing, manufacturing, logistics, sales, financing and loans.

BoT can also proactively build scenario-centered business models, such proactive services, personalized services, and continuous services. For proactive services, BoT can identify scenarios for customers, analyzes customer requirements in specific scenarios based on mass external IoT data, and recommends faster, more proactive financial services.

The most significant feature of scenario-specific business models for BoT is exploring personalized demands based on scenario requirements. BoT’s customers cover both people and “intelligent things”. By embedding services into production and real-life scenarios, BoT interacts with customers, detects customer experience, and knows customer requirements. Consequently, BoT can quickly respond to customers’ personalized demands and improve service accuracy.

Furthermore, the demand from social

THE ERA WITH INTELLIGENT CONNECTIVITY OF EVERYTHING SEES INFINITE POSSIBILITIES and economic activities is ever-changing and the boundary of demand gets blurred and integrated. With smart devices, BoT provides 24/7 services. With scenario-specific business models, BoT detects real-time customer behavior in specific scenarios using IoT devices.

Technologies such as big data analysis and associated analysis enable BoT to deliver integrated pan-financial services anytime, anywhere, creating customer experience-centric service capabilities.

Another key feature of BoT is the support for a risk management model based on the objective data credit system. In the past, due to limited data acquisition channels, conventional credit assessment systems mainly used the subject’s credit rating. In the Internet era, human transaction data is quickly moved online, enriching data sources. The credit assessment system has gradually shifted towards subject credit + transaction credit. In the era of everything connected, data sources will be significantly developed, and the credit assessment system will transform accordingly into an objective system of subject credit + transaction credit + entity credit (real credit of individuals/legal persons reflected by objective data).

Objective data in the IoT era reflects the relationships between people, people and things, and things themselves. This far exceeds the Internet era in terms of data sources and dimensions. Multidimensional data in the IoT era is closer to that of the physical world, supporting effective assessments of credit ratings.

Using advanced technologies such as big data, cloud computing, mobile Internet, and IoT, BoT develops a risk management toolbox based on objective data.

Under intelligent connectivity of everything, the toolbox dynamically depicts customers’ basic information, production and operations processes, as well as collateral status to support decision-making and services. This new risk management model enriches credit data sources, improves data credibility, and allows more natural and legal persons to enjoy financial rights, facilitating financial inclusion.

Future Prospects The era with intelligent connectivity of everything sees infinite possibilities.

Through a large number of “intelligent things”, the IoT integrates the virtual and physical worlds, and promotes the in-depth integration and interaction between information systems in the virtual world and physical systems in the physical world.

IoT reconstructs economic forms where the supply-driven or demand-driven mode is changing towards a new economic operation mode that features supply-demand collaboration and in-depth integration of R&D, products, financial institutions, and commerce. IoT will also reshape the future financial service system and transform the subjective credit system into an objective system.

“Intelligent things” connected to the IoT will generate an unprecedented amount of data where this data depicts city operations, business operations, and personal lives. For banks, this means wider customer reach, more personalized financial services, and more effective risk control.

In addition, “intelligent things” can better represent their owners in economic activities, driving radical changes in banks’ service receivers and business models.

At that time, “intelligent things” will initiate more transactions than people. Panfinancial service capabilities will become the core competitiveness of banks. BoT — a new model for “intelligent things” in the financial industry — is around the corner.

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Lifestyle

Hublot Big Bang One Click Sang Bleu HUBLOT CLASSIC FUSION 33 MM

The art of the horologist

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UBLOT Founded in Switzerland in 1980, HUBLOT is defined by its innovation, which began with the highly original combination of gold and rubber. This “Art of Fusion” stems from the imagination of its visionary Chairman, Jean-Claude Biver, and has been driven forward by CEO Ricardo Guadalupe since 2012. The release of the iconic, multi-award-winning Big Bang in 2005 paved the way for new flagship collections (Classic Fusion, Spirit of Big Bang), with complications ranging from the simple to the highly sophisticated, establishing the extraordinary DNA of the Swiss watchmaking house and ensuring its impressive growth. Keen to preserve its traditional and cutting-edge expertise, and guided by its philosophy to “Be First, Different and Unique”, the Swiss watchmaker is consistently ahead of the curve, through its innovations in materials

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MEABUSINESS

(scratch-resistant Magic Gold, ceramics in vibrant colours, sapphire), and the creation of Manufacture movements (Unico, Meca-10, Tourbillon). HUBLOT is fully committed to creating a Haute Horlogerie brand with a visionary future: a future which is fused with the key events of our times (FIFA World CupTM, UEFA Champions LeagueTM, UEFAEUROTM) and the finest ambassadors our era has to offer (Kylian Mbappé, Usain Bolt, Pelé) as well as artists like Shepard “Obey” Fairey, Marc Ferrero, Richard Orlinski and Maxime Plescia-Buchi.Discover the HUBLOT universe at our network of boutiques located in key cities across the globe:Geneva, Paris, London, New York, Hong Kong, Dubai, Tokyo, Singapore, Zurich and at HUBLOT.com Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black is where a watch becomes a

work of art The Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black blurs the lines! For its first collaboration with a Japanese contemporary artist, Hublot has pushed at the boundaries of creation by developing a new dynamic on the theme of Murakami’s artistic emblem, the smiling flower.

An initial visit to the Hublot manufacture in February 2020 enabled Takashi Murakami to familiarise himself with the work of a watchmaker and timepiece design. This triggered a creative process that resulted in the very innovative Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami, inspired by Murakami’s icon, the smiling flower. Here, it is present both in and on the watch. Thanks to an ingenious ball-bearing system developed

by Hublot’s engineers, its petals start turning. The center of the smiling flower is inserted onto the sapphire glass, creating a unique three-dimensional effect to go along with its wide prominent smile.

The Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black takes up one of the most evocative Hublot signatures, the All Black! Invented

by Hublot in 2006, it turns out that the “All Black” style is also one of Murakami’s artistic signatures. For an even more pronounced effect, the petals (456 brilliants) and face (107 brilliants) are here set with black diamonds. The watchmakers in Nyon have installed their manufacture Unico calibre in the case with its Classic Fusion emblematic design, a movement offering a 72-hour power reserve. As the first collaboration between Hublot and a Japanese artist, the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black will quickly become a real collector’s item the Classic Fusion Takashi Murakami All Black will quickly become a real collector’s item.

One-stop shop for

aircraft maintenance solutions Airlines from around the world rely on us for a comprehensive range of aircraft maintenance solutions, from base maintenance to major modifications, connectivity and more, for most commercial aircraft types including the A380, the A350 and the B787 Dreamliner.

We are the first Middle Eastern MRO service provider to receive the approval for major cabin design and modifications from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and have extensive cabin and back-shop capability, as well as Production Organisation Approval from EASA. Our dedicated Customer Focus Team is committed to adding value to your airline business with customised solutions, ensuring complete customer satisfaction from the start of every project to timely delivery and beyond.

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