GTM Issue 25/2023

Aromas Fiji

CANDLE FLAVOURS

Citronella

White Frangipani

Pink Frangipani

Sandlewood Vanilla

Japanese Honeysuckle

Vanilla

Sandlewood Vanilla

HANDMADE ORGANIC SOAP

Aloe Vera Flavoured Soap

Rose Petal Soap

Orange Flavoured Soap

Moringa Flavoured Soap

Neem Flavored Soap

Lemon Grass Flavoured Soap

Mint Flavoured Soap

Rosemary Flavoured Soap

Basil Flavoured Soap

Goat Milk Flavoured Soap

Charcoal Flavoured Soap

CONTACT:

Aromas Fiji

P.O. Box 9179, Nadi Airport Fiji

info@aromasfiji.com

TEL: +679 9999913

Escape Routes Places To Visit In Sofia, Bulgaria

A Lasting Impression

Shangri-La Colombo

Westar Azure Townhouses Launch In JVC

2023 Trends In The Luxury Real Estate Market Across The GCC

Good Food & Good Vibes Key To Successful Events In Restaurants

Performance Collection By Mango Man

Ramadan With Victoria’s Secret Scents And Clothes

Pomellato

Uncompromising Performance And Readability

Indulge In Bateel’s Exquisite Ramadan Collection

The Ancient Science Of Ayurveda Forest Essentials

Elevate Your Home’s Décor This Season With Sonos

Art Noor's Spirited Strokes

Elevate Your Ramadan Celebrations This Year

Designed For The High Seas Arcadia Yachts

Colourful And Eye-Catching

Emirates Unveils New Signature Livery

Progressive Technology & Design

All-New Ford Territory

Elegance, Performance And Innovation

Maserati Grecale

Icons Only Winners Of The 2023 World Car Awards

Car Care In The Summer

Colors For Peace Exhibition Opens At Silicon Central

Running A Successful Home Business

PUBLISHER

Catherine Gilbert

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Shereen Shabnam

Editorial Team

Fozia Fareen

Natasha Jasmin Dury

Nishrat Nazeen

Eric Richard Dury

Art Director

V. Suquila

Correspondence Address

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Old Saaha Offices - Souk Al Bahar

Old town Island - Burj Khalifa District

P.O. Box 487177, DUBAI - U.A.E.

Tel: +971 50 769 0087

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Silver Point Printing Press L.L.C

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A SEASON FOR FESTIVITIES

April brings us a number of reasons to celebrate with friends and family this year. We start the month nearly halfway into the holy month of Ramadan together with Muslims around the world through fasting, prayer, charity and reflection.

Ramadan is a time for giving back and gifting and most people give each other dates so we have curated some ideas from Bateel on what to send your loved ones. We also welcome the Spring season in most parts of the world and this year our focus is on the Sakura festival in Japan and since we were not able to travel, we headed to Sumo Sushi & Bento to check out their Sakura decorations and dishes.

This is also the month for Easter Holidays with family and Earth Day where we take time to focus on ways to protect the environment. In the UAE, as we prepare for COP 28, Earth Day is important and a lot of emphasis will be placed on protecting our planet and taking action to reduce our carbon footprint.

Our cover story is on Hakan Ozel, General Manager of Shangri-La Dubai, one of our favourite places in the city

for events, dining and of course the Spa. Hakan is a luxury connoisseur and an expert in management which is evident in the service we experience regularly at the hotel.

For holidays, our focus is on Sri Lanka where I ventured to with IFS who gave me valuable insights not just about their back-end solutions that are helping industries thrive but also on the country, the local talent, successful business ventures and their amazing attractions and cuisine.

For me April is an important month as an International Jury for the World Car of the year Awards. This month, we reveal the winners at the New York Motor Show and having driven most of the nominated cars in the UAE and in Los Angeles, it is going to be tough choosing the winners.

We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed curating the stories for you. Our team wishes all readers a festive month with Ramadan, Eid and Easter holidays.

Shereen Shabam editor@globaltrendmonitor.com

BUILDING A LEGACY OF SUCCESS Hakan Ozel

General

Manager

at Shangri-La Dubai

Hakan Ozel is a dynamic Turkish national with over two decades of hospitality experience, mainly with the Shangri-La Group in the last 18 years. His rich career path has seen him work in Asia and the Middle East in countries that include China, Indonesia, Turkey, Oman, Egypt and now the UAE.

Equipped with diverse hospitality knowledge and being detailed when it comes to food and beverage management, Hakan has worked on numerous special projects within the Shangri-La Group and focuses strongly on top level quality service and tailor-made guest experiences for long term members and tourists visiting the UAE.

We meet with Hakan to get more insights on his career, personal aspirations and the Dubai property of the Shangri-La Group.

WHAT MADE YOU VENTURE INTO HOSPITALITY?

Hospitality comes naturally to our family and relatives. I remember the days when we had relatives and family members visiting us from other cities and countries, staying with us days and weeks as our house was big enough to accommodate them all, and they loved to stay with us due to the attention and welcoming attitude we had as a family.

My mother was a great cook, with her native roots from former Yugoslavia. Her delicious Bosnian borek is something which I still miss very much. With all this hospitality foundation, and while the tourism industry was booming in Turkey in the 1990s, I decided to study Tourism and Hotel Management to become a hotelier. I always wanted to be a hotelier and here I am.

WHAT ROLES DO YOU PLAY IN THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF THE HOTEL?

What I enjoy the most in this business is that my days are never the same. Therefore, I play several roles while leading the hotel:

My role as a general manager is to give “Character” to the hotel.

Without a strong culture, achieving this is not possible. My primary role in the hotel is to encourage all my colleagues to learn, know and strongly embrace the corporate and local culture in every act we are in. This is extremely important in the day-to-day operation of the hotel.

I play an integrator role. Communication is very crucial in business; hence I like to encourage all my related leaders and colleagues to communicate and collaborate in partnership with each other. We can run the hotel successfully only when we know each other well, what we are experiencing to succeed or fail, so that we can support each other better or celebrate together.

I encourage everyone to take their own decisions for their departments. There is a delegation of authority in the hotel and decision making is a very critical part of everyone’s job. In case they have difficulties or challenges, I play either coach, or mentor role to support them all the time.

I challenge myself and all my colleagues to achieve more and better business results instead of just accepting the achievement or failure. I encourage all my teams to be organized and planned, while executing the business matters with logical and strategic thinking. There are always opportunities to make things better as long as we put it into our hearts and minds. I am competitive in nature; hence my team becomes competitive by default. Accepting nothing but the best is a part of our culture and we live with it.

WHAT ARE YOUR KEY STRENGTHS?

Effective leadership means becoming aware of our own and our team’s strengths. Successful leaders must build teams around them with a set of complementing strengths, rather than specific knowledge or competencies, and then build upon them. “Gallup CliftonStrengths” is an assessment that measures 34 talent themes and helps individuals and teams develop those talents into strength. I took the test, followed by a workshop. My top 5 strengths are

HIGHLIGHT SOME OF YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS IN YOUR CAREER?

I started to work in the hotel business as a rank-and-file staff professionally in 1998. I became a general manager in the ShangriLa Group after 15 years in 2013. Climbing the career ladder in a highly competitive international business is a career achievement itself, I believe.

Besides this, I have had a few industry recognitions, like “Top 30 Hospitality Heavyweights in Middle East” by Hotel & Catering News Middle East in 2022, “Top 10 Most Powerful Hotel Bosses” in the UAE by Arabian Business in 2022, “General Manager Power 100, 2022 (100 of the very best GMs in ME)” by Hotelier Middle East, and “Best Leadership Award” by Global Times Newspaper, Beijing, China in 2017.

WHAT ARE THE UNIQUE SELLING POINTS OF SHANGRI LA DUBAI?

Every hotel has a bed to sleep, a TV to watch, a bathroom to have a shower, a view to see, a minibar to pick-up a drink. Regardless of how new or old the property is, service and hospitality make a difference to customers. The most important unique selling point and differentiator of Shangri-La Dubai is its Asian Hospitality coming from the Shangri-La Group’s roots.

Anticipation, helpfulness, sincerity, attention to detail, simplicity, selflessness, care, positive attitude, thoughtfulness, sharing and humility are just some of the elements that are found in the services and hospitality of Shangri-La Dubai.

We are located on Sheikh Zayed Road, serving both business and leisure guests to enjoy their stay for any purpose as we are in close proximity to Dubai International Airport, Dubai Mall and Downtown, City Walk, Dubai International Financial Centre, Museum of the Future, and Dubai International Exhibition Centre. We have amazing Downtown and Burj Khalifa views from the guestrooms

“Strategic, Competition, Futuristic, Significance and Individualization”.

and terraces on the Hotel’s Level 42, which attract domestic and international visitors who enjoy this a lot.

Shangri-La Dubai has been offering a variety of exciting dining experiences. We have the Shang Palace, a Michelin Guide-recommended Chinese Restaurant, Hoi An, a Vietnamese Restaurant serving French-Vietnamese cuisine, Dunes Café, offering international cuisines from the buffets and a la carte and the Lobby Lounge, a meeting and gathering point for the guests in the hotel.

We also have ikandy, an ultra lounge by the swimming pool for day and night enjoyment and entertainment, ensuring Shangri-La Dubai appeals to all tastes, especially domestic and international travellers.

Finally, ‘Picture-Perfect Room Escape’ is a unique experience created by Shangri-La Dubai,

allowing our guests to picture a stay that combines breath-taking views of the iconic Burj Khalifa and downtown skyline with a warm, contemporary ambience.

Guests are fire up their favourite playlist, pick a book off the shelf and settle into a comfy corner to take that perfect shot with our in-room Polaroid camera before indulging in the special in-room curated breakfast menu.

WHAT ARE THE FUTURE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE HOTEL?

Shangri-La Dubai is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2023. The hotel has experienced upgrading and improvement projects in the past. As of today, there are 152 5-star hotels in Dubai, hence asset enhancement plans will always be in consideration for Shangri-La Dubai to keep the hotel trendy and competitive against the current and upcoming competitors.

DO YOU ATTEND ANY INDUSTRY EVENTS LIKE ATM/WTM?

It is always great to come together with the stakeholders of industry. ILTM in Cannes and Shanghai; ATM in Dubai and Frankfurt are just a few of the major industry events that Shangri-La Dubai has been attending over the years and we accept these events as an opportunity. Furthermore, we periodically visit the stakeholders like domestic travel agencies in GCC countries to strengthen our relationships for business.

TALK US THROUGH ANY CURRENT INDUSTRY TRENDS THAT EXCITE YOU AND YOUR TEAM.

The trend is shifting from tangible basic, given products to experiential and transformational products, which is very exciting. Travelers are becoming more demanding and intentional about what they spend and where they spend. They want authentic, local, and shareable experiences that fit in with their socially conscious mindsets. These travellers are mainly young generation travellers, who are also the decision makers for family travellers in choosing the destinations and hotels.

Hotel rooms are no longer the main attraction as basic products are almost the same; the focus has been shifting toward experience such as amenity offerings, family set-ups, aha moments through technology, convenience, privacy, entertainment, and social offerings.

Hotels are no more just hotels, but becoming a “complex”, which is partly hotel, culinary-destination, leisure centre, function space centre furnished with state-of-theart audio visual equipment and experience, residence, apartments, office space and partly wellness space. Managing all these units with higher expectations requires strong experience and leadership when it comes to leading the complex successfully.

Hotels are outsourcing their public spaces to restaurant, bar and

entertainment centre operators. This trend allows both parties to cooperate and work together to create experiences. It is an opportunity to diversify the experience for customers.

This win-win trend helps hotels to reduce their costs, maximize their net income and strengthen their positioning especially if the engagements are done with wellknown and trendy brands and support the tourism industry of Dubai to grow stronger.

Pop-up restaurants are also trending nowadays as Dubai being a tourist destination, attracts many visitors, citizens and residents to experience different offers. “Immersive Dining” in Shangri-La Dubai is just an example for these pop-up restaurants. Diversity is necessary for all industries especially when we consider people are thirsty for new experiences and ready to explore, as they are bored with “normal and givens”.

Finally, there is a growth in healthy, organic, and locally produced food demand since customers are more health and diet oriented.

While seriously considering these trends, we must ensure that the recognition of this trend should not remain in manifestos or statements, but must surely take place in menus and offerings meaningfully.

TELL US ABOUT THE FUTURE FOCUS OF THE INDUSTRY?

2023 is the year of sustainability in the UAE, which has been preparing to host the COP28 Climate Conference at Expo City Dubai from 30 November to 12 December 2023. Customers and enterprises are more environment and sustainability oriented and committed.

Environmental-friendly products usage and initiatives, such as elimination of single-use plastic, reducing the water usage, and saving energy will always be in the strategic plans of the organizations. Commitment to these strategies and trends are expected to grow, as such in line with the government's vision, and compliance is strongly required.

GIVEN YOUR EXTENSIVE ROLE, DO YOU HAVE ANY PERSONAL HOBBIES, PREFERENCES ETC?

I love abstract painting on canvas with acrylic oil. It helps me to create, express my emotions on colours and composition, and relax. I have a library, with a collection of hundreds of business and leisure books. Some of them are the best 100 business books in the world, selected by MBA students. My library also includes tens of thousands of pages of archive, both printed and digital, which I have been growing for almost 25 years.

I love fencing very much. I used to take the fencing courses in

an international fencing club in Dubai and attend the nation-wide tournaments with an amateur eagerness. Due to the pandemic, I had to cease, but will start again soon.

I have a large selection of Cuban cigars. In my spare time, I clean and season my humidors occasionally, check the temperature and humidity levels in my refrigerated storage cabinet daily to ensure the cigars are at their best and to take care of the other accessories.

Finally, I love to write and share my experience on different platforms. It is a great pleasure to contribute to GTM every month.

CRUISE TOURISM GAINING POPULARITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

As a capital-intensive industry, cruise tourism can generate significant economic and social benefits for coastal destinations. The latest Economic Impact Report (EIR) by World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) revealed that the travel and

tourism sector in the Middle East is expected to generate around 3.6 million new jobs over the next decade.

A Future Market Insights report also indicated that the global cruise tourism industry is likely to grow

to over 17.4 USD by 2032. With the development of modern ports in cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, as well as the commitment from other countries in the region toward enhancing this sector, the Middle East has become a central hub for

cruise lines. Offering a convenient starting point for journeys to the Arabian Peninsula, the Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf, the Middle East offers a unique experience to potential tourists.

With the sector growing and demand increasing, Dr Sean Lochrie, Assistant Professor at Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University Dubai shares insights on the cruise tourism industry in the Middle East.

As the Post-Covid era continues, so does traveller confidence in once again exploring the world and engaging in popular tourist activities such as cruises. Encouragingly, passenger traffic and the number of cruise calls are almost back to prepandemic levels in the Middle East.

During the 2021-2022 cruise season, Dubai received 98 ship calls and over 330,000 passengers and crew. Additionally, Qatar and Oman have also seen the sector grow. For example, Qatar Tourism has reported that the country received 58,000 passengers and crew members from 18 cruise ship calls during the first half of the 2021-2022 season.

Furthermore, the Tourism Ministry of Oman, reported that 99 cruise ships visited the sultanate during the 2021-2022 season. Importantly, wider Middle Eastern regions such as Cyprus, Egypt, and Jordan, have also benefitted from the resurgence of the sector.

The recent emergence of Saudi Arabia as a destination for cruise tourism has also diversified the Middle East offering. Adding to its existing cruise destinations such as Yanbu and Jeddah, in January 2023, the MSC World Europa became the first cruise ship to enter Dammam’s King Abdulaziz Port, reinforcing the country’s position as a growing force within this sector.

The strong resurgence and growth of the cruise sector in the Middle East can also be attributed to strong governmental will and cooperation and collaboration between the public and private stakeholders.

sector’s desired and anticipated growth. Government investment in infrastructure is critical to boosting cruise tourism in the Middle East. In the UAE, several of the Emirates have invested in improving their terminals.

For example, situated close to both of Dubai’s airports, the Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal is the region’s firstever dedicated cruise facility. Outside the UAE, other Middle Eastern regions have also committed to developing their facilities and accessibility.

For example, Cruise Saudi is aiming to develop infrastructure in the ports of Jizan and Duba. Additionally, in Jordan, a collaboration between the government and the UAE's Abu Dhabi Ports Group witnessed the opening of the first cruise terminal in Aqaba in 2023, with 50 ships expected to dock at the site over the next few months.

The opening of this terminal is part of a long-term collaborative project with the aim to enhance the tourism industry in Jordon and Aqaba.

Located at the intersection of Europe, Asia, and Africa, the Middle East boasts a rich cultural heritage and a diverse range of tourist destinations, making it a desirable destination for cruise passengers.

To accommodate larger ships and improve the passenger experience, countries in the region have been actively upgrading their port infrastructure.

With the continuous support of governments and industry stakeholders, the Middle East is poised to take advantage of the expanding trend of cruise tourism and continue to draw more visitors in the years to come.

ACCELERATING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION WITH IFS

ELEVATING PERFORMANCE & HELPING INDUSTRIES STREAMLINE OPERATIONS.

By Sheren Shabnam

Digital transformation has been a buzzword in the business world for quite some time now. However, the ongoing pandemic has made it morenot just a buzzword, but rather a necessity. Companies across

industries are now scrambling to adopt digital technologies to stay afloat in the new normal. This is where IFS comes in, with its solutions to help companies accelerate their digital transformation journey.

Recently we spent a few days in Sri Lanka with IFS, a global enterprise software company that offers a suite of solutions designed to help businesses across various sectors streamline their operations,

increase efficiency, and improve customer experience.

With IFS CMO Oliver Pilgerstorfer and Ranil Rajapaske, IFS COO and SVP of offshore operations as our guides, we get to know more about the company and how IFS in Sri Lanka is planting the seeds of innovation that will benefit not just the locals but multinationals across the globe.

IFS IN SRI LANKA

IFS Sri Lanka was established in 2005 with just over 25 staff and since inception, the company has provided crucial product development and support services for the company's

global customers, thanks to a staff complement that is close to 2,200 in Sri Lanka alone out of the nearly 5,500 who work at IFS globally in more than 50 countries.

Locally in Sri Lanka, IFS serves industries such as manufacturing, construction, and services with software solutions that cover areas such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), enterprise asset management (EAM), service management, and project management. The local team in Sri Lanka play a key role in the end-to-end development of IFS Cloud with a focus on R&D and Global Consulting Services.

With its focus on innovation, IFS has been at the forefront of digital transformation, providing its customers with the tools they need to stay ahead of the competition. During our visit, we were able to meet with some of the IFS clients and witnessed first-hand how their back-end solutions helped increase efficiency, staff productivity and product production.

INDUSTRY SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS

One of IFS's key solutions is its

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, which provides a single platform for businesses to manage their operations, from financials to supply chain management.

With its user-friendly interface and powerful functionality, IFS ERP enables businesses to make data-driven decisions, optimize their processes, and respond quickly to changing market demands.

Another area where IFS excels is in field service management. IFS's field service management solution enables businesses to optimize their field service operations, from scheduling to dispatching and managing inventory. By providing real-time visibility into field operations, IFS enables businesses to improve their service delivery, increase efficiency, and reduce costs.

IFS also offers a range of solutions to help businesses manage their assets, including equipment, vehicles, and facilities. With IFS's asset management solutions, businesses can improve their asset utilization, reduce downtime, and extend the life of their assets. With its deep industry expertise and

innovative solutions, IFS enables businesses to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to changing market demands.

IFS has a strong focus on innovation and has been recognized globally for its cutting-edge software solutions. Our visit to the Silvermill Factory in the outskirts of Colombo was most informative about the many ways coconuts were used when they reached the factory and hence the need for a complex value chain and ERP support that is now managed by IFS in the cloud. The team at Silvermill gush about how their business changed by automating their processes and managing their operations online cost efficiently.

We also had an opportunity to meet with Singer Sri Lanka, an IFS customer for 15 years and a market leader in consumer durables. Singer finalized a complete upgrade of its IFS ERP system as part of its continuous digitalization strategy.

With IFS, the implementation has ensured seamless connectivity across commercial and retail network operations, introducing the latest functionality with minimal customization.

LOCAL TALENT

Overall, IFS's presence in Sri Lanka plays an important role in the country's technology and software development sector, and it provides employment opportunities for many Sri Lankan professionals in the industry.

In Sri Lanka, IFS R&D International (Pvt) Ltd. has also been recognized as a top employer, providing a supportive work environment and opportunities for career growth.

The availability of local educated talent has been key to the success of IFS Sri Lanka and its rapid growth, especially as the company has strong ties for collaboration with local universities.

During our visit we met with Thilanka Jayathilake, the VP in charge of HR at IFS Sri Lanka who reiterates the importance of reaching out to the top students, offering internships, scholarships, mentors and also nurturing both male and female leaders equally.

IFS recognizes that innovation and entrepreneurship are vital components of economic growth and prosperity and hence has come together with Hatch, a startup incubator and accelerator, to develop the ChallengerX incubator, aimed at nurturing and supporting early-stage startups.

The ChallengerX incubator is designed to provide a supportive ecosystem for startups, offering resources such as mentorship, funding, and access to industry experts. Startups will also benefit from IFS’s expertise in enterprise software, which can help them scale their operations more efficiently.

One of the key benefits of the ChallengerX incubator is its focus

on specific industries, including manufacturing, energy, and utilities. By narrowing its focus, the incubator provides more targeted support and guidance to startups in these sectors.

IFS has a strong track record of supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, and together, the expertise of IFS and Hatch has the potential to provide a valuable platform for startups in specific industries, helping them grow and succeed in a rapidly changing business environment.

IFS FOUNDATION

The IFS Foundation, established in 2009 is a non-profit organization in Sri Lanka focussing on promoting education, health, and social welfare programs for underprivileged communities in the country.

The IFS brief us on how the Foundation operates various projects and initiatives across the country with the aim to provide education and vocational training opportunities to youth from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The foundation also runs health camps, community development programs, and disaster relief efforts in times of need.

Overall, the IFS Foundation has made significant contributions towards uplifting the lives of underprivileged communities in Sri Lanka, particularly in the areas of education and skills development.

During the visits to clients, we learn that one of IFS's key solutions, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, provides a single platform for

businesses to manage their operations, from financials to supply chain management and this has been a key to their success.

With its user-friendly interface and powerful functionality, IFS ERP enables businesses to make data-driven decisions, optimize their processes, and respond quickly to changing market demands.

Our visit to Sri Lanka hit home the message that companies that fail to embrace digital technologies risk falling behind their competitors.

With its suite of solutions designed to help businesses streamline their operations, increase efficiency, and improve customer experience, IFS is well-positioned to help companies accelerate their digital transformation journey.

"image: Freepik.com". This cover has been designed using assets from Freepik.com

BASIC PRINCIPLES NEEDED TO SECURE KUBERNETES’ FUTURE

By Michael Cade Senior Global Technologist, Veeam

As organisations increasingly adopt a cloud-native approach to develop and scale up applications, containers and Kubernetes are playing a critical role in managing growing complexities and enabling workloads to be deployed in multi-cloud environments.

But a survey of DevOps professionals found that 94% had experienced at least one Kubernetes security incident in the past year, and 59% consider security to be their biggest concern when it comes to using Kubernetes and containers. While more and more DevOps teams turn to Kubernetes to keep up with their organisation’s scalability demands, basic principles like security and data protection mustn't be overlooked.

DEPLOYING KUBERNETES

Developers are being asked to build bigger and more scalable applications across more dynamic environments. So, for the operations or infrastructure team, it can seem like a full-time job keeping up with changing software development practices. Kubernetes is just the latest (and arguably more complex) challenge, but their objective stays the same: how can we reduce risk, minimise costs and provide an overall better business outcome?

Development teams are the ‘pioneers’ - they explore new ground and build something where nothing existed before. Operations and infrastructure teams on the other hand are the ‘settlers’ - coming in a second wave to consolidate new developments and make sure it survives long-term.

This is exactly the case with Kubernetes. By the time Kubernetes is at the virtualisation or adoption stage, it's normally up to the operations teamsthe responsibility of the real business outcome lands with them.

But it's a big ask to expect these teams to understand the intricacies of Kubernetes and containers. Even with new technology, basic principles need to be adhered to - security, backup and recovery are all still needed. But it’s the unique technical requirements that can present challenges.

SECURITY IN KUBERNETES & ZERO-TRUST

As a cloud-native programme, many of the security challenges for Kubernetes come from the dispersed nature of cloud architecture. Different workloads

can be running across several different locations, including multiple clouds as well as both off and on-premises servers. Not only does this vastly increase the ‘threat scape’ where an attack or mistake can occur, but it can also mean visibility challenges, making monitoring containers and detecting issues more difficult.

While Kubernetes is designed to be secure, only responding to requests that it can authenticate and authorise, it also gives developers bespoke configuration options, meaning it is only really as secure as the RBAC (Role-based access control) policies that developers configure.

Kubernetes also uses what's known as a ‘flat network’ that enables groups of containers (or pods) to communicate with other containers by default. This raises security concerns as in theory attackers who compromise a pod can access other resources in the same cluster.

Despite this complexity, the solution to mitigate this risk is fairly straightforward - a zero-trust strategy. With such a large attack surface, a fairly open network design and workloads sitting across different environments, a zero-trust architecture, one that never trusts and always verifies, is crucial when building with Kubernetes.

The principle of zero-trust architecture is to move the focus of security away from the perimeter of an application while applying those principles throughout.

All internal requests are considered suspicious and authentication is required from top to bottom. This strategy helps mitigate risk by assuming threats exist on the network at all times and so constantly maintains strict security procedures around every user, device and connection. For the fluid and decentralised architecture of Kubernetes, this is a must.

BACKUP AND RECOVERY

Another basic principle that is needed to mitigate risks for Kubernetes applications is backup and recovery. This is a well-known concept but there are lots of unique considerations when backing up Kubernetes and containers. These different requirements for data backup are because Kubernetes is fundamentally different from other architectures, for example, it doesn’t have mapping applications to servers or virtual machines.

Kubernetes backup systems also need to be application-centric rather than focused on infrastructure. This is due to DevOps philosophy and ‘shift left’ principles which essentially mean the developer has more control over infrastructure and deployments. Other unique requirements for Kubernetes backup are the application’s scale, protection gaps and ecosystem integration.

When recovering Kubernetes environments, a detailed execution plan is needed that identifies cluster dependencies, updates applications to reflect new storage components and translates the plan into relevant Kubernetes application programming interfaces (APIs).

While backup does require a more bespoke Kubernetes native solution, such recovery processes remain critical to the long-term health of the business. Efficient restoration and disaster recovery are non-negotiable in today’s environment.

Beyond this, however, backup has huge value in terms of testing and development purposes and enabling application mobility. Application mobility refers to the ability to migrate an application to a different environment - across onpremises, clouds, clusters, or Kubernetes distributions. This is increasingly important as IT environments become more complex and businesses need to respond to new business requirements, adopt new technology platforms or optimise costs.

PREPARING FOR CHANGE

Despite Kubernetes presenting new technical challenges, ultimately the more things change the more they stay the same. Operations and infrastructure teams are well-accustomed to incorporating new tools into the everexpanding tech stack and core principles like risk mitigation via modern data protection still serve their purpose.

Once these capabilities have been established, ops teams can begin to look further afield and explore leveraging the value of their data through activities like testing and optimisation. Through a robust backup that supports app mobility, teams can also go a long way to future-proofing applications by ensuring services can more easily ride the next wave of change. While Kubernetes is the current tool that is changing the dev landscape, it most certainly will not be the last.

SASE - AN EMERGING ENABLER OF ENTERPRISE EDGE NETWORKING

By Mohammad Jamal Tabbara Head of Solutions Architect, Middle East, Turkey, & Africa at Infoblox

First identified by Gartner in 2019, Secure access service edge or SASE is a new model for networking and security designed to meet the growing demand for network architectures that are more fluid, secure, and easy to manage.

The SASE concept addresses the network complexities associated with distributed enterprises. It is a response to the constraints of traditional hub-and-spoke architectures, tool proliferation, siloed solutions, and manual processes that prevent organizations from moving at cloud speed.

A SASE network merges networking and security capabilities, is built using cloud-native principles, is delivered in the cloud on an ondemand, SaaS basis and relies on DDI as a foundational, unifying layer.

It is anticipated that in the future, we might see AI playing a crucial role in SASE network security by enabling real-time threat detection and response, as machine learning algorithms can soon be able to train itself to detect anomalies and patterns in network traffic, allowing organizations to respond quickly to potential threats or even trigger an automatic remediation on both security and network levels.

SASE: SIMPLIFYING THE NETWORK EDGE

Using cloud-native architectures, SASE unifies networking and security into a single platform, informed with the user’s network context. Organizations deploy and manage a SASE network from the cloud as SaaS-based capabilities.

In a SASE framework, the burden of managing and securing a network moves from labor-intensive, server-

based appliances in the data center to virtual and containerized applications in the cloud. As a result, SASE networks enable organizations to:

• Simplify management

• Scale elastically

• Dynamically deploy networking and security capabilities as needed

• Consume versatile network and security capabilities as cloud-based applications

KEY INTEGRATION CAPABILITIES MISSING FROM SASE IMPLEMENTATIONS

You might be forgiven for assuming that if you deploy a unified SASE platform, your network would consequently be enterprisegrade at the edge. If only it were that simple. Unfortunately, SASE implementations currently lack essential integration necessary for enterprise-edge networking.

That should come as no surprise. After all, the vital integration we’re referring to here involves the same core network services that most IT, networking, and security organizations consistently undervalue.

HOW CORE NETWORK SERVICES ENABLE SASE NETWORKS

In a SASE model, networking and security capabilities are intended to be tightly integrated and interoperable. And yet, to achieve its full potential for integration, a SASE-based platform must be able to harness the network services that are common to all networking and security functions — DNS, DHCP, and IP address management.

Most SASE implementations, as currently offered, do not adequately integrate these services into their

platforms. When incorporated as a foundational layer in SASE-based networking, core network services deliver the following advantages:

• Centralized visibility. Data residing in core network services provide enhanced network visibility for SASE implementations, enabling networking and security teams to monitor and manage devices and application usage centrally across physical, virtual, and cloud infrastructure.

• Network user context. Similarly, core network services, such as DNS, enable SASE deployments to optimize network operations and automatically secure application access at the edge.

• Local survivability for distributed locations. Resilience is a top priority for a SASE network. Applied effectively, core network services can ensure continuous Internet access for distributed locations any time they lose connectivity to headquarters.

CLOUD-NATIVE DELIVERY FOR CORE NETWORK SERVICES

The SASE framework emphasizes the use of cloud-native design in networking components. As you weigh your options for incorporating core network services into the design of your edge network, seek out solutions built using cloud-native microservices and containers.

Containerized instances of DDI services are faster and easier to manage than virtualized alternatives. They also consume far fewer resources and deliver extremely low latency, providing you with the dexterity and resilience you need at the network edge.

IT’S TIME TO CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN CYBERSECURITY

By Renée Tarun Deputy CISO / Vice President Information Security

Undoubtedly, our industry needs to create more initiatives to attract a more diverse group of professionals, including women, to STEM-focused careers like cybersecurity. While we’ve collectively made some progress on this front, a great deal of work still needs to be done to bring women into cybersecurity-focused roles and create meaningful career paths for them to grow and progress within the industry.

While women make up nearly 50% of the world’s population, they only account for an estimated 24% of the cybersecurity workforce.

At the same time, the cybersecurity skills gap remains dangerously high, and the volume of cyberattacks impacting

organizations of all shapes and sizes is growing every day.

As we celebrate International Women’s Month this March, we’re reminded that there’s much more that can and should be done to create opportunities for women to grow or jump-start a career in cybersecurity.

THE MANY BENEFITS OF BUILDING MORE DIVERSE TEAMS

A wealth of data demonstrates just how valuable women are to the overall workforce. For example, studies show that women bring crucial soft skills to the workplace regardless of what

industry they’re in and often outperform men in areas such as taking initiative, communicating, demonstrating resilience, building relationships, and developing others.

Organizations that successfully build more diverse teams experience a variety of benefits. Not only is diversity good for an enterprise’s bottom line, but it also cultivates increased creativity and innovation and lays the foundation for better problem-solving and decisionmaking.

Additionally, diverse companies are 70% more likely to capture new markets and 120% more likely to achieve financial goals.

THREE WAYS TO CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN CYBERSECURITY

In 2021, 53% of Americans quit their jobs in pursuit of a career change, and experts witnessed the “Great Resignation” continuing well into 2022. With so many professionals currently looking to explore opportunities in new industries, there’s no better time for the cybersecurity industry to implement unique programs to draw new talent, particularly those from underrepresented groups, like women, to the field.

Here are several ideas on how to attract more women to cybersecurity roles.

DEVELOP TRAINING AND UPSKILLING OPPORTUNITIES

Offering hands-on training and upskilling opportunities is a great way to attract new talent to the cybersecurity industry, giving learners a chance to kickstart a new career by learning cybersecurity fundamentals in a low-pressure environment. These offerings can also support women who already work in cybersecurity but want to grow and advance in their careers.

The Fortinet Training Institute partners with several organizations focused on advancing women in security, including WiCyS and Latinas in Cyber, to provide their members with access to Fortinet’s industry-leading training and certification curriculum. Fortinet also partners with Cyversity to offer free and discounted cybersecurity training to women and underrepresented minorities interested in pursuing a career in the industry.

OFFER INTERNSHIPS

While internships are often viewed as reserved for students or recent graduates, internship opportunities also offer career changers valuable hands-on experience in a new industry. Internships can be a great starting point for women interested in working in cybersecurity, and these roles typically provide chances for mentorship and networking.

Numerous organizations focus on connecting women of all career levels with STEM- and cybersecurity-focused internship opportunities. One example is WiCyS, which offers a single internship application process that connects

applicants with engaged employers actively seeking internship candidates.

IMPLEMENT MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS

Mentorship programs are a powerful tool for increasing the number of women in cybersecurity, as well as retaining them. These offerings also play a role in building and advancing a culture of inclusion at any organization, with tangible benefits for mentors, mentees, and the overall organization.

While many companies have internal mentorship initiatives, some cybersecurity-focused professional organizations offer similar programs that are particularly helpful for women who are still working toward a full-time cybersecurity role or wish to develop relationships with professionals in the broader industry.

For example, an in-depth case study of a mentorship program at a technology company shows that employees who participated in the organization’s mentorship program were five times more likely to advance their careers than non-participants, and mentors achieved similar progress.

CULTIVATING A CULTURE OF INCLUSION

Public and private sector organizations need to create initiatives with the goal of attracting and retaining more women in cybersecurity. These organizations need to make inclusion a priority and measure and track progress, train leaders and create an environment for open dialogue and communication to help make this happen.

Beyond enhancing the diversity of the industry and bringing individuals with more varied backgrounds and viewpoints into the profession, there are plenty of other tangible benefits for businesses, ranging from better employee retention to improved financial results.

Attracting more women to the field of cybersecurity also plays a crucial role in filling important roles and closing the skills gap.

As cybercriminals find new ways to infiltrate networks, filling open cybersecurity roles is table stakes for all organizations as they work to defend against increasingly complex cyber threats.

HID AND IPASSPORT TO BRING NEW IDENTITY VERIFICATION SOLUTION TO THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR

AI-POWERED PASSENGER IDENTITY VERIFICATION TECHNOLOGY ENHANCES TRAVEL EXPERIENCE, OPTIMIZES AIRPORT EFFICIENCIES

HID, a worldwide leader in trusted identity and physical security solutions, and iPassport, a provider of solutions that enable organizations to implement digital identity technologies, recently signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on a new identity verification solution for the transportation industry. This solution will make its debut at the Passenger Terminal EXPO 2023, March 14-16 at HID Booth #1244.

Navigating through the airport requires a sequence of touchpoints and processes— from check-in to baggage drop, security checkpoint, all the way to retail/duty-free shopping, lounge access and boarding.

And with millions of travelers experiencing delays, cancellations, baggage mix-ups and the continued strain on airport staff, the passenger journey has become more complex than ever.

Airlines need reliable and swift identity verification to provide passengers with a secure, seamless journey that’s long overdue.

“Today, moving through an airport securely requires an ongoing and seamless identity verification system that not only enhances the passenger experience, but also optimizes efficiencies for everyone.

HID is excited to collaborate with iPassport to bring this new solution to market,” says Vito Fabbrizio, Managing Director of Biometrics, Extended Access Technologies at HID.

With HID’s modular approach, airlines and airport operators are now able to add identity verification capabilities quickly and easily to existing systems without having to “rip-and-replace" or perform expensive migrations to a new platform altogether.

This modular solution includes the following components:

• Facial Recognition Camera Hardware

• Fingerprint, ID Document & Ticket Readers

• Software Development Kits (SDKs)

• ID Proofing & Biometric Server

• Device Management

• Biometric Professional Services

With HID-patented multispectral imaging (MSI) technology and ethically trained artificial intelligence (AI) built within the HID® U.ARE.U® Camera Identification System, significant performance and matching accuracy are achieved.

Use of facial recognition technology throughout the airport will depend on the passeger’s prior consent during booking or check-in. Additionally, the biometric information is only stored and used during the time the passenger is in transit within the airport to help address compliance with applicable with data privacy laws.

Beyond airlines and airports, other segments of the travel industry, such as cruise ships and hospitality, can also benefit from:

• Ethically trained and built AI to eliminate matching bias

• Industry-leading presentation attack detection (PAD) to thwart spoof attempts

• Superior performance amid challenging lighting

• Automatic face detection, capture and image quality checks—even when wearing masks

• On-device biometric processing with endpoint security for maximum protection

SOPHOS INVESTIGATES TWO ACTIVE CYBERFRAUD OPERATIONS, INDICATING SCAMMERS ARE EXPANDING THEIR CRYPTO-ROMANCE CONS

Scammers Use a Fake Gold Trading Marketplace in One Operation and Have Already Scammed $500,000 in Cryptocurrency in Another

Scammers are Moving Beyond Dating Apps and Increasingly Targeting Global Twitter and Text Users

Sophos, a global leader in innovating and delivering cybersecurity as a service, today released details of two expansive, still operational, pig butchering or sha zhu pan rings (elaborate and lengthy financial fraud scams that can cost victims thousands of dollars) that scammers are operating from Asia.

One of the rings, based in Hong Kong, involves a fake gold trading marketplace, while the other, based in Cambodia and with ties to Chinese organized crime, netted the scammers $500,000 in cryptocurrency in just one month. In both schemes, the scammers targeted Sophos’ principal threat researcher, Sean Gallagher, directly via Twitter and text message, respectively, rather than dating apps, the traditional method used to find and target victims.

Part one of a two-part series, “Fool’s Gold: Dissecting a Fake Gold Market Pig Butchering Scam,” released today, focuses on the inner workings of the ring based out of Hong Kong, which demonstrates how these scammers are upping their technical sophistication to lure in and con targets.

“For two years, we’ve been following and reporting on a subset of these pig butchering schemes called CryptoRom. This is a particular flavor of pig butchering that relies on romance-based lures with scammers approaching potential victims on dating apps and then asking them to invest in fraudulent crypto trading apps. But CryptoRom is really just the tip of the iceberg.

Since the start of the pandemic, this type of cyberfraud has massively expanded. These scammers are now targeting people on all major social media platforms or even direct message, and they’re not limiting themselves to just exploiting crypto but also gold and other forms of currency or trading value. They’re quite literally going after the whole hog,” said Sean Gallagher, principal threat researcher, Sophos.

In the first scam Gallagher investigated, he spent three months interacting with one of the scammers after they approached him directly on Twitter. The scammer posed as a 40-year-old woman from Hong Kong who quickly attempted to move the conversation to WhatsApp.

From there, the scammer tried to convince Gallagher to invest in a fake gold trading marketplace, touting her connections with her “Uncle Martin”—supposedly a former Goldman Sachs analyst.

She then directed him to a site that copied the branding of a legitimate Japanese banking company called Mebuki Financial, where the

foreign exchange and commodity trading services were to be conducted.

While the social engineering of this scam was less polished than other cases Sophos has investigated, it showed a marked increase in technical sophistication for these types of groups. The scammers used an elaborate combination of highly effective SEO, polished scam pages to “register” new clients on their fake Mebuki website, and a pirated version of a legitimate trading app (MetaTrader 4) with additional malicious code to steal money from their victims. They are also actively updating their operation’s scam infrastructure to avoid being shut down.

"Both scam rings are still operational and will be difficult to shut down. While we marked the domains and IP addresses being used by the attackers in the Hong Kong ring as malicious, their scam operations have already shifted to new domains. They already have a new download infrastructure in place for their pirated version of the MetaTrader app, so, at this point, we’re essentially playing ‘whack-a-mole'.

Unfortunately, that’s the reality as these operations become broader in scope, targeting more regions and across different platforms. The move from crypto to gold also shows how easily these groups can find a new niche to exploit. That means the best defense is public awareness of these types of scams.

People should be wary of any SMS, dating app, or social media direct message from a stranger who strikes up a conversation and then suggests moving it to WhatsApp or Telegram—especially if they make claims about wealth obtained from crypto or other trading,” said Gallagher.

Sean Gallagher, Principal Threat Researcher, Sophos

EXPLORE THE WONDERS OF SRI LANKA

By Sheren Shabnam

Sri Lanka has a wide range of natural attractions to offer travellers looking for a refreshing holiday that is easily accessible to GCC residents. There are so many attractions to choose from and we highlight some of the best ones we have come across from past and recent visits to this beautiful country.

VISIT NEGOMBO

During a recent business trip, we headed to Negombo, a city on the west coast of Sri Lanka and north of the capital, Colombo. It is peaceful near the waterfront and Negombo Lagoon is lined with fishermen’s huts and boats of many colours.

The lagoon feeds into the Dutchera Hamilton Canal and along the journey, you get to see interesting

buildings and the bustling life of the locals.

WILDLIFE

Late summer is the ideal time to witness the biggest wildlife spectacular that the Emerald Isle offers, the Minneriya Elephant Gathering, the largest coming together of Asian elephants at any one time in the world. Minneriya National Park is in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka, close to Habarana, the Cultural Triangle and the Sigiriya Rock, all of which are top attractions for tourists, and have a range of accommodation and dining options.

GET SPA PRODUCTS AND A MASSAGE AT SPA CEYLON

One of the nicest things I did

for myself last month was get a massage at the famous Spa Ceylon that is dotted across Colombo City. There are also retail shops both in the city and at the airport offering an amazing range of spa products to relax, rejuvenate, detox and generally feel good.

VISIT THE DAMBULLA CAVE TEMPLE (GOLDEN TEMPLE)

Known as the Rock Temple of Dambulla, the Dambulla Golden Temple is situated about fortyseven miles northwest of Kandy, the last capital of the Sinhalese kings, on the main road to Anuradhupura.

It is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The rock towers 160m over the

surrounding plains. There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area and major attractions are spread over five caves, which have statues and paintings.

ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDEN

The Royal Botanical Garden is Sri Lanka’s largest garden in an elegant and spacious space, perfect for strolling and checking out nearly 4,000 different species of plants at Peradeniya Gardens.

The 10,000 or so trees are mature, lofty giants and many of them are tropical timber trees. The gardens showcase all of Sri Lanka’s flora and representative species from around the tropical world.

WHITE WATER RAFTING IN KITULGALA

Adventure lovers can have fun white water rafting in the picturesque Kelani River, covering five major rapids and four minor rapids. The activity comes with safety gear, modern rafts, and there is a comprehensive safety briefing beforehand. The 5km distance covered for rafting and the surrounding offers a

memorable experience.

VISIT A SEA TURTLE HATCHERY

Animal lovers can head to the Turtle Care Centre at Kosgoda beach, which is one of many turtle hatcheries along the southern coast of Sri Lanka. The centre is located in the South Western coastal village of Kosgoda and was establised in 1981. It houses all five species of turtles that visit the Sri Lanka nest in Kosgoda.

ESCAPE ROUTES

PLACES TO VISIT IN SOFIA, BULGARIA

By Sheren Shabnam

Bulgaria is home to many beautiful attractions and the capital city, Sofia, is a vibrant and dynamic place to visit. During a recent visit to the city, I ventured out to see the many attractions in the city and in the suburbs.

Among the rich history and culture, traditional festivals and celebrations throughout the year are the Kukeri Festival and the Rose Festival. My favourite time of the day was trying hearty and delicious Bulgarian meals, which have influences from Greek, Turkish, and Slavic traditions.

Bulgarian is the official language of the country, but many people speak English, especially in tourist areas. Sofia is a fascinating place to visit with a rich history, beautiful architecture, and cultural diversity.

Here are some of the top places to visit in Sofia:

• The National Palace of Culture is a modern landmark of Sofia and a popular venue for cultural events and exhibitions. The palace has several art galleries, concert halls, and conference rooms.

• Vitosha Mountain, located on the outskirts of Sofia, is a popular destination for hiking, skiing, and other outdoor activities. It offers breathtaking views of the city and the surrounding area.

• The Boyana medieval church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and features beautiful frescoes that date back to the 13th century. It's located at the foot of Vitosha Mountain and is easily accessible from the city center.

• The National Museum of History is one of the largest museums in Bulgaria and has an extensive collection of artifacts from the country's past. The museum covers everything from prehistoric times to modern history.

• The Ivan Vazov National Theater is one of the oldest and most famous theaters in Bulgaria. It's located in the heart of Sofia and hosts plays, operas, and other performances throughout the year.

• St. George Rotunda dates back to the 4th century and is one of the oldest buildings

in Sofia. It's located in the city center and is surrounded by modern buildings.

• The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world and a symbol of Sofia, built in the late 19th century.

• The National Art Gallery is located in the former royal palace and has a vast collection of Bulgarian art from the Middle Ages to the present day.

• The Central Market Hall is a vibrant indoor market that offers a wide range of local produce, including fruits, vegetables, meats, and cheese. It's a great place to sample some of Bulgaria's delicious cuisine.

Bulgaria has a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. If you're visiting during the summer months, pack lightweight clothing, sunscreen, and a hat. For winter visits, bring warm clothing, including a jacket, hat, and gloves.

A LASTING IMPRESSION SHANGRI-LA COLOMBO

By Shereen Shabnam

When I told my friends at Shangri-La Dubai that I was heading to Sri Lanka and will be staying at the ShangriLa Colombo, they were excited as much as I was and gushed about how amazing the property was – and they were very right as the hotel was just the perfect antidote I needed after a hectic schedule.

Nestled in the heart of Colombo’s bustling business and entertainment district, Shangri-La Colombo overlooks the Indian Ocean and is conveniently located in the heart of Sri Lanka’s commercial capital between the Galle Face Green Promenade and Beira Lake.

As I was on a work trip and had only a few days in Colombo, the hotel was ideal as it is located in the city’s most exclusive neighbourhood with plenty of dining and relaxation options both in the hotel and in the adjoining mall and restaurants.

I stayed in an elegant room that reflected the perfect balance

between vibrant Asian hues and contemporary design and had meals in restaurants that offered stunning views of the city’s skyline, Indian Ocean or the Beira Lake.

My ensuite bathroom was kitted with a beautifully laid out shower and bathtub and had a minibar, safety deposit box, TV with satellite channels, tea and coffee making facilities, air conditioning and free Wi-Fi.

A highlight of my stay at the Shangrila Colombo Hotel was having easy access to the One Galle Face Mall directly accessible from the hotel’s lobby. There were shopping, dining and convenience facilities right at the doorstep of the hotel.

There are six restaurants and bars at Shangri-La Colombo that offer an uncompromising selection of local and international cuisine, al fresco dining, live entertainment, innovative menus and stylish venues to celebrate exquisite culinary flavours.

We had an amazing selection of local and international food for breakfast and fine dining options for dinner. My favourite Asian restaurant in Dubai is Shang Palace and it was delightful to see the restaurant also in Shangri-La Colombo, which immediately makes you feel at home.

Shangri-La's world-renowned CHI, The Spa is where I start most of my days in Dubai so I naturally wanted to check the CHI spa at Shangri-La Colombo as well and it was just as relaxing to be in. It is a place of personal peace and well-being featuring treatments based on natural healing methods showcasing native plants, herbs and botanical products. I was lucky to be able to bring back some of the lovely products from Frella that are available at the hotel.

The Spa has seven private rooms and a soothing selection of traditional Sri Lankan and Asian treatments and therapies, complemented by

a state-of-the-art, 24-hour Health Club and one of the largest outdoor swimming pools in Colombo.

Having tried the different dining options and a relaxing massage at Shangri-La Colombo, I am looking forward to visiting Sri Lanka again. The Shangri-La Colombo is a 45-minute drive from the Bandaranaike International Airport and adjacent to the city centre’s only helipad.

It offers heartfelt hospitality with wellness, gastronomy, retail therapy and so much more for both residents and visitors looking for a comfortable stay while exploring Colombo.

WESTAR AZURE TOWNHOUSES LAUNCH IN JVC

SPACIOUS FOUR-BEDROOM UNITS OFFER UNPARALLELED COMFORT AND LUXURY

Sherwoods International Property reveals Westar Azure, Dubai’s latest luxury project of 13 modern townhouses, designed with a sophisticated minimalist style. The spacious 4-bedroom units, situated in the district of Jumeirah Village Circle are ideal for individuals seeking a peaceful urban living experience.

With a versatile basement den, the ground level plus two more floors, Westar Azure boasts of a unique offering with an open-plan design and contemporary features that provide the perfect balance of comfort and style, especially for those seeking a modern urban lifestyle.

The multi use basement can be used as a home office, playroom, or extra living space, cinema, extra bedroom, maids’ room or as a storage area and gives the project added value for space.

The perfectly planned units are equipped with high end appliances to meet the discerning tastes of UAE residents and adds to the luxury lifestyle feel of the townhouses. Retail outlets, medical facilities, schools, public transport, a shopping centre and convenience stores are all at the project’s doorstep.

Anant Golyan, Managing Director at Westar Properties said, “We are

committed to conceptualizing and redefining luxury projects and bringing them to reality to meet the demand and so that our residents can live in a healthy and sustainable environment.

We are delighted to introduce the iconic Azure project to the JVC community and have added premium features to ensure buyers, residents and visitors feel at home.

Each unit at Westar Azure is designed for elegance and convenience, with fixtures and finishings of the highest standards

and the townhouse sizes start from 3,128 sqft. Expected to be handed over to buyers in June 2023, the prices of the townhouses start from AED 2,912,000 with a payment plan of 25/75.

The project is marketed by Sherwoods International Property, real estate agents with an unparalleled record in helping people for over 35 years to find their dream property in the world’s most exciting developments or introducing them to the perfect match for their property in the Gulf States and beyond.

2023 TRENDS IN THE LUXURY REAL ESTATE MARKET ACROSS THE GCC

Thomas Williams, Studio Director at Gensler Middle East, co-leading hospitality, residential and retail, takes a look at the ultra-luxury real estate segment across the GCC region:

Post pandemic, throughout 2022, the GCC saw many new developments come to fruition and new projects being announced. 2023 is already showing a focus on tourism mega-projects as well as super luxury residential and mixed-use developments.

Fast-growing interest in the Middle East hospitality sector has now extended to residential markets. Dubai continues its trend of being a hotbed of luxury residential development, with the sector seeing a big push towards branded residential and resort-living concepts as market differentiators. Engaging hospitality design experts in these projects has now become a practical mandate.

As the profiles of the UAE and Saudi Arabia continue to grow with worldfirst giga projects in progress and an impressive contingent of top industry talent moving into the country, the entire

region is feeling the ripple effect. The UAE now has a viable competitor in KSA for record-breaking developments, and this continues to be at least some of the impetus behind more innovative thinking, design and development, moving forward. As designers at Gensler, which has a global presence, we look to highlight the respective cultures, values and USPs in the tourism and residential markets as more global citizens feel the irresistible pull of the region.

In this context, Gensler Middle East has designed a multitude of ultra-luxury developments and is seeing a particular movement toward resort-style branded residences with a focus on wellness and restoration. Connecting a community with the environment and creating spaces that are designed to support a healthy live-work-play lifestyle.

The latest set of branded residence projects by Gensler has been designed for Majid Al Futtaim Properties’ Tilal Al Ghaf, a high-end mixed-use community on Hessa Street in Dubai that features an oasis of public green zones with edible gardens, mosques, play areas, schools, cafes and a central lagoon to complement

the lush community lifestyle. Our designs achieved BREAAM “Very Good” status and promotes WELL building principles, which have taken on greater importance amongst developers. Besides Aura Gardens, Serenity and Elysian Mansions, we created the interior design for Alaya Grand Villas, a refined collection of 4-6 BR properties that encapsulate the essence of inspired living.

Our team curated experiential visuals, telling a meaningful story used to successfully launch the product in the market with a positive response. Finished samples displayed as an art installation and used as a marketing tool transferred the attention to the detail of the product.

Gensler is focused on creating an offering in the market with emotive storytelling as a means of selling a product visually. We are also actively influencing the thinking around the role that sustainability plays in selling a product to the end customer, and this is the direction we see the ultraluxury space moving into. The rest will follow.

On another note, Dubai offers branded residences such as the first Six Senses

Residences, planned for 2024, as the CEO of the global luxury hospitality brand reported demand from affluent current and future UAE residents. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the world’s leading luxury hospitality company, has announced plans to expand its presence in the Middle East alongside Saudi-based investment firm Midad Real Estate. Together, they will introduce the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Jeddah at the Corniche, a new-build coastal retreat, also scheduled to open in 2024.

The luxury segment in Dubai continues to flourish. Increasing pressure from Saudi developments will, over the coming years, force Dubai to develop even more distinctive offerings. This race may benefit both the development pipeline and the consumer. At the moment, the market is solidly Dubai, which is recognised as the world leader in branded residential offerings with all eyes on the city’s upcoming openings. The slower approach of Abu Dhabi will be something to watch as it makes large-scale investments into the luxury sector.

Global property consultancy, Knight Frank’s 2023 Prime Prediction report showed that Dubai topped the list in a ranking of the world’s top luxury real estate markets and Dubai’s prime residential prices are set to see the strongest growth globally in 2023.

The number of real estate transactions in the GCC declined by 6% y-o-y during January to October 2022 to 511,239 deals despite a jump of over 61% in Dubai, as other markets such as Saudi, Qatar and Kuwait witnessed lower activity as compared to the same period in 2021.

GCC countries outside of the UAE are also firmly in the luxury real estate race, and as we have seen historically, it only takes one city to prove a market perception for the rest to follow. We are already seeing huge plans across KSA for luxury real estate projects, mainly in hospitality, residential, retail and leisure, commercial and sports.

The average value per transaction across the GCC in 2022 was $280,000, which surpassed 2017’s average of $223,000 by 25.6%. At its current pace, sales transaction volumes across the region are on course to reach one of its highest levels ever recorded, with strong demand for both off-plan and completed residential assets. This has been mirrored

by Gensler’s requests for proposal type, project value, and star rating.

The UAE property market, and Dubai in particular, has experienced quite a year. Despite global economic headwinds, high-net-worth individuals have flocked to the UAE over the past 18 months, which has added to the momentum in the luxury market. The number of HNWIs is expected to rise by 22 percent in the next five years, according to Savills.

Knight Frank forecasts Dubai to have the highest prime price growth in the world in 2023, ahead of Miami and Paris. Among the records in 2022, was Dubai's most expensive property on Palm Jumeirah Island For $163 Million, while another villa on The Palm was rented out on a sixmonth basis for Dh4 million, and monthly sales totals surpassed previous highs throughout the year.

Analysts, developers, and market specialists believe the market for luxury homes in Dubai has led the charge and is expected to continue to do so during 2023. The luxury property segment in Dubai will continue to climb this year as prices are expected to sustain an upward trend due to rising demand from high networth individuals (HNWIs), tight supply

and fewer launches of new developments, albeit at a slower pace than the latter half of 2022, experts say.

Based on the latest statistics, the price of luxury properties witnessed a year-onyear growth of nearly 89 percent during the third quarter of 2022 and is expected to continue in 2023.

A recent report from Knight Frank also predicts that the luxury property market will grow further in 2023 by 13.5 percent. This is a record in itself, as no other global property market is expected to touch the double-digit mark this year.

As a final remark, according to real estate consultancy, Core, 2022 saw the highest ever number of transactions recorded above the USD27 million mark — a total of 16 transactions recorded year-to-date 2022 compared to only five transactions in the whole of 2021.

With strong demand drivers, visa reforms and Dubai’s positioning as a global destination and tax haven along with internationally comparable ultra-prime supply catering to this niche audience, we expect demand for the prime and ultraprime market to continue.

Thomas Williams, Studio Director at Gensler Middle East

GOOD FOOD & GOOD VIBES KEY TO SUCCESSFUL EVENTS IN RESTAURANTS

By Nelly Borsato

Good food and good vibes are key to successful events in restaurants for several reasons. We recently opened two dining outlets in the bustling city of Dubai and while the two brands Salties Creek and The Deck are very different, the synergies that are common to both include the love for good food, a warm comfortable and friendly vibe and of course both restaurants share a common focus on being sustainable.

Our family of unique, eclectic restaurants in Dubai with experienced service professionals include The Deck at voco hotel on the Palm, Salties Creek at Aloft Dubai creek, Salties and Buffalitos at Outlet Village Dubai.

Our tagline for Salties is hence ‘The only imperfect place where you feel perfect’ and exudes a feeling of being at home among family and at the same time being with friends for fun and long hours of talking and reflecting with amazing views of the city.

While The Deck is attracting clientele keen on fine dining, we find that Salties Creek is attracting events organisers who cater to large groups looking for a venue that

is a large open space, has friendly staff and offers amazing views of Dubai. Below are some reasons why we feel events are becoming popular in our restaurants.

1. Good food is the main reason people go to restaurants. If the food is not up to par, people are likely to leave dissatisfied, which can lead to negative reviews and a loss of business. On the other hand, if the food is delicious, people are more likely to enjoy themselves and recommend the restaurant to others.

2. Good vibes, or a positive atmosphere, can make or break an event. People are more likely to have a good time if they feel comfortable and relaxed. This can be achieved through things like good lighting, comfortable seating, and friendly staff.

3. Good food and good vibes go hand in hand. When people are enjoying themselves and feeling good, they are more likely to appreciate the food and savor the flavors.

4. Successful events in restaurants often depend on repeat business. If people have a good experience, they are more likely to return to the restaurant in the future and recommend it to others. Good food and good vibes can help create a positive impression that will keep people coming back.

5. Venues that pay homage to being sustainable by using recycled furniture and show respect to the environment is now becoming popular in cities and in particular in Dubai which will be host to the upcoming COP 28.

Overall, good food and good vibes are essential for creating a positive experience that will keep people coming back to a restaurant and recommending it to others. We have dedicated professionals who deliver warm, genuine hospitality every day as meeting our guests’ needs is our goal. Not only are we passionate about hospitality, we also ensure our Group does it consciously with environment friendly initiatives.

PERFORMANCE COLLECTION BY MANGO MAN

MANGO Man unveils a new collection of versatile styles designed in technical fibres for everyday wear. The collection flaunts water-repellent jackets, crease-resistant suits, and breathable sweaters that promise to stay intact through any occasion and circumstance: for business, travel, or to the office. Minimal styles ensure utility, accentuated through elastic, waterproof, and easy-care materials in a neutral palette of grey, anthracite, blue, ochre, and olive green.

RAMADAN WITH VICTORIA’S SECRET SCENTS AND CLOTHES

Victoria’s Secret unveils its 2023 Ramadan products championing the importance of self-love during the special month.

The campaign is a celebration of inner beauty, a commitment to selfcare and a reminder to embrace mindful practices that strengthen inner peace.

In its continuous efforts to empower women, the Victoria’s Secret Ramadan campaign emphasizes a feeling of elegant comfort in one’s own space and spending quality time on things that center on self-care. At Victoria’s Secret, it’s all about you!

The collection includes delicate satin sets with luxury detailing, signature to Victoria’s Secret as well as long robes and long-sleeved pajamas in royal blue and bold red

colors, perfectly designed to elevate your mood at home. The Ramadan collection also features exclusive beauty sets including the best-selling smokey and intriguing fragrance, Bombshell Oud.

POMELLATO

By Natasha Dury

innovative stone cutting and setting techniques have come to define an unmistakable and iconic style. We have curated our favourite pieces from the brands current collection.

UNCOMPROMISING PERFORMANCE AND READABILITY

THE PILOT’S WATCH CHRONOGRAPH 41 TOP GUN AND CHRONOGRAPH 41 TOP GUN “OCEANA”

IWC Schaffhausen introduces its first 41-millimetre Pilot’s Chronographs in ceramic. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN “Oceana” features a case made of blue ceramic, developed in collaboration with Pantone® and inspired by the color of the U.S. Navy’s working overalls.

The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN is IWC’s first 41-millimetre Pilot’s Chronograph with a “Jet Black” black zirconium oxide ceramic case. Both timepieces are powered by the IWC-manufactured 69380 calibre, an extremely robust and reliable mechanical chronograph movement.

The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN “Oceana” (Ref. 389404) features a case made of blue ceramic. The ceramic color “Oceana” was created with Pantone®, an IWC partner and a global authority on color. The color takes inspiration from the U.S. Navy’s blue overalls, a work uniform worn by their pilots when carrying out arduous tasks aboard aircraft carriers. In addition, the chronograph features a blue dial and a matching blue rubber strap with a denim finish textile inlay. Luminescence on the black hands and on the dial ensures excellent readability, even at night. The pushers and the case back are made of lightweight titanium.

The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN (Ref. 389401) is IWC’s first 41-millimetre Pilot’s Chronograph in black ceramic. Its “Jet Black” ceramic, inspired by the technical components of supersonic jets, has been the signature material of IWC TOP GUN since the line was established in 2007. A black dial and a black rubber strap complement the pitch-black ceramic case. Here, too, contrasting luminescent elements on the black hands and the dial enhance readability, even in the most challenging conditions. The titanium pushers and case back complement the sporty design.

Both chronographs are powered by the IWC- manufactured 69380 calibre. This calibre family has been engineered with a strict focus on robustness, reliability, and durability. The stopped minutes are placed directly at 12 o’clock to enhance readability.

The vertical dial layout is the result of IWC’s functional design approach and has become a distinguishing feature of the company’s chronographs. Both new models also feature a softiron inner case to protect their movements from the effects of magnetic fields.

IWC Schaffhausen is a pioneer in the use of ceramic for watch cases. In 1986, the company introduced the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph (Ref. 3755), the world’s first wristwatch with a case made of black zirconium oxide ceramic. IWC was also one of the first watch brands to push forward the development of different ceramic colors, such as white, blue, or green. Producing a watch case in colored ceramic is a feature of engineering. Zirconium oxide is combined with other metallic oxides to give the ceramic its color.

As a result, each color requires different raw materials and a distinct mixing ratio. The manufacturing process and its specific parameters – such as the temperature and the exact duration of the sintering process – must be adapted to each particular ceramic color. What is more, colored ceramics also place incredibly high demands on the purity of their raw materials.

The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN “Oceana” is available through selected IWC boutiques.

INDULGE IN BATEEL’S EXQUISITE RAMADAN COLLECTION

INDULGE IN BATEEL’S EXQUISITE RAMADAN COLLECTION

Given that dates are important in Ramadan, Bateel has unveiled its exclusive Ramadan 2023 collection across all its boutiques in the GCC and globally.

A statement of luxury and impeccable taste, the new collection presents a stunning array of customisable gift sets adorned with complex designs and elaborate finishes that beautifully capture the spirit of the Holy Month.

Crafted to fuse authentic Middle Eastern aesthetics with contemporary craftsmanship, the wooden and carton gift sets, bespoke trays and opulent hampers embody the true essence of Ramadan. The exquisite wooden boxes

handcrafted by Peruvian artists are a world-class Bateel exclusive, with each box hand-painted using skilful techniques that utilise complementary colours, mirrored silhouettes and vibrant motifs.

THE ZAREEN COLLECTION

An epitome of elegance, the Zareen collection presents an expertly crafted gift set that will make a lasting impression during the Holy Month. Featuring refined, traditional Arabesque patterns and a beautiful finish, the collection includes square and rectangular-shaped wooden boxes and drawers, filled with an assortment of Bateel’s organic dates and gourmet filled dates.

Each gift can be customised to include single-origin chocolates and date biscuits for a sophisticated indulgence.

THE ABRIZ COLLECTION

With a complex tapestry of traditional patterns and a classic yet contemporary aesthetic, the Abriz collection adds a touch of richness and sophisticated flair, making it an exclusive must-buy gift during Ramadan.

The exceptional Abriz Drawer was also presented to OSCAR® nominated A-list celebrities at world’s most-anticipated film awards, bringing a taste of the Middle East to the Academy Awards.

THE HERITAGE COLLECTION

A stunning combination of colours and exquisite craftsmanship, the Heritage collection makes for a timeless gift this Ramadan. With its mesmerising blend of Arabic calligraphy, vibrant colours, and geometric patterns, the eye-catching set is a memorable gift for those looking for quality and exclusivity.

THE NOOR COLLECTION

Presenting a variety of unique and radiant gift boxes, the Noor collection

has something for everyone. The Noor Calendar is a one-of-a-kind gift for Ramadan, with 30 drawers – one for each day of the month - filled with delectable gourmet surprises. The Noor Hamper, with its distinctive round shape and striking hues, filled with a selection of Bateel gourmet products, is a gift that is sure to impress.

THE QAMARA COLLECTION

Inspired by the Arabic word for "moon", the Qamara collection reflects Bateel's dedication to creating simple, refined,

yet elegant gift items. Presenting a sleek, minimalist design that speaks of intricacy, the packaging features an embossed “Ramadan Kareem’” calligraphy, uplifted with vibrant hues and a gold-foil accent adding a luxurious touch.

This Ramadan, each collection from Bateel has been expertly crafted to offer a truly memorable experience during the Holy Month. Bateel’s Ramadan Collection is now available in all boutiques and online.

THE ANCIENT SCIENCE OF AYURVEDA FOREST ESSENTIALS

With its foundations in the ancient science of Ayurveda, traditional Indian skincare and wellness brand, Forest Essentials is now in UAE. Set to open doors in Dubai Hills Mall, the store will showcase the brand's complete range of premium skincare, haircare, and body care products, along with an exquisite range of gift boxes, offering a unique shopping experience to customers.

Forest Essentials’ ethos lies in the roots of ancient skincare rituals and in educating customers about its benefits. Introducing a one-of-a-kind customer journey, the brand offers one-on-one consultations with certified Ayurveda doctors for a deeper understanding of its origin, its ingredients, and the Ayurvedic lifestyle.

Ayurveda advocates that a holistic approach is necessary for beauty and wellness: a balance of energy – physical, mental, and emotional well-being –along with pure and natural treatments for skin and hair is when one achieves absolute beauty, inside and out. Fusing ancient recipes and modern technology to create a luxurious and elegant interpretation of the traditional science of Ayurveda, Forest Essentials takes pride in its ingredients sourced primarily

from plants, trees and herbs naturally grown in the Himalayan forests.

Over the last 20 years, the brand has been a pioneer in the Luxury Ayurveda space, by combining ancient beauty rituals with a simplistic and contemporary aesthetic.

Today, it has become the quintessential Indian beauty brand that brings together the secrets of flawless skin and ageless beauty, with modern research to reveal a myriad of handmade products that adhere to the highest standards of purity, authenticity and quality.

ELEVATE YOUR HOME’S DÉCOR THIS SEASON WITH SONOS

Choose from an array of smart speakers that blend seamlessly into any space

accent piece for any bookshelf, kitchen counter, desk or nightstand. While the Era 300 wraps its beautifully complex acoustic architecture in an elegantly cinched hourglass design, with every angle, proportion and perforation enhancing the direction and dispersion of sound to truly surround you.

SONOS BEAM

If you are looking for a compact soundbar to add to your home the sleek design of the Sonos Beam will perfectly fit in any home without taking too much space. Experience surround sound and crystal clear dialogue while watching shows, movies or playing games. Even when the TV is off, you can stream music and other audio from all your favourite services.

SONOS FIVE

Thanks to its versatility and timeless design, the popular Sonos Five will fit into any space in your home. At the same time, it's so powerful that all your favourite hits can easily fill multiple rooms at once. Stand it up horizontally as a standalone speaker or pair two Five speakers in portrait orientation for an incredibly detailed stereo.

SONOS ONE

The compact size of the Sonos One fits anywhere in the home: mount it on the wall, ceiling or any other stand. The sleek speaker is even ideal for the bookshelf, on the shelf and in small spaces. Simply plug in the power cable and follow a few steps in the Sonos app to get started. The sleek versatile design will match any décor making it an easy addition to your home.

ART NOOR'S SPIRITED STROKES

"Spirit can't be seen with the eyes but can be felt by the heart," Noor says while walking around a cluster of super-sized paintings displayed at many vantage points in the beautifully designed and recently opened Silicon Central Mall in Dubai Silicon Oasis.

Art Noor is a well-known abstract expressionist painter who has been based in the UAE since 2002. He arrived in Dubai on a scuba diving excursion in Oman and decided to quit his established career in advertising and technology and follow his heart into the uncertain future career of a full-time artist.

Noor's creative talent and spiritual quest

led him to create art that was spiritual, and abstract expressionism became the genre of his choice because he felt it allowed him to express the unseen but felt emotions and deliberations of the divine.

The UAE's art scene was emerging in the early part of the century, and there were not many art galleries that had spaces to showcase large collections. These circumstances led to Noor exhibiting in public spaces like the World Trade Center, Dubai Mall, and high-profile hotels. He has had more than a dozen solo largescale exhibitions ever since and has livepainted monumental canvases, enduring the grueling schedule of painting while fasting for many hours a day during the

month of Ramadan. The result has been spectacular, and this "spiritualized" collection has been on display at Nakheel Mall, Dubai Festival City Mall, and now the Silicon Central Mall as well.

In 2012, a small book of his paintings was published and given away as a gift to many lucky recipients. Tens of thousands of copies of this book have been reprinted many times ever since and have found their way to many as a Ramadan gift.

The last few hundred copies are to be given away during his 'Salam99' event at the Silicon Central Mall during Ramadan 2023, after which he will be working on the new edition, which will

be released later this year. "I am looking forward to releasing this new book both as an online and hard copy edition internationally and taking my exhibition and art to other countries as well."

Noor believes the source of true art and spirituality is one, and it comes from the intangible world that can only be felt and not seen with physical eyes. "I don't focus on depicting the unseen because it isn't possible. I just follow my heart and the thoughts that arise in the contemplative silence within me. And the strokes that arise, as a result, become the art you see. And if that connects you to the spiritual in you, then it's spiritual art," he says, and one can't help feeling convinced of the mysterious paradigm and its relationship with art.

Wassily Kandinsky was one of the leading artists of the abstract expressionism genre, and his book, "Concerning the Spiritual in Art," is considered a guiding light to many artists who practice this. He wrote, "To those that are not accustomed to it, the inner beauty appears as ugliness because humanity in general inclines to the outer and knows nothing of the inner. That is beautiful which springs from an inner need that springs from the soul."

When asked about his opinion of Wassily Kandinsky's book, Noor replied, "Wassily was not the only one to connect spirituality and contemporary art." Artists have worked with that consciousness through the ages and will probably do even more in future because technology and artificial intelligence lack that aspect, even they far exceed exceeds humans in areas of knowledge and precision.

He is an ardent follower and fan of Rumi, with his timeless and inspiring poetry, who Noor says has been a guiding light through many trying times in his life. He quotes Rumi's verses as a rejoinder in the conversation.

"Rumi connects with us both to the heart and soul with his words, like no other. His single line, 'Let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of that which you truly love', helped me make up my mind about the mid-career change and is still a great reminder of the importance of loving what you do, irrespective of the material gains."

Noor can be contacted on insta : @art_noor or email : artonoor@gmail.com

CELEBRATIONS THIS YEAR

EXCLUSIVE HOME DECOR COLLECTION FROM INTERIORS FURNITURE

This Ramadan, Interiors - the UAE's premier furniture company, is offering a thoughtfully curated selection of home decor items, including dining tables, decorative accessories, candleholders, lanterns, sofa sets, and more.

Designed to enhance precious moments with family and friends, these items include statement pieces that elevate any room, ranging from contemporary and modern creations to designs that bring warmth and balance to any living space.

Additionally, Interiors has teamed up with Maison des Fleurs for the month of Ramadan to offer a unique collection of flowers to help create a cohesive look throughout the home to incorporate into

the Ramadan décor at Interiors showroom in Jumeirah. Here are some tips to create beautiful and meaningful home décor with flowers:

1. Fresh flowers can enhance any room with their natural beauty and variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. A well-arranged bouquet can serve as a calming focal point, complementing your decor.

2. Fresh flowers offer health benefits, improving mental health and wellbeing. Studies show that flowers can boost mood, reduce stress, and increase happiness and contentment. Keep fresh flowers in your home for a natural way to promote wellness.

3. Artificial flowers have longer lifespan and can be rearranged and reused, unlike fresh flowers that need frequent replacement. This makes them ideal especially when hosting regular gatherings for the month of Ramadan.

4. Maison Des Fleurs offers a lowmaintenance option with their luxurious boxes of long-life roses. These roses retain their beauty and freshness for months or even years without light or water, making them an ideal choice for home decor.

5. Maison Des Fleurs offers a personalized service by sending expert floral designers to your home or office to create customized floral arrangements that enhance your space.

This beautiful dining set from Interiors, with an oak top finished in a unique Stone shade that showcases the texture and grain of the wood, is both simple and elegant to gather families and friends during Ramadan. The single square pedestal is adorned with metal accents, adding a touch of sophistication to the

design. This rectangular dining table can comfortably seat six guests and can be expanded to accommodate up to ten chairs. With its understated beauty and functional design, this dining set is the perfect addition to any dining room.

OASIS SECTIONAL SOFA – BERNHARDT

A true oasis of comfort and luxury, this sectional sofa is upholstered in a beautiful beige fabric that exudes elegance and sophistication, while the feather down cushions and throw pillows provide the ultimate in comfort and relaxation. Whether guests gathering with family and friends or simply lounging for

Suhoor, this sofa provides the perfect setting for any occasion. With its generous seating area and plush cushions, the Oasis Sectional Sofa is the epitome of comfort and luxury and is the perfect addition to any living room.

KENNA GOLD ACCENT TABLE- UTTERMOST

The Kenna Gold Accent Table is a beautifully crafted piece that adds an organic global feel to any room. This cast aluminium accent table features a shapely curved base and round top, finished in a textured soft gold. The design of this accent table is both elegant and unique, providing a perfect blend of modern and classic styles. The table's sleek lines and soft golden hue make it a versatile piece that can be used in a variety of settings, from traditional to contemporary.

SAANVI SCULPTURE- UTTERMOST

Crafted from antique gold stacked and curved iron rods, this piece appears convex when viewed from one side and concave from the other, offering a unique and eye-catching design. The sculpture is displayed on a textured aged black base with gray undertones, which beautifully complements the antique gold finish. Whether used as an accent piece on a bookshelf or as a statement piece on a console table, the Saanvi Sculpture is a stunning piece of decor that is sure to capture attention.

DESIGNED FOR THE HIGH SEAS ARCADIA YACHTS

It has been a hectic start to the year for the yard founded by Ugo Pellegrino as Arcadia Yachts is truly under full sail this year. The yard’s entire range is now in production and a Turkish client, who previously owned an A85, has just signed a contract for a 6-cabin A105. In addition to this, in the coming months a remarkable five boats will be launched in the Gulf of Sorrento.

The sale of a new A105 and the fact that the yard’s entire range is currently in production is the best possible message to send out for 2023, the year in which the new A96 is being launched.

The brand has just signed a contract to sell the fourth A105, while at the same time working hard to deliver three Sherpa 60s, two Sherpa 80s and an A85. Work continues in the meantime on the A96, an extraordinary project with interiors by Igor Lobanov that will enter the water in the second half of 2023.

Arcadia Yachts’ order book provides eloquent confirmation of the brand’s successful internationalization process, assigned in 2021 to sales manager Francesco Frediani, who is now completing the task with great determination. The

main destinations of the most recent orders for these yachts, known worldwide for their eco-friendliness, include Turkey, the Balearics and Australia.

The orders for one of the two Sherpa 80s and the fourth A105 –the second Arcadia yacht sold to this owner – are being completed in partnership with Tezmarin, an important Turkish dealer that distributes some of the most famous brands in this sector.

In line with Arcadia Yachts’ design philosophy, this fourth A105 is characterized by the generosity of both its interior and exterior spaces, designed, built and furnished to create a totally seamless environment that arouses feelings of cosiness, transparency and connection with the very essence of the sea.

The six-cabin layout features spaces for convivial living, extensive use of solar panels, up&down windows and advanced technical solutions that make the most of sea breezes even in the indoor living areas, to experience the ultimate in wellbeing. The semidisplacement hull ensures cruising comfort and an appreciable reduction in consumption levels.

Also under construction is the latest extraordinary project undertaken by the yard that sees environmental responsibility as one of its key drivers. Over 29 metres long and almost 8 metres in the beam, the five-cabin A96 is designed around a concept of wellbeing and has interiors by Igor Lobanov.

If the A96, which will be presented in the second half of 2023, is ushering in a new era for the yard, the sale of the fourth A105 and the other orders on the book confirm the brand’s success. Having ventured out of its home waters, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, it’s now enjoying consensus and interest across all continents.

COLOURFUL AND EYE-CATCHING EMIRATES UNVEILS NEW SIGNATURE LIVERY

The distinctive livery of the world’s largest international airline, Emirates, has undergone a refresh. Eagle-eyed plane spotters and fans will immediately notice changes to the tailfin and wingtips. In this latest design, the UAE flag on the Emirates tailfin is much more dynamic and flowing with a 3D effect artwork, and the wingtips have been painted red with the Emirates logo in Arabic calligraphy "popping" out in reverse white.

Passengers onboard with a window view will see the UAE flag colours painted on the wingtips facing the fuselage. The signature gold "Emirates" lettering across the main body in English and Arabic is also bolder, and 32.5% larger.

On the aircraft belly, Emirates has retained its iconic red branding which it introduced in 2005. The website URL "Emirates.com" has been dropped from the design.

This is the 3rd iteration of Emirates’ official aircraft brand colours. The original livery unveiled with the airline’s launch in

1985 had its first refresh 14 years later, with the delivery of Emirates’ first Boeing 777-300 at the 1999 Dubai Airshow.

The first aircraft to sport Emirates’ newest livery is A6-EOE, an Airbus A380, which has rolled out of Emirates Engineering this week after its makeover. Its first deployment will be to Munich on 17 March as flight EK51.

The new livery will be gradually applied across the rest of the existing Emirates fleet with 24 aircraft, including 17 Boeing 777s, expected to sport the refreshed livery by the end of 2023.

All new Emirates aircraft, from the first Airbus A350 entering the fleet in August 2024 will be delivered in this new livery. Emirates’ original livery in 1985 was

designed by UK design company Negus & Negus. All of the airline’s subsequent aircraft colours were created by its inhouse design team. Over the years, Emirates’ numerous colourful and eyecatching aircraft livery have included bespoke designs to drive sponsorship brand association, and for special occasions such as the UAE’s 50th Jubilee livery, and Expo 2020 Dubai.

PROGRESSIVE TECHNOLOGY & DESIGN

ALL-NEW FORD TERRITORY

By Shereen Shabnam

After driving the all-new Ford Territory in Saudi Arabia, I recently had the car for much longer to test drive and get to know it better thanks to the team at Al Tayer Motors. As a small SUV, the all-new Ford Territory combines a modern and striking look, ample cabin space, and is filled with smart, safe technologies perfect for young professionals and small, busy families.

The all-new Territory redefines the SUV segment with a 1.8L EcoBoost engine, seven-speed automatic transmission, four drive modes, and a suite of driverassist technologies to offer maximum safety for all passengers. It is particularly impressive for performance, comfort, and design.

The Ford DNA is visible externally with an integrated grille and signature light – balanced with lower graphics, full LED lighting, which drives the focal point higher and communicates purpose, stability, and capability.

The all-new Territory features Ford’s new ‘Progressive Energy in Strength’ design philosophy, which is based on the rich heritage of the brand and its iconic designs.

It embodies three fundamental design principles: commanding, agile, and responsive. The headlamps show off a unique design, with daytime running LED lights incorporated with a strong horizontal grille bar, which adds to the eye-catching appearance.

Externally, a strong shoulder line front to back enhances the power and progressive energy of the all-new Territory’s contemporary design language. The

interior provides a convenient and sophisticated space.

The cabin is designed with vigorous and well-matched color arrays while comfort and function are maximized through Premium Leather seats, with a 10-way adjustable ergonomic driver’s seat.

The all-new Ford Territory is equipped with an EcoBoost 1.8L engine on all versions, delivering 320Nm of max torque at 1,500-3,500rpm using moderate fuel and impressive power up to 190 hp (187 bhp).

It comes with an advanced dual clutch, seven-speed automatic transmission and a suite of driver-assist technologies that offer maximum safety and enhance customers’ driving experiences. The vehicle enables customers to drive with confidence by offering an impressive array of safety features available in Ford Co-Pilot.

The center area in the all-new Ford Territory comes with a large 12-inch central touchscreen to support the driver with easier command over all functions while ensuring they remain focused on the road.

Other premium features that support drivers include wireless, USB type-C, and type-A charging; wireless smartphone connectivity through Apple Carplay and Android Auto.

The all-new Ford Territory comes in Ambiente, Trend and Titanium variants, with a host of features and a suite of driver-assist technologies to offer maximum safety for all passengers and a sense of spaciousness.

ELEGANCE, PERFORMANCE AND INNOVATION

MASERATI GRECALE

By Shereen Shabnam

Maserati produces a complete range of unique cars, immediately recognisable by their extraordinary personality and the new Maserati Grecale SUV is no different. We got our hands for a week on this “Everyday Exceptional” model and took it around the city and the suburbs and experienced pure joy during our long yet comfortable drives.

After driving the Trofeo in the past, this time we had the Modena and felt the impressive Grecale capability of striking the right balance between versatility, elegance, performance and innovation.

These must-have features are combined with off-road capabilities and uncompromising driving pleasure and hence guarantee performance, comfort and safety, all at the same time. In fact, as an SUV, Grecale Modena has all the modern features and comforts most families and adventure seekers look for

when they need a more spacious vehicle that can accommodate the needs of all family members be it sports equipment or ample shopping space.

The Grecale portfolio has a wide range of engines that range from conventional internal combustion, hybrid and soon the model will also have the first full-electric SUV in Maserati history. Three versions to look out for includes the GT, Modena and Trofeo.

Fans of SUV will delight in knowing that the GT is powered by a four-cylinder mild hybrid engine capable of delivering 300 hp while the Modena has a fourcylinder 330-hp mild hybrid engine. The powerful Trofeo is equipped with a highperformance 3.0L 530-hp petrol V6 and to complete the range, the Grecale Folgore is the 100% electric version with 400V technology.

During our drives, we enjoyed the spaciousness and comfort, and the Modena’s impressive set of “best-inclass” features, in particular the warm and modern interior space, driveability, handling, acceleration, sound quality and extensive use of premium materials such as wood, carbon fibre and leather.

The exterior design of the Grecale in the front features a low and imposing grille. The profile is notable for its contrast between purity and technique, with a highly fluid body featuring meandering, visual forms and its technical components highlighted by the use of carbon fibre.

Inside the cabin, the standout tech specs include the traditional Maserati clockface. Digital for the first time, it transforms into a veritable in-car concierge, courtesy of voice control. Everything becomes touchbased, with extreme aesthetic cleanliness.

We tried the Maserati Intelligent Assistant (MIA) Multimedia system, from the state-of-the-art infotainment and from Maserati Connect. The in-car sound is enhanced by an all-round sound experience, thanks to the immersive Sonus faber 3D sound system. The Sonus faber system, standard at Premium level, includes 14 speakers, or 21 speakers on demand at High Premium level.

Overall, we had an unforgettable driving experience due to the extraordinary handling provided by the new, 100% Maserati Vehicle Dynamic Control Module (VDCM) system and the 360° control it offers over the car. We had the option of different drive modes - Comfort, GT, Sport, Corsa (Trofeo Only) and Off-Road with each mode providing an extraordinary driving experience aboard Grecale.

ICONS ONLY

WINNERS OF THE 2023 WORLD CAR AWARDS

By Shereen Shabnam

Being an automotive Jury the last few years for global motoring awards has been a key highlight of my life. This year, car enthusiasts around the world eagerly awaited the announcement of the 2023 World Car of the Year awards winners, held at the New York Motor Show.

A jury of 100 distinguished international automotive journalists from 32 countries selected the winners by secret ballot based on their evaluation of each eligible vehicle as part of their on-going professional work. The vote results were tabulated by KPMG.

The award recognizes the best cars released in the past year, based on a number of factors including design, performance, safety, and innovation. As Jury, we drove numerous cars throughout the year and a large number of nominated cars in Los Angeles last year. The competition was fierce, with a number of impressive new cars from new and established automakers.

The World Car of the Year 2023 ceremony, powered by Brembo, was held in New York City with a crowd of journalists, car industry experts, and enthusiasts gathered witnessing the announcement of the winner.

The awards concluded with a triple win for the Hyundai Motor Company as the Hyundai Ioniq 6 won the overall 2023 World Car of the Year title, the 2023 World Electric Vehicle as well as the 2023 World Car Design of the Year awards. This is the second consecutive triple win for the Hyundai Motor Group.

A highlight for our team was having SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President, Head of Hyundai and Genesis Global Design Center, Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) on hand at the awards ceremony to participate in a Q&A with media and receive his 2023 World Car Person of the Year trophy.

The short list of finalists for the 2023 Top Three in the World were the Hyundai Ioniq 6, the Range Rover and the Lucid Air. The 2023 World Luxury Car is the LUCID AIR. The LUCID AIR was chosen from an initial entry list of sixteen (16) vehicles from all over the world then a short list of three finalists.

In the 2023 World Performance Car category, KIA EV6 GT emerged as the winner while the CITROEN C3 is the 2023 World Urban Car. The Citroen PSA Group has won three World Car Awards to date.

All vehicles eligible for other World Car award categories are automatically eligible for World Car Design of the Year award. This year there were seventyeight (78) eligible vehicles in total.

A panel consisting of six highly respected world design experts was asked to first review each of the 78 candidates, and then establish a shortlist of recommendations for the jurors’ final vote.

The design experts are in alphabetical order: Ian Callum (United Kingdom – Director of Design, CALLUM), Gert Hildebrand (Germany – Owner Hildebrand-Design), Patrick le Quément (France - Designer and President of the Strategy Committee - The Sustainable Design School), Tom Matano (USA –Academy of Art University, Former Head of Design – Mazda), Victor Nacif (USA - Chief Creative Officer, Brojure. com and Design instructor, NewSchool of Architecture and Design) and Shiro Nakamura (Japan - CEO, Shiro Nakamura Design Associates Inc.).

All of the World Car Award trophies were created this year by legendary automotive designer, Ian Callum’s design and engineering consultancy CALLUM. All seven of the new CALLUM designed trophies were produced by REPLIQUE using the first fully encrypted 3D printing platform that offers OEMs a secure and sustainable means of providing parts on demand, anytime, anywhere.

The Road to the World Car Awards is an annual journey that follows 100 international jurors as they test-drive, and vote on, the eligible vehicles for the 2023 awards. The jurors’ road-test journey is captured virtually on World Car TV as the jurors provide viewers with reviews and commentary on the awards’ eligible vehicles in six categories.

As the summer heat gets more intense, car care becomes important especially for me as I drive an open top car with just a fabric protecting it from the heat. We have hence curated some tips on car care in the summer heat.

1. CHECK YOUR TIRES

Heat can cause tires to expand, which can lead to blowouts. Make sure your tires are properly inflated and have enough tread depth. Check your owner's manual for the recommended tire pressure and use a tire gauge to check the pressure.

2. KEEP YOUR CAR COOL

Park your car in a shaded area or use a windshield sunshade to prevent the interior from overheating. Consider using a car cover to protect your car from the sun's harmful UV rays.

3. CHECK YOUR FLUIDS

In hot weather, your car's fluids, such as oil, coolant, and transmission fluid, can evaporate faster. Make sure to check your fluids regularly and top them off as needed.

4. CLEAN YOUR CAR

Dirt, dust, and grime can build up on your car's exterior and prevent it from properly cooling. Clean your car

CAR CARE IN THE SUMMER

By Natasha Dury

regularly to ensure it can dissipate heat efficiently.

5. CHECK YOUR BATTERY

Heat can cause your car's battery to fail. Check the battery's connections and make sure they are clean and tight. If your battery is more than three years old, consider replacing it.

6. USE YOUR AIR CONDITIONING EFFICIENTLY

Using your car's air conditioning can put extra strain on the engine. To maximize efficiency, roll down your windows to let hot air out before turning on the air conditioning. Consider using a solar-powered fan to help circulate air in the car.

7. DRIVE CAREFULLY

High temperatures can cause roads to become more slippery, so drive carefully and keep a safe distance from other vehicles. Avoid sudden braking or acceleration, as it can put extra strain on your car's engine.

By following these tips, you can help ensure that your car is ready to handle the summer heat and avoid any unnecessary breakdowns or repairs.

COLORS FOR PEACE EXHIBITION OPENS AT SILICON CENTRAL

Artissima Art Agency displays drawings from 135 countries across five continents.

The global Colors for Peace’ exhibition, which showcases the drawings of 4-11 years old children from 135 nations representing 5 continents opens at Silicon Central, Dubai's latest lifestyle and shopping destination as part of the mall’s Ramadan programme.

Colors for Peace Association, founded in 2015 in support of the National Peace Park of Sant’Anna di Stazzema, is a non-profit association that promotes children’s art internationally to reduce cultural, social and economic distances between rich and poor countries.

The aim of the exhibition is for “the adult of tomorrow” to become the conscious bearer of a universal culture of peace, rejecting any logic of war and division of people. In pursuing its goals, Colors for Peace is faithful to the values of equality, respect for the neighbor, solidarity and justice.

The event was attended by Dr. Humaid Mohamed Redha Alansari, Art Patron & Legal Advocate, Dr. Robert Noriega, Art Patron & Diplomat from Venezuela, K P Thamban, Regional Director, Lulu Group International and Marcello Larizza, General Manager of Silicon Central.

Dr. Humaid Mohamed Redha Alansari, said, “It is a pleasure to be part of this event and witness the work of children who are our future as we have to pay attention to the messages of peace they put forward so they can look forward to a world that advocates the values of this exhibition.”

Mr. Salim MA, Director Lulu Group said, “Ramadan is the perfect time to host this exhibition as it sends the powerful message of peace to the world. We hope you enjoy the exhibition and reflect on the messages of peace in the drawings. For Ramadan, our events team have curated events and activities to create

memorable moments for shoppers at the mall.”

Aurela Cuku, Vice President of Colors for Peace said, “Having our Colors for Peace exhibition that sends the message of Peace from all over the world is ideal for Ramadan which promotes the same values. Our mission is to shape the adults of tomorrow and inspire the adults of today in the universal culture of peace, through art, hope, and solidarity.”

Children visiting Silicon Central will have a chance to draw about peace and submit it to customer service. Three artworks will be selected at the end of the exhibition to be showcased in other countries. The Peace for children project, Colors for Peace has the High Patronage of the Tuscan Regional Council, the Tuscan Student Parliament and the European Parliament.

PLAN YOUR GROUP IFTARS THIS RAMADAN AT THE DECK

Enjoy quality time with friends and family with stunning views of the West Beach between iftar and suhoor

Embrace the Holy Month of Ramadan with dishes inspired by the flavours of the Mediterranean. The deck, a vibrant environment friendly beachfront dining restaurant at the voco Dubai The Palm on West Beach, Palm Jumeirah offers unparalleled views of the West Beach with a relaxed ambience, perfect for a picturesque breaking fast experience in a laid back atmosphere.

During Ramadan, The Deck will offer a

ramadan package that includes sharing dishes for iftar and Suhour featuring an eclectic mix of dishes. The meals include starters, choice of a main course and dessert with dates and soft drinks.

The venue offers a perfect place to spend time with friends and family while embracing the spirit of the holy month and indulging in Iftar and Suhoor dishes specially curated by the resident chef, Ganesh Raja.

Offer 1: Iftar & suhoor meal package at AED159 per head with dates & soft drinks

Offer 2: Iftar and Suhour meal package for a group of 10 and above at AED129 per head with dates and soft drinks

Date: 23rd March to 21st April 2023.

Timing: Iftar at sunset and Suhoor until 2am

CORPORATE RESTRUCTURING SUCCESS STORIES, OPTIMAL STRATEGIES, AND SOLUTIONS TAKES CENTRE STAGE AT THE FINANCIAL RESTRUCTURING MENA CONFERENCE

The Financial Restructuring MENA Conference, hosted by Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) brought together large corporates, family offices, MENA’s largest banks by assets and key stakeholders to address corporate insolvencies and debt restructurings in the wider MENA region at the ADGM Authorities Building in Abu Dhabi.

The conference highlighted successful restructuring solutions for large corporates and family businesses in the current market conditions while fostering effective management of non-performing asset (NPA) portfolios of MENA’s banks.

Discussions on the second day will focus on driving business turnarounds in volatile markets, the challenges and opportunities in MENA’s real estate sector and an onstage analysis of the ongoing billion-dollar plus financial restructuring of Azmeel Contracting Co.

Hamad Sayah Al Mazrouei, CEO, ADGM Registration Authority, Abu Dhabi Global Market

CELEBRATE SAKURA WITH SUMO SUSHI & BENTO

ENJOY THE CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL AT SUMO SUSHI & BENTO WITH DELECTABLE DISHES

Sumo Sushi & Bento, the originator of family friendly sushi dining in the region is celebrating Japan’s famous cherry blossom festival season with delicious dishes and will emulate the tradition of Sakura viewers celebrating the season by eating, drinking and coming together to welcome the beginning of Spring.

To mark the Sakura cherry blossom festival, Sumo Sushi & Bento is launching a new sumo signature item ‘Gozen Samurai’ (lady Samurai) inspired by Gozen, also known as the female warrior samurai. The dish is promoted on Women’s Day on 8th March and 21st March on Mother’s Day as an exclusive Sumo Mobile app campaign.

Sumo Sushi & Bento diners can also enjoy similar dishes that are popular in the Sakura season right here in the UAE. The dishes include Sakura Roll, Inari Sushi, Futo Maki, Mochi, Wagyu Steak Roll, Chirashi Bento and a drink called Pink.

Additionally, female mobile app members can save by getting a classic bento at 25%

off when they buy the Gozen Samurai dish from March 8th to the 21st for Dinein, takeaway and delivery orders.

Jerome Mortel, COO, Sumo International Inc. LLC, said, "We are delighted to present dishes inspired by the Japanese custom of flower viewing known as hanami just in time for Cherry Blossom season and we are excited to introduce a new dish to celebrate the ladies and mothers since the season coincides with Women’s Day and Mother’s Day We hope to keep our diners engaged by tempting them with new innovative dishes to celebrate the different festivals and milestones in their life."

For regular patrons, Sumo Mobile App is a most simple and convenient way to earn loyalty points. Collect Kenji Coins for every order and redeem them for FREE food and drinks (1 AED= 1 Kenji Coin). You can redeem the rewards without any minimum spend. Enjoy!

The special offers are available from 11am to 11pm at all Sumo Sushi &

Bento outlets. For Booking, visit https:// sumosushibento.com, download the Sumo Sushi App or call 800-7866(SUMO)

RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL HOME BUSINESS

By Nishrat Nazeen Founder, Aromas Fiji

Running a successful home business can be both challenging and rewarding. With the rise of technology and the internet, it is now easier than ever to start and run a business from the comfort of your own home.

However, like any business, there are certain steps that need to be taken in order to ensure success. Below are some tips and strategies we at Aromas Fiji follow for running a successful home business.

1. DEFINE YOUR BUSINESS

The first step to running a successful home business is to define what your business is all about. This includes identifying your niche, target market, and products or services you will be offering. Having a clear understanding of your business will help you to stay focused and make informed decisions.

2. CREATE A BUSINESS PLAN

Once you have defined your business, the next step is to create a business plan. This should include a detailed description of your business, market analysis, financial

projections, and marketing strategy. A well-written business plan will help you to stay organized and focused, and will also serve as a guide for making decisions.

3. SET UP YOUR HOME OFFICE

Setting up a dedicated workspace is crucial for running a successful home business. This should be a quiet, comfortable space where you can work without distractions. Make sure to invest in good quality equipment, such as a computer, printer, and phone, as well as any other tools or supplies you may need.

4. ESTABLISH A SCHEDULE

When running a home business, it can be easy to let work bleed into your personal life. To avoid this, establish a schedule and stick to it. This will help you to stay productive and focused during work hours, while also allowing you to enjoy your personal time.

5. STAY CONNECTED

Running a home business can be isolating, so it’s important to stay connected with others in your industry.

This can include networking events, online forums, and social media groups. Building relationships with others in your industry can help you to stay up-to-date on industry trends and best practices.

6. KEEP ACCURATE RECORDS

Keeping accurate records is crucial for any business, but it is especially important for a home business. This includes tracking expenses, income, and taxes. By keeping accurate records, you will be able to make informed decisions.

7. SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP

Running a successful home business requires a lot of work, and you may not have all the skills needed to run every aspect of your business. Consider seeking professional help when needed, such as hiring an accountant or lawyer.

In conclusion, running a successful home business requires dedication, hard work, and organization. We hope these tips and strategies help you enjoy the many benefits of running a business from home.