QT JANUARY 2015

COVER STORY

38 MANY MINDS, ONE THOUGHT For our first issue of the New Year, Qatar Today wants to bring in to focus the trend setters and boundary pushers of

2014, who talk to us about the year they had and their hopes for the one to come.

26 QATAR’S DIVERSIFICATION: HOW FAR DO WE NEED TO GO?

Diversification is to be pushed not only in the country’s economic output. Financial diversification, through revenue from its sovereign wealth fund, will have a big impact on the composition of Qatar’s budget revenue.

32 FOR THE LOVE OF JOURNALISM If there is one man who rode on the power of broadcasting, the kind that brought about the downfall of age-old regimes and wily dictators, it was Wadah Khanfar, the ex-Director General

of Al Jazeera.

64 BUILDING FOR THE AFFLUENT Katara Hospitality is always in the news for its iconic buys and

awe-inspiring projects outside the Middle East, but the company has no plans to ignore the tourism sector in the country.

68 REVOLUTIONISING THE WAY WE TEACH A relentless drive to spread education has made Wendy Kopp,

CEO and Co-founder for Teach for All, a formidable force to reckon with. In an exclusive interview with Qatar Today, Kopp shares her insights in to making education inclusive,

regardless of geographical location.

inside this issueJanuary 2015 / Vol. 41 / Issue 1

inside this issue

and regulars12 NEWS BITES

18 BANK NOTES

22 REALTY CHECK

24 O&G OVERVIEW

86 TECH TALK

90 MARKET WATCH

100 DOHA DIARY

January 2015 / Vol. 41 / Issue 1

SPOTLIGHT

72 ZIPPING AHEAD Qatar’s automobile industry is growing and the Qatar Today takes a peek at the latest developments of the sector.

16 WILL US-QATAR FTA BECOMES A REALITY?

The U.S has inked a pact on free trade with Oman and Bahrain while nothing is being done with respect to the remaining four GCC countries. Qatar Today talks to former Ambassador to Bahrain and member of the US-Arab Chamber of Commerce Adam Ereli about the glitches that are obstructing the pact.

60 AIRLINES ON A BUYING BINGE The Middle East region, which has registered an air traffic growth

of 11% in 2013, continues to outpace the rest of the world and Qatar Today speaks to two major plane makers Airbus and Boeing about their plans to meet the growing demand for new planes in the next two decades.

94 STORIES FROM QATAR The 'Made in Qatar' segment of the recently concluded Ajyal Youth

Film Festival left us pleasantly surprised and wanting more. Qatar Today reviews a selection of films and even attempts to coin a term for the fledgling but growing film industry in Qatar.

98 BE THE CHANGE Carolin Zeitler’s success story speaks of resilience and persistence.

She speaks of this years’ How Women Work Conference that tackles similar themes.

8 > QATAR TODAY > JANUARY 20158 > QATAR TODAY > JANUARY 2015

from the desk

The year 2014 saw Qatar’s role as the “peacemaker” take a beating though at the end of the year its leaders had to tweek their political ideology in favour of the opposition forces. The isolation that was belted out to Qatar was a result of its perceived close ties to the region’s Islamist groups, the Muslim Brotherhood. Disagreements over these policies among the Gulf States had prompted Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain to withdraw their ambassadors from Doha in March 2014.

Qatar’s strained relations with Egypt and Saudi Arabia hindered its regional mediation efforts, as seen during its attempts to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in their recent conflict. Finally in November in an unprecedented move, the Middle East countries, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, agreed to return their ambassadors to Qatar, signaling an end to an eight-month rift over Doha’s support for Islamist groups.

While we can only speculate what the agreements were we know for certain that compro-mises had to be made. The closing of the Al Jazeera Egypt branch could be a reaction. While this might not diminish the power of the channel, it makes sense to think back and reflect on the power the channel had over the common man, almost leading the masses to a revolution against injustice and dogmatic dictatorship. Leading this revolution with the promise of open communication and discussion lines was Wadah Khanfar, the man who steered the channel towards journalism in its true sense. In the first issue of the new year, Qatar Today sets the stage for conversation with this torch bearer of newsmaking.

Qatar Today continues to showcase the talents of tomorrow, portraying the pulse of the country, in its first cover story for 2015. The newsmakers of the era, on whom we pin our hopes on. Read on to find out what Generation Y in Qatar have planned and even executed while we went on with our mundane chores.

If politically, the country faced a slight dip, development went on a gallop. Internet speeds that is said to set new world records in internet speeds by which users can download a 5 GB HD movie in just 11 seconds and simultaneously upload a five-minute 30 MB video clip in less than a second was all part of the new tech overdrive. The shadow of bribery falling straight on the country’s hosting rights for the 2022 FIFA World Cup has also been finally wiped clean.

Qatar has been selected to host the IAAF World Championship in Athletics, the world’s third largest sporting event, in 2019.

Like our band of achievers, we too keep hoping for a year of prosperity and justice, not just for the small minority of Qataris but also for the large majority of migrants who help in making the country, the vital support system.

The Qatar Today team wishes all our readers a year of prosperity, a year of reaching out to those outside our own family, to do our bit to the needy.

Happy Reading in 2015.

SINDHU NAIRMANAGING EDITOR


PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEFYOUSUF JASSEM AL DARWISH

CHIEF EXECUTIVE SANDEEP SEHGAL

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENTALPANA ROY

VICE PRESIDENT RAVI RAMAN

EDITORIALMANAGING EDITOR

SINDHU NAIRDEPUTY EDITORSV L SRINIVASAN

IZDIHAR IBRAHIMSENIOR CORRESPONDENTS

ABIGAIL MATHIASAYSWARYA MURTHY

ARTSENIOR ART DIRECTOR

VENKAT REDDYDEPUTY ART DIRECTOR

HANAN ABU SAIAMASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR

AYUSH INDRAJITHSENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

MAHESHWAR REDDYPHOTOGRAPHER

ROBERT F ALTIMIRANO

MARKETING AND SALESSENIOR MANAGER – MARKETING

FREDRICK ALPHONSOMANAGER – MARKETING

SAKALA A DEBRASSASSISTANT MANAGER – MARKETING

HASSAN REKKABMATHEWS CHERIAN

ASSISTANT EVENTS MANAGER ROCHELLE ZONNENBERG

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT

PRATAP CHANDRAN

DISTRIBUTIONSR. DISTRIBUTION EXECUTIVE

BIKRAM SHRESTHADISTRIBUTION SUPPORT

ARJUN TIMILSINABHIMAL RAI

BASANTA POKHREL

PUBLISHED BYORYX ADVERTISING CO WLL

P.O. Box 3272; Doha-QatarTel: (+974) 44672139, 44550983, 44671173, 44667584

Fax: (+974) 44550982Email: [email protected] website: www.omsqatar.com

Printed at: Gulf Publishing and Printing Co WLL Copyright © 2014 Oryx Advertising Co WLL


Looking back on 2014, one can’t help but feel a sense of frustration at certain events that made us cringe. The massacre of young lives in Pakistan being one of the most recent. Has humanity lost its spirit? I hope 2015 has better days for all of us.

SUSAN LANCAUZ

Read your interview with the CEO of Imax. As an avid cinema-goer and someone who refuses to download movies from the internet, I hope that the cinema-going experience carries on for a long time to come.

R K SHARMA

History through art was an interesting read. The public in Qatar ought to attend more such exhibitions which compel us to look beyond our natural boundaries.

FAHAD W Z

Good to hear about the Mustang event in Dubai. I hope Qatar also hosts such big events soon.

AMIT KARKERA

FIFA should reopen the corruption investigations and make the report transparent.

YASSER

Qatar Today reserves the right to edit and publish correspondence. Views and opinions expressed in the published letters may not necessarily be the publication’s views and opinions.

Share your views about the magazine or any issue that affects you here in Qatar. One lucky reader will win an exquisite Montblanc writing instrument.

WRITE TO: THE EDITOR, QATAR TODAYPO Box 3272, Doha. Fax: (+974) 44550982 e-mail: [email protected]

CHECK OUT ALL ARTICLES OF QATAR TODAY ONWWW.QATARTODAYONLINE.COMwww.issuu.com/oryxmags/qatartoday

FOLLOW US ONwww.facebook.com/qatartodaywww.twitter.com/qatartodaywww.qatartoday.tumblr.com

QATAR TODAY INVITESREADERS’ FEEDBACK

EXPERIENCE A NEW ERA OF READING

QT POLL

IS IT RIGHT FOR SINGLE MEN TO BE BARRED FROM PUBLIC EVENTS?

SHOULD FIFA REOPEN THE CASE EXAMINING THE CORRUPTION CHARGES INVOLVING QATAR?

POWERED BY

DECEMBER 2014QATAR TODAY POLL

67 33YES NO

30059025SMS

Published by Oryx Advertising Co WLL, All rights reserved. Qatar Today is published monthly by OAC, PO Box 3272, Doha, Qatar. Subscription rate QR180 per year. All subscription correspondence to Qatar Today, Oryx Advertising Co WLL, PO Box 3272, Al Hilal area, Doha, State of Qatar. For single copies call us on + 974 44672139 or e-mail [email protected]. Material in this publication must not be stored or reproduced in any form without permission. Requests for permission should be directed to [email protected]. Reprint

requests should be directed to [email protected]. Qatar Today is a registered trademark of Oryx Advertising Co WLL.

THE WINNING ENTRY FORLAST MONTH'S QT POLL WAS

SENT FROM

55862375

Fig

ures

in p

erce

ntag

es

TO WIN A NOKIA LUMIA 625letters

14 > QATAR TODAY > JANUARY 2015

affairs > local

BUILDING RELATIONS

ANKARA, TURKEY: The Emir, H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (L), and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) pose after they signed a political declaration about High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council between Turkey and Qatar during the Emir’s official visit to the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey on December 19, 2014.

BACK TO A UNITED GCC FRONT?

The police force will be based out of the United Arab Emirates’ capital of Abu Dhabi while the naval force will operate

out of Bahrain. The creation of the police force, known as GCC-POL, and the naval force was announced at the conclusion of the Gulf bloc’s annual summit.

The leaders also reiterated their support for a political solution in both Yemen and

Syria and condemned the militias currently operating in Libya.

They also voiced their support for the Libyan elected national council as the legit-imate body to govern the country. Addition-ally, the communique announced that the leaders unanimously supported the political roadmap in Egypt and President Abdul Fat-tah Al Sisi.

At the 35th GCC Summit held in Doha last month, the GCC member states discussed the creation of a regional police force in addition to a joint naval force to improve cooperation against terrorism.

Waiting time for Medical Commission appointments fell by 67% over the past year and the time taken for issuing results of routine tests by 48%. Supreme Council of Health (SCH)

Ooredoo Hits

200,000Fibre CustomersMilestone

Go Ahead: EmirThe Emir, H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, asked the government to go ahead with its plans to launch various key projects and initiatives aimed at boosting economic development.The Emir approved a number of projects and measures that aim at, among other things, earmarking budgets for allocating new plots of land for a number of crucial requirements.They include housing, commercial activities, warehousing and industrial needs, health, education and agriculture.

QATAR TODAY > JANUARY 2015 > 15

FRANCE, Toulouse: The CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, poses aboard an A350 during an hour flight over France on December 22, 2014. Airbus delivered its first next-generation A350-900 plane to Qatar Airways in a formal ceremony that kick starts its bid to erode rival Boeing’s dominance in the lucrative long-haul market. AFP PHOTO / ERIC CABANIS

Ready to FlyThis was announced by Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airway’s Group Chief Executive, in a press conference attended by over 150 members of the international media who had travelled from all corners of the globe to witness the delivery of Airbus’ most modern and fuel efficient extra-wide-body airliner (A350 XWB) to its global launch customer, QA.

The suspension of the Al Jazeera Live Egypt channel is said to be Qatar’s biggest concession yet to an 18-month campaign by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the Egyptian government to press

Qatar to stop its backing for supporters of Egypt’s deposed presi-dent, Mohammad Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood.

AJ EGYPT SUSPENDED

EGYPT AND QATAR SHRUG OFF DIFFERENCES?

Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr (AJMM), broadcasting live from Egypt, has temporarily ceased service, according to the channel.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi said his country “looked forward to turning the page on past differences” with Qatar following talks with the Emir, suggesting a possible thaw in relations between the two estranged Arab nations.

A meeting in Cairo brokered by Saudi Arabia and attended by Khalid al-Tu-waijri, a close aide of King Abdullah

bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, signalled Riyadh’s determination to push for a rec-onciliation between Egypt and Qatar after the failure of its efforts last month to end

what had become a feud between the two countries. Meanwhile the Emiri Diwan re-leased a statement affirming its “complete support for sisterly Egypt”, adding that an envoy of the Emir, H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, has called on President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.

SERVING RIGHT

In Doha, the hospitality market also witnessed an increase in occupancy, from 67% in October 2013 to 77% in October 2014.

The increase in occupancy was paired with a jump in Average Daily Rates, from QR922 ($253) in October 2013 to QR990 ($272) in October 2014.

These increases can be attributed to many GCC nationals coming to Doha during the Eid Al Adha Holiday.


affairs > local

“It would really needan earthquake, extremely important new elements to go back on this World Cup in Qatar,” Blatter told a press conference after the FIFA executive committee agreed to release a report on alleged corruption surrounding the tournaments awarded to Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022.

QIA INCREASES STAKE IN ASIAN RETAIL GIANTHong Kong’s Lau family and Qatar Investment Authority agreed to pay HK$7.75 billion ($1 billion) to increase their stakes in department store operator Lifestyle International Holdings Ltd. (1212)

Thomas Lau, Lifestyle’s chief executive officer, and his family hold 50% of the Hong Kong-based retailer after acquiring a 29% stake, triggering a mandatory offer for the owner of the Sogo department stores, according to a statement to the stock exchange. QIA’s holding

totals 22.8% from purchasing 2.9% of the company in the transactions that were completed December 22, it said.

Women reign “The Qatari woman has proved her efficiency in the economic field, in business and investment projects which were reserved for men for a long time. They are now working successfully in the financial, real estate, telecommunication, energy and other sectors.”Aisha Al Fardan, Vice-Chairwoman of Qatar Businesswomen Association at the fifth annual Qatar International Businesswomen Forum held last month. The theme of the forum this year was ‘Business Women and the New Age of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Social Responsibility’.

STORAGE FACILITIES The Minister of Economy and Commerce, H E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed Al Thani announced that investments of Qatari companies in the new storage facility area are estimated at QR2.77 billion.

In remarks during the launch of the Warehouse Project the minister said the project, which will be carried out in a single phase within a period of about 24 months, aims at providing suitable storage facilities for small and medi-

um-sized enterprises in terms of size, location and use.

QATAR TODAY > JANUARY 2015 > 17 QATAR TODAY > JANUARY 2015 > 17

DEBT DIP

Doha hosted the Supercoppa Italiana final on December 22 which saw Napoli beat Juventus 6-5 on penalties after an action-packed match that ended 2-2 after extra time.

Women ScoreMore than 78% of the graduates of Qatar University (QU) during the 2013-2014 academic year were females, says a report released by QU ahead of National Day.

A total of 1,261students graduated during the year, including

822females and 273males.

The number of Qatari graduates stood at 649. The number of students increased by

59%over the past three years, reaching16,499during the 2013-2014 academic year.

Qatar’s current account surplus, while still large by international standards at an es-timated 27.6% of GDP in 2014, is projected to narrow to 21.2% of GDP in 2015 and 16.6% of GDP in 2016 due to a combination of plateauing LNG and crude oil exports, softer energy prices and rising imports. While export growth is expected to level off,

the commissioning of the Barzan facility should provide some increase in exports of prod-ucts associated with gas production such as LPG and petrochemicals.

Qatar’s public debt declined to 32% of GDP in 2013, as the government-issued bonds and sukuk matured. Debt issuance, however, in the form of T-bills and bonds continues apace as the authorities manage liquidity and further develop the domestic debt market.


affairs > local

Will US-Qatar FTA becomes a reality?

The largest increase is on pub-lic projects, where allocations are up 40% to QR74.88 billion. Education received an expect-

ed boost once again with a 15% increase in spending as the country continues its focus on creating a knowledge-based economy. A large portion of the cur-rent spending on education goes into research and development.

“This is a key step ahead as the educa-tion sector now has a 3.8% share of the country’s GDP,” said Minister of Economy and Finance HE Yousuf Hussein Kamal. Healthcare spending increased by 13%, and the health minister said the outlay includes spending on Al Wakra Hospital (bringing it to full capacity), Sidra Hospital, and build-ing several specialised hospitals for women and children. Total revenues are estimated at QR218 billion ($60 billion), up 6% on the previous fiscal year; much of the estimated increase is expected to come through tax collection. The budgetary estimates are based on an oil price of $65 a barrel, un-changed from the previous budget.

Current expenditure has been estimated at QR77.52 billion, up 27% on the previous fiscal year, while salaries and wages have been given an outlay of QR44.26 billion (up

24%). Capital expenditure has increased by 9% to QR11.35 billion. The minister said that the country’s economy was expected to grow by over 4%, backed mainly by growth in the non-hydrocarbons sector.

EducationSome of the finest universities in the US such as Carnegie Mellon, Texas A&M Uni-versity and Weil Cornell have opened cam-puses in Doha.

Besides, globally reputed firms like Exx-onMobil, Conoco and Boeing have been part of Qatar’s economic miracle. In fact, Qatar Airways is one of Boeing’s most im-portant customers and created employ-ment for thousands of Americans. Qatar Petroleum and the Qatar Investment Au-thority are investing billions of dollars in US industries.

Both countries even signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), providing a forum for the US and Qatar to examine ways to expand bilater-al trade and investment. This is the ninth TIFA the United States has signed with a Middle Eastern country. However, the US has signed Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) only with Jordan, Oman and Bahrain in the Middle East on the plea that these agree-

The United States has inked a pact on free trade with Oman and Bahrain in

the region while nothing is being done with respect to the remaining four GCC

countries. Qatar Today talks to former Ambassador

to Bahrain and member of the US-Arab Chamber of Commerce Adam Ereli

about the glitches that are obstructing the pact.BY V.L.SRINIVASAN


ments eliminate all trade and tax barriers to US investment and make those coun-tries’ labour, licensing and legal regulations in areas of trade and investment the same as those of the US.

“To have an FTA, a country must agree to allow US investors to have wholly-owned entities in the partner country and produce and export products duty free. In addition, the requirement for local sponsorship or agencies must be removed. Not every coun-try is willing to do that,” Adam Ereli, who recently led a US trade mission comprising senior officials of several US companies to the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar, says.

Ereli points out that the European Union (EU) trade agreements are nowhere near as comprehensive and do not require the same degree of political will and reform on the part of their GCC partners.

“The level of US-Qatar bilateral trade is unprecedented and creates a strong foun-dation for close relations between the two countries. However, I don’t really think the obstacle to the US-Qatar FTA lies with the US. If Qatar really wants one, we are ready to negotiate,” Ereli says when asked wheth-er the US-Arab Chamber of Commerce would impress upon his government to have such a treaty in the near future.

According to him, trade between the US and the GCC has been strong and grow-ing and the demand for American goods and services has never been higher. “I believe that this is recognition by the GCC businesses and governments that in terms of price and quality, the US offers its customers the best value proposition."

Iran-West talksOn whether the ongoing nuclear talks be-tween the Western countries and Iran would impact US-GCC trade, Ereli feels that no concessions should be offered to Iran as the latter poses a threat to the region. “It is a very sensitive subject and one

that causes me great concern. I am of the view that Iran remains a dangerous threat to the region. Any compromise regarding its nuclear programme should be avoided. Unfortunately, the current US administra-tion believes that an agreement limiting Iran’s nuclear activity would be a good thing and could open the door to more normal relations. I do not agree,” he says.

Bonding trade tiesAbout the Chamber’s recent visit to the three GCC countries, Ereli says 19 compa-nies such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, Occi-dental, BAPCO, ADNOC, Aramco, Fluor, Halliburton, QP and RasGas, met business leaders to provide cyber security, water pu-rification and executive business education to GCC institutions.

“Despite all the progress the world has made, there are still deep gaps in cultural understanding between us. By bringing teachers and young students together, we build bridges between our countries that help to bring us closer together.

The Chamber is developing a plan to ex-pand this programme and help change the lives of the next generation for the better so that we can build a truly global village,” Ereli adds

“The level of US-Qatar bilateral trade is unprecedented and creates a strong foundation for close relations between the two countries. However, I don’t really think the obstacle to the US-Qatar FTA lies with the US. If Qatar really wants one, we are ready to negotiate.”

ADAM ERELIMemberUS-Arab Chamber of Commerce


Business > Bank Notes“The stable outlook for GCC banks isdriven by strong operating conditions coupled with expansionary fiscal policies and continued infrastructure spending, which remain supportive of credit growth.” KHALID HOWLADARSenior Credit Officer, Moody’s

TWO AWARDS FOR QIIBQatar International Islamic Bank has won two awards from Commerzbank AG, Frankfurt for the best “Straight Through Processing (STP) in Qatar” in the fields of Commercial Payments and Trade Finance for 2013.

This is the first time that the leading German bank is handing over two awards to a bank simultaneously. The awards were handed over by Com-

merzbank Relationship Managers Stefan Dettner and Ertugrul Goeaelel to QIIB’s Chief Operating Officer Ehab Eshehawi.

QNB NAMES NEW CEO

Qatar National Bank (QNB), the largest Arab lender with operations in 26 countries, has announced the appointment of Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari as the bank’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).Kuwari was named acting CEO in July 2013 and replaces HE Ali Shareef Al Emadi, who was appointed as Qatar’s Finance Minister last year.

QCBISSUES NEW TREASURY BILLSQatar Central Bank has issued new treasury bills on December 2 for a period of three, six and nine months in the amount of QR2 billion, QR1 billion and QR1 billion, respectively. These bills will mature on March 3, June 2 and September 1 in 2015, the statement said.

BARWA BANK TO FUND QATAR METRO JVBarwa Bank has been appointed as the sole book runner to arrange financing of more than QR3.64 billion ($1 billion) for a joint venture that won a bid for the country’s metro project from Qatar Rail.

The Alysj joint venture, which won the deal for Gold Line Underground package, consists of Aktor of Greece, Larsen and Toubro of India, Yapi

Merkezi Insaat Ve Sanayi of Turkey, Sezai Turkes Feyzi Akkaya Marine Construc-tion (STFA) of Turkey and Al Jaber Engi-

neering of Qatar. Barwa Bank, First Gulf Bank of Abu Dhabi and Qatar Internation-al Islamic Bank were MLAs (mandated lead arrangers) on the transaction. The facilities include guarantees and working capital financing for the Gold Line Metro Rail project.


business > bank notes

Intending to improve tourism’s contribution to GDP from 0.8% in 2012 to 3.1% by 2030, the government has been encouraging pri-vate sector participation in various ongoing infrastructure projects in the country and the domestic banks have been playing their

role to ensure the government’s efforts are a suc-cess.

Al Raisi says Commercial Bank has a strong presence in infrastructure and contract finance, and is a major issuer of guarantees for large proj-ects in Qatar. Qatar’s successful bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup has fast-tracked for award over the next five years more than QR582 billion ($160 billion) of infrastructure projects in dif-ferent sectors such as tourism, transportation, sports, airlines, energy, utilities and other sectors.

“We are playing a major role in the develop-ment of Qatar’s private sector, of which tourism is

a growing component. The self-sustaining growth and vitality of the private sector is the key to di-versifying income streams and reducing Qatar’s dependence on hydrocarbon wealth in line with the National Vision 2030,” Al Raisi says.

The bank has been facilitating economic devel-opment not only at the largest scale by lending to the large corporate sector but also at the smallest scale by lending to individuals and SMEs. SMEs are globally recognised as essential drivers for economic diversification, creating new jobs and new sources of innovation, he says.

Hub for sports and arts"Tourism received a boost as several arts and sports events are lined up to be held in the next eight years and we have been sponsoring events such as Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, Com-mercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar Moto GP, IAAF

Tourism is one of the major components

of Qatar’s economic diversification plans

and Commercial Bank Qatar Chief Executive

Officer Abdullah Saleh Al Raisi tells

Qatar Today how their bank is part of the

programme.By V L Srinivasan

“We have a role in Qatar’s future”


FIGURES

NET OPERATINGINCOME UP

22%TO QR2.9 BILLION

NET PROFIT UP

19%TO QR1.5 BILLION

TOTAL ASSETS UP

8.6%TO QR114 BILLION

CUSTOMER LOANSAND ADVANCES UP

8.9%AT QR71 BILLION

CUSTOMERS’DEPOSITS UP

I%TO QR58 BILLION

EARNINGS PERSHARE STANDS ATQR 1.54

Diamond League Athletics, World Men’s Hand-ball Championship and squash to promote the sector," he says.

“All these events are enhancing Qatar’s inter-national sporting reputation as the country gears up for the ultimate sporting event of all: the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Coupled with Qatar’s outstand-ing cultural attractions including Katara Cultural Village and the Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar is holding sporting and cultural events of sufficient prestige and quality to attract tourists to the country,” Al Raisi says.

He says their bank believes in the dictum that sport plays an integral role in today’s society by promoting healthy lifestyles and teamwork and has been a proud supporter of National Sports Day. The bank is a strategic partner of Katara Cul-tural Village, symbolising its commitment to fos-ter cultural activities in Qatar, and supports sev-eral humanitarian projects for the disadvantaged and less fortunate in the Qatari society including the Al Noor Institute for the Blind, Al Raisi says.

CBQ and Qatar’s financial sectorAccording to him, Commercial Bank is a custom-er-centric organisation where quality of service is accorded importance - from retail customers in branches to executives at big corporates. “We are not the biggest bank in the country but we are leading Qatar’s banking industry for quality of service and innovation, which is what we believe matters to our customers most and this is why our customers choose to bank with us and stay bank-ing with us,” Al Raisi says.

He says a shortlist of achievements over a near-ly 40-year history reflects a bank of innovation and “firsts” in Qatar. The bank was the first to pro-vide personal and vehicle loans in Qatar in 1988 and the first ATMs in 1990.

“We introduced the first point-of-sale ma-chines in 1992 and the first mobile banking app in Qatar in 2009. In 2006, we were the first Qatari bank to list on the London Stock Exchange and

the first to list a bond issue on the SIX Swiss Ex-change in 2010,” he recalls.

The management also considers investment in technology a high priority as it is a central compo-nent of innovation and enhancing customer ser-vice. Some of the most striking uses of technology seen in recent years have been through the rise in Internet and mobile banking services. "Com-mercial Bank, therefore, devotes an enormous amount of research, design and thinking into our digital channels such as our website, online bank-ing platforms and mobile apps," he says.

Overseas expansionExplaining the overseas operations, he says Com-mercial Bank’s acquisition of a 74.24% stake in Turkey’s Alternatifbank (ABank) in 2013 repre-sented the latest step in its successful interna-tional expansion and acquisition strategy follow-ing a 34.9% stake in National Bank of Oman in 2005, and a 40% stake in United Arab Bank in the UAE in 2007.

A major factor in the bank’s investment deci-sion was Turkey’s long-term growth opportuni-ties and the growing trade flows between Turkey and the Gulf region. “Whilst the Qatari market will continue to be our core business, we will continue to selectively invest in profitable and growth businesses overseas to strengthen our po-sition as one of the leading commercial banks in the region,” he says.

Performance in 2014The bank is not a big player in the league but its contribution along with its subsidiaries cannot be ignored. In the first nine months of 2014 (till September 30), the bank has earned a net profit of QR1.5 billion, a 19% increase in profitability as against the corresponding period in 2013. On a quarterly basis, the bank has generated a net prof-it of QR503 million in the third quarter of 2014, an increase of 79% compared to the correspond-ing period in 2013, he adds (see right)

“We are not the biggest bank in Qatar but we are leading Qatar’s banking industry for quality of service

and innovation. Quality of service is what we believe in.This matters the most to our customers and this is

why our customers choose to bank with us and stay banking with us.”

ABDULLAH SALEH AL RAISICEO, Commercial Bank Qatar


business > realty check

QATARI ROYALS TO BUILDMEGA MANSION IN LONDON?

KATARA BUYS LLOYDS’SSTAKE IN LONDON SAVOY HOTEL

SHEIKH MOHAMED BIN FAISAL BIN QASSIM AL THANIBoard member Qatar Businessmen Association

“The final BOI report for this year shows that optimism prevails in Qatar, with a majority of businesses confident of embarking upon new projects as the country continues its bold and progressive journey towards the realisation of our National Vision.”

Qatar’s royal family is said to be planning to convert three of London’s most prestigious addresses into a single mega-mansion valued at over QR1.14 billion (£200 million), according to media reports.

The family, which already owns famous London landmarks including the Shard, Harrods and the Olympic Park, has submitted plans to convert three

properties in Regent’s Park. The reports also said that Her Highness Sheika Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned bought the mansions last year for a reported QR570.49 million (£120

million), and hired a team of architects to redesign the properties into living quarters. The plans include transforming the already spacious homes into a 33,000-square feet palace, with a spa complex, heated pool, space for two limousines, games rooms, el-evators, a gym and quarters for a butler and live-in nanny, the reports added.

QR 2.9 BILLION REALTY DEALS IN NOVEMBER The real estate deals in the first three weeks of November have touched QR2.9 billion and may cross QR4 billion by the end of the month, according to the latest monthly report from Ezdan Group. The total real estate transactions in Qatar stood at QR4.5 billion in October 2014 while it was QR5.9 billion for November 2013. Barwa Real Estate has sold two land plots in Mesaimeer for a sum of QR5.3 billion, the report said. Qatar’s construction sector is expected to be about QR116.48 billion ($32 billion) in 2014-15, achieving a growth rate of 54%. Infrastructure projects in Qatar are set to exceed QR254.8 billion ($70 billion) during the next seven years.

The Savoy, the five-starLondon hotel once frequented

by Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe and Claude Monet, is

now owned by Qatar and one of Saudi Arabia’s richest men, a

Bloomberg report says.

Qatar’s government-owned Katara Hospitality bought a 50% stake from Lloyds Banking Group and Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Ta-

lal’s Kingdom Holding owns the rest, the report says, citing a statement from King-

dom Holding. Katara Hospitality, owned by Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, is in talks to buy “iconic” hotels in London and Rome as it seeks to more than double its properties by 2030, Chief Operating Officer Christo-pher R J Knable said last year.

THE US OIL MARKETCrude oil production from U.S. wells is poised to approach a 42-year record next year as drillers ignore the recent decline in price pointing them in the opposite direction.

U.S. energy producers plan to pump more crude in 2015 as declining equipment costs and enhanced drilling techniques more than offset the collapse in oil markets, said Troy Eckard, whose Eckard Global LLC owns stakes in more than 260 North Dakota shale wells.

Oil companies, while trimming 2015 budgets to cope with the lowest crude prices in five years, are also shifting their focus to their most prolific, lowest-cost fields, which means extracting more oil with fewer drilling rigs, said Goldman Sachs Group Inc. ExxonMobil Corp. (XOM), the largest U.S. energy company, will increase oil production next year by the biggest mar-gin since 2010. So far, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ month-old bet that American drillers would be crushed by cratering prices has been a bust.

business> oil&gas

NOT TO MISS

The 5th Offshore Middle East Conference and Exhibition, that will take place between January 26 - 28, 2015 at the Qatar National Convention Centre, will see as many as 45 local and international organisations come together under the theme of ‘optimising performance’.

SAUDI STANDS ITS GROUND“In a situation like this, it is difficult, if not impossible, that the kingdom or OPEC would carry out any action that may result in a reduction of its share in the market and an increase of others’ shares,” Ali Al Naimi, Saudi Oil Minister said, according to the state-run news agency. Saudi Arabia, the largest producer in OPEC, will stick to its oil policies, he said.

GAS PRICES AFFECTED TOO

The sharp drop in global oil prices has also caused the value of natural gas to depreciate, according to Mohammed Saleh Abdulla Al Sada, Qatar's Minister of Energy and Industry.

“Energy markets are interconnected, and we can see the effects of the oil price drop affecting gas too,” Al Sada told reporters in Doha.There was already a “strong degree of conversion of gas spot prices between different regions,” he said on the sidelines of the 16th ministerial meeting of gas-exporting countries.Al Sada was upbeat about the prospects for the gas market, however, saying both supply and demand were increasing. “We believe that gas has a strong advantage not only as a source of energy but a source of a cleaner energy. And gas demand is likely to be further augmented,” he said.

The world’s largest crude producer’s output will be similar to this year’s 10.6 mil-lion barrels a day, Novak said at the 16th Ministerial Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Doha. Brent, the global benchmark, fell almost 50% since the

end of 2013, contributing to a currency crisis in Russia, which relies on energy for half its budget.

By keeping oil output unchanged, Russia is matching a strategy by OPEC, which said November 27 that it won’t curb production to tackle a global surplus. Sanctions im-posed by the U.S. and European Union over the conflict in Ukraine spurred the worst capital outflows in six years as the economy nears recession.

RUSSIA IN A FIXRussia will keep its crude oil output steady next year and plunging prices will stabilise, Energy Minister AlexanderNovak said, reiterating comments made a month ago that the nation won’t adjust supply to halt a rout.

-50%

-40%

-30%

-20%

-10%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Uni

ted

Stat

es

Iraq

Can

ada

Braz

il

Chi

na

Russ

ia

Saud

i Ara

bia

Mex

ico

Vene

zuel

a

Iran

Alg

eria

Nor

way

Euro

pean

Uni

on

Uni

ted

King

dom

Liby

a

47.5

29.4

23.1

11.6

9.6

8.4 8.1

-9.2

-18.6

-19.1

-20.0

-25.5

-36.5

-44.3

-45.7

-50%

2,000,000

1,800,000

1,600,000

1,400,000

1,200,000

1,000,000

800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

007 08 09 10 11 12 13 14

Permian

Bakken

Eagle Ford

-50%

-40%

-30%

-20%

-10%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Uni

ted

Stat

es

Iraq

Can

ada

Braz

il

Chi

na

Russ

ia

Saud

i Ara

bia

Mex

ico

Vene

zuel

a

Iran

Alg

eria

Nor

way

Euro

pean

Uni

on

Uni

ted

King

dom

Liby

a

47.5

29.4

23.1

11.6

9.6

8.4 8.1

-9.2

-18.6

-19.1

-20.0

-25.5

-36.5

-44.3

-45.7

-50%

2,000,000

1,800,000

1,600,000

1,400,000

1,200,000

1,000,000

800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

007 08 09 10 11 12 13 14

Permian

Bakken

Eagle Ford

How much crude oil production changed between 2008 and 2013. The US is way out front, disrupting the global oil game.

America’s shale super fields since 2011. North Dakota’s Bakken and south Texas’ Eagle Ford are both now producing more than 1 million barrels a day, up from practically nothing just a few years ago.


Qatar’s diversification:

How far dowe need to go?Consumers in the US and across Europe are cheering as prices at the pump are falling ahead of the holiday season, making travel cheaper. This is of course on the back of falling oil prices – the WTI benchmark hit a new low of QR280.28 ($77) a barrel from a peak of just over QR382.2 ($105) in late May 2014.

The change is the result of both cy-clical and structural factors that are likely to persist, according to industry experts while the rapid change in energy prices highlights the importance of economic and

financial diversification for Qatar. But what exactly is driving lower oil

prices? On the cyclical side, regional insta-bility initially pulled up the price over the summer period with panic buying but the picture quickly changed when supply in troubled countries turned out to be higher than expected. Additional supply by Saudi Arabia along with a weaker than expected global economic outlook translated into downward pressure on oil benchmarks.

The bigger picture however has to do with higher production in the US, the

world’s largest consumer of oil, driven by new fracking technology that has caused the traditional supply-demand dynamics of decades past to break down: according to the Energy Information Administration, the United States’ net import share of oil stands at around 30% in 2014 down from a high of 60% in 2005.

Is an oil price rebound in the offing? On the cyclical side, downward pressure due to weak demand is likely to persist in the first half of 2015, according to a recent re-port by the Internal Energy Agency. On the structural side, “there may be some slowing [production in the US], but it’s not going to be dramatic if we stay around QR291.2 ($80) a barrel,” according to a senior Vice President at the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank (NYtimes.com.)

business > viewpoint


BY DR TAREK COURY

Overall, the GCC will likely have to live with lower oil prices in the medium term. In the longer term, the 2024 forecast for the US is for its share of imported oil to fall to 15%, half of its current level, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

ABOUT TAREK COURY

Dr Tarek Coury is an economistat Silatech, a social initiative based in Doha, Qatar.

Lower oil pricesOverall, the GCC will likely have to live with lower oil prices in the medium term. In the longer term, the 2024 forecast for the US is for its share of imported oil to fall to 15%, half of its current level, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

As mentioned earlier, these changing energy price dynamics – which are also at work in the natural gas sector – imply that Qatar’s reliance on oil and gas needs to be reduced further. One measure of reliance on hydrocarbons is the revenue share of oil and gas in exported products.

Over 92% of Qatar’s product export rev-enue is from mineral products (gas, crude and refined petroleum products). For the remaining 8%, the biggest export items are chemical products (3%), plastics and rub-

bers (2%) and metals (1%). The over-reli-ance on oil and gas implies that changes in energy prices have a big impact on Qatar’s product export revenue.

But other countries in the Gulf have shown that countries’ export performance can improve with the right initiatives in place. The UAE, for example, has managed to diversify its export base: mineral prod-ucts account for only 68% of its product export revenue, followed second by metals (20%) and third, machinery (4%).

The UAE has managed to diversify its economy through various initiatives, not least of which is the creation of highly suc-cessful economic zones. As Qatar embarks on the creation of three new economic zones, the right policies can have a big impact on the country’s product export performance, potentially boosting Qatar’s non-hydrocarbon revenue share by nearly 25 percentage points.

Financial diversificationBut diversification is not only to be found in the country’s economic output. Finan-cial diversification, through revenue from its sovereign wealth fund will have a big im-pact on the composition of Qatar’s budget revenue. The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), estimated to be currently holding assets worth over QR618.8 billion ($170 bil-lion), is a relative newcomer among sover-eign wealth funds but has actively acquired equity participation in banks, real estate and commercial enterprises across the world. Oil and gas revenues currently con-tribute 64% of government revenue while investment income accounts for only 14%. As the QIA grows in size, revenues from its income generating assets will allow Qatar’s government to become less dependent on the vagaries of the oil and gas markets.

Financial diversification is also indi-rectly linked to the domestic non-oil and gas sectors. Indeed, government revenue stemming from corporate profits and oth-er sources of revenue currently constitute only 21% of overall revenue.

When compared to regional bench-marks, diversification in products exported through its economic zones can increase the government’s revenue share from cor-porate profits. This would not only ensure that Qatar remains on a stable footing in a period of low energy prices, it would also al-low the government to reduce Qatar’s fiscal breakeven price for oil


technology > viewpoint

D emand for stronger inter-net security is rising in Qatar, fuelled by greater awareness of its impor-tance, following several high-profile cyber crimes.

Qatar has pledged to tackle what it terms its “three grand challenges” of cyber secu-rity, water and energy through research, investment and education.

Cyber attacksCyber threats are on the rise worldwide. A study by the SANS Institute, a UK-based

Cyber security is high on the list of challenges that could prove a hurdle to Qatar’s economic development, although it is also being seen as an opportunity for potential growth in the information, communication and technology (ICT) industry.

research group on information security, said that the number of organisations with identified or suspected security breaches had increased by nearly 40% in 2014 from 28% a year ago, with only 9% confident their systems have not been penetrated.

Events in recent years have highlighted such concerns. In August 2012 malware struck Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil producer, wiping critical data from 30,000 of its computers. Later that month, a cy-ber-attack virus crashed the website and office computer systems at RasGas, one of two LNG producers.

A report by technology firm Cisco re-leased earlier this year said businesses in the Middle East were increasingly becom-ing the target of cyber attacks, with energy firms particularly at risk. Cyber-criminals are attacking internet infrastructure rather than individual computers or devices, with the aim of breaching and stealing data.

The threat to businesses was highlighted in a recent speech by Qatar’s Minister of Information and Communications Tech-nology, Dr Hessa Sultan Al Jaber. “Cyber security is vital to our national security, business competitiveness, and sustainabil-ity. It is critical to our future and the econo-my,” she said at the keynote address during the Cyber Security Summit - Middle East.

However, within that challenge lie op-portunities. “We can turn these risks into exciting opportunities such as job genera-tion, innovation, and advancements,” she added.

ICT riseAlthough the ICT sector in Qatar is deeply concerned over issues such as cyber secu-

Qatar moves to tackle cyber crime


BY OLIVER CORNOCKThe author is the Regional Editorof Oxford Business Group.

rity attacks, metrics like web connectivity and mobile broadband consumption indi-cate a country that is increasingly plugged-in, and willing to invest to stay that way. Support from state institutions is encour-aging entrepreneurs and researchers to build their ideas into sellable products.

A recent report by market intelligence firm IDC estimates a 14-15% rise in IT spending in Qatar this year due to growth in hosting and managed services.

“Competition is expected to increase in Qatar as a greater number of IT services companies establish or expand their oper-ations in order to tap into the growing op-portunities in the country,” said Eric Sam-uel, senior research analyst at IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey.

Doha’s plans to become a smart city, which include ensuring all areas are inter-connected, have already begun generating higher demand for ICT services across the public and private sectors, according to Mo-hammad Hammoudi, general manager for Cisco in Qatar.

Increased awareness of security issues, and in particular hacking, has led to securi-ty upgrades becoming the most in-demand services, he added. “Cyber security and physical security, such as cameras, have be-come the number one priority in the sector. Cisco has witnessed a huge increase in ser-vice requests related to this,” he told OBG.

Ghada El Rassi, the CEO of MEEZA, a privately-held joint venture with Qatar Foundation, which provides essential IT

support, echoed this sentiment, noting that there had been a shift in clients’ require-ments from managed services towards se-curity. “Cyber attacks in Qatar and other countries have created an awareness of cyber security issues,” she told OBG. “It has become a need. We are seeing demand in disaster recovery, business continuity plans and security services.”

Research A push to make cyber security research a priority has already led Qatar to deep-en its pool of experts, while state agencies are joining forces with research institutes and private firms to build up protective measures and develop exportable technol-ogies for IT security. In September, Qatar University (QU) and French corporation Thales announced the establishment of a cyber security chair at the university. QU said the chair would work with students, faculty and industry leaders to identify cyber security issues and put forward best practices in responding to them.

Last year, Qatar Computer Research In-stitute (QCRI), an initiative of Qatar Foun-dation for computer research, set up a cyber security research centre to find solutions for the cyber security issues in the country.

Alongside the focus on research, Qatar’s government has moved to clamp down on cyber criminals. In mid-September, the country tightened its cyber security legisla-tion, introducing higher fines and penalties for unauthorised accessing of any website

“A push to make cyber security research a priority has already led Qatar to deepen its pool of experts, while state agencies are joining forces with research institutes and private firms to build up protective measures and develop exportable technologies for IT security.”


T H E P E AC E O F L A N D

A man holds a Palestinian flag and a baby olive tree during a demonstration intended to plant 300 olive trees in the village

of Turmus Aya near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on December 10,. Ziad Abu Ein, who was in charge of the issue of Israeli settlements for the Palestinian Authority,

died after scuffles with Israeli forces during the protest march in the West Bank, medical and security sources told AFP.

AFP PHOTO / ABBAS MOMANI

newsbites > regional


development > listening post

Forthe love ofjournalism


I have always been terrified at the pros-pect of interviewing a prominent jour-nalist. Would he grasp my lack of pro-found expertise in world politics, pick on my seemingly deficient journalistic traits, or dismiss my years of work as

inconsequential? Armed with all these res-ervations and some others, due to the lack of time allocated for the interview, I meet the man who changed the course of Arab journalism: Wadah Khanfar, the ex-Direc-tor General of Al Jazeera network.

I shouldn’t have worried as here was a man who loved his vocation with a passion and telling stories, his included, comes nat-urally to him – all he needed was someone to ask the right questions.

After a highly-volatile and successful eight-year tenure as the Director General of Al Jazeera, Khanfar, “voluntarily” re-signed and speculations have been rife to this day, some insisting that he was asked to leave by the owners of the channel, the ruling family. From war correspondent to Baghdad Bureau Chief to Director General from 2003 until he stepped down in 2011, Khanfar has worked through the closure and bombing of Al Jazeera’s bureaus during the Arab Spring, the murder of its journal-ists and propaganda smears.

On reasons why he quit, he has been quoted thus: “People have created a lot of discussions about this issue, but I really feel that eight years is enough for any busi-ness leader to accomplish his mission. After that, it is going to be difficult to continue. This was the right time for me to move on and start thinking about new issues to get

involved in.”Whatever the motives, here is someone

who does miss being in the limelight, “the thrill of being in the news room, the excite-ment of being at the centre of events as they evolve”, the “adrenaline rush”, but who does not pine much for the administrative part of the job. He says, “News, which is the core of what Al Jazeera is about, is what I essentially miss; of getting news, of inter-acting with journalists and experts.”

So how does he feel when he looks at news as it unfolds on the screen? Does his brain react as instinctively as it used to when he was at AJ, or has he really moved away from it all?

“You cannot undo the journalistic in-stinct, it comes with the territory,” he says. “Listening to a news bulletin is not relaxing anymore because your mind is constantly looking at probabilities, at the complexities behind it, the context, the superficiality of it all, the anecdotes and sometimes the depth of the issue discussed. You are not only lis-tening to a news bulletin but also judging the way it was done.”

My worry resurfaces yet again but I go back to questioning with the adeptness that would shame even the most expert journo.

Three years after he has left the channel, Khanfar retains the perspective of a jour-nalist even as he heads the Sharq Forum, which its website states is an independent international network whose mission is to develop long-term strategies to ensure the political development, social justice and economic prosperity of the Arab world.

Khanfar looks back at his career and

If there is one man who rode on the power of broadcasting, the kind that brought about the downfall of age-old regimes and wily dictators, it was Wadah Khanfar, the ex-Director General of Al Jazeera. And now after he has given it all up, he is as possessed by the profession as before; though he now uses his power to motivate the youth, as he did at the Shape ME Conference held in Doha last month. By Sindhu Nair


remembers the first changes that he made when he joined the channel and here his ruminations take on a philosophical under-tone that defines what he is currently un-dertaking at Al Sharq.

“I came from a research and study back-ground and was a student of international politics, and the difference between being embedded in long-term political and strate-gic struggle and reporting news of today is an issue of mentality,” he says. “An analyst takes time to think about the story, of look-ing at it from various angles, while a jour-nalist loves to catch the story and make sure that it has been broadcasted immediately.”

It took Khanfar time to adjust to these two completely different genres of report-ing: “From being someone who loves the analytics of news to understanding the immediacy of news, especially since TV reporting is much more about the topicali-ty of news than even newspaper reporting, took time, but change I did”. The change in mentality, this inner change, was hence the first big step towards building a network that made sense of the Arab world, its con-flicts and celebrations, its complexities and simplicities, the deep mysteries associated with the region, to the rest of the world.

“The quiet life of living in a place like South Africa, enjoying the happenings of the country and covering it, to adapting to

change and moving on to Afghanistan and then later to Iran, and Qatar, when the rest of my life at Al Jazeera could only be called dramatic; to enjoy all this I had to change my thinking and accept the change as part of my life’s calling,” he says.

The Donkey and more such lessonsHere Khanfar takes us back to his school days where life was much simpler, when his morning rides to school on a donkey (“a beautiful animal with zero maintenance – you can tie it to a tree and feed it grass”) took on a deeper, more sublime meaning in his life, “a routine that can be compared to meditation”. Khanfar wishes to bring back that solitude he enjoyed into the busy lives we lead now, where not a minute passes without being interrupted by a Whatsapp message or an email communication.

Change is not comfortable and for many a routine is difficult to shake off, but to en-joy the new roles thrust on us there has to be acceptance from within to understand and enjoy the “ride”. But even as one adapts to change, Khanfar stresses the need to hold on to core values that define a person.

Here he talks about the values he im-bibed when he was in Sudan, his next stop after college, “where life was certainly not easy but was still enriching because of the richness of the society, even in dire poverty

of resources”. It was here that he learnt to understand diversity and use it to compre-hend without prejudging anyone.

He delves into the study that he was in-volved in when reporting from South Africa on the Masai tribe, “with core values much more sophisticated than most modern so-cieties, a social justice system that was er-udite, and a pure joy of enjoying life at their own terms”, all opening Khanfar’s mind to the diversity around him and the cal-lousness with which man dismisses values without deeper understanding. Diversity became part of my intellectual paradigm, he says. “I stopped judging and started to understand the various political, cultural, religious backgrounds of the people that I was in touch with.”

It was this philosophy that Khanfar in-troduced within Al Jazeera, which he terms the Mind of the Nation, the understand-ing that each and every country has its uniqueness, and to understand it you have to entrench yourself in that culture. This is the reason why Al Jazeera always made it a point to send journalists of the same na-tionality to cover incidents in their coun-try, “to understand the intricacies, the soul behind the matter”. He ridiculed the lack of depth in many of the stories of Western news agencies, where correspondents were sent “overnight to Afghanistan, to Iran, to

"Diversity became part of my intellectual paradigm. I started to understand the various political, cultural, religious background of the people that I was in touch with."

development > listening post


give an overview of the situation”.Here he touches on an incident in

war-ridden Afghanistan, where two Pash-tuns living in dire poverty, displacement and destruction, invited the passing jour-nalists (Khanfar included) for a hot cup of tea and bread and later refused to accept money as a form of appreciation and were even offended because in the Pashtun tra-dition it was their duty to be hospitable to guests.

Change in AJAl Jazeera took on a new form of in-depth reporting during Khanfar’s time and it is his research background along with his jour-nalism experience that made him opt for this change in reporting style.

“I found that the superficiality of TV in particular and live reporting was affect-ing the perceptual framework of analysing news. Therefore to make use of news for a wider audience and take it beyond report-ing to education and awareness, I intro-duced an analytical tone in reporting at AJ,” he says. “Without taking away the immedi-acy of news, we made stories more live and connected with wider realities which would convert news into knowledge.”

The next revolution in news reporting came in the form of citizen journalism.

“This was a revolution within AJ, even an international awakening. AJ was one of the few networks which started including citizen journalism as part of newsroom journalism, and integrating it into main-stream news. So we had seasoned news edi-tors with decades of expertise working with young inexperienced citizens, sitting next to them, feeding them with news and new perspectives of life.”

Al Jazeera is said to have played a lead-ing role in the Arab Spring and even taught demonstrators tactics and strategy, giving rebel leaders a platform and airing power-ful user-generated content off the Inter-net that stimulated millions to take to the streets. Though Khanfar does not go into the larger role that AJ played in the revo-lutions, he speaks about the impact of the form of journalism that was introduced.

“We were banned from Tunisia for years but we found our correspondents on the streets of Tunisia, feeding our newsroom with images of the conflict. We took the de-cision, to give voice to this voiceless group and to bring them to life, putting them in-side every living room in the region through the channel and then this was replicated in Egypt, in Yemen, in Libya,” he says.

But this was not such a simple process. There was resistance even within the news-

room, according to Khanfar, from experi-enced editors who did not want to use the inexperienced, uncouth form of journalism from the field, saying it would dilute the se-riousness of the matter.

“But eventually with time, they realised that we had no alternative but to use these citizen journalists found through social me-dia, especially in areas where our bureaus were banned and where getting reporters was next to impossible. Slowly this interac-tion became much more comfortable; the young guys became more professional and the seasoned journos started opening their mind to the new ways of journalism.”

This led AJ to be open-minded, dynamic and the most valued network in the region, according to Khanfar. But how tough was maintaining a network with the purest of news value without being influenced by

other governing factors, like TRP rates, and government demands, if there were any?

“There are two parts to my job,” says Khanfar, “the Director General, who is a journalist that wants to keep the core ed-itorial values of AJ intact and advance the independence of the editorial, which might bring about confrontation with govern-ments who will not like this freedom. The second is the executive, who wants to make sure that the interest of the organisation is preserved, that is to keep our offices intact and open, to communicate with everyone to keep the marketing channels working and profitable. Sometimes there is a conflict of interest in both these roles, sometimes the independence of the editorial might result in the closure of the bureau in a country, sometimes the presentation of the news might result in the journalists’ being im-pounded or jailed."

“The point here is to create the moment of balance between maintaining the inter-est of the viewer as well as keeping an eye out for the benefit of the organisation so it

can keep serving the public,” says Khanfar, adding that he has tried his best to maintain this balance, though, he concedes that there have been instances when AJ has made mis-takes: “We have gone much beyond what was necessary for things that might not be needed and have paid the price for it”.

But Khanfar agrees to the fact that his profession made sure that he went through a cycle of emotions, “from being on top of the world for exposing news before any other channel, then a bit of disappointment when some exclusive news was lost to the channel when others got to it before us”; the low moments too were frequent, though not from the reporting side of his job. “It was from small details related to manage-ment, when you have to worry about financ-es, human resources: the management side of the job.”

The euphoria that is part of the news-room was exulted when the Mubarak re-gime was overthrown and is one such un-forgettable moment that will go down in history. Khanfar had instructed his editors to keep the camera on Tahrir Square and not move it, nor add any comments, just to let the sound from the Square come loud and clear to the viewers. “That was a beauti-ful scene on the TV, the voice of the people without any interference.”

"I had to create the moment of balance between maintaining the interest of the viewer as well as keeping an eye out for the benefit of the organisation so it can keep serving the public."

affairs > international

T E R R O R I S M K I L L S I N H U M A N E LY, Y E T AGA I N

Pakistani students in Karachi read the Quran and pray for the victims of the terrorist attack on an army-run school in Peshawar. Pakistan began three days of mourning on December 17 for the 132 children and nine school staff massacred by the Taliban in the country's deadliest ever terror attack, as the world united in revulsion.

AFP PHOTO / RIZWAN TABASSUM

M A N YM I N D S

O N ET H O U G H T

For our first issue of the New Year,Qatar Today wants to bring to focus the

trend setters and the boundary pushers of 2014, who talk to us about the year they had

and their hopes for the one to come.There is sheer unbridled energy in the air and it’s infectious. There is a stirring among the

youth, a yearning for greater things, an urge to leave a mark. It’s almost a movement,

a revolution. And it’s just the beginning.

The list that follows (which is in no particular order) is not

complete. Not by a long shot.And we are happy to say, it’ll never be complete.

Those we have spoken to here are some of the best, most passionate and energetic minds in the country, each working towards their own calling, but

together they weave a story that hasn’t been told before.

Qatar Today congratulates them on their successful year and wishes them more

of the same in the days to come.

Compiled by Ayswarya Murthy


affairs > local

MohammedAl Housani

“It all startswith a question.

From an early age, my curiosity was encouraged and I was taught to ask questions. About everything. Asking questions makes you think, which makes you search for the answer,

and that answer is usually found in science.”

The Trend Setters


Looking backTexas A&M University in Qatar graduate Mohammed Al Housani entered into the service of Rasgas soon after his academ-ic stint in petroleum engineering came to an end, all the while honing his technical knowledge, critical thinking and research skills. It is curious how those in the hydro-carbon sector take an active interest in re-newables (case in point being Green Gulf CEO, Omran Al Kuwari). Al Housani had a spark of an idea after his participation in COP18, which raised his energy and en-vironment awareness. “So I came up with Taqatech, a hybrid solar system that har-vests both thermal and light energy from the sun in order to reach higher produc-tivity of energy, in less area and with less cost,” he says. His participation in Stars of Science helped him develop this idea into a

viable product. But the road to success was by no means easy. “Taqatech is a complicat-ed product that required a large number of tests and trials, but with limited time be-cause we can only work in daylight as the product and tests needed the sun.

My progress was slower than the oth-ers and while the Engineering and Design Primes were getting closer and closer, I was not even close to finishing the product,” he remembers. But as history would note, Al Housani was indeed able to complete his tasks and went on to win, edging out oth-er innovations like the zucchini corer and Wudu cleaner. He says modestly that even though his invention would have the great-est impact on the global scale, each had their own audience and it was difficult to predict the winner. But win he did and, like him, the jury and audience too saw the high

potential of Taqatech, given that the solar industry is one of the fastest-growing in-dustries in the world right now. It has finally managed to break free from the dark cloud that has been hovering over it since its early years and is finally ready to go mainstream. “Solar power is getting more and more ef-ficient and cost effective and therefore it is becoming more applicable,” he says.

“In addition to that, countries are be-coming more environmentally aware and their increasing environmental obligations are pushing them to use more solar.” Zoom-ing back in, for now Al Housani is intent on commercialising his invention.

This competition, he says, changed his life by providing him with the skill box and the process of thinking required to turn a simple idea into a product. From now on, it’s solely his show.

The media-shy winner of the latest edition of Stars of Science has his

finger on the country’s pulse.This year especially, Qatar has made a tangible

and substantial push towards solar energy, both in the private and public sectors. And Mohammed Al

Housani’sTaqatech hybrid solar system couldn’t have come at a better time.

Because..


Mohamed Fakroo

“I find navigating the challenges of the

NGO sector extremely rewarding.”

The Trend Setters


Looking back“This was the year in which all the effort that went into planning Teach for Qatar, which is essentially a part of the solution to Qatar’s educational challenges, bore fruit,” says Mohammed Fakroo. Now, at the end of the year, he and his 20 staff members continue their journey of growth into 2015. “Our first cohort of Fellows only began teaching in our partner schools in Septem-ber 2014; however their achievements and the positive change they are enacting have been visible from day one,” he says.

“As our talent pool of Fellows continues to grow we see increasing interest from additional sponsors and partner schools. Additionally, some of our Fellows have al-ready received positive feedback from their students’ parents, while others have been officially recognised with awards.

It is all these achievements combined that bring me not only great professional satis-faction, but personal fulfillment as well.” Some of Qatar’s biggest organisations, which partnered with Teach for Qatar as part of their CSR initiatives, have taken their involvement a notch higher.

An agreement with Maersk Oil Qatar, which attracts some of the brightest talents in the country, saw one of their employees take up a two-year full-time teaching po-sition with one of Teach for Qatar's inde-pendent partner schools. The year has also brought much into perspective for Fakroo, a native of the corporate world.

“It was actually surprising to discover that the NGO sector is a lot more challeng-ing because results are driven by long-term goals and achievements through gradual change, which are therefore less immediate

and tangible in the short term,” he says.

Crystal gazingSince teaching is not currently considered as a top profession of choice in Qatar and is somewhat undervalued within society, it stands in the way of reinvestment of top talent into the education system. “From the first day we wanted to work to address this,” Fakroo says. “This shift in societal mindset is obviously not going to happen overnight, which is where the challenge lies.”

Fakroo hopes a new year means more Fel-lows and more partnerships with schools. “I also hope to gain further support from corporations regarding the secondment of their employees, which offers them the opportunity to give back to Qatar through a two-year teaching placement in one of our partner schools,” he says.

Mohamed Fakroo, backed by HH Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, stepped into

a battlefield that has seen the fall of even mighty education think tanks.

His focus – how to get the brightest minds of our generation invested in the nurturing of the next. In its

first year of operations, Teach for Qatar has taken small, measured steps. But Fakroo’s passion for the work is

intense and will very likely rub off on the impressionable and talented young people that his organisation is

dispatching across schools in the city.

Because..


Dana Al Fardan

“My influences have been in a constant state of change –

from classical music and musicals to classic rock and, in my university

years, Eric Clapton, BB King and the Blues (Not a real shocker that I

named my daughter Layla).”

The Trend Setters


Looking back“This has been the most sporadic year of my life,” Dana Al Fardan says."I have ex-perienced more changes this year than the whole of my life and it has been great! I de-cided to quit singing to work on my song-writing and to set up my label, DNA.” Sing-ing was loads of fun but she realised that it was not what she wanted to do ultimately. “What’s been great about this year was the fact that I got to work with different art-ists, be they vocalists singing my songs, or the composer I collaborated with on some songs, or the artists I signed to my label. Music for me is not a solitary domain. I feel it is difficult to grow as a musician when you are not interacting with other artists and feeding off their talent.”

Though the decision to set up a label was intimidating, Al Fardan was immovably certain that this was how she wanted her career in singing to progress. “I decided to take a couple of days off to figure things out.” Two days is a long time for the spon-taneous Al Fardan but by the end of it she knew that this was the best way for her to transmit music, even if it wasn’t her own.

“It was never about me, it was always about getting quality sounds and writing out there.” From thinking to doing was but a small step for her, and very soon she found herself signing the Ryan O’Reilly Band. “I have been a big fan since I was first sent a link to their music three years ago,” she says. And it is as simple as that when you are Dana Al Fardan.

Crystal gazingAl Fardan is gleeful about the New Year be-cause it means the realisation of one of her dearest dreams. “I have always wanted to hear my music represented by an orches-tral arrangement, and we might be putting on a concert with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, who will be playing my compo-sition.” She is tremendously excited about the event, both as a composer and a huge fan of classical music, a genre that has been the cornerstone of her inspiration. She has another emerging talent to manage, this one right at home. “My daughter appears to have a real passion for music (the word “passion” may be strong as she is only a year and a half ) and that has created a beautiful space for us to grow together,” she smiles.

Dana Al Fardan, with herdistinctive voice, compelling lyrics

and razor-sharp wit,who had pioneered the nascent music scene in Qatar, had been showing signs of winding down her singing career. But this, by no means, spells her departure. In fact, now she is determined to give someone else a

chance on the platform she has painstakingly created for herself over the years.

Because..


Hend, Ghada and Maha Al Subaey

“Quality execution is key to enable us to compete

internationally."

The Trend Setters


Looking BackThe label – run by the three Qatari sisters Hend, Ghada and Maha Al Subaey - remains an undeniable case study in the power of so-cial media not only to promote but to con-duct commercial transactions; a unique ap-proach that is widespread only in the Gulf countries. It is, nonetheless, less simple than just uploading images and waiting for the likes to pour in.

The Kayys portrayed lifestyle imageries that were highly relatable to women in the Gulf, and created clothing that were appro-priately aspirational to these ideals. Every post is calculated and produced, “It is a

very personal space to communicate what is inspiring us and to express the vision of the brand,” says one of the designers behind the label, Hend Al Subaey, “It was a lengthy process but was important to create the ex-act image that we envisioned for the brand.”

The Kayys certainly have found the mag-ic formula in capturing the spirit of the modern Arab woman in their demi-couture offerings. “Quality execution is key to en-able us to compete internationally. Social media has introduced us to the world be-yond this region and we must show what Qatar is made of,” Hend explains.

She also mentions the overwhelming

support they have had from the community. “A lot of our sales come from local girls who make it a point to wear regional designers,” she says.

Ghada bagged the prestigious Young De-signer award as part of The Kayys at the 2013 Qatar Arab Woman Awards, while Maha graduated from the Virginia Com-monwealth University Qatar last year with a final collection that quickly caught the at-tention of local fashion retailers.

“I like imperfections; I like the tension, and my designs walk the line between dra-ma and discipline,” Maha says of her cre-ative vision.

Their campaign images made their ap-pearance on Instagram in mid-2012, and heralded the debut of the label The Kayys - the photographed Ramadan 2012 collection was a sold-out success, with client-label communication all done via social media. Fast forward to a hundred thousand

followers and five collections later, The Kayys have now established stockists and a far-reaching sales medium

beyond its initial online guerilla sales tactics.

Because..


AlanoudAl Buainain

“Change is inevitable; it can’t be stopped. But

it’s nice to see this being documented through art.”

The Trend Setters


Looking backAfter acquiring a degree in art, design (and some elements of art history) in Boston three years ago, Alanoud Al Buainain re-turned to Doha and began working with Qatar Museums. Since then she has sub-merged herself in the local art scene, get-ting reacquainted with older artists and finding exciting new ones. “What are our artists trying to tell us? What are they about? Where are they?” are some of the questions she tries to answer. “Some of the art I’m finding in Qatar revolve around the theme of change in different aspects within the society,” she says. The tone is primarily positive, with a tinge of nostalgia. “Change is inevitable; it can’t be stopped. But it’s nice to see this being documented through art.” She points at one of the works in ‘Here There’: Maryam Al Homaid’s tribute to Do-ha’s vanishing roundabouts. The digital art

installation brings to life in all their 3D glo-ry some of Doha’s most iconic roundabouts. This is a great example of the current com-mentary on change in the art world. “The removal of the roundabouts might have made a positive impact but nevertheless they evoke certain sentiments in the viewer. The structures on these roundabouts were landmarks themselves, helping us navigate the city. So there is this sense of trying to keep the memory of these elements alive, even though they are long gone,” she says.

Crystal gazing“The strong sense of privacy within the Qa-tari society doesn’t mean that there is no communication,” Al Buainain points out. “There are many artists who put their work out there through social media, many who are introduced to me through other artists. They have studied together or learnt about

one another through others. So there is a dialogue going on even though it’s not so much out there.” Often, her mission is to uncover the links between the different perspectives and bring out their coalescent meaning. This involves a lot of research, discussions with the artists, visiting their studios and writing about it. “I certainly want to work on more exhibitions this year and create long-term collaborations with local artists.” Meanwhile, she continues to dabble in art on her own, experimenting with her artistic voice and different medi-ums and materials. Al Buainain’s own Chro-nophobia, Chromophobia, a pair of all black and all white pieces that is part of Here There, explores how confusion in visualisa-tion can completely alter a meaning. “I am still learning,” she says modestly, “and will continue creating art at a pace that I am confident with.”

“Alanoud Al Buainain is part of two of Qatar Museums’ biggest exhibitions this year – Yousef Ahmad: Story of

Ingenuity and Here There; one is a solo show in Katara featuring the works of one of Qatar’s most respected artists, and the other gave voice to 19 established and emerging Qatar artists, in dialogue with 24 Brazilian artists. This unassuming young curator now finds herself tasked with discovering Qatar’s hidden

talents and deciphering their message to their fellow countrymen and the world, in addition to exploring

her own artistic style.

Because..


Dana Al Anzy

It was not Dana Al Anzy who reached the top of

Kilimanjaro, it was Qatar. It was every school girl in Doha who

stepped up to support her climb. It was every young person who has a dream that seems too far away. And she wanted them

to see themselves in her.

The Trend Setters


Looking backA ROTA Youth Advisory board member and second-year student at Georgetown Uni-versity, Dana Al Anzy meets us at the Torch Hotel where she and her fellow climbers trained for weeks, climbing up and down the stuffy, oxygen-deprived fire exit wear-ing heavy backpacks. When consummate adventurer and mountaineer Sheikh Mo-hammed Al Thani put together a team to ascend Kilimanjaro in an effort to raise funds for ROTA, Al Anzy was one of the first to sign up.

“Personally I wanted to do it for the cause. I am a strong believer in education because it has given me so much. I wouldn’t have been so confident or vocal about my beliefs and thoughts if I didn’t have the ed-ucation or intellect needed to support me. And I want the youth out there to have that chance as well. Those who are victims, mis-placed, traumatised or just have a dream they think isn’t realistic, every child de-serves access to education; it is their right,” she says.

Mind-numbing gym sessions and a “bor-ing” diet that was in direct conflict with her personal philosophy of never denying food cravings were just the beginning. Anxi-ety attacks, claustrophobic tents, fainting

spells, biting winds, hail, sub-zero tempera-ture, frostbites and sunburns were still to come. Having trained independently (“Al-though we were supported to a certain ex-tent, we were all adults. If we wanted to get up a mountain, we knew how to Google it and prepare ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally.”), Al Anzy was not pre-pared for how distorted time would seem the higher she climbed. “At one point, you couldn’t keep up with time. What you un-derstood as one hour had to be expanded. We walked for eight to nine hours a day for five days to reach the peak. Sometimes it's just you and the silence of the mountain.Imagine, you are aching everywhere, hun-gry and frustrated but you couldn’t sleep well because it was really cold. And rest was still five hours away. And no matter where you are, the guides tell you that you are just one hour away from the finish,” she outlines the scenario.

Crystal gazingEach of the climbers was charged with

raising QR50,000 towards ROTA. Al Anzy gave herself a new target - QR200,000. But she wasn’t going to down the usual route of corporate sponsorship. “I wanted the youth to mobilise and so enlisted three schools.”

The reaction she received has given her new impetus to create projects through ROTA that bridge the gap between NGOs and the youth. “When I reached out to the students, they responded with so much energy and passion. They did whatever they could - car-nivals, bake sales, selling roses and Karak, at one point - to raise the money within the month.” And each of the schools was able to contribute in excess of QR50,000 by them-selves.

“These efforts started spilling over into their academics, and volunteering, to be specific. Here they were raising money to help children gain access to education, but what were they doing with the education they were receiving? They started asking themselves these questions and it had a positive impact on how they valued their education,” she says. Al Anzy is also part of the WISE Learners programme that is charged with finding innovative solutions to today’s educational problems. “I also am a youth advocate with Sheikha Moza’s Edu-cation Above All and want to create a ripple effect in raising awareness in Qatar about the number of out of school children.” So with one thing or the other, Al Anzy has an-other packed year ahead and she says she’s looking forward to a few more adventures.

Dana Al Anzy is the kind of person who makes you involuntarily reflect on your past and wonder what you were up to when you were her age.

And it doesn’t compare well. Yes, we chose her because she was among the first Qatari women to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. But a short conversation with her makes it

obvious that that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Because..


Hamad Al Amari

“Haven’t you seena man and his

camel before?”

The Trend Setters


Looking backHamad Al Amari can’t believe how quickly 2014 went by; neither can we. It feels like it was barely a few weeks ago that the World Cup was on in Brazil and Al Amari was play-ing host in the Fan Zone in Katara and quiz-zing innocent bystanders in the audience about their favourite teams. “I was very lucky to be part of that,” he says. “Being able to MC for one the biggest sporting events, watching football and getting crowds cheering, it was amazing. I did a standup routine once during half time and when I saw a group of Germans laughing, I knew I was doing it right,” he laughs. Not only did the stint help endear him to the thousands of fans who were part of the experience but it also made Ramadan much easier for him.

What brought this opportunity to his doorstep was the ingenious camel drive-th-ru video in which Al Amari, sitting ginger-ly atop a camel, bobbed into a Burger King drive-thru to order a cheeseburger. “We had only one shot to do it right,” he remembers. “The shock element would have been lost if we had to do it again and people would have thought there was a parade on. I remember telling the team to get this from all angles.

We did it and got out of there as quickly as we could.” (But not before a couple of con-fused cops showed up).

The idea had long been lurking in this mind and when he eventually uploaded the sketch on YouTube, it went viral in a hurry. Hundreds of thousands of hits later, peo-ple in the US and UK were talking about the video, which was being translated into Dutch and German.” I loved it and was very proud of it. Now I just want to do more.”

And he did. In addition to a radio show of QFRadio, he is a regular fixture on the QTips and Klmat Ras videos on Youtube. The lat-ter is an Arabic show by Jassim Al Ali, more than nine episodes of which are now up, that comments on social behaviours they observe here. All of Al Amari’s material is “sourced locally” and there is plenty to poke fun about people in Doha.

And Al Amari, who is also celebrating his first year as a married man, has anoth-er endless source of inspiration right at home (married comedians owe a wealth of material to their long-suffering wives). This is probably why he is itching to get back to his stand up roots and do more live performance.

“Anywhere else in the world you could just walk into a club, ask to do six minutes and they’ll let you. There is a huge shortage of that here, the whole concept of perfor-mance arts,” he says.

Crystal gazingAl Amari was happy to be part of the breast cancer awareness campaign along with some other influential Qataris. “Everyone tells me they have seen me on the TV or in the theatre but I want to ask them, did they listen? A lot can be changed with just a good campaign that is focused. Social attitudes involving driving or giving back to the so-ciety, for example.” That’s on his wishlist for the year – to be involved in effecting change. As comedy giants have showed us in the past, laughter is sometimes the most efficient way to deliver a message.

And though he loves to make fun of Doha, he also knows there is no place like it. “It’s special. It doesn’t work like the rest of the world. And the soil in the country is crying for seeds, asking us to plant something. I feel I am privileged enough to have the op-portunity.” Finally, he says, he is in the right place at the right time.

Each time we clapped eyes on Hamad Al Amari last year, he was

at his hilarious best – irrespective of whether he was riding a camel through a drive-thru or being bested by the Ice Bucket Challenge.

And he is a gregarious and charismatic sum of contradictions – from his clean pressed thobe and

nerdy glasses to his jokes on the misuse of inshallah delivered with a slight Irish twang.

Because..


Mohamed Farid

Despite an unrelentingly

busy year, he achieved the elusive

work-life balance and has been able to denote more

time to his family.

The Trend Setters


Looking backThe only way to get your head around what The Youth Company does is to disregard its name. It’s not a company at all; it’s a move-ment and it has been since it started four years ago. But this year things at TYC took a rather interesting turn. “It’s becoming more of an umbrella organisation,” Mo-hamed Farid says. “2014 has been about di-versification, with the launch of 7ayak Hub, 7asanat Olympics and Karak Time, and the hosting of two brand new events - Talk Dirty, to coincide with the World Environ-ment Day and the first-ever Arab Hip Hop Festival.” As a result they have seen some of the highest levels of youth engagement this year and the backing of many more partners, sponsors and supporters, he says.

Farid’s focus is now on “solidifying all these diversifications and establishing their own individual style, brand and direction”.

“We are starting to gather the fruits of what we invested in and developed since 2010, becoming a one-stop shop for youth empowerment and development.”

And with so many young people now active in so many different sectors from environment to entrepreneurship, Farid wanted to highlight their stories to get more people to start contributing to the Qatar National Vision. And that’s how Karak Time was born. “We felt that if we are not able to maintain a recording of the growth and de-velopment the country is going through to try and inspire the next generation, this won’t be sustainable.”

Crystal gazingWe expect it is pretty difficult to be able to talk about what you want for the year ahead when you are actually looking far into the future. “The Youth Company has always been a long-term project, because we are investing and nurturing people as young as 14,” he says. None of is what they do are ex-pected to yield immediate results.

The Arab Hip Hop festival, for example, is going to be an important platform in the region to develop talent in that genre of mu-sic, but the first international hit from the region is probably many years and chain reactions away. For Farid, the wait is worth it. “Young people are so dynamic, innova-tive and ready for change and working with them is rewarding in itself.”

Every time we attend one of The Youth Company’s events, we come away with one of their disproportionately

large maroon paper bags stuffedwith their press materials.

Thankfully our annual spring cleaning is not too far away because we are knee-deep in these bags.

And we squarely blame Mohamed Farid and the very busy year he has had.

Because..


Khalifa SalehAl Haroon

We asked him to tell us about the new

business he started this year. He asks,

“Which one?”

The Trend Setters


Looking backIt’s clearly difficult for Khalifa Saleh Al Ha-roon to pick his personal highlights of the year gone by, considering the diverse range of projects he has come to be involved in this year. But ILoveQatar’s five-year evolu-tionary journey is on top of the list. “That ILoveQatar has expanded with over 15 mil-lion impressions a month is something I am very excited about,” he says. And he is equally thrilled (and surely, so are all the fans) for the portal’s enthusiasm in creat-ing more original content. For a while now, the network has been creating, curating and hosting some clever, funny and informative videos like QTips, Karak Time and Klma-tRas, IgnitionME and more.

The company, he says, continues to be on the lookout for fresh and interesting You-Tube vloggers, and is actively auditioning for talent they can promote. QTips, which Al Haroon often hosts, are bite-sized vid-

eos that answer questions people always had about Qataris but never asked (What’s underneath the thobe? Do Qataris always travel business class? What do Qataris do in a Majlis?) and their popularity is indic-ative of the Qatari community’s efforts to reach out to expats. This concept has in fact gained a lot of traction this year with the launch of initiatives like SeeMyCulture and Embrace Doha.

Crystal gazing Al Haroon’s newest business venture, Shake Shake, is so completely representa-tive of what he is all about. With the first outlet of this “healthier” fast food concept to open any time soon, he hopes to give the population that is grappling with obesity- and diabetes-related issues an alternative to greasy, fried foods. Based on an innova-tive centrifuge that reduces fat, combined with quirky, custom flavours like Majboos

and topped with the whimsical “Shake Shake” required to bring them all together, Shake Shake is the kind of venture that he hopes will start to emerge out of Qatar. “It’s fun, relatively cheap to get off the ground and attempts to solve a pressing societal is-sue. “Entrepreneurs tend to ask themselves different types of questions. Mine is always the same - How do I make something bet-ter?” he says.

“Everything I do has one common thread: How to make Qatar a better place? I want Qatar to be the most admired country in the world. When people think of Qatar, I want them to feel proud and also a little envious to the point that they want to be part of the growth in the country.” Ultimately, it’s not the multi-million dollar projects that are going to "win people over", it’s going to be people like Al Haroon and the “small things” they do to in helping export what Qatar really is about.

“After a year of seeing Khalifa Al Haroon in all manner of events,

from award ceremonies and press briefings to launches and festivals,

it’s obvious Mr Q’s appeal goes beyond the fact that he runs a hugely

popular community portal.His stamp of approval, or mere presence, has come to lend a certain 'certificate of authenticity' to any endeavour; he is the hidden ‘godfather’ behind

many a business/initiative.”

Because..


business > bottom line

Why YouShould Worry About Employee Turnover

Here’s some shocking news: employees in the

Middle East aren’t terribly satisfied with their jobs,

their salaries, their growth opportunities, or the

way their organisation recognises good work.

In fact, the majority of them (54.7%) would like to leave their job immedi-ately if given the opportunity. Another 76% say that turnover in their company is “moderate” to “very” high, as per the Bayt.com ‘Employee Retention in the

MENA Workplace’ poll, February 2013. Employee turnover is a hot topic in to-

day’s workplace and HR circles, and leading organisations recognize the importance of actively measuring, monitoring, and mini-mising the turnover rate amongst their em-ployees and ensuring it is not left to chance.

The Bayt.com ‘Workplace Dynamics in the MENA’ poll, June 2013, tells us why professionals in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region would leave their job. A challenging job is obviously import-ant, as 17.5% saw no clear career path in their organisation. In their next job, 20.3% of professionals are looking for companies

that will help them develop their skills and provide learning opportunities and train-ing programmes; 96.6% are always open to new career opportunities.

While a whopping 54.7% state that they want to leave their job immediately, only 16.4% intend to stay in their current job un-til retirement, as revealed in the Bayt.com ‘Employee Retention in the MENA Work-place’ poll.

Interestingly, the departments with the highest turnover in the MENA region are sales and marketing (43.9%), IT (14.3%), and finance (9.3%).

Salary is the key factorProviding a more competitive salary is con-sidered the most important factor in em-ployee retention by 26.6% of respondents in the Bayt.com ‘Employee Retention in the MENA Workplace’ poll, followed by


performance recognition (17.7%) and good manager-employee relationships (17.6%). Nine out of 10 (86.1%) also state that having higher levels of job security will improve re-tention rates.

The Bayt.com ‘Employee Motivation in the MENA’ survey, January 2013, data indicates that 47% of professionals in the MENA consider recognition of one’s work the key element that drives motivation at work, closely followed by training and de-velopment (45%), and career advancement opportunities (42%).

Training is very, very important. In fact, the Bayt.com ‘Workplace Dynamics in the MENA’ poll shows that the majority of professionals (20.3%) are looking for com-panies that will help them develop their skills and provide learning opportunities and training programs. 19% look for a good work environment.

In light of the above, employers in the MENA should recognise the importance of fostering an environment of growth and learning to bring out the best in their em-ployees.

Companies can develop in-house train-ing departments, ally themselves with spe-cial training houses and universities, send employees to relevant external training programmes, offer internal rotational pro-grammes and overseas assignments as a key career development opportunity, and com-mit to their employees' learning and devel-opment in a multitude of other creative and meaningful ways.

Besides the company’s training activities, career plans and professional development

opportunities should be routinely dis-cussed and formalised. Employees that feel the company has invested in them in this manner are far more likely to remain loyal to their company.

Management has a roleThe Bayt.com ‘Work Satisfaction in the MENA’ poll, November 2012, shows that management style also plays a significant role in employee levels of satisfaction. Some 27.6% feel that management in their company is unprofessional; 36% confirm that communication channels are open but not enough; while 39.2% don’t feel there are enough opportunities for advancement and promotion at their company.

‘What Makes a Company an Attractive Place to Work?’, a poll conducted in Feb-ruary 2014 by Bayt.com, reveals that half of the poll’s respondents would rather work at a company where they feel the work they do is part of a greater purpose, with 22.6% wanting to believe in the company’s mis-sion, vision and/or values.

It goes without saying, but we’ll repeat it anyway: a competitive salary, a clear ca-reer path, and good training opportunities are absolutely vital for smooth sailing in a business. These are the pillars of employ-ee loyalty in your company. Listening to employees’ opinions and feedback is also a way to communicate your appreciation and respect.

Having the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas and the authority to take decisions are great boosters for both self-esteem and job loyalty

Bayt.com is the #1 job site in the Middle East with more than 40,000 employers and over 18,250,000 registered job seekers from across the Middle East, North Africa and the globe, representing all industries, nationalities and career levels.

ABOUT BAYT.COM

“Besides the company’s training activities, career plans and professional development opportunities should be routinely discussed and formalised. Employees that feel the company has invested in them in this manner are far more likely to remain loyal to their company.”

96.6%ARE ALWAYS OPEN TO NEW CAREER OPPORTUNITIES.

54.7%STATE THAT THEY WANT TO LEAVE THEIR JOB IMMEDIATELY

43.9%MARKETING

I4.3%INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

9.3FINANCE

27.6%FEEL THEIR COMPANY IS UNPROFESSIONAL

36%CONFIRM THAT NOT ENOUGH COMMUNICATION CHANNELS ARE OPEN

39.2%FEEL THERE ARE ENOUGH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COMPANY

HIGHEST TURNOVERDEPARTMENTS

BAYT POLL MANAGEMENTROLE


development > tag this


Notwithstanding declining oil prices, which may impact the economic growth of their countries, airlines in the GCC region are scouting for new destina-tions and also adding more to the exist-ing routes in the process. And to keep pace they have been on a buying spree of new aircraft to replace the old ones in their fleet. The economic growth rates in emerging markets such as Asia, Latin

America, Africa and the Middle East are outstripping more eco-nomically developed regions. One significant effect is that the mid-dle class in Asia is expected to quadruple in size by 2033 whereas globally they will double from 33% to 63% of the world's popula-tion.

As a result of increased urbanisation and concentration of wealth, the number of aviation megacities worldwide is expected to double to 91. These cities will be the centres of world wealth cre-ation with 35% of world GDP centred there, and with more than 95% of all long-haul traffic going to, from or through them.

Deals at Dubai AirshowAccording to reports, on the opening day of the Dubai Airshow on November 4 last year, GCC airlines entered into deals worth QR364 billion ($100 billion) in just 15 minutes by ordering hundreds of new passenger jets.

In one mega-deal, Emirates and Qatar Airways ordered 200 new Boeing’s newly re-launched 777-9X jets while Emirates entered into a deal with the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus to buy the world’s largest jetliner, the A380 super-jumbo, according to the reports.

This brought the backlog of 777-9X planes to 225 in the region ,including 25 ordered by Etihad. In all, six airlines from Europe,

Asia and the Middle East placed orders for 286 777-9X planes. The production of the 777-9X is set to begin in 2017, with the first deliv-ery in 2020.

For Emirates, December 19 was a red letter day in its history as it flew more than 80,000 passengers on over 240 flights in a single day. This was up almost 23% over last year, according to the airline’s booking figures, and the top destinations out of Dubai include Lon-don, Bangkok, Mumbai, Singapore, Paris and Karachi.

Middle East is the aviation hub“The Middle East has become a major centre for air transport, one of growing global importance with its central position geographi-cally, strong economic growth and the world’s biggest emerging economies and centres of population within a flight away, Middle Eastern carriers stand to reap the benefits of traffic growth,” says Fouad Attar, Managing Director of Airbus Middle East.

As per the International Air Traffic Association (IATA) passen-ger forecast 2014, the Middle East is expected to grow strongly (4.9%) and will see an extra 237 million passengers a year on routes to, from and within the region by 2034. “The UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia will all enjoy strong growth of 5.6%, 4.8%, and 4.6%, respec-tively. The total market size will be 383 million passengers,” he says.

Quoting Airbus’ Global Market Forecast for the next 20 years (2014-2033), Attar says passenger traffic will grow annually at 4.7%, driving a need for more than 31,350 new passenger and freighter aircraft worth QR16.74 trillion ($4.6 trillion) at current list prices.

Airbus’ Global Market Forecast predicts a 7.1% yearly passenger growth rate for the ME over the next 20 years, compared to a global average of 4.7%. The share of passenger aircraft in the world oper-ated by Middle Eastern carriers has doubled in ten years; by 2032 the Middle East region will need more than 2,148 new aircraft.

“The passenger and freighter fleet will increase from today’s 18,500 aircraft to 37,500 by 2033, an increase of nearly 19,000 air-

The Middle East region, which has registered an air traffic growth of 11% in 2013, continues to outpace the rest of the world and Qatar Today speaks to two major plane makers – Airbus and Boeing – about their plans to meet the growing demand for new planes in the next two decades. By V.L.Srinivasan


craft. Some 12,400 older, less-fuel efficient passenger and freighter aircraft will be re-tired in the next 20 years,” Attar says.

Airbus’ arch rival Boeing too is aware that the Middle East is a key market for the company and has been concentrating on the region to have a sizeable piece of the pie. It is far ahead of its competitors in supply-ing new airplanes to the regional airlines.

“We are ready to meet the demand for new planes for the airlines in the region,” says Marty Bentrott, Vice President (Sales) for Middle East, Russia and Central Asia for Boeing. Boeing estimates that the re-gion’s airlines will require as many as 2,950 new airplanes worth around QR2.3 trillion ($640 billion) by 2033 and already the oper-ators have been raising finances to replace the old aircrafts with new ones. The compa-ny also forecasts a demand for 36,770 new airplanes valued at QR18.92 trillion ($5.2 trillion) globally over the next 20 years, an increase of 4.2% from last year’s forecast.

“The region’s air traffic growth is led by Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Saudia and the region’s low-cost carriers (LCCs). We are geared to meet the demand and the region has one of the world’s fastest-grow-ing commercial aviation sectors and con-tinues to be a key market for us,” Bentrott says.

He says that LCCs have driven the growth of air traffic around the world due to their successful business model, which has grown tremendously over the past two de-cades, focusing on business and operational practices that drive down airline costs. The practices include operating at secondary airports, flying a single airplane type, in-creasing airplane utilisation, relying on direct sales, offering a single class product, avoiding frequent flyer programs and keep-ing labour costs low.

“These tactics help LCCs reduce unit

costs by 20-40% compared with network carriers, allowing them to reduce fares, which stimulates traffic significantly. The trend towards growth of the low-cost mod-el is clear. LCCs have grown from 7% of the world market in 2003 to 16% today, and are projected to capture 21% by 2033,” Bentrott says.

The demand for wide-body aircraft is expected to grow as the airlines expand their international footprint and open new markets. “Boeing forecasts that 8,600 new airplanes will be needed to meet this de-mand. Around 38% of deliveries will be for replacements and 62% will be for growth, nearly 60% of all new deliveries will go to Middle Eastern and Asia Pacific airlines. With the most comprehensive wide-body lineup in the industry, including the new 787-10 and 777X, we are confident that we will meet our customers’ needs now and in the future,” Bentrott says.

Delivery delaysWhat has become a hindrance for some of the airlines is the delay in delivery of the

“The region’sair traffic growth is

led by Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad,

Saudia and the region’s low-cost carriers. We

are geared to meet the demand and

the region has one of the world’s fastest-

growing commercial aviation sectors and

continues to be a key market for us.”

Marty BentrottVice President (Sales) for Middle East,

Russia and Central Asia


Demand forecastfor new aircrafts

Middle East

Airbus2,148+Boeing2,950

North AmericaAirbus Boeing5,533 7,550

Latam and CaribbeanAirbus Boeing2,263 2,950 (Only Latam)

new planes by the manufacturers. Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Bak-

er openly said that the delay in supplying the A380 by three months has resulted in a loss of QR728 million ($200 million) to the airlines. However, Attar declines to com-ment on the remarks.

“We can only reiterate that the A380 is the 21st century solution for sustainable growth, providing vital extra passenger capacity at congested airports, without in-creasing the number of flights. The A380 has the lowest seat mile costs in its class,” Attar says and adds that Airbus adapts and adjusts its production rates according to demand and is continuously in close coop-eration with its supply chain partners to ensure a smooth production flow.

Even the first A350-900, the first carbon fibre aircraft from Airbus, which was to be handed over to Qatar Airways at Toulouse in France on December 13, was finally hand-ed over on December 22.” Qatar Airways has placed orders for 80 A350-900 planes.

However, the nine-day delay will not affect the schedule of plane’s commer-

cial launch to Frankfurt on January 15. The A350-900 is expected to rival the 787 Dreamliner and Boeing 777 in terms of fuel efficiency and operational costs.

Dreamliner 787 issuesThe Dreamliner’s development and world-wide launch were among the most difficult experienced by a commercial airliner. It was originally due to enter service in 2008 but repeated setbacks delayed its first com-mercial flight until 2011 and sent its cost spiraling to an estimated $32billion.

And the entire global fleet was briefly grounded in 2013 after two fires caused by its powerful lithium-ion batteries.

But even with the Dreamliner 787 reeling under technical issues, major airlines are still placing orders for the aircraft.

Bentrott says the reliability of the 787 has been a top priority for Boeing. The 787 fleet has flown nearly 335,000,000 revenue miles since entry into service.

Nearly 30 million passengers have flown on the Dreamliner and surveys continue to show that it is providing a preferred experi-ence for travellers.

“While we are not yet satisfied with our fleet-wide performance, even though it is above 98% on average, we have made prog-ress implementing a series of component, software and spare parts placement im-provements. We will not be satisfied until we are meeting our customers’ expecta-tions across the board,” he says.

Boeing’s customers, Bentrott says, are confident in the 787’s advanced capabili-ties and have placed orders for a total of 156 planes to date. Of these, 17 have been deliv-ered to Qatar Airways and one has to Royal Jordanian. “Besides these airlines, other 787 customers in the region include Saudi Arabian Airlines, Oman Air, Gulf Air and Iraqi Airways,” Bentrott adds.

“The passenger and freighter fleet will increase from today’s 18,500 aircraft to 37,500 by 2033, an increase of nearly 19,000 aircraft. Some 12,400 older, less- fuel efficient passenger and freighter aircraft will be retired in the next 20 years.” Fouad Attar Managing DirectorAirbus Middle East

Latam and CaribbeanAirbus Boeing2,263 2,950 (Only Latam)

AfricaAirbus Boeing973 1,080

EuropeAirbus Boeing6,167 7,450

Aisa PacificAirbus Boeing12,253 13,460

CISAirbus1,218Boeing1,330TOTALAirbus30,555Boeing36,770

Building forthe affluentKatara Hospitality is always in the news for its iconic buys and

awe-inspiring projects outside the Middle East, but the company has no plans to ignore the tourism sector in the country.

By Sindhu Nair


T ourism contributed 0.8% to the country’s GDP in 2012 and the Qatar Tour-ism Strategy aims at in-creasing this to around 3.1% in 2030. The main components of the tour-ism strategy are to develop

the brand “Destination Qatar”, enhance visa procedures and promote and activate investments in tourism. While Qatar Air-ways, Qatar Tourism Authority and Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee are involved in the development of the brand, investment in tourism also falls on Katara Hospitality which came recently into the news for a big buy – the legendary Savoy in London. Katara Hospitality Co. bought a 50% stake from Lloyds Banking Group and Saudi bil-lionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal’s King-dom Holding Co.

Another emerging bit of news, not yet confirmed by the owners, is that Katara Hospitality is going to build a new confer-ence/exposition centre that is meant to re-flect the country’s rich seafaring and pearl diving history. The $1.6 billion (QR5.8 bil-lion) Silver Pearl Hotel project will feature two semicircular 30-storey towers con-nected through a climate-controlled.

Hamad Abdulla Al Mulla, CEO and Board Member of Katara Hospitality, speaks ex-clusively to Qatar Today on Katara Hospi-tality’s long-term vision, its strategy to help build Qatar’s tourism strategy as it spreads

its wings and business around the globe. Originally called Qatar National Hotels Company, it was rebranded as Katara Hos-pitality in 2012 with a new wave of expan-sion. “Under this new corporate identity, we set ourselves the mission of becoming one of the world’s leading hospitality or-ganisations and put ambitious growth tar-gets in place to ensure we achieve this,” says Al Mulla.

“With 30 properties already in our port-folio, we have already achieved our goal of 30 properties by 2016 two years ahead of schedule. Moreover, we already have the plans in place to double that figure to 60 ahead of 2030.”

Al-Mulla stresses that the company has a two-pronged approach: to maintain its position as a market leader in the local hos-pitality industry by developing world-class hotels here and focus on an international expansion strategy by investing in a col-lection of spectacular hotels in some of the world’s leading tourist destinations.

“Our expansion strategy is not limited to any one market or country. Qatar is our homeland and we intend to maintain our position as market leaders in the local hos-pitality industry. Currently, we have ten iconic Qatari properties in our portfolio and are always on the lookout for unique heritage properties that have set the stan-dard in the industry,” he says. Katara Hos-pitality (KH) has a portfolio as operators, developers and asset managers in various

LANDMARKSThe newly renovated Sheraton, Doha's oldest and most iconic landmarks (adjacent page); and an artistic representation of Katara Towers, being built at the Lusail Marina District; both propertiesowned by Katara Hospitality.


markets. What this entails, according to Al Mulla, is that, “Our primary business is that of an asset manager and we invest in renowned properties and key international markets across the globe. Many hotels un-der our portfolio have been developed by Katara Hospitality from the project stage to becoming a valuable asset, while most of our international acquired properties are currently undergoing major renovation works under our direct supervision.”

“We are also expanding the operator side of our business and currently man-age properties in Doha and Switzerland. Recently re-launched, the Murwab Hotels brand is our stand-alone operations arm in Qatar, which is a core focus area for our organisation with five hotels currently un-der development in Qatar and expected to open through 2015. We also have a success-ful brand in The Bürgenstock Selection to manage our five iconic properties in Swit-zerland: The Schweizerhof Bern (opera-tional since 2013), Royal Savoy Lausanne (expected to open in June 2015), and three hotels within The Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne (expected to open in 2018)."

Of things to comeIn Qatar, KH has a large portfolio of iconic projects lined up. Al Mulla talks about the most innovative of the projects.

“We are currently building the iconic Katara Towers in Doha’s up-and-coming Lusail Marina District. An architectural translation of Qatar’s country seal, the hos-pitality complex will host a five-star luxu-ry hotel, a five-star ultra-luxury hotel and branded apartments. The property, expect-ed to open in 2017, will also offer facilities such as a man-made satellite beach-front island. Katara Towers will be home to an incredible mix of leisure and water sports

facilities, food and beverage outlets as well as world-class water features within a stun-ning, sun-protected garden environment,” he says. KH is also undertaking the com-plete transformation of the Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, “an impressive hospitality complex” consisting of a five-star hotel, a four-star hotel, a med-ical hotel, a 2000 square meter spa facility and two residence buildings.

Initially opened in 1873, the resort has been the favourite hideaway for many in-ternational personalities who marveled at the technical wonders of the funicular railway and the Hammetschwand, Europe’s tallest outdoor lift. Another project is the development of the Tazi Palace in Tang-ier, Morocco. The building was original-ly designed to become a royal residence, and after a meticulous renovation by KH, it will be revolutionised into a luxurious palace hotel.

Build it and will they come?Qatar has a plethora of luxurious four- and five-star properties but with the Qatar 2022 World Cup fast approaching, will the afford-able hospitality segment be compromised? How will QTA and also KH fill this gap?

Al Mulla feels that the company follows a healthy diversification strategy with the aim of creating a network of five- and four- star business hotels and leisure resorts. “Currently, the properties owned and man-aged by Katara Hospitality in Qatar form an eclectic portfolio of hotels that cover a large area of demand, from high-end business travellers to more cost-conscious ones, while catering successfully to the MICE segment and offering outstanding recre-ational facilities,” he says.

But having kept the focus on the high-in-come traveler, KH also aims at looking

OF AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

"Katara Hospitality’s contributions to the hospitality landscape have been recognised on a global scale and we have won a number of noteworthy awards. Just recently, Katara Hospitality was named the World’s Leading Hospitality Company at the 2014 World Travel Awards for the second year running. This capped off previous recognition at the World Travel Awards, which named Katara Hospitality the Middle East’s Leading Hospitality Development Company in May 2014 and the World’s Leading Hospitality Company in December 2013."

Hamad Abdulla Al MullaCEO and Board Member Katara Hospitality



down at other pressing needs of the new middle income, high disposable income category. “We realise that there has been an increase in more cost-conscious travellers and are prepared for this rising trend ahead of the World Cup 2022.

We are diversifying our offer under the four- and three-star hotel segment to sat-isfy a wide range of tourist requirements. This will not only further strengthen our position as Qatar’s leading hospitality or-ganisation but also enhance cash flow pro-jections to support the company’s future growth by ensuring a balance is met across assets of short- and long- term profitabili-ty,” he says.

Diversification, agrees Al Mulla, as em-phasised in Qatar National Vision 2030, is crucial for the local hospitality industry.

“This has been especially true in the last few years as we have witnessed a rise in more cost-conscious travellers looking for budget accommodation options.”

Offering a winning combination of world-class facilities and rich cultural her-itage, Qatar is quickly becoming one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, feels Al Mulla. “More and more tourists visit our country every year and this trend is only going to grow as we get closer to the FIFA World Cup in 2022.”

But it cannot be ignored that as KH de-velops iconic, legacy hotels across the globe, it is becoming increasingly recognised as a Qatari organisation bringing period heri-tage properties up to a world-class, modern standard in key international destinations, thereby introducing Brand Qatar to a glob-al if luxurious client portfolio.

Coastline developmentWhile the West Bay is where the business community permeates the extensive coast-

line, a natural wealth for the country is being ignored and not completely devel-oped. Al Mulla feels that KH has being do-ing enough and will continue to do so. “We have been the leader in coastline develop-ments in Qatar ever since the Sealine Beach Resort opened in 1994.

We are currently in the process of refur-bishment and extension of additional villas and upgraded facilities at the resort. Addi-tionally, an agreement has been recently signed to manage a resort in Simaisima, a short drive away from Lusail City. This re-sort will be branded and operated by our own home-grown operating arm, Murwab."

But even with such developments, can Qatar be compared with Dubai, the region-al competitor which attracts most of the travellers coming to the region?

Al Mulla feels that more and more tour-ists are visiting Qatar every year, “charmed by our diverse hospitality attractions and leisure offering. Doha has already devel-oped into a multi-faceted destination for global travellers offering cultural, histori-cal, shopping and sporting attractions, and an increasingly wide range of leisure facil-ities.”

“We intend to maintain our position by developing world-class hospitality com-plexes in Qatar that are relevant not only for our portfolio, but emblematic for the country as well,” he says.

THE LEADER I EMULATE:

AL MULLA

“When HE Sheikh Nawaf bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al Thani, Chairman of Katara Hospitality, joined the company in 2003, not only did he transform the organisation to a world leader in the hospitality industry, but he was also an influential driver of Katara Hospitality’s continued success by setting us on the right path of growth and development. When Sheikh Nawaf took over the helm of the organisation, I was working at Doha Marriott Hotel as a Deputy General Manager with a career goal of becoming the General Manager of a reputable hotel. The inspiration I received from Sheikh Nawaf steered me into a completely new direction as my aspirations grew. I recognise and value his encouragement and influence immensely."

Properties owned by Katara Hospitality: The Peninsula,

Paris; Excelsior Hotel Gallia, Milan; the Bürgenstock Resort

Lake Lucerne, Switzerland; and Schweizerhof Hotel, Bern.


Revolutionisingthe way we teach

Founder of Teach for America, Wendy Kopp, talks about the powerful movement which aims to enlist the brightest minds of this generation to cultivate the next. The organisation has spread to many corners of the world; most recently, Qatar.

education > tag this

By Abigail Mathias


A relentless drive to spread education has made Wendy Kopp, CEO and Co-founder for Teach for All, a for-midable force to reckon with. She started Teach for America more than

23 years ago, while she was barely a gradu-ate of Princeton University. It turned into a multinational network called Teach for All encouraging young people to impart knowl-edge to those less fortunate. In an exclusive interview with Qatar Today, Kopp, shares her insights in to making education inclu-sive, regardless of geographical location.

Wendy Kopp is a regular speaker at the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) in Qatar. Getting a few minutes to sit down and discuss her work is not easy as she is constantly on the move network-ing and imparting knowledge. We find her at the Teach for Qatar (TFQ) foundation booth. TFQ is part of an international pro-gramme that has proven successful in 31 countries including Lebanon, Japan and Malaysia.

While catching her breath, Kopp glanc-es around the Qatar National Convention Center which is a flurry of activity. “It’s been so inspiring to see first-hand that the Qatari leadership that has taken such a strong ini-tiative towards education,” she says.

“To see their extraordinary generosity towards expanding opportunities for the least advantaged communities in society is inspiring.” We discuss how far she and her vision of spreading education have come. “I think it is exciting to see how Teach for All is engaged in making a lifelong commitment to expanding educational opportunities for all, especially, the next generation.”

Kopp proposed the creation of Teach for America in her undergraduate senior the-sis in 1989 and has spent more than two decades in spreading the organisation’s impact. When starting out, American busi-nessman Ross Perot was one of her first supporters, but instead of merely funding the project, he asked her to source funds on her own as well.

A record 48,000 individuals applied to Teach for America’s 2011 corps, and in the 2011-2012 school year more than 9,200 corps members were in the midst of two-year teaching commitments in 43 regions across the country, reaching over 600,000 students. Teach for America’s alumni force, now numbering nearly 24,000 individuals working inside and outside the field of edu-cation, is deeply engaged in the effort to ef-fect the fundamental changes necessary to ensure educational excellence and equity.

In 2007, Kopp worked together with the CEO of Teach First, the adaptation of Teach for America in the UK, to develop a plan for Teach for All in order to be responsive to requests for support from social entrepre-neurs around the world who are passionate about adapting the model to their contexts.

Today, Teach for All is a growing glob-al network of independent organisations pursuing this mission in 22 countries, from India and China to Brazil and Lebanon and

now even in Qatar. Kopp is leading the or-ganisation’s efforts to expand educational opportunity internationally by increasing and accelerating the impact of the growing number of social enterprises in the net-work. “This is a search for allies all across the political spectrum. We are growing as quickly as we are because we have so much support from everyone,” she affirms.

A mother of four, Kopp is often inspired by others who don’t question why but ask "why not".

“In the larger context, education is given a backseat. A lot more needs to be done. I think we live in an era of quick fixes. The un-fortunate reality in education is that there are no quick fixes. I’ve come to call this ‘the long game.’ It requires years of serious sus-tained focus on all the big six (big nations) on where we want to be. We are going to have to find ways to prioritise education,” she says passionately.

The journey has been one that fills her with an immense sense of gratitude. “When I see the progress made by Teach for All, it is indeed humbling and I hope to pursue the cause for many decades to come."

Indifferent to criticsThere have been many opposed to how this network operates. They believe that the students recruited by Teach for Amer-ica (often freshly graduated from college) are too inept to deal with the demands of modern day students. Kopp refutes this: “I feel that these graduate students are of-fering a great deal of their lives to a noble cause and it helps shape their outlook. It is like a peace corps to train teachers. We are seeing it work in communities around the world. There are many studies of the lon-gest-standing programmes that show that the teachers do have a positive impact on their students’ achievement.”

She adds, “We can see the long-term im-pact of this approach first from Teach for America and then Teach for UK and we see where we’ve been channeling a steady stream of our efforts, many different things are happening in these communities for many reasons, but in part because of the

“One of the things we see in our organisation is the persistent juxtaposition between the disparities that we are addressing, and the possibility of change. Each day fuels optimism and it is rewarding though it is impossible to ever feel satisfied because there is so much more to be done. We are trying to address a very real problem.”


leadership of our alumni. Its important for people to understand

that this is about building leadership capac-ity for addressing the very systemic issue of educational disadvantage. Ultimately if we are ever going to make real progress we need people working at every level of education, at every level of policy, across sectors who understand what you come to understand after you have worked with a low-income community.”

She also believes that this model has a dual advantage for both student and teach-er. It cannot be looked at as merely a two-year stint for graduates. “As a member of our faculty, you understand the possibility of change and you get a very grounded un-derstanding of what it will take to solve the problem.

It’s not about, say, Teach for Qatar solv-ing the problem in two years. This is about them teaching and at the same time gaining a foundational experience for a lifetime of leadership and advocacy,” she says.

Parents play a critical role in improving education. Kopp believes “that parents are absolutely crucial in our strategy to im-

prove learning. All of our successful teach-ers discovered that the students’ parents are their greatest allies. We are also starting to see that parents can become important advocates for improving education from time to time. Ultimately we need parents to insist and demand more educational opportunities. We are starting to see this around the world.”

The organisation is successfully running in places where there is strife. Explaining this, Kopp says, “We are working in very diverse places from Lebanon to Pakistan where we need to navigate challenging wa-ters, but building coalitions have made it possible to collaborate united by a common commitment to spreading education.” The teachers are then changing the trajectory for whole communities of students that would have otherwise been disadvantaged.

In her role as founder and head of both Teach for All and Teach for America, her work is never done. She has written many books on the subject of inclusive educa-tion. From WISE, she is on her way to the Teach for India office which celebrates five successful years of operations and then on to Teach for China. “I envisioned that TFA would grow in the United States but I nev-er would have dreamed that it would get adapted in different countries. It’s a learn-ing experience to be a part of it,” she smiles.

She offers insight on how the teachers maximise their efforts. “We have teams of specialists who work with Teach for All workers, including TFQ, to help them scale up and increase impact,” adds Kopp.

When quizzed about how her tribe of volunteers increases, she says: “There’s an inclination across the world of people who want to make a difference. They feel a sense of responsibility. These programmes offer that opportunity.

Because they are making this commit-ment in such formative years of their lives, these experiences ultimately affect their career choices. We are tapping into a prag-matic idealism, to work constructively within the system alongside others towards the changes we want to see.”

TEACH FOR AMERICA ALUMNI: TWO-THIRDS OF THEM REMAIN IN EDUCATION AND MANY MORE CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE NEEDS OF LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES.

HOW TFQ FUNCTIONS

TFQ is part of a broader initiative by HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani to develop innovative solutions to education challenges. She is the chairperson of the organisation.

Young people, either nationals or residents, who wish to give back are recruited, vetted, assessed, trained and provided with the opportunity to inspire students through a two-year, teaching placement in a school TFQ partners with.

The placement is a full-time job. Initially teachers will be teaching English, Math and Science to 7th and 8th graders.

30,000

“In the larger context, education is given a backseat. A lot more needs to be done. I think we live in an era of quick fixes. The unfortunate reality in education is that there are no quick fixes. I’ve come to call this ‘the long game.’ It requires years of serious sustained focus on all the big six (big nations) on where we want to be. We are going to have to find ways to prioritise education,”



ADVERTORIAL


ZIPPING AHEADQATAR TODAY TAKES

A PEEK AT THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE AUTOMOBILE SECTOR AS A PREVIEW TO THE

QATAR INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW THAT IS TO BE HELD IN FEBRUARY 2015.


Guess which country is the most preferred destination for the automobile manufacturers to launch their new models in the recent years?

The choice is obviously Qa-tar because as per the data (es-timated using 2004 prices) re-

leased by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics in December, the economic growth is forecast to remain robust in 2014 at 6.3%, rising to 7.7% in 2015 and to 7.5% in 2016 due to solid expansion in non-hydrocarbon activities such as construction and the services sector.

With Qatar’s public transportation system yet to be ready, there is constant rise in the demand for passenger cars due to the huge influx of ex-pats, whose population has gone up from under 2 million to over 2.7 million in just a year.

The highest per capita in the world, increased public spending and a customer-friendly banking sector is also said to be the reason for the increase in car sales. The demand for high-end cars is at-tributed to the affluence levels of the citizens.

Citing data from industry sources, Business Monitor International (BMI), in its latest fore-cast, says that the sale of new vehicle in the coun-try has increased 12% year-on-year (y-o-y) over H1, 2014, to 47,461 units. The rise in car sales clearly underlines the momentum behind the consumer boom in Qatar.

“Adding further weight to our bullish stance towards Qatari new vehicle sales is the fact that we expect private consumption – a key indicator of likely consumer demand for new vehicles - to grow by 13% in 2014 and 10% in 2015 - compared to an annual average of 6.2% between 2009 and 2012. The country’s fast-rising resident popu-lation, on the back of high demand for foreign workers in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, will help to fuel growth in the retail, business services, real estate and trade and hospitality sec-tors,” the report adds.

A bulletin from the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics says that the number of driving licenses issued for nationals and residents in September this year rose by roughly 85.4% and 31.5% respectively. Thus, the total number of driving licenses went up by approximately 117% compared to August. It also says that around 6,500 private vehicles were registered during the same period in September as against 4,500 in the preceding month.

Against this performance, BMI maintains its forecast of 14.8% growth in new vehicle sales for the year as a whole. “Our positive outlook on the Qatari market continues to be based on rising government expenditure, a growing population and increased spending on construction ahead of Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup,” the

forecast says.For example, Rolls-Royce Motor Car Doha,

part of Alfardan Group and the sole dealer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in Qatar reported a 37% increase in sales in the third quarter of this year. The Rolls-Royce Phantom was the top growth model during this period witnessing a 25% in-crease.

Likewise, the sales of BMW have gone up by 12% and those of MINI by 27% during the first half of 2014. The combined growth of both brands equates to a 13% increase in sales compared to the same period in 2013.

According to reports, the auto market has been up - 23% in August to 7,770 registrations which brought the year-to-date total to 62,541 units, up 8% on 2013. Surpassed by the Toyota Hilux in the July models sales charts, the Toyota Land Cruis-er reclaimed its due title this month. It sold 482 vehicles over the month as against 481 for the Hi-lux, but remains firmly in control year-to-date at 5,155 sales vs. 4,287.

“At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the Top 4 models are 100% Toyota, including the Corolla and Prado, and in Qatar too the best-sell-ing non-Toyota is the Nissan Patrol at Number 5 and 3.6% share,” the reports says.

Along with the car sales, auto components con-sumption across all vehicle categories in the GCC region, which was estimated at QR32.214 bil-lion ($8.85 billion) in 2012, is expected to touch QR52.41 billion ($14.4 billion) by 2016, another report, which was released by research firm Frost & Sullivan says.

QIMS 2015Leading automobile brands will take part in the fifth edition of Qatar International Motor Show (QIMS), to be held at Qatar National Convention Centre between February 6 and 10 this year.

The event, being hosted jointly by Qatar Tour-ism Authority, q.media Events, Fira Barcelona and other associates, will showcase the world-wide evolution of automobile industry.

The event will highlight the most creative car designs and the latest technology used in auto-motive industry. In this perspective, the show imparts an air charged with adrenalin that will trigger passion and enthusiasm of both visitors and participants.

The show will exhibit in addition to mid-size segments, SUVs, and motorcycles, which will sat-isfy all tastes. Apart from the displays, there will be lots of opportunities for visitors to interact with experts and celebrities from the automotive world. Qatar Tourism Authority Director (Exhi-bitions) Hamad Al Abdan says that the event will be most attractive for Qatari companies and in-ternational exhibitors comparing to the previous editions.

AUTO SPOTLIGHT

14.8%GROWTH IN NEW VEHICLE SALES FOR THE YEARAS A WHOLE

47,461UNITS YEAR-ON-YEAR


AUTO SPOTLIGHT

Furthermore, Kia has moved up four positions from last year’s IQS ranking and now stands at number six (in a tie) in the US automotive industry for initial quality out of a field of 32 car brands. The 2014 Sportage ranked first

(in a tie) in the Small SUV segment for the second consecutive year, and the Cadenza ranked highest in the prestigious Large Car category, recognized by IQS for its first U.S. model year.

“The results of the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study demonstrate Kia’s long-term strategy to concentrate on quality, strengthen our brand and elevate the ownership experience,” said John Crowe, vice president, service & after sales opera-tions, Kia Motors America (KMA).

“The Sportage and the Cadenza are two prime examples of how far the entire Kia model line-up has progressed in the way of design, performance, sophistication and value.”

Aside from Kia’s highest ranking ever and Sportage’s back-to-back honours, Cadenza’s score was the second best for any Kia model in history. The annual report analyzed responses from 86,118 respondents in the U.S. with regards to 239 vehicle models across 23 segments. Vehi-

cles were evaluated on driving experience, engine and transmission performance and a broad range of quality problem symptoms reported by vehicle owners.

Guangzhou Motor ShowAt the 2014 Guangzhou Motor Show held in No-vember, Kia Motors unveiled the KX3 concept - a vehicle it envisions to offer exclusively to the Chi-nese market. Working as an indication of what to expect from the brand in terms of future SUV’s, the KX3 concept is designed to appeal to the youth of the ever growing Chinese market.

Blending the silhouette of an SUV with a sub-tle rear spoiler, and the brand’s trademark ‘ti-ger-nose’ grille with muscular wheel arches and taut headlamps, the KX3 concept is a rather neat one. With decent ground clearance and chrome body cladding around the base, the KX3 concept looks like it should be able to tackle some mild off-road action on the beach effortlessly.

Powered by a 1.6 litre turbo gasoline direct in-jection (GDI) engine and paired to a seven speed dual-clutch transmission, the KX3 sounds rather interesting, and with the four-wheel drive power train, even more so.

“THE POWER TO SURPRISE”

J.D. POWER 2014 INITIAL QUALITY STUDY (IQS) HAS RANKED THE KIA

SPORTAGE AND KIA CADENZA AS LEADERS IN

THE U.S. SMALL SUV AND LARGE CAR SEGMENTS,

RESPECTIVELY.


The RC in RC F stands for Radical Coupé and the new RC F lives up entirely to this concept and Lexus’ legendary heritage with its killer combination of futuristic style and performance to blaze a new path for

Lexus in the Middle East. Takayuki Yoshitsugu, Chief Representative, Middle East and North Af-rica Representative Office, TOYOTA Motor Cor-poration, says: “The new Lexus RC F coupé has been designed for optimum high-speed stability to support outstanding performance. With its su-perb styling, unprecedented power and handling capabilities, the RC F coupé opens up a new era of Lexus with a car which is distinguished by the purity of its design which connects on visual and visceral levels.”

He also says: “The RC F will now become the new F image leader following in the footsteps of the legendary LFA supercar developed by Lexus and it will do so through the emotional design of the coupé body and also through the authenticity of its performance.” Based on the spectacular RC coupé that debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show in November last year, the RC F is the world’s first front-engine, rear-wheel-drive car to make use of a Torque Vectoring Differential (TVD) for guar-anteed levels of extraordinary handling and per-formance.

Revolutionary driving dynamics The Lexus RC F was designed for optimum grip and handling agility, taking full advantage of FR vehicle characteristics. All aspects were consid-ered, from the vehicle’s footprint on the road and

body rigidity, to aerodynamics, suspension hard-ware, brakes, electric power-assisted steering cal-ibration and chassis electronics.

Powerful and aggressive designThe RC F stands out for the visual aggression it adds to the stylish body of the new RC coupé. It features an exclusive version of the Lexus signa-ture spindle grille that dominates the front of the vehicle, with an “F” motif embedded in its mesh below the Lexus symbol. The Lexus RC F is lower, wider and longer than the RC coupé with which it was simultaneously developed while sharing the same wheelbase.

Advanced technology enhancementsThe new RC F is a prime example of Lexus’ em-phasis on introducing advanced technology fea-tures to enhance the overall driving experience. The RC F coupé has an improved 8-speed Sports Direct Shift (SPDS) transmission. It has four driver-selectable modes – NORMAL, SPORT S, SPORT S+, and M – which have full torque-con-verter lock-up from second to eighth gears for “clutchless” manual shifting.

Industry-leading safety featuresThe RC F benefits from the same comprehensive array of safety features that characterises of to-day’s Lexus range, and comes equipped with as many as eight airbags which include a dual-stage driver’s airbag, dual-stage and dual-chamber front passenger airbag, driver’s and front pas-senger’s knee airbags, front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain-shield airbags.

LEXUS UNVEILS NEW RC F COUPÉLEXUS TOOK A

MAJOR STRIDE IN REINFORCING

ITS CREDENTIALS AS A LEADING

PLAYER IN THE HIGH PERFORMANCE CAR

SEGMENT WITH THE LAUNCH TWO MONTHS AGO OF

THE STUNNING RC F COUPÉ - THE

MOST POWERFUL V8 PERFORMANCE CAR

EVER DEVELOPED BY THE BRAND.

AUTO SPOTLIGHT

Hyundai is the world’s fastest-grow-ing automaker by brand since 2005. Introducing greater performance, the latest technological features and a refined design in keeping with Hyundai’s ‘Modern Premium’

brand direction has been the key to the enviable success of Hyundai over the years. The brand val-ue of Hyundai Motor Company - which has been included in Interbrand’s Best 100 Global Brands for 10 consecutive years - reached the Global Top 40 in 2014. The company also saw its brand value post another two-digit growth in 2014, fueled by the successful launch of game-changing products such as the all-new Genesis and Sonata, as well as the successful implementation of its Modern Premium brand direction, which has been creat-ing not only a unified image for the brand world-wide, but also an emotional connection with its customers.

Followed by the Middle East launch, Nation-al Car Company (NCC), the sole distributor for Hyundai vehicles in Qatar, launched the New 2015 Genesis in May 2014. The 2015 Genesis is the first Hyundai to benefit from the brand’s fluid sculpture 2.0 design concept, while also boast-ing significantly enhanced driving performance and state-of-the art technologies such as Smart Trunk function, Head-Up Display and safety fea-tures such as the all-new Automatic Emergency Braking.

The 2015 Genesis continued its impressive global safety testing results by achieving the high-est-ever score in the 21-year history of ANCAP testing in Australia. Genesis also received the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest honour as a 2014 TOP SAFETY PICK+ earlier this year.

Commenting on NCC’s long association with Hyundai in Qatar, Sheikh Ahmad Bin Nasser Al Thani, President Director of NCC, said: “Being associated with the world’s fastest-growing auto-maker is a big responsibility and a challenge for us. Our focus has always been to follow Hyundai 's modern premium direction and deliver outstand-ing customer satisfaction to meet and exceed the continuously growing customer expectations. We are deeply committed to the success of the Hyun-dai brand in Qatar.”

The All-New Sonata 2015 mid-size sedan was launched in Qatar in October 2014. Staying true to Hyundai’s acclaimed ‘Modern Premium’ brand direction, the All-New Sonata offers mod-ern styling, excellent performance, and practical application of the latest Hyundai technologies. The All-New Sonata is the second model to have been designed using Hyundai’s Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 philosophy, It boasts a dramatic new exterior look, as well as a new and improved interior, and a design concept that focuses on “Inner Force,” a theme that points to evolved aesthetics and confi-dent perfection.

HYUNDAI, THE FASTEST-GROWING AUTOMAKER

“BEING ASSOCIATED WITH THE WORLD’S FASTEST GROWING AUTOMAKER IS A BIG RESPONSIBILITY AND A CHALLENGE FOR US. OUR FOCUS HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO FOLLOW HYUNDAI'S MODERN PREMIUM DIRECTION AND DELIVER OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION TO MEET AND EXCEED THE CONTINUOUSLY GROWING CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS. WE ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO THE SUCCESS OF THE HYUNDAI BRAND IN QATAR.” Sheikh Ahmad Bin Nasser Al Thani President Director National Car Company

AUTO SPOTLIGHT

All-New Sonata


AUTO SPOTLIGHT

CAPTUR TO ARRIVE IN GCCTHE FRENCH MANUFACTURER RENAULT WILL SHOW OFF ITS NEW SEDUCTION ASSET THROUGH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE RENAULT CAPTUR IN THE GCC COUNTRIES, THE FLAGSHIP CAR SINCE THE BRAND CHANGED ITS DESIGN APPROACH IN 2013.

Captur is Renault’s first urban crossover which stands out from the crowd bringing the best of three vehicle models together, namely the MPV, SUV and family hatchback. Sold in over 50

countries, the urban SUV has been a massive success everywhere it has been released, such as in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Australia and South Korea.

The official showroom unveiling launch event was attended by Omar Alfardan, President and CEO of Alfardan Group, Henrik Wil-

helmsmeyer, Head of Region Asia, Pacific, South Africa and Importer Regions for MINI at BMW Group, and others. In his comments, Omar Alfar-dan said: “For the past five years, the MINI brand

in Qatar has experienced double-digit growth, this year with MINI showing a registered sales increase of 25%. In celebration of this growth and outstanding accomplishment we are here today to launch a dedicated new showroom for MINI in Qatar.” The all-new MINI 5-door Hatch was launched on the occasion.

ALFARDAN AUTOMOBILES, THE OFFICIAL BMW GROUP IMPORTER IN QATAR, HAS OPENED ITS FIRST ALL-NEW AND STAND-ALONE MINI SHOWROOM. BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER BEFORE, THE NEW SHOWROOM WILL DELIVER A BEST-IN-CLASS, ACTION-PACKED AND FUN EXPERIENCE TO CUSTOMERS WHEN PURCHASING THE MINI MODEL OF THEIR CHOICE IN QATAR.

MINI SHOWROOM LAUNCHED

JAIDAH AUTOMOTIVE, A SUBSIDIARY OF JAIDAH GROUP AND THE EXCLUSIVE DEALER OF THE CHEVROLET BRAND IN QATAR - INTRODUCED THE 2015 CHEVROLET TRAX, THE ALL-NEW VERSION OF THE BRAND’S LINE OF UPCOMING SMALL-SIZE SUVS.

2015 CHEVROLET TRAX ARRIVES

The unveiling of the all-new 2015 Chevrolet Trax to the Qatari market took place at the Intercontinental Hotel and was attended by Mohamed Jaidah, Executive Director of Jaidah

Group, Khaled Samir, Director of Operations of Jaidah Automo-tive and Khaled Hassan, MD of Jaidah Automotive.

Mohamed Jaidah said: “We are excited to present the 2015 Chev-rolet Trax. With its contemporary and vastly versatile features, we’re sure that it’s going to significantly expand Chevrolet’s cus-tomer base in the Qatari market.”


NEW BMW X6 UNVEILEDAFTER INTRODUCING THE NEW BMW X6 MODEL AT THE BMW M MEETS X DRIVE EVENT AT THE LOSAIL INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT ON NOVEMBER 14 AND 15, ALFARDAN AUTOMOBILES HAS UNVEILED THE SECOND GENERATION OF THE SPORTS ACTIVITY COUPÉ AT THE BMW SHOWROOMS.

Commenting on the arrival of the new vehicle, Mr. Mohamed Kandeel, Chief Operating Officer,

Alfardan Group - Automotive Opera-tions, said: “The new BMW X6 com-bines the vigorous body and versatility of a BMW X model with the sporting elegance found in BMW’s Coupés. It also represents the best in motoring in the Sports Activity Coupé segment, and with its arrival to Qatar, we are certain that it will build on the successful lega-cy left by its previous generations.”

ALFARDAN OPENS ART GALLERYREACHING OUT TO CONNECT WITH THREE ARTISTS INCLUDING TWO FROM THE REGION, ALFARDAN SPORTS MOTORS, OFFICIAL FERRARI IMPORTER IN QATAR, HAS OPENED AN ART GALLERY IN ITS SHOWROOMS, WHICH WERE USED EXCLUSIVELY TO HOUSE THE LUXURIOUS COLLECTIONS OF NEWEST-RELEASE FERRARI MODELS.

“It is important for us to connect with our community, to work together to bolster cultural awareness in Qatar and promote symbiotic relationships,”commented Charly Dagher,

General Manager, Alfardan Sports Motors.

The artists include Qatari Calligrapher Rashad Mubarak Al Muhanadi, California- born Lisa Mounteer-Watson, and Ahmed Allawi Haade, a native of Baghdad and presently a resident of Doha.


AUTO SPOTLIGHT

“WISH MY CAR HAD THESE”YOU MAY NOT AFFORD A FERRARI BUT CAN STILL SOUND LIKE ONE SITTING IN A SMALL FORD.

CARMUDI PRESENTS THIS SEASON’S IN-CAR GADGETS THAT WILL FULFIL THE WISH-LIST OF A LOT OF ASPIRING CAR OWNERS. THESE EPIC GADGETS WILL ADD THAT EXTRA OOMPH FACTOR TO YOUR

RIDE. CARMUDI.AE, THE FASTEST-GROWING CAR CLASSIFIEDS, HAS ZEROED IN ON SOME OF THE JAZZIEST IN-CAR GADGETS THAT EVEN THE MOST TECH-SAVVY CAR OWNER WILL DIE FOR. THEY

INCLUDE THE TALKING CAR HORN APP, JACKHAMMER SUBWOOFER, POLARIS AIRLESS TIRES,THE VOLKSWAGEN FATIGUE AND THE VROOMINATOR.

TALKING CAR HORN

Spending considerable time in the car while caught in traffic snarls can be hell. But the revolutionary Talking Car Horn app ensures you are out of boredom. It takes your ride to the next level as it allows you to personalise your car horn just the way you like it. So let’s say if you are looking to have a good laugh with your friends, you could go ahead and “moo” like a cow, or “croak” like a frog in the middle of a packed street. The app is free, but you will have to buy the talking car system for $150 (QR546). Install the speakers, pull the cables through to the amplifier, connect the amplifier to your smartphone and enjoy some chuckles from passers-by.

HAIR-RAISING EXPERIENCE

This is no ordinary subwoofer. It is the JackHammer. Watch your

hair electrify as the car shakes and vibrates courtesy of the incredible

power generated by the subwoofer. It is no joke when we say that

the JackHammer is the real deal. Weighing at 167 kg and producing

6000 Watts, the MTX Audio JackHammer is the largest and

heaviest commercially available subwoofer. It was even featured on MTV’s Pimp My Ride show whereby

it was installed in a 1986 Buick Century. It is yours for $7,000

(QR25,480).


NO FLAT TYRES

No air? No problem! What if we told you that these cool looking Polaris Airless tyres can withstand 50-caliber rounds, railroad spikes and can even plough through any terrain or weather condition. It is hard to believe but true. These tyres will not burst, leak or go flat whatsoever. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the Polaris Airless tyres start at a hefty price of $14,999 (QR54,496).

NAVIGATING YOUR WAY

In any fast-developing country such as Qatar, where roads are ever changing to make room for more projects and high rises, a GPS navigator has become a necessity few can live without. We can all agree, however, that they aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing car accessories out there. Garmin has kept both safety and beauty in mind while developing their latest GPS system, HUD+ (Head-Up Display). While providing the usual GPS functions, it also tells you which lane to stay in for your next turn which, in a city with six-lane highways, can be a lifesaver. Get this accessory for $179.99 (QR661).

NO MORE “SLEEPY DRIVING”

Did you ever think your car would know if you were tired? Well, the Volkswagen fatigue detection function makes this possible. How? Through a highly sophisticated gadget that can read your in-car behaviour and steering wheel movements when you are behind the wheel. It will alert you to a loss of concentration and recommend that you take a break. For those who are too sleepy to realise it, the warning is repeated after 15 minutes.

THE VROOMINATOR

The Vroominator roars like a monstrous V8 engine which helps you get close enough to the experience. Plus, you don’t have to leave your own car as the gadget is synchronised to your vehicle’s alternator signal so the roaring sounds of a V8 engine match your car’s acceleration. You can get all this for $40 (QR145.6)


development > tech talk

OOREDOO LAUNCHES4G+ NETWORK

Ooredoo Chief Operating Officer Waleed Al Sayed, who launched the service, said that speed of the internet will increase two times and this service

would be more useful for businesses in the country. “Bigger and large-sized docu-ments can be downloaded in shorter time,” he said. However, only customers who have hand-held devices such as Samsung Alpha, Huawei Ascend Mate 7 and Huawei E5786 Mi-fi, which have the latest CAT6 technolo-gy, can access the network at present.

Meanwhile, the operator, along with Nokia Networks and China Mobile,

demonstrated a connection with 4.1 Gbps speed with TDD-FDD carrier aggregation that combined 10 carriers at the recently concluded ITU Telecom World conference. With this kind of capability, users can, for example, download a full-length 5 GB HD movie in just 11 seconds and simultane-ously upload a 30 MB video in less than a second. At the same event, Ooredoo also announced plans to launch Mobile Acade-my, its subscription-based mobile learning service that offers more than 50 courses on diverse subjects like language learning and business skills.

Customers could initially access this first-of-its-kind network at the Corniche, West Bay, Katara, Souq Waqif, Al Rayyan, Shahaniya and Sealine; the entire Qatar was to be covered by end of December.

An innovative digital menu by Pizza Hut can make recommendations basedon a customer’s subconscious craving.

ON INSTAGRAM'S300 MILLION ACTIVE USERS A MONTH

“If you think about the impact Twitter has on the world versus Instagram, it’s pretty significant... It’s this real-time information network where everything in the world happens on Twitter, important stuff breaks on Twitter and world leaders have conversations on Twitter. If that’s happening, I frankly don’t give a s**t if Instagram has more people looking at pretty pictures.”

EVAN WILLIAMS, Co-founder, Twitter

The pizza chain has partnered with eye-tracking firm Tobii Technolo-gy to develop a menu that is com-pletely controlled by your retina.

Once the sensor can recognise your eye movements, you’ll be shown a grid of 20 potential toppings on the screen and the menu will know, in exactly 2.5 seconds, which of the ingredients you lingered over the longest.

“The menu then uses a powerful mathematical algorithm to identify, from 4896 possible ingredient com-binations, the customer’s perfect piz-za,” the company said in a statement, adding that 98% of the customers this was tested on were satisfied with the recommendations made. The new digital menu is being rolled out to ev-ery refurbished Pizza Hut restaurant in the UK.

THE EYES WANT WHAT THE TUMMY WANTS


DO MOREWITH A TOUCH A recent patent submitted by an Apple subsidiary company describes various ways that the Touch ID sensor on a smartphone could be used for more than user verification.

A person twisting his or her finger around in a clockwise or counter-clockwise motion can manipulate a digital lock on the smartphone’s

screen. In another example, the patent demonstrated how a user drags a finger across the Touch ID sensor to complete a locking pattern on the iPhone itself. That would seemingly combine fingerprint ver-ification with pattern identity.

QIA STEPS UPTECH INVESTMENTS

A CYBER ATTACK ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH

According to The Wall Street Journal, Uber, the ride-sharing startup, conduct-ed a new round of funding worth $1.2 billion (QR4.37 billion) which involved

two hedge funds and Qatar’s soverign wealth fund, QIA. It is not clear what percentage of this figure is to come from QIA, but the paper commented that this tie-up may be about more than the money for Uber; QIA could prove to be a “strategic partner that could facilitate Uber’s expansion into new regions

by reducing regulatory hurdles.” Barely ten days later, it was announced that QIA has picked up a $150-million (QR546-million) stake in Indian e-commerce company Flip-kart, which is among the top five privately held technology startups in the world. Inci-dentally, QIA witnessed a shuffle at the top with the stepping down of CEO Ahmad Al Sayed who was replaced with the current Chairman of Ooredoo, HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohamed bin Saud Al Thani.

Qatar Investment Authority has, within a short time, made a couple of big investments in high profile technology companies.

The hackers, who call themselves the Guardians of Peace, reportedly breached Sony defences in response to Sony’s Christmas release, The In-

terview, which features a plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Some embar-rassing revelations include film executives making racist comments about President Barack Obama’s taste in movies, derogato-ry remarks about the acting talents of stars like Angelina Jolie and the inflated pay-check of British Princess Beatrice who was working as a lowly intern. The FBI blamed

North Korea for the attack (which the mili-tary state has denied, even offering to work with the US to catch the culprits responsi-ble).

However, after the emergence of threats against movie-goers if this film were to be screened, Sony pulled The Interview from the theatres only to reinstate it back for the original release data. Obama criticised the cancellation, saying that “we cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship” and later praised the move to release it.

Sony Pictures paid a heavy price when online hackers released private emails, script details, pay rosters and unreleased movies after a massive cyber attack.

AS WE REACH

I0,000LIKES ON FACEBOOK, WE ARE ALSO

CELEBRATING A MILESTONE ON TWITTER WHERE OUR HANDLE

@QATARTODAY HAS REACHED MORE THAN

30,000 FOLLOWERS.

THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT AND CONNECT WITH US FOR INSIGHTFUL AND IN-DEPTH NEWS AND BUSINESS

STORIES FROM QATAR.


Taking advantage as the host nation, Qatar utilised the op-portunity to project itself as a hub of global technology and as a “Smart Nation” by demon-

strating Doha’s broadband capabilities. The highlight of the event, whose theme was “The Future in Focus,” was international expert in intelligent robotics Rolf Pfeifer, who presented the Roboy, a robot designed to encourage human-robot interaction and change the often negative perceptions of robots. The human-robotic interaction de-lighted participants from across the globe with his ability to interact and move, his anthromorphic, tendon-driven arm, as well as his charming blushes, winks and waves.

The event also saw Nokia Networks, Qa-tar’s leading telecommunications provider Ooredoo, and China Mobile set a world re-cord by demonstrating a speed of 4.1 Gbps over TDD-FDD LTE by which users can download a full-length 5 GB high-definition movie in just 11 seconds and simultaneously upload a five-minute 30 MB video clip from a concert in less than a second. As many as 3,500 participants from 165 countries took

part in the event including from both the public and private sectors.

“I have seen the evolution of a roadmap that provides an immersive, interactive and deeply informative view of the future of ICT,” said ITU Secretary General Hama-doun I Touré.

“This has been evident in the Leadership Summit and Forum, bringing insights into industry shifts and macro trends from top names on the show floor and looking at new technologies developing in The Lab,” he added.

Discussions The forum sessions discussed key trends and developments in technology, regulato-ry and policy issues, business models, ser-vices and applications by focusing on three major scenarios of disruption, cross-sector partnerships and the intelligent future.

The discussions centred around the rad-ical transformation of the ICT industry and other topics such as “Big Data, mobile networks in the cloud, the softwarisation of network elements, bringing IT into ICT, cross-sector partnerships, collaboration

and cooperation and broadband rollout in emerging markets.”

Show floorThe show floor included the first-time-pa-vilion Smart Africa (represented by Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan and Rwanda) which highlighted the Smart Africa initiative fo-cusing on making Internet access afford-able to all African citizens and the role of the private sector in ICT development part-nerships. Thematic pavilions showcased the latest innovations in ICTs to address specific issues related to emergency tele-communication in Saving Lives and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

The event saw the launch of the Global Cybersecurity Index 2014. A joint project undertaken by ABI Research and ITU, the GCI provides insights into cybersecurity engagement in countries.

The future of innovation was showcased in the Lab and by winners of the Young Innovators competition. Social entrepre-neurs between ages 18 and 30 from around the world highlighted innovative digital solutions with positive social impact.

Focus is on the future

The four-day International Telecom Union (ITU) Telecom World 2014, which was held for the first time in Doha last month, was marked with interactive debates and showcased a focus on the future of technology and its impact on society.

Numbersat a glance

Total participants

3,500 from

165 countries

205Speakers from

52countries

51Forum sessions

16partners and sponsors

169show floor entities from

46countries

30National representations and thematic pavilions

2,400tweets from 841 contributors that reached over

8million people globally.

development > tech talkRoboy with (L-R) Hungary’s Minister for National Development Miklos Sezstak, Executive Director in the ICT Ministry Khalid Al Hashmi, ITU Secretary General Dr Hamadoun I Touré and Ooredoo COO Waleed al Sayed


GPS-2 launched

With perennial droughts, floods and natural calam-ities on the rise, global warming has been high on the agenda at all inter-

national summits for many years and sev-eral countries have pledged their support and promised to involve all stakeholders, including students, in their plans for a sus-tainable development.

The Green Programme for Schools in its second edition will help further in engag-ing the youth in eco-friendly practices and building a green equity in their minds.

The GPS orientation programme was held for volunteers at the College of North Atlantic-Qatar last month and the partic-ipants were briefed about the events that would be held in the next six months.

GPS teams have been formed in about three dozen schools with thousands of students to activate, run and monitor the

programme with active support from the teachers, parents and managements of the respective institutions.

More than 3700 contextual messages in both Arabic and English were placed at relevant places such as water dispensers and wash rooms and nearly 9,000 stickers at light switches in the schools to inculcate and spread the message of conservation. Plans are underway to nominate one stu-dent and a faculty member as GPS ambas-sadors as part of the programme.

The GPS aims at achieving the desired goal by strategically placing pledge boards, suggestion boxes, and creative stickers all over the campuses which would constantly remind and encourage the students to uti-lise the available natural resources in a ju-dicious manner.

Since textbooks contribute significantly to paper use, recycling the books have been accorded importance and awareness has

been created among students to save paper. The GPS will monitor these educational

institutions and the school which reduc-es water and electricity consumption the most will be awarded the “Eco School of the Year.”

Other prizes, like the best eco-idea and most energy efficient school will also be giv-en out after the final inter-school competi-tion, to be held on World Environment Day on the June 5 this year.

The second edition of GPS is partnered by ExxonMobil Qatar, whose commitment to conservation of nature ranks among the best in the industry. The company is at the forefront in ensuring the health and safety of its employees and also of the communi-ties where it operates.

In its first edition, GPS reached out to 30 schools, interacted with 25,000 students and engaged with their family members in creating awareness among them.

The second edition of Green Programme for Schools (GPS), the most engaging initiative by Qatar Today, aimed at reaching, inspiring and rewarding

students for their “Green initiatives,” held its orientation programme recently.

development > green scene

Volunteers at the GPS Orientation Programme held at College of North Atlantic -Qatar.


business > marketwatch

QNCC HOSTS EXPO EXPO ME SUMMIT

Al Ahmad Group (AG) recently announced the launch of the Expo Expo ME Summit 2015 at a press conference held at the Amari Doha Hotel, Qatar.

Expo Expo ME will be held from May 18 to 22 at the Qatar National Convention Cen-tre. At the launch event, the organisers, AG Events, unveiled the informative, well-de-

signed brochure and web site www.expoexpome.com.

The launch was attended by projects manager Amir Khalid and chaired by the Al Ahmad Group CEO Ammar Anabtawi. An official agreement was signed between AG Events and Amari Doha Hotel. The official partnership agreement was signed by Ammar Anabtawi, CEO AG Events and Rami Al-Jabari, GM Amari Doha.

Expo Expo ME is Qatar’s first exhibition ex-clusively for the events industry. The summit is being organised by Al Ahmad Group (AG Events), and officially endorsed by the Qatar Tourism Au-thority in Doha and the International Association

of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE). The new web-site provides a platform for exhibitors, network-ers, delegates and others to register with ease and gain quick access to relevant information.

The summit consists of four fundamental busi-ness pillars: exhibiting, conferring, educating and networking.

The summit is designed to help event industry professionals connect with hundreds of suppli-ers, exhibitors and fellow professionals.

Urging participation from the industry, Anabtawi said “I encourage all event profession-als to be a part of this amazing summit. Our goal is to put you in touch with the latest solutions, the most important innovators and influencers, a comprehensive technological forum programme and bring you a unique education opportunity you would not want to miss”.

Gentlemen can elevate their shaving ritual with this limited-edition set that includes a 100ml Gentlemen Only Eau de Toilette and a 30ml after-shave balm. Gentlemen Only is a Woody Aromatic fragrance for men with notes of Green Mandarin, Pink Peppercorn and a trio of woods.

WELL-GROOMED


Katara Hospitality,the leading global hotel developer, owner and operator based in the country, has been recognised at the World Travel Awards 2014 as the World’s Leading Hospitality Company for the second year running.

The award was presented at the grand finale ceremony in Anguilla recently, which was attended by top executives from the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors. Founded

in 1993, the World Travel Awards aim at recognis-ing, acknowledging and rewarding excellence in the travel, tourism and hospitality sector world-wide. Salem Al Kubaisi, Chief Corporate Services Officer at Katara Hospitality, accepted the award on behalf of the company.

Commenting on the organisation’s latest ac-complishment, His Excellency Sheikh Nawaf Bin Jassim Bin Jabour Al Thani, Chairman of Katara Hospitality, said, “This accolade underlines the investment and development milestones we have achieved on our journey to becoming one of the top hospitality organisations in the world. Iden-tifying attractive investment opportunities, in-creasing revenue streams and presenting excep-tional service to our guests has propelled Katara Hospitality into the global spotlight.”

“We are proud to once again win this award at such an important international platform and be recognised as an organisation that is pushing the

boundaries of industry excellence,” added Ha-mad Abdulla Al-Mulla, CEO and Board Member of Katara Hospitality. Katara Hospitality has re-cently reopened the Sheraton Doha Resort and Convention Hotel, following an extensive ren-ovation that upgraded the property’s facilities. Bringing Doha’s most iconic hotel to its former glory, the refurbishment perfectly reflects the synergy between the striking 1970s architecture of one of Qatar’s most recognised landmarks and all the functionality expected of a leading 21st century luxury hotel.

Earlier this month, the Excelsior Hotel Gallia, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan in one of Katara Hospitality’s five-star properties in Italy – wel-comed its first guests during its soft reopening. Following the completion of the full renovation by renowned Milanese architect Marco Piva, this iconic project will officially reopen in Febru-ary 2015, following four years of redevelopment work. With 30 hotels already in operation or un-der development, Katara Hospitality has topped its long-established goal of 30 properties by 2016 two years ahead of schedule.

KATARA HOSPITALITYRECEIVES ACCOLADES

DUAL TIME PRECISION Based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, the prestigious independent watchmaker H. Moser & Cie. has long been favoured by professionals looking for authentic watchmaking craftsmanship and understated aesthetics.

H. Moser & Cie. takes pride in making exceptional timepieces that fuse modern and traditional techniques, and even more so in the fact that all movements in H. Moser timepieces are created in-house. The Endeavour Dual Time Special Edi-

tion, as its name conveys, has a dual time zone function, for trav-elling around the world and across time zones. A red second time zone hand is concealed underneath the “home time” hour hand. When overseas, you simply adjust the red second hour hand to the new local time. The hour hand for the second time zone moves with the home time hour hand.

Another key feature is the pawl winding system within the in-house automatic calibre HMC 346. This system is the result of re-lentless efforts made by the H. Moser product development team during the design and testing of this highly efficient automatic in-house calibre, and it reflects H. Moser’s goal of bringing together both fine craftsmanship and practicality.


HARVEY NICHOLSNOW IN QATARHarvey Nichols, the world’s leading luxury retailer, and Harvey Nichols Doha LLC, a luxury retail company affiliated to the Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Group of Companies, a leading Qatari business group, have signed an exclusive licence agreement for the development of a Harvey Nichols store in the State of Qatar.

Targeted to open in Q1 2017, the store will boast 80,000 square feet of retail space which will offer an exclusive edition of fashion, beauty, childrenswear, homeware

and a range of hospitality services. The store will be located in Doha Festival City, the prestigious shopping, leisure and entertainment centre of Doha. The store will be Harvey Nichols' eighth venture outside the UK and Ireland. Other in-ternational locations include Hong Kong, Dubai, Riyadh, Turkey and Kuwait.

With the acquisition of the exclusive licence for the Harvey Nichols brand, this will reinforce Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Group of Companies as a leading presence in the luxury retail sector. Al Mana Luxury, an affiliate of the same group, oper-ates boutiques for Hermes, Chloé, Giorgio Arma-ni, Emporio Armani, Armani Exchange, Balen-ciaga, Giuseppe Zanotti, Sergio Rossi, Alexander

McQueen, Stella McCartney, Agent Provocateur, Anya Hindmarch and many other luxury brands. The group also has a diverse range of other busi-nesses within its portfolio including Automotive, Luxury Hospitality Development, Media, Engi-neering as well as a diverse portfolio of property development. Operating in Doha since 1951, Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Group of Companies has built a reputation for excellence in customer service.

Commenting on the partnership, Stacey Cart-wright, Chief Executive of Harvey Nichols, said, “Doha is an exciting market for Harvey Nichols due to the significant growth we are seeing in the country.

The Qatari customer is increasingly important to our UK business and we look forward to being able to service them in their home market, with the best shopping and dining experience, when we open our doors for business”

JEWELLERY AND WATCHESEXHIB COMING SOON

The twelfth edition of the Doha Jewellery & Watches Exhibition (DJWE), themed Timeless Elegance, will also be the launching pad for fine jewel-lery’s distinctive names, including David Webb, who are seeking to solid-ify their market positions in Qatar. “Visitors will not only see the familiar

names that have participated every year but also many new brands which have recently entered the market. An important feature for the 2015 edition is the presence of Qatari talents and local brands,” said Hamad Al Abdan, Director of Exhibitions for Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA).

DJWE has been the feature project of QTA since its inception, held under the patronage of H.E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister of the State of Qatar. The event will be held at the Qa-tar National Convention Centre from February 24 to 28 with Qatar National Bank as its official sponsor.

Over five hundred international and regional jewellery and watch brands will arrive in Doha at the end of February to be part of the region’s most important luxury retail event.

business > market watch


MUCH MORE THAN TIME-KEEPING

Worldwide, Titan, which is said to be de-scribed by consumers as a “complete company”, has sold 16 million pieces of more than 750 designs in 2014 and ef-

forts are on to cross that mark in 2015. “Qatar has embraced modernity while retaining its heritage, values and culture in an inimitable style. We also grew step-by-step and emerged as one of the top watch brands in the country,” says H G Raghu-nath, CEO of the Watch and Accessories division of Titan Company Limited. Speaking to Qatar Today on the sidelines of a function organised to mark its 20 years of existence in the GCC, Raghu-nath says: “Watches have become fashionable to be adored by all and not just for time keeping. It is part of the emotional part of a consumer’s life.”

According to him, Titan watches have sever-al designs to meet the demand for any occasion. “When we ask the consumers why they buy a sec-ond and third watch, they justify it by saying that there are a number of designs,” Raghunath points out.

AchievementsRaghunath says that the achievements are many as the image and business have been growing for the last two decades. “Our own partnership with Domasco (Doha Marketing Services Company) has only become stronger. Our partner is equally excited to work with a brand like Titan. Besides

watches, we have other products such as per-fumes, sunglasses, jewellery and a vast and long list of products in the consumer life styles,” he says.

Future plansAs the company keeps growing, there is a need to increase its portfolios and products, according to Raghunath. “We have established ourselves in the region’s markets and would like to accelerate the pace of growth in the coming five years by step-ping up our investments. This is our vision and we will work for it,” he says.

As far as Qatar is concerned, the company is fo-cusing on retail excellence. Consumers want sat-isfaction for every riyal they spend. “When they go home, they should say they not only bought a watch but also had a beautiful shopping experi-ence. I want Titan to be the most prestigious and preferred brand in Qatar,” Raghunath says.

Competition “We offer specialised products for all sections - right from low-cost watches for children to gold and diamond-studded pieces for high-class con-sumers,” he says. He says that 40% of their con-sumers come back as they like the quality, price and image. “Our effort is to ensure that consum-ers’ preference for watches, Titan in particular, continues and increase,” he says.

“Our own partnership with Domasco (Doha Marketing Services Company) has only become stronger and stronger. Our partner is equally excited to work with a brand like Titan. Besides watches, we have other products such as perfumes, sunglasses, jewelry and a vast and long list of products in the consumer life styles.”

H G RAGHUNATHCEO, Watch and Accessories DivisionTitan Company Limited

The growth witnessed by Qatar during the last two decades is unmatched but Titan Company, the world’s fifth largest watchmaker, also made its presence as one of the most preferred brands for the GCC region during its existence in the last 20 years.

The watches, inspired by nature, are an incarnation of the exotic flora and fauna of paradise. Embellished with Swarovski crystals and adorned with enamel work, the watches are a portrayal of the latest trends in global watchmaking. H G Raghunath said: “I thank Domasco, our exclusive dis-

tributor for Qatar, which has been supportive in establishing and strengthening our brand presence in the country.”

Domasco’s Managing Director Faisal Sharif, who emphasised the strong bond that linked Titan with his company, said: “We are committed to keep on provid-ing support to the brand’s presence in Qatar and I am confident that Titan’s cus-tomer base will keep on growing.”

TITAN LAUNCHES NEW COLLECTION

Titan has launched the much-awaited two best-selling ranges of ornate watches to commemorate Titan’s 20 years of existence in Qatar and the GCC region.


culture > qt take

Two weeks before Ajyal Film Festi-val, we were in our office,dividing up between us the various screen-ings that had to be covered. Be-ing media partners, we wanted to make sure that we captured the

best moments, moods and motion pictures of the three-day extravaganza. While Speed Sisters was already generating a buzz and the Middle East premier of The Prophet was obviously the big Red Carpet event,I found myself being drawn towards the two ‘Made in Qatar’ sessions.

Primarily it was to watch Qarar. The biggest oh-my-god moment, of course, was spoilt days before – the CGI of our intrep-id hero having a smoke as he looks over at the decimated Doha skyline because of the onset of a zombie epidemic. It would have been doubly impactful if this particular scene had been kept out of the marketing campaign. Nevertheless, the film ultimately won an award for “its consummate techni-cal proficiency in cinematography, direc-tion, acting and special effects”, which was accepted by director Ali Al Ansari. You’d think a 15-minute short of the zombie apocalypse couldn’t possible throw up any surprises but Qarar certainly did. Being a massive fan of the genre, I was happily sur-

prised with the crisp little tale of horror, underlined by inscrutable human motiva-tions in the face of death. Reportedly the production company, Innovation Films, shot a longer zombie film. I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Another personal favourite was Hind’s Dream which received a special mention for “its artistic vision and poetic screen-writing”. Barely ten minutes long, the story follows a young Bedouin woman, from an unspecified place and time, who recounts a dream that seems to share with her a secret knowledge about a forgotten past and a dis-tant future. Haya Al Romaihi’s poetry was compelling and even I was reading the En-glish subtitles and rubbing away the goose-bumps from my arms, I was mourning for what was probably getting lost in the trans-lation. But even more impressive was the sheer visual beauty of the film that compli-mented the narration, cleverly using every available landscape in Qatar – from barren deserts and turquoise waters to towering skyscrapers. At one point, the young wom-an stumbles on the Richard Serra installa-tion in the North. It was one of my favourite moments in the movie – the surreal tone of the film amplified thousand times over by the mystique of the sculptures. Director

S T O R I E S F R O M Q ATA RThe Made in Qatar

segment of the recently concluded Ajyal Youth Film

Festival left us pleasantly surprised and wanting more.

Ayswarya Murthy reviews a selection of films and even attempts to coin a term for

the fledgling but growingfilm industry in Qatar.


(and screenwriter and editor and cinema-tographer) Suzannah Mirghani has a genu-ine masterpiece on her hands.

On both days, a small selection of films was screened, supported by Seha and Kah-ramaa and focusing on health and energy conservation respectively. One memora-ble film from the first day showed a young man, hell bent on gorging on junk food and avoiding anything remotely healthy, magi-cally thrust into a video game. Here he ex-periences, in the only way he’ll understand, how his choices are sapping his lifeline and taking him closer to the big “Game Over”. It went down big with the young audience. The conservation films blew me away with the amazing variety of techniques the film-makers demonstrated and the clever ideas they were able to bring to life. From clay-mation to simple but powerful animations, every film in that segment is worth men-tioning. Takrir is just one of them. Direc-tor Ghassan Kairouz anthropomorphises everyday appliances who each speak about what annoys them the most (you won’t for-get in hurry a refrigerator telling you, in a very thick Korean accent, to please keep its door shut). The movie was complimented for the “excellence of its concept and execu-tion and the beauty of its presentation”. My

favourite of the lot was Secure the Future. The animation is basic – watercolours and simple black lines. A young man is shav-ing and all the while the tap is continually running. He seems oblivious to the strange, rhythmic sound that gets louder and loud-er by the minute. The buildup is subtle and effective. Finally you see a whole family gathered around a water pump, working the mechanical handle vigorously in a futile at-tempt to get some water. That’s where the sound was coming from all along. An old message that was delivered masterfully – even as we indiscriminately waste water here, someone somewhere else is struggling for every last drop.

The documentaries in the mix were the weak links in an otherwise engaging lineup of films. The Big Dream about a young boy aspiring to be a swimming champion was 22-minutes of cruel boredom. The Kings and Queens of Qatar, which follows the country’s chess team on their trip to Turkey to compete in an international chess tour-nament was at least interesting but was also a patience-testing 36 minutes long. Docu-mentaries definitely need to be highlighted because they bring into action a different set of skills but better thought could have gone into choosing a more interesting sub-

ject matter for the former and trimming the fat off the latter. The other documentary, Temsah¸ features the exploits of cartoonist Abdulaziz Yousef. It seemed disconnected and unclear about what it was trying to say but was thankfully wasn’t too long.

The two films that got the most laughs were Amreeka Laa! and 10%. In the first one, a young man who has been accepted into an American university is shocked when his father refuses to give him his blessings and send him on his way. As it turns out the father was forced to relive a “traumat-ic” experience from his visit to the United States several years earlier. Before you get all sympathetic, we should tell you that it involved an airport security officer and an innocuous bag of dates. Actor Mohammad Al Hamadi, who plays the younger version of the father, had great comedic timing and was acknowledged by the jury for his excel-lent performance.

And finally, we come to the film that was judged the overall winner and received the $5,000 prize money. 10%. Directed by Yousef Al Moadhadi. The first few seconds of the film are quite dark. Here is a man, trapped in some dingy and frightful place, and his careworn, anguished face is illumi-nated in the light of his phone that is quick-

Clockwise from top:Takrir; Secure the Future;

Hind's Dream; Opposite page:

A scene from Qarar


culture > qt take

ly running out of charge. Clearly, here is a man who has been dragged through the depths of hell and we wait, breath held, for his story to unfold. Well, that’s when the film took a sudden, humourous U-turn. He is a hapless young mobile phone-addict who has one very long, very bad day that starts with him realising that his phone is close to dying and has only 10% charge left. And it’s just one hilarious thing after another after that. Through the course of the day he gets thrown out of a meeting, locks himself out of his car, accidently walks into a strang-er’s home and finds himself trapped in a sewer, among other things. The audience was in splits, from start to finish. It cer-

tainly deserved the award, which the jury announced was for “the simplicity of its central idea coupled with its excellent tech-niques in cinematography, direction and presentation”. Overall, both the evenings were incredibly entertaining and entire-ly worth the three hours we spent getting to and from Katara. The recent troubles with DFI and accusations that it doesn’t do enough for home-grown filmmakers might have prompted some of us to write off the nascent Qatari film industry but 'Made in Qatar' is a resounding testimony to the po-tential that lies dormant here. During Ajyal, DFI announced the launch of the Qatari Film Fund which will develop and produce

up to four feature films and eight short films every year through two application sessions for Qatari directors and writers. Funds up to QR182,500 will be allocated for these projects. This is an exciting opportunity which we hope young filmmakers here will take full advantage of. After getting a taste of 'Made in Qatar', we refuse to wait a whole year to watch another crop of Qatari films and hope that more independent produc-tions and screenings will start to happen soon.

Meanwhile, only one question remains – What name to give this budding film indus-try? Dohllywood? Qollywood? Need to lock this down quickly...

Clockwise from top: 10%; Kings and Queens of Qatar; Amreeka Laa!

10% was recognised for the "simplicity of its central idea coupled with its excellent techniques in cinematography, direction and presentation".


affairs > local

As founder and CEO of Tataowar Coaching and Consulting, and a successful businesswoman, coach and author, Carolin Zeitler is on a mission and she is here to stay and make empowering wom-

en her passionate business.Zeitler arrived in Qatar in 2007 and felt

that she was all alone as a woman with am-bitions and aspirations. Soon she met sev-eral other ambitious women who also felt they had no real platform for exchange. She says, “I first started a small group called These Ladies Mean Business, and about 15 of us would critique each other’s business ideas and presentations to help out.”

The impact that this small group had on those involved led to the inception of How Women Work (HWW) in 2009 and the annual conference the following year. Arguably, what is most distinctive about the HWW enterprise is its longevity. Zeitler says, “It’s not only a conference anymore, it is a community and it’s a community that

has survived over many years, and in that I think it is special.”

The unique set of challenges that Doha presents for business owners and profes-sionals is something that Zeitler became aware of the hard way when starting HWW: “Every year something completely unex-pected happened. In the first year our venue was cancelled about five weeks before the conference, the hotel called and said they had to cancel all events that were booked for the next three months,” she remembers.

The often transient nature of Qatar in particular made starting a business here tricky, and Zeitler admits that continuity is challenging to maintain. She says, “It is difficult to improve the standard every year, which is obviously our goal. If you have more long-term employees it is much easi-er to grow.” Yet in 2008, when Carolin start-ed her own corporate coaching business, Arcata Interactive Communication Coach-ing, this atmosphere of change turned into a blessing in disguise as she pioneered the

Carolin Zeitler’ssuccess story speaks of

resilience and persistence. She speaks of this year's

How Women Work Conference that tackles similar themes.

By Alexandra Langston

BE THE CHANGE


field: “When I first went out to companies I actually had to educate many of them about what coaching is all about, which I think en-ables you to have a lead in the market and that works in your favour.”

The challenge of being a woman in busi-ness was also something Zeitler was able to turn to her advantage. She says, “I have ac-tually often felt that it’s an advantage to be a woman, I’ve often felt that people would be more inclined to give me five minutes of their time, to at least give me a chance to talk to them.” In the end, those hard-won battles were the toughest lessons but the most rewarding, according to Zeitler, as she says, “You definitely grow a lot of resilience but when you are a pioneer you have to find these early adopters, you have to find peo-ple who are willing to take the risk.”

Resilience was, and continues to be, a vi-tal skill for Carolin as an entrepreneur and businesswoman, and she emphasises the particular importance of having that core of strength when starting out: Even through challenging times, Zeitler says her support system, her family, was her core strength from whom she imbibed confidence to keep going. “For me it’s always been my spiritual

belief, but it’s whatever carries you through those moments. You need something that helps you see that light at the end of the tunnel.” She says, “Despite the fact that this is changing in today’s society, I do think it’s still more of a challenge for a woman than a man to maintain the balance between work and family life. My daughter has been very supportive, for the last three years she has actually been our official photographer at the conference.”

When asked if she would change any-thing she has done since coming to Qatar, Zeitler is firm: “There are a lot of things that I have learned along the way and if I was back there with the knowledge I have now, there are things that I could do better, but everything has had its purpose. It all makes sense when you look back, how I had to go through this journey of growth and devel-opment and how everything along the way taught me something. So really I wouldn’t have it any other way.” This certainty is arguably rooted in a belief that situations are what you make of them - something which this year’s HWW conference theme ‘Be the Change’ focuses on: “For me it’s all about being the change that you want to see

in the world. If you think of what isn’t hap-pening in society that you would like to see, try and take a step towards that, towards filling that gap.”

That is exactly what Carolin intends to do with her next project on the benefits of coaching for female executives, something she hopes will fill a gap in current research on coaching: “Our goal is to make coaching more tailored to the real needs of female ex-ecutives here in Qatar. It’s always difficult to explain the benefits of a service, something that is not tangible, so having that research will contribute to actually verifying that there is a benefit to it.” It is this inclination towards making a change where she per-ceives it is needed that makes Zeitler a pio-neering woman.

How Women Work Empowering women to grow and succeedThe sixth annual HWW conference is com-ing up in March 2015, with the theme ‘Be the Change’. Once again it will be interactive and relevant to you: the women with aspira-tions and ambitions who live and (want to) work in Qatar. For more inspiration, please go to hwwqatar.com.

“Despite the factthat this is changing in today’s society, I do think it’s still more of a challenge for a woman than a man to maintain the balance between work and family life.”

CAROLIN ZEITLERCEO of Tataowar Coaching and Consulting


culture > doha diary

Colour and valourNational celebrations took the city by storm with events that catered to every taste and interest.

From grandoise parades to quintessentially Qatari entertainment and fireworks to cricket matches, the varied events brought the residents of Doha from out of their homes and into the streets in a

celebration of unity.



The paintings, installations, sculp-tures, photographs and more will be on display at Al Riwaq gallery till March 30, 2015. Exploring the en-

vironmental, cultural and social aspects of life in Qatar and Brazil, the works have been curated by three teams (one for Qa-tari artists, one for Brazilian and the last dealing with artists’ books) spread across five countries. While the artists chosen are mostly young (this is most obvious in the post-modern, conceptual works of the Bra-zilian artists), veterans like Ernesto Neto

and Khalifa Al Obaidly.At the inauguration of the exhibition, the

launch of the artists’ residence programme at the Fire Station was also announced. The old Civil Defence Building, which has been re-purposed into a gallery and artists’ hub, will open in 2015 and the nine-month Art-ist in Residence programme will support locals artists by providing 20 studios and gallery space to hone their skills and collab-orate with other artists. Registration is now live at www.firestation.org.qa and will close on April 1, 2015.

culture > doha diaryBUILDING BRIDGES WITH ART

The final event in theQatar Brazil 2014 Year of Culture calender – Here There – showcases the works of 42 artists from these two countries.

FROM THE TOP OF THE WORLDTO THE BOTTOM

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Thani who became the first Qatari to conquer Mount Everest last year, planted the first Qatari flag on the South Pole last month.To commemorate Qatar National Day, the young ROTA Ambassador skied for two weeks to reach the South Pole and raise the country’s flag there. He is quoted as saying in a statement, “I am extremely proud to be the first Qatari to raise the flag of Qatar on the South Pole. Very few people have been privileged to visit the South Pole. This milestone, I hope, will continue to inspire young people in Qatar as we celebrate our beloved National Day.”


Maryam Al Sybaiey, Founder of QTalent, in her opening remarks mentioned how this non-profit organisation will strive to sup-

port nationals and help them be the best of what they can be. “And we want to take this opportunity to also celebrate and thank expats, who irrespective of where they are from, have always been enthusi-astic about contributing to our success,” she said. On the inaugural night, three sto-ries were presented. Mariam Al Kubaisi, a Stenden university student, spoke about

Platinum Events Qatar which will formally be launched in January of next year. Next Amal Al Shammari shared her experiences involving curious and well-meaning ex-pats misunderstanding the Qatari culture, which led her to start Embrace Doha. The main event of the evening was undoubt-edly the airing of the documentary which followed seven young Qataris who went to a remote village in Brazil to start work on building a school. Five of them participated in a panel discussion at the end to talk about their experiences.

At the press conference held to an-nounce the details of the event, Founder and CEO of The Youth Company, Mohamed Farid, point-

ed out how this grassroots celebration has witnessed staggering growth since it first began - from 10,000 attendees in its first year to an astounding 120,000 last year. On stage with him were long-time supporter and friend of TYC, Khalifa Saleh Al Haroon; Ian Riddoch, Director of Sales of Qatar Star Leagues which is a main partner of the fes-tival, singer Dana Al Fardan and Amal Al

Shammari. Al Fardan, who judged the finals of the

Youth Got Talent segment of the festival, announced the launch of her music label DNA and said that winner will very likely get to work closely with the label on sever-al projects. Embrace Doha hosted several events, like an “express experience” into becoming a Qatari which ends with the par-ticipants getting an honorary (but fake) Qa-tari passport that will familiarise the young attendees of the festival to the culture of the host country.

THE QATARI SUCCESS STORY

Qatar Together, a new initiative launched by Maryam Al Subaiey and “a group of friends”, will strive to highlight inspiring stories of Qataris who are pushing boundaries and shifting paradigms.

RUN THE WORLD IS BACKThe fourth edition of the Run the World Festival,which was held in Katara between December 18 and 20, was a cultural, entertaining and high energy treat to the thousands of young people who attended.

DOHA HOSTSFIFTH ARAB SOCIAL MEDIA FORUM

The one-day session brought together industry experts, influencers and representatives various companies to discuss different strategic approaches to social media and using it as a conduit for social change.

The various panelists and speakers spoke about social media trends in Qatar and how one can leverage their power for corporate and cause marketing. While attendees were briefed about the different social media analytics tools and how to keep an eye on the returns on investment, the various approaches to using social media for startups, governments, NGOs, etc were highlighted while comparing them to how traditional media functions. Participants got to hear from and interact with the likes of Ali Sabkar, President of the Social Media Club MENA; Burhan Wazir, Editor in Chief at Qulture.com; Faissal Al Haithami, Social Media Specialist at the Ministry of Economy & Commerce; Ibrahim Arab, Program Editor at Al Jazeera Media Network; Khalifa Al Haroon, Founder of ILoveQatar and more.


QATAR’S LONDON HQ

HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser has reportedly submitted plans to convert three mansions in

Cornwall Terrace into a sprawling palace for her son HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Qatar reportedly now owns more property in London than the British Crown.

FREE AT LAST

Americans Matthew and Grace Huang are exonerated by Qatari courts for the death of their daughter, two years after the incident. John Kerry reportedly called Qatari officials when the couple was stopped at the airport the first time they tried to leave the country

after the verdict was delivered.

A BARGAIN?Al Jazeera network has suspended its Egyptian channel, Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr (Live Egypt), whose coverage angered Egypt’s government because of its perceived Muslim Brotherhood slant. The channel would stop broadcasting

until it had obtained “the necessary permits”, a statement from the network said.

Qatar CloudWhat the world was talking

about the country around theirdinner tables last month.

Truly vulgar.UK for sale!

Anotherfeather to the

cap ofDemocratic

Dictator Sisi!

If we needed a reason to bring on the Mansion Tax, I think we have just

found it !!!!

U.S. could have done more

to end Qatar nightmare,Matt Huang

Let’s keep an eye on the ball people. The problem with the property market in the UK is not who owns what. The problem is an ownership and

regulation structure that leads to lack of proper supply.

I can’t believe that there’s anybody who believes that Al-Jazeera isn’t like every other news agency - they have an agenda, no matter how carefully they hide it, or how vehemently they deny it. Consider that they are Qatar-based and you’d have to be out of your mind, or just really gullible, to not

understand their real agenda.

SO if she had a medical condition why wasn’t she

receiving treatment?? Something is not right she should have been

getting fed through a tube or something, somebody should have been taking care of her :(

All comments featured here are taken from thepublic web pages of various new organisations.

Qatar Today is not responsible for the comments expressed.

Documents

QT JANUARY 2015