ISSUE

ISSUE1415| APRIL
| MAY 2015

ALL EYES ON
THE TARGET

OIL NARROWS
TRADE SURPLUS

SIGNIFICANT
MILESTONE

PRIVATE BANK
CBQ TURNED 40

The precipitous fall in trade

surplus is rather reflective
of the considerable drop in
the energy prices.

Qatar achieved a major

milestone in reducing carbon
emissions with Jetty Boil-off
Gas Recovery Project.

Qatars first private bank

Commercial Bank Qatar
organised a series of events to
mark its 40th anniversary.

ARCHITECTURE:
HR POLICIES: HIRING
BUILDINGS
MR ORNOT
MS GREEN
PERFECT
BUT GOLDDESTINATION:
DESTINATION:
FUNKY
SVALBARD
HAWAIIAN
ARCHIPELAGO
TOWN

M
SHOWROO
E 2015
N
U
J
N
I
G
OPENIN
Images are for illustration only. Please check actual product at the showroom

Earn & Redeem Air Miles

@ Almana & Partners
Nolte Showroom

VISIT THE NOLTE SHOWROOM FOR MORE CHOICES

Nolte Showroom, near MidMac R/A
Tel: +974-44694021 Fax: +974-44687228
Email: midmacshowroom@almanapartners.com

Enroll for

NEBOSH

NEBOSH-Health and Safety at Workplace

NEBOSH-Fire Safety and Risk Management

NEBOSH-International Diploma
in occupational Health and Safety
NEBOSH-Diploma in Environmental Management

NEBOSH - IOSH - CIEH

Emergency Response Training- ERT

Advance Tower Climbing and Rescue
Safety Officer Course,
Security Guard Training,
First Aid, Fire Fighting,
Defensive Driving Course

IOSH

IOSH-Managing Safely
IOSH-Working Safely

And Many More

International Qualifications

CIEH-UK
Level 2, 3 & 4 Award in Health and Safety at Work place

(Train the Trainer)

CIEH Level 2 Award in the Principles of COSHH
Level 2 & 3 Award in Environmental Management
CIEH Level 2 Award in Fire Safety Principles
CIEH Level 2 Award in Principles of Risk Assessment
CIEH Level 1 & 2 Awards in Food Safety

HSE Management Training

Qatars
Largest
International
Qualifications
& Awards
Provider

HSE Foundation at the Workplace

Safety Officer Course
Safety Supervisor Training
HSE Leadership & Management
at Workplace
Accident Investigation
& Report Writing
Road Safety & Traffic Management
Site Safety Supervision Training
Construction Safety Training

Construction Safety Training

Excavation Safety
Working at Height Safely
Job Safety Analysis (JSA)
Site Safety Induction
Risk Assessment
Personal Protective Equipment-(PPE)

Miscellaneous HSE Training

Gas & Chemical Safety Training

Welding Safety
Hot Works Safety
Power Tools Safety Training
Electrical Safety Training

Ergonomic Training
Hazcom Training
Radiation Safety
Behavioral Based Safety Training
Environmental Awareness
LOCK OUT & TAG OUT

Authorised Gas Tester-AGT

H2S Training

Hole Watch
Chemical Handling
Hazmat Training
Emergency Response Training (ERT)

Auditor Training

ISO- 9001. OHSAS -18001. ISO -1400

Integrated Management System
(Internal Audit)

First Aid Training

Basic First Aid plus CPR

Emergency First Aid plus CPR & AED
Basic Life Support
Advance First Aid
First Responder

Shanfeer Kalliyath Mob: 5572 0873

Shanfeer.kalliyath@diss.com.qa
Elvie Reyes Mob: 6600 5618
elvie.reyes@diss.com.qa
Prinston George

Mob: 7478 0073 sales@diss.com.qa

Waseema Jahan Mob: 7478 0080
waseema.jahan@diss.com.qa
Ofce Tel: 4466 6792 Fax 4466 6791 info@diss.com.qa

Fire Safety Training

Fire Safety Awareness

Fire Extinguisher Training
Fire Warden/Fire Marshal Training Fire Watch Training
Floor Marshal Training

Security Guard Training

Basic Security Guard Training
Guard Supervisor Training

& Operator Training

Basic Scaffolding Training

Basic Rigging and Slinging
Scaffolding Supervisor
Rigging and Slinging Supervisor
Forklift Operator Training
Crane Operator Training

Defensive Driving Course

Defensive Driving Light

Defensive Driving Heavy
Traffic Road Work Safety Course
Safe driving Course

Soft Skills Courses

Advanced Presentation Skills

Anger Management
Leadership Skills
Interview Skills
Management Skills
Marketing Skills
Coaching Skills for Managers
Communication Skills

Team Building etc.

Villa No 8, St. No 44, Ahmed Bin Zoudin Al Hilal (Near Mamoura Complex) Doha, Qatar

Be a Certified Safety
Professional by Quality Training

CHERRI DDC
Creating a Beyond Sustainable Future City

DESIGN + BUILD
Specialist in Hotels & Shopping Complex
QATAR FUTURISTIC VISIONARY PROJECTS
ARCHITECTS | ENGINEERS | INTERIORS | LANDSCAPE DESIGNS

+974 44372905

+974 55322100

admin@dohadesigncentre.co | P.O.BOX: 21953, DOHA, QATAR

www.cherriddc.com
www.dohadesigncentre.co

MESSAGE

BACK TO
DARWISH S. AHMED EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Project Qatar showcased technology and opportunities

With 2022 FIFA World Cup just seven years away, massive infrastructure projects, in preparation for that
mega event and also as part of modernisation of the countrys facilities, are going on at a fervent pace. No
visitor to Qatar can leave without catching the glimpse of at least one project site or road expansion works.
This makes everyone hopeful that in the coming few years, the country is going to be transformed into
something phenomenally different from what it was a few years ago.
It would be no exaggeration to say that with multi-billion dollar projects under way, Qatar has become the
cynosure of all eyes in the world. Many technologically advanced countries are keen on sharing knowhow
and expertise in construction, railways, port development, renewable energy etc through business deals
that involve multinational corporations and governments.
Qatars construction sector reportedly boasts a diverse portfolio of projects estimated at $200bn and this
has made it extremely appealing for industry professionals and policy-makers worldwide. The recent fourday Project Qatar expo provided ample evidence of how big-ticket companies view Qatar. The exhibition
attracted 1,300 exhibitors from 40 countries, offering them the opportunity to showcase their products and
services across 21 pavilions.
HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce, Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani, who
inaugurated the event, admitted that Project Qatar remained a very important exhibition in the country, and
continued to play a pivotal role in the enhancement of trade and commerce.The diversity of participants
was an example that Project Qatar is significant not only to Qatar but also for the Middle East, he added.
While on the one hand, the expo showcased the best that the global construction and building materials
industry had to offer, on the other it allowed international exhibitors to witness first-hand massive
development projects such as the New Hamad Port. Seizing the opportunity, at least 40 exhibitors visited
the New Hamad Port, one of the worlds largest greenfield port developments, spreading across 26.5
square kilometres.

This issue brings you details of this crucially important exhibition along with interviews with a banker and
educationist. We also have our regular columns along with some new ones, articles on the energy sector,
Q1 corporate results and a piece on travel to the polar region.
Enjoy reading!

Editor-in-chief: Darwish S. Ahmed

Graphic Design: Renju Varghese,

Editor: M.V.A. Kumar

AGM Marketing: James John

Advertisements: Marketing Team

Feature Writer: Sami Said Ali

Contributors: Peter Alagos, Roshancherri

Copy Editors: John Varghese, Shemna

Bijith, Dr. Sudip N, Pradeep Kumar

Photos: Firoz Ahamed

MAY

Jiji Yohannan

R. Ramesh

Circulation Manager: Adel Hammam

Editorial enquiries: Tel: +974 44466620
Email: bq@gulf-times.com

Business @ Qatar

CONTENTS

E N G A G I N G Q A T A R S B U S I N E S S COMMUNIT Y

All eyes on
the target
Project Qatar 2015
exhibition showed beyond
doubt that all infrastructure
development projects
were on track and also the
tremendous investment
potential generated by
them, writes Peter Alagos..

A look at strategic
incompetence
Managing incompetent
employees is every
companys worst nightmare,
but it is important to find
out if the employee is
only de-motivated or truly
incompetent, writes
R. Ramesh.

2016 models and

popular marques
A more powerful, lighter
and third-generation,
all-new Audi TT 2016
and 2016 Honda City in
addition to Rolls-Royce
and MINI vehicles
sales growth made
news.

Where white is
the new black
Travel writer Anne Z.
Cooke took a cruise
in a ship to Svalbard
Archipelago, close to the
globes northernmost
point, where she saw the
ice pack and a land of
polar bears.

MAY

Events Real Estate

Cityscape Qatar 2015 reaffirmed that all real
estate sectors are set for significant expansion.

News Scan
A quick rewind to find out which individuals and
companies were in the news last month.

Roundup Corporate results

Barwa and QInvest were among companies that
reported impressive first-quarter profit growth.

Roundup Banking
A possible interest rate hike and a report on
lending to private sector were under spotlight.

Brand Equity
Brand Finances study placed Qatar Airways as
the fourth most valuable brand in the Mena.

Roundup Trade
The fall in the countrys trade surplus is reflective
of the drop in the energy prices.

Stock Review
Despite some initial weakness the stock market
vaulted, spurred by stronger buying interests.

Product launches
A look at the newly-launched products and
services from mobile applications to dining.

10

MAY

CONTENTS
Tapping the
potential

28

Infrastructure development
has created a waterfall
from large developers and
construction firms down
to small businesses, says
Niranjan Mendonca of
Mashreq Qatar.

Significant
milestone

30

With the recently

inaugurated $1bn Jetty Boiloff Gas Recovery (JBOG)
Project in Ras Laffan, the
biggest of its kind, Qatar is
recovering what used to be
wasted fuel.

Buildings not
green but gold!

36

Gold Futuristic Architect and

Beyond Sustainable Brand
Ambassador Roshancherri
explains Gold Architecture
which would help society
and community to thrive by
creating positive energy.

Taking marketing
to a new level
The Department of
Management and Marketing,
College of Business &
Economics, Qatar University,
is offering a Master of
Science in Marketing with
focus in sports marketing.

44

EVENTS REAL ESTATE

CITYSCAPE QATAR REAFFIRMS REAL ESTATE EXPANSION

The Pearl-Qatar of UDC was this years most high-profile project
The three-day Cityscape Qatar 2015 concluded recently,
reaffirming that all real estate sectors were set for
significant expansion in the coming years, particularly
residential and retail, as the country continues to invest
in large-scale infrastructure and construction projects
in the lead-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup and Qatar
National Vision 2030, according to the organisers.
The event, held under the patronage of HE the Prime
Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah
bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, offered a number of
networking opportunities for the industrys key local,
regional and international players, which included United
Development Company (UDC), United Developers, Al
Bandary Real Estate, Dubai Properties and Astad Project
Management.
One of the most high-profile projects at this years event
was UDCs The Pearl-Qatar. Cityscape Qatar 2015

attracted some 85 exhibitors from over 20 countries,

along with 8,000 visitors over three days, the organisers
pointed out

HIGHER NATIONAL CERTIFICATE ( HNC ) &

HIGHER NATIONAL DIPLOMA from SQA ,UK
SOFTWARE & NETWORKING PROGRAMMES

MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES

DATA BA S E & P RO G R A M M I NG
M U LT I M E D I A
AU TO C A D - R E V I T - B I M
N E T WO R K C E RT I F I C AT I O N S
MS OFFICE
I C D L P R E PA R ATO RY CO U RS E

P ROJ EC T M A NAG E M E N T P RO F ES S I O NA L ( P M P )
I N FO R M AT I O N T EC H N O LO GY I N F R A ST R U C T U R E L I B R A RY ( I T I L )
P R I M AV E R A
M S P ROJ EC T
AG I L E C e r ti cati o n s

W I N G S TO A N AV I AT I O N C A R E E R

P ROJ EC T M A N AG E M E N T ( R E P : 3 6 1 9 )

TRAVEL & TOURISM

AVIATION
CARGO
GROUND OPERATIONSA

SIX SIGMA
QUALITY MANAGEMENT
ISO CERTIFICATIONS
IT GOVERNANCE
PRODUC T MANAGEMENT

International Certications in Travel & Aviation

3 rd F l o o r, L u l u C e nte r B u i l d i n g
Landline : +974 44326521
A l R ay ya n ro a d , O p p H M C
Mobile : 55100935,66112131
D o h a - Q ata r

w w w.syscomsqatar.com,
Email: syscoms@qatar.net.qa,
syscoms@syscomsqatar.com

NEWS
QGBC launches Qatar
Green Directory

Domasco delivers Volvo trucks to United Readymix

Issa al-Mohannadi, QGBC Chairperson

The Qatar Green Building Council

(QGBC) has launched a Qatar Green
Directory, an online interactive
platform,
aimed
at
increasing
awareness of sustainable products
and services in the state and the
region. This was announced at the
inaugural Qatar Green Building
Conference that opened at the Qatar
National Convention Centre. More
than 500 delegates from Qatar and
around the world are taking part in the
two-day conference and exhibition.

Domasco, the authorised distributor in Qatar for Volvo and other leading
international brands, recently delivered its first Volvos FMX400 8x4R-I
Transit Mixers to United Readymix. The all-new Volvo FMX was launched
in the GCC region in 2014 and is the latest of the Volvo FMX construction
trucks that are packed with innovative solutions, according to a statement.
The Volvo FMX engine delivers the required power for challenging work
environments such as construction sites. Volvo FMX trucks have the highest
ground clearance within the category and a robust suspension system that
combine to guarantee maximum productivity in the most extreme surface
conditions, the statement pointed out.

Tarsheed Award for Enviro Global Enterprises man

The first of its-kind in the country, the

directory features a comprehensive
search engine and database, providing
information and analysis about green
building products and services
available in Qatar and the region.
Issa al-Mohannadi, Chairperson of
QGBC and Qatar Tourism Authority,
said the directory would give a big
push to sustainability. The directory
forms a major part of QGBCs support
of Qatar Foundations commitment
to deliver the sustainability goals set
out in the Qatar National Vision 2030
by raising awareness and promoting
best practices in Qatars green
building sector.
Dr Alex Amato, Head of Sustainability
at QGBC, said: The Qatar Green
Directory is a direct outcome of
QGBCs innovative research of the
green building industry in Qatar.
QGBC is working closely with other
stakeholders in Qatar and the region
to identify the mainstream needs and
suggest innovative solutions.

12

MAY

Mohammed bin Hamad al-Badi, of Enviro Global Enterprises, recently won a

Tarsheed Award for Best Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Initiative
2015, instituted by Kahramaa. The Minister of Energy and Industry HE Dr
Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada presented the award to al-Badi for his efforts
in launching Geowash Qatar a 100 per cent eco-friendly premium mobile
hand car wash service.
Geowash Qatar uses just two to three litres of water to wash a car. The
service is offered from a self-contained mobile cart operating on a 12V car
battery using a 100 per cent biodegradable product range. This service
targets to achieve water savings within the auto car wash industry in Qatar
which on rough estimates could be consuming 3 to 5bn litres per annum.
Satish Mehra, General Manager of Enviro Global, was also present at the
event.

GCC patent applications portal inaugurated

HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin
Mohamed al-Thani and the Secretary-General of the Gulf Co-operation
Council (GCC) recently launched the Hemaya system, an electronic portal
for submitting patent applications in the GCC states.
The launching ceremony was part of the activities of the Intellectual
Property and Innovation workshop. The minister said there was a great
deal of harmony between scientific research and the use of intellectual
property and development outputs that limit unemployment and contribute
to job creation, not to mention the significant contribution to gross domestic
product.

GOIC and Manateq sign MoU to attract added value companies

Ooredoo wins TMT

Innovation Award 2015

Ooredoo recently won the TMT

Innovation Award during the TMT
Mena Awards 2015 held in Dubai
for its innovative partnership with
Rocket Internet, a Germany-based
incubator for online companies.
Ooredoo and Rocket Internet joined
forces in August 2014 to create the
Asia Pacific Internet Group (APACIG),
a partnership that aims to build and
fund online start-ups, with ventures
ranging from online retail and
marketplaces to classified services.
Since its launch, APACIG has
become a leading online platform in
Asia, building top Internet companies
that have continued to grow and
expand through 2015. In addition
to managing the operations of
14 companies across 15 markets
within the Asia Pacific, APACIG has
launched four new ventures in the
past year: ShopWings, Printvenue,
Helpling, and SpaceWays.

The Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting (GOIC) and special economic
zone developer and operator, Manateq, recently signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) to attract added-value companies to the country.
Manateq CEO Fahad Rashid al-Kaabi said the MoU will provide Manateq
access to GOICs data base, which could help identify industrial investment
opportunities in key promising industries in Qatar and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting has a huge data base, and they
have maintained good communication with a variety of industries in Qatar
and the rest of the GCC. We are targeting certain clusters or the so-called
added-value companies and encourage them to invest in our economic
zones, al-Kaabi told Gulf Times on the sidelines of the opening of the
Invest in Qatar 2015 forum held in Doha.

It also expanded its online jobs

classifieds venture, Work.com.mm, in
Myanmar into Sri Lanka, Cambodia,
and Nepal under the Everjobs
brand. The company has also
facilitated the merger of two of Asia
Pacifics leading online comparison
shopping businesses, PricePanda
and Getprice, under the Next
Commerce banner with the aim of
creating a market-leading network
across the region. Ooredoo Group
CEO Dr Nasser Marafih said, This
award is a testament to the successful
partnership we have established with
Rocket Internet in 2014.

MAY

13

NEWS
QIC to offer insurance coverage for
Hamad and Doha InternationaI Airports

Qatar Insurance Company (QIC)

has won the bid to offer insurance
coverage to both the Hamad
International Airport (HIA) and the
Doha International Airport (DIA). The
request for proposal was awarded to
QIC by the Civil Aviation Authority in
Qatar for one year with effect from
May 1, 2015 in respect of property,
operational/aviation
liability
and
motor at the HIA and the DIA, for
premium amounting to QR9.33mn.
This is the second year in a row
that we have won this particular bid,
which clearly indicates the level of
confidence placed in our services
by operators of large projects, QIC
Senior Deputy Group President and
Chief Executive Ali al-Fadala said.
Although the premium earned by
QIC for this coverage will not have
a tangible impact on the companys
financial outcome, he said it was a
source of great pride and honour
to provide insurance coverage for
the nations assets the two most
valuable transportation hubs of Qatar.
Last year, a QIC-led consortium of
domestic insurers, had won single
project tunnelling and rail construction
insurance from Qatar Rail for its
Doha Metro project. The national
insurance
consortium
provides
construction all risks and thirdparty liability insurance to Phase 1 of
Doha Metro Project. In the first three
months of this year QIC Group posted
an impressive double-digit expansion
in gross written premium.

14

MAY

GWC authorised service contractor for UPS in Qatar

Qatars leading logistics provider Gulf Warehousing Company has signed

an agreement to become the authorised service contractor for UPS for
express parcel service in Qatar from June. The agreement allows GWC to
provide UPS products and services, including express parcel delivery, as
well as access to the UPS global network in more than 220 countries and
territories.
Earlier, GWC Fine Art has unveiled two new trucks specifically designed
for fine art movement as part of its commitment to providing institutional
and private collectors, museums and galleries with the highest international
standards of fine art logistics in Qatar.

Landmark Group opens 21 new stores at Gulf Mall

Landmark Group recently announced the opening of 21 new stores at Dohas

Gulf Mall. This takes the groups consolidated store count in the country to
nearly 70 and the total retail area to almost 806,680sqft. Iconic, the groups
own brand, is launching its first store in the country at Gulf Mall. The brand
is a one-stop fashion destination, offering trendy fashion apparel, footwear,
beauty products and a host of accessories for men, women and children.
The brand houses internationally renowned brands like Pauls Boutique,
UCLA and UMM, among others, according to a statement.
Gulf Mall will also host the groups newest brand, SportsOne, a multi-brand
sporting gear retail destination. The concepts wide collection includes
sports apparel, footwear, gym equipment, road bikes, racquet sports gear,
football gear, golf and indoor/outdoor sport equipment, and caters to the
entire familys sporting needs under one roof, the statement added.

Jeweller opens its sixth outlet in Qatar

Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan recently inaugurated the 132nd

outlet of Malabar Gold & Diamonds at LuLu Hypermarket on D-Ring
Road. The new outlet takes the total number of Malabar Gold & Diamonds
showrooms in Qatar to six. Present on the occasion were Indian Ambassador
Sanjiv Arora, Malabar Group Chairman M P Ahammed, Managing Director
- International Operations, Shamlal Ahamed MP, Group Executive Director
Abdul Salam K P, other directors of the group and guests.
The new showroom showcases a breathtaking collection of jewellery with
the perfect combination of precious metals and stones, a statement issued
by the company said.

Msheireb Downtowns Diwan Annex awarded LEED platinum status

QU in deal with Qatar Rail

for project co-ordination

Qatar University (QU) and Qatar

Railways Company (QR) signed
an agreement to enhance coordination and communication for
the construction and operation of the
Red Line North Rail Station at QU
in line with Qatar Rail Development
Project (QRDP). The agreement was
signed by QU President Prof Sheikha
Abdulla al-Misnad and QR CEO Saad
Ahmed al-Muhannadi in the presence
of several senior officials from QU
and QR.
The agreement aims to provide
mechanisms for co-operation, coordination,
communication
and
exchange of information between both
Qatar University and Qatar Railways
Company, and any third party.

Msheireb Properties, a subsidiary of Qatar Foundation and Qatars leading

sustainable developer, has achieved LEED Platinum status for its Diwan
Annex building situated within its flagship development, Msheireb Downtown
Doha.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a green building
certification programme that recognises best-in-class building strategies
and practices. To receive LEED certification, building projects satisfy
prerequisites and earn points to achieve different levels of certification.
Certified by the US Green Building Council under the LEED Core & Shell
Version 2.0, the Diwan Annex has met and, in some areas, surpassed all
requirements in achieving LEED Platinum certification. Msheireb Properties
also won recenty two awards as part of Kahramaas National Programme for
Conservation and Energy Efficiency Tarsheed.

Both institutions will establish and

agree on work content, programme
and sequencing, as well as the
identification and resolution of issues
necessary for the execution and
completion of QR activities and other
works.
Prof al-Misnad said: We are pleased
to co-operate with Qatar Rail in
the spirit of co-operation between
academic and industrial sectors,
and the commitment of both to
serve the wider community through
various services. This agreement
will enhance our efforts to support
national development activities as
well as the aspirations of society, as
the country prepares itself for hosting
FIFA World Cup 2022 and other top
international events.

MAY

15

NEWS
QIIB goes live on Oracle
Exadata platform

Qatar International Islamic Bank

(QIIB) recently went live with
Oracle Exadata, a comprehensive
engineered platform that delivers
extreme performance for both data
warehousing and online transaction
processing application databases,
Mannai Trading Company had
announced.
The project is aimed at consolidating
QIIBs Oracle database into a private
database cloud. This, in turn, will
streamline
administrative
and
deployment processes, maximise
visibility and enable better control
of information and data, leading to
improved competence, agility and
efficiency of QIIBs data infrastructure,
the statement added.
The
database
upgrade
and
consolidation solution was designed
and
implemented
by
Mannai
Trading Company to achieve high
availability across all layers within
QIIBs IT environment. The upgrade
and implementation of Oracles
comprehensive engineered system
was undertaken by Mannai Tradings
Software Division, an Oracle platinum
partner. Mannai has completed
the upgrade and implementation
successfully and will also provide
post-implementation
maintenance
and the support required to run the
product.
QIIB has honoured Mannai Trading
Company and commended its
professional services offered during
the project.

16

MAY

Volvo construction machines and high-tech simulator unveiled

Arabian Agencies Company (Araco) has unveiled three new machines from
Volvo Construction Equipment, including a state-of-the-art simulator that
would provide high-tech training to excavator operators. Araco Sales &
Business Development Manager Walid Dowidar described the launching of
Volvos EW205D wheeled excavator, MC60C skid steer loader, and the DD25
asphalt compactor as a timely event in the wake of Qatars construction
boom.
He added that the highlight of the exclusive viewing of the machines, which
was held recently at the Al Gassar Resort, was the unveiling of the Volvo
Simulated Operator Training.

Zanzibar business team visits QC to explore opportunities

A business delegation from Zanzibar, headed by its Finance Minister Omar

Yussuf Mzee, recently visited Qatar Chamber (QC) to explore the mutual
investment opportunities in Qatar and Zanzibar. The delegation was received
by QC Vice-chairman Mohamed Ahmed bin Tuwar and QC board member
Ahmed al-Ubaidly. The delegation included Peoples Bank of Zanzibar
Chairman Abdulrahman M Jumbe and Zanzibar Chamber of Commerce
and Industry Chairman Abdulla Abbas Omar and other senior officials and
businessmen.
Mzee pointed out that Zanzibar has some promising investment opportunities
in tourism, which represent around 27 per cent of its economy, especially
fishing and the oil and gas industry. He said the delegation wanted to explore
good opportunities in the Islamic banking sector in Qatar and already met
the representatives of such banks during the visit.

COVER STORY

ALL EYES ON THE TARGET

Project Qatar showed beyond doubt that all infrastructure development
projects were on track and also the tremendous investment potential
generated by them, writes Peter Alagos
The increase in the number of bigticket companies that participated
in the just-concluded Project Qatar
expo provided additional assurance
for all concerned that the ongoing
infrastructure projects would meet
their respective target dates.

Apart from strengthening bilateral

relations between Qatar and other
countries, the increase in the
number of companies participating
in the event, assures the Qatari
government that it is heading towards
the right direction. Qatar Chamber

Director-General Remy Rowhani told

Busineess@Qatar on the sidelines of
the opening of the 12th edition of the
event.
We are assured that these projects
are being done by both local and
international experts. On the local
front, we cant do everything on
our own and we certainly need the
presence of international experts to
get these projects done, Rowhani
said at the Qatar National Convention
Centre, where Project Qatar was held
this year.

This view was echoed by Indian

Ambassador Sanjiv Arora, who noted
that the number of Indian companies
that participated this year had
increased to 65 compared to 45 in the
previous edition of Project Qatar.
The ambassador said the investment
generated by Indian companies that
participated in the previous edition
of Project Qatar was estimated at
around QR100mn.
When asked whether Indian exhibitors
would be able to replicate last years

MAY
MAY

17

investment feat, Arora said: I would

say that it would certainly increase
substantially, but this is, certainly,
another positive development in our
bilateral and economic co-operation
with Qatar. Economic partnerships
are on the top of the agenda of
both Qatar and India in terms of our
interaction and co-operation.
Rowhani also said that the increase
in the number of joint ventures forged
between Qatar and foreign firms
during Project Qatar sets the pace
for future trends.
As we move forward and closer
to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the
infrastructure and construction
environment becomes more vibrant.
And whats important is that this
particular event sets a new landmark
and milestone for Qatar every year,
Rowhani stressed.
IFP Qatar General Manager
George Ayache said: With all
these infrastructure developments
happening, the world has its eye on
Qatar. Every year, we see an increase
in the participation of many countries,
and we hope to attract more of them
in the future Project Qatar events as
we get closer to the 2022 FIFA World
Cup.

18

MAY

He added that next year, IFP Qatar

was planning to include more
exhibitors from the field of renewable
energy. This year, there were a few
exhibitors from that field, however, he
said they were contemplating about
collaborating with a Europe-based
organiser to bring Urban Tech and
hold it alongside Project Qatar. Urban
Tech specialises in renewable energy,
smart cities, and sustainable living, in
general, Ayache informed.
HE the Minister of Economy and
Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin
Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani,
who inaugurated the event, said:
Project Qatar remains a very
important exhibition in the country,
and continues to play a pivotal
role in the enhancement of trade
and commerce. The diversity of
participants is an example that
Project Qatar is significant not only to
Qatar but also for the Middle East.

Project site visits

Project Qatar not only showcased
what the global construction and
building materials industry had to
offer, but also allowed international
exhibitors to witness firsthand Qatars
massive development projects such
as the New Hamad Port.

At least 40 exhibitors visited the New

Hamad Port, one of the worlds largest
greenfield port developments, spreading
across 26.5 square kilometres.
What makes Project Qatar unique
is its location in one of the most
vibrant economies and construction
markets worldwide. By visiting the
New Hamad Port project, I witnessed
the rapid development of one of
Qatars key infrastructure projects
first hand. The site tour gave me a
chance to see technology and theory
in practice and to strategically think
about future business, one of the
exhibitors said.

Exhibitor interest
Exhibitors, representing a wide
range of leading companies and
brands from across the world, along
with a diverse group of industry
professionals and experts, expressed
keen interest in Qatars ongoing
infrastructure projects.
Another group of international
exhibitors also visited the Mall of
Qatar construction site. With a
projected footfall of 20mn each year,
the mall will be among the leading
destinations for retail, leisure, and
entertainment in Qatar.

Industry and Manufacturing

Investments Opportunities in Qatar
by the Gulf Organisation for Industrial
Consulting (GOIC).

Conferences
Meanwhile, the HVACTech conference
brought together private and
government project stakeholders,
along with the latest case studies
demonstrating how heating,
ventilation and air-conditioning
(HVAC) advancements can best
be applied to answer challenges in
Qatars construction environment.

HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce, Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin
Mohamed al-Thani seen at the Project Qatar 2015 expo

Such site visits enable international

exhibitors to explore major
construction developments in Qatar
firsthand, serving as an opportunity
to contextualise the knowledge and
technology that were featured at the
exhibition.
Aside from site tours, visitors
commended the variety of
technologies showcased across
Project Qatars exhibition halls,
and emphasised the value of the
B2B matchmaking activities, which
strengthened their professional
networks, and provided insight into
industry trends by engaging with
experts and policy makers.
During the entire duration of the
event, almost 300 pre-arranged
B2B matchmaking meetings were
held, all of which enabled visitors
and exhibitors to expand their
operations or achieve new business
opportunities.
During my first visit, I have seen
state-of-the-art technology, and
connected with peers, from across
the world. The knowledge and
contacts gained at Project Qatar
known as one of the worlds
leading construction exhibitions in
the ever-growing Gulf region will
benefit my company, and help with
securing business deals in Qatar and
elsewhere, said one B2B participant.

Project Qatar not only

showcased what the
global construction and
building materials industry
had to offer, but the event
also allowed international
exhibitors to witness
firsthand Qatars massive
development projects such
as the New Hamad Port.

The Project Qatar Business

Intelligence Series also featured
six specialised conferences, which
included HVACTech Qatar 2015 and
Future BIM (Building Information
Modelling) Implementation.
The first day of the workshops
kicked off with three sessions: The
ISO 9001 revision in more detail
and ISO 14001: 2015 Revision and
Transition by the British Standards
Institution Group Middle East, Main
Issues facing construction companies
a banking perspective by Qatar
Development Bank, and An overview
of the GCC Building Materials

Currently air-conditioning accounts

for 70 per cent of the total electricity
consumption in Qatar, making
sustainable cooling solutions a top
priority for the country, impacting both
end-users and project owners seeking
greater efficiency and cost savings.
Hot topics also included energy
optimisation and conservation, issues
relating to HVAC and civil defence
approval, building automation and
energy management systems and
new approaches to improve indoor air
quality.
On Future BIM Implementation, the
agenda included the current state of
BIM implementation in the region,
information about upcoming projects
that are implementing BIM, new
business opportunities, and exploring
emerging technologies.
The nature and size of many domestic
projects is encouraging developers
to incorporate BIM to facilitate
ambitious building schedules.
From transportation systems
to sporting stadiums and other
infrastructure elements, BIM enables
architects, engineers, owners, and
construction firms to use 3D digital
models to collaborate and support
building projects throughout their
lifecycle, ensuring that projects are
delivered to the required specifications
on schedule and within budget.
Another conference was
LightingTech, which celebrated its
second edition at Project Qatar 2015.

MAY

19

Driven by the enormous amount

of construction and development
that Qatar is currently undertaking,
innovation in lighting technology is
playing an increasingly important role.
Led by green objectives, design
needs and energy efficiency goals,
advances in lighting technology
are providing greater incentive to
developers and project principals
to utilise lighting effectively in
urban, corporate and residential
developments, roads, highways and
in the public realm.
The topics discussed during the
conference included storing and
using individual localised solar
generation for highway lighting, as
well as the introduction of more
efficient LED lighting systems. It
also covered topics on the latest
government regulations, industry
standards and certifications, as
well as the impending needs of the
lighting industry.

Another workshop was dedicated to

heat management, and drew from
the expertise of Dr Rahma Salim
of Hamad Medical Corporation

Ashghal Building Affairs focused on

a rigorous approach to programme
delivery, sustainability and health
safety and security for its portfolio of
projects, which would seem to tie in
with the objectives of Project Qatar,
Bartle-Tubbs said.
Given the success of previous years,
Project Qatar 2015 had coincided
again with two concurrently held
events.
Visitors had the chance to delve into
construction technology as well as
building materials after attending
Qatar Stone Tech 2015, the 4th
International Stone and Stone
Technology Show, and Heavy
Max 2015, the 12th International
Exhibition for Heavy Machinery.

Concurrent events
Variety of workshops
This year, IFP Qatar has collaborated
with Qatar Chamber for workshops
on a wide range of trending industry
themes through the Project Qatar
Workshop Series.
One of the workshops featured Thani alZarraa, Senior Engineer at the Supreme
Council for Delivery and Legacy (SCDL),
who spoke on some of the most critical
developments and opportunities in
Qatars construction sector.

20

MAY

(HMC). Both workshops served to

deepen participants knowledge
about trending industry topics, with
an emphasis on commercial and
educational aspects of construction.
The workshop featuring Colin BartleTubbs, senior advisor at the Public
Works Authority (Ashghal), and Mark
Saville, Health & Safety co-ordinator
at Ashghal, addressed programme
management as well as Ashghals
approach to Health & Safety and
sustainability.

Covering issues at the core of the

industry, the two concurrently held
events had equipped participating
professionals with insights for their
operations over the long term,
regardless.
With major projects in Qatar, such
as the $5.5bn deep water seaport,
roadways worth $20bn as well
as eco-friendly stadia costing an
estimated $32bn, Qatar Stone
Tech 2015 and Heavy Max
2015 addressed the technologies,

Over the course of four days, Project Qatar 2015

transformed the QNCC into an international construction and
trade hub, allowing more than 2,000 companies and brands
to spread over 41,500sqm of exhibition space.
equipment and machinery critical to
the growth of Qatars construction
sector and future business.

Insight into event

In order to further enhance the
exhibition experience, Project Qatar
2015 featured an improved mobile
app, which provided a detailed
insight into the event, including the
exhibitors list, sponsors, floor plan,
and visitors registration form.
Considering that Qatars
construction sector boasts a diverse
portfolio of infrastructure projects
worth an estimated $200bn, it
will retain its appeal to industry
professionals and policy-makers
worldwide. Through its focus on
the latest technology, and as a
gateway to the Gulf, Project Qatar
will remain integral to the countrys
vibrant economy, advancing its
development, said Albert Aoun,
owner of IFP Group.
Overall, Ayache described this years
event as a successful gathering of

experts and major stakeholders in the

construction industry.
Over the course of four days, Project
Qatar 2015 transformed the QNCC
into an international construction and
trade hub, allowing more than 2,000
companies and brands to spread over
41,500sqm of exhibition space.
Under the patronage of HE the
Prime Minister and Minister of
Interior, Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser
bin Khalifa al-Thani, Project Qatar
2015 attracted 1,300 exhibitors from
40 countries, and showcased their
products and services across 21
pavilions, thus showing the persistent
growth of the exhibition. Ayache
stressed.
He added, Project Qatar 2015 has
welcomed thousands of professionals
from around the world. Once
again, we provided insight into the
latest technology, informed about
important industry trends through
our educational and trade-related
features, especially the new workshop
series. The event also enabled visitors

and exhibitors to strengthen their

professional networks. The number of
deals discussed during our many B2B
meetings is evidence of the value
Project Qatar generates.
One of the exhibitors, Sabine Geiter,
Head of Marketing & Communications
at MAN Truck & Bus Middle East
and Africa FZE, said, At Project
Qatar 2015, we exhibited our latest
construction truck as part of our
innovative commercial vehicle
portfolio. The exhibition gave us a
good opportunity to network and share
our knowhow with our customers
and suppliers and to strengthen our
position in the Qatari market.

Importance of construction
Ayache was also confident that in the
coming years, the construction sector
would remain central to Qatars
economy, as less than half of the
countrys GDP is now derived from
hydrocarbons.
Industry professionals worldwide
have recognised the range of
opportunities available across the
Gulf, and Project Qatar remains
committed to provide the knowledge
and technology enabling innovation
and development. The conclusion of
this 12th edition is the onset of further
projects and major opportunities, he
added

MAY

21

ROUNDUP CORPORATE RESULTS

FIRMS GET OFF TO GOOD START

Barwa Real Estate Company, QInvest, Barwa Bank, GWC and Aamal were
among companies that reported impressive first-quarter profit growth
Most of the listed companies
including banks reported double-digit
growth in year-on-year first-quarter
net profit with only two or three
companies reporting a drop in profit.
Barwa Real Estate Company reported
more than 12-fold jump in net profit
to QR3.25bn in the first three months
of this year helped by one-off capital
gains on sale of properties. Profit on
sale of properties stood at QR2.7bn,
which constituted more than 83 per
cent of the net profit for the period.
Faster growth in rents and dividend
income led Ezdan Holding Group
to report a 13 per cent jump in net
profit to QR522.49mn in the first three
months of this year. Rental income
grew 20 per cent to QR362.94mn,

22

MAY

dividend income from available-forsale financial assets by 14 per cent

to QR183.62mn and other net gain
on sale of available-for-sale financial
assets by 1 per cent to QR52.15mn.
United Development Company (UDC)
reported an eight per cent jump in
net profit to QR261.8mn in the first
quarter (Q1) of this year, supported by
robust operating earnings.
I am pleased with our performance
as we continue to invest in our
capabilities and grow our ranks with
the aim of enhancing our market
position while we pursue our longterm strategic initiatives, UDC
Chairman and Managing Director
Turki al-Khater said.

Margin expansion and robust

performance of its realty development
led Aamal Company to report a 30
per cent jump year-on-year in net
profit to QR115mn in the first three
months of this year. Net underlying
profit margins (excluding share
of profits of equity accounted for
investments in associates and joint
ventures) improved to 16.5 per cent
versus 13.3 per cent in the previous
year period.

Telecom
Meanwhile, a double-digit increase
in earnings from Qatar and Oman
helped Ooredoo Group report a
consolidated net profit of QR501mn
in the first quarter (Q1) of 2015.

Khalifa Abdulla Turki al-Subaey

QIC Group President and CEO

Sheikh Abdulla
Ooredoo Chairman

Turki al-Khater
UDC Chairman and Managing Director

premier banks total assets stood at

QR116.1bn in the first quarter, up 1.8
per cent on the same period last year.
Driven by a strategy to innovate,
diversify and capitalise on market
synergies, Doha Bank maintained
its strong performance and posted a
first-quarter net profit of QR420mn,
up 5.2 per cent on the same period
last year.

Ooredoo Qatars net profit rose 88

per cent to QR616mn on 18 per
cent rise in Ebitda (earnings before
interest taxes depreciation and
amortisation) to QR980mn and sale
of investments. Revenues grew 16
per cent to QR1.99bn and customers
by 12 per cent to 3.3mn. However,
consolidated net profit fell 43 per cent
on stable revenue of QR8.04bn; even
as customer base grew 14 per cent.

Banking
QNB Group has reported a 10 per
cent jump in its net profit to QR2.7bn
in the first three months of this year
on higher interest and non-interest
earnings as well as robust gains
from foreign exchange. Corporate

banking contributed QR1.8bn or

67 per cent to net profit, asset and
wealth management QR115.87mn or
4 per cent and international banking
QR763.21mn or 28 per cent during
the first quarter.
Commercial Bank made a good start
to the year at the operating level,
by posting a first-quarter net profit
of QR462.5mn. The Q1 net profit
increased by 19.5 per cent compared
to QR387mn achieved in the fourth
quarter of 2014.
However, due to higher provisioning,
the first-quarter financial results
represented a 15.7 per cent drop in
profitability compared to the same
period in 2014, the bank said. The

QIB posted a first-quarter net profit

of QR400mn, up 19 per cent on the
same period in 2014. The banks total
assets stood at QR99bn in March,
up 19 per cent compared with last
year, which QIB said was driven
by a continued growth in the core
investing and financing activities.
The banks financing activities
reached QR65bn in March, which
shows an increase of QR15bn (31 per
cent) compared to the first quarter in
2014. Customer deposits registered
a growth of 21 per cent compared to
end-March 2014 and now stand at
QR71bn, allowing the bank to achieve
a financing to deposit ratio of 91 per
cent.
Masraf Al Rayan posted a first-quarter
net profit of QR511mn, up 18.1 per
cent on the same period in 2014. The
banks total assets stood at QR83bn
in March compared with QR69.3bn in
the same period last year, indicating a
growth of 19.9 per cent.

MAY

23

The banks financing activities

increased to QR62.8bn in the first
quarter of this year compared to
QR45.6bn in Q1, 2014. Investments
totalled QR14.1bn in March, which
indicates a growth rate of 1.7 per
cent. Customer deposits reached
QR60.8bn in March compared with
QR52.3bn in the first quarter of last
year. Shareholders equity reached
QR10.5bn in March compared with
QR9.8bn in the same period last year.
Registering growth across all
segments, Barwa Banks 2014 net

profit reached QR713mn, up 41.5 per

cent on 2013. Total assets grew 14
per cent and reached QR38bn, driven
mainly by strong growth in the banks
financing portfolio, which grew from
QR19.3bn to QR23bn, an increase of
19 per cent over 2013.
Barwa Banks customer deposits
stood at QR21.9bn at end-2014
compared with QR21.2bn in 2013,
representing a 3 per cent increase.
Earnings per share (EPS) were at
QR2.40 in 2014, up 43 per cent on
the previous year, the bank said.

Tamim Hamad al-Kawari

QInvest Chief Executive

With each of its business unit in

Qatar and abroad registering revenue
growth, Al Khalij Commercial Bank (Al
Khaliji) posted a first-quarter net profit
of QR144.4mn, up 32 per cent on the
same period last year. The banks
total assets reached QR53bn in the
first quarter, up 21 per cent on Q1,
2014 and 3 per cent on Q4, 2014.
Ahlibank posted a first quarter net
profit of QR169.7mn, up 12.5 per
cent on the same period last year.
Total loans and advances stood at
QR21.4bn in the first quarter, up 1 per
cent on December, 2014. The return
on average assets stood at 2.31 per
cent compared with the ROAA of 2.15
per cent for the year that ended in
2014, Ahlibank said.
Registering remarkable growth
across various portfolios, QIIB
posted a first-quarter net profit
of QR212.3mn compared with
QR204.1mn in the same period last
year. The leading Islamic banks
total assets stood at QR37bn in the
first quarter of this year compared
with QR34bn in Q1, 2014. Customer
deposits grew by 1.7 per cent and
reached QR25.1bn in the first quarter
compared with QR24.7bn in the same
period in 2014.
Qatar First Bank (QFB), which is
seeking listing on the domestic
bourse, has reported 13 per cent jump
in net profit to QR158.3mn in 2014.
The bank approved 8 per cent cash
dividend to shareholders at the annual
general assembly meeting in Doha.
QFB, in its sixth full year of operation,
has invested a total of QR473mn

24

MAY

in 2014 and QR2.4bn since its

inception in 21 transactions across
various sectors including energy,
financial services, industrials, real
estate and healthcare across the Gulf
Cooperation Council, Middle East
and North Africa, Turkey and the UK.
QInvest, Qatars leading investment
bank, reported a 57 per cent jump in
net profit to QR27.21mn in the first
quarter (Q1) of this year, supported
by its investment banking, principal
investments and asset management.
The lenders revenue for Q1 2015 was
up 27 per cent to QR75.36mn.
All three of our key business lines
investment banking, principal
investments and asset management
have continued to
grow and prosper. We
anticipate an active
pipeline of activity for the
remainder of 2015 and I am
confident that we will reach our
capital deployment targets for
this year, QInvest Chief Executive
Tamim Hamad al-Kawari said.
QInvests structured finance business
closed about QR364mn new deals
in both developed and emerging
markets. Additionally, its mergers
and acquisitions team is active on
a number of buy-side and sell-side
mandates across multiple industries
and geographies for both family
offices and institutional investors.
In Q1 2015, the real estate
team secured yielding equity
opportunities in the German retail
market, additional mezzanine debt
transactions in the US and new
equity transactions in the Gulf
Cooperation Council, the UK and the
US are continually being assessed.

Insurance
Qatar Insurance Company (QIC)
Group posted an impressive doubledigit expansion in gross written
premium to QR1.92bn in the first
three months of this year despite a
highly challenging environment and
softening of insurance rates globally.
The net underwriting result for the
quarter was QR248mn, an increase

of 11 per cent on the previous year,

a spokesman of the insurer said.
Despite a challenging regional
investment environment, the groups
net profit for the first quarter of 2015
amounted to QR306mn, down 12
per cent year-on-year. Investment
income and other revenues stood at
QR216mn compared to QR273mn in
the previous year period.

grew 10 per cent to QR472.49mn;

nevertheless there was a 17 per cent
jump in gross profit to QR91.66mn,
according to its financial statement.
Shops rental income surged 13 per
cent to QR11.51mn, which masked
the 41 per cent plunge in other
income; thereby helping Al Meera
report 6 per cent rise in operating
income to QR115.12mn.

Total assets were valued at

QR17.82bn, comprising investments
to the tune of QR6.2bn, cash and
cash equivalents of QR3.9bn,
insurance and other receivables of
QR3.47bn and reinsurance contract
assets worth QR3.34bn.

In the first quarter of 2015, Al Meera

opened branches in Muaither and
Azizia, and did the soft opening for
the Muraikh and Gulf Mall. It is also
opening six other branches this
year in Jeryan Nejaima, Thakhira, Al
Wakrah, Al Thumama, Al Wajba and
Rawdat Ekdeem.

Retail
Higher sales income and shops rents
as well as better cost management
helped Al Meera Consumer Goods
Company register 10 per cent
jump in January-March net profit to
QR43.09mn. Sales rose 11 per cent
to QR564.15mn but cost of sale

In addition, Al Meera is currently

constructing 14 new shopping
centres in Sailiya North, Bu Sidra,
Al Wakrah 2, Umm Salal, Leabaib 1,
Leabaib 2, Rawdat Aba El-Herran,
Azghawa, Al Khor, Um Qarn, Rawdat
Al Hamama, Jeryan Junaihat, Al
Sailiya, and Ain Khaled.

MAY

25

Despite its expansion, the companys

general and administrative expenses
were up mere 0.45 per cent to
QR64.27mn. However, finance costs
more than quadrupled to QR0.73mn.
Total assets were valued at QR1.99bn
comprising current assets of QR0.81bn
and non-current assets of QR1.18bn.

Industries
Industries Qatar posted a first-quarter
net profit of QR951mn, down 40 per
cent on the same period last year.
The drop in the first-quarter net profit
was a result of a weak product prices
following the significant fall in global
oil prices, Industries Qatar said.
Industries Qatar is the holding
company of Qafco, Qapco, Qatar
Steel and Qafac with a wide range
of petrochemical, fertiliser and steel
products. Despite the drop in the
first-quarter net profit, IQs sales
volumes went up by more than 20
per cent. It said the group recorded
commendable results across all
segments during the quarter despite
facing significant challenges due to
an unprecedented 50 per cent drop
in global oil prices over the preceding
12 months.
The underlying business
nevertheless grew, with like-for-

An aerial view of Qapcos facilities in Mesaieed

26

MAY

like production levels improving by

almost 80,000 tonnes, over the last
nine months, IQ said. The company
earned revenue of QR1.3bn in the
first quarter, down only 0.8 per cent
compared to the first quarter of the
previous year.
However, on a like-for-like basis,
management reporting revenue was
QR3.8bn, a decrease of 9.4 per cent,
compared with the same period in
2014. This year-on-year reduction in
revenue, IQ said, was primarily driven
by a significant reduction in selling
prices across all segments following
the oil price decline that began in Q4,
2014.
Qatar Industrial Manufacturing
Company (QIMC) has reported a
15 per cent fall year-on-year in net
profit to QR39.04mn in the first three
months of this year on lower sales
and investment income.
Sales fell 3 per cent to QR82.25mn
but cost of sales rose 3 per cent to
QR68.72mn, resulting in a 23 per cent
decline in gross profit to QR13.53mn.
Other income was down 2 per cent
to QR1.79mn; while general and
administrative expenses expanded 1
per cent to QR13.34mn; translating
into a 68 per cent plunge in operating
profit to QR1.98mn.

Qatar National Cement Company has

reported 3 per cent fall in net profit to
QR125.76mn in the first three months
of this year despite higher sales.
Sales rose 4 per cent to QR292.08mn
but cost of sales grew faster at 10
per cent to QR164.59mn, leading to
a 2 per cent decline in gross profit to
QR127.48mn.
The Qatar Electricity and Water Co
(QEWC) also reported a15.7 per
cent rise in first-quarter net profit.
The state-run firm made a profit
of QR346mn ($95.06mn) in the
three months to March 31, up from
QR299mn in the prior-year period,
according to a statement to the Qatar
Stock Exchange.

Others
Aided by robust core earnings, Milaha
reported 4 per cent rise in net profit to
QR365mn in the first quarter (Q1) of
this year. Operating revenues grew 12
per cent to QR786mn and operating
profit by 2 per cent to QR279mn, the
company said.
Strong year-on-year growth in the
core businesses more than offset a
decline in the returns from Milahas
investment portfolio, a company
spokesman said. Each of Milahas
core segments maritime and

logistics; gas and petrochem as

well as offshore improved their
combined bottom line by 71 per cent
relative to the first quarter of 2014.
Qatar Gas Transport Co (Nakilat),
one of the worlds largest shippers
of liquefied natural gas, posted a
7.7 per cent rise in first-quarter net
profit. The company made a net
profit of QR222.4mn ($61.1mn), it
said in a statement. This is up from
QR206.5mn a year earlier. QNB
Financial Services forecast Nakilat
would make a quarterly net profit
of QR233.5mn. Nakilats quarterly
revenue was QR873.2mn, up from
QR860.2mn in the corresponding
period in 2014.
Gulf International Services (GIS)
has posted a first quarter net profit
of QR355.7mn, compared with
QR188.6mn in the same period
last year, the company said. The
companys total assets stood at
QR10.9bn in Q1, compared with
QR10.8bn in December last year.
The earnings per share (EPS) were
QR1.91 in the first quarter of this year
compared with QR1.01 in the same
period last year.

Qatars leading logistics provider Gulf

Warehousing Company (GWC) has
made a strong start this year, with
its first-quarter net results reaching
QR40mn, up 40 per cent on the
same period in 2014. This strong
push forward was reflected in the
companys revenue streams, with
total revenues peaking at QR196mn
in Q1, up 28 per cent on the same
period last year.
Mannai Corporation has posted a first
quarter net profit of QR165.2mn, up
10 per cent on the same period last
year. Revenue increased 14.33 per
cent compared with the same period
as last year. Earnings per share rose
to QR3.62 in the first quarter from
QR3.29 in the same period last year.
Return on Equity increased to 32.2
per cent compared to 24.3 per cent
for the year that ended in December,
2014.
Capital gains from investment
properties and better cost
management helped Islamic Holding
Group report a 16 per cent jump
in net profit to QR3.42mn in the
first three months of this year. Net
brokerage and commission earnings

rose 2 per cent to QR5.22mn,

according to its financial statement
filed with the Qatar Stock Exchange.
Lower incomes and higher expenses
led Dlala Brokerage and Investments
Holding Company to report a 62
per cent plunge in year-on-year in
net profit to QR6.43mn in JanuaryMarch this year. Net brokerage and
commission income plunged 21
per cent to QR11.03mn, investment
income by 66 per cent to QR2.85mn
and interest income by 11 per cent
to QR0.33mn. Thus, net operating
income fell 42 per cent decline to
QR14.21mn.
Higher operating earnings and
rental income helped Qatar Cinema
and Film Distribution Company
register 2 per cent gain year-onyear in net profit to QR4.28mn in
the first three months of this year.
Operating income rose 6 per cent
to QR3.27mn; while direct costs fell
3 per cent to QR3.14mn, according
to its financial statement. Thus, the
company reported QR0.13mn gross
operating profit compared to a loss
of QR0.16mn in the previous year
period

MAY

27

INTERVIEW BANKING

TAPPING THE POTENTIAL

Infrastructure development activity in Qatar has
created a waterfall from large developers and
construction companies all the way down to small
businesses, Niranjan Mendonca of Mashreq Qatar
tells M.V.A. Kumar

Niranjan Mendonca
Mashreq Qatar

With the FIFA World Cup just seven years away and
so many ongoing and newly announced projects
what opportunities does Mashreq Qatar see as a
lender?
From a retail banking perspective, the
World Cup presents a wide range
of opportunities. World Cuprelated infrastructure projects are
generating thousands of new
employment opportunities. All
the new employees coming to
Qatar need financial services,
starting from basic facilities
like a bank account and ATM/
debit card, all the way to auto
loans, personal loans, overdrafts,
online/mobile banking, insurance and wealth
management solutions.

Mashreq has been providing banking and financial

services to millions of customers and businesses since

1967. One of UAEs leading financial institutions, it has
a growing retail presence in the region including Qatar,
Kuwait, Bahrain and Egypt.
Business@Qatar met Niranjan Mendonca, Head of Retail
Banking at Mashreq Qatar, to find out more about what
it plans to do in Qatar as the country hits the fast lane of
growth in almost every sphere. The excerpts:

28

MAY

On the business side, the boost in infrastructure

development activity creates a waterfall from large
developers/construction companies all the way down to
small businesses. Mashreq business banking provides
SMEs with branch banking solutions, state-of-the-art
online banking as well as a wide variety of financing
solutions. Whether an SME needs a letter of credit for
QR 20 million, a fast cash loan of QR2 million or a quick
overdraft of QR500,000 with minimum documentation
requirements, Mashreq is ready to help.

 Your bank is an active partner in QDBs Al

Dhameen programme. How is lending to SMEs
different from lending to large established
companies?
As compared to large companies, lending to SMEs is
different, since SMEs often dont have a track record
spanning several decades. In certain cases, SMEs that
are extremely profitable may not have professionally
managed accounts or financial statements. Its also
not unusual to come across SMEs that have grown
their business by 15 times in just two years, while thats
something that rarely happens with large established
companies. SMEs also rarely exhibit separation of
ownership and management, which is usually the case in
large companies.
The role for the bank is to be able to gauge the
businesss ambitions, identify owner/manager skills,
adjust for any shortcomings in financial reporting, assess
repayment ability and partner with the SME in their
growth journey.
Which sections of the banks clientele have
benefited the most from online banking?
Since our online banking platform offers the convenience
of banking any time/anywhere, we have seen our online
banking usage cutting across all customer segments. An
individual who has a salary account and credit card/loan
with us can go online anytime to check their balance,
review account activity, activate the credit card, change
limits on their spouses supplementary card and much
more all without leaving the comfort of their home/office.
Priority banking customers with large wealth
management relationships with us can, in addition
to everything already indicated above, open fixed
deposits online, check the coupon payments made on
investments and also get in touch with their dedicated
relationship manager.
Businesses on the other hand can conduct a detailed
review of statements, reconcile cheques/cash deposited,
request for issuance of letter of credit or a letter of
guarantee, check due dates/amounts and much more.
How successful has Mashreq Qatar been in
implementing Qatarisation?
Mashreq has always approached Qatarisation not only
as a government requirement, but as Mashreqs way of
contributing to the development of banking skills and
expertise in the country, in which we have seen great
success.

Mashreq has an exclusive forum of Qatari employees

which is used as a platform for all Qatari employees to
raise suggestions, ideas and even issues to management.
Our Mashreq Learning Systems Centre of Excellence
routinely provides Qataris (and other employees)
with development, training and seminars/courses on
banking technologies, customer services, interpersonal
relationships, risk management, finance, strategic
management and much more.
We also offer a scholarship programme where the bank
pays for the education of Qataris at university, with a
guaranteed job offer upon completion of university and,
subject to performance, fast-track career growth at
Mashreq. This programme has helped attract exceptional
talent, the latest example being a female staff member
who interned with us, went to university as part of our
programme and based on exceptional performance has
already been promoted to branch manager.
We value our Qatari employees and look forward to
attracting and developing more Qatari talent in the future.
Mashreq employs Qataris at various levels across the
bank, including branches, Business Banking, Corporate
Banking, Operations, Risk Management, Human
Resources, Marketing and many other departments in the
bank.
Please tell us more about the objectives in
setting up Mashreq Learning Systems Centre for
Excellence?
Mashreq has always been a firm believer of practical
learning and knowledge sharing. So for example, we
ensure staff attend training that are linked to their roles
from time to time, this way information is constantly
refreshed and we adapt to the growing and ever-changing
customer needs and market changes. Mashreq Learning
Systems Centre for Excellence (MLS) is our stateof-the-art individual development facility located at TV
Roundabout, Doha.
Mashreq believes in constant upskilling, training and
development of our staff. The MLS Centre for Excellence
creates and hosts regular programmes to enhance and
develop not only the technical banking skills of the staff
but also their personal development as well. We are proud
to have an in-house training facility that reflects the banks
commitment to the constant development of its staff.
The MLS Centre of Excellence is Mashreqs way
of contributing to the growth and development of
the workforce in Qatar and advancing banking and
management skills

MAY

29

ROUNDUP ENERGY

SIGNIFICANT
MILESTONE IN
CUTTING CARBON
EMISSIONS
Jetty Boil-off Gas Recovery Project, the
worlds biggest plant of its kind, was
inaugurated recently
Qatar is gathering even more gas with
a $1bn Jetty Boil-off Gas Recovery
(JBOG) Project in Ras Laffan that is
recovering what used to be wasted
fuel. Starting in October, the plant has
recovered gas from over 500 ships.
We dont have an expectation of an
economic return from the project, but
we will benefit from the recovered
gas, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, Qatar
Petroleums Chief Executive Officer,
said at the inauguration ceremony for
the project.
The JBOG has capacity to produce
about 100mn cubic feet of natural gas
a day, or the equivalent of 600,000
tonnes a year of LNG, making it the
worlds biggest plant of its kind. Gas
that used to be burned off or lost
through evaporation when fuel was
loaded on ships is instead being sent
to Qatars 14 LNG production plants,
which had a combined output of
about 77mn tonnes last year.
The JBOG Project represents a
significant milestone in Qatars efforts
to reduce carbon emissions from its

30

MAY

liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry,

Qatargas CEO Sheikh Khalid bin
Khalifa al-Thani said. The project
will result in a 90 per cent reduction
in current flaring at Ras Laffan LNG
loading berths, equivalent to annual
greenhouse gas (GHG) savings of
1.6mn tonnes of carbon dioxide
(CO2), which is the same amount of
annual GHG emissions of 175,000
vehicles, he informed.
He also said the JBOG project will
provide savings of 29bn standard
cubic feet (bscf) per year flaring
reduction, which is enough gas to
produce 750MW to power 300,000
homes. Environmental protection
and sustainable development of our
natural resources is a key requirement
of Qatargas direction statement, and
is in line with the wider goals of the
Qatar National Vision 2030.
The Qatar National Development
Strategy 2011-2016 calls for halving
gas flaring to 0.0115bn cubic metres
per million tonnes of energy produced
from the 2008 level of 0.0230bn cubic
metres per million tonnes, and our

JBOG facility is the main reason that

Qatargas has achieved this target well
before 2016, he explained.
According to Sheikh Khalid, the
project was designed to recover
the boil-off gas from simultaneous
multiple ship loadings at Ras
Laffan, the worlds largest LNG
export terminal and the only facility
where six LNG ships can be loaded
simultaneously.
As the -160C LNG is loaded onto
the ships, around 1 per cent of the
LNG evaporates (boil-off gas) due to
temperature difference between the
cold LNG and the warm ship tank.
This boiled-off gas is flared at the
berth because there is no outlet for
the low-pressure gas, he further
explained.
He added that the boil-off gas from
the ships will then be transported to
a central compressors area where
the gas is compressed and then sent
back to the LNG plants to be used as
fuel gas or converted into LNG.
The entire boil-off gas train is the
largest in the world. Today, there
has never been an LP boil-off gas
compressor ever built requiring such
large volumes at such a low suction
pressure, Sheikh Khalid said.

Simulator tech licence

ExxonMobil Research Qatar (EMRQ)
said ExxonMobil has awarded
a global commercial licence for
Immersive 3D Operator Training
Simulator technology to codeveloper EON Reality.
The innovative technology
incorporates ultra-realistic, multiangle immersive virtual reality for
training process operators and
engineers in oil and gas production,
processing and transportation
facilities. EMRQ in a release said the
technology enables effective training
to take place in a safe and controlled
environment.
The new technology also supports
the development of simulators that
combine dynamic process training
and fully functional 3D models.
These complex models include
interactive 3D objects such as
rotating valves, push-buttons and
active gauges; natural gestures and
voice commands; and enhanced 4D
sensory conditions including tactile
feedback, odours, vibration and wind
simulation.
The dynamic process simulator uses
actual plant operating conditions to

create realistic training scenarios for

critical procedure execution, upset
condition training, and emergency
response training. Scenarios also
can be created for workforce
development, competency assurance,
project commissioning support, new
hire orientation, and more efficient
turnaround/shutdown planning.
A full-scale simulator of an actual gas
processing facility in Qatar has been
operational since 2013, providing
realistic training on more than 300
interactive control devices in six gas
processing units.
The Immersive 3D Operator Training
Simulator provides a realistic 3D
virtual environment that is a very
close replica of an operating plant,
said Sara Ortwein, President of
ExxonMobil Upstream Research
Company.
These simulators are highly effective
in training workers on how to prevent
incidents, while teaching them to
respond quickly and appropriately
should any occur. This technology,
developed in co-operation with EON
Reality, is another example of how
ExxonMobil continues to support
research and safety, health and
environmental protection across its
global operations.

The Immersive 3D Operator Training

Simulator will change how operators
and plant crews train on existing
facilities and even before a facility is
operational, said Mats W Johansson,
CEO, EON Reality. Working with
ExxonMobil, we have created an
immersive training tool to ensure that
entire plant operation teams have
practised actual procedures together
on a virtual facsimile of their plant.
This truly is a flight simulator for plant
operations.
The Immersive 3D Operator Training
Simulator technology is the latest
demonstration of how scientists and
researchers at EMRQ are committed
to helping Qatar and other global
ExxonMobil partners supply the
world with much-needed energy,
while improving environmental
and operational performance of
production facilities.
EMRQ opened its facility at the
Qatar Science & Technology Park in
2009 to conduct research in areas
of common interest to Qatar and
ExxonMobil.
Scientists and researchers at EMRQ
continue to advance projects in the
areas of environmental management,
water reuse, LNG safety and coastal
geology

MAY

31

ROUNDUP BANKING

QATAR MAY FOLLOW FED

ON INTEREST RATE HIKE
A possible interest rate hike and a report on lending to private sector were
under spotlight along with Commercial Bank, Qatars first private bank, which
marked its 40th anniversary
According to a Samba Financial
Group report Qatar Central Bank
(QCB) may raise deposit rate in line
with Fed policy, with a lag of a month
or two. It expects the US to raise
rates this year, despite a weak global
inflationary picture.
Any QCB decision on deposit rate
hike will have obvious implications
for the cost of funding, Samba said
in its report.
However, given past divergence
a matching rate hiking cycle is not
automatic, Samba said.
Given the riyals peg to the dollar,
the QCB will monitor the Feds rate
decisions closely, the report said.
According to Samba, the global
outlook for 2015 is one of significant
divergence amongst both developed
and emerging markets (EM).
The US will raise rates later this year
on the back of solid growth, despite a
global environment of low growth and
weak inflation.
This will contrast with monetary
loosening in Europe, Japan, and
many EMs (emerging markets),
Samba said.

32

MAY

Private sector lending

According to the report, Qatar banks
lending to the private sector has
remained buoyant and is expected
to support double-digit credit growth
over the next couple of years as
activity accelerates in the run-up to
FIFA 2022.
But, according to Samba Financial
Group, overall lending in Qatar has
been soft of late, running at around
six per cent mainly due to a pull-back
in credit to the public sector.

The composition of credit growth

shows loans to contractors and for
consumption expanding at a healthy
rate in Qatar, Samba said in its latest
report.

Loans, deposits show growth

Qatar banking sectors loan book
grew 3.2 per cent month-on-month
in March after growing by 1.7 per
cent MoM in February, QNB Financial
Services (QNBFS) has said in an
update.

Commercial Bank CEO Abdulla Saleh al-Raisi (centre) with Commercial Banks top management team during the media roundtable

Deposits followed suit and gained 3.1

per cent MoM (+3.3 YTD) in March,
QNBFS said. Public sector drove total
credit growth with a gain of 4.6 per
cent MoM (down 1.3 per cent YTD).
Moreover, public sector deposits
ticked up by 1.3 per cent MoM, but
were flattish, year-to-date (YTD).
Thus, the loans to deposit ratio (LDR)
remained at 109 per cent in March.
The public sector deposits climbed
up 1.3 per cent MoM for March 2015
compared with a robust growth of 5.2
per cent MoM in February. Delving
into segment details, the government
institutions segment (representing
59 per cent of public sector deposits)
declined by 6.6 per cent MoM (+4.2
per cent YTD) in March.
The overall loan book continued
its growth trajectory and posted
healthy performance. Total domestic
public sector loans increased by 4.6
per cent MoM (down 1.3 per cent
YTD) compared a marginal growth of
1.5 per cent MoM in February 2015.
The government segments loan book
expanded by 23.7 per cent MoM
(+5.7 per cent YTD). Moreover the
government institutions segment,
which represents 60% of public
sector loans, exhibited flattish
performance after declining by 2.5
per cent MoM in February (down 2.4
per cent YTD).

However, semi-government
institutions segment declined by
11.9 per cent MoM (down 12.3 per
cent YTD). Hence, the government
sub-segment pushed the overall loan
book up for the month of March 2015.
Private sector loans grew by 3.1
per cent MoM (+4.7 per cent
YTD) in March as opposed to a
flattish performance in February.
The services segment followed by
consumption and others positively
contributed toward the loan growth.

QCB and World Bank join hands

The Qatar Central Bank and the
World Bank recently launched a
programme for technical co-operation
in Washington to strengthen financial
supervision in Qatar.

The programme will allow the QCB

to identify risks in the financial
system and mitigate them, which will
support the increased flexibility in the
financial system of Qatar in the face
of the global economic and financial
shocks.
Regarding the programme, QCB
Deputy Governor Sheikh Fahad
bin Faisal al-Thani said the bank
continues to update its regulations
and abilities to manage risk and
maintain financial stability in Qatars
banking system.
Under the programme, the World
Bank will help the QCB improve
its performance in monitoring and
evaluating the risks that threaten
the stability of the financial system
based on international best practices

MAY

33

in compliance with one of the

main goals set by Qatars National
Development Strategy 2011-2016, a
QCB statement said.

Commercial Bank 40th anniversary

Commercial Bank held a series of
events recently to mark the 40th
anniversary of Qatars first private bank
and unveiled a unique anniversary logo
and corporate anthem as part of the
landmark occasion.
The highlight of the celebrations
was a public concert at the Museum
of Islamic Art Park by the Qatar
Philharmonic Orchestra.
At a media roundtable at the
Commercial Bank Plaza, Commercial
Bank CEO Abdulla Saleh al-Raisi
said, 2015 is a special year for
Commercial Bank as we mark
our 40th year as the oldest and
largest private sector bank in Qatar.
From entrepreneurial beginnings,
Commercial Bank has gone from
strength to strength driven by the
spirit of ambition, entrepreneurship
and innovation that our founders
believed in and are still at the core of
our business.
We are proud to be a home-grown
Qatari bank with strong roots in
Qatar for four decades and we
remain wholly committed to Qatar
as our source of inspiration. We are
optimistic about the future, and look
forward to continuing to serve our
loyal customers over the next 40
years and beyond under the visionary
leadership of HH the Emir Sheikh
Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.

Doha Bank launches India operations

Doha Bank formally launched its
operations in India, Asias third largest
economy recently, thus becoming the
first Qatari bank to establish full-scale
banking operations in India.
The Doha Bank branch at Sakhar
Bhavan was inaugurated by HE the
Minister of Finance Ali Sherif al-Emadi
in the presence of Indias Railway
Minister, Suresh Prabhu, HE the QCB
Governor, Sheikh Abdullah bin Saoud
al-Thani, Indian ambassador Sanjiv
Arora, Qatar ambassador to India,

34

MAY

Doha Bank launches its full-scale India operations

Abdulla al-Abdulla, Maharashtra

ministers, Subhash Desai and Deepak
Vasanthrao Kesarkar and prominent
Qatari businessman, Yousef Qassem
Darwish.
Doha Bank chairman, Sheikh
Fahad bin Mohamed bin Jabor
al-Thani, managing director Sheikh
Abdulrahman bin Mohamed bin
Jabor al-Thani and Group CEO, Dr
R Seetharaman were among the
dignitaries present.
The well-attended ceremony at
the Trident Hotel here also saw the
e-inauguration of Doha Bank, Kochi
branch and the launch of Doha Bank
(India) website.
With special focus on small and
medium enterprises, Doha Banks
India operations will provide
comprehensive range of financial
services by deploying consumercentric technology and innovative
delivery channels.
Besides Mumbai and Kochi, Qatars
premier bank is also looking to open
a branch in Chennai.

Promoting Islamic finance in China

QIIB and QNB Capital have joined
hands with Southwest Securities
(SWSC) to promote Islamic
financing and investments in China.
Chinese brokerage Southwest
Securities is based in Chongqing,
one of the five listed central cities
in China. Southwest Securities
is also Chongqings first listed

financial institution. An agreement

was signed in Doha recently on
the sidelines of an event held to
formally open the Middle Easts first
centre for clearing transactions in
the Chinese yuan.
QIIB Chief Executive Officer
Abdulbasit A al-Shaibei told Gulf
Times yesterday the partnership
would help create a framework for
Islamic financing in China.
Besides helping Southwest Securities
to access investor markets in Qatar
and the Middle East, the agreement
also aims to open the Chinese market
for both QIIB and QNB Capital.
We are looking to access the
Chinese market for financing and
investments, either directly or
indirectly, al-Shaibei said.

QIB wins award

Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) has been
adjudged the Best Islamic Bank
in Qatar by Islamic Finance News,
based on its financial results,
achievements, and major financing
deals in 2014.
The Islamic Finance News award
honours leading institutions in the
Islamic finance industry, and is
recognised as one of the top awards
by global Islamic capital markets.
A panel of experts from noncompeting organisations examines
all submissions during an elimination
process until one candidate in each
category remains

BRAND EQUITY

SIX QATARI BRANDS

AMONG MENA TOP 50
Brand Finances study placed Qatar Airways as the
fourth most valuable brand in the Mena followed by
QNB in the fifth position
Qatar has six brands out of the
top 50 brands in the Middle East
and North Africa (Mena) region in
2015, with a combined brand value
of $8.2bn, according to a recent
study published by brand valuation
and strategy consultancy firm Brand
Finance.
The study, The Brand Finance Mena
50, reported that Qatar Airways was
the fourth most valuable brand in the
Mena, with a brand value of $27bn,
followed by QNB in the fifth position,
with brand value of $2.6bn, and
Ooredoo at the 11th spot, with brand
value of $1.7bn.
Also included in the list were
Commercial Bank (41st) with a brand
value of $413mn, Doha Bank (47th)
valued at $358mn, and Qatar Islamic
Bank (48th) with a $317mn brand
value.

QA awards
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways was on an
award-winning spree. It was named
Airline with the Best Business Class
at the Business Traveller Middle East
Awards 2015, based on votes by
readers of the Middle East edition
of industry magazine *Business
Traveller.
Recently the national carrier also
emerged victorious at the award

night in Hamburg for offering

excellence in delivering a premium
five-star on-board product to its
passengers.
The Onboard Hospitality Awards
recognised the airlines Missoni
sleeper suits as the best in Textiles
category, chosen through an online
vote and judged by an independent
panel of industry experts against set
criteria.
The airline also received two Gold
Awards for its new first and business
class amenity kits at the 2014
TravelPlus Awards. It won gold for its
exclusive Giorgio Armani Fragrances
& Beauty first class male amenity kit
and the business class Middle East
amenity kit.
Qatar Airways, one of the select
few carriers with a Skytrax five-star
ranking for service excellence, was
the only airline to receive two Gold
Awards at the event, according to a
statement.
Earlier, Qatar Airways was also
named the Worlds Most Dependable
Airline in a comprehensive study
of all major carriers, published by
CBS MoneyWatch and conducted by
recognised travel site, WanderBat.
It was chosen to lead a select list of
22 international airlines based on on-

Seneviratne receiving the award

from Faisal Salem bin Haider,
Executive Director for Printing
and Distribution Sector at Dubai
Media Incorporated

time percentage, low cost to check

bags and average age of airline fleet.
At the eighth Annual TTG China Travel
Awards held in Shanghai recently,
Qatar Airways was voted best Middle
Eastern airline servicing China. The
win marks the fourth time the airline
has received this accolade from TTG
China

MAY

35

ARCHITECTURE

BUILDINGS NOT GREEN

BUT GOLD!

Gold Futuristic Architect and Beyond

Sustainable Brand Ambassador
Roshan Cherri shares his message
for the future and Gold Architecture
Hi! I am, Roshan Cherri, an Australian
architect, who is now based in Doha
and believes in a new way of thinking
architecture and sub-systems of the
Earth. This is an architecture which
would help society and community to
thrive by creating positive energy.
It would mean abundance and not
just sustainability through the direct
application of the principles of Gold
Architecture (Beyond Sustainability).
I had the privilege of sharing this
with people in talk presentations and
on a personal note with ministers
of various countries and other
dignitaries from around the world. I
have also demonstrated this principle
in some of our projects, designs and
am happy to share it more to create

36

MAY

Lusail Futuristic Hotel and Office Tower

a new paradigm in architecture

and make a change by renewing,
redeeming and purifying our Earth.

THE MESSAGE:
Its time to move
beyond the paradigms
of green and sustainability
by moving one step
forward
Man has always been an imitator
of nature and a partaker of it. He
has, however, always done this at
a superficial level without actually
intertwining with the kingdoms of
nature. The Beyond Sustainability

theory is now a worldwide movement

which strives to salvage the situation
and redeem the mistakes committed
by man, like global warming,
deforestation and so on
Sustainability has been discussed
much and very frequently these days
all over the world, in fact, it has been
overused and even used as a tag to
sell and promote developments and
projects around the world. It feels like
its the in thing and trend. Every trend
needs to make a change. But does it
really change the environment? Is it
an active action of changing?
In reality, the way in which we define
sustainability would mean Sustain
the Destroyed Earth and this will

Beyond sustainable
architecture is a new way of
thinking and designing the
latest ideas in architecture
using robots and futuristic
ideas to build futuristic
structures

Crown Hotel Gold Complex, Melbourne

not help us to make a change or

deliberately renew or redeem.
Beyond sustainable in architecture
would mean the art of creating
sub-systems of environment for a
deliberate renewal of the Earth. It
needs to be seen as the art of creation
(designing sub-systems) in a different
manner where fabric and space, which
are the two derivatives seen producing
gold and energy and renewing
byproducts. Such systems not only
renew the Earth, but also renew the
people living on it, thus bringing the
gold out of people by using space
and place. Both space and places are
created by architects and this needs
to be not just beyond sustainable, but
also fruitful and thriving. Its not just

Roshan Cherri is the CEO / Principal

Architect for Studio Cherri of Doha
Design Center (DDC) located in Doha,
Qatar. He is also Brand Ambassador
for Beyond Sustainable Architecture
TM around the world. All the views
mentioned here are his own.

the Earth that is getting destroyed ,

we too are getting destroyed. The vast
expanse of air column and water can
manage the damage.
A very good example would be
Googles offices and environment
which are broadly based on this
principle. We need to design

buildings, cities and use materials

which purify the air, water and supply
oxygen. Create a space for caring,
sharing and collaboration instead of
smoke-breathers, factories. We have
been very much working towards
this goal of deliberate action towards
redemption, getting back what we
lost, correcting our mistakes.

MAY

37

BENEFITS OF BSA

What is beyond sustainability?

Its the design of the world for
tomorrow. Beyond Sustainable
Architecture (BSA) is a new way of
thinking and designing the latest
in architecture using robots and
futuristic ideas to build futuristic
structures. Its all about seeing the
external Fabric architecture and
internal Space architecture in a
totally different manner, beyond just
sustainability and interesting forms of
shapes and icons for a place.
BSA creates a new paradigm by
elevating it to the new level of
building relics for future. These will
be not just icons but responsible
structures that respect nature and
mankind. The two ways in which we
see it are the rethinking in External
BSA and Internal BSA. Its the manner
in which an architect can create
Gold externally from the fabric of
the building and create Gold within
a person by using the space to serve
the purpose of the people using the
space in a manner that enhances
the potential of the individuals
using it. Thus a thriving, caring and
collaborative environment is created.
Its an architecture where form follows
purpose instead of function. BSA
thus creates a new paradigm of form
following purpose.

Statistics
High-performing Gold buildings
provide the best value to the
public through both life-cycle cost
benefits and positive effects on
human health and performance. A
recent study of GSAs 12 earliest
Gold federal buildings shows
energy use is down 26 per cent and
occupant satisfaction up 27 per
cent, compared to commercial office
benchmark data. More importantly,
the top third of the studied buildings,
which use an integrated design
approach, deliver significantly better

38

MAY

Beyond Sustainable building requires that architects, engineers and

contractors all co-create and intertwine with the environment focusing on
renewable energy, energy-producing nano materials, water conservation,
site development and indoor environmental quality to produce gold both
externally and internally.
The benefits of Beyond Sustainable building can be generally categorised
in the following ways environmental benefits, economic benefits and
social benefits.

Environmental benefits
The whole purpose of sustainable building is to add to our environment
and avoid the depletion of the Earths natural resources. When additions
are made throughout each phase of the projects development, it allows
us to share the resources and add to the ecosystem by purifying the air
and water quality; Reducing waste streams; Waste conversion; Producing
purified water and air; Restoring natural resources; Temperature control
macroclimatic.

Economic benefits
Not only do sustainable buildings improve the quality of our environment
but they also offer many economic benefits as well. By using sustainable
materials, reducing energy consumption, and improving water efficiency
it will enable you to: Produce energy for the surrounding infrastructure;
Help aid in the expansion of the Gold Market; Save money through lower
operating costs; Supply of energy to the grid; Optimise the life cycle of
the building; Increase property value; Improve occupants attendance and
productivity.

Social benefits
Creates space which enhances creativity, destiny and purpose; space of
collaboration, sharing without self spaces; Improves occupants comfort
and health; create an aesthetically pleasing environment; minimises strain
on local infrastructure; increases occupants overall morale; improves
worker productivity.
results with 45 per cent less energy
consumption, 53 per cent lower
maintenance costs, and 39 per cent
less water use.
A recent report by CoStar, a major
real estate transaction information
collection company, shows that
Gold buildings, in general, also have
lower vacancy rates. According to
the 2008 McGraw-Hill Construction
Smart Market Report: Key Trends in
the European and US Construction
Marketplace, operating costs for
gold buildings are on average 8 to 9
per cent lower, building values are
7.5 per cent higher, buildings have a
3.5 per cent greater occupancy ratio,
and Gold buildings provide a 6.6 per
cent total returns on investment.

With the above-mentioned long-term

operating cost benefits, the life-cycle
cost of Gold buildings is lower than
the life-cycle costs of those that are
not. Even the initial capital costs
are not necessarily higher, and when
they are, only marginally so. A 2007
study by Davis Langdon shows that
Gold building aspects tend to have
a lesser impact on costs than other
building decisions, such as which
kind of finishes and amenities the
building might provide.
Our Vison is to see a house like a
tree and a city like a garden bringing
in happiness and joy to all subsystems on this Earth. Its an attempt
to create a thriving environment and
collaboration.

ROUNDUP TRADE

QATAR POSTED QR16.47BN

TRADE SURPLUS IN MARCH
The precipitous fall in the countrys trade surplus is reflective
of the considerable drop in the energy prices. Qatar has
strengthened trade ties with the US and UK
Qatars trade surplus in March 2015

stood at QR16.47bn, more than half of

that in the previous year period mainly
due to substantial fall in exports of crude,
non-crude and natural gas as well as
higher imports, official figures suggest.

Nicholas Hopton
British ambassador

The precipitous fall in the countrys

trade surplus is rather reflective of the
considerable drop in the energy prices,
which is at least 40 per cent lower than
the 2014 levels, owing to lower demand
and increase in the supply from the US
and other non-Opec producers.
The trade surplus of energy-major
Qatar, which is now vehemently on
diversification path, plummeted 53.7
per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) in March
as shipments to key Asian markets
were on the decline, said the Ministry
of Development Planning and Statistics
(MDPS).
Merchandise trade surplus fell 9.6 per
cent compared to that in February 2015
as there was double-digit decline in the
exports of crude.
The countrys total exports (valued freeon-board) plunged 40.7 per cent y-o-y to
QR26.59bn and it reported 3.3 per cent
fall month-on-month.
The MDPS, in its Qatar Economic
Outlook 2014-16 Update, had cautioned
that a prolonged weakening of oil prices

could pose a key downside risk to the

economic outlook.
Japan continued to be the top destination
of Qatars exports in March 2015;
followed by South Korea, India, China
and the UAE.
The countrys total exports of domestic
products tanked 41.7 per cent y-o-y
to QR25.82bn in March 2015 and were
down 3.9 per cent against February this
year.
Qatars exports of crude declined 52.1
per cent y-o-y to QR3.49bn, petroleum
gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons
by 43.5 per cent to QR17.43bn, noncrude by 36.9 per cent to QR1.21bn and
other commodities by 13 per cent to
QR3.68bn.

Qatar-US trade
Meanwhile, bilateral trade with the US has
been steadily rising with Doha accounting
for more than $5bn US imports in 2014,
according to a release. The trade volume
between the two countries recorded
$3.75bn in 2013, the Qatar Businessmen
Association (QBA) said. Last year, the
bilateral trade increased 86 per cent.
The strong Qatar-US bilateral relationship
was highlighted at a luncheon recently
hosted in honour of a top-level US
delegation led by US Undersecretary of

MAY

39

Commerce for International Trade

Stefan Selig by the QBA Second
Deputy Chairman Sheikh Dr Khalid
bin Thani al-Thani at his majlis in
Doha.
The QBA said Qatar was ranked
the fourth largest destination for US
exports in the Middle East and North
Africa, while the US served as the
largest foreign investor and exporter
to Qatar.
With the value of US imports
exceeding $5bn in 2014, in-demand
American products include Boeing
aircraft, cars, and trucks, which saw
an increase in sales last year, the
QBA said.

Sheikh Dr Khalid bin Thani al-Thani (right) and other dignitaries receive US Undersecretary of
Commerce for International Trade Stefan Selig

Commercial ties with Latin America

Qatar is seeking to strengthen
relationships and create partnerships
with Latin America, which represents
a promising market for the country,
according to HE the Foreign Minister
Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah.
Highlighting the exchange of visits
to various Latin American countries
at the highest level in view of the
strengthening relations, al-Attiyah
said this led to the signing of several
agreements in 2014, especially in the
areas of economic co-operation and
trade.
Qatar is seeking to further these
relationships and create partnerships
based on greater co-operation
and common interests, especially
considering this region has a great
variety of economic and commercial
possibilities, and represents a
promising market for Qatar, he said
in an interview to Oxford Business
Group.
Just as the work of the country has
focused on the development of
relations and partnerships with many
European and Asian countries, Qatar
is also seeking to strengthen relations
with various Latin American countries,
he said.
Early this year, Qatars ambassador to
Caracas, Battal Meajeb al-Dosari said
the country is targeting investments
in Venezuelas mining and tourism

40

MAY

The strong Qatar-US

bilateral relationship was
highlighted at a luncheon
recently hosted in honour
of a top-level US delegation
led by US Undersecretary of
Commerce for International
Trade Stefan Selig by
the QBA Second Deputy
Chairman Sheikh Dr Khalid
bin Thani al-Thani in Doha.
sectors; while there have also been
reports that Qatar Airways is eyeing
Barcelona as a potential intermediate
hub for its flights between the Middle
East and Latin America.
Qatar is working to further promote
and develop co-operation with all
countries, as well as with global
organisations, and to foster the
development of bilateral and
multilateral relations to serve the
public policy of the state, al-Attiyah
said.
These relationships work to support
the economic vision adopted
by Qatars leadership through
the strengthening of political
and economic partnerships with
numerous countries, he said.

This foreign policy is particularly

important, he said, as it has
transformed the bilateral relationships
between Qatar and other countries
into strategic partnerships based on a
framework of economic, commercial,
cultural and political co-operation.

UK exports jumped 74%

The UK-Qatar economic partnership
is currently very strong in both
directions with the two countries
having seen a jump in bilateral trade
figures last year, British ambassador
Nicholas Hopton told Gulf Times
recently.
UK exports to Qatar posted a 74 per
cent surge compared to the 2013
figures, Hopton said. On the other
hand, Qatars trade with UK and its
investment in the country are also
growing from strength to strength, he
said.
The Qatar Investment Authority had
bought the holding company for a lot
of big hotels in London, very famous
hotels, he said. Qatar owns most
of Claridges hotel and more recently
a few weeks ago, it was concluded
for Qatar to buy the remaining part of
Canary Wharf in the city, east part of
London.
Trade volume between Qatar and the
UK reached around $4bn in 2014,
about $2.5bn of which was derived
from goods and another $1.5bn from
services

HR POLICIES

STRATEGIC
INCOMPETENCE
Managing incompetent employees is every
companys worst nightmare, but it is important to
find out if the employee is only de-motivated or
truly incompetent, writes R. Ramesh
Give my 100 per cent for the

same salary? Not my cup of tea

boss! Lack of timely incentives
and motivation often prompt some
employees to adopt this kind
of attitude. It instigates them to
deliberately perform a task poorly so
as to discourage being assigned the
task again, but not poorly enough to
be fired.
The Human Resource Department
plays a key role in indentifying such
employees and developing strategies
to exploit their complete potential.
Understanding the employees
motivations and clear communication
are the best ways to tackle this
problem, says Clair Mayler
Madigan, Recruitment Consultant at
RecruiteME.
If the work is outside of their day-today role, the questions to be asked,
according to her, are: Is the extra

work, that the employees are being

asked to undertake, something that
stretches their capabilities and could
help to lead them to career growth in
the future?
Most employees will gladly take on a
project to showcase their eagerness
to grow in their current position and
be considered for a promotion. Is it
something for which they would get
paid overtime or could they be given
time off in lieu of it?
Putting in extra hours because a
colleague is on holiday or maternity
leave is a great chance for employees
to ask for extra compensation or
an extended holiday for themselves
when the colleague returns to work.
Is it something that will benefit the
company as a whole and lead to
profit-sharing in the future?
Employees are more likely to go
the extra mile for the company they

MAY

41

Sacking may not be

the sole option always.
Termination can be
distressing and involves
emotional strain for both
the employee as well as
the employer. There are
also legal consequences
involved.

work for, when they can see that the

effort they put in is directly linked to
the companys success and therefore
their own job security, insists Clair.
Most employees are not motivated by
money alone and a mixed approach
is best.
In a region where work/life balance is
generally neglected giving employees
the opportunity to work flexible hours,
take unpaid leave, work from home,
advance their studies or spend time
on a charitable project can be a much
more effective motivational tool than
a pay rise or bonus, Clair points out.
A simple heartfelt thank you
directly from a senior member of
staff can make all the difference to
an employee who is feeling underappreciated and overworked.
If the work has been described
clearly, with start and end dates if
applicable, the training necessary
to help them be successful and the
promise of a review to assess their
contribution, most employees will
react positively. If a clear benefit has
been proposed and the employee is
reacting negatively, they may be in
the wrong role and no compensation
monetary or otherwise will motivate
them, sums up Clair.
Nitin Anand, COEC, Skyline University
College, says it is not necessary
that employees who act dumb at
workplace are incapable, it may
be that they just dont want to be
perturbed.
At times a person feigns
incompetence out of sheer
laziness. There are also instances,
when people who seem to be
feigning incompetence are actually
incompetent.
The ways Nitin suggests for dealing
with such employees include:
Additional training, closer supervision and precisely defined duties
and tasks.
Rewarding them when they do the
right thing, be it verbally or with
tangible rewards like a free lunch
or salary raise or whatever is in the
power of the managers to do.

42

MAY

For employees who never step up

on big assignments, he suggests
giving them non-time-sensitive assignments that require some critical
thinking
Having a firm deadline or periodic
check-in meetings, depending on
the size of the project, and sticking
to it.
Managing incompetent employees
is every companys worst nightmare.
There is no workplace that does not
have such people.
The trick is to smartly manage
incompetent employees without
getting into a messy situation. And
that trick is monetising performance.
Though monetary compensation is
not feasible all the time, but it surely
works, avers Nitin.
While no special training is needed
to deal with incompetent employees,
a few organisational steps and
counselling can go a long way.
Sacking may not be the sole
option always. Termination can be
distressing and involves emotional
strain for both the employee as well
as the employer. There are also legal
consequences involved.
It is advisable to make sure the
incompetent employee understands
that he needs to change his working
style. If he changes, it is good for
the company as it wont have to
go through the painful firing-hiring
process. Get an agreement on their
goals and deadlines in writing and
make the employee sign the deal.
This written document will help
analyse the work progress of the
employee, advises Nitin.
There are always reasons why
an employee may no longer be
motivated. Job progress stagnation,
a non-conducive work environment,
lack of incentives etc. are all factors
that can contribute to this, explains
Colin Saldanha, Managing Director of
Procre8.
It is the role of a good manager and
HR team to identify and quickly
address these concerns before they

The most appropriate option would be to install a

well-monitored performance appraisal strategy. This will help
review performance, compare it with the standards required,
identify deviations and take prompt corrective actions.
snowball into bigger issues. Setting
metrics to which an employees
performance can be graded is a good
way of creating accountability. Regular
reporting and regular briefing meetings
are also a good way of keeping track
of what employees are doing.
Is monetary compensation the best
solution? The phrase best solution
is ambiguous as what the employee
may consider to be the best could
vary quite drastically from what the
business perceives to be the same,
argues Colin.
Of course, due to budget constraints
and other factors, it may not
always be possible to simply
address the problem with monetary
compensation. This route also tends
to serve only as a quick fix.
An employee who is disgruntled by
factors such as lack of recognition, a
hostile work environment etc. would

find little long-term benefit from a

monetary bonus which doesnt tackle
the root cause of his/her frustration,
feels Colin.
Studies have shown that one of
the top reasons why employees
leave organisations is the lack of
development opportunities and
growth in career prospects.
According to Colin, if a candidate
had suspiciously short tenures at well
reputed firms, there is a chance that
something is amiss.
Entrepreneur and business owner
Suresh Gandhi believes that
incompetence can be managed, but
employees feigning incompetence
deliberately are definitely a huge
challenge for companies. If someone
is basically incompetent, the
company can ensure improvement in
the skill sets through proper training
mechanism.

When an employee feigns

incompetence, his or her failure
to improve could lead to unhappy
customers, operational inefficiencies,
and ultimately dropping bottom
lines, says Suresh. A formal review
system should be put in place to alert
the said employee of the needed
improvements in his or her work
ethics and performance.
The most appropriate option would
be to install a well-monitored
performance appraisal strategy.
This will help review performance,
compare it with the standards
required, identify deviations and take
prompt corrective actions.
If this does not get corrected over
time and subsequent evaluation reveals
continuous dereliction of duties, then
the company does not have any option
but to dismiss the said employee for
ineptitude, says Suresh.
As he puts it, ultimately the shield
used by the employee to avoid work
could cost his or her job!

MAY

43

EDUCATION

TAKING MARKETING TO
A NEW LEVEL
The Department of Management and Marketing, College
of Business & Economics, Qatar University, provides
students with an innovative and applied education in
management and marketing to prepare them for leadership
and positions of responsibility in public and private
organisations.
The departments faculty members are reputed for
drawing on insights they have gained from their research
and industry experience to provide students with a
relevant and solid education that prepares them for top
management and leadership positions in business.
Business@Qatar interviewed Dr Rana Sobh, Associate
Professor, Dept. of Management and Marketing, to find out
more about its latest graduate programme in marketing.
The excerpts:

What is College of Business & Economics, Qatar
Universitys new graduate programme called and
when is it starting?

Dr Rana Sobh

Associate Professor,
Dept. of Management and Marketing

College of Business & Economics

is offering a new two-year
Master of Science in Marketing
programme. Business@Qatar
managed to get the details

It is a Master of Science in Marketing and it will start in

September 2015.
Are you partnering with any other institutions for
this programme?
It is a programme fully offered by the College of Business
and Economics at Qatar University. Students can have an
area of focus in sports marketing and we might collaborate
in offering this area with ESSEC Business School Paris
(students and faculty exchange).
Is it College of Business & Economics, Qatar
Universitys first graduate programme?
No. we have an MBA and Master of Accounting. So this is
the third graduate programme offered by the college.
What are the distinctive features of this new
programme, compared to those offered by other
institutions in Qatar?
Some of the programmes distinctive features that create
our competitive advantage compared to other similar
programmes are having:

44

MAY

Two tracks: a thesis track that would appeal to those

desiring to develop their academic skills and probably
a PhD degree and would as a result feed in our PhD
programme and a non-thesis track that would accommodate middle to upper level professionals, who desire
to acquire deep competencies in the field to further their
professional careers.
The programme also emphasises applied education
through the concept of corporate mentors. Corporate
mentors are successful individuals in leading marketing
positions in a diverse range of industries. Each student
will be required to select a corporate mentor at the
beginning of the programme, to interact with throughout
the programme. Students will be encouraged to work
on assignments and projects suggested by their corporate mentors. These will eventually form an advisory
board for the MSc, making recommendations on curriculum and course content.

 It offers an area of focus on sports marketing; an area

witnessing an increased interest globally and locally. This
interest is intensified as a result of the upcoming 2022
FIFA World Cup and many other mega regional and international sport events organised by Qatar. This focus area
would prepare our graduates for leadership positions in
sports organisations.
Has the admission process begun?
Yes. It is open now through QU graduate admissions link
on QU website until June 7.
What would be the student intake and duration of
the course?
We expect to take a maximum of 15 students next year.
The programme duration is two years. Students can take
a maximum of three courses per semester and a minimum
of two.
If the demand is more, what would be the criteria for
selection?
A good GPA (minimum 2.8), English language proficiency.
Experience in the field is preferred, especially for students
who opt for the non-thesis track but not mandatory. The
main criteria is commitment, focus and determination which
we will determine through the personal interviews we would
conduct with applicants who meet our minimum criteria.

Are you targeting full-time fresh graduates or parttime working people through this programme?
Both. Students can work full-time since our classes are in
the evening. But it might be easier if they work only parttime since the programme is very demanding.
What is the fee structure and how does this
compare with similar programmes currently on offer
in Qatar?
QR2000 per credit hour. The programme requires a total of
30 credit hours.
Would you also be offering placement to successful
students?
Working with corporate mentors would provide students
with networking and employment opportunities after
graduation.
Are there any modules which will be useful to
budding entrepreneurs, particularly those planning
to enter the SME sector?
All marketing modules will be relevant. Marketing should
be a guiding principle in every organisation. All marketing
functions such and identifying market opportunities,
market research, understanding consumer needs etc. are
at the heart of entrepreneurship

MAY

45

INFOTECH

PARTNERSHIP
KEY TO SUCCESS
Jyoti Lalchandani is
Group Vice-President
and Regional Managing
Director for the Middle
East, Africa, and Turkey
at global ICT market
intelligence and advisory
firm International Data
Corporation (IDC). The
views expressed are his
own

Jyoti Lalchandani of International Data Corporation

writes about reducing vendor-related risks through
best-practice selection criteria
The partnership between enterprise IT departments and their suppliers has
never been more important. With managers increasingly driving technology
decisions, the need for CIOs and their teams to remain in control is
paramount to ITs success in delivering business outcomes.
Key to this is the way organisations choose their vendors. Trust
is a fleeting notion in the technology industry, with emerging
trends placing unprecedented pressure on vendor profit
margins, revenue expectations, R&D budget allocations,
product planning strategies, and acquisition/divestiture
plans. Indeed, the only certainty for end-user organisations
in todays technology landscape is that change is an everpresent obstacle that must be both anticipated and scaled
with the least negative impact possible.
It is for this reason that I am increasingly being approached
by IT and business executives looking to re-evaluate
their vendor selection criteria. In this column I will run
through the key issues that customer organisations must
comprehend if they are to reduce their exposure to vendorrelated risk, as well as significantly strengthen their leverage
during contract negotiations.
First is changes in executive and senior management. Unfortunately, these
are an unavoidable reality when dealing with vendors in todays highly
competitive marketplace. But such events can have a tremendous impact
on corporate strategies, budget allocations, staffing levels and product
capabilities. Therefore, it is crucial that customer organisations develop a
clear picture of a vendors future direction when, for example, a new CEO is
appointed.
Acquisitions and divestitures are another inevitable hazard when dealing with
tech vendors. I urge customer organisations to gain as much knowledge as
possible regarding any integration plans, technology roadmaps, leadership

46

MAY

changes, and timelines

associated with an
acquisition. In the case of
divestitures, they should look to
find out why the vendor is exiting
a particular product line and consider
what business unit might be next.
Staff reductions are also a common vendor response
to mounting business pressures, and they can increase
the level of end-user risk in a number of ways: product
development can slow, sales relationships can be
compromised and customer support can drop. For many
vendors, their sales teams serve as the key stakeholders
between client and vendor, so any disruptions in this
area can be particularly troublesome; important customer
knowledge and strategic perspectives are often lost, and
both can take a long time to rebuild. For this reason, I
encourage customers to develop a deep understanding
of their vendors sales reporting structures and establish
multiple relationships. Never become reliant on just one
point of contact.
Another key consideration is product commitment. Every
vendor allocates development budgets to its various
business units and product lines. Customers should
inquire about when that budget cycle starts and be aware
that budget reductions often hinder the vendors ability
to execute product capabilities in a timely fashion. If
executive stakeholders in product management change,
be sure to understand why the changes have happened
and be more suspect of the vendors commitment to that
product line. Its important for customers to know what is
being prioritised internally, and that is particularly true with
vendors that offer both products and SaaS solutions for
the same capability set.
Too often, vendors corporate strategies are non-existent,
misunderstood, poorly communicated or not aligned with
what the individual business units are executing. Business

unit strategies should

be the execution
machine for any corporate
strategy, so customers must
ensure that a vendors sales and
product teams can articulate both
the corporate strategy and their role in its
execution. If the business unit in question has its own
strategy in place, customer organisations should develop
a clear understanding of how it impacts their product
prioritisation, long-term roadmap planning and ability to
obtain R&D budgets.
Included at some level within these corporate strategies
will be partnerships; but it is important to understand
that some of these tie-ups matter more than others. For
example, some partnerships are for product development,
while others are for the purposes of driving broader
field/sales engagement or facilitating the expansion of
professional services. As such, I urge customers to have a
concise insight into exactly what each vendor partnership
means to their relationship and how it may potentially
impact their business.
What is abundantly clear is that fast-moving technology
and business trends are placing a heavy burden on both
sides of the market, with vendors increasingly unable to
meet customer requirements and agreed-upon demands.
These stormy waters only serve to raise the risk profile
of customer organisations and heighten the potential
for IT to fail in its quest to deliver the desired business
outcomes.
While there is no way to predict the future, the vendor
selection criteria Ive outlined above provide a roadmap
for IT and business executives to better understand the
inherent risk associated with any given vendor. Fail
to prepare, prepare to fail, goes the old adage, and it
couldnt be more true when it comes to selecting the right
technology vendor

MAY

47

STOCK REVIEW

BOURSE CROSSES
THE 12,500 LEVEL
Despite some initial weakness the stock market vaulted,
spurred by stronger buying interests, particularly in the
mid and small-cap segments
During the four-week review period
between April 19 and May 14 the Qatar
Stock Exchange index rose nearly 623
points to reach 12,515.86 points, mainly
powered by insurance and real estate
stocks.
On April 19, the very first day of the review
period the Qatar Stock Exchange index
edged down 0.7 per cent to 11892.95
points. The following day the index edged
up merely 0.2 per cent to 11915.76 points,
largely because petrochemicals and metals
company Industries Qatar fell 1.1 per cent,
having posted a 40 per cent drop in firstquarter net profit.
The firm reported a profit of QR951mn
for the three months to March 31, while
analysts polled by Reuters had on average
expected QR1.11bn.
Buying interests particularly in the
consumer goods, banks and real estate
stocks on April 21 led the Qatar Stock
Exchange to gain 62 points and inch near
the 12,000 mark. Institutional investors

48

MAY

buying support lifted the 20-stock Qatar

Index 0.52 per cent to 11,977.35 points as
trade volumes also expanded.
Small, micro and mid-cap stocks notably
outperformed the main index in the
bourse, which was however down 2.51
per cent year-to-date. Local and the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) retail investors
resorted to profit-booking in the market;
where overall trading volume was skewed
towards banks, realty and consumer goods
stocks, which together accounted for about
80 per cent.
Market capitalisation rose 0.67 per cent
or more than QR4bn to QR643.78bn with
small, micro, mid and large cap stocks
gaining 1.51 per cent, 0.83 per cent, 0.7 per
cent and 0.56 per cent respectively.
The following day, QSE index added
another 15.26 points. On April 23, the
Qatar Stock Exchange surpassed the
psychological barrier of 12,000 points on
buying support from domestic and foreign
institutions.

Buying interests particularly in real

estate and industrials lifted the index
0.48 per cent to 12,049.85 points
amid fall in trade volumes. Small-cap
stocks outperformed the main index in
the bourse, which was however down
1.92 per cent year-to-date.
However, local retail investors net
selling strengthened and the GCC
institutions had bearish outlook on
the market, where overall trading
was skewed towards realty, banks
and consumer goods stocks, which
together accounted for more than 77
per cent of the volume.
Market capitalisation rose 0.38
per cent, or more than QR2bn, to
QR646.93bn with small, micro and
large cap stocks gaining 0.52 per
cent, 0.48 per cent and 0.34 per cent
respectively, even as mid-caps fell
0.38 per cent.
Realty stocks appreciated 0.79 per
cent, followed by industrials (0.6 per
cent), consumer goods (0.29 per
cent), banks and financial services
(0.21 per cent), transport and telecom
(0.19 per cent each), and insurance
(0.09 per cent).
Major movers included QNB, Qatar
Islamic Bank, Qatari Investors Group,
Gulf International Services, Barwa,
Ezdan and Mazaya Qatar; even
as Commercial Bank, Mesaieed
Petrochemical Holding and Vodafone
Qatar bucked the trend.
Qatar Stock Exchange opened the
following week on April 26 with a
minor correction that led to a loss
of 10 points; but overall the bourse
remained above the 12,000 level.
Both domestic and foreign institutions
were showed less inclination towards
buying as the Qatar Index fell 0.08
per cent to 12,040.06 points with
trade volumes also on the decline.

Rayan, Aamal Company, Mesaieed

Petrochemical Holding, Gulf
International Services, Ooredoo,
Vodafone Qatar and Nakilat. However,
Industries Qatar, Mazaya Qatar,
Doha Bank, Ezdan Holding, United
Development Company and Barwa
bucked the trend.
The bullish scenario in the global
crude prices and first-quarter
corporate earnings lifted sentiments

on the Qatar Stock Exchange on April

27, which amassed 152 points to
inch near the 12,200 mark. Foreign
institutions buying interests were
instrumental in lifting the 20-stock
Qatar Index by 1.26 per cent to
12,192.15 points as trade volumes
almost tripled.

Mid and large-cap stocks witnessed

the maximum selling pressure in the
bourse, which was down 2 per cent
year-to-date. Market capitalisation
was down 0.11 per cent, or QR72mn.

The slowdown in US shale oil

production and the conflict in Yemen
lent bullish support to the crude
market. Small and mid-cap stocks
witnessed the maximum buying
interests in the bourse, which was,
however, down 0.76 per cent year-todate.

Major losers included QNB, Qatar

Islamic Bank, QIIB, Masraf Al

Net buying support from domestic

and GCC institutions led the Qatar

Stock Exchange to gain another 38

points to inch near the 12,250 mark
on April 29. Buying interests in the
industrials, consumer goods and
banking overcame the strong selling
pressure in the real estate counter as
the QSE index settled 0.32 per cent
higher at 12,248.35 points on more
than doubled trade volumes.
On April 30, the bourse snapped
a three-day bullish spell to lose 84

points and settled below the 12,200

mark; dragged by realty, industrials
and banking stocks. Lower net buying
interests of domestic institutions and
higher net profit-booking intensity
of their foreign counterparts led the
Qatar Index to knock off 0.68 per cent
to 12,164.48 as trade volumes also
declined.
On May 3, transport and consumer
goods stocks led QSE to open the
week on a stronger note. Stronger
net buying by domestic institutions
as well as GCC individuals helped the
index gain 0.25 per cent to 12,195.04
amid a fall in trade volumes.
However, local retail investors turned
bearish and their GCC counterparts

MAY

49

consumer goods and real estate

stocks. Bearish domestic and GCC
institutions were instrumental in
dragging the Qatar Index 0.42 per
cent to 12,282.17 as trade volumes
also shrank.

net buying weakened in the market,

where trading was skewed towards
realty, banking and consumer goods
stocks, which together accounted
for about three-fourth of the overall
volume.
On May 4, the Qatar Stock Exchange
lost 72 points on increased net selling
pressure from foreign institutions
and the bearish outlook of the GCC
individuals and institutions.

Substantial buying in insurance, real

estate and industrials stocks on May
6 led the Qatar Stock Exchange to
surpass the 12,300 level with ease.
GCC institutions bullish outlook and
increased net buying support from
domestic and foreign institutions
helped the index surge 1.04 per cent to
12,334.06 as trade volumes also grew.
Small and mid-cap stocks were
high in demand in the bourse, which

The bourse remained largely flat

on May 10 despite selling pressure
in the Islamic stocks. GCC retail
investors turned marginally bullish
and non-Qatari individual investors
net buying strengthened as the index
settled merely 0.03 per cent higher
at 12,285.45 amid a decline in overall
trade volumes.
The following day also QSE was
flat amid selling pressure in the
industrials, transport and telecom
stocks. The index settled merely 0.05
per cent lower at 12,279.17.
Lower net buying interests from
domestic and foreign institutions
on May 12 led the Qatar Stock
Exchange to decline after remaining
flat since the beginning of that week.
Industrials, telecom and real estate
counters were under profit-booking
pressure and the index settled 0.24
per cent lower at 12,250.21.
On May 13, the bourse gained a
robust 117 points to inch near the
12,400 levels mainly on substantial
buying interests from foreign and
GCC institutions.
Stronger buying in real estate and
insurance led to index surging 0.95
per cent to 12,366.92.

The telecom, transport and real

estate equities witnessed higher than
average profit-booking, dragging
the index 0.59 per cent to 12,123.22
despite higher trade volumes.
Foreign institutions renewed net
buying interests and the GCC retail
investors lower selling pressure
on May 5 lifted the Qatar Stock
Exchange above the 12,200 level.
Telecom and banking counters
witnessed higher demand as the
20-stock Qatar Index rose 0.7 per
cent to 12,207.64 as trade volumes
also rose.

50

MAY

reported wiping off the inherited

losses by gaining 0.39 per cent yearto-date. However, net selling pressure
from local, GCC and non-Qatari retail
investors was visible in the market,
where trading was skewed towards
real estate, banking, consumer goods
and industrials stocks, which together
accounted for about 84 per cent of
the overall volume.
Two days of substantial gains on May
7, gave way to profit-booking on the
Qatar Stock Exchange, which fell
52 points to settle below the 12,300
mark, mainly due to industrials,

Powered by insurance and real

estate stocks, the Qatar Stock
Exchange on May 14 added another
149 points to surpass the 12,500
levels. Stronger buying interests in
the mid and small-cap segments
helped the Qatar Index surge 1.2
per cent to 12,515.86 despite losers
outnumbering gainers.
Local retail and institutional investors
net selling weakened and foreign
institutions continued to be bullish
but with lesser vigour in the bourse,
which reported 1.87 per cent gains
year-to-date

TECHNOLOGY

AGILE INFRASTRUCTURE
RECOMMENDED
A high-performance infrastructure can address many of the challenges of
a multi-entity, digital media production and distribution system to deliver
competitive advantage, says industry expert
Increasingly, consumers in Qatar are accessing

entertainment and news on-demand via mobile devices.

Less complex, and with lower cost entry points, this
growing demand has put mobility at the heart of Internet
subscription service expansion. Consequently, mobile data
consumption is growing rapidly.
Content becomes a valuable resource to leverage, not
just for advertising, but also to underpin e-commerce.
Connecting content with synergistic products or services,
and capturing data, enables behavioural intelligence and
more precise targeting.

Trends
Patterns or trends from mining and analysing Big Data
are critical for operators, agencies, broadcasters and
content producers in the country. Inevitably, the insight
extraction must be generated at high speed. This is
particularly true during campaign pilots or short-term
window transactional activity.
However the growing volume of production and Big Data
content runs counter to the need for shorter time-to
broadcast, and the desire for higher financial returns on
digital assets in an aggressively competitive market.
For some, there is the need to radically reform production
and distribution processes, using a different combination
of in-house and contracted resources. This transformation
involves a new level of Big Data collaboration
particularly for video across the entire value chain. This
chain may be spread over several continents as the pace
accelerates from digital asset production to distribution,
broadcast, archive and playback.
This step-change poses a significant challenge at all
stages in terms of video data management, storage

Yarob Sakhnini

Regional Director, MEMA at Brocade

and availability. It requires a move towards much more

integrated, secure, multi-entry collaboration.
Traditional on-site IT systems tend to be silo-oriented
towards one company or a few suppliers. They are unable
to meet the capacity, resiliency, flexibility and speed
necessary to support multi-entry collaboration, or a fastgrowing mobile consumer base.
Yarob Sakhnini, Regional Director, MEMA at Brocade
says that a high performance infrastructure is critical to
support and deliver content, development and delivery
on-demand, that can reliably scale to meet the Big Data
production and distribution demands.
To ensure the data is successfully captured, the
infrastructure distributing mobile video and entertainment
or news must be sufficiently agile, and scalable, in
response to a widely-variable workload. The capacity of
the network to automatically reconfigure according to
demand adds substantial value and reduces operating
cost

MAY

51

AUTO REVIEW

2016

MODELS AND

POPULAR MARQUES

A more powerful, lighter and third-generation, all-new

Audi TT 2016 rolled out in Qatar recently. This new vehicle

combines the original design of the iconic car with a
stunning facelift.
The engine stays at 2.0 litres and it is tuned to produce
227bhp and 370Nm of torque, with All Wheel Drive and
lesser weight. It accelerates 0.6 seconds faster than the
previous model, reaching from 0-100 in 5.3 seconds.
The Quattro models are available in the country and Audi
dealer Q-Auto expects the convertible version to arrive
in July this year. An even powerful TTS version will be
arriving by the end of this year.
The LED matrix lights and the rear dynamic lights are new
for the 2016 Audi TT, which has got a new Audi virtual
cockpit, designed from ground up. The traditional dash
has been replaced with a customisable 12.3 TFT. Highly
intuitive and visually appealing, the interior is innovative.
The vehicle has many safety features besides the usual
front and side air-bags. There are front and rear sensors,
automatic parking assistance and reinforced doors as
well.

52

MAY

2016 Honda City: Doha Marketing Services Company

(Domasco) recently announced availability of the 2016

Honda City at its Qatar showroom. The 2016 City has
been termed as practical, economical and trendy. It
comprises the best of Hondas technologies to deliver an
advanced sporty design, best-in-class comfort and safety,
plus excellent fuel efficiency in the category.
The Honda City is one of our best-selling Honda models
in Qatar. Last year, it won the best Small Sized Sedan
Award at the Middle East Car of the Year Awards. We are
very excited about the arrival of the 2016 City model well
before anybody else, said Greig Roffey, Head of Sales
and Marketing at Domasco.
Honda is the first to announce a 2016 model in the market
among its competitors, the statement added.
The latest Honda City offers a host of advanced interior
features. While cruise control and Bluetooth hands-free
phone controls are standard features across all grades,
advanced display audio in LX and EX grades, with a 7-in
TFT touchscreen, integrates smartphone features. The
model also comes with an auto air-conditioning system with
a touchscreen control panel and rear AC vents that enhance

The all-new Audi TT 2016 and

2016 Honda City in addition to
Rolls-Royce and MINI vehicles
sales growth made news
Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II

cooling throughout the car. Besides, the car features Smart

Entry with a one-push engine start/stop button.
The car is available in a range of colours, such as White
Orchid Pearl, Alabaster Silver Metallic, Modern Steel
Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl, Golden Brown Metallic and
Carnelian Red Pearl.
Event for Ferrari owners: Alfardan Sports Motors, the
official Ferrari importer in Qatar, recently organised the
6th Emozioni in Pista for Ferrari owners and enthusiasts
at the Losail International Circuit.
Omar Alfardan, President and Chief Executive Officer,
Alfardan Group, welcomed VIP guests and executive
managers of Alfardan Group before leading a parade of
some 39 cars to Losail International Circuit.

racing track. The LaFerrari is Ferraris first ever production

car to be equipped with the F1-derived hybrid solution.

During the event, Italian training experts from Pilota Ferrai

demonstrated sport driving techniques and helped Ferrari
owners and prospective clients unlock the full potential of
the cars.

Guests also enjoyed test driving the latest addition to

Alfardan Sports Motors family, the elegant, sporty, exclusive,
and versatile Ferrari California T. The California T model is
a true representation of the history and excellence of the
Prancing Horse, enhanced for superiority yet reflective of
Ferraris tradition.

For the first time in Qatar, the 6th Emozioni in Pista

witnessed the worlds fastest hybrid car, LaFerrari, on the

Ferrari enthusiasts also had the chance to admire the

classic cars display, the Formula 1 mock-ups and to explore

MAY

53

Ferraris lifestyle boutique, featuring elegant and unique

Ferrari accessories, car accessory displays, and the
chance for clients to personalise their cars with additional
parts designed by Ferrari.

Rolls-Royce sales up 14%: Rolls-Royce Motor

Cars Doha recently announced that it achieved a 14 per

cent sales increase in the first quarter of 2015 for the ultraluxury marque compared to the same period in 2014.
The Ghost Series II experienced strong growth during the
first three months of this year following its introduction to
the market in October last year, according to a statement.
Considered an oasis of calm in a busy connected world,
the latest addition to the Ghost collection of vehicles
experienced a 40 per cent sales increase, affirming
its popularity among discerning Qatari clientele, the
statement adds.
Wraith, the most powerful and dynamic Rolls-Royce
in history, also continued to experience strong sales
throughout the first quarter in 2015, which is expected to
continue with the announcement of the new limited-edition
Rolls-Royce Wraith Inspired by Film, which will be
available in Qatar this month.
Featuring a unique two-tone Silver and Jubilee silver
exterior, and intricate Maccassar Ebony open pore
panelling interior, the model is expected to contribute
towards building on the success of Rolls-Royce Motor
Cars Doha throughout the second quarter.

MINI sells 6% more in Q1: Alfardan Automobiles,

the official MINI importer in Qatar, has achieved a 6 per
cent sales increase for the brand during the first quarter
of this year compared to the same period in 2014, it
announced.

Both the MINI 3-door Hatch and MINI 5-door Hatch

claim the top spots for MINI sales in the country,
according to a statement. MINI started a new chapter in
its long history with the launch of the MINI 5-door Hatch
late last year, which is an additional model to the MINI
3-door Hatch.
Setting new standards within its competitive segment in
terms of legroom, headroom and boot space, it boasts
of two engine variants of BMW Groups latest generation
three- and four-cylinder engines with TwinPower Turbo
Technology. The four-cylinder petrol engine in the MINI
Cooper S 5-door is 192hp and the three-cylinder petrol
engine with a peak output of 136hp.
The 3-door hatch also comes with three-cylinder and fourcylinder engines, using a six-speed automatic gearbox
and MINI TwinPower Turbo technology. The Cooper is
powered by a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder engine, with outputs
of 136hp, while the Cooper S 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit
outputs 192hp with maximum torque of 280Nm, reaching
0-100 in 6.7 seconds.

54

MAY

Weekend extravaganza: Alfardan Automobiles

recently held a weekend extravaganza at the BMW
and MINI used cars showroom in Al Sadd. Visitors could
choose from a huge selection of BMW Premium Selection
Certified pre-owned vehicles and MINI pre-owned
vehicles.
The event was held for the second year running. There
were exceptional financing offers from Alfardan
Automobiles partner, Commercial Bank.
All BMW and MINI premium pre-owned vehicles come with
a host of benefits for buyers, including certified vehicle
history, 12-month warranty and service inclusive, complete
technical and optical check and roadside assistance.
Alfardan Automobiles also guaranteed a competitive
trade-in offer as well as individual financing offers from
Commercial Bank.
The long list of cars available from both BMW and MINI,
including the BMW 7 Series, 6 Series, 5 Series, 3 Series
and the X6, were joined by other members of the X family,
including the X5.
MINI also made its presence felt over the weekend. The
British brand has grown considerably in the Qatari market
and had its sales increase recognised with a standalone
showroom in Doha last year. Models that were available
over the weekend included the popular MINI Paceman,
MINI 3-Door Hatch and MINI Countryman.

NBKs show
on simulation
track: Nasser Bin

Khaled Automobiles,
the exclusive dealer
of MercedesBenz in Qatar,
recently organised
a unique show
for Mercedes-Benz
SUVs to demonstrate
their performance
capabilities and agility.
The event was organised at a custom-built simulation
track in front of the NBK Automobiles exclusive showroom
on Salwa Road. Professional Mercedes-Benz drivers
entertained the audience on one of the hardest off-road
simulation tracks to ever come to Qatar, the company said
in a statement.
The experts helped guests to understand the specialised
world of Mercedes-Benz SUVs and provided an
experience that highlighted the ranges capabilities, design
innovation and advanced technology, the statement
added.
In celebration of the event and to offer more value to its
patrons, NBK Automobiles offered special deals for a
limited period on select SUV models

EXPERT OPINION TECHNOLOGY

GOING
TO THE
OFFICE?
BYO
APPLE
WATCH
The launch of
the Apple Watch
heralds the
transformation of
BYOD into BYOX.
Chris Kozup, Senior
Director, Aruba
Networks discusses
how businesses
can accommodate
#GenMobiles
adoption of
wearables and still
stay in control

Gorgeous. Beautiful. Actually

useful. Epic. The accolades from the

reviewers of the Apple Watch keep pouring
in, and the new device though not the
first of its kind in the market holds the
potential of becoming as ubiquitous as the
iPhone or the iPod.
However, the expected popularity of the
Apple Watch raises interesting challenges
for CIOs and IT managers. The Apple Watch
is merely a herald of an expected tsunami of
BYOD smart devices and Internet-of-Things
wearables into the workplace, potentially
opening up new risks to corporate data
privacy and security.
Its highly likely that the first Apple Watches
in the workplace will be personally owned.
Yet, these devices will be able to interact
with corporate networks; and access,
download and store company data. Other
wearables (not the current version of the
Apple Watch) come with built-in cameras.
In fact, one of the more interesting
features of the Apple Watch is the ability
to tether to, and control, iPhones over a
remote connection. IT departments will be
understandably worried about the impact
of the Apple Watch on the workplace. Even
though many organisations have already
adopted BYOD policies, several new
conundrums will pop up.
At the very top of the list: is it appropriate
to allow wearable devices to connect to
enterprise networks? What if the device is
already tethered to a smartphone that has
already been given access?
Bear in mind that, according to a study
by Aruba Networks, the new generation
of employees dubbed #GenMobile
expect mobility at the workplace to be
a given, so any blanket decision to ban
such devices from the workplace will be
highly unpopular. In fact, almost twothirds of study respondents say they use
mobile devices to help them manage their
work and personal lives better.
If the decision is made to accept Apple
Watches and other wearables into the
organisation, will existing BYOD policies
that govern the use of corporate data be
enough will new policies be required?
When tinkering with these policies, CIOs
have to keep in mind the fact that there

Chris Kozup

Senior Director, Aruba Networks

will be other IoT-based devices coming

along that could be embedded into
an employees clothing or even office
pantry appliances. In fact, the acronym
BYOD will soon have to be replaced
with BYOX, with the X symbolising
practically anything.
Once policies have been amended
appropriately, then and only then
can CIOs turn their attention to the
underlying communications network.
Many IT organisations have already put
in place solutions that can secure any
mobile device that connects to corporate
Wi-Fi; giving them complete visibility
of the number, type and frequency of
mobile devices accessing their network.
Whats more, these platforms are also
capable of enforcing flexible security
policies that are capable of analysing
and acting on the context of how
an employee uses the mobile device.
For instance, an employee using an
Apple Watch at a coffee shop to access
corporate data may not be granted the
same level of access as one who uses
a PC during office hours. Depending
on the context, different policies can
be applied to make sure that the right
balance between flexibility and security
is met.
Given these considerations, CIOs will
need to skilfully juggle the competing
requirements to arrive at an enlightened
BYOX policy that is most appropriate
to companys needs. The Apple Watch
certainly wont make that juggling act
any easier. But it will certainly make it
more beautiful

MAY

55

LAUNCHES

NEW PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Citizen L Sunrise is an iconic timepiece created for

women who chart their own path. With soft gradient
dials draped with seven diamonds and three additional
diamonds floating along the bezel, the Sunrise series
sets the standard for timeless womens fashion. It is
water-resistant up to 50 metres.

I AM, the fascinating costume jewellery brand, dazzles

women with the launch of its Spring/Summer 2015
collection. It boasts everything it takes for a stylish and
feminine look. The collection features bracelets, ear
clips, earrings, necklaces, rings, hairbands as well as
sunglasses to suit all fashion tastes.

FDR-X1000VR Action Cam and Full HD Action Cam HDRAS200VR from Sony allows users to capture first person
point-of-view in 4K footage. The FDR-X1000VR enables
users to record Full HD video at 120p and HD video
at 240p, offering features like cinematic slow-motion
through the free ActionCam Movie Creator software.

The award-winning Asian bistro P.F. Changs has come

to Doha, bringing a fresh new twist. Its been described
as a fusion of Asian cuisine and American-style service.
The new P.F. Changs is trendy and upscale, with eyecatching dcor, lively ambience and warm hospitality.
The food too is outstanding.

56

MAY

Toshiba Gulf FZE introduced the CANVIO AeroMobile,

a solid state drive-based storage device that uses
wireless connectivity for the fast and convenient
transfer of files. It allows users to access their content
even without an internet connection. The CANVIO
AeroMobile is compatible with leading platforms.

Sony Launches 7 II, the worlds first full-frame camera

with optical 5-axis image stabilisation. The feature allows
greater creativity, mobility and easy use of the camera
without tripod. The 24.3 effective megapixel 35 mm FullFrame Exmor CMOS Sensor detects, corrects camera
shake along five axes for still images and video.

W Doha Hotel & Residences has revolutionised guest

experience with the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG)
App for the Apple Watch, enabling check in and room
entry with a flick of the wrist. To do this, the watch must
be connected to the iPhone and have the SPG app and
be registered for SPG Keyless.

Bremont Watch Company launches Special Edition

Kingsman watch range, developed for acclaimed
director Matthew Vaughns new film Kingsman: The
Secret Service. It comprises three new timepieces that
British secret agents are shown wearing in the film. Nick
English, co-founder of Bremont, has done a cameo.

MAY

57

DESTINATION

WHERE WHITE IS
THE NEW BLACK

Travel writer Anne Z. Cooke

took a cruise in a ship to
Svalbard Archipelago where
she saw the ice pack and a
land of polar bears
If it werent for the red flags marking the tundra
trail to the glacier, some of us passengers on
the Hurtigruten cruise ship MS Fram, sailing out of
Spitsbergen might have been tempted to leave the
slowpokes behind and bushwhack across country.
But as newcomers are relentlessly reminded here in
Svalbard Archipelago, where white is the new black,
that polar bears are the Big Dogs. More numerous
than humans (3,500 to 2,750) and a protected
species, the bears have the run of the islands,
24,209 square miles of wilderness, just 800 miles
from the North Pole. Curious, stealthy and fast on
their feet, theyre not fussy about their food.
You may think polar bears are cute, warned the
Frams expedition leader Corinna Skrindo before our
first shore excursion, fixing a stern eye on a couple

Its a long, long way to everywhere from Longyearbyen, the worlds northernmost town.

58

MAY

Summertime in Svalbard, and coats for MS Fram passengers.

wearing cuddly-bear shirts. But they are lethal, she said,

slinging her rifle over her shoulder. Were all trained in the
use of firearms, but killing a bear is the very last option.
If we spot a bear sitting on the beach or even on the next
ridge, we go to Plan B.
Plan A, our first shore excursion, began when the
318-passenger Fram sailed into the Hornsund Inlet and the
crew landed in Burgerbukta Bay to reconnoiter. Scanning
the slopes with binoculars, they flagged the safest trails,
chose a landing site on the beach and radioed the all
clear to the bridge. Then with rifles slung on their backs,
they stood guard while the ships PolarCirkels (sixpassenger inflatable landing craft) ferried everyone to
shore.
As for bushwhacking, who would want to rush surrounded
by such scenery? Climbing uphill we stopped, started,
looked and stopped again, taking in the enormous glacier
flows, the raw, ice-capped peaks at the head of the valley
and the Arctics famously luminescent skies. Tiny pink,
yellow and white flowers underfoot, the tundras cleverest
adaptation, testified to the north-flowing Gulf Stream, its
temperate waters moderating Spitsbergens west coast
climate.
A set of bear tracks pressed into the mud, shoe size 20,
quickly attracted a coterie of admirers, raising everyones
hopes that the owner was in the vicinity. But polar bears
werent the only reason many of us had chosen this

circumnavigation cruise around Spitsbergen. Themed In

the Realm of the Polar Bear, it would take us north to the
80th parallel and the polar ice pack in person.
Melting ice is an abstraction, something you cant wrap
your head around. But a sea of broken chunks viewed at
eye level is real. With the planet at risk global warming,
species extinctions, extreme weather and rising sea
levels climate change was the subtext of the voyage.
Struggling into our orange survival suits for a tour among
the bergs, we were elated but a trifle sombre. When youre
wearing a survival suit youd rather not imagine why youd
need it.
Orange is the new black, quipped my husband, Steve,
as we zipped up, tightened buckles, snapped snaps and
shoved our feet into waterproof boots. And to complete
the outfit, he added, your orange life vest.
As the MS Fram passed the 79th latitude, the edge of the
ice appeared, 26 shades of silver under the midnight sun.
A shifting soup of floating bergs and icy slush, it froze,
cracked and refroze as the crew brought the PolarCirkels
around to the gangway to pick up the afternoons first
passengers.
In a remote location such as Svalbard, where miles of
tundra are uninhabited, its easy to think youre on virgin
territory. But people have anchored offshore since the late
16th century, explorers, whalers, miners and more recently,

MAY

59

research vessels. But with interest in the polar regions

currently at historic highs, cruise companies poring over
maps have discovered Spitsbergen, adding it to their
itineraries.
The MS Fram, built in 2007, is Hurtigrutens newest ship,
with eight decks, small but efficient cabins, an inviting
restaurant, a snack bar, two lecture rooms, and adjacent
lounges with big windows. When the outside decks are
too cold, passengers retreat to the Qilak Observation
Lounge on Deck 7, where upholstered chairs and
panoramic windows bring outside in. Also on this deck
are the bar, fitness centre, hot tubs and the outdoor sun
deck.

and stretch, lie down again and finally walk away, it

took a long lens to take a good photo. In fact, the only
passengers disappointed with the cruise were a halfdozen semi-professional photographers whod expected
to book a special photographers-only excursion.
Its my fault for not checking more carefully, said Keith
Pointon, from England, an award-winning photographer.
Im having a good time and its a pleasant vacation.
But its billed as an expedition cruise when its really a
small-ship cruise. With 300 passengers onboard, seven
PolarCirkels arent half enough to take us on and off or to
make one available to guests willing to pay.

Since the Spitsbergen cruises port stops are limited,

each days activities depend more on chance than on
the clock. Prowling the sea for sights might yield a bird
rookery, a reindeer herd, arctic foxes, whales, scenic
glaciers or unusual geologic formations. Meals are
regular, but shore excursions are always flexible.

Since the cruise begins and ends in Longyearbyen,

population 2,100, the capital of Svalbard, the town
deserves a second look. A postcard might say: One
mighty mountain, two streets, red and green pre-fab
buildings, countless new cars, 10 bars, eight restaurants,
a bank, grocery store, lots of bikes, kids toys, dead
grass and the worlds best Arctic museum.

Our first bear sightings were nothing more than white

specks in the distance. But the trips last two bears
were on the ice pack, close to the ship. Still, as exciting
as it was to watch them nap in the snow, stand up

But we arrived a day early and discovered that as bare

though it looks, Longyearbyen and Svalbard are
more utopia than outlier. Administered by Norway,
Svalbard is an international territory where citizens whose

Sailing on the MS Fram? Come with me, says the Hurtigruten greeter
at the Longyearbyen airport.

Open water in the ice makes

seal hunting much harder.

The polar bears feet, a shoe size 20, are a clue to his size.

60

MAY

BOOKING IT
Hurtigrutens MS Fram sails the
nine-day (seven-night) cruise, In
the Realm of the Polar Bear, on five
dates in July and August, 2015: July
22 and 29 and August 5, 12 and
19. Cabin prices start at $5,365 per
person and include all meals, snacks,
coffee bar, guided hikes, kayaking,
glacier walks, onboard entertainment
and airport transports. None of the
bar drinks are included.

BUSINESS TIPS
countries signed the 1920 Treaty of
Versailles can live and work. Thus
there is a global seed bank, numerous
research stations, a concentration
on the Arctic and related sciences
climate change, geology, astrophysics
and biology.
This is a fantastic place to live,
said Anika Paust, with Hurtigruten
International Sales, who sat down
with us for a cup of coffee. Weve
got 42 nationalities represented,
and people are interesting because
theyre doing science. Everyones
between 25 and 40 so businesses
cater to a younger crowd. There are
lots of great bars and restaurants
and no retirees because theres no
senior housing or low-cost services
for the elderly. You can be out
playing in nature all day, hiking or
snowmobiling, and come back for a
party night out with your friends.

Courtesy: McClatchy-Tribune News Service

But there are rules, she explained.

To stay here you have to be selfsupporting. Theres no welfare
and no jail, so undesirables are
simply deported. Since bears roam
everywhere, you have to own a rifle
and learn to use it. And if youre not
an environmentalist at heart you
wont fit in.
Saying goodbye to Paust, we spent
the rest of the day sampling the
Spitsbergian dream. We hiked along
the beach, walked to the museum
and the cemetery, checked out the
bars in town, changed money at the
bank and had dinner at a restaurant.
It was the perfect send-off for a trip to
the ice.

Reserve a kayak in advance

to make sure you get one.

Its a long, rocky trail that ascends the ridge on Nordaustlandet Island.

PLANNING IT
For Europeans, who like
snow sports, romance under
the northern lights and lively
pub crawls, Spitsbergen
is close enough for a
long winter weekend. For
Americans and the rest of the
world, a Spitsbergen cruise
makes a perfect add-on to a
weekend in Oslo, or to any
other European vacation.

A unique Svalbard souvenir:

Postcards bought, franked
and mailed from the worlds
northernmost post office.

STAYING IT
The Radisson Blu Hotel, with small but
comfortable guest rooms, a nice gift shop
and a wonderful dining room, is where
Hurtigrutens buses pick up and deliver
cruise passengers.

FLYING IT
Most travellers fly to Oslo, Norway, or to
Helsinki, Finland, and on to the Longyearbyen
airport

MAY

61

NEBOSH IGC
NEBOSH OIL & GAS

HEALTH
SAFETY
ENVIRONMENT

LEAD AUDITOR -

ISO 9001, ISO 14001 & OHSAS 18001

SAFETY TRAINING CENTRE

ACCREDITED CENTRE FOR

NEBOSH&
IOSH
TRAINING

COURSES

HIGHLIGHTS
State-of-the-art and the most
modern Training Center in the Middle East
Located in the heart of Doha
(Mamoura)
Multi-lingual instructors
Experienced male and female
instructors
15 fully equipped classrooms
Chauffeur service & Dining facility
Flexible training hours
Round the clock call center assistance
Customized training solutions
Budget accommodation available

4401 0888
Fax : +974 4401 0889 | email : sales@enertechqatar.com | admin@enertechqatar.com

www.facebook.com/enertechqatar

www.enertechqatar.com

COLLABORATION

INTEGRITY

PROACTIVITY

CREATIVITY
PROFESSIONALISM

SHARING KNOWLEDGE
Sharing knowledge and experience, we
can all work towards the common goal
of successfully delivering projects.

Quantum Global Solutions

PO Box 22521
Doha
Qatar

T: +974 4431 2826

F: +974 4492 2608
E: info@qgs.global
W: www.qgs.global

BUSINESS TIPS

MAY

65

M
SHOWROO
2015
E
N
U
J
N
I
OPENING

Images are for illustration only. Please check actual product at the showroom

Earn & Redeem Air Miles

@ Almana & Partners
Nolte Showroom

VISIT THE NOLTE SHOWROOM FOR MORE CHOICES

Nolte Showroom, near MidMac R/A
Tel: +974-44694021 Fax: +974-44687228
Email: midmacshowroom@almanapartners.com