CEO Report: Gulf 2020

PRINTED AND DISTRIBUTED BY GULF NEWS

Gulf News Sponsored Supplement

WORLD SECURITY:To Protect & Serve

NEWBRIDGE:Bridging the access gap to medicine

MERCK SERONO:Serving the community

IMDAAD: In the pursuit of excellence

C E O R E P O R T

Harvesting Potential

MIDCOM:

Enroute to Financial Agility

UNB:

10

8

20 48

422

PRODUCED BY CONTENT GROUP INTERNATIONAL

TVM CAPITAL HEALTHCARE PARTNERS:

Optimizing Healthcare Delivery 26

2 PRODUCED BY CONTENT GROUP INTERNATIONAL • WWW.CONTENTGROUPINTERNATIONAL.COMC E O R E P O R T

PRODUCED BY CONTENT GROUP INTERNATIONAL • WWW.CONTENTGROUPINTERNATIONAL.COM 3C E O R E P O R T

To Protect & Serve ......................................›› 4

Transforming beauty into light ...................›› 6

Enroute to Financial Agility .......................›› 8

Harvesting Potential ................................›› 10

Authentic cuisine with a modern twist ....›› 12

Maximizing Productivity ..........................›› 13

10 years and counting - Think back, the year was 2004 ...............›› 14

Solution for Maximum Living Space ........›› 18

Creating splendor in outdoor living spaces ›› 19

Serving the community ............................›› 20

Bridging the access gap to medicine........›› 22

Two decades of American healthcare standards ...............................›› 24

Optimizing Healthcare Delivery ...............›› 26

Making in roads into key markets ............›› 28

Nurturing Economic Development ...........›› 29

Cost-effective gateway to world markets .›› 30

Editor-in-chief : Kalle Salmi

CEO, Content Group International: Johan Ehrström

Managing Director, Calcus Group: Kalle Salmi

Country Manager, UAE: Humair Siddiqi

Project Manager: Nina Harjulin

Art Director/Layout: Lina Hurmerinta

Art Director Assistant: Pieta Piiroinen

Journalists: Sabin Muzaffar and Heba Hashem

Photographer: Mansoor Mughal,Maha Shirah, Hiten Nainaney

Publisher: Calcus Middle East Boulevard Plaza Tower One Emaar Square, Downtown Dubai P.O. Box 334155, Dubai, UAE

www.contentgroupinternational.com

Maximising Financial Efficiency ..............›› 32

More than just hospitality ........................›› 34

Providing hi-tech security solutions .......›› 36

Catering to every guest ............................›› 37

Epitomizing Sports Excellence .................›› 38

In a league of its own ...............................›› 40

Architects of a sustainable future ............›› 41

Renault for Everyone ................................›› 42

Unleash your Potential! ............................›› 43

Nuhan to launch the largest oxygen free copper factory in MENA region ........›› 44

Optimizing the energy sector through technical knowhow ..................................›› 46

In the pursuit of excellence ......................›› 48

Creating a niche in the market .................›› 50

Setting standards in industry operations ›› 51

One group, one vision ...............................›› 52

Satisfying customer needs .......................›› 55

W inning the much coveted Expo

2020 has been a crowning glory

for the UAE, not only because it was a

culmination of an awe-inspiring vision, it

also proved the country’s and particularly

Dubai’s detractors wrong.

Indeed, it has been quite a journey

for the UAE which evolved from an

economy dependent entirely on the

pearling and fishing industry to a

spectacular reinvention of an emerging

market fueled by the energy sector and

bolder diversification policies in the

new millennium. Ambitiously futuristic

construction projects, burgeoning

potential for businesses across all

industries from construction, tourism,

IT and healthcare as well as the fragile

Middle Eastern geography has not only

triggered an influx of foreign investment,

it has convinced companies to relocate

to this oasis in the desert because of

its stability. Prophetic far-sightedness

in creating mega cities such as Masdar

and Dubai Smart Sustainable City

vociferously illustrates to the world a

reality of inspiringly matchless living. It is

time for the world to realize the UAE as an

architect of sustainability. ■

PRINTED AND DISTRIBUTED BY GULF NEWS

Gulf News Sponsored Supplement

WORLD SECURITY:To Protect & Serve

NEW BRIDGE:Bridging the access gap to medicine

MERCK SERONO:Serving the communityIMDAAD: In the pursuit of excellence

C E O R E P O R T

Harvesting Potential

MIDCOM:

Enroute to Financial Agility

UNB:

10

8

20

48

4

22

PRODUCED BY CONTENT GROUP INTERNATIONAL

TVM: Optimizing Healthcare Delivery

26

CONTENT

4

EDITORIAL

Oasis in THE DESERT …


W orld Security has been operating

since 1975. Could you please brief

us about the history and growth

of the company?

The company started off as the security

arm of the Ports Customs and Free Zone

Corporation (PCFC). At the time, we were

providing security only to the ports and to

companies within the Dubai World Group

of Companies. In order to address the rising

demands created by Dubai’s and the region’s

exponential growth, Dubai Security Services

was established in 2004 which was later

rebranded as World Security. We started

off with a small team of 140 in 2004. Today

our workforce is in excess of 3,000 security

personnel.

Which sectors would you say are the most

in need of security solutions?

I think residential units are in most need

of professional security services. Effective

security has to be a combination of the human

factor and technology. Stationary guards,

building patrolling guards, access control

and comprehensive video surveillance

systems need to be in place in all residential

properties.

How do you ensure that your security

personnel are trained to the highest

standards?

The past 38 years have taught us a lot with

regards to the security requirements of the

land. All our security personnel undergo the

mandatory training as per the Department

of Protective Systems (DPS) and the Private

Security Business Department (PSBD) at our

own training institute.

What are the latest security technologies

that you currently use or plan to invest in?

We were the first ones to offer body worn

cameras to our clients so that any security

breach could be recorded and investigated.

We are also amongst the few companies

authorized by Dubai Police to install the

Automatic Number Plate Recognition

system in malls and hotels in Dubai. We are

also expanding our Cash and Valuables in

Transit division and are investing heavily in

equipment and expertise.

You also run the World Security Training

Institute; why did you decide to set up this

academy?

Having our very own training institute has

several advantages. We are able to provide

training to our staff as and when the requirement

comes around. Further, we can also provide

refresher courses to ensure that our staff is

continuously updated on all the security norms

and industry best practises. Since inception,

around 4,000 security personnel have passed

through our training institute.

What are your business targets for 2014

and for the near term?

Our aim is to continue to provide the best

security solutions to our valued clients. World

Security has achieved a steady and organic

growth over the years and we look to continue

this trend going forward.

In your opinion, what makes the company

successful; what do you pride yourselves

with the most?

Undoubtedly, it is our people that make

World Security what it is. The awards and

accolades are a testament to the years of

service and hard work that has been put in by

our colleagues past and present. ■

WORLD SECURITY: TO PROTECT & SERVE

MAHMOOD AMIN, CEO WORLD SECURITY TALKS ABOUT THE COMPANY’S JOURNEY TO SUCCESS AND HOW IT SUCCESSFULLY SERVES TO PROTECT VALUABLE ASSETS OF ITS CUSTOMERS.

Mahmood Amin, CEO World Security.


C reating crystals and shaping

chandeliers is an age old Bohemian

art. Its immaculate heritage was

born when Empress Maria Theresea’s court’s

glittered with these scintillating pieces of awe-

inspiring beauty. And this is the legacy which

has been handed down to Preciosa Lighting.

Headquartered in Prague, the company

has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London,

Moscow, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore

and of course Dubai. Preciosa Lighting has

had the privilege of working on some of the

most impressive projects in the UAE; such as

the Ritz Carlton JBR, One & Only The Palm,

The Address Hotels, Rosewood Abu Dhabi

and many more. “Our core business is luxury

hotels, royal palaces and high-end private

residences,” revealed Preciosa Lighting’s

Managing Director Ondrej Soska.

Participating in some of the most iconic

developments across the Middle East, Preciosa

Lighting’s most prestigious assignment has

been The Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

“It is one of our greatest achievements globally.

We delivered over 800 crystal chandeliers with

24carat gold plated finish in an incredible short

period,” he commented.

The company’s brilliance lies not only in its

grand array of dazzling lights, but also its deep

understanding of the region, its culture as well

as its way of doing business. “We are a Czech

company so our hand-blown glass and crystal

has very unique look and properties because it

comes from our region called Bohemia, which

is famous across the world for its crystal. By

combining our tradition with the delicate

nuances of the Middle Eastern heritage, we

are able to create something unique,” he said.

Adding, “This has indeed made us very special.”

DEFINING COMPETITIVE EDGE

Acknowledging the duality of the market

being strategic and challenging has provided

Preciosa a competitive edge. Mr. Soska said:

“Our attention to detail, the company’s

immense legacy and experience is what sets

us apart from the rest. We are one of the very

few companies in the region, which are able

to provide full service from executing the first

step to the final installation of the chandeliers

and crystal installations.”

Bohemian crystal and the World Exposition

go a very long way. Some of the most beautiful

creations man has ever laid eyes on were

unveiled to people across the globe at the

Expo 58 in Brussels.

Talking about the Expo 2020 held in Dubai

UAE, Mr. Soska not only considers the event

as a great opportunity, but also applauds the

country for making the expatriate community

be a part of history and empowering them

with a sense of belonging.

Born out of fire and fashioned into exquisite

beauty with the skilled hands of the artisans,

Preciosa Lighting is indeed a gem which

has undeniably refined its sparkling luster

through the passage of time. ■

PRECIOSA LIGHTING:

Transforming beauty into lightPRECIOSA LIGHTING WAS ESTABLISHED IN

THE UAE IN 1994, BOASTING A FORMIDABLE CLIENTELE RANGING FROM THE MIDDLE EASTERN ROYALTY, LUXURIOUS HOTELS TO BREATHTAKING RESORTS.

“We have plans to unveil the very creation which was originally showcased at the Expo 1958 designed by the Czech glass legend Mr. Rene Roubicek.”


… W H E R E T H E S T Y L I S H , I N N O V AT I V E D E S I G N

I S B O R N O U T O F T H E C R A F T S M A N S H I P

O F W H O L E G E N E R AT I O N S O F G L A S S M A K E R S

www.preciosalighting.com

Rings | Designed by Boa Design for Preciosa

PRECIOSA GULF FZCO

JAFZA View LB 19, Offi ce 2407Jebel Ali Free Zone, P. O. Box 18185Dubai, United Arab Emirates

P + 971 4 884 8234F + 971 4 884 8235E [email protected]

263_Inz_Rings_Gulf_2020_1404_01.indd 1 29.4.2014 13:39:38


I t has been quite an interesting journey for

the UAE’s financial sector especially over

the last five years with the banking industry

initially bearing the brunt of a major debt crisis

in 2008. Now that the cloud of recession has

finally dissipated, the country is burgeoning

with potential and poised to grow exponentially.

Although 2013 has been a year of

sustained recovery in line with the country’s

expansionary economic outlook, Union

National Bank CEO Mohammad Nasr

Abdeen believes it is time for banking heads

to very carefully balance the need for growth

and profitability with the quality of their

credit portfolios.

Discussing the roadblocks facing the

financial sector, the CEO opines: “The

environment for business and banking has

been under intense scrutiny for a while. Our

industry is facing a number of challenges

including the imposition of stricter regimes

by regulators in the banking system to

overcome uncertainty in the market.”

SUPPORTING THE NATIONAL ECONOMY

The UAE’s economy has shown remarkable

resilience and the banking sector is proactively

working to nurture confidence. Experts predict

accelerated spending in the years to come,

thereby positioning banks across the UAE in

an advantageous situation.

Enjoying a strong presence within all

banking segments across the country, UNB

has successfully maintained a well-diversified

credit portfolio over the years. “UNB is a

keen participant in the development of the

domestic economy, especially in the non-oil

sectors,” adds Abdeen.

Learning from the past, moderation is the

buzzword as far as lending is concerned.

However, things are changing in the wake

of the Expo 2020 win. Preparing to fulfil and

even exceed expectations of the Expo, Dubai

has announced plans to launch mega projects

which Abdeen believes ‘spells significant

opportunities for the UAE’s banking sector.’

The event itself is poised to generate around

USD 23 billion over the next seven years, the

expected inflows is bound to allow UNB to

expand its banking business.

The bank has indeed come a long way

from merely being a ‘standalone entity at the

beginning of the century’ to being evolved

into a large financial group. UNB’s success is

most certainly not skin deep! The bank prides

itself for not only expanding geographically,

but also setting up a dedicated Emiratization

department. Creating a benchmark, the

division offers opportunities for career

growth based on merit, effectively enabling a

strong Emarati workforce.

One of biggest challenges Union National

Bank faces is finding and retaining the

perfect talent in terms of human resource.

Aligning its corporate mission of achieving

excellence, the bank believes in keeping

pace with rapid technological advancement

of the time and staying ahead by focusing

mainly on innovation in the strategic

business of banking. The bank’s success lies

in its realization of a greater engagement with

communities, which Abdeen considers is the

core of ‘our corporate social responsibility.’ ■

Enroute to FINANCIAL AGILITY

HEADQUARTERED IN ABU DHABI, UNION NATIONAL BANK IS A KEY MARKET PLAYER IN THE BANKING SECTOR; ASPIRING TO BE A CENTER OF EXCELLENCE ACROSS CONVENTIONAL AND ISLAMIC BANKING.

The banking industry is facing a number of

challenges including the imposition of stricter

regimes by regulators in the banking system to overcome uncertainty in the market.

Incorporated in 1982, Union National Bank is a unique entity in the banking sector as the Abu Dhabi and Dubai governments hold 60% of its shares. With the motto ‘The bank that cares,’ the financial entity’s three year mission for the years 2013-2015 is to create outstanding customer service through innovation, focusing on staff well-being and thereby growing shareholder value as well as maintaining financial stability. The bank remains well capitalized and has consistently received strong ratings from reputed international credit rating agencies such as Moody’s, Capital Intelligence and Fitch.


The CEO strongly believes that UNB as well as the country will witness a new chapter of growth due to the Expo 2020 win and will allow the bank to expand its business.


MIDCOM: Harvesting Potential

With an excellent infrastructure and stark strategic location, Dubai is an ideal place for our corporate office, from here we aptly address

our businesses in more than 20 countries.

F rom the time MIDCOM established

its first business from a small office in

the African country, Rwanda, almost

10 years ago, to essentially becoming the

sole distributor of the handset giant Nokia

in Africa, and then further diversifying into

other businesses, MIDCOM CEO Anand

Kapoor expresses on the journey: “We have

done exceptionally well especially in the

Eastern and Western African markets by

identifying the requirements and devising

stellar solutions responsible for our rapid

growth” MIDCOM continually identified the

gaps and emerged as a company synonymous

with success in its flagship business and

the ones that followed; boasting a vigorous

agility to respond quickly to market demand.

MIDCOM’s telecommunication vertical

currently maintains a strong presence in

seventeen countries including Nigeria,

Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Ivory Coast and so on.

MIDCOM’s philosophy has been to

meticulously ascertain who its target audience

actually is, then further accessing the

opportunities and strategies to reach them.

Rightfully hence, one of the highlights of the

company’s growth story is its broadening

business portfolio. MIDCOM has diversified

aggressively into the consumer electronic

business as well as manufacturing. Pearl Dairy,

the latest agro arm of the company, marks the

birth of the company’s maiden manufacturing

venture – a paradigm shift from its existing

businesses, yet executed with the same

stupendous flair. Among other laurels the dairy

has garnered, it was adjudged the winner of the

Platinum award in the Large Scale Processors

category against seasoned industry stalwarts

in a recently held award function in Kampala,

Uganda - a true testament representing the

strides Pearl Dairy has made in the short span

of time since its inception.

In another significant development, the

company announced manufacturing facility

partnership with the global electronic giant,

Samsung for its consumer electronic products

to cater to a population of 350 million

spread across 15 Economic Community Of

West African States (ECOWAS) countries on

trade benefits. The manufacturing plant

set up by MIDCOM in Nigeria, the biggest

economy in Africa, towards this purpose

equips it with a stark strategic edge; besides

clearly being an astute business move.

Such diversification allows the company

the freedom to independently operate in

different spheres, using its existing brand

and network muscle to give a head start

and augment opportunities in each foray.

It has also helped to create tremendous job

MIDCOM IS A MULTI-NATIONAL BUSINESS CONGLOMERATE WITH INTERESTS IN MANY DIVERSE BUSINESSES ACROSS VARIOUS SECTORS, NAMELY TELECOMMUNICATION, COMMODITIES, AGRO, REAL ESTATE, CONSUMER

ELECTRONICS AND EDUCATION TO NAME A FEW. THE COMPANY THAT STARTED AS A TELECOMMUNICATION DISTRIBUTOR IS NOW AN ORGANIZATION WITH OVER 1200 EMPLOYEES FROM 42 DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES AND A $1.2 BILLION TURNOVER AND HAS DIVERSIFIED TO MANIFOLD ITS BUSINESS PORTFOLIO WITH CONSPICUOUS SUCCESS IN EACH FORAY, MAKING IT A TOP BRAND SYNONYMOUS TO EXCELLENCE AND DRIVEN BY COMPETENCE.


and growth opportunities in each operating

region, making an overall positive impact on

the local communities through its businesses.

“We believe in acclimatizing our business as

per the needs of different markets and this is

where we have our competitive edge. Keeping

MIDCOM ahead and above the rest means

rediscovering its roots.” said Kapoor

The journey was marked by many group

and personal plaudits. Among the numerous

awards from Nokia and African regional bodies,

one particular group recognition established

MIDCOM in verbatim, as the award’s name

suggests, a Superbrand - awarded for the brand’s

strength in East Africa, putting MIDCOM into

the league of celebrated global brands. Anand

was also recognized, time and again, at highly

aspirational platforms. The much coveted

Forbes, named him in the Top Indian business

leaders – Telecom, in the UAE region. This laurel

was shortly followed by yet another remarkable

honor as he was awarded the NRI of the year

by the Indian Media’s powerhouse, Times

Group – acknowledging his personal vision,

perseverance and subsequent success in all his

undertakings.

In essence, it is companies with a willingness

to adapt to latest trends and embracing newer

opportunities which are likely to come out as

winners. The CEO opines: “Over the years, the

company has overcome many a challenge

posed by a highly competitive market by

not only being flexible; but also by offering

superior products and great after sales service

in distribution and stringent quality controls

in manufacturing.” ■

Kapoor believes in offering authentic product, establishing seamless distribution channels and most importantly excellent after sales service.


The diff erence is in the detailsExperience superior performance with HP Workstations and HP Designjet ePrinters– Benefi t from scalable systems with expandable processing power, superior printing solutions and mobile connectivity that accelerates collaboration. HP Workstations and Designjet Printers, a powerful end-to-end workfl ow solution for Geospatial professionals.Find out more at hp.com/me/gisCall us on 8000 357 03 174

© 2014 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.

AUTHENTIC CUISINE with a modern twistMANOU’SHE STREET WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2010

WITH AN AIM TO SERVE POPULAR REGIONAL FOOD WHICH IS PREPARED USING A MIX OF TRADITIONAL HOME-STYLE COOKING AND MODERN-DAY INNOVATIONS.

T he moment you step into Manou’she

Street, the tantalizing smell of the baking

bread transports you to a traditional

Lebanese market; children playing on the

street and men deep in conversation outside a

café, waiting patiently for the mouthwatering

breakfast – Manou’she to arrive.

Entrenched deep in culture and history,

Manou’she Street is a blend of old authentic

Lebanese cuisine with an innovatively

modern twist. “The restaurant is actually

a realization of my dream of introducing

popular street food that we had during our

childhood to food connoisseurs. I would like

people to relish this epicurean experience in

the same way that we have enjoyed it over

the years,” reveals founder and CEO, Jihad

El Eit.

Infusing the delectable Manou’she with

the popular pizza, this mouthwatering

breakfast is strategically positioned not only

in the Middle East; but in markets all across

the globe. “Everyone wistfully reminisces

about his or her childhood, evoking a lot of

emotions. If we can tap into these emotions,

we can most certainly translate them into a

sound marketing collateral. This in turn, will

create a strong brand which has an impact on

consumers at large,” he says.

CATERING TO AN INTERNATIONAL

AUDIENCE

Over the years, Middle Eastern cuisine has

gained a good share of the Western market.

The secret behind this demand is very basic:

the food is comparatively a healthier option

and divinely flavorsome! The CEO comments:

“The West has gradually accepted our food

as a nourishing and very tasteful option.

The reason Manou’she Street has customers

globally is because of the diversity in our

menu; offering international flavors that also

cater to different tastes.”

Talking about the World Expo 2020, Jihad is

very optimistic about growth. “We are confident

that the Expo 2020 will enable us to serve a

wide range of customers.” With an expected

25 million tourists coming to Dubai, it most

certainly means greater presence and definitely

more business for Manou’she Street. ■

By the end of this year, Manou’she plans to open new branches across several markets; covering Europe – in Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands – as well as Egypt and Qatar. I envision Manou’she

Street to become a popular international food chain

and plan to expand in seven markets with 60 open locations and 300 sold

franchises.


H ewlett Packard – a tech giant is a force

to be reckoned primarily due to its

performance and environmentally-driven

products. With country offices all across the

GCC and Levant region, the company has

significantly invested in the Middle Eastern

market.

MINIMIZING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

HP strongly believes in providing not just

corporate solutions, but giving back to the

community by designing products that

minimize environmental impact.

Maximizing productivity has played a

critical role in HP’s success, particularly

in the field of Geographic Information

Systems (GIS). “By combining our expertise

in construction as well as graphic art-related

printing, we have come up with the best

solution catering to the GIS sector,” Mr.

Azzam comments. Our product is unique as it

takes little time to print even very heavy files.

This is also because of HP’s unique technology

using built in Postscript inside the printer,

which accelerates the printing process.”

Pioneering technologies introduced by

HP have not only been well-received by both

customers and consumers, it has indeed led

the market leader achieve sustainability. ■

The diff erence is in the detailsExperience superior performance with HP Workstations and HP Designjet ePrinters– Benefi t from scalable systems with expandable processing power, superior printing solutions and mobile connectivity that accelerates collaboration. HP Workstations and Designjet Printers, a powerful end-to-end workfl ow solution for Geospatial professionals.Find out more at hp.com/me/gisCall us on 8000 357 03 174

© 2014 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.

HP: Maximizing ProductivityERNEST AZZAM, LARGE FORMAT DESIGN BUSINESS MANAGER MIDDLE EAST, MEDITERRANEAN & AFRICA, TALKS ABOUT HP’S PIONEERING

TECHNOLOGY CATERING TO THE GIS SECTOR.

Ernest Azzam.


T he European Union was expanding

its borders to include nations on

the other side of the Iron Curtain.

A strange little entity called Facebook was

being established. And closer to home, the

dream that was Dubai was starting to take

shape. The ambitious Dubai Marina, Palm

Jumeirah and One & Only Royal Mirage

brands were being developed by Brand

Union and were coming online, forever

changing the image of Dubai to the world.

Setting up in 2004, Brand Union came to

Dubai to play its part in building the brands

that would become Brand Dubai.

Today, Brand Dubai is one of the most

powerful destination brands in the world.

Built on the essence of ambition, the city has

successfully harnessed the ambition of every

person who has chosen to be here. The brand

of the Emirate has evolved too, as Dubai has

found its own unique sweet spot, to become a

place like no other.

Dubai presented the Best of the West, with a

sprinkling of clichéd Middle East— gleaming

skyscrapers, sand dunes and Arabian

Hospitality. Yes an appealing impression, but

not without its share of detractors. “Oh, Dubai

is so too modern,” said visitors, looking down

their noses (but secretly hoping their own

cities were too modern.).

Today Dubai and the UAE have evolved, the

day-to-day experiences has become deeper

with the celebration of its national identity

and history, its unique way of life , mix of

people and its even more unique mindset.

Moving from postcard moments, places

have become favorites, habits have become

rituals, personalities have become known

the world over, and Dubai found its way on

to the travel lists of millions of people from

every corner of the globe.

The Expo 2020 will attract 25 million visitors

to our shores and will provide the next era

of growth for the UAE and the Dubai Brand

which links so perfectly to the Expo theme of

connecting people and cultures.

But great brands offer more than just bold

impressions and great experiences. Great

brands are those that flex, and think ahead.

Over the next 6 years as the population

of the UAE swells, every person who visits,

lives or does business in Dubai can happily

find their own groove; their own pace of life

without bias or judgment, which is the perfect

backdrop to a spectacular Expo 2020 event.

There are of course risks associated with the

short termism and greed that sometimes

pervades the psyche of companies operating

in the UAE, as they seek to inflate their pricing

to maximize their profits at the expense of the

people living and visiting the UAE. This will

not affect the overall perception of Dubai as

there are far more powerful brands that view

the UAE as a market where there is sustainable

business to be built. Such as brands that have

been developed by Brand Union over the

last 10 years like the Dubai Road Transport

Authority (RTA), Mubadala, Mauzan, Aldar,

Senaat and many others.

Ten years later, Dubai is a city that the world

looks to for inspiration. It is a true benchmark

that is the product of vision, ambition and

dedication—a combination that will help

Dubai and its people continue to thrive and

Brand Union is proud to have the opportunity

be part of that as we move towards Expo 2020. ■

www.brandunion.com

10 YEARS AND COUNTING Think back, the year was 2004.

BIG THINGS WERE HAPPENING. SOME WOULD

SAY IT WAS THE YEAR THAT DREAMS WERE BEING BUILT.

Ten years later, Dubai is a city that

the world looks to for inspiration.

Hermann Behrens, CEO of Brand Union MEA for the past 10 years says that, “Brand Union is proud to have the opportunity to be part of the excitement and lead up to Expo 2020.”


T ell us about the company, when was it

established in the Middle East?

It all began on a visit to a trade

exhibition in Germany, where we were

introduced to the concept of moveable

partitions cleverly creating space flexibility.

Returning home, we decided to establish a

company here in the Middle East, partnering

with Sunflex Gmbh who shared the same

vision and passion. We were right in predicting

that this brilliant concept would have great

potential and scope in this region.

What specialty products do you offer?

We specialize in products offering

moveable partitions or closures which allow

customers the flexibility of large panoramic

openings, spectacular views and immense

space management. With that in mind,

we have to say our flagship product in the

region is our air tight SF 55 folding door that

provides defense against different elements

and enables our clients to achieve an elegant

moveable partition. The partition can easily

reach the heights of over four meters.

What sets your company apart from the

rest and who is your target audience?

We are locally based with a manufacturing

plant in the UAE, allowing us to be within

customer’s reach and also offering a

guaranteed after-sales warranty for support

and maintenance. We have worked with

an impressive list of renowned developers,

architects and influential clients from around

the world and possess over 500 references in

the region.

What do you think entails sustainability

in your industry?

It is the responsibility of every stakeholder

to realize the importance of sustainability in

their business establishment. Here at Sunflex,

we recycle all our excess material produced

while manufacturing and assembly. We have

agreements in place with companies that

weekly visit our firm to collect the material for

recycling so we are very eco-conscious.

How will companies such as your benefit

from the Expo 2020?

The accelerated rate of development and

increased flow of investment, as a result

of the Expo, will create growth that will be

shared across all market sectors. This will go

on to benefit not only developers and current

businesses; but entrepreneurs will also flourish.

New homes and vibrant new restaurants will be

built bringing in an influx of opportunities.

How do you envision your company 10

years from now?

We are currently the market leaders in

providing moveable partitions in the Middle

East. I would, however, envision our firm to

have a much larger presence throughout the

GCC, with a satellite office in every major city

across the region. ■

SUNFLEX: SOLUTION FOR MAXIMUM LIVING SPACE

MOHAMED BOUHOU OPERATIONS MANAGER SUNFLEX TALKS ABOUT CHALLENGING TRADITIONAL INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DESIGN CONCEPTS THROUGH THE MOST TECHNICALLY ADVANCED BI-FOLD AND SLIDING DOOR SYSTEMS.

Mohamed Bouhou.


CORRADI: CREATING SPLENDOR IN OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES

GENERAL MANAGER AND CEO MARCO ANDREA ZECCHI TALKS ABOUT BRINGING THE INDOORS OUTSIDE THROUGH A UNIQUE FUSION OF ITALIAN DESIGN AND ENGINEERING.

C orradi specializes in complete, made-

to-measure outdoor living spaces.

The Italian company was born in

Bologna as a small artisan laboratory initially

producing sun-screens. A business spanning

over three decades, the company has grown

exponentially and offers a spectacular

portfolio of products including: pergolas,

furniture and special high design shades to

the discerning customer.

Bringing the perfect blend of elegance

and comfort of the indoor to open spaces,

Corradi Lifestyle Emirates & Furniture LLC

was established in Abu Dhabi, UAE some

three years ago in 2011. “Corradi actually

wanted to open a branch in the UAE. I was

approached by the CEO who knew about

my familiarity with this beautiful country.

He asked me to manage operations and also

become a Corradi shareholder. The reason for

my decision to shift from the F1 motor sport

to start a company here was mainly because I

liked the idea. It was not just plain four poles

of aluminum, there is a lot of technology

and artistry involved in it,” revealed General

Manager and CEO Marco Andrea Zecchi.

Providing outdoor living spaces solutions,

the main objective to set up a company in

the Middle East was the immense scope and

demand for unique ideas especially in décor.

“It was a great concept which I knew would be

received positively in the UAE. Customers are

primarily looking for two things: quality and

that the company should be based locally,” he

said.

TAILORING SOLUTIONS FOR OUTDOOR SPACES

The company’s philosophy is to develop

tailor made solutions for outdoor spaces

which breathe life. “Today we are literally

living inside concrete walls, in our home

and offices. Corradi’s stunning pergolas is

the perfect answer for those craving to go

outside but are hindered by the weather. Even

though you are technically inside, the view is

incredibly different and it mentally helps you

a lot,” the CEO opined.

Mr. Zecchi strongly believes that the only

secret to success and business sustainability

is sheer hard work. But it does not end

there. “After sales for me is fundamental.

You can maintain a long term relationship

with your customer only by the kind of after

sales support and services you provide. It is

imperative to address any issue as soon as it

arises,” he concludes.

There is much optimism in the air

as business potential translates into

opportunities, especially in the wake of

the Expo 2020 win. With so much to offer,

Corradi’s journey to success and realization

of goals are imminent as it efficiently caters

to a niche high end market offering bespoke

solutions of beauty and grandeur. ■

Marco Andrea Zecchi.

Corradi’s stunning pergolas is the perfect

answer for those craving to go outside but are hindered

by the weather.


C elebrating 300 years of existence in

2018, Merck Serono has withstood the

test of time by surviving two world wars

and several recessions. While a number of firms

found it hard to sustain, the biopharmaceutical

company grew manifold by not only keeping

customers happy; but also by contributing to

the community.

“We would like to consider ourselves as

real partners of healthcare authorities. What

matters essentially is not merely providing

medicine; but being actively involved in

serving the community,” commented Dream

Samir, Managing Director, Middle and Near

East at Merck Serono. Merck’s competitive

distinction lies in aligning its goals that

correspond directly to the environment and

priorities of health ministries in the GCC. Some of the major concerns of governments

across the region are combating diabetes and

cardiovascular diseases. The company has

partnered with health ministries all over the

GCC in a bid to tackle these diseases.

THE GCC: FERTILE GROUND FOR INVESTMENT

Recently, the company sponsored a study

pertaining to the Business Environment

in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU);

which looks at opportunities and challenges

within the region. Reaffirming Merck’s deep

understanding of this market, “the first

finding unravelled was that the environment

for investment and doing business in the

GCC, particularly the UAE, is very favorable,”

revealed Mr. Samir. The report further

illustrated that governments are keen in not

only attracting foreign investment, but also in

obtaining know-how and expertise. “Indeed

cash is always needed but gaining expertise

through tech transfer for specialized fields

such as healthcare is crucial for economic

sustainability,” said the managing director.

Merck Serono has played a groundbreaking

role in attracting foreign investment. It is the

first company to have partnered with one of

the biggest Abu Dhabi companies Neopharma

to manufacture branded products in the UAE.

“We are not only the first pharmaceutical

company that manufactures branded

products locally; but also the first to export

these products to all the GCC countries.”

Initially, the company will be manufacturing

two products in partnership with Neopharma:

Euthyrox® and Glucophage® a cornerstone

MERCK SERONO: Serving the community

MERCK SERONO IS WELL-RESPECTED

BIOPHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY WITH AN ENDURING COMMITMENT TO ADDRESSING PATIENTS’ NEEDS IN ALL MARKETS.

Dream Samir, Managing Director.


ALTHOUGH SUSTAINABLE GROWTH IS STILL OVERSHADOWED BY INSTABILITY ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST, THE GCC

REGION IS FAST BECOMING AN EVEN MORE VIABLE OPTION FOR BUSINESSES; TRIGGERING SUBSTANTIAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.

A groundbreaking study conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), sponsored by Merck Serono has revealed that an increasingly sophisticated and regulated financial infrastructure across the Gulf Cooperation Council economies is boosting confidence among foreign investors.

Business is booming particularly in the wake of the Expo 2020 win and Qatar’s hosting of the FFIA World Cup 2022.According to the report: “The Middle East has seen substantial improvement in the business environment, with most GCC states ranked highly on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Survey and the World Economic Forum’s Competitiveness Index.”

Translating diversity into business opportunities

Realizing susceptibility to variation in oil prices and an energy-based economy, there has been a major shift towards diversification. This has led to the region being progressively flexible to foreign investment though ownership in specific local interest sectors is still met with resistance and restrictions are hard to eradicate. With countries driving activity towards a skills-intensive and knowledge based economy, governments in the GCC has realigned priorities to focus more on non-oil sectors such as healthcare; thereby translating an evolution that illustrates immense business possibilities.

In terms of sustainable growth through the healthcare industry, the report revealed: “The GCC governments have been trying to increase local drug manufacturing and reduce reliance on imports by encouraging joint ventures and licensing deals with multinational pharmaceutical companies. Merck Serono and Neopharma’s partnership marks the first time a multinational has so completely committed to a local manufacturer, with the aim of engineering best practices to produce trusted branded medicines in the UAE.” The study further reported: “Through the sharing of industry-leading best practices, the transfer of technology and knowledge, the partnership between Merck Serono and Neopharma will have a positive impact on manufacturing capabilities and the future of the pharmaceutical industry in the UAE.”

The accelerated surge of urbanization is tipping global economic balance towards the east and south. Businesses are clamoring to unlock the immense potential these emerging markets promise which in turn is also promoting national economic activity. By tapping into the multitude of opportunities such as strategic partnerships with regional industries, multinational companies such as Merck Serono are setting new standards. Significantly impacting the local market, the company plays a pivotal role in raising industry standards, improving manufacturing skills and expertise, as well as satisfying unmet medical needs.

GCC: A viable option for tangibleinvestments

oral treatment for people suffering from Type

2 diabetes.

The company’s impact has been deep

and is reverberating through the entire

healthcare landscape. Merck Serono has

raised the bar by being the first to formulate

strategic partnerships which has helped

transform lives of the patients and the

community at large. ■

High profile events, such as the Expo 2020

will provide more exposure to the country and further

boost investment.

Dream Samir, Managing Director.


BRIDGING THE ACCESS GAP TO INNOVATIVE MEDICINE

R elatively new in the market, the

company started building its presence

in January 2010 with the support of

Burrill & Company (Burrill), a San Francisco

based global leader in life sciences. The

company attained its first regional partnership

with Kuwait Life Sciences Company (KLSC),

the life science arm of National Technology

Enterprises Company (NTEC), which is a

fully owned subsidiary of Kuwait Investment

Authority (KIA). The third strategic partner,

Ireland-based Élan Corporation followed in

2013.

Joe Henein, President and CEO of

NewBridge Pharmaceuticals said, “We

essentially focus on bringing innovation from

West to East and bridging the access gap,

hence the name. Our mission is Accessing

Innovation, and Serving Patients, therefore

consistently endeavoring to facilitate our

physicians and patients in the Middle East,

Africa, and Turkey.”

A SUCCESS STORY

Being a start-up, the company has had its

shares of challenges and roadblocks. That

said, it has in fact triumphed over each and

every hurdle tossed in its way. “NewBridge

has successfully built its presence in markets

in which we operate. We have effectively

established a dynamic team from just a

handful of employees to over a 100 plus staff

in a matter of three years,” he said. NewBridge positions itself as a strategic

partner of choice for pharmaceutical and

biopharmaceutical companies, looking for

representation in the Middle East. “Today,

we are witnessing a great deal of innovation

coming mostly from small to mid-size

companies which are not represented in this

region. Offering a platform built and operated

by professionals with many years of industry

experience in the region, NewBridge assists

these entities through a professional one-stop

regional solution essentially covering critical

functions; such as pharmco-vigilance, medical

affairs, compliance, best practice sales and

marketing as well as financial and logistics.

A torchbearer for personalized

medicine, NewBridge has also introduced

groundbreaking molecular diagnostics in

the region: the most comprehensive non-

invasive prenatal test (NIPT), which is

currently available for high-risk pregnancies

and detects multiple fetal chromosomes

abnormalities. In addition, NewBridge

has also introduced a novel prognostic

and predictive molecular diagnostic, FDA

approved test for breast cancer. This provides

physicians with a treatment decision tool,

based on the analysis and genetic makeup of

the cancer. The test is also endorsed by many

international guidelines as well as numerous

institutions and medical specialists alike in

the region.

With plans to also establish a specialized,

state of the art manufacturing plant in

the region and potentially in the UAE,

NewBridge’s future looks brighter than ever as

it strives to provide continuous cutting edge

therapeutics and diagnostics and unique

collaborations driving sustainable health

systems, thus benefitting the community. ■

Our vision is to enable easy access to innovative

medicines here in the Middle East, Africa as

well as Turkey.

HEADQUARTERED IN DUBAI, NEWBRIDGE PHARMACEUTICALS FZ LLC, IS A PRIVATELY HELD COMPANY, PRIMARILY FOCUSING ON SPECIALTY THERAPEUTICS AND GENOMICS, IN AREAS OF ONCOLOGY,

GASTROINTESTINAL DISEASES, IMMUNOLOGY AND DISEASES OF THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. NEWBRIDGE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2009 AND IS A BUSINESS PARTNER OF DUBIOTECH, A SUBSIDIARY OF TECOM INVESTMENTS.


A torchbearer for personalized medicine, NewBridge has introduced groundbreaking diagnostics in the region, one of them being the most comprehensive non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) currently available for high-risk pregnancies.


W alking into the American Hospital

Dubai instantly promotes a

calming effect. Spotlessly clean

with daylight streaming through the spacious

halls, the ambiance almost resembles a five-

star hotel, except that it’s extremely quiet and

relaxing, and the smiling faces are those of

soft spoken nurses.

Beyond aesthetics, the American Hospital

Dubai prides itself on being the first private

hospital in the Middle East to be awarded

the Joint Commission International

Accreditation, which demonstrates an

organization’s commitment to providing high

quality U.S. standards of healthcare.

“The American Hospital Dubai has been

around for over 17 years. It is the only private,

locally-owned hospital in Dubai,” says

Farrick, whose experience spans all aspects of

ambulatory care and hospital management.

“Currently we’re occupying three buildings

on the campus; originally it was just one

building. Along the way we added a Total

Joint Replacement Center, Orthopedics

and Sports Medicine, a Cochlear Implant

Center, The Heart Center, Cancer Services

including Radiotherapy, Sleep Lab, Pediatric

Orthopedics, along with many other services.”

What’s most exciting is the hospital’s

upcoming expansion in Dubai over the next

12 months with primary care clinics. “While

the facilities and services are world class here

on the campus, we know we need to be more

accessible to the community. As Dubai has

grown, we need to be in those new areas.”

Speaking about the challenges facing the

UAE’s healthcare industry, Farrick highlights

the increasing demand for talent, given that

a great deal of investment is taking place in

healthcare facilities – not

only in the UAE, but also

throughout the entire region.

“Another challenge I see is

increased competition driven

by mandatory insurance; thus

we have to adapt our services to

the growing insurance market in

Dubai”. Indeed, the American Hospital

Dubai is now partnered with most major

insurance companies in the country.

UAE insurance providers need to do

better, however, when it comes to making

preventative medicine more accessible, an

issue which has already been recognized

publicly.

“We have an outpatient breast clinic

with a state-of-the-art mammography

system, but few private insurers offer annual

mammograms as a benefit for women who

meet the American Cancer Society guidelines.

The earlier this devastating disease can be

detected, the more likely there will be a better

outcome.”

Farrick notes that he is unaware of any other

hospital in the UAE, except for the American

Hospital Dubai, that has implemented

a Utilization Review Committee. “This

multidisciplinary team reviews cases to

ensure we’re neither over-utilizing services,

nor are we underutilizing or shortcutting.”

Technology is also critical to delivering

high standards of healthcare and the latest

equipment is utilized throughout the hospital,

including a 3.0 Tesla MRI scanner, state-of-

the-art radiotherapy, and most recently, flow

cytometry, which is a lab-based test that helps

identify potentially cancerous tumours.

“We’re in the midst of implementing an

electronic medical records (EMR) system. It’s

a complex but very worthwhile endeavour

because it will allow us to better manage

and coordinate patient care. We’re one of the

few local hospitals who have reached Stage

5 of the HIMSS (Healthcare Information

Management and Systems Society) process.”

Meanwhile, on a continuous basis the

American Hospital Dubai goes the extra mile

by providing the HCAHPS survey for patients

who stayed at the hospital. This is to find

out the level of patient satisfaction with the

services they received.

“We ask questions like: Did the nurses and

doctors treat you well? Were you informed

about your medications before you received

them? Was the hospital quiet at night? How

fast did the nurses answer the call bell? We’re

constantly monitoring our services, and it is

such small details that matter”.

According to Farrick, what makes the

hospital successful at the end of the day is a

clear mission and vision to provide the highest

quality of American-standard healthcare.

“Everything we do revolves around this.” ■

Two decades of American HEALTHCARE STANDARDS

A REMARKABLE SENSITIVITY TO PATIENTS’ NEEDS AND AN UNFALTERING DEDICATION TO ADOPTING THE BEST IN MEDICAL

TECHNOLOGY HAVE EARNED THE AMERICAN HOSPITAL DUBAI A HIGHLY DESIRABLE REPUTATION AND PATIENT LOYALTY. DAVID FARRICK, ACTING CEO OF THE AMERICAN HOSPITAL DUBAI, TALKS ABOUT THEIR UNDERLYING STRATEGY AND NEAR-FUTURE PLANS, AND THE CHALLENGES FACING THE UAE’S HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY.

David Farrick, FACHE.


B ased in Dubai for five years now, TVM

Capital Healthcare Partners invests

heavily in the region’s healthcare

sector and has broken new ground with four

portfolio investments in specialized services

covering long-term care, rehabilitation,

home care and world-class fertility treatment.

Led by Chairman and CEO Dr. Helmut M.

Schühsler, the company has so far focused

on making growth capital and small buyout

investments from its first fund, TVM

Healthcare MENA I and has led investments

of more than US$70 million. As part of its

mission to develop international centers

of excellence on a local level, TVM Capital

Healthcare Partners has forged affiliations

with Spaulding Rehabilitation Network a US-

based, global leader in rehabilitative care,

long-term acute care, home care and related

research) and Joslin Diabetes Center, the

world’s leading diabetes research, clinical care

and education organization; both partners

are Harvard Medical School Affiliates.

TVM Capital Healthcare Partners is a member

of TVM Capital Group, the international

healthcare and life sciences investment

firm. Talking about their global activity Dr.

Schühsler said: “Our 30 year history spans

more than 125 investments in healthcare

and life sciences. At the moment, we

are managing more than US$1 billion in

committed investment capital from a group

of international investors.”

ADDING VALUE TO SOCIETY

After assessing the viability of the market, the

company decided to set up base in Dubai,

UAE. “With all the positive developments

occurring in emerging markets, we felt that

there was a tremendous need for specialized

healthcare services. These were either non-

existent or not operating to international

standards,” he revealed.

Although the company seeks investment

opportunities with a strong potential for

rapid growth, the Chairman strongly believes

in adding value to society. “I always say that

in healthcare you can do good and you can

do well, if you do it right! We manage other

people’s money so we are not philanthropists.

We cannot invest in projects that don’t make

commercial sense. But we always look at the

community aspects and are very focused on

the social and environmental impact of what

we do,” Dr. Schühsler commented.

There are many challenges to overcome

in emerging markets especially in the MENA

region. Growth and development is only

possible if a proper regulatory framework is

created in partnership with key stakeholders

such as budget authorities, insurance

companies, the public sector and the

private healthcare providers. A forerunner in

providing access to world-class healthcare,

the company has most certainly created

‘sustainable value for societies through the

provision of international best-practice

medical care.’ ■

OPTIMIZING Healthcare DeliveryTVM CAPITAL HEALTHCARE PARTNERS WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2009 AND SEEKS TO TARGET THE GROWING INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN PRIVATE SECTOR HEALTHCARE ACROSS THE MENA REGION AND INDIA.

“As far as emerging markets are concerned, I think it is an attractive point in time to invest in the healthcare sector.”

Dr. Helmut M. Schuehsler is the Chairman of TVM Capital Group, and serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TVM Capital Healthcare Partners, Ltd., Dubai, UAE. Dr. Schuehsler joined TVM Capital in 1990 and was the founder of the life science and healthcare investment activities of the firm. In his 24-year tenure with the firm, he raised more than US$900m for investments in the healthcare sector and led more than 25 direct investments in life science/healthcare companies in Europe, the U.S, and the Middle East. In total he has overseen more than 85 investments in the health market, and more than 35 initial public offerings from this portfolio.

In 2007 and 2008, Dr. Schühsler served as Chairman of the European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA) in Brussels, Belgium.

www. tvm-capital.com www.tvm-capital.ae

Profile


314/1/5/26/5/2014


FUSION DYNAMICS: Making in roads into key markets

T ell us something about the company?

Fusion Dynamics is owned by the

Al-Hajiri family. It actively participates

in industries including construction,

utilities, hospitality, health, oil & gas, IT as

well as industrial investment. Partnering

with prestigious international brands and

corporations, the company feels proud

to contribute constructively to the Qatari

market and the GCC region.

What in your opinion can lead to seamless

business operations?

Here at Fusion Dynamics, we truly believe

in being focused. Combining that with

determination and a clear strategic plan

ensures seamless business operations. This

allows employees to be productive and the

company to achieve goals.

What does business efficiency entail?

One needs to have a very clear vision

of what one has set to achieve. I consider

harnessing knowledge and making the best of

efforts can definitely lead to success.

What milestones have you achieved so far?

We have strategically positioned ourselves

in the local market and are proud to have a

competitive edge over huge local as well as

international companies.

What in your opinion are critical tools to

becoming a market leader?

A market leader must possess quality

services. The company should have a

meticulous approach when it comes to support

and high level of commitment to clients.

What is your business strategy?

We are continuously striving to develop

ourselves both horizontally and vertically to

meet the demands of the market.


years from now?

In 10 years, we will be a leading conglomerate

which is known for adding value to both

business and the local community.

Experts believe the UAE’s Expo 2020 and

Qatar’s FIFA World Cup Tournament 2022

win will benefit countries all across the

MENA region. What do you think?

Events such as the Expo 2020 and Qatar

FIFA World Cup 2022 bear testament to the

fact that we are not only capable; but are

determined to positively develop this region.

Presently, massive activity in each and every

sector, particularly the construction as well

as hospitality industries, is giving way to

regional economic growth and development.

What is your vision for achieving

sustainable economic growth?

As far as the Gulf states are concerned, it is

necessary to move away gradually from rentier

economy, using it at the same time as a means

to industrial and services economy. ■

I consider harnessing knowledge and making the best of efforts can

definitely lead to success.

FUSION DYNAMICS IS A MULTI-DISCIPLINED HOLDING

COMPANY WITH DIVERSIFIED INTERESTS IN REAL ESTATE, CONSTRUCTION, OIL & GAS, HEALTH, MANUFACTURING, IT AND HEAVY INDUSTRIES. CHAIRMAN MOHAMMED AWAJAN AL-HAJRI TALKS ABOUT THE COMPANY’S STRATEGY BEHIND SEAMLESS BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND HOW CLEAR VISION LEADS TO SUCCESS.

Mohammed Awajan Al-Hajri.


Wehbe Insurance: NURTURING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

MANAGING PARTNER, OMAR WEHBE, TALKS ABOUT THE CRITICAL ROLE OF INSURANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH OF A COUNTRY.

C onsidered one of the most respected

insurance brokers in the Middle East,

Wehbe Insurance began operations

as underwriting agents for international

insurance companies in 1969. Functioning

from a small office in Deira – Dubai, the

company officially started its brokerage

business in 1997 with only 12 employees.

The company started with products

pertaining to Property Casualty and Motor,

which were trending at that time. “In late

1990s, we began to expand our offerings to

include Financial Services, Life, Pensions and

Savings Solutions. At present, we conduct our

business across all classes of insurance and

work closely with international insurance

brokers. We are able to extend services to

our clients based not only here in the UAE,

but also across the GCC, Middle East, Asian

and European markets. In addition, we

have associations in the United States with

international brokers and use their services

whenever required,” said Omar Wehbe,

Managing Partner Wehbe Insurance.

Wehbe Insurance’s core areas of

specialization include Employee Benefits

and Special Schemes. The company aims to

provide customers with the best available

insurance programs that address their needs.

“One of the policies that we introduced

in the market catered to high net worth

private clients, people who owned expensive

property, assets , jewellery, Fine Art etc. We

were actually the first to launch this scheme

and later others came up with similar

solutions,” he added.

The company has grown substantially

and has premiums in the excess of AED120

million. “Our success and pattern of growth

relies heavily on the kind of service we

provide. It is indeed very easy to lose a

client and really hard to win them back.

Great customer service is therefore critical,”

he remarked. Adding: “Diversification in

offerings that cater to the needs of the market

is another reason for our growth.”

DRIVING ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

It is not untrue to say that one of the driving

forces of national economic activity is

insurance. The downturn of 2008 has not

only made business owners smarter, but

dynamic countries like the UAE are also

moving forward progressively. Ultimately it is

insurance that protects the assets of a nation

as well as individuals through effective risk

management, thereby nurturing growth. ■

Almost all insurance products are sustainable,

but it all boils down to educating the population about its advantages and how individuals can use it

for their own benefit.

Omar Wehbe.


T he year 2013 was a defining moment

in the history of the UAE. It was a year

when the downturn gasped its last

breath, allowing a fresh wave of businesses

to pour in from all around the globe. Among

the catalysts for this productivity are special

economic zones like the Ras Al Khaimah Free

Trade Zone (RAK FTZ), offering multitudes

of options heralding massive returns on

investment.

The first and largest free zone in the emirate

of Ras Al Khaimah, the RAK Free Trade Zone

supports a broad variety of clients across four

specialised free zone parks that are tailored to

suit each investor’s needs. The Business Park

is for office clients, the Industrial Park is for

heavy manufacturing, the Technology Park is

for trading and light manufacturing, and the

Academic Zone is for educational institutions.

Speaking on RAK FTZ’s tremendous growth,

particularly in the last 12 months, Peter Fort,

CEO of the free zone, said: “Our new client

registrations rose substantially over the

previous year, reflecting investors’ growing

confidence in the ease, convenience and cost-

effectiveness of the free zone’s services and

facilities. There were 2,900 new companies

registered with the RAK FTZ during 2013, an

increase of nearly 30% year on year. To satisfy

this increasing demand, we are building a

new office tower in our Business Park, and

100 new warehouses in our Technology Park.”

Less than an hour’s drive from Dubai,

RAK FTZ offers significant geographical and

logistical advantages for clients to access a

wide variety of markets in Africa, the Middle

East, Europe and South Asia.

SUPERIOR SERVICES AND LOWER BUSINESS SET-UP COSTS

RAK FTZ focuses primarily on two essential

pillars for competitive differentiation. Mr Fort

said: “The RAK Free Trade Zone staunchly

believes in superior services, guaranteeing

efficient response to customer needs with

minimum levels of bureaucracy. Secondly, we

know the importance of being cost-competitive,

as it is a critical issue for the clients.”

Looking forward to a bright future in the

years to come, the CEO considers the Expo

2020 a benefit to Ras Al Khaimah’s economy:

“The Expo 2020 provides investors with an

unparalleled opportunity to quickly, easily

and conveniently set up profitable businesses

in Ras Al Khaimah. The RAK economy has

seen very high levels of growth over the last

three years, with strong diversification across

multiple sectors, highlighting the Expo

theme of creating opportunity for economic

development.” ■

RAK FTZ: Cost-effectivegateway to world markets

THE RAS AL KHAIMAH FREE TRADE ZONE HAS

EXPERIENCED STRONG GROWTH BY PROVIDING COST-EFFECTIVE COMPANY SET UP SOLUTIONS TO A WIDE VARIETY OF BUSINESSES, IN LINE WITH THE REBOUNDING UAE ECONOMY.

We are laser focused on client renewal and want to ensure that our clients stay with us for the duration of their business operation.

Today, RAK FTZ is the business hub of choice for more than 7,500 companies from over 100 countries, and representing more than 50 industry sectors.


WAREHOUSESOFFICES INDUSTRIAL LANDFLEXI

Fast and Easy Company Set-up

Cost-effective Investment Destination

Complete Packages Including Licences and Visas

Zero Income and Corporate Taxes

BUSINESS SET-UP SOLUTIONSSTARTING FROM AED 19,900

BUSINESS?SET UP YOURTO

Call 800 7111 Visit www.rakftz.com Join / rakftz


ALSHAMEL TRAVEL: Maximising Financial Efficiency

OFFERING UNIQUE SOLUTIONS TO ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH EFFECTIVE ONLINE AND OFFLINE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT AS

WELL AS STAFF EXPERTISE, CHAIRMAN YOUSEF AL ESSA REVEALS HOW INTEGRATING A COMPANY’S REGIONAL LOCATIONS UNDER ONE COMMON TRAVEL UMBRELLA ENSURES QUALITY SERVICE, SECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY WHILE ALSO GUARANTEEING COST EFFICIENCY.

T ell us about your company?

Alshamel Travel is a full service

travel management company. We

started operations in 1996 and are now the

fastest growing travel business in the region.

Alshamel Travel is now the fourth largest

travel management company in the region

and is made up of three core business units:

Corporate Travel, Leisure Travel and Military

& Government Travel.

What sets Alshamel apart from its

competitors?

Alshamel Travel has deployed the best

available tools provided by our global

partners, including CWT and Sabre, as well

as our own proprietary tools, to ensure

maximum efficiency and consistent service

delivery. Moreover, our emergency travel

service desk allows us to offer our corporate

travel clients even greater levels of reassurance

that their travel needs will be looked after

every step of the way. We provide emergency

travel services 24/7 across the region from

our contact center which provides full travel

services, including travel emergency services

for corporate clients, after-hour services for

our local clients, as well as leisure travel desk

and refund desk.

Who is your target audience?

We cater to everyone in the market,

corporate customers, military & government

as well as individuals. And soon, we will

launch our luxury arm, Luxuria, which will

cater to the High Net Worth (HNW) and Ultra

High Net Worth (UHNW) clients.

How do you think the Middle East will

benefit from UAE’s Expo 2020 win?

Over 25 million people are expected to

visit Expo 2020 in Dubai, or up to 300,000

every day. That’s not to mention exhibitors

from more than 180 nations. So business

possibilities are limitless.


years from now?

Our ultimate aspiration is to continue to

be a leading travel management company

in the region, one which offers full-

fledged travel services under one roof, and

continuously seeks to improve our value

proposition to our customers, and promotes

best international practice principles in the

travel sector.

We aspire to strengthening our local

corporate business, meetings and events

services, achieving greater market

penetration in the leisure segment,

expanding our retail business to every

market where we operate, and the launch of

our luxury subsidiary; LUXURIA by Alshamel

We foresee that the UAE is one of the main

tourist destinations that all travelers around the world will want to see, especially

with the run up to the 2020Expo.


Travel, which will offer luxury travel services

to our elite clients throughout the region.

Such services will include unique offers

like private charters, private yachts, sports

events, biking trips, safaris and much more.

Explain the acquisition of Net Tours, UAE

and how it benefits Alshamel?

The acquisition of Net Tours is a very

positive step for Alshamel Travel and

our partners Al-Tayyar Travel Group,

and underlines the seriousness of our

commitment to delivering the very best

travel management services to clients in UAE

and across the region. Net Tours excellent

reputation complements Alshamel’s

operations, and adds further benefits to our

fully integrated travel management services,

whether B2B , B2C, leisure and retail, or

others.

In addition, we envisage Net Tours as a

regional player with expansion plans in the

GCC and Turkey in the future. We also believe

the sector will be consolidated over the next

few years and we will be at the forefront,

making sure that we acquire companies in the

region to grow our business moving forward.

What are your strategic plans in the near

future?

Currently we are considering a few

acquisitions in the region as part of our

growth plans. We are also planning to open

our offices in the Cairo in the near future as

part of our expansion plans in Egypt. ■

Chairman Yousef Al Essa.


O perating and managing luxurious

hotels in Dubai for the past 33 years,

JA Resorts & Hotels had the privilege

of building the first resort in the GCC region.

Formerly known as the Jebel Ali Hotel, the

entity was initially constructed to serve the

Jebel Ali Free Zone. It was followed by the Hatta

Fort Hotel to accommodate the frequent visits

of the late ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh

Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. The company

rebranded to JA Resorts & Hotels in 2012,

with ‘JA’ placed in front of all the individual

property names, except for Hatta Fort Hotel

and fine dining cruise Bateaux Dubai.

At present the company operates five

luxurious hotels and resorts including

JA Palm Tree Court, JA Jebel Ali Beach Hotel,

JA Oasis Beach Tower, JA Ocean View Hotel

and Hatta Fort Hotel. COO David Thomson

revealed: “JA Palm Tree Court caters to the very

high end market. We call it Dubai’s only true

resort as it offers a multitude of events.” The

super luxury hotel pampers guests by offering

a diverse portfolio of recreational activities at

the stables, marina and the mini golf.

JA Resorts & Hotels has recently expanded

into the Indian Ocean – one in the Maldives

and the other in Seychelles. “At the moment

the Maldives property is being operated

under its original name Beach House Iruvelli.

It will be re-launched in October once we have

ensured that everything is working according

to our brand standards and will be called

JA Manafaru,” the COO commented.

Talking about the fascinating hotel in the

Seychelles, he said: “Enchanted Island Resort

is a spectacular property nonetheless and

caters to the high-end guests with private

pool villas and a 24 hour butler service.”

GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

The company has big expansion plans to meet

the needs of the growing tourist population;

particularly in the wake of the Expo 2020 win.

The company is also a staunch believer of giving

back to the community through numerous

green initiatives. It was given the Green

Award by Dubai Department of Tourism and

Commerce Marketing (DTCM) for its incredible

work and is even Green Globe Certified.

Pioneers of the tourism industry in the UAE,

JA Resorts & Hotels’ properties are leisure

focused. With almost 70% of their guests

tourism-driven, the company is indeed a strong

supporter of Dubai and is heavily involved in

promoting the travel sector in the country. ■

JA Resorts & Hotels: MORE THAN JUST HOSPITALITY

THE LURE OF A LAVISHLY RELAXING HOLIDAY BREAK

FROM THE CACOPHONY OF TODAY’S BUSY LIFE IS A TEMPTATION HARD TO RESIST. JA RESORTS & HOTELS OFFER TOURISTS JUST THAT AND EVEN MORE BY FOCUSING ON GUEST-CENTRIC SERVICES AND ALL THE RIGHT ACTIVITIES TO MAKE IT A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE.

“I think the best thing that has happened to the EXPO brand is Dubai winning it”, says COO David Thomson.


46234_atm_calculus_ad.indd 1 21/4/14 12:35 PM


V ingCard Elsafe, the world leader

in security solution for Hotels has

products installed in more than 42,000

properties worldwide, securing in excess of 7

million hotel rooms and is part of ASSA ABLOY

Group, a publicly listed company, the world

leader in security and hospitality systems.

VingCard provides numerous electronic

locking system solutions, including traditional

magnetic-strip, smartcard systems and the

latest RFID electronic locks compatible with

the main ISO standards: ISO 14.443A (MIFARE),

ISO 14.443B, ISO15.693 and NFC-compatible

(Near Field Communication), fully integrated

PMS interface software solutions, full range

of E-cylinders, minimalistic wall-mounted

solutions removing all hardware from the

door, as well as the world leader in wireless

online locking solutions for hotels based on

ZigBee secured open platform, VISIONLINE

by VingCard. Elsafe provides the first UL-

listed (1037) hotel safe series on the market

today in keypad and card-based models.

Elsafe Safes include a UL-listed internal power

outlet to support recharging of laptops and

camcorders, full wireless online capabilities

and RFID versions compatible with VingCard

system. VingCard Elsafe offers a complete new

range of Energy Management Solutions, Orion

by VingCard Elsafe which dramatically helps

hoteliers save energy while ensuring guest

comfort and promotes green initiatives. Orion

by VingCard Elsafe can also be integrated

into the same wireless VISIONLINE platform.

VingCard Elsafe has worldwide service and

support in more than 166 countries.

VingCard Elsafe, has recently launched

“Essence by VingCard,” the world´s first

invisible door lock, the ultimate in minimalistic

locking solutions. It is an entirely new concept

in locking design and technology, patent

pending. Essence takes minimalism to the

extreme, eliminating all lock hardware on the

door by encasing all electronic components

inside the door itself and making security

virtually invisible to hotel guests.

And last year, VingCard Elsafe also

introduced “Allure by VingCard,” a highly

innovative RFID”no-lock-on-the-door”

locking solution with a unique, interactive

design and more features than ever before

available in an electronic locking system.

With Allure by VingCard, all external

hardware on the door has now been

completely eliminated through the use of a

futuristic signage panel that adds a host of

additional benefits and functionality to the

locking system. These include a higher degree

of flexibility in design, as well as the ability

to add guest-facing in-room features such as

“Do Not Disturb (DND) and “Make Up Room”

(MUR) notifications to hotel staff. This is

accomplished through an interactive touch

panel located inside the room, An LED light

on the door lock alerts staff of the request, so

that guests are not disturbed unnecessarily. ■

For more information, visit: www.vingcardelsafe.com

VingCard Elsafe ASPOB 125748, Dubai , UAEEmail address : [email protected] Person : Manit Narang, Vice President ( Middle East, Africa, India )

VingCard Elsafe: PROVIDING HI-TECH SECURITY SOLUTIONS

MAINTAINING STANDARDS IN THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR IS NOT JUST ABOUT PROVIDING EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE, IT IS

ABOUT SAFETY AND SECURITY. VINGCARD ELSAFE IS KNOWN FOR OFFERING PIONEERING SECURITY SOLUTIONS FOR PRESTIGIOUS HOTELS.

Since introducing the first world’s first recodable lock in 1979, VingCard Elsafe has continued to “stay ahead” in the industry with nonstop development of forward-thinking security solutions.


WITH SEVEN HOTELS IN THE UAE AND CONSISTENTLY HIGH OCCUPANCY LEVELS, TIME HOTELS HAVE SET A BENCHMARK FOR THEIR INDUSTRY. CHIEF EXECUTIVE

OFFICER MOHAMED AWADALLA REVEALS THE SECRETS BEHIND THIS SUCCESS.

T ime Hotels boasts seven properties in the

UAE today. “Our personalized service is

what sets us apart. Location is also of utmost

importance. In Al-Barsha for example,

we’re often above 90 percent in occupancy,”

explains Awadalla, who spent 29 years

working in the hotel industry.

Now that Pearl Time Residence has opened

in Abu Dhabi, offering furnished apartments

for long-term stays, the group is gearing

up for further expansion. “We have signed

agreements for new hotels in Egypt, Saudi

Arabia and Qatar; our expansion is coinciding

with the increasing demand, the Middle East’s

quickly became a preferred international

tourist destination and by strengthening

our position we are able to tap into that ever

expanding market”.

In Saudi Arabia, the group will soon launch

the first Time Express. “The concept is a budget

line, targeting business travellers who need a

clean bed, shower and a high-speed internet”.

A new ‘healthy bar’ will also be implemented

across their hotels. Despite not serving

alcohol, this has never been a challenge

according to Awadalla. “We are able to focus

even more so on the high quality service

we offer to our guests and we are confident

of bringing high return-on-investment to

owning company year after year”.

“Moreover, MICE business worldwide is

playing a big role and Dubai can enjoy its share

from the MICE business as well. I think that

Dubai can get much more from this sector

because it has a lot to offer with its services and

quality. Also I believe that hotels must support

this by not overcharging guests.”

Dubai’s hotels are set for a major growth,

with government forecasts predicting 25

million visitors during Expo 2020. Taxes have

now been waivered for all three-and four-star

hotels that open by 2017, while land is being

granted for the development of such hotels.

“We’re in discussions with new owners

to establish hotels to benefit from this law.

I believe very much in the UAE’s tourism

sector; they have the vision and so far it’s

working very well,” concludes Awadalla. ■

www.timehotels.ae

Dubai is one of the worlds fastest growing travel destinations. TIME Hotel recognise the importance of business travel and offer the busy executive traveller the very best in comfort and value for money.

Whether you are here on a business or contracting for a longer length of stay, TIME Hotels offer you the perfect choice.

TIME Grand Plaza HotelAl Qusais | Damascus StreetTel +971 4 233 4444

TIME Oak Hotel & SuitesTECOM | Al BarshaTel +971 4 437 7888

here on business

Stylish business travel

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

TravTalk Ad and CEO report copy.pdf 2 09/04/2014 9:32:55 AM

Catering to every guest

Mohamed Awadalla.


ASPIRE ZONE: Epitomizing Sports Excellence

ASPIRE ZONE FOUNDATION (AZF) IS AN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS DESTINATION, WHICH IS BASED IN QATAR AND STRIVES TO ACHIEVE GLOBAL RECOGNITION IN THE WORLD OF SPORTS. POSSESSING STATE OF THE ART

INFRASTRUCTURE, THE ORGANIZATION NOT ONLY OFFERS INTERNATIONAL-STANDARD SERVICES, IT IS ALSO HOME TO HIGHLY POPULAR, GLOBAL SPORTING EVENTS.

O ver the past one decade, the Middle

East has established itself as a

substantial hub for high profile

sporting activities. In this regard, Qatar’s

role cannot be emphasized enough as it

triumphantly hosted the Asian games and

won the bid to hold the very prestigious FIFA

World Cup 2022 in the country. The former

event was Aspire Zone Foundation’s initial

rise to international fame and recognition.

Boasting some of the world’s finest sport

stadia and venues, Aspire Zone offers a

unique sport, sports medicine, research and

education destination for the international

athletic industry. Comprising of three member

organizations – Aspire Academy, Aspetar, and

Aspire Logistics – Aspire Zone was established

under an Emiri decree in 2008. Each entity has

its own individual role to perform with an aim to

fulfill the comprehensive operations of AZF. The

organization offers extensive sports education

programs and unprecedented facilities of

international caliber. According to Aspire Zone

Foundation CEO Khalid Abdullah Al-Sulaiteen:

“AZF is an international sports destination

with a vision to be recognized as a global

leader in sports excellence. It offers world-class

infrastructure, boasts international-standard

services, and hosts global sports events, all of

which contribute to the vibrant sports economy

of Qatar and further the Qatar National Vision

(QNV) 2030.”

The organization functions as a sporting

city and is not only contributing to sustainable

economic activity of the country, but is

also dedicated to serving other aspects of

human and social development. “Aspire Zone

Foundation has adopted a number of initiatives

to help protect the environment. Some of the

AZF is an international sports destination with a

vision to be recognized as a global leader in sports excellence.


features include using recycled material to

create new venues and facilities, a solar-power

lighting system around the spiral paths in

Aspire Park, and relocating old light poles from

Khalifa International Stadium. In addition, the

Aspire Park Lake serves as an irrigation tool.

Furthermore, the walkway between The Torch-

Doha Hotel and Aspire Zone was constructed

using the steel of the old Ras Abou Aboud Bridge

in Qatar,” the visionary CEO added.

HOME TO ELITE TRAINING CAMPS

The AZF has had the privilege of hosting

camps for top-tier football clubs such as FC

Bayern Munich, FC Schalke 04 and Paris St-

Germain FC. Another very popular football

club, Manchester United FC chose Aspire

Zone for their winter training camp for two

consecutive years in 2012 and 2013, illustrating

the country’s unique ability to hold sporting

activities during the mild Qatari winter.

Aligning itself with Qatar’s National Vision

2030, the organization has anchored the

country’s image of being the Middle Eastern

sporting hub by not only developing sports

champions or managing world-class sports

infrastructures and events; but by promoting

a healthy lifestyle and largely contributing to

the development of the sports sector of the

country. ■

Over the years, Aspire Zone has successfully hosted an array of high-profile events, ranging from the opening ceremony of the 2011 Asian Cup to the inaugural Doha GOALS forum in 2012. The Foundation also obtained the award for Best Conference Center in the Middle East in 2012, in addition to the silver medal for the best sports and entertainment facilities in the region.

Receiving Recognition

Mr. Khalid Abdullah Al-Sulaiteen .

AZF is an organization that heavily engages the society targeting to change its lifestyle into a healthy active one by providing myriad of community programs and events directed to all segments: kids, youth, ladies, men, disabled and the whole family together. Aspire Active and “step into health” widely popular programs, which thousands of Qatar residents are registered and committed to as they succeeded in transforming the lives of many of them, are a demonstrating example of this engagement.


AUDI: In a league of its own

W hen you think of Audi, you are

immediately reminded of actor

Will Smith whizzing by in his

futuristic Audi RSQ sport coupe in the film

I, Robot with a color-changing, luminescent

paint job and a snazzy, sleek profile. The

company’s strategic product placement was a

success due not only to the creative partnership

between the car and movie makers, but

because of its tangible appeal to motoring

enthusiasts and stunning craftsmanship.

A name synonymous with unique

innovation and spectacular designs, Audi

offers the most attractive product portfolio

in the premium segment. The motoring

giant sold 10,647 cars in 2013 here in the

Middle East with a network that covers the

UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Lebanon,

Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait. “Our main

objective is to be close to our dealers and

the market to better understand customer

requirements. It also enables us to properly

access the media and high profile events for

strategic marketing,” revealed Trevor Hill,

Managing Director Audi ME.

Attaining market leadership is not only

about selling a great product, it is that and

more! “In a market like the Middle East, you

have to focus on possessing a good network, a

robust infrastructure, making sure dealers are

well equipped and have enough capacity. In

addition, it is imperative to guarantee that you

are delivering quality,” he said. The company

provides extensive training programs for all

sales and after sales staff as well as constant

customer satisfaction measurement. “We

are proud to say our after sales satisfaction

increased by 51% in 2013,” commented the MD.

DELIVERING QUALITY

The auto maker has recently won the

prestigious World Car of the Year title for

2014 with the Audi A3 in New York, where it

overcame the challenge from 23 other cars by

an international jury panel comprising 69 top

level automotive journalists from 22 countries

around the world. “Constant analysis of the

market is important to ensure we deliver what

the market wants,” confirmed Mr. Hill.

Aiming to become the No. 1 premium

manufacturer worldwide, Audi has plans to

heavily invest in new products and sustainable

technologies. With a target to sell 2.0 million

vehicles globally by 2020, the company has

achieved inconceivable success by being

passionate about performance; and more

importantly by continuously striving to develop

innovative and efficient cars that reaffirm their

economic global responsibility. ■

AUDI MIDDLE EAST WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2005 WITH A

TEAM OF ONLY 17 PEOPLE. DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION, THE COMPANY SOLD 2,953 CARS IN THE REGION. TODAY, THE TEAM IN DUBAI HAS GROWN TO OVER 100 STAFF AND THE DEMAND FOR THE AUDI RANGE CONTINUES TO GROW POSITIVELY WITH A 260% SALES INCREASE IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.

At Audi our key focus for the future is our design,

the ultra-lightweight construction of our cars,

our engineering innovations in connectivity and our

environmental commitments to electric mobility.

Trevor Hill, Managing Director Audi ME.


E-marine: Architects of a sustainable future

E - marine is a principal provider of

subsea submarine cabling which was

established 25 years ago to satisfy the

regional demands of the telecommunication

industry. Walking down memory lane,

Managing Director and CEO Omar Jassim Bin

Kalban reminisces: “We started functioning in

submarine cables from the early 80s, realizing

its great capacity of managing huge numbers

of data. Gauging the growing needs across the

region, we started building our own cables.”

MAINTAINING MARKET LEADERSHIP

E-marine boasts a wide array of solutions

and has a maintenance contract that covers

more than 80,000 Km of submarine cable

across the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, East

Africa as well as the Red Sea.

Retaining the top slot in the industry is

most certainly not the easiest of jobs. The

CEO opines: “We face a number of challenges.

Marine piracy is a critical issue and hampers

our works.” The company’s primary objective

is the safety of its team as well as the high-tech,

expensive equipment. “We hire professional

security teams to accompany ships in a bid to

protect our employees and experts.”

Submarine cable is the backbone of all

things that media needs or require and

therefore requires huge bandwidth in order

to deliver quality across the globe. This

bandwidth requirement will increase multifold

during the Expo 2020. Benefitting the entire

region, the CEO strongly comments: “We are

enhancing our services to be better equipped

in dealing with the Expo 2020. E-marine is

investing more than 700 million dirhams to

achieve that.” The company plans to finish

the enhancement phase well before the big

event, by end of 2018, to be ready to meet all

the challenges presented by the Expo 2020. ■

E-MARINE IS A TRUSTED NAME WHICH OFFERS UNRIVALLED EXPERTISE IN SUBMARINE COMMUNICATIONS ALL ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST. PIONEERING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGION’S SUBSEA CABLE

INFRASTRUCTURE, THE COMPANY OFFERS A WIDE ARRAY OF STATE-OF THE-ART SOLUTIONS FOR THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND OFF-SHORE ENERGY INDUSTRIES.

Contributing to the advancement of the entire region, E-marine has hosted groundbreaking global events such as the recently concluded International Forum on Protection of Submarine Cables (ICPC). The 47th Plenary Meeting of the prestigious ICPC attracted more than 130 delegates from different countries, representing companies and even governments. E-marine has taken the UAE to the next level by developing and deploying submarine and complementing terrestrial systems, catering to the increased demand for international capacity from the Gulf countries.

Making Waves in the International Arena

Omar Jassim Bin Kalban.


T he Middle Eastern automotive industry

has done extremely well over the past

few years. Gauging the need of the

customer and the ripe clime for a booming

business, Renault Middle East established

its headquarters in Dubai. The business

unit inherits all of Renault Group’s different

divisions including industrial, commercial,

logistics, purchasing, engineering, quality, as

well as communications.

Talking about the strengths, Renault ME’s

Managing Director Peyman Kargar reveals:

“Renault believes in combining the best

ingredients for its customers! The company

not only owns more than 43% shares of Nissan

Group; but also more than 80% of Renault

Samsung Motors. Finally, Renault is a great

combination of the French touch, Japanese

technology and Korean know-how.

DEFINING THE COMPETITIVE EDGE

Relatively new in the MENA region, the

foremost challenge for Renault was to show

the notoriety of the brand, well established

everywhere else in the world. Identifying core

areas to represent Renault’s legacy including

quality, the car maker showcases a wide array

of newly designed automobiles bound to

please both the masses and car connoisseurs.

“The newly designed cars being introduced

here in the market are most certainly

head turners and cater to all the needs of

customers,” said Mr. Kargar. The MD added:

“We have a wide variety of innovatively

designed vehicles from the affordable ones,

to sports and electric cars. The electric car is

where we will have an edge over others being

the first of its kind in the Middle East.”

Renault has always been a leading company

in terms of innovation. With Renault Twizy,

officially launched in the Middle East at the

Qatar Motor Show 2014, Renault brings real

innovation to the Middle East’s customers.

“The Renault Twizy is a car of character with

an amazingly modern design, fun to drive

which is safe and silent,” says the MD.

Being at the top of the game and one of the

best-selling brands in the world, Mr. Kargar

strongly believes that after sales service is

critical for the automotive industry. “It is even

more important than actually selling the car.

You will surely lose your customer with a one

shot sale operation and that is a disaster for

any car company.”

One of the underlying elements for the

UAE’s evolution especially in the wake of

Expo 2020 win is sustainability. In the same

connection, the managing director strongly

believes that Renault will have an advantage

by “protecting the environment with its

electric car offerings. Renault will most

certainly be a leader in this area; succeeded

only by its groundbreaking plan of presenting

a complete, affordable mobility for all,” said

Mr. Kargar. ■

RENAULT for EveryoneRENAULT MIDDLE EAST, A DIVISION OF THE RENAULT GROUP, WAS ESTABLISHED IN FEBRUARY 2013. THE FRENCH CAR MAKER HAS SEEN A MARKED INCREASE IN SALES, RECORDING THE STRONGEST

GROWTH IN THE UAE AND SELLING 55,517 UNITS ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST REGION.

Renault is a great combination of the French

touch, Japanese technology and Korean know-how.

Renault plays the difference with quality first not only in products; but also in services for sales and aftersales, says Mr. Kargar.

The Managing Director reveals Renault ME’s plans of establishing industrial operation and is targeting two or three countries to start local production; thereby also contributing to the national economy of the country.

Breaking News!


I CEAT was established in 2009 with an aim

to provide quality educational services

and training programs in the MENA

region. Based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the

company initially started with recruiting

English teachers and has now transformed

into a complete educational and training

services provider.

Striving to provide effective learning and

employability skills has led ICEAT to raise the

standards of excellence pertaining to teacher

recruitment, training, project management

as well as ensuring professional services

to clients and employees. “Our prime

objective is to provide effective learning

solutions which cater to individual student

needs, thereby providing them with better

prospects for higher learning as well as

meaningful employment,” revealed Eng. Ali

Al Saif.

ICEAT brings innovative solutions for

academic learning and vocational training

while focusing on hiring the right teacher, to

deliver the right program, to the right student,

using the right methodology, given the right

tools, at the right time.

The entity offers services including:

recruitment solutions that attract high caliber

teachers to the kingdom and the rest of the

MENA region, learning solutions illustrating

expertise in teaching methodologies,

curriculum development, syllabi design, and

blended learning. ICEAT also delivers high

quality academic management as well as

assessment solutions, in addition to turnkey

solutions for foundation programs. “We

are consistently working towards achieving

superiority in education and training

by combining our expertise with a deep

understanding of local needs,” he said.

BRINGING EDUCATION AT THE DOORSTEP

Additionally, the company has partnered with

Pune-based (India) MKCL – Maharashtra

Knowledge Corporation Limited – to develop

MKCL Arabia, a joint venture aimed at

providing easy to use IT learning, management,

and assessment solutions. “MKCL Arabia is a

unique company in the MENA region. It is one

of the few companies that have the experience

as well as the capability to effectively utilize

technology in education and training while

providing classroom-based instruction. In the

past 7 years, MKCL Arabia has used blended

learning methodologies, based on ELearning

technologies developed and customized at

our offices in India, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt,”

said the CEO. ICEAT is also partnering with

other world class educators such as Pearson,

Educomp, Bhawan Cybertek, Global English

and Rosetta Stone in order to empower

students with solid foundations of guided

learning at their own pace.

Eng. Ali Al Saif reiterates that, “While we

provide a wide range of educational and

training services, we firmly believe that a

great teacher is essential to the success of any

educational/training program.”

Education plays a fundamental role in the

development of a civic society. An instrument

of evolutionary change, it can positively

impact the economic progress of a country.

That said; good education imparted by a

dynamic, multi-faceted teacher has the

power of truly affecting the lives of individuals

as well as the entire community. However, it

must be noted that education alone is not

enough. Education must be combined with

training that imparts employability skills in

order to unleash one’s true potential. ■

ICEAT: UNLEASH YOUR POTENTIAL!

CEO ICEAT, ENG. ALI AL SAIF, TALKS ABOUT HIS VISION OF UNLEASHING THE FULL POTENTIAL OF HUMAN CAPITAL THROUGH INNOVATIVE EDUCATION AND TRAINING.

ICEAT brings a unique approach to the

academics by delivering a number of groundbreaking

solutions to institutions and individuals alike.

Ali Al Saif, CEO ICEAT.


N UHAS, established in 2012 with

headquarters in the Industrial City

of Abu Dhabi (ICAD3), is the first

local manufacturer of oxygen-free high-

conductivity copper in the region. Right from

its inception, the company was created to

cater for full regional demand with a high-

growth roadmap to support international

expansions. All geared to launch its

manufacturing in Q4-2014 with an initial

manpower of about 60 employees, the factory

will span an area of 30,000 sqmts with an

initial production capacity of 20,000 Tons

of copper in various forms. These include

busbars, enameled round and magnet wires,

paper insulated copper conductors and bare

copper wires in customized flavors.

LEADING QUALITY STANDARDS FOR SWITCHGEAR & TRANSFORMER

MANUFACTURING

With prime focus on switchgear &

transformer manufacturers’ requirements

in the construction industry, NUHAS

invested in high-end machinery and quality

assurance lab testing equipment to ensure

its products adhere to the highest quality

and international standards. Crucially, Mr.

Al Joohi explains that “the company’s high-

grade oxygen-free copper creates an evident

competitive edge in terms of unrivaled

electrical and thermal characteristics, with

the ultimate target to extend high reliability

through audited and certified products”.

DELIVERING VALUE THROUGH A STRATEGIC DISTRIBUTOR NETWORK

Through a diverse sales network, NUHAS

is strategically positioned to cater for the

growing demand in the MENA region as well

as prosperous and emergent international

markets. NUHAS’ focus on the construction

sector also highlights its native local

support for the current industry growth

fueled by country initiatives like EXPO2020,

Mr. Al Joohi adds, “It is integral within the

company’s goals to contribute to economic

growth in the country through support

of such events that can surely create new

opportunities”. NUHAS currently started

building a network of strong and strategic

distributors to extend another competitive

edge of fast delivery and production

capabilities to cater for all regional

demand. ■

NUHAS TO LAUNCH THE LARGEST OXYGEN FREE COPPER FACTORY IN MENA REGION

CEO, HAMZA ALJOOHI, EXPLAINS HOW THE COMPANY’S UNIQUE PRODUCT IS BEST SUITED FOR THE INDUSTRY, WITH SPECIAL FOCUS ON SWITCHGEAR & TRANSFORMER APPLICATIONS,

AND CREATING LARGE DISTRIBUTER BUSINESS MOMENTUM.

With this genuine quality and customer-centric vision, NUHAS looks forward to set new standards in the industry and contribute to the country’s global leadership, prosperity, and sustainable future.


PRODUCER OF:OXYGEN FREE COPPER BUSBAR

TINPLATED COPPER BUSBARPAPER INSULATED RECTANGULAR WIRE

ENAMELED ROUND COPPER WIREEARTHING RODS

PLEASE CONTACT US: WWW.NUHAS.AE | P.O. BOX: 91 400 ABU DHABI, UAETEL.: +97126395357 / FAX: +97126395602 | E-MAIL: [email protected]

State of the art

COPPER FACTORY opening in July

Nuhas_AD.indd 1 5/5/14 3:23 PM


OPTIMIZING THE ENERGY SECTOR THROUGH TECHNICAL KNOWHOW

T he origin of SPE is deeply rooted in

oil and gas industry history with the

creation of the American Institute of

Mining Engineers (AIME) in 1871. The SPE

entity was officially established in 1957 as

a constituent society of AIME. “SPE’s vision

is to enable the oil and gas E&P industry to

share the technical knowledge needed to

meet the world’s energy needs in a safe and

environmentally responsible manner. We

do that by organizing workshops, training

courses, conferences, mentoring programs

and much more. Information gathered from

these events goes into an online industry

library, OnePetro, which contains more

than 130,000 papers dating back to 1884,”

revealed Waleed Refaay, Managing Director,

SPE Middle East, North Africa and South

Asia.

Currently, SPE has more than 87,000

professional members and 37,000

student members

in 135 countries.

Membership fees are

nominal, ranging

from $10 to less than

$100.

Over 16% of SPE’s

members are from the

Middle East, making

it the second largest

region in membership

after the US. SPE is run by

a board of directors

representing different

geographical regions and

the technical segments within

SPE, namely HSE, Reservoir,

Drilling and Completions,

Production and Operations,

Management and Information,

and Projects, Facilities and

Construction.

BUILDING EXPERTISE

Known for collecting, exchanging and

disseminating technical knowledge

concerning the exploration, development

and production of oil and gas resources,

SPE strives to provide opportunities for

professionals to improve their technical skills.

The Gulf region is burgeoning with immense

potential. With the increase in business

activity in emerging markets such as the

Middle East, oil and gas companies are heavily

investing in infrastructure to step up their

production and meet world energy demands.

“SPE contributes to this progress by

providing its members and the industry at large

with expert knowledge, practical experience

and advanced qualifications, enabling them

to effectively tap into oil and gas resources,”

said Fareed Abdullah, SPE Regional Director,

Middle East and North Africa.

“As part of its strategic direction, the

Society will focus on human capability

development, promoting professionalism

and social responsibility, volunteerism, high

level technical knowledge dissemination,

and public education about the profession

and industry issues,” he added. ■

THE SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS (SPE) IS THE LARGEST INDIVIDUAL-MEMBER ORGANIZATION IN THE WORLD SERVING

MANAGERS, ENGINEERS, SCIENTISTS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS IN THE UPSTREAM OIL AND GAS SECTOR.

Waleed Refaay, Managing Director.Over 16% of SPE’s

members are from the Middle East, making it the

second largest region in membership after the US.


Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)

For more information, visit www.spe.org/go/middleeast

8–9 September Abu Dhabi, UAESPE Total Quality Management/Excellence and Its Impact on Performance Excellence for the Oil and Gas Industry

8–10 September Dubai, UAE SPE Tracer Technology for Improved Reservoir Management

15–16 September Dubai, UAESPE Global Integrated Workshop Series: Well Integrity—Planning Ahead For The Late Life Cycle

15–17 September Dubai, UAE SPE Complex Reservoir Fluids III: Focus on Reservoir Fluids from the Middle East

15–17 September Istanbul, TurkeySPE Large Scale Computing and Big Data Challenges in Reservoir Simulation Conference and Exhibition

21–24 September Dubai, UAE EAGE/SPE/AAPG Shale Gas Workshop in the Middle East

22–24 September Abu Dhabi, UAE The Journey to 70% Reservoir Recovery: Multiple Disciplines, Diff erent Methods, One Goal

22–24 September Doha, QatarSPE Middle East Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainable Development Conference & Exhibition

3–4 November Dubai, UAE SPE Deep Drilling Challenges

9 November Abu Dhabi, UAE SPE Workshop: Women in Leadership

10–13 November Abu Dhabi, UAE Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC)

26–27 November Manama, Bahrain SPE Middle East Artifi cial Lift Conference and Exhibition

8–10 December Mangaf, Kuwait SPE International Heavy Oil Conference and Exhibition

Upcoming 2014 Middle East Events VOLUNTEER | SPEAK | ATTEND | NETWORK | EXHIBIT

ENHANCE YOUR CAREER.

BECOME A PROFESSIONALLY CERTIFIED

PETROLEUM ENGINEER WITH

SPE’S CERTIFICATION PROGRAMME

RELEVANT. RELIABLE. REWARDING.

SPE TRAINING COURSES—

SETTING THE STANDARD FOR

TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE

Drilling and Completions

Health, Safety, Security, Environment, and Social

Responsibility

Management and Information

Production and Operations

Projects, Facilities, and Construction

Reservoir Description

and Dynamics


IN THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCEA PIONEERING INTEGRATED FACILITIES MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS COMPANY, IMDAAD FOCUSES ON QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. JAMAL ABDULLA LOOTAH, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER IMDAAD TALKS

ABOUT ENABLING CORPORATIONS, LARGE INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO RUN EFFECTIVELY THROUGH WELL-MANAGED AND EFFICIENT SERVICES.

W hat is Imdaad and when was it

established?

The company began its

operations as a Dubai World subsidy back in

1986. With a mission to provide excellence

in integrated facilities management,

Imdaad extended its portfolio of services to

include waste management, pest control,

sewage services, environment, health and

safety in 1989. The new millennium saw

us establishing a joint venture in order to

provide outsourced facilities management

services in 2002. Five years down the line, the

management decided to buy those shares

and now Imdaad is a 100% government-

owned entity. It is truly a matter of pride that

our organization has become an industry

leader, boasting a formidable mix of public

and private clients from Nakheel, Emaar,

Dubai Municipality and many more.

What makes Imdaad an industry leader?

Imdaad has in fact become a yardstick

in terms of delivering quality services and

efficiency across the region. It is all about

investing in people and not merely using them.

We always recruit people when there is a need

because it is tough to let go of good people. I

strongly believe retaining human resource is

critical for the success of any business.

Real Estate was amongst the worst hit

sectors during the downturn, being a

facilities management solutions provider,

how did Imdaad fare during that period?

We did extremely well during the crisis.

In 2009, our growth was fantastic and our

staff increased 25 percent. At present, we are

phenomenally growing both horizontally

and vertically by delving in new markets as

well. His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin

Rashid Al Makhtoum, Vice President and

Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai

wants us to be number one in the region and

Inshallah we will be the best.

What is the company’s business strategy

when it comes to providing effective solutions

to clients?

Imdaad is recognized as a quality-driven

solutions provider, committed to providing

environmental sustainability through its

portfolio of services. We do so by collaborating

with our clients. Sometimes being cost

effective is just not enough, it is about adding

value and doing something more. ■

Imdaad counts the most prominent landmark developments, such as the Burj Khalifa, in its impressive client portfolio.

With comprehensive range of strategic services and value-added offerings,

Imdaad has become the solutions provider of

choice in the UAE.


Imdaad, the leading integrated facilities management provider keeps on providing its sustainable FM services coupled with the team professional expertise and capabilities to the UAE and GCC.

We manage facilities for generations to come.


F ire engineering is a discipline which has

its roots deeply entrenched in history.

Emperors like Nero had ordered

several fire protection procedures after it

devastated the city state. The critical role

of fire engineering cannot be emphasized

enough as it is imperative for the protection

of life and property.

SAFEGUARDING LIFE AND PROPERTY

Specializing in providing intelligent safety-

focused design solutions, Tenable has created

a niche in the market through its formidable

list of successful projects. Working with the

private as well as public sector, the company

has set up offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi as well

as in the UK and Vietnam. Talking about the

road to success, Sultan Al Maskri, founder of

Tenable reveals: “We have had quite a journey.

Our team is currently working on some of the

most prestigious projects in Oman as well as

the UAE.”

Emphasizing the role of fire engineering

in the conceptual and development phase

of a building, he says: “We work primarily

with architects, structural and mechanical

engineers. It our job to ensure that the design

of a structure is in accordance with the safety

codes enforced by the civil defense or fulfills

international best practices.”

There has been an increased emphasis

on identifying risks and design safeguards,

especially in the UAE after catastrophic

fire incidents in Sharjah, Dubai and other

emirates. “After the fires in JLT, Tecom and in

several buildings in Sharjah, we are witnessing

much more focus on fire engineering and

how it can assist in preventing, controlling

and mitigating such catastrophes,” opines

Sam Alcock.

Growing at an accelerated speed, Tenable is

in the process of expanding its dynamic team

especially in the wake of the EXPO 2020 win.

The company possesses solid experience in

providing performance based engineering

solutions to entities such as airports and

exhibition areas. Winning prestigious projects

in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and even in Georgia,

the CEO comments: “We are extremely proud

of our journey to success. Based on our past

experiences, especially pertaining to the

Oman exhibition area; we are optimistic

about our future prospects in terms of the

Expo 2020.”

The industry is indeed growing and so are

the development needs across the GCC and

the MENA region. With extensive international

experience, Tenable is positioning itself as a

market leader by ensuring safety of life and

property. ■

Tenable: Creating a niche in the market

TENABLE IS A FIRE ENGINEERING CONSULTANCY

BORN IN OMAN, WITH OFFICES IN DUBAI AND THE UNITED KINGDOM. ESTABLISHED IN MAY 2010, THE RELATIVELY YOUNG COMPANY HAS EXPERIENCED MASSIVE GROWTH BY OFFERING STRATEGIC ADVICE AND FIRE SAFETY CONSULTANCY SERVICES TO BUILDING DESIGNERS AROUND THE GLOBE.

Our foremost responsibility is life safety. We also ensure that there is

minimal damage to the building in case of fire,

so that clients do not lose money in restructuring

the building.

Sam Alcock. Sultan Al Maskri.


Cavotec: Setting standards in industry operations

GLOBAL ENGINEERING GROUP CAVOTEC HAS BEEN SUPPLYING THE WORLD’S INDUSTRIES WITH MOBILE POWER SOLUTIONS AND CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES FOR NEARLY FOUR DECADES. JÜRGEN STROMMER, MANAGING

DIRECTOR, CAVOTEC MIDDLE EAST, REVEALS WHY DEMAND IS ALWAYS HIGH FOR THEIR SOLUTIONS.

S witzerland-based Cavotec was born

in the seventies, when three Swedish

entrepreneurs came up with a cable

management solution for mining. Little did

they know that their venture would evolve

into an extraordinary expansion with 35

companies on six continents.

Today, Cavotec’s solutions form the link

between fixed and mobile equipment in four

key sectors: airports; ports and maritime;

mining and tunnelling; and the general

industry. “Our philosophy is to be global yet

local everywhere. We strive to stay close to

our customers to identify solutions for their

requirements,” says Strommer.

With this in mind, Cavotec set up at Dubai’s

Jebel Ali Free Zone in 1995, before expanding

further into the Middle East and North Africa

and Indian Subcontinent. The company’s

newest office is now opening in Qatar.

CLEAN APRON CONCEPT

In aviation, Cavotec’s Ground Support

Equipment (GSE) can be found in most of

the world’s airports, including Bahrain, Dubai

and Muscat’s. These in-ground utility systems

comprise power supply, wet services, fuel for

wings, and preconditioned air for aircraft.

Cleverly concealed, they open up and seal

back into the ground once the aircraft has

been replenished.

Historically, airports used trucks or mobile

generators to fuel and cool the aircraft. These

would be coming to the apron together,

delaying other services and cluttering the

area. “By using our utility pits, an airline’s

turnaround can significantly improve; they

can bring in more aircraft into the gate and

discharge them faster”.

MARITIME PEACE OF MIND

A similar pace of developments is taking place

in the maritime sector, which Cavotec serves

with solutions such as the MoorMaster, an

automated vacuum-based system that moors

and releases vessels within seconds. “DP World

is one of our closest customers, and so are Abu

Dhabi Ports and Port of Salalah, to name a few”.

Cavotec also supplies Alternative Maritime

Power (AMP) units that can be installed on

ships and ports, enabling them to connect

to their nearest electrical grids and switch off

air-polluting diesel engines.

While there are more than 500 Cavotec AMP

units installed or being installed worldwide,

Strommer believes the number will grow

due to stricter regulations. “You will soon see

more regulatory requirements concerning

the reduction of environmental emissions by

ships internationally. This will be the future

for ship-based transportation”. ■

• 1,001 employees globally

• 1000 utility pits supplied to Middle East airports

• 500 MoorMaster installed or being installed worldwide

Cavotec in numbers

DP World is one of our closest customers, and so are Abu Dhabi Ports and

Port of Salalah.

“By using our utility pits, an airline’s turnaround can significantly improve; they can bring in more aircraft into the gate and discharge them faster”.


O perating in the UAE since 2001,

The One Group International has

witnessed the local market at its

weakest and strongest points, gaining highly

sought-after experience in one of the world’s

fastest growing business hubs. While one

division focuses on steel and commodity

trade, other divisions of this multi-faceted

group concentrate on real estate, which Mr.

Shaikh particularly oversees.

As the city emerged from the global recession,

Mr. Shaikh met with senior realtors who shared

an optimistic outlook, a joint venture came to

life. “In recent years, we saw Dubai’s real estate

market rise up again. We decided that instead

of each individual developer making his own

effort to attract investors, we would collaborate

and make a sizeable marketing plan for the

international market”.

In pursuit of this objective, the team joined

hands with Jang, Pakistan’s largest media

group, which owns the highest newspaper

circulation and TV audience in the country.

Efforts are paying off and the first Dubai

Property Show in Pakistan is expected to be

held in June 2014 in 4 major cities.

“Pakistanis are among the largest contributors

to Dubai’s real estate; however many of them

shy away from flying to the emirate. Therefore,

we’re taking a select group of developers & real

estate brokers to their doorsteps”.

In Pakistan a mass media campaign has

been carefully structured to attract these

potential investors to the event, and talks

are ongoing with names such as Emaar,

Rufi Developers and Trisl Real Estate to be

partners in the event.

Having met a close friend with more than 10

years of success in Dubai’s real estate market,

Mr. Shaikh and his new strategic alliance are

now in the process of launching a one-window

solution for land owners who want to develop

their lands into sizeable profits. “As ‘client

representatives’ or development management

company, we will look after design and

construction, delivering buildings on time and

according to the agreed standards. What you

get is a building you can take pride in and bag

profits with. We have already initiated three

projects and construction will be under way

on all the three before June 2014.”

“Our business consortium includes

Professional Management Consultants,

Specialist Legal Consultants, Experienced

Architects, Reliable Contractors, most

Effective in-house Sales & Marketing team

and Home Owners Association Management

Company. We are providing opportunity

for Investment Funds & High Net-Worth

individuals to invest in consistently rewarding

real estate ventures, join hands with us in

our ambitious goals and capitalize on the

rewarding real estate of Dubai.” ■

ONE GROUP, one visionFUELED BY THE DYNAMIC ENERGY OF DUBAI, THE ONE GROUP INTERNATIONAL SERVES A RELIABLE LINK TO REAL ESTATE AND COMMODITY TRADE ACROSS CONTINENTS. HASIB NAWAZ SHAIKH, DIRECTOR OF

INVESTMENTS, SHARES HIS PLANS TO TAKE DUBAI’S REAL ESTATE MARKET TO NEW HEIGHTS.

Hasib Nawaz Shaikh.

In recent years, we saw Dubai’s real estate market

rise up again.


Fujairah Rockwool FactoryTel: 09 222 2297Fax: 09 222 2573

P.O. Box 211 Fujairah, [email protected]

Fujairah Ceramics Tel: 09 222 3995Fax: 09 222 7643


Fujairah Concrete Products Tel: 09 222 0009Fax: 09 222 0433


Fujairah National Quarry Tel: 09 224 1138Fax: 09 224 1158


Fujairah Marble & Tiles Factory Tel: 09 244 4101Fax: 09 244 4635


Fujairah Building Industries P.S.C.

Tel: 09 222 2051 | Fax: 09 222 7314 | P.O. Box 383 Fujairah, U.A.E. | www.fujfbi.ae

Setting a new standard in construction industry

unity in diversity

Subsidiary Of Fujairah Building Industries P.S.C.

8


Postech:

SATISFYING CUSTOMER NEEDSA LEADING DISTRIBUTION COMPANY IN THE UAE, POSTECH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1999 AND PROVIDES STATE OF THE ART POINT OF SALES, ACCESS CONTROL AND SURVEILLANCE SOLUTIONS.

A bout 15 years ago, Postech began

operations by opening a showroom

that offered cutting edge mobile

computing, barcode and RFID solutions.

With the visionary guidance of its founder Mr.

Rajiv Pandey, the company now has three

showrooms in Dubai and a loyal customer

base from all over the MENA region as well as

Europe.

“Our founder’s vision is to achieve brand

recognition. Even during the downturn,

we were among the few not affected by

it and came out even stronger. I think

this speaks volumes of the company’s

capabilities,” revealed Director Sales Sridhar

Raamalingam.

A team of experts, a portfolio of reliable

products and having a deep understanding

of customer needs is what sets Postech apart.

“Over the past fifteen years, we have worked

hard to earn a reputation of being dedicated,

reliable, and customer-oriented. I think for a

small organization with humble beginnings

from a showroom to becoming a name people

opt for is a big success,” he commented.

Mr. Raamalingam strongly believes

understanding the market and most

importantly customer needs are critical for

business success. “We have to understand

that customers are usually not tech savvy.

Sure they would know about gadgets, but

being well informed about technology is

another matter. It is the responsibility of IT

companies to educate their customers and

give them proper suggestions that goes on to

satisfy all business needs,” he said.

Previously a product-driven company,

Postech is presently looking towards re-

positioning itself in the market as a Point of Sale

solutions and consultancy services provider.

“We are gradually moving to a consultative

role where offering solutions take a priority.

Most customers are interested in knowing

what is good for them and that is what we aim

to deliver,” said Mr. Raamalingam.

Postech thrives on building solid

relationships with its customers by supplying

a well packaged solution based on customer

requirements and needs. Fueled by UAE’s

booming economy and events such as the

Expo 2020, the company is most certainly en-

route to business success. ■

Retail and hospitality are booming especially

under the wake of the Expo 2020 win. Our business

invariably works well with these two sectors;

thus giving us tremendous amount of opportunities.

Sridhar Raamalingam.

Unit # 8, Al Futtaim Building, Khalid Bin Al Waleed Street,Bur Dubai.

P.O. Box: 44245, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.Tel.: +971 4 3888 492, Fax: +971 4 3252 392Web: www.postechsolution.com

Postech

CEO Report: Gulf 2020

Documents

Transcript of CEO Report: Gulf 2020