1RGBB News

FROM THE CHAIR

Marcel LuckmanRGBB Chair

ContentsFrom the Chair ..........................12013-14 RGBB Board ...............2Gary says farewell .....................3RGBB Festive Ball.....................4BBA Notes.................................7BBG Notes ................................9Special Briefi ng ......................11Special FeatureIT Usage Policy .......................12 CommunicationsAre your wordskills up-to-it? ....15CCRWS St David’s Day .........16Lessons in Leadership ............18Welcome to new Members......19Photos from the Royal visit ..........................20Sports ......................................23RGBB Open Golf.....................24Golf Awards Dinner .................26Project Managers Appointed ................................29Saudi News Headlines ............30GCC watches Kuwait ..............32Sudoku ....................................32Feature - Guide to KSA Company Set-Up.............34BLANK.....................................36Culinary Corner .......................38

And Finally...............................40

AdvertisersOur thanks to the following advertisers. Without their support we could not publish.Please give them yours

Al Bustan ...... Inside Front CoverAlKhozama Hotel.....................10AMEX ......................................22Arabian Homes..........................8AXA ..........................................6BA.................. Inside Back CoverBAE Systems ..........................28Crawford & Co.........................19Crown Relocations ..................37InterContinental Hotel..............39One 2 One...............................34SABB ..........Outside Back CoverSESE.......................................14Sheraton Hotel ........................33

I am writing this note following the RGBB AGM which was held on Saturday 23rd March. I am delighted and consider myself privileged to have been elected

(albeit unopposed) as RGBB Chairman for the year 2013/4.Other persons elected to the Board for the next year are as follows:-

Sean Ellis - Deputy ChairAnthony Forester-Bennett - Board MemberKeith Newbery- Board MemberChris Konstan - Board MemberAndrew Pearce - Board MemberMike Bladon - Board MemberJane Blackledge - Board MemberKarim Hamdan - Board Member

We have not yet agreed which roles all people will be undertaking on the Board but this will be agreed shortly and membership will be advised.

The fi rst thing I have to do in my position as Chairman is to thank Gary Richardson, our outing Chairman, for his service to the RGBB Board over the last 5 years, the previous 18 months of which he spent as Chairman. Gary introduced a number of changes to the Board during his tenure as Chairman and we are now seeing the benefi ts of those changes. My hope is to build on these going forward. I am sure you will all join me in passing on your best wishes to Gary, Amanda and George. I know that Gary will still be a very visible members of the RGBB so we defi nitely haven’t seen the last of him. He will be organising a number of major golf events for the Riyadh community, including the RGBB open in February next year.

I would also like to thank Moaz Al Sibaai, Sean McPoland, Luke Bowen for their services to the RGBB Board over the last year.

My aims for the RGBB are very simple. I would like to continue to provide a combination of business, networking and social opportunities for our members. I am hoping also to continue to strengthen our working relationship with the UKTI group at the British Embassy.

The aim of the RGBB is to support British Business in the Kingdom and I believe that our group offers an unparalleled niche in this regard. It was with this in mind that the Board recently commissioned the new membership questionnaire. We believe that it is only by fully understanding what our members are up to in their day to day working activities that we can fully leverage what our members have to offer. I hope that anyone that hasn’t already done so will return the completed questionnaire to our Administration Secretary Elana McDermott admin@rgbb.org as soon as possible.

I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible at our forthcoming events, the next of which will be our Special Briefi ng in April.

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2RGBB News2

The RGBB 2013-2014 Board

Jane BlackledgeBoard Memberjaneblackledge@yahoo.co.uk

Marcel Luckman Chairmanmarcel.luckman@riyadbank.com

Christopher Innes-HopkinsEmbassy Representativechris.innes-hopkins@fco.gov.uk

Chris KonstanBoard Memberchriskonstan@aol.com

Sean Ellis Deputy Chairmanellis.family@hotmail.co.uk

Andrew Pearce Board Memberandrew.d.pearce@logica.com

Keith NewberyBoard Memberkeith.newbery@gmail.com

Peter BroomDeputy Embassy Representativepeter.broom@fco.gov.uk

The RGBB Secretary can be contacted on Saturdays Tel: 01 488 00 77 ext. 2263 or secretary@rgbb.org

Karim HamdanBoard Memberkhamdan@medgulf.com

Anthony Forester-BennettBoard MemberA.forester-bennett@aascl.com

Mike BladonBoard Membermikebladon@yahoo.co.uk

The RGBB Festive Ball

It seems such a long time since the RGBB Festive Ball. In fact it was held at the beginning of December.

Gary our Chairman and the board decided to splash out a little for the celebrations so we engaged the services of the ’Usual Suspects’ a local band made up of numerous expatriates who gave a well rehearsed and excellent performance. It is fair to say that our members and guests thoroughly enjoyed the live music. We hope to try and have more live and varied entertainment in future.

Our deputy Chairman Marcel and his wife Margaret, came up trumps, by bringing back

300 Festive crackers from Bahrain. These helped to add to the atmosphere as did the tree provided by the Sheraton, decorated with Marcel’s gold and silver balls !

The Sheraton provided a variety of canapes on arrival to compliment the pre-dinner refreshments, followed by a traditional Turkey Dinner and their special Festive pudding which was delicious.

We had a small disappointment in the fact that the Cigar Lounge was out of commission. Luke Bowen sent an email saying that the Cigar Lounge was unavailable as they had suffered a fi re and the Cigars had smoke damage. This created a little chuckle

as I gave my housekeeping address.

I am currently working on the 2013 Summer Ball, trying to arrange menu selections and quotes from the various hotels and discussing whether to try and engage the services of a band. This will be held on the 16th May 2013. I am also trying to

confi rm the venue for the Festive ball in December of this year.

We hope to see most of you at all the fourth coming events and I would appreciate any personal recommendations you have for Live music and DJ’s.

Jane Blackledge

Below: The new Board at the AGM

3RGBB News

FAREWELL

Iwas asked if I would contribute some copy to this issue of RGBB News to mark my "retirement" from the Board of

the RGBB. In putting pen to paper it is with mixed feelings of relief, pride and gratitude. Relief at the thought of being freed from the duties of RGBB Chairman and the pressures that the role brings, especially given my health scare earlier this year.

Pride in what I believe the RGBB Board has contributed to you the members, the community in general and UK Plc during my 5 years on the Board.

Gratitude for having had the opportunity to work with so many members of the RGBB who have wholeheartedly given of their time to making the RGBB a success. I am especially grateful to my long suffering wife, Amanda whose unwavering support and assistance has enabled me to carry out the numerous roles I have held on the RGBB Board since my initial election.

Since joining the Board in 2008 I have seen that any success that the Board has had has been through teamwork and I have been privileged to work with many committed individuals, on and off the Board, who have contributed not only to the RGBB but also to many other activities within the British community here in Riyadh.

One of the cornerstones to the success of the RGBB is good administration and I would like to thank wholeheartedly the RGBB Secretaries that have supported the Board during my 5 years, namely Jane Brierley, Brigitte Davenport, Andrea Corbett, Elana McDermott and Nicky Reyneke who have been of invaluable support to me.

When I became Chairman it was clear that some re-focusing was required to ensure that the RGBB continued to remain as the business group of choice and was taken seriously in the business community.

The addition of the Embassy and Saudi business liaison offi cer positions has assisted this aim greatly, and both roles are now starting to bare fruits that I hope the new RGBB Board and the members will benefi t from over the long term. I would like to thank Sean Ellis, Moaz Sibaai, Karim Hamdan, Chris Innes-Hopkins and Peter Broom for their hard work and commitment in making these roles relevant and successful.

During my time on the RGBB Board a number of Board members have come and gone, but several have remained in the background providing me with wise counsel and common sense when required and I would like to express my thanks to Owain Raw-Rees, Luke Bowen and Ian Crawford in particular for this support.

Other Board members and Chairs, who I have had the good fortune to work with, past and present, Nicola Quick, Chris Konstan, Sean Ellis, Sean McPoland,

Andrew Pearce, Keith Newbery, Jane Blackledge, Ian Hay, Marcus Cleverton, Simon Messum, Chris Maybury, Laurie Callow, Chris Konstan, Peter Hall, Stephen Jones and Moaz Al Sibaai have all given freely of their time and contributed to the success of the RGBB – thank you to all of you. Thank you also to Andrew Mead and his hard work in ensuring the regular publication of the RGBB News continues, especially in recent times when he has written more articles than JK Rowling.

Another cornerstone is the relationship with the Embassy and in particular with the United Kingdom Trade and Investment team and in this regard the RGBB has been fortunate to have had the able and willing support of many individuals notably Chris Innes-Hopkins, Peter Broom, Tim Dearden and Paul Williams. The excellent working and social relationship that the RGBB has had with the Embassy provides many benefi ts to all parties.

In addition to the UKTI team another equally important Embassy team is that of the staff, who work so hard, supporting the RGBB at the various business and social events – this team is ably led by the invaluable Gilbert D’Silva and Govindan Kutty - my especial thanks to them and their colleagues.

A third cornerstone is the fi nancial support received by the RGBB from its sponsors and advertisers – this income is essential as it allows the RGBB to ensure that the magazine is to a large extent self fi nancing.

The fourth and fi nal cornerstone is the membership of the RGBB – the support and kind words of all of you have been a great encouragement to me during my time in the Chair, especially those of you kind enough to fi nd time to contact me during my health scare at the start of the year.

Your support of the activities of the RGBB is and will remain central to the success of the RGBB. Your support to the new Board will be important to its success and I would ask that you all endeavour to support it in whatever manner you can.

My fi nal thank you is reserved for our new Chairman Marcel Luckman. As Deputy Chairman Marcel has been an incredible "wing man" during my time in the Chair, his work, effort and commitment have made my role all the more manageable and I am honoured to have had the opportunity to work with him and am proud to count him as a close friend as well as a colleague.

I am certain that he will be a strong and wise Chairman and believe that he is the perfect choice to lead the RGBB on the next phase of it’s journey.

All that is left for me to say is "thank you for the opportunity and for all of your support along the way"; I look forward to seeing many of you at forthcoming RGBB events.

Gary Richardson

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7RGBB News

Notes from the Eastern Chair

Geoff Fennah MBE

BBA - EP

British Business Association - Eastern ProvinceP. O. Box 1868, Oasis Gardens, AlKhobar 31952Tel: 00966 3 882 5288 ext 1651 Fax: 00966 3 882 5629Secretary: Tara Patterson email: secretary@bbaep.org

Greetings from the Eastern Province and a belated happy and prosperous new year to all at the RGBB. 2013 is already passing quickly and as I write these notes the temperature is already starting to climb with another long hot summer ahead.

Problems continue to surround us in the Gulf with Syria still at the forefront of concerns with Egypt not far behind. Dialogue in Bahrain is moving slowly but with commitment and goodwill from all sides it will hopefully bear fruit and return normality to the island. As for Saudi, everyone is far too busy to concern themselves with anything other than work!

BBA membership was around the 200 mark at year end and continuing to grow as more people arrive to support the many projects being undertaken across the Province. I should make particular mention of the Jubail sub-Committee, led by George Dinic, which has done a fi ne job by increasing their membership to over 30 providing us with better coverage of what is a huge area of opportunity - Eastern Province has a landmass of 672,500 km2 (259,600 Sq. miles).

Eastern Province continues to boom with considerable construction activity on the ground. I travel between Al-Khobar and Jubail several times per week and it truly seems to be one large building site with construction in all directions. For this reason, it was especially good, to host our Ambassador, Sir John Jenkins in Jubail Industrial City on 3 February and show him fi rst hand the extent of activity that is taking place.

In terms of business activities we were pleased to support the British Trade Offi ce (BTO), under the leadership of David Harries OBE, who continued to fl y the fl ag for UK plc by hosting a very successful Energy Week in early December. This was very well attended, including approximately 46 companies from UK. Other events during the latter part of the year involved rail projects, mining, training and other opportunities which are attracting a lot of interest from British companies. The latter part of the year was again busy with visiting trade missions from UK showing interest in the many opportunities that are surfacing and hopefully contributing to the growing trade defi cit in the UK.

As always if you have any ideas or suggestions for the BBA or need to contact us then feel free to call me directly, send an e-mail to Tara at Secretary@bbaep.org or at our website www.bbaep.org

Geoff Fennah MBEChairman,

British Business Association Eastern Province

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Notes from the BBG in Jeddah

BBG - JEDDAH

Captain Steve ThomasBBG Jeddah Chairman

Greetings from the Bride of the Red Sea. We trust that the winter in Riyadh has been a kind one. Here in Jeddah we’ve all taken advantage of the winter weather, culminating in our Annual Ball taking place in a somewhat unusual timeslot in the middle of March. A great time was had by all and it would be remiss of me not to thank our Events Co-ordinator, Jason King, and his team for their effort and application in making sure everything went so well. Also, thanks are due to our hosts at the British Consulate-General, not only for allowing the event to happen, but for taking such an active role in making it such a success.

On the business front we have participated in a couple of UK Trade Missions; the fi rst an Education and Training Gateway Mission and the second a Mission from South East England. We have two more missions this month and then we are looking forward to playing our part in the GREAT British Road Show which will be in the Western Region over the next few months with stops in Madinah, Yanbu, Makkah and Jeddah itself. Over the past year we have seen an infl ux of British expertise as major infrastructure projects such as the new airport and the Haramain railway move into full swing. We hope that the Trade Missions and the Road Show expose more British companies to the Saudi market and this exposure then bears fruit in due course. "From little acorns, giant oaks grow".

In January, our friends at Hogan Lovells gave an excellent presentation to the membership on the recent changes in Saudi business legislation; not just the law itself but also a very useful insight into the application and interpretation of the various aspects of the law. It is our intention that this will be just the fi rst of a series of informative business briefi ngs we host during 2013. The British Consulate-General here in Jeddah has also offered to host a follow-up meeting to the fi rst European Business Networking Event held last

Saudi News: Latest Snippets

November. Building on the lessons learnt, the BBG looks forward to working with our friends and partners at UKTI to consolidate and improve on the inaugural event.

I mentioned one social event, the Annual Ball, right at the beginning of my piece but we’ve also held two very successful Quiz Nights. We look forward to more of the same as well as perhaps a race night or two. We also have Survivors’ to look forward to in mid-May. Survivors’ Ball is the social culmination of our annual Sports Challenge against our "cousins" from the American Business Group of Jeddah. With eight different sports on the agenda, usually played both "home" and "away" and with a number of practice sessions, a large chunk of our membership participates. Hard fought on the fi eld of play, our hope is that these competitions engender both a social and a networking benefi t to the participants. Special mention is due to Arabian Homes and to Bupa Arabia for their continuing generous sponsorship. Good luck to all our teams.

We held our Annual General Meeting last month – our 34th. As part of the proceedings the membership elected the BBG committee for 2013-2014:

Chairman Steve ThomasTreasurer Gordon AtkinsonHonorary Secretary Carl RedmanBusiness Umar KhanCommunications Paul PapanicolaouEvents Jason KingIT Vik PawMembership Steve King

I am deeply honoured to have been asked to continue as Chairman and would, once again, like to thank and recognize the efforts of those who came before us. We intend to continue their work.

Capt. Steve Thomas

Until only recently, the concept of an ‘art week’ had yet to be seen in Saudi Arabia. Things are changing in the Kingdom.

For one, the lack of support and timid attention the local art scene has typically received from the Government – as noted by Robert Klijver in his Introduction to the Gulf Art World – no longer exist to the same degree they once did.

As well, little by little, local artists around the Kingdom have been receiving a signifi cant amount of support from galleries. The Jeddah Art Week, held between February

25 – 28, 2013 – perhaps the best example of this recent shift – was the fi rst of its kind in the city and the history of the Kingdom, and a signifi cant development in Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning art scene.

This initiative was the result of the solid will, motivation, and hope created by all the contributors involved; galleries, auction houses, educational institutions, and charitable organisations ,who pioneered a cultural innovation in Saudi society: Athr Gallery, Ayyam Gallery, Edge of Arabia, Sotheby’s, the Al Madad Foundation, and Dar El-Hekma College, among others.

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SPECIAL BRIEFING

The 2013 Saudi BudgetIn January, we welcomed DR Ahmad Telfah, VP & Chief Economist at Riyad Bank to brief the group on the 2013 Saudi Budget and its implications for business. We were relieved to hear that the growth of recent years is set to continue. As shown below, the planned expenditure for 2013 is, at 820Bn SAR, 19% higher than the 2012 planned expenditure of 690Bn SAR. In practice, revenues during 2012 were nearly double the forecast level (preliminary year end figure: 1239Bn SAR), so expenditure was increased to 853Bn SAR and a surplus of 386Bn SAR was set aside.

Dr Telfah’s view was that a similar thing will happen this year, with the final figures for income and expenditure exceeding budgeted levels. However we look at this, the outlook is good for big capital programmes, both from a rising budget and a healthy surplus in reserve. Only a dip in oil price or production below the assumed $70 barrel and 9.5mb/d could substantially impact this.

In SR billions2013

Budget2012

Preliminary2012

BudgetTotal Revenues 829 1239.5 702

Total Expenditures 820 853 690

Budget Deficit(-)/Surplus (+)

9 386.5 12

There was extensive discussion during the Q&A session about the correlation between the published budget and the amount of public money actually spent each year. The discrepancy was felt to be highly significant, as budget surplus from previous years is also used to fund public projects and this input to the economy could actually exceed the budget itself in terms of scale: unspent budget surplus in recent years has been of the order of 700-800Bn SAR per year (against a projected total budget of 820Bn SR for 2013).

Dr Ahmed explained that budget surplus was held by SAMA (Saudi Arabia Monetary Agency) and could only be released for projects by authority of HRH King Abdullah. One such example of this currently was the program of house-building, to provide an additional 500,000 dwellings, which is anticipated to use perhaps 250Bn SAR of the accumulated surplus.

So to see a full picture of public spending perhaps requires us to look at the budget in combination with SAMAs own accounts (http://www.sama.gov.sa/SITES/SAMAEN/REPORTSSTATISTICS/Pages/AnnualReport.aspx) but this does not tell us what will happen to the surplus in advance. In the coming year, surplus may for instance be retained rather than spent if there is a potential need to ramp up defense funding.

Further detail was explored by breaking down the budget by sector:

Categories 2013 2012 5402011

Education and manpower training

204(25%)

168.6(24.4%)

150(25.9%)

Health services and social development

100(12.2%)

86.5(12.5%)

68.7(11.8%)

Municipalities 36(4.4%)

29.2(4.2%)

24.5(4.2%)

Infrastructure and Transportation

65(7.9%)

56(8.1%)

47(8.01%)

Water, agriculture manufacturing and other

57(6.7%)

57.5(8.3%)

50.8(8.8%)

TOTAL OF THE ABOVE

462(56%)

377(55%)

319.2(55%)

TOTAL EXPENDITURES 820 690 540

and by looking at the growth of each of these:

The private sector was shown to be growing faster than any other part of the economy. Dr Telfah pointed out a barrier to this sustained growth in the form of reducing liquidity: the ‘velocity of money’ (the rate at which currency is recycled through the economy, or re-spent) has dropped from around 2 to just over 1 in the last decade in KSA. Given an assumed infl ation of 3.5% in 2013, liquidity will have to rise by 15% to allow the private sector to continue its growth at last year’s impressive rate of 7.5%.

Our thanks go to Dr Telfah and to Riyad Bank for an illuminating evening and not least for correcting my belief that the velocity of money was a measure of whether my wife could spend money faster than I could earn it…

Andrew DN PearceFor further information, Dr Telfah’s full presentation was emailed to all members on 13 January 2013

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The Information Technology (IT) landscape keeps changing rapidly, providing employees and organisations with new tools. New innovations and advances in IT, changes the way employees perform their activities.

With the pervasive usage of smart devices, users have multiple devices to perform their information processing requirements other than the PC, which used to be the case several years ago. Apple CEO Tim Cook calls this the “post-PC era”, a period where touchscreen-equipped smartphones and tablets will eclipse desktop PCs and notebooks. This evolution of technology has also provided the “bad guys” ample opportunities to exploit weaknesses in these technologies and in human behaviour. Employees utilising IT services often fall prey to these traps, exposing organisations to malicious attacks. Consequences can be devastating to organisations, including disruptions to IT services and exposure of confi dential information. Another aspect is the dependence on IT services by employees to conduct their activities. If any of the IT services such as e-mail, instant messaging, Internet and social media are unavailable, employees become severely handicapped.

Governing the basis of how employees utilise IT is essential for organisations to safeguard IT services. Having an Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP) contributes signifi cantly to achieve this goal.

Need for an Acceptable Usage Policy

With the increase in the threats of malware (malicious software) and other intrusions, action performed by users is a vital cog in maintaining enterprise IT security. At the same time, traditional attacks continue

to become more sophisticated to target enterprises as well as individuals. Hackers and malware authors keep identifying innovative methods to entice employees to perform tasks which will enable them to access corporate networks. According to Sophos (a UK based security fi rm), the number of attacks on organisations via its employees grew signifi cantly in 2012. Often employees use corporate e-mail IDs for personal correspondence and other communications which have not been sanctioned by the organisation. Employers can be held liable for employee actions because e-mail is treated as a ‘written record’; it exists as evidence, even after the record is believed to have been deleted.

Chevron Corporation settled out of court paying US $2.2 million after the company was sued because of an e-mail circulated within the company containing offensive material. Suffi cient guidelines are necessary for employees utilising e-mail and other IT services.

What is an Acceptable Usage Policy

Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP), is a document which provides guidelines to govern the use of IT services by users within an organisation. AUP defi nes boundaries between what is and isn’t acceptable. While the specifi c coverage within an AUP varies depending on the organisation, a typical AUP covers the following:

• Internet usage• E-mail usage• Use of passwords and related safeguards• Reporting incidents associated with IT services • Use of social media• Managing removable media• Safeguarding IT assets

Other essential components to be covered include data protection, copyright infringement, and etiquette while using IT services, as well as guidance on the misuse of IT resources, such as generating excessive network traffi c through the download of large fi les such as music or videos. In addition to the provision of guidelines to users on the use of IT services, AUPs are increasingly utilised by organisations to create awareness among users on good practices associated with the use of IT services and security. Another consideration is when employees access the organisation’s IT services using devices owned by the employee.

Another acronym which has been recently added to the ever-increasing technology jargon is BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). The concept of BYOD is gaining popularity, and IT Management is faced with challenges to ensure these devices do not pose risks

IT Acceptable Usage Policy Does your organisation have one?

13RGBB News

IT SECTOR

to the organisation. What happens if a device is stolen? Guidelines to store confi dential information within devices, access to corporate networks through the devices, and the installation of security software on devices are some of the issues to be addressed and are often covered within an AUP.

Social media has already taken its place as a strong communication medium. Employees’ use of social media exposes an organisation to multiple security risks. These include exposure of confi dential information, defamatory postings, and misrepresentation of corporate positions. Increasingly, organisations are using AUPs as a channel to communicate good practices that employees need to follow while posting information regarding the organisation on social media. The structure and content of an AUP varies based on the organisation. Several factors including the IT services provided to employees, the level of freedom to use IT for personal use, confi dentiality levels required and other specifi c requirements by the organisation need to be considered when compiling an AUP. Additionally the AUP must be practical and easy for employees to comprehend.

Proof of the pudding

As with any organisational policy, the effectiveness of the policy is directly related to the awareness created and how well the policy is implemented and enforced. John Linwood, Chief Technology Offi cer of BBC, recommends taking a pragmatic line which recognises that the user will fi ght their way around very restrictive policies. Hence, it is vital to defi ne policies which are practical, fl exible and can adapt to address ever-changing requirements. According to Gartner® the importance of IT AUP is already well-known to organisations such as educational establishments and in the healthcare industry. Organisations in other sectors must also look at the benefi ts that can be accrued through the use of AUPs and reduce the risks posed to an organisation from IT users.

About the author:Ravi Jayasundera is a Chartered Engineer and a member of the British Computer Society (BCS), the Chartered Institute for IT. He is a partner of a business-IT consulting practice based in the Kingdom of Bahrain, assisting organisations improve business processes and realise value from their IT investments. Ravi can be contacted on ravi@bcs.org.uk

Whether you’re an end user or an IT administrator, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is becoming the rule rather than the exception in today’s workplace. Although BYOD may be a convenience to your employees, you need to think about its impact on corporate security models.

BYOD encompasses more than personal computers. It means employees using smartphones, tablets, BlackBerrys, ultralight books and more for their work. The concept of BYOD broadens to include software and services, as employees use cloud services and other tools on the web. The shortcomings of technology which made BYOD unrealistic a few years ago have given way to broad popularity and use of these tools.

These include:1 Web: Today’s web is the singular way to access any

application—business, fi nancial, customer support, sales or technology.

2 Wireless: No matter where you are or what device you’re using, you have access to the back offi ce infrastructure through extensive Wi-Fi networks.

3 Mobile devices: Device form factors have become more sophisticated, cheaper and more portable, with more robust memory and battery life.

Implemented properly, a BYOD program can reduce cost while increasing productivity and revenue. As BYOD goes mainstream in IT departments, security should be front and center for users and IT administrators alike. BUT half of companies have lost a device containing important company data, causing security implications for more than one in fi ve organisations, according to recent report.

Furthermore, 57% of employees believe BYOD also puts their personal devices at risk, but that despite these risks, almost 86% of the workforce says they are attached to their devices. Twenty percent of respondents consider themselves "borderline workaholic," 15% take their devices on vacation, and 7% claim there is no distinction between their work and home lives. The study found that adopting a BYOD policy seems to have a small, though arguably statistically insignifi cant, positive effect on security as illustrated by a 5% drop in incidents at companies that have a BYOD policy.

At the same time, companies that allow BYOD experience a far greater productivity drain, with nearly a quarter of employees saying they spend more time than they care to admit using their personal device for personal use while at work.

Security & Lost Devices, BYOD Security a Growing Problem

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COMMUNICATIONS

Are you dotting your eyes and crossing your teas?How woeful literacy in the workplace could be costing you and your businessIn the UK and Australia during the 1970s and 1980s, very little by way of grammar and punctuation was taught in primary or secondary schools. This inadequate teaching has led to long term literacy problems in adults in both countries, and research is highlighting that these problems are affecting today’s businesses.

A report published in 2011 by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Education found that literacy is a national issue in the UK. In London, 40 per cent of fi rms say their employees have poor literacy skills – and report that it has a negative impact on their business1. In his address to the Policy Exchange in 2011, the Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, ‘deplored the human cost of substandard education’, and warned of the ‘serious threat to [the UK’s] international competitiveness’2.

In Australia, an AI Group study released last year3

found that many Australian workers are also struggling with the literacy demands of their job. The AI survey of over 300 companies highlighted that "mistakes and miscommunications waste time and resources; jeopardise client relations and adversely infl uence workplace culture". More than 75% of employers who responded to the Australian survey said their business was affected by low literacy and felt that all occupation categories were impacted; managers, apprentices, labourers, professionals and technicians.

As an example, last year, the hands-on CEO of a Western Australian law fi rm told me he was stunned by the lack of writing ability of his thirty-year-old employees being short-listed for promotion to manager roles. He took a close look at the quality of their written communications in external and internal documents and realised he needed to up-skill his team with in-house grammar and punctuation training.

It is a familiar story. A property developer entrepreneur friend recently had to reprimand a graduate trainee for writing and sending an unprofessional email to a client. She felt the informal nature, the poor English, lack of style and atrocious spelling tarnished her organisation’s reputation, and she was right.

Does your organisation suffer in a similar way? Without realising it, you may be allowing poor quality business communications to reach your clients. Yet you may not have the adequate capacity to assist in the improvement of literacy skills in your organisation. If it’s potentially going to affect client relationships, then it’s time to do something about it.

Tip 1: Identify some focused workshops to help youShort writing courses cover basic grammar skills, punctuation and different approaches to sentence construction. Writing skills workshops are offered by organisations such as the Plain English Foundation4. Find the right course and send your people on it. The investment of their time and your money will be worth it.

Tip 2: Develop an in-house style guideA set of language guidelines and a lexicon of terms, tailored to your services, tone of voice, values and company culture, can help with some of the basic skills of writing. If this includes a preferred structure for emails, short reports, business proposals and other internal or client-facing materials, then your employees have a reference document for their business communications.

Professional writers and brand or advertising agencies can assist in providing you with some basic rules. This should become a living document that is then developed further by communication champions within your organisation.

Tip 3: Research and buy reference books for the offi ceThere are thousands of grammar books and tomes on style, punctuation and plain English. Lynne Truss’s original work Eats, Shoots & Leaves has been redeveloped into a workbook by Clare Dignall called Can you Eat, Shoot & Leave? The latter gets into the nitty-gritty detail of hyphens and where to place commas and is very easy to follow. Buy a few and share them around.

Tip 4: Encourage ‘plain English’ and lead by exampleMany in the workplace think that clever buzzwords and lengthy sentences demonstrate their intellectual prowess. This approach to writing can actually alienate the reader and also create ambiguity. Swot up on ‘plain English’, start introducing it into your written communications and lead by example.

Leanne Mills is a professional writer and communications consultant at writeability.com.au

(Footnotes)1 Evening Standard, 31 May 2011.2 Report of the Inquiry into Overcoming the Barriers to Literacy, 2 Report of the Inquiry into Overcoming the Barriers to Literacy, 2

All-Party Parliamentary Group for Education, July 2011.3 When Words Fail – National Workforce Literacy Project, Australian Industry Group, 17 Feb 2012.4 www.plainenglishfoundation.com

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The 47th super bowl in New Orleans was claimed (as ever) as the best one so far – despite the power outage, it also made headlines for pitting brother against brother in the form of 49ers Coach Jim Harbaugh and Ravens Coach John Harbaugh. Whilst they may have captured the world’s attention because they are brothers competing against each other in the US’ biggest sporting event, you might fi nd that its their “New Style” approach to leadership that makes them win…

Much of my lessons in leadership, management, and business strategy were formed in Dallas as I set up my own Venture Capital fi rm, and the back drop of this learning was “Power lunches” where ex-coaches advised on how to drive your staff to better results. This approach always sat uncomfortably on my shoulders – the son of a Royal Air Force fi ghter pilot, I was never a follower of “My way or the highway” approach, something that probably always infuriated my father, maybe I was ahead of my time, perhaps just “week” as other business owners would state, but I always felt my teams performed better when I encouraged, rather than cajoled, and when I led by example, people followed more than when I dictated behavior.

American Football has long been a staple “go-to” for business guru’s and life coaches – from the likes of Vince Lombardi et al, many life lessons have been extracted, and re-sold, now we see a new trend, both in the word of business, and this is refl ected in the very traditional “Strong Culture”

of American football, where tyrannical generals traditionally screamed obscenities and dictated play from the sidelines – the old “My way or the Highway” leadership style may be on its way out for good!

The Harbaugh brothers are a shinning example of a new breed of NFL coaches who, rather than yelling at players, listen to them; Rather than forcing their authority over players, fl exes power through them; and rather than creating separate rules of engagement for the fi eld, and ignoring the “off fi eld” antics, treating pro-football as inseparable from life.

The question now though is why are winning coaches changing their behavior? The answer might be that our world has transformed, people can move not only from company to company, but to new towns, and countries far more easily than ever before in our history, so loyalty and “job for life” are terms of the past, and having fed for so many years on stories from football, I wanted to see if football can provide us with new analogies for how our leadership needs to change with the changing world.

Head coaches, and CEOs, are no longer in charge the way they once were. In a world that is constantly growing more interconnected and interdependent, anyone can become an instant leader, with the capacity to spark a country-wide revolution against a dictator, kick-start a consumer revolt, defend or denounce our teams or companies, lend ideas to a new ground-breaking project, or innovate with a few simple clicks of a

mouse. Regimes that have stood for decades, against international political pressure have been brought down recently by a few of the very people who lived under the regime’s tyranny – imagine how easy it is for your employees to revolt!

It may seem strange that NFL football coaches have embraced a new leadership approach to tackle this “new-world” sooner than most. After all, professional sports is a realm where traditional cultures are hard to break, and where being bigger, stronger, and faster than the other team is/was the be all and end all; and one where multi-million dollar paychecks are supposed to generate the kind of performance that results in wins, no matter what.

But increasingly, new technology is delivering new and innovative methods to out-perform competitors, both in sports, and business. How many industries can you name that have been completely transformed by the age of internet? And how many of those industries contain dinosaurs that cling to the old methods, and then wonder why they face bankruptcy?

In sports, opponents can study tapes immediately, analyzing the science of the tactics, and rob each other of tactical advantages, the same is true in business, with small, rapidly changing competitors bringing an entire new approach to industries that have huge amounts invested in the existing structure/systems, and who are unable to change rapidly to face a new business model.

Instead, we need to out-behave the competition. And that, more than anything, is how the Harbaughs did it this year: They created locker room cultures built

New lessons in leadership from American Sports

to withstand the rigors of a long season, just as in a business plan to cover the next year, your leaders need to inspire employees to connect, mature, and collaborate to overcome the long odds of getting “to the fi nal game”.

In the past, systems of punishments & bonuses were enough…except we could never work out why commission only salesmen sat around chatting, instead of selling, nor why salaried salesmen did not go above & beyond to reach their target – there was always a disjoint for me between the theory, and the practice. The best argument on this came from RSA Animate - Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us, it would appear that in football, as in life, bonuses and punishments no longer suffi ce.

So the question begs - how do you get peak performance? How do you get people to play (and work) hard? How do you get people to go to bed before curfew? How do you build the solidarity that wins a game or accomplish any diffi cult task? As power shifts to individuals, leadership itself must shift with it. As we all embrace our new roles as 21st-century leaders, we can:

Ensure our teams have shared values, guided by principles: The basics of any change management state that teams need to have shared ownership of everything they do. The principles need to be written in stone, methods are not. You should never compromise your principles, methods can be changed, not your principles!

Work to live, or live to work: Our work and personal and lives are no longer different spheres

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WELCOME

Sam Bin Abdoon .......... Sales Support Offi cer ................. ABB Electrical Industries Co LtdOlufunlola Balogun ....... Lawyer ........................................ Al-Jadaan & PartnersJames Barker ............... Head Of Music ............................ Multinational SchoolKevin Bates .................. Architect...................................... Scott Tallon Walker ArchitectsJeremy Branton ............ Sales Manager ........................... Pearsons EducationRichard Celand............. Contracts Adviser ....................... Saudi Oger LtdBen Dures .................... Project Manager ......................... Seder GroupAndrew Elliott ............... Project Manager ......................... Arriyadh Development AuthorityJalal Geilani .................. CEO General Director................. SATECH & Al Warood Med. CntrJohn Greene................. Head of Commercial .................. Cassidian Saudi Ltd

Kate Hemingway .......... Speech & Language Therapist ... Al Romaizan CompoundClare Hunter ................. Assistant Head Teacher ............. British International SchoolArfan Ismail .................. Head of Programme ................... CfBTDaniel Jaques............... Key Accoubnt Manager .............. Arabian Shield Cooperative Ins.Bill Jefffery .................... Loss Adjuster Engineer .............. McLarens Young InternationalPaul Jordan .................. Regional Training Manager ........ Cassidian Saudi Ltd (EADS)Gavin Leake ................. Partner ........................................ Deloitte & Touche Bakr Abulkhair & CoPeter Lishman .................Senior Commissioning Manager ...Hanmi InternationalPeter Lyall ................... Operations Director..................... Crawford & CoAndrew Macallister ....... Chief Operations Offi cer ............. Riyadh Development Co (RIDCO)

David McGlash ............. Lead Electrical Engineer............. Worley ParsonsEd. McMahon Turner.... Consultant................................... BAE SystemsEdward Melvin .............. Chief Underwriting Offi cer........... Saudi REJill Roberts................... Lead Educaion Consultant ......... SSAT Middle EastHardy Sohanpal............ Director ....................................... NasJet Private Aviation servicesGeorge Thomas ........... Team Leader .............................. National Guard Health AffairsHenry Wang ................ Executive Adviser ....................... SABICRobin Williamson......... Managing Director ...................... Deloitte Transaction Services LLC

Welcome to new membersgoverned by different rules, people spend more time in the offi ce than awake at home with their loved ones – the offi ce needs to be a nice atmosphere! Spend time with your team discussing family and other parts of their lives out of the offi ce – problems at home may be affecting their performance!

LISTEN, don’t just talk: Many leaders “Dictate” orders, instead of listening to the needs and ideas of their team – listening in a much misunderstood art, and it needs to be practiced

Inspire your team to aspire to signifi cance. Many leaders try coercion, intimidation, and bribery to achieve results, successful leaders connect with what is most valuable in others; they become the catalyst for others to aspire to peak performance in a principled and sustainable way.

Written by Stephen Jones

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SPORTS

The team of Godfrey Allen, Saad Al Othaibi, Eddie Lee and Shaun Temple pipped the opposition to triumph in the 2013 RGBB Open Championship. Pictured right, the Claret Jugs were presented by John Hymns from premier event sponsor Selex ES.

Another high turnout brought a another close fi nish. The event, which was staged at Dirab Golf and Country Club for the fi fth year saw 128 players battle for the title as strongly as ever before.

The event which took the form of a four ball Texas scramble saw 32 teams fi ght for the coveted claret jugs over 2 days of highly competitive golf. The quality of the players participating, combined with perfect playing conditions, clearly had a signifi cant effect as yet again a record number of teams shot below the par score of 72 on this challenging parkland course.

The Wednesday teams laid down a real challenge to their Thursday counterparts, with one eventually proving insurmountable. Overnight, Godfrey Allen’s team led the way with net scores of 55.

Thursday’s teams took full advantage of the perfect weather conditions which had continued from the previous day and set about overhauling the impressive overnight score from the start. The Team of Mark Campbell & Co really started strongly, with 5 birdies on their opening 7 holes. They unfortunately failed to capitalize on this strong start as other teams grabbed birdies late on to lay their own claim.

Despite the best efforts of the Thursday teams the overnight lead remained uncontested as Godfrey’s team had set a score on Wednesday that no team could quite match. Their prize included International fl ights courtesy of nasair.

In second place were Robin Williamson, Ben Pacey, Andrew McKechnie & Steve Parrott, who shot a 16 under par score of 56. They received 1,500 SR vouchers each for Almutlaq stores to accompany their trophies; these were awarded by Almutlaq marketing executive Omar Al Bakri.

In third place with a score of 57 (15 under par) on a count back were Richard Salisbury, Phil Kavanagh, Orazio Moretti & David Corbett who all received tournament bags as their prize from Ali Akram from UPS.

Fourth was secured by Peter Donkin, Ed Bulkeley, Clare Watts & Ian Wells who also shot a 57 (15 under par), but missed out on third place on a count back.

Fifth went to Mark Campbell, Phil Pannell, Ruhan De Kock & Nigel Davey, they came out on top of a 6 team tie for fi fth place on the count back rule.

The tournament which was organized by Gary Richardson and his team for the fi fth straight year was held over 2 days to accommodate the large number of players that entered the event.

The prizes for the longest drive for ladies division went to Clare Watts with Imran Qadir winning the men’s section. Closest to the pin on hole number 4 was Stuart Halliday, with Patrick Kennedy closest on hole 7 for the second year in a row. Mark Campbell was nearest to the pin on hole 11, with Phil Kavanagh securing the title for hole 16. The team longest putt was won by Paul Siffre, David Forster, Chris Innes - Hopkins and Mark Turner

The RGBB would like to thank everyone who was involved in making the event another huge success. We would particularly like to thank our generous sponsors without whom this event could not have taken place, these sponsors are: Selex ES, SABB, Volvo, First motor company, Almutlaq furniture group, UPS, British Airways, SIKA, American Express, Sheraton Riyadh Hotel & Towers, Almarai Co., Alyoum, Axa, nasair, The Al Khozama hotel, Turnberry, Noble Smile, The RGBB Golf Society, Riyadh village, Arabian shield, and Dirab Golf & Country Club.

Allen team triumph in the RGBB Open

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The Jeddah Economic Company (JEC) has appointed an EC Harris/Mace joint venture team to project manage the iconic Kingdom Tower project in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Kingdom Tower will be the world’s tallest building, standing over 1km in height. This will be taller than the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and four times the size of The Shard in London.

The partners of JEC are the Kingdom Holding Company with a stake of 33.35%, Saudi BinLaden Group (SBG) with a 16.63% stake, Abraar International Holding Company represented by Mr Samaual Bakhsh, with a stake of 33.35%, and prominent Jeddah businessman Mr Abdulrahman Hassan Sharbatly with a stake of 16.67%.

The EC Harris/Mace joint venture team will provide project, commercial and design management for the US$1.2bn (£780m) Kingdom Tower development. With a total construction area of over 500,000 square meters, the soaring Kingdom Tower will be a mixed-use building featuring a fi ve star luxury Four Seasons hotel, Four Seasons serviced apartments, fi rst class offi ce space, luxury condominiums and an observatory that will be higher than the world’s current highest observation deck. Construction work is due to start on site later this year and is due for completion within 63 months.

Eng. Waleed Abdul Jaleel Batterjee, Chief Executive Offi cer of JEC said, “The vision of constructing the tallest tower in the world in Jeddah belongs to HRH Prince Al Waleed bin Talal and that the project itself will set the world’s sights on our beloved Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and particularly on Jeddah. Furthermore, the project will help create hundreds of jobs for our Saudi countrymen.”

Batterjee added that JEC is also in the fi nal negotiations with for the appointment of Quantity Surveyor consultancy which will also be a UK based company.

Keith Brooks, Head of Property and Social Infrastructure at EC Harris said, "We are delighted to be on the team to deliver this iconic project. The Kingdom Tower is a landmark building that will clearly demonstrate Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to the world. We have a world class team in place and I am confi dent that our integrated approach to project, design and construction management will help deliver a safe and successful project.”

Mark Reynolds, Chief Executive of Mace, said: ““Kingdom Tower is a project of international importance and immense ambition and we are delighted to be part of the Joint Venture team tasked with its delivery. As the client’s project manager, I am confi dent we will deliver a development exemplary in innovation and approach. We look forward to the realisation of HRH Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal‘s vision which will secure international recognition for the Kingdom’s economic and cultural status.”

Kingdom Tower will be the centre piece of JEC’s US$20bn (£13bn) Kingdom City development which will be located to the north of Jeddah, overlooking the Red Sea. The Kingdom City will consist of over 5.3 million square meters of urban development and it will include residential, commercial, hotel, offi ces,

retail, educational and commercial centres as well as inland water features.

An interdisciplinary team led by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG), based in Chicago, created the design of the Kingdom Tower. Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill were appointed architects on Kingdom Tower in 2011. This appointment has been followed by the appointment of DAR Al-Handasah as the supervision consultant, Saudi Baeur as Pilling Contractor as well SBG as the main contractor.

The EC Harris and Mace joint venture team combines the experience of EC Harris and RISE, the Chicago based tall building experts, and both part of the ARCADIS Group, with international consultancy and construction company Mace. Together they have extensive experience delivering over 100 tall buildings around the globe including The Shard in London and The Landmark in Abu Dhabi.

EC Harris and Mace are working together on a number of projects, including a major programme of social infrastructure building projects for Qatar’s Public Works Authority Ashghal, Doha Festival City in Qatar, numerous retail and hospitality projects in the UAE and several major residential developments in Dubai.

EC Harris/Mace Appointed to Project Manage the World’s Tallest Building, Kingdom Tower

CONSTRUCTION

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According to the Saudi Gazette, the Kingdom’s Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf) could double the subsidies it provides companies scoring highly on the kingdom’s Nitiqat scheme. Nitiqat ranks private sector companies based on how many Saudi nationals they employ.

“Hadaf will pay half of the salaries of Saudi employees in private companies that rank high in the Nitaqat system,” the newspaper quoted Mohammed Al-Manna, director of the labour province in the Eastern Province.

“If the monthly salary of a Saudi employee is SAR10,000 (US$2,600), Hadaf will pay SAR5,000,” he added.The article added that under the proposal, Hadaf would extend the monthly subsidies it provides employers to four years from the current two.

Saudi Arabia, the Gulf’s most populous nation and world’s biggest oil exporter, is in the midst of a major drive to push more of its citizens into private sector employment. According to government estimates, 12% of Saudis are currently unemployed, while nine-tenths of workers in the private sector are overseas workers.

In November last year, the Ministry of Labour introduced a controversial new policy that would see companies that employ more foreign staff than nationals fi ned SAR2,400 (US$640) per overseas employer, per year.

The move has drawn praise from Prince Alwaleed bin Talal but criticism from others, including the Kingdom’s top Muslim cleric and the legislative Shoura Council.

Government to subsidise firms that hire nationals

Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) completed studies for a new pipeline that would link the company’s refi nery with the Eastern Province.

The project was estimated to amount to $350 million (SR 1,312 million), and would be completed by 2015, said Naji Ahamed, public relations manager at Bapco. Its total capacity would be 450,000 barrels a day, against 260,000 b/d before the expansion started. "This means that oil exports from Saudi Aramco to Bahrain would increase as well," he added.

Sitra refi nery made some expansions to increase its refi ning capabilities so it would be in pace with the volumes of incoming oil. "The pipeline route had to be modifi ed because of the housing expansion in the area, and to ensure a smooth maintenance operation of the pipeline," he said.

An agreement between Aramco and Bapco allows the former to pump 250,000 b/d of crude oil to the latter, but increasing the capacity of the pipeline and the refi nery will prompt an increase in the crude oil coming from the Saudi side, upon which negotiations are currently going.

Abdul-Jabbar Abdul-Kareem, general manager for mega engineering projects at the Bahrain Petroleum Company BSC (Bapco), has affi rmed that feasibility studies, predesign, and technical designing of the pipeline have been completed and detailed engineering stage could start as early as the fi rst quarter of 2013..

For more than 60 years, Saudi crude oil had been pumped to Bahrain via 61.5 kilometers of pipeline, of which 27 kilometers are underwater.

Saudi-Bahrain pipelineto carry 450,000 b/d

A team of experts from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain recently held talks in Manama to discuss the feasibility of a rail-link between the two neighbours.

At the meeting, the participants decided to conduct a study to examine the possibility of building a link from Alkhobar to Manama running parallel to the King Fahd Causeway thus providing an alternative route which would ease congestion. The proposal is expected to cost around $4.2 billion.

Members of the causeway authorities on both sides attended the meeting with representatives of the GCC as well as private sector companies joining them in the deliberations.

Among the key issues being explored is a build-operate-transfer option, which would involve the project becoming a private sector undertaking and supervised by the government.

Discussions will conclude with recommendations, an action plan and resolutions for decision-makers in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to mandate the way forward. One of the participants said the railways had helped advance economic development in Europe, the Americas and the Far East and the Gulf would be no different.

The feasibility report is expected to be fi nalised by the end of 2014 with operations commencing in 2017.

The project comes under the of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) railway project that will link all GCC countries, as well as the Gulf lines with the national transportation of those countries.

Bahrain - Saudi rail-link discussed

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SAUDI NEWS HEADLINES

Saudi Arabia will drill about seven test wells for shale gas this year, according to Oil Minister Ali Al-Naimi. “We know where the areas are,” Al-Naimi said at the Credit Suisse Asian Investment conference in Hong Kong. “We have rough estimates of over 600 trillion cubic feet of unconventional and shale gas, so the potential is very huge and we plan to exploit it.”

His Excellency Ali Ibrahim Al-Naimi is Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a post he has held since 1995. He is a Member of the Cabinet of the Council of Ministers, the Supreme Petroleum Committee and the Supreme Economic Council, Chairman of the Kingdom’s national oil company, Saudi Aramco, and Chairman of the Saudi Geological Society and of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

Saudi Arabia is seeking to develop its natural gas resources to meet rising domestic energy demand. Saudi Aramco, is searching for shale gas in the northwest of the country and exploring for unconventional resources such as sour gas in the oil-rich eastern region and in the Empty Quarter deserts, Senior Vice President of Upstream Amin Nasser told a conference March 10 in Manama.

The nation may hold as much as 645 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable shale gas, the world’s fi fth-largest deposits behind China, the U.S., Argentina and Mexico, according to estimates by Baker Hughes Inc. The Kingdom also has about 282.6 trillion cubic feet of proven conventional gas reserves, according to Aramco’s 2011 annual report.

Saudi Arabia to drill seven shale gas wells

The 1,729 MW PP11 power plant being built by owner and operator Dhuruma Electricity Company has commenced full commercial operation on schedule in March 2013. Built in two stages, the plant has already supported the Saudi electricity grid using its gas turbines to supply up to 1,040 MW during summer 2012 and, in particular, to meet the exceptional peak demand in Ramadan.

The plant is located some 125 km north-west of Riyadh in Marat Province. It is a greenfield (actually, sandy desert!) development of a combined-cycle power plant in an undeveloped region ~60 km from the nearest town, Dhuruma. The site is ~25 km from the nearest road (the 505 highway) and 380-kV grid connection, 1.2 km from the gas supply pipeline and some 60 km from the nearest available source of grey water. Therefore, in addition to the construction of the power plant itself, a 25-km road has had to be laid and 50 km of 380-kV overhead lines and 60 km of water main have been installed.

The plant is part of the Independent Power Project (IPP) model that is being deployed in parallel to the existing programme of power plants being built by Saudi Electricity Company themselves. The IPP model offers significant advantages as the design and construction are undertaken under the supervision of a special project company whose dedicated focus and streamlined decision-making processes facilitate adherence to the challenging schedules that have become the norm for such ventures.

The PP11 project is no exception. It completed its rigorous test programme just over a week ahead of its contractual commercial operation date, having surpassed by several percentage points its power output and heat rate guarantees. Availability levels during the operations last summer,

Riyadh Independent Power Project PP11commences commercial operation

at greater than 99%, also have set new records for recently commissioned machines. More pleasing, however, has been its highly creditable safety record with, as at the end of February 2013, in excess of 21 million man-hours since the last lost-time incident.

The power plant technology includes seven GE 7FA.04 gas turbines, associated single pressure (with re-heat) supplementary gas-fired heat-recovery steam generators (which increase the efficiency of generation by some 50% by reusing the heat in the gas turbine exhaust which otherwise would be wasted), two 307 D11 twin-cylinder steam turbines and balance-of-plant mechanical and electrical systems. The plant is designed to run on natural gas. A backup oil firing facility is currently held over due to difficulties supplying the chosen backup fuel, Arabian super light crude oil.

The project has also been highly successful in terms of collaboration between the Saudi and the international parties. The Dhuruma Electricity Company shareholders are Saudi Electric Company (50%), International Power (now wholly owned by GdFSUEZ; European) (20%), Al Jomaih Group (Saudi; 15%) and Sojitz Corporation (Japanese; 15%). It is hoped that this will be the first of a range of such IPP plants to meet the inexorable rise in Saudi’s electricity demand.

Jim Cooper, Executive Managing Offi cer,

Dhuruma Electricity Company

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Businesses across the Gulf have been watching closely as the Kuwaiti Government passed the long-awaited Companies Law at the end of 2012. Published after more than 23 years of discussion and debate, the new law is a game-changer in terms of the way commercial entities will now operate in Kuwait.

But the wider debate is around the potential ripple effect the adoption of these new principles might have, as other markets such as in Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia watch and learn. In the last month, Qatar’s government has drafted a proposed new law and most recently, the UAE has followed suit.

Kuwait’s new Companies Law replaces the Commercial Companies Law of 1960 and brings

with it a raft of new concepts and principles that without doubt, will help increasing the number of businesses we see setting up and investing in the Kuwait economy.

The law’s far reaching reforms are indeed signifi cant. Drafted by representatives of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Central Bank of Kuwait, the Capital Markets Authority, the Kuwait Investment Authority, private industry representatives, academics and lawyers from DLA Piper, the new law should streamline, encourage and support the growth of commercial entities in the country.

The regulatory system in Kuwait is dynamic, and as such, businesses need to constantly monitor developments. Commercial

entities will need to review their structures with the introduction of the new Companies Law to assess if changes either have to be made or would be recommended to make their operations more effective and profi table. Effective with its publication, companies have a six-month grace period to conform to the new regulations.

Amongst the key changes the new law brings is the introduction of the concept of a ’one stop shop’ for the incorporation and licensing of a company through a single department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. This will undoubtedly speed up and increase the number of new companies being set up in the future.

In addition, the law requires a more stringent adherence on the part of companies to best practices of corporate governance. This, combined with the separation of the Board of Directors from the Executive Management and an expansion of the powers of Managers and Directors means we will see a more fair and robust management of commercial entities where transparency is encouraged.

A further key change is the introduction of corporate regulations regarding Sukuks, bonds and convertible bonds. This is a critical development in what is a growing market and it is expected that this will create real advantages as the Islamic fi nance market continues to open up and grow.

The Companies Law also introduces the elimination

of minimum shareholding requirements and security shares for members of the Board of Directors of stock companies, introducing greater fl exibility in terms of shareholding. We will also see the adoption of the cumulative voting system for the election of board members.

One point that will remain unchanged however is the existing restrictions on foreign ownership and the principle of a minimum 51 per cent Kuwaiti shareholding in the capital of Kuwait companies.

One thing is certain, the new law not only brings a fairer, more transparent and more fl exible structure for corporate entities, it also potentially enhances competitiveness and profi tability for businesses in Kuwait if managed in a timely and strategic manner. These are all elements Governments around the region are trying to combine in their own versions of their Companies Law and the way in which Kuwait has woven the issues together could prove to be a template for the rest of the GCC.

GCC watches on as Kuwait’s New Companies Law is introduced

Article by Michael Yadgar, Legal Director in the Bahrain offi ce of international law fi rm

DLA Piper

SuDokuFill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.Answer on page 36

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At One 2 One Legal LLP, we provide specialist legal and legal related risk management services. Our team is able to assist from initial start-up of businesses to guiding companies on investment exit strategies.

Our list of services include the following: Islamic Banking and Finance; Project Finance; Shariah Advice; Corporate; Commercial, Company Secretarial; Dispute Resolution; Mediation; Private Client; Legal Training; Executive Management; In-house Counsel; Business Risk Management; and Law Firm Client Protection Service.

Our services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are provided in association with the Law Firm of Mohammed A. Al-Aqeel.

Please visit our website at: www.one2onelegal.com

One 2 One Legal LLP is registered in England and Wales, registered number OC378831 with its registered offi ce address at: 145 - 157 St John St, London, EC1V 4PW, U.K.

Guide to corporate forms for British companies wishing to conduct business in Saudi Arabia

A key consideration for any British businesses considering setting up operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is to understand the types of corporate forms available and whether the available corporate forms are indeed effective for the intended business activities. Below is a very brief narrative of the options available to British businesses.

Saudi Arabian Companies Law recognises 8 forms of corporate structures, namely the following:1.

• General Partnerships• Joint Liability Partnership Company; • Limited Partnership;• Partnership Limited by Shares Company;• Variable Capital Company;• Cooperative Company;• LLC; and• JSC

However the most common form utilised by local businesses as well as foreign investors are the limited liability companies ("LLC") and the joint stock company ("JSC"), when considering corporate structures. For ease of reference we have provided a feature and comparison table for both an LCC and a JSC opposite.

In addition to the corporate forms available under the Companies Law, there are also the possibility of setting up a branch offi ce of a foreign company ("Branch Offi ce"), technical and scientifi c branch offi ce (the "TSO"), professional companies ("Professional Companies"), and agency arrangements ("Agency Arrangements"), these are detailed and discussed in brief detail alongside.

Branch Offi ce

It is also possible to register a branch offi ce of a foreign company. The liability of the branch offi ce may be limited to a degree in so far as the branch offi ce’s net liability does not exceed 50% of the capital of the branch offi ce, the minimum of which is currently set at SAR500,000. The usual process of obtaining a SAGIA licence is required. It is possible for the branch offi ce to sponsor its own employees.

TSO

Some foreign companies decide to establish TSO, these are set up to assist the local partner, as opposed to a fully functional trading operation. TSO are allowed upto 5 employees, however these employees are sponsored by the organisation that is to be supported. The TSO is not able sponsor it’s own employees. Other than providing permanent residency to a number of it’s employees, the main value appears to be in the marketing of a permanent presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Commercial Agency Arrangements2

According to the Commercial Agency Laws, foreign companies often enter into agency agreement with Saudi individuals or Saudi wholly owned businesses; the agency arrangement covers all forms of agency arrangements but also includes distributor arrangements and franchise arrangements. It is essential to ensure that a proper agency agreement is entered into, as the current laws very much favour the local entities as opposed to the principal. It is not uncommon to see principal / agents disputes on a regular basis.

Professional Companies3

At present it is not possible to carry out engineering elements of a contract other than through a Professional Company. As a result foreign engineering companies may consider entering into an arrangement with a Saudi national or a Saudi Professional Company to provide engineering services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. At least 25% of the professional company must be Saudi.

1 Companies Law, issued by Royal Decree No. M/6, dated 22/3/1385H (cor responding to 22/7/1965).

This law is under review and expected to be superseded by a new Companies Law in the near future.

2 Commercial Agencies Law, issued by Royal Decree No. M/11, dated 20/2/1382 (corresponding to 22/7/1962).

3 Professional Companies Law, issued by Royal Decree No. 4, dated 18/2/1412 H (cor responding to 26th August 1991).

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CORPORATE FORMS

Feature JSC LLC

Number of Shareholders Minimum 5, There is no maximum. The minimum is two and the maximum is fi fty.

Minimum Share Capital 2,000,000 Saudi Arabian riyals. None.

Paid Up Capitalat Time of Incorporation

The greater of (i) 25% of the stated capital of the JSC or (ii) 1,000,000 Saudi Arabian riyals

Fully paid up.

Par Value of Shares 10 Saudi Arabian riyals None specifi ed .

Share Certifi cates Ownership is represented by share certifi cates. Ownership is recorded in the share registry, which serves as evidence of the ownership interes

Transferability of Issued Shares

Issued shares are freely transferable except for shares of the founding shareholders, which are subject to a two-year statutory lock-up period.

The transferability of issued shares is subject to a statutory right of fi rst refusal to the benefi t of other shareholders.

Restrictions on the Issuance of Additional Shares to Third Parties

Newly issued shares must fi rst be offered to existing shareholders.

There are no statutory restrictions on the issuance of new shares to third parties.

Restrictions on Sale of Shares to the Public

Securities of a JSC (shares and debt instruments) may be sold by public subscription.

Securities of an LLC (shares or debt instruments) may not be sold by public subscription.

Liability of the Shareholders In principle, the liability of the parent companies for the debts and obligations of the Saudi JSC will be limited to their respective contributions in the JSC’s share capital.

The same principle applies as with JSC under the Companies Law, with certain specifi c exemptions.

The most notable exemption is in Article 180 of the Companies Law. Where the losses of an LLC exceed 50% of the share capital of the LLC, the shareholders shall convene a meeting to determine whether to dissolve the LLC or not. If the shareholders determine to continue the LLC, they shall become jointly, severally and fully responsible for the LLC’s debts.

Constitutional Documents • articles of association ("AoA")• by-laws

These documents tend to be standard form documents.

• articles of association ("AoA")

The MOCI provides more latitude in the drafting of the articles of the LLC than a JSC.

Management of the Entity Board of directors of at least three directors. A sole general manager or a board of managers.

Director/ Manager Ownership Requirements

Each Director must hold shares with a minimal aggregate value of 10,000 Saudi Arabian riyals.

A Director who represents a corporate seat on the board need not comply with this requirement, but the corporate entity must hold the aforementioned requisite number of shares.

None.

Authority of Management to Operate Entity

The power and authority of a Director is principally derived from the Companies Law (and supplemented by the JSC’s own by-laws).

The power and authority of a Manager is typically provided for in the company’s Articles of Association.

Accordingly, LLCs provide for more latitude in this regard.

Residency of Directors/ Managers

Current published regulations do not expressly regulate the residency or citizenship of Directors.

Under current practice, MOCI generally appears to require the same proportion of Saudi nationals serving as directors as Saudi ownership of the JSC.

Current published regulations do not expressly regulate the residency or citizenship of Managers.

MOCI typically requires that at least half of the managers be GCC nationals and/or foreign nationals with residency (i.e., Iqama holders). Where the LLC is managed by a sole manager, that manager must be a GCC National or a foreign national with an Iqama.

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36

SuDokuAnswer on to puzzle on page 30

David Bowie has scored his fi rst number one album

in nearly 20 years, after the ageing rocker — who qualifi es as a pensioner — went straight to the top of charts with his latest record.

That makes it the 66-year-old singer’s fi rst chart-topper since 1993’s Black Tie White Noise, the Offi cial Charts Company said. Bowie surprised fans and the music industry in January with the unexpected release of the single Where Are We Now? on his 66th birthday and the announcement that an album of fresh recordings would be issued in March.

Also in the singles charts is "One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks)" a song recorded by the British boy band One Direction, released as the 2013 Comic Relief charity single on 17 February 2013. It is a medley of Blondie’s "One Way or Another" (1979) and The Undertones’ "Teenage Kicks" (1978).

One Direction are an English-Irish pop boy band based in London They signed with Simon Cowell’s record label Syco Records after being formed and fi nishing third in the seventh series of British television singing competition The X Factor in 2010.

Propelled to international success by the power

of social media, their two albums Up All Night (2011) and Take Me Home (2012), broke several records, topped the charts of most major markets, and generated hit singles, including "What Makes You Beautiful" and "Live While We’re Young".

And thinking of those song titles,whatever has happenned to Lindsay Lohan? After yet another court appearance and for the fi rst time, Lohan’s treatment will take place in a "lock down" rehab facility.

This means Lohan will be in treatment round the clock and won’t be able to leave the facility for any reason. Even after a few weeks, when patients typically can earn the privilege of an off-grounds trip, Lohan will not be eligible. "No day passes. You can’t leave," California Superior Court Judge James Dabney told Lohan, warning her that if she did leave it would be considered a violation of her sentence.

And speaking of jailbirds, The Daily Express reports that Chris Huhne, jailed with his ex-wife for 8 months after perverting the course of justice over a decade-old speeding offence, is said to have been treated with respect and even sympathy whilst serving time in Wandsworth Prison in south London. One inmate, reportedly told a prison visitor:

"You’d think he would be getting a bad time from all the men in here, some of whom are very serious gangsters. "But you would be quite wrong. It’s astonishing. Everybody feels rather sorry for him, plus he has also become a bit of a hero fi gure. "That’s because there is a lot of macho posturing in here and everyone sticks together when it comes to a case, such as his, involving a woman who they think has behaved badly by getting revenge on a man. That’s how they view what happened to him."

Chris, you might recall, split from his wife after an affair with his bi-sexual asistant.

After seeing lover Chris Huhne jailed for lying to dodge a speeding ticket, Carina Trimingham will no doubt take her own motoring fi ne on the chin. She got a £110 penalty for parking in a permit holders’ bay while visiting her boyfriend at Wandsworth jail in early March.

And talking about splitting up, Girls Aloud are also in the news. GA, an English-Irish pop girl group

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UK GOSSIP

created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002, the group consists of singers Cheryl Cole, Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. A tweet sent just after their fi nal concert in Liverpool said: “Dear Alouders, we just want to say from the bottom of our hearts Thank you!! This tour has been an amazing experience and the perfect chance to say thank you for being on this journey with us through a decade.”

Another lass who announced her retirement

recently was Rebecca Adlington. The 23-year-old Briton won double Olympic gold at Beijing in 2008 in the 400m and 800m freestyle and a pair of bronze medals in the same events at London 2012. Rebecca also came third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 2008.

The latest award of course went to Bradley Wiggins.

Perhaps it was always going to be Wiggo’s night. From the moment he made his entry looking like a Rod Stewart tribute act circa 1972 and repeatedly calling Sue Barker "Susan", as if for a dare, you knew there could only be one personality of the year.

He duly strutted back to accept the award, promised he wouldn’t swear, announced there was a free bar provided

by the BBC, ordered his kids Ben and Bella to go to bed, and told his nan that the cheque was in the post for pressing the redial button god-knows how many times. "Good night and God bless,"

Wiggo was presented with his award by the Duchess of Cambridge who of course is always in the news.

Whilst most of the coverage these days is about the size of the growng “bump” January’s coverage was all about that dreadful portrait. Artist Paul Emsley said the

Duchess’s "beauty" made her harder to paint. Critics were not impressed saying it made her look older.

‘It’s only saving grace is that it’s not by Rolf Harris,’ was the best that David Lee, now editor of The Jackdaw and a former editor of Art Review, could manage. Kate, on her fi rst offi cial outing for almost a month, was far more polite. ‘It’s just amazing. Absolutely brilliant,’ she told the artist, when she met him at the National Portrait Gallery, where the picture will hang.

CULINARY CORNER

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The notion that to be fi t and healthy you need to eat good food has been around for longer that you might think.

Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote, in Physiologie du Gout, ou Meditations de Gastronomie Transcendante, 1826: "Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es." [Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are]. In an essay titled Concerning Spiritualism and Materialism, 1863/4, Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach wrote: "Der Mensch ist, was er ißt." [man is what he eats]

Neither Brillat-Savarin or Feuerbach meant their quotations to be taken literally. They were stating that that the food one eats has a bearing on what one’s state of mind and health.

When I’m trying to decide what to put on my plate, one of my favourite websites for receipe inspiration sticks to this maxim.

Compiled by ex-Riyadh resident Monika Wood, www.cookingfairy.net has some amazing ideas and I’d strongly suggest that you visit the website and try some of the recommendations for yourself. The rest of the page is extracted from Monika’s Blog........Ed

Spice up your life.Having lived in the Middle East for many years I got to appreciate all those wonderful spices that we in the Western world don’t tend to use that much. My students would often come to class with home-made dishes and told me how to make them. They also use spices as remedies for all kinds of things and called ’cinnamon’ the ’woman’s spice’. Many ancient cultures have traditionally used spices in their food. In India for example, where spices tend to be used by the handful, incidence of diet-related diseases like heart disease and cancer have long been low.

Modern science is beginning to uncover the ultimate power of spices as weapons against illnesses from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease. Using spices in your cooking not only enhances the fl avour, but hugely benefi ts your health, too.

Many ancient cultures have traditionally used spices in their food. In India for example, where spices tend to be used by the handful, incidence of diet-related diseases like heart disease and cancer have long been low.

Spices are versatile and can be used in savoury and sweet dishes alike. What’s not to love? Here I’ve gathered fi ve of the healthiest spices enjoyed around the world, together with some recipes ideas from the website, so you can try them out straight away.

TurmericModern medicine confi rms turmeric (or curcumin) as a potent antioxidant and anti-infl ammatory. It has been shown to help relieve pain of arthritis, injuries and dental pain; it’s also being studied for its potential in managing heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Preliminary studies have found that curcumin can inhibit tumor cell growth and suppress enzymes that activate carcinogens, particularly in colon, prostate and breast cancers.Recipe to try: Pea and Mint Soup (Snacks and Starters)

CinnamonCinnamon was prized by King Solomon and used by the ancient Greeks and Romans to relieve indigestion. In the Middle East it is used to relieve premenstrual syndrome (PMS) such as abdominal cramps and mood swings. A few studies suggest that adding cinnamon to food - up to a teaspoon a day - might help people with type 2 diabetes better control their blood sugar by lowering post-meal blood-sugar spikes. Recipe to try: Date and Nut Bread (Baking)

SaffronSaffron has long been used in traditional Persian medicine as a mood lifter, usually steeped into a medicinal tea or used to prepare rice. In the Middle East it is used to help relieve symptoms of PMS and depression. In one study, 75% of women with PMS who were given saffron capsules daily reported that their PMS symptoms (such as mood swings and depression) declined by at least half, compared with only 8 percent of women who didn’t take saffron.Recipe to try: Yoghurt with Rosewater (Desserts)

CardamomThis exotic spice contains many compounds that are known to have been anti-oxidant, disease preventing and health promoting properties. Cardamom is a good source of minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fl uids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Calcium and magnesium help strengthen bone structure.Recipe to try: Aromatic chicken (Poultry)

Cumin seedsCumin seeds are known to have antioxidant properties. The seeds are an excellent source of dietary fi ber. The active principles in the cumin have a positive infl uence on the gastro-intestinal tract. This spice is an excellent source of minerals like iron, copper, calcium, potassium, selenium, zinc and magnesium. It supports the production of red blood cells and many enzymes that regulate growth and development, sperm generation and digestion. It further helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Recipe to try: Fish and coconut curry (Fish & Seafood)

And besides all the great benefi ts for taste and health, all those lovely coloured spice tubs make your kitchen shelf look great and your house smell like an oriental bazar – in the most wonderful sense of meaning. So, what’s not to love? Time to spice up your life!

AND FINALLY

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The year hardly seems to have started and here we are with a quarter of it already gone. Thoughts are turning to where to go and what to do in the Summer holidays and I’m sure many of you will have already made your minds up.

Many of the friends I’ve made in Middle East countries tell me they love to go to the UK but sadly most of them hardly ever get out of London. The UK’s capital city has a wealth of attractions to suite every budget and every interest but those who think London is representative of the rest of the country are missing out - BIG TIME!

If relaxing in an historic garden appeals we have some of the most famous green spaces in the world. Bicton Botanical Park has magnifi cent grade 1 listed gardens set in East Devon’s picturesque Otter Valley or there’s also a whole rainforest undercover at the Eden Project in Cornwall.

If water “fl oats your boat”, chugging down one of Britain’s inland waterways is a relaxing way to see the countryside. Step into a self-drive day boat and explore at your own pace. If you fancy the experience of sailing a classic yacht, you’ll fi nd all sizes available in Brixham and Dartmouth.

For natural beauty, Dartmoor is the largest and wildest area of open country in Southern England and also in the south the Dorset and East Devon Coast, also known as The Jurassic Coast, has 95 miles of dramatic coastline providing an almost continuous geological ’walk through time’ spanning the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

But what do you do if it rains?... and it does sometimes rain in England! Maybe a trip underground will fi re the imagination. Find out about how our Stone

Age ancestors lived in the prehistoric caves at Kents Cavern.

But perhaps you see yourself burning off energy in an olympic sized swimming pool or even testing yourself on an indoor climbing wall.

If you’d rather come face to face with all manner of sea life, there are over 4,000 marine fi sh in the National Marine Aquarium, of almost 400 different species, as well as many thousands of invertebrate animals and one Loggerhead Turtle.

And don’t forget that we have some of the most famous zoos and wildlife parks in the world. You can get close to Agoutis and Zebras, rare and endangered animals or share the road with giraffes and meddlesome monkeys as well as seeing rhinos, tigers and lions.

One of the most surprising things about getting out of London is

how much cheaper it can be to stay in a small Hotel or Guest House. All of the places described in this article are accessible from the English Riviera, and that’s home to some great accommodation.

One elegant place to stay is The Robin Hill, pictured above. It’s an AA 4 Star rated Guest House. Bed and Breakfast for two in a superior en-suite room could be yours for as little as £120 per night. Located only 500m from Torquay Harbour it’s only a brief stroll to the shops, restaurants and bars but far enough away from them for you to enjoy a little peace and quiet if you prefer.

Q. So where will I being going for my change of pace this year?

A, The English Riviera in the County of Devon. You’ll fi nd me at The Robin Hill. Please call me if you’re planning a visit.

Andrew Mead

Where to go and what to do?