Private Sector Qatar - English | December 2012

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LegaL issues Business advice

success story Big 5gLoBaL entrepreneurship week

reaL estate anaLysis

What's in the DNA of AN entrepreneur?

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ـــــاب ــــرقـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـــ ـ المـ ــــلةالشقــــق الفندقيــــــــة ـ ــــــــــــ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ــــــسرة مشــــــــــــــــــــــــــيرب ارميـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ــــــادةالجــــــ ـ ـ ـــــــ ــــ ــــــ ـ النجـA L M I R Q A B A L N A J A D A R E S I D E N C E SA L J A S R A M U S H E I R E B A R U M A I L A

ـــالة ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـــــهتك لألصـ ـ ـ ـ ـ ـ وجـتحقق سلسلة فنادق البوتيك في سوق واقف، من خالل فنادق البوتيك الستة و الشقق الفندقيــة

الجديدة، نقلة فارقة في الصناعة الفندقية الفخمة في المنطقة التاريخية و األثرية من الدوحة التي تمثل ٔاحد ٔابرز معالم العاصمة السياحية. اذ يحتضن سوق واقف الذي شكل منذ زمن بعيد محور و مرتكز الحركة التجارية في العاصمة القطرية، ويتراوح عدد غرف الفنادق الستة الجديدة بين ١٤ و٣٧ غرفة فندقية، تتميز

بهندستها المعمارية الفريدة أجوائها الرحبة، بينما تتمايز عن بعضها البعض بتصميماتها المستلهمة من األصالة القطرية ٔاو الحداثة الفخمة، وهي مصممة لتوفر للنزالء، سواء من رجال األعمال ٔاو السائحين ٔاو

المقيمين في قطر، ضيافة ورحابة تخلد في ذاكرتهم.

[email protected] | swbh.com | هاتف: ٤٤٣٣٦٦٦٦ ٩٧٤+ | الدوحة | قطر

















News10 UPDATESGet to know about the latest events and happenings in Qatar that will have an impact on SMEs and large enterprises.

26 SNAPSHOTSWe bring you snapshots from the main sessions of the GEW Qatar held at the Crown Plaza Business Park Hotel, Doha.

30 TARGET A NICHESpeed Line Printing Press, one of the most successful printing companies in Qatar, managed to capitalise on the niche market developed within the sector. Tamara Pupic shares with you their story.

28 ALMIGHTY ENTREPRENEURSHIPIt seems that being an entrepreneur has become quite popular lately. Mark Dixon, CEO, Regus, advises about entrepreneurship to help you keep up with this new trend.

32 EXPORT – THAT’S THE FORMULA!Tamara Pupic shares with you thoughts of M. Hazaa Alheraki, General Manager, Al Shams Advanced Lighting Technologies (Q.P.S.C.), on their business development and export strategy, after they met up at the Big 5.

Global Entrepreneurship Week

contentsDecember 2012

16

20

About town

Entrepreneur

SMEs

16 LET OUT THE INNER ENTREPRENEUR!The Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) was held, for the first time in Qatar, from 11th till 17th November 2012 with the aim of doing what it takes to make Qatari entrepreneurs and startups even more successful. Private Sector Qatar brings to you an exclusive coverage of the whole event.

18 THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENTWithin the Individual Leadership & Entrepre-neurship stream, the participants of the GEW Qatar had a chance to learn more about entrepreneurship and be advised by those who already made it in Qatar. Private Sector Qatar was there to make sure that valuable tips are shared with you as well.

20 JOINT SUCCESS!With the aim of finding new solutions for support of entrepreneurs and SMEs, Enterprise Qatar and Qatar Development Bank held two interesting sessions within the Policy, Financial, & Legal stream of the GEW Qatar.

24 TECHNOLOGY FOR A BETTER LIFEThe Creative, Design & Technology stream of the GEW Qatar focused on the opportunities in the ICT sector.

14 THE RIGHT PLATFORMPrivate Sector Qatar was at the Big 5, which took place from 5th to 8th November 2012, to bring you a snapshot of this international construction and machinery show and impressions of 22 Qatari companies that were present at the Qatar Pavilion.

46

34

30

34 BE IN THE RIGHT ZONEDr. Tarek Coury, Chief Economist, Tanween, proposes a solution to tackle the impact of high construction costs on the real estate industry in Qatar. Don’t miss this valuable advice!

Sector study

Legal42 PACkING UP Emma Higham, Senior Associate, Clyde &Co, provides the second article in a series relating to the winding up provisions which apply to companies incorporated in the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) under the QFC Insolvency Regulations (Insolvency Regulations).

Business advice46 MOVE UP THE LADDER! Salwa Atiyyah, Senior Career Guidance Manager, Silatech, helps us figure out the criteria Qatari employers use to select the right candidate.

Industry50 POWER FROM POWER After the successful press visit to Alstom’s headquarters and facilities in France, Germany and Switzerland, Tamara Pupic brings to you the first of a two-part series on Alstom’s business growth in the Middle East region with a special focus on Qatar.

Marketing54 SMART MARkETING ESSENTIALS Aref El Nakadi, Marketing and Corporate Communications Manager, Ahli Bank, suggests how SMEs can improve their marketing strategies and benefit from Qatar’s economic growth.

Technology38 STAY CONNECTED!Mohammed Mehdi Al Yami, Director for External Relations, Vodafone Qatar Q.S.C., explained to Tamara Pupic why telecommunications infrastructure is crucial for proper development of SMEs and entrepreneurs.

qatar.smetoolkit.org/qatar/en

editoriaL

Aparna Shivpuri Arya, Senior Editor, Private Sector Qatar

Talk to us:E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: @PrivateSectorQA Facebook: www.facebook.com/PrivateSectorQatarLinkedIn group: Private Sector Qatar

qatar.smetoolkit.org/qatar/en

publisherDominic De Sousa

Group COONadeem Hood

Managing DirectorRichard Judd

[email protected] +971 4 440 9126

eDItOrIAL

Senior editorAparna Shivpuri Arya

[email protected] +971 440 9133

Assistant editor - englishTamara Pupic


Assistant editor - ArabicJenny Kassis


Contributing editorsMike Byrne


ADVertISInG

Commercial DirectorChris Stevenson


CIrCuLAtIOn

Database and Circulation ManagerRajeesh M


OperAtIOnS AnD DeSIGn

production ManagerJames P Tharian


Head of DesignFahed Sabbagh


photographerJay Colina


DIGItAL SerVICeSwww.smeadvisor.com

Digital Services ManagerTristan Troy Maagma

Web DevelopersJerus King Bation

Erik BrionesJefferson de Joya

Louie Alma


published by

Head OfficePO Box 13700

Dubai, UAE

Tel: +971 4 440 9100Fax: +971 4 447 2409

printed byAl Wraq Printing Press, Qatar

Distributed byDar Al Sharq Distribution

© Copyright 2012 CPIAll rights reserved

While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this

magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

We didn’t even realise where this year went by and that the English version of Private Sector Qatar is almost a year old!

A year older and wiser definitely and what a year it has been! From covering success stories,entrepreneurs to regional and local events it has been a tough but fulfilling journey. We took baby steps this year to feel the pulse of the private sector in Qatar and we can say with some confidence that we feel at home now.

We are very excited about 2013 and looking forward to bringing you more interesting stories, business advice and events.

Talking about events, we recently organised the Global Entrepreneurship Week in Qatar for the first time and it was seven days of intensive discussions and workshops about various aspects of being an entrepreneur. Don’t forget to read our coverage of the event!

We also covered the Big 5 and got the opportunity to meet some of the Qatari exporters and know the role that TASDEER is playing to support them.

As always, we bring you sound business advice from the experts- so grab a copy to read all about what employees are looking for these days ( it’ll definitely help you be at the top of the game), some marketing tricks for SMEs and the legal provisions you need to be aware of when it comes to insolvency.

Wish all our readers a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season!

Catch you all next year!

Till then..

To new beginnings...

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For more information, please visit www.privatesectorqatar.com/en

Abdulaziz N. Al-Khalifa

Mr. Al-Khalifa is the Executive Director, Strategic Planning and Control at Qatar Development Bank (QDB).

Raed Al-Emadi

Mr. Al-Emadi is the Deputy CEO, Silatech.

Rashid Nasser Sraiya Al Kaabi Mr. Al Kaabi is the Chairman of the Board of Energy City Qatar Holding (ECQH).

George M. White, Ph.D.

Dr. White is Associate Teaching Professor of Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University-Qatar.

Hamad Mohammed Al-Kuwari

Hamad AL-Kuwari is the Managing Director of Qatar Science & Technology Park.

Ms. Amal Al-Mannai

Ms. Al-Mannai is the Executive Director of the Social Development Center (SDC).

Hamad Al Abdan Al-Marri

Eng. Hamad Mohamed Al Abdan is the Chief Business Operation Officer at Enterprise Qatar.

Professor Nitham M. Hindi

Professor Nitham M. Hindi, is the Dean of College of Business and Economics at the Qatar University.

Gail Gosse

Gail Gosse, is the Dean of the School of Business at College of North Atlantic-Qatar.

AdvISory BoArd

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Bring on tomorrow

AIG is the marketing name for the worldwide property-casualty, life and retirement, and general insurance operations of American International Group, Inc. For additional information, please visit our website at www.aig.com. Products and services are written or provided by subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. Not all products and services are available in every jurisdiction, and insurance coverage is governed by actual policy language. Certain products and services may be provided by independent third parties. Insurance products may be distributed through affiliated or unaffiliated entities. Certain property-casualty coverages may be provided by a surplus lines insurer. Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds.

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AIG Launch Ad.indd 1 11/8/2012 2:13:23 PM

ALGreenIA and Creative Generation from

Algeria and Yemen respectively walked

away with the top accolade for the Best

Company of the Year Award at the 6th

annual INJAZ Al-Arab Young Entrepreneurs

Competition held under the patronage

of the Qatar Foundation. The award was

delivered by Fadi Michael Bay, Vice President,

ExxonMobil Qatar, to both companies for

their environmentally-friendly products.

Commenting on her company’s win,

Wafa Al-Rimi, CEO, Creative Generation,

stated, “This has been an amazing

experience and I am thrilled that our team

was acknowledged as the ExxonMobilBest

Company of the Year. We worked very hard

on our product and it is great to see our

efforts pay off.”

Karim Hamaïli, Director of Projects &

Development, ALGreenIA, said, “The

competition has been a fantastic learning

experience for us all and I would like to

thank INJAZ Al-Arab, the Qatar Foundation,

and ExxonMobil for the opportunity to

participate. I hope this competition inspires

individual contestants to continue using

their entrepreneurial skills and become

active participants in their local economies

in the future.”

news

INJAZ Al-Arab Young Entrepreneurs Competition 2012

“Every individual who took part should be

proud of their achievement. Each year we are

wowed by the unbelievable talent displayed

by Arab youth and this year was no different.

This event was created to prove to students

that entrepreneurship is a viable avenue for

achieving economic success, especially given

the challenges they face in today’s competitive

job market. This competition is about

broadening students’ minds, showing them

that entrepreneurship is an exciting challenge

and a fulfilling career choice.”

The INJAZ Al-Arab Young Arab

Entrepreneurs Competition was launched in

2007 and is attended by national competition

winners from countries across the region. The

competition in 2012 was the culmination of

5430 participating students working to create

240 student companies across 13 countries

including Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan,

Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar,

Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, UAE and Yemen.

His Excellency Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, Ph.D.,

President of Hamad Bin Khalifa University

and Vice President of Education for Qatar

Foundation, stated, “The competition has

brought a new life over the city of Doha. The

presence of the youth coming from all across the

MENA region has instilled an incredible energy

across the city. INJAZ Al-Arab has highlighted

the need to encourage entrepreneurship within

each community in the region and after seeing

the outcome of the competition, we are proud

to support an organisation that benefits Arab

youth through education and motivation, and

we hope to continue supporting INJAZ Al-Arab

in the years to come.”

Judged by Fadi

Ghandour, Founder and

CEO of Aramex, Sheikha

Hanadi Al Thani, Founder

and Chairperson of

Amwal, Slim Othmani,

Vice President of Afia

Algeria, Fadi Michael

Bey, Vice President of

ExxonMobil Qatar Inc.,

and Abdul Hakeem

Mostafawi, CEO of HSBC

Bank Middle East Qatar,

student companies were

assessed on their ability to demonstrate

sound business insight, financial knowledge,

marketing support and feasibility studies. In

addition, competing students were required

to spend one day showcasing their products,

presenting to the public, and holding a

private question and answer session with

the judging panel in order to present their

business in its entirety.

Other awards of the night included

– HSBC Award for the Most Innovative

Product which went to Mathaq from Oman

a company that specialises in the production

of tea in an innovative and time efficient

manner, FedEx Access Award went to

RecycloBekia from Egypt, a company which

specialises in electronic waste collection

that offers green recycling and data

destruction, NBK Award for the Company

with the Best Social Impact went to VISIO

from Lebanon, a company which aims to

educate communities to take care of the

environment, and Barwa Bank’s Award for

the Best Marketing Plan went to H2O Meter

from Palestine, an environmentally-friendly

product which aims to preserve water with

high efficiency and low costs.

Commenting on the competition, Soraya

Salti, Regional Director, INJAZ Al-Arab, said,

10 DECEMBER 2012

news

About 36% of the non-hydrocarbon sector

respondents in Qatar do not anticipate any

negative factors impacting business operations

in fourth quarter of 2012, a survey by Dun &

Brasdstreet has said.

The survey said 29% of the respondents

anticipate factors like lack of new projects,

competitive market conditions, increase in

raw material costs, demand fluctuations,

payment delays and cash flow issues as well

as a slowdown in business due to market

conditions to impact businesses.

“Access to cheap finance and availability

of skilled labour are cited as the topmost

concerns by 16% and 15% of the sector

Qatar’s non-hydrocarbon sector upbeat

respondents respectively. Only 4% of the

respondents have identified inflationary factors

as a concern for their business operations,” the

survey said.

The survey, however, noted that

sentiments related to investment in business

expansion remained steady compared to

the previous quarter. It said 44% of the

non-hydrocarbon companies would invest

in business expansion in the fourth quarter

of 2012. The number was 46% in the third

quarter of 2012.

According to the survey 34% of the

respondents said that they would not invest in

expansion, whereas 22% remained unsure.

Regarding the optimism in the hydrocarbon

segment, survey said 42% of the respondents

do not foresee any negative factors impacting

business operations in the fourt quarter of

2012, while another 32% of the respondents

have identified other factors such as market

fluctuations, working capital issues, lack of

new projects and project delays as their top

most challenges.

The survey pointed out that 13% of

the respondents have cited availability of

skilled labour as a concern while 8% of the

respondents are concerned about access to

finance, with the remaining 5% of sector

respondents expressing concerns on adverse

inflationary pressures.

Qatar Development Bank (QDB) is celebrating

Qatar National Day with a competition

which was launched through a Facebook

application created especially for the

occasion and which went live on 28th

November 2012.

The competition, titled “Qatar in our

Hearts”, stretches till 22nd December 2012

and will see three winners awarded with a

cash prize of QR 5,000, a trophy and an iPad

3 for the first place, a cash prize of QR 3,000

and a trophy for the second place and a

trophy for the third place.

“Qatar in our hearts” runs through

QDB’s Facebook page asking participants

around Qatar to capture beautiful images or

drawings that showcase the uniqueness of

the country. Submissions are subject to the

voting online through Facebook by the public

and the winners will be announced on 24th

December 2012.

Interested participants are encouraged to

visit QDB’s Facebook page to get a better

understanding of the terms and conditions

of the competition and submit their entries

based on the pre-determined qualifications

criteria. Each participant can upload as many

pictures as they want and that embody the

essence of Qatar.

Participants can also follow the Hashtag

#QDBDEC18 on Twitter or use the same

should they like to tweet about the

competition.

Maha Al Essa, Senior Online and Social

Media Officer, QDB, said, “Qatar is a true

Arabian treasure trove of culture. From the

authentic architecture of our world-famous

Souq Waqif to the bustling waterfront

walkway, the Corniche, to internationally-

acclaimed Islamic arts collection at the

Museum of Islamic Arts and others or to

the magical sand dunes our country has a

lot to offer to tourists and residents. We

want to showcase our appreciation of all

these wonderful attractions and unlock the

creative flair of everybody in Qatar. This

competition reaches out to our growing

online community and helps to engage the

people to portray what each one us loves

about this country.”

Although some steps are being taken to

tackle these issues, it will take some years for

any successes of a magnitude necessary to

impact positively on the ratings to occur.

Qatar in our hearts

11DECEMBER 2012

news

Save the date!date Event Location25 november - 8 december united nations Framework convention on climate change doha

1 - 6 december Qatar health 2012 doha

4 - 8 december world petroleum congress and exhibition Qatar national convention centre

6 - 10 december punjab international trade expo (piteX 2012) indian embassy doha

9 -12 december Mena gas processing summit 2012 oryx rotana hotel

10 - 11 december hse in construction Qatar crowne plaza doha-the Business park doha

10 - 11 december doha goal Forum aspire zone

11 - 12 december euromoney Qatar conference doha

4 - 14 January 2013 2013 igLp workshop doha

7 - 9 January 2013 world congress on engineering education 2013 (wcee 2013) doha

13 - 15 January 2013 world gtL congress st. regis hotel doha

21 - 23 January 2013 offshore Middle east conference and exhibition 2013 Qatar national convention center

31 January – 2 February 2013 Forum Mobile phone – ict Qatar doha

4 - 6 February 2013 second high Level Forum on global geospatial information Management Qatar national convention center

4 - 6 February 2013 power-gen Middle east 2013 Qatar national convention center

4 - 6 February 2013 waterworld Middle east 2013 Qatar national convention center

dECEMBEr 2012FEBrUAry 2013

QNB signed a memorandum of

understanding with the Qatar Society for the

Rehabilitation of People with Special Needs

to train and develop people with special

needs and involve them in jobs that suit their

type of disability.

After providing the agreed on training,

QNB will employ people with special needs

with the support and guidance of the Qatar

Society for the Rehabilitation of People with

Employment for Qatari people with special needs

Special Needs. QNB aims

to help these individuals

secure rewarding careers

and integrate them

better into society.

The memorandum

was signed by Ali Rashid

Al Mohannadi, Executive

General Manager

and Chief Operation

Officer, QNB, and Rabia

Bin Mohd Al Kaabi, the

Deputy Chairman, Qatar Society for the

Rehabilitation of People with Special Needs.

Al Mohannadi stated that QNB aims

at encouraging this important category

of the society, who has special talents

and skills, helping them to be more self

confident and more giving, providing, at

the same time, the life they have always

dreamed of.

For his part, Al Kaabi, highlighted QNB’s

blessed initiative, as a great opportunity to

continue supporting people with special

needs and provide more vacancies in future,

a matter that will boost their self estimation

and encourage then to play a bigger role

in this society. Al Kaabi also stressed that

QNB was one of the first institutions that

offered to employ people with special needs

and supported all other activities related to

them.This step comes in line with the bank’s

vision towards this category, achieving their

aspirations and provide the environment that

perfectly suits them.

The Qatar Society for the Rehabilitation

of People with Special Needs strives to offer

employment opportunities to people with

several types of physical disabilities, with

the aim of enhancing their lives by helping

them achieve personal satisfaction from their

work and know that the can rely on a stable

source of income.

12 DECEMBER 2012

Partnership opportunitiesPrivate Sector (al kitaa al khass) is an arabic and english magazine, presented and supported by Qatar development Bank (QdB) and published by cpi. it is aimed at business owners and senior executives in the private sector in Qatar. armed with practical advice, it highlights key issues for the business community.

The driving force for regional economies is the private sector – a catalyst for growth, development and job creation. with the world’s spotlight on Qatar’s development activities and the buzz being created around 2022, this sector is going to grow by leaps and bounds. that’s great news if you’re targeting the private sector, which spans across almost all industry verticals, but the problem you face is identifying the most dynamic and competitive companies amongst a sea of competitors.

a key answer for the past half decade has been cpi’s uae-based magazine SME Advisor Middle East, which has delivered valuable business information to leading sMes across the region, helping them develop their businesses, putting them in touch with valued partners and fuelling growth even in a stalled global economy.

For more information about advertising and other partnership opportunities, please visit www.privatesectorqatar.com/enFor marketing ideas and opportunities, please contact [email protected]

now, with the support of QdB as our presenting partner, we have launched the same business values, tailor-made for Qatar in the form of the brand Private Sector. this will encompass magazine, events, online and several other initiatives to drive Qatari entrepreneurship and the private sector.

This is your chance!this is a market you cannot afford to miss. this is a market that you can reach in an intelligent, focused way, working with the expert team that brought you SME Advisor Middle East and has now launched Private Sector magazine in Qatar.

QDB’s Qatar Export Development

Agency, TASDEER, was present in a

big way at the event.

22 Qatari companies represented Qatar at

the exhibition in order to pave the way for

showcasing the country’s full exporting

potential to the world at Qatar’s 300 sqm

Pavilion stationed in Zabeel Hall.

Talking about TASDEER’s role, Hassan Khalifa Al

Mansouri, Executive Director, TASDEER, said that the

main objective of TASDEER is to support the private

sector and promote Qatari products in the region

and globally. One way to do that is to encourage

companies to participate in international exhibitions,

develop collateral materials for them and support

them to be a part of the Big 5.

Elaborating further, he said, “The companies

are invited based on the theme of the exhibition.

We invited a number of companies, out of

which 22 companies related to building and

construction came here. Our aim was to show

the quality and diversity of the Qatari products.”

Hassan was quite optimistic about the

opportunity that the Big 5 has provided to the

Qatari companies, “Qatari companies have a

huge opportunity to present their products,

interact with other companies, see the new

trends and we also encourage them to start

interacting with importers for collaboration.”

More than 6,000 people visited Qatar

Pavilion stand and were interested in the Qatari

products. QDB went all out in promoting Qatari

products as all the entrances for the exhibition

has promotional material for the Qatari pavilion.

The First Secretary, Qatar Embassy in UAE,

Abdulaziz Al Hammadi attended the Qatar

Pavilion opening.

ThE rIghT PLATForM

aBout town

The Big 5, the international construction and machinery show, was held in Dubai from 5th to 8th

November 2012. With 2,500 exhibitors, from 70 countries, and 27 national pavilions, the industry

shared the very latest insights from across the globe. We bring you our coverage of the event.

Mansour Bin Ibrahim Al Mahmoud, QDB’s

Chief Executive Officer, said, “QDB is strongly

committed to developing and promoting the

local exporting capacity through continued

support to the domestic private sector.

TASDEER aims at establishing solid exporting

fundamentals which include adequate credit

guarantees, risk mitigation and global business

opportunities in addition to promoting the

contribution of exports to Qatar’s economy in

its entirety.”

Al Mansouri, added, “TASDEER adopts a

comprehensive export-driver strategy and

our presence at the exhibition has helped us

connect our industry to the global exporting

community and grow future international

business possibilities. This, in turn, will

positively impact the role of local exports in

growing and, more importantly, diversifying

Qatar’s GDP.”

14 DECEMBER 2012

aBout town

TASDEER’s export development and

promotion services include developing Qatar’s

export strategy for non-oil products, identifying

products and target markets and providing trade

information about foreign markets through

tools like “Trade Map” and “Market Access

Map”. Other services include conducting market

entry studies for target markets.

We also spoke to the participating companies

about their experience at the Big 5 and were

happy to note that all of them were very

appreciative of QDB’s efforts.

“The Big 5 is a great industry platform for us

as Qatar’s first cable manufacturer. Doha Cables

was established in order to help achieve Qatar’s

National Vision 2030. Therefore we were happy

to be a part of the Big 5 and to have the chance

to participate at this event. Doha Cables has

already begun exporting to countries such as

Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Iraq and Turkmenistan.

We were able to infiltrate a variety of other

markets with the help and vision of QDB and

our presence at the Big 5,” said Ahmed Fathy

Elsewedy, Vice President of Doha Cables.

Pradeep Rajan, CEO of Khalid Manufacturing

Company elaborated on the relevance of the

Big 5 for his company, “Initiatives, such as the

Big 5, encourage us to further contribute to the

development of the industry. This event gave

us the opportunity to network and meet with

a considerable number of prospect clients and

importers and to help generate key enquiries

about our business. As manufacturers, we highly

appreciate the support we got from QDB. Such

knowledge-sharing platforms certainly make our

jobs much more efficient and effective.”

Ritesh Doshi, Sales Director, Doha Cables,

further added that they have been very happy

with QDB’s attempt to bring them here, “We

really want to focus on exports and have been

looking for clients and this show has been a

good platform. This is a first experience here and

I am sure the coming years will be better. We are

very happy with QDB’s support and appreciate

it. We got some leads from countries but we’ll

need to explore more. We hope to grow every

year with TASDEER’s efforts.”

Basak Utku Esenli, Business Development

Engineer of Qatar International Cables

Company, QICC said, “The Big 5 was a very

relevant event for our field of work and

business. Qatar International Cables Company

is a newly launched entity in Qatar with a huge

potential to serve the industry and position

Qatar as a strong exporter to international

markets. It is to that effect that we need

industry platform of the caliber of the Big 5 in

order to promote our presence in the GCC. We

believe that this initiative by QDB is truly helpful

for companies like QICC to cement our image

and strengthen our reputation and therefore

attract the necessary contacts and leads we are

looking for. We have ambitious expansion plans

for the future and partnering with organisations

like QDB is essential to our growth.”

Eng Usama Hammadi, Doha, Extraco, echoed

the same sentiment and said that the Big 5 gave

them the opportunity to know what the other

global companies are doing and what are the

latest technologies and innovations.

Peter Roderick Hayes, Business

Development Manager, Qatar German Pipes

Co. (QGPC), talked about their experience

and were highly appreciative of QDB’s efforts,

“First of all we were very grateful to have a

stand at the show. The number of visitors

in the course of these days has been very

encouraging. We have received genuine

enquiries from KSA, Afghanistan, Iran and

other parts of the GCC. This is the first time

we have exhibited in the Big 5. We are a

relatively new company in Qatar. We are very

keen to explore export opportunity and so far

we have not been disappointed. It has been

worth our time. Opportunities like the Big 5

should be grabbed as they don’t come by so

easily, “he opined.

These testimonials were reconfirmed

when we got to know that the orders made

at the exhibition or under negotiations

are worth USD 5.17 million (or QR 19

million). More so, 11 companies are about

to appoint agents/distributers for their

products in new markets.

After getting all the details, we were left in

no doubt that QDB’s efforts to encourage Qatari

exports have found the right direction.

Abdulaziz Al Hammadi, Qatar’s Consulate in Dubai, (middle) and Hassan Khalifa Al Mansouri, Executive Director, TASDEER,(right) amongst other participants.

15DECEMBER 2012

entrepreneur

On the evening of 11th November

2012, GEW Qatar, the world’s

largest celebration of the

innovators and job creators who launch

startups that bring ideas to life, drive

economic growth and promote human

welfare, was officially opened at the gala

dinner held at the Crown Plaza Doha

Hotel. The dinner was attended by many

prominent figures from Qatar’s government,

business, academia and NGO circles.

Shell Qatar, as part of its gold sponsorship of

the GEW Qatar, brought, in partnership with

Bedaya Center for Entrepreneurship and Career

Development, the first ever Enterprise Challenge

Qatar, a computer based business simulation

challenge that promotes entrepreneurship skills in

young people. The winning team Aggie Engineers

from Texas A&M University (Qatar) was honoured

at the gala dinner.

Within the Youth & Social Entrepreneurship

stream, Bedaya Center for Entrepreneurship

The Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) was held, for the first time in Qatar, from 11th till 17th

November 2012 at the Crown Plaza Doha Hotel. Within the four streams of topics – the discussions

and panels were more than just an awareness campaign. The GEW Qatar was all about unleashing

ideas and doing what it takes to bring entrepreneurs and startups to life – spotting opportunities,

taking risks, solving problems, being creative, building connections and learning from both failure and

success. Private Sector Qatar was there and brings to you the coverage of the whole event.

well with symbols. For that reason, Jeaanine

requested participants to imagine themselves

as if they already are exactly the person they

want to become. That image should lead them

through the change of their mindset which

includes a positive, but uncomfortable zone in

which the person changes the behaviour, but

feels uncomfortable about it in the beginning. In

the later stage which comes as a consequence

of constant repetition of new habits, the person

starts feeling good since he/she has finally

entered a positive comfort zone.

One of the presentations during the first day,

titled “Youth Led Entrepreneurship in Qatar”

was given by Shams Hasan, Board Member &

Co-founder, CarSemsar.com, who explained,

“Entrepreneurship in Qatar is as unique as Qatar

itself. Somebody who doesn’t understand the

realities is in for shock. Maybe that is negative, but

only by knowing the realities would somebody be

ready for doing business in Qatar. Of course, with

a country fostering entrepreneurial environment

as heavily as Qatar is, it’s important that somebody

Let out the inner entrepreneur!

and Career Development, a joint initiative of

Silatech and Qatar Development Bank, offered

a full slate of youth-oriented activities and

workshops to the guests.

The first day started with the

“Entrepreneurial Mind Set Mastery” session

lectured by Jeanine Bailey, Empower People.

She taught participants how to identify and

overcome the negative voice in their mind

which stops them from achieving success.

Basically, a negative voice is usually created

in the past to protect a person from some

unpleasant experience. In time, it develops

into the negative comfort zone in which the

person feels secure, but behaves in a manner

which is not good for him or her and others.

That mindset is the reason for failure of

many entrepreneurs.

She further explained that visualisation is

one of the ways to get your mindset in line

with what you want to create. The visualisation

functions on the fact that the mind works

16 DECEMBER 2012

entrepreneur

does due diligence towards achieving the kind of

success that they want. It’s easy to do business in

Qatar, but that also translates the fact that there are

difficulties in starting a business in Qatar. However,

Qatar is making big steps with regards to solving

that. For example, online businesses do not need

an office to register a company. Another question is

should the bodies that are actually offering to help

startups work through banks or should they be

using the same funds to actually help creation of a

venture capitalist environment in Qatar.”

A word from youth

An interesting discussion developed during

the “Ta3mal Ambassadors’ Panel”, held on the

second day of GEW Qatar, with Shaza Daifalla,

Jassim Al Rumaihi, Mohammed Mazzen Dauleh

and Bisher al Homsi, students of the Qatar

Univeristy, as panelists. They agreed that doing an

internship is extremely important for youth since

it can lead to valuable employment opportunities.

In the process of searching for the right internship,

students should not be too selective and specific,

but should accept even lower level internship

positions to start with. Usefulness of internship is

supported by the fact that fresh graduates are not

quite clear about what career they want to choose

and what opportunities exist for them. Thus,

doing the internship can provide insight about

which business they want to specialise. One of the

participants highlighted that the internship itself is

a process full of learning and the sooner you start

the better results you will get. For that reason,

young people should be active even in the high

school in order to learn how to be committed

and disciplined at their work. Building their CV at

the internship level will later on distinguish them

within the job application processes.

Interactive discussion between the panelists and

the audience also focused on the question of how

to improve networking among Qatari youth. There

are a lot of networking events for students in Qatar,

but they do not receive proper publicity.

“Network Connect – Startup Collaboration

Workshop” with Suzanne Grant, Founder,

8ovate, held on the third day, drew a lot

of attendees who were interested to share

collaboration secrets in a working session.

The aim of the workshop was to stress the

importance of collaboration for local and

international businesses.

Collaboration starts with connection - to seek a

connection is completely natural, but somewhere

along the way, we become shy and forget our

instincts. Too often people are trying hard to sell

their products or services without working on

building a connection. The question is when it

comes to selling – how can you do that successfully

without knowing the person you are interacting

with? Furthermore, startups usually have limited

resources, from cash to talent. So, they can

benefit from helping each other out. If you look at

collaboration as part of your strategic tool kit, you

have the opportunity of making progress faster

with your existing resources. For all these reasons,

Suzanne taught participants how to build their

own collaboration strategies to suit their natural

style, interests and business objectives.

On the fourth day of the Youth & Social

Entrepreneurship stream, INJAZ Qatar organised

“Innovation Camp: Where Young People Gather

and Work Collaboratively to Address a Business

Challenge.” A large number of participating

students was divided in ten teams which competed

in finding the best solution to the business

challenge – to propose the best product or a

service which would minimise the problem of the

numerous car accidents happening in Qatar.

On the competition, Hessa Mohamed Al-Thani,

student of the Qatar University, said, “The challenge

was a perfect game to let out the inner entrepreneur

in all of us. What was nice about this is that the

problem really is a very serious one and we got many

solutions that could be applied in real life. The fun part

was the time pressure! To think of a new product or

a service, write a business plan and do three minutes

power point presentation, all within an hour was an

overwhelming, but a positive experience.

I learned a lot during the programme from

networking to solving problems and most of all

from the speed in which we were required to

complete our task. Our team won the creativity

title, and another team won the feasibility title.

And I couldn’t be any more proud of the fact

that both winners are QU’s female students!”

Focus on your leads

The main topic of the “How to start and manage

a successful business” session, lectured by

international expert Matthias Khatchadourian,

on the last day within this stream of topics, was

about the essential things you need to know

about running a successful business. When

starting a business, people focus on how to

promote a product and a service instead of

focusing on their leads. But, whenever you focus

on your leads, like your own smile, charisma or

body language, people will get excited about

you. If you planned your business well, that

could be an additional advantage since you can’t

know what tomorrow may bring.

Furthermore, Matthias explained that in the

majority of cases, success or failure of a startup

is all about knowing both “the how” (strategy)

and “the why” (objective) of taking the action.

In addition, it is always about being clear which

steps to take next.

To help this process, Matthias gave an idea

of essential things one needs to know about

running a successful business:

• Offer what people want to buy, not just what

you want to sell

• Get cash flow as soon as possible

• Always find new ways to keep costs low

• When planning, always overestimate expenses

and underestimate revenues

• Focus on sales and marketing

• Find ways to increase profits

• Test and measure everything. You can’t

change what you don’t measure and you can’t

tell if a programme or a strategy is working if

you are not faithfully testing, measuring and

tracking your results

• Accept that learning more equals earning

more

• Don’t discount, add value

• Get a coach to help you and guide in planning

and operation.

Enterprise Challenge Qatar: The winning team – Aggie Engineers

17DECEMBER 2012

One of the first sessions within

the Individual Leadership &

Entrepreneurship stream was the

“Build your own business plan” presented by

Seema Amin, Haal Business. The session was

very useful since it took participants through

the whole process of preparing a business

plan – from a business name, to prospect

customers, suppliers, competitors, premises

and equipment to the cash flow and how

to finalise it through a proper action plan.

Furthermore, few of the participants, who

had already established their businesses but

realised that something was missing in their

business plan, were motivated to analyse

shortcomings and gaps in order to successfully

continue their business path.

On the importance of clarity, Seema

elaborated, “Today, we took them back

to the basics. They came with the ideas,

but we gave them clarity and a chain of

thoughts. We also suggested them to do

more research before starting. Clarity is

very important. If you are not clear, you

don’t know where your ideas are leading

you. It also lets you know what is lacking

in your business plan or in your idea and

what you need to fill in. Also, you need

to be clear when looking for finance since

how will you explain your idea to your

prospect financier? So, if you know what

you are doing he will also know what he

is investing in. More so, for those who are

already running their businesses and it’s not

going right, the business plan will identify

on which areas they need to work more.

There is no perfect success recipe for a

business, but a good business plan is the

most important ingredient.”

If you are an entrepreneur or aspiring to be one, if you think that you need to learn more about entrepreneurship or need a piece of advice, the discussions and lectures within the Individual

Leadership & Entrepreneurship stream would have been just a right place for you!

All you need to know

The following day of the Individual Leadership

& Entrepreneurship stream became an

interesting day due to the “Enterprise Qatar AZ

of Entrepreneurship” session which lasted the

whole day.

The objective of the session was to cover the

following areas:

• What are the attributes of successful

entrepreneurs?

• What is strategy and how to go about

developing it?

• How to develop your personal mission and

vision?

• What are the basics of strategic planning

process?

• Why you need to focus on why business fails?

• How to make an elevator pitch to potential

investors?

entrepreneur

18 DECEMBER 2012

The participants were divided in two groups

and requested to engage in the “Eggcecution

Challenge”. Each group was provided with

the materials (eggs, cotton wool, paper,

ribbon and similar) and requested to develop

a package which would safely and securely

transport eggs from one place to another.

In addition, they were required to come up

with a brand name for the product, develop a

marketing tagline or a slogan and to present a

20 second TV commercial.

One of the attendees said about the

exercise, “It was quite interesting since

it’s an innovative way to teach us how to

spot the opportunity, to learn what failure

is and to take precautions. It was a team

building exercise where we were divided into

groups of people with different nationalities,

backgrounds and personalities. We all had to

work together and to come up with a brand

name, a slogan and TV commercial. The

interaction among the group was excellent.

Without knowing each other we managed to

make it happen, we learnt how to brainstorm

and delegate the work among the team

members. At the end, we had to present all to

the jury. Their questions led us to think beyond

this project, about our own businesses, the

manner in which we are managing it and how

to move forward. For me, two major points

were – learning to be focused on creating a

strategy and realising where are the faults in

business that can put you backwards.”

The session ended with the exercise “The

Elevator Pitch” in which participants learnt

how to successfully pitch a business idea in

two minutes time.

On the fourth day, participants were

presented with the LEGO Education

Methodology which is a world renowned

methodology called 4C – connect, construct,

contemplate, and continue. The methodology

adopts the shape of a circle as it is considered

a continuous learning process. Within his

lecture, Ricard Huguet i Galí, INVENIO-learn.

by.doing, explained that the LEGO serious

play on entrepreneurship explores some of

the following questions – What it does it

take to be an entrepreneur? What are the

common values of an entrepreneur? What

makes you unique? In an interactive discussion

with participants, Ricard taught them how

to choose the right team. In addition,

entrepreneurs seeking to innovate could learn

about the trial-error methodology.

The hero’s journey

The last day was marked with “Benefits

of Mentoring for Women & Mentoring

for Entrepreneurs” session organised by

Enterprise Qatar, How Women Work and the

Mowgli Foundation.

The Mowgli Foundation is a not-for-profit

organisation, headquartered in the UK,

with local representatives and bases across

the MENA region. The foundation provides

mentors who inspire, support and empower

entrepreneurs in achieving their business

and personal potential, encouraging

sustainable job creation and social and

economic development.

The programme is created on the basis

of the chart, “The hero’s journey”, which

explains different phases through which an

entrepreneur comes within his path and

includes:

• Ordinary world

• The call to change

• Refusing the call

• Meeting the mentor

• Crossing the line

• Trials, allies & enemies

• Facing the darkness

• The journey

• A new perspective

• The return

Tony Bury, Founder and Trustee,

Mowgli Foundation, introduced the idea

of mentorship, “Mowgli mentoring is a

relationship which inspires, empowers

and guides individuals in achieving their

personal and business potential. It is a fact

that competency has three elements – skills,

knowledge and behavior. If you are not

good in even one of the three elements,

your overall competency will not be good

as well. So, in order to grow professionally

and personally we all need somebody who

will tell us the truth and not what we want

to hear. That is the role of your mentor. To

act in your best interest regardless of how

unpleasant it might be.”

Furthermore, Tony explained that having a

mentor is crucial in the three different stages

that an entrepreneur can be in:

• At the startup level – to help you overcome

challenges you face at the beginning of your

business.

• While growing – to help you resolve issues

caused by the growth of your business

(organisation of the business, setting up a

team and similar).

• Achieving great success – to help you avoid

mistakes caused by potential arrogance

which success might bring.

Based on their experience of doing business

in Qatar, Kirby Kearns, Managing Director,

Resolution Productions, and Lauren Fryer,

Managing Partner, Qanect Communications,

engaged in an open discussion with

participants on business opportunities and

challenges in Qatar. The conclusion was that

the biggest challenge is in recruiting the right

employees. On one side, there is a significant

lack of skills among labour force in Qatar. On

the other side, due to Qatar’s international

positioning as a country with high income

and huge development projects, salary-related

expectations of internationally recruited

employees are reaching unreasonable heights.

This session was specific since the

participants were offered a 30-min one-

to-one mentoring session in order to get

valuable advice about any business problem

they were facing. In addition, it included a

private chat with Khalifa Al-Misnad, President

of Enterprise Organisation Qatar and Partner

at the Al-Misnad & Rifaat, and Patrick Forbes,

Founder and CEO of Forbes Associates, who

gave their views on conditions for doing

business in Qatar.

entrepreneur

19DECEMBER 2012

Within the Policy, Financial and

Legal stream, Enterprise Qatar,

the platinum sponsor of the

GEW Qatar, organised a policy forum

aimed to discuss issues facing SMEs and

entrepreneurs. The discussion featured

a small number of selected participants

– high level entrepreneurs, government

representatives and academics.

Amer Qureshi, FCA, Enterprise Qatar, was

appreciative of the cooperation achieved

among participants in this session, “It was

a very productive session and valuable ideas

were exchanged, also, discussions amongst

participating stakeholders were precise and

focused. Enterprise Qatar is pleased with the

final outcome where several important issues

were covered in preparation to the next level.”

On the importance of cooperation among

all relevant stakeholders, David J. Ezzard,

CEO, Qatar Broker International, was quick

to add, “Enterprise Qatar succeeded in

bringing international businessmen with local

entrepreneurs to form a strong alliance in

order to support small businesses in Qatar. Our

event focused on small businesses as there is

distinct difference between small businesses’

needs and large enterprises’ since the latter

has access to larger resources. QDB is ready

to provide the required support in various

endeavors that supersede the financial area.”

Sultan Alasiri, CEO, Almubader Enterprises,

pointed out, “I believe it is very important

that the main organisations supporting Qatari

entrepreneurs involves them in the process after

understanding their needs. This collaboration

with the support of the government

endowment should produce positive results. The

private sector is very important in Qatar and the

diversification of this segment will create the

right environment for entrepreneurs to operate

on. There are existing successful models that

we can pursue without reinventing the wheel.

We seek specialist in equity and another in

finance. This should be clearly communicated

to Qatari entrepreneurs.”

QDB workshop

Qatar Development Bank organised a special

event on 15th November 2012 with the aim

to mark the achievements of QDB’s initiatives

– Al Dhameen Guarantee Scheme programme

and SME Toolkit. The well-attended event

brought together colleagues from partner

banks, successful entrepreneurs, and other

industry stakeholders.

Richard Judd, Managing Director, CPI

Business and Technology, opened the

ceremony with a welcome speech, “Today

we highlight success stories from across

Qatar – we will reward key partners of the

Al Dhameen programme and recognise the

success of some of the companies already

benefiting from this excellent initiative. At

CPI we are delighted to be a partner of QDB

through the Private Sector Qatar magazine.

This partnership has given us a valuable

insight into all the QDB projects. In the

beginning, I will mention the SME Toolkit,

which is collaboration between IFC and QDB.

It provides essential information and the

necessary tools for anyone contemplating to

start a business and also much more in terms

of information for SMEs on best practices.”

During her presentation Jawaher Al-

Naimi, Programme Manager, Al Dhameen,

QDB, gave a thorough overview of the

history of this credit guarantee scheme and

explained the benefits of indirect lending

What is unique about the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Qatar? The answer is in the existence of

many government and semi-government institutions established to initiate, motivate and support

growth of entrepreneurs and SMEs. With the aim of finding new solutions to help them, Enterprise

Qatar and Qatar Development Bank held two valuable sessions within the Policy, Financial, & Legal

stream of the GEW Qatar.

Joint success!

entrepreneur

20 DECEMBER 2012

http://www.PrivateSectorQatar.com/en

valuable business advice that will help develop your business.

Be part of a community spanning magazine, events, Website and social media.

to companies which are not able to borrow

money from banks due to lack of collateral.

The Al Dhameen programme does not

provide direct finance to SMEs, but rather

offers the business owners facilities to

receive the required finance for their project

from a partner bank. It is done through

issuance of guarantees in favour of the

partner bank under which the programme

guarantees a portion of the finance.

Colleagues from three partner banks

within the Al Dhameen programme

gave their insights on the programme’s

achievements. Kenneth Clark, Head of

Enterprise Banking, Commercial Bank of

Qatar, assured that they believe in the

success of SMEs by giving a presentation on

enterprise banking. He explained that the

enterprise banking enables entrepreneurial

success of SMEs through a comprehensive

range of working capital finance and term

lending, trade services, account services

and privileges, business solutions and

similar. He also affirmed that Enterprise

Banking at the Commercial Bank successfully

completed a financing deal for setting up an

independent school under the Al Dhameen

Programme. Following up on this, Ravi

Unni, Head of SME, Al Khaliji Bank, in his

speech highlighted the importance of their

cooperation with QDB in helping SMEs in

many ways. In addition, he pointed out the

tremendous role that Tasdeer, Qatar’s export

development agency, has had in supporting

export-oriented Qatari companies. Dominic

Fernandes, Head of Direct Sales, Al Khaliji

Commercial Bank, gave a brief introduction

about al Khaliji and said that they have

recently renewed their partnership with QDB

for Al-Dhameen SME financing scheme.

He also added that they are planning to

continue their support to the programme

which goes beyond financing.

Following up on this, Amna Jassim Sultan,

Business Counselor, Advisory Services, QDB

talked about QDB’s comprehensive SME

Toolkit for small businesses and said, “Our

targets are entrepreneurs that are at the

beginning of their project!” She also listed

the key needs of SMEs which are advisory

and mentoring, access to information, access

to finance, visibility and recognition, legal and

regulatory information.

On the relevance of the SME Toolkit for

small businesses, Bipin Shete, Regional

Partner (Advisory) and BDO Public Accounts

and Management Consultants, pointed

out SME Toolkit helps you think about the

different aspects of your business. It also

provides structured information and online

resources to guide the small businesses.

In order to provide an example, Bipin

presented some of its functionalities and

tools as he went through a few questions

that entrepreneurs usually have in mind

before setting up a business, such as how

to incorporate, whom to refer to or how to

fund their project.

With an aim of describing usefulness of

the SME Toolkit for small business, Yasmeen

Hasan, Entrepreneurship Development

Manager, Bedaya Center for Entrepreneurship

and Career Guidance, presented a case study.

She was joined by Diana Al Dajani, Founder

of eduTechnoz, which is an online community

for children that enables them to master

every aspect of the Arabic language through

online games. By sharing personal experience,

she elaborated how SME Toolkit can help in

starting a business through the step by step

guide for registering a company in Qatar.

QDB awards ceremony

In the final part of the workshop, the award

ceremony was held to recognise and honour the

exemplar efforts of ten relationship managers

representing various partner banks in Qatar

alongside five cross-industry projects making an

influential impact within their field

Abdulaziz Al Khalifa Executive, Director,

Strategic Planning and Control, QDB, gave the

awards to:

Top ten best performing relationship managers

• Aysha Fakhro, QNB

• Ibrahim Idrees, QNB

• Hussain Salim, QNB

• Dona Cherbel, QNB

• Elissar Nayef Rizk, QNB

• Maher Kabbani, QIB

• Tamim AL Tamimi, Barwa bank

• Muhammed Shaffee, Al Jazeera Bank

• Ali Kobeissi, CBQ

• Faiz Nader, Doha bank

Five best projects in Qatar

• Best Tourism Project: Horizon Manor Hotel

• Best Services Project: Al Balad Fine Dining

Lebanese Restaurant

• Best Creative Project: Rassas Battery Recycling

Factory

• Best Educational Project: Leap Ahead Nursery

& Day Care Center

• Best Industrial Project: Alhaya Waste

Management & Projects Company

entrepreneur

22 DECEMBER 2012

The agenda of the Creative, Design &

Technology stream included a series

of lectures, discussions and practical

exercises designed to gain the know-how

needed to start a business related to the

technology sector.

Starting with a session “Digital Arts by

Jaber Henzab” and ending with “Industry of

Animation by ToonBoom” and “Build your

Gaming Startup by ictQATAR” sessions, the first

day promised an interesting week ahead for

all fans of technology. Ali Mussayab, Founder,

Purple Cedar Animation Studio, shared with

us his impressions from the first day, “The

workshop for the Toonboom.com was a very

interesting event. Since we are a startup within

the animation sector, this workshop helped us

figure out our solutions for pre-production and

2D animation. So far every workshop we have

participated in has been very informative for

our business and also helped us narrow down

our future vision in relation to the digital media

opportunities in Qatar.”

The second and third day of the event

presented various technology related session

ranging from “eCommerce Security by

QCert” and “Visions of the Mobile Future”

to “Entrepreneurship by Yahoo!” and

“Entrepeneurship by Microsoft Qatar”. One

of the topics that attracted a lot of interested

participants during both days was the “ICT

Investment Opportunities by ictQATAR”.

Invest for new generations

On this Mohamed Hesham Kandil, Business

Analyst, ICT Industry Development, elaborated,

“We are trying to promote investments and

help entrepreneurs who are interested in the ICT

sector in Qatar. We are stressing 68 investment

opportunities within the sector which we have

announced after carrying out research of the

market in the last few years. During the session,

we tried to explain to participants which are the

exact opportunities that will be lucrative for their

investments. The most important thing when

investing in the technology sector in Qatar is to

have a good business plan. IctQATAR can help

Since the GEW inspires people everywhere to explore their potential

as self-starters and innovators, the event held in Qatar focused on the

opportunities in the ICT sector due to its extreme relevance for the

country’s economy. Within the Creative, Design & Technology stream, a

number of distinguished experts inspired the youth of Qatar to become

the entrepreneurs of tomorrow in the technology sector.

technology for a better life

them develop it. The other most important thing

is obtaining finance. ictQATAR does not finance

directly, but we are working on the agreement

with one of the banks in Qatar to help investors by

endorsing their business cases and, thus, providing

them financial loans through this bank. Therefore,

in the near future the investors who don’t have the

revenues, but are endorsed by ictQATAR will be

able to go directly to the bank and obtain a loan

for their business. The ICT sector is really growing

in Qatar and is expected to keep the momentum

of about 20% of annual rate of growth for the

upcoming five to six years. That is one of the best

opportunities for anyone who wants to invest in

the market. Plus, it is really essential for country’s

infrastructure. In conclusion, investors in the ICT

sector will be investing in the sector that is really

important for building their own country. In

addition, this is one sector that guarantees very

high return on investment. Plus it will allow new

generations to live a better life.”

The fourth day was interesting due to

ictQATAR’s “Build your Animation Startup”

entrepreneur

24 DECEMBER 2012

session which focused on the gaming industry.

In the beginning of the session, participants

shared their views on the definition of innovation

and concluded that the innovation includes

creating a new value and/or capturing the

value in a new way. Ahmed Laiali, Strategic and

Business Development Section Manager, Digital

Innovation Center, provided the following five

basic rules to follow when you are building your

gaming startup:

• Pick a game and make it as small as possible

– It’s important to start with something you

can actually finish with a reasonable number

of resources, in a reasonable amount of time

and, therefore, with a reasonable budget.

• Start small and build bigger in the next

game – Start with a smaller game. Try a

three-level game or try a game that re-uses

a lot of graphics or both. After that you can

make your next game a little bigger. Build

your way up.

• Raise funds - The best way to get money is to

first make a really good playable demo.

• Have realistic business plans – Every year

close to 5000 entertainment products come

out. How many of them have you heard

of? It’s because they didn’t have a proper

business plan.

• Hire good people – At least at the top. The

number one person you need is a good

game director.

Your first eBook

One of the last sessions of the Creative,

Design & Technology stream, “eBook -

Secrets of Digital Publishing”, was given by

Dr. Mohana Rajakumar, who is an author.

Before starting her presentation, she

wanted to get familiar with the participants’

educational or professional background and

experience with writing.

After introducing herself, Mohana explained

why she was excited about writing e-books

when everyone was talking about the digital

revolution. In 2010, e-books were the main

focus of most publishing houses. A lot

of commercial publishers or even printed

publishers are now relying on e-books as much

as anyone else. That is supported by statistics

that 30% of publishers have around 75%

to 100% of their titles available on e-books.

However, some books don’t look good in

electronic format since the technology is most

suitable for straight text file. Therefore, if

your book includes a lot of illustrations and

graphics, it can become a bit complicated.

Within the introduction part, Hind,

ictQATAR said, “Writing is a way of sharing

your life. It holds a history for a better future.

Writing is providing knowledge and inspiring

ideas. My goal is to take the hard knowledge

and make it simple for the youth.” Comara

from Srilanka, shared with other participants,

“Writing gives me satisfaction. I used to read

in my own language, but since there is not

enough material in my own language I started

to create e-books in it.” Ryan,who is English

language instructor, explained, “I write better

than I speak. I am interested in learning about

e-books since it could help me create an online

library of resources.”

Piracy is an issue for e-books as well as

pricing since the readers don’t want to pay for

an e-book as much as they pay for a printed

book. PDF is the most used format of e-book

file because it is the easiest and has the biggest

share of the market. When choosing which

format to use for your e-book, you need to think

who is your target audience and what device

they will most likely be using.

Mohana gave few dos and don’ts:

Dos

• Before publishing an e-book, the first thing to

do is to find a good designer. Also, make sure

to add all relevant hotlinks.

• For digital books, less is more and different

is good! If you got a page it is better to have

small sections of information, because people

are most likely to skim.

• If you don’t have a platform nobody will know

about your book. You have to think about

yourself as a product.

Don’ts

• Designing or formatting your own book

• Designing your cover unless you are a graphic

designer

• Editing yourself

The cover is the thing that will attract

the reader. Each book has to have its own

look. Make sure to brand the title and

your name. Lastly, keep in mind that when

you are putting an e-book online, you are

starting a competition.

Till the next year

On the evening of 17th November 2012,

the GEW Qatar was officially closed in the

presence of many satisfied participants. At

the same occasion, Dr. Rachel Awad, Senior

Programme Manager, Silatech, announced

the winners of the Ta3mal video competition.

Ta3mal initiative aims to connect Arab

youth with opportunities to be successful

entrepreneurs, employees, and engaged

members of society.

In connection to GEW Qatar, Qatar University’s

College of Business and Economics hosted

experts in business, media, academia and

government to inspire young people to

become the state’s business leaders of the

future at its Global Entrepreneurship Day on

18th November 2012.

Opening the event, QU’s College of

Business and Economics Dean, Prof Nitham

Hindi said, “Entrepreneurship means

different things to different people. For

business people, it is about SMEs. Our goal

is to promote entrepreneurship among

students. Qatar is a developing country

and there are tremendous opportunities

to develop SMEs. Such businesses will play

a vital role in the economy and we urge

students, as they graduate, to think about

setting up their own businesses rather than

just taking a job somewhere.”

US Department of State diplomat

Luke Reynolds emphasised the role of

entrepreneurship in the Qatar National Vision

2030. Speaking at the seminar he said, “Qatar

is making real steps to streamline the process of

setting up small businesses.”

The launch of GEW Qatar was a big success

and we are sure that it’ll only get bigger and

better in the coming years.

entrepreneur

25DECEMBER 2012

success storysnapshots

For more than a century, Carnegie Mellon University has been inspiring innovations that change the world. Consistently top ranked, Carnegie Mellon has more than 11,000 students, 90,000 alumni and 5,000 faculty and staff globally.

In 2004, Qatar Foundation invited Carnegie Mellon to join Education City, a groundbreaking center for scholarship and research. Students from 39 different countries enroll at our world-class facilities in Education City.

Carnegie Mellon Qatar offers undergraduate programs in biological sciences, business administration, computational biology, computer science and information systems. Carnegie Mellon is firmly committed to Qatar’s National Vision 2030 by developing people, society, the economy and the environment.

Learn more at www.qatar.cmu.edu

Excellence. At Carnegie Mellon.

26 DECEMBER 2012

For more than a century, Carnegie Mellon University has been inspiring innovations that change the world. Consistently top ranked, Carnegie Mellon has more than 11,000 students, 90,000 alumni and 5,000 faculty and staff globally.

In 2004, Qatar Foundation invited Carnegie Mellon to join Education City, a groundbreaking center for scholarship and research. Students from 39 different countries enroll at our world-class facilities in Education City.

Carnegie Mellon Qatar offers undergraduate programs in biological sciences, business administration, computational biology, computer science and information systems. Carnegie Mellon is firmly committed to Qatar’s National Vision 2030 by developing people, society, the economy and the environment.

Learn more at www.qatar.cmu.edu

Excellence. At Carnegie Mellon.

entrepreneur

A lot of evidence indicates the increasing

fascination with and glorification of “the

entrepreneur.” Suddenly, it seems, everybody

wants to be one. Mark Dixon, CEO, Regus,

provides us with lessons on entrepreneurship to

be taken to heart.

It says a lot about the enhanced status of the entrepreneur that one

of the best-selling books of 2011 was the biography of Steve Jobs.

This success was, of course, partly due to the huge popularity of iPods,

iPads, iPhones and other products made by Apple, the company Jobs

came to embody. Furthermore, policymakers and even politicians of all

sorts hail entrepreneurs as the saviours of the world economy.

So, how do you get to join this pantheon? The good news is that there is

no set type. A new book produced by Regus entitled “Growth in a Difficult

Decade” which is based on interviews with more than 60 successful

entrepreneurs, reveals that they come from all corners of the globe, from

all kinds of backgrounds and are active in a wide variety of business sectors.

However, it is true that they tend to share certain attributes.

For example, entrepreneurs need to be dedicated and persistent. They also

need to have a positive attitude and be prepared to take tough decisions.

It almost goes without saying that entrepreneurs are self-confident.

Successful ones are not arrogant. They listen to customers and to people

who have done the sorts of things they are seeking to do, often through

having mentors. They are also ready to hire people who are better at

certain aspects of the business than they are. But, if they have an idea they

will not be easily dissuaded from pursuing it.

28 DECEMBER 2012

Mark Dixon is the Founder and CEO of Regus. Since founding Regus in 1989, in Brussels, Belgium, he has achieved a formidable reputation for leadership and innovation. Prior to Regus, he established businesses in the retail and wholesale food industry. For more information, please visit: www.en.regus-qatar.com.

About

Start early

Indeed, one of the most common pieces of

advice offered by entrepreneurs to others

thinking of following in their footsteps is not to

hesitate about getting started. It might be valid

to start a new business as a side-project to your

day job just to test the idea. But, generally,

running a business is so all-consuming and

unpredictable in its time demands that it is best

to devote yourself to it as soon as possible. The

chances are that if you have thought of an idea

somebody else has or will have as well. If you

waste time pondering whether to give it a go

they could beat you in the market. Many more

entrepreneurs regret not starting sooner than

wish they had waited longer.

One key reason for starting a business early

is that when you are young you have less to

lose in terms of a career, house, savings and

the like. Moreover, with all the emphasis on

encouraging enterprise, there is also a lot

of support for young entrepreneurs. Many

business schools have courses aimed specifically

at aspiring entrepreneurs, while even schools

and universities are introducing students to

the principles of enterprise. Nor should they

necessarily be put off starting out in the current

economic climate. It is generally acknowledged

that a business that can survive tough times

should prosper when conditions improve. There

is also likely to be less competition.

Many people are worried about the

technicalities and the financial aspects of

running a business. But, this need not be such

a problem. Thanks to the Internet, there are all

sorts of cheap and scalable services that can

help with everything from building a Website

and writing a business plan to setting marketing

targets and organising the payroll. Moreover,

The chances are that if you have thought of an idea somebody else has or will have as well. If you waste time pondering whether to give it a go they could beat you in the market. Many more entrepreneurs regret not starting sooner than wish they had waited longer.

Steve Jobs, as it has often been pointed out, was not so much an inventor as an adapter of technology. His gift, like that of many successful entrepreneurs, was seeing a potential market for something before others.

Steve Jobs, as it has often been pointed

out, was not so much an inventor as an

adapter of technology. His gift, like that of

many successful entrepreneurs, was seeing

a potential market for something before

others. It is often said that businesses need

to respond to customer needs and wants.

And that is true. The business of business is

to satisfy, even delight, customers. But the

strength of Apple has been that it anticipates

customer desires.

The Steve Jobses of the future will take that

lesson to heart. They will have the vision to

see opportunities that others do not, the

zeal to do what it takes to make that vision

a reality and the determination to keep

growing, even when less mortals might feel

because of the increasing willingness of

individuals to invest in startups, whether through

established funds or increasingly common

“crowd funding” models, entrepreneurs are no

longer so reliant on banks for funding.

Much is made of the importance of

innovation. But, as Jim Clifton, Chairman

of Gallup, says in his book “The Coming

Jobs War”, critical though innovation is,

“it plays a supporting role to almighty

entrepreneurship.” This is because, thanks

to all the attention it has received, there is

a worldwide oversupply of innovation, but

entrepreneurs are rare.

entrepreneur

they had already achieved and accumulated

enough. As Luke Johnson, the entrepreneur

and investor, says in his “Financial Times”

column, “Entrepreneurship is not a job, nor

even a calling, but a hunger!”

29DECEMBER 2012

target a niche

In 1999, the market was composed

of many printing companies which

could not manage to cater to the

urgent market requirements caused

by the development of the MICE

(meetings, incentives, conferences, and

exhibitions) business in Qatar. In more

details, big printing companies which

had existed at that time were not able

to ensure timely delivery of urgent

printing orders.

Abdulla Abdul Aziz Al Ghanem, founder of

Speed Line Printing Qatar, started Quick Print

Center, the parent company, to cater to those

urgent requirements of the market. Due to

improved technology, they were able to finish

the printing while the client had a cup of tea.

At that time, it was very attractive. Quick Print

Center was not only delivering on time, but

As a business owner, it’s important to have an understanding of your consumers and the market. The

best of them know how to find and develop a niche market within their line of business. Tamara Pupic

visited Speed Line Printing Press, one of the most successful printing companies in Qatar, to learn how

they capitalised on the niche market within the sector.

sMes

also charging a moderate rate. That introduced

them to the market and gave them courage for

all the consequent successes.

Ayman Ahmed Al Shimy and Usman

Mohamed, who are now Executive Chairman

and Managing Director respectively, Speed

Line Printing Press, joined the parent company,

Quick Print Center, in 2000, and created an

ambitious business plan. The plan included

the installation of new equipment and also an

application for a loan from QDB. QDB assisted

by providing the 80% loan for the whole

project. In addition, the new management

employed marketing agents and appointed a

sales team through which the company got

known in the market suddenly.

Then slowly, through the word of mouth of

the satisfied customers, they were introduced to

the big companies. Later on, the facility existing

at that time proved to be too small to cater to the

demands of the market. For that reason, the idea

of Speed Line Printing Press was created in 2005.

Strategy of success

Elaborating further on the importance of a

strategic action for achieving success, they highlight

that their strategy was two-fold: investments in

equipment and aggressive marketing approach.

The underlining idea was that market could not be

reserved for anybody. Thus, they proved the ability

to catch certain market share. They were the first

company which introduced two shifts and 24/7

working hours. In addition to timely delivery, due to

increased competition, they had to give competitive

price and, of course, the quality.

At present, Speed Line Printing Qatar has more

than 120 employees and has acquired all the

30 DECEMBER 2012

required equipment. Like in their beginnings, the

most important aim is to finish every single job

on time. For that reason, their employees receive

target-based salaries, but also incentives for

breaking the targets. The rationale behind this is

simple – the employees want incentives and, at the

same time, the management wants more business.

In order to monitor the results, the management

conducts regular staff meetings and prepares

plans of visits for all of the seven sales managers.

This monitoring process is established to regularly

analyse their current position and to spot all of the

potential discrepancies. In that manner, they try to

upgrade and be better.

Concluding on the benefits of having a

successful strategy, they provide one more

proof that Speed Line Printing Press has gained

market confidence. In the beginning of their

business operations, suppliers were not willing

to give them any credit for procurement

of materials. But, now both local and UAE

suppliers are offering them credit of up to a

certain limit.

Challenges

Being successful is hard and they consider

themselves to be very fragile for that reason.

Because of price war, thay cannot charge

unreasonable prices and thus rely on hard

work to achieve higher turnover.

Talking about existing obstacles for doing

business within the printing sector, they state

that, within the Commercial Registration Act,

government has allocated certain areas within

Doha reserved only for starting certain types

of businesses. It’s done on the basis of the

assessment of health and safety standards

required for each of the industry types. In line

with that, the Ministry of Municipality Affairs

conducts commercial registration and issues

commercial licenses.

In practice this means that just renting a place

for starting a business is not enough if that place is

not allocated for a certain type of business. Thus,

even after a commercial registration a company

cannot freely rent a facility and start a business.

This can create a lot of problems since most

facilities belong to individual owners who rent

them out without checking what type of a license

was allocated to it. Usual rent agreement is for a

few years and, once it is signed, a company will

need to pay the rent even though the business

operations cannot be conducted at that place.

Speed Line Printing Qatar had this kind of

problem and failed to conduct their operations

for more than a year since the rented facility did

not have the proper license. Consequently, it was

converted to printing facility, but resources and

time were lost.

The way forward

When we first asked them about their ambitions

and growth plans, they pointed out that placing

their two facilities under one roof is the top

priority. Since the company has one facility in Doha

City Centre, to cater to customers with urgent

needs, and the other one in Doha Industrial Area,

coordinating between them can be quite difficult.

For that reason, further business expansion requires

them to resolve this problem.

Further development of their business is also

based on their assumption that the packaging

industry will be a new market niche in Doha. In line

with that and with the aim to respond to increased

demand, they are now thinking of extending their

product line by introducing packaging units.

Lastly, they have recently established an

advertising company which will focus on exhibition

programmes and events management.

Providing a piece of advice for new

entrepreneurs and SMEs in Qatar, they indicate

that the market scenario for startups has

changed when compared to the conditions

which had existed when they were starting.

Firstly, they were able to open the company

anywhere in Doha, but now it’s been limited

only to certain parts of the city. Secondly, the

market is now very competitive and demands

a large volume of production. For all of that,

sophisticated technology is required. That is

very difficult with moderate investments which

startups usually have. Thus, newcomers have to

be very cautious on how to approach the market

and how to plan their capital investments.

Due to fierce competition, profit margin is coming

down. For that reason they advise that startups need

to increase their clientele list and mark the good clients

in order to achieve a higher turnover. It is not easy

and they have to work hard. People will not come to

them, they have to go to them and take the job!

sMes

Being successful is hard and they consider themselves to be very fragile for that reason. Because of price war, thay cannot charge unreasonable prices and thus rely on hard work to achieve higher turnover.

Ayman Ahmed Al Shimy Usman Mohamed

31DECEMBER 2012

sMes

Please give us a brief background about your

company and the products you offer.

Al Shams Advanced Lighting Technologies

(Q.P.S.C.) is a closed joint venture company

established in 2004, but the year 2009

marks the commencement of our operations

in Doha. After starting with high intensity

discharge lamps (HID), last year we introduced

compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) which is the

most commonly used type of lamps. This year

we already have two ranges of the CFLs in our

offering. At the moment, we are promoting

light-emitting diodes lamps (LED) for which

we have already received the first order.

Hopefully next year we will have a production

line of LED lamps.

In the beginning, the founders of the

company put together this idea and came to

QDB for support. QDB helped them with the

market studies and it all started in 2008. Even

though we started building the factory and

procuring the machines started in 2006. QDB

owns 40% of the company.

How did you prepare for being a part of the

Big 5 Exhibition?

In February 2012 QDB proposed the idea to

be one of the 22 companies to be present at

the Big 5 Exhibition. In addition, they arranged

everything. The Big 5 Exhibition is a good fair

and it indeed is good for us to be present here

since we aim to export.

What export opportunities do you foresee

for your products?

Our plan for three years from now is to have

around 70% of our business export oriented. Now

we have our office in Jeddah with an agent there.

Hopefully, within the following six months we will

also be present in Egypt. So, our main focus is on

the GCC region and countries in the North Africa.

In KSA we have partnership, but in Egypt we

can be on our own – start an office there and

operate by ourselves because it’s a big market.

If we get lucky and the business starts running

smoothly I hope that between 60% and 70% of

our products will be manufactured for exports.

How do you decide which countries to target

for exports?

We made many market studies to find out which

markets are the most interesting for us. As a result

of that, we attended exhibitions like the one in

Riyadh last February. It was very interesting. We

also attend the Big 5 for the same reason. So, we

can indicate KSA and Egypt as the main markets.

In general, we consider all GCC markets as the

“next doors” for us and as markets in which we

can obtain good deals. That’s how we do it!

Being in Qatar is good, especially to have our

production here. But, to do better business we

need to export – that’s the formula.

One of the Qatari companies present at the Big 5 in Dubai was Al Shams

Advanced Lighting Technologies (Q.P.S.C.), a pioneer in producing all types of

high intensity discharge lamps in Qatar. Tamara Pupic got talking with M. Hazaa

Alheraki, General Manager, Al Shams Advanced Lighting Technologies (Q.P.S.C.),

to learn about their business development and export strategy.

As an SME, what challenges do you face to

export?

There are two points. The first one is – credit.

Since we don’t have any kind of facility or a

representative office in certain markets, the

official office of the government of Qatar or QDB

there would be extremely useful. They could

manage the credits for us. The issue is that when

exporting you cannot keep things fully controlled

with the letter of credit (LC). This holds even

more truth for the items we produce due to

tough competition. Currently, in the whole world

exporters are given open credits which allows

them to receive money transfer within the period

of 30 to 60 days after the supply. For that, we

need to have some kind of a guarantee.

In KSA at the moment we get the cheque

which we collect after 30 or 60 days depending

on the contract. But, it is not a strong guarantee

since we are not presented in KSA. Thus, we

need to manage this through our bank in Qatar

which is quite a long process. If we could have a

government office to take care of these things

in, for example KSA, it would be much easier. For

that reason we had to start our business through

partnership in KSA since the partner will take the

risk of credits.

Another point is related to fixed assets that

need to be invested abroad in order to start

operations there. The related costs can be quite

high for one company. But if, for example, we

ExportThat’s the formula!

32 DECEMBER 2012

sMes

have two or three companies trying to enter a new

market together that would reduce the running

costs for all of them. Establishing and facilitating

this kind of cooperation could take some time, but

it would be good for us.

How has TASDEER helped you improve your

business opportunities?

At the moment, TASDEER is giving us

guarantees for our shipments and payments.

They guarantee shipments one by one. That

means that if, for example, we have problems

with a client, that company will be blocked.

Furthermore, if a client doesn’t pay on time

TASDEER will cover the payment.

What advice would you give to other SMEs

interested in exporting?

For manufacturers, Qatar is a small market and

we have to move fast. In addition, we need to

have subsidiaries in the major markets outside

Qatar. I suggest that TASDEER establishes

subsidiaries in all major markets. That would

really help all manufacturers since most of us

aim to export.

How do you assess your position when

compared to local and regional competition?

As a rule, in business, you should start

in the nearest circle which is always your

local market. Previous management wasn’t

focused on local market, but only on

exports. Since March 2012 we have two

sales teams and we work in two tracks

– local and foreign markets. Now we are

doing well. Last year local sales were around

QR 300,000 while now we are facing sales

of QR 1.1 million. This is good, but we

expect our market share to increase due to

our new strategy.

Furthermore, now we have a contract with

Almira, a chain of retails shops in Doha, and we

will start production under their brand name.

We also have few other contracts to produce

under local suppliers’ brand names. So, in the

Qatari market we have a chance to grow further

in the following years.

Since limited resources can affect the price of

our goods, we are now trying to partner with

major suppliers of raw materials. In that way the

prices of our raw material would be lower and we

would be more competitive.

From the other side, the costs are always

connected to the volume of production –

whenever you produce more your costs will

very good buyer and save our resources. In that

manner, we will obtain a better sales price for our

customers and be more competitive in the market.

Are there any obstacles for doing business in

your sector?

The procedure for obtaining a license can be

very slow. When we wanted to add one product

to our product line, the procedure lasted four

months. In this case, for example, we could not

give the certificate of origin without the license,

so we could not export that product for four

months. In order to be more competitive, we all

need to move faster.

Another issue is related to very high freight

charges for transport from Qatar. We have started

exporting to Tunisia and our customer is already

complaining about too high freight charges. Now,

we have a contract with one company in Jebel

Ali, which is a hub, to export our material there

and then to Tunisia. It takes more time, but we

save 40% when compared to the costs if we send

when directly from Qatar.

M. Hazaa Alheraki

If we get lucky and the business starts running smoothly I hope that between 60% and 70% of our products will be manufactured for exports.

Being in Qatar is good, especially to have our production here. But, to do better business we need to export – that’s the formula.

be less. For that reason, we have to ensure

big sales contracts. This is our major point – to

reach the level of production which will allow

us a competitive rate of cost. Otherwise, we

cannot survive.

At the same time we are hoping to become

a partner in a factory for LED. Through this

partnership we don’t need to invest fully in

that factory, since they have already developed

business. Thus, we will have a part in their business

and reach the competitive price.

In theory, a good buyer will try to save 30-40%

of the costs which the usual buyer has. That

is exactly what we are trying to do – to be a

33DECEMBER 2012

Costs related to the planned

investments will however be

exacerbated by accelerating input

costs, in particular the cost of raw materials.

High construction costs pose significant

challenges for all real estate asset classes.

In addition to high government capital

expenditures, the effects will be felt at later

stages in the lifecycle of real estate projects

unless a state subsidy is given or minimal

returns are deemed acceptable. In particular,

end users will face higher rental prices for

residential properties, businesses will incur

increased operating expenditures and

tourists will face higher costs for hotels and

retail products.

Qatar already boasts the highest input costs for

raw materials in the GCC region. This is in part

reflected in rental rates that are on average 10%

to 15% higher than sample comparables in Dubai

The government’s investment in Qatar’s infrastructure in the

coming decade will set the stage for FIFA World Cup 2022 and,

more importantly, contribute to the transformation of Qatar’s

economy into a knowledge-based economy. Dr. Tarek Coury, Chief

Economist, Tanween, advises that creation of an economic zone

could be a solution to tackle the impact of high construction

costs on the real estate industry in Qatar.

sector study

for upscale residential properties and high-end

commercial property. Raw material costs are set

to escalate as both Qatar and the remaining GCC

countries upgrade their infrastructure. Industry

sources put GCC investment spend for existing

projects at USD 3.3 trillion, about half of which are

construction projects. These numbers suggest that

already high input costs are set to increase further.

A solution

While the challenge is daunting, the importance

of cost control presents a significant investment

opportunity for the government. This article argues

for the creation of an economic zone dedicated

to production, warehousing and logistics services,

and for the provision of raw materials in Qatar

through a public private sector partnership (PPP)

with local business partners. Outcomes will include

lower raw materials costs, eased supply-chain

bottlenecks, a government revenue stream

through the build-operate-transfer period, lower

government infrastructure investment costs and an

opportunity to expand warehousing and logistics

services provision to other GCC states.

Demand for raw materials is poised for growth

in the GCC region. The construction sector, which

is the principal user of raw materials, has grown

in importance both in Qatar and throughout the

region. The sector experienced annual growth

of over 20% in the first half of the past decade

in Qatar. More recently, annual growth in the

construction sector hit nearly 80% in 2008,

meeting increased demand from a growing

population and investments in the LNG sector. The

building and construction sector has also grown

in importance in the domestic non-hydrocarbon

economy, nearly doubling in size from 9% in 2000

to 17% in 2011.

The sector is poised for further growth.

Several projects are currently either under

construction or at the planning stage to meet

the requirements of hosting FIFA World Cup

2022 and achieving the long-term objectives

of the Qatar National Vision 2030. To achieve

these objectives, Qatar is planning to spend USD

225 billion on infrastructure projects with a view

of mobilising private investment worth USD

107 billion. Other GCC states will concurrently

undertake large-scale investments that will

directly result in greater demand for raw

materials. On the top among them are UAE with

current construction projects valued at nearly

Be in the right zone!

34 DECEMBER 2012

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FuLL naMe:coMpany: JoB titLe:address:country:city:p.o.BoX nuMBer:phone nuMBer:MoBiLe phone nuMBer:FaX nuMBer:e-MaiL:weBsite:suBscriBe to: engLish araBic

sector study

a trillion dollars and KSA with construction

projects worth over USD 500 billion.

Qatar has the highest construction cost in

the GCC according to EC Harris International

Construction Costs Report 2012, which

benchmarks building costs in 53 countries. It ranks

Qatar as among the 13th most expensive country

to build in surveyed countries. Rider Levett Bucknall

(RLB) conducted a survey of construction costs

across asset classes in selected cities in the GCC

region and reported that minimum construction

costs are the highest in Doha across all but one of

the asset classes (please see table 1). Construction

costs have grown continuously over the past six

years across the GCC region reaching peaks of

32% growth in 2007 for Qatar. After the onset

of the financial crisis, growth in construction costs

fell to about 1% in 2011, but these are expected

to pick up again soon. MEED forecasts an initial

increase in construction costs of 4% in 2013

with the work phase starting on the Qatar Metro

project, with costs rising overall by 18% by 2017.

In addition to increased demand, the

construction sector faces the challenge of a limited

supply. Qatar currently produces 6.2 million tonnes

(MT) of cement annually, which is inadequate

to meet expected demand. This limited supply

is in part driven by increased competition from

other GCC countries on the same regional supply

chain for these materials. Other factors include

inadequate and inefficient logistics facilities that

contribute in driving up costs and a logistics sector

that remains highly fragmented, cost inefficient

and dominated by small players.

Strong enough rationale

The rationale for an economic zone dedicated

to raw materials production, warehousing and

logistics services hinges on encouraging productive

and organisational synergies among domestic raw

materials producers and suppliers and will result in

lower raw materials production costs.

Concurrent development of a transportation

network servicing the economic zone will result

in lower transportation costs. Integrating the

economic zone in the regional transportation

infrastructure, including the upcoming GCC

railways network, the new airport and seaport

will allow the economic zone to feed into regional

supply chains. In addition to lower infrastructure

costs, the government will generate revenue from

operation of the economic zone and open up

opportunities for raw materials export throughout

the GCC region. The economic zone will stimulate

growth of SMEs and allow for export-oriented

economic diversification.

Increased regional demand for raw materials in

the coming decade and supply chain bottlenecks

suggest significant risks with regard to input costs

and project delivery for upcoming infrastructure

projects in Qatar. The fragmented nature of the

domestic warehousing and logistics sector, along with

high rental rates for warehousing in turn, suggest an

important opportunity for government involvement

in the creation of an economic zone dedicated to

warehousing and logistics for raw materials.

The economic zone would provide a fully

integrated service solution covering warehousing,

intermodal handling, freight consolidation and road

logistics. Outcomes of the economic zone include:

• Lower raw material costs

• Lower infrastructure costs for government-

financed projects

• Increased revenue from operating the economic

zone through a PPP/BOT arrangements

• Provision of a stimulus for growth of SMEs

within the economic zone, and spillover effects

outside it.

Containing construction costs is therefore

likely to save the government billions of dollars

and increase the financial viability of government

investment projects. Following the moratorium

on investment in the LNG sector, successful

economic diversification in the short term will

hinge on government efforts to identify and tackle

challenges facing the non-hydrocarbon sectors.

Tarek Coury

Dr. Tarek Coury is Chief Economist at Tanween, a Qatari real estate developer and development consultancy which provides turn-key solutions to Investors, developers, land owners and occupiers. Tanween’s unique approach covers all services within the real estate investment value chain from idea creation to market research, feasibility studies, project delivery and asset management. For further information, Tarek can contacted at [email protected].

About

Location Abu dhabi Bahrain doha dubai Jeddah Kuwait oman riyadh

Office Building (incl. Fitout)

premium 1,826 1,404 1,923 1,771 1,240 1,339 1,571 1,200

a grade 1,553 1,136 1,648 1,499 947 1,161 1,325 920

retailMall 1,308 1,003 1,374 1,253 747 982 1,117 712

strip shop 954 602 962 954 707 625 844 667

industrial warehouse 490 334 549 490 467 357 429 440

car parkingMulti storey 409 334 549 409 393 357 364 360

Basement 749 668 824 749 520 714 662 500

hotel (incl. Fitout)

5 star 2,452 1,805 2,610 2,452 1,547 1,786 2,169 1,500

3 star 2,044 2,072 2,060 1,989 1,053 1,964 1,766 1,053

hospital general 2,044 2,072 2,198 2,016 1,547 1,964 1,792 1,500

residential Multi-storey 1,281 936 1,511 1,226 907 1,071 1,091 853

Table 1 - Minimum construction costs in USD per m2 of gross floor area

Source: RLB Data Q4 2011

36 DECEMBER 2012

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technoLogy

Please tell us more about Vodafone’s

operations in the Middle East, particularly

in Qatar.

Vodafone has established a very strong and

reputable presence in the Middle East. Since

the establishment in Qatar in 2007, we have

expanded our operations in the country. In 2008

we acquired the majority of shares in Sarmady

Communications (Sarcom), Egypt’s largest

telecommunications company with over 18

million users. In 2009 Vodafone signed a strategic

partnership with Du which is the second telecoms

operator in the UAE. Lastly, in 2010 the company

partnered with Al Madar in Libya.

In Qatar, we provide mobile network plus a

wide range of products and services for both

general market and the enterprises. With

the world’s largest roaming footprint, mobile

Internet, mobile broadband and BlackBerry,

customers have everything they need to stay

connected all around the world.

These products and services include:

Roaming – Vodafone’s customers can take

their Vodafone Qatar mobile with them while

travelling overseas. Roaming is a hassle-free

service that provides outstanding value and

convenience.

A strong telecommunications infrastructure is crucial for the proper development of SMEs

and entrepreneurs. For that reason, both the Qatari government and major players within the

telecommunications sector are focusing on it. Tamara Pupic got talking to Mohammed Mehdi Al

Yami, Director for External Relations, Vodafone Qatar Q.S.C., on what is their contribution to Qatar’s

economic boom.

Mobile Internet – This service allows the

customers to take care of their business in more

places than ever before from their Internet

enabled handset.

Mobile broadband – Using the Vodafone’s

mobile broadband plan is the best way to get

all the data the customer might need at the

best rate.

BlackBerry business services – Vodafone’s

BlackBerry business service offers everybody

much more than wireless email. It helps all

Blackberry customers to connect to people,

Stayconnected!

38 DECEMBER 2012

technoLogy

services and communications and offers them

ways to stay in control of their costs, improve

their customer service and service delivery

or whatever your industry or the business

challenge may be.

How has the telecommunications sector

changed in the past few years?

Qatar’s economy has been relatively stable

and growing compared to its neighbours in

the region.

Some factors that have driven changes in the

telecommunications sector in Qatar include:

• Speeding up of infrastructure development

with the government’s goal to make the

country a hub for education, sports, and

tourism in the region.

• Increasing diverse demographics – expatriate

professionals and manpower are cashing

in with the economic and infrastructure

development..

• Providing a more positive business

environment through liberalisation and

opening doors of opportunities not only for

its citizens, but also for expatriates provides a

more positive business environment.

• The influx of new technology, particularly

in the information and telecommunications

sectors – mobile networks, broadband,

mobile phones, and similar.

• Offering new products and services by

VFQ, the two major players in the market,

offer new products and services that cater

to the needs and convenience of diverse

demographics.

According to you, what are the

opportunities and challenges in the

telecommunications sector?

Opportunities

The National Vision 2030 will drive a massive

amount of business activity and population

growth to Qatar. This means companies can

confidently invest into the latest telecoms and

information technology solutions to ensure

they can meet the future challenges that

their businesses will face. We at Vodafone are

committed to playing a key part in this, and will

ensure that we are offering high capacity and

quality across all of our services. Also, we will

ensure that, via connecting to Vodafone, our

customers will have access to the very latest

products and services which will not only deliver

on their communications needs but also make it

easier for them to do business.

Challenges

Unlike Qatar, some of the markets in the Middle

East have not been liberalised which means that

they are not yet benefiting from the increased

competition. It is the competition which drives

lower prices and increased investments in the

latest technologies. In addition, it stimulates

innovation. This can sometimes be a challenge

when we are attempting to seek the best prices

and services for Qatari customers who are

calling or visiting those countries.

How is strong telecommunications

infrastructure important for proper

development of SMEs and entrepreneurs

within a market?

A strong telecommunications infrastructure

Mohammed Mehdi Al Yami

The National Vision 2030 will lead a massive amount of business activity and population growth to Qatar. This means companies can confidently invest into the latest telecoms and information technology solutions to ensure they can meet the future challenges that their businesses will face.

A strong telecommunications infrastructure is critical to the development of SMEs and entrepreneurs, as these businesses need to be confidently connected to the world.

is critical to the development of SMEs and

entrepreneurs, as these businesses need to be

confidently connected to the world. More and

more of the services that they offer and need

are located in the cloud where reliable and

resilient communications are critical. We believe

that with having two operators competing,

39DECEMBER 2012

technoLogy

and via the Qatar National Broadband Network

(QNBN) Vision, Qatar is making great strides in

this regard.

Our experience from operating in many

markets around the world tells us that mobile

number portability and fixed number portability

are key building blocks to developing the

telecoms market for the benefit of SMEs and

larger businesses.

We wholeheartedly endorse the QNBN

Vision, and believe it stands apart as a

role model for creating a state-of-the-art

infrastructure in which enterprises will thrive.

We would encourage all telecom providers to

embrace this vision.

What is Vodafone’s strategy for business

growth in the following years?

We will bring the latest technologies and

services to Qatar by focusing on the needs of

our business customers and by offering them

premium service, quality networks, a complete

flexibility and control in managing their

telecom needs.

For example, we already have dedicated

account and service managers for our business

customers, and have invested in a state-of-the-

art real time charging and service management

to give our customers complete control over

their telecom spending and services.

Vodafone Qatar will further innovate into

providing solutions through which we will offer

our customers customised products and services

to support their main business activities and also

deliver added value to them.

We will leverage our international operations,

such as Vodafone Global Enterprise and C&W, to

ensure that businesses in Qatar, by connecting to

Vodafone, have access to the latest services, and

can extend their footprint globally.

Please tell us more about Indie Fikra: Appathon 2012 competition?

The Appathon was a joint event between

QITCOM and Vodafone Qatar. We brought

together mobile app developers from all over

Qatar to compete for cash prizes and the

chance to be included in ictQATAR’s incubation

programme called Dajtala. We wanted to

encourage the development scene and this was

our way of kick-starting people’s interest.

We gave people two days to come up with

an idea, code it, programme it and demo it. We

picked four categories based on insights that

ictQATAR had for what was missing or lacking

in the market – Arabic apps, apps for women,

mobile games, and sports. With an aim to

encourage the inclusion of Arabic support, we

gave extra points for any app that had Arabic.

The judges were from Yahoo, RIM, Vodafone

Qatar, Vodafone Group and ictQATAR. This gave

developers an amazing insight. The winners

of the application really did deserve the prize.

We selected Team Stalkers for their app called

Onigiri. It focused on a national issue – diabetes.

The team was interested in improving Qatar,

had plans for an Arabic version, a working

demo, and it was great to see young team work

together with a great vision.

We’re proud of the event and the Indie

Fikra Appathon will be something that we will

continue running.

What is your advice for young Qataris

mobile app developer talents?

Find a solid team that encourages creativity,

challenges each other and fills in the gaps when

it comes to skills. You’ll need a great designer, a

great coder, the person who puts together the

business plan and figures out how to monetise,

a passionate sales person, and similar.

If you’ve got a team passionate enough, you’ve

got a strong chance of making it. Just like any

other business, you need to believe in your product

and convince others to love it as well. Keep things

simple. The best advice I’ve ever heard is that an

app needs to be so intuitive that you don’t need

any instructions with how to use it.

It’s a great time to be a developer in the

Middle East. It would be a shame if the new

generation misses the boat.

Mohammed Mehdi Al Yami is the Director for External Relations at the Vodafone Qatar Q.S.C. A Qatari national, he holds an MBA degree from Washington International University and bachelors’ degree from Qatar University. He is also a certified Strategic Planner and a Balance Scorecard Practitioner. His career has taken him through more than 18 years of dedicated services with the government of Qatar. Prior to joining Vodafone Qatar as the Director for External Affairs, Mohammed was the driver in setting the strategies Asghal as Manager for Corporate Planning and Development.

About

If you’ve got a team passionate enough, you’ve got a strong chance of making it. Just like any other business, you need to believe in your product and convince others to love it as well. Keep things simple. The best advice I’ve ever heard is that an app needs to be so intuitive that you don’t need any instructions with how to use it.

40 DECEMBER 2012

Creditors’ voluntary winding up

The key provisions are set out

in Section 3 of Part 3 of the

Insolvency Regulations.

Meeting of creditors

A creditors’ voluntary winding up is initiated

by a company’s shareholders passing a

resolution to wind up the company and

also requires the convening of a meeting

of creditors. Under Article 71, the company

must convene the creditors’ meeting no

later than 21 days after the resolution

In the second article of a two-part series in relation to the winding

up provisions applying to a company incorporated in the Qatar

Financial Centre (QFC) under the QFC Insolvency Regulations

(Insolvency Regulations), Emma Higham, Senior Associate, Clyde

&Co, provides an overview of creditors’ voluntary winding up and

compulsory winding up provisions.

Packing up

to wind up the company is proposed.

The notice of creditors’ meeting must be

provided to the QFC Authority (QFCA)

and all known creditors at least seven

days before the meeting is to be held,

as well as being published in major local

newspapers in both English and Arabic.

At the creditors’ meeting, the company is

required to propose one or more persons to

act as liquidators of the company, although

the creditors may nominate another at the

meeting and effectively veto any person put

forward by the company.

Appointment of creditors’ committee

At the creditors’ meeting, the company’s

creditors may choose to appoint a

committee of at least three and not more

than five persons to oversee the winding

up by the liquidators (Article 72). The

provisions relating to the functions and

governance of a creditors’ committee

are set out in Section 3 of Part 5 of the

Insolvency Regulations. Although the

company may appoint up to five persons

to the creditors’ committee, the company’s

creditors may veto such appointments.

Article 72(3) provides that the company

may apply to the QFC Tribunal for the

company’s nominees to the creditors’

committee to be reinstated.

Directors’ powers and liquidator vacancy

On the appointment of one or more

liquidators, all powers of the company’s

directors cease, unless the liquidators

authorise their continuance (Article 73). If

the appointed liquidator vacates his office

LegaL

42 DECEMBER 2012

by death, resignation or otherwise, the

creditors may fill that vacancy except where

the liquidator is appointed by the Tribunal

(Article 74).

Meetings during the winding up process

Once the company’s affairs are fully wound

up, the liquidators must account for their

activities and present that account at a

general meeting of the company and at a

meeting of the company’s creditors (Article

76). If the winding up lasts for more than

one year, the liquidators must convene

a general meeting of the company and

a meeting of the company’s creditors

within three months of the end of the first

(and each succeeding) year to provide an

account of the liquidators’ winding up

activities (Article 75).

Compulsory winding up

The key provisions are set out in Section 4

of Part 3 of the Insolvency Regulations.

A company may be wound up by the

QFC Tribunal in any of the four following

circumstances (Article 77) –

a. The company has resolved that it would

be wound up in this manner,

b. the company is unable to pay its debts,

c. The Tribunal makes an order to this effect

pursuant to or under the Insolvency

Regulations or other regulations, or

d. The QFC Tribunal is of the opinion

that it is “just and equitable” that the

company should be wound up, provided

that the QFCA believes it is in the

interests of the QFC that the company

should be wound up.

Inability to pay debts

Article 78(1) deems a company to be

unable to pay its debts if –

a. The company is indebted to a creditor

for a sum exceeding USD 2,000 and

after three weeks of a written demand

being served on the company to pay the

sum due, the company has neglected to

pay the sum or to agree payment terms

to the reasonable satisfaction of the

creditor, or

b. It is proved to the satisfaction of the QFC

Tribunal that the company is unable to pay

its debts as they fall due (Article 78(2)).

When would winding up be “just and

equitable”?

The case of QFCA vs. Silver Leaf Capital

Partners LLC (Case No: 0001/2009)

dealt with an application for a winding

up order pursuant to Article 80. The

company was unable to meet its objective

to launch a private equity fund at the

QFC and no longer had the assets to

meet its liabilities.

In granting the order to wind up the

company (Article 80), the QFC Civil and

Commercial Court (Court) acknowledged

that the language of the relevant articles

is deliberately broad in order to cover the

wide variety of circumstances in which

it would be “just and equitable” that a

company be wound up. The Court held

that it should take into account the

following objectives of the QFCA (Article 5

of the Qatar Financial Centre Law (Law No.

(7) of 2005), as amended by Law No. (2) of

2009 (QFC Law)) –

a. Developing the QFC as a leading location

for international finance and business,

b. Establishing an appropriate legal and

regulatory regime to govern both the

QFC and the activities lawfully conducted

by entities established in the QFC, and

c. Acting in accordance with and

promoting international best practice.

The Court stated that the QFC’s

objectives would be served if the

unsatisfactory state of affairs at the

company was brought to an end by its

liquidation. This was the case as the

evidence demonstrated that –

a. The company was effectively paralysed

and could not achieve its objectives,

b. There was practical deadlock

between the two sets of directors and

shareholders,

c. Trust and cooperation between the

parties had broken down; and

d. The company was insolvent.

Issues relating to compulsory winding up

Standing

Broadly, a company and its shareholders,

its directors or any creditor, including any

contingent or prospective creditor, may

apply to the QFC Tribunal for an order

to wind up a company (Article 79). In

addition, if it appears to the QFCA that it is

in the interests of the QFC that a company

should be wound up, the QFCA may make

an application if the QFC Tribunal considers

it “just and equitable” for it to be so

(Article 80).

Effect of commencement

Unless the QFC Tribunal orders otherwise,

any disposition of company property, any

transfer of shares or alteration in the status

of the company’s members made after the

commencement of the winding up is void

(Article 81).

A creditors’ voluntary winding up is initiated by a company’s shareholders passing a resolution to wind up the company and also requires the convening of a meeting of creditors.

LegaL

43DECEMBER 2012

coMpany Focus

Broadly, a company and its shareholders, its directors or any creditor, including any contingent or prospective creditor, may apply to the QFC Tribunal for an order to wind up a company (Article 79). In addition, if it appears to the QFCA that it is in the interests of the QFC that a company should be wound up, the QFCA may make an application if the QFC Tribunal considers it “just and equitable” for it to be so (Article 80).

LegaL

Emma Higham is a corporate and commercial lawyer with over nine year’s experience. Having been based in Qatar for nearly seven years, Emma incorporates her extensive knowledge of the local law when advising both local and international clients. Emma joined Clyde & Co in October 2007, having previously worked for another international law firm for six years, both in London and Qatar. Prior to that Emma worked for Price Waterhouse for eight years in both audit and corporate recovery. Emma can be contacted at [email protected]

About

Winding up order

Once a winding up order has been made,

no action or proceeding with or against

the company or its property can proceed,

except by leave of the QFC Tribunal and

subject to any terms the QFC Tribunal may

impose (Article 82(1)).

Appointment of liquidator

The winding up order will identify the

person to act as liquidator of the company

(Article 82). This person is required to

convene meetings of the company’s

creditors and contributories for the purpose

of choosing a person to act as liquidator of

the company. At their respective meetings,

the creditors and contributories may each

nominate a person to act as liquidator,

although the creditors may effectively veto

any nomination by the contributories by

nominating their own.

However, if creditors and contributories

each nominate a different person (which

is technically possible but practically

impossible at present due to the number of

QFC authorised insolvency practitioners),

either party may apply to the QFC Tribunal

for an order either –

a. To appoint the person nominated by the

contributories instead of, or jointly with,

the person nominated by the creditors,

or

b. To appoint some other person to be

liquidator instead of the person put

forward by the creditors.

At its respective meeting, the creditors

of the company may appoint a creditors’

committee to oversee the winding up

(Article 85).

Staying a winding up

Even after an order for winding up

is made by the QFC Tribunal, it may

make an order staying proceedings in

the winding up, either entirely or for a

limited time, on terms and conditions as

it sees fit. The appointed liquidator, any

creditor or shareholder or other person

liable to contribute to the assets of the

company may make such an application.

To make such an order, the applicant

must provide proof to the QFC Tribunal’s

satisfaction that all proceedings should

be stayed.

Other issues in practice

Exclusion of creditors not

proving in time

Provided “all

reasonable steps”,

or the placement

of an advert

in major local

newspapers in

both English and

Arabic, have been

taken to draw

the attention

of creditors

to the

company’s

liquidation, creditors must prove their

debts or claims within six months of

commencement of the liquidation

(Article 90). If a creditor fails to do so,

the creditor may be excluded from the

benefit of any distribution made before

its debts are proved.

Liability for conduct

Articles 97 to 103 contain provisions

relating to conduct of a fraudulent or

false nature by the directors or officers of

the company. Article 105 provides that the

QFC Tribunal may make certain orders for

the return, compensation or contribution

to company property as well as an order

requiring a person to do, or not to do, any

act or thing.

Arrangement as alternative to winding up

Under Article 109, if the liquidator

proposes an arrangement in the course of

winding up the company, the Tribunal may

do one or both of the following –

a. Make an order to stay all proceedings of

the winding up, or

b. Given such directions with respect to

the conduct of the winding up as it

thinks appropriate for facilitating the

arrangement proposed.

44 DECEMBER 2012

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Business advice

Being employable is a concept often

used to describe someone who has

the abilities, skills, qualifications and

potential to meet specific requirements

to secure long term employment for a

particular kind of job or position within an

organisation. It refers to the capacity an

employee possesses to function in a work

environment that makes him successful

in his chosen occupation resulting in

individual and societal benefits in the long

run. Employability is all about the ability to

acquire all the necessary skills, knowledge

and confidence to make future plans and go

further with them.

Some of the most confusing aspects job

seekers face when they begin the search

process is identifying the exact skills and

traits employers look for in candidates. Many

wish they could get into employers’ minds

and unlock the secrets to finding the perfect

combination that could win employers’ hearts

over. They ask themselves such questions

as, “Where do I start looking for vacancies?

Whom do I contact? Where do I apply to? How

do I prepare an attractive resume? How do I

prepare myself to nail my job interview?” But,

most of all, they often wonder what ideal skills

and values would get employers’ excited and

say, “Yes! This is it!”

The truth is that every employer looks

for a particular set of skills that match the

requirements needed to carry out specific jobs

within their organisations. With competition

among job seekers being high these days, it is

imperative that job seekers recognise the exact

skills these employers need in an employee

before heading into a job interview so they are

able to market themselves accordingly.

However, there are those job seekers who

do not know where to begin. This is mainly

due to the lack of preparation in terms of the

skills needed to succeed in the 21st century’s

global economy. Such young job seekers face

Move up the ladder!

On the basis of in-depth interviews with CEOs and top executives

from different sectors of the Qatari labour market, Salwa Atiyyah,

Senior Career Guidance Manager, Silatech, helps us figure out the

criteria employers use to select the right candidate.

46 DECEMBER 2012

Business advice

uncertainty when shifting from schooling into

the work force. There is a huge dissection

between the “world of school” and the “world

of work” because no consistent transition takes

place from secondary level to university level into

work force. This is because teachers barely take

the time to relate their “world of school” subject

matter to the “world of work” and its different

occupations. This in turn creates confusion

among high school students entering university

as they struggle to meet its requirements. Once

accepted, they are clueless as to what to study

or how to study. As they graduate and plan to

enter the labour market, they may lack the core

skills for employability. So, they get busy trying

to figure out how to impress employers.

It is more overwhelming when one does

not have an employment history. Visiting

internationally renowned Websites or watching

documentaries on YouTube do not offer much

help and only provide generic job hunting

guidelines that are not specific to the Qatari

labour market. Only a few Websites go the

extra mile to answer questions specific to the

demands of the Qatari labour market. If the job

seekers are lucky, they enroll in special online

workshops on job hunting strategies.

Fit the job

Over the past few years, Qatar’s booming

economy has had a major demand for a more

highly skilled workforce. Sadly, many graduates

fail to fit the category as they are considered

unprepared to enter directly into the job

market. Few job seekers have the training or

qualifications needed for high-demand and

high-skill jobs. As a result, many organisations

in Qatar face both skills shortages as well as

skills gaps resulting in limited performance and

achievement of business objectives.

So, what are these critical employability

skills that Qatari employers demand of job

seekers? Is it a university degree, academic

ability or a high GPA score? In-depth recorded

interviews with fifteen CEOs and top

executives from the different sectors of the

Qatari labour market show that employers’

interests go beyond academic qualifications.

Apart from the job-specific technical skills

that can be acquired with the proper training

and experience, employers look to see if job

seekers possess the basic “soft” or “generic”

behavioral skills or competencies that are

harder to judge and difficult to teach on the

job. Employers want to know whether the job

seeker has the personality traits and attitude

they value the most. They want people with

key skills that affect everything they do on a

daily basis – be it at work, home or anywhere

else. Without these skills, you will have a hard

time competing. These key skills not only

increase job seekers’ career options but provide

the flexibility to move up the ladder in their

future career. In other words, employers are

interested in hiring people who fit the job, the

organisation, the culture and the team.

Employers want to make sure that the job

applicants they recruit are –

• Willing to do the job

• Able to do the job

• Ready to go beyond the job requirements

• Able to fit within their culture

The CEOs said that despite the wealth of

work opportunities available to Qatari job

seekers, they should not only rely on the

fact that they are Qatari to secure automatic

employment. This is mainly because the labour

market has become more open and competition

globalised. Unlike in the past where there

were differences and total separation between

specialties, today, a job seeker is required to be

conversant beyond their specialty.

Set of skills

Qatar’s labour market today looks for self-

motivated, achievement-driven and multi-skilled

candidates that can compete in multicultural

environments. A major attribute highlighted

by most employers is the need for young job

seekers to be positive enough to believe in

themselves and their abilities.

Employers look for persons who are –

• Responsible enough to organise, plan and

execute tasks accordingly and effectively

• Flexible in their learning, thinking, planning,

and utilising all their technical skills

• Ready to face and tackle work challenges

using different means and methods

• Willing to make a difference by exploring

everything to achieve results

• Willing to learn and always looking for

answers to different questions that may arise

Employability is all about the ability to acquire all the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to make future plans and go further with them.

Qatar’s labour market today looks for self-motivated, achievement-driven and multi-skilled candidates that can compete in multicultural environments.

47DECEMBER 2012

• Fluent in oral and written language(s) and

proficient in using the computer

• Enthusiastic and proactive

• Knowledgeable about the company they

apply to and the details of their past work

experiences

• Not afraid to fail and are willing to seek

multiple perspectives until they succeed

• Fully aware of their strengths and weaknesses

and are ready to improve them

• Strategic thinkers who are clear about their

long term future objectives

• Creative enough to think out of the box and

come up with new ways of doing things

• Critical thinkers who do not always accept

things as they are

• Problem–solvers who are ready to analyse,

interpret and come up with solutions to

problems

• Able to work in a team, have good

communication and negotiations skills and are

able to maintain excellent relationships with

colleagues

• Able to work in different environments and

with diverse multicultural settings

• Able to go the extra mile by exerting maximum

effort to achieve whatever is necessary

• Honest, serious and with excellent work ethics

• Able to develop these skills by relying on

themselves

Try to avoid

Two criteria that employers perceived

negatively were emphasis on salary as a basis

for accepting a job and moving from one

workplace to another. Many were of the

opinion that job seekers should first study

the work environment before selecting one

that offers challenges that will help shape

their personalities. Selecting the right working

environment should be the number one

criterion for the job seeker and not the salary.

Also, a job seeker moving from one

organisation to another is seen as a sign of

inability to decide and should be avoided.

Many employers believe that job seekers

should be patient and not expect to be

promoted immediately after being hired but

wait to progress normally from one level to

the next within the organisation. Employers

stressed on the importance of taking up

summer jobs, internships and volunteer work

as an effective way to acquire most of the

basic skills.

As is evident from the above in-depth

interviews with leaders from different job

sectors, the criteria employers use to select

the right candidate go beyond the attainment

of a diploma. Clearly, a university degree

is the first stepping stone towards finding

the right job. Employers not only focus on

bookworms, but also those who possess the

skills that match the requirements of the

job. Surprisingly, a lot of these skills can be

acquired while at university. The courses you

take, earlier work experiences, and hobbies

provide you with skills that may later be

of value to employers. Find out how many

key skills you already have and which ones

need to be developed – it is never too late!

The good news is that you can still develop

them by working hard on improving yourself.

Knowing your abilities and how they relate

to an employer’s requirements will help you

stand out in the crowd and probably help you

win the job of your dream!

Salwa Atiyyah graduated with a master degree in Educational Psychology, Guidance and Counselling from the American University of Beirut. She has worked for many years as a counsellor and for six years as a career counselling consultant at the Higher Education Institute – Qatar. Salwa currently holds the position of Senior Career Guidance Manager at Silatech. In addition to her career in trainings for counsellors, she has numerous publications in this field on topics such as a guide for career counsellors, how to make an informed career decision, job hunting strategies, career portfolio and much more. Salwa Atiyyah can be contacted at [email protected].

About

Business advice

Salwa Atiyyah

Two criteria that employers perceived negatively were emphasis on salary as a basis for accepting a job and moving from one workplace to another. Many were of the opinion that job seekers should first study the work environment before selecting one that offers challenges that will help shape their personalities.

48 DECEMBER 2012

AGENC222 ADS_Private Sector_20.7x27_Eng.pdf 1 10/22/12 5:13 PM

industry

At the invitation of Alstom Power, a number of

international journalists, specialising in business

and engineering, visited Alstom’s headquarters

in Levallois-Perret, Paris, and facilities of Alstom

Belfort in France, Rheinhafen-Dampfkraftwerk

(RDK8) in Germany, as well as Alstom Thermal

Power headquarters in Switzerland.

Alstom is a large French multinational

conglomerate which is a global leader in the

world of power generation, power transmission

and rail infrastructure and sets the benchmark

for innovative and environmentally-friendly

technologies. Alstom builds the fastest train

and the highest capacity automated metro in

the world, provides turnkey integrated power

plant solutions and associated services for a

wide variety of energy sources, including hydro,

nuclear, gas, coal and wind. It also offers a wide

range of solutions for power transmission, with a

focus on smart grids. The group employs 92,600

people in around 100 countries. It had sales of

EUR 20 billion and booked close to EUR 22 billion

in orders in 2011/12.

Power generation

Alstom’s power activities include the design,

manufacturing, services and supply of products

and systems for the power generation sector

and industrial markets. The group has solutions

for all energy sources (coal, gas, nuclear, fuel-

oil, hydropower and wind) and is a leader in

innovative technologies for the protection of the

environment (reduction of CO2 emissions and

elimination of pollutant emissions). It provides

components for power generation – boilers,

steam turbines and gas turbines, wind turbines,

pOWer from power

The best way to understand the importance of Alstom, a world leader in transport infrastructure,

power generation and electrical grid, is to visit their facilities and hear about their worldwide

projects firsthand! In September 2012 Alstom hosted a successful press trip to their headquarters

and facilities in France, Germany and Switzerland for a number of international journalists. Tamara

Pupic was one of them and brings to you the first of a two-part series on Alstom’s business growth

in the Middle East region with a special focus on Qatar.

50 DECEMBER 2012

industry

generators, air quality control systems and

monitoring and control systems for power plants,

as well as related products.

Transport infrastructure

Alstom Transport develops and markets a

complete range of systems, equipment and

service in the railway industry. It supplies rolling

stock, transport infrastructure and signaling,

maintenance equipment and global rail systems.

The technological advances allowed the company

to achieve the world rail speed record at a speed

of 574.8 km/h on 3rd April 2007.

Electrical grid

A third business section based on power

transmission was formed on 7th June 2010 with

the acquisition of the transmission business

of Areva SA. The division manufactures

equipment for the entire chain of electrical

power transmission, including ultra-high voltage

transmission lines (both AC and DC). The new

sector, headquartered in France at La Défense,

has four main businesses:

• Products (electrical equipment of the ultra-

high-voltage and high-voltage electricity

transmission system, 51% of sales), with

world leading positions in disconnectors and

instrument transformers

• Systems (network management systems and

big turn-key projects, 34% of sales), with

a leading position in HVDC solutions (high

voltage direct current) thanks to its expertise in

power electronics

• Automation (sophisticated information systems

for real-time management of electricity grids)

• Service

In the beginning of the press trip, the

journalists visited Alstom’s Belfort site which

is the historic “heart” of Alstom. For over

130 years Alstom’s Belfort workshops have

been manufacturing components for power

plants. Today, the Belfort site is recognised as

the centre of excellence for steam turbines for

fossil fired and nuclear power plants as well

as for nuclear generators. The group designs

and builds the conventional islands (generators

and steam turbines) for nuclear power plants

and is a world leader with 30% market share.

Alstom’s teams in Belfort design and produce

equipment for power plants, manufacture

steam turbines ranging from 100 to 1,800 MW

and design of manufacture generators.

In the late 2000s, Alstom won Middle Eastern

contracts to the value of EUR 100 million for

power generation equipment. Since this business

section of Alstom is relevant for Middle Eastern

market, we used the opportunity to ask Philippe

Cochet, President of Alstom Thermal Power and

Executive Vice President of Alstom, how they

perceive the current state of play and future

business opportunities in the Middle East region.

How important is the Middle East region in

the group’s strategy?

Middle East is one of the key regions that we

are targeting in our strategy. We believe that

we cannot be a major player in the region if we

are not localised there to a certain extent. For

that reason, we already have projects related to

service activities in Dubai and service workshops

in KSA. In that way, we aim to bring our

solutions to the region.

First projects, second localisation and third

would be to develop cooperation with some

regional universities of technology in order

to ensure that we are developing the right

technology for that particular market.

Qatar is extremely important in terms of its

development and willingness to invest. So, we are

very interested in that market.

Where is the demand coming from?

From the gas related side of our business, we

expect that the demand will increase due to the

industry expansion in the region. It will especially

be driven by the aluminum activities which are

heavily dependent on the use of the energy. We

also see an increase in the demand on energy for

water production and the growing demand in

electricity. Thus, we consider that this market will

continue to grow.

What is Alstom’s competitive advantage in

the Middle Eastern market?

We have a number of advantages. The first one

is our strategy according to which we sell in

the way customers want us to sell. If they want

a certain product or only its components, we

can do it. So, we have a very flexible strategy.

Alstom builds the fastest train and the highest capacity automated metro in the world, provides turnkey integrated power plant solutions and associated services for a wide variety of energy sources, including hydro, nuclear, gas, coal and wind, and it offers a wide range of solutions for power transmission, with a focus on smart grids.

Philippe Cochet

51DECEMBER 2012

This efficiency is extremely important for the

customers since they expect that all companies

involved in the activity can understand and

deliver in line with their requests. The fact that

we are mastering everything in the supply chain

helps us to guarantee our performance. For

example, if a customer buys steam turbines from

Toshiba or Siemens, each of them will guarantee

performance for their own product. But, Alstom

guarantees for all kinds of products and services.

strategy – we are the only one to be able to

deliver a full spectrum, from a component to a

full product, with a service associated with it.

In addition, we will try to expand in other

regional countries as well. The key is to build

workshops for our service activities. I prefer to say

that we plan to develop a small workshop and do

it, instead of announcing a big plant which we

will never construct.

How do you assess compliance with

environmental standards in the region?

The sky is the limit – whatever you produce,

it harms the environment in certain way. But,

at the end of the day, everybody will have

to apply air pollution control standards. If

you look at the Middle East region, more

and more power plants are equipped

with appropriate environment friendly

technologies. The only one which still doesn’t

exist in the Middle East, but it doesn’t exist

anywhere in the world, is the CO2 capture.

We are working on CO2 capture and I

think it will be very interesting for this region.

Previously, many companies were interested in

it, but their approach wasn’t viable from the

financial standpoint. Now, we are focusing

more and more on the usage of CO2 capture

since there are some interesting solutions for it.

If you are producing CO2, why not considering

to use it in the ground to push oil and gas

up. In some countries, you can also use it to

produce fertilizers. Today, what is amazing,

is that there are people who are making the

equipment to produce CO2 and, later on,

using for enhanced oil recovery or fabrication.

I think that will be a good development,

especially in the Middle East.

To conclude with these innovations, Alstom’s

strategy is very focused on the Middle East region

since the group is willing not only to further

expand their business here, but also to support

the development of regional markets. In the next

issue, we will take a closer look on how they plan

to do just that.

Middle East is one of the key regions that we are targeting in our strategy. We consider that we cannot be a major player in the region if we are not localised there to a certain extent. For that reason, we already have projects related to service activities in Dubai and service workshops in KSA. In that way, we aim to bring our solutions to the region.

Philippe Cochet is the President of Alstom Thermal Power and Executive Vice-President of Alstom. Born in 1960, Philippe is a graduated engineer from the CESTI (Centre d’Etudes Supérieures de Techniques Industrielles). He began his career in 1986 as a consultant. In 2001 and 2002, he was in charge at Alstom’s environmental control business. In 2003, he joined the Hager group as Executive Vice-President of Operations and a member of the Board of Directors. Back at Alstom in April 2006, Philippe Cochet was Vice-President of Alstom Hydro and then of Alstom Hydro and Wind, before his appointment to the current role.

About

industry

The second advantage is derived from the

long term and strong local presence of our

service activities in the region. So, we have

our own workshops in the region and, thus,

we are able to deliver products. For example,

we have very competitive products which are

the largest steam turbines for nuclear power

plants. Furthermore, our customers know that

our products are extremely reliable. Whenever

there are projects related to nuclear power, we

are interested and participate in these projects

around the globe. Like that, we already have

partnerships in Russia and India. These are the

two key advantages that we have.

When compared with our competitors,

I would say that we have the most flexible

Has the Arab spring affected your business

in the region?

We were affected because we have

significant businesses in Lybia, Tunisia and

Egypt. These countries are now recovering.

It’s a long process, but we are again

starting to have increased business volumes

in those countries. They definitely need

energy, especially Lybia. Iraq is also in high

demand for energy and we have strong

presence there.

After the revolution we haven’t changed our

business plans. To the opposite, we have even put

bigger focus on the Middle East. So, we are not

going away but trying to be there and help in any

way that we can.

52 DECEMBER 2012

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In most economies SMEs outnumber large companies by a wide margin and indeed are responsible for driving innovation and competition in various sectors. Aref El Nakadi, Marketing and Corporate Communications Manager, Ahli Bank, provides good advice on how SMEs can improve their marketing strategies and benefit from Qatar’s economic growth.

Smart Marketing essentials

In Qatar, SMEs have been considered

weak in the past. However, the wise

leadership has put in place a number of

initiatives and strategic goals to help and

foster SMEs, from creating a junior bourse

at the Qatar Exchange to financing facilities

with different financial organisations.

The Qatar National Vision 2030 aims to

build a well-diversified economy and SMEs

are an integral part of it – to help with healthy

competition, employment opportunities and

economic diversification. In this time of global

recession companies need to be proactive.

Furthermore, SMEs should be smart in their

marketing strategies. How to do that?

SMEs and marketing

We all know the basics of marketing – product,

price, place and promotion. 4Ps, or nowadays

even more Ps, are essential in developing a

brand. Once you develop the brand and make

sure it is different, relevant and holds a promise

(the first 3Ps), you then move to the last P. Now

the question is are SMEs in Qatar promoting

their brand?

The online marketing arena in Qatar has

experienced significant growth over the past

few years. Traditional marketing is still strong

but not feasible for some SMEs. With online

and social media, SMEs are able to control and

discover key revenue streams and make the right

decisions with advanced reporting and tracking

technology. However, the mistake SMEs make

in marketing is that they make everything so

difficult for consumers to understand that they

don’t get it. And if consumers don’t get it, they

usually don’t feel compelled to buy it. Marketing

is about informing consumers about your

products and services and telling them why they

should pick you over your competitor. Are SMEs

in Qatar doing that?

SMEs sometimes try to imitate multinationals

and big corporations with their marketing strategies

when in fact they’ve missed the core elements that

will get a person to buy their products or services.

SMEs should find their own market!

How do you do this? It’s by moving a customer

from the point of just attracting their attention

to inspiring them to actually take action, which is

making a purchase.

A few tips

» Get their attention, be different

Get the attention of your consumers. Speak to

their needs and inform them of the solution that

you provide. Being able to distinguish yourself from

competitors will increase recognition. If you can’t

provide a solution – it’s time to get back to the

drawing board.

» Never over promise

Never over promise if you can’t adequately

live up to that. You will lose customers and more

importantly your business.

» Create a marketing message

You know your solution, now you have to

create a message that conveys that to your

consumer. Craft your marketing message so that

it’s easy to understand. Your marketing message

has to speak about the solution as well as create

urgency for the need.

Marketing

» Evaluate different media channels

You have to evaluate the different media

channels and decide which ones will work for you.

For example, do you serve a market that is more

drawn to Twitter? Does your consumer spend more

time watching television or surfing the Internet?

Be aware of and informed about different media

channels and which ones will work with your

market. It’s not a one size fits all deal.

» Use media channels that are visible to your

consumer

The reason you need to evaluate the different

media channels is to select the media that is more

visible to your potential purchaser. Why spend

money on television advertising if your consumers

are spending more time surfing the Internet?

When you select the media channels, you create a

placement that your potential consumers will see.

Qatari entrepreneurs should benefit from the

vast resources that this country’s wise leadership

has put in place by using clever and creative

marketing strategies. In that manner, they will

successfully grow both locally, regionally and maybe

even internationally. Why not?

Aref El Nakadi is Marketing and Corporate Communications Manager at Ahli Bank Qatar. Aref, a seasoned marketing professional, has over 15 years of marketing experience in the region having served grow, a branding and communications agency in the capacity of client director. Aref started his professional career with Allied Bank (owned by Bank Med), formerly Allied Business Bank, Lebanon, as a Marketing Officer and Project Manager.

About

Aref El Nakadi

54 DECEMBER 2012

The SME Toolkit is a joint project between Qatar Development Bank and International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of World Bank Group.By bringing together the global expertise of IFC and the local knowledge ofQDB, the SME Toolkit Qatar provides small businesses in Qatar with the toolsand resources that allow them to function to international standards.

• Step by step guidelines for business start up and management• Downloadable software tools like Business Plan Maker, Website Builder etc.• Online library with information on topics like Finance Marketing, Technology and International Business• Business Directory Listing and Legal Updates

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Private Sector Qatar - English | December 2012