Why Your Company Must Be Digi-Friendly

From less than 1% of the world connected to the Internet back in 1995, today the number of Internet users around the world are about to cross the 3 billion user milestone. In the Arab world, there are more than 135 million individuals using the Internet. This is coupled with a mobile penetration rate of around 110% on a regional level, and more than 71 million active users of social media platforms.

While Arab Internet users today make up less than 0.5% of the global Internet population at best, they have been growing at a faster than average rate in the range of 20% annually. As such, many aspects of Arabs’ lives have been greatly impacted. Indeed, with around 400 million mobile devices and millions of other Internet-connected things, the proliferation of ubiquitous digital connectivity is creating new opportunities and challenges for governments, businesses, and societies alike.

In the Arab region, Internet connectivity has transformed the ways in which millions of people do business, learn, socialize, and advance their careers. To better understand the critical changes that the Internet is spawning and their impact on businesses and people at a regional level, Bayt.com, in cooperation with the Governance and Innovation Program at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG), conducted their second edition of a regional white paper series on the latest Internet and mobile usage trends in the Arab region, released in May 2014.

The white paper titled The Arab World Online 2014: Trends in Internet and Mobile Usage in the Arab Region is based on a survey of nearly 3,000 people from the 22 Arab countries. It examines current digital trends in the Arab world and focuses on online behaviors, e-government attitudes, online news and service consumption, e-learning as well as the use of mobile and social media in the region.

The survey reveals that the economic impact of Internet growth in the Arab region will only increase going forward. For example, in 2020, it is estimated that around 20% of the labor market in the MENA region will be related to Internet and technology industries. Unlike other mature sectors in Arab economies, these fast-growing industries will provide the majority of the badly needed new jobs.

However, in a region facing mounting social, political, economic, and public service related challenges in terms of access and quality, the barriers ahead are immense. Within most countries in the region, the digital divide is still impacting millions of Arabs who are deprived of opportunities to access information, jobs, education, and services enabled by Internet connectivity. Limited availability of relevant Arabic content online is another key barrier facing Arab Internet users.

However, and despite these challenges, a staggering 94% of respondents agreed that the Internet has opened doors to new learning resources, and 79% said it had increased their involvement with their communities. Nearly 61% said they could not live without the Internet, with 63% of respondents using the Internet as a source for research at least once a day. The findings of the survey reiterate the Internet’s role as an indispensable part of our lives, with 53% spending between three and seven hours daily online, and 25% spending over eight hours online per day. This should serve as a clue for entities across the region, from governments to businesses, to adopt an online presence as an essential part of their development strategies.

Bayt.com has more than a decade of experience in collating vital statistics from around the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Through conducting regular MENA-wide surveys, Bayt.com seeks to portray an accurate, current representation of the opinions, habits and attitudes of the region’s population.

Keeping Up With Kuwaiti Connection: The Startup Circuit In Kuwait Is Up And At ‘Em

Tonight, I met with ten founders, ten investors, and attended four events in one day. No, I am not in San Francisco and, no, I am not in NYC. I am in Kuwait.

Hello, Middle East! You may not know me, but I write for Entrepreneur back in the U.S. As a matter of fact, Entrepreneur Media invested in my coworking space, AlleyNYC, in NYC. Learn more about it here. Aside from running a collaborative space for startups, I mentor for Techstars NYC, I invest in startups, and I love to write about startups.

Two months ago, the U.S. State Department reached out to me about representing the United States Speaker Program, which is an initiative to send “experts” to different parts of the world in order to inspire growth in different sectors. You can learn more about the program here.

More than 90% of working Kuwaiti citizens are employed in the government sector. Thousands of Kuwaiti students study for business and technology degrees in the U.S., but return to find current Kuwaiti business and economic regulations a barrier to the creation of new businesses. The Government of Kuwait has announced it will be working with programs like this to support young entrepreneurs in an effort to expand the private sector. I was chosen to go to Kuwait to essentially help foster the growth of entrepreneurial communities.

Passion

I was once told that if you love what you do, you never have to “work” a day in your life. I started companies that I hated, but now I love what I do. I saw this a lot in Kuwait, but especially in Hind Al-Nahedh, the founder of the awesome social media agency, Social Lobby. Hind has so much passion that I almost wanted to join her company. Before you know it, I was Instagramming and taking selfies like it was going out of style. For those of you who do not know, Instagram and selfies are the biggest thing that happened in Kuwait since they found oil. Without passion, she wouldn’t be successful, and neither will you.

Good-hearted

There are certain people who I hate dealing with. They are selfish and do things only for themselves. There are other people who I love dealing with. They treat everybody with respect and dignity. Mohammed Jaffar was one of those people. Mohammed founded Kuwait’s most successful startup, the food-ordering service, Talabat. When Mohammed spoke at the KW Tech Meetup, he wasn’t pitching Talabat, and he wasn’t bragging about how fast Talabat grew and how much money they’re making on a daily basis. Instead, he talked about why he felt the company was successful, and it was because of having a good heart and only working with people who had what he called a “clean soul.” If there’s one lesson to be learned, it’s that if you do good things for others, good things will happen for you.

Accepting

Wherever we went, I was the one guy who didn’t speak Arabic. I was an outsider. At the same time, nowhere did I ever feel like one. The community accepted me. When I met Neda Aldihany, founder of the Brilliant Lab accelerator, it felt like I had known him for years. He even went so far as to invite me to join his dewaniya. I had no idea what to expect and I was a bit concerned that the others would not accept an American into the culture. Was I ever wrong- I was treated like family. After only a few minutes, I felt the most comfortable I have ever felt. When you accept people, they are more likely to accept you. Opportunities come after bonds have been built, and accepting others is the way to make that happen.

Open to new experiences

Many of the Kuwaitis I encountered have studied abroad at amazing colleges, in addition to having travelling the world. In my experience, you cannot meet anyone smarter than a world traveler. World travelers that have an advanced institutional education are book-smart, street-smart, and most importantly, open to new experiences. In the startup world, this is a recipe for success because you are always going into uncharted territory. If you’re not open to new experiences, you will not get very far as each new day presents its new set of experiences. As an entrepreneur, you need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable in order to succeed.

Persistence

I have started well over 40 businesses, and most of these businesses have failed. But failure in entrepreneurship is inevitable. The key to success is what you learn from failure, and that you keep trying. In Kuwait, I saw this loud and clear in Khalid Alzanki, who hosts a podcast called Launch on Fire. Khalid will stop at nothing when it comes to tracking down talent and getting them on his show. This is why he gets the best and brightest entrepreneurs in the GCC onboard.

PRO TIP: I wrote an article about accepting failure here.

Kuwait is very secluded. The news coverage that most startups scenes benefit from is not a factor in Kuwait. I’ve never seen a TechCrunch article about any startups out of Kuwait. During my visit, it felt as if I got more press than Steve Jobs and it was all Kuwaiti press, with next to no outside coverage. Even though there is lack of global coverage, events are taking place, communities are being built and, relationships are being made. There’s so many awesome people to look up to, and even more people willing to work together towards something greater than themselves.

Kuwait startups are on the rise. I have seen it with my own eyes. Watch out, Middle East, because here they come!

Starting a Business? Entrepreneur Jumana Twal’s Founder Four

When I founded Bidaya Corporate Communications in 2004, I’d already had a decade’s worth of experience as Manager and later Director of Corporate Communications at Fastlink (now Zain), Jordan’s telecom leader at the time. After running the nationwide PR operations of one the Kingdom’s largest private sector companies for over 10 years, starting a PR agency sounded like a simple transition. What I hadn’t realized was that there was far more to running a startup than I’d anticipated. Here are four things that I wish someone would have told me when I was launching my business.

1. Develop Financial Skills

You might be the greatest marketer, technology guru or innovator of your time, and that will be instrumental when creating market-worthy products and services, but unless you also develop financial skills specific to managing your business, you’ll have a hard time staying afloat. Raising capital, managing revenue and profit, getting clients to pay on time– these are essentials that you won’t learn as an employee.

Whatever you do, whether it’s taking a course, finding a mentor or self-educating by reading up on the topic, make sure that you have the basics down as early as you can to save yourself from making costly mistakes.

I was fortunate to have seasoned CFOs and CEOs among my friends and family. Their advice and guidance during those first few years of Bidaya’s formation were central to teaching me how to set up and manage my agency’s finances.

2. Manage Like a Leader

Entrepreneurs are often forced to serve multiple roles when they start out, acting as employee, manager, and CEO all at once. As your startup grows, you’ll have the luxury to delegate the day-to-day work to your team, and later on your team’s management to your managers. Before you hand over the reins, however, ensure that your executive staff understands your vision for your management culture.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with great managers in my time, each hailing from a different school of thought. By the time I’d decided to go solo, I’d already had a good idea of the management style I wanted applied at Bidaya. PR is a very demanding industry, often involving long hours at the office and tight deadlines. Using a combination of the management principles that I’d enjoyed most as an employee, I created a flexible and supportive work environment where my staff would have the freedom to grow and feel at home. As a result, the majority of my team have been with me for over five years and to this day continue to be an integral part of Bidaya’s future.

3. Hire Smart

Never underestimate the value of good talent or the difficulty of finding them. You can only grow as an entrepreneur if you have a strong team backing you and pushing you forward, which is why it is paramount that when you hire, you choose people who have what it takes to level up your business. The catch is, most of these talents are already taken.

If you can’t afford to headhunt the best in your industry, learn to spot potential in junior candidates. Characteristics that I look for include self-initiative, passion for the work, intelligence, and loyalty. That last quality is paramount, as I trust my team with every aspect of my business and they are the engine that drives its growth. I’m proud to say that, today, Bidaya boasts some of the most talented PR professionals in the Kingdom and the region.

4. Defy Conventional Wisdom

Our culture has traditionally rewarded play-it-safers who stick to the well-worn path. Despite increased regulatory and industry support for entrepreneurship -a high risk venture by definition- would-be entrepreneurs still face social criticism when first making the shift from financially-secure 9-to-5 employee to startup owner. Some of my friends and colleagues thought I was insane when I told them that I was leaving my high-paying senior position to start a PR agency at a time when PR was barely understood or valued.

No matter how intimidating it gets, use the uncertainty to fuel your determination to succeed. At one point, one of my strongest drivers was the need to prove the doubters wrong. I’m glad that I didn’t let myself be talked out of becoming an entrepreneur. It may not have been the easiest road to take, but it was by far one of the most rewarding.

Five Immunity Boosters For ‘Treps

Superhuman strength is out of the question, but what is possible is preventing the slip that could leave you under the sheets for days. This means incorporating healthy living strategies in your lifestyle. No one can afford to stay in for days at a time with a zero productivity output, so here are five ways to make sure you’re staying on your feet.

1. Beat Stress

Daily stress, whether from work, lack of sleep, or anything else, does result in having a lowered level of immunity. There are several items to check off of your list if you want to put the proper defenses in place. Eat well, sleep well, move often, and take a moment to breathe every now and then.

2. Nutrition

Making a habit out of a well-rounded and balanced diet is the ideal way to keep bad eating habits in check. Antioxidants help your body from experiencing wear out by putting metabolic oxidants on an even keel. Fruits and vegetables that are rich in color are usually also rich in different antioxidants. Want to bring out the big guns? Ginger and garlic have long been considered as a holistic remedy for many illnesses due to their antimicrobial capacities. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have them as your central defense.

3. Savor the Sunshine

A low level of vitamin D has been found to be associated with recurring seasonal cold and flu. That, and vitamin D is a topic of interest to many more researchers who are finding links to serious illnesses. Schedule some time outdoors or at the beach once a week for good sun exposure. This of course doesn’t mean that you should forgo covering up, and using a high SPF for good sun safety.

4. Maintenance

The best way to monitor the status on the inside is by having regular blood work done up, and the necessary checkups done once every six months. This way, you’re ruling out any micronutrient related weakness, and you’ll be making sure that your systems are running just fine. It also puts your mind at ease, knowing that things are running smoothly, not to mention alerting you of possible imbalances in your system before they can escalate to becoming a serious issue.

5. Mind the Mood

It appears that your mood actually does play a role! Studies have shown that feeling down deals your immunity a blow, so give yourselves reasons to be positive and upbeat on a daily basis. It was found that both laughter and social ties have the ability to support your immune system. Treat yourselves to some time out every now and then. No one’s complained about that before!

Masterpieces To Be Presented At The Louvre Abu Dhabi

If you fancy seeing a da Vinci or Monet up close, residents of the UAE won’t have to go very far. Along with its own collection, the Louvre Abu Dhabi has announced that it will also display approximately 300 artworks on loan from French institutions by the Masters. Gathered from establishments such as Museè du Louvre, Museè d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie, Centre Pompidou, and Museé du quai Branly, get your OMG-I- can’t-believe-it feelings all fired up with this stellar art-history line up. Some of the works scheduled to be on show? Leonardo da Vinci’s La Belle Ferronniére famous for influencing Renaissance artists to adopt naturalism as an oil painting technique and the mystery of the woman’s true identity; Claude Monet’s The Saint-Lazare Station, an abstract take on then-modern life focusing on colors and light rather than machines and passers-by; a Vincent Van Gogh’s Self Portrait, and Andy Warhol’s Big Electric Chair, part of his Death and Disaster interpreted as a commentary on society’s lack of empathy with regular death and tragedy. Here’s a bit of trivia: it will be the first time that Da Vinci’s La Belle Ferronniére will be exhibited outside of Europe.

Keeping in mind the incalculable value of the artwork, and relevance to Louvre Abu Dhabi’s narrative, the selection was made by Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, Agence France-Museums and 13 French museums and public institutions that will loan the works. Getting the itch for a bit of art discourse? Beginning this month and running until the 27th of May next year, the Louvre Abu Dhabi: Talking Art Series will host four panel discussions examining themes on the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection. Organized at various UAE university campuses, it’s specifically catered to students (and art buffs).

Namaa Al Munawara Hopes To Fuel SMEs In Madinah

Many industry leaders across the Middle East have been pointing fingers at Saudi Arabia, tipping it as the future entrepreneurial hub of the MENA region. While reasons vary, one of them is Saudi Arabia’s effort in creating a more nurturing environment for SMEs. One example? Namaa Al Munawara, a SR1billion (US$226.5 million) non-profit organization recently launched by His Royal Highness Prince Faisal Bin Salman, Governor of Madinah. Namaa Al Munawara is the implementation arm of the Kingdom’s Al Munawara Endowment. While the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the Madinah province is its capital, the holy city of Medina, Saudi Arabia is doing its best to rev up business gears with this latest initiative. With Namaa Al Munawara receiving support from Saudi government agencies and the private sector, we can only expect it to make a huge impact and do exceptionally well alongside the rest of the region’s startup accelerators.

How did Namaa Al Munawara come together, and what are the goals of this project?
Namaa Al Munawara was established as a non-profit organization for providing the required support to small and medium enterprises. SMEs, as a sector, is considered one of the most vibrant and important sectors in the Kingdom. It plays a key role through its goals of providing work opportunities and driving the economy forward, increasing national commercial activities, and reinforcing the spirit of business entrepreneurship Kingdom-wide, given that 90% of the local companies registered at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry are SMEs. Namaa’s project will provide various job opportunities for Madinah residents, stemming from the fact that encouraging business entrepreneurship through supporting SMEs is one of the key development strategies in all developing and highly developed countries.

How has entrepreneurship changed in Al Madinah in recent years? It appears that Saudi Arabia as a whole is taking immediate action to nurture startups, SMEs, and entrepreneurial ventures.
Entrepreneurship requires individuals who have the capability to seize opportunities, evaluate them, analyze their feasibility, and possible returns. In Madinah, lots of various opportunities are available for everyone. These require people who have a sense of initiative and are proactive, knowing how to seriously interact with and delve into the process of entering new economic sectors through an innovative vision and by providing creative products or services.

What are some of Namaa Al Munawara’s projects?
Namaa Al Munawara is the implementation arm for Waqf Al Munawara (Al Munawara Endowment), and it provides several initiatives for supporting small and medium enterprises for the men and women of Madinah. Initiatives include the Industrial City initiative for supporting retail sales, another for supporting Madinah-made products, in addition to manufacturing and creativity labs comprising fully integrated workplaces dedicated to the women of Madinah for nurturing women’s employment and creative capabilities, and the One-Stop Shop, which aims at providing all the various governmental and consultancy services that entrepreneurs may need under one roof, helping to save time and effort, among other initiatives.

Which government agencies and private sector companies have been involved in supporting Namaa Al Munawara?
This is one of the leading projects provided by the Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the people, presented through non-project organizations to offer logistic and financial support, comprehensive consultancy services through one platform, and in close collaboration with several governmental parties and the private sector.

What do you think will make Namaa Al Munawara more effective than other startup accelerators in tHe Middle East?
There are many factors that contribute to the emergence of effective business accelerators in Madinah, including the current economic development and progress, population growth, the higher Saudi income per capita, the presence of a solid technology infrastructure, in addition to financial and logistic support for entrepreneurs in the region, given that Namaa Al Munawara is building the largest entrepreneurship investment platform in the Middle East. This will increase the success rate and success opportunities for the region’s entrepreneurs, in addition to the collaborations between the public and private sector in the region for enabling small and medium enterprises to strongly compete in the business arena.

In Brief: Namaa Al Munawara

20,750m² The size of Namaa Al Munawara’s HQ. There will be “designated work areas, sale points, workshops, lecture halls, interactive showrooms for Madinah-made products, offices for Namaa’s success partners and the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), and an art gallery to exhibit Madinah’s heritage and modern history.”

SR700 million The amount provided by Saudi Credits and Savings Bank for the project.

100 The number of sites for “retail channels” to be delivered by Al Madinah Municipality within the next 12 months. The goal is to increase the number of these sites to 500 by the year 2020.

HRH Prince Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Governer of Madinah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
“Al Madinah aims at strengthening socio-economic sustainability, given that it falls in line with Saudi Arabia’s developmental renaissance, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and HRH Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz. Waqf Al Munawara was established to reinforce this vision of development, with Namaa Al Munawara being its implementation arm. Namaa will support and empower the SME sector in Madinah as SMEs are the life blood of all economies and a vital component and a key vehicle for improving economic conditions and expanding job creation. They account for approximately 90% of the total local companies registered with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Given that implementation is usually considered one of the most challenging stages, we will ensure that the citizens of Madinah will feel Namaa Al Munawara’s positive impact in the first quarter of next year, through our continuous follow-up, and dedication to the organization’s activities.”

Telr Gets Growth Funding Boost

Telr’s effort to provide what it considers the ultimate online payment solution in the e-commerce wars has received the financial support it needs. The company recently announced Series A funding from iMena and Hatcher, investing from the Middle East and Singapore. Telr’s vision goes beyond the Middle East and North Africa. Founder Elias Ghanem, who has work experience with PayPal MENA, PayPal South East Asia and India, and Visa Inc., has established a Telr hub in Singapore, in addition to one in Dubai. The end goal? An efficient payment gateway that is not only multilingual but also multi-currency, all while sustaining good cash flow. Ghanem’s ideal alternative to COD transcends borders, hence including South East Asia and certain emerging markets in Africa are in Telr’s scope. Telr has a lot on their plate, but Ghanem and co. are confident that they’ll make a positive impact. While one may suspect that their presence in the Middle East won’t be as prominent as some of their competitors, it’s important to take note of them; after all, their vision looks like a sound one in the long run.

Do you believe as a payment solutions startup founder who had significant regional and international connections that you had more access to strong capital injections than others in the same space? Is that a reality for most MENA startups?
Fundraising is a complex art and science. It takes more than regional and international connections to attract serious investors. What has worked well for Telr is the combination of a strong and highly-skilled team; a very solid and versatile payment solution adapted to SMEs and the geographical scope we want to play in: all emerging markets across Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia. Any company looking to raise funds must be truly solving a need in the market, have a vision and a strong execution roadmap driven by a well-prepared team.

What do you suggest is needed to generate more MENA awareness in the e-commerce space? What steps can be taken from government perspective?
Many things are required to raise the e-commerce awareness, but let me start by saying that I am very optimistic as you see more and more ads on billboards and newspapers promoting online merchants. The single most important factor for e-commerce growth is the supply: the more merchants sell their goods and services online, the more consumers will get used to comparing the online offers to the ones in stores. Which brings me to the second important factor for awareness which is demand: currently few people can shop online using their credit card. The population shopping online must increase beyond the people with a card, to include the banking population -through direct debit from bank account- and the cash population. We, at Telr, are working on all these streams. The third element to increase awareness is to eradicate Cash On Delivery (COD). At Telr, we strongly believe that online goes hand in hand with modern payment options. COD kills the growth of e-commerce and has disappeared from all mature markets, why not here?

In your opinion, when do you think we can expect mass adoption of e-commerce in MENA?
It is happening every day, slowly but surely. Mobile adoption, social media ongoing engagement and connectivity are enablers to e-commerce. At Telr, our payments options consider online, mobile and social media payment solutions so our merchants can cater to each type of buyer. The e-commerce revolution has started… it only needs to be enabled and supported, and Telr is here for that!

BlackBox Uses Social Media To Bring Online Engagement Offline

I’ve always been drawn to Polaroids. The texture of print images, seeing the nostalgia-inducing borders, and hey, almost feeling like Ansel Adams. It’s making a comeback; retro is in along with the (over) sharing of pictures and of course, selfies. Finding an opening in the event market, BlackBox transforms the usual offline photo booth experience at events into a social online experience. By having guests tag a photo on Twitter or Instagram with a predetermined hashtag specifically developed for your event, you can get a Polaroid-like printed photo from the booth. In turn, BlackBox generates advertising value around a brand’s event as visitors promote it on their behalf, and later on provide an analytics report, allowing them to further develop their social media strategy.

Founders George Eid and Christine Dwairi, also business partners at PurpleGlo, the marketing company behind BlackBox, had the idea after seeing Polaroid photographers in Beirut streets and thought of combining people’s love for the Polaroid and the ever-pervasive instant gratification of social media. Coupled with the duo’s penchant for all things retro, Mad Men and its era’s “sense of design”, the Co-Founders try to preserve that “feel and keep it alive.” Involving different prototypes and experimenting with materials, designs and platforms for software operation, the idea to inception stage took approximately four months.

Initially, they built the first prototype themselves, and then went to a production factory for the final product. When they started, they had a specific goal to enter the market- working with Red Bull. During their pitch to Red Bull Lebanon’s Digital Specialist, they did a live demo and “a few minutes into the meeting, the whole Red Bull office was posting photos on Instagram and taking their photos and putting them at their desks,” says Eid. It seemed that Red Bull liked the idea since BlackBox had their first event with them in September of last year.

After launching in Lebanon, they began expanding regionally to Dubai and Doha, and then in North America beginning in Austin and New York. The Co-Founders share management roles with Eid overseeing the Lebanese market, and Dwaire running their operations in Doha and handling the Dubai market.

The BlackBox business model is fairly simple: the product can be rented to clients holding events and brand activations, while also building a “network of PR agencies, event companies as well as digital and social media ones that promote our product to their clients”. This startup is already in profit mode, their ROI happened almost immediately- a major anomaly in the startup tech space.

“We have been able to cover all our initial investment three months into our operation, and have been operating in profit ever since,” adds Eid. “We’re looking to double our revenues in the coming year as part of an expansion plan that increases our penetration of the market.” In terms of finances, the self-funded startup haven’t considered funding rounds yet, with Eid remarking that “it might be an option in the near future as part of one of our global expansion plans.”

Of course, every company has their struggles. For BlackBox, it’s letting event-goers know that “The Social Media Photo Booth” BlackBox is onsite and ready for action. So it’s crucial for event planners to have an effective marketing strategy that ensures BlackBox visitors. Other problems are also are weak Internet connection or non-existent ones in crowded areas, and the regular Lebanese power outages. Photos are only printed once they have been posted on Twitter or Instagram with a predetermined hashtag, so Internet availability and signal strength is key to user engagement.

Eid says that their future plans include a more interactive experience, “surrounding BlackBox with new real-time event based [on] social media products”, and releasing an “unannounced product” in the market. Besides plans of becoming more pervasive regionally, they are also “flirting with the idea of franchising” out their product.

Take my Picture

Prince point Want to have BlackBox present at your event? The cost ranges from US$1000 to $2500 in Lebanon, and $1500 to $3000 in Dubai. The cost for the booking depends on the size and duration of the event.

What you get Unlimited prints for event-goers, a post-event analytics user report, an onsite BlackBox representative, and an Internet connection.

Office Interiors Say A Lot About Your Corporate Culture

A working environment is as important as the idea itself. As the spearhead for tech startup Brndstr based here in Dubai, I wanted to talk office space this time around. Over the past nine months I have been giving my opinions on everything startup, from raising the seed to signing the first deal. Having just recently moved into our first “proper” offices, I wanted to talk about the importance a workspace has to the success of your company.

Brndstr has been in operation just over a year now, and it wasn’t until last week we collected the keys to our brand new, super cool, startup-styled office space. Why wait so long before getting the office ready to move in? As an entrepreneur, it’s common to follow and in some ways copy what your inspiration does. From the look and feel of the brand to how the product or service is sold – this too can be the case for your office space too. When turning that idea into reality and if you go down the funding route, getting investors to believe in the idea- you need to bring it to life.

You’ll spend time shaping and molding your look and feel of the brand, and it’s important to remember that the working space your new HQ has needs to have the same vibe in order for everyone to truly be immersed in the experience. As a tech company, and with my hometown being London, I knew I wanted to make Brndstr feel like you were in a tech stereotypical office that would be common to see in say, New York, London or San Francisco. We went for the loft office converted warehouse approach to give both our clients and staff the feeling that they were living the real tech startup dream by working for Brndstr.

I personally have had a big interest in startup cribs for quite some time, and during a trip to Silicon Valley early this year was lucky enough to see the offices of Facebook, Google, and Twitter. In my opinion, the reason these guys are so attractive to work for is that when you think of them you hear of the cool perks and features that come with the office. The truth is that when you are getting started, splashing out on big screens, nice furnishings and creating the super cool space costs coin. It is also not going to make or break the startup in the early days- it is merely a bonus and statement. This is the main reason it took Brndstr over 15 months to move in and create the dream space. Our focus was to prove the idea worked, and to get clients on board.

Brndstr now has a solid base of clients including CNN, MBC, UBER, Sheraton Hotels, and Infiniti to add to its portfolio. We have 10 staff, three iOS apps in the store, a polished brand, an attractive website, and we have raised enough seed funding to build the office without scraping the barrel for pennies. For anyone looking to venture into the startup world or to founders of recently launched companies my advice is plan, imagine, and take inspiration for your dream workspace. We all love the idea of a nice desk, a shiny MacBook and a comfortable setup- just at first this is not the main focus. During the incubation period, print massive logos and quirky branding, stick them around the office and make sure that when you walk the office you know who you are and what you do. This will give confidence to both you and the staff. The ‘real’ HQ will soon come.

Remember: Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was Google, Facebook or Twitter. Good luck fellow ‘treps, and see you next month!

Emerging Markets Makes For Endless Opportunities: Hill International President Raouf S. Ghali

“If you cannot find opportunity in the Middle East then it’s not the Middle East that has the problem, it’s your business model.” These are the candid words of Raouf S. Ghali, President of Hill International‘s Project Management Group. And though he specializes in the project management of large-scale developments, his brash statement refers to businesses from any vertical in the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) region. Having come out strong on the other side of the 2008 economic downturn, he says, the GCC is poised for a decade of fast growth. And if you can’t take advantage of that, he reckons that there’s something wrong with your business model.

When it comes to talking GCC growth, it is difficult to deride Ghali for his optimism. While an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report from May 2014 said that growth is projected to remain tepid in most countries, other bodies have been more confident about the GCC, seen largely as a stable foothold in an otherwise increasingly volatile region. According to a recent report from the Institute of International Finance, growth across the GCC is projected to sit at around 4% in 2014. But that number fails to tell the whole story. The economies of the Middle East have diversified as governments begin to lessen their dependence on crude oil, leaving underdeveloped verticals enormous holes to fill as the rest of the business world plays catch-up with the oil industry.

On the ground, there is a sense of quiet optimism about the GCC’s prospects, which is giving businesses the confidence to make good on their growth strategies. Admittedly, according to ICAEW’s Economic Insight for the Middle East, living standards — measured by GDP per capita– in the UAE, Kuwait and Oman have fallen in real terms, despite “rapid” growth over the past five years. This, the report says, is down to a combination of high birth rates and immigrants hoping to take advantage of the opportunities created by economic expansion. But the same report also notes that, for the next decade, economic prospects are more favorable.

In his position, Hill International‘s Ghali is well placed to see the effects that these changes are having. He saw the GCC at its strongest before the economic downturn of 2008– the end of what he describes as a “cycle.” He was the project executive for the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai when it was built in 2006, and he carried on operating through the slower years, waiting for the return to growth. Now, he currently has 30 ongoing assignments around the world. The services he provides include cost control, financial analysis, planning and scheduling, so he makes it his business to keep abreast of the pace of the market.

“Like any market, if you look at it, from 1995 or 1997 to what it is in 2014, and just put it on a curve, you’ll see that the growth is just tremendous. Now, within that growth, there are little spikes and valleys, and that’s normal because, like every other industry in every other market, things are cyclical. We’ve seen it go through some peaks and valleys, but it’s cyclical.” Obviously, within the GCC, markets still differ– what might be true in, say, the UAE won’t necessarily hold in Saudi Arabia. Ghali acknowledges this as he gets down to the specifics of each market. Of the six GCC countries, he identifies Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE as the biggest growth markets, though he adds that he is reasonably bullish on growth in Oman, which he describes as a country to watch out for.

Eye On Qatar

According to the ICAEW report, Qatar’s economy is expected to show the most dramatic improvements over the next decade, at least when measured in GDP per capita. The report notes that, thanks to the low costs of producing natural gas, and the fact that the country will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, GDP per capita should double between now and 2025.

But it’s on the large-scale investment side that Qatar should shine. Due to its small population, the country consumes an almost laughably small amount of its GDP –a little less than 20%- allowing more money to be invested. According to the IMF, Qatar’s gross natural savings accounted for 59% of GDP in 2013, leaving plenty for the country to invest into other industries as it shuffles towards an eventual hydrocarbon-free future. And in the process, it is industries such as Ghali’s (large-scale developments), that have begun to benefit.

While pointing towards the investments that Qatar is making in culture, education and sport –“They’re going to create a position for themselves within the region, something I don’t think exists in the Middle East,” he says– Ghali recognizes that the huge amount of construction, as well as infrastructure investments for the FIFA World Cup, are the main drivers for Qatar’s growth. “They’re doing it right, they’re looking for the expansion. I believe that if you invest enough money in the infrastructure (what history has shown in the last 50 years), the countries that invest in their infrastructures create a good platform for people to come in and do business there,” he says.

There are other opportunities in Qatar, too, according to Ghali. He outlines the medical research centers, the libraries, and the art galleries as ideal targets for the right businesses. But perhaps one of the biggest opportunities (for anyone in Ghali’s line of work, anyway) lies in environmentally friendly mass transport. Like every other GCC country, Ghali says, Qatar is investing heavily in a railway system, and it is being developed to green standards– perhaps more greenly than you would find in even the United States or Europe.

The project of the moment is the Doha Metro, a rapid transit system expected to serve 85 stations across four lines adding up to 211.9 km of rail. Already, 61 stations are under construction, with operations slated to begin in 2019. The Metro is just one small part of Qatar’s railway ambitions, and will simply be a component in the larger Qatar Rail Network, which is set to include long- distance high-speed links across the country. Ghali isn’t joking when he says that there are huge opportunities to be found in the emirate’s mass transit sector — after all, there’s a lot of construction to be done.

Inside the Kingdom

When it comes to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), things are a little different. As the Gulf’s largest economy, with a population of around 30 million according to a 2013 estimate, the country has needs that go above and beyond accommodating growth. Social issues are felt more sourly in KSA than they are in other GCC countries, thanks to wider wealth gaps. This means that, rather than developing large-scale mega-projects as tourist attractions, the Saudi government needs to focus on less glamorous schemes.

The point is illustrated by the fact that GDP per capita growth is expected to be slower in Saudi Arabia than in other Gulf countries, particularly over the coming years. The ICAEW report does note that Saudi’s national savings amounted to 47.6% of GDP in 2013, but due to the country’s large population, this amounts to national savings of just over US$11,000 per capita. This puts KSA’s national savings per capita closer to the United States figure of $9,000, rather than the Qatar figure of nearly $55,000. Hence the differences between the two Gulf markets.

This is not to say that Saudi Arabia is unfriendly to business. Indeed, according to Ghali, the drive to provide more affordable housing is in itself a big opportunity for people in the development sector. “One of the plans is to make sure that at least the housing needs for all the communities and society sectors are being accommodated, which is creating a big need for housing,” he says. “It’s a young population, there’s a lot of youth in Saudi Arabia, and they’re getting married, so there’s a great need for it. I think they’re accommodating for local needs.”

Last year, the KSA government launched a new scheme, dubbed “Eskan”, to provide housing aid to citizens. King Abdullah pledged that the country would build 500,000 homes thanks to around $67 billion in state funds. The project may have gotten off to a slow start, reportedly caused by sluggish bureaucracies, but Ghali says that things are beginning to pick up, at least in some areas of the country. Of course, Saudi’s other main point of investment for a post-oil future lies in religious tourism. Given that the country is home to the center of the Islamic world, Mecca, Saudi Arabia plays host to more than a million visitors embarking on the Hajj every year. One estimate says that more than 1.3 million foreign pilgrims from 188 countries arrived for the Hajj last year 5 , and the country has been working hard to better cater for this annual influx of visitors. Ghali believes that this presents a large opportunity, as there are always high demands in the religious tourism sector.

“It’s a captive tourism and it’s one that is consistently growing as people around the world have the means to come for their pilgrimage. There are always high demands there,” he says. And, naturally, he says, the Kingdom still has its fair share of mega-projects, such as the under-construction Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, slated to be the tallest tower in the world with a height of one kilometer. According to estimates, it is being built to the tune of around $1.23 billion, and will be the centerpiece of a larger $20 billion project known as Kingdom City. Ghali asserts that there are business-friendly opportunities here, though he still maintains that the social housing project forms the biggest platform for growth in Saudi Arabia.

Penetrating The GCC

Elsewhere in the GCC, there are obviously other opportunities to seize, particularly in certain government-funded segments. For example, Ghali asserts that railway development is a strong platform for growth in every GCC country, and not just in Qatar. Aside from the inter-country GCC rail project -to be built at an estimated cost of $15.4 billion– each council country is developing its own railway system. This has already been seen in the UAE with the Dubai Metro, but the country’s ambitions don’t stop there; the UAE’s national railway network, Etihad Rail, is expected to result in huge opportunities for contractors and consultants. Indeed, Ghali notes that the UAE’s build-out of major infrastructure projects stands it in good stead for the future. While critics labeled the UAE’s economy as unstable in the years following 2008, Ghali reck- ons that growth simply slowed down, with the government seeking to beef up the country’s infrastructure in preparation for the next wave of growth.

“People say that Dubai stopped. Yes, the real estate market I think had stopped for a while after 2007 or 2008. But what we’ve seen is, even from 2008 to a year ago, when the real estate market started coming back, Dubai continued working on its infrastructure. The Metro, bridges, roads- all the infrastructure was still going on, which I think was a very wise move because now they’re ready for the next expansion,” he says. The UAE’s business community is now gearing up for a period of rapid growth, Ghali says.

What other GCC nation is worth monitoring? Ghali labels Oman as a country to watch, admitting that compared to the UAE or Qatar, Oman’s growth curve is nowhere near as sharp. However, he likens projects in the country to low-risk investments, describing the country’s prospects as steady, if not quite as exciting. “It’s a community that is looking for growth, and continues to look for serving the community. But they don’t want to expand and explode the way others do. They have a very solid tourism industry– they grow it, but they grow it at a pace that they’re comfortable with,” he says.

With such opportunity around, it should be easy to come to terms with Ghali’s advice that a business model is flawed if it cannot thrive in the Middle East. However, there is one elephant in the room; the big opportunities -from the Qatar World Cup developments to the international railway project– are already being dominated by established players such as Hill International. The question remains whether there is any room left in the market for a new business. According to Ghali, there is always room, and it’s that fact that keeps organizations such as his on their toes. “It’s difficult to be a new player, but there’s always an angle,” he asserts.

With that in mind, then, it would seem like there is no better time to be involved in the Middle East’s burgeoning development sector– be it real estate or critical infrastructure. As Ghali says, it might not be easy to be enter the market, but if your business model is right, the rewards could be enormous.

Sourcing Local Human Capital

According to Hill International Raouf Ghali the secret to success when it comes to international expansion is to hire locally. With a career spanning several countries and regions, he explains that, whenever Hill wants to expand into a new geography, hiring local talent is the key to success.

This is particularly true when it comes to project managing large developments, he says. The need for fluency in the local language is fundamental to doing business in a foreign country. Successful project management firms hire local people so that language is not a barrier. “As project managers, where we’re dealing with contracts, you’re dealing with day-to-day site issues, you’re dealing with moving and managing risks, it’s always done in the local language. If you’re in Germany, it has to be in German, and you have to be proficient in German. If you go to France, it’s got to be French. It takes a long time to create an organization that works in different countries,” he explains. Naturally, the same is true for projects in the Middle East.

Boom and Bust

Ghali might be confident that the GCC is set for a decade or so of rapid growth, but what happens when the next economic downturn hits? How can investors protect themselves from the possibility that projects might go under before they’ve begun, as happened in 2008? While he isn’t comfortable speculating on when another bust might occur, Ghali does believe that the GCC has learnt its lessons from the last one, and that things might be a little different the next time around. “Every time we go through one of those cycles, we learn from it, the industry learns from it. We take safeguards. Last time, everybody was over-leveraged, and everybody around the industries allowed that to happen,” he says. “It may come to a slowdown- I don’t think anybody keeps on going and going until it crashes. There are things that are created during the growth era, and I doubt that the same mistakes and the same exact happenings repeat themselves.”

On Business and Politics

While the GCC is considered a relatively safe haven for business in the increasingly volatile wider Middle East, Ghali notes that nowhere is 100% safe from political instability. Investors may be comfortable working in the GCC, he says, but there are very few ways to put in safeguards against political unrest, as the large-scale events that really shape the business landscape are so difficult to predict. “What happens in Brazil could affect somewhere in China; what happens in Cairo can affect something in Dubai. It’s become very, very difficult to predict what one event can really create in some other location at a very fast pace. There are knock-on effects and snowball effects, and they’re now less controllable than they were before,” he says. That said, Ghali notes that the GCC is probably one of the safest when it comes to worrying about political issues. However, he cautions that no one is able to predict disruptive events.