MAG_AP_Q2-2017_V6

ACCESS 

JULY 2017 - ISSUE # 003 

POI NT 

After the First Soccer 

Tournament: 

Wajdi Jabr Shares his 

experience 

Internal Auditing! 

Why is it important 

to all Ogranisations? 

A publication 

by 

Saving the Earth One-Step at-a-time 

The Go-Green Initiaive 

Continues....

ACCESS POINT MAGAZINE - JULY 2017 - ISSUE # 003 

Message From 

The GMD 

Welcome to another issue of 

Access Point Magazine, your 

channel to knowing all about 

our happenings, events and 

upcoming ventures. 

This year, as we have expected, 

the situation had been very 

challenging for everyone 

because of the market 

downturn. Fortunately, for 

us, we continuously focus our 

business on developing our 

core competencies across the 

holding group, our people and 

keeping the unity of our various 

businesses. A vision which I feel 

is being realized and appreciated. 

The company’s success is 

accomplished and recognized 

on all levels by our fair treatment 

and equal opportunities for all 

our people in a safe and healthy 

working environment. In this 

magazine, you will see various 

topics and articles about Ali & 

Sons and its partners. I invite you 

to read this issue of the magazine. 

On a lighter note, the past few 

months have been filled with 

events that lifted everyone’s 

spirits. In April, the success 

of the first Ali & Sons football 

tournament proved to be a 

great success both for players 

and spectators. I have closely 

watched every game through 

our social media platforms. I can 

say, there were certainly great 

moments of satisfaction in every 

goal, in every pass and every win. 

What was established for sure 

was nothing beats the success of 

a team working together as one 

to reach its goals. I couldn’t help 

but notice that those high in spirits 

and positive energy throughout 

the organization resonated for 

many weeks after the conclusion 

of the football event. I would like 

to congratulate everyone in Ali 

& Sons from the organizers of 

the event to all the players who 

participated in this activity. You 

have all made it an astounding 

success. 

1 

1

MESSAGE FROM THE GMD 

Shamis bin Ali Al Dhaheri 

GMD, Ali & Sons Holding LLC 

2 

2

Chief in Editing & 

Administration: 

Ali & Sons 

Marketing & Corporate 

Communications 

TABLE OF 

CONTENTS 

2 MESSAGE FROM THE GMD 

Special thanks 

for providing exceptional 

passion for beautiful design 

and intense attention to detail 

to 

INNOVATUS 

27 SAVING THE EARTH 

ONE-STEP AT-A-TIME 

Extended Thanks to 

all Ali & Sons’ Owned 

Businesses 

for Copy-writes and Images: 

Ali & Sons Motors 

Amwaj 

ASOS 

ASMEF 

ASC 

ASC - Interior Division 

ASRE 

Awazen 

Eurostar 

Spectrum Glass and Metal 

Industries 

Spectrum Light Block 

31 

VIEWS & 

ASPIRATIONS 

31 Why do we need Internal Auditing? 

33 The Making of High Team Spirits 

35 Head of the first soccer tournament 

committee shares his experience 

37 Vacation/ Staycation? 

41 UPCOMING EVENTS 

Head Office 

Ali & Sons Building 

Abu Dhabi 

P.O. Box 915 

United Arab Emirates 

www.ali-sons.com

TABLE OF CONTENT 

5 EVENTS & NEWS 

29 

THE MARSHMALLOW 

TEST 

39 DIGITAL REACH 

Delayed Gratification? 

Soccer Tournament 

4


WINNERS OF 

THE FIRST 

SOCCER 

TOURNAMENT..... 

5

CONGRATULATIONS 

PORSCHE TEAM 

6

7 

EV

& 

ENTS


April 

Volkswagen at Flavors Festival - Umm Al 

Emarat Mushrif Park 

Ali & Sons Volkswagen has attended Flavors Festival Abu Dhabi the capital’s biggest 

spring break event featuring the best Emirati & homegrown food & foodies. 

The festival has hosted daily live comedy shows, competitions, live cooking 

demonstrations, Folklore shows, Arts and crafts activities throughout the 10 days from March 

30th to April 8th, 2017. 

The event has served to promote Volkswagen latest models and mainly to draw traffic and 

increase footfall in our showrooms. Over 100,000 visitors throughout the 10 days have visited 

Umm Al Emarat Mushrif Park and had the chance to taste the cuisine of 100 food tents and 

street food trucks at this family friendly event. 

9

EVENTS & NEWS 

ASC won 2nd runner up in the 

1st Ali & Sons Holding Soccer 

Tournament 2017 

Contracting team 2 successfully bagged the 2nd runner up trophy and medals at the First 

Football Tournament held by Ali & Sons Holding for all of its subsidiaries last of April 4th, 

2017.The inauguration was led by Mr. Mohamad Al Dhaheri. There were twelve (12) 

teams who competed for the trophy, namely ASOS, Porsche, Contracting 1, Contracting 

2, Marine1, Marine 2, Volkswagen, Head Office 1, Head Office 2, Eurostar, Audi and Al Ain Team. 

The football match was held at Classic Playground Rental & Management, near Dana Emarat 

Hospital. The event lasted for six days from of April 4th to 11th, 2017. 

Ali & Sons Contracting had two entries. Contracting team 1 consisting of Nazih Khadem as the 

Team Manager, General Manager Mohamed El Hage as the Team Captain , Ahmad Batta as the 

Vice Captain, along with other players, Ahmed Abdel Alaal, Rabie Hammoudi, Bachar Assfour, 

Ehab Sharaf, Ahmad Qabalan, Mohammad Zorob, Imad Al Najjaar, Mohamed Reda, Yousef Jomaa, 

Rabie Ahmed Mohamed Ayoub, Firaz Haj Mohammad while Aamer Sabbagh (Team Manager), 

Kareem Yousry Mohammed (Team Captain), Mousa Issam Al Qatanani (Vice Captain), Mohamed 

Melhem, Ramy Metwally, Sodqi Al Nimer, Mohammad Kanaan and Radwan Diab, Moneef Hijani 

completes the Contracting Team 2. 

. The team was one of the great teams in the tournament. Foundations of the group were strong 

and well-founded, that whoever strikes for a goal definitely gets blocked. 

10


Volkswagen Abu Dhabi invites racing 

enthusiasts to Dub Drive GCC Gathering 

Volkswagen owners and fans from across the region gathered at the Dubai Autodrome on 

Friday, 21 April at the largest ever exclusive event for the GCC. 150 cars and 300 owners from 

the Kingdom of Bahrain and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, State Kuwait, 

and the United Arab Emirates participated in the invitation only Volkswagen ‘Dub Drive GCC 

2017’ event to showcase their unique cars and convoy across the UAE. 

3 Years Engineer Service Contract – Bentec Top Drive (NDC) 

ASOS is in the last stages of successfully completing an exclusive agreement for providing 

‘certified’ Bentec Top Drive engineer for 3 years (call out bases). To support this contract, 

Bentec Germany has relocated a certified engineer on permanent bases to Abu Dhabi. 

starting Q3, 2017. 

3 Years SLI Calibration Agreement (NDC) 

ASOS were successful in their bid for SLI Calibration services thru their partner Pat Kruger. 

LOA has been signed by both parties (NDC & ASOS). The Activity shall commence by 

Q3, 2017. 

11

EVENTS & NEWS 

A quarterly HSE campaign started to 

run concurrently with all existing HSE 

programs throughout the year. 

As part of our continuous 

improvement in ASMEF HSE, 

a quarterly HSE campaign 

started to run concurrently 

with all existing HSE programs 

throughout the year. The 

objective of these campaigns is to increase 

awareness in health and safety matters in 

general and on the selected theme of the 

campaign in particular. 

Other than announcements and prominent 

banners and displays to mark each individual 

campaign, events based on the quarterly 

theme included training, focus during the 

daily toolbox and weekly safety meetings, 

reviews of the risk assessments and safety 

controls, hand outs and presentations, 

competitions, awards and the like. 

Hand & Finger Injury Prevention Campaign 

Q1, 2017. Based on ASMEF HSE performance 

of 2016, as well as in consideration of the 

common health and safety risks of our operations, the HSE department kick started the year with a ‘Hand 

& Finger Injury prevention campaign’. 

Prominent displays and banners of the Hand & Finger Injury Prevention Campaign were placed in the yard 

and offices on the first work day of the year. 

A Hand & Finger Injury Prevention Poster Competition was held, which pleasantly unearthed a some of 

talented artists amongst the workforce. Awards were also given for HSE observations and suggestions 

based on the theme of the campaign. 

The success of the campaign was judged by the number of incidents, inclusive of records of minor 

complaints and consultations at the first aid clinic during the period. There were no hand & finger injuries 

through the campaign and even for a few months after. More so, it was noted that complaints at the site 

first aid clinic had also reduced dramatically. 

12


ASC - Another project has been 

awarded during mid of April 2017 

Another achievement for Ali 

& Sons Contracting (ASC) is 

the newly awarded Project at 

Khalifa City A, Abu Dhabi. 

The Scope of work is Construction, 

Completion & Maintenance of the 

Residential Buildings at Four (4) 

different Plots namely C03, C09, C10 

and C11 with a total floor area of 43, 

573 m2. Project total duration is 20 

months including mobilization. 

Volkswagen Ali and Sons partnered with Ministry of Economy for a 

“World Intellectual Property Day 2017” 

The celebrations marked the U.A.E. and the Ministry’s keenness to raise awareness on the 

importance of intellectual property, protecting the rights of the owners and stakeholders, 

and more importantly, encouraging innovation in an environment of transparency and 

creativity. 

13 13

EVENTS & NEWS 

The new Golf GTI at the “Race of 

the Champions” event 

Abu Dhabi, UAE 22 May 2017 – Volkswagen Ali & Sons have announced the arrival of the 

most iconic hatchback in automotive history at Volkswagen showroom in Abu Dhabi. The 

new Volkswagen Golf GTI features an enhanced design, new assistance systems and a new 

generation infotainment system. 

The new Golf GTI was presented during “Race of the Champions” at the Volkswagen showroom on the 

Abu Dhabi Corniche. The UAE’s best racing drivers competed on a racing simulator to achieve blistering 

track times in a bid to be crowned “Abdullah Jafari”. 

Ammar Johmani, General Manager Volkswagen Abu Dhabi stated “The Golf GTI offers a daily drive 

that excites with new technology and safety features that set the bar within the compact segment. Our 

customers can enjoy all new technology such as gesture control – a first within the hot hatch segment.” 

14


Mud cooling project in Schlumberger 

Australia 

ASOS will be starting their first international service contract in Australia. They have successfully 

completed the agreement with Schlumberger to provide Mud Cooling services (Equipment & 

Personnel) for their project Offshore West Australia. Duration of this contract is estimated to 

be +5 months (with minimum 3 months operation). Current status: Equipment has arrived in 

Australia and personnel to be mobilized in 2 – 3 weeks. 

ASOS has established a strong relationship with both Weatherford and Schlumberger. Because of this 

relationship, ASOS is providing Air Drilling Equipment and personnel to Weatherford Oman for the 2nd time 

in the last 7 months. Current status: The equipment and personnel have been mobilized to Oman. 

15

EVENTS & NEWS 

#MilesForMeals with Volkswagen 

this season of giving 

Abu Dhabi, UAE May 24th, 2017 – At the first day of Ramadan this year, Volkswagen 

Ali and Sons supported Volkswagen Middle East and donated meals for every 

customer who wait for a test drive at Volkswagen dealerships region wide during 

this season of giving. 

This year, Volkswagen went beyond seasonal promotions, and converted test drive each 

day into meals for the most vulnerable members of society until the end of the Ramadan. 

The brand has connected with Emirates Red Crescent (Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai, Kuwait 

and Qatar) and Dar Al Atta’a (Oman) to coordinate meals for those in need in the holy month. 

ASI received Job order for Fit-out work of the 

new Showroom in Abu Dhabi. 

A 

new project was awarded to Ali & Sons Contracting - Interior Division for a fit out work 

of the new VW showroom in C55 building in Rawdhat, Abu Dhabi. The Duration of 

the project is for six months with a total project value of approximately AED 4.5 Million. 

16


Volkswagen Ali and Sons introduces 

Ramadan offer: “ Buy now, Pay in 

2018” 

Abu Dhabi, UAE 18 May 2017 – Volkswagen Ali & Sons, introduced its most exclusive 

offer to date in celebration of the holy month: Buy a new Volkswagen in 2017 and pay 

in 2018. 

The new deal offers customers, total peace of mind during this season of giving, beginning 

Monday, May 15th until Thursday, August 31st, 2017. 

In addition, customers will benefit from six years extended warranty with unlimited mileage, free 

service for three years, three years free roadside assistance and free registration. 

The promotion includes the Volkswagen Golf, Jetta, CC, Tiguan and Touareg. 

“We are celebrating Ramadan with our customers by offering peace of mind when purchasing 

a new Volkswagen. By introducing this offer, we have added value to the customer’s purchase 

and made it a smarter choice to join the Volkswagen family,” said Ammar Johmani, ‎General 

Manager Volkswagen, Ali & Sons Motors Co. LLC. 

Volkswagen Ali & Sons will provide trade-in, finance solution, registration, handover and different 

benefit packages to choose from when buying a new car. 

17

EVENTS & NEWS 

Eye Injury Prevention 

Campaign – Q2 2017 

Ali & Sons Marine Engineering Factory (ASMEF) launched its second campaign the year 

about Eye Injury Prevention. The campaign is based on the risks owing to the nature of the 

ASMEF yard operations, particularly hot work, as well as analysis of trends from the HSE 

Observation reports. The campaign also started similarly, as the preceding campaign, with 

prominent banners and displays and a predominant focus on eye safety at all HSE meetings. 

Similar campaign competitions planned by the company are in progress, with the winners to be 

announced early in the 3rd quarter of the year. While the campaign is still progressing, results have 

been very promising thus far with no injuries reported, and a sharp reduction of numbers of eye 

related consultations in the first aid room. 

18


ADCO Fluid Engineering Tender (JV 

with MB Petroleum) 

Ali & Sons Oilfield Supplies & Services (ASOS) thru the JV with MB Petroleum have 

taken part in the upcoming 3 year fluid engineering service for ADCO. This contract 

has attracted many international drilling fluids providers. However, ASOS is very 

optimistic and confident in share of this project. Current status of this tender is 

awaiting completion of ADCO lab testing a Technical portion of the tender has been submitted, 

waiting the commercial section of the tender. 

19

EVENTS & NEWS 

Regional MSA with Schlumberger/M-I SWACO 

Steps have been taken to start a regional MSA with Schlumberger/M-I 

SWACO to provide all different product lines within ASOS portfolio. It 

is not however limited to Upstream & Drilling division only. It will have 

Chemical division as well as Instrumentation division incorporated within the 

MSA. Estimated completion of MSA is by Q3 of 2017. 

20


Volkswagen Abu Dhabi winning the 1st and 3rd place 

21 

The long wait is over! Ali & Sons Volkswagen is glad and proud to announce 

The winners are: Mr. Ahmed Mustafa Shaker (1st Place) and Mr Abdullah A 

Sales Challenge criteria with equally strong results in both sales quality and 

Ali & Sons Volkswagen sales team does not only provide best sales process b 

From the left: 

Mr. James Oliver, Mr. Ahmed Mustafa Shaker, Mr. Ammar Johmani, Mr. Abdullah A

EVENTS & NEWS 

in the Volkswagen Middle East Individual Sales Challenge 2016 

the Volkswagen Middle East “ Individual Sales Challenge 2016”. 

l Alami (3rd Place) from Ali & Sons. This two gentlemen demonstrated excellent performance in all 

sales quantity amongst more than 100 sales person in the GCC region. 

ut also the best sales people to satisfy each valued customers’ needs and desires. 

l Alami, Mr. Karl Dannenbring and Mr. Samer Doueier. 

22


May 

Ali & Sons Audi introduces the all 

new Q2 in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain 

Ali & Sons Audi, the official Audi dealer for Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, has announced the 

arrival of the fun, sporty and urban crossover, the new Audi Q2 in its showrooms. Deemed 

“#untaggable” by virtue of its all-rounder credentials, the new Audi Q2 has award winning 

styling and comes packed with Audi connected technologies perfect for everyday city living, 

including the Audi virtual cockpit and MMI navigation. Mark Austin, General Manager of Ali & 

Sons Audi, said: “The Audi Q2 is the celebration of not conforming to norms, a versatile vehicle 

for tastemakers and trendsetters looking to express themselves. The car is also one of our most 

configurable vehicles to date, with so many options to choose from, there is a Q2 for everyone.” 

The Audi Q2 was displayed at Yas Mall’s Palm Court from May 4th to 13th, 2017. 

23

EVENTS & NEWS 

Ali & Sons Al Ain wins “After Sales 

Team of the Year” 2016 

Ali & Sons Al Ain Service Center received the Audi Middle East ‘After Sales Team of the Year’ 

prize. Authorized Audi service centers all over the region competed against each other as part 

of a program by Audi Middle East. 

Ali & Sons Al Ain were awarded the “After Sales Team of the Year” 2016 prize. The award 

ceremony took place on May 29th, at the Ali & Sons dealership in Al Ain where the 13 members 

of the After Sales team were honoured for their skill and efficiency in delivering top quality 

service to Audi customers. 

Mark Austin, General Manager of Ali & Sons Audi, said: “We are very proud that our Al Ain service 

center has won this competition. We have made a significant recent investment in developing 

the team, upgrading equipment where necessary and creating the best possible processes we 

can in order to serve our customers better. It is very pleasing to see our service team’s hard work 

recognized by such an award and we’ll be sure to continue to strive for even greater quality in 

service for all of our many customers across the UAE.” 

In a strong endorsement of service quality across the Emirate, the team from Ali & Sons Abu 

Dhabi came second in the competition and both after sales teams triumphed over the competing 

Audi service centres in the entire Middle East region. 

The After Sales Team of the Year competition is a part of Audi Middle East’s programme to 

evaluate and monitor the performance of authorised Audi service centres across the region. 

Service teams are measured against various key criteria including customer satisfaction, technical 

competency and quality of repair. 

24

EVENTS ACCESS POINT MAGAZINE - JULY 2017 - ISSUE # 003 

Ali & Sons Audi teams up with Yas Links 

to host the Audi Quattro Cup 2017 

Top amateur golfers from around the region competed at the Yas Links Golf Club during the Audi 

Quattro Cup Abu Dhabi 2017. Hosted by Ali & Sons the exclusive Audi dealer in Abu Dhabi 

and Al Ain, the tournament is among many local heats held globally as part of the Audi Quattro 

Cup - the largest amateur golf tournament series in the world. 

Ertan Yorganci and Markus Brake were announced as the winners with Ian Haywood and Damien Ward 

in second place, followed by Leslie Lloyd and Rick Lloyd in third. The winners from the local tournament 

will enter into a regional play off with the winning pair advancing to the Audi Quattro Cup Final held 

in Mexico in December. 

25 

25

EVENTS & NEWS 

Now in its 27th year, the Audi Quattro Cup is a symbol of Audi’s long-standing relationship with golf, 

recognized locally by Ali & Sons Audi having hosted the local tournament in Abu Dhabi for the past five 

consecutive years. Mark David Austin, General Manager, of Ali & Sons Audi, said, “It was great to be 

once again, able to welcome customers and competitors to this years’ Audi Quattro Cup and be treated 

to both high levels of competition and performance at Yas Links. Congratulations to the winners and 

best of luck in reaching the final.’ 

The Audi Quattro Cup is the annual showpiece for Ali & Sons ongoing partnership with Yas Links Golf 

Club. Ali & Sons also regularly host monthly tournaments throughout the rest of the year for Audi 

customers and guests. 

26 

26


Saving The Earth onestep 

at-a-time... 

The Go-Green Initiaive 

Continues 

27 

Recent studies show that our planet is 

currently losing over 15 billion trees each 

year—that’s 56 acres of forest every minute. 

Much has been said about how to go about 

doing this at home, but what about in the 

workplace? Copiers, computers, even old 

floppy disks, can make a huge impact on the 

environment. Here are a few ways to reduce 

your office’s effect. We are here presenting 

you with more tips on reducing the amount of 

paper and printing products that are used at 

the workplace. 

Use both sides of paper: When making copies, set 

your machine to use both sides of the paper and 

cut your consumption in half. 

Shred and reuse unwanted paper: Instead of 

throwing away old documents, shred them and 

reuse them as packing material in shipments. 

Reuse boxes: When you get shipments in, save 

your boxes so that you can use them again for 

shipments out. 

Offer paper recycling: Put a paper recycling 

receptacle next to every printer, copier and fax 

machine so that employees can deposit the 

unwanted paper in them. 

Avoid color printing: Color printing generally, 

uses more ink. So print in black and white when 

you can. 

Print in draft mode: To conserve even more ink, 

print in draft mode. It will generally lighten the 

shade, but you’ll still be able to read your copy 

clearly. 

Distribute memos via email: Instead of printing 

out memos for distribution, email them and let 

employees decide whether or not they wish to 

print them. 

Store manuals and other documents online: try 

not to print out huge employee handbooks. 

Allow employees to access PDF copies at their 

leisure. 

Reduce margins: Reduce your margin settings so 

that your printer uses less paper. 

There are so many other ways and ideas to 

reduce paper waste. 

Share your ideas on the link below

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 

28


THE MARSHMALLOW TEST 

What can a marshmallow tell you about your kids? You’d be 

surprised! 

The Marshmallow Test is a study in psychology by Stanford professor 

Walter Mischels. The subjects of the experiment were nursery school 

students who were offered to choose a marshmallow and eat it right 

away or wait for 15 minutes until the experimenter returned. If they 

waited, they would get an extra treat. The kids were tracked over time 

and some interesting observations were made. Mischels found that the 

kids, who had resisted temptation and waited for a better deal, grew to 

be healthier, professionally more successful and had stable relationshipsoverall, 

they led a better quality life. The first follow-up study done in 

1988 showed that preschool children, who delayed gratification, were 

described more than 10 years later by their parents as adolescents who 

were significantly more competent. A second follow-up study, in 1990, 

showed that the ability to delay gratification also correlated with higher 

SAT scores. The conclusion is that self control, patience and ability to 

restrain one’s impulses from the immediate urges of self gratification 

are important factors for success and a fulfilling life. Mischel concluded 

that the kids who resisted temptation used “strategic allocation of 

attention”: Instead of getting obsessed with the marshmallow -- the 

“hot stimulus” -- the patient children distracted themselves by covering 

their eyes, pretending to play hide-and-seek underneath the desk, or 

singing songs from “Sesame Street.” Their desire wasn’t defeated -- it 

was merely forgotten. “If you’re thinking about the marshmallow and 

how delicious it is, then you’re going to eat it,” Mischel says. “The key 

is to avoid thinking about it in the first place.” The key is trading shortterm 

gratifications for long term goals. In some normal situations, it’s 

easy to see that self control is essential for success. For instance, the will 

to resist the temptation of going to a movie with friends and studying 

instead for an upcoming examination would lead to better grades. 

Today, people increasingly feel driven to check and post updates on 

Social Media platforms, at the cost of other more productive works. 

Those Social Media platforms could well be your marshmallow. 

29 

29

THAT’S INTERESTING 

T.I. 

* Video source: YouTube - no copyright infringement intended 

30


Embracing the benefits 

“ 

Internal 

auditing is an independent, objective assurance and consulting a 

It helps an organization accomplish its objectives by bringing a systemat 

management, control, an 

I 

met Mr. Mohamed Hafez a short while 

after joinining Ali & Sons. And found 

his job always fascinating and I took the 

opporunity to enqruie about the dynamics 

of his job as a Group Chief Audit Executive. 

He was not shy of providing all information 

needed and more: 

What is internal audit all about? 

The role of internal audit is to provide independent 

assurance that an organization’s risk management, 

governance and internal control processes are 

operating effectively. 

The internal audit profession, through the Institute 

of the Internal Auditors* (IIA) has continued to 

redefine itself as a business risk and organizational 

complexity has evolved. Today, the IIA uses the 

following definition: 

Internal auditing is an independent, objective 

assurance and consulting activity designed to add 

value and improve an Organization’s operations. 

It helps an organization accomplish its objectives 

by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach 

to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk 

management, control, and governance processes. 

*The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) is established 

in 1941, as an international professional association 

with global headquarters in Lake Mary, Florida, 

USA. The IIA is the internal audit profession’s 

global voice, recognized authority, acknowledged 

leader, chief advocate and principal educator. 

What do internal auditors do? 

At its simplest, internal auditing involves identifying 

the risks that could keep an organization from 

achieving its goals, making sure the organization’s 

leaders know about these risks and proactively 

recommending improvements to help reduce the 

risks. 

Internal Auditors have a professional duty to 

provide an unbiased and objective view. We must 

be independent of the operations we evaluate 

and report to the highest level in an yorganization: 

senior managers and governors. Typically this is 

the board of directors or the audit committee. 

For internal auditing to be effective, the 

organization’s leaders must be open to discussing 

tough issues and seizing opportunities to make 

necessary changes for improvement. The internal 

auditors must also have an independent reporting 

line to the highest governing body (e.g., the audit 

committee of the board of directors), ensuring 

them the requisite authority to access all areas 

of the organization and know that they will be 

supported if and when their views differ from 

those of management. 

What is its value to the organization? 

Internal auditors’ deal with issues that are 

fundamentally important to the survival and 

prosperity of any organization. Unlike external 

auditors, we look beyond financial risks and 

statements to consider wider issues such as the 

organization’s reputation, growth, its impact 

on the environment and the way it treats its 

employees. 

In summary, Internal Auditors help organizations 

to succeed. We do this through a combination of 

assurance and consulting. The assurance part of 

our work involves telling managers and governors 

how well the systems and processes designed to 

keep the organization on track are working. Then, 

we offer consulting help to improve those systems 

and processes where necessary. 

31

Views & Aspirations 

of Internal Auditing 

ctivity designed to add value and improve an organization’s operations. 

” 

ic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of risk 

d governance processes. 

Mohamed Hafez - Group Chief Audit Executive 

• (1994) Bachelor of Commerce-Accounting major- Mansoura University. 

• (1998) Post Graduated diploma- Financial Accounting major Mansoura University. 

• (May 1999) Chartered Accountant and Auditor Egyptian license # 14605. 

• (May 2004) Certified Internal Auditor ( CIA) (Certificate No. 48282) 

• ( Jan 2006 ) Member of the Egyptian Society of Tax. 

32


High 

Team 

Spirits! 

There are many quotes thought of when the top 

of us is as smart as all of us” and many more. B 

the environment or situation they are tested in. 

Whether in a group game or in the work place 

the conscious effort in directing their efforts to 

A team will go through five different stages. How 

fast a team moves through each stage will depend 

on the team members, their individual skills, the 

work they are expected to do, and the will for 

them to succeed. 

Bruce Tuckman deemed the four main stages 

of team development in order as Forming, 

Storming, Norming, and Performing. Later, 

as self-managed teams became familiar in 

business, he added a fifth stage of Adjourning/ 

Transforming: 

Stage 1- Forming: 

The team is formed and members meet. They 

learn what are their opportunities and challenges. 

Confusion is sensed by some members around 

their role or not their need for the team. Members 

will agree on goals and assign actions for work, 

often working independently. Ground rules or 

team guidelines are established. At the start, the 

team leader may be a member of the group, a 

supervisor, a manager, or a consultant who will 

facilitate the team-building process. Leadership 

will help the team to define their processes. At 

this stage, the leader needs to be directive and 

understand the requirements for team training to 

move through each stage. 

Stage 2- Storming: 

Exchange of ideas occur, and there is open 

conflict between members., as they tend to 

focus on details rather issues and compete for 

influence. The team leader can help by stressing 

tolerance and patience between members. The 

leader will guide the team process towards clear 

goals, defined roles, acceptable team behavior, 

and a mutual feedback process for team 

communication. 

Stage 3- Norming: 

In the third stage, the team develops habits that 

support group values and exhibit signs of mutual 

33

Views & Aspirations 

ic of team work comes up, such as; “there is no I in Team”, “Unity is strength” and “None 

ut there is, in fact an actual scientific process in making a successful team regardless of 

the models main and only consistent factor in a team is the members of that team and 

wards achieving their goal(s). 

Personal growth and sharing is encouraged 

throughout the membership. The leader at this 

point becomes a facilitator, aiding the team in 

communication processes and helping if they 

revert to a prior stage. 

trust, motivation, and open communication 

increase; positive teamwork and group focus 

start to surface. The team relationships grow 

and individual characteristics are understood 

and appropriately utilized. The team leader 

continues to encourage participation and 

professionalism among the team members. 

Stage 4- Performing 

The fourth stage shows high levels of loyalty, 

participation, motivation, and group decisionmaking. 

Knowledge sharing, cross-training, 

and interdependence increases. The team is 

self-directing in the development of plans and 

strategy to meet their goals and carry out work. 

Stage 5- Adjourning 

Its a finalizing stage to celebrate and recognize 

team achievement. Then some mourning over 

the dissolving of the team relationship and 

begin planning for the change in individual 

work requirements. During this stage, emphasis 

on gratitude and recognition is witnessed. 

Every team will go through all the stages. The 

duration of each stage may vary, depending on 

the individual members and their skill levels, the 

work the team is expected to accomplish, and 

team leadership during each stage. All these 

stages can make or break the team but the main 

thing is to keep your eyes on the prize! 

Share your ideas on joining a new team. Which 

of the stages took the longest and which took 

the shortest period on the link here. 

34


HEAD OF THE FIRST SOCCER 

TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE SHARES HIS 

EXPERIENCE 

How was the Soccer Tournament Initiated? 

Ali & Sons continuously looks for new ways to 

support its people through a variety of health 

and wellness initiatives. This Soccer Tournament 

was a derivative initiated by the head office and 

mainly Mr. Shamis’ request. We were looking for 

a sport activity that is liked and played by most 

employees to ensure their engagement is at the 

highest level. Soccer was evident as the most 

popular of all other activities. 

When you started working on the plan for 

the soccer tournament, how did you decide 

on executing it? 

From my past experience in organizing such 

tournaments. And we figured that employees 

from all background of nationalities could 

participate in such a globally recognized and 

loved the sport. 

Did you find any difficulties in executing and 

organizing the event? 

Normally to get people to work together in 

order for a good idea to come to fruition can be 

difficult. That’s why at the time I proposed to have 

a committee that is made of members, each from 

a different business unit. That’s how we ended 

up with 20 members in that committee. Most of 

them were very effective and very enthusiastic 

about their participation in the event, but each 

was able to place their input according to their 

level of experience and know-how. In the end, 

it’s all about generating the team spirit from 

committee level to the players and ending with 

the spectators 

you’ve clarified the difficluties from the 

planning perspective, but what about 

challenges during the event. Did you 

encounter any? 

Logistically, it was a bit difficult to keep track of 

many deliverables. For example, scheduling was 

an issue for us. We had to consider that timing can 

make or break the whole event, for the players as 

well as the spectators and soccer enthusiasts. We 

had some teams coming all the way from Al-Ain. 

We had to coordinate the timing between teams 

and which would play with which team, in order 

35 for the games to go smoothly without many 

delays. Some games had to start at 8pm, 

where in better geographical circumstances we 

could have started as early as 5pm or 6pm. 

Name some of the highlights of the event 

from your own perspective? 

The tournament itself was a great idea. It 

brought people together, in one common place 

for a common goal. To have fun and to achieve 

a goal! But also, you must consider that this is 

probably one of the very few times where we 

were able to have people coming from different 

business units gathered in one place for the 

same reason, but they never met each other 

and known one another if it hadn’t been for 

the tournament. Moreover, the sportsmanship 

of all the players was a great achievement for 

us at that time. 

I was particularly surprised with the execution 

of the inauguration ceremony of the event 

where we had all the teams gather and line 

up for group photos. We had 12 teams. Most 

showed up and the playground field was pretty 

colorful at that time. 

The closing ceremony and final game were the 

ultimate fun for spectators as well as players. 

Spirits were very high and people were truly 

engaged in the details for the game. You can 

even see that in the postings of the live feeds 

of the event through Instagram. How everyone 

was tuned in to know the results. The best 

part was the end of the final match when 

the referee blew the whistle and spectators 

took their victory to a much higher level of 

celebrations. 

Do you have future plans for such events 

you would like to update us on? 

Well, we have made a commitment to repeat 

this tournament at least once a year. Hence 

the title “the First Soccer tournament”, so we 

are hoping this will be a sustainable activity 

for everyone to enjoy. We have conducted an 

after games committee meeting, in order for 

us to capture all insight on how this event can 

become even a better success when organized 

next year. We hope we can have many of these 

recreational activates that can take us out of 

the office work environment, and bring us

VIEWS & ASPIRATIONS 

a more joyous place where we all really see each 

other’s like a family rather than just colleagues 

and not just in football. But also for other kinds 

of sports. 

Any final words? 

This all could never been done so successfully 

without the cooperation of all members of the 

committee and the general managers who 

participated and allowed their people to cheer for 

their teams it was truly an exhilarating honor. This 

is the first step to many greater steps yet to come. 

Share with us what other sports you would 

like to cheer or participate in with your 

colleagues. Click Here 

36


PLANS FOR THIS 

SUMMER? 

Whether you are thinking of spending 

your summer holidays on a vacation or 

staycation, you must plan for it to enjoy 

it the best way possible. 

But depending on the type of vacation you 

will take there are a few considerations 

to bear in mind for each type. 

Here are a few that we have gone 

through but were’nt prepared for it in a 

way or another. 

When summer arrives and the kids are 

out of school—or, when summer arrives 

and folks in the second half of life 

feel motivated to emerge from winter 

cocoons—it would help if, first of all, we 

define what kind of “vacation” we need, 

want, or see as possible. Here are a few 

categories to consider: 

1. Sightseeing 

Sightseeing can be high-energy and expensive, 

but you can also structure a light schedule on 

a modest budget. To save money on travel 

and lodgings, you have to plan ahead, but too 

much planning and too detailed an itinerary 

can be the death of a good time. Know 

yourself and your traveling companions and 

what you can reasonably manage. 

2. Play 

For families; Play vacation often means visits to 

theme parks, water parks, summer festivals, 

or sports activities. This sort of vacation runs 

around many activities and it’s not always 

restful for the adults in charge. 

3. Time with Nature 

For people who enjoy camping, hiking, and 

canoeing time with nature can involve a lot of 

activity, it also provides long evenings around 

a campfire, lazy hours at the beach, sleep until 

whenever, and time for reading that pile of 

books and magazines. Vacations with nature 

are important when the kids are young; if 

they learn to love the outdoors, they will more 

likely keep that connection when they’re 

older. Outdoor venues build in physical activity 

and curiosity, and in this age of the constant 

Smart device watching, activity and curiosity 

become a huge asset to children as they grow, 

and if you plan it well, a nature vacation can 

be relatively inexpensive. 

4. “Me time” with R&R 

If your daily life is high-stress or if you are 

coming off weeks or months of intense 

activity, the Rest & Relaxation vacation is 

probably best. You might do this at home, but 

37

VIEWS & ASPIRATIONS 

6. Planned Experiences 

Now that you have time off from the day 

job, you can spend a week or two in that 

pottery or poetry workshop you signed up 

for back in January. Or you’re embarking on 

an educational tour or taking that class you 

couldn’t fit into evenings and weekends. Other 

intensive experiences could be religious or 

historical pilgrimages. Quite a few people use 

vacation time to do service projects, such as 

building homes with Habitat for Humanity or 

helping an environmental organization plant 

trees or test local water sources. And there are 

always church and community experiences, 

such as Vacation Bible School, mission trips, 

or day camps. 

often the demands of a household make total 

relaxation impossible. Hide out in comfortable 

but low-key lodgings and make a point not 

to create any itinerary whatsoever. Eat good 

food, take walks, get a massage, read books 

and otherwise, “waste” hours doing nothing 

in particular. 

5. Family Time 

Most of us spend at least some vacation time 

traveling to see relatives or hosting relatives 

who travel to see us. Often, these are the 

vacations we remember many years later, 

because they included intergenerational 

family gatherings consisting of cousins, aunts 

and uncles, grandmas and grandpas. 

7. Stay-cation 

Sometimes the most satisfying vacation is a few 

days in your own home, when you can tackle 

projects, do some renovation or remodeling, 

stay up half the night watching your favorite 

movies, cook everybody’s favorite foods, go 

out to eat, and maybe do some sightseeing 

in your own town. When you stay at home 

for vacation, it’s important that you make a 

conscious decision about what will be the 

most beneficial to you—getting a lot of work 

done or relaxing and having some fun. Will 

you have more peace of mind if you dig in and 

get caught up on tasks around the house? Or 

do you really need several full nights of sleep 

and time for leisurely conversation with your 

loved ones? 

In the end be weary that most of us have 

financial constraints, so it’s better to think 

through priorities and be intentional about 

the vacation we’re able to take, however 

short, so that the money and time are spent 

for the best use. 

38


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Upcoming 

Events 

ABU DHABI SUMMER SEASON 2017 

July 20 - 12 Aug., 2017 

JW Marriott Marquis, Dubai 

DUBAI SUMMER SURPRISES 

July 1, 2017 

Citywide, Dubai 

EDUTREX EDUCATION & 

TRAINING EXPO 2017 

Aug 8 - 10, 2017 

Muscat, Oman 

July 

August 

41

UPCOMING EVENTS 

SARUQ AL-HADID 

MUSEUM 

jULY 27, 2017 

Shindaga District, Dubai 

UNITE WITH 

TOMORROWLAND IN DUBAI 

July 29, 2017 

Dubai Festival City, Dubai 

LA PERLE 

aUG 31, 2017 

Al Habtoor City, Dubai 

ABU DHABI INTERNATIONAL 

HUNTING AND EQUESTRIAN 

EXHIBITION 2017 

Sep 12-16 2017 

Abu Dhabi National Exhibition 

Centre, Abu Dhabi 

CITYSCAPE GLOBAL DUBAI 

Sep 11-13 2017 

Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai 

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