Biz Bahrain Feb 2016

Feb - Mar 2016 

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2 Feb - Mar 2016


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CONTENTS Feb 

- Mar 2016 

12 | Bahrain’s Economy Stands up to the Challenge 

The 80-year-old Bahrain field is the oldest producing oilfield in the 

Middle East, that effectively covers almost 80 percent of Bahrain’s 

main island. Following the discovery of oil in October 1931, Bahrain 

Petroleum Company (BAPCO) began exporting 285,000 barrels per 

day (bpd) in 1934. Production levels have fallen since then, but efforts 

have been initiated to double current output to 100,000 bpd by 2020. 

16 | Special Feature 

Industry takes on the Mantle 

18 | Challenging The Status Quo 

Interview with Faisal Faqeeh 

Chairman, Bin Faqeeh Real Estate Investment Company 

22 | Silah-Expanding its Regional Reach 

Interview with Mr. Mohammed Ali AlQaed 

Chairman of Silah Gulf Company 

24 | Pioneering Medical Research in Bahrain 

Interview with Professor Davinder Sandhu 

Head of Postgraduate Studies & Research 

Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) Bahrain 

28 | Looking at the Big Picture 

Interview with Alexandre Katrangi 

Business Development Director, Soroof Group 

32 | Spotlight 

BCCI kicks off the year with new Initiatives and Programs 



CONTENTS 

34 | Tenders Board Bahrain 

Miscellaneous list of open Tenders from Bahrain Tender Board 

36 | ASAR - Finance Law Analysis 

Private Financing of Energy Infrastructure Assets 

38 | CBRE Real Estate Analysis 

Bahrain Commerical Office Market | Responding to Economic Challenges 

40 | Focus | Company Formation 

Thinking Out of the Box 

42 | Opinion | Feminine Leadership 

It’s the time for Feminine Leadership 

44 | Specialist | Public Speaking 

Get Business Results by Telling Stories 

46 | Marketing at its Best 

The Importance of Offering Options in your Proposals 

48 | Biz Auto 

Jaguar XF 

Land Rover Discovery Sport 


7

SECTORS 

50 | Government: 

Banagas in $355m expansion project 

Electrosteel sets up a regional hub 

Mowgli, Tamkeen to Provide Entrepreneurial Mentoring 

Treasury Bills Trading Guidelines for Bahrain Bourse 

Total workforce grew by six percent in third quarter 

Bahrain International Airport’s visionary Modernization programme 

launched 

Amnesty period success 

54 | Banking & Finance: 

Takaful and Takaud tie up for Sharia-Compliant Investment solutions 

Mumtalakat’s US$40 million copper manufacturing facility 

Investcorp Partners with the Bindawood family 

$85 million Real Estate Portfolio for Arcapita 

Ibdar exits four Bahrain Real Estate Investments 

JS Bank opens new branch in Bahrain 

5th Euromoney GCC Financial Forum 

58 | Telecom: 

Batelco deploys First LTE Air site with Ericsson 

Batelco Global Presence Rapidly Growing 

Batelco launches Cisco Nimble Storage Solutions 

Batelco launches Bahrain’s Best TV Experience 

VIVA Rewards customers with value-added benefits 

VIVA Bahrain and BENEFIT provide online Vpayment service 

‘Win Gold Every Day’ campaign in Bahrain 

62 | Real Estate: 

IDC awards DGB Design Contract 

Diyal Al Muharraq launches Seafront Property Sales 

First Phase of "Investment Gateway- Bahrain” Announced 

Cityview commence Construction Work 

Trowers & Hamlins on The Harbour Row IDevelopment 

Platform for Verified and Centralised Real Estate Listings 

Flexible and Cost effective Solutions for startups in Bahrain 

68 | Technology: 

Home Automation Energy Management Strategies 

Best Government Contact Centre Award for National Call Centre 

Events Discovery App for Bahrain 

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL 

Skype gets even easier 

Protecting Industrial control systems from Cyber attacks 

72 | Others: 

$55 million Re-melt expansion at GARMCO 

FAMCO inaugurates Bahrain Operations 

Gulf Air’s Restructured Boeing and Airbus Fleet Orders Total USD7.6 

billion 

British Airways helps SMEs fly 

Al Haddad Motors introduces the all-improved Mercedes-Benz 

Lexus Bahrain launches new Luxury Sports Sedan 

First Motors brings Hyundai’s complete range of SUVs 

NKD and MASGO bring healthy Pizza to Bahrain 

MORE IN THIS ISSUE 

76 | Health & Wellness 

78 | Health & Wellness 

80 | Nutrition Packages 

82 | Tech Expert 

84 | Startup Bahrain 

86 | Biz Dashboard 

88 | Tweets on Biz 

90 | Biz Scene 

92 | Letters & Comments 


ON THE EDGE 

OF ACTION 

01-02-03 APRIL 


9

PUBLISHER'S NOTE 

by AHMED KHALIFA KHALFAN 

I am not going to tiptoe around the obvious: we are in recession. 

We all are aware and daily, that oil prices are sliding further down the road even as 

we speak. The fallout of that does not need to be spelled out; it’s felt by each one of 

us in some way or the other. It’s not just us in Bahrain either, but economies all over 

the world are taking stock and reassessing their priorities. There is no doubt; it’s a 

tough time that we are going through. 

The good news is that this is the time when creative thinkers blossom. Thinkers 

who can get out of the box and see things differently and make sense of it. This is 

the time for the bold, the tough, the resourceful and the innovative. 

bizbahrain features in this issue, including our cover story, a few innovative 

thinkers, who have through sheer drive and bold, original thinking steered their 

business and lives to become success stories. 

Perhaps the best example of this would be the Kingdom of Bahrain itself. Despite 

the current plunge in oil revenues, it is surprising to discover that the Bahraini 

economy continues to grow, reinforced by a strong and expanding private sector. 

Having known prosperity and success, private companies representing many 

sectors are now ensuring that we do not lose that at any cost. The wise leadership 

of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the government has taken us this 

far and continues to support, but it is now our turn to do our bit. 

It has been our purpose from the very start of bizbahrain to strive to keep our 

readers’ informed with comprehensive articles on many varying subjects centered 

on the economy - on business, trade, commerce and industry. Just like in past 

issues, we showcase the nation’s outstanding achievements and accomplishments; 

introduce the readers to entrepreneurs, industry leaders and business mentors. We 

inform on what’s new; on gatherings and events; and at the end of it we ensure pages 

that are informative and well designed to inspire and motivate every reader. Most 

importantly, we do our best to make your belief in us pay off over a hundredfold. 

Keep in mind that every time you get a copy of bizbahrain; it’s put together by a 

talented team of people whose driving passion is to make this the best business 

magazine possible. 

Thank you for your support and for staying with us! 

Happy reading! 

Warm regards, 

Ahmed Khalifa Khalfan 

Managing Partner & Publisher 

10 Feb - Mar 2016 

Write to the Publisher: ahmed@bizbahrain.com


11

THE TEAM 

Adel Al Safar 

Chairman 

Publishing House 

General Manager 

Group Editor 

Content Manager 

Sales Manager 

Contributors 

Production & Layout 

General Manager 

Senior Art Designer 

Production Manager 

Digital Media Manager 

Social Media Manager 

Video Augmentation 

Printed at 

In Association With 

Ahmed Khalifa Khalfan 

Managing Partner & Publisher 

Naser Shahrour 

naser@bizbahrain.com 

Reena Abraham 

reena@bizbahrain.com 

Sameer Asif Butt 

sameer@bizbahrain.com 

Amal Hishri 

amal@bizbahrain.com 

+973 6666 0064 bizbahrain 

Ahmed Al Akber - ACK Solutions 

Ammar Al Raees, John Taylor, Bassam Kamashki 

Anna Romanska, Steve Mayes, Heather Longden, J.Tate 

Nigel Rodrigues, Simone Del Nevo, Dr. Rehab kotb, 

Mahmood AbdulSamad, George Cherian, Gulfam Hussain 

Dr. Alex R. Suchy von Weissenfeld, Ali Al Aradi, 

Mohamed Isa 

Jay Bhagawati 

jay@infotouch.com.bh 

Ashjad Azeez 

ashjad@infotouch.com.bh 

Christy Dinakaran 

Jeba Sherin Shyju 

Steve Dominic Aguiar 

Dar Akhbar Al Khaleej, Kingdom of Bahrain 

Farouk Almoayyed 

Honorary Chairman 

Ahmed Sabah Al-Saloom 

Chairman of the Society 

info@bizbahrain.com 

www.bizbahrain.com 

bizbahrain is also digital www.flipsnack.com/bizbahrain 

The opinions and views contained in this publication by the journalists, writers and the interviewee are not necessarily those of the publishers. All efforts have been 

made to ensure accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However bizbahrain cannot accept legal responsibility for any error or omission. 



13

Exclusive Feature 

Bahrain’s 

Economy 

Stands up to 

the Challenge 

by Reena Abraham 

The 80-year-old Bahrain field is the 

oldest producing oilfield in the 

Middle East, with a 15 km x 5 km field, 

that effectively covers almost 80 percent 

of Bahrain’s main island. Following the 

discovery of oil in October 1931, Bahrain 

Petroleum Company (BAPCO) began 

exporting 285,000 barrels per day (bpd) 

in 1934. Production levels have fallen 

since then, but a modest production 

increase in 2013 brought it to 48,000 

bpd, up from 45,000 bpd in the previous 

year. Efforts have since been initiated to 

double current output to 100,000 bpd by 

2020. The offshore Abu Safa field, that 

Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have jointly 

managed since 1958 marked a sizeable 

growth in production in 2013 to 149,700 

bpd, representing 99.8% of Bahrain’s 

share of the field’s known full capacity of 

150,000 bpd. 

Doubling outputs, while certainly 

an impressive goal, seems doable given 

increased drilling and the application of 

enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques. 

This new push for augmented oil 

production is one of several large 

ongoing projects, which include 

the construction of a new refinery, 

a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import 

terminal, and expansion of electrical 

generation and distribution networks. 

While Bahrain is not a member of OPEC, 

the kingdom has been a member of 

the Organization of Arab Petroleum 

Exporting Countries since 1970. Its 

status ensured by its role in the export 

of refined and petrochemical products. 

Bahrain possesses 6.7trn standard cubic 

feet (scf) of natural gas, roughly 0.1% of 

the world’s total known reserves. The 

country also produces 557.97bn scf per 

annum of natural gas, according to BP’s 

“Statistical Review of World Energy 

2014”. 

The Bahrain Economic Development 

Board (EDB) states that the industry 

saw 15% real GDP growth in 2013. In 

the first quarter of 2014 Brent crude 

prices climbed to over $100 per barrel, 

but by December 2014 prices had 

begun the downward spiral to below 

$60 per barrel and continued to fall 

into 2015, trading today at around $30. 

International and national oil companies 

have tried desperately to find ways to 

remain profitable, in an environment 

characterized by slow economic growth 

worldwide, leading to lower demand 

for petroleum products, geo political 

turbulence, uncertainty and increased 

competition from traditional players 

as well as newcomers, said Energy 

Minister HE Dr. Abdulhussain Mirza 

at the end of last year. Faced with a 

dismal landscape, companies have 

slowed down development plans and 

changed direction, putting a lid on 

some of their ambitious engineering 

projects, and moved forward with a new 

focus on simplification and efficiency, 

as petroleum producers adjust to an 

environment of much lower prices. 



In 2014 plans were announced for 

the kingdom’s first LNG terminal to be 

built at a site on the eastern side of the 

main island. The LNG regasification 

facility will have the capacity to import 

some 3m tonnes per annum and will 

be developed under a build-operatetransfer 

arrangement. NOGA Holding, 

working with BAPCO is on track with the 

expansion and a major upgrade of the 

Sitra Refinery. With estimates putting 

the cost of the expansion as high as 

$9bn, it will be the largest project ever 

financed in the kingdom. The Sitra 

Refinery first opened in 1936 with a 

production capacity of just 10,000 bpd. 

Several expansions over the ensuing 

decades have brought refinery capacity 

to around 260,000 bpd. 

BAPCO chief executive Pete Bartlett 

has been articulate about the strategic 

goals for the Bahrain Modernisation 

Programme (BMP) that BAPCO embarked 

upon, whereby it will continue its 

investment in the refinery and other 

assets to maintain a competitive 

position in the refining business, 

improving gross margins and remaining 

competitive under a wider range of 

feed and product prices, and market 

conditions. 

In September 2015, a landmark 

agreement was signed by BAPCO in 

the presence of Dr. Mirza for a new oil 

pipeline project linking the kingdom of 

Bahrain to Saudi Arabia The agreement 

is very important given the fact that 

the new pipeline will support the oil 

and gas sector and back efforts aimed 

at developing the energy sector and 

boosting sustainable development in 

both countries. The purpose of the new 

Saudi-Bahrain pipeline is to reroute 

the existing pipeline and expand its 

capacity from 230,000 barrels per day 

to 350,000 barrels. At the time Dr. Mirza 

talked about the design capacity of up to 

400,000 barrels per day that he says aims 

to enhance competitiveness, profitability 

and to continue contribution to the local 

economy. The increase in the capacity 

of the pipeline will bring more crude to 

Bahrain Refinery resulting in the export 

of more refined products with resulting 

contribution to the Oil & Gas sector in 

the local economy. 

In 2014 Bahrain marked a milestone 

- 80 years of oil export. The shallow oil of 

the Bahrain field lies in two structures: 

Aruma (blue shale) and Mishrif 

(rubble), both approximately 381 metres 

underground. The deepest commercially 

viable oil find in Bahrain is the Dhruma 

structure at a depth of 1981 metres. The 

development of the field is conducted 

by Tatweer, a joint venture between 

NOGA, Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala 

Development Company and the US’s 

Occidental Petroleum Corporation (Oxy). 

Following the 2008-09 global financial 

crisis, NOGA launched Tatweer to focus 

on the Bahrain Field Development 

Project. 

The slump in oil prices and the 

consequent market conditions arising 

out of it, has affected the oil and gas 

industry globally, as well as the Kingdom 

of Bahrain, creating a bottleneck 

for all operating budgets in general. 

In the current scenario the guiding 

principles of operational excellence, 

with high performance teams, tools and 

technology would be the answer says Dr. 

Mirza. 

The kingdom rise to prominence 

as the region’s financial hub in the 

1970s has stood it good stead as today, 

despite increasing competition from 

regional players, it is this position that 

stands ground as it leads the way in 

the Islamic banking segment, hosting 

the highest concentration of Islamic 

financial institutions globally. The 

takaful segment represents one of the 

fastest growing segments in Bahrain’s 

insurance sector, with the highest 

insurance penetration rate in the GCC. 

GCC real GDP growth, % 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

-2 

3.2% 3.3% 3.1% 

2013 2014 

2015 2016 

Source: International Institute of Finance 

Population growth simultaneously 

is driving housing and transport 

infrastructure in the country with 

real estate, construction companies 

and private contractors benefitting 

as a result. In the future it will be 

these drivers, including the airport 

modernization program and wider air 

links that will boost the kingdom’s 

tourism offering, with tourism’s 

contribution to GDP expected to grow 

significantly over the next 10 years. The 

consequences have a ripple effect as 

these projects will drive Bahrain’s role 

as a regional logistics centre, with the 

kingdom aiming to position itself as a 

key entry point to the GCC. 

As oil prices plummeted in 

2015, Bahrain forged ahead further 

diversifying its economy. Banking, 

retail, tourism, hospitality, real estate 

the economy. With a prolonged period 

of price uncertainty oil companies 

worldwide, including in Bahrain, are 

forced to adopt innovative solutions 

to face the challenges. Simplification, 

efficiency and operational excellence are 

becoming buzz words. 

Largely in line with the pattern seen 

during the past three years, economic 

growth in Bahrain remains firmly 

fueled by the non-oil private sector. In 

Q3 of 2015, it contributed 2.4 percent of 

headline growth, down slightly from 

3.1 percent in Q2 of the same year. 

Government services accounted for 

only 0.2 percent of overall growth, a 

figure that was in keeping with several 

past quarters but nonetheless the 

smallest absolute contribution made by 

the government in several years. The 

Hydrocarbon Nonhydrocarbon Real GDP Growth, % 

2.3% 


15


Bahrain field is the 

oldest producing 

oilfield in the 

Middle East, that 

effectively covers 

almost 80 percent 

of Bahrain’s main 

island. 

proportions contributed by the oil sector 

stood at a -0.2 percent, making this a 

second quarter of negative oil sector 

growth this year. 

According to EDB reports, continuing 

the pattern established during the first 

half of the year, growth in the non-oil 

economy was fairly broad-based. After 

a slight deceleration in Q2, the Hotels 

and Restaurants sector picked up 

momentum once again and expanded 

by an annual 8.4%, making it the fastest 

growing sector in Q3. Reflecting the 

strong and sustained momentum of 

the sector, its annual growth rate over 

the first three quarters of the last year 

taken together was a robust 8%. The 

second fastest growing sector in Q3 

was the Social and Personal Services 

sector (primarily private education and 

private health care) which expanded by 

6.3% YoY. This continued an established 

pattern of clearly above-average growth 

in the sector which has been among 

the most dynamic components of the 

non-oil economy for several years. 

Manufacturing, Construction, and 

Transportation & Communications 

posted robust growth in spite of a slight 

deceleration in Q3. They expanded by an 

annual 3.3%, 4.9%, and 5.8%, respectively. 

Financial services grew by 2.1%, much in 

line with Q2. 

Despite a slight slowdown recorded 

by the Construction and Real Estate & 

Business Activities sectors in Q3, a large 

pipeline of projects provides a robust 

underpinning for near- to medium-term 

growth in the Kingdom. The overall 

pipeline of projects in the Kingdom 

is estimated by MEED Projects at 

USD72.3bn as of mid-December, a figure 

that represents a 17.2% YoY increase. 

The pipeline of strategically significant 

infrastructure projects undertaken by 

the GCC Development fund, government 

holding companies, and the private is 

currently estimated at some USD32bn. 

In 2008, His Majesty King Hamad 

launched the Economic Vision 2030, 

which set out a comprehensive plan 

for development. It provides a clear 

direction for the nation’s progress and 

a shared goal of building a better life 

for citizens and residents. Since then , 

there has been considerable movement. 

The Electricty and Water Authority has 

begun its journey towards establishing 

what it terms the National Renewable 

Energy Action Plan, a task given to the 

newly established Centre for Sustainable 

Energy. Bilateral relations and trade ties 

were also in focus through the last year 

as delegations from China, Germany, 

Russia visited Bahrain, and a high level 

Bahraini delegation organized by the 

EDB attended a 10 day road show in 

China with an Invest in Bahrain Forum 

held in Beijing. 

For Bahrain the implications 

look favourable in the backdrop of 

Bahrain’s highly regionally integrated 

economy. The performance of the GCC 

economies has been characterized 

by a high degree of continuity in the 

closing months of the yea and despite 

fiscal consolidation efforts, forwardlooking 

indicators of economic activity 

point to continued expansion. Regional 

visitor flows are likely to remain robust, 

supporting the hospitality and retail 

sector Investor interest in new real 

estate and infrastructure projects looks 

likely to continue, especially as regional 

investors see relative value in the 

Bahraini market 

As the region faces up to the 

challenge of the recent drop in oil prices, 

Bahrain’s fundamentals indicate the 

kingdom is well positioned to weather 

the dip. The focus on diversification 

goals outlined in Economic Vision 2030 

is helping establish a more competitive 

and sustainable economy in the 

kingdom. The financial sector, which 

represents Bahrain’s second-largest GDP 

contributor, has continued to recover 

robustly since the global economic 

downturn. 

Composition of real GDP growth (2003-2013), % 

120% 

Other 

Finance, Real Estate and Business Services 

Trade, Hotels and Restaurants 

Electricity, Gas and Water 

Crude Oil and Natural Gas 

Government, Social and Personal Services 

Transport, Storage and Communication 

Construction 

Manufacturing 

Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

0% 

Source: National statistical agencies 

-20% 

Bahrain Kuwait Oman Qatar Saudi Arabia 

United Arab 

Emirates 



17

Special Feature 

Industry 

takes on the Mantle 

by Reena Abraham 

In light of the current economic 

climate, repercussion of the 

sliding oil prices, it is something of 

a pleasant surprise to discover that 

the Bahraini economy continues 

to grow, sustained by a strong and 

expanding private sector. Non-oil 

sector’s growth reflects in part the 

continued build-up in infrastructure 

project activity. The non-oil sector 

constitutes more than 80 per cent of 

Bahrain’s GDP. While oil represents 

just 20 percent of Bahrain’s GDP, it is 

anticipated that the non-oil sector 

will continue optimizing, with strong 

levels of growth anticipated in the 

hospitality and construction sectors. 

Part of this growth is the result of 

massive investments in specific sectors 

of the economy with the objective of 

stimulating future economic growth. 

Private education and healthcare along 

with construction and transportation 

and communications are all found to 

be the fastest growing sections of the 

economy. 

The growing pipeline of 

infrastructure projects and non-oil 

growth has provided a favorable 

setting for job creation. Private sector 

employment has continued to increase 

at a healthy pace. The official labour 

market indicators for the second 

quarter of 2015 put total employment in 

the Kingdom at 710,296, which marked 

an annual increase of 6.5%. The average 

wages of Bahrainis increased by 3.5% in 

the private sector and 5.1% in the public 

sector. 

His Royal Highness Prime Minister 

Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa 

speaking at this year’s Gulf Industry 

Fair (GIF 2016), at Bahrain International 

Exhibition and Convention Centre, 

organized by Hilal Conferences and 

Exhibitions (HCE), called the industrial 

sector the cornerstone in spurring 

Bahrain’s growth and diversifying 

its sources of revenue. He reiterated 

the government’s resolve to continue 

encouraging Bahraini companies 

through incentives to expand and 

prosper. . He stressed the importance 

of promoting the quality of Bahraini 

products to be the best option in the 

market, as they meet customers’ real 

needs. 

Bahrain's industries include 

Aluminum Bahrain, which operates 

an aluminum smelter—the largest in 

the world with an annual production 

of about 525,000 metric tons—and 

related factories, such as the Aluminum 

Extrusion Company and the Gulf 

Aluminum Rolling Mill Company 

(GARMCO). Other plants include the 

Arab Iron and Steel Company's iron 

ore pelletizing plant (4 million tons 

annually) and a shipbuilding and repair 

yard. 

Ranked as one of the largest 

aluminium smelters in the world, 

ALBA is known for its technological 

strength and high quality aluminium. 

Over the years, the smelters production 

increased steadily to reach the current 

yearly capacity that has made it one of 

the largest in the world. Hot metal is 

produced at purity rate of 99.7%. ALBA's 

products include rolling slabs and 

extrusion billets, as well as standard 

ingots for local companies and export. 

With Alba Line 6 on track for 

completion by January 2019, Bahrain’s 

aluminium production capacity is 

expected to increase by 514,000 metric 

tons per annum, to a total of more than 

1.45mn metric tons upon full ramp-up. 

This is creating a strong basis for the 

further development of downstream 

manufacturing in the Kingdom, which 

can capitalize on the Bahrain’s long 

history in the sector, as well as its 

skilled workforce. 

Mumtalakat Holding Company, 

the government holding company for 

non-oil assets, signed a joint venture 

with Synergies Castings Ltd to establish 

an aluminium casting and speciality 

alloy wheel manufacturing facility in 

Bahrain. Synergies Castings is one 

of the leading aluminium casters 

and manufacturers of alloy wheels in 

India. The project will be located at 

the new molten metal park which is 

being developed adjacent to Alba. The 

USD150mn facility will take some 18 

months to build and will produce the 

equivalent of 2mn vehicle alloys a year, 

an annual capacity of approximately 

25,000 metric tons. 

Gulf Petrochemical Industries 

Company (GPIC) was founded 


Special Feature 

in December 1979 as the hub for 

cooperation between Gulf Cooperation 

Council (GCC) countries. The company 

specializes in manufacturing fertilizers 

and petrochemicals and takes 

advantage of natural gas, produced 

by Bahrain, as a raw material for the 

industry. The company is equally 

owned by the Government of Bahrain, 

Saudi Basic Industries Cooperation 

(SABIC) and Petrochemical Industries 

Company (PIC) in Kuwait. 

The non-oil sector 

constitutes more 

than 80 per cent 

of Bahrain’s GDP. 

While oil represents 

just 20 percent, it is 

anticipated that the 

non-oil sector will 

continue optimizing, 

with strong levels of 

growth expected in 

construction sectors. 

The plant initially had a production 

capacity in 1985 of 1,000 metric tons 

of ammonia and methanol per day 

increased to approx 1,200 tons per 

day by 1989. The decision to expand 

the plant to manufacture urea was a 

direct result following which; a 1,700 

metric tons per day urea facility was 

opened in 1998. This self- contained 

plant exports the finest urea granules 

all over the world. Total GPIC 

production for all three products now 

approximates 1.46 million tons per year. 

Furthermore, GPIC seeks to expand 

on this sustainable success through 

the expansion of the plant’s existing 

facilities or through building standalone 

plants in the coming years. 

As Arabian Gulf’s most experienced 

ship and rig repair yard the 40 year 

old Arab Ship Repair Yard (ASRY) has 

over 35 years of experience in marine 

asset optimization. Its leading range 

of facilities includes a 500,000dwt 

dry dock, two floating docks of 252m 

and 227m in length, 15 repair berths 

with a total length of approximately 

4,000m, twin 255m slipways, as well 

as a full range of workshops and 

service centres. The yard’s portfolio of 

capabilities is not only the largest in 

the Arabian Gulf, but also includes jackup 

rigs and other offshore assets, due to 

a dedicated division – ASRY Offshore 

Services. Combined with a series 

of other diversifications including 

an Energy Division dedicated to the 

production of unique power generation 

barges, and a Consultancy Division, 

ASRY is the Middle East hub for marine 

expertise. 


19

Interview | Bin Faqeeh 

Faisal Faqeeh 

Chairman, Bin Faqeeh Real Estate Investment Company 

Challenging The Status Quo 

When the Bin Faqeeh Real Estate 

Investment Company declares 

on their website that they have come 

a long way, you can be quite sure it is 

no empty claim. In just about a decade 

the dynamic company has become one 

of the biggest success stories in the 

region, emphatically emerging from 

the global recession, and today well on 

the way in their vision of shaping the 

future of real estate development in 

Bahrain. 

Having delivered two residential 

projects in 2011 and 2012 - La Vida 

Tower and The One- in the Busaiteen 

district, Bin Faqeeh went on to develop 

an array of projects in prime locations 

that live up to their promise of Real 



estate for everyone, everywhere. 

These include a luxury residential 

project Dar Al Salam on Reef Island, 

and several projects in the popular 

Seef District, including Business 

Bay, a 22-storey commercial tower; 

The Breaker, a luxury 35-storey 

residential tower; The Grand, a major 

residential complex with leisure and 

entertainment facilities, The Treasure 

on Dilmunia Island, Forbes Tower, 

Tweet Tower, etc. Also on the list 

are outstanding structures like 360° 

in Durrat Marina, and comfortable 

abodes like The Nest in Sanabis, and 

The Homes, a residential villa project 

in Hamala and many more. 

In an interview with bizbahrain, 

Faisal Faqeeh, visionary Chairman 

of BFREIC, talked at length about his 

plans to CEO, Ahmed Khalfan. 

“We started developing and testing 

the market just after the 2008 crisis, 

when it was almost frozen. We decided 

that we would hold up our launch 

till we see what was coming up next. 

Through 2009 we watched the market, 

but it appeared that things were not 

moving. Finally in 2010, we decided 

not to wait any longer but to go 

forward, initiating the La Vida project 

in Busaiteen with the idea of testing 

the market from there.” 

Sales still lagged with people 

unwilling to take risks, but slowly over 

the next six months interest surged, 

and the building was sold. The next 

project was a smaller one, but even 

though prices were fixed accordingly 

once again traction did not build 

till prices were lowered further. The 

strategy immediately worked. The 

project sold out in a little over 2 weeks. 

Pricing was the key and through 

some trial and error the young 

entrepreneur quickly understood 

that the challenge was to understand 

where the demand lay and to zero 

in on that. “We studied the situation 

and we saw that there are advantages 

and disadvantages of starting out at 

this time. The main advantage was 

that we were the sole market players, 

and there were no competitors at all. 

The disadvantage on the other hand, 

was that we had to work with just 

marginal profit. We didn’t mind that 

at the time, so we started at BD 500 

per square metre for our sea facing 

properties in Reef. The first week 

again, movement was slow, the second 

week the ratio began to go up, and 

then within a month, things changed. 

People were absorbing the idea of 

what we were selling and they seemed 

...one successful 

project after 

another was 

notched up to its 

roster of success 

stories. 

to like what we were doing. From 

there we launched the second, and 

then the third till rapidly we were in 

phase 6. It was a fascinating learning 

experience.” 

Since the initial days of 

experiment and learning experiences, 

it has been a steady graph upwards 

for the Bin Faqeeh group. There was 

scarcely a pause as one successful 

project after another was notched 

up to its roster of success stories. 

Many of the properties were marked 

by unusual and interesting names, 

an early indicator perhaps, of the 

company’s out-of the-box thinking. A 

360-degree view all around with the 

marina, the open sea and Durrat Al 

Bahrain gave the name360°. Breaker 

is the highest precast building in 

the world, taking over the title from 

Chicago, which had the highest 

precast building at 140m height. At 

about 164m, 20 metres higher, Breaker 

breaks the record, giving birth to 

the name. Then there’s Layan, a 

name from the Quran, reflecting the 

meaning of what is in the project 

itself, says Faisal Faqeeh. 

Almost constantly in the news, Bin 

Faqeeh’s Layan project has generated 

a lot of buzz in the media most 

recently. Located in Durrat Marina, 

Layan simply put, will be a mixeduse 

project on a 17,000 square metre 

property with a private marina and 

a residential waterpark. The concept 

however is not so simple. Ambitiously 

positioned as an unparalleled mix of 

state of the art leisure facilities and 

luxury living, it is planned alongside 

a specially created 500-metre 

river surrounded by breathtaking 

landscaping. It will consist of 

luxurious apartments and villas as 


21


well as carefully selected shops and 

restaurants and a range of unique 

leisure activities. It is anticipated 

that the high profile project will 

completely revamp Durrat Marina 

making it the epitome of luxury. 

“Layan is a project that was very 

interesting for us as far as the design, 

the facility and the location were 

concerned,” Faisal Faqeeh says about 

the extraordinary project. “The idea 

behind it was that we try to create 

another market, which is unique by 

itself… I can tell you there is no such 

project anywhere in the world like 

Layan” 

A magnificent swimming pool, 

water slides and surfing wave pool, 

along with cinemas and restaurants 

centred on the water experience, truly 

make this a very unique project, very 

much in line with the path that the 

company has taken in the last decade. 

Bin Faqeeh today does not look at 

competitors. Each of its projects has 

been about creating concepts that 

are exceptional experiences – so 

exceptional and inimitable that not 

many can compete with them. 

“We try to keep each of our projects 

unique. We try to bring in companies, 

restaurants and concepts that do not 

have a presence in Bahrain before. 

This, I believe, will bring traffic 

and make this a destination where 

“I can tell you 

there is no such 

project anywhere 

in the world like 

Layan.” 

everyone wants to be… We will be 

targeting the local market, the GCC 

market and even the European market 

as much as we can. It is publicity for 

Bahrain as well. This is the idea, to 

show that Bahrain can compete with 

even overseas companies.” 

At 32m the water slide at Layan 

will be the longest here, and it 

certainly will be the most interesting. 

Designed to take 4 people at a time, 

there is also an exclusive provision 

for those who want it, to have a private 

slide from their balcony. From those 

apartments one has to simply open 

the doors, start the water pump and 

slide straight into the swimming pool. 

Today in Bahrain there are not a lot 

of projects that offer such a range 

of entertainment choices says Mr. 

Faqeeh. This perhaps explains why 

people try to find a location with a 

mall attached or close by. 

“The feel of Layan is like a resort… 

it’s been a big challenge to have all 

this in one area. The technical aspects 

won’t be easy but we found the right 

people to handle each aspect… This is 

a difficult time again with everybody 

talking about recession. The challenge 

therefore is to come up with an idea 

that is so complete and so good that 

you don’t leave an option for your 

client to say that they will not buy. ” 

In the news also has been Bin 

Faqeeh’s ultimate fantasy experience 

“Dining in the Sky” which involves 

serving four meals a day to 32 guests 

at a time 50 meters in the air with 

striking views of both Bahrain as well 

as the recently announced projects. 

While guests await their turn to be 

taken up, a “White House Garden 

Party” takes place on the ground. 

“ Our marketing head likes always 

to be different in her strategies. We 

try to bring in things that are not 

known or common in Bahrain, to 

have interesting people with ideas 

participating in the event. Coming 

up with ideas like that is not easy 

…and this kind of thing does not 

really contribute to the bottomline, 

We consider it profit, however, when 

we get people to have fun, and feel 

a unique sense of satisfaction…Sky 

dinner is one of the best ideas that 

we ever had…What we are trying to do 

is show our vision as a company and 

that we are not in competition with 

any other developer…We are hoping 



to be exclusive always as much as 

we possibly can. This is what we are 

looking for always. “ 

From marketing the conversation 

moves naturally to plans and 

strategies for the next years. Faisal 

Faqeeh explains the “Limited 5” 

strategy that is already in place. 

Started from 2015, for the next five 

years, the Bin Faqeeh group plan to 

roll out one exclusive limited project 

every year. “The plan is for the next 5 

years, to be very exclusive in project 

terms… We will go for very exclusive 

and limited projects. We started with 

Waterbay, in 2016 we have Layan, 

and hopefully we are going to have 

a project each year up till 2020. Five 

unique projects, each different in its 

own way. We will try to implement 

features that are not in Bahrain, with 

new and innovative ideas.” 

As much as pricing, the learning 

years also convinced Faisal Faqeeh 

that location matters. Launched in 

2015, the first of the Limited 5 projects, 

Waterbay once again challenged the 

status quo. Bin Faqeeh secured a 

spectacular property along the shores 

of the Bahrain Bay development, 

designing a stunning edifice evocative 

of the island’s nautical roots. Ten 

storeys of residential and retail units, 

cozy studio apartments, penthouse 

suites, and space for high-end 

retailers, Waterbay covers over 16,865 

square metres. The first of the three 

residences, which has an expected 

date for completion in 2017, has a host 

of leisure facilities such as swimming 

pools, specially dedicated ladies and 

men’s gyms and saunas, a rooftop 

running track with stunning views as 

well as a range of restaurant outlets 

and supporting services that will 

enhance the development. 

“Waterbay was actually a project 

that we aspired for, since a long time 

ago. Right from the year 2012 we 

were trying to find a good location 

at Bahrain Bay, but unfortunately 

there was nothing available at the 

time. We were fortunate though that 

no residential projects were started. 

Thanks to God, when we got it in 

2015, it was the perfect land we were 

looking for.” 

“The challenge now is to 

encourage people to move from the 

mid range price scale to the high, 

which means that the prices are now 

going to be in the range of BD1200- 

1600 per square metre. We will need 

to show people that they are going 

to pay this as much for the location 

and the neighbourhood. People in 

Bahrain trust something when they 

see that you are convinced about it 

yourself. If you are doing it, then they 

understand that it’s safe and they 

have the confidence that they too can 

get into it.” 

“Whenever there 

is crisis or there 

is a recession, 

there is also 

opportunity...” 

His business acumen keenly tuned 

to the market and its fluctuations, 

Faisal Faqeeh is realistic and 

cautiously optimistic about the market 

situation today. Each of his projects 

begins with extensive market analysis 

and reviews of design, the practicality 

of the facility and the location. “We are 

in 2016 and people are again talking 

about the recession. I feel whenever 

there is crisis or there is a recession, 

there is also opportunity, and that 

opportunity you will not get in a good 

market situation. A project like Layan 

would not work when the market is 

buoyant because then it would be too 

expensive. When we look at a project 

we always study it first from the 

pocket of the buyer, and from there 

we work all the way up. Having ideas 

is just one part, but knowing how the 

ideas will work, that is the challenge. 

Building trust and being transparent 

with your client, for us that is the 

main thing.” 


23

Interview | Silah Gulf 

Profiling Bahrain as an ideal location 

of choice for establishing business in 

the GCC region, Silah Gulf. Tell us more 

about the company and its operations? 

Headquartered in the Kingdom of 

Bahrain, Silah Gulf was launched in 

2009 as a joint venture in the Middle 

East region by UK-based Merchants 

(Dimension Data) together with the 

Information & eGovernment Authority. 

Today, Silah operates with a 

workforce of over 750+ customer 

service professionals, supporting 

clients throughout the region in 

the telecom, banking, government, 

travel and retail industry. Being 

the brainchild of the Economic 

Vision 2030, it focuses on creating 

sustainable jobs in Bahrain as it 

delivers end-to-end service solutions 

including advising companies how to 

transform and improve their customerexperience 

infrastructure, technology 

and training solutions. 

Silah’s objective has always been 

to deliver exceptional customer 

experiences, both for the public and 

private sector clients. It is a multiaward 

winner in the regional service 

industry which takes a consultative, 

but yet pragmatic approach combining 

global best practices and local 

expertise to provide exceptional 

customer-experiences. 

How is Silah supporting and 

addressing the strategy of 

Bahrainization? 

Mr. Mohammed Ali AlQaed 

Chairman of Silah Gulf Company 

Silah-Expanding its 

Regional Reach 

Call center organizations such as 

Silah have a significant direct and 

indirect employment potentials. The 

service industry offers attractive 

compensation and career development 

opportunities for graduates and 

professionals; as well as incorporates 

previously marginalized groups, 

especially women and youth, into the 

formal labour pool. I am proud to say 

that the majority of our 750+ employees 

are Bahrainis and constitute to almost 

100% of the staff for the governmental 

services. In addition, 40% are women 

and the average of a Silah professional 

is 27-years-old. 


Interview: Silah Gulf 

Silah has contributed in creating 

over 1,500 direct jobs in the Kingdom 

and trains over 500+ professionals 

a year. It has set clear career paths 

and provided specialized trainings 

to Bahrainis thru the Silah Academy. 

Considered as one of the leading 

premium customer-experience 

solutions provider in the region, 

Silah has established a partnership 

with Tamkeen in order to train more 

Bahrainis to become employed in the 

increasing call center sector in and out 

of the Kingdom. 

Can you define Silah’s applied 

benchmark? 

To become successful, 

benchmarking must be implemented 

as a structured, systematic process. 

Silah Gulf’s constant reliance is made 

on innovation; for instance, Silah is 

keen to enhance eParticipation for our 

citizens by opening several channels 

of communication with the people, 

including social media networks and 

contact centers such as the National 

Contact Centre. As for the company’s 

private sector clients, Silah handles 

the full communication spectrum - 

from calls and web chats to new digital 

communication such as WhatsApp. 

One of the company strategies 

is to shift from a local operating 

call center provider to a regional 

customer-experience solutions player. 

It operates based on best practices 

and industry standards capitalizing 

on a competitive quality, operational, 

cost, and HR framework. With core 

focus on maximizing quality and 

customer-experience for our clients, 

Silah aims to meet and exceed the set 

key performance indicators against the 

volume of interactions - proving a firstclass 

customer service. 

Silah Gulf has undoubtedly made 

significant achievements in a relatively 

short period of time, to what do you 

attribute its success? 

With over 10 million interactions 

handled a year and 25 industry awards, 

Silah has not only positioned itself as 

a key employer of choice, but as the 

leading customer-experience solutions 

provider in Bahrain as well as the 

fastest growing in the GCC. 

Every significant achievement 

follows our leadership guidance 

and directions to raise the level of 

customer satisfaction. The leadership’s 

involvement was certainly the factor 

for success as it has ensured that the 

right strategy, focus, enforcement 

and power is set in place. It has also 

assisted in profiling Bahrain as a 

service destination of choice. 

The outcomes of the latest issued 

Strategic Market Review of the 

telecommunications sector disclosed 

that Bahrain is taking significant steps 

towards ensuring that regulation is insync 

with technological developments. 

The country’s recent industry 

market has positively developed in a 

number of areas like the substantial 

investments which have been made in 

new technologies, notably the roll-out 

of competitive Long-Term Evolution 

(LTE) networks throughout the country. 

Additionally, Bahrain has 

achieved high recognitions in several 

international telecommunications and 

ICT indicators as well as rankings such 

as the United Nations and International 

Telecommunication Union (ITU) 

reports. In 2014, Bahrain and Jordan 

were recognized as the only countries 

in the region which fully liberalized 

the telecommunications sector; with 

Bahrain being the only country that 

adopted a structure and a model 

similar to that implemented by the 

European Union. It was also ranked 

as the 26th globally within the 

Telecommunication Infrastructure 

Index. 

The key was to combine Bahrain’s 

privileged pool of talents, proven 

methodologies, industry best practices 

and the right leadership to create 

competitive solutions tailored for the 

GCC market and its customers. 

How has Silah saved on companies? 

Partnering with Silah offers clients 

access to a wide-spread of dedicated, 

professional, expert and high-quality 

services. Outsourcing labor intensive 

and volatile supporting processes 

not only provides clients more time 

and focus to strengthen their core 

business process, but more importantly 

contributes in improving services, 

while reducing operating costs. 

The company is specialized in the 

customer-experience field as it has 

the superior process and technical 

infrastructure; thus, the customer 

whose facing operations can be 

managed more efficiently with better 

quality output. Regional GCC clients 

which near-shore their customer 

processes to Silah in Bahrain benefit 

from a competitive cost structure and 

diverse talents. 

With all the recognized footprints, 

market recognitions and the several 

operations in the Gulf region. What 

does the future hold for Silah? 

Silah is clearly paving the way 

for the customer service industry 

in Bahrain and the focus is moving 

from being a local market leader to 

becoming a regional player in the 

Middle East, attracting regional clients 

to outsource their operations to Silah 

in Bahrain and promoting the Bahrain 

business hub. Silah currently has an 

operational partner network in Kuwait 

and Saudi Arabia. The potential for 

Silah and the goals for growth are 

tremendous. 

The service industry in the GCC 

is at a paradigm shift and customerexperience 

is becoming a key 

differentiator for many companies and 

public services. Silah will continue to 

expand its outsourcing, consultancy, 

training and technology offerings as 

well as expand in the region. 

The service industry will certainly 

play an important role in creating job 

opportunities for both locals and expats 

alike - steering Silah Gulf to remain at 

the forefront of this industry. 


25

Interview | RCSI Bahrain 

Pioneering 

Medical 

Research in 

Bahrain 

With continued growth in the 

population, and improved health 

care, the conversation amongst health 

professionals has turned in recent years 

to the development of research in the 

GCC. At the Royal College of Surgeons 

Ireland (RCSI)- Bahrain it is considered 

an imperative part of the immediate 

strategy for the overall growth and 

development of the university. Taking 

a firm hold on the baton, RCSI has 

embarked on a dynamic path. Professor 

Davinder Sandhu, well-known medical 

professional and postgraduate dean 

from the Severn Deanery/University 

of Bristol in the UK as the new Head of 

the Postgraduate School and Research 

at RCSI Bahrain oversees an ambitious 

and expanding drive towards the vision 

of incorporating research into the heart 

of its programs. In a conversation with 

Reena Abraham, Editor, bizbahrain, 

Professor Sandhu talks about his journey 

to Bahrain and what lies ahead for 

medical research in the region. 

Professor Davinder Sandhu 

Head of Postgraduate Studies & Research 

Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) Bahrain 

“The opportunity to work with a 

great institution (RCSI) and contribute 

something is an amazing privilege and 

I jumped at it. We particularly wish 

to develop post-graduate studies and 

research in the Kingdom. I think it is 

a huge credit to the Ministry of Health 

that they are investing a lot in research 

facilities. What you see outside my office 

here at RCSI, is the new oncology block 

being built by His Majesty King Hamad, 

and they are going to have a significant 



area devoted to research. We are quite 

excited about that because that is our 

sister institution, and we hope to be able 

to collaborate with them. Similarly BDF 

is investing in the new cardiac centre in 

Bahrain. There is an opportunity for us 

to work together.” 

In June 2014 the Higher Education 

Council (HEC) approved Bahrain’s first 

National Strategy for Higher Education 

and Scientific Research. Designed 

with input from the private sector, the 

government and international advisory 

agencies, the strategy serves as a 

handbook for development, expansion 

and globalization in the Kingdom. It has 

helped determine the direction of the 

higher education over the next 10 years 

and positions Bahrain’s universities in 

a path to develop a skill and knowledgebased 

economy, in line with the 

country’s goals under the 2030 National 

Vision. 

The Kingdom’s far-reaching goals of 

creating a knowledge-driven economy, 

improving the quality of research, 

including the area of medical research, 

assume even greater importance in the 

context of the present. In the GCC an 

emerging trend has seen prestigious 

international universities invited to set 

up campuses, whereby encouraging 

other such institutions and creating 

education clusters. In this effort Bahrain 

was well ahead of the rest. As far back 

as 2004, the Royal College of Surgeons 

in Ireland-Medical University of Bahrain 

was established with a US$65m campus. 

From 28 students in 2004, RCSI today 

has more than 1300 taking courses in 

medicine, nursing and postgraduate 

studies. The student body represents 

36 nationalities with an exponential 

growth in student numbers in the past 

decade, supported by excellent quality of 

curriculum and facilities. 

In line with RCSI Bahrain’s mission 

statement the School of Postgraduate 

Studies and Research has enabled 

world-class biomedical research while 

integrating basic and clinical research, 

which to a layman reassuringly would 

mean that advances in medical science 

are translated as quickly as possible into 

patient treatments. 

A long time resident of the UK, 

Professor Sandhu began his career in 

medicine as a urological surgeon in 

Leicester where he worked for well over 

a decade. It was serendipity, he says, that 

saw him branching out into education. 

After 13 years in Leicester he was offered 

the position of Post Graduate Dean in 

south west of England, and it was this 

that gave him the invaluable exposure 

and hands on experience of running an 

educational organisation. 

“Creating all those programs was 

everything I have done in my life and 

this position heading the post-graduate 

school is exactly that.” 

For Professor Sandhu, the 

opportunity to build up something 

from the grass root level could not have 

come at a more propitious time with the 

institution deciding to invest heavily 

into developing the post-graduate 

school. 

Fully funded 

scholarships for 

5 years worth 

US$ 250,000. 

“One of the things that happened 

in 2015 for the first time is that we have 

invested in PhD programs. These are 

fully funded scholarships for 5 years in 

collaboration between RCSI in Dublin 

and RCSI Bahrain, and each scholarship 

is worth 250,000 dollars. We have already 

appointed 3 students in 2015 and we 

have just sent out an invitation for 

another 3 students in 2016. The idea is 

to have some senior researchers doing 

their PhD here and hoping that some 

of them become post docs and future 

professors in their field.” 

The new research strategy at RCSI 

called for developing additional areas 

of research with PhD, Taught Masters 

and Masters by Research. Much of this 

will be captured with presentations at 

Research Days, with the ultimate goal 

being to help fill the research gap in 

the Kingdom for the benefit of local 

patients. In addition this year the PDU 

introduced a postgraduate certificate/ 

diploma in health professions education. 

It is further planned to develop this 

programme for accreditation and 

delivery in Bahrain in the imminent 

future. 

Professor Sandhu explained the 

process involved in choosing particular 

areas for research. “As a foundation in 

trying to develop research we looked 

at what is required here in Bahrain and 

what is the strength of our faculty. There 

were 3 key pillars that we particularly 

looked at. One was oncology and cancer, 

which is a global issue. Another area 

is endocrinology and as you know 

diabetes is a huge issue in the world 

but particularly in the Gulf and Bahrain. 

A third area that we particularly 

looked at is also in what is called 

hemoglobinopathies, such as Sickle cell 

disease. These are areas that are part of 

the original strategy, but what I want to 

do is go a little bit more beyond that; to 

be flexible, to look at what expertise we 

have here - stem cell work for instance, 

and other ailments, like asthma which is 

very common here in Bahrain. In areas 

such as end of life care, palliative care, 

dementia, obesity - all these things link 

with cardiovascular disease, which is 

another one of our research areas. All of 

these things are related but you have to 

start somewhere.” 

In a significant partnership with the 

Arabian Gulf University, researchers 

work together as team. “One area of 

collaboration for instance is Arabic gum, 

to see in what way it is helpful and what 

therapeutic properties it has. Another 

area of work that we have supported is 

to reduce cardiovascular disease. It is 

really done by teams, and now if we are 

going to become the hub of education in 

Bahrain, we need to really create great 

teams who collaborate not only within 

Bahrain but also in the Gulf.” 

The plans for the next years are 

already in place, he says, with the 3 

doctoral programs, and a further three 

being advertised currently. 

“We want to have a masters program 

on our license as well as the PhD 


27


programs. It is about building closer 

links with the Higher Education Council 

who have been hugely supportive. I am 

particularly grateful to the Secretary 

General of the HEC , Professor Riyadh 

Hamza for encouraging research 

through the research strategy. I am part 

of their research strategy group, so that 

is fortunate for me to be able to hear 

from them and contribute. A closer link 

with HEC and our institutions is going 

to be quite important and we also want 

to try and develop closer links with the 

National Health Regulatory Authority 

(NHRA).” 

A good portion of the Professor’s 

career was spent as a practicing doctor 

and that connects him with the patient 

as a human being, and that is a useful 

path for a researcher – to be able to 

connect with disease on a more personal 

and human level. 

“I think that these go hand in hand. 

I was a consultant surgeon for 13 years 

but I spent quite a lot of time right from 

graduation to the time I left clinical 

practice in driving research. Research 

is about being curious, it’s about one 

wondering why do we do things this 

way; and is that the best way of doing it; 

or why does this happen and what is the 

reason for that. That curiosity and the 

drive to achieve the best you can is quite 

important. 

Advances in 

medical science 

are translated 

as quickly 

as possible 

into patient 

treatments. 

“At my time there wasn’t much 

research done by medical students. I 

think that is one of the big changes 

now. We had a student summer 

research project here in 2015 that was 

hugely successful. We had 43 students 

with 17 projects which translated into 

publications. We see something like 

11% of all publications in the island 

from this university, something like 38 

publications. 

“The students also do something 

called students selective component 

where they can study in a particular 

area of their own choice and often that 

sows some seeds of interest, and that 

might translate into research projects 

because these people are really 

passionate. They want to do things and 

they want to engage and they want to 

learn and it gives them opportunities 

to see the bigger picture and engage 

the best disciplines. Some of them go 

abroad to different units. It’s terrific 

that as a student you don’t have other 

pressures on you. You actually look at 

the way things are done in different 

institutions, and that is a terrific credit 

I think to RCSI. 

“If you were to ask me what is the 

essence for us, I think it would be 

about driving quality, and to drive that 

quality you do need to have investment 

in to post-graduate studies and 

research. We don’t want our graduates 

to graduate and say, “Well done, you’ve 

passed, but that is the end of the story 

and we have nothing more to do with 

you.” We have to support our alumni 

because we are supposed to help them 

develop, because when you graduate 

it’s also most like you are at the bottom 

of a new ladder and you have to grow 

and develop, and so therefore I think 

is important that as a university we 

support our alumni.” 

So in essence you are not looking to 

churn out numbers but really quality? 

“Indeed. I think if you invest in 

research what happens is that it 

stimulates the faculty. We all need 

stimulation, we all need motivation, 

we all need to capture that energy 

that drives us and that in turn means 

you get better faculty, you get better 

teaching, which again means that 

the students are motivated and 

they perform better and gain more. 

Ultimately the real purpose of this 

goal is patient’s benefit. Quality has 

a direct link with patient’s safety and 

effectiveness.” 

If you were to ask 

me what is the 

essence for us, 

I think it would 

be about driving 

quality. 

With an international faculty, 

RCSI attracts some of the best minds 

through advertising but more by word 

of mouth. The congenial atmosphere of 

sharing and collaboration ensure that 

it is a happy school and people who 

leave tell their colleagues and friend. 

“As an example to you about 

progression, the Research Day here 

was half a day and like 60-70 people 

would attend, but this year we made 

it all day and more than 130 people 

attended. I am really thrilled that 

Professor Riyadh Hamza from HEC 

came and gave a talk and we had 

an excellent talk from Ibtikar on 

innovation and Professor Ronan 

Conroy came from Dublin and talked 

about how to engage in research and 

support our students. 

“In 2016 we are going to make it 

international. It’s not just going to be 

here in Bahrain, but we are going to 

invite medical schools from around the 

Gulf. So we started small, we expanded 

it to a whole day and we now want to 

try and engage the Gulf region, because 

that is where I think the future lies in 

collaboration and working together. 

“When we ask somebody to 

contribute to the Research Day, with 

abstracts and so on, that makes quite 

an impact, and people hear that here 

is a medical school that is innovative, 

is energetic, is doing things, and is 

on the move, and hopefully we will 

get good engagement in that. So I 

am pleased that although we make 

mistakes we learn from them and we 

take that forward so that I think gives 

me another satisfaction that here is 

something that started small and is 

now developing so well.” 


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29

Interview | Alexandre Katrangi 

Feature 

Looking 

at the Big 

Picture 

30 Feb - Mar 2016 

Alexandre Katrangi 

Business Development Director, 

Soroof Group

Interview: Alexandre Katrangi 

Well known in the Middle East 

and Africa for his advisory 

skills, Alexandre Katrangi, Business 

Development Director at the Soroof 

Group is a busy man. Much of his work 

develops behind the scenes, but those 

in the know understand the scale and 

depth of his reach. His profile talks 

about the micro and macro analyses of 

markets with geopolitics, geostrategies, 

politics and economics in play. In a 

volatile and unpredictable market 

of economic and political actors and 

competitors, his brand of advisory and 

consultancy services one would think is 

invaluable and mostly below the radar. 

To a client base that comprises blue 

chip financial institutions and private 

investors, large conglomerates, market 

intelligence companies as well as 

politicians and diplomats, he is the man. 

A frequent visitor to Bahrain, he is 

often at the Capital Club and it was there 

that the bizbahrain team met up with 

him. Talking to CEO Ahmed Khalfan 

about his career journey to become 

Director of Business Development for 

Prince Bandar bin Abdallah Al Saud and 

the Soroof group, a position he has now 

held for 13 years, Katrangi is nostalgic. 

“I belong to a multi cultural family so 

I really grew up with many influences, 

spending years in Europe and France 

mainly, but then also in the USA, Middle 

East and Saudi Arabia. So in a sense 

I was already involved in this intercultural, 

international environment.” 

While he was still a youngster at 

the brink of his career, he moved to 

Africa living there nearly a decade. 

During that period he was agent for 

numerous international companies, 

eventually taking on an advisory role 

for various ministers and heads of state 

in that region. The move to the Middle 

East happened around 2004, with an 

engagement with Prince Bandar bin 

Abdallah Al Saud in Saudi Arabia. 

“Being involved in this international 

environment for the last 25 years has 

made me understand the importance 

and so acquire all the necessary 

connections between local people, local 

businessmen, international companies, 

whether it’s a large conglomerate, or an 

SME.” 

In the Soroof Group, Katrangi 

has found a perfect fit it appears. 

The company is a major force in the 

drive to change Arab economies from 

consumers to producers believing 

that they must evolve from being 

commodity focused to knowledgebased. 

The Group supports the use of 

evolving technologies to find solutions 

for requirements as diverse as energy 

for rural areas or drinking water in 

desert lands. As Director of Business 

Development in a group of this scope, 

Katrangi has handled different roles 

from Commercial Advisor to Board 

Member. 

We asked him what in his 

experience has been the guiding 

principle or direction that has stayed 

consistent, something that made sense 

within his role, and based on belief 

in the market and the economy he 

operates in. 

“This part of the world has always 

been, and especially in the last 15 to 20 

years, completely and totally vibrant,” he 

says. “ I first felt it when I was in Africa 

because traditionally, you know, deals, 

business and commercial exchanges 

with Africa were done through Europe 

because of the history and the colonial 

past.” 

This changed suddenly in the mid 

Nineties when local businessmen, 

banks, and African conglomerates began 

dealing directly with the Middle and Far 

East. Airlines like Emirates, Gulf Air, and 

Ethiopian Airlines started direct flights 

between Middle Eastern countries and 

Africa, and with it there was a growing 

awareness of the potential that lay here. 

In the last decade, he went on to explain, 

the Middle East has been an economy 

on a fast track, compared to that of 

Europe or the US. The geographical 

advantage that the Middle East enjoys 

meant that it was accessible easily from 

every business capital around the world. 

“The challenge was to grow fast 

enough to engage with and attract 

foreign companies to team up with local 

In the last decade 

the Middle East 

has been an 

economy on a fast 

track compared to 

that of Europe or 

the US. 

companies, to develop local knowledge 

and use local knowledge to implement 

foreign experience.” 

The Soroof Group began operations 

in the early 2000s, a visionary project 

of Prince Bandar bin Abdallah Al 

Saud. Right away it set out to become 

a leader in building environmentally 

friendly technologies that would benefit 

all. Before founding Soroof, Prince 

Bander had dedicated his life to public 

service with almost three decades in 

defence and retired from the Royal 

Saudi Airforce. Having a background 

in defence, his goal was to implement 

new technologies for the purpose and 

for the benefit of the local environment 

as well as the entire GCC. Early on it 

was decided that Soroof's corporate 

activities would focus on renewable 

and distributed energy, environmental, 

and communication and information 

technologies to serve niche markets 

that have long been neglected. Soroof 

began with its energy division - Soroof 

Power. Through extensive market 

research, gradually other subsidiaries 

and partners were added. Today known 

as Soroof International, it has built 

strategic alliances and distribution 

agreements with world leaders to create 

a strong portfolio of high technology 

products and turnkey solutions tailored 

toward key industries and infrastructure 

related projects. 

“Using local skills and local 

developments”, Katrangi explains, “we 

have for example, created a software 

made in Saudi Arabia, patented in Saudi 

Arabia, and developed in Saudi Arabia. It 

is software that is used for e- commerce, 

e- government, and e-implementations. 


31

Interview: Alexandre Katrangi 

The geographical 

advantage that 

the Middle East 

enjoys meant that 

it was accessible 

easily from every 

business capital 

around the world. 

It is a fully integrated 100 percent Saudi 

and GCC owned patent that uses local 

development for the benefit of the local 

users. On the energy side again, it was 

the same thing.” 

“In the areas where we don’t have 

competence, we aim to attract foreign 

companies where we always sign a 

three step agreement. We begin as an 

agent or a partner in a joint venture, 

and then take the transfer of technology 

through a step by step process to be able 

to have after some years, depending on 

the size of the project and the scope, full 

transfer of technology, in order to make 

it a “Made in GCC” or “Made in Saudi 

Arabia” product. 

With an office in Bahrain, the 

Soroof Group operates as much here as 

from its head office at Al Khobar. “The 

advantage that Bahrain presents is more 

flexibility in terms of visa, logistics, and 

everything. From an office in Bahrain 

our companies and partners can work in 

both countries easily and we are able to 

collaborate on a lot of things with them.” 

“We have just formed a partnership 

with the largest private fund of 

Luxembourg, a full partnership for the 

entire GCC. They had decided initially, 

to be honest with you that they will go 

to Dubai as most companies and banks 

do. We told them that of course, while 

Dubai and DIFC is a good choice and a 

good opportunity, if you want to operate 

with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain, 

then Bahrain is an excellent location, 

and very easy to open your offices, to 

obtain licenses, and hire people, as well 

as to move in and out. Even in terms of 

business meetings and basic logistics, 

Bahrain airport is the most convenient 

in the area. You can go any time to the 

airport in 10 minutes, and you can fly 

wherever you want to around the world.” 

The future looks optimistic for 

the Soroof Group, even under the 

tough economic challenges that most 

companies are currently facing. Bahrain 

continues consistently to be their country 

of choice to set up new operations. 

“Soroof’s new Canadian partner in 

the oil and gas business, will also open 

a branch in Bahrain to be able to operate 

with Saudi Arabia and his activity 

requires engineers and engineering 

resources hired locally and a lot from 

abroad, including engineers from Canada. 

At the same time, hiring Bahraini 

engineers makes business sense as when 

they have to go to Kuwait or Saudi Arabia, 

they don’t require visas, to travel in the 

region. 

Living in Al Khobar and Saudi 

Arabia, Katrangi visits Bahrain 

frequently, sometimes even daily. The 

Capital Club which he discovered some 

years ago has been the place of choice 

for meetings or a relaxed evening. 

We have just 

formed a 

partnership 

with the largest 

private fund of 

Luxembourg. 

“You meet all sorts of people but who 

are all a certain quality of people, which 

is pleasant. Capital Club’s association 

with international clubs is a very great 

deal, especially because in my personal 

life and in my position, I have to travel a 

lot. I have used the associated clubs in 

Singapore, London, Paris, in Spain last 

summer, in the US… very convenient 

and efficient. Wherever you travel, it 

is the perfect place to go out, to have 

a drink, just to meet business people 

or participate in a conference, or to be 

introduced to local business people, 

Whether you need it professionally 

to open a bank account, or to have an 

introduction for a license, you can 

be sure that within 24 hours you can 

secure any meeting here.” 

“Bahrain’s business friendly 

environment makes it very easy to 

get licenses. Usually when a company 

wants to set up operations in a 

country, the most difficult parts are the 

administrative barriers. They need to 

rent an apartment, to rent an office and 

it is always complicated, but in Bahrain 

it is all very easy. When we receive a 

foreign company or any CEO, within 

a few days he can set up his base and 

start to operate and work quickly to 

consolidate the company.” 



33

Spotlight | Bahrain Chamber of Commerce & Industry 

BCCI kicks 

off the year 

with new 

Initiatives 

and 

Programs 

The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce 

and Industry has since its 

inception in 1939 played a pivotal role 

in highlighting and promoting the 

private sector’s responsibility and 

contribution in economic development. 

Supporting the commercial and 

economic events that take place in the 

country, facilitating partnerships and 

joint ventures and by providing various 

services to its members to benefit the 

country, the BCCI has made its name as 

one of the most dynamic chambers in 

the region. BCCI has also contributed 

significantly in its role as a conduit 

between the private sector and the 

nation’s policy makers. It has promoted 

Bahrain’s investment climate and 

economic and industrial opportunities 

through exhibitions, conferences, 

seminars, and trade delegations both 

within and outside Bahrain. These 

events are a perfect platform to 

highlight the products and services that 

are available in Bahrain. 

2016 has kicked off with a a series 

of meetings and initiatives for BCCI 

members. Mr. Khalid Al Moayed, 

Chairman of BCCI, received the Special 

Envoy of the President of Republic 

of Philippines Dr. Amable R. Aguiluz 

at his office in Bait Al Tijjar, in a 

meeting that was also attended by Dr. 

Ebrahim Khalifa Al-Dossary Assistant 

Undersecretary at the Prime Minister's 

Court, BCCI board members and CEOs to 

review the strong ties between Bahrain 

and the Philippines. They discussed 

business and partnership opportunities 

on both friendly countries and mulled 

means of broadening business 

cooperation and boosting the bilateral 

trade volume. 

Mr. Khalid Almoayed also met with 

the director of International Peace 

Institute (IPI) for the MENA region 

Mr. Nejib Friji The meeting discussed 

IPI’s projects and the role it plays in 

promoting international peace and 

encouraging a culture of prevention and 

social integration, which constitutes a 

pillar to sustainable peace. 

Executive Committee Member 

and head of the Bahraini-Indian Joint 

Business Council of the Bahrain 

Chamber of Commerce and Industry 

Mr. Khalid Al Amin has highlighted the 

strides taken by the council throughout 

2015 in a bid to invigorate business and 

trade activities between both friendly 

countries and encourage business 

owners to establish partnership and 

exploit lucrative opportunities. 

Mr. Khalid Al Moayed, First and 

Second Deputy Chairpersons Mr. 

Othman Alrayes and Mr. Jawad Al 

Hawaj, alongside Executive Committee 

Member Mr. Khalid Al Amin and other 

top officials of the Chamber received 

a high rank delegation comprising of 

members of the Jordanian Parliament 

headed by H.E. Abdulla Qasim Obaidat 

Member of Parliament and head of 

the Labor, Social Development and 

Population Committee in the Chamber’s 

premises in Sanabis. Both sides of the 

meeting hailed the deep and distinctive 

relation between Kingdom of Bahrain 

and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan 

and called to boost trade and business 

activities to their optimal levels, 

knowing that the trade level between 

both countries amounted to 4.8 million 

U.S Dollars until October 2015 according 

to Bahrain Central Informatics 

Organization (CIO) 



35

Listing | Tender Board Bahrain 

Company 

Name 

Tender 

Subject 

Tender 

No. 

Tender 

Type 

Opening 

Date 

Ministry of 

Housing 

Construction of 1 No. 

10 Storey Apartment 

Building Type 'AU' at 

Site 225, Block 939, Al 

Hajeyat, (Contract 'A') 

HP/25/15 

Public 

25/02/2016 

Gulf Air 

Production and Supply 

of Various Plastic Bags 

for Gulf Air 

15-12-1452-ITC 

Selected 


Education 

Providing equipment 

and instruments for 

multipurpose halls of 

new schools-periodic 

for three years 

M/98/2016 

Public 



Real-Estate 

Investment Co. 

Al Jazayer Beach: 

Security Services 

EDAMAH/ 

PM/019/2015 

Public 


Bahrain Petroleum 

Company 

Purchase of Wiper 

Tips for Tanks 133 and 

137, And Roof Seals for 

Tanks 900 and 946 

Q087085 (38) 

Selected 


Bahrain Authority 

for Culture & 

Antiquities 

Bahrain International 

Book Fair 17 

2016/01 

Public 


Source: www.tenderboard.gov.bh 



37

ASAR - Finance Law Analysis 

Private Financing of 

Energy Infrastructure Assets 

by Simone Del Nevo 

Associate at ASAR-Al Ruwayeh & Partners 

The Kingdom of Bahrain should 

commit to major investment in 

energy infrastructure in the coming 

years against the backdrop of fiscal 

consolidation fueled by plummeting oil 

prices. Infrastructure investments have 

historically been an economic growth 

propeller in the region and globally 

and are a powerful instrument for the 

delivery of social policies. Moreover, 

cuts in public infrastructure spending 

risk widening an existing infrastructure 

gap with negative repercussions 

on the overall economy. In light of 

budgetary constraints on purely public 

infrastructure investment, a stop gap of 

increased private finance and publicprivate 

cooperation would allow Bahrain 

to benefit from the economic multiplier 

effect in order to sustain economic 

growth without bearing the full cost 

and investment risk of wholly public 

infrastructure works. The focus on 

privately funded energy infrastructure 

has been evident in a number of recently 

announced projects in the energy field. 

Infrastructure financing is one 

of those areas where the existence 

of a robust regulation can be easily 

argued to be the most critical success 

factor alongside credible political 

commitments. Financiers in this area 

are confronted with the so-called 

“time inconsistency problem”. Energy 

infrastructures such as transmission 

grids involve high capital costs for the 

delivery of the infrastructure whereas 

marginal costs for the operation 

thereof are comparably much lower. 

This implicates that recovery of 

capital costs over the life time of the 

infrastructure may be jeopardized by 

temptations to drive prices downward 

toward marginal operational costs, and 

this risk is particularly exacerbated 

in respect to long lived assets where 

recovery of capital costs is to take 

place over the span of decades. It is 

therefore of the utmost importance the 

existence of a regulatory framework 

enshrining a credible commitment on 

future customers or the government to 

paying for (or facilitating guarantees in 

respect of) the fixed and sunk costs of 

infrastructure financing. The existence 

and credibility of such a framework 

often represents the difference 

between privately financeable and 

non-financeable projects and, amongst 

financeable projects, it would have a 

substantial bearing on the cost of the 

capital. 

Project finance (usually 

accomplished in the infrastructure 

context through public-private 

partnership “PPP”) has been traditionally 

the preferred route to attract private 

financing of infrastructure in the 

Kingdom of Bahrain and the region. 

Project finance is based upon a non- 


ASAR - Finance Law Analysis 

recourse or limited recourse financial 

structure where project debt and 

equity are paid back from the cash 

flows generated by the project. Under a 

typical PPP, a special purpose entity is 

formed with the capital contributions 

of the equity sponsors and enters into 

a long term contract with the public 

procuring entity. Such long term 

contract constitutes the legal instrument 

aimed at solving the “time inconsistency 

problem” as, through such contract, the 

financiers (whether in equity or debt) 

ensure the recovery of their investments 

through periodical payment obligations 

from the procuring entity or the right to 

charge certain prices during the useful 

life of the project. 

Lack of an ad hoc legal framework 

did not prevent the development of PPP 

in the Kingdom of Bahrain, which is 

designed to draw on from the broader 

legal system for its corporate structures 

and contractual arrangements. That 

notwithstanding, the enactment 

of ad hoc legislation would likely 

boost the use of PPP insofar as such 

legislation could cope with certain legal 

criticalities. Notably among the legal 

limitations of the current system there 

exist limitations on the creation of a 

security package, issues of sovereign 

immunity and concerns with takeover 

rights, each of which might otherwise 

hold back investors or yield higher 

financing costs. 

Importantly, widening yields for 

domestic borrowers tapping credit 

through international banks or capital 

markets, coupled with the intrinsic risk 

profile of project finance, may reduce 

the palatability of unregulated PPP as a 

tool for financing infrastructure projects. 

Any increase in the costs of funding 

would translate into higher burden for 

the collective population that ultimately 

uses and pays for the infrastructure. To 

avoid these types of inefficiencies in 

infrastructure financing, consideration 

of alternative forms of private financing 

and regulation of energy infrastructure 

would be indicated. One such alternative 

could be the Regulatory Asset Base 

(RAB) model that was introduced in 

the United Kingdom in the 1990s in 

connection with the privatization of 

network utilities and that has become 

popular worldwide ever since. 

Under a RAB-based regulatory 

regime, an independent regulator would 

recognize revenues for the company 

owning the infrastructure assets such 

as to allow recouping of depreciation 

of the assets, financing costs (typically 

by setting a Weighted Average Cost 

of Capital based on pre-determined 

gearing ratios) and operating expenses. 

In case of unsubsidized network assets, 

such cost would be recouped through 

the setting of tariffs for the end user 

in order to access the network. RAB 

system may be shaped in a variety of 

forms and with a number of incentives 

to ensure efficiency in allocation of 

capital costs and in the operation of 

the infrastructure assets. Unlike the 

PPP model, the RAB model does not 

rely on a long term contract with a 

public entity, but rather on the ongoing 

relationship between the regulated 

entity and the independent regulator, 

which is the crucial cornerstone for 

the proper functioning of a RAB model. 

Such relationship would unfold through 

subsequent regulatory periods in which 

all elements of the RAB equation (WACC, 

amortization rate, etc) are fixed and 

would involve continuous scrutiny 

and negotiation. Empirical evidence 

has shown RAB-based financing is 

both less expensive and more flexible 

than project finance, albeit project 

finance might still be the most suitable 

instrument to finance the delivery of 

green field projects. The adoption of a 

RAB model in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 

respect to certain energy infrastructure 

(such as grid infrastructure) could be 

considered in connection with a process 

of privatization of such infrastructure 

within a regulated environment aimed 

at coordinating public and private 

interests in the overarching interest of 

the Kingdom. 

All in all, the creation of a package 

of adequate safeguards for the recovery 

of fixed and sunk costs is key to a proper 

structuring of a private investment 

in energy infrastructure assets. The 

next major challenge for Bahrain is 

designing the specificities of the legal 

system by setting forth clear rules 

understandable to the professionals 

involved in designing infrastructure 

investment vehicles. While in a RAB 

model safeguards usually arise by way 

of regulations, in a PPP model there is a 

strong contractual element to creditor 

protections insofar as it is the long 

term contract the primary source for 

recovery of the capital costs. A proper 

understanding of such contracts against 

the backdrop of the local legal system 

is fundamental to understand, for 

example, which circumstances might 

occur over the time that might have an 

impact on the ongoing relationship and 

on the possibility for the financiers to 

recover their capital costs. While each 

case, RAB or PPP, would yield benefits in 

terms of reducing the risks connected 

with time inconsistency, the issue is 

approached in dramatically different 

ways. Whichever model Bahrain chooses 

to enact, specialized legislation in the 

area of privately funded infrastructure 

investment should result in decreasing 

the cost of funding and maximizing 

overall social utility. 

Simone Del Nevo 

Associate at 

ASAR-Al Ruwayeh 

& Partners 


39

CBRE Real Estate Analysis 

Bahrain Commerical 

Office Market | 

Responding to Economic 

Challenges 

Heather Longden 

Associate Director – CBRE Bahrain 

The real estate sector in Bahrain 

faces a combination of challenges 

at present, including those that affect 

markets across the region and those 

that are specific to the kingdom’s 

socioeconomic characteristics. On 

a wider market level, it is expected 

that reduced income from deflated oil 

prices, geo-political tensions within 

the Middle East and potential currency 

exchange risks will affect investor 

confidence throughout 2016. 

The commercial office sector 

faces tough challenges, with further 

downside risks on the horizon and 

Bahrain’s traditional position as the 

regional centre for Islamic finance 

facing stiff competition from other 

commercial hubs across the Gulf. CBRE 

is aware of international occupiers 

tightening budgets, for commercial 

premises, particularly those related to 

the hydrocarbon sector, and a focus on 

sourcing cost effective, space efficient 

solutions that are, ideally, ready to 

occupy with the overarching aim of 

reducing capital expenditure. 

Bahrain does still provide 

an attractive proposition for 

firms, however, with the cost of 

doing business in Bahrain being 

approximately 40% lower than Doha 

and Dubai. After a period of reduced 

pipeline supply, following the global 

economic crisis and political unrest in 

the kingdom, the past 24 months has 

seen progression within development 

across all sectors, including the 

commercial office segment, although 

there has certainly been a significant 

shift in focus, with investment in retail 

and hospitality emerging as leading 

trends. 

A positive step towards building 

confidence in the real estate market 

overall, has been the announcement 

of the planned recommencement of 

construction work, scheduled for early 

2016, at the stalled Villamar project: 

the three spiral towers prominently 

located at Bahrain Financial Harbour. 

Another notable project, due to 

complete in 2016, is the 50-storey 

Wyndham Grand Tower, a mixed use 

development at Bahrain Bay, which 

includes 20 floors and 26,000 sq.m of 

prime commercial office space. 

Bahrain Bay, a reclaimed extension 

of the capital, off the Northern 

coastline of Manama includes 

within its growing portfolio: the 

Arcapita building, Al Baraka and 

Wyndham Grand Tower, all providing 

international Grade A commercial 

office space. While Seef remains a 

popular location, as the occupiers 

have gradually migrated from central 

Manama and Diplomatic Area over 

the last decade, this new stock, along 

with the rebrand and more flexible 

terms offered at the Bahrain Financial 

Harbour towers and mall, will widen 

office occupier’s options and, it is 

anticipated, create movement in a 

relatively stagnant segment of the 

market. 

Developers and landlords of 

commercial office towers who are 

able to diversify and provide services, 

as well as workspace solutions that 

strive to meet the needs of the modern 

business, are likely to continue to be 

more successful in terms of attracting 

new tenants and maintaining existing 

ones. In order to reach and maintain 

occupancy targets, CBRE’s market 


CBRE Real Estate Analysis 

feedback, suggests that, providing 

flexible solutions in terms of a range 

of office space solutions, ranging from 

1-6 person serviced offices, sub 150 

sq.m fitted, ready to occupy space to 

the larger traditional shell and core 

units along with providing flexibility in 

terms of lease durations is required. 

Creating a sustainable 

strategy for a commercial office 

building that provides a fully 

comprehensive workplace solution 

in a highly competitive market 

requires diversification in terms of 

the number and level of services 

offered. Landmark properties, such 

as Al Moayyed Tower and Bahrain 

World Trade Centre, as well as newer 

office towers, like Fakhro Tower, 

often now incorporate conference 

rooms, cafeterias or food and beverage 

options, as well as above market 

standard levels of parking, to satisfy 

the growing sophistication and 

expectations of firms looking to set up, 

or relocate, in Bahrain. 

The future in terms of the 

commercial office sector in Bahrain 

suggests that a challenging economic 

climate and excess stock, with still 

more in the pipeline, will lead to a 

widening gap between commercial 

office towers that most effectively 

meet the demands and needs of 

tenants and those that fail to adapt to 

current trends. 

For further commentary and 

research on Bahrain’s real estate sector 

please visit: 

http://www.cbre.bh/bh_en/research 

or contact: 

bahrain@cbre.com 


41

Focus | Company Formation 

Thinking Out 

of the Box 

by Dr. Alex R. Suchy von Weissenfeld 

Very much like Robin Williams (died 

2014) in the 1989 movie “Dead Poets 

Society”, this month I would like you to 

change your perspective a little when 

it comes to setting up a business or 

rather a company with “limited liability 

protection”. If you are one of the young 

entrepreneurs each country has and 

needs, one of the biggest challenges is 

often the initial provision of company 

capital required when asked to register a 

new legal entity. 

When “giving life to a new legal 

person” (companies with limited 

liabilities are considered the same as 

an independent, living and breathing 

person when it comes to legal matters) the 

authorities supervising the registration 

of commercial entities are often asked 

to make sure that this new “person” has 

sufficient money in it’s metaphorical 

pocket in order to conduct the business 

they set out to do. This makes perfect 

sense to many as potential business 

partners of that new company should be 

assured that their contract partner has the 

financial ‘breath’ to start, continue and end 

a new project. 

But do you always NEED copious 

amounts of money for the business you’re 

going into? Can’t you just simply start 

a company, make money and put some 

aside ‘for a rainy day’? What, if you merely 

wish to provide a service based on the 

skills you have acquired? What, if you are 

a web designer, an author or just want 

to make some commission because you 

happen to know buyers and sellers for 

local products? 

Well, for all of you in these categories, 

the registration of a company outside your 

home jurisdiction could be a good solution. 

Some of you may know that my forte is 

the registration and practical application 

of so-called offshore companies. The term 

“offshore” is rather self explanatory and 

simply means “not in my home country” 

but has gotten some bad press over the 

last couple of years because offshore 

companies were often involved in massive 

tax evasion scandals. The latter is the 

reason why most offshore jurisdictions 

prefer to refer to those entities nowadays 

as “International Business Companies”. 

Let me quickly explain how 

International Business Companies or 

IBC’s work. Think of an international 

driving license; these are issued in the 

same country, which has issued the one 

you currently hold. The license is valid 

anywhere in the world except the country 

you obtained it in. In a similar fashion, 

an IBC is registered in one country and 

can engage in any lawful business all 

around the globe, but – as a rule – not 

in the country in which it is registered. 

In other words, a company registered 

in the “Territory of the British Virgin 

Islands” (BVI) can enter into any legally 

sound contract with any company from 

anywhere in the world, except conduct 

business with companies inside the BVI. 

Speaking of the BVI, the British Virgin 

Islands have become the second most 

favorite “offshore jurisdiction” right after 

the Cayman Islands. A strong and stable 

legal system – British Common Law as 

they are a British Overseas Territory – 

and thorough Financial regulation has 

attracted mostly investors who want to set 

up a company in the financial industry. 

Investment Funds are a ‘fan favorite’ and 

what makes the BVI even more interesting 

is the quick registration of entities there. 

Let’s say, you want to secure your 

intellectual property rights for a book 

or a song you’ve written; a limited 

liability company in the BVI can be yours 

within as little as 48 hours. Specialized 

companies in the BVI are ready to offer 

you the mandatory registered office 

and agent services as required by law 

for a reasonable annual fee. No “show 

of funds” is required and, although the 

company capital in the Memorandum 

of Association is generally set to be the 

roughly the equivalent of BHD 20,000.000, 

it can be ‘earned’ as you go along and set 

aside within the books. However, the BVI 

doesn’t expect you to hand in any books 

whatsoever at the end of the calendar year 

and as keeping books and those pesky 

receipts are another big issue for many 

freelancers such as part-time authors or 

even programmers, having a company in 

the BVI means one thing less you have to 

worry about. 

As the popularity of these ‘lowmaintenance’ 

companies has grown 

over the years, many more countries or 

‘jurisdictions’ wanted a piece of the cake 

and so it is of little surprise that others 

emerged with their own unique take on 

the matter. 

Belize is such a country and as it is the 

only English speaking country in South 

America with strong ties to the United 

Kingdom (HM Queen Elisabeth II is the 

country’s Head of State) it has attracted 

a lot of international investors. Belize, 

unlike the BVI, for instance, has gone one 

step further in their company formation 

policies. Not only do they provide highly 

recognized companies in a short span 

of time (2 to 3 days) but they also let you 

choose your company’s ending. Any BVI 

registered company usually ends on LTD 

– like Bahrain companies with limited 

liability usually carry the ending WLL. 

Belize, however, allows you to choose the 

ending of your company to match the 

jurisdiction you’re most likely to use it 

in. If you are registering a Belize entity 

to engage in business in the UK, LTD is a 

good option. If you’re business prospects 

are more in Europe, a German GmBH or 

even AG might be a better choice. 

Next month I’ll introduce a country to 

you, which is generally not known as an 

offshore jurisdiction, but allows a similar 

setup with great benefits when using the 

new company in select countries: The 

United States of America. 

Dr. Alex R. Suchy von 

Weissenfeld is currently 

focused on company 

formation in Bahrain and 

internationally 


BAHRAIN’S 

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Feb - Mar 2016 43

Opinion | Feminine Leadership 

It’s the time for Feminine Leadership 

by Ali Al-Aradi 

Feminine leadership is a novel 

concept most of us are probably 

used to a traditional culture at work 

where 'proper' reserved behaviour is 

expected. People keep their distance 

and approach work and relationships 

with a sense of formality. What if that 

paradigm were to shift towards a more 

compassionate culture? 

In the past, traditionally male 

behaviours such as tough-minded 

decision-making and competitive 

aggression were the standard. At 

job interviews and when assessing 

performance and potential, leaders 

would assess whether the employee 

had 'fire in his belly' or was a fistpounding-on-the-table 

kind of guy 

or gal. There was little tolerance of 

sensitivity, never mind tears. Now 

however a sea-change is occurring that 

recognises the value in management 

and leadership of feminine leadership 

concept such as teamwork, empathy, 

communication and intuition. 

when I promote the feminine 

leadership style I don’t mean to 

exclude males but to utilise the 

feminine quality which dwell within 

both genders, the gender that you 

are in now do not decide if you will 

be masculine or feminine in nature, 

history have many good examples 

about female leaders who were 

aggressive masculine approach in 

political and business management. 

Please don’t panic! Male also have 

feminine qualities which females have 

which are empathy, combustion, trust, 

collaborative and communication. It 

is similar to the Chinese philosophy 

“Yin & Yang “simple which describe 

opposite or contrary forces are actually 

complementary, interconnected, and 

interdependent in the natural but 

working together. 


Opinion | Feminine Leadership 

Some would identify this move as 

introducing love into the workplace. 

In fact, love flows naturally when 

you create a space for it. People are 

naturally inclined to good. It's the 

business world that makes us resistant 

and sceptical. 

If you are open and accepting, 

people can feel comfortable around 

you. People feel better when they are 

allowed and encouraged to connect on 

a deeper level with others, especially 

with managers and superiors. Fear and 

anxiety is no help in organizations. 

Connecting openly dispels anxiety and 

makes for harmonious relationships. 

An increased sense of humanity 

and trust positively impacts the bottom 

line, because people - and entire 

organizations - work far better when 

folk are happy. 

Here are some pointers for creating 

a humane and productive business 

environment, for anyone who seeks 

to make a positive difference in their 

organisational culture: 

Meet with yourself 

First of all, you will need to bring 

the balance back in to the table, to 

embody the feminine qualities beside 

the traditional leadership skills, and 

to do that you shall learn how to meet 

with yourself regularly to discuss 

who and what you really are, then 

you will realise that you are not what 

you believe or ever thought to be, but 

you are here for purpose, therefore 

you will become humble in nature 

and from there the power of love will 

appear again in your heart to show the 

feminine side of you. 

Establish a collaborative mind-set: 

Your peers can be an excellent 

support system. View your colleagues 

as potential allies rather than threats 

- especially people in 'warring' 

departments. Ask for their opinions 

and listen to what they have to say. 

Incorporate their input into your 

decision making. Work on inclusion 

and resist exclusion. 

Business processes often 

encourage unhealthy competition, 

exclusion, alienation, lack of 

consultation and non-collaborative 

behaviors, so look out for these 

negative situations, and use 

collaboration and cooperation to 

remove tensions. 

Look out especially for policies 

and systems that discourage 

(unintentionally or intentionally) 

collective working and team-work, 

especially between departments. 

In the belief that it raises overall 

performance standards, certain leaders 

encourage unhealthy competition 

and 'free-market' methods which 

are designed to see only the best 

performers survive, leaving less 

experienced or less capable people 

to struggle. Of course this can raise 

performance at the top level, but it's 

not a recipe for building strengths 

in depth, nor for organic growth 

and self-sufficiency throughout the 

organization. 

In such environments traditionally 

female strengths such as relationship 

building, empathy and listening skills 

are suppressed if you allow them to 

be, so instead consciously use these 

capabilities. 

The ability to work in partnership 

and collaborate with others is a 

behavior that should be encouraged, 

rewarded and leveraged. 

Foster collaboration ahead of 

competition. 

Use your intuition 

There's much truth to the concept 

of 'female intuition'. Intuition is 

invaluable especially in dealings with 

people. This skill isn't limited to the 

female gender. Men have it too if they 

simply tune into it, rather than denying 

its existence or relevance as can be the 

tendency. 

Take note of your physical and 

emotional feelings associated with 

intuition. Your hunches are often 

correct and are based on information 

that may not be readily apparent to 

your consciousness. We all know deep 

down whether something is right and 

good. 

You develop your intuitive abilities 

by first of all accepting that you have 

them, and then by practising paying 

attention to your feelings. Trusting 

your intuition is a wonderful way to 

enhance your decision-making skills. 

Listen to your instincts and afterwards, 

debrief with a trusted colleague or 

mentor. What decisions did you make? 

What were the repercussions of these? 

Do you notice any patterns? Does your 

intuition play a larger role in certain 

areas, (people, processes, teams, 

aims, tactics, problem-solving, etc) so 

that you might transfer the intuitive 

approach to other aspects of your 

decision-making? 

Note the outcomes of your intuitive 

decision-making and capture them 

in writing. You don't need to write a 

book - just jottings or little diary notes 

suffice for many people. This way you'll 

remember things and be able to refer 

back to them, which means you are 

more likely to spot the connections 

between your intuitive feelings and 

actual results, which helps develop 

intuitive ability. It's in all of us, or the 

human race would not have survived. 

Did you ever see a caveman with a 

spreadsheet or a psychometric test? Of 

course not - they used their instincts 

and intuition to succeed and survive. 

Or a big stick of course, but we don't 

want to go back to that. 

Ali Al-Aradi 

HRD Lecturer & Writer 


45

Specialist | Public Speaking 

Shut up. Sit down. Get out. These 

were some of the sentences we 

kept hearing from few of our schools 

teachers. No wonder, we hated their 

classes and wondered away; far away. 

The preaching and teaching days 

are long gone! If you’re a leader who 

constantly wishes to lead his or her 

team into action, you better avoid 

issuing instructions and directions. 

You better start your journey with 

storytelling. 

Get Business 

Results by Telling 

Stories 

by Mohamed Isa 

Think of great leaders in the present 

and past who led thousands and often 

times millions of people to take certain 

actions, good and bad, ugly and not. One 

such leader who is constantly in my 

mind is Kevin Havelock who I met when 

I worked for Unilever between 2001 and 

2004. He was a great Chairman who 

always moved and motivated us with his 

words and stories. We were on fire and 

we accomplished great business results! 

So, how can you become a more 

effective storyteller? Your stories will be 

memorable to your audience if you use 

the 5 C’s of Storytelling: Circumstance, 

Characters, Conversations, Conflict and 

the Carryout Message. If you examine 

eloquent speakers’ speeches, you’re 

bound to find these five elements. For 

example, you could watch Bill and 

Melinda Gates Commencement Address 

at Stanford University of 2014. You will 

find all the elements in their stories. 

Now, let’s explore the 5 C’s. 

1. Circumstance. When did your story 

take place? Where was is it? Describe the 

circumstance for us. 

2. Characters. Who were the 

characters in your story? Describe them 

to us. 

3. Conversations. Don’t narrate the 

story. You should relive it so that we 

relive it with you. Bring your characters 

to life by giving each of the character a 

voice. Let them talk and let’s listen to 

them. 

4. Conflict. If you don’t have conflict 

in your story, you’re doomed. It will not 

grab the attention of your audience. 

The conflict could be between you and 

one of the characters, the characters 

themselves or it could simply, between 

you and yourself! 

5. Carryout Message. What’s the point 

you’re trying to make by telling us this 

story? What’s the carryout message? 

Here’s a quick story incorporating all 

the 5 C’s: 

“In the summer of 1998, we escaped 

the humidity and the scorching heat 

by having a hanging out in my friend’s 

house in East Riffa. It was me and my 

friends: Nawaf, Abdul Rahman and 

Talal. We were sitting around the dining 

table chatting and having strawberries, 

green grapes, pistachios, almonds 

and of course tea and coffee. We were 

having so much fun. We told jokes, we 

made fun of each other and we made 

fun of others! Late in the evening, Talal 

stood up, rolled up his sleeves and 

said: “Mohamed, let’s go for a pushup 

challenge!” 

Now, before I continue I should tell 

you that my relationship with Talal is 

just like that of Tom and Jerry. He is 

Tom and I am Jerry. I always win. On 

that night, Talal wanted to take revenge 

from the many times I beat him and 

what a better circumstance; he had two 

witnesses, Nawaf and Abdul Rahman, 

and he is been working in out in the 

gym for months. He told me: “Come on, 

be a man. Get down on the floor and 

do pushups.” I replied: “No man, we’re 

supposed to have fun; not pushups.” He 

retorted: “Come on, be a man.” I said: 

“Ok, but you go first.” 

And he agreed. Talal struggled to 

do six pushups. When he finished, I 

started. With each pushup I shouted: 

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. 

Then I stopped, looked Talal in the eye, 

laughed and said: Talal, you lost. Abdul 

Rahman, Nawaf and I laughed so loud. 

We fell from our chairs. And Talal, was 

frustrated. He failed, miserably! 

Ladies and gentlemen, the lesson 

here is simple and clear, never ever 

underestimate your competition. 

We should always up our game by 

constantly innovating to bring new 

products to our customers before the 

competition does. Let’s go to work!” 

Here is the thing: You don’t 

necessarily need to have a profound 

story to make it work. You can use 

everyday situations. Many speakers 

think that they should have great stories 

with great triumphs and conflicts such 

climbing Mount Everest or fighting 

with a shark. It doesn’t have to be like 

that! Start thinking about the stories 

in your life so that you could create a 

story file to keep it handy for your future 

speeches. 

Your takeaway, don’t be a teacher 

or a preacher. Become an effective 

storyteller and you will be able to 

inspire your team to get the business 

results you desire. 

Mohamed Isa is an Executive 

Speech Coach and Writer. 

Co-Author of Amazon’s Best 

Seller: World Class Speaking 

in Action, and a regular 

speaker at conferences in 

the Middle East. 

mohamed@3d-speaking.com 



47

Marketing at its Best 

The 

Importance of 

Offering 

Options 

in your Proposals 

by Ahmed Al Akber 

Managing Director, ACK Solutions 

People love being in control, and in 

sales offering a choice to prospects 

is a great way to achieve that. Offering 

options to prospects works the same 

way: people feel that the more options 

they have, the greater the chance that 

they will make a selection that perfectly 

fits their needs. 

The fact that you offer something 

that’s optional gets the prospect 

thinking about spending more of their 

funds with you. In other words, you 

share ideas with them that they may 

have never thought of. 

The caveat to this is that studies 

have shown that offering too many 

choices can overwhelm prospects to the 

point where they don’t actually make 

a decision. I experienced this problem 

when I first started selling my services. 

I offered an excessive amount of 

choices that made it hard for prospects 

to decide and more often than not led to 

a no-sale. Confused buyers don’t buy, so 

the choices you offer should be simple 

and straightforward. 

The number of choices you offer 

ultimately depends on what you are 

selling, but the rule of thumb with top 

sellers is three, clearly differentiated 

options that all lead to similar outcomes 

but provide different degrees of value 

to the prospect. You don’t want to offer 

totally different options. Just ones that 

build on top of each other. One way 

that business guru Alan Weiss puts it is 

this: ‘You move the prospect away from 

thinking ‘Should we work with them?’, 

to, ‘How should we work with them?’. 

Start with what it is that the 

prospect wants to achieve, which 

should be the goal of the first option. 

The second and third should be that 

additional extra that they may have 

never thought possible and did not 

explicitly explain they wanted to 

achieve. However, it would be great 

to achieve it. The only obvious catch 

is that they cost more money! This 

gives you an additional opportunity to 

increase revenue with the same sale. 

Another technique that should be 

used is to share what these options are 

with prospects before they are offered 

in a final proposal. This helps you 

determine if there is interest in what 

you’re offering, or if you are totally offpoint. 

Either way, the discussion should 

still lead to a series of choices that the 

prospect can make. I find that prospects 

that initially choose Option 1 because 

it’s the first time they work with me 

and want to test the waters. Later 

on, once we have a stronger working 

relationship, they tend to upgrade to the 

bigger, more valuable options during the 

course of their project, for the simple 

reason that they know it’s there. 

Ahmed Al Akber is the Managing Director of ACK Solutions, a firm 

that helps companies to dramatically improve their marketing and 

sales results by offering more effective ways attracting customers 

and significantly better products and services. 

Ahmed has worked internationally in marketing, sales, and strategic 

planning at companies such as The Coca-Cola Company, Philip 

Morris International and Dell. Questions or comments can be sent to 

Ahmed on ahmed@acksolutions.com 



49

Biz Auto 

JAGUAR XF 

Speedsters 

Ladies 

Families 

Bankers 

Executives 

Celebrities 

Sports Types 

The all-new Jaguar XF brings an unrivalled blend 

of design, luxury, technology and efficiency to lead the 

business car segment, underpinned by class-leading 

driving dynamics and refinement. 

The dynamic, coupé-like design is formed around 

Jaguar’s aluminium-intensive architecture and combines 

the outstanding proportions, elegant surfaces and 

perfect lines which define all Jaguar cars, with a longer 

wheelbase, more interior space and exceptionally low 

aerodynamic drag. 

XF is a destination of bespoke choice and luxury. A 

place where premium materials are elegantly crafted into 

a design that delivers pure, all-encompassing comfort. 

Wherever you are sitting, XF's contemporary design, 

abundant natural light, and exquisite craftsmanship 

combine to create an atmosphere of relaxed refinement. 

XF is more efficient, offers lower running costs, and 

reduces emissions to as low as 104g/km. On the move, the 

lightweight front double wishbone and rear Integral Link 

suspension systems deliver supreme levels of ride comfort 

and handling. 

The XF also offers a range of active safety systems 

including Autonomous Emergency Braking to further 

enhance the world class level of safety. Offering 

outstanding crash protection, the vehicle scored highly 

in all categories including Occupant and Pedestrian, and is 

among the most highly rated models in its segment. 

Considering all areas of Total Cost of Ownership when 

designing the XF. The result being up to 34,000km or two 

years between services, CO2 emissions from as low as 104g/ 

km, and fuel efficiency as low as 4.0 litres/100km (up to 70.6 

mpg) – putting XF among the class leaders. 

50 Authorised Dealers Feb in - Bahrain: Mar 2016Euro Motors

LAND ROVER 

DISCOVERY 

SPORT 

Speedsters 

Ladies 

Celebrities 

Bankers 

Executives 

Families 

Sports Types 

New Discovery Sport's is a modern, relevant and compelling vehicle, with its well 

proportioned compact body and purposeful stance. Its distinctive silhouette and 

beautifully sculptured surfaces all combine to create a vehicle that does so much 

more. 

The desirability of the exterior design continues into the cabin with bold 

horizontal and vertical lines, complemented by clean surfaces, superb finishes and 

optional premium leathers. With a load space of up to 1689 litres and option of flexible 

seating which, when stored flat, gives a load floor that is as long as a Range Rover, it 

accommodates passengers and their kit with ease. Supremely comfortable second 

row stadium seating offers high visibility and a sector-leading 160mm of travel. 

Cutting edge controls distinguish an uncluttered dashboard that features an 

eight-inch Touch-screen and optional Head-Up Display with the latest technology for 

intuitive interaction. 

New Discovery Sport's technologies have been tested on all-terrain for more than 

18 months in the most gruelling conditions and in over 20 countries. 

Off-road, Terrain response features grass, gravel, mud and ruts and sand settings. 

For on-road, Terrain response has a dedicated dynamic setting that lights up the 

display in red and delivers an engaging drive. 

Authorised Dealers in Bahrain: Euro Motors 


51

Highlights | Government 

Banagas in $355m expansion project 

Under the patronage of Minister 

of Energy Dr. Abdul Hussain 

bin Ali Mirza, a signing ceremony 

was held for a Banagas Expansion 

project agreement, which includes 

engineering, procurement and 

construction (EPC) project for a US 

$ 355 million worth gas plant for the 

National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA) 

subsidiary. 

The agreement was signed by 

Shaikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al 

Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Bahrain 

National Gas Company (Banagas), 

on behalf of the Kingdom of Bahrain 

and Chairman Emeritus of JGC Group 

Mr.Yoshihiro. 

On the occasion, Dr. Mirza said 

that the agreement was a significant 

milestone for Banagas Expansion 

and added to the achievements of the 

energy sector in Bahrain. The project is 

among the many other Noga strategic 

projects aimed at securing continued 

economic growth in the country and 

to raise the standard of living of the 

people of the Kingdom. 

Three international companies had 

participated in the tendering process 

at the design and construction phase 

of the gas plant, a design which had to 

accommodate 350 million cubic feet 

of associated gas from the Bahrain Oil 

Field and produce liquefied petroleum 

gas and naphtha, utilizing re-injection 

pressure and excess gas. The plant will 

be equipped to processing dry gas. 

The project is expected to take 32 

months to be ready for a trial run and 

start actual operations in September 

2018. It is one of the largest projects 

implemented by the company in 

terms of capital, energy utilization 

and providing job opportunities to 

Bahrainis. 

The minister added that the 

project was an extension of the NOGA 

strategic investment moves in the 

year 2015, where several projects were 

implemented, the most important ones 

being: 

A US $ 600 million floating liquefied 

natural gas (LNG) terminal to handle 

and process gas imports, a $ 350 million 

worth oil pipeline project between the 

Kingdom of Bahrain and the Kingdom 

of Saudi Arabia , 115-kilometer long 

pipeline - 42 km under water and 73 

km on the land. Another important 

project was a US $ 100 million worth 

Gas Dehydration Unit, a Tatweer 

Petroleum facility aimed to meet the 

growing domestic gas demand. A gas 

supply agreement was signed between 

the Bahrain Petroleum Company 

(Bapco) and Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), 

which is one of the most significant 

agreements in the field of natural gas 

supply since Noga was established 

10 years ago. The agreement was also 

a historical development for Alba, 

which added a sixth production line 

with the deal. An agreement was also 

signed between nogaholding and 

Bahrain Airport Company to facilitate 

a $ 52 million plan for the relocation 

of aviation fuel tanks from Arad to the 

airport complex. The latest Banagas 

Expansion project aims to utilise the 

350 million cubic feet of associated 

gas resulting from increased crude 

production by Tatweer Petroleum. 

Electrosteel sets up a 

regional hub 

Electrosteel, a multimillion-dollar 

company and India’s largest 

producer of DI pipes, inaugurated their 

new BD2.5 million (US$6.6 million) 

warehouse in Bahrain, which will be 

a one stop solution for water projects 

for the Bahrain & Middle East markets. 

The world’s third largest producer of 

Ductile Iron (DI) pipes and ancillary 

products, is a global supplier in over 50 

countries, with 9 subsidiary companies 

and distribution centres across the 

globe. The Bahrain facility will act as 

Electrosteel’s regional hub for sales and 

distribution activities to the Northern 

Middle Eastern markets. 

Electrosteel is the second Indian 

firm in recent months to expand into 

Bahrain. In November 2015 Synergies 

Castings, one of India’s leading 

aluminium casters and manufacturers 

of alloy wheels, signed a joint venture 

with Mumtalakat Holding Company. 

Mr. M.K. Jalan Director of 

Electrosteel said, “The business of 

distributing our products is very 

logistically demanding, and there is a 

high cost involved with transporting 

huge volumes of cargo. We chose 

Bahrain as a centre for our Northern 

Middle Eastern sales activities because 

of its strategic location at the heart of 

this market, and for its strong transport 

network & infrastructure, that link 

Bahrain to other countries in the 

region. 

“The laws & regulations of Bahrain 

are investor friendly, and we are grateful 

to the Economic Development Board 

for all their help, which has greatly 

contributed to our business set up.” 


Government 

Mowgli, Tamkeen 

to Provide Entrepreneurial 

Mentoring 

H.E. Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, 

Chairman, Tamkeen (left) with Kathleen Bury, 

CEO, Mowgli 

Tamkeen has signed an agreement 

with Mowgli Foundation to launch 

entrepreneurial mentoring services, 

which offer mentoring as well as 

career and professional guidance to 

individuals and enterprises, under 

Total workforce grew by six percent in third quarter 

Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan 

Labour and Social Development Minister 

Labour and Social Development 

Minister, Jameel bin Mohammed 

Ali Humaidan, said the total number 

of workers in the Kingdom of Bahrain 

in the third quarter of last year grew 

by 6%. The minister said the number 

of national workers registered with 

the General Organisation of Social 

Insurance (GOSI) increased to more 

the umbrella of Tamkeen’s Advisory 

Services. 

Under the agreement, Mowgli will 

train and match mentors with Bahraini 

entrepreneurs to support them in 

developing their businesses further 

and making the best of Tamkeen’s 

various programmes. The mentoring 

will also help entrepreneurs to 

innovate more services and products to 

expand and develop their businesses. 

Mowgli Foundation will coordinate 

the mentoring program and process, 

selecting and training mentors and 

entrepreneurs in line with specific 

international standards. Fifteen 

institutions will be serviced in the pilot 

phase, during which Tamkeen will 

monitor the entrepreneurs’ progress 

and level of development. 

Tamkeen’s Chairman, H.E. Shaikh 

Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa and 

Kathleen Bury, Mowgli CEO both spoke 

about the shared goals that the two 

organisations have of developing the 

private sector and positioning it as the 

key driver of economic development. 

than 158,182 by the end of the third 

quarter (Q3) last year (2015). The total 

number of expatriate workers was 

approximately 559 thousand. This 

came in the report presented by the 

minister and approved by the Cabinet 

in its weekly meeting on Monday. The 

report included monitoring, control 

of variables in the key indices for the 

labour market. 

Humaidan said the total number 

of workers in the Kingdom of Bahrain 

was 717,218 by the end of the third 

quarter recording an increase by six 

percent compared with 667,845 for the 

same period in 2014. 

He said the increase was due to 

satisfaction of the requirements for 

implementation of the Government 

Action Plan and the government’s 

efforts in paving attractive investment 

environment in the Kingdom to expand 

the current business and attract new 

overseas investments resulting in the 

increase on the demand for local and 

expat workers. 

Treasury Bills Trading 

Guidelines for Bahrain 

Bourse 

Sh. Khalifa bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa 

CEO, Bahrain Bourse (BHB), 

The Chief Executive Officer of Bahrain 

Bourse (BHB), Sh. Khalifa bin 

Ebrahim Al-Khalifa issued a Resolution 

No. (1) of 2016 in respect of adopting the 

Guidelines on the Trading of Treasury 

Bills (T-Bills) at the Bourse. 

It is known that Treasury Bills are 

one of the investment instruments used 

by governments and central banks for 

short-term financing with reasonable 

returns taking in consideration the term 

of these issues that is usually between 

3-9 months. T-Bills are usually issued 

monthly, and are considered very lowrisk 

investments for investors. 

Trading in Treasury Bills will be 

conducted during the trading session of 

BHB, from Sunday to Thursday between 

9:30am and 1:00pm. According to the 

guidelines, investors can submit their 

orders to the brokers to enter them in the 

T-Bills Market through the Automated 

Trading System that will match the buy 

and sell orders in accordance with the 

principles for matching orders as per the 

“Matching Priority” Rule of BHB. 

T-bills are issued through a 

competitive bidding process at a 

discount from par, which means that 

rather than paying fixed interest 

payments like conventional bonds 

or Islamic sukuk, the appreciation 

(movement) of the T-bills toward 

maturity provides the return to the 

holder until he gets the full par value of 

the T-bills at maturity. 

Adding the T-Bills Market to BHB 

will provide investors the opportunity to 

diversify their investment portfolios and 

manage their risk by investing in more 

than one instrument. 


53

Government 

Bahrain International 

Airport’s visionary 

Modernization programme 

launched 

Bahrain International Airport’s $1 

billion modernization programme 

kicked off on 17 February 2016 with a 

grand ceremony attended by His Royal 

Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al 

Khalifah, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme 

Commander and First Deputy Prime 

Minister, and his Royal Highness Rrime 

Minister Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al 

Khalifa. 

“The $1.1 billion airport expansion 

project is expected to be completed by the 

3rd quarter of 2019,” said Transportation 

and Telecommunications Minister HE 

Kamal Ahmed. The new passenger 

terminal will cover 207,000sqm, making 

it 4 times the size of the existing terminal 

and able to accommodate 14 million 

passengers a year. 

It will feature 104 check- in counters, 

24 passport control booths and 28 security 

links, along with more than 9,000sqm of 

duty free. 

The comprehensive “Airport 

Modernization Program,” to keep 

pace with the burgeoning air traffic, 

was formally unveiled at the Bahrain 

International Airshow 2014. This 

project was conceived with a strategic 

focus in mind - to elevate the facilities, 

infrastructure and services of Bahrain’s 

national gateway and boost the Kingdom’s 

aviation industry and capabilities in line 

with the national vision and reputation as 

a leading financial, cultural and aviation 

center in the Gulf region. 

The AMP is seen as an essential 

move to strengthen BIA’s competitive 

advantage and uphold its position as a 

significant transit and cargo HUB in the 

Arabian Gulf. With the GCC economies 

booming and the aviation industry in the 

region growing at an astounding rate BIA 

is perfectly situated to reap the benefits; 

with the AMP a driving force to BIA’s 

future success and a stimulus for greater 

economic activity. 

Amnesty period success 

Ausamah Abdullah Al-Absi 

CEO, Labour Market Regulatory Authority 

Over 42,000 expatriate workers 

benefited from the six-month general 

amnesty for workers staying in Bahrain 

illegally. 

CEO of the Labour Market Regulatory 

Authority Ausamah Abdullah Al-Absi 

On arrival Visa for 

Bahrainis to Azerbaijan 

Bahraini citizens will be granted 

visas upon arrival in Azerbaijan 

revealed that 76% of those who rectified 

their legal situation preferred to stay in the 

kingdom, stressing, at the same time, zerotolerance 

against violators. 

A total of 42,019 foreign workers had 

benefited from the grace period which 

expired on December 31, 2015, which is an 

unprecedented achievement, Al-Absi said 

in a press conference marking the end of 

the amnesty period. 

LMRA CEO expressed sincere thanks 

and appreciation to all sides which 

contributed to the success of the grace 

period, including the Interior Ministry’s 

Nationality, Passports and Residence 

Affairs (NPRA) and embassies of the 

countries of origin of workers, noting that 

the move will reflect positively on the 

performance of the kingdom’s economy. 

He explained that 76% of those 

who benefited from the grace, or 

from February 1, the Azerbaijani Foreign 

Ministry has said. 

“From February 1, facilitation of visa 

procedures in all international airports of 

the Republic of Azerbaijan will be applied 

to the citizens of Qatar, Oman, Saudi 

Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Japan, China, 

South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore,” the 

ministry said in a statement posted on its 

website. 

The decision aims “to increase 

people-to-people contacts and promote 

tourist visits and business ties in regard 

with the tasks given by the President of 

31,894 workers, preferred to stay in 

the kingdom after moving to new 

employers, while 24%, or 10,125, wanted 

to return to their home countries, adding 

that Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani 

workers, respectively, were the most 

beneficiaries of the amnesty period. 

Foreign workers’ desire to stay in 

the kingdom confirms Bahrain’s status 

as being among the best countries for 

expatriates as shown in international 

reports in this regard. In the annual 

Expat Insider 2015, the biggest expat 

survey worldwide, Bahrain was ranked 

first in the Arab region and the Middle 

East and 17th in the World. 

Al-Absi warned that the LMRA 

would continue the inspection 

campaigns to clampdown on 

lawbreakers and take legal action 

against them. 

the Republic of Azerbaijan at the meeting 

of the Cabinet of Ministers dedicated 

to the results of socio-economic 

development of the first half of 2015 and 

objectives for the future,” the ministry 

said. 

The new facilitation procedures have 

been applied to the citizens of the United 

Arab Emirates since November 10, it 

added. 

Azerbaijan's normal procedure 

requires foreigners to obtain a visa from 

one of its diplomatic missions ahead of 

traveling. 


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THURSDAY 03 MARCH 

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55

Highlights | Banking & Finance 

Takaful and Takaud 

tie up for Sharia-Compliant 

Investment solutions 

Luc Métivier 

CEO, TAKAUD 

Its good news for Takaful’s individual 

and corporate life insurance 

clients with innovative Shariacompliant 

investment solutions as a 

new partnership with TAKAUD, the 

specialist savings, investments and 

pensions provider for the MENA region, 

takes root. 

Takaful International, Bahrain’s 

pioneering Islamic insurance company, 

Investcorp Partners with the Bindawood family 

Investcorp , has acquired a minority 

stake in one of Saudi Arabia's leading 

supermarket and hypermarket groups, 

Bindawood Holding. 

Since its inception over 50 years 

ago, Bindawood has grown from a 

small trading business to one of the 

leading retailers in Saudi Arabia. 

The Group manages two key brands 

- Bindawood and Danube - across 40 

hypermarkets and supermarkets in 

major Saudi Arabian cities. Bindawood 

Holding has a strategic plan to expand 

its business aggressively across 

different cities in the Kingdom. It plans 

to open more than 30 hypermarkets 

and supermarkets in the coming years 

under the banner of Bindawood and 

Danube. 

Mohammed Al-Shroogi, Investcorp 

's Co-CEO and Dr. Abdulrazzaq 

will now be able to provide customers 

of its unit-linked savings policies with 

the opportunity to invest the savings 

portion of their policy in Shariacompliant 

growth, balanced or prudent 

investment strategies. In support of 

the agreement, TAKAUD will provide a 

complete range of services, along with 

tools enabling customers to identify 

their investment profiles. TAKAUD will 

also provide marketing assistance and 

training for Takaful agents and others 

who will be presenting these new 

investment strategies to customers. 

TAKAUD’s CEO Mr Luc Métivier said, 

“TAKAUD’s experts have created a range 

of investment options that respond 

to the needs of clients requiring 

growth oriented, prudent or balanced 

investments. This brings innovative 

investment solutions together with 

progressive Islamic insurance products 

for the benefit of corporations and 

individuals in Bahrain and the wider 

region.” 

Takaful’s CEO Mr Younis J. Al Sayed 

said, “We are pleased to expand our 

Sharia compliant offerings while giving 

our clients opportunities for better 

value investments. Our organisations 

are moving forward in tandem to 

provide product innovations for our 

clients.” 

Mohammed Al-Shroogi 

CEO, Investcorp 

Bindawood, Chairman of the Board of 

Bindawood Holding, talked about the 

opportunities that the partnership 

would open up in the vibrant Saudi 

market. 

Mumtalakat’s 

US$40 million copper 

manufacturing facility 

Mahmood Hashim Al Kooheji 

CEO, Mumtalakat 

Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding 

Company, signed an agreement 

with Mueller Industries, a leading 

manufacturer and distributor of flow 

control and industrial, and Cayan 

Ventures, a GCC-based industrial 

projects developer and investor, to build 

the first copper tube manufacturing 

facility in Bahrain. The parties will 

invest approximately US$40 million 

in the facility, which will address the 

increasing demand for quality copper 

tubes in the Middle East and North 

Africa region. 

The copper tube mill will be located 

at the Bahrain International Investment 

Park (BIIP) and will produce commercial 

copper tubes to serve regional air 

conditioning and refrigeration (ACR) 

original equipment manufacturers. The 

business will operate and market its 

products under the Mueller family of 

brands. 

Mumtalakat will be responsible 

for providing on the ground support, 

including procuring regulatory approvals 

for establishing the business, and will 

hold a 30% stake in the joint venture. 

Mr. Mahmood Hashim Al Kooheji, 

Chief Executive Officer of Mumtalakat, 

Mueller Industries CEO Greg Christopher 

and Cayan’s Managing Partner Thomas 

F. Stein all expressed their happiness 

that the project had move toward 

becoming a reality. The facility will 

create over 200 jobs in Bahrain and will 

make a positive contribution to the local 

economy. 


Banking & Finance 

$85 million Real Estate Portfolio for Arcapita 

Atif A. Abdulmalik 

CEO, Arcapita 

Arcapita, the global investment 

management firm, acquired a 

privately-held portfolio of senior living 

communities in Colorado, United States, 

in a joint venture with MorningStar 

Senior Living, an experienced operating 

partner specializing in this sector. The 

transaction value totaled approximately 

$85 million. 

This transaction is expected to be 

the first in a series of acquisitions of 

senior living facilities by Arcapita as it 

looks to develop another sizable senior 

living portfolio in the USA. Arcapita’s 

JS Bank opens new 

branch in Bahrain 

Pakistan-based JS Bank has 

officially opened its first branch 

office outside of its home country, in 

the Kingdom of Bahrain, targeting the 

GCC, and eventually the wider Middle 

East and North Africa (MENA). The 

announcement follows the awarding 

of a wholesale conventional banking 

license to JS Bank by the Central 

Bank of Bahrain (CBB) last year. 

As the eighth licensed Pakistani 

management team has previously 

acquired, managed and exited from a 

series of senior living investments with 

total transaction values in excess of $1.5 

billion in the United States and United 

Kingdom. 

The modern communities in Denver 

and Colorado Springs offer premium, 

state-of-the-art facilities including 

large courtyards, fireside living rooms, 

fitness and spa facilities, massage 

therapy rooms and other advanced 

features. 

Atif A. Abdulmalik, Arcapita’s CEO, 

commented, "The Arcapita team has 

extensive experience investing in the 

senior living sector, having previously 

managed and exited five successful 

senior living transactions, all of which 

have returned attractive IRRs and cashon-cash 

multiples to investors." 

Martin Tan, Arcapita’s Chief 

Investment Officer, added, "The target 

age group for senior living facilities in 

Colorado is projected to grow by almost 

twice the national average over the 

next five years. Through its experience 

in this sector, Arcapita has identified 

a seasoned operating partner in 

MorningStar Senior Living." 

wholesale bank in Bahrain, JS Bank 

will serve regional businesses with 

interests in Pakistan, non-resident 

Pakistani expatriates, other Pakistani 

banks without overseas branches, 

and Pakistani government entities. 

Its service offerings include trade 

finance, treasury, institutional banking, 

corporate banking, and private banking 

& wealth management. 

The Bank has appointed 

accomplished international banker, 

Waqar Ul Islam as Executive Vice 

President and General Manager of the 

Bahrain branch. 

JS Bank is active within Retail and 

Consumer Banking, Treasury, Corporate 

& Commercial Banking and Investment 

Banking services. It has a large 

network of 278 branches across 138 

cities with plans to expand its outreach 

with more branches nationwide 

serving a growing customer base 

across Pakistan. 

Ibdar exits four Bahrain 

Real Estate Investments 

Ahmed Al-Rayes 

Acting CEO, Ibdar Bank 

Ibdar Bank ("Ibdar"), announced the 

successful exit from four Bahrainbased 

real estate investments for a total 

value of USD 21.67 million. 

The exits consist of the sale of two 

11-story buildings acquired by the Bank 

for total consideration of USD12.07 

million. The other two exits consist of 

the sale of the Bank's affiliate company's 

11-story and 10-story properties located 

in the popular Juffair area. 

Mr. Ahmed Al-Rayes, Acting CEO 

of Ibdar Bank said, "We are pleased to 

announce additional profitable exits 

from investments made by the Bank 

in prime Bahraini real estate. Both as a 

regional and global property investor, 

we continue to demonstrate a sound and 

consistent track record of identifying 

compelling investments. These exits 

are also in line with the Bank's strategy 

to pursue the sale of legacy assets in 

order to recycle capital and enable the 

Bank to further diversify its real estate 

portfolio across geographies. Currently, 

we see a strong pipeline of opportunities 

in markets including the UK, Europe and 

United States where we are looking to 

further extend our investment activities 

in order to strengthen our investment 

offering and our ability to generate 

strong, steady streams of income and 

returns for the Bank and our investors 

and shareholders." 

Ibdar Bank is active in private equity 

in the GCC and MENA markets as well as 

in the regional and global real estate. 


57

Banking & Finance 

5th Euromoney GCC 

Financial Forum 

H.E. Rasheed Mohammed Al Maraj 

Governor, Central Bank of Bahrain 

The 5th Euromoney GCC Financial 

Forum, co-hosted by Bahrain Economic 

Development Board (EDB) began, with an 

interactive format to encourage delegate 

participation. More than 500 leading 

international and regional financial 

experts from finance, investment, 

government, regulatory organisations, 

businesses and members of the media 

from 24 countries attended the event. 

Richard Banks, Consulting Editor 

of Euromoney Conferences, gave the 

inaugural welcome note, while the 

keynote interview was held with Khalid Al 

Rumaihi, Chief Executive of the EDB. The 

keynote address was delivered by Gazi 

Ercel, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, 

Ercel Global Advisory. Other senior 

dignitaries present at the event were H.E. 

Rasheed Mohammed Al Maraj, Governor, 

Central Bank of Bahrain, Mahmood 

Hashim Al Kooheji, Chief Executive Officer, 

Mumtalakat, Abdul Razak Al Qassim, 

Chief Executive Officer, National Bank 

of Bahrain (NBB), Abdulkarim Bucheery, 

Chief Executive, BBK, Jackson Tai, 

Independent Non-Executive Director, The 

Bank of China and MasterCard. 

His Excellency Rasheed Mohammed 

Al Maraj, Governor of Central Bank of 

Bahrain (CBB) participated in an open 

Town Hall session which proved to be 

the highlight of the event. He was posed 

questions by the audience and live on 

Twitter. 

Commenting on the event, H.E The 

Governor said: "I very much enjoyed 

the opportunity to participate in today’s 

forum. Sustained low oil prices are 

of course a concern for us. However, 

Bahrain’s highly developed regulatory 

environment, the increasingly diverse 

makeup of our economy and the fiscal 

measures taken by the Government 

recently will help us to address the 

challenges in the current climate." 

Khalid Al Rumaihi, Chief Executive of 

the EDB commented ahead of his keynote 

address; 

"As the GCC economies have 

expanded and developed, the region 

has become an increasingly important 

location for investment and expansion for 

international businesses, and this in turn 

has been one element that has helped to 

grow the financial services sector. " 

Ithmaar Bank rewards 

Thimaar Account Holders 

Ithmaar Bank, a Bahrain-based Islamic 

retail bank, re-launched its Thimaar 

savings account for a new year, offering 

customers 4,000 prizes – the highest 

by any bank in Bahrain. The feature 

enhancements were introduced to 

further differentiate one of the Bank’s 

key products as it vies for a greater share 

of an increasingly competitive local 

banking market. Ithmaar Bank, which 

owns one of Bahrain’s largest retail 

banking networks, rolled out the new 

Thimaar Account, offering US$2.3 million 

throughout the year. 

CrediMax unveils 

“Unique Rewards” Campaign 

Abdul Hakeem Al Mutawa 

General Manager, Head of Retail & Private 

Banking, Ithmaar Bank 

Ithmaar Bank General Manager, Head 

of Retail and Private Banking, Abdul 

Hakeem Al Mutawa said, “Of the 4,000 

CrediMax launched a new rewards 

campaign for 2016 called the ‘Unique 

Rewards’ campaign, specifically designed 

to reward all loyal cardholders. The 

campaign will run from the 1st of January 

2016 to the 31st December 2016, with 

an aim to make CrediMax’s card top of 

wallet. The campaign also focuses on 

encouraging customers to use their cards 

for the purchase of goods and services and 

be eligible to win a number of exclusive 

prizes. 

Cardholders will be eligible to weekly 

prizes, more than half have been set 

aside for Thimaar Junior, our product 

for account holders under the age of 18, 

which offers additional prizes as an extra 

incentive. This is another differentiator 

which helps us develop early relationships 

with our customers and encourages them 

to save from a young age,” he said. 

Thimaar will provide US$3,600 in daily 

prizes, one US$10,000 monthly prize, four 

car and cash quarterly prizes totalling 

US$300,000, and US$600,000 in Eid prizes. 

Every BD50 maintained as an average 

daily balance qualifies a customer to enter 

the draws. The more customers save, 

and the longer they maintain balances in 

multiples of BD50, the more opportunities 

they have to win. 

draws for four cash prizes of $1,000 each 

prizes that will be credited to the winners 

card accounts. For an accumulated usage 

of BD1000 each month, participants will 

be eligible to enter monthly draws for a 

Mercedes A250 2016 model. While for an 

accumulated usage of BD5,000 throughout 

the year, participants will be eligible to 

enter the grand prize draw for a Mercedes 

GLE-400 2017 model or $40,000 which will 

be credited to the winner’s card account. 

Participants can double their chances with 

multiple purchases via the credit card. 


eeling our 

heritage into 

tomorrow 

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khalifashaheen.com +973 17 593993 


59

Highlights | Telecom 

Batelco deploys First 

LTE Air site with Ericsson 

Muna Al Hashemi 

CEO, Batelco Bahrain 

Batelco, Bahrain’s has announced 

the deployment of the first LTE 

Air site in the region in collaboration 

with world leading communications 

technology company Ericsson. Both 

leading organisations regularly team 

up to deliver world class technology for 

Batelco’s customers. 

Ericsson AIR is a solution for 

mobile communication to meet market 

requirements for easy to install and 

Batelco launches 

Cisco Nimble Storage 

Solutions 

Batelco, empowers businesses in the 

Kingdom to enhance their processes 

and improve their operational efficiencies 

with Cisco Nimble Storage solutions. 

Nimble Storage solutions from Cisco 

are the building blocks of Adaptive Flash 

platform bringing benefits of storage 

consolidation with seamless growth and 

reduced risk, all without compromising 

maintain mobile towers. The solution 

merges two functions into an integrated 

device including all the units required 

to provide mobile coverage - Antenna- 

Integrated-Radio (AIR) solution. 

Batelco is implementing the 

solution in line with its aim to use 

smaller mobile base towers which are 

less noticeable, thereby enhancing the 

environment while also expanding 

coverage to more areas. In addition to 

large cells that dominate today, the new 

mobile towers also use fewer units and 

fewer interconnections compared to 

traditional towers. For operators, that 

means easy deployment and reduced 

power consumption which meets 

Batelco’s strategy toward a greener 

environment. 

Batelco Bahrain CEO, Muna Al 

Hashemi has praised the solution which 

will enhance the quality of service and 

benefit customers greatly. 

Ericsson President Middle East and 

Africa Rafiah Ibrahim said: “Ericsson LTE 

solution will enable Batelco Bahrain to 

expand its coverage to more areas while 

providing more network capacity.” 

Batelco and Ericsson’s partnership 

spans over two decades with many key 

services successfully delivered to benefit 

Batelco’s customers. 

service levels of applications and 

workloads and satisfying the changing 

needs of business-critical applications. 

This proven integrated infrastructure 

portfolio, made up of the Cisco Unified 

Computing System (Cisco UCS®) 

integrated infrastructure and the 

Nimble Adaptive Flash platform, has 

been deployed across a wide range of 

industries, including financial services, 

healthcare, education and service 

providers. 

Among the many benefits for 

Batelco’s Small and Medium Business 

(SMB) customers is a reduction of capital 

costs and reduced data physical footprint. 

Additionally, customers will benefit 

from Batelco’s flexible payment terms 

and 24/7 product support. Batelco’s ICT 

team of technical experts are available to 

customise innovative solutions, blending 

a variety of attributes for businesses in 

the Kingdom to enhance their efficiency 

and performance — all at the right cost. 

Batelco Global 

Presence Rapidly Growing 

Adel Al Daylami 

Chief Global Officer, Batelco Bahrain 

Batelco’s expansion global expansion 

project was shortlisted in Capacity’s 

prestigious Global Carrier Awards for 

the Best Middle Eastern Project Award. 

The project allowed Batelco to grow 

its global business, ensure network 

diversity, avoid single points of failure, 

provide better country resiliency, and 

efficiently use international capacities. 

These aggressive expansion plans 

allowed Batelco to deploy new Points-of- 

Presence (PoPs) around the world. 

Batelco’s strategic partnerships 

with high caliber companies such 

asdatamena, China Unicom, Airtel, Turk 

Telekom, and others allowed Batelco to 

offer high value, cutting edge solutions 

services to its customers. Batelco has 

an established presence in all major 

areas of the world. The company’s active 

Points-of-Presence (PoPs), strategic 

partnerships, and Joint Ventures (JVs) 

have enabled them to secure a multitude 

of projects connecting multi-national 

organisations in disparate locations 

across the globe. 

“All our efforts are geared towards 

empowering customers to focus on their 

core operations, while their network is 

fully managed by Batelco as a single 

point of contact no matter where they 

are,” highlighted Batelco Chief Global 

Officer, Adel Al Daylami. 

“We can offer this experience, with 

our expanded network, as we have 

unique capabilities and experts in the 

project office, an advanced monitoring 

portal, and a high quality resilient 

network.” 


Telecom 

Batelco launches Bahrain’s Best TV Experience 

Batelco announced the launch of its 

new TV Service, which delivers a Full 

Digital Home Solution to customers. The 

introduction of the new Batelco TV service 

is in line with the company’s on-going 

commitment to deliver the best and most 

innovative services to its customers and 

exceed their expectations. 

The new service, which features 

attractive bundled offers with Batelco 

Home Broadband, will be offered at a 

rate starting from BD10 per month and 

includes OSN family channels as part 

of the package. As an introductory offer, 

new or existing Batelco Home Broadband 

customers can have this TV service FREE 

for 3 Months. 

Batelco Home broadband customers 

will benefit from free broadband 

usage while enjoying Batelco TV and 

additionally they can be assured of 

continuous high quality TV and video 

streaming. 

Batelco’s TV service boasts the best 

content in the Kingdom, such as LIVE 

broadcast TV channels covering all major 

Free to Air channels and Pay TV channels 

(all premium packages of OSN including 

but not limited to International, Arabic and 

Asian content). It also offers On-Demand 

services that includes Subscription 

Video on Demand (more than 1,000 titles 

Muna Al Hashemi, CEO, Batelco Bahrain (Left) 

with Ed Sawday, OSN Senior Vice President 

(middle) and Ammar Al Hares, CEO, Selevision 

included in the package), new movies on 

Pay-Per-View basis, Catch-Up TV: (Watch 

up to 2 weeks, and time-shift (Pause/ 

Rewind LIVE TV). In addition, recording 

features, games and applications are key 

features of Batelco’s TV service. 

VIVA Rewards 

customers with value-added 

benefits 

Andrew Hanna, CCO, VIVA (right) with Mark 

Rigby, CCO, Alshaya Company 

VIVA Bahrain is now offering greater 

flexibility and increased benefits 

to its customers with an opportunity 

to redeem their earned points in VIVA 

Rewards at more than 30 of the world’s 

most recognised retail brands offered by 

the Al Shaya, the international franchise 

group in Bahrain. 

Moreover, VIVA Rewards which is 

a free loyalty programme that assigns 

prepaid and postpaid customers points 

for using their mobile or data services, 

also offers redemption of telecom 

benefits including free VIVA to VIVA 

calls, SMS, international minutes, as well 

as additional data. 

With retail choices ranging from 

health & beauty brands, fashion and 

footwear, home furnishings and lifestyle 

offerings, VIVA customers will now be 

able to redeem points for their diverse 

lifestyle and shopping needs. 

For VIVA customers to enrol in 

VIVA Rewards, all what they have to 

do is type ‘Rewards’ and send an SMS 

to 98833 or dial *98833# from their 

mobile. Customers can access additional 

information on VIVA Rewards or sign 

in by visiting viva.com.bh/personal/ 

rewards 

VIVA Bahrain and 

BENEFIT provide online 

payment service 

VIVA Bahrain and BENEFIT, the 

National ATM and Point of Sale 

switch, the Bahrain Cheque Truncation 

and Electronic Fund Transfer processor 

of Bahrain, have signed an Electronic 

Funds Transfer System (EFTS) 

“Fawateer” agreement to facilitate online 

payment services for VIVA customers 

with all retail banks connected with 

BENEFIT. As the first telecom operator to 

sign an EFTS agreement with BENEFIT, 

VIVA will offer customers convenience 

and security of viewing bills online and 

making instant payments on-the-go. 

The agreement with BENEFIT will 

allow customers to inquire about and 

Ulaiyan Al Wetaid, CEO, VIVA (left) with 

Abdulwahed Al Janahi, CEO, BENEFIT 

pay their VIVA postpaid bills as well as 

top-up VIVA Prepaid accounts directly 

through BENEFIT’s EFTS service 

connected to various channels of retail 

banks in Bahrain such as branches, 

Internet banking and Mobile banking. 

VIVA CEO, Mr. Ulaiyan Al Wetaid, 

commented on the partnership, “VIVA 

and BENEFIT are two industry-leading 

companies, and with the new EFTS 

agreement, VIVA will expand its 

extensive mobile payment channels 

to offer the convenience and real-time 

access with more online banks. Through 

this partnership, our customers will 

highly benefit from this innovative 

convergence between online banking 

solutions and flexible mobile payment 

services.” 

Mr. Abdulwahed Al Janahi, BENEFIT 

CEO said: “as the leading company in the 

electronic payment and fund transfers 

in Bahrain's financial industry, we are 

pleased to have this opportunity to 

further expand our services with VIVA 

Bahrain, to provide the EFTS “Fawateer”, 

the fastest and most efficient online 

payment method, as a value added 

service to serve all VIVA customers” 


61

Telecom 

‘Win Gold Every 

Day’ campaign in Bahrain 

VIVA joins Coca-Cola for its exciting 

‘Win Gold Every Day’ campaign, 

to create even greater moments of 

happiness across the Kingdom. The 

local community can now join the fun 

and win daily prizes including eight 

grams of gold, flight tickets, smart 

phones and free minutes from VIVA or 

a free Coca-Cola can. 

The Coca-Cola daily prizes can 

be found by everyone, under the ring 

tab or bottle closures of selected 

promotional regular Cokes. Winners 

can redeem their exciting prizes by 

calling the toll free number 80001005. 

VIVA free-minutes vouchers and 

Zain Bahrain in 

Tamkeen’s Success Story 

Campaign 

free Coke cans can be redeemed 

at the customer service counter in 

participating outlets. 

Commenting on the partnership, 

Andrew Hanna, Chief Commercial 

Zain Bahrain, the most innovative 

telecom operator, has joined hands 

with Tamkeen in promoting the 

success story of Bahraini businesses. 

Zain Bahrain was the latest 

company to be portrayed as a part 

of Tamkeen’s initiative under the 

name of ‘Achieve your potential’ 

which highlights the achievements of 

companies in the Kingdom. 

“Our success story is based on our 

mission to provide a healthy working 

environment and a unique culture built 

around its people. Zain Bahrain kept in 

place an innovative HR practices and 

training programs that develop and 

nurtures leaders in the workplace. We 

Officer of VIVA Bahrain said, “Through 

this partnership with Coca-Cola, we 

are able to extend our efforts to cater 

to the entire local community. We are 

very glad to be the exclusive telecom 

partner of this campaign and we look 

forward to spreading more happiness 

and surprises across the Kingdom.” 

Mohamed Akeel, Managing Director 

of The Coca-Cola Bottling Company 

of Bahrain said, “We are very glad to 

have partnered with VIVA, a leading 

telecom company to help us offer 

exciting prizes relevant to the Bahraini 

community.” 

The campaign will run until March 

31, 2016 with participating outlets 

across the region. The last day to 

redeem prizes is April 30, 2016. 

have built a strong relationship with 

Tamkeen through a series of programs 

and initiatives, the latest being 

the ‘The Extraordinary Leadership 

Program’ which resulted in a positive 

impact on our leadership development 

and employees engagement and 

motivation,” said Zain Bahrain’s HR 

Director, Dana Bukhammas. 

The operator has developed an 

HR strategy deeply rooted across 

the company and is driven by the 

passion to build a cohesive team. The 

foundation of its HR strategy focuses 

on the ability to inspire employees to 

deliver the best and most imaginative 

service at every level. 

Zain Bahrain’s ‘Addicted to Data’ Campaign 

Zain Bahrain has launched a new 

campaign under the theme of 

‘Addicted to Data’ in line with Zain 

Bahrain’s commitment to offer valuedriven 

services for its consumers. The 

‘Addicted to Data’ campaign reinforces 

the operator’s home broadband 

packagers better known as ‘The Big Gigs’ 

Package. 

The packages were revamped to 

include more value for the customer 

including additional data threshold and 

the introduction of a new package called 

‘Smarter’. 

“The revamp of our home broadband 

packages is in line with our overall 

strategy which is to ensure innovation 

in customer care, products and services. 

The Big Gigs packages provide the much 

needed flexibility for our customers and 

the personalized packages are developed 

based on the various usage behaviors,” 

said Zain Bahrain’s Marketing Director, 

Roland Loetscher. 

The new package, ‘Smarter’, is 

offered at BD16 and comes with a data 

threshold of 80GB and a speed up to 

25Mpbs. The Big Gigs packages are 

offered based on 8 different usage 

behaviors and start from a monthly fee 

of BD6 up to BD25. 


PRIMAVERA INSPIRES A TASTE OF SOUTHERN ITALY 

The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain has welcomed two Michelin starred 

Chef Oliver Glowig as consulting chef at its signature restaurant 

Primavera. The German-born maestro, who has been making 

waves in his adopted home of Italy, was brought in to give 

Primavera’s menu a facelift. The restaurant is glossy with its new 

Trattoria Moderna concept. 

But rather than taking the hyper chic route, Glowig has infused 

his vision of unassuming, yet irresistible cuisine. Take the pesto 

linguine – a pure Italian tradition served on your plate. Pasta 

cooked to the definition of al dente, tossed into a freshly blended 

emulsion of basil, cheese, olive oil and pine nuts. Comfort food 

that can come only when the cooking is honest and 

unpretentious. 

Part of the charm of this restaurant is the mix of what is familiar 

and what excites. The tomato risotto with buratta and anchovies 

caresses the tongue with creaminess then tickles it with the 

brine of fish. Yet the dish pales in comparison with an innovative 

For information, please contact +973 1758 6499 

lemon risotto with raw seafood. Cold, unadorned and virtually 

unseasoned, the seafood draws its flavour when combined with 

the warm tangy rice, taking on a ceviche-like quality. 

In many ways Primavera adheres to the very essence of its 

name…a sense of renewal and beginning, with food that is fresh 

and bright. The restaurant has chosen a line of whimsical, 

beautifully hand-painted ceramics to flaunt off its cooking. The 

bold colours and animal motifs of Solimene pottery frame the 

rustic cooking of this modern trattoria and make such a statement 

that it’s a running conversation topic throughout the meal. 

Rounding off the traditional experience, Ritz-Carlton’s legendary 

service is led by a pre-dominantly Italian team, bringing to life the 

Trattoria Moderna experience, where guests are completely 

immersed in Italian charm and flavours. Described by the 

Michelin guide as “one of the best interpreters of Italian cuisine”, 

Chef Glowig’s creative menu will tantalise the tastebuds with a 

slice of Italy. 


63

Highlights | Real Estate 

IDC awards DGB Design 

Contract 

Ithmaar Development Company 

(IDC) announced the signing of 

an agreement with a major design 

consultancy firm, Dar Al- Handasah 

Consultants (Shair and Partners), to 

design the Dilmunia Gateway Bridge 

(DGB). The bridge will be located on the 

west entrance, connecting Dilmunia 

island to the mainland. 

The Dilmunia Gateway Bridge (DGB) 

will be a unique structure compatible 

with the architectural theme of the 

Island. The Bridge will blend well 

with the spirit of Dilmunia, and will 

be visually prominent in its settings, 

differentiating Dilmunia from other 

projects. The Bridge will be designed at 

a high standard to be an aesthetically 

appealing landmark in Kingdom of 


IDC Chief Executive and Member of 

the Board, Mohammed Khalil Alsayed 

said, “I am pleased to welcome Dar 

Al-Handasah Consultants to work 

with us on this main key feature of 

Mohammed Khalil Alsayed, Chief Executive 

and Member of the Board, IDC (left) with 

Bassam Shakhshir, Director of Operations, Dar 

AI-Handasah Consultants 

our development. We are confident 

that the bridge design shall ensure the 

objectives of aesthetics, traffic and 

utility crossings, while maintaining the 

constraints of cost effectiveness and 

life span durability. This, we believe, 

will further enhance the identity of 

Dilmunia Island.” 

Dar AI-Handasah Consultants, 

Director of Operations of UAE, Bahrain 

and Oman, Bassam Shakhshir 

said, “This milestone marks the 

commencement of our services 

by initiating the design process 

after succeeding in winning the 

Consultancy Services. Our target is 

to provide IDC with a high quality 

service to ensure the fulfilment of their 

objective by developing a futuristic 

landmark that will stand out to be the 

signature identity of Dilmunia island.” 

The USD 1.6 billion Dilmunia 

Project is a mixed-use development 

built on a man-made island off the 

coast of Muharraq with a unique 

health and wellness anchor including 

residences, hotels and leisure and 

shopping districts anchored around a 

health and wellness cluster. 

The development of the ambitious 

125-hectare man-made island is being 

managed by IDC, which is a whollyowned 

subsidiary of Ithmaar Bank, 

a Bahrain-based Islamic retail bank 

with its shares traded on both the 

Bahrain Bourse and the Kuwait Stock 

Exchange. Ithmaar Bank is also the 

Investment Manager of Dilmunia 

Development Fund. 

Diyal Al Muharraq 

launches Seafront Property 

Sales 

Dr Maher Al Shaer 

Chief Executive, Diyar Al Muharraq 

Diyar Al Muharraq has announced 

that sales of the second phase of its 

seafront development Al Bareh within 

the master-planned island city will be 

launched today. 

The plan to sell the plots in the 

second phase of Al Bareh on a freehold 

basis to all nationalities comes 

following the success of the previous 

sale in December last year, said the 

developer. 

The first phase plot sale was a major 

success with all the residential plots 

being sold out. 

“Al Bareh is a seafront development 

that wholly embraces the elements 

of nature in a seamless blend and is 

manifested in the west division of Diyar 

Al Muharraq,” chief executive Dr Maher 

Al Shaer said in a statement. 

It features three key elementsseafront 

residential plots for high-end 

villas easily accessible both by sea 

and by road; residential plots within 

walking distance of waterfront parks in 

the heart of the project and residential 

investment plots designated for the 

construction of multi-storey buildings 

overlooking the main road. 

“In addition to that, plots in Al Bareh 

are being offered for sale on a freehold 

basis, where owners are entitled 

to build their homes in accordance to 

their own preferences, in line with the 

standards set in advance by Diyar Al 

Muharraq,” stated Dr Al Shaer. 

“This has contributed in 

encouraging investment by all 

segments of society seeking a serene 

lifestyle imbued in privacy,” he added. 

Diyar Al Muharraq offers a cohesive 

mix of residential and commercial 

properties with a strong line-up of 

projects aimed at creating a long-term 

and sophisticated township. 

Upon completion, it will encompass 

over 40km of waterfront with sandy 

beaches, and all the elements of a 

vibrant community ranging extensively 

from fully-equipped educational 

facilities and schools, medical centres, 

recreation facilities, shopping malls, 

expansive parklands, hotels and 

marinas. 


Real Estate 

First Phase of 

"Investment Gateway- 

Bahrain” Announced 

Dr. Hasan Al Bastaki, Managing 

Director of Manara Developments, 

announced the integration of the basic 

features of the infrastructure of the 

first phase of the "Investment Gateway 

-Bahrain." project. 

The works on paving the roads, 

extending the sewerage network and 

installation of most of the light poles, is on 

track and the final stages of infrastructure 

operations will be done over the next 

three months. 

"Electricity sub-stations are expected 

to be completed from 29 stations in the 

month of April 2016 to be delivered to the 

Electricity and Water Authority at the 

time. Currently, work is underway on the 

main station to be completed in the fourth 

quarter of this year," Mr Bastaki said. 

Dr. Al Bastaki also added, "The 

remarkable interest enjoyed by 

"Investment Gateway - Bahrain" project, 

which assured us the possibility to 

develop other phases of the project, based 

on feedback from large segments of 

investors and interested owners." 

A number of major establishments 

have chosen the Investment Gateway - 

Bahrain a place for their business such 

like Ebrahim Khalil Kanoo, Yousif Khalil 

Al Moayyed & Sons, Montreal Motors, 

Trafco Group, Ceramica Delmon and 

Bahrain Limo, in addition to Ramez 

Stores, Yoko Marine Construction, 

Mohammed Ali Zainal Co. (Maza) and 

Dr. Hasan Al Bastaki 

Managing Director, Manara Developments 

other major establishments with a 

multiplicity of business activities in the 

Kingdom of Bahrain 

Cityview commence 

Construction Work 

Cityview, a Bahrain real estate 

development company, announced 

that it has remobilised to resume 

Trowers & Hamlins 

on The Harbour Row 

Development 

International law firm Trowers & 

Hamlins is advising leading financial 

group and longstanding client GFH 

Financial Group on The Harbour Row 

development in Bahrain. Work began on 

the $150 million, mixed-used project in 

January 2016. 

The Harbour Row development is 

a landmark project within the Bahrain 

Financial Harbour. It will comprise 

luxury residential units - including 

studios, one-bedroom, two-bedrooms, 

three-bedrooms and penthouses - and 

a promenade with a trendy commercial 

element. 

construction work on its project, 

Cityview building, and plans to finish the 

project and deliver all units in December 

2016. Cityview Board has deployed 

necessary resources and proceeded 

to the next stage, tendering for the 

remaining construction works, and is 

now working with the aim of completing 

the full project in December 2016. 

The announcement, by Cityview 

Chairman Abdulhakeem Al Mutawa, 

underscores the resolute commitment 

of the Cityview Board of Directors to 

completing the 23 story residential 

apartment building as soon as possible. 

Al Mutawa said, “The Landmark 

Trowers & Hamlins is advising GFH 

on the legal structuring of the project, 

including advising on the overall 

community structure, the interplay 

between its various elements, and the 

template documentation for the sale and 

lease of units. 

In recent comments to the press, 

Elias Karaan, Head of Real Estate 

Development of GFH Financial Group, 

said: "The swift commencement of 

site preparation works at The Harbour 

Row development following the project 

launch at BIPEX in October is a positive 

development for us and our investors and 

stakeholders." 

Abdul-Haq Mohammed, Head of 

International Real Estate at Trowers & 

Hamlins, said: “Despite the challenging 

Cityview project was unfortunately put 

on hold in 2011 due to circumstances 

beyond the developer’s control. 

Determined to deliver the project as 

soon as possible, the Cityview Board of 

Directors have taken major decisions 

over the past few months and made key 

appointments to ensure construction 

work resumes and finishes as soon as 

possible.” 

The Landmark Cityview project is a 

residential tower in the Seef/Al Sanabis 

District across the road from Dana Mall. 

The project comprises a total of 88 

apartments with amenities dedicated to 

the residents. 

economic conditions across the region, 

real estate remains an extremely 

important asset class. We are finding that 

developers are coming back to the table 

with plans for new projects and for the 

resurrection of previously dormant ones." 

GFH is listed on the Bahrain Stock 

Exchange, Kuwait Stock Exchange, 

London Stock Exchange, and Dubai 

Financial Market. 


65

Real Estate 

Platform for Verified 

and Centralised Real Estate 

Listings 

Sadaqat R. A. Sattar 

Solution architect and Managing Director of 

Premium eBusiness Solution 

Bahrain now has its first database 

platform of verified and centralized 

listings, with the launch of Multilevel 

Listing Solution (mlsBH). An initiative 

of Bahrain-based Premium eBusiness 

Solutions, mls.bh was recently rolled 

out for the public, introducing a 

holistic structured approach to real 

estate listings in the Kingdom. 

“Currently, real estate listings 

services, as well as listing practices 

in Bahrain, are haphazard and often 

conflicting. Most listing services 

allow rogue real estate agents to claim 

unauthorized property listings as 

their own, exposing end consumers 

to misrepresented property listings 

with often falsified information. 

mlsBH, the first service to address 

these malpractices, will create a 

reliable, accurate and comprehensive 

database of the country’s real estate 

by introducing user type based listing 

services instead of just property 

type. This will ensure only rightful 

representatives of property can list on 

the platform,” said Sadaqat R. A. Sattar, 

the Solution architect and Managing 

Director of Premium eBusiness 

Solution. 

mlsBH has been developed around 

the world renowned listing model of 

Multiple Listings Service, customized 

and conceptually enhanced to cater 

to the local real estate industry. The 

solution is a hub for a suite of sub 

solutions, each catering to a specific 

segment of the market. For Sale & 

Rent By Owners (fsrboBH) is a direct 

owner’s listing interface of mlsBH 

dedicated to all property owner classes, 

while RealtorBH is exclusively for 

licensed realtor classes of Bahrain and 

RealtyBH is the listing display solution 

of all mlsBH listings. 

The company has now 

started issuing pre-launch listing 

subscriptions to real estate operators, 

developers, real estate agencies and 

property managers. mlsBH sets listing 

benchmarks for all user classes 

to follow, thereby creating a more 

transparent environment for Bahrain’s 

realty. 

Flexible and Cost 

effective Solutions for 

startups in Bahrain 

In today’s fast paced and highly 

competitive business environment, 

the pressure has increased on 

businesses to succeed. Business 

owners need a solution which will 

remove the hassles of the day-to-day 

running of an office so they focus 

on increasing their bottom line. An 

ideal office solution is an important 

factor that will help them focus on 

their business goals while having the 

professional presence they need. 

Sourcing the suitable office in a 

desirable location and dealing with 

different rental fees, setup costs, 

furniture, IT setup and hiring the 

right staff can be quite stressful and 

expensive. 

Conventional leases can last for 

ten years, which will bind the business 

to that particular office even if a 

company needs to expand or downsize. 

A serviced office will provide the 

business with flexibility as well as 

fixed monthly costs, a ‘pay as you 

use' system for variable costs such 

as phone and internet connections, 

business support, cleaning services 

and even beverages all included in one 

invoice. 

A Serviced office provides you with 

all the necessary facilities and support 

without having to invest in extensive 

overheads. With Servcorp, a business 

can sign up, walk in to their office with 

their laptop, plug in and start working 

immediately. 

This kind of setup gives your 

business flexibility and mobility 

enabling you to adjust your expenses 

according to your business needs. 

And when you opt for an international 

business solutions provider, like 

Servcorp, you will also have the ability 

to work from any location around the 

world, while staying connected to your 

local market base. 

Servcorp’s serviced offices in 

Bahrain are located at the iconic 

Bahrain Financial Harbour. Servcorp’s 

Serviced Offices offer flexible lease 

terms, professional assistance, worldclass 

IT infrastructure, and a solid 

communications system. 



67

Real Estate 

2016 Bahrain Bay 

Business Forum 

Gagan Suri 

CEO, Bahrain Bay 

February 25, 2016 – The 2016 

Bahrain Bay Business Forum, a 

well-attended investor event, which 

brought together partners, associates 

and dignitaries involved with Bahrain 

Bay, a luxury waterfront development, 

was held at the Four Seasons Hotel 

on Thursday, 25 January 2016. The 

gathering of top-level attendees 

provided a unique opportunity to meet 

new business partners and build closer 

relationships. 

A joint venture between Arcapita 

and a Bahrain-based investment 

group, the $2.5 billion Bahrain Bay 

development, has attracted some of 

the best-known international brands 

to Bahrain. Many of the third party 

developers from Bahrain, the GCC and 

India were present for the 2016 Bahrain 

Bay Business Forum. 

The Forum began with an address 

from the Chairman of Bahrain Bay 

and CEO of Arcapita, Atif Abdulmalik 

followed by a presentation from 

the CEO of Bahrain Bay, Gagan Suri. 

Speakers also included several 

prominent partners and associates, 

amongst whom were Mohamed Al 

Mutaweh, Chief Executive Officer & 

Board Member of Al Baraka Islamic 

Bank; Faisal Bin Faqeeh, the Chairman 

of Bin Faqeeh Real Estate Investment 

Group; Nayan Shah, the CEO and 

Managing Director of Mayfair Group; 

and Greg Pirkle, the General Manager 

of Four Seasons Hotel. Sharing their 

insights also were Jarmo Kotilaine, 

Chief Economist-Market Strategy & 

Intelligence at the EDB and Xavier 

Theillere, the Regional Director of 

Bahrain Bay Utilities. 

The Forum provided a platform 

that strengthened high value networks 

and gave Bahrain Bay an opportunity 

to communicate its vision and update 

the guests on the progress of the 

development. 

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Atif 

Abdulmalik, Chairman of Bahrain Bay 

said, “Bahrain Bay revolves around 

creating a metropolis for 21st century 

living that will meet the needs of 

residents, businesses and visitors 

from all over the world. Despite the 

uncertain geopolitical climate and 

volatile economic climate, the positive 

activity at Bahrain Bay has set an 

encouraging momentum which is 

promising as we focus on achieving 

our vision, our future of becoming 

a true legacy for the Kingdom of 

Bahrain.” 

The Bahrain Bay Business Forum 

was also viewed as an excellent 

opportunity to showcase Bahrain, and 

to highlight its business friendly and 

progressive economy. The development 

stands well positioned as it offers 

enormous opportunities, impacts the 

lifestyle of citizens, and significantly 

influences the economy, while 

consolidating the Bahrain’s status as 

a hub for business and investment 

opportunities in the region. 

Gagan Suri, CEO, Bahrain Bay 

added, “We have been very successful 

in presenting a dynamic investment 

environment through the premium 

properties and the excellent facilities 

of Bahrain Bay. We are proud of the fact 

that Bahrain Bay has remained stable 

through the economic challenges of 

the last decade. We have a network 

of strong and trusted partners and 

investors with whom we have a 

unified vision. This forum will help in 

setting up crucial partnerships and 

provide information and support to 

potential international investors in the 

Kingdom.” 

Bahrain Bay has continued to 

maintain its reputation as one of the 

most robust and successful real estate 

projects in Bahrain. The past year has 

been one of growth and expansion, 

with over 86 percent of plots sold, the 

infrastructure complete and projects 

of third party developers nearing 

completion. Bahrain Bay continues 

to invite investor interest as the best 

address for business, hospitality and 

residential developments. 


Sovereign Art Foundation 

Schools Prize 2016 

ARTWORK FOR CHILDREN IN NEED 

UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF 

His Highness 

Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa 

His Majesty King’s Representative for Charity Works and Youth Affairs 

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Charity Organization 

The Third Auction Gala Dinner 

And His Excellency 

Shaikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa 

Under Secretary for Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs, Ministry of the Interior 

The Honorary President of the Bahrain Arts Society 

The Third Charity Art Exhibition 

Comming Soon 

The Third 

Charity Art Exhibition 

in April 2016 

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 

MEDIA SPONSORS 

Sovereign Art Foundation - ME | The Sovereign Art Foundation | SAF_BAH 

Feb - Mar 2016 69

Highlights | Technology 

Home Automation Energy 

Management Strategies 

Naser Shahrour 

General Manager, MECOS 

Heating and cooling control 

A well-designed automation system can: 

• Improve passive heating and 

passive cooling through the control 

of blinds, awnings, windows, vents 

and fans. 

• Control heaters and air conditioners 

so they are used only when and 

where they are needed and to 

achieve a desired temperature. 

Before considering automation 

options, ensure that your home is 

designed to make the best use of solar 

energy and natural ventilation for 

passive heating and cooling. 

Use thermostats or temperature 

sensors in different rooms to control 

heating and cooling. Appropriately 

placed, they, along with timers to 

control heating/cooling appliances, can 

significantly reduce energy use, even if 

automated systems are not used. 

Home automation systems can be 

designed to save energy. 

Analyze your heating/cooling needs 

and how to manage them. Ask yourself: 

which rooms need to be heated/cooled, 

when and to what temperature? Aim to 

heat/cool living areas when people are 

home but heat/cool bedrooms only at 

night and in the early morning when 

they are occupied. Bedrooms do not need 

to be made as warm or as cool as living 

areas to be comfortable for sleeping. 

Don’t heat or cool areas such as halls 

and laundries, and use the appropriate 

heating systems for the purposes, e.g. 

radiant heaters in vented areas. 

Plan your automation system. 

Consider how opening and closing 

blinds, awnings, windows and vents 

can assist passive heating, cooling and 

natural lighting. Explore how switching 

fans and heat shifters on and off might 

reduce the need for cooling or heating. 

Well thought-out and planned 

temperature profiles can minimize 

the energy used in heaters and air 

conditioners/coolers. Consider how the 

temperature of the house changes, and 

over what time period, before it reaches 

the final temperature. Also consider just 

when heating or cooling is needed. 

Hot water control 

Automate the hot water system so it 

can be switched on and off as required, 

e.g. off when going on holidays, on 

again just before your return. Solar 

systems can be controlled so they 

do not require the use of an auxiliary 

booster during summer months — and 

the controller overridden during periods 

of poor solar gain in summer or when 

demand increases, e.g. family home for 

Christmas. 

Lighting control 

Automate lights through motion 

sensors and timers, or more elaborate 

centralised systems, so they operate 

only when needed and switch 

themselves off when rooms are vacant. 

Use motion sensors to switch on 

external lights when needed, or lights 

when entering the home, rather than 

leaving lights on. 

Use motion sensors to switch on external 

lights rather than leaving lights on. 

Motion sensors switch off lights 

when there is no movement in a room. 

Use motion sensors, light sensors 

and timing controls to switch off room 

lights when they are no longer needed, 

e.g. after five minutes if no motion is 

detected. Give priority to rooms that 

often have lights left on unnecessarily, 

like bathrooms, pantries and toilets. 

However, take care - five minutes of 

inaction in front of a TV is not unusual 

and you may not want all the lights to go 

off then! 

Appliances & equipment control 

Use controls to operate appliances 

and equipment only when they are 

needed. 

Remote control and timer control of 

appliances, from coffee makers to home 

theatres to spas, can save energy if the 

appliances can be switched off when 

not required. But take care not to turn 

on appliances automatically or at preset 

times — more energy may be consumed 

if there is no need for the appliance to 

operate. 

Automating equipment control to 

reduce operating times is particularly 

useful if the appliances normally use 

stand-by power when they are not 

operating, e.g. stereos, TVs, DVDs and 

home office equipment. It is also useful 

when the need for the equipment to 

operate varies, such as for pool pumps, 

where daily operating hours can be 

matched to the season. 

Energy monitoring 

The home automation system can 

monitor the total energy use of the house 

or even individual circuits or appliances. 

Current is measured by a measuring 

device (which can be fairly low cost) at 

the meter board, and is converted into 

power and energy consumption. This 

information is transmitted wirelessly 

to an inside display unit or directly to 

the automation controller. Depending 

on the system installed, the user can 

view power, energy, costs and estimated 

greenhouse gas emissions associated 

with the whole house. The system can 

be configured to measure the renewable 

energy generated by a photovoltaic 

system or wind generator, and show 

how much electricity has been exported 

to the grid. Users can also view this 

information in real time, or view the 

past week’s or month’s use. The display 

can also show environmental or other 

measurements, such as outside/inside 

temperature, and hot water temperature. 

Simple energy monitoring systems are 

very similar to in-home displays. 

Automate your house now and take control! 


Technology 

Best Government 

Contact Centre Award for 

National Call Centre 

The National Contact Centre (NCC) of 

Bahrain, operated by Silah Gulf has 

been recognised with the “Best Middle 

East Government Call Centre” Award at 

the 2nd Annual IPQC Middle East Call 

Centre Summit held in Dubai, United 

Arab Emirates. Now in its second 

year, the IQPC Middle East Call Centre 

Summit is one of the largest Call 

Centre industry events in the Middle 

East. 

This award solidifies Silah Gulf’s 

commitment to delivering exceptional 

customer experience solutions for 

the public sector and confirms Silah’s 

leading position in the Government 

Outsourcing and Contact Centre 

Industry in the GCC. 

Silah Gulf CEO, Mr Ricardo 

Langwieder-Görner said, “Ninetyseven 

per cent of our NCC 

professionals are Bahrainis and 

almost half of these are women. I 

am extremely proud of the hard work 

and dedication that our team has 

demonstrated.” 

The National Contact Centre has 

won various awards of the past few 

years including the best Integrated 

Government Contact Centre in the 

Middle East and the United Nations 

Citizen award for the unique and 

outstanding services it has provided to 

Bahraini citizens 24 hours a day 7 days 

a week through its toll free number 

80008001. 

Silah Gulf was launched in 2009 

as a Joint Venture in the Middle 

East region by UK based Merchants 

(Dimension Data) and Bahrain’s 

eGovernment Authority and has 

operations in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi 

Arabia and the UAE. 

Events Discovery 

App for Bahrain 

Vitee, Bahrain’s very own interactive 

events discovery app. Vitee was 

founded in 2014, the idea was to create 

a social network that could share 

and keep track of events happening 

in the region. Started by three young 

ambitious Bahraini entrepreneurs, 

trying to build the tech scene in 


It is a two way system, where event 

promoters input content about events 

into the app using our dashboard. It 

is a convenient and easy to use tool 

for advertising their events, gathering 

necessary data for future events and 

even selling tickets. 

On the other end are the users 

who search for events on the app, are 

able to search by category, location, 

and event promoter. The app is all 

about customization to a user’s 

interests, From the moment a user 

signs up, the app notes down their 

interests (whether it’s art, music or 

entertainment) and consecutively 

recommends event promoters for them 

to follow – based on their selection. 

This customizability is reflected 

throughout the app, putting users in 

complete control of the content they 

receive.The app is now available on 

both Android and iOS 

Microsoft Lumia 950 XL 

With a stunning 5.7” Quad HD 

display and a powerful octacore 

processor, the Lumia works like 

your PC and push the limits of what’s 

possible. 

Apps, games, and music are in one 

place with the brand new Windows 

Store and Cortana sends helpful 

reminders to all your Windows 10 

devices. Office apps are easy to use on 

any screen size and Outlook Mail has 

the same rich editing tools as Microsoft 

Word. From Excel to entertainment, 

Windows 10 keeps your digital life in 

sync across devices. 

With an octa-core processor and 

a 5.7” Quad HD display, it’s the most 

powerful phone we’ve ever built. 

With USB-C Fast Charging, an extralarge 

battery, and wireless charging, 

it’s pure power that’s easy to charge. 

Demanding apps, serious games, and 

the creativity tools you love – get a 

Lumia 950 XL and discover exciting 

new ways to do great things. 

The price currently in GCC market 

is starting from BHD220 – BHD250 for 

32GB model. 


71

Technology 

Skype gets even easier 

Skype is constantly getting new tools 

to make call-related tasks easier, 

and today the Android version received 

two more. First, there’s now an option 

for scheduling calls in the mobile app. 

Select the contact you want to schedule 

a call with and select the appropriate 

item from the drop-down menu. This 

will allow you to block off time in 

Outlook or your calendar app of choice. 

If you need to reference an Office 

document, spreadsheet or presentation 

during a chat, you can provide a link 

to those files in Skype. Tapping on the 

file name during a convo automatically 

opens the file in the appropriate app. 

If you don’t have it installed, you’ll get 

instructions on how to get the software 

you need to view it. To grab these new 

features, you’ll need the latest version of 

Skype for Android, which is available at 

Google Play now. 

Protecting Industrial 

control systems from Cyber 

attacks 

Honeywell (NYSE: HON) Process 

Solutions (HPS) and Palo Alto 

Networks® (NYSE: PANW) are 

collaborating to boost the cyber security 

capabilities of control systems used 

by industrial facilities and critical 

infrastructure. 

Honeywell’s Industrial Cyber Security 

business is now offering the Palo Alto 

Networks Next-Generation Security 

Platform to industrial customers. The 

collaboration enables customers to 

better prevent cyber attacks against 

their Process Control Networks (PCN) 

and Operational Technology (OT) 

environments in order to protect their 

assets and maximize production uptime 

and safety. 

The joint solution offers unrivalled 

process network traffic monitoring and 

advanced threat prevention across the 

automation environment. It combines 

Palo Alto Networks’ advanced and 

natively integrated security platform 

with Honeywell’s unique process control 

domain expertise to provide a cyber 

security solution tailored for industrial 

customers. This next-generation offering 

enhances Honeywell’s comprehensive 

portfolio of cyber security solutions, 

including its Industrial Cyber Security 

Risk Manager platform. 

“The collaboration with Palo 

Alto Networks expands our ability to 

provide proactive intrusion prevention 

resulting in more robust protection 

for our customers. It is an example 

of Honeywell’s unique multi-vendor 

approach that integrates state-of-the-art 

technology with proven expertise so that 

customers can confidently rely on our 

cyber security capabilities, quickly and 

effectively prevent threats, and focus on 

their daily operations.” Jeff Zindel, vice 

president and general manager, cyber 

security, Honeywell Process Solutions 

“Connecting vital infrastructure to 

the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) 

comes with tremendous benefit, but also 

associated cyber risks. Our work with 

Honeywell addresses the cyber risk with 

next-generation security designed to 

meet the needs of industrial customers 

and provide them with threat detection 

and prevention capabilities previously 

unseen in the industry.” Chad Kinzelberg, 

senior vice president of business and 

corporate development, Palo Alto 

Networks. 

WhatsApp drops 

subscription fee 

WhatsApp, the messaging service 

that Facebook bought in 2014, 

charges a $1 annual subscription fee 

after your first year of using the app. The 

idea here was to charge a small fee in 

lieu of serving up ads. 

Apparently, it hasn’t worked out 

as well as the company hoped. The 

company announced that it was 

dropping the annual fee and would 

become a completely free service for end 

users. 

The company cited the fact that 

many of its users don’t have credit or 

debit cards as a rationale for the change. 

WhatsApp is going free, though it says 

that it may take a few weeks to phase 

out the fee payment system in its apps. 

As for current subscribers, WhatsApp 

won’t offer subscription fee refunds, 

according to ReCode. 

Although it’s becoming an entirely 

free service, you won’t see WhatsApp fill 

its app with banner ads any time soon: 

The company says that it’s working on 

“tools that allow you to use WhatsApp 

to communicate with businesses 

and organizations that you want to 

hear from.” ReCode suggests that the 

reworked WhatsApp will be similar to 

Facebook Messenger where you can chat 

with businesses or even make payments 

through the app. 

Free is probably the way to go for a 

messaging app—particularly one that 

draws from a wide range of users of all 

different age groups and backgrounds. 

It’s not entirely clear how WhatsApp 

plans to make money this way, but it’s 

easy to see how it could. The company 

could charge businesses a small fee for 

joining WhatsApp, for example. Either 

way, we’ll have to wait and see how 

things pan out from here. 


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73

Highlights | Other Business 

$55 million Re-melt 

expansion at GARMCO 

GARMCO, the Bahrain-based 

international aluminum rolling 

mill and one of the largest downstream 

aluminum facilities in the Middle East, 

broke ground on their re-melt extension 

in attendance of His Excellency Mr. Zayed 

Al Zayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce 

and Tourism along with Mr. Matthias Fekl, 

Minister of Foreign Trade of France. 

The re-melt project, in collaboration 

Gulf Air’s Restructured 

Boeing and Airbus Fleet Orders 

Total USD7.6 billion 

Gulf Air, restructured orders of 45 

aircraft with Boeing and Airbus in 

deals worth a combined total of USD7.6 

billion. The orders consist of 16 Boeing 

787-9 Dreamliners, 17 Airbus A321neo and 

12 Airbus A320neo aircraft. 

The deliveries of these aircraft will 

commence from Q2 2018. The orders 

follow extensive negotiations with both 

aircraft manufactureres to revise Gulf Air’s 

previous orders with Boeing and Airbus. 

The restructured orders will simplify Gulf 

Air’s future wide-body fleet to Boeing 

787-9 Dreamliners and ensure its future 

narrow-body fleet will largely focus on 

A320 neo Family aircraft. 

These orders provide Gulf Air with 

the requisite expansion capabilities 

for the airline’s extensively studied 

future network requirements, ensures 

it maintains one of the youngest fleets 

in the region while building upon its 

award-winning reliability and on time 

performance. 

Gulf Air A/Chief Executive Officer Mr. 

Maher Salman Al Musallam said, “These 

revised and consolidated orders are based 

on comprehensive current and future 

with Fives, an industrial engineering 

group and supplier of machines, process 

equipment and production lines for the 

world’s largest industrial companies, 

is an EPC (Engineering, Procurement & 

Construction) Turn-Key project, which 

will enable GARMCO to develop its metal 

recycling capability and lower the cost of 

metal casting. 

The new project once complete will 

enable GARMCO to produce 120,000 tons of 

aluminum slabs, create approximately 50 

new jobs, generate significant cost savings 

and further bolster GARMCO’s position as 

one of the most sizeable employers in the 

Kingdom. 

The total cost of the project will reach 

up to $55 million and is part of a three year 

program that aims to increase profitability 

and growth opportunities for the Company 

on a regional and international level. 

Construction is set to begin in 

March 2016 with expected completion in 

November, 2017. 

network studies and satisfy Gulf Air’s 

future network expansion plans and fleet 

requirement.” 

Marty Bentrott, Vice President – 

Sales, Middle East, Russia and Central 

Asia, Boeing Commercial Airplanes said, 

“The industry leading efficiencies of the 

787 family will provide Gulf Air with 

superior fuel conservation, reliability and 

passenger comfort and we look forward to 

continuing our strong partnership.” 

“The fuel efficient aircraft will provide 

the airline with a higher operational 

efficiency and profitability while its wider 

cabins will open a new dimension of 

passenger appeal,” said Fabrice Brégier, 

Airbus President and Chief Executive 

Officer. 

Gulf Air continues to rationalize 

its operations in its mission to realize 

commercial sustainability. Progressively 

improving business results have 

reduced the airline’s financial losses by 

approximately 85% since 2012. 

FAMCO inaugurates 

Bahrain Operations 

FAMCO (Al-Futtaim Auto & 

Machinery Company), the region’s 

leading supplier of commercial 

vehicles, construction and industrial 

equipment representing 30 leading 

industrial brands in 6 sectors – trucks 

and buses, construction equipment, 

power generation, industrial 

equipment, marine engines, and 

storage and handling solutions, 

launch its operations in Bahrain. 

Mike Fritz, General Manager, FAMCO 

Bahrain, Oman and Qatar said, “We 

are very proud of what FAMCO has 

achieved over the years and we look 

forward to a very successful year in 

the Bahraini market. One of our key 

objectives is to play a major role in all 

the infrastructure and construction 

projects taking place across the 

kingdom which is going through very 

exciting times.” 

In Bahrain, FAMCO will distribute 

top brands such as Volvo construction 

equipment, SDLG construction 

equipment, Merlo telescopic handlers, 

Hartl crushers and screeners, Dexion 

industrial storage systems, Hart 

industrial doors, Steril warehouse 

docks, Nassau sectional doors and BP 

side loaders and forklifts. 

He concluded, “We look forward 

to providing all customers with our 

expertise and proven best practices. 

Establishing a presence in Bahrain is 

yet another milestone in our business 

expansion plan across the Middle 

East.” 


Other Business 

British Airways helps 

SMEs fly 

Airways has launched its revitalised 

On Business loyalty scheme, which 

will help Bahrain’s small and medium 

sized enterprises (SMEs) make even 

more of their travel budgets. 

The new offering brings together the 

business loyalty programmes of British 

Airways, Iberia and American Airlines, 

allowing customers to collect and spend 

on all three under one scheme. 

The improved On Business 

programme, which already saves 

customers GBP 30 million a year on 

flights, now rewards points based on 

spend rather than distance travelled or 

number of flights. 

Other new benefits to the popular 

platform include: 

• Cash discounts on selected flights 

• Three Tier ranking system to boost 

earning power 

• Handpicked offers and bonuses for 

members 

• A new, easy to use online account 

management tool 

The new On Business has also 

been made more flexible so members 

who want immediate savings can even 

choose an upfront discount on flights if 

that works better for their company than 

collecting points. 

A three Tier system is being 

introduced, which relates to the amount 

customers spend on travel each year. As 

users progress through the Tiers, they 

save more to spend on reward flights 

and upgrades. 

Entry tier members need to spend 

as little as GBP 2,200 to earn enough 

points to redeem a reward flight on UK 

domestic routes and flights in Europe. 

In addition, members of BA Executive 

Club or Iberia Plus are rewarded in both 

schemes. 

As part of the changes, On Business 

has launched a brand new website, 

which will make it even easier for 

members to maximise their earning 

potential and spend their points 

effectively and give access to custom 

reporting, as well as a clear view of who 

is earning where and when to help make 

further savings. 

Al Haddad Motors 

introduces the all-improved 

Mercedes-Benz 

Mercedes-Benz announced the 

introduction of the all-new 

Mercedes-Benz A-Class in Bahrain. The 

powerful A-Class will bridge the gaps of 

demands and expectations for the young 

generation. 

The new Mercedes-Benz A-Class 

is better not just in terms of looks but 

also features a hugely improved interior, 

loads of up-to-date technology and a 

competitive engine range. It is smooth to 

drive which is a big bonus for potential 

buyers as the engine is geared for steady 

driving within the city and highways. 

Graeme Newport, General Manager 

of Al Haddad Motors said, “With the new 

A-Class we have reinvented the compact 

segment, taking everything you loved 

about the A-Class – its spaciousness, 

fuel efficiency and functionality – only 

this time around, it is designed to look 

and feel even more like a Mercedes- 

Benz. With its dash improved, the 

blending sporty reflects the elegance 

of the bigger Mercedes-Benz - wavy 

surfaces, soft-touch leather and the 

ultimate face-lift.” 

With its new face, lower roofline 

and sporty kit on the options list, the 

Mercedes-Benz A-Class is much more 

practical and desirable. Standard 

equipment includes USB and Bluetooth 

connectivity, alloy wheels and sports 

seats, making the car look attractive 

and eye-catchy. It includes 18-inch alloy 

wheels, a different diamond grille, xenon 

headlights and LED daytime running 

lights. 

Mercedes has always been ahead of 

the game when it comes to safety. ESP 

and Collision Prevention Assistance 

comes as standard, and will safeguard 

and minimize any mishap. There's also 

pre-safe, which prepares the driver and 

the car for an impending accident, and 

plenty of other high-tech kit further 

enabling driving safety. All in all, a new 

generation car designed keeping the 

young buyers in mind, fuelling their 

demands with the right mechanisms 

and luxury. 

Lexus Bahrain launches 

new Luxury Sports Sedan 

T 

he all-new 2016 Lexus GS F 

performance sedan rolled into 

the Lexus Bahrain showroom with a 

growl, four doors and enough cabin 

space to comfortably accommodate five 

adults. With a style eminently suited 

to everyday driving, the Lexus GS F 

conveys the appeal of the 'F' series to a 

wide demographic, thus enabling Lexus 

to further enhance its brand image of 

exhilarating performance. 

The GS F embodies the philosophy 

of the 'F' series which stands for fast 

dynamic response, high efficiency and 

seamless performance on everyday 

roads in addition to racetracks that can 

be enjoyed by everyone. The GS F is the 

first new 'F' series sedan model since the 

launch of the IS F in 2007. 


75


First Motors brings 

Hyundai’s complete range of 

SUVs 

First Motors, the exclusive 

distributor of Hyundai vehicles in 

the Kingdom of Bahrain, announced 

the availability of the 2016 full line 

up of their acclaimed Hyundai SUV 

family range of cars that caters to all 

your needs. Ranging from the perfect 

sub-compact SUV such as the Hyundai 

Creta and the All-New Tucson 2016 to 

the most ideal car for bigger families 

like the Santa Fe and Grand Santa Fe, 

this SUV segment offers the perfect 

drive where customers get the best in 

terms of performance and luxury. 

A spokesperson from First Motors 

said, “We would like to take this 

opportunity to welcome one and all 

to visit the showroom where the full 

range of Hyundai SUVs is available for 

a test drive. From a variety of options 

to choose from, we have vehicles 

available for customers ranging from 

new young drivers to bigger families 

where they can rest assure that they 

will be provided with value for money. 

With premium cars at affordable 

prices, we at First Motors continuously 

strive to present our customers with 

vehicles that boast impressive degrees 

of performance and luxury.” 

First Motors, part of Al Zayani 

Investments group, is fully committed 

to demonstrating to the Bahrain 

market that Hyundai is the brand that 

represents unique value for money 

without compromise. Their confidence 

in Hyundai is demonstrated through 

their sensational Lifetime Warranty 

that is offered on the entire range of 

Hyundai passenger vehicles. 

NKD and MASGO bring 

healthy Pizza to Bahrain 

Jenan Almaskati 

Managing Partner, MASGO Ventures 

NKD Pizza, the multi-national 

American pizza chain, has signed 

an exclusive franchise agreement 

with MASGO Ventures WLL to bring 

healthier lower calorie pizza to 


MASGO Ventures signs 

with Mommy Wellness 

MASGO Ventures announced that 

it has signed a master franchise 

agreement for the GCC with Mommy 

Wellness. 

Mommy Wellness, established 

in 2012 in South Africa, is an 

international brand concept focused 

on providing women, particularly 

expectant mothers, with a cosy haven 

to receive treatments that are both 

“We are excited to see that MASGO 

shares our passion for the NKD concept 

and its products,” said Edward Rizk, 

VP International of NKD Pizza. “This 

new franchise will definitely be a new 

channel for NKD to continue voicing 

its mission to change the nutritional 

profile of fast food through its allnatural 

#ShamelesslyGood pizza.” 

The NKD pizza recipe is based on a 

crust that is made from an “Ancestral 

Blend” of 10 grains, prebiotic fiber 

from the agave plant, and special 

heat-resistant probiotics, also known 

as “healthy” or “good” bacteria. This 

results in a diversity of nutrients and 

fiber along with the added probiotics 

that support digestive health. NKD 

pizza also provides customers with the 

optionality of ordering a gluten free 

pizza. 

Jenan Almaskati, Managing 

Partner of MASGO Ventures, 

commented: “We are excited about 

helping our customers eat healthily 

while still enjoying great tasting pizza. 

We look forward to opening our first 

store in Bahrain in mid-2016.” 

mom and baby friendly. Mommy 

Wellness services include prenatal and 

postnatal treatments, baby massage 

courses, and massages and treatments 

serving every woman’s needs. 

Founder and CEO of Mommy 

Wellness, Izelle Louw said, “We are 

delighted to be partnering with MASGO 

Ventures on this important regional 

expansion phase as we focus on 

bringing our unique services to the 

Kingdom of Bahrain and the wider 

GCC.” 

MASGO Ventures Managing 

Partner, Jenan Almaskati added, “Our 

recent acquisition of the Mommy 

Wellness franchise will allow us to 

provide women across the region 

with unique treatments and services 

that are critical to the needs of 

every expectant mother and women 

generally.” 

Mommy Wellness is expected to 

open its first location in Bahrain in Q1 

2016. 




77

Health && Wellness Wellness 

cardio, strength and body & mind classes 

where you can get all the benefits of 

hiring a personal trainer and gaining the 

trust you need for further commitment 

and development on a personal level. 

Time has always been the number 

one excuse for any excuse. If people 

focused more on smaller targets on a 

steady pace, I guarantee they would 

get better results in less time. So, let us 

figure out how to make this happen for 

you. Here are a few ideas that make your 

time in the gym both shorter and more 

productive with a personal trainer or 

group exercise: 

Why Hiring a personal Trainer or attending a Group 

Exercise class could be your answer to all your excuses 

by Mahmood AbdulSamad 

Owner, Reps Fitness studio S.P.C 

As an entrepreneur and a managing 

director in a fitness facility, I get to 

help people achieve their goals. From 

an independent trainer’s career growth 

to a member, achieving his/her desired 

goals. Running a business is sort of like 

being in a relationship; it needs constant 

attention, commitment, dedication 

and hard work. However, like any other 

business and a job, there are downsides. 

Even with a passionate job that may 

seem like a vacation all year round. 

Stress, pressure and deadlines along 

with fluctuating working hours; my 

health and fitness plan was not giving 

me the results I have been anticipating 

for. Achieving my desired goals seemed 

hard to achieve to the point I started to 

hate training. 

I became effortless and unmotivated 

in my training frequently. I also started 

to skip or find an excuse for not working 

out. Training became a burden even 

though all the tools and resources 

were at my reach. Instead of it being a 

priority, it became a chore. This comes 

down to inadequate planning and time 

management. Something a lot of you 

might be able to relate to. With all the 

necessaties of life; who has time for 

proper planning? This is where I realized 

the issue. I needed a coach. At the time, 

I thankfully could have afforded one; 

designing a program for myself seemed 

impossible and meaningless without 

proper focus and time. Furthermore, the 

intensity and results I wanted needed 

a person to assist me achieve them. 

Mainly because someone else is doing 

all the thinking while, all I just needed 

was to give that time slot focus on 

working as hard as possible and turn my 

brain off. 

Now of course; one might argue 

that personal trainers are sometimes 

unattainable for different reasons. 

Nevertheless, at the same time the 

knowledge, expertise, motivation 

and most of all accountability makes 

it sensible to obtain results. All you 

need to do is show up and work hard. 

Alternatively, Group exercise programs 

has come in handy nowadays. With 

great starter-kits with international 

programming group exercise formulas 

back up by science. A person could 

get from short, intense “high intensity 

interval training” workouts with a 

personal coach for the value of a gym 

membership to motivating, energetic 

1. Accountability: - The programming 

and the timing is booked; just attend and 

work as hard as you can. 

2. Motivation & fun: With both 

providing time and constant change 

to avoid, a plateau. A trainer and/or 

an internationally recognized group 

training program such as the Les Mills 

& Beach body Live brands update their 

programs every three months; so it’s all 

fresh and constantly challenging. 

3. Community building- when two or 

more people are both working towards 

mutual success; people grow closer, work 

harder, give more reasons to achieve 

results with having common targets and 

eventually , achieve more. 

This has certainly filled a gap that 

I found in the island to start-up my 

facility; both providing personal training 

and group exercises programs. For more 

information about our fitness facility, 

please follow our social media channels 

or visit www.repsfit.com. Alternatively, 

please do pay us a visit and mention 

this article to claim your free trial on a 

chosen group exercise class or a PT trial. 

These are my thoughts for now, until 

next time. 

Mahmood AbdulSamad; 

30 year old Les Mills 

Group exercise instructor 

for Bodypump, RPM, Les 

Mills Grit and Crossfit 

Level 1 trainer. Business 

Development Assistant 

Manager in an Islamic retail 

Bank with over 10 years of 

experience and owner of 

Reps Fitness studio S.P.C 

repsfit fitreps 

Reps fitness studios 



79

Health && Wellness Wellness 

Water... 

Are you 

Getting 

Enough of It? 

of water now”, if your answer to my 

question is how I expect it to be, please 

go get some water now. 

After understanding the 

importance of water and knowing how 

much you need to drink daily, you need 

to come up with a plan that will help 

you drink enough of it. 

I have a few tips for you… 

1- Always put a bottle of water in 

front of you even at your office, this 

is the simplest thing you can do to 

remember to drink every time you see 

that bottle. 

by Dr. Rehab kotb 

2- If you don’t like water because 

it is tasteless you can add some 

flavour by slicing an orange or a lemon 

and add some mint to a water jug, 

grapefruits also make water taste nice 

and help you lose weight 

It´s sad that water comes second in 

popularity among the things that 

people like to drink, I’m not surprised 

that it comes after soda, because I’m 

one of the people who would rather 

drink something fuzzy and flavourful 

instead of the tasteless flat water. 

despite all the health benefits that 

it provides, people don´t consume 

enough water, they just don’t like it. 

Ideally, we should consume at least 

2 litres a day, but to actually commit 

to monitoring your water intake and 

make sure you get exactly the amount 

you need you have to understand why 

is it so important to drink water. 

Fluid losses happen continuously, 

from sweating, breathing, and urine, 

and these losses are increased in 

relatively hot countries like Bahrain, 

so they must be replaced regularly 

to avoid dehydration that may occur 

when your water intake does not equal 

your output, but don’t wait until you 

feel thirsty to drink because you will 

only feel this when you are already 

dehydrated. 

You can also use Water to Control 

Calories. Because drinking enough 

water will make you feel full, and 

regulates metabolism inducing weight 

loss. 

It makes your skin look better as it 

clears the skin from acne, and decrease 

wrinkles which result from skin 

dehydration, so you will look healthier 

and younger just by drinking adequate 

amounts of water “yay ladies”. 

Water is also good for kidneys, 

muscles, joints, increases energy, and 

regulates body temperature. 

Now let me ask you when was 

the last time you had a glass of water 

today? most of us forget to drink water, 

one of these people is my husband as 

I’m the one who is always reminding 

him to drink “honey I know you are 

reading this, please go grab a bottle 

3- Drink fruit juice but choose 

the sugar free ones “remember we are 

trying to lose weight here” 

4- Some fruits and vegetables 

contain a lot of water so you can 

increase the water level in your body 

just by eating them` 

Finally, there are some apps that 

you can download on your phone that 

will remind you to drink water, and 

since most of us spend a lot of time on 

our phones this will be a very effective 

way to remember to drink, some 

examples are, water drink reminder, 

hydro coach, and aqualert. Doesn’t get 

any better, right? 

Water is God`s gift to us, it´s always 

available, inexpensive, harmless, and 

very ver beneficial. So don’t deny your 

body the benefits that comes from 

maintaining a proper water level and 

always drink for your health. So until 

next time, keep your bottles around 

and drink regularly. 

Write to me at rehab.bizbahrain@gmail.com 



81

Nutrition Health & Wellness Packages 

What are the advantages of being a diet 

center? 

First, a diet should be always tailored 

by a qualified dietitian so as the body 

receives a balanced and adequate diet in 

both nutrients and energy while reaching 

the target needed without any nutritional 

deficiencies. Second, there are a variety 

of diets or programs to meet individual 

goals. They all combine nutrition basics, 

behavior modification and counseling. 

Promoting Healthy Lifestyles 

In this fast-paced world, when one struggles to find the time to prepare a healthy 

meal, this expert resource steps in to provide healthy and nutritious meals according 

to individual needs and preferences. 

What does Carlton Nutrition Center offer? 

We established CNC (Carlton 

Nutrition Center) as a division of Carlton 

Al Moaibed Hotel in 2002 in KSA to 

help people start a healthy lifestyle 

by providing nutritious meal plans. 

Carlton offers a variety of programs to 

meet individual’s needs; whether to lose 

weight, be healthy, or treat certain health 

related sicknesses,supervised by our 

qualified team, that combines nutritional 

counselling and support. By using the 

expertise of our Chefs and under the 

supervision of our dieticians, we aim to 

serve nutritious food while maintaining 

the great taste. 

We noticed the growing demand in 

the region, so we decided to expand our 

Nutrition services to Bahrain. 

1. Customized diet program, 

2. Lite Xpress program 

3. Business lunch program 

4. Cleansing program 

5. PM Package 

Do you see any changes in the nutrition 

awareness and approaches in recent 

years? 

The dietary quality and activity 

patterns drastically declined over the 

years and obesity was rising across 

the region. The obesity rate in the gulf 

region has increased since 1960 with the 

oil discovery; Bahrain ranks Top 10 as 

highest in obesity (with a rate for adults 

aged 20 + is about 30 % and if you also 

include people who are overweight it 

shoots up to 54t%) and 5th as diabetes 

prevalence. 

When you are at diet center, it’s not 

only about the food; it’s more of a lifestyle 

change, time saving, and convenience. 

It may be a lot to pay at start, but if you 

think about it per day, you end up paying 

more for other junk meals. You think of 

saving some money now, but you end 

up paying for all your medications and 

health insurances in the future. 

How do the food choices we make affect 

us? 

We make around 227 food choices 

a day, what we eat, how much, where, 

when, with whom... All these choices 

influence our health. Unfortunately, today, 

more than 95% of all chronic diseases are 

affected by our food choices, toxic food 

ingredients, nutritional deficiencies, and 

lack of physical activity. 

Most of us know much of this, yet we 

don’t always make smart decisions about 

our diet. It’s because we are at our lowest 

point in both energy and self-control 

when deciding what to eat. Example, a 

burger and a box of fries are a lot more 

appetizing when you’re mentally weak. 

Any words of advice for busy executives 

and businessmen? 

We are thankful to Bahrain 

government for allowing GCC nationals to 

invest in this promising market 

Which are some of your most popular 

packages in Bahrain? 

Carlton nutrition center offers an 

array of nutrition programs suitable 

to all ages, body measurements and 

fat composition, heath conditions, the 

person’s occupation and activities. 

Some people are always up to 

date with the latest nutrition trend 

via internet, mobile aps, and dietetic 

consultation. Sadly, the market 

showcases tempting easy tools and 

products that promise fast weight loss 

which could harm health. Therefore, 

people should seek the help of 

professionals in the field. For example, 

a diet should be tailored by a dietitian to 

ensure good nourishment. 

Food has a direct impact on our brain 

activity, which is why a poor decision at 

lunch can affect an entire afternoon. 

When we think about the factors that 

contribute to workplace performance, we 

do not give much consideration to food. 

Recent study shows that sick leaves were 

27% lower for workers who ate healthy 

and regularly exercised and their job 

performance was 11% higher than their 

co-workers who were obese. 



83

Tech Expert 

Cellular SpyCraft 

Why blame your government for spying when you do it to yourself. 

by J.Tate 

Chief Intelligence Officer bits&digits 

Whether you are tech savvy IT 

guru, financial officer or stay 

at home mother I am sure by now 

you have heard of the crazy cyber 

security threats trending across social 

media. Attempting not to contribute 

to alarmist style commentary, it is 

simply an unavoidable reality that both 

technology and security are not on the 

same level of maturity in todays age. 

But lets set aside for a moment the 

grim reality that in 2015 the world was 

exposed to one of the most horrific 

forms of cyber threats known to the 

modern world (ransomware). You may 

also find while you search online to 

verify the previously stated statistics 

that statistically you dear reader are 

less than 1 degree separated from an 

information security related incident 

that effects you directly. Both are 

topics that have been exhausted in 

previous articles, yet come to a unique 

similarity for the article at hand. 

“Cellular SpyCraft” breaking the 

title down into a more manageable 

vernacular one could define Cellular 

SpyCraft as the following: 

Cellular- denoting or relating 

to a mobile telephone system that 

uses a number of short-range 

radio stations to cover the area 

that it serves, the signal being 

automatically switched from one 

station to another as the user 

travels about. 

SpyCraft- simply put The skills 

and techniques employed by spies. 


Tech Expert 

“Spies” however in the terms of this 

article will be expanded beyond the 

typical interpretation you may have 

formulated from years watching 007 

James Bond movies. In this case a 

spy, or one who uses Cellular Spycraft 

is anyone, or anything, (governmental, 

non governmental, marketing agency 

or jealous spouse alike) that collects 

information about you and uses it 

for purposes for other than what you 

intend. 

Allow me to explain, day in and 

day out you hear about how the 

“government” is monitoring your 

communications. Whether by using 

super spy tools sometimes qualified by 

your overzealous informants working 

(or claiming to have worked for) a 

nations intelligence agency. Most pay 

no mind to such news because to the 

average person, “none of this affects 

them.” You read it and say to yourself, 

“Well Im no criminal, I do not care what 

they do”. A mindset so common I would 

like to associate it here with a quote 

from one of my favorite movies The 

Usual Suspects “the greatest trick the 

Devil ever pulled was convincing the 

world he didn't exist.” 

Before you become set in confusion 

allow me to explain a few facts that 

I have learned on my journey in the 

Cyber world. First, you are correct and 

commonly humble if you understand 

that your government probably doesn't 

have a tap constantly listening to your 

phone conversations indiscriminately. 

Second, as we have seen in the latest 

Apple vs FBI debacle there isn't a 

major conspiracy between our nations 

and technology companies to deploy 

backdoors to monitor its citizens 

communications (exclusions to this 

rule do exist but we will avoid that 

discussion for reasons of maintaining 

course). 

If you have made it this far in 

the article by now, you have decided 

which side of the fence you stand on 

related to government communication 

surveillance. But now I ask you to 

lend yourself a more tangible and 

investigable perspective. Lets put aside 

the conspiracy for one moment. 

Shall we digest facts? Lets make 

this a bit interesting, would you do me 

a favor? Would you please pull out your 

phone (if you are on an airplane and 

your flight attendant has instructed 

you not to turn on electronic devices 

I strongly advise you NOT to try this 

experiment right now). Now I would 

like you as quick as possible count ALL 

of the APPS on your phone. Literally 

try and time yourself, count how many 

apps are on your phone. …..10 sec? 

18sec? 30sec? 

If it took you longer than 3 seconds 

then you can consider yourself a Floater 

(A person used one time, occasionally, 

or even unknowingly for an intelligence 

operation) in the game of Marketing 

and Advertising. In intelligence terms 

the ”Brush Pass”(encounter where 

intelligence is passed between case 

officer and agent) of your information 

is facilitated by the app maker, the 

advertising company who pays for 

what you may consider useless random 

information about your whereabouts, 

times a day you pass a specific location, 

social media topic preferences, sexual 

preference and thousands more of 

“attributes” to Application Developers. 

This is how the “game” works. Every 

“App” you have on your phone serves 

at least two purposes. One being the 

obvious, to provide you with a service 

that you felt compelled you needed 

(ordering food online,locating your 

banks nearest ATM, etc). The second is 

to collect, disseminate, and classify the 

data elements that are obtained from 

the usage of that app so it can be sold to 

marketing and advertising agencies. 

Whether or not you believe this 

information is Chicken Feed (Genuine, 

but not seriously damaging, intelligence 

knowingly provided to an enemy 

intelligence agency through an agent or 

a double agent to establish credentials) 

it is HIGHLY valuable. Apple and Google 

paid more than 1.5 BILLION dollars 

out to developers in 2013. FACT! Whats 

even cooler than this is that rights 

management agreements that you 

more times than not just click through 

without reading (see below), authorize 

this “spy craft” to be facilitated. 

Im sure you've seen this more than 

once in your life. Think back to the 

exercise where you counted the apps 

on your phone. If you have an android 

phone, you've “Authorized” such rights 

and access the number of times that 

you counted the apps on your phone. 

Now, perhaps you may be thinking 

to yourself “is there a solution, perhaps 

an APP firewall that can control such 

access to my information?” Perhaps 

there were sound solutions in the 

beginning, but for now you have 

to put your “CounterIntelligence” 

hat on and think vigilantly when 

downloading apps. As far as phone 

security, communication privacy and 

“off-grid” communication solutions are 

concerned there is one company “Silent 

Circle” that develops in my opinion 

one of the securest communication 

solutions in todays market The 

Blackphone. And using RF cloaking 

cases like the ones developed by bits 

& digits for Blackphones or any iOS / 

Android platform running Silent Circle's 

Silent Phone application. Minus 

using the aforementioned you have 

to basically assume your phone and 

your information are “Marks” in the 

communication security game. Stay 

Vigilant, remain sane J. Tate from. 

www.bitsdigits.com 

https://twitter.com/bitsdigits 


85

Startup Bahrain 

School of 

Hard Knocks - 

Bahrain Edition 

by AMMAR AL RAEES 

Something we never thought we 

would see in this part of the world 

has recently been happening on a 

regular basis. The oil rich countries of 

the Gulf mainly, Saudi Arabia and the 

UAE have been making the headlines 

for announcing their intention 

to explicitly move away from oil 

dependency and looking to diversify 

their income generation to sectors like 

tourism, financial services etc. 

On a related note, the Bahraini 

citizen, the Rocky Balboa of the Gulf, 

has been bombarded with battering 

headlines recently that included the 

fuel price hike, the meat subsidization 

controls and the impending electricity 

and water adjustments. The immediate 

reactions of the Bahraini are ones of 

pessimism and the foreboding of a very 

dark future. Naturally, one would think 

that investors would never think of 

Bahrain when it comes to investments. 

But they are. At least for now. And 

it is up to the government to make sure 

they stay interested in our Kingdom. 

Now more than ever, laws and 

legislations should be made in order 

to help investors to decide on Bahrain 

rather than more conventional choices 

like the UAE. 

The laws and regulations to 

make an investors life easier should 

be passed just as fast as the fuel 

increase bill. People, both local and 

foreign should see this proactivity 

for themselves and that these tight 

controls are the only way to save the 

economy from the current mire it is in. 

Making it easy for investors to 

conduct business is nothing new and 

has been proven time and time again, 

with (surprise!) the UAE, leading 

the way. The UAE’s bet on foreign 

investment decades ago has resulted 

in a big drop in dependency on oil, with 

the non-oil sector providing two-thirds 

of the country’s GDP. Plans by Sheikh 

Mohammed bin Rashid, the country’s 

Prime Minister, are to further drop the 

dependency to a paltry 5% by 2021. 

Bahrain’s strategy however should 

be a little different. The Kingdom’s 

reserves are nowhere near as big as 

the UAE’s, so in order to generate 

income to sustain its people’s 

lifestyles, it needs tighter controls 

on government spending and more 

importantly, opening up even further 

to foreign investors. The government 

should concentrate most of its efforts 

on the logistics of the Kingdom 

including but not limited to roads and 

telecommunication. A solution to the 

decades-old Saudi Causeway traffic 

jam would be a start. 

Another example would be the 

current financing options available to 

foreign investors. Being an ex-banker, 

I have seen how potential deals are 

missed by banks because it is not 

as easy for other nationalities to get 

financing from a Bahraini bank to 

buy property in the Kingdom. These 

are opportunities just waiting to be 

snatched but unfortunately, everyone 

loses when the paperwork makes the 

financing procedure an exercise in 

futility; Bahrain-based banks would be 

wise to capitalize on this by offering 

easy and hassle-free financing options 

to these investors. 

Bahrain has always been “business 

friendly”. It needs to be friendlier. 

Ammar Al Raees 

a regular contributor, 

ex-banker, business 

development manager, and 

blogger. You should follow 

him for updates on his 

interests, work, and life. 

[ @alraees] 

Blog: alraees.tumblr.com 

Published on Startup Bahrain 


GOOD IDEAS LIVE HERE 

@neurobrand_bh 

neurobrandbahrain www.neurobrand.me +973 777 88 111 

Neurobrand is a full-service creative agency based in Bahrain that focuses on building intelligent Feb brands - Mar within 2016 the GCC. 

87

Biz Dashboard 

Production of Crude Oil (US Barrels Thousand) 

80,000 

70,000 

60,000 

50,000 

40,000 

30,000 

20,000 

10,000 

0 

69,452 

63,302 

72,123 

73,882 

16,666 

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Q1 

Production of Refined Oil (US Barrels Thousands) 

120,000 

100,000 

80,000 

96,026 

101,103 

99,960 

100,233 

60,000 

40,000 

20,000 

0 

25,706 

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Q1 

Market Share for PR Coverage 

CBB 

NBB 

BBK 

BISB 

GFH 

OTHERS 

60% 

13% 

8% 

Banking 

6% 

8% 

5% 

8% 

12% 

21% 

Telecom 

42% 

BATELCO 

ZAIN 

VIVA 

MenaTelecom 

TRA 

17% 


Production of Petrochemicals (Thousand Metric Tonnes) 

1,800 

1,600 

1,400 

0 

1,200 

0 

1,000 

800 

600 

0 

400 

200 

0 

0 

1,575 

1,454 

1,594 

1,600 

355 

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Q1 

Production of Gas (Million Cubic Feet-MMCF) 

800,000 

700,000 

600,000 

500,000 

400,000 

552,118 

542,543 697,474 

728,425 

300,000 

200,000 

100,000 

165,705 

0 

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Q1 

Source: Central Bank of Bahrain-Economic Indicators 

Diyar 

Bahrain Bay 

BCC 

Seef Properties 

Sheraton 

Others 

12% 

6% 

9% 

11% 

9% 

Real 

Estate 

53% 

9% 

17% 

11% 8% 

Other 

Business 

21% 

8% 

26% 

Gulf Air 

BAC 

ALBA 

GPIC 

E.K. Kanoo 

Euro Motors 

Bin Hindi 


89 

bizbahrain.com - Web Portal Overview as on 31st January, 2016 Total Articles (8,246) Total Views (192,745) Total Clicks (46,374,283)

Tweets on Biz 

203 

Total Tweets 

66K 

Tweet Impressions 

2324 

Profile Visits 

2748 

bizbahrain 

Followers Stats for the month of January 2016 


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91

Biz Scene 


International 

Airshow 2016 

Gulf Industry 

Fair 2016 



International 

Garden show 

2016 

EK Kanoo 

launch new 

Toyota Prius 

Hybrid in 



93

If you have anything to say about business in Bahrain your letters 

will be posted in this section of the magazine. Please email us on 

info@bizbahrain.com 

LETTERS & 

COMMENTS 

I am happy to see bizbahrain in many places around the city, and 

to see the range of business news, features and people that you 

cover. It is very exciting to know that we have so much going on. I 

represent a small group of entrepreneurs who would love to work 

with you on highlighting the dynamic entrepreneurial work done 

by many young people in Bahrain. Please let me know if you have 

any ideas and thoughts about this. 

- Diana 

The Bahrain 

International Air Show 

is truly something to be 

proud of. It was good to 

see your coverage of the 

event. 

Your biz highlights 

section is very useful. 

I caught up with many 

happenings in Bahrain 

and all over the world 

that I didn’t know about. 

Enjoyed reading 

bizbahrain on my long 

Gulf Air flight to London! 

Good reading 

- Mariam 

- Salman - Emma 

Your interview with 

Bahrain Bay CEO Gagan 

Suri made good reading. 

Its good to know that 

Bahrain attracts the best 

professionals from all 

over. 

Your cover story about Aviation in Bahrain 

was very interesting. 

Bahrain has a long history and many 

records for being the first in the region. 

- Mark 

- Ebtesam 


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95 

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Biz Bahrain Feb 2016

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