private sector qatar - november 2012 | english

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Qatar's first of it's kind business incubator

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

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

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

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

المقيمين في قطر، ضيافة ورحابة تخلد في ذاكرتهم.

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

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

24 JUST GO AHEAD AND DO IT!Tamara Pupic got talking with Abdulaziz M. Aldelaimi, CEO and Managing Director, National Petroleum Services Group, on how he managed to successfully face the group’s fiercest competition.

Success story

28 SHARE THE BENEFITSKamel Fathi Fayed, Financial Controller, QDB, gives details about Islamic finance and explains why it can be considered as a solution for the current financial crisis.

Finance

32 GOING GlOBAlPrivate Sector Qatar thought it would be a good idea to check with the organisers of the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) in Qatar how this event will add value to the already existing initiatives in Qatar.

Entrepreneur

Qatar Business Incubator

contentSNovember 2012

18

16

About town

14 POwER TO wOmEN!The empowerment of women population was underscored for the third time at the Qatar International Businesswomen Forum organised by the Qatari Business Women Association in collaboration with Interactive Business Network (IBN). Private Sector Qatar brings you an insider’s view of this high-profile event.

16 FORGE A lINKSILA Angel Investment Network Launch Dinner took place on the evening of 16th October 2012 at the Four Seasons Hotel, Doha. Private Sector Qatar was there to support this Silatech’s initiative and to bring you coverage of the whole evening.

18 THE FIRST OF ITS KINDThe Stakeholder’s Workshop for Qatar Busi-ness Incubator (QBI) was organised by Qatar Development Bank and Social Development Centre to discuss how business incubator can help entrepreneurs and SMEs. Private Sector Qatar shares with you the main conclusions from the very constructive group discussions.

Business growth

22 SNAPSHOTSWe bring you snapshots from the workshop held at the Al Sharq Village, Doha.

12 lOOK NO FURTHER!Private Sector Qatar was at GITEX, which took place from 14th to 18th October 2012, to bring you a snapshot of the event and the experience of Login4IT.com, a Qatari company, which showcased its Website at the event.

About town

34 PICTURE QATAR!A good picture says more than a thousand words and can substantially improve your business image. Aparna Shivpuri Arya met up with Razan Suliman, Founder and CEO, BYLENS, to collect advice on entrepreneurship from this artistic Qatari businesswoman.

34

54

24

Investment42 PlAN A, PlAN B AND PlAN C The Women Investing in the Stock Market programme was completed in early October 2012 in Doha and resulted in increased investment skills of many Qatari women. Marzena Hallam, Founder and CEO, Mibx, shares with us her experience with young Qatari women who demonstrated the right techniques and mental attitude to manage their investment activities in the future.

TASDEER48 SERVICES We provide you with details on TASDEER’s export development and promotion services.

Legal38 DON’T JUmP THE FENCEUpon its accession to the WTO, Qatar adopted several intellectual property laws to comply with its standards. Malik Al Kammaz, Country Manager, Saba & Co Intellectual Property – Qatar, provides an overview of the Law No. (17) of 2011 on the Border Measures for the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights.

49 A BIG STEP FORwARD TASDEER is supporting participation of Qatari exporters in the Dubai Big 5 Exhibition, to be held from 5th to 8th November 2012 in Dubai.

50 lEARN HOw!After reading TASDEER’s analysis of export opportunities for one particular product you will learn how to plan export of your products.

52 GOING EVEN FURTHERMajid Siddiqui, Business Developemnt Manager, QPAC, explains how TASDEER is supporting them in exploring new attractive markets and further diversifying their products offering.

54 TARGET: TUNISIA!It is important for exporters to critically evaluate a market from an export perspective. TASDEER highlights Tunisia as an attractive market for Qatari exporters.

qatar.smetoolkit.org/qatar/en

To succeed in anything is all about putting the pieces together. And that’s the theme of our November issue- to help entrepreneurs get the building blocks right.

An important step in that direction was taken at the launch of Qatar Business Incubator- the first of its kind in Qatar, where all the institutions came together to brainstorm and discuss the relevant issues. This incubator will be a one-stop-shop for entrepreneurs in Qatar to get a strong foundation. We’ll keep

you posted on the latest developments in this regard.

Besides the launch of the incubator, we were also there for the Third Qatar International Businesswomen Forum, which highlighted the role of women entrepreneurs and offered a very good opportunity to network and to learn from the best in the region. The forum also witnessed the launch of SILA Angel Investment Network.

And as always we bring some very interesting stories, starting with BYLENS, which is the first Qatari-themed photo library, followed up by a chat with the CEO of National Petroleum Services.

We also highlight some important issues dealing with intellectual property rights and Islamic finance. And last but not the least, TASDEER gives us some valuable insights into the world of exports.

These are exciting times for entrepreneurs, with so much going on at all fronts.

We hope you’ll enjoy reading this issue. We’ll be in Doha for the Global Entrepreneurship Week and hope to see some of you there.

Till then,

eDItorIAl

Solving the puzzle...

Aparna Shivpuri Arya, Senior Editor, Private Sector Qatar

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

qatar.smetoolkit.org/qatar/en

Publisherdominic de sousa

Group COOnadeem Hood

Managing Directorrichard Judd

[email protected] +971 4 440 9126

EDITORIAL

Senior Editoraparna shivpuri arya

[email protected] +971 440 9133

Assistant Editor - Englishtamara Pupic


Contributing EditorsMike byrne


ADVERTISING

Commercial Directorchris stevenson


CIRCULATION

Database and Circulation Managerrajeesh M


OPERATIONS AND DESIGN

Production ManagerJames P tharian


Head of Designfahed sabbagh


PhotographerJay colina


DIGITAL SERVICESwww.smeadvisor.com

Digital Services Managertristan troy Maagma

Web DevelopersJerus king bation

erik brionesJefferson de Joya

Louie alma


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© copyright 2012 cPiall rights reserved

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

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

QDB BriDgeD the gap to starting my own Business through aL Dhameen.

Do you have a promising business or new business idea? But do you also have trouble finding the funding that you need? Ask us about Al Dhameen Indirect Lending Program from QDB. We will guarantee up to 85% of your business loan*, leaving you free to focus on developing your business. Click on www.qdb.qa or visit one of our partners listed below.

* Guarantees of up to 85% are for new businesses. Exiting businesses can get guarantees of up to 75%. Terms and Conditions apply.

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

Abdulaziz N. Al-Khalifa

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

Raed Al-Emadi

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

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

George M. White, Ph.D.

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

Hamad Mohammed Al-Kuwari

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

Ms. Amal Al-Mannai

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

Hamad Al Abdan Al-Marri

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

Professor Nitham M. Hindi

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

Gail Gosse

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

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The global economic outlook looks

more downbeat as major world economies

struggle with low real GDP growth. However,

prospects for the MENA region have

strengthened due to higher oil prices and

increased government spending, according

to a QNB Group review of the IMF’s October

2012 World Economic Outlook, released on

the occasion of the annual IMF meeting held

in Tokyo.

Global real GDP growth has been revised

downwards to 3.3% in 2012 and to 3.6%

in 2013. The growth outlook for the global

economy has deteriorated as the recovery in

the 35 advanced economies has remained

weaker than expected. As advanced

economies account for 51.1% of global GDP,

this has caused a major drag on the world

economy.

GDP growth for the advanced economies

has been cut by 0.5% to 1.5% in 2013.

The main factors holding growth back in

advanced economies is the implementation

of austere fiscal policies to reduce deficits.

The IMF has warned these austere measures

could impact sustainable long term growth.

Another key factor is the weak loan growth

disbursed through the banking system due

to risk awareness, despite an accommodative

monetary policy that supports growth.

The US is now forecast to a reduced

growth of 2.1% in 2013 due to both

external and domestic risks. External risks are

mainly posed by spillovers from the Eurozone

debt, while domestic risks emerge from a

much larger fiscal contraction, as budget

cuts and end of tax holidays come into

play in early 2013. A deterioration of the

US economy has a wide ranging impact on

global investor confidence and raises the risk

aversion at a global level.

neWS

MENA prospects strengthen

Qatar exports of Woven Sacks (2007-2011), QR Mn

Real GDP Forecasts (2012-13) MENA Real GDP Growth (2012-13)

Breakdown of Qatar exports of Woven Sacks by country of destination (2010), in QR Mn

Total = QR 18.8 Mn

Saudi Arabia 36%

2007

11.2

4.0

7.3

18.8

35.0

2008 2009 2010

CAGR = 12

0%

2011

China

India

Brazil

World

US

Japan

UK

Germany

United Arab Emirates 31%

Sudan 22%

Somalia 6%Others 5%

Breakdown of Woven Sacks imports of World (2010), in QR Mn

Total = QR 19,279 Mn

Europe 59%

US 11%

GCC 1%

GAFTA 3%Others 26%

MENA

MENAOil Importers

MENAOil Exporters

GCC

2012

5.33.6(-0.2)

(+1.1)7.88.2(-0.2)

(-0.2)

4.96.0(-0.6)

(-1.3)

1.54.0(-0.7)

(-1.0)

3.33.6(-0.3)

(-0.2)

2.22.1(-0.1)

(+0.1)

2.21.2(-0.3)

(-0.2)

(-0.6)1.1(-0.3)

-0.4

0.90.9(-0.5)

1.23.3(-0.3)

(-1.0)

6.63.8(+0.1)

(+1.8)

5.23.3(-0.1)

(+0.5)

1.31.5(-0.5)

(-0.1)2013

20122013

(+/-) Revision from July 2012


Source: IMF and QNB Group analysis


AdvancedEconomies

(0.0)




Total = QR 18.8 Mn

Saudi Arabia 36%

2007

11.2

4.0

7.3

18.8

35.0

2008 2009 2010

CAGR = 12

0%

2011

China

India

Brazil

World

US

Japan

UK

Germany


Sudan 22%

Somalia 6%Others 5%



Europe 59%

US 11%

GCC 1%

GAFTA 3%Others 26%

MENA

MENAOil Importers

MENAOil Exporters

GCC

2012

5.33.6(-0.2)

(+1.1)7.88.2(-0.2)

(-0.2)

4.96.0(-0.6)

(-1.3)

1.54.0(-0.7)

(-1.0)

3.33.6(-0.3)

(-0.2)

2.22.1(-0.1)

(+0.1)

2.21.2(-0.3)

(-0.2)

(-0.6)1.1(-0.3)

-0.4

0.90.9(-0.5)

1.23.3(-0.3)

(-1.0)

6.63.8(+0.1)

(+1.8)

5.23.3(-0.1)

(+0.5)

1.31.5(-0.5)

(-0.1)2013

20122013





AdvancedEconomies

(0.0)

The second engine for global growth

comes from developing Asia, which accounts

for 25.0% of global GDP. The growth

forecast for developing Asia has also been

reduced by 0.3% to 7.2% in 2013 owing to

weaker external demand and concerns on

domestic demand in China.

Meanwhile, growth prospects for the

MENA region have strengthened with a

forecast growth of 5.3% in 2012 and 3.6%

in 2013.

Growth in the MENA region is

two-dimensional – with a clear distinction

between oil exporters and importers. The

gap in the growth outlook between them

has widened. While growth prospects

for oil exporters have improved to 6.6%

in 2012 (up from 4.8% in the April 2012

forecast), the prospects for oil importers

have substantially declined to 1.2% in 2012

(down from 2.2% in the April 2012 forecast).

Higher oil prices and increased government

spending have been the key differentiating

factor that has brightened the growth

prospects for oil exporting countries. The

outlook for oil importing countries remains

subdued as political turmoil and change have

led to declining economic activity.

Looking at oil prices based on the futures

market, the IMF has revised downwards

its oil price assumptions to USD 106.2/b in

2012 and USD105.1/b in 2013, from USD

114.7/b and USD110.0/b respectively in the

April 2012 forecast. Supply increases from

Saudi Arabia and the US and the worsening

outlook for global growth, and hence oil

demand, have led to lower expectations for

oil prices. Further downside risks to oil prices

are posed through weak demand from Asia

and Europe according to QNB Group.

10 november 2012

Euromoney Conferences, the events arm of

Euromoney Institutional Investor plc (ERM.L),

announced on 8th October 2012 a partnership

with Qatar to develop a series of live events and

related initiatives covering the development of

the new global financial architecture.

Euromoney will bring its editorial expertise,

financial focus and global network to Doha

to work with Qatari government and private

institutions to influence the debate on the

evolution of global finance.

The first event in this three-year project will

be the Euromoney Qatar Conference, under

the theme “Global Finance: Re-Designed” to

be held at The Ritz-Carlton in Doha on 11th and

12th December 2012. It will be supported by an

extensive online presence.

At the first event, experts from around the world

will discuss the global financial crisis and the new

global economic pressures and opportunities facing

dynamic high-growth nations like Qatar. The Qatar

Central Bank, under the patronage of HE Sheikh

Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani, Prime Minister

and Minister of Foreign Affairs, has been the driving

force behind this initiative and has mobilised much

of Qatar’s financial community to contribute and

take part alongside their international counterparts.

The Euromoney Qatar Conference is co-hosted

by Qatar Central Bank, with senior lead sponsor

Qatar National Bank, lead sponsors Commercial

Bank of Qatar and International Bank of Qatar,

co-sponsor Qatar Islamic Bank, and associate

sponsor Qatar First Investment Bank.

Euromoney’s Regional Director, Richard Banks,

said, “We’re very excited about this, our first

large-scale project with Qatar. We know that

with the close support of the government and

the Central Bank we can add a great deal not

only to the debate on the future of global finance

but also to the development of Qatar both as a

financial market and as a global investor.”

neWS

Euromoney partners with Qatar

Save the date!Date Event Locationnovember - December Job Shadowing Programme bedaya centre

2 - 3 november India Property & Investment exposition Qatar national convention centre

5 - 8 november Dubai big 5 exhibition Dubai

5 - 14 november build your business Plan katara building 22

6 november exporta's middle east capital markets conference Doha

6 - 8 november energy Qatar Doha exhibition center

11 november 2nd Sunday networking event crown Plaza hotel, Doha

11 - 13 november 5th Annual bridges middle east the ritz-carlton hotel

11 - 14 november Qmoney Doha exhibition center

11 - 17 november global entrepreneurship Week Doha

12 - 15 november IconIP2012 Doha

13 - 15 november World Innovation Summit For education (WISe) Qatar chamber

25 november - 8 December united nations Framework convention on climate change Doha

1 - 6 December Qatar health 2012 Doha

4 - 8 December World Petroleum congress and exhibition Qatar national convention centre

9 -12 December menA gas Processing Summit 2012 oryx rotana hotel

9 December 2nd Sunday networking event katara building 22

10 - 11 December hSe in construction Qatar crowne Plaza Doha-the business Park Doha

10 - 11 December Doha goal Forum Aspire zone

11 - 12 December euromoney Qatar conference Doha

4 - 14 January 2013 2013 IglP Workshop Doha

7 - 9 January 2013 World congress on engineering education 2013 (Wcee 2013) Doha

13 - 15 January 2013 World gtl congress St regis hotel Doha

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

31 January – 2 February 2013 Forum mobile Phone – Ict Qatar Doha

NovEmBER 2012JANuARy 2013

11november 2012

About toWn

GITEX Technology Week is the

Middle East, Africa and South

Asia’s largest and most specialised

ICT trade event. Now in its 32nd edition,

GITEX featured more than 18,000 regional

C-level executives and more than 3,500

international technology companies.

This year, GITEX saw an increase of 23% in

exhibitors from countries like Algeria, Egypt,

Libya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa.

Strong trade delegations were also present from

countries like Zambia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda,

Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Lesotho, Tunisia,

Algeria and Morocco.

The first day of the event witness the launch

of e-services across the government entities.

During the following days, GITEX dealt with the

latest developments and threats posed in the

field of cyber security, including recent energy

sector attacks in the region, wireless security and

mobility threats.

In addition to networking with the top

regional and international industry brands,

visitors had access to upcoming technologies

including mobile wallets and ticketing, smart

TVs, 4G enabled phones, new-to-market

tablets and much more.

Qatar’s presence at GITEX was marked by

Login4IT.com, which is an online IT yellow pages,

for right information on companies, brands,

products and dealers.

Login4IT.com is the only IT-centric job portal

in the region and gives the option to search

and choose the best IT jobs. Apart from all the

right IT information and jobs, one can also find

latest IT news, blogs, forums, directories, events,

certifications and much more.

Login4IT.com is part of the Zain Sheen Website

Developers, which started operation in Qatar in

2011. It is an SME which provides cost-effective

e-commerce solutions to companies in Qatar.

GITEX Technology Week, which was held in Dubai from 14th to 18th October, 2012, provided a

platform to know about the various advancements in technology in the region. Private Sector

Qatar was there and brings you a snapshot of the event and the experience of Login4IT.com, a

Qatari company, which showcased its Website at GITEX.

Luthfi Ahmed, Business Development Manager, said that his experience has been very good at GITEX, “We have got a very good response and a lot of trade visitors. And more than quantity, we are happy that we got to meet some quality customers. We hope to build on these connections.”

Talking about the genesis of this Website, Luthfi explained that for a long time he felt that there was a need for such a portal in Qatar, which would cater to all the needs of IT professionals.

He has been working on this Website for a year and a half and officially launched it in GITEX. It’ll be a one-stop shop for IT professionals in Qatar.

GITEX Technology Week wrapped up on the 18th October after five days of exciting discussions, innovations and an opportunity to get to know the latest from the experts in the field.

Look no further!

12 november 2012

Partnership opportunitiesPrivate Sector (Al kitaa Al khass) is an Arabic and english magazine, presented and supported by Qatar Development bank (QDb) and published by cPI. It is aimed at business owners and senior executives in the private sector in Qatar. Armed with practical advice, it highlights key issues for the business community.

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

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

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

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

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

During the first day’s opening

session, delegates heard the

thoughts of H.E. Yousef Hussain

Kamal, Minister of Economy and Finance in

Qatar; Aisha Al Fardan, Vice Chairwoman

of the Qatari Businesswomen Association;

Raed Chehaib, CEO, Interactive Business

Network – Qatar; Wael Sawan, Executive

Vice President and Country Chairman,

Qatar Shell; and Barton Cahir, President and

General Manager, Exxon Mobil – Qatar.

This was followed by the honouring of the

following personalities:

• H.E. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al

Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign

Affairs in Qatar.

• H.E. Yousef Hussain Kamal, Minister of

Economy and Finance in Qatar

• H.E. Reem Badran, Member of Parliament,

Second Vice Chairman, Amman Chamber of

Commerce, Jordan

• Dr. Saad Al Barrak, Chairman, ILA Group,

Kuwait

• H.E. Fatima Al Jaber, the Chairman of the

Emirates Businesswomen Council, UAE

• Dr. Hayat Nazar, Director of the Al Noor

Institute, Qatar

Uniqueness of the forum’s agenda was that the

main sessions were combined with the sessions

titled “Is Having it All’ Possible for Women? – How

I Did It”. Through these sessions the following

successful women addressed the question whether

businesswomen can have it all by combining

career, marriage, children, success and happiness:

• Clare Harris, Vice President Gas Development,

Technical, Shell – Qatar

• Dr. Basmah Mosleh Omair, Executive Director

of AlSayeda Khadijah Bint Khouwailid

Businesswomen/Lobbying Centre, Jeddah

Chamber of Commerce and Industry, KSA

Power to women!

About toWn

Under the kind patronage of H.E. Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al Thani, Prime Minister and

Minister of Foreign Affairs in Qatar, the Third Qatar International Businesswomen Forum

(QIBF) was inaugurated by H.E. Yousef Hussain Kamal, the Minister of Economy and Finance in

Qatar. Private Sector Qatar was there to bring you highlights from this impressive event which

took place on 15th and 16th October 2012 at the St. Regis Hotel, Doha.

• Dana Al Hammadi, Loyalty Programme

Manager, Etisalat, UAE

• Dr. Sabah Abdel Rasoul Al Tamimi, Baghdad,

Provincial Council Member - Iraq

• Dr. Hayat Nazar, Director, Al Noor Institute

Each of them conveyed their personal experience

and proved that women can have it all.

The session “Prospects for the Arab Economies

in the Aftermath of Political Change”, which was

the main topic of the forum, examined the effect

that the Arab revolutions have had on economic

growth in the region, inter-Arab economic relations,

and the ramifications of regime change to the pace

of economic reform. During the session, one of the

speakers HE Reem Badran, Member of Parliament,

Second Vice Chairman, Amman Chamber of

Commerce, Jordan, stated that the Arab spring

has brought achievement of only few goals for

women even though they played an important

role in the revolutions. She further supported that

14 november 2012

About toWn

point by saying that only modest presentation of

women is still present in government authorities and

Parliaments across the region. For that reason, she

encouraged amendments of various laws to allow

greater participation of women within the political

systems in the region.

A very interesting discussion took place

during the session “Women Entrepreneurs” as

the speakers and the audience tried to define

what attributes make a successful entrepreneur

and do businesswomen have them? Speaking

about overcoming obstacles and constraints to

be a successful entrepreneure, Sheikha Mayes Al

Thani, Director of Administration & HR, Silatech

– Qatar, explained, “Access to information and

knowing how to collect data is very important

for startups. In addition, and opposite to the

usual belief, I would say that for startups

mentorship programmes are as important as

obtaining finance.”

On the importance of believing in yourself

and planning your future success, Dr. Maryam

Matar, Founder & Chairperson, UAE Genetic

Diseases Association, was kind enough to share

with the audience that back in 1999 she had

made her career plan till 2030 which includes

being a Nobel Prize winner in 2022. The

audience warmly applauded her.

The discussions and workshops which took

place on 16th October 2012 addressed the

following topics:

• Businesswomen and Corporate Social

Responsibility

• Discussion on Investment and Asset

Management Decisions Under Conditions of

Economic Uncertainty

• The Role of NGOs in Empowering Arab

Women – A Continuing Assessment

• The Use of Social Networking as a

Business Tool

• The Promise of Leadership and the Role of

Businesswomen.

Aisha Alfardan, Vice Chairwoman, Qatari

Businesswomen Association, said about the forum,

“The main message we wanted to give to the

female attendees in general was – You can do it!

You can make progress in what is still a male-

dominated business environment! I think we have

succeeded in doing that for two reasons. Firstly, the

speakers at the event come from the very top of

their professions, and therefore know exactly what

they are talking about. Secondly, and this was

highlighted to me many times over the last two

days, was the real appetite, ambition and thirst for

learning shown by our female delegates. The face

of Qatar is changing, and women are playing an

increasingly important role in that change.”

ICT Workshop

Running parallel to the main events was the

ICT Investment Opportunities Workshop during

which ictQATAR discussed the investment

opportunities for women in the following fields –

cyber-security, digital content, digital advertising,

healthcare applications, ICT training and

education, and e-commerce. In all of the above

discussions, moderation and contribution came

from experts within their respective fields.

Speakers Corner

On the sidelines of the forum on both

days, the British Council, which manages

the “Springboard” women’s development

programme in Qatar, sponsored a “Speakers

Corner”. The idea was to additionally invite

speakers from Qatar and the region to discuss

topics of interest to women, with the aim

of engaging participants in dynamic side

conversations.

After two very dynamic and successful days,

Aisha Alfardan, Vice Chairwoman, Qatari

Businesswomen Association, summarised the

key recommendations which came out from the

event as follows:

• Extend the working domains for women

including the energy sector, and provide

more opportunities for them to be involved

in different areas according to United Nations

promises of equality.

• Emphasis on the empowerment and training

of women in order to develop small companies

and motivate them to compete.

• Establish an investment fund in the Arab

countries to support youth and women, with

a priority to project finance, which depends on

strategies and economic feasibility.

• Invite companies of the private sector to follow

up on strengthening the idea of corporate

social responsibility in the Arab world, to

achieve a permanent development with a

financial return in the future.

• Create awareness among the community

about the woman’s role and her contribution

in facing challenges through the political and

commercial crisis.

• Achieve diversity for investments; small

and medium projects, real estate sectors,

health care, governmental bonds for GCC,

investments at emerging countries, and

providing best experiences and foundations for

investment management.

• Constant cooperation between Arab countries

to serve social projects and enriches women’s

productivity in all sectors.

• Support the idea of establishing an Arab

bank to enforce productive projects for

Arab women.

The two-day forum attracted a roster of high

calibre speakers, reflecting the importance of the

event which has been built on the success of the

preceding forums in 2010 and 2011. In addition to

the keynote speakers, VIP attendees, distinguished

businesswomen and businessmen, and more than

800 delegates took part in the QIBF 2012.

15november 2012

About toWn

Silatech, a social initiative based in

Qatar, was founded in 2008 by Her

Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser,

with an aim to promote large-scale job

creation, entrepreneurship, access to capital

and markets, and the participation and

engagement of young people in economic

and social development.

Through SILA, which means “connection” in

Arabic, Silatech is aiming to grow the Qatari startup

sector into a vibrant enterprise culture to boost the

success rate of early stage new businesses. That will

be done by filling an identified startup equity gap,

as entrepreneurs in Qatar find it difficult to obtain

funding for their business ideas.

“Qatar is the leader in several initiatives around

the world. It can also lead in filling this gap. Qatar

can be a hub for investing,” said Dr Tarik M

Yousef, CEO, Silatech. He explained that majority

of young entrepreneurs have excellent business

plans but do not have an investor. Therefore, SILA

can be an ideal network to support them.

The event included short presentations

from inspiring entrepreneurs, interviews with

international business leaders and some of the

influential investors in the Middle East. The

following six entrepreneurs, first to be selected

within the SILA network, gave presentations of

their business ideas to a panel of investors:

• Ala Suleiman, Founder and CEO,

Masmoo3, Jordan

• Dr. Hesham El Gamal, Co-Founder and

President, Inmobly, Egypt

• Layla and Sarah Al Dorani, Co-Founders,

Raw ME, Qatar

Forge a linkOn the evening of 16th October 2012, Silatech launched SILA, an

initiative aimed at transforming the startup ecosystem in Qatar

by forging closer ties between investors and entrepreneurs, at the

SILA Angel Investment Network Launch Dinner which took

place at the Four Seasons Hotel, Doha. Private Sector Qatar

engaged in live streaming of the event via Twitter and also brings

you coverage of the whole evening.

• Dr. Tarik Taleb, Founder and CTO, MulKom

Corporation

• Dr. Yahya Al-Salqan, Founder, Qatar

Mobile Banking, Palestine

• Ziad Sankari, Founder, Cardiodiagnostics,

Lebanon

In addition to Silatech, the new angel investment

network is launched in partnership with Qatar

Development Bank (QDB), Bedaya Center for

Entrepreneurship and Career Development and

Enterprise Qatar (EQ). The idea of an angel investor

originates from NYC Broadway theatre, where

wealthy individuals would provide funds to aspiring

directors for theatrical products. In business today,

an angel investor is someone who is motivated

by a combination of return on investment and by

a sense of responsibility to contribute to his / hers

community or country.

Attendance of the event was by invitation

only and many prominent figures from Qatar’s

government, business, academia and NGO

circles, were present. The event’s programme was

followed by a networking dinner.

SILA will continue to host entrepreneur

seminars, angel investor trainings, business

networking mixers and innovation forums.

Potential angel investors or entrepreneurs

interested in participating should contact SILA

directly at www.silanetwork.com.

16 november 2012

http://www.PrivateSectorQatar.com/en

valuable business advice that will help develop your business.

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

buSIneSS groWth

The Stakeholder’s Workshop for Qatar Business Incubator (QBI) was held

on 8th October 2012 at the Al Sharq

Village, Doha, with the objective to:

• Enhance survival rate and sustainability of

local startup SMEs and to further utilise the

developed know-how, to support Qatar’s

private sector.

• Build competitiveness of SMEs by

strengthening the value chains through

horizontal, vertical and clustered linkages.

• Promote efficient and best business practices

that lead to sustainable business eco-system.

• Provide outreach programmes to raise

awareness and attract all potential

entrepreneurs.

Business incubation is one of the several

economic-development tools and strategies

that support the growth of private sector

enterprises and, thus, can assist in Qatar’s

national development and the achievement of

Qatar Development Bank (QDB) and Social Development Centre (SDC), member of Qatar

Foundation, with the support of CREEDA Projects Ltd, Australia (CREEDA), organised the

Stakeholder’s Workshop for Qatar Business Incubator (QBI), a first of its kind project in Qatar

whose implementation will lead to a sustainable business eco-system. Private Sector Qatar brings

to you the main conclusions from very constructive group discussions.

the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030.

The process for the development of QBI requires

extensive stakeholder engagement, of both the

public and private sectors, to ensure it is properly

suited to the local environment and culture.

The programme of the event started with

introductory presentations and progressed on the

basis of an agenda developed by international

consultants Julian Webb and Steve Giddings,

CREEDA Projects. After their introductory

18 november 2012

buSIneSS groWth

presentation, the participants were devided

into working groups to initiate discussion on

four important issues – growth entrepreneurs,

market opportunities, business ecosystem and

technology.

Introductory presentations were given by:

• Ms. Amna Al-Sultan, Business Counselor, QDB

• Mr. Julian Webb, CREEDA Projects

• Mr. Steve Giddings, CREEDA Projects

In his opening speech, Abdulaziz Al Khalifa,

Executive Director, Strategic Planning and

Control, QDB, said, “It gives me great pleasure

to welcome you all today at our Stakeholder’s

Workshop for Qatar Business Incubator

as participants from different segments of

entrepreneurship ecosystem in Qatar. QBI is a first

of its kind in terms of general use of an incubator

and the first of its kind project which comes just

in time to promote the local economy.”

He further added, “Both, QDB and SDC see

this project as the project of national interest

and completely aligned with Qatar National

Vision 2030. We didn’t want to develop

QBI alone and this is why we tried our best

to engage and discuss with all prominent

institutions. QDB and SDC have made serious

steps in making QBI a reality and we cannot

continue doing this without your support

and help through your serious and active

engagement.”

After the welcome speech, Amna Al-Sultan,

Business Counselor, QDB, explained that

QDB and SDC are creating a state-of-the-art

incubation centre which is first of its kind in

terms of the number of people it will support

and in terms of the number of services it will

provide. QBI supports local entrepreneurs

for national development projects. Having

said that, Amna provided an overview of the

project’s development and stated that, since

the preliminary business plan was developed in

2011, QBI project has already reached few of

its milestones, and added, “In 2012, QBI Joint

Venture Company was formed between QDB

and SDC.”

QBI will be established at two different

locations - Al-Bidaa Park and the Industrial

Area. Through this, it will provide for increased

accessibility and cater to the different needs of

targeted clients. Talking about targeted clients

Amna clarified, “QBI is aimed for all Qatar

based entrepreneurs who have an idea to

establish a business or are in the initial phase of

setting it up.”

Amna’s presentation was followed by the

presentation of Julian Webb, CREEDA Projects,

who highlighted the benefits of the business

incubation and explained that most of the

new businesses don’t succeed, but 80% of

incubator’s clients don’t fail. Going forward,

Julian said, “Business incubation is a public

and/or private, entrepreneurial, economic and

social development process designed to nurture

businesses from idea generation to startup,

through a comprehensive business support

programme to help them establish and accelerate

their growth and success.”

The QBI project relates to establishing a

physical space or facility that accommodates a

business incubation process which is the most

important segment of the project. Namely, Julian

explained that stages of the business incubation

start with raising awareness among stakeholders

and the whole society on the need to support

startups through business incubation. In the next,

pre-incubation stage potential startups are being

selected on the basis of their idea. The value of

the idea allows them to enter the incubation

process by starting up the company and

developing its profitability. In the last stage, which

includes their integration within post-incubation

parks, the startups reach maturity and prepare for

an autonomous path.

Working group on growth entrepreneurs

The growth entrepreneur session focused on

identifying factors which impede the growth of

entrepreneurs in Qatar. To begin with, it is difficult

to establish a company in Qatar as a minimum

account balance of QR 200,000 is required.

Secondly, there is absence of non-equity funding

and seed capital. One of the participants also

highlighted that the legal structure in Qatar is

very complicated for entrepreneurs and that the

sponsors should guide and support them.

Keeping all this in view, the group identified

three sectors – engineering, education

and customer service, which offer growth

opportunities to the locals. However, to take full

advantage of these opportunities, the Qataris

would need the following identified enablers:

• The possibility of having a special economic

zone (SEZ)

• An A to Z guide on the company registration

process in Qatar

• Access to angel investment

• Coordination between all business support

organisations

• Support to commercialise an innovation into a

commercial product

19november 2012

buSIneSS groWth

• Guidance on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)

• Help build trust for Qatari products in the market

Working group on market opportunities

The second session dealt with the issue of

market opportunities. The first point highlighted

was that the main features of a market

opportunity are feasibility, accessibility and

viability. However, due to a small market, startup

and SMEs in Qatar face difficulties in scaling

even a good opportunity.

Participants suggested that the first solution

could be in expansion of the local content

requirement during procurement procedures

to SMEs and introduction of the rules on

import substitution. In addition, startups and

SMEs would benefit from support to compete

internationally, especially in IT and services

sectors which were identified as advantageous.

The second solution can be found through

cooperation with the private sector, which can

help through supply chain intervention. Since

Qatar is a small market, and even though a

lot of opportunities exist, the competition is

very high leading to a price war. Therefore,

concentrated efforts need to be made to not

only find an area that offers opportunity but also

to help entrepreneurs with the marketing and

financial aspect of it.

Important point raised related to whether the

entrepreneurs should identify the opportunity

themselves or QBI should be the place to offer

that kind of support. Since opportunities lie

in areas where higher skills are needed which

makes them highly niche opportunities, the

entrepreneurs would benefit from assistance in

this regard.

Working group on business ecosystem

A long list of stakeholders to be involved with QBI

and the list of issues to be improved, developed

by this working group, is one of the most

valuable contributions of the event to the QBI

project. Furthermore, the group jointly presented

few gaps which need to be addressed:

• Creation of a roadmap for entrepreneurs

to guide them in cases they need help for a

certain issue

• Subsidisation of quality professional advice

• Provision of incentives for local and foreign

companies to integrate entrepreneurs in their

value and supply chains

• Establishment of a single window for licenses

and clearance procedures for entrepreneurs

A substantial part of the discussion focused on

quality market research data. It was concluded

that updated and comprehensive data about the

market and existing SMEs which would facilitate

market intelligence. In addition, the entrepreneurs

would benefit from collecting useful data versus

pure statistics. Iqbal Kaundal, Head of Advisory,

QDB, illustrated the importance of possessing

correct and useful information with an example

from QDB’s work with clients, “It happens that

cost of machinery is not an issue, but information

about which machinery to procure for a certain

type of business is an issue.”

Shareefa Fadhel, Co-Founder and Managing

Director, Roudha Center for Entrepreneurship and

Innovation, also shared her experience stating,

“In the Roudha Centre we have two employees

for whom we cannot submit application for

gratuity since according to the current legal

framework in Qatar, SMEs are not eligible for

filing pension application for its employees. This

could be one explanation why many Qataris

preserve public sector jobs even after establishing

their own startups.”

Inspired by this, group members discussed

various policy restrictions and concluded that

regular meetings are needed in order to jointly

identify them all out and seek for possible

solutions.

Working group on technology

Within this working group participants shared

opinions on how QBI can facilitate access to

good and cost-effective technology. In addition

to the support provided through linking the

entrepreneurs with supply chains to gain more

opportunities, they would benefit from advice

on how to use technology (cloud computing,

social media and similar) to increase production

and profits.

The main point of the discussion was that

facilitating transfer of good technology is

necessary also for entrepreneurs and not only

for large enterprises. That would increase their

productivity and profits.

The workshop brought together

entrepreneurs, representatives of SMEs and large

corporations, banks, government institutions and

the NGO sector, to present and exchange their

views on business incubator and how it can help

entrepreneurs and SMEs. The content generated

from the workshop will be used to design and

develop QBI business strategy and model and to

guide implementation and business planning.

20 november 2012

21november 2012

SnAPShotS

Amna Al-Sultan, Business Counselor, QDB,talks about the start of QBI

Julian Webb, CREEDA Projects, presents the business incubator model

Abdulaziz Al Khalifa, Executive Director, Strategic Planning and Control, QDB, welcomes the participants

22 november 2012

SnAPShotS

Participants at the QBI workshop

Munther Al-Dawood (Right), Project and Investment Manager, SDC, interacts with a participant

(Left to right) Shareefa Fadhel, Co-founder and MD, Roudha Centre, and Aysha Al Mudehki, Executive Director, INJAZ-Qatar

Participants networking during the workshop

Participants during the group discussion on growth entrepreneurs.

23november 2012

SucceSS Story

Just go ahead aNd do it!As one of the leading privately-owned GCC service providers in the oil and gas sector, Qatar’s National

Petroleum Services Group is a proof that dedicated and knowledgeable management can face the fiercest

competition and lead the company from strength to strength. Tamara Pupic got talking with Abdulaziz

M. Aldelaimi, CEO and Managing Director, National Petroleum Services Group, about his continuous

professional success and collected some valuable advice for Qatari entrepreneurs.

24 november 2012

SucceSS Story

What was the idea and the plan behind the

formation of the NPS Group?

The idea is very simple – 2/3 of the world’s oil

and gas reserves are within the northward or

southward radius of 1000km from Qatar. If

you expand your radius of investigation, you’ll

notice that even more oil is available close to us.

In addition to that, all CIS countries have vast

resources and distance from there to here is not

that much. But, even if we do not include the Far

East Asia’s reserves, 60% of the world’s reserves

that are present here are more than enough.

The question was whether, with 60% of the

world’s reserves available under our feet, should

we be without a national oil and gas service

company? Of course, not!

We have the knowledge and we have the

money. Thus, we realised that together we

can make more profit and compete heavily

against multinational companies which are

present in the Middle East. And we have been

very successful.

Please tell us more about your company.

The NPS Group was established in 2007. The plan

was to gather few local and regional companies

with already established businesses in various

fields, but especially in the oil and gas sector, under

one umbrella. All these companies have been

operating in the Middle East for 15 to 30 years

already. Within that time they have cooperated

with many internationally recognised companies,

but also with the national ones like Saudi Aramco,

Qatar Petroleum, and many others.

We started only in Qatar and KSA and

gradually expanded our business. Since

2007, we have been growing organically by

geographical expansion and non-organically

through strategic mergers and acquisitions.

Our current portfolio includes subsidiaries in 14

different countries, ranging from Lybia all the

way to the State of Brunei. Add to that branches

and associates and our footprint covers more

than 23 countries.

We are one of the few companies in the oil

and gas sector which is ISO certified while in

the region we are the only company with that

certification.

Please tell us more about NPS’s

development strategy.

Many national services companies are

fragmented across different places and

their style of business and concentration on

operations is not as focused as ours. We have

started with a base company and acquired

different companies within the business.

In certain countries we do go for acquisitions

while in some other cases we open our own

branch and compete directly.

Sometimes, before establishing a branch

in a new country, we first participate in their

tendering process. Oil and gas companies

operating in those countries accept our

documentation and allow us to compete on

the basis of our price and qualifications. That

point triggers all the subsequent steps – to

win for the first time and establish a base.

From that moment, the door is opened in that

country for us to expand further. Like that, we

have received invitation from Shell to compete

against international companies in Brunei. That

was our first attempt in the Far East Asia and

it was successful. Now, we have already been

working with Brunei Shell for the past five years.

Even further, we are now expanding in terms of

equipment to meet the demands the contract.

So, slowly, once we get the first contract and

manage to do a good job, we then establish

an operating base and our people start looking

around for new business opportunities. At the

same time, operating companies there can hear

about us and the services we provided to that first

client. It’s been like that – we gradually expand

from our small presence in those countries. For

example, from Brunei we managed to get into

Malaysian market since we got a contract with one

of the operating companies there.

Sometimes we do get calls for big contracts.

But, we tend to shy away because it will take

a lot of equipment, management, capital

and similar resources. Thus, our policy is to

expand slowly, but to preserve. For example,

we consider it better to go with one single unit

requirement for operations in Brunei than to

go with ten drilling RIG operations in Malaysia.

The question was whether, with 60% of the world’s reserves available under our feet, should we be without a national oil and gas service company? Of course, not!

Abdulaziz M. Aldelaimi

25november 2012

RIG operations are very demanding in terms

of time, commitment of our staff, and capital.

More importantly, any possible problems may

significantly influence our reputation in the new

market. Firstly, the competition which has lost

the contract is keeping an eye on our progress.

Secondly, the operator is also watching us. The

first mistake is usually unforgivable. So, we don’t

want that to happen.

For that reason, we usually tend to seek

clients who require reasonable amount of capital

and investment and will not take away a lot of

resources from our other projects. It’s a careful

approach because we don’t want to default. In

oil and gas business is difficult to recover after

a mistake. Therefore, the percentage of our

business expansion doesn’t have to be 50% per

year in that particular country. It is enough if

we reach 15% per year, because we build on a

strong base.

What challenges do you face and how do

you solve them?

The biggest challenge is that we are competing

with multinational oil and gas service companies

which have been in the business for more than

80 years – since oil has been discovered in the

USA. In addition, those companies are listed on

the stock exchange and, thus, with unlimited

financial power. To explain you the difference –

compare the geographical presence of even the

smallest among them, which is within 150 to

200 countries around the world, to ours which

is in only 14 different countries. So, their size is

more than ten times bigger than ours.

One of the things that differentiate us is

that we are strong in certain services in which

other companies are not. Second important

feature is the quality of our services and the

fact that we are environment and safety

conscious. We have been awarded accredited

certifications such as ISO 9001:2008 (Quality),

ISO 14001:2004 (Environment) and OHSAS

18001:2007 (Occupational Health & Safety)

which are being applied in all NPS’s locations

worldwide.

Multinational companies definitely apply high

standards, but they hide behind their name

since they are not officially certified like we are.

What are the NPS Group’s ambitions and

growth plans and how do you plan to

achieve them?

Our group gained value from the growth of its

companies. In a short period of time we have

created strong presence in our own market

and a network in 14 different markets. In

those particular countries, we have additional

expansion plans because each of them is also

developing. At the same time, we continually

seek new market opportunities in countries like

Algeria or Oman.

For the future, we are looking at CIS

countries. All of them have quite a bit of

reserves and require quality services. We think

we could do a good business there. But, we

still haven’t found the right company to partner

with. Every region has certain specifics and to

succeed, you have to find the right combination

for opening the lock to get in.

How do you assess the competition within

the industry?

We cannot say that we can take all the work

from the multinational companies, but our

business is expanding in KSA, Qatar, UAE and

other areas, as we speak. A couple of years

ago we opened offices in India. We are also

expanding in Iraq and Algeria which is our new

market in the North Africa. We are proud of that.

We do explore foreign market opportunities,

but being successful there also depends on the

partner we chose in that particular country. We

require a local partner who understands the

business or has done similar business before,

but not the one which would be in competition

with us. It is easier if the partner understands

the oil and gas business, its capital intensiveness

and the dedication it requires. In addition, we

refrain from having a partner who is a beginner

or avoids being involved in the business. I think

that choosing a silent business partner is not a

good idea.

Is development of the oil and gas sector

limited by the availability of natural resources?

Due to the expansion of global economy,

several major economies are increasing their

demand for energy, such as China, India, and

Russia. This demand will have to be covered

from different sources. However, new types

of energy production will require long time to

develop and provide what is currently provided

by oil and gas.

Many different operators in the world now

can take oil from places which they could not

reach before and the most successful ones are

in the US.

In various countries, nobody was paying a lot

of attention to carbohydrate type of production

since it was considered out of reach due to very

high costs involved with deep water drilling.

Also, in the past 20 - 25 years, industries

have developed horizontal well drilling which

provided for extension of exposure area –

instead of drilling in the one place (vertically),

now it’s possible to drill 10 - 15 wells at once.

Every region has certain specifics and to succeed, you have to find the right combination for opening the lock, how to get in.

Sometimes we do get calls for big contracts. But, we tend to shy away because it will take a lot of equipment, management, capital and similar resources. Thus, our policy is to expand slowly, but to preserve.

SucceSS Story

26 november 2012

Lastly, the US based oil and gas companies have

developed new type of drilling to extract oil from

the ground – shale oil production. I’ll give you an

example from Colorado. The oil is within a certain

type of a rock which is being boiled to the point

in which it expands and oil drips out of it. This

technique was considered as impossible before.

The amount of reserves accessible through

these shale formations is huge, so it’s adding to

the reserves again. Due to increased quantities

of oil and gas, gas prices in the US have

tremendously fallen when compared with gas

prices in Europe. The final result is that the US

will soon become a net exporter of gas instead

of a net importer.

Please tell us more about yourself in the

leading position within the NPS Group?

My background is in petroleum engineering. I

have worked for Qatar Petroleum for many years.

Upon retirement, I was appointed as the Chairman

of the NPS Group. I supervise the company’s

performance and follow the group’s vision.

Within a long period of operation of our

companies, we consistently have to update,

upgrade, meet the client and satisfy his needs.

Actually, that’s what keeps us operating in the

right direction.

Managing is not easy, but a lot of it depends

on one’s history of management, style and

trustworthiness. In addition, a good manager

needs to preserve focus on the business line he

or she is in. The style of operation, the integrity

in business which is earned through constant

focus on client’s needs, and the commitment to

solve their problems is what really captures their

confidence for many years.

Familiarity with the business is extremely

important when working with oil and gas

service companies. All oil and gas operators are

very meticulous about their services because

they deal with high-pressure and high-

temperature wells. For that reason, we have

to be very selective regarding the people we

employ and the equipment we use.

We have a very good management team

whose members are recruited mostly from

multinational companies. The key element

of our success is to capture the wealth of

knowledge that they have.

The group is not managed as a family

business, since we insist on our corporate image

Business opportunities in Qatar and the whole Middle East are tremendous, especially for local people. My advice for the youth is to select certain area of business, invest in it, specialise and focus on its development.

with the hierarchy of decision making and tasks

performance. Being a small company allows

much faster decision-making process. That is

actually our strength – we are small, so we can

move faster.

Are there any steps you would advise a

young manager to follow in order to be

successful in leading highly-demanding,

multinational business one day?

To follow the same footsteps – patience and

concentration on the chosen line of business.

Firstly, avoid mixing a lot of different

businesses at the same time. Secondly,

specialise – be independent because of the

knowledge that you have. If your background

is in a certain field, it would be the best to do

business in that particular field. For example,

if you are an IT person and develop various

businesses among which only one is in IT, most

probably that will be the most successful one.

I have done businesses in different domains –

contracting, trading and similar. But, none was

as successful as the one related to oil and gas.

It is a matter of expertise.

Business opportunities in Qatar and the whole

Middle East are tremendous, especially for local

people. My advice for the youth is to select a

certain area of business, invest in it, specialise

and focus on its development.

Growth of private sector is bigger than

public sector, but there should be some

kind of incubation centre to support

development of their ideas. In any case,

they need to start and should not be shy

and ask, “What is the best way to do it?”

Don’t look for the best way to do it, just go

ahead and do it!

SucceSS Story

27november 2012

FInAnce

Since 2000, the Islamic finance market has

been growing at the rate of over 30%

annually and is set for continued strong

growth. At the end of 2007, it encompassed

total of USD 660 billion of assets and USD

53 billion of revenues. Islamic finance profit

pools total USD 15 billion and will increase

more than two-fold to USD 32 billion over the

next five years. QDB estimates that Islamic

assets will reach almost USD 1,600 billion with

revenues of USD 120 billion by the end of 2012.

Interest has spread beyond Islamic countries

and leading financial centers, like London, are

now pushing to position themselves as major

Islamic finance hubs. Currently, Islamic finance

market participants are divided in the following

three categories:

• Islamic banks

• Commercial banks with an Islamic finance

window or a subsidiary

• Commercial banks evaluating an entry into

Islamic finance

Islamic finance is a very attractive market, with superior growth and profitability opportunities. Half of the 1.4 billion of Muslims worldwide would opt for Islamic finance if given a competitive alternative to conventional services. Kamel Fathi Fayed, Financial Controller, QDB, gives an overview of its foundations, future growth opportunities and explains why it can be considered as a solution for the current financial crisis.

The challenges and opportunities facing

each of these categories will be different given

different starting and desired positions.

From Islamic banks’ perspective, greater focus

is needed for some of the areas which can be

divided in two levels – external and internal.

External to the institution

• Growth markets and scope of services

• Standardisation

• Fee services/transaction banking

• Benchmarking

Internal to the institution

• Product configuration and process

orchestration

• Corporate governance

• Greater operational risk

• Cost management

• KYC norms

• E-documentation

• Credit risk scoring and modeling

What is Islamic finance?

Islamic finance is an outcome of the need

to extend the tenets of religious faith to

economic activity in such a way that benefits

are evenly shared among all the stakeholders

and the economy as a whole.

Some of the other underlying features of

Islamic finance include:

Time due of money

Under Islamic finance, time due of money

is not recognised – once the sale price is

fixed for financing, the institution cannot

claim more than the pre-fixed sale price.

The dues to the institution, once fixed,

remain fixed.

Asset backed

Typically, all Islamic structures have an

underlying asset backing the deal. As such,

financing under Islamic structures has a

propensity to control inflation.

28 november 2012

FInAnce

Means and ends

Though profitability can be stated as a

common end for both Islamic and conventional

financial institutions, the Islamic institutions

carefully structure and adhere to procedures

and process steps (means) to ensure that the

profits earned are in line with the Shari’ah

prescriptions.

Process orientation

Each of the financing structures is composed of

processes and tasks. Even if a transaction is to

be fulfilled regardless of the absence of one of

the tasks, the transaction will be rendered invalid

in the eyes of Shari’ah.

For example, in a Murabahah transaction

the institution is permitted to earn profit

only as a reward for the risk undertaken.

The proof of the undertaken risk lies in

the fact that the institution has take prior

possession of the asset. If the institution did

not have the prior possession, and hence

faces the risk of destruction, the transaction

would be invalid.

The basic pillars

Basis of Shari’ah - Shari’ah (Islamic law) forms the

basis of the framework of Islamic finance.

The five sources of Shari’ah

• The Holy Qur’an

• The Sunna of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)

• ‘Ijma’ - consensus among the jurists

• ‘Qiyas’ – analogy

• ‘Ijtihad’ – reasoning

Schools of thought

Over time, various schools of thought have

shaped and lead the development of Islamic

finance. The popular schools are Hanafi, Maliki,

Shafi and Hanbali.

Prohibitions

The following are specifically prohibited: Riba –

interest, Gharar – uncertainty, Maysir - gambling,

and dealing in unlawful goods or services. Islamic

institutions structure their products and processes

to ensure total compliance.

Major Islamic finance products are the following:

Istisna’a

The Istisnaa allows the second kind of sale where

a commodity is transacted before it comes into

existence. This allows the bank to order for the

goods or equipment required for a construction

project according to the choice of the client and

delivers them to the client. The client agrees to pay

in installments at specified dates. There are two

sub-types of Istisnaa contracts which are classified

based on the commodity bought or sold.

Ijarah (fixed and variable rental)

Islamic investment’s Ijarah is the process by which

“usufruct of a particular property is transferred

to another person in exchange for a rent claimed

from him/her.” It is the equivalent of leasing in

commercial banking. This allows the bank to

order for capital assets required for the customer

against a rental agreement with him. The title

remains with the bank until the maturity of the

lease, but the lease uses the equipment during

the lease period. On maturity the asset belongs

to the bank.

• Ijarah Corporate Operational – Leasing

• Financial Ijarah

Murabaha (car finance, home finance, real estate

finance, and similar) and Murabaha LC

Murabaha contract revolves around the purchase

of an asset by the bank and the onward sale

of the same by the bank to a customer. The

purchase may involve commodities, homes, real

estate, vehicle, and similar. The bank makes a

profit on the transaction, which is the difference

between the price which it pays to the supplier

of the goods and the price at which it sells the

commodity to the customer. This mark-up will

be agreed between the bank and the customer

in advance. The financed amount and profit are

due and payable on terms agreed between the

two parties. The Shari’ah principles require that

goods have to be purchased, owned by the bank

and therefore, the bank bears all the risks related

to the unforeseeable events (goods damage, war,

customer bankruptcy) until the goods are sold to

the customer.

Musharaka (corporate LC, IDBC)

Musharaka contract revolves around partnership,

normally of a limited duration, formed to finance

a project. The bank enters into a partnership with

a client in which both share the equity capital.

Net profit will be divided according to the equity

shareholding, regardless of the management fees.

Mudaraba (savings account and investment

deposit)

Mudaraba module allows customers to invest

funds in Mudaraba transactions which will have to

be invested by the bank using Islamic investments.

The funds taken from the customer are then

given to the dealers who will make the necessary

investments using all or part of the funds in one

or more IS contracts respectively – the customer’s

funds can be used along with bank’s funds to

make an IS contract. Depending on the profit the

dealer generates from the IS contract, he will then

give a rate for the customer’s funds which normally

is lower than the rate of the profit made on the

IS contract. Therefore, the customer’s investment

becomes a normal deposit with the bank with a

profit (interest) rate and maturity date (the final sell

payment date of the IS contract) associated with it.

The customer can do the following things with

his Mudaraba investment:

• On the maturity date customers can take

back his capital and profit and let the contract

mature.

• Customers can take back his profit at

maturity and roll the capital over for an

additional time period.

• Customers can ask the bank to add the profit

Islamic finance is an outcome of the need to extend the tenets of religious faith to economic activity in such a way that benefits are evenly shared among all the stakeholders and the economy as a whole.

29november 2012

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

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

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

Learn more at www.qatar.cmu.edu

Excellence. At Carnegie Mellon.

to the capital and roll over the whole amount

for an additional time period.

• The Mudaraba contract can be early matured

– the customer can come to the bank and

ask them to break the investment. In that

case the profit is calculated up to the date on

which the customer asks the bank to break the

investment.

Other Islamic finance products include

tawarruq (consumer and corporate), current

account (qard hassen), post dated cheques, teller

transaction, funds transfer, hajj loans, salam, and

other personal finance without profit.

Is it the answer to the financial crisis?

The global financial crisis started with the rise of

interests which caused the inflation and banks

started expanding their loans. In the USA, for

example, mortgages led to the sale of debt due

to the inability of debtors to pay. For that reason,

after the global financial crisis the Islamic financial

industry proved to be the only possible system

able to avoid recurrence of the crisis, due to

the fact that this economy is not based on the

interest rate which actually caused the crisis.

The world is involved in USD 600 trillion

transactions, while the real economy does not

exceed USD 60 trillion dollars. This is not the

case with Islamic finance, which requires access

to property rights, and, as we see now, most

of the international regimes are calling to take

advantage of it.

Islamic supervisions

Today’s Islamic bankers are not worried about

systemic superiority, as were the Islamic

economists in the 1970s and 1980s, but are

content with the legal Shariah compliance of

their new techniques and products. Their prime

objective is no longer ideology, but market

performance.

New interest-free tools as such hardly

promote development, but efficient techniques

are by all means a necessary precondition. The

replacement of outdated techniques removes

some impediments to the progress of Islamic

finance and thus enhances the chances for an

integration of an Islamic economic subsystem

into secular market oriented economic systems

in Muslim countries. This tendency is supported

by authorities for supervision and regulation

of financial institutions and markets in many

Muslim countries. They observe with great

interest the formulation of accounting and

auditing standards issued by organisations of

the Islamic finance industry like the Accounting

and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial

Institutions. In addition, many of them actively

participate in the design of regulatory standards,

primarily in the framework of Islamic Financial

Services Board. Both types of standards have

only the legal quality of recommendations, but

these recommendations are translated into

authoritative standards by governments and

central banks of an increasing number of Muslim

countries.

The improvement of techniques, the

refinement of accounting standards, and the

regulatory integration into existing financial

systems clearly remove possible obstacles which

might originate from the prohibition of interest.

It remains to be seen whether the modernised

Shari’ah compliant financial toolbox will be used

by ideologically motivated bankers in order to

address the financial needs of new entrepreneurs,

self-employed people and local communities,

who so far are widely neglected by conventional

banks. If this happens, Islamic finance could

make a distinctive contribution towards the

development of Muslim countries even if the

overall economic system remains mainly secular.

The foundations of Islamic finance can be

considered as the “new global system after

the fall of capitalism,” without denying the

need to solve some relevant issues, such as

individual errors and standardisation of the

Shari’ah standards.

The rise and acceptance of Islamic finance

can be counted among the most significant

innovations the financial industry has witnessed.

A lot has been accomplished by innovatively

addressing the financial needs of customers

within the framework of underlying tenets of

religious faith.

The rise and acceptance of Islamic finance can be counted among the most significant innovations the financial industry has witnessed.

Kamel Fathi Fayed is Financial Controller, CPA, in QDB. He worked as Chief Financial Officer at Kuwait International Bank and as Financial Manager of the Control Department at Kuwait Finance House. He graduated from the American University in Cairo and has over 15 years of experience in driving a bank’s strategic growth. Kamel can be contacted at [email protected]

About

FInAnce

Kamel Fathi Fayed

30 november 2012

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

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

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

Learn more at www.qatar.cmu.edu

Excellence. At Carnegie Mellon.

entrePreneur

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is the world’s largest celebration of

the innovators and job creators who

launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive

economic growth and expand human welfare.

During one week every November, GEW

inspires people everywhere through local,

national and global activities designed to help

them explore their potential as self-starters and

innovators. These activities, from large-scale

competitions and events to intimate networking

gatherings, connect participants to potential

collaborators, mentors and even investors,

introducing them to new possibilities and

exciting opportunities.

The initiative kicked off in 2008 and was

launched by Gordon Brown, former UK Prime

Minister, and Carl Schramm, President and CEO

of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Since

then, it has grown to 120 countries and with

For the first time ever, Qatar is officially joining more than 120 other countries to participate in

the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) from 12th till 18th November 2012. The national

initiative is being driven by the GEW Qatar Board, an influential group of organisations involved in

the promotion of entrepreneurship and economic development within the country. Private Sector

Qatar thought it would be a good idea to check with some of them how GEW will add value to the

already existing initiatives in Qatar.

nearly 24,000 partner organisations planning

more than 37,000 activities that directly engage

more than seven million people.

Silatech, a Qatar-based social initiative

focused on youth employment and

entrepreneurship, is the official host

organisation for Qatar and chairs the GEW

Qatar Board. Silatech considers that hosting

GEW would demonstrate its commitment to be

a convener of significant events and activities

GoinG gLobaL

32 november 2012

entrePreneur

in the enterprise and policy arena. When

asked about GEW Qatar’s aim for 2012, Elaine

Gold, Silatech, explained, “We aim to deliver

a programme of innovative and stimulating

events which will raise awareness, educate

and inform the population of Qatar about the

benefits of entrepreneurship to the individual

and the country.”

Furthermore, Yasmeen Hasan,

Entrepreneurship Development Manager,

Bedaya Centre, was quick to point out some

additional benefits of the event, “GEW’s

main goal will be to promote the culture of

entrepreneurship. Also, through bringing key

players together it will be a great platform to

discuss the problems and issues entrepreneurs

face specifically in Qatar, and work together in

finding solutions or lobbying for change.”

GEW in Qatar is bringing together a wide

range of organisations accross a variety of

sectors. With the help of the platinum sponsors

Enterprise Qatar, and also gold sponsor

Shell, a programme of workshops, business

simulations and focus groups, will be delivered by

organisations including Bedaya Center, Enterprise

Qatar, Entrepreneurs’ Organization, ICT Qatar,

Qatar Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Qatar

Development Bank, Qatar Science & Technology

Park, Virginia Commonwealth University, Think

Big Qatar, Shell, Injaz Qatar, How Women Work,

SpinnCreative, Qatar Skills Academy, Roudha

Center, Grow, and The Youth Company.

“By combining our efforts together, we

can create a far greater effect than our

individual organisations would have by

promoting entrepreneurship individually,” said

Dr. Tarik Yousef, CEO, Silatech, and added,

“Participating in Global Entrepreneurship

Week gives us the opportunity to link with an

established worldwide network to advance

skills such as problem solving, creativity, and

resourcefulness that are valuable to everyone,

not just aspiring entrepreneurs.”

For efficiency reasons, Silatech has formed

a small GEW Qatar Board to plan an exciting

programme of activities which will involve a wider

range of private and public sector organisations,

and will appeal across a range of interests and

age groups. The board includes:

• Bedaya Center

• Enterprise Qatar (EQ)

• Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO)

• ICT Qatar

• Qatar Chamber of Commerce & Industry

• Qatar Development Bank (QDB)

• Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP)

• The Youth Company

In 2011, Bedaya Center for Entrepreneurship

and Career Development and Qatar Science and

Technology Park (QSTP) ran an unofficial GEW

event showcasing young Qatari entrepreneurs

with over 200 people attending. Based on that

experience, Silatech decided to elaborate on

the idea and make the event a regular part of

Qatar’s Entrepreneurial Calendar. As GEW Qatar

is now part of the official International GEW

Network, this year the event will be on par

with other countries and will hold a number of

activities for the whole week.

Silatech and its partners recently launched

the first Angel Investment Network in Qatar

that was named SILA. This new initiative aims

to close the funding gap for startups and early

stage companies in the local market. SILA is

an ongoing movement that will change the

future of entrepreneurship in Qatar.

The beauty of GEW, however, is that it

brings all the organisations together. Thus,

in true collaboration spirit we all work with

each other in running events, workshops and

programmes with the one main objective –

promoting entrepreneurship. There is a great

value in this as it allows us, at Bedaya, to work

closely and learn from the other organsiations

in the eco-system and vice versa. I believe

the knowledge-sharing among us will be

extremely important.”

Organisations interested in participating

in GEW Qatar can submit their information

to Silatech via email ([email protected])

with a defined agenda of the events,

activities, competitions, or workshops they

will be hosting.

Silatech, a Qatar-based social initiative focused on youth employment and entrepreneurship, is the official host organisation for Qatar and chairs the GEW Qatar Board. Silatech considers that hosting GEW would demonstrate its commitment to be a convener of significant events and activities in the enterprise and policy arena.

“By combining our efforts together, we can create a far greater effect than our individual organisations would have by promoting entrepreneurship individually,” said Dr. Tarik Yousef, CEO, Silatech.

33november 2012

entrePreneur

Please give us a brief background about

BYLENS.

BYLENS’s focus is the distribution and

production of stock images. It serves Qatar’s

business network of both editorial and

commercial clients.

We at BYLENS, have created the first

Qatari theme photo library through which

we reflect the business photography in a

Qatari sense with an aim to fulfill the needs

of creative assignments. These photos can

be used in brochures, reports, books, flyers,

and advertisements. They are produced in

studios using a wide variety of models posing

as professionals, stereotypes, and expressing

stereotypical emotions.

Our aim is to give the correct image of Qatar

and Qatari people. It can serve as the point of

difference between our client and his or hers

competitors.

How and why did you decide to set up this

business?

As photographers we struggled, not due to

the lack of creativity and talent, but because

of the lack of business knowledge. So, we

decided to create our own stock photography

which would include more Qataris to better

represent the character and personality of any

organisation.

This is important because, for example,

certain stock imagery has been so overused

that they have become meaningless. It conveys

no information value and carries no positive

emotional message.

Even when you choose to use stock

photography there is no reason why it needs

to be confined to a box! Instead seek ways to

Picture Qatar!Even one photo can serve as the point of difference between you and your competitors. Aparna

Shivpuri Arya spoke to Razan Suliman, Founder and CEO, BYLENS, on how they created the

first Qatari theme photo library and what are their future plans. Make sure to read carefully

entrepreneurial advice from this young and artistic Qatari businesswoman.

34 november 2012

entrePreneur

better integrate it with your design by breaking

out of the grid. This can take even relatively

poor photography and give it a new life.

People choose to become entrepreneurs

for many reasons. For us, those reasons run

the gamut and encompass everything from

the need for more schedule and flexibility to

experiencing a glass ceiling.

In our case, we were dissatisfied working for

someone else. We had a desire to be our own

bosses and lead our own company. We followed

our dream, and today we are the owners of the

first online Qatari stock images.

What were the challenges that you faced

while starting your business?

The greatest fear we had when starting our

business was the instability of it all - the lack of

revenue and the uncertainty whether we would

be able to make ends meet. After working hard

and brainstorming, persistence paid off and our

fear passed.

At first people thought it won’t work and

that there was no place for such business. In

order to get over this fear of being judged, we

surrounded ourselves with people who would

support us whether our business succeeded

or failed. This gave us the room to build a

business without worrying about what our

peers thought. These supporters were a key in

building our business into what it is today.

The biggest challenge was finding people

who would model for us, and getting approvals

from different locations for our photo sessions

and obtaining signatures for property release

forms. In addition, it was also about spreading

the word and getting people to believe in us

and buy our photos.

Do you think that Qatar offers

opportunities for entrepreneurs in niche

areas such as yours?

We believe that there are those great institutions

such as Roudha Center for Entrepreneurship and

Innovation which help, support and encourage

female entrepreneurs. Enterprise Qatar also

supports entrepreneurship, as well as Injaz Qatar

which honours students with entrepreneurial

skills. Also, Bedaya Center celebrates young

entrepreneurs and supports them and, most

importantly, ictQATAR which was our number

one supporter and provided us with incubation.

Entrepreneurship spirit in Qatar is growing

more and more every day – a lot of companies

are targeting and assisting entrepreneurs and

business owners.

How did you prepare before getting into

the business?

Anyone with an eye for original images,

the right equipment and film, and excellent

technical skills can take good pictures.

But, to make a living out of taking

stunning photographs requires more

than photography skills – you must also

be a savvy businessperson. To succeed in

this business, you need to know about

the financial, legal, management and

marketing aspects of starting and running a

photography business.

Here are some of the steps we needed to

take when we started our own business:

• Writing our business plan

• Establishing our legal business identity

• Opening a business banking account for

business and financial expenses

• Getting our equipment

• Joining professional organisations

• Finalising supply and photo lab arrangements

• Creating our corporate identity

• Finalising our Website

• Promoting our business

The greatest fear we had when starting our business was the instability of it all - the lack of revenue and the uncertainty whether we would be able to make ends meet. After working hard and brainstorming, persistence paid off and our fear passed.

Razan Suliman and Mohammed Abdullah

35november 2012

What are the do’s and don’ts of being an

entrepreneur or a startup in Qatar?

Do’s

• Start something, a Website, a group –

whatever you prefer. Action is what counts,

so take action, even if it’s not a very significant

progress towards your business. This step

would get the ball rolling. Try it!

• Get rid of all your debts – this is very important

because you don’t want to be in debt when

starting your business. Since you will have

many things to worry about in your business,

you might need occasional credit card swipes

to support your business. Thus, the last thing

you need to hear is a call from your bank or

collector.

• Solve a problem – to find out what is business,

look at the current players and their services,

interview a few customers and identify a

problem or issue with a current product and

service. Then, solve it.

• Network – talk to anyone and everyone, tell

them about your business when they ask what

you do. Soon, you’ll master your business pitch

and be connected to lots of people, because

you never know who you’ll bump into.

Don’ts

• Wait for the perfect time, it’s an illusion – tell

me about one thing you did in perfect time?

Perfect timing doesn’t exist. It’s either now or

never. What’s your pick?

• Hire friends unless they are equally, if not

more, excited and motivated for the business.

Enough said.

• Try to do it all by yourself – no one can. So,

learn the art of delegation and outsourcing.

Did you finance the business yourself or

you approached the institutions in Qatar?

We financed our business ourselves.

What support do you think Qataris need

to do business in Qatar?

We need more government assistance for

entrepreneurs.

The government must give out more money

to small business owners and provide more

government grants for small businesses which

can be used for start up costs! Also, government

should provide more entrepreneurs with

assistance by offering free information for small

business owners.

Starting a business and managing a

business are two different things. What

was your approach on managing and

growing your business?

Our approach was like this:

Penetrating existing market

The first thing that came to our mind when

we were thinking of growing our business was

getting new customers. But, the customers we

already had were our best bet for increasing our

sales. It’s easier and more cost-effective to get

people who are already buying from us to buy

more than to find new customers and persuade

them to buy from us.

Asking for referrals

Getting new customers was another approach

to growing our business. One of the easiest way

to do this was by asking our current customers

for referrals.

Innovating products or services

Discovering and promoting new uses for our

products or services was a great way to both get

existing customers to buy more and attract new

customers.

Extending market reach

We extended our reach through advertising!

Once we identified a new market, we advertised

in selected media that targeted that market.

Participating in trade shows

We also participated in trade shows.

Where do you see yourself five

years from now? Any expansion or

diversification plans?

In five years’ time, we see ourselves as being

the leading Qatari online photo library. We are

also thinking that by then we can franchise! The

stories of entrepreneurs who have become both

well known and well-heeled due to franchising

their small businesses are legion and not just

stories. If we have a successful business and can

develop a system which ensures that others can

duplicate our success, franchising may be the

fast track for growing our business.

We are also hoping to expand into

international markets. Like franchising, this is a

way of growing our business that requires quite

a commitment of time and resources.

In five years’ time, we see ourselves as being the leading Qatari online photo library. We are also thinking that by then we can franchise! The stories of entrepreneurs who have become both well known and well heeled due to franchising their small businesses are legion and not just stories.

Razan Suliman is an artistic entrepreneur, founder and CEO of BYLENS - Fanilla Couture - Demure Collection. She is the artist behind the creative designs of RazanGraphics.com. Designer, illustrator and web developer, Razan’s career began 10 years ago, learning the art and craft of the industry. Over the years, she’s worked at several corporations and has done a lot of freelance, honing her craft and developing her own unique style of design. In 2011, Razan and her partner Mohammed Abdullah launched BYLENS, the first Qatari stock photography Website, to help the creative and editorial communities to produce distinctive work. For more information, please visit www.bylens.qa and www.bylens.net.

About

entrePreneur

36 november 2012

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

In 1995, the Emir of the State of Qatar issued the Emiri Decree No. (24) of 1995 ratifying the accession of Qatar to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Following this accession to the WTO, the Qatari government have enacted and revised several intellectual property laws that implement its obligations under the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Malik Al Kammaz, Country Manager, Saba & Co Intellectual Property – Qatar, provides an overview of one of them – the Law No. (17) of 2011 on the Border Measures for the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights.

doN’t JumP the feNce

WTO Agreement On Trade-

related Aspects of Intellectual

Property Rights (TRIPS) sets

down minimum standards for many

forms of intellectual property regulations

as applied to nationals of other WTO

Members. In fulfilment of its obligations,

the Qatari government has enacted the

following IP laws:

• Law No. (7) of 2002 on Copyrights and

Related Rights,

• Law No. (9) of 2002 on Trademarks,

Commercial Indications, Trade Names,

Geographical Indications, Industrial Models

and Designs,

• Customs Law No. (40) of 2002,

• Trade Secrets Law No. (5) of 2005,

• Integrated Circuits Law No. (6) of 2005,

• Patents Law No. (30) of 2006,

• Emiri Decree No. (53) of 2009 on the

Establishment of the Intellectual Property

Protection Center, and

• Law No. (17) of 2011 on the Border

Measures for the Protection of Intellectual

Property Rights.

Zoom out

Following are the salient features of Law No.

(17) of 2011 on the Border Measures for the

Protection of IPRs:

• The customs authority can suspend entry

into Qatar of alleged counterfeit and pirated

products.

• The rights holder may request for the

inspection of the imported goods which

legAl

involve an infringement, and such request must

be supported by a sufficient evidence of the

occurrence of such infringement.

• The customs authority shall notify the importer

and the rights holder of its decision.

• The decision of the customs authority may be

appealed before the court.

• The rights holder may submit an application

at the customs for the registration of all the

information related to his rights.

• Any person importing infringed products and

knowingly doing so, will be punishable by

imprisonment of a term not exceeding one

year or a fine of not more than QR 10, 000,

approximately USD 2,750, or both.

However, the following items are not

subject to the provisions of this law:

38 november 2012

legAl

• Small quantities of goods of a non-commercial

nature and gifts contained in travelers’ personal

luggage or sent in small consignments.

• Goods in transit.

• Goods put on the market of the country of

origin by or with the consent of the rights

holder.

• Goods entering from a neighboring country

that is member of a customs union with Qatar

where all controls over movement of goods

across said borders have been substantially

removed.

Zoom in

The long awaited Law No. (17) of 2011

was issued on 17th November 2011, and

was published in the Official Gazette Issue

No. 12, dated of 22nd December 2011. The

law is said to be a mirror reflection of the

provisions of Section 4 of TRIPS on “SPECIAL

REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO BORDER

MEASURES”.

Administration

According to the law, the Ministry of Economy

and Finance will be administering this law

through the General Department of Customs.

In addition, legal actions related to this law can

be filed with the Administrative Circuit at the

Court of First Instance.

Suspension of release by customs authorities

According to Article (3) of the law, entry to

Qatar of any goods which involve infringement

of any rights that are subject of protection is

prohibited. And, once there is prima facie an

infringement of the right holder’s intellectual

property right, the customs department must

take the necessary procedures to prevent the

entry of the infringing goods into the country.

Application

According to Article (3) of the law, “a right

holder can lodge an application with the

Customs Department to stop the clearance

process and request suspension of the release

into free circulation of the imported goods

which involve an infringement of the right

holder’s rights.”

For this purpose, the application must

be supported with adequate evidence of

infringement and supply a sufficiently-detailed

description of the infringing goods. The right

holder in this regard would be the owner of

any of the rights that are subject of protection

under the laws named above. The department

shall decide on the suspension application within

one week of the application date while the

lapse of this period without a response by the

department is an implicit rejection thereof. The

department shall, within one week of the date of

the issuance of its decision, notify the importer

and the right holder of its decision, as per the

previous article, by delivering the notification to

their place of residence or business address or

through any other means confirming the due

delivery of the notification of the decision.

It is worth mentioning here that the text of

the above cited article matches in its majority

that of Article 51 of TRIPS which provides for

“a right holder, who has valid grounds for

suspecting that the importation of counterfeit

trademark or pirated copyright goods may

take place, to lodge an application in writing

with competent authorities, administrative or

judicial, for the suspension by the customs

authorities of the release into free circulation

of such goods.”

Right of inspection and information

According to Article (6), the right holder may

request the customs department the right to

inspect the imported goods which involve an

infringement of its rights. Such request must

be supported by a sufficient evidence of the

occurrence of such infringement. In this regard,

according to Article (1) of the law, the goods

will mean the goods defined in the Customs

Law No. (40) of 2002. Since the definition of

goods in the Customs Law No. (40) of 2002, is

not an all-compassing one, it would be helpful

to refer to the definition of goods in TRIPS

as binding to the members. Therefore, if we

read the definition of goods in Customs Law

No. (40) of 2002 in conjunction with the one

under Article 51 of TRIPS, then the definition

of goods shall extend to goods including

“packaging, bearing without authorisation a

trademark which is identical to the trademark

WTO Agreement On Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) sets down minimum standards for many forms of intellectual property regulations as applied to nationals of other WTO Members.

validly registered in respect of such goods, or

which cannot be distinguished in its essential

aspects from such a trademark, and which

thereby infringes the rights of the owner of

the trademark in question under the law of

the country of importation; also, the goods

will mean any goods which are copies made

without the consent of the right holder or

person duly authorised by the right holder in

the country of production and which are made

directly or indirectly from an article where the

making of that copy would have constituted an

infringement of a copyright or a related right

under the law of the country of importation.”Malik Al Kammaz

39november 2012

Malik Al Kammaz is Shareholder and Country Manager of the Saba & Co Intellectual Property – Qatar. He joined Saba & Co. in Amman in 2000 and relocated to Doha in 2003, and was promoted to a country manager in 2005. Since 2011, Malik has become a shareholder of Saba & Co. (TMP) Limited, the holding company of all Saba & Co. entities in the Middle East and North Africa. He is currently doing his post-graduate diploma in laws at the University of London. Malik can be contacted at [email protected]

About

legAl

However, the following goods will be excluded:

• Goods in transit.

• Goods put on the market of the country of

origin by or with the consent of the right

holder.

• Goods entering from a bordering country with

which Qatar forms part of a customs union

where all controls over movement of goods

across said borders have been substantially

dismantled.

Security or equivalent assurance

The law requires the applicant to submit a cash

deposit at the court sufficient to cover any

expenses and compensations, or provide a bank

guarantee decided by the court, which will be

re-funded to the applicant once a final verdict is

issued in its favour.

Notice of suspension

The department shall, within one week of the

date of the issuance of its decision, notify the

importer and the right holder of its decision,

as per Articles 3 and 4 of the law, by delivering

the notification to their place of residence or

business address or through any other means

confirming the due delivery of the notification of

the decision.

Duration of suspension

Suspension will remain for a period not exceeding

seven days from the date the import is notified

and during which the suspension decision may be

appealed before the court. The court will decide

on the appeal within three days of filing the

appeal and said ruling may include:

(1) ordering an inventory and a detailed

description of the imported goods that infringe

on any of the rights subject of protection as well

as an inventory and description of documents

or materials used in committing any of the acts

mentioned, and may, for this purpose, appoint

one or more experts to carry out the inventory

and prepare a detailed description of the

specifications and the labeling of the goods.

(2) ordering the applicant to submit a cash

deposit at the court sufficient to cover any

expenses and compensations, or provide a bank

guarantee decided by the court, which will be

re-funded to the applicant once a final verdict is

issued in its favour.

Punishment and penalties

Without prejudice to any severer penalty provided

by the law, any person entering Qatar with goods

which involve infringement of any of the rights

subject to protection, knowingly doing so, will

be punishable by imprisonment of a term not

exceeding one year or a fine of not more than

QR 10,000 or both. The punishment provided

for in the previous paragraph will be doubled

in case of recurrence. In all circumstances, the

court will publish, at the expense of the party

convicted, a copy of the verdict in one or more

daily newspapers, and order seizure of the

goods found infringing on the rights subject to

protection.

De Minimis imports

Small quantities of goods of a non-commercial

nature and gifts contained in travelers’ personal

luggage or sent in small consignments will be

excluded from the application of the provisions

of this law.

Recordal of IP Rights with the customs

department

According to Article (7) of the law, the right

holder may submit an application with the

Department requesting registration of all data

related to its rights, including its address in the

country, in a registry specific for this purpose at

the department. Minister will issue a decision

on the registration procedures and fees upon

a proposal by the Director General of the

Department. However, this recordal of IPRs will

be possible upon issuance of the implementing

regulations of the referenced law.

Customs recordaI will undoubtedly help

officials target, intercept and confiscate

shipments of infringing goods. One fundamental

premise of the recordation system, other than

providing a central registry containing information

for recorded trademarks, is that it allows customs

officials to adopt an ex-officio border system. An

ex officio system is different from the standard

border system in which a judicial authority

orders customs to detain the infringing shipment

after identifying the infringing goods. The key

advantage of the ex-officio system is that it allows

for prompt and proactive action by customs

officials thus avoiding the delays inherently

involved in seeking judicial action. Customs

officials are always on the lookout for infringing

goods and are thus able to act quickly to

confiscate counterfeit and pirated merchandise.

It is worth mentioning that the countries

of our region which currently offer customs

recordaI are UAE, Cyprus, Morocco, Sudan and

Tunisia. A customs watch system is available in

Jordan whereby all trademarks registered at the

Trademark Office are automatically placed on

watch at the borders.

It is worth mentioning that the countries of our region which currently offer customs recordaI are UAE, Cyprus, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia. A customs watch system is available in Jordan whereby all trademarks registered at the Trademark Office are automatically placed on watch at the borders.

* The information contained in this article is intended to provide an update of intellectual property news and should not be relied upon as legal advice. Legal or other professional counseling should be sought from the Saba & Co Intellectual Property - Qatar.

40 november 2012

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, plan

InveStment

Most people have a basic

understanding of the importance

of securing their future since

they have only wondered what they are

going to do about. Yet more often than not,

they convince themselves that they don’t

have to do much about it now. This is in

much the same way that we wonder about

what to do about our career or our physical

health. Invariably, the tides of life carry us

to a shore without a great deal of planning

on our part. Too often, these shores are not

where we wanted to be and we feel a great

deal of regret and guilt that we did not

do more with our lives to avoid outcomes

which are below our desired goals in life.

So, how we answer these questions will

undoubtedly determine the quality of life for our

later years on this earth. It sounds a bit morbid,

but it is a fact of life – metaphorically and quite

literally. Physical well-being is beyond the scope of

“Should I invest in order to secure my future? What am I doing about my retirement?” Not exactly

the most riveting topic you can imagine. “Boring, turn to the next page,” that little voice in your

head says. Marzena Hallam, Founder and CEO, Mibx, answers these questions after the world’s first

custom designed investment seminar series “Women Investing in the Stock Market” which

completed in early October 2012 in Doha.

this article, but investing for your future and your

career are definitely within the remit.

Current financial circumstances over the

world have deteriorated significantly. We are

now into the fifth year of a global recession in

the aftermath of the global financial crisis. The

result is that with a world that is rapidly aging a

growing number of people in the later years of

their life, are being forced into a financial reality

that was unthinkable even a few years ago.

Planand plan

42 november 2012

InveStment

People have lost their jobs, their retirement fund

values have dropped significantly and worse still,

given the generational low in yield income, the

ability to generate income from these funds has

deteriorated significantly.

I am not a person that enjoys scaring people,

but given the severity of the situation, it sometimes

is a worthwhile tactic. But, as bleak as that is and

given that here in Qatar we are blessed with an

abundance of hydrocarbon fuelled economic

growth, things can still change quickly. Look at

Spain! In 2006 it was in a boom and now the

whole country is facing record unemployment

and possibly being declared bankrupt. Economic

circumstances change quickly and relying on the

concept of things being better in the future than

they are now, is fraught with danger. What if they

are not? That is why people have to have a Plan A,

Plan B and Plan C.

After 20 years of experience in financial

markets investment, advising clients and research

into the combination of the two, there are a

number of common themes which experts

promote as the issues to consider in terms of a

strategy for investing in your future.

Financial markets will rectify themselves

in time and savvy investors will reap rewards

beyond their wildest dreams. But, this takes

skills and that is where people need to educate

themselves. Those are:

• Take control

• Start early

• Be prepared to pay

• Gain knowledge

• Set a plan that suits your risk profile

• Enjoy the process – set goals and rewards

• Be disciplined

• Have a side business

The Women Investing in the Stock Market

(WISM) programme gave the participants

significant help in ALL of these issues.

Sponsored by Bedaya Centre and Thomson

Reuters, the WISM programme targeted Qatari

women who want to become financially

empowered and knowledgeable. The four

week programme began in Doha in September

2012 and was composed of series of four

weekly sessions designed with a number

of practical real life examples taken from

the Qatar market. The course provided the

participants with the full range of investment

requirements from the beginning on how to

place trades right through to a number of

different investment techniques that were both

simple and profitable.

The programme was taught by international

industry experts, Matthew Hallam and Marzena

Hallam, Founder and CEO of Mibx. Mibx is

based in Qatar and its major objectives are

business consulting, business setup (supporting

SMEs) through knowledge transfer and practical

activities and then using international connections

and experts to help facilitate these outcomes.

Essentially, this is what WISM is about too.

By being specifically designed for women

interested in investing in the stock market, during

programme the ladies were shown one live

prediction which used the mentioned techniques

and resulted in a profit of 16% in just over one

week. The course was designed to go beyond

what is taught in investment books and degrees

going deeper into the tricks of how a profitable

investor thinks and acts to be able to beat the

majority of the market majority of the time.

“I was really very surprised and thrilled about

how quickly the girls picked up the investment

techniques. Each week there was a lot of

information to go through but they managed

majority of the content superbly. They actually

gave me the inspiration to get back to the

books and start studying again!”said Marzena

Hallam, Managing Director, MibX, who will

soon introduce the programme with other

organisations and individuals.

The female advantage in investing

It is often misunderstood that women actually

have quite distinct advantages over men when

it comes to investing. They tend to be more

careful, less ego driven and do more research

and are better able to allow a portfolio to

grow by constantly building through smaller

profits in the same way that they would raise

a child. But, in this male dominated financial

world their voice is often not heard. It is time

to change that. Also, the Qatari women who

have expressed their interest have shown a

huge amount of knowledge, dedication and

Marzena Hallam

It is often misunderstood that women actually have some quite distinct advantages over men when it comes to investing.

43november 2012

InveStment

outright determination to succeed in this field.

An emphasis on these learning outcomes will

go a long way.

After the first week the girls had a number of

learning outcomes to complete before beginning

of the next week. These were designed using

the content of what was learnt. To ensure that

it was relevant and timely only current real time

market examples were used. The majority of

examples were from the Qatar Exchange, but the

techniques were also proven by showing how

they could have saved over 50% of their money

by not investing in the Facebook IPO until one

very straight forward signal said that the selling

had finished.

Throughout their work, Hessa Mohammed

Al Thani and Muneera Abdualla Al Dosari were

inspiration for a lot of the participants, “These

two girls amaze me with their energy, drive and

maturity for their age and are the reason that

we chose them, and are the type of people this

programme is all about,” Marzena said.

The main idea behind the programme was

that it is very, very practical. The features

within this were that participants were not

only being taught a number of very powerful

investment techniques and theories provided

and shared by industry experts. Furthermore,

they were being reinforced with either

practical examples, real time simulated

trading, which was sponsored by Thomson

Reuters.

The course also went deeper into the area

of psychology, money management and other

life skills approaches. They were also shown a

number of inspiring stories of females who have

succeeded in the area of investment. This was

where the internationally renowned best-selling

author Charmel Del Santos (“High Heeled

Traders”) gave helpful insight into how she

approaches her successful investing.

“Traditionally investing has been a male

dominated area but the trend is changing fast.

These Qatari women showed how with the right

techniques and mental attitude this is going to

continue,” Marzena pointed out.

This kind of knowledge will benefit women

in a number of ways. Firstly, it will allow them

to build into an area which is both immensely

enjoyable and fulfilling but also potentially

financially rewarding. Being able to contribute

financially gives women a greater sense of

security and fulfillment and confidence. Also,

learning the economic and business specific

skills will either allow them to be better business

owners and managers or give them the

confidence to start a business.

It will also allow them a better work life balance

since the methods do not require vast amounts of

research or time-consuming work. They are taught

techniques that can allow their money to be

working for them, whilst they are doing something

else. Also, as markets are open only during school

hours it fits neatly with a lot of women’s daily

routine and even better still, markets are now

accessible through mobile applications such as

iPhones or SmartPhones which mean people can

monitor easily whilst on the go.

Now is the time

Given such proactive and visionary leadership,

Qatar has an undeniably strong chance for a

sustained market rally. Currently, the world’s

stocks have been buffeted by the Eurozone debt

crises and its related contagions, but we are now

almost five years into the crisis and one day it

will end. When it does, there will be a new bull

market. This will also be likely to fit in with the

growth that Qatar will be encouraging through

the 2022 World Cup and 2030 National Vision.

So, now is the time to educate and practice as

history shows us that investors should always be

watching and waiting in the bad times as the

good times eventually come around again.

Candidates were chosen more for their

willingness to learn new concepts and interest

in the markets and not because of their previous

work experience.

“The course would not have been possible

without the help of Yasmeen Hasan from the

Bedaya Center for Entrepreneurship and Career

Development. She was very helpful in supporting

the programme through use of the facilities

at Katara to help with equipment and other

support functions. We also managed to give the

participants access to the Reuters programme

which gave them access to real time data from

the most successful financial markets data

provider in the world,” Marzena concluded.

MibX is a business consultancy based in Qatar that specialises in strategy and planning, management consultancy, business startup (supporting SMEs) through knowledge transfer (training), advisory services (transforming ideas into business opportunities), innovation and execution of business plans. Marzena Hallam is a Polish-Australian entrepreneur, business consultant, change promoter and talent developer / trainer and is founder and CEO of Mibx. After completing Business degree at Victoria University in Australia, her professional career progressed in business analysis, strategy and management consulting and project management. Marzena can be contacted at on [email protected].

About

“Traditionally investing has been a male dominated area but the trend is changing fast. These Qatari women showed how with the right techniques and mental attitude this is going to continue to be the case,” Marzena Hallam, Founder and CEO, Mibx, pointed out.

44 november 2012

TASDEER, Qatar’s export development agency, was launched by Qatar Development Bank (QDB) in 2011 with the objective to develop, support, and globally promote exports from Qatar through export financing and export development and promotion services to Qatar-based SME exporters. It provides access to finance, credit insurance and advisory services for exporters and supports businesses to develop their export capabilities through export development and promotion.

As part of its offering, TASDEER offers two different sets of services:• Export financial services • Export development and promotion services

TASDEER’s export development services focus on products and services offered to the exporters in the area of capability and capacity building, market and business-related intelligence and market advisory services. As part of its export promotion services, TASDEER is focusing on facilitating the participation of exporters in identified exhibitions in the targeted markets

QATAR’S ExPoRT DEvELoPmENT AGENcy

TASDEER

PLATINUM SPONSOR GOLD SPONSOR CONNECT PARTNER

FOUNDING PARTNERS

COUNTRY HOST PARTNER OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNERS

ORGANISED BY SOCIAL MEDIA PARTNER

KNOWLEDGE PARTNERS

tASDeer

ExPoRT PRomoTIoN SERvIcES

ExPoRT DEvELoPmENT SERvIcES

Product offering Key objective Product Description

training Workshops capacity building through workshops which educate exporters on key policy initiatives

Workshops on aspects like Single Window System, gSP, free trade agreements, and similar

trade map and market Access

enabling the exporting community to gain market and business intelligence through public domain sources

training workshops on the use of trade map and market Access map through Itc

trade Secrets capability building among small and new exporters through a primer on exports and international trade

Preparing a trade Secrets Document through interactions with the exporting community. Publishing and holding one-to-one workshops to educate and train small and new exporters

country market Surveys Helping the exporting community penetrate identified new markets which offer opportunities

Conduct market studies on the identified set of products, target new markets and share the insights with the relevant exporters

newsletter Programme enabling market and business intelligence and relationship building with the exporting community

Initiating a quarterly newsletter with information on appropriate topics and showcasing a key country and exporters

Importer Database Enabling market and business intelligence in specific target markets and building relationships with exporting community

Provide information on importers in key target markets to the relevant exporting community through a database

Product Certification Programme

capacity building among domestic focused companies to enable them to compete internationally

Programmes to facilitate Smes to obtain relevant product certifications, like ISO and other industry-specific certificates, which will enable their access to international markets

Market Certification Programme

capacity building among exporting community to enable penetration of specific targeted markets which require certain local standards to be met and help diversify exports

Programmes to facilitate exporters to gain knowledge about the specific market certifications and help in the approval process through training and invitations to the approving authorities

Product offering Key objective Product Description

exhibition Programmeexport promotion through facilitating the participation of exporters in identified international exhibitions in targeted markets

Programmes to facilitate exporters to participate as a group under the TASDEER umbrella in specific, targeted exhibitions aligned with the strategy

matchmaking Programme

export promotion through matchmaking events in targeted countries and in Qatar to showcase capabilities

Programme inviting trade facilitators and importers from specific countries either in Qatar or in that particular country and exposing them to the capability of Qatari exporters

exporter Awards Programme

Raising the public profile of exports by showcasing the exporting community and facilitate data gathering on exports for tASDeer

Programme to award the best performing exporters in various categories through appropriately designed criteria by an independent organisation

exporters Directory and export brochure

export promotion by showcasing Qatar exporters in appropriate international forums

Publishing the profile and capabilities of the exporters in Qatar as a directory for marketing purposes

exporter Publicity Programme

export promotion by facilitating creation of appropriate publicity material for specific exporters

Programme to enable the design and production of suitable publicity material for exporters targeting specific markets

48 november 2012

A big step forward

One of the most commercially successful trade fairs in

Dubai, the Big 5 Exhibition features national pavilions

from all major exporting countries in the East and West,

alongside the important local developers, contractors, importers and

distributors. It will present around 2,000 companies from 50 countries

to more than 50,000 visitors.

TASDEER will be promoting a group of 24 Qatari exporters, at the

Qatar pavilion. As part of the preparations, multiple round of meetings

have already been completed with all the relevant exporters in this regard.

TASDEER has booked 300 sq. m. space for the Qatar pavilion and is going to

provide a professionally designed stand to each of the 24 Qatari exporters.

TASDEER has also shared a list of 2400+ importers with the Qatari exporters

and invited these importers to the Qatar pavilion. In addition, TASDEER has

arranged for a directory of all the Qatari exporters in the Qatar pavilion and

undertaken some additional marketing activities to invite maximum visitors.

As part of its export promotion services, TASDEER

is facilitating the participation of 24 Qatari

exporters linked to the construction industry in the

Dubai Big 5 Exhibition, the largest trade show

for the construction industry in the Arabian Gulf, to

be held from 5th to 8th November 2012 in Dubai.

exPort StrAtegy

» Al Misned Trading and Joinery » Al Muftah Polymer » Al Shams Advanced Lighting Technologies » Almana Group » Amiantit Qatar Pipes Company » Aziz Factory for Advanced Technology Products » Chainlink Qatar Trading Company » Doha Cables » Doha Extraco » Doha Plastic » Future Pipe Industries » General Switchgear and Lighting Industries » Hepworth PME Qatar » Khalid Manufacturing » Metals Forming Centre » Qatar German Pipes Company » Qatar International Cables Company » Qatar National Aluminium Panel » Qatar Paving Stones » Qatar Plastic Additives » Qatar Technical Steel Fabrication » Specialty Engineering Chemicals » Tietan Fiberglass » Uniplast

List of Qatari exporters in the Qatar pavilion

Learn how!

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for both smaller and bulk

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classified into two main categories:

• PP woven jumbo bags – used for storage of

material within a weight range of 750 - 1500 kg

• PP woven sacks and bags – used for storage of

materials in the weight range of 25 - 100 kg

The key applications of using jumbo and

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cement, fertilizers, bales or wool, agricultural

products like potatoes, grains, flour, coffee,

sugar, tea, carpet packing, chemicals, and

usage as military sand bags or for storage of

anything in powder granular and flakes form.

The key HS codes applicable for the export of

If you have been wondering what to export or how to plan the export of your products, pay attention to

TASDEER’s analysis of export opportunities for one particular product – woven sacks.




Total = QR 18.8 Mn

Saudi Arabia 36%

2007

11.2

4.0

7.3

18.8

35.0

2008 2009 2010

CAGR = 12

0%

2011

China

India

Brazil

World

US

Japan

UK

Germany


Sudan 22%

Somalia 6%Others 5%



Europe 59%

US 11%

GCC 1%

GAFTA 3%Others 26%

MENA

MENAOil Importers

MENAOil Exporters

GCC

2012

5.33.6(-0.2)

(+1.1)7.88.2(-0.2)

(-0.2)

4.96.0(-0.6)

(-1.3)

1.54.0(-0.7)

(-1.0)

3.33.6(-0.3)

(-0.2)

2.22.1(-0.1)

(+0.1)

2.21.2(-0.3)

(-0.2)

(-0.6)1.1(-0.3)

-0.4

0.90.9(-0.5)

1.23.3(-0.3)

(-1.0)

6.63.8(+0.1)

(+1.8)

5.23.3(-0.1)

(+0.5)

1.31.5(-0.5)

(-0.1)2013

20122013





AdvancedEconomies

(0.0)

ProDuct FocuS

Source: TASDEER

50 november 2012

woven sacks are 630532 (flexible intermediate

bulk containers of manmade textile materials),

630533 (sack/bag for packing of polyethylene/

polypropylene strip, exc. flexible) and 630590

(sacks and bags, for packing of goods of

textile materials, nes.).

Having experienced a dip in 2008, exports

of woven sacks have experienced a strong

growth of 120% in the last three years to

reach total exports of QR 35 million in 2011.

Currently, exports are primarily to the

neighbouring GCC countries with Saudi Arabia

and UAE accounting for 67% of the total

exports in 2010.Other key export destinations

include African countries like Sudan, Somalia

and similar.

Currently, Qatar Polymer Industrial

Company is the only exporter manufacturing

these products. It accounts for the entire

exports happening in this category at the

moment. Since its foundation in Doha in 1999,

it has developed as one of the largest woven

bag producers in the Middle East. It has two

large manufacturing plants with a combined

installed capacity in excess of 20,000 tons

per annum. The company engages in key

production activities like extrusion, weaving,

lamination and blown film production. Nearly

80% of the total production is exported to

countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Sudan,

Somalia and other countries. They also have

key customers in some of the key European

countries like UK, France, Denmark and

Holland.

Having experienced strong growth till 2008,

global imports of woven sacks dipped in 2009

to again bounce back and reach QR 19 billion

in 2010. Europe is the largest import market

with 60% share of world imports while GAFTA

countries including GCC account for 3% share

of total world imports.

Import demand in Europe is quite

fragmented with Germany being the largest

market with 12% share. Other key markets

include France, UK, Spain and Netherlands.

Although the GAFTA market share is small,

in absolute terms, it is less than 30 times of

Qatar’s current exports. Iraq, UAE and Saudi

Arabia are the key importers of woven sacks

within the GAFTA region together accounting

for 50% of the total imports. Within GCC,

UAE and Saudi Arabia account for 80% share

of the total imports with a cumulative value of

QR 200 million.

Apart from the existing GCC markets where

Qatar is currently trying to export, most of the

European markets and other large GCC markets

like, UAE, provide highly attractive opportunities.

The most attractive markets are Jordan, Yemen,

UAE, Sudan, Lebanon and Kuwait. By effectively

targeting new markets, Qatar’s exports of woven

sacks can grow to QR 80-90 million in the long

terms (by 2016).

ProDuct FocuS




Total = QR 18.8 Mn

Saudi Arabia 36%

2007

11.2

4.0

7.3

18.8

35.0

2008 2009 2010

CAGR = 12

0%

2011

China

India

Brazil

World

US

Japan

UK

Germany


Sudan 22%

Somalia 6%Others 5%



Europe 59%

US 11%

GCC 1%

GAFTA 3%Others 26%

MENA

MENAOil Importers

MENAOil Exporters

GCC

2012

5.33.6(-0.2)

(+1.1)7.88.2(-0.2)

(-0.2)

4.96.0(-0.6)

(-1.3)

1.54.0(-0.7)

(-1.0)

3.33.6(-0.3)

(-0.2)

2.22.1(-0.1)

(+0.1)

2.21.2(-0.3)

(-0.2)

(-0.6)1.1(-0.3)

-0.4

0.90.9(-0.5)

1.23.3(-0.3)

(-1.0)

6.63.8(+0.1)

(+1.8)

5.23.3(-0.1)

(+0.5)

1.31.5(-0.5)

(-0.1)2013

20122013





AdvancedEconomies

(0.0)




Total = QR 18.8 Mn

Saudi Arabia 36%

2007

11.2

4.0

7.3

18.8

35.0

2008 2009 2010

CAGR = 12

0%

2011

China

India

Brazil

World

US

Japan

UK

Germany


Sudan 22%

Somalia 6%Others 5%



Europe 59%

US 11%

GCC 1%

GAFTA 3%Others 26%

MENA

MENAOil Importers

MENAOil Exporters

GCC

2012

5.33.6(-0.2)

(+1.1)7.88.2(-0.2)

(-0.2)

4.96.0(-0.6)

(-1.3)

1.54.0(-0.7)

(-1.0)

3.33.6(-0.3)

(-0.2)

2.22.1(-0.1)

(+0.1)

2.21.2(-0.3)

(-0.2)

(-0.6)1.1(-0.3)

-0.4

0.90.9(-0.5)

1.23.3(-0.3)

(-1.0)

6.63.8(+0.1)

(+1.8)

5.23.3(-0.1)

(+0.5)

1.31.5(-0.5)

(-0.1)2013

20122013





AdvancedEconomies

(0.0)

Source: TASDEER

Source: TASDEER

51november 2012

Please tell us about Qatar Polymer

Industrial Company (QPAC) and the

products you offer?

Qatar Polymer Industrial Company (QPAC) is

a packaging industry specialist in providing a

range of packaging solutions. The company

was founded in Doha in 1999. We produce

a wide range of packaging products used

in a variety of sectors like PP woven bags,

flexible intermediate bulk container (FIBC)

A leader of Qatar’s packaging industry, Qatar Polymer Industrial

Company (QPAC) trusts in exploring new attractive markets

and further diversifying their products offering. Majid Siddiqui,

Business Developemnt Manager, QPAC, explains how TASDEER is

supporting them in achieving this goal.

comPAny FocuS

jumbo bags, blown film, fibrillated yarn and

packaging tape.

We operate from two manufacturing

facilities situated in the Doha Salwa Industrial

Area. The annual output capacity is in excess

of 20,000 tons per annum. The company

also operates a large capacity lamination line

together with an LDPE blown film line for the

production of bags and bagliners.

What has been the past and current focus

on exports for QPAC?

QPAC is heavily focused on exports for the sale

of jumbo sacks and PP woven sacks which are

the key focus products for the company.

We are one of the largest woven bag

producers in the Middle East. We export more

than 70-80% of our production capacity every

year. Though we have customers in many

countries like UK, France, Italy, Spain, Holland,

Morocco, for a long time the exports have

been concentrated on GCC countries like

Saudi Arabia and UAE. We also export to some

African countries like Sudan, Somalia, and

other countries. Going forward the thrust is on

exploring new attractive markets and further

diversifying our exports to European and African

destinations. Exports for QPAC have grown by a

CAGR of more than 100% in the last three years.

GoinGeven

further

GoinGeven

further

52 november 2012

comPAny FocuS

TASDEER has

recently launched

several initiatives

to support the

growth of Qatari

exporters. Which

services from

TASDEER have you

utilised?

As part of its export promotion services,

TASDEER facilitated the participation of 13

plastic related exporters in National Plastic

Exhibition (NPE) 2012 held in April 2012 at

Orlando, Florida, US.

The NPE Exibition is a triennial event

providing access to North America’s

USD 400 billion/per annum plastics market

and serving as a trade hub for plastics

companies from South America, Europe,

and Asia.

QPAC was a part of the Qatar pavilion,

sponsored by TASDEER.

TASDEER also invited about 400 US

importers to the Qatar pavilion and many of

these importers actually visited us. TASDEER

provided us a detailed report on the scenario

of imports for our products in the USA and the

opportunity available.

We have also been receiving great support

from TASDEER in terms of market intelligence

for our products in new markets. It has

been providing us with country reports and

importer contacts in new markets on a regular

basis. This has helped us to a great extent in

getting the required knowledge, knowhow

and contacts to develop new markets for our

products.

How fruitful was the participation in the

NPE 2012 Exhibition in USA?

Participating in the NPE 2012 was extremely

beneficial for our company. We received

a significant number of enquiries for our

products at the exhibition. A reasonable

number of enquiries have been converted into

actual orders. Currently, we are constrained

in terms of capacity for supplying to new

customers.

This is being addressed by laying down

additional capacity.The NPE 2012 was an

excellent opportunity for us to showcase

our products in USA, which is one of the

very big markets for our products. We met

the importers and distributors from not

only the USA but also from other nations

like Mexico. The exposure through the

exhibition will go a long way in helping us

to develop our exports.

Going forward, what are your export plans

and how do you see the

role of TASDEER in helping your company

to achieve its targets?

Going forward we plan to continue the strong

focus on exports for our products. We have

acquired new land of about 10,000 square

meters in the Doha New Industrial Area. This

will be our third factory and the approval for

the layout is under process by the government

authorities for construction. This factory will

be constructed with a clean room facility

production line to manufacture jumbo bags

(FIBC) and for the expansion for other products.

We are also planning to buy new machinery

that would be operational in about nine months

to a year and would enable us to export to

different parts of the world.

We are looking at a robust growth rate

of 20% for our export revenue. In order

to achieve this kind of strong growth, we

hope to strongly engage with TASDEER and

continue to benefit from the various export

development and promotion initiatives which

it is offering to the Qatari exporters. We really

appreciate the efforts being made by TASDEER

to promote the SMEs in Qatar and we hope

to receive their continued support to help us

grow our exports.

We are looking at a robust growth rate of 20% for our export revenue. In order to achieve this kind of strong growth, we hope to strongly engage with TASDEER and continue to benefit from the various export development and promotion initiatives which it is offering to the Qatari exporters.

Majid Siddiqui

53november 2012

country FocuS

Tunisia has a diverse and market-oriented

economy, with important agricultural,

mining, tourism, and manufacturing sectors.

Having achieved four decades of 4-5%

annual GDP growth, Tunisia’s newly elected

government is facing immediate challenges

to stabilise its economy post overthrowing of

the political leadership in January 2011.

The major industries include petroleum,

mining (particularly phosphate and iron

ore), textiles, footwear, agribusiness and

beverages. It has capitalised on its proximity

to Europe and relatively lower labour costs

to achieve steady growth, low inflation and

today exports about 80% of its exports

to the European Union. With a GDP of

QR 376 billion in 2011, Tunisia imported

products worth QR 86 billion in the same

year including key commodities like textiles,

machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons,

chemicals, foodstuffs. France and Italy have

been the key trading partners’ together

accounting for 43% of exports and 40% of

imports in 2010.

The total trade between Qatar and Tunisia

in 2010 was QR 65 million. The balance of

trade is highly skewed in favour of Qatar

with Qatar’s exports accounting for

QR 41.5 million of the total trade. The key

commodities exported currently include

plastics, mineral fuels, oils, aluminum and

aluminum articles. However, most of these

products currently are being exported by the

QP companies.

Tunisia is an attractive market in terms of its

size for many of the key non-oil and non-QP

product categories which have been identified

as part of the Qatar’s Export Strategy. These

include electric wires and cables, medical

solutions, parts of air conditioning machines,

plastic packaging products, plastic tubes and

pipes, polystyrene insulated sheets, powdered

soap, plastic sheets and rolls, valves and

woven sacks. Tunisia’s total imports across

these product categories in 2010 were

QR 2,161 million with medical solutions being

the biggest category and accounting for

QR 657 million. This is followed by valves,

electric wires and cables and plastic tubes

and pipes, with them accounting for imports

worth QR 387 million, QR 332 million and QR

191 million respectively.

Moreover, given that Tunisia has the

Greater Arab Free Trade Agreement (GAFTA)

with Qatar, the import duty rates for all

these products are 0% which otherwise are

in the range of 27% to 43%. Thus, taking

into account parameters like import market

size, presence of trade agreements and

proximity of the market to Qatar, Tunisia is a

highly attractive market for many of the key

product categories where Qatari exporters

are competitive. In conclusion, it is important

for the exporters to critically evaluate this

market from an export perspective.

With an aim to address and tap export markets beyond the GCC region, in this issue TASDEER focuses on Tunisia as an important market for the key products of Qatari origin.

54 november 2012

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

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