IMAD GHAN T O US NADE R HAF F A R HILL INTERN AT ION A L’ S V P EMBR A C ES THOUGHT LE A D ERSHIP RITZ - C ARLT ON LIV I NG K P MG LOW E R GULF CE O S AYS THERE’S NO SL OW ING DOW N UA E BAHR AIN KUW A IT OM AN SA UDI AR AB IA EXECUTIVES 13 HIGH -F LY ING APRIL 2019 # 147 ARMANI SPA GCC FORTUNES IN 2019 IQ FULFILLMENT LAUNCH IN DUBAI ANAND RADIA Q&A THE GUIDE TO GOOD BUSINESS AND BETTER LIVING From his base in Dubai, H-Energy’s Darshan Hiranandani is plotting an energy abundant future for India PLUS EN ER G Y WHAT MAKES F O R BE T T ER LE A D ER S? In a time of tech-driven change, the need to inspire is even greater NE XT - G E N GADGET R Y The devices of the future AED 15 BHD 1.5 KWD 1.25 OMR 1.5 SAR 15 QAR 15 UA E BAHR AIN KUW A IT OM AN SA UDI AR AB IA Q ATA R UA E AED 20 BAHR AIN BHD 2 KUW A IT KWD 2 OM AN OMR 2 AP RI L 2019 I SSN 1818- 4421 9 771818 442009 00147 DIFC RISING Financial hub to get even bigger GOL D EN ANNIVERS AR Y OME G A UN V E IL S T H E L A TEST SPEEDM A S TER W A NT TO R E NT A N I S L A N D ? LU X U RY DE ST IN A T ION F O R T H O S E WH O D O N’T L I KE T O S HAR E NO PIPE DREAMBusiness 09 NEW S 30,000 PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS TO BE CREATED FOR EMIRATIS IN 2019 14 BIG PICTURE DIFC IS ABOUT TO GROW LARGER. ONCE FINISHED, ‘DIFC 2.0’ WILL HAVE 6.4 MILLION SQ FT OF OFFICE SPACE, 2.6 MILLION SQ FT OF CREATIVE SPACE, 1.5 MILLION SQ FT OF RESIDENCES, AND 1.3 MILLION SQ FT OF RETAIL SPACE 16 L E ADERBO ARD RAMP-UP IN OIL PRODUCTION IN LATE 2018 SOFTENS THE IMPACT OF THE 2019 CUTS FOR SAUDI ARABIA , UAE 18 FIVE MINUTE INTERVIEW ANAND RADIA, FOUNDER OF NARA PAN ASIAN RESTAURANT 20 BOOK EXTR A C T AT A TIME OF TECHNOLOGY- DRIVEN CHANGE, THE NEED TO INSPIRE, ENGAGE AND TAP INTO THE CREATIVITY OF EMPLOYEES DEMANDS BETTER LEADERS 22 INDIAN CEO AWARDS THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST ARE HONOURED IN THIS YEAR’S INDIAN CEO AWARDS IN DUBAI 26 EN ERG Y FROM HIS BASE IN DUBAI, DARSHAN HIRANANDANI, CEO OF H-ENERGY, IS PLOTTING AN ENERGY ABUNDANT FUTURE FOR INDIA 32 L O GIS T ICS FADI AMOUDI WANTED TO GET INTO THE ONLINE GROCERY BUSINESS, BUT QUICKLY REALISED ITS LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES. THIS LED HIM TO ROBOTS, WAREHOUSES, AND THE CREATION OF IQ FULFILLMENT 34 FINANCE DESPITE FALLOUT FROM THE MIDDLE EAST’S BIGGEST FINANCIAL SCANDAL IN OVER A DECADE, THE CEO OF KPMG LOWER GULF, NADER HAFFAR, SAYS HIS COMPANY NEEDS TO MOVE AHEAD AT FULL SPEED contents April 2019 09 22 14 16 18 26 34 20 32Pleasure 40 CONSTRUCTION HILL INTERNATIONAL’S VICE PRESIDENT IMAD GHANTOUS SPEAKS ABOUT THE DETAILS BEHIND THE HIGHLY TECHNICAL PRACTICE 46 HEALT H C A RE FODHIL BENTURQUIA, THE CEO AND FOUNDER OF THE REGION’S FIRST MEDICAL SEARCH AND BOOKING PORTAL OKADOC.COM, ON WHY HE IS DETERMINED TO CREATE A BETTER HEALTHCARE EXPERIENCE 49 SPORT BACKED BY SHEIKH MANSOUR OF THE ABU DHABI ROYAL FAMILY, CITY FOOTBALL GROUP’S ACQUISITION OF CHINESE SICHUAN JIUNIU RAISES THE NUMBER OF CLUBS UNDER ITS BANNER TO SEVEN 55 A LWAY S O N T I M E OMEGA UNVEILS GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY SPEEDMASTER; FAVRE-LEUBA ADDS ALL BLACK VERSION OF ITS EVEREST- READY RAIDER BIVOUAC 9000; TAG HEUER EXPECTED TO UNVEIL 50TH ANNIVERSARY MONACO IN MAY 58 TI M E PI EC ES IN HONOUR OF MOTORSPORT’S MOST IMPORTANT EXECUTIVE, RICHARD MILLE HAS CRAFTED A MASTERPIECE MEANT FOR THOSE FOR WHOM EVERY MINUTE COUNTS 60 RETA IL THE UAE IS ARGUABLY RADO’S KEY GULF MARKET IN A BUSINESS UNIT THAT BRINGS IN A QUARTER OF ITS GLOBAL REVENUE. BUT HOW DO YOU KEEP ATTRACTING CUSTOMERS TO AN INDUSTRY WHERE WATCHES AREN’T USED TO TELL TIME ANYMORE? WE SPOKE WITH THE CEO OF RADO, MATTHAIS BRESCHAN, TO FIND OUT contents 40 April 2019 46 49 55 60 586 C EO M I D D L E E A S T A P R I L 2 0 1 9 ell dear readers, it pains me to say it but this is going to be the last time I write this letter, at least for the foreseeable future. I’m departing this magazine and its sister title Arabian Business to take on another challenge. It’s been a great run, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed everyone I’ve gotten to interview over the course of my time here. The ones I’ll remember most fondly of course are those who have continued to insist that they “see all challenges as opportunities” or that “Innovation is in our DNA.” I jest. I’ve learned some great insights during my time in conversation with some of the finest business leaders in the Middle East and beyond. I’ve learned that being agile is the secret to always remaining hireable. That failure might be more common than success, but it’s a phenomenon that some of the best and brightest have had to grapple with. And that its businesses that are best at understanding and managing the flow of information, not the ones that own it, that succeed more often than not in amid complex forms of competition. I’ve been in journalism and communications for a bit longer than a decade now, and the profession allows a fascinating insight into how the world works, and the movers and shakers responsible for making sure it goes round. Some of my favourite interviews have been with C-suite and leadership level executives that were willing to speak just after a moment of turmoil and explain what helped them get through. It’s because I love trying to figure out what makes a success story. And deep personal stories and insights that make practical sense are what I took away most from during my experience working on these two publications. However, as the need to get a story out becomes ever more important, I’ve also noticed a slightly disappointing trend as well – that sometimes that the cycles of buzzword hype capture so much attention that the people giving out answers the world wants to hear often forget how to respond to a question without needing to sell their responses. An interview is always an occasion to put on your best face and bringing you’re A-game to a photoshoot is indeed best practice. But nothing beats authenticity. And no amount of media training can disguise a lack of it. The vast majority of businesses in the region are privately held, and it’s a bit of a fact that business leaders here tend not to be sure of how much they should or shouldn’t say. The problem is they are encountering a growing wave of questions everyone has right now about diversity, a market where pay-rises across the board aren’t the norm, where future business prospects look troubled, and where technology will most certainly compete for the same jobs as human talent. In a world where every business needs to compete for the attention of their customers (and future customers), the most unideal way to respond to questions about a complex topic is with something completely uninspiring. So don’t be afraid of a little more media attention than you’re used to. As surfers say, riding tides is better than paddling on the shores. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading what I write as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. Feel free to reach out on Twitter or LinkedIn, it’s where I’m easiest to find. And I hope we can speak again soon. ON PARTING THOUGHTS FROM THE EDITOR W Like the magazine? Hate it? Either way, let me know: Q U ESTI O N S? CO M M E NTS? shayan.shakeel@itp.com SHAYAN SHAKEEL Editor, CEO Middle East g Either way, let me know: SILICON PARK AT SILICON OASIS Pin your address at Dubai's first Smart City inquiries@dso.ae / dsoa.ae Book your space now: 04 501 55 55 Ready to move in • All Free Zone Benefits • Hotel & Conference Center • 235 Apartments • 8 Standalone Boutique Buildings • Plug & Play Offices • 71,000 sqm of Commercial Spaces • 85 Branded Retails Shops • 2500 Parking Spaces8 C EO M I D D L E E A S T AP R I L 2019 To receive your copy delivered directly to your door, subscribe online at www.itp.net/subscriptions The most important business people and CEOs talk to the most important magazine The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review. ITP MEDIA GROUP CEO ALI AKAWI MANAGING DIRECTOR SUE HOLT EDITORIAL EDITOR SHAYAN SHAKEEL Tel: +971 4 4 4 4 3845 shayan.shakeel@itp.com SUB EDITOR EDWARD LIAMZON CONTRIBUTORS LUBNA HAMDAN BERND DEBUSMANN JEREMY LAWRENCE NEIL HALLIGAN EVENTS & MARKETING DIRECTOR OF AWARDS & MARKETING DANIEL FEWTRELL TEL +971 4 4 4 4 3684 Daniel Few trell@itp.com EVENTS & MARKETING MANAGER JOANNA FARRER TEL +971 4 4 4 4 3328 joanna .farrer@itp.com ADVERTISING GROUP COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR JOE CHIDIAC TEL: +971 4 444 3121 joe.chidiac@itp.com SALES MANAGER VINOD THANGOOR Tel: +971 4 4 4 4 3467 vinod.thangoor@itp.com HEAD OF SALES - AGENCIES MARIO SAAIBY Tel:+971 4 4 4 4 3592 mario.saaiby@itp.com DESIGN CREATIVE DIRECTOR R ADRIAN LUCACAA ART DIRECECTOOR SAMIR ALAL GGHHAHAZAZAL L PO BOX 500024, DUBAI, UAE TEL: +971 4 4 4 4 3000 OFFICES IN ABU DHABI, DUBAI & LONDON PHOTOGRAPHY SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS RAJESH RAGHAV EFRAIM EVIDOR ADEL RASHID STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS AASIYA JAGADEESH AJITH NARENDRA FRITZ JOHN ASURO YULIYA PETROVICH JESSICA SAMSON PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION GROUP PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR KYLE SMITH PRODUCTION MANAGER BASEL AL KASSEM PRODUCTION COORDINATOR IMAD AAD OUTSOURCING MANAGER AAMAR SHAWWA SENIOR IMAGE EDITOR EMMALYN ROBLES CIRCULATION HEAD OF CIRCULATION VANESSA D’SOUZA ITP LIVE GENERAL MANAGER AHMAD BASHOUR ITP GROUP CEO ALI AKAWI CFO TOBY JAY SPENCER-DAVIES PUBLISHED BY AND © 2019 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC. MEDIAAP R I L 201 9 CEO MIDDLE E A ST 9 BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT FINANCE AVIATION MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY 610,000 The expected number of Emirati nationals working in the government and private sectors by 2031 Vital resource UAE Minister Nasser Bin Thani Al Hamli is tasked to safeguard the efficiency of the labour market 30,000 PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS TO BE CREATED FOR EMIRATIS IN 2019 THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCES CREATED 195 PERCENT MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN 2018 COMPARED TO 2017 HE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND EMIRATISA- TION (MOHRE) will create 30,000 private sector jobs for Emiratis in 2019, according to the state-run WAM news agency. This year will see it launch the National Pol- icy for Employment, which is in line with the government’s vision 2031, and develop Emira- tisation systems, according to Minister Nasser Bin Thani Al Hamli. Similar initiatives launched in 2018 helped accelerate the ministry provide 195 percent more job opportunities (20,225) compared to 2017 (6,862), Al Hamli said. Around 8,650 UAE nationals benefit- ted from related training programmes by the ministry and its partners, while 18,235 ben- efitted from career guidance programmes. Emiratis will also soon be able to earn a monthly salary by working independently, as the ministry is working on a self-employment policy. It will see the introduction of an elec- tronic platform connecting self-employed nationals with companies and organisations. MOHRE applies a strategic plan that seeks to transform the job market in the UAE into an empowering attractive market for Emirati talents. This represents a roadmap in man- aging manpower in the UAE to reach a new phase of development and establish a knowl- edge-based economy according to the future vision of the government. The Ministry seeks to realise its strate- gic plan that includes empowering Emirati manpower, protecting the work environment and enhancing the job market, while reinforc- ing innovation. TNext >