< Previous48 CEO MIDDLE EAST 16-30 NOVEMBER 2023 ollowing in the footsteps of the Amerindian cultures, the watchmaking house delves into the heart of Mesopotamian civilisation in its latest creation. More specifi cally, into the city of Ur, the very place from which Urwerk draws its inspiration. It was there, 3,000 years BC, that the Sumerians defi ned the very fi rst unit of time, with the golden number 60: 60 seconds, 60 minutes. Beneath its sapphire dome, the UR-100V Time and Culture II “Sumer” reveals a veritable Pantheon in honour of ancient divinities. At the centre sits Utu, the god of the Sun, whose four branches are reminiscent of the points The golden number. 60: 60 seconds, 60 minutes. F of the compass. Between the horns of the timepiece stands Nanna, god of the Moon and principal deity of the city of Ur. The blue colour of the UR-100V “Sumer” refers to lapis lazuli, a semi-precious stone associated with Innana, the goddess of love, war and fertility. The laser- engraved spatial shapes on the watch’s periphery are veritable sky charts, highlighting the Sumerians’ knowledge of astronomy. As well as displaying the hours and minutes, this timepiece reveals data on the Earth’s rotation. Once the 60-minute mark has been passed, the hand disappears and reappears as a Urwerk presents the UR-100V “Sumer” BY CEO MIDDLE EAST STAFF For this second edition of the 100-V Time and Culture line, the designers were inspired by Sumerian mythology, astronomy, astrology and time measurement TIMEPIECES16-30 NOVEMBER 2023 CEO MIDDLE EAST 49 Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx TIMEPIECES kilometre counter. It thus illustrates the Earth’s rotation which, for the inhabitants of the city of Ur, corresponded to 477.29 kilometres covered every 20 minutes. At the other end of the scale, the UR-100V “Sumer” displays another fi gure: the 35,742 kilometres covered by the Earth in 20 minutes during its revolution around the Sun. This timepiece is produced in a 30-piece limited edition. integrating openings into the structure of the timepiece, while highlighting the contrast between the hyper-technical functions such as the tourbillon and the traditional elements. The artist does not hesitate to juxtapose discordant structures and materials – such as the titanium of the case with the grey rubber of the over-moulded crown and the three straps, which come in bright green, black or white and blend perfectly with the shade of the metal. Like all the objects he has created, the Big Bang Tourbillon SR_A by Samuel Ross has been designed to be durable, ergonomic and very light. Equipped with the 282-component HUB6035 calibre, it is being issued in a 50-piece limited edition. Sculptural timepiece. Ross’ latest design is minimalist, refined and expressive. For over ten years, Hublot has been forging close collaborations with daring and unconventional artists such as designer Samuel Ross. The latter collaboration began in 2020 and has resulted in a completely new production, from case to crown, including the dial, strap and bezel. Just as he does with living materials, Samuel Ross shapes, redesigns and fi ne-tunes his ideas. The result is an almost sculptural timepiece with a design that is at once minimalist, refi ned and expressive. To underline its industrial character, the designer chose to clothe all the case components in shiny beadblasted titanium. Plates made of this light, ultra-resistant metal were polished, brushed, hammered and perforated to create a clean, imposing silhouette revealing part of the movement. Monochrome grey is also featured at the heart of the watch: based on a hexagonal honeycomb pattern, Samuel Ross plays on transparency by $80,000 The price of the Urwek UR-100V “Sumer” $127,000 The price of the Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon SR_A by Samuel Ross HUBLOT UNVEILS THE BIG BANG DESIGNED BY SAMUEL ROSS50 CEO MIDDLE EAST 16-30 NOVEMBER 2023 ith COP 28 fast approaching, the UAE’s green creden- tials are understandably in sharp focus. As the fi rst of the GCC countries to stake its colours to the mast and commit to a net-zero target (by 2050), it can justifi ably claim regional leadership in this area and, coupled with its early adoption of renewables and nuclear - which will jointly constitute 50 percent of power supply by 2050 - it has also led the way in initiation, investment and implementation. Much has been written on this already and no doubt, as COP approaches, we’ll see plenty more, but what of the rest of the region? Will there be a wider green halo-effect or will the other GCC countries be found lurking in the sustainability shadows? Firstly, a snapshot of where each of the countries stand on their net-zero commitments: Oman has joined the UAE with a 2050 plan; Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are all aiming for 2060; Qatar stands alone as the only nation not to have made the pledge at all so far. All have public targets for renewables, with Saudi’s 50 percent by 2030 the most aggressive, and Bahrain’s 10 percent by 2035 the least exacting. There is a varied picture on stated targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and national climate strategies, however every GCC country does have at least one national body acting as the regulatory lead and coordination point. Against this mixed bag of attainment and ambition, it’s obviously hard to draw any general themes or correlations. However, given the centrality of hydrocarbons to the entire region’s economy you can be sure that the Western press will be exercised by the whole ‘the main oil producers aren’t doing enough’ angle, a viewpoint that conveniently overlooks who the main oil consumers are. Particularly at a time of high oil prices, this is an easy grenade to lob, however it also reinforces the wisdom of having Dr Sultan Al-Jaber as President of COP 28: Who better than an oil man to make the case for fossil fuels being part of the medium-term solution across the region, not least through generating the income to fund the green transition? Perhaps the most obvious manifestation of the GCC’s commit- ment to the move away from hydrocarbons is the manifold ‘Vision’ initiatives, which are all founded on the simple but also essential premise of diversifi ed economic growth, long-term private sector employment and the development of knowledge-based economies beyond – indeed, without - oil and gas. The seismic nature of these plans, involving huge societal change, and the scale of investment required to bring them to fruition, are testament enough to the Gulf’s commitment to COP’s principles, even if their original motivations might be different. Once the COP bandwagon rolls back out of town, media attention will fade and the spotlight will shift, however the GCC’s sustainability drive will continue based on essential economic necessity. The region has no choice but to innovate, change, adapt and advance, and perhaps this locally-held COP comes at the right time to re-frame these as not just being important for regional growth, but also fundamental for the GCC’s credibility as a region that is taking sustainability seriously. FINAL THOUGHTS HOW DOES THE GCC MEASURE UP UNDER COP’S SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT? Given the centrality of hydrocarbons to the entire region’s economy you can be sure that the Western press will continue to exercise the ‘main oil producers aren’t doing enough’ angle W BY JOE HEPWORTH - MIDDLE EAST DIRECTOR, OCO GLOBAL & FOUNDER, BRITISH CENTRES FOR BUSINESS Sustainability spotlight. Hepworth on the GCC’s Vision initiatives.AN ITP MEDIA GROUP EVENT Celebrating the titans of industry in the Middle East WEDNESDAY 13 TH DECEMBER JUMEIRAH MINA A’SALAM, DUBAI, UAE Scan to visit website FOR PARTNERSHIP AND FURTHER DETAILS CONTACT ANDY SULAHIAN GROUP COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Tel: +971 4 444 3597 | GSM: +971 52 384 6238 | Email: andy.sulahian@itp.com SAMIR GLOR SALES MANAGER Tel: +971 4 444 3320 | GSM: +971 58 824 6859 | Email: samir.glor@itp.comNext >