JANUARY 2024 # 201 CEO MIDDLE EAST JANUARY 2024 ISSUE #201 Shai Zamanian, founder and director of The American Legal Center, on the success of the US EB-5 Golden Visa program PASSAGEWAYS TO AMERICA UAEAED 20 KSASAR 20 BAHRAINBHD 2 KUWAITKWD 2 OMANOMR 2 QATAR QAR 20eywa.ae YOUR HOME YOUR TREE OF LIFEEywa is the next revolutionary generation of the 21st century buildings, a building-guardian, a building- guru, a building-game changer in the real estate industry, when a building turns from a result of creation into a motivator of creation. Eywa combines ancient knowledge about human beings, modern solutions with a strong focus on sustainability and well-being of its residents. R.evolution real Estate Burj Daman, offi ce 803, DIFC, Dubai, UAE t: +971 54 308 6000 e: info@byrevolution.com w: www.byrevolution.com LobbyTerrace Appartment Terrace View4 CEOMIDDLE EASTJANUARY 2024 CONTENTS JANUARY 2024 # 201 JANUARY 2024 # 201 Shai Zamanian, founder and director of The American Legal Center, on the success of the US EB-5 Golden Visa program PASSAGEWAYS TO AMERICA KUWAITKWD 2 OMANOMR 2 QATAR QAR 20 10 CONSTRUCTION Strategic investment into several innovative construction technologies that offer sustainability holds the key to achieving growth in the industry, says Paul Wallet, Regional Director of Trimble Solutions Middle East and India 16 SUSTAINABILITY Invesco's Max Kufer and Hamid Asseffar believes blended finance offers unique opportunities to provide better risk-return profiles for investing in climate adaptation 22 COVER STORY Shai Zamanian, founder and director of The American Legal Center, is making waves in the Middle East with his immigration firm’s focus on the US EB-5 Golden Visa program 42 TECHNOLOGY AI is opening doors to new service innovations and enhancing efficiency and security in financial operations, believes Kim Medina, Director of Legal and Compliance at Knightsbridge Group 22 4210 16Join the number one: difc.ae/business/make-an-enquiry When you join the number one financial centre in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, you benefit from DIFC’s proven world-class laws, regulations, infrastructure and unbeatable connections. 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Join the #1 financial centre to access more capital markets6 CEOMIDDLE EASTJANUARY 2024 To receive your copy delivered directly to your door, subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions The most important business people and CEOs talk to the most important magazine NOVEMBER 2023 # 198 Arnaud Leclercq, Partner and Head of New Markets at Lombard Odier and Amer Malik, Head of Middle East International at the Swiss private bank, reveal the firm’s Middle East expansion plans CENTURIES IN THE MAKING UAEAED 20 KSASAR 20 BAHRAINBHD 2 KUWAITKWD 2 OMANOMR 2 QATAR QAR 20 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. 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MEDIA ITP MEDIA GROUP CEO ALI AKAWI CFO TOBY JAY SPENCER-DAVIES MANAGING DIRECTOR ALEXREEVE MANAGING DIRECTOR ANIL BHOYRUL EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR MATTHEW AMLÔT matthew.amlot@itp.com SUB EDITOR EDWARDLIAMZON SENIOR DESIGN MANAGER GERIBATARASONNY DESIGNER MOHAMMED IRQSOSY ADVERTISING GROUP COMMERICAL DIRECTOR ANDY SULAHIAN +971 4 444 3597 andy.sulahian@itp.com SENIOR COMMERCIAL MANAGER SAMIR GLOR + 971 4 444 3320 samir.glor@itp.com SENIOR COMMERCIAL MANAGER NEHASIKRI + 971 4 444 3353 neha.sikri@itp.com COMMERCIALMANAGER PALLAVI CHOUDHARARYY + 971 4 444 3353599 pallavi.choudharryy@i@itp.p.coomm EVENTS & MARKETING DIRECTOR OF AWARDS & MARKETING DANIEL FEWTRELL +971 4 444 3684 daniel.fewtrell@itp.com SENIOR MARKETING & EVENTS MANAGER ANTHONY CHANDRAN +971 4 444 3685 anthony.chandran@itp.com VIDEOGRAPHY MUHAMMAD KALEEM VIDEO EDITOR LIJU CHERUVATHUR PRODUCTION PRODUCTION MANAGER DENNY KOLLANNOOR PRODUCTION COORDINATOR MANOJ MAHADEVAN SENIOR IMAGE EDITOR EMMALYN ROBLES DISTRIBUTION HEAD OF DISTRIBUTION AND NEWSTRADE ABDULRAHIM ALPARAMBIL DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR AVINASH PEREIRA CIRCULATION EXECUTIVE RAJESH PILLAI ITP LIVE GENERAL MANAGER AHMAD BASHOUREDITOR’S LETTER 8 CEO MIDDLE EAST JANUARY 2024 ahead. While economic trends remain hard to predict, strong, empathetic guidance at the top will give companies the resilience and agility to react swiftly to whatever challenges may come. Though the consequences of global headwinds may linger, having a leader who can inspire confidence and innovation during difficulties will put organisations in the strongest position. The pandemic taught us many valuable leadership lessons that will still serve us well this year. We saw the importance of compassion for employees’ wellbeing, of transparent communication to boost morale, and of flexible strategies to weather disruption. Those who led with empathy and pragmatism over this time emerged even stronger, having built trusting relationships that will power future success. As regional tensions may continue affecting strategic decision making, retaining this human focus will be crucial. Looking ahead, 2024 could be a year of major opportunity for diversification and growth across the GCC if leaders make the most of ongoing reforms and investments. Massive projects like the $500 billion NEOM transformation and Expo 2020 legacy developments will require bold visions and execution to maximise returns. With the world still recovering, those international companies who can form dynamic partnerships with regional firms will be well placed to capitalise. But such cross-border cooperation necessitates skilled diplomacy and trust-building at the highest levels. The digital transformation also continues apace, disrupting business models across sectors. Forward-thinking executives who embrace new technologies will gain significant competitive advantages over laggards. From AI and cloud migration to the rise of frontier industries, leadership will determine whether organisations play catch up or leap ahead of disruption curves. The region’s youth present both an opportunity and challenge in this regard – attracting and retaining top talent requires modern, purpose-driven strategies. This year has the potential to be a landmark year of recovery and progress for the Middle East if its leaders rise to the multifaceted challenges before them. With strong guidance, businesses can leverage reforms, partnerships and new frontiers to cement the region as a global hub once more. Though uncertainties remain, having visionary executives who lead with empathy, innovation and regional cooperation will empower organisations to achieve their full potential. It is such exemplary leadership, proven under pressure, that will power the growth and success of CEOs across the GCC in the year ahead. With that I’ll let you get to reading. Until next time. Share your views on thought leadership and innovation by getting in touch: matthew.amlot@itp.com QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? MATTHEW AMLÔT Editor-in Chief @MatthewAmlot A NEW YEAR, A NEW BEGINNING A s we start a new year and put 2023 behind us, it seems an opportune time to reflect on the importance of leadership, especially here in the Middle East. The past 12 months have proved tremendously challenging with global economic headwinds and ongoing geopolitical instability impacting businesses across the region. However, with difficulty comes opportunity, and this upcoming year promises new beginnings if we have the leadership to guide us. 2023 tested many organisations to their limits, with rising inflation, supply chain issues, and energy price volatility creating an extremely uncertain environment. However, those companies with visionary executives who could steer their ship successfully through stormy waters thrived despite the turbulence. We saw countless examples of CEOs who communicated transparently with their workforce, adapted strategies to changing demands, and made bold yet prudent decisions to futureproof their operations. It is such leadership that will be instrumental in 2024 if businesses are to maximise opportunities for growth in the year Why strong leadership will be crucial in 2024 and the lessons we›ve learned from 2023We create lasting memories which continue to inspire www.skddrone.com info@skddrone.com +971 4 873 31 32 Tell your story in the sky with a state of the art drone light show, performed by double Guinness World Record holdersNext >