STANDPOINT by Atique Naqvi

The road to recovery may be long, but the end is in sight. Nissan’s COO, Toshiyuki Shiga, foresees growth in the auto market. "Oil is a natural resource and is not unlimited. The reserves will dry up sooner or later, so we have to prepare for the future and use the available natural resources with care", he said in 2011. The interview was published in the March 2011 issue of the Dubai-based magazine TRENDS - An International Magazine on Arab Affairs. Below is the jpeg file of the TRENDS magazine.

The semi-autonomous Kurdistan government of Northern Iraq is a magnet for regional trade, oil production and Iraqi migrants, Barham Salih explains. "Many Arab investors are coming from the Gulf and are exploring investment opportunities, whether in energy, infrastructure, tourism, agriculture or food production sectors", he said in 2011. The interview was published in the March 2011 issue of the Dubai-based magazine TRENDS - An International Magazine on Arab Affairs. Below is the jpeg file of the TRENDS magazine.

Middle East can be in for prolonged instability By Atique Naqvi | Dubai, UAE | Uploaded on the blog recently** As global geopolitics continue their substantial shifts, the region, too, often finds itself the middle of events that ripple across the globe. Speaking with Bruce Jones, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of Foreign Policy at the US-based Brookings Institution, the concern is that we are facing a prolonged period of instability, particularly in the Middle East. “Conflict zones aren’t multiplying, they’re migrating. That is, we continue to see a decline in numbers and levels of conflicts globally, except in one region – the wider Middle East. There, the number of wars is rising and so is their intensity. I fear that we are in for a long period of rising instability – and also brutal reactions – in the region,” says Jones ahead of the World Economic Forum’s Summit on the Global Agenda in Dubai. As always, and even more so than ever, global stability is heavily dependen

Turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa will bring about accountable governments and allow citizens to have human rights enjoyed more widely, said Kenneth Roth. "There is no reason why the Middle East should be excluded from the same rights and freedoms that people around the world enjoy", he said in 2011. The interview was published in the March 2011 issue of the Dubai-based magazine TRENDS - An International Magazine on Arab Affairs. Below is the jpeg file of the TRENDS magazine.

Political and economic threat from ‘Islamic State’ By Atique Naqvi | Dubai, UAE | Uploaded on the blog recently** Establishing a democratic system is not an easy task. The fallout of such efforts could be extremely destructive – and as a result some of the Middle East and North African countries are struggling to come back to normal. Libya and Syria can easily serve as the case studies for the research experts who want to explore the devastating aftereffects of the so-called Arab Spring. Besides the perils of instability in a country undergoing changes, the rise of militant groups with extremist ideologies poses a huge political, economic and social risk. Call it Islamic State of Iraq and Levant, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or just Islamic State, the group has become more voracious with each passing month. Experts worldwide, who claim to have understood the phenomenon of terrorism, are left scratching their heads in bewilderment and frustration with the meteoric rise o

Major challenges facing the UAE include population growth and a return of liquidity to the markets, but the pickup in oil price will help the economy, according to Sheikh Khaled Bin Zayed Al Nehayan. "Oil is expected to remain between $70 and $100 [per barrel]. If it stays in that range, it means that a lot of the government projects will continue on schedule", he said in 2011. The interview was published in the March 2011 issue of the Dubai-based magazine TRENDS - An International Magazine on Arab Affairs. Below is the jpeg file of the TRENDS magazine.

Being open to investors and different communities is key to fostering growth in this Latin American state, according to Ricardo Martinelli. "If interest rates, which have a tendency to go up do that, that presents some challenge to us. But, we have ample resources to weather out any difficulties", he said in 2011. The interview was published in the March 2011 issue of the Dubai-based magazine TRENDS - An International Magazine on Arab Affairs. Below is the jpeg file of the TRENDS magazine.

Being hungry and displaced in Syria By Atique Naqvi | Dubai, UAE | Uploaded on the blog recently** Syrians protest against lack of basic services. Hunger as a result of breaking down of food supply chains is not uncommon in conflict-hit areas – Syria is just one example. Though millions of Syrians are currently experiencing ills of war, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has made significant progress over the last few weeks in reaching more people affected by the violence. Owing to improved access through cross-line and cross-border food deliveries, thousands of Syrians in besieged and difficult-to-reach areas are benefitting from the program. In July, WFP food assistance reached a total of 3.7 million people in Syria, an increase on the number of people reached in June (3.4 million). More than 300,000 people in besieged and hard-to-reach areas received WFP food through cross-line convoys in July – double the number of people reached using cross-line convoys in J

No real winners in Hamas-Israel conflict By Atique Naqvi | Dubai, UAE | Uploaded on the blog recently** A Palestinian mother comforts her daughter in the conflict zone in Gaza. Though 192 Palestinians have died in Gaza as a result of week-long armed conflict between Hamas and Israel, Tel Aviv is a bigger loser on the economic front. While rockets fired from Gaza have injured ten Israelis with no deaths recorded, the Israeli cabinet has agreed to the Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire while Hamas has rejected it. Counting economic costs of the conflict is not easy, but it seems that Hamas has a plan: “Hamas calculates that by expanding the range of its rockets, it can impose significant economic damage on Israel by forcing its civilians into shelters, ports to shut down for fear of ships being hit by wayward rockets, and airports to close, while at the same time disrupting the mid-year tourism season,” says Firas Abi Ali, Head of Middle East Analysis at IHS Country Risk. “Thi

The world’s biggest petrochemical maker is gearing up for robust economic growth and vast expansion projects in Saudi Arabia, said Mohammed H. Al Mady. "SABIC has undertaken a great development drive with sustainability as one of our strategies.", he said in 2011. The interview was published in the March 2011 issue of the Dubai-based magazine TRENDS - An International Magazine on Arab Affairs. Below is the jpeg file of the TRENDS magazine.

Social media is something very impressive due to the sheer numbers involved, said Maurice Levy. "Of the 500 million Facebook subscribers around the world, some 200 million post something on their pages every day. This cannot be ignored," he said in 2011. The interview was published in the March 2011 issue of the Dubai-based magazine TRENDS - An International Magazine on Arab Affairs. Below is the jpeg file of the TRENDS magazine.

We need to continue reversing the trend of our debts relative to the GDP (Gross Domestic Product). But I really think that we have turned the corner and that banks are getting stronger, which is good news, said Christine Lagarde in 2011. More work should be achieved toward reducing deficits, creating jobs, lowering debt and propping up the European Union, she said. The interview was published in the March 2011 issue of the Dubai-based magazine TRENDS - An International Magazine on Arab Affairs. Below is the jpeg file of the TRENDS magazine.

If Tunisia and Egypt become fully-fledged democracies, that will change many things as far as media is concerned, said Jamal Khashoggi, the then editor-in-chief of [now defunct] Al Waleed 24-hr News channel. "It is yet to be seen how a democratic Egypt would affect the rest of the region and what it will take from other corners of the Arab world such as Dubai and Bahrain. Egypt could become the hub of Arab media once again." The interview was published in the March 2011 issue of the Dubai-based magazine TRENDS - An International Magazine on Arab Affairs. Below is the jpeg file of the TRENDS magazine.

Middle East, Africa Tablet Market Grows 111% By Atique Naqvi  |  Dubai, UAE  |  Uploaded on the blog recently** Home segment is driving growth of tablet computers. Shipments of PC tablets into the Middle East and Africa (MEA) expanded 111 per cent year on year in the final quarter of 2013, according to the latest results released by International Data Corporation (IDC). The premier global market intelligence and advisory firm for the information technology and telecommunications markets today announced that the overall MEA tablet market reached a total of 3.45 million units for the quarter. “This massive growth was mainly driven by the home segment, with numerous end-of-year promotions taking place in most countries across the region,” says Adriana Rangel, research director for systems and infrastructure solutions at IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey. “The corporate segment also witnessed a steady increase in volume, with major deals seen in all countries, particularly with

11 Million Guests in Dubai Hotels in 2013 By Atique Naqvi  |  Dubai, UAE  |  Uploaded on the blog recently** Visitors from Saudi Arabia is the largest group to visit Dubai. Dubai’s hotels welcomed more than 11 million guests in 2013 – an increase of just over one million on the 2012 numbers and a positive indication that Dubai is on the way to achieving its target of welcoming 20 million visitors a year by 2020. Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) released the statistics ahead of the global tourism industry gathering at the International Tourism Bourse (ITB) in Berlin this week, with the announced figures also showing increases across key indicators such as hotel establishment revenues and room occupancy. Visitors and source markets Guest numbers across all hotel establishments (hotels and hotel apartments) in 2013 reached 11,012,487, a 10.6 per cent increase on the 9,957,161 of 2012. Dubai’s top 10 hotel guest source markets remained, for the most

Effective Risk Management Raises Banks’ Value by up to 24% By Atique Naqvi  |  Dubai, UAE  |  Uploaded on the blog recently** Risk management should be part of overall strategy of a bank. Recent negative reports from the financial industry make it clear that banks and financial institutions urgently need strategy-oriented risk management. In a volatile environment, risk management is not merely a regulatory and compliance element, but it also becomes a decisive active design element in ensuring profitability and sustainable growth. According to the new analysis “Navigating risk” by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, banks that implement an improved risk management strategy see their market value go up by as much as 24 per cent. “At many banks, there is a direct relationship between the quality – i.e. the effectiveness – of risk management, and the sustainability of profit development,” says Dr. Marc D. Grüter, Partner in Roland Berger’s global Financial Services Competen

Profitability of GCC Firms Down in 10 Years By Atique Naqvi  |  Dubai, UAE  |  Uploaded on the blog recently** Real estate and banks are the hardest hit sectors. Average net margins of GCC companies have decreased from 31 per cent in the boom years a decade ago to about 17 per cent in recent years, with industries such as construction, real estate and banking hardest hit, says a new study by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants Middle East. The global financial crisis contributed strongly to this development through slower GDP growth as well as high but stagnant oil prices. In addition, efforts by GCC countries to improve their global competitiveness, e.g. through deregulation and better market accessibility, have encouraged foreign companies to enter the market. “We expect pressure on profitability to remain high. Comparably high growth rates and the GCC’s solid business environment will continue to attract market entries from international competitors,” says Dr. Tobias Plat

We, at Batelco, have explored the largest market close to us – and that is India. We have entered India through a partnership and rolled out our network there, said Mohamed Bin Isa Al Khalifa in 2011. Bahrain’s largest telecom operator, Batelco, has its eyes set on India and consolidation in the Gulf telecom market. The interview was published in the March 2011 issue of the Dubai-based magazine TRENDS - An International Magazine on Arab Affairs. Below is the jpeg file of the TRENDS magazine.

Dubai is the Most Diverse Property Market By Atique Naqvi  |  Dubai, UAE  |  Uploaded on the blog recently** People from several nationalities have bought property in Dubai. With recorded transactions worth $44.06 billion involving 120 nationalities in 2013, Dubai property market is one of the most diverse and active in the world, according to the statistics provided by a property research firm. Spelling out the property market trends in the UAE for 2014, consultancy firm Jones Lang LaSalle says confidence has returned to the Dubai market. Though funding constraints are likely to apply a natural brake to development activity, the greater attention to operating costs and property management bodes well for the sector, it says. Jones Lang LaSalle outlines the below key trends affecting the UAE real estate market this year: 1)   Avoiding another bubble: With unsustainable price growth in the residential market, increasing cost pressures and return of speculative activity, the