dispatches magazine december 2011

STAYJOYFUL.

holidayinn.comFor reservations, call Holiday Inn Kuwait, Salmiyah1847777 or 25760000 Fax: 25759809Email: [email protected]: www.kuwait-hi.comTerms and conditions apply. ©2010 InterContinental Hotels Group. All Rights Reserved.STAY YOU.TM is a registered trademark of Six Continents Hotels, Inc.

Enjoy a delightfully lunch at any of our 6 splendid

restaurants with “Discount your Age’’

You’re invited to be a part of the celebrations for our 6th year of excellence in hospitality. Count your age in years and get the same amount off.

. Offer is valid until 30 of December 2011. Discount valid up to 10 persons only. Applicable on lunch time from 12:00 noon until 5:00 pm

Discount Your Age Dispatches.indd 1 9/22/11 11:26 AM

Made in the UK, MK products have been serving reliably since 1919.

More than 6 million 2 Gang Socket Outlets — just a part of the MK product line —

are produced, tested and distributed by UK employees each year.

Kuwait’s favourite wiring accessory brand for more than 50 years.For more information visit www.me.mkelectric.com or www.keckuwait.com

WE REALLY SHOULD BE NAMED ELECTRIC.UK





WE REALLY SHOULD BE NAMED ELECTRIC. UK





WE REALLY SHOULD BE NAMED ELECTRIC.UK





WE REALLY SHOULD BE NAMED ELECTRIC. UK

2

BRITISH BUSINESS FORUM

DISPATCHESWINTER 2011/12

Dear Reader,

Is it just me or has this year flown away? 2011 has been an interesting year on so many fronts. As I write this, it’s been a year since the Arab Spring spark. The BBF has completed another year of elections and successful events. Kuwait celebrated 50/20 (with an incredible fireworks display that I’ll never forget). Honestly, I can’t believe December is already here.

So here we are: the last issue of Dispatches for 2011 and the first for 2012. Like most of us will on 31 December, we’re celebrating the past and looking to the future. Inside you will find articles on “A Day in Kuwait” and the cost of retiring in Britain; the Poppy Ball review and information on the BBF Excellence Awards; and much more.

So, over the holidays, wherever you spend them, take a few minutes here and there to have a read. We’re certain you’ll enjoy what you find in our pages.

Better still, take a few minutes to tell the people in your life how important they were to you in 2011 and will be in 2012. Time is flying these days; New Year’s Eve is already approaching – end the year on a high note and resolve to make sure that another year doesn’t fly by without a host of kind words.

Happy holidays.

Take care,

SueSusan DayEditor

Dispatches and Advertising Manager

Adriaan VickeryTelephone (+965) 6775 3962

Email [email protected]


DISPATCHES

British Business Forum

The Voice of the British Business in Kuwait

DISPATCHESDISPATCHES

2232 20382232 2040

Telephone

www.bbfkuwait.comFax

2232 20382232 2040

:Rose William

Email [email protected]

TF


Japanese Restaurant

Starting from KD 1.250* Terms and conditions apply

Crowne Plaza | Laila Gallery | Abu Halifa | Shaab | Holiday Inn Salmiya

Call 24757775

Think healthy... think sushi.

4



DISPATCHESDISPATCHESWINTER 2011/12

DISPATCHES

Dispatches

Dispatches

Dispatches

Contents

• BBFBoardofDirectors 6 • Chairman’sMessage 8 • LetterfromtheAmbassador 9 • BBFSectorGroupsDefined 10 • BBFSectorGroupReports 13 • SeeingRed:PoppyBall2011 16 • DecemberMembersMeeting–CMECDelegation 24 • APrincelyVisit 28 • ActionResearchintoPeerMentoringinKuwait 32 • SMEsinKuwait:NoLuckforTrueEntrepreneurs 36 • Crumbs:ASweetSuccess 39 • MKElectric’sUKManufacturing 40 • ANewLiveTrafficInformationServiceforKuwait 42 • DowntoEarth–theKuwaitFlightSimulatorCenter 44 • OldIndiainHawally 46 • EnergySupplyandUsage 48 • CarbonEmissionsTrading 50 • WiFi(ght)It? 52 • NeverOnYouLap... 54 • ShareYourStoryonProust.com 56 • ProustQuestionnaire 57 • OnceEveryFourYears;Once,ForFourYears 58 • OfficialOlympicandParalympicsPostersUnveiled 59 • Retirement:ReadyorNot,HereItComes 64 • TranquilityandEtherealMagic:TheNMA 67 • ARecipeforChristmas 70 • Singing,SwingingChristmas 72 • ChristmasQuiz 76 • BBF2011-2012Membership 80 • BBFMembershipBenefits2011–2012 82 • BritishEmbassyInformation 84 • EDUKEX 86 • BGIFCRecognisesAmandaWeldon 87 • BritishLadiesSocietyKuwait 88 • CommunityGroups 90 • BBFMembershipForm 96

BBF Board 2011/2012

Paul McKayChairman

Events

Arthur BarberVice Chairman

Dispatches

Graham KennyGeneral Secretary

Governance, Contracts

Chris BakerTreasurer

Pierre BanooriDirector

Membership Benefits

Donald Teale Director

Sector Group

Brian DawesDirectorStrategy

6



BBF Board 2011/2012

Linda Asfour Director

Rose WilliamAdministration Manager

Hanna JerczynskaDirector

Lesley WatsonDirector

Commercial Activities

Musaed Al NajjarDirector

Press Relations

Adriaan VickeryDispatches & Advertising

Manager

George MhawechEvents Manager

Jes BunceDirector

Membership

7


DISPATCHESWINTER 2011/12 7


8



‘Voice of British Business’ in Kuwait, recognise that engagement could and should be better. This view is shared by the British Government that has put commercial relations with the Gulf and (Kuwait) at the centre of its strategy. The British Business Forum will seek to engage more with key business leaders, government officials and UK ministers giving us greater insight into the marketplace and supporting the good bilateral relations between countries. There are member working groups examining our Special Interest Groups and support to Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in UK and the Region to enter the Kuwait market. We have supported a ‘Doing Business in Kuwait Guide’ providing SMEs and novice exporters the basic knowledge to enter Kuwait (www.Kuwait.DoingBusinessGuide.co.uk) and are contributing to several trade publications to send the message that Kuwait is Open for Business.

Our objectives are in one accord with the British Embassy and UK Trade & Investment’s pathway to growth. Our patron Ambassador Frank Baker is encouraged that our Forum is gaining the right momentum. There will be challenges ahead but we will view them as necessary for our growth. As Winston Churchill said, ‘The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty’. The next few years look to be a period of significant and positive change for the BBF.

I look forward to you joining our informal networking sessions, business sector groups, monthly meetings, events and activities in the upcoming year. I am also keen to hear your thoughts on how to continue our progress and wherever necessary and possible, make improvements.

It leaves me pleasure to wish all our readers a happy and prosperous New Year.

Paul McKay

ChairmanBritish Business Forum Kuwait


The stifling heat of summer is over and our daily routines have become considerably lighter as tasks such as remembering sunscreen, sunglasses and fearing the burn of a piping hot steering wheel in the morning are no longer necessary. I wish we could say the same about the stifling heat of Kuwait’s political scene today. Summing up what’s taking place in parliament would include a word or two that are best written in asterisks. But in the unlikely event of someone actually praising Kuwait’s weather, I must admit it is nice seeing the seasons change, to appreciate a lighter climate, and to take a fresh look at our activities that come along with it.

The BBF, as many of you will know, is growing in a fundamental and positive way. There are four pillars that underpin our new direction: good brand & image, effective relationship management, value added to members and effective governance and controls. I am delighted to report that we are progressing in meeting all strategic objectives. We are increasing appeal and effectiveness as a business organisation, whilst maintaining the traditional programmes that our members enjoy so well. It was a tremendous privilege therefore to have so many members attend our ‘Poppy Ball’ charity dinner. This is certainly a challenging time for fundraising, as businesses and charities are not immune to the credit crunch. So a heartfelt thank you for helping us reach and benefit all those who have no one else to turn to for help in times of real need.

Our monthly members’ meetings continue to attract maximum attendance. A major first for the BBF was the staging of a topical debate based on the BBC television programme in the United Kingdom, Any Questions? The debate featured Baroness Morris of Bolton OBE DL, Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords, The Rt Hon The Lord Fowler, former Conservative Party Chairman, Dr Phillip Lee MP, Member of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee and Nick de Bois MP for Enfield North. The debate helped the parliamentarians to develop a deeper understanding of business sector issues in Kuwait and the region, and identify where bi-lateral relations might be enhanced. We will look for more opportunities to invite senior UK and Kuwaiti ministers to speak at members’ meetings in the future.

The commercial relationship between Kuwait and the UK dating back over 200 years is strong but UK business has become complacent. We as the

Chairman’s Message

9DISPATCHESWINTER 2011/12

This has also been a busy time for the British Business Forum. I met with many of you at this year’s “Introduction to Kuwait” in October – held for the first time as an all day event and incorporating a memorable ride – for me at least - in a London taxi. That was followed

A very warm seasonal welcome to you all from this, the sixty fifth edition of Dispatches. The role of the Embassy as a focal point for our large community – both socially and working with UK business – is never more apparent than during the run up to the festive season and in the season itself. It was good to see so many of you helping celebrate that traditional British event “The Last Night of the Proms” a few weeks ago and I am especially looking forward to seeing many of you again at our annual carol concert, which will be held in the garden of the Residence the week before Christmas.

This has been a truly special year for the United Kingdom in Kuwait. Our participation in the dual Kuwaiti anniversaries of fifty years since independence and twenty years since the liberation of Kuwait from the forces of Saddam Hussein has underlined again just how close the historical and present bilateral relationship is. In the last twelve months we have seen visits from HRH The Prince of Wales, HRH The Duke of York, the Prime Minister David Cameron and eighteen further British government Ministers, giving a clear signal of our continued commitment to Kuwait.

All of our visitors have worked hard to continue to promote the UK’s commercial expertise across the board, stressing the ability and desire of British companies to help Kuwait deliver on the Development Plan. They have had the opportunity to meet not only a wide range of Kuwaiti politicians and business people but also the BBF and the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce to press the case for the strengthening of the bilateral trade relationship. We have also welcomed a succession of trade missions – covering areas as diverse as airports, rail and metro, ports, infrastructure, health and financial services - as well as regular missions and shows promoting UK expertise in education and training, universities and colleges. There have been a series of inward missions to the UK from the retail, environment and energy sectors. And we had an excellent seminar hosted by HRH The Duke of York at St James’ Palace in June which was attended by well over one hundred UK and Kuwaiti businesses.

Message from

HE The British Ambassador

Frank Baker

THE BRITISH EMBASSY

by the very successful Poppy Ball with its mixture of suitable gravitas and celebration. I congratulate the BBF, the sponsors, and participants, on their contributions. It is also good to see that the monthly meetings continue to feature excellent speakers and networking opportunities.

One area that I am keen to develop further is support and encouragement for UK SMEs. Our focus on this is generated a great deal of activity by both UKTI and the BBF and, refreshingly, coincides with renewed interest by the Kuwaiti government in the development of local SMEs as part of its effort to establish a thriving private sector. I see this as a major opportunity to increase British exports to Kuwait and we will be doing further work on it during 2012.

As we look forward to 2012 the Embassy, working closely with our Kuwaiti friends, has exciting plans in place to celebrate the big events of the year. We look forward to celebrating proudly the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in June, with its historical significance. That will be followed closely by the much anticipated London Olympics with all the opportunities that will present for the UK in terms of international awareness and understanding, trade and investment, and friendship. Nor should we forget that 2012 is the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens, another important event around which to promote the UK.

That is for next year. For now I wish all of you and your loved ones a very peaceful Christmas and a prosperous and happy 2012.

10


DISPATCHESAutumn 2011


T he British Business Forum of Kuwait currently has a range of sector groups, open to anyone who has an interest in the respective business

sectors. Each sector group has a convener who is a point of contact for the group and who arranges periodic meetings throughout the year, normally at least once a quarter.

BBF Sector Groups Dened

The sector groups are usually the first point of contact for British firms looking for assistance in entering or doing business in Kuwait, and provide a useful forum for exchanging ideas for members with similar interests. The sector groups are seen as a key function of the BBF. If you are interested in joining any of the sector groups, or starting a new group, please contact either the sector group coordinator Donald Teale at [email protected], or the respective sector group convener.

Aviation, Travel & Hospitality

The Aviation, Travel & Hospitality group is the most active sector group within the BBF with regular quarterly meetings. The ethos of the group is to mix business with pleasure in a nice environment. This has been achieved by meeting in some of the most prestigious hospitality establishments in Kuwait. The format typically includes a presentation from a member of the industry followed by an informal networking session over dinner. Previous presentations have been delivered by representatives from airlines, hotels, and travel companies, and even a concert exclusively for the group by internationally renowned violinist, Michal Cwizewicz. If you are interested in joining this group or wish to attend the next meeting, please contact the sector group convener Hanna Jerczynska at [email protected]

Banking and Finance

The Banking and Finance Sector Group is open to any members of the financial industry sector including banking, insurance, investment companies, and related services. The group is a forum for exchanging ideas and latest industry and market information, assisting both companies entering the Kuwait market and Kuwait companies wishing to do business in the UK. The financial industry sector in Kuwait is one of the largest in the region and a major contributor the Kuwait GDP after the oil and gas industry. If you are interested in joining this group or wish to attend the next meeting, please contact the sector group convener Geoff Webster at [email protected]

Construction and Consultancy

The Construction and Consultant Sector Group is one of the original groups within the BBF, lead by Jeff de Lange, who recently hosted HRH Prince Andrew on his trade mission to Kuwait. Construction is a key pillar of the Kuwait Five Year Development Plan generating large scale opportunities for British industry. British companies are already successfully involved in projects such as the new Kuwait Metro System, the new terminal at Kuwait Airport, and numerous other major infrastructure projects included in the Kuwaiti Five Year Development Plan. The sector group meets roughly once a quarter and meetings are usually arranged around site visits to innovative and



interesting construction sites in and around Kuwait. Meetings last year included a visit to the Al Hamra Tower in Sharq, the tallest building being constructed in Kuwait. Jeff and the group seem to have a desire to be the first members of the public to drive across the Sheraton Roundabout fly over, showing an admirable confidence in their profession. This group covers a range of sectors, including construction, design, power, and professional consultancy services and is a focus for networking amongst BBF member and other interested parties, as well as providing a support for visiting British trade delegations. If you are interested in joining this group or wish to attend the next meeting, please contact the sector group convener Jeff de Lange at [email protected]

Defence

The defence sector in Kuwait is one of the cornerstones of Kuwait-UK relations. Since 2003

Britain has approved 444 defence related export licences for Kuwait, worth a total of £102.3m. This cascades into opportunities for UK defence related service companies to assist in the training and development of Kuwaiti companies. This group is open to any member interested, either directly or indirectly, in the defence or security industries within Kuwait. If you are interested in joining this group, please contact the sector group coordinator Donald Teale at [email protected]

Fashion

Building on the successful “Best of British Fashion” show, held at the embassy last summer, the BBF have started a new sector group dedicated to those involved or interested in fashion. Kuwait has an unusually high number of informed consumers in this area with shopping being one of the most popular local pastimes. If you are interested in joining this group or wish to attend the next meeting, please contact either of the sector group conveners Linda Asfour or

12


DISPATCHESAutumn 2011

Hanna Jerczynska at [email protected] or [email protected]

Healthcare

Healthcare is one of the key pillars of the Kuwait National Development Plan, looking at meeting the needs of an increasing population and providing services to regional customers. The UK has already been very successful in developing links between high profile UK hospitals and institutions and Kuwait companies to develop joint venture opportunities to bring high quality care services to where they are in demand. This sector group has brought some of these success stories to the wider interest of the BBF membership, resulting in British Excellence Awards for two individuals from Great Ormond Street Hospital for their work in developing a palliative care centre for children in Kuwait. If you are interested in joining this group or wish to attend the next meeting, please contact the sector group convener, Dr. Linda Asfour, at [email protected]

Information Technology

The information technology sector is open to anyone with an interest in the subject and industry, whether it be key users such as company CIOs or service providers. Kuwait and the Middle East are now becoming the focus of attention of many large IT organisations looking for new and developing markets. Last year Kuwait and the UK moved closer together signing a Memorandum of Understanding on collaborative actions to fight cybercrime in order to combat terrorism. This sector group meets on an informal basis, typically once a quarter to discuss innovations in the industry and development in the local market. If you are interested in joining this group or wish to attend the next meeting, please contact the sector group convener Ian Mills at [email protected]

Oil and Gas

It is probably no surprise that the oil and gas sector group is the largest sector group in the BBF, with many British companies and nationals providing a range of services to the industry. The members include representatives from all the major UK and international companies working in Kuwait. The group meets quarterly at a variety of locations around Kuwait and is an informal networking opportunity for people in the business. In the last twelve months the group has hosted several trade delegations from the UK and has lead the BBF’s interest in developing a forum for those interested in doing business in Iraq, including a round table workshop chaired by Emma Nicholson, the Baroness of Winterborne (Chairperson of the IBBQ). Presentations have also been delivered by the country leaders of a broadrange of international oil and petrochemical companies. If you are interested in joining this group or wish to attend the next meeting, please contact the sector group convener Brian Dawes, at [email protected]

Training and Education

Training and education is one of the most successful UK exports to the Middle East, building on the prestige of high quality services available from UK nationals. The group meets regularly in informal surroundings to discuss a wide range of industry related topics, including the long term training requirements of the country, the impact of Kuwaitisation on recruitment, and the evolution of mentoring. The group intends to produce a series of articles for the BBF magazine Dispatches this year. If you are interested in joining this group or wish to attend the next meeting, please contact the sector group convener Dr. Sean Toner, at [email protected]

n reg

oopmncron

ssuas c

t Oa

vices oup h

he widn Britis

eat O

very suh profile UK ho

companies to debring high qua

mand. Th

the key pillars nt Plan, looking

asing populatiol customers. Th

ssful in develoospitals and in

develop joint veality care servi

This sector gross stories to the

ip, resulting in dividuals from Gwork in develo

dren in Kuwait.roup or wish to

act the sector ginda.asfour@b

Information T

he informe w

these membfo

hn

on an int

key

or cthisco

nyo

end up cowait.c

gy

nologyin thsuch

m or

the Kmee

andUK

Kuuwwwait eetinining the

nd ppproviding UK hhhaas already

g lininnks between utioonons and Kuwait

ure oopportunities to s tooo where they are hasss brought some of

derrr interest of the BBF ishh Excellence Awards Orrmmond Street Hospital a ppalliative care centre aree interested in joining hee next meeting, please

nveeener, Dr. Linda Asfour, om

sececctor is open to ubbjejeject and industry,

coompm any C

probababblylyly n no surprise that the oil angroup p p iisis the largest sector group in tmmamany British companies and nationa range of services to the industry. include representatives from all the international companies working group meets quarterly at a variety oKuwait and is an informal networkpeople in the business. In the lagroup has hosted several tradeUK and has lead the BBF’s forum for those interestedincluding a round table woNicholson, the Baroness oof the IBBQ). Presentations have also been delivered by the country leaders of a broadrange of international oil and petrochemica mppanies. If you are interested in joining this up or wishsh t o attend the next meeting, please ccoontact the sectoor group convener Brian Dawes, at [email protected]

Training and Education

Training and eduUK exp

gs pics,

of the uitment,

p intends F magazine ed in joining

eeting, please Sean Toner, at

wait.com

care is one of tional Developm

needs of an services to been vehigh pcomb

The anyone with an interest in the subject and industry,whether it be key users such as company CIOs orservice providers. Kuwait and the Middle East arenow becoming the focus of attention of many largeIT organisations looking for new and developingmarkets. Last year Kuwait and the UK moved closer

gether signing a Memorandum of Understandingative actions to fight cybercrime in

nd education is one of the most successful UK exports to the Middle East, building on the prestige of high quality services available from UK nationaThe group meets regularly in informal surto discuss a wide range of industincluding the long term traicountry, the impacand the

DISPA

margether signing a Memorandum of Understanding

ollaborative actions to fight cybercrime in orderbat terrorism. This sector group meets on an

basis, typically once a quarter to discussin the industry and development in the

you are interested in joining this group the next meeting, please contact

onvener Ian Mills at Ian.Mills@

ationals. al surroundings

ndustry related topicrm training requirements o

e impact of Kuwaitisation on recruand the evolution of mentoring. The groupto produce a series of articles for the BBF Dispatches this year. If you are interestethis group or wish to attend the next meecontact the sector group convener Dr. [email protected]

hs the ns from the

st in developing a doing business in Iraq,

workshop chaired by Emma of Winterborne (Chairperson

sentations have also been try leaders of a broadrangetrochemical compa

ning this group please con

awes,

nd gas sector the BBF, with

nals providing The members

e major UK and in Kuwait. The

of locations around rking opportunity for

ast twelve months thede delegations fr

’s interest in ed in doin

e workones

WINTER 2011/12

Chaired by Jeff de Lange, the Construction Sector Group joined with the visiting Mission members, lead by Tim Gray, International Business Development Director of the Railway Industry Association, in a convivial evening of short presentations and networking.

A range of activities and networking opportunities had been arranged for the visiting group to enable them to meet with a wide selection of local organisations. The UK companies are seeking sales and partnering opportunities as well as potential local investment to service future contracts.

The delegates learnt about the latest railway developments in Kuwait and were able to highlight the UK’s experience of delivering rail projects and associated services around the world and to briefly present their products and expertise

The visiting companies covered the full scope railway system planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance and all railway disciplines, across heavy, metro and light rail sectors.

Jeff de Lange, with the help of involved construction group members, presented the current status of the various Bubiyan Island projects. After an outline, from Tim Gray, of the current state of the UK rail industry, some general discussion ensued, followed by a final networking session.

The BBF Training & Education sector group met on October 18th, convened and hosted by Dr Sean Toner at his home. After enjoying Sean’s usual excellent hospitality the group settled into an informal workshop and discussion on themes emerging from Sean’s recent paper in Dispatches on “Mentoring Strategies in Context - Human Resources or People Dynamics”.

The conceptual differences between Mentoring, Peer Mentoring and E-Mentoring were explored, with

reference to Sean’s long experience in HR. Also the growing use of Facilitators -.super mentors – whose role is as much about educating the candidate as about training them. This dual conceptual thread - training versus education – seems to run through the debate on this area of human resource management and development.

While there are the organisations who hire staff who are qualified for the job - and keep them at that level - there are those other organisations who hire

13



Construction Sector Group Hosts UK Railway Sector Trade Mission Members

BBF Training & Education Sector Group

facilitators, and the format – a conference? a workshop? break-out sessions?

Over the years, previous analyses always came to the same problem – the lack of a suitable financial formula to ensure at least breakeven on costs. However the market is changing, with a more ready acceptance of sponsorship, and without the perception of loss of brand and identity.

With this in mind the T & E group will develop a concept paper for such an event. After internal review this paper may be carried to the BBF BoD.

qualified staff and then develop them – both train and educate – to help them achieve their full potential. Those companies regard their staff as their capital and are not just an asset costed as an overhead.

Also, in the current BBF spirit of “making a discernible difference” an earlier Training & Education Group working concept of running a conference in Kuwait in the area of Career & Professional Development was reviewed.

The issues include the usual items: the objective, the market, the profile of attendees, the expected numbers, the availability of a high-quality speaker,

14



The British Business Forum- Aviation, Travel & Hospitality sector group had its quarterly meeting at the Moevenpick hotel, Industrial Zone. Mrs Maria Baker, the wife of the British Ambassador was a guest of honour. The guest speaker was an ex- pilot and the current Vice President of the Gryphon Airlines, Cpt. John Schmitt. (pictured) The presentation was very interesting and educational.

Gryphon Airlines, established in 2006, provides safe, reliable, jet transport to multiple locations throughout Afghanistan and Iraq. Gryphon has an impeccable reputation for providing on-time, reliable air transport to the US Military, NATO, International Commercial Companies and other Coalition countries that have a need to move personnel in and around Afghanistan and Iraq.

We are the only Category 1 (US FAA) air carrier in the Middle East region fully certified by the South African Civil Aviation Authority. Gryphon has operated flights between Kuwait International Airport and Sather Air Force Base, Iraq for more than three (3) years and provides scheduled service from Kuwait International Airport via Dubai to Afghanistan. In 2009/2010, we safely moved a total of 50,000+ passengers on these routes. Gryphon has also operated numerous charter flights throughout the Middle East to both civil and military airports.

Despite unpredictable weather, inevitable maintenance issues, and the challenging political situation in Afghanistan and Iraq - Gryphon has maintained a 99% dispatch reliability rate and a 98.7% mission

Aviation, Travel and Hospitality Sector Groupcompletion rate for the past two years. Gryphon currently operates twin engine medium range single aisle commercial jet aircraft in Afghanistan, Dubai, Kuwait, and Iraq.

The future is bright for Gryphon Airlines. Our demand for passenger air service continues to rise aided by well established strategic alliances. Gryphon Airlines has become the vendor of choice for many US Government agencies and corporations. Visit our airlines at www.flygryphon.com.

After the formal part of our meeting, according to the Aviation group motto of mixing business with pleasure, the 26 professionals enjoyed sumptuous buffet dinner while listening to the Latino tunes. The Moevenpick’s team made sure that all our needs were catered for.

Hanna Jerczynska, the convener of the group and the BBF Director, has announced that the next session of mixing business with pleasure will take place in the new year.

15



The Industry Sector Groups have been part of the British Business Forum for about as long as anyone can remember, institutional memories can be quite short with such a transient expat membership. As the title suggests, these groups represent the main industries present in Kuwait, such as Oil & Gas, Construction, Aviation & Hospitality, etc. (The full list is available on the BBF Website.) The overriding objective of the sector groups is to…, well herein lies the point. What are the sector groups for?

As the BBF Director responsible for the Sector Groups, I see it as my role to support the Sector Group convenors, and having attended many of the group meetings, I have only respect for these individuals who, selflessly, with little in the way of thanks, gave up their time to organise meetings for their colleagues. It is fair to say that we do not yet have a full coverage of business areas in Kuwait, and we will be trying to bring more groups on line in the coming months.

As I sat in one of the Aviation Sector Group meetings, listening to the success of “Griffin Air”, surrounded by over thirty members and guests, I wondered, why these people had come. How was Hannah able to consistently attract all these people once a quarter to her group meetings?

We currently have four really active groups, Oil & Gas, Training & Education, Construction, and Aviation & Hospitality. They are all very different, but very successful, and I thought it would be a good idea to get the convenors together to share ideas and thoughts.

On Monday the 14th of November, the BBF held the first Sector Group Workshop, twenty invited guests, both members and non-members, from a range of back grounds and interests met to discuss how the groups could help the BBF meet their four strategic objectives. This task was set as a method of facilitating a structured conversation on the groups and to share ideas on the ‘form and substance’ that would most benefit the members.

BBF Sector Group Workshop

It can be quite nerve wracking putting yourself up in front of a group of your peers, inviting people to come and support you without reward. This is what the sector group convenors do every quarter.

Of the four most active groups, the O&G group is perceived as the most business like, addressing serious topics with a core group of about ten to fifteen members. The O&G group had a lot of success last year addressing the challenge of ‘doing business in Iraq”. OK, yes, we are the Kuwait BBF, but this was primarily driven by members interest, and the O&G group became the main link with the Iraq British Business Council. Many members may remember the IBBC patron Baroness Nicholson of Winterborne, presenting the Excellence Awards last year. However, I think the award for the most business like should actually sit with the Construction Group, who recently held a joint meeting with the British Rail Industry Association, who were on a trade mission to Kuwait, or perhaps it should sit with the Training & Education group, who regularly sponsor articles in this publication on challenges facing Kuwait within their sector.

This was, in fact, one of the most important conclusions to come out of the workshop: There is no formula for the Sector Groups, the groups revel in their diversity, adapting their style to match the wants of the membership. Other findings included the need to hold regular meetings to develop an attendance habit, to invite interesting speakers, and to explore possible links with other interest groups in Kuwait and in the region.

However, for me, I think the most important thing I learnt, was that I should get these brave individuals together on a much more regular basis, and not to wait another twelve months before we do it again.

My thanks to the participants and the British embassy for hosting the event. The sector group meetings are advertised on the web site and open to both members and non-members alike, all comers are very welcome.

16 DISPATCHESWINTER 2011/12

Seeing Red11 November 2011 – 11.11.11 – was certainly an auspicious day for the Ruqayah Abdulwahab Al Qatami Breast Cancer Foundation, Royal British Legion, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association, and St Dunstan’s. That was the date of one of the BBF’s biggest fundraisers: The Poppy Ball, this year in memoriam of wartime heroines. All the proceeds from the evening go to the charities listed above and this year, despite the tough economy, members and friends of the BBF came out in droves to support the event.

Switchback provided outstanding live music that had even the shyest toes tapping. Students from the British Academy of International Arts, most appropriately dressed, added an extra something to the entertainment. Thematically beautiful paintings by Mme Dominique Malarde were auctioned off to add to the coffers.

Overall it was a stellar evening for everyone. Those who participated had a night to remember; the charities supported by the event will benefit from well-deserved contributions. You can’t ask for more than that.


WINTER 2011/12DISPATCHES20

KES ARE NUMBER 1 IN THE WORLD

Kuwait English School Salwa area 11 street 9—Tel 2565 5 216/218-KG 2565 5208—Fax: 2562 9356 Email: [email protected]—web: www.kes.edu.kw

30 Years of Excellence in Education

Congratulations

To

HARIZ SAFWAN JOHNSON

For gaining the highest mark in the world for

Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) In the June 2011 examinations

WELL DONE!

KUWAIT ENGLISH SCHOOL SCHOOL

مدرســـــــة الكويـــــــت االنجليزيــــــــــة

KES ARE NUMBER 1 IN THE WORLD

Kuwait English School Salwa area 11 street 9—Tel 2565 5 216/218-KG 2565 5208—Fax: 2562 9356 Email: [email protected]—web: www.kes.edu.kw

30 Years of Excellence in Education

Congratulations

To

HARIZ SAFWAN JOHNSON

For gaining the highest mark in the world for

Cambridge IGCSE Literature (English) In the June 2011 examinations

WELL DONE!

KUWAIT ENGLISH SCHOOL SCHOOL

مدرســـــــة الكويـــــــت االنجليزيــــــــــة

December Members Meeting– CMEC Delegation

The December Members’ meeting welcomed a visiting Conservative Middle East Council (CMEC) delegation. Followed by dinner, the evening took the form of a lively question and

answer session, the members indicating that they were on a “fact finding” mission of their own.

CMEC exists to ensure that conservative MPs and Peers understand the Middle East. By bringing Conservative parliamentarians together with leading experts, CMEC promotes the discussion of UK foreign policy in the Middle East, and seeks to ensure that this policy in grounded in a deep understanding of the complexities of the region.

By taking delegations to countries across the region CMEC encourages MPs and Peers to see the Middle East at first hand and gain a unique insight into the region by meeting leading members of government, business and civil society. CMEC brings together leading experts with Conservative MPs and Peers to discuss the most pressing questions for UK foreign policy in the Middle East.

The delegation to Kuwait comprised:

Baroness Morris of Bolton OBE DL (Patricia ‘Trish’ Morris) is a former Shadow Minister for Women and an Opposition Whip for the Party. A life peer since 2004, Baroness Morris has previously been Vice-Chairman of the Conservatives with responsibility for candidates. She was responsible for several changes in the selection procedure designed to increase the quality and diversity of Parliamentary candidates.

Baron Fowler, PC (Peter Norman Fowler) was from 1981 to 1990 a member of Margaret Thatcher’s Cabinet. As Secretary of State for Transport, Lord Fowler drove through Lord Nugent’s 1981 bill to make seat belts compulsory, a law that came into force in 1983.

Dr Phillip James Lee has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bracknell since winning the seat at the 2010 United Kingdom general election. He became Vice Chairman of CMEC in June 2010. Before entering Parliament Phillip travelled extensively to the region and has visited Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel and the West Bank, the UAE and Egypt.

Geoffrey Nicholas “Nick” de Bois was elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of Parliament for Enfield North


Dr Mohammed Abdel Haq is a private equity investor and Director of a number of UK companies. He is a Trustee of the Amman Arab University, Jordan, and an elected member of the Council of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House). He also Chairs the Advisory Board of the Conservative Middle East Council

Leo Docherty - Director of CMEC provides the overall strategic direction of CMEC and manages the CMEC team. Prior to joining CMEC Leo was employed as an Analyst and Country Manager for a leading Strategic Communication firm specializing in field research in conflict zones. Leo Docherty served with the British Army in Iraq and Afghanistan and is the author of Desert of Death: A Soldier’s Journey from Iraq to Afghanistan (Faber & Faber 2007)

The business of a successful, interesting and informative evening covered a wide range of topics – the Arab Spring and Libya, education in Kuwait, the Euro in the context of a possible GCC currency, UK immigration issues for students, through to the pronouncements of Jeremy Clarkson!


A Princely Visit

Knowing there is truth in the old saying “A picture is worth 1,000 words”, we give you HRH The Prince

of Wales, Prince Charles’ one day visit to Kuwait on 1 November. The Prince was in Kuwait as part of a multi-country tour to promote business in the Middle East and Africa. Prince Charles, accompanied by British Foreign Office Minister Alastair Burt, participated in a host of activities, including a military parade and a private meeting with HH the Amir.

Action Research Into Peer Mentoring in Kuwait

Your questions and indeed the questions of any naturally inquisitive person might well be: ‘Where is your evidence for saying that peer mentoring leads to effective learning? What method did you use to come to these conclusions and who else, apart from you, was involved in your research? ’ My short answer is that I received results which clearly indicated that, during a longitudinal study of an international group of trainers in Kuwait, those trainers benefited in two ways by a peer mentoring intervention. The first was entirely practical and the result immediate: they began to collaborate in ways they had not thought to do before and this bore fruit in the improved quality of curriculum building and curriculum delivery that they were involved in. The second is that we all witnessed a ‘cognitive shift’, in other words a complete change of mind and attitude about how to be effective in training situations. This represents a longer term effect. Lastly, I found that Action Research, when a person investigates his /her own working practicum as he/she continues to work, was the best research methodology for this task.

How do we know that these results were realistic and not a ‘research wish’? The answer is because the trainers themselves assessed any changes in their daily practicum and in their longer term attitude

to ‘growing as trainers’. I could back that up by consulting the regular assessment feedback forms by the trainees that indicated they became increasingly more contented with the standard of delivery of their courses. I also chose three training establishments so that I could compare and cross reference my findings. Hence I triangulated the sources of evidence so that I could get as wide a body of reports as possible. This helped with my final interpretation of what worked and what did not.

I also have longer and more detailed answers to your questions above. Let’s start with why action research is so important. I hate to sound competitive about this but action research beats the hell out of the kind of Ph.D study that is done ‘on the back of someone else’s baby’. You often find people getting Ph.Ds because they have shared in gathering information with others or their thesis is written on the back of a generalized study. A good doctorate demands close research of your own workplace and better if you do it when you have some experience under your belt, when you know intimately your working environment and how to learn from all the mistakes you have made! A good doctorate demands deep involvement and an almost sleuth - like attitude to detecting patterns in results. So action research often means throwing a spanner in the works to see what happens and how people


In our series of articles on Mentoring and Peer Mentoring, we have already looked at what traditional mentoring is, what peer mentoring is and why the latter is consistent with regular and

effective learning. In this edition of Dispatches I will talk about the action research that I carried out over four years in several training establishments in Kuwait and the importance of my results.

BUSINESS NEWS

react to that. Finding the right research methodology to match your type of work is also very important.

I implemented a change in two situations I was close to and monitored over four years how trainers responded. In a third situation, I simply observed how trainee trainers critiqued each other during a well - known international three month train – the - trainer course where they were advised to monitor and critique each other.

So the implementation I enacted in two training situations was that the trainers, all from a wide spectrum of nationality and backgrounds, should attempt to learn from each other and cooperate on all aspects of the preparation and delivery of training. I had teams and pairs swopping ideas and complementing each others’ skills when it came to curriculum development and team teaching in class, taking turns delivering material to one group as and when particular skills were needed. This implementation was not easy to introduce in the two situations but I was able to get some results through observation, feedback sheets, surveys and diary keeping. The difficulties and indeed all difficult encounters were noted down because in action research when you are involved with real people in a living situation you can expect all kinds of reactions both to your research and within the relationships and communication patterns that are a daily occurrence.

In one situation I was a supervisor of training, so I could more easily get the buy- in of a group of international trainers, although I met with resistance at times since such interventions complicate people’s lives. In my second, I joined and worked at a training establishment so I could monitor progress of an attempt at international accreditation. Here they were using their regular staff to rethink the whole curriculum and to work in teams to rewrite and replan their approaches to the teaching/training content. In my third setting (I wanted three to make comparisons

and widen the scope of my observations) I was a fly on the wall during a well known international train- the - trainer course and observed how the groups of course participants interacted as they critiqued each others’ performances on practice nights. The third laboratory was very intense as experienced teachers and trainers, now doing a specific training course to gain an international professional qualification, took exception if their peers did not praise their performance sufficiently and there was tit for tat expectation; for example ‘I’ll praise you if you praise me’ or ‘I wasn’t tough (the word nasty was used once or twice as well )with you, why are you with me? In other words dealing with people, especially those who guard their professional approach very jealously, can be difficult. But I enjoyed getting the balance, the real objections, the groans and the pain as well as the positive comments when collaboration pays off. The research report or thesis reads like a narrative, a sort of non fictional drama. And this way of reporting also is enjoyable. The main findings of this research were:

• Trainers and teachers, when they collaborate on a cycle of training (curriculum build, planning and delivery), become more effective

• Training becomes a much more dynamic exercise when peer mentoring is involved

• Trainees and students feel the impact of a shared approach by their trainers and feel improvement in delivery of courses

• 80% positive reaction by trainers to peer mentoring implementations

• International train the trainer and teacher training body advocates that trainees collaborate but does not facilitate this. Eg The outcomes of collaboration are not left open since the organization says “ In the end you will do it as we want “


BUSINESS NEWS

• Training body looking for international accreditation ended up using people for own ends, displayed no empathy with staff, imagined that some sort of ‘wasta’ would suffice and unfortunately could not or did not harness the potential that staff cooperation had uncovered

• The wider the background and the more the diversity of nationality, culture and education, the more the trainers gain by way of learning new approaches

• Over 4 years, 75% of trainers admitted to having experienced meta-cognition or shift in the whole way they approached their work and professionalism

• 12% of respondent trainers did not try to change, neither for or against peer mentoring

• 13% resented the implementation as a sort of interference with their status quo. It rocked the boat

• Empowered trainers became a problem for poor managers who also did not want to ‘rock the boat’ or deal with people who could manage themselves

• There was a glaring need for someone or some people to play the role of super mentors to keep the impetus up. Because the interaction and the changed professionalism is hard to sustain, we need ‘super mentors’ to continually stimulate and facilitate collaboration

• 72% of respondents believed this kind of implementation could be carried out anywhere in the world and in many situations (not simply in training contexts)

There were many side results which actually threw light on the psychology of those who involve themselves in teaching and training, but the above represent a clear indication that the majority of teachers and trainers involved, dramatically stepped up their (CPD) Continuous Professional Development through peer mentoring. Perhaps the most interesting result of all was the meta - cognition that came about because this suggests that people really turned around their lives, from mediocre performance to a dynamic peer mentoring approach.

I will discuss this shift in attitude or thinking, broaching how important it is to get trainers to take this on board, in my next article in this series.

BUSINESS NEWS

Dr Sean Toner is a Kuwait - based consultant in Education and Training. His particular interest lies in the area of Mentoring and Coaching. The above article is written specifically for Dispatches but will, like others in this series of articles, be the ground work for chapters of a book he is writing on the Power of Peer Mentoring. In a future article he will expand on what he means by peer mentoring and give several real life examples taken from his action research data.



SMEs in KuwaitNo Luck For True

The rulers of Kuwait wanted to find mechanisms, viable and sustainable in their original intent, to distribute the wealth to their people. Many mechanisms were implemented by the state. These included: Jobs to all Kuwaitis assured by the constitution; Free Hospitalisation; Free Education; Subsidised Electricity; Subsidised Water; Subsidised Gas; Subsidised Food; Early retirement plan with a nice pension; House loans and Marriage loans. These privileges made Kuwait supersede any other state in the world. The one that negatively affected SMEs the most was valuation or what was known in Kuwait as Tathmeen.

This mechanism involved the valuation of Kuwaiti houses in the downtown areas and what was inside the border of the first ring road. Houses of all sizes were given very high valuation, and Kuwaitis, who took up that valuation, all of sudden became very wealthy. That influx of money caused them to do two things. The first was move from the inner city into the outer blocks of the country. The other one was that they no longer wanted to run their small businesses and opted to either close them down or push them over to be run by expats. Many of these businesses have been in the families for ages and were inherited

Kuwait’s economy before the oil was built on small to medium enterprises. The main businesses were pearl diving, fishing and trading. All these depended on special relations between the

merchants and their workers. The merchants formed the big business that funded the operations. The workers formed the SME. Oil was discovered and the whole thing changed. Money became abundant.

Mohamed Abueljebain

by the last owners from their forefathers. The SME culture had its first nail hammered in its coffin. Jobs assured to Kuwaitis by the constitution meant jobs for Kuwaitis at the public sector. It also meant easy, no accountability no productivity jobs. That moved most Kuwaitis from the private sector into the government sector and put another nail in the SME coffin. Currently over 95 percent of the Kuwaiti workforce work forces the government.

Forty years later, the late Amir Jaber Al-Ahmad decided to change things. He called one of his ministers and instructed him to work on a feasibility study for a business plan to initiate a fund that will help young Kuwaitis start their own business. That request along with other initiatives carried out by the Ministry Of Finance (MOF) and Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) resulted in allocating a 100 million KD fund for Small and Medium Enterprise. And, in 1997 the minister’s decree started the Kuwait Small Projects Development Company (KSPDC). The company was capitalised at 1 million KD and mandated to manage the SME fund. The elite of Kuwait’s educated personnel were handpicked to become the first management team and in 1999 a


publicity campaign splattered Kuwait with billboards announcing the availability of funds for Kuwaiti youth to start small business.

It was the first of its kind in the world since it included equity participation with no collateral. The fund regulations called for the “Entrepreneur” to carry out a feasibility study and raise 20 percent of the required capital in the business plan. KSPDC will fund the remaining 80 percent and go into partnership with the new business. Articles of incorporation of the new business gave KSPDC the majority of the stake and enforced co-signatures on any cheques to be cashed. The business owner could venture into any sector except real estate and pure trading. Businesses with added-value to the economy, especially industrial and manufacturing, were encouraged by the fund managers. The total business value could not exceed half a million KD and no limits were put on anything lower than that with the ratio staying at 80:20. The Entrepreneur was to be over 21 with no criminal record. Men and women were given the same chance so as not to encourage men alone. The Entrepreneur could not be a government employee in order to move the work force from public to private sector. The fund would compensate the Entrepreneur on any cost incurred to do the feasibility study, but only after the business was established. KSPCD would stay on for 8 years before calling back their capital or assuming any profit. If the business was to fail and the company considered bankrupt, without any wrong doing by the manager, then it was to be dissolved and “everyone goes home”.

So, what went wrong?

Many factors contributed to the failure of the SME initiative in Kuwait that started in 1998 when KSPDC was established. All of what will be mentioned hereafter is no secret and is not meant to criticize KSPDC, KIA, MOF or any official in the government of Kuwait. The efforts by all aforementioned must be appreciated knowing that any hindrances done were to protect public money from being lost. The blame and most of the blame is on the Entrepreneurs who took advantage of the system and got a free ride.

Business concepts submitted by Entrepreneurs to the company took a long time to get approval. In

some cases up to six months, the norm was 90 days. Some businesses were time dependent and could not wait that long. One person approached the company to open a pharmacy that required a two-day reply to the owner of the building of the suggested site, a time span that was not possible. Once the concept was approved the Entrepreneur had to submit a feasibility study that took another 3 to 6 months for approval. Long lead time to approve was not the only problem. Feasibility studies could only be submitted through the big five accounting firms approved by KIA, namely: Ernest & Young, KPMG, Moore Stevens, Coopers & Lybrand, and Grant Thornton. The high cost to get one of these firms to work with one’s small to medium venture in Kuwait became an obstacle.

Upon acquiring approval in writing the Entrepreneur would go through another gruelling process of establishing the company and its Articles of Incorporation. This took some people 3 to 6 months since it included dealing with government agencies such as the Ministry of Commerce (Tijara), Ministry of Social Affairs (Shouoon), Ministry of Interior (Dakhiliya), Chamber of Commerce (Alghorfa), Public Authority For Social Security (Tameenat), and last but not least, Manpower Recruitment Program (DaamAlamala).

The Elephant and The Leopard

Once all the above steps were done and the company was established, the Entrepreneur had to submit his payment requirements to run the business to KSPDC for approval. The cheque signing process through a government type accounting process, assumed Entrepreneurs were thieves until proven otherwise, took too long for small businesses that needed to be agile and dynamic. So, it caused some businesses to fold. Although no proof will ever be made public the slow-to-process-business-request style needed to be changed and could never be of any help SMEs. KSPDC is a government company with government culture that is as slow as an elephant. SMEs are more

BUSINESS NEWS


like leopards in the jungle living on quick opportunities to survive. The elephant can never teach the leopard how to live in the jungle.

Public money in Kuwait is easily manipulated and abused in all shapes, sizes and forms. The form concerning this write-up is in SMEs. Government employees cost in excess of 4 billion KD annually. An employee in Kuwait hardly ever gets fired and is not accountable for productivity or attendance. Sick leaves in the public sector cost the government 36 million KD in 2010. It is a form of abuse for public money that is mirrored in SMEs. If an Entrepreneur establishes a company funded at half a million KD (approximately equal to 1.8 million US dollars) with all the above obstacles, it is like an inheritance. It was like giving a child a hundred Euros to buy a piece of candy from a store. They bought the candy but did not bring back the change.

Nothing in the system tested if the person is capable of running the business since no evaluation mechanisms were used. Not even personality or attitude checks were used, although easily available in the business environment. The lack of business plan training for Entrepreneurs through proper incubators caused many other failures. If not failures, then it prevented many good Entrepreneurs from taking the chance to venture into the SME world. Working for a public sector job with all its amenities was more attractive than taking a risk that did not prove successful. KSPDC’s company structure provided another challenge. The

company’s culture was as bureaucratic as any other government agency in Kuwait. Its 1-million KD capital had to be re-funded several times due to the heavily loaded organisation structure. In its first years of existence 4 million KD was spent. Two million went for operational costs and two million funded SMEs. That first stint resulted in 57 jobs for Kuwaitis at a cost of 70,000 KD per job. Thirteen ventures made it, forty two failed.

KSPCD’s four board changes in its first 8 years did not help either; it made SME matters worse. Every new board that came along would erase what was implemented by the previous board and apply new systems and regulations. It was like re-inventing the wheel four times when consistency was required. Kuwaitis are as entrepreneurial as any other people in the world if not more. Many government employees hold side jobs, against the law, running their own businesses after hours. All done under different names, like leopards working for an elephant. If the proper SME environment is provided these

leopards would shift into helping the reduction of the workforce in the public sector. All they need is the right system with the right rewards and the opportunity, not necessarily to succeed but a fair chance to try.

Mohamed Abueljebain is an acknowledged multi task engineering & management consultant with some 30 years experience of Small & Medium Enterprises, their development and issues, and is regular speaker and trainer on a variety of management topics. He can be contacted, for further discussion, at [email protected]

BUSINESS NEWS

Crumbs: A SweetSuccess

Although nominally a family business, the idea was the brain

child and ambit of Arwa Fuad Al- Turkait. Having studied and graduated from the London School of Economics Arwa spent some seven years in the banking and finance

industries in an earnest attempt to progress up the “corporate

ladder “. A personal need for flexibility in family and other life choices,

and an all important talent for baking, encouraged the realisation that private enterprise could give her the independence and control that she craved and, thus, the idea that was Crumbs became reality.

There followed the inevitable litany of bureaucratic obstacle, delayed utilities, and staffing availability issues but, ultimately, patience and endurance brought their own rewards. Family support and guidance figured strongly at times of greatest frustration, as did sticking to the plan.

Product specification and preparation is all in-house and freshly baked. Recipes were home grown, sometimes traditionally and family inspired, but as the business developed it also adapted with increasing experience and understanding, particularly, of customers’ tastes and trends.

Although there is a professional web-site (www.crumbs.com.kw), Crumbs is not an online business, instead managing well with personal shoppers and a home delivery service. Corporate and custom orders are on the increase, all professionally serviced by a staff of fifteen throughout the three outlets.

Amidst the apparent doom and gloom scenario that is private sector entrepreneurship in Kuwait, there are sweet spots of optimism and

achievement, sources of satisfaction which give encouragement for the future. Crumbs is a popular high class confectionery and cake maker which first appeared in The Avenues early in 2008 and has since expanded to a head office and outlet in Shaab and a further outlet in Fintas. Whilst the business continues to grow there are no

plans to increase the number of outlets in Kuwait. There have been several “approaches”, from interested parties, to replicate Crumbs in other Gulf countries. Arwa’s intentions are somewhat novel in this regard, and centre round a “soft” participative franchising approach through JV, rather than a fully licenced legal model. This would involve developing a full Crumbs Operating Manual to provide the basis for joint venture, standardisation of approach and preservation of the brand, without excessive need for supervision or control - suitable partners should be similarly motivated.

This is not a tale of triumph over adversity, success out of nothing, or innovative inspiration. It is, rather, as model a business start-up as one could hope to find. Whilst Arwa had the benefits of a good family and educational background, a good plan, and business acumen particularly in the financial and organisational aspects, this was not the culmination of a wild ambition but a logical coming together of all of the essential elements.

Interestingly, whilst she has involvement in “Down to Earth” a “green products” online business, Arwa’s further ambitions extend to some sort of positive role in a business mentoring or advisory function. In this there is no doubt that she will also be hugely successful, being able to eloquently express a clear view of the importance of the various elements of good small business management, placing particular emphasis on financial understanding, cash flow forecasting, competent “key” staff and customers’ needs.


MK Electric’s UK ManufacturingGoes from Strength to Strength

Established in 1919, MK pride themselves on bringing innovative, energy saving products to market, whilst maintaining the brand values of Quality, Reliability, Safety and Responsibility. Hence why, in 2005 Honeywell International made MK Electric part of its family.

Honeywell products, components and systems are in more than 100 million homes and 5 million builidings worldwide. Providing them, temperature control, energy conservation, safety and comfort.The MK philosophy has always been to develop, manufacture and distribute the highest quality and safest electrical devices and systems to it’s customers. With a true British heritage of over 90 years, MK continues to invest in manufacturing sites throughout the world to service a global customer base.

Unlike many electrical manufacturers MK has not moved it’s focus from the origins of the business and continues to invest significantly in its UK manufacturing sites, which even today produce over 70% of the company’s products, and prides itself on superior manufacturing techniques which result in less than 0.001% product faults.

The MK Southend manufacturing site to the East of London has long been an example of true manufacturing excellence, and in 2005 was the recipient of three coveted awards from the UK’s Cranfield School of Management Best Factory Awards, competing against the likes of Gilette, Ford and Siemens. Winning awards is not just a thing of the past, as recent as 2011, the site won the EEF Manufacturers Organisation South East

MK Electric is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of wiring devices, cable management and circuit protection products – and has been brand-leader here in Kuwait for

several decades.

Region Innovative People Management Award, in recognition for the way the business engages the whole workforce in a company-wide programme based on lean principles, which allowed everyone to work in a continuous improvement culture.

With a great safety record and creativity generated from the employees, this is a plant with people at its heart. Innovative products and processes drive the business and the metrics reflect this approach. More than 15 million products per year are manufactured at this plant, on a 24x7 basis, and the products are considered either ‘high volume’ or ‘late customised’. The vision here is to be the greatest and the safest site. As well as safety, continuous improvement and cost control are part of the culture. This is effectively demonstrated in all areas of the site from the moulding area through process innovation and the use of robotics, together with the cell layout and handling, and cycle time. This has also helped to reduce the number of accidents, improve productivity and, for MK, has guaranteed UK manufacturing of these products. Technology, as well as people skills, is used here: an automated visual inspection of the 40 million switch plungers manufactured per year is a major improvement. The plant has given close consideration to risk, with critical mould tools protected in fireproof storage to ensure business continuity, should the worst happen.

To continue with the great developments at the site, the Honeywell Operating System (HOS), based on the Toyota Production System and founded on the principles of six sigma, aims to accelerate improvements in performance across a range of indicators including safety, quality, delivery, productivity and inventory.


BUSINESS NEWS

The system stresses standardisation of processes as the basis for continuous improvement.

Continuous improvement leads to continual successes, and allows the business to continue investing in the site to ensure MK can not only meet but exceed customer expectations. The most recent of these investments has created a new state-of-the-art paint system that will transform its production operations.

For customers, the new technology delivers higher quality paint finishes. Paint is more consistently applied, with a uniform thickness, resulting in a superior quality end product. The system also increases MK’s ability to offer new and custom colours on existing product ranges, and to more quickly respond to global trends in colour and design. Consulting with AkzoNobel – parent-company of paint brand Dulux – which advise on key colour ranges from its laboratory in Paris, MK can keep ahead of these trends. Meanwhile, the increased production line speed will get product into customers’ hands more quickly thanks to redesigned jigs and four-gun spray technology. Some thirty percent more product can be produced per 20kg of paint powder. Furthermore, the system reduces the time required to change powder colour from 55 minutes to 8 minutes. Similarly, changing the lacquer colour now only requires ten minutes where previously it was a day-long effort.

The new system is also designed with sustainability in mind, the use of solvents and harmful substances has been eliminated from the paint process. In fact, the operation requires 30 percent less power than the previous system. In addition, less scrap and waste will be produced thanks to the efficiencies of the technology.

The recent introduction of the new Paint Facility at the Southend, UK factory has seen a revitalisation of the decorative finishes available for MK wiring devices, offering a new range of stylish finishes with greater choice and flexibility.

With 16 high quality finishes available across 4 individual ranges customers will find a style and finish that will compliment any modern, contemporary or traditional interior design scheme. Great design

relies on the precise combination of material, texture, colour and tone to create that wow factor.

MK Electric continues to provide customers with innovative, energy saving solutions to enable Architects, Interior Designers, Developers, Specifiers and Contractors to meet the requirements of the most demanding of clients. With decorative wiring devices to meet any scheme, and lighting control and home automation to meet any project requirements, the MK team - and its distribution partners worldwide including the KEC organisation right here in Kuwait - is ready and able to work with customers to find the right solution for them.

To find out more about MK Electric’s product portfolio visit www.mkelectric.com.


BUSINESS NEWS

A NEW Live Traffic Information Service for Kuwait: a tale of an SME startup

The history: I originally came to Kuwait 4 years ago with the intention of helping develop the business of a small Kuwaiti company. The plan was to introduce a new

internet web based vehicle tracking system to the market.

While looking for things to add to the system to improve its functionality and market appeal I made some enquiries as to the availability of live traffic information. This is very useful as, among other things, it allows an operator to check which vehicles are stuck in traffic: an excuse for a delay that is often used in Kuwait, but is difficult to verify! (This will resonate with Dispatches readers!)

I soon discovered that such a service was not available in Kuwait. At the time, I saw this as a problem. After more research the problem developed into a business opportunity.

The ProblemsThe biggest single problem with a project of this nature in Kuwait is to secure the support – in writing! – of the relevant Government entities and then to find a good local partner and finance for the project. The timing could have been better - seeking funding in the immediate aftermath of Lehman’s collapse and the later financial aftermath was never going to easy, and so it proved.

A Breakthrough and Start-upAfter years of false starts, broken promises and personal financial adversity, the eventual

David Batterby, Chief Technology Officer, AA Traffic

breakthrough came in May of this year, with a project start-up in June 2011. The new Kuwait Traffic project now resides in a joint venture between two Kuwaiti entities, one a major trading group and the other a long established entrepreneur. (Details are withheld here for reasons of commercial confidentiality).

The TechnologyThe science and technology behind the implementation of live traffic information is quite new and has benefited enormously from Global Positioning Technology (GPS). One of the first traffic monitoring systems was launched in the UK by Trafficmaster in 1995. This relied upon an extensive network of cameras and sensors normally attached to motorway bridges. In addition to the high capital investment and substantial fixed costs the maintenance overhead cost was also an issue.

The later development of GPS technologies enable us to move away from expensive systems based upon fixed sensors. Here the system will rely upon moving vehicles equipped with GPS tracking devices (already fitted in many new vehicles) to provide the base data which is then converted to traffic flow information. This information can then be enhanced with descriptive information that is sourced from third


parties e.g. the local traffic department; the police; and eye witness reports and feedback from members of the public.

The Distribution of Traffic Information The traffic information will be made available to users in Kuwait in a variety of ways.

RadioAs per the plan, road users will be able to listen to regular traffic updates on local radio from April, 2012. By using RDS / TMC technology we can interrupt all local radio stations for the duration of the traffic bulletin. This feature can of course be switched off on your car radio if you prefer not to listen to the regular announcements.

Dial-InRoad users that require more immediate updates will be able to take advantage of our automated dial-in service. Drivers will be encouraged to stay within the law and use hands-free kits if the vehicle is moving or alternatively ask a passenger to make the call.

SatNavIn a country the size of Kuwait, satellite navigation is not necessarily the top of every driver’s “wish list”. However when this is combined with live traffic information, most systems are able to deliver information to enable re-routing of a vehicle to avoid

congestion and to minimise journey times. As traffic conditions vary on a daily basis the potential saving in time can be considerable.

Be on the lookout towards the end of next year when the first traffic aware navigation devices start to become available. These systems could be built into your car or come in the form of a dedicated Personal Navigation Device (PND’s), or software downloaded to your smartphone.

PlanningLive traffic data also has a value even when it is no longer current. The stored information can be utilised to analyse road use and journey times. This is a useful tool for road planners, helping them to make more informed decisions in future, e.g. about road design, roundabout and junction management. One goal could be the introduction of “smart” traffic lights (as now operating in many places in Europe), sensing traffic build-up, and adjusting the changing-frequencies of traffic lights to smooth traffic flow.

For UsersLast but not least, it will also be possible to purchase a vehicle tracking system in Kuwait that includes that illusive traffic information.

For more information you may contact David Batterby through the BBF office.


BUSINESS NEWS


Discovery - the mall on Sour Street offers many different innovative experiences for young people and their families - educational, entertaining, health and fitness. Hidden in the

basement is a true treasure of ambition, vision and aspiration. The Kuwait Flight Simulator Center, an entirely Kuwaiti inspired SME achievement, is flying high, 6 months since its official opening in May 2011.

Down to Earth – the Kuwait Flight Simulator Center

A conversation with Kuwait FSC’s Managing Director and founder Abdulmalik Al-Mobaiedh elicits a 20 year tale of self motivation and inspiration; a tale of a hobby growing into a real interest, then into a small business start-up. Technical competence and partnership, together with sound commercial and marketing alliances and strategy, resulted in a sound and successful enterprise of which Kuwait can justly be proud.


Whilst the Flight Center provides public interest and entertainment revolving around its A320 Flight Simulator, it has a much more serious intent. With full licensing and international certification the company and its commercial clients are able to offer great career openings in many aspects of aviation. From basic to advance simulator training, the package also includes Air Traffic Control, Airbus A320 operating systems, IVAO and even an aerophobia course.

Significantly the center boasts an array of simulators, ranging from the basic Cessna through to a 747, a fighter plane and a helicopter, unique in that they are designed, assembled, and, in fact, “Made in Kuwait”. An ATC tower, training room, library, a shop offering hardware, software, flying gear, DVDs, components to custom design one’s own simulator, are all fully supported by technical staff to enhance the whole experience.

IP concerns and patent issues are quite cleverly supported by exclusive distributorship arrangements with all participating component designers and manufacturers. Kuwait FSC is also major player in the

development of new technologies, being part of several technology teams such as Go Flight, Flight Deck Solutions and VRI amongst others.

As a going concern Kuwait FSC is the largest and first of its kind in the world. It is featured in every major flight simulation magazine in the world and was a center piece at the Dubai Air Show this year. Kuwait FSC is already a major supplier of Aerospace Simulation Technologies in the GCC and Europe, and KFSC simulators are being exported throughout the GCC countries

and to India, Egypt and the UK

Expansion plans include other areas of simulation such as autos and ships. There is an ongoing participation in many new projects for entertainment and educational facilities.

Locally, Kuwait FSC is a “must visit” entertainment experience for both youngsters and adults. Fly an A320 from Los Angeles to Las Vegas or from Gatwick to Heathrow: an unforgettable way to spend some leisure time!

BUSINESS NEWS

Old India in Hawally


Mughal Mahal opened its landmark restaurant in Sharq way back in December of 1985. Now in the shadow of the latest landmark — Kuwait’s tallest skyscraper, the Al Hamra Tower

- Mughal Mahal is celebrating its Silver Jubilee. The restaurant located on Jaber Al Mubarak Street has witnessed the unfolding of many momentous occasions and played host to untold dignitaries.


In the quarter-century since the first restaurant opened a plethora of restaurants, offering every specialty cuisine imaginable from Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Continental, American and anything in between, have opened and closed. Mughal Mahal is proud that its ambiance, food, and impeccable service have allowed it to grow to ten branches throughout Kuwait.

The Hawally branch, located at Al-Zahem Complex on Beirut Street, opened in October 2005. It is possibly the largest of the chain’s outlets. A “gastronomic icon”, the interior ambience is nothing short of impressive. The calm and “grandness” of the Rajasthan theme of hand-painted wall panels, beaded curtains, marble railings, glass mirrors and wooden jharokas (window panels) are all pleasantly combined with a traditional and soothing style rustic color scheme. With dine-in and take-away services, this restaurant can cater to up to 200, in intimate, private or group scenarios, and is capably run by two managers who supervise 60 skilled food catering staff.

To see the menu or locate one of the ten restaurants, please visit www.mughalmahal.com

Immerse yourself in the festival flavours and tradition of India and dine at

MUGHAL MAHAL HAWALLY

"Where you will experience a unique & Typical Jaipuri Ambience and the Cuisine

of Mughalai Era"Timings: Open on all days from 11:30 am - 12:00 midnight

Hawalli - Beirut Street - Al-Zahem Tower - Beside Centrepoint and Opposite Central Hawalli and Commercial Bank of Kuwait

2626782 / 3 / 4

www. mughalmahal.com

Sharq Marina Mall Salmiya 1 Salmiya 2 Hawally Farwaniya Fintas Fahaheel JahraOur Branches

BUSINESS NEWS

These quotations are reported in the Annual World Energy Report, published by the International Energy Agency (IAE) recently. It predicts that by 2017, without further action now, the total CO2 emissions from either built or planned power plants, factories and industrial complexes will have passed the point of no return for any effort to meet the accepted goal of a cap on a global temperature rise of 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). This is widely accepted by governments and scientists as the ceiling for avoiding unmanageable climate damage.

With existing global infrastructure already accounting for at least 75% of that 2.0 degrees Celsius limit, the IAE warns that governments must hasten investment in a major technological shift away from carbon-intensive fossil fuels. Each year that now passes makes it more difficult and more expensive to meet these goals.

Two ScenariosThe IAE Report proposes two scenarios for managing future energy consumption and the emission of greenhouse gases:

• A “New Policies” strategy to collate and organise governments’ promises and commitments into a global projection up to 2035;

• A “450 Scenario” setting a timetable for controlling carbon emissions to below a concentration of 450 parts per million (ppm) – approximating the 2.0 degrees Celsius target. Current levels are about 390 ppm.

(Over the last 100 years the earth’s average temperature has risen by approximately 1.0 degree C (1.8 degrees F), with a concomitant rise in ppm emissions. Forecasts for future warming range from an additional 1.0 degree C (1.8 degrees F) to 5.0 degrees C (9.0 degrees F) by 2100).

Just more “Business as Usual?”The scientists, modelling the impacts on biosystems, human settlement and agriculture, believe that a 6 degrees C (10.8 degrees F) increase would create a world that would be unliveable in areas, with violent extremes of regional weather patterns – heat waves, drought, storms and flooding. They further warn that if we carry on “business as usual” we are on track towards that possible lethal increase of 6.0 degrees C (10.8 degrees F).

The IAE Report forecasts a 33% increase in the demand for primary energy by 2035, with 90% of this demand from growing economies including China and India. Furthermore 16% of this demand will be met by coal, the most carbon-intensive of fossil fuels.

Renewables – too little? And the costUnder the “New Policies” strategy the share of fossil fuel usage would fall from around 80% today to 75% in 2035. Contributions from renewable energy sources would increase from only 13% today to 18% in 2035. However even these renewables have a rising cost of subsidy of USD 64 billions today, projected to USD 250 billions in 2035.

Our only global survival strategy?One strategy – maybe the only real and sustainable strategy - must be the development and implementation of newer and better nuclear energy systems.

An associated benefit from this would be that the still-precious residual fossil fuels would be conserved and accessible for those applications where they are still the best available energy source.

(Some of these themes will be continued in future articles).

Arthur Barber is based in Kuwait, working as an environmental consultant.


“The world has just five years to avoid being trapped in a scenario of perilous climate change and extreme weather events”.... “rising fossil energy use will lead to irreversible and catastrophic

climate change”.

Arthur Barber

Energy Supply and Usage: Just More “Business as Usual”

or a Survival Strategy ?

Thank you for Making

Carbon Emissions Trading: A 101 Primer

It does this through what is termed the “greenhouse effect“. This is when heat energy from the sun passes through the atmosphere and warms up the Earth. This energy is radiated back outwards into space. The greenhouse gases absorb some of this energy and emit it in all directions, including back towards Earth. The Earth’s surface is about 34ºC warmer as a result.

The Earth regulates the concentrations of greenhouse gases through a system of sources and sinks. Carbon, as CO2 and methane, sources (emitters) include volcanoes, rotting vegetation and other organic matter. Carbon sinks (absorbers) include trees, plankton, soil and bodies of water.

Accelerated Greenhouse effectIn the last few hundred years the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas – in which carbon has been stored for millions of years – combined with accelerated forest clearance has led to very high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. The carbon sinks cannot now absorb this and concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have risen dramatically leading to an accelerated greenhouse effect.

Most scientists now agree that with increased concentrations of these gases, trapping excessive heat energy within the atmosphere, the world’s climate will quickly heat up, with unknown effects. Predictions include widespread ecological changes in agricultural production, and rising sea levels. Solutions to the problem include reducing our reliance on fossil fuels; but also trying to reduce deforestation, and in fact increase forest coverage – trees absorb carbon from the atmosphere very effectively.

Arthur Barber

Carbon emissions tradingIn support of an international effort to decrease carbon in the atmosphere the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), has promoted a Carbon Emissions trading system and market.

Reducing a well evolved and complex system to its simplest elements:• Nations are permitted to use a trading system to

help meet their emissions targets.• Within the nation permits may be allocated to

individual companies for the emission of a certain quantity of greenhouse gases.

• The permits are issued to a level quantified below or equal to the assigned amount, (enabling the Kyoto commitments to be met - assuming that the measures of emissions are accurate).

• If a country cannot meet the targets – i.e. it is producing a surplus of carbon - it can buy permits from other countries that are falling below their targets – i.e. they have surplus capacity. Similarly, companies within a country that are producing a surplus can ‘trade’ their excess permits to other, less polluting, enterprises with spare capacity.

Carbon CreditsAgain, simplifying a complex market system:• Carbon Credits are issued to a company (or

individual) which is a sink – an absorber - of carbon, e.g. the grower of a forest.

• These credits can be sold to a carbon source – an emitter - such as a power company, using them to ‘offset’ its excessive carbon emissions.

• The credits can also be bought and sold by third-parties, and traded on through the Carbon Trade Exchange (see below), which is like a stock exchange for carbon credits.


The Greenhouse Effect. Our atmospheres are composed of many gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases - water vapour, methane, ozone, carbon monoxide and

nitrous oxide. CO2 helps to stabilise temperatures to levels suitable for life.

v

Carbon Credits are issued by the Voluntary Carbon Standard body, based in Washington, and respected within industry. The VCS Program provides a robust global standard and programme for the approval of credible voluntary carbon offsets. VCS offsets “must be real (have happened), additional (beyond business - as-usual activities), measurable, permanent (not temporarily displace emissions), independently verified and unique (not used more than once to offset emissions).” (Source: VCS)

Caps & QuotasUnder the Kyoto Protocol caps or quotas are assigned for the member countries;the quantity of the initial assigned amount is denominated in individual units - Assigned Amount Units (AAUs) - each of which is an allowance to emit one metric tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent; these AAUs are entered into the national registers.

Current values, based on the social cost of carbon emissions, are around $30(US) per ton, and may need to increase with inflation.

An operator can seek out the most cost-effective way of reducing its emissions, either by investing in ‘cleaner’ machinery and practices or by purchasing emissions from another operator who already has excess ‘capacity’. These allowances can be sold privately or in the international market at the prevailing market price. These trade and stabilise internationally and hence allow transfer between countries. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) validates the international transfers. In addition the European Commission validates transfer of ownership within the European Union).

The overall international goal is to promote free market mechanisms to encourage industrial and commercial processes towards lower emissions or less carbon intensive approaches.

As mentioned above an additional sophistication is the emergence of the Carbon Trade Exchange, which is like a stock exchange for carbon credits. Buyers and sellers purchase the credits from a carbon development company or an investment fund that has aggregated the credits from individual projects, and then trade using the Exchange.

In summary, an example:A tropical rain forest absorbs and locks up carbon in trees, undergrowth and the peaty soil surface. It is a sink.

If the forest can be preserved the saved carbon stock can be assessed as Credits (under the Voluntary Carbon Standard within the UN programme); alternatively, clearing the forest for its timber, or for growing, will release greenhouse gases – it becomes an emitter.

Trading. Carbon Credit traders can buy and sell in the markets.

Sellers. The ‘owner’ Government receives the currency and diverts it to protect the forest, to support and benefit local communities. An indirect benefit is the preservation of plant and animal species, some of which are already noted as being close to extinction.

Buyers. Governments and companies can buy the Carbon Credits to offset against their own excessive pollution.Monitoring & Enforcement. Governments commit to monitoring and enforcing the programmes, overseen by the UN.

Downsides?However, notwithstanding the well-intent of the above, caveats must include several questions:

• USD 30 has emerged as the market-price for one metric tonne of emitted carbon– but does that really include all the social costs?

We already have examples of market prices which would multiply by magnitudes if all true costs were included – e.g. some economists opine that a USD 5/- hamburger has a true cost of c USD 100/-; and cheap technology – and fashion – would multiply in their high-street cost to us if all the social costs were factored in.

Even ‘fair trading’ schemes are now being undermined and sabotaged by Governments eager to promote markets

• Recently, within global financial systems, we have seen - and suffered - the negative effects of trading in futures, derivatives etc.

If the potentially massive Carbon Credit markets are allowed to evolve in the same way, who will benefit, and who will suffer? How can we be sure that the benefits will trickle through the system to those intended to receive them?

Arthur Barber is an Environmental Consultant based in Kuwait.


BUSINESS NEWS

Wi Fi(ght) It?Ian G Mills


Security? What’s IT all about? A reasonable definition is as follows; “Computer Security’s purpose is to protect information and property from theft, corruption, or

natural disaster, while permitting the information and property to remain accessible and productive for its users.”

Larry Jaffe, Editor of VIPRE Security News, GSI

Have Lap Top, Will Travel: although now it could be iPad, iPhone or equivalent tablet or smart phone. You want to freely use your device of choice wherever you are and perhaps to synchronise such information across a range of boxes. The warnings and worries are sort of pushed at you all day whether a corporation, small business or home user or, of course, moving between all three.

The forms of attack have become varied and more sophisticated. The “electronic” countermeasures have thus become more complex. This leads to the idea of large suites of programmes with persistent updates that may mean every time you go online you are being instructed to load the new this or that. The requests can be confusing, maybe suspicious and at best take computing time and power.

The security options are more affordable today than ever before. Most home license products would now enable you to protect all the computers in your home for a low cost annual fee. So there is no excuse to run around unprotected. I use the VIPRE package from GIS (formerly Sunbelt Software) because it is compact, efficient and because they give me informative, interesting and amusing regular newsletters. Thus if you want more details on these subjects I will give you links here to specific articles of theirs.

So a few simple tips on the basic software saga:• You have paid for an Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware

programme with a firewall or you have at least loaded a free package that comes with regular updates. Make sure they are always kept up to date. With tens of thousands of malicious software offerings developed daily, you don’t have room to mess up here.

• You have paid in time and effort alone to keep your systems running so patch, patch, (Windows, Office, iOS, Linux, Java whatever) don’t forget to install your patches. You will be a much happier and safer computer user.

OK, so there you are at some free WiFi Hot Spot with your fully patched system, latest AV definitions and active firewall, what could go wrong?

Passwords: Much has been written about passwords, another endless subject and you may get email advice about how to handle passwords. So if you know it all fine. If you would like a well written article as a recap go to - Dennis O’Reilly on CNet |News “Keep your data safe by following the Password Commandments”. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13880_3-9878333-68.html It is worth reading.

BUSINESS NEWS


There is a significant issue that many will overlook, if you use a password manager or you rely on the functions of your browser to do for you then when (not if) someone access your system then they have access many, maybe all, of your passwords. Thus you must have secure access to that system and I might be a security amateur but given your lap top or desktop I could access any Windows system in a couple of minutes. And will you know? For example, you are sitting in your favourite coffee bar chatting with a friend. The place is otherwise empty. Your laptop is signed on (to that free WiFi Hot Spot) and idle with a screen saver running so do you really know who is accessing your data in the background. Maybe a skilled hacker is sitting outside in the car park, or upstairs, next door who knows.

Free Hot Spots vs. Pay as You Go? Well the latter may offer you some greater protection and maybe greater bandwidth but commerce has driven the choice. Why should you pay if you can get it for free? That is a choice you can make if you understand the risks and benefits. My favourite AV VIPRE offers a 30 days free trial and AVG has a version that is free; Trend and McAfee will offer free scans. Maybe, in the immortal words of the Rolling Stones, you can’t always get what you want but if you try you might get what you need (experience in this case).

Hacking, infection and so on; is it likely to happen? No. Can it happen? Yes. What can you do that is simple? The easy answer is to separate critical data and secure it using encryption (If you want more details check “Debbies Deep Dive in the 15 September article from VIPRE http://vipresecuritynews.com/2011/09/15/taking-security-seriously-enough/). An easy to use solution is application level password protection. This is offered by all individual Office Suite programmes (Microsoft or OpenOffice), as well as any decent application. Of course it takes time and trouble to use these things.

Then there are the online services that you use (and these are becoming more prevalent) instead of storing data on the individual device. You may share data across a Cloud Service Microsoft Azure based SkyDrive, Apple iCloud, or the less proprietary DropBox are a few names (of course Hotmail, Gmail,

Yahoo are all email manifestations of these cloud services). There are the file sharing options of the social networking services. They all offer secure possibilities but usually start with the easy way with “one-password-accesses-all”. If you have a Microsoft Live account you can sign in for all of their services behind one password and, to return to Dennis O’Reilly, “[E]ven the most carefully crafted password can be rendered useless if you don’t keep it secret.” The advice is in his article so I will not repeat but do consider the level of security, system, application and data.

There are also Bluetooth and Wi-Fi presences generated by most modern devices but we do not want to go there today. Enough worries in this article, you can always look for more in my links.

I thought to finish with a quote about such articles in general: “Far more thought and care go into the composition of any prominent ad in a newspaper or magazine than go into the writing of their features and editorials.” Marshall McLuhan. Same is often true of email scams and phishing attempts.

Ian Mills has 30 years experience as an IT Systems Consultant and is, newly, the convenor of the BBF’s IT Sector Group. Ian is available at [email protected] or through Facebook (handle – GreenMilo).

BUSINESS NEWS

Take care of your power cable...When you move, disconnect the power by pulling out the plug – not by tugging on the cable, which can damage the wiring and pins inside the plug. Tripping over a cable, or forcing it into a sharp angle or bend, can also damage it. If the cable ts into a housing on the machine, make sure it is done gently, and is not forced.

Dust it regularly... Dust can be a problem especially if the laptop is left stationary in a poor environment – e.g. near an ofce shredder, generating paper dust; or with pets or smokers around. Carpeting can aggravate this situation. Standard household cleaners – and the fumes from them – can cause corrosion to your laptop. An annual clean at a service centre can be a good investment.

Shut it down now and then...A regular shut-down every few days is advised – this enables the software to self-maintain itself e.g. installing and updating software that may have been downloaded while in use; a shut-down also clears out the cache and short-term memory, and implements other routine maintenance tasks, all as designed.

Finally as we have all experienced a shut-down and restart often xes those mysterious glitches and gremlins that affect us all - far better than hitting or kicking it!For more information, please contact the BBF IT group or Arthur Barber through the BBF ofce.

Arthur BarberArthur Barber

Never On Your Lap...Laptop tips

One of the classic mistakes in IT usage is to actually use a laptop on your lap. You can damage both yourself and your computer. In spite of the temptation with

the slimmer and lighter styles, which now include 10 inch net books etc, don’t warm up your thighs.

This is because laptops are designed to let air circulate around the machine – they should stand on a rm and at surface, using the four little nubs usually located on their base to allow air ow. Even a large book – or a tea tray - is enough. Without this, resting it on your thighs, or on a cushion, or on your stomach in bed, blocks the air vents and stops the heat from escaping. This causes overheating on internal components – reportedly responsible for half of all computer repairs.

Don’t jostle your drive...Also, a second problem can be damage to the internal hard drive if it is used at an angle. It is designed to be used on level surfaces. The hard drive can also be damaged if you walk around with it still operating – the actuating arm, reading the data, can skip across the surface and damage the magnetic memory material. Many laptops have a gyro-based safety mechanism, but that may not operate quickly enough as your shut the lid and throw it into your bag – better to put it in “sleep” or “hibernate” mode and even then listen for the drive to stop spinning.

Even hard-state drives, as in some Macs, can have problems. Jostling is not a problem , but overheating, e.g. in a zipped up carry-bag can still occur if they are not in “sleep” mode.

Don’t stay switched on permanently...Some users leave laptops permanently on, like a desk-top PC. This will overheat the batteries, potentially causing damage. Better to use the batteries as intended – charge them, use and discharge them, and continue the charge, use and recharge cycle as they are designed for.

54 DISPATCHESWINTER 2011/1254 DISPATCHESWINTER 2011/12

At Courtyard by Marriott Kuwait Hotel

SOUL AND SPICE - INDIAN RESTAURANTCourtyard by Marriott Kuwait HotelSecond floorAl Shuhada Street – SharqP.O.Box 1216, Dasman15463, KuwaitTel: 22997000Email: [email protected] www.courtyardmarriottkuwaithotel.com

Enjoy your lunch with your business partner in just 45 minutes! Offering a combination of Indian inspired food, the light business lunch at Soul and Spice features starters, a choice of a main course and deserts.

• Available from Saturday to Thursday between 12:30pm to 3:00pm

• KD 8 per person & is subject to 15% service charge, including soft drinks.

Business Lunch in 45 minutes!

45MINUTES

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

CY S&S Business 45min Mag ad copy.pdf 11/9/11 10:44:32 AM

Take care of your power cable...When you move, disconnect the power by pulling out the plug – not by tugging on the cable, which can damage the wiring and pins inside the plug. Tripping over a cable, or forcing it into a sharp angle or bend, can also damage it. If the cable ts into a housing on the machine, make sure it is done gently, and is not forced.

Dust it regularly... Dust can be a problem especially if the laptop is left stationary in a poor environment – e.g. near an ofce shredder, generating paper dust; or with pets or smokers around. Carpeting can aggravate this situation. Standard household cleaners – and the fumes from them – can cause corrosion to your laptop. An annual clean at a service centre can be a good investment.

Shut it down now and then...A regular shut-down every few days is advised – this enables the software to self-maintain itself e.g. installing and updating software that may have been downloaded while in use; a shut-down also clears out the cache and short-term memory, and implements other routine maintenance tasks, all as designed.

Finally as we have all experienced a shut-down and restart often xes those mysterious glitches and gremlins that affect us all - far better than hitting or kicking it!For more information, please contact the BBF IT group or Arthur Barber through the BBF ofce.

Arthur BarberArthur Barber

Never On Your Lap...Laptop tips

One of the classic mistakes in IT usage is to actually use a laptop on your lap. You can damage both yourself and your computer. In spite of the temptation with

the slimmer and lighter styles, which now include 10 inch net books etc, don’t warm up your thighs.

This is because laptops are designed to let air circulate around the machine – they should stand on a rm and at surface, using the four little nubs usually located on their base to allow air ow. Even a large book – or a tea tray - is enough. Without this, resting it on your thighs, or on a cushion, or on your stomach in bed, blocks the air vents and stops the heat from escaping. This causes overheating on internal components – reportedly responsible for half of all computer repairs.

Don’t jostle your drive...Also, a second problem can be damage to the internal hard drive if it is used at an angle. It is designed to be used on level surfaces. The hard drive can also be damaged if you walk around with it still operating – the actuating arm, reading the data, can skip across the surface and damage the magnetic memory material. Many laptops have a gyro-based safety mechanism, but that may not operate quickly enough as your shut the lid and throw it into your bag – better to put it in “sleep” or “hibernate” mode and even then listen for the drive to stop spinning.

Even hard-state drives, as in some Macs, can have problems. Jostling is not a problem , but overheating, e.g. in a zipped up carry-bag can still occur if they are not in “sleep” mode.

Don’t stay switched on permanently...Some users leave laptops permanently on, like a desk-top PC. This will overheat the batteries, potentially causing damage. Better to use the batteries as intended – charge them, use and discharge them, and continue the charge, use and recharge cycle as they are designed for.



For YoUr INFormatIoN

Proust is a private place to capture life stories, thoughts, and aspirations to spark meaningful conversations about who we are. Proust.com was inspired by the 19th-century writer Marcel Proust, author of Remembrance of Things Past. Proust also became associated with a popular ice-breaker parlour game, now known as the Proust Questionnaire.

When you visit the site you will be invited to “choose a chapter and start telling your story”. Chapter headings include “Childhood Memories, My Parents, Home Sweet Home, High School Years, Remember the Time . . ., Love Firsts, The Proust Questionnaire.” Clicking on any chapter will take you to a list of questions designed to help you get started.

For example, clicking of “Remember the Time . . .” reveals 8 questions including “What’s something foolish you’ve done?”, “When have you felt homesick?” and “Describe a moment your family/friends will never let you forget.” In addition the answers of those who’ve chosen to let their response be public are also there, providing yet another tool to get the autobiography juices flowing.

The idea for the site came from Tom Cortese, who watched as his grandmother battled dementia and then die. “It was like there were so many stories I wish I knew about her life.”

This summer Proust.com was unveiled, a noteworthy event for those individuals with stories to tell. According to the site, Proust.com is a place for families and close friends to share

the stuff that really matters.

Share Your Story on Proust.com: A Social Networking Site for Grown-Ups

The critical difference between Proust.com and other social networking sites is the Q&A format designed to help users record the stories of their life and then share it with family and friends (by opting for private postings) or the world. “If you’ve ever had to write in a journal, you open it up and stare at blank pages--and then continue to stare at blank pages,” Cortese says. “What we set out to do was come up with a way to actually help you tell your story.”

To tell your story, log on to www.proust.com and begin . . . perhaps at the beginning. “What is your earliest memory?” “What’s the story behind your name?”

1. What is your idea of happiness? (435 answers on proust.com at press time)2. Where would you most like to live? (456 answers on proust.com at press time)3. What is your favorite virtue? (342 answers on proust.com at press time)4. What are your favorite qualities in a man? (347 answers)5. What are your favorite qualities in a women? (282 answers)6. What do you most value in your friends? (333 answers)7. What is your biggest weakness? (345 answers)8. What do you enjoy doing most? (349 answers)9. What is your most marked characteristic? (250 answers)10. What is your idea of misery? (306 answers)11. If not yourself, who would you like to be? (268 answers)12. What is your favorite color and flower? (367 answers)13. What is your favorite bird? (315 answers)14. Who are your favorite writers? (324 answers)15. Who are your favorite poets? (244 answers)16. Who are your favorite artists? (231 answers)

17. Who are your favorite musicians? (328 answers)18. Who are your favorite writers? (324 answers)19. Who are your favorite heroes and heroines in your

life? (189 answers)20. Who are your favorite heroes and heroines in

history? (130 answers)21. What is your favorite food and drink? (354 answers)22. What are your favorite names? (193 answers)23. What do you most dislike? (520 answers)24. Which historical figures do you most dislike? (177 answers)25. What event in history do you most admire? (168 answers)26. What social movement do you most admire? (149 answers)27. What natural gift would you most like to possess?

(229 answers)28. How would you like to die? (305 answers)29. What is your present state of mind? (213 answers)30. What is your biggest pet peeve? (170 answers)31. Which fault in others do you most easily tolerate?

(171 answers)32. Which fault in yourself do you most easily tolerate?

(169 answers)33. What’s your motto? (248 answers)


Please take a few minutes and answer the following questions from Proust.com. Email your answers to [email protected] by 1 February 2012 and we’ll share them in the next issue of Dispatches.

Proust Questionnairefor BBF Members and Dispatches Readers


Once Every Four Years;Once, For Four Years

The Paralympics (29 August – 9 September) are a good example of this. The first Summer Paralympics were held in Rome in 1960; the first Winter Paralympics in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden in 1976. From the Greek word “para” meaning “beside”, the Paralympics have been held alongside the Olympics ever since.

Another tradition, much older but less well-known, is the Cultural Olympiad. The Cultural Olympiad, also known as the “Pentathlon of the Muses” in the early 20th century, started with Baron Pierre de Coubertin in Paris as part of the 1906 Olympics. He created a series of art competitions and awarded medals in architecture, music, literature, sculpture and painting. The competition aspect of the Cultural Olympiad has faded but the tradition of recognising the arts as part of the Olympics continues.

London 2012 has done a masterful job on the Cultural Olympiad, running a programme that started when the Mayor received the torch in China and scheduled to conclude when the Paralympic torch is passed on 9 September. As of mid-November more than 16 million people have taken part in a wide range of events – from local projects to grand, professional performances.

Between now and 20 June 2012, the list of activities on the calendar is impressive. But things change on

The Olympic Games (27 July – 12 August 2012) are steeped in tradition. From the torch lighting ceremony signifying the opening of the Games to the passing of the flame to the next

host and everything in between, only the “how” changes, the “what” remains much the same. Of course, new activities are added periodically and, those that succeed go on to become part of the Olympic tradition.

21 June when the London 2012 Festival, the finale of the Cultural Olympiad, kicks off. The organisers describe it as “the most exciting festival the UK has ever seen, bringing more than 10 million opportunities to see 1,000 performances and events. Leading artists from all over the world will come together for this unique event to celebrate London 2012.”

Wirral Waters Column

One example of the efforts of the Cultural Olympiad to date is Anthony McCall’s Column, which will sprout from Wirral Waters on 1 January 2012. Column will be a vertical, spinning column of cloud rising into the sky from the surface of Wirral Waters. Several kilometres tall, this slender, spinning, vertical column of cloud will be visible across the North West of England and beyond.

During the day, Column will be illuminated by sunlight. Sometimes it will register as a slender white line against a blue sky, at other times as a dark pencil against an overcast ceiling of grey mist. It will respond to wind, bending gracefully before resuming its upward climb. After dark, when the lights come on, they will be reflected and diffused by the column, “creating a faint but ever-changing visual echo of human activity below.”



Immediately after the unveiling, the images – both as posters and limited edition prints were available for purchase. The images will go on show at Tate Britain in a free exhibition as part of the London 2012 Festival in the summer of 2012, full details can be found on the festival website www.london2012.com/festival. The images will also be featured as part of a high profile campaign to promote the London 2012 Games.

The official posters of the Games are now themselves a special celebration of the meeting of art and sport over the last 100 years. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) commissioned twelve of the UK’s leading artists to create images to celebrate London hosting the 2012 Games, six for the Olympic Games and six for the Paralympic Games.

LOCOG worked with Tate and the Plus Tate Group (a group of 19 regional galleries across the UK), who together compiled a long list of over 100 artists for consideration. This long list was then reduced to a final list of 12 by a panel comprising Nicholas Serota (Tate Director), Tamsin Dillon (Head of Art on the Underground), Judith Nesbitt (Tate - Head of National/International Initiatives), Carl Freedman

Olympic Posters• Martin Creed• Anthea Hamilton• Howard Hodgkin• Chris Ofili• Bridget Riley• Rachel Whiteread

Paralympic Posters• Fiona Banner• Michael Craig-Martin • Tracey Emin• Gary Hume• Sarah Morris• Bob and Roberta Smith

(Counter Editions) Ruth Mackenzie (Director, Cultural Olympiad & London 2012 Festival) and Greg Nugent (LOCOG Director of Brand and Marketing ).

The primary objective of the panel was artistic excellence and some of the UK’s greatest artists were commissioned (four of the chosen artists have previously won the Turner Prize and five have represented the UK at the Venice Biennale). The brief for the artists encouraged them to celebrate the Games coming to London and to look at the values of the Olympic and Paralympic games. Each image is a distinct interpretation of either the Olympic or Paralympic Games by the individual artists and the diversity of the series demonstrates the extraordinary creative talent that exists within the UK.

Nicholas Serota, Director, Tate, said: ‘We are delighted that British artists have produced such compelling images in response to the Olympic and Paralympic Games’.

A set of the images has been given to the Queen for the Royal Collection and to other important British art collections, including the Government Art Collection (which will be displaying the images in 10 Downing St in 2012) and the British Council (which is planning on exhibiting the images across China in 2012).

The images will also be available to buy as both posters and limited edition prints. The posters (at a cost of £7) and a small number of limited edition prints will be available to order on the London 2012 online shop (www.london2012.com/shop).


A collection of specially commissioned images by twelve of the UK’s leading artists to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

were unveiled on 4 November. The artists are:

Official Olympic and Paralympic Posters for London 2012 by UK’s Top Artists Unveiled


OLYMPIC AND PARAOLYMPIC IMAGES

Anthea Hamilton - DiversAnthea Hamilton creates narrative environments through sculptural assemblage and collage. Her work in part is informed by the history of physical prowess and representations of the human, especially female, body. In Divers the poised legs seem to capture a gymnastic pose or show, perhaps a synchronised swimmer diver holding a balletic position. Interestingly, the only Olympic sport exclusively contested by women is synchronised swimming. Divers evokes the engaging theatricality of synchronised swimming, perhaps the most artistically challenging sport of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Chris Ofili - For the Unknown RunnerChris Ofili creates paintings inspired by personal experience, race, folklore, biblical narrative, and, for the last few years the island of Trinidad where he lives. In For the Unknown Runner a figure, somewhere between super-athlete and mythical being, sprints past a watching crowd. The figure is framed by a vase motif - a reference to the Ancient Olympic Games, which provided an arena for artistic and cultural expression as well as sporting excellence. For the Unknown Runner is a powerful dedication to both Olympic history and the future stars of the London 2012 Games.

Sarah Morris - Big Ben 2012Since the mid-1990s Sarah Morris has been creating complex, geometric, abstract paintings derived from cityscapes and architectural detail, origami patterns and signs and symbols. To celebrate the Paralympic Games coming to London Morris has created an abstract representation of one of the city’s most iconic landmarks - Big Ben. The grids and vivid colours create a sense of dynamism and also evoke images of athletic tracks, swimming lanes, and field markings.



Howard Hodgkin – SwimmingHoward Hodgkin describes his paintings as representational pictures of emotional situations. For his Olympic print Hodgkin has created Swimming – a deep, swirling mass of blue flooding across the page. The fluidity of the brushstrokes perfectly captures the movement of water and the sensation of swimming.

Martin Creed - Work No. 1273In a visually saturated world, artists can be faced with seemingly endless possibilities and choices. In response, Martin Creed imposes simple rules on his creativity. He might create a painting using only paintbrushes bought in a multi-pack, or make only one mark a day with the same felt-tip pen until the whole paper surface is covered. Repetition, stacks, and intervals are familiar motifs in his work, along with ascending and descending structures. For Work No.1273, Creed has made five single brush marks using a palette derived from the Olympic colours. The marks are arranged in an ascending form that seems to represent an extended podium offering places beyond first, second and third. Creed’s image can be seen as expressing respect for the excellence of all competing Olympic sportsmen and women.

Bridget Riley – Rose RoseBridget Riley is one of the most original painters of our time and is celebrated for her optically vibrant paintings. By manipulating relationships between colours and shapes, she creates illusions of movement and light. For her Olympic print, Riley has arranged colours in horizontal stripes, indicating the direction of athletic tracks or swimming lanes. The relationships between the colours create a sensation of movement capturing the energy of sport and the Olympic Games.


For Your InFormatIon

Fiona Banner - Superhuman NudeFiona Banner creates nude studies from life, transcribing physical scenarios into verbal descriptions. These ‘wordscapes’ define the shapes and forms of the body as well as fleeting moments such as the tension in a second of shared eye contact, or a nervous finger tapping. Banner’s print is a nude study of a Paralympic Athlete. The title alludes to the extraordinary physicality of this body. She focuses on strength and physicality but also on the fragility of a human awaiting competition. Banner says ‘I liked the idea of comparing the athlete to a superhero, with some extraordinary prosthetic gift. Looking at an athlete naked made them powerful and vulnerable at once.’

Michael Craig-Martin – GOMichael Craig-Martin combines quotidian objects such as light bulbs, chairs, and umbrellas with everyday words. His pairing of language and image is based on both familiar and unexpected associations. In combining the word GO with a stopwatch Craig-Martin conveys with a sense of immediacy the excitement and anticipation experienced in the moments before the starter pistol is fired, and the roar of the crowd as they encourage their favourite athlete towards the finish line.

Bob and Roberta Smith - LOVE Bob and Roberta Smith use the immediacy of language to create hand-painted signs on pieces of found wood. These signs – painted in the style of community action banners, street signs, and fun fair posters - relay direct and often humorous messages. Taking the values of the Paralympic Games as a starting point, Bob and Roberta Smith propose the core elements of the athlete experience: courage, inspiration, love, and of course sweat. Ends.



Rachel Whiteread – LOndOn 2O12While Rachel Whiteread is best known for her sculptural work, drawing has always remained a critical part of her practice. She has described drawing as being like a diary of her work, whilst memory remains a key theme. For her print, she has composed a pattern of overlapping rings in the Olympic colours. The rings explore the emblem of the Olympic Games, and also represent marks left by drinking bottles or glasses. They act as memories of a social gathering, such as the athletes in the stadium during the opening ceremony or the spectators of the Olympic Games.

Tracey Emin - Birds 2012Always at the centre of her own world, Tracey Emin shares her life, beliefs and feelings through her work with compassion and wit. Emin took the Paralympic values of Inspiration and Determination as the starting point for her print and created what she describes as a ‘love letter’. Two small birds, delicately perched on branches, appear to kiss beneath the words ‘You inspire me with Your determination And I love you’. The Agitos floats below them like feathers or leaves falling from the tree. Birds have frequently appeared in Emin’s drawings to symbolise freedom and strength, whilst her use of handwritten text expresses personal thoughts and emotions. Her print is an inspiring dedication to the Paralympic Games and athletes.

Gary Hume – CapitalGary Hume creates paintings with distinctive colour palettes, reduced imagery, and rich surfaces. Hume has abstracted elements from an image of a wheelchair-tennis player, combining them with foliage and a soft and subtle colour palette. The large, circular form represents the wheel of the wheelchair and the black tennis ball hangs suspended in space, with the tennis racquet poised to smash the ball across the net. The large circular form can also be seen as a mouth cheering from the audience. Hume has created an aspirational image celebrating summer sport in London.

63DISPATCHESWINTER 2011/12 63


Retirement: Ready or Not, Here It Comes

The Aviva Real Retirement Report considers retirement as three stages:

Pre-retirees (55 to 64 years old) are on the countdown to retirement but 29% still have outstanding mortgages (£53,227 – average outstanding balance) and on average they are repaying £2,471 worth of unsecured debt annually.

Retiring (65 to 74 years old) have just passed the age at which many people retire and while 21% are still working, many are looking to relax after a long working life. However, retiring may come as a shock to some as 13% have no savings and 13% still have a mortgage that they need to service.

This is the first of two articles devoted to retirement/retiring. This one, taken largely from a recent Aviva Real Retirement Report, looks at the statistical realities of those from age 55

and up. The statistics are based on research data collected in the last half of 2011, throughout the UK. While the statistics may be different for expat workers, you will still discover food for thought in the offering below.

Long-term retired (over 75 years) most are 10 years or more into retirement. Those with private pensions (39%) or employee pensions (41%) are likely to have annuitised. While 72% own their homes outright, a worrying 7% are still paying off a mortgage (av. amount of mortgage debt - £46,873). Despite generally being less economically active, they have the highest number of savers of all age groups (74%).

Retail Price InflationAll increases to the rate of retail price inflation have an immediate impact on people’s monthly expenditure as the cost of essential goods increases, but price rises tend to have the most significant consequences for those on fixed incomes such as many over-55s.


However, because this group’s typical ‘shopping basket’ has a different bias to the general population; they feel economic pressures in a different way. For example, as 59% of over-55s own their own home without a mortgage, they are unlikely to benefit from the fact that housing inflation is only 1.39% at the moment. On the other hand, they spend a significant amount of their income on food (15%) and fuel and light (8.6%) so inflation on these costs (food – 6.75% and fuel and light – 8.57%) are likely to have a greater impact on them.

AssetsAlmost half of all pre-retirees save nothing per month. Among those who save the average amount has increased. The typical over-55 has £10,468 (Sep 2011) in savings and investments and has housing equity worth £213,462 (Sep 2011). The median amount of savings (£10,468 – Sep 2011) has fallen by 12% since June 2011 (£11,907) and 36% since Q3 2010 (£16,296). Pre-retirees have the smallest savings pots (£5,967) followed by the long-term retired (£10,999) and the retiring (£16,175). While the fact that the retiring have the largest savings pots is good news, it is likely to be due to a boost from a lump sum payment from the purchase of an annuity rather than excellent savings habits.

The number of over-55s (17%) who have no savings is up from Q3 2010 (15%) but slightly down from last quarter (19% - June 2011). Digging deeper into these statistics, a worrying trend is developing. Pre-retirees (55-64) are more likely to be working than the other two age groups but also have the smallest savings pots (£5,967) and the highest number of people without any savings at all (21%).

DebtOver a third of over-55s have a credit card. While baby-boomers were the first generation to be truly comfortable with debt and benefit from freely available credit, this attitude means that some will be entering retirement with substantial financial obligations. Excluding mortgage debt, the mean debt of all over-55s with debts is now £20,001 (Sep 2011) – up from £17,112 (June 2011). The total debt of those with mortgages and other debts is £73,994 (Sep 2011) which is slightly down from £78,482 (June 2011) as the typical amount owed on a mortgage has fallen.

The most popular types of borrowing for the over-55s is credit cards (36% hold at least one – Sep 2011),

personal loans (19%), overdraft (17%) hire purchase (12%) and store cards (12%). The average amount owed on a credit card is £3,017 (Sep 2011) which is slightly up from June 2011 (£2,973).

It is interesting to note that as people move from being pre-retirees to retiring, they pay off their unsecured borrowing – potentially with the lump sum payout from their annuities. However, as they move further into retirement, they start to return to their old borrowing habits and we see an increase in the percentage of people using unsecured debt. Percentage of over-55s who hold unsecured borrowing products: (See Table 1 Below)

Indebted women aged over-55 (£20,845 – Sep 2011) owe more than men (£18,679 – Sep 2011) which is particularly concerning as they have significantly lower incomes (£1,046 vs. £1,439 – men).

Long-term Care 70% of over-55s don’t believe they should pay for care; 62% don’t feel they should be forced to sell their homes to pay for care. Over half (53%) have no firm plans in place to meet care costs.

The main reason behind an overall apprehension of long-term care appears to be due to the fact that over half (53%) have no plan in place to meet these costs. Indeed, just 2% of over-55s say they have long-term care insurance with others preferring to rely on savings and investments (13%), releasing equity (9%), their pension fund (3%) and on family assistance (3%).

However, with the average cost of residential care hitting £25,953 per year and the average over-55 having just £10,468 (Sep 2011) in savings and an annual income of £1,216 (Sep 2011) per month – the maths does not add up and there is sure to be a shortfall for many. (See Table 2 Below)



As will be evident in the second article in this series, the better prepared you are for retirement (and the earlier you start preparing) the better retirement you will have. For now, keeping the following four things in mind will give you a bit of a head start:

1. Make sure you can afford your house -For most people entering retirement, their home is their largest asset, it can also be the source of the biggest expenditures. This needs to be taken into account when planning for retirement.

2. Incomes can go up as well as down – When people enter retirement, they often assume that their income will remain steady or match inflation, this is often not the case and people need to plan carefully for the future.

3. Plan for your concerns – Most over-55s are worried about the rising cost of living so it make sense to look for investments and pensions which provide some form of protection against high inflation.

4. Have a financial plan – Care in retirement is often an immediate needs purchase so it is essential that consumers have a financial plan in place to pay for this if they don’t want to be forced to make some difficult choices.

“Following these simple tips will mean that people enjoy a better standard of living in retirement with fewer worries,” concluded Clive Bolton, ‘at retirement’ director for Aviva.

The second article, in the next issue of Dispatches, will deal with determining what you need to retire – given the lifestyle you choose to lead. It includes online formulas to accurately determine how much money you will need “in the bank” and how the figure can be reached based on age, income, debt, assets, etc.

CosT of CARe vs. oveR-55 InCome (bAseD on A sIngLe PeRson): Annual cost Average income shortfall between Region

of residential care over 55 income and cost

east england £29,796 £15,600 £14,196 east midlands £22,937 £12,803 £10,134 London £30,784 £14,656 £15,028 north east £23,296 £15,828 £7,465 north West £21,798 £14,191 £7,607 scotland £25,948 £16,656 £9,292 south east £29,827 £16,967 £12,860 south West £28,818 £12,919 £15,899 Wales £17,680 £13,494 £4,186 West midlands £26,676 £12,427 £14,249 Yorkshire £27,924 £14,173 £13,751

UK AveRAge £25,953 £14,587 £11,366 *

*These costs refer to a stay in a residential care home with access to– but not necessarily use of - medical facilities

Table 1

55 – 64 65 – 74 over 75 Credit Cards 40% 33% 33% Personal Loans 21% 16% 17% Hire Purchase 15% 9% 12% overdraft 20% 12% 19%

Table 2



Let me save you the trouble: An arboretum is a collection of trees. A bit of a let-down that; especially after having experienced the tranquillity and almost ethereal magic of the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) for the first time this year - because it is so much more than a collection of trees.

Four million years ago … No, I don’t have the space. There was a quarry that became a land fill; that became open land belonging to Redland Aggregates (now Lafarge). Then there was a group of dedicated people like (Commander David Childs CBE, Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC, and John Major to name but a very few) with a vision - a vision of a place in UK where all those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country could be remembered. An Arboretum - a collection of trees - all planted with the aim of remembrance, commemoration and education.

The vision was embraced by ordinary people - thousands of them - in the form of donations of money, skills, time and often plain and simple hard labour; to bring the vision into reality.

What is there today is that reality, and every detail of its evolution, the grants and support from the MOD, the British Legion, the lottery; where they are today and

where they want to be tomorrow, are documented on their website: www.thenma.org.uk . It is an interesting, and often inspiring, read that I thoroughly recommend as it gives far more detail than my allotted six hundred words or so can compete with.

What I wanted to tell you here is the experience, and why it’s an experience that you should treat yourself to when you are next back home in UK. Get in the car, or catch a train to (the middle of nowhere) and make your way to the National Memorial Arboretum - “the Arbo” as I heard it lovingly referred to by Lawrie Walford and his wife, a couple of the many dedicated volunteers that took the time to walk round the place with me.

I arrived at the typically basic car park on a typical overcast day. (The sort of car park that tells you have not arrived at a commercially run place that is about to rip you off.) There is no exorbitant entrance fee and I was greeted by the hubbub of a fairly busy cafeteria dotted with servicemen and other visitors, and indulged in a more than acceptable cooked lunch at prices I wish I could find in London.

With a feeling of comfortable wellbeing, we left the cafeteria and strolled out into the arboretum which,


You could be forgiven for asking “What is an Arboretum?”. I will anyway because I admit I feigned knowledge and then googled it at the first opportunity.

Tranquility and Ethereal Magic: The National Memorial Arboretum

Peter Seller


in truth, I thought was going to be a bit of a trial looking at the rain clouds forming.

It was a little daunting seeing the main memorial in the distance that is the nominal centre piece, and to take in the phenomenal size of the place - a hundred and fifty acres, that houses over 160 memorials and more to come - or so I was told.

What a walk it was. I wanted to see the Fleet Air Arm Memorial because there is an affinity there for me, but on the way; there was a wood that had a tree for every merchant ship lost in the Atlantic convoys (it was a pretty big wood!) There were memorials in all shapes and forms for various squadrons from the RAF, particular incidents from the war, POW’s, the Berlin airlift . . . and the list goes on.

It’s not just the armed forces remembered there either; there are memorials for the fire services, police, ambulance, and other civilian rescue services , all with their sculptures, trees and shrubs to ensure that there is a memory. Dotted around are benches and seats with plaques for the memory of others - many just names - as the path leads to the massive armed forces memorial with its emotional sculptures and high walls that have thousands of names and, many empty ones that will, unfortunately, continue to be filled.

Time just ran away as the feeling of the place took hold and I found myself slowly taking in the realization of just how many have lost their lives so that we walk free, and I actually ran out of time. I missed the Basra Wall, and I missed the Burma Road museum (my Dad spent from the fall of Singapore to the end of the war there, which probably was part of the reason for his short life) and so much more.

needless to say I’m going again.

It is a wonderful place I am pleased and proud to see. Something of great worth in our green countryside that you cannot visit without coming away with a sense of awe at what great sacrifice has been made by so many, in so many walks of life. It is an education and just a little feeling of loss, and gratitude.

Donations are constantly needed to maintain and operate the arboretum, despite the selfless support by so many volunteers, so even if you can’t visit - and you really should, go on line and help maintain the arboretum - a cluster of trees that will grab you and leave its mark.

The National Memorial Arboretum is situated at Alrewas, Nr Lichfield in Staffordshire.




Deconstructed Tuna Nicoise with saffron aioli and dried black olives

Ingredients 25g x Omani tuna loin 10g x French beans (blanched and split) 1 x hard boiled egg sliced 10g diced red capsicum 1 x plum tomato sliced 25ml saffron aioli 40g romaine lettuce hearts 5g sliced black olives 50ml lemon dressing 1 x disk of toasted green olive bread

Potato base 100g x steamed potato, peeled and diced 20g x diced onion 5ml anchovy paste 10g x chopped spring onion 30ml extra virgin olive oil 20g sliced black olives

A Recipe for ChristmasAusten ReidExecutive Chef at The Regency

Method• Marinadethetunainoliveoilandlemonfor

approx 1 hour before cooking, season then grill on a hot char grill and chill. Slice just before serving

• Mixtogethertheitemsforthepotatobaseand correct the seasoning, reserve till needed.

• Pressthepotatointoasquaremouldforthetuna to be served on.

• Dicethecapsicumandallowtomarinateinthe lemon dressing.

• Seasonthesaladleaveswiththelemondressing and salt and pepper

• Placethesaffronaioliintoapipingbagforease of portioning and plating.

• Arrangetheplateasperthepicture.

Chef Tips:• Todrytheolives,pureethemandspread

onto a non stick baking sheet and dry under aHotlamp,thenfinelychoporgrind

• ThisisamodernwaytopresenttheoriginalNicoise salad but some traditionalist prefer the mixing of all the ingredients together and the use of canned tuna not fresh.

70



The official UK Singles Chart began in 1952, after appearing in the New Musical Express. The positions of all songs are based on week end sale totals, from Sunday to Saturday, but prior to 1987 they were released on a Tuesday due to the need for manual calculation.

Songs that finish in the runner-up position, known as the “Christmas number two”, have also gained a certain amount of publicity, especially in years when there are multiple well-known songs that are vying for the Christmas number one.

Every year British music fans wait (and gamblers bet) on the Christmas Number One Single. The singles are those that are at the top of the UK Singles Chart on the week before

Christmas Day. Novelty songs, charity songs or songs with a Christmas theme have often been at the top of Christmas charts. Musicians and pressure groups view having a Christmas number one as being especially prestigious, more so than any other time of year. Many of the Christmas number ones were also the best-selling song of the year.

Singing, Swinging

Christmas


The Beatles are the only artist to have four number ones, three consecutively starting from 1963. On two occasions, 1963 and 1967, they had both the Christmas number one and the number two, the only act to have achieved this (although George Michael appeared on both the number one track, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” and the number two, Last Christmas, in 1984, albeit with different acts). Cliff Richard also spent four Christmases at the top; two with his own songs, one with The Shadows and one as a part of Band Aid 2. Paul McCartney has been top seven times; four times with The Beatles, and once each with Wings, Band Aid and Band Aid 20. The Spice Girls equalled the record of having three consecutive Christmas number ones, from 1996 to 1998. “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, which reached the number one spot at Christmas 1975 and 1991, is the only record to have reached the top twice.

“Mary’s Boy Child” is the only song to be Christmas number one for two entirely unrelated artists (Harry Belafonte in 1957 and Boney M in 1978), although “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” has been Christmas number one for three generations of Band Aid. The (original) Band Aid version of this song is the second best selling single in UK history.

In recent years the Christmas number one has been dominated by reality television contests, with the winners of said contests heading straight to number one in the week before Christmas. This trend began in 2002, when Popstars: The Rivals contestants released the top three singles on the Christmas chart. From 2005 to 2010, the winners of The X Factor took the number one spot on five occasions. In 2007, bookmakers started taking bets on who “Christmas Number Two” would be instead. In 2009, a campaign on social networking website Facebook to get Rage Against the Machine’s 1992 single “Killing in the Name” to number one was successful. The anti-corporate campaign made them the first group to get a Christmas number one with a download-only single, and resulted in the most download sales in a single week ever in UK chart history. Numerous similar campaigns in 2010 promoting acts such as Biffy Clyro, John Cage and The Trashmen, were unsuccessful; 2011 has seen a coalescing around “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana (which celebrated its 20th anniversary that year) as the challenger to the X Factor single.



below is the list of all the Christmas number ones since Al Martino earned the first title in 1952. How many do you remember/know? Have a good look and a trip down memory lane, then try your hand at the quiz on page 76.

2010: Matt Cardle - When We Collide2009: Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The

Name2008: Alexandra Burke - Hallelujah2007: Leon Jackson - When You Believe2006: Leona Lewis - A Moment Like This2005: Shayne Ward - That’s My Goal2004: Band Aid 20 - Do They Know It’s Christmas? 2003: Michael Andrews and Gary Jules - Mad World 2002: Girls Aloud - Sound of the Underground 2001: Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman - Somethin’

Stupid2000: Bob The Builder - Can We Fix It? 1999: Westlife - I Have A Dream / Seasons In The

Sun 1998: Spice Girls - Goodbye 1997: Spice Girls - Too Much 1996: Spice Girls - 2 Become 1 1995: Michael Jackson - Earth Song 1994: East 17 - Stay Another Day 1993: Mr Blobby - Mr Blobby 1992: Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You 1991: Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody / These Are The

Days Of Our Lives 1990: Cliff Richard - Saviours’ Day 1989: Band Aid II - Do They Know It’s Christmas? 1988: Cliff Richard - Mistletoe & Wine 1987: The Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind 1986: Jackie Wilson - Reet Petite 1985: Shakin’ Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone 1984: Band Aid Do They Know It’s Christmas?

1983: The Flying Pickets - Only You 1982: Renee & Renato - Save Your Love 1981: The Human League - Don’t You Want Me 1980: St Winifred’s School Choir - There’s No One

Quite Like Grandma 1979: Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall 1978: Boney M - Mary’s Boy Child-Oh My Lord 1977: Wings - Mull Of Kintyre / Girls’ School 1976: Johnny Mathis - When A Child Is Born

(Soleado) 1975: Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody 1974: Mud - Lonely This Christmas 1973: Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody 1972: Little Jimmy Osmond - Long Haired Lover

From Liverpool 1971: Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The

West) 1970: Dave Edmunds - I Hear You Knockin’ 1969: Rolf Harris - Two Little Boys 1968: Scaffold - Lily The Pink 1967: The Beatles - Hello Goodbye 1966: Tom Jones - The Green Grass Of Home 1965: The Beatles - Day Tripper / We Can Work It

Out 1964: The Beatles - I Feel Fine 1963: The Beatles - I Want To Hold Your Hand 1962: Elvis Presley - Return To Sender 1961: Danny Williams - Moon River 1960: Cliff Richard & The Shadows - I Love You 1959: Emile Ford & The Checkmates - What Do You

Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For 1958: Conway Twitty - It’s Only Make Believe 1957: Harry Belafonte - Mary’s Boy Child 1956: Johnnie Ray - Just Walkin’ In The Rain 1955: Dickie Valentine - Christmas Alphabet 1954: Winifred Atwell - Let’s Have Another Party 1953: Frankie Laine - Answer Me 1952: Al Martino - Here In My Heart


59 Christmas Number One Singles – How well do you remember them?

Christmas QuIz

1. Sitting in a wishin' hole Hoping it stays dry _______________ _______________ _______________________________ Artist, title, year 2. Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me Some people wait a lifetime __________________ _______________________________ Artist, title, year 3. But say a prayer, pray for the other ones _______________________________________ _______________________________ Artist, title, year 4. Scoop, Muck and Dizzy and Roley too. Lofty and Wendy join the crew. Bob and the gang have so much fun. Working together, they get the job done! (chorus) _______________ ________________ _______________ ________________ ______________________________ Artist, title, year 5. Too much of something is bad enough But something's coming over me to make me wonder _______________ ________________ ______________________________ Artist, title, year



*You will find all the answers on the BBF website.

6. And one day when we're older We'll look back and say _______________ ________________ ______________________________ Artist, title, year 7. I´ll be your leprechaun and sit upon an old toadstool I´ll serenade you till I´m old and gray _______________ ________________ ______________________________ Artist, title, year 8. Your love means more to me than All the apples hanging on a tree and _______________ ________________ ______________________________ Artist, title, year 9. C is for the candy trimmed around the Christmas tree, H is for the happiness with all the family, R is for the _______________________________, I is for the _______________________________, S is for the _______________________________, T is for the _______________________________, M is for the _______________________________, A is for the _______________________________, S is for the _______________________________, ________________________________________! ______________________________ Artist, title, year

______________________________ Artist, title, year

10. 'Cause here in my heart There's a picture of us Together forever Unfaded and unbroken _______________ ________________ _______________ ________________

1. Sitting in a wishin' hole Hoping it stays dry _______________ _______________ _______________________________ Artist, title, year 2. Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me Some people wait a lifetime __________________ _______________________________ Artist, title, year 3. But say a prayer, pray for the other ones _______________________________________ _______________________________ Artist, title, year 4. Scoop, Muck and Dizzy and Roley too. Lofty and Wendy join the crew. Bob and the gang have so much fun. Working together, they get the job done! (chorus) _______________ ________________ _______________ ________________ ______________________________ Artist, title, year 5. Too much of something is bad enough But something's coming over me to make me wonder _______________ ________________ ______________________________ Artist, title, year 6. And one day when we're older We'll look back and say _______________ ________________ ______________________________ Artist, title, year 7. I´ll be your leprechaun and sit upon an old toadstool I´ll serenade you till I´m old and gray _______________ ________________ ______________________________ Artist, title, year 8. Your love means more to me than All the apples hanging on a tree and _______________ ________________ ______________________________ Artist, title, year 9. C is for the candy trimmed around the Christmas tree, H is for the happiness with all the family, R is for the _______________________________, I is for the _______________________________, S is for the _______________________________, T is for the _______________________________, M is for the _______________________________, A is for the _______________________________, S is for the _______________________________, ________________________________________! ______________________________ Artist, title, year



6. And one day when we're older We'll look back and say _______________ ________________ ______________________________ Artist, title, year 7. I´ll be your leprechaun and sit upon an old toadstool I´ll serenade you till I´m old and gray _______________ ________________ ______________________________ Artist, title, year 8. Your love means more to me than All the apples hanging on a tree and _______________ ________________ ______________________________ Artist, title, year 9. C is for the candy trimmed around the Christmas tree, H is for the happiness with all the family, R is for the _______________________________, I is for the _______________________________, S is for the _______________________________, T is for the _______________________________, M is for the _______________________________, A is for the _______________________________, S is for the _______________________________, ________________________________________! ______________________________ Artist, title, year





The time of year is with us again: Time to join or renew your membership in the British Business Forum (BBF).

For current members: We hope you will have found value, not only in your business activities, but also in the social activities that have been arranged by the Forum and that you have been able to broaden the scope of your operations as a result. If there is any change in previously submitted form (2010-2011), please take a moment to complete/update the attached 2011-2012 application, which along with your 45KD membership fee can be given either to any Board Members or dropped in at BBF office (attached map). The coming year promises to be an exciting one and we believe that your continuing support will cause us to grow and become stronger. If you are a member who has reached the end of their tenure in Kuwait we

British Business Forum 2011-2012Membership and Membership Renewals

wish you well, wherever you go and would thank you for all your support during your time here. Please let me know if you wish to be removed from the mailing list. For potential members: As you’ve surely discover just from flipping through this magazine, the BBF is an active group of professionals working – directly or indirectly with British businesses here in Kuwait, in the region, and beyond. Please join us for a meeting to see for yourself how the BBF can enhance both your professional life and your social life.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries or require any information regarding the BBF and its activities. Rose William BBF Administration Manager P: +965 2232 2038 F: +965 2232 2040 Email: [email protected]

BrItISH BuSInESS Forum

DISPATCHES ADVERTISING RATES

From June 2011 to June 2012

Front GatefoldCost perinsertion

KD1300 Cost per 4 insertion KD5200

Inside Front CoverCost perinsertion

KD 700 Cost per 4 insertion KD2800

Back CoverCost perinsertion


Inside Back CoverCost perinsertion


Full inside Page A4 orAdvertorial

Cost perinsertion


Half inside Page A4Portrait or Landscape

Cost perinsertion


Quarter inside Page A4Portrait or Landscape

Cost perinsertion


Inside, Double PageSpread or Advertorial

Cost perinsertion


Cost per 4 insertions, paid in advance, attracts a discount of 10%Right Hand side facing page Ad. Cost KD. 25/ Extra to the above rates

Additional artwork design and adjustments charged from KD. 35/

To place advertising or editorial in an issue of Dispatches magazine, please contact:

Adriaan Vickery Tel 67753962(Direct) or Rose William Tel 66841114 (Direct)

Email: [email protected]

82



As a member of the BBF you enjoy discounts on many exciting goods and services. We encourage you to patronise these friends of the BBF who are going that

extra step to serve you.

Membership Benefits 2011-2012with Valid BBF Membership Card

Valid through end of June 2012 (unless otherwise stated)

10G Technologies10% on all IBM servers, storage, tape libraries

5% on all Microsoft licences

10% on all Cisco switches, routers, firewall/IT

10% on all VM ware licencing

10% on all Sonic wall UTM devices

25% on all professional services

Valid to 1st May 2012

Tel 2495 4155

A One Car RentalIndividual members 10%

Corporate members 15%

Tel 2227 3900

Alghanim TravelDar Al Awadi Office Only - personal visit

Exclusive offers for BBF members & families

[email protected]

Current offer on BBF website

Avanti Palace Restaurant15% discount

Valid to 15th March 2012

Tel 2575 1081/2

Gulf Union Solar Solutions10% discount on all products

Valid until 25th February 2012

Tel 2491 5044

Holiday Inn Kuwait Salmiya25% discount at the following restaurants:

L’Aroma Café, Sakura Japanese Restaurant•

Tang Chao Chinese Restaurant•

Ayman Zaman Lebanese Restaurant ,•

Rib Eye Steak House &•

Al Diwan International Buffet•

10% discount on outside catering

20% discount on banqueting

Tel : 1847 777 x 5302

Ibis Salmiya & Sharq Discount offer (to members & friends, family,

colleagues & clients when booked the member)

10% discount on rooms on published rates

15% discount on food & beverage in all outlets

Tel 2573 4247

Inchcape Shipping Services Worldwide Movers10% on domestic packing & removals

Tel 2243 4993


DISPATCHESWINTER 2011/12 83

Kei Japanese RestaurantJ W Marriott

15% discount

Valid to 17th May 2012

J W Marriott

Tel: 2242 2650

Kuwait Medical CenterSalmiya Branch

15% on all treatments by Dr Linda Asfour

Surgical & cosmetic dentistry•

Root canal treatment•

Peridontal treatment & surgery•

Crowns & bridges•

Ceramic crowns & veneers•

Implants (Branemark, ITI System)•

Wisdom teeth operations•

Childrens dentistry•

Tel 2575 9044/45/46

London LimoIndividual members 10%

Corporate members 15%

Tel 6000 5466

Movenpick Hotel - Shuwaikh 20% in all restaurants

Tel 2461 0033

Napket Restaurant - Avenues15% discount

Valid until 14th January 2012

Tel 2571 5084

Premium ChoiceOn line store for free home delivery

Premium quality meat & seafood

10% discount on Speciality Cakes

10% on Meat Products

15% discount on Seafood Products

www.premiumchoice.me

Tel : 2498-1010 / 1212

Regus10% discount on Day Office, Meeting Room, Video

Conference & Telepresence bookings

Professional Administrative support

Access to 1100 Global Business Lounges & Cafes

Tel : 2227 1777

Spalon - Spa & Salon for Men15% discount

Valid until 14th January 2012

Tel 2242 2244/ 9900 1717

The Regency10% discount on all food & beverages

10% discount off best room rates

Tel : 2576 6666

Top to Toe Hair & Beauty SalonTaiba Mall, Egails Commercial Complex

10% discount on all beauty services

(excluding hair)

Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any

other seasonal promotion

Tel 9938 9358


tHE BrItISH EmBaSSY

Consular Section

Since 1 June 2010, applications for full validity passports for British

Nationals are no longer processed at the British Embassy, Kuwait.

All passport applications from Kuwait are processed and printed centrally in the Passport Processing Centre in Dusseldorf, where you need to send

your application. These changes have been implemented throughout

the Gulf and are part of a global initiative to streamline and modernise

the UK’s overseas passport operation. The UK remains one of

the few countries printing passports in Embassies and Consulates

abroad. This is expensive to do and is less secure as we have to transport blank passports around

the world. Our aim is to reduce the cost of running the operation, while improving security and maintaining a high standard of customer service.

How long does this service take?

You should allow up to 4 weeks to submit your application before

travelling. Dusseldorf aim to process straightforward applications within

10 working days upon receipt of the correct documentation and payment. Applications for first time applicants may take longer. Please ensure you allow extra time for delivery at both

ends of the process.

If you need to travel for urgent reasons, please contact the Consular Section here at the British Embassy,

Kuwait on 22594358.

Full details are on the British Embassy website: www.ukinkuwait.

fco.gov.uk

The Consular Section Public Counter hours are 08:30 – 10:30, Sunday –

Thursday.

LOCATE:

If we can’t find you ---- We can’t help you Register with usIf you are a British national, and travelling or living abroad, or planning to do so, use our LOCATE service to tell us. Our embassy and crisis staff can then give you better assistance in an emergency such as a tsunami or terrorist attack.

We are encouraging all British nationals travelling and living abroad to register with us on LOCATE at: https://www.locate.fco.gov.uk/locateportal/ …. even for short trips.

From 3rd February, more than 50 improvements have been introduced to enhance the performance of LOCATE – the FCO registration and crisis management system. These improvements include:

Being able to register on LOCATE without needing to input your • passport details.Clearer labelling to make the public site easier for customers to use • and understand.LOCATE will now send auto email reminders to the email address • provided by the registrant in the trip details as well as to the email address used to create the registration account.If you don’t receive the account verification email after first registering • you can return to the main LOCATE page and click on a link “Never Received Your Confirmation Message?”. Once you’ve entered your user ID, you will be faced with a simple logic puzzle. This meets FCO I&TD concerns about automatic spam bombarding the website and allows visually impaired people to complete the puzzle (Facebook and Google style logic puzzles do not meet FCO standards).

These changes should make LOCATE easier to use.

These improvements were introduced as a direct result of feedback from LOCATE users and customers across the network. FCO has heard your concerns about the reliability and functionality of LOCATE and have been working hard to introduce the changes you want to see.

How to contact British Embassy Kuwait - Consular Section:

Tel: 22594355/57/58 Fax: [email protected]


tHE BrItISH EmBaSSY

Visa Section:

During the last financial year (1 April 2010 – 31 March 2011), UKBA Kuwait processed over 57,000 visa applications. Numbers continue to rise, year on year, proving that the United Kingdom is the destination of choice for tourism, business and higher education for those living in Kuwait.

UKBA Kuwait continues to process visa applications very effectively with around 95% of all applications processed within 2 working days. Paul Dryden, the Entry Clearance Manager says, ‘Our staff in the section consistently meet the Customer Service Agreement set by the UK government where over 90% of all straightforward applications are processed within 24 hours of receipt within the Embassy, this is a phenomenal achievement considering the numbers that are lodged during the busy summer season’.

As an ongoing process to improve the overall service, UKBA Kuwait and VFS Global, introduced mandatory online appointments from 10 April 2011. Paul explains ‘During the summer season we become the victim of our own success and the visa application centre (VAC) sometimes becomes overcrowded with delays for our customers. To ensure that this does not happen again this summer or in the future, we have introduced mandatory online appointments for all applicants. This ensures that all applicants are given a specific appointment time during the day which will reduce bottlenecks at certain times. If an applicant does arrive at the VAC without an appointment they will be offered an appointment slot at a later date or they may use our Premium lounge but will be required to pay an additional charge. Between 14 May and 23 July the VAC will open 6 days a week (Friday closed) to ensure customers can lodge their application at their convenience; the opening hours are 09:30 till 16:30 (Sunday to Thursday) and 10:00 till 16:00 (Saturdays). Please ensure that you apply at least 10 working days prior to your journey to avoid any disappointment. For more details please access the VFS Global website at www.vfs-uk-kw.com

VFS Global Kuwait also has a number of Visit Britain products on sale at their VAC. These include items such as Heathrow Express tickets, Oyster cards (multi transport ticket for London) and various tickets for major tourist attractions throughout the UK. They are competitively priced and are available to visa applicants and non visa applicants during opening hours.

85


EDuKEX - November 2011

The event included 45 different universities and colleges from the UK (the highest number ever) and was the 2nd exhibition this year, 42 companies having attended in January 2011. The group also included 7 education colleges and language schools.

The British Council, reflecting the important role that it plays in Kuwait, had 3 booths strategically distributed around the show. In addition to the UK institutions, and so as to complete the information “loop” the event was also attended by UKBA, KABA and MoHE. UKBA ran also presentations, throughout the 2 days, on the all important UK visa process.

The event was well attended throughout its stay in Kuwait. EDUKEX was deemed a success by both the exhibitors and the British Council.

tHE BrItISH EmBaSSY

Since 1991 the EDUKEX “roadshow” has regularly visited Kuwait for 2 days, this time en route from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The event, which

took place this year at the Crowne Plaza, was formally opened by Frank Baker, the British Ambassador, who spent a good period of time visiting various booths.


BGIFC Recognises the Outstanding Contribution of Amanda Weldon to Girlguiding

M s. Amanda Weldon, District Commissioner for British Guides in Foreign Countries (BGIFC) in Kuwait, was awarded the prestigious Laurel

Award at a ceremony at the British Embassy, in the presence of the two Guiding Ambassadors to Kuwait District BGIFC - Mrs. Maria Pilar Fernandez Fraca, wife of the British Ambassador to the State of Kuwait, and Mrs. Sue Read.

CommunItY GrouPS

The award was presented by Ruth Sara, the BGIFC Commissioner responsible for those members of Girlguiding UK who live and work overseas to help ensure they follow the standard Girlguiding programmes. She was joined by Fiona Carle, Assistant BGIFC Commissioner and Guiding Development Advisor who provides support and training for adult leaders overseas.

Recipients for the Laurel Award are selected by Girlguiding UK through a London based committee which considers submissions from Guiding Associations around the world. The Laurel Award is only awarded in those cases where someone has shown exceptional service.

Amanda Weldon - who was presented with a brooch denoting the Laurel Award - has been involved with the Girlguiding movement for over twenty years, the first nine of which were spent in the United Kingdom. During this time she has shown total commitment to and enthusiasm for the movement and acted as an inspiration to leaders and guides alike. Through her successful leadership and tireless work, she has helped attract a dedicated team of leaders to run the Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Senior Section groups which collectively constitute the Girlguiding movement in Kuwait.

Girlguiding is a worldwide movement. The organizers of the event were delighted therefore that several district leaders of the Kuwaiti Girlguiding Association were able to attend the ceremony, thus underlining that the close bilateral relationship between the UK and Kuwait extends into the area of Girlguiding.

For more information on BGIFC, or if you are interested in becoming a leader or volunteer: [email protected]


British Ladies Society Kuwait

To date, in addition to the full range of monthly activities, we have enjoyed a September Welcome Back coffee morning hosted by our Patron, Maria Baker at the HMA Residence; a hugely successful British Tea Garden at the Introduction to Kuwait event in October; a very well attended Monthly Dinner co-hosted with our Kuwaiti charity, Ruqayah Alqatami Breast Cancer Foundation; another Monthly Dinner

We have had an excellent start to our BLS year since September; membership renewals have increased both for Full members as well as our Associates program to keep

our policy of friendship and inclusivity alive and well.

where we learned useful Kuwaiti etiquette tips and, by the time you read this, the biggest ever BLS Christmas Bazaar plus our ever popular Christmas Dinner!

There is more yet to come with another Monthly Dinner in January where our very own Activities Coordinator will tell us about her recent climb to the

CommunItY GrouPS


Everest Base Camp as well as the highlight of our social calendar, the Ball on 17th February.

As well as all this socialising, we have a thriving lending library with over 3,000 titles and two active reading groups. This year we are delighted to announce that our Telecoms partner, Wataniya, has become a major sponsor enabling us to provide free wi-fi access in our premises as well as ensuring our website and telephones are up to scratch!

Our fundraising efforts are paying off with our event raffles gaining in reputation for some wonderful prizes generously donated by the list of Friends of the BLS throughout Kuwait, so many thanks to one and all – see the website for a full listing of sponsors.

The BLS has a printed handbook which is famous for providing invaluable information on how to get the most out of your life in Kuwait which is provided within the membership fee (which has remained the same

for 5 years). However, even if you cannot join us as a member, you can still purchase this great guide and gripping read. Our website at www.theblskuwait.com has additional tips and info to help you on your way.

Here are a few dates for your diaries and we very much hope to be able to welcome you either into our Society or as a guest at one of our many activities and events in the very near future!

Tuesday 10th January Dinner at the Movenpick Hotel al Bida’a

friday 17th february Valentines Ball at the British Embassy

Tuesday 6th march Dinner at the Movenpick Hotel al Bida’a

www.theblskuwait.com tel: 6665 0381 email: [email protected]

CommunItY GrouPS


CommunItY GrouPS

Kuwait Scorpions

Welcome to the Kuwait Scorpions,

the oldest rugby football club in the Gulf. We were

established in the late 1940’s after the Kuwait Oil

Company and the British Army played the region’s

first ever recorded rugby fixture. In 2010 the club

reverted to its original name of ‘Scorpions’ and no

longer uses ‘Nomads’ as its name.

Today the Scorpions have over 200 playing

members of all ages from more than 18 different

countries including Kuwait, Iran, Lebanon and Egypt.

In addition there are many hundreds of supporting

members in Kuwait and throughout the world. The

Scorpions is now the biggest expatriate organization

in the country and association with the Club provides

wide-spread exposure both here and throughout the

Gulf region.

Jon Law

Chairman [email protected]

Qais AlDoub

Vice Chairman [email protected]

Steve Allan

Club Captain [email protected]

Ahmadi Music Group

The Ahmadi Music Group is a choral group which

rehearses and performs at the New English School,

Jabriya. The Group sings a wide variety of music and

encourages small group and solo performances as

well. AMG usually performs two concerts a year;

Community Groups

one in December and the other in May. A wide variety

of nationalities have been attracted to sing with the

group, which has a very professional approach to

singing, but makes sure that being part of the choir is

fun for everybody.

If you have an interest in choral singing and would

like to find out more about the group, and what it

does, please visit our website where you will find up

to date contacts and information.

Email : [email protected]

Web : www.ahmadimusicgroup.com

Kuwait Saracens

It is our mission to continue

to preserve the spirit of rugby and

to promote and develop the game of rugby at

all levels in Kuwait society.

We ensure that:

Training is structured, progressive, and presented •

by coaches that are qualified for the age groups

they coach.

Our players have access to the best possible •

training equipment and the most up to date

coaching methods.

All players can learn, practice and play in a safe •

environment.

All our teams have the opportunity to travel and •

play enough competitive matches to enable them

to continue to develop their skills.

We provide training for age groups from 5 – 19 •

years old. All coaches are IRB certified.

[email protected]


CommunItY GrouPS

Kuwait Caledonians

KuwaitCaledonianSocietyisacharitablesociety

for the promotion of Scottish culture in Kuwait,

Membership is open to those who are Scottish

by birth, married to a Scot or have at least

one Scottish parent. Associate membership is

availabletothosedemonstratingagenuineregard

for Scottish culture.Our gatherings are amongst

themost colourful and popular in the expatriate

social calendar and each year raise substantial

amountsforScottishandKuwaiticharities.Details

foralleventswillbepublicisedinthelocalpress.

Specificenquiriesmaybeaddressedto:

Nanette McCulloch Tel : 9983 0865

Sam McCulloch Tel : 9971 6840 Email : [email protected]

Kuwait Irish Society

The Kuwait Irish Society is a non profit organisation whose aim is to promote and celebrate Irish culture, craic and sport in Kuwait. We seek a multicultural membership from all walks of life and of any nationality. The society organises and runs several events throughout the year culminating in the celebration of St Patrick’s Day in March.

Through all of our activities the Irish Society tries to raise as much money as possible for charitable causes in Ireland and here in Kuwait. Becoming a member of the society is free and easy and we give our members priority notice of any of our activities. For more information about any of our upcoming events, cultural experiences and membership please contact us at:

[email protected]

Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah

Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah’s 17th Cultural Season, organized in conjunction with the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, got underway on 26 September 2011. Virtually every Monday night at 1900, the Maidan Cultural Centre opens its doors to gifted lecturers and talented performers. The Friends of the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah (DAI) plays an important role in the growth of the DAI. As a “Friend”, you will be part of a success story that you help maintain – a success story that is recognised internationally and appreciated locally.

Zeinab

Tel : 2563 6528


DAI Music Circle

For the third season, people interested in music should take note of the DAI music programme. This season, every Wednesday night is set aside for the DAI Music Circle. The concerts are held at the al-Maidan Cultural Centre in Maidan-Hawalli and are open to everyone.

Helena D’Souza

Tel : 2240 0992, ext 19


AnzikAre you an Australian or New Zealand woman in Kuwait? ANZIK is an information group of women here that started on a small scale last year. If you would like to hear about our monthly get-togethers (no committees!), please email: us at

[email protected]


CommunItY GrouPS

93

a performance as possible, whilst still ensuring it is

fun for singers and audience. The Kuwait Singers

present two performances a year; a seasonal concert

in December and a more varied one in May. We also

perform at several other venues on a less formal

basis. Rehearsals are held at Atakamul International

School, Sabah Al-Salem on Sundays from 7.30-

9.30pm. For more information:

Mike Kempster, Musical Director

Tel : 66683770


PAWS - Protecting Animal Welfare Society

We are an active group of local and international volunteers committed to protecting animal welfare in Kuwait. PAWS runs Kuwait’s first officially licensed animal shelter. The educational mission of our society is to promote responsible pet ownership and to advance the humane treatment of all animals. Our work is supported entirely through the donations of our members and supporters. Through the generous hearts and hands of people here in Kuwait, we can ensure that animals who come into our care will receive veterinary treatment, care and shelter, while we seek to place pets in caring homes. Join us online as a member and support our work at the shelter. Visitors and prospective pet parents are very welcome! For further information about the

organization, please contact:

Tel : 99440089


Web : www.paws-kuwait.org

The BLS Kuwait (British Ladies Society)

The BLS is one of the busiest and most popular societies in Kuwait, run by women for women and families. We meet for friendship and support, and run fund raising activities for charities in UK and Kuwait. We organise over 20 events or activities each month: coffee mornings, library sessions, mothers and toddlers club, children’s music group, evening events, book clubs, and excursions to places of interest. We’re also a network for women seeking work: members find employment or voluntary work through connections made at the BLS. Membership is KD 30 including free Kuwait Information Guide, free Christmas dinner and free diary. Members get discounts at over 60 organisations, restaurants, coffee shops, retail outlets, health clubs, beauty salons, and more. The BLS Kuwait Information Guide (fully sponsored by the Avenues) is for sale at KD 5. Sale profits go to our two charities, chosen annually by our members: in 2011 / 2012 we are supporting Ruqayah Alqatami Breast Cancer Foundation in Kuwait and Help for Heroes in the UK.

Contact details:

[email protected]

+965 6665 0381

www.theblskuwait.com

Kuwait Singers

The Kuwait Singers is a mixed voice (SATB) choir of

over fifty singers made up of people from all walks

of life who share a love of singing. We are always

willing to welcome new members. Whatever your

previous experience you are guaranteed a very

warm reception! We perform all kinds of music from

classical and opera to light pop and songs from the

shows, with the aim of producing as professional

Girl Guiding

British Guides in Foreign Countries (BGIFC) is part of the Guide Association, Girlguiding UK, offering girls the opportunity of taking part in the Guide programme whilst living abroad. Whilst our units maintain a membership of at least 50% British girls, we do welcome all girls who wish to join, subject to places.

All our uniformed leaders are trained volunteers. BGIFC Kuwait District currently comprises 5 units: 1 Rainbow Unit (5-7yrs) 2 Brownie Units (7-10 yrs) 1 Guide Unit (10-14 yrs) and 1 Senior Section Unit (14 and over). Girlguiding is a registered charity. If you are interested in finding out more about Guiding in Kuwait, or wish to help as a leader or parent, please contact :

Amanda Wheldon

District Commissioner

Tel : 66405350

e-mail: [email protected]


CommunItY GrouPS

Kuwait Mantas

The Kuwait Mantas is an overseas branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club (BS-AC). Divers trained by any organisation are welcome to join the club and enjoy the corals and fish found in the warm waters of the Gulf. Dives are organized on our own boat every weekend and occasionally we camp out on one of the islands. We organise socials during the week. There are training courses for beginners.

For more information contact:

Mike Dalton

Tel : 9960 4865

Web : www.kuwaitmantas.com

KBFSA

KBFSA has started life as a website initially to connect ex-pat Brits with a passion for the beautiful game! The site will be maintaining a register of Brit football supporters so that they can arrange to meet up to watch live TV matches especially World Cup Qualifiers etc and share their mutual enthusiasm together. We are hoping to set up a regular meeting night and then hope to set up a calendar of events such as quiz nights, video evenings and of course live match nights! Please register with the website so that we can contact you as soon as possible and get KBFSA off the ground.

Contact : www.kbfsa.co.uk

Kuwait Writers Workshop

The Kuwait Writers workshop meets most Saturday evenings in the working year, taking turns to host in each others homes. Members who are native or virtually nativespeakers of English, critique each others’ writing in progress. We concentrate only on creative writing eg poetry, short story, drama plays, travelogue etc. Group has met since 1993. Several members have published over the years.

Contact : 6632 7130

E-mail : [email protected]

KTAA - Kuwait Textile Arts Association

Kuwait Textile Arts Association is a multi cultural, not for profit organization based at Sadu House. The Association aims to nurture and promote the art and craft of textiles and fibre arts and to facilitate sharing and exchanging of ideas, knowledge and skills in Kuwait and the Gulf region. Membership is open and meetings are held at 19:00 at Sadu House, on the Arabian Gulf Street. Members also enjoy a programme of demonstrations, workshops, stitch and quilting groups, a textile library and international cultural tours. KTAA sponsor an annual exhibition of members textile work and a children’s textile arts day.

For further information, please contact:

Kathy Hendrickson

Tel : 9715 2637

email : [email protected] or

[email protected]

Kuwait Offshore Sailing Association

The Kuwait Offshore Sailing Association (KOSA) meets on the first sunday of each month from October to June - 7:30 PM at the BLS Library in Rumaithiya for social gatherings and sailing talks on specific topics. KOSA offers social sailings and fortnightly races as well as the opportunity to sail further afield at Bahrain and Dubai Regattas. KOSA also offer tuition and training course for beginners and experienced sailors alike. KOSA welcomes visitors and anyone with an interest in sailing in a friendly relaxed club atmosphere.

Website : www.kosaq8.com

E-Mail : [email protected]

Yahoo Group : http://groups.yahoo.com/

group/kosa-group/

Commodore Ross Ferguson - 9732 3359


CommunItY GrouPS

Expat Mums Kuwait

Expat Mums of Kuwait is a group of English speaking expat mums from more than 25 countries who gather regularly for weekly coffee catch ups, mums only dinners, playgroups and more. For more information visit the

Website: www.expatmumskwi.com

Bright Horizons Toastmasters Club

Toastmaster’s International helps you develop your public speaking skills, giving you more confidence professionally and personally. Bright Horizons Toastmaster ‘s sessions are held at Better Books in Salmiya.

For more information


Kuwait Little League Baseball

Kuwait Little League Baseball is a volunteer organization that fields 25 teams for children between the ages of 5 and 17 – no experience required. The season runs from October to April and volunteer coaches, scorekeepers and umpires are always needed.

For more information or to volunteer or sign up your child visit

Website : www.q8ll.org

E-mail : [email protected]

Children’s Art Workshop

The Amricani Cultural Centre is hosting the Children’s Art Workshop programme designed to introduce children between the ages of 6 and 12 to the art and culture of the Islamic world. Classes are held in the Workshop at the Amricani Cultural Centre on Saturday mornings, from 9:30. The classes for 8 – 12 year olds last 2 hours; the classes for 6 – 8 year olds last 90 minutes; and the combined classes for 6 – 12 year olds last 2 hours.

JAnUARY 14 Intro to Ceramics in Islamic Art (ages 8 – 12) 21 Ceramic Painting at Colour Me Mine (ages 8 – 12) 28 Ceramic Painting at Colour Me Mine (ages 6 – 8)

febRUARY4 Maritime Museum and Tales of the Sea (ages 6 – 8) 11 Preserving Tales of the Sea (ages 8 – 12)

mARCH3 Inventions & Science (ages 6 – 12) 10 Inventions and Science project (ages 8 – 12) 17 Inventions and Science (ages 6 – 8) 24 Intro to Mughal Jewellery (ages 8 – 12) 31 Treasury of the World Tour (ages 8 – 12)

For more information or to sign up your children,

Email: [email protected]

Q8 Bridge Club

We are constantly on the lookout for people who enjoy a good game of Bridge. We meet Sundays and Tuesdays at 8 PM at the Sea Club in Ras Salmiya. We are a small and very friendly club of English speakers and will make you feel most welcome.

For more information:

Website : http://q8bc.blogspot.com


96



2011/2012

!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!"#$%$&'!"(&$)*&&!+,#(-!

! !!The Voice of British Business in Kuwait

2011/2012

Membership Application Form

Surname

Forename

Nationality Passport number/ Civil ID No.

Company Position in company

Nature of business

Years in Kuwait

Telephone home

Telephone office

Fax home

Fax office

Mobile number

Pager number

Email personal

Email company

Company address

Post code and district

Proposer’s name

Proposer’s signature

Seconder’s name

Seconder’s signature

Applicant’s signature

Date

I am willing for my contact details to be circulated to other members Yes No

I am willing for my contact details to appear on the BBF website Yes No

I wish to join one of the BBF Business Sector Groups (check boxes below) Yes No

Banking & Finance Construction & Eng. Education & Training

Healthcare Oil & Gas Information Tech’

Aviation, Travel and Hosp. Arts & Culture Fashion

Associate Member: Please indicate your British business interests For Office Use Only

Date paid Email sent

Receipt number Membership no.

Date approved Previous member

Email: [email protected] Enquiries: 66841114

!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!"#$%$&'!"(&$)*&&!+,#(-!


2011/2012


Surname

Forename



Nature of business

Years in Kuwait

Telephone home

Telephone office

Fax home

Fax office

Mobile number

Pager number

Email personal

Email company

Company address


Proposer’s name


Seconder’s name



Date












!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!"#$%$&'!"(&$)*&&!+,#(-!


2011/2012


Surname

Forename



Nature of business

Years in Kuwait

Telephone home

Telephone office

Fax home

Fax office

Mobile number

Pager number

Email personal

Email company

Company address


Proposer’s name


Seconder’s name



Date












!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!"#$%$&'!"(&$)*&&!+,#(-!


2011/2012


Surname

Forename



Nature of business

Years in Kuwait

Telephone home

Telephone office

Fax home

Fax office

Mobile number

Pager number

Email personal

Email company

Company address


Proposer’s name


Seconder’s name



Date












!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!"#$%$&'!"(&$)*&&!+,#(-!


2011/2012


Surname

Forename



Nature of business

Years in Kuwait

Telephone home

Telephone office

Fax home

Fax office

Mobile number

Pager number

Email personal

Email company

Company address


Proposer’s name


Seconder’s name



Date












!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!"#$%$&'!"(&$)*&&!+,#(-!


2011/2012


Surname

Forename



Nature of business

Years in Kuwait

Telephone home

Telephone office

Fax home

Fax office

Mobile number

Pager number

Email personal

Email company

Company address


Proposer’s name


Seconder’s name



Date












!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!"#$%$&'!"(&$)*&&!+,#(-!


2011/2012


Surname

Forename



Nature of business

Years in Kuwait

Telephone home

Telephone office

Fax home

Fax office

Mobile number

Pager number

Email personal

Email company

Company address


Proposer’s name


Seconder’s name



Date












!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!"#$%$&'!"(&$)*&&!+,#(-!


2011/2012


Surname

Forename



Nature of business

Years in Kuwait

Telephone home

Telephone office

Fax home

Fax office

Mobile number

Pager number

Email personal

Email company

Company address


Proposer’s name


Seconder’s name



Date












S&P Upgrades Gulf Bank's

Credit Ratings to BBB with a Positive Outlook

The only bank in the region Standard & poor's (s&P)

to get both an improved rating

and a positive outlook Standard &Poor's (S&Q, the world's leading international credit rating agency, upgraded Guif Bank's

long-term credit rating of B B E to 08%. and raised the Bank's outlook from stable to positive.

The positive outlook indicates the Bank's financial profile could further improve over the next 12-24 months, especially in terms of asset quality, as well as capitalization. This is the first time S&P has

upgraded a bank since the economic crisis in 2009.

r& Wl -'IL r --? GULF BANK

G R O W I N G W I T H Y O U

dispatches magazine december 2011

Documents