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BRITISH BUSINESS FORUM

DISPATCHESSUMMER 2011

Dear Friends,

This will be my last issue as Managing Editor of Dispatches. It has been my privilege to lead a dedicated group of professional people all of whom have worked closely together as a team dedicated to supporting British business and the member’s interests.

It is with a great sense of achievement tinged with sadness at leaving the BBF Board last year and Dispatches this year. I have had the honour of serving on the BBF board for fifteen years, first as Membership Secretary then as Events Director, Treasurer, Chairman (for four years) and Managing Editor of Dispatches.

Our main achievements during these years have been to re-establish the BBF on a firm financial footing, increasing our working capital tenfold and allowing us to contribute the best part of KD100,000 to (mainly) our Armed Forces charities.

In addition, we found, set up and moved into new offices; rescued Dispatches and developed it as a voice of British Business in Kuwait; designed a new corporate image and logo for the BBF and set up a new website; represented and supported the BBF and British Business in Kuwait and at several International conferences, promoting opportunities for Britain in Kuwait; and hosting the lnter-gulf conference for BBF Groups across the Gulf.

I am particularly proud of laying the foundation for a close working relationship with the British Embassy and the Ambassador, whom l would like to thank for his unswerving support for the BBF and all our endeavours.

In closing, I’d also like to thank all you for your support and encouragement these last 15 years. It’s been a wonderful and eventful journey.

Chris SimpsonManaging Editor Dispatches

Managing Editor:Chris Simpson


DISPATCHES

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DISPATCHESDISPATCHESSUMMER 2011

DISPATCHES

Dispatches

Dispatches

Dispatches

Contents

• BBFBoardofDirectors 6

• LetterfromtheChairman 8

• LetterfromtheAmbassador 9

• SectorGroupReports 10

• BBFatIBBCIraqDaySummitConference 12

• BBFatEMITAMiddleEastConference 14

• TransparencyUnderminesCorruptIntent 15

• BBFIntroducesYoutoaWorldofOpportunities 16

• IntroductiontoKuwait2011Information 17

• TheRoyalWedding 20

• TheBestofBritishFashion 41

• AreOurChildreninCrisis? 46

• BritishBusinessNews 48

• BSKStudentsWant“ToBeAPartofIt...” 61

• AJoyfulNoiseandAnAppreciativeAudience 64

• KESSchoolBandContest 66

• MentoringInKuwait 68

• AbuDhabi–TravellersWelcome 70

• BBFMembershipBenefits 76

• BritainOpenforBusiness 82

• BritishEmbassy 86

• BritishCouncilCelebrateswithUKAlumni 89

• BritishLadiesSociety 90

• CommunityGroups 92

• BBFMembershipForm 96

BBF Board 2010/2011

Paul McKayChairman

Britain in Kuwait, 5020

Arthur BarberVice Chairman

Sector Groups, Speakers, Dispatches

Graham KennyGeneral Secretary

Governance, Contracts

Linda Asfour Director

BLS, Arabic Press.

Chris BakerTreasurer

Constitution Review

Pierre BanooriDirector

Introduction to Kuwait Night

David BattersbyIT Director

Boris BarnaDirector

Introduction to Kuwait Night

6



BBF Board 2010/2011

Rose WilliamAdministration Manager

Brian DawesDirector

International Relations, UKTI, BBGs

Hanna JerczynskaDirector

Britain in Kuwait, 5020

Andrew HoustonDirector

Poppy Ball, Scholarship

Lesley WatsonDirector

Commercial Activities

7


DISPATCHESSpring 2011 7


8



The BBF announces that Chris Simpson, Consultant Managing Editor and Advertising Manager Dispatches is stepping down having being associated with the magazine for many years. Before heading up the Dispatches business, Chris was the Chairman of the BBF Kuwait and held other positions on the Board of Directors for many years. During his tenure, Chris has helped steer the Forum and Dispatches through some difficult and challenging times. His contribution and hard work is recognised. Paul McKay, Chairman BBF described Chris as an outstanding supporter of the Forum who should be proud of his accomplishments. He said, “We are grateful to him for having given us many great and memorable BBF times over the years. I wish him good fortune and look forward to his friendship and advice in the future.” Thanks again, Chris for your cooperation and support.

Paul McKayChairman


Frank Baker, British Ambassador Kuwait hosted a working dinner for the Directors of the BBF Kuwait at the Embassy in May. Attending was Nicholas Armour, Director International Group UK Trade & Investment. The Ambassador thanked the BBF for its work, recognising the incredible momentum the Forum had achieved in the last 12 months. Nicholas Armour reiterated the value of British business groups to the work of UK Trade & Investment. There was a ready exchange of ideas on how British business opportunities in Kuwait could be better approached and some of the difficulties of ‘Doing Business in Kuwait.’ Whilst recognising these are challenging times for the UK economy, there are great business opportunities in Kuwait not just for the bigger companies but SMEs also. Paul McKay, Chairman thanked the Embassy and UK Trade & Investment for its support and said “the Board will be looking to bring together the energy and innovation of new Directors at the AGM to continue the great potential of the forum moving forward. British business people that want to know more about business opportunities in Kuwait should seriously consider the benefits that speaking to the BBF can bring from its many members working across all the business sectors.”

Letter from the Chairman

9DISPATCHESSUMMER 2011

The key aspects of our renewed policy are:

Growth. Exports and investment will help to rebalance the economy away from reliance on unsustainable borrowing and towards a more broadly based internationally competitive economy.

These are exciting times for the bilateral relationship. Following on from the great success of the twentieth anniversary celebrations of the liberation of Kuwait from Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, during the last couple of months we have welcomed further high level British visitors to Kuwait while also overseeing a flow of senior Kuwaitis to the UK. And the Royal Wedding was a wonderful event – showcasing the UK at its very best - which we were able to share with our Kuwaiti friends as well as billions of others around the world.

A year into its lifespan the UK government continues to place huge importance on prosperity as it works to revitalise the British economy. Given the public expenditure cuts in the UK, there is an even greater requirement to increase our exports and to attract inward investment if the economy is to make a quick recovery. This has put Kuwait and its Gulf neighbours right at the heart of the UK government’s focus on the prosperity agenda, and my Embassy at the forefront of the international effort.

The new strategy is being positioned as part of a whole-of-Government push for growth through trade and investment. The UK’s overseas diplomatic network will be at the heart of this push, and the FCO’s new Charter for Business is being published in parallel with Britain Open for Business.

We start from a position of strength. In the past 12 months, UK companies attributed £6 billion worth of additional profits to the actions of the British government through UKTI – up from £2.5 billion in 2007. That’s an additional £22 of profit for every £1 spent on export promotion. In addition, more than half of FDI projects coming to the UK are now being secured with the significant involvement of UKTI.

Our underlying strength means that our new strategy is one of rapid evolution, rather than wholesale revolution. Nevertheless, there will be changes. The Government has set some stretching targets for both exports and inward investment. To achieve these we will need to be more entrepreneurial and more collaborative. We will be making greater use of private sector talent and expertise to do this. We will make more effective use of e-delivery systems. And we will seek to extend our reach by developing new delivery partnerships across Government, as well as with business organisations and individual businesses.

Message from the Ambassador

HE The British Ambassador

Frank Baker

THE BRITISH EMBASSY

Bringing opportunities home. A proactive approach to winning business for UK companies and ensuring that Britain remains one of the most attractive destinations for inward investment.

Building winning relationships. Develop successful relationships with the most significant inward investors and the UK’s top exporters. I want successful client relationships to be at the heart of the way we do business every day.

Creating an enterprising UKTI. We will become more entrepreneurial by making better use of private sector talent and expertise. We will be looking continually for ways of improving performance.

Working to this agenda I am confident that we can increase UK exports to the high-growth Kuwaiti market. And I encourage you all to pass on any thoughts to help us succeed or any opportunities that you identify for British exports to Duncan Hoyland and his team.

The next few weeks will see elections for a new Board of the BBF. I would like to take this opportunity to pay a warm tribute to Paul McKay and his 2010/11 Board of Directors for taking the BBF forward in such a positive, productive and successful way over the last twelve months

The temperatures are rising and the dust disappearing. That can only mean summer is on its way. I wish you and your families a very pleasant holiday season wherever that may take you. I look forward to seeing you all again in September after the summer break.

10



Michal is in Kuwait, under the honorary patronage of HM Ambassador Frank Baker for a performance with the Kuwait Chamber Philharmonia. He performed with pianist John Paul Ekins, bringing the 2010 Classical Music Concert Season to a close. British Airways sponsored the performers, supplying tickets for their journeys to and from Kuwait.

Michał began his musical studies at the Alexandria Conservatoire in Egypt at the age of three. Numerous awards and scholarships allowed Michal to continuehis studies in London. In 2010, he was a winner of the Royal College of Music Concerto Competition. Whilst in the first year of his aeronautics degree, Michal was a string finalist in the BBC Young Musician Competition, 2004, and appeared on BBC4 Television.

The sector meeting ended on a high note – quite literally. Michal brought his XVIII century violin with him and played several pieces. This confirmed that, at the BBF, you can mix business with pleasure!


The Aviation, Travel & Hospitality Sector Group invited all interested individuals and their guests, to a very special sector meeting held Sunday, 12 June at 7 PM at the new

luxury Hotel Missoni on the Arabian Gulf Road in Salmiya.

Aviation, Travel & Hospitality Sector Group

The guest speaker, Michal Ćwiżewicz, is an aeronautical engineer who graduated from the prestigious Imperial College in London. In 2007, Michał earned his Masters in Aeronautical Engineering, concluding with a research project into the aerodynamics of insect flight. However, despite earning such a high profile degree from a leading university, he decided to pursue a career as a violinist. He spoke about his experience in an aviation field and explained how music won his heart after all.


BBF Training& Education Sector Group

Sean Toner kindly hosted an evening meeting of the BBF Training & Education sector group at his home on May 10th.

After sampling his usual excellent hospitality the group settled into an informal discussion on topics relevant to:

the shortage of engineers available to the Oil & Gas sector and the need to attract local •university graduates.

the need for more English engineers in Kuwait;•

the effects of Kuwaitisation on recruitment;•

the evolution of mentoring over the last decades into a much more ‘user-friendly’ •management support tool.

The discussions will continue through further T & E meetings with the aim of producing a series of articles for Dispatches and other professional media outlets.

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Iraqi banks and industry, the EU Delegation to Iraq, the ECGD, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, the City of London, the British Council, UKTI, the World Bank, MEED and industrial majors, with the BBF represented by Arthur Barber.

In parallel to the BBF, the IBBC has business Sector Tables and meetings in Oil & Gas, Construction & Infrastructure, Financial & Professional Services, Eduction & Training, and pending: IT & Telecommunications, Health, Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Tourism (No Aviation or Fashion yet ! – A. Barber).

The lively Summit Day included speakers and session speakers and panels on The Iraqi Economy, Challenges and Opportunities, and Capacity, and with breakout groups and ample time for questions and feedback.Chatham House Rules prevailed and

Chatham House is preparing an official c o n f e r e n c e report, to be circulated.

Pending that report I have here s u m m a r i s e d a number of my personal i m p r e s s i o n s from the day:

Iraq is forecast to be one of the top few global oil economies;

The Iraq British Business Council was established in 2009 with the aim of promoting trade and investment between Iraq and the UK, with bilateral trade as a key activity, and has since implemented an impressive programme of business and networking events in Iraq and UK - notably meetings at Government-to-Government level, joint trade delegations and visits, conferences and dinners, seminars and workshops. Various Partnership Agreements and MOUs are being implemented. Directed by the Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, together with Mr Mohammad Charchafchi, the IBBC Founder Member Board includes Mamnoon Ltd, PwC, Avicenna Capital, DLA Piper LLP and the Penspen Group, supported by a Secretariat. IBBC Membership includes majors from all business sectors operating in UK, Iraq and the Middle East.

This IBBC Summit Day was addressed by the Baroness Nicholson, the Rt. Hon. Lord Mayor of London, the Rt, Hon. Lord Howell of Guildford, Minister of State Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Mr Hussein Al Uzri, Chairman, Trade Bank of Iraq. Delegates were from the Iraqi Government and

BBF at IBBC Iraq Day Summit Conference at London’s Mansion House

Mme Sarah Akbar and Mr Hussein Al Uzri, Chairman, Trade Bank of Iraq

The Rt. Hon The Lord Howell of Guildford, Minister of State Foreign & Commonwealth Office

The BBF was privileged to be invited to the important Iraq Day Summit conference of the IBBC (Iraq British Business Council) at the prestigious and historic

Mansion House in London on May 24th.

My overall impression was of enthusiasm for doing business between Iraq and the UK, and with an ‘eyes-open’ awareness of the risks,. There is a willingness to share knowledge and experience through the various emerging networks. This is exactly the role that the BBF can fulfil with interested companies in Kuwait seeking to enter the Iraq market, and is in line with our current strategy to reach out as much as possible.Please contact the BBF office or the author, Arthur Barbes for more information on any of the above.

‘Image by Angus Beaton for IBBC’.‘The images provided are copyright IBBC and

released for single and sole use of BBF Kuwait for inclusion in the BBF Magazine - for further

use of the images please contact IBBC.’.

The Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne

There is a potential consumer base of over 30 million people, with a young majority; Business opportunities are real and growing but should be seen as a long term investment;There is a lot of goodwill towards Western companies, but cultural change will not be quick;There is a continued need for development in business infrastructural areas e.g. insurance; investment banks; business legislation; the IT and E-infrastructures; also in power, water and utilities;Entry for SMEs is relatively easy (compared to Kuwait – A.Barber);

Labours cost are low;There is still room in some business sectors for late entrants;Interestingly, security was not seen as the major problem by most delegates which included operating companies; it was seen as a manageable on-cost.The overall message to British companies is:

GET OUT THERE AND COMPETE !!


14



BBF at EMITA Middle East Conference

Together with UKTI, the BBF participated at the premier annual event of EMITA (East Midlands International Trade Association) – one of the most successful business

networks in the UK. Notably, the BBF was invited to present and run a Workshop - “Focus on Kuwait” - with Q&A sessions and pre-booked 1-on-1 meetings.

At the prestigious Loughborough University on May 17, Arthur Barber, Vice Chairman, represented the BBF at the days’ events, later running a Workshop - “Focus on Kuwait”, and then being available for a number of pre-booked 1-on-1 meetings.

The wide-ranging EMITA programme included excellent presentations and panel discussions on:

• Today’s Position in the Middle East and What the Future May Hold;

• Tax and Structuring for Businesses in the Middle East;

• Operating in Free Trade Zones;

• Experiences of Successful Trading in the Middle East.

The Workshops were on Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait (from the BBF), UAE, Qatar, The Levant – Jordan, Lebanon,& Syria, and the Cultural Issues Facing Western Businesses.

Delegates pre-booked 1-on-1 sessions with Presenters, and the BBF linked with 5 or 6 interested companies as a result of this; each had a number of follow-up points which the BBF is now tracking.

Security of course was an important question for the delegates, most of whom had little direct Middle East experience, and the BBF was able to reassure on

Kuwait’s fortunate position on this, relative to other GCC states.

Late events included sessions on ECGD Support, the Bribery Act, and general Q&A sessions.

The overall impression was of enthusiasm for doing business with the Middle East, and with an ‘eyes-open’ awareness of the risks, but also a willingness to network and learn from more experienced stakeholders. This is exactly the role that the BBF can fulfil and is in line with our current strategy to reach out as much as possible.

Please contact the BBF office for more information on any of the above.

The business network for international trade

Loughborough University

– the site of the EMITA conf

May 17

15



Transparency Undermines Corrupt Intent

Much has already been published about The (UK) Bribery Act which comes into force on July 1st 2011. The core concern is defined as giving someone

a financial or other advantage to encourage that person to perform their functions or activities improperly or to reward that person for already having done so. This would also include seeking to influence a decision maker by giving some extra benefit to that decision maker rather than by what can legitimately be offered through the tender process.

Of prime concern is the “facilitation payment” possibly made remotely by employee or agent seeking to get business, keep business, or gain a business advantage for the Company. There is no intention to seek to prohibit corporate activities aimed at building corporate relationships and promoting business, providing this is carried out in a reasonable & transparent way. Some companies may have to take care as to what is appropriate when hosting business partners particularly government officials.

UK nationals operating in Kuwait need to be aware of the context of liability under the Act, whether they are directly, indirectly, or, even, not involved, with UK international business. Quite apart from Kuwaiti legal obligations in this area, all UK nationals are potentially liable and need to have a relevant level of awareness

No longer is casual diffidence acceptable, nor to feign naivety or to ignore the ‘actualite’ of such practices as may exist. It is essential and relevant to be able to demonstrate having performed reasonable assessment of procedure and prevention in the prevailing circumstances, and with an eye to future relationships & situations. Participation in such practices is very clearly illegal. The added dimension, under the Act, is one where knowledge & awareness exists of misdemeanour within the greater commercial scenario in which individuals & businesses are operating. Indeed, in extreme circumstances,

The (UK) Bribery Act 2010 – some practical considerations for UK nationals in Kuwait

a comprehensive and transparent assessment of risk may lead to a cessation of commercial relationships.

Given how most international trade deals rely on agents or third parties, offering local expertise and relationships to facilitate doing business, UK companies will find it difficult to entirely eliminate the risk. They will, however, take steps to protect themselves, through corporate policy on bribery, all of which will be incorporated into contracts, agency, distributorship and partnership agreements. There will not be a defence of local culture or ignorance, or indeed the fact that somebody acting on their behalf is not an employee. They will however be able to ameliorate their position with the admissible defence that they have adequate anti bribery prevention procedures in place.

The UK national in Kuwait could be prosecuted under the Act, assuming that prosecutors are satisfied that a conviction is more likely than not, and that the prosecution is in the public interest. Evidence could be supplied by competitors – a potential exists for mischief. Whistle blowing (by a co-worker) carries no legal protection in local law and would therefore be unlikely and inadvisable. We are lead to the conclusion, at the basic level, with due diligence and a modicum of awareness, that individuals have little to fear.

Adriaan Vickery is a Fellow and former National Chairman of the Institute of Export with considerable experience of all aspects of exporting and overseas market entry and development.

16 DISPATCHESSUMMER 2011

Mark your calendar: on Friday 7 October 2011, from 1100-2000, the Al Dorra Ballroom at the Hilton Kuwait Resort is the place to be. That’s when the British Business Forum will be holding the annual “Introduction to Kuwait” event, giving residents of Kuwait the chance to meet representatives from many of the country’s leading business, education and social organisations.

Introduction to Kuwait 2011 will celebrate the 2012 Olympics to be held in London next Summer. As this will be a daytime event this year, there will be many activities in which visitors can participate as well as events run by different sections of the community, providing a great interactive experience for visitors.

Many clubs and associations consider this event a great occasion to publicise their existence and register new members. Non-commercial organisations

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BBF introduces You to a World of Opportunities:Introduction to Kuwait 2011

participating in the event represent music, cultural and social activities; animal welfare, education and sports.

The event also offers the opportunity for potential consumers to meet with people from companies and commercial institutions and to get a better idea about the products and services they offer. Commercial organisations are drawn from a wide range of sectors, including banking and finance, insurance, education and training, airlines, hotels, recreation and entertainment, travel and tourism, medical, real estate and relocation.

Just as beneficial as going around the exhibition stands is the opportunity to meet other people and to participate in the various activities on offer throughout the day.

17



British BusinessForum Kuwait

18



British BusinessForum Kuwait

[email protected]

[email protected]

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The Royal Wedding:

Prince William Marries Catherine Middleton

On 29 April, chances are you are either one of the million people who

turned out to celebrate the royal wedding in London or of the many, many millions that watched the wedding on television. Maybe you were even one of the people “tweeting” during the wedding – it was mentioned approximately 67 times per second on Twitter. If not on Twitter, maybe you were Facebooking, the wedding was mentioned in posts about 74 times per second on the wedding day.


Chances are you know all the big news, so the purpose here is to give you some tidbits you may have missed. Full details about the wedding dress and the groom’s cake are presented in the following pages; below are some trivia notes you may have missed.

The morning of the wedding, the crew of the International Space Station broadcast pre-recorded greetings to the Royal couple from hundreds of miles above the surface of the Earth.

The flowers (and trees) were done by Shane Connolly, who also did the flowers for Prince Charles’ wedding to the Duchess of Cornwall.

The six English field maples used inside Westminster Abbey symbolise humility and reserve; the two hornbeams signify resilience.

The flowers in the large displays include Solomon’s seal (symbolises confirmation of love), azaleas (femininity), and lilacs (first love).

Victoria Beckham wore one of her own dresses; husband David wore his OBE medal on the wrong lapel.

Boris Johnson gave the couple a tandem Boris Bike as a wedding gift.

Catherine wore custom fingernail polish, made by mixing Bourjois So Laque Ultra Shine Nail Enamel in Rose, a Barely There Pink, and Essie Allure.

As Catherine arrived at the altar, Prince William said: “You look beautiful”, and joking to his father-in-law: “Just a small family affair!”

As mounted guards accompanied the couple’s open-topped carriage, one rider lost control and fell from his saddle, while the horse bolted up Whitehall and past Downing Street.

The bells of Westminster Abbey rang for three hours after the royal wedding. The ringers will perform 5,000 changes.

Britons took more than 300 million photographs of the royal wedding, street parties and other celebrations tomorrow, according to research carried out for Nikon.


important royal Wedding Details: HerHere are the important details of the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress, as released by Clarence House:

Kate Middleton’s wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen.

Miss Middleton chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing.

The dress design pays tribute to the Arts and Crafts tradition, which advocated truth to materials and traditional craftsmanship using simple forms and often Romantic styles of decoration.

The lace appliqué for the bodice and skirt was hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace.

The lace design was hand-engineered (appliquéd) using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique, which originated in Ireland in the 1820s. Individual flowers have been hand-cut from lace and hand-engineered onto ivory silk tulle to create a unique and organic design, which incorporates the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock.

Hand-cut English lace and French Chantilly lace has been used throughout the bodice and skirt, and has been used for the underskirt trim.

The dress is made with ivory and white satin gazar.

The skirt echoes an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats. The underskirt is made of silk tulle trimmed with Cluny lace.


The Royal School of Needlework workers included existing staff, former staff, tutors, graduates and students, with the youngest aged 19.

The RSN’s work was used primarily for the train and skirt of the Bride’s dress, the bodice and sleeves, the Bride’s shoes and the Bride’s veil.The veil is made of layers of soft, ivory silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers, which was embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework.

The veil is held in place by a Cartier ‘halo’ tiara, lent to Miss Middleton by The Queen.

The wedding shoes have made hand-made by the team at Alexander McQueen and are made of ivory duchesse satin with lace hand-embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework.

The bouquet is a shield-shaped wired bouquet of myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, sweet William and hyacinth. The bouquet was designed by Shane Connolly and draws on the traditions of flowers of significance for the Royal Family, the Middleton family and on the Language of Flowers.


important royal Wedding Details: HimHere is the official recipe used in the royal kitchens at Buckingham Palace to make the Chocolate Biscuit Cake that Prince William chose for his Groom’s cake. It is “Her Majesty the Queens favourite afternoon tea cake by far. This cake is probably the only one that is sent into the Royal dining room again and again until it has all gone.”

Prince William’s Groom Cake(Chocolate Biscuit Cake)Makes 1 cake – 10 portions

Ingredients:4 ounces dark chocolate.(for the cake)4 ounces granulated sugar.4 ounces unsalted butter. (softened)1 egg.8 ounces Rich tea biscuits.½ teaspoon butter for greasing.8 ounces dark chocolate (for coating)1 ounce chocolate (for decoration)

Preparation:Lightly grease a 6 inch by 2 ½ inch cake ring and place on a tray on a sheet of parchment paper.

Break each of the biscuits into almond size pieces by hand and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture starts to lighten.

Melt the 4 ounces of chocolate and add to the butter mixture whilst constantly stirring.

Beat in the egg to the mixture.

Fold in the biscuit pieces until they are all coated with the chocolate mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake ring. Try to fill all of the gaps on the bottom of the ring because this will be the top when it is un-molded.

Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least three hours.

Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it stand while you melt the 8 ounces of chocolate.

Slide the ring off the cake and turn it upside down onto a cake wire.

Pour the melted chocolate over the cake and smooth the top and sides using a palette knife.

Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature.

Carefully run a knife around the bottom of the cake where the chocolate has stuck it to the cake wire and lift it onto a tea plate.

Melt the remaining 1 ounce of chocolate and use to decorate the top of the cake.


DISPATCHESSUMMER 2011 25

Q. Were you inspired to do the piece or was it a commercial decision?As I watched the ceremony live on television, I was drawing flower shapes inspired by the lace appliqué

Royal Wedding: A Work of Art

Douglas Rickard is an artist and writer who lives and works in North London. He produced one of the few minimalist mementos to commemorate the marriage

of William and Katherine. His piece, “Royal Wedding - William and Kate at Westminster Abbey”, does a magnificent job of capturing the essence of the event with few lines and less colour. Impressed with the artwork, Dispatches contacted Douglas for a quick Q & A:

on Kate’s wedding dress, so that I could sell some Numbered Limited Editions by 1am the next morning through my online gallery! Commercial sales equate to artistic success, because a Buyer paying for my art


ROYAL WEDDINGROYAL WEDDING

Q. Please describe your style.Before the big day, during my research I discovered an artist who’d drawn a few royal weddings and died in 1989 called Feliks Topolski. I enjoy that expressionist style, so I wanted in a way, to pay homage to his work with my release. My use of a single colour in the art (for Prince William’s Irish Guards tunic), pulls the observer’s attention into the picture and this simple style, I think, captures more of the essence from those moments at Westminster Abbey. I worked from photographs I’d taken of the Abbey when I attended a service with my parents there, last year. And I’m pleased with the way deep and dark charcoal lines seem to turn up the white background ‘brighter’, which is what I’ve been recently trying to achieve with other work.

His piece, “Royal Wedding - William and Kate at Westminster Abbey”, is available online at www.DouglasRickard.com

demonstrates to me, how my creative gift must have touched or spoken to them in a very personal way. However at the same time, for my work to resonate, I have to feel inspiration from the subject matter, as I did with Prince William and Catherine’s other-worldly ceremony.

Q. How long have you been an artist?Funnily enough, I briefly met Prince Charles when I was at art college in Plymouth. I’d designed a stained glass window in a hospice he was opening, and he’d wished me all the best at the time, with my career. However, it wasn’t until after taking redundancy from working in retail, years later, that I began to draw again, selling my first ever print on eBay!



LEGOLAND Royal Wedding Tribute.

To mark their 15th Season, LEGOLAND Windsor opened its doors on Friday 1st April with a unique tribute to the Royal Wedding. To mark this very special occasion,

families will be treated to an exclusive preview of the Royal Wedding which can only be seen at the Windsor theme park’s Miniland attraction.



LEGOLAND Windsor’s talented model makers have paid a LEGO brick tribute to the wedding by depicting the happy couple returning to Buckingham Palace after the ceremony and waving from the balcony with fellow royals to the crowds of well-wishers below. What’s more, LEGOLAND Windsor is welcoming back it’s very own Prince William, professional look-a-like and former park employee Andrew Walker, to open this special attraction located in Miniland London.

The Royal Wedding scene including crowd, guests and balcony took model makers over 30 hours to build using 10,000 bricks. Each Miniland figure took one hour to build and contains 30 – 40 LEGO bricks. Buckingham Palace itself features 160,000 individual bricks and was built on a 1:50 scale and took 550 hours to build. Buckingham Palace sits in the Miniland London area of LEGOLAND Windsor which covers a massive 330m². Some of the capital’s best known landmarks have been

recreated as LEGO models including One Canada Square, Millennium Bridge and The Gherkin.

Sue Kemp, Divisional Director of LEGOLAND Windsor commented: “We’re proud to announce that it’s our 15th birthday this year and what better way to celebrate it than to pay homage to such an amazing royal occasion. After all, we’re based in Windsor which is well known for its royal connections!”




More than £1 Billion in Revenue;£20,000,000 in Memorabilia

The Royal Wedding generated a bit of a revenue boom, with estimates upward of £1 billion spent during the wedding weekend. According to the Daily Mail, the

West End theatres “alone will receive an extra £8.4million as tourists flock to see their favourite shows while in the city, according to ticket exchange site viagogo.” Sky News quoted Neil Saunders of retail researchers Verdict predicting an increase for grocery stores and other food retailers of “£360m as consumers buy extra treats to celebrate the occasion as well as champagne and wine to toast the happy couple.”



The sale of memorabilia, from towering to tat, generated more than twenty million pounds. Everyone got into the act, creating and selling products ranging from traditional porcelain plates to funky teabags. Smythson’s presented artist Stephen Johnson’s wonderful

31

sculptures (shown here), Papa John’s did a commemorative pizza and a company from China produced possibly the most unique mug (also shown here – can you figure out what makes it so unique?).

The real total has yet to be determined, as some businesspeople argue that the cost of the additional holiday actually cost money, most agree that the royal wedding generated more than just buzz.


Within hours it had a Facebook page (Princess Beatrice’s Ridiculous Royal Wedding Hat) and at press time, more than 144,000 people “liked” the site. Facebook fan Cedrick Dion White liked more than the site; he liked the hat, explaining “It looked great with what she was wearing. In order to appreciate something of this stature, you have to be a person full of substance; your mind can not judge it from an already bound structure. I hate when people attempt to be overly safe in fashion. It seems so unhappy, and that’s much of the case with many people that criticize this hat. It correlates wonderfully with an aesthetic of awesome lands south of the Equator. I love it!!!....Fashion is not supposed to be fearful, and this was not. It’s thoughtful, with great coordination.”

Philip Treacy also loved the hat and explained that his creations were designed to make the wearer ‘feel a million dollars’.

Hats Off to Princess Beatrice

After Kate’s wedding dress, Princess Beatrice’s unusual Philip Treacy hat (described as a pretzel, a garden gate, and other less flattering items) certainly captured the

attention of the millions watching. While the original reviews were not positive, with time and distance, that seems to be changing.

‘How a hat makes you feel is what a hat is all about,’ he said. ‘It’s about making you feel a million dollars so when you’ve got something beautiful on your head and the head is the most important part of the body to embellish, because it’s what you meet.”

While not a million dollars, the hat did inspire an unnamed individual to bid more than GBP50,000 for it. In late May, after 10 days of fierce bidding, Princess Beatrice’s hat sold on eBay for $131,652. The money from the auction is being split 50:50 between UNICEF and Children in Crisis. UNICEF noted that funds raised from the hat could supply over 16,200 mosquito nets to protect children and their families from malaria over 210,600 vaccines to protect children against measles textbooks, stationery and school supplies for 8110 children for a whole year.

Given that, it is obvious that Princess Beatrice did, in fact, wear one incredibly extraordinary hat!


ROYAL WEDDING

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There’s a game in Hollywood called Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. The idea is simple

- you can pick any actor and find a connection with Kevin Bacon in 6 links. For example, Dame Helen Mirren was in the movie Critical Care with Kyra Sedgwick; Sedgwick was in the movie The Woodsman with Kevin Bacon. Therefore Mirren has a Bacon score of 2. [Editor’s Note: Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Sean Connery, Michael Caine, French and Saunders, Richard Attenborough are also 2s. The greatest separation I could find was 3 – David Attenborough. You can have a go at www.oracleofbacon.org]

If you shift the playing field from Hollywood stars to royalty (and lots of Hollywood royalty) you could play a similar game with Philip Treacy. Treacy’s name is linked to virtually every event patronised by Europe’s elite and within that, to a significant percentage of the women. Not bad for a wee lad from a small village outside Galway, Ireland.

No Degrees of Separation?


“My mother had chickens, geese, pheasant and ducks, so all the ingredients of the hat were in my house,” Treacy recalled. She also had “a sewing machine. I was never allowed to use it, but I was so fascinated by this little needle going up and down joining fabric together that I’d use it when my mother went out to feed the chickens. There was like five minutes to get it out. I’d lift the machine out which weighed a ton, lift the lid off which made a lot of noise, whirl the things which made a lot of noise. If my mother found me I was in a lot of trouble. I used it to make clothes for my sister’s dolls. I couldn’t care less for the dolls but I could make the clothes really easily. I was making bust points before I knew what a bust point was.”

In 1985, Treacy left west Ireland and went to Dublin to study fashion. “Nobody really had much time for the hats because it was a fashion school, but there did come a point when I was more interested in making the hat than the outfits.”

He interned with Stephen Jones, a London milliner, and his experience with hats was an important

element in his interview for admission to the fashion design course at the Royal College of Art in London in 1988. The college was planning to set up a hat course. “I became their guinea pig. After one day I said to my tutor Shelagh Brown: ‘What should I do? Should I make hats or clothes?’ She said: ‘Make hats.’ It was practical, not a great apparition.”

While still a student, Treacy made Ascot hats for Harrods department store. In the Sunday Times Claire Stubbs, Harrods’ fashion director, called him “the next great British hat maker”.

Treacy’s career took off after he showed his hats to Michael Roberts, fashion director of Tatler magazine, and his style editor Isabella Blow. “What a beauty!” recounted Blow. “It was a green felt hat cut like the jaws of a crocodile with jaggedy teeth… a lot like Concorde –streamlined, sleek, so exciting. I thought: ‘This is major. I’ve never seen felt cut like this.’”

Blow became Treacy’s greatest advocate, introducing him to designers like Manolo Blahnik and Rifat Ozbek,



as well as fashion editors such as Andre Leon Talley of US Vogue. When Philip left school in 1990, he moved into the basement of Blow’s house and set up a studio there.

At age 23, Treacy went to Paris to meet Karl Lagerfeld, chief designer at Chanel. “I was totally intimidated by that whole scenario, but Issy [Blow] was exactly herself. She just walked in to the house of Chanel and said: ‘We’d like some tea please.’” Not only did Treacy make the hats for Chanel that season, but Lagerfeld based his couture collection on the white net bubble hat with a black silk chiffon scarf that Isabella was wearing that day.

At the time hats were long out of fashion. “Hats were associated with old ladies and I thought that was crazy,” said Treacy. “Everyone has a head so everyone has a possibility to wear a hat and you feel good in a hat. People feel better for wearing them. I totally disagreed with the perception of hats at the time and I thought: ‘I’ll change that.’”

Blow proved to be more than a mentor, she was one of Treacy’s early models. His creations for her ranged from The Ship, a replica 18th century sailing ship with full rigging (shown here) to a surreal concoction of pink and green laquered ostrich feathers and a mortar board so wide that Isabella couldn’t fit through the door of the charity event she had ordered it for – he also lightened their structure so they sat more comfortably on the head. “You know that scenario where roses are red, leaves are green, I love arguing that. ‘Why should they be?’. I hate rules and formulas. That’s so boring. It’s the opposite of creativity. Rules are ridiculous things that are meant to be broken.”

After producing for Chanel, Treacy made couture hats for Valentino, Gianni Versace and Alexander McQueen at Givenchy. “Having studied fashion design it helped

me greatly when I started working with designers because I understood how the clothes draped or moved and the proportions. What I didn’t understand as a student was that fashion isn’t clothes, fashion is much more interesting than that, it’s a feeling and a mood – not dress-making.”

Treacy opened his first shop in 1994. He also opened a studio a few doors along that side of the street and found an apartment opposite. “My world,” he once said, “doesn’t go much beyond my own street.”

“I spend a lot of my time torturing normal farmyard feathers until they look extraordinary. Next to all the technological advances in the world, nothing is quite so impressive as a feather. People often ask: ‘Where’s the machinery?’ My hands are the machinery…. I only feel dressed in the morning when I’ve got my thimble on my middle finger. It stays there all day.”

Today Treacy, who’s been named British Accessory Designer of the Year several times, heads an international company which sells accessories all over the world. His design oeuvre now includes handbags, gloves, a chair for Habitat, a sportswear line for Umbro, and hotel interiors.


Seychelles Escape . . .

Seychelles is famous for having some of the best beaches

in the world, pristine and uncrowded. Some are framed by age-old granite boulders. Others offer powder-soft sands, turquoise waters and sublime opportunities for swimming, snorkeling or pure relaxation.


First the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Now You!

There are great opportunities for island-hopping between the 16 islands that currently offer accommodation. These range from sumptuous 5-star resorts to rustic island lodges and cozy beachside bungalows. [Mountainside accommodation starts at about £40 a night; inland, the least expensive


option, at £20; and coastal at £35.] On your way, you will discover such gems as the legendary Vallée de Mai, home to the legendary Coco-de-Mer. You will also find proud national monuments, beautiful Creole houses, artists’ studios, national reserves and marine parks, as well as breathtaking natural wonders above and beneath the waves. Various excursions will introduce you to the pleasures of glass-bottom boating, or enjoying a choice of water sports. There’s also golf, horse-riding and guided nature tours where to enjoy some of the rarest species of flora and fauna on earth. Not forgetting the mellow Seychelles nightlife where you can take in a casino, some local bars and fine restaurants offering unforgettable Creole and international cuisine. If you’re into relaxation and just kicking back and enjoying the down-time, Seychelles has all you’ll ever need, from a selection of over 65 beaches on the island of Mahé alone, where to enjoy uncrowded,

silver sands framed by some of the oldest granite boulders on earth. Just the place to acquire the special glow of a Seychelles’ tan, refreshed by dips into crystal waters or even a snorkel to introduce you to the amazing world just beneath the waves. There is also a host of great excursions and activities to choose from which highlight the many enchanting sights, sounds and experiences of the islands. Mahé, the principal island, is home to the international airport and Victoria, the world’s tiniest capital and is the cultural and economic hub of the nation. Here can be found most of the islands’ tourism facilities in the form of the greatest selection of accommodation, cultural and eco-tourism hotspots, great restaurants, bars, café’s and casinos as well as dive centres, car, fishing and sailing boat rentals and walks and trails. Praslin is the Seychelles’ second largest island where the vegetation is so special it was once seriously believed to be the original site of the Garden of Eden. A few steps into the extraordinary forest known as the Vallée de Mai will show you why. Here, in this ancient forest of towering palms grows the incredible Coco-de-Mer palm which produces fruits that are Nature’s exact replica of the female pelvis while one of the world’s rarest birds, the Seychelles Black Parrot, flits back and forth in the twilight. After a stroll through this legendary glade you will be ready for a swim at one of the most famous beaches on earth, the achingly beautiful Anse Lazio, just one of many places where you can also enjoy memorable Creole cuisine within sight of the ocean and with your feet in the sand. La Digue Island is merely a 30 minute ferry ride from Praslin and, as you set foot on this magical island where the main forms of transport are still bicycle and ox-cart, you will feel yourself transported back to yesteryear. Steeped in tradition, La Digue is one of the most popular spots for enjoying a unique, island-style way of life at a wonderfully unhurried pace. Seeking adventure on the ocean? Seychelles offers some of the finest sailing on earth with easy sailing distances, safe moorings and myriad islands, near and far, for you to discover. A number of charter companies offer modern fleets of mono-hulls and catamarans, either bareboat or skippered. If you’re interested in receiving truly royal treatment, you can

ROYAL WEDDING


hire a 23 m Ferretti yacht for a mere £5,500 per night. If you like taking a more hands-on approach, The Moorings offers bare boat and crewed charters starting at less than £400 per night. If you’re a diver, expert or beginner, then you’ve come to the right place for unforgettable diving in waters teeming with marine life and spectacular underwater landscapes. A selection of professional land-based and live-aboard dive operators will propose you expeditions to a number of exceptional sites where wondrously few have ventured.

A shallow-water expedition into the Ste. Anne marine park, surrounded by the splendour of its encircling islands will introduce you to a whole variety of fish. Turtle rocks, just off the east coast of Mahé, is famous for its stingrays, sharks and soldier fish while the ‘Vista’ and ‘Sunset’ rocks to the north-west are host to crayfish, octopus, snapper and scorpion fish. If you’re heading to the south of Mahé, then you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to great diving venues such as the magnificent granite topography of the ‘Jail House’ rock or the beautiful corals of ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Advanced divers can look forward to the delights of the famous ‘Ennerdale’, ‘Twin Barges’ and ‘Dredger’ wrecks with their sharks, groupers, rays and pelagics. If drift diving is what you’re after then look no further than the ‘Lighthouse’ known for its coral formations, but also hosting many reef fish with hawksbill turtles and moray eels also often present at this site.

You don’t have to stray far for your first bite in Seychelles’ fish-rich waters where deep-sea fishing offers a mixed bag like few others of tuna, barracuda, trevally, jack, rainbow-runner, sailfish and the mighty marlin. Bone-fishing on the flats of some of the Outer Islands is considered to be among the best in the world while the local sport of bottom-fishing will bring some of the tastiest fish around to your table. If you’re coming to the islands of love for your wedding, honeymoon, anniversary or just that impulsive romantic getaway, then there are a host of options for you to choose from as you soak up the romantic ambiance à La Creole at any one of our romantic hotels, guest houses or island hideaways. Secret coves where the only footprints will be your own, out-of-the-way romantic restaurants where to enjoy that special tête à tête and sunset strolls along fabulous strands will supply memories for a lifetime. You can also enjoy a wide range of spa experiences featuring the rejuvenating, home-grown pampering of mind body and soul or the signature treatments of dedicated spas.

What to Do and When

Bird-watching April (breeding season),

May - September

(nesting of Sooty Terns)

October (migration)

Diving March – May /

September – November

Fishing October - April

Hiking/Walks

& Trails May - September

Sailing Year-round

Snorkelling Year-round

Surfing/Windsurfing May - September

Thanks to the Seychelles Tourism Board for the article and images.


ROYAL WEDDING

Celebrating in Style

The British Embassy in Kuwait celebrated the Royal Wedding in style. On 29 April, more than 1,500 gathered on the lawn to watch the ceremony in proper English style. Feeling more a part of the event for being on British soil, the guests oohed and awed along with the million people watching in the UK and the millions more watching around the world. As can be expected, the first glimpse of Catherine’s dress drew the biggest applause . . . until the kiss . . . and then the 2nd kiss. But ultimately, the largest round of applause was reserved for the Ambassador and his wife, as they cut the specially prepared wedding cake.


ROYAL WEDDING


Almost a year ago the British Ambassador to Kuwait, HE Frank Baker, observed that we could be making much more of Britain’s pre-eminence in the global fashion business, and that the year of the 50/20 celebrations was an ideal moment to raise the industry’s profile in Kuwait. The Embassy was willing to reserve a date in its packed 2011 calendar, and so the challenge was on to stage a truly memorable show! In order to bring together all the necessary skills, the BBF combined forces with the British Ladies Society. The team also included Varsha Dawes, an experienced model who was invited to choreograph the catwalk show.

London has long been a favourite amongst Kuwaitis wishing to restock their wardrobes with the latest designs, so we were confident that a celebration of British design would be well received in Kuwait. Indeed many Kuwaiti entrepreneurs including the Al Shaya group, Al-Othman and D&H International have

The Best of BriTiSH Fashion

Which is the World’s top city for fashion design? Marie-Claire thinks it is Paris; Cosmo’s vote goes for New York. But for most of us London always stands out

as one of the great fashion destinations in the World. For over 50 years the UK’s capital has produced some of the biggest names in the business. From Mary Quant’s miniskirts in the 1960’s and Vivienne Westwood’s punk revolution in the 70’s, through John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Paul Smith and countless others, British fashion has been fun loving but rebellious, constantly reinventing the definition of style.

successfully promoted a wide variety of UK fashion brands. So we naturally turned to these companies to see whether they would help us to present some of the best of British fashion, and at the same time to raise money for charity. They all agreed, and very generously provided a number of stunning designs for the show.

From the outset, the organizers agreed that one of the primary objectives of the show was to raise money for two charities: Bayt Abdullah, a children’s hospice being built in Kuwait, and Breakthrough Breast Cancer from the UK. Every year over 100 Kuwaiti children die from conditions for which there is no cure, or for which treatment has failed. Bayt Abdullah exists to give those children the specialized care they need, ensuring peace and dignity at the end of their short lives, and provide their families with support and comfort in their bereavement. Breakthrough Breast Cancer is a pioneering charity dedicated to


the prevention, treatment and ultimate eradication of breast cancer. By fighting on three fronts – research, campaigning and education – Breakthrough Breast Cancer is determined to change lives by removing the fear of breast cancer for good.

Clearly, we had some very worthy causes to work for, but staging a professional catwalk production is an expensive business, and the project relied on the support of sponsors to help defray the costs. SNR Denton, Kuwait’s leading international law firm, stepped forward as Gold Sponsor, with a very generous donation. Many others followed, some donating cash, others offering very attractive prizes to be drawn on the day. Without the support of our sponsors, the project would never have been feasible, and we really are most grateful to each and every one of them.

The British Embassy gardens are a unique oasis of lawns and trees set around a beautiful ornamental pond and fountain. The gardens create a tranquil setting for the Ambassador’s Residence, a magnificent colonial-style mansion and the oldest building in Kuwait. This was the perfect setting for

the show, with the Residence forming an imposing backdrop to the catwalk. On entering the gardens, fashion show guests first wandered through a shopping lane lined with stalls offering a range of garments and accessories. At dusk the show got off to a spectacular start with the Karen Millen Spring/Summer collection. The slim young models were ideal for presenting the bright primary colours and simple, clean lines of the Karen Millen range. Karen Millen’s story is one of typical British enterprise. Starting with a £100 loan in 1981, the company has grown to become one of the biggest names in the fashion world, with stores throughout the UK, Russia, Europe, Asia & Australia.

Men’s fashion was also in the spotlight, with collections from Top Man and Next. The guys modeled some sharp designs in natural colours, with a range of outfits both classic and, well, playful! Top Man and Next are of course two of the biggest names in the UK high street. Next plc has over 500 stores in the UK and 180 overseas. Likewise Top Shop and Top Man are another British success story: From humble beginnings in 1964 the company now has hundreds of outlets around the World. The Top Shop Oxford


Circus store is the biggest high street fashion outlet in the World.

We also wanted to provide a showcase for local talent, and were delighted when Shashika Exclusive Designs offered to participate in the event. Shashi Fernando has been designing and making bespoke garments for local clients for many years, and dazzled the audience with her creations, including a white wedding dress in honour of the royal bride!

Next up was Jaeger, a luxury UK brand, prized around the world for chic design coupled with the highest quality materials and production. Once again, the girls looked fabulous in an array of bright summer dresses and co-ordinates. Whilst the styles were edgy and full of attitude, the colours betrayed a sense of fun…and perhaps mischief!


The finale of the show featured two of the biggest names in contemporary British fashion: Alice Temperley and Matthew Williamson. The ALICE by Temperley Spring/Summer collection mixed a taste for the decadent with a hunger for romance, putting a streetwise spin on designs inspired by the mischievous sensibilities of the court of Marie Antoinette. Alice has a quintessentially London spirit, but her fans also include international stars like Jessica Biel, Beyoncé and Rihanna.

Like Alice Temperley, Matthew Williamson trained in London and rapidly built an international following, counting the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Keira Knightly and Sienna Miller amongst his regular clientele. Just 3 years after graduating, he made his debut at the 1997 London Fashion Week with now infamous Electric Angels collection. The 2011 Matthew Williamson Spring/Summer collection presented by our own models was equally characteristic of his free-flowing, sensual styling and Bohemian variations on classic

themes. His attention-grabbing creations made a dramatic finale to the show and left the crowd clamouring for more.

The show was completely sold out, with around 250 guests in attendance. After the catwalk presentation, everyone enjoyed a candle-lit buffet supper supplied by the Crowne Plaza hotel. Attention then shifted to the dance floor, and the after-show party lasted late into the evening. The success of the event was due in great part to the generous support of the Ambassador HE Frank Baker and his wife, Mrs. Maria Pilar Fernandez Baker, who kindly allowed the use of the Residence and gardens; and to the expert help and advice of the British Embassy events and security teams. The British Business Forum will continue working to promote UK fashion in Kuwait, and is now planning the formation of a Fashion Sector Group to co-ordinate arrange of activities to support this major British industry.

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Children today have no real chance of owning their own home till they are claiming a pension, by which time, ironically, there will be no pensions. Unless parents have won the national lottery, they head off to university knowing in confident knowledge that they are going to graduate many grand in the red. Today thanks to student loans graduates leave university loaded down with the same level of debt as a small developing country. Just when we thought more education, higher skills, business studies degrees and MBAs were all that was needed to be successful along comes a study that says that something else is required: soft skills, like being articulate, having high self esteem, emotional intelligence, sensitivity and empathy. So what hope for children 30 years behind me - should they start practising their Great Escape plans now?

I cannot but help sympathise as a caring parent but do I worry unnecessarily? My own children, quite possibly the most tenderly cared for at home, than ever before (and no doubt your children too) are perhaps over protective. Are our children the victims of parent’s anxiety or are they really in a crisis? When I was a teenager, my elders used to intone that youth is wasted on the young, and I never had a clue what they meant. From my recall, youth was pretty much the only perk of being too young to drive a car, too young to earn money, acne, and an inability to use soap properly.

Most of today’s parents were teenagers themselves in the golden age of the 70s and 80s when technology was pretty much limited to radio and TV. For proper entertainment we had to break into a sweat. We had to make an effort to fulfil our time with interest. In my generation it was limited

Are Our Children in Crisis or the Victims of Parents’ Anxiety?

I was in London recently and spent quality time with my sons. After a wonderful time laughing and reminiscing (with frequent trips to the cash point aka the Bank of Dad)

I returned to Kuwait with a lighter bank balance and reflecting on how difficult times are for our children.

to kicking a ball in the street. We had to leave the house to find something to do. And because this usually bordered on mild delinquency we also had to develop strong muscles in order to escape the raging neighbour’s dog, or the lash of his belt. We were forced to use our brains to have fun - we built our characters. Judging from behaviour on the streets and the transport, children today strike me as appallingly ill disciplined and disaffected - are their parents neglecting and indulging in them?

I have noticed that teenagers today are generally fatter than we used to be, more brazen than we used to be and in many cases completely incapable of minimal social skills like conversation - electronic gadgets are now at the heart of everything we do. Our cavemen ancestors communicated by grunting (no change with our kids today), shouting and hitting each other over the head. Fast forward and we have every conceivable aid to communication and little Johnny hitting his little sister over the head with his PS2. Cavemen would have thought the internet was big magic but all we do is send each other silly video clips, visit dubious sites,


SOCIAL COMMENTARY

frequently on line chat and generally waste time talking about what everyone else is doing (or shouldn’t be doing).

Parents point out that children today have more than we ever had, and they are right or course. As soon a new version of anything comes out, they either get or become social outcasts. At least in my day, peer pressure simply persuaded you that a visit to the barber was opportunity to buy something for the weekend. When you think of it, our parents who wanted a quiet moment at home sent their children outside to play with other kids. Today, parents send them to a room, where a virtual network through a monitor provides all the attention and entertainment that a child needs.

One of the biggest examples of self delusion and misplaced motivation today is The X Factor, where people totally devoid of any talent believe they can be stars – and that’s just the judges. Youth culture has never been so markedly divided off from mainstream culture. Big Brother is a shining (and horrific at times), example of the mass of television, music, even literature aimed specifically at the young that my generation cannot understand. Children no longer have the same amount of fun we had just by sitting in a chair and growing haemorrhoids. Social skills are no longer needed in their world. They communicate with each other using computers and have no need to actual see or feel the person they converse with. Their BlackBerry or iPhone 4 smartphone is their greatest friend.

Before the internet it was a clichéd but accurate lament that nobody reads anymore. Then overnight in the time frame of man’s evolution, people had to read volumes of text on line to keep up with their peers and supervisors on the job. As peer group pressure forces reluctant readers to spend 10 hours a day at work and guilty hours after work reading material on line, are we getting smarter? Some suggest that people who spend a great deal of time on line tend to have pervasive, cognitive styles which include a loss of goal direction and diminished length of attention span. Now where was I?

Yes - youth is a tiny perk for all the difficulties of being a teenager, more so now than ever before. Now that the last of my children has reached adulthood, I am of the opinion that this is pretty much the toughest time to be young since Mary Poppin’s Britain stopped shunting infants up chimneys. Perhaps things aren’t bad as all that and the

advantages of being young is that my children are looking at life through a new set of lenses, whilst I am straining to see more clearly. After all it was my generation that started to redefine young adult lifestyles.

The baby boomer generation are warned against a doom mongering perspective on current childhood; things may be bad but don’t these things go in cycles? The youth of today are relaxed, comfortable and blissfully unaware – just as I was at their age. The truth is their generation is far from lost, they have all the news and technology they can handle and they are not afraid to use it. This is just alien to us; our children will teach their children the proper manners of texting, sexting and virtual world etiquette. And as the question lost, no way, maybe we are the ones that are lost as we let technology pass us by without fully embracing it.

In these times there is plenty of scope for worry. Whatever way you look at it, life is going to get tougher. No I don’t have any answers except to observe that most of us know what should be encouraged more energetically and bad habits to be more robustly stigmatised. Now how do I get my son to stop biting his nails? Should parents be anxious – perhaps not?

While we try and teach our children about life, our children teach us what life is all about. Winston Churchill said, ‘success is the ability to go from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm’. If success really does come from failure then at my age I can do with some soon. Anyway taking my son’s advice, don’t worry dad – chill, I am off to construct an entire second life and do battle with the orcs, dwarves and dragons in my new found fictional universe.


SOCIAL COMMENTARY


Aston Martin Launches in india

This important move in the luxury manufacturer’s expansion plans further strengthens the company’s representation in this growing region, bringing the Aston Martin brand to India for the first time. Aston Martin will commence its presence in India with a new dedicated facility in Mumbai in partnership with Performance Cars (a division of Infinity Cars Pvt. Ltd.), who have enjoyed a strong reputation in the Indian luxury car market for several years. Aston Martin’s Chief Commercial Officer, Michael van der Sande said, “India represents a new opportunity for us and as part of our programme of growing the reach of the global Aston Martin dealership network this expansion brings our brand to a different audience in a new market. “Our decision to bring the Aston Martin brand to India is driven by a strong level of interest and enthusiasm from potential customers in an emerging luxury market. We have taken our time to find the right advocates for Aston Martin and I am confident that we have selected strong partners with whom we look forward to starting a successful relationship.” On his part Performance Cars, Managing Director, Mr. Lalit Choudary said, “Partnering Aston Martin offers us an unique opportunity to bring one of the world’s iconic brands to one of the world’s most discerning and fast growing markets. We are confident about the brand’s success in India given the range of models, the comfortable ride quality the cars offer on our roads and the exclusivity they accord.”The Aston Martin dealership in Mumbai is located

Aston Martin has officially opened the doors to its first dealership in India today, bringing the British marquee’s luxury sports cars to the city of Mumbai.

at Kemp’s Corner at the junction of the ultra premium Peddar and Altamount Roads and will offer customers a premium boutique environment wherein they can custom specify the cars to their exacting needs. The after-sales facility in nearby Worli is a first of its kind dedicated, air conditioned workshop in the high luxury segment. The showroom and after-sales facilities have been specially designed to follow the international design elements that have timelessly identified the elegance of the Aston Martin brand worldwide.

Aston Martin customers and enthusiasts will be able to view and test-drive selected models from the entire range of V8 Vantage Coupe, V8 Vantage Roadster, V12 Vantage, DB9 Coupe, DB9 Volante, DBS Coupe, DBS Volante and the four-door sports car; Rapide. These models will also be joined by the recently launched V8 Vantage S and the new Virage.

The opening of the Aston Martin Mumbai showroom strengthens the company’s global dealership network to a total of 134 dealers in 42 countries. As part of the company’s ongoing expansion plans Aston Martin has recently entered into Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Taiwan and Turkey whilst seeking continued growth in new markets as well as emerging markets including China and the Middle East.

Gatehouse Supports UK-Kuwait Trade Agenda


this important market for client activity, as well as develop new business activity in the GCC region. Working with key institutions in the UK, we are taking part in a wider UK agenda focused on nurturing partnerships with Kuwait financial o r g a n i s a t i o n s , British business and Government stakeholders so that we can uncover new business potential and engagement through mutual cooperation.”

TheCityUK Overseas Promotion committee works centrally also with local partners such as UK Trade & Investment and British Embassies and Consulates in the GCC region.

Duncan Hoyland, Head of Trade & Investment at the British Embassy in Kuwait, participated in the important discussions stating, “UK Trade & Investment are pleased to support this agenda, helping to promote the best of talent from business and financial institutions in the UK looking to enhance and capture business opportunities in this region.”

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Fahed Boodai, Chairman of Gatehouse Bank stated, “First and foremost, we would like to congratulate the people of Kuwait and the Government on their 50th Independence day, 20th Liberation Day and for the 5th Anniversary of HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s ascendance as leader of this great country. On behalf of Gatehouse, we want to thank key players in Kuwait that have developed business success for Gatehouse. We will continue to champion excellent trading relationships through our specialist investment expertise and innovative product offering, to meet the needs of our clients in Kuwait’s thriving financial centre.”

Following participation at Kuwait’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, Gatehouse was pleased to host key influencers from London and UK-based financial institutions, Government officials and Kuwaiti stakeholders. The bank lead a discussion to follow up on key issues to develop business in the region and commercial engagement through high profile business and UK Government delegation visits.

Richard Thomas, CEO of Gatehouse Bank currently holds a position as the Kuwait special representative for TheCityUK’s Overseas Promotion Committee, which provides a focal point for the promotion of the UK financial and professional services industries to encourage bilateral trade activity between Kuwait and the UK.

Richard stated that, “Gatehouse has deep links with Kuwait, and we are committed to growing

London, UK: Gatehouse Bank plc (Gatehouse), a wholesale Shariah investment Bank in London, participated in an important working group meeting at its London offices to help establish a

wider trade agenda with Kuwait entities. Taking part in discussions with TheCityUK (TCUK), a trade promotion body for the UK financial and professional services sector, Gatehouse raised some key issues that focused on the encouragement of trade activity to Kuwait.


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In the GCC, investors were quick to participate in the Rolls-Royce real estate transaction, taking first mover advantage in a unique opportunity that was characterised by the quality of the investment and its ability to deliver sustainable returns.

Fahed Boodai, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Gatehouse Bank commented,

“I am pleased to announce the completion of this high profile acquisition on behalf of our clients. The core manufacturing and logistics facility purpose built for and let to Rolls-Royce plc offers a one- of-a-kind opportunity that delivers maximum benefits to our clients.

The superior financial covenant of a Grade A-rated blue chip company is undisputed and combined with the certainty and length of income provided by this transaction, these factors strengthen the return on investments for our investors. Ultimately, we are proud to deliver a gold-standard investment opportunity that is a rare and extremely valuable asset to have in the market.”

Gatehouse Bank Accomplishes Gold Standard: rolls-royce real estate acquisition for £52.7 million

Kuwait City, Kuwait: Kuwaiti - owned, Gatehouse Bank plc (Gatehouse), a wholesale Shariah compliant investment bank in the City of London, has completed the £52,700,000

acquisition of the Rolls-Royce core manufacturing and logistics facility in Scotland. Delivering an annual cash yield of 8%, or £4.8 million over 3 years, the lease benefits from fixed rental uplifts of 1.5% per annum with a 17 years’ of certain term income.

Mr Boodai added, “I express my thanks to the Gatehouse team, who continue to make further inroads in the delivery of world-class commercial real estate activity to the GCC market. Gatehouse’s success is marked by an incredible milestone achievement, in a real estate portfolio that has reached in excess of £200 million in 18 months.

These impressive figures are a result of investor participation from a wide and diverse investor base with up to 50% client repeat activity in transactions, as solid returns on their investments continue to be proven. To address investor appetite we are continuing to address and create an optimal transaction pipeline with more high yielding and long-income type transactions in the office and the student accommodation sector”.

Gatehouse Bank strategy to grow and nurture its investor base is based on its ability to respond to market needs and bring transactions to the market quickly. The performance of the Real Estate business line continues to generate productive gains, both reflected in existing and new investor uptake in transactions by GCC high-net worth and institutional investors.


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Mr Boodai also emphasises, “Timing is everything for our investors. We understand a new surge of interest in ‘safe haven’ opportunities, has certainly led to greater level of inquiry about secure, quality investments offshore. And with a strong understanding of UK market fundamentals and our ability to source and secure high yielding and sustainable returns in London and UK-based activity, we have accomplished our objective to deliver rewarding, unique opportunities that have led to our credible position as a leading provider of Shariah compliant real estate in the UK.”

Philip Churchill, Head of Real Estate at Gatehouse Bank, highlighted the attributes of the transaction, and factors that have led to its appeal for investors.

“Glasgow is a major business location and the largest industrial centre in Scotland. The fact that the local industrial market has shown great resilience in 2010, makes this a solid investment opportunity with significant growth potential and good returns.”

The property, strategically positioned adjacent to Glasgow International Airport, covers just 37% of the site and therefore offers an excellent opportunity for future development and expansion.

He added: “We have been seeing a considerable demand for properties let to strong tenants on leases of 10 years or more. We believe this demand is set to continue resulting in increases in capital values over the projected hold period to generate strong returns for our investors.”

Gatehouse Bank provides an attractive portfolio of property investments for investor clients, originating, and structuring of investments in a Shariah compliant manner.

Reports indicate that UK economic recovery has been driven by exports in the manufacturing sector. This week the UK Government has also announced dedicated funding for the benefit of wider UK regions, to incorporate Scotland; with the creation and protection of more than 100,000 jobs and £450million value in investment.

The Rolls-Royce core manufacturing and logistics property covers 541,962 sq ft and is built and let to Rolls Royce plc until March 2028.


Crowne Plaza Kuwait Voted Best Business

Hotel in Kuwait

A new page has been written on the success chapter of the Crowne Plaza Kuwait. Voted as the Best Business Hotel in Kuwait, Crowne

Plaza Kuwait proudly received the Business Traveller Middle East Award 2011 at a glittering ceremony at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray on Palm Jumeirah. Hany Nabil, Director of Marketing, PR and Loyalty Marketing received the award on behalf of the hotel. The award was given away by Gary Rhodes OBE, celebrity chef, restaurateur and author.In this honor, a Staff Get Together was held, to celebrate the employees, without whom the award would not have happened at all. Attended by the Founder and Chairman of the Bukhamseen International Group, Jawad Bukhamseen, Chief Operating Officer for IHG MEA, John Bamsey, Vice President, IHG Operations Gulf, Ignace Bauwens, Director of Operations – IHG Northern Gulf and General Manager of the hotel, Hani Kafafi, there was a huge turnout as the staff came forward to express their joy at being part of the Best Business Hotel in Kuwait. Speaking on this occasion, Jawad Bukhamseen expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the staff for making this award happen, mentioning his pride and delight in having won this award.

John Bamsey said,” this was the first time that the Crowne Plaza brand itself won an award like this.” Ignace Bauwens added to this saying, “the fact that Crowne Plaza Kuwait


won this award among all other Crowne Plaza hotels set a new standard in excellence and quality among the competitors.”

Hani Kafafi, Director of Operation – Northern Gulf and General Manager of Crowne Plaza Kuwait expressed his immense joy on receiving the award. He said,” the award comes as no surprise to us, since we have always maintained the best standards in excellence and quality when delivering our services. The staffs are trained to deliver the best of services in all aspects to all guests, and they are focused on the core purpose of the InterContinental Hotels Group –Great Hotels Guests Love. Ther e is no avenue that is left unexplored in our quest to ensure complete comfort of our guests, taking care of every detail, according to individual taste and preference. With the opening of the new ballroom, which will have a seating capacity of 1500 persons and the coming of more rooms, Crowne Plaza Kuwait will always be a step ahead than its competitors.”

Hotel Manager, Ahmed Serafi, addressed the staff, expressing his thanks and heartfelt gratitude for all the staff, whose efforts have made this possible.

To capture this proud moment, a photo of the Crowne Plaza Kuwait hotel management and team was taken in the lobby with all the staff in their uniforms.

Entering through a magnificent lobby, one feels awestruck at the beauty and panoramic view that encompasses almost all the facilities of the hotel. With a reputation of being the biggest in Kuwait, guests sitting in the rooms can look down on a active lobby throughout the day.

300 refurbished rooms and suites cater to the needs of the frequent business traveler with all the modern amenities, making your stay memorable. A bouquet flavors come to you at our restaurants, from a global buffet to the steaks of the Wild West, from the royal Persian to the elite Italian, from the delicacies of the sea to the authentic Japanese and a traditional Lebanese – each unique in their own style and creativity.

3 ballrooms and 15 meeting rooms, equipped with the latest in technology and facilities take care of all the needs of our corporate clients in terms of meetings, conferences and all other functions. Leisure facilities spanning a total of 10,000 m2 includes a 24 hour Health Club and a unique Spa Aquatonic, including a 3500 m2 Aquatonic Pool, which is unique to the hotel and the Middle region itself.

With a track record of always staying on top of customers’ choices, this summer also promises to be something special with A Healthier You promotion that emphasizes on the best of lifestyles through a healthy focus.

InterContinental stole the limelight winning the coveted Best Hotel Brand in the Middle East in the hotel categories. With 8 hotels among the nominees, and 4 among them the Best Business Hotels in their respective countries, InterContinental Brand has created an indelible impression in the minds of their customers. The 4 winning hotels are Crowne Plaza Kuwait, Regency InterContinental Manama (Bahrain), Phoenicia InterContinental Beirut (Lebanon) and Al Bustan InterContinental Muscat (Salalah).

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An official speaking for Lulu Hypermarket explained that the store features more than 2,500 products from the UK, including grocery and chiller items, canned and frozen products, fresh dairy and bakery products and a range of beverages. He invited shoppers “looking to eat heartily, healthily and variedly can visit the festival and explore the delicious and diverse nature of British food and drinks.”


Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Baker praised the efforts of the Lulu Hypermarket management for holding the food festival featuring a wide range of British food products. The Ambassador noted that “with this food festival, the Lulu Hypermarket is introducing to the local market some of the best and most popular British products.”

The Ambassador added that food festivals such as these provide an opportunity for businesses to increase the volume of trade between the UK and Kuwait. Today, this represents more than £2 billion annually.

British Food Festival at Lulu Hypermarket

Lulu Hypermarket in Kuwait held a British Food Festival from 18 – 25 April. The festival was inaugurated by His Excellency Frank Baker OBE, the British Ambassador to Kuwait, in the

presence of Duncan Hoyland, Head of Trade and Investment at the British Embassy, Paul McKay, Chairman of the BBF, Mohammed Haris, Regional Director, and Sreejith, the regional Franchise Manager.


JAOtech is revolutionising hospitals with over 60,000 Smart Terminals installed at bedsides throughout the world, in the USA, Australia, France, The Netherlands and the UK where the largest contract in the world was won by JAOtech to supply 5000 units to NHS hospitals

Smart Terminals can integrate easily into a hospital IT infrastructure to deliver movies-on-demand, TV, Internet, phone, games and other services such as automated meal ordering. Additionally the terminals become an interface to links into the hospitals’ healthcare information system. Updating medical records, prescribing medicine at the bedside and ordering tests from other departments are just some of the many processes which can be carried out at the point of care.

The JAOtech Smart Terminals range from 15” to 18.5” widescreen sizes and use a simple, all-in-one design, with a touchscreen user interface. Each terminal is fan-less and incorporates a high performance, low power Intel processor. The units operate silently and are highly reliable, critical for the medical sector. They can be supplied with a range of peripheral options including a VoIP phone, Bluetooth™, WLAN and a high resolution camera as well

JAOtech Smart Terminals

revolutionising Patient Experience in Hospitals Worldwide

JAOtech Smart Terminals

revolutionising Patient Experience in Hospitals Worldwide

Specially designed medical all-in-one PCs offer entertainment and communication options for the patient at the bedside, while also giving access to

electronic health records to clinicians and hospital staff at the point of care.

as various options for access control such as a finger print reader, smart card reader and RFID. Accessories include multimedia wall boxes, wireless keyboards and articulated ergonomic mounting arms.

Hospitals demand hardware that offers longevity and reliability despite intensive and continuous use. JAOtech uses the highest quality components available, and co-operates closely with strategic suppliers to ensure this is the case.Smart Terminals are built using anti-bacterial plastics and are fully sealed to ensure that they can be easily cleaned to minimise cross infection in a multiple user environment. Waterproof, dustproof and tested with all the major hospital cleaning agents.

Over the last five years, JAOtech has continuously expanded its presence world-wide, with three sales offices and six service centres spanning North America, EMEA and Asia. Most recent product addition is the Inix, a 40” HD LED Smart TV with built in PC, which offers a large size screen for private rooms to offer patients the ultimate in entertainment.


Kuwait: A New Chapter

On April 27 a seminar was held in Kuwait City to discuss strengthening commercial ties between the two nations. The event, organised by the Gulf Studies Centre of the American University of Kuwait, was entitled “Kuwait and Iraq Together Towards a Bright Future”. Attendees included business leaders, academics and public officials from both countries.

The seminar focused on the role of the private sector in enhancing Kuwaiti-Iraqi economic cooperation. According to Mansour Aboukhamseen, the chairman and managing director of Kuwait Energy Company, the participants “shared views on how Kuwaiti and Iraqi companies can work together on building Iraq, especially in the areas of project finance, technical expertise, logistical support, tourism and social ties”.

The energy sector may well be an area in which Kuwait could offer financial and technical support to Iraq. As Paul Landers, the group chief executive of AGG International, an oilfield services company, told OBG, “Iraq is pivotal for the future of exploration and production of oil and gas. It has immense reserves comparable to those in Saudi Arabia, but they are underdeveloped. Kuwait has the potential to be the entrance point for this development.”

A recent visit to Kuwait by an Iraqi trade delegation underscored the importance of the country as a possible source of investment capital. On April 13 the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) hosted a group from Iraq that included the governor of Basra, the head of Basra Investment Commission (BIC) and the Iraqi ambassador to Kuwait. A number of Kuwaiti businesspeople also attended the meeting.

Haidar Fadhel, the head of BIC, spoke at the event, highlighting some of the ways in which Iraq’s legal framework provides economic incentives for foreign investment. According to Iraq’s National Investment Law, foreign investors who apply for and receive an investment licence from either the national or a regional investment commission are eligible for benefits. Incentives include an exemption from certain taxes, as well as the right to import equipment and machinery for a period of three years without paying duty.

Kuwait: A New Chapter

Kuwaiti businessman Jawak Bukhamseen, who attended the KCCI meeting, told Kuwait Times that Iraq is a good destination for investment because it allows 100% foreign ownership, unlike Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. Another participant, Mazin Abdulzahra, the acting head of Basra Chamber of Commerce, pointed out that investment was possible in sectors other than hydrocarbons. “The real resource for development lies in industries, not oil alone,” he said, noting that there is “a good opportunity to establish new factories in Iraq”.

Strengthening economic ties is not necessarily limited to direct foreign investment – it could very well also involve boosting bilateral trade. Kuwait currently imports liquefied natural gas (LNG) during the summer months to generate electricity during this period of peak demand. In January, Abdullatif Al Houti, the managing director of international marketing for the state-run Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), announced that the Ministry of Electricity and Water had asked KPC to begin LNG imports in mid-March and continue them up to mid-November, an extension over last year’s period of April to October.

Iraq could, at least in theory, sell natural gas to Kuwait. Iraq currently flares much of the gas produced at its oilfields, but in April 2011 Shell, Mitsubishi and South Gas Company of Iraq announced that they had received approval to establish a joint venture to capture the natural gas that would otherwise have been burned off. Revenues generated by the deal could also help Iraq upgrade its infrastructure for the processing and distribution of natural gas. According to market research firm Datamonitor Group, Iraq has proven gas reserves of 3.15trn cu metres.

Although some Kuwaiti businesspeople may be sanguine about investment opportunities in Iraq, barriers to revitalising economic relations remain, including long-term disputes over reparation payments and territorial borders. However, with significant upside potential, both countries may be able to put aside their differences. As Mohammad Akbar, the director of the Gulf Studies Centre of the American University of Kuwait, said, “Kuwait and Iraq have started a new chapter in political and economic relations.”

By Oliver Cornock, Regional Editor, GCC, Oxford Business Group

Iraq and Kuwait appear to be laying the foundations to rekindle economic relations, with businesspeople and political leaders from both countries recently meeting to

discuss opportunities for bilateral trade and investment.

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One hundred cars bearing a suite of features inspired by the legendary flying lady will be produced; with 17 of these special edition Phantoms to be received by customers in the Middle East region.

“We are confident that the Spirit of Ecstasy Centenary Collection Phantom models will be well-received by our customers in the region. The collection encapsulates the essence of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and presents owners with a range of exclusive bespoke options that will only be available this centenary year,” said James Crichton, Regional Director, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

The Centenary Collection Cars feature very special Spirit of Ecstasy figurines. Cast in Britannia Silver and bathed in a halo of white light, they stand on a

Middle East To receive 17 Out of 100 Spirit of Ecstasy Centenary Collection Phantoms

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has announced that the Middle East region will receive 17 out of 100 Spirit of Ecstasy Centenary Collection Phantoms. This exclusive collection

of bespoke Phantom models has been specifically designed to celebrate the centenary of the Spirit of Ecstasy in 2011.

base complete with black-gold plated bezel bearing the inscription Spirit of Ecstasy Centenary – 2011. The design is finished with a set of six hallmarks, two of which have been designed specifically for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

Twin coachlines incorporate delicate hand-painted Spirit of Ecstasy insignia and the models carry a new badge developed to establish the collection’s place in Rolls-Royce history. Located beneath the Spirit of Ecstasy, on the trunk lid as well as on the front wings, this reverses conventional design, with white enamel ‘RR’ detail set on a black chrome background.

Inside the cars fine detailing abounds. Satin spun instrument dials, centered with polished interlinked ‘RR’ monograms, are further enriched with polished chaplets

DISPATCHESSUMMER 2011 59

and black numerals. Clocks are backlit, presenting an inner ring of silver incorporating the centenary inscription while the centre console lid opens to reveal a discreet solid Britannia Silver commemorative plaque.

Four exterior colour options are offered, all exclusive to Spirit of Ecstasy Centenary collection cars. These start with Rhapsody Black, a black metallic incorporating a delicate gold sparkle and Maiden Blue a deep blue metallic highlighted with a silver sparkle. Ethereal White Pearl comes with a special pearlescent finish while Wildflower completes the bespoke paint offering, presenting a rich blend of red and brown colour with a fine sparkle.

Each exterior colour can be ordered with a selection of sumptuous leather and interior contrast schemes while hand crafted billets of Britannia Silver will be delicately inset into the customer’s chosen veneer.

Owners will also receive a desk ornament with their cars; a polished steel Spirit of Ecstasy mounted on a piano black base. These will be presented with individual certificates of authenticity signed by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös.

“Last year the Middle East region maintained its position as Rolls-Royce Motor Cars number one Bespoke market worldwide; every car delivered to the region had some element of Bespoke to it, highlighting our customers appetite for unparalleled refinement and distinction,” concluded Crichton.


The codeshare goes on sale from April 12 for travel from April 19, 2011. The daily service to Amman is operated by an A330 with both business (Crown Class) and economy cabins, from Heathrow’s Terminal 3. The agreement allows customers to buy a British Airways ticket between Heathrow and Amman on a flight that will be operated by Royal Jordanian. Those customers have the ease of booking direct through ba.com and can take advantage of British Airways’ worldwide network at Heathrow for connecting flights. Royal Jordanian has been codesharing on British Airways’ domestic and Scandinavian flights from Heathrow since 2008. Jamie Cassidy, British Airways’ Area General Manager, Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, said: “This new codeshare with Royal Jordanian is a real bonus for our customers wanting to fly to Amman. It’s a strong addition to the destinations BA serves and will prove popular with both direct customers and those connecting from around our global network. ”

Amman Now Open To British Airways Customers Thanks To

royal Jordanian

British Airways’ customers are now gaining direct access to Amman, thanks to a new codeshare with oneworld partner, Royal Jordanian.

Guido Ruther, Royal Jordanian’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “We are proud to extend the codeshare routes with our oneworld partner British Airways to include Amman. This will enhance the offer to oneworld customers and will strengthen the route and the competitiveness of the Royal Jordanian product even further.”

JAMIE CASSIDYBritish Airways’ Area General Manager, Middle East, Asia and the Pacific

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The United Nations (UN) tour on Saturday morning was particularly interesting for all the students at BSK who take part in the Model United Nations. Students found out what the UN is doing all around the world. One of the most interesting aspects was focusing on feeding and educating those most in need. Starting with a video, featuring Sean Penn, which graphically pointed out that if a fraction of the money spent on wars, or bailing out banks, was spent on feeding the hungry we could eradicate poverty. Students also found out about School in a Box . Even if they had no buildings or classrooms, it IS still possible to educate children and the UN are providing these boxes to people in need. Education is essential for families to climb out of poverty. Other aspects included learning about the importance of mosquito nets - a luxury for those who need them most but cost little more than you and I would spend on a coffee. Students also saw a debate taking place in the assembly hall, a hall which has seen many world leaders making passionate speeches on topics of the utmost importance. BSK students left with a greater awareness of the role of the UN.

Students saw many of the most important landmarks in New York. We had a guide, Zoe, who took us all

BSK Students Want “To Be A Part Of It…”

Last year The British School of Kuwait took students to see top West End shows in London and two Shakespeare productions in Stratford-upon-Avon. When

we returned we wanted to organise a similar trip for this year, but to somewhere different. Where else in the world can you experience first class theatre and would be a fascinating place to visit? The answer was obvious, Manhattan, New York. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere! So this year 30 students and staff made the long journey to the Big Apple.

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on a tour of Chinatown where the students bought some interesting souvenirs and then onto the Flat Iron building - the most photographed building in Manhattan, according to Zoe. Sunday morning was our trip to the Statue of Liberty and the weather was fabulous, much warmer than average and sunny. Although I had been there before, in 2003, I wasn’t allowed inside the Statue. This time we all went inside and enjoyed the view. Later on that day we went to the Top of the Rock, the viewing platform at the top of the Rockefeller Center. We were caught in an intense electrical thunderstorm but it was very atmospheric.

We were able to watch four Broadway shows, it was impossible to see any more than this in the time we had there. Students picked Phantom of the Opera, Broadway’s longest running show; Mamma Mia!, a frivolous but enjoyable story containing the Abba songs; Mary Poppins, the Rogers and Hammerstein classic And the Disney film; and finally War Horse, based on the novel by British author Michael Morpurgo. Ask any of the students which was their favourite and you would get many different answers with many reasons why. From The Phantom was the best Phantom I’ve ever seen to In the end, I almost believed the horse was real! Each show gave the students a very different theatrical experience. Personally my favourite was Mary Poppins - the set was simply magnificent and the whole effect was that I had seen something magical taking place. Delightful.

As a side note, we were supposed to see Spiderman. Students opted for this but then read in amazement

as the show’s opening night was put back again and the preview shows were cancelled during the time we were in New York. At the time of writing Spiderman has been re-written, keeping the aspects that worked and making the other scenes better.

As far as drama workshops go, we booked four very different types. The first was with Holly Anne Ruggiero (hollyanneruggiero.com has all of her background information) who has directed numerous Broadway shows including Jersey Boys which is still running on Broadway. With a quick warm up students were creating dramatic scenarios which became more intense. The culmination of this workshop was students creating their own musical and performing it. We also had Tim Paget, a member of Mamma Mia turn up to this workshop. He discussed his role in the show and gave students expert advice regarding Broadway and theatre. He asked if any of the students had a dance move they were willing to show him and Omar Khalil, a student in Year 9, volunteered. Ian then stated he would incorporate Omar’s dance move into the show that same night - the night we were going to see it. We all let out a loud cheer when the group of dancers performed that dance move! It really helped us feel part of the show, making it much more personal for us.

Students worked on dramatic monologues with Canedy Knowles (www.canedyknowles.com) who has appeared in many films and American TV programmes. She gave our students a masterclass and they loved it. We also had the dance and movement workshops. A number of students felt

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slightly uncertain about dancing as a group but by the end they were confident and really enjoyed it, talking about keeping it up or even performing the dance moves in assembly at school. From the extremely physical dance moves of Jeff Shade (www.jeffshadedance.com) where students worked in groups, we were then put through our paces by Alison Carr, another member of the Mamma Mia! cast who taught us the dance routing for the song ‘Dancing Queen’. Just like the theatre, students liked the workshops for different reasons but they were a great success.

We thought we would enjoy the magnificent Manhattan weather so a visit to Central Park seemed in order. Students just enjoyed the greenery and the feel of the park as well as finding out that many film scenes were filmed around there - Home Alone, Meet Joe Black, Ghostbusters, Scent of a Woman and, of course, the zoo from Madagascar. Whilst in the area

students were delighted to shop in the Apple store and a teacher saw an episode of Glee being filmed outside Tiffany’s, on 5th Avenue. Some students also took the opportunity to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and soaked up the culture.

There was time for a few more things to do: having a tour of the Rockefeller Center, especially NBC studos was fun. Students learnt about the making of some TV shows like Saturday Night Live and Dr Oz and then had great fun when Waleed El-Hosni and Hannah Puttock made a news and weather broadcast. We have the DVD to prove it!

Again, on our way back, we wondered where we would go next year. Back to London? New York again? Whichever we decide, students and staff returned in an Empire State of Mind, ready for the final few weeks of the school year.

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“I came here to thank you from the bottom of my heart” said His Excellency the Ambassador of Japan, Yasuyoshi Komizo. “ We feel that your friendship and your sympathy will help gather the strength and courage needed to overcome the earthquake and tsunami”. HE Ambassador Komizo said 27,000 people are known to have died or are missing, yet the gravity of the tragedy is much greater than anyone knows right now. “Friendship and support of the international community helps gathering necessary strength and resources to cope with this daunting challenge. I would like to express sincerest gratitude and appreciation to all the governments , international organizations and the people all over the world for giving us their support “ “Borne from the tragedy of Japan has been this wonderful evening” said Rhoda Elizabeth Muhmood, KES Director. “We are blessed to have a band at the ready at the drop of a hat to summon such a wonderful, wonderful band and musicians” she said, thanking Mr Drummond, Mr Tarry and Mr markovic and TES for the use of their Auditorium.”It is the very least we can do” said John Alcott, Headmaster of The English School. Munira Al Ghadiri, multi talented daughter of ex diplomat Mohammed Al Ghadiri and eminent formative artist Thoraya Al Baqsami and an ex KES student, spoke in Japanese, English and Arabic of the common pain as human beings and common desire to help this nation.

A Joyful Noise and An Appreciative Audience

Resouding applause and a lengthy standing ovation with calls of “encore” greeted Kuwait English School Band after a charity concert in support of the people of Japan,

held in TES Auditorium on Sunday evening. The concert was held under the auspices of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) and KES, and all funds raised will go directly to Japan through KRCS.

COMMUNITY NEWS


The programme began with National Anthems of Kuwait and Japan, followed by a moment of silence for Japan and a prayer led by Naoko Ueki, Manager at Fanar Mall. Dragan Markovic led a 21 member string ensemble in “a very very fine playing” of Antonio Vivaldi’s “Lestro Harmonico”. Heuy Sung Kim, a Year 9 student at KES, delivered the first solo of the evening; “Polonaise” in A flat major by Frederic Chopin. “That really was amazing. I don’t know how you do it without the music” said John Lynsky, magnificent Master of Ceremonies.. KES Concert Band directed by Stephen Tarry then played “March for the Prince of Wales” by F. Joseph Haydn. John Lynsky then made an appeal to the generous and appreciative audience before “Supreme Sacrifice”, written for the fallen of World War I, and a stirring rendition of “The Great Waldo Pepper March” by Henry Mancini KEI Japanese Restaurant provided light refreshments including sushi during a short interval. Lulwa Shamlan, a Year 5 TES student with outstanding musical talent, played “Little White Donkey” by Jacques Ibert. KES Showband, directed by Ian Drummond played “A Hard Day’s Night” , written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney in 1964, followed by “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding. “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath counjured up an image of travel through space to the end of the world, and Flashdance, one of the first movies centred around music preceeded “What’d I Say” by Ray Charles and “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne. “That is why we believe we have the best band in Kuwait” said Mr Lynskey to cheers from the crowd, after “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi and a rousing “Final Countdown” by Joey Tempest. KES Band previous performances for charity include for the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, for Great Ormond Street Hospital, Save the Children Fund, KACCH, the Kuwait Red Crescent Society and the Haiti Relief Fund. KES Band has also performed at the Dorchester Hotel in London, St Johns Smith Square, and at the Millenium Dome in the year 2000, at the Emirates Palace and the Madinat Jumeirah. In Kuwait the

Band has been called upon to perform on many special occassions, such as the Celebration of 100 years of Friendship between Kuwait and Britain, at embassies, official openings, conferences and farewell gatherings. Participating staff included Donna Clarke, Tracey Drummond, and Helen Searle.

“We would like to express most profound gratitude to KES, its musicians and TES” said HE Ambassador Komizo. “You are going to be building a wonderful human community” HE Ambassador Komizo said, thanking and congratulating the Young Musicians and wishing them the best for the future.

COMMUNITY NEWS


KES School Band Contest

The Band contest was held at the the Kuwait English School on Monday, April 25th. The idea to hold a contest came from the staff of KES who felt that this would be a

great opportunity to showcase some of the outstanding young musical talent currently studying at the school. After receiving details of the competition The British Business Forum decided to support the project as part of the BBF Scholarship program. The BBF was represented at the event by directors Andrew Houston and David Batterby, assisted by BBF secretary, Rose William. The judging panel consisted of Head Judge and Spokesperson Barry Stokes with Danielle Houston, Fiona McKay and Simon Whatman making up the rest of the team.

COMMUNITY NEWS


The competition consisted of 5 bands each performing a song composed by themselves. The audience was treated to variety of styles ranging from progressive instrumental through to arrangements featuring complex vocal harmonies. The voting was extremely close with only one point separating the top 2 bands. The winning band was are a five piece group consisting of 3 boys and 2 girls and calling themselves “The Lights”. The band members include Bethel Embaie, Aliak Bedirian, Daniel Berger, Mohamad Tayyara and Arnab Gogoi. Since the contest the band has expanded to seven members with the line up will now include a bass player and drummer.

The Lights will be travelling to London in the second week of June and will spend 2 days having their song recorded, edited and mixed at Metropolis, the largest independent recording studio in Europe. A host of leading international artists have recorded there including Madonna, Take That, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse and Elton John. They will be using Studio A, the same studio where Queen recorded their Innuendo album. Whilst the band is in London they will also be making appearances on national TV and local radio. The Lights will be releasing a DVD featuring the competition and the trip to London. This will provide the students with valuable experience by participating in the making of short film whilst providing a permanent record of the trip. Copies of the DVD will be available for sale to members and we plan to upload a shorter version to YouTube. Later this year the band will perform at the British Embassy at a special event at the invitation of the British Ambassador.

The BBF sees this as a great opportunity to capture the spirit of the 50:20 celebrations. By showcasing local talent in Kuwait we hope to demonstrate the ability of music to create international links and career opportunities. You have to look hard these days to find areas in which Britain is a true world leader. Music and the performing arts fulfill this criteria with British artists such as Adele and Marsha Ambrosius topping the charts in both Britain and the US in what could be a new golden age for British music.

COMMUNITY NEWS


Sounds like a utopian experience which never really happens?It has already happened here in Kuwait, in one of the larger companies that I was attached to, and we need to spread this natural expansion of learning and adjustment into every corner of Kuwait. Why? There is too much to lose from ignoring such development and so much to gain from opening out the mentoring experience to young Kuwaitis and to expatriates

Mentoring in Kuwait

Mentoring has come of age. Over the last decade or so it has become the way to develop the longer term ambitions of people of all ages. It is not a one way

communication, so the traditional mentor, older and hopefully wiser, learns from the younger counterpart just as the younger person setting out on a lifetime journey benefits from experienced advice. The peer learns from other peers and from time to time the total mentoring experience takes place with all interested parties meeting in town hall situations where traditional mentors meet with groups of younger mentees. Line managers are present and chip in to provide feedback on the reality of everyday business. The mentees and the mentors go on line to communicate with a world of learning and contacts in similar positions to themselves. Good speakers acting as facilitators for progressive thought and enabling theory to be linked with practice are invited in to speak to mentors and mentees. Collaborative projects are undertaken which impact on the business or the institution. Everywhere there is sharing and learning.

whose job is to ‘ grow’ these young people and, by extension, enrich their own experience.

A new generation of Kuwaitis is out there with fast skills in IT and modern business management. I have encountered many of them in the KIA and IBS development programmes. A new generation of business educated managers are about to lead the financial and commercial hubs of Kuwait. They need

COMMUNITY NEWS


to be given the benefit of gradually expanding their knowledge and skills into the reality of managing others and building a network of contacts and learning which will make them great leaders of the future.

So it’s about building leaders and managers?Everyone manages something (even if it is their desk or their lives or their marriage) and leadership can happen from the bottom up. Just look at what has happened recently in North Africa! If one cannot lead wisely from the top those being led will soon complain and initiate a new agenda. We all know that leaders are not necessarily born to lead. They learn the skills and the attitudes and behaviours which lend authority to their decisions and hone their people skills. Where do they learn such skills? Not in university or college courses but in the conduct of their daily life. Who do they learn them from? From interested parties who are ready and empowered to develop them and from their colleagues. Just like the lessons we learn from cognitive development of children, first the growing person takes definitive lessons from parents then that person is increasingly influenced by the peer group, learning to keep up and compete with the best or to outdo the worst. Moreover, when we grow into responsible adults we reach a stage of give and take, when sometimes we give advice and sometimes we take it from people we work with or people we trust.

Not a passive activityMentoring has developed alongside a deeper understanding of what learning is about. Not so long ago learning was confused with something a teacher or trainer imparted to you. You were of course a passive subject of this learning. Now learning is seen as an interactive activity that is facilitated within a learning environment. Everyone stands to gain.

Clearly mentoring is not something that happens by chance and only at coffee breaks. It is not a chance

for older people(not necessarily wiser) to expound to the uninitiated. It requires a director of mentoring, a sort of super mentor who ensures that a proper plan of action is in place to ensure there is a structured business plan, that meets happen reasonably regularly, that learning is actually in progress, that feedback is given to all involved, that the programme is tracked through a system of Individual Development Plans. Then all of this needs to be tied in with the total HR cycle of development, the Talent Management plans for the company, the succession and career pathway planning and company goals for recognition and expansion.

To understand mentoring, and particularly peer mentoring which I feel is the most powerful tool in the kitbag, I intend to write, for upcoming editions of Dispatches, a series of five articles which will outline the underpinning ideas behind mentoring strategies in a business context.

These will be titled:Human Dynamics not Human ResourcesThe Power of Peer LearningEmotional Quotient catches up with Intelligence QuotientAction Research in your BusinessE - Mentoring

These titles will form part of the basis of a new book which I am writing in conjunction with CIPD in the UK.

So for an early preview of the main arguments watch this space in Dispatches

Dr Sean Toner is a specialist on mentoring and an advocate of more cooperative forms of management development. He is based in Kuwait.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Much like that of its northern neighbour and Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) partner, Abu Dhabi’s modern economy has been built on extensive supplies of natural resources - successful oil and gas industries have provided profitable platforms for sustained socio-economic growth.

Abu Dhabi, however, is now diversifing. Its government has identified tourism as a major component of its economic diversification strategy and its development is laid out in an ambitious 2030 plan which ultimately hopes to attract 7.9 million hotel guests, staying in 80,000 rooms, by 2030 end.

Efforts to reach the 20-year target are already underway. Eye-catching cultural projects and institutions, family-friendly leisure attractions and transparent business-driven initiatives have been married with Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority’s (ADTA) expanding network of overseas offices and worldwide international promotional activities that support the visitor interest generation programme.

And numbers for 2010 indicate the emirate is well on its way to achieving its immediate and long-term

Abu Dhabi – Travellers Welcome…

As the largest of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, an enchanting collection of 200-plus natural islands - one of which is the

nation’s capital - vast desert expanses and lush oases, covers an area of 67,340 km² - nearly four times the size of Kuwait.

tourism objectives. An 18 per cent growth in hotel guest numbers last year, compared to the same figures for 2009, saw some 1.81 million guests stay in hotels and hotel apartments throughout Abu Dhabi. The number was substantially higher than the original 1.65 million target and led to a revamped 2011 target of two million hotel guests.

The multi-faceted ‘destination of distinction’ template Abu Dhabi has chosen to entice the world’s tourists is an energetic mix of past, present and future. Varied product offerings, from numerous heritage villages


Abu Dhabi – Travellers Welcome…

evoking traditional desert ways of life, to glistening, skyscrapers that break world ‘leaning’ records, reflect the emirate’s intriguing geographical, social and cultural juxtapositions.

Abu Dhabi’s urban-rural divide, for example, is no more evident than in the hour’s eyes-out-the-window drive separating the capital’s urban splendour – exemplified by the opulent Emirates Palace hotel at the end of the sweeping beach-front Corniche area - from the sprawling majesty of the rural desertscape in Liwa. There, amid the Arabian Gulf’s largest unbroken expanse of sand, lies Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara – a luxurious five-star retreat neighbouring Tel Moreeb, the country’s largest dune, in Al Gharbia.

And yet it is Abu Dhabi’s focus on culture that underpins its international tourist-attracting aspirations. In 2013, the Zayed National Museum - designed by Lord Norman Foster, one of the world’s foremost architects - will open its doors, kick-starting two years of staggered unveilings that will eventually see the world’s single largest concentration of premier

cultural assets collected in the Cultural District on Saadiyat Island.

With landmark partnerships and agreements to establish the Louvre Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi on Saadiyat, the Manarat Al Saadiyat arts and culture exhibition centre is already operational and houses the interactive ‘Story of Saadiyat’ – an amazing glimpse into how the 27km² island will be transformed – alongside large-scale models of the various Cultural District architects’ jaw-dropping concepts.

Manarat Al Saadiyat’s halls have already showcased several international-standard exhibitions, including ‘Splendours of Mesopotamia’ - a fascinating look at a collection of more than 200 ancient treasures revealing the history of what is now modern-day Iraq.

Running until June 27, the exhibition borrows items from the British Museum that depict Mesopotamia as the great crossroads of art and literature, long-distance communications and trade. Pieces selected


from Al Ain National Museum also highlight the role various Mesopotamian peoples played in the evolution of the UAE’s heritage.

The Middle East’s ‘cultural capital’ development would not be complete, however, without core leisure components to support cultural foundations. The Gary Player-designed Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, with ocean views on the overwhelming majority of perfectly conceived, exquisitely manicured holes, is already open for business.

Just a 15-minute drive away, Abu Dhabi Golf Club, home to January’s annual Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, is another course with international pedigree. The emirate’s first championship-standard course will become an even-better value proposition with July’s opening of The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa - a 191-room, five-star property bordering the lush fairways.

Elsewhere, Yas Links Golf Club, the Middle East’s only true links course and recently voted among the ‘Top 10 New International Golf Courses’ by influential ‘Golf Magazine’, brings Abu Dhabi’s championship-standard course count to three, and all within a few well-placed tee-shots of one another. Other facilities, including Abu Dhabi City Golf Club and a nine-hole course at the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, highlight the emirate’s plans to woo a greater share of the lucrative golf tourism segment.

And yet, the leisure options on Yas Island, an entertainment destination akin to its cultural sibling on Saadiyat, and across Abu Dhabi are about more than simply golf. Yas, home to the iconic Yas Hotel, the only hotel in the world straddling an F1™ race track, the magnificent Yas Marina Circuit – host of the

annual F1™ Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – also houses Ferrari World Abu Dhabi – the world’s largest indoor theme park. Bigger than 12 football pitches put together, there are a host of rides under the venue’s Prancing Horse roof and, if you have the nerve, try out the daring Formula Rossa – the world’s fastest rollercoaster.

At the southern-most top of the mammoth Ferrari World Abu Dhabi building, world-renowned artists - from Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder, to Shakira, The Jonas Brothers and 30 Seconds to Mars - have all played official ‘Yas Show Weekends’ gigs, where a pair of VIP tickets and two nights’ stay in one of the island’s four-star hotels costs less than $350.

Abu Dhabi’s events calendar - evidence of a strategy to utilise major international sport, art, community and gourmet platforms to raise international awareness of the destination - stretches far beyond music.

In addition to the European PGA Tour-sanctioned golf tournament and F1™ spectacular, the emirate also plays host to the annual Mubadala World Tennis Championships, WOMAD, Abu Dhabi Art, Abu Dhabi Film Festival, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, a cross-country motorsport race, Abu Dhabi Summer Sensations – a six-week, emirate-wide programme of family-friendly activities and the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon.

The all-encompassing portfolio will expand further when the UAE capital readies to welcome a procession of awe-inspiring racing yachts, sea hardened sailors and more than 100,000 fans on January 1st 2012 for the Volvo Ocean Race – the 39,000 nautical mile round the world race, widely regarded as ‘The Everest of Sailing’.


COMMUNITY NEWS

Having made history as the first Middle Eastern port in the event’s 37-year history, Abu Dhabi – which also has a team, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, contesting the event – has pledged to make its two-week stop-over a stand-out home port experience.

Hosting the event is typical Abu Dhabi; not only does a January stop-over leg allow the emirate to demonstrate its warm winter climate, pristine beaches and sparkling blue waters, it is also an opportunity to leverage a rich maritime history and put forward a case to be an international sailing destination.

Staying on water and the subject of host ports, MSC Cruises, the world’s leading cruise operator in the Mediterranean, will be the first cruise operator to home port in Abu Dhabi when MSC Lirica begins starts 19, eight-day Arabian Gulf itineraries from October. For Abu Dhabi, the potential is huge. Statistics from the European Cruise Council show that around 30 per cent of passengers return to a home port destination on individual vacations – a helpful contributor to the emirate’s short and long-term hotel guest targets.

A top-of-the-list attraction for every visitor to Abu Dhabi is a trip to the awe-inspiring Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. With complimentary guided tours every day except Friday, the mosque, a masterpiece of worship, is a fitting tribute to the ‘Father of the Nation’ and a fantastic way to spend a few hours away from the city’s ultra-modern malls and traditional souks.

While countless city tours, excursions to key attractions, water-bound tours – including fishing, sailing, mangrove kayaking and diving trips – determine what to do and see around Abu Dhabi city’s coastline, there are scores of activities away from the capital and its surrounding islands too, especially in Al Ain – the ‘Oasis City’.

An outdoor adventurer’s playground, Al Ain demonstrates Abu Dhabi’s natural and man-made beauty like nothing else. A place where magical oases and hot springs dovetail ancient forts and rugged mountain tops, Al Ain is bristling with museums, greenery and is home to the Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort – the UAE’s conservation capital. Go for yourself and see the park’s pair of white Siberian tigers, giraffe, zebra, monkeys and elephants all jostling for attention in the 900-hectare sanctuary.

For more animals, head out to Sir Bani Yas where the Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara is set within the confines of a natural island paradise. The conservancy is complimented by the archeological remains of a 1,400 year old Christian monastery excavated on the island, making Sir Bani Yas one of the very few destinations in the world to offer a holistic tourism experience covering wildlife, nature-based activities, a 5-star boutique hotel and sites of historical significance.

Sir Bani Yas serves as fitting metaphor for Abu Dhabi: there is always more than meets the eye, always something more to discover. The emirate, through carefully planned destination products aimed at sustainable tourism growth, is breaking the mould in how the world perceives the Middle East.

For those of us living in the region, or simply intent on exploring it, that cannot be a bad thing.

Getting to Abu Dhabi from Kuwait: There are 25 weekly flights on the route, served by Kuwait Airways (twice a week), Singapore Airlines (thrice a week) and Etihad Airways (thrice daily). Etihad passengers can also make the most of the year-long ‘Essential Abu Dhabi’ campaign, which offers boarding pass holders discount rates across selected hotels, attractions, restaurants and various tour operators’ products.


COMMUNITY NEWS

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 (2009-2010), please take a moment to complete/update the attached 2010-2011 application, which along with your 40KD 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]


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The range of benefits consists of hotels, restaurants, car hire services, health club services, shipping services, furnishing services and menswear store also dental

services, lawyer services, Wills Services, free eye tests services, hearing tests, ophthalmic frames, medical services, massage and spa services, courier services.

British Business Forum Membership Benefits 2010/2011

Ali Aryan25% off all antiques and artifacts.

2571-4604

Awtar Libnan Lebanese Restaurant (Highly recommended)

20% off all food and beverage

2224 4816

Main street Salmieh infront of Marina Mall

Al Corniche ClubWill offer 4 day trial of facilities “Must be

redeemed before the 15th April.”

(Email directly to Mr. Gerald Oliver: goliver@

alcornicheclub.com starting when they would

like to access). Tel: 2563 6398

AlGhanim Barwil Shipping Company (ABS)66911896

30% discount to all members on all our services.

Our services include: import, export, or

clearance logistics of all kinds of items/goods.

Working with both personal and commercial

shipments, we transport items via air, land or sea

as well as clearance and logistics.

We have our in-house dept for personal effects

working on both imports and exports (door

to door services via Airfreight sea freight and

overland).

We also have our own workshop for packing

assembling and storing cargo.

Our services cover most of the countries

including USA , Asia,Europe,Africa and Australia

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Dananeer15% off all goods and reduced course rates.

2299 7662

Dental Clinic22% off all dental services

2252 5234,225 72002,2563 0002/3/4,2564 4888

Dawat International Restaruant10% off all food and beverages

2241 1685/2241 1728 and 2372 4251/2254/259

Ethan Allen Furniture Store15% of all furniture and soft furnishings.

2240 8800

Equity and Bond Associates Ltd 25% Off on cost of making your Wills.

Special Offer for One Month: A Discount of KD.

60 from 17th February till 17th March 2009

24613161/2/3

Email: [email protected]

Hertz Rental20% off daily/weekly 15% off monthly.

Also international rates.

2484 8034

Hilton Kuwait Resort15% off all selected restaurants

Teatro Italian Coffee shop

Songbird Café

Wavebreaker

Blue Elephant

2372 5500

Hilton Hotel10% off Hiltonia Beach Club

2372 5500

Holiday Inn Salmieh25% off all restaurants

1847 777 ext 5302

L’Aroma Café Lobby Coffee Shop

Tang Chao Chinese Restaurant

Ayman Zaman Lebanese Restaurant Open Air

Terrace plus VIP room.

International Optique20% off prescription glasses, 15% off all

sunglasses, free eye examination by qualified

optometrists and free audiology tests.

2572 2980

Inchcape Shipping Services Worldwide Movers 66933217 / 22434752 ext 373

10% discount on packing and removals for any

domestic moves within Kuwait.

78




78

Johnny Rockets20% off all food and beverages.

2575 0404

Kei Japanese Restaurants15% off all food and beverages at Marina

Crescent Marina Crescent 2224 4630

Kuwait Medical Center - Salmiya Branch

15% off all dental treatment performed

by Dr. Linda Asfour

Kuwait Medical Center - Salmiya Branch

Tel: 25759044/45/46

- Surgical and cosmetic dentistry

- Root Canal Treatment

- Periodontal Treatment and Surgery (Treatment

of gum diseases)

- Crowns and Bridges

- Ceramic crowns and veneers

- Implants (Branemark, ITI System).

- Wisdom teeth operation

-Children Dentistry

Lui Thai Handicraft Co. Salem Al Mubarak Clothing, Pearls at excellent prices, silver

jewellery and semi precious stones.

25744855

Lawyer ServicesWe also have the services of a Lawyer who

speaks excellent English.

He is giving 20% to our membership. Please

contact the Benefits Director for details.

J. W. Marriott 15% off on all food and beverage items

Terrace Grill Restaurant

La Brasserie Restaurant

Café Royal Restaurant

2241 5072

The Marriott Courtyard15% off on all food and beverage items

Al Forno Restaurant (Lunch & Dinner)

Atrium Restaurant (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)

Tiramisu Coffee Shop

22997000

The Marina Hotel6Palms

The Atlantis -15% off on all food and beverage

items

The Marina Hotel Health Club 15% off on Health Club Membership at the

Marina Hotel

Tel: 2223 0030

79



Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a20% Food and Beverage discount at Movenpick

Restaurant

(including our famous Friday Brunch), Beldani

Seafood Restaurant, Veranda Coffee Lounge and

Pool Bar

10% Discount on 6 months or 12 month hotel

membership, includes access to 200m of golden

beach, fabulous pools and shapes gym.

Radisson SAS Hotel25% off on all food and beverages at Al Bustan

all days

25% at the Peacock Restaurant Sat to Wed

Lunch only

25% off at Rangoli Restaurant

Tel: 25756000

Royale Hayat Hospital10% to all our Medical Services ((Excluding

Doctor fees, Pharmaceuticals and Medical

Consumables)

10% from Elements Spa by Banyan Tree on the

following:-

- Pre and Post Natal Care Packages

-Time Honoured Traditions Packages -All

Massages (The discount is excluding beauty

treatments (Hand & foot treatments, hair

treatments and waxing).

RHH Cosme Surge & Anti-Aging Centre is also

pleased to offer 10% Discount. This will entitle

the recipient to Medical Esthetic Treatment;

laser hair removal per session, mesotherapy,

botox and fillers. (This offer excludes cosmetic

surgery procedures). Gardenia Hall and Al-Jouri

Hall are utilized for celebrating a new born or

as a multi purpose room for lectures, and are

pleased to also offer 10% discount for any of

your needs.

(The offer is not applicable to our promotional

prices).

Safir Hotel10% off all food and beverages in all restaurants

10% negotiable on outside catering

10% off Dry Cleaning Service

2252 3829, 2256 3797

TNT Courier Services.40% off all services

24610888

Taal Restaurant Indian Cuisine15% off all food and beverages

This offer will not be applicable during Eid

Holidays and cannot be combined with other

offers or promotions.

2225 3142/43

Lawyer ServicesWe also have the services of a Lawyer who

speaks excellent English. He is giving 20% to

our membership. Please contact the Benefits

Director for details.

80



Royale Hayat Hospital 10% to all our Medical Services ((Excluding

Doctor fees, Pharmaceuticals and Medical

Consumables) 10% from Elements Spa by

Banyan Tree on the following:- Pre and Post

Natal Care Packages

Time Honoured Traditions Packages

All Massages

(The discount is excluding beauty treatments

(Hand & foot treatments, hair treatments and

waxing).

RHH CosmeSurge & Anti-Aging Centre is also

pleased to offer 10% Discount.

This will entitle the recipient to Medical Esthetic

Treatment; laser hair removal per session,

mesotherapy, botox and fillers. (This offer

excludes cosmetic surgery procedures).

Gardenia Hall and Al-Jouri Hall are utilized for

celebrating a new born or as a multi purpose

room for lectures, and are pleased to also offer

10% discount for any of your needs.

(The offer is not applicable to our promotional

prices

AlGhanim Barwil Shipping Company (ABS) 66911896

30% discount to all members on all our services.

Our services include: import, export, or

clearance logistics of all kinds of items/goods.

Working with both personal and commercial

shipments, we transport items via air, land or

sea as well as clearance and logistics.

We have our in-house dept for personal effects

working on both imports and exports (door

to door services via Airfreight sea freight and

overland).

We also have our own workshop for packing

assembling and storing cargo.

Our services cover most of the countries

including USA , Asia,Europe,Africa and

Australia

UK- Ezi Solutions

66181364

20% Discount off on Website designing,

Developing-programming &

Solutions, Web hosting & Domain Registration

Musaad Al Saleh Travel Co.65550661

10% Discount off on Wataniya Airways

& Gulf Air.

Al Sirhan International25746567

15% Discount off on restaurant “Napket” in

the second phase on the Avenue Mall and 15%

discount on all Spa services at their Spa and

Saloon, “Spaloon - Spa and Salon for Men”

Gulf Union Solar Solutions 99256044

10% Discount off on all products


6BRITAIN OPEN FOR BUSINESS

7UK Trade & Investment

The changing shape of UKTI

1 We will become more entrepreneurial, drawing on private sector talent to help us pursue high-value opportunities at home and abroad. A new private sector delivery partner will be incentivised to land big inward investment projects, while a new Tech City Investment Organisation, headed by a leading technology entrepreneur, will work to deliver investment to the East London innovation cluster.

2 We will become more collaborative, working to develop a whole of Government approach. We will also seek dialogue with business when developing strategy, establishing a new Strategy Task Force as well as new Sector Group Task Forces with members drawn from some of the UK’s most innovative companies. For SMEs, we will develop partnerships with

The ever-increasing competition in global markets demands that we change our role and reach – and that is exactly what we are doing. Over the coming months, UKTI will change across three key areas:

the UK’s major banks, the accountancy and legal professions, and representative business organisations, in order to raise awareness among SMEs about the benefits of exporting.

3 We will become more open and accountable, with our results published online in an easy to read format, open to public scrutiny and assessed independently. We will report on the number and quality of investment projects won for the UK; the Gross Value Added for each investment project; and the number of jobs resulting from each investment as well as providing opportunities for SME exporters to provide real-time feedback on the service they receive.

Over recent years, UKTI has had a proven, positive impact on trade and investment. But our plan for the years ahead is not to stand still and stick with the status quo.

THE CHANGING SHAPE OF UKTI

Britain Open for Business

THE BRITISH EMBASSY



THE STRATEGY

The strategy

Focus on targeted inward investment:

• We will attract investment to maintain Britain’s position among the top three destinations for inward investment. We will introduce an enhanced bespoke service for foreign direct investors, including in-depth market analysis, predictive targeting and tailored business propositions.

• We will target institutional investors, such as sovereign wealth funds and overseas pensions funds, to win investment for large scale infrastructure and regeneration projects in the UK.

Focus on high growth and innovative SMEs:

• We will step up our efforts to encourage significantly more SMEs to export and seize opportunities in high growth and emerging markets, taking steps to link high-potential firms to trade finance, credit insurance and venture capital.

Focus on high-value opportunities:

• We will help bring high value opportunities home through a programme of intensive support for larger companies seeking to win overseas contracts ranging from £250 million upwards.

• We will also identify major supply chain projects which provide opportunities for SMEs across a wide range of sectors.

Focus on building strategic relationships:

• We will introduce key account management of the most significant inward investors and the UK’s top exporters through a new cross Government Strategic Relations Unit which will give key inward investors and exporters a seamless, “one stop” service and speedy resolution of bureaucratic obstacles to doing business.

In order to maximise the impact made with taxpayers’ money, UKTI in partnership with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), has identified four pathways to growth for the years ahead.



Advanced manufacturing

Defence and security

Infrastructure Healthcare and life sciences

Services

Aerospace

Agrifood

Automotive

Chemicals

Energy

Defence

Security

Construction

Environment and water

Transport (airports, marine, ports, railways)

Healthcare

Industrial biotechnology

Pharmaceuticals and medical biotechnology

Creative industries

Education, skills and training

Financial services

Professional and business services

Retail

Technology

Low carbon

Priority high growth and emerging markets

Brazil China India Turkey

Colombia Egypt Hong Kong

Indonesia Malaysia Mexico Qatar

Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore

South Africa South Korea Taiwan

Thailand UAE Vietnam

The strategy

Focus on rebalancing the economy

• We will introduce programmes of specialist sector based support across a range of innovative and technology rich sectors, including advanced manufacturing, defence and security, infrastructure, healthcare and life sciences, services, technology and low carbon.

Our focus on the four pathways to growth will be underpinned by:

Focus on high growth and emerging markets:

• Working with the FCO, we have identified 19 high-priority markets where we will intensify efforts and shift further resources to help UK companies seize opportunities.

Focus on the Olympics

• UKTI will work in partnership with other agencies, to capitalise on the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics to enhance the UK’s reputation. A major international business programme will aim to attract inward investment and boost British exports over the course of the run up to the Games and beyond.



THE STRATEGY

The strategy














THE STRATEGY

The strategy













THE BRITISH EMBASSY




Appendix: What’s new?APPENDIXWHAT’S NEW?A summary of new activities announced in UKTI’s new strategy.

Four pathways to growthPathway 1: Targeting innovative and high growth SMEs • Develop new SME outreach

partnerships with business organisations, business schools, foreign diaspora business networks and major businesses.

• Create online peer-to-peer self-help community for UK exporters. Pilot with technology companies from late 2011 and roll out more broadly in 2012.

• Partnership with the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) to promote an expanded range of capital and credit insurance products.

• Linking SMEs up with overseas venture capital. New programme to be launched in autumn 2011.

• Improved Tradeshow Access Programme, delivered in partnership with Trade Associations. From spring 2012.

• Business service for defence and security SMEs, including an interactive web presence.

• Programmes of high impact UK regional events to raise awareness about high growth and emerging markets. Commencing autumn 2011.

• Free business mentoring for companies taking their first steps into new markets, through a global network of advocates for Britain (Catalyst UK), from autumn 2011.

• Prize for first time SME exporters, to be judged by a panel of “dragons”, aimed at recognising excellence and inspiring other companies to export for growth. Autumn 2011.

Pathway 2: Bringing high value opportunities home• High Value Opportunities programme

offering intensive support for larger companies seeking overseas contracts ranging from £250 million to more than £1 billion, with supply chain opportunities for SMEs.

Pathway 3: A pipeline of high quality inward investment• Enhanced bespoke service for foreign

direct investors, including tailored business propositions, to create a pipeline of high quality inward investment projects.

• Portfolio of large scale UK infrastructure and regeneration projects to be marketed to overseas institutional investors in partnership with Infrastructure UK.

• Regional support services for inward investors in England delivered by an incentivised private sector partner.

• New “fast-track” services for less R&D intensive investment projects. Summer 2011.

Pathway 4: Building strategic relationships• Key account management of the most

significant inward investors and the UK’s top exporters, through a new cross-government Strategic Relations Unit. From summer 2011.

Underpinning the four pathwaysSeizing global opportunities• Systematic deployment of resources

to the new priority high growth and emerging markets of Asia, Latin America, the Gulf and Russia.

• Intensified use of government-to-government relations to overcome barriers to trade with priority markets, in partnership with UK business organisations. From autumn 2011.

• Establish ASEAN-UK Business Council and work to establish other partnerships for the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America. Scoping work has commenced.

• Premium visa services to be rolled out in more priority markets by the UK Border Agency in line with demand.

• Pilot chargeable Global Overseas Market Introduction Service providing long term support to larger companies making significant use of UKTI services to secure multiple orders. From autumn 2011.

• Pilot chargeable bespoke service linked to a “success fee” to help UK companies win major trade contracts, through an intensive level of support using dedicated, specialist resources. From spring 2012.

• Intensive use of commercial diplomacy by the UK’s entire overseas diplomatic network linked to new FCO Charter for Business.

Promoting balanced and sustainable growth• Programmes of specialist support for

new priority sectors, overseen by new Sector Group Task Forces with members recruited from major UK-based businesses. Starting summer 2011.

• New Global Technology Task Force, working in partnership with the Technology Strategy Board and Global Science and Innovation Network, to attract new entrepreneurs and substantial inward investment, including venture capital and angel funding.

• New Tech City Investment Organisation, headed by a leading technology entrepreneur, tasked with creating an iconic global technology hub in the East End of London.

• New programme of support for UK retailers to enable them to seize opportunities for global growth. From spring 2012.

We will we forge strong partnerships across Government, to promote growth through exports and inward investment, with:

• Defra (Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) − to ensure the food and drink sector is able to take full advantage of the potential for growth through global trade.

• DECC (Department for Energy and Climate Change) – to attract investment to the UK for low carbon energy, in particular to build offshore wind capability.

• MOD (Ministry of Defence) – to improve the up-front “exportability” in its acquisition process, to help UK defence suppliers sell their products to overseas buyers as well as the UK armed forces.

• DH (Department of Health) – to establish an entrepreneurial NHS Global brand, to underpin the drive by UK healthcare related businesses to win orders in high growth and emerging markets.

• British Council – to develop an enhanced one-stop service for UK universities seeking to internationalise.

• MoJ (Ministry of Justice) – to promote the UK’s world beating business arbitration and commercial law services.

• DCMS (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) – to develop a marketing plan for the digital industries and raise global awareness about the UK’s creative industries.

• DfID (Department for International Development – to help UK companies compete for aid-funded business.

Boosting the UK’s global reputation• Growing the global Catalyst UK

network of “advocates for Britain” from 100 to 500 by summer 2012.

• International business programme for London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics to create a lasting economic legacy for Britain. Roll out has commenced.

Rising to the challenge• Create Strategy Task Force, with

members drawn from the most innovative UK-based companies, to provide guidance on the future direction of both UKTI and ECGD. Autumn 2011.

• Publish performance results online (our impact on business performance of the exporters and investors we serve) in an easy to read format. From summer 2011.

THE BRITISH EMBASSY


THE BRITISH EMBASSY

Consular Section

(For a full update on the consular section see page 88. )

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.ukThe 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.

87

Head of Trade & Investment:Duncan Hoyland – (+965) 22594362

Senior Trade & Investment Advisors:Paul McKay – (+965) 22594363Irene Ronald – (+965) 22594365

Trade & Investment Advisors:Gula Al-Sharafi – (+965) 22594366Romeo Rosario – (+965) 22594364

Defence & Security

Alec Gribble – (+965) 22594336Fiona McKay – (+965) 22594337

General Enquiries:

Fax: (+965) 22594368 or 22594339

[email protected]

British Embassy Switchboard:

Tel: (+965) 22594320Fax: (+965) 22594339


THE BRITISH EMBASSYTHE BRITISH EMBASSY

This summary highlights some of the main ways you can help yourself stay safe abroad and what help we can provide if you do get into difficulty.

Staying safe overseasCheck our travel website on • www.fco.gov.uk/travel or call 0845 850 2829. Keep an eye on news reports of any problems in the area you are visiting. Get full travel insurance or an overseas health •plan. If you do not take out proper insurance, you will normally have to pay the costs of any emergency yourself, including expensive medical bills. If you choose to go to a country against our travel advice, this may seriously restrict any help we can provide and may also mean that your travel insurance is not valid.At least six weeks before you go, check with •your doctor what vaccinations and other health precautions you may need to take for your trip. Take any prescribed medicine with you and keep it to hand, as well as a copy of the prescription.Make sure your passport is valid and in good •condition, and that you have any necessary visas. Fill in the emergency contact details in your passport.Leave copies of your passport, insurance policy •(plus the insurer’s 24-hour emergency number), ticket details, your itinerary and contact details with your family and friends.Take enough money for your trip and some •backup funds, such as traveller’s cheques (in sterling or US dollars) or credit cards. Before you leave, find out how you can replace your traveller’s cheques and credit cards if you lose them, and keep a separate note of their numbers.Before you go, get a good guidebook and get to •know your destination. Find out about local laws and customs, and follow them. Be aware of your personal security and take sensible precautions to protect yourself.

Who we can helpWe can provide the support to people outside the UK who are:

British nationals (whether or not they normally •live in the UK)British nationals with another nationality (known •as ‘dual national’), although this will depend on the circumstancesEuropean Union nationals or, in certain •circumstances, Commonwealth nationals whose country does not have a local mission

We cannot provide this support to other countries’ nationals, even if they may have been legally living in the UK.

What kind of help we can provideWe offer help which is appropriate to the individual circumstances of each case, including:

issuing Emergency Travel Document (ETD)•providing information about transferring funds•providing appropriate help if you have suffered •rape or serious assault, are a victim of other crime, are ill or in hospitalproviding details of local lawyers, interpreters, •doctors and funeral directors doing all we properly can to contact you within 24 hours of being told that you have been detainedoffering support and help in a range of other •cases, such as child abductions, death of relatives overseas, missing people and kidnapping

contacting family or friends for you if you want•making special arrangements in cases of terrorism, civil •unrest or natural disasters.

We cannot:get involved in private disputes over property, •employment, commercial or other mattersget you out of prison, prevent the local authorities from •deporting you after your prison sentence, or interfere in criminal or civil court proceedingshelp you enter a country, for example, if you do not •have a visa or your passport is not valid, as we cannot interfere in another country’s immigration policy or proceduresgive you legal advice, investigate crimes or carry out •searches for missing people, although we can give you details of people who may be able to help you in these cases, such as English-speaking lawyersget you better treatment in hospital than the treatment •that is given to local peopleget you better treatment in prison than local prisoners, •although we may raise concerns with local authorities if treatment falls below internationally recognised standardspay any bills or give you money from public funds•make travel arrangements for you, or find you work or •accommodationmake business arrangements on your behalf•make sure you will be safe in another country – safety •and security are matters for the government concernedprovide compensation if you are affected by a major •catastrophe or terrorist attack

Our valuesWe set high standards for the support we can provide. When we offer you support, we will:

be polite, helpful and professional•answer consular enquiries either in person, by letter or •over the phone, as efficiently and quickly as we canexplain clearly from the start what help we can give and •when you may need to get help from othersmake sure suitable arrangements are in place for •answering genuine emergency calls outside opening hours, both in London and overseas keep your personal information confidentialmake sure everyone has access to our help, no matter •what their sex, race, age, colour, sexuality, disability or religionlearn lessons if things go wrong or as a result of useful •feedbackdeal with complaints fully and fairly•

You should:treat our staff with respect (if you are physically or •verbally abusive, we may refuse to continue to help you)have full travel insurance, or healthcare and any other •appropriate cover if you live or travel abroadhave made preparations before travelling – for •example, packing medicine, having any necessary vaccinations, and leaving details of your itinerary with family or friendshave researched your destination, including checking •our travel website (www.fco.gov.uk/travel)follow• local lawstake• local advice about what is safe or unsafe, and follow this adviceavoid• unnecessary risks and take care of your travel documents and moneybe• prepared to pay for some types of consular support

– for example, issuing an emergency travel document (we do not make a profit from these charges, which we make only to cover the costs of providing consular services).

Consular Section


British Council Celebrates 50/20 with UK Alumni in Kuwait

THE BRITISH EMBASSY

Denise Waddingham, Deputy Director of the British Council said: ‘The reception was an opportunity to mark the strong links that exist between the United Kingdom and Kuwait, with education being one of the most important and long lasting. The UK has a long tradition of excellence in education built on centuries of experience, combined with a spirit of innovation. In addition, a UK education provides the skills required for success in an ever-more competitive global market. We were delighted to see so many distinguished UK graduates gathered together from a variety of professions and to see the benefits of a UK education in Kuwait first-hand’.

Guests included senior business figures and leading individuals in Kuwait, faculty from Kuwait University and the Public Authority of Applied Education and Training and representatives from some of the international schools in Kuwait. The Kuwait Association of British

Alumni (KABA), an organisation devoted to nurturing relationships between Kuwait and the UK through its networks, was also well represented.

The British Council’s global Higher Education work has a strong focus on international student mobility and connecting UK alumni across the globe. ‘Student mobility provides by far the greatest opportunity for students to develop international understanding but this can be supported by strengthened alumni networks and events such as this and we look forward to continuing our engagement with UK alumni in Kuwait’ commented Rafat Abu Taleb, British Council’s Education Manager.

The British Council’s next Education UK Exhibition (EDUKEX) will be held in Kuwait on 23 and 24 November 2011.

For more information, please visit: www.britishcouncil.org/me

The British Council hosted a reception on 23rd March at the British Embassy Residence with leading alumni from UK universities. In this special 50/20 anniversary

year, the event highlighted the central role that education plays in the relationship between Kuwait and UK. Approximately 4,000 Kuwaitis are currently studying in the UK and it is one of the foremost destinations for students wishing to gain an undergraduate or postgraduate degree or to study English.


As ever, the activiities of the BLS have a dual purpose of creating strong relationships between members, introducing them to kuwaiti life and culture and also raising funds for the worthwhile nominated charities - breast cancer breakthrough UK and the new world class hospice for Kuwait Bayt Abdulla.

The events this year have received overwhelming positive feedback and have included excursions to The Grande Mosque and Kuwait Oil Field.

The British Ladies Society had a collaborative event with the British Business Forum. This much anticipated fashion show was held in the beautiful gardens of the British Embassy was a wonderful success!Fashion fans from across Kuwait came to support the stunning catwalk show which included collections from UK designers Matthew Williamson, Alice Temperly and Jaeger which were provide by resident fashion group Al Othman, as well Karen Millen and Next.

Months of hard work and long hours, working in conjunction with the British Business Forum has been worth every minute.We incorporated the fashion show concept into our 50-20 plan which is a series of

British Ladies Society

In a historic year for Kuwait celebrating the liberation 20 years ago and independence 50 years ago, this has been one of the busiest years for the British Ladies Society and

reflects the population of both British ex-pats and associate members from a host of other countries.

events running throughout the year and we were very proud to have had such a successful evening.

Another annual event that takes place within the BLS calendar is the Spring Bazaar, which was held at the Raddison Blue. Here over 36 vendors participated. This was followed by an excellent dinner provided by Raddison Blue and was attended by our Patron Maria.

A strong feature of the BLS has been the guest speakers who each month educate, inform and entertain ! This year has seen some fantastic evenings including Emma Nicholson who is a European Member of Parliament. We also had Laurie Santos, a motivational speaker who demanded audience participation and delivered thought provoking interpretations.

I would like to thank Maria Baker, our Patron, for her support and enthusiasm which we hope will continuie long into the future.

As the temperature soars and our journeys begin, I wish you all a very exciting sojourn and remember to come back and support the BLS.

COMMUNITY GROUPS


Raise your hands in success!

Highlight your move into the professional world!

*Call or visit us today!

+965 18481116331/2/3/4

+965 24732032

Despatches.indd 1 4/28/11 10:48 AM


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. For 2010 the club

has reverted to its original name of ‘Scorpions’ and

will no longer use ‘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] AlDoub Vice Chairman [email protected] 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]


Kuwait Caledonians

Kuwait Caledonian Society is a charitable society 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 available to those demonstrating a genuine regard for Scottish culture. Our gatherings are amongst the most colourful and popular in the expatriate social calendar and each year raise substantial amounts for Scottish and Kuwaiti charities. Details for all events will be publicised in the local press. Specific enquiries may be addressed to:

Nanette McCulloch Tel : 9983 0865Sam 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 16th Cultural Season, organized in conjunction with the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, got underway on 4 October 2010. 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 Email : [email protected]

DAI Forum

For the second season, people interested in cultural opportunities should add Wednesday nights to your DAI schedule. The 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month are set aside for the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah Music Circle; the 2nd Wednesday is reserved for the book club; the 4th for other activities, including lectures and workshops.Helena D’Souza Tel : 2240 0992, ext 19 Email : [email protected]

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

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COMMUNITY GROUPS

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 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 Email : [email protected]

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 Email : [email protected] 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 2009/2010 we are supporting Operation Hope (Kuwait) and Breakthrough Breast Cancer (UK).

Contact details: [email protected], +965 9780 6905, www.theblskuwait.comPremises: Rumaithiya, Block 9, St 99, House 1 (corner of St 99 and St 96), Basement (see website for opening hours)

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

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 WheldonDistrict Commissioner Tel : 66405350e-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

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2011/2012

Email: [email protected] Fax: 2232 2040, Enquiries: 2232 2038

Aviation, Travel and Hosp. Art & Culture Fashion

Civil ID No./

We helped her start a new business

That's our client, and together we're growing

At Gulf Bank, we are w~th our clients every step of the way. We continue to evolve, grow and succeed to help them

achieve their goals and aspirations.

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dispatches magazine june 2011

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