Issue 27
Aafiya TPA
Aafiya TPA has carved a niche as a first-rate integrated service provider for healthcare management, designed to facilitate high quality provision of health insurance services across the UAE and wider region Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Callam Waller The GCC’s insurance industry is booming. Growing at more than 10 percent a year, the sector will be worth $44 billion if financial advisory firm Alpen Capital’s research is proven correct. Fuelled by rising insurance awareness, economic revival and infrastructure developments and an expanding consumer base, insurance has become big business for both local and multinational companies in the region. Another key growth factor identified by Alpen is the implementation of mandatory health insurance in the UAE, and companies such as Aafiya TPA, set up in 2015, have been able to establish themselves as flagbearers for health insurance provision. Literally translating as ‘good health’, Aafiya describes itself as a hub which connects insurance companies, policyholders and healthcare providers. Its core services include risk management, client management, policy administration, analytics, market research and case management, among others. “While our basic role is to function as an administrator, we understand the need to facilitate cashless service at the time of your medical necessity,” it states on its website. “Aafiya is committed to patient safety and emerges as a trustworthy healthcare facilitator in the region.” The power of networking Aafiya’s provision of services to its more than 600,000-strong membership is based around a formidable network of partners. This includes close relationships with leading insurance providers based in the GCC: Takaful Emarat,…
King Hussein Cancer Center
Jordan’s King Hussein Cancer Center recently doubled its capacity to provide leading-edge treatment to one of the world’s most deadly diseases Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Callam Waller Cancer – one of the most high-profile illnesses and second leading cause of death in the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the disease will be responsible for 9.6 million deaths this year, or one in six mortalities. Arrow in on low- and middle-income nations, and you will find that 70 percent of all cancer deaths occur in these countries. There is also an enormous economic impact associated with the condition – the total annual economic cost of cancer in 2010 was estimated at approximately $1.16 trillion, a figure which is rising. In the Middle East, the WHO predicts that cancer cases will double by 2030. If the region, and indeed the world is to tackle this growing threat, then the work carried out by the likes of Jordan’s King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) is going to be vital. Established by Royal decree back in 1997, Amman-based KHCC now treats more than 60 percent of all cancer cases in Jordan, with survival rates comparable to anywhere else in the developed world. Developed in collaboration with leading institutions from around the world, the centre’s clinical cross-departmental services cover: breast cancer, gastrointestinal malignancies clinic, adult lymphoma, head and neck, thoracic, gynaecological malignancies, sarcoma, adult neuro-oncology, genitourinary malignancies, thyroid, adult leukaemia, adult ocular oncology, paediatrics solid tumours, paediatric neuro-oncology, and paediatric leukaemia services. Such work will continue to be…
Scan Electromechanical
Catering to a range of market segments, Scan Electromechanical has become renowned as one of the region’s leading facilitators of power and energy
DP Facade
Director Mathieu Meur explains how Singapore’s DP Façade is able to draw on the expertise of nine other business units spread across multiple architectural-related disciplines and territoriesWriter: Tom WadlowProject Manager: Tom CullumFaçades, perhaps contrary to popular opinion, serve a far greater purpose to a building than providing an attractive frontage. In an age where the popularity of green buildings is booming, the need for a façade to boost performance in energy efficiency as well as differentiate aesthetically from others in ever-busier skylines is more pressing than ever. Add in the indispensable element of a building’s safety, and it is no surprise that the global demand for façade expertise is expected to reach $337.8 billion by 2025. This figure, produced by Grand View Research, represents an annual growth rate of more than seven percent, driven by the demand for sustainability and cost-effective heating and air conditioning systems. Another striking observation is that Asia Pacific dominates the façade sector. In 2016, the region accounted for 30 percent of revenues thanks to growing construction of commercial and industrial buildings in the likes of China, India and Southeast Asia. DP Façade, headquartered in Singapore, could not be better situated to take advantage of and influence this exploding market. As one of nine specialist units operating under DP Architects, its origins can be traced back to 1967 when Design Partnership (DP) set up shop as a small architectural practice just two years after the country achieved independence. Koh Seow Chuan, William SW Lim and Tay Kheng Soon established the business with the aspiration ‘to produce architecture that uplifts…
Quality Architectural Systems
Thanks to its comprehensive expertise built up across numerous architectural disciplines, QAS is able to cater to bespoke client needs and continues to produce spectacular results Writer: Tom WadlowProject Manager: Tom CullumNot many international companies founded in 2005 can claim to be made up of the same staff who have been with them since day one.From financial crashes through to the explosion of new technologies and unparalleled levels of global interconnectivity, the past 13 years have seen the makeup of organisations around the world change drastically.Arrow in on the GCC construction industry and the testing market conditions of recent years, and the likelihood of recording a near zero staff turnover is all the more slim.Dubai-based Quality Architectural Systems (QAS), however, has achieved this feat.Formed in 2005 during the construction boom period, Director Damian Pollard and his team saw a market for premium systems, a market which could be tapped into through offering exceptional service and client support.“The key strength of the business is our staff, who have been with us from the start and remained committed and motivated,” Pollard says. “This gives us experienced and qualified personnel who understand the system requirements and marry this to the architectural requirement of the client. “QAS is a small, tightly knit family and recruitment is an unusual event – we have grown organically and will continue to do so, expanding our core facility only through known individuals that we know will fit the team.”With a stated aim to deliver an optimal contribution to the realisation of first-grade architectural ideas, QAS…
Dumagas
Having successfully restructured its entire business model, Dumagas now stands proud as a transportation services leader in RomaniaWriter: Tom WadlowProject Manager: Richard Thomas Despite clear and obvious challenges, Eastern Europe’s logistics industry recovered during the course of 2017. Specifically, research body Transport Intelligence highlighted Romania as a market showing particular promise, its road freight sector alone expected to grow by €1 billion between 2018 and 2020. Romania is seemingly shielded from some of the unfavourable conditions facing the wider continent, be it staff shortages or lagging investment in infrastructure, and companies like Dumagas are playing its part in ensuring the sector continues to develop strongly. The transport pioneer has been particularly successful in attracting and retaining skilled employees, which for CEO Mircea Vlah are the Company’s most valuable assets. “Dumagas Transport S.A. holds the highest expertise in managing trucks and drivers in Romania,” he says. “This represents a high-value asset nowadays as drivers are hard to find and manging a low margin business becomes heavier for all transport companies.”Operating a fleet of 200 owned and 200 subcontracted trucks alongside a 5,000 square metre low temperate warehouse, Dumagas generates 80 percent of its revenue from full truck load activities and 20 percent from logistics. Such services include transportation of general cargo, car carriers, industrial gas tankers (argon, nitrogen, oxygen) and low temperature warehousing and distribution of food.“We operate with modern processes and procedures which allow us to have an exceptional control of operations and take quick action to change course and improve results month by month,” Vlah adds. “Everything is managed by our ERP…
Etmam Logistics
Formed in 2016, Etmam Logistics is the long-standing Shahini Group’s latest venture that seeks to provide first-class 3PL services across Saudi Arabia Writer: Tom WadlowProject Manager: Richard ThomasAs Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify its economy away from a near total dependence on oil exports, the country is increasingly evolving into a regional trading gateway. The likes of retail, ecommerce and healthcare are among the industries fuelling this diversification, and with it crucial infrastructure development covering roads, ports, rail links and airports to help such sectors deliver their respective goods. This is therefore an exciting time for KSA’s logistics industry. In 2015 it was worth $19 billion and is set to play a vital part in the country realising its plan for the future, Vision 2030, which sets out to decrease dependence on oil and emerge as a leading transhipment hub. Food distribution is one of the most important segments within the Saudi logistics market and has been the staple business of family-owned Shahini Group, set up by Shaikh Abdulaziz Shahini in 1965. In 2016 the decision was made to establish a separate third party logistics (3PL) enterprise, a company which now operates as Etmam Logisitcs and is run by General Manager Samer Shahini, Shaikh Abdulaziz’s grandson. “Founding Etmam was driven by the gap we saw in the market for quality third party logistics providers and the need that the Group has for its own expansion geographically,” he states.“My journey started much earlier. I have been working with the family since 2003, joining the ladder from its very lowest rung, working on…
Auto Fasteners
Starting out as just an idea and a laptop in 2007, Scott Simpson has grown Auto Fasteners into a professionally established supplier for OEMs around the world Writer: Tom WadlowProject Manager: Thomas ArnoldFor a 22-year-old business owner about to enter his second year of trading in 2008, waking up to news that the global financial markets had collapsed may not have been the most welcome of events. It is difficult enough to build a sustainable business from scratch. Despite the huge numbers of fledgling companies setting up in the UK, statistics show that around eight in 10 of these startups fail inside 12 months.For Scott Simpson and Auto Fasteners, the 2008 crash could quite conceivably have signalled a premature end to an entrepreneurial dream.However, fast-forward a decade and the firm is now recognised as a tier one supplier of fasteners and specialist small parts for some of the world’s largest vehicle manufacturers. Still based in Simpson’s home county of Warwickshire, in Southam, Auto Fasteners now stands as a £4 million enterprise with a global supplier and customer network and is currently on target for sales of nearly £6 million in 2019. “Nothing beats the feeling of seeing your perseverance pay off with an order from a globally recognised company,” says Simpson. “Constant communication, travelling the globe for meetings, dealing with rejection – it is all worth it when that deal comes through.” Humble beginnings Simpson’s story begins in 2007.Armed with nothing but an idea and a laptop, he set about securing his first customer and through sheer perseverance secured his…
Baur Formschaumtechnik s.r.o
Having doubled its production capacity in just two years, Baur Formschaumtechnik s.r.o is looking to maintain its rapid rise through major investments and continual expansion Writer: Jonathan DybleProject Manager: Thomas Arnold“Today I’m in the car for eight hours, driving from the Czech Republic to Bridgend in Wales where I’ll be tomorrow. From there I’m travelling to London on Monday, Abingdon on Tuesday, Cologne on Thursday and then I’m going to be back in the Czech Republic on Friday Morning.”Speaking to Nicholas Gwynne, and his satnav, it is clear that Baur Formschaumtechnik s.r.o (Baur s.r.o.) is moving into both busy and exciting times.Having joined Baur at the end of 2015, then transferring to Baur s.r.o, the firm’s Czech Republic unit, less than a year later during an internal restructuring phase, Gwynne is now playing an integral role in overseeing its transformative regional expansion plans as Jednatel (CEO) of the business.Just two years ago, Baur s.r.o. was producing approximately 90,000 polyurethane part pieces for the automotive industry per week. Now, it is hoped that the Czech Republic operations alone will be producing more than one million part pieces per month by 2020.“Having a built a brand-new plant 95 kilometres from our existing site, we began operating there in 2018, largely due to the rising demands for polyurethane parts that we have been receiving from our customers, and due to the expansion possibilities that the new plant allows,” explains Gwynne. “In the short time since, we’ve already doubled our production capacity, and are looking to ramp this up even further…
Event preview: 2019 MENA Vehicle Aftersales Congress
Demand for cars in the Middle East is rising year by year, and the number of autos in the region is expected to reach 44.5 million by 2020. That makes MENA an eye-catching market for automobile aftermarket business. In this context, the largest automobile aftermarket summit in Middle East region organised by Borscon Group - 2019 MENA Vehicle Aftersales Congress - is to be held on March 27-28 in Dubai, gathering more than 280 decision-makers and stakeholders and providing participants with industry knowledge on market conditions and innovation.The summit features two day sessions. Insight keynote session on Day 1 - the topic of the general conference is “Market Overview and Policy Environment for the aftersales stakeholders”. Three parallel forums are to focus on IAM Special, OES Channel and Commercial Vehicle Aftermarket separately on Day 2. Concurrent activities during the summit include panel discussion, coffee breaks and networking.Why you must attendLargest C-Level aftermarket summit in the Middle East region280+ global decision-makers120+ aftermarket dealers/distributors/garages concepts delegates28+ international speakers30+ media exposures15+ global leading aftermarket solutions brands Numerous stakeholders in the aftersales market will attend, including: OEMs, Parts Suppliers, Parts Distributors, Auto Garage Concept, Remanufacturers, Dealers, Vehicle Insurers, Used Car Dealers, Auto Finance Companies, IT Solution Companies, Lubricant Companies, E-commerce Platforms, Fleet Companies, Refinish Coating Companies, Assistance Companies, Associations, Other Related Industry Sectors, Government Authorities, Policy Makers and Regulatory Authorities, Research and Academic Institutions, Industry Trade Associations etc.The TOP 20 first-Registered delegates could enjoy a 20%-OFF early-bird discount. For more information about MENA VAC 2019, please visit: www.vac-intl.com Contact the organising committee Tickets & Sponsorship: Kevin…
For the love of beer: An interview with Mahou San Miguel’s Erik d’Auchamp
“An ice-cold Mahou I would describe as my staple, but some of our partner brewers’ beers like Avery’s coconut porter I also have a taste for at the moment. That’s the good thing about our portfolio, it allows me to explore lots of different varieties.”Erik d’Auchamp unashamedly loves beer.Born in Brazil, the Dane started his career at national favourite Carlsberg in 2000 and has since moved to the USA, Spain, India, and back to Spain, where he now assumes the role of Managing Director of Mahou San Miguel’s International Business Unit.“I have fallen in love with the category, whether it be beer, non-alcoholic beer or water which we also work in,” d’Auchamp continues. “We have seen so many different styles and flavours introduced over the past two years – beer today is not what it was 20 years ago.“It has become far more accessible and sophisticated. Some of the barrel-aged products we are seeing currently I didn’t think were possible two decades ago. In some cases beer is competing with spirits, offering flavours that remind you of the drinks that used to be made in those barrels, like rum or whisky.” Against the grain D’Auchamp not only works in an industry he holds a deep-rooted passion for, but one which his employer is currently thriving in.Mahou San Miguel enjoyed a record-breaking year, bucking the trend of the wider market. In 2017 the brewer turned over €1.26 billion, equating to 16.6 million hectolitres of product made.Around 13 percent of business is generated by sales from d’Auchamp’s international unit,…
SIAL Middle East returns for yet another record breaking edition in 2018
In 2018, SIAL Middle East is gearing towards to welcome 1,000+ exhibitors, 20,000+ visitors and up to 500 fully hosted VIP buyers. The event is held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and is organised in strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA).The event this year will feature innovative food, beverage and hospitality products from categories including (but not limited to) grocery products, dried products, confectionery, biscuits and pastry, non-alcoholic beverages, fruits and vegetables, dried fruits, dairy products, eggs, delicatessen, ready meals, meat and tripe, fish, molluscs and shellfish and cured and salted meat. More than 65 percent of the exhibitors at the event this year will be new to the region, which opens up opportunities for buyers and trade visitors representing dealers/distributors, HORECA/foodservice, retail and airline catering sectorsIn addition to engaging with the industry throughout the year using different mediums, SIAL Middle East has number of activities and events over three days that give additional reasons for visitors to come. These activities and events make SIAL Middle East stand out from other trade events in the region.As the host of region’s largest culinary competition La Cuisine, SIAL Middle East welcomes 1,000+ chefs to the event every year. Senior regional and international chefs take guided tours daily to meet with exhibitors at their stands as part of the Roaming Chefs initiative, ensuring the exhibitors with foodservice offering see just the right…
Talking technology with the BBC
Long gone is the heyday of vinyl, something that millennials and Gen Z now refer to as ‘vintage’.In truth, the exponential world of technology that has fundamentally changed our lives is no better reflected than in the rapid progression of the music industry.In the way of statistics, 2017 best highlights this.Total global revenues from music streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music rose 41 percent to $6.6 billion for the year, surpassing CD revenues for the first time which comparatively accumulated $5.2 billion.Meanwhile, aside from such services, it is estimated that YouTube accounted for 46 percent of all music streamed worldwide (not including China) last year, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.Compare this to 2005 when YouTube didn’t even exist, CDs accounted for $17.9 billion in global revenue and digital music contributed for a much lower $1.1 billion, it is easy to see how quickly the industry has moved in little more than a decade.For many, it was hard to envisage the transformative potential of technology in relation to the music industry at the turn of the millennium. However, Cyrus Saihan, currently the British Broadcasting Corporation’s Head of Digital Partnerships, did anticipate the growth in opportunity.“I originally started out as a lawyer in the city, but seeing how the music landscape was changing with the launch of iTunes and MP3 players, I joined Ministry of Sound. I had a great time working there, experimenting with new types of digital content like ringtones and mobile videos,” he reveals.“A few years later,…
Q&A: DNV GL discusses the future of smart energy
That cities need to become smarter and countries greener is no new train of thought.The Paris Agreement of 2015, adoption of which is widely accepted as necessary to avoid future climate catastrophe, sets out plans to keep long-term global warming well within two degrees Celsius.Scandinavian nations are among the most visibly committed to holding up their own end of the bargain. Shortly after the Paris accord was struck, Norway placed in law a commitment to ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2025 in a bid to go 100 percent electric.This is just one way in which countries are looking to cut emissions, with smart city and energy policies also important in moving towards meaningful carbon reduction. In the Norwegian private sphere, DNV GL is one organisation at the forefront of this movement both at home and abroad. Prajeev Rasiah is Executive Vice President & Regional Manager (Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa) for the Company, responsible for operations in the UK, Ireland, Nordics, Baltics and Benelux areas, and UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Oman and Israel.“DNV GL is a global quality assurance and risk management company, driven by a purpose safeguarding life, property and the environment,” he explains.“With origins stretching back to 1864 and 12,000 employees spread across 350 offices in over 100 countries, we provide classification, technical assurance, software and independent expert advisory services to the maritime, oil & gas and energy industries. We also provide certification, supply chain and data management services to customers across a wide range of industries.”Discussing further…