COVER CONNECT11_Layout 1

Transcription

Connect
A Zain Magazine | November 2010
Issue 11
SOLIDARITY IN A MESSAGE
ZAIN CHAMPIONS GROUND-BREAKING
UNRWA FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
RAMADAN ACROSS ‘A WONDERFUL WORLD’ • SCREEN LEGEND
OMAR SHARIF • APPLE APPS MANIA • BABYLON’S GLORY •
LIFE’S AN OFFICE • ROLLS-ROYCE’S WHISPERING GHOSTS
CEO’S MESSAGE
Excelling on
many fronts
I
t gives me great pleasure to welcome both
our Arabic and English readers to the 11th
issue of Connect, Zain’s corporate magazine.
As the name suggests, Connect allows us to
create a tighter bond with our customers and
our community. In this issue, we not only
celebrate Zain’s outstanding results for the first
nine months of 2010, but we will also be
covering the various Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) and entertainment
initiatives the company has undertaken recently.
First of all, I want to mention our activities
during the Holy Month of Ramadan, when we
showed how Zain could bring joy to the
community across all operations, while at the
same time observing the period with traditional
piety. The poor, the elderly and the
disadvantaged all benefitted from our many
Ramadan projects, while we used the modern
technology at our disposal to educate, create
awareness and ultimately help our customers
observe this special and solemn occasion in the
most fitting manner.
Back to the boardroom and the results for the
nine-month period ending September 30, 2010,
have shown that that our bottom line is in
excellent health. The company recorded
consolidated revenues for the period of KD 1.01
billion ($3.5 billion), an increase of 8.4%
compared to the same period of 2009, with the
number of customers served reaching 35.3
million, an increase of 25%. These results are a
constant reminder that our corporate trajectory is
on track and that we are focused on our key
financial targets of increasing value.
In October, Zain won, for the second year in a
row, the the “Best Brand”award at the 4th
Annual Telecoms World Awards, Middle East.
Such a prestigious prize confirms that the Zain
brand has caught the imagination of the region,
perfectly reflecting the aspirations and thinking
of our customers and the wider telecom
industry. It was also pleasing that Zain’s mobile
operation in Jordan was also rewarded by
taking the Best Arabic Application prize.
Regarding our CSR activities, it gives me great
pleasure to tell you of the successful marketing
campaign across the Middle East to promote
fundraising activities in support of the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) to create
awareness of the agency’s humanitarian work
and raise money to improve the living
conditions of Palestinian refugees. We at Zain
talk of ‘A wonderful world’, but it would be
nothing more than a slogan unless we backedup what we said with action. The campaign is
one way of doing this, and it highlights Zain’s
commitment to improving the lives of those
less fortunate among us.
In keeping up with social media trends, Zain
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have joined Bahrain
and Jordan operations in signing up with the
social networking site Twitter, which boasts 100
million users worldwide. This compliments our
other ongoing social media activities such as
Facebook and YouTube, while our Wikipedia
page is constantly being viewed and updated by
many interested visitors. Zain is also monitoring
the latest social media trends that will allow us to
constantly engage with our online customers.
Zain is working on all fronts to build on what
has become an amazing brand, one that
reflects the spirit of humanity while at the same
time demonstrates our commitment to
fostering solid corporate ideals.
Nabeel Bin Salamah
Chief Executive Officer
Zain Group
3 CONNECT NOVEMBER 2010
CONTENTS
24
3
Message from the CEO
24
A month of reflection and giving
Zain played its part in bringing
Ramadan joy to the community
ALERTS
6
Zain in the news
Zain Group announces healthy
nine-month financial results;
company wins best brand for
second year in a row at World
Telecom Awards; Bahrain
honored by Ministry of Social
Development; Iraq expands its
network in Kurdistan; Jordan
celebrates 15 years; KSA shows
more growth; Kuwait enters
Smart code era, and Sudan signs
Murabaha agreement
34
GIVING BACK
30
The most leading of men
Connect profiles Omar Sharif,
international heartthrob and
the Arab world’s most famous
movie star
JOURNEY
18
A city of harmony
Amman has a rich and glorious past
DISCOVERY
22
40
Roots of all things great
The ancient city of Babylon is
sited in modern Iraq
Zain’s contributions to the
social and economic development of its communities
Zain Group launches SMS fundraising campaign for Palestinian
refugees; over 20,000 schoolbags are
distributed in Bahrain’s five governorates; summer training program
for IT engineering students held in
Iraq; Jordanian students rewarded
for exam results; Shabab Tamouh
give blood in KSA; Kuwait announces
a new campaign to combat breast
cancer and Sudan provides funds for
over 15 schools
GIANTS IN TIME
14
RAMADAN SPECIAL
METROPOLIS
34
Zain’s entertainment activities
across all its seven operations
Customers can download ringtones
from Fairuz’s latest album on Zain
Create; Bahrain staff and customers
enjoy summer fun and festivities at the
Big Breakfast; Dr Al Jaber enters GTB
top 100; Kuwait joins Twitter; KSA soccer fans win BlackBerry phones in
COVER PHOTO:
One of a series of ads
created by Zain to support
UNRWA’s SMS fundraising
campaign (see page 30)
Contributors:
Mona Alami, Maya
Khourchid, Nicholas Lowry,
Matt Nash, Norbert
Schiller, Gareth Smyth
Photography:
Norbert Schiller private
collection, Focus Mideast,
Zain Group, Reuters
Editing:
Vinehouse Media
30
Color Separation
and Printing:
www.raidy.com
World Cup contest and Zain Sudan
hosts games in Kuala Lumpur
Produced by:
Zain Group
Communications
Department with
Vinehouse Media
MOBILE LIFE
36
New frontiers of creativity
From cooking curry to seeing how we
look in 30 years, apps are the new rage
40
Life’s new office
The revolution that makes us all
reachable, but which can set us free
42
Express yourself
42
The phone has joined the list of items
we must think about if we want to
project the right image
GREEN AFFAIRS
46
The world is heating up
Head Office Bldg
Bldg 401, Road 2806
Block 428, Al Seef District
P.O. Box 5808
Manama
Kingdom of Bahrain
Tel.: +973 1 3605551
www.zain.com
info@zain.com
Sweltering summer raises hopes for
action on global warming
RADIANCE
48
Treading carefully
Walking can lead the way to better
health and increased mental strength
ICONS OF DESIGN
50
Whispering ghosts
Rolls-Royce is more than a motoring
icon. It has become a symbol of luxury
and craftsmanship
36
ALERTS
GROUP
Best brand... Again
O
n October 6, 2010, Zain won, for
the second year in a row, the
award for the Best Brand at the 4th
Annual Telecoms World Awards,
Middle East, held in Dubai and
organized by Terrapinn. Zain’s mobile
operation in Jordan was also rewarded
by taking the Best Arabic Application
prize. (See page 9)
In presenting the Best Brand award to
Zain Group Chief Commercial Officer,
Bashar Arafeh (right) and Zain Group
Branding Manager, Bader Al Rayes
(left), the six member judging panel
commented, “Within just three years of
its launch, Zain has not only created a
compelling brand for its products or
services in one or more branches of the
media, but it has raised brand awareness
that has made a positive impact on the
company’s market share, valuation and
bottom line. With our ‘wonderful world’
slogan and core values of Heart,
Radiance and Belonging, Zain is a brand
that has caught the imagination of the
whole region and perfectly reflects the
aspirations and thinking of its customers
and the telecom industry at large.”
The awards recognize outstanding
performance in 12 key areas
throughout the Middle East telecoms
industry and the key players that have
helped turn it into one of the most
dynamic and vibrant in the world.
Robust 9-month financial results
O
n October 13, Zain announced its
Group consolidated financial
results for the first nine months,
ending September 30, 2010, a period
in which the company recorded
consolidated revenues of KWD 1.01
billion ($3.5 billion), an increase of
8.4% compared to the same period of
2009 with customers served reaching
35.3 million, an increase of 25%.
The company’s consolidated EBITDA
reached KWD 448 million ($1.55
billion), reflecting an impressive
EBITDA margin of 44% with EBIT
reaching KWD 323 million ($1.12
billion). Net Income soared 411% to
reach KWD 976 million ($3.37 billion)
and included the capital gain of KWD
770.3 million ($2.653 billion) from the
sale of Zain Africa assets on June 8,
2010. The earnings per share reached
252 fils ($0.87).
The first nine months of 2010
witnessed an increase in total
shareholders’ equity of approximately
9.3%, reaching $9.26 billion, compared
with $8.47 billion for the
corresponding period of 2009.
Highlights of the Group’s results
include the impressive performance of
Zain’s Saudi Arabia
operation (see page 10),
now the largest revenue
earner in the Zain Group,
with $1.12 billion in
revenues for the nine
months to date and
which now serves 7.3
million customers.
Elsewhere, Iraq was cited
as Zain’s largest
operation by customers,
serving 11.8 million
people, and turned in
impressive revenue
figures of $1.1 billion for
the nine-month period to
date. The Iraqi network is being
extensively expanded to cover the
northern region of Kurdistan and will
be commercially operational by the
first quarter of 2011.
Also of note was the Sudan operation,
which recently achieved a major
milestone by attaining its 10 millionth
customer. Despite the aggressive
competition in Kuwait, the operation
continues to maintain dominant market
share and record impressive financials
on many fronts, spurred on by its many
great customer offerings. Zain Bahrain
faced similar aggressive competition.
The operation continues to achieve
satisfactory results and maintain its
technological edge on many fronts.
Zain Jordan maintained its leading
position in the Kingdom, both in terms
of customer market share and revenues.
Inclusive of Lebanon, where the
company manages the mtc touch
network on behalf of the government,
Zain is the market leader by customers
in five of its seven Middle East operations.
BAHRAIN
The ‘eeZee’ way to stay in touch
T
his summer saw the
launch of Zain eeZee,
tailor-made prepaid
packages for BlackBerry
smartphones that allows
customers to purchase
BlackBerry data bundles,
track their data usage and
top up by dialing a
dedicated number. For just
BD 9 ($23.85), customers
can access a BlackBerry
bundle of 200 MB for 30
days and additional lowcost data usage. With
Internet browsing and
BlackBerry Messenger as
well as instant messaging
and social networking
applications – like Facebook
and MySpace – customers
can stay in touch with
colleagues, family and
friends while on-the-go.
Setting the benchmark
for success
A
t a recent human resources conference in Bahrain organized
by Etqan, the consultancy and training services company, and
attended by senior managers from leading companies from across
the GCC, the Zain case study, “Managing the Challenges of Low
Productivity”, was presented. It emphasized how the company
places great value on its employees, who are encouraged and
inspired through an innovative and challenging work
environment. The Zain mantra for its staff is that people come to
work for four important reasons: to live, love, learn and leave a
legacy. Being able to cover all these factors gives people the
motivation to work and gets them to engage emotionally with
the company. In addition, employees are encouraged to adopt
the “Zain way,” which is the belief that productivity and profit
come from promoting “smart work” over “hard work.”
SOCCER TEAM
RAISES AWARENESS
Zain will sponsor the
Muharraq Club soccer
team during the 2010/11
season and work with the
team and the club to raise
funds for children with
autism by wearing a
distinctive red, blue and
yellow Support Autism
Awareness ribbon on their
jerseys to encourage the
public to donate money to
the treatment of autism
and interact more with
autistic children.
I-OFFERINGS
After offering payment
facilities on the BlackBerry
Bold and the Samsung
Galaxy S, Zain has launched
a monthly installment
scheme for Apple’s iPod and
iPhone for BD18.3 ($48.50)
and BD19.8 ($52.48) per
month respectively.
Good deeds
are never lost
T
he Ministry of Social Development recognized
Zain for its constant and generous support of
the ministry’s community welfare projects. The
award was presented by Minister Dr. Fatima Al
Balooshi, who cited the company’s many CSR
programs, including its support for the Al Rahma
Center, the annual Back to School campaign, the
Dreams Come True with Zain campaign and the
blood drive. Zain has also recently provided the
Ministry of Development with mobile handsets
and a bus for the disabled.
A one-of-a-kind experience in Bahrain
A
year-round gift spree for customers was recently
launched at the Zain SKY Shop in Manama. With
every purchase of a Zain product or service – such as
Hewar, eeZee, Mobile Broadband or Zain @ home – from
any of the eight outlets of SKY, including SKY
International, customers can win fantastic gifts for the rest
of 2010. They include home theaters and laptops as well
as a grand prize of a 2010 Toyota Yaris at the end of the
year. The Zain SKY Shop allows the company to offer
tailor-made services to Asian customers (the staff speak
Hindi, English and Arabic), and it is the only one of its
kind in the telecom retail sector.
IRAQ
Expanding across
the country
Message of
appreciation
Z
ain is expanding its network in the northern Iraqi region of Kurdistan,
with plans to extend coverage to the regions of Irbil, Dahuk and
Suleimaniyya by the start of 2011. The company is also gearing up to set
up network towers in those areas, and tremendous progress is expected
because of the stable security situation. Zain has also inaugurated a
service center in Mosul. Previously, Zain, like other operators, had to rely
on official distributors that provide SIM cards and recharge cards to
customers. Iraqis can now access postpaid telecom services for card
replacements, compensation for lost cards and other services and data
that require direct contact with the company. Zain intends to open other
centers throughout the province in the future.
T
he governor of the historic Iraqi
city of Babylon (see Discovery
pages 22 and 23) awarded a certificate
of thanks to Zain for the effort it has
made to improve the sense of security
within the city and for delivering a firstclass service. The security situation in
Iraq has meant that the mobile phone
has become an essential tool that
allows families to stay in touch.
JORDAN
Joining forces to provide better connectivity
I
n July, six of the region’s leading
operators signed a construction and
maintenance agreement to build the
RCN (Regional Cable Network), a multiterabit cable system stretching from the
UAE to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria
into Europe. RCN will provide robust
bandwidth connectivity to the region’s
growing broadband community. It will
also provide greater diversity for each
of the operators and prevent service
disruption stemming from undersea
cable system damage.
Etisalat (UAE), Mobily (Saudi Arabia),
Jordan Telecom (Jordan), Zain/ Mada
coalition (Jordan) and Syrian Telecom
(Syria) together with other European
partners have joined forces to build
the mammoth 4,000 kilometer
diversified cable system, which will
provide reliable telecom and Internet
connectivity for all users in those
countries and the surrounding nations.
RCN is the first terabit, terrestrial cable
that connects Europe with the region
and will provide extra capacity to help
meet future needs.
15 happy years in Jordan
O
n September 23, Zain Jordan
celebrated 15 years of operations.
To mark the milestone, the company
has launched “15 years between us,” a
yearlong campaign during which Zain
will honor those who have contributed
to its achievements and customers will
benefit from unprecedented offers and
services. Also to mark the occasion,
Rotana’s popular morning show
“Bisaraha Ma’ Al Wakeel” hosted by the
popular radio host Mohammad Al
Wakeel (far right) was broadcast from
Zain’s headquarters. Hundreds of
customers turned up to join in the
celebrations and hear Jordan’s most
popular radio show which has a daily
listenership of around 3 million.
Zain is the market leader with 2.7 million
customers and has been the most
energetic in its introduction of innovative
services. Zain directly employs about
1,000 employees. At the same time, for
each direct job created by Zain, dozens
FIFTEEN-YEAR HIGHLIGHTS
• 1995: Known then as Fastlink, it is the
first company to launch mobile
telecom services in the Kingdom
• 2000: Introduces WAP services in
the Middle East for the first time
• 2002: Is the first to introduce MMS
services in the Middle East and is
among the first operators in the
region to introduce GPRS technology
• 2003: Zain, then known as Mobile
Telecommunications Company (MTC),
acquires a majority share in Fastlink. The
deal is the largest single acquisition in
of indirect jobs are created in related
industries. The company has established
a strong tradition of corporate social
responsibility (CSR), donating over JD25
million ($35 million) to training, health,
youth, social development and
education.
Zain’s contribution to the treasury since
its establishment is more than
JD 1 billion ($1.4 billion) in both direct
the Middle East and the largest private
sector investment in Jordan at the time
• 2006: His Majesty King Abdullah II
visits Zain headquarters to recognize
its role in serving the community
• 2007: Is the first to introduce postpaid
and prepaid Blackberry service in
Jordan. Fastlink rebrands to Zain.
• 2008: Is awarded the Al Hussein
Decoration for Distinguished
Contribution (First Class) by King
Abdullah for its CSR work. Opens
the Mobile Maintenance Center
(MMC) to support by developing
and indirect taxes, revenues and fees for
frequencies and licenses, etc. Zain’s
contribution to the government in 2009
stood at around JD 120 million ($169
million). The company’s investments in
the network and related spending to
create jobs, improve services and
stimulate the economy have exceeded
JD300 million ($420 million) over the
past five years.
vocational training in Jordan
• 2009: Launches the first 4th generation
Internet wireless and high speed Internet
service WiMax-E-Version
• 2010: Expands the cross border One
Network to link with the Palestinian
Telecom Group Paltel. Sixteen
students graduate from the MMC.
Zain receives Her Majesty Queen
Rania who visits the company’s HQ
• 2010: Wins Best Arabic Application
prize at the 4th Annual Telecoms
World Awards, Middle East in Dubai,
for its easy-to-use tourism directory.
Best Arabic Application prize
O
n October 6, 2010, Zain Jordan won
the Best Arabic Application prize
(accepted by Zain Jordan’s Director of
Corporate Communications, Diala Muwlla)
at the 4th Annual Telecoms World Awards,
Middle East held in Dubai. The service
allows customers to browse a
comprehensive directory on the most
important tourist sites, shopping areas
and restaurants in the kingdom and can
be downloaded for free. An easy-touse search engine enables them to surf
a wide spectrum of images and maps
as well as check weather forecasts.
KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
Mighty 3rd quarter growth
F
ollowing an announcement in August
that Zain Saudi Arabia (Zain KSA)
plans to increase its capital by SAR 4.4
billion ($1.2 billion) through a rights issue
to fund the company’s continued growth
in the Kingdom, the company
announced on October 13, its third
quarter 2010 results. It reported
significantly higher revenue for the
period with an increase of 101% to
SR1.66 billion ($443 million) compared to
reported revenue of SR825 million ($214
million) for the third quarter of 2009.
The third quarter revenue for 2010 is also
up by over 14% compared to second
quarter revenue of SR1,450 million ($377
million) for 2010.
Gross profit increased by 193% to SR712
million ($185 million), compared to
SR243 million ($63 million) during the
same period in 2010. Operational losses
for the period decreased significantly by
65% to SR235 million ($61 million) when
compared to losses of SR668 million
($173 million) in the third quarter of
2009. Net loss for the period saw an
improvement of 34% to SR544 million
($141 million) compared to a net loss of
SR820 million ($213 million) for the same
period in 2009. This continues the
positive trend from the second quarter
of 2009, which saw a reported net loss of
SR632 million ($164 million), a sequential
quarterly improvement of 14%. The loss
per share improved by 34% to SR0.39
MANY HAPPY RETURNS
Zain recently celebrated the
second anniversary of its
commercial operations in Saudi
Arabia by offering customers a
bundle of free services,
including 200 minutes of call
time, 200 SMS, 200 MMS and
200 minutes of Internet access
via the Zain network that could
be used from August 28 to
August 30.
($0.10) from SR0.59 ($0.15) year-on-year.
The company succeeded in increasing
the volume of broadband usage and
calls within its network which reduced
the cost of on-net calls, a move that
was reflected in the reduction of the
net loss by more than 34% to SR544
million ($141 million) compared to
SR820 million ($213 million) for the
same period in 2009. The reduction in
cost was also reflected in the year-onyear increase of gross profit by 43%
compared to the 29% increase for the
same period in 2009.
The company will soon achieve 93%
national coverage as part of the
second phase of its expansion plan
and should reduce its operational
costs further with less national roaming
agreements. Zain is aiming to have 10
million customers, increase revenue to
SR8 billion ($2.1 billion) and increase
EBITDA to SR1.5 billion ($390 million)
by the end of 2011.
Enhancing the BlackBerry
experience
F
ollowing the announcement by the
Saudi Arabian Communication and
Information Technology Commission
(CITC) that it would allow companies
to continue offering BlackBerry
Messenger services, Zain announced
that it had completed the technical
development program of its
BlackBerry service in the Kingdom,
which includes a comprehensive
upgrade of service capacity and an
increase in connection speeds to RIM
(the exclusive worldwide BlackBerry
service provider) servers by
establishing new connection circuits.
Zain also announced that it would
continue to offer the BlackBerry
service with unlimited data.
Faster data
A
fter announcing a major breakthrough
in the development of its 4G network,
which supports advanced LTE technology,
Zain revealed that it has set a new regional
record in data transfer speed at over 145
MB/s. The service is fully operational in the
Kingdom, and LTE technology will be
efficiently provided at top capacity once
regulatory authorities set aside the
necessary frequencies. Zain customers will
then be able to enjoy voice and data
transfer services with top quality at high
speeds, making the company the first realtime service provider to do so in the country.
Boosting connections
T
he King Fahd Stadium in
Riyadh is now covered by
external and internal systems
to boost its advanced highspeed Internet support
network. Zain provided
wireless Internet to the
stadium’s media center and
conference hall as well as to all
people present in those areas.
The boosting systems have an
immense capacity, making
them able to easily assimilate
the high number of Zain
customers at the stadium and
in it parking lots at rush hours.
At the speed of light
Z
ain has expanded its 3G network
to cover more than 28 cities and
now serves over 70% (up from an
initial 55% when first launched in
August 2008) of KSA’s population.
The rolling out of the 3G network
has been a priority for the company,
and achieving such vast coverage in
a short amount of time is a
significant achievement. The project
has not only seen the installation of
the latest technology, but also the
delivery of more value-added
services to customers.
SIGNING TO BETTER
SERVICE
To achieve a greater level of
service, Zain Kuwait
announced it will teach its
sales staff sign language to
communicate with deaf and
mute customers.
A BROAD SCOPE
KUWAIT
Smart code revolution
Z
ain announced that it has entered
the era of smart codes – encrypted
images that herald a whole new era in
value-added services. The Scanner QR
Code that is part of all modern
applications and technical solutions in
the telecom industry will usher in a
digital revolution in the Kuwaiti market
due to ease of use. Encrypted symbols
are saved as an image read by
smartphones. These symbols may refer
to websites, services, SMS or cell phone
numbers. Instead of calling customer
services or sending an SMS to
subscribe, customers only have to take
a small, encrypted image in the code
corner of his/her cell phone. The phone
then reads the encrypted image and
then seconds later, the customer
receives download instructions in the
case of a song, prayers or videos, or a
written text after it is decrypted.
In July, Redknee, the
business-critical billing and
charging software for
communications service
provider, announced that it
is enabling Zain Kuwait’s
launch of mobile
broadband services.
LUCKY NUMBER 19
In July, Zain increased the
number of its branches in
Kuwait to 19 with the opening
of an outlet in Al Bairaq.
Others to recently open were
in Al Quran, Al Subahiya and
Al Mansher.
LEBANON
A signal of unity
I
n July, mtc touch sponsored the
6th RaMSiS (Radio and Mixed
Signal Integrated Systems)
Summer School under the theme
of “Next Generation Mobile
Communications: Chipset Design
and Applications.” The event,
which was held at the Notre
Dame University (NDU) campus
between July 12 and 14, was
jointly organized by NDU’s
Faculty of Engineering and the
RaMSiS group at the ICT School
of Stockholm’s Royal Institute of
Technology. The two-day
summer school is held every year
in a different country with a
different theme and different
speakers. It includes lectures
given by internationally
renowned experts in the fields
of wireless semiconductors and
wireless communication
systems from Canada,
Germany, Lebanon, Sweden
and the USA. The objective is
to promote research in mobile
communications, infrastructure
and applications by bringing
together industry insiders and
academia. Also integral is
addressing the challenges
facing the next generation of
mobile technology – from
finding new applications for
infrastructure to exploring highperformance and cost-effective
techniques to implement it.
All about the numbers
I
n August, mtc touch introduced a
series of new mobile numbers
starting with the code 76 for both
“magic” prepaid and “touch”
postpaid lines. The move comes
after the supply of mobile numbers
with 03, 70 and 71 codes were
DISCOUNT FEVER
Following the Ministry of
Telecommunication’s decision to
reduce off-peak tariffs on August
25, mtc touch introduced a 20%
discount on all local voice calls
and SMSes made between 10
p.m. and midnight, with the
discount increasing to 40%
between midnight and 8 a.m.
exhausted. The 76 series is
approved by the Ministry of
Telecommunications and the
Telecommunications Regulatory
Authority and are now available at
all mtc touch service centers and
points of sale.
SUDAN
A bright future
A reflection
of success
I
Z
n late August, Zain Sudan
signed a Murabaha agreement
with a number of Arab and local
banks worth €270 million ($369
million) to finance the current and
future growth projects to expand
the Sudanese market, one of the
fastest growing in the field of
mobile communications. Boubyan
Bank handled the management of
the three-year funding plan, along
with an alliance that included the
National Bank of Kuwait, Gulf
Bank and Commercial Bank of
Kuwait in addition to leading
Arab banks – such as Arab Bank
(Bahrain), and Bank Audi and
Byblos Bank (Lebanon). Zain also
plans to invest more than $226
million in network expansion in
Sudan, particularly in the areas of
capacity and information
development, in order to cover
more than 85% of the country.
ain registered its 10 millionth customer and
honored its top ten most loyal Postpaid, Prepaid
and roaming customers at a banquet. Elsewhere,
Zain commemorated 10/10/10 by becoming a
strategic partner of the Regional Forum that
declared Khartoum the 2011 Social Responsibility
(CSR) Capital. The forum, attended by 30 CSR
experts from 14 Arab countries, aimed to set proper
and practical methods of managing this important
tool for community advancement within the fields
of health, education, skills development and
training, and the protection of the environment.
Beauty everywhere
You can see it with your mind, hear it with
your heart and savor it with your soul.
GIANTS IN TIME
The most leading of men
Connect profiles Omar Sharif, international
heart throb and the Arab world’s most
famous movie star
H
andsome, charming and
talented, Omar Sharif’s
commanding screen presence
has captivated the attention of
audiences around the world for more
than five decades. Indeed, the
Egyptian actor, who rose to
international stardom with his
performance as Sherif Ali in the 1962
film “Lawrence of Arabia”, holds a
unique place in cinematic history.
Sharif’s piercing gaze and hard-toplace appearance made him one of
Hollywood’s most memorable leading
men of the 1960s. Teaming up with
some of the best directors of the day,
his filmography includes, “Doctor
Zhivago”, “Funny Girl”, and the
aforementioned “Lawrence of Arabia”.
His time atop Hollywood was short-lived,
limited for the most part to the 1960s,
but his linguistic abilities—he speaks
Arabic, English, French and Greek
fluently—enabled him to find success in
a variety of foreign productions. While
his most well-known roles were in the
iconic Hollywood films of the sixties,
perhaps his finest performance came in
the 2003 French film Monsieur Ibrahim.
No longer acting with the same
frequency he once did, he now chooses
his roles with a lot more care, limiting
himself to about one a year.
Born Michael Demitri Shalhoub in
Alexandria in 1932, Sharif grew up in a
wealthy Catholic family. His father owned
a profitable lumber company, while his
mother was an avid card player (a
passion she passed on to her son) and a
good friend of with King Farouk.
A young Omar Sharif at the start of his glittering career
Sharif attended Victoria College in
Alexandria, and then went on to study
mathematics and physics at Cairo
University. His time at Victoria College
greatly influenced his life. It instilled in
him a love of theatre, most importantly
a passion for acting, and left him
fluent in several languages. Despite
developing an interest in acting early
on, Sharif’s entrance to the stage was
not immediate.
Following his graduation from
university, he returned home and
worked briefly for his father.
Unsatisfied with life in the lumber
With British acting legends, Peter O'Toole (right) and Alec Guiness (left), in David Lean's 1962 “Lawrence of Arabia”
business, Sharif eventually moved back
to Cairo in the hope of pursuing a
career in film.
His first role came in the 1954 Egyptian
film “Siraa fil Wadi” (“The Blazing Sun”)
directed by Youssef Chahine. It was in
the credits of this film that Sharif first
assumed the name by which he would
become famous. The first-time actor
was fortunate enough to star across
from Faten Hamama, an already wellestablished Egyptian actress.
The intense chemistry between the
two young actors fueled the film’s
success and led to several more films
featuring the couple. Their chemistry,
however, was not limited to the screen,
and in 1955, much to the delight of the
Egyptian public, the couple married.
Sharif converted to Islam in order to
do so, an act that only increased his
already significant fame.
Sharif continued to land big roles at
home, and by the end of the decade
had cemented himself as one of the
leading Egyptian actors of his
generation. But it was not until famed
British director David Lean asked him
to be in the epic “Lawrence of Arabia”
that he became a household name
around the world.
Originally signed on to play a minor
character, Lean eventually asked him
to play Sharif Ali, Lawrence’s trusted
partner and friend. It was a great role
for his first Western film.
His first role came
in the 1954
Egyptian film
“Siraa fil Wadi”
(“The Blazing
Sun”). It was in the
credits of this film
that Sharif first
assumed the name
by which he would
become famous
Western audiences first saw Sharif as
a tiny black speck, bobbing in the
distance. Slowly his figure takes
shape, and his striking features soon
become discernable. This image of
Sherif Ali slowly riding into focus
remains one of the most iconic and
dramatic in film history.
His performance in “Lawrence of
Arabia” earned him an Academy
Award nomination and launched him
into global stardom. In 1965, he again
teamed up with Lean for his most
famous role, the title character, in the
romantic epic “Doctor Zhivago”.
Sharif put in a stirring performance as
the famous but ultimately tragic
character of Doctor Zhivago, an
esteemed poet turned doctor, whose
life is continuously thrown off course
by the Russian Revolution. The film costarred a the beautiful Julie Christie
and was listed as one of the top 100
hundred films of all time by the
American Film Institute in 1998. It also
cemented Sharif’s status as one of the
most dashing and charismatic leading
men ever to grace the screen.
even wrote a syndicated newspaper
column on the subject.
But his professional success came at a
cost. Constantly abroad working on
films, Sharif’s marriage could not bear
the strains of distance. He and
Hamama separated in 1966 and
divorced eight years later in 1974.
Sharif never remarried and maintains
that Hamama is the only woman he
has ever loved.
Through the 1970s, 80s and 90s, Sharif
acted only out of necessity, when his
love for bridge and gambling
demanded he earn more money.
Despite his marital issues, Sharif’s success
continued with the 1968 romantic
musical “Funny Girl”. He played Nicky
Arnstein, the gambling, entrepreneur,
husband of famous Broadway star Fanny
Brice, played by Barbra Streisand.
Despite the film’s success, it was his last
major Hollywood hit.
Following a string of flops, Sharif
turned his attention to his other
passion, bridge. He created the
“Omar Sharif Bridge Circus”, touring
the world and becoming one of the
world’s top contract bridge players. He
But in the last decade, he has had an
artistic rebirth, brought on by his touching
performance as a Turkish-Muslim
shopkeeper in the French film “Monsieur
Ibrahim”. He won best actor at the 2003
Venice Film Festival and a Cesar award for
his portrayal and reminded the world that
he can still carry a film.
He followed up his performance in
“Monsieur Ibrahim” with a role in the
Hollywood film “Hidalgo”, with Viggo
Mortensen. Most recently he can be
seen in the 2009 French film “J’ai Oublie
de te Dire” (“I Forgot to Tell You”) and
the Egyptian film “Al Mosafer” (“The
Traveler”). Acting less and less, Sharif
dedicates most of his time to his son
and grandchildren and now lives mostly
in Cairo.
Omar Sharif (second from right) with director Ahmed Maher and actors Cyrine Abdel Nour, Sherif Ramzy and Khaled Elnabawy promoting “Al Mosafer”
(“The Traveler”) at the 2009 Venice Film Festival
Some look for happiness.
Others create it.
JOURNEY
Amman, the capital of Jordan, with a population of just over 2 million is the largest city in the Hashemite Kingdom and lies on the western edge of the Arabian Desert
A city of harmony
Amman is a modern city with a glorious past
ancient world stand harmoniously
intertwined. The sight of a Roman
colonnade alongside a modern steel
and glass structure merely indicates
another chapter in the city’s long and
ever changing tale.
Amman has had a very long and varied
past. Considered one of the oldest
continuously occupied cities of the
world, its origins date back to 8500 BC
and the Neolithic period. Recent
excavations at Ain Ghazal, in eastern
Amman, have turned up artifacts
suggesting a well-developed
civilization existed there. Other
excavations around the citadel have
turned up other early settlements
dating back to the Bronze Age (3300 1200 BC). During the Bronze Age, the
colony traded with Mesopotamia, Syria
and countries as far away as Cyprus
and Greece.
References in the Bible indicate that
by the beginning of the Iron Age (1200
BC) Amman, then called Rabbath
Ammon, was the capital city of the
Ammonites. King David, who reigned
in Jerusalem, accused the Ammonite
King Nahash of insulting him and
responded in force by sending his
army into Rabbath, toppling the
Ammonites. For a short period
Rabbath remained under the control
of King David and later his successor
Solomon. Even though there is
mention of Rabbat Ammon in the Old
Testament, historical evidence
becomes blurred for the next few
centuries. We know that the city was
conquered and destroyed several
times at the hands of the Babylonians,
the Assyrians, the Persians and the
Greeks under Alexander the Great. It
is not until the 4th century BC that a
clearer picture emerges.
A
mman, the capital of Jordan,
with a population of just over 2
million is the largest city in the
Hashemite Kingdom and lies on the
western edge of the Arabian Desert,
overlooking the fertile Jordan Valley.
Originally built on seven hills, the city
has since expanded to cover all the
surrounding hills and valleys and has
been at the crossroads of civilization
for 9,000 years and continues to play
an important role in the region.
It remains a refuge, a city drenched in
history, whose story can be seen
carved in stone. It is a blend of old and
new, a place where modernity and the
Under the Hellenic ruler of Egypt,
Pholemy Philadelphus (283 – 246
BC), Amman was rebuilt and renamed
Philadelphia, after its Hellenic
conqueror. The Seleucids succeeded
the Ptolemy dynasty, and then the
Nabitataeans held it until roughly 30
BC. The Roman era transformed the
entire region, and Philadelphia
Today Amman is a
flourishing
metropolis with
thriving banking,
business and
tourism sectors. It
is the jumping off
point for many
businesses
operating in Iraq
and in a way has
become the
gateway to the
Arabian Desert
Almost half the population of Jordan today, lives in and around the capital
became the center for Rome’s
expansion into Arabia. The Romans
built grandiose temples, theaters,
public buildings, gardens and
colonnaded streets. Philadelphia
became part of the Decapolis League,
an alliance of ten Roman-ruled cities
that included such well-known and
preserved sites as Jerash, Gadara
(Umm Qais), Pella and Arbila (Irbid).
This alliance of cities became part of
the larger network of Rome’s trading
hubs that stretched as far away
as China.
By 326 AD, Amman was predominately
Christian and became the official seat
for early Christian bishops of the
Byzantine period. At around 250 AD a
Christian tribe called Ghassanians
migrated from Yemen to Philadelphia
and gave the city back its original
Semitic name Ammon, or Amman.
By the end of the 7th century the face
of Amman changed yet again with the
spread of Islam throughout the
Arabian Peninsula. Initially the city
flourished under the rule of the
Umayyad Caliphate in Damascus and
the Abbasids in Baghdad, but slowly it
fell off the radar as trading routes
shifted. After a series of earthquakes
that destroyed the city, Amman fell
into disrepair. During Ottoman rule
the town of Salt, 30 kilometers to the
north, replaced Amman as the regional
capital. It wasn’t until the end of the
19th century, when the Ottomans
resettled a colony of Circassians
fleeing Russian persecution, that
Amman began to look up once again.
In the early 20th century Amman saw a
temporary revival when the Ottoman
Sultan decided to make the town a
stopover on the newly created Hejaz
railway linking Medina, in Saudi
Arabia, with Damascus. The railroad
was built in order to facilitate the
annual Muslim pilgrimage and to set
up a permanent trade link with the
eastern part of Arabia. In 1921 Emir
Abdullah I made Amman the seat of
government over the newly created
emirate of Trans-Jordan. In 1950, two
years after throngs of Palestinians fled
the west bank of the Jordan River and
settled in and around Amman, the
Young King Hussein declared Amman
the capital of the Hashemite kingdom.
Since the 19th century Amman has
become a place of refuge for those
fleeing persecution. Beginning with
Circassions who fled the Caucuses to
the more recent Palestinians, Amman
has been at the forefront of harboring
those in need.
During the 1990/91 Gulf war Jordan,
and in particular Amman, was once
again a haven for those fleeing Iraq and
since the 2003 hostilities in the same
country, over a million Iraqis have either
settled in Amman or used it as a transit
hub. It is a city where different cultures
and religions abound and where there
is still a feeling of harmony.
Modern Amman is bustling with
shopping malls, restaurants and
nightspots. The streets are crawling
with the latest cars, and the young are
wearing the latest in designer wear.
Everywhere you go neon lights are
advertising products, and the streets
are crowded with throngs of people.
becoming overpopulated, and, in
order to preserve the city’s
appearance, the law requires local
stone be used to cover the front of all
houses and buildings, giving Amman
a feeling of architectural unity.
There are also strict laws against
littering and police are out in force to
make sure motorist obey the driving
rules. This sense of organization
translates to all facets of society.
Foreigners visiting Amman, usually find
getting around and doing business
similar to what they encounter in most
Western countries. Go into any
neighborhood, no matter how modest,
and most people will speak a second
language, most commonly English.
Education is a priority; and
everywhere you go, you see signs
advertising trade schools, private
schools and universities. Indeed,
Jordanians are among the most
educated in the region.
Today, almost half the population of
Jordan lives in and around the capital.
Because Amman is growing at such a
rapid pace, the municipality has taken
action to prevent the city from
The new face of Amman has become
far more international, but at the same
time the city has not lost its traditional
welcoming side that make all who visit
feel at home.
Today Amman is a flourishing
metropolis with thriving banking,
business and tourism sectors.
Hardships and conflict in the rest of
the region have only helped Amman
become a regional leader. It is the
jumping off point for many businesses
operating in Iraq. In fact many
businesses with representation in Iraq
keep their headquarters in Amman. In
a way it has become the gateway to
the Arabian Desert.
Amman remains a city drenched in history,
whose story can be seen carved in stone
Modern Amman is bustling with shopping malls, restaurants and night spots
DISCOVERY
Eleven kings ruled in the first Babylonian dynasty over a period of 300 years, building magnificent temples and palaces
Roots of all things great
The ancient city of Babylon is sited in
modern Iraq
N
inety kilometers south of the Iraqi
capital, Baghdad, remain the ruins
of one of the most important
cities of the ancient world. Nestled in the
plain between the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers, the site can be reached by a fourlane road that leads just north of the
modern-day town Al-Hillah.
The ruins are from the ancient, famed
city of Babylon, the once-bustling
capital where civilization and its early
scientific, intellectual and architectural
advancements have their roots.
Babylon began as a small town in the
beginning of the third millennium BC
on the left and right banks of the
Euphrates River. It grew over a period
of an estimated six centuries to
become the prosperous capital of ten
Mesopotamian dynasties. From the
time of the old Babylonian period,
medicine, chemistry, zoology and
astronomy were practiced. Records of
highly developed religion and science
have been found, and an advanced
number system was used. These early
institutions contributed to intellectual
thought of the later Middle East as
well as Western Europe.
The city initially rose to prominence
with the first Babylonian dynasty under
King Hammurabi who ruled from 1792
to 1750 BC. He made Babylon the
empire’s capital when he gained
control of south Mesopotamia. Eleven
kings ruled in the first dynasty over a
period of 300 years, building
magnificent temples and palaces.
The area’s high water table, however,
allowed only a few architectural
achievements to remain intact.
One of these is Hammurabi’s Code,
3,000 lines of cuneiform writing
inscribed on clay tablets and steles
more than two meters high. The
inscriptions outline the common law
used to manage the empire and are
considered to have greatly influenced
legal thought around the world. After
French archaeologists discovered the
monument in 1901, parts of it were
transported to the Louvre in Paris,
where they can still be found today.
After prospering for several centuries,
the capital experienced a millennium
of waned prominence, beginning with
the Kassite dynasty’s 400-year rule
after the city was sacked. Babylon later
fell under Assyrian rule and was
eventually completely destroyed. The
city’s inhabitants were forced to rebel.
Babylon broke from Assyrian rule in
612 BC, and the city regained its glory.
It became the capital of the NeoBabylonian Chaldean Empire.
The most notable ruler during this
period of independence was King
Nebuchadnezzar II. Under his 43-year
rule, the capital blossomed into one of
the grandest cities of its time.
Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt the regal
grounds, constructed the Ishtar Gate
and created the Hanging Gardens of
Babylon, which legend says were built
for his homesick wife who moved to
the city from the forested mountains.
While no detailed accounts of the
gardens have been discovered from
ancient Babylonia, Greek historians
believed the gardens were made of
arched vaults built on stone
foundations. Accounts also say there
was an irrigation system that pumped
water down sloped channels to reach
plants cultivated above ground level.
With little actual evidence of their
existence, however, some scholars
wonder if the gardens are a myth.
But Babylon’s architectural ostentation is
evident elsewhere. The Ishtar Gate is one
of the most dramatic relics discovered
amongst the ruins. Nebuchadnezzar built
the blue-tiled, massive structure in
dedication to the goddess Ishtar. It was
the eighth and most spectacular gate to
the inner city through which the city’s
most important road, the Processional
Way, passed. It is currently housed at the
Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany.
A replica of the gate was rebuilt at the
site, where other achievements including
the Lion of Babylon and
Nebuchadnezzar’s Southern Palace can
also be found today.
From the time of the old Babylonian period, medicine, chemistry, zoology and astronomy were practiced
Following the rule of Nebuchadnezzar,
Babylon once again faced plight. On an
evening in 539 BC, as Babylon’s
inhabitants enjoyed a national feast,
Persian soldiers diverted the Euphrates
upstream to lower the water level.
Cyrus the Great and his troops
marched under the city walls in thighhigh water and greeted the merrymaking Babylonians who offered little
resistance in their moment of
merriment. Under Cyrus, the city
became a center of scientific
advancement to the extent that
mathematics flourished and astronomy
scholars completed constellation maps.
Babylon fell to Alexander the Great in
331 BC. With his death, however, the
city’s order turned to turmoil, and its
inhabitants fled. Babylon remained part
of the Persian Empire for another nine
centuries, witnessed the rise of
Christianity in the first century AD, and
eventually fell to the Islamic conquest in
the 7th century AD. The capital is
mentioned in the Bible more than 260
times, and is considered one of the most
important cities in Biblical scripture.
The first recorded excavation of
Babylon was in 1811 by Claudius James
Rich. British, French and German
archaeological teams continued to
uncover the lost city until the 1980s,
interrupted by events such as World
War I, and later, the first Gulf War. Much
of the preserved findings are dispersed
in museums around the world, while the
rest has been simply ransacked.
What is left of the city and its long-lost
grandeur continues to be threatened.
Over the years, the site was extensively
damaged damaged by factors ranging
from hasty excavation to military vehicles.
A German team of archaeologists
tainted the site’s archaeological context
in the 1880s with industrial-scale digs.
After 2003, the site turned into a military
base for the First Marine Expeditionary
Force, and later for Polish forces. A 2005
report released by the British Museum
said that 2,600-year-old pavements had
been damaged by earth-moving
maneuvers and bricks had been
removed from age-old structures.
But while remnants of the sun-dried
city may be at risk, the contributions
Babylon’s inhabitants made to the
development of civilization will forever
exist. They are rooted in the preBiblical era soil of humanity’s past.
RAMADAN SPECIAL
A month of reflection
and giving
Zain played its part in bringing Ramadan joy
to the community
BAHRAIN
CELEBRATING SUCCESS
A
Ramadan Ghabga, or social
gathering, for corporate clients
and the media was hosted by Zain
at the Ritz-Carlton. A Ghabga is a
celebration of peace and friendship,
two of the characteristics that make
up the spirit of the Holy Month.
There were plenty of activities for
the guests, including contests, raffle
draws and valuable prizes, while
popular television personality,
Abdullah Malik, emceed the event.
Zain also hosted its annual staff
Ghabga at the Sheraton Hotel. The
event was an opportunity for the
company to show its dedication to
the people that have worked hard
throughout the year.
TIME FOR CARING
Staff members visited the UCO
Parent Care Home in Hidd as part
of their outreach program to
distribute gift packs to the elderly
at the long-term care facility.
KORANIC VERSES
Zain launched the first Koran
Khatma mobile service, which
featured a daily MMS containing
readings from the Holy Koran.
Read by Mishari Al Affasy, verses
from the Koran were accompanied
by visuals of the page being read.
Aimed at highlighting the
importance of fasting, the service
was tailored to help the youth have
a better understanding of Islam.
LUCKY NUMBERS
ALL IN THE FAMILY
T
o highlight the family aspect of
Ramadan, Zain offered eeZee
and Hewar customers unlimited
calls to any Zain number from 12
p.m. to 6 p.m. everyday during the
holy month for only 300 fils ($0.08) a
day, a considerable discount. The
company also made it easier than
ever to subscribe to the services –
customers only had to dial a simple
three-digit number (eeZee) or send
a simple SMS to a five-digit number
(Hewar). As part of its Ramadan
pledge to give back to its valued
customers, Zain also gave away
shopping vouchers worth BD 40
($108) to new customers of its home
broadband and telephone services.
Besides the vouchers, customers
also enjoyed a free WiFi device, a
free wireless phone and unlimited
free calls.
Zain customers had to guess a
six-digit number for a weekly
lottery. Winners received an allexpenses paid Omra for two. A
series of other fun daily quiz
contests via SMS also allowed
participants to win cash prizes.
IN THE SPIRIT
Zain’s Ramadan bundle of offers
included spiritual guidance,
charitable donations and interactive
fun with a hook-up to a popular TV
serial. Also available were a series
of five customized Ramadan and
Eid Al Fitr inspired greeting cards
in SMS and MMS format as well as
themes, wall paper and ring tones.
IRAQ
ANNUAL STAFF PARTY
A few days before the end of
Ramadan, as is the custom
every year, the company held
an iftar for the whole staff at
the Hunting Club with
activities such as arm
wrestling, squash drinking
games and riddle telling. It
was a great way to end a
month of reflection and giving.
DONATING TO THE NEEDY
AND THE LESS FORTUNATE
S
upporting Iraq’s orphans each year
has become a tradition for Zain,
helping ensure that the kids get a basic
education and receive adequate
healthcare. Zain also takes care of them
during the holy month of Ramadan and
this year CEO Emad Makiya attended a
massive gathering with the children just
a couple of days before Eid Al Fitr and
handed out gifts of toys, clothes and
other goodies. Elsewhere in Iraq, dry
foodstuff distribution continued, and this
year, in collaboration with AMAR
International Charitable Foundation, vast
quantities were delivered to the needy
in rural and deprived areas.
JORDAN
A ROYAL
OCCASION
Z
ain launched an initiative
to give 25 annual school
grants to orphans
benefiting from the Al
Aman Fund, one of Her
Majesty Queen Rania Al
Abdallah’s institutions. The
announcement followed
Queen Rania’s visit to Zain
headquarters on the first
day of Ramadan, where she
met one of the successful
young men benefiting from
the fund, describing him as
a role model and an
example of why the private
sector should provide job
opportunities for graduates
of the Al Aman Fund.
FOCUS ON THE HOLY LAND
O
n September 8, Zain and the Al
Hilal Club concluded their joint,
month-long Ramadan activities in
Jerusalem. Among the attendees were
Adnan Husseini, the Governor of
Jerusalem; Mohammad Hussein, Mufti
of Jerusalem; Mehmet Shekerji, the
Turkish Deputy Consul General and
Father Ibrahim Faltas, the
Representative of the Custodian of the
Holy Land. Zain’s sponsorship also
included distributing 1,000 food
parcels to disadvantaged families in
the old city and organizing activities
for orphans and other organizations.
START SPREADING
THE NEWS
On August 29, Zain hosted
an iftar in honor of the
media, which was attended
by about 200
representatives from
selected local print and
audiovisual organizations.
KUWAIT
THE JOY
OF GIVING
S
taff members intensified their social
activities during the Holy Month
with visits to the Ministry of Social
Affairs and Labor’s care facilities,
including the Family Care Center,
nursing homes and orphanages.
Volunteers brought the spirit of
Ramadan to the elderly, those with
special needs and orphans, distributing
gifts donated by the company.
HAPPY TRAILS
O
ver 2,400 food packages were
distributed throughout the
country to those in need as part of
the “Zain Trails” campaign. The
special packages were donated to
several organizations, including the
Patient Help Fund, the Help Your
Muslim Brother Committee, as well
WE ARE FAMILY
as mosques around Kuwait. With
the aim of reaching as many
people observing the fast as
possible, Zain set up three tents in
Khaitan, Amghara and, for the first
time, Fahaheel, distributing a total
of 60,000 breakfast meals during
the Holy Month.
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE
A
new and exclusive series of numbers
starting with a ‘909’ area code in
addition to free platinum lines with
“Wayana 49” packages were launched
by Zain. New free Gold, Silver and
Bronze lines were offered at all Zain
branches after subscribing to Wayana
All Zain family members were
invited to a traditional Ramadan
meal during which Group CEO
Nabeel Bin Salamah
encouraged employees to
continue preserving the
company’s inspirational
‘wonderful world’ slogan. The
dinner was also an occasion to
honor those who have been
with the company for 25, 15
and 10 years.
packages – starting at KD 2.5 ($8.90) –
during the Holy Month. Subscriptions to
Zain’s various BlackBerry packages also
included free gifts, such as BlackBerry
handsets as well as E-go and MiFi
devices. Holders of prepaid lines were
not left out, with the company offering
great deals on Easy lines. With every
recharge of KD 3 or more, customers
received a prize and were automatically
entered in a lottery worth KD 1,000 in
recharges, free minutes within the Zain
network, free local text messages and
free local and international minutes.
CELEBRATING GOOD TIMES
Z
ain celebrated Qarqiaan, the
traditional mid-Ramadan trickor-treat festival that is popular
among children, at the Avenues
Mall with hundreds of customers
and visitors. Hosted by TV star
presenters Sally Al-Qadi, Omar AlOthman and Jassem Al-Obwa, the
event included many surprises for
the children, such as an appearance
by Barney the dinosaur and
competitions with many prizes.
The Qarqiaan festivities were also
shared with over 100 children with
cancer and their families at the
Women’s Cultural Association,
organized in cooperation with the
Amal Club. Presents were given out
and fun-filled competitions with
prizes kept the children entertained.
Zain celebrated the four-day Eid Al
Fitr holiday by treating its customers
and the public to a giant carnival at
the 360 Mall.
HELPING HANDS
Buses were provided by Zain at the Grand
Mosque area to shuttle worshipers to and
from parking lots during the last ten days
of Ramadan. Zain employees distributed
more than 4,000 prayer mats and 10,000
small fans to combat the heat at the Grand
Mosque and other mosques throughout
the country. Also handed out to
worshippers at different mosques across
Kuwait were copies of Al Sawm Li (Fasting
is for me).
CHARITY BEGINS WITH
A CALL
Z
ain launched a new service allowing customers to pay
the zakat, or alms, during Ramadan. “Allo Zakati” was
activated after the customer called a dedicated number.
They then simply picked their chosen charity from a menu,
the sum to be donated (either KD 1, KD 5, or KD 10),
confirmed it and agreed to have it added to their postpaid
bill or subtracted from their prepaid package. The cost of
the call was 40 fils per minute, and all proceeds were
donated to the Hamel Al Misk charitable institution.
LEBANON
BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL
O
n September 6,
mtc touch
donated school bags
and other supplies to
needy children through
several charitable
associations across
Lebanon to mark both
thye end of Ramadan
and the start of the
2010-2011 academic
year. mtc has long
supported the
education sector and
has made the issue a
priority on the
company’s
CSR platform.
A THOUSAND AND ONE
REASONS TO BELIEVE
IN MAGIC
T
o coincide with the start of
Ramadan, mtc touch
launched Alf Layleh wa Layleh, to
promote its prepaid magic
service. The campaign allowed
magic customers to enter a draw
simply by making a 10-minute call
at any time during the holy
month. The more 10-minute calls
made, the more chances
customers had of winning. The
draw was held in October, with
the lucky winner, Nasser Fayez
Hakim, receiving one hour of free
local calls every day for 1,001
days. A further 21 winners were
awarded 1,001 free SMS
messages each.
A SPIRITUAL “BOUQUET”
A
bundle of 13 Islamic channels, with
each one focusing on a specific
religious topic to offer customers
spiritual guidance were launched during
Ramadan. The bouquet included special
channels featuring the Imams of Mecca
and Medina as well as prayers from the
Al Aqsa and Al Azhar Al Sharif mosques.
For those interested in scientific studies,
customers could surf channels dedicated
to the late Sheikh Mohammed Metwali
Al Chaarawi, Sheikh Nabil Al Awadi, and
the late Dr. Mustafa Mahmoud. A special
channel was also designated for
customers to watch full episodes of
“Khawater 6” on a daily basis, which was
presented by Ahmad Al Choucairy on
the MBC cable channel. The bundle also
included Ramadan calendars and
recipes, the Mussaharati, tips, wise
sayings and Islamic blessings.
COMFORT
FOOD
H
undreds of thousands of iftar meals
were offered by Zain to those fasting in
Mecca and Medina, where there was the
highest concentration of pilgrims and
visitors. In addition to the two holy mosques
in the cities, the company extended its
annual Iftar Saem (Iftar for those fasting)
program to dozens of other key locations in
the country, including the pilgrims’ hall in
Jeddah’s King Abdel Aziz Airport and
several Mecca mosques and pilgrimage
stops. In Medina, iftar meals were provided
at the city squares, gates and mosques as
well as at checkpoints along the MeccaMedina road, while members of the
company’s Shabab Tamouh (Ambitious
Youth) program took part in the food drive
by serving and distributing the meals.
SUDAN
A STRONG LINK
Z
ain joined the Sudanese Union of
Journalists at the annual iftar, which was
attended by more than 1,000 journalists
and media representatives. With the
country heading towards an economic
boom, Zain recognizes the need for
responsible and credible economic
reporting, which is why the company
extended its support for the local media,
providing an extensive training course for
business journalists. Zain also offered to link
all media outlets in the country with an
Internet connection at a 50% discount.
GIVING BACK
Making a difference
Zain’s contributions to the social and
economic development of its communities
GROUP
OPENING THE WORLD’S EYES
An SMS fundraising campaign with UNRWA is launched to
benefit Palestinian refugees in the Levant
O
n August 22, Zain launched a
marketing campaign across the
Middle East to promote fundraising
activities in support of the United
Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). A sixweek SMS fundraising and advertising
push consisted of specially made TV,
print, billboard and online advertising
across the region. The initiative, which is
funded by Zain Group, aims to raise
awareness about the agency’s
humanitarian work and to raise money
to improve the living conditions for
Palestinian refugees.
By sending an SMS to an assigned
country, Zain customers in Bahrain,
Jordan, Kuwait, KSA and Sudan had
the opportunity to support UNWRA’s
humanitarian mission by donating
money directly to the agency’s
various programs in Jordan, Lebanon,
Syria, Gaza and the
West Bank.
The highlight of the
campaign was a
“reality” TV ad shot in
Lebanon’s Bourj AlBarajneh refugee
camp, capturing the
real lives of
Palestinians living in
the area. Through the
short film, Zain hopes
to open the world’s
eyes to the poor
conditions in the
camps and encourage
viewers to contribute to a better
future for all Palestinian refugees.
The move came two months after the
Zain Group and Zain Jordan signed two
cooperative agreements with UNRWA to
finance the agency’s largely under-
funded health and educational projects
for the roughly 5 million Palestinian
refugees across the Middle East. This
partnership was the first between the UN
humanitarian organization and a privatesector company in the Middle East.
BAHRAIN
EMPOWERING THE YOUNG
Youth City 2030 receives telecom support
O
ver the summer holidays, Zain
lived up to its promise to
empower and enable young people in
the Kingdom by supporting an
innovative youth-centric program that
leveraged their creativity and helped
develop independent thinking and
innovation. Using its modern
technology, the company provided
Internet connectivity and over 30
laptops to the media center of Youth
City 2030, the 6,000 sqm area, to be
set up at the Bahrain International
Exhibition Centre in Sanabis that runs
around 43 summer programs in Arabic.
The project was made possible
through the successful synergy
between key players, including the
General Organization for Youth and
Sports, Tamkeen and the Economic
Development Board (EDB).
A NATIONWIDE INITIATIVE
Over 20,000 schoolbags are
distributed to children in the
five governorates
F
or the seventh
consecutive year, Zain
distributed school bags and
supplies to needy children –
this year, in all five of
Bahrain’s governorates.
Once again, the project was
conducted under the
patronage of His Highness
Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al
Khalifa, President of the
Council of Trustees to the
Royal Charity Organization.
Zain oversaw the operation
to hand out 20,000
schoolbags in ceremonies in
each governorate. The bags
come with all the necessary
stationery a student will
need for the school year,
while the company made
every effort to ensure that
they reached the students
most in need.
IRAQ
CLASS OF THEIR OWN
IT engineers are mentored over the summer recess
Z
ain launched a summer training
program for IT engineering
students in cooperation with the
faculty of IT engineering at the Al
Nahrain University and the Al Rafidain
University College (below). The
month-long program included
rotations at Zain’s technical and IT
departments, among others, where
engineers gave detailed tutorials,
extensive field studies and application
demonstrations on the latest
equipment. Zain plans to cooperate
with other faculties in the future. Its
plans this year include the
establishment of Internet cafés at the
faculties of letters and information
engineering at Al Kufah University
and Al Rafidain University College to
spread technological innovations in
the country and link it to the world.
The company is also determined to
attract top students as part of an
ambitious orientation plan.
LEBANON
CHARITY GALA DINNER
T
his summer, mtc touch sponsored the annual gala
dinner of the Lebanese Welfare Association for the
Handicapped, that was organized to raise funds for the
completion of the in-patient facility at Nabih Berri
Rehabilitation Compound (NBRC) in Sarafand, South
Lebanon. The NBRC treats the victims of conflicts,
especially those who have lost limbs.
JORDAN
CELEBRATING THE 2ND DIPLOMATIC BAZAAR
Top students are rewarded for their efforts
I
n October, Zain celebrated its annual
Diplomatic Bazaar for the second
year running at the Amman Exhibition
Park. The event was organized by the
diplomatic community in Jordan to
support the children of Mabarrat Um
Al Hussein, a home for disadvantaged,
orphaned boys that was established in
1951 by the late Queen Zein Al Sharaf,
the mother of Princess Basma, the
current patron.
At an iftar for the Children of Um Al
Hussein orphanage in Ramadan, Zain
announced the launch of a number of
initiatives for the benefit of the
orphanage. They included 10
employment opportunities in the
company’s call center for university
students from the orphanage.
In the same month, Zain rewarded three
outstanding students at the Ein Janna
Secondary School for girls, located in
Ajloun (right). The initiative is part of a
number of activities launched by the
company for the school’s students under
the umbrella of the nationwide Madrasati
initiative, launched by her Majesty
Queen Rania Al Abdallah in 2008 and
supported by Zain. The three students
who achieved a grade of over 90% in
their Tawjihi exams were Malak Mansour
Al Smadia, who was awarded a university
grant, and Mai Al Qdah and Shatha Al
Qdah, both of whom received laptops.
UP CLOSE
AND PERSONAL
Company employees visit
dialysis patients to offer
moral support and comfort
GIVING TO SAVE
O
n June 14, Zain’s Shabab Tamouh (ambitious
youth) organized a three-day blood drive in
cooperation with the labs department and blood bank
at the Aasir Central Hospital in Abha to mark World
Blood Donor Day. Blood Donor Day is held on June 14
every year to promote everyone’s right to safe blood
and encourage regular, voluntary blood donation.
Z
ain representatives visited several treatment centers for
kidney patients in Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar in
cooperation with the Prince Fahd bin Salman Association
for Patients Suffering from Kidney Failure or Kilana.
Company employees comforted patients, offered gifts and
took the time to learn about kidney failure, methods of
treatment as well as the various means of looking after
one’s kidneys. To further support Kilana, Zain has dedicated
the hotline, 5060, which is used for direct SMS
contributions as well as awareness messages to urge
people to donate to the cause.
KUWAIT
CHAMPIONING A CAUSE
Initiative to create breast
cancer awareness
I
n October, Zain announced the
launch of a new awareness
campaign to combat breast cancer
and stress the importance of regular
checkups and early detection. In
collaboration with Laki Sayedati (for
you my lady), the campaign targeted
the largest catchment of women
through audiovisual and print media
as well as SMS messaging. The
company adopted the traditional
“Pink Strip” to raise awareness that
was available at all its branches across
Kuwait. The logo reflects Zain’s
determination to put
its weight behind
the fight against
breast cancer
and its resolve
to defeat it in
its early stages.
Zain had
previously lent
support to the
“CAN” campaign, the
St Jude’s Cancer Hospital for Children
in Lebanon and the Al Hussain
Hospital in Jordan.
BAHRAIN
ALSO PLAYS
ITS PART
Z
ain Bahrain has launched Think
Pink, a BD1 ($2.65) SMS
donation campaign to raise funds
for breast cancer awareness and
a digital MRI screening
machine for Manama’s
Salmaniya Hospital. The
money raised from the Zain
SMS campaign will be doubled in
the bid to purchase this vital
equipment to help in the early
detection of the disease.
SUDAN
FOSTERING YOUNG MINDS
Z
ain recently extended its support
to the education sector, providing
funds for more than 14 schools. The
initiative included the complete
construction of campuses as well as
the building of additional classrooms,
supplying uniforms, textbooks and
pencils, and donating 300 fully
equipped laboratories to several
universities. In total, Zain has
earmarked SDG 4 million ($1.68
million) for its latest education
campaign. So far this year, Zain has
sponsored the construction of six
schools, funded the renovation of nine
others and distributed 180,000
textbooks and 20,000 pencils as well
as school uniforms to 61,802 pupils in
373 schools.
As part of its education support
project, a number of national
universities also received aid from
Zain, with Al Zaeem Al Azhari, Al
Gazira and Al Gedaref Universities
each receiving a computer lab. The
University of Dongola received a new
lecture hall, the Islamic
University of Umdurman’s
Nursing College was given a
new laboratory and Al
Nileen University benefitted
from 1,000 laboratory coats
and 300 classroom seats.
Zain has also signed an
agreement to supply the
National University of
Umdurman and the
International University of
Africa with several highcapacity computer servers.
PREPARING
FUTURE
GENERATIONS
L
ast year, Zain led an
unprecedented initiative to equip
fresh graduates with the necessary
tools to succeed in the workforce.
Zain implemented an annual training
program to improve the employment
opportunities for 300 graduates in
the field of customer relations. The
first batch of recruits completed the
year with flying colors, exceeding
expectations with average end-ofyear test results exceeding 89%. The
program focuses on training for
customer care centers, where
students learn how to deal with the
public. The opportunity to join the
program is extended to all graduates
from various parts of the country,
irrespective of gender, and is also
available to those with special needs.
METROPOLIS
A wonderful world
Zain’s entertainment activities across all
its operations
GROUP
A DIVA’S VOICE ON YOUR PHONE
Customers are treated to the beautiful
songs on Fairuz’s latest album
O
n September 19, Zain attained
pre-launch digital rights to the
ring tones of Fairuz’s latest album,
‘Ehh fi Amal” (Yes, There is Hope).
This is the Lebanese diva’s first
album in four years, and now all the
songs are available to Zain
customers in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan,
Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and
Sudan as downloadable ring tones.
As of October, customers can also
download individual tracks in their
entirety from Zain’s music portal,
http://create.zain.com, to be used
as ringtones with interactive
voice response.
SUDAN
GOING LOCAL IN
KUALA LUMPUR
Zain sponsors the Sudanese sports
tournament in Malaysia’s capital
Z
ain sponsored a first-of-itskind sports tournament
organized by the Sudanese
diaspora in Kuala Lumpur held
under the supervision of the
Sudanese Embassy in Malaysia.
The closing ceremony of the
tournament, which took place
under the slogan “One Nation...
One People”, was held on
August 8 and honored those who
contributed to the tournament’s
success. The event inspired
interaction among Sudanese
students in Malaysian universities,
student leagues, the Sudanese
diaspora and the embassy, while
all the time creating a good
image of Sudanese nationals in
the country.
JORDAN
KUWAIT
DR AL-JABER JOINS GTB TOP 100
Z
ALL A-TWITTER
Z
ain Kuwait recently joined Bahrain,
Jordan and Saudi Arabia by signing an
agreement with the popular social
networking site, Twitter, allowing its
customers to obtain instant updates via
SMS. Zain is providing the Twitter SMS
service without any subscription fees;
customers just have to send the word
“start” to 89887 to get connected. Twitter
boasts 100 million members worldwide,
with roughly 300,000 residing in Kuwait.
ain Jordan CEO Dr. Abdul-Malek
Al-Jaber (seen here with Jordan's
Queen Rania) has become the first
Jordanian to make it into the Global
Telecoms Power 100 list for 2010. The
ranking, issued by Global Telecoms
Business (GTB) magazine, placed
Dr. Al-Jaber in 62nd position amongst
the top 100 most powerful people in
the telecoms business as voted by its
readers. The magazine said the
Power 100 list is “made up of
representatives of the over-the-top
content providers that are challenging
the industry’s business plans, and of
the associations that service providers
are using to regain market share.”
BAHRAIN
THE BREAKFAST CLUB
Staff and customers enjoy the Big Breakfast
J
uly got off to a grand start with the
Big Breakfast hosted by Zain for its
staff and customers. Taking place at Zain
Bahrain’s Seef headquarters, the event
was hosted by the Human Resources
department with the help of the Zain
FUN (Future University Network) team,
which led the guests through a range of
enjoyable activities that emphasized the
company’s team spirit with games,
raffles, a talent competition and a host
of exciting prizes. After an introduction
to the company, customers were treated
to a tour of the offices, after which they
were given goodie bags full of valuable
giveaways. Participating customers were
selected from a list of those who had
taken part in Zain’s Facebook social
networking activities as well as different
online contests and competitions
hosted by the company.
SCORING WITH SAUDI SOCCER FANS
F
rom June to July, Zain hosted
the 40 lucky BlackBerry
winners of the Kooora.com
sports website contest, held
during the 2010 World Cup finals
in South Africa in which over
20,000 people participated. Zain
already sponsors the Saudi
national soccer team and the
professional soccer league.
MOBILE LIFE
New frontiers
of creativity
From cooking curry to seeing what we
will look like in 30 years, Apple apps are
the new – and profitable – rage
T
hree years since its release, the
iPhone has become the most
iconic device of the digital era.
That unique status is, in part, due to
Apple’s trend-setting design ethos,
and the resulting super-sleek
minimalism of their hard products, but
external design alone could never
catapult a gadget into the
unparalleled position the iPhone
currently occupies. For that, Apple had
to marshal what was initially a much
more unwieldy beast, the App Store.
an app for every one of those tasks, and
a billion more.
The cost of applications that aren’t for
free begins at $0.99, with the average
price, as of August 2010, hovering
around $2.91. Apple takes 30% of the
revenue, and the rest goes to the
inventor or seller of the application.
But if you want to understand the
phenomenon, the salient data are
300,000, 6 billion and $4.2 billion.
The store, as its name suggests, offers
applications, both free and for sale,
created by third-party designers that
you can download onto your iPhone,
iPad or iPod touch.
The first popular applications were
novelty products and many of the most
popular ones still are. But don’t let that
word fool you: An app that allows you
to see what you’ll look like in 30 years
might be frivolous, but everyone and
their mother is still going to download
it, as indeed they already have.
Moreover, as the App Store has grown,
the apps themselves have quickly
progressed from novelty to necessities of
modern life. Want to learn a language,
write a screenplay, operate a strobe light,
organize your stock portfolio or just find
the closest Indian restaurant and order a
Chicken Tikka Masala? Yup, there is now
Whether you want to learn a new language
Those figures, respectively, represent
the number of applications that have
been released, the number of
applications downloaded from the
App Store, and the revenue generated
by apps in 2009. According to analysts
interviewed by the Philadelphia
Inquirer that final number is supposed
to reach $29.5 billion by the year 2013.
Those numbers put into perspective
the almost hyperventilating excitement
Organize your stock portfolio
the App Store has generated, not just
among users of Apple products, but
with economists as well. Amidst a
global financial crisis that is still yet to
fully dissipate, Apple has only
increased the speed of the remarkable
run that began with the release of the
iPod way back in October 2001.
The portable MP3 player kick-started
as stunning a turn-around as a
technology company, and perhaps any
company, has achieved. When Steve
Jobs returned to the helm of Apple in
the late 90s, the company, though still
famous as the seminal pioneer of the
personal computer, seemed a fastfading has-been, having suffered
comprehensive defeat at the hands of
its long-term rival Microsoft.
However, the release of three lines of
hard products, the iPod, followed by
the iPhone and most recently the iPad,
all bolstered by Apple’s own in-house
operating systems, along with the
company’s two digital stores, iTunes
and now the App Store, have allowed
Apple to reclaim the mantle of coolest
company in Silicon Valley. And not just
that – even as the rest of the economy
has been reeling, Apple has managed
to surpass it’s old rival Microsoft, to
become the world’s most valuable
technology company, and, after the
petroleum giant Exxon, America’s
most valuable company in any industry.
Just a year-and-a-half old, the App
Store constitutes but a tiny fraction of
that empire.
With 81% of apps downloaded to date
free of charge, and the 50 most
popular paid applications having an
average selling price of just $1.49,
Apple, according to industry experts,
receives about 29 cents for every
application downloaded.
But most of those 29 cents go to the
downloader’s credit card company,
leaving Apple with less than $200
million in gross profit since the App
The cost of
applications that
aren’t free
begins at $0.99,
with the average
price, as of
August 2010,
hovering around
$2.91. Apple
takes 30% of the
revenue, and
the rest goes to
the inventor
Store opened. Nearly 200 million
dollars is nothing to sneeze at, of
course, but we’re talking about a
company that made more than $33
billion in the same period.
But while Apple has made relatively
little from the App Store, the thirdparty developers who have designed
the actual products sold at the store
have made more than $1 billion since
it opened in 2008.
And it is those third-party developers, in
large part, who are responsible for the
feverish enthusiasm that currently
surrounds the App Store. While many
gripe about the control exercised by
Apple over the store – Apple individually
approves every app the store releases,
rejecting those deemed offensive or
otherwise unworthy, and generating
frequent complaints from developers
about the opacity of the process – there
are already some 30,000 developers who
have made money thanks to the App
Store, a figure that is rapidly increasing.
And despite the complaints, entering the
app development business is far less
difficult than is normally the case with
software development. A developer
can theoretically design an app in a
day, send it to Apple for approval, and
within a week’s time start generating
money from it.
And the opportunities offered by the
store are becoming more lucrative.
Apps on Apple’s latest product line, its
Or simply want to know what you will look like in 30 years time, Apple's apps can help you do it
sleek and wildly successful tablet
computer, the iPad, are generally
several dollars more expensive than
those sold to iPhone users. Not that
iPad users have shown any signs of
noticing. Within a week of the tablet’s
release, around three and half million
apps for it had been sold.
And with Apple’s latest phenomenon,
the redesigned iPhone 4, which hit
stores in the Middle East in late
September, expect many more millions
WHAT’S NEW: THE IPHONE4
DESIGN
In appearance, the iPhone 4 marks a radical departure from
its three predecessors. Thinner, and less curvy than previous
models, the new iPhone is ringed by a metal band that
serves as a “mounting point for all the [device’s]
components.” The band uses Apple’s own alloy, which the
company claims is five times stronger than standard steel,
and, along with bringing increased durability to the new
model, also serves as the phone’s antenna.
CAMERAS
The new iPhone comes with two of them, one on the
front and one on the back. Both, however, bring a new
level of detail to the iPhone 4, with 5 megapixel quality,
a 5x digital zoom and a built-in LED flash for pictures
taken in low light.
to be sold. For application developers,
the iPhone 4’s innovations – a stainless
steel frame that serves as its antenna,
double the processing power of its
predecessors, a new LED backlit liquid
crystal display with a resolution that
reaches the maximum amount of detail
that the human retina can process, and
dual cameras on the front and back of
the phone that allows iPhone 4 users to
video chat with each other – should only
increase the opportunities offered by
the App Store.
FACETIME
In terms of futurism, this feature is perhaps the coolest.
The new iPhone comes with ready-to-use video calling.
Thanks to the camera on the front of the phone, iPhone
owners can, with just a WiFi connection and a tap, chat
with each other, face to face, using Apple’s new
appropriately named program, Facetime.
A NEW SCREEN
Bragging about the 326dpi resolution of the iPhone’s
screen, Apple’s founder and CEO, Steve Jobs, said,
“there's a magic number around 300dpi. If you hold
something about 10-12 inches away from your eye, it's the
limit of the human retina to distinguish pixels.” The new
screen has four times the pixel count of previous models,
which makes it, in terms of color and clarity, pretty much
the most vibrant-looking phone ever released.
This may be just another
humanitarian ad.
But are you just another reader?
4.7 million people in Gaza, West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon
cannot survive without your help. Their needs are as basic as shelter,
hospitalization, and primary education. With 668 primary schools,
134 health centers, and its special Microﬁnance Programme, UNRWA
has changed the lives of thousands of refugees across 58 camps. Your
donations matter. Don’t be indifferent; help us make a difference in
showing them a more wonderful world.
To donate via sms, send the word “woman”, “food”, or “education”
to your country’s corresponding short code. Jordan 90008 - Kuwait
99888 - Sudan 1155 - Bahrain 1111.
MOBILE LIFE
The rise of mobile telephony and the Internet have ushered in a new era of worker freedom and mobility
Life’s new office
The revolution that makes us all reachable
but which can also set us free
T
he rise of mobile telephony and
the Internet, the twinned
phenomenons that have defined
our era, were hailed as ushering in a
new era of worker freedom and
mobility. No longer would workers be
physically chained to their offices, but,
instead, empowered by wireless
Internet and smartphones that meant
they could hold their office in the palm
of their hands, their only limitations
would be whether they were in an area
with network coverage.
In fact, on that front the revolution has
been remarkably successful, but for many
modern professionals, the only sense in
which they feel they’ve been unchained
is physical. In every other respect, such
workers are on call more than ever
before. As global network coverage has
inexorably expanded across the world
over the last two decades, places
without service reception have grown
ever rarer. Whether on a ski slope or on
the beach, chances are your BlackBerry
or iPhone can still connect to the
Internet, which means you can check
that new report, or download your
latest returns, or do any of the other
billion and one things that constitute
working for the modern employee.
Indeed, according to a work-life study by
Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, 81% of US
professionals say they work harder now
than they did five years ago, and 85%
percent say that because of modern
technology, they feel compelled to be
connected to work 24/7.
Still, it is not like such professionals
would turn back the clock if they
could. According to the same study
nearly 90% bring their PDAs into the
bedroom with them, and more than a
third say if forced to choose between
spouses and smartphone, they’d go
with their smartphone. At the same
time, some 84% say technology has
allowed them to spend more quality
time with family and friends.
The degree to which smartphones
have blurred the boundary between
work and leisure time is further
highlighted by a Robert Half
International study of the work-life
balance of chief financial officers in
Canada. According to the survey a
quarter of those polled say they check
in with their offices once or twice a
day while on vacation, while 15% say
they do so several times a week, and
23% say they call the office once or
twice a week.
Those kind of figures hold true
throughout the developed world.
Given the new work dynamic, the
majority of working Australians, for
instance, don’t take regular holidays.
In Australia some 60% of women and
half of all men feel “consistently timepressured,” although only 30% of
workers would like to reduce their
working hours.
be affected by such problems had
college or postgraduate degrees
according to the survey, which also
found that “authority, skill level,
decision-making latitude and personal
earnings... predicted trouble outside
of the office.”
Eighty years ago, the 20th century’s
preeminent economist wrote an essay
called “Economic Possibilities for our
Grandchildren,” in which he predicted
that advances in technology and
economic output would solve once and
for all humanity’s primary problem: “the
struggle for subsistence.”
“Thus for the first time since his
creation man will be faced with his
real, his permanent problem,” John
Maynard Keynes wrote in 1930, “how
to use his freedom from pressing
economic cares, how to occupy the
leisure, which science and compound
interest will have won for him, to live
wisely and agreeably and well.”
For the time being, at least, the
struggle for subsistence has indeed
been won, but the age of leisure,
Keynes predicted never quite arrived.
While thanks to strong labor laws, blue
collar workers find themselves working
fewer hours than they did a century
ago, for the rest of those employed in
the information economy the work load
often feels higher than ever before.
Be that as it may, you’d be hard
pressed to find a significant number of
modern professionals who would
“unplug”, even if they could. From
mobiles to smartphones and the
Internet, the telecom industry has
produced the most vital tools of the
global economy, tools that are by no
means only available to modern
professionals in developed countries.
Indeed the numbers speak for
themselves: In 2009, even in the midst
of a global economic crisis, the
number of cell lines rose to 67 for
every 100 inhabitants of the earth, and
penetration for the developing world
exceeded 50% for the first time ever.
In the meantime, moderation in all
things should be the watchword.
Happy productivity.
While advances in telecommunications
over the last two decades have
brought innumerable benefits to
mankind, some fear the resultant
blurring of business and leisure is
contributing to an already rising
divorce rate, as spouses find
themselves burdened with more workrelated stress and less shared time.
Another potential consequence is
dietary. Modern professionals are
finding less and less time to spend
preparing their own meals and are
instead increasingly opting for diets
built around takeout and delivery
which is in turn helping to push up
obesity levels, and not just for the
breadwinner, but the entire family he
or she feeds as well.
The odds of work negatively affecting
your private life seem to increase the
higher up you are on the ladder.
According to a survey of 1,800
American workers, half reported
bringing their work home with them
and having their personal relationships
suffer as a result. Those most likely to
Whether on a ski slope or on the beach, chances are your Smart phone can still connect to the Internet
MOBILE LIFE
What phone we carry says a lot about who were are
Express yourself
The phone has joined the list of items we
must think about if we want to project the
right image
M
obile phones have always
been a status symbol. Ten
years ago, just owning one
was enough. Now that most of the
developing world has mobile phones
(the International Telecommunication
Union expects worldwide subscriptions
to hit 5 billion this year), having a
phone is not sufficient; you must have
the right one; one that speaks of your
taste, your wealth and most
importantly, your style. Like the watch
is to the man’s wrist, the mobile phone
has now become a functional item
turned individual statement.
Remember, if you can, to the early
days of mobile phones. The originals
were car phones; those big, bulky
suitcase-like items that rested in the
car's console and were the same size
as their fixed line counterparts. At first,
they were used for emergencies, but
gradually, the devices, which cost over
$1,000 and had short battery lives,
became indispensable items for
executives on the go.
Remember the iconic scene in the
1987 film “Wall Street” in which broker
Gordon Gekko, played by Michael
Douglas, wanders the beach with a
phone so big it nearly eclipses his
face. Fourteen years later, Hollywood
brought us “Zoolander”, a film about a
male model named Derek Zoolander,
who has a phone so small he can
barely grip it. The gimmick was
popular enough for fans to start a
Facebook page called “Derek
Zoolander’s Phone.” When calling onthe-go lost its novelty, around 1993,
IBM introduced a phone that had PDA
features as well, such as a calculator,
address book and fax machine. It
retailed for $900 and gave people
even more opportunities to show off
their devices as they pulled them out
to make calculations, or to lookup
someone's number.
Function really started to give way to
fashion in the mid-90s. In 1996,
Motorola released the StarTAC phone,
whose flip cover gave owners that
satisfactory, and also notably audible,
“I have a cool cell phone” sound.
The Finnish were on the cutting edge of
mobile technology, and thus many will
remember their first cellular phone
being a Nokia, the world’s largest
manufacturer of mobile phones. When
the company introduced multicolored
faceplates for their cell phones in the
1990s, it started a trend of phone
fashion accessories which by 2006 were
raking in over $1 billion a year, in the
U.S. alone. Bluetooth made having a
blinking object in your ear not only cool,
but useful. The open wireless
technology, created by Ericsson in 1994,
allowed for exchanging data over short
distances using radio transmissions.
Bluetooth headsets are still proliferating
and can cost up to $65. Users of these
bug-sized ear devices can be seen
wearing them while walking around the
mall or sitting in cafes.
Bluetooth says, “I’m important, so
much so that I might have to take a
The iPhone lends
itself to the more
creative types. It
says, “I’m hip,
technologically
savvy, and I
definitely have a
Mac at home”
call even while eating dinner.” Today, it
is not only about what your phone and
its accessories look like, but about
what they can do. Along with email,
web browsing, text messaging, a
camera, Bluetooth technology, stock
tickers, GPS locators and breaking
news are what no professional should
Today's phones can set us apart from the faceless crowds
Among the suitwearing crowd, a
serious phone
should be gray or
black and must not
have specialized
ring tones, stickers,
charms or duct tape
be without. In the world of
smartphones, the two most common
devices are Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s
BlackBerry, each of which have enough
functions to make an assistant
obsolete. While industry experts say
the iPhone is better technology-wise
because of its various applications and
data storage capabilities, the
BlackBerry is practical, and has the
popular Blackberry Messenger
program (BBM), which is widely used
in the Middle East, especially by the
younger generation, to communicate.
BBM, a free internal instant messaging
system for BlackBerry customers, is
fast becoming a primary means of
correspondence for those on the run
and for those who prefer to avoid
conversations. BlackBerry has more
than 45 million customers, while the
iPhone has upwards of 30 million.
RIM’s device says “I’m corporate, I get
a lot of emails, and I need to check
them and respond ASAP.”
The iPhone lends itself to the more
creative types: actors, filmmakers and
techies. It says, “I’m hip, technologically
savvy, and I definitely have a Mac
at home.”
For the really tech-savvy, Android, an
operating system for smartphones like
Google’s “Android OS”, is a must. It
allows users to multi-task while on the
phone, making it simple and cheap to
synchronize contacts, calendars and
even documents across different
devices. With Android, users can read
the news, check Facebook and browse
photos at the same time, much like a
miniature version of a PC. Android is
for the user who wants to say “I’m
nerdy, I have a lot of bandwidth, and I
can out-download your iPhone any
day.” Not surprisingly, two-thirds of
Android users are men. For traveling
professionals, roaming phones also
have caché. Being reachable at any
Moving into the future, the phone, if it hasn’t already, will become an important accessory of style expression
One may be for
business, the other
for personal use. A
double-fisted phone
owner says “I’m an
entrepreneur, I have
a hand in many
business ventures.”
Or simply, “I don't
mix business with
pleasure”
time, in any place, is not a nuisance,
but the sign of a modern individual.
Numbers, too, are part of the package.
Being at the other end of an easy-toremember number is a conversation
piece as well as a business tool, and
people will pay up to four times the
regular amount just to be the
proprietor of such sleek digits, which
say, “I have a number that looks like it
could direct you to the headquarters
of a major company, but it’s all mine.”
In a nod to the growing import placed
on cell phone numbers, in New York
City, a movement towards old area
codes is gaining steam. Years ago,
Manhattan had just one area code:
212. But with the rise of cell phones,
companies had to add other area
codes to accommodate users.
Now, having a vintage 212 area code is
as desirable as having an iPad. As
landlines become phased out, serious
professionals often carry not just one
phone, but two. One may be for
business, the other for personal use. A
double-fisted phone owner says “I’m
an entrepreneur, I have a hand in many
business ventures.” Or simply, “I don't
mix business with pleasure.”
Among the suit-wearing crowd, a serious
phone should be gray or black and must
not have specialized ring tones, stickers,
charms or duct tape. Unfortunately, a
serious phone does not always beget a
serious user, as even the sleekest phones
will often be used at inappropriate times;
in a restaurant, in a library or in a
crowded cinema. When this happens,
even the priciest handset is a nuisance.
GREEN AFFAIRS
The world is heating up
Sweltering summer raises hopes for action
on global warming
I
ntense, record-breaking heat gripped the world this
summer. In Russia, hundreds died, crops failed and forestand peat-fires raged during two months of soaring
temperatures the country has not seen in 130 years of record
keeping. The heat in China unleashed waves of locusts that
decimated crops and grasslands in Inner Mongolia.
Around 20 countries around the world experienced their
hottest days on record, uncluding several in the Middle
East, though as well as places with traditionally cooler
climes like Russia (44) and Finland (37.2). For some, this is
yet more evidence that humans are warming the planet,
prompting increasing climactic catastrophes – the dark
smear of humanity’s carbon footprint.
While most scientists are currently still pouring over data to
determine if this year’s wrathful weather is directly related to
global warming, activists are already hopeful that,
regardless of the evidence, this summer will help convince
skeptics that people are altering the earth’s climate.
Several years ago, the scientific community generally agreed
that human activity significantly contributed to a drastic rise in
certain gases – particularly carbon dioxide – that in turn trap
more heat in the atmosphere, raising both land and ocean
temperatures. There are a number of factors linked to
warming land and seas, but the culprit that has certainly
garnered the most attention has been carbon dioxide.
Along with water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone,
carbon dioxide is a primary “greenhouse” gas that humans
have been producing in enormous amounts since the
Industrial Revolution.
Studying ice cores – samples from accumulated formations of
snow and ice such as glaciers – lets scientists analyze samples
of air trapped as far back as 800,000 years ago and gives a
picture of how the composition of the air has changed. A
landmark 2007 study conducted by a UN panel with
researchers from around the world found that since 1750,
there is around 38% more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
today, a staggering increase compared to smaller fluctuations
seen in hundreds of years of ice core records.
We all need to make an effort to reduce our personal carbon footprint
A bulk of the increase in carbon dioxide comes from
burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas, and
decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
(now popularly called a carbon footprint) has become the
most well-know way to try slowing – or, ideally, reversing –
the process of global warming.
Despite the broad scientific consensus that humans are not
only heating up the earth, but that the result will be more
deadly heat waves, flooding, raising sea levels and other
weather-related disasters – even if troubles this summer
prove unrelated to global warming – the world’s response
has, at best, been mixed.
The global community failed to reach an agreement on an
international treaty to fight global warming last year in
Copenhagen, and the only existing global accord on the issue
– the Kyoto Protocol – is not being implemented by some of
1. TURN IT OFF
7. DRIVE LESS
Turn off lights, televisions, videos, stereos and computers
when not in use - they can use 10 to 40% of the power
when on standby. Also, unplug chargers as soon as they
have finished charging.
Do your weekly errands in a single trip or pay your bills
online. Walk, bike, ride the bus or carpool.
8. OPTIMIZE YOUR SPEED
2. BE EXACT
You will consume up to 25% less fuel if you drive no more
than 90 km/hr.
Fill the kettle with only as much water as you need.
9. DRIVE HYBRID
3. CLOSE IT
A hybrid or other fuel-efficient car emits less carbon dioxide.
Don’t leave refridgerator doors open.
10. REPLACE THEM
4. CHECK YOUR TIRES
Replace your incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent
light bulb (CFL). CFLs cost three to five times as much, but
use less than a third of the power. Replace old appliances
with energy-efficient ones.
Properly inflated tires can improve your car’s fuel efficiency.
5. USE NO PLASTIC
Use cloth bags when going shopping, and avoid buying
products which use too much plastic.
11. WATCH WHAT YOU EAT
6. FAN UP
Choose food produced close to your home.
Instead of using air conditioners in the summer, wear cool
clothes, and use a fan.
12. RECYCLE
Consume less, and re-use old products.
Source: www.12simplethings.org
the world’s largest polluters. The European Union, collectively
the third-largest global emitter of greenhouse gases, is taking
positive steps to address the problem as are some
corporations, local governments and, increasingly, individuals.
Going green, particularly for industry, is often very
expensive, and even though most scientists agree on the
need to act, global warming skeptics remain, and the issue
is often politicized. Green energy – like solar and wind
power – is also still expensive, and the technology is young,
meaning traditional power generation that emits tones of
carbon dioxide offers more bang for the buck.
The consensus global solution to the problem – laid out in
the Kyoto Protocol and being pursued in the EU and other
countries like Japan and New Zealand – is known as “capand-trade.” The model envisions setting limits on
greenhouse gas emissions and allows companies to
purchase and sell credits depending on if they are above or
below the limits.
eco-conscious consumers. Local government initiatives,
particularly in the US, are regulating greenhouse gas
emissions in the absence of a nation-wide policy.
On the individual level, the idea of pitching in is catching
on, albeit slowly. Around the world, people are aiming to
reduce their carbon footprint – the amount of carbon
dioxide they are responsible for producing by driving a car,
leaving lights on, or using energy-intensive products instead
of more energy-efficient ones, for example.
While piecemeal solutions are certainly better than nothing,
scientists argue serious global action is needed fast or
disastrous summers like the one that’s just passed will be
the wave of the future.
Ideally, the money created by trading will be invested to
further decrease greenhouse gas production by companies
under the limits, and more of the largest producers will begin
going green if the cost of credits gets too high. The Kyoto
version of the system calls for rich, industrialized countries to
invest in reducing emissions in developing countries.
Critics, however, note the rules of a “cap-and-trade” system
– not to mention enforcement – can be manipulated and
may ultimately not even reduce emissions. However, as
states cajole to reach a global system to tackle global
warming, local and even non-state initiatives are growing.
Corporations are increasingly either self-regulating or going
greener than the law says they must, at the same time
positioning themselves as environmentally friendly to attract
Leave the car in the parking lot whenever possible, and carpool at other times
RADIANCE
Treading carefully
Walking can lead the way to better health
and increased mental strength
Walking is one of the most beneficial of exercises that can be embraced by people of all ages
I
t is no secret to travelers that walking is one of the best
ways to discover a new city. Walking tours exist in nearly
every destination in the world as a healthy and hands-on –
or perhaps more appropriate, feet-on – way to learn the ins
and outs of a new destination.
But even for those deprived of the lure of an exciting new
location to explore, the benefits of walking around your own
city is quite underestimated, and as modern life has the
tendency to come equipped with sleek gyms and even
sleeker cars, the merits of walking should not be overlooked.
Indeed, not only is walking perhaps the most environmentallyfriendly way by which to get around, it is also an astoundingly
simple but effective way to get fit. Walking for thirty minutes
to an hour, five days a week, dramatically reduces health risks
such as various types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, coronary
heart disease, strokes, anxiety and depression. It also
increases life expectancy as well as bone health, particularly
strengthening the hip bone and staving off osteoporosis.
For those with, or at risk from cholesterol problems, walking
can help in this department as well. Studies have shown that
the exercise lowers harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
cholesterol while raising the good-for-you high density
lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
Walking regularly also comes with marked psychological
benefits, such as improved memory skills, learning ability and
abstract reasoning. Stress reduction, boosted confidence,
energy and a better mood, are also welcome side effects.
Walking for thirty minutes to an
hour, five days a week,
dramatically reduces health
risks such as various types of
cancer, type 2 diabetes,
coronary heart disease, strokes,
anxiety and depression
As with any exercise, walking burns calories – making it a
good choice for weight watchers who prefer a low-impact
work out. A half hour of moderate walking burns between
90 to 190 calories, whereas vigorous walking for the same
amount of time will burn between 120 to 260 calories.
Walking up and down a hill raises the metabolism even
higher and burns between 100 and 290 calories over 30
minutes, depending on speed and intensity.
With these health benefits in mind, walking appears an
ideal, straightforward and cost effective manner to get in
shape or stay healthy. But before you set off on this path to
better well-being, there are a few pointers to keep in mind.
Regardless of how naturally walking may come, given that
most have been refining the art since they were toddlers,
there are, in fact, right and wrong ways to engage in the
exercise. Walking correctly leads to better physical and
psychological health, but walking wrongly is a sure way to a
wasted effort and possibly even injury.
First off all, before you set out to explore your area and test
your stamina, do some warm-up stretches. This will improve
your stride and pace as well as lower the risk of muscle
tears, particularly if you have not worked out in a while.
Be careful not to over-stride, which is when walkers
lengthen their stride in an attempt to gain speed by
reaching out further with their forward foot. Besides not
making you go significantly faster, this will cause the feet to
strike down harder and cause pain to the shins.
For added speed, it is best to instead take shorter, quicker
steps with a focus on rolling through your step with your
back foot to give a powerful push off. Rolling your foot
through, heel to toe, instead of slapping it down flat is quite
essential to walking well. If this proves difficult, you may
need more flexible shoes.
Walking regularly also comes
with marked psychological
benefits, such as improved
memory skills, learning
ability and abstract
reasoning. Stress reduction,
boosted confidence, energy
and mood, are also welcome
side effects
Indeed, while walking does not necessarily involve the
purchase of hi-tech equipment, investing in good walking
shoes is a must. Unsuitable shoes will instead increase
susceptibility to muscle pulls, knee problems and plantar
fasciitis – painful inflammation of the connective tissue under
the heel bone, across the sole of the foot and the toes.
Avoid heavy shoes that will slow you down and stiff soles
that hinder the ability of your foot to roll easily through each
step. Throw out shoes that are over a year old or that have
walked over 800 kilometers, as the essential cushioning and
support is likely to have worn away.
Also make sure that your shoes are the right size. Walking shoes
should be slightly larger than your normal dress shoe size, but
shoes that are too big will inhibit you, and likely cause some
hilarity, whereas those too small will make the feet swell. If
choosing the right size is likely to particularly stress you, fret not
as most athletic stores will offer free sizing advice to customers.
While walking, assume a straight posture with the shoulders
down and the back straight, and breathe steadily and deeply.
It goes without saying that comfortable clothing and
adequate hydration are equally essential. It is also best to
walk facing oncoming traffic for your own and other’s safety.
With this in mind, you should be all set to walk toward better
health – creating no added carbon emissions as you get from
place to place is just the added bonus.
And when you have gotten all you can out of straight-laced
walking, why not push your boundaries further with different
variants of this ancient form of exercise. For the more
adventurous there are a whole array of walking sports, such as
Nordic walking, which evolved from an off-season ski-training
activity and involves walking together with specially designed
poles, and works more than 90% of the body’s muscle mass.
Even walking to work instead of driving or taking public transport can make
a difference
What’s not to enjoy?
ICONS OF DESIGN
Whispering ghosts
Rolls-Royce is more than a motoring icon. It has
become a symbol of luxury and craftsmanship
Q
who can afford to spend (at today’s prices) a minimum of
$500,000 without blinking. Over the years, the Rolls has
become a legend in itself, one built on the stuff of dreams:
romance, glamour and wealth.
Since their creation in 1904, Rolls-Royce cars have always
been the privilege of the ultra rich, owned by the lucky few
At the height of the British Empire, Rolls were driven around
Mayfair and Pall Mall and raced through remote and exotic
colonies, from Africa to India. Rajas copied the British
aristocracy’s enthusiasm for the opulent car, and a 1911
model was designed specially for the Maharajah of Mysore.
ueen Elizabeth opted long ago for a Phantom IV,
one of 18 models to have been ever produced (and,
incidentally, only sold to royalty); John Lennon
chose to customize his shiny white Rolls by painting it matt
black and decorating it with psychedelic motifs. Meanwhile,
the Sultan of Brunei owns over 350 Rolls-Royces, all of which
are safely tucked away in his gigantic car lot.
Models such as the Rolls-Royce Phantom, seen here at a regional motor show in 2009, have always had allure and mystique to attract the rich and famous
The Spirit of Ecstasy is the embodiment of the marque’s passion and flair
A 1934 Rolls Royce: The brand’s models are famous for their longevity
The Spirit of Ecstasy is
understood to have been
inspired by the real life
Eleanor Velasco Thornton,
the secretary of Lord John
Montagu, editor of The Car
magazine who was to meet
a tragic end
These luxury rides were originally the product of Frederick
Royce’s vivid imagination. In 1903, he bought his first car, a
French Deauville. It didn’t meet Royce’s high standards and
inspired him to do better, even if he did use the French
auto as the basis for his own designs.
In fact, in less than a year, Royce had designed not one but
three cars, all of which were called the Royce 10. A friend,
who was employed at C.S. Rolls, a local car dealership
showed one of the cars to the owner, Charles Rolls and in
May of 1904, the entrepreneur and the car dealer agreed to
produce the Rolls-Royce.
Four different models of the Royce 10 went on show for the
first time at the Paris Salon of 1904. In 1907, Rolls-Royce
released its legendary Silver Ghost (named on account of
the quietness of its engine). The car positioned the
company as a maker of luxury vehicles and became the
most famous car of its time.
The fame of the Rolls-Royce has been built around many
stories and legends. The Spirit of Ecstasy, the famous
mascot of a woman leaning forwards adorning RollsRoyces to this day, is understood to have been inspired by
the real life Eleanor Velasco Thornton, secretary of Lord
John Walter Edward Scott-Montagu, the editor of The
Car magazine.
In 1915, Eleanor tragically drowned with hundreds of other
passengers when the SS Persia on which she and Lord
Montagu were travelling to India, was sunk by the Germans
in the Mediterranean.
Lord Montagu commissioned his friend Charles Robinson
Sykes to sculpt a personal mascot, based on Eleanor
Thornton, for his Rolls-Royce. The original mascot was later
modified by Sykes to be closer to today’s Spirit of Ecstasy
that is used as the mascot for Rolls-Royce cars.
Rolls-Royce cars were also engaged in military service. The
six-cylinder Ghost was used during World War I as part of
an armored squadron created by Britain's Royal Naval Air
service. The Rolls-Royce was such an effective vehicle on
battle fields that all available Silver Ghost chassis were
requisitioned; civilian production of the car stopped, and all
models slowly disappeared from the streets of London,
deploying, like the Duke of Westminster’s car, to the French
and African front lines.
Nearly two decades later, Rolls-Royce saw an interesting
opportunity in the Bentley car company, which went bankrupt
in the wake of the Great Depression. Rolls-Royce purchased
Bentley in 1931, and from that point onwards models
produced by the two companies were nearly identical.
During World War II, Rolls-Royce began producing jet
engines and it carried on doing so for another four
decades until a crisis in the jet engine market brought
Rolls-Royce to its knees. The car division was purchased by
Vickers in 1980, and in less than ten years the famous
British marque was sold - ironically, given its wartime
John Lennon chose to
customize his shiny white
Rolls by painting it matt
black and decorating it with
psychedelic motifs.
Meanwhile, the Sultan of
Brunei owns over 350 RollsRoyces, all of which are
safely tucked away in his
gigantic car lot
service - to the German Volkswagen car company in the
late eighties. Volkswagen then kept the Bentley line and
sold Rolls-Royce to its compatriot BMW.
Today, Rolls-Royce are still icons of luxury and can be seen
parked under the glittering towers in Dubai, Bahrain,
Jeddah or Abu Dhabi. In the Middle East, Rolls-Royce’s
Bespoke Program lets customers personalize their car. The
Bayunah Phantom is said to be inspired by the deserts of
Abu Dhabi in a livery of beiges and browns and equipped
with a tan ever-flex roof and a gold Spirit of Ecstasy. The
Arabian Shaheen falcon inspired another model, the
Shaheen Phantom Coupe. It has similar predatory lines
and comes in orchid Pearl paint, contrasting with shades
of red. The upholstery is in seashell
leather upholstery with falconembroidered headrests.
Rolls-Royce’s success might be
attributed to the fact that more than
60% of Rolls-Royce cars ever made
are still roadworthy, one of the oldest
being a 1904 10 horsepower
model, owned by a man in Scotland.
A Silver Ghost which was produced in
1907 and is owned by the company is
also still in working condition.
In 2009, Rolls Royce manufactured
1,212 Phantoms. Most have been
bought by the rich and famous such as
P. Diddy, David Beckham and Eddy
Murphy. Even Lady Gaga jumped on
the bandwagon by buying one for her
parents, delivered with the message:
“A car to last like a love like yours”.
The world's oldest surviving Rolls-Royce. Built in 1904, car 20154 is a small, 10 horsepower, open-topped two-seater
She certainly chose the right marque.

COVER CONNECT11_Layout 1

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