Thumbnail Gulf Countries Navigate Billions into Mega Port Projects

For years, Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port and industrial zone operated as the shipping hub for the Gulf region. But now, neighboring Arab cities are investing huge sums of money to develop competing mega shipping ports, as the Gulf region views logistics as a means of diversifying traditional oil economies. There is concern however about infrastructure overlap and oversupply as global shipping traffic and trade show signs of slower growth.

Emirati Filmmaker Seeks Support for the Region’s Burgeoning Movie Industry

The path to become the first Emirati female film director was not easy for Nayla Al Khaja. But despite the adversities she faced and the sacrifices she made to pursue her career, Al Khaja is full of optimism for the Gulf’s film industry. She sees the potential for her native United Arab Emirates to become a regional film hub, and cites examples in Europe the country could emulate. She tells Arabic Knowledge@Wharton that regional governments should lend support to aspiring movie directors and producers.

Read the full story: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/arabic/article.cfm?articleid=2931

Silicon Wafers and Semiconductors: A New Black Gold for Abu Dhabi?

The leadership of the United Arab Emirates considers economic diversification a necessity in order to protect the country’s economy from oil-price fluctuations and to maintain prosperity. Along those lines, a government-owned investment vehicle is trying to encourage growth and innovation in knowledge-based industries in such areas as aerospace, healthcare, information and communications technology, and renewable energy. One of the goals — promoting a local semiconductor industry — is proving to be especially challenging.

Read the full analysis on Arabic Knowledge@Wharton by Nettie Downs, Firas Kiyasseh and Levi Quaintance, members of the Lauder Class of 2014

Gradberry’s Ripe Idea: A Recruitment Portal for Middle East Youth

Every student looks forward to graduation day, but few are prepared to deal with the tough challenge of finding their first job. When she graduated from university, Iba Masood was dismayed to discover there were no job sites in the Middle East that catered to fresh graduates with limited experience. To fill that gap, she launched Dubai-based Gradberry.com, a recruitment portal dedicated to graduates and students with less than two years of work experience. “We know the troubles they are facing because we faced it,” Masood tells Arabic Knowledge@Wharton. “We represent the graduates.”

What Real Estate Crash? Dubai’s Towering Ambitions Return

In years past, Dubai made a name for itself by announcing projects that seemed to be concocted from sheer flights of fancy. But most vanished like desert mirages in 2009, when the Emirate’s debt standstill announcement caused economic shockwaves worldwide. With its property market picking up, Dubai has once again rolled out a series of mega development projects. But those within the regional real estate industry say caution rules the mindset of everyone who survived the crash, and will temper project development and investor attitudes in the market.

Read the full analysis at Arabic Knowledge@Wharton.

Cheeseburger Pizzas, Designer French Fries and a Post-war Cinnabon: Fast Food’s Booming Middle East Market

According to a survey by MasterCard, Gulf consumers were the top three spenders on restaurants — UAE diners spent an average of US$229 per month, Qataris averaged US$211 per month, and Kuwaitis spent US$196 per month. The same survey found that 88% of respondents said they dined in shopping mall food courts.

Read the full story: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/arabic/article.cfm?articleid=2861

The Beautiful, Expensive Game: European Soccer a Lure for Gulf Investment

The ability to cut generous checks and bring sponsorship to a club is one reason why European soccer franchises have become investment targets for Gulf states and patrons. From Sheikh Mansour’s ownership of Manchester City and Qatar’s winning bid to host the 2022 World Cup, to a fanciful plan to open a US$1 billion Real Madrid-themed theme park in the UAE’s coastal emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, European soccer has lured healthy Gulf investment. Arab investors, in turn, seek brand association with the best of the world’s biggest sport.
Full story: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/arabic/article.cfm?articleid=2856

Dubizzle.com Seeks to Dominate the Middle East’s Classified Ads Market

Like the thousands of expats who find their way to this glitzy sheikhdom, Sim Whatley and J.C. Butler came to Dubai several years ago seeking jobs. But what they found instead was the opportunity to create an online classified website for the region, Dubizzle.com. Starting as a website for Dubai bargain hunters, Dubizzle now covers almost the entire Middle East. The pair tell Arabic Knowledge@Wharton that a constant process of refining ideas and business strategy helps the site evolve, while keeping Dubizzle’s classified ads free for the non-professional seller maintains its popularity.

“Classified websites in general are mostly about concepts,” Whatley says. “Even if you have the best website in the world, if you don’t have any ads to sell in our website or you do not have any financial benefit from our website, you will feel no point going to it. I think [success in this market] is a great mixture of carrying the most selection in these markets as well spending lot of time, lot of money in development.”

Read the full article here: http://bit.ly/LUO37j

Expert Panel in Abu Dhabi Discusses the Little Adversities that Build Leaders

An assembled group of experts from different fields — including finance, law and social advocacy — met in Abu Dhabi to share their experiences with attendees of the Higher Colleges of Technology’s recent Festival of Thinkers event. Despite their varied backgrounds and career paths, they shared common lessons on leadership. But the panelists also noted that there are as many different types of leadership as there are leaders. “Leadership is about nuance,” said Shiv Khemka, Indian entrepreneur and industrialist. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, a Jordanian entrepreneur and former Palestinian refugee, said struggle bore real leaders. “The best way to demonstrate to the world that you deserve to live is to succeed,” he said. “I thanked God for the blessing of suffering. Suffering inspired me, not just as a refugee but also as a businessman. My enemies inspired me to be better, in order to win it over them.”

Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/JvmxxL

HCT-Wharton Innovation Tournament at Abu Dhabi

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