October 2011
10 posts
Silver Screen
More than what meets the eye
The world of cinema is not just the 90 minutes of entertainment you see on the screen. It takes a couple of years or more of toil and a lot of investment, says Mohammed Al-Ibrahim, one of DFI’s mentors on the Education team. He was both in front of and behind the camera for the Arab epic, Black Gold, which will premier at the launch of @DohaFilm Doha Tribeca Film...
What's your design?
“Design” is the products/services/environments/ecosystems we surround ourselves with says Laurene Leon Boym @laureneleonboym
Ever since I arrived in Doha from New York City, 16 months ago, I have been attempting to explain to both nationals and expats what I’ve been doing professionally, with much enthusiasm, for the past 20 years, and how it can contribute to the growth...
Beyond Business
Build and they will come. Doha seems to be taking this strategy a step further: build bigger and they will come in droves. Oliver Cornock talks about the tourism sector in Qatar which is undergoing a bit of a makeover.
Trim suits, pressed shirts and ties; for a long time these were the standard uniform of travellers destined for Qatar. Business has been a mainstay of the State’s tourism sector,...
I Tweet Therefore I am
We cannot be separated from our tweets, hence we exist in the Twitosphere says Hassan Al-Ibrahim @halibrahim
‘Cogito ergo sum’ is the famous impeccable three-word locution by René Descartes that contoured the foundation of the Western Philosophy. Ideas do exist; and since ideas cannot be separated from oneself, then we exist. If we are to put it in today’s lingo, in a virtual world we...
Gulf Airlines are embracing their 'Sixth Freedom'
Boeing has a huge backlog of orders for their aircrafts and they recognize that some of the Middle East carriers are their primary customers. Why are the “Gulf 3” looking to purchase more aircrafts as fuel-prices are expected to escalate?
Despite the threat of long-term oil-prices, civil regional unrest and global economic uncertainty, the impact on air-travel to and through the...
African Nation Emerging from Slumber
As Qatar drives ahead with its preparation for the latter half of the 21st century, other nations - as far away as central-west Africa - are following their lead. Rory Coen visited Gabon for the official opening of their Special Economic Zone at Nkok which is hoped to trigger a seminal economic push for the “emerging nation”.
Almost 5,300 kms south-west of Qatar, cocooned in the...
The Rainmakers
Aquiess plans to bring rains to the Horn of Africa region and it hopes that Qatar will acquire the technology to overcome its water scarcity. Sindhu Nair finds out more about this technology.
Rain-making technology existed as early as 1946. It was used as a combat weapon in early years, to overpower the enemy by forcing rains thus foiling assault plans. In recent years, the largest cloud...
US Dollar under Riyal Pressure
The Qatari Riyal has been fixed at 3.64 to the US dollar since June 1980. This “peg” has provided an anchor for macro-economic policy and a reference point for stability and confidence. Qatar is approaching a critical time in its history as the drive to diversify by 2030 gathers pace - notwithstanding FIFA World Cup 2022 and the potential of the 2020 Olympics being staged here.
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Banks explore new ways to profitability
As the IMF hold their annual meeting in Washington, Qatari Banks are looking at the fiscal issues in Europe and the US and breathing a collective sigh of relief that they’re not suffering from contagion or indeed from their own sloppiness in the markets. After a few months of shock and distress towards the end of the last decade, they’re now operating with a harmonic mix of confidence...
Entrepreneurs set to meet their Angels
It is not enough to have a good idea. What good ideas need to make that leap from mind to matter is a solid pair of wings.
Angels’ Den does just that. Started in the UK in 1997, it connects entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises (SME) that are in need of a boost to high net worth individuals (HNWI) who are willing to invest in them.
Angels’ Den is now active outside of UK in...
