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1 year ago
Rabih Saab, Regional CEO of Inspired Education, highlights the achievements of The British School of Bahrain, developing strong school-community ties, and the demand for British education in the region in his interview with Gulf Insider. It’s been a busy year at The British School of Bahrain. Congratulations on the awards that BSB has won. Can you tell us what these achievements mean to the school? The achievements mean a great deal to The British School of Bahrain as they represent the collective efforts and accomplishments of the entire school community, including the staff, students, and parents. Last year, we proudly received eight awards across various fields, ranging from student well-being and innovation in education to digital learning and environmental sustainability. These accolades truly reflect the remarkable work carried out by BSB and its community. Particularly noteworthy is the Independent School of the Year Award, which we were privileged to accept in the UK. As the only school in the region to attain this distinction, it highlights our exceptional standing within the education landscape. What are some of your top priorities as Regional CEO for Inspired Education? Our commitment to excellence drives everything we do at Inspired. We strive to improve […]
2 years ago
With a potential debt default in the USA, what impact do you think it will have on the world economy and the global financial system? We think there will be a resolution and that both parties are conscious of the negative consequences even the technical default would have. This would trigger major mayhem in the global system. It’s hard to predict because we’ve never been there. So we can’t take any precedent and extrapolate. It would be a serious shock and not worth it. As we enter a post-pandemic era, what sectors and industries do you believe are particularly promising for investment, and why? There’s a tactical aspect to it because we’re in the midst of going into the post-pandemic normal. We think 2024 will be the first year we can speak of the new normalcy and until then there are some cautious and some defensive sectors to be looked at. Healthcare for the time being seems to be a stable consumer franchise. However, big things are happening elsewhere as we speak that will be the main drivers of post-pandemic normalcy. IT with the artificial intelligence breakthroughs is being discussed a lot and we suspect several big tech names to […]
2 years ago
BFC Payments recently launched an advanced multi-currency Visa card – the BFC PAY TRAVEL BUDDY that offers international travellers the convenience of digital payments. The card features fast top-ups anywhere, instant currency conversion, worldwide shopping and dining in multiple currencies at any of Visa’s 80-plus million merchant partners worldwide, and provides cardholders access to Visa Platinum loyalty programs. We got in touch with BFC Pay’s General Manager, Davis D. Parakal to find out more about the financial tool and its many benefits. What was the idea behind launching the BFC Pay Travel Buddy? Travel Buddy is a niche product we’ve brought to the Bahrain market, targeting the travel segment and international shoppers of the Kingdom. BFC has been established for over 100 years and is not a new brand in Bahrain, offering our customers unparalleled Forex services. Having understood this market through decades of experience, we set out to curate a digital product on top of that particular customer need (Forex). This led to the creation of Travel Buddy. Anyone who wants to use a currency other than the Bahraini Dinar can use this multi-currency card. It’s packed with a lot of economical solutions for the customer. What are the […]
3 years ago
A People’s Republic of China official responsible for relations with Taiwan has claimed a “reunification” of the two countries is approaching. The eyebrow-raising comments were published Thursday in China’s government-run newspaper, People’s Daily. Taiwan Affairs Office lead Liu Jieyi expressed expectations for China to reclaim Taiwan in the near future due to “growing comprehensive strength” on the part of the Chinese. “Our growing comprehensive strength and significant institutional advantages continue to be transformed into efficiency in work related to Taiwan issues and push forward the process of national reunification,” Liu said. Liu went on to threaten a violent crackdown on “Taiwan independence forces” and a stronger pushback against foreign interventions into the conflict. Taiwan, also known as the Republic of China, is an island nation off the coast of the mainland. Taiwan has declared itself independent of the People’s Republic of China, and has claimed continuation of governance from the pre-revolutionary China. The People’s Republic of China has long claimed sovereignty over Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait, the relatively narrow strip of ocean between the island of Taiwan and the Chinese mainland. The Chinese military has frequently sent planes into the area, testing Taiwan’s air defense zone. The United States doesn’t have official relations […]
3 years ago
Bait Maryam, a Dubai-based restaurant specializing in Levantine cuisine recently became the recipient of a Michelin Star Guide award. The Bib Gourmand Award for high-quality food at low prices was awarded to 14 restaurants featured in the comprehensive manual exploring the best eateries in Dubai. Inspired by her mother’s relationship with the community, Chef Salam Daqqaq established Bait Maryam, providing a homely experience for those visiting the Levantine restaurant. We recently had an opportunity to interview Nada Darraj, General Manager at Bait Maryam to know more about the restaurant. You are one of 14 restaurants in Dubai to receive the prestigious Bib Gourmand Award. How will this recognition affect your business? The award will positively affect the business in terms of worldwide exposure. A Palestinian-owned restaurant and chef achieving a prestigious award like this one is a matter of great pride for us! We are grateful to have been recognized in a city that brims with F&B options. What is the bestselling item off your menu? What makes it special? Our best seller is the Fatet mouskhan and what makes it so special is that my mother, Chef Salam Daqqaq created it inspired by the famous Mouskhan in Levantine cuisine. […]
3 years ago
Gulf Insider interviews the 14 L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Middle East winners. The L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Middle East Ceremony was held at Expo 2020 Dubai, honoring 14 women from the MENA region for their remarkable discoveries in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). For over 20 years, the Fondation L’Oréal and UNESCO have worked together to empower female scientists to achieve scientific excellence and to support them during their thesis or post-doctoral studies. With over 50 programmes including the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science, they support over 250 female researchers per year. Post-doctorate Researcher Category Nura Adam Mohamed (Qatar) What is the focus of your research and the purpose behind it? My research focus is in the nanomedicine field, a promising area that is attracting national and international interest, especially as the world is moving towards developing targeted therapeutics and personalized medicine. Particularly, I am focused on nanoparticles that have cardio-protective effects to be used as an advanced treatment method for cardiovascular diseases/complications associated with diabetes. Diabetes is one of the most common chronic metabolic disorders in Qatar, the Gulf region and the world, and cardiovascular complications are the most common complications of diabetes. Studies have shown […]
4 years ago
The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant disruptions in different sectors of the society; the education sector worldwide is not an exception to the impact of these unprecedented times. In Bahrain, the spread of COVID-19 has required a range of extraordinary responses from authorities and education institutions. We recently interviewed Dr. Jawaher Shaheen Al-Mudhahki, the Chief Executive of the Education and Training Quality Authority (BQA) to know more about the current status of educational institutions in the Kingdom. We have learned from your recent annual report that you have shifted your frameworks and processes in rating educational institutions remotely. Did this have any implications on the accuracy of the ratings? The BQA is committed to improving education and training by evaluating educational and training institutions fairly and objectively. In response to the current challenging circumstances, the BQA has established a framework that focuses on evaluating the schools’ responses to any exceptional circumstances the country or the world is going through. This framework has been adopted to gauge the appropriateness of the schools’ measures, procedures and practices to ensure the continuity of providing proper education to all students. It does not replace the regular review framework – it adopts a somewhat modified approach and set […]
4 years ago
Charlie Cooksey interviews Cesar Habib, Regional Director of Rolls-Royce Middle East & Africa. Rolls-Royce as a brand is known to be the pinnacle of luxury. What is “luxury”, and what defines a luxury car? I believe that luxury is not just a product. Luxury is a journey and a lifestyle that somebody has to experience. Every Rolls-Royce is a piece of art; from the engineering to the smallest of details and what makes Rolls-Royce luxurious is the Bespoke capabilities and service level it entails. When a customer starts a journey with Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, he becomes a member of our family. How do the demands of Middle East clients differ from other clients? Our clients are global citizens. With that said, they know what the trends are globally. They are open minded, they are passionate about luxury, and more importantly, they like to share. Our customers may differ in demographics, but their mindset and what they regard as important are the same: they want luxury and service. They want to be proud of what they own. In short — there’s not a big difference. They’re very, very, similar. Are there any defining characteristics that makes Rolls-Royce unique? No two Rolls-Royces […]
4 years ago
Gulf Insider talks to Mr. William Hurt, Chief Operating Officer of the American University of Bahrain on digital transformation, FinTech, and the evolving role of technology in education. What is the scope for digital transformation in education and what are the risks associated with it? The scope for digital transformation in education is as wide or narrow as institutions want to make it. AUBH came into existence at the peak of digital transformation in the region, facilitating our ability to become a leader in the field. As a start-up institution, we are inherently dynamic and we had invested heavily in technology from the beginning. We believe in the power of digital education to reach students in a profound and engaging way, enhancing their education through greater access to learning materials, instructors, and other students. As a result, our entire campus and our teaching models have been specifically developed to use the most advanced educational technology available. The risks of migrating to a primarily digital platform are twofold. First, not everyone has access to the required technology. Students who don’t have the right device at home to access programs such as Adobe Photoshop, etc., would not be able participate fully in live […]
5 years ago
At the start of a new academic year with COVID 19 continuing to affect the education of millions of students, as we continue to battle with the challenges and seize the opportunities, we are becoming more aware of the social and emotional impact of the pandemic on our young people. During these times, teachers across the region are doing their very best for their students, working hard to support their learning. In this new school year, we, at Britus Education, have a significant percentage of our students in Dubai, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia learning online, interacting with their teachers and peers ‘at a distance’. However, students are also in school and it has been my pleasure to visit classrooms and see children learning and enjoying the new term. However, there is something uncomfortable about watching a group of socially distanced children wearing masks and visors interact with each other and with their teacher. The current circumstances remind us very clearly that there is so much more to education than learning new knowledge – how can we, during a pandemic, provide our children with the social and emotional context to thrive and enjoy life? Whilst there may be a dearth of […]
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