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Interviews

Five Minutes with…Ahmad Tabari, group CEO, IDS

Maintaining a healthy profit margin in the UAE’s pharmaceutical sector is hard due to high operational costs, says Tabari

Five minutes with… Fujitsu Middle East VP and MD Farid Al-Sabbagh

Al-Sabbagh provides details about the new supercomputer that Fujitsu helped deliver to the King Abdul-Aziz University in Saudi

Exclusive interview: Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths on conquering the world

Griffiths waxes lyrical on everything from F1 and space tourism to oil prices and the shortfalls of democracy

Behind the curtain of… the GCC’s remittance industry

Gulf Business speaks to Sudhesh Giriyan, chief operating officer of Xpress Money

Five minutes with… Keesoo Kim, president and head of Cheil MENA

Spend in traditional media is declining with most brands focussing on digital, says Kim

Five minutes with.. Christianna Tsiterou, founder, The Gift Concierge

Christianna Tsiterou is planning to bring luxury service The Gift Concierge to the whole of the GCC following its UAE launch

Exclusive: Agility’s CEO Tarek Sultan on being a logistics heavyweight

Agility vice chairman and CEO Tarek Sultan discusses the company’s journey from small local logistics player to global competitor, and its next big step, Africa.

Five minutes with…Khaled Awad, chairman of ACTS

The drop in oil prices will not have an effect on the large infrastructure projects in the region, says Awad

Five minutes with.. Yasmine Attieh, operations director, Em Sherif

Yasmine Attieh says Lebanese restaurant chain Em Sherif is working on several franchise opportunities in the region.

30 seconds on the business of… sports retail

Gulf Business speaks to Shivam Goyal, business head, SportsOne

Five minutes with…Daniel del Olmo, president, DineEquity

DineEquity is embarking on a massive expansion drive with plans to open 24 Applebee’s restaurants and 17 IHOP outlets in the region, says del Omlo.

Five minutes with…Ghislain Desjardins, MD, DuPont MENA & Pakistan

The integrated science company is looking to find solutions for the region’s challenges, says Desjardins

Five minutes with.. Chris Govier, GM, Middle East Operations, Xerox

Xerox’s new regional head is hoping to maintain the company’s position in the production space.

Exclusive Interview: Vodafone CEO Kyle Whitehill on telco’s ambitions

Vodafone Qatar CEO Kyle Whitehill reveals his struggle to bring competition to the Qatari telecom market and what really happened with the QNBN deal.

Five minutes with.. Ted Leovich, VP International Operations, Wingstop

Chicken restaurant Wingstop is planning to launch at least 15 more outlets across the UAE over the next decade, says Ted Leovich.

In perfect time: Watchmaker Officine Panerai on Middle East plans

Regional MD Milvin George discloses why the luxury Italian watchmaker shuns traditional marketing to reach its fan base.

Five minutes with.. Jean-Loup Desamaison-Cognet, CEEMEA VP, Arrow ECS

Enterprise technology distributor Arrow ECS is looking at opportunities in Iraq and Egypt, according to Jean-Loup Desamaison-Cognet.

Five minutes with… Sam Lehain, CEO, Logic Utilities

The regional energy management sector is still underdeveloped considering the potential and scope, says Lehain.

30 Seconds On The Business Of… Philanthropy

Gulf Business speaks to Mohanna al Muhairi, CEO, Emirates Foundation.

Five Minutes With.. Captain Patrick Gordon, Acting President And CEO, Royal Jet

Royal Jet will receive two new Boeing business jets later this year as part of a $700 million fleet expansion and replacement programme, says Gordon.

Q&A: Aldar’s CEO On The Abu Dhabi Property Market

Aldar Properties CEO Mohamed Al Mubarak says the company is looking to launch 5,300 units over the next four to five years.

Five Minutes With.. Alessio Ruffoni, Manager, Al Grissino Restaurant & Lounge Dubai

Alessio Ruffoni explains why he is bringing Milan’s Al Grissino dining concept to Dubai, and potential plans for Abu Dhabi.

30 Seconds On The Business Of… Family Entertainment

Gulf Business speaks to Silvio Liedtke, COO, Landmark Leisure.

What To Expect From UAE Real Estate

CBRE Middle East’s MD Nicholas Maclean and head of research Matthew Green, give their insights into the Dubai and Abu Dhabi real estate markets.

Exclusive Interview: Nakheel’s Turnaround Man, Ali Rashid Lootah

Nakheel’s chairman reveals how he revived the company’s fortunes, and why he is confident Dubai’s property market will not crash again.

Interview: Herman Miller CEO On The Brand’s Ambitions

Herman Miller chief Brian Walker sits down with Ankush Chibber to talk all things office.

Five Minutes With.. Abed Bibi And Husain Makiya, Co-founders, YouGotAGift.com

YouGotAGift.com’s co-founders discuss the inspiration for their gift card business, growth areas and plans to expand to regional and international markets.

Five Minutes With…Simon Mellor, President, MEA, DMG Events

Post recession, event managers are having to work harder to attract the right people to various shows, says the president of dmg events.

Interview: Nayla Hayek On Charting Swatch’s Future

Putting aside the Swiss Franc surge and war in Eastern Europe, Nayla Hayek is forging Swatch into a company of the future.

Five Minutes With…Ben Jobling, Director, Dune London

Tough competition in Dubai’s retail market will push retailers to work even harder, says the director of International and wholesale at Dune London.