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Interviews

Five Minutes With.. Fadi Mroue, Founder, République

Fadi Mroue discusses the Darwinian future of advertising and Beirut vs Dubai as a media hub, following République’s crowning as Independent Agency of the Year at the Dubai Lynx Awards.

Five Minutes With.. Hussein Oteifa, General Manager, SES Middle East

Hussein Oteifa, GM at satellite provider SES Middle East, explains how data connectivity is important for economic growth.

Five Minutes With… Abdulkarim Hannawi, CEO, Abela & Co

Abela is looking to expand its F&B chains Sandella’s Flatbread Café and Bean There across the UAE and Qatar.

Interview: Johnson&Johnson’s Pharma Ambitions

Battling Ebola, solving the GCC’s diabetes epidemic, and finding a cure for cancer are just some of the ambitions of Johnson & Johnson’s worldwide pharma chairman Joaquin Duato.

Five Minutes With… Christopher Evans, Director, Collinson Group

Competition for consumers’ loyalty is fierce in the region, says Evans.

Five Minutes With… Ahmad Hussain, COO, Global Village – Dubai

The entertainment destination received 3.9 million visitors as of end- February, confirmed Hussain.

Interview: Bentley Exec On Thriving Gulf Market

Robert Anderson takes a pit stop at the Qatar Motor Show to chat to Bentley board member Kevin Rose.

Five Minutes With… Sam Alawiye, CEO, GreenParking

A major challenge in the region is extreme climate and weather conditions, says Alawiye.

Five Minutes With… Lina Kouatly, MD, Lunatus Marketing & Consulting

Over the counter medications are one of the biggest growth areas for medical marketing firms such as Lunatus, says Dr Koualty.

Five Minutes With…Spyridon Gousetis, Marketing Director, Sony Mobile MEA

Wearable technology is fast becoming one of the industry drivers, says Gousetis.

Five Minutes With.. Salwa Hachem Mahfouz, Co-CEO, Fashion & Beyond

Salwa Hachem Mahfouz, Co-CEO of Fashion & Beyond, discusses her plans for bringing Brazilian swimwear brand Liquido to the region in the build up to the Dubai launch later this month.

Five Minutes With… Johannes Seibert, Managing Director, BMW Group ME

Luxury car brand BMW is looking to launch several new and relevant models in the region this year, says Seibert.

Saudi Arabia’s Flynas Aims For Profit On Lower Costs, Higher Demand

The airline carried 6.5 million passengers in 2014, almost double the 3.3 million which it carried in 2013.

Five Minutes With…Mark Pilkington, CEO, Kamal Osman Jamjoom Group

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar are the fastest growing markets with their continued investment in building mega malls, says Pilkington.

Five Minutes With…Ramez Shehadi, EVP & MD, Booz Allen Hamilton MENA

There is significant need to evolve public services and infrastructure in the MENA region, says Shehadi.

Five Minutes With…Nathalie Haddad, Founder & MD, Right Bite

The healthy fast food retailer is looking to expand across the region, says Haddad.

Brick By Brick: Lego Takes Shape In The Middle East

As Lego opens its first Middle Eastern store, regional director Simon Bast explains where the toymaker is placing its bricks.

Five Minutes With.. Georges Chehwane, Founder & Chairman, Plus Holding

Georges Chehwane, founder and chairman of Plus Holding, gives his insights into the UAE’s outdoor advertising market and Group Plus Media’s expansion plans.

Five Minutes With… Sudhesh Giriyan, COO, Xpress Money

The money transfer operator is hoping to see a 15-20 per cent growth in its business this year.

Five Minutes With.. Seehal Shah, CEO, GQ Bar & Vogue Cafe

GQ Bar and Vogue Cafe owner Inspired Global plans to bring an additional Vogue Licensed outlet to the region this year, according to CEO, Seehal Shah.

Interview: Former Astronaut Chris Ferguson On Commercial Space Travel

A former astronaut explains why Boeing’s latest craft could mean commercial space travel is not so far away.

Interview: Julius Baer CEO On Bank’s Mid-East Growth Plans

The CEO of one of the world’s largest and oldest private banks gives his insight into the evolving world of wealth management, potential acquisition targets, and his plans for the Middle East.

Interview: Accor’s Deputy CEO On Building The Hotel of The Future

The man charged with leading French hotel giant Accor’s digital strategy reveals his vision for the future of hospitality.

Former Dragons’ Den Star Theo Paphitis On His Dubai Debut

Robert Anderson sits down with former Dragons’ Den star and retail entrepreneur Theo Paphitis and does not get burnt.

Jim Kouzes: What Makes A Good Leader?

Jim Kouzes, co-author of the ‘The Leadership Challenge’, gives his insight into what makes a good buisness leader.

Exclusive: Flydubai CEO On The Low Cost Airline’s Meteoric Rise

Ghaith Al Ghaith describes how flydubai became the Middle East’s largest short-haul airline in just five years.

Exclusive: New York University President On The Move To Abu Dhabi

John Sexton, the president of one the world’s top universities, explains why he decided to expand to Abu Dhabi.

30 Seconds On The Business of… The GCC’s Fragrance Industry

Gulf Business speaks to Abdulla Ajmal, general manager at Ajmal International.

Exclusive: Ooredoo Oman CEO On Being Nawras No More

Greg Young says the rebranding is crucial to the Omani telecom operator’s future success.

Five Minutes With…CEO, Panache International

Vishaal Shah, CEO of Panache International, says that the UAE, along with being a lucrative market for disposable products, is also competitive.