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ConnectA Zain Magazine | November 2010 Issue 11

SOLIDARITY IN A MESSAGEZAIN CHAMPIONS GROUND-BREAKING

UNRWA FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

RAMADAN ACROSS ‘A WONDERFUL WORLD’ • SCREEN LEGENDOMAR SHARIF • APPLE APPS MANIA • BABYLON’S GLORY • LIFE’S AN OFFICE • ROLLS-ROYCE’S WHISPERING GHOSTS

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It gives me great pleasure to welcome bothour Arabic and English readers to the 11th

issue of Connect, Zain’s corporate magazine.As the name suggests, Connect allows us tocreate a tighter bond with our customers andour community. In this issue, we not onlycelebrate Zain’s outstanding results for the firstnine months of 2010, but we will also becovering the various Corporate SocialResponsibility (CSR) and entertainmentinitiatives the company has undertaken recently.

First of all, I want to mention our activitiesduring the Holy Month of Ramadan, when weshowed how Zain could bring joy to thecommunity across all operations, while at thesame time observing the period with traditionalpiety. The poor, the elderly and thedisadvantaged all benefitted from our manyRamadan projects, while we used the moderntechnology at our disposal to educate, createawareness and ultimately help our customersobserve this special and solemn occasion in themost fitting manner.

Back to the boardroom and the results for thenine-month period ending September 30, 2010,have shown that that our bottom line is inexcellent health. The company recordedconsolidated revenues for the period of KD 1.01billion ($3.5 billion), an increase of 8.4%compared to the same period of 2009, with thenumber of customers served reaching 35.3million, an increase of 25%. These results are aconstant reminder that our corporate trajectory ison track and that we are focused on our keyfinancial targets of increasing value.

In October, Zain won, for the second year in arow, the the “Best Brand”award at the 4th

Annual Telecoms World Awards, Middle East.Such a prestigious prize confirms that the Zainbrand has caught the imagination of the region,

perfectly reflecting the aspirations and thinkingof our customers and the wider telecomindustry. It was also pleasing that Zain’s mobileoperation in Jordan was also rewarded bytaking the Best Arabic Application prize.

Regarding our CSR activities, it gives me greatpleasure to tell you of the successful marketingcampaign across the Middle East to promotefundraising activities in support of the UnitedNations Relief and Works Agency forPalestinian Refugees (UNRWA) to createawareness of the agency’s humanitarian workand raise money to improve the livingconditions of Palestinian refugees. We at Zaintalk of ‘A wonderful world’, but it would benothing more than a slogan unless we backed-up what we said with action. The campaign isone way of doing this, and it highlights Zain’scommitment to improving the lives of thoseless fortunate among us.

In keeping up with social media trends, ZainKuwait and Saudi Arabia have joined Bahrainand Jordan operations in signing up with thesocial networking site Twitter, which boasts 100million users worldwide. This compliments ourother ongoing social media activities such asFacebook and YouTube, while our Wikipediapage is constantly being viewed and updated bymany interested visitors. Zain is also monitoringthe latest social media trends that will allow us toconstantly engage with our online customers.

Zain is working on all fronts to build on whathas become an amazing brand, one thatreflects the spirit of humanity while at the sametime demonstrates our commitment tofostering solid corporate ideals.

Nabeel Bin SalamahChief Executive OfficerZain Group

Excelling on many fronts

CEO’S MESSAGE


Message from the CEO

ALERTSZain in the newsZain Group announces healthynine-month financial results;company wins best brand for second year in a row at WorldTelecom Awards; Bahrain honored by Ministry of SocialDevelopment; Iraq expands itsnetwork in Kurdistan; Jordan celebrates 15 years; KSA showsmore growth; Kuwait entersSmart code era, and Sudan signsMurabaha agreement

GIANTS IN TIMEThe most leading of menConnect profiles Omar Sharif,international heartthrob and the Arab world’s most famousmovie star

JOURNEYA city of harmonyAmman has a rich and glorious past

DISCOVERYRoots of all things greatThe ancient city of Babylon issited in modern Iraq

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RAMADAN SPECIALA month of reflection and givingZain played its part in bringingRamadan joy to the community

GIVING BACKZain’s contributions to thesocial and economic devel-opment of its communitiesZain Group launches SMS fundrais-ing campaign for Palestinianrefugees; over 20,000 schoolbags aredistributed in Bahrain’s five gover-norates; summer training programfor IT engineering students held inIraq; Jordanian students rewardedfor exam results; Shabab Tamouhgive blood in KSA; Kuwait announcesa new campaign to combat breastcancer and Sudan provides funds forover 15 schools

METROPOLISZain’s entertainment activitiesacross all its seven operationsCustomers can download ringtonesfrom Fairuz’s latest album on ZainCreate; Bahrain staff and customersenjoy summer fun and festivities at theBig Breakfast; Dr Al Jaber enters GTBtop 100; Kuwait joins Twitter; KSA soc-cer fans win BlackBerry phones in

CONTENTS

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Contributors:Mona Alami, MayaKhourchid, Nicholas Lowry,Matt Nash, NorbertSchiller, Gareth Smyth

Photography:Norbert Schiller private collection, Focus Mideast,Zain Group, Reuters

Editing:Vinehouse Media

Color Separation and Printing: www.raidy.com

Produced by: Zain GroupCommunicationsDepartment with Vinehouse Media

COVER PHOTO:One of a series of ads created by Zain to supportUNRWA’s SMS fundraisingcampaign (see page 30)

Head Office BldgBldg 401, Road 2806Block 428, Al Seef DistrictP.O. Box 5808 ManamaKingdom of Bahrain Tel.: +973 1 3605551 www.zain.com [email protected]

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World Cup contest and Zain Sudanhosts games in Kuala Lumpur

MOBILE LIFE New frontiers of creativityFrom cooking curry to seeing how welook in 30 years, apps are the new rage

Life’s new officeThe revolution that makes us allreachable, but which can set us free

Express yourselfThe phone has joined the list of itemswe must think about if we want toproject the right image

GREEN AFFAIRSThe world is heating upSweltering summer raises hopes foraction on global warming

RADIANCETreading carefullyWalking can lead the way to betterhealth and increased mental strength

ICONS OF DESIGNWhispering ghostsRolls-Royce is more than a motoringicon. It has become a symbol of luxuryand craftsmanship

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ALERTS

services in one or more branches of themedia, but it has raised brand awarenessthat has made a positive impact on thecompany’s market share, valuation andbottom line. With our ‘wonderful world’slogan and core values of Heart,Radiance and Belonging, Zain is a brandthat has caught the imagination of thewhole region and perfectly reflects theaspirations and thinking of its customersand the telecom industry at large.”The awards recognize outstandingperformance in 12 key areasthroughout the Middle East telecomsindustry and the key players that havehelped turn it into one of the mostdynamic and vibrant in the world.

On October 6, 2010, Zain won, forthe second year in a row, the

award for the Best Brand at the 4th

Annual Telecoms World Awards,Middle East, held in Dubai andorganized by Terrapinn. Zain’s mobileoperation in Jordan was also rewardedby taking the Best Arabic Applicationprize. (See page 9) In presenting the Best Brand award toZain Group Chief Commercial Officer,Bashar Arafeh (right) and Zain GroupBranding Manager, Bader Al Rayes(left), the six member judging panelcommented, “Within just three years ofits launch, Zain has not only created acompelling brand for its products or

Best brand... Again

Robust 9-month financial results

GROUP

On October 13, Zain announced itsGroup consolidated financial

results for the first nine months,ending September 30, 2010, a periodin which the company recordedconsolidated revenues of KWD 1.01billion ($3.5 billion), an increase of8.4% compared to the same period of2009 with customers served reaching35.3 million, an increase of 25%. The company’s consolidated EBITDAreached KWD 448 million ($1.55billion), reflecting an impressiveEBITDA margin of 44% with EBITreaching KWD 323 million ($1.12billion). Net Income soared 411% toreach KWD 976 million ($3.37 billion)and included the capital gain of KWD770.3 million ($2.653 billion) from thesale of Zain Africa assets on June 8,2010. The earnings per share reached252 fils ($0.87). The first nine months of 2010witnessed an increase in totalshareholders’ equity of approximately9.3%, reaching $9.26 billion, comparedwith $8.47 billion for thecorresponding period of 2009. Highlights of the Group’s resultsinclude the impressive performance of

Zain’s Saudi Arabiaoperation (see page 10),now the largest revenueearner in the Zain Group,with $1.12 billion inrevenues for the ninemonths to date andwhich now serves 7.3million customers.Elsewhere, Iraq was citedas Zain’s largestoperation by customers,serving 11.8 millionpeople, and turned inimpressive revenuefigures of $1.1 billion forthe nine-month period todate. The Iraqi network is beingextensively expanded to cover thenorthern region of Kurdistan and willbe commercially operational by thefirst quarter of 2011.Also of note was the Sudan operation,which recently achieved a majormilestone by attaining its 10 millionthcustomer. Despite the aggressivecompetition in Kuwait, the operationcontinues to maintain dominant marketshare and record impressive financialson many fronts, spurred on by its many

great customer offerings. Zain Bahrainfaced similar aggressive competition.The operation continues to achievesatisfactory results and maintain itstechnological edge on many fronts.Zain Jordan maintained its leadingposition in the Kingdom, both in termsof customer market share and revenues.Inclusive of Lebanon, where thecompany manages the mtc touchnetwork on behalf of the government,Zain is the market leader by customersin five of its seven Middle East operations.


The Ministry of Social Development recognizedZain for its constant and generous support of

the ministry’s community welfare projects. Theaward was presented by Minister Dr. Fatima AlBalooshi, who cited the company’s many CSRprograms, including its support for the Al RahmaCenter, the annual Back to School campaign, theDreams Come True with Zain campaign and theblood drive. Zain has also recently provided theMinistry of Development with mobile handsetsand a bus for the disabled.

This summer saw thelaunch of Zain eeZee,

tailor-made prepaidpackages for BlackBerrysmartphones that allowscustomers to purchaseBlackBerry data bundles,track their data usage andtop up by dialing adedicated number. For justBD 9 ($23.85), customerscan access a BlackBerry

At a recent human resources conference in Bahrain organizedby Etqan, the consultancy and training services company, and

attended by senior managers from leading companies from acrossthe GCC, the Zain case study, “Managing the Challenges of LowProductivity”, was presented. It emphasized how the companyplaces great value on its employees, who are encouraged andinspired through an innovative and challenging workenvironment. The Zain mantra for its staff is that people come towork for four important reasons: to live, love, learn and leave alegacy. Being able to cover all these factors gives people themotivation to work and gets them to engage emotionally withthe company. In addition, employees are encouraged to adopt

the “Zain way,” which is the belief that productivity and profitcome from promoting “smart work” over “hard work.”

bundle of 200 MB for 30days and additional low-cost data usage. WithInternet browsing andBlackBerry Messenger aswell as instant messagingand social networkingapplications – like Facebookand MySpace – customerscan stay in touch withcolleagues, family andfriends while on-the-go.

The ‘eeZee’ way to stay in touch BAHRAIN

SOCCER TEAMRAISES AWARENESS Zain will sponsor theMuharraq Club soccerteam during the 2010/11season and work with theteam and the club to raisefunds for children withautism by wearing adistinctive red, blue andyellow Support AutismAwareness ribbon on theirjerseys to encourage thepublic to donate money to

the treatment of autism and interact more withautistic children.

I-OFFERINGSAfter offering paymentfacilities on the BlackBerryBold and the SamsungGalaxy S, Zain has launcheda monthly installmentscheme for Apple’s iPod andiPhone for BD18.3 ($48.50)and BD19.8 ($52.48) permonth respectively.

Setting the benchmark for success

Good deedsare never lost


In July, six of the region’s leadingoperators signed a construction and

maintenance agreement to build theRCN (Regional Cable Network), a multi-terabit cable system stretching from theUAE to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syriainto Europe. RCN will provide robustbandwidth connectivity to the region’sgrowing broadband community. It will

also provide greater diversity for eachof the operators and prevent servicedisruption stemming from underseacable system damage. Etisalat (UAE), Mobily (Saudi Arabia),Jordan Telecom (Jordan), Zain/ Madacoalition (Jordan) and Syrian Telecom(Syria) together with other Europeanpartners have joined forces to build

the mammoth 4,000 kilometerdiversified cable system, which willprovide reliable telecom and Internetconnectivity for all users in thosecountries and the surrounding nations.RCN is the first terabit, terrestrial cablethat connects Europe with the regionand will provide extra capacity to helpmeet future needs.

Message ofappreciation

Zain is expanding its network in the northern Iraqi region of Kurdistan,with plans to extend coverage to the regions of Irbil, Dahuk and

Suleimaniyya by the start of 2011. The company is also gearing up to setup network towers in those areas, and tremendous progress is expectedbecause of the stable security situation. Zain has also inaugurated aservice center in Mosul. Previously, Zain, like other operators, had to relyon official distributors that provide SIM cards and recharge cards tocustomers. Iraqis can now access postpaid telecom services for cardreplacements, compensation for lost cards and other services and datathat require direct contact with the company. Zain intends to open othercenters throughout the province in the future.

The governor of the historic Iraqicity of Babylon (see Discovery

pages 22 and 23) awarded a certificateof thanks to Zain for the effort it hasmade to improve the sense of securitywithin the city and for delivering a first-class service. The security situation inIraq has meant that the mobile phonehas become an essential tool thatallows families to stay in touch.

Expanding acrossthe country

A one-of-a-kind experience in Bahrain

Joining forces to provide better connectivityJORDAN

Ayear-round gift spree for customers was recentlylaunched at the Zain SKY Shop in Manama. With

every purchase of a Zain product or service – such asHewar, eeZee, Mobile Broadband or Zain @ home – fromany of the eight outlets of SKY, including SKYInternational, customers can win fantastic gifts for the rest

of 2010. They include home theaters and laptops as wellas a grand prize of a 2010 Toyota Yaris at the end of theyear. The Zain SKY Shop allows the company to offertailor-made services to Asian customers (the staff speakHindi, English and Arabic), and it is the only one of itskind in the telecom retail sector.

IRAQ


On September 23, Zain Jordancelebrated 15 years of operations.

To mark the milestone, the companyhas launched “15 years between us,” ayearlong campaign during which Zainwill honor those who have contributedto its achievements and customers willbenefit from unprecedented offers andservices. Also to mark the occasion,Rotana’s popular morning show“Bisaraha Ma’ Al Wakeel” hosted by thepopular radio host Mohammad AlWakeel (far right) was broadcast fromZain’s headquarters. Hundreds ofcustomers turned up to join in thecelebrations and hear Jordan’s mostpopular radio show which has a dailylistenership of around 3 million. Zain is the market leader with 2.7 millioncustomers and has been the mostenergetic in its introduction of innovativeservices. Zain directly employs about1,000 employees. At the same time, foreach direct job created by Zain, dozens

FIFTEEN-YEAR HIGHLIGHTS• 1995: Known then as Fastlink, it is thefirst company to launch mobiletelecom services in the Kingdom• 2000: Introduces WAP services inthe Middle East for the first time • 2002: Is the first to introduce MMSservices in the Middle East and isamong the first operators in theregion to introduce GPRS technology • 2003: Zain, then known as MobileTelecommunications Company (MTC),acquires a majority share in Fastlink. Thedeal is the largest single acquisition in

the Middle East and the largest privatesector investment in Jordan at the time• 2006: His Majesty King Abdullah IIvisits Zain headquarters to recognizeits role in serving the community • 2007: Is the first to introduce postpaidand prepaid Blackberry service inJordan. Fastlink rebrands to Zain.• 2008: Is awarded the Al HusseinDecoration for DistinguishedContribution (First Class) by KingAbdullah for its CSR work. Opensthe Mobile Maintenance Center(MMC) to support by developing

vocational training in Jordan• 2009: Launches the first 4th generationInternet wireless and high speed Internetservice WiMax-E-Version• 2010: Expands the cross border OneNetwork to link with the PalestinianTelecom Group Paltel. Sixteenstudents graduate from the MMC.Zain receives Her Majesty QueenRania who visits the company’s HQ • 2010: Wins Best Arabic Applicationprize at the 4th Annual TelecomsWorld Awards, Middle East in Dubai,for its easy-to-use tourism directory.

15 happy years in Jordan

Best Arabic Application prize

of indirect jobs are created in relatedindustries. The company has establisheda strong tradition of corporate socialresponsibility (CSR), donating over JD25million ($35 million) to training, health,youth, social development andeducation. Zain’s contribution to the treasury sinceits establishment is more than JD 1 billion ($1.4 billion) in both direct

and indirect taxes, revenues and fees forfrequencies and licenses, etc. Zain’scontribution to the government in 2009stood at around JD 120 million ($169million). The company’s investments inthe network and related spending tocreate jobs, improve services andstimulate the economy have exceededJD300 million ($420 million) over thepast five years.

On October 6, 2010, Zain Jordan wonthe Best Arabic Application prize

(accepted by Zain Jordan’s Director ofCorporate Communications, Diala Muwlla)at the 4th Annual Telecoms World Awards,Middle East held in Dubai. The serviceallows customers to browse a

comprehensive directory on the mostimportant tourist sites, shopping areasand restaurants in the kingdom and canbe downloaded for free. An easy-to-use search engine enables them to surfa wide spectrum of images and mapsas well as check weather forecasts.


Following the announcement by theSaudi Arabian Communication and

Information Technology Commission(CITC) that it would allow companiesto continue offering BlackBerryMessenger services, Zain announcedthat it had completed the technicaldevelopment program of itsBlackBerry service in the Kingdom,

which includes a comprehensiveupgrade of service capacity and anincrease in connection speeds to RIM(the exclusive worldwide BlackBerryservice provider) servers byestablishing new connection circuits.Zain also announced that it wouldcontinue to offer the BlackBerryservice with unlimited data.

Enhancing the BlackBerryexperience

Following an announcement in Augustthat Zain Saudi Arabia (Zain KSA)

plans to increase its capital by SAR 4.4billion ($1.2 billion) through a rights issueto fund the company’s continued growthin the Kingdom, the companyannounced on October 13, its thirdquarter 2010 results. It reportedsignificantly higher revenue for theperiod with an increase of 101% toSR1.66 billion ($443 million) compared toreported revenue of SR825 million ($214million) for the third quarter of 2009.The third quarter revenue for 2010 is alsoup by over 14% compared to secondquarter revenue of SR1,450 million ($377million) for 2010.Gross profit increased by 193% to SR712million ($185 million), compared toSR243 million ($63 million) during thesame period in 2010. Operational lossesfor the period decreased significantly by65% to SR235 million ($61 million) whencompared to losses of SR668 million($173 million) in the third quarter of2009. Net loss for the period saw animprovement of 34% to SR544 million($141 million) compared to a net loss ofSR820 million ($213 million) for the sameperiod in 2009. This continues thepositive trend from the second quarterof 2009, which saw a reported net loss ofSR632 million ($164 million), a sequentialquarterly improvement of 14%. The lossper share improved by 34% to SR0.39

Mighty 3rd quarter growth

($0.10) from SR0.59 ($0.15) year-on-year.The company succeeded in increasingthe volume of broadband usage andcalls within its network which reducedthe cost of on-net calls, a move thatwas reflected in the reduction of thenet loss by more than 34% to SR544million ($141 million) compared toSR820 million ($213 million) for thesame period in 2009. The reduction incost was also reflected in the year-on-year increase of gross profit by 43%

compared to the 29% increase for thesame period in 2009.The company will soon achieve 93%national coverage as part of thesecond phase of its expansion planand should reduce its operationalcosts further with less national roamingagreements. Zain is aiming to have 10million customers, increase revenue toSR8 billion ($2.1 billion) and increaseEBITDA to SR1.5 billion ($390 million)by the end of 2011.

MANY HAPPY RETURNSZain recently celebrated thesecond anniversary of itscommercial operations in SaudiArabia by offering customers abundle of free services,including 200 minutes of calltime, 200 SMS, 200 MMS and200 minutes of Internet accessvia the Zain network that couldbe used from August 28 toAugust 30.

KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA


SIGNING TO BETTERSERVICETo achieve a greater level ofservice, Zain Kuwaitannounced it will teach itssales staff sign language tocommunicate with deaf andmute customers.

A BROAD SCOPEIn July, Redknee, thebusiness-critical billing andcharging software forcommunications serviceprovider, announced that itis enabling Zain Kuwait’slaunch of mobilebroadband services.

LUCKY NUMBER 19In July, Zain increased thenumber of its branches inKuwait to 19 with the openingof an outlet in Al Bairaq.Others to recently open werein Al Quran, Al Subahiya andAl Mansher.

Boosting connectionsFaster data The King Fahd Stadium in

Riyadh is now covered byexternal and internal systemsto boost its advanced high-speed Internet supportnetwork. Zain providedwireless Internet to thestadium’s media center andconference hall as well as to allpeople present in those areas.The boosting systems have animmense capacity, makingthem able to easily assimilatethe high number of Zaincustomers at the stadium andin it parking lots at rush hours.

After announcing a major breakthroughin the development of its 4G network,

which supports advanced LTE technology,Zain revealed that it has set a new regionalrecord in data transfer speed at over 145MB/s. The service is fully operational in theKingdom, and LTE technology will beefficiently provided at top capacity onceregulatory authorities set aside thenecessary frequencies. Zain customers willthen be able to enjoy voice and datatransfer services with top quality at highspeeds, making the company the first real-time service provider to do so in the country.

Zain announced that it has enteredthe era of smart codes – encrypted

images that herald a whole new era invalue-added services. The Scanner QRCode that is part of all modernapplications and technical solutions inthe telecom industry will usher in adigital revolution in the Kuwaiti marketdue to ease of use. Encrypted symbolsare saved as an image read bysmartphones. These symbols may refer

Smart code revolutionto websites, services, SMS or cell phonenumbers. Instead of calling customerservices or sending an SMS tosubscribe, customers only have to takea small, encrypted image in the codecorner of his/her cell phone. The phonethen reads the encrypted image andthen seconds later, the customerreceives download instructions in thecase of a song, prayers or videos, or awritten text after it is decrypted.

Zain has expanded its 3G networkto cover more than 28 cities and

now serves over 70% (up from aninitial 55% when first launched inAugust 2008) of KSA’s population.The rolling out of the 3G networkhas been a priority for the company,and achieving such vast coverage ina short amount of time is asignificant achievement. The projecthas not only seen the installation ofthe latest technology, but also thedelivery of more value-addedservices to customers.

At the speed of light

KUWAIT


LEBANON

SUDAN

A signal of unity

All about the numbers

In July, mtc touch sponsored the6th RaMSiS (Radio and Mixed

Signal Integrated Systems)Summer School under the themeof “Next Generation MobileCommunications: Chipset Designand Applications.” The event,which was held at the NotreDame University (NDU) campusbetween July 12 and 14, wasjointly organized by NDU’sFaculty of Engineering and theRaMSiS group at the ICT Schoolof Stockholm’s Royal Institute ofTechnology. The two-daysummer school is held every yearin a different country with adifferent theme and differentspeakers. It includes lectures

In August, mtc touch introduced aseries of new mobile numbers

starting with the code 76 for both“magic” prepaid and “touch”postpaid lines. The move comesafter the supply of mobile numberswith 03, 70 and 71 codes were

exhausted. The 76 series isapproved by the Ministry ofTelecommunications and theTelecommunications RegulatoryAuthority and are now available atall mtc touch service centers andpoints of sale.

A reflection of successA bright futureZain registered its 10 millionth customer and

honored its top ten most loyal Postpaid, Prepaidand roaming customers at a banquet. Elsewhere,Zain commemorated 10/10/10 by becoming astrategic partner of the Regional Forum thatdeclared Khartoum the 2011 Social Responsibility(CSR) Capital. The forum, attended by 30 CSRexperts from 14 Arab countries, aimed to set properand practical methods of managing this importanttool for community advancement within the fieldsof health, education, skills development andtraining, and the protection of the environment.

In late August, Zain Sudansigned a Murabaha agreement

with a number of Arab and localbanks worth €270 million ($369million) to finance the current andfuture growth projects to expandthe Sudanese market, one of thefastest growing in the field ofmobile communications. BoubyanBank handled the management ofthe three-year funding plan, alongwith an alliance that included the

National Bank of Kuwait, GulfBank and Commercial Bank ofKuwait in addition to leadingArab banks – such as Arab Bank(Bahrain), and Bank Audi andByblos Bank (Lebanon). Zain alsoplans to invest more than $226million in network expansion inSudan, particularly in the areas ofcapacity and informationdevelopment, in order to covermore than 85% of the country.

given by internationallyrenowned experts in the fieldsof wireless semiconductors andwireless communicationsystems from Canada,Germany, Lebanon, Swedenand the USA. The objective isto promote research in mobilecommunications, infrastructureand applications by bringingtogether industry insiders andacademia. Also integral isaddressing the challengesfacing the next generation ofmobile technology – fromfinding new applications forinfrastructure to exploring high-performance and cost-effectivetechniques to implement it.

DISCOUNT FEVERFollowing the Ministry ofTelecommunication’s decision toreduce off-peak tariffs on August25, mtc touch introduced a 20%discount on all local voice callsand SMSes made between 10p.m. and midnight, with thediscount increasing to 40%between midnight and 8 a.m.

Beauty everywhere You can see it with your mind, hear it with your heart and savor it with your soul.


GIANTS IN TIME

Sharif attended Victoria College inAlexandria, and then went on to studymathematics and physics at CairoUniversity. His time at Victoria Collegegreatly influenced his life. It instilled inhim a love of theatre, most importantlya passion for acting, and left himfluent in several languages. Despite

Handsome, charming andtalented, Omar Sharif’scommanding screen presence

has captivated the attention ofaudiences around the world for morethan five decades. Indeed, theEgyptian actor, who rose tointernational stardom with hisperformance as Sherif Ali in the 1962film “Lawrence of Arabia”, holds aunique place in cinematic history.

Sharif’s piercing gaze and hard-to-place appearance made him one ofHollywood’s most memorable leadingmen of the 1960s. Teaming up withsome of the best directors of the day,his filmography includes, “DoctorZhivago”, “Funny Girl”, and theaforementioned “Lawrence of Arabia”.

His time atop Hollywood was short-lived,limited for the most part to the 1960s,but his linguistic abilities—he speaksArabic, English, French and Greekfluently—enabled him to find success ina variety of foreign productions. Whilehis most well-known roles were in theiconic Hollywood films of the sixties,perhaps his finest performance came inthe 2003 French film Monsieur Ibrahim.No longer acting with the samefrequency he once did, he now chooseshis roles with a lot more care, limitinghimself to about one a year.

Born Michael Demitri Shalhoub inAlexandria in 1932, Sharif grew up in awealthy Catholic family. His father owneda profitable lumber company, while hismother was an avid card player (apassion she passed on to her son) and agood friend of with King Farouk.

The most leading of menConnect profiles Omar Sharif, internationalheart throb and the Arab world’s mostfamous movie star

developing an interest in acting earlyon, Sharif’s entrance to the stage wasnot immediate.

Following his graduation fromuniversity, he returned home andworked briefly for his father.Unsatisfied with life in the lumber

A young Omar Sharif at the start of his glittering career


business, Sharif eventually moved backto Cairo in the hope of pursuing acareer in film.

His first role came in the 1954 Egyptianfilm “Siraa fil Wadi” (“The Blazing Sun”)directed by Youssef Chahine. It was inthe credits of this film that Sharif firstassumed the name by which he wouldbecome famous. The first-time actorwas fortunate enough to star acrossfrom Faten Hamama, an already well-established Egyptian actress.

The intense chemistry between thetwo young actors fueled the film’ssuccess and led to several more filmsfeaturing the couple. Their chemistry,however, was not limited to the screen,and in 1955, much to the delight of the

Egyptian public, the couple married.Sharif converted to Islam in order todo so, an act that only increased hisalready significant fame.

Sharif continued to land big roles athome, and by the end of the decadehad cemented himself as one of theleading Egyptian actors of hisgeneration. But it was not until famedBritish director David Lean asked himto be in the epic “Lawrence of Arabia”that he became a household namearound the world.

Originally signed on to play a minorcharacter, Lean eventually asked himto play Sharif Ali, Lawrence’s trustedpartner and friend. It was a great rolefor his first Western film.

With British acting legends, Peter O'Toole (right) and Alec Guiness (left), in David Lean's 1962 “Lawrence of Arabia”

His first role camein the 1954Egyptian film“Siraa fil Wadi”(“The BlazingSun”). It was in thecredits of this filmthat Sharif firstassumed the nameby which he wouldbecome famous


Western audiences first saw Sharif asa tiny black speck, bobbing in thedistance. Slowly his figure takesshape, and his striking features soonbecome discernable. This image ofSherif Ali slowly riding into focusremains one of the most iconic anddramatic in film history.

His performance in “Lawrence ofArabia” earned him an AcademyAward nomination and launched himinto global stardom. In 1965, he againteamed up with Lean for his mostfamous role, the title character, in theromantic epic “Doctor Zhivago”.

Sharif put in a stirring performance asthe famous but ultimately tragiccharacter of Doctor Zhivago, anesteemed poet turned doctor, whoselife is continuously thrown off courseby the Russian Revolution. The film co-starred a the beautiful Julie Christieand was listed as one of the top 100hundred films of all time by theAmerican Film Institute in 1998. It alsocemented Sharif’s status as one of the

most dashing and charismatic leadingmen ever to grace the screen.

But his professional success came at acost. Constantly abroad working onfilms, Sharif’s marriage could not bearthe strains of distance. He andHamama separated in 1966 anddivorced eight years later in 1974.Sharif never remarried and maintainsthat Hamama is the only woman hehas ever loved.

Despite his marital issues, Sharif’s successcontinued with the 1968 romanticmusical “Funny Girl”. He played NickyArnstein, the gambling, entrepreneur,husband of famous Broadway star FannyBrice, played by Barbra Streisand.Despite the film’s success, it was his lastmajor Hollywood hit.

Following a string of flops, Sharifturned his attention to his otherpassion, bridge. He created the“Omar Sharif Bridge Circus”, touringthe world and becoming one of theworld’s top contract bridge players. He

Omar Sharif (second from right) with director Ahmed Maher and actors Cyrine Abdel Nour, Sherif Ramzy and Khaled Elnabawy promoting “Al Mosafer” (“The Traveler”) at the 2009 Venice Film Festival

even wrote a syndicated newspapercolumn on the subject.

Through the 1970s, 80s and 90s, Sharifacted only out of necessity, when hislove for bridge and gamblingdemanded he earn more money.

But in the last decade, he has had anartistic rebirth, brought on by his touchingperformance as a Turkish-Muslimshopkeeper in the French film “MonsieurIbrahim”. He won best actor at the 2003Venice Film Festival and a Cesar award forhis portrayal and reminded the world thathe can still carry a film.

He followed up his performance in“Monsieur Ibrahim” with a role in theHollywood film “Hidalgo”, with ViggoMortensen. Most recently he can beseen in the 2009 French film “J’ai Oubliede te Dire” (“I Forgot to Tell You”) andthe Egyptian film “Al Mosafer” (“TheTraveler”). Acting less and less, Sharifdedicates most of his time to his sonand grandchildren and now lives mostlyin Cairo.

Some look for happiness. Others create it.


JOURNEY

Amman is a modern city with a glorious past

A city of harmonyAmman, the capital of Jordan, with a population of just over 2 million is the largest city in the Hashemite Kingdom and lies on the western edge of the Arabian Desert


Amman, the capital of Jordan,with a population of just over 2million is the largest city in the

Hashemite Kingdom and lies on thewestern edge of the Arabian Desert,overlooking the fertile Jordan Valley.Originally built on seven hills, the cityhas since expanded to cover all the

surrounding hills and valleys and hasbeen at the crossroads of civilizationfor 9,000 years and continues to playan important role in the region. It remains a refuge, a city drenched inhistory, whose story can be seencarved in stone. It is a blend of old andnew, a place where modernity and the

ancient world stand harmoniouslyintertwined. The sight of a Romancolonnade alongside a modern steeland glass structure merely indicatesanother chapter in the city’s long andever changing tale.

Amman has had a very long and variedpast. Considered one of the oldestcontinuously occupied cities of theworld, its origins date back to 8500 BCand the Neolithic period. Recentexcavations at Ain Ghazal, in easternAmman, have turned up artifactssuggesting a well-developedcivilization existed there. Otherexcavations around the citadel haveturned up other early settlementsdating back to the Bronze Age (3300 -1200 BC). During the Bronze Age, thecolony traded with Mesopotamia, Syriaand countries as far away as Cyprusand Greece.

References in the Bible indicate thatby the beginning of the Iron Age (1200BC) Amman, then called RabbathAmmon, was the capital city of theAmmonites. King David, who reignedin Jerusalem, accused the AmmoniteKing Nahash of insulting him andresponded in force by sending hisarmy into Rabbath, toppling theAmmonites. For a short periodRabbath remained under the controlof King David and later his successorSolomon. Even though there ismention of Rabbat Ammon in the OldTestament, historical evidencebecomes blurred for the next fewcenturies. We know that the city wasconquered and destroyed severaltimes at the hands of the Babylonians,the Assyrians, the Persians and theGreeks under Alexander the Great. Itis not until the 4th century BC that aclearer picture emerges.

Under the Hellenic ruler of Egypt,Pholemy Philadelphus (283 – 246BC), Amman was rebuilt and renamedPhiladelphia, after its Hellenicconqueror. The Seleucids succeededthe Ptolemy dynasty, and then theNabitataeans held it until roughly 30BC. The Roman era transformed theentire region, and Philadelphia


became the center for Rome’sexpansion into Arabia. The Romansbuilt grandiose temples, theaters,public buildings, gardens andcolonnaded streets. Philadelphiabecame part of the Decapolis League,an alliance of ten Roman-ruled citiesthat included such well-known andpreserved sites as Jerash, Gadara(Umm Qais), Pella and Arbila (Irbid).This alliance of cities became part ofthe larger network of Rome’s tradinghubs that stretched as far away as China.

By 326 AD, Amman was predominatelyChristian and became the official seatfor early Christian bishops of theByzantine period. At around 250 AD aChristian tribe called Ghassaniansmigrated from Yemen to Philadelphiaand gave the city back its originalSemitic name Ammon, or Amman.

By the end of the 7th century the faceof Amman changed yet again with thespread of Islam throughout theArabian Peninsula. Initially the cityflourished under the rule of theUmayyad Caliphate in Damascus andthe Abbasids in Baghdad, but slowly itfell off the radar as trading routesshifted. After a series of earthquakesthat destroyed the city, Amman fellinto disrepair. During Ottoman rulethe town of Salt, 30 kilometers to thenorth, replaced Amman as the regionalcapital. It wasn’t until the end of the19th century, when the Ottomansresettled a colony of Circassiansfleeing Russian persecution, thatAmman began to look up once again.

In the early 20th century Amman saw atemporary revival when the OttomanSultan decided to make the town astopover on the newly created Hejaz

railway linking Medina, in SaudiArabia, with Damascus. The railroadwas built in order to facilitate theannual Muslim pilgrimage and to setup a permanent trade link with theeastern part of Arabia. In 1921 EmirAbdullah I made Amman the seat ofgovernment over the newly createdemirate of Trans-Jordan. In 1950, twoyears after throngs of Palestinians fledthe west bank of the Jordan River andsettled in and around Amman, theYoung King Hussein declared Ammanthe capital of the Hashemite kingdom.

Since the 19th century Amman hasbecome a place of refuge for thosefleeing persecution. Beginning withCircassions who fled the Caucuses tothe more recent Palestinians, Ammanhas been at the forefront of harboringthose in need.

During the 1990/91 Gulf war Jordan,and in particular Amman, was onceagain a haven for those fleeing Iraq andsince the 2003 hostilities in the samecountry, over a million Iraqis have eithersettled in Amman or used it as a transithub. It is a city where different cultures

Almost half the population of Jordan today, lives in and around the capital

Today Amman is aflourishingmetropolis withthriving banking,business andtourism sectors. Itis the jumping offpoint for manybusinessesoperating in Iraqand in a way hasbecome thegateway to theArabian Desert


and religions abound and where thereis still a feeling of harmony.

Today Amman is a flourishingmetropolis with thriving banking,business and tourism sectors.Hardships and conflict in the rest ofthe region have only helped Ammanbecome a regional leader. It is thejumping off point for many businessesoperating in Iraq. In fact manybusinesses with representation in Iraqkeep their headquarters in Amman. Ina way it has become the gateway tothe Arabian Desert.

Modern Amman is bustling withshopping malls, restaurants andnightspots. The streets are crawlingwith the latest cars, and the young arewearing the latest in designer wear.Everywhere you go neon lights areadvertising products, and the streetsare crowded with throngs of people.

Today, almost half the population ofJordan lives in and around the capital.Because Amman is growing at such arapid pace, the municipality has takenaction to prevent the city from

becoming overpopulated, and, inorder to preserve the city’sappearance, the law requires localstone be used to cover the front of allhouses and buildings, giving Ammana feeling of architectural unity.There are also strict laws againstlittering and police are out in force tomake sure motorist obey the drivingrules. This sense of organizationtranslates to all facets of society.Foreigners visiting Amman, usually findgetting around and doing businesssimilar to what they encounter in mostWestern countries. Go into anyneighborhood, no matter how modest,and most people will speak a secondlanguage, most commonly English.Education is a priority; andeverywhere you go, you see signsadvertising trade schools, privateschools and universities. Indeed,Jordanians are among the mosteducated in the region.

The new face of Amman has becomefar more international, but at the sametime the city has not lost its traditionalwelcoming side that make all who visitfeel at home.

Modern Amman is bustling with shopping malls, restaurants and night spots

Amman remains a city drenched in history,whose story can be seen carved in stone


DISCOVERY

Euphrates River. It grew over a periodof an estimated six centuries tobecome the prosperous capital of tenMesopotamian dynasties. From thetime of the old Babylonian period,medicine, chemistry, zoology andastronomy were practiced. Records ofhighly developed religion and sciencehave been found, and an advancednumber system was used. These earlyinstitutions contributed to intellectualthought of the later Middle East aswell as Western Europe.

The city initially rose to prominencewith the first Babylonian dynasty underKing Hammurabi who ruled from 1792to 1750 BC. He made Babylon the

empire’s capital when he gainedcontrol of south Mesopotamia. Elevenkings ruled in the first dynasty over aperiod of 300 years, buildingmagnificent temples and palaces. The area’s high water table, however,allowed only a few architecturalachievements to remain intact.

One of these is Hammurabi’s Code,3,000 lines of cuneiform writinginscribed on clay tablets and stelesmore than two meters high. Theinscriptions outline the common lawused to manage the empire and areconsidered to have greatly influencedlegal thought around the world. AfterFrench archaeologists discovered the

Ninety kilometers south of the Iraqicapital, Baghdad, remain the ruinsof one of the most important

cities of the ancient world. Nestled in theplain between the Tigris and EuphratesRivers, the site can be reached by a four-lane road that leads just north of themodern-day town Al-Hillah.

The ruins are from the ancient, famedcity of Babylon, the once-bustlingcapital where civilization and its earlyscientific, intellectual and architecturaladvancements have their roots.

Babylon began as a small town in thebeginning of the third millennium BCon the left and right banks of the

Roots of all things greatThe ancient city of Babylon is sited inmodern Iraq

Eleven kings ruled in the first Babylonian dynasty over a period of 300 years, building magnificent temples and palaces


Following the rule of Nebuchadnezzar,Babylon once again faced plight. On anevening in 539 BC, as Babylon’sinhabitants enjoyed a national feast,Persian soldiers diverted the Euphratesupstream to lower the water level.Cyrus the Great and his troopsmarched under the city walls in thigh-high water and greeted the merry-making Babylonians who offered littleresistance in their moment ofmerriment. Under Cyrus, the citybecame a center of scientificadvancement to the extent thatmathematics flourished and astronomyscholars completed constellation maps.

Babylon fell to Alexander the Great in331 BC. With his death, however, thecity’s order turned to turmoil, and itsinhabitants fled. Babylon remained partof the Persian Empire for another ninecenturies, witnessed the rise ofChristianity in the first century AD, andeventually fell to the Islamic conquest inthe 7th century AD. The capital ismentioned in the Bible more than 260times, and is considered one of the mostimportant cities in Biblical scripture.

The first recorded excavation ofBabylon was in 1811 by Claudius James

Rich. British, French and Germanarchaeological teams continued touncover the lost city until the 1980s,interrupted by events such as WorldWar I, and later, the first Gulf War. Muchof the preserved findings are dispersedin museums around the world, while therest has been simply ransacked.

What is left of the city and its long-lostgrandeur continues to be threatened.Over the years, the site was extensivelydamaged damaged by factors rangingfrom hasty excavation to military vehicles.A German team of archaeologiststainted the site’s archaeological contextin the 1880s with industrial-scale digs.After 2003, the site turned into a militarybase for the First Marine ExpeditionaryForce, and later for Polish forces. A 2005report released by the British Museumsaid that 2,600-year-old pavements hadbeen damaged by earth-movingmaneuvers and bricks had beenremoved from age-old structures.

But while remnants of the sun-driedcity may be at risk, the contributionsBabylon’s inhabitants made to thedevelopment of civilization will foreverexist. They are rooted in the pre-Biblical era soil of humanity’s past.

From the time of the old Babylonian period, medicine, chemistry, zoology and astronomy were practiced

monument in 1901, parts of it weretransported to the Louvre in Paris,where they can still be found today.

After prospering for several centuries,the capital experienced a millenniumof waned prominence, beginning withthe Kassite dynasty’s 400-year ruleafter the city was sacked. Babylon laterfell under Assyrian rule and waseventually completely destroyed. Thecity’s inhabitants were forced to rebel.Babylon broke from Assyrian rule in612 BC, and the city regained its glory.It became the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Chaldean Empire.

The most notable ruler during thisperiod of independence was KingNebuchadnezzar II. Under his 43-yearrule, the capital blossomed into one ofthe grandest cities of its time.Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt the regalgrounds, constructed the Ishtar Gateand created the Hanging Gardens ofBabylon, which legend says were builtfor his homesick wife who moved tothe city from the forested mountains.While no detailed accounts of thegardens have been discovered fromancient Babylonia, Greek historiansbelieved the gardens were made ofarched vaults built on stonefoundations. Accounts also say therewas an irrigation system that pumpedwater down sloped channels to reachplants cultivated above ground level.With little actual evidence of theirexistence, however, some scholarswonder if the gardens are a myth.

But Babylon’s architectural ostentation isevident elsewhere. The Ishtar Gate is oneof the most dramatic relics discoveredamongst the ruins. Nebuchadnezzar builtthe blue-tiled, massive structure indedication to the goddess Ishtar. It wasthe eighth and most spectacular gate tothe inner city through which the city’smost important road, the ProcessionalWay, passed. It is currently housed at thePergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany.A replica of the gate was rebuilt at thesite, where other achievements includingthe Lion of Babylon andNebuchadnezzar’s Southern Palace canalso be found today.

TIME FOR CARINGStaff members visited the UCOParent Care Home in Hidd as partof their outreach program todistribute gift packs to the elderlyat the long-term care facility.

KORANIC VERSES Zain launched the first KoranKhatma mobile service, whichfeatured a daily MMS containingreadings from the Holy Koran.Read by Mishari Al Affasy, versesfrom the Koran were accompaniedby visuals of the page being read.Aimed at highlighting theimportance of fasting, the servicewas tailored to help the youth havea better understanding of Islam.

LUCKY NUMBERSZain customers had to guess asix-digit number for a weeklylottery. Winners received an all-expenses paid Omra for two. Aseries of other fun daily quizcontests via SMS also allowedparticipants to win cash prizes.

IN THE SPIRITZain’s Ramadan bundle of offersincluded spiritual guidance,charitable donations and interactivefun with a hook-up to a popular TVserial. Also available were a seriesof five customized Ramadan andEid Al Fitr inspired greeting cardsin SMS and MMS format as well asthemes, wall paper and ring tones.


RAMADAN SPECIAL

A Ramadan Ghabga, or socialgathering, for corporate clients

and the media was hosted by Zainat the Ritz-Carlton. A Ghabga is acelebration of peace and friendship,two of the characteristics that makeup the spirit of the Holy Month.There were plenty of activities forthe guests, including contests, raffle

draws and valuable prizes, whilepopular television personality,Abdullah Malik, emceed the event.Zain also hosted its annual staffGhabga at the Sheraton Hotel. Theevent was an opportunity for thecompany to show its dedication tothe people that have worked hardthroughout the year.

CELEBRATING SUCCESS

BAHRAIN

ALL IN THE FAMILY

A month of reflectionand givingZain played its part in bringing Ramadan joyto the community

To highlight the family aspect ofRamadan, Zain offered eeZee

and Hewar customers unlimitedcalls to any Zain number from 12p.m. to 6 p.m. everyday during theholy month for only 300 fils ($0.08) aday, a considerable discount. Thecompany also made it easier thanever to subscribe to the services –customers only had to dial a simplethree-digit number (eeZee) or send

a simple SMS to a five-digit number(Hewar). As part of its Ramadanpledge to give back to its valuedcustomers, Zain also gave awayshopping vouchers worth BD 40($108) to new customers of its homebroadband and telephone services.Besides the vouchers, customersalso enjoyed a free WiFi device, afree wireless phone and unlimitedfree calls.

ANNUAL STAFF PARTY A few days before the end ofRamadan, as is the customevery year, the company heldan iftar for the whole staff atthe Hunting Club withactivities such as armwrestling, squash drinkinggames and riddle telling. Itwas a great way to end amonth of reflection and giving.

START SPREADINGTHE NEWSOn August 29, Zain hostedan iftar in honor of themedia, which was attendedby about 200representatives fromselected local print andaudiovisual organizations.


Supporting Iraq’s orphans each yearhas become a tradition for Zain,

helping ensure that the kids get a basiceducation and receive adequatehealthcare. Zain also takes care of themduring the holy month of Ramadan andthis year CEO Emad Makiya attended amassive gathering with the children just

Zain launched an initiativeto give 25 annual school

grants to orphansbenefiting from the AlAman Fund, one of HerMajesty Queen Rania AlAbdallah’s institutions. Theannouncement followedQueen Rania’s visit to Zainheadquarters on the firstday of Ramadan, where shemet one of the successfulyoung men benefiting fromthe fund, describing him asa role model and anexample of why the privatesector should provide jobopportunities for graduatesof the Al Aman Fund.

a couple of days before Eid Al Fitr andhanded out gifts of toys, clothes andother goodies. Elsewhere in Iraq, dryfoodstuff distribution continued, and thisyear, in collaboration with AMARInternational Charitable Foundation, vastquantities were delivered to the needyin rural and deprived areas.

DONATING TO THE NEEDYAND THE LESS FORTUNATE

On September 8, Zain and the AlHilal Club concluded their joint,

month-long Ramadan activities inJerusalem. Among the attendees wereAdnan Husseini, the Governor ofJerusalem; Mohammad Hussein, Muftiof Jerusalem; Mehmet Shekerji, theTurkish Deputy Consul General and

Father Ibrahim Faltas, theRepresentative of the Custodian of theHoly Land. Zain’s sponsorship alsoincluded distributing 1,000 foodparcels to disadvantaged families inthe old city and organizing activitiesfor orphans and other organizations.

FOCUS ON THE HOLY LAND

IRAQ

A ROYALOCCASION

JORDAN


Staff members intensified their socialactivities during the Holy Month

with visits to the Ministry of SocialAffairs and Labor’s care facilities,including the Family Care Center,nursing homes and orphanages.Volunteers brought the spirit ofRamadan to the elderly, those withspecial needs and orphans, distributinggifts donated by the company.

KUWAIT

THE JOYOF GIVING

CELEBRATING GOOD TIMES

WE ARE FAMILYAll Zain family members wereinvited to a traditional Ramadanmeal during which Group CEONabeel Bin Salamahencouraged employees tocontinue preserving thecompany’s inspirational‘wonderful world’ slogan. Thedinner was also an occasion tohonor those who have beenwith the company for 25, 15and 10 years.

Over 2,400 food packages weredistributed throughout the

country to those in need as part ofthe “Zain Trails” campaign. Thespecial packages were donated toseveral organizations, including thePatient Help Fund, the Help YourMuslim Brother Committee, as well

as mosques around Kuwait. Withthe aim of reaching as manypeople observing the fast aspossible, Zain set up three tents inKhaitan, Amghara and, for the firsttime, Fahaheel, distributing a totalof 60,000 breakfast meals duringthe Holy Month.

HAPPY TRAILS

Zain celebrated Qarqiaan, thetraditional mid-Ramadan trick-

or-treat festival that is popularamong children, at the AvenuesMall with hundreds of customersand visitors. Hosted by TV starpresenters Sally Al-Qadi, Omar Al-Othman and Jassem Al-Obwa, theevent included many surprises forthe children, such as an appearanceby Barney the dinosaur andcompetitions with many prizes.

The Qarqiaan festivities were alsoshared with over 100 children withcancer and their families at theWomen’s Cultural Association,organized in cooperation with theAmal Club. Presents were given outand fun-filled competitions withprizes kept the children entertained.Zain celebrated the four-day Eid AlFitr holiday by treating its customersand the public to a giant carnival atthe 360 Mall.

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

Anew and exclusive series of numbersstarting with a ‘909’ area code in

addition to free platinum lines with“Wayana 49” packages were launchedby Zain. New free Gold, Silver andBronze lines were offered at all Zainbranches after subscribing to Wayana

packages – starting at KD 2.5 ($8.90) –during the Holy Month. Subscriptions toZain’s various BlackBerry packages alsoincluded free gifts, such as BlackBerryhandsets as well as E-go and MiFidevices. Holders of prepaid lines werenot left out, with the company offering

great deals on Easy lines. With everyrecharge of KD 3 or more, customersreceived a prize and were automaticallyentered in a lottery worth KD 1,000 inrecharges, free minutes within the Zainnetwork, free local text messages andfree local and international minutes.


CHARITY BEGINS WITHA CALLZain launched a new service allowing customers to pay

the zakat, or alms, during Ramadan. “Allo Zakati” wasactivated after the customer called a dedicated number.They then simply picked their chosen charity from a menu,the sum to be donated (either KD 1, KD 5, or KD 10),confirmed it and agreed to have it added to their postpaidbill or subtracted from their prepaid package. The cost ofthe call was 40 fils per minute, and all proceeds weredonated to the Hamel Al Misk charitable institution.

On September 6,mtc touch

donated school bagsand other supplies toneedy children throughseveral charitableassociations acrossLebanon to mark boththye end of Ramadanand the start of the2010-2011 academicyear. mtc has longsupported theeducation sector andhas made the issue apriority on thecompany’s CSR platform.

LEBANON

BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIAL

HELPING HANDSBuses were provided by Zain at the GrandMosque area to shuttle worshipers to andfrom parking lots during the last ten daysof Ramadan. Zain employees distributedmore than 4,000 prayer mats and 10,000small fans to combat the heat at the GrandMosque and other mosques throughoutthe country. Also handed out toworshippers at different mosques acrossKuwait were copies of Al Sawm Li (Fastingis for me).

A THOUSAND AND ONEREASONS TO BELIEVEIN MAGIC

To coincide with the start ofRamadan, mtc touch

launched Alf Layleh wa Layleh, topromote its prepaid magicservice. The campaign allowedmagic customers to enter a drawsimply by making a 10-minute callat any time during the holymonth. The more 10-minute calls

made, the more chancescustomers had of winning. Thedraw was held in October, withthe lucky winner, Nasser FayezHakim, receiving one hour of freelocal calls every day for 1,001days. A further 21 winners wereawarded 1,001 free SMSmessages each.


A bundle of 13 Islamic channels, witheach one focusing on a specific

religious topic to offer customersspiritual guidance were launched duringRamadan. The bouquet included specialchannels featuring the Imams of Meccaand Medina as well as prayers from the

Al Aqsa and Al Azhar Al Sharif mosques.For those interested in scientific studies,customers could surf channels dedicatedto the late Sheikh Mohammed MetwaliAl Chaarawi, Sheikh Nabil Al Awadi, andthe late Dr. Mustafa Mahmoud. A specialchannel was also designated for

Zain joined the Sudanese Union ofJournalists at the annual iftar, which was

attended by more than 1,000 journalistsand media representatives. With thecountry heading towards an economicboom, Zain recognizes the need forresponsible and credible economicreporting, which is why the companyextended its support for the local media,providing an extensive training course forbusiness journalists. Zain also offered to linkall media outlets in the country with anInternet connection at a 50% discount.

customers to watch full episodes of“Khawater 6” on a daily basis, which waspresented by Ahmad Al Choucairy onthe MBC cable channel. The bundle alsoincluded Ramadan calendars andrecipes, the Mussaharati, tips, wisesayings and Islamic blessings.

Hundreds of thousands of iftar mealswere offered by Zain to those fasting in

Mecca and Medina, where there was thehighest concentration of pilgrims andvisitors. In addition to the two holy mosquesin the cities, the company extended itsannual Iftar Saem (Iftar for those fasting)program to dozens of other key locations inthe country, including the pilgrims’ hall inJeddah’s King Abdel Aziz Airport andseveral Mecca mosques and pilgrimagestops. In Medina, iftar meals were providedat the city squares, gates and mosques aswell as at checkpoints along the Mecca-Medina road, while members of thecompany’s Shabab Tamouh (AmbitiousYouth) program took part in the food driveby serving and distributing the meals.

A SPIRITUAL “BOUQUET”

COMFORTFOOD


A STRONG LINK

SUDAN


GIVING BACK

On August 22, Zain launched amarketing campaign across the

Middle East to promote fundraisingactivities in support of the UnitedNations Relief and Works Agency forPalestinian Refugees (UNRWA). A six-week SMS fundraising and advertisingpush consisted of specially made TV,print, billboard and online advertisingacross the region. The initiative, which isfunded by Zain Group, aims to raiseawareness about the agency’shumanitarian work and to raise moneyto improve the living conditions forPalestinian refugees. By sending an SMS to an assignedcountry, Zain customers in Bahrain,Jordan, Kuwait, KSA and Sudan hadthe opportunity to support UNWRA’shumanitarian mission by donatingmoney directly to the agency’svarious programs in Jordan, Lebanon,

Syria, Gaza and theWest Bank. The highlight of thecampaign was a“reality” TV ad shot inLebanon’s Bourj Al-Barajneh refugeecamp, capturing thereal lives ofPalestinians living inthe area. Through theshort film, Zain hopesto open the world’seyes to the poorconditions in thecamps and encourageviewers to contribute to a betterfuture for all Palestinian refugees.The move came two months after theZain Group and Zain Jordan signed twocooperative agreements with UNRWA tofinance the agency’s largely under-

funded health and educational projectsfor the roughly 5 million Palestinianrefugees across the Middle East. Thispartnership was the first between the UNhumanitarian organization and a private-sector company in the Middle East.

Over the summer holidays, Zainlived up to its promise to

empower and enable young people inthe Kingdom by supporting aninnovative youth-centric program thatleveraged their creativity and helpeddevelop independent thinking and

innovation. Using its moderntechnology, the company providedInternet connectivity and over 30laptops to the media center of YouthCity 2030, the 6,000 sqm area, to beset up at the Bahrain InternationalExhibition Centre in Sanabis that runs

around 43 summer programs in Arabic.The project was made possiblethrough the successful synergybetween key players, including theGeneral Organization for Youth andSports, Tamkeen and the EconomicDevelopment Board (EDB).

OPENING THE WORLD’S EYES GROUP

An SMS fundraising campaign with UNRWA is launched tobenefit Palestinian refugees in the Levant

EMPOWERING THE YOUNGBAHRAIN

Youth City 2030 receives telecom support

Making a differenceZain’s contributions to the social andeconomic development of its communities


Zain launched a summer trainingprogram for IT engineering

students in cooperation with thefaculty of IT engineering at the AlNahrain University and the Al Rafidain

University College (below). Themonth-long program includedrotations at Zain’s technical and ITdepartments, among others, whereengineers gave detailed tutorials,

This summer, mtc touch sponsored the annual galadinner of the Lebanese Welfare Association for the

Handicapped, that was organized to raise funds for thecompletion of the in-patient facility at Nabih BerriRehabilitation Compound (NBRC) in Sarafand, SouthLebanon. The NBRC treats the victims of conflicts,especially those who have lost limbs.

extensive field studies and applicationdemonstrations on the latestequipment. Zain plans to cooperatewith other faculties in the future. Itsplans this year include theestablishment of Internet cafés at thefaculties of letters and informationengineering at Al Kufah Universityand Al Rafidain University College tospread technological innovations inthe country and link it to the world.The company is also determined toattract top students as part of anambitious orientation plan.

CLASS OF THEIR OWN IRAQ

CHARITY GALA DINNER LEBANON

For the seventhconsecutive year, Zain

distributed school bags andsupplies to needy children –this year, in all five ofBahrain’s governorates.Once again, the project wasconducted under thepatronage of His HighnessSheikh Nasser bin Hamad AlKhalifa, President of theCouncil of Trustees to the

Royal Charity Organization.Zain oversaw the operationto hand out 20,000schoolbags in ceremonies ineach governorate. The bagscome with all the necessarystationery a student willneed for the school year,while the company madeevery effort to ensure thatthey reached the studentsmost in need.

A NATIONWIDE INITIATIVE Over 20,000 schoolbags aredistributed to children in thefive governorates

IT engineers are mentored over the summer recess


JORDAN


GIVING TO SAVE

In October, Zain celebrated its annualDiplomatic Bazaar for the second

year running at the Amman ExhibitionPark. The event was organized by thediplomatic community in Jordan tosupport the children of Mabarrat UmAl Hussein, a home for disadvantaged,orphaned boys that was established in1951 by the late Queen Zein Al Sharaf,the mother of Princess Basma, thecurrent patron. At an iftar for the Children of Um AlHussein orphanage in Ramadan, Zainannounced the launch of a number ofinitiatives for the benefit of theorphanage. They included 10employment opportunities in thecompany’s call center for universitystudents from the orphanage. In the same month, Zain rewarded threeoutstanding students at the Ein JannaSecondary School for girls, located inAjloun (right). The initiative is part of anumber of activities launched by the

company for the school’s students underthe umbrella of the nationwide Madrasatiinitiative, launched by her MajestyQueen Rania Al Abdallah in 2008 andsupported by Zain. The three students

Zain representatives visited several treatment centers forkidney patients in Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar in

cooperation with the Prince Fahd bin Salman Associationfor Patients Suffering from Kidney Failure or Kilana.Company employees comforted patients, offered gifts andtook the time to learn about kidney failure, methods oftreatment as well as the various means of looking afterone’s kidneys. To further support Kilana, Zain has dedicatedthe hotline, 5060, which is used for direct SMScontributions as well as awareness messages to urgepeople to donate to the cause.

who achieved a grade of over 90% intheir Tawjihi exams were Malak MansourAl Smadia, who was awarded a universitygrant, and Mai Al Qdah and Shatha AlQdah, both of whom received laptops.

CELEBRATING THE 2ND DIPLOMATIC BAZAARTop students are rewarded for their efforts

UP CLOSE AND PERSONALCompany employees visitdialysis patients to offermoral support and comfort

On June 14, Zain’s Shabab Tamouh (ambitiousyouth) organized a three-day blood drive in

cooperation with the labs department and blood bankat the Aasir Central Hospital in Abha to mark WorldBlood Donor Day. Blood Donor Day is held on June 14every year to promote everyone’s right to safe bloodand encourage regular, voluntary blood donation.


KUWAIT

In October, Zain announced thelaunch of a new awareness

campaign to combat breast cancerand stress the importance of regularcheckups and early detection. Incollaboration with Laki Sayedati (foryou my lady), the campaign targetedthe largest catchment of womenthrough audiovisual and print mediaas well as SMS messaging. Thecompany adopted the traditional“Pink Strip” to raise awareness thatwas available at all its branches acrossKuwait. The logo reflects Zain’s

determination to putits weight behindthe fight againstbreast cancerand its resolveto defeat it inits early stages.Zain hadpreviously lentsupport to the“CAN” campaign, theSt Jude’s Cancer Hospital for Childrenin Lebanon and the Al HussainHospital in Jordan.

CHAMPIONING A CAUSEInitiative to create breastcancer awareness

SUDAN

Zain recently extended its supportto the education sector, providing

funds for more than 14 schools. Theinitiative included the completeconstruction of campuses as well asthe building of additional classrooms,supplying uniforms, textbooks andpencils, and donating 300 fullyequipped laboratories to severaluniversities. In total, Zain hasearmarked SDG 4 million ($1.68million) for its latest educationcampaign. So far this year, Zain has

Last year, Zain led anunprecedented initiative to equip

fresh graduates with the necessarytools to succeed in the workforce.Zain implemented an annual trainingprogram to improve the employmentopportunities for 300 graduates inthe field of customer relations. Thefirst batch of recruits completed theyear with flying colors, exceedingexpectations with average end-of-year test results exceeding 89%. Theprogram focuses on training forcustomer care centers, wherestudents learn how to deal with thepublic. The opportunity to join theprogram is extended to all graduatesfrom various parts of the country,irrespective of gender, and is alsoavailable to those with special needs.

sponsored the construction of sixschools, funded the renovation of nineothers and distributed 180,000textbooks and 20,000 pencils as wellas school uniforms to 61,802 pupils in373 schools. As part of its education supportproject, a number of nationaluniversities also received aid fromZain, with Al Zaeem Al Azhari, AlGazira and Al Gedaref Universitieseach receiving a computer lab. TheUniversity of Dongola received a new

lecture hall, the IslamicUniversity of Umdurman’sNursing College was given anew laboratory and AlNileen University benefittedfrom 1,000 laboratory coatsand 300 classroom seats.Zain has also signed anagreement to supply theNational University ofUmdurman and theInternational University ofAfrica with several high-capacity computer servers.

FOSTERING YOUNG MINDS PREPARINGFUTUREGENERATIONS

BAHRAINALSO PLAYSITS PART

Zain Bahrain has launched ThinkPink, a BD1 ($2.65) SMS

donation campaign to raise fundsfor breast cancer awareness and

a digital MRI screeningmachine for Manama’sSalmaniya Hospital. Themoney raised from the Zain

SMS campaign will be doubled inthe bid to purchase this vitalequipment to help in the earlydetection of the disease.


METROPOLIS

On September 19, Zain attainedpre-launch digital rights to the

ring tones of Fairuz’s latest album,‘Ehh fi Amal” (Yes, There is Hope).This is the Lebanese diva’s firstalbum in four years, and now all thesongs are available to Zaincustomers in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan,

Zain sponsored a first-of-its-kind sports tournament

organized by the Sudanesediaspora in Kuala Lumpur heldunder the supervision of theSudanese Embassy in Malaysia.The closing ceremony of thetournament, which took placeunder the slogan “One Nation...One People”, was held on

August 8 and honored those whocontributed to the tournament’ssuccess. The event inspiredinteraction among Sudanesestudents in Malaysian universities,student leagues, the Sudanesediaspora and the embassy, whileall the time creating a goodimage of Sudanese nationals inthe country.

Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia andSudan as downloadable ring tones.As of October, customers can alsodownload individual tracks in theirentirety from Zain’s music portal,http://create.zain.com, to be usedas ringtones with interactive voice response.

A DIVA’S VOICE ON YOUR PHONEGROUP

Customers are treated to the beautifulsongs on Fairuz’s latest album

GOING LOCAL INKUALA LUMPUR

SUDAN

Zain sponsors the Sudanese sportstournament in Malaysia’s capital

Zain’s entertainment activities across all its operations

A wonderful world


July got off to a grand start with theBig Breakfast hosted by Zain for its

staff and customers. Taking place at ZainBahrain’s Seef headquarters, the eventwas hosted by the Human Resourcesdepartment with the help of the ZainFUN (Future University Network) team,

which led the guests through a range ofenjoyable activities that emphasized thecompany’s team spirit with games,raffles, a talent competition and a hostof exciting prizes. After an introductionto the company, customers were treatedto a tour of the offices, after which they

were given goodie bags full of valuablegiveaways. Participating customers wereselected from a list of those who hadtaken part in Zain’s Facebook socialnetworking activities as well as differentonline contests and competitionshosted by the company.

BAHRAIN


From June to July, Zain hostedthe 40 lucky BlackBerry

winners of the Kooora.comsports website contest, heldduring the 2010 World Cup finalsin South Africa in which over20,000 people participated. Zainalready sponsors the Saudinational soccer team and theprofessional soccer league.

SCORING WITH SAUDI SOCCER FANS

THE BREAKFAST CLUBStaff and customers enjoy the Big Breakfast

Zain Jordan CEO Dr. Abdul-MalekAl-Jaber (seen here with Jordan's

Queen Rania) has become the firstJordanian to make it into the GlobalTelecoms Power 100 list for 2010. Theranking, issued by Global TelecomsBusiness (GTB) magazine, placed Dr. Al-Jaber in 62nd position amongstthe top 100 most powerful people inthe telecoms business as voted by itsreaders. The magazine said thePower 100 list is “made up ofrepresentatives of the over-the-topcontent providers that are challengingthe industry’s business plans, and ofthe associations that service providersare using to regain market share.”

Zain Kuwait recently joined Bahrain,Jordan and Saudi Arabia by signing an

agreement with the popular socialnetworking site, Twitter, allowing itscustomers to obtain instant updates viaSMS. Zain is providing the Twitter SMSservice without any subscription fees;customers just have to send the word“start” to 89887 to get connected. Twitterboasts 100 million members worldwide,with roughly 300,000 residing in Kuwait.

JORDAN

KUWAIT DR AL-JABER JOINS GTB TOP 100

ALL A-TWITTER


MOBILE LIFE

From cooking curry to seeing what we will look like in 30 years, Apple apps arethe new – and profitable – rage

New frontiers of creativity

Three years since its release, theiPhone has become the mosticonic device of the digital era.

That unique status is, in part, due toApple’s trend-setting design ethos,and the resulting super-sleekminimalism of their hard products, butexternal design alone could nevercatapult a gadget into theunparalleled position the iPhonecurrently occupies. For that, Apple hadto marshal what was initially a muchmore unwieldy beast, the App Store.

The store, as its name suggests, offersapplications, both free and for sale,created by third-party designers thatyou can download onto your iPhone,iPad or iPod touch.

The first popular applications werenovelty products and many of the mostpopular ones still are. But don’t let thatword fool you: An app that allows youto see what you’ll look like in 30 yearsmight be frivolous, but everyone andtheir mother is still going to downloadit, as indeed they already have.

Moreover, as the App Store has grown,the apps themselves have quicklyprogressed from novelty to necessities ofmodern life. Want to learn a language,write a screenplay, operate a strobe light,organize your stock portfolio or just findthe closest Indian restaurant and order aChicken Tikka Masala? Yup, there is now

an app for every one of those tasks, anda billion more.

The cost of applications that aren’t forfree begins at $0.99, with the averageprice, as of August 2010, hoveringaround $2.91. Apple takes 30% of therevenue, and the rest goes to theinventor or seller of the application. But if you want to understand thephenomenon, the salient data are300,000, 6 billion and $4.2 billion.

Those figures, respectively, representthe number of applications that havebeen released, the number ofapplications downloaded from theApp Store, and the revenue generatedby apps in 2009. According to analystsinterviewed by the PhiladelphiaInquirer that final number is supposedto reach $29.5 billion by the year 2013.

Those numbers put into perspectivethe almost hyperventilating excitement

Whether you want to learn a new language


the App Store has generated, not justamong users of Apple products, butwith economists as well. Amidst aglobal financial crisis that is still yet tofully dissipate, Apple has onlyincreased the speed of the remarkablerun that began with the release of theiPod way back in October 2001.

The portable MP3 player kick-startedas stunning a turn-around as atechnology company, and perhaps anycompany, has achieved. When SteveJobs returned to the helm of Apple inthe late 90s, the company, though stillfamous as the seminal pioneer of thepersonal computer, seemed a fast-fading has-been, having sufferedcomprehensive defeat at the hands ofits long-term rival Microsoft.

However, the release of three lines ofhard products, the iPod, followed bythe iPhone and most recently the iPad,all bolstered by Apple’s own in-houseoperating systems, along with thecompany’s two digital stores, iTunes

and now the App Store, have allowedApple to reclaim the mantle of coolestcompany in Silicon Valley. And not justthat – even as the rest of the economyhas been reeling, Apple has managedto surpass it’s old rival Microsoft, tobecome the world’s most valuabletechnology company, and, after thepetroleum giant Exxon, America’smost valuable company in any industry.

Just a year-and-a-half old, the AppStore constitutes but a tiny fraction ofthat empire.

With 81% of apps downloaded to datefree of charge, and the 50 mostpopular paid applications having anaverage selling price of just $1.49,Apple, according to industry experts,receives about 29 cents for everyapplication downloaded.

But most of those 29 cents go to thedownloader’s credit card company,leaving Apple with less than $200million in gross profit since the App

Store opened. Nearly 200 milliondollars is nothing to sneeze at, of

The cost ofapplications thataren’t freebegins at $0.99,with the averageprice, as ofAugust 2010,hovering around$2.91. Appletakes 30% of therevenue, andthe rest goes tothe inventor

Organize your stock portfolio


course, but we’re talking about acompany that made more than $33billion in the same period.

But while Apple has made relativelylittle from the App Store, the third-party developers who have designedthe actual products sold at the storehave made more than $1 billion sinceit opened in 2008.

And it is those third-party developers, inlarge part, who are responsible for thefeverish enthusiasm that currentlysurrounds the App Store. While manygripe about the control exercised byApple over the store – Apple individuallyapproves every app the store releases,rejecting those deemed offensive orotherwise unworthy, and generatingfrequent complaints from developersabout the opacity of the process – thereare already some 30,000 developers whohave made money thanks to the AppStore, a figure that is rapidly increasing.And despite the complaints, entering theapp development business is far lessdifficult than is normally the case withsoftware development. A developercan theoretically design an app in aday, send it to Apple for approval, andwithin a week’s time start generatingmoney from it.

And the opportunities offered by thestore are becoming more lucrative.Apps on Apple’s latest product line, its

sleek and wildly successful tabletcomputer, the iPad, are generallyseveral dollars more expensive thanthose sold to iPhone users. Not thatiPad users have shown any signs ofnoticing. Within a week of the tablet’srelease, around three and half millionapps for it had been sold.

And with Apple’s latest phenomenon,the redesigned iPhone 4, which hitstores in the Middle East in lateSeptember, expect many more millions

to be sold. For application developers,the iPhone 4’s innovations – a stainlesssteel frame that serves as its antenna,double the processing power of itspredecessors, a new LED backlit liquidcrystal display with a resolution thatreaches the maximum amount of detailthat the human retina can process, anddual cameras on the front and back ofthe phone that allows iPhone 4 users tovideo chat with each other – should onlyincrease the opportunities offered bythe App Store.

Or simply want to know what you will look like in 30 years time, Apple's apps can help you do it

WHAT’S NEW: THE IPHONE4DESIGNIn appearance, the iPhone 4 marks a radical departure fromits three predecessors. Thinner, and less curvy than previousmodels, the new iPhone is ringed by a metal band thatserves as a “mounting point for all the [device’s]components.” The band uses Apple’s own alloy, which thecompany claims is five times stronger than standard steel,and, along with bringing increased durability to the newmodel, also serves as the phone’s antenna.

CAMERASThe new iPhone comes with two of them, one on thefront and one on the back. Both, however, bring a newlevel of detail to the iPhone 4, with 5 megapixel quality,a 5x digital zoom and a built-in LED flash for picturestaken in low light.

FACETIMEIn terms of futurism, this feature is perhaps the coolest.The new iPhone comes with ready-to-use video calling.Thanks to the camera on the front of the phone, iPhoneowners can, with just a WiFi connection and a tap, chatwith each other, face to face, using Apple’s newappropriately named program, Facetime.

A NEW SCREEN Bragging about the 326dpi resolution of the iPhone’sscreen, Apple’s founder and CEO, Steve Jobs, said,“there's a magic number around 300dpi. If you holdsomething about 10-12 inches away from your eye, it's thelimit of the human retina to distinguish pixels.” The newscreen has four times the pixel count of previous models,which makes it, in terms of color and clarity, pretty muchthe most vibrant-looking phone ever released.

This may be just another humanitarian ad. But are you just another reader?4.7 million people in Gaza, West Bank, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon cannot survive without your help. Their needs are as basic as shelter, hospitalization, and primary education. With 668 primary schools, 134 health centers, and its special Microfinance Programme, UNRWA has changed the lives of thousands of refugees across 58 camps. Your donations matter. Don’t be indifferent; help us make a difference in showing them a more wonderful world.

To donate via sms, send the word “woman”, “food”, or “education”to your country’s corresponding short code. Jordan 90008 - Kuwait 99888 - Sudan 1155 - Bahrain 1111.


MOBILE LIFE

The revolution that makes us all reachablebut which can also set us free

Life’s new office

The rise of mobile telephony andthe Internet, the twinnedphenomenons that have defined

our era, were hailed as ushering in anew era of worker freedom andmobility. No longer would workers bephysically chained to their offices, but,instead, empowered by wirelessInternet and smartphones that meantthey could hold their office in the palmof their hands, their only limitationswould be whether they were in an areawith network coverage.

In fact, on that front the revolution hasbeen remarkably successful, but for many

modern professionals, the only sense inwhich they feel they’ve been unchainedis physical. In every other respect, suchworkers are on call more than everbefore. As global network coverage hasinexorably expanded across the worldover the last two decades, placeswithout service reception have grownever rarer. Whether on a ski slope or onthe beach, chances are your BlackBerryor iPhone can still connect to theInternet, which means you can checkthat new report, or download yourlatest returns, or do any of the otherbillion and one things that constituteworking for the modern employee.

Indeed, according to a work-life study bySheraton Hotels & Resorts, 81% of USprofessionals say they work harder nowthan they did five years ago, and 85%percent say that because of moderntechnology, they feel compelled to beconnected to work 24/7.

Still, it is not like such professionalswould turn back the clock if theycould. According to the same studynearly 90% bring their PDAs into thebedroom with them, and more than athird say if forced to choose betweenspouses and smartphone, they’d gowith their smartphone. At the same

The rise of mobile telephony and the Internet have ushered in a new era of worker freedom and mobility


time, some 84% say technology hasallowed them to spend more qualitytime with family and friends.

The degree to which smartphoneshave blurred the boundary betweenwork and leisure time is furtherhighlighted by a Robert HalfInternational study of the work-lifebalance of chief financial officers inCanada. According to the survey aquarter of those polled say they checkin with their offices once or twice aday while on vacation, while 15% saythey do so several times a week, and23% say they call the office once ortwice a week.

Those kind of figures hold truethroughout the developed world.Given the new work dynamic, themajority of working Australians, forinstance, don’t take regular holidays.In Australia some 60% of women andhalf of all men feel “consistently time-pressured,” although only 30% ofworkers would like to reduce theirworking hours.

While advances in telecommunicationsover the last two decades havebrought innumerable benefits tomankind, some fear the resultantblurring of business and leisure iscontributing to an already risingdivorce rate, as spouses findthemselves burdened with more work-related stress and less shared time.Another potential consequence isdietary. Modern professionals arefinding less and less time to spendpreparing their own meals and areinstead increasingly opting for dietsbuilt around takeout and deliverywhich is in turn helping to push upobesity levels, and not just for thebreadwinner, but the entire family heor she feeds as well.

The odds of work negatively affectingyour private life seem to increase thehigher up you are on the ladder.According to a survey of 1,800American workers, half reportedbringing their work home with themand having their personal relationshipssuffer as a result. Those most likely to

be affected by such problems hadcollege or postgraduate degreesaccording to the survey, which alsofound that “authority, skill level,decision-making latitude and personalearnings... predicted trouble outsideof the office.”

Eighty years ago, the 20th century’spreeminent economist wrote an essaycalled “Economic Possibilities for ourGrandchildren,” in which he predictedthat advances in technology andeconomic output would solve once andfor all humanity’s primary problem: “thestruggle for subsistence.”

“Thus for the first time since hiscreation man will be faced with hisreal, his permanent problem,” JohnMaynard Keynes wrote in 1930, “howto use his freedom from pressingeconomic cares, how to occupy theleisure, which science and compoundinterest will have won for him, to livewisely and agreeably and well.”

For the time being, at least, thestruggle for subsistence has indeed

been won, but the age of leisure,Keynes predicted never quite arrived.While thanks to strong labor laws, bluecollar workers find themselves workingfewer hours than they did a centuryago, for the rest of those employed inthe information economy the work loadoften feels higher than ever before.

Be that as it may, you’d be hardpressed to find a significant number ofmodern professionals who would“unplug”, even if they could. Frommobiles to smartphones and theInternet, the telecom industry hasproduced the most vital tools of theglobal economy, tools that are by nomeans only available to modernprofessionals in developed countries.Indeed the numbers speak forthemselves: In 2009, even in the midstof a global economic crisis, thenumber of cell lines rose to 67 forevery 100 inhabitants of the earth, andpenetration for the developing worldexceeded 50% for the first time ever.In the meantime, moderation in allthings should be the watchword.Happy productivity.

Whether on a ski slope or on the beach, chances are your Smart phone can still connect to the Internet


MOBILE LIFE

The phone has joined the list of items wemust think about if we want to project theright image

Express yourself

Mobile phones have alwaysbeen a status symbol. Tenyears ago, just owning one

was enough. Now that most of thedeveloping world has mobile phones(the International TelecommunicationUnion expects worldwide subscriptionsto hit 5 billion this year), having aphone is not sufficient; you must havethe right one; one that speaks of yourtaste, your wealth and most

importantly, your style. Like the watchis to the man’s wrist, the mobile phonehas now become a functional itemturned individual statement.

Remember, if you can, to the earlydays of mobile phones. The originalswere car phones; those big, bulkysuitcase-like items that rested in thecar's console and were the same sizeas their fixed line counterparts. At first,

What phone we carry says a lot about who were are

they were used for emergencies, butgradually, the devices, which cost over$1,000 and had short battery lives,became indispensable items forexecutives on the go.

Remember the iconic scene in the1987 film “Wall Street” in which brokerGordon Gekko, played by MichaelDouglas, wanders the beach with aphone so big it nearly eclipses his


face. Fourteen years later, Hollywoodbrought us “Zoolander”, a film about amale model named Derek Zoolander,who has a phone so small he canbarely grip it. The gimmick waspopular enough for fans to start aFacebook page called “DerekZoolander’s Phone.” When calling on-the-go lost its novelty, around 1993,IBM introduced a phone that had PDAfeatures as well, such as a calculator,address book and fax machine. Itretailed for $900 and gave peopleeven more opportunities to show offtheir devices as they pulled them outto make calculations, or to lookupsomeone's number.

Function really started to give way tofashion in the mid-90s. In 1996,Motorola released the StarTAC phone,whose flip cover gave owners thatsatisfactory, and also notably audible,“I have a cool cell phone” sound.

The Finnish were on the cutting edge ofmobile technology, and thus many willremember their first cellular phonebeing a Nokia, the world’s largestmanufacturer of mobile phones. Whenthe company introduced multicoloredfaceplates for their cell phones in the1990s, it started a trend of phonefashion accessories which by 2006 wereraking in over $1 billion a year, in theU.S. alone. Bluetooth made having ablinking object in your ear not only cool,but useful. The open wirelesstechnology, created by Ericsson in 1994,allowed for exchanging data over shortdistances using radio transmissions.Bluetooth headsets are still proliferatingand can cost up to $65. Users of thesebug-sized ear devices can be seenwearing them while walking around themall or sitting in cafes.

Bluetooth says, “I’m important, somuch so that I might have to take a

call even while eating dinner.” Today, itis not only about what your phone andits accessories look like, but aboutwhat they can do. Along with email,web browsing, text messaging, acamera, Bluetooth technology, stocktickers, GPS locators and breakingnews are what no professional should

The iPhone lendsitself to the morecreative types. Itsays, “I’m hip,technologicallysavvy, and Idefinitely have aMac at home”

Today's phones can set us apart from the faceless crowds


techies. It says, “I’m hip, technologicallysavvy, and I definitely have a Mac at home.”

For the really tech-savvy, Android, anoperating system for smartphones likeGoogle’s “Android OS”, is a must. Itallows users to multi-task while on thephone, making it simple and cheap tosynchronize contacts, calendars andeven documents across differentdevices. With Android, users can readthe news, check Facebook and browsephotos at the same time, much like aminiature version of a PC. Android isfor the user who wants to say “I’mnerdy, I have a lot of bandwidth, and Ican out-download your iPhone anyday.” Not surprisingly, two-thirds ofAndroid users are men. For travelingprofessionals, roaming phones alsohave caché. Being reachable at any

be without. In the world ofsmartphones, the two most commondevices are Apple’s iPhone and RIM’sBlackBerry, each of which have enoughfunctions to make an assistantobsolete. While industry experts say

the iPhone is better technology-wisebecause of its various applications anddata storage capabilities, theBlackBerry is practical, and has thepopular Blackberry Messengerprogram (BBM), which is widely usedin the Middle East, especially by theyounger generation, to communicate.BBM, a free internal instant messagingsystem for BlackBerry customers, isfast becoming a primary means ofcorrespondence for those on the runand for those who prefer to avoidconversations. BlackBerry has morethan 45 million customers, while theiPhone has upwards of 30 million.RIM’s device says “I’m corporate, I geta lot of emails, and I need to checkthem and respond ASAP.”

The iPhone lends itself to the morecreative types: actors, filmmakers and

Among the suit-wearing crowd, aserious phoneshould be gray orblack and must nothave specializedring tones, stickers,charms or duct tape


time, in any place, is not a nuisance,but the sign of a modern individual.

Numbers, too, are part of the package.Being at the other end of an easy-to-remember number is a conversationpiece as well as a business tool, andpeople will pay up to four times theregular amount just to be theproprietor of such sleek digits, whichsay, “I have a number that looks like itcould direct you to the headquartersof a major company, but it’s all mine.”In a nod to the growing import placedon cell phone numbers, in New YorkCity, a movement towards old areacodes is gaining steam. Years ago,Manhattan had just one area code:212. But with the rise of cell phones,companies had to add other areacodes to accommodate users.

Now, having a vintage 212 area code isas desirable as having an iPad. Aslandlines become phased out, seriousprofessionals often carry not just onephone, but two. One may be forbusiness, the other for personal use. Adouble-fisted phone owner says “I’man entrepreneur, I have a hand in manybusiness ventures.” Or simply, “I don'tmix business with pleasure.”

Among the suit-wearing crowd, a seriousphone should be gray or black and mustnot have specialized ring tones, stickers,charms or duct tape. Unfortunately, aserious phone does not always beget aserious user, as even the sleekest phoneswill often be used at inappropriate times;in a restaurant, in a library or in acrowded cinema. When this happens,even the priciest handset is a nuisance.

Moving into the future, the phone, if it hasn’t already, will become an important accessory of style expression

One may be forbusiness, the otherfor personal use. Adouble-fisted phoneowner says “I’m anentrepreneur, I havea hand in manybusiness ventures.”Or simply, “I don'tmix business withpleasure”


GREEN AFFAIRS

The world is heating upSweltering summer raises hopes for actionon global warming

Intense, record-breaking heat gripped the world thissummer. In Russia, hundreds died, crops failed and forest-and peat-fires raged during two months of soaring

temperatures the country has not seen in 130 years of recordkeeping. The heat in China unleashed waves of locusts thatdecimated crops and grasslands in Inner Mongolia.

Around 20 countries around the world experienced theirhottest days on record, uncluding several in the MiddleEast, though as well as places with traditionally coolerclimes like Russia (44) and Finland (37.2). For some, this isyet more evidence that humans are warming the planet,prompting increasing climactic catastrophes – the darksmear of humanity’s carbon footprint.

While most scientists are currently still pouring over data todetermine if this year’s wrathful weather is directly related toglobal warming, activists are already hopeful that,regardless of the evidence, this summer will help convinceskeptics that people are altering the earth’s climate.

Several years ago, the scientific community generally agreedthat human activity significantly contributed to a drastic rise incertain gases – particularly carbon dioxide – that in turn trapmore heat in the atmosphere, raising both land and oceantemperatures. There are a number of factors linked towarming land and seas, but the culprit that has certainlygarnered the most attention has been carbon dioxide.

Along with water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone,carbon dioxide is a primary “greenhouse” gas that humanshave been producing in enormous amounts since theIndustrial Revolution.

Studying ice cores – samples from accumulated formations ofsnow and ice such as glaciers – lets scientists analyze samplesof air trapped as far back as 800,000 years ago and gives apicture of how the composition of the air has changed. Alandmark 2007 study conducted by a UN panel withresearchers from around the world found that since 1750,there is around 38% more carbon dioxide in the atmospheretoday, a staggering increase compared to smaller fluctuationsseen in hundreds of years of ice core records.

A bulk of the increase in carbon dioxide comes fromburning fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas, anddecreasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere(now popularly called a carbon footprint) has become themost well-know way to try slowing – or, ideally, reversing –the process of global warming.

Despite the broad scientific consensus that humans are notonly heating up the earth, but that the result will be moredeadly heat waves, flooding, raising sea levels and otherweather-related disasters – even if troubles this summerprove unrelated to global warming – the world’s responsehas, at best, been mixed.

The global community failed to reach an agreement on aninternational treaty to fight global warming last year inCopenhagen, and the only existing global accord on the issue– the Kyoto Protocol – is not being implemented by some of

We all need to make an effort to reduce our personal carbon footprint


eco-conscious consumers. Local government initiatives,particularly in the US, are regulating greenhouse gasemissions in the absence of a nation-wide policy.

On the individual level, the idea of pitching in is catchingon, albeit slowly. Around the world, people are aiming toreduce their carbon footprint – the amount of carbondioxide they are responsible for producing by driving a car,leaving lights on, or using energy-intensive products insteadof more energy-efficient ones, for example.

While piecemeal solutions are certainly better than nothing,scientists argue serious global action is needed fast ordisastrous summers like the one that’s just passed will bethe wave of the future.

the world’s largest polluters. The European Union, collectivelythe third-largest global emitter of greenhouse gases, is takingpositive steps to address the problem as are somecorporations, local governments and, increasingly, individuals.

Going green, particularly for industry, is often veryexpensive, and even though most scientists agree on theneed to act, global warming skeptics remain, and the issueis often politicized. Green energy – like solar and windpower – is also still expensive, and the technology is young,meaning traditional power generation that emits tones ofcarbon dioxide offers more bang for the buck.

The consensus global solution to the problem – laid out inthe Kyoto Protocol and being pursued in the EU and othercountries like Japan and New Zealand – is known as “cap-and-trade.” The model envisions setting limits ongreenhouse gas emissions and allows companies topurchase and sell credits depending on if they are above orbelow the limits.

Ideally, the money created by trading will be invested tofurther decrease greenhouse gas production by companiesunder the limits, and more of the largest producers will begingoing green if the cost of credits gets too high. The Kyotoversion of the system calls for rich, industrialized countries toinvest in reducing emissions in developing countries.

Critics, however, note the rules of a “cap-and-trade” system– not to mention enforcement – can be manipulated andmay ultimately not even reduce emissions. However, asstates cajole to reach a global system to tackle globalwarming, local and even non-state initiatives are growing.

Corporations are increasingly either self-regulating or goinggreener than the law says they must, at the same timepositioning themselves as environmentally friendly to attract

1. TURN IT OFFTurn off lights, televisions, videos, stereos and computerswhen not in use - they can use 10 to 40% of the powerwhen on standby. Also, unplug chargers as soon as theyhave finished charging. 2. BE EXACTFill the kettle with only as much water as you need. 3. CLOSE ITDon’t leave refridgerator doors open.4. CHECK YOUR TIRESProperly inflated tires can improve your car’s fuel efficiency.5. USE NO PLASTICUse cloth bags when going shopping, and avoid buyingproducts which use too much plastic.6. FAN UPInstead of using air conditioners in the summer, wear coolclothes, and use a fan.

7. DRIVE LESSDo your weekly errands in a single trip or pay your billsonline. Walk, bike, ride the bus or carpool.8. OPTIMIZE YOUR SPEEDYou will consume up to 25% less fuel if you drive no morethan 90 km/hr. 9. DRIVE HYBRIDA hybrid or other fuel-efficient car emits less carbon dioxide. 10. REPLACE THEMReplace your incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescentlight bulb (CFL). CFLs cost three to five times as much, butuse less than a third of the power. Replace old applianceswith energy-efficient ones.11. WATCH WHAT YOU EATChoose food produced close to your home.12. RECYCLEConsume less, and re-use old products.Source: www.12simplethings.org

Leave the car in the parking lot whenever possible, and carpool at other times


RADIANCE

Treading carefullyWalking can lead the way to better healthand increased mental strength

It is no secret to travelers that walking is one of the bestways to discover a new city. Walking tours exist in nearlyevery destination in the world as a healthy and hands-on –

or perhaps more appropriate, feet-on – way to learn the insand outs of a new destination.

But even for those deprived of the lure of an exciting newlocation to explore, the benefits of walking around your owncity is quite underestimated, and as modern life has thetendency to come equipped with sleek gyms and evensleeker cars, the merits of walking should not be overlooked.Indeed, not only is walking perhaps the most environmentally-friendly way by which to get around, it is also an astoundinglysimple but effective way to get fit. Walking for thirty minutesto an hour, five days a week, dramatically reduces health riskssuch as various types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, coronaryheart disease, strokes, anxiety and depression. It alsoincreases life expectancy as well as bone health, particularlystrengthening the hip bone and staving off osteoporosis.

For those with, or at risk from cholesterol problems, walkingcan help in this department as well. Studies have shown thatthe exercise lowers harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL)

Walking is one of the most beneficial of exercises that can be embraced by people of all ages

Walking for thirty minutes to anhour, five days a week,dramatically reduces healthrisks such as various types ofcancer, type 2 diabetes,coronary heart disease, strokes,anxiety and depression

cholesterol while raising the good-for-you high densitylipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.

Walking regularly also comes with marked psychologicalbenefits, such as improved memory skills, learning ability andabstract reasoning. Stress reduction, boosted confidence,energy and a better mood, are also welcome side effects.


As with any exercise, walking burns calories – making it agood choice for weight watchers who prefer a low-impactwork out. A half hour of moderate walking burns between90 to 190 calories, whereas vigorous walking for the sameamount of time will burn between 120 to 260 calories.Walking up and down a hill raises the metabolism evenhigher and burns between 100 and 290 calories over 30minutes, depending on speed and intensity.

With these health benefits in mind, walking appears anideal, straightforward and cost effective manner to get inshape or stay healthy. But before you set off on this path tobetter well-being, there are a few pointers to keep in mind. Regardless of how naturally walking may come, given thatmost have been refining the art since they were toddlers,there are, in fact, right and wrong ways to engage in theexercise. Walking correctly leads to better physical andpsychological health, but walking wrongly is a sure way to awasted effort and possibly even injury.

First off all, before you set out to explore your area and testyour stamina, do some warm-up stretches. This will improveyour stride and pace as well as lower the risk of muscletears, particularly if you have not worked out in a while. Be careful not to over-stride, which is when walkerslengthen their stride in an attempt to gain speed byreaching out further with their forward foot. Besides notmaking you go significantly faster, this will cause the feet tostrike down harder and cause pain to the shins.

For added speed, it is best to instead take shorter, quickersteps with a focus on rolling through your step with yourback foot to give a powerful push off. Rolling your footthrough, heel to toe, instead of slapping it down flat is quiteessential to walking well. If this proves difficult, you mayneed more flexible shoes.

Indeed, while walking does not necessarily involve thepurchase of hi-tech equipment, investing in good walkingshoes is a must. Unsuitable shoes will instead increasesusceptibility to muscle pulls, knee problems and plantarfasciitis – painful inflammation of the connective tissue underthe heel bone, across the sole of the foot and the toes.

Avoid heavy shoes that will slow you down and stiff solesthat hinder the ability of your foot to roll easily through eachstep. Throw out shoes that are over a year old or that havewalked over 800 kilometers, as the essential cushioning andsupport is likely to have worn away.

Also make sure that your shoes are the right size. Walking shoesshould be slightly larger than your normal dress shoe size, butshoes that are too big will inhibit you, and likely cause somehilarity, whereas those too small will make the feet swell. Ifchoosing the right size is likely to particularly stress you, fret notas most athletic stores will offer free sizing advice to customers.

While walking, assume a straight posture with the shouldersdown and the back straight, and breathe steadily and deeply.It goes without saying that comfortable clothing andadequate hydration are equally essential. It is also best towalk facing oncoming traffic for your own and other’s safety.

With this in mind, you should be all set to walk toward betterhealth – creating no added carbon emissions as you get fromplace to place is just the added bonus.

And when you have gotten all you can out of straight-lacedwalking, why not push your boundaries further with differentvariants of this ancient form of exercise. For the moreadventurous there are a whole array of walking sports, such asNordic walking, which evolved from an off-season ski-trainingactivity and involves walking together with specially designedpoles, and works more than 90% of the body’s muscle mass.

What’s not to enjoy?Even walking to work instead of driving or taking public transport can make a difference

Walking regularly also comeswith marked psychologicalbenefits, such as improvedmemory skills, learningability and abstractreasoning. Stress reduction,boosted confidence, energyand mood, are also welcome side effects


ICONS OF DESIGN

Whispering ghostsRolls-Royce is more than a motoring icon. It hasbecome a symbol of luxury and craftsmanship

Queen Elizabeth opted long ago for a Phantom IV,one of 18 models to have been ever produced (and,incidentally, only sold to royalty); John Lennon

chose to customize his shiny white Rolls by painting it mattblack and decorating it with psychedelic motifs. Meanwhile,the Sultan of Brunei owns over 350 Rolls-Royces, all of whichare safely tucked away in his gigantic car lot.

Since their creation in 1904, Rolls-Royce cars have alwaysbeen the privilege of the ultra rich, owned by the lucky few

who can afford to spend (at today’s prices) a minimum of$500,000 without blinking. Over the years, the Rolls hasbecome a legend in itself, one built on the stuff of dreams:romance, glamour and wealth.

At the height of the British Empire, Rolls were driven aroundMayfair and Pall Mall and raced through remote and exoticcolonies, from Africa to India. Rajas copied the Britisharistocracy’s enthusiasm for the opulent car, and a 1911model was designed specially for the Maharajah of Mysore.

Models such as the Rolls-Royce Phantom, seen here at a regional motor show in 2009, have always had allure and mystique to attract the rich and famous


The Spirit of Ecstasy is the embodiment of the marque’s passion and flair


These luxury rides were originally the product of FrederickRoyce’s vivid imagination. In 1903, he bought his first car, aFrench Deauville. It didn’t meet Royce’s high standards andinspired him to do better, even if he did use the Frenchauto as the basis for his own designs.

In fact, in less than a year, Royce had designed not one butthree cars, all of which were called the Royce 10. A friend,who was employed at C.S. Rolls, a local car dealershipshowed one of the cars to the owner, Charles Rolls and inMay of 1904, the entrepreneur and the car dealer agreed toproduce the Rolls-Royce.

Four different models of the Royce 10 went on show for thefirst time at the Paris Salon of 1904. In 1907, Rolls-Roycereleased its legendary Silver Ghost (named on account ofthe quietness of its engine). The car positioned thecompany as a maker of luxury vehicles and became themost famous car of its time.

The fame of the Rolls-Royce has been built around manystories and legends. The Spirit of Ecstasy, the famousmascot of a woman leaning forwards adorning Rolls-Royces to this day, is understood to have been inspired bythe real life Eleanor Velasco Thornton, secretary of LordJohn Walter Edward Scott-Montagu, the editor of The Car magazine.

The Spirit of Ecstasy isunderstood to have beeninspired by the real lifeEleanor Velasco Thornton,the secretary of Lord JohnMontagu, editor of The Carmagazine who was to meeta tragic end

A 1934 Rolls Royce: The brand’s models are famous for their longevity


In 1915, Eleanor tragically drowned with hundreds of otherpassengers when the SS Persia on which she and LordMontagu were travelling to India, was sunk by the Germansin the Mediterranean.

Lord Montagu commissioned his friend Charles RobinsonSykes to sculpt a personal mascot, based on EleanorThornton, for his Rolls-Royce. The original mascot was latermodified by Sykes to be closer to today’s Spirit of Ecstasythat is used as the mascot for Rolls-Royce cars.

Rolls-Royce cars were also engaged in military service. Thesix-cylinder Ghost was used during World War I as part ofan armored squadron created by Britain's Royal Naval Airservice. The Rolls-Royce was such an effective vehicle onbattle fields that all available Silver Ghost chassis wererequisitioned; civilian production of the car stopped, and allmodels slowly disappeared from the streets of London,deploying, like the Duke of Westminster’s car, to the Frenchand African front lines.

Nearly two decades later, Rolls-Royce saw an interestingopportunity in the Bentley car company, which went bankruptin the wake of the Great Depression. Rolls-Royce purchasedBentley in 1931, and from that point onwards modelsproduced by the two companies were nearly identical.

During World War II, Rolls-Royce began producing jetengines and it carried on doing so for another fourdecades until a crisis in the jet engine market broughtRolls-Royce to its knees. The car division was purchased byVickers in 1980, and in less than ten years the famousBritish marque was sold - ironically, given its wartime

service - to the German Volkswagen car company in thelate eighties. Volkswagen then kept the Bentley line andsold Rolls-Royce to its compatriot BMW.

Today, Rolls-Royce are still icons of luxury and can be seenparked under the glittering towers in Dubai, Bahrain,Jeddah or Abu Dhabi. In the Middle East, Rolls-Royce’sBespoke Program lets customers personalize their car. TheBayunah Phantom is said to be inspired by the deserts ofAbu Dhabi in a livery of beiges and browns and equippedwith a tan ever-flex roof and a gold Spirit of Ecstasy. TheArabian Shaheen falcon inspired another model, theShaheen Phantom Coupe. It has similar predatory linesand comes in orchid Pearl paint, contrasting with shades

of red. The upholstery is in seashellleather upholstery with falcon-embroidered headrests.

Rolls-Royce’s success might beattributed to the fact that more than60% of Rolls-Royce cars ever madeare still roadworthy, one of the oldestbeing a 1904 10 horsepowermodel, owned by a man in Scotland.A Silver Ghost which was produced in1907 and is owned by the company isalso still in working condition.

In 2009, Rolls Royce manufactured1,212 Phantoms. Most have beenbought by the rich and famous such asP. Diddy, David Beckham and EddyMurphy. Even Lady Gaga jumped onthe bandwagon by buying one for herparents, delivered with the message:“A car to last like a love like yours”.

She certainly chose the right marque.

John Lennon chose tocustomize his shiny whiteRolls by painting it mattblack and decorating it withpsychedelic motifs.Meanwhile, the Sultan ofBrunei owns over 350 Rolls-Royces, all of which aresafely tucked away in hisgigantic car lot

The world's oldest surviving Rolls-Royce. Built in 1904, car 20154 is a small, 10 horsepower, open-topped two-seater

cover connect11 layout 1 · 2018-10-04 · cover photo: one of a series of ads created by zain to...

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