Although uncertainties are challenging, they provide organisations with the opportunity to rethink their offerings in a way they could not have before. Getty
Although uncertainties are challenging, they provide organisations with the opportunity to rethink their offerings in a way they could not have before. Getty
Although uncertainties are challenging, they provide organisations with the opportunity to rethink their offerings in a way they could not have before. Getty
Although uncertainties are challenging, they provide organisations with the opportunity to rethink their offerings in a way they could not have before. Getty

An uncertain world requires a new approach to strategy


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  • Arabic

There is no doubt that we are living in uncertain times. The Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and disruptions to supply chains and business operations have forced us to respond in unexpected ways. These challenges make it seem nearly impossible to plan for the future.

Should we even be working on strategy when we can barely predict what will happen next year? Absolutely — and it’s never been more crucial.

Although uncertainties are challenging, they provide organisations with the opportunity to rethink their offerings in a way they couldn’t have before.

Last year, a venture that I invested years in developing was performing poorly. We had a great customer base, but the pandemic negatively affected our daily operations.

We had to choose between two difficult options. We could either continue doing what we were always doing and wait out the pandemic in the hope that things would go back to the way they were, or we had to rethink our strategy and give our customers something that would serve them in the future.

The key word here is “rethink”. For many business owners, rethinking a business strategy that took years to build and develop is no easy feat.

If I had to summarise what we did in the following few months it would be: reimagining a future for our business. We had to shed what it was, think about what it could be and how it could support our customers during uncertain times.

The exercise truly humbled us. As an entrepreneur, I always had my business’s best interest at heart. Sometimes, when I’m truly immersed in a situation and coming up with solutions to difficult challenges, I take a step back and remember that as much as I know my business inside out, it is the customers who ultimately know what they want us to offer. It’s as simple as that.

The first thing we did during our rethinking exercise was to go back to our customers and ask them what they expected from us, how they imagined us to be and how they wanted us to perform during these tough times.

Many business owners forget this part. They rely solely on the advice of experts. While that’s also important, the most valuable input you will receive is the one from your customers.

While gathering feedback from customers and devising a new strategy, it’s important to involve your entire team in the process.

Once we were done with these two important steps, it was time to dream big. We stretched our imagination. After asking our customers what they wanted, we thought of the best way we could deliver that.

And we didn’t stop there: we asked our friends, stakeholders and anyone else who could provide us with valuable insights on how we could serve our customers best.

When we pinned down our major goal, we broke it down into smaller goals that could be achieved by different team members and integrated into different processes — and then sought the best options to execute them.

We often limit ourselves when it comes to strategy, thinking how we can improve on what we currently have. But once we kept our options open, and imagined a new future for our business, it made all the difference and my venture performed better than ever.

Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and communications consultant based in Abu Dhabi

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Company profile

Date started: 2015

Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki

Based: Dubai

Sector: Online grocery delivery

Staff: 200

Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends

T20 World Cup Qualifier, Muscat

UAE FIXTURES

Friday February 18: v Ireland

Saturday February 19: v Germany

Monday February 21: v Philippines

Tuesday February 22: semi-finals

Thursday February 24: final 

Results

2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Arrab, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).

2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Mahaleel, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel.

3.15pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum handicap (TB) Dh200,000 2,000m; Winner: Dolmen, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m; Winner: Amang Alawda, Sandro Paiva, Bakhit Al Ketbi.

4.15pm: The Crown Prince of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 1,200m; Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.

4.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m; Winner: Al Jazi, Jesus Rosales, Eric Lemartinel.

Scoreline

Liverpool 3
Mane (7'), Salah (69'), Firmino (90')

Bournemouth 0

Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

Like a Fading Shadow

Antonio Muñoz Molina

Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez

Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)

Company profile

Name:​ One Good Thing ​

Founders:​ Bridgett Lau and Micheal Cooke​

Based in:​ Dubai​​ 

Sector:​ e-commerce​

Size: 5​ employees

Stage: ​Looking for seed funding

Investors:​ ​Self-funded and seeking external investors

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FOLD%204
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Straightforward ways to reduce sugar in your family's diet
  • Ban fruit juice and sodas
  • Eat a hearty breakfast that contains fats and wholegrains, such as peanut butter on multigrain toast or full-fat plain yoghurt with whole fruit and nuts, to avoid the need for a 10am snack
  • Give young children plain yoghurt with whole fruits mashed into it
  • Reduce the number of cakes, biscuits and sweets. Reserve them for a treat
  • Don’t eat dessert every day 
  • Make your own smoothies. Always use the whole fruit to maintain the benefit of its fibre content and don’t add any sweeteners
  • Always go for natural whole foods over processed, packaged foods. Ask yourself would your grandmother have eaten it?
  • Read food labels if you really do feel the need to buy processed food
  • Eat everything in moderation
How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

Company profile

Name: Steppi

Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic

Launched: February 2020

Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year

Employees: Five

Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai

Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings

Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

Evacuations to France hit by controversy
  • Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
  • Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
  • The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
  • Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
  • It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
  • Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
  • Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Three trading apps to try

Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:

  • For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
  • If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
  • Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”

TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel

Updated: May 12, 2023, 4:57 PM