Cartier may not be the first company that springs to mind when thinking of business incubators, but that is precisely what the French jewellery house has aimed to be since 2006.
Through the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards, it seeks to provide meaningful support to female entrepreneurs in the as-yet male-dominated world of business start-ups.
The annual initiative divides the world into seven regions and invites women to submit their ideas and business plans, from which the initiative selects the strongest 21 (three from each region), who are then given one-on-one business and financial training by industry experts.
In June, one woman from each region will be named as laureate for 2020 and receive $100,000 (Dh367,250) each, with the rest receiving $30,000.
All 21 women will also receive a scholarship for the Insead Social Entrepreneurship Executive Education Programme, and ongoing assistance.
The Middle East and North Africa is one of the seven regions, and last week, Cartier announced the three entrepreneurs from the region who are bringing about change through their innovative ideas, energy and determination.
With their companies already up and running, each woman is helping to shape a brighter future.
The National finds out their stories.
Nadia Gamal El Din of Rahet Bally
Egyptian Nadia El Din set up Rahet Bally in 2014 as an all-inclusive platform to support mothers financially, physically, emotionally and intellectually – online and in person.
“After I had my son, I was so lost. I said to myself: ‘What on earth am I going to do with this baby?’” says El Din.
Up to 20 per cent of new mothers are vulnerable to postnatal depression, and with no siblings or friends around – and with a young baby in tow – El Din found herself overwhelmed. From this came the realisation that too many of her countrywomen were being left to suffer alone.
Mums start crying when they come in because it's the first time anyone is taking care of them
Rahet Bally, which translates to “peace of mind”, was set up as a Facebook group. El Din was keen for it to be a space where women could access practical help from professionals in real time.
She invited psychologists, paediatricians and nutritionists whom members could connect with and receive dedicated answers from. Within a month, more than 1,000 professionals came forward to help the 3,000 mothers who had signed up.
Six years later, El Din estimates that as many as 150,000 women across Egypt use the platform, either online or at the three facilities in Cairo.
El Din’s latest venture is called the Cloud and offers mothers in Cairo a space to bring their babies. The women can rest in specially designed sleep pods, work in the office area, build their skills in workshops, socialise or join a book club, while a background-checked, all-female staff of nearly 100 look after their children.
“Mums start crying when they come in because it’s the first time anyone is taking care of them. They can have a shower. They can drink a cup of coffee while it’s still hot. It’s a place where they can actually breathe again,” El Din says. “I’d love to have the Cloud in every district, to have a hundred workshops a day, and to expand outside Cairo to the rest of the Mena region.”
Dr Rasha Rady of Chefaa
Egyptian Dr Rasha Rady set up an organisation called Chefaa in 2017, with the aim of helping chronic patients access medication using artificial intelligence and GPS tracking.
As a paediatric haematologist, Rady is aware of the problems within the healthcare system in her country, which she says is overstretched and underfunded, and too often lacks accurate record-keeping.
As a result, patients may face worrying uncertainty about receiving the medication they have been prescribed. Inconvenient as this is for those with short-term illnesses, for those facing chronic ailments – requiring months, if not years of ongoing medication – it can be terrifying, and is something Rady had witnessed first-hand.
I have the dream that Chefaa will become a verb like they 'Uber' or 'Google'
“In Egypt, pharmacy systems are still primitive,” she says. “When I worked at the Cairo University Children’s Hospital, a patient might come from a three-day car ride away to refill a prescription. Suddenly, when he arrives, the medicine is not available.”
When a friend, Doaa Aref, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2017, Rady felt urgent action was required. “She found out the surgery was the easy part,” Rady says. “She said: ‘Do you realise, I can order anything online – except the medication I need to stay alive?’”
When Aref recovered, the pair began to work together, drawing on Rady’s medical knowledge and Aref’s digital marketing expertise.
The result was Chefaa, a GPS-enabled app through which patients can order medicines online. The platform connects to an AI-powered system at pharmacies, which will scan stock to see if the medication is available. If so, it accepts the order and dispatches it to the patient, all without the need for them to leave the house.
Since launching three years ago, Rady can see the difference it is making to people’s lives. “In the clinic, I see an average of 1,500 patients monthly. Through Chefaa, I fulfil 22,000 orders per month for both new and returning patients. The number of patients I have an impact on is more than 20 times the number I used to have.”
A related tool, the Chefaa blog clocks about 14,000 visits per day. It helps to guide and educate the public about the safe use of prescriptions, and offers another way for older patients (who make up a large percentage of chronic illness sufferers) another way to connect with the service.
Encouraged by the uptake, the pair have a bold vision for the future of Chefaa. “I’m looking forward to our millionth order. The [first] million means 1 per cent of the population of Egypt. We hope to do that by the end of 2020,” says Rady. “I have the dream that Chefaa will become a verb, that people will use the word when they talk about filling their prescriptions, like they say 'Uber' or 'Google'.”
Rihab Hasanain of Blooming Bs
Rihab Hasanain created Blooming Bs (Blooming Box, Brain and Body) in 2016 in response to the rising incidence of childhood obesity in her native Saudi Arabia. Her aim was to provide fresh, healthy food to schoolchildren.
When Hasanain was searching for a school for her daughter, she found that the food being offered wasn’t the most nutritious. “It was junk food being sold in the school cafeteria,” she says. “Children are eating it for breakfast, and then they are supposed to go and study.”
She also learnt that some parents, too, would add sweets to their child’s lunch box for convenience. Knowing that obesity exposes children to a plethora of health risks, including insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, breathing problems such as asthma and sleep apnoea, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life, Hasanain – who has a doctorate in health services management – set up Blooming Bs.
We came up with a menu that is loved by the majority of children
The company served 60,000 meals in its first year of operation, a figure that doubled to 122,000 in its second year. “In our third year, we are aiming to increase that by 50 per cent,” says Hasanain. “We are catering meals for a school that has 400 students and another that has more than 1,000, and now we are receiving requests for schools that have more than 2,000 students.”
The demand means Hasanain has had to increase staff levels from two to 20, further offering employment opportunities to her countrywomen. Coming from all over Saudi Arabia, each woman brings her region’s recipes and styles of cooking, which in turn has given Blooming Bs a huge menu to work with.
Hasanain is proud of the food her company delivers. “It took a little bit of time for us to understand exactly what the children like,” she admits, “but we came up with a menu that is loved by the majority of the them”.
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SHAITTAN
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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.”
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Try out the test yourself
Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
The specs: 2018 Audi Q5/SQ5
Price, base: Dh183,900 / Dh249,000
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder / 3.0L, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic / Eight-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,000rpm / 354hp @ 5,400rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,600rpm / 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy: combined 7.2L / 100km / 8.3L / 100km
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Sheikh Zayed's poem
When it is unveiled at Abu Dhabi Art, the Standing Tall exhibition will appear as an interplay of poetry and art. The 100 scarves are 100 fragments surrounding five, figurative, female sculptures, and both sculptures and scarves are hand-embroidered by a group of refugee women artisans, who used the Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery art of tatreez. Fragments of Sheikh Zayed’s poem Your Love is Ruling My Heart, written in Arabic as a love poem to his nation, are embroidered onto both the sculptures and the scarves. Here is the English translation.
Your love is ruling over my heart
Your love is ruling over my heart, even a mountain can’t bear all of it
Woe for my heart of such a love, if it befell it and made it its home
You came on me like a gleaming sun, you are the cure for my soul of its sickness
Be lenient on me, oh tender one, and have mercy on who because of you is in ruins
You are like the Ajeed Al-reem [leader of the gazelle herd] for my country, the source of all of its knowledge
You waddle even when you stand still, with feet white like the blooming of the dates of the palm
Oh, who wishes to deprive me of sleep, the night has ended and I still have not seen you
You are the cure for my sickness and my support, you dried my throat up let me go and damp it
Help me, oh children of mine, for in his love my life will pass me by.
The squad traveling to Brazil:
Faisal Al Ketbi, Ibrahim Al Hosani, Khalfan Humaid Balhol, Khalifa Saeed Al Suwaidi, Mubarak Basharhil, Obaid Salem Al Nuaimi, Saeed Juma Al Mazrouei, Saoud Abdulla Al Hammadi, Taleb Al Kirbi, Yahia Mansour Al Hammadi, Zayed Al Kaabi, Zayed Saif Al Mansoori, Saaid Haj Hamdou, Hamad Saeed Al Nuaimi. Coaches Roberto Lima and Alex Paz.
The specs: 2017 Maserati Quattroporte
Price, base / as tested Dh389,000 / Dh559,000
Engine 3.0L twin-turbo V8
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 530hp @ 6,800rpm
Torque 650Nm @ 2,000 rpm
Fuel economy, combined 10.7L / 100km
%E2%80%98FSO%20Safer%E2%80%99%20-%20a%20ticking%20bomb
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Abu Dhabi GP starting grid
1 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2 Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
3 Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
4 Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
5 Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)
6 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
7 Romain Grosjean (Haas)
8 Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
9 Esteban Ocon (Force India)
10 Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
11 Carlos Sainz (Renault)
12 Marcus Ericsson (Sauber)
13 Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
14 Sergio Perez (Force India)
15 Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
16 Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
17 Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
18 Stoffe Vandoorne (McLaren)
19 Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
20 Lance Stroll (Williams)
The%20specs
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO
English Premiership semi-finals
Saracens 57
Wasps 33
Exeter Chiefs 36
Newcastle Falcons 5
FIGHT CARD
Welterweight Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Tohir Zhuraev (TJK)
Catchweight 75kg Leandro Martins (BRA) v Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
Flyweight Corinne Laframboise (CAN) v Manon Fiorot (FRA)
Featherweight Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB)
Lightweight Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) v Atabek Abdimitalipov (KYG)
Featherweight Yousef Al Housani (UAE) v Mohamed Arsharq Ali (SLA)
Catchweight 69kg Jung Han-gook (KOR) v Elias Boudegzdame (ALG)
Catchweight 71kg Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
Featherweight title Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
Lightweight title Bruno Machado (BRA) v Mike Santiago (USA)
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
The National selections
Al Ain
5pm: Bolereau
5.30pm: Rich And Famous
6pm: Duc De Faust
6.30pm: Al Thoura
7pm: AF Arrab
7.30pm: Al Jazi
8pm: Futoon
Jebel Ali
1.45pm: AF Kal Noor
2.15pm: Galaxy Road
2.45pm: Dark Thunder
3.15pm: Inverleigh
3.45pm: Bawaasil
4.15pm: Initial
4.45pm: Tafaakhor
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: seven-speed PDK dual clutch automatic
Power: 375bhp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh332,800
On sale: now
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA
Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600
Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
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IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
