Being “delusional” and “passionate” led Rabih El Chaar and co-founder Reem Khattar to set up their first entrepreneurial venture to address a “very hard to solve” problem.
Their brainchild, clean technology company Nadeera, was established in Lebanon to tackle a major waste crisis in the country.
“But then, very quickly, we realised that waste mismanagement is not a mechanical problem, but rather it is a behavioural problem,” chief executive Mr El Chaar says.
“Our focus is on changing behaviours and ensuring the right infrastructure is there to ensure that waste is diverted from landfills, and we're able to maximise value from that.”
Six months after setting up the company in Lebanon with support from a grant from the Netherlands government and an accelerator programme, the founders shifted their base to Abu Dhabi Global Market.
“We chose Abu Dhabi as it offered a lot of advantages for us,” Mr El Chaar says.
They were part of an incubation programme that is focused on social enterprises backed by Ma’an, the government's authority for social contribution. The start-up was also accepted to the Ignite programme, sponsored by Abu Dhabi holding company ADQ, which is run by venture capital company Flat6Labs.
Nadeera uses technology to “change people's behaviour”, with the process involving digital engagement with end users – providing information on how and where to recycle and providing cashback to those who participate.
The company also provides a smart bin that is access-controlled, with only residents of the community who sign up for the service able to put their recyclables in it.
“It [the smart bin] speaks to us. It tells us when it's full, so we dispatch trucks to come and pick it up accordingly,” Mr El Chaar says.
Nadeera also has a patented technology on traceability, “so we're able to trace end-to-end to know that this household has been recycling with us on this day. And that's the quality of research in the data”.
The UAE has been focusing heavily on promoting sustainable economic development, and last year approved 22 policies aimed at accelerating the country's transition to a circular economy.
A circular economy is an economic system that focuses on reducing the extraction of natural resources, minimising waste and regenerating natural systems. Raw materials, components and products keep their value for as long as possible, while renewable energy sources are used to fuel economic activity.
The current annual opportunity cost in terms of recyclables that are being disposed as municipal solid waste stands at Dh3.4 billion ($925.8 million) in the UAE, Mr El Chaar says.
“We are working towards attempting to recover a large part of that in collaboration with waste collectors that we work with,” he says.
“So, we don't own trucks, we don't own the equipment ourselves. We empower collectors that already have an established network of such systems.”
While about 6.75 million tonnes of total waste is disposed per year, recycling can lead to carbon dioxide equivalent emissions reductions of about 24 million tonnes annually, the start-up says.
As a social enterprise, Nadeera is obliged to link its profitability with its social impact and its business model is structured accordingly.
“So, we charge the bare minimum to set up our system,” Mr El Chaar says. “We only charge the direct costs associated with setting up our system.
“Whenever we set up in any new community ... recyclables are collected and then they are sold, and the revenue from these recyclables are then split between us and waste collectors.”
While the company, which has grown in size from four to 12 employees, is not yet profitable on a corporate level, it does not launch a project unless it is “operationally profitable”.
“The nice thing is we don't have to grow a lot from where we are once we achieve maturity because we are an add-on product,” Mr El Chaar says.
“So, once we achieve maturity, then we're able to become profitable quite quickly, which we think is going to happen either by the end of this year or early next year.”
Nadeera has received about $1 million in funding so far between grants and investments.
“All of that went into building our product … we have pivoted a lot,” Mr El Chaar says. “We have refined it a lot. And today we build everything in-house, our hardware and our software.
“We have a very mature product that is being scaled up. And we have a big, aggressive pipeline on the additional products that are going to be added over the next 12 to 18 months that will empower that system and allow us to do this at an even larger scale.”
A major boost came last year, when the start-up received a $100,000 grant from PepsiCo's Greenhouse Accelerator Programme for the Mena region, which was launched in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and Food Tech Valley.
Nadeera was recognised for its Yalla Return trash-for-cash system.
The start-up also became a member of Food Tech Valley, the Dubai-based centre that develops sustainable farming methods to boost the UAE's food security agenda, was included in the Arab Youth Start-up Marketplace and got access to partners of the Arab Youth Council.
“For us, that was kind of where we went from like a nice, young start-up to somebody that is being taken seriously across the ecosystem,” Mr El Chaar says.
“We got the funding from PepsiCo, but that was only a small part of the benefit … we had the collection companies reaching out to us almost immediately after the show.”
PepsiCo also “opened doors” for Nadeera to seek expansion opportunities globally, he says.
“So, that has been transformational for us.”
Meanwhile, in February, the company also raised $200,000 from Bahrain-based Hope Ventures and Kuwait-based Rasameel Investments.
Company%20Profile
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The company has projects in 14 communities in the UAE, with six more planned. It also operates in 16 locations in Lebanon and four in Saudi Arabia.
Projects are planned in Oman and Egypt, and it is seeking further global expansion.
“I would love to be able to be anywhere because … we're building a platform that is very scalable and we don't have to be there physically, ourselves,” Mr El Chaar says.
“We just have to empower local players to actually use that platform and do it successfully. Realistically, in the next five years, if we're able to be in five to 10 countries, then that will be a great achievement for us.”
Nadeera will also be participating at the upcoming Cop28 climate summit in Dubai, where Mr El Chaar hopes its “compelling story” will further aid its expansion.
Overall, the driving force is more than the money, he says.
“For me, the social impact is what matters the most.”
Q&A with Rabih El Chaar, co-founder and chief executive of Nadeera
Who is your role model?
I really admire what Steve Jobs has done.
And his quote is really nice, it says: “Your time is limited. So don't waste it living someone else's life.”
If you could start all over again, anything that you would do differently?
I would have not picked such a hard topic to be my first start-up. I was very naive, but I took it on board. But then, we're kind of baptised by fire and now let's say, after a few years, if I move on from Nadeera and it's growing on its own and I want to do something different, we've learnt really the hard way all the different facets of it. And doing it as a social enterprise and with a social mindset is not very straightforward. And now we've done it, so we have a lot of learnings.
What is your advice to other entrepreneurs?
One is to formulate a very clear vision of what you want to do. Like for us, since we started with being part of a hackathon until today, our vision has not changed. The product has been pivoted like a million times. But the vision is very clear. So, spend a lot of time articulating your thesis and what's your vision and what you're trying to do and how you want to do it. Because that will stay with you for a very long time.
Number two, it's not an easy journey. It's not rosy, it’s going to be very hard. You're going to be waking up every day and … doubting yourself if you're actually doing the right thing. So you need to have a very strong belief in what you're doing.
Number three, which is the most important, is to build a good team around you that is able to execute what you need to execute. It's impossible for one person to do everything or two people to do everything. So you need to have a team that believes in that story.
What new skills have you learnt when setting up the company?
A very important skill is being able to work with different team members that have different skill sets. Because I worked in big corporations before and I was surrounded by people that have the same or similar skill sets as me.
The other part is the whole marketing business, which was something that I was not exposed to before – how to do marketing, how to build a brand, how to build loyalty, how to crystallise your messages. It's something I've learnt on the road here.
What is your vision for the company?
A world with no waste. Being able to waste is a notion that people have created … and it's in our hands to actually undo it. So a circular economy is something that is attainable. And we believe that where we are positioned and what we are covering is a very core element of being able to take back these materials and circulate them and be able to create a world with no waste.
The five pillars of Islam
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
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bedu%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Khaled%20Al%20Huraimel%2C%20Matti%20Zinder%2C%20Amin%20Al%20Zarouni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%2C%20metaverse%2C%20Web3%20and%20blockchain%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Currently%20in%20pre-seed%20round%20to%20raise%20%245%20million%20to%20%247%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Privately%20funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Q&A with Dash Berlin
Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.
You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.
You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.
Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
%3Cp%3E1984%20-%20Apple%20unveiled%20the%20Macintosh%20on%20January%2024%3Cbr%3E1985%20-%20Steve%20Jobs%20departed%20from%20Apple%20and%20established%20NeXT%3Cbr%3E1986%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20Macintosh%20Plus%2C%20featuring%20enhanced%20memory%3Cbr%3E1987%20-%20Apple%20launched%20the%20Macintosh%20II%2C%20equipped%20with%20colour%20capabilities%3Cbr%3E1989%20-%20The%20widely%20acclaimed%20Macintosh%20SE%2F30%20made%20its%20debut%3Cbr%3E1994%20-%20Apple%20presented%20the%20Power%20Macintosh%3Cbr%3E1996%20-%20The%20Macintosh%20System%20Software%20OS%20underwent%20a%20rebranding%20as%20Mac%20OS%3Cbr%3E2001%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20Mac%20OS%20X%2C%20marrying%20Unix%20stability%20with%20a%20user-friendly%20interface%3Cbr%3E2006%20-%20Apple%20adopted%20Intel%20processors%20in%20MacBook%20Pro%20laptops%3Cbr%3E2008%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20MacBook%20Air%2C%20a%20lightweight%20laptop%3Cbr%3E2012%20-%20Apple%20launched%20the%20MacBook%20Pro%20with%20a%20retina%20display%3Cbr%3E2016%20-%20The%20Mac%20operating%20system%20underwent%20rebranding%20as%20macOS%3Cbr%3E2020%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20M1%20chip%20for%20Macs%2C%20combining%20high%20performance%20and%20energy%20efficiency%3Cbr%3E2022%20-%20The%20M2%20chip%20was%20announced%3Cbr%3E2023%20-The%20M3%20line-up%20of%20chip%20was%20announced%20to%20improve%20performance%20and%20add%20new%20capabilities%20for%20Mac.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The years Ramadan fell in May
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
Company%20Profile
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