Dr Abdulrahman al Zamil, left, Abdullah Ali Almajdouie, centre, and Sultan al Bazie talk strategy for family-owned businesses.
Dr Abdulrahman al Zamil, left, Abdullah Ali Almajdouie, centre, and Sultan al Bazie talk strategy for family-owned businesses.

Family businesses in Gulf urged to be less secretive



Family-owned businesses in the Gulf often prefer to keep their plans and operations private, with the result that they are often not well understood by outsiders.

That can be problematic in times of crisis or when a company has an exciting development to share with the public.

This topic was much debated at the second annual International Public Relations Association conference, which was held in Abu Dhabi last week.

"The majority of the businesses in the Gulf are dominated by family businesses," said Sunil John, the chief executive of ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller, a public relations agency in Dubai. Yet, he added, "this sector is probably infamous for not being very open".

Easy enough for someone in PR to say, but many business leaders from the region agree they could do better in communicating with the public. Here are some ways to achieve that:

Find someone to speak on behalf of the company

Often, family businesses say they avoid employing a spokesman, spokeswoman or PR agency because they don't want to tip off competitors about key business strategies or new activities.

"They are conservatives regarding the sharing of information with othe r companies," said Abdullah Ali Almajdouie, the president of Almajdouie Group, which is based in Saudi Arabia and has associate offices in the Middle East and North Africa region, Europe and North America.

Still, Mr Almajdouie said, a spokesman can be beneficial in dealing with the media and helping to raise general public awareness about a company, and the good ones would never give away more information than they should.

Prepare a succession strategy

It is not uncommon for disputes to erupt after the unexpected death of a family business founder. But what is meant to be a private affair about who is taking over can play out publicly.

"Family conflicts in the media give a negative image and [can] lead to the collapse of such companies," said Sultan al Bazie, the chief executive of the media consultancy Attariq Communications and the executive vice president of the Gulf chapter of the International Public Relations Association.

That is just one reason family businesses should implement a robust succession plan that includes a public relations component, experts say. "They should have a communication strategy in order to be organised, to preserve the [company's] value and reputation and status," Mr al Bazie said. "What we notice most of the time is that the communications message is not clear," he added.

Engage with the public

The most common mistake businesses make with their communications strategy is thinking of it as a "one-way street", said Mr John. This can hurt the bottom line, particularly when companies issue press releases about products or services but fail to allow customers to provide feedback about either.

"PR goes beyond press releases," said Dr Abdulrahman al Zamil, the chairman of Zamil Industrial Investment Company in Saudi Arabia.

He argued that more businesses in the region should engage with customers on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

While having a presence on such sites means relinquishing a lot of control over what consumers might say, companies can still steer their staff to respond in a way that is appropriate for their brand.

"Get a policy in place," Mr John said.

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

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1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

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It’ll be summer in the city as car show tries to move with the times

If 2008 was the year that rocked Detroit, 2019 will be when Motor City gives its annual car extravaganza a revamp that aims to move with the times.

A major change is that this week's North American International Auto Show will be the last to be held in January, after which the event will switch to June.

The new date, organisers said, will allow exhibitors to move vehicles and activities outside the Cobo Center's halls and into other city venues, unencumbered by cold January weather, exemplified this week by snow and ice.

In a market in which trends can easily be outpaced beyond one event, the need to do so was probably exacerbated by the decision of Germany's big three carmakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – to skip the auto show this year.

The show has long allowed car enthusiasts to sit behind the wheel of the latest models at the start of the calendar year but a more fluid car market in an online world has made sales less seasonal.

Similarly, everyday technology seems to be catching up on those whose job it is to get behind microphones and try and tempt the visiting public into making a purchase.

Although sparkly announcers clasp iPads and outline the technical gadgetry hidden beneath bonnets, people's obsession with their own smartphones often appeared to offer a more tempting distraction.

“It's maddening,” said one such worker at Nissan's stand.

The absence of some pizzazz, as well as top marques, was also noted by patrons.

“It looks like there are a few less cars this year,” one annual attendee said of this year's exhibitors.

“I can't help but think it's easier to stay at home than to brave the snow and come here.”

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The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands

The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands

50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias

Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura

Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe

United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal

SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos

Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt

Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho

Singles match John Cena v Triple H

Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba

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RESULT

Manchester City 1 Sheffield United 0
Man City:
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Pakistan v New Zealand Test series

Pakistan: Sarfraz (c), Hafeez, Imam, Azhar, Sohail, Shafiq, Azam, Saad, Yasir, Asif, Abbas, Hassan, Afridi, Ashraf, Hamza

New Zealand: Williamson (c), Blundell, Boult, De Grandhomme, Henry, Latham, Nicholls, Ajaz, Raval, Sodhi, Somerville, Southee, Taylor, Wagner

Umpires: Bruce Oxerford (AUS) and Ian Gould (ENG); TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS); Match referee: David Boon (AUS)

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The biog

Favourite book: You Are the Placebo – Making your mind matter, by Dr Joe Dispenza

Hobby: Running and watching Welsh rugby

Travel destination: Cyprus in the summer

Life goals: To be an aspirational and passionate University educator, enjoy life, be healthy and be the best dad possible.

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

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● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

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Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher:  Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
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The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)

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