Executive Magazine

Trimming the fat

by Executive Staff January 1, 2009

written by Executive Staff

When ahead of the game in the world of business, no one is really concerned with how much was spent to get there, let alone on whom. More often than not, people are content to jump on board and ride the proverbial train until the last stop. That may have been the case prior to the onset of the current global recession. But today, companies in the region have to equate their positions and organizational structures with the current economic environment in order to remain competitive in the absence of better times. “When there is a storm outside you go back home, lock yourself in and discuss what you are going to do until the storm blows over and the rainbow comes back,” remarked Panos Manolopoulos, managing partner Middle East/CPS global practice leader at Stanton Chase International Executive Search Consultants.

Right now, that rainbow still seems a long way off, as companies across the region begin to restructure their businesses in order to deal with the decreasing growth rates expected in 2009 and beyond. Naturally, this trimming down process has begun with casting off excess labor costs associated with times of growth, especially large executive pay packages. “There has been a lot of over-hiring which has happened in order to be able to recruit and get [executive staff] on-board,” explained Debabrat Mishra, principal & consulting business leader Middle East at Hewitt Associates. “This has resulted in a lot of [executive] overcompensation which is getting corrected right now.” Accordingly, companies in the region are beginning to realize that there is no easy way to restructure their businesses after years of promising growth, however reluctant they may be to admit it. A former senior executive who was recently laid off at the government-owned real estate company Dubai Properties in the UAE said that most departments were being downsized by “as much as 60% across the board.” Recently Dubai Properties announced that they would release a statement addressing the subject of redundancies, but they later recanted on that intention.

However dim the prospects for executive compensation in the region might be in times of a global recession, there are still plenty of silver linings in the ominous clouds compared to many developed economies. “There are people being let go in Europe, the UK and North America who are going to think, ‘Well, the Middle East still offers the opportunity to get a decent job and maybe now is the time to think about going down there,’” said Richard Lamptey, principal and head of executive remuneration consulting Middle East at Mercer. “The Middle East, generally, will be less affected by the global economic downturn than some of the Western economies and I think it will change perceptions about the opportunities that are available down here,” added Peter Christie, director of executive reward for Hay Group in the Middle East.

Moreover, the nature of economies in the GCC as tax havens continues to provide an attractive setting for experienced executives to come to the region. According to the Hay Group, net disposable income (gross pay adjusted for taxes and cost of living) for executives in the Middle East ranks amongst the highest in the world, with five of the six GCC countries ranking in the top 10 and four new entrants in the top 20. “When you look at net disposable income… that shows very clearly that executive pay in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE are at the top of the pile and that is because of the very favorable tax rate,” said Christie.

Total compensation for executives in the region, however, remains lower than the rest of the world. The main reason is that the region still lacks meaningful long-term incentives for executives. Without these incentives, executive compensation in the region persists in being strongly underpinned by large allowances offered in compensation for the increasing cost of living and the opportunity cost of relocating to the region. “The fundamental difference between the way that executives are paid in the Middle East and the way that they are paid in Western economies… is that the balance here is towards base salary and substantial allowances, which are generally free of taxation, and discretionary bonuses which may or may not be quite large,” commented Lamptey.

The opportunity for executives to be well compensated in the region remains linked to the outcome of the ongoing economic downturn. The inherent growth potential of the region coupled with the lack of highly talented individuals still presents a labor market that is relatively easier to perforate than many of the world’s economies. “Despite what most people say, the Middle East and especially the GCC lack talented people and hence there is a very big need to attract good talent,” said Manolopoulos. Consequently, the lack of qualified executive candidates will continue to push executive salaries upwards, albeit in a fashion that is more fitted to the current economic scenario. As Pon Pitchai, reward manager at a large regional real estate developer concluded, “We have not reached the zenith of executive pay and there is ample room for increasing executive compensation.” Considering the hundreds of recent layoffs in the real estate industry, these are encouraging words — executives that can still expect to be plentifully rewarded, as long as they can keep their jobs.

January 1, 2009 0 comments

Real Estate

UAE – Realty reform

by Executive Staff January 1, 2009

written by Executive Staff

The UAE government has long been active in setting laws and regulations to improve the transparency of its real estate market and ensure long-term growth. Since the global financial crisis began, these attempts were further amplified by issuing new laws, intervening in the market by controlling future supply and by injecting liquidity into the banking sector to promote lending. “Every strong government provides its market with an ability to bounce back in difficult times and the UAE has shown over the last four decades its resilience and ambition in making [the country] one of the most buoyant economies in the world,” said Hayan Merchant, CEO of Ruwaad Holdings LLC.

On November 9, 2008, Dubai’s government formed a high- level committee consisting of a few private developers and Dubai-based master developers, including Emaar Properties, Nakheel and Dubai Properties, who jointly control around 70% of the property supply in Dubai. The committee aims to tackle the impact of the current financial crisis on the UAE’s real estate market, while looking into various options to restore confidence. Additionally, it was announced that no new projects can be launched without the committee’s approval, however, none of the already- launched projects will be called off.
The global financial crisis has hit the banking sector and rippled into the UAE real estate market. Some banks and mortgage lenders have considerably cut down or even stopped their real estate lending. For example, Amlak suspended new mortgage loans and NBD stopped lending to expat employees of real estate firms, fearing loan defaults. In response, the government in October began injecting $19 billion into UAE banks to overcome this liquidity squeeze. Additionally, the central bank has set up around $13.5 billion in an emergency credit fund for homeowners, investors and developers. It has also discussed proposals for introducing financial instruments to boost liquidity and insure the continuity of real estate loans.

New laws

Reforms of the real estate sector’s regulations started in July 2007, when a Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) was established in Dubai to set policies and to create awareness of rights and responsibilities in the property sector.
The Strata Law was issued and came into effect on March 31, 2008. It defines the responsibility of property owners and developers in the management of common areas in multi- owner developments, like gated communities and apartment buildings.

The interim registration law came into effect on August 31, decreeing that any ownership change of off-plan properties in Dubai will be invalid if not registered in RERA’s Interim Register, with all registered sales transferred to the Land Department Register. Additionally, transactions made before the law came into effect will not be exempted, as they were to have been registered within 60 days of the law enactment. “While this may cause a slowdown for off-plan buying, it will be very beneficial in the long term to stabilize the market and put off flippers and speculators,” said Mohamed Al Zarah, CEO of Great Properties.
Moreover, the new Dubai Property Court was established in September. It is expected to reduce the workload of RERA, which since its establishment has been swamped by property cases, including for project delays and noncompliance with a property developer’s initial description.

The new mortgage law, which came into effect on October 30, states that mortgages will not be valid if they are not registered at the Dubai Land Department or the new Interim Real Estate Register, and it includes all procedures concerning a mortgage and its legal effects on stakeholders. Additionally, it includes execution procedures for the mortgaged property and proper conduct between the bank and the borrower.

Abu Dhabi is following suit by finalizing a new law to regulate its property market and to put an end to dangerous speculation. Also, there are plans in the Emirates’ capital to introduce similar real estate laws that Dubai has earlier issued — like the strata, broker and escrow laws — in order to assure investors that they are investing in a safe environment with a solid legal structure.

“Thanks to measures taken by the authorities and the initial strength of the market, I firmly believe that the UAE will overcome this crisis,” said Jean Pierre Nammour, managing director of Al Nahda Real Estate. With these regulations, the UAE in general and Dubai in specific, are trying to move from a speculative to a more mature property market, without facing a sharp real estate crash. Though progress has been made, the road is yet long: new laws are being drafted, such as the ‘company law,’ the new banking credit law and a new foreign investment law, to further improve the investment environment in the country.

January 1, 2009 0 comments

Financial Indicators

Regional equity markets

by Executive Staff December 8, 2008

written by Executive Staff

Beirut SE: BLOM (1 year)

Current Year High: 1,629.74 Current Year Low: 822.17

The Beirut Stock Exchange (BSE) is a relatively small market with only 26 listed stocks, 3 funds and a market cap of $8.7 billion as of November 25, 2007. Like any Arab market, the BSE is greatly affected by its surroundings and has been subject to many fluctuations. The BLOM Stock Index (BSI), BSE’s main indicator, began the year at a level of 1,488, following an upward trend. After the Doha agreement in May, the BSI rose significantly to peak on July 7th at an all-time high of 2,119. It then started to decline due to the political bickering and the worsening global economic climate. The BSI recorded a year-low on November 25, 2008, when it closed at 1,201. Solidere, the real estate giant, accounts for the bulk of traded value, in addition to the biggest banks in the country, such as BLOM, Audi and Byblos. On a year-to-date basis, the top performers were Bank of Beirut, RYMCO and Société Libanaise des Ciments Blancs (N), that grew by 41%, 37% and 35% respectively. Conversely, the worst performers were BLC (Bank Libanaise pour le Commerce), Holcim and Audi GDR with a reduction in price of 76%, 28% and 25%.

Amman SE (1 year)

Current Year High: 5,043.72 Current Year Low: 2,561.30

The Amman Stock Exchange, established in 1999, has been growing significantly in the past few years, mainly because of Gulf investments in the country, leading the market cap to reach $32.2 billion. Total volume traded during the period extending from January 2nd to November 25th surpassed 4.9 billion shares worth over $26.4 billion. The year 2008 started on a rise, increasing the ASE index from 3,764 on January 2, to reach its peak at 5,043 on June 19th. However, this did not last, as the ASE index began to decline and closed at 2,597.8 on November 25th, recording a year to date decrease of 30.99%. Of the 245 companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange, the financial sector accounts for the majority of the volume traded, while the industrial and the services sectors follow. TIT, MEDI and Al Ahlia are the top three performers with a year-to-date growth of 316.67%, 238.77% and 140.23% respectively. On the other hand, the worst three performers were Comp. Transports, Beitna and Optimiza that witnessed a price drop of 76.52%, 66.97% and 65.67% respectively, compared to their prices recorded at the beginning of the year.

Abu Dhabi SM (1 year)

Current Year High: 5,148.49 Current Year Low: 2,701.65

The Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange lists 63 companies with a market capitalization of $68.35 billion. The market did not experience significant trades during the first two months of 2008. However, the market activity started to improve mid-March, boosting the ADSM Index to its year-to-date high of 5,158. Following the drop in oil prices, the market began to deteriorate leading the ADSM Index to reach its year-to-date low of 2,697 in mid-November, thus recording a year-to-date decline of 41%. Trades from the start of the year recorded a volume of 48.62 million shares and a value of $62.3 billion, with a daily average turnover of $271.9 million. Asmak and Methag Lil Takaful were top gainers during this period, recording price increases of 400% and 212% respectively. Gulf Medical Projects Company was also among the best performers with a 196% rise in its price. On the other hand, Ras el Khaimah Properties, Waha Capital and Dana Gas were the worst performers as they lost 73%, 69% and 69% of their respective values.

Dubai FM (1 year)

Current Year High: 6,391.87 Current Year Low: 1,814.90

The Dubai Financial Market (DFM) was launched in January 2004 and includes 54 listed companies with a market capitalization of $41.71 billion. The activity on the Dubai exchange maintained the norm throughout the first five months of 2008, recording a year-to-date high of 6,314 in the month of February. It then started to decline negatively as it was affected by the global financial crisis. The main factor behind the decrease in the market was the significant drop in prices of real estate and banking stocks. Consequently, the Dubai Financial Market Index slumped to reach its lowest value of 1,809 by mid-November, scoring a significant year-to-date drop of 69%. The total volume and value traded during this period reached 72.62 million shares and $81.07 billion, representing a daily average turnover of $355.8 million. GGICO was the best performer realizing an increase in price of 58%. NGI and Tameen followed recording an increase of 51% and 38% respectively. On the other hand, Tamweel, Emaar Group, DFM and Amlak Finance were the worst performers to date recording a major decrease in their prices by 85%, 82%, 81% and 80% respectively.

Kuwait SE (1 year)

Current Year High: 15,654.80 Current Year Low: 8,552.70

The Kuwaiti stock exchange index witnessed a 30% decline from 12,800 at the beginning of the year to close at 8,683 on November 25, 2008. The high of 15,667 was registered on 24 June during the peak of oil prices and the low of 8,459 was attained on 17 November in the midst of the current global financial and economical crisis that saw a weekly temporary trading freeze on the KSE. The total volume of stocks traded reached 75.711 billion with a value of $126.405 billion, thus recording a daily average value of $566.841 million. The KSE lists 97 companies in different sectors ranging from banking, investment, insurance and other industrial and service related companies. The total market capital of these companies is equivalent to $122.961 billion. Some of the best performers of the Kuwaiti index were Al Soor company, AREF Energy and Hits Telecom Holding company recording a 200%, 191%, and 129% respectively. Whereas Burgan Group, DAMAC, and IIG recorded 77%, 76%, and 76% losses on a year-to-date basis.

Saudi Arabia SE (1 year)

Current Year High: 11,895.47 Current Year Low: 4,264.52

The Saudi Arabian Stock Market (Saudi SE) is the largest market in the Arab world with 126 listed companies having a market cap of $229 billion. The Saudi SE has been the most affected by the global financial turmoil. Saudi Arabia is the biggest exporter of oil in the gulf region and its economy is predominantly affected by oil prices. Therefore, with the surge in oil prices by the end of June, the Saudi Arabian market remained at a peak level throughout the first half of the year recording 11,895. The Saudi SE began to plunge thereafter to record a year low of 4,223 on the 23rd of November. By the 25th of November, the Saudi SE index lost 58.58% of its value led by the SAICO Saudi company that saw a decline of 88% in its price. Anaam dropped 86% and Al Ahlia Insurance decreased 86%. Moreover, out of the 126 listed stocks, only 5 companies registered an increase in their prices, led by UCA that gained 80% and Development Bank that increased 12.5% from the beginning of the year.

Muscat SM (1 year)

Current Year High: 12,109.10 Current Year Low: 5,846.19

The Muscat Stock Market closed at 6,125 on November 25, down 33.27% from year start. The index registered a year-to-date high of 12,164 in mid-May when oil prices were equal to $147 per barrel. The index’s year to date low was 5,815 as a result of the global financial crisis. A volume of 4.014 billion stocks were traded with a total value of $8.487 billion and an average daily turnover of $36.896 million up to November 25. Some 128 companies in various sectors are listed with a total market cap of $16.366 billion. NDP, OMPC and Financial Corporation were among the best performers throughout the year recording an increase of 223%, 112% and 101% respectively, while Al Batinah International, AJS and OUIC registered 71%, 70% and 66% price reductions.

Bahrain SE (1 year)

Current Year High: 2,902.68 Current Year Low: 1,947.55

The Bahraini Market, similar to all oil-exporting countries, witnessed a stable performance in the first six months of 2008 and recorded a year-high 2,898 on the 16th of June. However, with the beginning of the global recession, and the drop in oil prices, the Bahraini index began a downward trend that reached a year to date low of 1,947 recorded on November 25, with a year to date decrease of 29%. Relative to the country’s small size, the Bahrain SE has a market capitalization of $22 billion and the Bahraini Stock market lists 42 companies, of which 15 stocks gained in price and 25 shrunk during this year. BFLC, Banader and NHC were the top gainers with growth rates of 55.6%, 40.8% and 36.6% respectively. On the other hand, the worst performers were ABC, GFH and Global with a year-to-date decrease of 66.64%, 52.06% and 50.81% respectively.

Doha SM: Qatar (1 year)

Current Year High: 12,627.32 Current Year Low: 5,504.53

The Doha Stock market that started trading in January 2000, holds 43 listed companies with a market capitalization of $63.92 billion. Trades on the Doha market witnessed slight fluctuations at the beginning of 2008 until March. Afterwards, the demand on stocks started to rise leading the DSM Index to peak at 12,636.24 by the end of May. The market began to decline later, realizing minor improvements in September to finish with a year-to-date low of 5,504 on the 25th of November and a year-to-date decrease of 42%. The total volume of trades during the year attained 3.5 million shares worth $44.867 billion with a daily average turnover of $193.39 million. Islamic Broker was the best performer to date with a rise in its price of 217%, followed by Mannai Corporation and Ezdan with an increase of 50% and 48.65%, respectively. As for worst performers, Makhazin came in first place with its price falling by 70.65%, whereas QIIC and Care Holding came in second and third places recording a decrease of 64.76% and 61.52%.

Tunis SE (1 year)

Current Year High: 3,418.13 Current Year Low: 2,579.60

The Tunisian market, launched in 1998, has been the most resilient market against the financial crisis, as the Tunis Stock Exchange (Tunindex) was one of the few markets in the world and the only one in the Arab world to register a positive year-to-date change of 14.20%. The Tunis SE kept an upward sloping trend throughout the first 9 months of the year to register a yearly high of 3,418 on September 9 and gradually decreased to close at 2,994 on November 25. Out of the 51 listed shares on Tunindex with market weighted capitalization of $6 billion, 27 went down and 24 went up. The best performers have been Astree Assurances that went up by 168%, STAR was up by 156% and ASSAD by 143%. On the other hand, the worst performers were the pipeline company SOTRAPIL that went down by 55% and the two Tunisian telecom companies SOTETEL and SPDIT-SICAP both dropping 46% and 34% respectively.

Casablanca SE All Shares (1 year)

Current Year High: 14,925.99 Current Year Low: 10,969.06

The Casablanca Stock Exchange (Casa All) recorded a year-to-date level of -14.26% on November 25, a percentage that is regarded as fair given the heavy losses on other exchanges. To date, the Casablanca SE has been relatively able to withstand against the global financial crisis in comparison with other countries in the region. The market maintained a constant level until mid-August, after which it decreased towards its year low of 10,742 in the last week of October. From year’s start, the Casablanca SE underwent a volume of 124.8 million shares with a total value of $9.4 billion. Out of the 77 listed companies with a market capitalization of $62 billion, 11 went up, led by Cosumar with an increase of 32%, and Afriquia Gaz, that also rose by 29%. On the other hand, 66 stocks went down, lead by the IT company Microdata with a decrease of 59%, followed by the electronic banking provider HPS that fell 58.90% and the Insurance firm La Maroccaine Vie, that dropped 55%.

Cairo SE: Hermes (1 year)

Current Year High: 11,935.67 Current Year Low: 3,686.35

The CASE 30, one of the major indexes in Egypt that started in 1998, has by the 25th of November lost more than 63% of its value. The index registered a year high of 11,935 on May 4 2008 and since then took a downward trend to record a year low 3,686 on the 24th of November. In the 224 days of trading to date, 19.96 billion shares exchanged hands at a value of $70.41 billion. Out of the 185 listed shares that have a market capitalization of $53 billion, 146 have decreased, 28 increased and 11 were steady. The real estate sector was the most influenced by the current global financial crisis where SODIC Co. lost the most with 82.25%, the Canal Shipping Agencies Company and Alexandria Containers & Goods also retreated 81.63% and 81.40% respectively. Among the best performers, the entertainment sector grew the most; Semiramis Intercontinental Cairo, grew 1,016.25% followed by the industrial sector with UEFM increasing by 172% and Egypt poultry increased by 122.23%.

December 8, 2008 0 comments

Banking

Running realty’s gauntlet

by Executive Staff December 8, 2008

written by Executive Staff

Before the global financial crisis hit home, the main priority for banks in the UAE was how to decrease inflation rates. Another top concern in 2008 was dealing with the flood of liquidity streaming into the market, as well as currency speculation. But then, at the end of the second quarter, liquidity started to dry up, and immediately after the financial crisis climaxed in September banks became reluctant to give out loans as liquidity was so scarce. By the end of 2008, banks across the United Arab Emirates will have borrowed a minimum of AED70 billion ($19 billion) from the government. As of the beginning of November, banks had already received 80% of this liquidity package. Such a move aims to — most importantly — provide liquidity to the sector, in addition to easing tight lending requirements amid the continuing global financial crisis. Raj Madha, director of equity research at EFG-Hermes, thinks that the government “has been doing quite a good job” via pumping liquidity into the banking system and thus has been “very successful in bringing down interest rates.” Standard & Poor’s (S&P’s) announced in a recent report that the tightening liquidity conditions in the UAE are “only tangentially related to the global credit crunch and are being driven mainly by a host of country-specific factors, including speculative investor activity surrounding the UAE dirham’s peg to the US dollar, rapid domestic growth in recent years and concerns over the real estate sector.” Even though banks in the UAE have been growing at 40-50% per annum in the last two to three years, this will “inevitably slow,” said Eirvin Knox, chief executive officer of the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, to Bloomberg newswire.

With the country’s economy heavily based on development projects, the market will inescapably witness a slow down as projects will be more difficult to finance and loans harder — and more expensive — to acquire. And if liquidity dries up again, “funding future projects will, however, become more difficult, thereby affecting the UAE economy’s hitherto extraordinary growth,” according to S&P’s. But, a simmering in growth “would not necessarily be a bad thing,” argued S&P’s, “as it could alleviate infrastructure and resource bottlenecks that had been stoking inflationary pressures, as well as reduce the risk of a significant oversupply in the real estate market.”

As the UAE real estate index had declined by 46% in July 2008, banks have also been affected by some of the property market’s concerns. S&P’s stated that by the middle of this year, the UAE’s direct exposure held somewhere between 15-20% of their total loans and 80% of their adjusted total equity. Overall, a colossal decline in real estate prices would, undoubtedly, negatively affect the banking sector, via direct exposures and indirectly through the depleted value of the collateral taken.

Solid vaults

All in all, domestic banks in the UAE show robust financial profiles distinguished by high profitability, good asset quality and strong capitalization. Third quarter results have been, in general, “strong” according to Madha. Despite the significant write-downs that took place, they were not as big as expected. “They are having to change their lending criteria, but that is what you would expect in a rescue environment,” he said. Regarding short-term stability in the immediate aftermath of the global financial crisis, UAE banks have stabilized thus far.

Since year-on-year growth has been rather remarkable in the UAE, “the thirst for credit has been substantial,” noted S&P’s. But while a part of this has been quenched by external borrowing, the local banking sector has satisfied most of the credit needs. S&P’s contended that loans granted by UAE banks have expanded annually by an average of 35% in the past four years. Following Qatar, “this is the fastest rate of loan growth observed in the Gulf.” The pace of growth, underlined S&P’s, “even accelerated in the first half of 2008 (to about 50% annual increase), boosted by massive borrowings from government and government-related entities to expand their business domestically and internationally.” Although customer deposits also grew rather briskly, they could not keep up with the excessive growth in lending. Thus, by the end of June 2008, the loan-to-deposit ratio exceeded 100% for the entire banking sector. Now, with an ongoing era of uncertainty, banks must keep their eyes open to any and all possible solutions to these new long-term problems.

The temptation for mergers and acquisitions has thus never been more appetizing for those banks suffering from the crisis. Mashreqbank, the UAE’s largest private bank, has said it is only open to a merger if “one plus one equals three” — i.e. if both parties involved will benefit from the activity — said the bank’s chairman, Abdul Aziz Al-Ghurair. The CEO of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Michael Tomlin, has also said the bank would welcome a merger, emphasizing that “we need to be bigger to compete effectively on the global stage.” With over 50 banks throughout the Emirates, financial institutions have had little impetus to merge until the recent global crisis. Right now, the majority of bankers are keeping mum about the possible need for mergers and acquisitions. No one wants to be kicked while they are down and voicing a desire to merge or be acquired is viewed as a sign of weakness. In November, Sultan bin Nasser Al Suwaidi, governor of the UAE Central Bank, said the bank would support any mergers and acquisitions if that would help soften the blow of the international financial crisis on the local economy. Madha, however, does not see any advantages to mergers and acquisitions, feeling that it “would take up a lot of airtime and a lot of management time. You want management to be focused on liquidity issues and managing risk, not busy with M&A activity.” For the time being, banks are displaying more interest in expanding abroad than integrating domestically, but in the long run, integration could be something to consider.

Forecasts

In the medium term, the UAE banking sector faces a few challenges in terms of future growth and profitability. In the coming period wholesale funding will be harder to attract, and cost more. S&P’s forecasted “a potential moderate deterioration in asset quality in the medium term. On the liabilities side, banks are expected to step up their competition to attract additional customer deposits to fund their growth and keep their liquidity at satisfactory levels.” The ratings agency expects UAE banks “to continue to re-price lending risk, which should act as a significant buffer to overall profitability.” Madha highlighted that loans for share purchases — potentially a derivative exposure — will be a chief concern for Emirati banks in 2009. Another major issue will obviously be provisioning, said Madha, “and that will depend on how the labor markets do, and again, the labor markets are not as solid as they have been in the past. We’re certainly seeing a reality check in the labor markets at the moment.” A further principal obstacle, asserted Madha, is the continuing lack of visibility in the system. “The fact that there is effectively no communication between the government and analysts — I see it as significant risks,” he said.

For the future, Madha is concerned with long-term stability in the banking sector. He feels this will heavily depend on the performance of the real estate market in the UAE: “if the property sector holds up, then the banking sector should be fine.” Al Suwaidi, however, firmly holds that the UAE’s banking sector is strong enough to deal with any corrections in the real estate market. Keep your fingers crossed for the banking sector, because the real estate market seems to be facing some serious downturns in 2009. Overall, next year banks in the UAE will continue to try to stabilize whilst facing numerous challenges.

December 8, 2008 0 comments

Real estate

Gains wane

by Executive Staff December 8, 2008

written by Executive Staff

While the boom in North African real estate continued through most of 2008, a downturn in global financial markets could put the brakes on the burgeoning sector in 2009. Algeria’s unstable security situation and fickle political climate continued to scare off investors and any significant growth in the sector over the past year, but Tunisia and Morocco pushed forward with ambitious state-sponsored public housing projects, as foreign investment flows helped finance the development of tourism projects, upscale properties and numerous mega resorts.

Analysts have predicted that the financial crisis will have little direct influence over the Tunisian and Moroccan economies. However, as the crisis worsens, regional real estate insiders are calculating the indirect influence they may see in the coming years, as these countries’ economic dependence on affected economies like those in Western Europe becomes a greater liability.

For instance, Tunisia and Morocco, like so many other developing economies in the globalized world, have come to rely heavily on the economic boost that remittances from workers living abroad send home. Out of the estimated $5 billion that is sent to Morocco in remittances, as much as 86% is invested in real estate. Now, as layoffs increase in developed economies and consumption trends dip to dangerous new lows, remittances to developing economies will sharply decline as the Moroccans and Tunisians living abroad tighten their belts.

Land of the second home

In addition, Tunisia and Morocco have had great success in marketing to second-home buyers in Western Europe and other regions. Offering lower real estate prices than the northern Mediterranean countries, year-round sunshine and hundreds of miles of undeveloped Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines, both countries have became seductive destinations for Europeans interested in a vacation home or secondary residence. The region’s real estate boom, which most agree began in 2006, was further reinforced by the recent arrival of new low-cost airline carriers like Ryanair and Jet4You, which increased routes between exotic North African cities and European capitals and offered more competitive prices on fares. Analysts expect a sharp decline in demand for second-homes and vacation properties in these countries as financial conditions abroad grow worse.

As for the domestic real estate market, Tunisia’s outlook is bright for the following year with local demand largely met. Though many locals may complain of rising prices, the government implemented a strategy to promote national home ownership by preventing foreigners from participating in the property market until national ownership reached approximately 80%. Tunisia currently has the highest home ownership rate in Africa and one of the highest in the world. Morocco, on the other hand, with its much larger territory and whose population is nearly three times that of Tunisia, suffers from an ongoing housing deficit for which Housing Minister Taoufiq Hejira is finding no easy solutions. The development of the kingdom’s upscale market and tourism industry have by all means proved an economic windfall, but climbing prices of residential real estate in many areas have now reached peaks that are well beyond the reach of most Moroccans.

Due to a somewhat late entry on the international property market scene, Tunisia remains much less well-known than Morocco as a real estate investment destination, with an up-and-coming property market that is just beginning to attract a great deal of attention from investors in Europe, Asia, and the Gulf. In 2005, new legislation made it easier for foreigners to purchase property in areas designated for “economic and tourist activities.” Prices in Tunisia are still low, especially compared to some regions of Morocco (namely the much hyped Marrakech, a longstanding staple on the jet-set scene), where thirty years of foreigners buying villas have raised real estate prices to European levels. If prices continue to rise and they begin to lose their competitiveness with areas like southern Spain, buyers will choose properties in markets north of the Mediterranean, which have vastly superior infrastructures and identical climactic conditions.

The Moroccan administration is firmly in favor of economic liberalization and Hejira has proclaimed the state’s intention to completely withdraw from real estate development within five or ten years, entrusting the industry entirely to the private sector. But the administration continues to demonstrate a willingness to step in when necessary, making new land available at strategic moments in order to combat real estate speculation and sponsoring the development of 170 new urban zones. The proliferation of shantytowns is a painful and highly visible reminder that a healthy rate of economic growth and low inflation are not changing the kingdom’s high rates of poverty and unemployment as quickly as many would hope.

Social housing is currently a top priority for the public sector, which it is trying to pass on to the private sector. The Ministry’s ambitious plan to provide 130,000 social housing units by 2012 seemed like the ideal way to resolve the housing deficit (annual demand is officially estimated at 30,000 – 40,000 units). But while private-public partnerships formed the backbone of the state’s strategy to meet demand, the private sector has become more reluctant recently to invest in this bracket of housing, in spite of tax breaks and land incentives offered by the state. Social housing units, which must be priced at around 200,000 MAD ($23,000) to meet buyers’ capacity, are less and less economically feasible, since rises in construction and land costs over the past year have practically erased the profit margin for private developers.

Samir Benmakhlouf, President of Century 21 Morocco, thinks that domestic demand could carry the real estate market through the turbulence of the crisis period. When asked if the real estate boom could be over, he replied: “The demand is still there and the demand is much bigger than the supply. There is a readjustment period that we have to go through, but we still have a lot to build. We still have a more than one million housing unit deficit. The demand is very big and the opportunity is still very big. However there is a stagnation that is causing a lot of people to think twice about coming to the sector.” As he pointed out, a period of stagnation could actually prove beneficial to the market over time: the sector’s rapid growth and the promise of huge profits led to a great deal of speculation and under-the-table deals that have plagued the sector’s development and inflated prices. A period of calm will allow professionals to regain control of the sector and weed out some of the greed and corruption. Also, a stagnation of property prices is already boosting the rental market, which is sorely in need of a transition from the informal to the formal economy and whose development would help address the country’s massive housing deficit.

The rise of the rental

Benmakhlouf pointed to rising interest and profitability in the overlooked and underdeveloped rental market saying, “Our network has been receiving a lot of people throughout this crisis; we’re actually making record revenue throughout this stagnation period — record transactions, because a lot of them are rental, when people cannot afford to buy, they rent, there is a trend now to go towards rental.” Reports indicate that the state will soon pass legislation protecting owners rights and extending their control over property, which will boost the rental market, as owners currently cannot evict tenants who fail to pay rent. Benmakhlouf added, “If you look at cosmopolitan cities around the world, you find that two-thirds are rented and one-third is owned by the person who is living there. In Morocco it is the opposite, right now its one-third renters and two-thirds owners, but we are moving towards the rental market.”

Mega-projects in the course of development by Gulf companies Emaar, Al Qudra Holding, Sama Dubai, Qatar Real Estate Partners and others will also support the sector’s sustained growth in Morocco and Tunisia in 2009. Since 2003, climbing oil prices created an excess liquidity in the Middle East that oil-fueled investors, mainly sovereign funds and wealthy families, have used to make record levels of global investments. Pursuing a forward-thinking strategy of diversifying their economies away from dependence on oil exports, these regional investors, equipped with a petrodollar windfall in excess of $2 trillion, invested heavily in the North African region. Tunisia and Morocco, thanks to sustained political stability, solid economic outlook and carefully crafted investor-friendly environment, received the bulk of the region’s megaprojects, most of which have been channeled into tourism-related developments and luxury residential real estate.

These projects also have a modernizing influence that will pay off over the next decade in terms of job creation, urban renewal and the transformation of unused plots of land into hubs of tourism and industry. Projects in Tunisia such as Tunis Sports City and Mediterranean Gate ‘Century’ City, both funded by Dubai investment at $25 billion and $5 billion, will feature golf courses, state-of-the-art sports academies, marinas, luxury hotels and thousands of residential units.

In Morocco, the renovation of the Rabat-Sale Bouregreg River, currently nearing completion, is considered an axis of the kingdom’s strategy to update its social and economic conditions, starting with the capital city. The project, which is being carried out in partnership with the United Arab Emirates, includes a tramway, a port on the Atlantic, a marina and a facelift to monuments and historical features of Morocco’s administrative center. And while Casablanca, the economic capital of Morocco, is still waiting for a comprehensive urban renewal program, it is at least experiencing a boom in commercial real estate. Two thousand and eight saw the breaking of ground on the Morocco Mall project, which will be the largest mall in Africa, featuring an Imax theater and over 200 name-brand stores.

Several large-scale infrastructural works are underway in Tunisia and Morocco, as both countries update their airports to increase capacity for tourism and modernize their train transport system. Tunisia awarded a contract to build its seventh international airport at Enfidha to the Turkish holding company Tepe Aksen Ventisres (TAV) in 2007 and plans to award a contract to build a deep water port in the same region. In November 2008, Morocco received a 625 million euro ($804.6 million) loan from France to fund a high-speed TGV route between Casablanca and Tangiers. Although much remains to be done, particularly in the areas of public transport and urban planning, investments in national infrastructure prove that Morocco and Tunisia, often known for corruption and misuse of public funds, are very serious about achieving a goal-oriented long-term sustainable economic development.

December 8, 2008 0 comments

Real estate

Realty reform

by Executive Staff December 8, 2008

written by Executive Staff

The global financial crisis has hit the banking sector and rippled into the UAE real estate market. Some banks and mortgage lenders have considerably cut down or even stopped their real estate lending. For example, Amlak suspended new mortgage loans and NBD stopped lending to expat employees of real estate firms, fearing loan defaults. In response, the government in October began injecting $19 billion into UAE banks to overcome this liquidity squeeze. Additionally, the central bank has set up around $13.5 billion in an emergency credit fund for homeowners, investors and developers. It has also discussed proposals for introducing financial instruments to boost liquidity and insure the continuity of real estate loans.

New laws

The Strata Law was issued and came into effect on March 31, 2008. It defines the responsibility of property owners and developers in the management of common areas in multi-owner developments, like gated communities and apartment buildings.

Moreover, the new Dubai Property Court was established in September. It is expected to reduce the workload of RERA, which since its establishment has been swamped by property cases, including for project delays and noncompliance with a property developer’s initial description.

December 8, 2008 0 comments

Comment

All roads lead to India

by Norbert Schiller December 8, 2008

written by Norbert Schiller

Many years ago, an Indian friend of mine living in Dubai said to me, “If you want to send a plane to anywhere in the world, including the North Pole, and are worried that you won’t have enough passengers, land in Delhi and I promise you that the plane will take off without one empty seat.” He was correct. There are very few places in this world where there is not a large thriving Indian community. From the South Seas to Africa, Indians have this uncanny ability to adapt to just about any situation and succeed. At the same time, they are one of the few communities that, no matter where they go, manage to keep their cultural identity and ultimately aspire to return home.

This past month I covered the India Economic Summit 2008 in New Delhi. The summit has been an annual event for the past 24 years and brings together the country’s brightest and most influential political and business leaders from all strata of society — from the multi-billionaire entrepreneur Vijay Mallay, whose portfolio includes everything from air transport to beer and tourism developments, to J. Vasudev, sadhguru and founder of the Isha Foundation. The summit also attracted a few influential foreign personalities, most notably former US Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger and former US Secretary of Defense, William Cohen.

Unfortunately, the timing of the summit this year could not have been worse. Instead of focusing on ways to improve the lives of India’s billion-plus population, most of whom live at or below the poverty line, business and political leaders spent the better part of four days discussing the world’s financial crisis and how to minimize its impact on the region. There were, however, a few local Indian politicians who wanted to distance themselves from the ‘global agenda’ and to use the summit as a political platform, possibly because of the upcoming parliamentary elections, to focus on the plight of India’s poor.

There is no country in the world where the rich and poor are so diametrically opposed and where the divisions in society run so deep. The caste system was officially abolished years ago, but the imprint it has left will most likely last for generations to come. For the average Indian, the solution is not in finding ways to bail out the financial system. Their priorities are more basic: having enough food on the table, educating the children and obtaining proper healthcare. One Indian politician at the summit so rightly put it that, “they had nothing to do with creating the financial crisis in the first place, so why should they be burdened by it?”

After spending almost a week with India’s rich and famous, I set out to discover the other side of the country. While traveling along the road, it’s not difficult to see why some of India’s local parliamentarians attending the summit were keen on using the event as a platform for their campaigns. Everywhere you turn there is grinding poverty. It’s also not difficult to understand why so many Indians have left their country to settle elsewhere. In the past, Indians began settling in Africa and parts of Asia because that was where the trade routes took them. Today, many end up in the Arab Gulf countries as laborers working long hours for a little more pay than they would receive at home.

While staying at a small hotel in Agra, I got to talking with an elderly waiter about travel and where I had grown up. It turned out that the waiter had been quite the entrepreneurial traveler of his time. When I spoke about my time growing up in California and Europe he began to reminisce about his years in the States and how he ended up there after being invited by one of his students, who had been a Peace Corps volunteer in India back in the 1960s. He told me how he moved from job to job until he opened his first travel agency. After the first year he sold the agency and then with the money started another travel agency. Over the course of 15 years he opened and sold 15 travel agencies and then, after having had enough of being an entrepreneur, set out into the world, a traveler once again.

I asked him why he was working now as a waiter in the hotel; he told me that there was really nothing for him to do in India and the one thing he liked to do was be among travelers and reminisce. “Besides,” he said, “ultimately you go home.”

Norbert schiller is a Dubai-based photo-journalist and writer

December 8, 2008 0 comments

Tourism

Lebanon – Hedonists hooray!

by Executive Staff December 3, 2008

written by Executive Staff

In spite of the images of conflict and war associated with Lebanon over the last few years, the Land of the Cedars has (again) become one of the region’s party hubs, as the Lebanese paradox seems to attract many a night owl.

Hassan is a Moroccan banker working in Dubai. Ibiza, Saint Tropez and Mykonos bear no secrets for him. This summer, he spent a five-day vacation in Lebanon. “I would love to party at one of the open space bars and visit Gemmayze,” he said a week before his arrival. Gemmayze is one of Beirut’s trendy streets sought after by partygoers for bar- hopping. “I have heard so much about the Lebanese night life!” Hassan added.
According to Paul Ariss, president of the Syndicate of Restaurant and Café Owners, there are some 6,000 restaurants, cafés, pubs, night-clubs and discos in Lebanon, with the majority of restaurants, cafés and pubs targeting a clientele aged 17 to 35. A serious percentage of those enjoy a steady income and relatively low expenses, since most of the young women and men still live with their parents and clubbing and dining out is a major source of entertainment for them. Moreover, one million expatriates in the Arab world and Africa regularly visit Lebanon, and one of their favorite activities is discovering new places and menus.
Open space bars, beach parties and beautiful girls dancing against the backdrop of golden fireworks have become part of the Lebanese landscape. “Lebanon, as a party destination, can’t be compared to other countries in the region,” said Tony Habr, owner of Addmind, a company that creates, develops and manages concepts in the food, beverage and hospitality business.
For Ramzi Adada, owner of Riva, a company that manages Island at the Riviera Beach hotel and employs over 80 people, Lebanese nightlife has evolved dramatically in the last 15 years. “While Lebanon used to lag behind Europe, it recently has caught up with most international clubbing scenes. The only type of entertainment we might still miss being gigantic clubs such as the ones in Ibiza, capable of accommodating 10,000 people,” he explained.

City with a soul
Lebanon being at the vanguard of the party trade can be attributed to the relatively lax regulations compared to its regional neighbors. “In the UAE more restrictions are imposed on clubs, which are, as an example, expected to close at three in the morning, whereas in Beirut they still receive people until dawn,” Habr said. The manager also pointed to the Lebanese crowd, which is able to liven up any venue. Clubs and bars alike are well decorated and are usually built around a sophisticated concept. “Beirut is a city with a soul, unlike other cities in the region, with the exception of Cairo that has another beat to it, one definitely more oriental. In Lebanon, East meets West,” Adada pointed out.
Nazih is a Jordanian investment banker who visited Lebanon this summer. Instead of spending four days like he originally planned, he ended up staying for more than a week. “The places here are unlike anything I have ever seen and people are also extremely friendly,” he said.
For Adada, one of the industry’s main strengths resides in the permanent metamorphosis and innovative approach. The local hedonistic culture gives the sector a powerful edge.
Quality of service provided is another strength of the Lebanese party trade. “Lebanese have gotten used to a certain level of quality on which they are not ready to compromise,” said Michel Razouk, manager of Rand R. The company, which employs about 70 people, runs and operates Sushi Bar, Cactus, and Graffiti Café as well as the L2 lounge-restaurant in Saida.
The reason behind the success of Lebanese venues? A very competitive market and a savvy client base. “Lebanese tend to lose interest rapidly, which forces club owners to redesign their venues every two years, while this period is usually longer for clubs in the West,” explained Habr.
The Lebanese party scene has been revamped in the last few years. Long gone are old-fashioned dance floors, as today the young women dance on tabletops instead. The scene resembles a huge house party where most people know each other. After all, about 80% of the clients are local, while this figure is only 50% in Jordan. Adada explained that at Island, about 60% of clients are Lebanese and the rest foreigners, many of them Syrians and Jordanians.
“Gemmayze, however, caters to a different crowd than what can be seen on the club scene and this might explain the growing number of Europeans we have seen in recent months,” said Razouk who estimates they might account for about 10% of the clientele.

Partying pays
Revenues depend upon the type of venue. While Razouk said that bar tabs start at $25 per person, club owners estimate an average ticket bill to end up between $80 and $150 per head. “Profitability is much higher for clubs, bars and cafés than for restaurants as profit margins are higher when alcohol is served,” Razouk pointed out. Adada believes that clubs can generate yearly revenues of three to five million dollars and have profit margins of about 35 to 40%.
In such a thriving sector, rumors of corruption abound. Habr reckoned that in some of the capital’s largest clubs tables may be sold to the highest bidder. “Corruption exists all over the world; it is not ethical but it is a reality, especially as some managers may think that someone who’s ready to splurge $500 on a table will certainly spend more. At the end of the day it is all about the manager,” he said. Last summer around the capital Arab tourists were paying hundreds of dollars for a reservation.
Despite some drawbacks, the industry is trying to replicate its success abroad. Habr said that his company started expanding after the 2006 War. “The war certainly pushed people to expand out of Lebanon,” Razouk, who plans to expand in Qatar with four concept restaurants, agreed. “However, the fact that Lebanon has been able to export its know-how is a great achievement in itself.”

December 3, 2008 0 comments

Private Equity

Iraq – For the intrepid investor

by Executive Staff December 3, 2008

written by Executive Staff

Is Iraq ripe for private equity investment? The idea of putting a high performing asset class in what is still considered a war zone seems anathema to many. The lengthy investment terms of private equity appear inconsistent in volatile environments, but after a read of the headlines, industry watchers need only look at the deals fund managers have already made and the willingness of investors who partner in country-dedicated funds, or on a deal-by-deal basis, to realize the possibilities of Iraq as the next destination for private equity. In early 2008, news media reported that emerging markets fund manager Mark Mobius was looking for deals for private equity investments in Iraq. Though influential, Mobius will by no means be the first, but rather follows a crew of daring investors and fund managers who have already established operations in this frontier market.

Iraq is not a monolithic conflict and since the 2008 surge, tensions have quieted down somewhat. The Kurdistan Region, in particular, offers much promise for fund managers and investors. According to Scott Ogur of Scimitar, the risks of investing are lower there, yet, “since the region is still in Iraq, most investors apply a risk premium to it that was commensurate with Baghdad.” In his view, this offers a much sought-after investment environment for those with higher appetites for risk or at least deals where “most investors have missed an important nuance, leading them to overstate risk, and therefore depress asset prices.” The perceived risk premiums investors calculate are factored into decision making when looking to generate excess returns.

A headline economy
Rising oil prices on world markets brought a windfall in revenue for Iraq’s 2008 budget, but cautious budgeting means the country will still have a surplus at the end of the year. The increased government riches are complemented by an improving security situation with fewer civilian deaths and many of Iraq’s 18 provinces relatively safe, with violence largely limited to Baghdad, Diyala, Niniveh, and Salah al-Din.
Andrew Eberhart of The Marshall Fund — the first Iraq- dedicated private equity fund and the first to do a deal in the country — believes that “Iraq’s economy needs the fundamentals — food, shelter, and electricity, but the country can also benefit from technology investment that helps meet these needs.” The Marshall Fund has matched Iraqi demand for foreign capital and the increasingly favorable regulatory structures to support capital inflows. Both the federal Iraqi and regional Kurdistan parliament passed investment laws to encourage foreign investment and protect investors through the rule of law, property ownership in certain industries, and favorable tax holidays.
According to Eberhart, “the government is willing and eager to work with outside investors and there is no need to win hearts and minds in the government.” For private equity firms weary of operating in a potentially high-risk environment, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, an independent arm of the US government, offers insurance against potential political risks, including expropriations, acts of terrorism and war, and political strife.
Eberhart noted that there is large potential outside of the energy sector, as Iraq was and could still be “the breadbasket of the Middle East” with a large amount of arable land and agriculture employing the most Iraqis after the public sector. Snags common to other sectors are also found in agriculture, which has been victim to chronic underinvestment. Following the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003, the industry dropped, transforming the country from a net exporter to an importer of food. According to Eberhart, “there were crops, but farmers only had access to local markets.” He explained that the vast majority of crops rot on the vine or in storage. “The ability to come in and invest in processing and distribution is enormous.”

Fundraising
The Marshall Fund is currently fundraising from private investors “who understand the very real investment opportunity that exists in Iraq and also feel there is some potential social benefit, an economic development from investment and a way to complement other efforts of regional stability,” according to Eberhart. Limited partners of this sort must share the fund’s vision as it scours for opportunities. Kyle Stelma of Dunia Frontier Consultants noted that fundraising for deals in Iraq is “an interesting environment with a huge upside. There are initial risks but several alternative investment funds have decided to focus solely on Iraq, despite perceived risks.” Stelma estimates the majority of limited partners to be “individuals with one or two institutional investors,” projecting that, “as we see more successful exits and investments, there will be more institutional investors. There are now a number of large Middle Eastern institutional investors getting close to partnering. It’s just a matter of time.” Eberhart believes that while it might still be a bit early for big institutional investors like pension funds, “we expect to see them as we demonstrate success.”
The climate for making deals in Iraq stems the government’s willingness to revive enterprises that have lain fallow for years. Stelma noted that “a number are interested in former state-owned enterprises and the government is privatizing some of them and really trying to make these transactions work.” Iraq dearly needs for financial institutions, construction outfits, and agriculture-related business to lead the country through its post-conflict development.
Ogur’s group, Scimitar, does not use blind pool funds, the typical structure of a private equity fund, having found that they “are not always the best way to align interests of fund managers and investors in the regions where we invest.” Rather, they work with investors on a deal-by-deal basis. With Scimitar’s group of investors, “when we have a deal that meets our investment criteria, we use our own funds to secure and structure the deal, and we then get commitments from our investors.” The group’s investments total a dozen over the past six years, of various sizes ranging between $5-50 million, and have realized about half of its investments. Its Iraqi focus remains in the Kurdish region where contacts run to the top levels, which is an important requisite when working in the region.

Partnering for exits
In terms of exiting investments, the focus remains on selling companies to a strategic buyer. Ogur noticed a number of strategic buyers looking toward Kurdistan as a place to own and operate profitable businesses. “Turkish investors and businesses are extremely interested in Northern Iraq, despite the political tensions that are commonly mentioned between Turkey and the Kurds,” he noted.
Stelma’s has noticed growing interest from Indian, Chinese, and Turkish conglomerates, with growing opportunities for strategic sales. Outside of petrochemicals, regional and international conglomerates are currently the main exit possibilities, although these options will grow as more players enter the market.

Future outlook
The demand for the basics after long periods of neglect under Hussein and over the past five years makes Iraq’s future outlook strong. In an official visit to the US in October 2008, Iraqi Finance Minister Bayan Jabr Solagh emphasized the need for basic infrastructure, particularly water, electricity and housing. The immediate demand for 2.5 million housing units in a population of 28 million means nearly 10% of Iraqis need new homes. This figure alone should make the heads of real estate giants and property developers spin. According to Eberhart, “the government has inherited a lot of businesses from the private sector and Saddam’s private ownership. It embraces capitalism and is anxious to privatize investment. Ministers promote plans for outside investment and there is low or no costs for taking on operations.”
Eberhart also highlighted the strong demand for banking and the financial services sector. Although JP Morgan and HSBC are already in Iraq, the huge room to grow is evident in the lack of free flow of capital and the economy staying cash-based. Financial services could help sustain the already-high consumer market demand, which Eberhart believes could “find opportunities to grow in Iraq after franchise operations demonstrated success.”
Improvements at the macro level mean increased opportunities for foreign investors to remodel many of Iraq’s industries. As the government moves forth with privatizations and plans to stimulate the different industries, private equity is an ideal asset class to restructure and redevelop a potentially dynamic economy.

December 3, 2008 0 comments

Consumer Society

Automotives – Gearing down

by Executive Staff December 3, 2008

written by Executive Staff

The automotive industry is feeling the full force of the global financial crisis. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are on the brink of collapse after their failed bid to get $25 billion in aid from Congress and many of the major automakers are temporarily shutting down production plants as sales drop around the world. In the Middle East, however, car sales have not been so gloomy. Positive growth has been achieved by all the major brands in the region and massive amounts of investment are being put into improving car sales and after-sales facilities. Still, there is nervousness about the financial crisis’ impact on the Middle East, given the significant amounts of investment that have been made and are being made in the region. Thus, 2009 will be a precarious year for automakers and their local partners in the Middle East.

But 2008 was a good year overall for manufacturers in the Middle East. As Phil Horton, managing director of BMW Middle East, pointed out, “Our January to October sales across the Middle East are up 12% over the same period last year.” Horton is confident that BMW will achieve its sales target for 2008. Julian Millward-Hopkins, press manager for Mercedes-Benz, also reports that 2008 was a good year. “The performance of Mercedes-Benz in the region this year has been exceptional with deliveries currently up nearly 20% over the previous year. For the first time we achieved sales of over 10,000 vehicles for the first half of the year,” he said.

The big manufacturers’ new playground
The continued growth of BMW and Mercedes in the region is significant because the big three markets — US, Europe and Japan — are increasingly saturated and competition is becoming increasingly intense in the Middle East. Infiniti and Audi are two manufacturers that have rapidly increased their presence to capture some market potential, both launching a renewed, more substantial presence in 2005. Abhijit Pandit, director of marketing for Infiniti, reported that the Japanese company has achieved rapid growth since 2005 and now the Middle East is the number two market after the US. In 2008, Infiniti achieved 50% year-on-year growth. Audi tells a similar story. Jeff Mannering, managing director of Audi Middle East, stated that Audi believes it can end 2008 on strongly, “finishing with around 7,500 deliveries to customers, which is a healthy 18% increase over 2007.”
Rapid expansion is being undertaken by manufacturers and their local partners. Horton extolled BMW’s local import partners investments in the brand and stated that, “Our importers in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia are all undergoing multi-million dollar expansion plans to accommodate their growing business.” This rapid expansion, which is being replicated by almost all manufacturers in the region, has brought the challenge of ensuring that infrastructure keeps up with this expansion. “With growing sales the biggest challenge is always to provide a strong support system. Audi has invested heavily into training, continuous improvement in after-sales service and the development of our infrastructure,” said Mannering. For brands such as Infiniti that have yet to penetrate fully the Middle East, rapid programs of expansion are being rolled out. Pandit said that new showrooms are constantly being opened for Infiniti cars and by 2012 all the market in the GCC and Mediterranean markets will have exclusive facilities.
His company, Pandit said, “pioneered the crossover SUV with the Infiniti FX,” and now all the car manufacturers are bringing out new SUV crossover models, which are set to dominate sales in 2009. The SUV is an important segment of the car market in the Middle East in particular and, according to Pandit, dominates the luxury car sector. With global warming becoming increasingly important in the minds of consumers, the desire to have an SUV with lower emissions has given birth to the crossover SUV and their popularity has been insatiable. Thus all manufacturers are racing to get their versions onto the market. BMW has brought out the X6 Sport Activity Coupe, which has sold out the year’s quota, Audi reported a strong response to its anticipated Q5 and Mercedes has released the GLK, which is expected to achieve strong sales in the region.

Currency chicane
The major challenge that automakers have faced in 2008 has been currency fluctuation. For Infiniti, which deals in yen, this was a major challenge and for BMW and Mercedes, dealing with Euros, it has also been problematic. Horton also stated that “price increases for raw materials including oil, steel and energy,” were issues for manufacturers in 2008 and this decreased the profit margin.
But the biggest snag was encountered at the end of the year: the global financial crisis. In 2009, all manufacturers will be waiting and watching to see what its full implications on the region will be before they make any big decisions. Millward-Hopkins believes that the Middle East is in a much stronger position than the rest of the world, but “we are putting in measures to ensure that our distributors across the region provide customers with a suite of offers.” Thus, even in the surplus-rich GCC, manufacturers are preparing for customers to tighten their belts. “Oil prices are continuing to stay low but I hope the government will intervene as this is a big challenge for the region,” Pandit said. Although manufacturers are aggressively pushing forward their brands in the region, due to the economic crisis they will be hard pressed to achieve a growth on sales in 2009. As Horton stated, the biggest challenge next year will be, “to increase our sales over 2008.”

December 3, 2008 0 comments