Author Archives: Darren Marchal

All hands on deck

A provider of world class international shipping and transportation services, Qatar Navigation was named Best GCC Cargo Shipping Company 2010 as part of the World Finance GCC Trade & Industry Awards Programme for this year. When the firm was founded in 1957, the Qatari economy was in urgent need of an organisation that would cater…

Walmex bullish in operations merger

One thing that hasn’t changed though is Walmex’s rapid growth and impressive financials as it continues to spice up the retail market in Central America. The challenge for Scot now, is to keep this Latin American retailing success story on track. In a country famous for its chilli peppers, it is only fitting that giant…

Mobilising impact finance

World population is estimated at 6.8 billion people, of which close to two billion live in poverty, 925 million are undernourished, 2.6 billion lack basic sanitation, about one billion can’t read a book or sign their name and 443 million school days are lost each year due to water-related illnesses. Yes, the percentage of population…

Good things come to those who wait

After the United States, China is the second largest economy in the world. It has long been recognised as the fastest-growing globally, having recorded annual average growth rates in excess of 10 percent over the last quarter-century. In Q2 2010, China’s economy was valued at $1.33trn, and it is estimated that by the end of…

Abu Dhabi targets high-tech future

Double-dip recession or not, global consumers are retaining a crush on their personal electronic goods and super-smart mobile devices. Even in tough economic times, the confluence of advances in computing, communications, mobile handsets, digital content and growing worldwide adoption of the internet is fueling new purchases and creating a mobile revolution. Not surprisingly, this consumption…

Abu Dhabi targets high-tech future

Double-dip recession or not, global consumers are retaining a crush on their personal electronic goods and super-smart mobile devices. Even in tough economic times, the confluence of advances in computing, communications, mobile handsets, digital content and growing worldwide adoption of the internet is fueling new purchases and creating a mobile revolution. Not surprisingly, this consumption…

Ports gain in pro-business market

Deemed one of the most prestigious projects in the Sultanate of Oman, the Port boasts the four largest shipping lines. Business is booming. Both its terminals saw double digit growth in the past five years, with general cargo growing at over 20 percent per annum, despite the onset of the recession. We spoke to the…

Vatican praises ‘ethical’ Sharia banking

Haitham Abdou, director of marketing and product strategy for the ITS group, the biggest supplier of Islamic banking solutions in the world, confessed he was shocked to read Pope Benedict praising Islam’s bankers in the pages of the official Vatican newspaper. However, Abdou said, the article convinced him that Islamic banking is now ready for…