Pause for thought
The world is passing through a difficult phase at present. With merely 2% of the population controlling half of its fortune, it seems that part of what’s happening globally can be explained as the unfair distribution of wealth that throughout history has been one of the main reasons for war, unrest and revolution.
Oil, that ubiquitous unctuous black liquid, is the source of many of these fortunes. It can bring prosperity to some but misery to others as it helps to finance conflicts through the illegal sale of oil and purchase of arms with the wealth it creates. The recent drastic fall in oil prices therefore calls for a closer look. In this issue, we consider the relationship between oil and aid, and the effect of oil prices on various economies across the globe.
A really key question this decade must be whether the 3.5 billion women on earth are reaching their full potential. If so, one might also ask whether women are involved in decision making as often as they should be. We feel they are most definitely not. Economic independence for women is far from certain on a global scale, and especially so in our region.
March marks International Women’s Month and celebrates the achievements of women. So, to mark this event, we shed light on issues relating to the legal environment for businesswomen and the challenges they face whilst endeavouring to create a better world. We also showcase some of our prominent women decision-makers and pay homage to the thousands more out there … most importantly, we encourage women to take these women as their role models.
An important question in today’s business world is exactly what type of leader do we want? The correct answer should be a ‘leader who serves’! If you are an employee who is fed up with an ineffective or unsupportive boss, we show how to become your own boss and the importance of finding and working with a mentor.
Finally, we also cast an eye at economic relations between Gulf Cooperation Council states and the European Union, and look at the importance of employee engagement in the business world.
We are delighted to say that we continue to have some fantastic media partnerships and you can find us at many conferences in the region, suche as Global Islamic Investment Gateway organised by Thomson Reuters in Bahrain, Posidonia Sea Tourisim Forum in Athens, HVAC TEch in Qatar, Arab Achievers Conclave in Dubai.
Your comments and suggestions are always welcome, so please do not be shy in sending them to me at: ceo@MiddleEast-Business.com
Amal Daraghmeh Masri
Editor in Chief & Founder
