Month: August 2023

entreprenuership

GCC retail is changing due to connected intelligence and omnichannel strategy.

head dubai August 31, 2023 No Comments

Experts predict that the GCC retail sector will continue to grow strongly in the near future and will be worth $308 billion in 2023.

Unquestionably, the sector has benefited from the post-pandemic recovery, but opportune governmental changes have also contributed to women’s labor participation, company accessibility, and macroeconomic stability. These elements have a domino impact on consumer confidence and retail expenditure. Retailers have thus made deliberate attempts to stay up with those changes.

Customers are at the center of the redesigned retail tactics. With the growing adoption of digital technology, this shift entails using customer data to tailor brand communications and offerings. For consistent consumer experiences, top brick-and-mortar shops have systematically embraced e-commerce by integrating various channels.

According to Shehbaz Shaikh, chief retail officer of Redtag, a top value fashion and homeware brand in the GCC, these trends have significant ramifications for the sector’s future.
Fundamentally, being customer-centric means keeping up with customer movements, whether those be their shopping habits or preferences. The 98 percent internet penetration rate in the GCC has increased e-commerce. However, this is not the price of traditional brick-and-mortar retail. Both are structurally in demand, with the same consumer favoring online and offline shopping depending on the situation. In such case, being customer-centric means taking special note of each customer’s preferences.

Understanding the distinctive interests of a wide range of clients is crucial for businesses in this situation. Possibly, that is where Big Data and AI analytics come in.

We can comprehend what a customer wants, when they want it, and how they prefer it supplied by integrating data from functions throughout the retail value chain. In other words, customer-centricity represents a paradigm change from traditional vendor-driven commerce in that we now cater to client needs rather than our own or that of our suppliers.

Why is it so important in the GCC today to integrate online and physical retail?

According to numerous studies, 265 million individuals in the Middle East, or around 55% of the region’s population, are familiar with how omnichannel shopping works. The commercial argument for merchants offering “phygital” experiences to customers is therefore compelling. The same reasoning underpinned all of Redtag’s recent e-commerce initiatives.

Opponents of omnichannel retail bear the risk of greater customer attrition, which is unviable in a market where the churn rate can already be as high as 7%. That being said, traditional brick-and-mortar stores will not be able to stand out from the competitors with a simple e-commerce platform. Efficiencies in service delivery and consistent client experiences must be the goals of the omnichannel strategy.

How do merchants implement an effective omnichannel strategy?

The lifeblood of multichannel retail is customer data. So gathering the data is the first thing to do. To establish a single source of truth, it typically entails breaking through the barriers across diverse retail disciplines. For the same, Redtag implemented a customer data platform (CDP), combining data from various channels to get a comprehensive view of a customers behaviour.

The data must then be contextualized in order to yield insightful conclusions. Here, a customer experience management (CEM) platform is used to create “connected intelligence” out of unstructured data. The deep-learning models will assist brands in optimizing their inventory in line with changing client expectations and demand when combined with other technologies, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP). Marketing teams will be able to give individualized recommendations and services by segmenting the audience according to demographics, interests, and preferences with the aid of the acquired insights. Personalization is a crucial component of an effective omnichannel strategy.

Why is product/service personalization a necessary component of GCC retail today?

The focus on personalization is driven by a high level of customer awareness. GCC is seeing clear sociocultural changes, particularly in relation to women’s employment rates and rising purchasing power. Millennials and Gen-Z, who make up a substantial portion of the population in the area, are also steadily growing their percentage of retail spending, which has an impact on the sector’s strategic orientation. They are digital natives who have a thorough understanding of the range of market products, price points, and value propositions.

How do multichannel shopping, the emphasis on personalization, and expanding FinTech use relate to one another?
Modern retail is a wonderful fit for fintech because it is intended to enhance and automate the delivery of financial services according to end-user requirements. Retailers have enthusiastically embraced full-stack financial solutions in an effort to expedite and simplify vital processes like e-billing and refunds. Most significantly, FinTech platforms have improved accountability and transparency in retail operations, which has increased consumer confidence and encouraged spending. Future customer-centric loyalty programs will be made possible by the developing FinTech-retail synergy in the GCC. More use cases will continue to develop as retail increasingly goes digital, which shows no indications of slowing down any time soon.

Travel & Explore

Despite a rise in residential and hospitality construction, the UAE real estate market is still strong.

head dubai August 30, 2023 No Comments

Despite global macroeconomic headwinds, the UAE’s non-oil economy expanded strongly in the first half of the year, which helped the country’s real estate market perform well across all sectors.

According to consultant CBRE’s most recent market report, average prices in Dubai’s market increased by 16.9% in the year to June 2023, while the residential market in Abu Dhabi registered 4,737 sales transactions in the first half of the year, up 88.6% yearly.

The hospitality industry was supported by UAE hotels, which saw an increase in average occupancy rates of 4.1 percentage points during the first half of the year.

Despite what appears to be diminishing global financial challenges, the outlook is still generally favorable, according to the UAE Real Estate.

The impact of rising interest rates, the effect on consumers as a result of rising property costs, particularly in Dubai, and lastly the overall effect of a falling US currency are the main downside risks that we are keeping an eye on.
The second-largest economy in the Arab world, the UAE, increased 7.9% last year, the most in 11 years, following growth of 4.4% in 2021. This growth was aided by the non-oil sector as the nation advanced its diversification policy.

According to the UAE Central Bank, its GDP is projected to increase by 3.3% this year, with the non-oil sector rising by 4.5%.

The non-oil private sector’s business activity grew as new order growth reached a four-year high in june.

From 55.5 in May to 56.9 in June, the seasonally adjusted S&P Global purchasing managers’ index reading increased. This was significantly higher than the neutral 50-point line separating growth from contraction.

Every one of the previous 31 survey periods has seen an improvement in the non-oil private sector’s health.

The government’s measures, such as residency permits for retirees and remote employees, have helped the country’s real estate market recover quickly from the downturn brought on by the coronavirus.

The expansion of the 10-year golden visa program, the financial benefits of Expo 2020 Dubai, and increased oil prices all contributed to the sector’s expansion.

Rise of the residential market
According to CBRE, average villa prices rose by 15.1%, while average apartment prices jumped by 17.2% during the course of the year in Dubai’s residential sector.

According to the report, the average price of an apartment in June was Dh1,294 per square foot, while the average price of a villa was Dh1,525 per square foot.

The survey revealed that while average villa prices are already 5.5% over this peak and some areas have long beyond 2014 levels, average apartment sales rates are still 13.1% behind the highs records of 2014.

The study stated that the number of transactions in the first half of the year was 57,738, which was the “highest total over this period on record” and represented a rise of 43.2% annually.

A total of 16,499 residential units were finished and delivered in the first two quarters of 2023, with Downtown Dubai, Dubai Creek Harbour, and Business Bay accounting for 44.6% of this current supply.

Although part of the stock may not be delivered as scheduled, an additional 45,380 units are anticipated to be finished by the end of this year, according to CBRE.

In contrast, rents were stable for the fifth month in a row in June as tenants decided to extend their current leases.

According to CBRE, average apartment and villa prices in Abu Dhabi’s residential market increased by 0.9% and 1.7%, respectively, year over year in the second quarter.

When only transactions from the second quarter were taken into account, the average price for an apartment was Dh14,873 and the average price for a villa was Dh11,232.

According to the research, the market saw 4,737 sales transactions in the first half of the year, a growth of 88.6% yearly, supported by a rise in off-plan market sales of 151.1% and a rise in secondary market sales of 10.5%.

At the halfway point of the year, 1,265 units have been finished in Abu Dhabi, with 65.8% of this supply going to Al Raha.

Over the final two quarters of the year, an additional 4,538 units are anticipated to be finished, with Al Maryah Island set to get 49% of this new supply. The average rent for apartments in Abu Dhabi grew modestly by 0.1% in the second quarter, while the average rent for villas increased by 1%.

According to registrations for rentals in the second quarter, the average rent for apartments was Dh66,259 and the average rent for villas was Dh166,248.

Tourism boom supports the hospitality industry

According to the survey, the reopening of the European travel market is now helping the UAE’s hospitality sector.

According to CBRE, travelers are being enticed to arrange a stopover in the nation, which is boosting demand and profitability during the traditionally slow summer season.

According to CBRE, the average hotel occupancy rate in the UAE improved by 4.1 percentage points in the year to June, while the average income per available room—a crucial indicator of the hotel industry’s performance—rose by 3.6% annually.

According to the report, the industry is anticipated to keep expanding throughout the year as a result of a number of significant upcoming events, including the Cop 28 summit, the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix, and the steady restoration of important supply markets that reopened after the pandemic.

According to CBRE, the nation’s commercial, industrial, and retail real estate sectors all saw growth in the first half of the year.

Travel & Explore

The strongest post-pandemic tourism recovery worldwide was seen in the Middle East.

head dubai August 30, 2023 No Comments

Despite ongoing global economic challenges, the Middle East’s tourism industry has experienced the strongest post-pandemic recovery worldwide, according to HSBC.

According to the bank’s latest Jet, set, go! research study, the area, which is home to the largest Arab economy in Saudi Arabia and the global commercial and leisure center of the UAE, is exceptional in that it saw a “total recovery” in terms of visitor arrivals in the first quarter of 2023.

In comparison to the same period last year, the number of visitors increased by 15% in the first three months of this year.

The Middle East’s tourism industry recovered to a much greater extent than Europe, which came in second place and saw 90% of global visitors.

Top international tourist destinations including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Turkey saw large increases in tourist spending.

“The Middle East region experienced the strongest growth in terms of rebound in tourism and is the first region in the world that has grown beyond pre-pandemic numbers,” said Maitreyi Das, an economist at HSBC Securities and Capital Markets who prepared the research.

According to the first quarter of 2023, “Qatar and Saudi Arabia are the best growing tourist destinations globally.”

One of the key pillars of Middle Eastern countries, particularly the six-member economic bloc of the GCC, that are attempting to diversify their economies away from oil is the development and expansion of the tourist sector.

In order to reach its goal of 100 million visitors annually by 2030, Saudi Arabia is investing billions of dollars in the growth of its tourism industry.

Asfar, the Saudi tourist Investment Company, was established in July to aid in the expansion of the travel and tourist industry by the kingdom’s sovereign fund, the Public Investment Fund.

According to a statement released at the time by the PIF, Asfar would invest in new tourism initiatives and create tourist hotspots around Saudi Arabia with hospitality, attractions, shopping, and food and beverage options.

The PIF-owned AlUla Development Company began operations earlier this year with the goal of making the city a popular travel destination on a worldwide scale.

A fully owned subsidiary of the PIF, Saudi Entertainment Ventures (Seven), said in November that it intended to invest 50 billion Saudi riyals ($13.3 billion) to build 21 integrated entertainment destinations across 14 Saudi cities.

The second-largest economy in the Arab world, the UAE, is making significant investments to grow its tourism industry.

The vice president and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, said in May that Dubai had the greatest visitor expenditure in the region, at Dh121 billion ($33 billion), up 70% from the previous year.

We have set a goal of welcoming 40 million visitors within the next seven years, and we want the tourism industry to contribute Dh450 billion more to our GDP than it does currently.

According to HSBC, the Middle East has the highest percentage of global GDP derived from tourism, at 5%, indicating that “the region may benefit from the ongoing recovery in the year ahead.”

It said, “Asia Pacific is second, with more than 4% of the region’s GDP coming from tourism.

Additionally, international tourism receipts increased to $1 trillion last year, up 50% from the level recorded in 2021.

Comparing each region’s recovery, Europe experienced the most dramatic improvement (87% of pre-pandemic levels), followed by Africa (75%), the Middle East (70%) and the Americas (68%).

“Asia destinations earned about 28% of pre-pandemic revenues last year due to prolonged border shutdowns, likely to be up sharply in 2023,” HSBC added.

Turkey ranked fourth globally among regional travel destinations last year, with tourism receipts exceeding (by 104%) those from before the pandemic.

The rate at which air traffic seat capacity has expanded is one of the elements determining how quickly the tourism industry recovers, according to the HSBC report.

According to perceptions, 40% of individuals believe that the Middle East has already seen a tourism revival, while 20% believe that this will happen by the end of 2023.

Travel & Explore

AviLease, a PIF-backed aircraft lessor, is on pace to more than triple growth to $20 billion by 2030.

head dubai August 30, 2023 No Comments

As the company tries to get “more exposure” to Emirates and flydubai airlines, bond sales and increased stock are anticipated to fuel company growth.
Through the issuance of dollar-denominated bonds and increased owner equity, AviLease, a plane lessor controlled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, is on course to more than triple its expansion to $20 billion by 2030.

According to AviLease’s CEO Edward O’Byrne, the sovereign wealth fund section intends to grow at a $3 billion per year rate, with bond issuances ranging from $1.5 billion to $2 billion.

According to Mr. O’Byrne in the interview on Wednesday, the Riyadh-based company anticipates receiving an investment-grade credit rating by the end of 2024.

“Over the next ten years, Saudi Arabia is expected to experience growth on a truly remarkable scale. We’re talking about more than doubling cargo volume and tripling passenger travel, he said.

We are considering allocating the additional equity that PIF has committed to the balance sheet over the course of the next seven years.

This week, AviLease announced that it would pay $3.6 billion to acquire Standard Chartered’s aviation finance division.

The Saudi firm will purchase a portfolio of 100 narrow-body planes and take on the role of service provider for an additional 22. 167 aircraft will be owned and operated by the merged platform.

After the acquisition is complete, the PIF-backed company will emerge with a balance sheet of $6 billion and 167 aircraft, with plans to grow to $20 billion and 300 aircraft by 2030, according to Mr. O’Byrne.

According to Mr. O’Byrne, AviLease will “have a lot of capacity” to purchase wide-body aircraft following the acquisition of the narrow-body jet portfolio.

new airline company To handle long-haul flights, Riyadh Air, which is also supported by the PIF, ordered 39 Boeing 787 wide-body aircraft with options for 33 more.

After beginning operations in early 2025, Riyadh Air is expanding its fleet of aircraft in order to reach 100 destinations by 2030.

In Saudi Arabia, wide-body expansion will continue, although daily bids on wide-body assets are made on the international market, according to Mr. O’Byrne.

According to him, AviLease is frequently in communication with operators in the area and aims to increase its customer base of airlines to 100 from the present 47.

We aim to develop the Middle East as an aviation center since we are friendly neighbors. We are aware of flydubai, and we want to learn more about it and Emirates, the man added.

AviLease, established in June 2022, is a PIF initiative to expand the aviation industry in the kingdom.

As part of its Vision 2030 economic diversification plan, Saudi Arabia wants to increase the number of tourists it receives and improve its aviation industry.

According to the Saudi Aviation Strategy, actions must be taken to increase the number of destinations from 99 to 250 and to triple the annual passenger volume to 330 million by 2030.

$100 billion in investments from the public and commercial sectors support this goal.

Technology

Google announces new features as it intensifies its work on generative AI

head dubai August 29, 2023 No Comments

The world’s largest technology company, Google, is strengthening its commitment to AI by implementing the most cutting-edge version of the technology on its user-centered platforms.

At its annual Cloud Next conference this week in San Francisco, Google, whose parent company Alphabet is the largest internet firm in the world, is introducing generative AI enhancements throughout its portfolio, including for Google Meet, Google Slides, and Google Chat.

The updates are “built for the future” and represent a “major evolution” for the company’s ecosystem, according to Kristina Behr, vice president of management of products for collaboration and apps at Google. The ecosystem is a collection of interconnected apps and services that range from the cloud and data centers to workspaces and its Android platform.

Because of our cloud-native design and extensive experience with AI, we were able to quickly apply the power of Google’s sophisticated large language models to workspace, according to the spokesperson. “We’re fundamentally redefining AI’s role as your collaborative companion across workspace,” she added.
The new Take Notes for Me function, which makes use of generative AI to serve as a meeting assistant and record notes, action items, and short video clips in real time, will put Duet AI “at the forefront of conversations and messages” on Google Workspace.

Duet AI is a generative AI-powered collaborator that was unveiled at the I/O conference in May and has features including the capacity to summarize text and produce graphics. First, it was incorporated into Google Cloud.

When a user fails to attend a meeting, Duet AI can represent them and send the user a document after the meeting.

Duet AI will assist users in creating speaker notes on Google Slides, the company’s presentation software, based on the information in each slide. Duet AI also supports real-time teleprompting and language translation.

Google has “significantly invested in chat in order to make it easier for groups to connect and collaborate anywhere,” according to Ms. Behr, and it now supports more than 300 language combinations. In contrast, Duet AI on Google Chat will operate as a “real-time partner” who can offer notifications, analysis, and proactive advice across a user’s Workspace apps.

Insights from a user’s Gmail and Google Drive accounts can also be requested from Duet AI, as well as a recap of recent chats. Google Chat spaces will soon accommodate 500,000 users.

When utilizing any of Google’s services, Ms. Behr added, protection is “kept intact and automatically applied” to maintain the confidentiality and privacy of user data.

Customers may be confident that their conversations with Duet will remain within of their organization and their current workspace because, as she stated, “protecting the privacy and confidentiality of customer data continue to be our top priority” as Duet AI is integrated into Workspace.

Businesses and corporations have long employed AI to improve workflow efficiency and optimize operations.

With the advent of generative AI, which gained notoriety through ChatGPT, the language model-based phenomenon created by Microsoft-backed OpenAI and capable of producing a variety of data types, including audio, code, photos, text, simulations, 3D objects, and videos, its popularity skyrocketed.

As a result, Microsoft and Google competed to release Bard first. Additionally, it spurred Apple to upgrade its Siri personal digital assistant and opened up a new front in the tech industry, with X CEO Elon Musk introducing xAI.

Following a spike in interest in 2019, investors invested more than $4.2 billion into generative AI start-ups through 215 deals in 2021 and 2022, according to latest data from CB Insights.

According to a report released this month by Goldman Sachs Economic Research, global AI investments are anticipated to reach $200 billion by 2025 and may have a greater effect on GDP.
“This is a moment of exciting change. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, earlier said, “We have the opportunity to make AI even more beneficial for people, for businesses, for communities, for everyone.

We have long used AI to make our products significantly more useful. We’re moving forward with generative AI.”

Additionally, Google revealed a partnership with General Motors to implement conversational AI in the US’s largest automaker’s millions of vehicles.

This came after Microsoft and Mercedes-Benz teamed together to test ChatGPT in the German luxury car manufacturer’s fleet in June, marking the first time the technology had been used in a vehicle.

In addition, Google has partnered with international consulting firms like Deloitte and Capgemini to train more than 150,000 individuals in AI. By 2025, they also hope to have tripled the amount of generative AI they can handle for Google Cloud.

Moody’s Investors Service, MSCI, Bayer, a German multinational, and Capcom, a Japanese video game developer, are a few other famous clients that Google has acquired. The Google Cloud Next conference is anticipated to feature additional announcements.

Technology

STC’s Tawal completes the $1.33 billion purchase of cellular towers from United Group in the Netherlands.

head dubai August 29, 2023 No Comments

The Saudi cellular Company has finished paying €1.22 billion ($1.33 billion) for the cellular tower assets owned by the Netherlands-based United Group.

In a statement sent on Sunday to the Tadawul stock exchange, where STC’s shares are traded, the business claimed that the deal, which was carried out through its infrastructure unit Tawal, was formally finished on August 24.

The deal’s financial effects will be revealed in the business’ third quarter earnings, which are anticipated to be announced on October 30, 2023.

Tawal’s portfolio will grow to more than 21,000 telecom towers across five nations as a result of the acquisition, which was first announced in April and represents the company’s first investment in Europe.

Tawal, which was introduced in April 2019, makes it possible for telecom providers, the government, and private organizations to increase infrastructure sharing, which ultimately contributes to cheaper costs and higher operational efficiencies.

United Group operates in eight different nations and employs over 14,500 people. It has about 11 million users.
On Sunday, Tawal announced that it had borrowed a total of $1.42 billion from Sharia-compliant banks to finance the cash portion of the transaction.

In line with the kingdom’s aim for digital transformation, iot squared, a joint venture among STC and the Public Investment Fund, signed a legally binding deal last week to purchase 100% of technology startup Machinestalk, which specializes in the Internet of Things.

The Riyadh-based Machinestalk’s field services capabilities, technology, unique IoT platforms, internal development capabilities, local and international partner, and client relationships would offer value for iot Squared, according to a report at the time by the Saudi Press Agency.

In order to accelerate digital transformation and get ready for the future economy, Saudi Arabia earlier this year promised more than $9 billion in investments in the country’s technology sector.

According to Abdullah Alswaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, the investments are spearheaded by a $2.1 billion promise from Microsoft, which will develop a super-scaler cloud in the kingdom.

They also include $400 million from China’s Huawei to improve Saudi Arabia’s cloud infrastructure as well as Oracle’s promises to contribute $1.5 billion to increase the nation’s cloud computing capacity.

Technology

In honor of Middle Eastern science pioneers, Samsung introduces the Astro watch.

head dubai August 29, 2023 No Comments

A limited edition of Samsung Gulf Electronics’ most recent wristwatch has been released in honor of the Middle East’s significant historical contributions to astronomy, science, and timekeeping.

The 47mm Galaxy Watch6 Astro Edition was unveiled in Dubai by T.M. Roh, president and head of Samsung’s mobile experience division.

It boasts a rotating bezel with an astronomy-inspired pattern and a dial that shows the phases of the moon and sun.

It will be made available by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, and Turkey.

Al Battani, who was recognized as the best astronomer during the Islamic era, and Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim Al Fazari, an astronomer and mathematician who is credited with developing the first astrolabe in the Muslim world, were among those honored by the Astro Edition.

The Galaxy Z Fold5 and Flip5 as well as the Watch6 series, which includes the basic model and Classic, were unveiled by Samsung during the company’s first-ever Unpacked event last month in Seoul.

The firm did not disclose the quantity of Astro Edition watches in stock, but Fadi Abu Shamat, head of Samsung Gulf’s mobile experience division, told The National ahead of the debut that the company is “confident that it will sell out in the first week of its launch”.

He claimed: “Samsung has a special spot in its soul for the Middle East as an area of dynamic innovation & tech-savvy enthusiasts.”

The launch of the Astro Edition here demonstrates our commitment to providing unique solutions that respect the area’s rich history and cater to the interests and requirements of the Gulf markets.

It is also the first in a series of Middle Eastern-specific limited-edition collections, though neither the release date nor the names of the “innovators and pioneers” Samsung Gulf plans to recognize for the following collection were provided.

According to Mr. Abu Shamat, Samsung is dedicated to offering locally relevant goods that enhance user experience. Samsung is committed to encouraging today’s innovators while recognizing Middle Eastern pioneers.

As smartwatches evolved into smartphone accessories and tools for users to track particular health metrics—the most advanced of which includes heart rate, blood oxygenation, and EKG—their popularity grew.

However, the market continued to shrink in the first quarter of 2023, posting a “slight” drop on an annual basis, based on the most recent data from Counterpoint Research.

In the first three months of this year, Samsung had a 9% market share, maintaining its position as the second-best smartwatch brand internationally. The Hong Kong-based research company did point out that it is currently almost tied with Fire Boltt from India.

Apple continues to have a commanding lead with over a third of the market thanks to its popular Watch series.

According to Samsung, enhanced health tracking features in the Galaxy Watch6 series, complemented by the Astro Edition, are anticipated to improve consumer interest and drive sales in the future.
Mr. Abu Shamat stated, “We believe its unique characteristics will not only bring in prospective consumers but also entice current consumers to explore our wider selection of smartwatches in addition to the wider Galaxy ecosystem.”

In addition, Samsung Gulf revealed a unique “Whimsical Midsummer Collection” bundle for the Galaxy Z Flip5 that features works of art by Lebanese artist Nourie Flayhan, who resides and creates her art in the United Arab Emirates.

The clamshell-style Flip5’s cover screen has almost doubled to 3.4 inches, which is a significant increase.

Food & Beverages

Feels by the Beach Introduces New Menu Items in Honor of Dolphee, Its New Mascot

head dubai August 28, 2023 No Comments

Feels by the Beach, Dubai’s first neighborhood juice bar and kitchen, expands its menu with a new specialty beverage and soft serve ice cream. in honor of its brand-new Dolphee mascot for Dubai. Feels continues to produce delicious foods that are entirely natural and healthy and are designed to be reviving, perfectly suited to battle the heat and heighten enjoyment of summertime moments. Using the best components to inspire creativity

The Dolphee Cooler, a reviving lemonade slush sweetened with agave, and The Dolphee Softie, a dairy-free coconut mango delicacy served in a vegan waffle cone and topped with dairy-free chocolate, are two enticing menu innovations that Feels is happy to offer. These additions both exemplify Feels’ dedication to clean eating and reflect its deeply ingrained clean eating attitude.

The dairy-free Dolphee Softie is a soft serve ice cream that combines coconut and mango for a decadently creamy texture that is perfect for people who are lactose intolerant and those who want dairy alternatives. The Dolphee Softie is a fun way to mix smart choices with good fats. It is chock full of coconut’s health benefits and has dairy-free chocolate on top. The colorful mangos added to the softie are rich in immune-strengthening vitamin C, giving it a refreshing twist that supports healthy, glowing skin.

The Dolphee Cooler proves to be a revitalizing hydration champion, not to be outdone. This lemonade slush, designed as the ideal post-workout beverage, helps restore electrolytes lost during physical activity. Because agave nectar is used to sweeten it, it has a lower glycemic index compared to traditional sugars.

This makes it a wise choice for individuals who want to indulge in natural sweetness while controlling their blood sugar levels. The Dolphee Cooler, a tasty citrus powerhouse, offers a shot of vitamin C, which is recognized for promoting collagen formation to promote healthy skin and joints for renewal and invigoration.

Feels’ dedication to providing an experience that celebrates both health-conscious choices and the simple pleasures of life by the beach is demonstrated by the addition of speciality drinks and soft serve ice cream, all of which were expertly crafted.

Food & Beverages

The world is being overrun by chickens.

head dubai August 28, 2023 No Comments

85 billion hens are used to explain the world meat prediction.
Since the modern chicken business was founded a century ago, chicken has surpassed beef and pork as the most consumed meat worldwide. That trend is anticipated to quickly accelerate in the coming decade, according to a report released last month by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and it will have significant effects on climate change, animal welfare, and economic development.

The analysis estimates that by 2032, the astonishing 74 billion hens raised and slaughtered annually by humanity would climb to 85 billion, a 15% increase. In contrast, the quantity of pigs and beef cattle raised for meat will rise to 365 million and 1.5 billion by 2032.

Only 16 percent of the world’s population and 33 percent of its meat consumption are found in high-income countries. In contrast, meat consumption is rising quickly in middle-income regions like much of Asia and Latin America while remaining stagnant in high-income nations and predicted to fall in Europe over the next ten years.

Put it down to what economists refer to as Bennett’s Law, which states that when people rise out of poverty, they tend to go from diets that are primarily plant-based and low in emissions but rich in grains and starches to diets that are more diverse and high in emissions but high in meat and dairy as well as fruits and vegetables. The number of chickens in the globe is predicted to increase to unimaginable levels as hundreds of millions more individuals join the global middle class.

Why chicken is so popular worldwide

Simple economics can partially account for the global switch from red to white meat: Compared to pigs and cattle, chickens are substantially less expensive to keep because they convert feed more effectively into meat. People are turning to less expensive meats due to inflation and the stagnation of global wages.

Governments, as well as consumers, are considering environmental and public health issues. Although the production of chicken and fish is extremely harmful to the environment, it leaves a significantly less carbon footprint than that of red meat, which is why people generally believe that they are healthier than pork and beef.

It all adds up to a world where chickens rule; for every person on Earth, more than nine are killed annually. Due to their small size, 100 chickens are required to produce the same amount of meat as one cow.

Some archaeologists think that because we consume so much chicken, the bones of our present era will be defined by it.
Future civilizations will be able to learn about our ingenuity in controlling nature to create ever-increasing amounts of meat, our inability to eat it within the limits of the planet, and our callous disregard for the welfare of animals from the trillions of chicken bones we’ll leave behind.

The treatment we gave the chicken
The US poultry business has created Frankenchickens out of chickens in an effort to increase the amount of meat on tables.

Chickens of today have been developed to grow enormously quickly and to a market weight that is five times larger than that of earlier breeds in just six to seven weeks. Animal activists have referred to chickens as “prisoners in their own bodies” as a result of a variety of health and welfare issues that have been caused.

What a meat-centric food system has taught us
It makes sense that governments of low- and middle-income nations would want to match Western levels of animal product consumption after witnessing high-income countries eat so much meat during the past 50 years. However, we already know what comes along with cheap, plentiful meat and dairy: massive deforestation, loss of biodiversity, chronic diseases of affluence, accelerated climate change, increased pandemic risk, and massive animal suffering.

If the OECD and FAO are correct, the industrial meat machine will continue to produce an ever-increasing amount of meat at the very time that climate experts are advising us to drastically reduce animal production in order to make the earth habitable.

Environmental, Indigenous, and animal protection organizations are fighting against the growth of industrial farming in the Global South. This conflict is arguably at its most fierce in Latin America, particularly in Brazil, where Indigenous land is forcibly taken for cattle grazing and animal feed planting, and Ecuador, where enormous pig and poultry farms have been supported by international organizations like the World Bank.

Only those living in low- and middle-income nations may choose the appropriate amount of intensification in meat production to combine their needs for a sufficient food supply with environmental, public health, and animal welfare issues. However, the 100-year experiment in American-style factory cultivation has turned out to be an ethical and environmental catastrophe that we are only now realizing. Hopefully, it is a lesson that the rest of the world can benefit from.

Food & Beverages

Day in the Life: Atlantis sells out of the 4,000 croissants the chef makes each day.

head dubai August 28, 2023 No Comments

Every day at the Dubai landmark, Christophe Devoille serves up tens of thousands of pastries, 300 bread rolls, and 500 cakes.
By putting you in the shoes of a UAE resident, “Day in the Life” lets you observe a regular day in their home and workplace.

Breakfast for 1,200 people might sound like a big undertaking, but Christophe Devoille finds it easy.

Before the hotel’s opening in February, the Frenchman, who developed his talents under the tutelage of renowned chef Alain Ducasse, assumed over as executive pastry chef.

Currently, Mr. Devoille is in charge of all bread and pastry production at Atlantis The Royal, a 24-hour operation that produces 4,000 croissants, 30 loaves of bread, 300 bread rolls, and 500 baguettes every day.

5.30 a.m.: A good start to the day

Mr. Devoille’s job involves a lot of dessert tasting, so working out regularly is essential for him to maintain a healthy weight.

When I’m not being lazy, I go to the gym around 5.30 in the morning, he claims.

“For me, 45 minutes is all needed to unwind and prepare for the arduous day that lies ahead.

“I can work till around 9 o’clock depending on the day, and exercise provides me energy.

I make an effort to limit my sugar intake, but it does happen occasionally.

7 a.m.: Atlantis’ most crucial meal of the day The 19 breakfast-serving restaurants at The Royal are constantly busy, and the culinary staff’s day begins early.

According to Mr. Devoille, who oversees the entire breakfast business, “I check all the pastries at 7am and make sure the team is prepared to go.”

“Everything is made from scratch, and my team of 42 bakes and prepares everything for the day ahead every morning for about six hours.”

Atlantis ensures a consistent supply To ensure that the kitchen is always staffed and that nothing is wasted when Mr. Devoille is in charge, the Royal bakers rotate shifts.

“We send the leftover bread and Danish pastries from breakfasts to the cafeteria for Atlantis staff, and all of the remaining croissants are utilized to make mini sandwiches,” the man claims.

You won’t ever be served stale cake at Atlantis since we always maintain the highest standards.

Let them eat cake at noon.
Mr. Devoille uses the downtime between breakfast and afternoon services to concentrate on his crafts, which is one of his nicer duties.

“We add one or two new items on Friday or Saturday because we want to ensure sure we are able to provide our guests something new every week,” he says. We have a lot of European fruit in the spring, including cherries and raspberries, and the menu always reflects what is there in season.

I might make a small adjustment to the recipe to increase sweetness or crispiness before our presentation and tasting session, he says.
“For me, there’s nothing like a delicious apple pie, but many of our guests prefer chocolate, in my opinion.

“You can’t go to the gym every morning and then eat nothing but cake,” the person said. “I’ll usually have something light for lunch, like a salad, after the cake tasting is over.”

3 PM: Planning is essential

Atlantis The Royal has a full calendar of events all year long, so the patisserie team always starts early on menu planning.

The development of a new shape, a new mold, and packaging for our Christmas cake was began in the spring, according to Mr. Devoille. It’s crucial to take your time, and it’s preferable to complete all of our projects in the summer when it’s more peaceful.

In addition to the holiday season, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and New Year’s preparations are all well under way, with mouthwatering goodies on the horizon.

I collaborate on the design and recipes with my sous chef and pastry chef, he claims. For the winter months, we have some extremely intriguing sweets prepared.

7 p.m.: Party time
Mr. Devoille frequently stays late into the night during event season to ensure everything goes without a hitch at various parties and banquets.

Time flies, he claims, “when you’re passionate about what you do.” I’m fortunate to enjoy my work, and the busiest times for the hotel are when guests are eating and mingling.

If I finish early enough, I might see a movie or meet up with friends, but most of the time it’s just a cup of tea and a romantic evening with my fiancée.