Gulf Related: A powerful joint venture with a bold vision

Gulf Related is the latest in a growing line of impressive companies rising in the Middle East combining financial acumen and real estate wizardry. Long associated with oil wealth, the region is now producing companies in areas as diverse as technology, education, renewable energy and development. Into that last category comes Gulf-Related, a real estate company based in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE.

Successful collaboration could be said to be the unifying link between all successful projects. In a recent interview with Kevin Ryan, COO for developer Gulf Central, he was keen to stress the role of Brookfield Multiplex in the Al Maryah Central project in Abu Dhabi. Notably, Mr. Ryan commented how long Gulf Related spent looking for a partner before deciding Brookfield Multiplex was ideal.

Jaguar Land Rover's flagship Solihull plant began a two week shutdown today (Monday 22nd).

Christian Stadler, professor of strategy at Warwick Business School, said:

"JLR is one of many UK car manufacturers heading into troubled waters.

"This shutdown is a short term measure, but the company has already laid off 1,000 jobs across the Midlands this year and more cuts will follow if things don't get better with Brexit and China.

"That will be the biggest worry hanging over the workers and unions during the next fortnight.

Canada’s abundant mineral resources have led to an economic surge over the past decade, with shale oil occupying most of the newspaper columns. However, its coal resources - coming to the fore again after recent legislation changes in the neighboring US - are also enormous. By some estimates, the Peace River and Kootenay coalfields alone are estimated to hold more than two billion tonnes of coal.

The Alentejo district of Portugal is sometimes referred to as the ‘bread basket’ of Portugal thanks to its rich food reserves. However, ever since Swedish firm Lundin Mining acquired the Neves-Corvo mine back in 2006 as part of its merger with EuroZinc mining, the region’s land has become famous internationally outside the traditional areas of agriculture and cork.

After almost 10 years of austerity, thankfully it appears that Greece is coming out of some of the most turbulent times in its modern history. In August 2018, its third and final bailout program came to a finish, signaling to everyone not just the resilience of the Greek people, but also testifying to the huge sacrifices made by the country over the course of the last decade.

A recent Forrester surveyof 433 procurement, supply chain, and finance leaders found that more than half (55 percent) plan to invest in Artificial Intelligence within the next two years. However, 59 percent voiced concerns about poor data quality limiting the effectiveness of A.I. insights and decision-making. There’s clearly a lot of work ahead, but the obstacles are far from insurmountable.

Here are four areas where A.I. could transform supply chains.

When most people think of a tropical island paradise, more often than not, the Bahamas is the location which springs to mind. The stunning shoreline of this island nation has been enchanting many of the world’s most high-profile individuals for decades. Famous Bahamas homeowners include Mariah Carey, Johnny Depp and even Bill Gates.

Depending on which version of history is to be believed, the small Central American republic of Panama takes its name from a word meaning ‘an abundance of fish,’ or ‘an abundance of trees.’ Whichever version is taken, what’s clear is that Panama from the earliest times has been a country rich in natural resources.

Chile’s huge mining industry has taken flight over the past 40 years, creating thousands of skilled jobs and huge export markets and generating one of the world’s economic success stories in the process. Currently, the country’s mining industry employs close to a quarter of a million people and Chile ranks as the number one copper miner in the world.