Author: atc

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The Event: Sharm el Sheikh

This year, Egypt welcomed delegations and stakeholders from across the world to the picturesque coastal town of Sharm El Sheikh for COP27. Its mission? To highlight the importance of the natural environment, and provide the attending dignitaries a glaring reminder of what’s at stake.

To date, the 2022 gathering was the second most attended COP summit of all time, leading Egypt’s president to proudly proclaim it as “a golden opportunity for all stakeholders to rise to the occasion and tackle effectively the global challenge of climate change.” As the first African nation to host the climate summit since Morocco in 2016, Egypt recognised the importance of building on the successes of previous assemblies, – to forge new opportunities and create lasting legacies.

The Experience: Across Egypt and Beyond

We wanted to play our part in ensuring that COP27 was more than an event, but an unforgettable experience for our attending partners. From humanitarian and philanthropic organisations to energy and global services, we supported C-suite staff and high-net worth individuals from multinational private sector backgrounds. Our local teams were on hand to provide bespoke, on-the-ground coordination, mitigating any risk, so our clients could focus on what mattered most – investment in the planet’s future.

Alongside our corporate partners, we collaborated closely with multiple international government entities and local municipalities. Creating a safe environment, so that attendees never had to limit their vision because of safety and security concerns. Working with our partners from when they landed, until they departed beyond Egypt’s borders, we provided:

• scheduling management
• secure transport
• security services
• airport security

Our role was to minimise risk, deal with vulnerabilities, protect travellers, and maintain our clients’ confidence in their safety and wellbeing.

But it wasn’t all business. At ATC, we recognise that objectives and outcomes aren’t always the most memorable parts of business travel, but it’s the sights, sounds, and cultural experiences that are.

To showcase the region’s highly biodiverse environment and historical wonders, we escorted delegates to some of Egypt’s most alluring tourist attractions. From the Pyramids of Giza to Mount Sinai and the Coptic Christian neighbourhood of Cairo, our specialised, local tour guides provided in-depth stories and fascinating knowledge. Our travel and security experts delivered logistics and scheduling support, secure transportation and risk management. The result? Rich and lasting memories.

Historic Outcomes: The Regional Impacts

In providing 360° event coordination, we enabled our partners to work uninterrupted and undisturbed. This allowed them to dedicate their full attention to the COP agenda, which resulted in one of the most impactful outcomes delivered since the summit’s inception. Once again, Egypt bore witness to a historic moment, adding further contribution to the future of humanity.

It was an honour for ATC and our sister company, ICE24, to be part of such a global collaboration and to play our small role in helping to support such a big outcome.

Our work at COP27 has incentivised people to prepare for next year. ATC and ICE24 are already planning event coordination for our growing network, so they can travel to the golden shores of the UAE, and attend COP28 in Dubai. If you’re looking to make a difference at next year’s event and are seeking support for your journey to the region – and beyond – please get in touch.

Technical Support

We are looking for technically skilled candidates with excellent interpersonal skills for the technical support position. Technical support officers troubleshoot technical issues, provide timely customer feedback, and support the roll-out of new applications, among other duties.

Moreover, technical support officers need to talk to customers directly in English and Arabic, as well as create written documentation, requiring excellent written and verbal communication.

Technical Support Responsibilities:

• Identifying hardware and software solutions.
• Troubleshooting technical issues.
• Diagnosing and repairing faults.
• Resolving network issues.
• Installing and configuring hardware and software.
• Speaking to customers to quickly get to the root of their problem.
• Providing timely and accurate customer feedback.
• Talking customers through a series of actions to resolve a problem.
• Following up with clients to ensure the problem is resolved.
• Replacing or repairing the necessary parts.
• Supporting the roll-out of new applications.
• Providing support in the form of procedural documentation.
• Managing multiple cases at one time.
• Testing and evaluating new technologies.
• Conducting electrical safety checks on equipment.
• Configuration of asset tracking devices

Technical Support Requirements:

• Degree in computer science or information technology.
• Certification in Microsoft, Linux, or Cisco is advantageous.
• Prior experience in tech support, desktop support, or a similar role.
• Proficiency in Windows/Linux/Mac OS.
• Experience with remote desktop applications and help desk software.
• Attention to detail and good problem-solving skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Good written and verbal communication in English and Arabic (Essential)

Please send your CV to [email protected]

Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia, June 1, 2022.

Michael J. Padilla Pagan Payano, and Al Thuraya Consultancy™ are pleased to announce that their acquisition of Diamond Consultancy, in the Czech Republic, Prague, has concluded successfully.

Striving to further develop a more human-centric security service, we are excited to announce the re-brand of Diamond Consultancy to ICE24. This acquisition provides a new, and truly 21st century approach to risk mitigation and management, utilizing the best and brightest from various security backgrounds. 

Situated in Central Europe, this provides significant opportunities to reach the region’s market space, and focus operations on helping European enterprises feel confident in their protection and safety. 

Now with five industry-leading companies, decades of experience, and a global footprint, ICE24 is able to provide innovative local and regional cultural intelligence, access, and market entry relationships to solve adverse and complex challenges anytime, anywhere.

Cross-cultural collaborators, fear fighters, and boundary breakers, we are ICE24.

As the world begins to tentatively reopen its borders after the pandemic, we’ve started to work with business travelers to help them navigate the new travel environment. 

Aware there are many fears, challenges and unknowns, we’ve put together this guide to help you and your teams prepare to tackle the new terrain with confidence.

Partnering with our sister company, ICE24, through our joint travel programme, ICETRAVEL360, we have identified four key business-traveler profiles to better understand different travelers and their main concerns.

Each profile is defined and positioned on the travel resilience scale using three key indicators: business sector, travel purpose and whether the trip is domestic or international.

These corporate-travel archetypes vary from company to company, and it’s definitely possible for all four to coexist within the same organization. That said, some of these profiles may feature more prominently in some companies and less in others.

So which profile are you?

1. The “never left” segment

This is the most resilient end of the scale where travel is deemed essential for conducting business. This profile resumed their trips as soon as lockdowns eased.

In 2019, the “never-left” segment accounted for nearly 15% of all corporate travel expenses. It includes managers in manufacturing companies with a wide distribution of factories and plants and field-operation workers. During the pandemic, even those who were reluctant to fly continued to travel, simply opting for rail and private cars instead.

2. The “fear of missing out” (FOMO) segment
   Accounting for 60% of business-travel expenditure in 2019, it’s this segment that is most likely to drive the rebound of corporate travel – fueled by a ‘fear of missing out’ from cultivating important client relationships. or losing opportunities to braver competitors.
   
   More agile small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) will no doubt increase corporate travel at much faster rates, as they are less subject to the heightened approval processes that large enterprises have to follow. We predict that this will trigger a domino effect where one company’s resumption of business trips will catalyze its rivals’ return to work-related travel.
   
   Faced with intense competition, different players in the company, including the leadership team, will coalesce to reinstate corporate travel at scale, in order to seize a first-mover advantage over competitors – not just for customers but for talent as well.

3. The “wait and see” segment

Finally, this segment consists of workers in relatively non-competitive industries and roles. In 2019, they contributed 5% of total business-travel spending.

These corporate travelers tend to come from the public sector, professional associations and nonprofits. During the pandemic, many professional associations were able to hold virtual events to replace in-person conferences and are likely to be more cautious in their return to travel.

4. The “never returning” segment

On the other end of the scale, these business travelers, who contributed to one-fifth of business travel spending in 2019, have now had their budgets slashed by their corporations. Or restrictions imposed in efforts to meet carbon neutrality targets.

However, many companies were forced to adopt digital practices while working remotely during the pandemic and whilst they were not necessarily able to maintain high levels of effectiveness, they are still unlikely to return to corporate travel any time soon.

Advances in online technologies have enhanced the oversight of outpost employees, but in doing so they’ve paved the way for corporate travel to decline even further. Lacking in  human-centered, relationship-building, face-to-face interaction – this hands-off approach will come at a cost.

Regardless of which category you’re in, at Al Thuraya Consultancy™ we’re working with customers to create tailor-made solutions for the new era of business travel. Our goal is to help businesses seize opportunity by developing and planning key timelines for resuming travel, updating travel policies and inputting new safety resources. Beyond this, we provide very personalized services for individual customers and their employees wherever business takes them.

Approaching the future of corporate travel in 4 steps  

To chart a safe and effective road map for future corporate travel, businesses will need to collaborate and seek the right partners to best facilitate their return. 

Key players who are part of the ecosystem, including travel risk management companies and travelers themselves, have already started to leave out traditional intermediaries such as corporate-travel planners, online travel agencies (OTAs) and global-distribution-system (GDS) providers – as they lack the ability to master four critical skills to make business travel a success: 

1. Leveraging real-time data
2. Planning with agility
3. Aiming for personalized comfort and safety
4. Communicating with clarity

Step 1: Leverage real-time data

Planning for the future can feel like flying through a fog of uncertainty, which makes it even more important for players to leverage real-time data to inform their decision making. Organizations need to invest in reliable data capabilities in order to identify and monitor the first signs of an acceleration in business travel.

This is where new and meaningful data is required: data which includes social risk; actual travel requirements in local and regional communities, and verifiable entry rules and cultural issues. 

Typical travel intermediaries are able to provide aggregate data for each industry, but they fall short in providing real and up-to-date local and regional information. Or indeed, real-time data regarding the health and well-being of travelers.

As corporate travel returns, companies like Al Thuraya Consultancy™ have the right resources to provide real-time data to match ever-shifting demands. The in-depth data we provide includes information on air carriers and hotels and is more agile, meaningful, acute and timely; resulting in smoother, safer and swifter travel.

Step 2: Embed agility into planning

It pays to have a detailed plan and strategy in place for different recovery scenarios. 

When demand picks up, many firms may find that they don’t have the time to pause and think through their strategies. 

When it comes to organizing business trips for employees, corporate-travel planners will need to take  four considerations into account:

• Firstly, what are the factors that determine whether corporate travel can take place? These could include local and regional infection levels, customer demand, risk and competitive actions.
• Secondly, what are the relevant data sources used to evaluate these factors? These could include public-health indicators, customer surveys, transportation and logistics providers to ensure smooth travel.
• Thirdly, what company policies are in place regarding business travel? What distance-based policies should staff adhere to? Should they use rental cars, rideshares, taxis, or flights? When should they wear masks or engage in group gatherings? 
• Finally, what information is needed by travelers 24/7/365? And how can they access it? Is it provided by real people who can help in real-time on the phone? 

Step 3: Personalize experiences based on safety and comfort

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Safety and comfort are crucial elements in the travel experience, and they can sometimes pull in opposite directions. 

More can be done to bridge this gap. 

Both employers and companies like Al Thuraya Consultancy™ have found ways to give passengers peace of mind and improve comfort and convenience. The guiding principle here is to give the traveler greater control over decisions that affect their sense of comfort and security.

Step 4: Communicate with clarity

Even the most seasoned travelers have to accept that traveling has changed. Masks have become ubiquitous and border restrictions, boarding procedures, and hygiene requirements seem to be ever changing. It’s critical that organizations clearly communicate what their corporate travel policies are at any given moment in time – and for every stage of the journey – from pre- to post-trip.

It helps for organizations to be extra proactive in communicating any type of change, whether regarding company-wide strategic policies or more granular details, such as the company’s preferred rideshare or car-rental options. 

When changes in operations are made, companies should take special care to ensure the availability of amenities. Leaders can play a prominent role in modeling how to travel in this new reality by clearly reiterating company policies. Travel help desks, and easily digestible infographics could all be used to help get the message across. 

Keep channels of communication open and allow employees to give feedback and raise concerns as and when they arise. Travelers will also go through an adjustment period as they resume their business trips. Leaders should communicate that it’s okay for them to take it slowly. 

In Summary

Some corporate travelers will find they have to adapt quickly to the many changes in business travel, while others will have the luxury of easing themselves in over a longer period. 

Unpredictability will continue to be a fact of life. But, the resumption of corporate travel will not only be possible but enduring if everyone plays their part in solving problems for people and organizations globally. This means adopting a human-centered approach with local and regional capabilities to build enduring relationships that provide secure, stable, and long-term predictable outcomes for all.

Al Thuraya Consultancy™ provides customized travel plans, meaningful data and human-centered solutions to help you and your teams move around the world with confidence.

Reach out to us on +357 22 000 405

althurayainc.com

On February 13, 2021, no one would imagine the sight that was witnessed on a small island called Cyprus, but it has been a long time coming! A slow-burning civil feud about the handling of the virus, the financial circumstances of the island, and the -always present- corruption, gave rise to a newly acknowledged Political Risk. After decades of domestic complacency around the world, more and more countries are seeing civil unrest -curbed by COVID restrictions- but present and growing.  Many analysts attribute this domestic unrest, conflicts, and disputes, a direct result of the pandemic.  However, in my view, this growing Political Risk is not the result of the Pandemic, but a deeper political, social, financial culmination of issues, that fermented under quarantine conditions. 

After years of seeing political risk in the west downplayed in all risk matrixes, the issues are back with a vengeance, begging for our understanding and resolution, before the divide threatens the feeble cohesion that financial and political stability fostered in the past decades.  The biggest crisis of western civilization, the all-encompassing Pandemic, did little to unite and a lot to divide societies, communities, countries, families. Businesses around the world are fighting for survival, industries are crumbling, and the world is shifting in ways that cannot be foreseen or predicted at this time.    

A combination of the COVID-19 pandemic, trade tensions, climate change, and a range of other factors means the probability that the performance of companies, markets, or economies will be impacted by political decisions, is higher than it’s ever been since WWII.  The bliss of separation between politics and business is subsiding quickly as the world is whirling around in unchartered critical territories.

In 2021 & 2022, the lingering symptoms of COVID-19 will threaten not just lives but political stability and the global economy. Countries around the world will struggle to meet ambitious vaccination timelines, and the pandemic will leave the globe plagued by high debt, unemployment, growing inequality, division, and mistrust.  No country can hope to come out of it unscathed and the full impact will not be fully grasped until years down the road. The prosperity we have known -even briefly- will most likely elude us and the next generation as well. 

Despite the grim prognosis, we should not forget that knowledge is power, and prevention is always better than the cure, therefore, we at ICESERVE24 and Al Thuraya Consultancy anticipate the following prominent political risks for 2021:

Geopolitics of COVID-19

Disentangling US-China interdependence

 European strategic autonomy

Neo-statism on the rise

Shifting climate policy agendas

Geopolitics of technology and data

US policy realignment

The tipping point for emerging market debt

Geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific

Another wave of social unrest

Geostrategic priorities to manage these risks.

So how should companies manage these political risks? ICESERVE24 in cooperation with Al Thuraya consultancy has been tracking risk for over two decades by anticipating the trajectory and impact of political and policy developments and how they affect social risk and risk to companies and Humans. And so, while the specific geostrategy considerations differ for each, there are five actions leaders should take to manage political risk in the year ahead:

Dynamically monitor your company’s political risk environment.

Include political risks as part of your company’s risk matrix register or other risk identification processes and then dynamically monitor them throughout the year. This will be especially important in 2021-22, given the high levels of political and policy uncertainty generated by COVID-19.

Assess how these political risks could affect your company.

Model the impact of potential political risk events across key business functions, such as revenue, supply chain, data, and intellectual property. And the geopolitics of technology and data also warrants close assessment, as some executives may be unaware of how widespread the impact of this risk could be on their business, what is happening around you on a policy and political level and how is this meant to affect you?

Incorporate political risk analysis into strategic decisions.

Use predictive scenario analysis about political risks to capture the uncertainty associated with their trajectory in the coming years and inform strategic decisions — including market entry and exit, M&A, and other transactions. This is particularly important in the current environment, in which COVID-19 is acting as a great accelerator for geopolitical trends. For instance, how geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific and the EU’s pursuit of strategic autonomy play out in 2021 is likely to affect the global business environment for years to come.

Communicate and coordinate political risk management across the company.

Something we have noted below is that all too often political risk identification, assessment, and management are compartmentalized within various business functions. Companies should leverage the cross-functional teams and lessons learned from COVID-19 crisis management to enable better communication on the political risks stemming from the pandemic. Such coordination should also help foster greater agility and flexibility in company operations — another capability sharpened by the pandemic.

Leverage stakeholder relationships to manage political risk.

A big topic, which our TIMS analysis has uncovered is that public opinion and political intervention will continue to target companies on a variety of issues, as we can see this in the US with companies like Amazon. But your company’s relationships with policymakers, employees, customers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community groups, and other stakeholders can be leveraged to manage political risks — often turning potential challenges into opportunities. This is particularly true for shifting climate policies, neo-statism shaping domestic economies, and the rise in social unrest in a variety of markets. Companies should proactively engage stakeholders on these issues.

And if the above sounds too technical and complicated, just remember a valuable life lesson that can be successfully applied to business too: “Keep your feet on the ground, and your eyes on the stars”.  There is no crisis without opportunity, no problem without a solution, no future without hope… when you need us, we are there to help you pave the way!

In just one year… between Al Thuraya Consultancy™ and ICESERVE24™ customers, we have monitored over 82 thousand trips – nearly 60% of them to frontier destinations. ICESERVE24 ABI teams have reported more than 50,000 incidents and dispatched almost 3 million alerts to our customers and their travelers. And we have managed over 800 secure journeys for on-the-ground travelers and performed emergency security operations for more than one hundred incidents and COVID-related repatriation operations. Today, the world is increasingly unpredictable, creating more insecurity for anyone doing business internationally.

Al Thuraya Consultancy delivers customized business resilience solutions giving you the actionable insight you need to ensure your operations can survive and thrive in an uncertain world.

Combining ICESERVE24 live and actual human analyst uncovering sentiments and narratives to our unparalleled international and local experience and direct on-the-ground assistance, to support you the customer.

Al Thuraya Consultancy™ and ICESERVE24™ customers can embrace the unfamiliar with confidence and continuing to conduct business with confidence because we know how to cross borders to keep travelers moving safely