Thursday 17 July 2014

Travel has never been more comfortable

Globalisation has bad consequences, we know but the beauty of international brands like Starbucks is that if I miss my acutely required coffee in Prague, I can pick one up in Moscow, use the free wifi, have my coffee custom made according to my requirements, served in English by a staff member with a beaming smile. As creatures of habit, travel has never been more comfortable!

 

Friday 11 July 2014

Niki Cutts: Are there renewable energy opportunities in Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia - is the home of oil, where millions of barrels of oil are pumped from the ground every day and the nation is a pivotal player in OPEC. Despite this, Saudi Arabia is set to be a net imported of oil in 12 years. A population explosion had led to oil consumption rocketing.

Even with its vast oil supplies, it is forecast that Saudi Arabia will start importing energy in the not too distant future. Renewable energy is therefore expected to become an important part of energy production in the future. This will present interesting opportunities for foreign companies already active in this market.

Niki Cutts is the Managing Director of CastleWard.


Oil & Gas Conference for CIS countries: Niki Cutts - my Dubai experience


Attending an oil and gas conference for CIS countries in Dubai, I had a great experience. When I initially visited Dubai in 2011 on a business trip, I thought it would be like Vegas, a place I have always avoided - a fake city. But Dubai is an international place where the sun beats down on you and the buildings are tall and shiny, quite mesmerising for someone who lives in one of Europe's cities know for it's beautiful historical buildings, Prague.

Despite hundreds of delegates attended the conference, there were only 10 women. This was a disappointment, so few women working in senior positions in the oil & gas sector.

My photos reflect that I spent my time with great people; some of these have since become my friends. I have also learnt that I may have won a new contract from a delegate who attended the conference, so I am happy with the relatively large investment I made in the conference.

My granddad used to tell me: look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves. But sometimes, one has to take the plunge - invest in conferences, business trip and new business ideas to advance. Hopefully, I will see new money in the company's bank account due to this trip!

Niki Cutts is the Managing Director of CastleWard