Zanzibar has announced plans to construct Zanzibar Domino Commercial Tower, the largest hotel in East and Central Africa, and also the second tallest skyscraper in Africa behind Iconic Tower in Egypt.
A contract was inked between New York and Dubai-based architect xCassia and a joint venture of Tanzania’s AICL Group and Edinburgh Crowland Management Ltd that will see the latter come up with architectural designs for the project.
The project which is set to cost US $1.3bn will be a 70-storey building, and is expected to be an iconic feature that will facilitate tourism and culture and offer business opportunities. According to Zanzibar’s Minister of State in the President’s Office (Economy and Investment), Mr Mudrik Ramadhan Soraga, the project was a big step towards building the isles’ blue economy.
Investment philosophy
“Zanzibar Domino is a unique project in line with our investment philosophy of providing investors with superior returns through exceptional schemes as well as strategic socio-economic projects that leverage prosperity, people, and the planet. Its implementation supports the government’s efforts in inviting more local and foreign investors to the isles,” said Mr Soraga.
Zanzibar Domino Commercial Tower will be a key tourist spot, offering visitors, residents, and businesses entertainment, culture, and conferencing services. The tower will consist of 560 apartments housed in two towering residences under the brand towards the hotel apartments, a five- and six-star hotel with a total of 360 keys, and other features such as spas and wedding chapels can be accessed separately by helicopter, boat or bridge. The amount to be invested in the project was approved in June by the Zanzibar House of Representatives.
Since the beginning of 2021, Kaspersky has detected more than 1,500 fraudulent global resources aimed at potential crypto investors or users who are interested in cryptocurrency mining.
During this period, the company also prevented more than 70,000 user attempts globally, to visit such sites.
The most common schemes used by cybercriminals included:
Creating fake cryptocurrency exchange websites: in this case, the user is allegedly given a coupon for replenishing an account on a crypto exchange. However, to use it they must carry out a verification payment of usually no more than 0.005 Bitcoin (about 200 US dollars), which becomes the cybercriminals’ profit.
Sending messages about fake sales of video cards and other equipment for mining: to purchase equipment, the user needs to make an advance payment. After providing it, the author of the ads stops communicating.
Creating phishing pages with various content to steal private keys, which allow cybercriminals to gain access to all digital assets associated with a crypto wallet.
Globally (bit.ly/2WKLcfW), cryptocurrency mining malware wreaked havoc in 2018, infecting more than five million people in the first three quarters of that year. And Kaspersky’s research shows that in some African countries, the threat of malicious crypto miners, remains prevalent. Currently in South Africa, the share of all users targeted by malicious crypto miners in H1 2021 was 0.60%. In Kenya, the share of all users targeted was 0.85% and in Nigeria, 0.71%.
“Although these percentages may be interpreted as low and may not seem significant to users, crypto-miner malware has been identified as one of the top 3 malware families rife in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria at present, which we believe emphasises that as cryptocurrency continues to gain momentum, more users will likely be targeted,” says Bethwel Opil, Enterprise Sales Manager at Kaspersky in Africa.
In certain African countries, the share of all users targeted by malicious crypto miners is much higher: Ethiopia shows a share of 3.68% and Rwanda a share of 3.22%.
When looking at the fraudulent global resources detected by Kaspersky, typically, cybercriminals locate sites in popular domain zones: .com, .net, .org, .info, as well as in zones where domain acquisition is cheap: .site, .xyz, .online, .top, .club, .live. A distinctive feature of phishing and other types of cryptocurrency fraud is the high level of detail on phishing websites. For example, on fake crypto exchanges, real data, such as bitcoin rates, is often loaded from existing exchanges. Attackers understand that people who are investing or are interested in this area are often more tech-savvy than the average user. Therefore, the cybercrooks make their techniques more complex in order to get data and money from these people.
“Lately, many have become interested in cryptocurrencies, and attackers would not pass up the opportunity to use this to their advantage. At the same time, both those who want to invest or mine cryptocurrency and simply the holders of such funds can find themselves on the fraudsters’ radar.
For example, one of the schemes we recently discovered went as follows: users received a message about the sale of an exclusive Coronavirus vaccine earlier than official schedules and only for those who have Bitcoins. This type of fraud was especially prevalent when the vaccines just became available.
The user went to the site where the contact indicated, to which it was necessary to write to pre-order the vaccine. The target then needed to make an advance payment in Bitcoins, with the money going to the cybercriminals’ account and the person receiving nothing in return,” said Alexey Marchenko, head of the Content Filtering Methods Development department at Kaspersky.
To avoid becoming a victim of cybercriminals and the threat of malicious crypto miners, Kaspersky recommends that users:
Do not follow dubious links from letters, messages in messenger apps and social networks.
Be critical of extremely generous online offers.
Download applications from official stores only.
Use a security solution that protects against phishing, scams, and prevents the installation of malicious applications.
Take extra precautions before purchasing a product in an online store if the company is unknown. It is better to study on special WHOIS-sites information first about how long the domain has existed and who its owner is: if it is completely fresh and registered to a private person, you should not purchase from them.
The Federal Government has announced the inauguration of a 12-member Inter-Ministerial Committee for the 2021 Independence Day Celebration, to plan, organize and execute all approved activities for Nigeria’s 61st Anniversary on October 1st, 2021.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Committee and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha after he inaugurated the Inter-Ministerial Committee in his office on Wednesday and urged the Committee to articulate specific details of the 61st Anniversary celebration and come up with an appropriate theme for it.
What the SGF said
Mustapha said, “As we prepare to articulate specific details of the 61st Anniversary celebration, it is also important that we come up with an appropriate theme that would speak not only to the present situation in the country but most importantly, the positive trajectory that we are all working towards for the greater benefit of all Nigerians.”
He added that the 60th Independence Anniversary was premised on a one-year celebration that spread over the period to end by September 30th, 2021, and revealed that the committee would be implementing some of the activities designed by the sub-committee which included an award night, church service, Jumma’at prayers and National Broadcast and Independence Day Parade.
The 12-member Inter-Ministerial Committee for the year 2021 Independence Day celebration includes:
Secretary to the Government of the Federation- Chairman
Minister of Information and Culture- Member
Minister of Interior- Member
Minister of FCT- Member
Minister of Investments, Trade and Industry- Member
Minister of Health- Member
Permanent Secretary, Political and Economic Affairs Office Member/ Secretary
Permanent Secretary, General Services Office – Member (Liaison with Ecumenical Centre)
Permanent Secretary, State House- Member (Liaison with Abuja National Mosque and House Security)- Member
Inspector-General of Police (IGP)- Member
Director-General, Department of State Service – Member
The Director-General of Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu has been appointed by the World Health Organisation as the new Assistant Director-General of Health Emergency Intelligence.
This was disclosed in a statement by WHO Chief, Tedros Ghebreyesus on Wednesday morning as Ihekweazu is expected to resume his role on the 1st of November.
“I am pleased to welcome Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu as an Assistant Director-General for Health Emergency Intelligence from November 1, 2021.
“He will lead the work on strengthening pandemic and epidemic intelligence globally, including heading the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin,” Ghebreyesus said.
WHO added that the Nigerian will be in charge of strengthening pandemic and epidemic intelligence globally, including heading the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin.
WHO also added that Ihekweazu is a trained infectious disease epidemiologist, and has over 20 years of experience working in senior public health and leadership positions in several National Public Health Institutes, including the South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases, the United Kingdom’s Health Protection Agency, and Germany’s Robert Koch Institute.
The news of his appointment was met with praise on Social Media as former CBN assistant Governor and Presidential candidate, Kingsley Moghalu said “It’s a very well deserved appointment, proud of Chikwe, who handled Nigeria’s Covid response brilliantly.”
Is there a world in which your next trip to the grocery store involves a flying car? “Advanced air mobility is the next revolution in aerospace,” says Robin Riedel, a McKinsey partner, and certified commercial airline pilot. “But it’s not going to be like you see in the movies.”
Advanced air mobility refers to an emerging industry comprising around 250 companies that are seeking to build electric flying vehicles—think cleaner, quieter, helicopters—as well as the infrastructure to use them in cities around the world.
We recently caught up with Robin and McKinsey partner Shivika Sahdev, both of whom are helping lead our work in this field, to hear more about how we’re partnering with clients on this topic, what to expect in the coming years, and whether or not a sci-fi future is on our horizon.
Flying cars have always seemed to be something just over the horizon—why are we suddenly making so much progress right now?
Robin: There’s been a convergence of several trends in recent years. First, on-demand services have changed the way we think about mobility. Second, there’s a focus on sustainability, which these vehicles support. Third, there’s a lot of funding available—investors who want to be a part of the next big thing. And lastly, the technology is finally there to do this at scale.
Flying Cars Finally Ready To Take Off?-Brand Spur Nigeria
Shivika: Totally agreed, but the fundamental one for me is really battery technology. We are finally reaching the density and affordability of batteries where the physics and economics of powering one of these vehicles starts making sense.
Talk to us about the sustainability aspect involved.
Shivika: Transportation is a huge part of our carbon footprint. Unless we do something about the entire transport network, we’re not going to solve climate change. So there’s a lot of enthusiasm around electrifying the way we move around. These vehicles are a lot more sustainable an option than, for example, the helicopters they could replace.
Robin: The sustainability piece isn’t that these are going to replace all cars, or even a significant amount of public transportation. It will almost always be more sustainable to take an electric bus or train; those modes of transport carry more people per trip. But for certain kinds of trips, advanced air mobility vehicles can really help cut down on emissions.
What kinds of trips do you think will be common before the end of this decade?
Robin: There will likely be use cases within cities: flying from downtown London to Heathrow airport, or from Manhattan to J.F.K. But it might be harder to replace taxis or other public transport to go a handful of blocks uptown or downtown. Not soon, at least.
Shivika: Regional trips might be another one, going from one city to the next. A business traveler going from New York City to Washington, D.C. could pay a premium for taking one of these vehicles instead of the train or a plane. A lot depends on the purpose of the trip.
Robin: Initially, it will be a relatively expensive way to get around. Think about a helicopter service; it might make sense for a business traveler who needs to get somewhere quickly. But for the average consumer, it won’t.
Accessibility is an important aspect of this to solve. It can’t just be for business travelers going to the airport.
Describe what the passenger experience will look like.
Robin: Somewhere in between today’s ride-hailing and airline travel. For some operators, customers will have the aircraft to themselves while for others, they might share the ride with others.
The vehicles will be relatively small compared to today’s airlines with one to seven passenger seats, depending on the manufacturer. The inside will feel similar to cars—think comfortable seats and seat belts, climate conditioning, and windows to observe the scenery.
Most operators plan to have pilots operate the aircraft in the initial years. Given the relatively short flights, the aircraft won’t have galleys, flight attendants or washrooms. To board the aircraft, travelers will use dedicated vertiports, which may be on top of higher buildings and require an elevator to get to or ground level like a large parking lot.
What are some challenges that stand between the present and widespread use?
Shivika: Infrastructure is a big one. The initial use cases will have to take advantage of existing infrastructure, such as helipads and airports—that’s why airport transfers will likely be one of the first real use cases. You also need electrical infrastructure, as these machines will need a lot of energy at really high power levels. Obviously, that electricity will need to come from renewable sources if this is going to be sustainable.
Robin: There are still a lot of challenges to overcome. A ton of skilled labor will ultimately be required to bring this vision to life. But the two biggest challenges in my mind are public acceptance and getting the right regulatory systems in place. And those two things are related.
Can you elaborate on that connection?
Robin: Advanced air mobility is a lot cleaner and quieter than helicopters, but they still make noise. People worry about that. They also worry, of course, about safety. Accidents might be much rarer than with automobiles, but they will garner more attention. Getting the right public inputs, and the right regulation in place, will help ensure that the technology has public confidence and buy-in.
Shivika: I see four big buckets of things regulators can consider. The primary one is safety. Then, on the technical side, regulators need to physically certify the aircraft itself. Examine every part, test them under different scenarios, and so on. Next is training for pilots—there will need to be certification there. And finally, there’s general operations; air travel has well-defined procedures for communications, connectivity, takeoff and landing, and setting routes. There will need to be some version of that for these vehicles.
I also just want to emphasize the community piece, as Robin mentioned. Regulators will need to make sure communities are involved in the decision-making and have their perspectives considered.
How are we working with clients on all of these issues?
Robin: We serve in a number of related spaces: aerospace and automotive incumbents, regulators, infrastructure players, startups, investors, supply chain, and more.
One big area is helping clients better understand the market size, market evolution, and timing. How big is the market, and how big can the market get? If it’s going to be a $500 billion market, by when? A lot of people want to know and adjust their business strategies accordingly. We’re working together with clients to design their organizations for growth, building digital platforms to manage aerial mobility, and setting up a complex supply chain and manufacturing process.
Shivika: Along with that, you want to understand the different opportunities along the value chain and in the associated business models. Essentially, if this is going to be a big market, where should stakeholders be looking to add value?
Robin: A final thing I want to mention is that we’re looking at this emerging field through a lens we call “holistic impact,” which is how McKinsey defines and measures the broader impact of our work across stakeholder groups. We’re asking ourselves, how are we not only finding value but also improving things for employees, communities, and the environment?
Most optimistically, where do you see advanced air mobility 10 years from now? Is there any sci-fi potential here, or is it going to be small steps for the time being?
Shivika: In 10 years, my most optimistic guess is that you’ll have hundreds of these flying in a given big city. But I don’t think it’s going to be a reasonable alternative to buses, cars, or rail in that time period. For regional travel and airport transfers, though, definitely.
Robin: Agreed. Boston to New York, Berlin to Hamburg, or Hong Kong to Guangzhou. Similar short-haul regional travel in other countries around the world—situations where you could save three or four hours—advanced air mobility might be a considered option. Again, I do think it will be primarily for business travelers and high-net-worth individuals in the beginning. But we hope to eventually help clients figure out how to scale to serve a much broader customer base.
Africa’s Property Technology (Proptech) sector is ramping up and is a key component of future strategies for local REITs, operators, and others looking to future proof their real estate businesses as well as VCs looking to invest in early-stage startups and opportunities according to the founder of the Africa Proptech Forum, Kfir Rusin.
“Covid-19 accelerated the growth of technology in real estate management on the continent with smart building and sustainable technology being the most broadly adopted innovations to date,” says Rusin.
Evidence of this ramp up and uptake in African real estate for Rusin includes: Spleet, a leading Nigerian Proptech start-up’s inclusion into the NYC-based Metaprop accelerator; increasing fund allocation to property technology by VC’s such as Kalon Ventures, Kepple Africa and others; expansion of Proptech into property curriculum studies by universities such as UCT; expansion of global tech leaders such as MRI Software across the African market; and the investment and development in tech-specific strategies and services from leading African real estate players such as Broll, Turner & Townsend, and ATTACQ.
Actively leveraging five decades of experience to drive development across the African continent and empower the sector with strong technology, MRI Software is one of the leading drivers of Proptech globally.
With over two million users worldwide and with over 70% of the South Africa’s REIT sector using its tech, MRI Software’s scale provides it with a platform to bring new technologies to market and drive adoption of new technologies such as AI-powered data acquisition tools and predictive analytics says Africa MD, Mark Fairweather.
“Predictive analytics is the next big leap that we want to take. Each company using solutions for planning and forecasting is doing things slightly differently, but there are also always things that remain consistent and repeatable regardless of circumstances – in areas of consistency like this, a lot of planning and analysis could be replaced by a predictive analytical engine powered by artificial intelligence,” says Fairweather.
Property Technology To Disrupt Africa’s Real Estate Sector – Analysts-Brand Spur Nigeria
As he looks forward to the future, he is energized about how Proptech is likely to fast track growth and help the sector to leapfrog over historical challenges in Africa and echoes Rusin’s views on where Proptech is driving change.
“It’s an exciting time to be in the world of PropTech, because it’s a time where we can all shape the future. The opportunity is here now to apply data and analytics, in ways that really matter. When looking to the future, we are able to define three mega-trends that we believe shape the future of real estate and PropTech.”
“The first is smart buildings and technologies, which is about buildings having sensors and data – but also about the technology becoming smarter with insights and artificial intelligence to help drive automation. Secondly, physical spaces will become more flexible and respond to the changing needs of people, which means business models and PropTech will also need to become nimbler. Thirdly, engaging resident, tenant and guest experiences matter more now than ever before, because people have much more choice now.”
From developing and driving technology adoptions to making sense of the data and spurring innovation that affects the bottom line is what drives Broll Cushman Wakefield’s Technology Lead, Jarrod Lewin.
Property Technology To Disrupt Africa’s Real Estate Sector – Analysts-Brand Spur Nigeria
According to Lewin, while the real estate sector increasingly values data as the new gold; the analysis and usability of the data is what will set apart industry leaders from their peers.
As Lewin says, “Market dynamics, even in a sector as slow to move as real estate is, are changing at an increasing rate, so there is tremendous value in being able to forecast, mark and adjust, to predicted market shifts.”
As he elaborates on Cushman Wakefield Broll’s current ability and future plans to unlock Africa’s new era with Proptech, Lewin reveals their secret sauce to driving the real estate sector forward.
“To encourage and harness the power of PropTech requires that we maintain two key lines of innovation, which may converge in the future. We have repositioned our team and are investing in: Seeking large efficiencies in our current business operations; as well as creating new ways of offering real estate services,” adds Lewin.
This important nuance has been critical to working in partnership with a sector, which has been slow to change, and required an approach based less on leaps, but refinement and augmentation of current service processes says Lewin.
This has resulted in Cushman Wakefield Broll investing and developing proprietary technology platforms, which are focused on two key service requirements: transaction administration and documentation, and payment processes.
As Lewin says, “Whilst not yet launched publicly, our team currently shares the ability to harness:
Automated Workflow and Transaction Administration – which significantly reduces the time spent administering transactions.
Automated and Roboticized Invoice Processing – which both reduces the time spent in loading, validating and making payments on behalf of our clients, but also provides for data gathering and analysis to inform our clients of market shifts or consumption habits.”
With more and funding being channeled into Proptech by global players and strategic investment into the African Proptech sector, this year’s Africa Proptech Forum Virtual Summit on 07 September (https://bit.ly/3yytsS3) is going to be its biggest yet concludes Rusin.
“We’ve seen so much innovation in the sector and importantly investors are now jumping in and looking for Africa’s next tech story and we believe this year’s event will showcase how Proptech is unlocking Africa’s new era.”
The construction sector consumes up to 40 % of energy and contributes up to 1/3 of the world’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.
The use of air conditioners and fans for thermal comfort accounts for around 20 % of the total electricity used in buildings in the world.
Among 35% of the world’s population living in countries with a climate considered hot (where the average daily temperature is >25 °C), only 10 % have an air conditioning unit.
Improved living standards, population growth, and the occurrence of heatwaves (due to global warming) are expected to drive huge cooling demand over the next decade. The number of installed air conditioners could increase by 2/3 by 2030 worldwide. Indeed, according to the first part of the 6th report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), increases in extreme heat events are likely to continue throughout the 21st century with further global warming over the African continent [3].
Energy demand for space cooling impacts electricity generation and distribution capacity, particularly during peak demand periods and extreme heat events, as well as CO2 emissions. CO2 emissions from living space cooling are correlated with energy needs and are growing rapidly, more than one gigaton between 1990 and 2019.
The figure shows the projections made by the International Energy Agency on energy consumption in buildings using a rapid energy transition scenario between 2017 and 2050 [1]. Measures related to the improvement of the building envelope, technological choices and equipment performance are the three most relevant mitigation, and adaptation levers to reduce the energy demand of buildings and consequently limit carbon dioxide emissions.
The sub-regional initiative: Buildings in urban, peri-urban and rural areas account for about 40% of total energy consumption in the member states of the West African Economic and Monetary Union.
The challenges of energy consumption and climate change have led to the establishment of policies and regulations. In 2020, the WAEMU Commission adopted Directives N° 0004/2020/CM/UEMOA and N° 0005/2020/CM/UEMOA through the Regional Energy Saving Program (RESP), a key component of the Regional Initiative for Sustainable Energy (RIESE). Directive N° 0004/2020/CM/UEMOA relates to the energy labeling of electric lamps and new household appliances and Directive N° 0005/2020/CM/ UEMOA sets energy efficiency measures in the construction of buildings.
These measures will have significant energy savings potential (20% or more) and are positioned at the heart of WAEMU’s energy access and environmental preservation policies. Implementation is underway at the state level through the transposition phases into national legislation. Burkina Faso is at the transposition stage of the directives into national laws before an implementation phase.
Context of Burkina Faso, The rate of urbanization, which was previously low, is increasing rapidly and the need for new buildings is high. In addition to this rapid urbanization, we can note the insufficiency of some local technologies to meet the socio-cultural needs, which has led to the adoption of building technologies without consideration of the energy and climate context.
The cooling demand is constantly increasing and is linked to growing urbanization (32% in 2018, expected to reach 35% by 2026), the developing real estate sector (7.5% per year) [4], increasing incomes, severity of the climate and improving electricity coverage. Compared to the 2011-2015 period, imports of air conditioning equipment increased by 26.5% for the 2016-2020 period, according to data from the Burkina Faso Customs Department.
The market is characterized by inefficient equipment and is mainly dominated by single-stage compressors non-ducted air conditioning units. Unlike other countries in the sub-region, the country does not have sufficient market regulation and control instruments to prevent imports of energy- using obsolete technologies such as refrigerants with high Global Warming Potential (GWP).
Urban spaces present two aspects when it comes to energy consumption. In some sections of society, incomes are quite high, and the energy consumption is high due to the use of energy-intensive equipment and unsuitable constructions. For the other parts, which constitute a large part of the population, consumption patterns are low.
In the area of buildings, this is evidenced by high energy consumption in public buildings and in the residences of the privileged classes for cooling. The lower income classes face thermal discomfort because the buildings run without air-conditioning systems.
The Government and development partners have recognized the need to prepare for and adapt to the impacts of climate change through the development of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the National Adaptation Plan. In the NDC, the need for energy efficient cooling is considered through the promotion of building envelope materials and energy-efficiency measures in both urban and rural housing.
It is in this context that the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in its missions to support Burkina Faso in accelerating the transition to green growth, in partnership with the Clean Cooling Collaborative, is active in the implementation of SHEECP ” Social Housing Energy Efficiency Cooling Project “. The overall objective is to reduce energy demand and improve energy efficiency in the housing sector. The main outcomes are the following:
Enhance regulatory environment supporting energy efficient cooling.
Enhance the implementation of the Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for air conditioning and ventilation equipment;
Update national housing and urban planning policies, codes, and texts to consider energy efficiency.
Strengthen the capacity to implement energy efficient cooling solutions in the building sector.
Bring together the actors of the construction sector on the theme of energy-efficient cooling in a formal framework in the form of a community of practice;
Organize awareness sessions on improving the energy performance of buildings;
Develop training programs on building energy efficiency;
Integrate cooling solutions and bioclimatic approach in public housing programs in Burkina Faso.
Increase the demand for efficient cooling solutions in the residential sector.
Conduct nationwide awareness campaigns on passive housing cooling;
Increase the access to financial solutions for energy efficiency projects in the building sector.
GGGI will work closely with the Government of Burkina Faso and local partners to reduce energy demand and improve energy efficiency in the housing sector. Through this three-year project, GGGI will help the government to reduce GHG emissions from the building sector by increasing access to residential cooling solutions.
As a reminder, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is an Intergovernmental Organization and Burkina Faso has joined as a member state. The headquarter is based in Seoul, South Korea, and supports the Member States in accelerating their transition to green growth. The development of green cities, including the promotion of green buildings, is one of the four pillars of its interventions in its Member States.
Canon, an Official Provider of Expo 2020 Dubai and the first company ever to be the single provider of imaging and printing for a World Expo, has launched a special series of its monthly online Frontiers of Innovation broadcasts to celebrate the partnership.
Canon Middle East launched the Frontiers of Innovation series five years ago, bringing together industry experts to discuss technological innovations and evolving trends, and look for actionable solutions to pressing challenges. It provides a valuable platform to enable thought leaders to share their ideas, insights and experiences and serves to raise awareness of the Canon brand and its technology and to drive innovation.
The Frontiers of Innovation @Expo 2020 events will be hosted jointly on Canon’s EMEA LinkedIn page (https://bit.ly/38wz8Bv). They will focus on topics that are relevant to audiences in the UAE and the wider Middle East and Africa. While mostly business-oriented, some of the broadcasts will be equally relevant to the general public, especially those interested in travel, photography and filmmaking.
Mai Youssef, Corporate Communications and Marketing Services Director, Canon Middle East and Canon Central and North Africa, commented: “Featuring some of the best minds in the region from a range of sectors discussing key issues of our time, Frontiers of Innovation is an important aspect of Canon’s external communications. The subjects discussed reflect our commitment to the environment, empowering talent, innovation and the future. This joint initiative with Expo 2020 is part of our ongoing commitment to drive innovation and generate solutions to support businesses in various sectors across the Middle East and Africa.”
Dina Storey, Director – Sustainability Operations, Sustainability-Real Estate from Dubai Expo 2020 commented: “Our joint venture with Canon Middle East will create an important platform to discuss key issues that are cropping up in the photography and filmography world. With a large focus on sustainability and innovation – two things that are extremely important to us at Dubai Expo 2020 – we’re able to create a better future for young artists and encourage more people to join this inspiring community.”
The series will kickstart this September 2021, with a session which will focus on the print industry in the run up to International Print Day, reflecting on how the industry has changed in recent years – especially in the light of the pandemic – and how it is evolving to meet future needs. Future monthly sessions will consider issues including:
Steps towards a more sustainable future
The information security battle
What the next decade holds for the tourism sector
How to empower future filmmakers, photojournalists and content creators
Creating workplaces that support good mental health
Empowering women
World Expos are festivals of culture, technology, innovation, design and human brilliance that usually take place once every five years in a major international city. Hosted by Dubai, UAE, Expo 2020, which was originally supposed to take place in October 2020 but was delayed due to the pandemic, will be the first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region. Expo 2020’s theme is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, recognizing the importance of collaboration and partnership for growth.
“Like Expo 2020, Canon is dedicated to inspiring a more sustainable future,” added Mai Youssef. “Our three pillars, Future of People, Future of Planet and Future of Possibility, tie in with the Expo sub-themes, Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability. We’re delighted to be collaborating on this special series of broadcasts and hope it will enable us to reach and inspire even more people.”
eBay is one of the pioneers of e-commerce but competition in recent times has eroded its dominance. In more recent times, eBay has had to yield to Amazon which is now the pre-eminent name in e-commerce.
According to Wette.de, the number of active buyers on eBay is at its lowest level since Q2 2016 after recording just 159M active users in Q2 2021.
Number Of Active Buyers Lowest Since 2016
eBay, as we know it today, was founded in 1995 and was one of the early success stories of the dot-com bubble. As one of the pioneers of e-commerce, eBay dominated the 2000’s and was the largest e-commerce site of the decade. Since then, names such as Amazon and more recently, Alibaba, have emerged and have eroded the influence that eBay once had.
One metric where this is evident is the plateauing and even decline of the number of active buyers on eBay. Since 2010 the number of active buyers had steadily increased from 89.5M all the way to a high of 179M in Q4 2019. This record high was short-lived, however, as the number of active buyers has since experienced periods of plateauing and sharp QoQ dropoffs. In Q2 2021 eBay reported 159M active buyers, its lowest number since Q2 2016 when the company had 158M, active buyers.
Revenue Grew In 2020 But Still Lags Behind Amazon’s Growth
Despite this decrease in active buyers, eBay’s revenue still benefitted from the lockdowns of 2020 when e-commerce experienced a surge in engagement. eBay’s annual net revenue decreased by 12.86% from 2017-2018 and amounted to just $8.64B after falling from almost $10B in 2017.
In 2020, revenue experienced its first growth year since 2017 after experiencing a substantial 18.93% increase as a direct result of the lockdowns imposed by the pandemic. Despite this growth, however, a comparison with Amazon shows how much further eBay is lagging behind.
Amazon doubled eBay’s revenue growth in 2020, taking full advantage of the couch commerce that emerged from the pandemic. But even before the pandemic, eBay’s revenue growth had failed to reach double digits since 2014 while Amazon had recorded at least a 20% growth in the same time period.
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