Foreword By Mohammad Al Duaij, CEO Of Alea Global Group

We are finally seeing the world beginning to open up again in a way that feels more long- lasting than the stop-start restrictions we have been used to.

Here at Alea Global Group and at all of our family office events we have been preparing for this moment, and to implement the changes we know we wanted to make from the lessons we have learned during this time. We are not alone.

This issue of The Alea Journal is full of optimism and the uplifting projects others have been undertaking around the world to better their businesses and their communities.

We look at how Saudi Arabia is harnessing the power of entertainment to build a new and robust post-oil economy. We also see how Kuwait has entered the smart city market.

We meet theCircle, a new project educating children online, and we learn about Acumen who promote philanthropic investment which empowers people to tackle poverty.

In other positive news, entertainment giant Netflix has taken meaningful steps to bring Kuwaiti and Saudi stories and voices to its network. We spoke to Chalhoub Group about the resilience of luxury retail in the Middle East, and we spoke to Green Moon Project about how they are looking to create agriculture in space.

Our friends and partners Elcielo Group have also branched out from the world class restaurant business to open a world class hotel.

Yes, it’s fair to say this issue is full of ingenuity, hope, and people striving for a better future either because of or in spite of the trials of the past two years.

So let us look back on this period we are now leaving as a blessing in many ways, as it spurs us on to greater things with a renewed sense of gratitude for the time and freedom we may otherwise have taken for granted.

I hope to see many of you at our family office events throughout this year, and please do keep in touch about your work – especially if you would like to see it featured in this journal.

As ever you can contact me at info@aleaglobalgroup.com.