A strong flow of data is essential to prevent investors from being kept in the dark.
It’s fair to say that the Middle East was previously regarded as being a bit slow off the mark when it came to providing statistics and data about company activities and general economic data. A lot has changed in the last few years; after all, most states and firms have come to the conclusion that a strong flow of transparent information actively encourages investors and clients.
To that end, I was delighted to bump into a very senior official from Qatar Airways’ cargo unit at the Transport Logistic show in Munich last week. Having tried a number of times to speak to this gentleman via the normal routes, without even receiving the dignity of a response, I was pretty keen to discuss the carrier’s upcoming plans, which will see it add 10% of cargo capacity by the end of this year.
Needless to say, I was swiftly informed that no quotes would be forthcoming and I could not conduct a full interview, as this would need to be approved through the proper channels.
It seems pretty strange to me that such a major company clearly lacks trust in its personnel to the effect that it cannot even allow senior officials to disseminate positive and relevant information to members of the press. Even efforts to locate simple information, such as the amount of cargo carried by the operator last year, or the freight throughput at Doha International Airport, are routinely stonewalled.
You could dismiss these remarks as the rantings of an angry journalist. But the lack of a culture of openness - an openness that was immediately obvious at the stands of every other Middle Eastern company at the same show – tends to result in a perceived image of secrecy. In today’s market, no company should be operating with that kind of perception.
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