Jonathan Walsh

Jad Abouzeid

My Jakarta: Jad Abouzeid, Time Out Magazine Publisher

Many Jakartans are just as stumped about what to do with their spare time as they are with the city’s maze of clogged streets.
Time Out Jakarta, magazine publisher Jad Abouzeid wants to change that. In this interview, he tells us both sides of what the Big Durian has to offer in the arts and entertainment, his transition from London to Jakarta and explains why he gives Lebanese food here such a bad review.

How did you get the job?

I learned about Time Out about five years ago in London. I’m from Lebanon, so I spoke with Time Out, and we took the franchise to Beirut. And then my business partner, Eddie Jamal, who’s been around Southeast Asia for the last 15 years, said, “Why don’t we do Time Out in this part of the world?” I came here three years ago. The Singapore edition was launched, then Kuala Lumpur and then Jakarta. So here we are. Our first-year anniversary is scheduled next month.

What can you tell us about Time Out?

It’s a city guide for locals. It started in London 40 years ago, and it’s now in more than 26 cities around the world. It is known as “the world’s living guide.”

What do you have planned for your anniversary?

We’re planning two or three events at many places in Jakarta. We decided to do different events to cater to our different readers. We have some who like clubbing, others who like relaxed early gatherings.

So you focus on arts and entertainment?

Not just that. We also do sports, travel and books. We also have a kids section. Even people who don’t go out that much enjoy [reading Time Out]. A lot of people here are used to seeing many pictures in magazines, so we had to change our layout a little bit to look different than the London edition.

As the publisher of this magazine, what kind of tough decisions have you had to make?

For example, when the Buddha Bar opened, we were the only magazine to give them a low rating. They had a lot of issues during their launch, and everybody knew this. But everyone was like, “Five stars. Fantastic.” Well, come on guys, let’s get real. Obviously, they were upset. But six months later, they contacted us and asked us to review them again, and we surely noticed a change in their operation.

No animosity whatsoever?

None. But it isn’t always like that, though. There was this wine bar in Sudirman that we didn’t give a high rating to. The marketing director sent us an e-mail attacking everything we wrote. On one side, it was good to know that the people behind those businesses, as well as our readers, do check our magazine and interact with us regularly. On the other side, we accepted criticism and replied positively. In this particular case, the place was nice, but the identity wasn’t there. That’s common here. There are places with nice setups, nice menus, but no clear identity.

What do you like about your job?

Journalism’s a mission. It’s things like the Buddha Bar that make Time Out unique. Most magazines are based on paid editorial, but not ours. We’ve been successful because our readers trust us.

You know all the cool places in town. Where do you hang out?

I don’t really have much time. I work and travel a lot. I’ve been spending a lot of my time in Bali to prepare for our launch there. I still go back and forth to Lebanon, London and Dubai. And I have a production company as well.

You produce music?

Yeah, we have a company in London. We do music and video productions. I have two degrees: one in the recording arts and another in psychoacoustics. I’m also a musician.

What do you play?

Piano, accordion and percussion mainly. I released my first album under Jalex in 2003, sort of Arabic jazz fusion. I couldn’t find a company that would release it, then four years later, EMI took the album and re-released it internationally.

What was the transition like from London to Jakarta?

London’s very punctual, and setting up in Jakarta, it took ages. Tomorrow is next week. Next week is next month. So when I come to town, I switch to Jakarta mode.

Are there any Lebanese restaurants you know of in Jakarta?

Yeah.

You don’t sound too pleased.

I’m not. It’s hard to get Lebanese food right, because you need the right ingredients. And there are a lot of restaurants that serve other Arabic and North African cuisine but call it Lebanese, because it’s more famous.

What’s your favorite thing about Jakarta?

Taxi drivers. I never use a taxi without having a nice conversation with the driver. They have a tough job, but they stay positive.

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