Page 11 - Aamir Rehman - Dubai & Co Global Strategies for Doing Business in the Gulf States-McGraw-Hill (2007)

A C KNO WLEDGMENTS

This book is the work of many hands. I am deeply grateful to the
large group of researchers, family, friends, and well-wishers who
contributed to this work in innumerable ways. Their support,
understanding, and kind wishes have enriched this book—and the
life of its author—tremendously.
First, let me thank my wife Hina, my parents, my sister
Naheed, and my entire family for their encouragement throughout
the drafting process. Hina has been especially patient, sacrificing
from the already scarce time we have together as I labored on the
book. Her love and support are an endless blessing and source of
joy and comfort. My gratitude to the family is eternal.
The efforts of Munir Zilanawala are the very heart of this book.
Munir, whom we fondly call the “Chief Operating Officer” of the
book project, recruited and led the research team, edited and
revised each chapter, provided top-notch feedback and quality con-
trol, and masterfully managed a long list of operational details. He
was also the lead researcher for Chapter 3, the core chapter on the
GCC opportunity, and supported the research for all the other chap-
ters. I cannot imagine producing this book without Munir’s superb
contributions, and collaborating with him has been a tremendous
blessing. He has been a true partner in the venture.
The research team was dedicated, skilled, and diverse. Angel
Leu led the research on two chapters—Chapters 4 and 7—and skill-
fully blended hard facts with qualitative interviews. Mohammad
Usman Masood, lead researcher for Chapter 5, also contributed to
other chapters and conducted a crucial GCC awareness survey. The
quality of his work and passion behind it were outstanding. Osama
Kazmi provided additional support for Chapter 5. Anaya Al-
Nahari led the research for Chapter 2 and contributed immensely
helpful local knowledge and input throughout the manuscript.
Ahlam Aljasmi and Ryan Millikan provided valuable in-market
ix

Copyright © 2008 by Aamir A. Rehman. Click here for terms of use.