Page 275 - Aamir Rehman - Dubai & Co Global Strategies for Doing Business in the Gulf States-McGraw-Hill (2007)

Getting Things Done: Operations Strategy and the GCC 257

government services such as issuing visas and ID cards, reducing
the otherwise substantial hassle of local bureaucracy. Dubai is rap-
idly expanding its number of free zones, creating new sectors
devoted to such specialties as biotechnology, logistics, and sports,
and there is even one focusing on flowers.
Other free zones and open financial centers in the region such
as Qatar Financial Centre, Bahrain Financial Harbor, and Dubai
International Financial Centre likewise offer world-class facilities
and shared services. Leading institutions like Goldman Sachs,
Deutsche Bank, and HSBC have all become tenants in one or more
of these centers. As states compete to attract marquee firms, the
quality and breadth of services offered in these facilities will likely
remain strong and improve. Expatriate bankers find well-appor-
tioned offices and world-class facilities well below the rent they
would pay in London or New York (though the recent boom has
driven up rents in some cities).
Firms considering opening offices in the GCC need not worry
about finding high-quality office space and support systems. While
space is scarce in some of the hottest areas (e.g., Dubai International
Financial Centre), new office buildings come online each month.
The caliber of business support systems is one reason why leading
professional services firms such as consultancies, investment
banks, and law firms tend to place their regional head offices in the
Gulf and fly out to visit clients as needed.

SYNCH TO SWIM: MANAGING
MISALIGNED WEEKENDS AND
TIME ZONES
One operational challenge for multinational firms operating in the
GCC states is managing misaligned weekends. Not only is the Gulf
weekend different from the Saturday-Sunday norm in the West and
in most of Asia, but even within the GCC countries the weekend is
not consistent. Half the countries are on a Friday-Saturday week-
end schedule and half work on a Thursday-Friday one. Table 9.1
summarizes the schedules in each country and contrasts them with
the Western-Asian norm. The shaded boxes represent working days.
All Gulf countries take Friday off, as it is the day of required
congregational prayer for Muslims. Although the mandatory