Page 310 - Aamir Rehman - Dubai & Co Global Strategies for Doing Business in the Gulf States-McGraw-Hill (2007)

292 Dubai & Co.

One-Time Events
One-time events can be a simple, yet powerful, method for bringing
attention to the GCC business without disrupting business
processes or structures. Events such as a visit to the region by the
CEO, an off-site meeting of senior management in one of the Gulf
states, presentations to main-office staff or corporate training
events on the region can have a meaningful impact on how seri-
ously the organization thinks about its Gulf business. Drawing
attention to the region will likely inspire at least some members of
the global staff to consider more deeply the opportunities and chal-
lenges of business there.
CEO visits to the region have become increasingly common.
John Mack of Morgan Stanley, for example, toured the region in 2006
when officially inaugurating the firm’s office at the Dubai
International Financial Centre. He called the new office “clear evi-
dence of our commitment to developing our presence” in the region,
and his personal involvement in the inauguration reinforced the
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message internally and to the public. GE’s Jeff Immelt made a sim-
ilar trip to Dubai in 2007, launching a regional head office in Dubai
Internet City. He asserted that the region “has all the key growth
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drivers that are favorable for growth of GE businesses.” Analysts
and staff interpret such statements and visits as a sign of ongoing
focus and investment in the Gulf. Even in private firms without ana-
lyst scrutiny, senior management visits to the GCC countries send an
important message to local and global staff. When the law firm DLA
Piper opened its Dubai office, its chairman—former senator George
Mitchell—and all three chief executives of the firm were present. 13
After such a high-profile launch, one can be assured that phone calls
from the Dubai office will be returned promptly.
Staff presentations and corporate training events are another
tool for raising awareness among staff who do not work directly
with the region. Presentations by staff based in the Gulf, scheduled
to coincide with an already planned visit to the head office, are easy
enough to arrange. Considering the excitement in the business
press about the region, reasonable attendance can be expected at a
lunchtime or early-evening presentation. Outside experts or advi-
sors can be drawn in for additional perspective or to underscore the
importance of the region.