Page 33 - Aamir Rehman - Dubai & Co Global Strategies for Doing Business in the Gulf States-McGraw-Hill (2007)

CHAPTER 1

Lines in the Sand: The GCC in the

Broader Middle East

INTRODUCTION
In my corporate career as a strategist, I have seen a broad range of
reactions when I tell people—especially my fellow Americans—
that I help companies do business in the Middle East. The term con-
jures a set of images that relatively few outsiders equate with eco-
nomic opportunity, and I am often dealt the question “Is the Middle
East safe?” The impetus of this inquiry stems from years of seeing
war in the region: a series of conflicts with Israel, war between Iran
and Iraq, Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait and the first Gulf
War, and other occasions of violence. The long and drawn-out sec-
ond war in Iraq, in which the United States and a small set of allies
easily defeated Saddam Hussein in 2003 but struggled to manage
the subsequent occupation, has left deep scars and deeper impres-
sions of the Arab world. “Is there really any business there?” is
another frequent question asked of me. Clearly, those who ask this
have missed or ignored the series of corporate acquisitions under-
taken by Middle Eastern firms, not to mention the images of sleek
office towers in Dubai and elsewhere. Another interesting query:
“Do they care about corporate strategy?” I’m baffled by the

19
Copyright © 2008 by Aamir A. Rehman. Click here for terms of use.