Dubai is almost idyllic in the way it treats business, but that in itself has a downside. Said Al Ghurair, "Business here is very open and therefore very competitive. BEcause of WTO [World Trade Organization] agreements [which provide all trading partners give each other the same customs and tariff treatment], it is easy for others to come in and compete, as Dubai has been, for a long time, practicing free trade."
Another big challenge is finding management talent in Dubai: "There are gaps in leadership", said Al Ghurair. "India and Pakistan are good sources for labor, but managerial talent is hard to find."
Al Ghurair said this "leadership gap" is compounded by the fact that 80 percent of the workforce is composed of expatriates, who want to return to their native countries after a period of time, leaving key vacancies in upper-level positions and virtually no longevity within the company.
Despite these drawbacks, the Al Ghurair Group continually looks forward. They are constantly, said Al Ghurair, "looking elsewhere to see what is successful." He also noted that the family is not just satisfi ed doing business in the Middle East. "If the world is before you," he said, "why not explore it?"
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