Featured article - Lessons entrepreneurs can learn from UAE’s established companies by Dr Raja Al Gurg
Our emirate - and the wider UAE - has become a hub of creativity, technological advancements and innovation. The country has become a destination for talent, motivated in large part to the many governmentled regulatory changes including major alterations to visa schemes that attract a widely diverse workforce.
While embracing this inspirational entrepreneurial spirit that is helping to transform and future proof the country, it is important that we reflect on the past, so that the present generation of dynamic entrepreneurs who have had the experience of being on this journey.
In order to succeed in this continually evolving global economy, there is a genuine need for a different way of thinking. A different type of leadership that is resourceful, adept at managing, mobilising and dealing with change.
There is no quick formula for success and it is achieved through persistent effort and unswerving forward thinking. For over six decades, the founder of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group (ESAG) mastered the abilities of growing the business and achieving continual progress in a multinational and diverse work environment. As a leading UAE-built conglomerate, ESAG has diversified its portfolio significantly since its inception. It is important to remember that this progression did not come overnight. The transformation is a result of consistently building our partnerships with leading global partners beginning with Grundig and Siemens, and later focussing on expanding into different business verticals. This measured approach allowed ESAG to become what it is today - a leading Emirati conglomerate with over 27 entities.
At ESAG, our own manifold expertise are visible in a diverse range of iconic projects including Dubai Opera, Burj Khalifa, Expo2020, Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram, the Louvre, Yas Marina and Sheikh Zayed Mosque. This entrepreneurial spirit to support landmark projects in the UAE was cultivated from robust business knowledge as well as a strong sense of business ethics and values.
Our Founder also preferred to “sleeping over” a decision, to make sure he had adequate time to view all aspects and to test assumptions wherever possible, before deciding what to do. This approach demonstrated patience, critical thinking, curiosity and emotional intelligence, traits that we instill within the business.
Growth comes with risk, more so now than ever as our world continues to evolve through unexpected change and disruption. Although not all risk can be planned for or anticipated, some remain a choice and an important part of any business journey – a calculated entrepreneur knows when to take a chance and when to remain safe in order to lead a company forward.
Our story and experience are our lessons when navigating today’s world. No leader should consider themselves an expert no matter what their age or success. We are all students of life, and no two days or years are the same. Ensuring that we continue to work collaboratively holds the most promise for creating a better future for everyone.
The future is bright, especially if we continue to learn from those who have paved the way for us.
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