From property to technology, tourism to international finance, this month, ‘Global Office’ looks at how the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is adapting, so its future is not oil dependent. There may not be a consensus as to when the oil will run out, but there is an agreement that at some point it will. Built on the spoils of black gold, the UAE is changing rapidly to become the business and financial heart of the wider Middle East.
The programme travels across the UAE to look at what the country has to offer, aside from oil. CNN’s Kristie Lu Stout meets some of the key players in the area and reports on the seemingly unstoppable rise of Abu Dhabi as a major force to rival its better known neighbouring emirate, Dubai.
Behind the rapid change within the UAE are some key influencers and industries that are both driving the tech boom in Abu Dhabi and the financial boom in Dubai. Lu Stout meets Ronald Barrott, the CEO of Aldar – Abu Dhabi’s biggest property developer – about his company’s plans for the area, including a Norman Foster inspired transformation of the city centre. She also talks to Amina Al Rustamani about her ambition to make the UAE the tech centre for the Middle East, and Dr Omar Bin Suleiman, Director General of the Dubai International Financial Centre, on its second anniversary.
With expatriates making up some 75% of the population of the country, ‘Global Office’ delves into the melting pot that is the UAE. Meeting retired Americans enjoying the more leisurely pursuits such as one of the many fabulous golf courses, or clubbers in Dubai’s happening after dark scene, the region is becoming all things to all people.
Tune in to truly understand what is making UAE the place to live and do business in the 21st century.
‘Global Office: After the Oil’, can be seen on Saturday 16th December at 1930 GMT / 2030 CET.
