In a time of crisis we all have the potential to morph up to a new level and do things we never thought possible’. Stuart Wilde

Businesses are still showing an interest in establishing a presence overseas, especially now when faced with the worlds economic crisis. During my recent work placement at the British Embassy, I worked in close contact with experienced and highly skilled qualified employees. This gave me the opportunity to improve my communication and networking skills, including my personal ability to manage time and perform tasks of great quality and in large quantity.

I joined the Embassy two weeks earlier than the due date, as I wanted to have a brief orientation about the procedures, rules and regulations. Moreover, the World Future Energy Summit was being held in Abu Dhabi and I wanted to help British companies that were involved in the summit with any requirements or advice they needed. The summit allowed me to seek opportunities and to trust in myself as well as to be more confident and capable to present my opinion about any issues. Masdar, who organised the summit, convinced me that one day, when I have my own company, I should provide a service that meets a real demand in the market and is unique, in order to be competitive. One important part of this is that I should seek to help to reduce the carbon footprint and try to save the environment.

I was assigned to join the Commercial Section under the mentoring of Gordon Brown, First Secretary and Head of UK Trade and Investment. During the first two weeks, I had the chance to meet a number of British companies and to explain to them the procedures of setting up in Abu Dhabi. I had to explain the different options available to foreign investors, such as participating in a local corporate entity, establishing a branch office through the means of local sponsors or the appointment of a commercial agent or distributor and setting up in one of the free zones in the UAE.

Each Commercial Officer has a specific sector in which they specialise so I was rotated among different officers to learn about fields as varied as construction, oil & gas, education, defence, health & safety, transport, real estate, financial services, leisure & tourism and the environment. Some of the sectors were fun but others I found to be boring and hard to understand. The most sectors I enjoyed were education and real estate since I already had a background in these sectors. In mid February, I visited a real estate and investment show to look at new plans and projects proposed by large companies such as Sorouh, Aldar, and Hydra Properties. The current economic crisis means that supply exceeds demand in part of the UAE. Prices of properties are now cheaper than before. It’s better to buy them when there is a recession in the economy and to re-sell them when prices increase.

While I was working at the Embassy, there were a large number of visitors from London. One of the most important was the Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Ian Luder, accompanied by the Lady Mayoress, Mrs. Lin Luder, and a delegation of more than 20 businessmen. Their programme was full of important meetings and events and I was fortunate enough to be included in the business delegation. We visited the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange, the Central Bank, Mubadala and the Chamber of Commerce and also attended receptions.

On March 2nd, I attended the Abu Dhabi Economic Forum on behalf of the Embassy. It was a great chance to attend Viewa panel with very influential speakers from throughout the region. Presenters from the Department of Planning & Economy, the Chamber of Commerce, the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and others from different government and private companies responded to questions raised by participants.

My work placement ended on April 2nd, after several weeks that helped me to reach more of the goals I am seeking to achieve.

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” Anatole France

Souad Al Housani is a third year Business Management student at the Higher Colleges of Technology. She recently completed a work placement at the Commercial Section of the British Embassy.