Dubai, UAE, May 6th 2010: A group of MBA students from one of the UK’s top business schools will visit the UAE next week to study at first hand the unique characteristics of the Middle East business environment.
The Cass Business School International Study Tour to the UAE for students of its full-time MBA course in London is a five-day programme comprising of visits to leading companies, high-level presentations and discussions, and meetings with respected business leaders from a diversity of industries.
Visiting Abu Dhabi and Dubai from May 8th to 12th, the delegation will meet industry figures such as Arup Mukkopadhyay, Executive Vice President and Head of Consumer Banking at Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank; Fabio Scacciavillani, an economist with the Dubai International Financial Centre Authority; Hala Badri, Executive Vice President of Brand and Communications at telecommunications service provider du; Marwan Lutfi, Deputy CEO and Head of Business Development in DIFC; Nick Nadal Director of Hawkamah Institute for Corporate Governance; Chirag Shah, Executive Director DIFC Strategy Department; and Hisham Farouk, International Practice Partner at accounting firm Grant Thornton.
Commenting on the tour, Richard Gillingwater, Dean of Cass Business School, said: “The UAE is an important commercial and financial hub and has shown resilience in the face of today’s challenging economic environment. Abu Dhabi is forging ahead with the diversification of its economy backed by its leadership in the energy sector, while Dubai has consolidated its position as a gateway to the region for investors and as a hub for finance and trade.”
He said: “Looking at the wider region, the Middle East presents challenges and opportunities in equal measure, beset by political instability on the one hand but home to a young, rapidly growing and talented workforce on the other.
“The Cass International Study Tour will provide our MBA students direct access to decision makers at the centre of one of the world’s most significant emerging economies, and provide fresh perspectives on the dynamics of doing business in the Arab world.”
This month’s study tour coincides with the graduation of the Cass Business School’s first group of Dubai-based Executive MBA students.
Launched in 2007, the Dubai EMBA is a flexible part-time course, delivered in collaboration with the Dubai International Financial Centre, aimed at managers in the Gulf region who want to accelerate their career development whilst remaining in full-time employment. It is the first study programme of its type offering specialist modules in Islamic finance and energy.
The first Dubai EMBA cohort of students will graduate at DIFC on May 10th, in a ceremony held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and President of Dubai International Financial Centre.
“The timing of our first International Study Tour with the Dubai graduation of our first Executive MBA students in the UAE will make for a stimulating exchange of ideas between business professionals from all over the world. The development of Cass Business School in the region since its debut in 2007 has been very encouraging, and we have all been impressed by the dedication of our first cohort of EMBA students. They have certainly earned the right to an enjoyable celebration with their families on May 10th,” added Gillingwater.