The Arabian Peninsula envisions diversifying its oil-based economy into everything from technology to sports, and tourism is a deliberate attempt to realize a new vision and set a new image. While sports is an important aspect of its image building, advancement in the technology business is a big part of this revision. In particular, Dubai has several plans to fast-track its growth, merging the departments of economy and tourism in hopes of attracting 25 million tourists in 2025 is one among them. Dubai also seeks to host 400 global economic events annually by 2025, after the emirate won bids for 120 events last year. However, heightened uncertainty prevails due to the Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Palestine conflicts.

The private sector has enormous responsibilities on its shoulders. Smart operational strategies would reduce the leaders’ pressure, not to mention the significant need to leverage IT in the process. Arabian companies should keep their focus on the dynamic technology world and bring home the right technologies to propel the growth factor. This milieu inevitably engenders a vast horizon of opportunities in the region.

Furthermore, the ‘India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor’ announced at the 2023 G20 New Delhi summit is set to be a game changer in establishing connectivity between the Middle East and the rest of the world. The trade route between the Gulf, Europe, and India is set to be transformed by a new plan that connects them by rail and sea. It is a bold project that India, the US, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union (EU) agreed to work on together. While this makes the sector quite conducive for investment, it also points fingers at the dire need and scale of responsibilities toward climate. In this yearly special issue of CEO Insights, we have curated some unique stories pertaining to Indian-origin leaders in Dubai. Do let us know your thoughts.