An Emirati businessman discusses his transition from a Government post to the private sector and how he believes graduates need to be challenged in their workplace to make them more motivated.
ABU DHABI // When Mohammed Al Fahim joined the private sector six years ago he quickly became used to the longer hours and working environment.
“It was a bit strange at the beginning,” said the general manager of products and services at Al Fahim Group.
“A lot of the communication happens at peak hours – from 8am to 1pm. After that, you continue with the administrative work and a series of meetings.”
The 35-year-old Emirati, who oversees the group’s three business units, Safar Travel, Marjan Industrial and Marjan Cables, is at his office at the Safar Travel building by 8.30am.
It is then he has a briefing with team members and reads and answers emails before attending to the two other business units.
“Some days, I tend to do some cross-selling whenever I see an opportunity, either by introducing them to companies or requesting them to introduce me to certain companies.”
At 1pm, Mr Al Fahim takes a quick lunch before getting back to business. He goes home by 5.30pm. Being in the private sector, he said, has made a lot of difference.
“A lot of people may say otherwise but when you work in the private sector you feel a lot more passionate,” said Mr Al Fahim.
“Since I know where the money is going, I’ll be more passionate in my work. I was happy in the Government but it reached a level that I wanted some change – a work environment that fosters motivation.”
For the UAE Government, education is a high priority with Emiratis offered scholarships to pursue studies at bachelors, masters and doctoral levels overseas.
Mr Al Fahim supported such thinking as “education is our ticket to the workforce, to your professional life”. It is something he knows from experience.
At 12, he arrived in the UK to go to boarding school, studying at the International School of Choueifat for two years.
He then went to Millfield School and finished his GCSEs in 1997.
After going to college to do a business and technology education council programme for two years, he attended City of Bath College where he earned a higher certificate and diploma in business.
In 2002, he joined the Private Department of Sheikh Zayed as its investment analyst.
When Sheikh Zayed died in 2004, Mr Al Fahim applied for and worked as a financial analyst at the Emirates Securities and Commodities Security until 2009 when he joined his family business, Al Fahim Group.
The group supports the Absher initiative, launched in 2012 by President Sheikh Khalifa, to encourage Emiratis to work in the private sector.
“Al Fahim Group has succeeded in attracting a number of Emiratis,” Mr Al Fahim said. “To attract Emirati talent there should be a change in mentality. They need to see the job itself and the monetary factor should come in later.
“You don’t want someone utilising six hours or nine hours a day doing nothing. You would want them to be productive and gain more experience in the business.”
He believed there were many ways to give back to one’s country and community.
“For me, giving back is working for the good of the company, the country and the place I’m in,” he said. “If you give people jobs that means there’s purchasing power, apartments are going to be rented, so you’re fuelling the economy.”
He is also a fan of military service for Emiratis.
“If it was introduced earlier, I definitely would have joined the service,” he said.
“That’s the least I can do to pay back the UAE. Having watched people come back to their homes happy and proud overwhelms me with pride.”
rruiz@thenational.ae
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
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Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Arabian Gulf League fixtures:
Friday:
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Saturday:
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Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
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Key facilities
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A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
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THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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