Dubai's economy is booming. The tech sector is attracting record investment, property is surging, and relaxed visa policies are attracting top talent.
However, Dubai is still missing local business leaders who can speak up and champion the city as a hub of opportunity.
It’s a curious case because Dubai is a global tech, financial, and innovation hub.
There’s no shortage of capital and talent in the city, and it’s fast becoming the best place in the world to do business.
So, why is there a lack of thought leadership?
I was in Dubai earlier this year and the journalists I met were screaming out for industry commentary and for local leaders to weigh in on business trends and developments.
Compare that to London or New York, where you’d be lucky for a journalist to read your email.
The reason this matters is because it’s not just growth figures and investment that dictate the maturity of a market – it's also how visible the business leaders in it are.
Steve Jobs and Elon Musk are champions of Silicon Valley’s booming tech scene. Warren Buffet remains a legend of Wall Street. Ask anyone to name a British success story, and they’ll likely say Richard Branson.
These are obviously only the biggest of names, but strong corporate leadership filters down to specific industries and regions in Europe and North America.
Dubai has no shortage of its own business heavy hitters, but they don’t carry the same global name recognition as their global peers.
That’s largely because Dubai’s economy has grown at breakneck speed, and its PR and communications sector has struggled to keep pace.
This is one of the last things holding Dubai back from realising its full potential and becoming one of the true global economic heavyweights in the eyes of people in more mature markets.
Whether it’s property tycoons or new tech entrepreneurs fresh on the scene, Dubai needs its own breed of regional champions.
Until now, the business-friendly and cash-rich trading environment has meant business leaders haven’t needed to invest time or energy into building their professional profiles.
But the tide is starting to change.
As more and more start-ups and companies set up camp in Dubai, there’s going to be more competition for investment and talent.
And one of the best ways to win that race for investment and talent is to have an executive team with a strong public profile that people recognise and trust.
Amid already hectic schedules, executives might question the time commitment. But the rewards are worth it.
People will associate you with the Middle East in conversations about it.
Investors will be more willing to hear you out at events and networking opportunities.
Recruits will come to you rather than you spending time and money approaching them.
Your partnerships will be long-lasting, and you'll benefit more from them.
Establishing credibility with investors and building an employer brand can’t be done solely through pitch decks and job adverts.
A strong search profile on Google or LinkedIn used to be a nice-to-have for entrepreneurs – now it’s an absolute must.
The next boom in Dubai won’t be anything relating to property, tech, lifestyle, or finance – it will be PR and communications.
After all, Dubai is fertile ground to become the hub of PR in the Middle East.
It’s home to the region’s leading business publications and it has a flourishing creative economy that continues to attract the best talent in the world.
Middle East thought leadership in Dubai is still in its infancy. But as renowned entrepreneurs such as David von Rosen has shown, there's a prime opportunity more executives must capitalise on.
This is one of the final pieces of the jigsaw puzzle to truly put the city on par with financial hubs in Europe, North America, and Asia.