“When entering any joint venture, the most important
thing is to be upfront and set out everything from
the beginning”, explains Shueb, “When we explore a
possible business partnership with a company that has
expertise in a particular area that we want to enter, we
are careful to lay out all of our expectations from the
start so that there can be no confusion down the road.
Transparency is crucial, as is mutual trust between
the parties. Once the roadmap has been set out from
the start and everybody concerned knows what their
deliverables and time frames are, the path is set for
working toward a common goal.”
Shueb goes on to explain his management style with
regard to the group.
“When the JV is up and running, each company
functions within its own framework. We, the group
management, are not necessarily experts in each
particular field, so we trust our joint venture partners
with decision making for their particular businesses.
Of course, I meet the managers as and when required
and keep a close eye on the various interests. We have
weekly, monthly and quarterly reviews in which all
issues can be discussed. Being fully owned by Royal
Group Holding benefits us also, as it means we have a
strong partner behind us”.
Having actively participated in the World Future
Energy Summit, displaying its district cooling and
green building credentials, it was notable that PAL also
took the opportunity to display “Reem B”, the world’s
strongest humanoid robot. Whilst still in the prototype
phase, the ultimate goal is for the robot to assist
humans with sophisticated tasks and become a truly
useful servant. Such forward thinking exemplifies the
fact that PAL as a group quite clearly has its eyes firmly
fixed on the future.
Having set out a clear blueprint for its future
development in Vision 2030, the government of
Abu Dhabi as whole, is moving forward with very
deliberate purpose towards the aim of developing an
ideal economic model. As a key constituent of the
Abu Dhabi business landscape, Shueb sees strategic
opportunities to service the growth that has been set
out in this mandate.
“First and foremost, we want to work directly with
the government in order to deliver upon the planned
infrastructural projects that have been set out.
Secondly, under Vision 2030”, explains the General
Manager, “the population of Abu Dhabi is set to
double within the next two decades in order to service
the anticipated growth of and diversification within the
economy. These people, as workers, will also become
consumers. Therefore, there arises considerable
opportunity in servicing their needs as consumers
through a variety of routes. Some areas that spring
to mind include hospitality, catering and education.
We are interested in forming new joint venture
partnerships with a view to entering these support
industries.”
“For any company experienced in these support
industries, we are a natural partner of choice. We
have the experience on the ground here which is a
priceless commodity. We are well-connected with the
people that matter and have a proven track record of
successfully forging and maintaining joint venture
partnerships”, declares Shueb.
In terms of the Emirate itself, the message of the
General Manager is clear;
“In terms of a place to do business, Abu Dhabi presents
endless opportunity, once you have the right approach.
Abu Dhabi is a future city”.
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