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UAE has always focused on human capital

Ahmed has observed the developments in the city and seen it transform into a symbol of pride among other cities in the Gulf region.

“Construction of roads, buildings, and infrastructure were the significant things which have changed the geographical character of the capital,” he says.

“When I started living in the Tourist Club area in Abu Dhabi over two decades ago, there were around 20 small buildings. Now there are at least 40 highrise buildings. There were no supermarkets, except Choithram’s. But now, we have shopping centres like Abu Dhabi Mall and supermarkets like Abu Dhabi Cooperative Society. We used to get a cooking gas cylinder in Dh10-15, but now we get it for around Dh25,” he says.

Speaking about the rents, he said, “We used to pay annual rent of Dh50,000 for a three-bedroom flat but now the rents have doubled”.

Ahmed joined a boat company for a short period as an accountant at a monthly salary of Dh1,200.

He then switched over to the National Bank of Abu Dhabi in March 1980. He worked with the bank for 23 years and progressed from a junior clerk to a managerial position in human resources team.

In July 1986, he went on vacation and got married in Toronto.

When he resumed work at the bank, he came to know that the management had decided to transfer him to the HR Department, where his public relations and management skills would be utilised in a better way.

He attributes UAE’s progress to the clear and astute leadership of the late Shaikh Zayed.

“The developments in the UAE are an excellent example of the farsightedness of the country’s leadership.

Shaikh Zayed was a very humble and generous man. Once on the occasion of Eid he stopped his car and met the people and greeted them on Eid. “I also met him twice,” he claims.

He explains that having a clear vision alone does not produce the desired results. “You need people with right competence at the right time who are motivated with appropriate culture, work environment, recognition and rewards in order to achieve the desired results and the UAE has proved its excellence in developing and managing its human capital, including both national and overseas manpower,” Ahmed points out.

He says, “Many countries have oil, gas or similar resources but you do not see such comparable progress there. The differentiating factor is the human capital on which the UAE has banked.”

This silent revolution has been the most important factor in UAE’s progress from a barren desert to a blooming modern country. This all happened within a short span of just 30 years, he points out.

Ahmed loves life in the UAE and admires the cultural diversity in the country, which is a unique feature of it. Although, his children are now studying in Canada his family always prefers to stay in the UAE.

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