Pride and a winning attitude build nations

The UAE I grew up in was all about determination and perseverance. Our nation’s founding fathers had a clear vision for the future of our country as a beacon for the world to follow. The UAE of today, that the entire world sees, is a glittering example of success, vibrancy and innovation.

Through sheer determination and perseverance, previous generations established and propelled this country forward, transforming it into the global force for excellence and innovation that it is today. We were taught from a very early age that everything we do has a larger purpose and that everything we do should have a role in building something bigger than us.

We have thought big and thought without boundaries - the Burj Khalifa, the Palm developments, most of the new trend-defining developments from the UAE for that matter reflect this ability to dream and think big. But, what I am most proud of in this magnificent country I am from, is the fact that we were able to covert these dreams into real outcomes. Not just concepts on pieces of paper, but actual monuments.

This long-term thinking has now been woven into the fabric of our citizens – from our leaders to the people who drive the wheels of our great economic and technological progress. 

In this context, I believe strongly in the importance of long-term thinking and how FM need to be inserted into megaprojects from the concept design stage. This is critical as it sets up the plan for achieving environmental and financial sustainability while maximizing FM impact. This long-term thinking is all about designing right, building right and operating right. These three components of design, build and operation are seamlessly entwined in the FM strategy which is the true reflection of long-term thinking.