Richard Dean

“There’s the serious answer and the fun answer.

When I joined in November 1998, oil fell to $9 a barrel because of the Asian Financial Crisis. Ouch! Burj Al Arab and Emirates Towers opened around that time, and the prevailing wisdom among outside economists was that Dubai would really struggle to fill them.

Kudos to Gulf Business’ publisher Ian Fairservice: he was adamant the naysayers were wrong and these would become global Dubai landmarks. History shows he was spot on. Covering these stories for the publication was a privilege.

But honestly, I remember the fun bits way more. We worked hard and played harder. Leo Sayer live at a three-star hotel in Bur Dubai remains one of my top five nights out ever. So many people I worked with at Motivate Media Group then are still close mates today.

One interview literally changed my life. The feature was called Out to Lunch, typically an interview with a CEO-type over three courses at a Dubai hotel. Somehow I convinced British Airways it would be fun to do it at 33,000 ft in First Class.

The guest was Terry Daley, then BA’s regional boss, later with Emirates and Etihad. A phenomenal bloke, and the life/career advice he gave me on that flight was transformative. His top tip: read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. I did.

Dubai has changed the least. Sure, it’s bigger and better, but the DNA is the same: a bold, ambitious business hub and global tourism hotspot. What’s really changed is that Abu Dhabi, Qatar and especially Saudi Arabia have found their economic diversification mojo. On balance, I’m convinced that for Dubai the economic pros — a vibrant regional economy — far outweigh the cons of competition. If I’m still around for Gulf Business 50th birthday, we’ll see if I’m right!

If there’s one story you can’t take your eyes off when reading GB over the next decade, it’s Saudi Arabia. The social, cultural and economic change is extraordinary. If the kingdom can generate a return on all this investment in the non-oil economy — new cities, the 2034 FIFA World Cup, AI, schools and so on — the economic boost to the region will be huge.

But it’s a big ‘if’: the track record on giga-projects so far is mixed.”