TRAVEL TO DUBAI

Travelling to Dubai: Sixty Years of Transformation

As I prepare for my trip to Dubai, I find myself thinking about how much a place can change within a lifetime.

Oil was discovered in Dubai in 1966. Sixty years later, the scale of its transformation is remarkable. Yet Dubai’s story began well before oil, with a maritime trading community whose livelihood depended on the sea and its connections with other markets.

That maritime background particularly interests me. Working in shipping and offshore, you learn to look at a place through its ports, its infrastructure and the people who make things happen. Behind every vessel movement or project, there is a network of relationships, decisions and practical work.

For me, Dubai raises an interesting question: how do you turn an opportunity into something that lasts?

Resources can provide a starting point. Building lasting value requires investment, patience and the willingness to look beyond the immediate return. Dubai’s development into shipping, finance and tourism offers plenty to reflect on, even if every location has its own circumstances and challenges.

I also think about the places where I work, particularly the Canary Islands and West Africa. Their opportunities are different, but the questions are familiar: what can we offer, where should we invest, and how can we become a partner that people trust over time?

I look forward to the conversations this trip will bring. Meeting people face to face creates space to listen, understand their priorities and see where there may be something worth developing together.

The skyline will certainly be impressive. What I hope to bring home is a better understanding of the people and decisions behind it.