Newswise — Long a major focus of world affairs, the Middle East is rapidly gaining prominence as a strategic, economic, political, and cultural center for world business, with new influence being shifted towards this region due to its significant stocks of oil. This abundant natural resource has allowed many countries in the Middle East to diversify their economies into services, including banking, trade, and transportation and logistics. In fact, today, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and several other countries in the region present some of the most untapped and profitable business opportunities in the world.
Thirty-four MBA students in the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University will get a first-hand look at these opportunities with visits to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in March 2010. The week-long study trip will provide insight into business practices, opportunities, and challenges in the Middle East at a time when such understanding is increasingly vital. In addition to providing a general understanding of doing business in this region, the course will focus on global strategy, banking, energy, environment, and the growing business for real estate in the region.
“During the visits, Whitman students will tour leading transnational businesses in the region and meet with the American Business Council President,” says Yildiray Yildirim, associate professor of finance, who is leading the trip. “Additionally, our corporate partner, GE, will introduce our students to trends in Islamic finance and investing. We will focus on real estate during site visits to Burj al Arab, Masdar City, and Emaar.”
MBA students will specifically focus their learning around Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and UAE in order to understand the economic, trade, and investment flows between these three countries and Islamic world, especially in relation to infrastructure (energy, water, healthcare, sustainable growth, and real estate). MBA students will be tasked with proposing to GE solutions that these countries can bring to the Islamic world. They will propose a business model for GE to act as a privileged partner within this setting.
The Whitman School is offering the study trip in collaboration with Whitman’s Kuhn Real Estate Center, and Nabil Habayeb ’80 BS, ’82 MS (ENG), president and CEO of Middle East and Africa for GE.
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