Hamish Macdonald is a chartered arbitrator and adjudicator in the UAE construction industry. Born of Scottish and English parentage and raised in England, the 61-year-old is a father of three grown children and has lived in Abu Dhabi for 30 years. For most of those he has been a member of the sport and leisure institution The Club, of which he is now chairman. The private members club formed 53 years ago and is located beside Sheikh Khalifa Highway, close to Port Zayed. It has 4,500 members from at least 80 nationalities.
How do you spend your weekends?
Unfortunately, often working. I have periods when I am intensely busy, either getting ready for a hearing or drafting an award. I do try to get to The Club at the weekend, as this is the busiest time of the week when we have many events on and the place is generally buzzing; it is a good time to meet friends and colleagues. I became the chairman of The Club 13 years ago, having previously been the committee vice chairman, secretary and simply a keen member with my family before that.
How did you become an arbitrator and adjudicator?
I started my working life as a chartered quantity surveyor on a variety of construction sites such as UK motorways, international airports in Abu Dhabi and Jakarta, and a car plant in Swindon, England. I started to get interested and involved in dispute resolution, and this ultimately led to my being assigned, at the end of 1986, as a claims consultant to the Government of Abu Dhabi Claims Committee, a post I held for 15 years. I was involved in reviewing more than 200 construction-related claims with a value in excess of US$2 billion. During that period I sat for my diploma in arbitration from the UK’s College of Estate Management and subsequently Chartered Institute of Arbitrators assessment courses to become a fellow of the institute, then a chartered arbitrator. I have sat on nearly 100 arbitral tribunals, the vast majority in the UAE but a few in Oman and Qatar. Adjudication is a similar process to arbitration, but less formal, and while quite common in the UK, US, Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia, particularly on World Bank-funded projects, it is less common in the Middle East, although it is slowly growing. I have now sat on 15 dispute adjudication boards in the UAE, Oman and Botswana.
What was the lowest point of your career?
I have not really had any low points. My work has been interesting throughout and I have worked on many spectacular projects, the standout being the Burj Khalifa. My work has taken me to many countries around the world. My first foreign posting was to Athens when I was 20 and, having got the bug, I have now spent 36 years of my 41 year career working outside the UK.
What advice would you offer others starting out in your business?
Get a good grounding in the practical side of the industry by working on construction sites, either as a consultant or a contractor, and get a good understanding of how projects are planned and executed. It is often not the same, which can lead to disputes and ultimately keeps me in work.
What is your most indulgent habit?
The Club. I am there most days either for pleasure or committee business. I also meet regularly with the general manager to discuss Club matters.
What do you have on your desk at work?
My job involves referring to multiple documents at the same time and I can often have about 20 files open around me.
What is your go-to gadget?
I am not very technologically literate and only have my Samsung 900X laptop, on which I still type with one finger, and an iPhone 6 for messages and calls.
What can’t you live without?
First, my family. I am extremely fortunate to have my wife and three children living in the UAE. We are a very close family and enjoy getting together. Secondly The Club, which is like my second family and home from home. The Club has been my passion for nearly 30 years, 20 of which I have been involved in the running of it. I am very proud of what we have achieved, to create what I consider the premier sports and leisure club in the UAE and probably the Arabian Gulf.
How do you achieve a work-life balance?
It is sometimes difficult because of the nature of my work but my approach is to try not to get too pressured by work and to relax whenever I can.
If you could swap jobs with anyone who would it be and why?
One of the original Top Gear presenters. They used to have such fun producing the shows.
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