An Emirati businessman discusses his transition from a Government post to the private sector and how he believes graduates need to be challenged in their workplace to make them more motivated.
ABU DHABI // When Mohammed Al Fahim joined the private sector six years ago he quickly became used to the longer hours and working environment.
“It was a bit strange at the beginning,” said the general manager of products and services at Al Fahim Group.
“A lot of the communication happens at peak hours – from 8am to 1pm. After that, you continue with the administrative work and a series of meetings.”
The 35-year-old Emirati, who oversees the group’s three business units, Safar Travel, Marjan Industrial and Marjan Cables, is at his office at the Safar Travel building by 8.30am.
It is then he has a briefing with team members and reads and answers emails before attending to the two other business units.
“Some days, I tend to do some cross-selling whenever I see an opportunity, either by introducing them to companies or requesting them to introduce me to certain companies.”
At 1pm, Mr Al Fahim takes a quick lunch before getting back to business. He goes home by 5.30pm. Being in the private sector, he said, has made a lot of difference.
“A lot of people may say otherwise but when you work in the private sector you feel a lot more passionate,” said Mr Al Fahim.
“Since I know where the money is going, I’ll be more passionate in my work. I was happy in the Government but it reached a level that I wanted some change – a work environment that fosters motivation.”
For the UAE Government, education is a high priority with Emiratis offered scholarships to pursue studies at bachelors, masters and doctoral levels overseas.
Mr Al Fahim supported such thinking as “education is our ticket to the workforce, to your professional life”. It is something he knows from experience.
At 12, he arrived in the UK to go to boarding school, studying at the International School of Choueifat for two years.
He then went to Millfield School and finished his GCSEs in 1997.
After going to college to do a business and technology education council programme for two years, he attended City of Bath College where he earned a higher certificate and diploma in business.
In 2002, he joined the Private Department of Sheikh Zayed as its investment analyst.
When Sheikh Zayed died in 2004, Mr Al Fahim applied for and worked as a financial analyst at the Emirates Securities and Commodities Security until 2009 when he joined his family business, Al Fahim Group.
The group supports the Absher initiative, launched in 2012 by President Sheikh Khalifa, to encourage Emiratis to work in the private sector.
“Al Fahim Group has succeeded in attracting a number of Emiratis,” Mr Al Fahim said. “To attract Emirati talent there should be a change in mentality. They need to see the job itself and the monetary factor should come in later.
“You don’t want someone utilising six hours or nine hours a day doing nothing. You would want them to be productive and gain more experience in the business.”
He believed there were many ways to give back to one’s country and community.
“For me, giving back is working for the good of the company, the country and the place I’m in,” he said. “If you give people jobs that means there’s purchasing power, apartments are going to be rented, so you’re fuelling the economy.”
He is also a fan of military service for Emiratis.
“If it was introduced earlier, I definitely would have joined the service,” he said.
“That’s the least I can do to pay back the UAE. Having watched people come back to their homes happy and proud overwhelms me with pride.”
rruiz@thenational.ae
