Customer Reviews

Dubai & Co.: Global Strategies for Doing Business in the Gulf States

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"Dubai & Co. is a must read for any person or company that is interested in capturing the opportunity in one of the world's fastest growing markets. Having grown up in the Middle East, I can attest that the author has done a spectacular job of highlighting nuances that are essential for doing business in the GCC. I read the book cover to cover in three sittings and surprisingly learned many new facts about my own region. Even if you were born in the GCC, haved lived there for 20 years, or speak Arabic you will be hardpressed not to read this text. Indeed, the book is beautifully balanced in such a way that it sharply dissects through the popular press hype about the GCC and includes some thoughtful points on how the GCC can occupy a larger role in the global economy. In Dubai & Co. A.A. Rehman has written a long-needed book about doing business in the GCC. Not satisfied with a spectacular summary of the history and culture of a much misinterpreted people, Rehman has illuminated the many ways in which understanding the GCC can enrich your business. Just as no corporate strategy should be considered global without attention to the GCC, no business professional may consider him or herself forward thinking without reading this book."

With so much attention on China and India, the Gulf has been overlooked. Meanwhile, business is booming in Dubai and other countries in the Gulf. As the Dubai Ports World dust-up showed, a blanket fear of all things Arab only hurts business. For a level-headed introduction to the business world in the Gulf, Rehman's book is pretty much alone in its field.

Intriguing chronicle of the early 60's race for the land speed record. Book provides an insight into the drive and ingenuity of Craig Breedlove and his ongoing pursuit of the LSR. Section detailing his battle with arch-rival Art Arfons is particularly gripping. This book reminds us of the "Spirit of America" in motorsports history at the dawn of the "Space Age", and deserves a reprint with contemporary updates as to the fate of the early LSR "speed kings"

This book focuses on Craig Breedlove and his quest to win the Land Speed Record. It does mention other challengers, mainly the Arfons brothers, but the majority of the book is focused on Breedlove and his cars.

Keep in mind that this book was printed in 1971, so don't expect any information on newer attempts on the record.

the book is a good introduction into the business environment covering the six GCC states which the author compares in terms of attractiveness, however I would like to make a comment on the classification of the Arab countries proposed by the author: Aamir Rehman, says the western cluster called maghreb is made up of Tunisia, Libya, Algeria & Morocco. there is another country that he totally skipped which is Mouritania; a country bigger in size than Morocco and too vast not to be mentioned [fig 1.2 on page 22 looks strange without Mouritania] ! the Maghreb union is made up of 5 sovereign states: Moritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisa & Libya, in addition to the conflict zone of western Sahara.
other Arab countries in north Africa such as egypt and sudan are not considered maghreb, just north africa.

I wish anyone would write a similar comparative study for the international audience on the north african economies, which are not given significant consideration.

This book provides valuable background information on the GCC region, arguments for why it is and will remain an attractive place for doing business, with an interesting historical backdrop. Despite recent financial turmoil, I remain firmly convinced of the promise of this region, and this book paints a convincing picture of the reasons why.

I must say I am still in the process of reading this book, but so far so good. The book is really about more than just Dubai - it addresses the entire Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and lays out information very clearly both for people with and without experience doing business or living in the GCC. It is also effective for removing certain preconceptions or misconceptions. This book is concise, to the point, and full of illustrative examples and cases. Reading this book, one may very well come to the conclusion that the Gulf, despite current economic woes, is not the "flavor of the month" and will remain a key player in the global economy for years to come. A good read.

Dubai and Co. should be required reading for anyone interested in doing business in the GCC. Rehman's comprehensive analysis of the region's markets is enjoyable, informative, and enlightening for natives and non-natives alike. I highly recommend it to all!

Little heard-of, but increasingly important, the six nations known as the Gulf States are using their oil wealth to become global players in world finance. In turn, multinational corporations are recognizing that these nations should become integral parts of their expansion plans. All this makes author Aamir A. Rehman's work important to any business investigating this marketplace. He provides a cultural, economic, historical, political, demographic and geographic overview of this area, while spelling out the pros and cons of doing business there. Through this book repeats some key sections, Rehman keeps advancing his presentation, so any intrepid reader will have a strong foundation for future business plans. Think of this as a business guidebook to the region. If you are investigating an expansion in the Gulf States, getAbstract would suggest that an investment in this book could generate large returns.

As an American born Muslim who has lived and worked in the Middle East as a strategy consultant, Aamir Rehman is able to bring a cross-cultural perspective to his subject. In 300 concise pages, he brings the GCC countries alive, and helps the reader understand how different they are to each other.

I took three key messages away from this book:

(1) The intense demographic and political challenges the smaller GCC countries face, with tiny domestic populations and large communities of non-citizen expatriates.
(2) The story is not just oil, with signficant diversification efforts being made across the GCC.
(3) The cultural differences between the states, with restrictive Saudi Arabia and ultra-liberal Dubai being at the two extremes.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in international business; as Aamir says, the GCC is too important to ignore.