We are just establishing Acentic MEA and I’m just back from 3 days in Dubai where I met our new team who are eager to take Acentic’s products and services throughout the middle East and parts of Asia. It is always refreshing to spend time with a new and enthusiastic team who are setting out new plans. Dubai however, was not so refreshing. I worked out that it had been over 3 years since my last visit and I always remember thinking that they should spell it “Do-buy”… but not this time. (It is actually originated from Daba… a locust that devours everything in its path… but not many people know that!). There certainly were a zillion more high risers and infrastructure developments (the metro opened whilst I was there) but it felt like a crane museum. Lots and lots of ceased developments and it must be something to do with the desert, but it looked as if tools were downed 10 years ago.

Dubai has been hit hard by financial crisis and everybody seemed to have a story of hardship. My favourite lay in the fact that personal debt is not permitted in Dubai and when ex-pats lost there jobs and couldn’t pay bills on cars or accommodation, 24,000 cars were left abandoned at the airport and on the streets!

Despite the difficulties, service levels still put some of us to shame. I stayed in the Park Hyatt. Not the glitziest of properties but certainly one that is stunning and probably one of the classiest. It’s the fashionistas favourite where Elle McPherson and Tommy Hilfiger stay. So I blended in nicely. Boy was it quiet. On one night I was in the restaurant on my own but I still felt the service was fantastic. In fact the chef came out and asked me specific questions about my meal. Feeling clever about detecting a hint of a German accent, I asked him if he was missing Germany? I was shocked when he replied, “not really, are you missing Scotland?”. He had worked there and detected my accent… how cool is that!

Good luck to Dubai on a speedy recovery and good luck to Acentic MEA.