The Creek and the Burjs of Dubai

Hi again, its time to write. Been busy for the past few months since Eidul Fitr, mostly due to work. I've traveled quite a bit, to Brunei before Ramadhan, Sabah last month and last week to Dubai of the UAE. I'm lucky to have met a group of wonderful people of the same passion and interest in R&D work, training and certification.

I had the luxury of learning from the real world, real people from the industry, experts and professors in various fields from different countries. One thing for sure is being a Malaysian in foreign Muslim land helps. It helps opens up conversation on almost any topic and getting acquaintance. Its very different from an academic discourse which often than most detached from the real business or industry world.

Being the only one from a far at the KirkPatrick Program Evaluation Certification training in Dubai was rewarding. They want to know, to learn and even to explore business opportunities.  They want to hear my story. While i got to meet wonderful Middle Eastern ladies form big corporations (with their ultra modern outlook and fine English) to stately gentlemen from various Emirates government agencies in their fine 'jalabah'.

Me on the other hand learned the mechanics of getting from Level 2 to Level 3 of evaluation, which easier said than done. Multitude of tips on planning and getting towards capturing the necessary data. Jim even indicated survey items of more than 15 would turn off respondents. Again the economics of program evaluation will decide how far one wants to go in evaluating on ROE.

On the hindsight it provides me with the first hand experience on the dynamism of Dubai,  with its Burj Al Khalifa, worlds tallest, beautiful creek and sprawling Jameira Palm that triggers Gulf financial crisis. One thing for sure is the leaderships vision, boosted by the black gold monies propelling the Emirates into a formidable Gulf's economic power, but leaving the common Emiratis gasping to keep up, with glaring gap between knowledge and skills needed and provided by the expatriates.

I'll be back!