Tuesday saw the opening of “The House,” the esteemed Harvard Business School (HBS) Club of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in Dubai for former students of the illustrious school.
“The House” is the HBS Club’s first permanent location in the area and exemplifies the essential role that business plays in today’s unstable world.
The House is a well-known think tank. Thus it is expected to actively interact with governmental and non-governmental organizations to offer insightful opinions, knowledge, and perspectives to help create policies and strategies for economic growth and resilience. It provides a physical space for HBS alums and represents the community’s dedication to fostering thought leaders and promoting policy debates.
Abdullah Bin Touq Al Marri, the UAE’s Minister of Economy, General Civil Aviation Authority Chairman, UAE International Investors Council, and the Board of Trustees of the CSR UAE Fund, officially opened “The House.”
Over 400,000 HBS alumni, including the 1,400 alumni in the area and the larger HBS community, will use “The House” as a hub. The area intends to give the HBS community and alums a place to interact, educate themselves, and work together. According to Al Marri, it will strengthen HBS’s Crossroads project, which brings together international Harvard specialists to concentrate on issues like education, food security, health, and national development that the GCC and the rest of the globe face.
The minister continued by saying that fostering a knowledge economy and collaborations are fundamental to the UAE’s strategy for the future. “We view the Harvard Business School Club as an important partner to enrich the economic and developmental dialogue and to present and share visions and future solutions capable of realizing progress that will serve the country’s development efforts.”
The dedication of Dubai and the UAE to innovation, entrepreneurship, and collaboration, according to Saleh Lootah, president of the Harvard Business School Club of the GCC, is luring skilled professionals and businesses from all over the world and securing its position as a top destination for ex-pats and businesses.
According to him, non-Harvard Business School alums can only attend by invitation.
“The UAE Government’s support of the Harvard Business School Club of the GCC stems from this drive to further develop the region as a hub for innovation, sustainability, and policy, actively supporting the government’s initiatives,” the official continued.
Additionally, the GCC is through a moment of change as we actively diversify our economies, abandon hydrocarbons, and reorient ourselves toward more varied and sustainable models. The Harvard Business School Club of GCC acknowledges the crucial role played by the private sector in this shift, where geopolitical crises dominate headlines and the global economy is continually changing. Therefore, having a permanent presence demonstrates our constant dedication to encouraging meaningful discourse and creating lasting connections and our firm confidence in the private sector’s critical role in today’s unstable world.
