Some 600 metric ton of gold changes hand every year in this desert city. It is not only the gold that shines here, but modern architecture ranging from sprawling malls, to sky-scrapers, and designer hotels to creative real estate, adding up to the sparkle. This stands a proof that a barren desert land can be so strategically developed and marketed that it speaks volumes about the foresight of the city. It was pretty easy to get lost in this chaotic city during the ten day tenure.
International Relations Committee conducted the STEP (Short Term Exchange Program) to Dubai. The study tour was organized from February 19 – 29, 2016. In the span of these 10 days, we student managers of IMT Nagpur got a chance to experience the cultural and business environment of UAE. We, 19 in number successfully completed the course of “Business Environment and Challenges in UAE”. The course was structured with a view of giving a holistic view of the subject through various guest lectures from eminent personalities from varied professional backgrounds.
Having landed in Dubai on a Thursday, where we were addressed by Dr. Rakesh Singh, Director, IMT Dubai. After a tiring flight journey we decided to call it a day as next on schedule was the City Tour. As the tradition goes here, the weekend starts from Thursday and we were lucky to have the opportunity to explore the city. Our lodging was arranged at IMT Dubai campus, which was situated in Academic City of Dubai. Apart from academic schedule, the weekend were spent at various exotic locales which included the famous Burj Khalifa, along with the magnificent centrepiece of Downtown Dubai. Dubai’s new urban masterpiece is surrounded by different hotels, various must-visit shopping destinations, with a lifetime experience of a Dessert Safari which involved off-road driving through rugged areas.
To give us a detailed view of industrial activities in Dubai, we were scheduled to visit Coca Cola’s Factory in Al Ain, Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, Almarai Dairy Farm in Al Ain, DP world which is the shipping industry of Dubai and of course the best experience of the only seven star hotel of the World- Burj Al Arab. One enjoyable facet of Dubai is cars.Simply driving on the highway and looking out the window was a treat to a car lover like me. Wherever one looks, it is guaranteed to spot a Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, or Range Rover. With the oil industry booming here, people can afford cars such as Ferraris, Buggatti, i8 and other exotic machines. Another of my favourite aspect of Dubai is its unique architecture. The city’s culture revolves around the religion of Islam and traditional Arab culture.
Even after visiting and covering so many places my heart sank on the last day because the day had come for us to leave. All of us had become more like a Family than Friends in just 10 days. I didn’t know what I was taking back home, was it an experience, enjoyments or a family. All I knew was that I had memories for a lifetime because this was different!
Dhruv Kanodia | PGDM 2015-17
Orange Diary 