Dear Members and Community,
I hope this finds you and your family well and safe during these times. As expats we generally are optimists and we always hope that a new year will be better than the last one. I believe that whilst it will be challenging in many ways there is still a lot to look forward to in 2021. On Australia Day, as an example, the handover was completed for the Australian Pavilion for the Dubai Expo 2020. This is set to showcase the best of Australian innovation and ingenuity to the world. So, we are all looking forward to seeing this on display at Dubai Expo 2020.
We also formally signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Australian Business Council Dubai and the Australian Pavilion at Expo, and we look forward to more collaboration and supporting them as we enter the home stretch to the opening of Expo2020 on October 1st.
The Dubai Expo 2020, in my mind, is a good example of how the UAE still offers a lot of opportunity to expats. With many other parts of the world struggling to find a way forward I believe that the UAE has found a good balance between being open for business but also allowing this to happen in a safe manner.
In light of the UAE trying to find the balance, the ABCD board continues to work hard to try to manage our event calendar so we can offer members the opportunity to network whether it be online or in person. We have been working hard with other business councils to help keep the events relevant, productive and fun to attend.
While we strive to offer face to face (mask to mask) events we understand the fluid landscape and must react accordingly to changes in regulations. As such we have postponed a few of our planned larger ‘in-person’ events. We will continue to offer online options and look forward to connecting with you, whether it be online, via our social media platforms or eventually, in person again. If you don’t follow us yet make sure you find us on LINKEDIN, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM & TWITTER.
Our Annual General Meeting will take place next month when we will be electing the new ABCD Executive Board. For those who are looking to stand it is a two-year commitment and, after serving a decade myself on the board, I have found it rewarding to give back to our community. If you are interesting in nominating yourself or a fellow member to stand for the Board you simply need to complete the NOMINATION FORM and send it (along with a head shot and bio for the nominee) to manager@abcduae.com
I look forward to seeing you online or in person at one of our events soon!
Warm Regards,
Craig Holding
Vice Chairman