David shares his experience of living and working in Abu Dhabi, his tips for things to see and do in the area and how you can connect with the local ICAS community in UAE.
How long have you lived in Abu Dhabi?
1 year.
Where were you before?
I was in the UK for the previous 2 years.
Where was home for you before Abu Dhabi?
I spent 5 years in Qatar, and 8 years in the Caribbean (Curacao and Cayman).
Within the UK, I’ve been based in London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
Where did you train as a CA?
I trained with Mazars in London.
I was part of the last year of ICAS' internally trained CA’s in London before the mass increase in ICAS training in England.
What was it about Abu Dhabi that made you want to come here?
I had previously spent 5 years in the GCC region from which I had many positive memories in terms of my experiences both professionally and personally – the weather, the professional opportunities, the opportunities to experience live sports and entertainment events, the “can do” business attitude and the opportunity to experience many different cultures in one place.
Which part of Abu Dhabi do you call home?
I consider myself fortunate to live in Saadiyat.
What’s the one thing I shouldn’t miss if visiting the area?
The Saadiyat cultural district – Louvre, Guggenheim, Natural History and other museums can be found there (some are not yet opened though!).
Soul beach (the best beach in the UAE) is also next to the cultural district and within easy walking distance of the museums. As well as a great beach, there is also a great promenade with lots of cool places for lunch or dinner.
I’m new to the area, can you recommend somewhere for:
A business lunch - Business Casual – L’eto, ADGM. You can sit outside most of the year or inside in the warmer months.
More Formal – Em Sherif, Rosewood
An evening out - Yas Marina – lots of dining options with great views of the marina.
A weekend getaway - Warner Brothers hotel, Yas Island – centrally located for lots of activities (Sea World, Ferrari world, Water park).
Describe the local professional community in three words.
Diverse, “Can - do”, happy.
(apologies, that’s four words!).
What are the best things about living and working in Abu Dhabi?
For me the best thing about living here is the lifestyle, quality of life and opportunities – you know what the weather will be tomorrow or at the weekend or next week, so you can easily plan things and there is no shortage of things to plan. Whatever your interests or hobbies happen to be, pretty much all are catered for.
Work wise the ethos and culture is (generally) great, which I love – very much a positive, pro-active, solution focused, collegiate attitude.
And what are the biggest challenges?
For me the time difference with the UK can be challenging to manage at times.
Some people find it hard (harder than they thought) to adjust to some cultural differences in the region.
What advice would you give to another CA considering an opportunity in Abu Dhabi?
Do your sums, do your research and don’t get caught up in the “Keeping up with Jones’s” trap.
What made you decide to get involved and become an ICAS Ambassador, and what have been the biggest takeaways for you personally and professionally?
Having been a CA for over 20 years and benefited in many ways from my membership over those years, I felt it was time to give something back.
I also believe that my career experiences in multiple geographic locations and with a number of key industry players put me in a position to be able to benefit other CA’s by sharing my insights and experiences with them.
My main takeaway so far from being an ICAS Ambassador has been the conversations (formally and informally) with other CA’s and the power of the CA brand and network globally.
How can I connect with you?
I’m always happy to connect and catch up with fellow CA’s. I can easily be reached through LinkedIn.
Connect with David on LinkedIn
