Dubai: boomtown of the age, a 21st Century metropolis staking a claim in the desert to build a future beyond oil. As a first-time visitor, you don't have to be told that this is a place committed to development. The city is barely half way through a stupendous transformation process, a bold bid to reinvent itself as a financial services hub between Asia and Europe.
Can do, will do
Arif Naqvi, founder of Abraaj Capital, never intended to build a private equity business. Today, he presides over the largest such entity investing in the Middle East and North Africa. An eloquent spokesman for the asset class' importance in the Arab world, he recently shared his vision for the industry and the region with Philip Borel.
