Dubai is becoming a key part of top business school recruitment strategies, according to the world’s largest series of international MBA and Executive MBA fairs.

The QS World Exec MBA Tour, which comes to Dubai on Monday, December 8, spoke with some of the world’s top business schools, all of which reported that due to Dubai’s growth as the business hub of the Middle East, demand for Executive MBA programs are increasing.

Richard Gillingwater, Dean of Cass Business School, says the Middle East is a growth region for skills, talent and education, particularly in the light of the financial crisis.

“This (crisis) will cause an influx of labour and talent in the Gulf region, but it is a great opportunity. Until now the scarcity of skilled labour was a major drag on development, but this has now eased. As with any emerging market, the need and demand for MBAs is set to grow in line with the development of the region. Dubai will therefore form an important part of our recruitment strategy.”

Arnold Longboy, Director of Student Recruitment – Europe at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business says the school has consistently enrolled students from the UAE since opening its Europe campus in 1994.

“UAE students offer unique insights into Middle Eastern business culture and their fellow EMBA students can learn from their experiences and recommendations. Their contribution to the diversity of the EMBA cohort is invaluable. What’s also interesting is the insight they offer of working in an environment which continues to produce double-digit growth.”

Cass Business School currently has 21% of its EMBA program cohort as UAE nationals, and of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business’ class of 90, six per cent are resident in the Middle East.

“The UAE has always been a good market for us and we have an excellent track record of attracting high-quality Middle East-based students to our Executive MBA program,” Longboy says. “The UAE is a solid economy and there have been several high-profile investments from Middle East-based funds in UK companies recently, demonstrating the strong bonds between both countries.”

Cass Business School launched its Executive MBA program in Dubai in 2007, in partnership with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). In its second year (2008), the program had a 35% increase in cohort size and the school has now established a representative office within the DIFC’s Centre of Excellence.

“Our Emirati students make a very important contribution to the overall learning experience in class, bringing real world experience and practical examples of how the development, changes and business challenges within the UAE are shaping up,” says Gillingwater. “We also encourage greater networking opportunities and cross fertilisation of knowledge and ideas between our executives on the Dubai and London programs through electives in both London and Dubai (which includes the launch of a new symposium in Dubai), so the impact of UAE nationals on our EMBA programs has a greater impact across the Cass MBA community.”

The QS World Exec MBA Tour in Dubai will open with a panel discussion on “The Full Time vs Executive MBA”, hosted by a selection of top international MBA and EMBA programs including Wharton, Chicago, Cass, ISB Hyderabad and the Swiss Finance Institute. This will be followed by a Q&A session for candidates and corporate representatives.

The QS World Exec MBA Tour is also an opportunity for HR Managers in charge of training and development, chief learning and training officers, as well as line managers in charge of the careers of top company talent, to find out more about MBA and EMBA programs.

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