I have just returned from a trip to Dubai to speak at an innovation conference there. This is my third trip to Dubai, and I always come away consistently amazed at what the people and the government are doing. When I return to the States, people ask me what Dubai is like. I joking tell them that I was visiting the future.

In my three visits to Dubai, spanning only a couple of years, the development and progress has been really quite astonishing. I’ve had the good fortune to lead innovation programs and workshops in a wide range of countries and regions, from Western Europe to South Africa to South America and in many locations in Asia. There’s no other place moving as quickly and with such purpose as Dubai. 

During the conference we heard stories about the decisions taken to place Dubai on the innovation map. As an example, the sheikh asked his people to visit Singapore and Hong Kong, places with few natural resources, which were thriving. These insights were brought back to Dubai, and I think have accelerated the growth of the region and the city.

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