The Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG), a research and teaching institution specialized in public policy in the Arab world, today launched a book titled ‘The India Connection’ during a ceremony organized at the Convention Tower of Dubai World Trade Centre.

Based on entrepreneurship, innovation and cultural diversity in the UAE’s labor market and their impact on sustainable economic development, the book highlights the experiences of Indian entrepreneurs in the UAE through live case studies and interviews.

The special launch event was attended by Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, UAE Minister of State for Tolerance, The Consul-General of India to the UAE, Anurag Bhushan, H.E. Dr Ali Sebaa Al Marri, Executive President, Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, and the authors of “The India Connection” Dr. Immanuel Azaad Moonesar, Assistant Professor at MBRSG and Dr. Melodena Stephens Balakrishnan, Associate Professor at The University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD).

Among the attendees were a number of leading Indian entrepreneurs whose experiences have served as case studies in the book and research experts, among others. Speaking on the launch of the book, Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi stressed the importance of academic publications that study the evolution of investment trends across different periods in the UAE’s history.

She said: “Since the establishment of the UAE, our founding father late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan realized the importance of developing strong foreign relations especially with countries that have a significant impact - geographically, culturally, economically and politically - on the UAE, such as India. Sheikh Zayed’s visit to India in 1975 helped establish growing and prosperous synergies between our two countries.”

She added: “Today our bilateral relationship has strengthened. The UAE has ratified an increasing number of cooperation agreements with India in the political, cultural, and economic arenas, among others. We look forward to seeing more research conducted on this historic relationship between the two countries that will go a long way in ensuring the sustainability of this relationship and help us identify best ways for future cooperation. I am confident that the UAE’s appealing investment environment – strategically developed over the past few years – as well as its tolerant culture that welcomes all nationalities and provides them with opportunities for success and stability, offer great scope for future studies on similar success stories with regard to other nationalities working and living in the UAE.”  

The book is part of a series titled ‘Actions and Insights’ that discusses MENA affairs. The series is published by the University of Wollongong in Dubai in collaboration with the International Business Academy in the Middle East and North Africa. The publication series turns the scanner on young human capital in emerging countries and its role in overcoming the current challenges in the field of business and international trade. It also points out that youth are the hope for a country to step-up its adoption of modern market concepts, such as innovation.

In compiling ‘The India Connection’ researchers delved deep into the stories of entrepreneurs from the Indian community who settled in and founded successful businesses in the UAE.  They have also attempted to study the gradual shift of the center of world economy from the West to the East - a phenomenon that has occupied the attention of experts and policy makers worldwide and one that merits ongoing monitoring.

For his part, H.E. Dr Ali Sebaa Al Marri, said: “This book stands as another testimony about the historic friendship between Dubai and India, and highlights the deep interrelated ventures that had significant impact on the economic, political, and social development of both nations. We take pride in this relationship which has always been embedded with mutual appreciation and respect to both our similarities and differences and always has potential for further growth.”

The great interest in the launch of this book reflects the profound historical relations between India and the UAE. Speaking on these special relations, His Excellency Sanjay Verma, Former Indian Consul General in Dubai, said in his introduction to the book that the UAE is home to 77% of India’s exports to the region, with over 26,000 Indian companies registered with Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, including companies registered at free zones across the UAE. The total number of functional Indian companies in Dubai exceeds 50,000.

As a further testament to the strong bilateral relations between India and the UAE and the mutual keenness of the two in developing these synergies, there have been mutual visits between the two countries, especially the one by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to India this year, that came after the visit of His Excellency Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, to the UAE last year, as a further testament to the strong bilateral relations between India and the UAE and the mutual keenness of the two in developing these synergies, During this visit, both countries agreed to forge a new path in strengthening strategic partnerships after over 35 years of solid cooperation on all levels.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, visited the Republic of India in 2010. During the visit they discussed strengthening the relationship between the two countries and increasing the number of cooperation agreements with India in the political, cultural, and economic arenas, among others.

Dr Ali Sebaa Al Marri added: “We at MBRSG, seek to replicate the UAE Leaders’ efforts to strengthen the ties between UAE and all the states in the region through highlighting contributions, sharing best practices and promoting Government excellence through organizing knowledge sharing platforms, delivering leadership development programs and conducting applied research.”

The Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government is committed to promoting good governance through enhancing the region’s capacity for effective public policy.