The Abu Dhabi exchange: A defining moment of my INSEAD experience
Writing this from Fontainebleau, I'm struck by how indecision can rob us of life's greatest moments. I wasn't meant for Abu Dhabi's exchange, telling everyone that I was a ‘good finance person’; there was no financial ROI in campus exchanges. Had that been the end of this story, I would have missed out on what is unequivocally the best part of my INSEAD MBA experience. As bidding for campus exchanges closed, three individual conversations with my colleagues Shahzen, Abhi, and Anusha forced me to reevaluate why I was here and what ROI truly means. Indeed, this is what a network is really for. Convinced, I put my name on the waitlist, and at the very last second, got a seat in Abu Dhabi.
The Emirates
Abu Dhabi, and the UAE in general, is a marvel of human engineering and vision. From humble beginnings, the leaders of these Emirates have created an incredible oasis in the desert. Abu Dhabi is the largest of the Emirates, an hour or so from Dubai by car, and is my favourite city in the world. It is a cluster of gorgeous islands that has something for everyone: beautiful turquoise beaches at Saadiyat, gleaming offices in Al Maryah, peaceful residences at Al Reem, exciting rides and roller coasters in Yas, bustling walkways in Corniche, historical depth in Al Dhafra, and the shimmering deserts of Al Ain.
Abu Dhabi welcomes expatriates from all over the world, with almost 90% of the population of the emirate being foreign to its soil. Yet, despite this, a single uniform harmony within the Emirates creates an unparalleled sense of safety that allows you to walk safely on its streets at any time of day or night. The famous hospitality of the Emirates is everywhere. It is a place where multi-ethnic teams collaborate seamlessly on million-dirham deals by day, and strangers become instant friends over karak chai at 2am.
The classroom
INSEAD is well-positioned on Al Maryah Island, right in the centre of the Abu Dhabi Global Market Square (ADGM), the main business hub of the emirate.
The campus offers stunning views of the city from the 29th floor of Al Khatem Tower, and shares offices with over 120 major firms, creating an elite business ecosystem.
During our time, we were taken on office visits to or visited by: Hub71 (a tech startup hub), Aldar (the premier real estate developer of Abu Dhabi), Etihad Airlines, EDGE Group (a major defence company), and G42 (a global, revolutionary AI firm).
Networking events also introduced us to a rich network of INSEAD alumni who had found great success in the region, working in excellent firms like Mubadala (Sovereign Wealth Fund) and ADNOC (major oil & gas titan). Colleagues at the CDC Abu Dhabi, such as Ashique Rafi, worked tirelessly to identify opportunities and jobs that may be of interest to us.
During our time in Abu Dhabi, we were treated to fun and interesting lectures. We kicked off with "Business in the Middle East" with Professor Neil Jones, and in his last lecture before retirement, he taught us about the rich history, journey, and future vision of Abu Dhabi.
We then had former Dean Professor Ilian Mihov teach us Macroeconomics in the Global Economy, where we learned how our global system functions with a focus on the Middle East context. Professor Hilke Plassmann then taught us about the importance of caring and thoughtful consumption. Corporate Entrepreneurship with Professor Chiara Spina sparked fresh ideas on leveraging experimentation and accelerators to drive innovation in entrepreneurial firms. Sustainable Finance with Professor Lucie Tepla offered timely insights into financing net-zero transitions and sustainable impact investing. Strategy Execution with Professor Daniel Simonovich was a hands-on, fun experience where we learned how to actually "do strategy" through a simulation he had us run on making decisions within a mock organisation and observing the impact was a highlight.
Political Environment with Professor Vinod Aggarwal was a watershed moment for me, as many of my concepts on global politics and thinking were challenged; his deep dive into political history, theory, and philosophy helped us become more rounded and better leaders, able to think critically.
The legendary Professor Horacio Falcão led a negotiation masterclass to remember, full of exciting stories, anecdotes, and live negotiations between us on fun and engaging cases; we recorded our negotiations and learned a great deal about who we were in the negotiation environment.
The Dean of Degree Programmes, Professor Mark Stabile, himself taught us Public Policy and pushed us to debate and reflect on hard subjects like the gender pay gap, racial inequality, global poverty, and much more. Learning from these amazing people, in a thought-provoking environment, forced true reflection and refinement of self in the context of the global whole.
The adventure
However, it's not all classroom learning. A smaller cohort of only 64 classmates forged a tight-knit, lasting network buoyed by great memories, laughs, learning, and shared experiences. The sense of adventure is truly in the atmosphere during the exchange. In two months, our cohort bonded over dune bashing, quad biking, sand surfing, and a spectacular fire show deep in the Al Ain desert. We also did jet skiing in Dubai, kayaked around the Louvre in Abu Dhabi, watched airshows by the beach in Saadiyat, bowled at the Galleria, saw the Dubai fountain show, experienced a UAE national dress day, explored heritage villages and souks and so much more.
Being so proximate to other great cities, we explored Riyadh together and marvelled at its mega-projects and Vision 2030, and went diving through the Wadis in Oman. Of course, food took centre stage as we bonded together over life experiences at little treasures of restaurants we each found hidden away like gems in the desert.
The Abu Dhabi exchange was the defining moment of my INSEAD experience. It brought me closer to great friends, taught me what I wanted out of life and a career, and inspired me for the potential we can hope for in this world.
If you are thinking about the Abu Dhabi exchange, please remember that you miss every shot that you don't take. I hope you enjoy this incredible part of the world as much as I did. In a city where 90% of expats thrive amid harmony, true ROI: global networks ignite local breakthroughs. Be the change you seek.
P.S.: I even got married in Abu Dhabi! Enjoy the photos!
