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Dubai is expected to be amongst the league of developed countries by 2010 on the strength of diversified non-oil economy with a GDP of US $ 30 billion and per capita GDP of US $ 23,000 with GDP growth rate of over 6 percent p.a. The share of non-oil economy is expected to be 95 percent with 70 percent of the total GDP contribution coming from services sector.
(Source: Dubai Executive Office, December 2004)

Free trade agreement and smart branding has brought in willingness amongst a large pool of employees with western education to network far from their home place. New management mentality that emphasizes on training, empowering and retaining employees has brought in more professionalism in the culture, thereby lifting the stature of UAE/Middle East over the old horizons.

The growth in Informational Technology has been nothing short of spectacular. Dubai comes as one of the fastest developing countries across globe with the presence of most of the top IT companies, like Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, Cisco, HP, Acer, CA and many more. Software Sector itself occupies a major share in IT Sector of Dubai with 23.29 percent business, next only to solution providers and system integrators who have a minor advantage of just 0.40 percent more business. By 2008, this number is expected to increase to 35 percent, and hence, providing enormous opportunities for growth.

Scope for Indian Software Companies

Indian Software Companies have been able to make full use of outsourcing boom, and have been able to tap most of the US and European Market. But the same can not be said about the Middle East, or Dubai in particular.

As of now, there are around 250 IT companies having a base in Dubai. Out of this 250, there are around 150 local IT companies, small scale, start-ups, middle segment and a few on verge of becoming global competitor.

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* Contributed by -
Manik Kinra,
Batch 2006-07,
Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai.