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Nasser Al Nowais tells Khaleej Times how he grew up in Abu Dhabi and helped build it into one of the world’s leading destinations
Photo by Kareem Dawaba
Nasser Al Nowais is regarded as one of the leading figures in the UAE’s hospitality industry, having been at the forefront of bringing Abu Dhabi and the UAE to the world for over three decades.
Nearly 30 years have passed since the pioneering Emirati opened the first Rotana hotel in Abu Dhabi, and the destination remains an important part of the emirate’s history and tourism development.
A graduate of New York University, Mr Al Nowais is an economist and has led the development of the UAE, whose responsibilities include founding the Abu Dhabi National Hotels Company, which he served as Chairman for 14 years and is now the largest Hotel and industrial companies Catering companies in the region.
During his distinguished career, in addition to his position as Deputy Minister of the Ministry, he also served as Managing Director of Abu Dhabi Funds, where he managed numerous tourism, industrial and agricultural investments and infrastructure project finance and investment in the Middle East and Africa. industry.
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While many today see the UAE as a futuristic, forward-thinking country, a beacon not only in the Arab world but also on the global stage, Mr Al Nowais is of a generation born in the palm-leaf homeland of a bygone era, in Born at home without schools or hospitals.
“When I went to Dubai, Al Ain or Fujairah, we went through the desert because there were no roads then,” he said. It’s a dramatic shift marked by stark contrast. “You know at one point, life was so hard,” he told the Khaleej Times. “The foods we can eat today are not the same as the foods we could eat in the past, they are actually fish and rice.”
That was the era of the founding father, Sheikh Zayed, who Mr Al Nowais said taught him a lot.
“I learned how to be a simple human being, how to be humble. I learned how to treat people as human beings, whether they are different nationalities, or different religions.”
His turning point came when he became the first Emirati to study in New York and won a scholarship to NYU. He said the move was “a huge shock”, like moving from a village to a big city. But most transformative is what he will bring back.
“One of the most important things was to learn to treat everyone equally. Back then in Abu Dhabi, we relied on a lot of expats, so you had to treat them well. If you wanted them to be productive, if you wanted them to be happy, You have to treat them as a person and as part of being successful, you have to work as a team.”
During his time in New York, he had to work as a receptionist in his spare time, then worked in laundromats and restaurants, which gave him first-hand knowledge of building brands and teams.
Starting with one hotel in the 1990s, the Rotana brand now has more than 100 hotels in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Turkey.
This is an achievement Mr. Al Nowais never imagined, when he started simply creating a brand that locals would enjoy and help the local economy and community, he was far from done and he now hopes to take the brand down with it Expand to Europe and beyond.
Despite his overwhelming success, he has maintained an approachable image, saying staying connected with his team is one of the secrets to a thriving business.
“When we started this company, we didn’t have the money that other big brands had, and we didn’t have much capital,” he recalls. Now, with thousands of employees, he remains an important part of the Rotana brand. “I don’t even stay in my office, I go to them,” he said. “And everybody knows, I go to the kitchen, I go to the laundry room, I go to the receptionist, I go everywhere. I’m very accessible.”
Although he himself has spent many years in New York, he remains deeply committed to the UAE, not only in his local businesses, but also in supporting local educational institutions, sending his own children to American universities in Sharjah, leaving them close to home while providing them with a good education for their future.
His philosophy with children and younger generations is to “be very patient”. After decades of hard work, he said, “You know you can’t get everything easily. You have to work hard for it.”
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