Denise McGinty: Dubai challenges you to think differently
The Edinburgh entrepreneur built a career in Dubai and is now advising those seeking a new life in the UAE, writes TERRY MURDEN
A holiday in Dubai more than 25 years ago proved to be far more than simply a chance for Denise McGinty to recharge the batteries. It marked the beginning of a new life – and a business journey that would see the Scottish entrepreneur build and exit one of the UAE’s largest-scale outsourcing workforce businesses before launching her latest venture back home in Edinburgh.
McGinty, founder and CEO of Dubai Family Office, has opened a UK base in Morningside, designed to support Scottish professionals, entrepreneurs and families exploring opportunities in the UAE, from getting the children into school to setting up in business and sorting out workforce plans.
While traditional family offices are usually associated with wealth management, Dubai Family Office focuses on lifestyle and business services for corporates, individuals and families looking to relocate or invest in the UAE.
“Our role is to help people navigate what can be a complex process,” says McGinty whose own entrepreneurial journey began in Scotland, running a food business, until Dubai became the foundation for much of her career since she moved there in 1999.
Over the years she has witnessed the transformation of Dubai into one of the world’s major international business hubs. “It was dynamic, safe and full of opportunity,” she recalls of her first impressions of Dubai. “It was also a very different city back then, with few highways and none of the skyscrapers now dominating the skyline.
The population exploded from 650,000 at that time to more than four million today, and its rapid growth as a destination for international workers seeking opportunity sparked her first major ventures: five years in real estate leasing, followed by nine years building and selling an outsourced household cleaning business, The Housekeeping Group.
The company delivered training skills to about 30,000 women, mainly from Asia and Africa, accumulating awards from government entities for its work in training and developing HR policies. It became one of the UAE’s largest domestic staffing and outsourcing providers.
Throughout the course of her career in the UAE, McGinty has handled regulatory environments, leveraging government-backed initiatives, and embracing the cultural dynamics of doing business in the region.
In the process she has developed a detailed understanding of commercial and practical realities of living and working in the UAE. That experience now underpins Dubai Family Office.
“People often underestimate what’s involved,” she says. “There are considerations around visas, business structures, schooling, employment, property and practical day-to-day arrangements. Having access to the right expertise makes a significant difference.”
The new Edinburgh office has attracted a steady flow of interest, with a recent breakfast seminar drawing business leaders and prospective clients keen to understand the opportunities available.
“For most clients, these are important life, investment or business decisions,” says McGinty. “They want confidence that they’re speaking to people who understand the process and can connect them with the right support.”
McGinty was born in Elgin and raised in Edinburgh but regards Dubai as home. Now 62, she has seen more than a change in the cityscape. The culture has also become more diverse, and the business environment has evolved. Unlike when she first set up a business in the emirate, a sponsor is now only required in certain industries such as defence, aviation and telecommunications.
“The government has an ‘Emiratisation’ programme, a requirement of private companies to employ a percentage of Emiratis. This ensures a fair balance in the workforce and ensures positive integration,” she says.
The advantageous tax benefits are clearly an attraction for those looking to relocate. There’s no income tax, and salaries come inclusive with medical insurance. There is no taxpayer-funded national health service, but there are no waiting lists. If you need medical treatment, you can get it almost instantly. From a schooling perspective, the government raises revenue from visas, school fees and fees paid to different departments. All schooling is private.
Regarding the current tensions in the region, she says: “The conflict in the Middle East isn’t just affecting the UAE, it has an impact on countries globally.
“Certain industries may be affected. But for those living and working on the ground here, it really is business as usual.
“Dubai is not for the faint-hearted, it challenges you to think differently and work harder, but if you are prepared, it can transform your life in ways that simply wouldn’t have been possible elsewhere.”
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