Accompanied by rare rain, we reach the academic city. The “contrasting” weather made the journey fast due to little traffic – contrasting as the sun usually shines in Dubai with two or three rainy days a year. Rain in Dubai means that many public and government entities remained closed due to – flooding. What a strange thought to suffer of floods in a desert area. However due to the minimal rain per year, most of the roads and buildings do not have a drainage system – hence the little water collects and “floods”.

While the University of Dubai cancelled all classes because of a storm warning, we were privileged to still have the opportunity to realize our planned visit. The provost gave us a warm welcome at the modern campus, and we had the chance to mingle with faculty as well as staff members during breakfast. Together with a resident expert and the international audience we then focused on the question “What does it need to be / become a great leader?” – it was great to benefit from inputs linked to different industries, cultures and countries. As final highlight we had the honour to meet the president of the university for an inspiring interaction.