Transferring from Europe to Middle East office - any advice?
I am working for a leading consultancy and transferring soon from my current European office to Middle East (Dubai office). Current role is workstream lead (A at McK, C at BCG, etc.).
I am of course fascinated about the new adventure but also a bit nervous about what I’ll face. My main concern is the difference in case types. Cases I’ve “specialized” on so far are deals (CDD, VDD) & corporate market studies, I’ve done dozens of them and was even the project manager in a couple of them recently; apart from that 1 recent strategy case (where I led market & competition assessment section, so similar to deals and market studies) and 1 more strategy case in my earlier days.
I know that they don’t have these types of short cases (3-4 weeks) in the Middle East, but rather long strategy / transformation cases (multiple months). Hence, the required skillset will switch quite a bit toward client management and handling a bit more “vague” nature of work, and on top of that lots of travel to KSA.
I do have faith in my abilities to succeed: the transfer was backed by local partner support, I had to do interviews (incl. case part) with Dubai partners, submit recent annual performance assessments, full list of cases I’ve done, CV… and they still decided to hire me despite knowing that I have specialized in a different nature of cases so far. What I keep telling myself is also that dozens of MBA graduates with zero prior consulting experience start as fresh joiners in workstream lead roles in Middle Eastern offices, and most of them do fine – so why shouldn’t I do fine as well?
Furthermore, I have read through a few recent final reports of other case types at our office (growth strategy, value creation, etc.), and my gut feeling is that the core consulting skills required are more or less the same.
Nevertheless, I’d appreciate to hear some thoughts / advice / you name it based on your previous experiences, especially:
- To what extent are skills transferable between different types of projects
- Did you experience any major differences between working in Europe and Middle East? Was it easier / harder to succeed in one or the other region
- Are CDD-type cases generally perceived as “easier” in your offices compared to other types of cases?
- Any other tips you would like to share?
Transferring to the Middle East office, particularly Dubai, is an exciting opportunity, but it does come with its own set of challenges and adjustments. Based on the most helpful WSO content and insights from professionals who’ve made similar moves, here’s what you need to know:
1. Transferability of Skills
2. Differences Between Europe and the Middle East
3. Perception of CDD-Type Cases
4. Tips for Success
5. Mindset Matters
Final Thought
The Middle East consulting market is dynamic and offers immense growth opportunities. By leveraging your existing skills, adapting to the regional nuances, and maintaining a growth mindset, you’ll not only succeed but also thrive in your new role. Good luck with your adventure in Dubai!
Sources: Case study interview for MBB consulting - 24 of my best tips on how to get in, Former Deloitte and Booz Allen Ask Me Anything, Q&A: Strategy consulting Associate Partner offering career advice, Q&A: Strategy consulting Associate Partner offering career advice
Thanks, a response from actual users would be much appreciated…
There aren’t many who work in consulting Dubai active here but you’ll probably find good replies in fishbowl/glassdoor - Middle East consultants.
Thanks!
You will be fine.
I have experience working in the Middle East and Western markets, so I can speak to this pretty well. In general, DD work is harder from a pure problem solving and intensity of hours perspective and is certainly not looked down upon. In my view, people staffed on long transformation projects with little true problem solving work are often perceived as having the biggest gaps in their skillsets.
In other words, a lot of your skills will be transferrable - consulting is consulting at the end of the day. You will be expected to answer problems quickly, have clear communication and storytelling skills, and, over time, become a counsellor to the client. Those are all skills you should be developing today.
The biggest difference is the type of work. The last 5-10 years in the Middle East has been a lot of work with gov't or semi-gov't authorities on "greenfield" projects. It was building institutions, markets and infrastructure from stratch. The consulting market has slowed down a bit and clients are less interested in spending on projects that don't deliver tangible results while also realizing that they need to upskill their local workforce (vs. relying constantly on external advisors). As a result, a lot of the work is now moving into delivery of those initial blueprints and generally trying to make existing institutions and assets run better. Still a lot of really cool stuff.
Main differences IMO are 1) clients and 2) your own colleagues. Clients can be a frustrating mix of demanding and less capable than the average client in Europe. Your colleagues will be more international (Middle East, India, Europe, America), which can make for a cool working team dynamic. The flipside is that there are firms and/or specific practices around the region that heavily favor their own nationality, and working in those groups can be a dead-end for your career in the region. My single biggest piece of advice is have a clear sense of your firm's reputation and performance trajectory in the region and do your diligence on the people you work with. A lot of T2 firms are in a tough spot right now (e.g., Kearney, Roland Berger) and have had pretty heavy RIFs in the last year.
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