- Name: Amr Nasr
- Age: 28
- Current location: Dubai, UAE
- Home town: Burlington, Ontario
- Education: Bachelor of Commerce
- Current position: Project Manager, Major Bank in UAE
- Bio: Amr Nasr works as a project manager at a large commercial bank in the United Arab Emirates. After graduating with a degree in commerce, Amr was working at a bank in Canada when he was headhunted, and moved to the UAE.
- Countries I've worked in: Canada, UAE
- Sector / subsectors: Business, Banking, Commerce, Project Management
- Areas of expertise: Commerce, Banking, Project Management
- Country: United Arab Emirates
- Region: Middle East, Asia
- Sector: Finance & Banking
- Degree subject: Business & commerce
-
Who are you and what do you do?
Meet Amr Nasr.
-
How did you get to where you are now? Tell us about your career trajectory.
What do you do when you move to the UAE to work for a start-up and it goes under? That’s what happened to Amr, and he tells us how coped.
-
Tell us about the headhunting process. What happened after you saw the job offer in your LinkedIn inbox?
Amr tells us what ultimately convinced him to take the position, and move to the UAE.
-
So you moved to the UAE and your company went under. What convinced you to stay, instead of hopping on a plane home?
From avoiding Canadian winter, to three times the amount of vacation time, Amr breaks down the perks of ex-pat life, and what kept him in the UAE instead of running home.
-
You mentioned the good weather, but what’s the lifestyle like in the UAE?
Amr tells us how the weather helps him live a healthier lifestyle than back home, and talks to us about the “conservative” misconception of the UAE.
-
What professional challenges do you face working in the UAE?
Amr talks to us about learning the business etiquette rules of the UAE, and the difference between the “soup” and “salad” dynamics of multicultural offices.
-
What’s an average day or week like for you?
Amr talks about the sheer amount of time off, and the range of his tasks.
-
What are some of the specific projects you deal with, as a project manager for a bank?
Amr gives us a run down of a project he would have to manage.
-
What’s your best advice for someone looking to move to the UAE?
Amr cautions about being sucked into the lifestyle in Dubai, including $2000 trips to the mall, and how despite making 3 times more income, you might end up saving less than you did back home.
-
You mentioned saving money, and not getting sucked into the lifestyle. Do you have money-saving tips?
Amr says it can be tempting to always say yes, but you need to suck up that FOMO, and learn to say no.
-
You’ve been in the UAE for four years now. What keeps you there?
Amr puts it bluntly: The ease of life will keep you here, from home delivery laundry service, to hiring your own driver.
-
Talk to us about education. What fields are desirable?
Amr says beyond traditional education, networking is extremely important.
-
Do you have tips when it comes to networking?
Most people don’t know what they want, so if you spend time to figure that out, you’ll be ahead of the pack.
-
-
What kind of work is available in this field to people with a finance degree?
From a Mom and Pop shop, to working in mergers and acquisitions, Amr explains how a finance degree keeps your options broad and open, allowing you to turn it into whatever you want.
