Approaches to enter emerging markets: A UAE case study

UAE as a country brand ranks one for resorts & lodging. It is 31st among 134 countries in terms of national competitiveness according to the World Economic Forum. It ranks one in terms of invested sovereign wealth funds according to IMF, is the fifth largest oil producing nation. During this time of recession, it is still expected to have a growth of 2.7% according to Standard Chartered. This paper briefly highlights some important ways for global corporation and international entrepreneurs to succeed in building new businesses within UAE learning from the past experiences. The methodology used in this paper is primarily based on an extensive literature review and some interviews. Further triangulation was achieved looking at grey literatures (non-peer reviewed) and web articles. This paper is exploratory in nature. The study presents a conceptual model at the end that will provide guidelines for new entrants into the UAE market.