In the United Arab Emirates, a tight-knit Chapter

[This translation has been automatically generated]

President of the ESSEC Alumni Chapter in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 2013, Gurwan Le Gac (MBA 12) reflects on a rapidly growing community, tested by the recent bombings, yet more united than ever.

ESSEC Alumni: Could you introduce the alumni community in the United Arab Emirates?

I arrived in Dubai in 2011, at a time when the city was very different from what it is today. Over the past fifteen years, the country has undergone a considerable transformation. The sectors attracting alumni include luxury, hospitality, finance, consulting and real estate.

Today, our WhatsApp group brings together 460 people, 95% of whom are based in Dubai and 5% in Abu Dhabi. Dubai is a highly European city, unlike Abu Dhabi, which is more deeply rooted in Arab culture and whose economy remains tied to oil and, increasingly, artificial intelligence.

Dubai’s appeal for alumni is undeniable: in twelve years, we have grown from 64 to 460 members. In 2025 alone, 100 ESSEC graduates arrived — something we had never seen before. These are not junior profiles: they have, on average, ten years of professional experience. Internships do not really exist here due to a status that is not officially recognised by the Emirates. Moreover, I have noticed that the local market places significant value on candidates with experience in Anglo-Saxon environments.

How is the community coping during this troubled period for the Emirates and Dubai?

The past few weeks have been marked by bombings. Some people left for holidays, but they all returned. In the end, none of us left the Emirates. During this period, our WhatsApp group played an essential role: it enabled information to circulate in real time and became a genuine lifeline, offering a bubble of lightness in an otherwise heavy atmosphere.

We have emerged from this episode more united than ever. As every year, we celebrated the end of the fasting period with two iftars in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Around thirty of us gathered despite the bombings, always with a particularly strong sense of cohesion. Our Chapter of 460 members has clearly emerged stronger from this experience.

What impact is the war having on economic activity and daily life in the Emirates?

During the bombings, the DIFC  (Dubai International Financial Centre) and several districts close to strategic locations were targeted. Yet we still felt protected. Economically, Dubai’s financial centre has been affected. The tourism sector has been particularly impacted: several thousand jobs could be at risk. More broadly, all the sectors represented within our community are experiencing a slowdown. But it is not a complete standstill. Life goes on.

How has the alumni network developed since your arrival?

When I arrived, I wanted to connect with the ESSEC graduates based in the Emirates. I quickly realised that there was no truly organised community. In 2013, I had around sixty ESSEC alumni contacts on LinkedIn. I suggested organising a first afterwork event, and that is how the community was born. Since then, the network has become increasingly structured. I organise conferences on a variety of topics — geopolitics, legal matters and economics — as well as Get Together events. Every year, we welcome students, particularly Master’s students, who come to discover Dubai. We connect them with companies and alumni already working locally.

I also reached out to the presidents of Chapters from other leading schools based locally — HEC, ESCP, EDHEC, Sciences Po and others — in order to organise joint events. Every three or four months, we invite an external university or business school to join us for a special occasion, such as Sorbonne University or Paris-Panthéon-Assas University, and we hope to welcome an American university soon.

Chairing a Chapter requires a great deal of time, but I genuinely enjoy it. The smiles and words of thanks are my greatest reward, so do not hesitate to join us at one of our events if you happen to be passing through Dubai.