Alain Arida
CEO
Alain Arida,CEO,Gulf Markets International W.L.L is one such persistent leader whose only aim is to be successful and he earns every bit of his success through tenacity & hard work. Alain is a business development expert and deals with strategic business planning, including commercial & operation, budgeting, risk management, HSE, HR, and other functions to achieve objectives with entire abidance to business ethics. Over the two decades of his professional career, he has been associated with multiple reputed organizations working remarkably in leadership positions. Before Gulf Markets International, he has been the MD of Sibelco Egypt leading the regional development of the company in MENA and shouldering the overall strategic, organizationaland financial responsibility for its various operations. Some of his major professional milestones include his roles as the Commercial Director of Reliance Group Egypt, and prior to that he was the General Manager of Rio Tinto (previously known as Pechiney) subsidiary in the GCC. Alain is known for his strong business acumen and exceptionally advanced creative, analytical, and communication skills. Apart from being a great leader, he is a certified international trainer & coach for personal development and also a certified international arbitrator. Let's hear it from him.
Tell us about your experience so far with Gulf Markets International and what drives you today as an industry leader.
I started with GMI in 2015 and since then it has been a combination of successes, studied failures, challenges, growth, and geographical spread from Bahrain, KSA & UAE to Oman, Qatar, and recently India, China & Egypt. The foremost driving force is the desire to achieve success. I believe, that when you are passionate about something you have no other option than to succeed. Challenges are always present and they will continue to be there it is all about your level of persistence & passion.
How would you define Gulf Markets International as an organization? What is the unique proposition that your organization offers to clients?
GMI is an agile one-stop shop for industries. We are connected with all our stakeholders keeping our clients at the center of every thing we do. This benefits not only our clients but also our business partners, suppliers, principals, and employees. What makes us different is the speed of our response and the ability to find realistic solutions for our clients. Our proximity to all our clients and our dedicated teams plays a big role in our success.
How is the team built and what motivates them the most to fulfill the needs of the clients by providing them with effective business solutions?
The company and its team are completely aligned with the vision and mission. The workflow is well explained and shared with every employee. We consider our employees as our family members, who fully own their roles and responsibilities. Their success is our success. Communication styles and integrity with all stakeholders make GMI a trustable entity, and when our clients face an issue, we are among the first to be consulted.
Communication styles and integrity with all stake holers make GMI a trustable entity when our clients face an issue, we are among the first to be consulted
How would you define Gulf Markets International as an organization? What is the unique proposition that your organization offers to clients?
GMI is an agile one-stop shop for industries. We are connected with all our stakeholders keeping our clients at the center of every thing we do. This benefits not only our clients but also our business partners, suppliers, principals, and employees. What makes us different is the speed of our response and the ability to find realistic solutions for our clients. Our proximity to all our clients and our dedicated teams plays a big role in our success.
How is the team built and what motivates them the most to fulfill the needs of the clients by providing them with effective business solutions?
The company and its team are completely aligned with the vision and mission. The workflow is well explained and shared with every employee. We consider our employees as our family members, who fully own their roles and responsibilities. Their success is our success. Communication styles and integrity with all stakeholders make GMI a trustable entity, and when our clients face an issue, we are among the first to be consulted.
How do you maintain the perfect balance between your personal and professional life?
I confess that sometimes either family or GMI becomes the victim. But in the end, both are an important part of my life. I have at least one day per week dedicated to family and the good thing is that each of my family members supports me in this. I am trying to keep my hobbies alive. It goes without saying that with today's easy communication tools I am on duty most of the time, considering the time difference between East and West.
What are the changes in market behavior that you anticipate and what are the opportunities that you foresee?
With the current crises and the past few years of Covid, we have realized that there is a need to develop local manpower ability to meet the industry level of each country. We have learned that travels are important,but there are also alternatives, distant jobs are more welcomed and can be a huge cost saver, and communication is vital and should not be underestimated given the gap that has been created during the past two years.
What advice would you give to budding industry leaders?
Do not start until you are sure that you have covered all the building blocks of your project develop more than one scenario for your business plan, do not develop a plan B, but make sure that your plan A works play it with your passion. At last money is important and it will be the result of hard & smart work and most importantly persistence.
Alain Arida, CEO, Gulf Markets International W.L.L
Alain has 30+ years of professional experience with an MBA in International Business and Six Sigma certification in Business Improvement & lean management. He is trained in various soft skills & self-learning coverings, including leadership, Time Management, Decision Making & Problem Solving and managing change across cultures.
I confess that sometimes either family or GMI becomes the victim. But in the end, both are an important part of my life. I have at least one day per week dedicated to family and the good thing is that each of my family members supports me in this. I am trying to keep my hobbies alive. It goes without saying that with today's easy communication tools I am on duty most of the time, considering the time difference between East and West.
What are the changes in market behavior that you anticipate and what are the opportunities that you foresee?
With the current crises and the past few years of Covid, we have realized that there is a need to develop local manpower ability to meet the industry level of each country. We have learned that travels are important,but there are also alternatives, distant jobs are more welcomed and can be a huge cost saver, and communication is vital and should not be underestimated given the gap that has been created during the past two years.
What advice would you give to budding industry leaders?
Do not start until you are sure that you have covered all the building blocks of your project develop more than one scenario for your business plan, do not develop a plan B, but make sure that your plan A works play it with your passion. At last money is important and it will be the result of hard & smart work and most importantly persistence.
Alain Arida, CEO, Gulf Markets International W.L.L
Alain has 30+ years of professional experience with an MBA in International Business and Six Sigma certification in Business Improvement & lean management. He is trained in various soft skills & self-learning coverings, including leadership, Time Management, Decision Making & Problem Solving and managing change across cultures.