Last week, I once again visited the United Arab Emirates. This time around, it was to my all-time favorite Dubai to attend the first Arab Social Media Influencers Summit organized at the Dubai International Exhibition and Conference Center.
The theme of the conference was very unique and reflected Dubai’s or the UAE’s efforts to make gains in this sphere as well.
It is very true that in today’s world social media has assumed great importance and one cannot achieve success in the true sense of the word without concentrating on the proper development and usage of the new media.
Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum opened the summit. Speakers at the event shared their experiences with social media and highlighted the importance of the new media to the world of business and its role in increasing business revenues.
The event also honored social media activists who are trying to make a difference in the world through their efforts using various online platforms. Undoubtedly, such events motivate other social media users to make good use of their talents.
I was so proud of the youngsters honored at the event. There is a great need to appreciate such people, as these gestures encourage them and others to put in extra efforts to come up with novel ideas. Gone are the days when the social media was considered a waste of time. On the contrary, it has revolutionized all spheres of life and opened windows of opportunities for individuals and organizations.
The two-day event was loaded with different activities and it proved to be a great opportunity for boosting interpersonal ties, as many high-profile individuals from both the traditional and the new media were present.
To me the best part of the event was my meeting with Dubai’s ruler. It wasn’t a scheduled rendezvous. On the second day of the summit, some of the participants were selected to be part of a meeting with Sheikh Mohammad.
It was really exciting to meet such a visionary, who turned a small city into one of the most attractive destination for people from across the world and into a business hub bubbling with creativity.
Before meeting him, I had always wondered as to why people always praise him so much. I have always felt that too much praise kills humbleness and make people arrogant. My views, however, changed after the meeting. He entered the meeting hall without any guards and personally greeted every participant of the meeting, which showed that he is far from being arrogant. He openly discussed with us the objective of the summit and informed us that it would be held annually.
His conversation showed his deep understanding of the current business and political dynamics and his keenness to take his country to a new level of progress and perfection.
The most impressive thing about him was his continued praise for the efforts of his team. “I lead and they do all the work and they deserve the praise.”
That’s the quality of a genuine leader who appreciates his people or team members. A true leader understands well how to keep the morale of his people or his team members high. Some people think that it’s all about abundance of financial resources. It is not true, as we know of many places — countries and organizations — where there is no dearth of resources but due to wrong attitudes they are yet to achieve their potential.
