Exponential Emirates: The Extraordinary Growth Story of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Exponential Emirates: The Extraordinary Growth Story of the UAE marks the Golden Jubilee of the UAE and celebrates the achievements of the first 50 years of the country, and looks forward the next 50. The book explores Tom Hudson's thesis that the UAE is the “Exponential Country for the Exponential Age”, and has turned from a start-up nation to a scale-up nation. Exponential Emirates tells the history of the country through the eyes of the people that have been, and continue to be, a part of its success, with 50 interviews of 50 key people representing the rich fabric of Emiratis and Expats who call the country home. Hudson has spoken to ruling family members, Ministers, CEOs, young, old, economists, futurists, scientists, technologists, artists and astronauts. The chapters are grouped into 10 sections, representing the History and Heritage of the country, Energy transition, the Economy, the Environment, Tourism, Trade, Talent, Innovation, International Cooperation and the Future.

Tom Hudson is a lawyer by background and moved to the UAE with Linklaters in 2006. He worked on a number of IPOs, including the IPO of DP World where he ultimately went in house. In 2016, he left DP World to help set up a boutique advisory firm in the DIFC that advises the world’s top companies on their Middle East Expansion. In the last 5 years he has worked with more than 50 such companies, many of them now unicorns and listed themselves.

Hudson maintains that the Golden Jubilee marks a golden era for the UAE, and that the World EXPO has showcased the opportunities and possibilities in the same way the Great Exhibition showcased the first industrial revolution 175 years ago. He believes that the UAE will continue to attract the best, but more importantly, he concludes that the component parts of the UAE’s growth form an “exponential equation” that can be applied more widely, to individuals, companies and even countries.