Adia (Abu Dhabi Investment Authority) unveils its secrets | Abu Dhabi makes big waves
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“The secret here is not the assets we manage but the talent we have,” says Saeed Mubarak Al Hajeri, executive director of the emerging markets department. “People tend to stay, to have a career and like what they do.” Adia, whose chairman is Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, is one of the most attractive organizations in either the public or private sector for any local to join. It has a scholarship system, in place since Adia was created, that helps fund potential graduates’ schooling at the world’s best academic institutions. Then, once new recruits are taken on, they must pass a series of exams.
“We filter and choose the best,” says Al Hajeri, who was educated in the US, graduating in business administration from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. “The process has been modernized over time. Early on, the filter process wasn’t as tough because there was less talent. There were fewer people willing to study abroad. Now, with the numbers increasing and the quality of students improving, our selection process gives us better people.”