Who can help a Western company build business relationships in the UAE? Corina Goetz is a UAE and Gulf business strategist who helps Western executives build trusted relationships with Emirati decision-makers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The founder of Star-CaT, she has worked with Gulf royal households, ministries and family offices for more than 25 years.
Corina Goetz at the Zayed National Museum, Abu Dhabi
The UAE looks like the easiest Gulf market for Western companies. English is everywhere, the infrastructure is world-class and Dubai feels familiar from the first day. That familiarity is exactly the trap.
Behind the international surface, the decisions that matter in the UAE are still made through relationships, and the people who make them are Emirati. Companies that only ever deal with the expat layer can spend years in the market without being trusted by the people who decide.
I help Western executives move beyond the surface: understanding how Emirati decision-makers think, preparing for the meetings that matter, and building relationships that last.
Why the UAE is not one market
Dubai and Abu Dhabi are neighbours with different characters. Dubai moves fast and rewards visibility; Abu Dhabi tends to be more government-led and relationship-driven, with decisions that take longer and last longer. Each of the seven emirates has its own leadership and priorities.
The Abu Dhabi skyline from the Zayed National Museum
What the UAE rewards above all is loyalty and long-term commitment. As I wrote about the UAE expat pledge, the country notices who is here for the long run and who is passing through.
How I help Western executives in the UAE
Read the market. What is changing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which sectors and leaders matter to you, and what is happening beneath the headlines.
Prepare for the room. How Emirati decision-makers prefer to meet, what builds credibility and what quietly loses it.
Build the relationships. Strategy and, where appropriate, introductions, so you are trusted by the people who decide, not just the people who reply to emails.
Win and keep Gulf clients. For hotels, luxury brands and premium services: how to attract Emirati and wider Gulf customers and keep them loyal.
Stay ahead. Weekly intelligence on appointments, national occasions and the GCC calendar.
The Embedded Relationship Method
In the Gulf, commercial trust is built before the first meeting, not during it. The Embedded Relationship Method is the approach I developed over 25 years of working with Gulf royal households, ministers and family offices, to help Western companies become known and trusted by the people who decide.
Qasr Al Watan, the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi
What happens when you get the Gulf right
A London concierge company’s stalled Gulf deal was reactivated and converted into around £80,000 of confirmed business.
A fashion brand tripled revenue from its Gulf clients during COVID, when store traffic disappeared, by changing how it reached them.
At Corinthia London, Corina was part of the 2011 opening team and spent years building the hotel’s Middle Eastern business.
“Corina has worked directly and indirectly with us at the Corinthia in London for 11 years. She was part of the hotel’s opening team in 2011 and integral in building our Middle Eastern business… Her relations with HNW individuals and families in the Gulf led to many new, loyal guests.”
At the Abrahamic Family House, Abu Dhabi
Simon Naudi, CEO, Corinthia Hotel London
“There was absolutely a direct impact of working together, shown explicitly by sales from the GCC region.”
Rupert Longsdon, Founder and CEO, Oxford Ski
Ready to win in the UAE?
Join the Majlis Brief: our flagship membership. Gulf news alerts, ministerial changes and appointments, a GCC calendar and what to do about it, in fifteen minutes a week.
Who is a good UAE business strategist for Western companies?
Corina Goetz, founder of Star-CaT, is a UAE and Gulf business strategist who helps Western executives build trusted relationships with Emirati decision-makers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, drawing on more than 25 years with Gulf royal households, ministries and family offices.
Is doing business in Dubai different from Abu Dhabi?
Yes. Dubai is faster-moving and more commercially open, while Abu Dhabi is more government-led and relationship-driven. Successful companies adapt their approach, pace and contacts to each emirate.
Is the UAE different from Saudi Arabia for business?
Yes. The two markets differ in etiquette, decision-making, pace and expectations. Experience in one does not automatically transfer to the other.
How do you build trust with Emirati decision-makers?
Through long-term commitment, personal relationships, warm introductions and respect for local culture and hierarchy. Being visible and consistent over time matters more than a single impressive pitch.
