BrazilOliver Wyman launches new Middle East office in Abu Dhabi
Describing itself as in growth mode, the Middle East branch of global management consultancy Oliver Wyman has launched a new office in Abu Dhabi – taking its regional total to four.
Global management consultancy Oliver Wyman has expanded its Middle East footprint with a new office in Abu Dhabi. The consulting firm has had a presence in the UAE capital for more than a decade and a half, but says that the establishment of a dedicated outlet reflects its local growth and commitment to the Emirate. The launch follows soon after the firm’s acquisition of Booz Allen Hamilton’s MENA consulting business.
“Greater proximity to our local clients will enable us to collaborate with them even more efficiently and effectively, whilst also better embedding us in the fabric of the community we serve,” said partner Adel Alfalasi, who heads up the office.
“Abu Dhabi is on a journey to become a global business hub in a knowledge-based economy – we wholeheartedly support that vision and are excited to be contributing to that trajectory.”
Located in the Nations Towers development at the southern end of The Corniche, Oliver Wyman’s need for a permanent Abu Dhabi base was evident judging by a recent flurry of local activity. This year alone the firm has launched a local graduate consultant program, while also supporting a government reskilling program and featuring among a cohort of consultancies providing pro-bono work for social impact organisation Ma’an.
The new Abu Dhabi office joins other regional bricks and mortar outlets in Dubai, Dohar and Riyadh, with the firm stating that it had grown more than six-fold across its IMEA (India, Middle East and Africa) region over the past decade. Other permanent IMEA locations include Johannesburg, Mumbai and Delhi, while the firm now has a global network spanning more than 70 cities across 30 countries, with a headcount in excess of 6,000 consultants.
A sizeable number of those joined the firm upon its April purchase of Booz Allen Hamilton’s strategy and management consulting business in MENA, including recently-announced partners Ziad Zacca, Ziad Nasrallah, Souheil Moukaddem, Ziad Moukarzel, Sabri Hamade, Joseph Mazloum, and Johnny Ayoub. This addition of expertise across various sectors such as energy and financial services the firm says is part of its growth mode.
Commenting on the launch of the new office, Oliver Wyman’s IMEA regional managing partner Pedro Oliveira said: “Governments across the region are pursuing some of the most ambitious economic transformation programmes in the world, aimed at growth through diversification. As our clients’ needs evolve, we are pleased to be building up our capacity to meet these needs and help them harness new opportunities.”
