Obediah Ayton: “The future is in the UAE”

Obediah Ayton was raised in the UK but began his professional
career studying accounting in the United States of America. Upon
his return to the UK, he got a job working at a Family Office
under a German entrepreneur, learning about buying companies and
becoming a keen Investment Analyst. He then set up shop in the
Middle East with a dream of building his own companies.


Despite starting with nothing, he set up several businesses
including an accounting company and a media company, before
moving into food and beverage management. Now, he runs a holding
company that invests in start-ups and has amassed a loyal
LinkedIn following of over 64,000 people. He covers topics such
as tips for entrepreneurs looking for funding in the UAE and
explanations of ruling families, local family offices and groups.


We talk to Obediah about why companies should aim to be camels,
not unicorns, how the Family Office ecosystem works in the UAE,
and more.


Here's what we discussed:





Most of the companies are aiming to become unicorns but on
LinkedIn you talk about businesses aiming to become camels
instead. Could you tell us more about the concept of being a
camel? (00:16)

Could you give us an overview of your career to this point?
(02:24)

What drew you to the UAE? (05:02)

Could you explain the system that you have in the UAE with
regard to Family Offices? (07:04)

Have you noticed a trend in the size of company that
successfully gains investment in the UAE? (14:21)

How does the UAE view companies with large valuations but are
still pre-revenue? (18:27)

What is the tech scene like in the UAE? (21:26)

You mentioned on LinkedIn that Dubai is more B2C and Abu
Dhabi is more B2B. Could you tell us more about this? (25:01)

No conversation about the UAE is complete without covering
the criticisms, regarding LGBTQ+ rights and freedom of the media
etc. How is the way the Middle East is viewed around the world
regarded there? (26:57)

How do companies find looking for talent on the ground in the
UAE? (35:21)

How are you feeling about the opportunities in the UAE over
the next decade or so? (39:42)

The Good News Postcard: What's your favourite sport and why?
(42:43)

What makes a great business leader? (44:58)






Thanks to Chloe from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good
News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by
visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of
young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life
“news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to
cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.


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