Abu Umar has witnessed the transformation of Dubai from a close-knit trading community into one of the most advanced and ambitious cities in the world.

In this episode of the For This Reason Podcast, the veteran Emirati technology leader shares the leadership principles, cultural values and national vision that helped build the modern United Arab Emirates.

Abu Umar takes us behind the scenes of Expo 2020 Dubai, where he helped lead an enormous technology ecosystem involving nearly 100 projects, global companies and an extremely demanding delivery schedule.

The plan appeared impossible on paper.

His response was not to focus first on the technical challenges, but to make the people around him believe that the mission could be achieved.

He explains why successful leadership begins with purpose, why tea ...