Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another SLD meetup, your host Alvaro to bring you another exciting and successful guest. Do they have the pleasure to welcome a dear friend of mine. He's a real estate powerhouse. He's the head of Mena Private Office for Nightfrag.
He's been 11 years in the Middle East. Now back in the UK, he's been dealing with some of the most extraordinary clientele and some of the most predominant deals. What I find the most impressive about him is that he's been learning the language of Arabic so fluently. I don't know that many people that speak the language so well being from overseas.
Not only that, but he's also a tremendous athlete. He's been embarking on some great challenges. I just saw one of that he's going to be doing in the upcoming year and I want to welcome you Henry Fon. There he is.
What's going on my friend? How are you? Good to see you. Fantastic.
Yeah, good to see you as well. How's everything on that side of the world? Very well. I'm in the UK these days.
Last time we spoke I was in the Middle East. I grew back and based in London now. Still with my friend. Right, I love it.
Tell me because you've been 11 years in the Middle East. Last time we saw each other in person he was in Dubai actually. And you've been developing over all these years at Tremendous Clientele. You've developed not only just that clientele but also the language and the culture which is not easy.
So now being back in the UK, what is your primary role with Knight Frank and what are you focusing on? Good one back in London since we last caught up. After 11 years in the Gulf, it's nice to come back to my home again. But my role is to head up the Middle East private office here.
I support our Middle East and families with their real estate and more of a global platform. Knight Frank is a very large group level company and we can certainly support our clients through various jurisdictions around the world. Whether perhaps it's with you and you're on the ground in Miami or New York or in Paris or London as well. I'm not just sitting here the whole time I'm back and forth from the Middle East often I'm into Dubai next week and Saudi Arabia on the following.
So I'm back and forth in the region, seeing my clients on the ground and then supporting them perhaps in the fall up as well. So let me ask you, what may you move back to the UK after being so many years in the Middle East? Well, certainly not for a lack of love. I love the Middle East, the culture of the people.
My closest friends are locals there on the ground now, Barak. So certainly not for that. It's more after over a decade overseas it made good sense from family perspective as well to come back. And as you know, working with our high net-bed clients around the world, our clients are global people.
They're not necessarily located in one particular district, they have homes, they have assets all around the world. So we can be based in many jurisdictions around the world, it's still supporting the gift and the right level of service they need. Absolutely. Now talking about becoming an outlier because I don't know that many people from the UK that actually have mastered the culture, the language that have been on the industry of realistic for so long.
So you definitely stand out among any other peer or working with this type of clientele. Certainly I'm very fond of my local clients there on the ground. I can say that whilst I was based in the UAE, I traveled often of our into the wider region, whether it's Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, even over to Egypt, Morocco, even up to Pakistan or elsewhere. And picking up local language skills on the ground, reading and writing with these people, certainly very important and I enjoy sharing my time with them.
So for anybody out there trying to take that next leap of faith, going into the unknown, right? Because you at some point where there's discovering all of this, you did not just get one day and knew everything. So it's a process. So what was your mindset like to say, okay, no matter what, I'm going to go and learn the language, learn the culture, become one of the most successful real estate brokers and experts in that field.
Like how did you develop that mindset? Good. Well, I think that the trigger point, so to speak on the language side, I was actually in a city, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. It's not the capital re-edices, another city on the port city, actually.
And I finished the data at late night event. We've presented, we delivered a presentation to a few of my clients. I went to my hotel, it was gone midnight. And this was back before you and I could speak on our smartphones.
We had these old blanks, Alvaro, and I was on the back street in Jeddah, looking to check into my hotel. And actually my parking wasn't there for another reason. It was actually in a hotel a couple of the comters away. And this was before we had that reason, before we had any technology to get me there.
And nobody locally there was speaking in English. So I had to get from one hotel to another at about 1am. We didn't have my best, we had wheel bags of my books and brochures and things. And I walked around here and I had to get through the streets in Saudi Arabia at night time from one hotel to another.
And that was a very quick little trigger point saying, okay, look, I really need to put some time on this and really study a master of this language just to get around the host of day of meetings. If we were going to go to Saudi Arabia tomorrow morning and host 5, 6, 7 meetings in a day, which is quite normal, then you need the language skills to get around. And I very much enjoyed learning from then. And I took up lessons of our probably three nights a week after that for a short period of time to really focus energy on that into a new language.
But that's speaking, reading and writing. Well, it's definitely paying out because there's one thing about speaking the local language and is that you connect much deeper with the people. And definitely I see that paying off on your end. Now tell me about what you've seen in the real estate world.
Like you obviously work with a clientele that is global, but especially in the Middle East. I mean, it's been booming. And now we just mentioned JDAO, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in general also is blowing up. So tell us a little bit about what's your input on how the luxury real estate is growing there.
Definitely. Well, perhaps we'll start with the Saudi as you mentioned. Saudi Arabia across the board from a government level downwards has set up a new fund, the public investment fund, which are actually building full cities, not just little projects, one of projects that perhaps you and I might work on in London, Miami or elsewhere. They are building full master plan cities.
And that's very exciting. And our clients are very much enjoying being involved with that. Some of them are involved in the engineering or construction size and have their family businesses in that. And that presents new opportunity for perhaps them for investment for developing new businesses on the ground or whatever it might be.
And so Saudi Arabia, I think is hugely interesting for future opportunities there and growth across the board. There's been a large change in terms of uplux of new sporting events. As you know, you may have seen some of the fighting, you've seen some of the sports, maybe golf, whatever it might be on the ground in Saudi Arabia now, which is almost all proud for that that's starting to get in and host these grand events, which is really fantastic. Now, in the wider region of our not just taking a side of it, if we look around the rest of the Gulf, Dubai, which was my home and the UAE, that has certainly had a very good run in the past three years or so now, I'd say, and we've had high net worth from the US.
You are, we've had a US from Europe and elsewhere coming into UAE and making that at home and finding it a preferable one for business and ease of business of doing that locally on the ground, but also very nice for lifestyle, they can perhaps have a villa, maybe on a beachfront or perhaps a beach with a large garden and enjoying its UAE foot for its huge offering that it can do on the lifestyle side. No, you've had some believable and we can see that everywhere right now, everybody's flying into Dubai or Saudi Arabia. There's so many amazing and exciting things going on over there. And yes, I was actually just recently in Riyadh.
It was for an opening of a restaurant and it was just incredible, the amount of investments that are happening in there. And same thing with Dubai, you know, it's something that it's very, very enjoyable to see what's going on in there so attractive market. Now, when you work with this type of clientele, I understand it's very private. However, I see that you are very vocal, you're on TV doing all these interviews also on the press on social media.
So tell me how you managed to keep that low key profile to maintain that private relationship at the same time being very well known. Good, good question. Now, when I'm perhaps discussing with a regular update on a TV or a news report on the radio perhaps in the Middle East, we're discussing research at high level, we're discussing what are the market trends, what's going on this week. Maybe there's been a new announcement from the banks or otherwise and we need to drill into that.
And what could that mean from outsiders looking at the market who want, you know, they're listening to the pulse every day, but want a little snippet of information to keep them top up and what's the latest news. And that's where those news interviews come in. Certainly it's not discussing individual assets or families or otherwise our clients are working with that remains confidential private at all times. And so it means that we can maintain both sides as one, keeping everybody informed with the latest research and information and keeping them correctly advised in that space, but also maintaining that privacy and that confidentiality that you mentioned.
I love it. But look at the end of the day, that's where you are right. You're an advisor and that comes with all that knowledge and expertise that you're bringing to the table. So with everything that does that's one of the things, by the way, that I found very, very attractive about your profile is that you're not just showcasing properties and all these different projects, but you're actually bringing that research that numbers that showcase where we're heading.
So for somebody that is looking to invest, they're going to be much more calm and trustworthy with you because of that. So tell us a little bit what you envision or what you see for perhaps that this year with the luxury real estate globally is there going to be a shift because we've been seeing some ups and downs. Of course, I think there's a positive signs here in the UK at the interest rates, as you know, they're very high globally in recent months and the past year or so. And perhaps whilst they're stabilizing and coming down a little bit, we can't say they'll come down too far.
But certainly that shows positive green shoots for global economies and therefore real estate markets around the world. Here in the UK, we're certainly seeing those green shoots as well as positive activity across the market at all price levels. I'm certainly a great boy for the coming 12 months or so here in central London and the why the UK. Over in the Middle East, Dubai in particular, it's been going great guns for quite some time now and I think perhaps those trends will continue.
It's a very positive market. And the reasons that many of our clients have been relocating from elsewhere around the world and choosing to make their home and their business there is beyond just simple, more things that they want to move there and make their life there, which will continue to drive demand perhaps into the foreseeable future. Now for somebody that is trying to get to a high level in real estate, whether it's an advisor or just a broker in general, what will be some of your tips or advice is for somebody that is trying to go that direction. Of course, if they're coming into that level and growing into a new space in their life, whether it's a new career, I'm certainly sure they would have a mental standpoint.
Perhaps without a reminder for example, it's a steering guide through what they should be doing, what they're looking at, where's the next step in their career. Certainly if they can read up on real estate, like we mentioned, the researchers key and even if you're advising your clients, collecting, you need to know what it is you're talking about and have seen on the ground. And that is one part is research that you and I can read and whoever it might be can read on the spot and learn and understand them. But also then how to translate into what our clients are thinking at that time.
Are they looking at these particular assets? Is that the market they're looking to explore and translate what it is you're knowing how to apply it to that particular client at that time to be helpful for them and be at value and bring something extra to the table that can have before. I think that's a lot of people that your brand should only be about the career that you have, but you also showcase that wild side, that athlete side, which I love it being in cross faith and now embracing these new challenges. So I think that's also that part of lifestyle that makes people connect more with you.
Tell us a little bit about how you manage to keep both sides alive. Sure. I think definitely as you mentioned your professional career is a key importance. That's what someone will know and trust and know that you have the good knowledge to advise that and steer them correctly and choose to contact you for your services as well.
We're here. We do business with people that we like and trust more importantly. And if perhaps you can see it's someone I got to children out and I certainly talk about them a lot on my social media. I'm very proud of them.
And if it's sporting event coming up, I very much enjoy that. The next one I just signed up for is actually next year. It's a way, way, but it's going to be a race in the Arctic Circle, which will be new for me. I haven't got any Arctic Racing experience on my belt before now.
Certainly no ultra man like you, other. But I'm looking forward to this skiing running and cycling through Norway, Finland and Sweden. But what has been one of the key lessons that you've learned throughout the journey? Question.
I would certainly think that the key lessons for both personal and my professional career is that the hard work that you're putting in it will pay off at some point. It may not pay off straight away. We can feel like a pushing water up here. We all do.
I know that. But certainly it will pay off. And that hard work you do put in that hard work. It does pay off.
I love that. It's key lessons. But why is it really luxury to you? Last time we discussed this, I think I talked to you a little bit about maybe branded residents or concierge services or otherwise.
I would say if the sum of my high net work middle eastern class of our is something new, which is not new, but it's become higher in their emphasis more recently. And it's the levels of security that they can offer, whether it's that privacy that you and I discussed earlier and confident chance of where they're living these days, but also physical security on the ground and whether they can be dropped off at a property and still feel like they're secure. They can hop out of my time and maybe not be on the street, but maybe on a private pull in or elsewhere. And certainly beyond having just the concierge that 24 seven is there an element of security walking around the building rather wise and this applies to all cities globally, I think at the moment.
And there's something to keep the impact I picked up on several of my high net work lines from the Middle East saying this is what's a theme that's important to us and how can we look for it in our future and real estate. So true. And that's something that definitely has been more and more of a topic and I think that's the ultimate luxury for these high net work individuals. So I appreciate you sharing all of these with us today Henry.
Keep on being asked on, keep on reaching those levels of success. Good luck with Americans. I look at your matter. Thank you, Doug.
You, with your training. And we'll see each other very soon. If you get tired of the cold and you don't want to go that side of the world to the good, you're trying to find it. Exactly.
Exactly. We'll be waiting for you. Thank you. Always be safe.
Take care. Bye. Bye. And thanks again for everybody tuning in today.
We hope you enjoyed it. And remember, embrace its beautiful success in life. My name is Alvaro and I'll see you next time.