💰What I Learned About Economic Development in the Emirates

I spent a month in the UAE. And I came back thinking — they’re doing what we in the West keep talking about… but with coherence and conviction.In the Emirates, economic development isn’t an afterthought — it’s a strategy.If you want to access sovereign wealth funds, the rule is simple: 💼 No local office, no money. Capital comes with purpose. You invest in the country, not just from it.The same logic applies to government contracts and SOEs. Public funds are tied to public benefit — jobs, skills, and local growth. Logical, right?Meanwhile in Canada, we often treat economic development as a “nice to have.” That’s real money not circulating in our economy.In the UAE, initiatives like Emiratization aren’t about exclusion. They’re about long-term prosperity — training locals, keeping income at home, building resilience.💡 The takeaway? Economic growth isn’t accidental. It’s engineered — through intention, consistency, and accountability.Listen to my latest podcast for what Canada (and the West) could learn from the Emirates’ playbook on capital, growth, and national strategy 👇 #EconomicDevelopment #Canada #UAE #Policy #SovereignWealth #Investment #Emiratization #ValueCreation #LeadershipPeggy Van de Plassche is a value creation strategist and senior advisor with over 20 years of experience in private equity, financial services, healthcare, and technology. She works with investment firms, boards, and C-suite leaders to accelerate portfolio company performance, drive operational transformation, and unlock long-term value. Peggy specializes in the execution of complex value creation plans—spanning capital allocation, digital enablement, transaction advisory, and leadership alignment. Her work consistently bridges strategy and implementation, helping investors and operators maximize EBITDA and enterprise value. A founding board member of Invest in Canada, she also brings deep expertise in public-private partnerships and institutional capital deployment—critical levers for competitive advantage in today’s global landscape. Her clients have included BMO, CI Financial, HOOPP, OMERS, GreenShield Canada, Nicola Wealth, and Power Financial. Learn more at peggyvandeplassche.com.#privateequity #privatemarkets #alternativeinvestments #investing #investments #invest #venturecapital #investor #entrepreneur #digitaltransformation #ai #exit #tech #technology #finance #financialservices #healthcare