FEATURED ARTICLE

Scaling with confidence: What D33 means for business leaders

20 May 2026 2 min read

In a featured Op-Ed piece for Gulf News, Hisham Farouk, CEO, Grant Thornton UAE shares his perspectives on how Dubai’s Economic Agenda (D33) is reshaping the way organisations approach growth, shifting the focus from rapid expansion to disciplined, well-governed scale.

The article highlights:

  • How D33 reflects a broader strategic direction for the UAE, combining long-term ambition with resilience and stability, with a goal to double the size of Dubai’s economy and strengthen its position as a leading global financial hub.
  • Digital innovation and emerging technologies remaining central to Dubai’s growth story and how their impact will depend on how effectively they are governed. As organisations increasingly embed artificial intelligence, automation and data-driven decision-making into their operations, oversight, control and accountability are becoming critical to sustainable scale.
  • That scaling is no longer purely a commercial or operational decision. As market complexity increases, organisations are being required to align strategy, capital allocation and operating models with stronger governance frameworks, clearer risk appetite, and more robust decision-making structures.

This piece encourages business leaders to act early by strengthening governance, embedding risk management into core processes and aligning strategies with market direction, enabling them to scale with confidence, manage complexity and drive long-term growth in the UAE.

Experts / Authors
  • Hisham Farouk Hisham is the CEO of Grant Thornton UAE who has successfully led the firm’s offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah for over 10 years. With a focus on innovation with exemplary leadership, he has played a key role in transforming the firm into one of the fastest growing companies in the UAE. View Profile
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