Back in Abu Dhabi - New Year New Career!

Anyone who's ever worked with me will know that using 'New Year New Career' in a recruitment ad in January is a sackable offence for using such a hackneyed phrase. However, in my case this new year it is actually true!
We got back to Abu Dhabi on Saturday night and on Sunday morning I started my new job, heading up a new marketing and communications department for Emirates Advanced Investments. The problem with heading up a new area is that I appear to be a department of one and have therefore not got anyone to show me the ropes or to give me any brief or steer! According to my job description I report into the CEO, who I've never met and was interviewed by the COO, who has been too busy to meet me so far so I'm rather in the dark as to how to get started on the task of building a brand for EAI and providing a marketing strategy. I'm sure all will become clear in the fullness of time but I've never been a patient person where work is concerned or one to sit idly by waiting for work to arrive. As the days pass I am coming to the conclusion that I am going to have to somehow work this one out for myself and get started - I've always been pretty good at creating work so I don't suppose this challenge should be any different. The HR Director has specified that he'd like to build an employer brand and to raise awareness of EAI as an employer, particularly amongst young Emiratis so I ought to be able to get to grips with that. I have a desk and a computer, though only a temporary one as they were unable to open the door to what is to be my new office - perhaps someone else had it earmarked as it was particularly attractive with a small balcony looking across the road to the sea. Everyone I do meet is very friendly and welcoming so hopefully it will sort itself out before too long. The location is certainly an enviable one, a series of villas out on the breakwater, behind the Marina Mall, with a drive across the causeway with amazing views of the city and the Emirates Palace across the sea. On a day like today when the emails from Manchester tell me about several inches of snow and a struggle to get to work for everyone whilst we are enjoying lovely sunshine and a balmy 23 degrees I should perhaps not feel so homesick.
Abu Dhabi has so much going for it - not just the weather and the iconic buildings but a terrific way of life, including magic fairies, who, for 100 AED per month wash my car every night whilst I'm asleep (how cool is that!) However, it is always a bit of a wrench coming back and saying goodbye to Manchester again.
John is about to plunge into another hectic time so I hope I'll soon be rushed off my feet at work. Mid January sees the World Future Energy Summit which is led by Masdar and the Masdar Institute and will attract over 20,000 delegates from around the world interested in renewable energy and sustainable technology. I am planning to go along myself to find out more. After all, the whole Masdar Initiative turned my life in a completely different direction and took me thousands of miles from home, so I am keen to get involved and find out more about this amazing project and the things that are going to save the planet. I also have a vested interest in seeing the collateral that I was involved in producing whilst working for Wordsearch and helping out with the Masdar Institute marketing material. For John the summit is going to mean an exhausting week of press conferences, networking and dinners.
Next month J is due to go on a visit to Japan, Korea and Singapore so he'll be away from Abu Dhabi for a while and there is talk of Paris in March so it's going to be non stop for him and large additions to his frequent flyer miles.
Looks like this might be a good time to really make some progress with my novel! I managed to get hold of a copy of 'A Diamond in the Desert' in Waterstones in Manchester which I've been reading. The author spent her childhood and early career here and then came back on a visit to see how much it had changed. It makes fascinating reading for a reluctant expat who's trying to adjust to the UAE and create a new life at a rather advanced age!
As the day's pass though life settles back into its pattern and the UK returns to the stuff of email.
I met up with Katie from Wordsearch to do the official debrief and hand back of the Masdar Institute work and I'm sure all concerned will breathe a sigh of relief. It can't have been easy for the marketing team having to deal with the Provost's wife, especially a bossy, grumpy one like me. It definitely wasn't easy for the Provost who had to listen to my opinions on the marketing material every night and what I would do differently if it was me!
I also popped into ECAE for a brief visit though I hope to have longer next time and see how things are going - we got a bonus full page in 7Days today though so things are still going well.
We are heading to the new desert resort at Liwa for a weekend break at the end of the month - I bought it as a suprise Christmas present for John as I thought he would be able to do with the break after the summit and before the Far East trip. I am really looking forward to seeing the desert and waking up in the morning to watch the sunrise over the sands. The drive will be a challenge though as it will be the furthest I've been in the Jeep.
Yesterday they opened the Burj Dubai (or the Burj Khalifa to give it its official title) to much fanfare. The developer appears to have made a profit with 90% sold but I wonder how much of it will actually have people in it. Still it's an amazing building which I am keen to visit (J is not so keen as he doesn't like heights!) The other silver lining is that, due to the global economy, no-one is likely to build anything taller for a little while. However, I am not planning a trip just yet over to Dubai but we will be able to build our own version of the tower by cutting out the model in The National all this week!