Name: Joshua Allaway
Title: Manager – Private Client Services
TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR MOVE…
In September 2023, the Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM) updated their regulations requiring corporate service providers to have a full-time physical presence in the region, which meant JTC needed someone working in the Abu Dhabi office day-to-day, and I jumped at the chance!
WHAT WERE YOUR INITIAL THOUGHTS?
I was a bit nervous about working somewhere that was completely new to me and getting to grips with cultural differences, but I’m happy to say it all worked out in the end.
Fundamentally, I had an overriding excitement for the opportunity to live in a thriving and expanding culture.
WAS IT HARD TO PLAN THE MOVE AND GET SETTLED?
The hardest element was the physical process of leaving Guernsey. When you are so ingrained in one place, organising and selling all your worldly possessions to move across the world is no mean feat and certainly not something that happens overnight!
But, once I landed in the UAE, it was fairly plain sailing and just a case of enjoying the experience day by day.
HOW DID JTC SUPPORT YOU?
The Group’s input was honestly immeasurable. From the personal encouragement I received from my outgoing team in Guernsey to the time I was given by the HR team to ensure I was informed about all things relevant to the move, to the support and assistance I was given by the UAE team for my visa, and integrating me into the culture – it honestly made the immense task so straightforward and meant I settled in quickly.
FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT IS THE NUMBER 1 THING TO SEE/DO IN YOUR NEW JURISDICTION?
There are endless things to do, no matter your interests. Personally, as a huge sports fan, it has to be the number of top-quality events and competitions that the UAE hosts regularly.
WHAT LESSONS DID YOU LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCE?
At the start of any journey, you need to take things step-by-step and day-by-day, expect there to be unforeseen bumps in the road and be determined to approach each obstacle as a positive challenge and experience from which you can learn.
ANY FINAL THOUGHTS?
You don’t know what you don’t know, so if you’re curious, go for it! My view was always that the potential upsides of new experiences, making friends and conquering new challenges outweighed any potential downsides of not trying at all.
