The Confluence of Circumstances and a Genuine Dose of Luck Led Me to Dubai

Introduce yourself in a few sentences. What does your work as daily commitments consist of?

Hello to you and the readers of the column. My name is Yuliy Slavov, a proud Plovdiv citizen and Bulgarian who has been living for over a decade in the United Arab Emirates. Currently, I hold the position of Rooms Director at Centara Hotel (a Thai family hotel chain spread across Asia, Thailand, Vietnam, Maldives, and my region – UAE, Oman, and Qatar). My main commitment and the team I lead is the satisfaction of the hotel guests and the optimization of hotel operations, so that the hotel's profit can be preserved and increased annually.

In which country and city do you currently live and how did you end up there?  

I currently live in Dubai, UAE. An interesting confluence of circumstances and a genuine dose of luck, which motivates me to develop both professionally and personally. In the not-so-distant year of 2010, I was one of many Bulgarian students who, while studying, worked in the dawn of outsourcing, in one of the first Call Centers in Sofia. (Since I graduated from the Plovdiv English High School – with a German language profile, and this was my first exposure to international companies). The work was not complicated and did not require specific skills, other than handling the language. I quickly became saturated and was already in my second or third year as a student, which made me orient myself professionally in my field of education, specializing in Tourism at Sofia University. I had the opportunity and started working at Hilton Sofia. Perhaps the first real university in the field of tourism. I would very much like the training in our universities to provide the desired starting point, but in my case, it was not so. Nevertheless, the hotel managed to ignite a spark that continues to burn to this day. The clash with foreigners and professionals from Bulgaria (not only the employees but also other Bulgarians coming to participate in various seminars and events) motivated me to develop in this field. Sofia University used to offer the 3rd and 4th years to be combined, so that one could graduate earlier, and that’s what I did. Finding myself with a diploma in hand, but without the necessary skills, I realized that I would need to upgrade my education to at least start developing professionally. After some time and reviewing the financial requirements, I chose to specialize in a master's program at the Academy of the Emirates for Hospitality and Tourism. (The other 3 universities were in Florida, Holland, and Switzerland, each with much more expensive programs).

Purely by chance or perhaps pure luck was the fact that the then-operational director transferred to Dubai to open a 364-room hotel  and I could apply for a transfer. Everything went well, and in 2011 I had the opportunity to work for Hilton Hotel in Dubai and be accepted into the Academy for my studies. In November 2015, I graduated – MBA in Hospitality Management, with a course project on the necessity of implementing technology in the luxury hotel segment.

What were the biggest challenges you faced at the beginning of your stay?

Perhaps the first clash with reality in Dubai came when I had to learn to live in a work dormitory. And of course, the workforce from Asia can be very provocative, but in my case, it didn’t matter much because the goal was set – to be a general manager in an international hotel chain.

How did you overcome the language barrier (if there was one)?

In the Emirates, by law, everything is in Arabic and English, so there is no language barrier.

What resources or networks (local communities, colleagues, organizations) helped you to adapt?

With every new hotel opening, staff is gathered according to the needs of the region and the expected guests, which initially helped me make friends with colleagues from Egypt, Russia, Kazakhstan, Germany, and Italy. All from our (batch) were motivated and ready to improve themselves to be simply better than the competition, which automatically placed me in a competitive environment. And so, over time, friendships remained and mandatory participation in various seminars, networking events, and similar activities. There were also colleagues from Bulgaria, with whom I am glad we managed to work together and motivate each other.

What are the main differences between the work culture in your current country and that in Bulgaria?

Mainly, development is 100 percent based on results up to a certain level. After that, there is mandatory compliance with standards and uncompromising adherence to all laws and requirements, which at least here are made with intent for both the employer and the employee, as well as for the development of the given emirate. Another very important point is predictability, which is at least in three periods (1-3 years, 3-5 years, 5-10 years), while in our case it is more of a season-to-season situation.

What workplace values and practices impressed you the most?

A very large part of the promotions are based on visible results that are discussed at the beginning of the year and overlap again in the middle between the second and third quarters. This reduces the opportunities for unfair treatment.

Have there been situations where cultural differences havehindered you?

At the beginning of my career – YES. Now I wouldn’t say so, because when you work with over 20-30 nationalities, there is no room for cultural differences, only professional views.

How does finding a job differ in your currentcountry compared to your homeland?

Before Covid, it was much easier, but now the market is flooded with colleagues from Asia, who undercut minimum wages, and it requires much more patience to find a suitable company and position. Purely administratively, everything is very clearly explained, digitized, and fast. So, there is no room for a gray area, because both the worker and the company are protected. The law is the same for everyone, and it is followed by all, without loopholes or opportunities for deviations.

Did you have to go through any additional qualification courses?

Working in an international chain by standard, all employees go through minimal training, and it depends on the motivation of the individual person how much they want to know more to be more competitive.

Have you encountered prejudices or obstacles due to your foreign origin?

Not here. Perhaps, because most employees are from abroad. Or it is more likely to see a non-local working.

What would you advise people who want to take such a step?

First of all, to have a goal. Not to give up or find a reason why something won’t work for them. The chosen goal should be the leading motivation. In my case, I was lucky to know what I wanted to achieve before coming here.

If you could go back, would you choose the same path?

Yes, I work in what brings me joy.

What do you miss most from your homeland in professional and personal terms?

Family, friends, our customs, and of course the mountains.

Have you considered returning and under what conditions would you do it?

Returning always remains an option. If the working conditions offer the possibility of a similar quality of life in Bulgaria, of course.

What do you think about money? What is its influence on your life? What is your advice to people who often ask themselves questions related to money and how sufficient they are?

Money is a very important motivation, but it should not become an end in itself. One must still adhere to principles of right and wrong, otherwise things go out of control. I don’t think they would be sufficient, because there will always be someone with more, and that will never make us happy.