Yabu Dhabi Doo !
While we try to make all business meetings productive, some turn out to be a waste of time and just occasionally they become an exercise in complete self-sabotage. I still flinch when recalling the latter during my first visit to Abu Dhabi in 2014. The venue itself could not have been more promising; Abu Dhabi's world renowned 7-star Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental hotel with its cool, cavernous lobby, a classical pianist gently practicing his foreplay on the ivories and herbal teas to welcome all those who crossed the threshold. We had been summoned by the most respected of Saudi clients to solve a contractual wrangle which had escalated via increasingly irritated emails. The Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental Abu Dhabi; quite possibly the only place to buy Snickers bars from a solid gold vending machine. On the other hand, The Palace's $1 Million Deal will help you to spend US$1m in 7 days with a private jet, chauffeur-driven car and personal butler. (NB: it is not clear ...