Dubai and Hong Kong enjoy more similarities than initially meets the eye — they are both financial and logistics hubs as well as gateways to their respective regions, Invest Hong Kong’s deputy head of investment promotion in Dubai, Maha Azmy (LinkedIn), told EnterpriseAM UAE in a sit-down for our weekly My Morning Routine column this week. Azmy, an Egyptian woman living in Dubai, has spent two-and-a-half years working with Invest Hong Kong to attract FDI from the UAE into the Asian city.

We sat down with her for My Morning Routine, which each week asks successful members of the business community how they start their day, and throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. This month, we’re throwing in a few more to find out how they adjust to Ramadan and what they look forward to in the holy month. Here are edited excerpts from our conversation:

EnterpriseAM UAE: You’re Egyptian… How did you end up working for the Hong Kong government out of Dubai?

Maha Azmy: I studied economics and I was in oil and gas after I graduated for a number of years. I was doing mergers and acquisitions for upstream oil and gas projects all over the world. I worked in Egypt for a few years and then I moved back to Dubai, where I worked remotely with the oil and gas company that I was working with, and I found that I want to have the structure and the routine of waking up and going to the office. I like having structure in my day and I like having a routine; anyone from my family who wants to get in touch with me, they’ll probably know where I’ll be and what I’m doing at any given time.

A friend of mine actually came across this opening, and I decided to give it a shot, despite having previously not been involved with Hong Kong. I had an initial interview, an exam, and a panel interview with five people, and I got the job. Being an Arabic speaker, I think, was an advantage. And now, I've been doing this for two-and-a-half years.

E: What is Invest Hong Kong’s role here in the UAE?

MA: Invest Hong Kong is the government department responsible for bringing in foreign direct investment into Hong Kong, so bringing in investments, creating jobs, and adding value to the city. I cover the entire GCC region, so my role is to support any FDI coming from the GCC into Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is in a very unique position. Some people refer to it as “one country, two systems” — it’s one country with China, but has a completely different system in terms of law. It applies common law. It has its own chief executive — similar to a president — and secretaries, like ministers.

What’s amazing about being at the Dubai office at Invest Hong Kong is that Dubai and Hong Kong are very, very similar. Dubai is a financial center, and Hong Kong is the number one international financial center in Asia. Dubai is a logistics hub, and Hong Kong is a massive logistics hub as well.

Even though I cover all sectors and Invest Hong Kong is sector-agnostic, because Hong Kong is a very small city, there are certain sectors that are of extreme importance, and some that are not necessarily of great interest or don’t really fit within the specs of the city… like oil and gas or manufacturing, for example.

So there are certain sectors that are more popular than others when it comes to attracting FDI from the region into Hong Kong. Financial services and logistics are big ones. And because of the increased interest from people, companies, and entities, from Hong Kong and Mainland China in the region here and vice versa, there’s been a huge increase in business and professional service companies like auditors and lawyers [serving this corridor] as well.

E: With all of the travel you have to do and with juggling time difference, how do you set up your mornings to ensure you stay on top of things?

MA:I like to get in my workout in the morning. It sets the mood for the rest of the day, and I feel like it's a cure for so many things, whether stress, anxiety, depression, or whatever it may be. If you're not struggling with any of these things, it’s just a nice boost of extra energy and good endorphins.

I have my coffee, shower, get ready for work, and I start my day. I usually also put on some news before I get there. When I'm done with work, then I have the rest of the evening to maybe see my family.

In Ramadan, I’m not one of those people who can work out while I’m fasting. I usually do an intense workout, but in Ramadan, I try to get in maybe an hour of Pilates or something that’s lower impact and doesn’t require me to drink lots of water. Hours at the office are shorter, so that gives me more time to spend with my family.

I usually have iftar and then try to get our steps in for the day, usually with my sister-in-law. It’s a nice change from the hectic routine outside of Ramadan where there’s a lot to do and a lot of places to go. It’s nice to wind down this month and focus on family and eating clean, home cooked food.

E: How do you wind down at the end of the day?

I usually wind down by watching true crime. Discovery ID is one of my favorite channels, and recently I’ve found plenty of good stuff on TikTok.

E: Looking ahead a few years, what are some things on your bucket list — both professional and personal — that you want to achieve?

MA: I really enjoy what I’m doing. I’m a people person and I love meeting all these different people from all walks of life, so I’d love to have bigger responsibilities here and expand both my personal and professional networks.

Because we are a part of the government and we're based here, a lot of Hong Kong and Mainland China companies, investors, and family offices who want to come and establish a presence here — and many have shown great interest in recent years — will come to us as a first point of contact because they trust us. Even though officially it’s not one of our responsibilities, I'm always very happy to connect people together. I really like that.

Maha’s recommendations

Favorite restaurants: I love Gaia and LPM, and outside of Ramadan, J1 is a great place to go for an earlier lunch. Sirene is one of my favorites.

Favorite books: I love psychological thrillers. The one that has stuck with me recently that I’ve read is Verity, and of course, The Silent Patient.

Favorite piece of advice: To have thick skin. That came from my parents, specifically whenever I had problems after graduating with a mean boss or something, because it was a transition going from having things come relatively easy back at home and then running into challenges or issues later in life. It’s easy to go “I don’t want to do this anymore.” But I’ve learned both professionally and personally that you definitely need to have thick skin.

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