It may seem to you that it’s easy to come once from Rostov-on-Don to Dubai and stay here to live. Of course, you are sure that knowledge of the English language at the household level is the key to success in any country. Then the story of a young Russian girl working as a manager in the Dubai branch of one of the most famous banks in the world will not seem unusual to you. However, she interested us ...
I live in Dubai since 1992. She arrived in the UAE with a six-year-old schoolgirl with her parents from Rostov-on-Don. I was immediately sent to study at an English school - Emirates International School, but I did not know English at all. I felt a language barrier. Almost an entire year was spent on adaptation. Honestly, it was terribly hard for me. Imagine how a child-schoolchild should feel, who cannot communicate normally with peers, talk, make jokes. In a word, my childhood memories are not very bright. But I must say that the Emirates International school is very good, and I learned a lot there.
Later I was transferred to the Sharjah Chouefat School, which I graduated from. After school, I entered Dubai University College at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce. The first specialty that I chose there for myself was Finance and Banking. After a year of study, I decided to change direction, and went to "Business Administration". After graduating from college, she received a bachelor's degree.
I am now 21 years old. And for the third year now, I have been working at ABN-AMRO Bank, where I came at the age of nineteen and started like everyone else - from scratch. At first she worked as a clerk of the information desk, then - at the reception desk, later - an employee of the operations department. Today I am a client relations manager in the investment department of the bank. My responsibilities include communicating with VIP clients. I meet with delegations of businessmen from different countries who would like to invest their funds in the local market, place them on local, regional or international exchanges. Unfortunately, there are not very many investors from Russia and the CIS countries in our bank yet. The problem, probably, is that many potential investors are stopped by lack of knowledge of English or they prefer real estate investments.
I am the youngest employee of our department and I am very glad that I work in this bank. My career can be called dizzying, because many of my peers from Russia have not even graduated from institutes. Here at the bank, I gained invaluable experience, and I see the development of my career quite clearly. In the next three to four years, I would like to achieve the position of vice president of the investment department of the bank, and then, most likely, I will open my own business. For example, a network of restaurants serving Mediterranean cuisine, it is better to some popular franchise.
The specifics of my work, and the lifestyle in general, here in the Emirates, do not give me the opportunity to communicate a lot with my compatriots in my native language. In order not to lose my spoken Russian language skills, I try to travel to Russia every year, to meet old friends and relatives in Rostov-on-Don. If the vacation falls in the summer, then I try to be sure to get to Sochi or Gagra. Friends, by the way, always notice my "alien" accent in the conversation. But I think that I have no problems with the Russian language, just fifteen years spent abroad leave their mark.
Here, on the contrary, when they ask me where I come from, many do not believe that I am from Russia. They say: "No, you do not look like a Russian." So it turns out that I am a man from nowhere. Although I really love my hometown and Russia, I just lost the habit of them.
For example, it’s very difficult for me today to imagine my return back to Russia. Many questions immediately arise - how will my career develop? In which direction to develop? Will I be in demand as a specialist there? How will my personal life be? In addition, our entire family lives here in the UAE. My parents bought a house here, a family replenishment is expected soon. It is cozy, good, comfortable here. No, I probably won’t return yet. To visit relatives is another matter.
I really like my work today. I can improve my skills without interruption. Almost every week in our bank, specialized trainings are held, teachers from the UK, Singapore, and other countries come. I also plan to enter graduate school next year and get a master's degree.
In my free time I go to the gym, enjoy yoga. I usually visit the Spa on weekends. This is a whole ritual. In addition, I really want to do drawing. I think that time should be enough for everything, the main thing is to plan your day correctly.
When I feel that I have already achieved everything here in the Emirates, maybe then, I will radically change my life. Will I go to Russia? I don’t know yet, maybe. But I’ll definitely take a piece of Dubai’s memories with me.
Interviewed by Irina Ivanova
