John Hanafin

author
With over 25 years of experience in Dubai, John Hanafin has built a reputation as an entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. He has played a pivotal role in launching and scaling a number of startups across finance, tech and real estate. John is also an advisor in wealth management and international business strategy, guiding high-net-worth individuals and companies through complex financial landscapes. Working with a number of Dubai-based charities, he is a strong supporter of initiatives that drive social impact.
Opinion

Why moving to the UAE is a smart career move

Let’s start with an uncomfortable truth. In 2025, nearly 246,000 tech workers lost their jobs as companies restructured around artificial intelligence and cost

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Opinion

How Dubai’s financial sector is responding to instability in the Middle East

The joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on 28 February 2026 reshaped the operational environment for Gulf financial centres overnight. Iran’s Supreme

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Opinion

Built for whatever comes next: how the Gulf navigates an uncertain horizon

Nobody can say with confidence how long a period of geopolitical disruption will last. That uncertainty is not a failure of analysis –

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Opinion

Crisis readiness versus crisis reaction: How the UAE gets it right

Most of the conversation about how governments handle disruption focuses on their response. How quickly did they act? How well did they communicate?

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Opinion

Why some economies pause during crises – and others don’t

Somewhere in the world today, a decision is being deferred. Not because the underlying numbers changed, not because the business case shifted, but

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Opinion

What global investors look for during times of uncertainty

When geopolitical tensions rise, inflation shifts direction, or interest rates begin moving unpredictably, the tone of global investment conversations quickly changes. Capital rarely

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Opinion

Security in the Gulf: Stability as strategy in an unstable world

Security in the Gulf is often framed in terms of exposure. The region sits near contested waterways, rival powers, and active conflict zones.

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Opinion

The Gulf’s late entry into the automotive industry is, actually, perfect timing

For more than a century, the global automotive industry has followed a relatively stable geographic logic. Engineering leadership sat in Europe and Japan,

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Opinion

Why high-net-worth founders are moving their companies to Dubai

Dubai’s reputation as a destination for the world’s wealthy is nothing new. For years, the emirate has served as a hub for affluent

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Opinion

Getting it right: What the world can learn from Dubai’s business model

Dubai’s rise as a global business hub is not accidental. Nor is it the result of geography, timing, or spectacle. Dubai is studied

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