20 Years in the Middle East: Eid Reflections, and Finding Perspective in a Place That Never Stands Still
In a region that moves quickly, builds fast, and evolves constantly, I love the collective pause that Eid brings. A moment to step back, reconnect, reflect, and recalibrate.
This year, I’e been reflecting on more than 20 years of life and work in the Middle East.
Two decades.
That number feels slightly surreal when I say it out loud… I still remember arriving with my one overweight suitcase thinking it would only be for a couple of years, a short chapter before moving on to something else.
But that was before I had really experienced life in this part of the world.
A region that becomes your backdrop and your teacher
Over the years, the Middle East has been more than just a place I’ve lived and worked. It has been the backdrop to almost every major personal and professional milestone I can think of.
Jobs that shaped me. Friendships that anchored me. Moves that challenged me. A wedding that was postponed more times than I care to count. Eventually, a husband. A baby. Multiple international relocations. A pandemic. And more recently, periods of regional uncertainty that have reminded many of us just how quickly things can shift.
None of it followed a neat or predictable path. Very little of it was planned in advance. All of it, however, has had an impact.
And somewhere in between all of that, a life was built.
That is what this region does so well. It doesn’t just offer opportunity in the traditional sense. It accelerates experience. It compresses time. It forces growth in ways you don’t always recognise until you stop long enough to look back.
The version of success you don’t always see
It’s easy to talk about career milestones, business growth, and the visible markers of success that tend to get shared publicly, but what often goes unnoticed are the quieter shifts:
- Learning how to adapt quickly when plans change overnight.
- Building resilience through repeated resets.
- Finding stability in environments that are anything but static.
- Learning that ‘certainty’ is not always part of the equation, but progress still is.
If anything, the past few years in particular have reinforced that even when things feel unsettled, life continues to move forward. Sometimes slowly, sometimes unevenly, but always forward, and that, I think, is something this region teaches better than most.
Eid as a moment to pause and take stock
Eid encourages reflection, whether you plan for it or not. It brings together themes that feel especially relevant right now: gratitude, family, community, and the importance of pausing in between everything else.
In a place like the UAE, where so many cultures, backgrounds and beliefs coexist side by side, that sense of shared moment feels even more meaningful.
There is a rhythm here that is unique. One where celebrations come in waves across the year, and where connection often sits at the centre of both personal and professional life.
It is one of the things I have always appreciated most about living here: the ability to experience so many different traditions and perspectives in one place, often within the same week.
20 years later, still learning
This milestone has made me reflect less on what has been achieved and more on what has been absorbed along the way, and it’s perspective, above all else, that feels like the biggest takeaway:
- Not everything needs to be shared in real time.
- Not every season needs to be productive in the traditional sense.
- Energy naturally fluctuates, and that is something to accept rather than resist.
- And sometimes, simply keeping things steady is enough.
That feels particularly relevant after the more recent periods of turbulence many of us have experienced across the region. There has been a collective sense of ‘carrying on’ while also processing what those changes mean in real time.
If anything, it has highlighted the importance of pace. Of not rushing straight back into intensity just because things are moving again. Of recognising that rebuilding momentum can be gradual.
Why I would, and do, still choose this region
Despite the uncertainty, despite the challenges, and despite the constant evolution, I still feel incredibly grateful to call this region home.
The UAE, in particular, has a way of making things feel possible. Not because everything is always easy, but because systems are designed to support movement, progress, and ambition.
There is a practicality here that I’ve always valued. Things tend to be efficient, accessible, and geared towards enabling people to get on with what they came here to do. But beyond that, it is the people that make the difference. The communities built around shared experience, the openness to new ideas, and the willingness to keep building even when things shift.
Looking ahead, more gently
If there is one thing this year has reinforced, it is that there is no need to rush into what comes next.
After 46 years, and 20 of them in this region, I have a greater appreciation for slower transitions, steadier momentum, and space to recalibrate when needed.
The focus now feels less about big declarations and more about maintaining balance. Staying present. Appreciating what is already here. And continuing to build in a way that feels sustainable, and for now, that is enough.
And as Eid brings its familiar sense of reflection and gratitude, I find myself feeling particularly thankful for this place, the people in it, and the unexpected journey that brought me here in the first place.
