Saudi scholarship winner returns to spread word of the Australian MBA

Over the last couple of years many in the Middle East who were considering studying for an MBA were put off by funding issues. Finding the money for an MBA has been difficult , especially for students hoping to gain the qualification away from their native country, and many put the idea on hold. But with the economic tide beginning to turn, potential students are beginning to consider again which options are available to them, both in the Middle East and abroad.

One Saudi MBA student with more experience than most of executive education abroad is Abdul Bajabaa, currently studying for an MBA at Melbourne Business School after winning a scholarship from his employer. Before heading to Australia, Abdul studied for his undergraduate degree at the University of Southern California in the US and worked for four years in the energy sector in Saudi Arabia as a project manager and engineer.

He has now returned to the region during a break in his MBA studies to attend a series of MBA recruitment fairs throughout the Middle East to inform potential MBA students of the benefits of studying for the qualification abroad.

“Studying abroad really broadens your horizons in terms of seeing how different cultures operate in a business context. I initially headed for the US to study for my undergraduate degrees, and this provided me with an insight into how the Western education system works. But after working in the Energy industry in Saudi for four years, I really wanted to get a deeper understanding of how global business operates. My ultimate goal is to complete my MBA at Melbourne before taking a CFA qualification and then moving into investment banking.”

Abdul’s tour starts in Dubai on April 10th, before taking in Doha, Kuwait City, Cairo, Amman and Beirut after which he heads back to Melbourne to continue his studies.

“Doing my MBA in Melbourne has been really great. In terms of culture, Australia has a huge amount to offer – Melbourne is diverse and artistic and living costs are far lower than in the UK or US. It is unfortunate that there are many in the Middle East who are not as aware of what Australia has to offer as they are of the UK or the States. Hopefully I will be able to use this trip to show that both the lifestyle and the education on offer at Melbourne is something worth considering.”