Business
Covid or recession cannot replace personal touch in networking, says BNI chief of UAE
Kumar Shyam
Dubai – A visit to the annual expo and members day of the Business Network International has revealed that the face to face meetings will still remain the preferred option for many.
While the world moved its business online wherever possible in the Covid-19 aftermath, the recessionary pressures that followed also meant people resorted to more networking.
“Not just this Covid, but four times in the past two decades that I have been associated with BNI, I have seen that membership figures have got the actual momentum only during times of recession,” said Bijay Shah, the national director of BNI for Qatar and UAE.
According to BNI, it is the world’s largest business networking and referral organisation. Shah put the member strength in the UAE to 800 members, who pay an annual subscription amount and then meet in person at a designated venue with a stipulated cover amount to cover for the costs of the venue and refreshments.
The annual day also provided businesses with an opportunity to explore mutual synergies through networking sessions while some also put up stalls to advertise their wares.
K Kalimuthu, Consul (Economic, Trade & Commerce) at the Consulate General of India also graced the event to mark 17 years of BNI in the UAE, which has mushroomed into 20 chapters and few about to start.
Bijay Shah, left, and K Kalimuthu chat on the sidelines of the BNI Expo Day at JW Marriott Marquis, Dubai. Courtesy BNI
Members also came together to share industry knowledge and trends while there was a panel discussion on the importance of integration of the metaverse in businesses.
While the businessmen and professionals have gone back to operating onsite, the era of Zoom and Teams meetings online ensured that networking can happen virtually too.
Ask Mr Shah and members from the BNI at the expo at JW Marriott Marquis hotel, Dubai, the unanimous verdict is that personal meetings have their own strengths.
In a recent PwC Consumer Intelligence Series survey, 75 percent of 15,000 consumer respondents confirmed the observation that when it comes to business, the human touch is still extremely important.
“In a world where automation and digitalisation are the way to generate new businesses, human relationships have been challenged since a long time and to greater degree post-pandemic. BNI significantly contributes that to business growth through the power of building interpersonal relationships.”
“We are growing in the UAE with close to 800 members and last year alone the members closed businesses worth over 336 Million AED,” Shah said. “Not just in the UAE, BNI has a proven growth track record globally and is a business model able to grow in any economic environment. BNI is now franchising across the Middle East (email information@bni.ae to know more).”
Shirish Jain, a member, gave a real-life example to explain this. “What happens in online meetings is that the personal touch is lacking. Even in BNI, sometimes the important connections are made around the coffee table. For instance, four-five members are casually chatting and during a talk on metaverse, some shares an anecdote citing a friend whom I would love to do business with. So many times it has happened that we mention our friends and family who the network could benefit from and vice versa. So I would say in-person meetings are still better than online.”
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The Expo and Members Day was loaded with a range of learning events, such as panel discussions with keynote speakers and members sharing their success stories. The event ended with a spectacular awards ceremony honoring and recognizing the members’ achievements.
“Networking is an important element of every business. BNI aspires to be a guiding light for companies and individuals seeking to connect and thrive,” Mr Shah added.
About BNI
It is a 37-year-old business and professional networking organization that allows only one person from each trade or profession to join a chapter. BNI has over 289K members worldwide, in over 75 different countries, from over 300 different types of professions. In each chapter, there is a long list of categories for businessmen and profession. Once a member signs up and fills up that category, the chapter blocks out others in the same providing monopoly to protect the member’s interests.
News
Crackdown on Illegal paying guests: Dubai’s new shared housing law takes effect with fines up to Dh1m
Dubai’s new legislation governing shared accommodation officially came into effect on August 26. Applying across the entire emirate, including free zones and special development zones, the comprehensive framework is designed to eliminate dangerous, overcrowded, and unauthorised partition rentals while establishing formal licensing standards for communal living.
What qualifies as shared housing?
Under the law, shared housing is defined as any residential property where individuals or families occupy private designated living spaces while sharing common facilities like kitchens, bathrooms, and dining areas.
Who is permitted to rent out shared units?
The new framework strictly bans unauthorised subletting by tenants. A primary tenant can no longer rent out individual bedrooms, partitioned spaces, or bed spaces directly to roommates or third parties.
Only the following entities can legally offer shared housing:
- Registered Property Owners: Leasing spaces directly to occupants under formal contracts.
- Licensed Management Companies: Authorised operators contracted by the owner to run and lease the property.
- Licensed Operators Subletting Master Leases: Approved commercial entities leasing an entire property from the owner to sublet authorised units to tenants.
Penalties for violations
Authorities have introduced strict financial and operational consequences for non-compliance:
- Initial Fines: Dh500 up to Dh500,000, depending on the severity of the violation.
- Repeat Violations: Fines double for repeat offences committed within one year, capped at Dh1,000,000.
- Operational Sanctions: Authorities may suspend operations for up to 6 months, revoke commercial licenses, cancel permits, disconnect utilities, seize equipment, or order the direct evacuation of non-compliant properties.
Grace period & tenant protection
- Compliance deadline: Existing shared housing operators and property owners have until August 26, 2027, to obtain permits and bring their properties into full compliance.
- Protection from sudden eviction: If an operator’s permit is suspended or cancelled, authorities can grant occupants an interim stay period to secure alternative accommodation rather than facing immediate eviction.
Approved property/resident categories
The regulation permits shared accommodation across six distinct property types:
- Residential apartments
- Detached/standalone houses
- Residential complexes
- Mixed-use buildings
- Attached / adjoining houses
- Multi-storey buildings
Permitted occupant groups include families, single men, single women, university students, government personnel, and private sector corporate employees. Corporate and student housing provided directly by employers or educational institutions does not require individual tenancy contracts.
From convincing phone calls by fake bank officials to bogus shopping websites designed to steal credit card details, financial scams are growing increasingly sophisticated across the UAE.
In response, federal authorities, the Central Bank, and police forces are rolling out a multi-layered defence strategy designed to intercept fraud before it reaches consumers.
The approach focuses on three core pillars: making scams harder to execute, speeding up real-time detection, and providing direct avenues for victims to report crimes and recover losses.
Central Bank mandates
The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has significantly increased compliance requirements for all licensed financial institutions, shifting the burden of fraud detection directly onto banks.
- Phasing Out SMS OTPs: The CBUAE is pushing institutions away from single-factor, SMS-based one-time passwords, favouring biometric verification and dynamic app-based authentications to combat SIM-swap and phishing attacks.
- Anti-Fraud Hub: The regulator established the Central Bank Anti-Fraud Operations Centre (CAFOC) to enable real-time threat monitoring, rapid incident response, and instant data sharing across UAE financial entities.
- Strict monitoring: Banks are legally required to maintain continuous monitoring systems to flag suspicious transactions, combat social engineering, and immediately report unauthorised activities.
Safety for online shoppers
With cybercriminals increasingly targeting online shoppers, the UAE’s consumer protection framework now treats digital storefronts with the same legal scrutiny as physical retail.
- E-Commerce Regulations: Federal Decree-Law No. 14 of 2023 sets clear technical standards, legal liabilities, and data protection rules for digital trading platforms operating in the country.
- Tougher Anti-Counterfeit Penalties: Federal Decree-Law No. 42 of 2023 on Combating Commercial Fraud equips authorities to crack down on fraudulent sellers, corrupt goods, and misleading online commercial practices.
- Statutory Rights: Federal Law No. 15 of 2020 guarantees data privacy, fair dispute settlement, and monetary compensation for consumers facing fraudulent domestic transactions.
Where residents can report scams
Authorities urge residents never to absorb financial losses quietly. Several official channels provide dispute resolution and criminal reporting:
- Ministry of Economy and Tourism: Handles formal consumer disputes, misleading sales complaints, and requests for product recalls, facilitating amicable settlements or judicial referrals.
- Dubai Police e-Crime Platform: Provides a dedicated portal for reporting cybercrime, identity theft, and electronic banking fraud.
- Local Consumer Protection Departments: Each emirate maintains direct channels to investigate deceptive trade practices and unauthorised merchant activity.
Scam warning: Dubai Police recently warned against fraudulent Consumer Protection websites that lure users into downloading remote-access apps, allowing criminals to hijack devices and drain linked bank accounts.
Do’s and Don’ts to keep your accounts safe
While state-level defences continue to tighten, personal vigilance remains essential:
- Don’t share details: No bank or government entity will ever ask for your password, PIN, or multi-factor authentication code via phone, email, or WhatsApp.
- Don’t give remote access: Never download third-party software (such as AnyDesk or TeamViewer) at the request of an unsolicited caller.
- Do URL check: Check domain spellings carefully and ensure e-commerce platforms use verified, secure payment gateways before entering card numbers.
- Don’t wait, act immediately: If you suspect compromised details or notice an unauthorised charge, freeze your card via your banking app and notify your bank’s fraud unit without delay.
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