The second week in Qatar was busy with company visits, we got to visit Hilti, SLB, Halliburton, Doha Cables, and Calo. These visits were cool and informative, giving us a firsthand look at how many companies run their business in Qatar. It was cool to see how much of the country is driven by its energy sector because of the North Field, but also how people are taking advantage of the economy and getting into other industries like technology and food. Learning about the challenges these companies are dealing with really made me appreciate the American economy. We also had a few Arabic lessons at TAMUQ, where we learned some useful phrases and how to write our names in Arabic. This was a fun but important part of the trip and showed me how language plays such an important role in building relationships and running business in Qatar. Outside of all the learning, we had so much fun doing other things. We boated to a sandbar, swam in freezing water, and checked out some malls and markets. The trip was a great combination of business and fun, and I made some lasting friendships throughout the trip. I also feel like I gained a much deeper understanding of the Islam religion and the Qatari culture, which really changed my original view of Qatar as just a large business dominated country. The trip helped me see that understanding the local culture, no matter where you go, is just as important as understanding the business environment when it comes to building trust, relationships, and managing successful business. Overall, the Qatar trip was absolutely amazing. I learned a ton and came back more patriotic and with a more global perspective. And last but not least, shoutout to Dr. Flint for being a great leader!
