I have read that the case interview content in the Middle East office can be quite different than other countries due to the different scope of projects. What is the best resource for case interview examples that are specific to the Middle East?
Hi Daniel,
Typically, the cases on Middle East office revolves around government-sponsored projects or state-owned enterprises. The industrial sectors themselves may vary across infrastructure (e.g. smart cities), airlines, education, healthcare, automotive, transportation, retail & commerce, financial services, and others.
I would advise you to look at the prominent industrial and functional practices of the Middle East offices at your target firms, and try to practice relevent cases accordingly (the ones focusing on government / SOE clients).
There are examples of government-focused cases on casebooks from business schools as well as complementary resources from firms such as Monitor Deloitte or BCG. It would be useful to have a practice from these sources.
Hope it helps.
Kind regards,
Nathan
Hi Daniel,
I recommend the "standard" preparation. The only thing I would focus on is working more on industries that your target company usually serve.
Best,
Antonello
Hi Daniel,
of course Middle East has some specifics (i.e. strong focus on governmental sector). However, there are also many other interesting projects there (oil&gas, transportation, construction & real estate, telco etc.)
In order to prepare you best you need to prepare first in general yourself to different kind of cases (profitability, market sizing,etc.) and then tailor your preparation to every specific interview and company - study what they are doing, read their recent news and publications to understand their focus areas and kind of projects they do.
Key sources for you:
I used to work in Dubai and recruit candidates for two years, so if you have any specific questions, drop me a line.
Best, André
Hi Andre, thanks for the comment and guidelines ! I am actually looking for someone with experience in Middle East recruiting. I will definitely keep you in mind after I do my own preparation as I will need some coaching later on.
(edited)
Hi,
These types of cases are actually pretty traditional, especially for McKinsey. The reason why people think that they are rare is that the casebooks (that are in general not a good source of cases) almost don't have them
Feel free to reach me if you need a prep on them.
To provide a bit of structure, there are several types of non-profit cases:
Best
Thank you for the insightful answer. I will be considering reaching out for some sessions with you once I look more into the points you mentioned. Do you suggest any specific sources?
Hi Daniel,
in the Middle East you will find more government-related cases compared to other geographies. The easier way to find them is to skim through consulting MBA handbooks and focus on that type and/or prepare with candidates or consultants who have experience with interviews in that geography.
For some firms like BCG, it would also be useful to review the Saudi Vision 2030 as they may ask questions related to that topic.
If you are interested in a specific company please feel free to PM me, I helped several candidates for Middle East offices and have a good number of real cases asked there.
Best,
Francesco
