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McKinsey Dubai global staffing

dubai McKinsey McKinsey Dubai
New answer on Jan 29, 2021
6 Answers
1.1 k Views
Anonymous A asked on Jan 27, 2021

I'm just curious how McKinsey Dubai picks teams for global staffing, and how frequently projects require interactions outside the MENA region.

I worked with McKinsey in Paris for 2 years and in London for another 2 years ( guaranteed, I speak virtually all European languages :] ). Going through top MBA now and a change would be nice at the moment. Just curious about that particular point, if anyone has experience, I'd very much appreciate the help!

Thank you.

(edited)

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Antonello
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Jan 27, 2021
McKinsey | NASA | top 10 FT MBA professor for consulting interviews | 6+ years of coaching

Hi,

I don't know exactly, but would be interested to know more about this as well.

Best,

Antonello

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Ken
Expert
replied on Jan 28, 2021
Ex-McKinsey final round interviewer | Executive Coach

I've seen it really comes down to the supply of studies in the Middle East Office. There was a period where there was an excess of large public sector studies where loads of consultants from outside the region were being proactively staffed to meet the demand. On the flip side, I have also seen a phase where the office was super quiet and so the local office avoided engagement loans unless the required skill set was not available locally (some Middle Eastern clients can sometimes have very specific requirements in terms of who is on the team).

On the flip side, I've seen Dubai consultants work outside of the region especially when they speak the local language (e.g., French for Francaphone Africa and France, etc) but the staffing tends to be quite local, especially when there is high local demand.

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Vlad
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updated an answer on Jan 27, 2021
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

I know a lot of cases when the people from Dubai were staffed in other locations. As always, ideally, you should know someone locally / have relevant expertise

Best

(edited)

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Clara
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replied on Jan 27, 2021
McKinsey | Awarded professor at Master in Management @ IE | MBA at MIT |+180 students coached | Integrated FIT Guide aut

Hello!

I did not belong to that office, but I worked with people from it.

It seems to be quite common among offices: if you cannot staff locally, you try to look for profiles with experience in other geographies (most of the times over the CSTs network and relationships).

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

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Anonymous A on Jan 27, 2021

Hey, thanks for your reply!! I worked with colleagues from the Dubai office in Europe too, but it hit me that more than half weren't Europeans. They were mostly from Egypt, Lebanon.. etc working full-time in Dubai. It seemed strange to be honest

(edited)

Florian
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Content Creator
replied on Jan 28, 2021
Highest-rated McKinsey coach (ratings, offers, sessions) | 500+ offers | Author of The 1% & Consulting Career Secrets

Hey there,

Depending on the local staffing needs I have met colleagues from Dubai who worked a lot in the Middle East (esp Saudi Arabia), Africa and also did engagements in Australia and beyond.

The Dubai office is generally made up of expats almost exclusively.

All the best with your move!

Cheers,

Florian

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Gaurav
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Content Creator
replied on Jan 29, 2021
Ex-Mckinsey|Certified Career Coach |Placed 500+ candidates at MBB & other consultancies

Hi there,

It's not that uncommon for people from Dubai to be staffed in Europe, but it does come down to the demand (whether they can or can't staff locally) and your experience/ expertise.

Cheers,

GB

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