Forty one undergraduates from the Singapore Management University (SMU)’s Business Study Mission (BSM) Middle East are visiting Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE from December 6 to 16, as part of SMU’s BSM programme.

During the trip, the students will be visiting over 20 companies and site attractions such as Saudi Aramco, Sorouh, the Gulf Research Centre, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Bahrain Financial Harbour and Lusail City. They will also attend briefings by officials from institutions ranging from the Qatar Urban Planning & Development Authority and the Royal Commission of Jubail & Yanbu to Abu Dhabi University.

The students will also have the opportunity to interact with local students and overseas-based Singaporeans at networking dinners, and secure internships with companies based there.

The BSM is a 13-week module which studies the internationalisation strategies of Singaporean companies in the Middle East.  Through case studies, student projects and guest lectures, the course aims to present students with real-life environmental influences and challenges that impact businesses in the Gulf region. Focusing on the real estate sector, students gain insights into the business opportunities in one of the world’s booming, high-end property regions. It culminates in a study trip to cities in the region.

This programme also provides the students with ample opportunities to understand the diverse culture in the Middle East, including an evening of cross-cultural exchanges and performances in October this year which saw over 60 SMU students, including 12 international students from Malaysia, Indonesia and China, having the opportunity to interact with and befriend the King Abdullah Scholars and their families from Saudi Arabia.

Since the launch of the Middle East BSM in 2006, SMU has sent over 180 students to the Gulf region, with over 40 students placed in valuable internship positions in Middle Eastern corporate heavyweights like the Emirates National Oil Company, Etihad Airways, the Gulf Research Centre and Saudi Aramco.-TradeArabia News Service