Sarajevo lawyer Mersiha Lisica is "spending" the second decade of her life and work in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The ex-yu community is well aware of her status in this Gulf country, as there is no person who has not turned to her for help and advice without Mersiha coming out to meet her.

Extraordinary knowledge of the law in the UAE, which differs greatly from the law in the former Yugoslavia, as well as great knowledge in the field of business, resulted in the organization of business events.

The new one will be held on January 20, 2022 in Dubai at the Radisson Blue Hotel, Canal View. The price for participants who are not members of the Hub2Connect club and who are not keynote speakers is 250AED, while for members of the club with bronze membership is 200AED, for those with silver membership 125AED, while for gold membership tickets are free, as well as for keynote speakers and sponsors.

Mersiha Lisica talks about for Our BUREAU business in the UAE.

For January 20, 2022, you have announced a new business event that will be organized in Dubai. How is this event different from the previous one?

- January is the month when the whole world is in Dubai, especially now that the EXPO is open. We have decided that our new event will be in the first month of the new year, from which we expect a lot in the UAE, because the UAE has declared that it has fought the COVID 19 pandemic, a month that brings new changes in the UAE country in terms of law and weekend changes. and working days of the week. It is clear that it brings a lot of positive news.

This business conference will be organized so that not only ex-Yu companies and investors can participate, but also beyond. As we had interests from other countries, we decided to expand our activities. Let me just mention that we have kept the tradition of the EX YU business conference, which will be held in the spring.

Who, when and where can apply for participation?

- Everyone can apply for participation, from investors or those who want to start a business, those who need support in starting a business and finding a suitable market, those who need a partner, those who already have a business and are looking for suitable partners, distributors, suppliers, contractors or projects. Those who already have products and projects they want to place and present, or advertise.

Those looking for work and employment. Those who want to transfer their experience in business and the business world to the GCC and beyond. Those who want to change their lives and learn something new. So, this conference will really be a springboard for everyone.

How many people from the world of small business participated in the previous event and what are the results after that event?

- We were brave enough to start organizing a business conference during the Covid 19 pandemic and we did not miss. Our company European Elite Business Hub was created with the aim of helping businessmen and those who want to become one. The pandemic was just the time for that. We had businessmen in trouble, and on our part, professional help and knowledge that we could provide. As the situation improved after the pandemic, we continued to support start-up companies, because we know that no start is easy.

When it comes to previous conferences, we were limited by the number of participants we could receive in the hall. But that did not stop us from hearing about us and asking for a new conference, because praise came from the participants and their statements that our goal was successful. They made deals with each other, even though there were a limited number of us. So, quantity is not important, quality is important. Their pleasure was the wind in our backs for a new step.

Who has an interest in applying for the event - are they people who have business ideas, and do they need investors or business partners, or are small business owners who want to expand their business to the Middle East?

- Absolutely everyone can apply, because the event is designed so that everyone can benefit, teach them what steps to take to meet the standard not only of starting a business but also of those who have been in their business for a long time but have problems. Our keynote speakers give advice from their experience, talk about overcoming business problems. Participants can also ask questions to keynote speakers while present on stage. It is also interesting that everyone present at the conference, regardless of whether the keynote speakers are given a minute at the beginning of the conference to introduce themselves to the audience.

This is the starting point for networking people who come to our conference, since we do not make monotonous lectures and do not tell lullabies. We always leave a lot more time for the participants to get to know each other and their opportunity to agree on options for cooperation and to express interest in them. Participants, according to the presentation of the audience, knowing what they are doing, are looking for people who could be important for their cooperation during the breaks.

How much has the pandemic shaken business in the UAE?

- As you know, business all over the world is shaken. The UAE did not pass, but it seems to me that everyone quickly got on their feet. If someone failed a project, if he has sense for business, he immediately started a new business ot went into uncharted waters. The pandemic has really made some things crystallize, from human relationships, personal satisfaction, knowledge of personal abilities and business relationships. She taught us to adapt to reality, I would rather call it “nowadays” than “newnormal”.

One who cannot adapt should learn to adapt, not give up.

The UAE is a country where everyone has a chance, so I think they should use that chance in the right way, by learning, networking and thinking positively. Anyone waiting for something to “fall from the sky” will hardly get used to it anywhere in the world, not just in the UAE which offers so many opportunities that you just need to be valuable enough to grab them.

My motto has always been "If it can't be this way, it can be that way."

The UAE market is large, but there are still not enough products and services from the former Yugoslavia. What should businessmen who want to enter this market know before embarking on expanding their business in the Middle East? Most of them see the lights of the metropolis as a starting point for getting rich, and they have no idea what obstacles await them along the way.

- I have always wanted to warn our people, and not only ours, not to blindly believe everyone. They need to check well who they are talking to, who is giving them advice. As in any country, you have those who want to get rich easily and brokers in many ways. Have multiple experts ask for an opinion, not always one, and don’t take business advice from people who aren’t in business. For further steps, they need to get acquainted with at least the basic regulations in the UAE, which have been changing in the last few years in a positive direction.

Please don’t trust too much those who promise big deals in the UAE, brag about relationships with members of respectable families, but in the end it all comes down to promises and empty words. That is why we come across numerous cases of lawsuits, and the so-called brokers usually end up in lawsuits.

As for our advice, we give a realistic picture to clients and save them high costs and problems they may face. Our advantage is that we never leave our clients in trouble unless they themselves want to, which has never happened before.

We help clients in choosing activities for the company, advise them on the types of companies that are most suitable for them, conduct the process of registration and preparation of investor or partner visas for company owners and their employees. We help them find good bookkeeping companies, we give advice on opening a bank account, we help if something gets stuck in business, and most importantly we help them find clients.

EXPO 2020 Dubai provides an opportunity for businessmen from all over the world to network and strengthen their presence in other markets. What, from your point of view, are the strongest trump cards of businesses from the ex-Yu space that stand out from us at this biggest fair event?

- There are many things that can be offered in this market, from new smart and IT technologies to food products, tourism, real estate and much more. For example, what is interesting now for GCC citizens is investing in real estate in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as in Serbia. They are also interested in Montenegro, and some in Macedonia. 

We are also helping them find good options and solve their problems in the former Yugoslavia, because you yourself know what unsettled property relations look like in our country.

There is a growing interest in our food products in the Gulf, for example honey and others. Software and application development companies have a lot of chances, as well as innovations in every sector, to which they attach great importance in the development of the UAE, as a country of new technologies.

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