Yasir Iqbal

After more than 20 years working in procurement and supply chain across the construction and real estate sectors in the UAE, Yasir Iqbal travelled to Dundee to graduate from Abertay with an MBA.

Yasir studied through Westford University College in Sharjah, one of Abertay’s partner institutions, and attended Abertay’s summer graduation in Dundee.

Most of my colleagues and friends asked me, ‘Why do an MBA after all those years?’ To be honest, I never felt that experience alone was enough. The business world keeps changing, and I wanted to challenge myself, learn new ways of thinking, and become a better leader rather than just a more experienced manager.

Balancing a demanding professional role with postgraduate study was not always straightforward. Yasir often found himself moving from long working days into evenings spent on assignments, reading or group discussions. While the workload could be challenging, he believes that was also what made the experience so valuable.

One of the most rewarding parts of the MBA for Yasir was being able to connect what he was learning with his day-to-day professional life. The course gave him the opportunity to explore areas such as strategy and leadership, then apply those ideas almost immediately in a workplace setting.

That practical link between study and work helped make the MBA feel relevant and meaningful. Rather than seeing the course as purely academic, Yasir found that it gave him new ways to think about business challenges, leadership and decision-making.

What I really enjoyed was being able to connect what I was learning with what I was doing every day. I would be studying strategy or leadership one week and then find myself applying those ideas at work almost immediately. That made the learning feel practical rather than purely academic.

Although Yasir is clear that the MBA has not yet transformed his career in the way people sometimes expect, he believes it has already had a significant impact on how he sees himself professionally.

The experience has strengthened his confidence, broadened his understanding of business beyond procurement, and helped him feel more comfortable contributing to wider discussions in interviews, negotiations and meetings.

If I’m asked whether the MBA has transformed my career already, I would probably say no, or honestly not yet, at least not in the way people often expect. I think it is more about timing. But it has certainly changed how I see myself professionally. I feel more confident, more rounded, and more comfortable discussing business beyond procurement alone.