We have lived in Scotland, in England, in the USA (Texas, California and New York) and now in the UAE. I have travelled, mainly as a result of my job, to numerous other countries. I admire each country for certain things.
In our book ‘Scotland 2070 – Healthy, Wealthy and Wise’ we spend time describing the positive attributes of the small northern countries of Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Ireland. Here, I would like to concentrate on some other small countries with a population of less than 10 million and where I have done business. What do I admire most about them? Don’t get me wrong, I can find fault with them all also! But we are keen to promote the spirit of optimism in a sea of pessimism at the moment and to become wiser from others’ experiences.
The UAE (9 million) is a young country and has, in its peoples’ own words, been given a ‘gift from God’ in the form of oil. Their speed of decision making and singularity of purpose to build a modern civilization rapidly are impressive. The way they have balanced the multiple demands of both religious and secular habits is to be admired greatly.
Israel (9m) is a complex and fascinating country. There are two things I particularly like about the Israelis: their incredible dedication to modern agriculture, squeezing the very best out of a very difficult environment; and the talent they have attracted from round the world to focus investments on high technology and smart future business. Tech and Agri combined.
Lebanon (7m) is a country in crisis right now and has suffered from civil war and tension. The peoples’ resilience, their ability to pick themselves up from long spell of disaster and their small business and entrepreneurial spirit is renowned throughout the region. We have seen it with our own eyes. We love the people of that country and their remarkable robustness in adversity.
New Zealand (5m), remote and isolated, is a country with many of my Scottish relatives from two generations ago. They have made a name for themselves not only for their dedication to agriculture but to a stewardship of their beautiful land. They, like the Netherlands and Israel, could teach us a few things about agriculture and environmental care.
And finally, Singapore (6m), a remarkable city state. The single-minded vision of a few leaders has created a hub of activity that surpasses many others in that region. They have carved out a role for themselves with hard work, focus and spirit with a population the same as Scotland’s. A lesson for Scotland as it reacts to the massive new Arctic trading route opening up on its doorstep in the next two decades.
I urge all Scots to look for inspiration and lessons learned from these small countries to become a wiser country itself in the next few decades.