There are many global markets that Croatian entrepreneurs seek access to. Most business is, of course, conducted with the European Union and neighboring countries, but also with more distant ones, and one of the most attractive markets is certainly the Middle East — specifically, the wealthy Gulf states, above all the United Arab Emirates. Neven Roginić is the president of the UAE-Croatia Business Club, dedicated to promoting the interests and activities of companies and individuals strengthening ties between the two countries. He is also the CEO of L33T Digital Agency, the owner of Format 3D, a company specializing in 3D visualizations, and the co-founder of Advising Solutions, a global consulting firm where he has the opportunity to lead a team of more than 50 talented experts across various global fields.
At the beginning of the interview in the program “Business Club with Ilija Jandrić”, he revealed what inspired him to establish a club that would connect businesspeople from Croatia and the Emirates.
“Everything actually stemmed from my personal experience of entering that market. We provide services in architecture, do 3D visualizations, interior design, and collaborate with numerous architectural studios worldwide, including in the Middle East. Our involvement in projects we worked on for Emaar got us listed on the vendor list of Emaar Headquarters in Dubai. That was the trigger point when we began exploring this market through our own company.
Then, along the way, many companies from Croatia reached out to us — friends, entrepreneurs, businesspeople — asking how to develop business in the Emirates, what the business culture is like, what opportunities exist… We realized that while many people know the Emirates through the lens of tourism, mega-projects, landmarks like Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall, very few look at them through the lens of business development. That’s when we understood it would be great to start a club that would help Croatian entrepreneurs enter this market and avoid some of the growing pains we encountered ourselves. We saw that we could provide quality networking based on what we had already started doing.
The idea behind the club was to educate the market and help Croatians who want to enter the Emirati market through our advice, business networking, connections with trade organizations, and finding strategic partners in that market.”
What was your experience, your business cooperation, and entry into the Emirati market?
The business climate is different than in Europe. We had experience with numerous positions in Europe that we had built over the years, but when we entered that market, the reference we carried with us — as the largest real estate developer in that part of the world — was of great importance. That was our background and our “door opener,” the key to establishing our first contacts with other partners. We identified a business climate that requires a personal, local approach and local presence. Business development there could not be done remotely — by simply opening a company, sending emails from Europe, and hoping for some success. We had to send people there. Even today, we don’t have that many physical meetings in the Emirates, but the fact that clients know they can come to our office has helped us a lot.
We are based in Silicon Oasis, the technology hub of the Emirates. At the beginning, we hired a regional director who had already lived in the Emirates for about 15 years, knew the culture well, and had built a strong network of contacts. From there, we continued developing our team with sales managers and further expanding our establishment.
What other differences are there in business culture?
There, the foundation is trust, and trust is built through relationships. I often emphasize that entering that market is not a race. You won’t find wealthy sheikhs walking around throwing money. They are very careful about whom they engage with, and more important to them than the price is who you are connected with, who your partners are… We brought strong references from Europe — we work with Hyatt Hotel, Radisson, and on interior design projects with numerous companies and architectural studios across Europe. A key factor was our collaboration on the Belgrade Waterfront project, where we supported Emaar with their visualizations. That was a story we were able to present there, and it proved to be very successful.
The Belgrade Waterfront project drew a lot of attention, not only in Serbia. What was your role there?
We got the job without any connections or prior contacts. We literally used LinkedIn. Although we already had two teams there — and still do today, one in Novi Sad and one in Belgrade — composed of architects working with us on projects outside of Serbia, on global projects. We reached out by simply sending an invite note. And we got a meeting. At that meeting, they were very well prepared; six or seven representatives were there, from Eagle Hills to other investors. They already knew our references, and we closed our first project within two days, though with very challenging deadlines. They appreciated our scalability — the ability to complete a project in a very short timeframe.
I remember very clearly the moment when we received a highly demanding project: the entire landscape connection of Belgrade Waterfront with the city center, from the Terazije Fountain and Hotel Moskva all the way to Hotel Bristol, across five cascades. We were given a deadline of three weeks. At one point, the Head of Construction Development called me and said: “We have a problem — we need to finish in two days. The Director of Belgrade Waterfront has a meeting with Mr. Alabbar, where everything will be presented. We must get it done, no matter what.” And we managed to deliver — in just two days we covered an incredible scope of the project. They really liked our work, and the results were more than impressive.
What else did you design there?
We don’t do designing ourselves, but rather visualizations in the context of Belgrade Waterfront. They provide us with briefs, floor plans, drawings, cross-sections — all the inputs needed to visualize the future property. Specifically, when it comes to this landscape, we contributed quite a lot of input, because the brief we received was fairly basic.
So, you do 3D animation?
It is 3D rendering animation.
Do you receive details of how, for example, the Belgrade Tower will look? Where the benches will be, where the lawn, the kindergarten… Or is it your task to arrange it so that it looks as good as possible?
We receive technical drawings based on briefs, along with further details related to material selection, reference samples, and similar inputs. People are visual beings and like to see how something will look, so we create photorealistic renderings that later serve as support in sales.
How do you respond to the criticisms that have been raised about Belgrade Waterfront, starting with the claim that it was legally questionable because old buildings in Belgrade were demolished to make way for it? Permits were also questioned…
The situation wasn’t as dramatic as the media portrayed it. The Belgrade Waterfront area previously consisted of dilapidated buildings and slums, and no historic structures were demolished — quite the opposite. Buildings that were part of protected heritage were preserved within the architectural masterplan, renovated, and repurposed. Professionally speaking, from an architectural perspective, Belgrade Waterfront has changed the city’s skyline and positioned it as a modern metropolis, at least regarding its entrance. Of course, there is always resistance to change. People don’t like it, and they don’t like foreign capital coming in. But the architectural context must be considered — how something will be reflected over 20, 30, or 50 years.
The same investor was also interested in Zagreb on the Sava, or the so-called Zagreb Manhattan promoted by Milan Bandić, but that project stalled. Were you involved there, and is it something that Zagreb needs, in that Hipodrom location?
We were not involved; I followed it from the sidelines. In conversations with friends and partners, and generally with professionals, looking at the Hipodrom in its current position, it may not be the most ideal location. When it was initially planned, it was on the outskirts of the city, so it made some sense at the time.
From my perspective, the whole situation may have been mismanaged through some form of public-private partnership, which could have, in turn, compromised the entire project.
It has been commented that Novi Zagreb would become even more congested, and that such tall skyscrapers are not needed in such a small area…
Zagreb is not planned for very tall buildings, but regarding Belgrade Waterfront, there is an urban rule that the highest point must not exceed the Church of Saint Sava, which is located on an elevation. Of course, there are some discussions about whether the tower exceeded that limit by a few meters.
In general, Zagreb was not intended to grow vertically, also due to issues with groundwater. But if there is market interest, projects aimed at modernizing the city would be welcome.
Croatian exports to the Emirates in 2024 amounted to around 98 million euros, and imports around 20 million. What do Croats most often export to the Emirates, what do we import, and where are the growth opportunities?
The absolute figures of trade exchange are not large, but the trend is. If we look at the first ten months of 2024 compared to 2023, we are talking about an import growth of 400 percent and an export growth of 60–70 percent. To be clear, Croatia is not the first association with the European Union in the Emirates, but due to its geographical location, it can position itself very well as a distribution center for Central and Eastern Europe. We export pharmaceutical products, timber, certain electronic components, so our companies are already present in these markets, and I would highlight Podravka and Končar.
Infobip is exceptionally well established in its field of operation. As for imports, we bring in aluminum, petrochemical products…
What do Emirati companies invest in within Croatia? Do we have any significant investments?
We do. The most significant investment has been made in tourism. Eagle Hills’ acquisition of Sunčani Hvar and Bluesun Hotels represents perhaps the largest investment in the Croatian hotel industry in the past ten years, aiming to position Croatia on the global map of luxury destinations. Luxury projects are precisely what interest them the most. Our club works very closely with the Ministry of Economy and Tourism of the United Arab Emirates, directly with Minister Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri. We have identified seven areas of investment interest — tourism, real estate, energy, renewable energy, food production, IT, and defense.
These are the sectors that interest them in Croatia. We are working on preparing the visit of a delegation of Arab investors, together with the Emirati Minister of Economy and Tourism, with organizations such as the Abu Dhabi and Dubai Chambers of Commerce and local investors, supported by the Croatian Government, to which we have presented our project and program. From the beginning, we received support from President Milanović and Minister Šušnjar, i.e., the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I believe a climate and platform for quality dialogue is being created, which will ensure exactly the kind of trust I spoke about at the beginning. They want institutional support that will serve as the foundation for security, trust, and continuity in investing.
Many think they can just pick up petro-dollars there, but it doesn't quite work that way. Some projects with Arab countries were on hold for a long time, and some failed. How ready are we actually to offer concrete projects? In Qatar, we once realized that no Croatian company could independently compete for large projects there — consortia would be needed. Is it the same in the Emirates?
To start the discussion about the Emirates and attracting investors to Croatia, it’s important to say that we have very strict controls to verify who the investors are. Our club has been supported by the UAE Embassy in Berlin, and cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and trade organizations gives us exactly that KYC (Know Your Customer) information — who the investor really is, whether they are truly capable of investing locally, whether their background is valid, and so on. So, that part is regulated through the relationships we have established. Regarding our products and services in the Emirates, we believe there is room for us in various aspects. We now also cooperate with the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts, which raises the question of what small craftsmen can offer to such a much larger market.
I always return to one excellent, very visual example. One of our consultants in the Emirates had a project placing honey on the shelves of their retail chains. They started selling it at around 20 euros per jar and struggled with the market. They were then advised to create more luxurious packaging with a selection of honey, adding some gold flakes. The same quantity of honey began selling much better at ten times the price. Then they asked, “OK, what’s next?” They were advised to create ultra-luxury packaging, echoing luxury watches like Patek Philippe, in a wooden box with a gold plaque reading “24 Carat Gold Honey.” This started selling extremely well at 500 dollars per box. It became a matter of prestige for all the villas and wealthy families to have it on their tables, whether or not they actually ate the honey.
It was a great example showing that niche products in the luxury segment can truly achieve results. Here, we need to leverage the intelligence of our people, and Croatia indeed has a pool of quality talent, people with good ideas. We can bring such ideas to the Emirates, and in other sectors as well. We have very strong IT companies, and we currently help these Croatian companies enter the market, finding strategic partners. We also talk about exporting medical equipment, where we have high-quality projects underway. The market is large, and we know it quite well, particularly through cooperation with trade organizations, enabling us to do quality match-making for select services and products.
In this whole story, one must also be wary of fraudsters. How big of a problem are they?
I mentioned KYC. We have a very good understanding of the background of investors or any potential partner to our company wishing to enter that market. Through these verification protocols — ranging from the embassy to the Ministry of Economy and trade organizations — we can truly filter who is a quality person, investor, or company, and who is not.
How important is the announced establishment of the Croatia Business Council at the Dubai Chamber?
Extremely important. This is institutionalization that supports Croatian companies already operating in the Emirates. The club serves as a platform, a bridge that connects Croatian companies to the Emirates, and then the Croatia Business Council continues that support there, making its operations very serious. I believe there are currently about fifty different business councils operating in the Emirates. We have already begun connecting with them — Canadian, British, and then the Benelux Council — building excellent relationships specifically to expand the match-making opportunities for our members. It is not beneficial that, when we launch certain activities or events, the same 20–30 Croats meet week after week at these events. We want connections with people from other countries, and there are 206 countries represented there. This becomes an opportunity for growth, networking, and economic cooperation.
How much support do you have from the state, the government, and institutions like the Croatian Chamber of Commerce?
I really want to commend the work of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce in terms of cooperation. We have had several meetings, and we are now in the phase of signing a Memorandum of Understanding, through which we will carry out some joint activities in the Emirates market. The government has shown that it is ready to get involved in projects, and Croatia recognizes this market. The EU generally sees the Emirates as a very important strategic partner. I participated in a high-level roundtable at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, where Maroš Šefčovič, the European Commission Commissioner for Trade, was present. He very bluntly and directly told the Minister of Trade, the Dubai Chambers representatives, and all other stakeholders: “We see the Emirates as an extremely important strategic partner, especially in the context of uncertainty, customs, tariffs, and the geopolitics between the EU and America.”
New markets are opening, and in the next 12 months, the plan is to sign a Free Trade Agreement between the EU and the Emirates, which will further increase the volume of trade — currently around 50 billion euros annually in non-gas-and-oil trade. The signing of the agreement, which will define, facilitate, and speed up trade processes, will certainly double that volume, if not more.
How willing are Emirati entrepreneurs to play by European rules?
I believe they are. They are aware that they need to adapt. Once you start communicating, you quickly realize that they are more adaptable than people think. Especially when we talk about serious investors who already have experience in the EU, invest in projects, and recognize the potential of the Union as a large, broad market. From some personal contacts with their ministries and trade organizations, I realized that a new chapter is opening before us, which will give a significant boost to the economy.
How much of a problem is it that the UAE embassy for Croatia is in Berlin, while the Croatian embassy for the Emirates is in Cairo?
Well, here too we are seeing significant progress. The Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced to me, as well as President Milanović, that next year, among a package of five new embassies, the Croatian Embassy in Abu Dhabi will be opened. This will greatly strengthen our economic diplomacy in that market. We are currently the last EU country without an embassy there, and they want it to happen as soon as possible. I have an excellent contact and collaboration with Lucy Berger, the EU Ambassador to the Emirates, who is eager for this to happen. This will further boost cooperation, although I would note that our Consulate in the United Arab Emirates, located in Dubai and headed by Mr. Jasmin Delić, has provided strong support from the very start. But with the establishment of the embassy, this will certainly be elevated to a higher level.
How many Croats are currently in the Emirates?
About two to 2.5 thousand, but the number is growing month by month. Compared to other countries in the region, whose citizens are much more numerous there, we stand out because we have positioned ourselves in very high-quality jobs. We have directors even in some public companies, and it is a great honor that someone who is not a resident can hold a position in such a country at all. Croats have a good reputation there, and through the club and the development of our activities, we have the opportunity to further empower and connect them, creating a climate of a small community of influential people who can achieve a lot.
What is the attitude towards foreign workers there?
The Emirates attract new residents month by month. Dubai currently has over four million residents. In the vision for 2040, the city will grow to seven million. Naturally, the infrastructure is keeping pace; projects are completed about ten times faster than in the West. Importantly, there are people from 206 countries around the world who have found their place and work there. Of course, part of the workforce comes from Asian countries — India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh… There is a large pool of people from rural areas who find jobs in primary occupations, but there is also a very large number of highly talented and educated workers in banking, consulting, IT, and more. The Emirates are a point of interest on the world map that grows day by day.
What does the blend of traditional Arab culture and people coming from the West look like? We know that Dubai is touristically attractive and that more or less everything you can find in London or New York can also be found in Dubai. But what is it like in practice?
I would even say more than that — they have taken many steps forward through mega projects and tourist attractions. When you arrive there, you don’t feel like a foreigner. They have greatly liberalized their culture, society, business practices, and attitude toward foreigners. I would never say that the Emirates are a mirror of the Arab world, although the Arab world is undergoing a transition. The Emirates have adapted, including in working hours. Until a few years ago, Sunday was a working day and Friday was a day off. Now they follow the European workweek — Monday to Friday. My colleagues and I have not experienced any cultural barriers. We try to realistically present the opportunities there, but also the challenges. I emphasize that not every product or service a Croatian entrepreneur wants to export there is a perfect fit for the market.
How does competition between the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia work in practice, both economically and politically? We can also include Kuwait in this discussion…
That’s true, but we can also look at it on a micro level, because the Emirates themselves see a certain level of competition. At a meeting at the Abu Dhabi Chamber, the first question was why the Croatian Business Council is being established at the Dubai Chamber, and not at the Abu Dhabi Chamber. I explained, of course, that I started development in Dubai and that we have the best contacts there. However, some of our members want to establish companies in Abu Dhabi because they believe it is better suited for their business. We don’t hold an exclusivity for Dubai, but give our members the opportunity, depending on their industry and interests, to choose for themselves.
But there is certainly a level of competition — I would even say a healthy one. Saudi Arabia closely observes the UAE model and studies how they became what they are today over the past 50 years. Many people think that the big developments happened in the last 20 years, because that is when the city’s growth through mega projects is most visible. But they started infrastructure preparations much earlier. As early as the 1970s, when they discovered oil, they conducted research revealing reserves for about 50 years.
Today, Dubai’s economy depends only 1% on oil and natural gas; the rest comes from fintech, consulting, banking solutions, and more. They have prepared for a time when oil will run out. On paper, Abu Dhabi is still the wealthier emirate. When you visit Abu Dhabi, it feels like a calmer and much smaller city. The pace is slower. On the other hand, they have invested heavily in culture. After all, it is the capital of the Emirates. Strategic frameworks are defined for five, ten, or twenty years, and they stick to them. There are no delays in infrastructure investments and projects. Of course, there are real estate developers who might slightly delay a project, but that is normal.
So, the Emirates are more liberal than Qatar and Saudi Arabia?
Absolutely. During Ramadan, for example, when the sun sets, there are iftars where people gather, and these iftars are often specifically for business development. I participated, for instance, in Mirdif at a beautiful iftar in a majlis, where a prominent Arab family hosted around 200 guests. It was like a mini business conference, but very pleasant and comfortable, in a family setting.
One of the Emirates' goals is to become a sort of hub for artificial intelligence development — how is that going?
They have certainly already achieved that. It is the only country in the world with a Ministry of Artificial Intelligence. I met a gentleman who was an advisor for implementing the “framework” for the AI Ministry. They implemented it in very pragmatic projects, so that the city and country are covered with a wide range of cameras. These cameras have seven or eight functions based on AI, capable of detecting deviations not only in traffic but also in behavior, for example if someone is shouting or swearing, which can later be recorded and processed. They are very advanced in this regard, and currently they are also trying to implement processes within public administration that, according to recent data, should reduce the physical engagement of people by 250,000 work hours per month. Their civil service is introducing a four-day workweek and working on using new technologies to improve the quality of life. And they are doing this in a very aggressive way, I would say.
How do you handle the climate there?
The climate is really challenging. High humidity can be more of a problem than the temperature. It depends on the time of year. In Abu Dhabi, I once had to have my windshield wipers on in the evening because of the amount of moisture. Everything is air-conditioned, and they don’t hold back. I would even say they overdo it. In Dubai Mall, the temperature is 17–18°C inside, while outside it’s 42°C. It’s worth noting that many of these countries do not allow outdoor work when the temperature exceeds 49.9°C. Construction stops, which negatively affects the economy. So, it’s always important to consider the actual feeling rather than the number shown as the temperature.
How much do turbulences in the Middle East, such as the war in Gaza or conflicts between Iran and Israel, complicate doing business with the region?
The Emirates have distanced themselves from that. They take the stance of a neutral country and maintain highly developed diplomatic relations. Many people asked me what would happen — would Iran attack the Emirates? I categorically said that I do not believe such a thing could happen. After China, the Emirates are Iran’s second-largest economic and trade partner, and Iran is among the top ten partners of the Emirates. There are numerous Iranian investments, and even an Iranian bank operates in the Emirates. I would say they are the Switzerland of the Middle East. Every escalation in the world, for example in Ukraine, has increased real estate prices in the Emirates. People see the Emirates as a very safe zone that has accumulated capital from all over the world. No one will attack something they own there.
Let's return to the idea of Croatia being a bridge between the Emirates and the EU… Are we too small a market, despite our good location, the Adriatic, ports…? Are we too small to be an important player?
We are small, but very interesting. The Emirates know Croatia through the lens of investments and its natural beauty. On the other hand, we also have historical and cultural connections — the Non-Aligned Movement. There is that emotional connection. Additionally, Croatia has much to offer, and we are now working on selecting these projects that come in on a daily basis. We filter for high-quality projects, of course with the support of institutions. I believe Croatia truly has a lot to offer. We are a small market, but the injection of their investments into Croatia can create meaningful progress in the growth of the Croatian economy.
What did your business journey look like? You founded the architectural visualization studio Format 3D, then the digital agency L33T. How did the Emirates come into play?
It started very early. Back in high school at the Fifth Gymnasium, due to some rather difficult life circumstances, I decided to enter the world early, to fight and create income that would secure my existence. We first started through the lens of web design and digital media. We’re talking about 2003, 2004, when people were still using university machines and not emails. By 2007, we had already achieved significant success. I started with 3D visualization very early, as a 12-year-old kid. There was no YouTube, no tutorials — you had to go to Algoritam bookstore to buy some books in English, which I literally “devoured” over a single weekend.
We started working for an American company, becoming their sole authoring partners for 3D visualizations. We were cheap labor for them, and they provided us with projects we couldn’t even imagine in Croatia or Europe. I formed a team, and we began collaborating very agilely in the field of 3D visualization. Then came the mortgage crisis, followed by the global crisis, which somewhat disrupted these relationships, but we were small and agile enough to pivot to other digital solutions. We began working with tourist boards, cities, and municipalities on virtual walk-through projects. We developed beautiful projects, continuing the story of 3D visualization, which is also my link to the profession since I graduated from the Faculty of Civil Engineering.
Then we created Format 3D and positioned ourselves as a very high-quality vendor for numerous architectural offices and real estate developers, while also creating our own architectural solutions. This path brought us to a position today where we have 40 top talents, all architects and civil engineering professionals, across our offices and hubs in Zagreb, Novi Sad, Belgrade, Wroclaw, Eindhoven… Recently, we even hired small teams in Ukraine and Brazil.
What are your future plans, then?
Before going to the Emirates, I spent a year and a half preparing to open an office in Norway. There, we established a wonderful partnership with a very well-established local architectural firm. But when Dubai came along and the vision to start something there emerged, we put that on hold. We will probably continue building positions in Europe to some extent, but right now our focus is to maximize our potential in the Emirates. On September 25th, we will host a large Balkan Forum with around 400 guests, including many diplomatic representatives, numerous businesspeople from about 20 countries, and a significant number of Croatian companies. There will be plenty of excellent opportunities for business networking.
