The new globalization isn’t about corporations — it’s about people

Yesterday I was at a networking event in DIFC, Dubai. People from dozens of countries, professions, and cultures — and almost every story had something that stuck with me.

One person from Germany had worked in Russia, Kazakhstan, a dozen other countries — and now the UAE. Another had built a corporate career as a lawyer and now advises startups as a consultant. A finance professional from India. An architect from the Emirates. An IT expert from Belgium. An HR strategist. Moving between countries, markets, projects, products — as if it’s just the next line on the résumé.

And yet, despite all the logistical challenges — visas, licenses, adaptation, settling in — what stood out most was a shared mindset: openness, mobility, a readiness to start fresh, without locking into one role, profession, or country for decades.

It feels like globalization is making a comeback. But not as a corporate strategy — as a personal choice.

And I keep wondering: what shapes that choice? Environment? Upbringing? A decision our parents once made? Education? Technology making the world more transparent and accessible? Relationships?

And I think about this as a parent, too. Our kids (not all, but many in my circle) have already visited more countries by age 10–12 than we had by 40. Some attend international schools, speak multiple languages, and see the world more broadly — and more closely — than we did at their age. They don’t draw lines between nationalities or skin color. To them, this big world will feel smaller, closer, more theirs.

Do you notice this too — in yourself, your team, your kids?