Staying Afloat: Three Years in Abu Dhabi

When author Steve Burton heard the plan for transforming a relatively untouched bird sanctuary in the Middle Eastern emirate of Abu Dhabi into a complex, global entertainment and premier yachting destination within thirty months, he thought the idea was impossible. The Rulers believed otherwise. It will be done. Burton was tasked with performing at the highest level and not sweating the small stuff—like money. ‘No’ was removed from his vocabulary. Those were the rules. Deadlines were another one. It was no small endeavor. Recognized as one of today’s premier marina development specialists, Burton was hired by Abu Dhabi’s flagship real estate development company in 2007. In Staying Afloat he narrates an account of cross-cultural encounters, stratospheric expectations, unimaginable obstacles, and hilarious day-to-day experiences faced as an American expatriate living for three years in one of the wealthiest and most culturally diverse countries on the planet in the midst of the world’s most politically volatile regions. Staying Afloat conveys a unique blend of cultural insight, candor, and wit while communicating that an open mind, a keen sense of humor, and a supreme level of patience and determination are indispensable for living and working in a foreign country.