A German-born leadership expert who moved to Abu Dhabi in 2018 says the city has changed her perceptions of success, replacing the idea of career, family and community as separate entities with a holistic view of how people can balance all aspects of life.
Sabrina Spillner, an international executive learning and transformation expert with more than 25 years’ experience in the US, Europe and the Middle East, told Gulf News that she was attracted to Abu Dhabi’s vision and willingness to embrace global talent.
This feeling has only grown since moving here, as she has been able to balance professional achievement with time for her family, cultural enrichment and exercise – all in the same day.
Spillner is now the founder of FemeX, a female-focused leadership and lifestyle community she launched with co-founder Petya Rasheva to bring women together around personal growth, healthy living and professional connection.
Central to her experience has been the idea that a high-quality life in the capital does not require heavy spending. She pointed to Saadiyat Island’s compact, amenity-rich layout — often described as a “15-minute-city” — as an example of how beaches, culture, education and dining sit within easy reach of home, reducing the need for costly outings.
Raising children in a multicultural environment has been equally formative. Her family has taken part in Ramadan and Christmas traditions alike, visited the Abrahamic Family House, and engaged with cultural institutions including the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.
An avid athlete, Spillner has completed the ADNOC Marathon’s 5km sprint and, in 2020, took part in the Women’s Heritage Walk, a five-day, roughly 137-kilometre desert crossing from Abu Dhabi to Al Ain that she says reshaped her understanding of the UAE’s landscape and traditions.
Her advice to newcomers is to look beyond schooling and housing when relocating. “Don’t just move to Abu Dhabi,” she said, “build a life here.”
