< PreviousSPE CIAL / 40 UNDER 40 20 19 50 Vol. 20/42, November – December 2019 Mohamed Salah Liverpool FC, Egyptian National Team Footballer Age: 27 The Egyptian footballer and young forward rose to become the most popular footballer in the Arab world after a stellar season with Roma in 2016/2017. In his first season at Anfield, he scored a whopping 44 goals in 52 games and powered the club to the Champions League final and in 2019, he led the team to a Champions League victory against Tottenham Hotspur. In an interview with Time magazine, he called for a change in the way women are treated in the Muslim world, and said his attitudes towards gender equality had evolved over the years. u Salah is followed by 10.9 million people on Twitter q THE FANS ALWAYS SUPPORT ME... “EVERYWHERE I GO I FEEL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT” 44 The number of goals Salah scored in 52 games during his fi rst season at Liverpool Ola Doudin Founder BitOasis Age: 31 She bought her first-ever bitcoin in 2013 and was so compelled by its potential, just one year later, Ola Doudin founded Dubai- based online wallet and exchange start-up BitOasis. Now available across the Middle East, North Africa and Asia, it was the first to use multi-signature technology to protect digital assets. In May, the cryptocurrency exchange announced it will become the first to receive a special licence to operate in the region after getting a preliminary nod from the UAE. Ralph Debbas Founder and CEO W Motors Age: 32 In 2013, through his high- performance luxury sports car developer Dubai-based W Motors, he built one of the world’s most expensive cars – and the first sports car designed and produced in the Middle East – the $3.4m Lykan Hypersport. Today, Ralph Debbas is working on opening the region’s first automotive academy in the city in 2021, where students will be trained by robots and taught in virtual reality (VR) classes. W Motors also creates level 4 and 5 autonomous cars through its electric car making division Iconiq. q THIS IS A HUGE MILESTONE... WE CAN NOW WORK WITH REGULATED FINANCIAL ENTITIES” q THE MISTAKE THAT COMPANIES DO, ESPECIALLY SMES AND START-UPS, IS LOOK AT THE PROFIT” 1.6 billion The amount BitOasis handled in trades in the two years up to May this year 400% The astonishing growth rate W Motors recorded between the years 2017 and 2019arabianbusiness.com 51 / 40 UNDER 40 20 19 Ozair Puda Founder and CEO Servicemycar.ae Age: 29 Ozair Puda was born and educated in the UK. He is an entrepreneur, a passionate car lover, a tech enthusiast and the founder and CEO of Servicemycar.ae, the UAE’s first and largest vehicle servicing network. Puda first visited Dubai in August 2017 and saw a gap in the market in the automotive industry. Servicemycar.ae allows people to service their cars without leaving their home or workplace and is the only network capable of servicing more than 10,000 vehicles in a day. Servicemycar.ae also offers worry-free motoring including breakdown cover, home start and service packages all for a small monthly fee. It is one of the fastest growing brands in the UAE and grew by 30 percent month-on-month in the past year alone. The plan is to quickly expand its business operations all over the GCC. Puda has strong knowledge of the automotive industry and is an expert who brings tremendous experience to the Middle East. As a testament to this, his company won the 2018 SME 500 The number of vehicles Servicemycar aims to handle daily in the UAE of the Year at the Arabian Business Startup Awards. Puda was also featured in the 40 under 40 List by Arabian Business in the same year. He is considered one of the region’s most influential young business leaders. In his spare time Puda loves to travel and drive cars. Puda says his success comes from the support of his family, colleagues, friends and employees. He is currently focussing on his plans to develop new technologies that the Middle East will be needing in the future and to expand Servicemycar.ae across the UAE and GCC. q MOST PEOPLE ARE RELIANT ON CARS BUT DON’T HAVE THE TIME TO MAINTAIN THEM, AND SO SERVICEMYCAR.AE WAS BORN”SPE CIAL / 40 UNDER 40 20 19 52 Vol. 20/42, November – December 2019 Ramzi Nakad Co-founder and CEO BRAG Age: 39 An award-winning Dubai- based event specialist and entrepreneur, Ramzi Nakad is constantly challenging the status quo and pushing boundaries to introduce new concepts to the region. Ramzi began his career while still in university, with advertising powerhouse Leo Burnett Beirut in 2001. He quickly rose through the ranks and within two years became a senior manager, working across major local, regional and multinational accounts. In 2004 he was recruited by Dubai Development and Investment Authority (DDIA) to set up the marketing department for the property arm of Dubai Holding and was tasked with launching some of Dubai’s largest real estate projects, including Business Bay, Culture Village and Jumeirah Beach Residences. Nakad soon came to the attention of Leo Burnett London, who offered him an international role, handling marketing activities on behalf of Proctor & Gamble in over 86 countries; a role which saw him flex his creative and strategic skills in executing impactful campaigns that led to the prestigious P&G CEEMEA President’s Brand Building Award in 2008. Having a deep affinity and sense of pride in his Middle Eastern roots, Nakad moved back to Dubai in 2009 where he co-founded BRAG. As BRAG’s managing partner, Nakad grew the company from two colleagues and a handful of clients in 2009, to q THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO CREATE A PROFESSIONAL SPACE THAT NURTURES GROWTH, BREAKS CREATIVE BLOCKS, BUILDS FUTURE COMMUNITIES AND RESHAPES CULTURE” 27% Dubai’s slice of all events staged in the GCC region, according to estimates Sole Dxb and Meet d3. A strong supporter of regional talent, Ramzi co-founded Fashion Forward Dubai (FFWD) in 2013. Offering a unified developmental fashion platform for the region, Fashion Forward has grown from strength to strength and is now endorsed by Dubai Design & Fashion Council (DDFC) and supported by Dubai Design District (d3). Recognising the importance of actively supporting SMEs and making tangible contributions towards economic sustainability, Nakad is focussed on establishing programmes that enable knowledge sharing, mentorship and business development. In 2016, Nakad became a member of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Sharjah Seen’ project; a government-led business incubation initiative that extends support to UAE-based entrepreneurs. A business incubation programme under BRAG, entitled BRAG PLUS, followed in early 2017, aiming to help accelerate the growth of complementary start-ups by offering them a collaborative working environment, supported by access to a wealth of resources and opportunities. Nakad’s most recent venture is in music, partnering with Live Nation to produce some of the UAE’s most talked about music events and festivals such as Club Social, WASLA, Enrique Iglesias and Dua Lipa Live in Concert at The Pointe. A regular commentator for thought leadership features and panel discussions, Nakad has been selected to be a guest speaker at Start-up Grind, powered by Google, and Esquire’s Entrepreneur Evening, in addition to being recognised by StartUp magazine, Campaign and Entrepreneur as a voice for the evolving events industry of the Middle East. 30 full-time employees and 40-plus clients that span local start-ups and multinational corporations. He has helped secure partnerships with both government and private entities, including Dubai Tourism and Google, while also directing some of Dubai’s most talked about community events including Market OTB, Beach Canteen, arabianbusiness.com 53 / 40 UNDER 40 20 19 Tony Habre Founder and CEO Addmind Age: 39 He runs some of Dubai’s most successful F&B concepts including Drai’s, Indie, Iris, White and Matto through Addmind, which Tony Habre launched in Beirut in 2004 before expanding to the UAE in 2013. In June this year, he opened a pop-up of White in Jeddah which featured a club-like dancefloor and ‘halal’ bar. Addmind is also finalising a café version of its Iris brand in Jeddah, with Habre telling Arabian Business that the rooftop venue will play music and serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Will Hutson Founder and CEO LMTD Age: 39 His ad agency LMTD has created campaigns for some of the region’s biggest brands including Etihad Airways, Careem and ADNOC among others, where it focuses on taking emerging regional brands global. Also a mentor at Wamda’s Mix n’ Mentor programme, Hutson is an advocate for “keeping the dirham in the room” and urged start-ups to call on regulators for framework that allows foreign investors to keep investment in the GCC. He told Arabian Business that foreign acquisitions will not “really create jobs in the Gulf”. Rashid Al Ghurair Founder Cafu Age: 36 He created the Middle East’s first fuel-booking application, Cafu, to make refuelling cars more convenient, reliable and accessible while capitalising on his extensive experience in the oil and gas sector – having worked in the industry for over 12 years. Rashid Al Ghurair told Arabian Business he sees Cafu in “different parts of the world, solving many logistical problems that car owners have today”. This month, he told The National he plans to launch a new app to revolutionise Dubai’s rental sector by solving tenant frustrations over property pricing and access to landlords through new technology. q NOW, WE ARE WORKING RIGOROUSLY TO EXPAND OUR REACH” 100m The amount in dirhams reportedly invested in bringing Cafu to market Rami Malek Actor Oscar winner Age: 38 He’s known for his lead role as Elliot Alderson in the hit USA Network TV series Mr Robot, for which he won a Critic’s Choice Award, but Egyptian actor Rami Malek got his biggest break in film and took Hollywood by storm when he portrayed Queen singer Freddie Mercury in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. He received critical acclaim for his performance and won a number of awards for his role, including the Academy Award in February this year; becoming the first Egyptian to win in the Best Actor category. u Malek was the fi rst actor of Arab heritage to win the Oscar for best actor q THERE’S NO FIRST-GENERATION, OR SECOND- GENERATION REMOVED. I AM EGYPTIAN” $903m The amount of money Bohemian Rhapsody earned at the global box offi ce in 2018SPE CIAL / 40 UNDER 40 20 19 54 Vol. 20/42, November – December 2019 Talal Moafaq Al Gaddah Senior executive vice chairman MAG Lifestyle Development Age: 35 As senior executive vice chairman of MAG Lifestyle Development, Talal Moafaq Al Gaddah was instrumental in positioning the company as a leader among its competitors, locally and regionally, contributing to transforming the UAE’s real estate landscape by introducing innovative real estate concepts and identifying market needs. At the age of 28, he managed the company and succeeded in increasing its portfolio of projects from $350m to $5bn in just five years, positioning it as one of the top three private developers in the UAE and among the top five developers in the region. Under his stewardship, MAG’s average monthly sales reached $85m during 2019 and became one of the first developers in the region to introduce wellness homes and wellness-inspired projects. Al Gaddah has attained several accolades for his vision and leadership, earning him a place among the most influential and high achieving regional CEOs. The company also announced the launch of its new payment plans and will extend to up 20 years, covering all the fees related to the project and making MAG the first regional developer to announce such plans. q AS A DIGITAL-FIRST AND FUTURE-READY COMPANY, WE CONTINUOUSLY SEEK TO AUTOMATE OUR PROCESSES THAT ADD GREATER OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY AND ENHANCED CUSTOMER SERVICE STANDARDS”arabianbusiness.com 55 / 40 UNDER 40 20 19 Yousuf Mohammed Hassan Al Bahar CEO Al Bahar Advocates and Legal Consultants Age: 39 Emirati lawyer Yousuf Mohammed Al Bahar works as the CEO of Al Bahar Advocates and Legal Consultants in Dubai. He started practicing advocacy after obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from Dubai Police Academy. He is an accredited international arbitrator for seven years and has obtained the international arbitration certificate from Dubai International Arbitration Centre. Al Bahar has followed in the footsteps of his father, Mohamed Al Bahar, in the advocacy world; he was interested in this profession which enabled him to go deeper into the study of law, and to write the memoranda of defense of his principals, and to make his pleading before courts across the UAE, especially the courts in Dubai. Al Bahar has earned a lot of professional achievements in the field of law, his writings and legal opinions have been widely spread through different media and social media sites. Al Bahar is always doing his best to perform his role in serving society by providing free consultancies for people, whether through his own office or through subscribing in voluntary programmes for free legal consultancies provided by Dubai Courts, 15 The number of seasoned lawyers who work for Al Bahar Advocates and Legal Consultants the relevant articles and provisions either within the Federal Penal Code Number 3 of 1987 or through Law Number 35 of 1992 concerning the issuance of the Criminal Procedural Law and other related laws. Al Bahar is also keen to highlight many media articles published by newspapers and websites through his social media page, as he believes that communication sites have become an important place for spreading the electronic knowledge to all groups of the society, especially with regards to cybercrime and heavy penalties contained in Decree Law Number 5 of 2012 Concerning Combating Information Technology Crimes (Cyber Crimes Law), which contributes to the preservation of community security and people’s rights. Al Bahar s also keen to make social media a positive environment for spreading knowledge and noble human messages. In this context, he commends ‘The Letter of the New Season’ by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, especially in relation to the importance of maintaining the reputation of the UAE on social media. Al Bahar thinks that, in the midst of rapid development in the world of technology and the transformation of the world into a small village, the advocacy world will witness major expansion especially in the field of arbitration. He emphasises that Dubai, thanks to the vision of good leadership, has become the focus of international arbitration as it includes the DIFC Courts, one of the most important international financial courts in the Middle East region. which was launched in 2012 to contribute in providing the legal support for those in need. Al Bahar now publishes part of his articles in the Emarat Al Youm newspaper through its once a week ‘court’ page. He also answers the public’s queries in a streamlined and simplified way, in cooperation with the newspaper editor in charge, as well as publishing many legal opinions in various Arabic and English language newspapers all over the UAE. Al Bahar has also worked on publishing many articles online and provided legal clarifications on cases that took the nature of public opinion cases by explaining Liquid assets 56 Vol. 20/42, November – December 2019 Inside the New York hotel suite that costs $350,000 a week It’s luxury on another level for most people. Costing $50,000 a night, with a minimum seven-night stay, Park Hyatt's new Manhattan Sky Suite boasts views over New York’s Central Park from the 59th fl oor worthy of the world’s high-net-worth individuals it aims to attract. Guests who book the three-bedroom suite can expect a helicopter to collect them from the airport to bring them to New York City centre, from where they will be transferred to the hotel and up to the suite via its own private lift. In the suite, the private chef in residence will prepare a fresh- cooked meal, while the private butler attends to your every need. Guests who book the three- bedroom suite can expect a helicopter to collect them from the airport. The suite, which sleeps six people, is valued at $27 million in real estate terms, but Peter Roth, area vice president and general manager, Park Hyatt New York, insisted that that had little to do with the price. “What we did is a market survey and we looked at absolutely everything there is [in New York] and we questioned among ourselves if what others currently offer, if there’s value for money. And we looked at ourselves and the quality of our new product and we also referred back to what we currently charge for what we have - that's the anchor you need to be grounded in,” Roth explains. The hotel’s existing largescale suites are charged at a relatively similar price - Presidential is $25,000 and the Royal is $35,000. “It sounds like a huge departure, but it's not because I feel very confi dent in saying that what this Manhattan Sky Suite costs per night, and what you will experience and how many people will be able to sleep in it is a greater value than what our competition is doing.” The suite was only launched onto the market last week in the US, and it therefore wasn’t too surprising that Dubai, and later Riyadh, should be the fi rst stops on its marketing promotion, given who the suite is geared towards. “It's not a coincidence [that we’ve come to Dubai fi rst] because we have clearly identifi ed where the customers are that enjoy this sort of product,” he says. “It's not only this part of the world, but it's certainly one where you want to get your foot in early on and get the word out. We have had now for a while a presidential and a royal suite and they have been doing extremely well. The hotel will cater specifi cally to each customer, down to the detail of having a specially curated library stocked with relevant books. “If the living set-up for this part of the world has a different confi guration than some of the parts of the world, it's just respecting and understanding local culture and curating accordingly,” Roth says. Based on Park Hyatt’s own research, Roth says he expected not only the largest amount of customers from the Gulf region, but also the most immediate adoption: “[There's] a very authentic person-to-person way of engaging... and that makes selling much more easy,” he says. “We have also noticed in this part of the world that there is a wonderful tendency of going about the day ‘in the moment’. If you think about other countries where people plan their vacation eight months out, here it might be the opposite. Here it might be 'I feel like travelling, let's go to New York tomorrow'." u Park Hyatt’s new Manhattan Sky Suite boasts views over New York’s Central Park from the 59th fl oor worthy of its nightly rate By Neil Halliganarabianbusiness.com 57 PREVIEW | By Lubna Hamdan Just when I thought I had seen it all, a fl ash mob, well, fl ashes before my eyes. It was 8pm on a Friday night and I had been under the sun for at least six hours when I thought – naturally – that I was hallucinating. It didn’t help that I was puffi ng away on a shisha either, but right there in front of me was, indeed, a fl ash mod performing to a classic 90s R&B hit. I can’t for the life of me remember what the song was – blame it on the heat stroke - but I do remember having a strange feeling that I hadn’t felt in a very, very long time. Was it nausea from my lemon mint shisha? Was it that third beef slider I defi nitely shouldn’t have had? No. This was a good feeling; a warm, fuzzy, delightfully blissful sensation: nostalgia. And in Dubai, it has an address: ladies and gentlemen – you can thank me later by taking me back there - that address is Cove Beach. Mind you, this isn’t the same dull beach club that sat forgotten in the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, this is the new and strikingly improved version located at a stunning seafront in the illustrious Caesar’s Palace Bluewaters. Forget the tiny swimming pool that made you feel claustrophobic – this beach club has all the space you need: three sizeable contemporary marble swimming pools that will make you wish you had one in your backyard. Say goodbye to the headache inducing techno tunes and reminisce on less pretentious times with old school tunes that will have you swaying and singing along – rather embarrassingly in my case. Nostalgia has an address: Cove Beach Dubai It’s unassuming, understated, unpretentious and unbelievably good: it’s the beach club that has kept us coming back for more sorbet. I wasn’t sold on the idea at fi rst either, but it’s actually quite refreshing and tastes surprisingly delicious. I don’t see myself ditching the calorie heavy desserts just yet but I’d say ginger sorbets are a good start… And when I said end your beach day, I meant move to the Cove Beach lounge – it’s where the fl ash mobs happen and Friday is the best day to go for the all-day Fresh party when the old school hits play until late. Don’t let the cold weather stop you from heading down there because it’s one of the loveliest locations during the winter when the heaters come out and you can enjoy a glass of grape with the chilly wind blowing through your hair. Just remember when you’re enjoying your time, swaying from side to side, you’re not hallucinating, you’re just at Cove Beach Dubai. Didn't I tell you that you can thank me later? u Leave the world behind and sway to old school beats at Cove Beach Dubai in Caesar’s Palace Bluewaters I’m a regular and tried everything from the sunbeds (AED300 minimum spend) to the cabanas with a private Jacuzzi and your very own dedicated attendant. They're worth the splurge because you’ll probably spend the entire day and night at Cove Beach. Seriously, you will not want to leave, and let me give you the main reason why. Besides the refreshing, unassuming atmosphere, it’s the food that will keep you coming back for more. If you’ve lived in Dubai for as long as I have (my entire life) you’ll know that it’s nearly impossible to come across a beach club with good food. I’m not talking about mediocre, average poolside dishes – the two.0 restaurant at Cove Beach has better food than some of the Michelin-starred restaurants we’ve tried around the world. I don’t know who the chef is but they better hold onto him. He even introduced a massive oyster dish for $33 (AED120); that’s pretty affordable for oysters in my opinion. While you can’t go wrong with any dish on the menu – unless you’ve got allergies of course - my favourites are the classic sushi rolls like the California as the seafood is fresh, fresh, fresh and the mouth-watering sautée prawns with garlic, lemon and chilli are just superb. I’m not a foodie but there’s just something about outstanding food that gets me excited. Don’t forget to try the beef sliders, of which I ate three too many. If you want to leave the pools and crowd behind, head down to the beach for some peace and quiet. It’s not as secluded as Nikki Beach’s but you can still leave your worries behind while enjoying a view of the enormous Dubai Eye and backdrop of the Dubai Marina. Finally, end your beach day with a healthy ginger and mint 58 Vol. 20/42, November – December 2019 The 44,000 sq m museum was announced in 2007 as one of three major museums planned for Saadiyat Island’s Cultural District - the adjacent Louvre Abu Dhabi opened in 2017 while construction on the neighbouring Guggenheim is yet to begin. The Zayed National Museum’s design, by acclaimed British architects Foster and Partners, revolves around a striking cluster of fi ve soaring steel towers inspired by the wings of the falcon – the UAE’s national symbol. The building’s ground fl oor will boast two galleries showcasing the life of UAE founder Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, while the fi rst fl oor will feature four pod-shaped galleries detailing the history of the country. The museum’s collection will include the oldest pearl in the world, which was found on Marawah Island last year, as well as a necklace given by Sheikh Zayed to Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum during her visit to Abu Dhabi in 1971. The museum will give special attention to public educa- tion, with an educational programme currently being developed in alignment with the UAE’s school curriculum. Zayed National Museum will also function as a centre for archaeological and heritage research. The Zayed National Museum in the UAE capital Steel Towers Pod-shaped galleries Pearl collection Educational focus Cultural island The venue will showcase the story of the late founder and will provide a comprehensive overview of the natural and human history of the UAE Is your software vendor pushing you to upgrade because they want your money, not because it’s right for your business? Are you being told it’s the Cloud-way or the highway? Challengers deserve choice. 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