At the age of 28, Hassan Al Sayegh has already finished a doctorate, worked as a consultant and started his own business.
Having grown up in Dubai, studying at the British-curriculum Rashid School for Boys, he relocated to England – moving from an undergraduate degree to a postgraduate degree in chemical engineering at the University of Nottingham.
“During this time, I had a really cool opportunity to do a research PhD – researching what was basically a renewable energy project, creating biodiesel from forestry wastes.
“I pushed it from lab scale to pilot scale, and they built a plant in Norway.” It took three years to research and a year to write – and Al Sayegh realised that he enjoyed the commercial side of the project the most.
He then completed an internship with the Boston Consultancy Group as a management consultant, before joining the company full-time – focusing on projects in Saudi Arabia.
“It was a brilliant time there, because there was a very, very steep learning curve; especially for me, having a very technical engineering background, being surrounded by MBA graduates.
“So many skills,” he says, “were directly applicable to management consulting – the whole aspect of breaking down such a big problem into little chunks and then solving them in a topical manner, in a very logical way.”
Al Sayegh later decided to join his former colleague Idriss Al Rifai’s e-commerce startup, Mena360, as a co-founder.
“I saw the big gap between the e-commerce experience in the UK, where I lived for eight years, and here in the UAE. When you buy stuff online in the UK, it’s guaranteed you’ll get it next day; here, you buy something online and you don’t even know if you’re going to get it.
“For the past month-and-a-half, I’ve taken myself out of the picture, so it’s all growing by itself now – which is really satisfying.
“The plan now is to take a couple of months off, possibly do some travelling and just relax for a bit. But it’s been about a month now and I’ve already gotten bored.”
What are the most important things that you’ve learnt at each of your three key life stages?
Doing the PhD taught me perseverance. From the consulting, I would say how to position information correctly to get clients or your peers on board with your ideas. From the start-up experience, I would say the soft skills I learnt.
Have you had a consistent philosophy throughout your life?
I look up to my brother – he’s my role model, and he always tells me: “There’s no growth in comfort.”
Who is your biggest inspiration?
All my siblings have been very successful in their professional careers or whatever they choose to do – and it’s all thanks to my mum.
Do you travel much?
I have done a lot of travelling in the past – every summer my parents used to take us on a tour of some part of the world. It’s a very important aspect of someone’s growth as well: travelling, experiencing other cultures, being comfortable with other cultures.
What renewable-energy projects are you especially interested in?
The Government here, especially in Abu Dhabi, has done a great job building up Masdar as a renewable-energy centre of the world.
Have you had time for any hobbies at all?
I have a dog called Ralph and I love spending time with him. During my downtime at the weekends, I spend a lot of time taking him for walks – it’s one of my favourite things to do.
Are you into sports?
I’m a massive Chelsea fan; I watch every single Chelsea game. Whatever I’m doing gets dropped for that sacred one-hour-and-a-half of football every Saturday.
What films do you like?
I go through phases. I’m into Quentin Tarantino movies; they’re fantastic, but he hasn’t done a “proper” Tarantino movie in ages.
Do you have a favourite actor?
It’s got to be Robert Downey Jr.
How did you spend your Eid?
Last year I was in Sri Lanka, so this Eid I really wanted to spend time with my extended family here in Dubai.
halbustani@thenational.ae
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
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Director: Shazia Iqbal
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
