What do the old corporate warhorses do and where do they go when they are despondent with the system and the global economy reminds them of a visit to a local hospice?
What do the old corporate warhorses do and where do they go when they are despondent with the system and the global economy reminds them of a visit to a local hospice?

What I want to be when I grow up



Recently my daughter, who is in year two at school, asked me the following question: "Daddy, what do you want to be when you grow up?" In her picturesque view of the world, going to an office to sit behind a computer screen and talking to people on the phone while downing cups of tea is not work.

She's probably right. Or maybe she asked me because I had decided to move on from the company where I was working. Where was I moving on to? Well, I'll come on to that in a moment. First, you can imagine the anxiety I felt at being asked such a question. As a 38-year-old, reasonably successful executive who has worked in several countries and led large groups of cross-cultural teams, I was being put on the spot. I felt like a contestant on the BBC programme Weakest Link, with my delightful daughter transformed into the ferocious host of the show, Anne Robinson. I was lost for words.

Abruptly my childhood ambitions flooded back. Astronaut, tennis player and inventor played ping-pong in my brain, clutching at old unused neural synaptic pathways that had been all but turned off for the past three decades. Ouch. It hurt. And then there was silence. I didn't have an answer. What do the old corporate warhorses do and where do they go when they are despondent with the system and the global economy reminds them of a visit to a local hospice?

Being fresh from the experience, let me tell you. It's best to stay calm and positive and avoid the sappy do-gooders. The first one I bumped into said something like "hey I'm really happy for you, man. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to do what you really believe in". When I was almost out of earshot, I heard "that dude is nuts, what a loser, he's gonna take up tree-hugging soon". Thanks, pal.

The morning school run became challenging. I'm the only Dad consistently turning up in workout clothes. I do my best to avoid the sardonic questions from well-tailored, pinstriped fathers in their oxford brogues that have just been shined by their maids for two hours that morning. "Found a job yet, mate?" Worse still, comments from some mothers: "Oh, John and Jane had to go back only last week after he lost his job - shame, they were such a nice couple, suppose you'll be leaving soon as well."

Great. That's all the morning motivation I was looking for. I don't need a workout; I want a full-fat latte with everything on it. But soon my quest leads me in diverse directions. I briefly look at the prospect of backpacking around the world and then dismiss it. The thought of being run down by some crazed, high-octane lorry driver on a deserted motorway in the foothills of self-actualisation is too much of a turn-off. Next!

My wife reminds me the school fees are due next week - OK, better concentrate. I meet a former investment banker who has become a successful writer; bet he has a tall tale to tell. I bump into a former chief financial officer who is now producing low-budget horror movies. Could I do that? Probably not, those slasher movies scare me witless. Then I meet a tough litigation lawyer who gave it all up and is now spending his days working as a gardener, tending to flowers and lawns. Oh, how lovely, how green. The town will soon be full of gardeners billing in six-minute intervals. No, not for me. Besides, I'll probably contract hay fever or some other allergy.

Eventually I determine that there are two options for which former corporate executives like myself may opt. First, go back to school. I'm lucky enough to meet a fellow traveller, Ben Sywulka, who is now enrolled as a full-time MBA student at HULT Business School in Dubai Academic City. As a former executive with a company providing low-cost technology to developing countries, he was half-way to doing something with his life that is actually helping real people with real issues. So why is he doing an MBA?

"I had been planning to get my MBA for several years," he says. "The decision to study was a combination of factors. I recently got married and many of the projects I had been working on were wrapping up, which gave me the ability to leave on a down-cycle without loose ends. The decision was accelerated by the economic downturn, as I would have found it more difficult to leave if I'd been in the middle of implementing exciting projects."

Ben's sentiments seem to be backed up by Ehsan Razavizadeh, the head of the representative office at the Cass Business School in Dubai. He says there has been a steep rise in the number of executive entrants to the Cass MBA. "This year we have experienced a 45 per cent increase in applicants," he says. "Our students are particularly diverse, both from a cultural perspective and also with their varied professional expertise."

Wait. I already have an MBA, so I'll have to cross that one off the list. Maybe a PhD. I like the sound of a doctorate. The second option: set up my own business. Be my own boss. I speak with Dr Tahir Akhtar, the chairman of Dubai Business Advisors, a firm helping start-ups and providing advice to companies in general. He has witnessed an increase in the number of start-ups recently and advises me of the following:

"We have recorded a year-on-year increase of 47 per cent in new business incorporation from individuals who were previously employees in the UAE. These entrepreneurial-minded employees saw the tough job market as an opportunity to create long-term equity by employing their skills to their own business." When I ask him about the general sentiment for starting your own business, he says the "inability to secure employment was a major factor, but a number of individuals were considering owning a business while they were in employment. For most, the satisfaction of owning a business and the ability to make the decisions outweighs all other considerations".

This seems to be backed up by the figures coming out of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which says 2,063 new firms have opened this year compared to the 974 that started in the same period last year. While I'm mulling over the facts and figures, the red reminder for the school fees arrives. "Don't panic", I say to myself as the old Bob Marley track swims into my mind: "Don't worry about a thing, 'cause every little thing gonna be all right".

I think it will as well, which brings me back to where I started from. I'm still working on it, but my daughter will be the first to know once I've figured it out.

Rehan Khan is the former chief operating officer of a Dubai-based property developer

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

SPECS

Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 154bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option 

Price: From Dh79,600

On sale: Now

Cricket World Cup League 2

UAE squad

Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind

Fixtures

Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE

Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
Company%20Profile
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Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
AndhaDhun

Director: Sriram Raghavan

Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan

Rating: 3.5/5

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

Scoreline

Real Madrid 1
Ronaldo (53')

Atletico Madrid 1
Griezmann (57')

How to donate

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200

 

Company%20profile
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The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh960,000
Engine 3.9L twin-turbo V8 
Transmission Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Power 661hp @8,000rpm
Torque 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.4L / 100k

Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The%20Color%20Purple
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BIG SPENDERS

Premier League clubs spent £230 million (Dh1.15 billion) on January transfers, the second-highest total for the mid-season window, the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said in a report.

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Singham Again

Director: Rohit Shetty

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

Rating: 3/5

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
A%20QUIET%20PLACE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lupita%20Nyong'o%2C%20Joseph%20Quinn%2C%20Djimon%20Hounsou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMichael%20Sarnoski%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sweet%20Tooth
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJim%20Mickle%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristian%20Convery%2C%20Nonso%20Anozie%2C%20Adeel%20Akhtar%2C%20Stefania%20LaVie%20Owen%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20specs
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Company%20profile
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'Laal Kaptaan'

Director: Navdeep Singh

Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain

Rating: 2/5

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

The biog

Favourite food: Fish and seafood

Favourite hobby: Socialising with friends

Favourite quote: You only get out what you put in!

Favourite country to visit: Italy

Favourite film: Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

Family: We all have one!

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Power: 268bhp / 536bhp
Torque: 343Nm / 686Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
On sale: Later this year