Maher Fattouh during his graduation ceremony at the University of Bristol. PA
Maher Fattouh during his graduation ceremony at the University of Bristol. PA
Maher Fattouh during his graduation ceremony at the University of Bristol. PA
Maher Fattouh during his graduation ceremony at the University of Bristol. PA

Syrian footballer blinded during war graduates in UK with defiant message


Neil Murphy
  • English
  • Arabic

A Syrian footballer who lost his eyesight in 2014 as he fled conscription to Bashar Al Assad's forces has graduated in the UK after refusing “to fall into darkness”.

During his graduation, Maher Fattouh, 32, delivered a moving speech to University of Bristol students, telling them how he had been determined to live his life to the full despite his tragedy – and he wants to give others hope.

At the age of 21, Mr Fattouh was blinded by an explosion as he crossed the border into Lebanon. Red Cross doctors confirmed that he would never see again.

Mr Fattouh, from Damascus, had been a full-time footballer when he was injured and had no qualifications. But despite these challenges, he created a new life for himself. He worked hard to find learning materials and would pay a friend to read books to him.

Soon, he was teaching other visually impaired people, and in 2018 he received his high school diploma. Later that year he earned a scholarship to one of Lebanon’s leading universities and in 2022 he received an English teaching qualification from the University of Cambridge.

Then, in 2023, he received another scholarship, this time to study for a psychology of education master’s degree at the University of Bristol. Despite not being able to see, he travelled to the UK on his own.

“For most people, putting on clothes and going to university is easy, but for me it was a project,” Mr Fattouh said. “Even going to the supermarket on the other side of the road was a project. But people are so kind here. If I stopped to wait for a taxi, I’d get many people offering to help me cross the road.

“Bristol really grabbed my attention. The cobbles feel identical with those in old Damascus and both are very ancient, with lots of churches and monuments. I loved the course and I had a lot of extra support from the university and its disability services.”

Maher Fattouh was awarded a scholarship to study for a master's degree at Bristol University. PA
Maher Fattouh was awarded a scholarship to study for a master's degree at Bristol University. PA

Mr Fattouh used apps and other technology such as screen readers to help him study and move independently around Bristol. Sometimes he would get lost or slip and hurt himself.

“But I insist on living like everyone else. Even if I fall, nothing will stop me from going out,” he said. “I’d like to show that a person with massive, massive challenges can live safely and independently and achieve academic excellence at a place like the University of Bristol.

“I’m really proud of owning my story. I lived so many dark periods for so long. For a long time one of my dreams was just to open a bank account because I couldn’t as a Syrian.”

Mr Fattouh's graduation speech left some students in tears. He said: “In my community the definition of visual impairment is a ‘fall into darkness’. It means a lot of negative things: no more football, no more camping, no more anything you like.

Mr Fattouh gave a moving speech to other students about how he overcame his disability. PA
Mr Fattouh gave a moving speech to other students about how he overcame his disability. PA

“You won’t be able to manage, you will live dependent on others, you may be excluded, you may lose opportunities and life may be miserable and depressing.

“But I thought, why do I need to accept that definition, or that continuation of my story? Is it true that all the happiness and meaning in the word are limited to the eyesight? I therefore decided to disagree with that definition, and I chose an entirely different scenario.”

Professor Evelyn Welch, who led the ceremony, described Mr Fattouh as a “remarkable man” who has shown amazing fortitude and resilience despite the challenges in his life.

He has not been back to Syria in more than 10 years, but hopes the fall of the Assad regime will allow him to return and visit his family, most of whom still live in Damascus.

Winners

Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)

Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)

Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)

Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)

Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)

Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)

Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)

Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)

The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima


Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650

Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder

Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm

Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km

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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants

Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

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Results

UAE beat Nigeria by five wickets

Hong Kong beat Canada by 32 runs

Friday fixtures

10am, Tolerance Oval, Abu Dhabi – Ireland v Jersey

7.30pm, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi – Canada v Oman

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

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Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

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Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

On sale: now 

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

Emergency phone numbers in the UAE

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company profile

Company: Eighty6 

Date started: October 2021 

Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh 

Based: Dubai, UAE 

Sector: Hospitality 

Size: 25 employees 

Funding stage: Pre-series A 

Investment: $1 million 

Investors: Seed funding, angel investors  

Updated: January 24, 2025, 5:51 PM