Ahmed Abdul Raheem Ahmed al Hosani will make his fight debut against Obeida abu Sheikha in Dubai tonight.
Ahmed Abdul Raheem Ahmed al Hosani will make his fight debut against Obeida abu Sheikha in Dubai tonight.

Special needs Emirati fighter champions his cause



DUBAI // Ahmed Abdul Raheem Ahmed al Hosani will be hoping to strike a few blows for people with special needs when he enters the ring tonight at the Dubai World Championship for Arabian Boxing.

Al Hosani, who will be making his fight debut when he takes on Jordan's Obeida abu Sheikha in the second of five amateur bouts for the night, is speech and hearing impaired.

A member of the Abu Dhabi Club for Special Needs, the 32-year-old Emirati is excited about his first fight in a demanding sport, which is a form of kickboxing with both hands and legs being used in combination.

Placing his hands over his heart, he expressed the anticipation and tension building up inside before writing his feelings down on paper.

"I had always dreamt of becoming a fighter when I was young," he wrote. "But I started training only from the winter of 2008. I have never fought before; this is my first amateur fight and I am really excited."

Al Hosani has been training with Jumaa bin Jama at his World Gym in Abu Dhabi for the past two years and the Tunisian coach is really proud to see the Emirati's dream coming true.

"This is his first fight and anybody fighting for the first time will be a bit nervous," bin Jama said. "But we are fully behind him, encouraging and supporting him. We have been pushing him and he is in good shape.

"I am proud of him. I believe I have achieved something really great, for both of us."

When al Hosani first took up the sport, he struggled to cope and got injured multiple times. Every time he got injured, bin Jama admits he thought he had seen the last of him, but the Emirati kept coming back.

"He got injured many times and I thought he will not return every time he got injured, but he kept coming back," said bin Jama.

"But he really wanted to become a fighter. He came into this sport to prove that people with special needs can also fight, that there is no barriers for them. He will prove that people like him can live a normal life and pursue a challenging sport like this."

To communicate with al Hosani, bin Jama had to brush up on his sign language. If he struggles to get his message across through hand gestures, he writes it down.

The coach has had full support from al Hosani's family and they will be ringside at the Meydan Hotel tonight.

"His family is really happy," bin Jama said. "His father is busy, but he has promised to come and support and encourage him during the fight. Ahmed would always tell him he will fight internationally one day and that moment has arrived. So the full family will be here for the fight."

Bin Jama is also hoping Emiratis will come out in numbers to support al Hosani and cheer him on.

"I want all the Emiratis to come and encourage him, support him and cheer him on to victory," said bin Jama. "He wants to show that he is special needs, but proud to be an Emirati. His fight will encourage other people like him and other Emiratis to take up this sport.

"He is really quick and has a good combination, good coordination between hands and leg. You will see it in the fight."

Before al Hosani takes the ring, another Emirati, Adnan al Hout, will set the night in motion against Syria's Mohammed Waheed. The third amateur fight will see Mohammed Gawech face Ahmed Omar, while Tunisia's Ayman bin Ali will take on Ali Dahbia of Jordan in the final bout.

The professionals will then take the stage, with three 12-round bouts for the men and a battle for the women's middleweight belt between holder Maria Rodriguez of Spain and Turkey's Nurhayat Deniz.

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
What is Folia?

Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.

Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."

Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.

In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love". 

There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.

While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.

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.

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