What would inspire one of the world’s wealthiest men to, on his 41st birthday, donate half of his $1.5 billion fortune to charity?
Speaking to The National, founder and managing director of VPS Healthcare, Dr Shamsheer Vayalil says he has always had a burning desire to "do more".
“I’ve been wanting to do something and I have always believed that doing something good is good business as well.
“And being in the UAE, you get to meet with leaders who believe in giving so you always feel that you need to do something more,” he said.
This “something more” was to join the list of thirteen of the world’s wealthiest people that have pledged half their wealth to charitable causes.
Dr Viyalil joined The Giving Pledge, an initiative created by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, his wife Melinda and business magnate Warren Buffett in 2010 to support good causes around the world.
“This being the Year of Zayed and on my 41st birthday, I said to myself, let me do the pledge. It was something that happened spontaneously.
“I had met Bill a couple of times and I was sure that I can learn a lot and be part of an organised philanthropic group.
“I also always enjoyed innovation and felt that this group can do a lot to impact the lives of people and so it happened,” he said simply.
Dr Vayalil began his medical career as a radiologist at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi. In less than a decade he established an integrated health care group with 20 hospitals, more than 100 medical centres, pharmaceutical manufacturing and other health care support services across the Middle East, Europe and India.
He has also established his own charity organisation but has yet to release the details of its work.
“It is still in its initial stages. We want to do things in a more organised way and make sure that we work with like-minded people. We have focus areas and want to maintain that and join with others.
“Health care is at our core and education is something we love to associate with,” he said.
Yet it is clear that Dr Shamsheer will use the focus and drive that he has used to establish an international health care network to run his philanthropic initiatives.
“The first challenge is how to do things in an organised way because we feel that we are not doing it as efficiently as it can be done.”
Focus and organisation are very important to the young entrepreneur who sees that many initiatives are being "duplicated".
“There is even some competition along the line. Which is absurd,” he said.
“Organised philanthropy is critical. People who decide to donate, come together and decide which areas they would like to impact and look at the outcomes. The ability to change lives is something that we should all decide to.
“The majority of people who do charity have good intent but the means to this charity isn’t transparent or accessible to many people which is why it is important to work with credible organisations,” Dr Vayalil said.
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Read more
UAE health care billionaires donate half of wealth to Bill Gates Giving Pledge
Meet the billionaires who plan to give their fortunes away
Young Muslim who donated his entire wealth to the needy dies from cancer
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He has previously worked with the Red Crescent Authority to treat hundreds of patients in conflict zones. Many were transported to VPS health care hospitals for treatment
“For us it is all about doing philanthropy in a joint format. We like to learn from others and we have our target areas where we believe we can help affect lives. Our main thing is to remain focused. We are very new in the field of philanthropy and now we are learning,” he said.
“We are excited about it. We do philanthropy with the same energy that we do our business. That makes it more sustainable and we believe that will bring about good results. Whenever we have done it in the past it had always been successful and we continue to try to impact as many lives as we can,” he said.
It should be like a Bollywood movie, he said during a panel that looked at how the new generation of entrepreneurs philanthropists are changing the face of giving.
"We want [philanthropy] to be like a Bollywood movie. We want the hero not to be killed, there's some romance … it should be fun."
The panel, held in May at the Milken Institute Global Conference, was titled Breakthroughs in Philanthropy: Game-Changers in Social Impact. The discussion featured Princess Ameerah Altaweel, Founder and Chairwoman, TIME Entertainment Holding; Peggy Marie Alford, Chief Financial Officer, The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative; along with Dr Vayalil and others.
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
Ovo's tips to find extra heat
- Open your curtains when it’s sunny
- Keep your oven open after cooking
- Have a cuddle with pets and loved ones to help stay cosy
- Eat ginger but avoid chilli as it makes you sweat
- Put on extra layers
- Do a few star jumps
- Avoid alcohol
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
The%20specs
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RESULTS
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Results
- Brock Lesnar retained the WWE Universal title against Roman Reigns
- Braun Strowman and Nicolas won the Raw Tag Team titles against Sheamus and Cesaro
- AJ Styles retained the WWE World Heavyweight title against Shinsuke Nakamura
- Nia Jax won the Raw Women’s title against Alexa Bliss
- Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon beat Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
- The Undertaker beat John Cena
- The Bludgeon Brothers won the SmackDown Tag Team titles against the Usos and New Day
- Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon
- Jinder Mahal won the United States title against Randy Orton, Rusev and Bobby Roode
- Charlotte retained the SmackDown Women’s title against Asuka
- Seth Rollins won the Intercontinental title against The Miz and Finn Balor
- Naomi won the first WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal
- Cedric Alexander won the vacant Cruiserweight title against Mustafa Ali
- Matt Hardy won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal
STAR%20WARS%20JEDI%3A%20SURVIVOR
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Respawn%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electronic%20Arts%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PC%2C%20Playstation%205%2C%20Xbox%20Series%20X%20and%20S%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Race card for Super Saturday
4pm: Al Bastakiya Listed US$250,000 (Dh918,125) (Dirt) 1,900m.
4.35pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,200m.
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Conditions $200,000 (Turf) 1,200m.
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,600m.
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 $300,000 (T) 1,800m.
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 $400,000 (D) 2,000m.
7.30pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 $250,000 (T) 2,410m.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
The biog
Name: Salem Alkarbi
Age: 32
Favourite Al Wasl player: Alexandre Oliveira
First started supporting Al Wasl: 7
Biggest rival: Al Nasr
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
'Ashkal'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Youssef%20Chebbi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fatma%20Oussaifi%20and%20Mohamed%20Houcine%20Grayaa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5