ASPIRE - An Entrepreneur and Lifestyle Magazine - June 2021 by ASPIRE Business and Lifestyle Magazine

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JUNE — 2021 ISSUE 9 aspiredubai.ae — AED 30.00

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LIFE IN THE NAS LANE

AN E XCLUSIVE INTERVIE W WITH THE YOUNG INTERNE T SENSATION, NUSEIR YA S SIN

KRISTEL BECHARA THE ARTIST ON HER L ATEST COLLECTION PSYCHOM ACHI A

MARIA THATTIL THE REIGNING MIS S UNIVERSE AUSTR ALI A

SPECI AL FE ATURE

UAE’S EFFORTS FOR A BETTER ENVIRONMENT

CITIZEN BY CHOICE

ALL YOU NEED TO K NOW A BOUT HOLDING A SECOND PA S SPORT

Parenting is a pleasurable experience, but it becomes especially challenging if you as a parent are faced with issues in your own life, such as work & financial issues, separation or divorce, family tension, health issues and societal pressures. These personal issues you face rubs off on your kids and affects their upbringing. Raising a child is no mean task and you would have faced issues with your child like ● Temper Tantrums ● Fears and Nightmares ● Stubornness ● Shyness ● Aggression ● Concentration in Academics ● Eating disorders / Fussiness ● Nail Biting / Bed Wetting ● Socially unacceptable behaviours ● Bullying / Being bullied

brings to you

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Inside

LIFE IN THE NAS LANE

In an exclusive conversation with Nuseir Yassin, the creator of NAS Daily and one of internet’s biggest success stories. Starting as a 1-minute video wonder, does he have a 1000 more tales to tell?

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INSIDE 35

Bulletin Bytes

United Action for the Environment

Positive and interesting news from around the world!

We look at the UAE’s initiatives to be in sync with the World Environment Day celebrated on 5th June each year

Citizen by Choice We explore the avenues of getting a second passport and the perks of owning a dual citizenship

Harnessing The Human Asset

Your Voice is my Command As voice assistants become a normal part of our everyday lives, we explore the trend and where its headed

The Making of Psychomachia

Delving into the mind of a brilliant artist, Kristel Bechara on her thought-provoking new collection, aptly named Psychomachia

Here’s a quick road map to get the most out of people and make it work to your advantage

Know Your Brand Elements A quick overview of Brand Elements and its influence on marketing and advertising

Event Horizon

An event line up of the best of the best

The How and Why of Doing More Presenting the best practices of ‘Customer Delight’ that ensures satisfied and a loyal customer

The Network Cache Flow Bijay Shah, National Director, BNI UAE, speaks on the advantages of building or maximising your existing networks

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The Guru of Market Research

We talk to the go-to guru of market research, Vishal Pandey, on his award-winning research-driven market entry expertise

One Million Dirham Dreams A one-of-a-kind initiative, ICCA Dubai’s Million Dirham Scholarship Program gives an opportunity to the underprivileged to take their talent to the next level

PUBLISHER

Sumeet Gupta EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Shagufta Patel JUNIOR EDITORIAL MANAGER

Qiraat Attar WRITERS

Ayaat Attar, Misbaah Mansuri, Rachit Gupta INTERNS

Sreeram Viswanath, Clarilda Sharon, Vaidehi Jha PRODUCTION, MARKETING & SALES

The Purple Stroke M: +971 508 498820, +971 502 707790 CONSULTING EDITOR

Sangeetha Shinde Tee HONORARY EDITOR

Rizwan Zulfiqar Bhutta

The Universe is Her Crown

« OUR CONTRIBUTORS »

A look into the fascinating journey of the reigning Miss Universe Australia Maria Thattil

Just Breathe

What’s Your Story

As the pandemic continues to rampage, the age old science of Yoga offers some practical ways to better health

A simple honest tale of how we affect each other’s lives and the ripple effect it has on so many that we later encounter

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Unravel the New Travel With travel and tourism slowly opening up, we throw light on some emerging trends that have caught on

A Jungle of chills and thrills Explore the wild as we check out Dubai’s newest beachfront waterpark, Jungle Bay

Adil Hosgor

Priya Chaphekar

Transformation Program Expert

QCI-Certified Yoga Instructor

Sabeeh Ghugharia Speaker, Strategist, Goal-Catalyst

1601, Corporate Business Hub, Burj Gate, Dubai, United Arab Emirates W: thepurplestroke.com Neither this publication nor any part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the persmission of The Purple Stroke FZE LLC. All the information carried herein is checked and verified to the best of our knowledge and abilities. In matters of views expressed and opinions held, it is solely that of the authors and contributors themselves. The editorial or publisher or ASPIRE cannot be held responsible for unintended errors and oversights if any.

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Editor's note Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.

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creator who brings forth her imagination to life on different mediums, which has even earned her a Golden Visa. Bijay Shah, the National Director, BNI UAE, creates profitable networks, and Vishal Pandey creates a fertile ground to plant your business with the expertise he carries. Maria Thattil, our celeb story this month, has created a Universe for herself when all odds were hugely stacked against her. All of the five have not only survived but also thrived amidst the same grim and grisly conditions that entire humanity is going through. Did I not mention that we have some blessed powers that we can put to good use! We have more to tell. ICCA, with its One Million Dirham Scholarship, is creating better lives for the less fortunate; ProTalk shows you how to create effective workplace relationships, also speaks about

This is precisely what came across very strongly for me going through the exclusive interview that ASPIRE did with the young internet sensation, Nuseir Yassin. He is an incredible creator no doubt and what he has achieved in the last five years is commendable. NAS Daily is on a mission now to create more like him, and we totally love that. Kristel Bechara is another

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creating Customer Delight, and creating a Brand that people begin to love keeping in mind the elements that make all the difference between ordinary and outstanding. Whether it is the stories we weave with other fellow humans we meet along the way (Life’s Little Lessons) or focus on the very thing that is symbolic of life – our breath (Health), whether it is living the good times (Explore and Travel), making use of virtual assistants to simplify routines (Tech), or becoming a citizen by choice (Trending), we are always imagining and creating (most times without our awareness). Just as the UAE and the World is making conscious and best efforts to restore our environment to a better state, we owe it to ourselves too to tap into our gift to imagine and create a better life for ourselves. Let’s go, from glory to glory! ✪

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What you can imagine, you can create!

he World Environment Day falls in June each year, and this year it brings us the theme of Reimagine. Recreate. Restore. Powerful three words, these. We are the only species of all the biodiversity we see who has been given the gift of imagination. And what we can imagine, we can certainly create. What we create, we most certainly can rebuild to be a better version of what it currently is. And so, if in the rigmarole of daily life, or more so of the harshly rough year and a half that has gone by; if in the struggle for survival, you have forgotten the gift that has been bestowed on you by none other than the Almighty Creator himself, then this is the right time to reawaken to the blessing bestowed and use it to the max.

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Biden relaunches International Entrepreneur Parole program for promising foreign entrepreneurs The Biden Administration of the United States has relaunched the International Entrepreneur Parole (IEP) Program that grants the leadership of promising foreign start-ups temporary residence in the United States to grow businesses with sturdy economic and job-creation potential. The program was finalized under the Obama Administration in 2017, but the Trump Administration shelved it due to its dormancy. However, the Biden Administration is relaunching IEP Program to grant promising foreign entrepreneurs who fall short of the eligibility criteria of existing visa programs to remain in the United States to grow their businesses and make contributions to the country’s economy. Nonetheless, this is a discretionary and temporary permission to enter and stay in the United States – essentially, a parole. The qualifying entrepreneurs are not eligible for

permanent residence unless they qualify under another United States immigration program. To be permitted for parole, foreign entrepreneurs must satisfy specific benchmarks, including being an established US start-up business within five years of the candidate’s application for parole. The candidate must be an active and central role player in the functioning of the business and should hold an ownership interest of at least 10 percent in the start-up. Also, foreign nationals that partly satisfy the criteria for funding are expected to provide compelling evidence additionally related to the start-up’s substantial potential for fast job creation and rapid development. Bear in mind that for each start-up, no

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Bulletin more than three foreign entrepreneurs may be granted parole. Entrepreneurs can stay in the US for the commencing period of up to 30 months - if permitted, with a license to work for a foundation business. Set as an optional grant, the US government can nullify parole during any period if the foundation business collapses or fails to display a significant public advantage to the United States.

Truly the land of opportunity? What this scheme offers is essentially an opportunity for an entrepreneur to launch and sustain their business in the states. Still, this boost has conditions that ensure that the USA gets the better deal in its investment in the foreign hustle by ensuring that both the American people and the economy benefits from the business. Despite the advantages tipped in favor of the American state, entrepreneurs wrestle to gain a foothold in the American market. Essentially, programs like these are critical to the sustenance of the ‘American Dream’. This is a tremendous opportunity that holds a symbiotic advantage for both the USA and the entrepreneurs. But many entrepreneurs will get filtered out due to the stringent criteria. Additionally, all businesses do not have profit as their defining goal, which will cause them to diverge from the capitalist goals of the US government. Instead of hoping that the USA adopts lenient immigration norms, other countries should make concerted efforts to make their internal affairs, regulation, and administration more business-friendly. This way, countries do not have to suffer the brain drain that occurs when their daring and insightful take off to promised lands for entrepreneurial success.

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‘Wise’ paves the way for India to send money abroad

According to data from the World Bank for the year 2019, the personal remittances received in India exceeded $83 billion

Financial technology firm, Wise, a London-based fintech firm, has announced its entry into India. The firm specializes in peer-topeer forex transfers. On June 1, 2021, the firm stated that users in India would now be allowed to send money abroad to 44 countries worldwide, including countries in the Eurozone, Singapore, the UK, the USA, the UAE, and more. India has an imbalanced outward to inward remittance ratio, as the data reveals. As per the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s outward remittances in the fiscal year 2019-2020 were around $18.75 billion, with more than 60% of it categorized under travel and foreign education fee. Comparatively, the inward remittance market is bigger as Indians abroad send money back home. According to data from the World Bank for the year 2019, the personal remittances received in India exceeded $83 billion. Wise has tied up with RBL (formerly Ratnakar Bank) un-

der the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) to send money abroad. “Transfers to Indian Rupees (INR) were first made available in 2013, and the company recently enabled Google Pay users in the United States to send INR to Google Pay users in India,” a press release issued by the firm said. Wise specializes in cross-currency money transfers, which can entirely be done online. The firm claims that its service is faster and cheaper than other fintech players and traditional banks, which serve a large cut and offer unfavorable exchange rates. According to Wise, the research firm Alderson Consulting conducted an independent analysis that showed the company’s prices for international money transfers are on average twice cheaper than banks and other providers. For example, sending `50,000 to the United States costs `1,909 on average with other banks, but only costs `1,038.08 with Wise.

The urgency on currency Money connects the world like nothing else, and through the years, India has emerged strongly in the business market. We have a multitude of dealings of a cross-national nature - from online retailers to small businesses that aim to go global, students that require money from their families, and vice versa. It wasn’t surprising then that the ability to send money out of India was one of the most heavily requested services the company received from users, as per CEO and co-founder of Wise, Kristo Kaarmann. “Over the last, like almost a decade now, the build-up of local payments infrastructure and UPI has been fascinating to observe,” added Kaarmann. Furthermore, he did not provide details about potential partnerships in India but did announce the opening of a local office in Mumbai, India.

UAE ranks among the top 20 countries in the world in tourism competitiveness In a year as dismal as 2020, UAE has managed to leave a mark with its commitment to building tourism. The country was recently ranked among the top 20 countries in the world during the year 2020 in five indices related to the competitiveness of the tourism sector in the country, according to the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC). The World Economic Forum issues the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report, which included the indices that the country has excelled in, apart from the World Competitiveness Yearbook. As per the report, the UAE ranked first in the world in the index of the presence of the largest car rental companies, while it came sixth in the sustainability and development index and seventh in the quality of tourism infrastructure index. According to the report, the country also

ranked eighth in the world in marketing effectiveness to attract tourists. However, the World Competitiveness Yearbook ranked the country 17th in the tourism revenue index. Thanks to the tireless work of the government in the last few years, the UAE has a distinguished infrastructure and huge facilities that are the largest in the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf region.

Reclaiming former glory UAE has displayed remarkable resilience during the pandemic and the ensuing economic meltdown, managing to return to achieving good growth rates and quickly reversing the depreciation in the tourism and travel sector, which reflects the strength of the national economy in general. According to statistics issued by FCSC, the tourism and hotel sectors in the UAE witnessed a

UAE witnessed a growth of 158.3 percent during the third quarter of 2020 compared to the second quarter of the same year

growth of 158.3 percent during the third quarter of 2020 compared to the second quarter of the same year, indicating the quick resuscitation of the sector. A similar jump was seen in the footfall of hotel guests in the country, increasing to about 3.385 million in the third quarter compared to 1.31 million in the first quarter of 2020. As guests increased, more commercial establishments saw the virtue in returning to business, hiking up the number of “hotels and hotel apartments” that returned to work, from 929 facilities by the end of Q2 2020 to 1,032 by the end of Q3 2021. The number of hotel rooms too saw a significant jump during the same time periods. The well-balanced economy of the UAE has taken great initiative and dedication to cultivate initiatives at the federal and local level, to develop the tourism and travel sector. The sectors have grown to a degree where they can contribute to the economy and enable diversification of income in the country. ✪ 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

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CITIZEN BY CHOICE As the world gets more connected, and lifestyles get more global, a second passport is becoming an increasingly popular option. Ayaat Attar explores this growing phenomenon

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nwilling to settle for the circumstances they were born into, bright minds from seemingly disadvantaged countries identified pools of opportunities across their borders, and set out to make their mark in the world. However, they had to apply for a visa each time they flew to a different nation. Taking into account the lived-in experience of many over time, it came to light that the process was time-consuming, expensive, and offered little to no guarantee. The constant reapplication of a visa turned out to be an arduous affair, and so, the practice was deemed unsustainable in the long run. It is then the prospect of dual citizenship came about, providing a possible solution for frequent travellers.

GOING GLOBAL!

In the 1970s, after years of back and forth, the concept of attaining dual citizenship came around again when the consensus against it finally began to erode. As of 2021, the trend seems to be catching steam. Holding the passport of certain countries gives one the ease of traveling to many nations without having to apply for a visa each time one decides to travel. This not only saves waiting time but also a lot of money. And because one is ready to travel on the go, it also helps people grab opportunities that they would’ve otherwise had to let slide by. Furthermore, holding a powerful passport with an excellent credit rating gives one the freedom of global mobility, a benefit that can be milked by ‘blue-ticked’ social media influencers, business owners, and avid travellers. One can move freely between the two countries and several business opportunities open up. While different countries have different strengths in their travel documents, the top countries which typically rank high have visa-free entry rights to 180+ countries. These include many of the most developed European countries, including Cyprus and Malta, which also form part of the Schengen area, where no border checks happen. Just holding a national ID of a particular State is enough. On the lighter side, a second passport also eliminates the exasperation caused by standing in queues at immigration counters and consulates and, more importantly, the constant fear of security. People can seek diplomatic assistance from representatives from both countries while present in a third country. A sound second passport from a stable country can be life-saving if one’s homeland is

WHILE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES HAVE DIFFERENT STRENGTHS IN THEIR TRAVEL DOCUMENTS, THE TOP COUNTRIES WHICH TYPICALLY RANK HIGH HAVE VISA-FREE ENTRY RIGHTS TO 180+ COUNTRIES under distress. Although attaining citizenship costs a fortune, having the right to reside in a country other than your own is incredible insurance. While members of the EU are more expensive, a Bulgarian passport is more affordable and gives decent traveling options. If you opt for a full-blown EU citizenship, it could give you the right to settle down in 32 countries, which could feel no less than a superpower!

BREAKING DOWN ‘INVESTMENT MIGRATION’

To kickstart your journey towards possessing a dual citizenship, it is imperative to understand investment migration. It is the broad umbrella under the ambit of which fall the two ways of procuring second citizenship, namely Citizenship by Investment and Citizenship by Residence. A global leader in investment migration, Henely & Partners is a citizenship and residence advisory firm based in London. The company’s Residence and Citizenship Practice Group advises individuals and their clients such as law firms, banks, and family offices on alternative residence and citizenship. According to an opinion of The Guardian, “the 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

Trending company has arguably invented the modern ‘citizenship planning’ industry.” Paddy Blewer, the Director of Henely & Partners, says, “This is about diversifying portfolios, investing and operating globally, and creating a new inheritance and identity for the family.” He also emphasizes that although people from countries like Bangladesh, China, Middle east are more inclined, the firm has also seen an increase in interest from individuals in countries like the United States and Brazil who already have “premium” passports. In fact, Blewer reports a 700 percent increase in Americans inquiring about investment migration programs.

TAKING A CLOSER LOOK

Several factors need to be considered before going ahead with the procurement of a second passport, your personal reasons for it being of key importance. While getting yourself a second passport may now seem secured by bureaucracy and careful administration, it is important to stay wary of lawyers, organizations, and agencies that might charge a fee higher than is required. The cost can vary dramatically depending on the country, ranging from $100,000 to millions of euros. Some countries require a combination of non-refundable contributions and minimum real estate purchases, and some also specify the type of real estate. There are nearly 100 different countries worldwide offering these citizenship programs, so getting professional advice from a firm like Henley & Partners is a must if you’re seriously considering making this international investment. The firm has seen an uptick across the board, and Blewer says that they’ve seen significant growth in the citizenship and residency programs from Malta, Cyprus, Montenegro, Portugal, Greece, and the Caribbean, especially St. Lucia. Blewer notes that their clients don’t necessarily move to these countries; “some people invest in programs run by these sovereign states only to acquire citizenship and/or residence rights offered by these sovereign states, with no plans of permanently living there.” The United Arab Emirates (UAE) also announced earlier this year, that the Emirati Nationality Law had been amended to grant citizenship to expatriates. The UAE’s Prime Minister and ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said this change was made to attract and retain individuals with specialized skills. “We adopted law amendments that allow granting the UAE citizenship to investors, specialized talents & profession-

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GENERAL STATS: Close to 90% of UAE’s population comprises of foreigners who are not local to the land. The percentage is huge which points to the fact that if dual citizenship laws were more inclusive and relaxed, a lot more people would have liked to get dual citizenships. By 2020, 76 percent of countries maintain a more tolerant approach towards dual citizenship and allow citizens to voluntarily acquire the citizenship of another country without automatic repercussions for the citizenship of origin. 66% of the states without a dual citizenship restriction allow citizens to voluntarily renounce their citizenship after acquiring another citizenship. In comparison, 10% of them do not let their citizens renounce their citizenship. In 2019, EU Member States granted citizenship to 706,400 people having their usual residence in the EU territory, an increase of 5 % compared with figures from 2018. Of those acquiring citizenship of an EU-27 Member State, 85 % had previously been citizens of non-EU countries. Of these, citizens of Morocco made up the highest numbers, followed by citizens of Albania, the United Kingdom, Syria, and Turkey. (Source: Bloomberg + Maastricht Centre for citizenship, Migration and Development, Maastricht University + Europa Stats explained)

Most new citizenships in 2019 were granted by Germany (132,000 or 19 % of the EU-27 total), Italy (127,000 or 18 %), France (109,800 or 16 %), Spain (99,000 or 14 %) and Sweden (64,200 or 9 %).

AGE-BASED STATS: In 2019, the median age of persons acquiring citizenship in the whole of the EU was 32. The Member State with the lowest median age was Greece; half of its new citizens were younger than 18. The highest median age (44) was in Lithuania. In 2019, almost 40 % of persons granted citizenship of an EU-27 country were younger than 25 years, and around another 40 % aged 25 to 44, while those aged 45 or over accounted for 20 %.

GENDER-BASED STATS: The distribution by gender shows a slight predominance of women (52 % against 48 % men). Acquisitions of citizenship by women outnumbered acquisitions by men in all but eight of Member States (Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Sweden). The highest proportion of citizenship acquisitions by women was recorded in Croatia (59 %). The country with the highest share of acquisitions by men was Romania (64 %)

their worth as global stars. In 2014, Pakistan-born activist Malala Yousufzai joined an eminent list of Honorary Canadian Citizenship awardees when she was offered the same by the government of Canada, which she graciously accepted. Extended to only six individuals from its inception, it is important to note that the citizenship bestowed by the State is purely symbolic in nature. Honorary citizens do not have any rights or privileges associated with Canadian citizenship, such as a passport or the right to vote. Two faces of the same coin, the process is not devoid of loopholes that are increasingly exploited by wealthy fraudsters on the run from law back in their home countries. AccordANGELINA JOLIE, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, AND ing to Arton Capital, a global SEVERAL OTHER PUBLIC FIGURES HOLD A SECOND citizenship financial advisory services firm based in Montreal, PASSPORT THAT NOT JUST BENEFITS THEM WITH THE Canada, investors in the CaFLEXIBILITY OF TRAVEL AND WORK BUT ALSO EXPANDS ribbean CBI schemes must “be THEIR WORTH AS GLOBAL STARS of outstanding character, hold no criminal record (and) have excellent health.” The hitch, however, is that not all countries properly vet als including scientists, doctors, engineers, applicants, or they may deliberately turn a artists, authors, and their families. The new blind eye. Money laundering fugitives find a directives aim to attract talents that contribute way into the new country despite the red flags to our development journey,” he tweeted. they raised during the vetting period. Fishing The UAE passport allows visa-free entry them out then for crimes like embezzlement to 173 countries where people can live, work in their native countries is the task of squads and open a business in the UAE without refor years together. Often referred to as ‘Golden strictions. In recent years, a larger percentage passports’ by critics, they are obtained mostly of the UAE’s affluent immigrant population through citizenship by investment schemes. have been applying for second passports in other foreign nations. The use of services such WORTH THE EFFORT as ‘citizenship by investment’ programs has Despite the cons, ‘Citizen of the Globe’ is a skyrocketed. concept many people have warmed up to. Instead of making luxury-based investments, BOON OR BANE people aspire for a second citizenship to esThe procedure for obtaining dual citizenship cape the clutches of political instability, more is long, complex and expensive, and may reexpansive business opportunities, ensuring quire the assistance of an immigration lawyer. a better future for their family, and securing The bearer of a second passport also becomes their plans after retirement. bound by the laws of two countries. Apart With the pandemic of 2020 still continuing, from costing a fortune, one cannot deny that rules of business and governance have altered holding a dual citizenship also presents other forever. Although the concept is viable only for problems like double taxation from both counthe crème class for now, it helps in expanding tries. Angelina Jolie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, their horizons, thus elevating the overall and several other public figures hold a second functioning of the world. Welcome to the next passport that not just benefits them with the level, that of being a citizen by choice! ✪ flexibility of travel and work but also expands 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

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As voice assistants become a normal part of our everyday lives, Qiraat Attar explores the trend and where its headed

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ou wake up, and it’s seven AM. Alexa tells you the time. She also reminds you of your meetings today and confirms the names of invitees on request, a scrum meeting with the team, a brainstorming session with your clients, or a scheduled video call with your college friends. Alexa isn’t your roommate or your partner. It’s not a ‘she’. You have a stranger in your home, and they order you pizza and play sad music when you’re feeling blue. This is the life of 110 million users (in the USA alone) and counting, who rely on voice assistants to assist them daily. Alexa represents the voice assistants of today, the most popular of the ‘voice sisters’, which also comprises Siri, Cortana, and Google Duplex. With the turn of the decade, they’ve grown in strength, speed, and capability. So, who is Alexa really, and how did ‘she’ go from an unknown to the voice in your house?

through Apple’s disarming voice assistant. The words ‘Hey Siri!’ are the signal words, waking up the device. Let’s suppose you want to know the score of the football match between UAE and Qatar. The request is recorded, and it travels, thanks to the internet, to a database where it will be broken down into essentials. The massive database compares and correlates your statement with information present, recency, and other cues, formulating an appropriate response. This answer is conveyed back to you, and you have your score a short moment later. Well, doesn’t it get things wrong? All the time! But the beauty of AI-powered technology is that it learns from its mistakes, determined to make every misstep a learning. Every time you ask it to play a ‘Little Mix’ song, and it starts suggesting mixers instead, it’s logged as an erroneous response to a request. All these devices are gradually beefing

Alexa, who are you?

The cardinal rule of technology is slated for evolution, more convenience, and lesser manual intervention. Examples are everywhere - Phones gradually lost clunky buttons, cars advanced from gear stick drives to automatic, every device in existence has become sleeker, faster and has had a veritable ‘glow up’ compared to its ancestors. Voice assistance is no different. You might expect the history to be brief, but you could not be more wrong. While voice assistants are recent, the functions that comprise them have been brewing quietly for a while. These are the ears and brains of the operation. After all, before Alexa could say a word, she had to learn to understand yours. Voice assistants use speech recognition, natural language processing, and speech synthesis to take actions to help their users, not to mention machinations of AI, all of which evolved over their own journeys before they conflated together to form this conversational technology. Voice recognition technology has been around since the 1960s, supplementing virtual assistance technology popularized in the 2010s. NLP originated from the idea of Machine Translation, coming into existence during the second world war. Speech synthesizers of the electrical variety have been around since 1939, debuting in New York’s World Fair by Homer Dudley under the moniker VODER (Voice Operating Demonstrator). Just as the magic cave in ‘Alibaba and the forty thieves’ opened only on hearing a secret message, so does a voice assistant gets activated on hearing its decreed command. Let us explore

THE DECADE OF VOICE ASSISTANT REVOLUTION

Google debuts voice search on homepage

2010 2011 2012 2013

Microsoft announces Cortana voice assistant

More than 3 Billion voice assistants are in use

Amazon reveals Echo with Alexa voice assistant

2016 2017

Baidu and Alibaba launch voice assistants & smart speakers

Nuance releases NINA voice assistant

2014 2015

SoundHound launches Houndify platform

Siri is published as a mobile app, then acquired by Apple

Google Home and Google Assistant debut

2018 2019

Samsung releases Bixby 2.0 voice assistant

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Tech love up their intelligence through their mistakes, getting better and faster at providing instant answers to any question you might have.

and repeating the command several times as the AI failed to understand words or names of people became a running gag for several ‘YouTube’ videos. This faltering is a thing of the past now. With both dedicated devices such as the Amazon Echo, familiar with bedside tables and dining rooms, to the assistants we carry in

Alexa, play ‘Gimme More’

Siri became the first voice assistant for a vast number of people, setting expectations and ideas about how voice assistants should operate ever since 2010. Soon after, Google rolled out the little ‘microphone’ icon in its Chrome browser, offering voice search years before they came up with Google Assistant. The ball got rolling as Nuance introduced ‘Nina’, Microsoft announced ‘Cortana’, and Amazon put a big bow on it with ‘Alexa’. Initially, adoption was slow, even on the personal use that was rampantly advertised. People made jokes at the expense of voice assistants

STATS FOR VOICE ASSISTANCE USAGE In 2020, there were 4.2 billion digital voice assistants being used in devices around the world. Forecasts suggest that by 2024, the number of digital voice assistants will reach 8.4 billion units – a number higher than the world’s population. One-third of enterprises will use conversational speech technology for customer engagement by 2022. 65% of smart speaker owners say they are comfortable making purchases with a smart speaker. 41% of people who own a voice-activated speaker say it feels like talking to a friend or 14

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The keyword trigger to ‘activate’ voice assistants is not foolproof, which means people can accidentally engage the assistant and inadvertently record huge amounts of sensitive data

another person, as per Google. In 2021, 68% of respondents said that their company currently has a voice strategy up from 18% in 2020. Of those that don’t, 60% said that is under consideration for sometime within the next 5 years. 85% of Amazon customers select the recommended Amazon product when voice shopping. While the Apple HomePod understands 99.4 percent of all queries, it only answers 52.3 percent correctly, putting it behind Amazon Echo (64%), Google Home (81%), and Harman Kardon Invoke (57%) in that regard, as per Loup Ventures. The voice recognition market is expected to grow at a yearly rate of 17.2% and to reach $26.8 billion by 2025.

our pockets, we have forgiven its little mistakes and are thrilled at how far it has come and how far we might go with it. We’ve reached the point where voice assistants are as much a tech facet as they are something separate to consider. The corporate setup too has slowly begun to find a use for AI-powered voice assistants. Initially, they were only used for secretarial or peripheral duties, such as task tracking and time management, mostly centered around smoother administration. Once adopted, employees started using the same capabilities to improve professional conduct and look more conscientious about their commitments. For instance, Siri can offer proactive suggestions — like texting someone that you’re running late for a meeting. Returned results from Siri are also individualized. Soon enough, international businesses adopted the technology. Their diverse capabilities made them the right fit for spaces with multilingual employees and the ensuing language barrier. Alexa being equipped to understand several different languages, including Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, and Hindi, aided in easy translation, where things don’t get lost due to miscommunication. If working in research-intensive professions, voice AI can be a big help. Cortana syncs seamlessly with the search engine Bing and answers questions using its database and web results. It will alert you to breaking news and keep you updated as programmed. Despite increased assimilation, they were still kept away from critical or confidential information, which isolated them from the heart of corporate business activity. One possible reason for this could be the data and privacy concerns that still cloud the adoption of voice assistants. Despite the fear, organizations agreed that using them for merely mundane tasks is arguably a poor utilization of the technology. Hence

If you type ‘Is Siri…’ on Google, one suggestion is ‘Is Siri your enemy?’. One can’t help but wonder. When a technology manifests and attempts to mimic being human and learns every time it stumbles, it’s a little bit of the ‘Planet of the Apes’ moment for us mortals. I mean, what if it rises and takes over, uses commands to crush us instead, ala ‘Portal’ style? Alright, flipping the world order is too farfetched. But what is reasonable are rising concerns regarding privacy. The keyword trigger to ‘activate’ voice assistants is not foolproof,

56.29

GOOGLE ASSISTANT

APPLE SIRI

47.29

Simple Questions 70.18 55.05 41.32

GOOGLE ASSISTANT

Alexa, do you know everything?

76.57

APPLE SIRI

Sunder Pichai’s fascinating video at the 2018 I/O keynote address, standing before a teeming crowd to demonstrate the first fully-functional interactive voice assistant. His claim: A bot voice that sounds so naturally human as to be indistinguishable. He has the crowd, but he will lose more than just their attention if his words are proved empty. The task is simple - Google Assistant has to make a telephonic appointment for a haircut, as you, live at the event. The crowd lets out astonished cheers, hushed and waiting. In the next minute, Google Duplex starts a conversation with the receptionist at the hairstyling salon. The robot sounds uncannily human, with ‘umms’ and ‘ahs’ in the right places, modifying the request when the 12 PM slot needed is unavailable. A booking is made for 10 AM. The woman knows nothing of what just happened - she just made a haircut appointment with a robot. Interactive voice assistance is like a sequel to the one-sided saga you conduct with your assistant, where you ask them to carry out tasks, but their speech responses are limited to the confirmation of your task. But with this stellar upgrade, the purpose changes. Your voice assistant will be able to do things you don’t have time for - haggling with your cable company on the phone or negotiating the price of stocks. We are predictably filled with cautious excitement as this technology carves into new territory.

The percentage of simple versus complex questions answered correctly by each platform. Complex questions involve comparisons, composition, and/or temporal reasoining.

AMAZON ALEXA

Alexa, can you be human?

Success by Question Complexity

AMAZON ALEXA

slowly, voice assistants like Cortana and Siri are being used to analyze data. You can use voice commands to build analytical queries over large data stores, dividing data by date ranges or functions by simply using your voice. Voice assistants also help you not only interpret the data but also provide visualization as well. One can imagine this diversification of technology allows voice AI to become an integral part of the work ecosystem.

Complex Questions

which means people can accidentally engage the assistant and inadvertently record huge amounts of sensitive data. Add that to voice assistants that sync with your other devices such as your phone or your car, and you have built a virtually compounded machine, ala ‘Transformer’ style that knows too much to be considered harmless. There is also the question of overdependence. Already, life looks more sedentary than it did hundred years ago, thanks to the advent of convenient technology. Plus, the expectation is that we live hyper-productive lives in the absence of daily chores is a factually incorrect one. Instead, several humans admit that they’re chronically addicted to their devices. Siri and Alexa might be able to do your every bidding, but we must stop and wonder now, should they have to? The human experience is made richer by simple encounters, and it seems immoderate to bring in an expensive, high-powered device for such tasks. Mundane errands might be time-consuming or boring, but while we work at them, the mind is free to reflect on ideas and enjoy some blessed moments of quiet. It seems unwise to trade off our downtime for what is effectively the capitalist demand of hyper-productivity, with no care for human limits. One must also spare a thought for basic skill workers. There are millions of jobs in call centers and troubleshooting domains handled by people having basic communication and technical training, with not much else. These integral vocations are the lifeblood of the middle and lower-middle classes, allowing these people to lead dignified lives. Caught in the allure and the purported ease of AI, there is talk of replacing such jobs, en masse, with artificial intelligence. Such sweeping changes without consideration for those who will bear the fallout will definitely be humanitarian and administration disasters. We live in exciting times. Our devices are alive, animated. Much like the characters in ‘Beauty and the Beast’, they talk, they beep in a complaint, they make their presence felt. They talk to us, they apologize for errors, and they wish us on our birthday. It’s easy to think of this as mere play and embrace them wholeheartedly, but there is a flip side. We must consider if the ease and convenience are worth the constant intrusiveness, the near-total lack of privacy, and what some consider the most blatant and constant data collection of this century. And as public concerns about the fallout seem brushed aside by tech moguls with futuristic vision but no perspective, one has to ask – Is anyone really listening to our voice? ✪ 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

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HIGHLIG

GHLIGHT

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Events GH T S ‫٭‬

Arab Health Exhibition and Congress 2021 June sees two health and wellness events in the works. The first, the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress will welcome more than 4,150+ exhibiting companies and 106,300+ professionals visit from 159 countries with more than 52,000 attendees at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, from 21st June till 24 June 2021. The second, organized by Medlab Middle East, will be the region’s largest medical laboratory exhibition from the 27th June - 1 July 2021, again taking place at the World Trade Centre, Dubai. The Arab Health Exhibition provides your business with multiple opportunities to reach

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new and potential customers from across the globe. It is the largest gathering of healthcare and trade professionals in the MENA region, with several Continuing Medical Education (CME) conferences and business leadership workshops providing insights and the latest updates into cutting-edge procedures, techniques, and skills. Medlab Middle East brings the world of laboratory medicine together, showcasing innovative products and trending technology. Both events promise to be beneficial to trade insiders and provide tons of networking and learning opportunities in the healthcare sector.

Photo: Arab Health

The Ripe Retail Pop-up Experience at Nakheel Mall

The Immersive Banksy Experience of Graffiti Art

Photo: Banksy

‘The World of Banksy’ takes you on an enchanting journey with the mysterious artist Banksy, the street master, who has managed to become the world’s most renowned satirical graffiti artist. Banksy had kept his identity unrevealed for years, and earlier this year, he broke the record for the most expensive work to sell at an auction where one of his paintings sold for more than AED73 million. The exhibition features more than 120 unique works, including murals, paintings, and street art. If you are an art enthusiast, and graffiti is your thing, then this exhibition is a must-visit. Ongoing till 30th June 2021, at the Mall of the Emirates, tickets start from AED 110, and it is indeed worth every fil.

Hosted at Nakheel Mall, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, the Ripe Market brings the new Retail Pop-up marketplace from 10:00 AM till 07:00 PM every Friday and Saturday. The Ripe Market is a dedicated community to support SME businesses, unique local food companies, artists, and craftsmen comprising of both live cooking stations and take-home retail items, including locally grown organic fruit and vegetables, household items, clothes, and hand-made pieces. Starting from 19th June, this Ripe Retail Pop-Up experience will bring a selection of homegrown businesses to display and sell domestic art, fashion, jewelry, homewares, delicious treats, and more to make everyone involved in this fest. Don’t miss out! ✪ Photo: Ripe Organic

2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

COVER STORY

LIFE IN THE NAS LANE

How do you make the road rise to meet you? Rachit Gupta, in conversation with Nuseir Yassin, the creator of NAS Daily, finds out from one of the internet's biggest success stories Location Courtesy: The Retreat Palm Dubai MGallery by Sofitel

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I DON’T WANT TO HANG OUT WITH PEOPLE WHO TALK ABOUT PEOPLE AND PLACES. I WANT TO MEET THOSE PEOPLE WHO WANT MORE, WHO HAVE THE NEXT BIG IDEA, WHO WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

Y COVER STORY

ou get billions of dollars and millions of followers, what will you do? Buy an island? Buy a gaudy, over-the-top mansion? Assemble a fleet of the most expensive supercars? Enjoy every luxury on the planet? If you opt for any of these scenarios, chances are you’re an individual with a limited intellect. People on a higher plane, aspire to do more, even when they have a lot. That elite mentality defines achievers, thinkers and eventually changers. People who envisage the next big idea, one that changes the very fabric of civilization, rewrites the equations of society, creates a future worth living in. You don’t end up changing the world because

you set out to do so, you manage to do that when you’re dealt a good hand by destiny. Something similar happened to a young software engineer in his 20s, working in a secure multinational company called Venmo in 2016. He decided to wrap up the 9 to 5 commitment and decided to adopt a new vision. Nuseir Yassin took up the challenge of travelling the world and chronicling his adventures through 1-minute videos, something he resolved to do for a whopping 1000 days straight. At the time, it seemed like an outlandish idea, even to a hopefully optimistic young man. But, it was a journey that was meant to be. Just over a year later, he became one of the most popular faces on Facebook, with 1 million followers. And that’s how NAS Daily was born. A Facebook video channel that told stories of the most interesting people on the planet in short 1-minute videos. In a world of shrinking attention spans and break-neck content consumption, NAS’s idea was money in the bank. So he got the support of FB founder Mark Zuckerberg and never looked back. Today, with 20 million followers on FB, a swift transition to 2.6 million on YouTube, an ardent fan following, one of the most likeable, effervescent and energetic voices on the internet, Nuseir is one of the world’s biggest influencers. And you know you’ve succeeded when adversity makes a swift entry into your life.

YOU START TALKING TO PEOPLE, YOU MAKE A FEW FRIENDS AND THEN SOME OF THEM BECOME YOUR BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE. I DECIDED TO GO WIDE, I WANTED A MILLION FRIENDS Following his neutral comments on the ongoing conflict between Israel (his home country) and Palestine, NAS has seen a sharp rise in naysayers. There was even a rumour floating on social media that his FB page had lost 18 million followers overnight. In reality, it was the critics manufacturing some old-fashioned slandering, when in fact, Nuseir’s page had surreptitiously managed to get the numbers up from 38 million to 39 million. Love him, hate him, ignore him, deride him, whatever your choice, you can’t change the fact that in 5 years, a seemingly ordinary Muslim-Arab boy has become one of the most influential people on the planet. Today, he’s kickstarted his own corporation, he’s now allowing other young people to realise their passions by working 9 to 5 at NAS Studios and NAS Academy. The guy who once dreamed of creating content has now set up the infrastructure that will allow others to follow in his footsteps. What is his aspiration now? “I don’t want to hang

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out with people who talk about people and places. I want to meet those people who want more, who have the next big idea, who want to change the world,” says Nuseir with his characteristic energy. Here’s a deep dive into the story and mind of a young man putting his heart and soul into changing the world, one video at a time.

1000 days of aspiration Back in 2016, it was a simple piece of sharp observation that led Nuseir to take the decision of creating something new on FB. NAS simply compared his FB posts to that of his friends. He reveals, “I did a simple calculation before I started. I looked at my Facebook status updates. My status would get 60 likes. 60 of my friends would like it. And I looked at my roommate’s status and he got two likes. It made me think why? Why are my status updates getting 60 likes? And his are getting two to five likes and that’s when I realised that I’ve always been like that, a conversation starter. You start talking to people, you make a few friends and then some of them become your best friends for life. I decided to go wide, I wanted a million friends.” If one video could get him 60 likes, 1000 would definitely inch him closer to the million mark. Sure enough, NAS Daily got 1 million friends after just 400 videos. Being Mr Popular wasn’t always Nuseir’s priority. As a kid, he had more traditional dreams. He says, “I wanted to be an astronaut. I wanted to go to space. And then I realized that because of my race, because of my religion, because of my community, because of my country, I cannot go to space.” Amidst adversity, his ambition evolved. He reveals, “My second aspiration then was that I needed to be rich enough to afford buying a ticket to space. And then that became aspiration number one. Have enough financial freedom to be able to go to space. Even as a kid, I wanted to be surrounded by people. I needed to figure out a way that would ensure I was surrounded by a lot of people.” There was a reason the little boy in Arraba, Israel wanted to be social and it had nothing to do with validation. Nuseir reveals, “I wanted my opinion to matter. And I think when you grow up as a middle child, especially in an Arab city, your opinion doesn’t matter. What matters is the oldest person’s opinion around you. I wanted an opportunity to matter, just the way everybody wants to matter in this world. So I would say, NAS Daily was my revenge against injustice or racism or that upbringing, that childhood. It’s my revenge against all these screwed up aspects of society. And we’re using our platform now to amplify the voices of people that matter. I’m just doing to others what I wanted to do for myself. The first 500 videos were about me just talking about my opinions. Now it’s just a lot of videos talking about other people’s thoughts, opinions and inventions.” The angst

is unmissable in Nuseir’s animated gestures. Remind him that revenge is a strong word and quick comes his repartee, “Yeah, of course. And racism is also a very strong word, too. Isn’t it?” Not everything from his foundation days was a reaction to anger, some of it was about dealing with discontentment. Speaking about his parents’ dreams for him, Nuseir says, “I

think my parents are like Indian parents. What’s their idea of raising a child? De-risk everything in his life, from playing outside to playing with his career choices to everything else. There was no risk taking when it came to my upbringing. All that my parents wanted was for me to become a doctor or a lawyer and study in Israel and Germany. Probably get married to someone and live next to them.” 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

COVER STORY

Escape to the West Nuseir was not one to be tamed. He had a strong urge to move out. “The first risk I took was to escape that environment. Not like my parents were not supportive. In fact, they have watched every single video that I’ve ever made. But they never said I should quit my job. They also never said I should build a company. In fact, my parents have never hired a person. They never paid someone every month. The idea of having a teammate or an employee is crazy, risky, dangerous to them. Starting a video channel or building a company, both of those cases I took a risk against the traditions of my parents and what they wanted for me.” But, he is quick to point out that he feels lucky to have parents that let him be free. He adds, “They’re not as controlling as your average parents.

They say, ‘we are really scared about everything you do, but you’re on your own’. I’m happy they gave me that freedom, because I was able to build everything I have with that freedom. I feel very sad for any individual or any child that doesn’t receive the freedom from their parents.” Thankfully, his parents supported his decision to go to the United States to pursue his studies. He reveals. “It was important to escape mediocrity. My society is living a mediocre life, my village has mediocre infrastructure. The talent there is mediocre. There would never be a lot of equity around there. So, I needed to build my own bubble and find those great people and friends.” It was in the West that his horizons expanded and he finally met the people who would help him achieve his goals. “I could go and say one hundred percent that every person I ever met contributed to my success or I could even say zero percent of those people made a difference, but the reality sits somewhere in between. The conditions that I had growing up, at least 10,000 other people had similar conditions in my village, in my city. But they didn’t make the

NAS DAILY WAS MY REVENGE AGAINST INJUSTICE OR RACISM OR THAT UPBRINGING, THAT CHILDHOOD. IT’S MY REVENGE AGAINST ALL THESE SCREWED UP ASPECTS OF SOCIETY most of it. The conditions that I had at Harvard were very similar to the conditions that another 10,000 other people had. And they didn’t make NAS Daily.” He goes on to concede that no one can excel without the right support. “Generally speaking, I think NAS and I wouldn't be here without the team, without my family, without the support and the freedom that they gave me.” He also feels his gender contributed to his success story. He explains, “Honestly, not that I think I wouldn’t have succeeded if I was a woman. But, in my society, if I was a woman, I would not get the chance to travel around the world, have a girlfriend or a boyfriend, make videos with them half naked and just say, whatever the heck I want to say about religion or any other subject. That’s the one thing I know for a

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fact that my sister will not have the same chances I do. And that's something that we need to change.”

Living in the limelight He may have millions of followers and he may be one of the most recognised faces on the planet, but Nuseir doesn’t take his fame seriously. “Fame has an amazing return, but it also has an incredible cost. The cost can be huge but then the return is much higher, too. I like the rewards of fame, but I’m paying the price for it.” Ever since Nuseir expressed his opinions on the Israel-Palestine conflict, he’s seen a swarm of haters online. But, that’s something he prefers to take in his stride. WE HAVE TO GROW “Whenever there’s conflict your opinion BIG, NOT BECAUSE WE becomes a pivotal point. Especially with WANT TO BE FAMOUS, the Palestine-Israel stuff, just like Pakistan and India, you know when you’re BUT IF YOU TRULY famous, your political stance can become WANT TO HAVE POWER problematic. (laughs) Then there’s the obvious loss of privacy and the constant AND INFLUENCE, THEN selfies, too.” YOU NEED TO BE AS Appraising his own success, he feels BIG AS POSSIBLE the NAS Daily brand snowballed into something big. “I always wanted the message to reach as many people in the world as possible. In pursuit of that popularity, my name and my face has become recognizable, but I view it as a side effect. The main aim has always been whatever message we give, we reach as many people as possible. It’s but natural that we would require exposure because we care so much about the message reaching out. I never really started it with wanting to build a media empire or something. It just happened and today we have NAS Studios and NAS The flipside Academy and it feels wonderful.” Being big is good, but being too big can easily turn bad. Today, Nusier finds himself at the juncture where he can Bigger brands take lesser risks and for a content creator influence many lives and opinions. With childlike exuberlike NAS, that could be detrimental. Nuseir agrees, “I think ance he says that it makes him feel ‘wow’. He adds, “It’s that’s already happening with us, it's unfortunate and I need not often that I am able to take a step back and review the to find a way around it. When it comes to political issues, success because there are so many problems that keep me for example, we are very careful about siding with one or occupied. But, I feel like this is long overdue. This opportuanother. We’re very careful about not promoting a narrative nity, this chance, this privilege is long overdue. This is the that is destructive, even though the population at large may time for people like us to do something substantial. This is want to see it differently. I have always believed that going the time for brown people to have a voice. This is the time against the flow, sometimes is the responsible thing to do. for our narrative, our opinion to reach the world. Not that And sometimes going with the flow is a responsible thing I feel overly happy as well, I realise the privilege here, but to do. It’s our responsibility to figure out what is the right part of me feels like, this is what I’ve always wanted, to have stance and what are the right words to use. But, I do think some impact on the world and it’s finally happening.” we’re taking less risks when it comes to controversial opinWhy does being big matter to Nuseir? Because it means ions, especially as we develop new business relationships, everything is headed in the right direction. He explains, investors and employees. I need to find a way to take more “I don’t believe in small-scale anymore. I believe that the risks with things that don’t destroy lives.” bigger you are, the more influential you can become. So very few people would listen to someone with 20,000 Expanding horizons followers. Many people would listen to someone with 20 While his risk-taking ability may have lessened, Nuseir’s million followers and that’s the nature of society. We have focus on growth and expansion has only increased manifold. to grow big, not because we want to be famous, but if you His passion for taking the next big step also got him to truly want to have power and influence, then you need to Dubai. “We expanded from Singapore to Dubai and expanbe as big as possible.” sion is an important word. Our HQ is still in Singapore, 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

COVER STORY

THERE WAS NO RISK TAKING WHEN IT CAME TO MY UPBRINGING. ALL THAT MY PARENTS WANTED WAS FOR ME TO BECOME A DOCTOR OR A LAWYER AND STUDY IN ISRAEL AND GERMANY. PROBABLY GET MARRIED TO SOMEONE AND LIVE NEXT TO THEM $ Nusir with his team of Nas Daily

but we expanded because visas are much easier in Dubai, so you can hire talent and resources easily. Also, Dubai has a lot more creators within the media industry as compared to Singapore. And most importantly, I feel Dubai, being a part of the UAE is a country that’s in progress. I believe I found a country that is under construction and I want to be a part of this process of building something new. That’s why I’m not based in France because that’s a country in maintenance mode. It was built 200 years ago. Right now, it’s maintaining itself. But Dubai and Singapore are both under construction. And so is India, by the way.” Talking about expanding horizons, Nuseir’s meeting with Mark Zuckerberg in 2018 feels like it must have been a life-changing moment. He feels glad that the meeting happened. “Not that meeting Mark turned my life around, but it did change my approach to content creation. It wasn’t a moment of validation for me personally, but it was assuring to know that we are worth his time. We are worth something. I am no longer just a kid with a camera. We have reached the most powerful human on the internet. That was awesome. Perhaps it was a validation to what I had started 600 days earlier.” The meeting certainly acted like an adrenaline shot to his ambition and dreams. “My goal now is to be best friends with every powerful person in a room. I want to surround myself with people that are always thinking big. You know, how they say, simple minds discuss people, good minds discuss events, but great minds discuss ideas. It feels great that someone as powerful and big like Mark has become a friend. This guy built something big. This guy had ideas for how the future could look like. He comes from a country where it’s very difficult to build companies and

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he made it work in the billions. That’s inspiring and more power to him and possibly more power to us.” A lot of NAS fans have always posed the question that Nuseir should have started off with YouTube as opposed to Facebook, but he defends his decision. He says, “Certainly we may have made more money from YouTube as opposed to Facebook, but I think people underestimate that. Facebook doesn't give you as much money, but it gives you a lot of distribution, which you will later on turn into money. Probably, 100 million views on YouTube will give you more money than 500 million on FB. But those 5x views will bring more people who want to work with us and those people will give us the money. Money that we then use to start new brands, companies etc, so there’s still substantial financial growth. Honestly, we don’t necessarily care about the money that we get from Facebook. It’s nice, it helps us build the business, but what we care more about is the branding that Facebook helps us with.”

Change is everything Nuseir has travelled to many countries, met different people and cultures, but the one experience that really changed his perception was his visit to India. He recalls, “I will never forget the time I spent in Varanasi. That

experience just stood out and it was the exact opposite of now on corporate setups and business building. Speaking everything I believed in up until that moment. You die, about this change he says, “Best part of being a creator is you go, you’re burned on a pyre and then your ashes are that you can do it anywhere and anyhow. I think everybody immersed in this river. That is supposed to be holy. And in the world can be and should be a creator. But I think that process is against everything I believe in as a Muslim. the definition of creator is different for every individual. Looking back, it felt like the biggest attack on my beliefs, I don’t think people should start content creation to be the biggest threat to my being and I was okay with it. If a famous. That’s not how it works. If someone does it for the billion people, one out of seven people in the world believe wrong reasons it will only cause emotional turmoil. And that this river is salvation and you should be burned after founding companies is also not right for every creator. I death, then there’s a high chance they’re right. There’s also only recommend it to the people that are ready for it. But I a high chance that what Muslims believe in is right. So always recommend that everybody must create something, who is right? I mean, I’ll probably never know. That for me either a video or a baby or an image or an art or a family will always be the lesson to not get too attached with anyor a tradition, create something from nothing. Zero to one, thing.” Now, Nuseir only places his belief that cannot be is an incredibly satisfying process. And I think us humans disproved. He explains, “I accepted this culture shock by are inherently creative. So, we are all creators in that giving up on my beliefs. It’s like with science. You believe respect. And I want to help as many creators as possible to that one plus one equals three, until you get mathematical become the next NAS.” ✪ proof that one plus one equals two. In that moment, everything you believe in, goes out the window. So now, I'm not too attached to religion, culture, traditions, people or ideas. I'm only attached to the ideas that have never been proven wrong. You could say, I believe that the Earth is definitely round.” Having travelled the world extensively, Nuseir is now no longer inspired by the idea of exploration. Instead, the change that he reacted to in 2016 has just seen a 180-degree turn around. He adds, “NAS Daily started as a travel project, but I never wanted to be a travel blogger. My goal has never been to tell you which hotel to stay in or how to travel on a budget. Eventually, I may go into the travel industry, but I LOOK AT THINGS I think travel is just a means to an end, to meet people, SLIGHTLY DIFFERENTLY to see cultures, to make NOW. I ASK MYSELF, content.” The questions that inspire him have definitely WHAT BELIEFS DO I WANT changed. “I look at things TO CHANGE? HOW DO I slightly differently now. I ask myself, what beliefs do WANT TO GROW? AND I want to change? How do I BASED ON THAT, I DECIDE want to grow? And based on WHERE I WANT TO GO that, I decide where I want to go. And honestly, I feel I’m growing a lot more in the office environment and I think I'm very happy being indoors. I used to say, I don’t want to be in an office, I want to be outside because I was growing outside through traveling and exploring. But now I’m growing a lot more being behind this desk. I am very happy spending 9 AM to 12 PM at the NAS office.” He’s not transformed into a pencil pusher yet, but he does have a grip 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

INTERVIEW

THE MAKING OF PSYCHOMACHIA Prudentius’s epic poem may be 600 hundred years old, but it is so indelibly writ across artist Kristel Bechara’s mind that she was inspired to create 26 compelling artworks with its modern day interpretation. Qiraat Attar delves into the mind and work of the brilliant artist

Paintings from her new collection ‘Psychomachia’

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the quaint beach town of Byblos, Lebanon, Kristel was raised amidst hues of artistic inclination instilled by her father, a painter and sculptor who encouraged her to follow her calling. Heeding her genetic and nurtured instinct, she drew and painted all the time as a child and instinctively chose graphic design as her major, although it wasn’t a popular vocation at the time. On graduation, she worked as an in-house designer for seven years, but soon, she was restless to return to her exploration of traditional, individual art, where her signature voice murmured waiting to be discovered. In relentless pursuit, Kristel let herself awash in color and technique. No medium, no color, no prevalent style was left untouched. Oil paints, watercolor, acrylic; she dabbled in each one. Her experience as a designer got her acquainted with artwork software and programs that surprisingly broadened her perspective even in traditional arts. Her inherent knowledge leaned on the skills and lessons she acquired, and her innate voice grew bolder, more distinct with each attempt. Despite possessing what many may call an inborn talent, Kristel is convinced of the importance of critical training for an artist. Her four-year course imparted skills that have indubitably shaped her flair and technique. Kristel recalls that the first two years of university were intensely creative with a flurry of studies around drawing, painting, and even photography. She made time to take additional courses such as oil painting, which she couldn’t learn independently and needed some help with. The extensive work experience endowed her with technical expertise, rounding up her already impressive skill set. Asked to label her style, and she dismisses it with a laugh. “I call it eclectic because I like the word,” she admits with a chuckle. Her art is a truce between clashing ideas, 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

INTERVIEW

Asked to label her style, “I call it eclectic because I like the word,” she admits with a chuckle simple yet complex, black and white yet violently colorful. She revels in the use of traditional motifs, landscape, flowers, and patterns, but there’s an undeniable modern touch too, with contemporary figures, the distinct abstract design, and shadowy depiction of human torment. Boxing her style up into one category isn’t terribly important to her. Contemporary or traditional, she views it as a blend that’s uniquely her.

Stirrings of Psychomachia

Art often has a muse, and not every muse is a person. Before the pandemic, Kristel delved into the myth of Pandora’s box. As the lore goes, Pandora, crafted by Zeus as the first woman, succumbed to her pressing curiosity and opened the box in her care, unleashing unspeakable evils trapped within it onto humanity. Her research for this artwork lured her down the rabbit hole of depictions of virtues and vices in mythology, hurtling to a stop at ‘Psychomachia’, considered to be the first and most influential ‘pure’ medieval allegory, where four cardinal virtues and vices battle for the human soul. The word is now synonymous with the ‘battle between good and evil’. Exoritur quoties turbatis sensibus intus Seditio, atque animam morborum. rixa fatigat, Qaod tunc praesidium pro libertate tuenda, Quaeve acies furiis inter praecordia mixtis, … Vincendi praesens ratio est, si comminus ipsas Virtutum facies, et conluctantia contra Viribus infestis liceat portenta notare. It rises when the disordered senses inside Revolution, and the soul of our diseases. doused tires Correspond to good from the defense of the liberty of the, then, What land battle rage between the ribs mixed … Of conquering the reason for this is the present, the very close quarters, if the Deeds, and to wrestle against With hostile powers, wonders, that they be allowed to point out. Excerpt from “Psychomachia”, Prudentius, 15th century AD Stanzas of its composition are depicted across the collection. ‘Atonement’ shows a woman agonized by the memory of her vices. ‘Sands of time’ depicts an hourglass with

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precious grains of time just falling away, evoking powerful introspection in the passage of life. Despite extrinsic inspiration, self-expression is the most important thing for her. “I see the idea in my mind, what I want to create.” Her style draws from post-impressionist Henri Matisse, who she briefly trained under, drawing heavily from his play with color. The other artist she looks up to is Andi Warhol, who was a leading figure of the popart movement. Kristel is impassioned by the poem and its commentary on the human condition. “In the journey of our life, we have these deep conflicts within us. We are always in the battle between good and evil, within ourselves; in our daily thoughts and our daily decisions.” Above all, she is almost stubborn in her endeavor to depict positivity. “In the poem, the good wins, and that is what I want to depict in all my artworks.”

Matters of digital provenance

NFT began making a serious appearance last year, which in essence allows digital art to be tokenized and purchased, with a value assigned to its unique and authentic status. Kristel is the first female artist in UAE to launch NFTs of digital art and hence, has actively defended its worth and virtue in modern art. “It has the same creative process, it takes the same amount of time, and it is no less in any way than traditional art,” she proclaims. NFT has created a new market for digital artists to sell their work. This is a new channel where artists get to sell directly to collectors with no middlemen. There’s a certificate of authenticity for digital art, which can otherwise be easily replicated or downloaded hundreds of times from the internet. The certificate preserves original ownership, such that there is defining trail of dealings leading back to the artist, helping them get their due. Reselling gives a royalty to the artist. “This helps build a provenance, a history every time it changes hands. It’s something to be excited about.”

Despite possessing what many may call an inborn talent, Kristel is convinced of the importance of critical training for an artist Battling criticism

Kristel admits to feeling pressured to prove herself whenever she is showcasing her digital work alongside her traditional acrylic work. Critics sometimes tend to be dismissive of digital art, thinking it is computerized or that it isn’t as much of a challenge as what is perceived to be ‘real’ art. Despite being merely different mediums, some critics think one is easier than the other. Digitally she creates limited editions (about 25 pieces) drawn using a computer, printed on canvas, and then shipped to galleries across the globe. When she began collaborating with galleries in Japan, renowned for exhibiting the work of celebrated artists, Kristel was pleased to discover they were selling 10 to 20 of her artworks every month, across a vast and enthusiastic clientele, which was a great recognition of her craft. She received feedback that her work on both canvas and print was of great quality, and she had returning clients. As her fame grew, the criticism ceased to matter. “NFTs too, give us reassurance that digital art is here to stay,” she says, quite pleased as she has sold ten pieces as NFTs from her latest collection ‘Psychomachia’. Today, Kristel’s work adorns the walls in major cities like

Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo, Delhi, Texas, New York as well as in Sidney, Zurich, Istanbul, Vancouver, Paris, Amsterdam, Venice, and across the Middle East. London’s Eclectic Gallery is gearing up to display 8 pieces from ‘Psychomachia’ in the upcoming week. On the home turf, Kristel’s Gate Avenue gallery in DIFC is showcasing her latest collection till the end of July 2021. For something to bloom, there needs to exist fertile land to thrive. For Kristel, UAE was the canvas on which she painted her destiny, and it has flourished in color. “I moved to Dubai 14 years ago, got my first real job, met interesting people who have shaped my personality, who have honed me as an artist. I have my family here, so Dubai is home for me.” Furthermore, having received her golden visa from the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority is a stamp of validation, as is the warmth and acceptance she receives here. The remuneration she gets affords her to keep trying new things and taking risks with the craft. “I have lived here longer than I have anywhere else. I would not have been an artist had it not been for Dubai,” she signs off, grateful for the success she has seen and all buoyed for her future work. ✪ 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

INTERVIEW

The Network Cache Flow

In conversation with Bijay Shah, National Director, BNI UAE, on the advantages that accrue from building or maximising your existing networks Can you tell us about Business Network International – BNI? When did it start, who started it, and the story behind it? November 1984, one morning in Arcadia, California, Dr. Ivan Misner, a personal business consultant, spoke to his close friends on ideas for increasing his clientele. He and his friends Carolyn Denny - a CPA; Lee Shimmin, an Insurance agent; and Mike Ryan - a financial planner, decided to invite their clients, friends, and personal network to meet and exchange business on a specific day. The very first BNI meeting was held in January 1985, where people came, met each other, understood the agenda, and openly shared businesses and connections. This also worked as attendees enjoyed their own experience of educating others on their respective businesses. By March, in a span of two months, there were two chapters in operation. The concept grew, and by the end of the first year, there were 20 successful chapters in Southern California, with members building relationships and generating business for each other.

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BNI has over 280,000 members worldwide, in 74 different countries, from over 300 different types of professions, all of whom have benefited from increased referral business

Today, Business Network International (BNI) is the world’s largest professional networking organization operational for 35 years. BNI has over 280,000 members worldwide, in 74 different countries, from over 300 different types of professions, all of whom have benefited from increased referral business as a result of effective, structured, and responsible networking. Even during the pandemic, the members worldwide generated millions of referrals for each other, resulting in over

US $17.5 billion worth of business. I started BNI in UAE in the year 2005, along with my wife and business partner – Anuradhha Shah. The network has grown organically purely based on word-of-mouth, and today we are over 600+ members. The members and 16 chapters have successfully generated over 1.7 Billion AED in business for fellow members through referrals since its inception.

This is interesting. Can you elaborate on the BNI’s Givers Gain Philosophy? In the New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestseller: “Give & Take” – Adam Grant emphasizes that the greatest untapped source of human motivation, is a sense of service to others; focusing on the contribution of our work to other people’s lives has the potential to make us more productive than thinking about helping ourselves. BNI works on the philosophy of ‘Givers Gain®’. If you help someone win business, that person helps you win business, and the circle continues. The philosophy, which is the foundation of the network, is deeply supported by strong core values such as building lifelong relationships, traditions, innovations, positive attitude, lifelong learning, recognition, and accountability.

members to share ideas. I’d like to share a couple of member experiences to explain how businesses pivoted during the pandemic. Tapping into the global network: Krishma Gehani is a Real Estate Professional whose business was heavily impacted due to the pandemic, as most of her clientele are foreign investors. Krishma reached out to global BNI members and started building relationships through online meetings. Having built strategic associations with members of 20 different countries, Krishma today has a pipeline of prospects from all over the world lined up, ready to make investments once they can travel safely to the UAE. Collaborations and strategic associations: Asheet Agarwal – Architect & Interior Designer and Kishore Machale – Perfume Manufacturer and Suprit Gupta – Mortgage Advisor. Who would have thought an Architect, Perfumer, and Mortgage Advisor

Your network can be vital to your professional success. Do you agree? I and all BNI members live by this philosophy. Successful business leaders understand this well, and they do everything they can to invest in their relationships. Networking is one of the most essential business skills. It is about charting your own course, following your passions, and making meaningful connections, which in turn increase your happiness and productivity. When you focus on your passions and reorganize your networking around your values and beliefs, you will discover the kind of lasting relationships, personal transformation, and, ultimately, tangible wealth that are the

If you want success and growth in the future, the best time to act is now. It’s never too late to start networking

When the world has been battling a global pandemic and business crisis, how has the network helped its members? The year 2020 is defined as ‘the year of the pandemic’ – it certainly has been unprecedented. Yet, looking back, it most certainly has been the year that has truly tested the notion that ‘Your Network is your Networth’. We at BNI quickly adapted to the situation and took our meetings online, and I can say that we haven’t missed a single weekly meeting. Since many members worked from home, the number of online meetings increased among the members, where everyone came in to help each other out. We launched our business booster series to help members, invited various speakers to educate on eminent topics, and encouraged

conversation here today, this means that if you want success and growth in the future, the best time to act is now. It’s never too late to start networking.

might have anything in common. During a meeting, they realized that the healthcare sector would be integral, and hence they collaborated to launch a hand sanitizer. There are many more such stories out there on the power of your network, and this only illustrates that social capital is an integral part of wealth creation. A famous Chinese proverb says: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” Basically, in the context of the

foundation for happiness and success. I was introduced to the concept of professional networking over fifteen years ago. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to build my own personal network and provide a platform for small business owners and entrepreneurs to chart their own course and build their personal networks too. In this journey, I’ve come across hundreds of success stories of how people have started new businesses, grown their existing businesses, formed new relationships, to scale new heights. J 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

INTERVIEW

The Guru of Market Research Ayaat Attar talks to the go-to guru of market research, Vishal Pandey, on his award-winning research-driven market entry expertise

hasing a deadline for a Ph.D. assignment in Strategy and Entrepreneurship, the Managing Director of Glasgow Consulting Group, Vishal Pandey, puts down his pen as he takes a break to chat with Aspire, letting us peek into his stellar professional journey that spans close to over two decades.

Shifting gears Vishal started his two-year-long stint in Hotel operations as a management trainee at Taj Hotels, but when the process-oriented job failed to stimulate his intellect, he found himself looking for avenues to tap into his hidden potential. It was on his brother’s advice that the young lad, acting on the counsel, immediately shifted gears from operations to sales. His search for something more suitable landed him his next job with the sales team at the luxury hotel chain - The Oberoi Group. Not the kind who gets easily complacent, his quest for excellence continued and he was all game to be challenged further. The thing about growing pains is that once they kick in, they need to be attended to. So, on insight, he zeroed down on looking for an industry that specialized solely in advisory and business development. His aspirations were soon met when the booming real estate market in Bangalore was flooded with multinational companies looking for sizably large spaces to set up their offices. Vishal brought together his newfound passion for advisory and sales with the technical expertise he carried while working for Colliers International. What ensued by a random chance was a business development and research-oriented job that he was offered at a research and consulting

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firm that combined both the attributes he loved - interacting with customers and trying to answer a client’s business problem. Riding high on the success of his career thus far, his desire to study further brought him to Glasgow, a city in the western lowlands of Scotland. Here he achieved a Master of Science qualification in Business and Real Estate, following which he landed an excellent offer from Deloitte Consulting in Dubai. It was a strategy and operations-related consulting job role focusing on tourism, hospitality, and real

“The underlying ability to anticipate competitors’ moves and analyze markets is the key to winning,” says the expert estate, along with a great promise of learning and regional exposure. An uphill journey so far, he was ready for the next significant phase of life braced with the tools of knowledge and leadership that he had gathered along the way.

Playing to Win! Vishal observed that the Middle East though holding top spots across sectors generally lacked credible data and its fair analysis for several reasons. Detecting a gap and spotting an opportunity, he decided to establish a full-service business research and advisory firm with core expertise in market intelligence, market-entry, and trade development. In 2010, along with a partner, he launched Glasgow Consulting Group (GCG). “The underlying ability to anticipate competitors’ moves and analyze markets is the key to win-

given products or service. Given its price-conscious buyers and fairly competitive margins across sectors, the MENA market is a complex one. While it is crucial for firms like GCG to assess on behalf of their client where one should price and position a product or service in a highly ambitious market, it is equally imperative for them to match up with the constantly changing expectations of their clientele. “Every client engagement we initiate reinforces our message of innovation and growth, and how a product needs to stand out in order to win,” says Vishal, who is very committed to finding new sustainable and profitable growth for all of his customers. As a niche business carrying out client-focused work, GCG stood surprisingly undaunted by the presence of well-established global firms dominating the research & advisory space. “A company like IPSOS or a PwC has their clients invested from the word go. But when you are a small startup swimming in the same pool, you need to stand out in terms of your value offering. That way, you offer what an IPSOS or PwC doesn’t,” reasoned the specialist. Ten years into the business, GCG stands apart in its business model of B2B focus and “fact-based” consulting, delivering one effectual result one after the other.

Sherlock at work

ning,” says the expert. With a tagline that reads, “Turning Marketing Insights into Winning Strategies,” GCG’s style of functioning draws from Vishal’s inherent research-driven personality. As winners of the 2018 MENAA Customer Delight Awards: Best Market Entry & Market Intelligence Firm in the MENA region, the company delivers sixty to seventy-five client studies and projects each year. Presented as a report in a deliverable deck which can range from 50 to 100 slides, the firm puts in plain sight whether the client’s business will be profitable or not; should one enter the market at all; or what is the right go-to-market strategy for the

Al Mandoos, an intrinsically UAE-based footwear brand with an international presence, was once a local sandal brand with aspirations of breaking into the bedazzling footwear market of Saudi Arabia. When GCG was brought into the picture, they resolved the problem statement (to enter the Saudi market or not) by examining the target market through aggressive and detailed research. While interviewing the CEO of a Retail Mall in Saudi Arabia, Vishal noticed the Saudi man wear office shoes and not sandals (unlike Emiratis). On further scrutiny, it came to light that just like the Kuwaitis and Qataris, the Saudi Arabians preferred wearing shoes during work hours and wore sandals for all the other times of the day, a trait uncommon to the Emiratis, who stick to sandals throughout the day. Subsequently, a make-or-break recommendation was rolled out to Al Mandoos to expand their product offering to include shoes when entering the Saudi market apart from advising on the best locations to open in Riyadh and Jeddah. Their sound advice was well received, and the owner of the home-grown Emirati brand considered the recommendation when working on the Saudi-focused product offering and locations. 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

INTERVIEW

Scaling against the storm

Vishal’s key piece of advice to firms still battling the aftereffects of the pandemic would be to reinvent and pivot their product and business model offering according to the altered market space Few years on, the stores of Al Mandoos found great success across Saudi Arabia and currently hold a good positioning in the market. Practical and highly analytical, GCG has always kept the client’s best interest at the helm of things and has on occasions advised them against taking the step forward. When a bunch of investors from Syria expressed an inclination towards setting up an alternate medicine university in the UAE, at a time when the phenomenon was not even recognized, Vishal’s organization went with a no-go, despite the enthusiasm of the client, thus saving them from a loss of millions. Vishal believes in offering the right advice to a client situation backed with sound data and justifications. In full conviction and data, he once told a client not to enter into the Bottled Water manufacturing business as it was a highly competitive category with a few hundred players. The client still went ahead with his own decision. Vishal smiles and says, “we are now very good friends,” as we still went ahead and did a complete market study and financial feasibility and helped them in connecting with over 20 F&B establishments “pro-bono” so they could start supplying to them. Vishal calls himself a true connector and is always looking at ways to add value as he believes these things drive lasting client relationships.

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For the astute planner that Vishal is, choosing the name ‘Glasgow’ for his venture came to him quite organically. Derived from the Gaelic word ‘Ghlaschu’ – meaning ‘dear, green place’, it lives up to its name by providing the right approach and strategies for clients to enter, evolve and grow. The company conformed to its name when the rest of the research & advisory market was visibly shaken by the unanticipated advent of COVID-19. Although they did experience some slowdown in 2020 during the lockdown, they quickly spotted new opportunities and set renewed focus on sectors like logistics, automotive & mobility, industrial, and manufacturing, amongst other sectors well in line with the regional government’s sector priorities. Bagging three new clients amidst the worst natural calamity the generation has seen, Vishal’s key piece of advice to firms still battling the aftereffects of the pandemic would be to reinvent and pivot their product and business model offering according to the altered market space. He urges business owners struggling to cope with the situation not to get bogged down by circumstances but instead work on areas they still have some control over, like designing a more impactful website, strengthening or changing one’s market strategy, a renewed focus on new product development, and making sure to be adequately informed and flexible with the changing scenarios.

Partnering with the self While an analytically charged workplace keeps Vishal aware, a more Zen approach in his personal life involves staying away from the needless clutter of too much social media and politics. He is mindful of the fact that success is always relative and believes in the attitude of gratitude as the guiding principle in his life. An ardent movie-buff, when in the pre-climax scene of the critically acclaimed film ‘Chak De India!’ based on life incidents of a real-life hockey hero, actor Shahrukh Khan’s character urges his team to zone out their opponent and focus on making the most of their time on the field, Vishal took home more than just a great cinematic experience. The father of two has the rest of his day planned. Having taken a fruitful break reliving close to fifteen glorious years of his research and consulting career, he goes back to finishing his third and last assignment of the second semester of his Ph.D. studies that makes him an ongoing student and lifelong learner. ✪

SPECIAL FEATURE

United Action for the Environment In celebration of World Environment Day the UAE pledged to devote itself to meeting green targets and set itself an impressive set of goals

he emergence of the pandemic has shown just how disastrous the consequences of ecosystem loss can be for human civilization. By shrinking the natural habitat for animals and living organisms, we have created ideal conditions for pathogens – including coronaviruses to spread. Therefore, this World Environment Day is fitting to create public awareness about different

environmental issues that plague us. The World Environment Day launched by the United Nations and observed each year on 5th June focuses on ecosystem restoration, and its theme this year is “Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.” The United Arab Emirates is among the first countries in the region to prioritize environmental protection and easing climate change by adopting green policies. The Ruler and Vice-Pres2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

SPECIAL FEATURE

ident of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in a meeting with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), said, “We must preserve our resources, reinforce biodiversity and achieve the highest levels of productivity.” In accordance, the UAE has launched a series of national initiatives and has taken a set of measures based on the use of technology, innovative solutions and practices to protect the environment and conserve natural resources while achieving robust social and economic development. Some of the initiatives are:

Biodiversity Strategy’, ‘The National Strategy to Combat Desertification’, and ‘The Strategy for Sustainability of the Marine and Coastal Environment’, among others.

Sustainability of Marine Environment and Fisheries The coastal and marine environment of the UAE, which encloses much of the population and biodiversity, holds extreme importance and has hence received special attention. Under 1999’s UAE Federal Law No. 24 on Environment Protection and

Preserving Biodiversity The problems associated with biodiversity have received considerable and prompt attention in the UAE that is echoed in the tremendous efforts made by the nation and its related significant achievements in this area. The UAE has enacted a new legislation and monitored its implementation, established and expanded protected areas to protect, bred endangered species and reintroduced them into their natural habitats.

Development, intentional disposal or deliberate dumping of waste material from any means of transport into the marine environment is forbidden. In the framework of the MOCCAE’s strategy 2017-2021 for the sustainability of the natural ecosystem and preservation of marine life, the country aims to restore the coral reefs by deploying artificial reefs to support the marine environment and rehabilitating the degraded coastal areas, which are considered as natural multi-dimensional community structures for marine organisms.

Reclaiming Air Quality Land and sea diversity being an essential part of UAE’s heritage, the MOCCAE in collaboration with its partners, aims to strengthen its efforts through the application and execution of varied plans and initiatives in the framework of ‘The National

The UAE National Vision 2021 agenda has air quality as its prime focus and targets to raise air quality from its current level to 90% by 2021. The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has partnered with players of the public and private sector to

The United Arab Emirates is among the first countries in the region to prioritize environmental protection and easing climate change by adopting green policies 36

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meet this goal. They collectively make efforts through state-of-the-art systems and the adoption of best practices. These include the development of an air quality control network with acceptable standards for air pollution and compliance control, increasing the use of clean energy with the transition to a green economy, sustainability of the transport sector, and the reliance on intelligent technologies and solutions in monitoring the different types of pollutants. In another project, landfill gas is changed to usable energy and has favorably achieved 1.2 million tons of carbon reduction so far.

Water Security Strategy The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has put in place the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, intending to reduce water scarcity, increase water productivity, reduce average consumption per capita by half, increase the re-use of treated water to 95 percent, and increase national water storage capacity up to two days, to ensure sustainable access to water during both routine and emergency conditions. These objectives would fall under three main programs – ‘Water Demand Management Programme’, ‘Water Supply Management Programme’, and ‘Emergency Production and Distribution Programme’. Also in place is the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science that addresses water security challenges. The strategy will also include water conservation awareness campaigns. Once implemented, the Water Securi-

and renewable means of energy, and promoting transports that are energy efficient and sustainable urban planning, etc. With the help of ‘the National Climate Change Plan 2050’ acquired by the Cabinet in June 2017,

more, making the community similar to that of progressive cities around the world. The Sustainable City, a 46-hectare property development in Dubai, is the first net-zero energy city that aims to provide all the amenities of modern living that are affordable without compromising on quality. The UAE has pledged to “leave no one behind” and shift the world to a sustainable and resilient path. (Source: Official Portal of the UAE Govt)

ty Strategy 2036 will achieve savings of AED 74 billion and reduce 100 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which is a by-product of the water desalination process.

Plastic Use Reduction The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) announced a policy to reduce the quantity of single-use plastic material in the national capital and diminish its harmful effects. The policy aims to eradicate plastics from the environment and eliminate single-use plastic materials by 2021 by encouraging a culture of recycling and re-use and fostering more sustainable practices in the community. By way of the new policy, the EAD will make Abu Dhabi free of single-use plastic bags by last quarter of 2021.

Addressing Climate Change Climate change has received apt attention within the country. The UAE has exerted diverse efforts to address the consequences caused by climate change and adapt to its possible impacts on the ecosystems and economic branch of life. In line with these efforts, the country has adopted crucial schemes such as the policy related to economic diversification, focusing on building a green economy, concentrating on cleaner

Protecting our planet and securing a safe tomorrow starts with YOU and ‘the National Climate Change Adaptation Program’ adopted at the first annual meeting of the UAE Government in September 2017, along with other relevant policies and programs, the country is working towards combating the increasing climate change issues.

Building Sustainable Neighbourhoods The UAE has also been at the forefront of experimenting with sustainable neighborhood development for more than a decade, one example being the Masdar City initiative in Abu Dhabi, which applies both traditional and cutting-edge technologies to enhance the sustainability of the township by including solar power generation, water recycling, passive solar design, and automated mobility. Nowadays, with individuals living and working at Masdar City, the location has developed as a full-fledged advancement biological system. Masdar City proceeds to include new businesses, schools, eateries, and much

We are at a crucial moment in history, where scientists and world leaders emphasize the need for us as global citizens to act in a way to ensure the protection of our planet for the present and future generations. Follow BYOC (Bring Your Own Cups) to reduce the usage of plastics; try to carry a small metal bottle everywhere you go. Try to buy clothes and daily wears from thrift stores rather than fast fashion stores to enable more material recovery. Try to reduce your carbon footprint by practicing veganism. It not solely about food consumption but the product you buy. Check the ‘cruelty-free tag’ behind the products to ensure they’re not animal tested. Do effectively segregate waste in your house to reduce landfill and make the process of recycling easier. Say ‘no’ to single-use plastic bags by carrying your eco-friendly shopping bag and choose organic essentials, thereby reduce the impact of environmental pollution. ✪

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Speaker, Strategist, Goal-Catalyst

Sabeeh Ghugharia

PRO TALK

Harnessing

THE HUMAN ASSET

Getting the most out of people at work is the single X factor for most organisations. Here’s a quick road map to making these vital relationships work to your advantage

uilding effective relationships is a major two-way social competency at the workplace. After all, we spend more waking hours at work with our colleagues than we do with our families. A study done by the management consulting firm Gallup indicates good relationships at the workplace are essential to higher job satisfaction and a driving force to unleash your full potential. It also helps to foster creativity, innovation, and team spirit. Relationships at the workplace can be split into two broad categories – the inter-employee relationship between colleagues and an employee’s relationship with the organization, which entails their dealings with the power holders and superiors in the firm. While inter-employee relationships are forged in the crucible of the 9-to-5 and have a day-to-day impact, the latter are often responsible for key changes in the

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employee’s situation in the company. To keep it simple, every relationship has needs, and the four key components that drive effective workplace relationships are the following needs:

MATERIAL NEED This can be considered the basic reason why people come to work. It is not just about money but also all that it represents - sustenance, survival, hope, and a purpose to live. If the four needs are to be viewed as a pyramid, the material need is the foundational requirement to be met before moving to higher needs. When connected to employee engagement, this is the basic level of satisfaction that employees need to operate effectively. This focuses on meeting the bare minimum, the tangible factors such as hygiene, infrastructure, and physical amenities. Employees are likely to

quit most often if this need is not adequately met, as opposed to a lack of other needs.

EMOTIONAL NEED Emotional need is also a significant basic human need, sometimes commanding a higher level than the material need for many employees. It is the need to be cared for, to feel safe and secure, and have their overall wellbeing catered to. A lot of organizations operate in this space by implementing various employee wellness programs and initiatives. When related to employee engagement, this is the next level where staff needs to feel appreciated, seen, have friends at work, or be able to voice an opinion freely. Regular check-ins with your employees (separate from performance reviews) or even having a designated therapist are good practices, gaining increasing traction in several top-tier organizations. This can help them voice their emotional needs in a safe and non-judgmental space, although it is critical that this does not impact their perception at work. It also features as a defining reason for why people switch firms.

INTELLECTUAL NEED Employees need to feel intellectually stimulated, get to participate in stimulating conversations, have their opinion considered, their ideas acknowledged, and overall feel challenged to grow and exceed their abilities. This can take several forms, such as ideas generation workshops, opinion polls, collaborative decision-making, creating a learning culture, stimulus of growth, teams solving a problem together, rewarding innovation, new ideas, and creativity. The opposite of this can have people feeling that they’re ‘in a rut’, a potent reason for employees to jump ship.

ACTUALIZATION NEED Helping or enabling people to discover their sense of purpose is the highest form of need, bolstered by other needs being met. Helping

people to align their purpose to the organization’s purpose, discover meaning in their work and their regular milieu, how they are integral to the bigger vision and mission of the company. This is a huge area of opportunity, and more and more organizations are focusing on developing the coaching and mentoring competencies of their leaders. Every organization must leave room for actualization by providing mentors who are groomed to show people the vision, drive the alignment between personal and organizational goals, realize people’s true potential, and enable them to deliver their sense of purpose. When related to engagement, this is what drives the emotional connection with the organization, the drive to go above and beyond, connect with a sense of purpose, and be effective in everyday tasks. As the definition of profession evolves, the four needs are in a state of constant flux. Amongst these four needs, most Regular check-ins with your employees or even having a des- organizations often hyper-focus ignated therapist are good prac- on material need, tices, gaining increasing traction causing them to in several top-tier organizations attract but not retain talent. Effective organizations have a keen focus on higher-level needs such as intellectual and actualization, built on realized material and emotional needs. The dynamics between these needs is a delicate balance that still remains a herculean task for many organizations. For instance, doubling up on efforts to satisfy emotional needs when material needs aren’t being met is foolhardy. On the same coin, ratcheting up material needs when an employee suffers from a self-actualization crisis is a sure shot route to attrition and losing talent. People also lack self-awareness of their own needs, which leads to much internal conflict. Mere increase in material satisfaction does not work for everyone, for all people are not the same. Due to its tangible nature, there is a measurement of material gains, but other needs are often sidelined in professional circles. It is important for organizations to work closely with every employee to ascertain their needs chart and what they lack, as well as for individuals to take the onus of their needs and if they are being met. Employee satisfaction is the key to a harmonious and progressive workplace. ✪ SABEEH CAN BE REACHED AT drsab.isin@gmail.com 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

Know your PRO TALK

ELEMENTS

Brand Strategist and Graphic Designer

Sumeet Gupta

The way the market emotes with your company is how your company performs. A quick overview of this all-important aspect of marketing and advertising

ll successful brands are charismatic and aligned with their purpose. In the previous article, I had addressed the difference between brand and branding. To recap, a brand is a feeling that is associated with one’s product and service, and branding is the action that drives one to that feeling. Now, the question is how can one attain this feeling and align it to the brand identity of a product or service? People assess a brand’s authenticity much before they start interacting with it – just like

the first impression we make about a person. Customers are inclined to stick around a well-defined brand for a much longer time as opposed to one that is unclear on the way it presents itself. Having said that, one need not look for a brand attribute outside; they rest in the business strategies themselves.

Feel-Good Factor You must have come across the advert of Coca-Cola that says, ‘open happiness’ and shows people dancing, enjoying, and celebrating. Cadbury has recently changed its slogan to ‘Tastes like this feels’, focusing on the feeling one gets while biting into a slab. Whether it’s a couple sharing a bar on Valentine’s Day or a family celebrating a festival together sharing chocolates, the feeling of ‘love’ and ‘joy’ is what is underlying as the message here, fulfilling the product’s promises as showcased. Did you know, even countries and cities are brands? With the tagline ‘All within your reach’, the USA branded itself to invite people from across the world to come and live the ‘American Dream’. Similarly, Paris is adored as the city of love and romance, and Milan is famously known for fashion runways and new emerging trends. Dubai tourism recently launched a new tagline, ‘Live your story’, welcoming travelers worldwide to experience, explore and live their story – Dubai is known as the safest city on earth and the place where everything is at its best!

Brand Vibes The feelings associated with a brand give you a sense of assurance, a promise that the

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company stands to fulfill. All the emotional touchpoints are what makes a brand stand out from the crowd! Most companies try hard to cut through the noise and make their voice heard. They may be doing exceptionally well in their business, earning millions of dollars, or even more. Yet, there is a lack of a missing link, a thread, or a cord that binds it together, making it even more potent. And ultimately, the message they try to convey is not clear and is not in sync with everything they do. Does it ever surprise you how companies make you spellbound, and you become a part of their tribe forever? How do they know what we want or what interests us? There is no magic. Here’s the simple trick! In today’s world, everything is carried out with a purpose. Every company and every business has a goal in mind, the sole reason why they have started - to provide you with the best services and products that make your life easy and enhance your life experience. And to know this purpose, we have to dig deeper. Brand attributes have to be well defined in prior and have to be intentionally assigned. They are the framework of your brand. They give your brand an exceptional and distinctive competitive edge compared to your competitors. Brand attributes are not just the first im-

pression that customers have; they also carry deeper values and features of a business that customers overpass at first glance.

The Brand Elements To build a successful brand, it’s vital to mindfully choose visual elements as the guiding light that best describes your brand attributes! A best first impression will take your brand a long way. Over the years, I have learned from my mentors Jose Caballer and Chris Do, the fundamental elements that help one understand the core of everything related to the business and create a ‘Brand Identity’ that connects your audience in the best way. These elements are Culture, Voice, Audience, Feeling, Benefits, and X-Factor. Let’s look at these a bit more in detail.

Brand attributes are not just the first impression that customers have; they also carry deeper values and features of a business that customers overpass at first glance

Culture: Like all countries, companies have a culture. And it’s reflected in the company operations starting from the founders, presidents, executives to the last employee in the hierarchy. For example, let’s look at the cultures of restaurants. A Chinese restaurant is different from an Indian one; an American restaurant is different from an Italian one. They have a culture and follow a tradition of savory that travels from the place where 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

PRO TALK

insight into a friendly atmosphere no matter which part of the world we are in and which Starbucks Coffeehouse we visit! Feeling: We now know that a Brand is the associated feeling when people interact with your product or service. We are sentient beings, and we feel everything before purchasing anything. The feeling could be safety, style, love, or happiness, as in the Coca-Cola ad, or it could be motivational like in any Tony Robbins event. Impact: How are the products or services of your company impacting the lives of your customers? We all want to move ahead in our lives and choose those products and services to enhance and ease our lifestyles. The impact is simply the changes your product or service will bring to people’s lives. For example, LinkedIn has changed the way we apply for jobs or do business networking and also helps in marketing the products to the right customer.

The targeted marketing and sales activities should be aligned and sequential with the brand attributes

they come from, their ethnicity, views, and their way of working. Similarly, an American company operates differently from an Indian one. For instance, if an Indian is born in America or lived there, his culture would be a mix of both and will reflect on his working style - from the way he carries out tasks to the way he interacts with his employees. People remember us by our culture, and it’s defined by the owners that co-create the same with the employees or shareholders they work with. Customers: Your customers are your tribe; they are the ones who will be interacting and experiencing your products and services. The saying “every person is not your customer” stands true to this very day. You have created your product and service for a particular audience, and they have to be well defined. For example, Apple iPhone buyers are different from the buyers of Android. Apple products represent a status quo wherein Android is more aligned towards affordability and ease of use. Voice: The voice reflects your product design, information about the service, and brand personality. To put it in simple words, it’s the way people infer your voice when they read about you or interact with your product or service. Some companies use vibrant colors, bold fonts, or script fonts to talk to their audience, and some use subtle pastel colors and simple typography. All of it depends on how you want to represent yourself to your customers. For example, the voice of Starbucks is happy and celebrating. Their brand voice gives us an

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X-Factor: This represents the uniqueness of an idea. The ideology that makes you stand out from the crowd. For example, Facebook unites people, helps them stay connected, shares stories, likes, dislikes, and new learnings among a community of similar-minded people. It can also be used as a platform for a social cause to raise awareness - for instance, raise global warming awareness and tell companies to lessen the carbon footprint.

Tying it Together All these elements should connect with the audience on a more personal level and count in designing the brand identity of a product or service. Missing the alignment among these elements could lead to confusion. When we combine all these elements, it offers us a reason to live the purpose of what we are doing and why. And with each passing day, it grows stronger, bigger, and better. And a little attention to it can take your business to a whole new level. The targeted marketing and sales activities should be aligned and sequential with the brand attributes. When they are in place, it is easier to opt for the marketing techniques and promotional tools to promote your products and services. When Brand Attributes are well aligned and defined, it is easier for the marketing department to portray and position your company as a leader in the market. ✪ SUMEET GUPTA CAN BE REACH AT sumeet@thepurplestroke.com

Transformation Program Expert

Adil Hosgor

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The How and

Why of Doing More In an increasingly competitive world, the difference in brand recognition and loyalty is founded on a simple concept. Here’s a look at the practice of creating Customer Delight

s someone who has been in the Transformation domain, delivering for many organisations in different business sectors, involving innovative technologies, people, processes and products, the changes that are requested, always stem from a desire of wanting to improve upon the existing setup, with an aim to either increase revenue, minimise waste, create a cutting-edge differentiator, or all of the above. One factor that helped me in my successful deliveries has been to consistently maintain Service Excellence and Quality (which is a key component of Service Excellence), underpinning everything I conceptualise, plan and deliver. This isn’t because I like to increase

work for myself, this is to deliver something that I am proud of later.

What is Service Excellence? There is a generally recognised definition of SE by academics, which says “Service Excellence is a concept that is applied when a customers’ expectations are exceeded and they are ‘delighted’ by the service they have perceived to have received” (Gouthier, Giese and Bartl, 2012). There are many others, but this is the one that scores the most points! That statement is huge, especially the “perceived to have received” bit, because how would you know how someone has perceived something. If this feels a bit confusing, don’t 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

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Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it; it is what the client or customer gets out of it

fret, I’ll explain that bit too! This is also a principle supported by Peter Drucker, where he says, “Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it; it is what the client or customer gets out of it.” So again, it’s how others perceive the output or experience. A company in the UK called Ronseal, intentionally or unintentionally, took this principle and applied it brilliantly. They had a suite of products for varnishing or staining wood. They needed a clever slogan that would explain what they do, also making it easily understandable to everyone. They came up with “it does exactly what is says on the Tin.” This slogan became an instant hit, and it created a perception of a product and company that promoted openness, honesty and trust, that it did what it said it would do. In fact, people used this slogan to comment on products, services and people too! e.g., “yes, I bought that new television, it does exactly what it says on the Tin.” This became the third most widely used slogan in the UK, and of course, sales and customer satisfaction shot through the roof. In fact, this slogan was so ingrained in the language, that David Cameron, the ex-PM of the UK, used it to describe the state of a coalition they had formed with another party, and it was used in a stop smoking ad, where they showed a packet of cigarettes with “Smoking Kills”, and “It does exactly what it says on the packet.” This approach set customer expectations, and as long as it did what it said it did on the Tin, customers would experience “Customer Delight”, which is a key driver for Service Excellence. Obviously, setting customer expectations this way will not work for all products and services, but they managed to hit the sweet spot with this one!

some airlines, such as Singapore Airlines are some examples of organisations that have invested in creating systems to promote SE. Again, there are frameworks and tools to help you do this, for instance, Business Excellence Models (BEM’s) such as European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) or the Baldrige system for performance excellence (BCPE). However, a key dimension of SE is “Customer Delight”, and a lot of the BEMs don’t really address Customer Delight head on. Nothing is ever that straight forward, is it? Customer Delight is when someone takes ‘delight’ in an exchange with a product and/ or service. It seems so basic, almost boring, right? And yet, companies falter on this obvious parameter. It promotes Brand Loyalty, has people talking up the product or service, gives you a competitive edge and also allows you to make some mistakes without being judged too harshly (not that I would know anything about that!). A framework to achieving Customer Delight is shown above (Characteristics of Service Excellence (Johnston, 2004)) Total Quality Management (TQM) is a whole universe unto itself; these are frameworks to create, manage and implement SE/ Quality systems. Since this is a general overview, I can’t go deep into Total Quality Management (TQM) frameworks here, but you can search for TQM, as well as Quality Gurus, wherein you will find the strategies of people like Deming, Juran, Crosby, Feigenbaum and Ishikawa, people that have dedicated their lives to defining and putting in place frameworks of Quality and Excellence. Just to add to the confusion, they all have a somewhat different take on what Quality/SE is, but bear with me, there is some good news.

The alchemy of “Delight”

How do I manage a customer’s ‘Perception’?

Disney, Rolls Royce, Ritz-Carlton and even

Characteristics of Service Excellence (Johnston, 2004) DELIVERING THE PROMISE PROVIDING A PERSONAL TOUCH GOING THE EXTRA MILE DEALING WELL WITH PROBLEMS AND QUERIES

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SERVICE EXCELLENCE

Expectations are formed in many, various ways (unfortunately!), but the most common routes are public feedback aka word-ofmouth, Brand Image, Marketing and Communications, along with promises you make to your customers (such as “it does exactly what it says on the Tin.”). All this should emphasize that you think twice before saying ‘Yes, I can deliver this enterprise-wide transformation in 2 days and it will cost you a McDonalds Value meal’, or ‘Rub this on your head and in an hour, you will have a full head of hair!’ Because a false commitment will disappoint people, and your word will end up losing

Airline Customer Satisfaction model and Brand loyalty (Hussain, Nasser, and Hussain, 2015) SERVICE QUALITY CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS

PERCEIVED VALUE

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

BRAND LOYALTY

CORPORATE IMAGE

credibility. On the contrary, if you can do the above, then please contact me on the below email address!! The hardest expectations to plan for are those where the customer has no experience of the product or service. These expectations are called “fuzzy”; hence the image, brand, marketing and word of mouth plays the greatest part in creating expectations. Take all this into account if you want to deliver Customer Delight, which in turn manifests SE. As an example, here is a model for SE in the airline industry, although, the same principles and model could be applied to almost any business. (Refer to the diagram of Airline Customer Satisfaction model and Brand loyalty (Hussain, Nasser, and Hussain, 2015).

The good news (kind of ) Long story short, there is no “one size fits all” mantra to SE and Quality. When deciding on

The hardest expectations to plan for are those where the customer has no experience of the product or service

a framework or system to adopt, like Project Management principles, you can mix and match. What you adopt is dependent on the situation, the output, and the business domain, to name a few. But you must keep in mind what expectations you are setting, what channels of communication you will use, not to mention people management. As people will be your ambassadors for delivery or management of the service or product, you have to plan people, teams, training, competency levels etc., into your system. There is no point having an outstanding product or service, if it is not represented and managed in a competent manner. This is a bittersweet good news because it forces you to take a holistic view of SE and Quality, and it compels you to factor people into your planning. This approach only leads to a better, sustainable and successful delivery. So, you will get more work, or sell more things. It’s a win-win!

In for the long haul Building SE and Quality into your products and services leads to great gains over the long run. The way to execute it is by understanding what customer expectations might be, through surveys, questionnaires, branding, communications, marketing, word of mouth and other channels. There are many frameworks and systems you can apply, TQM models are accessible, and Quality Gurus are plentiful; you just have to choose one or pick and mix the models, so that it is fit for purpose. You also have to factor in people to your planning, this is crucial as they will be a key component of all successful deliveries. One element I haven’t covered, is measuring SE/Quality, because if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it! I will save that for the future, for Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is Service Excellence. ✪ ADIL HOSGOR CAN BE REACHED AT adilhosgor@gmail.com 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

COMMUNITY SERVICE

One Million Dirham Dreams ICCA Dubai’s One Million Dirham Scholarship Program is a one-of-a-kind initiative that puts the heart back into the kitchen as those deserving are given the opportunity to take their talent to the next level

here isn’t an individual in this world who does not harbor a dream. A brave ambition is the lifeblood of the one who harbors it. Nurtured over time, it’s the stuff inspiration is made of. We would betray ourselves if we do not work towards making our dreams a reality. Personal efforts, on one hand, it is sometimes an unfortunate hand of fate when a person cannot fulfill their ambitions. For many, dreams do crumble for lack of means.

Giving hope to dreams ICCA (International Centre of Culinary Arts) Dubai’s Culinary Scholarship Program is a steadfast effort and tangible step to provide the financially underprivileged young chefs with the training and resources that will help cement their foothold in the world of culinary. This year, it felicitated its fourth and fifth batch of graduates under its Scholarship Program - the ‘Annual One Million Continuing Education Award for UAE Young Industry Chefs’. This noble, first-of-itskind initiative was established in 2014 in strategic partnership with the Emirates Culinary Guild, City & Guilds, London, and the Worldchefs. Since its inception, the program has seen 125 worthy

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# Chief Guest Mohammad Abdullah with Sunjeh Raja, Tony Degazon, RM, City & Guilds with a graduating chef

industry scholars graduate with the right knowledge, skills, and exposure needed to conquer professional kitchens across UAE and the world. This Continuing Education Award and its associated Scholarship Program have garnered several acknowledgments and recognitions, including the Dubai Knowledge Park and Dubai International Academic City Recognition for the “Year of Giving 2017”. The foundation was laid when ICCA acknowledged that there were stellar chefs who had proved their merit in the kitchen but had never received formal education and training. Despite a rich tapestry of work experience, this became a block in their path when they sought to evolve in the culinary space. The education & qualification through the scholarship program acts as a connecting bridge between their work experience and their higher ambitions.

A generous proposal ICCA’s initiative towards bridging the skills gap

within the hospitality industry also ties into the Government of Dubai’s wider vision of developing a knowledge-based economy. Each year, under the aegis of the Continuing Education Award, a batch of 30 deserving individuals are handpicked who lack the resources but are filled with oodles of grit and talent. These candidates are then initiated on the path of culinary education at the state-of-theart, award-winning, world-class culinary training facility in Dubai Knowledge Park. All without any Fee or related Costs. The scholars-in-training are given the opportunity to learn at ICCA’s culinary training facility in Dubai, where they are taught by some of the most eminent industry chefs and culinary professionals. They are also given access to best-in-class equipment, high-quality ingredients, and extensive learning materials produced in-house. The cost for all of this – amounting to nearly $10,500 per student chef is borne by ICCA Dubai.

The evolution from a Cook to Chef “The difference between a Cook and a Chef lies in the knowledge and understanding of the Whys from the Hows of cooking. With so many young chefs coming from a non-culinary background and having entered the industry without formal training, this program has helped articulate their fundamentals while strengthening their knowledge and skills to make them more confident and proficient in the kitchen. Needless to say, immense opportunities await these graduated scholars, who are now well equipped for professional growth and excellence,” says Shanaaz Raja, the Director of Courses at ICCA Dubai and a Member of the ICCA Dubai Culinary Scholarship Committee. The importance of technical and skills-based education is paramount to substantiate passion with caliber. As ideas flow naturally due to the immersion in the field, while the robust knowledge and skills-set imparted by education means that the execution of no idea is out of reach. In the creative industry, this is a winning combination. “This trend can be seen all over the world, with various governments implementing serious training initiatives to develop knowledge and skills, as building a skills-based economy is considered the need of the hour,” says Sunjeh Raja, the Director, and CEO of ICCA Dubai and a Member of ICCA Dubai Culinary Scholarship Committee. The benefits to an evolving chef are immense. It has been noted that after graduating, past Scholars have commanded salaries that are tenfold their previous paycheck, thanks to having relevant experience as well as now gaining the required qualifications.

Fanning the flame This flame of generosity has lit countless others without losing its own fire. For instance, leading establishments in the industry have expressed a desire to sponsor more scholarships to enable more Scholars to live their dreams, not just a precious few. These include notable sponsors such as US Cheese Guild, US Poultry & Egg Export Council, and Nestle Professional. The additional helping hands have made the course richer and more diverse, with Baking and Patisserie training added to the repertoire along with Hot Kitchen. The opportunity here could be pivotal to shaping the trajectory of a young chef ’s life. A training

! Graduation ceremony of the One Million Dirham Scholarship Program

! Mohammad Abdullah, MD, Dubai Knowledge Park conferring a diploma to Chef Harshani

ICCA’s initiative towards bridging the skills gap also ties into the Government of Dubai’s wider vision of developing a knowledge-based economy of this caliber could uplift their inherent talent, providing the perfect amalgamation of passion and skill that the culinary world demands. Once the young aspirants have successfully completed the program, they are conferred with the International Diploma from City & Guilds, London UK Global, along with a Global Chef Certification from Worldchefs. Earning this widely renowned qualification opens doors that take young chefs across the finest restaurant kitchens around the world. This Program has been tremendously successful not only in helping the young chefs enhance their careers but also in helping uplift their dependants as well as their families in the long run. ICCA truly lives up to its vision of ‘Making Lives Happen!’ ✪ 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

R&R

CELEB TALK TRAVELS HEALTH EXPLORE

HOBBIES

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UNIVERSE IS HER

CROWN Beauty queen, social media influencer and entrepreneur, Maria Thattil, talks to Rachit Gupta about her fascinating journey to the top of the world

aria Thattil is a Miss Australia winner who finished in the top 10 at the 2021 Miss Universe pageant. But this 28-year-old is much more than a model participating in a beauty contest. Remarkably, this Australian woman with Indian heritage was an entrepreneur, social media influencer, corporate world executive, management graduate, makeup artist, activist, and more, much before she walked the ramp and practiced her speech. The most remarkable part of Maria’s story is diversity. Not only is she a multi-faceted talent, she’s also someone who draws inspiration from her roots and makes sure that she works for the inclusivity of people of color. She is that rare breed of beauty queens who has practiced her pageant vows well before taking to the stage. She had 70,000 Instagram followers years before becoming a veritable celebrity. This is the story of a girl who’s always aspired to do more.

Starting young Maria’s parents migrated to Australia in the early 90s. She was born and raised in Melbourne and having a South Asian

joint family meant the focus was always on getting a good education. By 18, she had made up her mind to become a clinical psychologist, a far cry from her creative escapades a decade later. That initial career choice stemmed from a feeling of boredom. Maria reveals, “I was always academically inclined, but I was also passionate about music, singing, performing, anything that was associated with creative arts and self-expression. Australia at the time had a lot of racial inequity and had not yet made a mark in spheres like media and entertainment. I was in the High School years then and realized that there were no brown stars on TV or in our films. I also realized that my aspirations to be in media would hence not be fruitful. So, I put my head down, took up psychology majors, and decided I’d open my own practice with the fundamental desire to help people.” Along the way though, it suddenly dawned upon her that the thesis, the clinical programs, were not working well . “I ended up dropping out. I took two years off before working full time in fashion, retail, and managed a fashion store, and it was there that I fell in love with management. It was then that I re-

R&R / celeb talk

A whole new world In 2019, Maria saw Priya Serrao win the Miss Australia title, and it inspired her and obliterated any and all self-doubt. She

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$ With her father Tony Thattil, mother Nicky Thattil and brother Dominic

reveals, “When I saw Priya, who was a lawyer and an Indian woman, selected to represent Australia, I realized the misconceptions I held about pageants and what they could be. I had always believed that I don’t fit into the blonde hair, blue eyes, beach babe stereotype, certainly not the Celtic perceptions of an Australian woman.” She was always told that she was too short at 5 feet 3 inches and would never be model material. But the spark had ignited within, and Maria wasn’t having any naysaying. “So, I applied to the pageant and ended up being selected as a finalist. I spent all of 2020 in lockdown because Victoria, where I live, was locked

“I was forced to buy and wear make-up that was five shades too light for my skin”

alized that I love to style people and greatly enjoyed it.” That’s how she decided to go back and pursue a master’s degree in management, with a major in human resources. “It was in business school that I started to really invest in my passion for makeup. Since our country didn’t have many people of color in the beauty industry, make-up brands didn’t exclusively make products for darker people. So, I was forced to buy and wear make-up that was five shades too light for my skin. I knew there was a problem there, so bowling out of scarcity, I decided to go to a make-up school and learned how to do my own makeup.” It was 2015, social media had started to take off, and Maria found the perfect platform to voice her opinions. “I didn’t even really know what to do on social media but decided to just start sharing what I loved on there. I would go on social media, take a photo of my makeup and say, this is the foundation I’m wearing today, and I love it. To me, it wasn’t something special. I was just having fun and posting creative things on the internet.” People of color noticed what Maria was representing, and just like that, she developed a following. What started on social media transitioned into her professional career. She started working in HR and, on the side, continued to work for representation and inclusivity. “I’ve always cared about empowering people. It’s always been about inclusivity, equality, diversity, and women. Both my job and my social media career focussed on the same thing.”

down months on end. And while in lockdown, I was working full time in my corporate job, doing social media and prepping for the Miss Australia competition as well. In October, I ended up winning, and that’s when I decided to take the plunge. I quit my corporate job and completely dedicated my efforts to my social media job. By then, my income had tripled from the previous year from media partnerships and clients because the content I was creating was appealing to colored people, and it was working wonders.” She hasn’t looked back ever since, having graced the Miss Universe stage, Maria has now become an ambassador for her country. She says, “They say you put six months of focus in and

you’ll put yourself five years ahead in life. I did that. Since becoming Miss Australia and then representing my country at the global pageant, I’ve built my career where now I’ve become an opinion writer on subjects like racism, equality, women’s rights, and much more.”

Maria believes in championing social justice, and this passion for creating equality and sincerity stems from her own experiences. An incident from her childhood changed the way she felt about inequality. She reveals, “When you forget the memories in your childhood, you sort of push them down and repress them a little bit. But recently, when I was giving an interview on inclusivity, I was suddenly reminded of this particular incident when I was maybe five or six years old. I had a crush on a boy, a little boy, and I told one of my cousins, ‘Can you go and tell him that I like him?’ I was very shy. My cousin came back and said, ‘He said NO. He doesn’t like you because your skin’s dirty’. Now that I look back at it, after so many years, for a child to say that about another child, it hurts. Children are not born inherently disliking other people or having these opinions. That was something that this little person was indoctrinated to believe. I think I just hit up because it unlocked a painful memory. And when I think about it now, it’s still really upsetting. Yes, I’ve moved on, but it’s so unfair to remember that a child, five or six years old should grow to resent themselves and seek to occupy skin that’s not theirs because society tells them that they are less due to the skin color they are born with.” So now, she’s made it a mission to make sure that the next generation of kids do not grow up thinking that having dark skin or being different makes them less

“He doesn’t like you because your skin’s dirty’. Now that I look back at it, after so many years, for a child to say that about another child, it hurts”

History inspires future

than others. A part of Maria’s and her family’s history has also made all the difference to her persona. She believes that her entrepreneurial and creative talent comes from the adversities faced by her family. She says, “I actually think my business acumen comes from my grandparents on both sides. My maternal grandmother in post-colonial India was orphaned with five brothers and sisters to feed at 16 years old. She had no money. She worked menial jobs of hard labor to be able to feed her family. But then she started a business that ended up booming, and she went into education and ended up founding her own schools. She became an entrepreneur in a time where India was still trying to gain its independence.” She owes her creative streak to her parents. She adds, “Growing up, my mom was exactly like me. She was very passionate about interior

design, fashion, makeup, and I found a diary of hers when she was my age, where she would take photos of her makeup and outfits and cut them up and stick them in a scrapbook. Basically, it was the social media of her time. My father writes a lot, he loves to tell stories, and he writes some fabulous fiction. So that’s where the creative spark comes from.” Going ahead, Maria wants to be a life and professional coach, focussing on building confidence, mindset, career interviews, and pageantry for people. She also wants to be on Australian TV to continue putting out messages about diversity and inclusion. She sums up, “I represent anybody who has a hybrid, mixed cultural identity. I represent anybody who’s been told that they are less than others. I represent billions of people in this world. And I think my Australian upbringing and my South Asian roots give me 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

R&R / health

Just breathe As the pandemic rampages through the planet, the age old science of Yoga offers some practical ways to Asana your way to better immunity

ince we stepped into 2020, one of the most frequent questions thrown to every yoga teacher in the world is, “Which asanas and breathing practices can we practice to protect ourselves from coronavirus?” Strangely enough, the inquiry forces me to assume the role of a GP prescribing medicines and their corresponding dosage. We wish it were as easy as “Trikonasana (triangle pose) for ten breaths, Uttanasana (forward fold) for 20 breaths, Bhujangasana (cobra pose) for ten breaths, and wrap up with a few minutes of Anulom-Vilom (alternate nostril breathing) followed by Shavasana (corpse pose).” But the healing nebula of yoga isn’t substantiated in the mere Priya mechanical execution of poses. Chaphekar QCI-Certified Yoga Instructor

The breath of life

The first of the observances (niyamas) in Patanjali’s eight-limbed path of yoga is Shaucha which translates into ‘cleanliness’. The ritual, however, goes far beyond simple hygiene. The bedrock of our practice is not only a cleansed body but also a clean mind and heart. In one of his online discourses, Shri Prashant Iyengar, the son of Yogacharya BKS Iyengar, speaks about exhalation as a purificatory process. “Exhale more, and more often,” he says. “An unusual volume of exhalation is like an internal excretion, evacuation, and purification.” And so, instead of recommending

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a platter of pranayamas (an ancient practice of breath control) to my students, I urge them first to learn to breathe. Before we regulate our breath, it’s imperative to observe the normal breath, watch our exhalations microscopically, study their velocity and volume, and the consequent quietude in the cavities of the skull. Many people do not pay attention to their breathing until it is disturbed by a certain emotion or disorder, and yet the breath is always there, contorting with our actions. Guruji (Yogacharya BKS Iyengar) would say that the gateway to health is a healthy circulatory system and healthy respiratory system; if one of these fails, then disease lays siege to the body.

Gut check time!

Our immunity relies heavily on two regions of the body – the belly and the brain. The abdominal organs need to function well to keep bacterial and viral infections at bay. Along with a wholesome, plant-based, and water-rich diet, it is also essential to eliminate toxins from our system with intermittent fasting, enema, and cold wet packs. More often than not, we load our body with a full meal without waiting for the last meal to be completely digested. The proverbial saying is, “You are what you eat,” but you’re also what you ate. Over the years, undigested, dead food forms a thick coating on the walls of our intestines, thus blocking the smooth functioning of our organs. Giving our stomach a 16-hour break to our stomach every night provides the body with the time it needs to rebuild tissues, fade away old scars, replace old and damaged cells, dissolve stones in the kidney and gall bladder, remove extra fat from the cells, break cysts, and fibroids, regularize hormones, clean intestines, remove mucus, and clear the plaque in the arteries.

Head, heart, and holistic healing

Now, when waste and toxins become stagnant in our blood, one of the best ways to make them circulate is through a cold wet pack – three pieces of cloth of specific dimensions that are to be dipped in cool water and wrapped around the navel, neck region, and the forehead. This needs to be followed by the use of an enema pot that’ll not only keep you feeling light and clean from within but also boost your energy levels. As far as yoga is concerned, it’s important to awaken and activate the abdominal segment with exalted bio-mechanical actions such as extending, expanding, elongating, and more. Furthermore, it is vital to connect the mind and breath to the skeletomuscular body to witness the enormous internal communication and social interaction among the three. Speaking of the brain, it’s impossible to bear an unhealthy mind and yet hope for a healthy body; thus, it is important to address the region of the head through supported postures that quieten the frontal brain. Apart from recycling old red blood cells, storing

the upper thighs and groin, the abdomen, and between the lungs. The virus is known to settle in the upper and the lower respiratory system, building up mucus in the lungs in more advanced cases. During such times, it’s best to avoid the practice of pranayama, as it’ll only worsen the situation. It’s important to understand that yoga is a preventative, long-term holistic healing practice. One must not mistake it for a magic pill that will make the virus disappear. Rather, it’s a measure that’ll prevent things from going south.

Navigating your physical form

In order to maintain a healthy respiratory system, the yoga sequence should include a rejuvenating blend of prone asanas, supported standing asanas, seated asanas, supine asanas, and inverted asanas. When the front trunk is supported in a prone asana, the back body is broadened and lengthened. This makes space for the lungs to work more efficiently. The back of the lungs has a denser network of air sacs (alveoli). Being placed in a prone position leads to an improved uptake of oxygen to the blood. » Supported standing asanas, on the other hand, can energize physically and mentally, thereby lifting one’s mood. They increase the blood supply to the brain, remove fatigue and tiredness and help to reduce depression. » Seated asanas help open the front, back, and sides of the chest without expending too much energy. They also bring firmness to the body, steadiness to the mind, and boost circulation in the pelvic and lower spinal regions. » Supine asanas help to release tension and tightness. Lastly, inversions work on the hormonal system of the body promoting health, while bringing discipline to the mind and calm within. Most importantly, they allow the upper abdomen to drain – a key component in the lymphatic system. To sum up, immunity is not something that develops overnight. It is ‘built’, one block at a time. Nature’s five elements are of paramount importance, and we must derive our nourishment from all five of them. Apart from food and water, we also need to spend a couple of peaceful hours in the morning under the sun, breathe fresh air and create space within the body with intermittent fasting. Regular practice of yoga and pranayama will release the anxiety and fear contained in the chest and let the circulation happen freely. Most times, it’s important to give our body a chance, have faith in it, and give it the time it needs to heal on its own. It always does. ✪

Over the years, undigested, dead food forms a thick coating on the walls of our intestines, thus blocking the smooth functioning of our organs platelets and white blood cells, the lymph nodes are responsible for the optimum functioning of the immune system. They are particularly concentrated in the neck, armpits,

2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

TRAVEL

TRAVEL MAP FOR A NEW ERA As we navigate uncharted waters with the global pandemic, CLARILDA SHARON offers a look at emerging travel trends and how best to make the most out of the current situation

Of all the books in the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport” - isn’t this the quote every die-hard traveler swears by? When you take a journey, you see things you’ve never seen before, embrace divergent cultures, meet interesting people, discover places you’ve only dreamt of, and get acquainted with the world on a whole new level. A year ago, travel came to an abrupt standstill, and as it slowly resuscitates, it’s apparent that we’re rebooting the originals. Traveling styles have changed, new trends have emerged, and priorities have reshuffled, with health and safety

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taking the top slot. From exclusively seeking out lesser-known destinations to the mode of travel, from ‘airport looks’ that protect you from head to toe to picking solitude over bustling crowds, our choices have evolved. People today have started conceptualizing their travel and doing extensive groundwork before heading forth on a journey. As we usher in the new world order, 2021 will be the first year of the rest of our lives with regards to exploring the world. Here are some of the top emerging travel trends that will help you plan a getaway that you will remember for a long time.

SL W AND STEADY Have you ever experienced a ‘tourist burnout’? It’s a term used when you leave a trip more tired and exhausted than before you began. Trying to stick to a jam-packed itinerary and doing every ‘touristy’ activity that a place offers can leave you wrung out. Instead, travelers today seek fully immersive experiences that thoroughly soak in one locale over a random many. They also prefer to venture to offbeat zones rather than oft-repeated tourist havens. Eponymously called ‘Slowcation’, it describes a leisurely, deliberate holiday at a slower pace where travelers thoroughly enjoy only one single destination per trip. People embrace travel that emphasizes connection to culture, food, local people, music, and much more. Most people will agree that their most memorable vacations were those where they took their sweet time to take the sights in, instead of visiting every ‘must-see’ touristy spot in a rushed way.

W RK FROM WHEREVER The terms ‘work’ and ‘vacation’ were sworn enemies once, but the pandemic has turned them unlikely allies. With work from home inescapable now, people can be on vacation without taking time off from work. Workcation hence is a legit term, a combination of leisure with fulltime working. Previously, a ‘workcation’ was a bonus business trip offered by precious few companies, but the pandemic has broadened the definition. Now, with easily accessible Wifi and a remote desktop, you are only limited by your imagination. It is now a matter of flexibility and efficiency, logistics

no bar. Remote workers are happier, healthier, and feel more valued. According to a survey by JayWay Travel, 93% of respondents stated they are more productive when working remotely. Hotels worldwide are looking forward to capitalizing on this new trend, especially in the business travel segment. Many countries have been offering remote working visas to boost tourism and project a sense of normalcy. Dubai has also introduced a one-year virtual working program that would entitle individuals the opportunity to work in Dubai remotely while remaining employed overseas. Employees and even business owners can stay up to 12 months along with their families, with access to co-working spaces and government support services. Individuals can open a local bank account, enroll kids in school, have internet access, and get a local phone number without paying any income tax in Dubai! One must prove to be drawing a salary of a minimum of $5,000 a month to be eligible for this visa. 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

TRAVEL

YOUR R TS CALL TO YOU ‘Revisiting your roots’ is no longer a metaphor; it is a travel trend that’s quickly catching steam. Travel lovers have now added it to their bucket list, heading off to their ancestral dwellings. As the pandemic surged, most people left the metropolis areas of the world to head to the heartlands, but this trend goes beyond simple homecoming. This speaks of a deeper desire to visit their birthplace, know their ancestry and embrace timeless traditions. The idea is to excavate heritage traditions and cultures and discover the essence of a generational timeline that provides unseen facets of who we are today. In today’s Instagram age, authenticity is aspired as an ideal amidst apparent flawless lives online, which are often staged, curated, or flat-out fake. This roll-back to realness has extended to travel, where people look forward to immersing themselves in something tangible and heartening, where there is a potential of human connection and that of learning something new from everyone they meet. People also look forward to giving something back and leaving a positive footprint wherever they go. A nostalgic return to their heritage may not have been everyone’s first pick for a vacation a year ago, but if there’s one thing we’ve come to realize – there’s no place like home.

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NE WITH NATURE The blessed consequence of demanding sustainability from world leaders is that your conscience also implores you to live more responsibly and creatively. We’ve managed to rope travel into the ambit of sustainability. In tune with this, eco-friendly tourism is seeing a spurt in popularity where travelers are more attuned to nature by turning more aware of zero-waste and warding off the offered plastic. Today, travelers from around the world are

more conscious than ever of the impact of their footprint when traveling – therefore, ‘mindful tourism’ has made steady strides over the last decade. From transport choices and organically sourced food to staying in eco-friendly homes, travelers make concerted efforts to encourage more carbon-neutral and eco-friendly methods when transiting from one destination to another. Mindful tourism originates from a “less is more” attitude and forging deeper connections with the places you visit. Conscious travelers seek fewer alluring destinations and more of the humble trips as a mindful alternative by being more conservative while making travel plans and turning sensitive to nature. In the wake of the pandemic, travelers are thinking far more carefully before choosing and doing everything they can about how they travel to minimize their impact on the planet.

IT’S VAXICATI N TIME! It’s finally time to put that dusty passport to use that had been grounded for a year! As immunizations rise, people who’ve had their 1st shot of the Covid-19 vaccine are making up for lost time and travel bookings are seeing an upsurge compared to a year ago. Vaxication is a term coined to capture the post-vaccine vacation. The first Vaxication trip would inevitably be bittersweet – some people have waited nearly a year to reunite with families and friends. On these journeys, who you go with is more important than where you go to - people will look forward to staying in one spot and catching up on family events rather than sightseeing and driving from place to place. One reckons that even a trip to a friend’s house or a dinner with extended family could count as a vaxication, for these simple joys were lost to us in the wake of this terrible pandemic. Countries are welcoming international visitors once again with unique rules for vaccinated travelers. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), both the UAE’s national carriers Etihad Airways and Emirates announced launching the IATA Travel Pass in phases and on selected flights. Dubbed a ‘digital passport’, the pass shall be used to verify if a passenger’s pre-travel Covid-19 test or vaccination meets the eligibility requirements to undertake a journey. In February, Bahrain became one of the first countries in the world to launch a digital Covid-19 vaccine passport. As the vaccination continues to roll out at high speed, we can finally picture ourselves riding off into the sunset.

Vaxication is a term coined to capture the post-vaccine vacation. The first Vaxication trip would inevitably be bittersweet – some people have waited nearly a year to reunite with families and friends A year and a half into the greatest upheaval our world has seen, the travel industry, unlike any other, continues with cautious optimism for recovery. Having spent much of 2020 and 2021 at home, wanton travelers look forward to various options for offbeat adventures, wellness, and safe getaways. The new world order has made life unpredictable, but this tragedy demands urgent creativity from the planet’s thinking beings. As we emerge from the grasp of the pandemic, brace yourself for unfamiliarity, for systems and norms that you would never have considered possible. After all, we never imagined working full-fledged from home or weddings on Zoom calls with the bride and groom in different cities, but the pandemic has pulled no punches. Simply tighten your seat belt, settle in, and take time to explore the wanderer in you. With these new available avenues, it looks like there’s no time like the present. ✪ 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

R&R / life’s lit tle lessons

What’s Your Story

Photo: Briana Tozour-Unsplash

There’s a ripple effect from all the encounters we have with other human beings, and we all get to be the authors of more than just our own lives

e are all nothing more than the sum total of our experiences with other people. It defines us, makes us who we are and these interactions can make our lives either a joyful paradise or a living hell. We all have a story, of someone who took us under their wing, or someone who gave a timely hand when it was needed the most, who introduced us to our next job offer or put us on the path to our dreams. There are the

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everyday people who make our lives simpler or more miserable… our maids, the security guard, the guy at the carwash, the lady at the checkout, the irascible boss and the femme fatale secretary, the helpful colleague or the friend you make at the local sandwich shop… every single one of these plays a part in the story of our lives. In big ways, and small. The fantastic thing about Dubai is that, from the moment you arrive, you’re thrown into the deep end of humanity’s pool and you encounter

all sorts, from all sorts of places. It’s a cultural immersion like no other, and with this confluence of races and identities you get a heady cocktail of people that is absolutely addictive. I have met world renowned architects, professional expat wives, fascinating taxi-drivers and retired policemen, wealthy bankers and poor waiters… and each of them had a story that formed mine. This story however is about just one of the many people I met in Dubai. It’s the story of the impact she had on my life. It’s a simple story, one that plays out every day in Dubai or any other place. One that doesn’t make it into books and movies. But these stories are worth telling. It’s about a young girl who I shared a home with. And home it was, even though it was just a room with a bathroom and a cracked shower unit. But she made it home for me. She was so young when we met, but she had the wisdom of Buddha. And we would stay up late into the night discussing life, love and men, jobs and futures and we would fall asleep, our ears filled with the sound of each other’s voices. She went to work before I did. And to this day I remember the harsh blare of her nasty, green alarm clock that would wake me up, but never her. I would leap out of my bed in shock every morning and in fury turn it off and then shove her awake. We cooked sausages in a kettle, we went for long walks by the sea, we shared our clothes and we both did our first desert safari together. She told me the story of her life. Of how her mother struggled to raise 5 children. How she had studied hard and was the first of the siblings to leave India. She told me how she sent most of her salary home to help her mother. She told me that someday she wanted me to write her mother’s story. I promised her I would. She was diligent in her work and she was faithful in her friendship and her merry laugh was so infectious that it always made me smile no matter how low I was feeling. She was very principled and her homely wisdom sustained me, the older one of the two, through the myriad ups and downs of my life. There was no TV, and no internet, and so conversation was our only entertainment. And the hours we spent together flew by on gilded wings as we tried to plan our lives and make sense of the circumstances that had brought us together. We parted ways a year later, and in hindsight, I realised what a profound effect she had on who I became. She taught me by simple, elegant example the value of steadfast loyalty, the beauty of giving thoughtful little gifts, the incredible power of lending your time and a listening ear, and the absolute necessity to walk whatever noble talk June be spewing from one’s mouth. She taught me there is no greater power on earth than one woman sticking up for another unconditionally. From her I learned what it takes to be good. Truly good. Her name is Monika Deol, and her part in my story continued long after we parted ways after a year of living together. We emailed once in a way, then Facebook brought us closer together even as the distances between us grew. Then Whatsapp kicked in and we got close again. Sometimes years go by and we don’t speak but

I have met world renowned architects, professional expat wives, fascinating taxi-drivers and retired policemen, wealthy bankers and poor waiters… and each of them had a story that formed mine often when I need guidance, I would ask myself, “What would Monika do?” Last year we did write and publish her mother’s story in the anthology, The Naked Indian Woman. Today she runs a successful fair-trade home furnishing company in Canada. She is married, owns a beautiful home and she struggles with a debilitating illness with immense grace and fortitude. And she still continues to pen her way across the chapters of my life 25 years later, with the same ease of giving as she did when we lived in a tiny, airless room together. It was this young girl in Dubai who, by example, taught me to ask myself a very important question, one that has saved me from myself time and time again. You see, we all are the composite of the stories other people write in our lives. And each one of us has reason to be grateful to someone, somewhere, who came along and put their stamp on our narratives and made it that much more beautiful. And yet, as we so busily drink from the cup of life, how many of us stop to ask what role we will play in someone else’s movie? Will we be the vindictive colleague or the helpful one? Will we lend a hand asking nothing in return if we see another struggling or walk on by? Will we compliment the stranger on the street that looks a little sad, and will we thank the checkout assistant by name at the supermarket? Will we be the reason for another’s joy? Or their tears? Monika, in Dubai, a long time ago taught me to ask this of myself? What’s your story in someone else’s life? ✪ Sangeetha Shinde Tee is an author of four books, editor of 3 international magazines, an acclaimed healer, and reluctant entrepreneur. Also an unconventional traveler, rebellious truth seeker, and inveterate animal rescuer, she is working on her fifth book - a collection of ghost stories from around the world. Find out more about her life, books, and work at www.sangeethashindetee.com 2 0 2 1 — J U N E — ASPIRE

R&R / explore

A Jungle of chills and thrills

Misbaah Mansuri checks out Dubai’s newest beachfront waterpark, Jungle Bay and whittles down why it passes the summer vibe check

eeping cool in the midst of a stifling Dubai summer can be quite a challenge. So, when the scorching temperature blankets the city, waterparks are the perfect place to cool down and beat the heat. Jungle Bay - Dubai’s newest waterpark at the Mina Seyahi complex is creating quite a buzz within a short time of its opening. Located right on the bay of Mina Seyahi, this beachside attraction boasts incredible sea views, with Dubai Marina forming an incredible backdrop to this new waterpark. Designed with the architecture of the Cycladic culture in mind, the waterpark exudes a pristine, minimalist charm. With azure and white tones blending throughout, Aegean vibes reign supreme here. Your first glance at the façade of Jungle Bay will transport you to the beaches of Santorini in Greece. As you enter, you are greeted by an abundance of lush greenery enveloping the park, further enhancing the allure of the Mediterranean.

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Soaking in the sun, food, and fun

A fun excursion for the entire family, Jungle Bay features exhilarating rides and adventures with something for everyone. The most enthralling ones are ‘The Lighthouse’ and ‘Whizzard’, while the Body Slides and Gentle Kids’ Slides are perfect and safe for the little thrill-seekers. A surefire crowd-puller is ‘The Family Waves’, a 6-meter pneumatic wave pool offering hours of splashing fun. The other adventurous rides are supremely fun when discovered on your visit to Jungle Bay. The beach restaurant at the waterpark is well equipped to serve up casual food and beverages to the crowds throughout the day. The food scene here is a guaranteed winner with kids and adults alike. Adults can enjoy their own pockets of bliss with cabanas, stocked with a beach bar on-site to ensure they are as entertained as the little ones. For a complete bang for your buck, plan your trip on a weekday

as the prices are lower compared to weekends. Day passes to Mina Club also grant waterpark access which costs Dhs 200 on weekdays and Dhs 250 on weekends. The kid’s pass is priced at Dhs 100 on weekdays and Dhs 125-150 on weekends. 4-6 hours is what one would typically spend here as the park isn’t as big as compared to the other parks in Dubai. ✪

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