Plans to build a home-grown supercar, the Dubai Roadster, are to be applauded, and not just by petrolheads. In pursuing his dream of developing his own car, former racing driver Rashid Al Shaali is following in the footsteps of great engineering entrepreneurs such as Jack Brabham, whose eponymous race cars were ubiquitous in the 1960s and 1970s, and Colin Chapman, whose Lotus company built both sports cars and Formula One vehicles.
Mr Al Shaali, whose cars will feature a pioneering titanium chassis, hopes to have 25 Roadsters ready for sale at next year’s Dubai Motor Show. Even at a hefty Dh400,000 per car, he has already received plenty of interest from potential customers.
His may only be a small-scale operation, but Mr Al Shaali is demonstrating that you can turn a love of something into a viable business.
The message for people about to enter the workforce is that you don’t have to settle for a job in a bank or a government office if that’s not what you want to do. With the right idea, a lot of passion, entrepreneurial drive, the requisite financial backing and a little luck, you can go out there and do something that is both challenging and a lot of fun.
