Mohammed Hassan Rahma's day job is at Emirates Airline, where he works on a human resources team assisting UAE nationals. Mr Rahma received acclaim for becoming the first Emirati to play rugby at an international level. But he has since quit the pitch to tackle the country's waves, which has led to a burgeoning side business:
qWhy the switch to surfing?
aI injured myself back in 2009 and was told to go running on the beach to help the injury. I saw people surfing and I wanted to try it.
Did the injury mean you had to stop playing rugby?
I had a great surgery and I can play rugby but I started to enjoy surfing, so that is why I stopped.
How did you get immersed in the UAE surfing scene?
I bought my first board from Carl de Villiers, who was running a surf shop in one of the free zones. I then started surfing and hanging out with Carl and we teamed up in 2010 to open Surf Shop Dubai in Al Barsha, behind Mall of the Emirates. Both Carl and I put some money in and I became the local sponsor.
Do you take a hands-off approach to ownership?
I'm very hands-on in the shop as I often get involved in the daily work and the decision making. I am also a qualified surf instructor for Surf School UAE, part of Surf Shop Dubai. I do a lot of lessons when I'm not surfing.
How does surfing help your work at Emirates?
You meet a lot of people surfing because there are a lot of people in the water. So it actually develops my communication skills. Surfing is the reason I speak good English. It is also the way I relieve stress. I just get out my board and get in the water to relax. I always have my board in the car ready to finish work at 3.30pm and go to the beach.
That should give you something to look forward to each day.
I go in to work at Emirates at 7am and check the weather and the water beforehand. There is no chance for me to surf before work, so I do it in the afternoon.
And at weekends?
I try to surf as much as possible. Any time I go travelling for a holiday, it now has to be surfing. It is really tiring. Your body feels like it has been run over by a truck. So I don't surf for the whole of the holiday. My head is ready for work because I have had a break.
Do people at Emirates join you on the surf?
No, they think I'm nuts. It is not our culture. It is weird for them to see a UAE national surfing.
Why is that?
At school we were forced to play only football. If you are forced to play one sport it puts people off sport. After playing rugby, I now watch a sport on TV and go out to try it.
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ASHES FIXTURES
1st Test: Brisbane, Nov 23-27
2nd Test: Adelaide, Dec 2-6
3rd Test: Perth, Dec 14-18
4th Test: Melbourne, Dec 26-30
5th Test: Sydney, Jan 4-8
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What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
WHAT ARE NFTs?
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are tokens that represent ownership of unique items. They allow the tokenisation of things such as art, collectibles and even real estate.
An NFT can have only one official owner at one time. And since they're minted and secured on the Ethereum blockchain, no one can modify the record of ownership, not even copy-paste it into a new one.
This means NFTs are not interchangeable and cannot be exchanged with other items. In contrast, fungible items, such as fiat currencies, can be exchanged because their value defines them rather than their unique properties.
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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