At the region’s largest entrepreneurial festival, former Arsenal and Barcelona star draw parallels between football and business, encouraging youth to push beyond their limits.

“Invest in yourself—whether it’s in your free time, happiness, or beliefs.” These were the words of French World Cup-winning football icon Thierry Henry as he delivered an impassioned keynote at the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF) 2025 on Saturday, drawing parallels between football and business and recalling his younger days as a player, encouraging youth to push beyond their limits.

“Take risks, because without them, there’s no reward. And remember, if you are here to perform, competition is key—someone is always ready to take your place,” said the footballer when asked by moderator Ghalia Abdalla Almaazmi, Deputy Head of the Women’s Football Committee, UAE Football Association, what mattered more – luck or skill. “Success comes to those who are willing to take risks—without action, there’s no reward. And when you reach the top, staying there requires just as much effort. Keep it simple, stay real, and always be ready to push yourself further.”

But funnily for Henry, who scored 51 times for the Les Blues while helping them to a World Cup trophy in 1998, the start of his ‘journey of excellence’ as a child was all about playing for one man – his father Antoine. “I just wanted to please my dad. [At that age] you just want to make sure that you are seen. I didn’t want to impress anyone else but my dad for whom smiling never came naturally. But one day he smiled. Playing professional football and winning came later,” said the former Arsenal and Barcelona man considered one of the greatest strikers of all time.

The world champion’s take on developing a winning mindset 

Henry, who under long-time mentor and coach Arsène Wenger, became a prolific striker and English premier league club Arsenal’s all-time leading scorer with 228 goals in all competitions, winning the Premier League Golden Boot a record four times, also spoke about one of his earliest coaches Joaquim Francisco Filho and how it helped him develop the ‘winning mindset’. 

“I had coaches along the way. What Filho did was something very important to me. We often talk about being faster and stronger but one of the most important things is how we must think. He developed my winning mindset. For example, when I was younger, I was fast. In training sometimes, he used to tell me I don’t want you to beat anyone but yourself,” Henry said. 

“So keep believing and do not stop. It is you up against yourself at the end of the day. The best discussion you can ever have is with yourself”, he told his audience. 

Leveraging the business of sports as a tool for positive change

Sharing his insights on starting a business in the sports industry, he said: “Sports doesn’t  operate like any other industry. Strategies that bring a company exceptional results might not apply to football. You will be criticised, lose money, but ask yourself, why are you doing this? Is it for money or fame, or are you in it to make a difference?”

“Look at Manchester City – they have transformed the environment around their stadium, created jobs and made the place better. Sports reflect society. It unites people from all cultures, creates change around pressing issues, and allows women to evolve. I hope we can continue to change in that direction.”

Connecting the global ecosystem under the theme of “Where We Belong,” SEF 2025 champions the impact of community and the spirit of innovation. Organised by the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) as the largest event of its kind in the region, and hosted at the Sharjah Research, Technology, and Innovation Park (SRTIP), this year’s festival is taking place from 1-2 February, 2025. 

Starting today, January 31, Dubai will implement the variable toll system for Salik. According to Salik Company, the new pricing will apply to all Salik gates. The initiative aims to improve traffic flow and create a more efficient driving experience for motorists.

However, there will be no change to the current toll system at Al Safa North and South or Al Mamzar North and South gates. Drivers passing through these gates in the same direction within one hour will still only incur a single charge.

The new variable toll rates will be applied daily throughout the year, except during Ramadan, as follows:

• Peak Hours (6am–10am & 4pm–8pm): Dh6 per crossing
• Off-Peak Hours (10am–4pm & 8pm–1am): Dh4 per crossing
• Late Night (1am–6am, daily): No charge
• Sundays (excluding public holidays and events): Dh4 across both peak and off-peak hours (late night hours remain free)

During Ramadan, the toll schedule will be adjusted to reflect changes in travel patterns:

• Peak Hours (9am–5pm): Dh6 per crossing
• Off-Peak Hours (7am–9am & 5pm–2am): Dh4 per crossing
• Late Night (2am–7am): No charge

The UAE fuel price committee on Friday announced petrol and diesel prices for the month of February 2025.

Super 98 petrol will cost Dh2.74, compared to Dh2.61 a litre in January, while Special 95 will cost Dh2.63 a litre, compared to Dh2.50 a litre the previous month.

E-Plus category petrol will be available for Dh2.55 a litre, compared to Dh2.43 a litre in January, while diesel will now cost Dh2.82 a litre, compared to Dh2.68 a litre the previous month.

Fuel prices in the UAE are closely tied to movements in the global oil market, which has experienced significant fluctuations since last year. Geopolitical uncertainties, shifting supply dynamics and concern about slowing economic growth have all contributed to the volatility in oil prices.

The UAE deregulated fuel prices in 2015, aligning them with market fluctuations.