Announcements

World Cup-winning football icon Thierry Henry inspires youth at SEF 2025: “Invest in Yourself”

Published

1 year ago

February 3, 2025

Spread the love

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.

Related Topics:#announcement #news #sef #sef2025 #thierryhenry #youth

Suhani Singh

As a trainee reporter and creative lead, I focus on curating engaging content and managing the social media presence for the company. I aim to connect audiences with relevant, impactful news through multiple digital platforms.

Announcements

UAE announces early spring break for all educational institutions

Published

5 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Team Headline

Spread the love

The Ministry of Education, along with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, on Wednesday, March 4, announced that the commencement of spring break for all academic institutions has been pushed forward to March 9, with the last working day to be March 6. Normal classes are scheduled to resume from March 30.

The academic calendar placed the spring break dates originally from March 16 and ending on March 29 which has now moved from March 9 to March 22. The change comes in light of the ongoing regional conflict, with the safety of students and staff at schools and universities as the highest priority.

Classes had transitioned to online learning at the beginning of this week as a precautionary measure for all students and staff, which was further extended up to the end of this week. Exams for students have also been shifted to a remote format, allowing them to complete their assessments safely from home.

Students, parents, and staff are advised to stay updated via official channels only, as the measures aim to protect the safety of all in the education sector.

(By Shura Kola)

Announcements

Inside The Plaza at Uptown Dubai: An open-air venue set to transform the city’s business and events scene

Published

2 weeks ago

February 20, 2026

Michael Gomes

Spread the love

In a city that thrives on bold ambition and global connection, a new landmark has quietly taken its place at the heart of Dubai’s business future.

DMCC has officially opened The Plaza at Uptown Dubai, a 21,000 square metre open-air destination designed to host everything from high-level corporate summits to large-scale concerts and community gatherings.

For UAE residents and business leaders alike, this isn’t just another development announcement. It’s a signal that Uptown Dubai is stepping into a new era.

A new gathering space in town

Strategically positioned at the centre of Uptown Dubai, The Plaza physically connects the iconic Uptown Tower with the district’s wider commercial and residential community.

Designed to accommodate up to 4,000 guests, the venue features advanced staging, lighting and digital display infrastructure, enabling year-round programming and rapid event turnover.

For Dubai’s fast-moving corporate ecosystem, that means seamless hosting of:

Global trade conferences
Finance and technology forums
Industry expos
Cultural performances
Community celebrations

In a city known for world-class event venues, The Plaza adds something different: scale, accessibility and integration within a thriving business district.

For UAE residents, the venue offers more opportunities for networking, collaboration and global visibility without leaving the city.

Next business hub taking shape

The Plaza’s launch comes as Uptown Dubai moves into its next development phase.

Currently under construction:

Two commercial towers (23 and 17 storeys)
62,000 square metres of additional Grade A commercial and retail space

Once complete, the full district will deliver:

538,000 square metres total gross floor area
232,000 square metres dedicated to Grade A commercial office space

What’s in it for residents

For professionals, it means:

More international events are hosted locally
Increased networking and industry exposure
Expanded commercial opportunities

For residents, it offers:

Open-air concerts and cultural events
Community experiences within a premium urban setting
A new social hub integrated into Dubai’s skyline

Announcements

Sheikh Mohammed appoints Abdulla bin Damithan to lead Dubai Ports body as DP World names new CEO

Published

3 weeks ago

February 13, 2026

Michael Gomes

Spread the love

In his capacity as Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, has issued a decree appointing Abdulla bin Damithan as Chairman of the Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation.

The appointment places one of the UAE’s most experienced trade and logistics leaders at the helm of one of Dubai’s most strategically important economic entities.

A Veteran in Ports and Global Trade

Abdulla bin Damithan brings more than two decades of experience in ports, logistics and international trade. He currently oversees DP World’s operations across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, managing ports, economic zones, marine services and trade solutions.

He previously served as CEO and Managing Director of DP World UAE, where he led strategic growth across key regional markets. He oversees Jebel Ali Port and Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza).

Bin Damithan joined DP World in 2001 and has since held several senior leadership roles, contributing to the company’s transformation into a global provider of smart trade and logistics solutions.

New Leadership Appointments at DP World

Separately, DP World confirmed the appointment of Essa Kazim as Chairman of its Board of Directors, alongside the appointment of Yuvraj Narayan as Group CEO.

Kazim currently serves as Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Chairman of Borse Dubai. He brings extensive expertise in financial and economic affairs, having held senior leadership positions across several national institutions.

Narayan, who joined DP World in 2004, has played a key role in leading strategic and transformational initiatives that strengthened the company’s global footprint.

Serving as Group Chief Financial Officer since 2005, Narayan has been instrumental in enhancing DP World’s financial resilience, operational efficiency and supply chain capabilities worldwide.