When I was a young girl, summer meant sleepovers at my grandmother’s. My cousins and I would spend our days playing and nights watching movies.
One night, my cousins voted to watch Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
As I watched the movie, I became frightened of the evil queen who poisoned Snow White because she was jealous of her beauty.
I didn't sleep well that night, or the nights that followed. I would imagine the queen coming to get me as well.
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My mother helped to calm me and overcome my fears by explaining how movies are made and why I shouldn’t be afraid.
As I grew up, many things made me nervous, such as the night before a big game at school or studying for a final exam. I always sought my mother’s advice to help me overcome my feelings.
One piece of advice she gave me that stuck with me for years is that it was completely up to me how big or small something would be in my mind.
While we can’t control every situation thrown our way, we can always control how we react to it.
When a small venture I started didn’t pan out well, I felt sad that I failed but my mother advised me to look at it as a learning experience.
“I don’t think you failed. If anything, I think you are more experienced now,” she said.
My mother believes that how we perceive matters and not letting our emotions take over is the key not only to success, but also to thriving in life.
Last week, I attended the World Government Summit in Dubai, where American entrepreneur Tom Bilyeu discussed his entrepreneurship journey. He said that one of the keys to success is controlling our emotions.
Entrepreneurs, he said, are shaped by the values and perceptions they hold, and not controlling their emotions could lead to failure and not achieving the success they desired.
He also said that many entrepreneurs fail because they don’t adapt to the challenges they face.
I couldn’t agree more. When I decided to be an entrepreneur, many people advised me against it. One colleague told me that I’m bound to fail because only a few entrepreneurs can make it and I shouldn’t waste my time.
My colleague had a deep conviction about entrepreneurship and failure, that he was bound to fail at it if he decided to pursue it.
Entrepreneurship has been one of the most exciting and unpredictable rides I have ever been on.
One day I would feel on top of the world and other days, I would feel overwhelmed and in dire need of a break.
But one thing that has helped me throughout is controlling my emotions. Whenever I felt overwhelmed, I would step back from work until I worked through my feelings.
The thing about emotions is that if we don't control them — by processing them and not letting them take over our mindset and hinder our determination — they could stand in the way of our goals.
The most important investment you can make is to decide that you will not allow negative emotions to hinder you
Manar Al Hinai
Mr Bilyeu said that what distinguishes people who become great from those who don’t is that they control their emotions, understand the importance of adaptation and look for alternative solutions to challenges they face.
They don’t allow negative emotions and perceptions to cloud their determination.
Entrepreneurship requires different forms of investments, from time to money.
But the most important investment you can make is to decide that you will not allow negative emotions to hinder you, and to keep going until you reach your goals. It will be all worth it.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and communications consultant based in Abu Dhabi
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
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Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
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New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The biog:
Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian
Favourite food: Pizza
Best food on the road: rice
Favourite colour: silver
Favourite bike: Gold Wing, Honda
Favourite biking destination: Canada
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Profile of VoucherSkout
Date of launch: November 2016
Founder: David Tobias
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers
Sector: Technology
Size: 18 employees
Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake
Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars”
