Sultan Albadi has achieved more in his 11 years than most children his age.
The high-achiever from Sharjah is a renowned public speaker, has already published three books, set up a business selling scents, is a member of the local youth council and has more than 30,000 followers on Instagram.
Sultan, a pupil at Al Majd Model School for Boys, is also an environmental activist and uses his social media reach to educate other children about climate change and the importance of adopting a green future.
“My videos are based on scientific studies simply explained,” said Sultan.
He started creating content at the age of seven, when he made a video with his teachers at the Sharjah Children Centre, speaking Japanese to encourage other children to enrol in the language courses. It ended up going viral.
Sustainability is a way of life, it’s not just about caring about the environment, it’s about all these good everyday acts that have an impact on individuals
Sultan Albadi
Lamia Mohommed, Sultan’s mom, created his social page during Covid-19 and it grew from there.
“I pushed him to something more beneficial for the community rather than just creating content for the sake of content,” she told The National.
“The issue with climate change is that many people are refusing to believe that it’s actually happening. The world is in danger because they were not aware at a very young age that it’s a critical issue and we need to act all together.”
“I believe that if children at a very young age are aware, in the future we won’t spend time debating and trying to convince them.”
Sultan decided to start making content about the environment when President Sheikh Mohamed declared 2023 the Year of Sustainability.
“I’m lucky to be part of a family that cares about the environment,” Sultan told The National. “Sustainability is a way of life, it’s not just about caring about the environment, it’s about all these good everyday acts that have an impact on individuals”
His most recent social media challenge aimed to encourage pupils to get rid of single-use bottles and replace them with reusable water bottles.
“In this way, they are going to be saving not only the environment but also their health and their pocket,” Sultan said.
“Studies have shown that if we don’t make any change in our habits by the year 2050, there will be more plastic bottles than fish in the seas.”
Published author
Sultan’s green message is also shared in his latest book, Kharek and the Smart Ghaf Tree, which pays tribute to the UAE’s national tree and shows how innovative solutions can contribute to sustainability.
“The story had a great impact among students and parents,” he said. “Very often children get more influenced by children of their age than their parents.
“I’m simply going hand in hand with my country’s vision to make the UAE, the best country in the world by the year 2071.”
His other books are UAE The Future Of The World, which is about the country in 50 years, and The Power of the Loris, which tackles the issue of bullying.
Entrepreneur
Sultan and his brother Saif set up a green company named Eco-Scents, which won an award at the Sharjah Department of Economic Development’s Business Stars competition.
“Eco-Scents is an eco-friendly, aromatic, handmade wax melt,” said Sultan. “The kind we sell are clean burn with no petroleum or paraffin.
As a member of Sharjah Student Parliament, he spreads awareness to children about topics including sustainability. He also volunteers at the Sharjah Volunteer Centre.
Green habits start at home
Sultan’s mother encourages sustainable behaviour at home and believes that small habits like saving electricity and water go a long way.
“I advise them to take a shower rather than a bath because it takes fewer litres. I try to make children aware of their acts,” said Ms Mohammed.
“Even in their lunch box, I try to minimise the use of plastic as much as possible.
“We try not to have plastic bottles. We have reusable bottles, no single-use bottles.”
Sultan says he wants to be a coder and join the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence when he is older.
“My hobby is mostly reading books and these books are, for example, about technology and coding. They help me a lot in coding,” said Sultan.
Grand slam winners since July 2003
Who has won major titles since Wimbledon 2003 when Roger Federer won his first grand slam
Roger Federer 19 (8 Wimbledon, 5 Australian Open, 5 US Open, 1 French Open)
Rafael Nadal 16 (10 French Open, 3 US Open, 2 Wimbledon, 1 Australian Open)
Novak Djokovic 12 (6 Australian Open, 3 Wimbledon, 2 US Open, 1 French Open)
Andy Murray 3 (2 Wimbledon, 1 US Open)
Stan Wawrinka 3 (1 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 1 US Open)
Andy Roddick 1 (1 US Open)
Gaston Gaudio 1 (1 French Open)
Marat Safin 1 (1 Australian Open)
Juan Martin del Potro 1 (1 US Open)
Marin Cilic 1 (1 US Open)
The%20specs
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
