Tarek Suleiman says it was fate that led him to mixed martial arts. And so it has proven as he completes eight years in the sport.
Born to a Lebanese mother and Syrian father, Suleiman is the oldest of three siblings. He was in his final year of university when war broke out in Syria.
"It became tough for my parents to support me with my university fees and other expenses," Suleiman, who features in the main fight on Friday's UAE Warriors 11 card at the Mubadala Arena, told The National.
“I had to find another source of income to support myself. I earned through part-time work and one of them was MMA.
"I was asked if I would be interested to fight in Cage Warriors 3 in Lebanon in 2012 and I accepted it.”
Suleiman meets Brazilian Juscelino Ferreira in the catchweight 90kg category – the main draw in the 10-fight card of the UAE Warriors 11 that will be held behind closed doors and telecast live on Abu Dhabi Sports.
“It’s a new experience for me and I believe for others as well,” Suleiman said of their preparation in isolation for the event.
Suleiman is undefeated in two UAE Warriors appearances. He stopped UFC veteran Englishman Oli Thompson in the second round of the light heavyweight title fight in May 2019 and scored a similar victory over Steven Kennedy of Australia in November.
“I feel good coming out of the lockdown and then training in isolation,” Suleiman said of his two-week preparation in Abu Dhabi.
“I did what I can do with what was available. I trained hard with the limited resources available. Even finding a training partner wasn’t possible. The preparations were very challenging.
“I’m seeing my opponent for the first time since we made our UAE Warriors debuts in May 2019. I’m here to do my own thing and it doesn’t matter to me what my opponent does. I’m here to put up a good show.”
Suleiman, who began his MMA career with two amateur victories, holds a 9-6 record as a professional.
He also holds a double degree in Agricultural Engineering and Business Management from the American University of Beirut.
“Living in Lebanon when the war broke out became hard for me,” he said. “After my first MMA fight, I was offered a second in the Cage Warriors 5 in Jordan two months later with double the appearance money.
“I won that too and then the CEO of Desert Force approached me with a good contract. That was how I got into MMA full-time."
Suleiman travelled a lot while growing up and spent a few years in England where he attended school. He returned to Syria in 2006 before moving to Lebanon for his university education two years later. But sports always remained a part of his life.
“My father put me in swimming class but we had outdoor pools and the water got too cold for swimming during the winter,” he said.
“He then allowed me to go with my friends for boxing classes. So I did boxing in the winter and swimming in the summer. I liked boxing because of the competition and atmosphere.
“When I moved to Lebanon for my university education I got into body-building and weight-lifting, and that’s the time one of my friend’s invited me to try kickboxing.”
After completing his education, Suleiman found it hard to lead a decent life without a regular income in Lebanon.
“After I received the contract from Desert Force I decided to move to Thailand,” Suleiman, who is also a black belt in jiu-jitsu, said.
“I have been living in Thailand since 2013. I work there as a muay thai and jiu-jitsu instructor. I made my base there to train as well as work, plus make and save some money.”
Suleiman says tries to lend a voice to the suffering of the Syrian people.
“When I win, I make it a point that the world hears about the suffering of the ordinary Syrian people because of the war and sanctions.
“I have always raised my voice for my people. A majority of them back home are suffering. They can’t think of doing anything else apart from how to find their next meal.
“My parents and sister are back in Syria where the situation isn’t good. My brother is studying for a PhD in India. Mentally, I’m shattered whenever I think of my family.”
Suleiman has a huge following among his compatriots in the UAE but this time he will not have them behind him.
“My motivation and goals are not just the fans,” he said. “Of course, if fans are present, they spice things up on the fight days.
“I know my fans will be watching on television or on YouTube. They are active on social media. However, my motivation is to go out there and win for my people.”
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm kick-off UAE)
Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Cologne (5.30pm)
Mainz v Arminia Bielefeld (5.30pm)
Augsburg v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Bayern Munich (8.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Freiburg (10.30pm)
Sunday
VfB Stuttgart v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Union Berlin v Hertha Berlin (8pm)
The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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 biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%202-litre%20direct%20injection%20turbo%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%207-speed%20automatic%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20261hp%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20400Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20From%20Dh134%2C999%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
RESULT
Manchester City 5 Swansea City 0
Man City: D Silva (12'), Sterling (16'), De Bruyne (54' ), B Silva (64' minutes), Jesus (88')
BIOSAFETY LABS SECURITY LEVELS
Biosafety Level 1
The lowest safety level. These labs work with viruses that are minimal risk to humans.
Hand washing is required on entry and exit and potentially infectious material decontaminated with bleach before thrown away.
Must have a lock. Access limited. Lab does not need to be isolated from other buildings.
Used as teaching spaces.
Study microorganisms such as Staphylococcus which causes food poisoning.
Biosafety Level 2
These labs deal with pathogens that can be harmful to people and the environment such as Hepatitis, HIV and salmonella.
Working in Level 2 requires special training in handling pathogenic agents.
Extra safety and security precautions are taken in addition to those at Level 1
Biosafety Level 3
These labs contain material that can be lethal if inhaled. This includes SARS coronavirus, MERS, and yellow fever.
Significant extra precautions are taken with staff given specific immunisations when dealing with certain diseases.
Infectious material is examined in a biological safety cabinet.
Personnel must wear protective gowns that must be discarded or decontaminated after use.
Strict safety and handling procedures are in place. There must be double entrances to the building and they must contain self-closing doors to reduce risk of pathogen aerosols escaping.
Windows must be sealed. Air from must be filtered before it can be recirculated.
Biosafety Level 4
The highest level for biosafety precautions. Scientist work with highly dangerous diseases that have no vaccine or cure.
All material must be decontaminated.
Personnel must wear a positive pressure suit for protection. On leaving the lab this must pass through decontamination shower before they have a personal shower.
Entry is severely restricted to trained and authorised personnel. All entries are recorded.
Entrance must be via airlocks.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
