There are a lot of words that we use to exemplify our experiences, characterize those around us, and to describe our emotions, actions, and beliefs. Multiple narratives underline our lives and often stereotypes frame our understanding of the world, often to the detriment of progress and growth. I am privileged to lead a group of companies and a group of people that strive hard to overcome the limitations, challenges, and hindrances of daily risk management and security practices, but also put their efforts into building something that surpasses the sum of the tasks they perform. I am proud that we live and work in the communities where we operate in and support our customers, in their eyes, on the frontier of emerging markets.
It never ceases to amaze me, how people can rise to the occasion, how people can come together not by surpassing what separates them - but through embracing what unites them. How they can work together, unite under a common vision, despite their cultural, social, financial, or even historical context and background.
There is no better example of this than through Sport! No other human activity demonstrates the paradox of being simultaneously competitive and yet oddly cooperative, how you can see opponents and yet fellow athletes unite, how you can serve a common human need and still satisfy the primal need for conquering, winning, fighting. I am not naïve to think that is the sporting world is a field/industry that is not plagued by multiple shortcomings; yet it is still a multi-billion-dollar industry, not because of advertising, corporate dexterity, or manipulation, but because it generates something more valuable than spectators, viewers, or followers…
it generates pure human emotion! It creates a genuine high, joy, thrill, a longing for something beyond us, that we still get to be a part of. We all come together in a community that has little to do with location, background, or belief and we all unite amidst the fight, the competition, the struggle. In some sports, teams fight other teams, in other sports, individual athletes compete against other athletes; in all sports, however, each one: athletes, coaches, fans/spectators, and followers, compete against ourselves, what we were, what we are, and what we hope to become.
If I had to give a measure of success, I would stray away from sums, money, revenue, even recognition or acceptance! I would say the measure of success is determination, perseverance, and commitment to a goal and a vision that speaks not about what you do, but also about who you are! As athletes and humans, it is critical to be able to compete and yet not lose sight of what is the underlying fight: the need to surpass your own limitations and rise above your own mental prison while supporting and inspiring those around you. It does not matter where you are starting from, how small or how big your team is, and what is your end goal, as long as you serve it with dignity, passion, vision, and respect for those against you and those with you. That is what we stand for here at Al Thuraya Holdings, and this is what we pledge to our customers -game on world!