“I’ve Come to Realize That Self Doubt and Anxiety Always Kick in When You’re Listening to the Outside Noise.” Indian Cricket Star KL Rahul on How to Navigate (and Overcome) Self-Inhibiting Traits

On the night of March 10, 2025, less than 24 hours after having guided his country to a historic ICC Champions Trophy win, India’s national cricket team member KL Rahul walked into Dubai-based financial services provider Al Fardan Exchange’s headquarters for a special Iftar event hosted by the company’s CEO Hasan Fardan Al Fardan.

Indeed, it was his unbeaten quickfire 34 runs just the previous evening at the Dubai Cricket Stadium -the third highest batting score of the Indian innings during the finals- that ended India’s 12-year-long wait to win this particular cricketing tournament. The ardent fans who had tuned in to watch, or attended, the match would have seen the exuberant displays of emotions from all the players following the win. But back at Al Fardan Exchange, Rahul’s aura is quiet and composed- a jarring contrast not just to the on-field celebrations, but also the loud and incessant camera clicks and sea of palpably excited people that followed his every move as soon as he arrived at the firm’s main office.

“We’re very happy with what we achieved last night, but it’s still sinking in,” Rahul told the room, teeming with journalists, camera crew and fans. “Firstly, I need some sleep and rest, and then probably in a couple of days time when we think back about what we’ve been able to do, it will certainly be something that gives me immense satisfaction and pride. Obviously none of this was possible without the support and blessings of a billion people. We all know how much Indians love cricket, and how obsessed we are with winning big tournaments. So we’re very happy that we could do it. This is our second big [ICC] tournament that we’ve won, so it gives us as cricketers a lot of joy and I’m sure it gives all Indians a lot of joy too… I see a lot of familiar Indian faces here [in the room] as well!”

KL Rahul at Dubai Cricket Stadium following India’s win at the ICC Champions Trophy finals. Image Source: ICC/Getty Images

As a homegrown Emirati business, Al Fardan Exchange has remained committed to its mission to bridge cultures and connect with the passions of its diverse clientele, hence solidifying its role as a trusted financial partner and a champion of community-driven initiatives. As such, this special Iftar event aligned with the company’s endeavors to better connect with the UAE’s Indian diaspora, who make up a whopping 37.97% of the UAE’s population.

This ever-increasing faction of the country also accounts for a significant percentage of its booming entrepreneurial ecosystem. A 2023 report from Dubai Chambers showed that 30% of Dubai’s startups are owned by Indians. In July 2024, UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri noted that the landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement that was signed between the UAE and India had not only helped drive bilateral trade growth by 16.41% since 2022, but also strengthened collaboration to promote startups through exchange of best practices between accelerators, incubators, and other such ecosystem stakeholders.

Hasan Fardan Al Fardan, CEO of Al Fardan Exchange, and KL Rahul. Image source: Al Fardan Exchange

So when Entrepreneur Middle East got the opportunity to speak with Rahul, we asked him what a lot of startup founders and entrepreneurs might want to know from a world-class champion: what does it take to overcome the loneliness and self doubt that often comes with following one’s passion?

“I can only share what I’ve gone through- obviously these [emotions] are things that athletes go through on a daily basis too,” Rahul replied. “But I think what makes it easier for us or what makes days go by quicker and easier is the fact that we’re doing something that we love. I was never forced to play cricket. It was always my dream ever since I was a six or seven year old boy. I wanted to play cricket, and there was so much passion…I was ambitious in my aspirations, aims, everything. I gave my entire life to doing this! So every time I find myself in a position where I feel like I am lonely, or I feel anxious or scared or nervous, I go back to remind myself why I am here today. For someone like me, or for a pro athlete -especially in a country like India where thousands of people want to play cricket and achieve what we are doing, or be in a position like ours- feeling lonely or feeling anxious is almost a luxury. Over time I’ve realized how I can handle it better. I’m not saying I’ve completely aced it but…you will get lonely, you will get nervous, you will have self doubt; all of that. But I think what works is going back to reminding yourself why you’ve chosen to do what you’re doing. Put your energy into that.”

Image Source: ICC/Getty Images

Rahul then went on to note the importance of understanding how expectations -both external and self-imposed- can often create a lot of unfounded self doubt. “As I’ve grown older and wiser, I’ve come to realize that the self doubt and anxiety always kicks in when you’re listening to the outside noise- you’re falling for the traps that the world is setting or your own company or the expectations or all of that,” he continued. “And mostly it’s your own expectations more than anything else. The noise that you think is outside noise is actually not outside noise at all! No one on the outside cares about what I do, how I play. So you just [need] to block out that noise. Find time. See what helps you switch off when you get into those [negative] zones mentally, and find a way to snap out of it. For me it’s doing weights, watching a movie, or going out with a couple of friends to have a meal. Maybe a long walk, if you have that opportunity, or speaking to a family member. These things somehow seem to help me.”

KL Rahul and Entrepreneur Middle East’s Features Editor Aalia Mehreen Ahmed. Image source: BNC Publishing

And for those wondering if such resilience and grit can only be exhibited when it is innate, Rahul had some words of encouragement to conclude his answer. “This is something you can work on and develop and make it a habit,” he assured. “You can achieve such a mindset simply by doing something repetitively and being conscious about what you’re doing. If you’re conscious of it, and find yourself going there, you need to know what helps you snap out of it. If you do it two times, then the third time you automatically know what to do. And then if you do it 10, 15, 20 times,it becomes a habit. It becomes second nature to you. So yeah, it’s practice for everything. For us as athletes, that’s all we’ve ever known. Anything that I want to achieve, I know is through hours and hours of practice and being conscious about what I am doing. So, yes, you or anybody else can achieve that as well.”

Rekated: Trailblazing Women: How Former Tennis Champion Sania Mirza is Serving Her On-Court Excellence in Entrepreneurship

Mini Vohra: Meet the Man Who Gave Up the Courtroom for Coolness

Faraz Ayub Joins Netflix’s ‘Adolescence’

Netflix is set to release Adolescence on March 13, 2025. This four-episode miniseries dives into modern machismo in an intense and riveting way. It weaves a tale into raw and unfiltered territory, perhaps one that is considered in a class of its own, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. With an ensemble cast and a new generation of breakout actors, Adolescence brings something gripping, making it a must-see when it is officially released in a few weeks.

Faraz Ayub plays Malik, a professor alongside his Top Boy co-star Ashley Walters and emerging actress Fatima Bojang. He brings intrigue and a bit of anticipation that is central to the execution of the theme, reminiscent of how he evoked emotions in his portrayal of Adam in his applauded and celebrated movie, Sky Peals. While Adolescence revolves around a larger roster, Faraz’s role leaves a lasting impression, no less.

It also introduces impressionable young artists aged 15 to 17, many of whom are expected to gain recognition post-release headlined by Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller and notable performance by Alfie “Lil Charva.” “They are going to take over,” says Faraz. “I play their teacher, but off-screen, I’ve shared my insights into the industry based on my actual experiences. It’s amazing that I get to be part of their development, and seeing them step into acting has been nothing but incredible. I know they can achieve even bigger things.”

The show explores the Manosphere’s (toxic masculinity’s) influence on adolescent and pubescent men. It dissects how certain figures like Andrew Tate and ideologies fuel the current precepts of being a man. It is, more often than not, seen as highly relevant, let alone controversial.

Because of the series’ unique approach to this specific narrative, early reviews have been strong, encouraging, and overwhelmingly well-received. Critics are praising Adolescence for refusing to go the safer route in terms of storytelling and for letting the world in on the repercussions of jarring male-centric dynamics in today’s youth. With its combination of respected names, fresh talent, and a one-of-a-kind depiction of a pressing societal issue, it has all the ingredients needed to be a colossal hit.

Adolescence premieres on March 13, 2025, only on Netflix directed by Philip Barantini. and features Faraz Ayub, Ashley Walters, Fatima Bojang and a host of groundbreaking talents of all ages like Owen Cooper and Alfie “Lil Charva,” promising to disrupt

Trailblazing Women: Nikita and Rhea Patel’s ‘The Bureau’ Offers a Dedicated Space for Female Professionals to Thrive in the UAE

This article is part of a series entitled “Trailblazing Women” by Entrepreneur Middle East in celebration of International Women’s Day 2025.

The COVID-19 pandemic altered many aspects of the working ecosystem as we once knew it- in both good ways and bad. But one rather unfortunate consequence was the impact felt by female employees across the world. A March 2021 study by McKinsey and Co. had shown that one in four women had considered leaving the workforce or downshifting their careers (versus one in five men) in the aftermath of the pandemic. This disparity was particularly prominent with parents of kids under ten: the rate at which women in this group were considering leaving was ten percentage points higher than for men. Since then, workforces have often grappled to find ways that help female employees not only achieve a positive work-life balance, but also perform well alongside personal responsibilities- approaches that, as per a 2024 study by Deloitte, account for 21% and 20%, respectively, of the factors that make women want to stay with their employers for more than five years. Coincidentally, it was during the coronavirus pandemic that sisters Nikita and Rhea Patel were on their own journey of discovering the need for better working environments for women in the UAE. “During the lockdown, we found ourselves working together in the same space while pursuing our individual ventures,” the Patels recall. “After years of living on separate continents, we quickly realized how different our working styles were—while I thrived in pin-drop silence, Rhea preferred a more social environment filled with music. I needed a traditional desk and chair, whereas Rhea loved working on a comfy couch. However, the one thing we both agreed on was how much we missed being surrounded by people, particularly other like-minded women…Two years later, The Bureau was born!”

Nikita Patel is the co-founder of The Bureau. Image source: The Bureau

Indeed, it was in 2022, that the duo co-founded The Bureau as a female-focused co-working space in Dubai’s Gold & Diamond Park. “Beyond creating workspaces that cater to our differing styles, we wanted to design beautiful environments that inspire us and others to achieve great things,” they explain. “We envisioned an authentic space where people could wear whatever they felt comfortable in and be unapologetically themselves while getting work done. We aimed to create a hub that brought together individuals from all industries—freelancers, entrepreneurs, community leaders, and professionals—a place to connect with like-minded, bold, and ambitious individuals who uplift one another. In short, we recognized a significant need for a workspace and community in Dubai, and the broader region, that combines the convenience of an office with the comfort of home.”

Rhea Patel is the co-founder of The Bureau. Image source: The Bureau

As such, The Bureau’s workspaces cater to varying work styles. “We have everything from private offices and dedicated desks, to phone booths, meeting rooms, and a plethora of coworking areas,” the Patels add. “We realized early on in the process that preferences are varied in regards to seating, therefore, we provide it all! We have high tables, couch seating, cozy nooks and more!”

But at the heart of the venture was a vision to address the very problem that is mentioned at the beginning of this article. “There was this staggering statistic we came across: nearly one in two women in MENA take a career break to tend to family, raise children, or recover from childbirth,” Nikita shares. “However, only 19% successfully rejoin the workforce after a career break of five years or less. As a result, female labor force participation for the 25-34 year old cohort has steadily decreased. We as co-founders are therefore committed to increasing the number of women who rejoin the workforce in the MENA region.”

Image source: The Bureau

The Bureau aims to achieve this through a three-tiered approach: through its physical space itself, a series of upskilling programs, as well as through creating a professional network of women. “The Bureau’s physical space includes a nursing room for new moms, a vanity and shower area, flexible child and baby policies and is purposefully situated near schools and nurseries,” Rhea explains. “New moms use the nursing room daily and express that restarting working without such amenities would be much more challenging. It is a simple yet highly impactful offering. The Bureau places a huge emphasis on upskilling and lifelong learning. We actively work to combat the misconception that returning women lack experience or have outdated skills. Since its inception, they have hosted workshops on leveraging AI for marketing, public speaking, pitch deck creation, business finance and more! The Bureau also hosts the Bureau Connect program, connecting members in similar industries and lines of work and a peer-to-peer skill-share program. The Bureau also holds regular “needs and leads” sessions for entrepreneurs to support one another. Additionally, a retail wall showcases female-founded brands and helps drive CPG growth for those brands.”

In designing these amenities for The Bureau’s users, Nikita has deployed some of her personal experiences as a new mother as well. “I’ve become a mother in the last year and what I’ve learned is that saving time and efficiency is the most valuable thing to help with balance,” she adds. “The Bureau has been so wonderful in helping me improve this, as well as for others, because it serves as a hub where you can do everything under one roof – complete work, host meetings, attend an event, and grab a coffee at our cafe. We designed The Bureau purposefully with women’s needs in mind and not as an afterthought. We have a nursing and pumping room for new mothers which allows those returning to the workplace to do so quicker and with ease.”

Image source: The Bureau

But in addition to the motherhood-specific additions, The Bureau’s interiors have also been carefully designed to ensure it is aesthetically pleasing to women in general as well. “We often say The Bureau combines the comforts of your home with the convenience of your office,” Rhea explains. “During our focus groups, we learnt early on that women prefer spaces with more of a residential feel than a commercial one. Office spaces have historically been very conventional, and a little institutional. We here at The Bureau believe an office of any kind needs to feel enticing. Wooden floors, high ceilings, and a plethora of natural light created a great base for us to build upon. We used bright, warm colours, as well as soft neutrals in our space to stimulate energy, and create a productive work environment. We added a healthy sprinkle of coffee table books, candles, plants, and wall art to really bring the space to life, and to give our office that effortless ‘lived-in’ feel. Assouline books, female biographies, and New Yorker magazines are just a few of the delightful things you can find on the shelves of The Bureau library.”

But do not confuse The Bureau’s female-focused approach to be one that is exclusively for women. “We at The Bureau are female-focused and female-friendly, as opposed to female-only, meaning that we have both men and women utilizing our coworking space,” the co-founders share. “That being said, due to our design, amenities, and community, our current ratio is about 70% women to 30% men. What does female-focused mean you may ask? Women have unique needs, especially in the workplace, and more specifically depending on their stage of life and The Bureau remains committed to thinking about women’s needs at its core, not as an afterthought. Female-focused spaces are extremely important from a career longevity and workforce perspective.”

Adopting such attention to detail across its combination of workspaces, personal spaces, and events spaces, as well as adopting a flexible pricing plan, has paid off monetarily for the co-founders as well. “We believe in being price inclusive, and catering to individuals with various budget requirements,” the duo explains. “Having a range of price points ensures a diverse crowd, which is essential in creating an authentic community. We have a day pass for as low as AED120, as well as single and all location access coworking memberships. For longer term commitments, we have dedicated desks starting at AED1,200. We have 16 private offices at The Bureau Gold & Diamond Park location, at 100% occupancy, which has been a stable and great revenue source for The Bureau. We are now also on the brink of opening our second location in the iconic Opera Grand Residences in Downtown Dubai. We have already leased 60% of our private offices, and 80% of our dedicated desks prior to opening. An unexpected revenue source has been our event space rental, as well as full space takeovers. From company offsites and industry panels, to pop ups, and video shoots, we really have seen it all.”

Image source: The Bureau

But the sisters point out that reaching this point has not been an easy ride, particularly because both of them had been in different careers prior to plunging into the world of creating co-working spaces- Rhea’s background was in Media and Digital Transformation, while Nikita has previously run a special needs center for young adults as well as a hydroponics vertical farm in Dubai. “The most challenging part of building The Bureau has quite literally been ‘building The Bureau.'” Rhea notes. “Neither Nikita nor I have a technical or fitout background, and therefore it was quite a steep learning curve. Fitting out a space is often associated with the more ‘glamorous’ and ‘fun’ aspects such as picking out wallpapers, paints, and funky furniture. However, the reality is much different, and we have learnt more than we desire about firefighting, mezzanine builds, and plumbing to name a few. Being in business with a sibling has been extremely helpful in this regard, as we are able to split the workload and divide and conquer.”

Nikita, on the other hand, notes that learning how to pivot constituted a major lesson for the duo. “Another great challenge has been not getting overly attached to the initial business plan, and allowing The Bureau to take its natural course, and allowing The Bureau to evolve,” she adds. “Like in any business, consumers resonate with certain aspects of a business more than others. A prime example for us was the incorporation of a workout studio in our coworking space. During focus groups, consumers are generally overly optimistic, and believed this amenity would be of great use. However, fast forward two years and two different yoga and pilates operators later, we made the decision to convert the space to three private offices, as this was where the demand was.”

Filled with a passion to continue their journey, the Patel sisters now hope to expand The Bureau beyond the UAE as well. “In all honesty, the plan was never to have one Bureau and one location,” Nikita and Rhea declare. “Our Gold & Diamond Park location is definitely the pilot project. 2025 brings us the opening of our second location in Downtown Dubai. Our next step is to expand The Bureau across MENA, South Asia and beyond. Something we would like to explore this year is how to keep adding value to our community with additional amenities in current and future locations. Some concepts we are exploring is the integration of childcare, a podcast studio, or perhaps even a content studio. We are born and raised in Dubai and Dubai teaches you to dream big. In the words of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, “The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it, and execute it.” We aspire to embody that every day with The Bureau.”

Nikita and Rhea Patel, co-founders, The Bureau. Image source: The Bureau

‘TREP TALK: Nikita and Rhea Patel on the perks of co-founding a startup with your sibling!

The ability to make decisions quickly “There are two clear decision makers, and therefore we are able to move forward with things quickly. Whether it be strategy, a new process etc, being a sibling in business allows us to have a very agile organization.”

Having the same core values courtesy having grown up in the same household “Some of our core values include overcommunication, respect, and hard work. This allows us to have great synergy, especially when building a team. We are aligned on the type of individual we want to hire, and the values they should have. Having a rock solid foundation is essential for any set of co-founders, which can be built upon alongside the business.”

With all benefits there are always unique challenges “One big challenge with working alongside a sibling is unlearning the typical familial roles, and re-establishing yourselves as equals and co-founders. In our case, we had to unlearn our traditional roles of ‘older sister’ and ‘little sister.’ The second large challenge is separating our work and personal life. Setting those clear boundaries upfront, and then following them is super important, and something we work on everyday.”

Related: Trailblazing Women: How Former Tennis Champion Sania Mirza is Serving Her On-Court Excellence in Entrepreneurship

The AI CEO: Why Future Business Leaders Must Think Like Engineers

In an era where artificial intelligence is redefining industries at an unprecedented pace, the traditional business playbook is being rewritten. The most successful leaders today are not just visionaries or strategists—they are problem-solvers who think like engineers and leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to drive innovation. This is particularly relevant in fast-growing markets like Dubai and the broader Middle East and Africa (MEA), where AI and digital transformation are rapidly shaping the future of business.

First-Principles Thinking: Redefining Business Challenges with AI

Elon Musk popularized first-principles thinking in business, but its origins lie in engineering and physics. Instead of reasoning by analogy—adopting existing methods or tweaking established models—leaders applying first principles deconstruct problems to their most fundamental truths.

For example, rather than asking, “How do we improve our marketing funnel?” an AI-driven CEO might ask, “What are the fundamental drivers of customer conversion, and how can AI optimize them from the ground up?” With AI-powered analytics and predictive modeling, leaders can move beyond assumptions and use data-driven insights to drive exponential improvements. In cities like Dubai, where AI is a core government priority, leaders who adopt this mindset are better positioned to stay ahead.

Systems Design: Orchestrating AI-Driven Organizations

Just as engineers design resilient and scalable systems, modern executives must think in terms of interconnected business structures that leverage AI for efficiency and growth. A company is not just departments working in silos; it’s a dynamic system where each function interacts with AI-powered insights and automation.

A CEO with an AI and engineering mindset examines:

• Dependencies and Bottlenecks: What are the critical constraints in our organization’s workflow, and how can AI optimize them?

• Feedback Loops: How do AI-driven insights enhance decision-making across departments?

• Scalability: Are our AI and automation strategies designed to handle exponential growth?

In MEA, where startups are scaling rapidly, applying AI-driven systems thinking can help leaders navigate infrastructure challenges, regulatory environments, and diverse market needs.

Iteration: The Power of AI-Driven Experimentation

In software development, iteration is the cornerstone of progress. Products evolve through continuous feedback, testing, and improvement. AI accelerates this process by providing real-time data, enabling rapid decision-making and automated optimization.

Amazon’s Jeff Bezos encapsulates this with his philosophy of high-velocity decision-making. Companies that prioritize AI-driven iterative learning—whether through A/B testing, AI-enhanced MVP launches, or adaptive strategy—stay ahead of slower, more rigid competitors. This approach is especially relevant in Dubai’s tech ecosystem, where agility and AI adoption define successful enterprises.

AI-Driven Strategy: The Shift to Intelligent Leadership

The most disruptive companies today are AI-centric, regardless of their industry. Whether it’s Tesla in automotive, OpenAI in research, or Amazon in e-commerce, the defining factor is AI-driven decision-making.

For CEOs, this means:

• Embracing AI Automation: Using AI and machine learning to enhance operations, from customer service to supply chain management.

• Leveraging AI-Driven Data Analytics: Building a culture where business decisions are guided by predictive analytics and machine learning, not just intuition.

• Agility Over Bureaucracy: Replacing hierarchical decision-making with AI-augmented, cross-functional teams that can iterate quickly.

Governments and enterprises in the UAE are already investing heavily in AI, blockchain, and automation, making AI fluency a non-negotiable skill set for leaders operating in the region.

Practical Takeaways for Today’s AI-Driven Leaders

1. Deconstruct Problems Like an Engineer – Apply first-principles thinking to break down challenges and reimagine AI-powered solutions from the ground up.

2. Design Your Organization as an AI-Optimized System – Identify interdependencies, optimize workflows with AI, and build resilience into your business model.

3. Test, Learn, Adapt with AI – Cultivate a culture of continuous iteration, using AI-driven insights for rapid experimentation and course correction.

4. Lead with an AI-First Mindset – Even if you’re not in tech, embrace AI automation, leverage data science, and build an intelligent, AI-powered organization.

The next generation of CEOs will be those who merge business acumen with an engineer’s approach to AI-powered problem-solving. In a world defined by technological acceleration, thinking like an engineer and embracing AI isn’t optional—it’s the key to leading the future, particularly in regions like Dubai and MEA, where AI-driven economies are booming.

Related: Creating Cyber Immunity in the Era of Interconnected Technologies: The How-To

Creating Cyber Immunity in the Era of Interconnected Technologies: The How-To

From the intricacies of interconnectedness to ever-expanding artificial intelligence (AI), the dynamic landscape of technology continues its heady evolution, bringing forth both unprecedented opportunities and challenges. Recent research by our experts has revealed that more than 50% of organizations have already implemented AI and the internet of things (IoT) in their infrastructures. And more than 30% are planning to adopt these interconnected technologies (i.e., devices and systems connected to the internet and each other) within the next two years.

Indeed, such technologies transform organizations, helping them gather more data and automate business processes. But (there’s always a “but” in this imperfect world) as more individual users and businesses invest in or adopt interconnected technologies, the potential exposure to cyberthreats and attacks increases too. On top of that, cybercriminal attacks are growing exponentially in both sophistication and volume: throughout 2024 every day we collected on average around 467,000 new unique malicious files.

Moreover, because AI and IoT have become so widespread, this trend has given rise to new vulnerabilities and new vectors of complex cyberattacks – for example, AI-enhanced cyberthreats, which are capable of adapting on the fly. The use of generative adversarial networks (GANs) to create realistic fake identities for social engineering attacks, and the development of AI-driven malware that can mutate to avoid detection, represent just a small glimpse of what the future might hold.

Under such circumstances, and given the scale of change that interconnected technologies are likely to bring, the traditional approach to the cybersecurity of IT systems becomes less and less effective. And today, to maintain and protect the integrity of infrastructure, a new way to enhance IT security is needed.

As a response to such a challenge, our experts created a fundamentally new approach to IT solutions’ protection – Cyber Immunity. Cyber Immunity is a proactive, secure-by-design approach, while traditional cybersecurity is more of a reactive measure.

At the heart of Cyber Immunity, lies our own Cyber Immune operating system (KasperskyOS) – a platform for building Cyber Immune products, which was developed from scratch. Its architecture is based on the division of its various elements into many isolated modules.

Such an operating system provides the possibility to build IT-systems where, though cybercriminals (with great diligence) may be able to affect one or more untrusted components, they won’t be able to develop an attack or affect the performance of critical system functions. Affecting the trusted components is highly unlikely given the minimal and well-tested trusted computing base. One doesn’t even need antivirus here!

To achieve Cyber Immunity when building upon KasperskyOS, solution developers need follow a special methodology: any action not explicitly permitted by the security policy is blocked before it’s performed. This default-deny principle allows to create security policies that can meet specific security goals, making sure that potentially dangerous operations are blocked. Thus, Cyber Immune products have “inherent” protection from most types of cyberattacks. With Cyber Immunity we’ve moved away from the “virus > antivirus” and “vulnerability > patch” paradigms – and this is a true breakthrough.

I cannot overestimate the importance of such an unprecedented level of cybersecurity when it comes to the protection of various critical infrastructure objects – governments and public digital systems containing a huge amount of sensitive data; the healthcare sector, energy plants, transportation systems, oil-and-gas industry installations, etc.

The consequences of a cyberattack targeting these sectors are huge since they can directly affect the functioning of society and even national economies. Their security is a priority and an extremely challenging task at the same time. These sectors need to move away from reacting to cyberattacks and become proactive in their approach. Better yet, they need to invest in systems and solutions where security is built into them right from the design stage.

Thus, in the fast-paced digital world of today, to enjoy the full benefits of complex interconnected technologies, quality protection needs to be assured. And this is where Cyber Immunity comes in. By integrating cybersecurity into each stage of the software development lifecycle, secure-by-design software and hardware become resilient against cyberattacks, contributing to the overall security of digital systems. Cyber Immunity is all about developing an ecosystem with “innate” protection – where all connected elements are protected.

Vladimir Razuvaev on Yango Tech’s Bold AI-Powered Vision for MENA

Entrepreneur Middle East sat down with Vladimir Razuvaev, Chief Executive of Yango Tech, to discuss the company’s latest transformation—one that signals a new era for AI-driven business solutions in the MENA region. At a recent event in Dubai, Yango Group unveiled the unification of its B2B offerings under Yango Tech, streamlining a wide range of AI-powered services into a single, integrated ecosystem. The move is set to redefine how businesses in retail, logistics, cloud computing, and advertising harness technology to scale, optimize operations, and drive innovation.

For Razuvaev, this is more than just a rebrand—it’s a strategic shift toward simplifying digital transformation for businesses across the region. “Companies today are looking for seamless, AI-driven solutions that eliminate inefficiencies and open new opportunities for growth,” he explains. “Yango Tech was created to meet these needs, offering a single platform that integrates cutting-edge automation, AI, and cloud computing into a unified experience.”

Under Razuvaev’s leadership, Yango Tech is focusing on delivering AI-powered automation for warehouses, autonomous last-mile delivery solutions, scalable cloud computing, and advanced digital advertising tools. By bringing these capabilities together under one ecosystem, the company aims to remove the complexity of working with multiple service providers, allowing businesses to focus on agility and expansion.

With MENA’s industries rapidly evolving, Yango Tech’s entry into the market is timely. As businesses increasingly turn to AI to stay competitive, Razuvaev sees Yango Tech as a key enabler of this transformation. “Our goal is to make AI technology more accessible, more efficient, and ultimately more impactful for businesses of all sizes,” he says.

Watch the full video interview here

Trailblazing Women: How Former Tennis Champion Sania Mirza is Serving Her On-Court Excellence in Entrepreneurship

This article is part of a series entitled “Trailblazing Women” by Entrepreneur Middle East, in celebration of International Women’s Day 2025.

There is a phrase that often closely trails the name Sania Mirza: “the first Indian woman to…” Indeed, the tennis star holds the title of being the first Indian woman to achieve the following: win a Grand Slam title, courtesy her Australian Open mixed doubles win in 2009 alongside fellow Indian ace Mahesh Bhupathi; win a women’s doubles Grand Slam title at the 2015 Wimbledon with Martina Hingis; and compete in four Olympics between 2008 and 2020. In 2015, she also became the first Indian woman to be ranked world number one in world tennis doubles. The list goes on and on. And so the first question I ask Mirza, when I meet her backstage after her talk at the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF) 2025, is which of those “firsts” has been dearest to her. “To be very honest, I think all of them…it’s very hard for me to say this one meant the most because I feel that at that given point of time in my life that was the most special moment that was happening,” she says. “Obviously, as you keep achieving more , the magnitude of those firsts start becoming bigger and the amount of people who start noticing them becomes a lot more too. But I feel like every single one has a special place in my heart!”

Now, to many, the idea of being a pathbreaker like Mirza might seem enticing and exhilarating. And while Mirza doesn’t dismiss that all those emotions come with it, she also blatantly notes that being “the first” in any capacity or career can often be extremely lonely. While addressing the eagerly tuned-in audience on the second day of SEF 2025, Mirza said that “being the first to do something is always the hardest.” “There is no path to follow and no precedent, but overcoming those challenges is what makes you shine,” she had added.

^{Martina Hingis of Switzerland and Sania Mirza after winning the doubles final match at the Australian Open 2016. Mirza became the first Indian female tennis player to win a women’s doubles Grand Slam title at the 2015 Wimbledon with Hingis. Image source: Shutterstock}

Back in the quiet media lounge where I get to talk with her, she tells me that the key to overcoming loneliness and mental slumps is to keep reevaluating one’s intentions and goals after every result. “I think the most important thing is that you have to be ‘real,'” she says. “You have to fully accept what you’re trying to do, who you are, and what your goals are- and keep revisiting those depending on the success ratio that you’re having. Because it’s also very important to be realistic in life. You can’t say “it doesn’t matter if I can’t play but I want to be number one in the world!” It doesn’t work that way in sport, for example. So it’s the same thing in any other business as well, and I can say that with experience. So if I don’t think I am good at something that I’ve picked up, I will try to find other ways or I will surround myself with people who know better than me.”

Despite the sports analogies, it is hard to miss that Mirza’s advice will resonate strongly with startup founders as well. After all, the dangers of being in echo chambers and not pivoting at the right time are both topics that are often brought up in the entrepreneurial world, and Mirza’s tip to surround oneself with people with different views is something that entrepreneurs will certainly benefit from.

^{Former world tennis champion Sania Mirza during her fireside chat on the second day of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2025. Image source: BNC Publishing}

For Mirza herself, who started playing tennis at the age of just six, the people who’ve known “better” have always been her immediate family. As she explains the foundations of her childhood goals, she also cautions both sportspeople and entrepreneurs to not be solely money-driven. “The most important thing is to believe and know why you started what you did,” Mirza shares. “So when we started playing tennis -and by “we” I mean my family and I- we didn’t start on this path to be doing interviews, or to walk the red carpets or do photoshoots. We started because we love tennis, because we love sport, and for the simple reason that my parents wanted their children to play a sport. The dream was seen from there. The seed that was in us was simply that- that we love tennis, we will try to be as successful as we possibly can be, and be the best version of ourselves. So the perseverance, the resilience, the commitment and sacrifices that have come with this journey- all of it seems worth it when you remember that dream and the beginning of the dream- and not because of the money, fame and everything that comes with it.”

But all of this isn’t to say that seeking profitability is inherently wrong either, reminds the tennis star. “I’m not saying you can’t want that, but that’s also not what you dream for,” she adds. “Money and fame are just something that happens to come with working towards your goals; it’s just a by-product of it.”

There is a certain added weight when such advice comes from an athlete who not only has over 20 years of professional tennis experience and six Grand Slam titles under her belt, but has also beaten significant odds in reaching the pinnacle of her career. Earlier that same day on the SEF 2025 stage, Mirza spoke of how ludicrous her dream had seemed to most people when she first began playing the sport. “When I started 30 years ago, we just had a history of cricketers in my city, Hyderabad,” she had shared. “When a young girl said to her parents that she wanted to play at Wimbledon, people thought it was a joke, and crazy to have a dream like that.”

^{Image source: Shutterstock}

But as is the story of all sportspersons, Mirza had to eventually choose the right time to bow out of tennis. That came in early 2023 -coincidentally in the UAE, at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February that year- and with it came the opportunity for her to step out of the court and into the world of entrepreneurship. Having already opened a few tennis academies in her hometown in India, Mirza opened the Sania Mirza Tennis Academy (SMTA) in Dubai in September 2022, just a few months prior to her retirement. Offering tennis training and coaching to aspiring players of all ages and skill levels, the academy has a number of branches across the emirate today. In December 2023, in collaboration with the Dubai Sports Council and the UAE Tennis Federation, SMTA also launched the Dubai Open for Tennis Academies (DOTA) Tournament. Bringing together over 200 players from 40 academies, the event aims to support tennis talent in the region.

Describing her entrepreneurial ventures as “another dream”, Mirza tells me that while being an athlete allows her to bring in the obvious traits of discipline and resilience into the world of business, it has also given her another advantage (tennis pun intended!): time. “I never really had the time to do anything else outside of playing tennis until 2023,” she says. “February 2023 was the last match that I played. After that is when I finally started getting into other stuff. But then people used to tell me, “Oh, you’re so young!”, and I was like “Yeah, in tennis years I’m a dinosaur!” [laughs] But that’s the great part about being an athlete- that you can finish your entire career and still be young enough to start new ones. And that’s the opportunity I wanted to use.”

^{Image source: BNC Publishing}

Mirza’s entrepreneurial pursuits haven’t been restricted to tennis-related businesses either. In January this year, she collaborated with SeeSaw Spaces, a Hyderabad-based children’s center that focuses on overall child development. Offering a three-pronged set of services including creative play zones, fitness programs, as well as a family cafe, the venture has been yet another feather added to Mirza’s entrepreneurial hat- and one that she has felt personally connected to as a parent herself. “SeeSaw is something I really relate to,” she says. “It’s a kids’ space in Hyderabad. But we try to educate kids there as well- it’s not just a “come, play, jump and go” area- it’s much more than that. It’s like a holistic place for them, and that’s something that being a mother I really relate to. So I also get into things that I feel a complete bond with. And, well, the tennis academies I have an obvious connection with too!”

During her fireside chat, one line Mirza said stood out to me- purely because it displayed a healthy level of detachment from career feats and fame. “I would not say tennis is everything to me, but it means a lot to me,” she had said during her fireside chat.

^{Sania Mirza and Aalia Mehreen Ahmed, Features Editor of Entrepreneur Middle East, at SEF 2025. Image source: BNC Publishing}

As such, I am tempted to end this story with the assumption that it is the same mindset that prompts her to mention how the lesser known achievements of her tennis years are just as important as any of the popular “firsts” that are attached to her name. “The obvious ones of becoming number one in the world, winning the Grand Slam… I mean, those are stuff that are out there for everybody to see and find on Google,” she tells me. “But the personal firsts are the ones that have happened when I was very young. I was the first one to win Nationals when I was 12, at the Under-14 and then the Under-16 categories. So stuff like that, which is not really out there in the world, are just as special.”

For the entrepreneurs reading this, there is perhaps a golden nugget of wisdom to take away from this statement: that achievements, no matter how small or unknown, are just as significant as the more prominent milestones. Or as Mirza more aptly puts it, “You have to do everything in your power to give yourself the opportunity to succeed, no matter what you do.”

Related: Trailblazing Women: Zed Capital Founder and Dubai Bling Star Zeina Khoury

Phoenix Group CEO Increases Stake, Reinforcing Confidence in Long-Term Growth Strategy

Phoenix Group PLC, a UAE-based global cryptocurrency, blockchain and next-generation digital infrastructure company, has announces that its co-founder and CEO Munaf Ali has significantly increased his stake in the company, reaffirming his strong belief in its prospects and long-term growth trajectory.

Since the public disclosure on ADX on November 18, 2024, Ali has acquired over 20 million ordinary shares of Phoenix Group through direct market purchases. This substantial investment highlights his deep confidence in the Company’s growth potential and his commitment to aligning executive interests with those of shareholders.

“As we enter a year of high-impact expansion, I firmly believe in Phoenix Group’s long-term potential, as these purchases show,” said Ali, in a statement following the announcement. “Increasing my holding in the Company reflects my belief in our differentiated strategy, high quality operations, and future growth. Phoenix Group is at the forefront of digital asset mining, and as a Board we remain fully focused on delivering growth and sustainable value creation for our shareholders.”

Phoenix Group will be participating in the Cantor Global Technology Conference in New York City, USA, on March 11-12, 2025. The engagement is expected to provide the company with an opportunity to interact with leading US institutional investors and strategic partners, further reinforcing the Group’s presence in the American market.

Additionally, Phoenix Group continues to evaluate the potential for a future US listing, aligning with its ongoing expansion into the North American bitcoin mining sector. The company’s investments in the States reflect a broader strategy to scale its high-margin self-mining operations and diversify its geographic footprint in 2025 and beyond.

International Women’s Day: Meet the Magnificent Seven

All of us have a story—stories of strength, resilience, and transformation. Together, we celebrate the many layers of who we are beyond the titles we carry.

This year, Entrepreneur Middle East proudly presents “This Is My Story”, a tribute to seven remarkable women who are making waves across industries, generations, and borders. These women are more than their careers; they are visionaries, nurturers, creators, and changemakers.

Through an exclusive Entrepreneur TV campaign, each of them shares her story in her own words—revealing the defining moments, the struggles, and the triumphs that have shaped their journeys. Watch the full campaign here

1. Aldhabi AlMheiri- Founder of Rainbow Chimney Bookshop, Publisher, Guinness World Record Holder

Aldhabi’s biggest wish is to spread joy and happiness to children around the world. As a young entrepreneur and record-breaker, she has made it her mission to ignite a love for reading in the hearts of young minds.

2. Prathana Nandwani – Entrepreneur, Founder of Evogue Digital

Her greatest advice to women? Trust yourself and your vision. Prathana is a firm believer in the power of self-confidence and resilience, using her expertise to empower brands and businesses in the digital space.

3. Joelle Mardinian – Media Personality, Entrepreneur

Joelle is a champion of kindness, respect, and humility. A mother of three, she calls herself a protector when it comes to her loved ones and continues to inspire millions with her entrepreneurial ventures and authenticity.

4. Maria Morris – Founder and CEO of Maria Morris Global

Maria has navigated male-dominated industries and corporate challenges before establishing her own company. She is a devoted dog mom and draws inspiration from her dynamic circle of friends in Dubai.

5. Alina Valcarce – Founder and Design Director at Valcarce Architects

Blending work with motherhood is her forte—whether sketching architectural designs on her iPad while on the beach with her kids or conceptualizing innovative spaces. Alina seamlessly integrates her passion and personal life.

6. Racha ElHassan – Head of Marketing and Strategy, Eurasian and African Growth Markets, GE Healthcare

Racha cherishes time with her family and hopes to be remembered as someone who brings positive energy into the lives of others. Her role at GE Healthcare exemplifies her commitment to impactful leadership.

7. Jamie Simpson – General Manager, Jumeirah Mina A’Salam

A proud mother of five, Jamie masterfully juggles work, family, and personal life. She finds inspiration in laughter, especially when her husband cracks a joke in the most unexpected moments—reminding her to embrace joy even amidst life’s chaos.

These seven women exemplify excellence and dedication, proving that success is as diverse as the stories behind it.

You can watch their stories in full HERE.