It was Saddam Hussein's war against Kuwait in 1990 that prompted him to do it.
As a major in the UAE Navy, Ali Saqar Al Suweidi was no stranger to conflict.
Many people could not understand why he set up Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG) in the mid-1990s. But seeing the damage inflicted by the dumping of 465 million gallons of crude oil into the waters off Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion of the country was the final straw.
"I have started many organisations but Emirates Marine Environmental Group [EMEG] is important," he says.
EMEG is a non-profit organisation based in the UAE and established in 1996. It is specialised in dealing with various environmental issues and maintains a coastal sanctuary and the Ghantoot Nature Reserve on the western border of Dubai. The area is used as a base to develop and organise educational camps for school, community and corporate groups to increase awareness and understanding of the different threats the environment faces. Within these structured programmes, EMEG focuses on the cultural heritage of the UAE and incorporates traditional values and skills into each activity..
Launching the organisation came as little surprise to those aware of Major Ali's family history. As the grandson of a pearl diver, Major Ali, as he prefers to be known, grew up in Deira hearing stories about the time when the industry formed the backbone of the economy.
An estimated 500 pearl-diving boats operated out of Dubai at the industry's peak and the fleet used to spend several months at sea without returning to port.
"It was a very hard, very hard country to live in because we have the sea and the desert," he explains.
Pearl divers ate little during the day, snacking on dates to keep their energy levels up. The days were long and only those who found enough pearls were permitted to eat an evening meal.
They used to borrow money from the captain of a ship to feed their families while they were away pearl diving, which they had to return at the end of a trip.
"If you [did not find enough pearls] they took your home - and son to dive for free," he says.
"It was not easy, only if you are lucky to find big pearls. That's what happened to my grandfather."
Major Ali's grandfather's boat was smaller than some others, so he did not always have his pick of the pearl divers.
And one day an Omani man turned up at the boat, which was called the Al Assad, or "the lion', in a ripped kandora, begging for a place.
"He was a very poor guy. He didn't know how to swim. He went to my grandfather and he begged him, 'Please take me with you because I have 30 people to feed.'
"My grandfather said, 'Khalas, OK I will help you because one left and you can be in his position'."
But after being at sea for 15 days, Major Ali's father, who was just 12 at the time, fell sick and they returned to port. Suddenly, everybody feared there was something wrong with the Omani pearl diver, too.
"He was like, 'Mmm, mmm ..,' like this, showing he had something in his mouth. They thought he was a genie. They hit him and said, 'Genie, go out.'"
When he finally opened his mouth the diver revealed a large pearl, the first of many they found that day.
"My grandfather became rich like this in one day. My father said they had a big room full of money," adds Major Ali.
The pearl diver was rewarded well for his find and returned to Oman, where he bought the biggest farm in the country.
Major Ali's grandfather used his share of the spoils to buy the largest ship in Dubai, which he used to sail to Africa and India trading. His son, Major Ali's father, became the captain of the vessel.
Major Ali learnt how to pearl dive when he was a teenager and carries around a red pouch in his kandura filled with hundreds of tiny pearls, as well as a large one that is surely in the running to rival the Omani pearl diver's find. He recalls one particularly memorable occasion: "I found more than 200 or 300 shells and we started opening [them] and one guy was sitting with me and nothing was coming, only small pearls. It was very disappointing," recalls Major Ali.
He says he sat impatiently while they opened one shell after another, each revealing only tiny pearls, and eventually left in frustration.
"After one hour they called me and they found big, nice, beautiful pearls," says Major Ali laughing. "They were the best pearls I found in my life and from that I started thinking more about the pearl diving and started to organise a trip."
He now goes on regular trips, having teamed up with Jumeriah Group to run a initiative that educates tourists about the industry.
But the environment and UAE heritage are not Mr Ali's only passions.
He joined Al Zamalek Sports Club, a football team - now famous the world over although by a different name - when he was about 16.
"I said, 'We want to change the name because my mother, she told me a poem,' and I said, 'What is Al Wasl?' And she said it was the old name of Dubai," says Major Ali.
"Everybody liked the idea and we changed the name to Al Wasl."
The club is currently managed by the former Argentina football superstar Diego Maradona. The move created headlines around the world when he signed on last year - for a reported €3.5 million (Dh16.2m) a year for two years.
Major Ali played for the club for about eight years until he suffered a career-ending injury but Al Wasl remained, and remains, in his blood, even as he rose up the ranks of the Navy.
Our interview is periodically interrupted by phone calls from zealous security staff checking the credentials of people visiting EMEG's headquarters. Major Ali takes it in his stride. "Thank you, he is coming to us to have a meeting. Please let him come. Thank you. Thank you very much," he tells security, before explaining the reason behind their enthusiasm: "We have turtles and we are worried about people stealing the eggs."
He used to spend a lot of his time protecting people - but then he saw the damage they were capable of inflicting on the environment
"I started the first unit in the navy for sea mines. We saved people from the mines [in the two Gulf wars].
"I saw the pollution, the big huge pollution ... when Saddam released oil and many birds and fish died," he says.
He retired from the navy about six years ago to devote himself to EMEG full-time.
"They didn't want to let me [go] but I said I need to care about the environment.
"It is my life," he says.
gduncan@thenational.ae
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Rain Management
Year started: 2017
Based: Bahrain
Employees: 100-120
Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
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ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
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- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
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