Martin Persson came to the UAE in 2009 as the chief research and development officer of Jannah Hotels and Resorts in Abu Dhabi, responsible for finding potential sites to expand the group. The Swedish native became chief operating officer of Jannah three years ago. The group now manages a number of locations including Abu Dhabi’s Jannah Burj Al Sarab hotel and Jannah Place Dubai Marina. The 33-year-old takes time off during the summer, the low season for UAE hotels, to visit his family and spend time with his wife.
How do you spend your weekend?
The weekends are the best time for me to catch up on my emails, sort out my tasks for the week and spend a bit of time with my wife. Lynn and I are both food enthusiasts, so you can probably spot us in a new dining establishment in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. I love my food, which makes it hard for me to choose one cuisine in particular. If you had to make me pick, I’d say Japanese; there’s loads of really good Japanese restaurants in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Italian is a close second for me.
How did you become a chief operating officer?
Through sheer hard work, determination, a bit of luck and plenty of go-getting attitude.
What is your go-to gadget?
My mobile. I’m always on the go, and often travelling on the road between different hotels. My mobile is like an extension to my body, and keeps me in the loop despite my location. I like to listen to a lot of different music while I’m travelling too.
What was the lowest point of your career?
There have been a lot of high and low points. However, I don’t believe that a situation that is looked at as a “low point” is necessarily something negative. Experiencing something that might not be in your favour or giving you the outcome you were hoping for, those situations tend to bring with them some of the biggest opportunities. I started off my career as a food and beverage entrepreneur with a couple of establishments in Sweden and in Europe. During those years I had both great high points and some low points that gave me great lessons that I’m thankful for until today. During those years I was, you could say, a bit naive when it came to fully understanding all aspects of the operation that impacted both me and the company financially. At the time the situation felt like the worst that could have happened. However, we managed to dig ourselves out of the hole. Looking back, it was an important lesson that serves as a reminder until today.
What advice would you offer others starting out in your business?
Persevere and never lose your focus. Every day you don’t give up is a day closer to your goal.
What is your most indulgent habit?
When I think, I always put my elbows up on the desk. On stressful days, I’ve been known to wear out the fabric of my sleeves on my elbows. You can imagine that I go through a lot of shirts in a month, so I guess shopping for new shirts is my indulgent habit.
What do you have on your desk at work?
I’m Swedish, so I like a very uncluttered and clean desk. The only thing on my desk is my laptop and my phone.
What can’t you live without?
My wife, my mobile and a cup of coffee in the morning before starting the day.
How do you achieve a work-life balance?
I run every day for at least 45 minutes – not only to keep healthy but also as a way to clear my head and help me unwind. When I am in Abu Dhabi, I am usually at the gym in Jannah Burj Al Sarab. When I’m in Dubai, I am at the gym in Jannah Marina Bay Suites. When the weather is cooler, I’ll be running along Abu Dhabi Corniche or in the Dubai Marina area.
If you could swap jobs with anyone, who would it be?
Besides the obvious choice to swap with someone famous and successful, I would like to swap with every talent in our organisation to gain experience through their eyes and to have a better understanding of their daily challenges and how to eliminate those challenges as much as possible.
ssahoo@thenational.ae
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Grubtech
Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi
Launched: October 2019
Employees: 50
Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)
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MATCH INFO
Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)
Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties
Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Result
UAE (S. Tagliabue 90 1') 1-2 Uzbekistan (Shokhruz Norkhonov 48', 86')
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
More from Armen Sarkissian
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
Haemoglobin disorders explained
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
SPECS
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Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
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.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – Rally schedule:
Saturday: Super Special Spectator Stage – Yas Marina Circuit – start 3.30pm.
Sunday: Yas Marina Circuit Stage 1 (276.01km)
Monday: Nissan Stage 2 (287.92km)
Tuesday: Al Ain Water Stage 3 (281.38km)
Wednesday: ADNOC Stage 4 (244.49km)
Thursday: Abu Dhabi Aviation Stage 5 (218.57km) Finish: Yas Marina Circuit – 4.30pm.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
The finalists
Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho
Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson
Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)
Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola
