Thumbay Moideen, the president of Thumbay Group, set up Gulf Medical University, the UAE’s first such college. Satish Kumar / The National
Thumbay Moideen, the president of Thumbay Group, set up Gulf Medical University, the UAE’s first such college. Satish Kumar / The National

Off-hours: Medical college founder says work is his indulgence



When Thumbay Moideen moved to the UAE from Mangalore, India, in 1997, he took a gamble – he branched out from his family's business interests in timber and real estate to open the UAE's first medical college, Gulf Medical University, in Ajman. Although the core interests of Mr Moideen's Thumbay Group are still in healthcare education, the 59-year-old also runs a chain of 25 coffee shops, six restaurants, six family health clubs, a bi-monthly magazine and a chain of Thumbay laboratories and pharmacies.

How do you spend your weekends?

Mainly with the family. I have two sons, aged 31 and 29, who are both active in the healthcare side of my business. I used to play sports and walk but nowadays my favourite pastime is reading magazines and novels. And if I get an excuse, I like to travel. My favourite city is Dubai, of course, but the second best city in the world is London, so go there when I can.

How did you become president of the Thumbay Group?

I’m the third generation of our family business. When I arrived in the UAE, I got in touch with the ruling family of Ajman, who asked me if I could think of a project that would have a bountiful effect on the emirate’s economy. I said “why don’t you build a medical school and a hospital? It would help with boosting employment and would also put Ajman on the world map.” They encouraged me to do it. I thought it was a good opportunity so I brought in professionals to study the concept and they agreed. I’m lucky that it happened.

What was the lowest point in your career?

I’ve been working for the past 39 years but when I set up the medical school and hospital, it was a different kind of business for me in a totally different country. There were a lot of challenges in those first few years. I had to build a 200-bed hospital in Ajman, it was part of the teaching for the medical students, but Ajman didn’t have a huge population. It wasn’t an easy decision to open and nobody believed at the time that I would succeed. But I have.

What advice would you offer others starting out in your business?

For the young leaders of today, my advice is to master your business if you want to be a good leader. You should know your business well, so you can solve the everyday problems. You need a lot of experience and training in your field, whatever it is. Healthcare education is a really good business to go into because you are also serving the community. Even during the worst economic times, healthcare education has always survived and grown in the UAE.

What’s your go-to gadget?

I use a BlackBerry phone for work and play. The initial reason I chose BlackBerry was because I travel a lot and it was easy to access my emails. I got used to it so I stuck to it.

What’s your most indulgent habit?

I work on Friday mornings sometimes at the hospital because I enjoy my work so much. So work is my indulgent habit. People ask me, is it hard work doing what I do? and I say, “No, because it doesn’t feel like work to me”. So far, 15 batches of students have graduated from our university, which is almost 1,000 doctors.

What can’t you live without?

My wife. We’ve been married for 23 years now. She’s not involved in the business but she’s around all the time. She’s a great moral support to me.

What do you have on your desk at work?

My desk is always clean, I don’t keep anything pending. I like to be very organised. I have a ­laptop and an iPad too.

What car do you drive?

I have a Bentley Mulsanne and a Bentley Bentayga, which is a four wheeler. I’m a big Bentley fan – because it’s British, and I like to think it has a bit of ­Indian spirit too. I have personalised number plates and inside one of my Bentleys, I have our family’s names printed on the seats. My sons did this for me. When I ordered this car, my sons got involved, because I’m not very technically sound.

How do you achieve a work life balance?

To relax and have balance in my life. When I can, I spend time with my family, travel, read a lot and watch movies. My office is only a 10-minute drive from my home and I drive myself there every day. I tend to start at 8.30am, my lunch break is 3pm to 4pm and then I’m usually home at 8pm.

If you could swap jobs with anyone, who would it be?

I would never change my ­career for anything else. I love to create and I’m creating many things right now. We have about 4,000 people working for us and will break 6,000 by the end of 2017. Our ultimate aim is to reach 20,000 in the next five years.

business@thenational.ae

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Graduated from the American University of Sharjah

She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters

Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks

Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding

 

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Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher:  Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5

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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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

Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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RESULT

Manchester City 1 Sheffield United 0
Man City:
Jesus (9')

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

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Company%20Profile
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Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

Cricket World Cup League 2

UAE squad

Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind

Fixtures

Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE

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.

The Bio

Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village

What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft

Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans

Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE

2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.

2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus

2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.

2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.

2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.

The%20specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E261hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400Nm%20at%201%2C750-4%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.5L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C999%20(VX%20Luxury)%3B%20from%20Dh149%2C999%20(VX%20Black%20Gold)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
25-MAN SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Daniel Akpeyi
Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina, Abdullahi Shehu, Chidozie Awaziem, William Ekong, Leon Balogun, Kenneth Omeruo, Jamilu Collins, Semi Ajayi 
Midfielders: John Obi Mikel, Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo, John Ogu
Forwards: Ahmed Musa, Victor Osimhen, Moses Simon, Henry Onyekuru, Odion Ighalo, Alexander Iwobi, Samuel Kalu, Paul Onuachu, Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze 

On Standby: Theophilus Afelokhai, Bryan Idowu, Ikouwem Utin, Mikel Agu, Junior Ajayi, Valentine Ozornwafor

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

The biog

Age: 46

Number of Children: Four

Hobby: Reading history books

Loves: Sports