https://www.touch-dubai.com/contact daily 0.75 2024-09-02 https://www.touch-dubai.com/about-touch daily 0.75 2024-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/42be2627-8f85-4abf-98df-5145309df3af/TouchDubai-Board-meeting-inclusivity.jpg About Touch - About TOUCH. TOUCH is an inclusive talent management & disability inclusion consultancy agency. We aim to create relationships that focus on long-term strategy development and broader input and connections. We want to see an inclusive global economy where people with disabilities participate fully and meaningfully. We want to help our clients reimagine their reality and shift the world towards a new inclusive paradigm that benefits society and business. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/ab700d02-2d6f-4ffd-83a3-88e8ab32bb73/DSC09648.jpg About Touch https://www.touch-dubai.com/talent-directory daily 0.75 2025-05-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/1631377665741-ZS55DNU8K6M0GY1W2V1P/Amal.jpg Talent Directory https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/1631377786559-8G2GJ0TPVAYN8YX22IBD/Sebastian+Jensen.jpg Talent Directory https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/1638953872885-SZG3QTZ00D7VMOSILF2W/66083018_2560113784007749_6501397291373428736_o.jpg Talent Directory https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/cc4cca72-b3da-4935-afd9-f5fef4602f55/Kanzy-El-Defrawy-1-1024x735.jpg Talent Directory 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https://www.touch-dubai.com/talent-management daily 0.75 2025-03-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/961be0a2-40f3-4bc4-873a-5f86949f6933/Touch+Gala+%28Jean%29.jpg Talent Management - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.touch-dubai.com/reif-othman daily 0.75 2022-12-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/94dc5112-1f0e-478c-b336-092a75bc79e9/TOUCH+Dubai-Chef-Reif-Othman-2.jpg Reif Othman - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/26a2caaf-f631-45f1-8ca0-e103889ea6a9/TOUCH+Dubai-Reif+Othman.jpg Reif Othman - Reif Othman. Reif Othman is a multi-award-winning chef whose work has been instrumental in transforming the culinary landscape of Dubai and the UAE. His inventive culinary creations have seen Reif gain global recognition and become one of the most sought-after chefs in the world. Known for his unconventional approach to Far Eastern cuisine, Reif’s passion for food began at a young age in Singapore helping his mother in her Asian cafeteria and studying at Shatec Culinary School. In 2007, he joined the One Rochester Group in Singapore as group executive chef for some of the city’s top restaurants and hotels, before relocating to Dubai to work at Burj Al Arab. In 2009, Reif was recruited for the Zuma Dubai team as executive chef, moving up the ladder to regional executive chef for Zuma in the Middle East and Turkey. He then went on to helm the kitchens at high-end restaurants Play and Billionaire Mansion before opening his own restaurant ‘Reif Kushiyaki’ in 2019. He's also behind a number of pop-up concepts including Kushi by Reif at the Depachika Food Hall at Nakheel Mall and Reif at Time Out Dubai Market in Souk Al Bahar. He puts a clever twist on Japanese and broader far eastern cuisine, which have garnered him many awards, including a UAE Golden Visa. He is one of the few restaurateurs in the country whose business is entirely self-funded. His 13 year service and dedication to the F&B industry in this region with his unconventional approach has raised the profile of this cuisine category within the UAE. But what a lot of people don't know about Reif is his dedicated service to giving back to the community. He is a mentor and source of inspiration for all who are following in his footsteps. “When we invest in ourselves, in our passions and projects, we plant the seeds of development. Dubai enables us to see the world with the eyes of a child, to explore and build our dreams into our realities, and for that I will always be grateful.” https://www.touch-dubai.com/rui-silvestre daily 0.75 2022-05-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/ed3cc73f-c02f-4779-97f9-3ef08df7c537/rui.jpg Rui Silvestre - Rui Silvestre. Rui Silvestre is the head chef of Michelin Starred fine-dining Vistas restaurant at the Monte Rei Golf & Country Club in Vila Nova de Cacela, Portugal. In 2015, he became the youngest chef ever (29yr) in Portugal to helm a restaurant that was awarded a Michelin star when he was the head chef at Carvoeiro’s Bon Bon restaurant. In 2017, he was one of only 10 chefs around the world to receive the coveted 'Prix au Chef de L’Avenir’, awarded every year by the International Academy of Gastronomy (IAG) to the world’s most promising young chefs. Incredibly, Rui and his team has maintained the Michelin Star at Vistas for 3 years running from 2020 to 2022. Michelin Guide describes how Rui Silvestre surprises his guests 'with cuisine that is delicate, balanced while showcasing considerable technical skill, endowing classical recipes with a splash of modernity.' By using French techniques and fusing unlikely flavours, Rui loves to merge the finest products from both earth and sea, in an innovative way which evokes all the senses. Rui’s aim is to perfectly preserve the authentic taste of the exceptional local ingredients, until the dish reaches your table. Every dish expresses the richness of each ingredient around which it was built. https://www.touch-dubai.com/nader-sabry daily 0.75 2022-05-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/710b4e68-6d58-4cb9-8fe3-e68e0d7066c8/headshot.jpg Nader Sabry - Nader Sabry. Nader Sabry is a keynote speaker, innovator, entrepreneur, advisor and a leading global voice in innovation in space technology, government, and health and wellness. He is a passionate advocate for inspiring the youth to embrace science and technology in developing nations, through the Get2space.com initiative in partnership with the US Space Foundation. He was former Chief Strategist For The Dubai Department Of Economic Development, Director Of Strategy For The Dubai Foreign Investment Office, head of innovation and thought leadership at A.T. Kearney, advised governments and fortune 1000 companies. In 2013 as the sole leading innovation leader, Nader led the inspirational drive in the transformative meditative technology space targeting the health, wellness and lifestyle sector using NASA space technology. He was awarded the GIES innovation award by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Nader is the 43rd person certified by NASA via the US space foundation. He has been featured in NASA spinoff magazine, placed in the space history museum at the discovery center in Colorado Springs, been featured by NASA at SXSW Conference in 2016 and a keynote speaker at innovation, and investment space tech events. He has also helped found several successful start-ups. He has raised directly US $20 Million in early-stage venture capital and indirectly $100 million for startups he has advised and cofounded. Nader ranks as one of the top 13 innovators making a difference in the MENA region by step conference. He uses innovation to advance the quality of life creating an inspirational example for the youth. He works with innovators globally to bridge the gap between people and technology. https://www.touch-dubai.com/tima-deryan daily 0.75 2022-06-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/fb724542-0746-4931-8423-01270e372740/Tima-Deryan.jpg Tima Deryan - Tima Deryan Tima became the 1st Lebanese woman and youngest Arab to summit Mount Everest at 26 years old. On the 22nd of May, 2019 at 7:21 am, she stood gratefully and humbly on the highest mountain of the world after a two-month expedition during one of the deadliest seasons on Everest. Before summiting Everest, Tima had climbed 18 high mountains around the world including 6 out of the 7 summits (highest mountain on every continent) and became the 1st Arab woman to climb Ojos del Salado, the highest active volcano in the world. With her passion for exploring and redefining limits, mountaineering came as a second nature to her. Staying true to her wanderer spirit, she aims to continue leading an adventurous lifestyle and never stop climbing. Tima grew up traveling the world collecting bungee jumps and memories of nature and extreme sports. She pursued her licenses in both skydiving and advanced scuba-diving as she made both the skies and the oceans her playgrounds. But, for her, nothing compares to being on the mountains. When on Elbrus, her first summit, Tima knew that this was not yet another hobby; but a natural and essential aspect of her life- just like breathing. It’s where her soul sparkles and her light shines. It’s where she feels she is the best version of herself. And so, it was no surprise that after Elbrus, she decided to focus on mountaineering. The once-finance professional working in a multinational firm, gave up her career ladder for the love of mountains. Life changing decision is an understatement as she threw herself in a new path she knew barely about. Yet, she explored and excelled and later ventured into entrepreneurship by launching two startups while still climbing around the world. When she’s not on a mountain, Tima, founder of Mountain Gipsy and a professionally certified coach, believes that her mission is to give back to the world what the mountains gave to her. As such, she works with people from all backgrounds and circumstances to develop an invincible mindset so they can achieve their most ambitious goals by becoming more resilient, creative, confident, and courageous. Moreover, she dedicates her time to support and raise awareness for essential socio-economic topics that are shaping our world. She’s an advocate of children, youth, and women’s rights, and an activist of environmental issues. She works with various organizations to equip children, youth, and women with the means to follow their passion, develop their leadership skills, and carve their own path for a better future. In parallel, driven by her love of nature, Tima campaigns on environment issues such as climate change, deforestation, and waste recycling. She is regularly featured in both international and local media outlets, including Reuters, CNN, New York Times, South China Morning Post, Vogue, Gulf News, The National, and Al-Nahar. Tima’s priority remains being in the outdoors and going for any adventure that life has to offer. Her next goal is to complete the Explorer Grand Slam – a challenge to climb the highest mountain on every continent and ski to the last degree of the both the North Pole and South Pole. This is such a human challenge that only 71 people (15 women only) have ever completed this challenge! more people and women went to space! https://www.touch-dubai.com/siddarth-ramakrishnan daily 0.75 2022-05-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/4cbb6d2b-6897-46dc-80b1-a902fc9bb99a/siddarth.jpg Siddarth Ramakrishnan - Siddarth Ramakrishnan. Siddarth was born in Mumbai, India, but has spent most of his life in Dubai. As a child Siddarth’s hearing was affected which also impacted his speech and ability to walk. However, after surgery on his middle ear his hearing and balance were restored, and he was able to walk. Unfortunately due to prolonged hearing problems Siddarth's speech and articulation were affected. But with mainstream schooling and gaining valuable life skills and functional academics it hasn’t stopped him from pursuing his dreams in performing arts! Siddarth has performed in shows screening at VOX cinemas,he walked at the VIE fashion show event and recently danced in the inclusion programme Prerna Utsav conducted by the Consulate General of India at the Indian Pavilion, Expo 2020. Siddarth dreams to become a model and actor like @akshaykumar 'I want to buy my own car and drive independently -I want to promote inclusion by doing mainstream modelling and acting. I believe anything is possible.Undying faith and working consistently guides you to achieve it.The universe is waiting to give, just learn the way to ask.' https://www.touch-dubai.com/sujith-koshy-varghese daily 0.75 2022-05-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/0707e1fb-16d4-44c9-945b-b550b58bfd7a/Sujith-Best-640x427.jpg Sujith Koshy Varghese - Sujith Koshy Varghese. Sujith Varghese is a man of many talents; a banker by profession, #TEDx speaker, personal trainer and emerging rapper - just to name a few. Sujith had a bike accident when he was just 20 years old, paralysing him from the chest down. Incredibly, he underwent 18 surgeries - but it was his resilience and self-belief that spurred Sujith to reach unimaginable heights. One of Sujith’s most incredible feats of athleticism to date, was pulling a car weighing over 1000kgs to etch him into the record books. Through fitness is how he found his way, empowering himself and others to break boundaries. Today he is an official fitness influencer/ambassador for the annual Dubai Fitness Challenge and the first Person of Determination (POD) in a wheelchairin the UAE to receive the title as a fully accredited Personal Trainer. He seeks to transform others lives as he has his own and leads by example. It’s his unwavering positivity to life that has lead him to guest speak at 3x TEDx events sharing his journey and experiences to thousands. https://www.touch-dubai.com/alina-siddiqi daily 0.75 2024-06-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/84a89c0b-1f89-4800-8375-3dcf7030d50d/Alinas+Touch+profile+pic.jpg Alina Siddiqi - Alina Siddiqi. Alina Siddiqi is a Special Olympic gold medalist, and represents UAE in the sport of Artistic Gymnastics. Her accolades include a gold and bronze medal for Vault and All-round in the 2019 Special Olympic World Games (SOWG) in Abu Dhabi and two Silver medals for Vault and All-round in the 2023 SOWG in Berlin. Alina is also a trained Health Messenger with UAE Special Olympics and advocates for healthy lifestyles for People of Determination. Born and raised in Dubai, Alina has been successfully included in the mainstream school system, completing her GCSE’s in 2021. Alina’s says, “she may have Down Syndrome, but Down Syndrome does not have her!”. Alina is a perfect example of fitness and fun. She enjoys weekly training sessions in Crossfit, Squash and Swimming with Touch Dubai; while continuing her gymnastics training with her UAESO coach. Sports aside, Alina is a talented Artist, representing Touch, with her artwork on the CFF Panettone and ‘Canvas by MonViso’ projects. She also participates in musical theatre and is an extremely passionate dancer and singer. She aspires to be a model and walk the catwalk! Her top 3 goals are: 1) To meet Harry Styles 2) Learn to drive a car 3) Go to University Her message to others is to stay fit, chose to include and make the impossible, possible! https://www.touch-dubai.com/minhal-bhojani daily 0.75 2023-03-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/394dfc45-bb6f-4cb6-a31d-a463fdc6ca13/MB.jpg Minhal Bhojani - Minhal Bhojani. Minhal was born and raised in Dubai. Before finding Crossfit, Minhal worked in the corporate world as a commodity trader. Through his own life changing experience with fitness, Minhal began coaching out of a garage gym with a vision to help friends and family live a more positive lifestyle. Minhal trusts in the positive impact an active lifestyle can have on ALL areas of life and he strives to bring out this potential in others. Outside of the gym, Minhal is a family man and believes in making the most out of every moment and uses health and fitness as the base to be able to experience all that life has to offer. Minhal enjoys using his level of training to compete and showcase his hard work but strives to provide as many people as he can with the basics to live a healthy and fulfilling life for the long run. His motto “Master the Basics – Conquer life” highlights the importance of getting on top of the daily habits, the essential basics to be able to conquer the daily battles each of us face as individuals. Minhal believes in a holistic approach to lifestyle coaching, where the challenges do not overpower the individual and long term goals can be reached without burnout. Minhal offers personal coaching: http://www.masterthebasics.ae/ https://www.touch-dubai.com/eik-gylfadottir daily 0.75 2022-05-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/dc717ca3-862e-40a6-94de-4543ab9185ef/eik2.png Eik Gylfadottir - Eik Gylfadottir Eik Gylfadottir is the founder/CEO/Girlboss behind Thriving Lifestyles. Her purpose for existing is to grow better humans by inspiring and challenging herself and others both intellectually and physically. Eik is a qualified UAE REP’s and Personal Trainer, with a BSc. in Physiotherapy. Eik is also a certified IAK Personal Trainer and a Precision Nutrition Certified Nutrition Coach, CrossFit Level 2 and CrossFit Gymnastics certified coach! And she is not even close to being done with adding knowledge and qualifications to her repertoire! For more than 12 years Eik has helped clients from all backgrounds and abilities, ranging from people living with disabilities and severe injuries to people who are looking to optimize their elite performance. She combines her knowledge as a Physiotherapist, Personal trainer and Pro Athlete to understand both the needs and requirements of each individual who wants to get back in shape after a set back or to improve the quality of life, as well as the elite athlete that is striving to maximise their results. https://www.touch-dubai.com/gregoire-berger daily 0.75 2022-05-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/c7f97176-db7b-4a20-ac35-bbe959c2eb80/Cook+%26+Shoot+%286%29.jpg Grégoire Berger - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/48edf3bf-e71e-4c64-8c17-d290fbc1006d/Cook+%26+Shoot+%284%29.jpg Grégoire Berger - Gregoire Berger. Grégoire Berger is the celebrated chef behind Ossiano, Dubai’s leading progressive fine dining restaurant with a menu that pays homage to the riches of the ocean and coastal land. Offering a nine to 11-wave tasting menu, dish inspiration is guided by the underwater setting of the restaurant as well as by Berger’s lifelong respect for seasonality, terroir and sea foraging, with all ingredients sustainably sourced from the oceans or within 50km of a coastline. Still, only in his thirties, Berger has already made waves on the global culinary stage with his cutting-edge, unconventional dishes refined with traditional French technique that has become his signature. The youngest and only chef in the country to be featured in the top 100 in the Best Chef Awards for five consecutive years, Berger has set himself apart in the busy Dubai dining scene with his visionary approach to pairing ingredients and application of beauty and art to food. With an unapologetic embrace of progressive fine dining in a city that traditionally favours a more relaxed approach, Berger’s next chapter for Ossiano harks to a new age in culinary for Dubai, set to escalate with the arrival of the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best and Gault & Millau. A native of Versailles, Paris, Berger was raised in the Morbihan region of Brittany in France. Spending his younger years in a coastal city where land meets the city, Berger quickly became accustomed to quality ingredients and cooking whilst spending time with his mother and grandmother in the kitchen. At 16 years old, Berger decided to realise his dream with an apprenticeship at La Closerie de Kerdrain, a gourmet restaurant in Auray created by Martine and Fernand Corfmat. Walking into the kitchen was akin to experiencing real magic for Berger, and from this moment, his path was set. Berger's further years were spent training under an array of the world's leading culinary talents at several acclaimed Michelin star restaurants in France to large luxury resorts around the world, including Paul Bocuse, Roger Verge, and the late Gaston Lenotre, as well as Frederic Robert at la Grande Cascade Paris. Berger also spent time honing his craft under Pastry Chef Gilles Marchal and Chef Michael Nave, the right arm of Pierre Gagnaire and head chef of Balzac. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/ecb628e3-ca8c-4740-b231-03396487d523/Gregoire.jpg Grégoire Berger - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/d2c3c878-3921-4d00-bd86-46ed99785885/Cook+%26+Shoot+%281%29.jpg Grégoire Berger - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.touch-dubai.com/thomas-buhner daily 0.75 2022-05-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/4e8c8a6b-6dc4-4505-83bf-2e5c7ee08ac3/thomas-buhner-edited_cover_2000x1250.jpg Thomas Bühner - Thomas Buhner. Thomas Buhner was born in 1962 in a small village in Riesenbeck, Germany. His father was a commercial clerk, and his mother was a homemaker. “Good cooking didn’t play a big role in our family. We never went to restaurants, for example,” he says. “But eating together at the table was obligatory.” After a young Buhner took a test at the employment office at the end of school “because I didn’t know what I could become,” he scored the most points for a career in the kitchen. “A short time later, I told my parents that I wanted to be an outstanding chef.” The young chef trained to cook at the Schweizer Haus in Paderborn, and steadily worked at celebrated kitchens, including the Düsseldorf Hilton under Günter Scherrer, the Landhaus Scherrer in Hamburg, the Grand Cru Restaurant in Lippstadt, the Restaurant Jörg Müller and at Harald Wohlfahrt’s Schwarzwaldstube. At Schwarzwaldstube, Thomas learned the importance of discipline and became intrigued by the down-to-earth attitude and humaneness that Chef Wohlfahrt showed towards the people who worked for him. In 1991, Thomas Buhner became the head chef at La Table in Dortmund. The restaurant received its first Michelin star five years later and a second one in 1998. In 2001, Thomas Buhner was awarded the Gault Millau Rising Star of the Year award and was voted Chef of the Year five years later. Between 2006 and 2018, chef Thomas helmed La Vie in Osnabruck, a restaurant awarded 19 Gault Millau points and, in 2011, was awarded a third Michelin star. In 2009, he received the accolade of becoming a Relais & Chateaux Grand Chef, while La Vie was granted membership of Les Grandes Tables du Monde at the beginning of 2010. https://www.touch-dubai.com/kanzy-el-dafrawy daily 0.75 2022-05-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/89644195-6123-4436-92b2-bffb0fd6e16d/Kanzy-El-Defrawy-1-1024x735.jpg Kanzy El Dafrawy - Kanzy EI Dafrawy. Kanzy EI Dafrawy, better known as The Flying Daf, is one of the Arab world’s most established and recognizable squash players, boasting 220 professional accolades stretching across a 15-year career and culminating in a world ranking high of 22. Kanzy began her squash journey aged seven. She quickly gained notoriety for her agility and dedication, epitomized by incredible leaps around the court, which earned her the unique moniker, The Flying Daf. Securing youth titles all over the world, most significantly in Zimbabwe (African Cup), France (French Open), the Netherlands (Dutch Championships), and the UK (British Junior Open, runner-up), Kanzy’s professional career took off in the United States when she won the USA National Squash Championships in 2016, securing the country’s top ranking. Nine Professional Squash Association titles duly followed, and by her early-20s, Kanzy’s development into a coach was taking shape, nurturing upcoming talent in the US colleague system. Latterly, would-be squash stars in France, Germany, South Africa, Jordan, Netherlands, Canada, Egypt, the United States, and Switzerland have benefited from her expertise. Away from the court, Kanzy earned an Economics degree from Egypt’s Lycée Francais Du Caire and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from Trinity College, Connecticut, United States, where she double majored in International Studies and French while minoring in Urban Studies. In 2020, Kanzy’s Digital Marketing agency was launched, and, in the same year, she was appointed to the Guinness World Record Official Adjudication panel. She has adjudicated over 15 record attempts, including the tallest siblings, the largest demolished building, and much more. Kanzy is the first Arab female to become an official Guinness World Records Adjudicator and is currently the only female adjudicator in the MENA region. With a wealth of coaching, mentorship experience, and business acumen, Kanzy has launched ‘The Flying DAF Academy’ – the first of its kind in the UAE – to drive her ambitions for the national and global development of the game. https://www.touch-dubai.com/amal-murad daily 0.75 2022-05-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/05d7db7a-4f6f-466e-b099-34c375226856/Amal-Murad.png Amal Murad - Amal Murad. Amal Murad left her corporate life as a graphic designer to pursue a career in health and fitness, and went on to become the first Emirati female parkour coach and calisthenics athlete. She is an extreme sports pioneer and credits physical activity with helping her break barriers. Amal aims to promote health and fitness through the love of movement and to help women discover their true potential regardless of the obstacles these women may face. Amal was recognized by Nike, for whom she has been an Ambassador since 2017. Amal continued her education in the fitness world and is now a certified Level 3 Personal Trainer (REPS), a certified Calisthenics Level 2 Instructor (WCO) as well as a certified Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism Coach (NSCA) after she, herself, became a mother. Amal is also involved with Leap of Hope, a community built around guiding individuals through fitness no matter what chapter of their lives they are in. The name of this group has special meaning as Amal herself took a leap when she decided to quit my job to pursue personal training full-time. Additionally, her name, which means hope, switched from a leap of faith to a leap of hope. It’s a pun on words because Amal also “leaps” for a living through her practice of parkour. Although it is a continuous journey of self-discovery, Amal has never looked back and wants to be a pioneer that inspires the next generation to become leaders in whatever field they choose. https://www.touch-dubai.com/aarti-shah daily 0.75 2022-05-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/52c4774e-3152-41be-8b3c-c1a4db943182/Screenshot+2022-04-22+093504.jpg Aarti Shah - Aarti Shah. Aarti Shah is determined to push the boundaries in every sense - An exceptionally talented dancer, a keen photographer and fitness enthusiast, Aarti hopes to compete in the Special Olympics in the sport of weightlifting. She was also part of the first local debate led by People of Determination, and it was her team that won! Showcasing her exceptional communication skills. Aarti also has a keen eye for fashion, employed by Chaloub Group as the Marketing Assistant for brands such as Tory Burch & Michael Kors just to name a few. She is a cherished member of her family and the wider community, and we are so proud to welcome Aarti to Touch. Through sharing her story, Aarti hopes to represent and be synonymous with equality & inclusion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/12e72fed-3c2d-4559-8008-77c7b93fa917/Aarti+Shah.jpeg Aarti Shah - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.touch-dubai.com/events daily 0.75 2022-05-07 https://www.touch-dubai.com/troy-payne daily 0.75 2022-04-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/99fa4a6b-14a3-4bcc-a345-2cfe3e1ca94d/troy1.jpg Troy Payne - Troy Payne I grew up cooking in some of Melbourne’s most awarded restaurants since the age of 15, steadily learning my craft from the best Chef’s in the country and world wide. I very much strive to be a part of a team that pushes themselves to learn and be better each and every day to help create the ideal Restaurant experience. Making sure that all guests and staff want to be a part of the full experience that is offered. In 2004 I opened my own restaurant, Lady Hawke, in the Dandenong Ranges, where I earned wide acclaim from peers, critics and diners for my stylish and sophisticated modern Middle Eastern-Mediterranean menus. Also working as a food consultant to the highly regarded Domain Chandon restaurant in the Yarra Valley during this time. After spending several years overseas, expanding my repertoire and skills, I returned to Melbourne and in November 2008 I took up the reins as head chef at Melbourne’s new MoMo restaurant, where I worked alongside the Modern Middle Eastern Master, Greg Malouf. 2010 and it was time to open our own venue, The post office hotel in Coburg, Melbourne. Where we able to help bring new life and excitement through middle eastern food to a wonderful community. Dubai followed running the kitchens at both Clé, The sum of us (bull&roo executive chef) and Zahira Most recently I found much joy in being part of the team at the Pangolin restaurant that was able to bring and operate new ideas to the UAE. Making sure that everything was made in house, such as butters, vinegars, charcutier, fresh sausages, mustards, sauces, pickles, ferments, you name it we tried and did. Making sure we were focusing on heritage, culture, traditions and memories, while providing a training ground for future generations of cooks. My focus on traditional methods of preparation and cooking is beneficial in many ways, helping control wastage and costings in a very natural and positive manner. Being able to help educate those around me with a true understanding of produce and the ways everything has many qualities and purposes. Being able to pass on this knowledge to younger generations is a wonderful part of what I do. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/68945c5c-b0a1-4062-8736-b5ab28b810ab/Troy.jpg Troy Payne - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.touch-dubai.com/asma-elbadawi daily 0.75 2022-05-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/1650605321251-DVDP3ZFN2VZ6HWQSARU4/artworks-XLvmuVcvWKX4l84U-Hg6bdg-t500x500.jpg Asma Elbadawi - Asma Elbadawi. Asma is an athlete and a poet. Before 2014, not many people had heard of Asma Elbadawi. However, that all changed when the hijabi basketball player made headlines for lobbying the international basketball association, FIBA, to overturn the ban on hijab in basketball. The stand she took over the hijab ban in basketball earned her the Rising Star in Sports trophy at the British Muslim Awards, the Women Of The Future judges high commendation in the Sport category, and The Muslim News Faezeh Hashemi Award for Excellence in Sport. At the same time, she does not want “hijabi” used as a label for her activism, preferring to be thought of as a pro-choice advocate. “I don't want to be a hijabi basketball player” “I just want to be a basketball player. I don't want to be a hijabi poet, I want to be a poet." Today, Elbadawi is not only known for her activism in the field, her basketball skills, and her work as a coach, she is also making her name as a spoken word poet as well. Poetry’s lack of rules and structure have provided her with an emotional outlet by setting her expression free. As Elbadawi puts it, she found her voice through words she couldn’t spell. She now views her dyslexia for what it is: infinitely less important than her strengths in comprehension and verbal communication. Asma has achieved so much - known as “Queen of the ball”, coach, mentor and Global Brand Ambassador for Adidas to winning Radio 1xtra’s Word First competition in Leeds and giving a TEDx Talk. Asma is using her platform to be a voice for change, and we are delighted to welcome her to the TOUCH family. https://www.touch-dubai.com/jean-winter daily 0.75 2023-10-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/f53f2314-d2db-46a3-8d66-678559c348a1/WhatsApp+Image+2022-12-12+at+4.46.47+PM.jpeg Jean Winter - Jean Winter. Jean Winter is a business consultant, philanthropist, angel investor and keynote speaker. Growing up in Singapore and now based in Dubai, Jean is the formidable founder of the UAE inclusive Talent Agency, Touch, that represents celebrity athletes, celebrity chefs and champions equal opportunities for people of disability in the region and the world. Jean also owns several businesses across industries that focus on sustainability and community outreach. She was named one of UAE’s top 20 most influential women in the hospitality world in 2022. Alongside running her own bespoke events management company, Jean’s talents as a celebrity chef led her to work across the globe with discerning, high profile clients via ‘Jean’s Private Kitchen’. Prior to Dubai, Jean started Geneva’s first underground dining concept from her home, catering to clients from UN/WHO/WTO/VIP’s in the Geneva region, to growing her business in France, Hamburg, and Singapore. Jean pivoted into angel investment during the COVID-19 pandemic helping many local businesses grow while offering mentorship and advice to countless female entrepreneurs and startups. She also stands at the forefront of pushing for inclusion in the hospitality world in the Middle East. Jean focusses on using her network to support community outreach programs both locally and globally from being actively involved in supporting the Syrian refugees camps in Hamburg, building water filtration systems in Cambodia to empowering poverty stricken youths with educational and work opportunities in Indonesia. https://www.touch-dubai.com/sebestian-engwald daily 0.75 2023-03-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/2ca80ed5-76c4-4bcb-861b-acd4b66c55ef/Seb+Engwald.jpg Sebestian Engwald - Sebestian Engwald. Sebastian Engwald’s indomitable spirit stretches back to 1999. At age 11, his left leg was pulled through the propeller of his sailing coach’s boat as he practiced a capsizing drill, and his life changed forever. Within eight months of having his leg amputated, Sebastian was back on the water and represented Denmark at the national and international level. In 2013, Sebastian climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, reaching the summit despite dehydration. His water had frozen during the final 10-hour hike through the night to scale the peak, but still, he sat at the top, taking photos, recording videos for his parents, and capturing his emotions for others. In 2016, inspired by his uncle, Jensen completed his first Ironman triathlon close to his home in Copenhagen. Currently 38th in his classification, and with his three best events counting towards his position in the standings, Jensen will head to Madrid and Japan in the next few months to bump up his ranking. Ultimately, to receive an invitation to compete in Tokyo, he needs to be inside the top 10 in his specific category during the qualification period. The activity is an arduous and costly pursuit. But, true to form, Sebastian is up for the fight. “They say it’s cool that I’m so open about my disability. And that makes me feel really cool. I hope it encourages people to come out of their shell, too.” In December 2019, Sebastian and his wife welcomed a beautiful baby girl to the world. Sebastian adds, “Not a day has gone by since, where she hasn’t been my number one reason for chasing my dreams even more than before.” https://www.touch-dubai.com/courtney-brandt daily 0.75 2022-05-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/86b2224f-ce40-4832-9b4c-971ffc2ebadf/headshot.jpg Courtney Brandt - Courtney Brandt. Courtney Brandt is an American author, journalist, and freelance content creator living in Dubai, UAE. To date, she’s been published with Forbes Middle East, Curiosity Magazine, Elite Daily, The Forward Feed, Food&Wine, Sopexa, A Luxury Travel Blog, Matador Network, JustLuxe, Travelettes, Citizen Femme, Dining and Nightlife Middle East, and Roads & Kingdoms. She provides global hotel coverage with Northstar Media and was part of The World's Most Luxurious Hotels program on BBC5 in 2019. As the founder of A to Za’atar, Ms. Brandt has spoken at a number of conferences, including Gulf Host, Gulfood, The Restaurant Show, Middle East Food Forum, Travel Tech Middle East, Caterer Middle East, PechaKucha, and SMS Summit Jordan, and attended the Google Local Guides Summit in October 2018 and November 2019. Courtney attended The World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards and San Sebastian Gastronomika in 2021. The author of fourteen novels, in March 2019, Courtney was delighted to be involved as an author in the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. Writing in numerous genres, including young adult and contemporary, she has a story for you to enjoy. https://www.touch-dubai.com/sign-up daily 0.75 2024-08-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/2899e1e9-2058-48f0-a135-86779e3b8d23/DSCF2929.JPG Sign Up Do you want to join a community of like-minded people and participate in a variety of activities, from Crossfit to cooking? We welcome People of Determination to join our programs, and we are always looking for volunteers to help facilitate and support our members and families! Please register your details below and we’ll get in TOUCH with you about what’s happening. https://www.touch-dubai.com/privacy-policy daily 0.75 2022-05-13 https://www.touch-dubai.com/terms-of-services daily 0.75 2022-05-09 https://www.touch-dubai.com/accessibility daily 0.75 2024-08-07 https://www.touch-dubai.com/colin-clague daily 0.75 2022-05-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/92bde17a-c649-49f6-9d70-fbe77f884e07/Colin.jpg Colin Clague - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/3d003704-1485-4afa-a08f-9df89bc91d36/TouchDubai-ColinClague.jpg Colin Clague - Coling Clague. Colin Clague is a much acclaimed and award-winning Chef, renowned for bringing the breadth of his knowledge & skills into any cuisine, handling it with absolute ease, and also giving it a flair of his Midas touch to make that all-important difference. Born on the Isle of Man, Colin spent his early childhood amongst the island's fishing and farming communities. Greatly inspired by his mother, who was a passionate home cook and also a qualified Chef, Colin developed a deep sense of food and also the local produce, thus imbibing the importance of food dishes based on the seasonality of ingredients from a very young age itself. These intense influences led him straight from the school to a catering college, helping fuel an unwavering desire to further expand his culinary knowledge and his growing enthusiasm to travel the world. Having been born on an Island, and realizing cooking is what he wanted to do as a career, Colin applied to the Royal Navy to join in as a cook, however, was turned down for not meeting the mandatory physical fitness requirements. Thereafter, he went on to get trained in Catering at the Isle of Man College for Further education, where he worked very hard and learned every nuance of professional cooking in the best way possible. On completing his culinary education, Colin moved to London, where he got his first taste of the discipline and rigors of the professional kitchen. He got to work with some of the biggest names then — Anton Mosimann, Peter Langan, Gary Hollihead, and Sir Terence Conran, through which Clague gained much experience, confidence, and also rich exposure through his extensive travel across Europe and also the Middle East. Colin’s professional growth over the years has been both fast and as well as steady. Some of his notable stints include being on the pre-opening team of the prestigious Burj Al Arab in Dubai, as the Executive Chef of the award-winning Japanese izakaya restaurant, Zuma in London and Dubai, being in charge of the pre-opening and opening of Michelin-starred restaurant Pollen by Chef Jason Atherton, before moving to head the iconic Q’bara, where Colin went to win several awards, including The Pro Chef Middle East’s ‘Chef of the Year’, Award. “I have been fortunate to have to see so many countries and also get to meet numerous wonderful people around the world, something astounding since having come from a small place back home. Opening the Park Hyatt in Sydney, then Mezzo in London, which was amazing under John Torode, Opening the Burj al Arab in 1999, then starting Zuma with Rainer Becker in London in 2002, that eventually led to me return to the UAE to open Zuma in the DIFC, from there to the Q’bara, Jean Georges and now Rüya, it has simply been an amazing journey, but it is not over yet!” Colin’s dedication and passion for food, also his vast exposure over the years, have seen him acquire extensive industry knowledge and experience. Being food-focused, his creations are all ingredient-driven; as he believes in using only the best to create sublime flavors that are executed with absolute simplicity and finesse, which have become his signature. https://www.touch-dubai.com/james-knight-pacheco daily 0.75 2022-06-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/6fc2e602-46be-4a32-9ea1-b23667576f79/James+Knight+Chef+-+TOUCH+Dubai.jpg James Knight-Pacheco - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/04142f26-2d1c-4f24-a8a8-d1896d3211a0/Janes+Knight+Chef.jpg James Knight-Pacheco - James Knight-Pacheco. James was born in Venezuelan (hence his love of Chocolate and Sunshine,) but grew up in the South West of England. Now, with over two-decades of professional culinary experience, he is currently the Executive chef at ME Dubai, located in the iconic Opus Tower by Zaha Hadid. Earlier in his career, James worked with several internationally respected chefs including Raymond Blanc, Gordon Ramsay, Michael Caines, Jason Atherton, Peter Gorton and Andre Garrett. His style of cooking is inventive, progressive and intelligent; combining customer desire with industry knowledge to surprise and satisfy the diner through inimitable experiences is his goal, and is what he does best. During a rewarding career of 20 years, James has been fortunate enough to have worked in some of the world’s finest luxury hotels and restaurants in the UK and the Middle East, including Sense of the Edge in Oman - winner of Best Restaurant Middle East 2012 – where James was chef de cuisine. In August 2015 James joined Emaar Hospitality Group, as Executive Head Chef for the prestigious Dubai Marina Yacht Club, contributing to the property’s evolving culinary offerings. He then went on to become Executive Chef at the trendy luxury boutique hotel, Vida Downtown Dubai. James has had the great fortune to be filmed on two of the BBC’s prime-time cooking shows including Out of the Frying Pan and The Restaurant, as well as having conducted numerous public appearances at high-profile industry events, as well as being featured in many international publications. James has also presented to audiences ranging in size from a handful at intimate dinner parties to 3,000 people at many BBC Good Food Shows, this experience has helped James in becoming a competent public speaker with an excellent aptitude for comparing and hosting events. Equally, he also demonstrated and tutored at the multi-award-winning Ashburton Cookery School in Devon and the Exeter Catering College, both in the United Kingdom. In December 2018 / 2019, James was named as one of the 50 most influential people in food and beverage throughout the Middle East and Africa by Caterer Middle East. Also voted the "Executive Chef of the Year 2019" in the Hotelier Middle East awards. Knowing the level of talent among his peers in this region, James is deeply humbled. https://www.touch-dubai.com/haikal-johari daily 0.75 2022-05-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/8f2a6a40-e93c-4e9d-8b88-25edebabe703/Haikal+Johari.jpg Haikal Johari - Haikal Johari. Executive Chef, Haikal Johari has a distinguished culinary career in some of the finest restaurants in Asia. Chef Haikal marries his training in European cuisine with hearty Asian flavours and ingredients to create exceptional modern-European dishes with Asian influences. Haikal was at the height of his career in Thailand’s culinary scene when a motorcycle accident in 2015 changed everthing. Doctors said that he would be paralysed for life from the spinal cord injuries that he sustained. But, Haikal defied doctors’ prognosis and is now able walk again with some assistance. Haikal is a busy man, or perhaps a “workaholic” would be a more apt description, working six days a week as executive chef at Alma by Juan Amador, a Michelin star restaurant in Singapore and flying periodically to Bangkok to assist in operations at the restaurant he worked at before the accident. He also found time to start his own fine-dining restaurant called ‘Backyard Kitchen’ earlier this year, through which he hopes to bring more choices of halal fine-dining and modernised Malay cuisine to his customers. Despite what he has achieved since the accident, including being part of the team that earned Alma restaurant a Michelin star, he is still trying to come to terms with his disability - but he certainly knows a thing or two about overcoming adversity. https://www.touch-dubai.com/alex-millington daily 0.75 2022-10-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/07c2bb1c-1fa6-4ca8-a323-face932a0380/Alex+Alioth+ropes.jpg Alex Millington - Alex Millington. In his short career Alex Millington is already creating notable impact in the health and fitness industry. He graduated from Loughborough University with a Bachelor in Sports Science, he is an A REPS Level 2 qualified gym instructor as well as being a level 1 ASA swim teacher and REPS level 3 certified Personal Trainer. Alex is also a Competitive CrossFit Athlete, Winner of Dubai’s Fittest 2019, and a qualified PADI Open Water Diver. In 2020/2021 Alex was an elected training partner for UK CrossFit national champions, alongside Zack George and Joshua Al-Chamaa. Alex was also chosen to compete at the UAE GOV Games in 2020 & 2021 alongside His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Together they were part of team ‘F3’ which won the competition two years in a row. GOV GAMES is a unique team building initiative launched in 2018 by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Chairman of the Executive Council. GOV GAMES mirrors the nation's ambitions and achievements to inspire people to come together and work toward one goal. It was an incredible honour for Alex to be chosen to compete in His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s team. When it comes to health and fitness, Alex is the person you need to speak to. His academic expertise, coupled with his personal experience is a combination like no other. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/a827ffb7-6675-4657-bd0b-f68e836e8f8e/Alex+%26+Faz.jpg Alex Millington - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.touch-dubai.com/matthijs-stinnissen daily 0.75 2022-05-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/3e76190b-7f40-4a07-8b1d-522063d4d5e6/BOCA-Chef.png Matthijs Stinnissen - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/43221419-d952-4d82-ace3-e5c71f1debbc/Matthijs-Stinnissen.jpg Matthijs Stinnissen - Matthijs Stinnissen. Spending time in Dubai under the attentive care of the UK’s, and perhaps the world’s, best chefs Aikens and Atherton, Matthijs has unparalleled understanding of local ingredients and the varying palates of the Dubai and the UAE market. Joining award-winning Mediterranean restaurant BOCA in February 2018 he kept all the original elements that guests know and love while using his expertise and creativity to take its sustainability drive and menu quality and execution further. During his tenure at BOCA, the restaurant was one of five from the Arabian Gulf featured in the Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery guidebooks. These are the world’s first guide to truly showcase exemplary, organic, sustainable, and ethical restaurants. BOCA was recognized for its efforts in sourcing locally, collaborating with local and regional fishermen, and farmers in the UAE. Matthijs was recently awarded Caterer Awards 2020 head chef of the year for standalone restaurants. By using techniques such as fermenting, curing, dehydrating, aging, pickling to create new dishes and new dining experiences, Stinnissen is able to use ingredients to their whole capacity and reduce waste significantly. Matthijs joined BOCA from Jason Atherton’s Marina Social in Dubai where he was posted as Sous Chef working closely with Chef Patron Tristin Farmer, and more recently, Head Chef Craig Best. Matthijs arrived in Dubai with a post at Tom Aikens’ Pots Pans & Boards on Dubai’s Beach in JBR, and previously forged his culinary experience at 1, 2 & 3 Michelin star and “S.Pellegrino’s The World’s 100 Best Restaurants” establishments in the Benelux region. https://www.touch-dubai.com/alexandra-klein daily 0.75 2022-05-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/f5f5807b-9835-43bc-ab4a-1156a9f7bfbb/Alexandra+Klein+%282%29.jpg Alexandra Klein - Alexandra Klein. Alexandra Klein is a Romanian dancer who has had the passion for dance since she was 7 years old. She has over 15 years of experience in Ballroom & Latin American style dance competitions. The dance journey led her to become an award winning Latin American and Ballroom professional dancer, including: Romanian Latin American & Ballroom Championship 2005 European Latin American & Ballroom Championships 2006 -2007 Collaboration with the The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in 2000 and 2001 Collaboration with the Romanian Philharmonic Orchestra in 2002 Performing at the Romanian Athenaeum 2003-2004. She has also founded the movement Dance Be You, which aims to inspire women across the globe to express themselves through The Art of Latin Dance. She invites you to join her in this dance journey to build confidence, boost your energy, feel joy and happiness, learn basic steps & choreography, feel feminine and be the dancing queens on the dance floor. https://www.touch-dubai.com/robbie-carrick-smith daily 0.75 2022-05-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/dc965132-fcfb-4833-98c6-86054e207b2b/Robbie+Smith+Athletics+1.jpg Robbie Carrick Smith - Robbie Carrick Smith. The youngest of 3 siblings, from the outset Robbie wasn’t treated any differently, although he needed more support in school and frequent hospital check-ups, he had a very similar upbringing to his brother and sister. Robbie was born with a right sided hemiplegia (Cerebral Palsy) as a result of a stroke before birth. His disability manifests itself as a weakness on his right side with a partial loss of fine motor skills and also impacts his speech. Thanks to his family upbringing and his own internal drive, Robbie has always been very capable, but one thing he wasn't able to escape during his teenage years was bullying - which manifested itself in mimicry, physical and verbal abuse. But sport gave Robbie a positive focus, as well as an opportunity to meet other athletes living with a disability, creating a unique bond with others living with a similar disability. Over the years Robbie has competed at numerous UK National Championships & University Championships. In 2019 and 2020 he ranked first in the UK for his classification in discus, and competed for England in the Cerebral Palsy world games. Robbie also has a love for sailing. He has sailed the Baltic sea from Norway to Denmark and back to Scotland and has experience working on all sized boats from a small dingy to yachts. All while adapting to boats that don't have appropriate modifications, again showcasing his capabilities. Yet despite his academic expertise and years of experience, Robbie has faced countless scenarios of workplace discrimination, for example an application was rejected due to a speech recognition technicality. Rather than talking to Robbie, it was an instant dismissal. Robbie now works for a X-press Feeders, a global container shipping group with offices in Dubai. Robbie's story is one that needs to be shared, and we are delighted to welcome him to the TOUCH family. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/48f21923-7c85-4714-811c-2c3eef5007d1/Robbie+Smith+Sailing+2.jpg Robbie Carrick Smith - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.touch-dubai.com/himanshu-saini daily 0.75 2022-05-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/bf60c72d-d4b8-4441-b191-56bbdc87ee1b/himanshu-1.jpg Himanshu Saini - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/87f95428-616a-45bd-a897-d580488c8522/headshot+Himanshu.jpg Himanshu Saini - Himanshu Saini. A young Delhi boy, Chef Himanshu learnt the nuances of cooking at a very young age from his mother, post which he joined Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology to hone his culinary skills. With the aim to make his mark with constant innovation and to change the perception of Indian cuisine, Chef Himanshu embarked on a journey to create innovative dishes, thereby elevating how we experience Indian food today. Having started his culinary journey under the guidance & mentorship of Chef Manish Mehrotra at Indian Accent, Chef Himanshu set out to create a unique mélange of global ingredients and cooking styles with traditional Indian dishes. His aim has been to surprise the guests with modernist cooking techniques, incorporating influences from cuisines from around the world to add an element of surprise into the fray and elevate the overall culinary experience. With his expertise in, and passion for, traditional Indian food and cooking styles, Chef Himanshu has brought to Trésind, Carnival by Trésind and Trèsind Studio his unique understanding of the robustness cuisine from India offers. There is a sense of nostalgia in each of his recipes, taking you back to your childhood memories. Although still evolving, Chef Himanshu’s cooking style and philosophy create global acceptance and are considered path-breaking with roots purely submerged in Indian culture. Considered one of the youngest tastemakers in Indian cuisine, Chef Himanshu has to his credit numerous awards including PRO Chef ME for two consecutive years, 2016 & 2017 as well as the Vermillion CookOff, India in 2013, Chef of the year award by Whats ON! 2021. The restaurants have received a lot of love from the patrons and some of the most prominent critics and awards in the region. Trèsind, Carnival and Trèsind Studio has received the Best Indian restaurant by the TIme Out, BBC Good Food, Fact Magazine, Leaders in F&B Awards, Hotel & Catering Awards & Masala! Awards. With the introduction of Trèsind Studio, an immersive and exclusive dining experience that offers a unique tasting menu, that emphasizes on the balance of texture, flavour & spice, Chef Himanshu has been engaging in multiple culinary collaborations with international Chefs. Some of the most recent collaborations were with Chef Dipankar Khosla of Haoma(Bankok), Chef Ton of Ledu (Bankok), Chef Sricharan of Nadodi (Malayasia), Chef Gregoire Berger of Ossiano (Dubai), Chef Chef Ana Roš of Hiša Franko (Slovenia), Chef Ricardo Camanini of Lido 84 (Italy) and Chef Manu Buffara of Manu (Brazil). Chef Himanshu has also been invited for the World Gourmet Festival that was held in Mumbai in 2017, among some of the top chefs of the world like Tim Butler, Hari Nayak, Darshan Munidasa and Cristian Borchi. While Indian cuisine remains his passion, where he is credited with being one of the youngest, celebrated Indian Chefs globally, he is an ardent Manchester United supporter and a cycling enthusiast. https://www.touch-dubai.com/kevin-paul daily 0.75 2023-10-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/67d49aea-63bd-4ba4-a230-650f652d8865/Kevin+Paul+swimming.JPG Kevin Paul - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/6752f059-95bd-4184-a3eb-822042c94049/Kevin+Paul+winning.JPG Kevin Paul - Kevin Paul. Kevin Paul is an accomplished professional who has excelled both as a Paralympic athlete and in his career as a sports business executive. With a remarkable sporting background and extensive experience in the sporting industry, Kevin brings a unique perspective and expertise to his work. As a Paralympic athlete, Kevin has achieved extraordinary success, earning two Gold Medals and one Silver Medal as a swimmer. He has also been crowned as a World Champion multiple times, demonstrating his exceptional skill, determination, and commitment to excellence. In addition, Kevin has set numerous world records, solidifying his status as one of the greatest athletes in his discipline. Since his final Paralympic Games in 2016, Kevin has transitioned into a new phase of his career, focusing on creating, developing, and working with Sporting Academies in the region. Through his efforts, he has successfully grown these businesses and implemented comprehensive improvements, leading to their holistic advancement. Kevin's unwavering dedication to making sports accessible to all has been a driving force in his work, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate and benefit from sporting activities. Drawing on his firsthand experience as a professional athlete and his extensive knowledge of the sporting industry in the UAE, Kevin has been entrusted with heading up some of the region's top youth sporting programs. His deep understanding of the unique challenges and dynamics of the sporting landscape allows him to effectively manage multicultural teams and deliver exceptional results. Kevin's ability to inspire and mentor young athletes has contributed significantly to the development of future sports talents in the region. In addition to his sports-related achievements, Kevin is a respected business executive with a strong strategic mindset. His ability to blend his sporting expertise with sound business acumen has been instrumental in his success in the sports industry. Kevin's passion for creating positive change extends beyond the sports arena, as he actively engages with TOUCH Dubai, leveraging his skills and passion for inclusion to make a difference in the community. https://www.touch-dubai.com/corporate-social-responsibility daily 0.75 2022-09-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/8f089737-3ae0-407e-852a-4c0e793e1e15/Touch+SDG+5+Gender+Eqaulity.jpg Corporate Social Responsibility https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/6f99d6ec-0bb7-4fba-b255-aa91d723a6e4/Touch+SDG+10+reduced+inequalities.png Corporate Social Responsibility https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/f2530bac-1a47-4e0a-b944-4a0c91ac8ab0/Touch+SDG+17+partnerships.png Corporate Social Responsibility https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/e6d98f3d-44ab-4a0f-8475-f4f1314ccf87/Touch+SDG+16.png Corporate Social Responsibility https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/7c0ece4b-1db5-41e4-9406-ba34454b4f63/Touch+SDG+3+good+health+and+wellbeing.png Corporate Social Responsibility https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/719c6f11-b3e3-4c53-b643-73568587c7ee/Touch+SDG+6+Clean+water+and+sanitation.png Corporate Social Responsibility https://www.touch-dubai.com/joze-piranian daily 0.75 2022-05-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/8cd5ce19-46d9-4360-841d-02bc624306f9/joze-tedx-talk1-main.png Joze Piranian - Joze Piranian. Joze Piranian is a lifelong stutterer turned International Motivational Speaker, helping people who hold back, turn fear into action so that they overcome their “inner stutter” and unlock their true potential in life. By empowering others to own their uniqueness and conquer their obstacles, Joze delivers transformational experiences allowing his audience members and coaching clients to access the hidden powers of fear and become champions of inclusion. After avoiding speaking almost entirely for more than 25 years due to a debilitating stutter, Joze uncovered groundbreaking insights for personal transformation that turned his obstacle into triumphant public speaking and stand-up comedy performances in 3 continents and 4 languages. Joze is now a mission to change people’s relationships with fear and discomfort so that they start taking action and unleash their inner greatness at work, school and in life. Joze, Winner of the Inspirational Speaker of the Year award in 2017, Joze has shared the stage with Drake music video producer Director X, Disney’s CIO, Brendon Bouchard, Jim Kwik, Dragon Den’s Arlene Dickinson as well as comedians Hannibel Buress & Whitney Cummings. With more than 3 000 000 views on his Goalcast featured speech about resilience and inclusion and a growing social media following of 30 000, Joze has also been featured on TEDx, ABC Forbes, Some Good News, NowThis (about Joe Biden’s stutter), CBC and Global News Canada. Joze Piranian is a Global TEDx Speaker and Comedian who speaks about INCLUSION, RESILIENCE & UNLOCKING POTENTIAL at organizations, conferences and universities in English, French & Spanish (virtual or in-person) https://www.touch-dubai.com/francesco-guarracino daily 0.75 2022-05-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/f1bdb48a-8231-437c-825d-46735f4cb241/Francesco+Guarracino.jpg Francesco Guarracino - Francesco Guarracino. Chef Francesco Guarracino is from a family of chefs, with his father being a revered two-star Michelin chef and started working in professional kitchens at the age of 11. Originally from Sorrento, after graduating, he travelled around Italy, to Rome, Florence, Sicily, and Milan, to gain experience in the different regional cuisines of his home country. He developed his passion for seasonal and quality produce which are of paramount importance and shine through in all his creations. Chef Francesco has worked at some of Italy’s most prestigious eateries, including Michelin starred restaurants. He was also privileged to work alongside some of best chefs in Italy, including Heinz Beck, Enrico Bartolini, Oliver Glowig, Marianna Vitale, Salvatore Bianco, Pasquale Palamaro, Gennaro Esposito and Moreno Cedroni. Through these experiences, he learned the discipline and attitude necessary for success. His diligent approach and natural talent led him to excel in culinary competitions and has resulted in him holding many senior leadership positions in restaurants across Italy, Spain, England and now in the UAE. In 2007, he won the Best Young Chef Award from the renowned Federazione Italiana Cuochi (Italian Chef Federation.) This same year, he moved to the UK to join the Italian restaurant group Piccolino, which has 22 restaurants across the country. After two years with the brand, he joined another UK based Italian restaurant concept, the San Carlo Group, as Development Chef and later Group Regional Executive Chef for the entire portfolio of venues. In 2011, he moved to Dubai as Executive Chef for BiCE Mare, where he helped build their reputation as one of the best seafood restaurants in Dubai, receiving Pro Chef’s 2015 Dubai Seafood Chef of the Year award. Today, Francesco is the Chief Culinary Officer & Group Executive Chef at Roberto’s Dubai, where he brings his true Italian flair for fine dining. Injecting a sense of culinary theatrics, he has developed a range of new specialty dishes from around Italy, with table side cooking to give diners an unforgettable and exceptional experience. In order to raise the hospitality bar in the UAE, and to ensure authenticity, he has brought eight Italian chefs to work with him. Adding to his accolades, Francesco took home the BBC Good Food Middle East Chef of the Year award and it’s been included in list of Top 50 Italian Chef in World. Francesco also been included for 2 years in a row in Caterer Middle East as one of the most influential in the F&B industry. His passion for fine food goes so far as to import rare olive oils that have various flavor profiles to complement the different dishes on offer. Bespoke menus, one-off dishes and a personal style are key to Chef Francesco and he blends traditional and contemporary methods in the dishes he creates. For him, the ingredients are the king of the restaurant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/f99fc5a2-fbfc-4198-aa80-4060a62ae750/Touch+Dubai+Francesco-Guaracino.jpg Francesco Guarracino - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.touch-dubai.com/standards-practices daily 0.75 2022-05-18 https://www.touch-dubai.com/clients daily 0.75 2022-05-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/3e48d680-019f-43a4-9fb7-8b3a9eced54e/800px-Adidas_Logo.svg.png Clients https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/274bf9fa-6d27-4784-b577-e45933a06d70/Fitbit-Logo-2016-present.jpg Clients https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/8cba52ea-37b8-4e56-b4d7-6bee7989c98e/GAP_Logo.svg.png Clients https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/50df8bb1-76f1-4e6c-b1c5-a2e4aaf6ebb7/HSBC-Logo.png Clients https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/8759a495-9368-492c-8ded-8cd8170addf6/img-jpg-wsp-red.jpg Clients https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/a20b9dfd-e316-4f12-a54e-e44dba6f8e1d/logo-TikTok+%281%29.png Clients https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/ecd179eb-c39b-427d-9d8a-0681f42e7019/mobile_header_logo.png Clients https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/b95da504-3ab4-44af-a639-e3f41be9ca3e/Nissan-logo.svg.png Clients https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/874204ef-f5e8-4210-bda1-c03b27a8439c/Asset1.07785e5b.png Clients https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/09c4119a-2972-475a-bf28-b438935fa49d/logos_0007_alshaya-egypt-37445-1541670199-og-copy.png Clients https://www.touch-dubai.com/ruby-hamilton daily 0.75 2022-06-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/8a4e0824-7a51-4615-90dc-af79ae57af66/Headshot+Ruby+Hamilton.JPG Ruby Hamilton - Ruby Hamilton. Ruby Hamilton was born in Abu Dhabi in 2006 and comes from Canada and New Zealand. Ruby proudly represented the UAE in the 2019 Special Olympics earning 2 bronze medals in rhythmic gymnastics and a silver medal in Team Dance. Ruby was also awarded the Most Inspirational Kid in 2019 by TimeOut Kids Awards, and was a major catalyst for the KHDA Inclusion Policy in 2017 after being rejected over 40 times trying to gain access to mainstream education in the UAE. She also raised awareness in helping to get special permits for People of Determination to exercise outside during the 2020 lockdown. Ruby has featured in Harpers Bazaar Arabia, Friday Magazine, Etihad, and Nokia ads, and is a natural performer. Ruby exudes a natural warmth and joy that is felt by all who spend time with her, and it’s these qualities that make her a great connector and motivator to all those she encounters. Ruby loves dancing, singing, cooking, swimming, and boy bands! Her message is to be patient, kind, and most of all be inclusive. https://www.touch-dubai.com/manju-jisto daily 0.75 2022-06-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/fef1d1e2-5fef-4ec8-b5f8-503fda106790/Manju+food.jpg Manju Jisto - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/dc934c2f-4fd1-4457-a395-e9fd64f0b105/Manju+Headshot.jpg Manju Jisto - Manju Jisto. As a self taught photographer and food enthusiast, Manju started making food for her family and documenting meals in the form of still photos because it was what she enjoyed doing. Fast forward to today Manju Jisto is an internationally acclaimed food photographer, with over 5 years experience in the industry. Using her passion as motivation, Manju began submitting photographs for competitions which resulted in being awarded a commended position in 2019 for the “ The Philip Harben Award for Food in Action” category, a highly commended finalist position in 2021 for the “Food Influencers” category, and another highly commended finalist position in 2022 for the “Claire Aho Award for Women Photographers” category. Her consistency of beautiful imagery led to Manju winning first place in the “Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year” regional award (Gulf) in 2022. Manju's photography encompasses dark and moody images, to clean and bright, and minimal images along with quite a few macro shots that bring out the otherwise overlooked beauty in the details. https://www.touch-dubai.com/csr1 daily 0.75 2025-03-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/8f089737-3ae0-407e-852a-4c0e793e1e15/Touch+SDG+5+Gender+Eqaulity.jpg CSR https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/6f99d6ec-0bb7-4fba-b255-aa91d723a6e4/Touch+SDG+10+reduced+inequalities.png CSR https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/f2530bac-1a47-4e0a-b944-4a0c91ac8ab0/Touch+SDG+17+partnerships.png CSR https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/e6d98f3d-44ab-4a0f-8475-f4f1314ccf87/Touch+SDG+16.png CSR https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/7c0ece4b-1db5-41e4-9406-ba34454b4f63/Touch+SDG+3+good+health+and+wellbeing.png CSR https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/719c6f11-b3e3-4c53-b643-73568587c7ee/Touch+SDG+6+Clean+water+and+sanitation.png CSR https://www.touch-dubai.com/domenico-santagada daily 0.75 2022-10-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/be6d8beb-31eb-485a-a24e-3194ed7aa565/Touch-Dubai-Domenico-Santagada.jpg Domenico Santagada - Domenico Santagada. Hailing from Calabria, Italy, Chef Domenico Santagada has over 15 years of culinary experience, specialising in fine dining concepts. Chef Domenico has been working as a chef since he was 15 years old and has built a career in the kitchen working for various award-winning restaurants across Italy, Spain, and the UK. Working his way through the kitchen ranks, he had the opportunity to embark on a culinary adventure with Francesco Mazzei in London, a cosmopolitan city where Domenico was immersed into his first fine dining experience giving him an insight into the arts of culinary. From that experience, he moved onto a new challenge as part of the pre-opening team of Conrad Dubai, where he had the pleasure to meet and work with Massimo Mantarro, Michelin Star chef from Sicily. Following his introduction to the Dubai scene, Domenico then moved onto a second project at Marco Pierre White Steak House over 2 years with Conrad. It was there he joined Meraas where he had the favorable circumstance to bring to life homegrown concepts from scratch as a Head Chef. During this time, Domenico had the pleasure to meet, discuss, elaborate on concepts and broaden his knowledge with renowned chefs such as Tim Raue, Galvin Brothers and Virgilio Martinez. This melting pot of experiences allowed Domenico to assemble a kitchen from renderings, fittings, equipment and subsequently develop and curate a southern Italian seafood menu with its touches of elegance and simplicity. Chef Domenico is currently working as the Head Chef of the multi award-winning restaurant, Alici, and has been a part of the pre-opening team since 2018. Under Chef Domenico’s leadership and culinary innovation, Alici Restaurant has been awarded as 'What’s On Dubai’s Newcomer of the Year in 2019, Time Out Dubai’s Best Seafood Restaurant in 2020, and What’s On Awards Best Seafood Restaurant in 2022. Chef Domenico has designed Alici’s menu to reflect the authenticity of South of Italy cooking. Some of his specialties include a wide range of crudo or raw seafood selection. https://www.touch-dubai.com/adel-rashid daily 0.75 2022-10-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/58c08de3-1b90-444a-83b5-c6b4ef97f373/Screenshot+2022-10-26+100551.jpg Adel Rashid - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/9ea24e8c-3d0a-4ec7-b7a6-f7828f9dde7a/2H1A8137.jpg Adel Rashid - Adel Rashid. Adel Rashid is one of the most sought after photographers in the Middle East. Adel relocated from Syria to the UAE in 2006 and started his career as a high-end retoucher / photographer. Within a couple of years, he established himself as one of the best photographers in the region. Adel's work has been featured in publications such as Zahrat Aal Khaleej, Kul Alusra, Al Sada, Arous Al Khaleej, just to name a few. As a result of his consistent hard work, Adel was selected as one of 5 to present the UAE on a global scale in the DXB Fashion Photography Exhibition, which was featured on all global media platforms. In addition, Adel also works on many regional & international projects, such as editorial, fashion, commercial and magazine covers such as Esquire Men's, Cosmopolitan Middle East, Condé Nast Traveller, Harper's Bazaar Arabia, Time Out Dubai, Hello Middle East, Caterer Middle East, Interior Design Adel's drive and passion for photography enable him to create images of the highest quality, and his unique eye for detail makes Adel one of the most highly sought after photographers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/e277d603-8c97-4655-9c68-7d170940caf8/Screenshot+2022-10-26+100706.jpg Adel Rashid - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.touch-dubai.com/alannahfrancesca daily 0.75 2022-12-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/a3afbb5c-eece-40d3-b871-8624f6a68bda/Alannahfrancesca.jpeg Alannah Francesca - Alannah Francesca. Alannah Francesca is a young, free, fun-loving creative Pastry Chef! Her love for pastry started at the young age of 10, when Alannah used to bake cakes in her Nana’s kitchen. Alannah has travelled all over the world with her passion for pastry and is dedicated to ensuring the world eats great cake! Alannah’s career started out in London when she was just 16, where she used to work free of charge in a 5* hotel during her school summer holidays; because she just wanted to learn! She then went on to work in some of the most prestigious 5* hotels in London, including - Royal Garden Hotel 5* - Landmark London 5* - Ritz Hotel 5* - Claridge's Hotel 5* - The Savoy Hotel 5* Her career then led her to Dubai, where she has worked at the prestigious - Address Hotel 5* - Savarin Dessert Company - Jumeirah Group 5* Alannah’s talent and expertise has seen her receive many prestigious accolades, including; Pastry Chef of the Year – 2020 Dubai Government – Supporting Dubai Police/Ambulance Covid 2020 Mercury Award Winner – Dessert Innovation 2019 UAE Junior Culinary Team – Gold medal in African Cup 2018 & 2019 Emirates Culinary Guild Pastry Showpiece May 2013 … just to name a few! Alannah now runs her own Pastry business here in Dubai and most recently named Top 50 FnB Females in GCC 2022. Furthermore Alannah dedicated her time to helping those less privileged, and recently traveled to Indonesia to volunteer her time and skills to the students at Sumba Hospitality Foundation. To book Alannah please click on the button below. https://www.touch-dubai.com/reem-shamieh daily 0.75 2022-12-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/b8cf5b3b-61ee-4ea3-b25a-01b5bfc67ee7/Reem+photo+with+painting.jpeg Reem Shamieh - Reem Shamieh. Reem Shamieh is the youngest of five siblings, born and raised in Lebanon. Reem was born with down syndrome, and is a very caring person, someone who is dedicated, passionate and very supportive. Reem is literally a blessing to her family and all who meet her. As a young girl, Reem’s interests and hobbies were diverse, ranging from sports and cooking, to the arts. Reem has a strong interest in sport and was part of the Special Olympics team for Lebanon, where she participated in different international and national tournaments in a variety of sports. Reem played ping-pong in the Special Olympics in 2007 where she won the bronze medal. In 2009 she participated in the Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi, this time winning gold in running. Then, in 2011 Reem won a silver medal in the Special Olympics Regional Games in the sport of bowling. Her last international participation in the Special Olympics was in Germany in 2012 where she played volleyball. In addition to being multitalented in various sports, Reem also loves music and cooking, and one day dream to own her own bakery. But it is art where Reem’s talents are exceling. She has loved the simple task of coloring since her early years, but her skills started developing further after relocating to UAE in 2017 where she showed interest in brushes, paints, and canvases. In 2021 Reem was invited to participate in a painting course developed through Hotel Indigo in Dubai alongside other People of Determination. The final artwork pieces were presented at a special event part of the Art Series at Hotel Indigo in Downtown Dubai. Reem’s artwork was sold in the charity auction, further exciting her passion and motivation for painting. In 2021 Reem became a valued member of Touch, an inclusive talent agency and consultancy in Dubai. Reem was invited to attend an event hosted by Hilton in collaboration with Touch where Reem had the opportunity to meet local business leaders, chefs, corporate heads, and taste amazing food. This opportunity empowered Reem to express herself and showcase what People of Determination are capable of. The team at Touch are supporting Reem to pursue her passion in art, through paid opportunities which is providing Reem the opportunity to be financially independent. As Reem’s family we are grateful for Touch and its partners for the outstanding work they do. The integration of her painting in extremely beautiful Coffee Packs for Cypher Coffee, and the platform for her to feel included and respected by the outside world, benefits the physical, emotional and moral support for Reem. This initiative has given us the opportunity to focus on her art and painting skills and realise that her pass-time hobby can make a difference not only in Reem’s life, but also the lives of others. We are so proud of the changes to our own mindset, and the importance of developing her skills and investing in it. https://www.touch-dubai.com/chloe-fox daily 0.75 2022-12-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/5b33cda9-4bac-45ee-a255-57d76fdfd996/Screenshot+2022-10-05+172408.jpg Chloe Fox - Chloe Fox. Chloe is just like many other teenage girls. When she was 14, she started to think about what university courses she might take after leaving school. Chloe loves art and started looking into an arts degree that would allow her to persue a career in interior design. However, things changed dramatically on the evening of the 10th of November 2017. Chloe and some friends were riding their bikes, when Chloe was hit by a speeding motor cyclist. The force of the collision carried Chloe and her bike more than 40m down the road. Surgeons later told her family that based on the extent of her injuries, they thought she had been hit by a speeding truck. Chloe was rushed to Rashid Hospital in in Dubai’s Healthcare City district. On admission doctors discovered a fracture to her spine, a seriously fractured femur, what is known as an open book pelvic fracture and lacerations to all of her internal organs. However, the most serious injury was major head trauma. The surgeons immediately and simultaneously worked to repair Chloe’s pelvis, as it was a life-threatening injury due to the massive blood loss, and to remove a large section of her skull. The removal of the skull was to allow the bruising to swell outward rather than press against the brain. They then elected to place Chloe into a comatosed state in order to try and let her body recover. At this stage she was given about a 3% chance of survival. Chloe remained in a coma at Rashid Hospital for six weeks. The specialist told Chloe’s family that if she recovered, she may not be able to talk or control any of her bodily functions. As the weeks went on it looked like Chloe was going to live, and she was moved to Trauma rehab clinic, Amana Rehabilitation Centre, in Abu Dhabi. After 4 months, Chloe’s feeding tube was removed and she had to learn the difficult task of eating again. Over the next six months, as Chloe slowly became aware, she went through the processes of learning how to swallow without choking, how to sit up, how to move her hands and focus her eyesight. Gradually she learned how to talk again. It was then time to replace the part of her skull that had been removed in the initial operation. This was carried out at the Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi. We had initially thought that her own skull piece (which had been preserved) would be used but after quite a lot of research we felt it was better to go with a carbon-fibre and titanium insert as the original skull can shrink and sink in a little. The operation was extremely sensitive and after it, Chloe’s head swelled to double it’s normal size. The swelling took about a month to go down. Chloe started to learn how to recognise letters and objects again and to control her hands enough to eat with a spoon. Every time someone would enter her room she would say, “hi, how are you?” even if they just walked out and back in again. She watched Dirty Dancing about 100 times as if it was the first time she had seen it. Her short-term memory was non existent at that stage. By August 2018, Chloe was ready to progress into moving home. The house had been equipped with a stair lift and ramps, as well as a small pool and hoist so that Chloe could continue her aqua therapy. We checked clinics in Germany, Switzerland, Spain and the U.S. but we found that some of these clinics had facilities here in Dubai. After intense therapy both in the UAE and overseas, Chloe progressed from a wheelchair to a rolling walking frame and then to crutches. Chloe’s short-term memory has improved but it is still very challenging for her. Her walking is slow but there is improvement, and she is in the process of completing her high-school education. Chloe’s original prognosis was that she would never be able to walk or communicate effectively, she would not be able to carry out any basic functions on her own and would need constant care. Happily, the prognosis was wrong. Chloe has come from a 3% chance at an incapacitated life, to the sweet caring, active person she is today. Someone who thinks for herself and can operate somewhat independently. The physical damage, has now healed , although Chloe still has a number of links and pins supporting her pelvis and a titanium rod in her left thigh from the original fracture. The brain trauma was serious, and it is a miracle that she survived, but it has created the lasting effect on her walking and memory function. The brain messages to Chloe’s leg, are a little weak or scrambled, so she struggles to make her leg do what she wants. Chloe is still challenged by short term memory loss but that too is improving slowly. Chloe wants to do more in life and will work towards it. One of the hardest things Chloe has experience and will continue to go through, is the disconnect from her friends. Chloe as she found herself, not only having to deal with re-building her life but also, having to do it without her friends, who various reasons are no longer part of Chloe’s life. The Touch organisation has brought a new light to Chloe’s life, she looks forward to meeting the group and she feels like she is part of that community. Chloe feels like she is appreciated for who she is, rather than “the girl who had that horrific accident” and she knows that whenever she arrives at a Touch meeting, she will be greeted with smiles and hugs from people who are genuinely happy to see her. Touch also offers Chloe to tell her own story and allows her to share it with a greater audience. She can show that, regardless of the situation, everyone has something to offer and to share. Touch has helped to build Chloe’s confidence and she is keen to pick up on her plan to work in the interior design field. https://www.touch-dubai.com/mohamed-lahna daily 0.75 2023-05-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/f247e915-c16d-4c2c-8be2-a17ca8613505/Mohamed+Lahna https://www.touch-dubai.com/jamie-morris daily 0.75 2024-07-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/dba84ed4-77b4-4453-ab11-f337259ad9d1/2024_04_05_Jamie_Touch_AK_0621.jpg Jamie Morris - Jamie Morris. Jamie Morris was an active and sporty child who was always involved in several team sports. He always had a passion for sports and played football at an amateur level from 7-16 years old for for Craven Arms, Ludlow, and had trials with Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion. In 2006, at just 17 years old, Jamie suffered a life changing injury whilst driving back from football training - just 5 days before Christmas. Jamie was involved in a serious car accident which left him with a broken collar bone, 4 smashed ribs, punctured lung and a severed spinal cord which paralyzed Jamie from the waist down. Jamie became a full-time wheelchair user. Jamie’s rehabilitation process included a week in intensive care and then 6 months in a specialist spinal unit. That was when he started to accept his injuries and focused on rebuilding his life. After leaving the hospital, Jamie became a mentor working for a charity which supports people with spinal injuries and was tasked with visiting newly injured children and adults. Jamie used his experiences to support, mentor, coach and teach wheelchair skills to other patients to assist and prepare them in leaving the hospital. After leaving the hospital and completing his own rehabilitation, Jamie was keen to start work again and progress his new life. He restarted his career to work for a local multimillion pound company, Britpart in their sales department. Jamie decided to go back to a sport he loved by joining a successful men’s football team , Ludlow Town Football Club as an Assistant Manager, winning multiple leagues and trophies. Jamie is very proud that he has maintained his fitness and physique over the last 17 years: taking part in adaptive rowing, wheelchair basketball, tennis and regularly visiting the gym. He feels blessed to be able to participate in many racing events, using his a wheelchair, within the UK and Dubai. Jamie recently became a Touch mentor for the kids within the Touch community in Dubai. He is highly motivated to share his story in the hope that it can show and inspire others. Jamie thrives on supporting others who have also suffered a life changing injury to prove to them that life does continue and that there are so many opportunities beyond a disability. Read the article about Jamie’s story here - https://www.ludlowadvertiser.co.uk/news/9659456.assistant-manager-at-ludlow-town-talks-about-getting-back-into-football-after-horrific-car-accident/ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/0e90b73c-5057-4457-bac1-fa83dab17dbb/Jamie_Alioth_AK_0052.jpg Jamie Morris - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.touch-dubai.com/liam-jones daily 0.75 2024-06-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/441f3fba-0d28-4174-b3e3-5063662280fd/WhatsApp+Image+2024-06-11+at+14.31.17+%281%29.jpeg Liam Jones - Liam Jones. My name is Liam Jones and I am 14 years old. I have been living in Dubai since 2012. I moved here from the UK where I was born on Valentines Day in 2010. I’m a lover not a fighter! I was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy when I was 15 months old. Duchenne is a neuromuscular disease resulting in progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. Despite my condition, I live every day to the fullest and have many passions and interests in my life which make me very happy. I am in year 9 at Arcadia High School and my favourite subjects are Cooking, Art, Design Technology, History and P.E. My passion for cooking started a long time ago when I used to cook with my Nanay and then a bit later when I met Ms. Jean and she introduced me to my mentor, Reif Othman who has taught me to cook a few special dishes! I have cooking at school every Monday and my Mom is so happy when I bring home food for Dinner every Monday. She is not a big fan of cooking! I started painting when I was in Year 1 when I attended Little Masterpieces over summer camp and 9 years later I still go to art lessons and I have produced some stunning art pieces which are mainly my interpretations of famous artists like Van Gogh, Salvadore Dali, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol etc. I am very proud to have won some awards over the years. My other passion is sport and I love watching Football (Chelsea & Al Ahli Saudi FC) and Cycling (especially the Tour De France). I am an accomplished sailor and have achieved my RYA Silver Award (Royal Yachting Association) which I am very proud of and for 5 years, I rode horses at Desert Palm and played football with Soccer Kids. I have a great bunch of friends in Dubai, many of which I was in primary school with and we still hang out together and almost every weekend, we go to movies, restaurants and some sort of leisure activity. https://www.touch-dubai.com/luca-lombardi daily 0.75 2024-07-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/15db7456-2bda-4185-b11a-9a721cde226a/169+-+Sofia-2689.jpeg Luca Lombardi - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/aa4117ce-a4e7-45be-9d74-01da9040fdc7/057+Petra-8991.jpeg Luca Lombardi - Luca Lombardi. Luca is an Italian photographer who specialises in translating the most sophisticated brand messages into visually captivating images. Listening to customers is of paramount importance, and so is translating their briefing into a visual product that combines technical perfection with an artistic touch. Being Italian, and having studied art, philosophy and literature gives Luca a unique perspective, and the cultural ground to provide clients with multi-dimensional visual products: images that speak to the eye, the mind, and the soul of their target audience. Gucci, Bulgari, Jumeirah, Hugo Boss, Estee Lauder, Elie Saab, Omega and many other luxury brands and celebrities like Zac Efron, Dalidah Khalil, Vittorio Brumotti have chosen Luca Lombardi for their personal and commercial photoshoots in the Middle East and internationally. Lately he had fun on TV, appearing in several episodes of Eish Eldor on Mbc Action. Luca is also a passionate off-roader, owner of The Camel Farm Dubai and named Esquire’s Best Dressed 2019. https://www.touch-dubai.com/sahar-milani daily 0.75 2024-07-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/ce840505-1155-4f0a-a920-28f0c022dec2/Headshot+2+2022.jpeg Sahar Milani - Sahar Milani. PODCAST HOST, MC, HOLISTIC BRAND SPECIALIST Holistic Brand Specialist, Sahar Milani, is passionate about crafting authentic connections through mindful storytelling. With over 15 years of expertise in brand development and a background in Intellectual Property law, she seamlessly integrates her essence to create engagement and growth. Additionally, her 20+ years of exploration in mindfulness and meditation practices uniquely position her to approach branding with a conscious and insightful perspective. Sahar’s approach is transformative, empowering creatives, entrepreneurs, and businesses to thrive by leveraging their unique stories and fostering conscious communication. This vision comes to life in the acclaimed podcast Mindful Makers, where she shines a light on individuals and brands making a positive impact. Recognised as one of the top 8 female-led MENA podcasts by SheerLuxe Middle East in 2023, Mindful Makers is a testament to her ability to shape meaningful conversations and drive change in the podcasting world and beyond. Her infectious enthusiasm and boundless energy are at the heart of her commitment to helping people and brands grow. The focus on meaningful communication, community-building, and conscientious leadership underscores her holistic approach, making her a sought-after expert in the field. Join the journey of mindful branding and storytelling with Sahar Milani, and watch your brand come to life in the most authentic and impactful way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/bd44c39b-063b-4e76-82fe-f45102309e31/3X3A1819.jpg Sahar Milani - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.touch-dubai.com/stefan-and-denise daily 0.75 2024-08-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/6d55058d-a5ac-4413-95d2-6740281f5401/Stefan+and+Denise+3.jpeg Stefan and Denise - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/9c5ae716-d309-42eb-8d6b-1512283b1b50/Stefan+and+Denise+1.jpeg Stefan and Denise - Stefan Andrusyschyn and Denise Leigh. Meet our new talents! Stefan Andrusyschyn, 40, and Denise Leigh, 53, are an extraordinary husband-and-wife duo who have mesmerized the world with their performances on Britain's Got Talent. Stefan and Denise are both blind and have overcome numerous challenges to share their exceptional musical talents with the world. Stefan was born without eyes, a condition he describes as complete blindness without even light perception. Denise has retinitis pigmentosa, a group of genetic disorders that cause retinal degeneration. Despite this, their musical talent has remained undiminished. Denise is a soprano, while Stefan is a Pianist. Their story began 18 years ago in a serendipitous encounter on a train. Both were headed to an awards ceremony where Denise was to present, and Stefan was the pianist for the evening. Unbeknownst to them, this chance meeting—where Stefan humorously asked Denise for the time—was the beginning of a profound journey together, united by love and a shared passion for music. Their performance of "Climb Every Mountain" from The Sound of Music on Britain's Got Talent was a standout moment, showcasing Denise's powerful vocals and Stefan's emotive piano accompaniment. The performance moved the judges and audience to tears, with Judge Bruno Tonioli leading a standing ovation and praising their positivity and humor in the face of challenges. Simon Cowell lauded their attitude and talent, highlighting them as exemplary figures of what the show aims to celebrate. Beyond their remarkable performances, Stefan and Denise's story is a testament to resilience and the triumph of the human spirit. Denise has bravely battled and overcome cancer, adding another layer of strength to their inspiring narrative. Denise and Stefan’s child together, Dimitri, 10 also has retinitis pigmentosa too and they found out when he was just a year old. They also have 3 older children from Denise’s earlier marriage; Rebecca, 30, Michael, 28 and Sam, 26 who are all extremely supportive of Denise and Stefan’s career Their journey together reminds us all that with passion, love, and determination, no dream is beyond reach! View some of their performances on YouTube below: https://youtu.be/94T0eg8OE4w?si=OEdhsC_JnywFvLWk https://youtu.be/gqZweVb7t10?si=WFj_xvDOozNxRATS https://youtu.be/b3PHvrp0U40?si=pR0CaL6ipZHY_AsN https://www.touch-dubai.com/yazan-al-bawwab daily 0.75 2024-09-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/b197d94c-5c4e-4efe-8427-51b598723196/image7.jpeg Yazan Al Bawwab - Yazan Al Bawwab. Yazan Al Bawwab, a 2X Palestinian Olympic swimmer and 2X Arab Swimming Champion (100 backstroke / 50 backstroke ), is also renowned for holding numerous national and Arab swimming records. He competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. His academic pursuits led him to earn a Master's degree in International Sports Management from the prestigious University of London (UK). Yazan graduated in Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering from Canada and contributed significantly at the InnosportsLab in the Netherlands, focusing on the physics of swimming. Beyond his athletic endeavors, Yazan is an IOC Young Leader and IOC mentor, and a certified IOC Safeguarding and Wellness Officer. His leadership extends to founding the Palestinian Olympians Association and leading the Palestinian Athletes Commission, representing athletes from both Canada and Palestine in both the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and FISU (International University Sports Federation). Yazan is the owner of a furniture company that specializes in designing and selling both Italian and custom-made furniture, managing a team of 40 employees. In addition, he serves as the Middle East sales agent for the world’s first lithium-ion battery fire extinguisher. He is also a sports consultant, providing expert guidance and delivering talks globally. Yazan's multicultural background, being born in Saudi Arabia, raised in Dubai, educated in Canada and the UK, with Italian and Palestinian heritage, and having lived in the Netherlands, now based in Dubai, adds a rich global perspective to his profile. - Yazan’s accolades include the prestigious Medal of Honor, awarded by the President of Palestine for achievements in sport and beyond. - The Canadian Arab (30 under 30 Award) for his positive impact and promotion of Arab Canadian culture. - He was awarded a scholarship by the World Olympians Association and was selected for mentorship by a senior member of the US Olympic Committee. Additionally, he received the Tom Anzai Memorial Bursary at Carleton University, recognizing his achievements as a student-athlete. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/270c52b2-084d-4e59-9f6c-9570f89a2b4b/image2.jpeg Yazan Al Bawwab - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.touch-dubai.com/brett-parker daily 0.75 2024-09-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/a856ab4c-5fe7-44af-ba2e-057b100e0d85/DSCF0682.jpg Brett Parker - Brett Parker. At the tender age of seven, Brett was diagnosed with progressive Cerebellar Ataxia, a condition that gradually affected his ability to focus, write, walk and perform simple activities. Eventually, he was asked to be removed from school due to the challenges posed by his condition. However, Brett's determination and resilience led him to pursue alternative methods of education and therapy. After hearing about Touch, a unique program aimed at providing physical rehabilitation and activities to individuals with disabilities, through a social media handle, Brett's family decided to enroll him. The results have been nothing short of remarkable. Brett's love for the physical challenges and activities offered by Touch has been a driving force in his journey towards regaining his confidence and independence. Every week during the touch gym and activity sessions, he surpasses his own high scores, a testament to his unwavering dedication and perseverance. Through these achievements, Brett has emerged as a true champion in the making. The Touch program has not only provided Brett with a platform to improve his physical abilities but has also had a profound impact on his emotional well-being. With each milestone he reaches, Brett's self-esteem soars, and he becomes more determined to overcome the obstacles that come his way. "Brett is an inspiration to all of us," said his parents. "His determination and positive attitude are truly remarkable. We are honored to be a part of his journey and witness his growth and achievements." Through the Touch program, Brett has not only found a supportive community but has also discovered a newfound sense of empowerment. The program has given him the tools and opportunities to develop his skills, challenge his limits, and celebrate his successes. Brett's story serves as a reminder that with the right support and resources, individuals with disabilities can overcome significant challenges and achieve extraordinary accomplishments. His journey is a testament to the power of determination, resilience, and the transformative impact of programs like Touch. His 3 goals are to 1. Walk comfortably on his own. 2. Meet Chris Pratt in Dubai. 3. ⁠Travel to different countries. https://www.touch-dubai.com/hana-nabulsi daily 0.75 2024-09-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/d87d6c7a-baf5-4743-b132-d3127842ef80/Hana+Nabulsi+Photo2.jpeg Hana Nabulsi - Hana Al Nabulsi. Touch is so proud to represent UAE’s first female elite Emirati triathlete who has podiumed numerous times including qualifying for Asian Cup and Asian Games. She has become a source of inspiration to many young athletes in her field. Hana Alnabulsi is an Emirati Elite Triathlete that competes for the UAE on a regional and international level. Hana, was the first female Emirati in the region to qualify and compete in the Asia Games in Triathlon and aims to go as far as the Olympics. One of her main drivers is to pave a pathway for women in the world of sport. Hana was diagnosed with Dyslexia and ADHD at the age of 7 which she still struggles with today doing her daily tasks and triathlon training whilst dealing with challenges like short attention span, hyperactivity and impulse control. Wheverever things get tough, Hana pushes through remembering all the times when she was told as a child that she should ‘ never try, never do or will be never be able to do’ due to her developmental conditions and proves her nay sayers wrong. Hana has never allowed anything or anyone to hold her back and uses sport to be her safe haven. Hana aims to excel as an elite athlete to show any kids with any disabilities that there are no limitations to their goals and normalize pursuing their dreams whatever their dreams may be. Hana is now doing public speaking to share her story and journey when she is not training for her competitions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/7ed95b70-c2e4-42b0-b73d-81b6f9c1b23c/WhatsApp+Image+2024-02-16+at+18.23.57_eabab6c9.jpg Hana Nabulsi - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.touch-dubai.com/mariya-asghari daily 0.75 2024-09-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/130295d9-741d-42e4-8692-fd5466370d64/Mariya+A+2.jpg Mariya Asghari - Mariya Asghari. Mariya is a 16-year-old with a passion for art and a love for life. Born on August 8, 2008 (08/08/08), her favourite number is unsurprisingly 8. Despite living with cerebral palsy, Mariya does not let it define her. Mariya has been successfully fully integrated into a mainstream school system here, where she is able to thrive both academically and artistically, with dreams of pursuing art at university after completing her GCSEs this year. Mariya is not only an aspiring artist but also a dedicated athlete. She discovered her love for horse riding at the age of 7, and it has since become her favourite sport. Her passion for it continues to grow, as she enjoys the sense of freedom and connection with the animals. Additionally, Mariya loves attending the weekly CrossFit sessions put on by TOUCH Dubai and always aims to push and challenging herself within the gym to develop her strength. Aside from horse riding and CrossFit, Mariya has a variety of hobbies, including language learning and photography, where her creativity truly shines. Her positive outlook on life and determination make her an inspiration to everyone around her. Mariya’s love for both the arts and sports fuels her dream of a future where she can express herself freely through her talents. https://www.touch-dubai.com/haya-orouq daily 0.75 2024-09-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/969c0fe1-90ac-4177-a981-c514723cf6a6/Haya+Orouq+pic.jpg Haya Orouq - Haya Orouq. -Life and Education Before the War Before the war, my life was centered around my education and personal development in Gaza, Palestine. I was deeply committed to academic excellence, which culminated in my high school graduation in 2023 with a GPA of 99.4, earning second place in the country. I began studying Business Administration at Al Azhar University, drawn to the field of UI/UX design. During my schooling years, I actively sought opportunities for growth. I was part of the Hands Up Project, a British organization supporting young talents in Gaza, where I developed leadership skills and improved my English. In 2023, I completed a 2.5-month UI/UX design course, which deepened my interest in designing websites and apps, further shaping my career aspirations. -My Experience Escaping the War During the war, my home and my university were destroyed , we were displaced three times for different places. The main reason for our exit from Gaza is my mother because she is sick and suffers from kidney failure because she has lupus , When Al-Shifa Hospital stopped working, we had to exode to the south of the Strip in search of a hospital for my mother. We are now in Deir Al-Balah. The quality of the hospitals are very poor because of the war and there is no medicine that my mother needs,When the war escalated, everything changed. We had to flee from Gaza to Cairo, Egypt, leaving behind the life I knew and the plans I had carefully crafted. Escaping the conflict wasn’t just about leaving a physical location—it was about adapting to a completely new reality under extreme emotional stress. Being forced to continue my studies online while trying to process the trauma of war has been a profound challenge. However, the experience has also taught me resilience and adaptability. I’ve had to navigate uncertainty while staying focused on my education, and this has only strengthened my determination to succeed. -Why I Am Looking for a Job Now I am now actively seeking employment because my family is facing significant financial difficulties. We cannot afford the cost of living in Cairo, especially as my mother is battling kidney failure. Her medical treatments are incredibly expensive, and I want to help ease the burden on my family. I’m determined to find a job not only to support myself but also to contribute to my family’s well-being during this difficult time. My goal is to gain professional experience, particularly in UI/UX design, while helping my family manage these overwhelming expenses. This has become a deeply personal mission, and I am committed to doing everything I can to support my loved ones. https://www.touch-dubai.com/adnan-karimjee daily 0.75 2024-10-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/13be2b0d-28e7-4d34-ba9c-fa33f6b032fa/Adnan+Karimjee+pic.jpg Adnan Karimjee - Adnan Karimjee. Adnan is a photographer based between Dubai and London, and is known for his passion and versatility. His journey began in 2010 when he received his first camera, and since then, photography has been his constant companion. Transforming everyday moments into compelling visual stories, his journey started with street and landscape photography, honing his keen eye for detail and mastering the art of composition. Adnan is renowned for his high-energy fitness photography, collaborating with industry giants such as CrossFit, Dubai Sports Council, Lululemon, SquatWolf and Puma. Adnan’s fitness photography captures the raw energy of athletes, blending dynamic action with emotional depth. However, what sets him apart is his mindful approach to photography. He cultivates an atmosphere where clients feel at ease, allowing him to capture their authentic selves with confidence and grace. Adnan’s versatility spans across genres, from lifestyle to event photography. His dedication to storytelling ensures that every image captures depth, emotion, and a sense of connection. Whether capturing a family’s shared joy or the adrenaline of athletic prowess, Adnan’s work is a celebration of life’s most powerful moments. Relentlessly pushing creative boundaries, he blends technical precision with a passion for human connection, delivering images that not only impress but inspire. https://www.touch-dubai.com/sharifah-delia daily 0.75 2024-10-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/3bab6667-1a65-4c4c-a765-f0de2188d5b0/WhatsApp+Image+2024-10-22+at+13.51.31.jpg Sharifah Delia - Sharifah Delia. A Journey of Strength and Triumph Born prematurely, Delia’s life was in jeopardy from the start. At just five days old, her heart stopped, leading to a severe stage 3 intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). Doctors gave little hope, predicting that Delia would never see, hear, speak, walk, or even survive. Their grim prognosis seemed unavoidable as Delia’s condition worsened in the ICU. During her time there, Delia battled a series of life-threatening complications—brain infection, ventriculitis, pneumonia, silent seizures, and meningitis—all wrapped into one. At just two weeks old, she underwent her first brain surgery, shattering her family’s hearts. At eight weeks, she faced her second surgery. Despite the overwhelming odds, one doctor’s words brought hope: “We won’t surrender until the last heartbeat.” This sentiment reflected the resilience that carried Delia through these dark times. After three months in the ICU, Delia was discharged without medication. She defied the odds by passing all motor, speech, hearing, and vision tests. At age 4, an MRI revealed the blood clot in her brain had disappeared, meaning she no longer depended on the shunt placed inside her brain. Her recovery wasn’t without struggle. Daily therapies pushed her through exhaustion, frustration, and pain. Yet, Delia’s determination never faltered, and with each passing day, she grew stronger. Now, at 11 years old, Delia reads, writes, sings, swims, and even snorkels. She’s a vibrant, energetic girl who knows exactly what she wants and isn’t afraid to speak her mind, especially with her two older sisters, whom she loves dearly. Her sisters treat her just like anyone else, fostering her independence and resilience. As her mother reflects, "How fragile life is, and we should seize every moment with laughter and love. Delia came into this life to rescue me, instead of me rescuing her—teaching me about life and how wonderful it is." Delia has traveled the world, from Istanbul to Korea, Europe, and Japan—her favorite destination thanks to her love of raw salmon. Her remarkable journey has had a profound impact on her family, reminding them of the power of resilience, hope, and the grace of miracles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/8f918a1f-f7b9-4e3d-a8e1-03585c6e1fbd/WhatsApp+Image+2024-10-22+at+13.47.17.jpg Sharifah Delia - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.touch-dubai.com/zein-ozoor daily 0.75 2024-10-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/0fbdd293-25b8-4dda-aaa0-b9b18608390a/DSCF0813.jpg Zein Ozoor - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/30f341d5-69bb-46bc-8e2e-bab2cda5c1e6/Zein.jpg Zein Ozoor - Zein Ozoor. Zein is an 11-year-old whose strength goes far beyond physical limitations. Born with diplegia, he has weakness in his legs, relying on a walker during his best days. He also faces dysarthria, a speech challenge that limits his words. But for Zein, communication is not confined to speech—his radiant smile expresses what words cannot. Those who know him often say his smile speaks a thousand words, bridging the gap between him and the world. Zein’s journey began with his first steps at age two, a moment that signaled challenges ahead. Yet, from that early milestone, his resilience shone. He dived deep into therapies like hippo-therapy, swimming, and physiotherapy, each helping him strengthen his walk and his spirit. Now, Zein is rocking middle school, where he navigates a mainstream environment with the support of a modified classroom. In his free time, Zein is unstoppable. He boxes, swims, plays soccer, and practices CrossFit with determination and passion. Zein's story is one of quiet but powerful courage, proving that true strength lies not in the body or in words but in the way he approaches life—with resilience, joy, and a smile that says it all. https://www.touch-dubai.com/henry-dunn daily 0.75 2025-05-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/726daa8e-8401-4281-a232-6ec679bac636/Henry+Dunn+headshot+-+Color.jpg Henry Dunn - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/dac61d8b-7bbe-49d1-b7e3-175f50824f55/Henry+Dunn+at+shoosmiths.jpg Henry Dunn - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61237e5ffdf93f3b96f935e9/62cd2d77-9800-4b65-a923-5e36f9ae9df8/Henry+Dunn+Texas.jpg Henry Dunn - Henry Dunn. Public Speaker | Adaptive Personal Trainer | CrossFit Athlete In 2022, at just 23 years old, Henry Dunn faced a life-altering amputation in the heart of the Australian outback. What followed was a transformation from a young man filled with fear and uncertainty to a competitive CrossFit athlete and inspiring public speaker. His journey is a living testament to resilience, mindset, and the power of adaptation. Originally from the UK and now based in Dubai, Henry holds a First-Class Honours BSc in Sports Injuries and Rehabilitation. As an adaptive and inclusive personal trainer, he works extensively with a range of clients some of which living with amputations, spinal cord injuries, and neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. Henry is deeply embedded in the adaptive sport and rehab communities in the UK and is driven by a mission to make health and fitness more inclusive for individuals with disabilities as he evidences that exercise is medicine. Henry began his public speaking journey shortly after his amputation, addressing UK law firms and healthcare professionals—including Shoosmiths, Field Fisher, and No 5 Chambers on topics of personal injury and mindset. His message has since reached corporate audiences at Specsavers, AXA Insurance and K2 Corporate Mobility, as well as students across schools and colleges. At the heart of every talk is one theme: adversity, where Henry teaches his audience to embrace adversity and use it to fuel one’s growth. Eighteen months post-amputation, Henry qualified to represent Great Britain at the 2024 Adaptive CrossFit Games in Texas, where he placed 6th in the world in his division, an achievement that reflects his philosophy: mindset is everything. Whether you're an individual navigating change or an organisation seeking to inspire your team, Henry delivers practical insights on resilience, adaptability, and high performance in the face of adversity. Learn more or connect with Henry at: www.lifeinmyownhand.com