Superdad Awards 2025 shines light on extraordinary fathers across the UAE

Taylor Johnson, Founder & CEO, Runnies Sunglasses is a dad whose love knows no hesitation. When he adopted his two eldest daughters, both blind, he embraced fatherhood with his whole heart. What followed was a life of deep commitment, quiet strength, and fierce devotion. He’s the kind of dad who gets down on the floor to play, who cheers the loudest at therapy milestones, and who finds creative ways to help his girls explore a world they can’t see, but deeply feel through his love.

Taylor Johnson, Founder & CEO, Runnies Sunglasses is a dad whose love knows no hesitation. When he adopted his two eldest daughters, both blind, he embraced fatherhood with his whole heart. What followed was a life of deep commitment, quiet strength, and fierce devotion.

He’s the kind of dad who gets down on the floor to play, who cheers the loudest at therapy milestones, and who finds creative ways to help his girls explore a world they can’t see, but deeply feel through his love. Throw in a wild two-year-old who’s his carbon copy, and their home is pure, joyful chaos, with Taylor steady and smiling in the middle of it all.

He also juggles life as an entrepreneur (check out Runnies.ae) and a full-time executive, yet still manages to be fully present at home. “When my kids look back one day, I hope they remember that my super quality was presence,” he says. “That I was truly with them. I loved being with them: showing up, supporting them, and having fun together. I was their number one fan. I hope they felt seen, heard, and deeply valued, not just in the big moments but in the ordinary ones too.”

After his wife left, Muhammad Ali Rehman raised his children alone with quiet strength, sacrificing everything to be both their mother and father. He stepped into the role with unwavering devotion, showing up every day not with grand gestures, but with love, routine, and resilience.

Ali doesn’t claim to have done it perfectly. What he hopes his children remember is something far deeper: that he never left. Day after day, he wore both shoes, nurturing with a mother’s tenderness and guiding with a father’s resolve. Through sleepless nights and silent worries, he carried their world without letting them feel the weight.

His strength wasn’t flashy; it was consistent, patient, and full of heart.

“I didn’t just raise them,” he says. “I loved them fiercely, fully, and never gave up.”

This is #SingleDadLife. This is what it means to walk with #BothShoesOn.

When his wife faced hardship, Massimiliano Lepore, Creative Director, Y12 Salon | DJ & Producer, Core Music, became the steady force their family needed, infusing every day with creativity, love, and resilience. Whether behind the decks or styling hair, he brings the same boundless energy home, where his children are his biggest fans.

Known for turning even the most ordinary moments into unforgettable ones, Massimiliano lives with purpose and joy, proving that passion can be a guiding light. From silly dances to surprise games, his fatherhood is a celebration of imagination.

“When our kids look back one day, I hope they remember their dad’s super quality as his unstoppable energy, creativity, and big heart,” he says. “He’s the kind of dad who turns ordinary days into magical ones, always ready with a new idea, a silly game, funny dance. He inspires them by living with purpose, showing that anything is possible with passion and determination. Most of all, he loves deeply, and that love shines bright in everything he does.”

From the Arctic to the Indian Ocean, Arshad Junaid, Credit Analyst, transforms every journey into a lesson, raising his kids with the world as their classroom. Whether it’s chasing the Northern Lights or diving into coral reefs, he teaches them through thrill, travel and fearless curiosity. His superpower? Saying yes to life. Arshad leads with courage, turning every experience into a memory, every challenge into a lesson in bravery.

“I hope they’ll remember that superpower of being able to always say yes to any adventure, and that I showed them courage, curiosity, and how to chase life with both hands wide open.” For his kids, adventure isn’t just a destination, it’s a mindset, and Dad is the one lighting the path.

After a painful separation and the tragic loss of two children in an accident, Khalida Abdulgafoor, proud mother of seven children, stood tall raising her remaining five children with unwavering love, resilience, and grace. She became both mother and father, the unshakable foundation her family leaned on.

Khalida’s quiet strength, endless patience, and deep faith have shaped her children into kind, capable individuals, proof that love can be both gentle and fierce. From scraped knees to life’s toughest crossroads, she was the steady hand and guiding voice through it all.

“My children have grown up under the shelter of my strength,” she says. “I hope my kids will remember patience as my super quality. Everything truly pays off in the end. My patience has helped me raise wonderful human beings, and I believe it will guide them to become amazing individuals themselves.”

Her superpower? An unbreakable spirit wrapped in unconditional love, a true hero at home.

Majed Al Alawi, Director of PR & Marketing, blends fatherhood and fashion with effortless charm, teaching his sons that confidence, care, and how you present yourself are powerful reflections of self-worth. Style, for Majed, is more than appearance, it’s a mindset rooted in respect, discipline, and grace.

But beyond the sharp suits and polished image lies a deeper lesson: integrity. It’s the value he holds closest, and the one he hopes leaves a lasting mark.

“When my children reflect on my life, I hope they remember my unwavering commitment to integrity,” he says. “In both my personal and professional endeavors, I have always strived to act with honesty and uphold strong moral principles. I believe that integrity is the foundation of trust and respect, and I hope this quality has inspired them to lead lives grounded in authenticity and ethical values.”

For Majed, true style begins with character.

Yasser Ahmed, General Manager, is the kind of father who leads with love, guides with intention, and always makes space for his children’s dreams to grow. A quiet force in their lives, he shows them that patience isn’t passive, it’s powerful.

He embodies calm wisdom, teaching his children that thoughtful choices and steady hearts help families flourish through every chapter of life. For Yasser, being a dad means more than showing up, it means showing the way.

Yasser hopes that when his children look back one day, they’ll remember not just what he did, but how he lived.

“Patience. Because they will need it at every stage in their life, and they’ll know it’s possible to be patient because they saw it as a most memorable quality in their father,” he says.

In a fast-paced world, Yasser stands as a quiet mentor, proving that patience is the foundation of strength, growth, and enduring love.

From pre-dawn workouts to bedtime stories, Dr. Ravinder Singh, Associate Director of Marketing, affectionately known as Dr. Ravi, channels his passion for fitness into a deeper mission: to show his daughter the power of consistency, resilience, and self-care.

His dedication to well-being isn’t about image, it’s about being strong enough, present enough, and energized enough to show up for the ones who matter most. Dr. Ravi’s daily discipline models that strength lies not in outcomes, but in the effort itself.

He hopes his daughter remembers one quality above all: unwavering consistency.

“I want her to recall that I pushed through challenges, not always winning, but never quitting,” he shares. “That I taught her strength isn’t just physical, it’s in effort, in getting back up, and in believing that the process matters as much as the outcome.”

Despite a packed travel schedule, Alex Rolland, Sales Manager, keeps his family grounded with the warmth of home-cooked meals and time-honoured recipes passed down through generations. The kitchen is his canvas, and his way of saying, “I’m here.”

His true superpower, though, isn’t just what’s on the plate. It’s presence. Alex finds a way to balance the demands of work and family, showing up not just physically, but emotionally, where it matters most.

“I hope they’ll remember that I was ‘present.’ Physically, as much as possible. Emotionally, always,” he says. “This means arranging my work schedule and other commitments to maximise the time we spend as a family of four; with our extended family around the world; and also one-on-one with each child.

“This also means constantly building connection with them through play, while teaching them about the world and through silly jokes. Being emotionally present also means I try to always listen to them intently now while they’re small… in the hope that they’ll continue to share with me as they grow into teenagers and then adults!”

A devoted father and everyday role model, Ionel Ciuca, Business Improvement Manager, uplifts both his daughters and his community, guiding with kindness, curiosity, distant adoption, and unwavering presence. Whether at home or out in the world, he believes leadership begins with empathy and consistency.

Ionel leads by example, showing his children that responsibility isn’t just about doing, it’s about doing with heart. From streamlining processes at work to quietly supporting those in need, his impact is steady, thoughtful, and far-reaching.

“At home and in my community, I lead by example, with integrity, resilience, and a deep commitment to bettering the world around me,” he says. “When my children look back one day, I hope they won’t just remember what I did, but how I did it, with a strong sense of responsibility and a heart for service.”

His “super quality”? An unwavering dedication to progress, for his family, his team, and the society he’s proud to serve.