Dubai: To start with he is yet to master the technique of swimming. But this does not mean that Mohammad Eisa Al Ghurair cannot do what is to him a second passion in addition to his regular full-time job of heading the family business.
"My aim is to contribute to a society that is healthy and I am just trying to do my bit to ensure this," Al Ghurair told Gulf News.
Huge event
He has been the driving force behind the annual Jenan Swimming Gala that has been running as an event for employees of Al Ghurair Foods for the past five years. But now the annual competition has evolved into an event that attracts some 500 swimmers, not counting their family and friends.
"We started small at first and this was deliberate as we wanted to take things one step at a time," he recalled. "But at the same time I did not want to restrict the growth of the event as I saw first-hand how much everyone was getting involved and having fun. That pushed me to take the next step forward and we now see such a huge event before us. Al Ghurair finished high school in 1999 and continued his education in Melbourne, Australia where he received an advanced diploma in international trade from RIMT University in 2002 and a bachelor's degree in international trade from Victoria University in 2004.
He began his professional career at Alfred C Toepfer in Hamburg, Germany, where he was a trainee from 2004 to 2005 and since 2006 Al Ghurair has been with the family business.
After taking over his new position with the family business, Al Ghurair noticed the urge between children and adults from his company to compete with each other at the fitness club.
"The kids used to get together three times a week and race each other. That was the spark that set my idea into motion of getting these children together for an annual competition."
One of the highlights of the gala is the generous gifts bestowed on the winners by Al Ghurair, who takes a personal interest in importing these from the US, if need be. That's exactly what he did last year when he brought in the then newly launched Apple iPad and presented it to the winner of the Jenan marathon.
"For us this is our signature event and the prizes are only an enticement for more people to train through the year and target a podium finish. We are involved with the Dubai Marathon as well, but this one will very much remain a family-oriented fun competition," Al Ghurair said.
And he is confident the gala will be able to produce swimmers who are capable of contributing to the UAE cause.
"It's a question of time really," he said.
"It won't be long before some of these kids go through the stages and start being regulars in the UAE squad. Next year we are targeting professional trainers who can come and have a talent search among our competitors. This is my way of giving back to my country. We can all make a difference with a healthier society," Al Ghurair added.
Jiwan Lee, aged five, from Korea in action during the gala.
Zuheir Bara, aged four, from Jordan prepares for his race during the Jenan Swimming Gala. Image Credit: Francois Nel/Gulf News
