WHEN THE SKY IS NOT THE LIMIT
By Manar Al Hinai
Illustration by Dina Sami
Expo 2020 is finally here. Eight years after winning the bid, the UAE will welcome the world next month. The event is the cherry on top of an exceptional year—we will also celebrate our country’s 50th National Day in December. In just half a century, the UAE has risen to become a global leader on many fronts. If that highlights the significance of something, then it’s the importance of planning ahead and of having a vision.
When I first embarked on my entrepreneurial journey, my mentor advised me that in order to achieve my long-term vision I needed to start today, even if my goals are decades away. The more I postpone planning, the further away my goals will be, he cautioned.
It’s also crucial to not rest on our laurels. As Expo welcomes the world for the next few months, I couldn’t help but wonder, what will we celebrate next? Then I remembered that my aunt had answered that question years ago.
I was a little girl, excited to spend my summer days in Bahrain with my cousins after scoring the highest in my class. My aunt asked me, “So, Manar, what are your plans now?” I told her that I had gotten what I wanted—my high score—and that I would spend my summer playing. She smiled warmly and said, “Yes, you must celebrate, but what about your future plans? Were high scores all you wanted?” I didn’t have an answer for her then. I didn’t have an answer all summer. However, just as I was about to head back to Abu Dhabi at the end of my holiday, I had an answer: “I will achieve a bigger goal.” She hugged me tightly in agreement.
If the UAE is good at one thing, it would have to be continuously challenging itself and setting higher goals. The pandemic did not hinder the UAE’s plans. While ensuring residents’ safety and leading the Arab world’s vaccination drive, we successfully sent the Hope probe to Mars, the first Arab nation to launch an interplanetary mission. Next year, Rashid rover will explore the moon. We are also sending Nora Al Matrooshi to space—the first Arab woman to do so. The country’s plans stretch so far to ensure that the next generation is already ahead. The UAE Centennial 2071 plan is already in the works, aiming to make the country the best in the world with ambitious plans for education, the knowledge economy, community cohesion, and government development. Even if it feels a lifetime away, an impactful project is planned years in advance, in true UAE fashion.
Like many entrepreneurs, I faced moments of weakness during this exceptional year. I thought about quitting and reinventing myself. I thought I might not be able to endure a pandemic that challenged us to pivot in many ways. However, I look at the great things that happened around me despite a pandemic that crippled governments and businesses worldwide and I remember that if we set our minds to something, and plan for it, we can achieve it.
As we celebrate our Expo 2020 milestone and reflect on others we have achieved, I look forward to the UAE’s next goals. I am confident they will be even bigger and will shine as a beacon of hope for all.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and entrepreneur
