WATCH: Armless pilots, coexistence entrepreneurs and others inspire in ‘Zayed talk’ in UAE

Abu Dhabi: The world’s first armless pilot, an Emirati author and entrepreneur, and many business leaders delivered an inspiring series of sessions at the Zayed Lecture, a one-day conference that Designed to inspire residents to achieve excellence in their fields.

Organized by the Ministry of Interior as part of the ‘Zayed Inspirers’ program celebrating the UAE’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first Zayed Talk event also saw sand sculpture artist, violinist and oral artist performances as it tries to inspire attendees to take bold and ambitious steps to realize their potential.

American motivational speaker and licensed armless pilot Jessica Cox said at the opening of Zayed’s speech: “A lot of times, people want to limit what they can do, limit what they can do. They want to call it “Impossible”. My whole life I have been showing the world that it is not impossible. I am a motivational speaker and I am number one in the world [licensed] Armless pilot. I was born without arms…but as a result, I learned to use my feet. My feet became my hands and I learned to do things like feed myself, write with my toes, and how to do all the things I needed to do to get my feet independent. “

Cox, who showed how she tied her shoes with her feet and sipped on her toes, said she learned how to fly in order to excel in her career as a motivational speaker. She urges people to pursue their dreams with faith and determination.

“When I was a young man I really wanted to fly, I wanted to fly across my playground like a superhero. I actually learned how to fly a standard airplane, which wasn’t designed for me, but now my mission It was to build the first airplane that could fly on its feet.”

Launched at the World Government Summit in 2018, Zayed the Inspirer aims to collect and share inspirational stories, and Cox’s speech was followed by other stories of hope. Speakers praised the vision and genius of the UAE leadership and paid tribute to Sheikh Zayed.

Emirati author and entrepreneur Omar Al Busaidy discusses his journey to recognition and success, and why he decided to found Global Possibilities, an agency that helps businesses grow by focusing on religious understanding and coexistence.

“I’m an author, an entrepreneur, and a son of the UAE. What motivates me every day is the UAE, its leadership, its people, and how our small Middle Eastern country can have such a huge global impact,” Al Busaidy said.

He described his mother’s influence in his teenage years, and he took a summer job at a young age. It helped him get exposed to multiple cultures and eventually helped him build Global Possibilities after building and closing several other businesses.

In an effort to “give back” to his country, Fulbright scholar Al Busaidy has also written a self-help book in English called “Just Read It,” which is currently being translated into Arabic.

“[I fully believe] The only obstacle in life is a bad attitude. Another thing that really motivates me is a quote from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, who said “everyone is an ambassador – for our country, for our Faith, for our family”. How we treat people is how they remember us the moment we go out, so we continue to have an extremely important responsibility to spread that message everywhere we go,” Al Busaidy said.

Other presenters paid tribute to the UAE as they pursued a path of achievement.

“Sheikh Zayed, may his soul rest in peace, laid the foundations of a country that today stands as a beacon of hope, as well as inclusivity and perseverance. I am proud to call this country home. Here, I develop It has grown my business and my family,” said Toufiq Kreidieh, founding partner of Brands for Less Groups.

He details his youthful struggles in Beirut, including working part-time since he was 13.

“I am truly honored to join you in celebrating the innovation, entrepreneurship and excellence that define this country. We are fortunate to live in a country as diverse and open as the UAE, so immerse yourself in different cultures languages ​​and In the tradition, respect everyone. We are really lucky and may continue to inspire the next generation to give back in the same way that the founders and leaders of this country did,” he added.

During the event, Dubai-based Filipino sand sculptor Nathaniel Arapid also created sand portraits of Sheikh Zayed during the day. Alapide entered the Guinness Book of World Records last year for creating the UAE map as the world’s largest sand map.