“I believe the UAE leadership knows that entrepreneurship is one of the most important sectors for the development of the UAE economy, and recognizes this immensely; however, when it trickles down to organizations that are supposed to support entrepreneurship in the “right’ manner, there is still a disconnect,” says Anas Bukhash
Emirati entrepreneur and businessman Anas Bukhash, He co-founded Ahdaf Sports Club and Bukhash Brothers Co. He also serves on the Dubai Sports Council’s board of directors. Anas started his career in business after graduating from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, where he spent more than 12 years in leadership positions. Anas began his entrepreneurial journey in 2008 as the co-founder of Ahdaaf Sports Club, a venture into the world of start-ups that he pursued alongside his career in business.
During their visits to the UAE in 2014, a number of prominent international and regional celebrities actively sought Anas out for his market knowledge, personal influence, and organizational skills; an encounter that turned into the impetus for the foundation of Bukhash Brothers. BUKA, a high-end street fashion brand for men and women, and CHALK, a one-of-a-kind warehouse hair salon, are two additional entrepreneurial ventures in his portfolio.
“My 12 years of corporate life taught me a lot about the importance of structure, procedures, processes, and management,” he says. “It also taught me a lot of what I don’t want to do, and what I think is redundant or inefficient. I think that is one of the main reasons why I wanted to be an entrepreneur, to be able to create concepts out of nothing. That’s why I haven’t opened any franchises. Of course, there is the added charm of being your own boss; wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and a cap to go into work- I think these are great pluses!”
In addition, Anas is a motivational speaker who gives talks on entrepreneurship at universities and organizations in the United Arab Emirates. He has also given three TEDx talks.#ABquestions, a series of short videos that discuss interesting topics, and #ABtalks, an exclusive YouTube show that spotlights important local and international personalities’ raw and “human” sides, are regular features on Anas’ social media channels.
On ABtalks Originals, Bukhash talks to his guests one-on-one and focuses solely on their personal stories. In the meantime, on ABtalks Specials, Bukhash and a group of guests openly discuss a specific topic. A select number of chapters in the ABtalks Miniseries were created in collaboration with a brand based on a purpose and shared key message. These chapters focus on the exclusive stories of hand-selected guests, such as ABTalks x Nike and ABTalks x RED BULL.
Anas achieved a number of prestigious business awards after carving out his entrepreneurial path, including Forbes Top 100 UAE Entrepreneurs 2015, Esquire’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2015, and the Fegeinbaum Leadership Excellence Award 2017 among others.
We might now refer to Bukhash as the model for Dubai’s entrepreneurial ecosystem: First, he is extremely patriotic for his country; Second, he is involved in multiple businesses at the same time; Thirdly, he puts in time and effort to help those around him, both in person and online; four, he keeps having big dreams. If not for every point, at least for the fourth.
