“Why Stay In America If They Take Half Your Money?” | Dubai’s Billion-Dollar Opportunities Explained
December 4, 2025 • 32 mins
In this episode of Earn Your Leisure, we sit down with Ahmed Ben Chaibah, the visionary founder of Aqua Fun, to break down why Dubai is becoming the #1 city in the world for entrepreneurs, investors, and anyone who wants true financial freedom.
We talk about how Ahmed built the world’s largest inflatable waterpark, scaled to 780 employees across 34 locations, and grew an audience of 100K without spending a dollar on ads. He reveals the systems, discipline, and mindset that separate successful entrepreneurs from everyone else — and how Dubai’s government structure creates the perfect environment for business.
We also compare Dubai’s tax-free lifestyle to America’s system that “feels like a scam,” explore how Dubai funds its massive growth without income or property taxes, and break down the city’s booming real estate market growing 25% year-over-year. From Google review incentives, to license plates as investments, to the question everyone is secretly asking:
“Why are you still living in America if they’re taking half your money?”
This is one of the most eye-opening global business conversations we’ve ever had.
Market Mondays Cyber Monday Deal (Extended for 24 Hours): https://marketmondaysdeal.com
#EarnYourLeisure #Dubai #AhmedBenChaibah #AquaFun #Entrepreneurship #GlobalEconomy #BusinessTips #WealthBuilding #Taxes #DubaiRealEstate #MiddleEastBusiness #FinancialFreedom #Investing101 #MarketMondays #EYL
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
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Speaker 2 (00:43):
When I did the podcast with you all, I was
telling you probably the most impactful.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Interview I've done in my career, how he rolls out
as real.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
He wrote, try talk about the tags, lest.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
About biance, but we talk in a language that is
common to the people that's from the communities that we
grew up on.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
You are are the bright spot, thank Dowership for Black Americans.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
This is the knowledge that actually matters.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
I'm close to you for the same.
Speaker 5 (01:13):
Isn't it a country issue.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
It's not an American issue, it's a world issue.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
We came to earn Lisa.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
All right, guys, welcome back, e y l We are
international episode in Dubai u AE. Our good brother Daniel
King shout out to him. Man, Yes, we did his
conference from Toronto. You know, that's one of our major hubs.
We get a lot of support in Toronto. And he
actually moved out here and has been making his way
(01:48):
meeting great people.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
And there was one.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
You know, we came out here for vacation and wedding
and not necessarily the work. But when work calls, we're
always up. But when Daniel asked us to do any thing,
we have to say yes. Part of our obligation. Yeah,
he said that we have to. You know, we've interviewed
a variety of very important people in the world, you know,
(02:11):
head of stage, vice presidents, some of the richest people
of all time.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
But he said, we have.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
To interview one of his friends in Dubai who owns
the largest water park, the largest water park in the world.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
Is that correct for now?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
For now doesn't make it bigger, Ahmed Ben.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
No, Okay, let's do let's let's do it. Got call
on your hand.
Speaker 6 (02:41):
Okay, do it?
Speaker 2 (02:51):
I try, I try, so thank you for joining us.
Appreciate it of course from being so good, it's so good.
So all right, so walk us through the beginnings, right
as far as how do you get to own a
water park?
Speaker 4 (03:05):
You're a Mariti you're from Yes, you'm from Dubai. You're
from Dubai. All right, well how old are you?
Speaker 6 (03:11):
Forty four?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Okay, so the first question even before we get to
the water park thing, right, let's let's talk about you.
For people that our audience is mainly based in America,
A lot of people, a lot of people have not
been to the UA. It's interesting country. I think it's
like ten percent of the people that's actually in the
country are from the country, right, ninety percent come from
outside the country.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Yes, correct, yes, exactly so.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
But you've seen transformation happen in your life in real time, right,
you're old enough, you're old enough start there. So when
you when how how quickly has this turned the corner?
And like for you to actually be experienced it, be
experiencing it as a native, Like what is it like
for you to actually see the country change right in
front of your eyes?
Speaker 3 (03:50):
And it becomes so hard to understand anythink else but
the speed and the service level and the safety we
have the fact that we are walking on my cars
are unlocked, where jewelry and watches and that where buy anything.
That level of safety is a huge thing. It's interesting
because people think because we bring a lot of experts
(04:12):
in the town that we're just using them. No, think
get paid very well, we just learned from the best.
The city of Dubai is run as a business and
the president Shiphammad is the best CEO. So we dedicate
the job for a lot of very very powerful and
smart people. So and the best about it again speed
like if this will work for people, let's change the
(04:33):
ale and make it happen.
Speaker 6 (04:34):
So that's the whole thing.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
And the time to have an idea, to decide and
make it happen is pretty quick. They keep Now you're
hearing Dubai right now, what we're in November. Now coming
three months, you'll find new bridges that was done. So
the speed of things are done here as much faster.
We don't have like this dictatorship in a way works
And again you're American, how much tax you pay initially
(05:00):
in it in your state tax.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
We got federal tax, so much state tax?
Speaker 6 (05:04):
Yeah? How much do you pay tax? Sometimes? Isn't that stupid?
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Of course, okay, you're paying half a few minutes. You're
working six months of the year for free for what.
No safety, no amazing education, no proper healthcare, and no lifestyle.
Speaker 6 (05:21):
Why are you doing that? You have to treat you
can move when that moved, because that that's the topic.
Give was like, why are you staying there?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Why be somewhere you are tolerated when you can be celebrated.
Why are you wasting so much energy being worried about
all this nonsense that you cannot worry about anymore. Raise
issues and you know tax is in safety and so on.
So when you can just have the energy back in
you and then they can just perform because the level
of hustle you have it's phenomenal. Imagine that hustle but
with no instructions. Imagine the level of growth you're gonna
(05:51):
have in a much shorter span of time.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
These are these are valid points man, success, love, speed
and what you're saying makes I means one hundredercent correct. Right.
When you have clarity, it opens up vision to create
and be more creative. We've seen that in our careers
on a personal level and obviously on a business level.
I'm wondering when you started this wasn't was It's a
vision like I'm going to.
Speaker 5 (06:14):
Build park water parks in flavor parks.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Like what was the original vision and how did it
get to this point.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
It's a very funny question because like where we started
and where we are at now is so opposite.
Speaker 6 (06:26):
Like because I had the slip desk.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
I can move and walk and I was just in
bed for forty one days and all it could do
is consume YouTube that time, that's almost forteen years ago,
and the idea of aqua fun. I saw com video
was like, oh that's awesome. And then I was in
the beach and I heard people next to me like
I wish there's something I'm my kiss to do. And
then I was next day, I was in the yacht.
I don't drink on a smoke. I don't like that
things so much. I'm just sitting there being me dyslexic,
(06:51):
very visual, so I imagine what if we have a
slide from top to bottom. And then those three ideas
came together and then okay, let me create this aqua fun.
I started going in researching at the world and there
was two companies who does this kind of thing in
the world. I spoke to both of them, and both
of them gave me so much shit because I was
I was nobody. Basically I done this before. It's like, no,
(07:14):
you gotta pay me this and this and this, and
you're nobody, so what the hell? It's okay, cool. So
I went to China. I spent a month there. I
met forty one factories. I find their factories, I create
my own brand, I go fund and the first thing
that is, okay, I mean to be bigger than you.
Did that, and then I think after six months, I
(07:34):
got bankrupt. That was the first barakruptcy. And for the
next four and a half years, I was in Dallas,
almost two hundred and fIF debt, just debt, every mindy
I'm making, paying staff, paying debts, betting suppliers and sort
of paying that thing to myself. And then I think
almost four and a half years, and that's when I
(07:56):
going back to zero. And that's when I changed my team,
changed my people, systems and so on and so on,
as okay, let's go in now.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
And then I think.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
So the last thirteen years, I was backrup twice and
twenty four times. My first view in business, six hundred
and seventeen people told me no, this idea is not
gonna work. I was basically every single day getting two
people tell me no. Every single day. I opened the
map of the UAE, I went to every single beach
owner in the whole country as it is, no, no, no,
(08:26):
And then eventually now I'm the biggest operator in the world.
So the genius thing, it is one thing I just
didn't quit. It's never quit, no matter how crazy it was.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
There's a couple of genius things you did in there.
You saw who the competition was, you saw what they
were using. You said, all right, let me go get
what they're using and let me go destroy them.
Speaker 6 (08:45):
Yeah, I founded me each I dominated it.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
So basically, so what's the turning point as far as Okay,
it's a very cost of extensive business as far as
what you're running, so you have to get capped. If
you were bankrupt and you had no money. You have
to have at some point in time where you have
to have a lot of money that comes in to
actually get up and up and run it, right, so.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
Sales, you raised, you raised money.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
I said, I've never since there any single dollar h
by me. So I made the money myself. I lost
my mind myself, and then I focused on sales. Just
keep doing sales, changing things social media and changing the
way pretending present my businesses on social media because I
understood and the end, I am in the business of
(09:25):
creating happy memories. So basically the emotion I was sending
an emotion, the emotion where people having fun. So I
made sure I am involved in that. So I was
ming from the wance stairs getting into the water park
and then I will shoot you with my GoPro and
my drone, and I will edit the pictures and we
use myself and I will send them everything. So the first
hand thousand followers because of me. I was in the
(09:47):
beach every single day. Follow me, follow me, follow me,
follow me. So it's very for me, very personally, very.
Speaker 6 (09:53):
In hand.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Exercise, how many employees do you have now, seven hundred
and eighty, seven hundred and eighty at the water.
Speaker 6 (10:01):
Park around the world.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Yeah, you said around the world, around the world.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
How many water park do you have?
Speaker 6 (10:07):
Thirty four?
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Okay, So when you're when you're working right, what's the
scalable amount? If you've never taken any outside of investments,
you just literally just okay, do this water park, then
the money then rolling over there, they're rolling over there,
and then just keep it going from there.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Basically, I was like, let's make one very good. And
then because earlier on I went too big, too fast,
so I think we had two one park, then two
and then went to seventeen. And then when that time
we lost so much quality control, branding was bad. Service
was that everything was just bad. Let's go back to
the beginnings. Do want to make it right? Systems usps
(10:44):
every step of the business have to betritten down and
then hire the right people. Empowering because the issue is
like this whole founder syndrome is like I'm the found
that I can do the best. Yes you are, but
we never scared so given letting away my ego out
of the way is okay, I'm gonna give this person
the authority and the power to do this and give them,
you know, part of this, and then see what they do.
(11:06):
They wouldn't do a nd percent job, but they might
do sixty percent job. But then I can be somewhere else.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Now you this is It's pretty imacurate because you think
water park, but on the service, this is an engineering
and this is a design build that you're doing. Did
you have a background or that or did you build
a tine? You did so, you designed? You have no idea,
no idea.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
I learned how to design, how to ancur, how to clean,
how to do even power supply connection, the seceship points.
I learned diving. I learned social everything myself because his thing.
Everyone have a smartphone, you have YouTube, have Google. There's
new excuse. It's a totally for everything in the world.
(11:50):
You're just lazy learn and now we have tragiputy. It's
even much better. The tools are there. We a lot
of people just lazy.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
It's content.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
They love the dream of saying, oh I want to
be this cool, do the work.
Speaker 6 (12:06):
Do the work?
Speaker 5 (12:07):
Yeah, So YouTube TV.
Speaker 6 (12:09):
Yeah, you and Google. That's it everything.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
So that that means obviously we're big on that. A
lot of people watch us on that. What are the
mistakes that you make though, right, because if you're learning
on your own, I'm not sure if there's any mentors
in the picture at this point you're figuring things out.
What are some of the mistakes that you're making early
on thousands of mistakes. Talk about those.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Oh, I am the king of comebacks. I love doing mistakes.
It's the most fun thing ever because again you can
read about it, you can go in class for it.
But nothing beats failery. Nothing beats failerity because like I
know what work work for my second because I did
every single mistake possit you can you can do costly,
(12:51):
very costly, like millions of dollars of mistakes. But that's
the whole thing. Like, you know, the difference, like I
just didn't stop. Otherwise I stop, it become the loss,
So that l could be a loss or could be
a listenpecially for me.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
So let's go back to the geopolitical aspect of it.
Explain the difference with people that may not be familiar
between the UAE and America, because yet the system of
governance is different obviously from the You know, you have
a democracy where somebody votes for a president, where you
have a kingdom, right, and a lot of people in
the Western world have been trained to think that that
(13:26):
is not an efficient way to govern. You could have
a counter argument to that and say, you know, how
we look at democracy is not efficient. We just had
a government shut down, So talk about the differences as
far as government and how it's beneficial for entrepreneurs.
Speaker 6 (13:42):
Amazing question.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Each section of the the city that said roads, it's
is the end power supply. They run as enterprises, businesses
and every year they have a competition governmental government and
each year they are basically competing about who gets the
(14:06):
best customer happiness survey competition and the people who lose
they get a month noticed and they get fired.
Speaker 6 (14:17):
If you don't fix your stuff gains.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
For example, I think last month there was a power
shortage in where my house are. The government said hey,
they might be a shortage, so they got a generator
outside the house to connect the houses in case we
have a shortage.
Speaker 6 (14:37):
For example. That's like one more thing.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
You heard about the Golden visa, right, the god visa,
you know as an investor visa. Now they've built an
embassy for Golden visa holders. So if you have a
Golden visa in Indubu, if you have any problem anywhere in
the world, let's see you pass with a story and
you got the issue we can give you. They give
you a document you can try back to Dubai so
(15:01):
you've been treated more better than your own country in
a lot of senses.
Speaker 6 (15:07):
Again, like the only way.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
For you to explain the BIA is to come to
Dubai because you think you're having good life. You think
so much, it's not I look at dubaias like Miami,
but cleaner and with no drugs and just better. That's
a bed insception Like Miami, same style, same cars, same people,
but like just cleaner or not drugs and just better
(15:30):
lifestyle and safer.
Speaker 5 (15:32):
Safety is important.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
I think one of the things you leveraged and had
vision in social media.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
Talk about having a vision early on, because.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
You're talking about fourteen years ago, so it's really at
the start of Instagram and kind of shaping the narrative
of yes, Dubai tourism, but more so Dubai family, right
because that's where your sweet spot is. Talk about watching
that evolution over the course of your expansion.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
For the business life business because because we're almost the
same age, so there's a lot of guys like us
who come from nothing. You know, you assess me obviously,
all of us, so we didn't have the life that
(16:18):
we have right now. So now when we have children
right now, you provide you're over campass and overvide because
you want them to have a hardship.
Speaker 6 (16:26):
So I realized that that made the.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Kids also leading their shopping and spending powers, and I, okay,
so why am I talking to them? We can just
talk to them and they will post the kids and
families and they get their father and mother, who have
very good spending power now to spend with me. And
that was the whole thing. So I made sure all
the videos are read people having real fun. I think
(16:48):
we got four point nine stars on Google with four
thousand plus reviews. That only happens because you're good the
way you do. That's it and that and what did
with that was something something very very simple I always
have to do when when when so okay, I saw
my staff working with the customers and my life guards,
and I saw them trying to do extragractic tips. It's okay,
(17:11):
how about this, don't get tips? Okay, asked the customer
to give a review for the water park and mentioning
it right okay, And then every person who gets a
review under the name, I'll give you an amount of
dollars almost ten dollars, almost And by the end of
the month first month, we've grew I think three hundred reviews.
(17:33):
But my customers had great service, my staff got tips
and they got more money, and my business look better.
When when when such a simple thing, because again, if
I'm going to buy a review, that costs much more
money and would look like about So this is really.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Talk about taxes. You mentioned that at the beginning, but
really break that down. That's something that's been on social
media lied. As far as there's no taxes in Dubai,
is there no taxes? Is the taxes on a corporation? Like,
explain that the.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Actual So there's no income tax, person, no person tax,
there is no property tax, there's no fret at tax.
We have five percent viity by attacks on goods five percent,
and there's a nine percent corporate tax that's on your
profits of your annually. So us especially whereas you made
(18:25):
a much revenue, how much of that, how much of
that is your profit that is not percent? Listen, now,
if we compare apples and apples, the fees you pay
for certain government entities compared to what you get somewhere
else is cheaper. How much do you pay for insurance?
Speaker 4 (18:41):
Health insurance? Insurance by two thousand a month a month.
Look God, for one percent, me and my son, two people,
two people.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Okay, that's so in a year, that's how much twenty Okay,
so for me, so three people, I remember as well,
three people will cost me around seven hund dollars for
the whole.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Year, for a whole year year.
Speaker 6 (19:02):
But I would get private hospitals.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
I can walk to any place right now, get test,
get a blood tests, get the X ray, get my
medication over free private hostice. I don't have to wait
a month or two months for a dent disappointment in
the nonsense. That's this year, just walking again, same day.
That's one simple thing, okay. So that's that's that's not
(19:27):
the other things like the money you might you make
stays with you.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
So okay, if you're not, if you're not getting tax
revenue and you're getting free subsidies, how does that work?
Because like, if you're the government taxes usually pays for services.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
Yes, right, supposed to the government, yes, supposedly.
Speaker 6 (19:47):
For sure, allegedly allegedly that's what they say.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Have you seeing your roads and see my roads? No,
That's why I'm asking. So if there's no revenue, roads
there's no revenue coming in from taxes, and school is free.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
You said, we have two schools. They have private schools
and government schools. Private schools you pay them, but if
you compare them here in America is way cheaper.
Speaker 6 (20:18):
Here.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
Government schools is free obviously, but it's a different kind
of education. How do we make the money because there's fees,
there's service.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Fees, service fees on goods, product services. But again it's
a small country, so it's relatively regardless.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
But still it says the money managed properly. When they
give you know, hey, we're doing this new bridge. This
bridge is ready three for months, not two three years.
In the SAMI, when we build the Metro in three years,
Jeremy said, how are you doing three? This is possible
nine years. It was done in three years. So that's
(20:57):
the whole thing is the money is managed properly. There's
no bullshit, there's none of that. Not since you have
there is there. I mean, there's there's two sides of
that coin. Right, Like we've watched when we talk about
successful and speed, that also leaves the door for error. Right,
We've watched recently other countries that had large scale projects
that are now saying that we're not.
Speaker 5 (21:16):
Gonna be able to create, we'll leave those we'll leave
their names out of it.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Right, Is it too ambitious and does it leave you
susceptible to make mistakes that potentially could be harmful because
this is a place that relies on tourism and people
coming to invest in and now live. Does that come
into the thought process anytime when you're trying to expand.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Okay, so Dubai don't have oil, no oil, no, not
your guys. Dubai income is from tourism, important, export and trading.
Just feel that there's no oil in this city, whatever
or it comes from. Will that be the capital, but
that mine is the community, that's different city, so they
doesn't have that. Dubai is good in the tourism, the trading,
(21:57):
important export, the free zones, all the stuff they're revelously stuff.
And again we have the infrastructures. Remember a couple days, yes, okay,
so you guys used to fight for tissues remember.
Speaker 5 (22:09):
Remember that time that there was the time.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Yes, we used to have offers on tissues, offers by
I think it fire free okay, hours for markets. It
was not empty, it's nothing empty. It was never a
sefe empty. Logistics were good here when they needed to
build these hospitals for what they call them quarantine and stuff.
Speaker 6 (22:33):
They built.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
I think one of the hospitals had eight thousand beds,
was done in forty eight hours.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
With forty eight hours.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Yes, it was built with beds, all the machines, nurses
and everything in forty hours. It took a big exhibition
hall and sits to a hospital. So that's the whole thing.
The management is different here. They have backup or backup
for backup. That's the difference.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
You know, real estate, Oh yes, we talk about real estate.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
And Dubai powerful stuff, Dubai ui e regardless.
Speaker 6 (23:09):
Is just it's not gonna stop.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
It's just like you know, whatever is holding you back,
stop it because you need to be part of it
very quickly. Because it's not slow and down. Just just
go just going up. It's just going up. Everything's going up.
What's the percentage of growth now? Thirty every year you're
on year thirty percent, forty percent, five percent. There you
(23:32):
go yearly twenty five percent yearly. It's it's insane. Like
I remember there was a villa. Our family member was
rented it. I think four years ago for one hundred thousand.
Now it's three hundred and fifty.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
How is this system here as far as there's no mortgages, right,
there's mortgages here, mortgages like America.
Speaker 6 (23:53):
There's mortgages.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
But there's also payment terms because if you're buying the
actually if you're buying an off plant, that's good time
because now you have no interest, you can just pay
directly with the developer. So they just pay payment terms
until you receive that. Otherwise you can pay cash capital.
There's multiple ways, but that's the best thing about So.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
We're from New York, right, So I don't know if
you follow local geopolitical politics, but they got a new
mayor who's been elected. You know that, you know about that.
He's a socialist. The reason why he got elected is
because the city has become so unaffordable because the top
one percent but is doing extremely well, but the population
(24:33):
barely surviving. So do you do you worry that a
city like Dubai can reach that level of it's not
sustainable after a certain point when every all the billionaires
from all over the world come in, but people still
need to work, right, so the workers are at the
bottom level and then you have people that's worth one
hundred billion dollars at the top level. That gap is
(24:56):
so wide that it leads to, like you know, a
not sustainable living situation.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
Dubai is like an onion, and there's so many layers
and sometimes the layers on touch either. So yes, we
have I think this year we had almost ninety thousand
millionaires moved ready to buy, and I think twenty or
seventeen billiers moved to Dubai.
Speaker 6 (25:19):
Already, so that space is already packed. Good, amazing. Now
nobody in the middle and law.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
Now I can go right now and have dinner for
four of us and we can spend less than fifty dollars,
or we can have dinner together and spend at least
five hund dollars. So both levels are there. There is
affordable housing here. Differently we need more of that, but
it's there, it exists. There is ecosystem that basically alwaysists
together in that space.
Speaker 6 (25:49):
So there's levels and again it keeps it. Here's the
thing about Dubai.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Dubai will show what you are or I burned out
to buy? Does the burning out you your true cars
came out? If you're good, you're good. If you're bad,
now know how bad you are. So again, this city
keeps you compareditive, keeps you very strong, be strong.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Thirty four water parks for now, For now, I'm gonna
have I mean, already has the largest water park in
the world. We'll have it again, and we got to
get bigger. Ninety one businesses.
Speaker 6 (26:21):
No, now I have nine businesses.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Nine not to want investments, investments, I'm sorry, ninety one investments,
nine businesses. In my head, I'm thinking, how are we
running operations on the day to day? How involved are
you in or do you have CFO cmos?
Speaker 5 (26:38):
Is the structure the same.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Different stashes some I'm very involved in daily things because
again most of my Zoom calls are under.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
Twenty minutes with my teams.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Intentionally, Yes, why it doesn't take that long to understand
what you want? I know what I want. Spend to
many points on three four, give me point points. What's happening,
what's going on?
Speaker 6 (27:00):
What stutions? Do you have these problems? And then I
pick from them quickly.
Speaker 3 (27:04):
I wake up early in the morning, I go to
my gym, do my workhouse done, and I go to
my beach and just go see everything and the begin
make sure everything's done the way we do, then let's
go first office, second office, or zoom calls. I try
to keep things all in the same geographic space so
I don't have to drivel too much. That's what today
was a bit technic. But like usually, I do all
the things in the same space. So my businesses, offices
(27:27):
in my penthouse all in the same space. So I
have to move too much because again time is a
very big factor here. So my day is always structured,
like in the tea, so there's no bullshit in a
few ten minutes fifteen minutes late in one meeting, I
can't see meeting because I can't see over somebody else.
(27:47):
Today I had like a seven hour shooting, so it
was just hectic. It was was before hours became seven hours.
It's okay, everything else had had to be canceled. But
it's very structured.
Speaker 5 (27:58):
It makes sense.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Yeah, but I don't have this off. I don't understand
this off like I still now. I do eighty two
hundred hours a week.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
That still, So talk about your branding because you're you're
obviously branding yourself because you aquaman on your sleeve. Yeah,
you have a necklace like a rapper. You have a
necklace on like you know, so it's all mine.
Speaker 6 (28:21):
It's about.
Speaker 5 (28:23):
Slight difference slight.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
So so talking you're obviously intentional about how you want
the world to see you, the image that you're putting
out there, that they you're doing the show with Netflix.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
So you're not like a behind the scenes guy. It
doesn't seem like that, right.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Talk about talk about that, Talk about your intentionality with
your branding.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
You need to be very purposeful and very intentional with
every single thing you do, everything you say or do anything,
because there's three different when people can when you meet people,
they will see you, they will smell you, or they
will hear you.
Speaker 6 (28:51):
You need to look good.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
You just smell good and you know where you're talking about.
It's a very important things. I assume the power of
personal budge very very well because again there's it gets
it creates report people know I've seen you video somewhere,
I relate to what you said about this topic of
that topic. So it takes away that whole fluff of
when you meet somebody, people know I've seen you. I
(29:14):
like you, especially if you if you're authentic and if
you really and you say there are things people relate
to it.
Speaker 6 (29:21):
You know, when you're really when.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Other people understand you and to you very fast, So
that's very important. It brings a lot of brands together
collaborations very quickly. And again like you know, why not
look good?
Speaker 6 (29:37):
Why not?
Speaker 3 (29:38):
It's like, you know, God blesses me with like you know,
I work so hard, I got the my name, enjoy
it and I keep it in a grave with me.
Speaker 6 (29:45):
Enjoy it.
Speaker 5 (29:46):
Now.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
One of the things I've been educated on since being
here is this license plate situation.
Speaker 6 (29:54):
It's humbling, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Can you explain to the to the version here the
person that has I heard about this?
Speaker 5 (30:01):
I saw there. There's digits.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
Now we come from a place where your license plates
your license plate, and you might transfer that from.
Speaker 6 (30:07):
Because there's a cap there.
Speaker 5 (30:08):
There's a totally different meaning here.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
Yeah, because you know when we say out of money,
there's a purpose behind it because okay, having energy class, okay,
citing FIA cool, having okay cool, But then okay, how
do you show.
Speaker 6 (30:21):
More than I'm wing?
Speaker 3 (30:22):
And now comes with this new it's only this part
of the word thing is like you know, plate numbers,
so if it's one digital digits, it's more expensive. So
sometimes a one digit plate number, let's say a A
five for example, that one went out for fifteen million dollars.
Fifteen million for one digit. You know, so that's the
(30:44):
whole thing, you know it. It becomes an asset. It's
a new category of assets to show who you are exactly.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
So when I moved to Dubai, I need to have
at least let's move first.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
We talking about baby steps.
Speaker 6 (31:00):
First thing, we're talking about that other.
Speaker 5 (31:02):
All right, no five digits.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Well, thank you for your time, thank you for having
the voice. Thank you for your time. I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
More success continue, earners.
Speaker 5 (31:12):
What's up?
Speaker 1 (31:12):
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Speaker 2 (00:43):
When I did the podcast with you all, I was
telling you probably the most impactful.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Interview I've done in my career, how he rolls out
as real.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
He wrote, try talk about the tags, lest.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
About biance, but we talk in a language that is
common to the people that's from the communities that we
grew up on.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
You are are the bright spot, thank Dowership for Black Americans.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
This is the knowledge that actually matters.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
I'm close to you for the same.
Speaker 5 (01:13):
Isn't it a country issue.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
It's not an American issue, it's a world issue.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
We came to earn Lisa.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
All right, guys, welcome back, e y l We are
international episode in Dubai u AE. Our good brother Daniel
King shout out to him. Man, Yes, we did his
conference from Toronto. You know, that's one of our major hubs.
We get a lot of support in Toronto. And he
actually moved out here and has been making his way
(01:48):
meeting great people.
Speaker 4 (01:50):
And there was one.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
You know, we came out here for vacation and wedding
and not necessarily the work. But when work calls, we're
always up. But when Daniel asked us to do any thing,
we have to say yes. Part of our obligation. Yeah,
he said that we have to. You know, we've interviewed
a variety of very important people in the world, you know,
(02:11):
head of stage, vice presidents, some of the richest people
of all time.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
But he said, we have.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
To interview one of his friends in Dubai who owns
the largest water park, the largest water park in the world.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
Is that correct for now?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
For now doesn't make it bigger, Ahmed Ben.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
No, Okay, let's do let's let's do it. Got call
on your hand.
Speaker 6 (02:41):
Okay, do it?
Speaker 2 (02:51):
I try, I try, so thank you for joining us.
Appreciate it of course from being so good, it's so good.
So all right, so walk us through the beginnings, right
as far as how do you get to own a
water park?
Speaker 4 (03:05):
You're a Mariti you're from Yes, you'm from Dubai. You're
from Dubai. All right, well how old are you?
Speaker 6 (03:11):
Forty four?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Okay, so the first question even before we get to
the water park thing, right, let's let's talk about you.
For people that our audience is mainly based in America,
A lot of people, a lot of people have not
been to the UA. It's interesting country. I think it's
like ten percent of the people that's actually in the
country are from the country, right, ninety percent come from
outside the country.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Yes, correct, yes, exactly so.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
But you've seen transformation happen in your life in real time, right,
you're old enough, you're old enough start there. So when
you when how how quickly has this turned the corner?
And like for you to actually be experienced it, be
experiencing it as a native, Like what is it like
for you to actually see the country change right in
front of your eyes?
Speaker 3 (03:50):
And it becomes so hard to understand anythink else but
the speed and the service level and the safety we
have the fact that we are walking on my cars
are unlocked, where jewelry and watches and that where buy anything.
That level of safety is a huge thing. It's interesting
because people think because we bring a lot of experts
(04:12):
in the town that we're just using them. No, think
get paid very well, we just learned from the best.
The city of Dubai is run as a business and
the president Shiphammad is the best CEO. So we dedicate
the job for a lot of very very powerful and
smart people. So and the best about it again speed
like if this will work for people, let's change the
(04:33):
ale and make it happen.
Speaker 6 (04:34):
So that's the whole thing.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
And the time to have an idea, to decide and
make it happen is pretty quick. They keep Now you're
hearing Dubai right now, what we're in November. Now coming
three months, you'll find new bridges that was done. So
the speed of things are done here as much faster.
We don't have like this dictatorship in a way works
And again you're American, how much tax you pay initially
(05:00):
in it in your state tax.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
We got federal tax, so much state tax?
Speaker 6 (05:04):
Yeah? How much do you pay tax? Sometimes? Isn't that stupid?
Speaker 4 (05:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Of course, okay, you're paying half a few minutes. You're
working six months of the year for free for what.
No safety, no amazing education, no proper healthcare, and no lifestyle.
Speaker 6 (05:21):
Why are you doing that? You have to treat you
can move when that moved, because that that's the topic.
Give was like, why are you staying there?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Why be somewhere you are tolerated when you can be celebrated.
Why are you wasting so much energy being worried about
all this nonsense that you cannot worry about anymore. Raise
issues and you know tax is in safety and so on.
So when you can just have the energy back in
you and then they can just perform because the level
of hustle you have it's phenomenal. Imagine that hustle but
with no instructions. Imagine the level of growth you're gonna
(05:51):
have in a much shorter span of time.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
These are these are valid points man, success, love, speed
and what you're saying makes I means one hundredercent correct. Right.
When you have clarity, it opens up vision to create
and be more creative. We've seen that in our careers
on a personal level and obviously on a business level.
I'm wondering when you started this wasn't was It's a
vision like I'm going to.
Speaker 5 (06:14):
Build park water parks in flavor parks.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Like what was the original vision and how did it
get to this point.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
It's a very funny question because like where we started
and where we are at now is so opposite.
Speaker 6 (06:26):
Like because I had the slip desk.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
I can move and walk and I was just in
bed for forty one days and all it could do
is consume YouTube that time, that's almost forteen years ago,
and the idea of aqua fun. I saw com video
was like, oh that's awesome. And then I was in
the beach and I heard people next to me like
I wish there's something I'm my kiss to do. And
then I was next day, I was in the yacht.
I don't drink on a smoke. I don't like that
things so much. I'm just sitting there being me dyslexic,
(06:51):
very visual, so I imagine what if we have a
slide from top to bottom. And then those three ideas
came together and then okay, let me create this aqua fun.
I started going in researching at the world and there
was two companies who does this kind of thing in
the world. I spoke to both of them, and both
of them gave me so much shit because I was
I was nobody. Basically I done this before. It's like, no,
(07:14):
you gotta pay me this and this and this, and
you're nobody, so what the hell? It's okay, cool. So
I went to China. I spent a month there. I
met forty one factories. I find their factories, I create
my own brand, I go fund and the first thing
that is, okay, I mean to be bigger than you.
Did that, and then I think after six months, I
(07:34):
got bankrupt. That was the first barakruptcy. And for the
next four and a half years, I was in Dallas,
almost two hundred and fIF debt, just debt, every mindy
I'm making, paying staff, paying debts, betting suppliers and sort
of paying that thing to myself. And then I think
almost four and a half years, and that's when I
(07:56):
going back to zero. And that's when I changed my team,
changed my people, systems and so on and so on,
as okay, let's go in now.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
And then I think.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
So the last thirteen years, I was backrup twice and
twenty four times. My first view in business, six hundred
and seventeen people told me no, this idea is not
gonna work. I was basically every single day getting two
people tell me no. Every single day. I opened the
map of the UAE, I went to every single beach
owner in the whole country as it is, no, no, no,
(08:26):
And then eventually now I'm the biggest operator in the world.
So the genius thing, it is one thing I just
didn't quit. It's never quit, no matter how crazy it was.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
There's a couple of genius things you did in there.
You saw who the competition was, you saw what they
were using. You said, all right, let me go get
what they're using and let me go destroy them.
Speaker 6 (08:45):
Yeah, I founded me each I dominated it.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
So basically, so what's the turning point as far as Okay,
it's a very cost of extensive business as far as
what you're running, so you have to get capped. If
you were bankrupt and you had no money. You have
to have at some point in time where you have
to have a lot of money that comes in to
actually get up and up and run it, right, so.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
Sales, you raised, you raised money.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
I said, I've never since there any single dollar h
by me. So I made the money myself. I lost
my mind myself, and then I focused on sales. Just
keep doing sales, changing things social media and changing the
way pretending present my businesses on social media because I
understood and the end, I am in the business of
(09:25):
creating happy memories. So basically the emotion I was sending
an emotion, the emotion where people having fun. So I
made sure I am involved in that. So I was
ming from the wance stairs getting into the water park
and then I will shoot you with my GoPro and
my drone, and I will edit the pictures and we
use myself and I will send them everything. So the first
hand thousand followers because of me. I was in the
(09:47):
beach every single day. Follow me, follow me, follow me,
follow me. So it's very for me, very personally, very.
Speaker 6 (09:53):
In hand.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Exercise, how many employees do you have now, seven hundred
and eighty, seven hundred and eighty at the water.
Speaker 6 (10:01):
Park around the world.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Yeah, you said around the world, around the world.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
How many water park do you have?
Speaker 6 (10:07):
Thirty four?
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Okay, So when you're when you're working right, what's the
scalable amount? If you've never taken any outside of investments,
you just literally just okay, do this water park, then
the money then rolling over there, they're rolling over there,
and then just keep it going from there.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Basically, I was like, let's make one very good. And
then because earlier on I went too big, too fast,
so I think we had two one park, then two
and then went to seventeen. And then when that time
we lost so much quality control, branding was bad. Service
was that everything was just bad. Let's go back to
the beginnings. Do want to make it right? Systems usps
(10:44):
every step of the business have to betritten down and
then hire the right people. Empowering because the issue is
like this whole founder syndrome is like I'm the found
that I can do the best. Yes you are, but
we never scared so given letting away my ego out
of the way is okay, I'm gonna give this person
the authority and the power to do this and give them,
you know, part of this, and then see what they do.
(11:06):
They wouldn't do a nd percent job, but they might
do sixty percent job. But then I can be somewhere else.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Now you this is It's pretty imacurate because you think
water park, but on the service, this is an engineering
and this is a design build that you're doing. Did
you have a background or that or did you build
a tine? You did so, you designed? You have no idea,
no idea.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
I learned how to design, how to ancur, how to clean,
how to do even power supply connection, the seceship points.
I learned diving. I learned social everything myself because his thing.
Everyone have a smartphone, you have YouTube, have Google. There's
new excuse. It's a totally for everything in the world.
(11:50):
You're just lazy learn and now we have tragiputy. It's
even much better. The tools are there. We a lot
of people just lazy.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
It's content.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
They love the dream of saying, oh I want to
be this cool, do the work.
Speaker 6 (12:06):
Do the work?
Speaker 5 (12:07):
Yeah, So YouTube TV.
Speaker 6 (12:09):
Yeah, you and Google. That's it everything.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
So that that means obviously we're big on that. A
lot of people watch us on that. What are the
mistakes that you make though, right, because if you're learning
on your own, I'm not sure if there's any mentors
in the picture at this point you're figuring things out.
What are some of the mistakes that you're making early
on thousands of mistakes. Talk about those.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Oh, I am the king of comebacks. I love doing mistakes.
It's the most fun thing ever because again you can
read about it, you can go in class for it.
But nothing beats failery. Nothing beats failerity because like I
know what work work for my second because I did
every single mistake possit you can you can do costly,
(12:51):
very costly, like millions of dollars of mistakes. But that's
the whole thing. Like, you know, the difference, like I
just didn't stop. Otherwise I stop, it become the loss,
So that l could be a loss or could be
a listenpecially for me.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
So let's go back to the geopolitical aspect of it.
Explain the difference with people that may not be familiar
between the UAE and America, because yet the system of
governance is different obviously from the You know, you have
a democracy where somebody votes for a president, where you
have a kingdom, right, and a lot of people in
the Western world have been trained to think that that
(13:26):
is not an efficient way to govern. You could have
a counter argument to that and say, you know, how
we look at democracy is not efficient. We just had
a government shut down, So talk about the differences as
far as government and how it's beneficial for entrepreneurs.
Speaker 6 (13:42):
Amazing question.
Speaker 3 (13:46):
Each section of the the city that said roads, it's
is the end power supply. They run as enterprises, businesses
and every year they have a competition governmental government and
each year they are basically competing about who gets the
(14:06):
best customer happiness survey competition and the people who lose
they get a month noticed and they get fired.
Speaker 6 (14:17):
If you don't fix your stuff gains.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
For example, I think last month there was a power
shortage in where my house are. The government said hey,
they might be a shortage, so they got a generator
outside the house to connect the houses in case we
have a shortage.
Speaker 6 (14:37):
For example. That's like one more thing.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
You heard about the Golden visa, right, the god visa,
you know as an investor visa. Now they've built an
embassy for Golden visa holders. So if you have a
Golden visa in Indubu, if you have any problem anywhere in
the world, let's see you pass with a story and
you got the issue we can give you. They give
you a document you can try back to Dubai so
(15:01):
you've been treated more better than your own country in
a lot of senses.
Speaker 6 (15:07):
Again, like the only way.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
For you to explain the BIA is to come to
Dubai because you think you're having good life. You think
so much, it's not I look at dubaias like Miami,
but cleaner and with no drugs and just better. That's
a bed insception Like Miami, same style, same cars, same people,
but like just cleaner or not drugs and just better
(15:30):
lifestyle and safer.
Speaker 5 (15:32):
Safety is important.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
I think one of the things you leveraged and had
vision in social media.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
Talk about having a vision early on, because.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
You're talking about fourteen years ago, so it's really at
the start of Instagram and kind of shaping the narrative
of yes, Dubai tourism, but more so Dubai family, right
because that's where your sweet spot is. Talk about watching
that evolution over the course of your expansion.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
For the business life business because because we're almost the
same age, so there's a lot of guys like us
who come from nothing. You know, you assess me obviously,
all of us, so we didn't have the life that
(16:18):
we have right now. So now when we have children
right now, you provide you're over campass and overvide because
you want them to have a hardship.
Speaker 6 (16:26):
So I realized that that made the.
Speaker 3 (16:28):
Kids also leading their shopping and spending powers, and I, okay,
so why am I talking to them? We can just
talk to them and they will post the kids and
families and they get their father and mother, who have
very good spending power now to spend with me. And
that was the whole thing. So I made sure all
the videos are read people having real fun. I think
(16:48):
we got four point nine stars on Google with four
thousand plus reviews. That only happens because you're good the
way you do. That's it and that and what did
with that was something something very very simple I always
have to do when when when so okay, I saw
my staff working with the customers and my life guards,
and I saw them trying to do extragractic tips. It's okay,
(17:11):
how about this, don't get tips? Okay, asked the customer
to give a review for the water park and mentioning
it right okay, And then every person who gets a
review under the name, I'll give you an amount of
dollars almost ten dollars, almost And by the end of
the month first month, we've grew I think three hundred reviews.
(17:33):
But my customers had great service, my staff got tips
and they got more money, and my business look better.
When when when such a simple thing, because again, if
I'm going to buy a review, that costs much more
money and would look like about So this is really.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Talk about taxes. You mentioned that at the beginning, but
really break that down. That's something that's been on social
media lied. As far as there's no taxes in Dubai,
is there no taxes? Is the taxes on a corporation? Like,
explain that the.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Actual So there's no income tax, person, no person tax,
there is no property tax, there's no fret at tax.
We have five percent viity by attacks on goods five percent,
and there's a nine percent corporate tax that's on your
profits of your annually. So us especially whereas you made
(18:25):
a much revenue, how much of that, how much of
that is your profit that is not percent? Listen, now,
if we compare apples and apples, the fees you pay
for certain government entities compared to what you get somewhere
else is cheaper. How much do you pay for insurance?
Speaker 4 (18:41):
Health insurance? Insurance by two thousand a month a month.
Look God, for one percent, me and my son, two people,
two people.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Okay, that's so in a year, that's how much twenty Okay,
so for me, so three people, I remember as well,
three people will cost me around seven hund dollars for
the whole.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Year, for a whole year year.
Speaker 6 (19:02):
But I would get private hospitals.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
I can walk to any place right now, get test,
get a blood tests, get the X ray, get my
medication over free private hostice. I don't have to wait
a month or two months for a dent disappointment in
the nonsense. That's this year, just walking again, same day.
That's one simple thing, okay. So that's that's that's not
(19:27):
the other things like the money you might you make
stays with you.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
So okay, if you're not, if you're not getting tax
revenue and you're getting free subsidies, how does that work?
Because like, if you're the government taxes usually pays for services.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
Yes, right, supposed to the government, yes, supposedly.
Speaker 6 (19:47):
For sure, allegedly allegedly that's what they say.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Have you seeing your roads and see my roads? No,
That's why I'm asking. So if there's no revenue, roads
there's no revenue coming in from taxes, and school is free.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
You said, we have two schools. They have private schools
and government schools. Private schools you pay them, but if
you compare them here in America is way cheaper.
Speaker 6 (20:18):
Here.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
Government schools is free obviously, but it's a different kind
of education. How do we make the money because there's fees,
there's service.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Fees, service fees on goods, product services. But again it's
a small country, so it's relatively regardless.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
But still it says the money managed properly. When they
give you know, hey, we're doing this new bridge. This
bridge is ready three for months, not two three years.
In the SAMI, when we build the Metro in three years,
Jeremy said, how are you doing three? This is possible
nine years. It was done in three years. So that's
(20:57):
the whole thing is the money is managed properly. There's
no bullshit, there's none of that. Not since you have
there is there. I mean, there's there's two sides of
that coin. Right, Like we've watched when we talk about
successful and speed, that also leaves the door for error. Right,
We've watched recently other countries that had large scale projects
that are now saying that we're not.
Speaker 5 (21:16):
Gonna be able to create, we'll leave those we'll leave
their names out of it.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Right, Is it too ambitious and does it leave you
susceptible to make mistakes that potentially could be harmful because
this is a place that relies on tourism and people
coming to invest in and now live. Does that come
into the thought process anytime when you're trying to expand.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Okay, so Dubai don't have oil, no oil, no, not
your guys. Dubai income is from tourism, important, export and trading.
Just feel that there's no oil in this city, whatever
or it comes from. Will that be the capital, but
that mine is the community, that's different city, so they
doesn't have that. Dubai is good in the tourism, the trading,
(21:57):
important export, the free zones, all the stuff they're revelously stuff.
And again we have the infrastructures. Remember a couple days, yes, okay,
so you guys used to fight for tissues remember.
Speaker 5 (22:09):
Remember that time that there was the time.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Yes, we used to have offers on tissues, offers by
I think it fire free okay, hours for markets. It
was not empty, it's nothing empty. It was never a
sefe empty. Logistics were good here when they needed to
build these hospitals for what they call them quarantine and stuff.
Speaker 6 (22:33):
They built.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
I think one of the hospitals had eight thousand beds,
was done in forty eight hours.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
With forty eight hours.
Speaker 3 (22:40):
Yes, it was built with beds, all the machines, nurses
and everything in forty hours. It took a big exhibition
hall and sits to a hospital. So that's the whole thing.
The management is different here. They have backup or backup
for backup. That's the difference.
Speaker 4 (22:59):
You know, real estate, Oh yes, we talk about real estate.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
And Dubai powerful stuff, Dubai ui e regardless.
Speaker 6 (23:09):
Is just it's not gonna stop.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
It's just like you know, whatever is holding you back,
stop it because you need to be part of it
very quickly. Because it's not slow and down. Just just
go just going up. It's just going up. Everything's going up.
What's the percentage of growth now? Thirty every year you're
on year thirty percent, forty percent, five percent. There you
(23:32):
go yearly twenty five percent yearly. It's it's insane. Like
I remember there was a villa. Our family member was
rented it. I think four years ago for one hundred thousand.
Now it's three hundred and fifty.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
How is this system here as far as there's no mortgages, right,
there's mortgages here, mortgages like America.
Speaker 6 (23:53):
There's mortgages.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
But there's also payment terms because if you're buying the
actually if you're buying an off plant, that's good time
because now you have no interest, you can just pay
directly with the developer. So they just pay payment terms
until you receive that. Otherwise you can pay cash capital.
There's multiple ways, but that's the best thing about So.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
We're from New York, right, So I don't know if
you follow local geopolitical politics, but they got a new
mayor who's been elected. You know that, you know about that.
He's a socialist. The reason why he got elected is
because the city has become so unaffordable because the top
one percent but is doing extremely well, but the population
(24:33):
barely surviving. So do you do you worry that a
city like Dubai can reach that level of it's not
sustainable after a certain point when every all the billionaires
from all over the world come in, but people still
need to work, right, so the workers are at the
bottom level and then you have people that's worth one
hundred billion dollars at the top level. That gap is
(24:56):
so wide that it leads to, like you know, a
not sustainable living situation.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
Dubai is like an onion, and there's so many layers
and sometimes the layers on touch either. So yes, we
have I think this year we had almost ninety thousand
millionaires moved ready to buy, and I think twenty or
seventeen billiers moved to Dubai.
Speaker 6 (25:19):
Already, so that space is already packed. Good, amazing. Now
nobody in the middle and law.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
Now I can go right now and have dinner for
four of us and we can spend less than fifty dollars,
or we can have dinner together and spend at least
five hund dollars. So both levels are there. There is
affordable housing here. Differently we need more of that, but
it's there, it exists. There is ecosystem that basically alwaysists
together in that space.
Speaker 6 (25:49):
So there's levels and again it keeps it. Here's the
thing about Dubai.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Dubai will show what you are or I burned out
to buy? Does the burning out you your true cars
came out? If you're good, you're good. If you're bad,
now know how bad you are. So again, this city
keeps you compareditive, keeps you very strong, be strong.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Thirty four water parks for now, For now, I'm gonna
have I mean, already has the largest water park in
the world. We'll have it again, and we got to
get bigger. Ninety one businesses.
Speaker 6 (26:21):
No, now I have nine businesses.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Nine not to want investments, investments, I'm sorry, ninety one investments,
nine businesses. In my head, I'm thinking, how are we
running operations on the day to day? How involved are
you in or do you have CFO cmos?
Speaker 5 (26:38):
Is the structure the same.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Different stashes some I'm very involved in daily things because
again most of my Zoom calls are under.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
Twenty minutes with my teams.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Intentionally, Yes, why it doesn't take that long to understand
what you want? I know what I want. Spend to
many points on three four, give me point points. What's happening,
what's going on?
Speaker 6 (27:00):
What stutions? Do you have these problems? And then I
pick from them quickly.
Speaker 3 (27:04):
I wake up early in the morning, I go to
my gym, do my workhouse done, and I go to
my beach and just go see everything and the begin
make sure everything's done the way we do, then let's
go first office, second office, or zoom calls. I try
to keep things all in the same geographic space so
I don't have to drivel too much. That's what today
was a bit technic. But like usually, I do all
the things in the same space. So my businesses, offices
(27:27):
in my penthouse all in the same space. So I
have to move too much because again time is a
very big factor here. So my day is always structured,
like in the tea, so there's no bullshit in a
few ten minutes fifteen minutes late in one meeting, I
can't see meeting because I can't see over somebody else.
(27:47):
Today I had like a seven hour shooting, so it
was just hectic. It was was before hours became seven hours.
It's okay, everything else had had to be canceled. But
it's very structured.
Speaker 5 (27:58):
It makes sense.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Yeah, but I don't have this off. I don't understand
this off like I still now. I do eighty two
hundred hours a week.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
That still, So talk about your branding because you're you're
obviously branding yourself because you aquaman on your sleeve. Yeah,
you have a necklace like a rapper. You have a
necklace on like you know, so it's all mine.
Speaker 6 (28:21):
It's about.
Speaker 5 (28:23):
Slight difference slight.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
So so talking you're obviously intentional about how you want
the world to see you, the image that you're putting
out there, that they you're doing the show with Netflix.
Speaker 4 (28:31):
So you're not like a behind the scenes guy. It
doesn't seem like that, right.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Talk about talk about that, Talk about your intentionality with
your branding.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
You need to be very purposeful and very intentional with
every single thing you do, everything you say or do anything,
because there's three different when people can when you meet people,
they will see you, they will smell you, or they
will hear you.
Speaker 6 (28:51):
You need to look good.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
You just smell good and you know where you're talking about.
It's a very important things. I assume the power of
personal budge very very well because again there's it gets
it creates report people know I've seen you video somewhere,
I relate to what you said about this topic of
that topic. So it takes away that whole fluff of
when you meet somebody, people know I've seen you. I
(29:14):
like you, especially if you if you're authentic and if
you really and you say there are things people relate
to it.
Speaker 6 (29:21):
You know, when you're really when.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Other people understand you and to you very fast, So
that's very important. It brings a lot of brands together
collaborations very quickly. And again like you know, why not
look good?
Speaker 6 (29:37):
Why not?
Speaker 3 (29:38):
It's like, you know, God blesses me with like you know,
I work so hard, I got the my name, enjoy
it and I keep it in a grave with me.
Speaker 6 (29:45):
Enjoy it.
Speaker 5 (29:46):
Now.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
One of the things I've been educated on since being
here is this license plate situation.
Speaker 6 (29:54):
It's humbling, isn't it.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Can you explain to the to the version here the
person that has I heard about this?
Speaker 5 (30:01):
I saw there. There's digits.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
Now we come from a place where your license plates
your license plate, and you might transfer that from.
Speaker 6 (30:07):
Because there's a cap there.
Speaker 5 (30:08):
There's a totally different meaning here.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
Yeah, because you know when we say out of money,
there's a purpose behind it because okay, having energy class, okay,
citing FIA cool, having okay cool, But then okay, how
do you show.
Speaker 6 (30:21):
More than I'm wing?
Speaker 3 (30:22):
And now comes with this new it's only this part
of the word thing is like you know, plate numbers,
so if it's one digital digits, it's more expensive. So
sometimes a one digit plate number, let's say a A
five for example, that one went out for fifteen million dollars.
Fifteen million for one digit. You know, so that's the
(30:44):
whole thing, you know it. It becomes an asset. It's
a new category of assets to show who you are exactly.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
So when I moved to Dubai, I need to have
at least let's move first.
Speaker 3 (30:56):
We talking about baby steps.
Speaker 6 (31:00):
First thing, we're talking about that other.
Speaker 5 (31:02):
All right, no five digits.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Well, thank you for your time, thank you for having
the voice. Thank you for your time. I appreciate it.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
More success continue, earners.
Speaker 5 (31:12):
What's up?
Speaker 1 (31:12):
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