Juggling commitments is arguably one of life’s great struggles. Can you put in the hours to excel at work while also being at the centre of the social scene? Is it possible to see as much of the world as you’d like while also ensuring you’re investing for the future?
Such issues have no doubt caused more than a few headaches around the world but there can’t be many people attempting to simultaneously manage two lives; one as an upcoming technology business titan and the other as the Middle East’s most exciting prospect in motor sports.
Meet Mohamed Abu Issa, a young Qatari who is making a considerable name for himself in international quad bike rallying, while at the same time hoping to rise to the top of the mobile app world.
Just 24 years old, Abu Issa has already established himself among the quad biking elite with wins at the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme’s World Cup and by placing fourth last year in what is arguably the sport’s most gruelling race, the Dakar Rally, becoming the first Qatari to finish it. And it was only his first attempt.
“I’ve been biking since I was five, starting on dirt bikes and moving onto quads,” he tells me. “I would go out on my bike everyday day till I was 18 but when I started my first degree in the UK, I realised that I had either take it seriously or give up.”
It was while studying business in London that Abu Issa met British quad biking champion, Paul Holmes, who clearly saw something special in the young rider and taught him how to put his raw talent to use on racing circuits. From there, he was introduced to the rallying world and the rest, as they say, is history.
Rallying has since taken Abu Issa all over the globe, in particular to South America, France and Italy, where much of the action takes place. “The sport is absolutely huge in South America, huge,” he says, adding that most of his fan base comes from the region. Instead of seeing tourist hotspots, the rallies, which sometimes have him in the saddle for 17 hours a day, give Abu Issa a unique view of the countries he passes through.
“You really get to travel and get to know the people and how nice they are. I’ve been to Brazil, not to Rio or São Paulo but to about 15 small villages. I really saw the true Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Bolivia and I’ve raced in places 5,000 metres above sea level, where no cars have been before.”
He recalls breaking down in a remote Brazilian village, where his arrival in full rally gear on a bike adorned with the logos of his sponsors was greeted in same manner as if an alien spaceship had landed. “They all came out and wanted to touch me,” he says. “And when I puled out my iPhone to contact my team, they were like ‘what is that?’ But they were so generous, giving me food and sugarcane as I waited for someone to come and pick me up.”
Abu Issa’s rise has coincided with motorsport’s move to the Middle East. As many European and American sponsors have pulled out, drivers have increasingly looked to the region for support. “A lot of teams – the French teams and Spanish teams – are contacting the Middle East for sponsorship,” he says, adding that among his main backers are Salam International, Red Bull and Cartier, plus several smaller local companies. “I’m lucky to be in a place that I believe is the future of motorsports.”
While he’s chosen the Middle East as his racing hub, the other side of Abu Issa’s colourful – and somewhat enviable – life is in London, where’s he been based, on and off, for the past five years.
Together with a group of university friends, he has helped oversee the business aspects of We Like Shopping, a new personal shopping app that helps people source exactly what they’re looking for before heading out to buy.
“You still get the same in-store experience but without having to waste time walking around high streets,” Abu Issa explains. Another app, this time focussed on the job market is now in production. The group have also started to make micro-investments in other apps, which they hope to help develop.
Abu Issa says his business partners are “hugely understanding” about his rallying commitments – which can take up six months of the year – and that he’s extremely happy that he can juggle both responsibilities, but admits he may eventually have to choose between the two.
For the time being, though, Abu Issa’s double-life will continue. So, will he rise to the top of the world quad biking or the world of tech business first? That remains to be answered but either way, it’s going to be an interesting ride.
