Get All Access for $5/mo

#DrivenByWomen: Fahima Falaknaz, The UAE's First Female Boxer "Whenever you take that first step, the opportunities will come, and doors will open for you."

You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

For Emirati Women's Day 2024, Entrepreneur Middle East and AW Rostamani Group's Arabian Automobiles Company, under the banner of #DrivenByWomen, are putting the spotlight on four female achievers from different walks of life in the UAE who, with their unique capabilities and contributions, are essentially driving the future of the nation.

Under the banner of #DrivenByWomen, these ladies will offer a peek into the precepts and principles that have guided their personal journeys to success; plus, by finding common ground between them and some of the finest automobiles under the banner of AW Rostamani Group's Arabian Automobiles Company, they will also seek to distill their own particular driving forces, and how they can be harnessed by other Emirati women wanting to follow in their footsteps.

In this edition of #DrivenByWomen, we are putting the spotlight on Fahima Falaknaz, who made headlines as the UAE's first female boxer when she participated in the 2019 Asian Boxing Confederation Championship in Thailand. Falaknaz's achievements are proof of the power of grit and determination when going after one's goals—however, she'd like us all to remember that it all started, because she decided to simply take a chance on herself.

Fahima Falaknaz is pictured here with the all-new Nissan Z, which has been billed as an approachable sports car for the modern age. And given her background as a sportsperson, it's not hard to understand why Falaknaz found this vehicle—with an unmatched 50-plus year heritage and a global fan base—to be a match for her own persona. "Being an athlete, I like sports cars, and I think the Nissan Z represents me. It's sleek, it's strong, and it's fast, especially on the curve–I like driving on the curves!" Falaknaz laughs.

"My message always is to take that first step," she says. "It's very important to take some kind of action. Whenever you take that first step, the opportunities will come, and doors will open for you." These are the kinds of insights one can expect at a program that Falaknaz runs today called Mindful Children, which helps kids to build their confidence and resilience through the sport of boxing. However, it is also indicative of the importance Falaknaz places on lifelong learning—as she put it: "For me, it's all about self-development. I always make sure that I'm learning something new every day."

For Emirati Women's Day, Falaknaz chose the all-new Nissan Z for a drive to one of her go-to spots in Dubai, and we got to join her on this ride. Check out the trip—as well as the insights Falaknaz shared during it—by checking out the full video above!

Related: #DrivenByWomen: Emirati Inventor Fatima Alkaabi

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Growth Strategies

Nine Principles You Should Use To Increase Your Powers of Influence and Persuasion

With today's business professionals missing a model for influence at work specifically designed for the 21st century, here are nine principles organized into three sets of three to ensure they are easy to learn and remember.

Thought Leaders

Why Creativity Is Essential to Getting Your New Businesses Started in a Winning Position

Here's why creativity is the backbone of any successful business.

Entrepreneurs

Shooting For The Moon: Carl Runefelt, Founder, The Moon Group

"We strive to identify and invest in founders that are building game-changing business models in the blockchain sector, and we look to support fast-executing, technical teams that positively impact the crypto space and build the decentralized web."

Productivity

How to Design a Work Session That Tricks Your Brain Into Peak Performance, According to a Neuroscientist

Dr. Mithu Storoni, neuroscientist and author of the forthcoming book 'HYPEREFFICIENT: Optimize Your Brain to Transform the Way You Work', reveals what it takes to get your best work done.