How school dropout Ahmad Haffar became ‘Voice of Dubai’

BUILDING AN EMPIRE AROUND SOUND NEEDS BRANDING , NOT PASSION, HE SAYS

- BY MANJUSHA RADHAKRISHNAN

If you’ve ever been politely told to “mind the gap” on the Dubai Metro, reminded not to vape inside the Coca Cola arena, or caught yourself humming a jingle you didn’t even know you knew — chances are, you’ve already met Ahmad Haffar’s voice.

They call him the official ‘Voice of Dubai’, but Ahmad has built an empire on sound, sass and relentless reinvention.

“Dubai is one of the most incredible future-thinking, future-proof cities in the world. And I happen to have the title ‘Voice of Dubai.’ Do you know how much of an honour that is? I actually thank God every single minute of every single day for that,” Ahmad says.

But to call him only the voice of Dubai would be criminally reductive. Ahmad is a man of many identities, and he wears them all with cheeky flair.

“First hat, the voice. Second, Sonic branding. Third, Mindloop Studios, Dubai’s favourite audio house. Fourth, my Creative Academy for voiceover. Fifth, I’m an MC and stand-up comedian. And yes — I’m a hustler.”

He says it with the kind of unapologetic charm that makes you laugh and feel lazy all at once.

‘Passion is not enough’