Potboiler success
The lawyer cum author has blended tennis and Bollywood to come up with ‘Smash’

James Harbridge, Partner, Trowers and Hamlins, is getting a good response to his fiction thriller called ‘Smash’. The book comes as a pleasant surprise, because lawyers are generally linked with real life crimes, not fictional thrillers.

Harbridge has always been a fan of crime writing and professional tennis and has added Bollywood films to his list of passions since coming to Oman in 1999. ‘Smash’ is a wonderful blend of his three loves – writing, tennis and Bollywood. Obviously there is an element of escapism in writing this book, admits Harbridge.

“Certainly there is a part of me that thinks it is a great thing to do and so there is definitely an element of escaping into the text when you are creating a world of which you would like to be part of. It is part of the motivation,” says Harbridge.

In a sense, Harbridge has mixed business and pleasure. Being a lawyer has helped him write the book competently. “The ability to plan and to think how the book should develop and to be ruthless in your self-editing and to reread yourself critically, all these skills I would never have had, if I had not gone in for law. It is all a mixture of mixing discipline with pleasure.”

Agatha Christie has been a great inspiration for Harbridge. “It feels very satisfying to read 225 pages which are around 60,000 words long. There must be some skill and some formula to achieve this and I said someday that I should try and write one of those books and it will be a combination of tennis and crime,” Harbridge said. Released in May by Pen Press Publishers, UK, ‘Smash’ is available at Turtles Book Shop.

Successful hotelier
A decade of dedication and hard work has helped Fahad Al Wahaibi to climb up the coporate ladder

Fahad Al Wahaibi reached a new milestone in his career with his recent promotion as Director of Sales and Marketing at the Radisson SAS Residence, Dubai Marina. After spending nearly a decade with the Radisson SAS Hotel, Muscat, the dedication of the young Omani national was recognised and rewarded by The Rezidor Hotel Group taking him to the next level of his career path and providing him with an opportunity to develop and gain experience in a new and fast-paced market.

Fahad began his career in the Food and Beverage section as a waiter in the popular Olivos Coffee Shop, and worked hard to earn the promotion to a management level in various outlets of the hotel. He made a turn in his career following this and took on the challenge of the position of Sales Manager which led to a further development as Assistant Director of Sales & Marketing at the Radisson SAS Hotel, Muscat.

In Dubai, Wahaibi will be responsible for the sales and marketing operations of Radisson SAS Residence, Dubai Marina, which opened on July 1, 2008. This is the very first luxury venture of the Radisson SAS Hotels in the Middle East, perfectly located in the heart of new Dubai, comprising of studios, one bedroom and two bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchen offering luxurious comfort and five star customer service.

“After an enjoyable, challenging and huge learning experience at the Radisson SAS Hotel Muscat over the last nine and a half years, I continue to be a proud employee of a group that is recognised globally. My new role gives me responsibilities where I can combine my passion and experience with the resources and development that The Rezidor Hotel Group has provided. I will always be an ambassador for my country and thank the management from the Radisson SAS Hotel Muscat who have always been so supportive and encouraging and acted as great mentors opening the doors to this highly sought after opportunity,” says Wahaibi.

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