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Nothing like a good game of golf to relax: Dubai-based entrepreneur

This is his take on how he maintains a healthy work-life balance.

Dubai-based David Tobias is the CEO and founder of the recently launched discount app VoucherSkout, as well as managing director of renowned digital agency Acumen Advertising DMCC. A 23-year resident of the UAE, he is married to Dalila and has two teenage children, Adam and Sophie. Agency life, typically, involves working towards a fairly endless stream of deadlines and, as such, it is extremely normal to work late into the evenings during the week. David's latest venture, VoucherSkout, it is also taking up a big chunk of his time, but is, as he calls it, "a labour of love". This is his take on how he maintains a healthy work-life balance.
Helping the kids with their homework
I used to hate homework as a kid, but find that helping my kids with theirs helps me re-learn things I had maybe forgotten. It also gives me time to see how they are getting along at school and brings me closer to both of them as they are always grateful for any help they can get. That said, now that both of them are well into their 'A-Level' curriculla, I am finding that my inputs are proving less helpful by the day. In fact, these days, they seem to be teaching me, whereas, earlier, it used to be the other way around!
Hitting the fairways
I really enjoy a round of golf and we have some fantastic courses here in the UAE. I find that being out in the fresh air, surrounded by a tapestry of greenery, helps clear my mind from the pressures of work and gives me a few hours to catch up with old friends who also play the game. While I am not at all a good golfer, on the rare occasions when I do connect sweetly with the ball, there is somehow nothing quite like it in terms of satisfaction. Strange perhaps for non-golfers to understand but true nonetheless.
Chilling on the boat
As a kid, I spent a lot of time sailing with my dad and then went on to race competitively in Lasers, 420s and Catamarans. These days, I find enjoyment in less adrenaline-packed activities so, on weekends, I pack a small case and the family and I head up to Jebel Ali Golf Resort, where we spend time chilling out. Sometimes, we head to Moon Island, about 68km straight out to sea and anchor there for the weekend or, alternatively, turn left and head across to Blue Marlin at Ghantoot for a couple of nights. With a couple of lines thrown out the back of the boat, we occasionally get lucky and even catch dinner along the way!
Being a docu junkie
Watching movies is a bit of a bore for me unless they're truly engaging. I find documentaries a lot more interesting and am often able to learn a great deal from them that can be applied to my professional career as well as my personal life. Not all of them are great, of course. My wife has often woken up in the middle of the night to find me asleep with my laptop resting on my chest and my earphones still in my ears - meanwhile, I'm completely away with the fairies.
Dining out
I've always really enjoyed dining out and, in the UAE, we are generally seriously spoilt for choice. I think sharing a great meal with the family outside of the house is an excellent way to re-connect with my wife and kids without having to worry about who is doing the washing up afterwards! I particularly love seafood and tend to gravitate towards any place that has unlimited oysters on offer.
Visiting unusual destinations
My wife, Dalila, used to work for Dubai Air Wing and was therefore lucky enough to see much of the world before we even met. That said, both of us still love to travel and prefer to visit places we've never been to before. We've had amazing experiences in China, India, parts of Africa and much of the Far East. We always travel as a family, as I think it's really important for my children to experience a variety of cultures and traditions from around the globe.
- Staff reporter