Khalid Alrazooqi

Born and raised in Dubai – where residents have access to the beautiful sea year-round – Khalid Alrazooqi wasn’t always enamored with the ocean. In 2014, a group of friends asked him to join in a PADI Open Water Diver course, but he was afraid to even think about swimming in the pool due to a near-drowning incident when he was five. “I started to fight my inner soul to change that mindset, taking a swimming lesson first and then the course,” he says. “When I took my first breath underwater, my mind clicked. Scuba diving has permanently shifted my lifestyle – from someone who nearly drowned to a person who can’t stay away from the sea and the underwater life.”

Khalid didn’t stop at Open Water, and has since reached Master Scuba Diver and PADI Divemaster; he now has 14 certifications and plans on going for his PADI Instructor. “Ultimately, I want to encourage our people in UAE to be scuba divers, helping to protect the oceans across the globe from the pollution and other aspects. I also want to work closely with the government in UAE to focus on scuba diving as a diving tourism destination.”

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems from Maryville University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, and Master’s in Computer Resources and Information Management from Webster University in St. Louis
• Joined Project AWARE, and has participated in many beach and ocean cleanups
• Police officer and General Director of AI for the Dubai police
• Received an award from His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, for removing discarded fishing nets