Nofel Izz

Nofel Izz holding his design for a vehicular oxygen mask, called oMask.

Nofel Izz (Gujarati: નોફએલ ઈજ઼, Urdu: نوفل از, Hindi: नोफ़ेल इज़), popularly known as Nofel, is a UAE based Canadian singer, entrepreneur, and inventor of Indian–Pakistani descent.^[1] According to NDTV in 2014, he was responsible for designing the world's first viable Space Elevator that would make space travel affordable for many.^[2][3] He was the founder and CEO of Jobs in Dubai.^[4][5] According to Gulf News, Nofel said that he took interest in music since he was five, but his recent singing career started when the Pakistani band Fuzön spotted him singing karaoke on a night out in Dubai; he later signed up in January 2012 with Emix Records of Pakistan for his first album which was release with Fuzön. The following week, BMG Crescendo (India) Private Limited also signed Nofel up as an artist.^[5] During the release of the album in Karachi, Pakistan, Nofel has pledged to donate all his proceeds from the album to the Eidi Foundation.^[6][7] He is currently the CEO of Acme Clinical Trials, which has a database of around 300,000 medical research studies.^[8]

Nofel Izz was born February 19, 1975 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates where he grew up with a family background having links to both India and Pakistan, the latter of which was partitioned from the rest of the country in 1947. He is the youngest son of a UAE gold trader,^[9] Tayyab Mohammed-Izz. His father migrated to what became Pakistan from the region of Gujarat during the partition of India in 1947, and eventually settled in UAE where he was involved exporting gold to India in the mid 1960s, partnering with the eldest member of a prominent UAE's Galadari business family, Abdul Wahab Galadari and Abdul Latif Galadari. Nofel's mother is from Karachi, Pakistan. Nofel completed his higher education in Dubai after which he migrated to Canada at the age of 21 to further expand his education.^[10] Izz possesses a MBA from the University of Cambridge.^[8]

Nofel has a home on Mississauga Road, neighbouring Harinder Takhar, the former appointed Minister of Transportation of Ontario and currently the Minister of Government Services of Ontario. He currently resides in the state of California.^[8]

Business career

Early beginnings

In 1997, Nofel Izz moved to Toronto to pursue higher education. While he was studying, he worked on several evening jobs. In 2000, he was hired by Bank of Montreal as a relationship manager in Toronto. Nofel eventually completed his years of E-Commerce during the early 2000s. Figuring out that he was at good at providing IT solutions, he founded a company along with three others. Although some dotcom firms were on the brink of bankruptcy, Nofel and his partners decided to continue managing the business. The company he founded created small systems for larger corporations. However in 2002, he decided to branched out his own, founding Jobs in Dubai.com, Inc. in Dubai.^[10][11] Knowledgeable on how to export skills from Canada to Dubai and vice versa, the company eventually boomed.

Jobs in Dubai

Nofel continued his work with Jobs in Dubai.com, Inc., eventually making it the largest online recruiting firm in the Middle East.^[12] The firm was drawing lots of company clients such as Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Axiom Telecom (started in 2008), Arya Insurance, FedEx, and First Gulf Bank. The firm grew well, earning outstanding reputation and positive feedback, especially from its experienced employees and some fresh graduates in the Middle East.^[12][13] It had also expanded, as the firm opened offices in India, and established their second headquarters in Canada.^[12] In 2007, Nofel irked a new milestone for the firm by merging with SOS Recruitment, thereby increasing the firms worldwide online presence. The merge made Jobs in Dubai.com, Inc. online recruitment the most powerful in the entire United Arab Emirates.^[14]

However during 2008, lots of companies around the world experienced a downturn as the world was hit by the 2008 financial crisis. But even during the financial crisis, the firm was still posting recruitment, even if it was hit by the said crisis. Dubai's economy helped the firm float as the emirate was less affected and hiring was evident in some companies like Etihad Airways.^[15] In 2009, the firm subsequently regained its stability as it was just like in the pre-financial crisis year.

In June 7, 2011, Nofel sold the firm to Ashish Agarwal, an Indian based investor, in a $9 million deal. The reason why the agency was sold was to look for larger entities that could take the success to a larger audience.^[12]

After Jobs in Dubai

After selling Jobs In Dubai.com, Inc. to Ashish Agrawal of India for $9 million in 2011,^[12] he embarked on other ventures such as Migration Brokers Corp.–an online immigration portal,^[13][16] The Power Launcher,^[17] oMask–an oxygen mask apparatus for vehicles submerged in water,^[18] and Rate Bidders.

Inventor career

Nofel Izz and his space elevator concept.

In April 2014, Izz invented the world's first oxygen mask for cars called the OMASK. The apparatus is portable and light-weight that allows vehicle users escape when submerged. In an article published by the Times of India, Nofel described why OMASK is needed. He said, "Accidents have become a part of our daily lives and so have natural disasters. Typically in a submerged vehicle crash, water rises to the bottom of the passenger window within 30 seconds. A person would have to wait until their vehicle is fully submerged before escaping. Due to external pressures, one would have little or no time to save themselves or their loved ones. With OMASK this situation will be avoidable and before you receive emergency help, you would be safe and free from drowning."^[19][20]

In 2014 Nofel Izz was the first Canadian to have been recognized to have designed the world's first viable space elevator.^[9][21] NDTV India called it the "Wonder Elevator."^[2][22] Nofel described to Indo-Asian News Service from his home in Ontario, Canada that the Space Elevator would be constructed using titanium alloys^[23] and would consist of an Telescopic Exo Shell and chained cylindrical bits that lock-in to form a shaft, which provides the structure elevation up to 160 kilometers or 99 miles into Low Earth orbit.^[24][25][26] He also suggested that the first nation to construct this Space Elevator would dominate space.^[27][28]

Public Health

Izz founded Acme Clinical Trials (ACT), a platform in which users can upload their medical records and be matched with "relevant trials, treatments and research findings".^[29] He is currently pursuing his MPH at Yale University.^[8]

Singing career

Nofel at his album launch in Karachi, Pakistan

Nofel Izz's interest in music started ever since he was five. His musical influences came from his mother and his mother's favourite singers such as Mohammad Rafi, Engelbert Humperdinck and Cliff Richard.^[5]

He made a singing appearance in 2010 on the India-Pakistan Independence Day celebration. He sang "Tere Naam (In Your Name)", which was produced by Arnie Dale of Pakistan, along with actors Meenakshi Dixit and Abdul Aziz, and singer Tariq Tayab. The song represents the shared sentiment of ‘being human first, rather than being political’ and features a blend of traditional music from the neighboring countries laced with refrains from both national anthems.^[30]

During a karaoke night out in Dubai, he was spotted by Pakistani band Fuzön. This marked his start in Pakistan's music scene. In January 2012, Nofel signed up with Emix Records of Pakistan for his first album, Saiyaan, released with Fuzön.^[5] One of the popular songs of the album is "Chuloon Aasman"; it has a music video with Meenakshi Dixit, entirely shot in Dubai, UAE.^[31][32]

The album was officially released in February 14, 2012 in a media event held at a hotel in Karachi. It was attended by people from the media, and some famous celebrities, and some music enthusiast individuals.^[33][34] During the media event, Nofel has pledged to donate all his proceeds from the album to the Eidi Foundation of Pakistan, aiding people who are deprived with the basic necessities of life.^[6][7] The media event was widely covered by various news networks and organizations in Pakistan including ARY News, ATV, News One, Metro One, Punjab TV, and Sindh TV.^[35]

A week after signing up with Emix Records, BMG Crescendo (India) Private Limited signed up Nofel Izz as an artist.^[7] In August 17, 2012, his album was launched in Mumbai, India.^[36][37] The album launched in time of India's and Pakistan's Independence Day, August 14/15. The album consist of 12 songs with "Chuloon Aasman" as its carrier single.^[38] The album launch was attended by some of India's prominent people such as Valanka Alemao, a politician and daughter of Churchill Alemao, the owner of Churchill Brothers S.C..^[39][40] It was also attended by famous celebrities such Eijaz Khan, Natalie Diluccio, Jasveer Kaur, Shakir Shaikh, and Meenakshi Dixit.^[41]

In 2013, Crescendo Ltd of India has produced Nofel's second album called "Soniyaa." In the future albums, Nofel will be collaborating one single with David Guetta, French house music producer and disc jockey which is in the works according to Crescendo. He will also record a romantic duet of the song called "Meherbaan" with Sonu Kakkar. Initially Shreya Ghoshal and Sunidhi Chauhan were considered for this song, but Suresh Thomas of Crescendo Music Group felt that Kakkar's voice complimented well with the melody of the song. Pakistani singer Sanam Marvi is also considered for another track in the said album.^[1]

Nofel Izz's record includes collaboration with Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan called "Allah Janda" ("God Knows").^[42]

Acting career

Nofel will have his Bollywood debut in a film called "Fattu Saala" and will be directed by Aziz Zee, who had also directed his music video for his second album.^[1] Aziz, along with Nofel, will also be part of the cast and will be joined by Shawar Ali, Mumaith Khan, DJ Akbar Sami, Ishq Bector, Shakir Shaikh, Nimti Vaishvan, Amrita Dubey, Dev Aich, Sarfaraz, and Shabir Khan.^[43] The movie is said to revolve around the chronicles of a boy from the slums who will part of a dark grunge on slum gangsters. It also involves an interesting yet sensitive story revolving around each of the characters in the film.^[44]

• Nofel Izz - Official website