Dubai: Rio Ferdinand wants to be remembered as more than a footballer. The former Manchester United defender says his second career as an entrepreneur could grow bigger than his first. And one of his bets is taking shape with a major move in Dubai.
Sokin, the fintech he backed early, has secured a Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) licence. It is opening a new UAE office at One Za’abeel and plans to grow its local team to 100 people. Businesses can now receive dirhams into a Sokin AED account, and platform partners gain embedded local payment rails across more than 70 other currencies.
In an exclusive interview with Gulf News Ferdinand spoke of whether he would rather be remembered as a football legend or an entrepreneur. Ferdinand refused to choose. “Both,” he says. “Football was great for my life, and in my second chapter I want to be known even more, hopefully for something that could become bigger than football.”
So what made him choose Sokin? 'Simplicity' he says is what won him over. “Vroon (Sokin founder) explained what, in my mind, was a complicated sector, very simplistically. I’ve seen in many different industries that if you can simplify some sector, you have a huge opportunity to create a big business.”
