Ian Fairservice came to live in Dubai in January 1978 when he was 21 years old. He founded his company, Motivate Publishing in 1979 with the launch of What’s On, the region’s first English language magazine. Together with his partner Obaid Humaid Al-Tayer, who is now the UAE Minister of State for Finance, he has seen the company develop into one of the most successful media houses in the region. Publishing a wide range of award winning magazines and books, Motivate has a staff of more than 250 based in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and London.

Motivate’s book division was founded in 1986 and currently has more than 250 titles in print including many from well-known authors such as Sir Wilfred Thesiger, Ronald Codrai OBE, General Sir Peter de la Billiere and British royal photographer Patrick Lichfield. In 2006 Motivate published My Vision, an autobiographical account of the development of Dubai by its Ruler, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. In 2008, Motivate published the first English language volume of Sheikh Mohammed’s poetry.

Gulf Business, What’s On, Emirates Woman, Hello!, Society Dubai, Business Traveller, Identity and Stuff are some of Motivate’s established consumer magazines. Motivate’s contract publishing division produces publications which include three for Emirates airline as well as magazines for Dubai International Airport, Jumeirah hotel group, the Spinneys supermarket chain and Emaar Properties.

In addition to his business responsibilities Fairservice is the vice-chairman of the Board of Governors of the Al Noor Training Centre for Children with Special Needs. Before becoming the centre’s vice chairman in 1998 he served as fund-raising chairman for 15 years.

For recreation, in addition to golf, fishing and writing poetry, he has a keen interest in food. Fairservice has been the chairman of the UAE chapter of the worldwide culinary association La Chaine des Rotisseurs for over 20 years, and serves on the association’s world board in Paris. He is also a member of the board of governors of Dubai’s prestigious Capital Club, founded in 2007.